Fishing Monthly Magazine | June 2020

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Boating & Kayaking Pedalling the pontoons • Cashing in at Cockle Bay • Pro tips for kayak catching • Boating maintenance • Boat Test: Stessl Edgetracker 455 TP •

Features

Rewards of rock fishing • Get the right face wrap • 20 years of RFL investment • Versatile Extenda-Clouser • Forecasting the impact of COVID • State-based local area reports •

Technique Spotlight

Kai Harrison tells of the rewards of rock fishing

June, 2020 ISSN 2652-5798

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CONTENTS

OUR COVER June 2020, Vol. 1 No.2 TAS

QUEENSLAND Tweed 14 Gold Coast South 16 Gold Coast 18 Southern bay 21 Brisbane 24 Northern Bay 26 Noosa 28 Hervey Bay 30 Gladstone 33 Mackay 34 Whitsundays 36 Townsville 37 Lucinda 38 Hinchinbrook 38 Cairns 39 Port Douglas 39 Cooktown 42 Cape York 42 QLD Kayaking 44 NEW SOUTH WALES Pittwater 48 Sydney Rock 50 Sydney South 52 Yamba 54 Coffs Harbour 56 South West Rocks 58 Hastings 59 Forster 60 Port Stephens 61 Swansea 62 Illawarra 64 Batemans Bay 65 Bermagui 68 Tathra 69 Albury/Wodonga 71 Batlow 72 Lithgow/Oberon 73 Hunter Valley 74 New England Rivers 75 Canberra 70 NSW Kayaking 76 VICTORIA West Coast 84 Warrnambool 85 Apollo Bay 84 Geelong 86 PPB West 88 PPB East 89 Western Port 90 Gippsland Lakes 92 Marlo 94 Bemm River 94 Lakes Entrance 95 Mallacoota 96 Robinvale 97 Wangaratta 98 Shepparton 99 Ballarat 99 Eildon 100 W/S Gippsland 100 TASMANIA Hobart 101 6

JUNE 2020

From the editor’s Desk...

WA

This beautiful dhufish is the result of a session fishing from the rocks.

A Kai Harrison image.

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA Metro 106 Augusta 108 Esperance 109 Bremer Bay 109 Busselton 110 Bunbury 110 Mandurah 111 Lancelin 112 Geraldton 115 Kalbarri 116 Broome 116 Karratha 117 Freshwater 118

A few weeks ago, our Victorian brothers and sisters got to fish again – they were the last part of Australia where it was illegal to go and wet a line for exercise, recreational or hunting-and-gathering purposes.

It seems as though anglers are pretty simple people. We are very tolerant of any and all restrictions as long as we get to retain our outlet and we are willing to do as we are told when it comes to restrictions while fishing.

Anglers have an excellent history of selfpolicing when it comes to abiding by gazetted areas, legal sizes and licencing. We all know that. But during the COVID lockdowns, Infofish’s Bill Sawynok generated some really useful data through the Queensland tagging program that showed that we were good people and could be trusted.

Amongst other indices, a useful one showed distance between where an angler lived and where a tagged fish was recaptured.

Pre and post the tightest COVID lockdowns anglers could travel at least a little way to fish. During the height of them, it was all local. You couldn’t travel to fish.

At that time, the average distance of tag return was the lowest. In fact, the changing on trends on the graph accurately mirrored the regulations.

This is pretty useful for us when it comes to fighting for access to anglers. At the time, we were (and still are) involved in helping

26

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REGULAR FEATURES Rewards of rock fishing 8 Starlo’s back to basics 12 Tech Tricks 78 Get the right face wrap 80 20 years of RFL 82 WIRF 83 Recfishwest 104 Tournamements 120 Trades and Services 122 Track My Fish 102 Kayaking 124 Boating maintenance 126 What’s New Fishing 127 TEST: Stessl Edgetracker 455 TP 128 Tide page 130 COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo Sub page Fun page

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fishing and boating businesses out of COVID related downturns. Something measured positive like this to add to a government-led conversation is unbelievably useful when a bureaucrat says, “But how do we know anglers will do the right thing?”

So well done anglers. You all know that you try to do the right things, but it’s great to be able to measure it.

WHO LIKES THE NEW MAGAZINE? After the new, combined Fishing Monthly hit the shelves, we seriously had no idea how it would be received by anglers.

We loved it, but would the readers love it or hate it? Our Subscriptions Manager, Kym, is usually at the front line of any complaints.

Ask her about the time we got the Find-theWord wrong … or there’s not enough Daiwa logos in the magazine…

She says that nearly all of you love it.

And that mirrors my feedback from the back channels.

So thank you, Australia, for taking a product that we literally HAD to make, and embracing it. We’re a smaller team now.

About half the size of pre-COVID, and we’ll give this title even more love than we have to its predecessors.

And to the sole reader who hated it and wanted his subscription money back? We hope your cheque has arrived and you’ve invested it wisely!

We are loving the feedback and suggestions on how to improve this magazine (after all, it’s only a couple of months old), our email addresses are at the bottom of this page.

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How to reap the rewards of rock fishing FINDING SPOTS TO FISH The hardest part of fishing off the rocks down There’s something about south is finding accessible the pursuit of large land- spots that hold fish and, most based fish that can get importantly, are safe to fish. an angler’s blood rushing, Before every trip we spend whether it be the thrill hours on Google Maps, of the chase, the epic scrolling along the coastline campsites, or the feeling looking for ledges that look of being in the middle suitable. We then compare of nowhere. the maps to a website that These feelings are has ocean charts on it, so all part of fishing off we can see the depths of the rock ledges, but there’s water at that ledge. When nothing like hooking up to we are looking for ledges for a monster and bringing it dhufish and demersals we up the ledge after you’ve aim to fish water that drops spent all that effort finding to at least 10m essentially the spot yourself, getting straight from the rocks. there and putting the time However, although the in fishing it. In the article ocean charts are extremely ??????????

WA

Kai Harrison

Slide 80lb + braid

A drone image of one the ledges, unfortunately no fish were there.

Stopper ring

130lb leader

50lb leader

Snooded 8/0 hooks

Grapnel sinker

Slide bait rig.

I’ll cover how to find some spots of your own, the species you can target, techniques we use, tackle you need to land the fish, and safety on rocks.

helpful, the only way to find out the exact depth of an area is to fish it. One of our best demersal spots is 10-15m deep but online it shows as less than 1m.

Although Google Maps is a great way to find places that might be good for fishing, without going there yourself you won’t know. All of the ledges we fish are between Windy Harbour and Hopetoun on the south coast so I recommend browsing that area first to find suitable ledges. Quite often they will be far away from 4WD tracks, or the 4WD tracks will be completely grown over, so assume that you’ll have to hike to the spot.

Pack light, minimising lead sinkers and excess gear.

Although you may be fine hiking a 30kg pack into a spot, after a day of fishing in the sun you might not be able to hike it back out with the 15kg dhufish you’ve hauled in! There’s also no guarantee the spot will be fishable, so be prepared to hike for an hour into the spot, and then

straight away an hour back.

If you want to experiment with rock fishing before you commit to a large hike in, I recommend fishing a well-known location such as Salmon Holes to get used fishing off rocks and safe fishing techniques.

TARGET SPECIES There are many species you can target off the rocks in deep water. The main ones I target are dhufish,

first ever dhufish.

When I go on these rock fishing missions I set a goal species at the beginning of the trip, and that will dictate which technique I mainly use. For example, for demersal fish I find that soft plastics work best. For seriolas such as samsonfish and kingfish, slide baiting tends to work better.

TECHNIQUES When we are slide

attach the slide rig with 130lb leader down to two large snooded hooks to the line and slide the live bait down the line until it hits the water. From there the herring should swim itself down to the sinker. Presenting live baits in this way puts much less stress on the bait, so it’s much more likely to swim around healthily (well, as healthily as it can with two hooks in its back).

The main target species for slide baiting are yellowtail kingfish and samsonfish.

A common by-catch is Australian salmon, which love nothing better than a fresh herring.

For working soft plastics along the bottom we tie our braid to approximately 2m of 130lb leader with an FG knot, and tie that directly to a 2-4oz jighead. We typically use 3oz jigheads but will downsize to 2oz in calm weather or shallower water, and upsize to 4oz in deeper water and rougher conditions. You should always use the lightest jighead that allows your soft plastic to reach the bottom.

When it comes to soft plastics, two that work extremely well are the ZMan 8” XL StreakZ and the Abrolhos Tackle 6.5” McPaddles in Alize blue colour. However, any large profile soft plastic will eventually get hit if you

This angler’s first ever demersal fish off the rocks. And it certainly wasn’t his last!

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JUNE 2020

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harlequin fish, pink snapper, yellowtail kingfish and samsonfish. When using the techniques outlined above you can also catch Australian salmon, and any demersal and smaller reef species such as leatherjacket and assorted wrasse. On our last trip to our favourite spot Connor hooked up on a Breaksea cod, which we filleted and had for lunch. We then used the frame as burley, and two casts later I hooked up on my

baiting we run our braid down to a stopper ring, then a length of 50lb leader down to a 6oz Grapnel sinker. You want this line to be weaker than your mainline so that if your sinker gets snagged you don’t lose your whole rig. This sinker can be larger if your rod can support casting it and the conditions are rough.

Once we get a live bait (usually herring caught on a little metal lure), we

work it for long enough.

To improve hook-up rates, catch scent is a must.

I prefer Squidgies S-Factor, a scented paste which you apply to your soft plastic every 10-15 minutes. All of the fish I have caught on soft plastics have been within 1-2 casts of reapplying the S-Factor.

The main downside of using soft plastics is the smaller reef species such as leatherjackets and wrasse

taking a liking to the tails. If you fish one area for a long time it can get expensive to keep replacing destroyed soft plastics. If my soft plastics keep getting ‘tailed’ I stop applying S-Factor for around 20 minutes and hope they settle down.

Another technique that’s quite efficient off the rocks is casting lures. This works best when you are on a low

ledge close to the water, as this gives the lure its most natural action.

The most basic lures are metal slugs. Extremely cheap and easy to work, they can often produce more results than all other lures.

For the rocks down south I recommend metals between 60-150g; on this you can catch any topwater species, with salmon being your

bread and butter. You might even be lucky enough to hook a big kingfish.

The other lures you can work are poppers and stickbaits. Buying them can turn into quite an addiction, as I have found out! The best value for money stickbaits are the Rapala X-Raps. Both the surface and the bibbed version have extremely good actions and don’t trouble the

Salmon are a common by-catch using both techniques mentioned.

bank account too much at around $25.

My personal favourite stickbait to throw is the OTL Chop 100g in the blackjack colour. It’s a much more expensive lure, coming in at $130 without hooks, but you get what you pay for in terms of finish and action.

For poppers you can’t go past the Halco Rooster popper in the larger sizes as your basic entry level lure. Once again, you can get much more expensive lures with better finishes and better actions, but it’s about what you are comfortable in spending. For the standard tackle, I recommend visiting your local Tackle World, talk to the staff about your target species and they can point you in the right direction.

In terms of higher end lures, Compleat Angler Nedlands has a huge range.

For all of these techniques I suggest you go onto YouTube and watch videos the ‘Dixon Brothers’ have posted. They are the kings of fishing off ledges down south, and if you want to get into fishing they have some great instructional videos. I recommend having a berley bag hanging down into the water, as this will bring fish into the area you are fishing and make them actively hunt, increasing your chances of catching them.

??????????

80lb + braid

FG knot

130lb leader

2-4oz Jighead 6 inch soft plastic

Soft plastic rig.

Once you have hooked a fish, the key is to bring it to the surface as quickly as you can to bring it away from the reef. Once you can see the fish you can control the fight much better.

Depending on the area you’re fishing, there may be a small ledge you can wash the fish up onto, to either use a flying gaff or, if it isn’t vertical enough, to use your

rod to drag it up the side of the rocks. I recommend using a flying gaff wherever possible, because even though it may take a while to get it set in the fish’s mouth, it is a lot less likely to come out or bend out than dragging a 10kg fish up by a hook. To use a flying gaff you slide it onto the fishing line, keep the line as tight as To page 10

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From page 9

possible, and slide it down until it is covering the fish’s mouth. Keep jiggling it up and down until the hooks slide into the gills or find somewhere else to hold onto. There is a video on my YouTube channel ‘Luckless Fishermen’ that has us using a cliff gaff if you want to see one in action. It can take a while to get used to, but it’s worth it so you don’t have that trophy fish pop off as you’re dragging it up the rocks.

FISHING TACKLE When fishing off rocks I always go heavier rather than lighter, as you never know what you’re going to hook. It could be a little leatherjacket, a big 20kg samsonfish, or anything in between.

I recommend a rod around the PE 8-10 range, and a reel that can handle at least 200m of similarly rated line with at least 10-15kg of drag. My personal combo is a Shimano Revolution Stickbait 802MS rod, matched with a 6500HS Penn Slammer III. It’s spooled with 200m of PE

8 line. I find this gives me enough abrasion resistance to stop getting snapped off on the rocks the moment it touches, and still gives enough sensitivity in the line to work a soft plastic.

This combo is pretty much the cheapest setup I would be comfortable using off the rocks, but if you have some cash to splash there are some very high-end rods and reels available to suit this type of fishing.

The pick of the bunch in my eyes is the Ripple Fisher Runner Exceed 100SXH Final Stand Up paired with a 5500 Saltiga. This gives you maximum castability and is probably the only rod capable of working a soft plastic perfectly while still having the power to drag a fish up the rocks.

In terms of line, you’ll quite often get snagged and can lose a lot of line, so I recommend buying large spools of middle-of-therange braid such as Daiwa J-Braid 4x as opposed to high-end expensive braid.

You will throw away plenty of money replacing this if

a freak wave came through and washed over the ledge.

It would have swept me and my fishing partner into the ocean if we had still been there.

The first priority of any spot is safety. If you can’t fish it safely, don’t fish it at all. I cannot stress this enough: if you have any doubts about whether a spot is safe to fish, turn back – even if you’ve hiked 6km to get there. Fishing an unsafe ledge for a chance at a trophy fish is not worth your life.

This Breaksea provided a tasty lunch, and the frame turned out to be great berley. you regularly go fishing off the rocks.

SAFETY When you’re travelling to remote rock headlands to fish, safety is always the number one priority.

First off, when planning

You can find some hidden gems in your travels.

10

JUNE 2020

supplier is through www. fishandsurvive.com. This website also lists places where Recfishwest has installed rock bolts and angel rings to make tying off extremely easy.

There are some rock boots around that provide extra grip on the rocks, but I find that just wearing thick socks gives you more grip on all of the varieties of rock surfaces you encounter.

I also carry a satellite phone in my hiking pack, and attach a personal

a fishing trip you should always make sure you have enough water and sun protection. I always fish in a collared long sleeve shirt, head sock, wide brim hat and sunglasses. When it comes to water, you should take no less than 2L per person per day, or more if high temperatures are forecast.

When you are fishing ledges close to the water, check the forecast regularly in the lead up and make sure the swell is small.

When you arrive, always watch the ledge for at least 20 minutes before setting foot on it to make sure the large sets are not coming up onto the ledge. Recently when scouting a ledge near Bremer Bay, the swell had picked up over the course of the day. I sat high up on the rocks for 10 minutes checking the ledge, and no waves or even spray had come up onto the ledge. I walked down, checked it out for another 10 minutes, and about 20 seconds after I had walked off the ledge,

Leatherjackets destroy soft plastics.

In terms of safety equipment, I always wear a life jacket, and if there’s no exit point I can find within swimming distance I tie myself onto the rocks using high quality abseiling rope. I use a slim inflatable life jacket so it is more comfortable while I’m fishing, and if I do fall in I can just pull a tag and it will inflate itself.

Many tackle shops along the south coast offer free loan lifejackets, and the best way to find your local

locator beacon to my lifejacket when fishing in case I do fall in. No matter how confident you are that you won’t fall in, you should always be prepared for the worst case scenario.

If you have any questions about this article or anything to do with rock fishing, feel free to go and follow @lucklessfishermen on Instagram and send me a message. In the meantime, start planning so you can get out there and begin exploring!

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A very different world NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Whatever part of the country you live in, we’ve all been on one heck of a ride this year, and it ain’t over yet!

Well, what a difference a month can make! When I wrote my May column for this magazine at the end of March,

scale, the epicentre of the pandemic has shifted from Europe to North America, as well as intensifying in parts of the Middle East, Asia, South America and Africa. Numbers of identified cases worldwide have soared into the millions and deaths into the hundreds of thousands… and it ain’t over yet. Not by a long shot.

My self-imposed home isolation lasted for just over

but I made the decision not to, and I was quite open and public about that choice and my reasons for making it. My stance even attracted some criticism from others who’d arrived at different conclusions. That’s their right, and I don’t condemn them for the choices they made. Even under COVID-19 restrictions, we’re still lucky enough to live in a relatively free country…

Social distancing done well for exercise, mental health and perhaps even some food gathering.

The country’s boat shows and tackle expos have been cancelled this year. Let’s hope they bounce back in 2021.

I was still fishing, albeit on a very limited, local basis and with strict social distancing.

Within days of submitting that piece, I’d made the decision to go into total lockdown and only leave my home when it was absolutely necessary to do so: essentially for food or medical supplies. Even then, I was extremely cautious whenever I ventured beyond my yard, wearing a mask under a buff and disposable rubber gloves, which I changed frequently, along with regular hand-washing and the extensive use of an alcoholbased sanitiser. The moment I returned home, all my clothing went straight into the washing machine and I hit the shower.

It might sound a tad paranoid, but I’d much rather be safe than sorry.

In the month between writing these two columns, the world as we know it has changed dramatically… and perhaps permanently.

While we Australians and our cousins across the ditch in New Zealand have fared exceptionally well on a global

a month before I once again began to sneak out for some very quick, strictly local, landbased forays to cast a bait in search of something we could eat. Living as I do in NSW, I was actually allowed to go fishing (within strict limits) throughout that entire period,

so long as that freedom doesn’t threaten the health and wellbeing of others.

I don’t have a crystal ball, so I have no idea where we’ll all be by the time you read this column. When I wrote it, Australia had dramatically ‘flattened the curve’ and

there was even cautious talk of ‘elimination’ of the virus and some gentle easing of restrictions. I think that’s possibly a little optimistic, but I’m not an immunologist, so I’ll leave those calls to the people with the scientific training to make them. So far, they seem to have done a pretty good job.

Official restrictions have certainly varied somewhat around the country, with Victoria the only state (at the time of writing) that had said a definite ‘no’ to recreational fishing. Not surprisingly, that decision generated a good deal of debate, some of it

Alone in a kayak on an empty estuary is a nice way to go. Sadly, not everyone has ready access to such options.

Highly sociable fishing scenarios like this are a thing of the past, at least for now. Steer clear of crowds.

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rather heated.

While it’s not an argument I wish to buy into, the one thing I would note in passing is that Victoria — with a population that’s about 80% of that in NSW — had recorded less than half as many confirmed cases and half as many deaths as its bigger neighbour when I wrote this column… all this despite the fact that the actual population density per square kilometre is almost three times greater in Victoria than across the border in NSW. While there may well have

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been other forces at play here, to me these statistics indicate that the Garden State’s somewhat stricter restrictions may well have been justified and probably saved lives.

Hopefully, by the time you read this, all Australians might once again be able to cautiously and carefully cast a line while continuing to practice strict social distancing and hygiene protocols. I certainly hope so. Whatever the case, please take care out there and try to be nice to each other. Remember, we’re all in this together!

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Beneficial reduction in fishing pressure THE TWEED

Anthony Coughran

What a crazy past few months it’s been with the lockdown and restrictions!

Even though anglers have been allowed to fish for food, there has still been a significant reduction in boating traffic, which has given marine species a much-needed break. The drop in fishing pressure has also given key fishing species time to feed up, school up, and spawn.

Offshore has been

has graced the Tweed.

They have averaged around 8-14kg, and most have been taken slow trolling live pike, slimies and yakkas around the bommies.

There’s still odd pelagic working its way back up the coast, and they can be found from the 100m line out to 1000m.

The odd black, striped, mahimahi and wahoo are still being caught.

Some very nice mulloway and cobia are around this month, and soaking live baits has been working the best. Plastics,

Leon McClymont with a grey ghost from the rocks.

Carl Berti with a late season spotted mackerel. fishing really well with a late run of mackerel, longtail tuna, mahimahi (dolphinfish) and odd billfish. An early run of mulloway, cobia and snapper has seen them hanging with the last of the summer pelagics.

The estuary is fishing well too, thanks to the lack of traffic. Trevally and soapy mulloway have been dominating the holes and deeper water, while flathead have been the standout in skinny water.

Chopper tailor have arrived in the river and are proving to be very fun on super light gear.

The beaches are also fishing well, with a few big mulloway, tailor, trevally and flathead sitting in the deeper gutters around the headland and along the beaches.

OFFSHORE A late run of mackerel 14

JUNE 2020

micro jigs and bucktail jigs are also working well.

There are lots of big snapper and mixed reefies

out there, and fishing close reefs around dusk and dawn with plastics, jigs and drift baits will catch some very good models this month. Once the sun is established, start moving out to deeper water.

Berley is always a great way to get those mixed reefies off the bottom and feeding. You want your burley fine, like snow, even while you are drifting. This will drive them crazy and they will hit just about anything. We call this ‘seeding the grounds’.

Some great packs of tuna have been coming through. Look for bird diving and barrels flying, and then cast metals and small stickbaits to the tuna packs.

A few tailor are starting to show up on the close reefs, and small metals are fishing well.

ESTUARY The soapy mulloway and trevally have been dominating bait in the holes and deeper water in the rivers. Find the bait and

you will find the soapies.

Plastics, vibes, blades and micro jigs are all working well, you just need to work the right profile and lure on the day.

The last hour of the run-out, the slack tide and the first hour of the run-in is still the best time to score the soapies. If you can score a sunrise or sunset at slack tide, it will triple your chances.

There are lots of different trevally in the rivers at the moment; brassy, GTs, big-eye and goldens are all working different parts and sections of the river. The holes, bridges, rock walls and deeper channels have a lot of big-eye, GTs and brassies, while the skinny water has a few goldens and brassies.

Jigs, vibes, blades and plastics are fishing well in the deeper water, while surface lures and plastics are fishing better in the skinny water.

Flathead are working that skinny water as well.

In water up to 2m you can get good results on 2-5” plastics, 30-50mm hardbodied lures, and blades and vibes. And don’t be afraid to get right up

are what you will need to trick these fish.

Some small chopper tailor are hanging in the current around the bridges, rock walls, deeper holes and weed lines, with the odd greenback mixed in.

Small lures such as plastics, blades, shallow diving hardbodies, stickbaits/ poppers and small metals are all catching these little choppers. Try around Boyds, Greenbank rock wall, the Blue Hole, The red marker at Kerosene Bay, Barneys and Fingal rock wall at night on the run-in tide.

BEACHES The beaches have also been fishing well over the last month, with breadand-butter species in most gutters on most beaches.

Dart, bream, tailor, flathead, whiting and trevally are in good numbers in the deeper gutters.

The bigger tailor are hitting metals off the headlands and rock walls at first and last light, and the

Jonathon Pierce with a solid mulloway from a Tweed reef.

Jason Markey was happy to catch this cracker trag.

into that skinny water as little as 0.6m deep. You will be surprised the fish you will pull in that depth.

Some good packs of bream are already schooling up, with a few solid models amongst them. The pontoons, jetties, rock walls, weed lines, drains and bridges are full of bream at the moment.

Small lures and light leader

deep gutters are producing the odd bigger tailor for anglers soaking ganged half pillies at night.

Soaking a big strip bait or live bait is a good way to catch a mulloway. Try the deeper gutters around the headlands like causeway, Cabarita and Hasting.

There’s the odd snapper off Snapper, Kingy and Hastings Point of a night.

Half pillies and squid fishing well.

SWEETWATER With bass season closed, anglers are getting their fix in the dams, and are doing well on the schooled up bass. Micro jigs, spoons, plastics, jig spins, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits are all working

well. The bigger bass are smashing the spoons and jigs around the tree lines and in the schools, whereas spinnerbaits, jigspins and chatterbaits are working better around the lilies.

Baits are starting to fish well, and worms are by far the best bait. They are very effective when dropped

into schooled-up bass.

There’s still the odd tilapia in Caba Lake if you feel like eradicating some vermin. Drop some worms over a nest and you’ll soon find yourself exterminating a few of these pests.

NEXT MONTH The big snapper will start to take over most reefs

Brad King caught this very nice golden on light gear.

Kayne Blenkinsop with a thumper of a late season wahoo.

in the coming weeks, and plastics will be the go right on first light. Pink skies, snaps rise!

Lots of other bottom species will also move onto these close reefs this month.

Plastics, drift baits and jigs will be the go for a mixed bag of reefy delights.

Mulloway and cobia should start to thicken up on reefs and wrecks. Live baits, jigs, plastics, vibes and bucktails should see you connected to a grey ghost or a black king. The soapies will only get better as the month goes on. Look for holes that hold bait.

You can also try the

various bridges of a night with artificials or live baits for trevally. They will be hitting herring over the next month at night around the bridges on the run-in tides.

Slack tide will fish best.

Flathead will continue their dominance of the skinny water this month, and you can find some good size specimens there.

Concentrate your efforts around the last three hours of the run-out and first hour of the run-in. It’s a good month to troll hardbodies for flathead too; it’s always worth a tow when moving between spots.

The beaches will fish

really well over the coming month at night. Look to the tide around the new moon for your best chance of success.

Bass will be also schooling up in the dams in the coming weeks. Find the schooling bass and drop those spoons and jigs to score a few.

If you have any questions you’d like to ask me, want a weekly report, want to share your catches or for anything fishy, send me a message and your pics to my Facebook page, Fishing Fun Gold Coast.

I will be happy to answer any questions you have.

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Bream and flatties galore SOUTHERN GOLD COAST

Mark Ward markward222@bigpond.com

The cold weather has seen the flathead come on the bite and the bream start to school in the rivers, canals and creeks. The winter weather has seen a lot more juvenile reef fish coming into the canals, rock walls and gravel patches. Bass fishing has only just opened up so there is little I can report on, however, expect the bass to be schooled and having

mood swings from sulky to angry.

ESTUARIES Being in southern Queensland means that it’s now flathead season and it has started well. My son and I have been out chasing the lizards around the Broadwater and in the canals. The canals are a great option as the water is still a little warm and some of the bigger fish can be found there snacking on mullet. As the season moves closer to spawning time, these bigger fish will move towards the mouths of the creeks and

Cody with one of many trevally landed during a session. He fished bait balls moving through as the tide pushed in.

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rivers, and the smaller males will be close by.

Anywhere that has shallow water, weed beds, deep-water access and plenty of baitfish will see flathead waiting in ambush.

Tallebudgera Creek and the Tweed are prime locations but with COVID lockdown, we have been banned from fishing in NSW waters.

Expect to catch a lot of smaller flathead, with the odd big one amongst them. Baits work well when kept moving from a drifting boat or slowly retrieved from shore, but flathead love lures. I recently took a work colleague out fishing and got him started on soft plastics and we simply used a 1/4oz jighead and a 3” white curly tail soft plastic.

A short lift off the bottom followed by a pause for a couple of seconds is all that was needed so see a couple of fish come aboard. Flathead are the perfect fish to begin learning about fishing with soft plastics.

Bream change a lot during the cooler months. They are very active and can be found in shallows chasing bait in summer but are a lot more structure orientated in winter and tend to school up a lot more. Presenting lures

to bridge pylons, jetties, rock walls and even navigational markers seem to produce the better fish. Go very light on the jighead, leaders and use a lot of finesse for best results.

Bait fishing for bream after dark can be very rewarding as well. Fresh baits fished as the tide pushes in against bridges, pontoons, rock walls and drop-offs can produce big catches. Limit what you keep as these fish are getting ready for spawning.

The reef fish that we have been catching have been interesting. The gravel patches in the Broadwater near Sovereign Islands and the gravel near Kennedy Drive boat ramp in the Tweed has seen snapper, emperor and Venus tuskfish all caught on small soft plastics.

Trevally will still be very active in winter and can be caught throughout the canals, rivers and creeks. They love some current and lots of baitfish, so locations such as Monaco St Bridge in Florida Gardens or Little Tallebudgera Creek are the best options.

The current can pump through these areas so bait fishing can be very difficult. Using plastics and surface lures are a much better option, especially

Wardy with a big winter flathead from the Gold Coast canals. than not. The pilchards have been running at the time of writing and there have been good numbers of tailor following them.

Mulloway are a good option for the beach anglers during winter. The better beaches seem to be down south on the Tweed Coast.

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if the trevally are feeding on bait fish.

Tailor and mulloway are worth targeting in the deep water and rock walls in the mouths of the creeks and rivers.

Live bait works well but there has been a lot of mulloway landed on big plastics and big, sinking vibration, baits such as the Zerek Fish Trap. I prefer to target them during the tide changes. When the tide slows, I can keep good contact with my lure and use very small hops off the bottom to get them to bite. A tide that is working hard pulls my lure off the bottom and makes keeping a tight line and good contact difficult.

BEACHES Tailor will dominate the catches on the beaches. Most anglers will be there chasing tailor on pilchards or metal lures. Read the beach and locate gutters with deep rips moving lots of water and the fish will be there more often

jewies on the beach have been using big beachworm baits instead of livies. You will want to be good at catching worms though because you’ll need a whole small worm or half a

big worm for each bait.

Whiting are still on the bite in the surf. Often considered a summer species, they bite well over winter in the surf gutters that are close to shore. Bream will often be caught as well and it’s always a nice surprise to have a big bream take a whiting bait. The fight is a lot more aggressive and there’s nothing better than a big chrome bream out of the surf.

FRESHWATER Bass will be found schooled up off the points and in the timber in Hinze Dam. They can be very shut down but if the schooled fish are not biting, try fishing for the smaller fish on the weed edges. These fish always seem active. Schooled fish that are moving or hanging around bait balls will often take a lure but Hinze is renowned for having fish come and sit under a boat. This makes the sounder light up and gets everyone excited, but it’s very difficult to get these fish to bite. You’d be better off working these edges on days like this. I also saw on social media, local guns like Mick Horn landing some massive silver perch.

A good sized spangled emperor landed in the Broadwater. Cody Ward landed this one with a 3” stickbait.

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Pelagics are on the move GOLD COAST

David Green

June is a month where the warmer currents from the north start to slow down and there is a mix of cold southern waters with more temperate currents.

The wind is predominately from the west.

these fish are up to 7kg in weight.

Out beyond the continental shelf there should be a few blue marlin. Numbers have been quite erratic this season, with good numbers turning up at times on both the Tweed and Point Lookout Canyons. There doesn’t seem to be any consistency

eating, and one of the best methods to catch them is with floating pilchards fished on a single hook cast towards the FAD. Throwing in a handful of chopped pilchards now and then keeps the fish interested.

There are also wahoo near the FADs at times.

Bottom fishing improves this month as the water cools and the current slows. Snapper should increase in numbers on the 24 and 36 fathom line this month. They respond to soft plastics and slow sinking baits like tuna strips, mullet fillets and pilchards. As well as snapper, there should be some nice parrotfish and a few pearl perch on the 36

and 50 fathom line. With the lack of charter boats over the past few months there may be improved numbers of fish in all the more popular spots.

June can be a great month to target big wahoo on the Tweed Nine Mile.

One of the best methods is to slowly troll live tuna over the top of the ledge.

Small mackerel tuna, frigate mackerel and small bonito all make great troll baits for big wahoo. These can be caught by spinning with small metal lures or trolling with tiny squid skirts. When setting up to troll these baits, I use a two-hook rig on wire.

The front hook is pinned through the top jaw and

Little flatties will become more active on the flats in June. the bottom hook is placed in the middle of the fish.

I found this produced a much better hook-up rate than when I put the back hook in the tail of the bait.

Some of the winter wahoo are huge fish over 25kg and I’d recommend using quite heavy tackle to avoid your prize being eaten by sharks.

In closer to shore, there should be plenty of tailor feeding on pilchards at the back of the surf.

Already fish over 3kg have turned up on a regular basis around Jumpinpin.

Both metal lures and stick baits work well. The Zerek Zappelin has been a great producer of big tailor in recent weeks.

ESTUARIES AND RIVERS The fishing will change

however, and I’ve done a few days out wide in the past month where I haven’t had a strike.

The FADs on the 36 and 50 fathom line have been consistently producing mahimahi. Most of these fish are small, between 2-3kg. They make great

A nice bream taken on a surface lure.

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At this time of year some of the pelagic fish that migrated south in summer and autumn start to move back north, and a lot of the biggest mackerel and wahoo turn up in June.

There is also a ‘return run’ of spotted mackerel at this time of year and some of

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A pair of nice Spanish mackerel. Pelagic fish will be returning north from their summer migration in June.

significantly in the estuaries this month as the westerlies start to blow and the water cools. Bream, mullet and luderick will start to move towards the river entrances in preparation for spawning. Flathead will become more active and large mulloway will move into the entrances of Jumpinpin and the Seaway on high tides. Tailor and doggy mackerel should be around the entrances on the run-in tide. There has been plenty of bait around over the past monthbassco and this boats has attracted a wide range of predators.

Flathead start to become more active on the flats and weed beds as the water cools. With the amount of bait around lately they have been

quite ‘soft’ non-committed biters and the best retrieve has been with very small twitches. Prawn patterns have been particularly effective. Most of the fish are in the 35-55cm range and, strangely, a lot of these smaller fish have been carrying full row. There may have been a second spawning run in April this year. Good lures to try include ZMan ShrimpZ, Gulp Prawns and Nemesis, Zerek Live Shrimp and the Ecogear ZX-40. So far this season trolling has been quite poor.

Mulloway are a good target species this month and respond to both live baits and soft plastic lures.

Live pike, mullet and tailor are the most effective baits. Fishing a change of high tide at night in the Seaway and Jumpinpin entrances with live baits is generally a good way to catch mulloway over a metre long. In the daylight hours drifting using big soft plastics can be very productive on the run-in tide when the fish are scattered and holding close to the bottom. In general, the fish encountered in daylight hours are smaller than the fish caught at night. Later in the month quite large mulloway turn up at night when the mullet migration is at its peak,

This is a typical sized flathead that you will encounter this month. with fish over 20kg being relatively common.

Some big bream will start to school up this month in preparation for spawning, and in the deeper sections of the Seaway fish over a 1kg are

relatively common. Small live baits, blades and soft plastics are all effective.

There have also been quite a few parrotfish around the rubble beds in the central channel of the Broadwater and these can be caught

Mulloway respond well to soft plastic lures at this time of year.

There are still plenty of fish around to keep the esky full.

on soft plastic prawns and small blades. June is also a good month to chase squid in the Broadwater around the weed beds on the run-in tide. You need cool clean water and fish close to weed beds. Both northern calamari and arrow squid turn up on squid jigs, as well as the odd cuttlefish.

Squid tend to be more common on bigger tides.

Overall, fishing this month should improve as things cool down. Make sure you observe social distancing rules and enjoy your time on the water.

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Lots of different species are possibilities this month, with snapper, flathead, bream, winter whiting and longtail tuna just to name a few. And with reports of prawns still getting caught, there should still be an opportunity to get into a couple.

Squid should be in full swing now. There have been some really good reports coming from the Rainbow Channel, just make sure you Dave Hall absolutely pumped with his first keep an eye on the Green ever threadfin salmon, and a cracker one Zone boundaries when at that. It took a Zerek Fish Trap. fishing up there.

Bream will start to become be killer along the edges.

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W: triplemmarine.com.au F: (03)don’t 5134 catch 6455 limit your catch, your limit. W: crawfordmarine.com.au Snapper numbers are starting to increase, ECHUCA and they have been all the talk of late.MARINE EADES XTREME Nice pan-size fish have been 24 Sturt the Streetreef Echuca common around P: (03)quality 5482 2333 edges. The better fish | have been coming F: (03)from 5482deeper 2133 water aroundW:Mud and Peel. xtrememarine.net.au Using your sounder to locate these bigger school fish will see the best results. Fish the low light periods and use light lines while keeping boat noise A tasty mixed bag from the southern bay. to a minimum, and you should pick up a few fish.

Mud Island, Bird and Goat quite consistent, and plenty the turn of the tides. Look islands, South West Rocks of good sized specimens have for areas holding lots of bait, at Peel, the sunken reefs at been showing up as well. and the fish shouldn’t be Peel and Potts Point are all There have been plenty of too far away. consistent producers at this quality fish around the mouth If you have a great time of year. Using small soft of the Logan. Numbers of fish capture from the Southern plastics like the 2.5” ZMan have been caught on the weed Bay you would like to share, GrubZ fished light, or even beds in front of Victoria Point email them through to nick@ rolling small cranks like the and in between Garden and techfishing.com.au. Until next month, tech-it-easy.

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Good prospects in cold climate BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Anglers have been lucky to be able to continue fishing over the last few months although many other recreational activities have been restricted. With the cold weather well and truly here, anglers will be greeted by cold mornings and nights.

For many, this is an exciting prospect because species on offer during winter present great angling targets and quality table fare. Snapper, luderick, mulloway, squid, tailor and many others will become more abundant during the coming weeks.

LUDERICK Somewhat a specialty target species, luderick numbers flourish in estuarine waters during the cooler months. They are a species that are on offer for both boaties and land-based anglers. Whilst luderick are omnivores, the

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greater majority of their intake is aquatic vegetation that grows on the oceanic and estuarine rocks. This information offers the best indication as to the areas where you are likely to find luderick. If you can find cabbage, purple or other

weeds growing on the rocks then there is a great chance that you will catch luderick there.

The rock wall in Boat Passage, any harbour or canal entrance walls and many banks within the Jumpinpin area are all worth a try.

There have been good numbers of quality squid throughout Moreton Bay over the last few months.

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Weed baits are fished below a near neutral buoyancy pencil float which offers minimum resistance when a luderick mouths the bait.

How far below the float will vary and it often pays to alter the depth of the float until you determine how far down the luderick are. I generally start at about mid water and gradually lower the bait on successive drifts until I start getting downs (when the float dips under the water after a fish mouths the bait).

Fishing for blackfish is generally done with centre-pin reels, long whippy rods and specialist rigging, however you can have a crack at it with almost any light surf style outfit. It is when the luderick are being pedantic that specialist rigging and good technique can really come into play.

SNAPPER The favourite cold weather target of most bay anglers, snapper numbers can fluctuate somewhat from year to year. At the time of writing, the season hadn’t started that well, but by the time you read this the

water temperatures will have dropped, hopefully spurning better numbers of quality fish throughout Moreton Bay. The artificial reefs, bay island surrounds, ledges and various wrecks throughout the bay seem to be the key areas to try. Anchoring up from your chosen area and drifting baits back into the zone will heighten your chances.

A stealthy approach is paramount to success in the shallower areas. Often getting away from the crowds or the heavily trafficked areas will heighten results considerably.

Snapper will readily roam in their search for food and aren’t as structured-orientated as some think. Often snapper will be found well wide of the bay islands as they hunt hardiheads and gar close to the surface. The same applies around the artificial reefs where snapper will be found wide of the main structured areas targeting baitfish schools.

Sometimes snapper will even be found with surface feeding schools of mackerel and tuna.

Commonly they will be below the main bait ball slurping up wounded baitfish. A plastic lure allowed to sink below the melee will often get nailed by a good knobby.

Well-presented quality baits should be fished with a minimum of lead in the lower third of the water column. This can be done from an anchored position or while drifting.

These days, conventional anchors are often replaced with electric motors with a spot lock feature. His allows savvy anglers to hold over a particularly promising looking spot for a period before continuing their drift. This is a lot less imposing and easier than dropping an anchor with chain to the bottom and trying to position yourself over your desired spot. Whether fishing

Quality nets definitely make it easier to score good hauls of quality prawns on a consistent basis. Hopefully there will still be a few of these tasty crustaceans caught during June. baits or lures, a good electric motor can definitely increase your chances of success.

Lures such as soft vibration baits, blades, jighead rigged plastics, micro jigs, octo-jigs and many others can all work well on snapper. Anglers use a variety of techniques to present these and skill with lures mainly comes from putting in the time using them. For beginners, a curl-tail or paddle tail plastic is probably the easiest to use. However, jerk shads, T-tails and crustacean profiles can all produce. The biggest mistake that most make when using plastics is that they retrieve them too fast.

Nice and slow will always work better than fast when targeting demersal species.

MULLOWAY Schools of mulloway are often found in the bay, estuaries and rivers during the colder months. While mulloway are often taken as by-catch by those targeting snapper and other species, if you specifically target them you will see increased results.

Live baits are probably the one of the best options for

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Mulloway are a serious target during June.

This metre-plus specimen came from the Harry Atkinson and engulfed a Samaki Thumpertail.

mulloway, especially larger specimens, however they can be taken on a wide array of lures as well. Larger yakkas, mullet, slimey mackerel, pike, banana prawns, herring and gar can all be used as live offerings for mulloway.

In the Brisbane River these can be fished along the declines into the main riverbed, in the dredge holes towards the mouth, Clara’s Rocks, Gateway Bridge and many other locations. Lighted areas attract baitfish at night and often there will be a few mulloway lurking around.

Casting jighead rigged plastics, shallow diving minnow lures, sinking stickbaits, vibration baits and baitfish profiled flies will often produce the goods in this situation. Out in the bay, mulloway are most likely found around the artificial reefs, wrecks and deeper areas surrounding the bay islands.

Often you will be able to locate schools of mulloway using your electronics and then present a lure to them.

However, sharks can often be a problem and you will sometimes lose most or all of your offerings to the taxman.

Anglers fishing live or quality fresh baits around the artificial reefs also have a great chance of scoring a few mulloway, especially at night or the extremities of the day.

SQUID It has been an excellent season for squid so far with both quality and quantity on offer. Anglers have been scoring from a wide array of areas including the bay island shallows, weed bed close to Stradbroke and Moreton Islands, Rous Channel and any foreshore areas. Land-based eging can be successful at Manly, Wynnum, Wellington Point, Scarborough and Victoria Point. Most fish these areas at night but daytime sojourns can also be productive, especially around the high tide. King Island can be worth the walk during the day, especially an hour or two into the making tide, providing water clarity is good.

The weed bed areas on

the northern and western sides are the best places to target.

Peel Island, Goat Island, Green, Coochiemudlo and Mud will all produce squid with early morning sessions in the shallows being your best option.

There is a lot of debate about the best size or colour of squid jig to use and there is no correct answer other than the one they want to grab on the day. It pays to have a selection of colours and sizes to maximise chances. For landbased eging I commonly use a 2.5 or smaller and for out in the bay a 3.0, 3.5 or 4.0. I have done well this year so far on fairly natural colours with browns and golds always producing for me.

With westerly winds common throughout winter, water clarity is usually at a premium, producing ideal conditions for squid. Plenty of anglers target squid exclusively however for most it often just an opportunistic thing. Anglers targeting whiting will often drift an egi or baited skewer suspended below a float behind the boat.

Some will have a squid grab hold of a pilchard bait targeted at other species and will then cast out an egi to secure it.

Even when drifting the bay island surrounds casting soft plastics for snapper and the like you can drift an egi behind the boat to secure a few squid

or even a cuttlefish. There are several more months of quality squid fishing yet so you still have plenty of time to grab a few egi and get amongst them.

TAILOR Anglers fishing Moreton Bay’s artificial reefs and bay islands will probably have already noticed a few tailor showing up. These are commonly smaller specimens, however, a few better quality greenbacks will also be around.

Sometimes anglers targeting squid will have a tailor swoop in and engulf their jig, usually resulting in a bite-off. Recently tailor have been caught from the Manly Rock Wall, Woody Point Jetty, Scarborough Jetty, Amity Rock Wall, at numerous locations in the Brisbane River, Peel Island, Mud Island and around the Southern Bay Islands.

Sometimes tailor have been smashing bait on the surface and anglers have used chrome slugs, flies, small topwater lures and a host of others to catch these voracious predators. Trolling lures along the retaining wall at the mouth of the Brisbane River will often result in a few tailor, especially on an early morning high tide.

The Red Beach area at Bribie is also worth a try on an early morning or evening high tide.

Casting lures around lighted areas in the lower Brisbane River at night will also reward.

Tailor can show up almost

anywhere at any time and often surprise anglers with the ferocity of their attack. Their numbers should increase over coming months.

OTHER OPTIONS King threadfin salmon are resident in the Brisbane River all year round but the colder months often see better numbers further up in the system. Live baiting from the bank will account for a lot of quality specimens

with captures well up river to Mount Crosby.

Flathead numbers are beginning to improve throughout June however the best is yet to come. Casting shallow diving minnow lures, soft plastics and blades around the flats at the mouths of creeks and rivers will certainly produce some numbers.

Trolling minnow lures along the edges of the major estuarine banks will work well

Snapper are one of the most heavily targeted species in Moreton Bay during the cooler months and with quality table fish like this about, it is no wonder.

during the first few hours of the falling tide.

Prawns may still be around in some numbers however they can begin to be a little hit and miss by this time of the year. The southern bay islands are most likely to produce with the eastern end of Lamb Island, The Saltworks, The Powerlines, Jackson’s Hole and the Jumpinpin area being the most likely areas to try.

Sweetlip are often a serious early morning target around the eastern side of Green Island, western side of Mud, Myora and Peel Island.

Early morning high tides are often the best and it pays to be in position and anchored well before first light. Often a flurry of bites will ensue as the sun breaks over the horizon.

Good fresh baits such as gar, mullet and pike fillets, pieces of banana prawn or salted tuna strips go well.

It can still be worth setting a few pots throughout the bay for sand and blueswimmer crabs during June although sometimes they will only be partly full. Only keep the full crabs and release any that aren’t in the best condition.

Bream are common captures in the creeks, rivers, beaches and estuaries most of the year round however the cooler conditions often result in better numbers of quality specimens. These larger bream come to spawn and are in

prime condition. These can be caught on small minnow lures and plastics and all manner of baits from worms to chicken fillet to mullet gut.

Winter whiting are common captures for those fishing the shallow banks and gutters in the estuaries and flats areas throughout Moreton Bay. The Sand Hills, Rous Channel and Small Ships Channel all produce decent numbers of these stud winter whiting with worms and tenderised squid strips being popular and productive offerings. Drifting will allow you to cover a good amount of ground and intercept the whiting which roam these areas. Don’t forget to throw a squid jig out the back (under a float if there isn’t much current) to score your entrée.

CONCLUSION Plenty of options exist for those anglers getting out for a fish t. The bay, beaches, rivers and estuaries all hold numbers of prime sport and table fish.

Cold conditions will require an extra layer or two of clothes plus some warming liquids however the piscatorial rewards are well worth it.

Weather conditions can also be quite good at this time of the year with glassed out days and still nights. Most anglers will not need any more incentive than this to get out amongst the prime aquatic options on offer.

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Steady fishing is producing standout catches NORTHERN BAY

Steve Nash

Fishing has been steady over the last month. Good numbers of bream and flathead are still the standout catches in all our estuaries.

The mouths of the Pine River and Pumicestone Passage have been the pick of the areas.

Lure anglers have been landing some good fish, but bait fishers have picked up the better fish with fresh prawns and strip baits being the standouts.

Snapper have also been red hot this month in the northern bay with most areas holding good fish, at night best results have come on live baits. Tailor and squid have also been caught around the peninsular early mornings.

With the cooler winter

season creeping up on us now in full swing, fishos can take full advantage of this significant weather change.

Generally in winter it’s calm mornings and light afternoon sea breezes, which produces ideal glassed out conditions that make your outing on the water a very comfortable experience.

Fishing the bay in winter is a great opportunity to find big snapper, grunter and mulloway. Plus with the reduced shark activity in the cooler period, will only increase your chances of landing that trophy fish.

WINTER WHITING For those with kids suffering from cabin fever, getting them out and chasing a feed of winter whiting can be entertaining and rewarding – they are very tasty filleted rolled in some breadcrumbs.

They are easy to catch and

Alternatively, head to the dropoffs around cockle banks at the bottom of Bribe Island while anchoring up. Drifting can be a better option – once you find a patch of them, mark them on your sounder and continue to drift over that spot. Once you’ve found a school, take

Vanessa Neal catching herself a feed in the Pine River. can be found in large numbers from out in the middle of the bay to along the edges of our river and creeks. Launching

the boat or heading off to the beach at a reasonable hour with the kids can also make memories that can stay with them forever. As a kid I have great memories of heading out to Pelican banks with my dad and catching 50+ fish, then coming home and helping with filleting and preparing these delicious little morsels.

There is no real specialist gear needed, a cheap kid’s combo can slay them just as well as any high-end setup.

Darryn Bowden finding double winter whiting in the bay.

Reece Thomas with a quality Moreton Bay snapper.

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strips, which will stay on the hook and are sometimes easier to obtain.

Winter whiting have no legal-size limit and have a bag limit of 50. Sand whiting can also be present in the schools but they do have a size limit. Winter whiting can be

The result of targeting schooled up bass at the local dam.

Using lines of 6-8lb with a size 0-1 sinker above a small swivel, and a 50cm trace with a size 4 longshank hook is a good rig that allows a decent cast to be achieved either from the boat or shore.

A double snell rig can also be an advantage when a good spot has been found.

Adding a small piece of red tube or coloured beads above the hooks is another trick to attracting in fish. Long tapered rods with a soft tip work best, it allows the whiting to inhale the bait without feeling any resistance. Slowly lowering the rod when a bite is felt before a light strike is a good technique. Drag pressure should be set to light, as they aren’t monsters trying to get back to cover and their soft mouths can rip easily.

When searching for spots to fish in and around Deception Bay, look for areas of clean sandy bottom amongst ribbon weed beds in 2-3m of water.

identified by their silvery grey back and dark blotches along their body.

DAMS Winter creates an opportunity to find some big schooled up bass in our dams!

With summer well and truly over, it’s time to put our top water lures away and bring out the micro jigs and blades.

We will soon be on the peak period when the Aussie bass school up in their multitudes, making short work for anglers picking them off the schools one-by-one on lures.

So, get the jumpers on and

A nice feed ready to be prepared for the table. note of the water depth and then search those depths for more schools.

Best baits to use are rock/ sand worms or yabbies. You can also use squid cut into thin

get on out there and experience what our local waterways have to offer. Remember to stay safe and remember not to abuse the privilege we all have of being able to get there and go fishing.

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Offshore is delivering scores NOOSA

Peter Wells

With all the strict social distancing rules, it seems that the only thing we can do is to get out and collect some food in the form of fishing.

The weather has been outstanding with plenty of opportunity for anglers to head offshore. The mornings

even old oysters and shellfish.

I like to put it all through the mincer and freeze it in pieces of rainwater downpipe to get the right dimensions. Also I like to feed small amounts of pilchard through the trail to get the fish following. Fishing floater always seem to be the best option when it comes to snapper so a small sinker on the nose of the pilchard bait just to help get it down to

Lulu Woods chose fishing with her family as her online schooling subject – she covered sport and biology! She landed this 70cm knobby only 4 miles off Mooloolaba. are really starting to cool off and the bigger snapper have started to come on the chew.

The key to catching decent snapper is to run a good berley trail, so make sure you invest in a sturdy berley bucket.

Make sure you also have some frozen berley in the freezer, this can consist of old bait, fish frames from previous trips

the strike zone. Another option when fishing for snapper is to fish those shallower reefs with bigger deep diving crankbaits.

If you want to cover ground and like to mark fish on the sounder this can be an option for you. Give the Duo Crank G87 a go they will pull down to about 21ft.

Spanish mackerel are

still about even as water temperatures start to drop these fish seem to be hanging around later every season. The great thing about this time of the year is that we see the real monsters, these fish tend to hang in close and love feeding on the mullet and tailor as they move north. We often see them taken on slider or drone anglers from the beach.

SUNSHINE REEF Sunshine Reef out of Noosa has to be one of the best bits of close ground on the Sunshine Coast, this year we have seen it all come from Sunshine with big trout, snapper, sweetlip, mulloway, cobia, cod of all kinds and even red emperor. It also holds a lot of bait so the pelagic just love to hunt there. Big tuna, mackerel wahoo and even mahimahi have been taken there. This reef seems to be healthy and continues to hold good stocks of fish.

A trip to the Barwon Banks has seen some good results, conditions have to be pretty good for the day as it is a bit of a steam. Some of the biggest snapper of the season always seem to come from the banks. You can get a fair bit of run-out there so making sure you have a good array of sinker and larger jigheads for plastics is a must.

NOOSA RIVER The river mouth and dog beach area has been producing great numbers of quality bream, whiting and flathead drifting both live and dead baits. Live herring have been the standout baits with pilchards and whitebait being the favourite dead baits for those bigger flathead.

Big schools of trevally

have been prevalent throughout the river mouth.

Around the corner is Woods Bays, and these fish have been feeding on the surface, so poppers and surface walkers have been ideal. Most of our younger anglers have been using the Bassday Sugapens with the 95mm the most popular. Bassday also do a great popper that came out last year called Backfire, they come in the same great colours as the Sugapens and are perfect if you want to move a bit more water.

Along the Gympie terrace stretch of the river, worms have been producing whiting up to 38cm, as well as qualitysized bream. Bream anglers love this time of the year as we see the winter bream move into our rivers. These big breeders have been around for a while, in fact it is said that a fish between 35-40cm may be over 20 years old, so they have seen a hook or two in there time.

Fishing plastics for these bigger fish can be very challenging and there are a couple of proven techniques.

First and most importantly, is very little weight on your plastics. Grub style plastics seem to be the most popular.

Cast to the shadow line of pontoons or jetties and let it sink slowly, the bream will dart out and attack the slowly sinking lure.

Another all-important part of bream fishing is to use long fluorocarbon leaders keeping it super light. For the bait anglers the same principles apply.

On the beaches most of the action has come from our southern beaches as at the time of writing the Noosa

Sam picked up this monster Spaniard down Caloundra Way. North Shore was still closed to 4x4 traffic.

There are plenty of quality gutters along Sunshine, Marcus and Peregian beaches.

Beach anglers have reported some of the best daytime action in years with plenty of dart, whiting, flathead, bream and trevally on offer. Smaller baits of beach worms, pipis, yabbies and prawns have claimed most of the above.

Fresh mullet is also a dynamite bait and has been very popular with the night anglers in pursuit of bigger tailor and mulloway. We are still very early in our tailor season but it is shaping up to be a better year this year.

Jew numbers have also been good with most fish just legal

with the occasional fish being over the metre mark. The key to catching those bigger mulloway is to concentrate your efforts around the new moon. The darker the night the more seem to be caught.

Another trick is to wait for the fish to run, a lot of anglers get excited and pull the hooks clear off the fish on the first bite.

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

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Good times set to continue HERVEY BAY

Dane Radosevic

Fortunately for us in Queensland our industry has not been as heavily affected by restrictions due to COVID-19 and we have had the opportunity to venture out fishing for essential food gathering purposes. With promising signs of more restrictions to be lifted in the imminent future we will be able to start adventuring again!

We have been very fortunate that during May there were some fantastic weather windows that opened opportunities for those with the capability to venture offshore, and many headed straight for Break-Sea and further north to the ground off Lady Elliot. For the most part, the reports were very good, which should be expected this time of year with quality reds, nannygai, trout, red throat and a mix of other species making up the box.

Over the course of the next month as conditions start to cool down the fishing should continue to fire, and we can only hope that these cooler conditions will slow the men in grey suits down!

The electric reels have been getting a workout from the crews venturing out in the 150-300m depths with typically calmer conditions and less run this time of year this can make fishing the deep a lot easier and quite a lucrative technique.

Bar cod, flame tail, pearlies, snapper and the not so sort after king fish and amberjack should all be expected.

The Gutters have been fishing exceptionally well for a variety of mixed reef species, such as sweetlip, cod, tusk fish, hussar and nannygai however the standout has been the coral trout. They have been in great numbers and for those anglers confident enough to start venturing away from the main ledge country and locating the smaller more

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isolated structures nearby their catch rates have been much higher, with limited encounters from sharks.

Tea bagging soft plastics has been a very effective technique as well as dropping down live pike, which are in abundance throughout the bay now and easily caught using a bait jig. Those that are keen enough to fish into the night will start to encounter snapper and the sort after mangrove jack from in and around the cave and more undercut country, floating out fresh or even live baits can prove very successful.

Pelagic species will undoubtedly become somewhat of a nuisance over the next few months as the cooler temperatures congregate them throughout these areas.

Mixed mackerel, trevally species and cobia can be found schooled up along the gnarlier ledge country, especially the areas holding larger aggregations of bait.

If you wish to get your arms stretched, then try dropping down a jerk shad style soft plastic or slow fall jig and

work it back through the school and it will be near impossible to miss.

Rooneys Reefs will be worth a look for a snapper as they should start to move in, this however is dictated by the yakka schools. Evening missions will traditionally pay off early in the season, especially for the larger knobbies that like to feed under the cover of darkness.

Night fishing will also create the opportunity for some exceptionally catches of grunter, larger nannygai and the odd jack from the gnarlier reef structures or wrecks.

Platypus Bay has been teaming with life, longtail tuna and mac tuna have been in fantastic numbers throughout the bay and have been tempted with a variety of stick baits, soft plastics, metal slugs and fly, worked with a rapid retrieve. Sharks have once again been a major issue this year claiming many more fish than that is being landed. For this reason, it can pay to target the smaller schools of fish. Although this action will die down

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JUNE 2020

and quite quickly for that matter as they begin their migration south, we still could expect to see this action throughout June. If not on the surface you can learn to target them down deeper on the bait balls which may also encounter species like queenfish, cobia, golden trevally, tea leaf and diamond trevally all of which love a erratically work jerk shad or curly tail soft plastic or slow fall jig.

Do not venture onto the bay with out a squid jig or two handy this time of year as they have been very prolific over the many patches of coffee rock lining the island and can make for some great action

with good numbers coming from many of the regular haunts in and around the shallow fringing reefs.

Good quality Shimano Sephia and Yamashita warm jacket squid jigs have been a standout yet again this season, however if found in big enough schools even the cheapies will work.

Although the inshore reef fishing may begin to slow down in terms of numbers the quality of fish certainly should not be lacking, typically producing better quality sweetlip to 50cm+, nannygai and snapper. The artificial wrecks will be worth a shot, however only if the sharks back off, if not it will mean

targeting the smaller more isolated patches of reef or some of the ledges along the western side of Fraser. The early morning SW winds typically slows the fishing down quite dramatically, however the evening bite can be exceptional accompanied by a spectacular sunset over a glassed out bay. Well, that is what we can hope for anyways…

Broad bar and school mackerel have started to and will continue to develop in numbers throughout the bay as they filter in making them a productive target over the many reefs, wrecks and channel markers either on live baits or metal spoons.

The Urangan Pier can also produce its fair share of fish and when the mackerel run is in full swing the action must be seen to be believed.

Schools of mac tuna and longtail tuna can be founding feeding on schools of tiny bait throughout the main shipping channels and can be very fussy, flighty, nervous and downright spooky to try and target however a bit of persistence can produce some great sport if you have the patience to play the game of cat and mouse.

The first challenge is to get close enough to them and the second to draw a bite. Going off experience smaller presentations are what are required to draw an eat if given the opportunity, hence why fly is so affective, if not try a smaller 3-4” ZMan jerk shad.

Those chasing winter whiting have mainly been concentrating their efforts along the coastline from Gatakers Bay to Toogoom.

Catch rates are still varying

depending on who you talk to, though it seems the whiting are moving about, so be prepared to check different areas each time you head out. Again, as is so often the case, those that get their quota of larger fish quickest are those that find their own little patch of fish away from the other boats.

You could start a debate over what is the best bait, some will say you have to pump fresh yabbies while

others will say frozen pieces of prawn or squid will do the trick. Alternatively, an even easier bait source to gather and one that has proven equally affective over the years is the Gulp Sand Worms, give them a try on your next trip.

Bream anglers will be getting itchy feet as areas, such as river heads, the Urangan Pier and the many creeks throughout the straits start to see large

congregations of fish make these areas home to begin their process to spawn. You can target them on just about anything, for that matter they are scavenger feeders, however fresh cut baits like herring or hardiheads or the old faithful mullet gut are always very popular.

For lure fishos, the Cranka Crab in the sand colour or the old faithful ZMan 2.5” GrubZ in bloodworm fished around the change of tide

Balin and Jet with a pair of nannygai they plucked from the deep while fishing wide off Fraser Island.

Christie tempted a solid inshore longtail tuna on a 4” ZMan Jerk Shad on light gear, which put up a great battle!

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will produce good results.

The River Heads pontoon will start to become quite a popular land based haunt as jewies, bream and squid will become quite easy captures, especially at night. Live squid or pike baits flicked out into the channel will tempt mulloway and account for the odd big flathead. While smaller cut baits drifted along the rock ledges will produce good numbers of bream. The daytime fishing can also be quite good off

the barge ramp side with mixed mackerel species and tailor an easy target on floated pilchards or metal spoons.

From the Burrum River most have been focusing their efforts on the sand crabs, dropping pots out in the main channel out past the last leads and south towards Toogoom, in 8-10m of water. Most reports have been of good sized and full crab, just keep in mind to only take what you need! The river

mouth will start to cop a bit of attention from the locals either trolling or anchoring up in the main channel in search of mackerel and tailor. Trolling can be a very effective way to locate the fish before anchoring up to create a berley trail to waft a bait back down. Further upriver flathead have been in good numbers around the creeks and drains, with some quality bream and whiting also coming from around the islands and over the yabby banks.

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Dylan Christie

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The weather is cooling off and we are getting more consistent windows of opportunity to get offshore, and the reports are coming in hot.

Inshore the Spanish mackerel are in, and judging by the sales through the shop just about everyone in the Gladstone region must be out there chasing them. Hot

The wrecks and wonky holes have been yielding some cracker nannygai. snapper, pearl perch and comet grouper, and these would have to be some of the tastiest fish in the ocean.

The wrecks as well as wonky holes have been producing some cracker nannygai, with reports of fish up over the magic 10kg mark, and let me tell you these fish really

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Golden trevally are a lot of fun to catch on lures. spots at this point in time include Bustard Head, Jenny Lind Banks, Rock Cod Shoals and the old faithful Rundle Island (better known to locals as Rocky Island).

Whilst trolled baits such as gar, slimies, wolf herring and spotty mackerel seem to be producing the larger fish, there are stacks of 8-15kg models that can be easily trolled up on just a simple hardbody lure. The stand out so far this season has been the Samaki Pacemaker.

It’s also worth floating a bait rigged with wire and gangs out the back while you’re bottom bashing as well, because they often show up around the reefs during this time of year.

Out around the reefs the fishing has been great, accompanying the beautiful weather pattern we have been seeing. Large numbers of coral trout, red emperor and sweetlip have been coming in from the wider reefs where just about customer we have spoken to has a story or a photo to show.

East of the reefs out in the deeper water there have been plenty of big reds along with gold-band

know how to pull string.

Whilst most people head to these areas in search of the red fish there are also plenty of cobia and other pelagic species to be caught. A few local anglers specifically fish these areas with artificial lures such as jigs, vibes and plastics to tangle with the trevally, mackerel and queenfish.

Closer inshore at the southern channel there are some beautiful big ocean-run grunter that can be found around the markers as well as on the rubble around the

outer edges of the channel.

Whilst fishing for these fish you will come across plenty of by-catch including mackerel, trevally, nannygai, snapper and the mighty black jew. Black jew are very bad sufferers of barotrauma, so venting is very useful to get these fish back down to the right depth as they are a no-take species from now through to 1 January, 2021.

In the harbour there has been a big movement of blue salmon with the drop in temperature, and the big bream shouldn’t be too far behind them. If it’s salmon you’re after, building tides up over the flats is the best way to get them, not to mention a few good grunter in between.

Also there have been some quality golden snapper caught around the artificial structures and rocky outcrops around the islands.

Estuaries continue to fish well for salmon and grunter, which is typical of this time of the year with the cool weather coming in. You might think barra are a write-off now, but don’t be fooled – they are still on the cards, with some crackers coming from the Calliope in recent times.

Awoonga was closed during the travel restrictions, however now that it has reopened we have seen some keen locals getting out there and causing havoc. Some massive catches have been reported, with some boats landing up to 20 fish for an afternoon session.

A beautifully marked juvenile Queensland groper.

JUNE 2020

33

Winter kicks off the yearly cycle MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

As I am compiling this report, at last some restrictions are being lifted and hopefully within a few months life will get back to some sort of normality. In the meantime, let’s escape from all the talk of viruses and go fishing!

June is officially the start of our winter and we have some species that turn up every year at this time.

The most obvious being the annual spawning migration of snapper, which usually hang around for a couple of months or so before heading off again.

While wholesale targeting of

spawning fish is really dumb, Mother Nature sends us a bit of strong SE weather while the snapper are here, which means they are not completely vulnerable and have the chance to spawn and enhance future stocks.

Generally speaking, to catch snapper in our waters, the prime times are after dark, or at sunrise, but not everyone can fish or wants to fish at those times. Snapper do come quite close into our coast, particularly around the Hay Point area, and around Flat and Round Top islands just a few kilometres off the mouth of the Pioneer River. These fish are well within reach of a 4m tinny provided the weather is not too windy but anything over 10

knot SE winds will keep the small boats on their trailers.

Our local tackle shops are the best source of info and will know when the snapper arrive, but a few early birds showed up late April, but around Mid June is the recognised start of the major run. Most anglers tackle snapper with bait like pilchards, whole herring, squid or large prawns fished close to the bottom. Use a standard running sinker rig or paternoster setup and plenty of weight as our currents run hard especially on the bigger tides.

Anglers are also chasing snapper with large plastic vibes, paddle and curly tails and jerk baits, all of which need a fair amount of weight to get down to the zone. Metal jigs also account for plenty of snapper and again advice from the local tackle guys will give you the right up to date info. Snapper and bait schools show up really well on quality sounders so are not that hard to locate. A stooge around with an eye on the sounder will pin point them, and from there it is a matter of getting your bait, jig, or plastic in front of them. Remember though, they

are here to spawn so keep one or two only and they will be back next year and the years after that.

Black jew are another prominent species during winter but they are OFF LIMITS and are a currently a NO TAKE species due to overfishing by the commercial sector and, as far as we know, will be OFF LIMITS until next January.

When chasing snapper it is not unusual to find bait schools with larger fish with them and often times these larger fish turn out to be golden trevally and sometimes they are mixed with queenfish. Goldens are terrific to catch, they fight hard, look magnificent fresh from the water and don’t taste too bad on the BBQ either provided they are bled well immediately on capture and then laid in ice. They are even better if they are gutted after bleeding. Goldens in the deeper snapper water respond to all the same baits and lures as snapper and often turn a dog day into a beauty.

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Balin Tweddle fished the mouth of the Pioneer River with a Zerek 5” Live Shrimp and landed this beauty. He released it to fight another day.

k pin a a rr ch Cat ed Ba 00! g tag in $20 to w

the creek mouths. Offshore they are common around the islands in the NFZ area, and closer to Mackay, Slade Island, Danger Reef and Flat and Round Top Islands. Closer in, check out beach areas at low tide and look for extensive yabby beds as goldens will often use these beds at higher tide levels to ‘pump’ yabbies with their extended lips.

Yabbies, soft plastic prawns, small lures and flies can all score in this scenario, although these fish are usually not as big as the ones out on the snapper grounds.

A bonus catch can be oyster crackers or permit which also find yabbies to their liking.

They have a massive first run and then a dogged fight after that. Many whiting fishers encounter the ‘crackers’ and it usually ends in lost gear as they make short work of small light gauge whiting hooks and light line. They have powerful

Oscar Tweddle fished the North Mackay rocks and scored this 45cm jack on a large paddle-tail lure on the turn of the tide. A top effort around the rocks. jaws for cracking oysters and other shellfish hence the common name. Town beach, McEwans beach, Dunrock, the harbour areas, Sarina inlet, and the Pioneer river flats are all close handy spots where they can be encountered.

Whiting are on the go in the Pioneer River and can be targeted during the day or at night. My preference is to get some yabbies late in the afternoon, then fish the tide up of a nightime to around the highway bridge/Cullen Island area. This is drift fishing at its best and best results come by staying in touch with the schools as they move up river.

Cullen Island seems to be a spot where the schools hang around for some time whereas lower down in the river they are constantly moving up with the tide. Catches of 30 or so between 2 anglers will ensure plenty of delicious fresh fish and leave plenty for others and the future.

If we happen to get a run of N/NE winds during June (not unheard of) then we can look forward to chasing the small mackerels as they will then follow bait schools in close. They will first show up around the islands in the NFZ area near Seaforth and within days will then show up off the harbour, and river mouth. It’s bonanza time when the doggies and spotties are in and they can be caught from the harbour walls and from small boats. These species are usually arriving a bit later in the year, but again if the conditions are favourable they will turn up and the boys at the local tackle shops will know about them.

The creeks are popular during winter when the strong SE winds blow, and there is a good variety apart from the whiting already mentioned.

Flathead, pikey and silver bream, cod, grunter and juvenile queenfish and trevally make up most of the catch.

Baits for all these can be the humble yabby, fresh or live prawns, and small mullet/

herring. The flatties, silver bream, grunter and the small pelagic will be found in open water either over sand (yabby beds) or small rubble where they forage for small crabs etc.

The cod and pikey bream will be found along the mangrove edges or around rocks. My method is to work the run-out tide and then the first half or so of the run in. All these fish can be caught on soft plastics and small vibes while flatties and cod will smack reasonable size hard bodies.

The odd mangrove jack will still turn up, but mainly around rocky areas that see plenty of sunlight and so water temps are marginally higher.

Live baits and lures worked as the tide rises over these areas will have the angler in with a chance. Similar comments apply to barra during the depths of winter with cold water predominating. Look for the barra where there may be slightly warmer water such as over sand bars on a rising tide.

Crabs during winter months are normally pretty hard to come by but if we get a good flush of rain then they will move out of their holes and can be targeted around the mouth of the creeks or on the flats. This will take a good dump of rain of at least 80-100mm to get them moving though.

In the freshwater, the Pioneer River is building a reputation as a good spot to chase a barra. MAFSA stocks the three weir reaches with barra fingerlings every year and they are now being caught in sizes up to around 900mm but most seem to be up to 700mm or so. Still, these are good solid fish and pretty lean in the river environment. Local guide and fly angler, Paul Dolan regularly catches them and has quite a few tagged barra returns to his name. While some of the fish obviously go over the weirs during flooding, there is now a fair resident population now competing with the sooties.

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35

Seasonal change will alter target species WHITSUNDAYS

Mick Underwood

As I am sitting and writing this it is early morning, the sun has just risen, the air is crisp and clear and, wow, it’s cold! Winter is here.

It is well known amongst my circle of mates and acquaintances that I am the biggest sook alive when it comes to cool weather. I have lived my adult life by a motto, ‘if coconut trees don’t grow there, I don’t go there’.

and I have made it on the water we have concentrated on fishing close to home in fairly shallow water.

We’ve been fishing in close not only to keep expenses down, but that is where the best action has been. We’ve caught some nice reef fish for the dinner table and have had a couple of memorable sessions smashing various inshore pelagic species. A lot of other anglers whom I have been chatting to have been concentrating their efforts up in the estuaries and why not, there has been plenty

is the end of any quality shallow water reef fishing until the water warms again.

I still expect to get some decent coral trout out of the shallows in June but as the month progresses they will get harder to get a bite out of. Towards the end of the month a few good fish will still get caught but finesse tactics will be required to be successful.

For me, winter is about getting out on the wide grounds as much as possible and chasing what’s on offer out there. Spanish mackerel

The author now has time to go fishing for food – this golden snapper was caught while flyfishing.

The author has been spending a few hours out on the water with a fly rod in his hands. His son, Reef Underwood, is developing great photography skills taking action shots of his old man.

The drop in temperature isn’t the only thing about winter, it also means a shift in direction with regards to what species of fish that we chase and at Hydeaway Bay it also means a change in the areas of my fishing grounds that I will be working regularly. I will get into that for you shortly, first up a little bit about what has been going on over the last few weeks.

With my charter business currently shut down, the only person that I have been able to take fishing has been my son, which has been a humbling experience in a couple of ways. I have been spoilt the last few years and have taken it for granted in that every day I wake up I go fishing. Normally I look forward to getting a day off from the water, but now I have to wait for the weekends and hope like hell the weather will be all right.

On a positive note, my son usually comes out on charter with me on weekends and has to mix it in with the rest of the crew on board. The last few weeks he has had my devoted attention, this has been cool not just for our already solid relationship, but his personal fishing journey as well.

The days that Reef 36

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on offer up there. Schools of prawns are still superbly dense, plenty of big fat mud crabs are getting caught and the fishing hasn’t been too bad either. I haven’t heard of too many decent barramundi coming to hand though, but the grunter and mangrove jack have made up for it.

On with June now and, as previously mentioned, a change in season means a change in what’s biting and where. Typically June

will be a prime target species for a lot of anglers and already for weeks now I have had piles of people bailing me up wanting to know what I think the mackerel season is going to be like. It really is a lucky dip here at Hydeaway Bay, last year was dismal and the year before was a scorcher, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

They are an enigmatic species that captivate a lot of us, and why not? They

are big, fast, aggressive, attractive and when you’re successful, divine to eat. To top it off, you only need a couple to feed half the neighbourhood.

Slow trolling wolf herring is the traditional favourite tactic locally for catching these fish but that is by no means the only way to get stuck into them. If you happen to find the fish up against the top of a reef edge or high up in the water column along a pressure line, then casting poppers and stick baits is an awesome ploy. I’ve yet to meet an angler who doesn’t froth at the mouth over the visual aspect of this style of fishing. It’s not everyday though that the fish will be up near the surface, more often than not they will be down in the depths somewhere and we have to send our offerings down to where they are holding.

Now it’s time to bust out the jigs and there are plenty of types of jigs that will work successfully for these fish.

To point out a few personal favourites, I’m a fan of micro

Reef’s been getting in the action. He fooled this golden snapper with a soft plastic and did a great job of fighting it on 12lb string.

jigs, chatterbaits and good old bucktail jigs. There are many other types of jigs that will also work but whatever lure that you decide to use, the key to being successful is to make the lure move quick and erratic, that’s what turns them on.

Away from the mackerel now and out on the same grounds there will be plenty

and, most importantly for me, I’ll hopefully be able to take you guys fishing again.

Once things get a little closer to normal, please remember to support your local charter operators. Even in a perfect world when things are ticking along nicely we don’t make a hell of a lot of money. Most of us do it largely out of passion for the sport and to

Southern Egyptian John Pooley is enjoying his recently found spare time walking the local beaches with a soft plastic rod in hand.

He found a nice black blotched emperor. of bottom species to get after.

This is the time of the year when the deeper water reef species come on the chew.

Large mouth nannygai, grunter and golden snapper to name a few. These fish will also respond well to any of the above mentioned jigs which is pretty cool as it means that you can switch from targeting pelagics to bottom dwellers without moving the boat or putting your rod down. Just keep an eye on your sounder and put your lure in front of whichever species of fish that looks the most active.

COVID-19 As I am writing this a few weeks before it makes it to your letterbox or newsagent I have no idea what restrictions will be on us when you get to read it. In a perfect world we’ll be able to enjoy a beer in a pub, the footy will be on the television

create special memories for people. Unfortunately a lot of operators won’t survive this crisis so please try to support those who do.

• Reel Addiction Sport Fishing Charters specialises in light tackle fishing for all tropical sportfishing species on fly, lures and bait. Reel Addiction operates from the beautiful Cape Gloucester Beach Resort, 40 minutes’ drive north of Airlie Beach.

Combined fishing charter and accommodation packages are available. For more information, contact Mick Underwood on 0413 882 153 or email mick@ reeladdiction.com.au. Resort enquiries can be directed to Julie Houston on (07) 4945 7242 or at info@capeg.com. au. To stay in touch with what’s biting, check out the Reel Addiction Sport Fishing Whitsundays page on Facebook.

Custom colours catch more fish TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

A lure’s paint job and finish has long been recognised as contributing to successful catch rates. It’s the attention to detail and actually taking the time to be as precise and calculating as possible that

hook. There’s a wide range of colours available, and I have no doubt you’ll find a favourite for your pursuits. I use a few different ones that are determined by the colour of the soft plastic body and the colour of the water. After a lot of experimentation, I have found that the green or chartreuse lumo powder coat

In the north, we have noticed a similar pink preference in another species: the javelinfish, or grunter. We noticed a distinct preference for grunter to take pink jigheads rigged with a white Atomic Prong that had the tail dipped in either green or chartreuse Quick Coat worm dip. There are still times when this combination produces the goods over anything else.

It has also caught plenty of jacks, golden snapper, barra and other species, but grunter are the standout.

I would like to add though, that each area seems to have a certain colour that works exceptionally well for a certain species in that location. It’s up to anglers to find out which is best for

don’t inhale toxic fumes from the lead.

Heating sources are whatever you have on hand, but I wouldn’t use a gas burner camp cooking setup as it can heat the hook too, potentially softening and weakening it.

For a long time I just used an old BIC lighter and did hundreds of heads in this fashion, but you need to be a bit careful with this also.

If you hold the flame too far from the head you’ll get a sooty residue from the gas which will fix to the lead and when dipped, affect the finish and durability of the finished product. Still, with a bit of practice you can avoid this problem. Simply hold the hook by the bend and hold the

These are two of the most versatile colours you can use as they contrast with the majority of lures’ base colours. makes the difference, and having it all ready when you’re actually on the water.

I feel the same way about jigheads, and have reached the point where I don’t throw a weighted hook of any description without treating it with powder paint first. I have tested coloured hooks alongside uncoloured ones of the exact same weight and size, and the difference in strike rates has been astounding. Fished side by side, cast in exactly the same location, the strike rate was more than double in favour of the coloured heads.

I use Protec Powder Coat, which I believe is the easiest, most effective and durable way to colour lead weights on either a J-styled jighead or a weedless EWG style

works best in greenish-tinged water. In dirty water with suspended sediment or fresh runoff, the fluoro pink has worked best.

Regardless of which colours you choose, make sure you have a variety of them on hand before you leave home.

DIFFERENT SPECIES Before I go into the process of powder coating, I want to mention the possible colour preferences of different species. With the trusty old flathead, pink was always considered to be the most effective colour in both hardbody or soft plastic lures. It’s definitely not the be-all and end-all of flatty colours, but it will always be the go-to for many anglers with positive results.

Simply treat the jigheads and weedless hooks with the Protec, then once they cool, repackage them. This stops any chance of chipping the paint when they’re all together in the one box as your boat pounds through waves.

If you like to include a sinker into your loop knot to add weight, the Protec is right up your alley. Slide the sinker onto a piece of thin wire, heat and dip. As it cools slightly and is touchable, spin it and slide it off the wire. their area.

I also have to mention that quite a lot of the dips, coats and so on contain a UV element. I have yet to establish whether it’s the contrast or UV that makes the most difference, but I don’t really care because they’re both working well for us.

DIPS My favourite dip is Quick Coat Worm Dip, but it will only work on some soft plastics and not others.

ZMans, Madeyes, Boom Baits and a few others won’t accept the dye. In fact, the dip can actually ruin a lure made from the super-stretchy plastic. Some soft vibes will also have a negative reaction to the dip. Lures that take the dip well are those constructed from more rubber or latex materials, such as the Atomic range of Plazos, Squidgies and Berkley PowerBaits.

Assuming your soft plastic isn’t too wide to fit inside the mouth of the container, go ahead and dip it in the Quick Coat for around two seconds. Remove it over an area that won’t get stained; you don’t want it to splash on clothing, boat seats or carpet.

Allow the lure to dry for between 15-20 seconds and she’s good to go.

Whether you want to change the head or tail of the

plastic is a personal thing, but I do like to have the moving, flappy bits stand out from the rest of the lure. In my case, this is usually the tail flaps on the Atomic Prong.

Being acetone based, do not leave the container in direct sunlight, as it can blow the bottle. Only dip lures as you take them to use them, because if you put them back in the packet the dye will ‘bleed’ into the rest of the lures.

POWDER COAT As far as the Powder Coat goes, it’s just as simple. First of all, get a piece of timber or something similar to hang the jigheads on. This will allow them to cool with enough space between them that if they swing from side to side they won’t touch anything and stick to it.

Next, with the cap screwed tightly on the bottle, turn it upside down and tap the bottom to loosen the powder. This makes for a lump-free, smooth, shiny finish if you get enough heat into the lead.

A word of warning – you can overheat and actually melt the lead if you hold the jighead over the flame for too long. You should also ensure you heat the jighead in a open environment with plenty of ventilation, so you

Each species has its preferred colours in certain scenarios. When there are grunter in water over 4m deep, this combo is a local favourite. lead out from your fingertips.

Strike the lighter and hold it directly below the lead on the head, allowing the blue flame to encompass the head. The blue flame is the cleanest part of the flame and will leave no residue.

The duration of the exposure to the flame depends on the amount of lead you’re heating. As a bit of a guide, for a 1/4oz jighead, I usually allow around eight seconds in the flame, and for a 1/3oz about 11 or 12 seconds. The more lead there is the more heat is needed to get it hot enough for the powder coat to melt onto it.

These days I use one of those blow torch blue-flamed lighters that cost around $8, and it’s halved the amount of time it takes to heat the head, which speeds the whole process up dramatically. It also allows me to ‘glaze’ the finish of the head if I haven’t heated it enough to start with, leaving no sooty residue.

Too much heat can make the powder coat burn or bubble, so it takes a bit of practice to perfect it.

CUSTOMISING Obviously the whole aim of the game is to make your lure more appealing, and you can customise it even further with reflective tape, stick-on eyes and/or adhesive lead.

I use the Trik Bitz range of accessories for this, and I particularly like the stick-on reflective scale pattern transfers. You simply cut out the size and shape of the area you wish to enhance, and

make sure the lure is clean of salt or dirt residue. Peel the backing off, stick it to the lure where you want it, and then peel the surface layer off to reveal a whole new look to your lure.

Turning a floating diver into a suspending diver is simple too, as there’s a variety of Trik Bitz weights that can be stuck to the underside of a lure to get it to the exact floating or suspending rate you require. With many neutrally buoyant lures being in the high price ticket range, it’s a less expensive way to get your favourite lure to be even more appealing on the days that the fish just don’t want to chase something too far.

Another thing you can do is to simply upgrade your hooks. This can go a long way towards slowing the float or even suspending it straight off the bat without the need for additional stick-on lead.

GETTING THE EDGE I understand that for some people, being this pedantic about your presentations may be as enjoyable as brushing your teeth with a welders wire brush. And believe me, if you’d told me 10 years ago that I’d be doing this stuff, I’d have given you a mouthful!

However, there’s no denying that this attention to detail has raised our catch rate substantially on those days when you need that something extra to switch on the fish.

It really is the little things you do that make a massive difference on the water!

The addition of the Holo Tape and Inconspicuous stick on weights underneath, can be a confidence booster for anglers. It allows you to slow the whole thing down a fraction more for when barra are a bit finicky.

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Relentless trade winds can hamper catches LUCINDA

Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com

And just like that, we will be waking up in the morning looking to throw a jumper and tracksuit pants on! For you southerners laughing at us up here in the north when we say it’s cold...well, for us it’s cold.

June is here and this means many changes around the waterways off Lucinda.

The fishing however can still be going off with the pelagic species really starting to show up in numbers, which means lots of fun can be had. As always, we all hope for some settled weather so offshore can be an option, but it is also the time where the southern trade winds seem to continually blow which can get very frustrating. At the time of writing this article we are still in the COVID-19 lock down so I don’t think many people are planning holidays at the moment but if the restrictions are lifted it is worth looking at making the

Although they are not as active in winter, barra will still eat your offering. journey up to our area and checking out Hinchinbrook Island and everything it has to offer.

HINCHINBROOK CHANNEL Be prepared for slower and tougher sessions fishing up the channel when trying to target barra and jacks as the clear cold water makes them spooky and also less active to feed aggressively.

In saying this, barra are still being caught but a few different approaches should be used to help get bites.

Using smaller profile lures will improve strike rates.

Downsizing gear will help and picking up the light/ mid size spin gear makes this easier. Using small plastics in natural colours and also downsizing your leader will get more chances at a bite from these fish. Long casts to eliminate spooking fish in the clear water will also pay off, once a fish senses your presence they are far less likely to bite. This is where the use of spin gear is hard to beat as you can cast small profiled soft plastics a good distance.

I have said it many times but choosing your tides carefully will help improve results, this is especially true over winter. Big tides will create more dirty water and this in turn will make barra more willing to feed, they are more inclined to move around more when the visibility isn’t as good.

Jacks will also be slower but as they are aggressive fish they will normally have a swipe at a well presented lure at the right time. During the colder months I use soft

plastic prawn imitations and cover them in scents, my favourite is the Ezy Shrimp from ZMan and I smother them in mullet Pro Cure. Fish them on lightly weighted weedless hooks and make sure casts are accurate and right in the strike zone.

Grunter, blue salmon and golden snapper will also be about in good numbers and fishing drop-off areas in creeks and edges of sand and mud banks are a good place to start, as fish will move around with the tide feeding. Gathering good live or fresh bait will double your chances straight away over using frozen store-bought baits. All local anglers that consistently do well will spend time gathering bait before each session.

JETTY, ISLANDS AND REEF This time of year is when the blue water fishing comes alive with the arrival of pelagic species. I can tell you right now I’ll be spending every moment I can along the jetty chasing queenfish and trevally, including the odd Spanish mackerel. The clear water will see lots of bait schools hanging around, which means the predators will be about as well. The jetty fishes best early morning and late afternoon and during the middle of the day will nearly always slow down. It is still possible to catch fish during the middle of the day but they will normally move deeper and will school up tight to the structure making them much more difficult to target. Keep your eye out for speeding schools of longtail tuna while

your hunting around as they will pop up out of nowhere and if you can get a cast into the chaos you should be hooked up for awhile.

The reef fishing will be going off, the difficult part is getting out there as those trade winds can be so relentless. If a window of opportunity arises get out there as these chances are normally rare. The car parks

halfway to the reef. I have plenty of plans to target these energetic little fish this year and have marked up a few bait schools already. Trolling skirted lures around is the easiest method and, although it can become boring, when that ratchet goes off it quickly becomes very exciting let me tell you! It is not the worst way to spend a few hours with the family

Let’s hope for flat seas and bent rods in winter. are always over full during winter as everyone takes advantage of any good day of weather, knowing the next may be along time away. It is this time of year that the juvenile black marlin will be gathering on the bait balls

relaxing in the sun while you cruise around in hope of a bite. Keep an eye on the sounder for potential grounds to chase red fish, some of my favourite inshore spots were found while trolling for marlin.

Still a chance of big barra during winter different brands and styles of lures for this kind of fishing, and they will all work as it’s the retrieve that gets the bite.

Another species that makes an appearance this time of year is the golden trevally, there are some great foraging grounds around Garden and Gould islands where they usually show up in good sized schools. Jigging vibes or live baits will get their attention.

HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

Being off the water at the moment is killing me. But I decided to make the most of the industry shutdown and do a complete refurbishment of my charter vessel.

I guess the positive side to quarantine measures, is that it has given me time to go right through my boat and bring her back to ‘as new’ condition. When we finally begin operating again, I’ll have years of hassle-free operation. Also, I finally got a chance to install some new electronics from Garmin Australia – to say I’m excited is an understatement!

Fishing reports have been limited at present, however my brother Ryan has been nailing quite a few large barramundi up to around 110cm while filming a new land-based 38

JUNE 2020

Unfortunately these areas are plagued with now resident bull and tiger sharks, which can make it impossible to get a hooked fish even close to the boat. If this happens after one or two hook-ups then it’s best to move on.

The cold snap that came through last month sent the barra into a little period of lockjaw. The water temps plummet from down to

Ryan Moody knows a thing or two about catching barra. This 105cm specimen was one of six hook ups in the first ten casts. module for his very popular online fishing course Barra Basics. Early one morning he managed 6 hook-ups from the first 10 casts, the smallest was 95cm! Knowing the right tools, techniques and times are a definite advantage and you can find out more by visiting www.ryanmoodyfishing.com.

During the cooler months, the Spanish mackerel should be coming in closer to inshore in

greater numbers. Inner islands like Eva and Pelorus, are great places to have fun with them over the coming months as the migratory schools arrive.

Metal slices are a great way to chase these kind of pelagic species, and the faster the retrieve the better. Keep this in mind when purchasing a reel for this type of application, high speed spinning reels are the best option. There are many

This 75cm barra was caught on a lure during winter. In the right conditions, winter barra fishing can be just as productive as during summer.

around the 19-22º mark during winter. Once those temperatures plateau, the barra will become used to it and they will pick up and become more responsive again around the end of this month.

Sometimes I find barra fishing to be just as good during the winter months as it is during the summer periods, using both lures and live bait. Now we are entering a time of year where our tides become neaper, I find they will school up a lot more and are best targeted using live mullet or mud herring bait, vibes or swimbaits.

• We are still taking bookings for charters later this year and for next year.

Gift vouchers can still be purchased if you’re looking for birthday gifts and can be used when operations continue. You can email us at info@ianmoodysportfishing. com or phone us on 0402 339 459.

Normality shall resume as restrictions lift PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

With social restrictions being eased, fishing and boating in the Far North has probably been one of the very few normalities we have been able to continue in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fishing has always been allowed with immediate family, or a maximum of two persons per vessel, and now this looks to be eased a bit further. Camping, from my understanding, will hopefully be allowed in the near future as well. With very little happening up here, camping and fishing would be a wonderful distraction.

There has been sensational fishing along the reefs with great captures recorded.

On the other side, the commercial, recreational fishing and marine industry is still in hibernation. Small boat operators may have the ability to resume in some form soon, however nothing will change until the domestic travel between states fires up. Port Douglas is completely reliant on tourism to survive.

So, with tumbleweed rolling down the main street and local marina, the locals have been lucky enough to enjoy the spoils out on the water all to themselves.

With the wet season gone and mostly nice days on hand, heading off the coast has been viable for all sized boats.

I went on an overnight boating trip covering 300km of pristine waters

on the Great Barrier Reef. Across the reefs the surface fishing was extremely handy for hardhitting giant trevally and countless coral trout in under 2m of water.

Sensational fishing is an understatement. In the deeper waters the coral trout remained very consistent off the bottom along with an array of others including red emperor, green jobfish, baldy bream and nannygai.

Mackerel were also around, and they’ll get better over the coming month. The overall reef fishing is well and truly ready to peak as we head into the cooler months.

Closer to home now is the time to do your mud crabbing in the estuaries

and creeks. They will be on the move and their shells are always full of rich meat at this time of year.

According to the locals the barra are still biting after dark using live bait, but as water temperatures fall they will go into lockjaw for a couple of months.

There’s still a few cranky mangrove jack to tangle with along the banks but we are seeing varieties of trevally and some really good queenfish move in on the incoming tide. It’s the time of year for big bream and they have already laid claim, and are aggressive.

Let’s hope we can accept visitors up this way with opens arms soon so we can rebuild our area, which has been hit right between the eyes.

NFZ stocking receives 17,000 barra fingerlings CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

The weather turned it on last month in the Cairns Net Free Zone, delivering ideal conditions not only on the exposed beaches and headlands but also up the rivers and creeks.

One of the best times to hit the rivers and creeks

of the NFZ is during these times of low wind, as they make for clear water and glassy surfaces which are perfect for lure fishing.

The run of blue salmon and king threadfin salmon along the beaches has dried up a little with the start of the southerly winds. However, there have still been some excellent barramundi caught, both land-based and boatbased, targeting the rocky

Barramundi have been on the chew for anglers who are casting lures tight to structure. headland corners on the run-out tide. When the water has been calm and clean these spots have been fishing well with lures, however if it’s a little dirty you’ll find that live bait works the best.

Up the creeks the barra and jacks continue to fish well, especially up the Cairns

Inlet. Those anglers flicking lures tight to mangrove structure have been scoring good numbers and sizes of

deeper bends.

Other systems like the Barron and Moon rivers have also been fishing well for

lights, especially at night, they are not in big numbers or consistency.

On a positive note, the Cairns Fish Stocking Association was able to secure funding for 17,000 barra fingerlings to be stocked into the Russell Mulgrave, Barron and Trinity Inlet this month.

We usually only stock around 5000 fingerlings so this has been a massive bonus. A big shout-out to Kim Andersen and the rest of the crew for their hard work here.

Next month should see the start of the consistent southeast flow, which will see the beach fishing shut down a little as the bait is blown either up the creek or offshore. This won’t mean all the fishing will decline though, as the jacks

Being able to find fish on the sounder is useful when you’re trying to land bigger fish.

Top and above: The Cairns Fish Stocking Association is filling up the NFZ this year with tens of thousands of barramundi.

fish. Paddle-tail plastics around that 3-4” size have been effective, and vibes have also been working well on the slack tides in the

jacks, but not as much for barramundi. Although the Barron continues to throw up some huge barramundi between the bridges and

and barra will still be on the chew. The golden snapper and grunter will begin to pick up as well, and both species are excellent eating.

JUNE 2020

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From a fishing perspective, there are now several studies about how no-take zones are working to protect important breeders and restock areas open to fishing. Research on the Great Barrier Reef shows that approximately half of juvenile fish in the Keppel Islands started life in a no-take zone (which make up 28 per cent of the local reef area).

However, while we appreciate most fishers are doing the right thing and following the rules, there are some who aren’t, which is concerning as the Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2019 highlights illegal fishing as one of the biggest threats to the Reef.

Recreational fishing offences hold the biggest share of illegal fishing activity in the Marine Park with high levels of recreational fishing offences occurring within the Marine Park’s most sensitive zones, such as Marine National Park no-take green zones Some people may think that fishing on the edge of the no-take green zone or just poaching the ‘occasional fish’ won’t matter, but this behaviour is cumulatively causing harm to reef health (think about coral disease caused from discarded hooks and fishing line) and impacting on its ability to recover from major stressors like cyclones and bleaching events.

This is why our patrolling continues day and night to protect the Reef – and the communities that depend on it – from poaching and other actions that undermine the benefits of zoning.

We and our partners have on-water and aerial patrols, plus we have a network of stewards out there who are also our eyes and know they can report suspected illegal activity to our free 24-hour hotline 1800 380 048 or via the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s website. You can do this too – every report is valuable and is taken seriously.

But as a keen fisher, the simplest thing you can do is to know where you’re going and what’s allowed before you get to the boat ramp. Have a free zoning map, know how to use your GPS plotter, but also download the free Eye on the Reef zoning app.

You can get the Eye on the Reef app from the Google Play or App Store, and it works outside of mobile range to pinpoint where you are so you can see what’s allowed in that zone.

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Lockdown fishing with the family COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

The weather has provided some great opportunities to head out with the family and have fresh fish on the dinner table. It’s so nice to get outdoors and enjoy the weather, and the chance to wet a line is just a bonus.

struggle to cope as the drag goes wild on the reel. They sometimes ask for help but they generally manage to get the fish in themselves, and it’s so rewarding for them when they do.

Their mother on the other hand, as I mentioned before, only uses a handline and more often than not out fishes us all. I’m unsure if

Nannies are awesome fighters – sometimes you could mistake the larger ones for sharks.

I love taking the kids out and putting them onto some quality fish. They are so keen and have so much fun when they feel the pressure load up on the rod and their arms

the handline is an advantage but she does really well –when she is on fire, it’s hard to compete. She has the finger talls on and can put lots of pressure on with

the bike tube around her fingers without the lines burning through them. Her determination and strength have seen many quality fish give up the fight and put into the esky.

Nevertheless, I would not like the kids to use a handline, as line would be all over the boat in tangles and, when something big hits, the fun would be over too quickly – there would be line burning through their fingers and possible line wraps around hands, feet and heads. I’m so glad they can use rods and I can adjust the drag to suit them. I’m a firm supporter in kids using rods on the reef, as it’s safer and easy for them to control.

It’s surprising how big a fish they can handle with the drag set right. It comes from practice and being on hand to adjust as needed.

The nannies are awesome fighters, sometimes you would think the larger ones are sharks. But when you get them up close to the boat and see that silvery red shine, the excitement heightens.

Great fish for eating and the smaller fish have very clean white flesh that melts in your

mouth – so good.

Barramundi have been in high numbers over the last month and locals are getting the rewards for their efforts. Late nights and early mornings are working best.

They have been moving around following the tides and like ambush areas where bait holds.

As they say ‘no bait, no fish’, so it’s worth studying the area first to see what bait is there. Soft plastics work well and allow more coverage of an area, and a nice live bait in the right spot is gold.

Be careful when they strike, as barramundi launch into the air and do a head shake that can send the bait and hook flying back to you.

They are so good at it, I think the bait or sinker becomes a weighted de-hooker as the motion of them going back and forth frees the hook.

Anyway, you don’t always succeed, but when you do, it’s more exciting when it all goes to plan.

The weather this month is changing and cool times are ahead. There will be very little opportunity for fishing out on the reefs

Joshua had great day on the water, which produced this tasty nannygai. as the persistent southeast winds pick up and seem to stay forever. Different options are needed, as even the barramundi start to go off the bite – colder water temperatures mean lockjaw for these amazing ambush predators.

Persistence is the key. The more you work a snag, the more it will annoy a barra, which will eventually take care of this pesky ‘fish’ swimming past and smack it just to stop it. Many captures at this time of the year only occur

after multiple casts at a snag. If you miss the strike, then move on as you will only get more frustrated as, more than likely it won’t do it again.

Crab are an option this month, but even they will be a little hard to find in these next few months.

Nevertheless, it’s easy fishing as all you have to do is set the pots. Any crab is a good crab and makes for a welcome feed even if it’s not going to be a feast.

I’m going to put some pots in and see how it goes.

Cape York gets a break from human impact CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

As monthly columnists for Queensland Fishing Monthly, we try to give readers a summary of fishing to expect in the coming month. As it turns out, that’s not so easy in 2020! With heavy travel restrictions likely to still be in place throughout Cape York, best we can do is reflect on past years and take the word

Double barra on fly from a shallow creek entrance. mackerel, giant trevally, longtail tuna, golden trevally, mac tuna and cobia, just to name a few. All of these fish are suckers for a weighted fly, soft plastic, jig or metal slice. Cast to the edges of bait schools, and remember that your first retrieve should be

a quick one. If you don’t get any follows or the fish are a little fussy, try sinking your offering down a little before you start your retrieve.

At times, tuna are very finicky about the bait size they will eat. If they are eating tiny bait, you will usually have to throw very small slices and plastics to get a strike. At other times, they will throw this theory out of the water and hit big lures designed for mackerel – it all depends on their mood.

If you cannot locate birds and feeding fish in close along this west coast, it is often a matter of travelling just a few kilometres farther out. Contour lines and subtle depth changes are likely holding places, along with isolated rocks and shoal patches.

Walking the beaches around mid-morning with the sun shining on the water

behind your back can be very productive in the Gulf.

Targeting tarpon, queenfish, giant herring, blue salmon and smaller barramundi with small offerings is a sportfishing delight.

Rewards come working the shallow sand gutters adjacent to creek and river mouths, and shallow sand inside sheltered reefs on an incoming tide.

When the Cape finally opens, there will be a lag between the opening date and when travellers are ready and able to get up there. Be prepared for the access lag to continue, as indigenous communities require added protection against Coronavirus outbreaks.

Cape York has been getting a forced lay-off from human interaction these last few months, and the benefits will be evident for when things

Hooked up on fly in a remote Cape creek mouth. of locals still able to fish up there.

One thing is for certain, the west coast of the Cape will almost always be a pleasure to fish this month.

Right up until the end of September, conditions are likely to be slight to stiff breezes blowing offshore.

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JUNE 2020

This makes for calm, clean conditions along much of the Gulf coast during these mid dry season months.

For enthusiasts of shallow water sportfishing for Australia’s rich list of tropical species, June can provide the full array.

Baitfish will be converging

on the sheltered bays, long shallow beaches and coastal estuaries, and following them will be a silver array of predators competing for ever-dwindling shoals of these tasty morsels.

Amongst the inshore predators will be grey mackerel, queenfish, Spanish

Small GTs and queenfish will be thick in June.

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Pedalling the pontoons BRISBANE

Troy Brown

With the devastating economic, social and mental health impact of COVID19, it’s nice to know that solace can be found drifting blissfully around our local waterways. Fishing quietly from a kayak can restore sanity to an otherwise confused world, and my latest adventure took me to the busy Nerang River, specifically the area just upstream of the Sundale

best known being the Mirage Drive system offered by Hobie. These ‘flipper’ style drives are extremely versatile and efficient, delivering shallow water operation which is difficult to achieve with other systems. These drives have developed significantly over recent years, with new features such as kick-up fins and the Mirage Drive 360, which provides a unrivalled level of kayak manoeuvrability.

Most of the opposition comes in the form of a propeller drive system,

pontoons are the ‘Warwick Cappers’ of the sea: bream.

Just like Warwick, who loved to strut around in shorts so tight they caused his neck to bulge, you either love these fish, or love to make fun of them. Bream fishers espouse the fighting qualities of a solid bream around structure, especially when fishing with ultra-light outfits. Other anglers hate these ‘chickens of the sea’, calling them such derogatory names as ‘poo eaters’, while photos of men sitting together in bath tubs seem

The advances in pedal kayaks mean that anglers now have ultimate control when fishing in tight areas.

The king of by-catch, Ray Hawes seems to consistently entice other species when chasing bream around the banks. With quality fish like this flathead, I am sure he has no complaints!

Bridge. With a multitude of launch sites including boat ramps and sandy shores in the nearby canals, this area is a haven for the pontoon fishing fanatic.

If you love the sport of kayak fishing, you will understand the feeling which accompanies every launch.

Fishing from boats can be incredible fun, but nothing beats a kayak for truly immersing yourself in the environment. It’s difficult to feel otherwise when there are mere inches between you and the water, and the kayak is more an extension of your body than it is a boat. For this reason alone, when someone asks me about taking up kayak fishing, I always recommend they invest in the best hull they can afford.

This is not a sport many try and then walk away from, so it’s important to make your first kayak something which will stand the test of time.

There is no true ‘one size fits all’ solution for kayak fishers, with details such as speed, comfort, stability, layout and storage valued differently by each angler.

Despite this, there is one feature which few kayakers would deny being the most helpful: the pedal drive.

Pedal drives take a couple of forms, with the 44

JUNE 2020

which may lack the extreme shallow water ability of a fin-style drive, but does have the attraction of instant reverse and budgetfriendly pricing.

Regardless of your choice of pedal drive system, the common benefit is the ability to fish hands-free.

Apart from an occasional direction change by flicking the rudder, pedal kayaks effectively release your hands from the paddle and leave them firmly planted on your fishing rod. This means more time is spent casting, working your lures and fighting your fish, rather than reaching for a paddle to maintain position.

When fishing the edges of pontoons, the advantage this provides cannot be stressed enough, as a momentary loss of concentration to correct your drift can result in a lost fish.

In these tight structures, you need to be aware of your surroundings to ensure that you are respectful of owners’ property. Floating platforms may be great structure for your favourite fish, but placing any part of yourself on a pontoon is akin to walking around someone’s backyard uninvited.

With the water cooling, my key targets around the

to be a common meme for those who chase bream.

Good-natured jibes aside, bream present one of the best pound-for-pound targets on light gear, and

the competitive anglers who regularly produce quality catches during tournaments.

Kayak fishing is ideally suited to chasing these wily characters, as bream are notoriously easy to spook and can be tentative with lures, especially around the heavily-fished waters of the Gold Coast. These fish have seen more lures than Steve Morgan, so enticing them from their lairs can be tougher than pulling me away from an all-you-can-eat dessert bar. The reputation of bream is somewhat sullied by the ease of catching these silver ghosts on bait, but when you start chasing them with lures, it’s easy to appreciate why bream tournaments are so popular.

TACKLE For more hook-ups and a truly enjoyable fight, you need to come equipped with

4-6lb are a nice compromise for easy casting, a reasonable level of abrasion resistance and superior feel. For the ultimate in fun, discard the braid and instead spool your reel with 100% fluorocarbon. With a light fluorocarbon line straightthrough (there is obviously no need for a leader), the hook-ups are pure adrenaline rushes as you attempt to pull these little maulers away from oyster-encrusted pylons and pontoons. The light fluorocarbon line can be a challenge when casting, but the reward will be more hook-ups, some bust-ups and ultimately more fish.

TECHNIQUE There are many ways to approach fishing around pontoons, but a pedal kayak makes execution far easier than juggling a rod and paddle. One of the simplest

Some of the author’s favourite lures for chasing bream around pontoons.

Some people say colours don’t alter catch rates, but in his experience changing colours will certainly affect your level of success. those anglers who chase other species are missing a wonderful hunt. I used to question the sanity of bream tournament competitors, but time spent chasing these fish with lures has provided me with a true admiration for

modest weapons. This is no place for mangrove jack gear!

You’ll want rods in the 1-2kg range and reels spooled with 3-6lb main line to increase the odds of a hook-up. High quality braided lines with light fluorocarbon leaders of

and most productive methods is to start at the top of a pontoon, letting the tide bring you down the side of the structure. Cast forward and bury your rod tip deep, forcing your line down below the base of

the pontoon. With the tide pulling you along and the line starting forward of the structure and about a 45° angle from the kayak, the tidal drift will move you along the edge of the strike zone while your lure is dragged under the shaded structure.

Deep below the bream is in its favourite spot, hiding in a shaded area and confidently awaiting its prey. When your lure comes darting under the pontoon, all the bream sees is an easy meal. While keeping your rod tip low, a couple of small flicks and pauses is all that is necessary to excite the bream into action.

Small paddle-tail lures in the 50-70mm range are perfect for this technique and with a decent tidal flow, very little input is required from the angler. You need to be ready for the strike, as the fish will dart for cover once it is hooked and nearby pylons are a likely target. The fish also frequently come high in the water column, so if you don’t keep that rod tip low, your line will run on the underside of the pontoon and a bust-off is milliseconds away. One momentary loss of concentration and the battle is lost.

Kayaks have an exceptional advantage in canals, as there is no noisy motor or even the hum of an electric to reduce the aggression of the fish.

However, despite the stealth of even the best pedal kayaks (some low quality propeller drives are infuriating loud), you still need to be conscious of your proximity to the fish.

Passing too near the area will shut down fish unless they are aggressively feeding, so use that pedal drive to ensure you are not passing too closely or throwing a shadow near where the fish lurk. For this reason, I am not a fan of trolling lures past jetties. Most people I’ve watched trolling tend to hold

a relatively straight line, so when they bring a lure beside the structure the passing kayak has already spooked the fish. Trolling has its place, but it is also a boring way to target a fish which is otherwise incredible sport.

HARDBODIED LURES Instead of trolling, a couple of techniques with hardbodied lures are very successful on bream. My preference is for small

high quality cranks, there is typically no requirement for any fancy rips and stalls, as the hypnotic sway will entice a bream to dart from cover and strike.

Working the back side of the pontoon is often the most productive, but can require the greatest casting precision. Bream often lurk in the calmer water behind the structure, silently feeding off the pontoon

etc. After making all the modifications they possibly cost more than a Cranka, but catching fish on something you have heavily modified is extremely satisfying. I am yet to make anything as effective as the Cranka though, so if you want to win a bream tournament never borrow a crab from my tackle box!

When fishing with any of these crabs, I don’t mind

Rock walls and oyster-laden outcrops are merciless on light leaders, but they’re worth the risk when fish are holding on the edges.

At 27cm, this is a typical Gold Coast bream. There are larger models around, but often you need to push further into the system (or closer to the bar) to find numbers of better quality fish. hardbodied cranks such as the Atomic Hardz or Berkley Fat Dogs, but there are a multitude of exceptional lures available for the task.

I suggest you work both ends and the long side of each pontoon you approach.

Once again, I like working the up-current side of the pontoon at a 45° angle, drifting a few metres away from the edge and casting across the front face. I then throw the rod tip low and perform a simple slow roll along the short side of the pontoon, before pulling it low under the lip and out towards the kayak. Once I’ve worked the top of the pontoon, I cast well forward of the pontoon, drift to the other end and then start a steady retrieve along the long outside edge. With

and also waiting to hijack a meal which washes down with the tide.

The undisputed king of bream lures is the Cranka Crab. It’s also possibly the simplest lure to use, as there is little requirement for the angler to put ‘action’ into the lure and typically will only require a subtle wind to elicit a strike. As effective as they are, I prefer small soft plastics or cheaper crab imitations, not just because I baulk at the price of these amazing lures, but also because the soft plastics make me work a lot harder for my catch. I do like fishing crabs occasionally, even resorting to buying cheap models, painting them myself, custom-weighting and upgrading hooks

being a little brutal about how I toss them at structure.

If there is no danger of damaging a home owner’s property, I tend to fire the crabs with some gusto, as a light slap when your crab touches a padded pylon can fire up an angry bream. The downside is that if you hit a rough edge, your crab may need some repairs or even worse, you will watch your valuable lure sink into a watery grave without any line attached.

ROCK WALLS While the floating platforms are mostly productive, don’t be fooled into ignoring one of the best fish hang-outs available.

Many of these waterways have significant rock walls or sheer cement edges,

Fished hard against structure, quality crab imitations are proven tournament winners.

which provide safe havens for the fish and vast shadows at different times of the day.

I’ve found working those walls with direct sunlight to be unproductive, but when the edge of the water is in deep shadow, it is a perfect spot for bream to ambush your lure.

Casting a lightly

to how I fish those areas, but his words resonated with me and it explained perhaps why I was having a rare day of boating more fish than he was. Generally, if I don’t catch a fish after one or two casts at ANY piece of structure, I will move on. Why? The fact is that bream

quarters stuff and the fish are unforgiving, so having your hands free to fight while your feet maintain position is an incredible advantage. There are many skilled anglers whose ability to catch fish makes even the most cumbersome kayak seem manageable, but for mere mortals such as myself,

If you can see the fish but they are not active, change your lure type or colour.

Michael Sweeney turned a slow morning into a hot bite with a simple colour swap. weighted plastic up into the tide, letting it settle slowly to the bottom while continuously slow rolling it back to the kayak is a deadly technique. Often you will catch more fish on the wall edge than under the pontoons. Skipping a crab into the drop-off is very effective, although the rocky edges will occasionally claim your expensive lure.

Still, when that big strike comes, you’ll quickly forget about the cost of the lures you’ve lost to snags.

One of my friends recently noted that I never spend long working any piece of structure. This was on a day where I had caught some fish and he was struggling a little. He is a very good angler, but because he rarely targeted fish in canals he was not having his best day. I had never paid a lot of attention

seem to be either switched on, switched off or perhaps just not there! If you cannot see fish, or can see them and not entice them to strike, the situation will not readily change and you should move along. Often you can drift down 50m, work some other areas, return and then find the previously shut-down fish will maul your lure.

Bream can be very fickle and I generally find two casts at the same spot is perhaps one too many. The same applies to lure choice; on some days bream love crabs, but on other days you’re better off working a hard crank or soft lure.

Having fished from many different kayaks, starting at nimble 9ft paddle hulls up to the insanely outfitted Hobie Pro Angler 360, I cannot overstate the value of using a pedal kayak for this style of fishing. It is close

the increased focus I achieve with pedal propulsion is a game changer.

Regardless of your choice of brand, if you invest in a well manufactured pedal-driven kayak, you will take your fishing to the next level. If your budget permits, find your nearest dealer and ask for a demonstration.

Better still, if you are a member of one of the many kayak fishing pages on social media, shout out to fellow members and do a kayak swap for a day of fishing.

The best way of finding a pedal fishing kayak which suits you is to actually fish from one, rather than just pedalling a few metres up a river. If your budget allows it and you love fishing tight into the areas where fish are holding, a high quality pedal kayak will dramatically improve your enjoyment of this sensational sport.

JUNE 2020

45

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IN A SMALL BOAT APPLICATION

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Reflections on COVID NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling

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The following piece draws on content from one of Starlo’s editorials in a recent edition of the ‘Fishotopian’ newsletter from their website.

If 2020 was a product I’d bought on-line, I reckon I’d be within my rights to ask for my money back.

It’s not fit for purpose, it doesn’t work, and bits were broken when I unwrapped it.

The opening scenes should’ve provided a clue about what was to come. Jo and I spent New Year’s Eve dressed in full fire-fighting gear, sitting on folding chairs in our backyard next to a vehicle packed with our most important possessions. Our worried eyes were intently fixed on a western sky that was cycling through the full spectrum: from orange and red to an angry, demonic black. All the while, burnt leaves and twigs rained down around us and acrid smoke stung our throats.

Three times in two weeks, we found ourselves in the same position, even receiving an ominous text message at one stage telling us that it was “too late to leave” and we should “shelter in place”. In the end, we were incredibly lucky.

Our little town dodged a fiery bullet. Many others weren’t so fortunate.

Fast forward a few weeks and we were on flood watch!

It took the ash-choked local estuaries nearly a month to clear after that one, and the fishing (already suffering after years of drought) remained well below par.

Through all of this, I watched with increasing alarm as news reports told of a nasty new virus spreading through China and reaching out beyond its borders. I had a particularly bad feeling about this one, and confided in Jo that I doubted our long-planned mid-March jigging trip to Rote Island in Indonesia with a dozen fellow Fishotopians would be happening. For once, my crystal ball was tuned to the right frequency… I wish it hadn’t been!

Since then, we’ve been living in what can best be described as “interesting times”. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold across the globe like a slow motion train wreck, and it feels like nothing will ever be quite the same again.

As recently as the third week of March, I was still sneaking out for an occasional fish close to home, targeting things

I could bring home for the family to eat as fresh grocery supplies dwindled in the supermarkets and prices went crazy. I posted on line offering my cautious opinion that others could probably do the same, so long as they stayed local, were ultra-careful about social distancing and practiced strict hygiene measures. But I soon realised that I was wrong, even to share that faint hope.

The cut-through for me came in the form of a single response to a social media post from a high-profile angler posing the simple

to where I live — with while thousands of my fellow anglers in cities or other parts of the country with tighter restrictions didn’t enjoy the same luxury.

So, instead of fishing, I spent a big part of that critical five weeks tracking down, collating and assembling a heap of “stay-at-home” activities for my fellow anglers. My wife Jo and I have made these resources available through our free Fishotopia on-line website portal (www.fishotopia. com). They’ll remain there, even after the crisis is over.

As I write this, things

Memories of happier days. Jo fly fishing a small stream in Tasmania’s north last December.

How the world has changed since then! question that was on so many of our minds: “To fish, or not to fish?” Another mover and shaker in the fishing media industry whose work I’ve always admired came back with a short, simple comment: “I think influencers like yourself need to lead by example. I try to think ‘what if everyone did what I did’? Sometimes you have to do what’s best for the community and lead by example.”

Those words resonated deeply with me. I hung my rods up that day and didn’t fish for well over a month.

Try as I might, I simply couldn’t justify recreational fishing as being “essential” through that highly critical period, even for a feed or to maintain my mental health.

I know a lot of people didn’t agree with my stance.

They argued (rightly!) that a solo, local fishing trip was much safer than mingling with hordes of toilet paper zombies in the supermarket aisles. But in my opinion, it was still not 100% safe… and it also didn’t negate the need for those other “essential” outings. It simply added to them. Personally, I couldn’t justify that. Nor could I justify doing something that I could get away — thanks

are looking much better for Australia. We’ve flattened the curve and dramatically reduced the number of new infections, hospitalisations and deaths. I’m even considering sneaking out for a quick, solo fishing excursion close to home in the coming weeks. But if there is even the slightest uptick in the statistics or blip on the horizon, I will immediately return to my self-imposed no-fishing lockdown. It’s just not worth the risk: to myself or others.

A quick look at what’s happening in less fortunate (and less prudent) parts of the world should provide us all with a sobering lesson on where we could have been, and where we could still potentially end up, if we fail to take this threat seriously.

We will get through this, and the fish will still be there. They may even have benefitted from this enforced respite. As a nation, we’ve done an awesome job so far of coping with the existential threat of COVID19. Let’s remain patient, keep doing the right thing and hopefully come out the other end of this dark tunnel in even better shape than we went in.

Tight lines.

JUNE 2020

47

Top ten tips to catch mulloway PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Mulloway are one of those species that elude many anglers, but the following tips will increase your chances of catching that fish of a lifetime. Let’s get started!

1. PICK YOUR MOON PHASES If you are going to target mulloway it’s important to become familiar with the

3. FISH RENOWNED AREAS We are blessed with many areas along our rivers and coast that hold mulloway. However, it’s important (especially when you’re starting out) to go to the areas that are renowned for catching mulloway.

With a little research you will find many spots in your area where you can target mulloway. By focusing your efforts in these locations you’ll give yourself the best chance of tangling with one.

especially trophy-sized fish, are squid, mullet, yellowtail and big tailor. If you are lucky enough to catch slimy mackerel or a tuna, I recommend using it as large fillets because the oils in the flesh will create a berley trail.

6. USE CHUNKY BERLEY A lot of people don’t like to berley when targeting mulloway, but it does have two benefits. When on charter I use berley to attract baitfish, and it’s a very

8. COVER YOUR GROUND As the current eases your chances of catching a mulloway increases as they become more active. This is the time to cast out a few lines in all directions from your boat. With your set baits in your berley trail you have those fish covered, but by casting lines out the sides you are in with a chance to catch some fish that haven’t sensed your berley trail.

9. DRIFTING FOR MULLOWAY When drifting for mulloway, you have to choose your area carefully and the method of fishing that you are going to do.

Drifting for mulloway is best done by targeting the deeper holes along the rivers instead of the structure, and this can be done when the current is flowing strongly.

It is imperative to keep your baits on the bottom while drifting, and your bait presentation is important because a spinning bait will rarely tempt a mulloway. By drifting these deeper holes, you are targeting fish that are waiting for a lazy feed to wash down in front of them – and that’s exactly what you’re giving them.

Drifting is a good technique as it covers more ground and will find the fish. years, so don’t be scared to give it a crack. The important thing is to make sure that the lure or soft plastic is within striking distance of the bottom. Paddle-tail

three or four times. If you are using braid it will make a ‘thunk’ sound.

This technique puts a vibration in the water that drives the mulloway nuts.

Even kids can catch mulloway on lures. moon phases. Generally speaking, when I target mulloway I try to fish 3-4 days before the new moon or the full moon, depending on where I am fishing. Over the years I have found that if you are fishing from the shore targeting mulloway, it’s better to fish at night, 3-4 days before a full moon.

Mulloway like to come up into the shallows to feed on the full moon phases.

2. CHOOSE YOUR TIDES Mulloway are a lazy fish that prefer to feed when the current eases. Quite often when the current is raging these fish will be lying up against some structure and won’t move away until the current slackens off. In the areas I fish, the last hour of the rising tide through to the first hour of the outgoing tide gives me my best chance at catching a trophy fish.

4. FIND THE DROP-OFF OR STRUCTURE If you are fishing a renowned mulloway area there will usually be a drop-off, reef or other structure that will hold the fish in that area. If you find the structure the odds will be more in your favour. If you anchor accurately, sometimes you can be fortunate enough to catch them even in the strong current. However, you’re more likely to snare a few when they leave their area to hunt down a feed.

5. USE FRESHLYCAUGHT BAIT To catch that trophy fish it’s important to have the best and freshest bait possible.

Bait that you’ve caught yourself just before your mulloway session will be a lot better than frozen bait from tackle shop. The best baits to use for mulloway,

fine berley used in the top third of the water column.

I disperse it with the help of a berley bucket, and this attracts baitfish to my boat.

To berley for mulloway I use pilchards cut into 4-5 small pieces, and throw them over the back of the boat one at a time, as if I was berleying for tuna. As one piece disappears, throw in another.

7. USE THE BERLEY TRAIL While you’re throwing out these small pieces of pilchard, it makes sense to put a hook in one of the pieces. It also makes sense to place one of your set baits on the same side that you are berleying from. Make sure that your set bait is cast away from the boat to take advantage of the pieces that have hit the bottom and attracted the fish.

It’s always rewarding to put someone onto their first ever mulloway!

10. USING LURES Soft plastics and hardbodied lures have been catching mulloway for many

10 THINGS A CHARTER OPERATOR DOESN’T WANT TO HEAR I have been operating fishing charters for many years, and on occasion I hear statements and questions that make me cringe. These are the top 10 things a charter operator DOESN’T want to hear!

1. We were up late eating curry and drinking beer, do you only have the 1 toilet?

2. I thought expensive rods floated...

3. Have you got another rod please, just got spooled by your props?

4. My missus packed enough bananas for everyone!

5. My beanie went into the head, I flushed it but there’s water flowing all over the floor now.

6. I just converted your 1-piece rod into a 3-piece, shouldn’t cost you much to fix it.

7. Do you have a spare rod to use while these guys get the other 6 lines untangled?

8. I’ve never used an overhead reel before but I’m keen to learn how to cast one.

9. I only have a few beers and the boys don’t drink much. Is 5 cases of beer and 3 bottles of spirits going to fit into your esky or do I bring my own?

10. I have 40 people showing up for a BBQ this afternoon and you’re in charge of supplying the seafood.

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JUNE 2020

soft plastics, especially in mullet colour, work well while drifting along, and the only action that needs to be applied is to lift the rod tip every now and then to impart more action to the lure.

My tip though is to try big micro jigs, as these lures work a treat from a boat when drifting for mulloway.

The best way I have found to use them for mulloway is to drop them all the way to the bottom. Point your rod tip at the water and wind in the slack line until you just feel the weight of the lure.

Lift the rod tip up to chest height rapidly and violently

I am not sure if this lure works so well because of the squid above the hook or because it’s metal and plays around with the mulloway’s lateral line. To be honest, I don’t really care. I just care that it works!

Finally, if you want some personalised coaching on the water, just give me a call on 0410 633 351 so I can book you for a charter chasing your fish of a lifetime.

• Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www.estuaryfishingcharters. com.au.

Recreational Fishing Update Alicia’s Trophy Flattie!

This nice 70cm dusky flathead was recently tagged and released by 16-year-old Alicia Hughes while enjoying a quick fishing trip out in Lake Macquarie with her grandfather Graham Anderson, a dedicated member of the Trophy Flathead Tagging Program.

During the same trip, Graham tagged an 83.5cm flattie. Awesome work, Alicia and Graham! Find out more about DPI’s Trophy Flathead Program by searching the DPI website.

$4$ Funding Available Kids’ Activity Page To Restock Native Fish! On DPI Website!

We’ve recently updated the DPI website to include a fantastic page dedicated to providing junior anglers with a stack of interesting info and activities! The “Free Kids Resources” page includes downloadable activity sheets to help kids learn more about fish and fishy environments.

The resources form part of our Get Hooked ... It’s Fun To Fish schools program, which is one of many programs run using funds from the Recreational Fishing Trusts. Find out more at dpi.nsw.gov.au.

Purple Rockcod in Newcastle Harbour!

This amazing purple rockcod, aka blue maori cod, was recently caught and released in Newcastle Harbour by well-known Lake Macquarie fisho Dan Guilfoyle. These spectacular fish occur in tropical and sub-tropical waters of the western Pacific, usually around coral and rocky reefs in water ranging from 50-150m.

In Australia, they range from the offshore reefs of north-western WA right around the Top End and down to central NSW. They reach a maximum size of about a metre, with Dan’s fish – which was caught on a yakka while targeting mulloway – measuring in at about 65cm.

Cool catch, Dan! Let us know if you’ve encountered any interesting catches lately. Send the details – including photos – to fisheries.info@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Angler Tags Kingfish, Sister Recaptures It! Stocking groups are invited to apply for matching funds available under the 2020-21 Dollar for Dollar Native Fish Stocking Program.

Matching funding for offers between $1000 and $6000 will be provided from the Recreational Fishing Trust (Freshwater) to purchase bass, golden perch and Murray cod for stocking into public waterways in NSW. Applications close on Friday 26 June 2020.

Search “dollar for dollar stocking” on the DPI website for more info. This is another fantastic example of your fishing fees at work!

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

A kingfish released by Andrew Talbot on 23 October, 2019, has been recaptured – incredibly! – by his sister, Shelley Talbot. This gives a whole new meaning to the concept of “family fishing”!

Andrew originally tagged the king in Sydney’s Port Hacking. It measured in at 65cm and 2kg. Fast forward to 10 April, 2020, and Shelley (pictured) recaptured the fish, again in Port Hacking. After a quick battle on 15kg tackle, Shelley measured the fish at 80cm. It was quickly re-released with the original tag in place.

During the fish’s almost six months (170 days) at liberty, it grew a solid 15cm and was recaptured 1 nautical mile from the original release point. Check out the DPI website for info on the Game Fish Tagging Program, another great example of your fishing fees at work!

Transition period is a great time to go fishing SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

As we head towards a gradual form of social normality, more people are going back to full and part time work. We are now able to go fishing not just for exercise/ food gathering but for recreational and social benefits as well. It will allow us to bond more with friends and family.

This month and next are amongst the coolest for Sydney. The air on some days is well below the double digits, but generally Sydney weather stabilises back to 18-20°C before another cold spell hits.

That’s the cycle around this part of the coast.

Before you go ahead for a fishing trip – whether it is a calm water river/ estuary, beach or rock fishing – check out at least two weather/swell apps and the beach surf cams as well. You can sit at home and look at the latest swell/ wave size in real time and weather apps before contemplating a trip. I also recommend that you check out at least two beach cams so you will have a more accurate swell size if you’re planning to fish the

Matthew Sinclair’s last cast of the session resulted in this double header of whiting right on dusk. It was his first time using an Alvey. ocean beach or rocks.

The wind and rain forecast can be closely monitored as well, with a rain app to track the direction of where the rain is coming from and going to. Note that the direction of the rain trail is also the direction of the wind trail.

Once you have studied

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the apps for some weeks/ months you will be able to determine/calculate where to fish according to the wind, swell, and rain direction. The apps will greatly assist you in getting you out there to fish at a more anglerfriendly location and, more importantly, a location that is safer, especially when it comes to ocean rock fishing.

This month is the continuing of what I call the ‘transition period’, which is the period when there’s a crossover between warmer water species and cooler water species.

The water temperature is still around 19°C, which is generally warmer than the atmosphere temp. It’s a cracker time of year, and anybody who wants to put their gear away until the weather warms up will be missing out on some great fishing.

H e r e ’s w h a t ’s

happening on the rocks and beaches of Sydney.

OCEAN ROCKS It’s wonderful when you have been guiding a regular client and you see him improve from humble beginnings to becoming a skilled angler. One of my regulars was fishing the ocean rocks for rock blackfish at Long Reef Collaroy, using a 7kg outfit, and he landed a 52cm brown groper which stitched him up for a few minutes around some nasty rock ledges. Eastern groper live under deep ledges and caves amongst boulders, so landing this species can be difficult. With patience he landed his groper, his best light line fish to date.

He also landed a nice rock blackfish (pig) of 43cm on the same outing, and released both fish, so lucky for them! Pigs, like groper, are a difficult fish to land because once hooked they want to head

back to their cave or ledge.

The bait was peeled king prawns in the ‘35-40 prawns per 1kg’ size.

If you’d like to try this for yourself, you can also use bread for bait and berley with your prawns. I like to buy four loaves of white sliced bread (sliced bread is a lot easier to bait up than am unsliced loaf), and use three loaves for berley and one for bait.

Soak some bread in a small bucket of water, get your hands and fingers mulching up the wet bread, and throw it out in half handfuls every couple of minutes.

Good places to fish are in amongst submerged ledges, boulders, and other areas where the rock blackfish has a hideaway hole. Fish in white water because the rock blackfish prefer that cover. The best times to fish for this shy species are the high tide periods early in the morning and late in the

afternoon. You can also expect a range of by-catch while fishing for pigs.

Now let’s look at some other species that are on the chew. Luderick are on of late, with the best baits being cabbage weed and hair weed. Berley up with some of the weed that you’re using, preferably the short stuff as it will spread better as berley.

Snapper are also being taken in the washes and distance casting. I recommend using salted slimy mackerel or striped tuna cut into fillets approximately 12cm long by 2cm wide. You can also use squid strips for distance casting or, if you’re wash fishing, try half pilchards, whole king or banana prawns or squid strips. You can catch multiple species while fishing for reds.

You will find the trevally on the chew in the washes. Peeled prawns and half pilchards work great,

Tony Gibbon landed this nice king on 9kg leader and braid. A few snapper and trevally were caught on the outing as well. Wash fishing during this transition period in June can get you into a nice mix of warmer and cooler water species.

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and make sure you berley frequently not liberally.

Fish the deeper white water zones off the rocks,

I recommend having swivels in between the hooks because it makes it so much easier to bait up

Mark George has been guided to plenty of great fish.

He can now add this 4kg groper to the list, which he caught and released while fishing for rock blackfish.

Using a 7kg outfit, he extracted this fish with patience. preferably 4m+ depth.

June is a good month for kings. Live yellowtail work great, especially in the slightly smaller size.

Try to avoid the large yellowtail as you may miss out on the opportunity of catching smaller kings from 65-75cm. You can also use large sea gars on ganged hooks.

Places to try include Bluefish’s eastern front and northeast facing point, South and North Curl Curl ledges and South and North Whale headlands.

Long Reef is a safer rock ledge which is great for groper, luderick and rock blackfish.

OCEAN BEACHES The run of tailor just before and after dark has been of good quality.

We’ve been getting fish to 1.5kg with reports of a 2.5kg fish (roughly 6lb) caught off North Narrabeen Beach by a angler fishing for mulloway. The run before dark is generally the chopper or slightly larger size fish. After dark fishing the big evening high tides you will encounter the larger run of tailor.

Often anglers cast out too far for tailor. It may not be necessary, especially on the flatter sea nights.

A 10-15m cast from the shoreline into a sizeable gutter will get your bait into deep enough water. Tailor are not shy venturing into shallow water, especially after dark. I have caught them in 45cm of water during flatter seas.

The traditional method of catching tailor is with ganged pilchards on a set of 3/0 or 4/0 hooks.

your pilchard.

While doing this you may catch a flathead, which reside in quite close on the flatter sea conditions.

Flatties don’t mind picking up a well-presented whole pilchard bait, and big bream can often be caught on ganged hooks too.

majority of whiting anglers have gone into hibernation, but not me – I fish for whiting until mid-July at least. You will find that this month the numbers can be quite good. Live beach worms and pink nippers are great baits, but the ultimate bait (if you can purchase them) is the blood worm.

Whiting go a bit mental when they have a blood worm in front of them, and find them very hard to resist.

For the mulloway angler, it is worth targeting them this month. You will find the cold sand on your feet after dark quite chilly though, so I recommend wearing surf type 3mm thick boots, long nylon pants, a beanie, and warm clothing with a rain coat used as a wind shield. It will keep you comfortable and encourage you to spend more time fishing for this often hard-to-find species.

Large beach worms, live baits like mullet and yellowtail and whole squid and large strips of squid are the choice of baits.

Beaches to try are Manly/Queenscliff, Curl Curl, Dee Why, Collaroy to North Narrabeen, Wa r r i e w o o d and Palm Beach.

My final advice this month is to be prepared to wear the correct clothing even if it appears to be a mild day. It only takes a wind change and it can get

On Tim Tribisonna’s first luderick outing he caught this cracker 42cm rock blackfish on 8lb line, as well as a bag limit of luderick.

Having said that, if you’re getting knocks (bites) while using whole pilchards, I recommend using a single 1/0 to 2/0 hook and half a pilchard or even a fillet of pilchard, tailor strip or beach worm bait and you may catch a few bream.

As usual, the vast

chilly within minutes, so don’t be caught out.

• 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.

JUNE 2020

51

Berley will bring results in Port Hacking SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

For the next couple of months, I have combined the Botany Bay and Southern Sydney reports into one until the Coronavirus restrictions have been sorted out. We NSW anglers are so lucky to be able to go fishing, and I feel so sad for those anglers south of the border. Hopefully by the time this issue comes out they will be allowed to get back out fishing.

A number of beaches have been reopened so that you can exercise and swim. This also means that you are able to go fishing off them for bream, whiting, dart, salmon and tailor again. Try the northern end of Maroubra in a nor-easterly and the southern end of Coogee beach in a south-easterly wind, as they will be protected. The best baits for tailor and salmon are whole pilchards. For the other species you can use strips of fresh mullet or squid, half pillies or nippers.

Offshore wide off the Wedding Cake Island in 30-50m, anglers have been catching snapper, morwong, pigfish, trevally and leatherjackets while drifting

Part of your fishing licence fees has gone to great use in upgrading the boat ramp at the northern end of Gunnamatta Bay. over them. The best baits have been half pilchards, squid and whole large prawns. On the outer areas of these reef you could try drifting for blue-spot and tiger flathead.

If you are heading out to these areas you should try trolling a couple of lures out the back for bonito, salmon, tailor and kingfish. Small Christmas tree lures, metals and deep divers would be worth a shot.

The rocks of Henry Head

Matthew Lumb has been putting his newfound skills of targeting bream on soft plastics to good use while working the flats in Port Hacking River.

and Browns Rock on the northern side of the entrance to Botany Bay have been producing squid, bonito, tailor and luderick on a rising tide. If you can get hold of some cunje or larger prawns I would have a shot for drummer. Don’t forget to berley with bread.

Trevally Alley, the oil wharf, the sticks and wide off Towra Point have been producing bream, trevally, tarwhine, the odd pan-size snapper, and plenty of rays and banjo sharks. Pick a spot and anchor up and berley while using either a running sinker down onto the bait or a running sinker down onto the swivel with a long leader.

Peeled prawns, half pillies and fresh mullet would be my fist choices of bait.

Leatherjackets have been schooling up at the bases of the Captain Cook, Tom Uglys and Como bridges. Anchor so that the back of your boat is near the base, and use a paternoster rig with either small pieces of prawns or squid for bait. You could also try anchoring up near the markers on the bay.

The Georges and Woronora rivers are producing bream, flathead and luderick on both the run-in and run-out tides. Places that are worth a look include Lugarno, Bonnet Bay, Soily Point, the Alfords Point bridge, the Moons and Picnic Point.

If you prefer to not anchor you could always drift along

the shoreline at these places – just remember you will get snagged a few times. Maybe try using a paternoster rig.

While out fishing I would keep an eye out for schooling mullet, as they are great fun to catch and they make a great bait. When using mullet for bait I always take the scales off as this makes getting the hook in easier, and allows the bait to be more flexible.

As usual at this time of the year the Port Hacking will start to get much clearer than normal, especially if we haven’t had much rain.

Therefore, if you are going to anchor your boat you need to berley, and the same applies if you are going to fish off the shore.

If you have a fixed berley pot on your boat it’s just a matter of dropping in chicken pellets, old pilchards or fish frames, and every now and then smash them up. You want to release a small and steady stream of berley – enough to attract the fish but not feed them.

If you are fishing from a wharf or a jetty you should try lowering a berley cage down and every now and then give it a shake to let the juices from the berley flow out. Then you can fish directly beside it for leatherjackets, yellowtail, bream and trevally.

Those of you who are shore-based could try beside any of the boat ramps in the

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Port Hacking River or the baths at Gunnamatta and Gymea Bays.

At the time of putting this report together I had just had one of my springs on my trailer replaced by Bold Trailers at Taren Point. Why only one you say? Well, cutting a long story short, I broke the near side one while backing my trailer into where it lives and it was only six months ago that I had replaced them both. When you are next after a service of your trailer, I recommend that you check out these guys because they did a great job.

While I was waiting for it to get replaced, I ventured down to have a look at the upgraded boat ramp at the northern end of Gunnamatta Bay, and I was pleased to see that the upgrade to the ramp and the surrounds are great.

It’s a ramp that not only small boats can use, but much larger ones too. The only downside

flathead swimming about in the Port, and if you are after a feed you could either try using a few soft plastics or live baiting with poddy mullet or yellowtail. When it comes to soft plastics, I like the ZMan 3” MinnowZ and Berkley 4” Jerkbaits rigged on a TT Depth Charge jighead.

You can get poddy mullet with store-brought poddy mullet trap, or just a glass bowl with fly screen netting over the top. Remember that it has to be labelled as per NSW Fisheries regulations. Alternatively, you can fish for them with an unweighted size 10 or 12 sized long-shank hook baited with a piece of bread or peeled prawn.

You can also try suspending it under a very small float.

Places that are worth a try are beside boat ramps, wharfs, over weed beds and beside rock walls, and along the edges of mangroves.

During these hard times,

Even though the water is quite chilly, there are still a few kingfish about if you are prepared to put in the effort. to the ramp is that there’s not a lot of parking space for cars and trailers, so you’ll have to get there early.

Pan-size snapper start to show up in the Port Hacking at this time of year. Try using a half pilchard for bait with a number 1 or 2 sized ball sinker running down onto it. Find yourself a deep bay, anchor up, berley with chicken pellets and cast out the bait. Then you just stick the rod into the rod holder and wait for it to take off.

There are still quite a few

please keep on supporting your local bait, tackle, boating and marine dealers because they have found it very hard to stay open during the past few months to keep you boating and fishing.

Keep sending in those photos to gbrown1@iprimus. com.au of what you have caught in the Botany Bay and Southern Sydney areas so I can put them in my report. You don’t have to tell me exactly where you have caught them, just what you caught them on.

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Fantastic time to head offshore the water, usually around 8:30-9am. Then they seem to move out into the deeper water. I really like the line around 42m for the late morning fish, and by then the cold breeze has dropped and it sets up for a nice drift.

The south grounds from the front of Red Cliff to Brooms head will hold a good quantity of those beautiful Venus tuskfish, not just good numbers but good size fish, with an average of between 40-45cm. They are one of the better table fish on offer, as well as being hard fighters. Mixed in with them this month will be their close relation, the gold-spot pigfish. For most of the year we rarely catch gold-spot pigfish, but in June they show up in reasonable enough

YAMBA

Dave Gaden

Winter is officially here, and with it comes the cold southwest winds at daybreak. In my part of the planet these winds blow off the frosts up in the hills around Armidale and Guyra, and even though our June mornings are often still in double figures, it’s a different story out on the water – it can be freezing!

As uncomfortable as the icy winds are, it is a fantastic time of the year for fishing offshore here.

The water temperature is dropping and those beautiful pink fish, the snapper, are in the shallows ready to spawn.

You won’t need to travel far to find quality fish this month. Heading south, they will be on the edge of the kelp in as shallow as 10m and as close as the first rock south of Back Beach at Angourie. Following this kelp line you will find fish

Rob Brown was happy with this nice pearl perch.

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all the way to Sandon River.

Some of the better spots will be between Freeburn Rock (the bommie) and Shelly Headland as well as Plumbago Rocks and Red Cliff. I recommend that you spend a bit of time reading the sounder for the change in the bottom.

Kelp is really easy to see, and as you head to sea you will see a distinct clear line where the kelp stops and the rock or gravel continues. This is the area I like to fish. The snapper often like to cruise along the outer edge of the kelp, hunting baitfish. Anchoring with a really solid berley trail of chopped pillies and a couple of light floaters will get you a bag of fish in a couple of hours.

The snapper only feed aggressively in the shallows until the sun gets high enough to penetrate

Izaha with a good pinky snapper. Try float baiting for them this month in the shallows.

numbers for us to boat one or two each day.

Pearl perch will also be in on the closer reef this month, saving you the drive out to the 50 fathom line.

Once again, that magic mark of around 42m seems to be their preference. I get more pearlies on the grounds east of Plumbago through to Red Cliff at this time of year. It’s only a drift of about 1nm but it has some really rough reef that these fish seem to like.

A basic paternoster rig with a couple of big squid baits is usually enough to bring the big silver fish undone.

On the northern grounds from Black Rocks to Evans Head it should be trag city this month, and they will be in fairly shallow water at this time of the year. Start looking on the south side of South Evans bommie, just off the kelp line, and drift around there with a mix of pilly and mullet strips for bait. It won’t take long for

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Sam Clatworthy and his mate Tom Pointon caught this huge eel in a little creek in Murrumba Downs.

you to have a bag limit of five nice trag on ice.

If you head due east from there to around 45m you will start to see some dramatic changes in the

bottom structure, with variations of 5m or more in places. This is the area you need to be fishing with livies for mulloway. These predators will show on your

Paul Jackson with a good longtail off Yamba break wall, which he shared with a shark!

sounder as a large shadow under the bait shoals. Try to anchor right on top of the bait and send your livie to the bottom with a large sinker and be patient. Mulloway will find a tethered fish easy pickings, and generally as you take one mulloway then another one or two will come to his funeral. They can be good fish, with an average one being around 12kg, and 20kg+ fish are not uncommon.

In the estuary it’s bream and luderick (blackfish) time. These fish are shoaling up ready to spawn, and will make for easy catching if for no other reason than the sheer numbers of fish bunched up. I like to bream fish of a night time on the north side of our middle wall in the river. It can be the sport of kings when your berley trail starts to work and you are getting a fish a drop. We had a night where we released over 100 fish and still came home with a dozen 1kg+ keepers.

The luderick will be

everywhere from Romiaka Channel and Oyster Channel Bridge to the Peninsula Court units and Freeburn Island. The bait needed will be harder to find than the fish, due to their preference for the Clarence black weed, which has been a bit scarce of late.

A lot of people in my industry are doing it a bit tough during this pandemic.

At the time of writing this we are prohibited from running fishing charters, whale watching trips or hiring out our BBQ boats and runabouts. Looking out every day at 12 boats just sitting there isn’t anything you can enjoy, but at least we can still go fishing – and we as a country are doing far better than just about anywhere else, bar the Antarctic.

So stay safe, and please do the right thing so they don’t take our fishing away from us. We will be ready to take you all fishing and whale watching when this is over.

Trent Carr with a decent Spanish mackerel of 14.4kg.

These fish will still be hanging around this month.

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55

Having a ball on winter reds Dayne Taylor

Winter is traditionally a great time to target those BIG knobby snapper that the Coffs Coast is

restrictions allow, pack the tackle in the boat and make your way to the NSW North Coast!

Personally, I am a big fan of targeting snapper on lures, but the bait fishos definitely get their fair

share at this time of the year also. Dropping the pick upstream of a reef or bommie and running a steady berley trail back with a few lightly weighted strip baits such as pilchards, squid, mullet and the like

will account for some great fish. The perfect rig to do this with is a small round ball sinker allowed to run straight through to your hook. I 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.

If you want to target big reds on artificials, there are plenty of lures and techniques to choose from. In shallow water I like throwing 5” jerk shad profiles on 1/4oz jigheads or even lighter depending on the drift speed and current. The Berkley Gulp range seems to always produce the goods, but the Samaki Boom Baits 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

Gareth Moffitt with a great cobia from Coffs Harbour. renowned for. There is very little that comes close to the rush and adrenalin that you get when you hook one of these shallow water reds! You can feel the line running through the kelp beds, over the top of reef and around bommies, but when that red and white silhouette starts to appear and you slide a XL snapper into the net, I guarantee you have earned every bit of that capture.

These fish do not come easy, and they definitely test out every aspect of your gear and angling ability. From now through to summer here on Coffs Coast sees some of the best snapper fishing on the east coast of Australia. So if

The author with the perfect pan-size snapper taken on a Berkley Gulp 5” Jerk Shad.

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or squid style lure directly below the boat. Simply leave this lure a couple of metres from the bottom, put the rod in a rod holder and let the swell do all the work. I have caught some exceptionally good fish doing this.

OFFSHORE The Spanish and spotted mackerel will begin to become scarcer this month, but there’s definitely still a chance of catching one.

A little wider and deeper, there are plenty of good reef species such as snapper, pearl perch, tuskfish and teraglin out in 40-80m of water. The current can be testing at times with the winter winds, but if there’s any break in the weather you should give them a crack. A simple paternoster rig with a mix of squid and pilchard baits with an 8oz 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 don’t stand a chance.

ESTUARIES AND BEACHES Bream and luderick are a great target species along the front reaches of our local estuaries. The rock training walls in our larger rivers where the rivers meat the ocean are usually loaded with better quality bream in great numbers, as well as a good congregation of luderick as both species use these areas to spawn.

Both bait and lure fishers alike will get good results fishing prawn and crab style baits or lures.

Flathead continue to be a popular target, and the swimbait revolution is as strong as the day it started. They are definitely the undoing of a better

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quality of fish. Target sand flats on the top of the tide and fish them slow and methodically over areas adjacent to some deeper water. It’s a game of quality not quantity, so don’t be disheartened if you spend a few trips for a donut. When you do get a bite it will be a quality lizard, I can assure

you of that.

On the beaches, expect a good run of school size mulloway to make their way into any good beach gutter to chase the schools of mullet. Strip baits such as mullet, tailor, and even a whole squid along with fresh live beach worms will give you the best chance

of catching a slab of silver of the sand. A campfire on the beach followed up by couple of cold ones with a few mates after the past couple of crazy months is in order for everyone.

Until next month, cast like there is no tomorrow and retrieve like you have all the time in the world.

Macca McEwan with an early winter red caught on a Samaki Boom Bait.

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57

Locals enjoy good fishing SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Paul Martin

As we head towards the end of our mackerel season, after a slow start with the weeks of heavy rain sending the water to chocolate we certainly finished on a high. Good numbers of spotted mackerel have been caught from Grassy to Scotts Head, helped by pretty stable weather patterns through April into May, resulting in blue warm water and mostly flat oceans. It has

Young local Jayden Alan with a decent tuna.

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been like a car park off Grassy Head, with locals having it all to themselves as the travel restrictions took hold.

Spanish mackerel have been harder to find but those caught have been of good quality. Wahoo are about too; they may not be in huge numbers like last season, but they’re good size fish.

The boys that bottom bounce didn’t miss out either, with some nice reds about around Grassys wider grounds and up towards Scotts Head. There were pearl perch, with many over the 3kg mark, along with tuskies and the odd trag out of the same location.

Out in front of the Gaol along with wahoo, cobia have been about, with most fish caught using downrigger equipment.

Fish Rock and Green Island have again been home to kingfish. Although the numbers are there, they have been mostly smaller fish.

THE RIVER Flathead have been on the bite around the boat ramp and down in front of the Tavern. If you can find

some herring you will be on track for a nice lizard in the bag.

There are good numbers of bream along the walls but they are mainly smaller fish at the moment.

Upriver to Kinchela, good whiting are still on the bite with some nice fish caught in the darker hours.

Schools of blackfish are coming into the river and creeks, it’s still early days but there have been some quality fish caught.

The break wall around Jew Bite is a hot spot, as are the walls along the Cut Through and up towards Stuarts Point. There has been the odd mulloway caught but they are few and far between these days.

Maybe the cooler water

Graeme Alan with a cracking wahoo.

A Macleay metre flathead.

that’s coming will help.

THE ROCKS There have been some great results off the rocks, with kingfish off the ledges from the Gaol down towards the Lighthouse.

Some of these fish have been between 10-15kg.

Longtail tuna are also about, hitting the bigger metal slugs such as the Raiders and Halco Twisties.

Tailor, drummer, tarwhine and bream are in the bag as well.

THE BEACHES What a sensational whiting season we had late summer off our beaches, but sadly all good things come to an end. Smoky Beach is fishing well for tailor, bream and dart, with some good flathead coming in.

Anglers using plastics in the gutters have been getting good results.

Down at Gap Beach there has been the odd smaller whiting and some cracker bream for anglers fishing the darker hours.

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Winter species kick in THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. We are in strange times, and everyone’s health is a priority while Covid-19 is in our lives. As fishers we have been very lucky in NSW

present don’t mind at all, and I have encountered some solid specimens.

Down the front end of the river the water has been much better, and with the mullet now moving the mulloway will be cruising along the walls waiting to get a feed. Mulloway enthusiasts will be anchored and live

Whiting on hardbodies are always a bonus. to still be able to go on the water, so please stick to all the social distancing rules, and only go on water by yourself or with someone from your residence. A fresh feed of seafood and some sun on a winter’s day is great therapy, so let’s

baiting, while lure fishers will be casting hardbodies and bigger soft plastics in the hope of nailing one of these trophy fish. If you persist and work your tides, the results will come.

Flathead at this time of year are still a very worthwhile

target, and you can get great results fishing the warmer flats casting suspending hardbodies like the new Samaki Redics and Daiwa Double Clutches. This has been my go-to method, and the 90mm casts like a bullet, which helps in windy conditions and allows you to cover more water quickly.

Plastics are also extremely effective but remember as the water cools your retrieves should be a lot slower, with plenty of pauses. This is particularly important when fishing in water over a metre.

If you think you’re going slow enough, then slow down some more!

When using hardbodies, wind your lure down and then do a ‘jig, jig, pause’ retrieve.

It’s amazing how the flatties hit it on the pause, and it’s great fun. You can also get bream, trevally and whiting as by-catch.

Luderick anglers always look forward to the winter run of fish, and some great catches can be made fishing from the town wall and jetties.

Unfortunately, this could be affected by social distancing laws, so keep listening to updated regulations and hopefully it will be OK. Boat anglers will not have as much pressure, and anchoring on the coal wall or up in Limeburners Creek will see you able to drift a float away from others.

Mandy with a nice mulloway that took a Samaki Redic.

BEACHES Beach fishing is usually reliable this month with the mullet run as well as the bream moving out to spawn. Most species will be available and, if we are allowed on beaches, an early morning tailor spin is a very good way to start the day. A high tide in the early morning and casting either pilchards or garfish on gang hooks is the most popular approach. Metal jigs have also been catching their fair share.

In the evening you can still fish for tailor, and you may also encounter bream, salmon or mulloway. Check out the gutters and holes as there will be some good fishing to be had.

Offshore reports have been quiet. We have had a patchy mackerel season; no doubt some have been caught, as well

as cobia, but details are sketchy due to Covid restrictions. This is compounded by the fact that our two offshore charter vessels are out of action at

the moment.

Hopefully the winter reds will play the game this month.

Whatever you fish for, do it sensibly – and good luck.

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THE HASTINGS RIVER The water over the last month or so since the rain has stayed reasonably dirty in the upper reaches and the Maria arm. However, it has still fished well for bream in these areas, and by the time you read this hopefully it will be even better.

Fishing soft vibes around the walls and rock bar areas has been successful, and a method that has been doing even better has been casting hardbody deep divers along the drop-offs. On some days it has been exceptional, with the odd flathead being a welcome by-catch. I have enjoyed being able to cast hardbodies up to 80mm; the bream at

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59

Unreal fishing in the shallows FORSTER

Luke Austin

This month can be bitterly cold here in the Forster/ Tuncurry region, but the fishing is outstanding and it’s well and truly worth the effort to get out on the water. Dig the thermals out of the cupboard, along with beanies, Ugg boots and jackets, and have a crack at some of the unreal fishing that’s on offer!

Snapper can be caught absolutely anywhere at the moment. The shallow reefs (10-20m) are particularly productive in June, and it’s hard to beat the rush of trying to land a trophy fish on light gear in such shallow water! Targeting fish in the shallows is fairly easy. Lightly weighted soft plastics or baits will both work, but they must be fished on fairly light gear with leaders under 25lb being essential. As always,

to shift your focus out to deeper reefs (30-80m) where the fish will often continue to bite well into the day (particularly if there is a tide change coming up). These deeper reefs are producing a real mixed bag at the moment; along with some nice snapper there have been plenty of teraglin, pearl perch and the odd kingfish coming over the side. And if you push out over 100m you can add bar cod, nannygai and

mulloway starting to show themselves.

The rock fishing scene has well and truly shifted away from the land-based game species of tuna, mackerel and cobia. While there may still be the odd silver speedster about, most anglers are now focused on the typical ‘winter’ breadand-butter species - black drummer, bream, luderick and tailor. There have been some very nice bream and drummer caught in recent weeks from the ledges to the south, and the key to a really good session is having enough swell present to create a nice little ‘wash zone’ but not too much swell or it becomes too hard to fish safely.

Estuary fishing this month can be a very fun prospect.

Bream and luderick can now be caught just about anywhere, with the majority of the better quality fish still holding in the lower reaches of the system (closer to the mouth). Break walls, bridge

Now is a great time to sneak out to target some big southern calamari.

Glenn Lambert with a typical winter river mulloway.

There’s nothing like getting up at the crack of dawn to put on 100 layers of clothing and jump in the boat for a dawn raid on the local inshore snapper grounds. The offshore scene is powering along at the moment and will only improve over the next month.

the lighter you go the more you will catch!

The shallow water snapper bite is often short lived though, and once the sun makes its way clear of the horizon you will find yourself wondering why the fish suddenly disappeared. Once this happens it’s a good idea

longfin seaperch to the mix!

Closer to home, the beaches have really started to produce on the tailor front, and the numbers of these winter wonders should only increase over the next month. There are also still some very nice bream along our beaches and the odd salmon and

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Snapper are always fun in the shallows this month. pylons, jetties, oyster leases and moored boats are all worth checking out. The same areas will also be holding a few different trevally species this month, and while the thicklip, silver and big-eye trevallies don’t grow anywhere near as big as the giant trevally, they still pull super hard on light gear!

Most of our flathead have now retreated up into the rivers and down into the ‘bottom’ of the lake towards Coomba Park, so if you are keen to chase a few winter lizards focus your efforts on areas up past Wallis Island or up the Wallamba River. Sometimes the easiest way to find the schools of flathead in winter is to slowly motor along the river looking for

deeper holes and structure on your sounder. Once you find an area holding a decent amount of bait you can practically sit on top of it and pull fish from underneath it. Soft plastic and metal vibe lures are great for this type of fishing and you will occasionally run into mulloway, tailor, bream and big bass!

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June is a great month to chase luderick.

Get into the snapper PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

Early winter provides some of the most productive fishing action for the entire year. While many of the species that were around just a few weeks ago are no longer in season, we are compensated for this with excellent numbers of bream, tailor, drummer, luderick and snapper.

In the estuary huge schools of luderick have pushed into the lower half of the system. Areas such as Winda Woppa, Nelson Bay and the Anchorage rock walls as well as Shoal Bay and Little Beach jetties are all great spots to target them.

The first hour of the run-out tide is the best time to fish using weed or sea cabbage suspended under a float.

Berley is essential when fishing for luderick so get yourself a bucket of sand mixed with finely chopped weed and throw a scoop full of it out around your float every five minutes or so.

Bream are also hitting their seasonal peak at the moment with excellent numbers around the rock walls, points, oyster racks and rock bars from Soldiers Point down to the Boulders at Yacaaba.

If you’re bait fishing, send some unweighted yabbies on 6lb line down a berley trail and hang on.

Lure fishing for bream is a bit more technical but extremely effective. The best ones to use are small 2’’ plastics on 1/121/40oz jigheads or small, shallow diving hardbodies.

To cast these lightweight lures you need to use a 1-3kg graphite rod and light braided

line or fluorocarbon to get the distance required. Electric motors are also essential for this style of fishing to silently move and cover ground as well as hold you on the fish when you find them.

Flathead will still hang around through early winter before the water gets to cold and shuts them down for a couple of months. Places like Taylors Beach, Tahlee and Tilligerry Creek are good locations to catch them at this time of year, and I often downsize my plastics to around 3’’ as they can be a bit slower.

BEACHES Bream will be holding up on the beaches, especially those that meet rocky shoreline

and headlands. Kingsley Boat Harbour, Kiddies Corner and Middle Rock are all good examples of this.

It’s a great time of year to work the beaches late in the afternoon and early in the morning for tailor, spinning a whole pilchard or 40g metal lure. You should pick up a couple of salmon at the same time.

ROCKS Drummer should really fire this month, with the best areas being from Rocky Point thought to Boulder Bay. The best way to get connected to a few pigs is with 1/0 hooks and a chunk of cunjevoi or large peeled prawn with a small sinker cast around the white water.

Daniel Buck with a couple of nice snapper.

OFFSHORE It’s snapper time and the best places to catch them are out the front of Fingal Island all the way through to Seal Rocks. Bait fishing down a berley trail or casting plastics are the two most effective techniques to catch them, with the biggest key to success being fishing during those dawn and dusk periods.

It’s a fantastic time to fish the wash zone casting large unweighted prawns into the white water. It’s a real lucky dip doing this, with quality bream, squire, drummer and groper all on offer.

Out wide, a late season stripe marlin on the shelf is not out of the question, and we should also see a few yellowfin tuna showing up.

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You can pick up tailor on first and last light around Fingal and Tomaree and Box Beach headlands as well as Sunny Corner at One Mile.

Big squid will start to move into the sheltered bays and Coves around Boulder Bay through to Boat Harbour this month.

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61

Flatties are moving into their winter haunts SWANSEA

Jason Scerri coloratolures@hotmail.com

Well, the crazy world continues. Although many of us (me included) have a little joke now and then about the situation we are in with the COVID-19 pandemic, the reality is that it is destroying businesses around the country and the world. My heart goes out to those affected by this, but hopefully we writers can all pen some good articles, reports or stories for you guys and girls to read, and provide some entertaining reading to take your mind off the current events for a while.

There has been much confusion over whether anglers could fish during the restrictions. Fortunately, in NSW we have been allowed to continue fishing, but not all states have been so lucky.

Now though, with restrictions slowly easing in most states, we can hopefully start to see some light at the end of the tunnel and try to help get people and businesses back on their feet and enjoy better times ahead.

There is some good fishing to be had at the moment. Last month we saw a great run of solid YFT over the shelf and off the canyons.

It is certainly not an easy run to get to these grounds in a small trailer boat, but with a reasonable boat under your bum it’s not too bad a trip out there. Depending

Young Sabine scored this lovely 88cm flathead on a vibe during a trip with her brother and dad recently. shots a trip. I know the boys on board Engagement had a great trip recently with four solid YFT. These fish have been falling for a range of trolled lures, with 8-10” lures scoring the best results. The good thing about this run of ‘fin was not just the numbers but the size of the fish, with models in the 60kg + bracket not uncommon.

Moving a little closer to shore but still out on the blue yonder, kingfish have been about in good numbers on some of the more common reefs off our part of the world.

Some crews on the right day have been scoring their bag limits in a matter of a few drifts. Many methods have

mulloway in the lake, and some anglers have been seeing a few good fish over the 90cm mark, which is fantastic. It’s very rare to pull these fish from shallow water in the lake so if you are serious about wanting to target them I’d suggest finding good holes to work, and other areas in the 5-10m range that have showings of good bait in the form of tailor schools for example. These are prime locations to target Lake Mac mulloway.

Bream have also started to fire up in the lake as the temps have cooled off. There have been some really solid fish about with some stonkers in the low 40cm range. During these cooler periods you will often find that soft plastics in the 2-2.5” range fished low and slow in the water column will see you find a few.

Remember to add a little scent

haunts and are holding deep throughout the lake. A variety of baits and lures are scoring good numbers, and some of the fish have been quality ones over 80cm. On different days they prefer different offerings, with some days the paddletail profile plastics out-fishing flickbait profiles, for example.

It’s important to have a good variety on board to throw until you find what style or colour pattern is working best on the day.

Now although I generally target the large flathead exclusively in deep water during winter, I have been having a play around in some shallower places of late. I have been finding even during these cooler periods there can still be a few good fish to be caught from the shallows. I do find this more so on bright sunny days. It’s another option

For anglers not too keen on heading offshore don’t stress – as usual you’re not going to miss out. The lake is fishing fairly well at the moment. I certainly wouldn’t say it was on fire but there is certainly enough on the chew to keep anglers entertained and to provide a feed for those in the know. Squid are still about in very good numbers which is not only good news for those who enjoy a feed of fresh calamari, but also for those who see their value as a prime live bait when targeting the lake’s mulloway population.

Speaking of mulloway, they are a regular catch for anglers in Lake Macquarie Local LMGFC boat Engagement with a solid YFT caught on a 10” Colorato Lure. around the 70cm mark on light gear. Lime coloured soft plastics around 4-5” and in a paddle-tail profile have been working well.

There are certainly bigger

to your plastics as it can make all the difference to a trip.

For those anglers wanting to get out and target a feed, you’re in luck. Flathead have moved into their regular winter

to have if they are not firing down deep.

Well, that’s a wrap for this month. I wish you all the best, and we are all hoping this will all be behind us soon

Austin, not wanting to be outdone by his sister, chipped in with his own great fish. This flathead went 85cm. on conditions and where you want to start trolling it’s around 1-1.5 hours, but as we seen in recent weeks it can certainly be well worth it. Many boats were scoring multiple fish in a trip, with some boats from LMGFC scoring up to half a dozen 62

JUNE 2020

been working well, with jigging, live baits, and squid strips all producing. A quality sounder/GPS unit is a must have for this style of fishing.

It can be a matter of metres out there between scoring fish and coming home with an empty icebox.

these days, which is such a great position to be in. I love nothing more than chasing lake mulloway on soft plastics. I have failed to land a solid one in recent months, which has been frustrating, but I’m certainly still enjoying catching those

Ed bell caught this 23kg mulloway at Browns Rocks on the Clarence River. He caught it after a week of trying, and only two or three bust offs, on a run out tide just after dark. He was using mullet fillets for bait.

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Anglers are braving the cold ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

June is a tricky month to fish because we are pretty much between everything.

Still, come rain, hail or shine we will be out there having a go. One thing’s for sure, if it’s rainy it will be very cold, particularly on the beaches.

However, if you want to tackle a big mulloway then the cold is something you’ll just have to put up with – along with howling winds.

The westerlies do calm the surf though, and help you get more distance in your casts, so there is a silver lining to every situation.

The big girls will be out hunting along the beaches this month, particularly when we have the big tides

just after dark on the full moon and the new moon.

They both fall on weekends, so you don’t have to be out too late and you get a sleep-in the next day.

Just about any beach with a decent gutter is worth a throw, but if the westerlies have been blowing it may be worth having a quick look in the early afternoon at low tide to pick a gutter for later that afternoon. There won’t be a lot of wave action early in the afternoon, so you can look first and fish later.

As always, your bait should be either fresh or live. Unfortunately, livies have been a bit hard to come by as the mullet in the creeks are now scarce and don’t want to bite anyway, and there is not much else about. Hanging around at

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the boat ramp to score a few yellowtail or mackerel from a mate is always worth a try.

Tailor are a mulloway favourite, and there have been a few on most beaches.

Ganged pillies on a lighter rod will score you a tailor to use as live bait. If it is a bit bigger you could use it for cut bait, but there really is no such thing as a too big live tailor where mulloway are involved. Fish over 15kg (and up to 25kg) have large mouths and swallow tailor in one slurp, and that is the size that will be around. True, there are smaller fish about and they will take cut baits, but you will also get the pickers like bream, salmon and tailor demolishing your baits.

Big stingrays can be a pain as well when using large cut baits or fillets.

They fight hard until the end, but if you suspect you’ve hooked one you

in the surf, along with some solid whiting during the day if you can get some beachworms. It is too cold to gather worms at this time of year so keep the tackle shops happy and buy some.

It’s so much warmer!

Off the rocks the fishing is a bit lean unless you like drummer. There are plenty of them about in the white water, and with the westerlies and less wave action and white water you can get to spots you usually wouldn’t be able to. Just remember to watch the water and don’t take risks.

Cunje is a good bait for drummer. Prawns are good too, but you should only buy Australian prawns from a tackle shop. If you buy them from a fish shop they could be imported and introduce white spot into our waterways and destroy our prawn and crustacean industry.

Snapper like this are about to fill the gaps between the flathead and morwong. can’t just bust it off because there’s a chance it will be a mulloway. Many an angler who thought they had a stingray has ended up with a big slab of bronze at their feet instead of a doormat.

If you set your sights a bit lower there are salmon, tailor and bream

Drummer will always feed better after a bit of a dump, but be careful on the lower ledges. It would probably be better to chase a few bream or snapper on the safer deeper ledges in these conditions, and when it calms down try ganged pilchards for bonito

There have been a few yellowfin about in recent weeks. Let’s hope they stay around for a while. and salmon.

The estuaries are pretty much shut down for most species. However, there will be plenty of blackfish in the lake and Minnamurra along the rocky walls and weed edges if you can score some fresh weed and fish the falling tide. If no weed is available, weed flies are a good alternative.

The other option is to chase a few bream in the evenings along the rocky edges and around the bridge pylons.

OFFSHORE Offshore it is quiet on most fronts but towards the end of the month a few early snapper should start to show up, looking for an early cuttlefish. You may find the odd cuttlefish floating on the surface early in the morning so it would be worth a cast at the floater just in case, and if nothing is on it you can pick it up for bait.

Out in 30m+, drifting plastics will score a decent fish or two but there can be some long hours between bites, giving the leatherjackets and barracouta ample time to destroy your plastics.

The drifters are working hard for their flatties but there are enough around for a feed, with some nice fish among them. The winter pigfish, mowies, small samsonfish and small snapper are filling

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in the gaps to make it worth the trip.

Further offshore there are a few striped tuna around to grab for snapper baits, but most of the sport and game anglers are heading wide past the shelf looking for the yellowfin tuna that have been hanging around for the past month or so. Hopefully the tuna are still about, as locally fish to over 70kg have been caught, with plenty in the 20-30kg range.

Trolling seems to be the way to go, with most anglers taking this option using big X-Raps or Squidgies if you can get them. In years past, most anglers went out looking for the birds and busting fish, stopped where they were feeding and started a trail of pilchard pieces, put out a couple of live baits and hit the berley. They smashed them and kept them in the berley all day – much how they do with bluefin these days. However, yellowfin don’t move in such large packed schools so they don’t go nuts in a berley trail; the bluefin do because there are so many of them in the schools competing for your cubes.

So there is a bit about to keep you interested if you work at it, and things will improve as winter progresses, particularly if you like snapper.

Good luck.

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Sickles, sashimi and soy sauce BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

The quality of the yellowfin tuna that came to town in April were as good as it gets. There are massive schools of tuna patrolling our waters in, on and over the shelf line. These fish ranged from 20-80kg and were very impressive fish with massive sickles and even more impressive on the table. The quality was

lures right back are trolled slightly faster than usual, covering as much ground as possible looking for bust ups.

Soon as you noticed surface action, even the slightest little finlet slicing the surface, then cast immediately! Work that lure back, if the cast gets attention, then hang on! Don’t worry about the lures running out the back, just get that cast out as soon as you see any activity within casting distance.

Jacob Poyner with one of his massive tailor. exceptional and the tuna would struggle to get to the cooking pan as slicing it up sashimi style with soy and wasabi was the go. Absolutely top shelf!

Catching the tuna proved to be a bit of a struggle at times. These fish were busting up the ocean at top speeds chasing sauries and, once they are fixed on sauries, it is very difficult to get their attention. The simplest most effective method to get amongst the action is to get out there. Troll deep divers and bluewater livies really far back and your shotgun lure back as far as 100m or more and keep a big skirt or diving hardbody in close off the short corner, in case a big blue marlin or big hungry yellowfin gets raised by the boat. This is a very staggered spread, and the

Once hooked up, then get those trolled lures in as fast as possible, hopefully you have a mate or driver (or both) to clean up the spread while you fight the fish. Once the lures are in, it’s time to cast another lure if you are looking to get on to another fish. Keep in mind that you don’t want any tangles so it’s up to you how you want to play that out.

When the tuna are moving quickly and just chasing sauries some boats choose to pack up the outriggers and just troll two to three lures right out and focus more on driving towards or in front of moving tuna and casting at them. This can be a more productive approach, as it frees you up to move around quickly, but keep in mind that too much aggression and noise can push the fish

down. It’s good to be swift, but approach with as much finesse as possible.

What’s been working lately has been most stickbaits, one in particular is the Shimano Colt Sniper Rockslide 140.

The standout rod has been the Terez 69H, absolute weapon! The best rod for its price is the Maikuro 722SW, I still can’t believe how good these rods are – Liam Hark Harkins will tell you the same after wrestling a 70kg yellowfin tuna with one. The reels to use are obviously the no mucking around Stella, Saltiga and, if you’re looking at spending less but getting the job done, the Penn Slammers, Saragosa and Pioneer Altitudes are the cheapest and most reliable.

Will the yellowfin keep biting into June? Well, they put on quite a show last year and over shadowed the bluefin and bit well into September. But as I type, the currents are not looking the best. But anything can happen and we have a few months of winter ahead.

If the yellowfin become unreliable, then there is always the bluefin run to look forward to. I have noticed the migration of the southern bluefin

making their way north.

Commercial fisherman can get onto them as early as May, it tends to be June/ July before the rec boats start getting onto them.

Closer to shore and the snapper run continues with a lot of exceptional fish getting caught this year.

Plastics and hardbodies are still the go in the shallows from 5-15m depths. While bait fishing, micro jigging or a big grub tail on a paternoster rig is the go out deeper. This would have to be one of the longest runs of snapper in over 15 years.

In the same waters there have been plenty of salmon and tailor, also if you are lucky, there has been quite a few kingfish getting around as well as bonito.

Salmon and tailor have been present along beaches also in solid schools. Just ask Jacob Poyner about tailor, that guy has been wrestling some monster greenbacks from several locations. Mulloway are also a good target along our beaches over winter, particularly at night. There have also been plenty of sharks around the 1-1.5m.

Squid are in good numbers at this time of the year, and so are the lobsters and abalone if

Liam ‘Hark’ Harkins with this monster that went 70kg – imagine watching that surface bite!

Georgia Poyner with an exceptional tuna that took a stickbait off the surface. you are looking for other options other than fish. But if it’s fish you are after, then drummer is the most reliable species during winter. For best results, berley with sandy bread and wack a cooked prawn or cunji on a solid, small sharp hook with a small running ball sinker as a rig, casted with a nice light powerful 10ft rod and position yourself around headlands and wash zones around the rocks.

Coming into the estuary at this time of the year always proves to be hard work as the fishing starts to cool down. So turn around and head back out to sea to catch tuna. If you get seasick, then the estuary is for you. Try blades

BATEMANS BAY

in deep holes and along rock walls for bream or fish scented plastics really slow for flatties. If you like the cold, then you have more of a chance getting your favourite jew hole to yourself over the winter nights, which could yield a very good result. To beat the cold this winter, come in store and grab some thermals. We have a great range. Stay warm, stay safe, stay isolated, and go fishing.

• For more up-to-the-minute 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).

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Let us enjoy fishing in our own backyard BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Are we anglers or are we adventurers? Often we fishos go on quests far from home in order to find better fishing or something new, and in doing so do we forget just how good the fishing can be in our own backyard if we just take the time to appreciate it. Having been forced by the COVID-19 virus to stay at home, we have been lucky enough to still be able to go fishing in our local area, and how fortunate are we to have Bermagui as our backyard.

Not being able to do our fishing charters, the good lady and myself have had time to do a little fishing just for us, with some interesting results without having to move too far, and the neighbours are really enjoying some fresh seafood.

Bermagui is renowned for its gamefishing, with the three main billfish

She may not have got that 1m+ flatty but this bream wasn’t a bad consolation. encountered here being blacks, blues and the more prolific striped marlin.

Sharks like makos, blues or whalers are often caught too, as well as not so large kingfish, bonito

time guiding, and it never ceases to amaze me what you find there at times. In recent trips where we have picked the choice of the weather, crystal clear water over the flats on a rising tide has revealed some interesting aquatic life.

With such clarity it is easy to observe this life, and all the usuals are there like bream, trevally, luderick, whiting and flathead, of which some are very very big! On one recent trip after sighting schools of bream in the shallows, on anchoring up to fish for them as the boat took up on the anchor, a 1m+ flathead exploded from the sand beside the boat. It seemed to have the attitude of “you can see me but you can’t catch me!”

Also in recent times with calm conditions you get to see just how much

the surface with 80cm+ kingfish up their behinds.

Yes, that’s right – there have been kingfish up the river and it’s quite special to observe them feeding in only a few inches of water, although I am still yet to land one. Maybe I’ll work on hooking one first.

With the beautiful calm weather offshore in very close proximity to the entrance, you can have quite a bit of fun in a smaller boat without travelling far. Even before you leave the entrance, try trolling small metal lures around.

You may find that within a few hundred metres you can start to encounter small, fun pelagics like salmon, tailor, bonito, frigate mackerel or maybe a kingfish.

If you wish to go a little further out from the

and mahimahi.

At the moment it’s tuna time. There are plenty of sizeable yellowfin and albacore, and those southern bluefin tuna should not be far away.

A mixed bag of oddball species taken in less than half an hour no more than a few hundred metres from shore.

Two local retirees from Bermagui enjoying their backyard while in lockdown.

But I digress. Let’s get back to what is close at hand for everyone to enjoy.

The Bermagui River is one of our backyards where I spend a lot of

life is on these flats.

There’s everything from molluscs or crustaceans on the sea floor through to the hundreds of small whitebait exploding from

headland, often less than a few hundred metres out there is an array of reefs with all sorts of oddball fish species only too eager to entertain anglers.

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Back on the beach TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

With the world forced to change like never before, we are so lucky still to be able to go and wet a line, and one such area is back on the beach. It’s a place where you can exercise or fish while adhering to the social distancing rules, and take in the breath-taking

scenery that the Tathra area has to offer.

There are so many beaches within close proximity to Tathra, starting with Bournda Beach to the south, adjacent to Wallagoot Lake which is also at times worth a fish. At the south end of this beach is Bournda Island, which is easily accessible at low tide where anglers can target bream, trevally and drummer, or lure fish to the passing schools of salmon. These

salmon can be quite prolific off the beach at times here, while of a night tailor and gummy sharks become an option.

Tathra Beach itself, adjacent to the entrance of the Bega River, is very productive for whiting and bream, where often a good bag can be achieved using beachworms. Late afternoon, early morning or through the night is a time where you may often encounter mulloway here, especially after there has It’s not all about the fishing. There’s also wildlife, and the scenery is spectacular. been some rain discolouring the water coming out of the river. And of course there are always salmon.

Just north of Tathra you have Cowdroys Beach situated in Mimosa Rocks National Park, close to Nelsons Lagoon, one of the most picturesque parts of the coastline. Baronda

arrive in this area.

I have also at times observed marlin patrolling along the shoreline, feeding on the many baitfish schools.

For anglers in the know who may wish to target one from the stones, this may well be the spot with deep water access straight in front. By the way,

odd tailor and salmon.

One last beach just a little further north is Gillards Beach, and the park has a lovely camping area right on the beach. This beach is beautiful, overlooking kilometres of coastline where you can sit around the campfire or stroll down to wet

Trevally are just one species you will encounter from the beach.

Aurore out on a work visa caught her first ever bream from Cowdroys Beach.

Headland separates the lagoon from the beach and it’s well worth a rock fish for a variety of species. The usuals like drummer, luderick, trevally, wrasse and leatherjackets all call this area home, along with larger pelagic species such as kingfish, bonito, the occasional northern bluefin or yellowfin tuna, which often

Yep, there are salmon.

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a line. This is a good beach for small sharks like gummies or small bronze whalers, mostly at night. At that time, mulloway or tailor show up too. During the daylight hours you can expect to encounter some nice bream or whiting in the shallower gutters and, you probably guessed it, there are salmon here too!

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you will catch salmon here too.

Fishing Cowdroys Beach close to the rocks is very interesting. With the aid of a little berley you will bring bream right up into the shallows where a light outfit is all you need to have a lot of fun. Mixing with them you will often encounter trevally, drummer, mullet, flathead, the

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Yerrabi yellowbelly success CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

Winter has well and truly hit the capital and the freezing weather has fired up the big fish.

We are experiencing an angling bonanza in the Capital, with anglers reaping the benefits after a lot of rain through May. It appears every fishery in Canberra is producing right now from Yerrabi Pond through to Lake Tuggeranong and Googong.

One of the real highlights of the past few weeks has been the advent of some new fishing techniques spearheaded by some of Canberra’s young guns like Pat Brennan, Angus Christoffelsz and Nick Moss. Pat and Angus warrant special mention as they have been using a number of different lures in a variety of ways and the results have been

Jason Naumann with a typical winter golden. outstanding. From weedless jigs through to ned rigs, these two anglers have redefined the way to approach heavy cover and some of the enormous fish

Clear winter skies and big reds go hand-in-hand at Googong.

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caught (including several Murray cod almost touching the magic metre mark) are a testament to Pat and Angus’ clever approach to angling.

Both these anglers can be found working at Compleat Angler Fyshwick on weekends so pop by and get the low down on some new ideas for the winter months.

LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin is Canberra’s most consistent winter fishery and a vast number of anglers have been cleaning up the redfin, which are still prevalent in a wide variety of locations throughout the waterway.

These fish are responding well to a number of different lures but small blades and plastics have accounted for the bigger fish, especially paddle-tail plastics in natural colours.

Golden perch are also on the chew and, like the reds, can be found in a number of locations, like the point behind the hospice and the deeper sections a few metres out from the Governor Generals Wharf.

Deep jigging tactics work best here with a well-placed

ZX Blade ripped off the bottom. Cod also tail the goldens in this area and will often take a smaller lure like a ZX, so it pays to upsize your leader if fishing deep.

Lake Tuggeranong continues its recent revival with plenty of cod and goldens caught by anglers fishing from boats and those casting from the bank. There have been a few exceptional captures of late, including several large cod landed by Nick Moss and Josh Piper who have focused there angling around the areas just before and just after the bridge. There is a distinct early afternoon bite window from about 1pm-2pm, many

One of Patrick Brennan’s Yerrabi captures using a jig. fishos have taken advantage of this with a number of good sized goldens landed along the dam wall during this time.

Lake Ginninderra is fishing well. Bank fishing has been particularly productive, especially if an angler is casting parallel to the concrete wall behind the college. It is here that the golden perch congregate during the cooler months

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Deep water jigging can produce exceptional results during June.

and will readily take a wellplaced plastic fished slow along the bottom. It is best to stick to plastics if fishing this location as there are a lot of snags in the area, which have claimed many lipless crankbait over the years. There are also plenty of cod on offer for boat anglers fishing the middle of the dam during low light periods.

Yerrabi Pond started to really fire after the heavy rain in May and the superb fishing action has not stopped with plenty of large cod and golden perch landed right around the entirety of the pond. Large plastics fished near the surface along with suspending swimbaits have accounted for the cod while jigs and small plastics fished along the bottom have been the pick of the lures to fool a Yerrabi yella. There have also been a number of big redfin caught by anglers fishing beetle spins at ‘blue chair’.

SURROUNDS Googong Dam is still producing plenty of redfin.

Some enormous cod have also been caught lately by anglers targeting deeper water. Golden perch have been a little fussy, forcing anglers to lighten leaders and try finesse tactics, like dropshot. But persistence does pay off with a number of anglers landing yellas above the 60cm mark.

The cod action should only improve as the water cools, especially in sections around the middle of the dam where there is plenty of submerged rock that hold some epic fish.

We’re due for June winter cod!

ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

The long, warm, sunny days are now well in the past, and the icy winter blasts are here to stay for some time. These next few months will push us keen cod enthusiasts to the max, testing the limits of our skill and persistence.

It’s cold and physically it’s already hard enough.

whatever it may be. For many cod enthusiasts, catching that prized fish over the metre mark is the goal. To other anglers, just catching a fish is the goal.

Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter, as long as you keep a positive, confident and persistent mindset.

So why is this so important and why does it tie in with winter cod fishing? Well the answer is blunt, but true.

the key that unlocks the gate to success. This can be as simple as lure choice, or even the angle you are casting at snags.

These small key elements all combine to make up what we call the ‘one percenters’ – those anglers who have the most consistent success. Mindset is a part of this.

With keeping your mind on the goal, also comes the responsibility of

always reflected on, and come my next chance I may just be that little bit more aware.

These past few months have been so difficult with fishing and everyday life in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. Things have been so unpredictable and frustrating, and us fishing addicts who do quite a lot of travelling across towns, cities and states haven’t been able to do what we love for what has felt like ages, especially those in Victoria who haven’t been able to fish at all. Just remember that this will not be forever, so get keen for future green trips!

Like many of us cod enthusiasts, I am chasing that fish over a metre this winter as well. The time will eventually come where I get the chance, but honestly at the end of the day I just adore this sport for what it soulfully is, and I think it’s just as important to realise why

Larger profile lures are a good way to entice fish to strike during the cooler months. we actually fish in the first place. It can be easy to get caught up in the trap of thinking about only catching big fish. While it is always nice to score a big

one, it’s important to just enjoy yourself while in the pursuit of capturing one.

Best of luck with your fishing endeavours, and tight lines.

Working snags with multiple casts and approaching from different angles can sometimes be the key element to turning a fish.

The fish will not always play the game, and it can really change our mindsets, putting us off the goal, being a prized big winter Murray cod.

While there is a level of skill and understanding needed to consistently catch these fish, you have to actually be there to have a chance of doing it.

You won’t catch any fish from the lounge of your living room.

This time of year is very challenging, and it’s where a mindset can really impact and ultimately shape your desired success,

It’s not easy.

It’s more than likely that many trips will deliver donuts, and as disappointing as this can be, it’s a stepping stone to success. You may change things up on your next trip, move areas, work the water slower or cover more water.

Sometimes not catching a fish can be blessing in disguise, because it can make us change things up and try new things that we probably wouldn’t usually do, that can lead to landing a fish. Bigger fish are smart, so approaching things differently can be

SEASON

7

ensuring you’re ready for that big fish to finally be intact on the end of your leader. Keep your knots up to scratch, check your leaders for wear or nicks, make sure hooks are sticky sharp, check split rings, make sure your drag is set correctly, and anything else that you can think of that may be in between success and heartbreak. These all may seem so simple, but so many mad keen cod fishos will tell you about a simple little mistake that cost them a cracking fish.

It’s certainly happened to me, and it’s something I’ve

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Working banks slowly and picking them apart will result in more covered ground, meaning your chances of catching a fish will increase.

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Trout closure is looming BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

‘Last chance of getting a trout fix in running water this month’ is the first thing to comes to mind as I type this report. If you haven’t

has been because the fish are not just hungry now – they are also thinking about their annual spawning run which makes them even more aggressive than usual.

Some trout will have already laid their eggs and some will be very close to doing so which can mean the fish are quite easy to

the lakes.

OTHER TROUT OPTIONS Once the season closes in the creeks and rivers trout anglers will have no option but to fish the lakes to get their fix until the season reopens again in October. This shouldn’t pose a problem though

If Blowering Dam is open to fishing this month and you want to put good numbers on board, it will be hard to beat vertical jigging for redfin. already fished one or many of the trout streams or rivers this season, I strongly recommend you get out before the season closes at midnight on Monday 8 June.

The trout fishing has been pretty consistent all season, especially down the Tumut River where good numbers of mostly rainbow trout have been encountered by most anglers having a crack, with no one tactic out performing another.

Put simply, if you put the effort in you were rewarded whether you were fly fishing, lure fishing or bait fishing. This month will be no exception and will most likely be even better than it

catch at times.

The fish that have already spawned will be hungry and willing to hit just about anything retrieved or drifted past them and those that haven’t spawned will be in an aggressive and competitive mood which also makes for easy to catch fish.

Bear this in mind whilst catching these at times easily catchable fish, and try to limit the amount you take at this time of the year.

After all, they are trying to spawn and if they are allowed to they may be successful and that is only going to make fishing even better for next season. If you want a feed of trout, hit

with many other nearby trout options including Blowering Dam, Jounama Dam, Talbingo Dam and Tantangara Dam, to name but a few.

Jounama and Tantangara dams are my first choice if you’re restricted to fishing from the bank, but Talbingo Dam can offer quite easy trout fishing all winter if you own a boat. Blowering Dam also holds a fair population of trout so don’t disregard Blowering as a trout fishery during the cooler months.

BLOWERING DAM Hopefully by the time this article goes to print Covid-19 restrictions will have eased as there are a

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It’s not the end of the world when the streams and rivers close because the trout lakes in the area hold some very big fish, as proven here with this 70cm Jounama Dam brown trout. warmer months the best results come from fishing after dark, and this can also be the case during winter.

However, at this time of the year Murray cod will quite often move up into the shallows during the middle of the day to bask in the sun and, like any opportunistic

wakebaits will give you a good chance of hooking into one of the monster Murray cod this dam is famous for.

Natural dull coloured lures like greens, golds and browns will work best when the water is clear, which it almost always

It’s your last chance to get a running water trout fix this month as the season closes at midnight on Monday 8 June.

TOURNAMENT RODS FOR ALL ANGLERS

72

few other options while fishing Blowering Dam this month as well. If the lake is open by the time you read this article it would pay to get yourself there as it is a great destination at this time of the year, particularly if you want to mix it up a little. If the trout aren’t cooperating or you want to try something different, another option is targeting the redfin population. They are in massive schools at this time of the year and they can be quite easy to catch.

Target the redfin schools by vertically jigging with ice jigs, blades, vibes, spoons, lipless crankbaits, soft plastics and even bait for your best chances of getting good numbers to the boat. Once a school is located it is not uncommon to catch over 100 fish in the one spot, particularly if you don’t release any and don’t lose any after hooking and fighting them for a while.

I have found that redfin at times behave a bit like Australian bass, i.e. when fishing vertically over schools after fighting and releasing or losing a redfin, the school quite often shuts down just like bass often do. This has happened way too many times over the years, so these days I do my absolute best to not

lose any fish under the boat. Redfin shutting down doesn’t always happen; sometimes the fish are that frenzied it just doesn’t matter. However, if you’re over the top of a school that has very large redfin amongst them, one lost fish will often see you spook the school and miss your chances of hooking into the big boppers.

Another option at Blowering Dam this month is to target the resident Murray cod. During the

fish, if there happens to be an easy feed while they are up there they will make the most of it.

The best way of targeting these fish is with big long casts, as the Murray cod in Blowering Dam can be very flighty and easily spooked in the crystal clear shallows. Repeat casts with large soft plastics, lipless crankbaits, shallow running hardbodies, swimbaits, glidebaits, Angel Baits, chatterbaits and even oversized surface lures and

is. However, if we have just had a heap of rain and the lake edges are dirty, try very dark colours like blacks and purples as they silhouette best in dirty water. You can also try very bright ridiculous colours like the Elton John colour scheme (fluoro pink, bright yellow, bright orange).

Golden perch can also be caught this month but the bite window can be very small. Generally they come on the bite for about To page 73

Strange days indeed LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

Who would have thought, a world and nation in total lockdown?

The thin fabric of society as we know it exposed, layer upon layer being torn away, much like using the toilet rolls we apparently hold so very close to our hearts.

Fishing for a lot of us is just a memory of something we did back in the day.

I consider myself very lucky that my state (and my proximity to a fishery) has allowed me to continue fishing, albeit under limited circumstances. Not all parts of the country have been so fortunate, and I have kept my social media posts to a minimum to respect those anglers who can’t get out to fish.

The lockdown has at least provided time to renew and replenish, to hold common ground and conversation with others about opportunities in the coming weeks or months.

That first fish will be for many something to behold.

It’s only when you’ve lost something that you find the true essence of what it means to you.

In the meantime, gear checks have been on repeat, the boat is gleaming like a piece of silverware, the Netflix account is overdue, the dog is skinny from all those extra walks, and our loved ones have had a gutful of all our whining.

Restrictions permitting, it’s From page 72

an hour or so during the middle to late part of the day when the water is at its warmest. Just like the Murray cod, these

time to go fishing!

LAKE LYELL It’s closed at the moment, but when it opens (check before you go) expect a flurry of activity.

The trout will be hot to trot in the cold waters, with rainbows and browns in spawning mode. At this time they can be very aggressive towards other trout and fish, and it pays to exploit this with bigger presentations. Sometimes lures over 100mm in length are readily eaten.

However, nature rarely puts her eggs all in one basket so not all fish will be receptive to such presentations. A good fallback is a lightly weighted Powerbait fished just off the bottom on a light hook (you should totally hide the hook in one nugget). It’s deadly stuff with most baits hit at speed. Stay close to your rod, the next one pulled in won’t be the first or the last.

The bass will be pretty quiet but the occasional one is caught on scrub worms or a stray trout lure that gets in their way.

BANK BASHING Boat-based activities on impoundments could still be restricted at the time of printing, so it’s high time I divulged some things…

I am a big fan of fishing impoundments from the bank, especially when my target species is feeding in shallow water. It’s the ultimate in stealth.

Boats are inherently noisy, just one big floating amplifier.

True, in unpressured

waters this doesn’t really matter. I’ve actually had fish come up for a look, hang about in the shadow underneath before eating that strange shiny thing zipping past their nose.

Let’s face it though, how many unpressured impoundment waters are left? Long-lived fish like bass and cod, especially the bigger specimens, learn quickly that the floating thing with pinging, whirring, pulsing attachments means danger.

Another advantage of lure fishing from the bank is that it triggers a natural feeding response the fish use almost everyday to feed when in shallow water. By this I mean that the fish use the bank as a barrier to hold or pin bait, to force a flare or direction change. No points for guessing what you should be doing on every retrieve as you get close to the bank.

A following fish en route to the surface layers surrounding a boat has acres of water surrounding it, so the decision to eat can be diminished in comparison.

The downsides to bank bashing are many – limited movement, lost lures… I could go on. But more than once I’ve fished a bank out of the boat that screamed fish on the sounder, only to come up empty-handed – and then when I’ve returned later and hopped out of the boat, I’ve absolutely cleaned up.

Hope to see you on the water soon. Until then, tight lines.

fish are best targeted in the shallows with long repeat casts.

As you can see, there are heaps of options and even though the weather

may not be to everyone’s liking this month there are still plenty of fish species willing to play the game, so rug up and go get amongst them.

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Glidebaits like this Insanity Tackle DDG are a great option for targeting Blowering Dam’s Murray cod up in the shallows in June.

JUNE 2020

73

We’re all hoping for rain to bolster catches HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Phelps

Things are looking up for Australia and, in particular, New South Wales. Restrictions in relation to COVID-19 are easing and the local impoundments will hopefully be open by the time this is in print.

There has been some nice rain during autumn but no big falls yet to raise levels. There are some predictions of rain events during May and I am always hopeful that the drought is behind us and we are on a path towards full lakes again. This may just take a couple of years to back up again.

The rivers and creeks are under the bass closed season and while fishing for bass in the rivers is not banned, the bag limit is zero. Some anglers prefer not to target them and let them do their business for the future stocks. Winter is a great time of year to make your way to the impoundments.

Even though the dam bass does not breed they feed up in readiness for spawning.

Big fat bellies full of roe and mouths full of baitfish as they hit the deck, this month and the next can be the best fishing you’ll see all year.

Glenbawn, St Clair and Lostock will fish very similar this time of year.

The water will be cold and should be 16ºC or lower.

Smelt, gudgeons, minnows, fry, or general baitfish is one of the main sources of food for the fish this time of year. Leave your big reaction lures at home, this time of year is dominated by finesse techniques.

Smaller less aggressive sized lures that represent a bait fish is what you’re aiming to imitate.

A jighead rigged plastic, like a paddle-tail or grub is going to be your main producer this

Small blades work in winter when the typical plastic bite fails. month. Rig them with a 1/16oz head and work them shallow over cover right the way through down to a 3/8oz and fish them deeper.

They are the most versatile lure you can throw as you can fish them anywhere in the water column. Little twitches in your retrieve can turn lookers into biters.

Keep the colours nice and basic.

Sunny days I like to use natural greens and browns, and in low light or overcast days I like whites and chartreuse. You can use plastic dyes like Spike It to give your natural colours some added spice.

Although, you should be more focused on where and what you’re doing with your plastic than what colour it is.

When casting to an edge, concentrate on keeping your plastic close to the structure by following the contour all the way back to the boat. If you’re lucky

they might be up high and eating throughout the water column but the closer you can be to the weed, rock, or timber, the more fish you will catch. Dropping your plastic down to fish

on the sounder will work as well. Both lakes have plenty of fish in them and your sounder should be constantly seeing fish come through. Slow roll, burn, twitch or hop your

plastic in front of these fish if the ones on the edge are not biting.

The jerk bait has been a solid producer for me for years, they are a great shallow water structure lure. Anywhere that you can see some cover, whether it is weed, rock or timber, chances are there will be fish close by. A jerk bait worked nice and close to the structure with a good hard 2-3 twitches and a pause will work. This style of fishing is very visual as you can sometimes see you lure disappear behind a dark flash as your slack line rips off the water’s surface.

It feels like they line your jerk bait up from 6ft away before slamming it. This is a good way of working out if the fish in the area are active and feeding shallow.

A small blade is another option over the winter months. Small in size with a tight vibration, these can catch fish when the other fails. Giving the fish more of a reaction option in a bite size. Try these when a paddle-tail or grub isn’t getting eaten. Hopping them tight to the bottom or slow rolling them through schools always seems to be able to extract a couple of fish.

Smaller finesse style lures will be a hit this month, whether you’re fishing shallow or deep.

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An ice jig is an effective lure for getting deep water fish to bite in the winter months. Moulded from lead with wings on the tails these quickly sink down in front of the fish’s face. Small sharp hops send them darting around in circles looking like an escaping baitfish.

Mix up your retrieves on any day; they may want it slightly different. Constant hopping, or hop-pause-hop and even sharp hops then dead sticking will work.

I like to stay mobile with ice jig fishing, I am always slowly moving around looking for active fish. Sometimes if it is tough, staying put and waiting for the fish to bite is the only way.

A nice and small profile and not too heavy are the key, so look at an ice jig around 2” long or smaller. Colours can be another debate with ice jigs, as everyone has their favourites that they swear by. I prefer lighter colours like white, silver, fluorescents and even UV colours but don’t stress too much. As with most of your freshwater fishing concentrate on what you’re doing with the lure than what colour it is.

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Match the hatch to get better cod results NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

They usually say the first frost falls at the back end of April around the northern Tablelands area. However, the colder weather decided to come later this year, with temperatures into the minuses being recorded consistently early into May. This can make getting out of bed in those freezing cold early hours of the morning very difficult, but it’s also a time when crazy things can happen. It could be a big, fat Murray Cod smashing your lure off the surface or eating your swimbait violently in the shallow waters, or just going back to camp with completely frozen reels and rod guides and little action. Either way, you don’t get to see that at camp or at home in front of the fire, and it’s the guys who persist the most at this time of year who consistently find the better fish.

Previous seasons have indicated that May and June are the two most productive months of the year for bigger fish. At least, they’re the months where I’ve had better results on XOS Murray cod, especially while fishing

Copeton Dam early mornings and late nights, and particularly around the full moon.

Although this winter might be very different with getting access to spots while the COVID-19 virus is around.

Most of the National Parks and some fishing properties closed, and unfortunately this includes both Pindari and Copeton dams until further notice. However, this could have changed by the time you read this, so check the Fisheries DPI website for up-to date information.

With most of the rivers still accessible to anglers as long as they are not too far of a drive from home, that is the best place to be heading at the moment. Those river fish are in the same mindset as impoundment fish, i.e. they want to bulk up and eat lots of food as they prepare for the upcoming breeding season towards the end of winter. I recommend fishing very very slow with lifelike lures such as lizards (wakebaits), ducks (surface paddlers), frogs or even matching what baitlife lives in the system with swimbaits such as carp, redfin and so forth. These are my favourite types of lures to be fishing in the colder water as I find matching the hatch is key,

present your lure or bait in the right spot. The Beardy River will be closed for all types of fishing after this June long weekend, for the annual trout breeding season. Make sure you do the right thing and get your trout fix before then, as local Fisheries officers are known to patrol around these

areas.Good luck to all who are getting out on the water this month targeting their Murray Cod of a lifetime. Rug up and pack some spare clothes as well as you never know when you will end up in the drink with that dream fish! It could very well be the next cast away.

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Matching the hatch with a massive carp imitation swimbait. especially when fishing clear water like most rivers found around the New England area.

Another benefit of fishing at this time of year is that the cooler weather makes it easier to fish through the

middle of the day, and the cold is also known for killing the bacteria and some of the weeds and grasses that live amongst the river. This creates more opportunities and places to fish, and makes it easier to

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Where do my fishing licence fees go?

Funds raised from the NSW recreational fishing licence are placed into special trusts, and spent on projects to improve recreational fishing.

Committees of anglers provide recommendations on expenditure from the trusts: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Fish stocking Artificial reefs Fish aggregating devices (FADs) Recreational fishing havens Fishing facilities e.g. fishing platforms and fish cleaning tables Kids fishing workshops Fishcare Volunteers Gamefish tagging Get Hooked...it’s fun to fish, primary schools education Fish habitat restoration

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au JUNE 2020

75

Cashing in at Cockle Bay CENTRAL COAST

Byron Hill

With the weather getting a little cooler, a kayaker should consider looking deep to find a few fish this winter. For those of us in the Newcastle/Central Coast region, Cockle Bay is a great option to get in touch with quality flathead and bream.

There are legal mulloway in the area as well, but these can be less common.

Fishing deep in Lake Macquarie can be challenging; without something to cast at and with no structure to see, it can be a real grind when you’re not getting a bite.

On the other hand, when fish are deeper and biting, you can get a fish per cast over and over and over.

The Speers Point Boat ramp is the place to launch.

The ramp itself isn’t steep and the adjacent larger cleared area is perfect for launching a kayak. Coming into winter the boat ramp shouldn’t be too busy, but if you manage to hit it at peak time, no stress – there is plenty of parking in the area. There’s also a public toilet nearby if required.

LAUNCH As you launch, the bridge to the north and upstream about 100m can pay dividends. Fish feed on the pylons so it is always worth a quick flick. While the creek you launch into is not the area I wanted

may be waiting in the bay.

The edges of Cockle Creek are lined with mangroves.

A quick Google Map search will give you a good idea about the gutters and where the shallow areas are for summer fishing.

CONSTRUCT The bay itself is lined

and Speers Point.

To the south there are a number of yachts that are locked down in a few metres of water. You will often get flathead blading the underside of these.

LURES It’s no secret that Lake Macquarie fish like to eat a vibe or blade. Samaki

have scent on the lure.

My big bream have come from leaving a lure on the bottom while eating a sandwich. If you’re down at 4lb because you want a bream, be careful of the flathead. There are schools of flatties in the 70-80cm size, so be prepared to lose a lure.

Claire picked up this guy using a Samaki soft vibe.

The Pink Kayak was pulling flathead after flathead near the boat hulls. with a rocky edge and a mud bottom. Weed in the area can be in patches but is seasonal and generally not in the centre.

As the name suggests, you’re likely to pick up shells and clumps of cockle when fishing deep, and this is a good sign. It’s what the

first time in the area, don’t try to figure it out, they are there. Instead, position your kayak upwind in the bay and let the kayak drift from one side to the other.

You will find the fish will

Remember that Cockle Bay doesn’t have any protection so be sure to check the weather so you don’t get caught battling a westerly to try to get back to the boat ramp.

Vibelicious and Ecogear VX blades have worked particularly well for me.

The colour of the water can be quite muddy given Cockle Creek’s proximity, so consider a UV colour if you have one.

If it’s flathead you’re after, basic hops and

The Speers Point Boat ramp is an easy launch area.

POSITIONING Cockle Bay fish tend to be in patches that move around as the day progresses. If it’s your

sit at a particular depth, and once you’ve found them take note of the depth and use your sounder to keep you at that depth.

The bridge 100m upstream of the ramp is always worth a fish, especially on high tide. to focus on, it is worth understanding that this is what feeds Cockle Bay itself. Baitfish, prawns and worms can be found in the large offshoot, and if you follow the gutters and natural flow of the water as you leave the creek, it’s not hard to understand why predatory and ambush fish 76

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fish are feeding on.

In terms of depth, the centre of the bay is quite flat. It gradually comes from a shallow edge down to 3m (depending on the tide). The bottom does get progressively deeper until you hit a drop-off that occurs on a line between the Marmong Point Marina

pauses along the bottom will get you a bite. The Cockle Bay flathead will generally sit in packs and on top of each other, so if you get one, make sure you throw into the spot again and try your luck!

If it’s bream you are looking for, try different retrieves but ensure you

Maddy was pretty happy with a flathead feed for dinner.

TECHNIQUE Nothing fancy here when in the deep. The basics: cast with the wind to get those long casts, wait for the bow in the line to identify it’s on the bottom, and make sure you retrieve the entire way back to the kayak; you’re in deeper water and the fish can be right underneath the kayak.

Cockle Bay is a handy area in Lake Macquarie, and it’s unique because it’s one of the few places that has a creek feeding bait into the lake. The launch is easy and the fish in there aren’t tricky to figure out.

The last tip I’ll give when fishing Cockle Bay deep is to fish the shallow side of the deep dropoffs. The flathead in there seem to love the area for an ambush.

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS THINGS TO AVOID IN THE WATER U

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SEND ENTRIES TO: FMM Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

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FMM JUNE 2020

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BLUE BOTTLE

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to A Bird of Singleton Heights who has won this month’s Find-a-Word competition.

Monthly prize winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – FMM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

Congratulations to N Roberts of Yabulu, D Turner of Kincumber, H Stapelfeldt of Nunawading and D Ferns of Broome who have each won this month’s subscriber prize of a 3-month Gift Subscription from Tackle Club.

All subscribers are entered into the monthly subscriber prize daws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – FMM

FIND THE TT LURES LOGO

The Find the TT Lures Logo prize winners for April were: Queensland: B Barratt of Bucca, W Robinson of Raceview, N Hunn of Urangan, B Rosenthal of Thornlands, C White of Taringa, B Mackey of Parkwood, R Davis of Sarina,M Baker of Gorokan, B Bell of Wodonga, B Frankel of Urangan, R Schefe of Nanango, J Carvolth of Peak Crossing, D Deppeler of Burpengary East, A Ferrari of Deception Bay, J Lowik of Churchill, E Boettcher of Tivoli, A Hewlett of Mothar Mountain, P Fielder of Everton Hills, G Edwards of Home Hill , H Scott of Geebung, G Hazelwood of Bundaberg South, D Richter of Toogoolawah, R Taskis of Ashmore, K Cook of Nambour SCMC, J Burton of Maroochydore, M Schaumburg of Tewantin, F Heiniger of Woombye, C Hendry of Imbil, B Harkness of Seaford, M Cory of Aberdeen, B Stephan of Donnybrook, M Gillett of Boonah, N Oakley of Southport, B Donaldson of Palm Beach, R Pitt of Gatton, E Lezuchowski of Darra, J Ryan of Yeppoon, E Brady of Kallangur, S Bolin of Nambour, J Hallpike of Golden Beach.

New South Wales: T Griffin of Bathurst, J Lucas of Doyalson North, Z Mehmet of Ingleburn, S Langstaff of Kellyville, K Jones of Silverdale, R Kinkade of Forster, R Bland of Forster,A Bird of Singleton Heights, D Turner of Kincumber, F Bubas of Albion Park, H Hosking of Alstonville, M Reaidi of Yamba , J Gowan of Werombi, J Coates of Gwandalan, H Thompson of Ermington, G Newman of Menai, E Owens of Banks, I Guthridge of Wodonga, P Muldoon of Balcolyn, I Dando of

Complete the Find the Word and go in the draw to win a Fishing Monthly Prize Pack containing a limited edition neck scarf and a Fishing Monthly environmentally-friendly tote bag.

SPOT THE

Tuggerawong, G Dalton of Kirrawarra, T Jennar of Symonston, R Todd of Wahroonga, N Burge of Swansea, B Schnitzer of Cooma, M Horgosi of Ngunnawal, D Nisbet of Tunncurry, E Simpson of Narrabri, I Necic of Glenfield, D Reeves of Windsor, J Smith of Kelso, B Wright of Lake Cathie, I Christie of Lithgow, R Martin of Nowra, G Sanson of Melrose Park, D Gurney of Gorokan, A Hepper of Iluka, G Wade of Empire Bay, P Dubbelde of Orange, J Loxley of Ambarvale.

Victoria and Tasmania: K Seagar of 10 Belmont Close, R Drendel of Mt Helen, H Siesmaa of Ferntree Gully , P Youngman of Deniliquin, D Armstrong of Newborough, J Arbuthnot of Benalla , F Oleszko of Braypark,D Voros of Korumburra, B Miller of Warrnambool, D Dunn of Warrnambool, G Thompson of North Geelong, L Cann of Sunbury, J McNamara of Goornong, K Dowell of Highton, B Sharp of Wendouree, R Batty of Brighton, T Mathieson of Patterson Lakes, J Collier of Smythes Creek, S Stewart of Ballan, S Beaton of Plumpton, G Wallace of Horsham, M Adams of Grahamvale, G McPherson of Tullamarine, J Brumby of Nirranda South, S Waters of Prahran, D Hill of Cranbourne North, K Morrison of Moama, B Rafferty of Maryborough, R Price of Mildura, G Ball of Tatura, D Girvan of Yea, B Schnitzer of Cooma, S Bright of Mordialloc, K Scott of Gawler, R Hovey

of Murchison, J Ellis of Reservior, M Fryer of North Balwyn, D Reeves of Windsor, R Barns of Euroa, R Wilde of Maryborough.

Western Australia: C Staines of Dandalup, C Pitt of Yakamia, G Uren of Ballajura, J Webb of Waikiki, R Hawkins of Waggrakine, S Szabo of Alban, L Doecke of Byford,J Atkins of Mandurah, B Bizjak of Boddington, A Hogan of Parmelia, G Higgins of Eaton, L McFarlane of Brookton, B Barwick of Wandina, R Lambly of Woodlands, T Robinson of Dowerin, B Jacobs of Safety Bay, R Stoddart of Denkark, G Underdown of Bunbury, L Scott of Lockridge, L Rojahn of Banyo, J Waddingham of Exmouth, K Lockwood of Rockingham, K Andrews of Kalgan, C Carey of Bentley, P Baskerville of Glenfield, A Honey of Oldbury, N Martin of Winthrop, M Curry of Ballajura, S Cameron of Tyndale, R Adamczyk of Spalding, R Crossingham of Secret Harbour, E Cowton of Mount Helena, C Walker of Canning Vale. Prizes delivery can take up to 8 weeks. – FMM The ZMan major prize winners were: 1st D Skewes of Bli Bli, who won $1000 worth of Tackle Tactics products, 2nd J Fletcher of Cleveland, who won $500 worth of Tackle Tactics products, 3rd D Gretton of Springsure, who won $300 worth of Tackle Tactics products.

Prizes can take up to eight weeks for delivery. – FMM

10 DIFFERENCES

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The answers to Find the TT Lures Logo for April were: Queensland: 10, 12, 17, 24, 28, 34, 40, 44, 47, 52, 57, 65, 72, 78, 87.

New South Wales: 12, 16, 19, 24, 29, 35, 40, 48, 51, 57, 61, 69, 75, 81, 86 Victoria and Tasmania: 8, 12, 17, 24, 39, 40, 49, 51, 53, 56, 60, 70, 72, 80, 82.

Western Australia: 7, 11, 15, 19, 24, 27, 28, 31, 32, 38, 45, 51, 54, 56, 58.

JUNE 2020

77

Tech Tricks

The Extenda-Clouser BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

With the cool weather upon us and tailor being a prime target for many, I thought I would show a great variation on a historically proven saltwater pattern.

The Clouser fly pattern, the brainchild of renowned fly-tyer Bob Clouser, is one of the most universal flies ever assembled on the vice.

It gets bites from all manner of saltwater and many freshwater fish. There have

been a lot of variations of this simplistic pattern over the years, and it has become a staple for any saltwater fly fishing aficionado.

The Extenda-Clouser is yet another variation on the original and it’s a great option for anglers targeting toothy critters, such as tailor, which are a common capture in the estuaries, rivers, beaches and bay during the cooler months. The basic idea is to get the hook point further back towards the tail because mackerel, tailor and many other toothy critters will hit the tail of a

baitfish first to immobilise it. Additionally, hesitant species can also hit the tail without fully engulfing the offering. With the hook point further back, there is also less chance of being bitten through, or rubbed off during a prolonged fight – ideal for snapper, mulloway, barramundi and others.

This pattern can be tied with a variety of materials, an array of colours and in numerous sizes. The pattern I have tied here was intended for targeting tailor. The Extenda-Clouser is so simple to tie – check it out.

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Materials for this pattern can be varied, and there are a lot of substitutes that can be applied if you don’t have these exact ones at your disposal.

The hook I’m tying on is the Owner Aki Light 3/0 but there are plenty of others including the Gamakatsu SL12S that could be used. For the body I’m using synthetic yak hair (substitutes include Unique Hair, Slinky Fibre, Mirror Image or SF Blend), the flash is Krystal Flash, the overwing is SparkleFlash (substitutes: Polarflash, Flekta Flash, Flashabou) and thread is flat waxed nylon. You will also need some UV epoxy, UV torch, dumbbell style eyes (painted, real or hourglass), 1cm of 2-3mm tubing and some articulated shanks.

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Articulated shanks are available in several lengths, and common brands include Fish Skull and Partridge.

Today I am using a 40mm shank with my 3/0 hook, but you can use shorter or longer. Put the hook onto the smaller loop as shown, and then secure the shank into the vice (we will be tying on the shank, not the hook).

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Attach the thread and wrap the full length of the shank with thread to provide some extra strength.

Coat this fully with UV epoxy and use your UV torch to set it instantly. This will greatly increase the durability of this pattern, especially with toothy assailants.

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Use a series of figure-of-eight wraps to secure the eye onto the top of the shank approximately 5mm to 7mm behind the eyelet of the shank.

Apply more UV epoxy and set to increase durability.

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Cut a portion of synthetic yak hair (or substitute) that is just slightly longer than the shank and hook combined. Cut the tie in end at an angle so that you will have a tapered look once it is tied in between the eye and the eyelet.

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Advance the thread rearwards to behind the eye. Pass the material over the gap between the eyes and then secure this to the shank, wrapping about 5mm backwards. Maintaining some light upwards pressure on the materials by holding between thumb and forefinger as you tie in will ensure they sit well. Again, cover with a thin layer of UV epoxy.

Tech Tricks

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Take the shank out of the vice, turn it over 180° and secure back into the vice. Advance the thread forward to in front of the eyes by passing it over the top. Secure about 8-10 strands of Krystal Flash at this point.

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Cut a portion of SparkleFlash (or similar) which is slightly longer than the last portion of yak hair. Again, tie this on top of the shank, just in front of the eye. Taper with thread into a nose cone, whip finish at this point and cut away the remaining thread.

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Take the Extenda-Clouser out of the vice. Cut a small portion of the tubing (in this case, 2.2mm clear chafe tube but you could use 2mm lumo tube) around 6-8mm long. Pass this over the hook and slide it up until you can push it over the hook eye and shank eyelet as shown. This will keep the hook facing rearwards and prevent it swinging and fouling with the material during casting.

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At this same spot, tie in a similar, yet slightly longer portion of the yak hair. This needs to sit on top of the shank. Some slight upwards pressure will see it sitting correctly without splaying all around the edges of the shank once tied in.

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A thin coat of UV epoxy will increase the durability once set. With epoxy covering all thread work, it won’t unravel if a tooth manages to severe one strand, so fly durability is increased drastically. I also like to put a small amount of epoxy on the base of the SparkleFlash to prevent it from being pulled out.

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With the materials of the Extenda-Clouser preened back into place

it will finally be finished, although you may need to do a little trimming to get the desired profile. As you can see, the hook point is well back in the pattern where it will minimise material fouling and increase hook-up potential.

This method of extending the shank can be done with most deceiver, candy, whistler and FPF patterns – the Extenda-Clouser is just one example.

JUNE 2020

79

Product Profile

The comfort factor CENTRAL COAST

Byron Hill

Face ‘wraps’ have come along way. Yes, they are used by anglers across the world for sun protection, but there’s also a line of similar products across multiple different industries.

Defence personnel use them for camouflage and concealment, emergency services such as fire-fighters use a similar product for flash

protection, and skiers and snowboarders use them for warmth when they’re on the slopes.

Each industry has made them their own, so it makes sense that face ‘garments’ go by a range of different names, are made with different materials, have a different design requirements and are suited for varying climates. Over the last few years the same thought processes have made their way into the fishing space, and this item of clothing is in

high demand.

The truth of the matter with this type of garment is that if you don’t like how it looks, feels and sits on your face, you’re either not going to wear it or, if you do, you’ll subconsciously move it and it will sit around your neck. So below we’re going to have a look at a number of different products on the market so you can find one that you’ll like.

Before we get into it, the last point I will make is that your head is different from mine. Why does that matter?

You may find comfort and preference in a product which I do not.

MATERIAL Firstly, if it doesn’t feel nice on your face then don’t bother. If you’re a person who likes cotton, then buy cotton. If you want polyester then go with that. Out of

Simms have been the gold standard since the early 2010s. business offers a range of Australian Merino wool face garments to consider if you’re needing warmth.

More on this later.

STRAIGHT CUT GARMENTS The traditional straight cut has been on the market for a number of years now,

A number of modern face wraps have breathing holes to help mitigate fogging.

Simon Morley with the Hurricane Skullskin, new to hit the market.

Gillz face wraps have openings around the neck that catch air and vector it through your shirt.

Headsox is a Tasmanian brand with a number of different designs to choose from.

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the nine fishing products reviewed, most had blends of 92-95% polyester with spandex making up the rest.

One of the outliers was the aptly named Hurricane Skullskin which is made with 100% polyester.

Whilst relatively new on the market there have been solid reviews on this product.

There are, however, other materials out there; a quick jump across into the defence industry and there’s a group of Recon Wraps (defence terminology) that boast a microfibre tech that performs and feels like cotton. In my opinion though, those products are lagging behind the fishing industry and don’t offer fitted or tailored solutions like the fishing industry product does. When it comes to Aussie brands, the Tasmanian-based Headsox

and it’s effectively a tubular sock for your head that doesn’t vary too much in design. An angler wears this product to first and foremost protect themselves from the sun, and this means they are typically wearing both a hat and sunglasses.

Unfortunately, it can take some effort to fit and fold the garment correctly so that it sits nicely and works with your glasses and hat. These straight-cut garments often don’t have breathing holes and you can run into issues with your glasses fogging up.

The other problem is the nose; if you have a large nose like mine, it can be a hassle bringing the cloth high enough on your face to cover it while not blocking your vision in some way.

That being said, the positive of the straight cut is that it is multi-purpose and versatile, it can be folded and moulded and a quick visit to the headsox. com.au will show you 17 different ways of wearing them. The other positive is that they can be relatively cheap when compared to

The tubular straight cut options are versatile and affordable.

Product Profile

The Hurricane (L) and Switchbait (R) take second place behind Simms for their design and affordability. the tailored fits out there; if you’re looking at buying a few for the family there’s generally a grouped deal and these are an outstanding affordable option.

TAILORED FACE GARMENTS Tailored face garments have been very popular on the tournament scene. They keep things tight where they need to be and loose where they don’t. The majority sit high onto the crown of the head, meaning they’ve got purchase, and if worn

will breathe a little easier.

The last point that impacts the fit is the strip of material that runs down the front of most tailored face-offs. It’s present in all tailored products, except Gillz, and helps keep the garment fitted around the mouth/nose/chin whilst ensuring there’s no pulling on the back of the neck.

SIZE AND YOUR HEAD This is the biggest challenge of the face wrap, and I have a solution.

Whether you like your

consider where the product is primarily sold. Is it an American, Australian or a Japanese brand? Consider the typical build of a Japanese average Joe and now consider a robust 6’3” American fishing male. You will get variation.

If you end up with a garment that’s a little loose for your liking, or maybe the garment has stretched over time, grab a needle and thread and sew two separate spots on the rear of the face buff together.

equally well, then warmth may be a consideration.

When you’re at the local tackle store consider the thickness of the material that’s used in each product.

Whilst they are made from similar materials, some are thicker and have a higher density of material. It may not be an issue if you’re north of the QLD-NSW border, but if you’re a guy who likes to keep warm during winter, and the 4am wake-ups make your bones crack, a thicker material may be the go.

Conversely, if you’re fishing in warmer areas and want that cool feel on your face, consider a less dense product or one with a higher spandex percentage.

Just rub your fingers on the product or hold it up to the

light, and you’ll see that it’s very easy to identify.

The Gillz and Hobie products are lightweight and basically see through. The Simms SunGaiter, Daiwa Head Socks and Headsox headwear products all sit in the medium to lightweight category, with Hurricane and Switch Bait slightly more dense than the rest.

Having worn all of them on a Victorian 4am morning, there a noticeable difference between SwitchBait, Simms and Gillz garments.

As the name suggests, Gillz Masks have side vents on the neck that allow air to flow through the area and into your shirt.

If you find yourself in hot weather, these are bound to provide relief with wind or movement.

it’s that price point that has opened up the market to competition (see the table hereabouts).

Australian companies have capitalised on the high price point of Simms and have produced a number of like products that get my vote based on affordability.

Whilst most are made in China, the profits do go to Australian businesses and that’s a good thing in the current environment.

FEATURES TO LOOK OUT FOR When you’re in the market for a face wrap, here’s what you should look for: • Fit and comfort - ALWAYS! • Laser cut breathing holes/ openings. These are quickly becoming standard, and should be!

• Does the rear of the garment sit high on the crown of your head or lower closer to the neck?

Are the ears, cheeks and nose protected?

• UPF rating.

• Technical data; some brands like Gillz advertise Moisture Wicking Fabric, Anti-Microbial, Stain Resistant and AntiStatic Fabric.

MY PICKS If you want the gold standard, go with Simms.

Buy it through your local tackle store to support them.

If you want a more affordable tailored face wrap that’s Australian and half the price, check out the SwitchBait Sun mask (available at fishin. com.au) and Hurricane Skull Skin (available at

Simms is available in Hood and Sungaiter options. on the outside of your hat can help hold it down as you’re gunning around the waterway. Simms and SwitchBait sit slightly higher whilst Gillz and Hurricane sit slightly lower on the back of the head.

These garments have been cut with the face, nose and eyes in mind so you’re less likely to have vision issues whilst protecting the bridge of your nose. A small percentage of spandex in the fabric means that if your head is a little ‘different’ they will mould and stretch to fit. It also means the face

garment snug and tight or loose and breezy is a personal preference that you’re going to need to work out yourself.

A tip when shopping is to

CLIMATE The most important part of the overall equation is how the garment fits on your head, but if two brands fit

PRODUCT COMPARISON Product Simms SunHood Simms SunGaiter AFTCO Solido Sun Mask Technical Headwear UV Buff Gillz Mask High Rise SwitchBait Sun Mask Hurricane Skullskin HeadSox YH Face Wrap Daiwa Head Sock

Price $69.95 $59.95 $39.95 $37.95 $34.95 $29.99 $26.95 $24.95 $15.00 $10.00

The Switchbait Sun Mask has the same design as Simms but for half the price.

UPF rating UPF50+ UPF50+ UPF40+ UPF50+ UPF50+ UPF50+ UPF50+ UPF40+ UPF50+ N/A

Style Tailored Tailored Tailored Straight cut Tailored Tailored Tailored Straight cut Straight cut Straight cut

COST AND BRANDS American company Simms launched their SunGaiter in the early 2010s and the garment is, subjectively, the ‘gold’ standard for face protection.

I am yet to meet someone who has been dissatisfied with the quality of the product. That being said, it is the most expensive product on the table and

hurricanelures.com).

For an affordable straight cut face wrap, check out Headsox (because of the Australian Merino option) and Yak Hunters FaceWrap (because I like kayaks).

Failing that, buy multiple wraps, support everyone and have a couple for differing environmental conditions.

JUNE 2020

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20 years of the RFL investment program GEELONG

Ross Winstanley

During the first 20 years of Victoria’s Recreational Fishing Licence, annual revenue increased from $3.9M to $8.7M. Over this period, its purpose shifted beyond the original clear intention.

The agreed purpose of the RFL was to fund new or expanded programs, created in partnership with recreational fishers, to improve recreational fishing.

That was the purpose set out

clearly in establishing the legislative basis for the licence in the Fisheries Act 1995.

Accordingly, that was the deal confirmed in 1999 between the government and VRFish, as the recognised peak body representing all of Victoria’s recreational fishers (referred to here as anglers). It was the government promise as understood by anglers.

Since then, without any open renegotiation with VRFish and the wider angling community, successive governments have taken it on themselves to renege on that deal. As a result, today the RFL funds entire program areas of longstanding government responsibility as well as government election promises.

This transition has occurred quietly and without the awareness of most anglers. The few who eventually saw what was happening with cost-shifting, first offered objections, then acquiesced when persuaded that the alternative was the reduction or total loss of some highly-valued benefits as governments cut the fisheries program budget.

The RFL’s 20-year revenue total of $113M has produced many wonderful benefits to Victorian anglers, as well as substantial environmental and economic benefits to the State. However, the absence of a hands-on angler-driven governance arrangement, backed by a strategic investment plan, has effectively seen control of annual funding pass from anglers to government agencies and various institutions.

TRENDS IN LICENCE REVENUE This article describes the 20-year time series of annual 82

JUNE 2020

RFL recurrent (ie continuing year after year) and Grant Program funding allocations. It demonstrates how the original

funding agreements have been stripped away with the trend towards cost-shifting, agency/ institutional control and funding of political promises.

The main story shown in Fig.1 is that annual RFL numbers are in a 4-year declining trend, starting in 2013/14. The immediate-term revenue outlook seems to be between $8 and $9M annually.

The questions arise: how much of this revenue is locked in as annual recurrent commitments and political promises, and how does this limit the scope for funding angler-driven projects? Both questions are addressed below.

The declining trend in RFL numbers suggests that, while the current fisheries program may satisfy some of the Government’s Target One Million (T1M) political

objectives, it misses the mark when it comes to encouraging fishing participation as shown by licence sales.

ANNUAL GRANTS PROGRAM AND T1M The 20-year trend in annual RFL revenue shows an average increase of about $240K per year. However, the amount allocated to the annual Grants Program peaked at $3.4M in 2012/13 and has since fallen by 62% to $1.3M

in 2018/19 (Fig.1). How come? Wasn’t that what the RFL was supposed to be about - empowering anglers?

The T1M allocations now exceed those of the Grants Program and represent projects worth more than $8M (so far), re-badged to give credit to the Government, while being funded by anglers. On current indications, T1M will win increasing RFL funds in coming years.

In the past two years, the allocations to the T1M program have coincided with the funding available for the Grants Program falling below

20% of total disbursements, the lowest level since 2001/02.

This suggests that some programs formerly funded by the Grants Program have now been appropriated by the T1M program.

GRANTS TO VFA PROGRAMS The VFA’s own programs receive Grants Program

funding directly and through a number of ‘service’ agencies and institutions. These include the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Melbourne University, Deakin University, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) and South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).

Fig.2 shows how their combined annual allocations

accounted for a large share off the Grants Program funding until the advent of TIM allocations in 2016/17. Again, this suggests that some of the VFA’s RFL-funded projects have been re-assigned to the T1M program.

Note that the zero allocation to the VFA in 2008/09 coincided with the $2M final repayment to Treasury for the 2005 commercial licence buy-out).

FRESHWATER AND MARINE SHARES In 1999, in view of government commitments to continue the long-standing public funding of the fish stocking program, the Minister instructed that the split of RFL investments should be 60% to marine/estuary programs and 40% to freshwater programs.

This decision was included in the guidelines under which the Fisheries Revenue Allocation Committee (FRAC) assessed and recommended proposals for funding.

Fig.3 shows how this has worked out over the years.

After the final repayment to

Treasury for the commercial licences buy-out in 2008/09, the main project allocations have fluctuated around 50:50.

RISING COMPLIANCE ALLOCATIONS Fig.4 shows how the recurrent funding for “recreational” Fisheries Officers has risen. Between 2009/10 and 2011/12, the annual allocations jumped disproportionately, by 91%, as the number of RFL-funded Fisheries Officers rose from 10 to 13.

During the first 10 years, to 2008/09, annual compliance allocations averaged 18% of annual RFL disbursements; during the period from 2011/12, these allocations have averaged 27%.

The figure compares these rising compliance allocations with trends in recurrent

RFL administration and VRFish funding.

FISH STOCKING AND FISHCARE Despite the 1999 government assurances, since 2011/12, the recurrent annual costs of the ongoing fish

That lasted for a few years, but by 2018/19, recurrent expenditure items totalled 86% of the available funds, or 76% excluding administration and commissions. Additional Fisheries Officers, costshifting of fish stocking and

stocking program have been shifted across to the RFL. ‘Stocking’ includes the costs of fish production and purchases (local and interstate), and the transport and liberation of fish around the state. Fig.5 shows how, since 2012/13, these recurrent allocations compare with those of the Fishcare and community information and education programs.

While the Fishcare program was an integral part of the government-funded recreational fisheries education program through the 1990s, its recurrent costs (currently $0.9M) were also shifted to the RFL from 2003/04.

In addition to “Fish stocking” becoming part of the recurrent annual RFL disbursements, allocations for new or expanded limitedduration stocking projects have been funded regularly since 2000/01. Fig.5 illustrates how the combination of Grants Program funding for stocking since 2001/02, plus recurrent funding of stocking since 2011/12, now account for a large part of the annual RFL funding allocations. It also shows how project funding of stocking ceased after 2015/16, coinciding with the start of RFL funding of the TIM program with its political promise of boosting annual stocking numbers to five million.

SPREAD OF GRANTS PROGRAM FUNDING In the early years, the minister’s terms of reference for the FRAC stipulated “no more than 40% in total for Recurrent Expenditure items”.

In other words, at least 60% of revenue was to be allocated to the Grants Program.

T1M funding account for much of this increase.

FRAC terms of reference also specified that grants funding would be allocated across the four categories, which continue to apply: • “Recreational fisheries sustainability and habitat improvement, including fish stocking.

• Recreational fishing access and facilities.

• Recreational fisheries related education, information and training.

• Recreational fisheries research.”

Following a review, in 2009/10, the FRAC was replaced by the Recreational Fishing Grants Working Group, operating under revised terms of reference. The RFGWG provides advice for projects of up to three years: • Small Grants Program, for projects up to $5000; • Large Grants Program, for projects of $5,001 to $100,000; and • Commissioning Grants Program, for large priority VFA projects generally exceeding $100,000.

Fig.6 shows how funding allocations have varied among the four categories, above, and the Small Grants Program.

Two things that stand out are the surge in fish stocking grants in the 2010/11 to 2012/13 post Millennium drought period, and the substantial fall in combined Grants Program funding in the past three years (coinciding with the start of T1M funding). After 2012/13, the surge in fish stocking project funding was replaced by the introduction of stocking as a line in the RFL recurrent outlays and now sits at $0.9M each year.

CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES

In the habitat improvements area, from the early years of the RFL program, Catchment Management Authorities have capitalised on their access to Grants Program funding. Working with angler groups, they To page 83

Sharing in the age of COVID WIRF

Cara Cummings

The first half of 2020 has certainly been tough on us all. Having been restricted from doing what we love has taken a great toll on recreational fishers. I would love to report on sensational fishing adventures and share photos, but sadly given the climate, we have very little to share for this edition. Fingers-crossed that next month brings more excitement.

From times of adversity also brings good news stories and this is what I find so wonderful about the WIRF network.

Michelle Jackman shared her gamefishing prowess on one of the shared Facebook talks.

Our Facebook feeds have shown great positivity.

For many, mental health has been put under strain and the women in this network have

Tiff Newton covered all you need to know about targeting flathead and yellowbelly.

From page 82

have conducted river and stream-side improvement works that meet both their statutory responsibilities and anglers’ habitat improvement goals. The GoulburnBroken, East Gippsland and West Gippsland CMAs have been particularly active in delivering RFL-funded projects.

These partnerships have been able to address a key priority area expressed in every survey of anglers, dating back to the 1999 origins of the RFL. It is important that anglers continue to work closely to ensure that these projects remain focused on their fish habitat objectives.

TARGET ONE MILLION FUNDING Anglers are missing out three ways by the T1M appropriation of up to $4M of RFL funds per year.

First, licence-holders have had no say in that funding decision. Second, they were shown no breakdown of how the money was to be used.

Third, there’s substantially less funding available for the Grants Program in each year

this goes on - and anglers are paying for this! In 2018/19, the TIM program received almost three times the level of Grants Program funding, severely limiting the opportunity for funding angler-driven projects.

COMMENTS For the most part, attributing the funded projects contained in the ministers’ annual reports to parliament has been straightforward.

However, judgement calls were necessary to categorise some projects which have ambiguous or obscure titles.

Another person undertaking the process used in analysing this published information might make some different judgements. In the end, the overall results would not differ appreciably from those outlined here. While I have drawn attention to the costshifting of fish stocking and the Fishcare program, and to the rising compliance allocations, the VFA has explained that government funding cuts over the years have made costshifting unavoidable. The alternative could have been a gradual loss of benefits from the recreational fisheries program, instead of the growth

shown great strength and support to each other. They have been comfortable talking about their struggles and the encouragement and kindness from one another has shone.

We have seen wonderful ideas on how to distract ourselves when we couldn’t go fishing, from casting practice to artwork ideas and sharing photos of our old favourite catches. Once the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, I don’t think any of us shall ever take fishing for granted again! We are living in a time that in the future will be become an important part of history. I encourage you to take the time to jot down how this impacted you and your fishing lifestyle and then how fishing may have changed for you once we came through the other side. With any luck, we can all find some positives to take from this. that anglers have enjoyed.

The other comment that I have made on several occasions, particularly to VRFish, is the inevitability that governments, agencies and institutions will continue to drive the RFL investment program until anglers set strategic investment directions of their own, and achieve improvements in the areas of governance and accountability.

VRFish’s request that Minister Pulford institute an independent RFL review pointed to the need for “formal governance arrangements directly involving our fishers to determine and review the broad RFL trust account investment priorities”. It pointed out that, in 2017/18, the allocation of funds to the Grants Program has fallen to just 17% of the total annual disbursement. This is the lowest share since 2008/09, and fell further to 14% in 2018/19. The information presented in this article gives VRFish and the VFA some explanations of how this has come about and the challenge before VRFish in achieving the remedies they seek on behalf of Victoria’s anglers.

WIRF FACEBOOK LIVE TALKS Whilst restrictions were in place, our WIRF Leaders were unable to continue with their events and talk nights so instead, they were creative with live online talks.

Niki Duckstein kicked off the series and presented the network with a great talk on squid, providing us with tips and hints that enable anyone to try their hand at squid fishing. Tiffany Newton taught us everything we needed to know on fishing with soft plastics to target flathead and yellowbelly.

Michele Jackman covered tips on Game fishing. We had Karen Rees share with us her knowledge on fishing for Murray cod and Shae Bloom discussed how to fish with kids. I kept in theme with my recipes and uploaded cooking demonstrations (featuring the recipe below) and tips on how to humanely dispatch fish.

These videos were a great hit and lots of positive feedback was

Niki Duckstein kicked off the series and presented the network with a great talk on squid. received within the network.

Questions were encouraged and it was wonderful to see the interaction and banter.

To stay up to date and see what else has been happening within the network, please

head to our Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/ womenrecfishing/ or via the VFA website/Facebook page.

Are you a WIRF woman? If not, we’d love to have you on board! Join us on FB today.

RECIPES THAT ARE ‘WIRF’ IT

Delicious rainbow trout bake INGREDIENTS

(SERVES 4-6) 1 whole trout (2 fillets) 4-6 potatoes 4 eggs (med-hard boiled) 1 lemon – cut in half 60g butter 1/3 cup plain flour 2 cups milk 1 cup grated cheese 1tsp seeded mustard Handful of fresh dill (optional) roughly chopped 2 tsp capers (optional) Salt and pepper Casserole or Lasagne Dish

METHOD PREPARATION 1. Boil the eggs for 6 minutes. Allow to cool and slice.

2. Slice the potatoes thinly.

3. Fillet the fish, remove the skin and dice fillets into 2cm cubes.

4. Make a simple béchamel sauce.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to medium. Cook and continue to whisk, for 4-5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Season with salt, pepper, mustard and the juice of half a lemon.

LAYERING THE BAKE

5. Spread a light layer of the sauce (2 tbsp) on the base of the dish.

6. Layer half of the potatoes, slightly overlapping to cover the dish base.

7. Scatter a 1/3 trout on top.

8. Add half the dill and capers, and gentle lay half of the eggs.

9. Cover with half of the sauce and repeat layering.

10. Finish off with the sauce and sprinkle the cheese over the top.

11. Bake in oven at 180º for about 30-40 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

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Larger perch are moving in WEST COAST

Brett Carson

It’s fair to say the oncoming winter mixed with the recent restrictions certainly have us ready to go when the opportunity finally comes. Sure, it’s a little colder outside than when we stopped fishing a while ago, but like I realised from a long stint in hospital years ago, the first steps outside after weeks cooped up in air-conditioned misery felt like a walk into a beautiful new world. I have never drawn such deep breaths of fresh air and just enjoyed the sun on my face.

I hope one of the good things to come out of this adversity is the realisation of how good our first-world lives really are – not least of which is the unparalleled natural beauty of our Aussie waterways. The magical Glenelg River and surrounds has that in spades, and when the release comes there is nowhere better to find some social distancing mixed with awesome fishing.

The mulloway have been so consistent in recent years, and the best fishing might still be to come. In recent years some of the biggest fish were caught in the coldest months by those anglers who didn’t hang up the rods after Easter. Having had large numbers of smaller fish in the system in the past few years, this season has seen an unbelievable improvement in the size-to-undersize ratio.

With the cooler weather comes slower metabolism so the mulloway feeding periods can stretch out… but when they do feed it can make for the fishing

trip of a lifetime. I’ve seen half hour mulloway bites at this time of year that would blow your mind. Vibes and jerkshads are ideal ripped through a school you find on the sounder. And as hard as mullet are to find as live bait during winter, they don’t last too long when fished at the right time.

The tops of tides are ideal in these conditions, with the large winter swells jamming salt into the river.

Depending how much rain we have, fish can still be way upriver so don’t be afraid to cover ground in your search.

As the winter rain patterns set in, the mulloway will be forced down to the lower kilometres of the river, and

that can make targeting them much easier.

Bream can be patchy around the estuary, with pod worms and crabs reaping the best rewards. Higher up through the Glenelg the edges can still fish well; last year at this time some good bags of bream perch and mulloway came from the Sapling Creek area.

Perch sizes in the lower reaches were down all summer, but that will improve in the colder conditions. The larger fish will still be higher up, with plenty of South Australian anglers fishing some rocky edges and heavy snags for some good bream and unstoppable perch. Up

above Pines Landing is a beautiful patch to have a look at. The edges up there are loaded with heavy snags holding monsters that will work you over, so a slightly heavier leader can be the order of the day.

The winter mullet run will start to hot up, and those schools of big fish that love hanging around the Dry Creek and Donavans area will end up on local tables for a feed. When travelling that stretch of river in the dark the large mullet can be so thick you feel like you could walk on them. Plenty of anglers chase them with dab nets under lights, but it’s like chasing the wind as they move quicker than the

Large perch will start to move down through the system as winter sets in.

Kobi with a Dry Creek bream taken on a lure.

eye can follow. The truth is that very few are actually unlucky enough to end up in a boat.

The mullet are huge and a simple pipi in a daytime berley trail will account for plenty. They also make great mulloway or surf bait, and with the beaches starting to steepen up and the gutters now plentiful, maybe save a few fillets for a delicious school or gummy shark.

Although the winter swells are up and the weed can be a pest, our surf fishing in this area is exceptional and some of the most unfished ground in the state. People come

here to fish the river and often regret not throwing the beach gear in when they see what’s on offer.

So good luck and feel free to come and see us at Nelson Boat Hire for the latest info.

• Nelson Boat Hire has the local live bait licence, meaning we stock live mullet, crabs and pod worms along with all the frozen bait, tackle and lures you need for the area. We’ll do our best to give you some local knowledge and get you on the fish quicker.

Remember you can hire any of our boats without a boat licence, including our very popular houseboat.

Hoping for great tuna APOLLO BAY

Craig Rippon

Ryan holds up a healthy mulloway.

84

JUNE 2020

The last couple of months have been tough for everybody and I hope everybody is well.

The weather and wind were good during the fishing ban, which made for a lot of missed opportunities, but it was great to see fishos doing the right thing. I saw only one guy fishing off the beach in that time, but he wasn’t interested when he was told fishing was banned.

There’s always one.

In recent weeks I have seen school tuna busting up off Cape Pattern and small schools of salmon. There’s plenty of bait around by the looks of things, and it’s great that the ban has been lifted.

Will we ever see anything like this again?

I hope not. On the upside, it has made us realise how lucky we are, with some of the best fishing in the world in Australia. When social distancing is relaxed, it will be the perfect time to plan a trip with some mates to target some species you’ve never caught, and visit places within Australia and help support local fishing communities.

The ban has made many of us remember the importance of fishing maintenance, cleaning up the boat, checking the battery lights and so forth.

It’s amazing what you find in the drawers in your shed, and it’s enjoyable to go through old tackle boxes.

And when you have the time to do it, you can even practice a few knots

and make up rigs and/ or sinkers so you’re ready to go.

In Apollo Bay at the moment we have a dredge from Adelaide working around the clock dredging our harbour so the bigger boats can get in more easily. It means that the water around our shoreline isn’t a great color at the moment, but once they have finished it won’t take too long to clean up. The new car park is also finished.

I can’t wait to see you all on the water again, and hopefully next article will be full of stories and photos. I hope the tuna fire right up and give us a ripper season!

Until then, keep safe and keep doing the right thing. As Aussies we will get on top of this.

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

Pinpointing the fish INTUITIVE CONTROL

are reliant on annual fish them thoroughly. It can stocking, with research often take several casts showing very little if any to a productive-looking natural recruitment, thus holding location before the mgercovich@hotmail.com reducing the need to ‘lock lure passes that position There’s not any recent up’ the rivers to protect that draws a strike from a angling action to report spawning fish at the best fish. Look for shallow runs due the stringent time to be fishing them. and riffles where fish can Victorian fishing Fishing winter water is hold behind rocks, foamy lockdown, but fortunately a different scenario, one backwaters, or anywhere for all keen anglers’ that is particularly foreign where the fish can lie in sanity, the ban has just to many trout anglers ambush out of the main been lifted. A good trout who would usually turn river flow. In fact, most fishing buddy once said, their back and go home of the time you find the “Gerka, imagine how if they encountered such fish right at your feet, bad winter would be discoloured water at their hiding next to a rock or an without footy and trout!” favourite trout stream. For undercut bank. For anglers I’m glad we aren’t about most of the year these rivers used to a lake fishing to find out! have fairly insignificant scenario and casting The Victorian 2020 trout flow, yet a good supply of long into the distance, closed season on rivers and food. The trout can spend this be hard to get your streams begins 12:01am on most of the year cruising head around.

Tuesday 9 June and lasts around the deep pools and It’s good that anglers until 11:59pm on Friday growing more like lake will be able to walk a local 4 September. However, trout would. trout stream in June. And with the Moyne River and However, once the if lockdown conditions TWEED HEADS SOUTH NORTH ROCKHAMPTON Mt Emu Creek being open rain comes the river continue to improve then TWEED COAST MARINE RIFEN BOATS 32 Machinery Drive 6 Dooley Street North Rockhampton Tweed Heads South P: (07) 4927 9150 P: (07) 5524 8877 E: rifen.boats@bigpond.com E: admin@tweedcoastmarine.com.au W: www.rifenboats.com.au W: www.tweedcoastmarine.com.au AIRLIE BEACH ROCKLEA WHITSUNDAY OUTBOARD CENTRE KAREE MARINE 17 William Murray Drive Cannonvale 1776 Ipswich Road Rocklea P: (07) 4946 7286 P: (07) 3875 1600 E: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au E: sales@kareemarine.com.au W: www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au W: www.kareemarine.com.au CAIRNS AUSSIE MARINE NORTHERN GOLD COAST 5 Hannam Street Bungalow ONSHORE MARINE Horizon Shores Marina, Woongoolba P: (07) 4033 8800 P: (07) 5546 2480 E: sales@aussiemarine.com.au E: onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au W: www. aussiemarine.com.au W: www.onshoremarine.com.au KARUMBA JONES MARINE EVERTON HILLS 38 Yappar Street Karumba HOLT MARINE 25 Queens Road Everton Hills P: (07) 4745 9159 P: (07) 3353 1928 8 E: jonglo@bigpond.com E: info@holtmarine.com.au W: www.jonesmarine.com.au W: www.holtmarine.com.au IPSWICH CAPALABA IPSWICH MARINE MIKES MARINE 45 Huxham Street Raceview 9 Smith Street Capalaba P: 07 3294 3944 P: (07) 3390 3418 E: enquiries@ipswichmarine.com.au E: sales@mikesmarine.com.au W: www.ipswichmarine.com.au/ When visibility is limited, you need to identify likely troutW: www.mikesmarine.com.auholding positions and fish them thoroughly.

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

INTUITIVE CONTROL

WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich

QLD MERCURY DEALERS

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There were a number of This tends to concentrate reasons for this. Firstly, it the fish in certain areas. allows for anglers to target It allows anglers to use the trout in what is the stream fishing skills and most productive time to techniques, but with the fish these waters. chance of catching trout The higher water more of the proportions levels and cooler water expected by lake anglers. temperatures of winter Of course, with minimal usually produce the most visibility and plenty of conducive trout fishing dirty water between fish, conditions. Also, all these you need to identify likely South West coastal rivers holding positions and fish

maybe sights can be set even higher. Tuna fishing in June can often be curtailed by the onset of cold winter conditions and associated rough seas.

However, with anglers missing out on the popular autumn tuna season there will be keen tuna fishers everywhere looking for any weather window of opportunity to head to sea (if we are allowed to).

With plenty of reports of barrel-sized tuna ranging from 60-120kg caught by anglers just across the border in South Australia in late April, there is a huge incentive to hit the water.

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JUNE 2020

85

Epic fishing adventures GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

It’s great that fishing is permitted again, and when the travel restrictions are also lifted, this place will go nuts. Caravan parks, bush camps, boat ramps and tackle shops will be full again. Many anglers will revisit their favourite places but some will travel to new spots. I love going to new spots, and I always do plenty of location research before I go.

This internet thingo, whether it takes off or not, is pretty good right? It’s

shallow reefs and record their GPS coordinates, check parking spaces at boat ramps, measure distances and heaps more. So, when planning for a destination you’ve never been to before, you can check out roads in and out, boat ramps and measure the length of a river or the distance out to an island – or the local pub! Knowing distances over water can be handy for planning boat trips and calculating fuel requirements in advance. Awesome!

MAPPING SOFTWARE FOR YOUR SOUNDER Absolutely invaluable if you’re travelling to waters unknown. You can find navigational hazards as well

The Surf Coast has some epic fishing but just about no boat ramps suitable for anything over 4m, unless you like beach launching. definitely made the world more accessible. With social media and other chat forums becoming more popular, firsthand information is just a click away. As long as you remember that people form their own opinions based on what they think is correct – whether it is or not!

For this reason it’s often best to check the facts via a few different sources. Social media is great for checking things that change, like the latest info on water clarity and boat ramp levels and so on, but check government sites for things like camping regulations, fees and other restrictions like no-fishing zones.

Look for as many articles, blogs, forum topics and videos as you can find on your destination so you get an idea on what to expect when you get there. It also pays to make a phone call to the local tackle outlet. Let them know you’re coming and they’ll usually offer advice. Make sure you buy a few lures in return and they’ll be keen to see you get a few fish and be a return customer.

Armed with this info, you’ll have an idea on what tackle to bring as well.

GIVE GOOGLE EARTH A GO I remember the first time I used Google Earth I couldn’t believe it! This free program shows you photographs of the earth’s surface taken from satellites. You can see 86

JUNE 2020

as deeper channels, trolling runs, lure casting possies and bait fishing areas. They are basically an SD card that you pop in your sounder that gives you enhanced navigational data and bathymetry or depth contours. Easy as that!

However, they can be very expensive and not all cover freshwater destinations. Most are saltwater and offshore, although there are a few that cover popular inland lakes such as Lake Eildon, Somerset etc.

Navionics and C-Map Genesis provide free bathymetry info to view on their websites. This is well worth checking out when travelling to a new destination if you cannot afford the card for your sounder.

FLYING WITH FISHING GEAR The number one rule for flying this: read the conditions of your flight, and know what you cannot bring in the

cabin with you. This ‘carry on baggage’, such as your backpack, is what you stow in the overhead lockers. It can’t contain anything pointy, explosive or threatening. Also, don’t forget to take that multitool off your belt or they’ll take that off you too.

Airlines change their mind often, so make sure you read and re-read their oversized baggage rules. At the time of writing, most airlines say anything over 1m is classed as oversized baggage, and they charge an additional fee to carry it. Jetstar currently charge $25 each way, so it’s $50 extra for a return trip with a rod tube!

When it comes to the maximum length any item can be, it varies depending on what plane you get on. They range from 2m for Jetstar Pacific (code BL in an A320 or A321), 2.3m for Jetstar Airways (JQ – A320, A321), Asia (3K) and Japan (GK) up to 2.77m for Qantas and Jetstar Airways (JQ) in a Boeing 787.

The future for Virgin and Tigerair is in doubt, but in case they survive, here are their current rules.

Tigerair are very restrictive, with a maximum length of any oversized baggage being only 190cm. This is fine for two piece rods but you can forget your baitcasting or some GT popping rods.

Virgin’s oversized baggage rules are a little confusing.

The only plane to avoid is the ATR72 (twin engine turbo prop) which has a maximum length of 1.8m for oversized baggage while you can have something 9.8m in length “depending on the flexibility of the item” in an A320!

Airlines also add the weight of your rod tube to your regular checked baggage, and it’s easy to rack up the kilograms in baggage when you’re taking lures and reels as well.

Speaking of reels, I was once pulled up at the x-ray machine for having reels with line on them inside my backpack (carry on baggage).

I was told they were not permitted and I had to check that bag into cargo or leave the reels behind! This is not mentioned anywhere on any airline’s website.

Seaforth is a beautiful place just south of the Whitsundays. It has islands within reach of small boats, but plenty of mud flats. Lucky for us, we had someone with local knowledge to follow out.

Try to limit your luggage weight by avoiding or minimising jigs and sinkers.

You can buy these at your destination if you need them.

Pack your reels in the centre of your bag wrapped in clothing to avoid damage, and use rod socks to prevent your rods from rattling together in the rod tube. I have a few rod tubes and have found that 90mm stormwater pipe is around 2kg at 2.4m with push-on end caps. Sewer pipe is a lot thicker but also a lot heavier. Label it with your name, address and phone number too.

If you’re going international, research harder.

The Australian government has set up smart traveller website (www.smartraveller. gov.au), and you should get on it and study hard. You may need vaccinations and, if it is remote, medical supplies.

You’ll also need to make sure your passport is up to date. If you don’t have one, get it organised at least three months beforehand. If you do have one, some countries and airlines won’t let you travel if it expires less than six months after the date you plan to leave that country for the return trip.

TRAVEL INSURANCE Travel insurance is not something I’ve worried about with domestic travel, but it’s not a bad idea if you have expensive gear. Just make sure

Lake Monduran is massive, but the author was lucky enough to nab this barra when plenty were saying it was completely shut down. Do your research! sound like a lot, it will add up if you’re filling up often.

Using your smartphone to navigate can be invaluable for dodging congestion.

Google Maps offers alternate routes if it knows there has been an accident ahead, and it also shows roadworks or delays (an orange line means the traffic is slow, and a red line means the traffic is at a standstill). Navigation does drain a phone’s battery though, so keep it plugged in.

Do you need to feed a lot of mates? Are you stuck with all the organising and shopping for 10+ cheese and meatosauruses? Fear not!

Some supermarkets offer ‘click

Imagine travelling many hours to rock up to this? The Lake Purrumbete boat ramp during the 2007 drought. you read the fine print! Most travel insurance policies only cover you for up to $500 for one ‘set’ of equipment. For example, if your $2000 fly or GT popping rod and reel is stolen, you’d only get $500 from them. So, the rod AND reel is one ‘set’ and it’s NOT covered while you’re using it. Yes, you can choose to increase the payout value, but it just increases your premium.

Travelling by road We all love a road trip.

You get the option of taking many more fishing toys, your own boat and a massive pile of mates. If you’re going on a long haul, you can save a few dollars by using smartphone apps that give you the price of fuel along your route. If you save 10c per litre, that’s $10 per 100L. Although that doesn’t

and collect’ so you can buy all your food on their website before you leave. Set the store of collection to be in the town near/at your destination, and set the date and approximate time you’ll arrive to collect it.

This saves a massive amount of time and gets you on the water and your mates into the cheese sooner.

Camping, caravan park or rental property This pretty much depends on your budget. Camping is the cheapest as long as a) the law allows it where you plan to go and b) there is room for you. Camping in a place you’ve never been to without someone else’s instructions on the destination can see you scratching for a space if it is busy or worse, you get there and it is not suitable.

Your best bet is to already have solid advice on the precise camping site and time it out of peak periods. If all this lines up, you’ll get that prime position on the water where you can leave your boat in. Camping also means taking a massive amount of stuff for cooking, cooling food, sleeping etc. It’s great fun though!

Caravan parks are a lot easier and often have their own ramps, power, showers, supplies and, if you’re cashed up, a nice cabin.

The cool thing about cabins and holiday rentals is your boat is just about ready to fish when you arrive. Not filled with piles of camping stuff to unpack and set up – just fishing toys ready to go. So, all you need to do is unpack, rush inside with your gear and get the best bed, and launch the boat!

Staying in a rental property is something a group of us came up with a while ago when we had three separate cabins in a caravan park totalling $400 per night when a holiday rental was $300 per night. I recommend that you do the sums and weigh up the comforts like a TV, big oven etc. You may find that with a bunch of fishos, you can afford something quite fancy right on the water for less than $100 each per night.

Research is the key again.

There are plenty of holiday rentals a few streets back from the water that are a lot cheaper than those waterfront properties if you want to save a few dollars. Many of the holiday rental websites have a map that automatically updates as you move your mouse around. That means you get to see holiday rentals pop up around the country as you decide on your destination.

Just remember that if you have a few boats you’ll need to park them somewhere, and on the street isn’t always ideal.

Again, get on the internet and research hard. Book well in advance and leave the place tidy so you get invited back again.

Lakes welcome cod and yellas for first time Fourteen lakes have been stocked with Murray cod, golden perch or silver perch for the first time, increasing the range of species on offer for freshwater fishers.

The stockings were part of our state-wide stocking program, funded by your recreational fishing licence fees and the State Government’s $35 million Target One Million plan.

More than 5.1 million native fish were stocked into 106 waterways last season, including Australian bass, estuary perch, Macquarie perch and trout cod along with Murray cod, golden perch and silver perch.

The 14 lakes and their new species were: •

Karkarook Lake (Murray cod)

•

Lillydale Lake (Murray cod & golden perch)

•

Rowville Lakes (golden perch)

•

Bellfield Reservoir (Murray cod)

•

Pykes Creek Reservoir (Murray cod)

•

Albert Park Lake (Murray cod)

•

Casey Fields Lake (golden perch)

•

Roxburgh Park Lakes (Murray cod)

•

Spavin Lake (Murray cod)

•

Navan Park Lake (Murray cod)

•

Melton Reservoir (Murray cod & silver perch)

•

Barkers Creek Reservoir (Murray cod & golden perch)

•

Upper Coliban Reservoir (Murray cod & golden perch)

•

Lauriston Reservoir (Murray cod)

New records set Last season also delivered stocking records in two of Victoria’s largest waterways.

At Lake Eildon, a record 542,000 Murray cod fingerlings were released, eclipsing the previous year’s total. It also received 234,000 golden perch, confirming it as one of Australia’s premier inland fisheries.

Out west, Rocklands Reservoir was stocked with a record 474,000 Murray cod along with 100,000 golden perch. Since 2017, when first stocked with native fish, Rocklands has received nearly 1.6 million native fingerlings to fast-track its development and replicate Lake Eildon’s success.

For a full summary of where the 5.1 million native fish were stocked last season visit www.vfa.vic.gov.au/nativefish2020

Some of these lakes’ native fish were catchable size, averaging 400 to 500 grams while others were stocked as fingerlings, which will take three to four years to reach catchable size.

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

Devastating effect of COVID-19 to fishing PORT PHILLIP BAY WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

Globally the effect of coronavirus has been devastating, and at an individual level many have had to endure job loss, selfisolation, and time away from family and friends.

I want to reflect on the impact of the coronavirus to fishing within Melbourne and Victoria. This heated topic has greatly divided the fishing community at a time when we needed positivity to unite people. When the federal government introduced stage 3 COVID-19 restrictions at the end of March they allowed each state to have its own set of rules and regulations around recreational activities such as fishing and boating.

Whilst most states identified fishing as a safe recreational activity (provided that strict

social distancing rules were followed) the Victorian state government instead prohibited recreational fishing and boating altogether, allowing police to issue residents with a

$1600 fine if caught. Our booming fishing industry came to an immediate and helpless standstill.

The state rules were confusing. You could go surfing, kayaking, rowing,

swimming, walking but not fishing. You were allowed to visit retail outlets, major shopping centres or a packed Bunnings to cash in your government stimulus on DIY upgrades, but you couldn’t

Kayaking has been allowed but kayak fishing has been banned.

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go fishing on your own in an isolated area. Fishing retail outlets were considered an essential business that could continue to trade, but recreational fishing was considered a non-essential recreational activity.

There wasn’t much constructive correspondence to the fishing community throughout. The only details shared were from Victoria minister for Fishing and Boating, Jaala Pulford: “The advice is clear, you need to stay home, there are a lot of sacrifices we need to make and going out to fish is one of them.

For some people, fishing is their job and at this stage that’s okay. However, if you don’t need to go fishing, you shouldn’t be.”

Premier Daniel Andrews explained, “Where people can stay at home, they must stay at home. My message to every Victorian is that there are only four reasons to leave your home: food and supplies, medical care, exercise, and work or education.”

The common theme was state leaders providing only vague reasoning as to why certain activities were prohibited when other state premiers and health ministers had deemed those activities to be safe (providing social distancing was followed). I’m not suggesting we all should have been out fishing during the lockdown, as isolating was certainly

reducing the spread of the virus, and our state did not need busy boat ramps or packed piers. That would be irresponsible. However, the fact that different states implemented different sets of rules is flawed.

The impact of the restrictions was severe, with some tackle stores closing, and charter operators faced with months of cancelled bookings and out of a job.

Local fishing manufacturers had no demand for their usually popular products, and major fishing retail stores experienced their quietest trading times in history. Major fishing competitions were cancelled and local fishing clubs shut down. Many of these longstanding businesses may never recover.

As an avid fisherman and fishing journalist, it’s been challenging to have my passion placed on hold.

For me and many out there, fishing plays a key role in our mental health strategy.

When I’m struggling with stress, anxiety, or depression I turn to fishing – it’s an escape that helps me deal with life’s challenges.

During lockdown, I wanted to minimise feelings of isolation and cabin

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( 88

JUNE 2020

The author resorting to tackle maintenance.

fever, so I began looking at ways to occupy my time at home. I starting servicing my fishing gear, working on video ideas for the FishingMad YouTube channel, re-spooling reels with new line and did some online shopping therapy as a poor attempt to stay connected to fishing stocking up on lures and soft plastics.

An outlet like fishing would have helped me cope better. It’s the same feedback that I received from many fishing mates who too were struggling with isolation, and we couldn’t see how our typical fishing habits would break social distancing To page 89

A good month for bread-and-butter species conditions are perfect.

I think this year will be a little different, and if this pandemic experience has taught me anything, it’s that we should take every possible opportunity to enjoy this great fishery.

Winter is time for ‘bread and butter’ fishing on the bay, but you can still target snapper and gummies out wide, you may just need to work a little harder for your fish at times. I bet there are plenty of great snapper anglers on the bay who have not done much fishing

PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

Life has been very strange over the past month. Many people are out of work, kids are being schooled from home, and various recreational activities (including fishing) have been firmly placed on the naughty list by our State Government. Daily life and routines that we have all taken for granted have undertaken wholesale changes, some for the foreseeable future. Even our great game of AFL footy has been derailed by COVID-19, leaving many Victorians with a big void in their lives.

Now, I recognize the need for some restrictions and social distancing, but it’s hard to understand why fishing was eliminated as a ‘necessary’ activity, when

Reliable winter bread-and-butter species like calamari, flathead, pinkies and others are on the menu for all anglers. for millions of Victorians, it’s exactly that. It is our source of exercise, solitude and positive mental health.

And unlike many other recreational activities that have been allowed to continue, fishing for many is a solo activity, making it perfect for these times when keeping your distance is important.

The lockdown has taught us to take every opportunity we can to enjoy our local waterways, regardless of the cold.

From page 88

rules. I usually fish alone in areas close to home which are quite isolated.

My fuel requirements are next to zero, I fish with soft plastics and lures, and have enough tackle to last a zombie apocalypse, so I don’t need to go to a store to buy bait or tackle. I only fish in calm conditions, never taking unnecessary risks fishing on my own.

My track record would attest that any emergency was unlikely.

In a nutshell, I’d be fishing close to home, isolated from human contact, and have no need to buy supplies or services.

I’m not sure why I can’t be out fishing (following social distancing guidelines) when other states are fine with anglers doing this. The argument has been that you need bait, ice, fuel, supplies and emergency services, but that is not true for many local anglers. I am

baffled as to why social distancing is acceptable for some recreational activities and not others when they are so similar.

At a time were unity and communication are essential, the volume of clear updates and explanations from our key fishing bodies were almost non-existent, contributing to a spike in social media

I am fortunate to work in the fishing industry, and to still be working full time in this challenging climate.

Unfortunately, I have seen first-hand the massive effect COVID-19 has had on the industry right across our great state. Many regional areas had only just begun to recover from the bushfire disasters, and now this.

However, the fact that the fish have been left alone for so long will go a long way to rejuvenating the fishery somewhat. Recent footage and photos of large schools of snapper congregating underneath Seaford Pier in broad daylight is a good case in point, as this certainly wouldn’t have happened if there were any anglers around at the time. Not for very long, anyway!

Out walking my two dogs in recent weeks along the coast, I’ve noticed plenty of activity close to shore, lots of bait and surface activity, which is a great sign for things to come. And with the return of AFL footy likely to be at least another month away, us Victorians will arguments. Usual online fishing pals started battling each other daily over grey areas and inconsistent rules, which could have been settled quickly by key fishing bodies.

I hope in future our leaders will take more time to carefully examine the ins and outs of recreational fishing and boating and to look a little deeper at

snapper, whiting, garfish and salmon will all be on the menu, and can be effectively targeted from the shore or from the boat. All these species are reliable and plentiful and can be caught from many locations right along the bay. As always times of low light are the best, and around peak tides.

Our local rivers and creeks come into their own at this time of year, and Patterson River is no exception. Bream, mullet, estuary perch and mulloway are all very reliable targets

With the statewide fishing ban across Victoria, normally busy boat ramps and piers like these at Mornington were deserted for all of April and the first half of May. hopefully get a nice period of time to appreciate and enjoy our local fishery once again.

Traditionally winter is a time when fair-weather anglers often find an excuse to do something else. The mornings can be cold, the days are shorter, but often the fishing and boating

for them over winter, but the proof has been there in recent years.

Many of the inshore species will be the focus of most anglers however, and I’m expecting the first few weeks after the ban is lifted to be very good indeed.

Calamari, flathead, pinkie

from the bank, and in smaller boats and kayaks throughout the system. Devilbend Reservoir should also be firing, with trout, estuary perch and redfin all available to keep the local freshwater anglers happy.

That’s it for this month.

Keep the reports coming in!

the various methods of fishing which are drastically different from each other.

We also need regular and clear communication with a set of rules that’s applied nationally to unite our great fishing community, rather than inconsistent state-based

rules. Stay safe everyone, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time for fishing to flourish once again!

Until next time, you can contact me by email at alan@fishingmad.com.au. I encourage all to follow my fishing adventures through

my YouTube channel www. youtube.com/c/fishingmad and feature-rich website w w w. f i s h i n g m a d . c o m . au, Facebook page www. facebook.com/fishingmad. com.au, Instagram page w w w. i n s t a g r a m . c o m / fishingmad.com.au.

All you need to worry about are the fish CUSTOMISED MAINTENANCE & SERVICE to meet your individual boating needs

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89

Success along the surf beaches WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

There is no doubting that it has been tough on the fishing front in Victoria considering we are the ONLY state in the country that banned fishing.

While I’m not going to get into a political rant about the subject, I am finally pleased that we can once again.

Despite not having fishing reports flooding through to get you all geed-up for the next time you head out, the fact

is that while we have been cooped up at home flicking through our social media, the fish have been swimming about wondering where all their food has gone due to lack of anglers. While that is a little farfetched, it’s fair to say that this month there won’t be any shortages of fish.

Now that winter is here, the surf beaches will be flooded with hordes of salmon.

In particular, if you are looking for somewhere to target them, Williamsons Beach, Cemetery Beach, Kilcunda, Cape Woolamai and Anzacs beaches

are the pick. These beaches are relatively close to one another so if the salmon are not at one beach on a particular day, you can always drive to the next and so on until you find which one they are holding at.

Salmon frequently move along the coast and you’ll eventually hook into them.

A proven method to bring fish into the gutter that you’re fishing is to use berley. You don’t need to go to the ends of the earth to mix up some almighty concoction either, just a bag of chook pellets and a 500mL bottle of tuna

oil is more than enough to attract them. Simply place the ingredients into an onion bag or scaler bag and let it wash around on the sand as each wave washes up the beach.

Don’t forget to secure the bag on a rope well as you don’t want the bag washing out into the ocean. It really doesn’t take long for the berley to attract the fish, and once they come into your gutter, don’t cast too far out… there will be plenty of fish schooled up in the shore break so keep casts only a good 10m or so from To page 91

Fishing at Lang Lang is very productive on a high tide for gummy sharks.

Get the lay of the land and start to rebuild PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

As I sit here typing up this report, our business has been closed for almost two months, and the same has applied for fishing in Victoria. It has made writing this report more difficult, but things will be obviously be better next month.

After the closure of fishing in Victoria, we need to do some rebuilding of our fishing industry. It has been a very different and difficult season in Victoria, starting with the very ordinary weather in the lead-up to Christmas, the bushfires over Christmas and into the New Year, and then the virus extending to well after our fishing season.

With all this happening it has left almost every fishing tackle business well below their normal takings for the season heading into our winter period, which is normally hard enough without everything else.

Sadly, some stores will not survive, and it could be years before towns get back to what was considered normal. The best way to help things get back to somewhere near normal and keep stores open is not that difficult – keep your spending in Australia, and support local businesses. We hear the argument every day, “but it’s more expensive.”

You need to ask yourself, is it really? How much more is it going to cost in fuel to drive to the next tackle shop because you didn’t support your local one and it closed?

How much cheaper was that reel that broke after a couple of months? Sure, there’s a warranty if you want to pay $20 in postage to return it and wait months to get it back. Your local store might have spooled one for you as part of the cost, and warranty isn’t a problem, and surprisingly the cost might not be that much different.

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JUNE 2020

Then there are the fish you lost because of those cheap hooks or swivels used in those rigs you purchased (despite the ad saying they are ‘quality’), and the lures that don’t swim correctly.

“But online is convenient” is something else we hear. That may well be true, as many of us are time poor, but why can’t that home-delivered purchase be with your local store? Give them a ring, tell them what you’re looking at, and ask what they can do. You might be surprised by their answer.

BOATING IN S/E WESTERNPORT BAY Every month I write fishing reports, assuming that everyone who reads them knows everywhere I am speaking about. This is obviously not the case, and many times the reports are read by people new to fishing or people just about to visit our area. So because there are no reports at the moment I thought I would put together a basic description of the boating places that are often spoken about in our corner of Westernport Bay. If you are heading to our part of Westernport Bay you can always give us a call at the shop or check out our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ JimsBaitAndTackle).

There are a few things you need to be aware of to have an enjoyable day’s fishing in Westernport Bay, as it can be quite different from other areas. In Westernport we have a thing called current and tide, lots of it. There are mud banks that show at low tide, but they aren’t really all that scary and can be navigated with common sense. You will need to use sinkers, and I don’t mean split shot but large pieces of lead. You will also need to change the size of sinker as the tide changes, and use different size sinkers in different parts of the bay.

Loosely as a rule when you are whiting fishing in the shallow areas of the bay, often as shallow as 1m, you use sinkers from 1/2oz to 3oz.

When you are chasing snapper

or gummies you will need 4oz to 8oz in the shallower spots, up to about 8m and 8oz to 16oz in the deeper channels.

Offshore will depend on your drifting speed but 8oz to 12oz is about right.

The biggest advantage we have in Westernport is we have an island in the middle, and although it can still get quite rough it is a short chop which can be navigated safely. It also means there is somewhere you can go to fish and there is a huge variety of fish to be caught, often without moving spots.

The most important thing you need to learn to safely fish Westernport Bay is wind and tide, as this will determine the safest place to be. Wind and tide going in the same direction will be the smoothest area, wind against tide will be the roughest, just remember the tide will turn and conditions can change very quickly.

Dickies Bay is located on the eastern side of the bridge behind the San Remo police station where there are plenty of weed and sand patches in about 1m to 3m of water. This is one of the most popular areas for whiting and garfish in the bay (and don’t forget the squid jig). Use a long-shank hook or a circle hook on either a running sinker or paternoster rig with pipi, squid or pilchard for bait, a small amount of berley and enough lead to hold bottom. A size 12 long shank hook with silverfish or dough under a float will do for the garfish, with a bread dough for berley and very shallow water.

Move about 1km further ENE and you will come to Maggie Shoal and the Anderson peg, again a very popular spot for whiting, and the same rig and baits apply. With a slightly different bottom you have a very good chance of finding a few rock flathead in this area as well as the odd grass whiting. Another couple of kilometres north and you will come to Reef Island and the mouth of the Bass River, another spot for whiting and calamari. Just be careful of the island itself as the rocks

can be just under the surface at high tide. Don’t forget the bigger gear around the Bass River at night, as we have seen the odd mulloway and gummy from the shallows here over the years.

From Reef Island, head SW back towards the bridge to the main channel. On your way back there are plenty of spots that can be very productive, especially over Christmas when the pinkie snapper move in, and it’s also a good area for calamari and flathead. The top end of the channel can produce some very good whiting along the edge, especially on the start of the run-in tide, but more weight will be needed as the current is quite strong there. The channel can also be very good for pinkie snapper and flathead, but you will come across more rubbish in the form of stingrays and draughtboard sharks as the water cools. The channel is also a very good place to troll a lure or two for salmon and pike, but remember it is a main channel and will get very busy with boating traffic at times.

From the top of the main channel at San Remo you can head towards French island.

North will take you to places like Coronet Bay, Corinella and Elizabeth Island, while northwest will take you to Ram Island and a bit further west there’s Long Point Jetty, Gardners Channel and Tortoise Head. The channel along the island very good for early season snapper and quality gummies but you will be fishing in deeper water, and this is where the 8oz to 12oz sinkers will come in useful.

You will need to be on the edges or ledges along the channel because you will find a lot of big stingrays in the middle of the channel.

There are some quality channel/deep water whiting just off Ram Island and Long Point jetty. You need a different rig to be successful here and I don’t have the space to add it here but just give us a call at the shop.

From Elizabeth Island head SSW towards Rhyll and

about halfway you will come across an area called The Corals, even though there is no coral there. Stories tell us that it was named The Corals by a very early fisherman who would take his wife fishing there, and it was her favourite spot – and of course her name was Coral. Whether it’s true or just a fisherman’s tale, who knows?

Also, in this area if you are lucky and conditions are perfect, dead calm after plenty of rains you will come across the underground water upwellings. I am told they are best described as vents for the underwater basin when it becomes full. You will hear about The Corals in almost every report you read, and I wish it was just a simple area like the other spots I have mentioned. Unfortunately its not that simple, and The Corals refers to a very large area. If you use the area halfway between Elizabeth Island and Rhyll, about 6m deep as a starting point, head towards Cowes for the Deeper Corals, towards Coronet Bay for the Shallow Corals and the mud, north to the Northern Corals and very heavy bottom and where you started as the area most people refer to when they mention The Corals.

So the next time someone gives you a report from ‘The Corals’, try to get the water depth, this will get you closer to the right spot.

From The Corals heading towards Cowes just past the end or the Rhyll channel you will come to the deeper water of Observation Point, and a little further around the corner you will come to the other deep channel of Silverleaves.

Closer to the Newhaven boat ramp, head towards Cleeland Bight, west of the bridge, and stay to the correct side of the channel markers in the Bight as on your port side on the way down is a big sand bar. There are several places to fish in the Bight, and the edge of the sand bar can be very productive for flathead on the right day. Just anchor on the side of the channel and

fish back to the sand bar.

The whiting can be very good further west towards the two green channel markers fishing in about 3-4m of water, but fish on the Woolamai Beach side.

Near the first green marker toward the beach are the Public Moorings, The Old Boat Ramp, and a little more to the NNE from the moorings is Grollos. All are excellent areas for whiting and calamari. You can also pick up some reasonable size pinkies and gummies on the edge of the channel.

Another good spot for whiting is further towards the entrance where you will see a big sand hill, Spew Hill and fishing only a few 100m from the beach is where you need to be in about 1.5-2m of water. You need to take some caution in this area as it can get very busy with kayaks, jet skis and water skiers all trying to use the same area of water.

Also be careful if you are anchoring along the channel as it is the main channel for the commercial boats which can put up a large wake as they go past.

That’s just a handful of places and there are many more.

Offshore there are just as many places to choose from and for all sizes of boat, but it’s a place you should only head if you are confident in your ability because things can change very quickly.

There is some good fishing to be had offshore but I would suggest you drop in and see us at the shop for all the information you will need, as it is very different from fishing in the bay. We have sheets available with GPS marks on them to give you a starting point for your fishing, we can also give you up-to-date weather information.

For daily fishing reports, like us on Facebook, and if you haven’t been here before we are located on Marine Parade San Remo, next door to the bottle shop.

From page 90

the shore.

The paternoster rig is beneficial in this situation, allowing you to fish either two hooks at a time or one hook and a lure such as a soft plastic or surf popper.

Either way, you have a very high chance has hooking two fish at a time.

Throughout this month Western Port produces some amazing fishing year after year, and if you’re brave enough to tackle the bitter cold, you can experience some amazing fishing if you know where to go.

Now is a great time to target calamari in Western Port. Calamari thrive within the Port throughout winter

and can be found amongst any weed-covered area. The Tyabb and Quail banks are very productive, as is the Middle Spit. Drifting these areas while casting size 3.0 squid jigs is the most productive method, however you can also bait fish for calamari using a silver whiting threaded onto a squid jag which is then suspended under a float.

Land-based anglers also encounter many calamari using these methods when fishing from the Stony Point Pier, Flinders Pier, Cowes Pier, San Remo Pier Ventnor beach, Balnarring Beach and at Cleeland Bight.

Ideally, fishing at night during a run-in tide is the most productive time as the

low tide only fishery, so check the tides before you think of heading down. Alternatively, Lang Lang might be an easier option.

For those unsure of where Lang Lang is, it is at the end of Jetty Road off the South Gippsland Hwy. Once you reach the end of Jetty Road, you can park along the rock

to fish, mainly due to the swell from Bass Strait. If you do head down there, try to go when the weather is calm and fish it during a high tide.

Balnarring, on the other hand, fishes particularly well at night. Once again, a high tide is recommended, and you should have a look at Google Earth before venturing down.

Despite the long walk, Stockyard Point is a top location to catch gummy sharks. calamari will move in close in search for food.

June is also a good time to target gummy sharks.

While gummies can be caught

throughout the Port, targeting them in the Western Entrance is where you tend to hook into the larger models more regularly.

The Western Entrance can be a rough section of water so you do need to take care.

The current runs at a rate of knots, and getting anchor can be difficult at times. Running sinker rigs work best, with fresh calamari the prime bait.

If you are restricted to land-based fishing, don’t worry as there are plenty of good land-based locations to catch gummy sharks as well.

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JUNE 2020

91

How good has Gippsland got it?

COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Estuary anglers who are constantly seeking nirvana in regards to fish variety and size can look no further than East Gippsland, especially in the warmer months.

is barely 60km away down a sealed road, and that of course is the famous Bemm River and Sydenham Inlet.

Plus, if time permits, Lake Tyers is a relatively short drive back west and well worth it if you plan to spend the day angling there.

So too is Tamboon Inlet and Cann River, so there are

Cobden bream specialist Jim Murfitt with his first Snowy River luderick taken on sand worm.

I usually set aside the best part of a week every February and travel over from Western Victoria to the east (except for this year, of course). I have yet to regret this decision, and seriously doubt that I ever will. Yes, the 600-odd kilometres there is a long time to spend behind the wheel with boat in tow, but I can assure you it is definitely worth it.

I generally base myself in Marlo, mainly because that’s one of at least two destinations that I always try to thoroughly explore with rod in hand. There’s a range of accommodation here but I prefer to stay as a paying guest at the Ocean Views caravan park. Les and Kathy Heynes have a variety of

well as hungry.

These estuaries can and do fish well all year round, however during winter and spring you have to keep an eye on the weather. I find the Bureau of Meteorology government website to be the best by far, especially when it comes to the Snowy River. As the river begins its journey way up north on the border it’s no good looking at the rainfall happening back down on the coast. You need to know if heavy rainfall has occurred up there or if any environmental flows have recently happened.

If heavy rainfall has occurred up in the East Gippsland high country it may pay to put your trip on hold for at least a fortnight.

Fish can still be caught in murky water, but if your trip to East Gippsland involves a long journey and if, like me you get only one shot at it per year, I’d put things on hold.

a racket, you really don’t know exactly what has taken your offering.

Plus the fact that these destinations are famous for big, blue-nosed bream and this can only be described as the main attraction for most travelling anglers, especially when yellowfin bream as well as blacks are on offer. Yellowfin bream are renowned to grow at a faster rate than blacks so the chance of catching a trophy fish that will really pull the scales down is a real possibility.

Plus they tend to spend most of their time down in the

Bruce Roberts with two bream taken from the Little Snowy River prior to release. He and the author bagged out that day. it just pays to know a bit about their annual lifecycle in order to maximise your catch rate. In the warmer

The author with his best dusky from the Snowy to date, taken below the first island on a Fish Arrow 3’’ shad.

A visiting angler with a sizeable luderick taken off the Broddribb River jetty, Marlo. certainly plenty of options and fish species available to keep us anglers on our toes.

The month of February

In western Victoria our estuaries hold good stocks of bream, estuary perch and mulloway, but that’s about it.

salty water near the mouths of rivers and creeks, and if you want to take home a feed or two, they taste much better. Black bream tend to spend the majority of their time further upstream in a more brackish environment.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the sheer amount of species on offer. Australian salmon, tailor, flounder, garfish, luderick, mulloway, mullet, trevally, estuary perch and, further upstream in many streams as well as stocked in some impoundments, Australian bass.

By far the most popular species targeted by anglers over here would have to be the black bream. Pound for pound they are exceptional fighters on light gear and are truly worthy of the status that estuary anglers bestow on them.

Black bream can be caught all year round,

This sizeable tailor took a Pontoon 21 lure within seconds after hooking and releasing a flathead. months the fish can be found feeding over shallow water such as sand and mud flats and in and around structure that doesn’t lie too deep in the water column. Soft

The author with a Bemm River dusky taken trolling a Pontoon 21 in the channel. onsite cabins and caravans with adjoining hard annexes and en suites to choose from, and all supported by a central camp kitchen.

The other destination 92

JUNE 2020

suits me just fine simply because the weather is more settled, the holiday crowds have left plus a multitude of species including the dusky flathead are very active as

Far East Gippsland holds much, much more. In fact, when your rod initially bends over under the strain, and the crackling of lacquer can be heard making quite

baits such as prawn, worm and shrimp work well at this time of year. Soft plastics that imitate the above baits also function well.

In the winter months the blacks tend to lie in deeper water, and that’s when hard baits such as crabs or small yabbies come into their own.

Again, soft plastics or lures that imitate these baits will also prove successful.

September, October and November are the main months in which these fish spawn, and the bream often travel way upstream in search of the appropriate brackish water in which to do so.

Freshes pushing down from the high country in spring can prevent this upstream migration to a certain extent,

This solid bream couldn’t resist a Fish Arrow 3’’ shad worked along the bottom.

but I know that if this doesn’t occur, long rivers such as the Snowy can see schools of spawning bream being caught up as far as Orbost or even further.

If time is not on your side and the main species you are chasing is black bream, I’d avoid the spring months as it can sometimes take days to locate the fish. Smaller estuaries such as Bemm River can be scoured over more quickly, but at places such as Lake Tyers and the rivers that flow into the Gippsland Lakes, locating the fish can easily eat into your valuable fishing time.

Yellowfin bream prefer the lower, more saltwater influenced reaches of East Gippsland estuaries. They To page 93

No more nets: Gippsland Lakes are now net free GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

As you can well imagine my fishing report over the last few months is next to non-existent! So I’m going to talk about what to expect in the next few months ahead, hoping things will get back to normal. There’s also news about how commercial netting has now ceased in the Gippy Lakes but before all that, just a word about what we have all endured over the last few months.

Who would have ever thought that due to a damn virus we would be told not to go fishing? Hopefully,

A healthy river bream caught on a saltwater fly before the Victorian fishing lockout was enforced. as you’re reading this, the situation has improved enough for us to once again wet a line. Our local

While exercising out on the water, the author had some very curious dolphins turn up. They were probably wondering why he wasn’t fishing!

From page 92

have a faster growth rate than blacks and tend to taste better on the fork.

They can spawn anytime from November through to January and beyond, and do so at the mouths of estuaries or just outside in the sea in and around nearby reefs and weed beds. Yellows don’t tend to spawn en masse as blacks do, so they remain a viable angling proposition year round.

Dusky flathead can be found from November through to May down in the lower reaches of estuaries. Then, as the cooler weather and water temperatures arrive, they ‘seem’ to disappear. This is not the case though. Their activity and metabolism does slow down, but they still have to feed and they can still be caught.

In winter duskies move right upstream where fresh water easily dominates over the salt. On several trips in the past I have caught sizeable dusky flathead in September right up the

Gippsland politicians and well known fishing identities, like David Kramer, all need a big thank you for almost pleading with the Victorian government to responsibly ease the fishing restraints.

It has been especially hard for Victorians to watch the rest of Australia keep fishing while our state was in angling lockdown. It makes little sense to most of us, especially in remote Gippsland far away from heavily populated areas like Melbourne. Many people may have totally backed the ban on our fishing I’m sure, but let it be said that anglers totally support the saving of lives and preventing the spread of that nasty virus.

None of us should overlook that we still live in the lucky country and our collective isolation efforts have so far prevented a major tragedy, unlike some countries overseas. We must thank our leaders for making sure they took heroic measures in protecting our people. However, I will say that for me and thousands of other anglers, it’s been a very challenging few months no being able to fish. On a lighter note, I’ve been joking top of the Toorloo Arm of Lake Tyers. This migration upstream in winter appears common in nearly all East Gippsland estuaries.

Estuary perch in East Gippsland can be found

The author with a decent Bemm River bream taken on a Damiki 2” Grub in motor oil.

with mates that without being able to fish, I’ve gone so nutty that I’m now back in nappies and sucking my thumb!

NO MORE NETS Now for some good news for our local and visiting anglers. It was back in April that the Gippy Lakes became another net free zone, but the announcement went almost unnoticed due to the relentless pandemic news. In any other year, the day would have been met with spirited fanfare and celebration.

I think the Gippy Lakes now face bigger challenges in the form of degraded river flows. Due to less rainfall and because of the staggering volume of irrigation out of our rivers, it seems we are heading towards a freshwater crisis. Mark my words, in the next few years the allocation of environmental flows, or to put it bluntly – less irrigation, will become an even bigger, contentious and touchy dispute among anglers, farmers, environmental groups and politicians.

Rivers in poor health will see our fish head the same way.

The declining stocks of bream and estuary perch over many decades in the Gippy Lakes is a complicated issue.

I’ve always argued that if the system was still in good environmental shape, like the ‘good old days’, it could support a commercial fishery. I don’t solely blame netting for our declining fish numbers, however think about the following.

When you look at Lake Tyers, Tamboon or even Mallacoota, the recreational catch has not surged through the roof since their netting was banned. I would even argue that in those three estuaries, recreational catch rates have declined on a in the less saline waters of an estuary for most of the year, but around July and August they school up and move down towards the mouth where the water is saltier in which to spawn.

During winter they tend to feed from the surface down to midwater, and in summer they will also readily feed off the bottom.

Australian bass can be found in most east Gippsland estuaries but spend most of their time in the freshwater reaches, moving down into more brackish water to breed from June to September. This causes them to overlap with the estuary perch’s breeding cycle, which has resulted in some hybrid fish being created and then caught.

Populations are not considered huge in East Gippy but only the hardiest of anglers seem prepared to go ‘bush bashing’ on foot

similar level as the Gippy Lakes. I worry that this shows, or even confirms, that there are greater and more concerning issues at stake. I’m glad there are not thousands of fish netted in our Gippsland estuaries, I’d be stupid to say otherwise.

Just as I’m pleased about

historically been some of our best bream and flathead catches. With the last few months of no angling, or indeed netting pressure, I’m tipping the fish are going to bite their heads off!

The hotspots will be Hollands Landing, the lower Mitchell River and my big

Fishing may have been off limits but at least we could get the kayaks out for some much needed exercise. the lower recreational bag limits, because it leaves more for me to catch!

But why haven’t fish numbers exploded in those commercial free estuaries if netting was such a huge burden on fish stocks?

LOOKING AHEAD With fingers-crossed let us hope we are all back fishing soon and this is what I believe we can look forward to as winter sets in. June to August has

tip will be the Tambo River, as it slowly clears up after the fires. There have been some very healthy water flows into our streams while we’ve all been in lockdown and this should fire things right up. I really hope to have a much better report for you next issue with plenty of big fish photos and happy smiley faces. Hopefully I won’t have a virus and I will be out of nappies for good and give my thumb a rest!

Two Marlo bream taken from under the Marlo Jetty in quick succession by simply drifting a local prawn under the structure. in search of them, and most bass anglers tend to keep their fishing spots a closely guarded secret so there could easily be more bass out there than we realise.

The Snowy has populations that can be found above Orbost township. So too has Bemm River above the rapids, and the creek that feeds into the Toorloo arm of Lake Tyers. Nearly all other

estuaries, big or small, hold bass. The less accessible the river, the more fish seem to be present, taking into account the size and length of the waterway.

For those who live work and fish in East Gippsland, you don’t know how lucky you have it! The rest of us, for most of the year anyway, can only look on and drool.

JUNE 2020

93

Big things are set to come MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

Wi t h COVID-19 threatening the whole country, and the whole world, the Victorian Government have enforced the isolation ban on groups of more than two people permitted out together. They have also banned fishing, hunting and golf – all sports that we could do solo but the law is the law and the police are enforcing it in Victoria.

So, for all the fishing fraternity it’s time to check

Let’s hope the government opens up the fishing restrictions and we can get out on the water again.

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out all our fishing gear, servicing all our reels, making sure our rods are up to scratch and changing the line on our reels. And when that’s done, cleanout our tackle boxes, checking lures for split rings and hooks, and packing it away until we are able to go fishing again.

With the winter coming, it won’t be so bad not fishing. I will have to make do with watching past fishing documentaries and dream of the fishing to come in the warmer months. Hopefully we will be able venture out and do battle with the pelagic fish when they arrive with the warm current.

This year was good for kingfish with plenty being caught on both lures and live baits. It wasn’t as good for the mako shark anglers, with only a few being taken. Marlin didn’t seem to be the numbers we normally expect, with only a few being reported

Tare Satori with a little gummy shark. as captured. Broadbill were in good numbers, weather permitting, but with the season cut short because of the fishing ban in Victoria, not as many were captured.

Likewise, the Lakes Entrance annual broadbill tournament fishing in Bass Strait was cancelled; let’s hope it’s on again next year.

While we are on fishing cancellations, my annual fishing to NZ to fish the 51st International Yellowtail

Tournament fished out of Russell has be cancelled. It will be held next year all going well.

A local pro fisherman has given me some local information on what’s to come; there is still plenty of baitfish out in the strait, so if the baitfish are there then the other bigger fish will be there too. Now that anglers are allowed to go fishing again, hopefully we will get some great captures.

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JUNE 2020

Robyn Sturgess

At time of writing, we are still in a total lockdown of our businesses in our little community of Bemm River.

This means we have had zero clientele with no fishing to report.

We would like to bring to your attention that now is the perfect time to have your boats and safety gear checked

and serviced. Most important is life jackets, and you can service these yourselves and flare kits.

It is extremely important to check your boat trailer: the braking system, the lights and especially the wheel bearings.

There will be no excuses for people heading out onto the water, once able, or travel along our highways without all these safety factors being up to speed.

If you have any doubts regarding fishing and boating

requirements in Victoria, go online or drop into a DWELP office and obtain a hard copy.

• For on the spot and up to date fishing reports check 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.

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Trophy lizards at Tyers LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

2020, to say the least, has been an extremely hard year so far. Factors such as fires, drought and now the COVID-19 spread throughout the country.

Thankfully to good management we are seeing the numbers stabilise and hopefully in time we’ll all be able to go about life as normal.

In Victoria, unlike the other states, recreational fishing has been banned.

This has seen many keen anglers house bound and slowly going crazy as they run out of jobs to do around the house. For me, this extra free time has been great to catch up and clean and organise fishing gear, along with doing trailer and boat repairs. Once we get the green light that we can go fishing, I’ll be straight back in to the action!

With all the negative news lately and being locked up in our homes, some good things have happened for the Gippsland lakes. The days of commercial fishing in the Gippsland Lakes are over. The lakes have been commercially netted for over

150 years, but the last 10 licenses were finally bought back this year. It’s crazy to think this is the first big break the Gippsland Lakes system has had for over a century. It will dramatically help the aquatic life of the Gippsland lakes system. The

recent rainfall and lack of fishing pressure, Gippsland Lakes is shaping up to have a great start to winter.

Hopefully, large amount of bream and other species will have successfully spawn and begin many more years of successful fish recruitment.

Lake Tyers offers many forms of structure, including fallen trees.

Small shad style hardbodies are a great approach for targeting Lake Tyers bream.

It’ll be interesting to see how quickly the fishery will improve, areas like Lake Tyers have been net free for many years and are now recreational fishing havens. Trophy size flathead are a massive draw card to the local area with every season dishing out some absolute monsters.

After talking with many keen anglers, we’re excited to see the potential. Species like King George whiting, trevally and salmon should replenish reasonably

quickly, unlike bream. I can’t wait to see the calibre of whiting fishing next season – it could quickly become one Victoria’s best whiting fisheries, especially because it is easy for everyone to access.

LAKE TYERS Year after year, Lake Tyers has become the place to target monster flathead. The fishery has only further improved with the implement of the slot size a few years back. Throughout Lake

Tyers, there are endless options and flathead are wide spread throughout the waterway, even up in to the freshwater areas right at the top of the system. The deeper points and shallow flats down the front of the system are some of the best areas for anglers to target these monster frogs .

With the recent drought, the system is at its lowest water level in a long time so hopefully we have a wet winter and the levels rise before next summer.

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It’ll be interesting to see the numbers of yellowfin bream in the lower lakes in the next couple of years.

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95

No need to travel too far MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

For people new to fishing Mallacoota, here is a guide to fishing in the Mallacoota lake system.

As you know, Mallacoota is a big estuary system this is a guide for people towing a boat to Mallacoota to help them catch a few fish and

slowly get to know the area.

When launching you need to think about where you intend to fish and what the weather is doing.

There are three options for launching a boat.

1. The centre of town down from the bakery is a dual ramp with fish cleaning facilities. It provides close access to the main channel, Harrisons Channel and out into the Bottom Lake.

Flathead are caught throughout the system.

This one was caught on a lure well upstream.

2. Karbeethong is located about 3km around the Bottom Lake heading towards the Narrows, and gives good access to the Bottom Lake and through the Narrows and into the Top Lake. It’s a great place to launch if it’s windy as there are plenty of options to find somewhere out of the wind to fish.

3. Gypsy Point is a 20 minute drive back towards the highway. This gives good access to the rivers in the top of the system and is ideal area to fish when the wind is really blowing.

If you are spending a few days holidaying and fishing in Mallacoota your best option to find fish is decide which ramp you are going to fish from, then fish in that area. There is no point racing around the whole system when moving, just do it in small leaps. This way you are spending more time fishing and less time driving, and you’re also getting a better picture of the area.

Whether you are fishing with bait or lures, a fishfinder

is going to make things a lot easier. Fishing with lures you are on the move, so finding fish is a lot quicker.

With bait you need to keep moving, and you should do this in small leaps regularly until you find fish. Don’t stay too long in one spot if it’s not producing; keep on the move.

One thing to remember is that once you catch a fish there are probably more in the area, and this is another reason why you shouldn’t travel long distances between spots. Fish come off and on the bite, and if you are travelling you can miss the period when they switch on. If you are fishing with bait and catching fish, and then things go quiet, up anchor and move 100m to the side. If you have no luck there, go the opposite way by a few hundred meters.

The fish won’t have gone too far because there is obviously food in the area.

Fish like flathead will still be in the area, and when they are on the bite they

Laurence with a good size tailor. They can turn up anywhere in the system. are easy to catch. When they are not, they can be very hard to tempt.

Black bream can be much the same. Many times when lure fishing I have seen bream but found it very hard to catch them. Then, for whatever reason they come on the bite and are as easy as any fish to catch.

As the saying goes, you have to be in the right place at the right time! Anglers often focus on lure choice or lighter leaders as keys to success, while overlooking this factor.

If you prefer fishing

with bait, it’s important to have good quality fresh bait, preferably from the local area. If you talk to other anglers they probably won’t tell you exactly where they are fishing but they will tell you the best baits.

If you like fishing with lures, and you have a few anglers on your boat, get each angler using a different style and/or colour lure.

That way, you can figure out what the fish are looking for more quickly.

I hope this helps newcomers to Mallacoota get onto a few fish!

READER’S STORY

My monster brown trout I entered the Alfredton Fishing Competition at Lake Wendouree with my family.

Mum and dad woke us up really early so that we would get there on time. It was a really cold morning and once we were on the boat it started raining. My younger brother caught a little redfin, but he and I were ready to give up.

The fish weren’t biting and we were ready for hot chocolates.

Dad said “Just 10 more minutes, and then we can go get hot drinks.”

I was ready to start reeling in my line when all of a sudden it took off!

Dad said to hold onto the rod tight and came over to help me. The fish was

Vera receiving her first place prize for her trophy trout capture.

pulling super hard and I was excited to see what it was. We saw it jump out the water and mum and dad both yelled out that it was a big fish.

Dad had to keep moving the boat as the fish kept swimming toward the weeds.

Finally I could see my trout near the boat and mum scooped it up in the net. I couldn’t believe that I did it! I was crying I was just so excited.

I had never caught a brown trout that big before, it went 58cm! My mum, dad and brother were so happy for me. We took heaps of photos, let the fish go and then went to celebrate with the hot chocolates – finally!

When the fishing competition had finished, it

Vera with her winning 58cm brown trout. was time for the presentations.

I had my fingers-crossed that I might win a prize. Not only did I win a prize, I came first

203 Imlay St, Eden

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JUNE 2020

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Vera testing out her new kayak.

in the juniors and won a kayak! This was the best day of my fishing life. – Vera Cummings (8yo)

Going soft on Murray cod ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

It’s a fact of angling that it’s often difficult to deviate from our path of known success.

For most of us, fishing is about the fulfilment derived from outsmarting our quarry. This is why many of us hold fast to our tried techniques and struggle to progress forward in angling terms. Not that you are expected to be an angling scholar, but have you ever wondered why some fishos seem to be able to catch from a puddle while others might starve in an aquarium?

If you haven’t tried soft plastics yet, you really should.

They are an effective lure on almost any fish species you care to imagine. Redfin will pounce on a soft plastic like a seagull on a hot chip. Bream, flathead, and barramundi will also readily line up to eat these

lures, yet for some reason soft plastics have been slow to infiltrate our native fishery.

I know of anglers fishing some of the northern impoundments who use soft plastics to target large golden perch. They search out standing trees hidden in the depths on their sounder, looking for one that holds fish. Looking similar to a Christmas tree covered in lights, the fish are easy to see and the plastic is delivered over the side and fished in a tea-bag fashion as it is lifted and dropped in the fish’s face. It’s a deadly method on schooling perch that has few equals.

On our first serious trip using plastics we fished a stretch of river that had been hard hit to the point that the resident green fish had a degree in lure recognition. Almost all lures have a signature sound – anything from a dull thud to a loud rattle – and if the fish hear that sound often enough, they know it means danger.

The angling edge at such

Strikes on the drop usually resulted in deep set hooks.

locations comes with leaving your comfort zone and trying something different. In this case, soft plastics.

Rigged on a lightly weighted weedless hook, my paddling plastic grub swam silent and unobtrusive amongst the snags. With the hook point hidden just inside the plastic, the rig could be cast and retrieved through either heavy weed or timber without becoming fouled or snagged. It doesn’t get much more natural than that, and within minutes the first rod-jarring strike from a sizable Murray cod proved that the soft plastic was something the fish weren’t too familiar with. While the hook had failed to take root it was a good sign. For the next hour or so, we made cast after cast into every conceivable cod haunt along the river’s course.

At the end of one particular hole there was a bottleneck of weed-lined banks that looked like the perfect ambush spot for a crafty green fish, yet several casts failed to tempt a strike.

It was nearing dark as one last cast along the weed line was allowed to find depth before the plastic was kicked into gear with a few sharp flicks of the rod tip. A few more flicks, a short wind and a pause allowed the plastic to once more find depth. A few feet down the unmistakable strike from a cod transmitted up the braid as the plastic was inhaled on the drop.

This time the rod loaded to the cork as a sizable cod made a quick run out of the weed bed

and back into the deeper safety of the pool.

With few snags to negotiate, the cod was easily led to the net, and at almost a metre in length it was a great catch regardless of the method. Not a bad way to open the ‘Murray cod on soft plastic’ account.

Over the course of the afternoon we tried several different paddle-styled plastics that all looked quite similar but swam very differently.

It seemed that the softer plastic worked best, creating maximum swimming action at minimal speed. Rigged on a Bassman weedless 7g 5/0 hook, we were able to achieve a slow sink rate with an enticing tail action, greatly increasing the strikes.

Large plastics generally come pre-rigged with upsized weights that create a house brick dive on the drop, and maximum action is achieved at speed. We have found that although larger plastics would be ideal for targeting big Murray cod, in order for the plastic to swim properly, speed and weight become major issues. No doubt in the world of plastics there are numerous models that would suit this style of fishing, it’s just a matter of sourcing them (unfortunately their availability out in the bush is almost non-existent).

The next morning we started the day off well with another good-sized cod that once again inhaled the plastic on the drop. This cod had two cracks at the plastic before it

A ripper cod landed on a soft plastic fish imitation at Copeton Dam. got pinned in the back of the throat. Most missed strikes on hardbody lures in this waterway fail to return, but the follow-up strike on the plastic was quick and hard. With a soft, more lifelike feel, this greedy cod was not alerted to the soft plastic as a threat.

Several more fish followed over the morning session before we decided to blind cast a deep hole in a bend of the river. In 5m of water the plastics took time to find depth before a slow lift wind routine saw the plastics lift a few metres from the bottom before being allowed to freefall back to full depth.

As I went to make the next cast I noted a solid snag on the sounder directly below the boat. Over the side and out of gear the plastic was allowed to free-fall down amongst the sunken timber. Once it had reached bottom, a slow lift and drop routine had the plastic dancing the zone amongst the timber directly below the boat.

The colloquial term for this style of fishing is ‘tea bagging’, and while that sounds very relaxing and calm, what

happened next was completely the opposite. I experienced what felt like the kick of a mule as the rod snapped down and wrapped around the hull under the weight of one very large and angry green fish. It was over in seconds, but these are the high octane moments that make fishing so addictive.

I re-rigged with shaky hands and wondered at the sheer power and violence of the take. More importantly, my mind was clear of doubt and laid open to the possibilities that soft plastics on Murray cod provide.

By the end of the trip we had caught no less than four sizable cod on the plastics, and got smoked by that unstoppable fish that took the plastic back home to its lair.

While native fish anglers have been slow to grasp the use of soft plastics, I feel sure this will change over the next few seasons. With an evergrowing range of plastics and different jigheads to rig them on, the possibilities are endless – as are the opportunities to catch some very good fish.

CAMPING

Australian history: Aussies under canvas CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

Ever since the first Europeans set foot on the great southern land and decided to spend a night or two, a great roll of canvas (often old sail cloth) was produced, a basic A-frame was built and ‘strewth!’

For the first time, Australians were camping under the Southern Cross (well, the Brits, the Dutch and even the French were). All that was needed was a campfire in which to BBQ some wallaby or goanna, and break open the rum rations!

Most of us nowadays associate camping with beachside summer holidays, bushwalking and fishing, but breaking out the camp was much more important when it came to the forming our nation as well as our psyche as Australians.

Since the first settlements arrived the ingredients for setting up camp may have changed over time, but the principle remains the same.

Australians love camping and continue to do so.

Not only did the first fleeters under the guardianship of one Arthur George Phillip spend their first few years under canvas, so too did the second, third and most of the subsequent fleets that began arriving in Sydney cove.

The very first solid structures erected around this time were made from heavy timbers and stone with solid foundations, but they were initially not for habitation but for keeping thieves away from the precious rations brought from the motherland such as salted pork, flour and rum! So bad luck to most of the convicts, soldiers and governing bodies as they were still restricted to living under canvas.

As convicts and the like were pardoned and given parcels of land to take up outside, the colony of New South Wales once again were restricted to camping.

This was tolerable in most cases for two reasons. First, for much of the year Australia’s climate is conducive to camping. And second, camps

Miners relaxing in front of their tent at the site of the Newport gold rush, December 1930.

Image courtesy of National Library of Australia.

could be set up quickly and dismantled even quicker. This was a great advantage when one was constantly on the move to more permanent digs.

The downside was the distinct lack of privacy; campfires were often shared out of necessity rather than for companionship, and camping was more of a vital survival skill, not recreation.

The early settlers that were willing to mix with the indigenous peoples soon learnt how to build a ‘gunyah’ or bush shelter out of supportive branches covered in twigs and

leaves. Strips of bark were also layered on a canvas roof to provide more protection and insulation from the elements.

Tents and the like were not just used for habitation. Many were turned into a wide variety of businesses that had the ability to pack up at a moment’s notice and follow the crowds to wherever they ventured.

Many commercial ventures began life under canvas – grog shops, butcheries and general stores to name a few. As our population moved out into more rural areas, government bodies such as the local

constabulary and the judicial system quickly followed and of course, initially slept and operated under canvas.

The greatest influx of camping occurred around the 1850s which coincided with the gold rush. By the end of the decade over half of Victoria’s population was residing in tents – an estimated 180,000 people!

But it wasn’t only the diggers who needed to camp.

Many growing businesses needed mobility as the nation began to spread outwards across the continent.

Road and railway workers, surveyors, drillers, fruit pickers, sleeper cutters, fencers, commercial fishers and shooters, shearers and drovers and not forgetting the rabbitohs! By the mid-1880s, close to 60,000 shearers were camping out for months at a time following seasonal work as the nation was well and truly ‘riding on the sheep’s back’ at that stage.

Many, now famous, Australians were often drawn to the temporary lifestyle of camping out in the bush. One example is Henry Lawson,

who reportedly used the time out in the bush to recover his senses from urbanised alcoholic binges.

Many others were tempted outdoors with only the basics to sustain them, and while they not only lived under canvas for periods of time, they worked on it. Artists such as Von Guerard, Tom Roberts, and Arthur Streeton all ‘roughed it’ at one stage or another while painting many now famous works of art.

In a nutshell, camping is what differentiates and makes us truly unique as Australians. I mean, where do you think that well known expression ‘Close the bloody door behind you!

Were you born in a tent?’ originated from?

So the next time you decide to ‘go bush’ and pitch the tent for a night or three with family and friends, just remember – our forefathers have been doing this for countless generations either out of necessity or in later times, for recreation.

So enjoy and give thanks to a great nation built on camping.

JUNE 2020

97

Revisiting the opening season WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

All forms of recreational fishing are banned in Victoria, thanks to COVID19. As I have no idea of whether we will be allowed to go fishing again by June, I have decided to write a short feature article rather than a fishing report.

Here is the story of the Murray cod season that was here in the Wangaratta area.

Before I start, please be advised that if the current fishing ban is lifted by June, the Murray cod season will remain open until the end of August.

On 1 December 2019, Brett Corker and I out on the water early, keen to get a few casts in before daybreak. We started fishing with surface lures before switching to diving lures. It was a fantastic start to the season, with Brett and I landing several nice Murray cod up to the 60cm mark. The fishing was red hot.

At around 9am we left, and went back into town, grabbing some breakfast. Due to the threat of very heavy

Murray cod fishing, catching plenty of fish and making plenty of videos for my YouTube channel.

In the middle of December, just as I had to go back to work, a record breaking heat rolled in. We started experiencing mid 40ºC days, which is unheard of in

than usual, and the Murray cod slowed right down. As the water gets to its maximum warmth in the summer, and its minimum flow, it usually turns a really dark brown colour, a sign of decreased oxygen levels.

A few windy days will blow thousands of gum

This happens every year in the Ovens River, usually around mid to late January and lasts a few weeks before some reprieve in late February. This year it started much earlier than usual, thanks to the early onset of extreme heat, leaving the Ovens River at its usual summer low for the entire

A rare late summer cod caught on chicken in the lower Ovens River just before the COVID-19 lockdown.

Brett caught this lovely small Murray cod on a surface lure late in the season before the lockdown. The fishing was very tough. summer, apart from the first two weeks.

At around Christmas time, bushfires started in the mountains as a result of dry lightning strikes that smouldered for a few days before really taking off around

New Years. Bushfires wiped out very large areas of the Ovens River catchment, as well as others nearby.

Following the bushfires, we had flash flooding, which deteriorated the water quality completely. It even caused fish kills in some areas, with a large section of the Upper Murray around Jingellic hit the hardest.

Extreme heat, then bushfires then flash flooding resulted in a river full of ash, which then led to the toughest conditions I can remember for Murray cod fishing in the Wangaratta area. What started as a fantastic and promising Murray cod season in early December went pear-shaped around mid-December and then turned to crap for the rest of the season before the COVID-19 bug and Victorian government forced us off the water completely.

I caught heaps of Murray cod in those first two weeks,

then I was drop fed Murray cod for a few weeks, and by mid-January it had become the worst Murray cod season that I can remember! I caught approximately 10 turtles every Murray cod that I caught.

We may or may not be able to go cod fishing in Victoria again this season. If we are, I expect the fishing to be very slow at the time of year when the water is cold. However, at the moment I do not care how slow it is, the moment the government lifts the fishing ban I am going fishing, rain hail or shine!

Stressed at work and then locked at home when I knock off is NOT a winning combination. I really need my ‘mental health release’ back.

Remember folks, if you do not want to catch COVID-19, then stay away from isolated rivers and streams. Head to Coles, Woolies or Bunnings instead… safety in numbers, apparently!

Prospects are good BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

A Predator hardbody lure, nicknamed ‘Mr Orange’, was the undoing of this cod. rainfall in the afternoon, Brett and I decided to go straight back out the river. Usually we have a morning session and an afternoon session, but on cod opening we knew the afternoon session would be washed out, so we started our afternoon session at around 10am.

We fished for a few hours, again catching several nice Murray cod before being washed out by torrential rain just after lunch. It was a fantastic start to what promised to be a great season.

I had the first two weeks of the cod season off work, on annual leave. It goes without saying, I took the time off work to go cod fishing… and that I did!

The following two weeks were great. I had a bit of dirty water to contend with as a result from the cod opening downpour, however I experienced some fantastic 98

JUNE 2020

December. Day after day of extreme heat saw the water in the Ovens River turn really dark about 4-6 weeks earlier

I, like other anglers around the country, have been suffering from cabin fever due to restrictions placed on recreational anglers, which have assisted in

curbing the spread of this deadly virus. Short-term pain for long-term gain, you could say. It’s great that restrictions have now been eased, allowing us to once again head out to have a fish.

The fishing around the district prior to the restriction

was just starting to ramp up, with some excellent catches and reports coming through.

Moorabool, Wendouree and Bostock all reported notable catches.

Moorabool Reservoir was certainly our top fishery moving into the

leaves into the river, which release tannins and the water turns black. At this point the fishing really slows down.

The first two weeks of opening cod season were very productive for Brett Corker.

Brian Rivett landed this ripper brown trout on a Bent Minnow surface lure on Lake Wendouree. Image courtesy of Shane Stevens.

To page 99

Getting back on the water SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

What a strange and stressful time we have all lived through in the past few months! I never would have thought I would be writing a fishing article with zero reports coming in.

Job losses and deaths have really hit home for many of us, and the inability to get a mental health release on the river bank has been souldestroying for some. I’m not saying that fishing is as bad as COVID-19, but I feel fishing could have eased the stress on many families in Victoria.

I hope the next article I write is full of happy snaps

and reports of locals back out fishing and the beast called COVID-19 is under control.

If we can get back on the water, I would think the Goulburn and Broken rivers will have settled down from the minor flood levels we saw in early May. It was a great sign to see all the water flowing down the river which was just a trickle a week before the rise.

Many parts of Victoria including Shepparton have seen unprecedented amounts of rain over April, which may make the fish react differently from previous years, so time on the water will be key.

I would expect big baits or big lures to be the best way to catch a decent cod in both rivers in the winter months, with many of the

smaller fish going well and truly off the bite.

With the high water rise in early May, I recommend re-familiarising yourself with the conditions above and below the water. Many snags will have shifted and banks may be eroded away, so take care if you plan to walk the banks or boat up and down the river.

KIALLA LAKES Kialla will be very tough over the next few months.

You may get lucky and catch a few redfin but there are very limited numbers in the lakes now.

The rise in water may have brought the fish to the edges feeding, but we just couldn’t get out fishing to check it out.

If we do happen to get a good

Left: The author’s channel jig set-up. Right: The author’s Shepp Lake plastic set-up.

From page 98

restriction period. The trout were moving into the shallows, herding up the smelt (small baitfish), and were only too happy to eat a lure, plastic or fly

Steve and Nathan Angee ventured out to Moorabool around the same time, with both Steve and Nathan having opportunities to catch a few fish each. Nathan managed to keep the hooks

lure, plastics, fly or bait. I fished Wendouree with Brian Rivett casting lures, which is very productive at this time of year. Brian was geared up casting Bent Minnow lures, and after having several follows he landed a lovely brown trout of 57cm.

Steve and Nathan Angee also hit Wendouree up before the restrictions were enforced. Nathan kept up his good form, catching a mid-40s redfin casting an Ecogear Power Shad.

We can expect these fish

downpour and Kialla is your only option, I would target the edges with worms or small soft plastics.

SHEPPARTON LAKE The Shepparton Lake jetties have been roped off for some time, and the fish will have enjoyed a few months of no pressure. If we can now fish the lake I would be throwing plastics rigged weedless, and if it’s a good day add a beetle spin. You will be able to catch almost all species of fish in the lake over the winter periods on this rig.

The cod and yellowbelly will be much harder to catch (although not impossible).

Redfin, trout and silver perch will make up most of the catches in the winter months.

LOCAL CHANNELS Everywhere else had high flows but the channels now will be on the drop or fully dropped for the winter.

This is still a great time to fish for native fish and, as I have said in recent articles, jigs will be a go-to lure for these periods. A slow roll or a drag along the rock edges will work well, especially if it’s freshly dropped.

If you’re looking to fish in other ways, smaller hardbodies like the Daiwa Double Clutch may work on the redfin on the weed edges.

When it comes to bait fishing, I would be floating worms around similar areas or, if you can get your hands on

Broken River is running high and hard in Shepparton. live yabbies, fish them in the rocks or weed areas.

MOOROOPNA LAKE This small rec reserve lake will have very little traffic before or after COVID-19 restrictions, so if you’re looking at a easy access lake for the kids or just to kill a few hours, head down there.

Floating worms around the weeds or corn on the bottom will see you with a chance of catching a big carp. They’re not the best fish to catch but can be fun on a 1000 size reel, and you’ll also be helping the environment.

WARANGA BASIN The basin is very hard to predict as there is so much water for the fish to school up in. I would stick to areas where there are big points and freshly-covered flats of grass.

The basin was on the rise and over 60% when I wrote this article, so hopefully the inflows keep up and the fish move shallow and feed.

Small spinners or worms off the bank can be a fun way to catch these fish. Those in a boat can go a bit deeper and cast plastics into the shallows from deeper areas.

to go quiet over the winter months. Most anglers who head out will see the trout chasing flies and lures very aggressively, as they do at this time of the year in their pre spawn mode.

Bostock Reservoir is not a fishery that is on a lot of anglers’ radars, and a lot of people drive past it on the way to fish other prominent waters in the district. Andrew Borg, who lives in the area, puts a fair bit of time in at Bostock and has certainly reaped the rewards, catching

Andrew Borg landed his new PB brown trout from Bostock Reservoir on a mudeye pattern fly. Image courtesy of Andrew Borg.

Nathan Angee landed a rainbow trout from Moorabool Reservoir on an Ecogear Power Shad. Image courtesy of Nathan Angee. that was put in front of them. I fished Moorabool one morning, right on daylight for a few hours, and it was one of the most enjoyable sessions I have had out there. I only landed one fish, but I put hooks into a few others and had quite a few other follows casting Bent Minnow lures, sometimes blind and other times to smelt-feeding fish.

in a lovely rainbow trout around the 2lb mark on an Ecogear Power Shad soft plastic. There are sure to be exciting times ahead.

At Lake Wendouree the trout and redfin were just really starting to fire up, as they have done in the past couple of years. In my experience, April and May are the best months to fish the lake, whether you fish

This mid-40cm redfin was caught on Lake Wendouree while casting an Ecogear Power Shad. Image courtesy of Nathan Angee.

brown trout up to 48cm.

Andrew walks the shorelines fly fishing. He has not seen many fish rising or chasing smelt like other waters at this time of the year, and he has been casting blind catching quite a few 35-40cm brown trout during the evening on a mud eye fly imitation. One evening he did actually see a fish rise, and he popped his fly in front of the fish, which grabbed it without hesitation.

It turned out to be his new Bostock PB of 48cm. That waterway is certainly one to

have a look at in the future.

I haven’t received any reports from Tullaroop Reservoir, but if the past few years are any indication, June is the best time to head out and cast a lure or fly. This month I will be walking the many shorelines casting wobblers, Tassie Devils and hardbodied lures as well as smelt imitation fly patterns to catch some of the rainbows and browns that are feeding on smelt in the shallows.

JUNE 2020

99

Sussing out the structure EILDON

Peter Burtchell

Victorians have done a remarkable job of sticking to the coronavirus restrictions, and by staying home they have saved lives.

Hopefully by the time this report is published the restrictions have been eased enough for us to once

when they visit us here at the Café 501 Bar and Grill on the foreshore where I am based.

In lieu of action landing shots taken by the many anglers who successfully fish Lake Eildon and surrounds, we have been busy photographing the various structures around the Jerusalem Creek area. The fishing guides are always on

Meandering creek bed full of bullrushes and laydowns for the 65-75% lake level. again spend time fishing in our beloved wilderness. It will certainly make it easier for me to complete an update on fishing at Eildon as I get to mingle with the anglers, hear their stories and view their photographs

the lookout for structures as they become exposed during lowering lake levels. This makes it easier for guides to direct the travelling angler to the best fishing spot at any given lake level, whether they are fishing land-based

or in a vessel that doesn’t have a sounder. The guides have a favourite saying they use when talking to an angler visiting the tackle shop or bar looking for local knowledge: “if you want to get a fish out of here, you talk to me!”

Walking the banks now at a 37% lake level, we can be up to 300m away from the fishing action that occurs around the banks and structures at a full lake level. With over 520km of lakefront and up to a 300m difference between full and low level, there sure is a lot of structure to be explored.

A 2-minute walk south from the Jerusalem Creek Café 501 brings us to an impressive bridge structure that is exposed from a 50% lake level and down. Behind the structure heading west is a now dry creek bed that has been overrun by bullrushes.

The creek bed meanders a further 150m away from the lake, with many laydowns covering the creek. At a 55-75% lake level the bridge structure and the larger laydowns will be home to many an ambushing Murray cod who will feed on smaller Murray cod, yellowbelly, trout, redfin and roach as they head up the creek chasing easy meals of smaller fish, crustaceans and insects.

A 4-minute walk to the east from the Café 501 on the north bank of the Jerusalem Creek Arm will allow you to see all of the structure that proved very successful from an 80% lake level through to 40%. Many 1m Murray cod were caught, photographed and released from this 200m

stretch of water over the last 12 months. The structures are small, dead regrowth that provide some relief to baitfish from the marauding Murray cod. This year’s regrowth will prove a very productive area whether you’re fishing from the bank, flicking towards the bank over the structures or trolling past when the lake hits a level of 70% and above. The smaller dead regrowth area will fire as the lake surpasses 50% with many redfin, trout, yellowbelly and Murray cod catches.

Within the middle of the Holiday Park there are many gullies that produce good cover growth during lower lake levels. The gullies are home to all species of fish, crustaceans and insects.

These gullies will prove very productive as the predicted lake level will inundate them before spring should the higher than average autumn rains continue through winter.

Gullies with regrowth that will prove very successful at a 45% lake level.

Craig Parker from the Eildon Bait and Tackle Shop, who caught and released the last of the 1m Murray cod before the lake closure, is looking forward to try his luck up Big River as soon as the restrictions are lifted.

That is where the majority of the lake’s larger fish will be, due to the rivers running so hard with the recent heavy rains.

Like all of us in the fishing and tourism industry we cannot wait until our businesses can once again open to be hosts to the fishing public, where we can

Impressive bridge structure facing east that will produce well when the lake level is between 55-70%.

provide the local knowledge and tackle to support the returning anglers. It will help no end to alleviate some of the financial pressures that we all facing as a result of the shutdown.

• We are looking forward to rescue the delayed fishing competitions and gatherings that were planned for Lake Eildon if the opportunities arise. So please like them on Facebook to obtain regular updates of new schedules and activities should they be allowed to restart. They are: Lake Eildon Fishing Challenge for the Lake Eildon Fishing Challenge; Lake Eildon Cod Masters for the Lake Eildon Cod Masters; Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series for the Lake Eildon Round; Lake Eildon Big Fish Challenge for the Lake Eildon Big Fish Challenge; Victorian Fisheries Authority for the Goulburn Fishing Festival; Boating Industry Association of Victoria for the Lake Eildon Boating and Fishing Show; Jerusalem Creek Marina & Holiday Park for the school holiday fishing programs; Northern Waters Boat Hire for the Fly Fishing for Natives Competition.

Winter trout at Blue Rock WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

If one good thing comes out of a lockdown on angling in the West and South Gippsland regions, it’s that there is no angling pressure on stream trout as they move upstream to spawn. Combined with a good autumn break and above average rainfalls in West and South Gippsland, fingers will be crossed that the streams will be teeming with trout for years to come.

With many traders still open, either still running a shopfront or increasing their online presence, now is the time for anglers to do a bit of gear maintenance, upgrade, add to the tackle box or tinker with the boat or kayak. It is also a good time to get out the maps and plot your next adventure. There are many streams throughout the West 100

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and South Gippsland region that are worth exploring.

And while Blue Rock Lake isn’t a large lake, it too has many places to explore if you haven’t yet had the chance.

The 2020 trout and salmonid closed season on rivers and streams will run from 12:01am on Tuesday 9 June until 11:59pm on Friday 4 September. This leaves Blue Rock Lake as the leading option. Over winter there are plenty of target species that will satisfy the appetite of an angler forced to have hung up the rods for a couple of months.

Winter trout on Blue Rock can be targeted several ways by land or by vessel.

Bait fishing, casting lures and casting dry or wet flies are all worthwhile techniques from the shoreline or out in a boat or kayak. Often on a mirror calm winter’s day you will spot trout feeding as they gently pick insects trapped on the water’s surface. If you’re bait fishing, keep floats, sinkers and

hooks as small as possible to better present baits and avoid spooking inquisitive fish. Live baits such as garden worms, scrub worms, gents and mudeyes are recommended.

Trolling for winter trout on Blue Rock is good fun and possibly the most popular method for chasing lake trout. In June there can be some magical still days ideal for trolling a lure behind a boat or kayak. To increase the chances, troll your lures beside windrows or scum lines on the lake’s surface. This is where all the food congregates after a windy event. If you look at the windrows closely you’ll notice an abundance of insects and beetles caught in the surface tension. If you are skilled with a fly rod, hold the boat or kayak back a distance and cast a dry fly or beaded nymph just shy of the windrows.

Bass and redfin are winter active species too, and are best targeted fishing baits or lures down deep against structure.

The most common technique

for boat and kayak anglers is to ‘tree-hop’ by tying up to trees and dropping baits and jigs; if you don’t get a strike you move on to the next tree. A good sounder may take some of that guesswork out.

Sounding around shoreline points may also show up good schools of bass and redfin.

This is where anglers have had success using ice jigs on bass in past few years. Lures to keep in the tackle box for winter include weighted soft plastics, redfin jigs, twitching lures and ice jigs. Worms, yabbies and crickets are all fair game for bass and redfin if presented in the feeding zone too.

If you’re using worms or yabbies, be prepared for eel as a by-catch. There are some monster eels out there which can be a challenge on a light rod and line setup.

Feel free to send me a report or photo, particularly if you have any success stories after the lockdown restrictions lifted.

Happy fishing!

The author reflects on some of the big fish caught out of Blue Rock. Getting back out will be worth the wait, and some time away really makes you appreciate and value the environment we fish in.

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Catching more sea run trout HOBART

Andrew Large

Things have been a bit slow of late, as winter in Tasmania can be challenging for consistent fishing.

As it stands, SBT have been available recently in the southeast off the Peninsula, Friars on southern Bruny Island and in Storm Bay closer to Hobart. The average size

WHAT IS A SEA RUN TROUT? Sea run brown trout have been the mainstay of fishing in the southeast in recent months. Anglers living close to the CBD who haven’t been able to pursue their normal avenues of fishing having enjoyed travelling only a few minutes in most cases and fishing to some quality brown trout. Some of the trout have been in the 2.5kg bracket.

Sea run trout are still

True sea run trout begin to lose the their traditional freshwater coloration.

The red and black spots disappear, and the yellow and green scales begin to turn silver and soften, almost becoming flaky.

These fish travel down to many of the larger river mouths around the state such as the Derwent and Huon – more adventurous fish choosing to travel further around coastlines.

Some trout choose to

caught trout with stick caddis inside their stomachs foraged in very much a saltwater environment.

When can I catch a sea trout?

A timeline anglers can use begins in late March as both adult and adolescent fish begin to move upstream to spawn. Remember that only 20% of trout spawn in any one year, so plenty remain in lower legal reaches for successful winter angling.

By mid-July most trout have spawned and begin to drop back into lower and mid sections of estuaries.

The tend to wait there as the first sprinkling of whitebait begin to appear moving in from the sea, they themselves beginning their spring spawning run.

The whitebait, believe it or not, resemble translucent matchsticks and invade estuaries all around Tasmania in two waves, numbering in their

A selection of popular, locally-tied sea run trout flies, nearly all exhibiting smelt-like characteristics.

A quality 2kg sea run trout exhibiting estuary trout coloration caught just 15 minutes north of the Hobart CBD at Granton. has varied but it’s fair to say 15-45kg would pull up the majority. The odd jumbo in the 100kg bracket has been hooked in and around Munro Bight and Fortescue Bay. Good sand flathead have been taken in Storm and Marion bays.

Snapper are tapering off around Betsy Island, but the fish are still there for the persistent angler.

Salmo trutta, or brown trout. At an earlier stage in life some juvenile brown trout find themselves for a number of reasons living in brackish tidal water. These fish are semi-resistant to the mild salinity, and over a further 12 months they undergo gill changes that allow them to live in a 100% saltwater environment.

These fish are known as sea run trout.

sit in higher mid sections of larger estuaries. These fish keep their freshwater markings and although ‘sea run’ by nature, they are known as estuary trout.

Both sea run and estuary trout have a varied diet, including an array of baitfish and shrimp not normally found inland. Sea runners will feed amongst the rushes lining the shore, and I have personally

The author’s best sea trout was caught some time ago last August. It was 3.85kg and caught five minutes from the Hobart CBD. It took a Rapala 8cm X-Rap in OG.

Shorelines like this at Otago Bay make a sea trout angler’s heart skip a beat. A 3kg trout might only be a cast away.

millions. The first wave usually takes place in July and August, and the second run occurs later in October and November.

What method do I use?

It doesn’t matter whether you’re fly fishing, spinning or using bait, as long as the offerings are more orientated towards a saltwater minnow, galaxia, shrimp or crab.

Gulp 3” Minnow soft plastics and Berkley 2.5” T-tails in black/gold and olive pearl work a treat, as do 50-70mm bibbed minnows. Either suspending or floating is fine, just work them at a medium retrieve, pausing once or twice per cast.

Trolling with bibbed

minnows and Cobras along many of the 3m dropoffs also works well. The erratic action of these lures entices fish out of tide and wind lines.

Flies should mimic predominantly baitfish (size 6-1 hooks). Grey BMS and traditional matchstick-thin ‘whitebait’ patterns work well through the spring and early summer months.

Bait fishing at night with a no. 2 Gamakatsu circle hook or a no. 4 Mustad Tarpon hook placed up through the nose of a dead 70mm hardihead minnow and spun into the darkness with a light drag setting is deadly. It will undo an average size or bigger trout.

At the first tap, release the

bail and allow the fish to run, stop, and then move again before striking.

I have found that 4” soft plastics fished this way will work too, just keep a normal drag setting for the species as these plastics spun and jigged are smacked hard on the take.

Summary In short, you really should give sea trout a try while other ventures are still tough due to COVID-19.

Any rocky point and deeper ledge, a little bit of current and an incoming tide around dawn and dusk should see you on the sea trout. Be prepared with some 6-8lb fluoro leader as size ranges from the average of about 1kg to over 5kg at times.

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Forecasting the impact of COVID-19 SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

I have a couple of key articles that I haven’t done because of COVID, but the pandemic is going to shape the fishing year no matter what happens, so it’s time to look at the impact so far and what’s to come. There is plenty of speculation on social media, but most of it is anecdotal. I prefer to understand the lay of the land and what’s happening right now before punting on the future.

With that in mind, here is my best estimation of Australia fishing under COVID and what is coming down the line.

WHAT DATA DO WE HAVE? How do you prepare for collecting data during a pandemic where nobody can travel around and there is the whole ‘essential’ work

big numbers to jump on and get attention. Looking at that graph gave me the thought that maybe we could measure fishing in the same way to see if the cumulative fishing effort had changed. After a quick chat with Dad, we came up with a methodology using reporting of recaptures of tagged fish.

There is precedent for using recaptures to track the wider population. We have done so for years in Rockhampton, using reported recaptures to track what proportion of fishing on the Fitzroy was from visiting fishers. We have multi-year comparison datasets from boat ramp surveys and the results are comparable.

Here’s how it works. The chances of anyone catching a tagged fish, even with 16,000-20,000 of them being tagged each year, is very low and a lot of ‘fishing effort’ is required to record tagged fish. This makes recaptures of fish sensitive to effort, which is what we are trying to measure. The more fishing,

Figure 1. Comparison of QLD Reported Recaptures 2019 vs YTD 2020. closed, but nonetheless the COVID travel restrictions meant any fishing that was happening occurred locally.

Figure 2 has the state-wide comparison of travel this year vs last, and Figure 3 has the impoundment version.

Interestingly, fishing in SEQ Coastal has actually gone up (originally we thought it went down but that was due to inclusion of the impoundments in the first cut

Figure 2. QLD Reported Recaptures Cumulative Distance Travelled by Fisher. clause? Answer: unless you are the kind of person who likes to prepare for the end of the world you won’t, but sometimes you end up doing so by accident.

Tagging data QLD never fully shut down fishing but did close down impoundments, so there’s no data from the west.

Tagging of fish continued pretty much all the way through, but taggers are not representative of the wider population. I wanted a different way of working out what was going on.

I came up with an idea while looking at the COVID tracking graphs. The COVID graphs showing cumulative cases are pretty much useless to working out what’s going on, but in the early days of COVID the media wanted 102

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the higher the chance of recaptures being reported.

Our hypothesis: that reporting of recaptures is sensitive to effort, and should reveal a drop-off. In fact, that is exactly what the results show – a drop-off of more than 20% during the COVID restrictions.

Restrictions were eased just as I finalised this report, and there is a small but detectable uptick in effort. See Figure 1.

Recaptures are valuable for tracking more than effort.

Infofish has for some time recorded the postcode of the angler that recaptured the fish, so we can also generate an indicator to see whether there has been a change in travel habits. Unsurprisingly, there has. The drop-off is more pronounced inland where impoundments were

of the data). This is almost certainly reflective of fishing effort that would normally have been to impoundments or wider being focused locally. It seems that when people were banned from travelling to their preferred fishing location, it didn’t stop them from fishing (Figure 4).

Is QLD a perfect guide to what’s happening in the rest of Australia? No, but we have been involved in data collection and events from around the country for a long time, and while the dynamics such as target species and dollar spend vary, the core trends of fishing are stable.

In other words, while the numbers will look different in each state, the activity patterns are more likely than not to be similar subject to the COVID regulations in

place, fishing population and access.

For the purposes of this exercise if we use 20% drop-off of total fishing effort, excluding VIC and most inland areas (which is near 100%), plus a 95% reduction in out of area trips as a strong guide to impact, I think that is on safe ground.

Track My Fish In the case of Track My Fish, we had a good sample of fishing events and the impact upon them because we have forward bookings.

We know pretty much what the event sizes are and as such we have a sample of how much has been lost.

Projecting from 1 April to 31 May, we had 19 events on the books, four of them premium events. That doesn’t include late bookings which we always get. Of the 19, two events survived the COVID period so 89.5% of events were cancelled during the period.

We have had three ‘trial’ events for different formats under COVID, but I discount them because under normal circumstances they would not be happening.

In the absence of data to contradict that figure, I think a figure of 90% event loss during the COVID period is, if anything, on the conservative side.

DATA VS MODELLING While we have some good and importantly robust indicator data, there are no perfect datasets available, which is normal. People

make decisions all the time on limited or no data. However, I am not one for coin tosses, so what I need right now to make decisions is a good ‘model’ that helps me to understand what is likely to happen. I have had to do a lot of maths on prediction, and in fact I’m about to do a complex model for the Pork Industry. The purpose of modelling is to improve your ‘guess’ from toss of coin to something more reliable. Skilled gamblers reduce risk via intuition, gathered intelligence and experience.

Modellers do something similar but substitute numerical data for intelligence.

Speaking as a modeller, I will make two important observations. In the absence of data people over-rely on modelling (or guesses). In the presence of data, people ignore models or their intuitive guess. Both are not useful responses.

I didn’t believe the COVID modelling from the start. On fact, my own back-of-the-envelope modelling has proven to be more accurate, right up to predicting dates for specific government actions. Why? Well, the failing of the early modelling was due to it being construct of mathematics; there was no real-world experience input.

While the world was watching Italy, I was watching Seattle.

Why? I have been to Seattle, and it’s a good proxy for an Australian city in design and population activity. While it is an ultra-progressive state, ironically that translates to a more socially conservative response from government.

In other words, whatever was happening in Seattle was a good proxy for what likely would happen in our cities. Moreover, Washington state is like Australia – a large, centralised city with a widespread rural area – making it a good proxy for Australia in a country where the virus is rampant. In other words, a good worst case.

How that experience was used as an input is a separate article, but it serves to make

Figure 3. SEQ Impoundments Reported Recaptures Cumulative Distance Travelled by Fisher.

the point.

Lesson: when you build a model, using the best available real-world experience as an input is very important for accuracy of prediction.

The further problem for the COVID predictions is once the data was coming in and things were nowhere near as bad as the ‘end of the world’ models predicted, people (especially Sky News) would point to the data and proclaim the model was wrong. I see this happening all the time, where once we have even a semi-solid fact, we grip onto it for dear life.

Junking the model is not useful because models are not meant to tell you what’s happening now – they are intended to give you a picture of the future. No early in development model survives real world data, but a good model adjusts itself for real world data.

Regardless of whether the models were wrong, fast action was very beneficial.

A less disastrous model may have given a false sense of security, and then we would have ended up with infection rates like the northern hemisphere. In a real sense the models proved much better than just guessing, as we know for certain what the alternative outcome looks like.

Lesson: any model that improves your ability to predict something at better than toss of a coin is very, very useful even with inaccuracy, as long as you keep adjusting for real world experience.

IS THE GFC A GUIDE? The other input to any model beyond data is what we call ‘priors’. These are things we know from history that help us to understand what might happen in the future. In my COVID modelling, what was happening in Seattle acted as a prior.

There are some key differences. For a start, the GFC did not come with a lockdown but it did come with a large economic shock and it was traumatic. The results show that fishing did in fact drop away during the GFC relative to the previous year, but by the end of the year it had caught up. A six-month downturn was counteracted by three months of higher activity. On the other hand, the downturn was way less than during COVID, so even the largest global recession since the 1980s was not as bad as COVID. Okay, so now we have one prior, that fishing has the capacity to bounce back in difficult times and timing is likely a function of economic conditions or at least sentiment. Figure 5 shows the comparison of the

GFC and the prior year.

We have a second prior in travel. Unfortunately, we don’t have historical data on travel but in many ways the Government response can substitute for a prior.

NSW and VIC, the two most populous states, have been the slowest to release restrictions, particularly on travel. If I use my own COVID modelling I am not expecting regional travel to be restored to some level of normal until September.

A September timeframe brings in another factor: the economy. With everyone locked up it has been harder to see the economic impact, and it won’t be until things open up that we will really know where things stand.

At this point I am factoring in a crash at least as bad as the GFC, probably as much as double. If we allow for the 6-month depression of fishing during the GFC, that says travelling to fish won’t be getting back to normal before Christmas, and for regional areas well in Q1 next year at least.

I have a number of fishing events I will be watching very closely in the coming months. If they move more to an online/fish local model then that will be a good indicator that travel is off the table.

THE MODEL? I would prefer to not

gear to order, as well as what production levels will be required at the manufacturer end, and thus more than one reason for potential bottlenecks in the supply chain.

If I was a regional tackle store I would be bracing for a very tough year. Already the government is getting a bit wishy-washy over its commitment to JobKeeper, and the flows of visitors to impoundments is likely to be a trickle. If I was a city-based store, I would be lowering inventory, being selective to carrying lines that are important to fishing locally, focusing on customer service and knowing what’s on the bite. If I owned a boat yard I would be preparing to focus more on accessories and servicing over sales.

Customer loyalty will be a thing to cultivate for all.

I think the SEQ increase in fishing effort is a little misleading. People fished because they were locked away and had little else to do, whereas in the next six months it will be the economy, not COVID, that will dictate fishing effort.

My view of the GFC data and feedback I have from businesses was that fishers sacrificed a little time on the water (<10%) but skimped more on new equipment until things blew over.

Consumables will be OK, but

Figure 5. QLD Reported Recaptures GFC vs prior year to GFC. expand on the specifics of our modelling because it is pretty important to our business. What I am happy to do is share some outputs of that modelling – the things I expect to happen. We adjust our modelling on a daily basis as new data becomes available.

THE TACKLE AND BOATING INDUSTRY The tackle industry is in a bind. On the one hand, a drop-off in fishing effort translates into a drop in sales and revenue, while on the other hand the overwhelming majority of tackle is imported.

According to AUSTRADE, ship movements are down 6.6%. I doubt much of the traffic in that time was fishing equipment. At least for a while, there will be less security over supplies, less confidence in what

sales of rods, reels and larger items like boats will be down.

This would be a good time to start up a loyalty program that provides incentives for larger spenders, and make sure you offer lower cost bait and tackle as the churn consumables.

Overall I would expect the city based tackle stores, depending on how well they survived the lockdown, to be down in line with the final drop in the economy, which is projected at 7%. A good range would be 7%-10% down. I am expecting rural areas, particularly in VIC, NSW, TAS, NT, SA and WA to be much harder hit. A good result in those locations would be 20%, but 20-50% drop-offs or more will happen. Some people will go out of business, unfortunately.

Boating again I think will be dependent on location and how smart the operator has been in terms of accessing distressed stocks, but I am expecting a 20% downturn depending on how the economy rebounds, and many areas could well be in the 20-50% range or higher. Again, I am expecting businesses to close in the boating sector.

DIFFERENT LOCATIONS When we talk lockdowns, the strictest ones have ironically been inland, which has had relatively low levels of COVID. Impoundments in QLD and NSW were closed by water bodies, and VIC was closed completely (which, given VIC has been the most pro recreational fishing state, is odd). Having just started to get over bushfires in many regions, regional water-based tourism has been reduced to zero. Technically in QLD and NSW fishing was possible in local freshwater rivers, but the reality is the bulk of fishing happens in impoundments, and it could be detrimental to rivers to shift that fishing pressure for an extended period.

I believe it will be a similar story in SA, WA, TAS and NT. We are preparing for the million-dollar fish and that is going through a range of scenarios, but it would be brave to predict it will carry on as per normal. In WA the relationship with China is critical to the economy, and if that settles then some regional tourism will be happening, but all four of those markets do rely on travellers from the eastern states which looks like a much more distant proposition.

The only state where I think regional travel will bounce back quicker is QLD. Its impoundments are back online, and travel restrictions are being lifted faster. Out of all the states and regions in Australia, Western and Northern QLD are the areas that can really be looking forward to Christmas, so long as there is no big second outbreak.

Overall, assuming travel comes back online in the warmer months, most states inland (excluding QLD) will be down 30-50% for 2020 overall, some areas more depending on how reliant they are on winter traffic.

COASTAL SEABOARD The data has shown that the traffic on the eastern seaboard, while down, has stabilised and is heading back already thanks to local fishing. With that in mind, if an area has mostly local travel pre-COVID, then a GFC-style downturn is likely, with lost time made up towards the end of the year assuming the economy is on the mend. Areas like the Fitzroy River, which had around 25% of traffic (and growing) from visitors, will

see a much bigger drop.

In general, the closer you are to a major city the more likely it is that you will see a 10% drop. The further away/

to keep what you catch.

That’s not to say the narrow species events such as the ABT BARRA events are going to disappear, but I

effective parts of industry die off and the level of innovation increases. Already we are seeing the innovation in the form of new data products for

Figure 4. SEQ Coastal Reported Recaptures, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast. more reliant on visitors a location is, the more likely it is that the drop-off will be 20%+. Coastal drop-off will still not be as serious as inland because there are more food options in the coastal fishery and they are less reliant on travel.

In terms of regional coastal areas, coastal WA and coastal QLD will likely rebound faster, with Brisbane and Perth fishers able to travel in the latter half. If fuel prices remain lower it’s likely there will be an uptick in September-December.

EVENTS After two years of setup the Track My Fish network was on track to have a great year in 2020, but that’s now off the table. We don’t expect to break even in 20/21, but the network has always been a longer-term project.

Events have two big problems in the year ahead: participants with less money in their pockets and sponsors trying to find where their pockets went.

I am expecting two trends to dominate the next financial year. First, more online events as groups hunt wider for participants while reducing the need to travel. Second, I expect the economy event market – lower cost community style events rather than professional circuits like the ABT – will be impacted less and may even grow as anglers re-evaluate what they are looking for in competing.

With that I also expect multispecies events to make a big comeback in the next 12 months. Over the past 12 months the events in the TMF network that have been growing have all been multi-species, and these events open the doors to a wider number of potential participants and more options

think travel restrictions and economic considerations will see fewer participants.

Club events will rebound after June, though clubs that have an official weigh-in may be later depending on their state.

Overall, we expect up to Christmas will be at least 50% down in terms of events and 90% amongst larger events, especially those that bring in large crowds. January to June 2021 will be down less, but numbers in the range of 30% drop overall and 40-60% drop in larger events will still be likely depending on how innovation impacts things.

I will revise those numbers later in the year depending on how the economy is tracking as I don’t think social distancing will be the big handbrake post Christmas.

WHAT’S THE GOOD NEWS? If there is a silver lining it’s that we know from the GFC that people keep fishing, they just modify their fishing priorities. I noted that last month’s Fishing Monthly was full of ‘fish for food’ articles, which are less relevant during the pandemic but more relevant during the coming recession.

The other good news is that every pause or slowdown in fishing effort sees a rebound in catch rates, especially if there is a lowering of commercial effort at the same time. Impoundments will be fishing better for the closure, for example. If you are a little less fussy on your target species, chances are the rewards will be there.

Overall, an extended period of lower fishing effort will be rewarded with improved stocks down the line as the country starts to come out of drought.

In every downturn two things happen: the less

anglers, and these products are almost certainly going to hit the streets in the next six months. They will deliver a better quality of data cheaper because the developers will be hungry for customers.

My advice is to get in early if you can.

Gear-wise, the big-ticket innovations have largely happened. Rods and reels are a bit like the difference between 4k and 8k TVs – there’s a point where even if there is a difference, you won’t really see it unless you have the right conditions.

On the lure front, technologies like digital printing have made it possible for the consumer to make anything they can imagine, and there are way too many lures on the market already.

I expect the lure market to shrink overall in volume and product range, which means an overdue cleanout is coming. There will likely be some bargains to be had as lines are cleared.

Gear for bait fishers will likely be stable. It will probably be a good time for local manufacturers who will see an uptick as they are mostly smaller operations, with smaller product lines to manage and lower overheads.

The nimble ones are already doing more business.

The reality is the reset button has been hit on the industry. Good industries adapt to resets by cleaning house and developing better products, and let’s hope the powers that be think that way.

The next year will be tough for the industry, especially regional businesses, and I think a strong case can be made for more support for regional areas. If we are smart, in 2021/22 the fishery will be a little healthier and a leaner, meaner industry will power ahead again.

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recfishwest

Landscaping for local marine life resilience Increasingly, a common sight in WA waters, artificial reefs are starting to shape the way we build resilience in our oceans. As our oceans and waterways are faced with growing pressures, both environmental and from human activity, we, as stewards and users of the marine environment, need to build resilience into our aquatic habitats, fish stocks and ecosystems – all while

be deployed in the coming months, and the 2019 State Government announcement to develop a new reef off Carnarvon in 2020/21, the WA artificial reef network continues to grow and enhance our marine environment.

PRODUCTIVE FISH HABITATS HOSTING ‘BUCKET LIST FISH’ So why are artificial reefs important? Quite simply, they provide productive fish

growths while hosting almost 100 species including bucket list fish for many fishers such as Spanish mackerel, golden trevally, spangled emperor and longfin tuna, King Reef is a leading example of why WA would benefit from having more artificial reefs.

THE $1.8 BILLION CASE FOR ARTIFICIAL REEFS Artificial Reefs have economic benefits associated with them as well, with more

This is the standard of fish that can be found on Exmouth’s King Reef – enough to get any fisho salivating!

The ‘next wave’ of artificial reef designs – the Rottnest fish tower design and Exmouth’s King Reef module. Both were designed and customised for optimum fish-holding qualities. continuing to maintain and enhance great fishing experiences.

Fishing is an abstraction activity but the fishing community have a long, proactive track record of reinvesting money back into the marine environment. It’s our way of ‘putting back’.

Think artificial reefs, natural oyster reef restoration,

habitats which mean more fish (numbers and species) - and where there’s more fish they become community assets that provide great fishing for everyone!

Not only do artificial reefs take pressure off other localised reefs and known fishing grounds, they provide alternative fishing opportunities that weren’t

Samsonfish massing on the Rottnest Fish Towers reef – these’ll put a bend in your rod. reseeding seagrass habitats and stocking huge numbers of fish into important waterways. By investing in our fishing environments, it allows our fishing legacy to continue forever.

Western Australia’s coastline is now the home of six artificial reefs, deployed from Esperance to Exmouth.

Combined, these reefs provide over 140,000m² of new fish habitat into what were previously barren featureless seascapes. That’s equivalent to 35 acres or six MCG playing fields of new fish habitat in WA waters.

With a new artificial reef off Ocean Reef in Perth’s Northern Suburbs due to 104

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there previously. For example, five of the six artificial reefs in WA are in shallow water, with varying module designs to accommodate different fish species, and are close to local boats ramps making them fishable by families in small boats, especially tinnies.

Look at Exmouth’s King Reef as an example. Situated inside the Exmouth Gulf (away from the popular Ningaloo Reef), in 17m of water close to Exmouth’s best boat launching facilities (the marina) and only a short run for a tinnie to get out to fish the reef, it ticks every box! Having been in the water for almost two years now and showing extensive algal, sponge and coral

and more people travelling to access WA’s networks of new fishing playgrounds.

We know that West Aussies spend $1.8billion every year on fishing trips and fishing travel, so investments into more places to fish will only help to boost this expenditure figure – a great sign for local businesses and beneficiaries of reefing projects.

As artificial reefs have been deployed around the State and we have all watched them ‘grow up’ from concrete configurations to thriving fishing hotspots, the next wave of reef innovation is upon us. Two of WA’s six artificial reefs are made from steel (Rottnest Fish Towers and Exmouth’s King Reef) in a pivotal shift toward incorporating other materials into reef designs. These were both once ‘concept’ reefs, but now well established, accepted and productive, the learnings from these are opening doors for a new-look reefing landscape in WA. CREATING NEW FISHING OASES FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS FROM AN OLD WORLD Increasingly, the energy sector worldwide is also showing an interest in enhancing marine habitats.

Obsolete oil and gas industry infrastructure is being repurposed as reefs, for example in the Mexico Gulf.

Giving these structures new lives as artificial reefs benefits the community enormously and should be embraced.

Imagine if an underwater world of man-made structures scientifically proven to produce and hold an abundance of marine life, including

schools of recreationally important species was to continue building resilience in our oceans?

Some of the old oil and gas structures are massive. Some expand for kilometres across the sea floor, some stand vertical in deep water (great for pelagic predators) and some have smaller intricate habitats (perfect for demersal species), just like our other artificial reefs. Many have been in the water for 20+ years and currently provide amazing habitat for a diverse range of marine life. Essentially, they are already fantastic artificial reefs (that are at the moment out of bounds for fishing – but hopefully not for long).

So why wouldn’t we want to turn them into new fishing oases? How good would it be to roll into a regional town on a fishing holiday, with coordinates to one of the best fishing locations on the planet?

Recfishwest and some of the regional WA communities

are currently exploring opportunities with the oil and gas industry that could see some of WA’s offshore structures repurposed into

efforts will help transform WA’s underwater landscape forever and continue to build resilience in our oceans, all while allowing West Aussies

Masses of trevally on one of WA’s offshore structures. Imagine fishing a structure like this and catching fish like these on your next holiday?

That’s our plan in the-not-so distance future! world-class fish habitat and even better fishing opportunities! Recfishwest is taking a lead role in this space, as the benefits artificial reefs provide to the WA fishing community are massive. If successful, our

to have quality fishing experiences!

Want to find out more about fishing WA’s artificial reefs?

Visit Recfishwest’s artificial reefs page at recfishwest. org.au/our-services/ artificial-reefs.

Jarrad Battersby reaping the benefits of King Reef. As you can see, he didn’t need a big boat to get out on the reef either.

Business Profile

Tailored Treks: Where 4WDing meets fishing All around the state you can go on a 4WD tour or take a trip with a fishing guide, but with Tailored Treks you get to experience the best of both worlds – and the location is truly amazing.

The company is Tailored Treks, and they operate out of Lancelin and Ledge Point. This area is famous for its fishing, and boasts the biggest sand dunes in Western Australia, making it the ideal holiday location for outdoor-lovers of all ages.

Tailored Treks is operated by Peter Fullarton, who prides himself on the unique holiday experience he provides.

“It’s not just a fishing charter but a 4WD charter and dune tour in one,” he said. “Most of our customers are people who come up from Perth who haven’t had a lot

“

“

I haven’t had a bad tour yet - Everybody always says they love the day.

of success with beach fishing, and they want to learn with us. We teach them as much as we can – right down to tying the rigs, and where and how to cast – and this gives people the skills to succeed when they go home and fish in their local area.

“I love it when people contact me after they go back home, and tell me about the fish they have caught off the beach. Quite a few of my clients also become regular visitors to Lancelin, and it’s great to bump into them on the beach fishing. I have made some good mates that way.”

As well as people new to beach fishing, Peter has a lot of clients who have recently bought a 4WD and aren’t completely confident with it yet.

“We have a Toyota Hilux 6-seater which takes up to

five passengers, or you can bring your own 4WD for a tag-along tour, with instruction provided via UHF,” he explained. “We teach our clients how to drive on the beach and how to avoid getting bogged on soft sand. We have all the recovery gear, and if you’re new to 4WDing, this is a much safer way to learn than just muddling along by yourself – and you have the added bonus of enjoying great fishing at your destination.”

If you’re an experienced 4WDer you can opt to bring your own vehicle and subtract the cost from the trip, and if you’re an experienced angler you can choose to target bigger species. Popular drawcards include mulloway, snapper and sharks.

And of course, as part of your package you can tour the spectacular sand dune system, which is great for sand boarding and makes for some incredible holiday snaps, particularly at sunset.

Tailored Treks has also started doing kayak fishing tours in the bay, guiding just for one person in a tandem Hobie Pro Angler, chasing squid, crabs, King George whiting and skippy. It’s the perfect trip for anybody who is considering buying a kayak, and who wants to try fishing from one before forking out their hard-earned dollars.

“On the kayak tour you have more scope to catch fish on artificials, rather than using bait off the beach, so it’s a great option if you’ve already been on a beach trip,” Peter said. “The kayak is reliable way of getting a good feed all day long. And as well as the fishing, you can look at the coral in the clear water, and walk around the islands.”

The final option is a few hours fishing in Lancelin Bay, which is ideal for families.

Peter says that one of the best things about his job is giving people such a rewarding experience.

“I haven’t had a bad tour yet,” he said. “Everybody always says they love the day.”

To see all the options available, including pricing, head to www.tailoredtreks.com.au. You can also contact Peter on 0427 941 126 or send him an email at info@ tailoredtreks.com.au, to see what experience he can create for you.

JUNE 2020

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West Coast

Options abound in June METRO

Jacob Crispe

When I was taking notes for this report I realised what a fantastic time of year June is, as far as fish species and the size of fish is concerned.

Although our travel options are now broader, the local Perth and Freo waterways provide plenty of piscatorial diversity.

best time to target them.

This reduces the amount of blowies that inevitably pinch your baits during the day, and gives you a better chance of getting a nice feed for the family. The ultimate bait is fresh worms, however if you don’t have access to them, then store -bought bloodworm or prawns are a good alternative.

Flathead will remain a popular target species

seem to find the fish more active. Look for potential ambush areas in up to waistdeep water, and if these areas have weed even better.

Actively targeting weed edges using soft plastics or blades is a dynamite way to catch a flathead. Although they can be caught on baits, the process of actively fishing lures is by far the most successful method.

Bream activity is also increasing in the Swan.

Dawn raids on the flats will see you with a bent fishing rod. Small hardbodies and soft plastics are your best options. As the sun gets higher in the sky the fish will move from the flats looking for cover, either artificial or natural. You can fish the structure with the same lures, just fish them slowly to keep them in the strike zone longer. The area from South Guildford to South Perth is a prime location for bream.

The very tasty blue swimmer crab will still be around in June. Look for deeper water throughout the system, however the area

Max Sampson from Anglers Fishing World achieved a set goal by landing this lovely Swan River mully on a soft plastic. along with enough fish around 25kg being caught to bust any myth out of the ballpark. Reports extend to South Guildford so there is

A prime example of a blue-eye trevalla caught in 480m of water by Luke Tompsett on a calm day out wide.

SWAN RIVER Yellowfin whiting are one of our tastiest estuary species and June is a great month to find a few. The back of the Walter sand spit to East Fremantle is the prime area to target them.

Night-time hours are the

in June. Cooler water temperatures will see bigger numbers looking to ambush a feed in the Swan system.

The water doesn’t need to be deep to find flathead, but I have found a few key things that increase your chances of success. Low light periods

always affect our fishing.

Poor weather tends to mean ‘stay at home’, but poor weather and the resulting rough water is the trigger to some good land-based pink snapper fishing.

Areas like the South Mole, North Mole and Coogee rock walls produce pinkies in the 70-90cm range in these conditions. These are quality fish, but remember that safety is the key, so wear a PFD if you are fishing for them.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the Fremantle rock walls. They are very popular areas for anglers and generally all fish well. Herring and skippy are the main target species in June. If the current trend continues, the average

size of the herring should be around the 30cm mark, and (along with the skippy) they can be targeted with 2-4” soft plastics. Placing a little berley into the water will keep the fish in your general area. When it comes to berley, ‘little and often’ is perfect.

Squid are another popular target from our rock walls, and at this time of year the size and number of them increases. Larger jigs (3.0, 3.5 or if you are really adventurous 4.0) are better options when targeting larger squid. The larger offering won’t stop smaller squid biting, but might provide the incentive for an XO squid to commit. The walls from Rockingham to Hillarys are prime squidding locations.

The author with a cracker pink snapper caught on a soft plastic lure just behind the islands in 15m of water.

Jett Moore with a huge 30cm herring caught from the beach while camping out with friends and family.

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between Mossmans and Alfred Cove is a good place to start. Please be aware that new rules for bag limits are now in place so it’s important to check the regulations and know the limits for the area.

MYTHOWAY NO MORE For many years mulloway have been considered a myth in the Swan. There has been a distinct increase in numbers this year, especially in the South Perth area.

Quality fish of 15kg+ have been regularly captured,

plenty of opportunity for all anglers.

When the rains come the fish will push to the river mouth. The Moles at Freo is a very popular area to try for them.

Live baits are always best, however the surprise packet for many anglers has been the number fish caught on soft plastics. Softies are definitely are a viable alternative to a live bait.

ROCK WALLS Weather patterns will

Jack Collis is all smiles with a lovely hapuka he caught whilst out with his mate Johnno Wroth.

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

Like the squid, King Anglers Fishing World at coming in from anglers George whiting numbers Fremantle; we have the best fishing 450-500m of water should also be increasing. A occy available. catching monster blue-eye few hotspots to target this Southern Bluefin tuna trevalla of over 35kg.

5-star eating fish are the will also be around in These are amazing fish that Fremantle Sailing Club near good numbers. Just look would make all the effort South beach, South Mole for birds to find out where worthwhile. and Henderson Cliffs. These they might be and either If you are feeling a little fish are well worth the effort cast slugs at the shows or more adventurous, another to try and catch. troll lures in the general option is to head a little INSHORE vicinity. A little tip is to wider and target a swordfish.

In June you will find our match the hatch lure size These fish are a fish of a inshore reefs filled with huge skippy (silver trevally), with the odd small sambo mixed with them – or maybe even a not so small sambo. They are a great species to target with lighter gear but it may pay to have a heavier outfit with you in case the larger sambos show up.

Sand whiting and King George whiting are popular targets at this time of year.

The key to find them will be finding broken ground in 10-20m of water. Focus on the edges and holes in the areaALBERTON from Garden Island to BRAESIDE the Windmills and whiting is ALBERTON MARINE JV MARINE WORLD likely to be on the menu.

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West Coast

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A lovely Swan River black bream caught by Matt Petrillo from Anglers Fishing World during an early morning session near the Narrows bridge.

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JUNE 2020

107

South Coast

June fishing will not disappoint AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

The heavy restrictions put in place to halt the march of COVID-19 early in the year have been eased enough to allow us to get out for a fish without feeling guilty about it.

However, they relaxed

their way slowly along the coast and up to the metro area. The reduced take by recreational fishers, combined with a very small commercial quantity taken from Hamelin Bay, hardly made a dent on the schools passing by.

A lucky few were at the right place and time to see the spectacle of a huge

to go. They were hooking fish only a metre from shore in 30cm of water in a desperate 20-minute spree until the fish moved off.

Some amazing drone footage taken around the southwest that was shown on social media proved that the decreased commercial pressure combined with more people opting for

A typical skippy off the rocks in Augusta. Silvery and thick in the shoulder, they provide a great fight on light gear. too late for most people to take advantage of the huge schools of salmon that made their way up the coast during Easter.

Regional restrictions meant that for the first time in many years it was only the locals who were able to get onto the beaches and have a taste of the action that ensues when the massive numbers of breeding fish make

school of salmon corralling and subsequently decimating a very large school of garfish near Jays Beach. It was a sight to behold, with dozens of gars beaching themselves on the sand in their desperate attempts to flee the horde of scaled torpedoes hunting them down. Plenty of fun was had by a couple of siblings lucky enough to have rods set up and ready

A case of having eyes too big for its belly for this solid herring, which was taken from the rocks on a 4” soft plastic.

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JUNE 2020

catch and release has done wonders for the size of the schools coming through.

One positive to be taken from the COVID-19 restrictions is that many more fish have survived to spawn, thereby adding to the numbers returning in subsequent years.

Fishing in the Hardy Inlet has continued to be solid, however whiting numbers have decreased to only the odd catch and they have been replaced with large skippy, herring and squid. A few nighttime sorties with a spotlight have shown that the river prawn numbers and sizes are much better, and surprisingly large 50cm+ flathead have moved well up the river in big enough numbers to be spotted frequently. For the first time in years many black bream have moved all the way down to the Ellis Street jetty and can easily be seen in the spotlight, motionlessly observing things passing them by on the bottom. Crab numbers have continued to rise, and most appear to be the big male blues that are most sought-after. They have been seen as far up as Alexandra Bridge.

Further up the Blackwood River from Alexandra Bridge towards Sues Bridge is producing plenty of black bream. They

seem to have taken a liking to Squidgies soft plastics, which are a safer bet than hardbodies that are prone to snagging when probing the submerged areas they like to haunt. Anything representing a prawn or small baitfish will usually get a vicious response when blooped, skipped or jigged in front of a decent fish, but river prawns are by far the best bait to use if the bream are a bit fussy.

Beach fishing around Augusta as always at this time of the year has centred around salmon and herring, and it has not disappointed, with the average size of the migrating fish well up on previous seasons. Salmon have averaged in the mid to high 70s, and herring (amazingly) have exceeded 28cm, with the odd fish exceeding 30cm. I was recently lucky enough to land a bag limit of herring from Cosy Corner that not only exceeded 28cm but were voracious enough to actually take salmon lures. Fish of this size are perfect for butterflying and smoking kipper style, or pickling as rollmops. Give them a try, it’s not too difficult and the results can

Georgia Gillam with a solid blue swimmer crab scooped at night in the Hardy Inlet. the Squidgies and ZMan plastics are perfect for both species, and with a bit of practice you will work out what to do. There are numerous tutorials to be

Those whiting that were caught were full to the gills with the assorted marine worms that they generally feed on. They often spit these out when caught, and

Blake Muller from Leeuwin Marine Charters assisting a client with her nice dhufish caught off Hamelin Bay. be a real crowd pleaser.

As winter sets in the skippy flood the rocks, beaches and bays, making for some excellent light tackle fishing, especially if you want to venture into soft plastics. It is the perfect time to perfect your jigging action, with the herring and skippy more than happy to whack whatever you throw at them. Many of

found on the finer points, but trial and error will get you by if you are the ‘suck it and see’ type.

Boat fishing in Flinders Bay and Hamelin Bay has been somewhat stifled by the COVID-19 restrictions, resulting in very few reports of catches. There were sand whiting about as usual, but most were generally smaller than expected.

putting these on a hook is a guaranteed way of upping your catch numbers.

The lifting of restrictions will allow people to get out and about in the ocean much more in the near future. There is even talk that the demersal closure that usually commences in October will not occur this year to give To page 109

South Coast

You’ll find the bigger fish in the crosshairs ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

The fishing along our beaches has continued to be successful, with good fish being caught both locally and out of town.

We’ve enjoyed some great weather in recent weeks, and the anglers fishing the local jetties have been getting good numbers of herring, squid, and skippy, King George whiting and garfish.

Squid have definitely moved into the bay, and any vantage point where you can reach deeper water with weed has been producing great numbers. That will continue over winter. A good squid jig lately has been Daiwa Emeraldas Nude in size 3.5, with the best colours being mango shrimp, glowbelly O tiger, and ganmeta side glow.

On the local beaches the salmon have been scattered but they are still at most locations. Around town the best beaches have been Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach, off the reef at 11 Mile and Stockyards.

Most salmon are caught on a paternoster rig using a pilchard or small bit of squid

The author with a hard-fighting samsonfish. They are in good numbers at the moment. for bait, and a star sinker.

With the swells that have been coming through you may have to increase your weight to hold bottom, or use a wire surf sinker.

The same areas are still producing good numbers of herring and skippy, and some good-size flathead. One of the best spots for flathead in town is 10 Mile Lagoon, where they sit on the edges

of the reef in the current lines. They have been taking soft plastics, and we’ve had good results on the ZMan MinnowZ in 3” in mood ring, rigged on a no 2, 1/8oz TTs Head Hunter.

Further out of town the fishing has been excellent. At Duke of Orleans Bay there’s been the occasional salmon, lots of bronze whalers and gummy sharks going 15kg+.

There have even have been schools of gummies coming through in the middle of the afternoon, which is unusual as they usually only come after dark. You can also catch herring and smaller skippy in the same area.

Alexander Bay has been producing bigger skippy up to 4kg. Anglers are also getting bronze whalers, gummy sharks and salmon.

Salmon are quite scattered now, however.

At the Thomas River a couple of guys recently got gummy sharks close to 20kg, plus bronze whalers, salmon and lots of skippy.

Most of the skippy have been around 1kg but there were a few around the 4kg mark. If you’re planning a trip here, keep an eye on the rainfall because access can become more difficult due to the creek crossings.

Guys heading to the Cliffs have been catching the occasional salmon, as well as plenty of flathead going 3kg. Mixed in with them are skippy around 2kg and soapy mulloway around 750-800mm.

When it comes to boat fishing in the bay, there are still plenty of bluefin tuna being caught, although they are slowing down. One of the best lures has been the Black Magic Jet Setter 150s with twin hooks, or if you’re on a tight budget you can use the Neptune Jet Head.

Amongst the tuna are plenty of herring and lots of big, plump sand whiting.

The whiting will continue to improve in numbers over winter. The best areas to target these fish are the

back of the breakers on the sand bars, such as Wylie Bay down past Lion Island or in Fourth Beach.

Plenty of squid are getting caught at the moment, with some anglers getting up to 20 in a session from their boats. Some of the squid are 1kg+, and we can expect them to continue to get more prolific during winter.

Further out wide there are still plenty of samsonfish, with one angler recently catching a 43kg samson.

There are also good numbers of yellowtail kingfish, and consistent catchers of nannygai to 550mm. Mixed in are some Breaksea cod and queen snapper.

JUNE FORECAST This month sees the salmon begin their return journey from Perth, so they should increase in numbers this month – which also means more bronze whalers. We usually see a few tailor come with the salmon too, often swimming with or underneath the salmon schools.

The garfish will quieten off a bit more this month, but the herring will probably get bigger. Mulloway catches should increase, and anglers fishing off the local jetties will catch squid in greater numbers.

Good fishing along the beaches BREMER BAY

Keith ‘Fisho’ Morris

The fishing has been good in recent weeks.

There are salmon on all beaches along with herring and skippy, and From page 108

us all the chance to get amongst it coming up to Christmas.

Winter rock fishing

the flathead have just started biting as well.

In the rivers, the water levels are still low. You can catch black bream in the Bremer River up in the holes.

A couple of gummy sharks have been caught

on Trigelow late in the evening and at night.

Anglers fishing from boats have been getting good catches of sand whiting and flathead.

Salmon can be caught on silver slices and sardines, and anglers are also

picking up big herring, good-size skippy and flathead on bait.

We are hoping for good weather this month so more people can get out and enjoy the fishing after having to stay at home during the restrictions.

can be very productive in Augusta, and with some smart use of berley it doesn’t take long to bring the usual bread-and-butter

fish around. Choose a spot that gives 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 a font of all local fishing knowledge.

Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the Better Choice Fuels Service Station.

• The locations mentioned are all well-known and are marked on most vehicle GPS units, especially if they have HEMA maps or a list of locations can be obtained from the local tackle store, Augusta X-Treme Outdoor Sports.

Hayley Muller was happy with her 1m snook. They turn up for autumn and winter chasing mulies and garfish in Flinders Bay before disappearing until the following year.

The lifting of restrictions will allow more anglers to fish our beaches and get catches like this.

A fat autumn herring taken at Cosy Corner on a hardbodied lure by local tackle shop owner Bernice Gillam.

JUNE 2020

109

West Coast

South West winter snapper BUSSELTON

Stephen Norman

Salmon numbers throughout April remained consistent, and this continued well into May as they rounded Cape Naturalist and settled in the cool waters of Geographe Bay. Good numbers of fish were pulled from areas in the Dunsborough region such as Eagle bay, Point PK and Castle Rock. All of these

early precursor for the season to come, along with big silver trevally out in the bay, mostly hanging around the 15m mark.

We are familiar with seeing a plethora of baby snapper in and around places such as the Busselton jetty, but fish in the 20-40cm range have also been in big numbers this year, with most of these fish hassling anglers targeting the larger snapper offshore. A good sign of things to come.

Speaking of the humble

kept anglers busy while the occasional samsonfish and salmon also cruised by.

Squid have been around but they have been a little bit of hard work. Later in the evening has been the best time, and jigs

welcome our first day of winter this month, we are sure to see another bumper pink snapper fishing season. Solid numbers of snapper have already been caught in the southwest during April and May, so heading

A picture-perfect Bay snapper taken just after dark on a whole herring.

We can expect to see more squid in Geographe Bay as winter settles in. regions were firing for both boat and land-based fishers.

Anglers fishing Geographe bay picked up some solid pink snapper which was a great

jetty, it has been a little quiet over the past few months, with just bread-and-butter species keeping anglers occupied. Skippy and herring

A snell rig for gently feeding baits down the berley trail. It’s simple, but it works.

Here you can see baitfish scattered in the upper weather column while some larger predators lurk beneath, most likely snapper.

have been preferred over bait, especially bright white glow jigs in 3.0 or 3.5.

FISHING IN JUNE As the days become shorter, the water becomes dirtier and the northerlies become more common, it’s all about the snapper. As we

forward into June and beyond should be very interesting.

Last year June was possibly the most productive month of the whole year for snapper in the southwest.

We found that calm nights between blows were the most successful, and the technique

from the boat is pretty easy.

The first thing is to find bait, not necessarily rough ground.

As the saying goes, fish are never far from their food, and although some lumps or rubbly bottom may look attractive on the sounder, finding a solid bait school with some larger fish in the vicinity is what you’re looking for (see photo).

The great thing about pink snapper fishing in winter is that they can be found from depths as shallow as 6m, so it’s easily accessible for small boats.

Once found, drop the anchor and start berleying. Berley is perhaps the biggest key to catching snapper in Geographe Bay as it can attract fish from well over half a mile away. We often use WA Bait’s shredded mulie log, sat in a keep net bag. It’s a cheap but effective way of dispensing berley.

We find that setting baits at different depths is also an effective method of finding out where exactly the fish are. We use two baits within 1m of the bottom, and two floaters that generally settle around mid-water. Doing this covers the water column and allows you to determine whether the snapper are holding down deep against the bottom or if they are feeding mid water.

Try a mixture of fresh squid, live baits and mullet for baits, as trying different things can be key.

Speaking of fresh squid, late May/early June produced some insane squid fishing last year and we should see simular results this year. Squidding from the Busselton jetty should be on fire as the cold fronts push larger numbers of squid close to shore. Try hitting the jetty or taking the tinny out around sunset and fish a good hour or two into dark for the best bite. If morning fishing is more your flavour, that’s OK because mornings are a great time also and you are likely to run into your fair share.

It is common for the weather to calm right off after a storm/strong blow, and these are generally the best days to target squid. Around this time of year they don’t tend to be very fussy in terms of jig colour but we would recommend whites, pinks, and lime yellow/green in size 3.5.

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Fishing unpressured waterways BUNBURY

Grant Teede

When people think of big fish, Bunbury/Australind may not be the first area that comes to mind, and we aren’t complaining.

We locals are spoilt with an abundance of spots to fish that are barely if not ever fished. Our surrounding waters aren’t as immediately deep as that of our neighbouring towns, meaning it can at times take longer to get to the optimal depths during certain times of year.

However those who do the 110

JUNE 2020

yards receive the rewards.

This time of year is not one of those times that you need to go far. With all the winter storms rolling through, snapper move inshore to depths that are accessible to small tinnies or even kayaks.

Bunbury beaches, including Backbeach, Belvedere and Buffalo, are all prime local land-based spots to have a crack at the trophy fish.

Reports of multiple fish captures have really started to roll in over the last few weeks.

An always welcome by-catch at this time of year are the mulloway and tailor that frequent our beaches,

and the last few weeks have been no exception with some horse tailor sessions being had on weightless mulies (my personal favourite). Yes, the weather has been rougher on the water and yes it’s been very cold in the mornings, however those who are watching the forecast and taking advantage of the breaks in the weather are being greeted with immaculate conditions and huge snapper and dhufish within a quick steam.

Salmon having been schooling in massive numbers this year and have given land-based anglers the opportunity to tangle with

one of the best sportfish in the southwest. Salmon will readily take lures including soft plastics, metal slugs, stickbaits and hardbodies. I have found that 100-200mm lures work the best, and generally the type of lure used will be dictated by where the salmon schools are sitting and what sort of distance you need to cast.

Don’t be shy on the retrieve with salmon – give it plenty of rips and twitches because they will aggressively chase down an erratic moving lure and slam it.

The Collie River’s lower reaches have been fishing To page 111

Ben Kelly with a hard-fighting salmon.

West Coast

Zeroing in on your targets MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

A variety of fish have been on offer for locals of Mandurah throughout May. Though things have

land-based anglers due to their ability to move around to different structures. Out around the 20m mark, there is plenty of variety available for those out giving it a crack.

Reports have come through of salmon, snapper, dhufish,

be discounted around this change of weather, despite the fact that it can make things quite hard. Sometimes our local beaches can clog up with seaweed, but often you will find that there are fish between and they just

A nice mulloway caught on a simple 3-way fixed rig and herring fillet bait. thinned a bit due to the current circumstances, there are certainly options available for those anglers wishing to get out safely and enjoy some fishing.

Some salmon are still showing up but they are becoming a bit harder to really figure out and purposefully target. Fishing around the local rock walls on a change of light has been working well, with a few great-sized fish being taken from local beaches between Preston Beach and Golden Bay. Fishing offshore has been beneficial as boat anglers are having more encounters with the Australian salmon than From page 110

best for bream after the rains we have had over the last few weeks. The fresh water has flushed the shrimp and baitfish from the upper end down to the mouth area, and they have brought the bream with

samsonfish, kingfish and the odd King George, depending on the sort of ground you are fishing.

The rock walls around the cut and town are fishing particularly well following some nasty weather. A turn up of the ocean floor is encouraging a lot of different species to come in further than they typically would in search of an easy meal.

Snapper, skipjack trevally, samsonfish and salmon are all likely captures when fishing from the stones, but caution should be taken when fishing in storm or post storm conditions – ensure that safety comes first!

Beaches should not them. River prawns and diced mullet always work well as a bait option for bream, however for a cleaner and much more interactive approach, pick up some soft plastic grubs or bream prawns as a fun alternative.

The freshwater scene

require some persistence to reach. Fishing heavilyweighted grapnel sinkers can help in many circumstances, but even then you may struggle to leave a bait out long enough, and be required to more constantly check baits or fish them in hand if you are not.

Rivers should continue to fish well, with plenty of bream being captured by bait and lure fishers. Finding the fish can be quite hard if you’re targeting numbers, but paying attention to recent weather conditions can leave big hints as to whether or not you should be heading slightly further upstream or further downstream in search of your target. At a time of the year when we experience a lot of rain, you may want to start focusing your efforts further down in each river, rather than more upstream.

Plenty of reports are also coming through of

A nice shallow water dhufish caught on soft plastics while fishing for small fish like herring and skipjack. encounters with mulloway when throwing lures or soaking baits near the deeper sections of our systems. These fish are very opportunistic, as they quite often use the water movement to their advantage, intercepting baitfish as they are washed downstream in the heavy flow. Though you will catch plenty of these river fish on baits, a method which

The sunrises only get better on the local dams, depending on how early you can be bothered getting out! peaks around this time of year. With the redfin spawning and working up a big appetite, they really come onto the chew and become even more territorial than they normally are.

Huge numbers are being caught, assisting in cleaning

them out of our waterways, with some solid brown and rainbow trout being pulled up alongside them. Don’t forget the redfin are a pest

Depending on the location, redfin can be targeted in a range of different ways, such as trolling deep diving lures

seems to be picking up a few of these fish is fishing heavily-weighted soft plastics. Getting your lure into the zone despite the current, then being able to have control of its action is advantageous and has proven to be effective quite regularly.

Whether you are heading out camping or for a dedicated mission, you can also expect the freshwater scene to become more viable as we progress further into the year. Places like Waroona are great as they offer camping spots, great fishing and even greater scenery. Whether you are stuck on land, boat or kayak, there is something available for everyone. Small soft plastics cast against some of the vertically standing structures can be a great choice when targeting redfin perch, or you may want to troll a shallow diver from your kayak in attempt to hook a good sized rainbow or brown trout – either way you will have something amazing to look at while you fish! advice on anything you have read, heard about or dreamt about or to have a brag, duck into Whiteys Tackle and Camping,

This salmon was caught by Josh Italiano.

Ben Kelly was happy with this queen snapper.

species that are not native to our area and cannot be returned to the water. Plus they taste fantastic, so why send them back!

past timber in the dams, bouncing plastics along a stream, or fly fishing, just to name a few.

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JUNE 2020

111

West Coast

We’ve all been getting some fishing exercise LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

Things have really changed, with COVID 19 affecting how we socialise, fish and move about the state. In Western Australia, Recfishwest has been putting out some good communications on how to fish within the government guidelines for the COVID 19 regulations, allowing us to keep the physical and mental well-being benefits our hobby gives us.

At the time of writing, we are at stage 3 restrictions; there are travel restrictions between Lancelin and Perth. Groups of up to 10 people can go

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COVID numbers are down in WA, so hopefully by the time you are reading this, Perth people can come fishing in Lano too.

Please support the regional businesses that have been doing it tough, and when the borders open up, have that backdated holiday.

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come. Reports are that the crays are in great abundance, with potters having no issue getting a daily bag limit.

June is a good time to chase some more obscure species, close to home.

Cobbler can be caught from the bay’s beaches.

Pick evenings of lower tides, swells and wind. You can catch them on a simple rig of a no. 1 hook baited with prawn on a running ball sinker. A couple of fish frames anchored in the wash helps bring them in close. Alternatively you can use a bright headlight and walk the beach with a hand spear to find them.

Crabbing is another activity a lot of people might not think of at this time of year, but it’s actually one of the best times. I do better chasing them from the jetty or from a small boat drop netting along the near shore of the bay.

A little further offshore, there should be good numbers of cuttlefish out behind the white bank from 25m depths. Rigging a paternoster drifting these depths with heavyduty squid spikes baited with whole whiting can

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West Coast find both cuttles and some XOS squid. The squid also improve inshore as well with good numbers in the bay, and it’s a good time to be chasing them in the dinghy, kayak or from the jetty.

Schools of yellowtail pike gather in the bay over the weed beds and around the jetty at this time of year. They are not the best eating fish and the fillets don’t yield a lot of meat, but if you’re hungry they can make a feed. They are

good fun to catch on light gear with small soft plastics or hardbody lures, and make great baits for beach fishing for mulloway and greenback tailor, or trolling for mackerel. Speaking of which, it is certainly not too late to have a crack at converting one into a mackerel. The new moon period last year produced a number of mackerel trolling in 15m behind the white bank at first light and sunset.

The bigger cousin of the

pike, reaching over a 1m and up to 5kg, is the snook.

They have been in good numbers within the bay and inshore weed banks for the last few months. These are much better eating and can put on a good show with light fishing gear.

Pilchards, soft plastic, hardbody and metal lures are all effective ways to land some. Sometimes the snook will be somewhat difficult to tempt, turning away from any of these offerings at the last minute

or just holding the bait softly with their long sharp teeth, avoiding the hooks.

When they are like this, a small live bait is the way to get a very aggressive bite out of them.

moon period in June and July before they really shut down in August. The bigger greenbacks are not affected so much by the cooling water, and the well-formed gutters

be the one.

There have been plenty of sambos around the bay and near-shore reefs, harassing the herring, mullet and hardihead schools.

The skippy

Graham is renowned for the big mulloway he usually hunts.

Herring have been prolific in the bay and from all the local beaches, and berley will always help increase your catches.

Chopper tailor are still here but with the cooling waters they don’t feed as strongly. I always manage to do well around the new

and swell action on the reef breaks is where to find them.

The new and full moon periods are good times to hit up the gutters and reef holes for some mulloway.

We are due for a good year on the school size fish, and hopefully this will

schools will be in now as well, and the sambos will start stalking them too.

Skippy schools with larger fish up to 45-60cm are usually found near reef areas outside the first line of reef out to the white bank. For their size, they To page 114

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West Coast From page 113

can pull harder than most fish. Matching some light 2-4kg gear up to them

and having a big school about the boat can have multiple hook-ups and anglers dancing around the

boat with crossed lines and screaming drags.

Plenty of smaller, though still solid, skippy

some pushing the 1m mark.

Winter is the best time to chase sand whiting from the beach, as the fish are a better size. Whiting fishing from the jetty is always very reliable at this time of

year too, and you should cast towards the near shore to catch them, avoiding the full moon and several days after as they can move out or go off the bite.

King George whiting

will be in the bay as well, and some good sessions can be had from the jetty.

To reliably get onto them, get out in a small boat or kayak, moving about to find the schools.

Try the new moon period for a last flurry of chopper action. This bag came from within the bay.

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to 45cm can be caught inside the bay. Pumping a berley trail for skippy, try to keep a bait out the back or a bit deeper for pink snapper, as they often home into the action but sit below the skippy.

These are in better numbers near shore and can even be caught from the beaches. So far this year has seen an excellent run of beach pinkies,

A great way to get out of the house for some exercise is to walk a nearby lonely beach casting lures or baits to the reef breaks and gutters for some greenback tailor.

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West Coast

Anglers are working hard for bottom fish you don’t go fishing you can’t catch fish so it’s better to try than stay at home!

BOAT The offshore fishing over the last few months has been a bit hit-andmiss for demersal species such as dhufish, baldchin groper, coral trout and pink snapper, but we have seen a late run of pelagic species.

Anglers fishing inside Pensioners along the north

GERALDTON

Graham Maunder & Michael Triantopoulos

On the beaches, herring have only recently arrived in good numbers. Skippy and black bream to 40cm are on the bite around the local reefs and marinas, and there are early greenback tailor mixed in with late run, lightweight and light-coloured chopper tailor. The tailor can be found along the beaches and reefs from Greenough southward, and most of the beaches and reef gutters north of Drummonds Cove.

Squid season has been very patchy over the last few years, but it’s almost back to the good old days of five or six years ago. There were plenty of small squid caught early in the season, and consistent catches of squid with 30-40cm tubes are now being reported.

The last ten years or so have seen a massive rise in the number of squid jig brands, styles and colours.

makes for a great bit of fun on a lightweight combo.

Fishing southwest of the Batavia Marina in 27-30m has been a productive recently for some very good baldchin groper to 5kg, coral trout and dhufish to 9kg. Most of this area, southwest to northwest 35-30m of the marina, is relatively flat limestone with slight rises and some caves. Studying

Justine Arnold with a horse Abrolhos Islands baldchin groper from the shallows. onto the spike with the skin outwards. You just suspend it under a float or slowly jig it, and it quite often catches the larger squid. Pin type jigs also work well with

even if the competition from other anglers means you’ll need to be prepared for when the conditions are right.

Drummonds Cove, Sunset Beach, Batavia Marina, Greys Bay, Tarcoola Beach, South Gates and Cape Burney have car parks close to the beach, and in season produce a big variety of species and sizes.

Dongara/Port Denison has 7 Mile, Sea Spray Beach, Port Denison Marina and rock walls and South Beach, all with easy 2WD

access and great fishing.

North of Geraldton the 2WD access is limited but Coronation Beach, Horrocks and Port Gregory have good parking with good fishing for mulloway, tailor, whiting, herring, dart and sharks within a reasonably short walk.

All of these above listed locations are only about an hour or so from Geraldton, so even if you can’t get to the so-called ‘best spots’ there are plenty of other options for productive fishing sessions. There is no guaranteed rule, but if

Isabella Bramwell and partner Dylan Welsh with a mulloway caught in the Murchison River mouth.

Dylan Welsh caught this mulloway in the Murchison River mouth.

Squidding has developed as a standalone fishery, and for some of us the quality of rods, reel, line and styles of jigs available today has been a steep learning curve. There is plenty of information available on how when and why to use the new tackle, but don’t forget that the old systems still work well, such as the old torpedo jigs. You can also get good results on the traditional pin or spike jig with a small whiting, pilchard or strip bait bound

a suitable sized prawn or fish shaped soft plastic, especially with a bit of rod action.

Mulloway season is in full swing, with more reports of quality fish being landed, some being kept for the table and some larger fish returned to continue the future of the fishery.

There are certainly plenty of spots close to your local area that do not require 4x4 ownership or even specialized tackle that produces excellent fishing,

Kevin Moss with a nice pair of dhufish and estuary cod caught on a 150mm Zerek Fish Trap.

of the shipping channel have been catching good numbers of pink snapper to 50cm, coral trout to 60cm, baldchin grouper, spangled emperor to 50cm and stripy sea perch to 40cm. It’s a nice and easy place to fish that’s relatively safe, and it’s a quick run from the marina.

Tuna schools have been consistent along Pensioners Bank out to 20m both on the north and south sides of the shipping channel, and the occasional Spanish mackerel to 10kg has been taken both on lures and bait such as garfish and pike. The tuna schools have consisted of striped and northern bluefin to 6kg. The tuna seem to get spooked extremely easily, so move upwind and away from the school as best you can and close enough to cast lures into the bust-ups.

Most of the time they are only feeding on small baitfish 3-5cm long, so matching the hatch as best you can with small sinking stickbaits or metal slices

your sounder correctly and finding single fish or schools will improve your chances of catching a feed.

The lumps northwest of Drummonds Cove are yielding pink snapper, dhufish, coral trout, red-throat, samsonfish and Spanish mackerel.

However, the sharks have been causing havoc at times, making landing a fish a challenge.

The Southwest Bank area has been fishing well for dhufish, pink snapper, baldchin groper, red-throat and coral trout. There’s also still the occasional mahimahi providing the anglers with some great aerial fun on light spin gear.

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JUNE 2020

115

North Coast

Fish on the move KALBARRI

Stephen Wiseman

As the cooler weather has set in, the activity along the cliffs has increased.

There are good catches of snapper on offer, and the best baits are rock crabs or the good old mullet strip. The only problems at the moment are that the sharks are still attending most of the good fishing spots, and Sammy the seal

is back. His preference is pink snapper.

Whiting are plentiful on the flats in front of IGA and at the back of Oyster Reef. Mulloway are still around in good numbers, with a few good fish taken on fresh whiting as bait.

Yellowfin tuna have made a few brief visits with a couple of nice fish boated in recent weeks. With all the seaweed around, gars are the best bait skipping on the surface, or you

could try stickbaits casting around the bait schools.

Some bonefish have taken baits to the south, but be prepared to put in the hours of work first to find them. Then it’s a matter of getting a cast in the hot spot. Some anglers do things in a different way, but it works for me most mornings before breakfast.

Now that anglers are on the move again, hopefully there will be more stories for next month.

Ashley Van Vierson caught this mulloway at Chinamans.

No need to be upset about barra DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

Karratha kicked off May with days filled with strong easterly winds which brought the much-welcomed cooler days but made it more difficult to enjoy a day out wide on the boats.

The winds also made blue swimmer crabbing in the bays difficult, although there were a few short moments of low winds and goods tides to gain a worthy haul. Fortunately, as the month progressed, conditions improved and provided great opportunities for

Rankin cod are high on the list of superb eating fish, and one that local angler Dylan Munn loves to catch. been a few gold-band snapper caught, and it is in these depths you will find the emperors and cods to be larger in size. In saying that, quite a few good red emperor and coral trout in the larger size are being caught in waters less than 25m and only a short motor from the islands of the Archipelago.

Closer in around the islands and the coastal rocky outcrops the black spot tuskfish have been making their presence felt

by attacking just about any crustacean bait thrown at them. On two occasions in May and one on the tail end of April I hit my bag limit of three good-sized bluebone in less than two hours, and had to fight myself to leave as the bite just didn’t drop off. The peak time I have found over the years is 2-3 hours before high tide, and the days following a new moon are the most likely peak days.

There is a small window just after high tide – around 45 minutes to 1.5 hours – where they come back on.

It is a short but often fierce window and well worth sticking around for.

I made a couple of trips out to the local creeks to test new banks after the large volume of water from the cyclone earlier in the year, and found that mangrove jack numbers are up, although the average size is smaller. Mud crabbing has been hit-andmiss, and this could be due to the exceptionally large king tides we experience through April and May as well as the sudden drop in water temperature. As everything settles down in June the numbers should increase, and I am hoping to get out in the boat to test

Catching diamond scale mullet does not have to be a challenge, as proven by author Troy Honey who got stuck into them around the Dampier groynes. crabbing and demersal fishing alike.

It has been another great season for blue swimmer crabs in terms of numbers around Karratha and Point Sampson areas, with some crabbers hitting numbers above 20 in the first pull of the nets. As we head into June you will be hard pressed to find an undersized blue swimmer, and the numbers are still particularly good, so it’s well worth a short trip 116

JUNE 2020

out into the bays for a couple of hours.

Demersal fishing has really fired up with many anglers achieving their bag limits of red emperor and Rankin cod, some of which have been exceptional in size. Metal jigs have been doing the most damage, with the short, heavier jigs (often referred to as chubbies) being the most popular weapon of choice.

In the deeper waters of 40m or more there have

Bluebone aren’t just found along the shoreline, they are often caught out wide in waters up to 40m as proven by local Angler Dylan Munn with this solid example caught on a recent demersal jigging session.

Sailfish are making their presence known off the Dampier Archipelago, with the author landing them early in the season in less than 15m of water. this and will report back next month.

Barramundi have well and truly dropped off now but there are still reports of threadfin salmon being caught around the creek mouths and adjacent mud flats. Try the last few hours of the incoming spring tides in the shallow, dirty water over the mud flats for your best chance as this is where the threadies will be searching for food. There are some very good flats to try if you are land-based, such as around the mouth of the Harding River and on the opposite side of the lookout on either side of the sand bar. Failing that, if you are able to access the creeks to the north of Roebourne with a good

4WD you will find some perfect threadfin flats to try. Be extremely careful when exploring around here as many 4WDs have been lost to the salt pans over the years.

During the windy conditions a few weeks back, I thought I would explore a new fishing style and target species.

The fish was the diamond scale mullet and my plan was to catch this species on a rod and reel. Diamond scale mullet can be found all along the coast, and they are are often seen in small schools swimming within a couple of metres from shore by anglers land-based fishing for other species.

To page 117

North Coast

The chase is on for big sportfish BROOME

Troy Honey

Like the flick of a switch, the Kimberley wet season came to an abrupt end on the last day of April. The departure of the relentless humidity was welcomed by many, and none more so than local anglers who love to chase large pelagic sportfish such as Spanish mackerel and sailfish.

Throughout May there were good numbers of Spanish mackerel caught to the west and northwest of Broome over many of the

shallow offshore reef areas with reports of fish even being landed from shore along Cable Beach. Trolled bibbed minnows have had the most success. Colour choice has raised the hit rate for anglers by matching them to the day’s conditions. With a few mornings of fog or cloud cover it has been the darker coloured lures such as black that have proved to be the best choice. When the sun finally comes out it has been the shiny colours of gold and silver with the often added kaleidoscope fleck doing the heavy lifting. The size of the Spaniards has been steadily

Finlay Wallace was fishing a well-known local’s fishing haunt named Jack Alley, known for its feisty mangrove jack. Finlay showed you always need to be prepared for something much larger to come along, as this stunning 79cm barra caught on a big bony herring proved.

From page 116

After a bit of research, it was evident that diamond scale mullet is not only the preferred prey of many other fish, but also deadly in mud crab nets. Even better, I found that they are great on the plate in terms of both taste and health benefits.

They are fast becoming a fish served up in top-end restaurants, and one that cannot be denied as absolutely delicious when served as sashimi. I tried it in a couple of ways and highly recommend giving it a go.

When it comes to fishing for diamond scale mullet, most anglers will simply use throw nets, but I wanted to challenge myself and test out the fighting ability of this species. Diamond scale mullet have ridiculously small mouths so you must match that with a very small hook. I used size 5 beak hooks and found them to be perfect.

No weight can be used

as mullet are top water feeders mostly.

For bait you can try bread worked into a dough

increasing, which is setting June and July up nicely for a bumper season to take on these great fish.

Topwater fishing in Broome does not stop there, and while there have been some particularly good catches of the northern longtail tuna in big schools offshore recently, the species on everyone’s list at this time of year is the sailfish. The aerobatic billfish have started to turn up out wide from Barred and Willie creeks, and those trolling garfish have been rewarded with landing some specimens. From June we will see the numbers improve dramatically, and it must be said that Broome is one of the best locations in Australia for targeting sailfish.

That’s not only because of the large numbers that congregate in the area, but also because of the accessibility to the fishing grounds. On good weather conditions Broome sailfish can be caught in tinnies close to shore, and there is always the chance of land-based catches in the right locations up the Dampier Peninsula.

With the easterly winds in May bringing on the cooler change, the iconic turquoise Broome waters have fired up on the demersal scene, and plenty of anglers are heading out to try their luck on species like fingermark, saddletail seaperch, coral trout, red and blueline emperor as well as bluebone. Solid fish are being caught in as little as 15m, so you don’t need to head far.

Look for nice ledges that are running the same direction as your drift and try working more ground in this way to assist in eluding the sharks.

At the very least you can be certain to have a day battling golden trevally, as they are about in big numbers not far from shore.

If you prefer the protection of the majestic Roebuck Bay, then threadfin salmon should be at the top of your list to target right now. It seems like everyday I see more and more photos of these five-star fighting and eating trophy fish being caught, with the size range exceeding the metre mark on most occasions. If you are fishing land-based for threadfin it is recommended to fish the larger dirty tides a few days in and out of the full or new moons.

High tides of around 8m are ideal to work the banks of Roebuck Bay and there are many locations to try if you head out along Crab Creek Road. I have always had the most luck between the three hours to one hour before high tide. You want to work the muddied water of less than 2ft as it is pushing over the flats. There’s no need to cast far; the tidal push is fast moving, so placing your bait or working your lure less than 20m from the shoreline is perfect. Threadies love to fossick for crustaceans in this range as it provides them with the best chance before the food is moved around by the tide.

The visibility on neap tides throughout the dry season tends to improve for anyone looking to go for a spearfish. It is also the best time to avoid the jellyfish such as the greatly feared irukandji.

Entrance Point Jetty, along Riddell Beach and right

or, even better, mix flour and water to form a sticky dough that is applied to the lower end of the hook. Use

a bit of pollard as berley, and simply throw a handful every couple of minutes into the water to attract the mullet and then float your weightless bait out and leave the line slack. The mullet will mostly suck on the bait and you must be patient and let them swallow the hook.

It is tempting to strike, but just let the mullet decide when it is time and allow it to apply its own pressure to your rod.

On our first trip it wasn’t long before we were into them, and on light gear it was a day of great fishing as they have a good amount of fight and weight in them.

Mullet are easily filleted and hold a substantial amount of meat, so it is well worth the challenge to catch them. We were very impressed with the eating quality and also the low cost to catch them. And being in a region where mud crabbing is high on the list of fishing, the remaining fish heads and frames make the ideal bait to lower the cost.

Karratha angler Marni Alexander landed this monster 80cm Chinaman on light PE2 rod and Stella 5000 fitted with 40lb braid and Chasebaits Ultimate Squid Jig.

Local angler Will Burns with his thumper of a PB bluebone coming in at 63cm while diving in 8m. It took Will 10 minutes to get the fish unsnagged from the ledge it swam under as soon as it was speared. around to Gantheaume Point are the perfect spots to try because the rocky headlands and reefs line this part of the Broome township coastline.

It’s is home to many fish species such as bluebone, coral trout, Spanish flag, trevally, mangrove jack and barramundi. It is also a wellknown area to try your luck for the ornate crayfish which seek refuge under the reefs, and you can even get good size oysters during low tide.

With almost no tourists in town over the last couple of months, the fishing pressure has and will be significantly less, so if all else fails and you are looking to wet a line with a bit of confidence then don’t underestimate your chances at the Port or Town Beach jetties. Some absolute trophy fish are caught in these two locations, and with the lower numbers of people fishing, it may just give you the edge you have been waiting for.

Black spot tuskfish can be found in big numbers in the rocky outcrops all along the Pilbara Coast at the moment. The author has been reaching his bag limit in less than two hours of land-based fishing using freshly caught rock crabs for bait.

Chilly mornings and light winds lie ahead of us here in Karratha, with a few months of superb demersal and billfish angling to get

amongst. With the lower numbers of tourists due to current events, the scene is set for days of successful fishing.

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Freshwater

Things are looking up FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

It was unfortunate that COVID-19 hit us at the beginning of what was traditionally the start of our freshwater trout season here in WA. This resulted in us being locked out of most of our freshwater locations,

unseasonably losses in December. There should be around 18,000 rainbow yearlings with almost half being advanced. It is great to see around 4000 brown yearlings will be available being well up on previous years. Rainbow broods should again number 2500, with approximately 500 browns between 2-3 years old also available this year.

trout hatchery in Australia, or for that matter the world.

WA trout have a higher heat tolerance as a result of decades of breeding in water that can climb above 25°C in summer.

After postponing the FFRG (Freshwater Fishing Reference Group) meeting it was decided to have a group meeting via Zoom, with the first meeting being a success in this format. We discussed the hatchery’s new pond monitoring technology that alerts the staff’s mobiles of any pending danger when they are away from the facility.

It will monitor heat, oxygen and water flow, which has caused a number of losses over the years, it’s a step in the right direction for WA. Other things discussed were new stream monitoring programs to hopefully stop wasteful stocking of trout in waters that dry up over summer. Unfortunately, apparently 80% were dry when surveyed late this summer. There are other programs coming up so I

Hayden Beerkens with an exceptional 51cm redfin – the Holy Grail of any freshwater fisher. will report where I can in future issues.

AUSSIE NATIVES It is great to see Recfishwest is still including these species

in their posts on their Facebook page. I will not stop fighting until this becomes a reality for all West Australian freshwater anglers, and it’s also hoped

The controversial private dam adjacent to Pemberton’s town water supply. Should this have been approved in this location? aside from anglers local to the South West region where most of our freshwater is located.

It was surprising to see the road block placed north of the town of Waroona instead of Yarloop, where the South West region actually starts. This was relocated south so access to Waroona Dam and Drakesbrook Weir was possible by metro anglers while the travel restrictions were in place.

Those who were able to get out to their local waters that were open reported some nice trout and redfin coming to the net. Most fish have been taken from the bank, as boat access has been restricted by lockouts and low water levels, making launching a sticky affair.

On a brighter note, it is pleasing to report that the hatchery down in Pemberton has recorded a fairly good summer season with limited stock losses, although it did not start well with extreme temperatures resulting in 118

JUNE 2020

The staff down at the Pemberton Hatchery should be commended in achieving this result, as the high temperatures they experience down there are not experienced in any other

A selection of flies the author prefers, although this may vary according to conditions.

Golden perch are one species Recfishwest are hoping to stock into selected impoundments to improve the summer fishery.

that one day these species will boost funds to inland towns as they recover from the COVID crisis.

Our current climate is predicted to warm further; temperatures hit 39.5°C in April this year, smashing the previous record by a astounding 2°C, and that’s proof of what’s to come.

Even rainfall is predicted to fall another 15% in the near future, so we cannot rely on just trout stocking unless we are happy catching redfin that offer poor fighting abilities in most cases (although they are superb eating quality).

I love my trout fishing, having cut my teeth chasing them as far back as the 70s in the heyday of Waroona Dam, and even landing the state record rainbow that still stands today. I’m working with

others to improve how the trout hatchery can be better utilised to produce fewer but larger fish that can be stocked in our northern dams when the water cools in autumn to offer a reasonable trout fishery until November.

It’s the next period that trout suffer in our northern dams, and apart from redfin these dams offer little rod angling opportunities in these times. It’s clear that a more sustainable species is required to extend the freshwater season through the summer, as is the case on many waters from South Australia right up to Queensland. I think this point has gotten through to those upstairs, as it was voiced at the last meeting by those who can make changes in future years.

DAMS Waroona Dam This water is lower than last year so hopefully a few reports will come through as we don’t know how the trout have come through the summer. On the other hand, the redfin are always active with some big specimens come out in June every year. Look for the schools that congregate prior to spring spawning if you happen to have a boat with a sounder.

Drakesbrook Weir Some nice trout came out of this little weir prior to lockdown so it should fish well even without new stocking. Good size redfin are coming out but you need to be on the water at the right time. Trolling is the preferred method, but some nice specimens have been coming to the bank as well. Good stable water levels are a bonus as well.

Logue Brook Dam Right now is my favourite time to fish this

Freshwater water, with trout the only target species. There have been good water levels this year. We may experiment with a small stocking of brown trout as this water is similar to Samson Dam where browns did well when we had access to it before Watercorp closed it to fishing.

Harvey Dam Unfortunately, the water levels are the lowest we’ve

not stocked with a suitable species like golden perch, bass or the more docile silver perch. Even with the thousands of trout that get produced each year I find it astounding that they refuse to trial a stocking in this underutilised impoundment. This may change though, with the new committee appointed by the government having a fresh view on the subject.

Glen Mervyn Dam A few good redfin have been turning up close to the wall, but the dam is extremely low so I wouldn’t bother until we get some decent rain.

New Dams Collie area It’s great to report that a couple of new waters should be available in this area, with one being developed by the shire to include fishing, boating

Look for areas where the fish are holding and present your offering right on their nose.

Hayden Fragomeni holding a cast of the author’s state record rainbow trout. A fraction under 8lb, it shows just how marginal WA’s trout fishery is compared to the eastern states. seen since the dam was upgraded in 2003, and this may delay any planned stocking until we get some decent rains. With low water levels comes the danger of getting bogged so be aware if you are launching a boat.

Remember that this water, along with Drakesbrook and Wellington outside the ski area at Potters Gorge, is electric motor only.

Reports have been scarce, but redfin have been on the bite as they school in the deeper sections. The old weir wall is exposed so it offers some good structure to explore (if you can get to it).

Wellington Dam Wellington is also exceptionally low but this waterway is large so it’s still worth a look if you are in the area. It’s unfortunate that this large water body is

Simon Holland holding a beautiful brown prior to release. Around 500 this size will be available for stocking this year.

PREDICTED DAM LEVELS Harvey, Glen Mervyn and Wellington Dams are still extremely low with Harvey being the lowest since it was upgraded back in 2002. Waroona and Big Brook Dams are not as bad at around half their capacity.

Logues and Drakesbrook Weir are at similar levels as last year. They are predicting a wet winter and I must say the importance of this should not be underestimate.

WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM

Big Brook Dam Not many reports have come through, but a few big browns lurk around the wall area and also towards the back area at this time of the year. Try big flies at night if you can handle a fly rod in the dark.

RIVERS Serpentine River Has been quiet recently but a bit of winter rains should stir the trout up again.

Murray River A few trout have been caught below the scarp by those lucky enough to have access to the private farm land. Nanga always hold a few small rainbows but low flows makes it hard going.

45% 82% 60% 16% 32% 13% 48%

and camping. Plans are in place to stock these waters with suitable angling species, which is good news for the area.

Norilup Dam This small tin dam is worth a look if you are down at Greenbushes. Try sinking some lures down deep along the drop-off on the farm side, or possibly a sinking fly line is worth a go. Rainbows are stocked each year but not many people fish this dam so you may be the only one on the water.

Collie River below Wellington Dam Can be hard going as irrigation is shut down, so best to avoid until spring.

Collie River above Wellington Dam Only redfin inhabit this stretch, with some nice specimens being caught around the town of Collie.

Red spinners and soft plastics are the favourite among local anglers.

Blackwood River Rumours of big redfin coming out well above Bridgetown have come

through, but the exact locations are being kept a secret. I would just explore until you find an area where they are holding. Heavy rain will shut it down so keep an eye on the stream flow.

Trout are still in the lower section around Nannup.

Warren River This river stopped flowing but surprisingly a few good trout have still been caught. Look for streams that are flowing into the main river as trout sit in these locations when the water is low in autumn.

Good redfin are coming out and some anglers rate this time of the season as the best, especially for the larger models that seem to inhabit the larger pools.

Lefroy Brook A number of trout have been caught both above the town and below.

Unfortunately, more and more farm dams are being built on feeder streams, putting more pressure on summer stream flow. One of the most controversial dams I have seen has been constructed adjacent to the town water supply. The size of the embankment has a number of locals and anglers alike scratching their heads in amazement on how the owners were granted approval, seeing as it is situated in a fragile location.

We have been fighting for continued access to the upper Lefroy Brook along the Rainbow Trail for the last couple of decades, with Watercorp stating that we could introduce pathogens

to the waters. Yet hundreds of cattle have access to the water upstream, and have done for over half a century with no ill effects.

The photo of this new wall speaks a thousand words on just how wrong this is, and it poses a grave risk to Pemberton and their drinking water, and not to mention the hatchery should a sudden week of heavy rains occur. Wash off is a real concern on unstable new ground, clouding the water and possibly suffocating trout in the hatchery as they draw off the town weir to supply their ponds.

On the positive side, this stream would rate as one of the best, with regular catches of both brown and rainbows being caught (or at least sighted) in the number of runs and pools throughout the system.

Donnelly River Still producing a few trout despite the low water levels recently. One angler reported no flow at the highway bridge but better conditions downstream. This could change with decent rainfall as the trout move upstream with rising water levels. The record Brook Dam debate is still raging but, as seen with the large new dam next to the Pemberton town weir, logic may lose out in the long run.

So, with the uncertainty of the current situation and job safety, we can at least turn to fishing. With the easing of some of the travel restrictions, now is the perfect time to explore our great SW freshwater region.

Silver perch are common in WA but unfortunately they are mostly limited to private waters, however this may change in the near future.

JUNE 2020

119

Team work gets it done for Langford at St Clair BASS What a start we had to the 2020 Sufix BASS Pro Series at Lake St Clair in the Hunter Valley? There was lots of uncertainty around whether this tournament would go ahead or not with the given COVID-19 pandemic unfolding but with measures put into place to ensure the safety of all involved, it turned out to be a bumper event

with some really nice bags weighed in.

Queensland’s Matthew Langford rose to the challenge and came from

behind to claim victory by almost 600g, compiling his 10/10 limit for 8.08kg and bagging himself $3,000 for his efforts.

LANGFORD’S WINNING TACKLE Rod: Millerod Extra Finesse Long Cast Reel: Daiwa TD Black Line: 9lb Yamatoyo Resin Sheller Leader: 10lb Yamatoyo Lure: Megabass tiny Siglett

Matt Langford was very happy to win his first ever ABT event at the season opener at Lake St Clair. Who knows when the next qualifier will take place in the Sufix BASS Pro Series?

It’s always special to catch an early limit in a tournament on topwater. Matt did this both days under trees where cormorants rested between their own fishing trips.

Langford, along with most of the field, struggled to find any larger fish during his prefish, only locating one small area that he had confidence in up the Carrow Brook arm, so this is were he would start his tournament.

Upon arrival to his starting location, Langford noticed on the opposite bank there were a number of trees that some shags had nested in overnight, which would put a smile on any angler’s

BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Name Matt Langford Kris Hickson Dane Pryce Tom Slater Glenn Hayter Russell Babekuhl Kyle Lewis Graham Ford Wally Fahey Frank Carabetta

Total Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888

120

JUNE 2020

Total Weight (kg) 8.08 7.51 7.36 7.27 7.16 7.05 7.03 6.90 6.84 6.71

Prize $3000 + Trophy $1400 $1200 $1000 $800 $800 $700 $600 Badge Badge

face. The trolling motor went to ‘MAX’ to get him straight over there and he wasn’t disappointed. He filled his bag in no time on an ultratuned Megabass Tiny Siglett.

Returning to the weighmaster, Langford dropped 5/5 for 3.62kg on the scales, which put him in 7th place. It left him him with some work to do come Sunday.

With the start of the final session underway, Langford returned to the same set of shag trees and managed to fill his limit in under an hour – again on his Siglett.

Only having a bag similar to the day before, he knew he needed something to go his way, and that’s exactly what happened!

ABT’s shared weight format really proved itself again. Langford and his non boater Mal Draper team up with a switch-baiting technique that secured the crucial fish which would be the tournament’s VMC Big Bass. The pair worked together flawlessly by

casting an O.S.P. i-Waver to fish that had missed the surface presentation.

Returning to the weighmaster, Langford had no idea how good his bag was. It ended up being the biggest of the tournament at 5/5, 4.46kg and catapulted him to the top of the leaderboard.

Langford also credited his Garmin LiveScope to great effect during the tournament to help locate the fish around the base of the trees.

Scan the QR code to see the Interview with Matt Langford, boater winner.

Hickson ad-libs solid second place ABT’s Mr Consistent, Kris Hickson, cruised in to a healthy $1,400 payday and second place with a 10/10 for 7.51kg.

Hickson arrived only minutes before sign-on so he had no pre fish to go off – only previous experience on the lake. This didn’t affect his result at all.

Applying the same technique at Langford,

he predominantly fished standing timber with cicada imitations.

Hickson’s technique is quite unique in itself, as he simply casts out the bait and just lets it sit there for up to a minute until the bass find and eat the offering.

Hickson explained that by letting the lure sit stationery, it gives the fish plenty of time to hone in

and training, but the super clear water and hungry bass in St Clair demanded it. This is just another example of why he is one of Australia’s most versatile anglers.

You can also scan the QR code hereby to access the footage.

Bass Series presented by

BASS PRO SERIES

abt

St Clair’s bass are plentiful but not in top class condition. The lake will need a steady rise to stimulate the food chain and get these fish back to their best.

No practice? No problems …. Kris Hickson showed up and cleaned up with an ultrapatient topwater technique.

on it. Hickson filled out his limits both days in under an hour on this technique. All this action can be found on the ABT YouTube channel, where he put on a surface fishing masterclass for all viewers.

It may seem like a no-brainer technique, but letting your lure sit without moving it is one of the most difficult things in fishing. It’s against all of your instincts

Scan the QR code to see Day 2 highlights from out on the water.

Russell Babehuhl has been enjoying his conversion to bass fishing. A strong day one was let down by a weaker day two.

Draper for a home ground win

Mal Draper is as local as you can get. Only living minutes from the dam, he used his local knowledge to secure his 10/10 for 8.05kg, the tournament’s $500 VMC Big Bass at 1.31kg, and first place in the non-boater division.

For his efforts he won a massive Bassman pack.

During the weekend, Draper was paired up with last year’s Grand Final winner Dane Pryce and the event winner Mathew Langford. Draper made his big run on Sunday with Langford when he boated the tournament’s big bass.

When we asked Mal how he caught the big one he

simply said, “I just threw it out an I was looking the other way when the rod loaded up [with the 1.31kg giant].”

Draper’s go-to lure was an O.S.P. i-Waver in gold, cast on his Duffrods 2-5kg spin rod. This just proves when it’s your time to win, it just happens. Draper having been with ABT for years

just wanted to say thanks to everyone that has helped him to were he is today and to all of his great sponsors.

2019 BASS Pro Grand Final Champion Dane Pryce is a proud Evinrude owner at this event taking out the $250 Evinrude Owner’s Bonus.

Nicholas Brown put the ABT ‘sponsor karma’ theory to the test loading his rods up with Sufix NanoBraid. The result? He took out second place in the non-boaters with a 10/10 limit for 7.39kg, AND he also won the $300 cash Sufix Bonus.

Mal Draper helped himself and Matt Langford with a great performance slinging i-Wavers from the back of the boat. It was Mal’s first ABT title.

Daiwa’s Tom Slater held the narrowest of leads going into the final day of competition. However, kickers like this eluded him on the Sunday.

Scan the QR code to see the Interview with Mal Draper, non-boater winner.

NON-BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Name Mal Draper Nick Brown Justin Kermond Brodey McNeish Aiden Lodo Mark King Hilton Smith Rodney Thorpe Allan Price Matthew Hart

Total Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

Total Weight (kg) 8.05 7.39 7.32 7.14 7.01 6.99 6.82 6.70 6.62 6.53

Prize Prize Pack + hat + Trophy Prize Pack Prize Pack + Hoodie Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack + hat Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

From the back of the boat, Mal Draper also bagged the Garmin Big Bass of the event, adding an extra $500 to his winnings. It went 1.31kg and ate an i-Waver by OSP. JUNE 2020

121

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Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0834 or email nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au JUNE 2020

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Pro tips for kayak catching BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Over time I have spoken to many kayak anglers spending time on the water exploring, fishing, exercising, and enjoying the scenery and wildlife.

However, when the conversation turns to

research to understand your target species.

This research doesn’t take long. Just have a look online and in magazine articles to get a basic understanding of a particular species, what they eat, the environments they inhabit, favoured tides for chasing them, any seasonal movements and other information. Instead of just launching at the boat ramp

landing your target species.

WIND AND TIDE The wind and tide are other elements that are blamed for not catching.

After decades of fishing from the kayak I am confident that I can catch fish on any tide and with virtually any wind conditions. This is purely from noting how the wind and tide impacts different locations and types

time to fish may dictate your selected location, target species, fishing technique and tackle, and so forth.

Wind can be your friend.

Check out local weather forecasts to give you an idea of the upcoming weather and you may be able to use the wind to assist you to your fishing spot, or home, assist with a drift pattern to cover water, stir up a particular bank, put a ripple on the surface of the water that may encourage fish to feed more aggressively, or assist with long casts.

Remember to consider how the wind will combine with the tide also, as it may rule an area out for being too choppy or the drift too fast, or alternatively the wind against the tide may create a nice slow drift that you

Remember you don’t need to launch at the local boat ramp.

Ready for a session. Keep the cockpit organised and everything within reach. what they’re catching, the mood often changes as they express their frustrations about not catching fish.

In this article I am going to give you 10 tips for catching from the kayak.

It is sometimes the smallest change that gets the bite, and in turn the confidence that brings on more fish.

TARGET SPECIES “What species are you targeting?”

This is generally my first question, and if I receive the common reply of “anything” or “whatever is biting”, then I know we are already in trouble. The effective techniques, baits and lures, locations and more will often depend on the species that you wish to target. You will get by-catch along the way, but it is essential that you do some basic

and floating around casting, you will now be targeting particular types of structure, casting a certain style of lure, working a chosen period of the tide cycle and using other information gathered to increase your chances of

of environments. Find a tide chart, learn to read it and more importantly, learn to understand how different tide heights impact the fishing and level of current in the areas that you fish. How the tides line up with your available

Sean working a large laydown. Structure is often the key.

Take some time to learn about a selected target species and the clues that alert you to their presence.

Keep the net and grips handy to increase your chances of successfully landing a fish.

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prefer for that area.

GOOGLE MAPS When I ask where an angler has fished, he or she will often explain that they just launched at the local ramp, drifted with the tide and then drifted or paddled back. You don’t need a ramp to launch though; you can just get on Google Maps and look for fishy-looking water and suitable access points to fish it. You can launch away from the crowds and pressured waters, often discovering your own ‘secret spots’ that are fished less, and in turn where the fish may feed more aggressively.

You’ve done your research, as discussed earlier, so you know the type of areas that will hold your target species, so look for these areas and fish them. Drifting in the middle of nowhere, often with just a flat sand or mud bottom, is like fishing in the desert… you need to find the oasis that attracts life, in this case in the form of bait and fish.

STRUCTURE An example of an oasis in the desert and one of the main things that we look for on Google Maps is structure,

and the old saying among fishos is that ‘structure is the key’. Bream love rock walls, bridges, mangrove edges, rock bars and rubble, so find this structure and you have a good chance of finding bream.

Likewise, flathead love drop-offs on the edges of flats, along with drains, while snapper love deeper reef and rubble patches. Don’t fish in the middle of nowhere; look for structure that creates breaks in the current, offers shelter and ambush points, attracts bait and creates that

oasis in the desert.

Pay attention to the obvious structure in the area, along with the more subtle secondary structure.

Natural structure can include mangrove edges, weed beds, rock, reef, drop-offs and drains, while artificial structure includes jetties, bridges, rock walls, stormwater drains, pontoons and beacons.

BAIT The old saying ‘find the bait, find the fish’ so often rings true, and the bait will usually (but not always)

Note the green dry bag, keeping everything safe, dry, buoyant and easy to access.

be attracted to some form of structure. If you are just randomly drifting in the middle of nowhere you may luck upon structure or bait and catch a fish, but specifically targeting these two key components will see you catch fish consistently.

I have paddled 50m from one side of a flat that had no bait and no bites, to the other side of the flat that was loaded with bait and produced over 20 bream in quick time. If you see bait being harassed on the surface, get a cast in there as your lure or bait will often be nailed immediately and aggressively.

ANCHORING If the conditions are

Each of these options will increase your catch rate.

It is also a good idea to keep your lures within easy reach so that it’s simple to access lures and make changes. I keep mine in a dry bag within easy reach, with some air rolled up in the dry bag so that it will float if lost overboard.

Once I have hooked a fish, I have more chance of landing it if the cockpit is organised and everything is

On this occasion the barramundi wanted a larger ZMan 5” DieZel MinnowZ.

Find the structure, find the fish. against you and the wind and tide are causing a rapid drift that makes it difficult to fish, deploy an anchor. You are better off anchoring to effectively fish an area that looks fishy, with structure and bait, rather than drifting fast and having trouble controlling and staying in touch with your lure or bait.

An anchor running rig

it, there is a much greater chance of losing the fish at the kayak… possibly a worse feeling than not hooking it in the first place.

CATCHING MORE FISH That’s 10 things that I have learned over a few decades of kayak fishing, and hopefully one or more of these elements can assist in turning your kayak fishing into kayak catching.

Kayak fishing is a great sport, loaded with mateship,

out’ banks in 20 knots of wind, anchoring and fishing my way along the edge for a variety of species and good numbers. Always remember, safety first.

RETRIEVE TECHNIQUES If you’re still not getting bites, even after selecting a lure that is recommended for your target species, try

who have had success on a certain retrieve and that’s what they will do for the entire session, bites or not.

I change to a straight slow wind and quickly hook up.

They do the same and yep… fish on! Learn to effectively use an arsenal of retrieves and it will pay you back with more fish landed.

SIZE MATTERS Anglers often get stuck on a favourite plastic and, like retrieves, on some days this presentation may work, while on others the fish show no interest. The size of the bait that the fish are feeding on may vary, and a change in soft plastic can get the bite, along with a change of colour or profile. I often carry a ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ and 3” MinnowZ, switching between the two until I find what the fish want, or even throwing in a ZMan 2.5” TRD CrawZ to mix things up. On my last kayak barra trip the fish

SCENT UP When anglers tell me that they did have a few bites but didn’t land any fish, my first question revolves around scent and whether they were using it. The angler’s response is generally the same as the catch rate: negative.

I use Pro-Cure Scent, which masks foreign odours, attracts fish and triggers strikes. Many times, I have not had a bite for a while (or had subtle touches), and I have then smeared scent

After moving from one side of a flat to the other, the author found the bait and a stack of bream. handy. While fighting the fish I can easily access the landing net to land the fish, lip grips to secure it, ruler to

adventure, scenery, wildlife, exercise, relaxation, adrenalin and so much more.

Like we often say, ‘it’s not

Downsizing the soft plastic to a ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ produced this solid grunter for Sheri.

Many flathead are lost at the kayak, so keep the net handy and leave enough line out of the rod tip to easily slide the fish into the net is a good idea as it allows you to slide your anchor attachment point to the nose or tail of the kayak to increase comfort, stability and safety. I generally deploy the Cooper poly anchor, slide the attachment point to the nose of the kayak and fish my lures back naturally with the current. Anchor, fan your casts to cover the area, retrieve the anchor and move a cast distance further along, anchor and repeat. I have successfully ‘ground

mixing up your retrieve.

On any given day I have switched between a slow roll (slow wind), burn-andkill (faster wind and pause), hopping (two hops and a pause, repeated) and shaking (slow wind while shaking the rod tip) retrieve, until I ‘crack a pattern’ and find what the fish want on the day. You can further adjust the speed and aggressiveness of the retrieve until you fine tune it to attract the bite.

I have fished with anglers

didn’t want my go-to ZMan 3” MinnowZ, so I tried switching to a 5” DieZel MinnowZ and it was fish on as the barra were feeding on larger bony bream.

It’s worth carrying a few colours in your favourite models. I will carry a light, natural colour for clear and bright conditions, a dark, silhouette colour for dirty water and low light conditions, and a fluoro colour in case the other two don’t fire.

on the plastic and boom – an aggressive take and solid hook-set. If you’re kayak fishing and not kayak catching, try adding some scent to your lure.

GET ORGANISED Finally, I also hear about missed opportunities and lost fish. You will land you more fish if you ensure that your kayak cockpit is organised and everything is within easy reach.

Firstly, I have two rods rigged, either with the go-to presentation for the area, or two different lure options.

If I am on a hot bite and get bitten off or snagged, I have another rod ready to go. If I have a follow or am not getting bites, my other option is to pick up the other rod and throw something different.

measure it and my camera to take a quick photo. If you are fighting the fish while also battling to get what you need to land and handle

all about catching’, however it is also great to land a few, be it for sport or for a fresh feed of fish.

See you on the water!

Sheri upped her jighead weight and soft plastic to fish a deeper channel edge.

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A great time for some boat maintenance BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

OK, so this has been an autumn like no other. Never have we seen anything like it! Thanks to COVID-19 we’ve seen livelihoods trashed, lifestyles curtailed, and a lot of things we held near and dear put on the back burner until who knows when.

Fishing has been restricted, depending upon

cover and have a look for any leaks or other indications of possible trouble in between services, especially if the logged pre-service hours have taken some time to accumulate. Leaks from salt water always leave a residue of dried salt which are easy to spot, while fresh water will also leave a telltale trail as well.

Any dried grease on engine linkages should be refreshed, and a general once over can be carried out before the cover is replaced.

Storage compartments are great but it’s a good idea to check them out thoroughly for water intrusion and give them a clean up from time to time. the severity of each state’s rules. In many instances, our boats have sat idle at home while we contended with social distancing rules.

If, however, there is any bright side to the Coronavirus’ intrusion into our lives, it’s that at least we were able to enjoy a summer of fishing largely untroubled.

Boat ramps were busy places during our last summer, and many of us fished at least once a week. These good times will come again, so in the meantime it’s a good idea to do some maintenance.

This will ensure the boat will be in tiptop shape and ready to roll down the ramp when the green light shines again – as it most certainly will.

THE ENGINE Maintenance for small craft takes many forms.

Engines have programmed services which are easy to adhere to but it won’t hurt to remove an outboard’s engine

THE TRAILER The hull and trailer depend entirely upon the owner’s attention to keep them in the best serviceable condition. If you neglect them for too long, it will come back to bite you.

Starting with the trailer, it needs more than just a good hose-off after use to keep it spic and span. Granted, a wash should remove salt residue, but rollers and skids can suffer from wear and tear from repeated use.

A close look at where the hull is contacting either of these support systems might reveal something that needs to be addressed before it progresses further. In the case of a multi roller trailer, the rollers down near the water will be doing the lion’s share of the work during launch and retrieve, so you should inspect them for damage. Once the rubber starts to perish it’s time for a

The isolator switch here is easy to access but is maybe a bit too close to salt water for prolonged use. It would be wise to replace it every year.

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replacement.

Let’s think about rust! Some corrosion or deterioration of galvanised surfaces is inevitable on boat trailers once salt water usage is frequently taking place.

The idea is to keep it in check as much as possible. Clean, inspect, replace. Neglect will lead to something breaking down sooner or later, so replacement of badly deteriorated parts is virtually mandatory.

Don’t forget the trailer bearings. They do it very tough from water intrusion, but jacking a wheel up and giving it a spin can reveal if a bearing is defective and in need of replacement.

Rumbles or grumbles are the things to listen for. A slight ‘whirr’ is fairly standard but other noise bears investigation.

Should the wheel have a brake system it’s best to disconnect the brakes at the tow ball area before checking bearings, as this will prevent the discs and callipers from producing unwanted noise as a wheel revolves.

By the looks of things some of these components need to be replaced. by the interaction of stray electrical currents (even tiny ones) within the boat reacting with the metal hull. Bubbling of paint is a sure indication that electrolysis is at work, and might frequently be noticed on weld lines or wetted areas. The surest way of correcting it is to totally isolate batteries when the boat is not in use, even to

is located well away from where salt water can get at it. If there’s a possibility it might have been exposed to dampness, have it replaced yearly for peace of mind.

I once had an engine stop just inside the Gold Coast Seaway bar from a corroded isolator switch throwing in the towel. The switch looked fine but was corroded inside, causing it

On multi-roller trailers the rearmost rollers do the lion’s share of work, and don’t these ones attest to that!

THE HULL It’s pretty easy to have a look at the hull’s exterior for signs of wear and tear. Glass hulls can suffer from chips and the like. Most people think that carelessness around boat ramps and other fixed obstacles is the main cause of chips, but many marks are also created by stones thrown up from narrow roads where the boat has moved to the road’s edge at speed. Also, there’s possible damage from the trailer should things go askew down there.

Glass is easily repaired but matching the hull’s colour can be a challenge, albeit a satisfactory one when finally achieved.

Alloy hulls have reputations for toughness but there’s the ever-present issue of electrolysis caused

the extent of removing a terminal connection to ensure there can be no possible battery leakage.

An isolator switch is a first step towards salvation; just ensure that the switch

to short out and shut down all electrics. Not fun, but fortunately it was flood tide!

Here’s a tip: if your larger alloy craft is bedevilled by electrolysis which is hard to stop, a SeaBis device will

indicate the cause.

IN-HULL STORAGE Many of our boats have great storage capacity and we always seem to be able to fill those areas easily.

Little splashes of water, often unnoticed, can sneak into these storage places at times and create mischief in the form of mildew and other nasties.

If a storage space needs a clean-out, a good wipe down with a mixture of vinegar diluted in plenty of water (with just a tad of sugar soap or the like) will usually bring it back to standard. Clean up and wipe down any contents that are showing signs of exposure to nasties before returning them.

If you can easily reach the bilge area, why not give it a good rinse out as well? This will also see the bilge pump on the job, and you can check how well it’s working.

BATTERIES Whether there’s one, two, three or four batteries aboard, they all need plenty of TLC, especially if the boat has sat for a while unused, or is going to be doing so. To prolong battery life, you should disconnect a fully-charged battery from any source of possible power drain, and naturally, prior to next use, check the capacity of all the batteries and give top ups where necessary. An assumption that a battery, formerly fully charged, will give its best the next time out in the boat is a bad assumption.

Check and charge! That’s a smart move.

Bring it on! Boating will be back on the agenda before long, and it will be great to know the boat is ready for all tasks.

WHAT’S NEW HOT BOATING TIPS

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From the moment Bar Crusher launched 20 years ago, educating Australians about plate aluminium boats has been a core focus – and this latest series of hot tips is case in point.

Arming people with the knowledge to decipher conflicting information in the market (blowing out of the water the inexperienced comments from thousands of keyboard captains and trolls who live their lives through social media), Bar Crusher’s ‘sealed section’ provides real insight into boat design, construction and performance.

Discussing topics and answering questions many people are too embarrassed to ask – from the definition of a plate boat, differences in boat building techniques, the ability of a boat to handle rough seas, to the importance of water testing any boat you’re considering buying – these easy-to-understand tips offer genuine advice to increase your boating knowledge.

Visit the sealed section at https://bit.ly/ sealed-section to learn more! www.barcrusher.com.au

DAIWA TD HYPER RODS

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Daiwa has revamped the TD Hyper Series, delivering high-end performance at a mid range price.

The heart of TD Hyper is Daiwa’s HVF Nanoplus blank that combines precise resin control with unidirectional graphite fibre to produce a blank with maximum graphite density.

Light, responsive, and crisp in action, TD Hyper blank performance is further enhanced courtesy of X45 blank technology, working seamlessly to eliminate blank twist and distortion to increase rod strength, function, and sensitivity.

The new TD Hyper receives a significant componentry upgrade in the form of Daiwa’s Air Sensor reel seats. Air Sensor reel seats are made from carbon-infused resin, making them lighter and stronger than traditional reel seat designs. Partnering the Air Sensor reel seats are new taper grips that enhance comfort and control. There is an extensive array of models to choose from, ranging from multi-piece travel rods to technique specific light tackle and heavy models. www.daiwafishing.com.au

NEW MODELS FROM TONIC

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As rugged and yet as beautiful as the Australian bush, coast and dunes, Tonic Polarised Eyewear are proud to release a new model named Outback.

A style that is both and modest and extremely comfortable, these sunglasses are suitable for all day wear in any conditions.

Outback are available in glass polarised blue mirror, photochromic grey glass and photochromic copper glass lens options.

There is a new ladies’ model as well, called Flemington, which was inspired by the style and sophistication of the birdcages at the Melbourne Spring racing Carnival. Combining Tonic’s signature Slice polarised glass lens into a handmade acetate frame that not only looks and performs as all Tonic sunglasses should, it’s by far a winner in the fashion stakes. www.toniceyewear.com.au

PRODUCT GUIDE

SAMAKI CORAL TROUT SHIRT

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Erupting from the reef, the toothy coral trout swims full steam ahead, attacking a Vibelicious. Rays of light stream down from the surface, illuminating the reef and ocean floor in amazing detail.

The lightweight fabric of this shirt is perfect for all outdoor elements, protecting you from the harsh sun with Samaki’s UPF50+ resistant technology. The soft touch 100% polyester fabric is both comfortable and breathable, keeping you cool and dry.

Samaki designs are brought to you

by Australian anglers who love to design Australian species. Coral trout shirts are available in adult, youth and kids’ sizes, from a size 2 through to a 5XL, allowing the whole family to get in on the action and onto the water.

For more information and stockists visit the Samaki website, and like them on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date.

Price: SRP$59.95 (adults), SRP $49.95 (kids) www.samaki.com.au

C-MAP REVEAL

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C-MAP has announced the launch of C-MAP Reveal in Australia and New Zealand.

Perfect for anglers, C-MAP Reveal brings ultra-high resolution bathymetric data of the sea floor to Lowrance, Simrad and B&G customers. It allows you to view the sea floor in a completely new light and clearly identify sea floor structure, along with reefs and ledges to find the best fishing spots. C-MAP Reveal will take your charts to the next level.

The C-MAP Reveal charts include all the same data available on their popular Max-N+ charts, including Traditional Navigation Data, High Resolution Bathymetric Coastal Data, Satellite Imagery Data, and Genesis Layer Data Four charts are available in Australia: Robe to Batemans Bay (SRP $399), Mallacoota to Brisbane ($399), Tweed Heads to Weipa ($399), and Darwin to Esperance ($899).

C-MAP Reveal is compatible with Lowrance Gen2 models and above, Lowrance Elite Ti2, Simrad NSSevo2 and above, Simrad GO, Simrad NSO evo2 and above, B&G Vulcan, B&G Zeus2 and above, B&G Zeus2 Glass Helm and above. www.c-map.com

VEXED BOTTOM MEAT

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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The new Vexed Bottom Meat is the first hybrid bait/jig system of its kind, and it helps bait fishers to get into the world of artificial lures.

The great thing about Bottom Meat is it allows the angler to present their baits in a more natural way while fishing with a lighter outfit. It has a lot more appeal to the fish than a conventional sinker rig does, and will boost your catch rates accordingly.

Bottom Meat uses a circle hook on the top and a glow/UV skirt for maximum attraction and a target for the fish to attack the top hook.

Because there are 3 hooks rather than 2, Bottom Meat will hold a longer fish strip bait, whole squid or octopus tentacle straight. A straight, streamlined bait glides to the bottom faster and looks more natural than a bent, flappy bait with 2 hooks in it. To make your baits last longer, you can use cotton thread such as Bait Buddy to secure the heads to the Triple Murder Assist.

Bottom Meat is available in a range of colours in the following weights: 40g, 60g, 80g, 110g, 150g, 200g, 300g, 500g, 750g and 1kg. www.vexedfishing.com.au

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visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

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JUNE 2020

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Stessl Edgetracker 455 TP with Yamaha F75hp

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sports clean lines and a place to stand if you need a little more elevation. There’s a plumbed baitwell back there for times the jacks want a real mullet and not an imitation one.

And what do you get when you add the new

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Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

It was late on a postlockdown afternoon that we got to take the new Stessl Edgetracker for a spin, and the sun popped out from behind impending rainclouds. It really was a metaphor for some light at the end of the tunnel with the COVID lockdowns.

I’ve got a little history with these hulls. A 3.7m version with a 20hp was the first new boat I ever bought in the early ‘90s, and the magazine only took possession of another 3.75m model last year. So it was good to meet with Stessl owner (since 2016) Scott James and Mark Johnson on the Coomera River to take their upgraded 455 Tournament Pro for a ride.

The ramp is only a couple

PERFORMANCE

Main: Ever wished you could have a 4.5m punt with a 75 on the back? This Stessl lets you do that and get scooting to your favourite inshore fishing spot.

Above: Don’t be fooled – the test boat had a wrapped and an unwrapped side. This is the same boat. You can be as flashy or as unobtrusive as you like with this design. restrictions have been eased, we’re as busy as ever,” Scott said.

Good news.

We turned our attention to the hull, as it begged for

SPECIFICATIONS Length .....................................................4.55m Beam .......................................................2.05m Depth........................................................0.90m Bottom sheet.............................................3mm Side sheet .................................................3mm Hull weight............................................... 415kg Max hp........................................................75hp Capacity............................................. 4 persons of kilometres from their new factory in the Coomera Marine precinct, and even during the lockdowns, orders were coming in and a strictly-controlled workforce were pumping out Stessl and Horizon boats.

“We never really died off during the lockdown, and since boating and fishing 128

JUNE 2020

underfloor fuel tank and you’d have to have the world’s biggest inshore fishing day to get into trouble, with nearly 200km of theoretical range.

The package prices were even more impressive. At a time when the Aussie dollar

attention with its obvious new console.

As it happens, there’s not much modification to the existing shell. It’s the console and deck that’s had an upgrade.

“We’ve moved away from a side console being just a box at the side of the boat,” said Stessl’s Mark

Johnson. “There’s a world of improvements in the new console, including a satin black finish, a welded grab rail, no perspex windscreen and a customisable dash insert that will flush mount units up to 12” - as well as your engine gauges.”

It was a laundry list but he was right – you could fit big electronics into the dash and it did look very flash.

You can colour the insert to suit your boat, motor, mood or lifestyle, and although the customer ordering this boat wanted a swing-around RAM mount to swivel his unit to the front when he was fishing up there, the setup is a definite improvement to a previous iteration.

Plus it looks cool!

Additionally, this console had some vertical rod storage fitted to it for the outfits that you switch between, and a port side rod locker for the rest of your rods that you

definitely needed to buy at the tackle store, but don’t need ‘right now’.

With a reasonably high front casting deck that offers great visibility and a fair step up, there’s plenty of underfloor storage, including a divided livewell and another three storage hatches.

Similarly, the rear deck

RPM......Speed (km/h)............ Economy (km/L) 700............................4.................................. 4.0 1000..........................7.................................. 4.1 2000........................ 10.................................. 2.8 3000........................ 28.................................. 3.5 3500........................ 38.................................. 4.0 4000........................ 52.................................. 3.8 5000........................ 53.................................. 2.7 5800........................ 60.................................. 2.0 Yamaha F75 to the back of a 4.m boat? A little pocket rocket. The motor revved out to 5800rpm where it delivered 60km/h at an unimpressive 2km/L. Drop back to 3500rpm though and you still sit on a satisfying 38km/h while getting DOUBLE the economy at 4.0km/L. Pair this with a 50L

is a little depressed, you can take home one of these Aussie-built sleds for about half the price of the smallest imported American bass boat.

Mid $30,000s will see you drag one of these home from a Stessl dealer across the country. To find out more visit www.stessl.com.au or like Stessl Boats on Facebook.

Since inception, the Stessl Edgetracker hull has been designed as a stable fishing platform. This model fishes two anglers in absolute comfort and three at a squeeze.

A hallmark of the new Stessls are their new consoles. From the front, they sport a formed grab rail and no windscreen. They also have vertical rod storage and are painted satin black.

The business side of the console has a custom coloured console insert that will hold up to 12” electronics, flush-mounted. The customer wanted to swing their unit from front to back, so opted for a swivelling RAM mount, but rest assured, you can fit it right in front of you if needed. At the same time it will hold the engine gauges.

There are quite deep storage boxes either side of the livewell, and a live bait tank built into the transom.

How’s this for a neat transom design? You can stand up there if you like, and it conceals batteries and lots of the rigging.

Although there’s room for rods in the storage locker, Stessl has provided some vertical rod storage on the console for when you’re swapping between rigs every other cast.

Left: The fuel filler is in the gunwales and leads to a 50L underfloor tank. This is also the lid of the rod locker.

Right: Stessl have added racking into their underfloor rod locker, and although not best-in-class, it does shelter your investments from most of the elements.

If this livewell isn’t enough for you, then you’re a better angler than we are. Divided and baffled, it’s plumbed to the outside of the hull and benefits from the depth of the front casting deck.

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New South Wales Tide Times

Victorian Tide Times

2020 2020 2020 18’ S LONG 144° 37’ E LONG 151° 14’ ELAT 38° Times Local andTime Heights of High and Low Waters

EY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA EY (FORT –LONG NEW SOUTH WALES – NEWPOINT LONSDALE (FORT SOUTH WALES LATDENISON) 33° 51’ SSYDNEY 151° 14’ EDENISON) LAT 38° 18’ S– VICTORIA LONG 144° 37’ E LAT 33° S LONG ELAT 33° 51’ S Times and51’ Heights of High151° and14’ Low Waters Times and Heights of High and LowTimes Waters TimesLocal and Time Heights of High and Low Waters and Heights of High and Local Time JUNE JUNE JULY MAYLow Waters AUGUST JUNE AUGUST JUNE JULY MAY JULYTime AUGUST MAY JUNE JULY m Time m Time Time m Time m Time m m TimeTime m m Time m TimeTime m m

JULY

me me 327 327 010 010 630 630 214 214 423 423 053 053 715 715 312 312 513 513 131 131 755 755

m 1.50 1.50 0.62 0.62 1.37 1.37 0.83 0.83 1.49 1.49 0.60 0.60 1.45 1.45 0.77 0.77 1.49 1.49 0.57 0.57 1.53 1.53

001 001 557 557 207 207 830 830 045 045 637 637 241 241 905 905 125 125 717 717 313 313 938 938

0.70 0.70 1.49 1.49 0.55 0.55 1.61 1.61 0.63 0.63 1.49 1.49 0.54 0.54 1.68 1.68 0.57 0.57 1.48 1.48 0.55 0.55 1.75 1.75

203 203 756 756 345 345 012 012

0.53 0.53 1.46 1.46 0.56 0.56 1.80 1.80

242 242 836 836 418 418 047 047

0.49 0.49 1.44 1.44 0.58 0.58 1.84 1.84

321 321 917 917 455 455 125 125

0.47 0.47 1.41 1.41 0.60 0.60 1.85 1.85

403 403 001 001 533 533 205 205

0.47 0.47 1.38 1.38 0.64 0.64 1.84 1.84

0601 0.47 0522 0.49 0545 0545 0.291.45 0624 1.55 1.46 0214 0259 1.48 1.49 0040 0259 0246 0123 1.58 0115 1.45 0.47 0.39 0.39 0.49 0123 0.29 0624 0.54 0040 1.460040 0405 1.58 0230 1.55 0230 0214 1.48 0624 0246 1.53 0115 0.54 0601 0.47 0522 0.39 0.490.54 0545 0.29 1.461.49 0436 0.32 0522 0403 0.47 0603 0603 100603 100601 25 10 25 10 25 100650 101157 250.39 1201 1.31 1125 1208 1.32 1157 1.48 1247 0833 0650 0.30 0.44 0804 0.36 25 0859 0831 0720 0.20 0718 0.39 10 10 10 25 10 25 10 25 25 10 25 10 25 1201 1.31 1125 1.37 1.37 1208 1.32 1.48 1247 1.38 0650 0.44 0952 0720 0.20 0833 0.3025 0804 0.36 0859 0.41 0831 0.3525 0718 10 10 10 25 10 25 25 1247 1.38 1201 1.31 1125 1.37 1208 1.321.38 1157 1.48 0.440.41 1038 1.46 1001 1.38 17230.74 0.74 TH 1657 0.71 1744 0.52 1846 1.80 1.60 1.76 1.70 FR 1600 1430 1.87 1416 1.73 1723 1657 0.62 0.62 1739 0.71 1430 1744 1846 0.70 1321 1.60 1624 1.87 15440.70 1.80 1515 1.76 15351.70 1.73 SA 1535 1416 1.73 WE FR 1739 SA 0.52 MO WE 1544 TU 1321 TH 1515 1600 SU MO

448 448 048 048 616 616 249 249

0.49 0.49 1.34 1.34 0.68 0.68 1.82 1.82

0650 0.54 0613 0.54 0000 0000 1.741.47 1.52 1.31 0258 0343 1.49 1.46 0145 0209 1.59 0156 1.47 0.54 0.40 0.40 0.54 0209 1.74 0044 1.32 0315 1.52 0315 0258 1.49 0044 0335 1.55 0444 1.59 0156 0145 1.310145 1.32 0532 0.39 0613 0650 0.54 0613 0.40 0.541.32 0000 1.74 0448 0.49 0643 0643 1.311.46 110650 26 26 110643 11 26 110745 110634 260.37 11 110335 11 26 11 11 26 110044 260745 11 0939 260343 11 0809 26 26 0705 1253 1.29 1219 1254 1.33 0634 0.34 0918 0.36 0.53 0845 0.37 26 0939 0918 0809 0.19 0755 0.37 1253 1.29 1219 1.38 1.38 1254 1.33 0.34 0705 0.58 0918 0.3626 0845 0.37 0.47 0918 0.4026 1027 0.19 0755 0745 0.53 11 26 11 11 11 26 26 0705 0.58 1133 1.37 1253 1.29 1219 1.38 1254 1.330.58 0634 0.34 1048 1.34 0.530.47 1337 18150.79 0.79 1753 0.76 1251 1251 1.511.76 1.74 1.60 1.74 1.66 1633 1614 15171.51 1.87 1454 1.76 1815 1753 0.65 0.65 1829 1829 0.76 1517 1337 1.39 16251.39 1.74 1625 1556 1.74 1556 1633 16141.66 1.71 1653 1.87 1454 1425 1.601425

538 538 139 139 705 705 337 337

0.50 0.50 1.32 1.32 0.72 0.72 1.78 1.78

1.62 1.77 1.77 1.49 0254 0400 1.48 0400 0343 1.49 0140 1.58 0236 1.60 0140 1.23 0303 1.210303 0425 1.56 0524 0040 1.62 0016 1.49 0055 1.48 1.21 0343 0426 1.49 1.43 0303 0254 1.58 0236 1.48 0055 1.601.48 0630 0.47 0016 0040 1.62 0016 1.77 0040 1.491.23 0538 0.50 0040 0040 0055 1.60 1.23 1.211.43 12 27 12 12 120140 270849 12 1016 12 0856 27 27 27 12 270426 120425 120040 27 12 27 12 12 27 27 12 0738 0.58 0705 0.42 0.42 0724 0.57 1000 0.4427 0929 0.40 0.54 0.21 0830 0.36 0724 0.40 0753 0.63 0849 0.59 1006 0.4727 1102 12 27 12 12 27 27 12 0738 0.58 0705 0724 0.57 1000 0.44 0.59 0929 0.40 27 1016 0856 0.21 0830 0.36 0724 0.40 0753 1006 1230 1.30 0738 0.58 0705 0.42 0724 0.570.63 1139 1.32 0724 0.40 0753 0.63 0849 0.590.54 1346 1317 1.41 1.41 1344 1344 1.35 1603 17041.42 1.68 1704 1634 1.71 1634 1704 1.82 1532 1433 1.42 1534 1.611534 16521.61 1.68 1724 13461.30 1.30 1317 1.35 1349 1.68 1.61 1.71 1.61 1704 16031.54 1.82 1532 1.75 1349 1.541.75 1433 1652

632 632 236 236 802 802

0.51 0.51 1.31 1.31 0.75 0.75

1.55 0315 1.46 0248 1.17 0423 1.180423 0519 1.55 0607 1.53 1.69 1.69 1.39 0338 0446 1.42 0446 0430 1.49 0248 0338 1.55 0315 1.48 0158 1.461.48 0130 1.53 0114 1.39 0158 1.42 1.18 0430 0510 1.49 1.40 0423 0025 1.73 0114 0632 0.51 0130 0130 1.181.40 0130 1.53 0114 1.69 0130 1.391.17 0158 1.46 1.17 13 0942 28 28 13 28 13 13 28 13 130248 280958 13 1053 280510 130519 13 28 130130 28 28 13 13 28 13 0.28 0906 0.37 0817 0.46 0849 0.65 0958 0.61 1053 0.5528 1141 0825 0.61 0758 0.43 0.43 0808 0.60 1042 0.5228 1014 0.46 0.62 13 28 28 13 13 28 13 0942 0.28 0906 0.37 0817 0.46 0849 1053 0825 0.61 0758 0808 0.60 1042 0.52 0.61 1014 0.46 28 1053 0730 0.55 1236 1.31 0958 0.610.62 0825 0.61 0758 0.43 0808 0.600.65 0817 0.46 0849 0.65 1.75 1.59 1611 1.73 1532 1.46 1743 1641 1730 1.63 1759 1441 1.33 1417 1.47 1436 1.39 1647 1450 1.61 1.64 1714 1.68 1735 1.56

031 031 730 730 339 339 907 907

1.73 1.73 0.51 0.51 1.33 1.33 0.76 0.76

1.50 0355 0531 1.210531 0006 1.46 1.61 1.61 1.32 0421 1.35 0403 1.15 0534 1.37 0534 0521 1.47 0403 0620 1.53 0122 1.62 0216 0031 1.73 0229 0229 0309 1.35 1.15 1.211.37 0228 1.46 0216 1.61 0229 1.321.15 0421 1.50 0355 1.46 0309 1.351.46 0228 1.46 0216 1.32 0309 1.37 1.21 0521 0558 1.47 1.37 0531 14 1025 29 14 29 14 14 29 14 140403 29 291101 14 1131 290558 140620 0.36 0943 0.39 1101 0.58 0658 0911 0.62 0851 0.44 0.44 0855 0.61 0914 0.51 0948 0.65 1120 0.6129 1101 0.54 0.70 1141 0.6529 14 29 14 29 14 29 14 14 29 140228 29 29 14 14 29 14 0828 0.60 0730 0.51 0914 0.51 0948 0.65 1101 0.580.70 0911 0.62 0851 0.44 0855 0.610.65 1025 0.36 0943 0.39 0914 0.51 0948 1141 0911 0.62 0851 0855 0.61 1120 0.61 0.58 1101 0.54 29 1131 1.67 1.64 1650 1.69 1220 1534 1.38 1517 1.55 1530 1.44 1731 1553 1630 1.53 1819 1740 1.55 1.68 1754 1.63 1806 1.51 1813 1.58

133 133 830 830 444 444 020 020

1.70 1.70 0.49 0.49 1.39 1.39 0.75 0.75

0030 0.390030 0327 1.41 1.53 1.53 1.27 0507 1.43 1.30 0437 0509 1.18 0001 0.70 0001 0622 1.46 0509 0018 0.37 0045 0422 1.30 1.18 0.390.59 0224 1.54 0324 0133 1.70 0333 0333 0327 1.41 0324 1.53 0333 1.271.18 0422 1.301.44 0327 1.41 0324 1.27 0422 0507 1.43 0437 1.44 0.70 0.39 0622 0010 1.46 0.59 0030 15 1107 30 30 15 30 300010 150018 15 30 15 15 150509 300624 15 0650 0624 1.27 0956 0.61 0944 0.45 0.45 0944 0.62 1012 0.45 0.53 1023 0.43 1045 0.62 0630 1.3230 1151 0.64 1.35 0726 1.5130 0753 15 30 30 15 15 30 15 1012 0.53 1045 0.62 0624 1.271.35 0921 0.62 0830 0.49 0956 0.61 0944 0.45 0944 0.620.62 15 30 15 30 30 15 15 30 15 1012 0.53 1045 0726 0956 0.61 0944 0944 0.62 1107 0.45 1023 0.43 0630 1.32 1.27 1151 0.64 30 0650 0.54 1.46 1.30 1.65 1.39 1.51 1.58 1615 1.71 1723 1622 1.62 0.70 1654 SU 1158 MO 1624 1537 TU 1615 1444 WE 1622 1624 FR 1815 TH 1654 SA 1731 SA 1.64 MO 1200 TU 1838 WE 1212 TH 1230 SA 1304 1.71 1.58 1723 1.62 0.79 1158 0.54 0.75 1.46 1.65 1.51

240 240 925 925 545 545 134 134

1.67 1.67 0.46 0.46 1.48 1.48 0.69 0.69

Time Time m Time Time m m 0423 1.39 0346 1.66m 1.39 0.60 0346 1.66 1038 1018 0.42 0327 1.50 0155 1.63 0423 1038 0.60 1.54 1018 0.42 1709 1641 1.61 1010 0.62 0857 0.56 TU MO 1.54 0.73 1.61 2328 2244 0.60 MO 1641 TU 1709 WE 1630 1.37 1.29 SA FR 1508 0.73 0.83 2244 2038 0.60 0.78 2328 2214 0515 1.38 0449 1.65 1.38 0.59 0449 1.65 1117 1107 0.40 0423 1.49 0306 1.65 0515 1117 0.59 1.62 1107 0.40 1750 1733 1.74 1053 0.60 0959 0.50WE TU 1.62 1.45 1.74 WE 1750 TU 1733 TH 1.39 2348 0.50 SU 1715 SA 1614 2348 2154 0.50 0.71 2312 0.77 0018 0.65 0547 1.64 0.65 1.37 0547 1.64 0513 1.49 0414 1.71 0018 0603 1155 0.39 0603 1.37 0.58 1155 0.39 1131 0.57 1053 0.42 TH 1156 1823 1.86 WE 0.58 1.70 1.86 1.52 TH 1156 WE 1823 FR 1755 1.53 1829 MO SU 1710 2300 0.60 1829 1.70 0102 0.58 0048 0.41 0.58 1.37 0048 0.41 0001 0.70 0514 1.76 0102 0648 0645 1.61 0648 1.37 0.57 0645 1.61 0557 1.49 1143 0.35 FR 1233 1242 0.40 TH 0.57 1.77 0.40 FR 1233 TH 1242 SA 1207 0.55 1800 1.66 TU MO 1907 1912 1.95 1912 1.95 1907 1830 1.77 1.61 0143 0.51 0145 0.34 0.51 1.38 0145 0.34 0045 0.63 0000 0.48 0143 0731 0740 1.56 0731 1.38 0.57 0740 1.56 0637 1.49 0609 1.79 SA 1311 1329 0.44 FR 0.57 1.84 0.44 SA 1311 FR 1329 SU 1241 0.54 0.31 WE TU 1230 1945 2000 2.01 1.84 1.68 2000 1847 2.01 1.79 1945 1905 0238 0.30 0224 0.46 0238 0058 0.30 0.38 0224 0125 0.46 0.57 0834 1.51 0815 1.38 0834 0702 1.51 1.78 0815 0717 1.38 1.48 1415 0.49 1350 0.57 SA SU 0.49 0.30 1350 0.57 0.55 SA 1415 SU MO 1313 1315 TH WE 2048 2.03 2024 2048 1934 2.03 1.91 2024 1938 1.88 1.88 1.75 03300.31 0.31 0305 0330 0.42 0.42 0203 0.53 0153 0.30 0305 0928 1.45 0859 0928 1.45 0859 1.37 1.37 0756 1.46 0756 1.74 15010.55 0.55 MO 1432 SU 1501 0.57 0.57 SU MO 1432 TU 1345 0.56 0.33 FR TH 1359 2135 2.00 2105 1.91 2135 2021 2.00 1.98 2105 2012 1.91 1.80 04210.34 0.34 0348 0421 0.39 0.39 0247 0.27 0348 0242 0.49 1020 1.40 0945 1020 1.40 0945 1.37 1.37 0849 1.66 0836 1.44 1548 0.61 1516 MO 1548 0.61 1516 0.58 0.58 MO TU TU WE 0.39 1418 0.58 FR 1443 SA 2221 1.93 2149 1.92 2221 2109 1.93 2.02 2149 2047 1.92 1.84 0511 0.40 0434 0511 0.40 0.39 0.39 0342 0.28 0434 0321 0.47 1111 1.35 1034 1111 1.35 1034 1.37 1.37 0944 1.56 0917 1.41 1635 0.68 1604 TU 1635 0.68 1604 0.60 0.60 TU WEWE TH 0.48 0.60 SA 1528 SU 1455 2307 1.83 2235 1.89 2307 2156 1.83 2.00 2235 2125 1.89 1.85

Time Time m 0430 0430 1036 1.48 0346 1036 0.46 1018 WE 1711 1711 1.75 FR 1641 MO 2343 2343 2244 0.50 0533 0533 1127 1.44 0449 1127 0.47 1107 TH 1804 1804 1.85 SA TU 1733 2348 0044 0044 0633 0.42 0547 0633 1.42 1155 FR 1217 1217 0.48 SU 1823 WE 1855 1855 1.92 0138 0138 0730 0.35 0048 0730 1.41 0645 SA 1306 1306 0.50 MO 1242 TH 1944 1944 1912 1.96 0229 0229 0821 0.32 0145 0821 1354 1.40 0740 SU 1354 0.51 TU 1329 FR 2030 2030 2000 1.96 0315 0315 0238 0.31 0911 0911 0834 1.38 1440 MO 1415 1440 0.54 WE SA 2115 2115 2048 1.93 0400 0400 0.34 0330 0957 0957 1.36 0928 TU 1525 1525 0.57 TH 1501 SU 2158 2158 2135 1.87

m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time Time m Time m 0.49 m Time Time 1.25 0557 1.36m 0.40 0623 0013 0041 1.48 04520437 1.41m 1.40 1.25 0557 0013 0.490603 0046 0.69 0041 0.40 0452 1.41 0623 1.40 1158 1031 0.621.36 1148 0.55 0630 0.46 0437 1041 0.38 0.58 1.23 0423 1.39 0437 1.25 1.66 0430 1.481.30 1031 0.62 1148 0.55 0603 1.231137 0735 1.30 0630 1.30 1041 0.38 1158 0.58 1710 1.58 1900 1.50 1204 1.75 1748 1.58 1.54 0.56 0.60 1031 0.62 0.42 1036 0.460.52 SA FR TH1038 SA MO 1904 SU TU 1.58 1900 1137 0.56 1245 0.80 1204 0.52 1748 1.58 1904 1.54 2351 0.63 1843 0.50 2319 0.74 SA 1.50 TH 1710 SA MO SU1.83 TU1812 1.54 1.58 1.72 1.61 1.75 SA TU 1709 WE 1711 TH 1710 0.63 0.73 1843 2343 1.72 1935 1.83 0.50 1812 2351 2319 0.74 2328 0.63 1.44 0.60 2351 0.74 0.34 00430058 1.44 05340533 1.38 1.26 0023 0130 0.65 0.39 0023 0130 0.34 0058 0.390650 1.26 0135 0.68 0534 1.38 0043 0.65 0735 0721 1117 0.600.74 0656 1.29 0.47 0533 1121 0.42 1.40 1.30 0515 1.38 0533 1.26 1.65 0533 1.441.33 0656 1.29 0721 1.33 0650 1.301226 1117 0.60 0842 1.32 1121 0.42 0735 1.40 1254 1755 1.67 1231 0.65 1.85 1836 1.52 0.68 0.49 0.59 1117 0.60 0.40 1127 0.470.50 SU FR1117 SU MO WE SA TU 1256 1254 0.50 1226 0.49 1.67 1336 0.89 1836 1.52 1256 0.68 SU 1231 SU 0.65 MO1.86 FR 1755 WE1858 TU 1.62 1755 1.67 1.74 1804 1.85 1930 1947 1.44 1.51 1.82 SU WE 1750 FR 1959 TH 1.51 1.82 2019 1.40 1947 1.44 1930 1.86 1959 1858 0.50 0.75 0.31 01440140 0.42 00010039 0.75 0.55 0116 0214 0.59 0.29 0116 0214 0.31 0140 0.290735 0.55 0230 0.65 0001 0.75 0144 0.59 0858 0018 0.65 0039 0.55 1.64 0044 0.421.35 0807 0808 1.26 0624 1.280.75 1.42 0039 0628 1.34 1.44 1.37 0808 1.26 0807 1.35 0735 1.37 0624 1.28 0945 1.36 0628 1.34 0858 1.44 1.37 0624 1.28 0.39 0633 1.420.49 1341 1321 0.75 1201 0.58 0.48 1209 0.48 0.78 0.42 MO MO TU 1314 SA0603 TH SU WE 1402 1321 1341 0.49 1314 0.42 0.58 1438 0.96 1209 0.48 1402 0.78 MO MO 0.75 TU1.86 SA 1201 TH1943 WE 0.58 1201 0.58 1.86 1217 0.48 2014 2036 1.38 1838 1.75 1.92 1930 1.47 1.48 1.91 MO TH 1156 SA 2058 FR 2014 1855 1.86 2058 1.91 2108 1.75 2036 1930 1838 1.47 1829 1.48 1838 1.70 1.38 1.75 1.37 1.92 1943 0.75 0.31 02520221 0.35 00520122 0.74 0.46 0220 0254 0.51 0.21 0.46 0220 0329 0.61 0052 0.74 0252 0.51 1014 0254 0.31 0221 0.210820 0102 0.58 0122 0.46 0.41 0138 0.351.37 0711 1.310.75 0922 1.27 1.41 0122 0735 1.33 1.53 1.44 0849 0711 1.31 0922 1.27 1044 1.42 0735 1.33 1014 1.53 0849 1.37 0820 1.441401 1.37 0711 1.31 1.61 0730 1.410.49 1245 0.54 1422 0.83 0.50 1307 0.57 0.85 0.35 1424 SU0648 TU FR MO TH 1517 TU WE 0.54 1422 1550 1.00 1307 0.57 1517 0.85 1424 0.49 1401 0.35 SU 1245 TU FR2029 TH TU 0.83 WE1.83 0.57 1245 0.54 0.40 1306 0.50 FR 1233 SU 2200 SA TU 1921 1.84 2126 1.35 1.96 2031 1.44 1.48 1.96 2054 2031 1.44 1907 1.48 1921 2054 1944 1.83 2200 1.96 2200 1.84 2126 1.95 1921 1.96 2029 1.77 1.35 1.84 1.36 0.71 0.33 04020304 0.70 0.38 0330 0331 0.43 0.16 0.32 01570204 0.38 0330 0426 0.56 0157 0.70 0331 0.33 0402 0304 0.43 1122 0.160905 0143 0.51 0204 0.38 0.34 0229 0.321.37 0756 1.350.71 1030 1.32 0900 1.35 1.64 1.50 1.40 0204 0929 0756 1.35 1030 1.32 1137 1.51 0900 1.35 0929 1.37 1122 0905 1.64 1636 1.501451 0731 1.38 0756 1.35 1.56 0821 1.400.50 1330 0.51 1539 0.89 1418 0.66 0.88 0.32 0.51 1504 MO WE SA TU FR WE TH 0.51 1539 1701 1.00 1418 0.66 1504 0.50 1636 1451 0.88 0.32 MO 1330 WE SA2115 WE 0.89 FR TH1.78 0.57 1330 0.51 0.44 1354 0.51 SA 1311 MO 2300 WE SU 2004 1.90 2215 1.35 2137 1.43 1.50 1.96 1.96 2131 1.90 2215 2137 1.43 1945 1.50 2004 2131 2030 1.78 2300 1.96 2255 1.84 1.35 1.90 1.37 2.01 2004 1.96 2115 0.64 0.36 05070346 0.62 0.32 0432 0406 0.31 03130245 0.34 0.15 0.64 0313 0.62 0224 0406 0315 0.36 0507 0346 0.15 0516 0245 0.32 0432 0.34 0245 0.50 0.30 0.46 0.311.38 0.32 1.40 1.44 1007 1.38 1025 0841 1.38 1129 12240952 1.74 1.56 1.40 1025 1.44 0815 1007 0911 1.38 1224 0952 1.56 1225 0841 1.38 1129 1.74 0841 1.59 1.51 1.38 1.38 1.38 1656 0.90 1541 0.72 1544 0.53 1542 0.31 0.54 1415 0.48 1746 0.86 TH WE TH FR TU1350 SA 1415 SU 1656 0.90 1541 0.72 1544 0.53 1542 0.31 1415 0.48 1746 0.86 1758 0.96 TH TH FR TU SA SU 0.49 0.57 1440 0.54 0.48 TH SU MO TU 2304 1.36 22401.95 1.46 1.951.36 2207 1.71 1.93 1.46 2048 1.52 1.90 2359 1.52 2359 2349 2240 1.71 1.902202 2.03 2048 2024 2304 1.88 2207 2115 1.93 2202 2048 1.95 1.39 0522 0.57 0441 0.40 0.34 0329 0329 0.270.57 0.28 0.18 04280.27 0.49 0522 0441 0.40 0604 0430 0.28 0604 0.180430 0601 0.44 0428 0.49 0.31 0305 0.42 0400 0.341.38 0329 0.27 1218 1.50 1045 1040 1.36 0927 0927 1.411.50 1320 1.81 1.59 1138 1.57 1218 1.41 1045 1.38 1320 1040 1.81 1.59 1310 1.66 1138 1.57 1.45 0859 1.37 0957 1.36 0927 1.41 1755 0.89 1624 0.57 1636 0.57 1503 0.46 0.82 0.34 1703 0.73 FR FR SA WE1432 SU 1844 MO TH 1755 0.89 1503 0.46 1624 0.57 1844 1636 0.82 0.34 1844 0.92 1703 0.73 FR WE FR SU SA MO 0.55 0.57 1525 0.57 1503 0.46 FR MO TU WE 2350 1.38 1.62 2243 1.78 1.87 1.50 2133 23391.96 1.50 1.961.38 1.62 1.782251 2339 2.00 2133 2105 2350 1.91 2243 2158 1.87 2251 2133 1.96 0514 0.44 0.39 0.37 05330.26 0414 0.37 0.260.50 1.55 0.24 0603 0.50 0.44 0.240515 0533 0053 1.55 0053 0040 0.34 0414 0348 0603 0.39 0514 0442 0.39 0515 0414 0.26 1.43 1122 1.38 1130 1.35 1242 1015 1.71 1.43 0657 0.25 1.61 1300 1.60 1122 1.38 1130 1.61 1242 1015 1.71 1.43 0657 0.25 0644 0.40 1300 1.60 1.40 0945 1.37 1041 1.35 1015 1.43 1706 0.61 1734 0.62 1813 1553 0.72 0.46 1411 1.84 0.39 1840 0.86 SA SU FR TH MO TU SA 1706 0.61 1734 0.39 1813 1553 0.72 0.46 1411 1.84 1352 1.72 1840 0.86 SA WE 1609 SU TH 1553 TH TU 1516 MO 0.62 TU 0.46 SA 0.58 0.61 SA 2318 1.79 2220 2149 2220 1.92 1.932318 2238 0.78 1.63 1.52 2344 1.632344 1.93 1934 0.78 1934 1926 0.87 1.93 1.791.52 2220 1.93

m m Time m Time Time Time m 0046 0.69 0034m 0.51 0049 0.58 0735 0034 1.30 0.51 0013 0735 0.491.47 0041 0.40 0748 1.35 1245 0735 0.80 1.47WE 1245 0603 1.230.75 0630 1.30 1257 0.87 1935 1.44 0.75 1928 WE 1245 TH 0.561.54 1204 0.52 SU 1137 1.72 1.42 1843 1928 1.83 1.54 1812 1922 0135 0.68 0130 0.47 0133 0.57 0842 0130 1.32 0.47 0058 0849 0130 0.34 0.391.50 0848 1.37 1336 0849 0.89 1.50 TH 1345 0721 1.33 0650 1.300.85 1347 0.95 FR TH 1345 1254 0.50 0.491.50 2019 1.40 0.85 2023 MO 1226 1930 2023 1.86 1.50 1858 2009 1.82 1.38 0230 0.65 0230 0.43 0223 0.55 0214 0.31 0.291.55 0945 0230 1.36 0.43 0140 0958 0949 1.40 0807 1.35 0735 1.370.92 1438 0958 0.96 1.55 FR 1453 1449 1.01 SA FR 1453 1341 0.49 0.421.47 2108 1.37 0.92 2124 TU 1314 2014 2124 1.86 1.47 1943 2102 1.91 1.35 0329 0.61 0338 0.39 0320 0.53 0254 0.31 0.211.61 1044 0338 1.42 0.39 0221 1103 1050 1.46 0849 1.37 0820 1.440.94 1550 1103 1.00 1.61 SA 1608 1600 1.02 SU SA 1608 1424 0.49 0.351.46 WE 1401 2200 1.36 0.94 2229 2054 2229 1.83 1.46 2029 2203 1.96 1.34 0426 0.56 0445 0.36 0422 0.48 0331 0.33 0.161.67 1137 0445 1.51 0.36 0304 1205 1147 1.52 0929 1.37 0905 1.500.92 1701 1205 1.00 1.67SU 1720 1709 0.99 MO SU 1720 1504 0.50 0.321.47 TH 1451 2255 1.37 0.92 2331 2131 2331 1.78 1.47 2115 2308 1.96 1.35 0516 0.50 0545 0.33 0545 0.33 0346 0520 0.43 0406 0.151.72 1225 0.36 1.59 1301 1301 1.72 0952 1240 1.59 1007 1.38 1.560.87 1758 1822 0.96 0.87MO 1822 1807 0.93 MO TU 1544 0.53 1542 0.31 FR 2349 1.39 2207 1.71 2202 1.90 0601 0030 0.44 1.49 0030 1.49 0010 1.39 0441 0.40 0.180.31 1310 0639 1.66 0.31 0430 0639 0611 0.38 1045 1.38 1040 1.59 1844 1353 0.92 1353 1.75 TUWE 1329 1.65 TU 0.57 1.75 1624 0.34 SA 1636 1915 0.81 2243 1915 1.62 0.81 2251 1856 1.78 0.85 0040 1.43 1.50 0123 1.50 0514 0123 0.44 0515 0105 0.24 1.44 0644 0.40 0729 0729 0.33 0659 0.35 1122 1.38 1130 1.610.33 1352 1.72 1440 WE 1440 1.75 1414 1.70 WE 0.61 SU 1734 TH 0.391.75 1706 1926 2005 0.87 0.75 2344 2005 1942 0.76 2318 1.52 1.630.75

Time Time 0049 0207 0748 0938 TH 1257 1427 1922 SA 2057 0133 0315 0848 1043 FR 1347 1542 SU 2009 2205 0223 0426 0949 1145 SA 1449 1659 MO 2102 2313 0320 0530 1050 1243 SU 1600 1805 TU 2203

11 1

161616

116 16 16 16 1 1 1 1 16 16 1 11 1 16116 16

161 1

1 16 16

16 1

22 2

171717

17 17 17 217 2 2 2 2 17 17 17 2 22 2 17217

172 2

17 217

17 2

33 3

181818

18 18 18 318 3 3 3 3 18 18 18 3 33 3 18318

183 3

18 318

18 3

44 4

191919

19 19 19 419 19 4 44 4 19419 4 4 4 4 19 19

194 4

19 419

19 4

55 5

202020

20 20 20 520 20 5 5 5 5 20 20 5 55 5 20520

205 5

20 520

0015 20 50422 1147 0625

66 6

212121

21 21 21 621 6 66 6 21621 6 6 6 6 21 21 21

216 6

21 621

21 6

77 7

222222

22 22 22 722 7 77 7 22722 7 7 7 7 22 22 22

227 7

22 722

22 7

88 8

232323

0.39 0421 88 0442 23 23 23 823 1041 8 8 8 8 23 23 8 0442 8 23823 23 1041 1.35 1020 WE 1609 1609 0.62

238 8

23 823

23 8

99 9

WE

242424

FR MO 1548 2238 2238 1.79 2221

MO 1709 1334 WE 2308 1902 0520 0110 1240 0715 1807 TUTH 1418 1952 0010 0200 0611 0800 1329 WEFR 1456 1856 2036 0105 0245 0659 0840 1414 THSA 1528 1942 2115

0547 0.44 0459 0459 0.261.42 1.56 0.34 0128 0213 1.46 1.50 0600 0213 0157 0032 1.54 0033 1.42 0547 0.49 0600 0.340600 0326 0.44 0032 0.26 0144 1.56 0144 0128 1.46 0547 0157 1.49 1.54 0033 0511 0.40 0434 0.39 0523 0.440.49 0459 0.26 0.49 0.341.50 9 24 99 0523 9 24 9 24 9 24 24 1203 1.38 1223 1.61 1125 1.33 1105 1.46 0746 0.26 0724 0.37 0815 0.36 0745 0629 0.26 0642 0.44 9 0523 24 9 24 9 9 9 24 9 24 24 1203 1.38 1223 1.61 0916 1125 1.33 1105 1.46 0746 0.26 0724 0.37 0815 0.36 0745 0.34 0629 0.26 0642 0.44 9 24 24 9 24 1111 1.35 1034 1.37 1125 1.33 1105 1.46 1203 1.38 1223 1.61 1.84 0.45 1.81 0.48 1.68 0.66 SU 1752 MO 1837 TH 1653 0.66 FR 1646 TU 1459 WE 1434 1.75 TH 1522 1.73 FR 1456 SA 1338 SU 1339 1653 0.66 SA TU 1635 2317 2317 1.69 2307

1752 0.66 0.45 0.48 1.84 1338 1.81 SU 1.68 MO 1837 FR 1646 TU 1459 WE SU 1339 0.68 0.60 0.66 WE 1604 TH 1653 FR 1646 1.69 2308 2308 1.850.83 2358 1908 0.70 1919 0.83 2358 1.42 1.85 2022 0.75 2022 1908 0.70 1919 1.83 2235 1.89 2317 1.691.42 2308

1434 TH 1522 FR 1456 0.48 1.75 0.66 1.73 0.45 1.73 SU 1752 MO 1837 0.75 0.82 2358 2007 2052 0.82 0.71 2052 2007 20270.71 0.67 1.85 1.42

TH MO 1533 0.64 FR WE 1723 SA TH 1657 MO FR 1739 TU SA 1744 SU 0.74 WE 0.71 TH 0.52 FR 0.70 TU 1321 SA 1.60 MO 0.62 MO 1846 SU 1614 0.57 1957 0.68 2352 1.73 2324 1.59 0.68 0.72 0.51 0.77 0.67 1950 2136 1957 2352 1.73 1.85 1.85 1.59 1957 0.511950 2107 0.72 2107 2047 0.77 2047 2136 2113 0.58 1957 2352 1.73 2324 1.85 0.80 23570.80 1.59 1950 0.510.67 2245 1.94 2324 2205 1.84 2357 2357

TH MO 1700 0.67 TH FR FRTU 1616 0.68 SA 2333 1.84 2249 1.82

SU 1557 2027 2151

MO 2113 2225

SA SU1753 FR SUTU MO FR SU TUTU SATU TH 0.76 FR 1.51 SA 1.39 WESA SU 1.60 MO 0.79 TU 0.65 WE TH 1829 1251 1425 TU 1337 TH 1815 SU WE 1950 2033 0.78 1845 0.560.78 0.71 0.53 2129 2217 0.72 0.64 2111 2217 2159 20430.56 0.67 1950 0.73 21520.73 0.71 2152 2129 0.72 1950 2159 0.50 2258 2043 1845 0.67 2033 2111 0.532111 0.73 1845 0.56 0.530.64

FR SA SAWE 1705 0.72 SU SU FR 1.35 SA 1.54 SU 1.42 THSU TU 1.30 WE 1.41 MOTU SA WE TH MO MO 1.61 1344 1534 FR TU 1752 0.76 FR 1349 SA 1433 WE SUWE MO1317 TH MOWE FR 1346 WE 1912 1856 0.67 0.67 0.79 2127 2235 0.70 2235 2212 0.66 2105 0.67 2110 0.59 2105 0.73 2230 0.502230 2245 0.43 2331 19120.84 0.84 1856 0.79 1956 0.70 0.50 2212 2256 0.66 0.62 2230 2256 2127 0.67 2110 0.76 1956 0.590.76 2105 2245 1912 0.84 1856 0.67 1928 0.790.73 2337 1.78 1928 1928 1956 0.59 0.73 0.500.62

1647 1.75 1611 1.73 1450 1.59 1532 1730 1441 1.33 1417 1.39 1.61 1.64 1714 1.68 FRMO 1735 WE 1.33 TH TU THTH MO FR1.46 TU SA SU SUTH MO MO SA SU1641 MO 1.46 1331 1.26 1802 1.47 0.75 1641 1.641.56 1441 1.47 1436 1.39 1450 1.59 WE SU TU1417 TH FR TUTH SA WE SA SU SA 1436 TU 1743 TH 1532 0.67 2146 0.59 2219 0.68 2337 0.452337 2331 0.39 2016 0.85 0.68 0.68 2035 2035 0.80 2209 2318 0.70 2318 2257 0.61 2219 1849 0.83 2005 0.450.60 2016 0.85 2005 0.68 2035 0.800.68 2114 0.59 0.68 2209 0.67 2146 0.75 2114 0.590.75 2219 2331 2016 0.85 2005 0.80 2114 0.70 0.45 2257 2332 0.61 0.60 2337 2332

TH 1.38 FR SA1.53 SU MOMOFR TU TU WETH MO FRFR TU SU MO1740 TU 1.53 WE 1.26 1339 1.55 1.33 1553 1.64 1740 1.681.51 1534 1.55 1530 1.44 1731 1.67 1650 1.69 1553 1.64 1630 1.38 1517 1.44 1.55 1.68 1754 1.63 SATU 1806 TH 1436 WE 1819 FR 1630 SU 1530 WE1517 FR SA SU 1534 SU MO 0.69 2225 2125 0.84 0.65 0.65 0.78 2252 0.55 2322 0.60 1956 0.86 2120 1907 0.76 2147 2147 0.55 0.56 2322 2125 0.84 2120 0.65 2147 0.780.60 2231 2344 2252 0.69 2225 0.74 2231 0.550.74 2322 2125 0.84 2120 0.78 2231 2344 0.60 0.56

1813 WEFR 1836

TH 1200 SA 1838 1.58 SUWE 1212 0.79 FR MO 1622 1.51 TU 1.46 TUSA 1615 1.65 1.58 1.71 1731 1.64 1.62 0.70 0.54 TH 1654 SA 1723 SU 1158 TH 1230 MO 1624 WE FR 1815 SA WE MO TU 1.721830 2230 0.79 0.59 0.59 0.72 2336 0.71 0.48 2305 1857 1.49 1857 1842 1.47 1830 1900 1.52 1921 2342 0.48 1.721.47 2106 0.86 2234 2020 0.75 2254 2254 2230 0.79 2234 0.59 22540.72 0.72 1830 2342 0.480.72 1900 2230 0.79 2234 0.72 2342 2336 0.71 2305 1.49 1.72 1842 0530 1.28 0.340114 0114 0110 0.34 0.37 0240 1.67 1.28 0.34 05300526 1.281.42 0526 1.42 0114 0530 0110 1110 0.54 1.330709 0709 0832 1.33 1.50 0925 0.46 0.54 1.33 11101107 0.540.49 1107 0.49 0709 1110 0832 1.78 1.59 0.491246 FR 1751 SU 1815 MO 1246 FR 1324 0.49 0.84 FR 1324 1751 1.78 0.49 MO 1246 SU 1545 1.48 FR MO 1.78 1815 1.59 FR 1751 SU 2351 0.69 1915 1954 1.74 1.47 2134 0.69 2351 0.69 1915 1.741915 1.74 1954

31

31 31 31 31

31 3131

31 31

31

onwealth ofofAustralia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology monwealth Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology ns is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide ns is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide standard +10:00) daylight savings time Times (UTC +11:00) are inor local when standard inwhen effect time (UTC +10:00) daylight savings timesavings (UTC +11:00) when+11:00 in effec Times are inorlocal standard time (UTC +10:00) daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when inor effect standardtime time(UTC (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC Times +11:00) are in local standard in effect time (UTCor+10:00) daylight time (UTC New Moon First Quarter New Last Moon Quarter First Quarter ols Moon Phase Full Moon Symbols Full Moon New Moon Moon Phase First Quarter Full Moon LastQuarter Quarter NewMoon MoonPhase Symbols First Quarter New Last Moon Quarter First ols Full Moon Symbols Full M 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.

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