Fishing Monthly Magazine | July 2021 by Fishing Monthly

• FEATURE PACKED ISSUE • WINNING THIS WINTER •

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Features

Winter on the wharves • Fishing East Kimberley • Double-edged sword of social media • Cashing in on cuttlefish • Yank flathead stocks •

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Toby Grundy visits wharves in the winter

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CONTENTS

OUR COVER July 2021, Vol. 2 No.3 VIC

TAS

QUEENSLAND Gold Coast Jumpinpin Brisbane Northern Bay Noosa Bundaberg Mackay Whitsundays Townsville Hinchinbrook Cairns Port Douglas Cooktown Cape York Freshwater

16 18 22 24 25 26 30 32 36 38 38 39 40 42 46

NEW SOUTH WALES Pittwater Sydney North Sydney Rock Sydney South Ballina Coffs Harbour Hastings Forster Port Stephens Swansea Central Coast Illawarra Batemans Bay Bermagui Tathra New England Rivers Hunter Valley Batlow Albury/Wodonga Lithgow/Oberon Canberra

52 53 54 56 58 60 62 63 64 64 65 68 69 70 70 72 73 74 74 75 76

VICTORIA Warrnambool Portland Cobden Apollo Bay Geelong Port Phillip West Port Phillip East Phillip Island Gippsland Lakes Lakes Entrance Bemm River Marlo Mallacoota Robinvale Bendigo Ballarat Wangaratta Shepparton Crater Lakes Eildon West/South Gippsland

82 82 83 83 84 86 88 87 90 91 91 92 92 94 94 96 95 97 98 99 98

TASMANIA Hobart 6

JULY 2021

From the Editor’s Desk...

Jacob Crispe shows that different baiting techniques and persistence pays off when targeting big winter snapper from the Southern stones in WA. This 10kg plus fish was caught on a bonito wing. It was one of a number of good fish caught on the day. A Jacob Crispe image. Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance Augusta Bunbury Mandurah Metro Lancelin Geraldton Exmouth Broome Karratha Freshwater

105 106 107 109 108 110 111 112 112 113 114

REGULAR FEATURES Winter on the wharves Starlo’s back to basics Fishing East Kimberley Cashing in on cuttlefish Sheik of the Creek What’s New Fishing Testing Booth: Concept Z2 Slide WIRF Yank flathead stocks Recfishwest Tournaments Track my Fish Tournament Calendar Trades and Services Boat Test: Whittley SL25 Quintrex new models Tide page

8 10 12 20 35 48 49 100 102 104 116 122 123 124 126 128 130

COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo Fun page/Sub page

79 93

100 WIRF

With Australia’s gathering of the fishing tackle trade on the Gold Coast this month, the big question at the time of going to print is: Will we all be able to go? After a cancelled event in 2020 due to COVID, 2021 sees the return on the Australian Fishing Trade Association (AFTA) show on the Gold Coast. This three-day event features two days of business-to-business dealings on the Thursday and Friday, and then a Public Day on the Saturday. The Public Day is on the 10th July, 2021 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, 9am to 3pm. $10 for adults, free for kids 15 and under. To me, this is still a big deal, as it’s only the second time in recent years that the public have been allowed into the show to see the latest and greatest tackle that’s about to hit our shores and our shelves. And with all of Australia’s big brands in one place, there is literally no place better to immerse yourself in your hobby. Like all things COVID, you must order your tickets in advance – you can order them on the Public Day tab on the www.afta.net.au website. The other benefit of the show if that you’ll get to meet a lot of people that

you read about, see on social media or see on TV at the show. Companies get in their sponsored anglers, personalities and influencers to talk to you and have a presence. And they’re all under one roof at one time. And just between you and me, I saw plenty of free sample bags in people’s hands last year. This isn’t a retail show, you can’t buy any tackle, but you can buy limited apparel and promotional gear and, for a few hours, be like the proverbial kid in a candy store. If COVID restrictions keep you at home, we will be doing our best to bring you coverage from the show – from the popular Best In Show awards through to the latest and hottest releases, keep an eye on our social media channels to stay in touch. And, of course, there’ll be a super feature in the very next magazine after the show. Which is the magazine after this one. I hope you enjoy this issue and with luck, we’ll see you at the show!

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Winter on the wharves CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

I live in Canberra, which means I deal with very cold winters. Not crazy cold but we do get a lot of -5ºC through the winter

the number of species on offer but also because even though the water is cold, the action around these areas is usually quite good because of the high concentration of food swimming about in the water. I like to fish these areas

directly below my position and more often than not, most of the bread-andbutter species (flathead, bream, snapper, whiting) stay close to the pylons or sit directly under the wharf as the cover provided overhead makes these fish

Trevally are a winter staple off many South Coast wharves.

Nick Moss landed this nice tailor while fishing a weed bed close to the wharf. months. Now, while I do fish at my local haunts all the way through winter, I do, from time to time like to escape to warmer climates and target a few fish while I’m at it. Some of my favourite spots to visit through July and August are the wharves, which sit in coastal towns along the South Coast of NSW. These pieces of artificial structure provide a refuge for bait fish and a prime hunting location for a variety of species ranging from bream, flathead and snapper through to salmon, tailor and the odd tuna and kingie. There are also often big squid. This means that the fishing is always interesting due to

in a few different ways to maximise my chances of landing as many fish as possible and as many different species as possible (always with landing big fish as the primary goal). So, outlined below is my approach to fishing these easily accessible locations. STRUCTURE The wharf is the structure. Yes, there may be structure sitting out from the wharf ranging from weed beds through to rocky edges but the best place to start looking for fish when arriving at a likely wharf is to drop a line right at your feet. Some of the largest winter salmon I have hooked and landed came from the pylons

feel far more comfortable and less wary and therefore more willing to bite. If the bite isn’t at my feet, I then start looking for any structure, which is close to the wharf. Halfsubmerged rusty pylons, drop offs, weed beds and

isolated crops of rock all represent prime pelagic territory with salmon regularly patrolling these areas along with tailor looking to pick up an easy feed. These areas also attract baitfish like slimy mackerel, which can

A juvenile salmon caught on a plastic.

Winter wharf fishing often means you have the whole stretch to yourself. 8

JULY 2021

be a lot of fun to target when the fishing is slow and the larger specimens can rip drag from a light spin set up. Often the action will be out wide and fishing from a wharf allows an angler to get in on some deepwater action especially if fishing a wharf which runs out a long way from the shore. It pays, to keep an eye on the far end of any wharf even when fishing in close on a pylon as sea birds will often give away the presence of pelagic fish in the deep as will surface activity ranging from jumping fish through the areas of isolated foam. This, for me, is the most exciting situation because you never know what is under the surface and sometimes it is possible to cast right into the chaos from a wharf that would otherwise be impossible if fishing from land. TACTICS/LURES If fishing the pylons, I like to drop metal blades

and plastics down the water column as close to the pylon as possible. Usually, I get hit on the drop but the first

as the schooling fish in the deep are often homed in on one particular prey item and it is a matter of

around a wharf will eat a lure. TIMING Dawn and dusk along

if you head to a wharf and fish the turn of the tide, you are putting yourself in prime position to catch a big winter pelagic. TACKLE I travel light when fishing a wharf. I carry a backpack with a handful

of lures, water, food and my camera and two fishing rods which are capable of handling anything up to an enormous kingfish. I run a 7’3 foot 3-6kg rod matched to a 3000 sized reel spooled with 15lb braid and 20lb leader. I

casting out wide for the big stuff. I know a lot of anglers use really long rods and far heavier reels but I have found that I can cast a long way with this outfit. SUGGESTED LOCATIONS Merimbula Wharf

Tathra Wharf is a great spot to try for a salmon. few taps are often small bait fish so I don’t set the hook unless I feel a solid whack through the butt of the rod. Instead, I allow the lure to reach the bottom and then I jig the lure. I like to rip the lure off the bottom and get it moving right back up the pylon and I repeat the process until I get a solid hit. It is essentially the same jigging tactic practiced by those fishing from a boat but instead, land-based. Lures like the Ecogear ZX 43 or the Halco Twisty 20-30g are perfect choices when jigging a pylon as they both represent the types of prey that use the pylon as shelter. I use a variety of surface lures when casting to the structure, which sits just out from the wharf. Working surface lures over a likely weed bed or near a halfsubmerged, rotted piece of mooring is a sure-fire way of getting the heart racing as salmon and tailor appear almost out of nowhere and hit the lure with abandon. In this situation, I use a Bassday Sugapen (120mm) or a Jackall Jockey and implement a ‘walk-the-dog style’ retrieve, twitching the rod tip up and down while winding at the same time. If I don’t get any surface action, I switch to a plastic (usually grub tail) and allow the lure to sink down close to the structure before gently twitching it back to my location. When casting out wide, it is all about distance. I use metals as I can cast metals enormous distances; often reaching schooling fish that would otherwise be out of range if using anything else. I use Surecatch Knight metals in weights 40-85g. I like to bring a variety of different sizes

trialling different sized metals to find what size they are keen on. Once I’ve cast out as far as I can, I wait 10 seconds or so and bring the lure back as fast as I can. When the

with the turn of the tide represent the best times to hit a wharf and catch some fish. There is no trick to it and while I’m sure there are times that are kept supersecret by those in the know,

Wharves provide exciting fishing opportunities.

Sam Rooney with one of 14 salmon during a memorable winter session. lure reaches the surface, I let it drop back down and repeat the process. I’m targeting moving fish in this circumstance and therefore fish close to the top of the water column. SPECIES The species list on offer when fishing wharves through winter must be experienced to be believed. I’ve had days where I have caught kingfish, trevally, salmon, tailor, pike, barracoota, bream, flathead, snapper, and tuna. It does come down to the day but one of the real highlights of visiting and fishing a wharf through winter is you never really know what will turn up and most species hanging

use this outfit when fishing around the pylons and other structure like weed beds. ZX 43s, smaller metals and plastics do require a lighter outfit and I find the 3-6kg works well for fishing these types of lures as it is light enough for me to feel the action of the lure but heavy enough for me to fight medium sized pelagic fish. I will say that if fishing the wharves regularly, it is important to purchase a reel, which is fully sealed. Wharves are where cheap tackle goes to die as sand, saltwater and all sorts of other stuff buries itself into a reel throughout a session. A good, sealed reel retails for around $150. I use a 7’ 5-8kg spin rod matched to a 4000 sized reel spooled with 50lb braid and 50lb leader when

Chris Troth with a hard fighting silver trevally.

is always worth a look through winter and has been one of my favourite fishing locations for over a decade. Through summer, the wharf is packed with fishos but through winter, the wharf doesn’t see the same amount of foot traffic. In fact, I have often had the whole wharf to myself during many winter sessions. Tathra Wharf is also a great spot to visit as the pelagic fish come in big numbers even through July and August and there are instances where some really cool stuff happens. I have been there when the mac tuna have come through making for some of the most exciting wharf fishing I have ever experienced. It is a place where anything can happen so expect the unexpected. The Eden Navy Wharf is another great wharf but is increasingly closed to the general populace as it is a munitions drop off point for the Australian Military. Check to see if the wharf is open before visiting this location. CONCLUSION Wharf fishing through winter on the South Coast is family friendly, easily accessible and genuinely exciting. Some of my most memorable fishing experiences have come when fishing off these artificial structures so I recommend getting down to a wharf and casting for big pelagics over the coming months. JULY 2021

The double-edged sword of social media NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Social media has had a massive impact on our fishing world, with both positive and negative consequences for the sport. When historians look back on our current era of ‘digital disruption’ from the distance of a generation or two, I suspect that its defining characteristics may be our dependence on mobile devices and the associated influence of social media in our daily lives. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter… Look around on a bus, a train or in a restaurant and you’ll typically see at least half of your fellow travellers or patrons hunched over their mobile devices

If you don’t want to give away the precise location of your catch to the whole world, think about what you include in the background of any images posted to social media.

Choosing a nondescript background can help protect vulnerable fish populations and locations. at any given moment. This proportion increases in younger groups. Some will be texting, checking their emails or reading the latest news, but many will be actively engaged with social media platforms of one type or another.

While social media has been one of the most transformative and influential developments of the 21st century, and has literally helped to shape our world, it has not come without its share of unforeseen consequences: for both individuals and

society at large. These consequences have impacted every aspect of modern life, including recreational fishing. I don’t believe that any of us — even the very few who’ve remained staunchly ‘disconnected’ — can honestly claim that social

media hasn’t dramatically altered recreational fishing. Some of these changes have been positive… others less so. For one thing, social media has far too often become a competitive arena intended primarily to promote a culture of envy and jealousy in others, often with damaging impacts on their mental wellbeing. In the words of American author and journalist, Alexandra Samuel: “Envy is so profoundly woven into the experience of using social media that it has brought the term FOMO into common currency: Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is an almost inevitable by-product of witnessing other people’s vacations, parties, and purchases through social media.” She could well have added prize catches or spectacular fishing experiences to that list of envy-inducing displays. Almost all of us who use social media (myself included) are guilty of indulging in this ‘look at me’ culture from time to time. However, social media’s negative aspects aren’t confined simply to the generation of jealousy as some sort of perverse sport. The often angry maelstrom

of the ‘socials’ has also greatly devalued our learning experiences, cheapened the acquisition of genuine wisdom, fostered dangerous conspiracy theories and allowed those with an axe to grind to throw digital rocks with virtual immunity. Furthermore – and perhaps most critically of all – social media has served to dramatically increase pressure on fragile resources and sensitive places. This last impact – increased pressure on fish and locations – is one we all need to carefully consider. Back when most of us got our angling intel’ from magazines like this one, there was a lag time between the generation of “news” and its wider dissemination. That lag or lead-time ranged from weeks to months, depending on the publication. Today, thanks to social media, “news lag” has been reduced to minutes or even seconds. It’s possible for others to see – almost in real time – what’s being caught, how it’s being caught and exactly where. While most of us have benefitted at times from this extraordinary level of connectivity and sharing of intel’, we also need to be aware of some of its potentially darker consequences. Remember that not everyone watching

The ubiquitous ‘selfie’: stock in trade of the modern social media user.

Pretty pics pull more hits, but are we in danger of judging our success in life solely on the number of ‘likes’ we accrue? 10

JULY 2021

and learning has your noble intentions. The next commercial netter, poacher, over-harvester or blatant rule breaker to use a social media post as a tool to pinpoint a vulnerable concentration of fish certainly won’t be the first. The message is simple: Think before you post! Yes, there’s a good reason some of today’s more savvy social media ‘fishing influencers’ delay or stagger their posts, frame photos carefully, and even digitally disguise backgrounds in images to obscure locations. They’re protecting their own ‘intellectual property’, for sure, but they’re also guarding fish and fishing spots. Unfortunately, I believe that the negative aspects inherent in modern social media will only continue to grow in the next few years, further diminishing the true value of these platforms and driving increasing numbers of people to seek out more mature, inclusive and welcoming arenas for engaging with like-minded folk. That’s just how it is, and there’s little point in bemoaning the existing reality. It is what it is. But at least we can all be more aware of the potential pitfalls, and perhaps think twice before hitting that ‘post’ tab.

JULY 2021

HOLIDAYING IN AUSTRALIA

Stunning East Kimberley Western Australia

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Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Holidays are something that all of us need, and with overseas travel restricted for the foreseeable future, now is your opportunity to explore the amazing country we call home – Australia. For me, the Kimberley region in Western Australia – in particular El Questro Station – was somewhere I had always wanted to go. Inspired a VERY long time ago by an episode of Rex Hunt Fishing Adventures, this year (despite a few COVID scares) I got my wish, and I want to share with you what it’s all about. KUNUNURRA The township of Kununurra is the gateway to the region and proved to be well worth exploring. Getting there from the East coast can

You don’t need a lot of gear, just an assortment of lures and a good rod and reel. Main: A new day dawning over the Chamberlain Gorge. Above: The sunsets were quite stunning during the author’s trip. be done by air either through Darwin or via Perth, with flights arriving most days. There are plenty of accommodation options available (most with airport transfers) or you can hire a car or 4WD to get around and take in the area.

There is more to do in Kununurra than I expected, and the afternoon and morning my wife and I had there wasn’t really enough to do it justice. A couple of days could easily be spent exploring places like the Sandalwood Shop,

Glen, the guide for the author’s trip to the Pentecost River, with a nice 53cm fish caught while trolling. 12

JULY 2021

the Hoochery Distillery, art galleries like Artlandish (they have a great collection of indigenous pieces) and then of course you have the famous Argyle pink diamonds that the region is famous for. Add to that a cruise on Lake Argyle or the Ord River, and you should have a couple of days covered easily. I would also like to mention the markets; I got a fabulous charcoal drawing of a Boab tree by a local artist there, plus a few other things! I cannot tell you about the local fishing because I didn’t fish here, but I was told by a number of the locals that good fishing is on offer in the waters around town. EL QUESTRO The El Questro property itself is huge. Originally 1 million acres, it is now 750,000 acres (recently 250,000 acres in the form of the Cockburn Ranges was returned to the traditional owners) and has gone through a number of owners in its more recent history. It’s now

• 13 Fishing Concept Z2 baitcast reel (filled with 30lb Platypus P8 Braid) • Bone Voyage BVC664 H travel rod • 50lb leader material • Lures – 4 Zerek Flat Shad Pro 4.5” soft plastics, 3 Reidy’s Little Lucifer’s, 3 Reidy’s B52’s, a packet of Zman Finesse FrogZ with the correct hooks to fish surface, 3 Zerek Tango Shad 69’s and a packet of Mustad size 4 Fastach clips all in a single large tackle tray.

If space allowed the author would have added these items to his tackle box. Kimberley barra love surface lures, and sooty grunter are plentiful too. With the benefit of hindsight, the author would now also take a couple of medium to large surface lures, some ZMan 3” Slim SwimZ and 1/8oz heavy duty jigheads to suit, plus a lighter spin outfit to target the sooty grunter with.

HOLIDAYING IN AUSTRALIA back in Australian hands through the G’Day Group. The property offers a variety of accommodation options, from camping or staying at the Station to private campsites along the Pentecost River, glamping at Emma Gorge or the luxury of staying at the Homestead. All are incredible experiences, and provide a great base from which to take in the sights and sounds of the area. Tours and experiences can be organised through the property, or again there is the option to take it in yourself. I found doing some of the organised tours to be the best option for me. The knowledge of the area that the staff have gives you a true insight

into what this part of the Kimberley is all about. Some of the tours we did were the Chamberlain River Cruise, the Emma Gorge walk and the El Questro Gorge tour, however there are many other options including enjoying Zebedee Springs (an amazing thermal spring), going horse

property offers something for all the family or a little time out for mum and dad. THE FISHING The primary target species in the East Kimberley region is the barramundi, and the four rivers on the property can hold a good head of fish or a sparser population,

existing population grow to bigger sizes, but little or no new recruitment will occur. The downside is that once you do get a season of good rain, these larger fish will follow the water to the ocean (looking to spawn) and are replaced by a new year class of smaller fish.

The sign telling you your El Questro Kimberley adventure is beginning.

The Kimberley is a vast and beautiful place. riding, doing a sunset tour, going bird watching or trying your hand at fishing on the Pentecost River, or going on a helicopter tours. As with the accommodation, there are options for every budget. The

Being able to get to remote locations via helicopter is a special thing. Here the author is hooked up to a barra in the upper Chamberlain River.

depending on how much rain occurs during the wet season. Consecutive good wet seasons will see a greater number of fish and a better variety of sizes, while poor seasons will see the

That was the case with the wet season just gone. Barramundi are not the only options; there are large populations of sooty grunter, archerfish and forkContinued over...

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HOLIDAYING IN AUSTRALIA ...Continued from previous page

tail catfish as well. EXPLORING BY 4WD OR ON FOOT The track system on El Questro is well looked after with the property employing a driver to maintain the upkeep of the tracks fulltime. These tracks offer those with a 4WD the option to explore the property and find likely looking areas to fish. I did not do this, but a fellow guest while I was staying there did, and he caught a number of 70cm+ fish using the track along the Chamberlain River towards Explosion Gorge and a couple of spots around the area where the Chamberlain and Pentecost Rivers meet. I chose the on foot option,

If you are lucky enough to stay at the Homestead, the amazing views continue into the night. Gibb River Road crossing. They have a boat located there to take guests/clients out to target barramundi. The fishing is trolling orientated, and although the location is some 70km from the ocean, there is a tidal influence. This area, in my mind, provides the best option to come across a

with the traditional owners to ensure everything is done in the right way, so it was not being offered. I did however get out with my wife for a few hours fishing the Chamberlain River well above where the homestead is situated. Seeing the property from the air is something I will never forget. There is something amazing to see everywhere you look. After travelling some distance upriver we landed at the bottom of a likely looking stretch of water and fished it on foot. We didn’t walk terribly far (maybe a kilometre), fishing any likely looking water as we went. It was a pretty big body of water, with the occasional

place that if you had a car topper, it could be put in here and you could have a world of fun exploring. Fishing from the bank is also an option; just remember to be crocodile safe. HELICOPTER FISHING Another experience available is fishing areas on the

The Pentecost River below the Gibb River road crossing is the closest tidal influenced water in the area, and it offers the best option to catch a fish of a lifetime. This fish needs a few more years of growing. It was caught by the author on a cast Reidy’s Little Lucifer. and there are a few things to be aware of if you want to do this. There are both saltand freshwater crocodiles present in the waterways, so wading or being in the water is not advised. Snakes are also about, so be aware, particularly if you’re walking in long grass. And last but not least, sunscreen, water and a hat are a must. I spent a morning fishing the area at the base of the Chamberlain Gorge down to where the Chamberlain and Pentecost rivers meet. I managed a couple of small barra and missed a

few more opportunities. The hiking wasn’t overly difficult, with getting to the water to cast being the most frustrating thing. In hindsight, if I were to visit again, I would pack a lighter spin outfit and fish this area. The barra lures were a little too big for the abundant number of sooty grunter present; they would have been a lot of fun to play with using lighter tackle. 4WD BARRAMUNDI TOUR El Questro offers a guided fishing trip to the Pentecost River below the

Taking in the surroundings on the Chamberlain River Cruise is a must do. 14

JULY 2021

The thermal pools at Zebedee Spring are a great place to spend time soaking in the 28-32°C water. The views while you are doing it are pretty good too.

Some solid fish are available on the 4WD barramundi tour offered by El Questro. bigger fish and to find bigger numbers. All the gear, a bit of food and light refreshments are included. I joined another guest and Glen, our guide there, to try our luck. Although the set-up is suited to trolling, we did a combination of it and casting. It was amazing to see a 7.8m tide find its way up past a rock bar where we fished. It was the first time I have seen a river flow backwards. We had a fun morning without finding that big fish we all want (they are in there though, check out some of the pics hereby), but Glen managed a nice 53cm on the troll, while I and the other guest got seven fish, including a couple of double hook-ups casting, although they were on the small side. This spot is certainly a

property that receive minimal fishing pressure through the use of a helicopter. In the past this included areas on neighbouring properties, and waters with a tidal influence, but at the time of writing the new owners were still in talks

A 74cm barramundi caught by the author during his Helispirit helifish experience.

rock or piece of timber in it to focus our casts at. I managed to hook a couple of barra in an area where they were hiding amongst some rocks, and landed a 74cm fish. We also hooked a few catfish around a tree overhanging the water that we promptly called the Catfish Tree. My wife Mary hooked the biggest catfish I have ever seen. It would have been great to have more time to fly off and explore some more, but we had to head back. THE EAST KIMBERLEY ROCKS As I write this I have been back from El Questro for two weeks. The sunsets, sunrises and everything we saw will not soon be forgotten. We are so lucky in Australia to have such diverse and spectacular holiday options available to us. There is no better time than now to plan your Aussie getaway. If you like the look of El Questro check out their website at www.elquestro. com.au, or use Mr Google and check the East Kimberley region for yourself.

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Pearls and reds are off the table GOLD COAST

David Green

With the upcoming one-month closed season for snapper and pearl perch beginning this

month, anglers will have to change their tactics as two of the most popular species will be off the menu from the 15 July until the 15 August. So far this season the offshore fishing has been

excellent, with a lot of big pearl perch turning up on the wider grounds. The closed season will be a good time to explore other options, such as deep dropping out beyond the 200m line and chasing

Big mulloway have been caught at night using live mullet around the eddies in the Seaway.

kingfish, amberjack and samsonfish. It is also a good time to target striped and blue marlin with the chance of catching good yellowfin on the wider grounds. Cobia are another good target this month and recently a 44kg fish was caught on the close reefs off Southport. Cobia always turn up at the same time the hump back whales arrive off the Gold Coast. To catch cobia on a reliable basis, nothing beats a good berley trail and a large live bait. They aren’t overly fussy when it comes to what type of live bait you use. I’ve caught them on tailor, slimy mackerel, tarwhine, goat fish, snapper and teraglin. The key is to have a sizeable offering that is quite active, and to berley using pilchards or chopped tuna. Cobia are a great fighting fish on light tackle, as they are extremely strong. They also respond to soft plastics and drifted strip baits. Good areas to try this month are the 18 fathom reef off Surfers, the Blocks (artificial reefs in 23m of water just north of the Seaway), 27 fathoms north-east, and

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Ross McCubbin with a tasty flathead.

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on the inshore wrecks where they sometimes turn up in numbers. Most of the winter cobia are big, averaging over 15kg. Out wider on the 36 and 50 fathom line there should be good snapper and pearl perch in the early part of the month before the commencement of the closed season. The best way to get a feed of good snapper is to fish a tide change at dawn or dusk and use good fresh strip baits, pilchards or soft plastics. Already this year some great snapper over 8kg have been landed on the Cathedrals Reef and on the 36 fathom line. Pearl perch are a good target on the 50 fathom reef but there are a few isolated patches of reef in 100-120m that are very productive when the current slows down. At night on the inshore grounds, there should be some good mulloway fishing on the 18 and 24 fathom line. Live slimy

should be quite good this month. If there are schools of slimies or sauris around striped marlin won’t be far away, and Spot X is always worth a look in July using both live baits and lures. RIVERS AND ESTUARIES After a good wet season and a long period of good water conditions the estuaries are primed to produce some great fish this month. The annual mullet run has begun early this year and a lot of fish will spawn this month. Bream, mulloway, luderick and mullet all congregate around the river mouths and entrances this month. Flathead fishing should be great this month. My good mate Ross McCubbin caught 63 flathead today up to 78cm, which is great fishing so early in the season. Big mulloway are a good target species this month. Most of the bigger

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are very active. The area from Crab Island through to Jumpinpin should see plenty of flathead action. Work the draining channels using soft vibes, plastics, blades and small hardbodied lures. Trolling the extensive flats can also be very productive. There have already been a few big crocodiles caught this season, and working the flats on high tide with shallow hardbodies, swim baits and big soft plastics should produce quite a few bigger fish. If the wind blows strongly from the north or North West the fishing can be quite tough and it pays to look for patches of cleaner water. Squid are another good target this month and in the day can be caught by working squid jigs over the top of the weed beds at high tide. In general the best conditions are a high tide, a still calm day and clean clear water. There have

The author with a decent kingfish. They will be a top target when the snapper and pearl perch closure comes into effect. mackerel are the best bait and nearly all the action starts after sunset and into the night. Most of these fish are between 100-115cm long and at times it is possible to catch your bag limit very quickly. Due to barotrauma these fish are almost impossible to release in good condition, but they are a great table fish. Sharks have been a problem this season so it pays to use heavy drag and get them to the boat quickly. For the game fisher, there will still be a few blue and striped marlin around on the edge of the continental slope with the chance of yellowfin tuna as well. If the water temperatures stay over 23ºC the game fishing

fish will be caught at night using live mullet around the eddies in the Seaway and around the mouth of Swan Bay near Jumpinpin. The best time to fish is around the change of high tide. Some of these fish are between 120-130cm long and the bigger fish target the large schools of tiger mullet that school up at night along the rock walls. A cautious approach is required, minimising noise and light on the water. I’ve been chasing these fish for many years and most of my bigger fish have been caught in July. Both the period around the full moon and the new moon fish well. Flathead fishing will be great this month. There is plenty of bait and the fish

been plenty of arrow squid and a few big tiger squid (northern calamari) around this winter. I find it is important to change your lure fairly regularly until you find the lure the squid are most responsive to. Overall, July is a fantastic month to come and fish the Gold Coast. There are always plenty of options and the day time lure fishing available in the Broadwater can be quite exciting across a range of species. If you are passionate about catching your first decent mulloway this is the best month of the year to get out there and do it. Just remember the closed one month ban on snapper and pearl perch comes into effect on the 15 July. JULY 2021

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Big returns if no rain occurs JUMPINPIN

Bo Sawyer

There have been some great catches of fish, prawns and crabs around our area. Water quality has improved a lot

Plenty of late season crabs and prawns are still being caught with strong numbers being reported around the Logan River area. Bream have been in massive numbers. Try yabbies around any sand

another spot. Flathead have still been on the chew and I’ve been doing very well using 3” Gulp Shrimps with a very slow retrieve. Yabbies, prawns, mullet and gar are all great options if you’re fishing with bait. Even

Crusoe Island, and the large sandbanks between Cabbage Tree Boat Ramp and the Powerlines. Use the lightest line and sinker possible, and keep the bait moving. If yabbies or worms are anchored on the bottom you will get a lot of stingrays ruining your session. Some nice tailor are showing up around the bar entrance. Pilchards have been the choice bait for most fishos, however, livies will get a lot of interest as well. Look for the birds working and tailor busting up on the surface, casting small Halco’s and other metal lures will produce some nice fish and is a really fun technique on light gear. Mulloway numbers are still improving, there were some nice fish weighed in at the Gem Hotel during

Justin got this great feed of crabs from the Logan River.

David and his brother with a mulloway and thready caught on live mullet at Cabbage Tree Point. throughout the system and will continue to do so if no big rain events occur. I’m happy to report that the return of the King of the Pin competition was a massive success and plenty of anglers left very happy with lots of amazing prizes being handed out. Thanks to Garmin, the competition will be back next year, which is very exciting to hear.

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flats, mullet strips or prawns along Kalinga Bank and around Crusoe Island. Any river or creek mouth, as well as channels where bait schools frequent should fish well. They haven’t been too picky but fresh bait will get the better quality fish. It’s not uncommon to catch 20+ legal fish when they are biting so if you’re not getting many bites try

though you will catch them throughout the whole tide, try fishing for them around the lower tides if you can, as they will be forced off the sand flats and be more concentrated on the drop offs and edges of drains. The whiting fishing has

Andy has been getting onto some nice prawns. up and waiting for your drag to start screaming. Most reports I’ve heard have been of catches at the Pin entrance, but with the water clearing up any deep

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holes up to, and including, the Logan River should produce some nice fish. Just a quick tip, the tide from the Jumpinpin mouth compared to areas further upstream can vary up to 2-3 hours. If you start at the Pin entrance and slowly fish your way further upstream, you can effectively fish your preferred tide (low or high tide) multiple times in one session. This can take some effort to figure out and time right, but it’s something I’ve seen pro and gun fishers use to really increase their catch rates. • Don’t forget to drop in and see Brett from Jacobs Well Bait and Tackle if you need any bait or gear. • To see more of my fishing adventures on Instagram, follow The Bobo Boat (@ thebobo_boat).

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The author with a nice flathead caught on a 3” Gulp Shrimp.

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JULY 2021

been surprisingly good even with this colder weather. Try using yabbies or worms along Kalinga Bank; the lagoons on the northern side of South Stradbroke Island, the north side of

the recent competition. Soft vibes are a good choice if you’re targeting them on lures. Otherwise live mullet, big prawns or pilchards will get them biting if you like anchoring

Laurie got this great feed around Jacobs Well on live worms he bought from Jacobs Well Bait and Tackle.

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Cashing in on cuttlefish SOUTHERN BAY

Spero Kartanos

In late autumn and right through winter, Moreton Bay comes alive with cuttlefish. If you haven’t caught them before, I have good news for you: they’re easy to catch! You can catch

prefer to only keep enough for a feed. The average size in the bay is around 20cm including the tentacles, and the biggest I have caught was around 28cm. They might not be as big as those caught in southern states, but they’re just as tasty. The run-out tide is the best time to fish for

8-10lb mono line. Growing up we used handlines and those did the trick as well, but we got inked much more often because we were pulling them straight towards us. All squid jig colours will work on a given day, but I have found that prawn patterns in orange and pink work well. I have also had good results on red patterns, and pilchard and whiting colours. If you are new to catching cuttlefish, I recommend starting off with Jarvis Walker Razorback jigs, which have extra spikes in the middle of the body. Cuttlefish usually grab jigs in the middle, rather than on the end like squid do, so the

A sinker above your jig will help it to get down where the cuttlefish are. Razorback holds the cuttley more securely. When you hook cuttlefish on a regular jig, there is a greater chance

Keep your cuttley in the net for a few minutes, out of the water, to minimise ink accidents. both cuttlefish and tiger squid in the same areas and depths in the cooler months, but in this article I will focus on cuttlefish. Cuttlefish are usually found in around 23-35ft of water, and you can catch them from Ormiston all the way through to east of St Helena Island. If you start at the 23ft mark and drift out, you should get onto them sooner or later. A surefire way to know if they are around is when you see their backbones floating on the surface. There is no minimum size for cuttlefish, and the bag limit is 50 – although I

cuttlies. When it comes to the method, it’s just a matter of drifting with your squid jig just off the bottom, and waiting for the cuttlefish to grab it. A little up-and-down movement helps to gain their attention, but remember that cuttlefish tend to grab the jig when it stops moving, so you need to pause the jig frequently. A sinker above the jig will help because you will be drifting quite deep, and you need to be 1-2ft off the bottom. Moving on to rods and reels, any 6ft whiting rod around 4-8lb will do the trick, matched to a 10002500 size reel spooled with

A mixed bag of cuttlefish and arrow squid, caught on a sunny winter’s day in the bay.

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that they will let go when you bring them up. Over time you’ll get better at bringing cuttlefish to the boat without losing them, and at this point you can graduate to a regular jig. I use 3.0 and 3.5 size jigs, and my favourites at the moment are the Masuta RC (red colour), and the Yamashita Egi Sutte-R in NKN and ROL (natural baitfish colours). These three have been working the best for me lately. There are two tricks to bringing cuttlefish in successfully. The first is to give a little tug when the cuttlefish first grabs the jig, to hopefully make its tentacles slide down to the barbs at the bottom. The second trick, after that initial jerk, is to bring the cuttlefish in very slowly. This way, even if it’s not securely hooked, it will still hang on. Once the cuttlefish is near the surface, you can whip out your long-handled net and quickly scoop it up before it lets go. A net with a rubbery mesh is better than a net with

knotted string, because the squid jig prongs get caught in the string more easily. A long-handled net really is essential for scooping up these tasty cephalopods, because the handle keeps them away from the boat, and you can let them sit out of the water to expel the water they are holding in their body. A cuttlefish stores just a tiny bit of concentrated ink in its body, and it needs water to dilute the mixture so it can squirt it at you. If the cuttlefish sits out of the water and squirts out all the water in its body, it can’t ink you once it comes aboard. And while we’re talking about ink, cuttlefish ink is 10 times stronger than squid ink! It is potent stuff. Cuttlies can also turn their spout backwards, so they can slyly squirt you from multiple angles. The other way they differ from squid is that they hold water much longer than squid can, so I keep them in the net for several minutes to hopefully empty them out. However, regardless of how careful you are, you will occasionally get inked. The

best you can do is minimise how often this happens – and always keep some liquid Jiff or similar on the boat. Once you have boated some nice cuttlefish and want to clean them, your best option is to use a stainless steel tray to clean them on, and a stainless steel pot to store them in. Plastic buckets and cutting boards stain easily from the cuttlefish’s thick, strong ink, and cleaning up afterwards is a pain. Using stainless steel is much easier and less time-consuming. You can cook cuttlefish the same way as you would with squid. I like to flour them and either deep fry them tempura-style, or simply pan fry them. And when the warmer months roll around, it’s time to switch to targeting tiger squid in the shallows – but that’s an article for another day! If you want to keep up with what I have been catching in Moreton Bay, check out my weekly reports at wp.fishingmonthly.com. au. Good luck!

All set up for a cuttlefish session.

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Silver-lining sleep in BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Now that the shortest day of the year has passed and we are in the middle of the official winter months, anglers will be really noticing the chill during those early morning starts. One positive is that you don’t need to rise as early to be on the water for daybreak but you will still need plenty of winter woollies and a warming beverage to cope with the cold. Personally, I dislike the cold weather however there are some awesome fish species to be caught during this period with luderick, mulloway, snapper, tailor, bream, squid and flathead being some of the more prominent cold weather aquatic creatures. SNAPPER Over the last few months, anglers fishing Moreton Bay have scored some quality snapper from the artificial reefs, Brisbane River mouth, wrecks and bay island surrounds. Whilst many have been happy to score their limit of pan-sized specimens, some have been elated to latch onto knobbies to over 80cm in length. Whilst these larger specimens have not been plentiful, knowledgeable anglers have been getting them on

board using a variety of techniques. Early morning starts and evening sessions are popular with those targeting snapper using baits such as squid, pilchards, numerous fillet baits, cuttlefish, banana prawns and hardiheads. Anchoring and deploying an array of these baits is a very relaxed way to fish and can be very productive with careful rigging. Use the minimum lead to get you bait into the lower third of the water column, embed hooks well into the bait with just the points proud and use fluorocarbon leaders as light as you dare. Often a larger bait will work well for the more spooky and wary knobbies. Once the smaller fish have come in and had a crack at it (which creates some commotion and a berleying effect) the larger snapper lurking on the fringes will get the courage to check it out. I like whole fillet baits, especially salted tuna or bonito but mullet is also good due to its oily nature. A whole squid or the squid over a pillie combo is probably the best of the generic baits. Casting your baits upcurrent and allowing them to travel back with the current as they sink is a successful ploy. Baitrunner reels are great for fishing in this manner as they allow the fish to mouth and run with

Apparently the early bird catches the worm. In this case, it was Chris Deeks catching a quality snapper just on dawn. 22

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the bait unimpeded as they swallow it. Once you are sure they have it, flick the rear switch or turn the handle to engage the drag and set the hook. Anglers achieve results on quality snapper using an array of different lures and techniques. Soft vibes would have to be my favourite artificial however jighead-rigged soft plastics, micro jigs, minnow lures and blades can also be utilised with surprising results. Fishing lures is often a case of gaining confidence in what you are using in the relevant situation. You don’t catch fish on every cast with a bait and you shouldn’t expect to do it with lures either however if you persist, results will be forthcoming. Additionally you can cover a lot more area whilst drifting and casting lures. In the shallower areas snapper will roam constantly – you don’t need to be fishing one particular piece of structure to score quality fish. However, stealth is very important. Having an electric motor to change position or otherwise skirt well wide of your drift line whilst repositioning with your petrol motor. Snapper are very opportunistic and therefore a large array of different lures can be successful. Soft plastics are a great way to get into the lure fishing arena as they are relatively cheap and very successful. Some of the styles I have used regularly on snapper with good results are jerk shads, T-tails, paddle tails, prawn profiles, curl tails, crab imitations and creature baits. I sometimes still use plastics these days but mostly opt for the Samaki Thumpertail 100mm in either whitebait, chartreuse pink head, fairy floss or ghost bait UV as they suit my fishing style and will catch snapper, sweetlip, longtail tuna, cod, flathead, morwong and a huge array of other species in Moreton Bay. Don’t forget the snapper closure comes into effect from 15 July to 15August so make the most of the first weeks of this month. BAY PELAGICS The colder months are not prime periods for pelagic species within Moreton Bay, however there are still options for those who like targeting these speedsters. School mackerel numbers can still be fairly good and anglers fishing around the artificial reefs will encounter a few on lures and drifted pilchard baits. Your best chance

Two consecutive trips to the same area produced a longtail within a couple of casts while chasing snapper on Samaki Thumpertails. This one was 2cm longer than the previous at 107cm. of success however is generally in the channels and along the edges of banks. As the tide rises, mackerel will patrol these bank edges until such time as they feel safe to head up onto the banks to chase baitfish, whiting and other aquatic critters. As the tide lowers they will move off the flats an banks and back along these edges to ambush baitfish forced off the banks with the receding tide. Trolling these edges with either deep diving minnow lures or a spoon lure behind a trolling board or paravane is generally a very successful method that allows you to cover a great area of water. The popular Yamashita trolling boards are now out of production but there are several others that can do the job including the Hookem planing boards, Blueline Paravanes, Yozuri boards and the various clones of these. Good spoons include the Halco Barra Drone and Halco Kimberley Spoon in size 3 and 4 and the Macka Spoons. Deep diving minnow lures such as the Nomad DTX 85mm and 100mm, Samaki Redic DS100, Atomic Hardz Shiner and many others work well. I prefer the more natural finishes such as metallics and translucents. Fishing these lures on lighter braid around 10lb to 15lb will allow them to get deeper, additionally increasing the fun when you hook up. Do not use wire in front of your lure or you will decrease the strike rate considerably. Mackerel are tail biters and will try and immobilise their prey by snipping the tail off on the first strike, therefore you generally don’t get bitten

off that often. Longtail tuna numbers were healthy during recent months with plenty of variety in size. Specimens from around 5kg to over 20kg were caught but the smaller specimens dominated catches. I caught several quality fish around Mud Island on Thumpertail vibes whilst chasing snapper in as little as 5m of water. On one particular day it was a fringe-eye flathead first cast, bar-tail flathead second cast and a 107cm longtail on the third- surprising in such shallow water. Schools of longtails were found regularly however getting a strike was often difficult due to the miniscule bait on which they were feeding. By now, a lot of the baitfish should be larger therefore hook ups will hopefully be easier. However, there will be fewer numbers and less baitfish, which decreases the ferocity of the surface activity. Getting to a bust up is often harder as you have less time and the fish are generally more spooky. Casting pencil poppers and stickbaits after the melee has subsided can still work as the longtails are often still in the area plucking of the occasional baitfish. Live baiting along current lines and around the Shipping Channel beacons will often reward. Deploy a yakka, slimey mackerel or pike out and simply wait for hook up. One bait should be in the upper third of the water column and a second in the middle third of the water column. Mack tuna, cobia, trevally, mackerel and even snapper will be by-catch. There have been some solid cobia showing up in Moreton Bay over the last few months. I have heard

of and seen photographic evidence of specimens to over 40kg. Cobia used to be a fairly reliable capture for anglers who specifically targeted them in the bay before the 2011 floods however for some unknown reason their numbers dropped considerably after that event. Over the last few years the captures have been improving somewhat and hopefully we will see their prevalence continue to improve in coming seasons. I love eating cobia, especially the larger specimens which seem to eat better than the smaller ones. This is possibly due to the fact that crabs are a major part of the diet for large cobia and this flavour seems to transfer through to the flesh somewhat. The easiest way to target cobia is with large live baits including fusiliers, grinners, sweetlip, sand crabs and basically any other species which is found in the area you target them (adhere to minimum size regulations where applicable). Structured areas such as wrecks, artificial reefs (mainly in the northern bay), prominent ledges and coffee rock areas are prime spots for targeting cobia. Commonly you will need 15-37kg line, snelled circle hook rig (8/0 to 10/0), 60kg+ leader and some stamina to land the larger specimens. Dropping large live baits around the shipping channel beacons in the northern bay and then drifting away will soon attract any cobia in the precinct. After hookup, drive directly to the beacon which will often coerce the cobia into pulling away from the beacon or in any case will decrease the chance of it wrapping you around the structure

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and busting off. The next few months should see increased numbers of cobia within Moreton Bay. LUDERICK Although not a species that appeals to everyone, luderick numbers should improve in the coming weeks and months. Specific targeting with weed baits suspended beneath near neutral buoyancy floats are the most reliable way to score a few luderick. This is usually done in areas where aquatic weed grows, such as along rock walls, concrete retaining walls, pontoons and jetty pylons. If you can find the green, cabbage like weed growing then there is a good chance a few luderick will be lurking around the area. Drift your baits in these areas and wait for a ‘down’ or ‘up’ when a blackfish mouths the bait and pulls the float down or rises in the water column. Strike and you are in for a dogged fight. Long slow-actioned rods, centrepin reels (such as the Alvey 47GZ) and floating monofilament (Sunline Fine Float 2) will offer the ideal rig for this species. The depth at which the weed bait needs to be below the float will vary depending on location and it pays to alter the depth

regularly until you find the depth at which they are feeding. keep luderick alive until you areabout to process and the flesh quality will be superb. MULLOWAY Better numbers of mulloway have been caught in recent weeks within Moreton Bay and the Brisbane and Logan

Rivers. The artificial reefs, wrecks and structure surrounding the bay islands have been the ideal locations for anglers chasing mulloway. Good sounder skills will often allow you to locate schools of mulloway cruising these zones before a soft vibe, micro jig or soft plastic is cast in their direction.

Often multiple fish can be taken in a session, providing the sharks don’t turn up to spoil the party. Specimens over 90cm aren’t uncommon and fish of this size yield a lot of tasty fillets so one for a session is a suitable take for most. Live baits are also a top way to target mulloway

The last colour many baitfish see is yellow as they get engulfed by a mulloway. This Brisbane River specimen came from around a lighted area at night on a ZMan Diezel MinnowZ.

with mullet, pike, herring, yakkas, slimey mackerel, banana prawns and squid being prime offerings. The dredge holes at the mouth of the Brisbane River, the ledge in from the Sewerage Shute, Clara’s Rocks, Gateway Bridge area, adjacent the major jetty terminals and the declines into the main river basin are all good areas to deploy such baits. Night sessions casting lures around the lighted areas along the Brisbane River can also reward anglers handsomely. This can even be done from a land-based position in many cases. TAILOR Numbers of tailor should increase throughout SEQ over the coming weeks. Anglers will score these around the shallows of the bay islands, artificial reefs, rock walls and often in larger schools around the Sand Hills and South Passage bar area. Landbased anglers should be able to score off the Manly Rock Wall, Woody Point Jetty, Shorncliffe Pier, Amity Rock Wall, Dunwich Jetty, Redcliffe Jetty and numerous other spots. The occasional school mackerel will also be taken from these structures, especially by

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those spinning lures or drifting out small pilchards (predominately white, blue and frogmouth) on an early morning rising tide. Brisbane River anglers will locate tailor along the retaining wall at the mouth and lighted areas at night such as the Gateway Bridge pylons and numerous jetties. Tailor are aggressive predators and will respond to a wide array of lures in most situations. CONCLUSION Plenty of quality sport and table fish plus various cephalopods are on the agenda during July as water temperatures fall dramatically. Westerly winds will have created much clearer conditions throughout the bay, especially the inshore areas. This is ideal for those egi fishing for squid but will often dictate the use of finer fluorocarbon leaders for those targeting various fish species. Early mornings will commonly produce breezy, cold winds for those out after the dawn snapper bite but these conditions will generally abate soon after dawn to create a nice day with calm afternoons being rather common. July is a great month to be out on the water so get out there!

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Mixed results on the bay NORTHERN BAY

Steve Nash

There have been mixed reports from the bay last month, with some days generating a super-hot bite and the next being quiet. Some lucky anglers have been landing good size snapper off the Moreton artificial reefs and along the local reefs of Redcliffe. There’s awesome news for those who love a plate of calamari with squid numbers increasing in catches. Many have been scoring squid along our local jetties with standing room only on some weekend nights. Tailor have certainly been moving through, with big numbers being caught in the bay and through the local estuaries. RIVERS AND CREEKS While the flathead, bream and winter whiting are still in plentiful supply during our cold winter months, it is always worth keeping a heavier setup on the ready. Our estuaries will well and truly become hunting grounds for winter predators. Tailor, mulloway, snapper and others start to move in and harass the schools of baitfish. Tarpon are also another

be seen boofing the top of water chasing bait schools on the flats and in the main channels. These fish are great to chase using top water stick baits, poppers or any smaller profile surface lures. If that doesn’t work, using smaller profile soft plastics, such as

can still be caught throughout the day, however your chances are increased fishing those low light times. Fishing the many artificial reefs and natural rubble grounds throughout the bay with baits or plastics will produce some good legalsize snapper.

your bite is slow. Travelling at a slow pace between 3-5km/h trolling a 5m deep diver can work wonders. This will work amongst a range of species, including snapper, grunter, cod and even mulloway. Tailor will also be worth keeping an eye on while fishing along the Redcliffe waterfront. There have been some good numbers of tailor that have been caught from the fishing platforms by land-based anglers. Casting

Large predators are lurking around the rivers.

Mulloway are a schooling fish, when you find one there’s normally a few. 3” Berkley Powerbaits or even softs vibes, can also bring on a bite. Once hooked these guys love to put on a great aerial display, jumping out of the water, along with massive headshakes trying hard to throw the hook. By keeping your rod tip low to the water while they are jumping adds more control to your action

Fresh baits, such as mullet, tuna, bonito even those winter whiting heads that you caught last weekend do make great bait. Casting up current so your bait can slowly drift down getting to the bottom, as it goes past your boat, this will present your bait as natural as possible. If you are anchored up on wrecks, use mid weighted sinkers with a mid size hook and lightly drift down. In regards to the use of lures, you cannot go past a light weighted jerk shad. Hopping or jerking it in an erratic motion while drifting over rocky areas will grab your target fish’s attention. Trolling lures are always an option too if

Tailor schools will be found throughout the bay.

back through the school using a couple of different retrieves. The Burn: cast a jig as far as possible in front of the school. Let it sink to the bottom and retrieve it back at speed through the school. The Large Hop: let your lure sink to the bottom. Wind up the slack, then lift sharply whilst winding up the slack keeping in touch with the lure as it sinks again. This most of the time will get the fishes attention as most times it will get hit on the fall.

metal slugs with a very fast retrieve into the schools is a sure effective way to land a few. Or, for a bit more excitement, throw a surface lure if you can get in within their range. Use lures, such as walk-the-dog style lures or a simple small popper. But be prepared to loose some tackle. Tailor have sharp teeth and can make short work of a fine light leader or monofilament line so throwing your best lures can be dangerous and an expensive exercise

Dave Hudy with one fat schooled up bass. A good feed from our estuaries. winter species that school up around the mouths of the rivers and creeks. The North Pine and Caboolture rivers are go-to spots that have schools of tarpon passing through and lurking around these areas. Tarpon generally feed on the incoming tide and can

and will greatly increase your chances of landing one. MORETON BAY Snapper are the main target of bay fishers during winter, with those getting the better results fishing the low light and night times. Good pan size snapper

2294 Sandgate Road, Boondall 4034 QLD 07 3265 8000|info@nsmarine.com.au

www.northsidemarine.com.au 24

JULY 2021

Tarpon are a great sport fish.

DAMS The winter bite is well and truly on with big schools of bass sitting in the 10-15m depth range, gorging themselves on bait schools. This is a great time of year to hook into some bass. When targeting schooled up bass, jigs, spoons and large vibes have been had the best results with long casts and retrieving

Alternating between these two retrieves have been very successful and are bound to get on onto some freshwater brutes this winter! Pick your fishing times and find out when the peak bite will be. In most systems, the best time is mid to late afternoon. This generally is the best time to get onto hungry feeding schools of bass.

OLD

Southern

Love winter on the beach! NOOSA

Peter Wells

With the cool morning weather, the beach is the place to be! And the one thing on every beach anglers mind – big tailor. Past seasons have left Sunshine Coast anglers a bit despondent when it comes to bigger tailor as the quality fish seemed to swim that bit further offshore. With the late rains we have had this year and the better bait schools around, we hope

For the bream angler those area that have a bit of coffee rock exposed have been the perfect hunting grounds. The bream are quite a good size at the moment as the bigger fish are heading into rivers and estuaries to spawn. Maybe think twice about keeping a large fish as they are the breading stocks and are quite slow growing. If you love fishing off the rocks fishing bigger stick baits like Shimano Rock Slide and Fish Inc Flankers cast off the headlands of Double Island

school up in big numbers as they are spawning. This means they are keen to put on condition and are willing to take a wide variety of lures and baits. When targeting bream on soft plastics jighead selection is quite important, as you want the lure to sink fairly slowly and stay in their face. Casting to the shadow lines of pontoons and jetties can also be another tactic that may see you hook up. Unweighted baits or very lightly weighted plastics with plenty of scent is the way to go. Dropping your

Shaun Cornish was happy with his mulloway capture. to see bigger fish in closer. The hot spots have been north of Teewah, Sunshine and Marcus beaches and for the rock hoppers; Yaroomba and the Noosa National Park have both reported good captures. Most fish have been taken early morning or late afternoon on the high tide. Good quality bait is the key, so baits like quality pilchards, fresh mullet fillet and even bonito fillet have worked very well. Having plenty of anglers fishing the same area is also a good thing as the more baits in the water will have the schools hang around and feed. Fishing those closer gutters during the days has been producing, with whiting and dart taken on worm’s pipes and yabbies’. Cast to the back of the gutter and roll those bait under the white water to get the best results. This is great for families as the kid don’t have to cast far to get amongst the action.

Point and Noosa National park has seen catches of longtail tuna, queenies and the odd large trevally. In The Noosa Rivers we have had an outstanding bream season. This time of year they

leader size too will see better numbers, most anglers opt for a 3-6lb leader and always use fluorocarbon as it has less light refraction. Elsewhere in the River, the Noosa sound has been

providing some spectacular surface sessions lately, with good schools of tailor and trevally schooling up and smashing bait fish. Surface lures in the low light periods have been perfect with both popper and surface walkers getting the job done. Flathead numbers are also improving with plenty of fish taken in the shallower water, these fish will congregate in these areas as the water is that bit warmer and helps to increase their body temperatures. Fishing the run out tide with plastics or shallow diving lures should see you with a feed. The Maroochy River has seen a number of different species being landed by anglers along its banks with its productivity increasing as the water cools. Big schools of mullet have been seen around the river’s mouth following the annual spawn, bringing in predators such as tailor, trevally and big mulloway. Bigger flathead tend to be are in the shallows and this has seen anglers fishing in depths between 1-2m of water. Methods that have been very effective has been drifting baits such as pilchards along the sand banks and flicking or trawling hardbodies, such as the Berkley Pro-Tec in the 50mm size. Good size whiting have been taken along the dog beach and the Frying Pan in the Noosa River. Freshly pumped yabbies or beach

Roy Helling with a big 80cm snapper. worms proving the most effective. Fishing these baits with a size 1a or 2 size sinkers on a running sinker rig using a size 4 Mustad long-baitholder hook will allow anglers to attain the better results. With the drop in swell and light offshore winds we traditionally get at this time of the year anglers have been head out wide to DI and Barwon Banks to make the most of the conditions. Fish falling to well-presented baits were big snapper, pearl perch, red emperor, tuskfish and Moses perch. For the majority of anglers fishing in closer it’s all about snapper and getting a big PB knobby. If you have a baitrunner style reel now is the time to start using it in areas like Chardons Reef, North reef and Sunshine Reef. Soft plastics, including ZMan 7” jerk shads and Gulp Squid Vicious worked slowly on light 4/0-6/0 jighead and 40lb leader has been working well. Other fish taking plastics include pearl perch, sweetlip and coral trout. Baits to use

include mullet chunks, squid and whole fish baits presented on gang hook floaters. Be sure to create a steady burley trail consisting of a burley log, cubed pilchards mixed in with a little tuna oil. Dropping your pilchard floaters down this berley trail is the best way to get that PB. Jigs have become very popular over the last couple of years and the newer slow fall or slow pitch jigs have been a sensation. The most successful anglers are using purpose built overhead setup to get that instantaneous hook up as most action happens on the drop. Check out the Tranx range of reels from Shimano along with the new Nomad Slow pitch Jig range of rods. As far as jigs go the Samaki range is excellent. • 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 and Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola can provide you with the right equipment, bait and advice to ensure success!

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Central

OLD

Fortune favours the brave BUNDABERG

Luke Truant

The best time to fish for snapper this month is early in the morning when everyone else is huddled up in bed, unwilling to brave the cold. You want to be on the water an hour before sun-up, fishing the rubble and reef patches inshore, in depths of 12-20m. Two Mile is a good place to start. Keep fishing until around half an hour after the sun comes up, to give yourself the best chance of success. Snapper like 5” jerk shad style plastics. They’ll take pretty much any colour

on a given day, but I lean towards light and/or bright colours. I recommend fishing your plastic pretty close to the bottom, and use a double lift and slow fall action. Fish as light as the current will allow, because snapper, like most fish, don’t like the sight of a bait plummeting to the bottom. Now that the yellowtail scad have arrived, we can go live baiting for big reds and XOS gold spot cod. Spots like the End Leads and the Nursery are packed full of yellowtail at the moment. Fill your livie tank before you go, and aim to have lines down an hour before sunrise. The

gold spot cod are insatiable when you’re fishing livies. Please don’t keep all the big cod you catch, because you can thin out their numbers easily. They are susceptible to barotrauma, so please use a release weight or venting tool before release. Because the yellowtail scad haven’t been around for very long, the predators will be very enthusiastic about attacking your live baits. The reef spots within 20 miles are producing plenty of good reds and trout on live baits, and we are also getting XOS grassy sweetlip too. If you haven’t fished with livies before, I can guarantee you’ll be amazed at the amount of strikes you’ll get from large sweetlip. The biggest we’ve caught has been 7kg, and pound-for-pound

they fight harder than a red emperor. JULY FISHING In the coming weeks you can still catch snapper on the surface if you’re out reef fishing – just send a float line out while you’re bottom fishing. Last July is when we caught all of our biggest snapper on the surface in depths up to 55m. The biggest last year was 12kg, and it took a live yakka on the surface in about 45m of water. Just remember that the snapper season is closed from 15 July to 15 August. At this time of year, I target reds in shallower water. They seem to really like that 36m depth in winter. For the trout, the ideal depth range is around 20-30m at this time of

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Big reds have been taking live baits with gusto over the past month.

year. It’s great fun catching them on lures, and there are several ways to go about it. One of the most productive methods is trolling divers around the reef edge, and you’ll also get a lot of shark mackerel and good cod while doing this. Trout are an ambush predator so I troll at a fairly fast pace, around 5 knots. Interestingly, the lure doesn’t have to be close to the bottom; a 2m diving lure in 8m of water will still catch trout. Stickbaits are also really effective, as are Waxwings. However, by far my favourite way of catching trout is throwing a chrome lure such as a Spanyid or Twisty over bommies that dry on the low tide. When there’s about 30cm of water over the top of the bommie, cast your chrome lure over it and commence a rapid To page 27

OLD From page 26

tuna-style retrieve with a high-speed reel. Some days we’ve had seven casts for seven trout, and we’ve seen

up to five fish hit the lure at the same time. I fish with a single hook as it tends not to tear out of the mouth of bigger trout. Trebles are

good for smaller trout. An important thing to remember is to not fish light, because around one in five trout will brick you

Wintertime is snapper time!

Central

(I put on the snorkel and get them out). I use a Saltist 4500 H, with a 7’ whippy rod and a minimum of 30lb braid. I recommend using 50lb fluorocarbon trace because these fish will do their best to bust you off on the rocks. • Truansea Charters specialise in 10-hour day trips chasing prized reef targets such as coral trout and red emperor, as well as arm-stretching pelagics like Spanish mackerel. The maximum number of anglers is 6, so you’ll never feel crowded. The price is $300pp (or $275 pp 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 find out more visit www.truansea.com.au, or you can Like them on Facebook or call Luke on 0423 015 490.

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Spanish mackerel ban? Fisheries Qld is currently considering a complete ban on Spanish mackerel fishing, for both commercial and recreational fishers. A working group met in May to discuss current catch rates and estimated biomass. Fisheries Qld stated that the biomass for Spanish mackerel is estimated to be 17% of unfished biomass. According to the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy and under National Guidelines, 20% unfished biomass is

Spanish mackerel fisheries stretching across northern Australia, only the Gulf of Carpentaria fishery was ‘depleting’. Many anglers and industry members are suspicious of the new biomass estimate presented by Fisheries Qld. Why was the stock assessment model changed? Why is it so different from the studies done in 2018 and 2020, which both found that the fishery was sustainable? Additionally, as one pro pointed out, the assessment

that a closure is recommended when an unfished biomass is under 20% – and that the current assessment is 17%. The stock assessment is currently undergoing scientific peer review, and the discussion group is scheduled to meet

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Most offshore anglers in Central and North Qld would consider Spanish mackerel to be numerous, but the Fisheries Qld stock assessment says otherwise. the point below which a fishery is recommended to be closed. Members of the fishing industry pointed out that the new biomass estimate was significantly lower than the previous assessment in 2018. The new biomass estimate also contradicts a 2020 FRDC report, which found that of the five

also doesn’t take into account the 10-50% of hooked fish that are lost to sharks. After the working group met in May, the recommended course of action, as listed on the DAF website, was to close the fishery for two years. Since then, however, the webpage has been edited to remove any mention of a two-year closure. It still states

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OLD

There will still be active barra MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

Despite some quite chilly weather late May and in June, the barra bite has continued and, on present indications, there will still be some barra activity through July. Both salt and freshwater areas have been producing some nice fish with the creek systems that feature some sandy areas looking to be the best bet for this month, as there will be some warmer water over the sand. Most anglers in the saltwater though will be concentrating on other species such as cod, golden snapper, blue and king salmon, grunter, bream, whiting and flathead. While these may not be the same ‘glamour’ fish as barra they all offer plenty of fun and a very tasty

meal. Flathead have to be one of Australia’s favourite estuary/creek species as they are found in various forms all over the country and are always a welcome addition to the esky. Flathead in our area will be found around any of the sandbanks in the creeks/river systems and along the more protected beaches where there is not so much wind. The Pioneer River right in the heart of Mackay is a very reliable spot for flathead over the extensive sand flats, which are a feature of the river. They are also caught further upstream around the gravelly reaches above the hospital and around the trainer walls. During July I suggest targeting them on the north side towards Bassett Basin and near the walls at the mouth of the river. Pick the smaller tides with less run

a few prawns. Live baits are definitely the way to go but the next big flathead caught on a strip of gar or pilchard will not be the first. The whiting are also biting well in the river and will hang around in good numbers from now until about September and there are plenty of ‘elbow-slappers’ to be caught in the river. Freshly pumped yabbies are THE bait although fine squid strips and worms all will help the angler score a feed of delicious whiting. Look for the whiting on the run in tide starting towards the mouth and shifting up with the flooding tide to stay in touch with the schools and by the time the boat reaches the highway bridge you should have a nice feed. Night making tides are the best bet with the boat and shore based anglers can do well during the day wading in around Cullen

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as they live in and around mangrove roots, rock bars and bridge pylons. Large pikeys can also be found in the harbour throughout the marina and along the walls, but check and make sure you are not heading into a restricted ‘no go’ zone. Accurate casts and staying alert are two essentials to catching pikeys and as they are congregating to spawn take a few them leave them to make more pikeys for the future. Lure casting in the creek systems will still produce during the cooler months but the main catches on larger lures will be estuary cod, and both red spot and black spot cod are to be found in our systems. Like cod anywhere these will not be far from cover and while most are caught up to about 40cm or so don’t be too surprised to get smashed by a 55-60cm model which will do it’s best to brick you in the mangroves or rocks. Floating shallow diving hardbodies around 100mm are probably the best bet as they can be ‘walked’ and floated right in among the snags to get the hit. Other creek species likely to be encountered include golden snapper, blue and king salmon. Golden snapper will generally be found in the deeper holes and respond well to live baits and lures. Zerek soft vibes and similar offerings will tempt them and they can be slowly ‘yo-yoed’ in the deep holes and kept in the strike area for longer. Blue salmon can be in large schools in the creeks, on the estuary flats and along the beaches during July, and usually give themselves away by smashing into small bait. They are fun to catch and will respond really well to small plastics and metal vibes, and can be caught in numbers. They grow to around 900mm

Barra are tough in winter but Jason Kidd from Inshore Fishing Mackay is still putting clients onto nice barra, like this beauty, using both live baits and lures. but most are less than 600mm and if bled promptly and iced down they provide a nice feed of fish. Often steel backs are mixed in with them and visitors will often think they have caught a ‘chopper’ tailor when they catch one as they are similar in appearance. Offshore fishing will be dominated by snapper when the winds die off enough to let boats get out to them. Unfortunately for anglers this doesn’t happen often during July but on those rare calm days plenty of tinnies will be heading for spots like, Flat and Round Top islands, close in reefs and around the Hay Point/ Dalrymple Bay areas. Rubble areas around the spoil grounds are good spots to start and these are shown on charts and with the aid of a sounder can be easily located. Up in the freshwater,

the sooties are dominating catches from the dams as the barra are pretty lethargic at this time of year. Surprisingly the barra in the freshwater reaches of the Pioneer have continued on the chew through June but as the weather further cools during July and August I expect this bite to slow right down also. Meanwhile the sooties just keep hitting lures as evidenced by the great results of the INDT 2021 World Sooty Championship held at Eungella Dam (see full report this issue). So for July there will be plenty of activity in the creeks/estuaries, good offshore fishing when the winds allow, and hard hitting sooties up in the freshwater. On top of all that our winter is really mild so this is an ideal time to visit paradise. See you at the ramp

The Pioneer River produces a great variety of species and Matty Richardson was stoked to score this trevally under the highway bridge on a soft plastic grub. and use either lures, flies or bait. Keep the lures fairly small and use hardbodies, plastics or ‘shinies’ as the flatties will smack them all. Weighted deceivers, clousers and prawn imitations will all work well for the fly angler. The waters are relatively shallow so a floating line with a couple of metres of leader will work well. Bait anglers have a great choice and one of the best is the humble yabby, which can be found on numerous banks in the river across from the boat ramp. A cast net at the boat ramp will usually snare a few small mullet, herring or similar fish and with luck

Island just downstream of the highway bridge. Other likely catches in the river during July include queenfish and trevally and in the deeper sections golden snapper. Visitors who aren’t too sure about fishing the river should head into Tackleworld Mackay and get the good oil on access, baits, lures and species. July will also likely see the first spawning run for pikey bream, which are the predominant bream species in our area. Pikeys are great fun to catch and respond to baits lures and flies, and while not huge fish, on light gear they are a challenge particularly

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OLD

Take advantage of bite windows WHITSUNDAYS

Mick Underwood

In my opinion the only good thing about winter is Spanish mackerel, and up to this point they have been scarce. Over the last few weeks the weather has murdered us, the southeast trade winds have not let up, which has limited any opportunities to venture out wide. There has been some enjoyable action on the inshore grounds but we’ve had to fish astutely to be able to take advantage of any available bite windows. Up in the estuaries things have been pretty quiet and it has been noticeable how few boats have been making their way towards the creeks.

Harvey Hunt enjoyed his first foray using micro jigs. This solid fingermark was just one of a good bag he caught. It is my opinion that our local estuary systems are too small and sensitive to be able to deal with this kind of

Carolyn Salisbury with a nice shallow water nannygai. These fish should be more common this month, especially out of the deeper areas. There are still a few mud crabs being caught, but that is largely about all that is going on in those areas at the moment. Unfortunately our local systems are suffering badly from being consistently netted by the commercial sector. I don’t want to start a war with our local commercial fishers as I do believe commercial fishing has its place in our local environment and commercial fishers have a right to earn a living. The problem is not with the fishers but more the clowns that make the rules.

pressure and, as a result of what is going on, I have not heard on one single decent barramundi being caught by recreational means this year, now that is sad. Okay, enough whinging, moving on to something more positive now and what fish that have been biting. The inshore waters of Edgecumbe Bay and around the inner islands has been where the best fishing has been taking place. Up on the shallow banks and reef areas in Gloucester Pass and out in front of Cape Gloucester Resort there has been some action to be enjoyed on some big giant trevally. Using mostly big cup-faced poppers getting these fish to bite hasn’t been that hard,

but trying to land them has been a different story. There is so much structure in the way of reefs rocks and shipping beacons in this area that most fish once hooked have made their way straight behind the nearest bunch of underwater structure cutting us off resulting in plenty of lost tackle and fish. A little further down the coast towards Sunset Beach, the fish have been more catch-able there. There are currently good numbers of school mackerel around and although they are not exactly a line burning sports fish they are an easy way to put a tasty feed in the esky. Mixed in with the schoolies there are some solid golden trevally, and on light line in particular they will make you work for your money. Out around the islands

A lone angler enjoying some therapy fishing at Cape Gloucester at sunset.

Chooky enjoyed getting in on the lure action catching this gold spot cod.

A solid trout falls to the hardbodies, this time it was for Dave Salisbury.

FG + KNOT

earlier in the month, fingermark fishing was awesome with plenty of quality fish being caught. As the month has wound on, the fingermark bite has waned and the local coral trout population took over. A few fish have been claimed on bait but it has been mostly small hardbodies that have been doing the damage.

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When using lures you have the ability to cover lots of country quickly and be able to hone in on where the active fish are lurking. Moving onto July now and what we can expect to get our hooks into over the coming weeks. Spanish mackerel are going to be the two words most commonly heard in

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JULY 2021

local angling circles this month. This is prime time to get into them and we just have to hope that the weather gods play the game and give us some windows in the trade winds to allow us at the fish. These fish will move onto various inshore areas at different times but it is out a little wider where the best

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OLD

bites of the season usually occur. Rattray Island is a traditional favourite hunting ground, there are so many fish caught there every year. It is not the only place to have a hunt though, the seaward end of Gloucester Island, Middle Island and when the weather allows out around Holbourne Island and Nares Rock can be dead set winners also. These fish will be more active on spring tides so timing your mission for around either the full or new moon periods will be more successful. Also, try to target these fish when the tide is running, around the turn of the tide you will find

a maccy hunt by putting a spread of garfish in the water, which enables me to belt around the show fairly quickly and locate where the fish are. Once located if they are not eating the garfish readily, or I am not getting bites out of the bigger fish, then I will switch to slow trolling a couple of wolf herring. Hell will have to freeze over before this ploy wont work! Whilst you are out on the mackerel grounds don’t focus all your attention on just the mackerel. This is the time of the year when so many good fish come up off the deeper rubble and weed

Josh Wilson with a decent golden trevally snared on a hardbody. that they will clam up a little. If you find the fish down deep, drop down jigs or live baits, if they’re up on the surface throw pencil poppers and stick baits at them. More often than not though, you will locate them in the top 10m of the water column and that’s when trolling comes into its own. All around Australia where these fish can be located they are generally pretty easy to catch on hardbodies. But here in the Hydeaway Bay region, for some reason unbeknown to me, hardbodies don’t seem to work, not on the better fish anyway. If you intend on trolling locally for these guys you have to put baits in the water and either wolf herring or garfish at that. I will quite often start

Jenny holding her son Harvey’s first ever fingermark. patches around the islands. Species such as grunter nannygai and fingermark will be on the prowl. Each of these species are not only divine to eat, they’re a blast to catch as well. They can be caught on various live and strip baits but each year it seems to be lures that consistently get the best results. I’m a big fan of micro jigs and chatterbaits on these fish, but soft plastics, vibes and bucktail jigs will also claim their fair share of fish. Moving back inshore now and on the days when the weather restricts us from getting at the abovementioned fish, it won’t be all

doom and gloom. There will still be some good activity to be enjoyed inshore but it will be primarily about the pelagics as the bigger specimens of the inshore reef fish population will be largely shut down. This will remain so until the water warms a little later in the year. As with hunting pelagics anywhere, you have to find the bait first to locate the bigger fish. The bait can congregate anywhere but around Georges Point, along the sides of Gloucester Island and along the shorelines of Edgecumbe Bay are good areas to start your hunt. I expect that the main fish to be found will be some stomper golden trevally and

queenfish. The last two years the fishing for these guys has been nothing short of amazing and I have high hopes that this year will yield the same results. If they are around then they will be lifesavers on the days when we can’t get out wide. That’s it for another month. Hopefully the weather gods oblige and allow us at the wider grounds this month, it’s going to be on for young and old if they do. Whatever fish you decide to target this month and however you decide to do it, I wish you the best of luck and I look forward to reporting to you again soon. • Reel Addiction Sport

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Tayah with her first ever golden trevally.

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Young Oscar with his first lure-caught fingermark. The Supertanks have been a successful buisness for over 25 years. I, with my buisness partner Brett Thomson, have had a great income over the years, traveling throughout Australia promoting lure fishing. With the backing of major sponsors like Purefishing, Yamaha and many others,

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Please genuine enquires only. Neil Murray with a stomper of a lure-caught trout, which he did a great job of keeping out of the prickles on light line. Whoever said coral trout aren’t sports fish haven’t tried targeting them like this.

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Steve Newbigging had a cracker trip to Rockhampton. He caught an elusive 130cm barra while casting shallow hardbodies. JULY 2021

OLD

Downsizing in cooler water TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

It’s that time of year again, when the nights get that crisp feeling and the humidity drops. Yep, this is the ‘swagging it’ time of year, when camping is at its best for the north. I find it really hard to sleep in the swag during summer, and the midgie mesh stops any potential breeze from cooling you down during the night. As usual, the initial cooler

a wayward cast can cost you real dollars, you need a lure that flies straight and true. You don’t want to leave $20 notes hanging from the trees. In the tight streams, aerodynamics aren’t as big of a consideration, with short, accurate casts being the norm. In these close quarters encounters, it’s important for the lure to land gently. A hard landing will spook any fish close by. On the bigger rivers and creeks that have long, clear pools, it’s good to use a lure

Mick Rennie with a nice barra for a drain caught on a run-in tide on a 4” Atomic Prong rigged weedless. In cooler water, lures bigger than this often get ignored. weather is accompanied by windy periods, but once the weather patterns stabilise a bit, days on the water and around creeks and river banks are absolutely glorious. CREEKS AND STREAMS The start of June was very cool, and the rain hung around a bit longer than recent years. As a result, the creeks and rivers are running well, and clearing up nicely. The jungle perch and sooty grunter anglers will definitely enjoy the rewards of the rain, with creeks running at healthy levels for longer than usual. The inconvenience of a few extra weeks of rain and stirred water will be more than made up for with more suitable water levels, and crystal clear mountain water running towards the coastal rivers. We are lure flicking fanatics, so the chance to wander some streams and creeks in search of the sometimes elusive JPs is right up our alley. Surface lures are without a doubt the most exciting way to target these stream-dwellers, and it’s worth having a few different types on hand to experiment with, to find what’s pushing their buttons on the day. Poppers, surface stickbaits and insect imitations are the main types of surface presentation used to fool these aggressive little buggers. Many insect imitations cost an arm and a leg, and in an overgrown environment where 36

JULY 2021

that allows you to make longer casts. This is where the poppers and stickbaits come into their own. When first approaching a longer pool, I tend to work the closest snags first and then work further up the pool with longer casts. The reason for this is simple: if I punch in a long cast to the head of a pool from the bottom of a pool and hook up, my hooked fish will spook other fish as I fight it back to the shore. Those spooked fish could have been

potential lure grabbers. Stealth is imperative, and it’s essential to wear clothes that blend in with the background if you’re to make the most of any opportunities that arise. Walk gently – no thumping or jumping on the edge of the bank, and try not to move the trees too much as you negotiate the bankside vegetation. Even a single tree branch moving against a still, silhouetted background will send the fish dashing for cover. Obviously fish in the less hammered waters aren’t as flighty as those in harder fished areas, but no matter where you are, the quieter you are, the better you’ll do. When it comes to gear, go as light as you dare to go. A good average is 6lb braid and 8lb leader fished on a light 3-10lb rod approximately 5’6” to 6’ long, with a small 1000-2500 sized eggbeater reel. You’ll be using tiny lures, making long casts and fishing in thick, overgrown scrub, all of which don’t go too well with baitcasters. It’s pretty much spin all the way. OFFSHORE Mackerel are what most people with small to medium boats are interested in for the bay and offshore stuff, and there has been plenty happening in June to be excited about. The action should only get better over the next few weeks until they’re in full swing. Dredging and works on the channel markers may throw a spanner in the works for some anglers who usually need to go further for a feed of doggies or spotties. Most structure or shoal type areas near rover mouths that hold bait are great spots to start the search for them though, and there are plenty of locations around Townsville that have that, so all is not lost. Any pilly- or blood-based berley in the water is likely to attract sharks. The pellet forms

of berley with a bit of tuna oil may be a better option, and it’s pretty much a go-to mixture for experienced mackerel hunters. An unweighted small pilly, herring or whitebait on a small gang setup will usually bring most interested macks undone, and if snip-offs are a problem just add a bit of wire into the rig to protect the leader against the razors they call teeth. My favourite is either a light piece of high-tensile, pre-straightened piano type wire, or some light Staybrite wire around the 10kg mark. We also only use 6-10lb braid and 20lb leaders for the smaller species of mackerel. Given that our boat is only a small 4.1m Polycraft, Spaniards aren’t a consideration unless the weather allows us to get to the further out markers. Then it’s usually 30lb braid, 40lb leaders and slugs like the Halco Twisty, or Outcast in the larger sizes. Longer casts and flat knacker retrieves are pretty much standard techniques. If there are any longtail tuna

Small plastics, surface lures and hardbodies are all effective on jungle perch at one time or another. This one took a 3” Atomic Prong on a 1/6oz, 1/0 Atomic Seeker head, and was sight cast from a high bank.

The smaller mackerel species can’t resist a small metal. This one ate a 40g Outcast with about 10cm of Staybrite wire connected to the front.

Some great jacks can be caught in the cooler months. Tannhym had success skipping a 5” weedless-rigged Paddle Prawn into the mangroves and small drains on the runout tide.

poking around you may end up getting more than you bargained for, so use a reel that has reasonable line capacity. Trolling hardbodies will remain a very successful technique for many mackerel enthusiasts, and it can be a simple and successful way to land a few. This technique usually calls for a deep diver and a shallow diver in your favourite colour, trolled around a likely spot at approximately 6 knots. A slightly longer, softer rod than a traditional reef bottom bouncing outfit will be needed if you’re to make the best of every bite opportunity. Short, stiff rods with short leaders can rip the lure from the mouth of a Spanish,

particularly if you have ‘come here you bastard’ drag settings for the strike. Personally, I use the Halco wind-on leaders in 80lb breaking strain which gives enough shock absorption and stretch to give positive hook-ups as well as a bit of leverage when the closing stages of a fight are boat-side and you don’t want to pop them off or rip the hook out. Check every hook point before the lure is put out and take the few seconds to sharpen it to a needle point if necessary, as you don’t want to risk a missed strike if they’re hard to come by. When they’re sitting deep, a system that I’ve seen work many times is to allow a trolled bait (say, a chin-weighted gar

or wolf herring) swim to the bottom in freespool. As it gets there, knock the motor in gear and swim it back up to the surface a bit quicker as you accelerate away. CREEKS AND RIVERS Most barra and jack fishers know the importance of downsizing their lures and baits at this time of year, and if you’re going to chase the barra through the colder months you’ll need to be prepared. For those anglers who are less familiar with cold season barra, here’s a quick rundown on the gear we usually employ to deliver the smaller offerings. First of all, smaller 3-4” plastics are the norm for us, and lighter rods, line and leaders are needed to do this. Braids are usually between 6lb and 10lb, leaders are FC of around 20lb, but at least 2m long. A 6’6” softer actioned rod is beneficial for reducing the damage to the leader and to minimise the risk of straightening a smaller hook or pulling it free. The fight of a decent barra is much shorter than you’d expect, as they don’t have much stamina, and if you keep your steady, smooth rod work consistent boat-side, most fish will be landed. Lure wise, it’ll be no surprise that the 3” Atomic Prongs and 4” Halco Paddle Prawns are go-to lures for us. We rig them on 1/6-1/4oz Atomic jigheads in 1-1/0 size. Finally, the environment we focus on changes a bit from tangled snags to more deeper holes and drains with less structure. That’s because this approach is more about tiring them out, not stopping them in their tracks. Good luck and stay safe... and warm.

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Old Model

PE #

Diameter (mm)

Capacity (m)

2500D

2000

1.2

0.16

300

3000D

2500

1.5

0.18

300

4000D

0.20

300

5000D

3000

2.5

0.22

300

6000D

4000

0.24

300

8000-H

4500

0.28

300

10000-H

5000

0.33

300

14000-H

0.35

300

18000

6500

0.42

300

20000

8000

0.51

300

PE # 1 1.5 1.2 2 1.5 2.5 2 3 2 4 3 5 4 6 5 8 6 10 8 12

Diameter (mm) 0.15 0.18 0.16 0.20 0.18 0.22 0.20 0.24 0.20 0.28 0.24 0.33 0.28 0.35 0.33 0.42 0.35 0.51 0.42 0.56

Capacity (m) 400 250 400 250 400 250 400 250 400 250 400 250 400 250 400 250 400 250 400 250

FROM THE ELEMENTS

New Model

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OLD

Cool water tactics CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

The wet weather has continued through much of late autumn and into winter as the trade winds have pushed plenty of rain onto the coast. When you

which spots are holding bait and fish. It is also easier to read which banks are going to be wind swept and unfishable. I am not a fan of fishing wind swept banks except in impoundments. I find the extra commotion and disturbance seems to produce less fish. I prefer to find those banks and holes

provide some ideal fishing sessions. I have been out in most areas of the NFZ the last month and the fishing has been good with water temperatures still hovering around that 25ºC mark, which means the fish are still active. I was fishing the Cairns

The outer leads are producing plenty of pelagic activity at the moment.

Jacks are still on the bite in all systems. combine rain with strong southeasterlies, it can make fishing in the Trinity Net Free Zone tough. However, as the old saying goes, the fish have to feed and there is still some excellent fishing on offer. Firstly, although the weather is not ideal at least it is consistent, which means it can become easier to find

that are tucked out of the wind although that usually means you have to contend with the sandflies and mosquitos. The other way to avoid the wind at this time of year is to get up early or fish late in the day. The cooler weather tends to produce calmer inshore conditions most mornings and afternoons that

Inlet just the other day and on the run out tide there was plenty of evidence of active fish, in particular mangrove jack, which were popping up bait all over the place. They were responding well to lightly waited shads and prawn style plastics fished right up in the snags. I prefer to fish lighter weights this time of year to

give a better presentation. The other fish, which has been feeding well in the Inlet, has been the golden snapper. Sounding around for rubble beds, isolated rocks and wrecks in deeper water on the neap tides and then targeting them with vibes is a good way to catch these fish. With the nets out of the system, some cracker fish up to 70cm are being caught in the Inlet. These are top fish and will give you a work out on the creek gear. Whilst the creeks are still fishing well, so are the headlands and flats for pelagic species. Plenty of mackerel and queenfish are hunting around the leads and pylons and these fish are excellent targets on metal

jigs, stick baits and trolled lures. There have also been some Spanish mackerel amongst them. Next month should see things begin to slow a little

as the cooler weather drops the water temperatures a little. However, this will only see an increase in pelagic activity and flats action! Best of luck and enjoy our NFZ!

Golden snapper are available on the neap tides.

Wonderful winter fishing in the tropics PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

By the end of May and early June it was quite evident that the cooler months were upon us, with what we consider chilly winds and associated rain to contend with. The rain continues to hang on to some degree even though the falls are of a moderate nature. In saying all this, we are entering an exciting period with certain species ready to dictate terms in the coming couple of months. On the reef it really kicks into top gear with coral trout, nannygai, emperor and a swag of others enjoying the shift of currents now running from the south. If you can score some decent weather outside of the trade winds you can be quite assured of a top 38

JULY 2021

notch day on the outer reef. Numbers of fish are on the rise daily with preferred target species leading the way. Not surprisingly, Spanish mackerel are here in droves and whether you are sourcing them on a

floating rig or trolling them up on lures and wogheads, they are a big mover in the overall scheme. The average size is between 7-9kg with quite a few tipping the scales to 20kg. A mackerel of this size will

even test out even the most seasoned of anglers. There’s been a few more other mackerel species popping up offshore and coastally as well, including spotted, doggy/school and shark mackerel. All great

There have been some excellent catches recently, like this javelin fish.

fun providing lightening runs on the rod and reel. For the more serious angler, we’ve seen the small black marlin turn up along the coast and down to our wide banks south of Port Douglas. Game operators are excited by this development and, with favourable weather, will turn their attention to this form of fishing. This run of juveniles traditionally lasts for the next couple of months. Use 6-8kg trolling outfits when you are hooked up to 20kg+ fish designed to put on a magical show. Within our calm waters of rivers and creeks, mud crabs have flourished with the onset of the colder weather so you’d be mad not to set some pots in between wetting a line. Species, such as estuary cod, bream, mangrove jack, big javelin fish and some really handy trevally and queenfish have recently dominated proceedings. Add to this, there’s been

flathead, feather bream and sicklefish to add some colour and, odd looks, to value add to any given day. At this time of year, wind and tide pushing in the same direction is critically important. You can still entice the odd barra but you need a string of sunny days and fish where the sunlight is predominant on the water for the majority of the time. Shallower waters and mud banks with some cover are worth exploring and using live prawns is a bonus. Patience however is a virtue to produce a result. Using a knowledgable fishing guide is a really great option in the cooler months. Holiday movement is still positive despite hiccups from southern counterparts. We all watch with baited breath and hope we can have a strong tourist season ahead.

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Blowing the froth off your chino HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

No matter whom you talk to up here, the one thing that has been constantly on everyone’s lips is “When is this bad weather going to go away?” Charters for my clients this year have been testing to say the least, when fishing out in 20 knot plus winds and the ever present misty rain. However, we have had a couple of reasonable days here and there, where I have managed to snare some good fish for clients in these colder waters. Finally got long time regular clients, Brian and Neil from Melbourne, up here after three failed attempts due to Covid and bad weather. They got to experience some lovely weather and good fishing too. I treated them to some awesome threadfin and blue salmon on their first few days in a new area I had been exploring. The biggest threadfin we managed to boat was only 95cm but there were quite a few that were much larger that managed to pull the hooks or

Barra will be turning their back on baits and looking towards hardbody lures. retrieving metal slices around here will get you some fun as well as using vibes and jigs. Recent charters here have seen from 20-40 large queenies caught in a very short time. With signs that some good dry weather is starting to arrive upon us, I am itching to go visit some wonky holes inshore

This golden trevally was caught at the Lucinda Jetty. even in one instance straighten the hook! Most of these fish fell to slow rolled plastics on jigheads that were a bit smaller in size than I’d normally use. Live baits of herring and mullet were actually fairly well ignored. The same has been for the barra in recent weeks as the water temperature has cooled down – most fish ignored the

trick. We usually catch two to three fish from these areas and then move to another, so to not wipe out an inhabited wonky and keep them healthy for future trips. Inshore wonkys can be a little hit and miss, I’m finding that if the water quality is of a greenish shade the sharks move in and take

baits and preferred hardbody lures. The retrieve on such lures is super important to get a fairly lethargic winter barra to have a go. Showing my past clients how it is done certainly opened their eyes as to how they will cast lures for them in the future. Over the next few colder months, it will be a good time for inshore pelagics and reds.

Neil Simpson with a thready that hit just under the magic-metre mark at 95cm. south of Hinchinbrook Island that fall in my operational area. This time of year they usually fire with big large Mouth nannygai, bar cheek trout, gold spot cod and Spaniards. We don’t find large schools of nannies on them, but the ones that do inhabit these areas are quite large fish. I find the best method is either large live greenback herring, or larger vibes around 30g or heavier usually do the

over everything. Days of clear blue water quality often see the best results. Here’s hoping to some more days of lighter winds. • There are still a few spots bassco boats available left for this years barra season for bookings so if your looking to come to Hinchinbrook to discover its variety of fish and wish to book a charter, you can email us at info@ianmoodysportfishing. com with your enquiry.

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OLD

Winter barra bites COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

The weather has been rather cool to say the least and water temperatures have dropped considerably. The

only when fish are feeding and with fish shut down with cooler weather and interest fading in feeding then offering something smaller can produce a bite. I know if I’m not hungry then someone offering a dinner treat, especially a small

chocolate is more likely to get me keen then someone offering a big hamburger. So drop your lure size and see how that goes – I bet you will get more bites doing this in the cooler months. The wharf has been very quiet and only a few

David Kamholtz with his waterside barra.

Lakefield National Park is a prime spot for barramundi. Ricky Jerome was happy with his 80cm specimen. water levels have also been higher as the late rain we had in May topped up the systems. The conditions have been a challenge when chasing barramundi in the fresh, and it’s hard work enticing them to fall for your lures but numbers have been where the interest still out ways the disappointment. With the winter periods as mentioned, prawn lures seem to work best and going down in your size of lure might bring on a bite. Everyone talks about big fish big bait but that’s

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any chance of a comfortable visit to the reef. But with the less opportunities, when it does drop the fish will be there in numbers and keen to feed so it should be great to get out there soon. The Cooktown and Cape area is looking to have its best tourism year to date with all the domestic travel increases due to Covid and campsites at almost full capacity, so book soon. The Lakefield National Park will be fully opened now and will see many people trying to catch barramundi. As I mentioned, in winter

drop your lure size and give it a go. The fishing will be intense this year and more than likely most spots will have had their fair share of lures cast through the area. However your lure might just be that dinner mint that that barramundi can’t refuse. Also would be great if lots of people return fish after capture as this allows more people the opportunity to catch them, and also ensures that they breed and help to have healthy numbers of fish for years to come.

There are still good numbers of barra about, despite challenging conditions.

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fish caught this month, but August and September should see the mackerel start to show up and there won’t be much room at the wharf then. The grouper are looking forward to it, as many fishers will see their tired catch come close to the wharf to be ambushed by these massive fish. Try to tire you fish out in the open water and bring them in quickly, and be ready to lift

them clear as soon as they are long side and you might just be fortunate to land a nice Spanish mackerel. There are quiet large specimens that visit the inlet but many people aren’t equipped to handle them from the wharf. Have plenty of braid line available is the key, as mackerel over 15kg can do some bolting runs and easily strip line from your reel in no time so make sure your spool is full. I have seen a 20kg mackerel caught on a boat in front of the wharf, so they are there. The boat has the advantage, as it can chase the fish around so makes it easier to keep line on the reel. The offshore fishing has been very limited. The SE winds batter Cooktown at this time of the year and fishing windows will be small with only a day in between highs that allow

Michael with a beautiful blue Maori cod that weighed 11kg, caught offshore from Fraser Island.

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OLD

Dry July delivers windy highs at the top CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

It has been a fantastic first half to the year fishing-wise for the Cape. A generally productive wet season saw great late rains and nutrientrich freshwater spilling into the Gulf. Although the east coast didn’t see significant cyclone conditions, consistent late rains kept creeks and rivers slowing into early June. July will likely see the first chilly snap reach Cape York, with high pressure systems over the southern continent. Usually, the land

Double barra taken off the surface a long way into the fresh. July and August a little harder in the creeks. Despite the challenging fishing and shorter bite periods, the cleaner water and cool conditions will make daytime pleasant to fish. The real upside for modern anglers is the use of side scan and sounders to locate dormant fish and concentrate efforts on

getting reaction bites from them. Some gun anglers do very well on bigger barra at this time of year by locating the large fish and concentrating all their efforts on them. The offshore and inshore scene will be another story altogether. Huge schools of baitfish and other morsels will be gathering in the warm, shallow waters each side of the Cape, with speedy predators close by. Tuna, trevally and mackerel species predominate, with some notable inclusions such as blue salmon, giant herring, tarpon, cobia and a few others joining the fray. These packs of predatory fish can be a little harder to find on the east coast, where they will be spread out and often wind-affected. The west coast, however, can be a regular recipe of feeding birds and bait schools just offshore. Not much in Australian sportfishing beats a tight bait ball, with predators picking them off in the relatively calm waters of the Gulf

in July. Metals slices, jigs, poppers, plastics and flies are equally effective ways of picking off your chosen quarry. Out on the Great Barrier Reef, the closer reefs and shoals should be fishing well for all manner of species. As the effects of the earlier wet season subside and the inshore grounds clear up, cooler water moves over these shallow structures. Smaller prey species begin to congregate and a few of the tastier reef-dwellers close in. Some great sport fishing over the reef flats and shoals can be expected over coming months. The school holidays commence in July, and it looks like record numbers of visitors will be making their way towards the tip. Charter operators, camping grounds and all manner of commercial services will be close to capacity. With the big influx of visitors, patience on the roads and courtesy on the rivers is required to keep the Cape feeling like the remote wilderness it rightfully is.

This barra was a little deeper under a cool surface layer. will cool off overnight bringing light offshore breezes early in the mornings. However, when a big high-pressure system dominates, cool, southerly

airstreams make it all the way to the Cape. The estuarine systems in particular can suffer a little fishing-wise from this cool weather. Decreasing

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OLD

Cold brings on the cod TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

We will really be feeling the cold this month and the fish will be suffering the same fate. Water temperatures drop, thermoclines disappear and the lake’s core becomes a consistent temperature. With the disappearance of the thermocline, oxygen levels can be found very deep and this allows the fish to move right through the water column. They will still have their preferred depths dictated by food, comfort

and the availability of light. It is a time of year where fish, which like warmth will seek out even the slightest temperature rise. Barramundi can be found in ridiculously shallow water where they soak up the sun’s warmth. Winter days can also bring on clear water conditions. Some of the lakes, which had an influx earlier in the year may clear a bit more. The clearer lakes can go gin clear and this calls for more stealth when approaching fish. Presentations which are more subtle will still attract the attention of fish when they are able to rely heavily on their eyesight for hunting. Keep your

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST The fishing is pretty tough at Cressbrook over the winter months. Occasionally you can score a good day where the bass want to chew. Schooling fish in 5-9m of water are a good daytime option but are pretty hard to find. These fish can be tempted with soft plastics and smaller profile spoons and metal jigs.

Last year they were pretty keen on the bigger spoons too and the 30g Raptor Jig was a standout. I haven’t heard of too many caught on Raptors this winter and the colder it gets, the less likely it is to happen. They should however be the standout lure at the end of winter and beginning of spring. Edge fishing is the other option at Cressbrook and seems to produce plenty of smaller bass for each good

louder, flashier lures for the stained waters. It’s the time of year to pull out your warm clothes and dust off the cod gear. The big fish come out to play during the middle of winter prior to settling in to their nesting sites. The frisky fish feed up and can be found holding together in groups. Some lakes may have dirty water not ideally suited to luring while others are ready to produce some excellent fishing. Copeton, in northern NSW, seems like the place to be, but Queensland may have something to offer. Read on! Until next month, buckled rods from The Colonel. one. The reaction style lures, which were working can now be replaced with something a little more subtle. Suspending jerkbaits and soft plastics are probably going to be the standouts. The fishing on the edges are going to be best in the mornings. Try to avoid the days with strong westerly winds as it seems to shut them down a bit. Quite a few golden perch were getting in on the action prior to winter. These fish will go a bit quiet over winter but

Matt Taylor used the ‘big lure, big fish’ theory to fool this Wivenhoe bass. The lake continues to fish well, if you can find them.

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Use your sounder to get the most out of your session. Murray cod can be found in small groups leading up to their breeding season. should make their presence felt when things start to warm up again. • Fish’n’Bits in Toowoomba has all the gear and tips on how to chase the Cressy fish. They are an excellent store specialising in all freshwater lures and tackle. The dam hours are 7am to 6pm over the winter months. SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY It’s a typical winter at Somerset. The fish are pretty hard to entice even when they are found in good numbers. There are quite a few schools on the drop offs just outside the main riverbed. These fish can be found from Pelican Point right up to the Kirkleigh timber in smaller spread out gatherings. Some days they will have a bit of a chew but usually they are ridiculously tough to get a bite out of. Spoons and metal jigs seem to be the most reliable lures to get fish to bite. It really is a hard time to pinpoint a favourite lure though and fish will also take blades, soft plastics and mask vibes. Fish a little bit slower than normal if you are on the fish and keep that lure close to bottom. Some winters, ice jigs come into their own. It has been a few years now since they went nuts over them so hopefully we see them getting the bites again. They are always worth a try vertically on fresh patches of bass. The Smak ice jigs are the best out there in my opinion so make sure you always carry a few in your box. It’s not my favourite way to fish but if it is working, I’ll run with it. The healthier weed edges around the lake may be worth an early to mid-morning flick with suspending jerk baits. Some good weed was growing around Pelican Point and I reckon it is worth closer

investigation. • Somerset Fishing has their store based at the area above the day use boat ramp. The store is open over holidays and otherwise from Thursday to Sunday. Orders can also be made online via the website www.somersetfishing.com. au. They have an excellent range of gear suited to fishing for bass and golden perch. WIVENHOE CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, LOWOOD The fishing has slowed at Wivenhoe but if you are prepared to have a look around, you should be able to find some deeper bass schools on the flats. These fish can take a long time to locate as they are very mobile and at times they aren’t bunched together. Trolling hardbodies seems

your selection. Colours can make all the difference so mix it up when you find the fish to see what they want to eat the most. The flats within sight of Billies Bay are a good starting point. The boat ramp at Billies Bay is out of action due to low water levels but you can still slide a kayak down to the water. If you are boating, you need to launch at Logans Inlet and make the trip around. Allow a good hour to get there and home as the speed limit is 6 knots. Wivenhoe edges can produce reasonable numbers of fish over the winter months. The medium sloping banks near Billies Bay and either side of Platypus Cliffs are worth exploring with silent lipless crankbaits and suspending jerk baits.

Trolling hardbodies is usually slow over the winter months. The Wivenhoe bass don’t seem to mind it though. to work well right through winter at Wivenhoe and is a great way to explore when you think you are in a fishy area. Last month, trolled lures were a standout and kept catching even when cast offering were failing. Lures that dive 6-10m can be used and the depth of the water and the depth fish are holding should dictate

If the fish are there in numbers on the sounder, move out a little wider from the edge and hit them with soft plastics as well. There are boating restrictions in place. If you are petrol powered, you need to have a 4-stroke or low emissions outboard and travel at 6 knots when on this lake.

OLD

to for big cod this year. The water is still a bit coloured from the rise but there have already been a few caught. Hopefully winter helps the suspended sediment settle and clear the lake right up to improve visibility for luring. Good numbers of fish were roaming the flats last month but refusing to eat. As they get closer to choosing nesting sites, the cod should number up in the suitable breeding areas and feed. Big spinnerbaits and chatterbaits would be my first choice if the water stays dirty. If it clears to over half a metre of visibility, big swimbaits will come into their own. Leslie Dam’s bigger cod are over a metre long and there are plenty 70-90cm models. • Warwick Outdoor and Sport in Palmerin Street has all your fishing needs covered. They can set you up and point you in the right direction. COOLMUNDA CLOSEST TOWNS: INGLEWOOD, TEXAS The water remains dirty at Coolmunda. Venturing up into the Macintyre Brook it starts to clear up but the basin looks like it will take a while to settle. I know of one big cod

taken on a lure and there are sure to be more that have flown under the radar. While the lake is dirty, it will be tough going when lure fishing. If you want to have a crack, opt for 1oz spinnerbaits with Colorado blades to make plenty of noise and flash. Bait fishers will stand a reasonable chance of tangling with big cod. The timbered parts of the

lake now have plenty of water and will hold good numbers of cod. Live baits or even a chunk of raw chicken could attract a bite from a freshwater giant. GLENLYON CLOSEST TOWNS; STANTHORPE, TEXAS Glenlyon had a good rise and was very dirty a couple of months ago. It is the type of dam that can clear up faster than

other cod lakes. The lake fished exceptionally well last winter with plenty of big Murray cod caught. It was very clear then and swimbaits did a lot of the damage as the fish could easily see and hunt them down. Earlier in the season, topwater lures accounted for a lot of fish and this is how I’d start my session if the visibility is under half a metre.

Noisy surface paddlers and wakebaits will attract the attention of the cod even in coloured water conditions. A steady retrieve will allow cod to pinpoint the lure and hopefully find hooks when they attack. Surface action will be rare once the sun has been on the water for an hour. The fish drop deeper and can then be located on the sounder using side image and live sonar technologies. This is the time to use swimbaits. If the water goes very clear, try casting and be stealthy about your approach.If it has a bit of colour, the cod will be less spooked and you may be able to cover heaps of water and troll to catch them. When searching for cod, look on the shallow to medium tapering banks that have plenty of structure before they drop into the deeper water. There is a good chance the majority of cod will be found in 1-4m of water. • The Glenlyon Tourist Park is a great place to stay. You can opt for a campsite or stay in the warmth of one of the cabins. Brian and Debbie are very passionate about Murray cod and their kiosk has a good range of lures for sale to target them. You can make bookings by calling (02) 6737 5266.

likely. The colder it gets, the harder those deep water fish will get to excite. The lake’s core temperature will be the same right across the basin. The smarter fish will seek out pockets of warmth where there is also a supply of food. Bays that are fed by the wind without being stirred up too much will hold barra. The fish will venture shallow into the weed and even into the clear water

behind it where the warmth may be trapped. These spots requite a lot of stealth to successfully fish. Use long casts and light lures capable of working the pockets around the weeds. Soft plastics rigged on weedless hooks come into their own. Frogs and paddle tails can both be effective. A slow retrieve will give the big lazy fish time to hunt your offerings down. In the open basin part of the lake, the wind will also push into the bays.

These may not warm as much as the more secluded ones but will attract fish when the edges turn dirty from the wave action. The dirty water line is the ideal spot for fish to ambush prey. You can fish a bit faster here with soft plastics or even hard bodies if the weed allows. The fish in these areas will be there to feed but you’ll need to work to find the best spots. • Justin Nye from Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing runs fishing charters on the

lake. He caters to the needs of the angler and can do fly or conventional tackle trips to target the lake’s barramundi. He successfully guides clients onto fish right through the year and has a good understanding of fish movements. It is hard to beat time on the water and this is a great way to learn more about this lake and its fish. You can contact him on 0429 223 550 or visit the website gladstoneflyandsportfishing .com.au.

• Mark from Awoonga Gateway Lodge always has a few productive secret spots to share. The Gateway lodge is on the way in to the dam after turning off at Benaraby. The accommodation is great with plenty of boat parking space right beside the comfortable air conditioned, selfcontained cabins each with its own veranda. To book in a stay give Mark or Lyn a call on (07) 4975 0033.

DARLING DOWNS AND GRANITE BELT COOBY CLOSEST TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA Cooby is a tough fishery over the winter months. The golden perch have been hard to catch. Some years they will bite all winter with vertically jigged ZX40 blades outperforming bait. It doesn’t seem to be the case this winter though and if you plan to fish the lake, you might be better off targeting Murray cod. Just over a month ago, a massive 119cm specimen was landed. Big metreplus cod roam the lake but they aren’t found in big numbers like the lakes further south. Smaller cod are more common but they always seem less active over the cold months. This is the time of year to set your sights on the big one and target them. Bigger spinnerbaits and swimbaits are the way to do this. Using side image, Active Target and Live Imaging sounder technology is a great way to go about locating fish and presenting lures accurately to them. LESLIE DAM CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK I have a feeling Leslie will be one of the Queensland dams to head CAPRICORN REGION AWOONGA CLOSEST TOWNS: BENARABY, GLADSTONE There will be no trouble finding parking spots at the ramp this month. Barra fishers tend to stay away over the winter months. The barra on the other hand will still be there and seeking the most comfortable conditions. A mix of deep and very shallow fish are

Winter sees the big cod on the prowl. Glenlyon and Leslie dams are showing signs that they will fire up this month. Don’t leave it too late though as the bite will slow when the fish enter breeding mode before the end of winter.

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WHAT’S NEW SAMAKI METALLIC MUDDIE

When Samaki brought you the mud crab shirt you all frothed on it like nothing else, and now they’re bringing you the enhanced, bulked up, fully charged... Metallic Muddie. As the Metallic Muddie wades from the muddy mangroves, he leaves a path of destruction in his wake. As the storm gathers behind him, he is not fearful – he is determined! Oversized chromed claws stem from his body, and each limb is beautifully detailed, and each spike is enhanced. The lightweight fabric is perfect for all outdoor elements, protecting you from the harsh sun with Samaki’s UPF50+ technology. The soft touch 100% polyester material is comfortable on the body, plus it has the added feature of being breathable, keeping you cool and dry. Samaki designs are brought to you by Australian anglers who love to design Australian species. Metallic Muddie shirts are available in adult, youth and kids sizes from a size 2 through to 5XL, allowing the whole family to get in on the action and out onto the water. You can view the full range of Samaki apparel on their website, and check out the latest news and catch photos on Instagram and Facebook. Price: SRP $59.99-$69.99 www.samaki.com.au

SENSOR SAND STORM SURF

Performance starts with a great blank, and Daiwa Sensor Sand Storm is true to that philosophy, featuring many of Daiwa’s newest design and blank technologies to create a range that is equally refined, rugged and robust. Constructed using Daiwa’s HVF carbon blank technology, this low resin, high strength, graphite blank is light, powerful and highly responsive. Combining with HVF Nanoplus in blank design is Daiwa’s X45, with its innovative technology delivering enhanced strength, power, and weightlessness, and a reduction in blank twist and an increase in torque and blank recoil. The result is a blank that returns to its straight form quickly, delivers faster acceleration, and longer more responsive casts. Lacking nothing in componentry, the Sensor Sand Storm Surf range features Fuji Reel Seats, and Fuji Stainless Steel and Alconite Guides for unmatched strength, sensitivity, and performance. With six models in the range, Sensor Sand Storm Surf is the ideal choice for light line fishing from piers and in estuaries right through to heavy tackle spinning for pelagics off the headlands. www.daiwafishing.com.au

MERCURY VESSELVIEW 3 FOR AXIOM

Mercury Marine has broadened access to its powerful VesselView function with the new SmartCraft Connect gateway. The new gateway delivers Mercury Marine’s premier engine-information-display experience to Raymarine Axiom, Axiom+, Axiom Pro, and Axiom XL users. Simply connect the SmartCraft gateway via NMEA 2000 to access vital performance data and alerts for up to four SmartCraft-compatible Mercury engines. Mercury VesselView for Axiom is accessed through a new VesselView app on the LightHouse 3 home screen. Raymarine Axiom and Mercury owners can also access VesselView data in the chartplotter, sonar, and radar apps through a slide-out sidebar display. VesselView alerts are available system-wide across every Axiom display in a Raymarine network. Raymarine Axiom owners with SmartCraft compatible engines can download the LightHouse 3 OS update – LightHouse 3.14 Fremantle – to take advantage of the new VesselView functionality. www.raymarine.com.au www.z-man.com.au

JULY 2021

PRODUCT GUIDE

RAPALA RAP-V BLADE

The Rap-V Blade is the perfect balance of metal, plastic and Rapala expertise. With its irresistible action, it’s the perfect choice for a wide range of sportfish. This very versatile bait produces instant vibration on the lift or retrieve. The Rap-V can be worked in variable depths with a wide range of techniques. You can cast out, make contact with bottom, and lift and let fall in a yo-yo style retrieve. Alternatively, for a vertical presentation, drop it to the bottom and twitch for a jigging action. The Rap-V Blade has two line tie positions. The front line tie is for a slower fall swimming action, and the rear line tie will enable a faster fall, head down action. This lure is constructed with a metal frame with a durable plastic body, internal scales and metalized flash foil, and boasts a distinctive, loud BB rattle system. It comes with a VMC snap, black nickel round bend treble, and double belly hook. For more information on this and other new releases from Rapala, check out the Rapala Australia page on Facebook. www.rapala.com

SHIMANO TWIN POWER XD

The new Twin Power XD features exclusive Shimano reel technology upgrades such as Micro Module Gear II, MGL Rotor, Silent Drive and Long Stroke spool. Boasting Micro Module Gear II and Silent Drive, the Twin Power XD gearing is extremely silent and smooth. The main Hagane Gear provides great cranking power and X-Protect provides superior saltwater resistance. The redesigned Long Stroke Spool provides improved casting distance due to better line flow from the spool. The new MGL Rotor delivers ultra-light, almost friction-free rotation, making it easier to turn the handle when working a lure or fishing a fish. Combined with the Ci4+ construction in the side plate, this helps to reduce weight by 3555g when compared to the original Twin Power XD. To ensure maximum rigidity under load, an aluminium Hagane Body provides the support required to tackle larger fish. Available in a C3000HG, C4000XG and C5000XG, all featuring a Cross Carbon Drag system with power handle knobs, these reels are perfect for all inshore and light offshore casting and jigging applications. Price: SRP $769-$779 www.shimanofish.com.au

PRO-CURE BRINE ‘N BITE

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Like rock salt, Pro-Cure Brine ‘N Bite toughens your bait, but unlike rock salt it also infuses your bait with powerful amino acids that magnify the bait’s smell and flavour, triggering an impulse in a fish’s brain to feed. Brine ‘N Bite tightens the scales of the bait, firms up cut baits and helps keep baits fresh longer. Brine ‘N Bite also allows you to save your baits and fish them over the next few days. It’s compatible with all of the Pro-Cure Bad Azz Bait Dyes, allowing you to brine and dye your baits to stand out from the crowd, and is ideal for virtually any kind of bait. Initially used as a brine, many anglers are now sprinkling Brine ‘N Bite onto their baits dry. The salts and amino acids marinate in just fine, and you also get a much tougher bait than the brine method. This is critical when fishing pilchards and whitebait, as they are usually quite soft. If you are casting or trolling in heavy currents or tide rips, or trolling at faster speeds, and you need a super tough bait, try the dry method. Pro-Cure Brine ‘N Bite comes in a 20oz reusable plastic jar. Price: SRP $34.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

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PRODUCT GUIDE

TESTING BOOTH

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13 Fishing Concept Z2 Slide As my 10-year anniversary working for the magazine looms large, there are not too many things that I have wanted to test for the magazine but haven’t been able to. However, one has been a baitcast reel. For whatever reason (most likely others getting in before me) I haven’t put a baitcast reel through its paces. I have used one brand of reel for all my baitcast fishing needs for over 16 years, and some of these reels are now well over 10 years old, so it is high time to test the waters and see what else is out there. The

hefty 10kg drag capacity and it weighs a very light 191g. The first interesting feature is the CZB (Concept Zero Bearing) bearing system used. My understanding is that it’s based more around a bush system, but the concept is to remove bearing failure from the reel, which is new to me. Without providing you a full replay of the marketing provided about these reels, no bearings means no components for salt, debris etc to get into, so the reel should perform without bearing-type failures for the life of the reel. That sounds like a major win for anglers.

The author chose to stick to the orange theme, matching the reel with some 30lb Sufix 832 braid in the fire camo colour.

The 13 Fishing Concept Z2 reel is quite distinctive in its look and comes with its own Skull Cap reel guard. 13 Fishing Concept Z2 reel caught my eye when I saw it on Steve Morgan’s desk in the office (it was bound for the ABT BARRA tour later that year). It had a distinctive look that I liked, so off I went and bought one. That was 6 months ago and I thought now would be a perfect time to let you know what I think. What’s in the box? This may come across as strange, but how the reel was stored in the box impressed me. Not only was the reel protected by two pieces of foam, but it also came with its own Skull Cap reel guard. This reel is not inexpensive, so for the manufacturer to make the effort to thoroughly protect the reel in the box and to provide an ongoing option to protect it, was a great idea. Reel features Let’s go through the basics before getting into the real features of these reels. The Z2 slide is available with three different retrieve ratios in Australia (RH 6.8:1,7.5:1 and LH 7.5:1) and comes in either left- or righthand retrieve. Its line capacity is approximately 120m of 12lb diameter monofilament with a

For me, the most interesting feature of this reel is the three points of adjustment the reel has to assist an angler to avoid the dreaded overrun or birds nest that stops many people

less frustrating, and makes the decision to change to a heavier or lighter lure easier. My final take I have to say it has been an interesting and enjoyable process putting this reel through its paces over the last 6 months. The majority of my fishing would generally be based around throwing lures and spinnerbaits targeting our SE Queensland bass, golden perch and saratoga, but as options to travel interstate have opened up these options broadened to include Murray cod and barramundi. The reel has dealt with all the lure adjustments, different species and casting requirements with aplomb, but it did take me

Obsessions Spinnerbaits maker Raymond Parry has also become a huge fan of the Concept Z2 reel. This is a nice golden perch he caught at Somerset Dam on his first outing using this reel.

Another neat feature of the 13 Fishing Concept Z2 reel is the lure holder on its body.

The author with a solid land-based barra caught in the Kimberley WA.

a few outings to get used to a drag that clicks like a spin reel. The first time it occurred, I was attached to a solid bass in my kayak, I have to admit I was wondering what I had broken! Overall I am stoked with my purchase, to the point where a number of my friends are now using the 13 Fishing Concept Z2 as well. I may have found the reel for my next 16 years of baitcast fishing. To find out more about the 13 Fishing range of baitcast reels go to their website www.13fishing.com or check them out at your local tackle store.

from trying this type of reel. You have your standard cast control knob and friction braking systems that you can set, however on 13 Fishing’s Z model you have an additional slide feature, which is an extra magnetic braking mechanism that allows you to increase or decrease magnetic tension on the spool using the Slide button on the top of the reel. Forward to reduce tension, back to increase tension. As far as cast controls go, I am a set and forget type of person, which means I am relying on an educated thumb (putting tension on the spool to slow its speed when casting) to avoid the dreaded bird nest when casting into the wind or adjusting when using heavy or light lures. This can be a dangerous practice, however the Slide feature has changed this for me. The ability to adjust the reel on the fly by simply increasing or decreasing the magnetic tension has made those windy days A beautiful Lake Kurwongbah saratoga caught casting spinnerbaits while the author was testing this reel.

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au JULY 2021

Recreational Fishing Update Yearly wrap up with the latest RAP Newsletter! Rainbows A Plenty! The latest edition of the “RAP Report” (DPI’s Research Angler Program newsletter) has been released looking back at the 2019/2020 season. You can find out about great captures as well as some interesting facts and figures from this year’s frame donations.

The RAP report is produced from information provided by everyday fishos like you. Your fishing successes help us to learn about fish growth and movements. Be sure to donate frames from your mulloway, snapper, kingfish, dusky flathead, blue spot flathead, pearl perch, Spanish and spotted mackerel catches. If you’re interested in learning more, including the location of your closest drop-off points, scan the QR code or search DPI’s website for more info. The RAP Program is another great example of your fishing fees at work!

Recaptured Kingies Highlight Movement Variability Two kingfish originally tagged in the same location have been recaptured. The two recaptures under the Game Fish Tagging Program highlight the dynamic and variable movement patterns of this iconic sportfishing species. The fish were originally tagged offshore of South West Rocks on the Mid North Coast by father-son duo Vic and Zane Levett. The first fish was tagged on 28 February 2020 and measured in at 87cm. Fast forward 422 days to 25 April 2021, and the fish was recaptured by Andrew Mirosch who was fishing offshore of Cape Moreton in Queensland. The king was caught in 150m of water and measured in at a solid 110cm. During its time at liberty, the fish travelled about 230 nautical miles (~425km) from the original release location. The fish had moved in a north-easterly direction. The second fish was tagged by Vic and Zane in SWR on 15 June 2020 and originally measured 85cm. Interestingly, this king moved in the opposite direction to the fish above. The fish was recaptured on 21 November 2020 offshore of Jervis Bay by gun local angler Luke Blanch. Upon recapture, the fish measured 90cm. The fish spent 159 days at liberty and was caught more than 278 nautical miles (~510km) from its original release location. Kingfish are highly pelagic and predatory in their nature. It is believed that their distribution and movement is influenced by biological and environmental factors including spawning, food availability, water temperature and oceanic currents. The Game Fish Tagging Program is a great example of your fishing fees at work!

JULY 2021

DPI got kids hook line and sinker into trout fishing at a recent Fishing Workshop, held at Deanos Spring Water Trout Hatchery near Black Mountain. It was a clear but chilly day for kids and parents to learn all things freshwater fishing. The morning sunshine was perfect to practice knots, rigging, fly casting and learn some rules and regulations. The serious stuff got rolling in the afternoon as part of the fishing sessions when six hard fighting rainbow trout were caught and released with the assistance of our dedicated Fishcare volunteers.

Workshops are held throughout the year, and whether it be freshwater or saltwater fishing, we have you covered with new locations being added to our fishing workshop calendar all the time. Check out our fishing workshops webpage by scanning the QR code or search DPI’s website for all the info you need.

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

dpi.nsw.gov.au/artificial-reef

DPI’s ground-breaking approach to artificial reef design is providing reef structures that will not only last for decades but which are scientifically shown to be among the most productive habitats in our coastal waters. A series of reefs of varying designs have already been installed, with two off Sydney and others off Port Macquarie, Newcastle, Wollongong, Shoalhaven Heads and Merimbula Bay. More are being planned for the Tweed coast, the Batemans Bay region and off Jervis Bay. The reefs are designed to provide habitat for key recreational sportfish such as kingfish, snapper and mulloway, as well as abundant bait species. A key goal of DPI’s artificial reefs program is to increase recreational fishing opportunities for current and future fishing generations. Download the DPI FishSmart App or visit the NSW DPI website for GPS coordinates to our artificial reef network. These reefs are built using funds from the Recreational Fishing Trust.

JULY 2021

Sydney

NSW

Winter wonderland big thinkers have been getting caught at Barrenjoey Head, Palm Beach weed beds and Currawong Beach, as well as the drop-off near the weed beds at Careel Bay. The better jigs to use have been the 2.5 size ones, and natural colours are

PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Get out your jumpers, beanies and other warm clothing so you can get out and enjoy the wonderful winter wonderland of Pittwater. Over the next couple of months I can only hope that the calm, windless mornings continue. These chilly mornings have provided us with a fair bit of fun. With the glassy conditions we have been seeing fish feeding on the surface on Broken Bay. Some of these schools of fish have been salmon but there have been quite a few bust-ups from tailor. As usual, working seabirds will allow you to see the activity some distance away. It’s a good idea to bring a couple of rods with 5-10g metal lures rigged and ready to go, as the surface activity hasn’t been lasting too long in any area. As always, the best way to get the most out of the surface feeding schools is to stop your boat upcurrent of the melee and let your bait drift back into the action with the motor turned off. If there are other people already fishing the area, please respect them and give them plenty of space. These same areas are also yielding bottom fish, so try drifting around for a chance to catch both of the abovementioned species as well as flounder, trevally or the odd flathead. If you are after some squid there are some large models around to be caught. These

working well. An aggressive retrieve with long pauses seems to be the better way to catch some of these squid. Remember to take only what is required for your immediate needs of feeding the family, because the big squid

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Big squid like this one are pouncing on natural coloured jigs.

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are there to breed and supply us all with next season’s kingfish baits. Speaking of kingfish, there are still some about in Pittwater but with the colder water you need to change your game plan and have a lot more patience. Downrigging will once again be the better way to track down these fish; most have been encountered in the deeper water in structure where they are just sitting, and not very active. The better bait to try to wake up some of these larger kings is cuttlefish, which can be caught in the shallows near the rocky areas around Pittwater. These smaller ink machines can be caught by using squid jigs in the 1.8-2 sizes. There have been some hairtail showing themselves along Cowan Creek. If you are like me and really don’t like the cold, you don’t have to suffer through cold nights trying for these long, silver chrome bars. You can target these predators during the daytime and it can be quite successful fishing as well. If you are going to target them during the day you will find the change of tide towards the start of the day or late in the afternoon can be better. Finding these fish on the sounder is not always the way to go; you can go to areas and berley up baitfish to be around your boat and then the predators will show up. Not only will you be in for a chance at a hairtail but other species are generally being caught as well. Species such as tailor, flathead, jewfish and even the odd kingfish can be caught as bycatch when targeting these fish. Live small yellowtail, pilchards and fish fillets cut into thin strips will all be successful once these fish show up. Along our coast there is still quite a bit of fish activity on some reefs. The better way to find some bottom dwellers offshore seems to be to start at 30m of water and

try and find schools of baitfish towards the bottom. If baitfish can’t be found, move out to deeper water, and repeat this process until you find baitfish. Sometimes you may end up fishing in 80m of water. Species that are out on the reefs at the moment are snapper, morwong, teraglin and trevally, as well as the odd pigfish. We are also lucky enough to still be finding some decent flathead over the sand, with drifts in 50-70m of water providing the better fish. The better baits to use are pilchards and squid strips. If you are able

to catch a few of the baitfish at the reef, strip them up for bait as well. So as you can see, even though the air temperature is quite cold on most mornings there are still plenty of fish to be caught for those with the patience and willingness to try. I hope this report sees you all getting excited about the calm cool mornings and we will see you out on Pittwater or along our coast and in the future. • Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www. estuaryfishingcharters.com.au

Decent winter flathead are still being caught.

NSW

Sydney

Big bream and finicky kingfish are moving in in shallow water – bread or prawns for bait in a bread berley trail – you just need to ramp up your gear. We fish 9ft rods with 15kg line. When chasing drummer I chuck in a scoop of berley every 15 minutes or so. JULY FISHING This month should see the kingfish remain steady. The squidding should improve, and the shallow water bream, blackfish, groper and drummer fishing will only get better. • Fishing Sydney Tours takes pride in tailoring every trip to the customer’s preferred

SYDNEY NTH

Steve Winser

Kingfish are still consistent in the upper and lower reaches of the harbour. The average size is around 70-90cm, with some rats mixed in. The kingies are very finicky at this time of year, so fresh squid is an absolute necessity if you want a decent chance of catching them. Winter time is squid spawning time so most of the squid are larger. Lately the majority of the squid have come from the kelp beds as opposed to the ribbon weed beds. Larger jigs between 2.5-3.5 are the go, and the best colours seem to be orange or green patterns. Last month we had some hard-core egi (squid) fishers do a trip with us, and they were using very expensive, finesse gear – I’m talking $30 jigs and very fine leaders. I ended up with more squid but I

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The kingfish are particularly fussy at the moment, so fresh squid is a must.

A cracking effort by young Tyler with his 42cm bream. did have the home town advantage. They were using 3lb fluorocarbon leaders, and kept getting busted off on the weed. I was using my standard 20lb leaders which allow me to pull the jig out of the weed if needed, and as a result I spent more time with a jig in the water and less time re rigging. It goes to show that expensive, finesse gear isn’t always the best option. The large bream and blackfish are moving

species, style of angling, and level of expertise, all within a friendly and relaxed atmosphere at competitive rates. There are some excellent fishing spots that can be accessed straight off Sydney, and we will show you where. We offer harbour, wash and offshore fishing for species ranging from kingfish and mulloway through to snapper and mahimahi. For more info go to www. fishingsydneytours.com.au, call 0481 120 600 or look up ‘Fishing Sydney Tours’ on Facebook.

into the shallow water as they prepare to spawn again. Fish over 40cm are common at the moment, as is usual for this time of year. This kind of fishing is particularly good for kids. On a recent charter with two boys, the youngest caught a 42cm bream on his first cast and pulled in a 43cm blackfish on his third cast, and he was thrilled. As usual, we have been catching these fish in a bread berley trail using

bread for bait under a small bobby cork. Cheap, generic white bread is the go for these no-nonsense, bluecollar fish. The easiest thing to do is get a square of bread about 2” wide, fold it in half, and pin a no. 6, short-shank hook through two corners. Squeeze the area around the eye of the hook very tightly, leave the bottom end fluffy, and you have a floating bread bait. If you want it to sink, just dip it in the water, squeeze out the water, and you now have a sinking bait. When it comes to berley, all you need to do is throw out a few mushed-up slices every 15 minutes or so. Once they start feeding you can back off the berley a bit. Bread baits are very versatile, and besides bream, blackfish and drummer, I have taken trevally, flathead, pinkie snapper, salmon and even a rat king on bread. For the lure fishers, large bream have been taking small surface stickbaits like the 50mm Sugapen, in a metre or less of water around rocky outcrops or weed patches. Work your Sugapen very slowly with a side-to-side motion. Don’t make the movement too radical or it will spook the bream in that shallow water. Now to the wash fishing in the harbour. With the water temperature dropping below 17°C, the big black drummer and blue groper are starting to feed up as they prepare to spawn. There have been catches of groper to around 5kg

and also quality drummer, with an average size of around 2kg. The technique is similar to chasing bream

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Sydney

NSW

Embracing the cool conditions SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

Are you feeling the cold? Well yeah, of course, but if you’re like me it doesn’t bother you too much – particularly when there are fish to be caught! It’s

conditions, especially in the heart of winter with the cold offshore winds. If you rug up warmly and hit the water, without a doubt you will enjoy this amazing pastime even more! ROCK FISHING Winter can be great for snapper, particularly if you time it right just before a big

can encourage snapper to venture inshore into more shallower waters in search of prey or scraps. As you can imagine, this window of an abating swell off the ocean rocks provides a great opportunity for both snapper and anglers. Distance casting is a great way to target them,

are great too), coupled with a Daiwa Crosscast Surf 45 spooled with J Braid Grand 30lb and approx. 4-6m of Wilson 30-40lb fluoro leader. The rig is quite basic – just a 3-5oz snapper sinker sliding down to the swivel, below the swivel is the fluoro leader and then a 3/0 92247 Mustad hook. Good baits include squid strips, bottle squid, yellowtail strips and slimy mackerel strips, and the bycatch includes trevally, tarwhine, salmon and tailor. The high ledge at South Curl Curl near the club off Lumsdaine Drive is a good rough water high ledge, as is Warriewood high ledge. During flatter conditions, Flat Rock at South Curl Curl, North Curl Curl, the ledge in front of North Narrabeen swimming pool, and the ledge in front of Mona Vale pool can fish quite well for a snapper and the other species I mentioned. Groper can be caught year-round, but July is a

Sean Collins was surprised at the fight put up by smaller kingfish like this just-legal one. You will still encounter them off the estuary rocks in Sydney Harbour and off the ocean rocks, and this will continue until around the end of July.

Mark George with his first beach mulloway. He opted to release this nice mid-70cm fish, and being only lightly mouth hooked it released very well. like any outdoor sport or activity you take on – if you do it only when the weather is perfect, your body doesn’t acclimatise to less favourable conditions. Basically, the more you’re out there the better you’ll become as an angler in sometimes testing

swell or (for most snapper anglers) after a big swell. Cunjevoi, crabs, limpets, chitons, small reef fish that didn’t escape in time, and many more species of crustaceans get hammered by the big swell, and become a smorgasbord for hungry fish like snapper. This

and is one of several ways to catch snapper off the ocean rocks. You’ll be casting out to the sand/gravel edge, which could be as close as 30m out or as far as you can cast – 100m+. For distance casting I like the Daiwa 122S 7-15kg, 12ft rod (longer 14-15ft rods

Sebastian Tanase with his first rock blackfish. These fish are one of the hardest pulling species off the rocks, and July is a prime month to target them.

Alison Mew was over the moon catching this beautiful 63cm tailor. July is heading for the latter part of their run, but it’s still worth a shot. 54

JULY 2021

particularly good month for them because the swell conditions can be flatter than usual, which means you can fish ledges closer to the water. Groper to approximately 5kg have been caught recently, and even larger fish up to nearly 8kg were caught last month. Groper are one of those species that you have to go out of your way to catch, because you need to gather crabs for bait. Check out the DPI website for rock spots where you can legally harvest bait. Red crabs are the best, with a close second being the green/black crabs that you see in cracks, most

often well above the tide mark. Please remember that you are most vulnerable to the ocean swells when targeting red crabs because you are closest to the waterline. The red crabs are caught in the carpets of purple/red weed and in the red weed-covered cracks. Trevally are in good numbers off the deeper ledges. Berley with bread/ pilchard wet mush, fish light sinkers and preferably a 1/0 size hook. Half pillies and peeled prawns are good baits. Luderick and rock blackfish are also in good numbers. For the groper, luderick trevally and rock

blackfish try Little Bluey end of Bower St Manly, South Curl Curl’s Flat Rock, and North Curl Curl ledges. BEACH FISHING It seems to happen every year – the vast majority of whiting anglers have given up on targeting this succulent fish. In reality, you can still target whiting on some beaches until the end of July. The beaches worth going for them are Dee Why, Curl Curl and Manly, which tend to hold late season whiting. You won’t get the numbers that you do throughout the warmer months but they are definitely worth targeting.

NSW

Some nice bream have also been caught whilst whiting fishing lately. As usual, having live beachworms or pink nippers will maximise your chances. Most tackle shops that sell live bait won’t have them at the moment (although it’s still worth calling them just in case they do), so you will probably have to devote more of your time to pumping yabbies or catching beach worms. I teach beach worming, so if you haven’t tried it before, I’m happy to help. Big salmon and some stud tailor are on the chew as well. You will catch them throughout the day but the best time is during the evening, from mid tide in to the high. Some of the tailor are up to 65cm, according to local reports, and the

run should continue until at least mid-July. Typically, tailor anglers fish with 3-hook 3/0-4/0 gangs and a whole pilchard. This is the time when the oversize pilchards (the ones that are 170mm+) come into good use, because big tailor like big baits. Late season mulloway are still occasionally being caught, and you may encounter a nice silver/ bronze slab this month. When night fishing at this time of the year, don’t fish with bare feet. Yes, it’s OK when the waves are lapping around your feet, but when exposed you will cop the chill. A pair of surf boots is a start, and if you wear long nylon quick-dry pants, a couple of jumpers or thermals, and a raincoat as a windshield you’ll be

Sydney

pretty comfortable. At this time of the year you’ll be wanting to target the winter species like trevally, groper, salmon, rock blackfish and luderick. However, don’t forget about the snapper and kings off the rocks, and off the beaches there are whiting and mulloway. When you get to August there is a distinct decline in water temp and you will have August, September and even all of October with those frigid water temps between 14-17°C. • For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www. bellissimocharters. com.au, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com.au or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

A nice 58cm brown groper for Dean Corkery, caught in fast running white water. Groper like to have white water cover while feeding, especially during the middle of the day.

Paul Henry from Empire Bay wasn’t disappointed when on a trip of a lifetime with his father. He was just shy of the magic metre with this impressive 95cm barramundi. JULY 2021

Sydney

NSW

Berley up a winter feed SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Even though most of the nights will be freezing and many of the days will be cold, you will still be able to get out and have a fish in July – even if it’s only for a few hours. Luderick, drummer and bream will be schooling up in the estuaries and off the rocks, so it will be time to dust off your outfits and get cracking.

in the Okuma 9’ Competition rod matched with a size 40 Okuma Alaris reel spooled with 4kg Platypus Platinum line. If you were looking to go in Botany Bay you could try Bare Island, Sutherland Point at Kurnell, the Cooks River break wall and any of the groynes from Brighton to Dolls Point and along Silver Beach at Kurnell. The best baits by far would be green weed or cabbage for the drummer and luderick, while prawns, nippers, strips of mullet and tuna would be

you will need to berley to keep the fish active. When fishing off the rocks I prefer to use chopped up cabbage mixed with stale bread and some sand. In the estuary I substitute the cabbage with green weed. There have been a number of reports of a few kingfish at the Fisheries marks in Yarra Bay and at Lilly Pilly in the Port Hacking. The reef off Kurnell and Osbourne Shoals is also holding a few kingfish, along with trevally, pigfish, sweep, tarwhine and mowies.

Sean Golar from BCF with a couple of beauties from Port Hacking. are the best baits by far to get a few whiting, and beach worms also work well. The beaches from Boat

Harbour and around the Cronulla have also been producing some stud whiting during the day and night.

Don’t forget to keep those reports and photos coming in to gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au.

Trevally respond extremely well to a berley trail, as David will attest to while fishing the Lilly Pilly drop-off. Personally, when fishing for drummer, luderick and bream off the rocks I prefer to use my 12ft Bruce Alvey Special rod matched with a 600B Alvey sidecast reel and 5kg Platypus Platinum line. In the estuary while fishing out of my boat I’ll use my Okuma 8’2” Egi rod matched with a size 30 Okuma Alaris reel spooled with 3kg Platypus Platinum line. When fishing from the shore in the estuary I prefer to have a slightly longer rod

a good set of baits to start with for the bream. In the Georges River you could try the Captain Cook and Toms Ugly’s Bridges, Bald Face Point, The Moons, Soily and Picnic Points, The Georges River State Park and Kelso Park. In the Port Hacking you could try Gymea and Gunnamatta Bay Bays, the old Fisheries site, Windy Point, Jibbon and the pontoon beside the ramp in Dolans Bay. No matter where you try

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I have also had a couple of reports come in that the odd mulloway has been caught using fillets of slimy mackerel and yellowtail off Wanda and Stanwell Park beaches during the night. I prefer not to go at night as it’s way too cold for me and I like to see what I am doing. I prefer to chase them at first and last light for a couple of hours. Just recently I ventured out into Woolooware Bay to target a few flathead on a new soft plastic from ZMan, and with a bit of moving around I managed a few fish, with the biggest measuring in at 61cm. Not bad for the middle of winter. The plastics haven’t been released yet so you will have to wait until next month to see the plastics and the flathead. If you are after a few flathead this month, try to get yourself a few small poddy mullet and yellowtail and use them as live baits. You can either drift or anchor up near drop-offs or weed beds for the best results. Try using either a paternoster rig or a large running sinker down onto a swivel and a heavy leader to avoid those rasping teeth they have. The winter whiting have also started to show up in numbers over the flats at Towra and along Dolls Point in Botany Bay, and at Maianbar and Bundeena in the Port Hacking. Tube worms and live pink nippers

David Anderson managed a couple of bream while anchored up at the edge of the main channel near the Ballast Heap in Port Hacking. The best baits were peeled prawns and half pilchards.

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NSW

Brave the cold for trophy sized mulloway BALLINA

Joe Allan

The fishing has been red hot of late, and the winter whiting will be kicking off over the next few weeks. Try the bigger tides over the sand flats along the

town stretch, the area out the front of the Oyster Farm in North Creek and possibly up as far as Pimlico Island if the water stays clear. If you know how to worm, these are the best bait for whiting by a long way. If you can’t get live

worms, preserved worms are also pretty good and are still worth using. The size of the mulloway being pulled out of the river of late is nothing short of amazing. There are some beasts caught at night time, mostly on live mullet in the deeper holes, or a shallow

Tyler Starkey following in his dad’s footsteps with his first mackerel caught all by himself. temperatures have gradually gotten cooler, the snapper have been coming more consistently and have been getting better in size. The best areas are the close-in reefs in approximately

Michael Starkey with a solid mackerel caught casting a Bassday Bungy Cast stickbait.

you’re a baito. The gutters along 7 Mile Beach are worth a throw, and the best thing about this time of year along this beach is the stud bream that you can come across. These bream are

Anthony Melchior with a solid flathead from the shallows.

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Grant Clements with a night time mulloway. This was an absolute thumper.

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10-15m of water. Floating cut baits (e.g. squid or blue pilchards) with the current is a very productive approach if you want to soak some bait. If you’re into throwing lures and plastics, try 60-80mm lipless crankbaits around 1/2oz in weight. On the soft plastics side of things, I like 4” Atomic Prongs in white, ghost pearl or electric chicken. I recommend rigging your plastic on a 1/2oz weight or even lighter if the current will allow, and up to a 4/0 hook should do the trick. Alternatively, if the current is running harder you might need to go heavier. The tailor are really biting well now, with catches coming more consistent over the last month. Metal slugs are key if you’re chasing them on lures, or ganged pilchards if

in beautiful condition and taste amazing. Remember, a big bream is a very old fish so only keep what you’re going to eat in the next few days. The cooler westerlies can bring on the blackfish or luderick, so if this cold snap keeps on going for a while, don’t be afraid to try for these guys a little earlier than you normally would. The flathead will start to become patchy in the river along the Ballina town stretch while the bream will really start to fire in the deeper drop-offs. The top of the tide is the pick to chase the big sea-run specimens that come into spawn. Try throwing blades and plastics off the end of the south wall as well as hardbodied lures such as Atomic Hardz Cranks 38 deeps over the porpoise wall. Until next month, tight lines.

Brad Morante caught this jack while fishing a bream comp. Not a bad by-catch!

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the pick for tangling with a big red on the shallow reefs. It’s a lot of fun. Bait fishos get their fair share at this time of the year also. Dropping the anchor upstream of a reef or bommie and running a berley trail back with a few lightly weighted strip baits (float lining) such as pilchards, squid, mullet and the likes will account for some great fish. The perfect rig to do this is a small round ball sinker allowed to run straight through to your hook. I personally would not run any less than 20lb line in this scenario, and a 4000 sized reel matched up with a 10kg rod will do the trick. As for targeting big reds on lures, there is a plethora of different lures and ways to target them. I prefer to throw

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the 5” jerk shad profiles on 3/8oz/1/4oz jigheads or even lighter depending on the drift/wind speed and current. The Berkley Gulp range seems to always produce the goods, but the Samaki Boom Baits, Daiwa Bait Junkie and ZMan plastics have the upper hand when it comes to longevity and durability. Out a little wider in depths around the 20m range I still like to throw a mix of both jerk shads and grub tail style plastics, and often drop a second rod over with an octopus or squid style lure directly below the boat. Simply leave this lure a couple of metres from the bottom and put the rod in a rod holder and let the swell do all the work. We have caught some exceptionally good fish doing this. It is not always snapper in

the shallow reefs though – expect to catch plenty of pearl perch and even the odd mulloway in these same areas using the same techniques. Out deeper, plenty of good reef species such as tuskfish, snapper, pearl perch and teraglin

are there to be had out in 40-80m of water. The current can be testing at times with the winter winds, but any break in the weather and you should give them a crack. A simple paternoster rig with a mix of squid and pilchard baits with an 8oz

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lead on the bottom will to do the trick. Fresh slab baits and even live baits dropped to fish marked on the sounder in these depths also work very well. The kingfish will be around in good numbers this month. We have seen some quality schools in recent weeks with fish around 1m quite common. These guys are a great test of tackle, and you can catch them on a multitude of baits and lures. Tailor have been running on the headlands and in the beach gutters, and ganged pilchards or spinning metal slices are both effective ways to collect a feed of fresh tailor. The odd Australian salmon has also been in amongst the schools of tailor. Bream and luderick are great target species along the front reaches of our local estuaries in

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Brent Stuart with a pearl perch taken on a plastic.

winter. The rock training walls in the Bellinger, Nambucca and Macleay River mouths where the rivers meet the ocean are usually loaded with quality fish, as both species use these areas to congregate and spawn. Both bait and lure fishos alike will get good results fishing prawn and crab style baits or lure imitations. Flathead are a yearround target species in these same river systems, and depending on the tide and weather you can catch them up on the shallows on the bigger swimbaits and shrimp-style plastics, or deeper on vibes and heavier paddle tail or grubstyle plastics. Either way, a bit of tide movement either running in or out helps to bring them on the bite. Until next month, cast like there is no tomorrow and retrieve like you have all the time in the world.

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NSW

Juvenile mulloway on the chew THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

After a hammering of heavy rain during our warmer season, the rivers and beaches on the mid north coast including the Hastings, have seen a remarkable amount of small mulloway active. This is all part of the mulloway’s breeding cycle, and if looked after we can bank on future stocks of larger fish. As anglers we need to handle these fish with care and release them promptly, thereby doing our part for the NSW mulloway recovery plan. While on the topic of species protection, NSW anglers are pushing DPI for the introduction of slot limits on what is probably the most loved species in our rivers and lakes: the dusky flathead. It is definitely time to take another step to look after our breeding stock the way Queensland and Victoria have. A slot limit for duskies can only be a good thing for our future stocks, and if you google ‘slot limits for flathead’ you will find a link to the petition (if it has not been completed). Locally the fishing has been exceptional, with most forms of fishing as well as most locations producing some quality catches. In the Hastings River the lower end has been consistent with bream, flathead, tailor and luderick. The coal wall some days is in need of parking bays due to the amount of

Jason with 80cm of prime breeding stock about to be released.

Anthony with the results of a morning’s fishing using soft plastics.

boats that are fishing there, but if you know what you’re doing there are fish to be caught. Soft plastics in the 3” size, be it grubs or flickbaits, have been great to get mixed bags of fish. Anglers using nippers and prawns have been getting their fair share as well, and I think moving around is key to better catches. and I’m pretty sure someone who bait fishes with an electric motor with a spot lock anchor has an advantage over traditionally anchoring. This is because spot lock allows you to drop

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There are plenty of mulloway this size in the rivers and on the beaches. Please handle with care.

corner on South Wall has seen the luderick enthusiasts out and about. It’s a good time to float some weed for these great scrappers, which are not too shabby on the plate. Upriver has improved and you will find small mulloway and bream in most of the deeper holes The Samaki soft vibes are still producing the goods, and if you locate a school of deep bream you will have a blast. Use your sounder for this; you’ll find that it helps. Areas worth looking at include behind Rawdon Island and the deeper holes in Maria River arm. The Hatch area can really fire for big bream and school jewfish at this time of year too. Anglers fishing from the rock walls, either on the To page 63

back or move according to the bite, plus you don’t get the banging and clanging that you would with an anchor. The coal wall and the

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Russell Mason showing he can catch saltwater fish as well as freshwater.

NSW

Catch hungry post-spawn fish FORSTER

Luke Austin

July can be a very interesting month to fish the fruitful waters that surround the towns of Forster/Tuncurry. For a lot of fish, their annual spawning migrations have come to an end now, and this means it’s time for them to spread out and focus on gaining back a bit of condition. This is great news for anglers because the only way for a fish to gain weight is for them to eat! Our estuaries have been fishing very well of

in finding a few. Lightly weighted baits of mullet, bonito, whitebait, chicken gut and garfish are all working great, as are small soft plastics. You are also likely to find the odd snapper, silver trevally, leatherjacket and drummer mixed in with the bream. It still amazes me how many snapper call the break wall home these days; I get reports all the time of nice fish being caught by anglers chasing bream and mulloway. Reports of good bream numbers from a little further up the system have been filtering through more and more over the past couple of weeks. The fish have well

water up around the eastern side of Wallis Island is also starting to fish fairly well now and should only get better as the month goes on. The addition of a bit of berley up in the slower moving water can be the difference between success and failure, particularly if you are using an artificial weed fly. Tailor have finally started to school up in the lake in better numbers, and while most fish are only 30-40cm long, there is the odd very nice fish mixed in with them. The easiest way to find these fish is to troll about with small metal or baitfish profile hardbodied lures until you run into them. Areas such as Hells Gate and ‘The Duck Pond’ to the north of Wallis Island are good places to start looking, as is the main channel in Tuncurry under the bridge. Flathead continue to surprise anglers during the cooler months. Just when we thought they had all started to move up into the rivers and bottom of the lake there have been some very good reports of fish coming from the rock walls and jetties down around the mouth of

the system. If you wish to chase these winter flathead the biggest thing to remember is that they are a lot less active than they normally are down around these areas, so your lures need to be worked super slow and kept ‘in the zone’ for as long as possible. Our local beaches are holding enough fish to keep anglers interested, bream and tailor are making up most bags with the odd flathead and whiting thrown into the mix. Tailor are a little on the patchy side but fishing through to dark or just after will definitely see you amongst the better fish. 7 Mile Beach and the beaches down around Pacific Palms such as Cellito Beach are probably the pick of the bunch at the moment. This month can be absolutely amazing on the stones. Providing there is a little bit of swell about there will be loads of black drummer about. Good fish have been caught all over the place lately and they don’t seem to mind what sort of bait you throw at them. Along with black drummer there have also been loads of bream and luderick still loitering on the

Ricky Noonan with a nice winter red. late. There is a real mixed bag on offer out there at the moment including bream, luderick, tailor, leatherjacket, trumpeter whiting, flathead and even Australian salmon. Bream are still about in great numbers along the rock walls, and providing you fish around the top of the tide you should have no dramas From page 62

Hastings or Camden, can expect some very good bream fishing this month. All you need is a small ball sinker running down to a long shank hook with

and truly started to spread back throughout the estuary now so there’s really no need to focus all your attention on the structure down around the mouth of the river. The bridge pylons and rock walls are still loaded with luderick, which are feeding fairly hard on the run-out tide. The deeper yabbies, prawns or strip baits. With the mullet around as well as tailor there’s the chance of catching a decent mulloway, so if you are into using heavy gear it’s worth putting in the effort

A great catch off the rocks. this month. The evenings have seemed better for the bream but if you can handle getting up early on those cold mornings, the fishing and the sunrise can be pretty special.

Local young gun Curtis Chalker with a cracking Wallis Lake kingfish. headlands and the odd hard pulling silver drummer and blue groper. Offshore fishing is not always the most comfortable form of fishing during July; the air is freezing and the ocean can be a little on the bumpy side. However, those anglers who manage to pick the decent weather windows to sneak out for a fish will be rewarded with some great fishing. Snapper have been caught all over the place recently. The shallow reefs should fish well all month, with a near perfect moon phase in play. Unfortunately, the bite has been fairly short lately, so you will have to be up nice and early to catch the action. The 40-60m grounds have been producing

some great mixed bags including snapper, pearl perch, morwong and some really nice trag. Thankfully, while the leatherjacket and barracouta are out there, they seem to be a lot more concentrated on particular reefs, which has given anglers a much better chance at getting down to the more desirable species. • Luke is the owner of Great Lakes Tackle - your ‘local’ bait and tackle store. They only sell the best brands and offer sound, friendly advice on where you can go to land your next trophy fish while visiting the wonderful Great Lakes region! They are open 7 days in the main street of Tuncurry, and you can phone them on 02 6554 9541 or find them on Facebook to see what they have been up to!

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NSW

Reliable rock fishing PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

Inside the estuary, luderick are a major target through the winter months, and the Nelson Bay break wall is arguably the best area to target them in NSW. The recipe for success in targeting these fish is to fish the tide changes, use fresh green weed or cabbage and a berley mix of sand and finelychopped weed. Anywhere along the rock wall will produce, and when the wind is blowing too hard you can always fish in the inside of the marina. Other areas well worth trying will be the Anchorage rock wall, Little Beach, the Torpedo Tubes and the rocky shoreline along Winda Woppa. Bream can also be found in good numbers around the same areas by fishing with unweighted live nippers or peeled prawns on the high tide change, both day and night. If you have a boat, the oyster racks and rocky islands around Soldiers Point are another prime bream area through winter, and hold some of the biggest bream in Port Stephens. Schools of tailor have been working early in the morning around the Shoal Bay and Solders Point jetties. A whole pilchard or whitebait rigged on gang hooks or 20g metal lure cast out and retrieved back should do the trick – just remember the key to success will be fishing low light periods. The weed beds around the moorings in Shoal Bay are holding plenty of squid,

as is the boat ramp at Little Beach, with small jigs in the 2.0-2.5 sizes working best in natural colours. ROCKS Now is such a great time to fish the ocean rocks, especially on those windy westerly days that write off estuary and offshore fishing. Luderick will be schooling up in those protected bays and coves from

There’s great inshore snapper fishing to be had through July.

Some quality tailor can be caught along the ocean beaches. Rocky Point through to Barry Park, particularly when there is a fair bit of swell on. Fishing the wash zone with cunjevoi or peeled prawns will produce a mixture of bream, drummer, squire and luderick. I recommend either suspending your bait under a float about 2-3m, or use a small running 00 sinker to a 1/0 hook. A handful of bread berley mix

Winter is the prime time for luderick.

Port Stephens Estuary Charters

thrown around your baits every five minutes will greatly improve your catch rates when fishing this way. Monster green-eye calamari will be hovering over the kelp in those protected bays, with early mornings or late afternoons being the most productive times. Size 3.0 jigs will be the best sizes, with pinks, oranges, whites and

greens being the best colours. Tailor will be a good target species from most of the points this month. They will provide plenty of fun for anglers fishing light with small 20g metals during dawn and dusk periods. BEACHES There are some great bream to be caught from ocean beaches, with Fingal Spit, Samurai, Kingsley and Stockton all fishing well. Pick the high tides and fish the gutters using pipis or

live worms. OUTSIDE Allmark Mountain is fishing well, with kingfish to 10kg reported on both live baits and 300-400g knife jigs. There’s always some great bottom fishing to be had on the mountain, with a smorgasbord of tasty suckers like longfin perch, squire, bar cod and occasional gemfish and John Dory too. Yellowfin will also be worth a shot over the edge of the shelf line this month,

Clock is ticking for tuna SWANSEA

Jason Nunn

Signs are good for yellowfin tuna, with plenty of bait in that 500-600 fathom line, but at the time of writing there are only little tackers being reported. In the coming weeks we hope to see the bigger models turn up. Everyone is of the same opinion: you want be out there when they turn up! You won’t catch them from the couch. Deep water fishing has really fired up, and that should continue in the coming weeks. We are seeing quite a few snapper being taken along the deep reef areas, and locations such as The Farm all the way

down to Texas have been producing really nice size reds and some very big trag. When I’m fishing in 100m for snapper and trag, I use a paternoster rig with a pilly on one hook and a squid on the other. Trag like pillies, and snapper eat both. Anglers jigging and live baiting for kings have been catching fish up around the 90-100cm mark in reasonably good numbers, and that will continue all through winter. Most of the kings have been coming from around 100-120m of water. If you want to fish in close for snapper this month, I recommend using soft plastics or floating baits, very early in the morning or late in the afternoon. If you can fish a high tide late in the afternoon, that’s perfect. It’s best to fish light line, no

more than 6kg, when chasing snapper in shallow water (anywhere from 17-25m). The clearer the water, the lighter the line, it’s as simple as that. If you go in with 10kg you’re not going to get the bites. At this time of year there are a few trag and reds on the inshore reefs, and good numbers of flathead and tailor. Many of the tailor that have been offshore have now moved back into Lake Macquarie, in particular the southern end of the lake. The Pulbah Island area has fished very well so far, with good numbers of tailor working the bait schools in the lake. We are also seeing a real resurgence in the number of school mulloway being caught. Some anglers have

ens estuary system the beautiful Port Steph signed g charter that can be de with a calm water fishin to family bait fishing to suit your needs from hing anglers. hardcore lure and fly fis

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JULY 2021

and can be caught by either trolling hardbodies like big X-Raps and Laser Pros or pulling skirted lures. If you come across some action where fish are busting up be sure to have a stickbait rod rigged up and ready to go. Broughton, Little Island and Big Island through to Seal Rocks will be your best bet to find a snapper or two. Just fish unweighted baits in 10-20m of water during late afternoons or early morning periods.

Riley with a solid flathead.

been catching up to half a dozen fish in a session, with sizes ranging from 50cm up to a metre long. Soft vibes, such as Zerek Fish Traps and Samaki Vibelicious, have been proving very effective during the day. Anglers fishing at night with live or fresh caught squid have been doing quite well also. Nowadays most mulloway are released, which reflects the responsible attitude of most anglers. There’s a lot more emphasis on catch-and-release these days, and many anglers are also tagging their fish. Tagging provides information on the mulloway’s movements and behaviour, which is important because they are a highly-pressured fish. Do they come from the Hawkesbury to Lake Macquarie or do the Hawkesbury fish go to Newcastle Harbour? Do many of the fish move out of the lake and onto the beaches in the winter months? These are the kinds of questions being asked, and we are gaining momentum in building this data. There have been some good flathead catches reported lately. A lot of flathead in winter are very territorial and don’t move far, so please keep only what you need for a feed. If anglers take big numbers of fish that congregate in these areas, we’ll deplete the stocks. Many of these flatties are To page 65

NSW

Winter tactics producing CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

As I sit in the comfort of my office chair, typing up this month’s column, a vicious southerly wind is racing straight up from Antarctica. The ocean swell is rapidly on the rise and pretty much

turning into a giant washing machine, so this isn’t exactly the sort of day you’d be getting into a few fish. Looking at the bigger picture though, we’ve enjoyed some pretty awesome weather in recent months. Some nice big high pressure systems have slowly made their way over the eastern states, bring

The author with a very solid Tuggerah Lakes bream. Despite the naysayers complaining the lakes are netted out and full of stinky weed, the reality is there is some excellent fishing to be enjoyed in all of the three lakes.

prolonged stable and rather sunny patches. This sort of synoptic pattern also means the nights get a bit extra nippy, but I’ll take those colder nights if it means better days for fishing! The lakes have been going quite well this year and that’s very likely due to the extra rain through summer and flooding back in March. Such rains generally wipe out most angling options around here for a few weeks, but in the long term it contributes to the health of our waterways and the fishing normally improves a lot down the track. That’s basically what happened, so now we’re reaping the benefits. While bream fishing in the lakes and Brisbane Waters hasn’t been what I’d call spectacular, it has been reasonably good, with some quality fish on offer. During the early stages of winter a large percentage of bream head out to sea for their annual spawning duties along the rocks, beaches and estuary mouths. However, for whatever reason, some larger bream remain inside and some

From page 64

caught deep jigging with soft vibes or soft plastics. If you’re going to use soft plastics I like the 5” or 7” Gulp Jerk Shads rigged on 3/8-1/2oz jigheads with a 3/0-4/0 hook. With 7” lures you can get away with a 5/0 jighead because there’s a fair chance you’ll catch a school jew. The two species hang out in the same zone and chase the same prey. As the saying goes, ‘find the bait, find the fish’, but not all bait schools are equal. You want to find a school that looks ragged or disrupted, because that indicates it’s being harassed by predators. Look for bumps or big arches on the sides, and lines and zigzags where the bait is being smashed. This aggressive feeding creates a natural berley, releasing a steady stream of chopped up whitebait and frogmouth pillies. There’s not a lot of data on tailor; their numbers have been spasmodic coastally for a while. On a recent trip I encountered quite a lot of tailor in the lake but they were only 35-40cm. That might be the next recruitment of young fish, but we don’t really know. We need more anglers tagging fish to find out. If you think you’d like to try tagging, contact the DPI. It’s very rewarding and interesting to see where your tagged fish end up, and how much they have grown. At this time of year, trolling is the most effective way to catch tailor in the lake itself. The deeper lures in particular are working the best, such as the Rapala Deep Tail Dancer (TDD11). It’s one of the most effective tailor lures around, mainly because

Kai was happy with this nice tuna. it can dive down to 9m; with the lake floor being a fairly constant 10m depth you want a lure that stays down there. A lot of anglers run two lures, one down deep and another a bit shallower, so they don’t get tangled when they turn around. If you Google ‘tailor Lake Macquarie Butfield’ you can watch a great video I did with Dave where he and I are using Tail Dancers for them. We provide tips and show how the bait looks on the sounder so that viewers know what to look for. When trolling for tailor, the most common bycatch species are mulloway and flathead, and you can pick up a few small snapper as well. Plenty of Australian salmon are around at the moment, both in the lake at Salts Bay and along our coastal beaches, particularly the BelmontBlacksmith stretch. They will hang around for most of the winter. There are some really

nice gutters along the beaches for both salmon and tailor, and it’s great fun for kids (or adults) to load up a beach rod and land a 3kg salmon. There have been quite a lot of reports of luderick (blackfish) at locations like Lucys Wall and the bridge in the river. Weed has been a bit difficult to get, however. If you’re going to come and have a crack you need to try to get some weed first. Weed flies are incredibly popular, and work well, but you still want weed for berley. I like to use a fly on the top hook, with a short leader to the fly, and on the bottom hook I rig a natural bait with a longer leader. On some days you’ll catch more than 50% of your fish on the weed fly. This could be because the weed fly is about the size of the berley that you’re mixing with the sand. As the sand/weed berley sinks over your float, the 1” long weed fly looks

even venture further up the feeder creeks. So although things can slow down and seem a bit tough at times, if you’re into bream I can highly recommend persisting this month. Firstly, it may be worth concentrating more during the afternoon rather than early in the morning, as water temps can rise slightly through the day. This is often just enough to get the bream a bit more active. Secondly, use lighter line or longer leaders when lure casting. Perhaps consider the option of fluorocarbon mainline. There’s no need to go super light; a quality 2kg line and well tied knots will be enough to deal with most bream in most places, if you’re careful. Unlike the warmer months, there’s no point looking for bream in the shallows at this time of year. By that, I mean water less than 1m deep. Mostly, I would recommend mid depths for bream right now, and that generally translates to between 1-5m. Another tip is to look just like the 1” long pieces of berley. Remember that your float should be weighted just slightly over neutral buoyancy. Chasing luderick is very rewarding, and we are seeing more young and middle-aged anglers taking it up. If you can snag a morning trip mid-week, it’s lovely in the Swansea channel, with almost no boat traffic. The runout tide tends to fish best here. The fish go into the troughs, gutters and holes on the low tide, and that’s a good time to have a crack at them. However, up on areas like Lucys Wall and up around Swansea bridge the luderick anglers do catch a lot of fish on the high tide. It’s really up to you. When it comes to bream, you can catch them all through winter, but they tend to bite better in the evenings rather than through the day. I recommend using really oily baits like mullet gut, strips of mullet, pilchards or even Hawkesbury prawns. Just rug up, take a beanie and a thermos of coffee, and you’ll be good. • Fisherman’s Warehouse Tackle World has a large range fresh and frozen bait as well as a huge range of rods, reels, lures and accessories. They also sell and service outboard motors, and have a competitively-priced selection of new and second-hand boats. The friendly staff are all experienced local anglers, and they’re always happy to share their knowledge, whether you’re a novice or experienced angler. Drop in for a chat at 804 Pacific Highway, Marks Point, or give them a call on (02) 4945 2152. You can also find them on Facebook, or check out their website at www. fishermanswarehouse.com.au.

There will be no shortage of salmon along the rocks and beaches over the coming weeks. This one was photographed near Wybung Head before being released, but they can turn up almost anywhere from Catherine Hill Bay down to Patonga at this time of year. for bream a bit further out in the open, as opposed to being tucked hard up against solid structure. Sure, there will always be a few fish right next to a log, some rocks or a bridge pylon, but if you’re casting close to such features without any luck, try putting in some effort casting out in the middle and see what happens. Luderick are on the move at the moment and I’ve seen anglers getting into a few in various spots from Woy Woy in the south to Budgewoi in

near the mouth. It’s largely a matter of keeping an eye out and being prepared to move around sometimes. Luderick are also well worth chasing off the rocks right now. Typically though, the challenges faced by rock hoppers in the middle of winter are finding a pocket of suitable rock fishing conditions between those dead flat calm spells and periods of big swell, which is precisely what’s happening while I’m at the desk typing. So those wanting

The western side of the bridge at The Entrance and the adjacent boat shed area should be worth investigating for luderick this month. the north. The Entrance is in the middle of the Central Coast and it’s probably the main luderick hub in our region. Within the places mentioned, the fish can move around a bit and one week they may be concentrated more in one spot, then they’ll move onto another spot the next week. For example, at The Entrance they may be biting well near the boatshed for a while and then go quiet, and the following week fish will start showing up more over in the northern channel or down

to fish the rocks really have to keep an eye on weather forecasts a lot this month. Salmon are one of the main species that show up along the rocks, beaches and inshore strip at this time of year. They’ll also enter the estuaries, as I’ve recently seen way down the bottom end of Lake Macquarie. Mostly though, we can expect plenty of sambos close in around rocks and beaches. With a bit of luck there will also be some bream, tailor and jewies hanging around with them!

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NSW

It’s big snapper time ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

Let’s not beat around the bush: it’s snapper time on the south coast and you don’t have to go far to get them. All of the shallow reefs have cuttlefish over them and while some have more than others, if you have a bait in the water, you are in with the chance of a nice red. There are plenty of small snapper about but everyone loves to see that big red flank with the blue speckles

coming up to the boat ready to be netted, and there are always a lot of big fish out there at this time of the year – you just have to put in a bit of time and you will get one. Some anglers get a big fish first up while others may take a few attempts but weather permitting, if you have a go, you will score that big snapper. Getting up early and getting that berley trail going over your chosen reef is the key to success, as is starting in the early afternoon and fishing until after dark. Both work equally as well but when

fishing the mornings you get warmer as the sun comes up, whereas in the evenings you just get colder, and those westerlies coming off the snow can chill you to the bone in an open boat. The other option is chasing the floaters. Many of the cuttlefish die after spawning or are attacked by predators, and when they turn up their tentacles the large buoyant bone that forms their skeleton brings them to the surface. This is where the fun starts as it may have been a big snapper or several that caused A pretty standard local winter snapper.

This is what you are looking for when chasing surface snapper: a bunch of albies on a cuttlie.

the damage, and they follow the cuttlefish to the surface and tear into it, often throwing spray into the air that you can see from quite some distance. The other situation is where the cuttlefish have simply succumbed to the rigors of mating before floating to the surface, and they are then cleaned up by the ever-present albatross. This is how you spot them as there will often be several albies feeding on one cuttlefish, tearing pieces off with their large beaks. As they feed, plenty of small pieces drift down the water column and the snapper follow them to the surface, where they in turn start to rip in as well. Often you

FISHING NEWS

The problem with poison NSW Fisheries Officers have recently had numerous calls and reports of dead and dying beachworms in the Forster/Tuncurry area. They have advised NSW EPA and are currently investigating and assessing the extent of the problem. Samples have been taken for testing to resolve what is/was the possible cause, and whether it’s linked to recent spraying by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of bitou bush in the nearby coastal sand dunes. Spraying bitou bush has long been questioned by recreational and commercial fishers, with minimal research to date. There is no information on what impacts such spraying has on sand dune creatures like ghost crabs, the overall beach ecology and the wash zone that is tidal. National Parks have some serious explaining to do if they are to blame. While on the subject of toxic chemicals, there is growing alarm that the mouse poison bromadiolone will affect native fish.

JULY 2021

The NSW Farmers’ Association estimates the mouse plague will chew more than a billion dollars off the farmgate value of the state’s winter crop. But a wide range of farmers, recreational fishers, bird and wildlife groups and environmentalists are raising the alarm that many other animals, including native fish such as Murray cod, will be poisoned if bromadiolone is approved for use in NSW as a mouse poison. The state government is seeking approval from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to distribute 10,000 litres of bromadiolone in an attempt

to end the mouse plague. Bromadiolone has not been approved for use in Australia since 2016. There are already reports of native fish-eating mice, and fears that the poison (an anti-coagulant) will enter the food chain poisoning fish, livestock, birds, reptiles, other wildlife, working dogs and pets. This poison is outlawed in most countries for use in agriculture. One alternative to bromadiolone in agricultural applications is zinc phosphide. That poison does not build up in the body of the target pest and quickly disperses as a gas after the death of the animal. Many scientists and groups

such as NSW Farmers are arguing that allowing sale and use of double-strength zinc phosphide is the best option as it is much less likely to kill wildlife that consume dead mice. NSW Farmers is campaigning against the use of bromadiolone—it says it never requested the use of the poison and had been calling on the government to provide rebates of up to $25,000 per farmer to purchase zinc phosphide. NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall referred to bromadiolone as the ‘equivalent of napalming mice’ and said that more than 400 farmers had registered to use bromadiolone if it is approved. Mel Gray from Healthy Rivers Dubbo took another view: she said Mr Marshall’s plan was extremely concerning—“Well, is he prepared to napalm Murray cod? Because that’s what will happen. If this poison is put out into the environment you might as well be directly poisoning threatened and vulnerable species like Murray cod, which is a vulnerable species under federal legislation.” – Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW

will see the albies sitting back while a big red has its turn; the birds don’t want to get a foot bitten by a hungry snapper. This is when you quietly motor into the breeze and cast from the furthest distance away you can manage, ideally landing your chunk of fresh cuttlefish as close to the dead cuttlie as possible. Then just leave the bail arm of the reel open to allow the line to peel off freely as you drift away, allowing your bait to sink in the impact zone. If there are any fish about, they will grab it. Then just close the bail and wait for the line to start peeling off the reel under drag as the snapper hook themselves. Often at this time of year with the westerlies blowing, the water is clear so the snapper, whilst being bold and coming to the surface are still wary. In this situation, using clear mono line is a distinct advantage over using braid, unless you use a very long leader. I’ve used both together, and the mono takes 10 bites to one in these conditions as most fishing is done in under 15m of water. For the rest of the year when you are using plastics the snapper don’t seem be deterred by the braid as they are hitting often on instinct in deeper water, rather than scavenging in the shallows with a heightened awareness of danger. Plastics do score fish at this time of the year, mainly during the day when the fish move out into deeper water, but why use plastics when you have a sure thing using cuttlefish for bait? There are other fish about in close, with plenty of salmon moving along the coast and some good tailor in the evenings while chasing snapper. Barracouta will be all over the place – some days you’ll get them in plague proportions, while on other days you don’t see them. Further offshore the bluefin should be heading up the coast. When and where they show up, as always, is in the lap of the currents and the bait. Maybe this year they will be in good numbers not so far

out that you have to get your passport stamped to find them. There have been some ripping yellowfin around up into June so let’s see if they hang about this month or the currents move and they go with good water. Even so there could be a few albacore starting to show later in the month if all else fails. For the bottom bouncers there are still a few flathead over the sand but you will have to put in some time for a feed. It’s snapper that are the main target, with plenty of smaller fish and the odd big one grabbing baits. Mowies and pigfish will round off the bags but take plenty of hooks and sinkers with you as the leatherjackets and barracouta can be brutal on terminal tackle this month. Back to the beaches, and while cold there are plenty of bream about along with the salmon in the early mornings and tailor during the evenings. Coniston Beach again has been a standout for all of the above species. A few nice jewfish and some smaller ones have come in for those anglers who hunt in the dark hours on the high tides. These anglers mostly keep their captures to themselves but if you put in the hours, you will be rewarded and there are always the baitstealing bream and tailor to take home for a feed if you miss the big fish. On the rocks salmon are taking pilchards with bream and trevally in the washes. Berley is a big help with the bream and trevally, and using prawns for bait will get any big drummer hanging about interested as well. Using crab pieces is even better and may score a groper into the bargain. As for the estuaries… well, it is cold and windy with a few bream hanging around the weed edges at Primbee or maybe a bream or two on unweighted peeled prawns among the snags in the feeder streams to the lake. Alternatively, you can try the entrance to the lake on the break walls where you should see a few salmon on the run in tide. Good luck.

NSW

Show me the tuna! BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

Tuna season is how we keep warm throughout winter, and at the moment the current pushing up has bluefin in it. When you’re out in the open ocean, fishing for tuna on a sunny day, far away from it all, it’s bliss. There are a few more luxuries you could add to make it next level and that is being in a boat with a cabin that keeps you dry, having an autopilot, a deckwash and a little Travel Buddy 12V

thing is footwear or deck boots, because you want to keep your feet dry and warm. Henry Lloyd and Burke do great waterproof boots and Stoney Creek’s new shorter deck boots are extremely comfortable and waterproof. So now you have dry feet, a warm body and a warm pie in one hand, and a hot drink in a vacuum flask (I use Yeti) in your other hand, living the life of a well decked out tuna angler. To finish this picture is some sashimi or tuna steak at the end of the day after a successful trip to sea. July has been a fairly

drummer off the stones and salmon off the beach. The drummer would take top honours because it’s the preferred table fish with its beautiful white flesh. And what also makes drummer such a great target species is that they’re plentiful and are fairly easy to hook – it’s just the catching part that can be difficult. If they are big then they fight hard and will have you buried in the rocks if your gear doesn’t have the stopping power. You need a semi-decent reel and most of all a decent rod. It doesn’t have to be an expensive rod, just something 9-11ft that

Rick Grintrell with an early start to bluefin season.

Louis and Charlotte were all smiles chasing winter salmon. oven, or similar. As I get older, those little ovens are essential for me – I think they are a must for every boat if you want that extra bit of luxury when chasing tuna. When you’re out on a cool winter’s day trolling for tuna, there’s nothing better than a nice meat pie or hotdog with tomato sauce. So now your boat is decked out, the next task is to deck out you. What can ruin your day when out fishing (especially if you’re chasing tuna) is getting wet and getting cold. The best thing for warmth is thermals, but not thin K-Mart thermals or other cheap and nasty ones that are ruined after the first wash. Land & Sea do a great thermal that is cheap and very effective, and there are other good brands out there too. When you’re wearing quality thermals, you’ll be feeling toasty from the moment you put them on in the morning until you get back late at night. Staying dry and cutting the wind out requires decent wet weather gear, and good brands include Stormline, Burke, Desolve and Stoney Creek. The other important

consistent month in the last years gone by, and with bluefin making a good appearance at the beginning of June, let’s hope it’s a great month. What’s also fairly consistent at this time of the year is snapper. If you are not out chasing tuna or taking advantage of slower currents and deep dropping out wide, then snapper in close might be the thing for you. Getting up and out at first light and trying plastics in close can get you the odd good fish. Then you can make your way out deeper as the sun comes up, looking for more schooled fish to put food on the table. Inshore reef fishing through winter is fairly reliable, with the likes of morwong, pigfish, nannygai and flathead also available. If you haven’t tried squidding from the boat, now is a good time to start. Focus your efforts over areas with weed beds or dark clear water near islands or headlands. If catching fish didn’t work out so well for you, then this is good back-up. Perhaps the most reliable and targeted species throughout winter are

has the reach and power to pull them out. Using the right bait is also very important when drummer fishing. I recommend using cooked prawns or cunje for bait, and for berley mix bread and moist sand together and throw in a handful out every 10-15 minutes. The berley trail will get the fish active, and a bycatch of bream and groper is on the cards. The other most consistent winter species, salmon, can be caught nearly everywhere – up the estuary, off headlands and particularly off the beaches. Most anglers love catching them with metals or weighted hardbodies such as little stickbaits. Not baiting, just casting and mixing up the retrieve speed a little bit of action to entice a bite. Still, in saying that, I don’t think we will see the old paternoster rig and ganged pilly with a surf popper die out to soon. Mulloway are another fish worth targeting off our beaches at night around tide changes and either side of the moons. What’s not so consistent through winter is the estuaries, but the upside is

the lack of boat traffic at this time of year. If you have a day off midweek you can get the place all to yourself. This gives you the chance to really hone your lure work and hunt around the estuary looking to pull bream off oyster racks, flatties off sand flats, or maybe a whiting or a mulloway out of a hole or back of an eddy. You can focus on your lure choice by looking at different colours, depths and sizes, and you’ll have the peace and quiet to be able focus on your lure game. One fish happy to take a lure is the estuary perch, and there are quite a few around at the moment. You’ll find them around all kinds of structure, under oyster racks, around submerged tress and rock walls or around boulders. Just remember to release them as they are in spawning mode and there’s a zero bag limit from 1 May to 31 August. Squid fishing is getting more and more popular year by year, and winter is not a bad time for it because the water is clear and squid love clear water. Good locations include over weed beds, off boat ramps, over dark structure inside bays and some headlands. There’s a bit of debate about squid jig colours; they all work really, just don’t go for the cheap ones that fall apart or don’t sit well in the water. Alternatively, you can use the old squid jag where you feed a pillie over the spike and have that under a float. This can be dynamite at times, particularly at night when you’re using a float that is battery operated and lights up. The light brings the squid in. As you can see, there’s

plenty to do if you get your thermals on and get out there. • For more up-to-theminute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler

Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff. They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).

Kate and Tim with a 200kg sword they caught off Batemans when deep dropping for ling. JULY 2021

NSW

Clear and crisp – go fish! BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Here in Bermagui the mornings dawn clear, crisp and fresh, before burning off to warm 20°C days, allowing anglers to enjoy the best of Bermi’s winter fishing. Offshore reef fishing is very good, with most species being encountered. Depending on weather patterns, anglers can fish as close to shore as they choose or travel to wider reefs looking for that exceptional catch. On these wide reefs such as the 12 Mile, tassie trumpeter is a much sought-after species due to its excellent taste, along with those large blue morwong, tiger flathead and of course snapper. Further out on the Canyons, anglers using 80lb braided line and large metal lures are learning the art of deepwater jigging. This method is producing surprising results such as hapuka, blue-eye trevalla, gemfish as well as yellowfin, albacore and bluefin tuna. Back 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, with simple paternoster rigs drifted

over and around the reefs producing best. Having said that, anchoring and berleying will allow anglers to fish

Luderick are a great winter alternative.

much lighter, producing some very nice fish and heaps of fun. 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 baits with a float. If you’re targeting black drummer, try gearing down to, say, 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 will produce some surprisingly good salmon and tailor this month, with the possible late kingfish as well. Small lures on light gear provide heaps of fun and will give anglers a chance to catch some of the silver trevally that hang around the rocks. Those anglers willing to brave the cold at night around the full moon should encounter some

Another luderick hooks up. nice gummy sharks, with Tilba, Wallaga, Barragoot and Murrah beaches being the better beaches. 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 to the sea. Wallaga Lake is still open to the ocean, allowing fish like bream, salmon, whiting, To page 71

Perfect winter winds TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Those winter winds may blow cold now, however as they blow offshore, they are perfect for beach angling. These westerly winds are often light and associated with warm, sunny days, allowing a perfect opportunity to walk the beaches in pursuit of those passing

salmon schools that patrol the shoreline. The salmon provide the perfect opportunity for anglers who wish to throw a lure or two. You can always go in blind by just walking and casting to the deeper gutters until you find a fish or you can stand further up the beaches polarizing the shoreline until you sight the salmon schools, then plan your attack in how to ambush them. Whichever approach you choose, it is definitely

lots of fun. Drummer (better known as pigs to the hardened rock fisho) 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. Through the cooler

Look for the fish cruising the shoreline.

Sight fishing the beaches in winter for salmon is a lot of fun. It’s good to suss out likely areas first. 70

JULY 2021

months, drummer may be encountered all through the day, 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 anglers who like lure fishing, drummer are pretty much for the bait fishers only. Still, some of the best fun you can have is in the bait gathering, scrambling around on the rocks looking for red crabs or pulling cunjevoi off the ledges. Other baits that will work on drummer are the common old prawn and cabbage weed. Rigging these

baits is very simple, with the easiest option 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. 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 are on the pick. Soft plastics are very popular these days for chasing snapper offshore, and there are lots of shallow

reefs surrounding Tathra to try. Cast the lure in the direction you’re drifting, working it back to the boat, or anchor and work an area over thoroughly. Out from most of the beaches, sand flathead are prevalent in around 30m of water. Although not of large size 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 To page 71

NSW

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

INTUITIVE CONTROL

A nice catch for the table. From page 70 - top story

trevally to move in and out, with the better areas being east of the bridge. Blackfish are another fish regularly caught in the cooler months. A prime area is around the bridge at Wallaga Lake, with most fish caught on green or 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, with the last

of the run-out and the first of the run-in tide being 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 solid 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 of an

evening and into the night. Most of the common prawnstyle jigs will work, as will the old favourite of a fish on a skewer-style jig/jag. Also, this is the time of year for big bluefin tuna to pass along our coastline. Keep an eye on the weather and sea conditions and wait for the calmer fishing days, as you may have to travel out wide to find the fish. Trolling is often the best way to find them, though once found you can employ other methods like berley trails, deepwater jigging or casting stickbaits on heavy spin gear for that extreme fishing experience.

From page 70

bluefin tuna may be an option on the troll out very wide but finding the good days to do it may be hard. 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 some fish may be caught but it will be tough going. 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 ones being those that can hold in the strike zone the longest. The rock walls and bridge are holding their share of luderick (blackfish) which are being targeted in the traditional method using both green and cabbage weed. You can 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 hardbodied, negative buoyancy lure which will hold in the strike zone. Polaroid your bream, then

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Salmon put up a great fight. 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. Good luck! JULY 2021

NSW

XL cod are bulking up NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

If there were a set time to be on the water for only a few weeks of the year, for me, it would definitely have to be the month of July as it lies right in

in the New England, the fish numbers have started to dwindle along with the smaller natives. However, the fish being caught are making up for the quality and to be honest, I have not seen the Tablelands area fish as well and look this good in many years now.

major factor in why they have been fishing so well for several weeks now. Stable conditions usually make the fish a lot more relaxed and they seem to let their guards down more (presumably because they don’t have to continuously look for a new home or

The best time of year to be catching dream fish is in winter, when XL Murray cod are bulking up. This fish was caught in a couple of metres of water out of the kayak during the new moon.

A beautiful winter morning at Copeton Dam from seasons gone by. A rainbow shines as the sun rises from the mountains behind. the middle of the coldest part of the year, and this is where you will find those XL natives out and about looking for food as they bulk up for the spawning season in the months to come. With the consistent cold weather we have had

It gets me excited for what is to come for the rest of the winter. Both Copeton and Pindari dams have been sitting pretty steady since the floodwaters settled back in March, only fluctuating 1-2% between levels. I feel this is also a

find new structure). This has proved to be the case of late at Copeton. With the dam currently sitting at around the 41% mark, the water is covering old fishing haunts again and is also back up over the old wattle trees in some places. This has created some

This cod really wanted this 380mm lure, eating it head first.

Surface lures are very productive in winter for both cod and the odd by-catch yellowbelly, and are a really good option during low light periods. The Kingfisher Timber Paddlers put out an awesome noise and catch their fair share of big winter cod. 72

JULY 2021

good opportunities for the baitfish to get up into and hide, and the big Murray cod and golden perch are never too far behind. Fishing in depths of 5m or less and casting into shallow bays and/or wattle trees can be very effective at this time of year, especially if you can plan a trip out to the dam around one of the two bigger moon phases. With the new moon

on the 10th of this month and the full moon on the 24th, I recommend planning your trip around one of those moons if you can. Although my favourite moon is the full, I have enjoyed some crazy sessions in complete darkness when the big cod have been up in the shallows smashing anything that is in their way, including massive

lures almost up to 400mm. Lure choices do not always play a massive factor. As long as your lure choice looks realistic and is being worked methodically, you should have a very good chance whether it be a topwater lure, chatterbait or even a preferred swimbait. Don’t forget to just keep on casting because it will only be a matter of time if the effort is put in. Pindari Dam has been fishing as well in recent weeks, just without the quality of fish that Copeton seems to hold. Still, with the bigger carp around these days and their numbers growing rapidly in there, it will only be a matter of time before the cod start eating these as a main food source instead of shrimp/yabbies, and bulk up quicker than ever. If you pay attention while fishing out there, some days you can see the carp free swimming under the kayak or boat along the edges of the dam in big numbers, and casting into these areas has proved to be fruitful in past fishing trips. Pindari Dam is currently sitting at around half of its capacity at 50%. The local rivers are also in beautiful condition and are fishing well of late. Just like the impoundments, the fish numbers have started slowing down but there have still been some quality cod being caught. It is very hard to throw anything else other than surface lures this time of year in the rivers as the cod find topwater very appealing in the colder weather, especially realistic lures that match the hatch such as frogs, reptiles (wakebait) or waterhens To page 73

NSW

Enjoying the edge bite HUNTER VALLEY

Nick Price

For the last eight weeks or so the fishing at Glenbawn has been extremely tough. We have not had the usual

by the time this goes to print the temperature will have cooled and the bass will be back on the chew. In contrast, Lake St Clair has been fishing well on both plastics and jerkbaits, the usual

favourite form of fishing. The fish will start to school in deeper water. They can be seen on the sounder, and if a big enough school is found it will fill the whole screen. When fishing these school fish,

A Glenbawn carp caught on a plastic. be very picky as to colour. Present the plastics either vertically or horizontally. Again, the fish may only bite with a certain presentation. This is why some anglers go out and catch cricket

Ice jigs and blades also work on these school fish. If you’re using an ice jig, you can fish it vertically while watching on your sounder, and work the ice jig in the middle of the

bottom, and when you raise your rod to hop the blade you’ll discover you’re on. There are many styles of blades, and some work much better than others. Like most lures I find it

The author with a typical plastics-caught bass. amount of frosts in the Upper Hunter, and the water temperature has not been stable. Hopefully From page 72

(surface paddler) that seem to go lethargic in the winter months, however there are plenty of lures that will work and I can assure you I always have

winter bite. This should be occurring in Glenbawn shortly. The winter jerkbait and plastics edge bite is my

use a small 2-3” paddletail plastic. It is worth trying different colours because the fish will sometimes

a few options including a good swimbait of choice in my tacklebox. Just a reminder that trout season is officially closed in NSW from the June long weekend gone to

October long weekend and fishing for these species is prohibited during the spawning months. Good luck to everyone braving the cold this month, and tight lines.

Plastics, such as these, work well in the winter months.

Matching the hatch is key. This awesome coloured Murray cod was caught on a swimbait that replicates a carp.

score amounts of fish while others seem to struggle. Vary the presentation and colour until you find what the fish are after. If these school fish are at a certain depth make sure you fish your plastic at this depth. Remember to count your jighead down and fish through the school. Often these bites are very subtle so it’s worth spending the money on a sensitive rod and using light braid and leader so you can feel the bites. When the fish bite you often will feel a tap-tap. Do not strike, just keep winding slowly and the fish should load up. If the fish stops biting, stop your retrieve and often the fish will hit the plastic as it starts to drop.

school. Another approach is to hop the ice jig up and down off the bottom. The disturbance in mud and the ice jig jumping around can often stimulate the bass to react. We stock plenty of ice jigs, so if you’re passing through Aberdeen please drop in and we’ll help you with what style and colour is working at the time. Blades can be fished vertically exactly the same as an ice jig, or can be fished horizontally. When fishing horizontally I like to cast the blade out and then hop back to the boat. Make sure that between each hop the blade is given time to settle on the bottom. Often the bass will pick the blade up off the

better to have a few good ones than a tackle box full of lures that were cheap but don’t work. By far my favourite type of winter fishing is the edge plastic and jerkbait bite. Lake St Clair has many weed beds and fishing these is great fun, with lots of fish on offer to be caught. I like fishing weedless when fishing the edge. Next month I will focus on fishing the edge, both using jigheads and fishing plastics weedless. I will also look at the variety of jerkbaits currently available and what works when. If you are heading out before then, drop in and speak to Liz or myself at Aberdeen and we can help you catch fish. JULY 2021

NSW

It is Batlow’s big frost time BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

Freezing cold nights and just bearable daytime temperatures are the norm for the Batlow area at this

a lake to yourself and the fish are practically jumping into the boat. REDFIN Schools of big redfin can be found quite easily with the aid of a good sounder or by trolling with small, extra deep diving lures. Once a school is

rising in these bays, as well as the many wind lanes that form on our lakes. Flat line trolling, fly fishing and spinning from the bank are all good options at this time of year.Trolling winged lures, especially the gold winged versions, is always worth a shot, but I’d recommend you troll different lure types to cover more of the water column, to increase your chances of hooking a nice fish. Lipless crankbaits, soft plastics and small hardbodies are all worth a shot this month, and if you troll these lures up in the backs of the freshly-flooded shallow bays then you never know what you’re going to hook. At Blowering Dam in particular, golden perch and Murray cod quite often take

advantage of the easy pickings associated with steadily rising water levels, and move right up into the shallows with the trout. MURRAY COD Many cod anglers have put their fishing gear away for winter, even though there’s still around two months of the Murray cod season to go. Those anglers who assume cod are a warm weather only fish will miss out on some of the best fishing of the season. Most of the biggest fish caught for the season are caught in the last couple of months in the middle of winter. This is because the big Murray cod are trying to pack on as much weight as possible before their attempt to spawn, which makes

The bigger Murray cod in our waterways will be out in force this month. They are worth rugging up and braving the elements for. time of year. In saying that, there are still plenty of fish to be caught, and many anglers look at the middle of winter as a great time to get out on the water because most people are too soft to brave the conditions, meaning less anglers to contend with. This often gives you entire lakes or rivers to fish to yourself, which can make for some memorable trips. If you plan and prepare appropriately, a great day can still be had,

located, they are best targeted with jigging lures like ice jigs, redfin bobbers, soft plastics, metal blades, rubber vibes or lipless crankbaits. Bait fishing with small yabbies or worms on a paternoster rig will almost always get you a feed of these succulent fish at Blowering Dam. The secret at this time of the year is to fish deep water, and steep points are the best places for this technique, especially if you’re fishing

July is redfin month for many anglers. These succulent fish will be in massive schools and can be caught in the hundreds when a good school is located.

JULY 2021

from the bank. TROUT Trout anglers will be happy to hear that they can put the lead line outfits and downriggers away for a while, because the majority of the resident trout in our lakes are now gorging themselves in the shallow, freshly-flooded bays. These fish are easily spotted

them much easier to catch than at any other time of the season. This eagerness to eat just about anything that will fit into their mouths makes them the top of clued-on anglers’ target lists this month. MURRUMBIDGEE After the initial drop in the river’s flow in April, anglers were rewarded with cricket scores of fish. Numbers have died down a little now but there is still some good fishing to be had, and as mentioned now is the best time of year to get out there in hope of one of those really big fish. The best results during the low flows come on lures that ride with their hook positioned upwards on the retrieve, such as spinnerbaits and Angel Baits. Cast them into every big snag or drop-off you see. Bait fishing in these same areas can also be very

productive if you focus on spot hopping every 10 minutes or so, constantly seeking out active fish. The river is generally very clear in the low flows unless we get a heap of rain. Even then, it normally only takes a few days to flush through. The best coloured lures to use in the clear water are dark colours like black, purple or blue or natural colours like pumpkin seed, brown, green or gold. In the dirty water I would recommend any bright colours like chartreuse, hot pink or yellow, as well as contrasting colours. For example, you can use a spinnerbait with, say, a white head and use a contrasting dark coloured skirt. The white contrasts well against the black, which makes it really stand out in the dirty water, and it’s far easier for the fish to home in on.

Frosty July cod, anyone? ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

There is no greater test of an angler’s determination to catch Murray Cod than our frozen wintery mornings. July can be one of the most brutal and tough months for catching these fish, but the potential reward – a metre plus Murray cod – is by far one of the best achievements you can accomplish in any sort of fishing. Of course, these bigger fish can be ridiculously frustrating to catch. From

not getting any bites at all, to being so close to landing one, only to lose it at the last minute. Still, that’s exactly why it’s so special when it finally does happen. The cold conditions in July mean you will encounter fewer bites, but the average size of the fish is usually substantially better. And there are ways you can increase your chances of encountering better fish. First of all, focus your efforts on the low light periods, both early morning and late afternoon. And secondly, fish the waterways where a big fish catch is more likely. In

A costly reminder as to why it pays to upgrade your split rings.

Winter is notorious for big fish captures, and redfin are no exception. Big redfin like these are the norm during the cooler months, and they’re a great target for anglers not wanting to spend countless hours chasing big Murray cod. no matter what the weather throws at you. Essentials at this time of the year are beanies, gloves, thermals, a jacket, wet weather gear, a towel and a change of clothes. If you prepare for the worst by packing these essentials, the weather will be the last thing on your mind when you have

The big breeding brown trout will be returning to our lakes and will be super hungry after their annual spawn migration. Hungry fish are far easier to catch, so make the most of it while you can.

A Lake Mulwala cod that was worked hard for. It’s not a huge fish but luckily it won the author first place at the Central Vic Lure Casters competition.

this area we are surrounded by so much awesome water – the Murray River and Mulwala are at our back door – and when you fish these locations and stay focussed, you’ll get the results you’re after, with time. As for fishing in general around July, you can still go out and catch fish of any size, it’s just that typically you can expect it to be a little slower than in the warmer months. The cold conditions

make it harder physically on yourself, but by slapping the warm clothes on and throwing the gloves on and continuing to cast, the results are very much possible. We are surrounded by awesome places to fish, get out and explore these places in whatever way you can, whether it be by boat, kayak or on foot just give it a red-hot crack! Tight lines everyone.

NSW

Prime winter bite LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

It might be cold outside but right about now could be some of the best fishing you’ll get locally on rainbow trout. A false spawn on the windswept gravel banks of TCD (Thompsons Creek Dam) takes place at this time

you maintain some loose contact with the spoon as it drops because they are quite often taken on the drop. Ditto soft plastic presentations as they pendulum back to a steep bank you may be on. Bigger brown trout are also a possibility when lure casting in such a way. LAKE WALLACE Wang Dam might be considered a bit of

hands together. That said, in a way it will always be a niche market. The frigid temperatures overnight and in the mornings do have a tendency to sort out which anglers are sane and which are not. I’m definitely in the not-so-sane category, and love everything about the whole deal. It has been interesting watching the

n Trout Hatchery e d a G

Bigger lures can certainly elicit a greater reaction out of larger trout at this time of year.

Gaden Trout Hatchery Gaden Trout Hatchery cod that are still yet to be realized, and working it out on your own terms, in your own way is a very special journey that I’m hoping more anglers will embark on.

Which brings me to a favourite quote of mine when it comes to letting the bigger cod go. “In letting go we sign off on a memory. What it

took to get to this moment will depend on how deep it’s etched.” Hope to see you on the water soon. Until then, tight lines.

See how premier sport fish are bred and raised! Closed Anzac, Christmas, Boxing day.

Guided tours 10 am and 2 pm.

Self-guided tours on selected days. Small admission fee.

Rainbow trout in TCD are best targeted with lures away from the main false spawning areas. Trout moving between pods seem to react to lures more aggressively in this scenario. an understudy when it comes to trout fishing in comparison to TCD, but it’s well worth checking out. Vehicle access and the recent addition of a floating pier sets it apart from TCD, and it’s great for anglers with mobility issues. Being able to use baits is another option that people enjoy. It’s quite relaxing actually – listening to Sunday afternoon football on the radio, a hot cup of tea in hand, and all the while you’re soaking a Berkley PowerBait down in the depths, waiting for old Mr. Speckles to swim past. Remember to use a light hook small enough to hide inside the entirety of one PowerBait nugget, and use a running sinker rig. The idea is to get the bait up off the bottom, and keep a very close eye on the set-up. I’ve lost count of the number of rods that I have seen pulled in. MURRAY COD Twenty years ago, if you’d asked me to go fishing for cod in some of the local impoundments at this time of year, I would have laughed you off. Not anymore. The growth of this style fishing has been nothing short of phenomenal, and tackle shop owners and distributors must be absolutely rubbing their

8x3 Original

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broader space evolve. 02 6451 3400 Jindabyne. There is most definitely a www.dpi.nsw.gov.au thread of undergroundisim developing. I totally get it, and have pulled back myself from my normal sharing of information in some cases. Opportunities exist on these big winter impoundment

ut Hatcher o r T n e d y Ga

Gaden Trout Hatchery Gaden Trout Hatchery The author grabbed this 130mm OSP Bent Minnow out of his barra box to target bigger brown trout, and it paid off.

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of year, and if nothing else it’s visually exciting as an angler to witness such events. As for the catching part, well… that can be a totally different story. More than once I’ve viewed frustrated anglers cursing these fish with the kind of colourful language that prison wardens would hear most days. The fishery gets a real hiding at times. It’s best to avoid the crowds as most pods of fish wise up pretty quickly to what’s going on. They might not disappear but catching one will be damn near impossible. I’ve found that sometimes when such pods of fish are rested, they can be fooled with a careful approach and presentation. Fly anglers definitely have the upper hand, as repeated presentations of miniscule offerings just cannot be done any other way. Lure anglers in most cases are better off targeting free swimmers between pods. Aggressive responses can sometimes be triggered by using large shallow diving minnows. Colourful spoons are also a good option if you’re blind casting out over the flats. These spoons can also be counted down in deeper water – just ensure

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Canberra

ACT

Ghost town waterways CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

There’s a plethora of cold water options on offer for the astute Canberra angler through the July period.

to stay home is to avoid the weather – and that doesn’t really hold up when the big fish bite when the weather is at its worst. LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin is providing reasonable

even a decent carp. There is a good bite window at around 4pm and this runs right through until just after dark. Nerang Pool is worth a look at this time because the golden perch tend to get stuck in this feeder pond after

Sam Hancox with a spinnerbait-crunching cod.

Lake Tuggeranong continues to produce nice reddies. For the cod fishos, Burrinjuck is 45 minutes away and though it’s busy on weekends, it’s often a ghost town through the week. There is also the river and the three main lakes where the cod fishing can be tough but always worth a crack. For the golden perch aficionados, Canberra’s three main lakes are the place to be with LBG the stand-out for those fishing jigs in the deeper pockets. And for those looking for a feed of redfin, there is no better place to cast a line than Googong Dam where the reds bite well right through the freezing conditions. I suppose my point here is that we are blessed with so many choices and that really the only excuse

JULY 2021

heavy rain. Lake Tuggeranong remains a good option for anglers focusing their efforts around low light periods. There is good fishing action to be had underneath the bridge and along the dam wall for those casting creature baits and vibes and slow

of excellent fishing over the past few weeks. There are good redfin on offer for those fishing from the shore right around to the bridge, and I have caught a few golden perch by focusing my casts around the old wooden platforms which jut out into the water. I have been working

action for anglers targeting roving schools of redfin and golden perch out deep. Though the fishing has been inconsistent in recent weeks, the size of the fish that have come from the deeper areas has been incredible, with redfin to over 40cm and golden perch to 55cm. There have also been a few solid cod caught by those jigging big vibes for redfin, and this is always a welcome bycatch, especially when the cod exceed the 80cm mark. I have been leaving the kayak at home of late and simply walking the lake with a light spin stick, casting creature baits attached to a ned rig along the reed-lined edges. By hopping my offering on the spot, I’ve picked up small yellas and reds and

The redfin fishing on Lake Tuggeranong has been good.

The author has caught some decent goldens at LBG.

hopping their offerings back to the bank. For boat anglers, the trolling run from the middle of the dam wall down to the bridge is proving profitable with cod and yellas taking deep divers and trolled swimbaits. I have been working the shallower areas with wriggler-style plastics attached to a 1/8oz jighead and have caught some decent reddies along with a few carp. I like fishing the lake when there is a bit of wind on the water as it seems to move the bait around and this does get the fish feeding. Lake Ginninderra has been firing with plenty

wriggler plastics far more slowly than usual in these areas, often pausing the lure for up to 30 seconds. Usually, the golden perch have hit the lure while paused on the bottom, but I have had the odd take as I have been winding the lure. A few decent cod have been landed by anglers using bait behind the College and, as always, those fishing bread and corn have caught a lot of carp. Yerrabi Pond is fishing quite well. Anglers have caught redfin and golden perch to 45cm and there has been the occasional XL sized yella landed by a few gun fishos who have

the pond worked out. I fish the pond with ZX blades and always try a variety of retrieves throughout each session. Sometimes the fish will take a slow rolled ZX and at other times, pick the lure up off the bottom as I pause the ZX after a hop. The pond is a great place to try for a winter cod using surface lures after dark. There are plenty of big cod in the pond but it is a case of putting in the hours if you’re after a ‘boof’. The Murrumbidgee is always a challenge through July but certainly worth a look. We keep getting hit with significant rain, so the river has only ever been able to settle for a week or two before running hard again. The cod are holding in the slower pools and can be caught right through the day using spinnerbaits or surface lures at dusk or dawn. If we experience a relatively dry August, it should be a bumper end to cod season as there will be new snags to explore and plenty of willing cod on the chew. SURROUNDS Googong Dam is fishing well for those targeting redfin from the bank amongst the twigs in the lead up to Shannons Inlet. These fish are hitting a variety of lures, but paddle-style plastics attached to a beetle spin slow rolled back to the bank has to be the pick of the tactics. There have been plenty of anglers using Livescope tech to good effect and landing large cod along a wide variety of banks, from the middle of the dam up to the back of the fishery. These anglers are jigging vibes close to sunken trees to tempt the cod, and plenty of golden perch have also fallen for this method.

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Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Cooler water options HOBART

Andrew Large

Tasmanian water temperatures have plummeted, ending a great extended summer run for a host of species but providing a bounty for cooler water options such as tuna, bream and trout. Southern bluefin tuna still dominate the Tasmanian saltwater fishing scene with good captures being taken along the entire east coast

and recently around Burnie and Devonport in Bass Strait off the NW. Fish size is beginning to range with the majority of fish being schoolies and averaging between 12-20kg. The bigger jumbos seem to have moved from Tasman Island and taken up residence around the Hippolyte Rocks a little further to the north. The intensity of the jumbo run seems to have dropped back a notch in recent weeks. Storm Bay snapper continue to provide close

Thomas Beard sits contently after taking his first tuna off the Tasman Peninsula recently.

to the CBD entertainment for those willing to brave an early winter morning or two – size seems to be around the 450mm length. Greenback flounder are always a popular winter time proposition and cater for the angler looking for a fish after work of a night, now the sea breezes have dropped and fishers can begin lighting earlier. Lewisham, Pittwater and Dunalley have been providing good flounder action of late. Winter gars have arrived in force and are responding to berley in a number of places. The pick of locations for anglers are the channel and Bruny Island itself. Sand flathead have slowed which is usual for this time of the year, but they are still being found by persistent anglers mainly searching the tidal flats and sandy bays with soft plastics. The Derwent River has been providing some exceptional sea run trout fishing in recent days with fish to 1.8kg taking artificial baits cast from both boat and the shore. It’s important to remember only 20% of the overall trout population spawns in any one year, leaving plenty of large seatrout in the lower estuaries over the colder months. Black bream are also making the most of the lack of freshwater in our estuaries and feeding on the same baitfish the sea trout are. This has to be one of the best years I’ve seen for the quantity and quality of fish being taken on the fly. Soft plastic and hardbody bibbed lures are working well too.

Anglers are enjoying the bountiful SBT fishing that is available as winter sets in. Swordfish have all but finished for the year. The weather beat anglers again this year, limiting the available on-water days that could be fished. There have been reports in recent weeks of the odd hook-up but nothing too concrete. Keen anglers are still trying for a late fish off the Peninsula. Surprisingly, and even with water temperatures hitting 13°C, albacore have been caught wide on the shelf off Bicheno. Although I wouldn’t suggest a trip targeting these fish, with the encounter being very much by chance. Still, as they say, there aren’t any fences in the ocean and at times it’s more about being in the right place at the right time.

It’s been years since we’ve seen a healthy run of mature barracouta, but although patchy, large couta have been taken in the south of the state. The Friars on the southern end of Bruny Island and Cape Queen Elizabeth have seen mature schools of these fish chasing bait and crashing lures intended for SBT. A Halco size 3 or 4 Smith’s Jig in white or chrome is the best choice for these toothy critters. Striped trumpeter are biting well throughout the east and southeast coasts. Pedra Blanca, Friars, Tasman and Maria Islands are all producing winter runs of these fish. The seasonal closure is still a way off but it’s looming.

In the freshwater, Great Lake although ice-ridden has seen its fair share of snow in recent times. This has seen the brown trout spawn early and return early, eager to feed. Its rainbow trout are just starting now. Quality fishing exists for the keen angler ready to brave core-cutting wind that blows up high. Other winter or 12-month open waters such as Lake King William and Lake Pedder are producing fish – especially Lake Pedder as its sits lower than most, and conditions are generally more favourable for a winter flick. Until next time everyone... enjoy Tasmania and the uniqueness that our winter fishing provides.

BOATING NEWS

New Whittley Marine Group dealership to open Australia’s largest trailerable fiberglass boat builder, Whittley Marine Group, has established Whittley NSW Sales Newcastle as the Group’s new boat retail sales and service facility in Northern NSW. The new facility is located in the central transport hub of Beresfield, in between Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens in the Newcastle region. The new business will sell the complete range of Australian-made Whittley turn-key BMT packages and offer on-site boat maintenance and service, chandlery, used boat sales and Mercury Finance and Insurance. Appointed to run the site is long time industry identity, John Cohen, who has over 35 years of experience in both trailer boat sales and service.

JULY 2021

“With the recent change from Yamaha to Mercury outboards, we look forward to displaying the exciting range of 2021 Whittley Boats undercover and in a boat show style sales environment all

year round,” Mr Cohen said. The Whittley company have been building high quality, handcrafted Australian-made boats for over 65 years, designed specifically for Australian

boating conditions. Unlike many boats built overseas, every new Whittley boat is legally trailerable without over-width towing restrictions, enabling customers to tow virtually

anywhere, anytime with a suitable tow vehicle. Whittley’s retail dealerships offer new and existing customers a complete boat buying experience, from the build to ongoing service

and warranty support. Additionally, on the Whittley website, potential buyers are able to build a boat, choose colours and options, see dealership stock boats, apply for finance and see each model onscreen via the unique virtual tour feature. The new Newcastle facility stocks a large display of new Whittley packages ranging in price from $47,990-$250,000+. They are exclusively supplied with the Group’s premier partners: Volvo Penta stern drives, Mercury outboards, Mackay trailers and Garmin and Fusion electronics. To learn more or to book a marine service, visit the new Newcastle facility at Unit 4, 1 Kullara Close, Beresfield, NSW, phone 0421 922 650 or email johnc@ whittley.com.au. More information is also available at www.whittleyboats. com.au. – WMG

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www.vrfish.com.au #makefishingbetter

VRFish Update It’s not until you lose something that you appreciate it the most. This well-worn quote is becoming more applicable to recreational fishing on a number of fronts. As I write this, Victorians are enduring another Covid19 lock down, with reasons to leave home restricting our exercise to a 5km radius from home. That recreational fishing was included as exercise under this lockdown was both a blessing and a bittersweet pill for many of us. I’m one of the unlucky but lucky people who recreationally fishes for exercise and has fishable water within reach. Unfortunately, it’s a wetland on an urban drain that Generally, how satisfied are you with the quality of recreational fishing in Victoria

What type of fisher are you?

responded to the Animal Welfare Act discussion paper recently it became apparent that recreational fishers are well ahead of the curve when it comes to best practice animal welfare. What started as good seafood handling practice has evolved into care for your catch, low impact equipment, rec fisher driven regulation such as slot limits to protect charismatic species and even grass roots advocacy for protecting biological process.

holds Carp to 3kg and the odd Eel. Any port in a storm, right? As your advocate for ‘all things fishing’ I’m always amazed at the sheer diversity of what we call recreational fishing. It doesn’t matter that I like to spend my rare spare time fishing in competitive lure tournaments or you like to spend an arvo with the kids on a pier somewhere pencil floating a gar or two. It’s all good as they say. Or is it? There is a creeping change to recreational fishing and a threat that is becoming more prevalent. The targeting of recreational fishing activity by “those opposed” in a time where government is sensitive to coordinated email campaigns is becoming normal. From crab fishing off piers to building a single lane boat ramp on a river, what was once the domain of organised but misguided ‘green’ groups is now a pervasive and common threat to what we do. The different sectors of groups who think what you do is wrong are now coordinating campaigns to drive knee-jerk political responses to ban recreational fishing, not on traditional sustainability or environmental grounds, but because they simply don’t like what we do. I can remember when I first started in recreational fishing advocacy the older generation would warn me that recreational fishing will eventually become as divisive as duck hunting. ‘Yeah right!’ I thought. I now deal with these threats on an almost daily basis and it has me thinking that as times change, we now have two great obligations if we want to continue what we do. Gone are the days when we could just go fishing. The first obligation is what I call responsible recreation and it’s something we already do well. When I

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On the environment front, rec fishers have many more runs on the board. Aquatic habitat improvement and riparian restoration projects abound, advocacy for environmental and recreational water is increasing, formal and informal clean up days are normal and the fact that it is now considered unacceptable to leave anything other than footprints from our activity is a solid case in point. As regular beneficiaries of our interactions

with the natural world, recreational fishers are a lot more switched on than we are given credit for. But that’s not to say we should rest on our laurels. A great example was a rec fisher response to the recent VRFish Advocacy Priorities Survey who provided the following food for thought: “Recreational fishing needs to review and update its culture and relationship with the natural environment that it exploits. Simply teaching and encouraging people to fish is no longer appropriate. For parents to encourage their children to participate in recreational fishing we need to develop a well-considered approach

Here are the priorities VRFish are working on to make fishing better, for everyone:

ACCESS

Fixing our boat ramps and defending your fishing rights to access our waterways.

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Improving our vital fish habitats through

• Help fund programs and projects that make fishing better. • Opportunities to formally contribute your views and expertise in making fishing better through member forums, reference groups and surveys. • Have an influence in the direction of VRFish and take part in the voting rights at the Annual General Meeting.

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protection, restoration and enhancement.

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Keeping our rivers flowing and defending recreational and environmental water allocations.

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Supporting our fishers to take a lead role in the stewardship of our fish and waterways, fish responsibly and promote fish for the future.

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that addresses and provides the cultural practices and ideological rationales that that makes killing a native creature a reasonable thing for children to do. The catching of fish needs to be seen as only a part

P 03 5221 1104 E info@vrfish.com.au

of our culture which includes caring and restoring our waterways and building strong interpersonal relationships and heightening our awareness and appreciation of place”. The second obligation is the hardest. Now more than ever, recreational fishers are having to defend their choice of activity. This obligation now rests with the individual fisher and the requirement is to speak up. Without your voice we will continue to suffer a death by a thousand cuts. It doesn’t matter if the issue involves a species you don’t fish for. If it involves recreational fishing, what you choose to do as a recreational activity, it now involves you. “Someone else will handle it” is not cutting it anymore. Someone else is now working to ban your past time. As an advocate for state-wide recreational fishing, I see the dark clouds before most and will use our communications channels to alert you to the fact that there is an issue requiring your voice. This could be as simple as a Facebook post or a survey of recreational fisher attitudes. Three minutes of your time to voice an opinion, on the odd occasion, is now an essential investment in protecting your recreational fishing into the future. What are some of the current issues I’m dealing with across the State that require your voice? Recently, arguing the toss for the ability to troll an SBT lure through the biocontrol zone around Portland couldn’t have happened without our SW recreational fishers voice, re-opening public roads to waterfront

public land that are illegally being closed hand over fist has a growing voice, defending our share of the rock lobster fishery has the recreational divers speaking up, preparing advice on the Corner Inlet fishery management plan can’t happen without local rec fishers voicing concerns are just a few examples. Ultimately, it’s the job of your peak body to help you speak up and it’s a job that I look forward to. With a strong voice we can continue to go fishing in the knowledge that the activity we undertake is a public good on so many fronts. With a strong voice the investment in time and effort required to provide us with the best recreational fishing possible, no matter what that type of fishing is, will be sustainable.

Ben Scullin - Executive Officer

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Plenty going on for persistent anglers in winter WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Winter may be upon us but there is plenty going on to keep anglers from thinking of hibernation or merely gear maintenance. Salmon are a winter favourite along the coast and there have been plenty being taken by anglers, particularly in the Killarney region. Now Killarney can seem to be a very hot and cold fishing location, whether you’re targeting salmon,

King George whiting, squid or even kingfish. It either fishes well, or you get absolutely nothing. It’s rarely anything in-between. This, season however, the salmon fishing has been remarkably consistent with good fish in the 1.5-3kg range being encountered most days. The good thing about fishing for salmon at this location is the fact you can usually use far lighter gear than the traditional 12ft surf rod. Wandering along casting metal slices on light 3-5kg gear is the best way of locating the fish, and once found

plenty of fun can be had as the bigger fish really do turn it on when using the lighter gear. Trout fishing is also popular locally at this time of year, with the Moyne River and Mt Emu Creek being opened from last season, along with the Hopkins and Merri River (which have been open in their entirety during the traditional closed season since 2018). It means most of the prime local trout water are fishable all winter. There are a number of reasons for this, firstly it allows for anglers to

Salmon like this can be great fun on light gear.

You know they are decent trout when you’re catching them on barra lures and baitcasters.

target the trout in what is the most productive time to fish these waters. The higher water levels and cooler water temperatures of winter usually produce the better trout fishing conditions. Also, all these South West coastal rivers are reliant on annual fish stocking, with research showing very little if any natural recruitment, thus reducing the need to ‘lock up’ the rivers to protect spawning fish at the best time to be fishing them.

As I predicted a few issues ago, after the cool wet summer we’ve had there have been plenty well-conditioned trout on offer. Most of the fish we’ve been encountering have been over 50cm and whilst obviously not in massive numbers at this size, they are worth putting in the effort for. The inshore late autumn-winter run of has been a bit disappointing though. Poor weather along with boat ramp closures, abalone virus closures

and COVID closures have made things tough. However, boats putting the effort into getting well offshore to the shelf region have been managing their bags easily. On the big tuna scene there have been a few fish from 60-120kg taken recently, but these fish have been taken well east with 80-100km journeys being required to get to the productive area. Hopefully they might move a bit closer as the season progresses.

Solid bream on the bite in the Curdies COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

By mid-May our autumnal weather here in the southwest disappeared almost overnight, and was replaced with very wintry weather, which appears to be here to stay for the duration. This is the time of year where the southwest receives at least 50% of our annual rainfall. This can put a dampener (pardon the pun) on fishing but sets our area well and truly up for the rest of the year. By late May the Curdies estuary was very full, with lake water fast encroaching the road that leads down to the town ramp. One more decent downpour will no doubt see the system being mechanically opened to the Southern Ocean yet again. Boats were still 82

JULY 2021

An average Curdies winter bream taken deep using Fish Arrow Flash J Shad soft plastics right at the river mouth.

out fishing but from the town boat ramp only as far upstream in the river at Boggy Creek. The whole area is underwater, and you need waders plus a knowledge of where the channel begins from the ramp. Low lying vehicles could also suffer from shallow flooding once a door is opened. Regardless of that, some good bream to 37cm have been caught, mostly by boat anglers. Fresh earthworm, small yabbies and even packet river whitebait have caught quite a few. Lightly weighted is the go because your offering doesn’t want to be buried amongst the weed. Sitting on or near the top gives the bream a decent chance in finding your offering. The Hopkins River has improved in recent weeks, with bream to 1.2kg being taken by boaters in recent times. Those cleaning up have employed shallowdiving hardbodies, and twitched them over the

sand and mud flats before the sun’s rays send the fish deep, which currently occurs at around 9:30am (later if it’s overcast). Plenty of perch are also on offer. You can catch them using the same tactics however the size and weight appears to be lower than the bream. Plenty of EPs to 800g have been caught, but larger fish or at least reports are very thin on the ground. Regarding the ocean scene, some barrel southern bluefin tuna to 70kg have been taken not far offshore from Apollo Bay in recent days, which indicates that some of these fish have already swum past our immediate coastline. I’m sure many more have yet to make the journey from the west to the east, so for those with big offshore boats, I’m sure you are watching for any reports and are ready to go at a moment’s notice.

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Bagging a feed offshore APOLLO BAY

Craig Rippon

The winter is slowly setting in and it’s starting to get cold, but the good thing is the fishing has been good. Let’s start offshore, where there have been some good fish landed recently. You have to travel a long way but the bluefin tuna have been good. The best time times seem to be in the morning and two hours before dark. Hardbodies are catching their share, but most of the fish have been taken on big skirts. Those anglers travelling out to the gas plant should remember there’s a certain distance you must stay away from the plant. The fish are ranging from

130kg down to 6kg, with a few fish caught between 70-80kg. There have been no reports of anything closer, but hopefully they will come in. Snapper have still been good, with plenty of fish around 3-5kg being caught. You can catch a good feed of flathead in water between 35-50m, with some nice size fish amongst the bag. Fresh bait has been working the best. The gummies have been OK, with most being caught on fresh salmon. Talking about salmon, it has been great to see so many people on the beaches in the morning and early evening. There have been plenty of salmon about, with some fish reaching 10lb. Casting metal lures and bait fishing are both working. I

think casting lures has been more productive of late. There are some really nice gutters around locally so you don’t have to travel far. Whiting have slowed up a bit but when you find them they are very nice-sized fish up to 43cm. Pipis have been the pick of the baits on the change of the tide.The local creeks have had an early flush, and some nice wild browns have been caught. The bream have been a bit slow, with no great reports on them, so it’s coming up to that time of year to do the maintenance on all your gear. With luck, we’ll get out a bit if the weather is fine or book a fishing trip up north if we can travel again – hopefully soon.

Jason Orr catching his first big SBT out of Apollo Bay.

Restrictions lifting PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

I can’t believe it’s July already. We have been pushed to the limits again with another lockdown in June and an extension to the abalone virus outbreak. We have had a small win with the restricted area, in that you can now troll or drift through the area but no anchoring or using sinkers. This certainly helps the tuna season in Portland. You can still landbased fish the Lee Breakwater either side, weighted or unweighted, and you can fish landbased or from a boat inside the harbour, weighted or unweighted. You can now also flick lures off the beaches. Agriculture Victoria

is continuing to test throughout the zone and here’s hoping that some areas will be accessible sooner rather than later. We have all the information in-store, and we’ll post any new updates on our Facebook page. The lockdown has certainly hit hard, with some charter operators having to go home. This is a huge hit for them because the school tuna were in really good numbers outside the zone, and the bookings were improving. Let’s hope this month can give us all some positives and the season kicks along. The winter months are also very good for salmon, and generally we see good numbers and sizes in our area at this time of year. We also still get some great winter days where the deepwater fishing is on the cards too. Julia Reef is

another good spot, weather permitting, for gummy and school sharks, and you may still snag a good snapper. Anglers still have the option of fishing in the Surrey and Fitzroy rivers this month. The Surrey produces good bream and some good size mullet, and the Fitzroy has the same, plus mulloway and the odd perch. Then, not too far away we have the mighty Glenelg River. Bridgewater Lakes at this time of year can also produce some big redfin, as do the other freshwater spots around Portland. Stay safe everyone, and happy fishing. • For all the latest updates and all your bait and tackle needs, call in and see the crew at Portland Compleat Angler. Braden, Emily, Fiona or Nigel or contact them on 03 5521 1844 or Facebook.

A nice redfin caught by Braden Fisher.

Smiling customers with a great catch of tuna caught with ReelTime Fishing Charters just before the last lockdown.

Daniel Penman caught these pair of snapper at Ansetts Reef, a spot close to Mornington Peninsula. He used a mixture of squid and pilchards as bait and found them sitting around 20m deep. JULY 2021

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School holiday adventures GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

Anglers should shift their focus as we dive into July. Trout get a little more adventurous and move into the shallows of Wurdee

five trout applies, of which only two can exceed 35cm. Fish stocking is funded by recreational fishing licence fees and the State Government’s Target One Million plan, which aims to get more people fishing, more often. Australian salmon will

8kg. Hotspots for winter reds include the area around Corio Quay, North Shore and Western Beach. Paul Mayer has been getting stuck into a few snapper around Corio Bay and says they are widespread at the moment. Paul has caught them near structure and steeper drop-offs using Munroes soft plastics in brass monkey colour on a 1/8oz Jigman jighead. Paul notes there are some chunky whiting schools straight out from the Grammar School Lagoon boat ramp. Pipis and turtleback worms in pumpkinseed have accounted for fish in the mid-40cm range. The Geelong waterfront has been fishing well for

around 55cm and caught on pilchards and bluebait. Rippleside Jetty in Geelong received $160,000 to replace the jetty deck, bearers, crossbeams and railing to ensure safe access by land-based fishos. The Portarlington pier is also set for some major upgrades to better cater for the ferry service and commercial sector using it. There is also a proposal to include new rock groyne on the western side in an effort to reduce wave height, protect the ferry berth and reduce sand migration into the harbour. So, there may be limited access to fishos for short periods during construction works which has a completion date of late 2022. Maddy Allardyce with two fine flatties. Image courtesy of M. Allardyce.

Oliver and Lila with a pair of reddies caught on a green soft plastic shad. Boluc and Stoney Creek reservoirs. The redfin in these reservoirs slow their bite but the fish caught are often a good size. Fly fishos should hit Stony Creek at first and last light as there are some decent fish working the shallows here. The same can be said for Wurdee Boluc but it is more exposed so you need dead calm weather to fly fish here. These July school holidays, 750 ‘ready-tocatch’ rainbow trout will be stocked into St Augustines Waterhole near the Waurn Ponds end of South Valley Road. These trout are around 30cm and will grab small lures, artificial baits or a bunch of worms on a simple running sinker rig. This stocking program aims to encourage families to go fishing, particularly during school holidays. Rainbow trout are a good option for children or those trying fishing for the first time, because they are relatively easy to catch. Anglers are reminded that a daily bag limit of

be on the hunt at the back of the breakers on the local beaches and can be caught by flicking a pilchard or lure in the gutters. If the bite is slow, try walking the beach with a lure and piffing that into all the gutters you can find. It covers a lot more water and often you can find a hungry school where you might otherwise go fishless.

JULY 2021

Image courtesy of Adamas Fishing Charters/M. Crawford.

VFA’s stocked estuary perch are coming along nicely in the Barwon River. Image courtesy of V. Coves. Hardcore snapper anglers put in long hours fishing after dark inside Corio Bay for big winter fish pushing

The best recruitment in 24 years for sand flathead in Port Phillip Bay should get anglers excited. Image courtesy of VFA. 84

Smiles on dials for Adamas customers fishing out off Barwon Heads.

pinkie snapper from legal length to 40cm, plus the odd flathead. July can see an influx of snotty trevally into Corio Bay, and they love unweighted raw chicken and seem to bite well on the high tide around Cunningham Pier. Australian salmon have been ripping into baitfish on the surface along the Geelong waterfront, with a lot of smaller fish up to 35cm with the odd 55cm school kicking about. Regardless of size, these are fantastic fun to catch with stickbaits or other lures cast into the angry school. St Helens Rock wall has seen some quality flathead, whiting and solid snapper caught by anglers using bait. The snapper have been up

It will be interesting to see how the estuary perch stocked by VFA in the Barwon bite over winter. They have grown well and provided a much-needed sportfish for the locals. Redfin slow down a fair bit over the cooler months in the Barwon but can still be caught using live minnow or worms. Vass Coves took his son Oliver and Lila Stubbs down to the Barwon at Breakwater for a fish one arvo. The kids came over to me proudly showing off a pair of reddies they’d caught so I went over for a chat. Vass said they caught five redfin using a fluorescent green soft plastic shad, and they also caught an estuary perch on worms. For the record, I caught nothing casting minnow lures! Blake Robinson fished the Barwon with his mate Tealo Gillies hoping for a few redfin. Blake lobbed a heavier rod out baited with bread hoping to catch his first carp. It turned out to be a good move as Blake landed a beast of a carp that measured 65cm! King George whiting have been biting well from Point Henry to Indented Head with some anglers enjoying bag limit captures of fish to 40cm. The usual baits are all producing – squid, pipis

and mussels. Clifton Springs has seen fish in around 4-6m of water while the action around St Leonards has been in around 5m of water. Find yourself a sandy patch amongst the weeded areas for the best shot at them. If you get nothing in 15-20 minutes, move to the next sand hole. Recent surveys of Port Philip by fisheries scientists have recorded the best sand flathead spawning in 24 years. Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) CEO Travis Dowling noted, “For many Victorians, sand flathead were the first fish they ever caught so this big spawning event in the bay is wonderful news that will resonate with lots of people, young and old.” He said the State Government had removed 90% of commercial netting effort in Port Phillip

channel ‘GoastFishing’. Michael Crawford has been working on Adamas Charters with Rodney Lawn. They had a few clients on recently where they got stuck into some quality snapper fishing in 55m out off Barwon Heads. Michael says there were lots of solid fish around 2kg, plus one snapper that would have been close to 4kg. Mick Allardyce has been fishing down the Surf Coast with his daughter Maddy and picking up good captures of flathead out in 40m jigging with small metal lures. The Lorne Pier continues to fish well for salmon to 50cm, whiting to 40cm and the odd flathead. Fish HARD – die happy! • Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf

Blake heaves a beast of a Barwon River carp up for the camera. Image courtesy of B. Robinson. already, and the entire bay would become completely net-free by next April. Keen kayaker Shane Inglis had a cracking session out off Grassy Point where he caught his bag limit of good-sized calamari casting and drifting over the shallow weed beds. He has it all on video on his YouTube

Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterfish@ gmail.com with ‘FMG’ in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1MB (file size).

Record fish stocking of 8 million A new Victorian fish stocking record has been set with more than 8 million fish released into lakes and rivers over the last year to further improve recreational fishing opportunities. We’ve now set our sights on stocking 10 million fish, which will deliver on a flagship commitment of the State Government’s $38 million plan to get more Victorians fishing, more often. That’ll be 18 million fish stocked in just two years! The recent 8 million milestone included landmark stockings such as Victoria’s first ever release of dusky flathead into the Gippsland Lakes. Most of the stocked fish were freshwater species with around 1.5 million rainbow trout, brown trout and Chinook salmon. The remainder were native fish including Murray cod (2.8 million), golden perch (2.9 million), Australian bass (368,000) and estuary perch (284,000).

Golden perch fingerlings set for release at Lake Eppalock

Several waters received record stockings of Murray cod such as Rocklands Reservoir (609,000), Laanecoorie Reservoir (125,000) and Lake Boga (15,000) Many of these cod were grown at our Snobs Creek hatchery, which is supported by your fishing licence fees. To complement fish production at Snobs Creek, our new $10 million native fish hatchery near Shepparton will produce 1.6 million fish annually and is expected to be complete by the end of 2021. Trout grown at Snobs Creek were stocked into more than 150 waters

To discover what’s been stocked near you, visit www.vfa.vic.gov.au/stockingdatabase

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Winter snapper and gummies PPB WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

Our last snapper season was frustratingly inconsistent. One day the snapper would be caught in good numbers, and the next few days there’d be no action at all. It was a strange pattern that puzzled many local anglers, including myself, with countless hours on the water often going unrewarded. Perhaps this inconsistency was due to outdoor and water temperatures which were significantly lower than previous levels during this time of year. However, so far this year the winter snapper have shown up in good numbers which is very exciting. The smaller annoying pinkies have seemingly disappeared and instead, we are welcoming many snapper between 3-6kg. Many big reds are

Darren Adams with a 5kg winter snapper. being caught closer to the Port Philip Bay entrance in areas around the Bellarine Peninsula and Mornington Peninsula. The runout tide and a

well-presented chunk of mackerel or squid head on double snelled size 6/0 hooks has been a consistent recipe for success. We have been fishing a little old school by

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picking a trusty location and sitting on it through the entire tide change, as opposed to spending time on the sounder hunting for schools. I recently had several productive sessions on the water with good mate Darren Adams. On one trip we were struggling through a king tide in what seemed like an unproductive day on the water chasing gummy sharks. However, we had a sudden change in fortune when we landed four snapper in 20 minutes. They were all good-sized ones too, ranging from 4-7kg, which created a lot of buzz and excitement on deck. You can see the footage of these catches on the FishingMad YouTube channel. It does highlight that good fish are around during the cold snap, you just have to play the percentages and stick it out until the fish come on the chew. We also landed many gummy sharks but most were under 1m and they were all released to fight

Steven Jurec with a winter gummy. another day. This past month I also spent time with good friend Steven Jurec on a mission to land some BIG gummy sharks around the magical 15kg mark. My first session out with Stephen was slow but ended in dramatic fashion. After tangling with countless banjos and stingrays, Steven’s reel started screaming. We immediately knew this was a good fish, which continued to take line. I frantically moved rods out of the way as the gummy went on several big, flighty runs, changing direction. The power and speed of these big gummies are incredible. Unlike myself, Steven was calm and controlled, and after a lengthy, intense battle landed a beautiful 15kg gummy shark. Landing a shark of this size isn’t the only

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The author with his hands full.

challenge – so is controlling them as they come on board spinning and flipping around uncontrollably. After a couple of photos, this beautiful shark was released on its way. My first session out with Steven highlighted some shortfalls in my tackle and setup, which is worth sharing. The snapper rod I was using was great for mid-size snapper but way too light to specifically target large gummy sharks. Also, the rod tip was too thin when fishing in high tidal flow areas that required sinkers up to 10oz. The next day was full of some much-needed retail therapy as I purchased some heavier outfits perfectly suited to this style of fishing. Your rods need to be flexible so you can enjoy the battle but strong enough to handle To page 87

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Good numbers of tuna still plague local waters PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

Normally this time of year I would write about the salmon that are plaguing our beaches, how to find them and what to use, but this year is different. Keeping in line with all things strange, the local water is still plagued with tuna. Still in big balls, the tuna are stretching from Inverloch to the Eastern Entrance in good numbers. Whilst still here, there is minimal reports of any actual catches, there is however plenty of action on the water. It appears the tuna are here to play. I was going to say ‘normally the tuna’, but what is normal? So instead I will say, this year we seem to have gained some permanent residents to our waters.

Both exciting for us and the development of our coastline, choosing to stay shows the health and the wealth of the fish in the area and screams for exciting pelagic seasons to come. Ordinarily to see this kind of action you would have to travel to Portland, those late nights, early morning drives now seem unnecessary. The whale season is right at its peak, the waterways are busy with onlookers so a little patience might need to be executed. While tuna push excitement, they also scream ‘scaredy cat’ – the extra boat traffic has pushed them deep down to the point they are hiding below the big blue giants. Those who have been successful have managed to bring a few up cubing them and running a bright/fluoro skirt closer to shore where the whales tend not to be. We are now at the halfway

mark of yet another winter, and in my opinion one of the best times for fishing in Western Port. Whilst there is the chance you might catch a cold from the cool air, there is definitely the prospect of calm waters and decent whiting. This time of year, the majority of the locals have opted to put the boats under the covers for a few months and grab the longer, heavy gear and head off to the landbased spots. If you are fishing from the land, you can expect to find salmon. Over the last couple of months there have been some decent sized salmon around that 3kg mark, with plenty around that 1kg mark. Of the larger salmon being caught, the majority are coming from the rocks at Kilcunda. Unfortunately we have had a few windy periods, so the water clarity has been

up and down and very weedy, but there is fish there. A lot of people generally think of salmon when they think surf/beach fishing, but the times have brought upon it with a new breed of fishers targeting new species. Majority of what we see off the beach of late is whiting, plenty of good sized 40-50cm whiting, right off the beach. It’s also time to head to the beaches on the moon and the four days either side to chase a gummy or two. The reports have been mixed, even in the boats with a lot of smaller ones showing up and only the odd bigger take-home model being caught. The weather hasn’t helped over the last couple of full moons with strong winds or rain keeping people away and there has only been a very small handful fishing.

Don’t forget to try the new moon, as we usually get several reports from those who prefer that phase of the moon, and the weather is normally much better as well. If fishing on the land or on a boat for gummies, put the time in before your planned trip and head down to your closest surf beach and try to catch a couple of fresh salmon for bait. There has been a few nice snapper caught up in the bay, off the boats. Mainly on the run-in tide towards the end of the day, those who have braved the icy nighttime air have done the best. We have also seen a few nice trevally and mullet from near Elizabeth Island. Calamari reports were good when the weather allowed and seem to be much bigger, and not too many exceedingly small ones. It

was difficult at times with the weed and dirty water, especially for the cast and retrieve with artificial lures. Some good reports from the beach at Woolamai but only from a short period each day, a couple of hours over the high tide change. Boat reports we got were all from those casting artificial lures with a variety of colours working. We also had several reports from the jetties of the calamari swimming up to the jigs to have a look, but not taking them and it did not seem to matter what colour you were using. There is plenty of bait fish out there, head out and grab a feed or stock up on some bait for the upcoming summer season and all will not be lost. Don’t sell yourself short, winter fishing is all about getting a feed, not those memorable catches.

FISHING NEWS

Restrictions change for abalone disease as surveillance continues A change to restrictions will come into place for control areas in the state’s southwest, following recent detections of Abalone Viral Ganglioneuritis (AVG) in wild abalone. Line fishing without a sinker attached will now be allowed in Control Areas. This change was made as surveillance activities continue to determine the extent of disease spread. Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Graeme Cooke, said that recent dive surveys, testing and analysis showed that the risk of spreading the disease by line fishing without sinker was very low. “All other restrictions remain in place for the Control Area. The following activities are not allowed: fishing with a sinker attached, collecting abalone or shellfish, diving or snorkelling, using commercial, abalone or recreational fishing

equipment, other than unweighted line fishing, or anchoring boats within the area,” he said. A new Control Area is now in place at Cape Bridgewater after new detections of infected abalone outside the existing area at the weekend, expanding the previous territory further west. Restrictions now span from Lower Cape Bridgewater in the west around to Narrawong in the east. There have also been recent positive detections at Murrell’s and Jones Bay reefs well within the original Control Area. Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer said further detections were not unexpected as they work to understand the presence of the disease, and it shows the effectiveness of dive surveys. “We are aware that restrictions have been disruptive, but they are crucial while we work to understand

the extent of Abalone Viral Ganglioneuritis (AVG) in the state’s southwest area. “Thank you to everyone in the community, fishers and industry who are supporting this response and doing the right thing and following the restrictions.” The Chief Veterinary Officer extends Control Orders for seven days at a time, and Orders will be continued to be reviewed and renewed as required. These shorter Orders give Agriculture Victoria and the Victorian Fisheries Authority flexibility to make updates and scale back restrictions when appropriate, as authorities continuously review the situation and risk. Restrictions are expected to remain in place for some months to varying degrees. Surveillance will continue both east and west, as weather permits. The Control Order will remain in place while this important work continues. The fishing and boating

From page 86

a powerful fish like a big gummy shark. During our second outing, I lost what would have been a gummy shark of a lifetime. It was a shattering moment after battling this fish for some time. It made several massive runs which almost spooled my 8000 Saragosa reel. A fresh perspective from Stephen showed me some smart rigging tips which may have prevented losing a fish like this. He recommended running 3m of 80lb shock leader above my normal snelled rig leader and having the sinker run on its own thin diameter line attached

The author with a gummy pup.

community is reminded to continue to practice good hygiene when out in the water, including washing all vessels, fishing equipment and wetsuits. Agriculture Victoria is aware that abalone disease has been detected in abalone kept in tanks at a number

of metropolitan Sydney premises. Preliminary testing has identified that the virus is the same variant as identified in Victoria in the previous and current outbreaks. “Agriculture Victoria and the Victorian Fisheries Authority are working

closely with the NSW Department of Primary Industries. At present, there is no clear link to Victoria apart from the viral testing results,” he said. For more information and the latest restrictions, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/ abalone or call 136 186.

the ezi rig rather than having the sinker directly connected. The logic here is that when battling a big fish in strong currents, the sinker can snap away if it has strong resistance, rather than compromising your line or fraying your mainline. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it was a great learning curve and a mistake I won’t make twice. We fished on and caught several nice gummy sharks but nothing close to that magical 15kg mark. It’s now the first thing on my to-do list as soon as these snap lockdowns in Victoria are finished. I was amazed at how

many banjo sharks and big rays we caught during these sessions. We did our best to ensure these pests of the ocean were unhooked and released safely without harm, which can be a scary task when the barb of a massive ray is waving in close proximity. The temptation when battling pest species is to move, however it’s important to understand that they are in prime gummy shark areas and it’s often a case of getting through the pests to catch that fish of a lifetime. Until next time, good fishing everyone. Please feel free to reach out to me directly to share your fishing

experiences and catches 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. Also don’t forget to follow my fishing adventures through my website www.fishingmad. com.au, and subscribe to the FishingMad YouTube channel www.youtube. com/c/fishingmad. You can also follow us on social media on our Facebook page www.facebook. com/fishingmad.com. au, and Instagram page w w w. i n s t a g r a m . c o m / fishingmad.com.au. JULY 2021

VIC

There’s plenty to look forward to PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

Once again, the inevitable cold, wet and dull days of winter that seemed to stay away for so long have arrived on the bay with a bang. It always feels like somebody has flicked

extended period of lockdown. Fortunately, this time fishing has been allowed within local areas, so Victorian anglers are making the most of every opportunity get to wet a line. The winter weather has made this fairly challenging at times, but the good news is there have been a few glamour days on the bay as well.

out wide, and from the shore in the right conditions, so there are lots of reasons for local anglers to get a bit excited! It might be cold in the mornings, and sometimes wet and windy, but on the flipside, we do get some ripper conditions for fishing and boating at this time of year, so rug up and get out on the bay and have a crack. While the winter months are not the peak time for snapper anglers in the bay, the reality is that PPB snapper are an available and reliable target for 12 months of the year. I have also had a few encouraging reports come in from local anglers landing some quality snapper off the local rocks and piers, particularly during and after periods of strong onshore winds. This weather brings the snapper that are holding

around most of the onshore reefs for the past couple of months, and these fish will continue to be an inshore option right through the winter months as well. While many of these fish are small and many also undersized, there are still plenty of larger models to keep anglers keen. Lure fishers seem to be the most productive at locating the larger fish, probably due to spending more time prospecting and looking on their sounders. If you are fishing these areas with bait on anchor, it is always worth throwing a few plastics around at the same time. Lure fishing for pinkies is also a great way to get the kids and less experienced anglers into this style of fishing. Big schools of smaller salmon have been hanging around the Mornington area, no doubt for the past

Melbourne metro suffered through another lockdown for the first two weeks of June. Although anglers were still able to fish, travel and time restrictions meant that short, land-based missions were the only option.

The squid fishing has been excellent in recent weeks. a switch at this time of year when the cold sets in, and the start of this winter has been no different. At the time of writing, the Greater Melbourne area, and a large part of Eastern Victoria is receiving a big dose of rainfall, which will have some immediate impact, but it’s always better for the fishery in the long run. Sadly, once again for us Victorians, the effects of COVID-19 and the mismanagement of hotel quarantine once again has forced us to endure another

Many of the bay’s anglers are traditionally more focused on football and other local sporting and family activities at this time of year. At the time of writing, these are still not allowed for metro Melbournians, so fishing has once again become the major recreational focus for many people, and families who live close to the bay. The bay can seem to be a little barren in the middle of winter, but there’s always plenty of bread-and-butter fishing on offer. And even better, there are still plenty of good snapper to be had

There have been lots of small salmon around the local areas to keep things interesting. out wide onto and around the inshore reefs to feed, and during this period the landbased anglers can cash in. The dirtier water in close after rain also seems to be a big trigger for the fish to bite. Big numbers of smaller pinkies have also been

few months, and have been regularly popping up on the surface smashing up hapless schools of baitfish. They have often been holding

right along the shore as well, especially on the southern side of Snapper Point, Mornington. Traditionally, Frankston, Mornington and

Seaford piers, as well as the mouth of Patterson River and Martha Cove, are all great land-based spots, especially during rougher weather. During the calmer days the salmon can be effectively targeted from a drifting boat and are the best light tackle sport you will get in our waters. They also make great bait and are an underrated eating fish if treated correctly after capture. They are normally very willing and respond well to baits, lures and flies. The squid fishing has been very good recently, especially with fewer boats on the water. Expect the squid to move a little deeper as the water discolours, and probably respond to brighter coloured jigs. Plenty of gars and some winter whiting schools have showed up in recent weeks, so there is plenty for anglers to look forward to in the coming months.

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East Coast

VIC

There’s no winter woes with whopper bream GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

Another winter and guess what? Another run of outstanding big fish to confirm that the Gippy Lakes holds some of the biggest black bream in the country. I have plenty of joy to share, with bream up to 47cm, quite a few nice winter flathead turning up and big estuary perch. There’s a lot to look forward to over the next few months. SLOT LIMITS First up, a reminder of the new bream slot limits introduced back on 1 April this year. Legal-sized bream are now 28-38cm for the Gippsland Lakes only. It still seems that very few anglers are aware of this important change. During two busy weekends recently, I was on the water and questioned over 20 anglers. Sadly, I found that only two people were up with the new regs. I wonder if signage is required at boat ramps to get the message across? So once again the bag limit for bream remains at 10 fish but none of them can measure greater

The author’s best Gippy Lakes bream for a while, going 47.5cm and 1.78kg caught on a homemade blade lure. best fishing is already behind you. However, looking ahead here are the hotspots you need to search. The Tambo River from the entrance right

huge numbers. The Mitchell River will probably be the most popular destination for anglers with its many kilometres of easy

can be so frustrating and I fished the Hollands end recently and found 19 trailers parked at the ramp. Sadly, nearly every angler I talked to that day failed to land a single bream.

As usual, a few big fish were landed but there were a lot of grumpy people by day’s end. So my tip is to concentrate on the three big rivers because dozens of thumping bream have been returned of late. KEEP ON TRUCKING There are a lot of names given to trophy fish and I call bream over 43cm ‘trucks’. This winter has been one of my best for B-doubles! I’ve been fishing a lot recently with three or even four days a week searching some of the hotspots mentioned above. Each trip I share the day with a good mate, and here are some of our best tallies and sizes of fish lately. With Jason Deenan we caught 23 bream and three estuary perch with my best bream going 46, 44 and 43cm with another handful at 42cm and one 40cm perch. Jason’s first fish of the day, caught using a Chasebait prawn lure for the first time, was a cracking 48cm perch and then he promptly backed that up with a 46cm bream on the same lure. That’s a ripper start to anyone’s day, and that lure may now be his brand-new favourite! Next trip I shared with Anthony Havers and I released a very modest tally

of five bream but at least I hauled in a genuine truck at 47.5cm and 1.78kg. Havo was the real star that day as he landed and released 24 ripper bream with most of them 37-42cm, and a very nice 55cm flathead. Incredibly I watched Havo drop nearly as many bream and also get shredded by a couple of huge ‘unknowns’. All of our fish that day were caught in deep water using jigged blades. On a third trip I joined Mickey Dee and watched him release six big EP to 45cm and five bream to 45cm. On that day I returned nine bream to 46cm and a 39cm perch. I think you now get the message that there’s been a lot of great sport returning some real trophy fish, and I’ve received reports from many other lure and bait anglers with impressive tales. LOOKING AHEAD So my message is simple – get out there now! It’s shaping up to be a real stellar year for big fish, and very respectable tallies too. It’s probably due to the increased stream flows and fairly mild weather. A far cry from 12 months ago after tragic bushfires and a terrible drought.

A great run at Bemm BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

At time of writing, the entrance remains open, winter is upon us and the fishing has been

outstanding. Sadly, the Alvey Surf Competition was postponed due to COVID lockdown but we can all look forward to when it does take place. Anglers have been enjoying some excellent

fishing, with catch and releases of bream up to 45cm. These are some of the best runs of fish seen in Bemm for some years. The odd flathead is still being taken but To page 91

Not a bad first fish of the day. Jason Deenan released this truck of a perch going 48cm, caught on a prawn lure. than 38cm tip length. Dusky flathead have a slot limit of 30-55cm, and the bag limit is five flathead. BREAM HOTSPOTS For those of you serious about catching trophy bream, now is without doubt the time to get busy. If you haven’t been out chasing them yet then some of the 90

JULY 2021

up past the bridge to the Blue Hole will continue to fire, and you should persevere in the upper reaches as we draw closer to spawning season. The same goes for the Nicholson River but also keep an eye on your sounder in the lower river area for those schooling bream that will right now mob up in

bank access, and don’t be deterred if the water is a little coloured from rain. This can fire the bream right up, and bait anglers will shine in these conditions. Paynesville has been a little hit-and-miss of late and Hollands Landing to Seacombe has been very disappointing. The Straits

It may be cold but it’s still enjoyable to fish on those sunny winter days.

VIC

East Coast

Quiet town, plentiful fish LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

The cold icy mornings we are all used to living in East Gippsland are back, with frozen cars and ice cover lawns being a common sight in the mornings. The only benefit is that the cold winter days have been spectacular, with clear, blue skies and very little wind. The recent COVID outbreaks in Victoria have put us through another lockdown, making for an ideal time to reorganize all From page 90

as the water cools down, they do slow down. There has been quite a good run of perch taken on lures, adding to the variety of species available to anglers. The river remains quiet, as there are still strong flows of freshwater entering the system which slows down the bream. They will venture up

our fishing gear. Now that winter has set in, Lakes Entrance has returned to the sleepy seaside village it’s known for. However, even though the town has been very quiet, the fishing has been highly productive. The lake’s King George whiting are still showing up in good numbers, especially on the main weed beds around Rigby Island. Traditionally in winter it was very hard to target whiting locally, but since the removal of the nets the whiting stocks have remained strong, and winter whiting is something

that should become the norm into the future. Not much changes for whiting techniques over winter. Similar areas fish well but usually the edges and the deeper weed beds produce better. Pipi and local mussel are two of the best baits. Winter sees massive schools of whitebait or anchovies spread throughout the lake system, and these are a dominant food source for many species. Large schools of Australian salmon, tailor and trevally are highly common at this

time to check all your gear, boat safety equipment and dates, get those wheel bearings greased and plan for your next fishing trip. Feel free to give me a call on 0427 584 233 for any additional information. I’ll finish off with a report from angler Tony ‘Bream King’, who had a memorable trip with friends recently on the Bemm.

weighed and released. The Biggest Salmon title went to Ben Smith, who caught a salmon measuring 56cm (1.8kg) and the Biggest Bream title went to Tony Vukovic at 40cm (955g) with many fish caught close to this weight. A nice flathead of 56cm and 1.27kg was caught by Sean Quilivan, who released it.” • For on the spot and up to date fishing reports check

time of year, and trolling metal lures behind the boat is an ideal way to locate schools of these aggressive predators. Metung Yacht Club has been a highly productive area with a healthy mix of fish species on offer. Trevally and tailor have been a dominant catch but good numbers of bream and pinkie snapper have been a common catch lately. Personally, I’ve had great success micro jigging, something that isn’t very popular at all locally but which produces great results on these aggressive hunters. Small micro jigs like the MajorCraft Jig Parra in the 5-15g size are ideal. The offshore gamefishing scene has begun to fire up, with a few swordfish and tuna being caught out wide of Lakes Entrance. These cool, windless winter days offer up ideal conditions for anglers to make the massive run out to the shelf. LAKE TYERS Due to recent rains, the lake has been getting higher and higher, reaching 1.9m above usual water levels. As a result, the majority of the local boat ramps have become unusable. The main ramp at Lake Tyers Beach has been the only one that’s been usable. The main lake basin has been a great area for anglers targeting bream. Large schools have been forming in the deeper margins, and a good sounder has made locating these schools of bream easy – especially if you take the time to understand side scan properly. The majority of the schools have been sitting slightly deeper due to the large amount of freshwater in the system. Usually 4-6m in the main lake has been the magic mark to

Winter offers up some spectacular days, but they can make the fishing a bit tough. locate these schools, and in such deep water you’ll want to use heavily weighted soft plastics or blades to target these fish. Making our way upstream, the higher reaches of the Nowa Nowa arms have been a great area for anglers targeting bream. Over the last couple of winters, large schools have formed from Devils Hole all the way to the top of the Nowa Nowa arm. Places such as Iron Stone Bay

and similar areas are ideal. Muddy bays are a great area to target these schooling bream on either soft plastics or jerkbait-style hardbodies. HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for fish lately and have a great pic, please send it to stevenprykefishing@gmail. com with short description and you could be featured in an upcoming edition of Fishing Monthly.

Anglers have been catching solid bream up to 45cm. the river to spawn as we approach spring. Surf fishing, when weather permits, has been excellent with catches of salmon and tailor. Some of the salmon have weighed in at 3kg. All in all, it’s a great

“Hi Robyn, the weather turned it up for the annual Reel McCoy boys’ fishing trip to Bemm River, with 35 regular anglers making the trip a memorable one. We decided to split up into two teams, and many good fish were caught,

out Robyn’s website: www. bemmaccommodation. com.au or ‘like’ us on Facebook – Bemm River Holiday Accommodation Phone: (03) 5158 4233/ Mob. 0427 584 233 Email: bemmaccomm@ bigpond.com.

Anglers who have side scan and don’t use it are massively missing out. JULY 2021

East Coast

VIC

Lake gets a good flush-out MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

It’s quiet times again – the visitors have left and winter is here, it’s been cold, and the past month has seen plenty of rain. Good rain in the headwaters has seen the

Genoa River break its banks, and the water flow has created a deep entrance, blowing out a lot of the sand that had built up over the years. This will be great for the movement of fish, and the fishing will really fire up once the water starts warming up in the months ahead. The water temperatures, both in the lake and offshore,

Good numbers of yellowfin bream are being caught in the Bottom Lake. This fish was caught on a blade.

have really dropped in the last month and this has really slowed the fishing down, especially offshore. Fishing the local beaches at this time of year is all about salmon, and with plenty of good swells there are plenty of good gutters on all the beaches. Whether you’re fishing with bait or lures you need to keep moving to find the fish, with the best fishing being on the last half of the run-in tide. The fishing offshore was good before all the bad weather and rain set in. Good catches of sand flathead were reported, with bag limits of quality fish the norm. Out wider there were still some good tiger flathead about, you just needed to keep moving to come across the fish. With the water temperatures dropping and more bad weather on its way, no doubt the fishing will have slowed down by the time you read this. Kingfish are also about, but as usual catching them can be another story. Some days the fishing really fires

up while on other days it’s a real struggle. That cold water making its way up the coast will slow things right down. Once the bad weather passes and a few boats start heading offshore in the coming weeks we will find out, but no doubt the action will be well to the north. With the recent rain the lake has been fishing well for yellowfin bream, with the entrance area around Harrisons Channel a good spot. The area around Teatree Point is also fishing well. Fresh bait has been the way to get amongst the fish, with time spent on the water the key to working out the best time and tides. Flathead are still being caught; you just need to put in the time to find the fish. As you probably know, where there is one flatty there will often be more, and this is particularly true in winter. A good flushing of the lake was sorely needed, but it will take a while for things to settle down. No doubt the system will really benefit from this rain.

A good size flathead caught on a blade lure. It was released to fight another day.

Braving the chill is worth the great fishing the ones who have are reporting good captures of bream up both the Snowy and Brodribb rivers, and luderick are being taken along the rock groynes that surround the islands and riverbanks. Plenty of salmon and tailor are coming into the estuary on incoming tide, with the best results coming from near the entrance. Flathead will still be found along the sandflats

MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

The weather is getting colder, but some of the local anglers have decided if fishing is cold here, they might as well go to the high country and try their luck trout fishing. A couple of local lads, Jess Webb and Jack Major, ventured all the way to lake Eucumbene and its tributaries to try their luck with fly fishing and did very well, catching some stonker brown trout. They mentioned to me the fishing was so good they didn’t notice if it was cold. I’d better mention the fishing in our estuary. With the cooler weather not as many anglers are venturing out, but

that run from the Marlo jetty all the way down to Frenches Narrows. The surf beaches are fishing well, with big bronze whalers still being caught and released, warming up the anglers who target them. If you prefer to fish with surf gear, the salmon, tailor, flathead, and shark are still plentiful, and for the anglers who prefer to go spinning with light gear, the same applies.

At this time of year, the fishing offshore is always weather-related. Always remember – safety first. If the weather is rough, fish another day. When the weather has been fine, the fishing has been particularly good with plenty of flathead the chew, and lots of salmon, gurnard, pinkie snapper, morwong, wrasse, barracoota and gummy shark.

Jack Major with a stonker Eucumbene trout.

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JULY 2021

Jess Webb with one of the trout he caught on a recent trip to Lake Eucumbene.

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Online - ANYTIME JULY 2021

VIC

Sensational cod fishing ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

As we rolled towards winter the fishing along most sections of the Murray River was nothing

Pental Island and Brooks Lane a common link between big fish captures. There have been plenty of smaller cod caught using the same methods, with the odd fish of size kept for the table. Some purists of cod fishing might frown on this,

Belsar Island and on to Robinvale, the Murray River has fished well with good numbers of smaller to medium sized cod on bait and lures. Cod have ranged in size from several inches long to 1m, with no one spot standing out. Once again, the perch bite has slowed at most of these locations but a little persistence will always turn up a few on bait. The Murray River at Wemen continues to improve, with several Murray cod reported around the 90cm mark on trolled lures and bait. Chicken, cheese and scrub-worms have all worked, and size 2 StumpJumpers have been the go-to lure. As we head downstream to Mildura, AFC boys

AFC angler Mathew Langford managed several 1m+ cod on his visit to the Murray River at Mildura. His biggest went 113cm on a Bassman DT spinnerbait.

A few good-sized Murray cod have been landed of late while trolling and casting StumpJumper lures on the Murray River. short of sensational. The Murray River at Swan Hill continued to produce 1m+ cod regularly, to the point where reports were rolling in on almost a daily basis. Surface fishing seemed to be tempting the majority of larger cod, followed by trolling, and then a few big girls on bait. The familiar haunts produced as they always seem to do, with

but I reckon the bag and size limits are there for a reason, and keeping a feed is just a part of the journey. Besides that, a fresh feed of fish tastes bloody awesome. The perch bite has dropped away as it does when the water temp falls, but there are still a few to be found fishing worms tight to the snags. Downstream to Boundary Bend through

Mitchell Cone also got into the Mildura cod, landing some ripper fish. This one took a Bassman DT spinnerbait.

Mathew Langford and Mitchell Cone did the hard yards driving the long journey down to fish the mighty Murray River a week or so before winter rolled in. These top-notch tournament fishos were fishing a special freshwater series to promote the Murray River and its spectacular fishing. They weren’t disappointed, catching some very nice Murray cod up to and over 1m in size. A few different lures worked well for the boys but I believe the Bassman DT spinnerbait trumped the mix, proving its worth in the snags. All up, the fishing in our local water has been first class this past month, and we can expect it to continue into the winter months. Rug up and get out there because you won’t catch them sitting at home.

Frosty mornings provide great opportunities BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

Fishing during the winter months is not easy, with very cold starts to the day, sub-zero temperatures, and frostbite on the toes and fingers. Plus, you can have a runny nose with snot starting to freeze on the end of your nose. It sounds like great fun doesn’t it! But then the sun comes out and how good does it feel, with the sun starting to thaw out every bone in your body. You also have the anticipation that the next cast may produce that PB that you have been chasing the whole season. That’s why we anglers do it. There’s the thrill of the chase and the locations we do it in, and we love it. At this stage rainfall in 94

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the region has been below average for the last couple of months. Hopefully we will see an increase in the amount of rainfall this month and our local impoundments may

receive some minimal inflows. LAKE EPPALOCK Water levels have finally started to stabilise, with water releases being reduced because of the end of the irrigation

season. Water clarity is still very good around the majority of Lake Eppalock. Redfin are still making up the majority of anglers’ catch rates. Locating a good school

Large Murray cod like this one can be the reward for hard work fishing during the winter months.

of redfin is not easy at the present time. However, if you do manage to find that good concentration of redfin you can manage some good numbers of fish and reasonable sizes. I recently had a great day on the water with my father at Lake Eppalock. We managed to find a great concentration of redfin and caught fantastic numbers of fish weighing up to 1.2kg. In the best session we both got a fish every cast for over three hours straight. The day’s fishing was so good that my 79-year-old father ended up with a sore back. We caught all the redfin casting and retrieving soft plastics and soft vibes, hopping them along the bottom in the depth ranges between 8-11m of water. Small numbers of golden perch are still being caught at this location, and the most productive golden perch fishing has been around

the trees. Casting lipless crankbaits and letting them drop to the depth range of 5m+ and then slowly retrieving them back to the boat has been working well. Slow rolling soft plastics up and down the trees has been a good technique too. CAMPASPE RIVER Water clarity is currently very good in the Campaspe River. Small numbers of Murray cod and golden perch are currently being caught in this system. Good lure options for the Murray cod have been surface lures and swimbaits during reduced light periods. Large lipless crankbaits have also been producing some nice Murray cod. The most productive lure options for the golden perch have been lipless crankbaits and mediumsized hardbody lures. I prefer to fish the deeper To page 95

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Sit in the sun, wait for the bite WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

As someone who really struggles with the hot weather, I find myself enjoying winter fishing more

be very slow, especially for lure fishing. If I was heading out targeting Murray cod with lures in July in the Ovens River catchment, I would be heading to Lake Buffalo. Lake Buffalo has been stocked with

Wangaratta where I found that patience paid off. Sometimes I would sit on the bank of the river for 4-5 hours, and would often catch a Murray cod or two using cheese for bait. The cod fishing wasn’t red hot, but I found that if I sat for

Dartmouth, a couple of hours to the east. Lake William Hovell is not known for its trophy trout, however small trout are abundant and can often be caught in the winter months. Trolling a winged lure such as a Tasmanian Devil is a very popular and productive technique. Then there are the Family Friendly trout fisheries – the small ponds that are stocked with yearling rainbow trout in time for the July school holidays every year. In the Ovens River catchment we have Stanley Dam (Stanley), Lake Sambell (Beechworth), Merriwa Park Lake (Wangaratta), Tronoh Dredge (Harrietville) and

Bait fishing for carp is one of my favourite forms of winter fishing. catch and are usually targeted only by the serious redfin angler who really knows what they are doing. These are the anglers who often catch the big winter redfin, while everyone else can’t get a bite! Unless you are a seriously dedicated redfin angler, the type of person who’s probably

Lake William Hovell is a great winter trout fishery. and more as I get older. Although I enjoy the great array of fishing options available in summer, I love the player comfort level offered in the winter months. Sitting in the sun watching my rods waiting for a bite, and if you know where to go, there are quite a few great fishing options around during the depths of winter. MURRAY COD Many people believe that winter is a great time to fish for big Murray cod, and this may well be true in areas with modified water flows, but here in the Ovens River catchment the Murray cod fishing can From page 94

sections of the Campaspe River at this time of the year. If you are walking the banks, try to find a deep hole, usually on the outside of a bend in the river, as this will often hold good concentrations of bait as well as some larger fish. The deeper sections of the river upstream of the weir at Elmore and Rochester are good options. CAIRN CURRAN The fishing in Cairn Curran has remained good for this time of year. The numbers of fish have not been large, but there has been a good mixture of species being caught. Small numbers of trout have been caught at this location over the last couple of weeks. Trolling small hardbody lures and winged-style lures have been the best options on the trout. Locating redfin has not been easy but some reasonable numbers are still being caught by those anglers who are putting

Murray cod in recent years and is beginning to come to fruition as a mini version of Lake Eildon. More and more cod are being caught up there, and impoundments tend to fish better for cod than wild flowing rivers during the depths of winter. In saying that, last winter I had quite a bit of Murray cod fishing success in the Wangaratta area, but all on bait. Nothing on lures. Thanks to the 2020 second Victorian lockdown, I was still able to go fishing but had to stay close to home and wear a mask. Because of this I spent a LOT of time bait fishing in

long enough, and was patient enough, eventually the elusive Ovens River winter Murray cod would come along in the ice-cold water. This year I plan on using the same techniques, regardless of whether we are in lockdown or not. TROUT Winter trout fishing is restricted to lakes as the streams are closed for spawning season. Thankfully we have plenty of lakes to choose from. If you are after wild trout, Lake William Hovell is the place to head in the Ovens River catchment. The most popular winter trout fishing lake in the region is easily Lake

in the time to find a good concentration of fish. Bait fishing with worms and small yabbies and shrimp (if you can get them) has been working well. Casting soft plastics and hopping them across the bottom has also been producing some redfin. For those anglers chasing golden perch along the banks, the fishing has been slow. The most productive areas for the goldens have been around the standing timber. Casting swimbaits and large spinnerbaits for the resident Murray cod is a good tactic. Trolling large hardbody lures at this location is also a good option. You may be surprised at what you stir up. LODDON RIVER The water clarity was very variable in the Loddon River this season due to irrigation releases and a couple of significant summer rainfall events. However, the water clarity has now settled and it has become a good option again. Small numbers of

Murray cod have been caught at this location, with surface lures and swimbaits producing some nice fish. Large spinnerbaits and large lipless crankbaits are a good option at this time of the year. Trolling the deeper pools with hardbody lures also works well. Fishing along the edges of the weed beds with hardbody lures and lipless crankbaits has been the most productive option for the golden perch at this location. The secret to fishing for natives at this time of the year is to be patient and keep your retrieval speeds slow. Don’t be afraid to vary your retrieve speeds in order to stir up a fish into striking, but don’t fall into the trap of trying too hard and inevitably winding your lure too fast. Make sure you put in enough casts in order to get the fish’s attention. Cold water temperatures combined with the slower metabolism of the fish will often mean double the amount of presentations you may have to put into an area.

Holly Alexander with an undersized crayfish caught last winter on a fishing rod with a bunch of worms targeting finned fish. the Glenrowan Recreation Reserve at Glenrowan. These small waterways are stocked with hundreds of pan-sized rainbow trout each winter and provide hours of entertainment for kids on school holidays. It is not only kids that benefit from these small waterways, so too do many disabled people. Whether it be physically or mentally disabled, those with disabilities really benefit from these wonderful small fisheries. REDFIN July is not a great month to target redfin in the Ovens River catchment. Redfin do get caught, usually in Lake Buffalo or Lake William Hovell, but not in great numbers. They are not easy to

catchment. They are stocked into the Ovens River and a few of the smaller waterways, and are not subject to any official season, however they tend to just switch right off when the water is really cold – and July is the coldest month of the year here in Wangaratta. CARP Winter carp fishing is one of my favourite forms of fishing. I love sitting on the bank of a shallow lagoon, in the sun, rugged up and watching my rods, waiting for a bite. Lake Moodemere is probably one of my favourite winter fishing destinations, although I also love fishing in many of the lagoons that line the lower Ovens River. I find bait fishing with corn, early in the morning seems to work the best. Although I have caught carp on foggy and overcast days, during the depths of winter I find that having the sun on the water really helps. CRAYFISH The Murray cray fishing season is still open all of July,

A massive crayfish caught last winter. It was over the maximum size limit and returned to the water. not looking to my report for guidance, I would suggest you focus on trout in July. YELLOWBELLY July is possibly the worst month of the year to catch a yellowbelly in the Ovens River

A typical sized rainbow trout stocked under the Family Friendly fisheries program.

and is a very popular past time in North East Victoria. Murray crayfish are subject to very strict rules and regulations with regard to size limits, bag limits, possession limits, net requirements and so on, and I strongly urge anybody going cray fishing to ensure that you are up to speed with all of the rules before you head out. Locations to go cray fishing vary from year to year and are subject to weather conditions. Some tracks become slippery, some get locked and the spot you caught crayfish last year might be flowing too hard to put a net in this year. The best thing to do is keep an eye on the weather and the river levels, and plan your trip accordingly. JULY 2021

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Top winter trout fishing BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Angers who have braved the elements over the past month have certainly been blessed with some awesome winter trout fishing around the Central Highlands Region of Victoria. I can’t remember the fishing being

win-win for anglers. I have said over the past few months that Tullaroop Reservoir would be one of the top winter fisheries, and it has certainly not let me down. Anglers have been reporting excellent catches of both rainbow and brown trout. They are being caught from both boats and from the shore, with all angling

Gordo said it was the result of putting in the hard yards and covering plenty of miles by foot to catch them. I’ve had a couple of days where I couldn’t do a thing wrong and other days where I never got a sniff, but that’s the luck of the draw. Some days the fish are up and about, while other days you will hardly see one. I walk the shoreline watching and waiting for the fish to feed on smelt, and as soon as I see one, I get my flies out as fast as possible – hopefully in the right direction. They are bloody frustrating. They move so quickly, smashing through the schools of smelt but if you get your flies in the right spot, they are willing to eat them most of the time (at other times not even a look).

A Newlyn Reservoir smelting brown trout caught by Tom Jarman. Image courtesy of Tom Jarman.

Gordo Dow having a purple patch at Tullaroop Reservoir, landing a 5lb smelt feeding rainbow trout on a damsel fly pattern. Image courtesy of Gordon Dow. so good at this time of the year. It will probably taper off when we hit the middle of winter and the trout have changed their focus from feeding to spawning, but there is an old saying – make hay while the sun shines. I also believe the

methods rewarding the anglers. Don’t expect to head to Tullaroop and catch a bag full of fish though; you still must put in the hard yards to reap the results. On some of my trips I’ve had the opportunity to catch them, but luck hasn’t been on my side. It’s a matter of

Paul ‘Fossil’ Walker nailed this 57cm Lake Wendouree brown trout casting a Bent Minnow type lure, under the watchful eye of the master Trevor Holmes. Image courtesy of Trevor Holmes. the outside of the weed beds. On one of their most recent trips, Devon nailed a magnificent 62cm, 6lb buck brown trout trolling a

Daiwa Double Clutch lure which certainly gave him a run for his money. Tristan was looking like having a donut until he decided to

cast Bent Minnow lures along the outside of some of the weed beds which are scattered along most shorelines nowadays. He worked a weed bed with the Bent when a healthy brown trout came out and engulfed the lure, to save the day. Tristan said this method has worked well for him over the past couple of years. I have had reports from other anglers who have been fishing baits from the shore catching some very nice rainbow trout up to 5lb. The baits they have been using are scrub worms, PowerBait, salted whitebait or bluebait, and also mudeyes under a float. I expect Tullaroop to fish well now right through until late November early December for trout. Hopefully we’ll get plenty of rain and the water will come up over fresh ground again like last spring. Lake Wendouree has been a little on the quiet side, with not many reports filtering through. This To page 97

Moorabool Reservoir produced the goods once again for Geoff Cramer, landing a lovely 2kg+ rainbow trout on a Bent Minnow style lure. excellent fishing we are having is due to the fish stockings and the stocking strategy that is in place by Victorian Fishing Authority as part of the Target One Million campaign. The amount of extra fish stocked into our waterways is a 96

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making the most of every opportunity that is on offer. Gordon Dow from Bendigo, who regularly fishes Tullaroop, has been having a purple patch recently, landing some excellent rainbow to 5lb and brown trout to 6lb on the fly.

Devon Lock and cousin Tristan Lock have been catching some quality brown trout lately, trolling lures from their kayaks at Tullaroop. The boys have been trolling hardbodied lures in around 4m of water or casting surface lures along

Devon Lock snagged this ripper 62cm, 6lb brown trout trolling a Daiwa Double Clutch from his kayak at Tullaroop Reservoir. Image courtesy of Devon Lock.

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Working hard for the bites this chilly season SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

It seems like déjà vu – another lockdown in regional Victoria. Luckily this time it was only a short one, and fingers crossed it’s the last one. Those who had a waterway within 5km could still go fishing as part of daily exercise. Many people chose not to, but those who managed to get out before, after and during the lockdown period for a fish found the fishing very average. The cooler months are a struggle locally, and you have to work super hard for a bite, and that can turn off people from fishing both the Goulburn and Broken rivers.

Bait fishers are starting to notice their baits are being moved around by crayfish, so at least that’s a positive for the winter months, and that’s the opportunity to catch some crays. If you’re chasing a feed of crayfish, the main areas are downstream of Nagambie to about Toolamba. These areas have always produced goods amounts of crayfish. There are some deep bends in the heart of Shepparton, and if you’re looking for a quick, easy spot to cray you may stumble onto a patch of keepers, but there are plenty of smaller ones closer to town. Make sure you’re up to date with all the rules and regulations with the cray fishing season now here. KIALLA LAKES Fishing Kialla Lakes

in winter can be very frustrating for those chasing yellowbelly; the fish just seem to fully shut down in the cooler months. There will be the odd redfin caught on lures but it’s mostly only reports of carp on the edges using bait. If you want to chase a redfin or yellowbelly, I would be fishing very slow and with a lot of vibration or flash. TN60 Jackalls or a Bassman TW or Compact spinnerbait would be my choice, and I would be fishing the sand bars or rocky banks when the sun has tried to bake them all day. Hopefully, you’ll find a little pocket of warmer water. SHEPPARTON LAKE There have still been some good trout getting caught in Lake Victoria, with a few up around

From page 96

is normal for this time of the year – especially given how inclement the weather can be around Ballarat. Sometimes only the hardiest of anglers will head out fishing, but rewards are there for those who hit the water. Trevor Holmes, the old master who is well recognised in the fishing circles, now a resident of area, took one of his old fishing mates Paul ‘Fossil’ Walker out on Wendouree recently. The boys drifted around the weed beds casting surface lures. They had a couple of lookers at the lures, and then a ripper brown of 57cm decided to eat Fossil’s lure. After a bit of to and fro the brown was landed, and a couple of quick pics he was off on his way. Old Fossil was one very happy man. Wendouree will reward those anglers who are prepared to put in the yards over the next few months, and bright coloured flies or lures are my suggestions. Newlyn Reservoir is another one of our magnificent fisheries that is currently producing the goods. The fish have smelt on the menu like other waters around the district at the moment. Tom Jarman, one of the country’s best fly fishers, has been catching some very nice-sized brown trout, fly fishing for these smelt feeders. Tom said it’s a matter of being there when they are on the job, putting your flies in front of the feeding fish. Getting them to eat it isn’t always easy, so perseverance is the key. The weather can play a big part in whether the fish are smashing through the smelt or not. Generally

40-50cm being caught while casting small hardbodies and small soft plastics. Little Rapala minnows and similar have been accounting for a bigger class of fish, while soft plastics are good for getting numbers. First light and last light into the evening are the best times to get onto a few trout. Redfin are being caught while fishing soft plastics along the top of the weed and up to 30cm below. Small soft plastics like the 2.5” Bait Junkie minnows are a good lures to try if you’re looking for a few redfin. If the fishing is slow, try dressing up your plastic by rigging it on an underspin jighead or by attaching a beetle spin to the front of your jighead. This really gets the redfin going. Josh from the Native Project fished Lake Victoria

recently and caught some nice trout on soft plastics, including a solid rainbow he caught on a Strike Tiger soft plastic. WARANGA BASIN Waranga Basin is fishing OK with some alright numbers of redfin getting caught. Most are on the smaller side but there are some bigger models amongst them. There are still some more great reports flowing through of big trout getting caught at the basin while fishing for redfin and casting small trout minnows. With the cold days we’ve been having, it isn’t unheard of to have a trout come along and hit a trolled lure like a size 3 StumpJumper or 50mm RMG Poltergeist in the 3m diver. Casting small minnow lures from the bank like a Balista Trance or Bullet lure isn’t

a bad way to try and target the trout that we’ve seen getting caught at Waranga. LOCAL CHANNELS For those fishing their local channels, there are plenty of carp around to keep the kids busy. Soaking worms or a bit of corn fished with a light sinker is a great way of getting onto a few carp out of the local channels. There are still some yellowbelly to be caught around the bridges and drop bars in most channels from Rushworth to Murchison. Plastics rigged with a beetle spin, along with other reaction baits like small spinnerbaits, are a good way of finding a few fish. Small hardbodies and square bill crankbaits are also great lures to work in the channels because they dive fairly shallow but have a great action.

have to find those clear pockets of water and wait for the fish to go charging through the schools of smelt. Be prepared to walk the shorelines in search of these feeding fish. Rod Allen, an expat Victorian, was down in the area for a few days recently and decided to fish Hepburn, which produced the goods for Rod. He landed a ripper of a brown trout on a Black Zonker fly pattern. Hepburn can be a challenge to fish, but the rewards are there for the guys who are prepared to put in the time and effort.

Bostock Reservoir, a quick 20-minute drive from Ballarat, has been producing some lovely rainbow trout on lures. A lot of anglers who chase trout overlook Bostock; they instead prefer to head to Moorabool Reservoir, only a short drive away. Bostock is annually stocked by Fisheries with brown and rainbow trout and is well worth a look as Paul Kwiecinski can attest. On a recent trip to Bostock, Paul was casting Daiwa Double Clutch lures around the deeper areas along the pines located on the southwestern

shoreline when his lure got absolutely smashed by a beast of a rainbow trout that pulled the scales down to 3kg. Paul wasn’t finished there, going on to land a smaller model of 3lb. Bostock is definitely worth putting on your radar for a trip, as I believe it is a very underfished fishery. Moorabool Reservoir has been producing the goods consistently throughout the year, and it’s continuing to fish well. The water level has slowly started to rise which has given us more fishable water over the exposed weed beds. The trout are feeding on smelt as well, in the shallows and out in the deeper water. It’s a matter of finding a fish within casting range, whether you fly fish or cast lures. Geoff Cramer and I recently headed out for a fish at Moorabool casting lures. We found a couple of fish working in a particular area, feeding in close at times and then out too far. It was just a matter of persisting, casting our lures around where the fish were feeding. Geoff was lucky enough to nail a ripper rainbow of a 2kg on a Bent Minnow type lure. The rainbow certainly had some tow, stripping lots of line off the reel a number of times before being landed. A couple of happy snaps and off she went on her way. I have spoken to a number of bait fishers who have reported catching some lovely rainbows varying in size from 1-2kg on PowerBait fished on the bottom with a running sinker rig. They say that patience is the key.

Paul Kwiecinski caught this horse of a rainbow trout casting a Daiwa Double Clutch lure at Bostock reservoir. Image courtesy of Paul Kwiecinski. the overcast days are the best, but I have been out on bright blue sky days and the fish have been chasing the smelt everywhere. Newlyn should fish well in the coming months. As mentioned, over the past few months the water level has been a lot higher than normal, which has created more fishable water which is generally covered in weed.

Fly fishers and anglers casting lures should catch the majority of fish, but if you sit a mudeye under a float it could get eaten as well. Hepburn Lagoon, a short distance away from Newlyn, has seen plenty of trout, both rainbows and browns feeding on smelt. Hepburn is a lot harder to fish at the moment, as the weed is a bit problem. You really

Rod Allen snagged this ripper brown trout from Hepburn Lagoon, while fly fishing using a Black Zonker fly pattern. Image courtesy of Rod Allen.

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Fish keeping anglers busy at Purrumbete CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

Fellow fishing friend Daniel Kent from Apollo Bay paid an annual visit to Lake Purrumbete recently, and this time he brought with him his young son, 8-year-old Jarvis. Jarvis landed a stonker brown along with his dad and others who tagged along for the trip. According to Daniel, the fish are certainly on and responding to hardbodied minnow lures worked along the shoreline weed beds. Shallow to medium divers are all that’s needed, with plenty of pauses between twitches to entice the fish into biting. Because the boys were fairly busy catching big browns along with the odd sizeable redfin, the poor weather conditions barely fazed them. The guys arrived late

in the week, and stayed until Sunday morning and fished hard except for when a particular blowy patch of wind hit. Even the hardiest

of anglers have to pull the pin at some stage. Local angler Ken Carmen has been busy fishing out of his kayak

using Fish Arrow soft plastics, including 3” minnow paddle tails and shads. Ken has been gathering plenty of

Fish Arrow soft plastics work well at depth on a given day. Purrumbete’s redfin often crawl over plastics like these.

schooled-up redfin by jigging at depth along with many other boaters as well as landing big brown trout to 3.5kg. Some magnificently coloured brown trout continue to fall to hardbodied minnows as well as soft plastics fished closer to the surface, rather than on the bottom in three of our local rivers. The upper reaches of the Merri, Hopkins and the deeper pools in the Mount Emu Creek are holding some thumping, wild browns. Any stretch that is surrounded by bushland rather than farmland are the stretches of water to work. In actual fact, the snaggier the water, the better. Just don’t get hung up. The trick is be prepared to wade and get wet. Overhanging bankside vegetation is a good place to start. And don’t forget to keep a low profile. Stealth plays a major part in enticing

one of these beauties into striking. I’ve received quite a few reports from Lake Bullen Merri, but many anglers have stated that the fishing has been very hit and miss. Plenty of Chinook and rainbow trout averaging around 50cm and very fat in the girth have fallen to both bank and boat anglers alike. Static fishing live minnows, PowerBait and cut pilchard, either under a bubble float or on the bottom, has seen a few fish taken. Trolling medium to deep diving lures such as stick baits or Lofty’s Cobra style winged lures in depths around 6-8m has also nailed a few fish. The current gossip is, is if you catch one or two fish in a session, you’ve done well but as both air and water temperatures continue to drop, the fishing should really fire up.

Alternatives to trout WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton

steve@habitatcreations.com.au

The stream trout season is now well and truly closed and will re-open on the first weekend of September. The forced restrictions combined with good rainfall across West and South Gippsland in early autumn will hopefully mean a good spawning season ahead. Stream trout are not stocked in this region, with populations relying solely on natural spawning. Freshwater anglers should not despair as there are still options locally for the coming months. For those who enjoy being out on the streams of West and South Gippsland, blackfish and eel are good winter options. If winter stream fishing is not your thing, then Blue Rock Lake will whet your winter appetite with Australian bass and lake trout on offer. River blackfish are

often overlooked as a target species in our streams, but the younger anglers are discovering the joy of chasing this unique Australian native freshwater fish. Short-finned and long-finned eel are other overlooked and intriguing species; both a lot of fun on light gear. All are good alternatives when the stream trout season has come to an end for another season. Blackfish and eel are best targeted on dusk and well into the night so be prepared by rugging up; the hunt for these night-time active species certainly requires a sense of adventure. Whilst they are active feeders at night, these species can be caught during the day, particularly in darker waters. The key spots to look for along any stream are dark slow-moving water or deep holes which provide blackfish and eel the perfect habitat to snare their prey. They are ambush predators and can take their time before seizing a wellpresented live bait. From time to time, blackfish have been known

to take lures but that’s quite uncommon. Worms are by far the best bait and are best fished using a small hook (sizes 4-10 are typical) on a small running sinker to hold the bottom. If the water is moving very slow or you are fishing a backwater or eddy, then a ball float suspending a bait off the bottom is also a good basic technique, and reduces the risk of sinker and line being snared on underwater snags. Key rivers holding blackfish and eel include the larger downstream runs of the Lang Lang, Bass, Bunyip, Tarago and Latrobe rivers. Heading further east and into a bit more rugged country, the downstream runs of the Tanjil and Thomson rivers offer some good-sized nighttime native fish. The season for river blackfish south of the Great Divide closes on 1 September and re-opens on 31 December. There is no season on eel. Blue Rock over winter is the best time of year for surface trout activity. The lake is at capacity so trout

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Regular correspondent Dan Moore enjoyed some good sessions on the Tanjil River before trout season closed. All fish were released to spawn for another day. will be coming in close to the shoreline cruising for a feed. Brown trout are most common but rainbow trout are out in the lake too, although they’re few and far between. If you’re heading out in the kayak or boat, flat-line trolling is the way to go. From the bank, casting lures, flies or a live bait out is a nice way to pass the time. Blue Rock is also producing lots of winter bass and redfin but be prepared for high-action days and irritatingly quiet days. At this time of the year they switch on and off

very quickly which can be terribly frustrating. Anglers are doing well sounding up big schools of both bass and redfin out in the lake anywhere from 3-10m deep. Target fish using ice jigs, soft plastics and live worms. At this time of the year the fish are holding tight so they’re not as easily spooked when dropping down a line. The best technique is to hold position over or near a school of fish. Boats fitted with an electric motor with spot anchor, or kayakers with a pedal-operated system, can easily achieve holding position and should have a

good session providing the fish are biting. Those anglers unable to hold position can troll deeper diving lures through a school. In any case you will need a depth sounder to help locate the fish and take out the guesswork. Feel free to send me a report or photo, particularly if you have any success stories out on Blue Rock Lake since the restrictions have lifted, or if you have been targeting winter blackfish and eel. Please email me any questions too. Happy fishing!

VIC

Lake Eildon Fishing Challenge EILDON

Peter Burtchell

Under the most arduous conditions, 244 keen anglers descended upon Lake Eildon to experience one of

trout, trout and more trout be the first fish to hit the score board, as large schools were already gathering in the main arms of the lake, eagerly awaiting their spawning runs. Jamye-Hawthorn Smith, the 2019 winner for

the longest trout, was soon on the leader board again with a quality 59cm brown trout that ultimately secured her Adult Longest Trout category win. Archie Clark, the competition’s junior

Young Boof with a nice healthy competition catch. Victoria’s premier charity fishing competitions, the Lake Eildon Fishing Challenge. Hosted by the Jerusalem Creek Marina and Holiday Park and supported by regular anglers from far and wide, the competition raises funds for charities, with this year’s beneficiary again being Variety Australia. The competition began at 2pm on Friday 14 May, with fishing allowed up until 11am Sunday 16 May. The forecasted plummeting temperatures along with a rain front did not deter the regulars from entering the competition, as the organisers always have purpose-built firepits and ample wood on hand. It was no surprise to see

ambassador (who is also a junior ambassador for Alvey, Got 8 Lures and Obsession Spinnerbaits) took out the junior category for both trout and redfin. At only 8 years old, Archie also assisted with the competition’s safety briefs and gave some insights into where the fish would be schooling after his successful first day’s fishing. Archie was using an Alvey baitcaster combo. The number of junior anglers competing in the Challenge has been steadily increasing, and this year a record of 17 juniors battled it out and were rewarded with some great catches and prizes. One Murray Cod did hit the scoreboard on Day One, and it was only a matter of time before a metre plus fish was tabled from the overnight bait fishing sessions from both the Goulburn River headwaters and, as usual, from the rear deck of the Boatels, where the first day’s post-fishing parties were in full swing. The native golden perch had truly shut down due to the cold weather, with just

Archie Clark, winner of the Junior Trout Category. The organisers thank every competitor who braved the elements, as well as Archie for his safety brief followed by Central Vic Lure Casters President Shane Melrose’s charity auctioneering skill, and finally Australian Fishing Network’s Bill Classon’s and Mick Caufield’s competition winners presentations that made the event a truly memorable one. The organisers will spend the remainder of the year thanking and promoting the many sponsors that make the annual event possible. To keep up to date with all of the Lake Eildon Fishing Challenge Sponsor posts and details of the

2022 event, simply visit lakeeildonfishingchallenge. com or look up ‘Lake Eildon Fishing Challenge’ on Facebook. • Jerusalem Creek Marina & Holiday Park is a friendly, family-orientated caravan park, and makes the perfect home away from home. While there you can opt to hire one of their Boatel floating apartments, hire a boat or book a fishing guide at competitive prices. For more information on all of these services and other attractions in the area, visit jerusalemcreek. com.au, or give them a call on (03) 5774 2585 or email i n f o @ j e r u s a l e m c re e k . com.au.

John Cahill was amongst the action leading up to the finish time.

Jayme Hawthorne-Smith, back-to-back winner of the Longest Trout category.

two caught and released. In total there were 144 fish recorded for the event: 93 trout, 25 Murray cod, two golden perch, 22 redfin and the remainder being carp. The competition results were: Murray cod – 1st Bailey Sobol (104cm), 2nd Zac Forster (93cm), 3rd Troy Maker (91cm). Golden perch – 1st Mikayla Callahan (41cm); Trout – 1st Jayme-Hawthorne Smith (59cm), 2nd Rod Groaters – (49cm), 3rd Jayme-Hawthorne Smith – (46cm), redfin – 1st Shaun Eva - 43cm, 2nd Bianca Sinsheimer – (41cm). Juniors: Murray cod –Teagan Kimmel (48cm), trout – Archie Clark (43cm), carp – Luke Stanes (54cm).

Relax and enjoy delicious food and warm hospitality.

Open for breakfast from 6am 7 days a week (Closed Mother’s Day)

Coffee Light meals Pastries Cakes Bread 10 Main St, Eildon Victoria 3713 03 5774 2362 0438 881 629 JULY 2021

Layer up for winter success WIRF

Cara Cummings

Winter certainly doesn’t slow down fishing on the freshwater front. We Victorian’s just need to remember to layer up for those extra chilly sub zero morning and nights. When you land that fish of a lifetime though, it makes the winter fishing all worth the while! LAKE EILDON FISHING CHALLENGE WIRF member Jayme Hawthorne-Smith returned

arm’, where we started trolling along a rock wall. I caught my first trout at 3.45pm, which measured 46cm, this was also the very first fish entered for the competition, which meant I won a spinnerbait and a fishing shirt! “For the rest of the afternoon, we persisted in the same area, landing 3 more fish between 33cm and 37cm. We fished until dark and then went back to camp and got ourselves ready for a wet Saturday on the water. “Saturday, we focussed on the same area that we

Albert Park Family Day was a huge success. to this year’s competition to defend her winning 2019 title, and that she did! Here is her story... “This year I fished the event with my fiancé Nelson in our boat. Our main target were trout. In 2019, I was lucky enough to win the trout division of the challenge with a 60cm brown trout. “We arrived at Jerusalem Creek a couple of hours before the start of the competition and set up camp. The competition started at 2pm and we made our way to the ‘big river

had fished Friday. We put in a big day on the boat fishing from 7.30am to 5.30pm. We landed a further 4 trout with the largest being another 46cm trout caught by my Fiancé Nelson. “After the day’s fishing, we went back to the 501 cafe and discovered that we were sitting in both second and third place for our two 46cm trout. We knew we’d have to pull off something special to get the win. Sunday morning came and we hit the water before first light. Everything came together for us and we caught

3 trout within our first 15 minutes of fishing! The first two were average sized fish and then out of nowhere we hooked up! It was on my rod, so we quickly got into gear and Nelson cleared the lines nearest to the fish. It was coming in a bit strange, but we could tell it was a bigger fish than the others we had already caught. As the fish came near the boat, we were able to get her in the net first go. With a bit of shouting and ‘yahooing’, we knew this trout was special and a possibility to be the winning fish. The Balista Trigger had pinned it perfectly and after a measurement of 59cm we sent off the photo to the competition judges and kept on fishing, trying not to dwell on the idea we could have the winning fish in the boat. Given it was only 7.30am, we still had half a day’s fishing to think about whether it’d be enough or if someone else would top it. “After the initial bite window and those three first fish, it went quiet and we were only able to land one more fish for the day. We finished fishing just before the 11am cut off time and headed back in to get ready for the 12 o’clock presentation. “We got to the cafe and after chatting with a few of the organisers we had high hopes that I had potentially won the competition with my 59cm trout. The presentation took place, and I was lucky enough to take out 1st place with the 59cm fish as well as 3rd place for the 46cm trout I’d caught on the Friday. It was a pretty awesome moment, as I was the first person to win the event back to back! Nelson ended up in 4th position with his 46cm Trout. I won some great prizes with the prize packs put together from a variety of sponsors

including; Jerusalem Creek Marina and Holiday park, Spotters, Dinolures, Viva Fishing, Gillies and Rapala. “It was an awesome weekend away camping and fishing. Even though the weather was cold and a bit wet at times, the trout were fired up and we were lucky enough to find a great patch of fish. We ended up landing 12 fish over the course of the event measuring from 33cm up to the winning 59cm fish.” ALBERT PARK FAMILY DAY The Albert Park Yachting and Angling Club ran a land-based family fishing day where existing and new members were encouraged to attend for a fun day out. One of our very own WIRF Leader’s – Chantal Meehan,

The inaugural Albert Park Family Day attracted all levels of fishing enthusiasts.

WIRF Leader Michelle Brittain caught one of the prettiest (and tastiest) fish – a butterfly gurnard. 100

JULY 2021

Jayme had a great day at the Eildon Fishing Challenge.

is a member of the club and was a key organiser of the event, recaps on the day… “It was a beautiful day to be fishing at the Albert Park Lake, where our club was grateful to have the Victorian Fisheries Authority on board to stock the lake with 140 catchable size rainbow trout from their Snobs Creek hatchery. Our inaugural event was highlighted by the smiles on the kids’ faces, as they all helped with stocking the lake and then competed to catch fish. “The primary purpose of the day was to encourage more social members to go fishing, given all our other competitions are on the bay, it makes it hard to join in if you don’t have access to

a boat. We had around 45 attendees and with the lovely sunshine, we even had a few passers-by stop when we were stocking the lake. This was one of our biggest competitions in terms of participants and was brilliant to see the kids involved! “This event is now a firm fixture on our fishing calendar.” If you would like any further information on the club or would like to join, please head to their website www.apyac.org.au MEMBERS BRAG MAT Kate Norman landed herself a fish of a lifetime whilst out fishing solo. What an achievement it was landing this beautiful one meter Murray cod! “What started off as a quick last minute night fish at Mulwala will be a fishing session I will always remember. With the weather forecast showing that I was in for a chilly night, I was ready to set out on my own for a solo trip. My partner however didn’t want to miss out, so he jumped in with me after he finished work. We hadn’t been fishing long and I landed a nice healthy 84cm cod. We were both excited, took some photos and released the fish. Brendon then had to leave because it was getting late and he had to work early in the morning. I decided to stay out a bit longer on my own as the wind had settled and conditions were perfect. Within 15 minutes of dropping him off at his car I had hooked my second cod for the night. As soon as the fish hit my lure and started to fight, I knew it was a good one, I remained fairly calm until I got it right up next to the boat. Getting that solid fish into the net on my own and then into the boat was an effort in

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

INTUITIVE CONTROL itself! I think the whole of Mulwala would have heard my cheering once I had it on the deck. I took a few quick photos and then release it back into the water. As I was holding it next to the boat, I noticed something at the back of its mouth. It had an entire bird wing in there! As it swam off it splashed and spat the wing out. “They are such an amazing and powerful fish. I will always remember the feeling of watching that fish swim away, a moment I will

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

INTUITIVE CONTROL

Kate was delighted with her first ‘metre-y’ monster cod.

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JULY 2021

101

No need to travel 400km for a 5kg flathead is no evidence of problems with yanks in terms of sustainability. As they are now virtually a recreational species in Port Phillip and Western Port bays, what’s in question is whether anglers are content to view them as a larger version of sand flathead, rarely exceeding 1kg in size. Or, while continuing to take them under lower catch limits, are anglers prepared

VICTORIA

Ross Winstanley

As commercial net fishing winds up in Port Phillip, the prospects of a flathead of 5kg or more are rising. Yank or southern bluespotted flathead can grow to 90cm and 8kg, and it’s not long ago that 5kg and 6kg yanks were weighed in at a local fishing tournament. Encouragingly, a national record for a speared 4.2kg yank from the bay was confirmed just months ago. Flathead of such calibre are the ‘hook’ for much of the regionally important tourism industry in East Gippsland where dusky flathead lure Melbourne anglers to plan their holidays around waters 450km away, as far as Mallacoota, or even further up the East Coast. On

Fig.1 Lengths of 732 yanks caught under the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s Angler Diary program. 60+cm yanks. Fig.1 shows the lengths of 732 yanks caught under the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s Angler Diary program. Most were between 30-50cm long, which a Tasmanian study suggests

This promises to add an exciting dimension to fishing in the Bay. Even at sizes of 40-60cm, yanks have long been a welcome bonus to any angler’s catch and a regular target for spearfishers.

A Ta s m a n i a n University study shows that, initially, yanks grow rapidly, with both sexes reaching 30-40cm in three years. At that stage male growth begins to plateau with few exceeding 50cm and 1kg, while females can reach 90cm and 8kg. They begin to mature when around 35cm, at ages 2-3 years. Almost all yanks are sexually mature at 40cm and four years of age. The management implications of the rapid early growth is that both sexes can be taken before they have had a chance to spawn. A 40cm minimum size would be needed to allow most yanks to reproduce at least once before being taken. Judging from the lengths shown in the graph, most yanks caught in the bay are less than five years old, although both sexes can live beyond 16 years. Large older mature females are extremely scarce. In Victorian bays there

This 5.5kg yank came from Tasmania’s west coast. Photo courtesy of Geoff Wilson.

This record speared yank flathead measured 81cm, weighed 4.2kg and was aged at 14 years. Photo courtesy of Jordan Hill. Tasmania’s north coast, what started as a ‘niche’ fishery for large flathead, mainly among local lure anglers, has grown to the point of being a popular, well regulated recreational fishery. Now there’s a real prospect of flathead fishing that goes well beyond ‘frogs’ and into ‘crocs’ territory, right here in the bay. HOW COME? Decades of fishing pressure in the bay have thinned out the ranks of 102

JULY 2021

to ‘invest’ in building the stock of 2-8kg fish? LET’S BUILD THIS FISHERY The yank stock in the bay has sustained the combined pressure of commercial and recreational fishing for more than a century, but at the cost of the larger fish. So, to accelerate the rate of recovery, there are some lessons to be learned from

are 2-7 years old. Keeping in mind yanks’ potential to reach 80cm, the lack of fish above 60cm long and the steep slope of the right hand side of the graph reflect the high death or mortality rate due, in part, to the impact of fishing. The 20-year wind-down and, now, the complete removal of a commercial net fishery taking 15-20 tonnes of yanks annually, will help to build this stock overall, and creates the opportunity to rebuild the numbers of 5-8kg fish.

STOCK STATUS AND BIOLOGY Yank flathead occur from southern WA to eastern Bass Strait, including northern Tasmania. In Victoria, they are mainly taken by angling in Port Phillip and Western Port bays, and Corner Inlet, where they are mainly caught on light reef, seagrass and sandy bottom. Studies in Tasmania and WA indicate that their main spawning period is spring/ summer in marine bays and coastal waters.

There’s a real prospect of yank flathead growing beyond 40-60cm frogs, on to 7090cm crocs in Port Phillip Bay.

elsewhere. For example, despite the removal of commercial fishing from Mallacoota Inlet in 2004, the advent of year-round targeting by TV show-inspired soft plastics anglers seems to have slowed the build-up of large dusky flathead there. While duskies have the potential to grow to 15kg, fewer than 1% of those caught there by anglers exceed the upper slot size, 55cm. In Lake Tyers fortunately, the recent increase in the numbers of duskies of above 55cm suggests that the combination of the slot size and 5/day limit are succeeding in allowing more fish to survive longer to reach larger sizes. These Mallacoota and Lake Tyers observations point to the need for effective management of fishing pressure on fish within the keepable size range, to enable enough numbers to survive to reach

Recreational catch limits should allow for a young spearo like Darcy Hill to keep one large yank. Photo courtesy of Jordan Hill. larger sizes. For another example, on Tasmania’s north coast, a lure-based ‘niche fishery’ for yank and rock flathead has developed in the past 10 years. The rising and effective targeting of super-sized fish prompted concerns about rapid depletion of the limited resource, leading anglers to ask Tasmanian authorities to intervene. A rapid research response from the University of Tasmania aided a solution that looks like a promising model for yanks in Victorian waters: a minimum length of 40cm and a daily bag limit of five of which only one can exceed 60cm, for yank and rock flathead combined. ANGLER SATISFACTION After more than 10 years of recreational-only fishing in Lake Tyers and Mallacoota Inlet, the VFA’s 2018 survey of angler satisfaction with catches of dusky flathead above the upper slot length, 55cm, found widely contrasting results. In Mallacoota Inlet where few duskies still exceed the upper slot size, 53% of anglers recorded dissatisfaction with catch rates. But in Lake Tyers, where a much larger proportion exceed 55cm, 88% of anglers who mainly fished there reported positive satisfaction levels. The lesson here is that to build anglers’ satisfaction and support for a ‘big-yank’ fishery in the bays will require a decisive change to the catch limits, in contrast to the decadelong incremental changes to dusky flathead limits in

East Gippsland. CATCH LIMITS FOR YANK FLATHEAD Consistency between catch limits for dusky flathead and yank flathead is desirable for the sake of simplicity of regulations, while managing the take of these big flathead species. However, there is one more thing to be considered – spear fishing. A rigid upper slot limit poses an unreasonable challenge for spearfishers and flounder spearers for whom yanks are a popular target species: it’s just not possible to judge which side of the limit a big fish is before

spearing it. Tasmania’s yank flathead catch limit offers a good solution by specifying a bag limit of 5/day of which one may be larger than the upper slot size. In specifying a combined catch limit for yank and rock flathead, Tasmania’s approach is also worth considering for Victoria. LET’S DO IT FOR YANKS The same flathead allure and overfishing risk factors that prompted anglers and the VFA to tighten dusky catch limits, also apply to yanks. In East Gippsland, of the 8,700 dusky flathead

measured by ‘diary anglers’ during the past 20 years, most were between two and five years old. The sparse distribution of older fish – up to 16 years old – highlighted the work to be done to restore a pool of large breeding females and photo-trophy sized fish. In response, Victoria has gradually tightened regulations to conserve the larger dusky flathead in East Gippsland. Until 2003, we could take 30 flathead (all species) above 25cm, including two above 60cm. In December 2003, the catch limit for duskies changed to 5/day of which one could be above 60cm. From 2012, the size limit changed to a strict 30-55cm slot. All this was largely driven by the VFA’s and anglers’ shared concerns about the angling pressure on very large females – the major egg producers. There is a 20-year history of angler volunteers and researchers working together to bring the management of dusky fishing to this point. The same factors critical to developing the dusky flathead fishery apply equally to yank flathead: • absence of 60-90cm mature fish, mostly females; • vulnerability to targeted angling; and • risk of localised depletion. Following from the third point is the need to protect the resource from targeted angling for illegal sale. Recently, the numbers of yanks are said to have decreased markedly along the bay shore, between Beaumaris and St Kilda, allegedly as the result of systematic targeting-forsale. The illegal market for yank flathead will only increase once commercial

Shore-casting for 70cm yanks could be as rewarding in the bay as it is in SA. Photo courtesy of Jamie Crawford.

net fishing ceases in 2022. There is some evidence that seems to confirm the continuing fish-down of fish in the 60-80cm range. Most of the Australian National Sportfishing Association’s national records for yank flathead are held by members of the Bellarine Light Game and Sport Fishing Club. The average weight of more

Tasmanian researchers and fisheries authorities responded to the challenge. In both Tasmania and Victoria, where yank and rock flathead are taken by spearfishers and flounder spearers, strict slot limits could present a real compliance challenge: how can a spear fisher gauge which side of the upper limit is the fish they are

A 2.2kg yank from the bay will put a smile on any kid’s face. Photo courtesy of Geoff Wilson. than 250 yanks recorded by the Club since 1988 is 1.57kg, with eight weighing between 3.03 and 4.25kg. However, despite continued largely catch-and-release fishing in recent years, the Club hasn’t recorded a yank heavier than 3kg since 2007. Under the present do-nothing approach it will take more than a decade to rebuild the stock of large yanks. If Victorian anglers wish to see a trophy-size yank flathead stock built up, there is no reason to delay action on regulations that offer far greater protection than we have at present. THE TASMANIAN MODEL There is a close parallel between how Victorian and Tasmanian fisheries authorities have responded to targeted angling’s threats to the stocks of large flathead. In northern Tasmania about ten years ago, catch-and keep targeting of large yank and rock flathead by lure fishers was increasing under the liberal catch limits at the time. Working with local anglers,

about to spear? Tasmania largely avoided this by allowing one fish – either a yank or a rock flathead – of above 60cm to be taken per day. In Tasmania, the key compliance issue to be overcome was anglers’ difficulties in distinguishing between yank and sand flathead. If Victoria was to follow Tasmania’s lead, setting a minimum length of 40cm, we would avoid such a problem, as a 40cm sand flathead is extremely rare in our bays. Any flathead larger than 40cm in our bays and inlets is 99% certain to be either a yank, a rock or a dusky flathead. In both states, anglers have come to regard a bag of 5/day of fish like large flathead as a very acceptable day’s take. Now that yank flathead are virtually a recreationalonly species in the bays, wouldn’t most anglers agree that allowing the continued catch of up to 20 yanks/ day, as small as 27cm, is crazy? It’s time to see how increasing the prospect of a 5kg+ yank flathead appeals to Victorian anglers. JULY 2021

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recfishwest Fisheries Minister joins Recfishwest to release 5,000 more juvenile kingies WA Fisheries Minister Don Punch has rolled up his sleeves to help Recfishwest release another 5,000 juvenile yellowtail

kingfish into the State’s metropolitan waters. As part of the ongoing metro yellowtail kingfish stocking program, Minister

Punch helped release the fish at Cockburn Power Boats Club on May 13. May’s release saw the total amount of fish

Juveniles being released as part of the metro yellowtail kingfish stocking program.

Gideon Mettam with a typical WA kingfish. NEW PRODUCT

New rods from Daiwa Two of Daiwa’s new rod releases for 2021 are the Emeraldas X and 21 Over There. Emeraldas X rods are entry-level specialist squid rods. Featuring

4.0 sizes often popular in southern states. Outfitted with Fuji anti-tangle Alconite guides, Emeraldas X rods pack plenty of punch for their price.

and performance. HSD Graphite blanks minimises weight yet enhances overall rod balance and function, while Fuji stainless steel framed Alconite guides

Daiwa’s Braiding-X blank design, these rods maintain the snappy and responsive actions required to get the most

Daiwa’s new range of Over There rods have been specifically designed for those distance-challenged anglers fishing the rocks,

ensure ultra-long casting performance and ultimate corrosion resistance. The three lightest Over There models feature

released through the project reach 30,000. A three-year commitment to stocking kingfish, pink snapper and barramundi is all part of the WA Government’s COVID-19 fishing package announced by Premier Mark McGowan last August. Recfishwest is proud to help drive new initiatives like this that can potentially open up more diverse fishing opportunities for the State’s metropolitan fishers.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how this stocking program impacts on the metro kingie fishery in the next couple of years,” Dr Rowland said. “Just like the snapper stocking program, all the juvenile kingfish reared for these releases by the DPIRD aquaculture team have their otoliths stained allowing fish from the stocking program to be identified when caught and analysed in the future. “This is new territory

in the coming years, please consider donating the filleted frames to the terrific Send Us Your Skeletons program run by DPIRD and help build a better understanding of the success of these stock enhancement activities,” he said. “In the meantime, we’ll keep cranking the handle to get more fish in the water and help protect and enhance your fishing future.” Minister Punch added: “I am sure recfishers

WA Fisheries Minister Don Punch and Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland releasing juvenile yellowtail kingfish. action out of today’s high performance squid jigs. Available in the four most popular and desired specific actions, Emeraldas X rods cover the most popular egi sizes used in Australia, from the diminutive size 2.0 through to the larger 104

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break walls, headlands and beaches. Pitch perfect for Australian anglers chasing salmon and tailor, the 21 Over There range features five models, ranging in length from 10’3” to 11’, and blank design and technologies selected for optimum casting distance

exclusive Daiwa reel seat designs while the heavier 110H/XH models feature heavy duty Fuji DPS reel seats. For more information on these and other new releases from Daiwa, visit www.daiwafishing. com.au. – FMG

With international travel restrictions in place for the foreseeable future and the challenges of a COVID world, Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said fishing was more important than ever for people’s relaxation and well-being and support for local economies.

here in WA, which is what makes it so exciting, and there is an important role here for fishers to assist in providing samples to support the science.” “The fish released today should reach legal size round late-2022,” Dr Rowland said. “So, if you are keeping metro kingies for the table

cannot wait for some of these fish to start showing up in their catch in the next few years,” he said. “Western Australians love their fishing and the industry supports local jobs while also generating an estimated $2.4 billion a year for our State’s economy.” – Zach Relph

South Coast

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

ItINTUITIVE is salmon CONTROL time ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

Water temperatures have continued to drop, and this has brought with it the species that love the colder conditions. The fishing has continued to depend on the weather. We’ve been getting the usual winter storms, but they have been interspersed with some nice, sunny, still days. One of the main targets at this time of year is, of course, the salmon. Salmon love these conditions, and have

be caught in good numbers too. The best beaches to target mulloway are 14 Mile, Rossiter and Thomas River. The fishing in town will improve now that the tanker jetty is back in operation. We are seeing big numbers of good-size herring, plenty of squid with tubes up to 40cm, lots of garfish at night, and smaller skippy off the jetty to half a kilo. The best rig has still been a no. 2 berley blob, a 1m leader, a no. 4 longshank hook and green lumo tube. You just cast and retrieve the rig like you would do with a lure. When it comes to squid

some King George whiting going 35cm, along with some flounder, and also herring and garfish at night. Boat-based anglers have been catching good numbers of squid and herring in the bay, mixed in with some snook and the occasional flathead. Heading around the islands, you can still catch good queen snapper, smaller samsonfish, breaksea and sea sweep. If you get the opportunity to go wide, there are still plenty of nannies going 55cm, plenty of breaksea, queen snapper, samsonfish and yellowtail kingfish.

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MELBOURNE BL MARINE MORNINGTON PENINSULA NAUTICAL MARINE 612- 614 Plenty Road Preston Salmon are a prime target at this time 141 of year . Imagecourtesy of @lachy_warren. Hotham Road Sorrento P: (03) 9478 1420 F: (03) 9470 4638 P: (03) 5984 1666 made their way back down fishing on the jetty, some FISHING IN JULY W: the blmarine.com.au E: info@nauticalmarine.com.au from west coast in big of the best results lately As winter progresses the numbers. Schools can be seen have come on W: the nauticalmarine.com.au Yo-Zuri water temp will continue to SHEPPARTON along the whole coast, but Finance-Q in a BLSK colour drop, and more and more specific areas target around (a silver/blue pattern) in 3.5 salmon will be caught in the BOATS ANDtoMORE TOORADIN town are Salmon Beach, Forth size. The other jig we’ve had SERVICE coming weeks. P&J MARINE CENTRE P/L We should 207 Numurkah Road Shepparton Beach, Nine Mile and Roses. good success on is the new also see more and bigger (03) 5822 2108 Tooradin BigP:schools have also been Shimano Sephia 101 FlashTooradin Boost Station skippyRoad getting caught, and 2908 P: (03) 5998 3107 seenF: at(03) the5821 Duke of Orleans, Clinch in the Prawn K colour more mulloway coming in. Alexander and Poison. (an iridescent, multicoloured We can also expect more W: boatsandmore.com.au E: pjmarine_services@bigpond.com Along with the salmon pattern). The best time is early gummy sharks to come into we’re starting to get some in the morning, at dusk and the system this month. You MORWELL tailor, which can be as big into the night. GEELONG can catch them with a standard CRAWFORD MARINE MARINE CENTRE baited with a as 75cm. Anglers are also The local PORTSIDE lakes are paternoster, 71-77 Chickerell Morwell Geelongpilchard Road Portarlington reporting skippy Street to 6kg, producing good36-38 numbers or strip of herring P: (03) 5134 6522 plenty of herring, and flathead. of black bream, P:with on an 8/0 snell or 5/0 gang (03) some 5259 1110 Bronze whalers also frequent anglers catching up a dozen depending on the bait. The F: (03) 5134 6455 E: to info@portsidemarinecentre.com.au the W:salmon schools, and fish over 40cm. Bandy Creek best time is just after dark, the crawfordmarine.com.au W: portsidemarinecentre.com.au smaller soapy mulloway can Boat harbour is still producing same a mulloway. Some of the anglers targeting mulloway ECHUCA MELBOURNE will run a sliding sinker rig EADES XTREME MARINE THE MARINE SHOP so the baits can travel with 24 Sturt Street Echuca mulloway. These fish have 6 Holland Drive the Melton sensitive mouths and often P: (03) 5482 2333 P: (03) 9747 0588 will just lip the bait rather than F: (03) 5482 2133 F: (03) 9747 3999 grabbing it, so you want to run W: xtrememarine.net.au W: themarineshop.com.au a very loose drag. This month the bream BRAESIDE MELBOURNE fishing will continue to JV MARINE WORLD improve with the water levels TRIPLE M MARINE rising, and the squid will 878 Springvale Road Braeside 117 Northgate Drive Thomastown remain in good numbers too. P: (03) 9798 8883 P: (03) 9465 8787 • Established in 1986, F: (03) 9798 7554 F: (03) 9466 1418 Southern Sports and Tackle W: jvmarine.com.au W: triplemmarine.com.au specializes in the supply and servicing of fishing equipment. They have an extensive knowledge of the local area and provide all brands, whether you’re fishing from beach, jetty or boat. Come and chat to the friendly staff at Shop 16, The Oli Stevensonn with a nice harlequin. Boulevard, Esperance or Image courtesy of @olistevensonn. phone 08 9071 3022.

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JULY 2021

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West Coast

All round angling at Augusta AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

As usually happens, before you know it winter has arrived, the temperature has dropped and the rain is in full swing. But that doesn’t mean the fishing needs to stop and, as usual, Augusta continues to produce in good numbers all year long. To finish off autumn the weather was mild and calm with some lovely warm days to lull you into a false sense of security that winter was going to stay away for a while longer. Then before you knew it thunderstorms hit and the temperature dropped like a stone. On the lead up to the

end of the season there has been some fantastic fishing in both Hamelin and Flinders Bay with the warm waters conveyed south on the Leeuwin current keeping the warm water species in the area but causing the salmon run to be the worst I have seen for many years. There have been large schools of yellowtail kingfish all over Flinders Bay and although they like cooler water, you will frequently come across them when there is an obvious change in water temperature from the usual; as an example from 19-23ºC as is the case with the Leeuwin current. You will often pick them up on a troll right at the temperature change and if you concentrate on the area

A nice kilogram of skippy that happily swallowed half a slimy mackerel on a 5/0 live-bait hook, also off the rocks. skirts will always produce results but the good old reliable Halco redhead in various sizes will also work very well. As the whales enter the bays on their northern migration the demersal fishing has become a lot more exciting with the chance of an up close and personal encounter with these amazing beasts a distinct possibility. There is nothing more thrilling than concentrating on lifting

Another thumping example of the dhufish coming over the side of the boat when fishing with Leeuwin Marine Charters.

Bernice Gillam takes a day from running Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports to tangle with the salmon still making the run up the coast. This one was off the rocks and caught on a mulie.

Leeuwin Marine Charters have been hitting the demersal spots with a joint effort landing this Flinders Bay dhufish. 106

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once you find it then you will certainly end up with a good bag usually of similar sized fish. The odd monster kingie will turn up and give you a run for your money but with a bit of patience you will be able to play them in to the boat. They are excellent eating but should always be brain spiked and bled before being placed in a salt water ice slurry to drop their temperature as quickly as possible to maximise their quality (as with all fish). The bluefin tuna numbers have also shown no sign of dropping off with some great schools obvious due to the surface bust ups and bird activity that go hand-in-hand with the feeding fish. The food source has been varied lately with not only schools of mulies, herring and garfish prevalent but also the much smaller bluebait. This means that depending on what they are currently feeding on you will need to adjust the size of your lures to suit as they will often not even look at something that is too different to their target. Using feathered tuna

Blake Gillam trumps the family with a jetski caught southern bluefin tuna trolled near the islands on a Halco redhead lure. a dhufish from the bottom when a humpback decides to appear along side spyhopping to see what is going on. The dhufish and pink snapper numbers continue to be very strong around the 12-50m depths. With the calm weather conditions over the last few months there have been plenty of opportunities to get out wide

and deep. It always pays to take the opportunity to explore the area for lumps and bumps especially when the chance to motor slowly along getting a great read on the bottom without having to contend with chop or swell. It doesn’t always come down to an underwater mountain either, some of the best fishing can be found on a

tiny bump on a relatively flat bottom. Once you have located something interesting try drifting over it a few times with a bottom bait or large soft plastic to find out if it is a worthwhile bit or real estate. If nothing promising happens then move on to the next spot and so on. Before long you will start mapping the area which will narrow down the amount of travel time on your next trip. Your sounder will let you name the waypoints however you like, why not rename them with something that will identify it to you as a worthwhile location rather than one of a hundred sets of numbers. The Blackwood River and Hardy Inlet has remained relatively clean and although there have been several large rains, the usual dirty water hasn’t resulted, it has however pushed the crabs out to sea and they are currently a pretty rare sight in the river. The bream have remained throughout the system and it is not uncommon for them to be right through to the town jetty. They don’t seem to be very interested in feeding the further down the river they travel so to catch a feed it is still a safe bet to try up towards Alexandra Bridge from Molloy Island. River prawns and small hard bodied lures will work but due to the large number of juvenile fish it makes more To page 107

West Coast

Hot sessions in cold conditions BUNBURY

Whiteys Tackle and Camping

Winter is definitely in full swing with the cold and wet weather, but the fishing is still hot! Redfin perch have schooled up for winter allowing anglers to catch some cracking bags once you have located the fish. Generally they will look for the deeper areas and be schooling up waiting to spawn. Dropping lures in their face is the best way to get them to eat and any sinking lure (hardbody) or my favourite creature bait plastics. This type of plastic will replicate a small marron or gilgie, and boy, they don’t muck around and try to crush it quick smart for an easy feed. Depending on the depth required, try using a bit heavier than usual jighead around the 1/8oz size should sink down to the deeper From page 106

sense to stick with soft plastics or hard bodied lures. Drop in to Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports to find out what lures are currently getting results. The whiting species in the river seem to have consolidated in some of the channels and sand holes that are easily seen from a small boat. Try anchoring and drifting a bait into the channel or hole. For yellowfin whiting, a moving bait will get the best results and glass shrimp or river prawns are most productive baits. There will also be schools of skippy haunting the same areas and with some in the 1kg range be prepared

Grant Teede with a beautiful pink snapper. They will be the target on everyone’s list this month. for a great fight on whiting gear. If you find a school try using strips of squid. Fishing off the rocks is still very productive with big numbers of herring and skippy around, however, with the onset of the winter rains it also becomes a more dangerous affair. If it has been raining or rain is forecast then try a safer option, like off the beach, marina rockwalls or jetties. Swells and wind can make what seems like a safe location suddenly become a life or death situation. Even just slipping on a wet rock can end up with a serious injury or death. If the weather allows then choose a spot that allows you the chance to seek refuge from any king waves and don’t

let calm conditions fool you into thinking you are safe. Rogue waves are just that and can quickly result in being thrown into the water. People have died here after being washed off by king waves. • 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 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.

parts, while allowing for a natural sink to tempt on the drop as well. Pink snapper is the story of the month with boaties reporting good size and good numbers of this sort-after fish. Traditionally the method to target them is setting the pick and getting that berley trail humming, and then just wait for the pinkies to move in. If no quality fish show up in the berley trail after 30 minutes to an hour, go set up somewhere else and try again because they can move around a fair bit even in just one day.

Cam McCamish with an impressive looking King George whiting. with a rampaging quality fish alongside the boat. During the cooler months pink snapper will move right in even allowing some lucky land-based anglers to tangle with these brutes. Generally, to target them land-based you need to time it – fish just before an incoming front (or during if you are super keen) and the day after. The theory is they come in to take

of, with the ability to place baits out 200m, 300m or even 500m or more! Nowadays these fishing drones will fly out allowing you to watch the live camera to place the rig exactly on the spot and return home with a flick of the switch! Packed with features to automate most functions, these lucky anglers are having a blast – even the odd dhufish is getting tricked. Drone

Grant Night caught this dhuie on a plastic.

The author didn’t want to be outdone by his wife, and also landed a salmon. He assures us that his silver torpedo is obviously bigger than his wife’s capture!

Technology is helping anglers on all fronts these days. Boaties with the latest range of electric motors are not even setting a traditional anchor but instead using the electric and its GPS tracking technology to hold you on an exact co-ordinate. This way there is no anchor to slip, and changing positions is a breeze. There’s no anchor rope to avoid when dealing

advantage of the rough dirty water to stalk out an easy feed and if your baits are there at the time, hold on. If fishing during the rougher weather is a bit crazy for you and want to fish for demersals land-based all year round, consider using a dedicated fishing drone. These impressive pieces of kit can allow you to reach places other anglers can only dream

fishing has started to grow and, with the advancements with the technology, is definitely here to stay. • For any info, tips or advice on anything you have read, heard 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! – Grant Teede JULY 2021

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Inshore anglers delight in July METRO

Jacob Crispe

Recent rain has seen the freshwater influence once again take over the river systems in the Perth metro area. Although the fishing will be tough in the rivers, those anglers who enjoy fishing from

feature of this column is the mulloway. They will definitely be pushed towards the river mouth where they will sit and wait for the food that the fresh pushes down the system. The area around the E-Sheds will be your best bet to target them and if the freshwater influence reduces, they will push further up the system. Just

A great feed of herring caught by Shaun Beard and his wife Jaye down in Mandurah. It’s great fun on the light gear. remember that structure and bait will concentrate where they might be. The tailor that were in good numbers throughout the system will also be

will be on offer. Herring, skippy and King George whiting will be spread along the majority of our rock walls. Fresh baits will be the best way to target them, and

Madeline Close showing her dad how to catch 5-star fish with this top shelf baldchin groper.

Alex Rowles-Verner caught this lovely mulloway at Rockingham jetty on a live whiting.

Cade Brown with an absolute donkey of a West Aus dhu, weighing in at 23.5kg! Cade says this beast hit the smallest bait he has ever dropped!

Shannon Edwards pulled this awesome inshore pink from 8m of water! our rock walls, beaches and in our inshore waters can look forward to some excellent fishing. SWAN RIVER As mentioned, recent rain has played havoc with the fishing in the Swan. It doesn’t mean that the fish aren’t there, it just means you need to work a little harder to find them. Black bream will sit deeper in the water column, staying out of the freshwater that will sit more toward the surface. Try looking at deeper water locations and fish with fresh baits or heavier soft plastic presentations. Small vibes can also produce the goods in this situation. The other species that has become a regular 108

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fishing in July should be good. The usual suspects will be available like mulloway, small sharks and tailor. Tailor numbers will increase this month, as will the size of fish available. Some big tailor have been reported from our beaches. An 83cm monster is just one of many good tailor that have been caught, and this trend will see many beach anglers targeting them this month. INSHORE Inshore anglers get excited as the fresh will result in even better numbers of snapper, skippy and King George whiting congregating in our inshore waters. The highlight will be the snapper. Southwest swells

pushed towards the mouths of the systems. Fresh mulies will be your best option to search these areas to find some fish, and then small metal lures will be an option to target them once you find them. ROCK WALLS AND BEACHES Our rock walls and beaches will be the beneficiary of the freshwater flush. The usual suspects

Mark Derwin with a horse metro pink snapper while drone fishing a very metro beach!

Jay Simpson is an expert hunter-gatherer when it comes to putting a good feed of whiting on the table.

of course use berley to keep them in your vicinity. Keep an eye out for those southwest swells that occur in the month of July as these swells produce the big snapper fishing that all rock wall anglers love. Use big baits and heavy sinkers to reach the areas that these big snapper swim in. Tailor too will be around when these swells stir up the water along the rock

walls. The best times for them are the normal low light periods. Cottesloe, City Beach and the Ammo Jetty will be good places to start your tailor journey. Squid will be a little harder to find as they tend to not like the dirty water as much, but what you will find is they will be bigger in size, making them well worth exploring for. Like June the beach

bring the snapper into these waters in huge numbers. These swells are very much like a natural berley trail, and the snapper take full advantage of it. Areas with 10-15m of water will be best using unweighted baits and a little bit of berley. If I were going to start somewhere it would be at Five Fathom Bank or 3 Mile Reef. Skippy are the other fish To page 109

West Coast

Preparation is the key MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

With winter setting in, we are definitely seeing larger swells, plentiful amounts of rain and water movement to go with it. When you are

a lot more feasible during this time of the year. Smaller baits such as cubes of squid, pilchard or prawn are a good way to go when hoping to catch a few herring or whiting from the beach. Fishing for these smaller species will often provide constant fun,

Taking the time to set up early means that you can find areas that are mostly free of seaweed. The sunlight doesn’t always help with targeting the species we are after, but it can certainly be a useful tool. incapable of getting to that dream session, it can be a great time to get into the tackle box and organise what chaos is inside. Being organised just means that when the opportunity to fish arises, you are fishing effectively and not spending as much time looking for tackle or missing out on bites as a result. Fishing from the beaches, large swells make for some great gutters but also have large amounts of seaweed that can make some of your larger species harder to target. Constantly checking baits is very important in the winter months, as it can be quite easy for the seaweed to build up on your rig and make the fish hesitant to bite as a result. Not only will the weed provide issues with landing fish, but it can also be extremely painful if you are trying to soak baits for an extended amount of time in hopes of something bigger. Targeting bread and butter species from the sand can be From page 108

that will be prolific around our inshore reefs. They will be widespread with most areas holding good concentrations of fish. King George whiting are a popular target in July. Like the skippy they will found right across our inshore waters. Windmills to the area in front of Fremantle will be worth a look. The key is broken ground, sand patches, a little berley and to keep moving until you find fish. Sand whiting will also continue to be a popular target. Drifting the shipping channel is the most productive way to target them. Squid will be on many anglers’ bucket list

with simplified rigs providing a way of getting around the debris floating around with the tides. Although land-based pink snapper are abundant along most of Mandurah at this time of the year, it is worth sticking to areas that have a bit more rock or sand contour nearby. As we are constantly reminded, these fish are very opportunistic and will use their big paddle tails to hunt for food when conditions get especially rough. Fishing from the sand can be difficult in winter, so spending the time to look for clean sections of fishable water is ideal, with a great alternative being some of the rocks around the cut or town. As a general rule, the weed can move quite freely through these areas, thus they will be some of the first spots to clear up and also your best spots to try soak bait for a

Dready can always count on a reddie! They’re not always the hardest fighting fish, but they are always beautiful. this month. Although the numbers available will drop, the bigger models come out to play and there are not too many anglers who don’t like

The author caught this beautiful pink snapper on a snelled hook rig with mullet bait. To increase his bait’s durability he added some elastic wrap – this can be particularly useful if casting hard or aiming for long distance. good sized pink. Using a break out sinker to anchor baits, like fresh mullet, herring, whiting or squid, is ideal. Bream are starting to really fire up, with a few river mulloway kicking about too. If you are going to chase these fish, focusing in the lower parts of the rivers on a run-out tide is quite effective and will quite often pay off. Although both species can very much hunt their prey, they are also very opportunistic and will wait for schools of bait to wash downstream with the heavy currents. Whether you fish light or heavy will depend on the daily conditions, but gearing up to do both will only help the cause if your initial method does not provide the result you are chasing. If chasing fish on the river, it is worth using lightly-weighted fresh baits and opting for natural colours or profiles when fishing artificial lure. Fishing for freshwater species can be quite fun and is a very popular choice at this time of the year. This type of fishing offers great shelter from winter conditions, as the local dams and streams are often protected by high sides that dampen wind down to bearable levels. As always, the mobile approach

A 2.5” bloodworm grub has, and always will be, a top bream plastic. is heavily favoured and will turn up results when getting out there chasing a few trout or redfin. Although fishing smaller patches of water can produce particularly well, freshwater bodies are quite full of water at this time of the year and fish have a greater

catching big squid. OFFSHORE Anglers will continue to enjoy good fishing on our offshore grounds. Areas

An absolute steam train of a samsonfish caught by gun angler Chris Webster. He still manages a smile while holding that beast up.

Paul Coelho caught this 114cm beast of a mulloway on a yakka and paternoster rig with 7/0 Owner hooks.

like the back edge of Five Fathom and most of Rottnest will hold good numbers of our favourite demersal

species. Areas with 25-50m of water will give you the chance to catch a good feed of samsonfish, dhufish or

area to frequent in. When picking lures, be sure to go for something that allows you to fish different depths, but also something that allows you to fish those depths while you look around and find different areas that will potentially hold fish. snapper. It pays to look for less obvious structure when you fishing these areas. They get less fishing pressure and you will be surprised at the results you can get. Deep dropping is also an option this month. Just keep an eye out for weather windows and get out and enjoy fishing for species like 8-bar, Bass grouper, hapuka and blue-eye trevalla. Although some of your river fishing options won’t be as good in July, the great fishing on our inshore grounds and from the beaches and rock walls will certainly make up for it. Like always, it is just a matter of getting out there and enjoying it. Catch you next month. JULY 2021

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Jetty jumps in July LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

July is one of the better months of the year to fish from Lancelin Jetty. It is a great spot to keep the kids

all-round rig to catch these species is to cast white bait or blue sardines on a small gang, either unweighted or with a small split shot to get it down a little; if the current is up, cast out and let the bait settle towards the

Just one of many nice fish Graeme Doodson has pulled recently. busy over school holidays, only a bit over an hour from Perth, well within a day’s trip. If you plan to fish over the light transition period into the evening, more options are available for a successful session. Afternoon, you can cast towards the shore for a few plump sand whiting. Less experienced visitors have been using way too big a hook and bait. Whiting have small mouths using a #9-10 hook and a small piece of prawn, worm or beef heart to suit, allows the fish to swallow the bait and get hooked easier. Paternoster style rigs with 2-3 hooks work well or alternatively buy a Sabiki style bait chaser rig with no more than three hooks to keep it legal. As the light fades a lot more fish species come on the bite with herring, skippy, tailor, tarwhine snook and pike to name a few. A good 110

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bottom before starting a slow retrieve. Dropping a few crab nets will likely find some huge blue swimmer crabs. Squid can be caught anytime of the day or night, although they are most active as the sun sets or early morning. The trick is to get a good cast out away from the jetty working the jig over new ground each cast. When one is caught, throw a few more casts in the same direction, as often several squid will be swimming together. Squid move around, so once you have worked along the jetty, try going back over the same ground after a period. Alternatively, cast a whiting on a squid spike suspended a metre or so below a float. You can set the rod aside and wait for the squid to find it

Alex Franklin with a solid pink snapper caught while beach casting.

July is a great time to target tarwhine.

Guitarfish never disappoint with pulling power. Now the water has cooled they will be hard to find for a few months.

while you fish. Samson fish always provide some entertainment at the jetty during the July school holidays, leaving many a surprised fisher each time one dashes in and smashes a herring off the line. Fishers do target them for release, usually with heavy handlines or game fishing gear. It is not wise to try to land one if not geared up for the job. This time of year, the beach along the south end of the bay, Edwards Island to south of the sea rescue building, offers beautiful clear shallow flats that fish well for a range of species. It is an ideal spot to fish artificial lures, and small soft plastics work best here. Fishing the morning with offshore winds is usually the best time to get a good distance cast with small lures, light line helps too. Species to target would be tarwhine, skippy, herring

or flathead. Baits also work effectively and in addition will catch some King George, yellowfin or sand whiting. If the weather plays nice with light wind and swell, cobbler in excess of 50cm can be hand speared along the beach here at night. If you have access to a small boat or kayak the fishing can be sensational in the bay. Most the species are schooling fish, so some berley will often bring whole schools to the back of the boat. Drifting the weed banks is very productive for squid. Broken ground and around the edge of the weed beds can hold some King George whiting, without doubt the best eating fish in the bay. Larger boats leaving the bay need to wait for lulls in the winter swells to safely navigate the passages to the open ocean. Baldchin groper have been prolific this year, best numbers can be found out from 35m. There are lots of cuttlefish taking the baits as well. Dhufish and pink snapper do not always require long trips out to 35m+. Anglers in the know have been targeting them along the reefs inside the white bank. Boats heading out fishing into the evening have been having some cracker pink snapper sessions just out in front of the lead lights in 12-14m. Chopper tailor have been hard to find in any numbers, most anglers only managing a couple of fish from a session, if any at all! The new moon has been the best slot to try your luck. Greenbacks have been a bit easier to find on the reef breaks or along the beach gutters. Try casting poppers, stick baits or unweighted garfish to any likely looking spots. Big storms can move the fish offshore for a period so if there has been a big blow To page 111

West Coast

Continuing inconsistency GERALDTON

Graham Maunder & Michael Triantopoulos

Fishing over the previous month or two has not changed much, with the weather and fish continuing to be a bit inconsistent. The summer tailor season has dropped off quite a bit with less bag limit catches of smaller chopper tailor reported. But, as happens most years, when the smaller fish aren’t about more of the bigger greenbacks and mulloway get a chance at the bait. Most of the beaches from south of Flat Rocks and as far north as Lucky Bay have been producing

well. Tailor have been well over 50cm and mulloway are mostly in the 70-100cm category. As our bag limit of tailor over 50cm is two fish, it still sounds good to tell your mates you caught your bag limit and put a few fish back as well. In past years, our costal run of pelagic and sharks would start in early to mid-summer and start to drop away by about May, but over the last few seasons mackerel and tuna catches have been very inconsistent at best. Over the last few weeks the odd capture of boatcaught mackerel or tuna has turned into reports of free jumping fish chasing bait close to shore along most of

our northern coast. Anglers ballooning and fishing from Hutt River to Wagoe have landed some great fish to 20kg. Beach anglers in the same areas have also been catching lots of small (up to 1m) school sized whaler sharks pre sunset; once the sun has gone the big ones are moving in. The beach channels look great for mulloway and tailor but once the sharks move in the time for landing any other fish is over. Fishing from the rocks and jetties around the local marinas at Port Denison and Geraldton has picked up a lot in recent weeks. Silver trevally, black bream

Brendan Hughes with a nice wahoo caught in the north west. From page 110

it pays to wait a week or so before spending a day casting the big stick baits or poppers. After a blow, time can be better

spent soaking baits for a mulloway or pink snapper. As usual, the new and full moon has been producing the most mulloway. Sharks and rays have been particularly

up to 1kg, yellowtail scad and yellow eye mullet over 30cm, pike and small mouth scad have been biting well most evenings. With a couple of burger buns broken up and hanging in a berley bag, they hang around for an hour or two after sunset. Pieces of Pilchard fillet on a no.10 hook for the mullet and yellow tail and chunks of pilchard on a single no.1 – 1/0 hook used on 4-8kg leader without any added weight has been the best set up. Pink Snapper are usually plentiful all year round from most of the marina rocks, but normally much too small to keep. Luckily over recent weeks, pinkies up to about 60cm, and even bigger morwong, are keeping some of the locals busy on light tackle. BOAT A late run of Spanish mackerel have arrived with consistent numbers over the last few weeks, along with the occasional 20kg one landed too. Trolling lures and or baits such as garfish, pike and mullet north of town towards Drummonds and south to Southgates has been producing very good numbers off Spanish mackerel. Anglers are seeing best results early morning, or the late afternoon bite sees more fish. Rigging garfish for mackerel generally consists of a set of ganged hooks suitable for the baits, octopus skirt or bait spring over the mouth (to keep it closed to avoid twisting), and 30-50cm of 40-50kg single strand or multi strand wire. There are a few weighted rigs on the market suitable for rigging

Viv Moss caught this 73cm spangled emperor using floating baits. baits to swim, which is a simple and effective way. Fishing south of town has been a bit hit and miss for the bottom species, some anglers have reported of dhufish to 8kg, pink snapper, bald chin groper to 4kg and coral trout. Back of African Reef has had good numbers of Spanish mackerel, unfortunately the sharks have made landing the fish difficult. The northern end of the channel markers have been

producing good numbers of pink snapper to 70cm, bald chin grouper, sampson fish, spangled emperor and school sized whaler sharks. • Geraldton Sports Centre is the Mid Wests specialist Fishing tackle store. Drop in and see the friendly professional staff for local advise and knowledge and browse the extensive range of fishing equipment on show at 204-208 Marine Terrace Geraldton WA, Phone: o8 9921 3664.

a problem when soaking the larger baits, causing a lot of lost gear and wasted time. A species I recommend targeting in July is tarwhine, on matched gear 2-4kg are

Sharks and rays have been a big problem while soaking baits in the surf, at least this bronze whaler is a good eater.

There are plenty of good size blue spot flathead on the inshore grounds. Chris Hartanto caught this 53cm example on a whiting rig and #10 hook!

great little scrapers. They are found around structure like the jetty or reefs although at times they will roam the weed banks, beach gutters or shore break. They

respond very well to berley, readily taking baits or lures. Tarwhine are bottom feeders so work the lower parts of the water column. Lures of choice would be small vibes,

blades or soft plastics. A lightly weighted cube of pilchard, floated down with a small circle hook is a highly effective method to score a few. JULY 2021

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North Coast

You’ll need to dodge the wind EXMOUTH

Josh Cheong

At the time of writing we’ve just had a heap of rain, and this will make the Gulf quite dirty for a while. With all the run-off pushing out from the creeks, with fishing in the Gulf will be tough for a couple of weeks until it clears up. At times like this, if you’re really keen to chase reef fish around the shoals, I recommend looking for clearer water or maybe use bait. By the time you read this, however, the water should hopefully have cleared up. There are still plenty of marlin getting caught by the charter operators, and a fair few good mackerel are being caught as well. Most of the mackerel have been taken on trolled lures, but I’ve seen a few get caught on stickbaits too. If you want to target mackerel, a good starting point is to go out the west side and troll around the edge of the wreck and around the islands.

If you want to try stickbaits, head out to the islands and cast at any pressure points. I like the Nomad Mad Scads or Riptides in the 150-200mm size for this. It’s good to fish either side of the high tide when you’ve got a bit more water movement. The mackerel fishing should only improve in the coming weeks.

There are still a lot of people catching spangled emperor inside the reef, which has been one of the few options that’s been available in the windy conditions we’ve had lately. The west side has been the better place to fish during the easterlies. Use small stickbaits and plastics

This solid spango was caught on a Nomad Madscad in just 1m of water. Image courtesy of On Strike Charters.

in around the bommies on the inside of the reef. Good options include Halco Slidogs and Bait Junkie 5” Minnows, and white or gold colours always seem to work pretty well. You can encounter spangos at any time of day, but most are caught early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Mangrove jacks have slowed down in the cold weather, but there are a few guys still getting a few jacks in the marina on bait. The standard approach is to fish unweighted mulies in a berley trail of crushed mulies, ideally early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Cast your mulie along a rock wall or pontoon, and let it drift down. A good outfit consists of a 4-8kg rod with 20-30lb braid and a 40-50lb leader. If you want to chase bream in the marina, you can use the same approach but just downsize everything. Another option is to head to the beaches to target trevally, queenfish and spangled emperor.

The author was stoked to catch this beautifully coloured GT off the beach. Image courtesy of @indepthangler_josh.

• For all the latest news on what’s biting and where, drop in to Tackle World Exmouth at 3 Maley St, Exmouth or give them a call 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.

Where red dirt meets the sea BROOME

Troy Honey

We are now in the heart of the dry season and Broome has never been busier, with thousands of tourists flocking to the iconic beachside town to enjoy the warm weather,

caught in depths as shallow as 30m. Bottom bouncing baits and metal jigs are both working well during the neap tides or during the new moon period of the spring tides. Among the reds there are plenty of blueline emperors being caught to 500mm, with the occasion larger fish to 580mm. Bluebone are also

just off the coastline from Gantheaume Point all the way past Beagle Bay in the Dampier Peninsula. Locallycaught garfish are working very well for sailfish bait. Garfish can be caught all around Broome, with Town Beach and Gantheaume Point at high tide being a great place to start. Using pollard as berley and small pieces of peeled prawn on very small hooks about 15cm below a small float should have you with a bucket full garfish in no time. North of the Cable Beach rocks has been producing the occasional barra to 800mm along with threadfin salmon, permit and whiting. Spending a few hours from the low tide change and studying the where the gutters are will put you in a good position to work in the last couple of

hours before the high tide change, which is when you want to focus your efforts. Small baitfish will be feeding in these gutters as the tide consumes new ground along the beach, and where there are baitfish, there are larger predators feeding as well. At the jetty, barramundi, Spanish flag, perch, bluebone and queenfish are all being caught, with the high tide change being the most productive time. Bluebone prefer the larger spring tides to come into to feed on the rock crabs during the day, whereas barra prefer to come on the bite during the night and sit behind the pylons, waiting for the strong Broome currents to carry bait fish past. Thinking about how each of these species feeds and replicating that with your lure or bait is highly recommended, as

Jaxon Greatwich had a great day out fishing with his family recently when he caught this solid 50cm bluebone. turquoise waters, stunning coastal rock formations and spectacular fishing. Saddletail snapper, red emperor and coral trout are coming in thick and fast, with the latter even being caught at times from the shore by anglers casting bibbed minnows and vibes off the rocks from the jetty right up to Gantheaume Point. If it is red emperor and saddletail you are chasing, then head offshore on the boat to the outer reefs where they are being 112

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being caught from the shore and out as deep as 40m, with fresh baits of occy and crab being the preferred option. Shark activity is continuing to be problematic, with the only solutions being to move around as much as possible and not berley with blood or fish offal. Spanish mackerel catches have been picking up in both size and quantity, and we will continue to see this as we head into July and August. Along the with topwater fish, sailfish are in big numbers

The Kimberley region is known for its stunning landscapes and big barra. Local angler Ayden Ieraci has mastered the art of putting them both together, with this 92cm horse and rock formation backdrop.

Brett Redman was out fishing the Broome sunset when he hooked up to this stunning queenie. both species can be very fussy and not easily tricked into striking. The months of May and June, even with the cooler water temps, saw a good handful of hefty size barra being caught in the local creeks such as Dampier. Live poddy mullet have been successful in enticing the slower barra as well as casting lures at the same snags many more times than you would in the wet season. Barra still need to feed in the dry season, but they become lazy, so if you continually cast at the same snag it will only be a matter of time before either the lure is correctly positioned or the barra becomes so annoyed they will strike if they are sitting by the snag. Mud crab reports are coming in regularly, with both quantity and large size being the common factors. All the Broome creeks are holding good numbers of both brown and green mud crabs. July and August are also the time when you will see the odd blue swimmer crab turn up in the sandy

areas of Roebuck Bay, but you will need to search different depths to find where they are, and this will change as they move closer in over the next couple of months. Threadfin salmon are continuing to be caught in good numbers around Broome, and this species is one that the whole family can enjoy from either land or boat. Thready fishing is a great way to spend your holidays in Broome as they can be fun and relaxing to catch. They fight hard and taste sensational. As much as I love trolling lures for them from the boat, my favourite way to fish for threadies is simply casting out a cooked prawn or poddy mullet on a size 8/0 hook with a running no. 3 bean sinker. Put the rod in a rod holder in the sand a couple of hours before the spring high tide change and sit back in a deck chair and wait for the run. How can you beat that, especially when enjoying the beautiful weather Broome offers at this time of year?

North Coast

Check those possession limits DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

June in Karratha has been a mixed bag of weather conditions with plenty of wind, the odd bit of rain,

where good numbers of trophy demersal fish are being caught 5nm from the boat ramp to the west. One of the demersal species whose populations appear to be on the rise in Karratha is the spangled

larger fish are plenty of sharks, so fishing for the spangled emperor is a challenge. It’s recommended to only take one or two spanglies, and then move on if the sharks are taking the majority of hooked fish. This will ensure that the spangled emperor population will continue to thrive. Coral trout, Spanish flag

are perfect for this style of trout fishing. July will mark the slowdown of the blue swimmer crab run but the season has been very late to fire up so we could see the run lasting well into August. The crabs have been hard to find, and it is a matter of working the different depths until you find a good

One of the most aggressive fish in the water would have to be the mangrove jack, and they are very smart when it comes to eluding anglers. Not so for Harper McLean, who showed this beautiful mangrove jack a lesson or two. shallows? Flathead can be caught in less than a foot of water on lures that work the bottom. These fish will strike when the lure stops, so ensure you are including pauses that last a good couple of seconds

Bradley Kavanagh made a night-time trek in search of the elusive northwest mulloway and was rewarded with this great example. plenty of cloud and a glimmer of calm season in between. The conditions have made it tough for anglers and even more so for competitors of the 2021 Argonaut Billfish Shootout in early June. Low numbers of fish were captured, and conditions eventually caused the comp to be cancelled early on the last day. With the weather being hit and miss, those who have been lucky enough to get out on the few good days have certainly done well on demersals, although the sharks have been a problem, as usual. Out past the 40m mark there have been red emperor, saddle-tail snapper and big rankin cod being caught on both jigs and baits. One of the other challenges has not only been getting past the sharks on the way up but also getting past the cobia on the way down. Still, battling cobia is a good problem to have because black kingfish (as they are called in most parts of the world) are a prized table and sports fish. Smaller red emperor and plenty of blueline are coming

emperor. Monster schools of fish around the 20-30cm size are prevalent behind the islands and as far south as 40 Mile, where an abundance of reef is providing the perfect habitat for the smaller fish to grow. If you head out from this area to water around 30m deep, it’s only a matter of finding

in around the 30m zone, and if you are looking to not have to travel so far from Dampier, the try off Point Samson

July is prime demersal fishing time in the Pilbara, with a wide offering of some of the best demersals in the country. For fight and table quality it’s hard to beat the large-mouth nannygai (saddletail snapper). This great nanny was caught during a recent trip off Dampier.

Blue swimmer crabs are now running in the bays around Karratha. The author has been getting onto quite a few, but sharks have been problematic, destroying drop nets in as little as 10 minutes.

Coryn Mclean certainly knows how to bring the great fish up, as she shows here with a very good-sized Pilbara spangled emperor. good lumps, because the larger fish in the 40-60cm range like to school up on top of them. Among these schools of

in your retrieve action. If you are one of the thousands of tourists heading up for your annual northern fishing trip, it is highly recommended you check the changes in possession limits

and crimson perch are all being caught nearshore, with some great size trout taking bibbed minnows and vibes in waters as shallow as 4m. On a recent day out, we were trolling the tide change for Spanish mackerel using the Classic Lures F200s in gold, while we did hook a couple of smaller macks it was the coral trout that provided us with the most action. Coral trout are aggressive hunters and will rise from their holes to take trolled lures. I could not count the number of days I have fished for trout, dropping jigs and baits with no success, to then switch to trolling over the same ground and hooking up almost immediately. The fishing grounds off Dampier around the archipelago

patch holding crabs. Sharks again have been a challenge, taking baits and destroying nets in the process. For mud crabs, the spring tides on the full moon have been the most productive. Crabbing the last hour before high tide to a couple of hours after high tide with nets in the creeks has produced goodsized green mud crabs. Catfish and mullet baits are working very well, as are lamb nets and tins of oily cat food. Some of the crabs being caught at the moment are monsters over one and a half times the legal size. The creeks are still producing the odd barramundi as well as plenty of threadfin salmon. Queenies are hard if not impossible to find. If you are looking for something different, why not try your luck at some flathead fishing over the sandy

Ricky McLean spotted a huge tiger shark on the way home from Airport Creek, and noticed it had a few big cobia with it. This cobia nailed Ricky’s Vibelicious Thumpertail on the first cast. After a 15-minute fight it was all over, and the fish weighed in at 13.5kg.

Ricky Mclean with a recently caught thumper of a flathead that couldn’t resist the temptation of a well-presented vibe.

that come in in July. The changes include demersal and pelagic limits, with strong penalties if exceeded. These changes have been introduced to protect fish stocks from the increased number of people travelling Western Australia due to the border restrictions from the COVID pandemic. It can be argued that changes in shark fishing rules would have greater protection of our beloved demersals, but it seems that will go largely ignored for some time yet. Until then, we hope the updated regulations will be reverted as soon as the international borders are opened, and people start travelling abroad again. JULY 2021

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Productive July fishing FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

Winter can bring cold and blustery days to big parts of the south west of WA, however in recent years we have been blessed with a number of sunny,

the feeder streams that tend to be a bit clearer. The controversial decision by Fisheries to scrap the closed season several years ago has put stress on our big spawning trout in some waters that were previously closed from May until September. I would

On the news front it seems the Pemberton Trout Hatchery is in full swing stripping their trout. Around 2500 rainbow trout and a few hundred brown trout make up the breeding stock held in circular concrete ponds. These ponds, measuring around 8m in diameter, are gravity fed by cold, clean water from the Pemberton Weir upstream of the hatchery. Stocking of yearlings commenced in May with our rivers receiving the first of the smaller rainbows, and our dams are due to get the bigger ones later in the season. A few of the ex brood trout should be making their way to our waters this month, and I know a number of anglers are keen to chase these fish every year. AUSSIE NATIVES Not too much to report on this very touchy subject. Although winter is a quiet time for these species, some nice cod still get caught in private locations. Hopefully one day we will

With good winter rains our rivers can become swollen and dirty. Levels much higher than in this photo can be challenging to fish. the result, with speeds of 1.5km/h not uncommon. My tried and trusted dropshot technique was not producing for some reason. The highlight of the trip was the unusual capture of a brown trout. I was slowly moving along the dam wall and casting a

Tassie Devil to the edge and letting it swing back as I moved forward when a nice brown appeared on its tail. It turned away as it saw the boat but then turned back and followed the propeller. I then placed a short cast behind him and let the boat do the

Daniel Simpson with a fat Warren brown he caught on fly. With the great work from the FFRG, in conjunction with Fisheries WA, it seems the Warren is fishing better this season. calm days which is perfect for freshwater fishing on our dams. The rivers are a different story, with many running high and discoloured, so some trout fishers target

encourage you to practice catch and release at this time, not just to preserve stocks but because spawning trout are not the best on the plate. Their lack of feeding results in pale, mushy flesh.

The inquisitive brown trout caught by the author at Waroona Dam after following the propeller.

The pleasure of a father seeing his son land a nice redfin is priceless. The location was the upper Collie River near the township. 114

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get an official stocking program underway but, in the meantime, it appears frustrated anglers are stocking their own waters. Others like myself travel to the east coast to have a chance to tackle these Australian iconic fish. DAMS Waroona Dam I spent a few days fishing this water recently with mixed results. On one particular day I managed to land four large redfin up to 42cm plus a few smaller ones around 28cm, however the following day I did not even get a hit using the same technique. I nailed all my redfin on deep diving lures from the Halco stable. I found that a dead slow speed was needed to get

work (I was using the bow mount Minn Kota so the rear prop wasn’t spinning). As I slowly rolled the lure toward him, he didn’t notice it until it got to his side. He turned and put his nose on it then decided to engulf it, and after a short, close fight he was in the net. It’s best to release the stocked browns because they seem to survive the lean summer period in a predominantly redfin water. Drakesbrook Weir This waterway has been very slow of late, but things should improve with stocking to commence soon. Logue Brook Dam Can be frustrating to fish from the bank, with a lot of anglers coming away empty handed. I fished this location recently and also had mixed success, with one day landing over a dozen rainbows and the next day not even raising a fin. I was concerned at the size this year, with most only going between 26-32cm. This was mainly due to the lower water level resulting in reduced availability of food compared to other years, when vast amounts of

Big brown trout can offer year-round sport if anglers practice catch and release. They seem to coexist with redfin in the northern dams in particular.

An early run spawning rainbow from our northern Jarrah streams. This one was released to fight another day. bushes were flooded. One particular day I did manage a couple in the 40s but I spent many hours in windy conditions to get the result. A few have been caught fly fishing the evenings in the quiet arms using large wet flies. Harvey Dam Very low this season with the old weir wall well exposed. This dam is around 550 hectares when full, but at its current level it’s only around 85 hectares. The reason I state this is because the original weir was 85 hectares. The low water level has reflected the lack of fish being caught. The few people who have been fishing have all reported that many hours are required to get the result. The best techniques have come from those out

on the water using a variety of lures that get down to where the fish sit. Wellington Dam A few big redfin are still getting caught by those who know the water. For some reason the numbers seem to be a lot lower in this water. This might be a good thing considering 10,000 rainbow yearlings will be stocked this year. Hopefully, the lower redfin numbers will give them a bit better chance to grow to a large size. Big Brook Dam Although this is a small dam that was originally built to supply the Pemberton Trout Hatchery, it has turned out to be a reliable little trout fishery of late. This is one dam that seems to fish reasonably well considering it has a healthy

along the darling scarp that hold trout, and it is from these waters that the resident trout migrant up from. The going can be tough, with heavy vegetation lining vast sections of these small streams. I encourage you release these trout as some even frown upon the idea of targeting them. Brunswick River Not normally reported on but it’s worth a look as it doesn’t flow as hard in winter. A stocking of yearlings will be stocked this year. Collie River below Wellington Dam With the irrigation shut

main river. Collie River above Wellington Dam Can be flooded with all the recent rain in the area however the section from the small weir up to the township can still fish OK in winter.

Simon likes to target them with the fly rod, casting Woolly Bugger style flies on sinking lines and heavy leaders. Lefroy Brook Most of the waters down that way can run too high and fast at this time of the

The author’s nice little rainbow caught on a Craig’s Nightime when the moon rose after midnight at Logue Brook Dam.

Silver perch are great on the fly rod but unfortunately are not as active throughout winter. down it can be unproductive at this time of the year, with little flow in the section close to the wall. If you are in the area you may want to check out the biggest mural ever painted of the face of a dam in

Blackwood River Very high and dirty throughout winter so most give it a wide birth. Warren River Simon Holland reports that the Warren has a good head of brown trout this year, with them taking a particular liking to spinners and hardbodied lures. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the rainbows, with higher than normal water temperatures possibly being the reason they have not shown up at their normal spawning areas at the time of writing. Apparently, a sea-run trout was caught near the mouth in the ocean but this hasn’t been confirmed.

year, but at time of writing there were a good number of rainbows showing up in the mid-section of this little brook. Donnelly River Good rains have got this river flowing nicely after it nearly dried up over summer, at least in the upstream section above the highway. A few nice little rainbow trout have been reported but it could be a wet winter so levels will be too high. This may give clout to the Record Brook Dam project if increased flows occur in the upper sections of this wild river. As you can see, winter can be very productive if you can brave the cold.

A big WA Murray cod caught on a wet and stormy night. Unlike other states, our authorities go to great effort to eradicate this species. This results in anglers keeping locations close to their chest. Cody Willis is the very wet angler. PREDICTED DAM LEVELS Overall storage in our public dams that allow recreational activities are currently at 32.2% compared to 30.7% for the same time last year. The early rains may change this so hopefully it continues throughout the winter. Wellington, Glen Mervyn and Harvey dams are still extremely low, with these catchments needing the most inflow this season. WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM

53% 90% 59% 29% 39% 24% 92%

population of redfin. Winter can be tough but it’s worth a fish if you are in the area, with redfin and trout being active throughout the day RIVERS Murray River Normally very high and brown this time of the year with even redfin hard to find. Northern Jarrah streams With many of these streams flowing fast it triggers the trout to head upstream of their annual spawning run. There are a number of dams dotted

Big redfin like this one offer year-round sporting opportunities, but you must fight through all the smaller ones to get to them. Jonah Chiera is the lucky angler. the southern hemisphere A few dedicated anglers fish the bottom section where a couple creeks flow in creating a bit of flow in the

Some nice redfin have come out of the larger pools throughout the system. Although most anglers prefer lures for these fish,

However, most anglers prefer to sit next to their fireplace tying flies or sorting their lures out, anticipating the springtime fishing. JULY 2021

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BREAM SERIES presented by

Tristan Taylor wins back-to-back at Ballina It’s been four years since ABT has visited the Richmond River at Ballina in northern NSW, however history has a funny way of repeating itself, which it kindly did for Tristan Taylor who rode the sponsor karma wave all the way to 1st place in the Atomic sponsored round of the DAIWA Bream series. This is Taylor’s second win on this arena, earning him back-to-back titles, as he won the last time ABT visited in 2017. Anglers were forced to adapt for the weekend as the seaward boundary was moved upriver due to dangerous swells, eliminating the popular north and south break walls. This resulted in many anglers opting to fish the porpoise wall at the front of the system, with several good bags coming from the popular spot. This Scan the QR code to watch the Winner Interview

Luvias Lt 3000 with 10lb Unitika Aorika braid and 6lb Unitika Aiger leader, from his proud sponsors at Frogleys Offshore. “At times, the swell washing over the rocks was like a horizontal waterfall, Scan the QR code to watch the Non- Boater Winner Interview

Tristan Taylor claimed his second victory at Ballina, earning him the status of back-to-back champion and pocketing $2,500 cash for his efforts.

so I really needed that extra jighead weight to keep the lure in the strike zone, as well as to keep in contact with it on the bottom,” Taylor said. He focused his efforts along broken bits of the wall where the rocks had cracked and separated, washing out the

included Tristan Taylor’s 1st place bag and Blake O’Grady’s cracking 2.895kg day one bag. O’Grady was leading after day one with the biggest bag for the weekend. Unfortunately, a tough Sunday saw him drop to 6th place overall. O’Grady chose to throw brown Cranka Crabs into the rocks

Boater and non-boater champions, Mick Thompson and Tristan Taylor, proved they deserved to be there on what was a pretty tough weekend for some. along the porpoise wall, as well as an Atomic Crank 38 deep blank, which he custom painted, earning himself the $1,000 Atomic big bag. TACTICS OF A TWOTIME CHAMPION No stranger to the top of the leaderboard, Taylor – an Atomic sponsored angler – added 5/5, 2.375kg on Sunday to his 5/5, 2.610kg bag on Saturday to take the win over 2nd placed boater Darren ‘Dizzy’ Borg by a little over 200g.

Tristan only landed a handful of bream each day, but they were the right ones.

BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Tristan Taylor 2 Darren Borg 3 Mark Saric 4 Steve Morgan 5 Nathan Gregory 6 Blake O’Grady 7 Jamie McKeown 8 Kris Hickson 9 Jake Stewart 10 Grayson Fong 116

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Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

Taylor made the decision to fish the inside of the porpoise wall all weekend, as opposed to the outside like most of the field. Due to the relentless wind and swell, Taylor relied on a motor oil 2.5, ZMan Grub attached to a 1/6oz (and at times 1/4oz) Atomic Seekerz jighead, fished in as shallow as 3ft of water. To get his lure where it needed to be, he used a Samurai Reaction 201 7’ 2-6lb paired with a Daiwa

sand from 2ft down to 3ft. The bites mostly came off these sand blowouts, instead of the rocks on the outside, which many anglers targeted. “The key was I was getting a lot of those snowy bream coming in off the seawalls – that we weren’t allowed to fish this weekend – so they were still in really good condition as opposed to those upriver fish,” Taylor said. Persistence was key for Taylor who, on both days,

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) Payout 4.985 $2500 4.755 $1500 + $250 1st Mercury bonus 4.635 $1300 4.620 $1100 + $125 2nd Mercury bonus 4.480 $900 4.470 $700 + $75 3rd Mercury bonus + $500 YoloTek big Bream + $1000 Atomic big bag 4.400 $500 cash 4.340 4.330 4.325

BREAM SERIES presented by only had two fish in the well by 12pm and trusted his knowledge to capitalise on the bite period late in the session. “There were a few other boats fishing the inside wall with me that came and went all day, I just knew I had to stay persistent and trust that I was going to get those bites.”

Mick just fine, finishing the weekend catching more than 100 fish in total! On the tackle side of things, Mick opted for a new Daiwa Infeet Z 6’8” 1-4kg with a 2500 Luvias LT spooled with 8lb Daiwa J-Braid Grand and a 4lb Daiwa J-Thread leader. On this combo, Mick threw a 2.5” Daiwa Baitjunkie Minnow in bloodworm colour with a 1/12oz #1 size TT Headlockz jighead, slow winding the plastic back across the mud and rock, incorporating small

Scan the QR code to watch the Day 1 Highlights

DIZZY DIVES INTO SECOND Darren ‘Dizzy’ Borg purposely did things a little differently to the rest of the field to claim 2nd place. Keeping it simple, Dizzy rotated between three spots at the mouth of the system in a range of deep and shallow depths to keep upgrading for

Darren Borg loves two things - his Maroons jersey and catching big bream. I threw a crank, and vice versa. Just to give them a lure they hadn’t seen so much of,” he added. Come Sunday, this mentality was much the

took out 1st place in the non-boater division to take his second win from the back of the boat. Mick was lucky enough to draw good friend Grayson Fong (10th place) as his day one boater and together they put a beat-down on the Ballina bream, using an array of Daiwa products to get it done. Pre-fishing with Fong on Friday, the pair had a solid

game plan for Saturday to target the rocky, muddy banks upriver past the ferry. “We looked for any bank with a bit of wind pushing onto it,” Mick said. Day two, Mick fished with Craig Templar (24th), whom he commended for going above and beyond to keep him in the top spot. They fished similar areas to his day one boater, which suited

Scan the QR code to watch the Day 2 Highlights

twitches to get a reactionary bite. In his words, “To prove to myself that I could catch them on something different too.” Mick caught his biggest fish for the weekend on an Atomic Crank 38 Deep in muddy prawn colour. Micks’ advice to aspiring non-boaters is to, “Keep casting no matter what. You can’t catch fish if your lure is not in the water.”

YOLOTEK BIG BREAM

That’s the smile of someone who landed 10 bream for the weekend in Ballina. most of the session. Starting each day on the porpoise wall, he filled a bag quickly each morning switching between one of his own FB35 Deep Cranks, Berkley Gulp! minnows and Hurricane Crabs on 1/6oz. Heads fished deep. “I kept an eye on what everyone else was throwing and made sure I threw the opposite, or something different. For example, if they threw a plastic,

same when selecting spots. “I purposely fished where no one had been all weekend so I could target fish that were less pressured,” he said. On the tackle end, Dizzy used a Samaki Zing Extreme V2 with a Jaguar 2000 sized reel, 8lb Fireline braid with 4 and 6lb Yamatoyo Leader. BUILDER MICK BACK ON THE TOOLS ‘Builder Mick’ Thompson

Blake O’Grady’s 1.10kg Ballina donkey he caught on day one remained unbeaten all weekend, earning him the $500 YoloTek Big Bream prize.

NON- BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Mick Thompson 2 Blake Anschau 3 Elijah Simpson 4 Chris Lonne 5 Chris Curtis 6 Colin Wilson 7 Mark Mckay 8 Mark Lennox 9 Stuart Walker 10 Cameron Hall

Fish 10/10 9/10 6/10 10/10 9/10 8/10 7/10 6/10 6/10 7/10

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) Payout 3.900 Baitjunkie prize pack + Atomic Arrowz rod 3.750 Baitjunkie prize pack + Atomic Arrowz rod 3.730 Costa prize pack 3.585 Prolure prize pack 3.500 CRANKA prize pack 3.190 TT lures/Procure scent/Zman prize pack 3.15 EJ Todd prize pack 2.565 Ecogear prize pack 2.390 Keitech prize pack 2.350 Samaki Prize pack JULY 2021

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BASS SERIES presented by

Langford defies the odds at Cania Dam The p i c t u re s q u e landscapes of Cania Gorge have set the scene for heavy bags of big Aussie bass on the ABT circuit for many years. Although a dropping dam meant we didn’t see the 6kg+ bags of years gone by, the weights were extremely close, which made for some tight finishes on Sunday. Never an angler to be counted out and always a threat on any venue, Matthew Langford stormed the pack on Sunday with a just-shy of 5kg bag to take the win over 2nd place Callum Munro by

whacked 4.975kg on the scales climbing a whopping 15 places for a come-frombehind win. On day one, Langford targeted the fish he found sitting out deep in pre-fish, however he quickly realised the quality of the fish were not up to the standard he knew he needed to win. A change to shallow edges late in the session saw some upgrades and planted the seeds of confidence for what was to come on Sunday. “We spent about half an hour out deep at 4 Mile on Sunday and didn’t get a bite, so I said to my non-boater

Matthew Langford and his never-say-die attitude made an enormous day two charge to jump 15 places and claim victory by just 55g.

Jacob Luck and Matthew Langford made the most of the shared weight format, joining forces to weigh 4.975kg on Sunday. only 55g. Keeping the top of the leader board in Queensland, Jacob Luck from Dalby took out 1st place in the non-boater division and his first ABT win. Scan the QR code to watch the Day 1 Highlights

LITTLE MAX, BIG RESULTS After finishing the first session in 16th place with 3.210kg, you could be forgiven for not believing the scoreboard at the end of day two as Langford

(Jacob Luck) we’ve got to go swing for the fences and do something completely different,” Matt said. The move from deep edges to shallow, rocky edges adjacent to the deep banks provided the big bites that he needed. As the session progressed and the technique was refined, the pair found that banks with small patches of weed were the key to finding big fish. The technique? Using his Millerods XFLC and Daiwa TD Black 3000 combo with Yamatoyo Resin Sheller 10lb braid and 10lb Yamatoyo leader to deliver a 3/8oz Evergreen Little Max blade tricked up with a pair of Ecogear ZX

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Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 9/10 7/10 9/10

he was going to catch fish. “I knew there was a lot of schooled fish, so I just spent pre-fish sounding around marking schools in 10-15ft. If I could see them in that depth, I was Scan the QR code to watch the Day 2 Highlights

pretty confident I could catch them”. Saturday, he fished the schools, boating eight bass in the first hour before the school shut down and he headed upriver to fish a shallow technique he’d been saving just for comp day. Like Langford, Evergreen Little Max blades in the copper colour

Second place Callum Munro showing he still has what it takes to cut it with the best of the best in his first event back as a boater since 2013. Could we be seeing Callum return as a regular on the ABT circuit?

BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Matthew Langford 2 Callum Munro 3 John Noble 4 Tim Oakley 5 Mick Johnson 6 Brad Wickson 7 Mark Lennox 8 Malcolm Stewart 9 Gregory Burke 10 Tim Morgan

assist hooks as far up into the shallows as possible. “Just throw it up as shallow as you can possibly get it and give it a series of short sharp hops off the bottom all the way back to the boat. We were getting fish in a foot of water or less at times,” he concluded. WELCOME BACK MR MUNRO After an 8-year hiatus from the ABT circuit, Callum Munro was welcomed back with open arms taking out second place in the Boater division. Callum leaned on 10+ years of knowledge and experience on the arena to clue onto the bite for the weekend. On pre-fish, Munro mostly sounded around schools without casting and avoided all areas he knew

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) Payout 8.185kg $2500 + $250 1st merc owner’s bonus 8.130kg $1500 + $125 2nd place Merc Owner’s Bonus 7.405kg $1300 + $75 3rd Merc Owner’s Bonus 7.400kg $1100 6.940kg $900 6.790kg $700 6.460kg $500 6.300kg 6.240kg $500 VMC Big Bass prize 6.160kg

BASS SERIES presented by burned in 2-3ft of water accounted for all the big bites for the weekend. A Daiwa sponsored angler, he presented these lures with a Daiwa 7’3”, 2-5kg Daiwa TD Zero and TD Sol LT 2500D combo, 10lb J-Braid and 10lb J-Thread FC leader. “I guess you’d call it shallow water dredging. I just burn them along the bottom, and you can feel them kicking up off the rocks and the bass just slam them. It’s a technique I’ve used heaps of times with awesome results.” Sunday, Munro opted to fish the shallows upriver all day and consistently boated good quality fish, improving his 3.5kg Saturday bag by over a kilo with a stonking 4.630kg, falling just shy of fast finishing Langford by 55g. Gracious in defeat, Munro added, “I definitely had my opportunities to win but I took a few chances, which is just how tournament fishing goes. And besides, if I was going to lose to anyone, I’m glad it was Matty. There aren’t many nicer blokes on the scene and it’s always a pleasure to see him do well.” Now that’s what we call sportsmanship.

Matthew Langford (1st) as his boaters for the weekend. Due to the shared weight format, Jacob was able to add crucial fish to their bags each day to help secure the top spot, which didn’t go unnoticed by Matthew Langford who credited him for clueing them onto the blade pattern they used on Sunday. Matching with Langford, his Sunday boater, Luck also threw a Millerods XFLC with a Shimano Vanford 1000, 8lb J-Braid and 10lb Scan the QR code to watch the Non-boater Winner Interview

First place in the non-boater division went to Jacob Luck who took away an awesome EJ Todd and 13 Fishing prize pack for his efforts. Hopefully we see Jacob in action again at the Grand Final in October. Scan the QR code to watch the Winner Interview

JACOB ‘LUCKS’ OUT Jacob Luck showed you don’t have to be from the big smoke or live five minutes from a bass impoundment to win tournaments. Travelling from Dalby in

rural Queensland to fish, and ultimately win, his first ABT event as a non-boater. Jacob was fortunate – some may say ‘lucky’ – enough to draw Shaun Falkenhagen (16th) and

Black Magic leader and that little Evergreen Little Max we heard so much about over the weekend, but in a 1/2oz version. To any potential non-boaters thinking of taking the plunge in the near future, Jacob offers this advice, “Just get out there and have a crack. There’s a heap of good fellas there that are all willing to teach you something so get into it.”

VMC BIG BASS

Mike Nelson is currently sitting in second place on the BASS Pro AOY table, only a few points behind Matthew Langford. The next round of Somerset Dam will determine the 2021 BASS Pro Angler of the Year.

Greg Burke took out the $500 Big Bass prize awarded by VMC with a solid 1.355kg model that ate a Bassman jig. The fish features in the day two highlights that you can watch by scanning the QR code hereby.

NON- BOATER RESULTS

Full results at abt.org.au

Place Angler

Fish

Weight(kg)

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 7/10 8/10

8.110kg 7.525kg 7.400kg 7.355kg 7.260kg 6.935kg 6.775kg 6.375kg 6.245kg 6.050kg

EJ Todd pack + 13 Fishing Concept reel Bassman Spinnerbaits pack Daiwa prize Maui Jim prize Prolure/TT lures/Zman pack Suffix pack Prolure pack Keitech pack Molix pack Ecogear pack

Jacob Luck Tony Delahaye Neil Tschutura Kelvin Hatton Andrew Carlyle Rowan Jacobson Troy Lowe Aiden Bichel Marco Grubb Giacomo Pippo

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East Coast Bream Series Rd 3: Hawkesbury We were greeted by a cold but glorious morning for the start of third round on the Hawkesbury River. A total of 33 teams contested this round with some cracking fish landed. FIRST PLACE At this point there seems to be no way of stopping Michael Colotouros, who seems to be winning any event he enters. He and team mate John Nicita from Team Phoenix Boats/All Clear took out first place and $1800. They bagged five fish for 5.78kg. Michael explains their winning session: “We started off the

Big bream went to Michael Colotorous who weighed in a 1.68kg specimen.

Daniel Scott from Tempt Industries with Michael Colotouros and John Nicita at the weigh in tent. morning while the tide was low and fished some oyster leases around the Brooklyn area where we managed to get a few small fish. “As the tide got higher, we started moving towards

some banks as the fish were coming up to feed. “Throwing lightly weighted Bait Junkie bloodworm grubs soft plastics on 1/20oz size jighead, between Berowra

and Mooney Mooney, we got lucky and landed two giants over 1.5kg each. The biggest was 1.68kg.” SECOND PLACE Second place was won by Compleat Angler Gregory Hills/Garmin and consisted of anglers Dane Tomaszewski and Daniel Tribbia. They won $900 for their five fish bag weighing 5.42kg. Dane takes us through their session highlights: “Dan and I did not have much experience on the Hawkesbury River, so we put in some time two weeks prior which was roughly the same tides. “With plenty of hours spent on Google Maps our main aim was to fish artificial structure. Finding where all the sneaky old oysters racks were hidden was key. Having a great session hopping from racks to racks, we came up with a plan.

“On the day of the tournament, the tides were not perfect for us for a morning bite, as we needed water in those bays for them to fire. We decided to head up to Berowra first thing to fish some deeper boats and pontoons. “However, without even a touch we were a little nervous, but with the rising tide we knew we had our time coming. “On the way out we decided to fish a rock wall that we had caught fish on two weeks before. It was 10.30 and we had nothing on board. We made a call and said we will fish another 10m and move on. “Dan threw his Cranka Crab tight into the wall, then boom he was on! After some great angler skill on 4lb with the fish running along the rock wall, Dan managed to get him out and to the net. It went 41cm to the fork and weighed 1.38kg. We were

happy to have one in the well. “We then headed to one of the main bridges just before the turn of the tide and filled our bag in a twentyminute chaotic period. With a decent bag we hopped around our run of racks trying to

a short but stressful battle we netted another 41cm forker and this one pulled the scales down to 1.56kg. “Full of hope we raced back to weigh in and our five fish weighed a total of 5.42kg, but it was only good

Dane Tomaszewski and Daniel Tribbia with part of their catch that won them second place. find that extra kicker. Just ten minutes before we had to up and leave, I punched a Gulp Crabby into a rack and, bang,

Daniel Scott with Jarrod McBarron and Brendon Spinks from Team McBarron Construction, who took out third spot.

enough for second place. “It was a day of fishing we will not forget.” RUNNERS UP Taking home the third place $500 cheque was McBarron Construction, with Jarrod McBarron and Brandon Spinks. They brought four fish weighing 4.19kg to the weighmaster. Places fourth through to ninth all received Tempt products thanks to the event’s sponsor Tempt Industries. Congratulations to all winners and a big thanks to all for supporting our events and to Daniel Scott from Tempt Industries for his continued support of our events. For complete results go to www. wsbb.com.au. – Alan Newton

Clarrie Hall and Maroon Dam BASS Electric

There rounds Hooks series

have been two of the 2021 BKK BASS Electric recently, with

events at Clarrie Hall Dam and Maroon Dam starting with a whisper and ending with a bang.

www.fishin.com.au TOURNAMENT TACKLE STORE

ZX BLADES ZMAN GRUBZ CRANKA CRABS

BENT MINNOWS

JACKALL CHUBBY

FREE EXPRESS SHIPPING

CLARRIE HALL There were 31 anglers who attended the picturesque Clarrie Hall Dam, where the fishing was a little tough, but the fish were big. Mathew Flynn acquires another BASS Electric trophy to the collection with a cracking 2.93kg bag of bass, which included the BKK Hooks Big Bass of 1.52kg. Mat found a productive spot up the creek running into the dam, which he turned into a 25-bass day! He used a gold Elitelure blade on a Lew’s Custom Lite Speed Stick and a Lew’s Custom Pro Speed spin reel. He found the fish when practicing a few weeks

RESULTS CLARRIE HALL

Place Angler 1 Mathew Flynn 2 Chesley Lennon 3 Blair Shapland 4 Peter Woods 5 Steve McLean earlier and they were still there come comp day. MAROON Jake Schwerin continued to prove he’s the man to beat under the Scenic Rim with a narrow 10g win over runner-up, Tom Reynolds. He threw a Jackall Squirrel 61 around weed towers initially and then an OSP Hi Cut spinnerbait to target fish that would come and school under the boat.

Fish 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 1/2

0425 230 964 – info@fishin.com.au SHOP 18, 29 KIORA RD MIRANDA NSW 2228

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Fish 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2

Payout $500 $250 $180 $100 $90

Jake Schwerin won the Maroon BASS Electric round by 10g over Tom Reynolds.

RESULTS MAROON Place Angler 1 Jake Schwerin 2 Tom Reynolds 3 Charles West 4 Mark McKay 5 Peter Bostock

Weight(kg) 2.93 2.68 2.58 1.72 1.43

Weight(kg) 1.28 1.27 1.10 1.09 1.08

Payout $380 $180 $140 $100

He threw them on an Edge Silver Widow 711 rod with a Daiwa Steez 2004 reel, Toray F4 braid and 10lb PowerGame leader. Tom’s technique was also targeting weed towers, but with a 1/4oz To page 121

MAFSA’s INDT 2021 World Sooty Championship Once again MAFSA Inc ran the INDT 2021 World Sooty Championship at Eungella Dam on the May long weekend and anglers travelled from as far afield as Dalby and Mt Isa to compete. In all, 102 anglers nominated including a new record of 28 junior anglers. The competition kicked off Saturday morning after the briefing with boats large and small powering off in search of the big sooties the dam is renowned for. Pre-fishing by a number of anglers indicated the fish were in the timbers rather than out in the open and that’s where most boats headed first up. Within about 40 minutes, Aubrey Cormack from Mt Isa was the first angler in with a 390mm sooty to open the scoring. While initially

with all big and little kids assisting. These fish were around 280mm long and we expect close to 100% survival, despite some fairly rough handling from some of the kids! Check out MAFSA Facebook for some images. Sunday morning was calmer early then blew up in typical Eungella Dam fashion, but the fish kept coming in a few at a time. Trent Power and Fiona Thomson in the Team

Winners are grinners, Nick Moore (Senior), Cooper Slade (Junior) and Jai Hunt (Biggest fish) with event sponsor Craig Birkett of INDT and MAFSA’s Keith Day at the presentation.

2,000 sooties from Redgate Fish Farm all around 250-300mm mark were released late Saturday afternoon by junior anglers and other kids from the camp grounds. a bit slow, it wasn’t long before other boats started to return with sooties on board. Friendly rivalry between long time friends, Nick

Moore and Peter Behrens, kept officials amused with their banter while bringing in fish. Mick Slade was also scoring well and opened

his scoring with a solid 460mm fish. By session end at midday, 52 sooties had come in for scoring with Peter Behrens taking the lead with four fish for 1470 points, while Nick Moore and Mick Slade both had three scoring fish for 1145 and 1135 points respectively. Junior Khadin Williams had the largest fish at 470mm but unfortunately accidentally broke his only two rods. Hearing this, long time competitor Geoff Busbridge immediately loaned him a rod and reel so he could keep fishing. 500 barra fingerlings were released from MAFSA’s transport tank during the lunch break much to the delight of all the kids who swarmed down to assist. The afternoon session saw more action with boats coming and going and Trent Power moved rapidly up the board with several good fish. Meantime Nick Moore and Peter Behrens kept up their little personal ‘battle’ and both looked to reach their six fish so they could then upgrade. Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling, who was a guest angler, picked up his form and scored 1175 points for the session.

From page 120

jighead and a 3” Keitech Swing Impact in bluegill colour. He threw it on TD Black Itchy Twitchy rod, Daiwa Tierra 2500 reel, 8lb J-Braid and 8lb leader. All participants of the series get an invite to the BKK BASS Electric Grand Final at Lenthalls Dam, where the winner will take away a P-Series Blue Fin boat, MotorGuide Electric motor and Green Marine Lithium batteries, on a trailer and ready to fish.

up with Nick Moore winning out with 2512 points, from Mick Slade 2467, Trent Power 2334, Peter Behrens 2308 and Starlo 2303 points. Junior winner was Cooper Slade with 2643 points, followed by Balin Tweddle 2184, Darcy McFarlane 1259, Oscar Tweddle 796, and Jai Hunt 500 points. Significantly Cooper Slade outscored the senior winner by 131 points. A great effort from

Mathew Flynn added another BASS Electric title to his name, as well as the BKK Hooks Big Bass prize pack for his 1.52kg fish.

The lead changed several times and at the end of session two, Nick Moore had the top score with 2345 points just in front of Trent Power on 2334, and Mick Slade on 2310 points. Peter Behrens caught fish but not large enough to maintain his lead and dropped back to 4th spot on 2260 with Starlo rounding off the top 5 on 1913 points. Big news for that session

Starlo eventually placed 6th in the tournament and included his best fish of 405mm caught working a chatterbait along a weed bed.

Typical of the sooties caught at the tournament was this beauty caught by junior angler Darcy McFarlane. though was the stonker of a fish caught by junior angler Jai Hunt who presented a very healthy 500mm fish for scoring. Jai was super excited about his fish, which took a white grub drifted down beside a tree. A fantastic catch for the young angler and it was definitely the biggest fish of the session. So far juniors had the largest fish both sessions! Before dark, 2,000 sooty grunters purchased from Redgate Fish Farm were released into the dam

Power tinny (complete with two dogs) thought they had hooked some good sooties but instead they had managed to land several barra, with Fiona landing one sooty at 410mm. Meanwhile in the other top positions, Nick Moore, Mick Slade, Peter Behrens and Starlo all managed to increase their scores. But again another junior Cooper Slade outfished all the seniors to take out the biggest fish at 478mm. Final scores were tallied

young Cooper. Presentations were made and Chairman Keith Day thanked all the sponsors, competitors and MAFSA members involved in making the INDT 2021 World Sooty Championship such an outstanding success. Nick Moore donated his prize winning St Croix rod to Khadin Williams and Geoff Busbridge gave him the rod and reel he had loaned him to keep fishing. What outstanding gestures from these two long time competitors and an indication of the great spirit that permeated the INDT 2021 World Sooty Championship event. In addition, Starlo and 6th place getter Shane Snell re-donated their winning vouchers back to MAFSA Inc and Starlo contributed another $200 to MAFSA Inc. Again nice gestures by both anglers, which are appreciated by MAFSA members and those funds will help MAFSA provide ‘For A Better Fishing Future’ for Mackay district. Full details of all our sponsors and the complete results can be viewed on MAFSA Facebook page. Further photos and video footage can be seen at Hooked On Mackay Facebook page, Starlo’s Fishotopia on Facebook and Instagram @starlos_ fishotopia. – Keith Day JULY 2021

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Bagging out at fishing competitions SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

Back at this time of year in 2017 I wrote an article on the ABT bag system (Best 5 fish by weight) comparing it to the only major alternative, being points as a key metric to decide winners and alsorans in fishing events. The focus of that article was on how useful the bag system was in terms of improving the competition overall. Even at that stage my view was that the bag system was the most reliable measure of fishing as a sport, which said the lack of adoption of that system outside the ABT was a major hurdle. Fast forward to 2021 and now bags in events are far

gave the impression it was a niche format. In 2021 though, we now have a lot more events that have made the leap to bags and over time I expect that momentum to grow. More to the point, all the events that have made the jump to bags have reported that they have tightened up the competition with a lot more leaderboard changes and competitiveness to the last minute. One of the things that has been tested now in terms of bags is a much wider array of species, including the full array of freshwater species, estuary species, pelagic and even reef species. Species is one area I had a concern with bags in terms of how scalable they are but in reality, the bag system equalises well across the whole set of species as there is a natural distribution of sizes within a species. A

Table 1. Top 10 Fishers calculated using the 2021 rules Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Team HUMMINBIRD HAPPY DAYS JUST TROLLIN TEAM FUSION EDWARDS BARRA BROTHERS TACKLEWORLD REVO`S PISSWRECK FISHING DEAD FISHY OLD SCHOOL TACKLE WORLD CODDAMMIT

equalise well but at the expense of ease of understanding or ‘caveat’ rules. Here I have my biggest issue because any sport that is going to be followed by an audience needs to be easily understood. Best five fish is easy to understand, bonus points that reset are not. That is not to say that points systems are wrong, personally I like the idea that

No Fish 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

not trying to create controversy over who should or should not placed wherever, I am using the numbers as an academic exercise of comparison. Table.1 has the results from this years top 10, Table. 2 has the results if the 2018/19 points system was used. Note that in 2020 there was no restriction on length whereas the points system excludes fish under 40cm.

Table 2. Top 10 Fishers calculated using the 2018/19 rules Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Team HUMMINBIRD TEAM FUSION HAPPY DAYS DEAD FISHY JUST TROLLIN OLD SCHOOL TACKLE WORLD HUMMINBIRD/MERCURY EDWARDS BARRA BROTHERS PRECISION MARINE MERCURY TACKLEWORLD REVO`S

more common and, through the typical innovation of fishers, the bag system has fleshed out in a range of different spaces, including club, online and major events. My view hasn’t changed, I think that the bag system is the best system fishing has for ‘fishing as a sport’ because: • Bags reward consistency – maintaining a good average is more important than numbers. • Bags make time meaningful – in events that are based on numbers of points advantage, it’s easy for a fisher to take the lead and run away with it. As demonstrated in the ABT Bream Australian Open and the Barra Nationals, the bag system means the highest performers need to stay on their game, lest they be pipped at the post. • Bags make tactics meaningful. This applies more to multi-day events where conditions may change but I have been to many events where limiting the damage on a tough day is as important as cashing in on the good days. • Bags naturally equalize the field without need for additional rules. BAGS IN 2021 In the limited forums where bags were being used in 2017, separating the potential from reality was a challenge. The mathematics stacked up in terms of improving the overall competitive side of the sport but limited events using bags 122

JULY 2021

bag of four Australian salmon in the Salmon Slam is just as effective as a five bag of Murray cod in the Teams Fishing Australia event terms of competition. If there is one area the bag system has a limit it’s geography, though I haven’t seen a system that accounts well for location. While the bag system is perfect for localised species (eg. a river or dam) or a mobile migratory species (Australian salmon), there will be variation in sizes between north and south, east and west. While we don’t really have a great number of national events beyond the Pirtek Challenge, I think that the best solution for the cross location issue is the ABT approach of hosting events in a wide variety of venues. BAGS VS POINTS – BARRA NATIONALS 2021 The biggest limitation of points systems of all stripes in terms of usefulness as a measure is no matter how you work them, they always end up providing a benefit to somebody. The alternative is essentially to make them more complex, which I have definitely seen a number of very good points systems that

No Fish 57 58 58 56 57 64 59 20 38 30

Total Length 3,364 2,767 2,540 2,103 2,051 1,979 1,901 1,858 1,787 1,744

there are different flavours of events but all pastimes that have become sports have had to sacrifice variety for consistency of rules. There is no standardisation of rules in points, bags is a simple single rule that is easy to understand and creates better competition. Creates better competition – Three words that will definitely spark up debate, but hear me out I have in this case a decent set of numbers to compare. As luck would have it this year the Barra Nationals is one of the first events we have on the books that made the transition from a points system to a daily bag, similar to the ABT. In that event there were over 2,000 fish submitted, so sample size is not a problem. In order to do this assessment, I went back post event and applied the points used in the 2018/2019 events. The rationale for the change was specifically to improve the overall competitiveness of the event, to even things up and keep the event alive until the last day, in line with the events status as a premium event on the calendar. I want to be clear I am

Total Points 60.6 58.6 52.6 52.2 46.9 51.3 50.1 65.9 47.0 61.4

DID CHANGING TO BAGS SUCCEED? Addressing the core objective of increasing the competitiveness of the event there are a couple of metrics that help demonstrate why bags delivered the result the organisers were after. First, take a look at the averages, the averages for bags form a consistent progression, whereas under the points system the averages are random with eighth and tenth having a higher average than first. I think there is a reasonable debate to be had on ability to get numbers over ability to deliver day over day but in this case ability to deliver day over day was favoured. Still, the winner is the same so what’s the difference? Table. 3. highlights the real difference between the bags and points systems. Using exactly the same fish, the difference between 1st and 10th is significantly less than the difference between first and second under the points system. In real terms, for 2nd to match 1st they needed an extra 2cm a fish on their 15 fish, whereas under the points system they were either two 95 cm, or one 115cm barra

Table 3. Comparison of Bags vs Points Top 10 fishers Difference in Score Bags Difference 1st - 2nd 2.7% Difference 1st - 5th 5.9% Difference 1st - 10th 12.3%

Total Length 1,123 1,093 1,081 1,075 1,057 1,036 1,031 1,024 999 985

short. For 10th to make up the difference under bags they needed an extra 9cm per fish, whereas under the point system they needed an additional 27 fish while maintain the same average to catch first. Another way to look at it is under bags, 1st was around 10% better than 10th, under points they were twice as good. I will let readers decide which is a more accurate representation of the actual performance difference over five days. By that final metric, the Barra Nationals definitely succeeded in tightening up the competition. MORE FISH VS MORE CONSISTENCY Numbers of fish vs consistency is going to be a debate that will go on. I don’t think there is a right answer to that question. As with everything in fishing, there is only evolution. In the end events and competitors will decide which path is right. Bags do achieve their primary goal of improving the competitiveness of the event without the need for complex algorithms. Simplicity and scalability are the hallmarks of systems that are replicated and that’s part of the reason I think bags are becoming more popular. The scoreboard from the Barra Nationals reached an audience of more than 14,000 viewers across Australia and New Zealand so it’s fair to say there is a serious audience and most won’t know the event rules. This is the other component of the sport – consistency grows audiences. The general public following fishing are not going to learn a new system every time they follow an event. Imagine if the scoring system changed every time you turned up to a Rugby League or AFL match. All of the events with largest followings of scoreboards in the last 12 months – ABT Bream Australian Open, Barra Nationals, Teams Fishing Australia and SCF Research & Sustainability/ King of Kings have been bag

Difference in Score Points 17.7% 39.0% 48.2%

Total Points 74.9 72.9 72.1 71.7 70.5 69.1 68.7 68.3 66.6 65.7

based events. That might be a hint that if it’s simple to follow, the interest is there. YAKHUNTERS Having compared an event that has made the change I want to look at a couple of events that have innovated with Bags to demonstrate that bags don’t limit variety in terms of how they are implemented. Yakhunters is an Australia Wide event series that takes quite a different approach to the Hobie Series which applies a more traditional bag format with live weigh ins. I ran into the Yakhunters crew a couple of years ago and have kind of found myself dragged into the team – I get to run the scoring for all their events which happen in six states all on one day, which for me is often a crazy busy day. Yakhunters use a mix of two and three bags – total cm, decided state by state. Yakhunters embrace the outdoors aspect of Kayaks, so every round in each state is in different location targeting a different species. This ensures that whoever takes out the series has been tested in a range of conditions. Given the lower mobility of Kayaks a two bag is a good compromise that keeps the whole field in the mix. Over the past two years the number of fish coming in during the events has nearly doubled and clearly the skills of the competitors has improved by a good margin. I think that’s because Yakhunters have developed a great formula – mix up salt and freshwater, lure only and locations that are great getaways for the weekend encouraging camping for the prefish. That extra day on the water with less pressure definitely helps sharpen the skills for the main event. TEAM FISHING AUSTRALIA Teams Fishing Australia is a new series with quite a different premise and a mix of traditional and app based Bag events. Their Mulwala round bought in a different concept a mixed Bag of five Goldens and five Murray Cod. This event was one of the most exciting of the year for me, I looked at the algorithm and decided that given Goldens were the smaller fish

and not always easy for Cod specialists, would be critical to success. I would make sure I had them locked away before targeting Cod because the last thing you want on the last day is to be needing to fill empty slots. Almost all of the competitors went in the opposite direction – targeting cod, while the winning team followed my thoughts and had their Goldens locked away in the first morning, freeing them up to focus on cod and upgrades for the remainder of the event. This left everyone else playing catch up and none came close. Tactically I think mixed bag events are the most interesting and have a lot of potential for exciting

events once the competitors work out how to approach them. I do think they cap out at two species but a three species/three bag combo in estuary would be interesting tactically. NZ FISHING COUNCIL The New Zealand fishing Council have launched an online event that takes the mixed back concept to another level, though I prefer the TFA format for competitions. In the New Zealand event, there is a list of species, ten in total that combine their common inshore and freshwater species. Their bag is made up of the largest of each of the ten species. While it’s feasible to get all ten, reality is bags of larger

than six will be rare. This is more in line with gamefishing thinking, I think it’s a cool series and worthy of inclusion as the multispecies skills have died back a bit with the move to monospecies events. The format is akin to the GameX format in Western Australia. While I prefer the SCF approach, which has 20+ species each having their own category with two bags, I think that the bag system does lend itself to expanding the range of species included in events. That said, I feel the points systems used by groups like the Ingham Rod and Reel Club and 4lb Club while more complex do the best job of all at single category

multispecies. Combining multiple species into a single category is one area where a good points system excels as it provides options for how fishers want to build their totals and to be fair with both the Ingham and 4lb events they do include bag limits on species to encourage people to broaden their effort over bagging out. At the category level, the mixed bag, largest of each species is probably the only multispecies bag format that will work. WHAT IS THE RIGHT BAG SIZE? I have been asked about bag sizes a lot and having looked at a range of datasets. Bottom line, for every fish you add to the maximum

bag size, the more fishers you knock out. That effect is magnified for every day above one for the event. Two bags increase participation –so long as competitors can access a species most people can get two fish. Two bags also increase the randomness of outcomes as the odd large fish can propel the fisher to the lead in an event they wouldn’t normally win. Two bags are used in the SCF events and Yakhunters events. Most times they are taken out by fishers who can find quality fish but of all the bag formats, two has thrown up the most unexpected results. Three bags balance between participation and skill – good fishers can get

three, the intermediate fishers most often won’t or if they do will do so with lower quality fish. Three bags bring the top 20% of fishers into the mix for most events. Four and five bags reward best fishers – Even in a longer time series events like the Salmon Slam where each round was close to a fortnight it’s a challenge to get the four fish and an even larger challenge to get four quality fish. Every fish above four escalates that. At this level conditions are the most likely factor in sorting out the field. The level of random results is much less and having looked at the ABT as a long-term dataset, the top 5% of fishers are most likely to take out the event.

Tournament Calendar 2021 DATE

Tournament

Location

State Contact

11 July

2021 BKK Hooks BASS Electric R5

Hinze Dam

QLD abt.org.au

17-18 July

R8 Hobie Fishing Worlds

Gold Coast

QLD hobiefishing.com.au

24-25 July

East Coast Sport Fishing Flathead Pro R6 Macleay River

NSW

7-8 Aug

2021 13Fishing BASS Pro R5

Somerset Dam

QLD abt.org.au

11-12 Aug

BREAM Queensland Open

Moreton Bay

QLD abt.org.au

14-15 Aug

2021 Daiwa BREAM R5

Gold Coast

QLD abt.org.au

14-15 Aug

East Coast Sport Fishing Flathead Pro GF Nambucca River

NSW

15 Aug

East Coast Bream Series R4

Botany Bay

NSW www.wsbb.com.au

21-22 Aug

2021 BKK Hooks BASS Electric R6

Borumba Dam

QLD abt.org.au

21-22 Aug

Atomic East Gippsland Bream Classic

Marlo

VIC www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

11-12 Sept R9 Hobie Fishing Worlds

Georges River

NSW hobiefishing.com.au

11-12 Sept 2021 Daiwa BREAM R6

Gladstone

QLD abt.org.au

12 Sept

Sydney Harbour

NSW www.wsbb.com.au

JULY

Kris Banks 0407 996 135

AUGUST

Kris Banks 0407 996 135

SEPTEMBER

East Coast Bream Series R5

13-17 Sept Venom BARRA Australian Open

Awoonga/Monduran QLD abt.org.au

18-19 Sept 2021 BKK Hooks BASS Electric GF

Lake Lenthalls

QLD abt.org.au

OCTOBER 2-3 Oct

Humminbird BASS Electric Aus Open

Wyaralong Dam

QLD abt.org.au

9-10 Oct

R10 Hobie Fishing Worlds

Burrill Lake

NSW hobiefishing.com.au

9-10 Oct

Club Marine East Gippsland Bream Classic Metung

VIC www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

15-16 Oct

2021 Zerek BARRA R1

Lake Tinaroo

QLD abt.org.au

17 Oct

2021 Zerek BARRA R2

Lake Tinaroo

QLD abt.org.au

17 Oct

East Coast Bream Series GF

Hawkesbury River NSW www.wsbb.com.au

26-27 Oct

Rapala BASS Australian Open

Clarence River

NSW abt.org.au

30-31 Oct

2021 13Fishing BASS Pro GF

Richmond River

NSW abt.org.au

15 Nov

2021 Zerek BARRA R3

Teemburra Dam

QLD abt.org.au

16 Nov

2021 Zerek BARRA R4

Kinchant Dam

QLD abt.org.au

18 Nov

2021 Zerek BARRA R5

Peter Faust Dam

QLD abt.org.au

20-21 Nov

2021 Zerek BARRA R6

Peter Faust Dam

QLD abt.org.au

27-28 Nov

NS Rods Sunline Bream Classic GF

Marlo

VIC www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

2021 Daiwa BREAM GF

Port Stephens

NSW abt.org.au

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER 3-5 Dec

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 2021

123

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SERVICE CENTRE

KRIS OAKLEY MARINE SERVICES

Phone: (07) 3387 0800

For all your fishing tackle needs

Copy and materials can be sent direct to: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

MARINE MECHANICS

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

www.fishin.com.au TOURNAMENT TACKLE STORE

Best Brands – Great Advice

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This section in QLD Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching. 124

JULY 2021

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Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0834 or email nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au JULY 2021

125

Whittley SL25HT with 300hp Mercury Verado V-8 - SC

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO

SPECIFICATIONS Overall.length ....7.70m Length.on.trailer.. 8.45m Height.on.trailer... 3.30m Width.on.trailer .... 2.49m Beam................. 2.49m Capacity ..... 8 persons Transom.deadrise ..23° Fuel ..................... 240L Water..................... 40L Max.hp .................. 300 Rest assured that they turned a few heads at the show. We turned up at the Whittley Queensland dealership and launched the SL25 and an SL22 into the Coomera River. It’s handy when the yard is that close to the ramp. This review is about the SL25. 126

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… there’s nothing quite like taking a couple of hundred thousand bucks worth of boat out for a spin on the Gold Coast. Better still, it was during the week! Of course, there is the flipside where Matthew (photographer and FM Production Manager) and I get stuck behind a screen editing photos and videos, but we save that for when the weather is bad. We got hold of a couple of Whittley boats after the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show. These happened to be the very first ones that have been powered with Mercury outboards and the team at Whittley were clever enough to build them in colours that matched perfectly.

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Up front, compared to similar rigs in this class, the cabin is spacious – and you know you’ve made it when you have a TV in there. Like most Whittley boats, there’s a drop in table that adds convenience. Ride-wise, the 25 was a

Steve Morgan

CON

AN THE

FMG

Supplied on a twin axle trailer, the 25 would be at the limit of what you’d want to tow with a standard, 3.5t capacity dual cab ute, especially when it’s loaded, but when you’re spending nearly $200K on a rig, you may have something extra

PERFORMANCE

Main: This is the first Whittley that we have tested with a Mercury outboard on the back – a 300hp V-8 Verado. Above: The SL25 is a serious offshore fishing hull that’s been made a lot more functional (even if less spacious) by a hard top. The Sea Legend isn’t a new hull, but the Hard Top version is more recent and solves plenty of on water problems. It adds shade, it’s able to be enclosed and keep out of the weather and it offers options for mounting radios, storing rods and mounting outriggers. Anglers like them. That’s why you see more and more around the traps. This SL25 is powered by the Verado 300hp, which is a 4.6L, V8 outboard that’s a four-stroke. Verados feature AMS, which is short for Advanced Mid Section. It’s designed to remove all vibrations between the hull and the outboard and it’s been a feature since Verados were a supercharged, straight six-cylinder. As to be expected, it’s not the boat you buy to save on fuel. At wide open throttle, this rig gets to just under 80km/h at 5,900rpm at an economy of 800m per litre. Drop back to 3,500rpm and you get 50% better bang

for your buck, with 1.2km for each litre burned at 33km/h. The standard fuel tanks are 240L, which will give you just under 300km of theoretical range at cruising speeds. It does, however, have a functional and great looking interior, with fully customised rubber flooring and a unique seating arrangement that features both forward and aft-facing seats. This removes the need to swivel seats around all the time and gives you a great position to get busy waiting for the spread to attract some action. The transom arrangement is also pretty cool, with a central battery locker housing all of your house power and breakers and isolators that you’ll need access to. They’re sitting behind a set of cupboard doors that are under the bait station. There’s a live bait tank built into the transom and a standard transom door. The transom itself fits

nicely with in-water activities and also is fitted with the flooring material. Kids will love swimming from it. The downside is that the seating and transom eat into the cockpit space a little, but with a 25ft hull, there’s still plenty of room for you and your mates.

RPM.............Speed.(km/h).... Economy.(km/L) 600 .................................. 4 ......................... 1.4 1000 ................................ 5 ......................... 1.1 2000.............................. 10 ......................... 0.8 3000.............................. 20 ......................... 0.8 3500 .............................. 33 ......................... 1.2 4000.............................. 43 ......................... 1.1 4500 .............................. 52 ......................... 1.1 5000.............................. 63 ......................... 1.1 5900 .............................. 79 ......................... 0.8 pleasure to be in. Although we couldn’t take it offshore on the day (it was big enough to swamp a trawler on the Seaway that day), we did our best to beat ourselves up in this rig in the pressure waves and it rode nicely.

in there to upgrade the tow vehicle as well. As tested, this unit comes in at $198,072. Visit www. whittley.com.au for more information or reach out to any of the dealers in the Whittley network.

Although the Southport Seaway was closing out, we got to have a bit of fun in the pressure waves on a big runout tide.

Top: With an Advanced Mid Section (AMS), Mercury’s Verados are designed to minimise vibrations transmitted to the boat, making the ride smooth. Above: Gary Honeychurch was a newbie to the Southport Seaway, but he soon became comfortable in the slop.

Top: Whittley’s bait station is removable and features a flip-up bait board with wet storage underneath. Above: This is pretty neat - and reminiscent of the setup in Stabicraft boats. There’s a centrally mounted battery box on the transom that houses the main breakers and isolation switches. It’s easy to access.

She is an imposing ship from the bow. Like most boats this size, an anchor winch is a necessary addition.

With the way the transom is shaped and the rear-facing seating, the cockpit space is probably smaller than you’d expect.

Top: You can fit 10 rods in the rocket launchers, and the lighting options up there make early morning starts, or night fishing trips, a pleasure. Above: The unique seating arrangement boasts higher helm and passenger seats with lower, rear-facing seats behind them. It’s a great compromise between luxury and space that bait fishos in particular will enjoy.

Top Left: There isn’t any wasted space in this rig – here you can see the underseat storage. Top Right: The cabin is set up here for day tripping, although we’re sure you can convert it for overnight use. Like most Whittleys we’ve tested, it’s plush. Bottom Left: There you have it, a helm with plenty of space for flush mounting MFDs. Bottom Right: The transom is a space that’s designed to be fun around the water on the family days, although it eats into fishing space a little.

You know you’ve made it when there’s a TV in your cabin. JULY 2021

127

New 2021 Quintrex models powered by Mercury - SC

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I can say that this one is the most dramatic… and if you can’t tell that it’s a Quintrex coming at you in years to come, you’ll probably need to get your eyes checked. Or your memory. Or both! Aimed towards streamlining brand image and representing a consistent look across its boats, the number

540 TOP ENDER PRO Length:............... 5.68m Beam:................. 2.30m Fuel:....................... 95L Rec HP:.................... 90 Max HP:................. 140 Weight:............... 577kg Capacity:..... 6.persons of stripe designs will reduce from the five current patterns to one stripe. We were welcomed to the day by new BRP marketing guru Jasmine Buck and Telwater stalwarts Cliff Antees and Dom Smith. You can see the video of the day by scanning the QR code hereby. Essentially, they have

590 OCEAN SPIRIT PRO Length:............... 6.22m Beam:................. 2.30m Fuel:......................110L Rec HP:.................... 90 Max HP:................. 150 Weight:............... 684kg Capacity:..... 7.persons relaunched five of their most popular models to the public; namely, the Fishabout, Top Ender, Cruiseabout, Ocean Spirit and Hornet. And they all sport the new Quintrex branding. Here’s what Quintrex had to say about them. BOATING MADE EASY Quintrex has dropped

520 FISHABOUT PRO

The.Fishabout.has.undergone.a.renovation..The.Pro.model.featured.here.has.all.of.the.. bells.and.whistles.and.takes.the.stress.out.of.upgrades. 128

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You know it’s a good media day when it ends up with a steak sandwich at Tipplers that so big you’d need a mouth like Shrek to eat it with any semblance of normality. That was the way that Fishing Monthly and other assembled media ended the launch of the new branding and models of Quintrex boats for 2021. It’s a big call to change a brand. Quintrex has been around for over 75 years and there have been few changes to its branding over that time. In my time in this industry,

520 FISHABOUT PRO Length:............... 5.51m Beam:................. 2.20m Fuel:....................... 95L Rec HP:.................... 90 Max HP:..................115 Weight:............... 567kg Capacity:..... 5.persons

the curtain on its first ever Boat Bundle strategy, designed to simplify product optimisation by delivering

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

SPECIFICATIONS

Steve Morgan

CON

AN THE

FMG

a clean-cut way to option up a boat with a package of specially selected features to suit key lifestyle demands.

TOP:.Quintrex.had.three.of.their.new.models. on.show.at.their.2021.Media.Day. ABOVE:.This.new.livery.will.become. standard.across.all.new.Quintrex.boats. Consumers can upgrade with up to three boat bundle options, aptly named the Comfort Bundle, Fishing Bundle and Captain’s Bundle. Or boaties can dive in with all the bells and whistles thanks to the Pro model – Fishabout Pro, Cruiseabout Pro, Top Ender Pro, Ocean Spirit Pro and Hornet Pro, which feature all the premium extras. Driven by the businesses promise of ‘Boating Made Easy’, together with insight from the global marine market, the new line-up is set to pave the way towards further nurturing new boaties into the industry whilst continuing to deliver an unparalleled aluminium boating experience. With customers still able to option up with individual items if that’s the way they want to go, Quintrex will continue to deliver the same high level of customisation that the brand is renowned for. Other structural changes, implemented to further drill down on the

mechanics, rideability and overall boating experience of Quintrex, include: • A heightened transom for enhanced on-water performance • Redesigned dashboard across the Fishabout and Cruiseabout ranges to achieve the housing of larger electronics and sounders whilst improving overall storage capacity • Enhanced aluminium Ocean Spirit cabin design aimed to improve factory efficiencies and overall product quality whilst improving technology capabilities • Hydraulic steering now standard across all models over 5m to improve the overall ride experience • Dual maxi bracket standard across all 2021 models to allow for more versatility and customisation • Mechanical tilt steering standard on base models up to 5m and hydraulic tilt steering across all Fishabout Pro models to drill down on driver ergonomics • Redesigned side pockets to enhance overall fit and finish across all 2021 models • Seamless upholstery finish with ‘no-see fastening’ now implemented for the Cruiseabout bow seating area and deluxe rear lounges in all applicable models • Increased underfloor storage to meet customer demand for secure tackle space NEW FISHABOUT Attractive to a wide variety of consumers, the Fishabout is the perfect allrounder. This year it will get an all-new market strategy and updated features that have been driven by

540 TOP ENDER PRO

The.Top.Ender.Pro.will.keep.any.inshore.angler.happy.–.especially.when.they.can.sneak.outside.on.good-weather.days! market research and dealer feedback, to up the ante on the Quinnie favourite. The Comfort Bundle features plush options and ample sun protection for days out with the family, including a bimini and envelope, upgraded Maritime Sport seats and a deluxe rear lounge and backrest upgrade. Built for avid fishos, the Fishing Bundle includes a berley bucket kit, transom cutting board and ski pole duo, VHF radio and LED

The.new.transoms.come.with.mounts.for.ladders. or.berley.buckets.–.whatever.option.you.want.

cockpit lights and switches. Finally, the Captain’s Bundle is built specifically for those in the driver’s seat with an upgrade to hydraulic tilt steering and an upgraded steering wheel. Together with the Boat Bundle approach, the Fishabout range will also see a number of aesthetic and structural changes in line with current market demands, including an updated dash to allow for greater storage capacity and the fitment of larger electronics.

590 OCEAN SPIRIT PRO

The.Ocean.Spirit.was.a.real.weapon.with.the.Mercury.3.0L.4-stroke.150hp.Pro.XS.on.the.back.

NEW TOP ENDER Crafted to suit the rugged conditions of the Northern Territory, the Top Ender has become an Australian icon due to its versatility, durability, reliability, and barra-bass tournament style layout, making it a fishing allrounder. Boasting a sleeker look, increased security, and more comfort for longer days on the water, it is heralded to deliver an unparalleled boating experience. Consumers can expect to see hydraulic steering as standard for all models over 5m as a promise to delivering the highest standard of ride experience for all Quintrex owners. Additionally, the casting platform design across all Top Ender models has been streamlined and crafted to feature a larger opening to increase quality, ease of access and storage capacity. NEW OCEAN SPIRIT Packed with a range of new features including the 2021 cabin and transom, the Ocean Spirit is said to be perfect for everyone. It also has an all-new option package approach to make boating easy for all buyers, new and old. Changes will also include a dual maxi bracket as standard across all 2021 Ocean Spirit and Ocean Spirit Pro models, recessed drink holders as opposed to the fold-down style, an all-new aluminium cabin design that allows for increased technology capacity, a new split bow and bowsprit design, and more. You will see all new Quintrex boats roll out the new logos in the coming months, so keep an eye out for them! JULY 2021

129

New South Wales Tide Times

Victorian Tide Times

2021

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA DNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES N) – NEW SOUTH WALES LONSDALE – VICTORIA LAT 38° 18’ S LONG 144° 37’ E LAT 33° 51’ S LONG 151°POINT 14’ E

2021 LONG 151° 14’ Eand Heights of High and Low Waters LAT 38° 18’ S Times

2021 2021

LONG 144° 37’ E and Local Time of High and Low Waters Times Heights POINT LONSDALE VICTORIA Times Local and JULY Heights Time MAY of–High and Low Waters Local Time JUNE Y High and Low Waters AUGUSTJUNE JULY LAT 38° 18’ S LONG 144° 37’ E Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m TimeJULY m Time m JULYm MAY AUGUST AUGUST Time m Time m Time m Time Time JUNE m Time m m Time Time m Time mWaters Time 1.34 m Time mand Time m1.41 Time1.26 m Time m Time Time Time m 0034 Time Time Time m 0633 Times and0057 Heights High0006 Low Local 1.68 0519 m0.58 0.53 0145 0037m 1.78 1.60of 0557 1.36 0150 0046 0.69 0452 0623 1.40 0.51 m 0049 0.58 0646 0.43 1.30 1.47 11170.53 1.28 0750 0740 0.49 0.541.56 1148 0735 1.30 1041 0.381.34 1158 1.47 1.57 0748 1.35 00061238 1.680228 0633 0319 1.45 0.55 0807 0348 0.51 1.48 0145 0150 0744 1.26 0545 1.450735 0515 0057 1.60 0226 1.60 0339 04190.62 1.50 0.58 FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL JANUARY 1303 1.43 1804 0.76 1640 0.75 1430 1.59 1446 1.43 1345 1.33 1358 1.38

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WE SA0.81 TU FR 1636 SU 1136 0.63 1406 0.97 1206 1.591851 1658 1.77 1250 0.74 1850 1.55 1305 0.86 1237 1.56 1751 1.58 TH TH FR FR U 1626 1.64 MO 17170512 TU SA SU MO TU WE TH 0550 1.56 05051.50 1.48 1.64 0459 1.37 1.52 0602 1.58 0611 1.46 2215 0502 0441 1.411.47 1.35 1.61 2255 21371.48 1.43 2300 2331 2322 0.77 1814 1.65 2018 1.32 1842 1.87 2042 2240 0.61 2357 0.68 2342 0.46 1959 1945 1.44 1905 1.52 0.491112 0.31 1.27 0129 0.25 0438 0.42 1.54 0304 1.62 5 1107 0.21 20 1039 0.38 5 12030536 20 12190531 1053 1.42 0.52 20 1145 0.17 20 0.24 0.33 1.355 1101 0102 6 0652 6TU50522 210.34 10438 1.24 1127 0.59 11211.50 0.62SA21 1115 0.49 0724 MO 1.37 1046 1.37 0.44 FR6 0950 0.52 1804 1746 1.55 1709 1.41 21 1.65 1814 0.50 1.60 1845 1856 1.41 1733 1.56 0432 0.64 0313 0.62 0507 0516 0545 0.33 WE SA FR 1746 0102 0.49 0129 0.25 0242TU0.53 0300 0536 1.27 0531 1.35 0147 0.68 0154 0.59 0111 0.40 1.54 0004 0.71 0037 0.59 0542 1.36 1221 0.59 1.61 1.65 WE 1755 1.87 1300 0.43 1719 1.786 TU 1800 1609 1.44 6SU 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0810 1.42 1822 1.52 1910 0.44 1.51 WE 1816 1756 1.40 1.41 22 1246 12520635 0.34 1.37 1.61 1.29 1.501.49 SU TU TH 1849 SA 1836 0522 0.57 0732 0604 0601 0030 0428 0.49 0141 0.42 0346 0.52 1.52 0043 0.60 0044 0.35 0246 0.65 0131 0.52 0246 0.58 0209 0.38 0101 0.74 0003 0.75 0213 0.22 0422 1303 70.54 0.59 1202 0.62 1.57 1212 1.907 WE 1700 1.57 7MO 1202 1349 0.40 2335 0.40 1943 1.47 1939 1.37 0.48 2345 0.78 SA 7 TU 1812 TH22 SU 22 7 22 7 7 2SA1136 22 7 22 7 22 22 22 1218 1.50 1320 1.81 1310 1.66 0639 0.31 1138 0732 1.29 1112 1.42 0.44 0626 1.28 0635 1.37 0957 1.38 0856 1.49 1012 1.42 0946 1.54 0750 1.31 0638 1.34 0810 1.42 1142 1935 1.79 1835 1.68 1840 1.71 1850 1.96 2259 0.63 2017 1.90 0.89 1844 0.92 1353 1.75 1703 0.73 1303 0.54 1627 TU 1.00 0.62 12120020 0.48 1447 1355 0.88 0001 1500 1.01 1440 1208SA0.61 1349 0.40 1701 FR 1755 SU 1844 MO0.96 TH U 1812 1.90 WE 12020625 TH 0.65 MO TU0.70 WE0.55 TH FR 1316 SA 0.56 SU 0.92 SU 1.56 0100 0.62 0107 0559 1.32 00030.82 0.65 0015 SA 0.71 2350 1.38 0216 1915 0.81 2339 1.50 1935 1.791.47 2223 1.29 1840 1.710.61 18500650 1.961.45 2132 1.39 211622 1.35 2101 0.22 1.45 1925 2034 1.48 2040 1.43 2017 1.90 2318 7 7 7 22 7 22 0618 1.52 0640 1.37 1215 0.40 22 0722 0716 1.35 1146 0.46 0609 1.41 0104 0124 0.54 0139 0.27 0047 0.39 1.49 0505 1.67 0.37 0254 8 30047 23 8 0.17 1.33 1849 1.39 1.40 23 1331 13280732 0.37 1.39SU 1228 0.34 07110.23 1.29MO23 0641 0.40 1.50 SU8 0811 0852 WE 1.451242 0.41 TH 1905 1.44 1125 0.40 TH0649 FR 1256 MO 1215 03440.50 0.55 0318 0.39 0.36 0124 0.540.59 01391938 0.271.31 0234 0.45 1929 0212 0.74 0054 0254 0.22 0216 0.371.44 0.490123 0533 0533 0.37 0053 0040 1.50 0603 0.50 1344 2010 1.43 2046 2029 1.34 19011.55 1.47 1237 1242 0.610.62 1306 0.46 1228 0.4480.72 1435 17480.39 1.72 8 TU TH FR23 WE SU 81.54 3SU0641 23 1.29 880345 23 8 1.74 23 23 23 1241 81.430451 8 23 8 23 1058 1106 1.47 MO 1055 1.58 1.50 0711 1.29 07321903 1.390749 1008 1.57 1.60 0909 0852 1.45 0811 1.33 1206 1.47 1242 1.71 0657 0.25 0644 0.40 0729 0.33 1300 1910 1919 1.771.44 1944 2.01 2.01 1.34 2015 1.84 2100 1.85 1600 1612 1.02 1557TU0.97 0.61 13060059 0.46 1507 0.95 0045 1306SU0.70 1435 0.39 1812 1344 0.50 1734 WE 0.95 1813 0.72 1352 1.72 1440 1.75 0.86TH0.63 0150 0.71 0147 0.78 0110 SU 0.76 0.50 00371.84 0.70 0025 0.80 TUFR FR E 1228 0.44 TH 12420022 FR 0.75 WE SA 1421 SU 0.65 MO 0.96 MO MO 1411 SA 1840 80144 8 08110202 23 8 0701 0253 81926 231.31 2134 1.47 2135 1.39 2100 1.85 2220 1.37 221023 1.34 2213 0.25 1.44 1903 1919 1.770.56 19440722 2.011.39 2019 2015 1.841.40 2328 0757 1.29 06440.78 1.36 0748 0.87 1.29 0704 1.51 23 1.46 0651 1.280.75 1934 2005 0.48 0145 0.30 1.46 00002.01 0.51 0331 0.32 0230 0.22 9FR0730 40145 241.56 9 0849 1423 14060826 0.40 1.41 0.37 1300 1.38 0.35 24 0.22 1.37 07520.26 1.31TU24 0740 0.41 1.48 MO9 0600 1.68 0933 1.47 TH 1340 0.51 FR 1231 0.52 SA 1332 MO 1313 TU 1246 0439 04400.46 0.52 0202 0.480.60 0342 0.38 2028 0328 0155 0253 0.321.41 0331 0.25 0.46 02302030 0.221.29 0432 0.41 0.34 0144 0128 0213 1.50 0032 1.54 0033 1.42 2154 2126 1.30 1947 1.42 2113 1.46 1952 1.39 0.71 1.47 2001 1425 1311 1322 0.600.57 1319 0.45 0.65 12100.30 0.37 1519 1359 0.45 WE FR TH MO TU MO SA 991151 4 0740 9 075219451.31 24 9 1.79 24 24 24 1.33 9 0849 1957 91.370546 241.400026 1157 1.52 24 1116 1.66 0.449 1022 1.37 0933 1.47 1254 1.53 0633 08261956 1.410911 1200 1.63 9 24 9 24 0746 0.26 0724 0.37 0815 0.36 0629 0.26 0642 2053 1.86 1.811.52 2.07 1.40 18361.48 1.86 2141 1.76 2033 2.02 1709 1717 1.01 0.60 16241339 0.96 0131 1416MO0.80 1425 0.46 1519 0.41 1829 TH 0.88 1332 13590141 0.450.74 1713 0.61 0246 0.80 0235 0223MO 0.78 0116 0.80 01141.84 0.77 WE H 1319 0.45 FR 13220113 TH0.86 SU 1537 MO TU 0.97 TU SA 0.81 SA 1459 1434 1.75 1522 1.73 1338 1.81 1.68FR0.71 TU WE0.93 SA SU 9 24 9 24 9 9 24 24 0748 1.46 1.38 0910 0846 1.24 1.38 0911 0.82 1.25 0800 1.26 07230.75 1.30 2307 23060.29 1.35 1957 1.810.52 20330759 2.021.33 2326 0.31 1.45 1956 2239 1.48 0751 2229 2118 2053 1.861.34 2141 1.76 1910 00572.07 0.40 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1535 0.86 1509 0.45 1602 0.46 1416 1411 0.48 1401 0.59 1449 0.45 1803 0.94 1735 0.93 1812 0.96 1819 0.85 1336 1.59 MO TU TU WE WE 1.70 R SA SU TH FR MO 1416 1.73SA WE 1544 SU TU 1.80 1515 1.76 1600 1430 1.87 TH FR SU 10 25 10 25 10 10 25 25 1021 1.29 0951 1.19 1031 1.27 0839 1.41 0843 1.28 0853 1.31 0813 1.25 0924 1.29 2319 1.38 2133 0318 1.852353 2218 1.65 2047 2035 1.840.50 21210334 1.982218 2345 1.51 0.80 0407 0.28 1915 0.782136 2000 0441 0.38 0259 0.23 1.46 0.421.39 0403 0.25 01532.09 0.31 1957 0.68 2107 0.72 2047 0.77 0.67 1957 1641 15571002 0.45 1.42 1445 1.35 0.29 26 0.38 1.45 0.46 SA 1616 0.65 SU 1444 0.67 SU0852 MO 1500 WE 1501 TH 1407 26 11 11 60334 0751 1.63 11 1051 1.47 1011 0932 0.43 1.44 WE 09120.33 1.33TH26 0526 0.57 0407 0.28 0441 0.38 0219 0.23 0318 0.42 0403 0.25 0608 0.47 0553 0.27 0031 1.48 0119 1.41 0413 0.44 0000 1.37 2344 1.32 2315 1.37 2216 1.43 2228 1.29 2239 1.36 2143 1.32 2208 1.39 1343 0.40 1645 0.52 1554 0.45 1422 0.64 1503 0.51 1442 0.58 1539 0.48 TH WE FR 11 26 SA 26 SU MO 0315 1.520641 0.30 1.49 1.46 02091.65 1.59 0156 26 260.670810 111.64 11 6WE0932 26 110.82 1223 1.50 1011 11 1.45 1.47 1.331.83 10022139 1.421138 1315 1317 1.79 1.47 071511 0.400343 0617 0.45 26 20131.44 2.06 11 0912 2255 2056 2.07 2115 1.85 1051 2207 1.90 111.80 261.520258 111.43 26 0.36 0845 0.37 0939 0.47 0809 0.19 0.37 2215 0453 0.90 0510WE 0.68 0.81 0012 0249MO 0.86 0338 0.83 1554 0.45 1645 0.52 1454 14420312 0.58 15390326 0.480.90 1847 0.91 18360755 0.88 0335 1354 1.72 1415 1.64 1655WE0.87 1324 0918 1.63 TU 1756 TH TH A 1503 0.51 SU 11 MO26 FR SA WE SU 1625 1.74 1556 1.74 1633 1.66 1517 1.87 1454 1.76 1.25 26 11 11 11 26 26 TH FR SA MO TU 1108 1.18 1143 1.33 0938 1.36 0936 1.23 0521 0.84 1011 0918 1.21 1048 1.39 2215 1.80 2255 1.52 2043 2139 2.07 2115 1.85 2207 1.90 1919 0.76 1955 0.69 2318 1.49 1857 0.91 0512 0.45 0446 0.29 0338 0.49 0428 0.27 0357 0.41 0446 0.31 0249 0.26 2033 0.78 2152 0.71 2129 0.72 2217 0.64 2043 0.67 1712 0.45 1730 0.65 1550 0.27 1557 0.44 1140 1.28 1619 0.45 1506 0.50 1606 0.71 FR SU MO TU TH TH FR MO 70428 0848 1.57 12 0932 1.33 27 1027 1.41 12 0953 1.34 27 1048 1.41 12 1055 1.48 27 1130 1.46 2327 1.48 1.39 2330 1759 1.36 2253 1.32 2309 1.43 0512 0.45 0446 0.290.32 0307 0357 0.410.66 0446 0.311.33 0037 1.41 0046 1.54 2347 00500.47 1.40 0130 0.58 1.52 0208 1.47 0002 0516 1500 1557 0.56 0.33 1523 0.58 1627 0.53 1730 1644 14300.27 0.45 FR TH SA SU MO TU TH 0400 1.480735 0.31 034312 1.49 1.43 02540.43 1.58 0236 121.76 27 270.530851 27 0.50 7 1027 12 27 27 122300 1.46 1055 12 1.480648 1.341.83 10482229 1.411240 0651 0.25 1.48 07001.72 0.42 27 0756 0.410426 0608 2133 1.99 2154 1.84 1130 2250 1.78 2332 1.39 21021.41 2.10 12 0953 12 27 12 27 0.85 1.59 0.80 04000.44 0.85 0116 1.47 0047 1.37 0008 0.40 1.40 0450 1000 0929 1016 0.54 0856 0.21 0.36 1730 0.58 1644 0.47 1528 15230427 0.581309 16270438 0.53 1351 1.70 14110830 1.82 0505 1403 1.67 1443 1.73 145312 1.66 1803TH0.85 FR FR U 1557 0.56 MO 12 TU27 SA SU MO TU TH WE TH 0.93 12 27 12 06410437 2723321.82 12 270.59 1045 1.34 0.81 1.24 10411.68 1.21 0.77 0614 0.84 0606 1.71 0.58 1200 1.54 1704 1634 1704 1.61 1603 1532 1.75 0527 FR TU WE 1.72 2121 1.39 2229 2154 1.840.50 22501039 1.781.20 1927 1930 0.81 1133 1939 0.85 2014SA 0.67 2034 SU 1843 0.33 0544 0.52 0417 0519 0.32 2300 0.400.87 0528 0.38 03451.99 0.25 1703 0.25 28 0.47 SA 1620 0.54 1251 1.31 1227 1.23 2110 1243 0.66 1.43 TU 1728 0.710.62 TU1015 2235 0.70 2212 2256 0.67 0.76 1142 28 13 13 80519 1.51 1210 MO 1.45 1.32 WE 1704 1120 0.42 1.39 FR 1036 2127 1.35SA28 1133 1.40FR 1742 0945 1.50 13 1905 1827 0.41 0527 0.330.31 0544 0.52 0350 0437 0.400.68 05281649 0.380016 0226 0.64 1.531828 0.64 0254 1.52 0041 1.42 0119 0143 1.56 FR 1737 01370.50 1.43 SA 1820 1540 0.61 1.53 0.591.44 1715 0.59 15210.32 0.51 SU MO TU 1608 WE 28 28 8FR1120 28 13 13 28 28 13 0338 1.55 0315 0446 1.420825 0.35 043013 1.49 1.40 1142 13 1.510727 1210 1.45 0929 1.351.81 11332318 1.400615 0837 0.430510 0646 0.44 0.24 0.41 0745 0.26 1.48 07371.60 0.41 28 2347 2213 1.87 2235 1.81 2331 1.64 21541.39 2.08 13 1036 0031 1.38 00000.52 1.35 1.54 1.66 0213 1.53 0141 1.45 0051 1.39 0051 0.46 1.43 0003 1.48 13 28 13 28 13 0942 0.28 0906 0.37 1042 1014 1053 0.62 1737 0.50 1820 0.64 1558 16080033 0.59 1715 0.59 1526 1.73 1528 1.67 1346 1335 1.85 1426 1.72 1501 1.82 1441 1.69 FR SA SA O 1649 0.61 TU 13 WE WE FR TH FR SU MO TU 281743 13 28 1.75 13 13 280.50 05211.61 0.77 0545 0.84 28 0747 0.67 0718 0.72 0.72 0649 1.68 0.49 0551 0.39 1647 1611 1.73 0609 1714 1735 1.56 2347 1.60 2157 2318 2235 1.810.51 23310555 1.640.91 2104SU 0.60 2114 MO 1921 0.79 1900 2004 2024 0.75 0630 2018 0.80 0015 1.28 0606 0500 0610 0.40 0.81 0518 0.410.84 04431.87 0.28 WE TH 0.45 SA0.38 1147 1.21 1206 1.28 1157 1.34 1354 1.35 1332 1.32 1246 1.29 1332 1.52 1300 1.69 TH 1213 1.37 SA SU WE1059 1.30 29 SA 14 TU2257 0.61 WE 2332 0.60 90610 14 2209 0.671218 1.40 2146 0.75 1232 1.54 231829 0.70 0619 0.59 11220.30 1.36SU29 1044 1.43 14 1810 0.38 1743 0.55 1815 0.22 2001 1929 0.38 1851 0.46 1914 0.63 1832 0.69 0015 1.28 0430 0609 0.380200 0340 1.56 0518 0.410.71 0.450110 0235 1.56 SA 1838 02210.55 1.45 SU 1254 0317 1.43 1.53 0116 1.44 1804 0.66 1622 0.67 1.57 1656 0.611.46 16140.40 0.59 TH29 MO TU 1744 WE 14 29 29 140.20 14 9SA1213 29 0606 14 29 14 29 0619 0.5908380355 1004 1232 1.541.57 0919 0.47 1.361.78 12180126 1.401.45 0802 0.31 0146 0814 0534 0.41 0910 0.69 0.42 0722 0710 0421 1.50 1.46 0521 0558 1.37 1919 2254 2319 1.760.41 22461.37 2.01 14 1122 0134 1.60 0.40 0300 1.44 00581.37 1.42 0128 1.47 1.45 0054 1.53 14 29 14 29 14 1254 1.43 1626 1838 0.55 1602 1.65 16560657 0.61 1804 0.66 1501 1.73 1548 1.79 1518 1.70 1604 1.70 1.70 1428 1.89 1025 0.36 0943 0.39 1120 0.61 1101 0.54 1131 SU SU SA SA U 1744 0.67 WE 14 TH MO TU WE TH FR 1418 SA 29 14 14 29 14 29 0.78 0700 0.85 0842 0.57 0733 0.62 0634 0.64 0726 0.42 0645 0.260.70 1919 2230 2154 TU 0.42 2319 1.760.53 2040 2115 0.69 1351 2057 0.74 2150 0.54 1956 1950 0545 0007 1.24 1.74 0.77 1450 0601 0.420.81 0013 0542 0.34 0106 1.17 1731 1.670.69 1650 1.69 0041 1819 1754 1806 1.51 TH FR 1.50 SU1.46 MO 1303 1.37 0.77 1253 1.40 1.36 13161.55 1.41 1412 1.63 1.59 1354 1.81 TH FR SU SU MO WE TH 15 30 00007 30 0.451900 1.29 0658 0.33 0.47 15 12110.31 1.39 30 1143 1.38 15 1146 0703 0.65 2252 0.690645 0.52 2225 1948 0.74 0657 2344 0.56 1915 0.19 1905 2049 0.45 0.53 1951 0.63 1925 0.67 0041 1.460240 0601 0.420.73 00131305 1.500200 0408 1.42 1.51 0426 1.57 0152 1.46 0327 1.54 SU 1328 03041.56 1.47 MO 1346 0106 1710 1.36 1.59 0.641.46 1304 1.40 17091.74 0.66 TU WE TH 1749 FR 1.17 150.20 0SU0658 30 0.38 30 15 15 30 15 30 151948 30 301.570508 0657 0.451.59 1.391.73 06450214 0.521.52 0952 0.70 0.49 1003 0.53 0758 0802 0836 0927 0.38 0231 08500.57 0.43 0703 0.65 1039 05070.42 1.43 0437 1.44 0001 0.70 0622 1.46 0010 0.59 2339 1839 0.73 1859 0.72 23410.47 1.91 15 1211 2030 0341 0159 1.47 0141 0230 1.65 1.49 0148 1.49 1328 1.56 17490757 0.64 13040751 1.40 1638 1.65 1637 1.62 1.73 1517SU1.87 1538 16321023 1.75 0822 1554 1.70 1346 1.42 1655 15 30 15 30 15 E 1305 1.36 TH15 FR30 FR SA 1450 SU 0.76 TU MO 1.72 MO 15 15 30 15 30 1107 0.45WE 0.43TH0.52 0630 1151 0.64 0650 1.35 0928 0.49 0800 SU 0.37 0735 0.18 0.70 07301.32 0.48 1948 0.57 1839 1859 0.721.30 2231TU 0.51 2235FR 0.36 2039 0.74 2116 2206 0.65 2134 0.68 2030 2304 06420.73 0.42 0058 1.37 0213 1.10 18150.79 1.580.70 1731 1.64 1.44 1200 1838 1212 0.79 1540 1.44 1445 1.58 1.64 1445 1.87 1403 2030 1.40 0.75 1350 1445 14160.70 1.56 MO TH FR SA MO TU FR SA MO WE 1 1244 1.34 31 31 0723 0.58 0800 0.702025 0.63 2132 0.33 2013 0.661.47 2011 0.19 1953 0.29 2035 0.45 1959 0.51 2336 0.71 2305 0.72 1857 1.49 1842 1.370250 1.59 0457 1.42 1.48 1353 1.41 MO 1807 0.73 SA 1.10 TU 1448 31 0058 31 31 0213 31 31 0545 0853 0.24 07230257 0.581.58 0800 0.70 1030 0.68 0.57 1115 2001 0.76 2148 0233 1.55 0526 1.42 1605 1.83 13530836 1.410.67 1710 1.60 31 MO SA31 TU 1448 1.42 TU 1727 0819SA 0.34 31 1107 0.49 2127 0.71 2001 0.761.37 2148 0.68 2309 0.49 2339 SU 1443 WE 1510 1.68

0.61 TH 1257 0.87 1.58 1922 1.42 0.33 0133 0.57 1.54 0848 1.37 0.69 FR 1347 0.95 1.54 2009 1.38

0223 0.55 0.32 0949 1.40 1.51 SA 1449 1.01 0.78 2102 1.35 1.48 0320 0.53 0.33 1050 1.46 1.47 1600 1.02 SU 0.86 2203 1.34 1.43 0422 0.48 0.36 1.46 1147 1.52 MO 1709 0.99 0.91 1.38 2308 1.35

0.39 0520 0.43 1.47 1240 1.59 TU 1807 0.93 0.92 1.36

22 0010 0611

0.40 1.50 0.85 WE 1.38

1.39 0.38 1329 1.65 1856 0.85

0.38 0105 1.44 1.56 0659 0.35 0.75 TH 1414 1.70 1942 0.76

1.43 0.37 1.61 FR 0.64

1.49 0.34 1456 1.73 2027 0.67

1.49 0.37 1.63 SA 0.54

1.53 0.35 1535 1.73 2113 0.58

24 0157 0745 25 0246 0831

1.53 0.40 0335 1.55 1.64 0918 0.40 SU 1614 1.71 0.47 2159 0.50 1.55 0.45 0425 1.56 1.62 1006 0.47 MO 1652 1.68 0.42 2245 0.43 1.55 0.50 0519 1.55 1.58 1053 0.55 0.39 TU 1730 1.63 2331 0.39 1.53 0.56 0620 1.53 1.54 1141 0.65 0.38 WE 1813 1.58

1.50 0.63 1.50 0.39 TH 1.46 0.69 1.45 0.41 FR

30 0018 0726

0.37 1.51 1230 0.75 1900 1.52

31 0110 0832

0.37 1.50 1324 0.84 1954 1.47

SU 1815 1.59 ommonwealth of Australia 2020, Bureau 2037 0.27of Meteorology 2048 0.50 2351 0.69 ctions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Bureau of Meteorology© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2020, Bureau of Meteorology Copyright Commonwealth Australia 2020, Bureau of Meteorology cal +10:00) or daylightisof savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect de standard time©(UTC Datum of Predictions Lowest Astronomical Tide © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide New Moon First Quarter Last ymbols Full Moon or daylight savings time Times (UTCare +11:00) in local when standard in effect timeDatum (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings (UTCQuarter +11:00) when in effect of Predictions is Lowesttime Astronomical Tide Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect First Quarter Moon Phase New Last Moon Quarter First Quarter Last Quarter Full Moon Symbols Full Moon Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) wh New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon Tide predictions for Port Phillip Heads have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions. 20212021 JULY 130 130 JULY

MAKING MEMORIES SINCE 1953

www.whittleyboats.com.au

SL25 HT OB

Boat, motor, trailer package from $166,990* GOLD COAST F 8/9, 1 Boatworks Drive, Coomera, QLD, 4209 Laurie Jackson 0409 830 078 laurie@whittley.com.au

SYDNEY U 2, 2 Waterways Court, Rozelle, NSW, 2039 Brock Cohen 0478 834 753 brock@whittley.com.au

NEWCASTLE U 4, 1 Kullara Close Beresfield, Newcastle, NSW, 2322 John Cohen 0421 922 650 johnc@whittley.com.au

MELBOURNE 12 & 14 Somerton Park Drive, Campbellfield, VIC, 3061 Alan Whittley 0421 170 192 alan@whittley.com.au

*The MRRP (Manufacturers Recommended Retail Price) is the estimated drive away price for private Australian customers only, for the standard base Whittley BMT package. The estimated drive away price includes all local taxes, minimal dealer pre delivery costs, freight from the Whittley Factory Melbourne to the closest capital city in each state (except Darwin), basic marine safety equipment and 12 months registration costs on the Trailer and Boat. Images may show options fitted which aren’t included as standard.

JULY 2021

131

A POWERFUL PACKAGE 40-60HP FOURSTROKE PERFORMANCE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

• SmartCraft Technology – Keeps you informed about your engine’s performance • The Most Intuitive Tiller – Feature packed for unmatched comfort and usability • Troll Control – Dial in precise troll control speeds on all Tiller models in 10RPM increments

PROVEN RELIABILITY

• EFI Reliable Turnkey Starting – Starts first time and every time • 3 + 3 = 6 Year Warranty – For real peace of mind • 18 amp Alternator – Built to handle the demands of marine electronics

POWERFUL PERFORMANCE

• High Displacement – For power and efficiency • Command Thrust Gearcase – For improved acceleration and maneuverability The Mercury 40-60hp FourStroke range ticks all the boxes, so see your nearest Mercury dealer to find out more. www.mercurymarine.com.au

Fishing Monthly Magazine | July 2021

Articles inside

Boat Test: Whittley SL25

Quintrex new models

Tournament Calendar

Tournaments

Track my Fish

Freshwater

Karratha

Geraldton

Lancelin

Mandurah

Metro

Augusta

Yank flathead stocks

Bunbury

WIRF

Recfishwest

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance

Eildon

Shepparton

Ballarat

Wangaratta

Phillip Island

Port Phillip East

Gippsland Lakes

Port Phillip West

Geelong

COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo

Lithgow/Oberon

Hobart

Hunter Valley

Batemans Bay

Illawarra

Central Coast

New England Rivers

Testing Booth: Concept Z2 Slide

Sydney South

Sydney Rock

Freshwater

Cooktown

Sheik of the Creek

Townsville

Whitsundays

Brisbane

Bundaberg

Fishing East Kimberley

QUEENSLAND Gold Coast

REGULAR FEATURES Winter on the wharves

Northern Bay

Jumpinpin

Starlo’s back to basics