Fishing Monthly Magazine | May 2020 by Fishing Monthly

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Features

Gippsland after the fires • Fishing advice during COVID-19 • Local area reports •

Location Spotlight

Gippy Lakes after the fires

May, 2020 ISSN 2652-5798

by Brett Geddes

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CONTENTS

OUR COVER May 2020, Vol. 1 No.1 TAS

QUEENSLAND Tweed 12 Gold Coast South 14 Gold Coast 15 Jumpinpin 16 Brisbane 18 Northern Bay 20 Noosa 21 Hervey Bay 24 Yeppoon 26 Mackay 28 Whitsundays 30 Townsville 32 Lucinda 34 Hinchinbrook 34 Cairns 35 Port Douglas 35 Cooktown 37 Freshwater 28 NEW SOUTH WALES Pittwater 42 Sydney Rock 44 Sydney North 45 Sydney South 46 Botany Bay 47 Ballina 48 Yamba 50 Coffs Harbour 52 Hastings 54 Forster 55 Port Stephens 56 Swansea 57 Illawarra 58 Stokman 59 Bermagui 60 Tathra 61 Albury/Wodonga 64 Batlow 65 Lithgow/Oberon 68 Hunter Valley 54 New England Rivers 55 Canberra 70 VICTORIA West Coast 72 Warrnambool 72 Cobden 73 Geelong 74 PPB West 76 PPB East 78 PPB Inshore 79 Western Port North 80 Western Port South 81 Gippsland Lakes 82 Marlo 83 Bemm River 82 Lakes Entrance 84 Corner Inlet 84 Mallacoota 85 Robinvale 86 Yarrawonga 86 Wangaratta 88 Shepparton 90 Nagambie 92 Bendigo 92 Ballarat 93 Eildon 94 W/S Gippsland 94 4

MAY 2019

From the editor’s Desk...

Keiran Seddon with a beautiful 96cm Yamba flathead he caught on a Cultiva Rip’n Minnow 65mm. A Matt Seddon image. Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.

TASMANIA Offshore 96 Hobart 97 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Metro 98 Busselton 101 Bunbury 102 Mandurah 103 Lancelin 104 Jurien Bay 107 Geraldton 108 Kamberri 109 Broome 110 Karratha 111 Freshwater 112

You’ll notice a change to your magazine this month. The May 2020 issue marks the time that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to merge all of the Fishing Monthly magazine titles into one masthead – Fishing Monthly Magazine. The pandemic response has hit fishing and boating businesses hard and we reflect that difficulty in the marketplace. Since April, our advertising income had more than halved and since the 400+ pages we make a month are very labour intensive, something had to give. Internally it was about half of our staff and the merging of all of our monthly titles. But, as always, we love to look at the positives in this situation. We realise that what makes Fishing Monthly special is the local area reports – the fact that there’s always something there about your area and the places you fish. We’ve done our best to retain the local essence in each of the sections inside. Fishing Monthly is still more of a local magazine than a national magazine. There’s significant content from Western Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and Queensland. We use local writers in local areas and create all of our boat test material ourselves. If you’re a subscriber to multiple Fishing Monthly magazines, you’ll just get one each month and the balance of magazines owed will be added to your subscription duration – two 12 month subs turn into a 24 month sub. You don’t need to do anything – we will make the adjustments internally.

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Qld Fishing Monthly Pty Ltd ABN 72-010-542-195

REGULAR FEATURES Gippsland after the fires 6 Starlo’s back to basics 10 WIRF 95 Sheik of the Creek 109 Recfishwest 114 Tournamements 116 Trades and Services 120 Track My Fish 122 Kayaking 124 Life jackets: get the right fit 126 TEST: Yellowfin 5800 128 COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo Sub page Fun page

Whittley Marine

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Business Office: Unit 1, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, Qld, 4128 Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Managing Editor: Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas Field Editors: Jason Ehrlich, Wayne Kampe Publishers: Steve Morgan, Matthew Drinkall Advertising: Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Copy and materials should be sent direct to: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au Advertising Enquiries: Ph: (07) 3387 0800

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And as a member of the Australian fishing and boating industries, what can you do to support us? Buy from your local tackle store or boat yard. If you’re limited in your fishing – and most of us are – take the time to do essential maintenance or stock up for when you’re able to get out again. Remember that this will eventually end and you want your local businesses to be there when it does. We intend to be there with you and with them, so we appreciate your support through these difficult times. Remember the joy that fishing and boating has brought you and look forward to doing that again, unencumbered, when we have overcome the challenges. GIPPSLAND LAKES NET FREE There has been some good news, though, in the sea of bad. The Gippsland recreational fishing haven has now established in Victoria following the decision by the 10 licensed commercial fishers to exit the fishery on 1 April this year. The commercial fishers have shared in a record $9 million compensation package and what’s even better is that this has not come from angling licence fees but from Government election funding sources. It means an extra 200 tonnes of bream, dusky flathead, whiting, tailor, trevally and luderick for anglers to enjoy. An increase of 5% in recreational fishing in Gippsland equates to another $20 million to the State economy and this will be massive for jobs in the region. It’s great to see the Lakes being returned to anglers and the environment. Let’s hope we can get out there soon to enjoy it. – The Fishing Monthly Team

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Gippland flourishes after fires GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

The Gippsland Lakes are back! Of course they didn’t go anywhere but the area went into lockdown after the devastating bush fires, but around late February things went back to normal… until COVID-19. It now seems such a long time ago but the catastrophic fires back in January are still having an effect on East Gippy towns. The overwhelming and distressing grief of losing homes and even loved ones is still sadly welded into the memories of those who lived through the worst of it. It can be months after the event that people can still remain distressed. And for that reason alone we should continue to support our wonderful country community the best we can. This pesky virus may have distracted us away from the bushfire heartbreak but let’s

not drop the ball. The easiest way we can all help while in isolation is to plan our next holiday at local destinations. When the ban gets lifted, don’t go overseas, get the fishing

rods out, pack up the boat or strap on the kayaks and head to the Lakes. Even landbased anglers have plenty of options there for great fishing, beaches, hiking, bike riding,

downstream then reached the river mouth where it empties into Lake King. The Latrobe, Avon, Nicholson and Mitchell rivers were also running very brown.

Pinkie snapper are common in the lakes from Metung to Kalimna and readily take lures, like this Hurricane Sprat soft plastic.

Where the rivers meet the sea at the township of Lakes Entrance. Photo courtesy of Tania Sederlan.

Rod Tatterson knows that Lake Victoria holds big numbers of bream around 30-45cm, and blade lures will score you plenty.

visiting wineries, great pubs and restaurants. Let me remind you about some of the treasures of the enormous Gippsland Lakes area and explore its tourist activities, places to stay and of course how and where to fish. BUSHFIRE IMPACT: WHAT’S CHANGED? For the main part, when you visit the Gippy Lakes you’ll see little change to the towns of Sale, Bairnsdale, Paynesville, Metung or Lakes Entrance. The biggest impact to the area immediately after the big fires was ironically rain. Heavy downpours hit the burnt out catchments and the runoff filled the rivers with very dirty water. The upper Tambo was worst affected and the stream was hit by thick mud, burnt wood and ash. It looked terrible and flowed way

The coloured waters looked very confronting at first but, incredibly, a lot of land-based bait anglers were catching tonnes of big bream in the brown flows. A lot of switched-on anglers know that

freshwater like this can really get bream on the chew, so don’t be put off by any of the discoloured rivers. FACTS AND FIGURES Being right on my doorstep, I’m very passionate about the Gippsland Lakes. When you study a map of this estuary it looks huge on paper but when you spend time exploring in a boat it then becomes absolutely massive.

Fancy a breathtaking helicopter ride to get an eagle eyes view of the vast Gippy Lakes and out into Bass Strait? Photo courtesy of Tania Sederlan.

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MAY 2020

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Having lived here for 25 years now I’m still discovering brand new fishing haunts and, over the last few years, even catching new species of fish. The never ending stretches of open lakes and the five impressive rivers are all worth fishing during most of the year. The Gippy Lakes at around 600km2 is the largest complex of inland waterways in Australia, so even during

A stunning view of Lakes Entrance where the magnificent 90 Mile Beach begins. Photo courtesy of Tania Sederlan.

the busiest holidays you can find somewhere to escape the crowds. For most of its life, the system was closed off to the ocean and the water level of the lakes would gradually rise until the waters broke through to Bass Strait and then drop down to sea level. In time this ‘break-through’ would eventually close up and the lakes would fill again. It would often be years before another new channel to the sea broke through and sometimes this could be quite a while a long time from the last one forming. However, in 1889 they decided to build a wall to permanently position a perennial channel, which is now much bigger and always open due to constant deep dredging. This has changed the Gippy Lakes from mostly freshwater to now a saltwater environment. This also means

that the fire impacted rivers and dirty water mixes with large volumes of the cleaner saltwater and mostly absorbs any negative impacts to the aquatic life. LET’S TALK FISHING Bream The number one target for the lakes and rivers is black bream, and they can be caught all year round. You can find them just about anywhere, but I would start my search with a visit to the Mitchell River. First stop would be a trip to get some bait. Local suppliers, Bairnsdale Bait Supply, have an array of sandworm, spider crab and prawn baits, along with up to the minute fishing reports that could put you in a hot spot and have you fishing within half an hour. Lure anglers will benefit from paying attention to where bait anglers are concentrated, as they are probably parked there for a very good reason. If the rivers are still

Captains Cove Resort has stunning views and a private jetty for mooring your fishing boat. Photo courtesy of Tania Sederlan.

Under the current COVID-19 restrictions, Victoria has an outright ban on ALL recreational fishing and boating. We strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in their state before leaving home.

The magic of Paynesville viewed from above with its stunning lake views, moored boats and resort accommodation. Photo courtesy of Tania Sederlan. running dirty and don’t appeal to you, there are plenty of lake fishing options, like Hollands Landing, Paynesville, Metung and Lakes Entrance, just to name just a few. If you’re serious about

all sizes. They are the best all round lure in my opinion because they catch bream in very deep water and are most effective in the shallows as well. The best method is to use these blades dead slow and

Tony Pettie with a 40cm bream caught on a Hurricane Vibz blade. catching bream on lures, make sure you have plenty of small blades as they are deadly when searching for bream of

with long pauses – even the best of anglers fish them too fast at times. My biggest ever PB

bream at 50cm was caught in Lake Wellington on a Hurricane Sting blade in black. Hurricane Lures owner, Peter Nord, is located at Bairnsdale. He is a gun lure angler and has developed a huge range of his own branded fishing gear including countless soft plastics, hard bodies and blade lures that catch the hell out the local bream. The staff will also put you onto where the biggest bream are biting best. PLENTY OF SPECIES There are so many different species of fish to target at Gippy Lakes. Whiting and big flathead are a prime target from October through to the end of May. The best area to find them is in Lake King between Metung and Lakes Entrance. Estuary perch are now high on the list for mainly lure anglers. The Mitchell River has a big population of them, especially around the Highway Bridge in Bairnsdale. Way upstream from the town where the bass are, EP are also commonly found, thanks to years of heavy stocking. The biggest win for the Gippy Lakes over the last five years has been the big numbers of kingfish that have moved in. They now push To page 8

MAY 2020

over the last five years are the big yellowfin bream from 40-50cm that are now caught year round inside the lakes between Lakes Entrance and Duck Arm. There’s also a huge run of prawns in the lakes even into April and May and flounder for those who enjoy night fishing.

This is the famous ‘Floating Shed of Paynesville’. It motors around with music or even a band playing from within. fish check with the local tackle shop as to where the kingfish are lurking because they are highly mobile. Snapper are very common around Nungurner or Metung and luderick are caught from jetties with weed or sandworm baits. Another new development

WHERE TO STAY Accommodation in the area is near unlimited and too much for me to list. Lakes Entrance is the largest of all the towns that are situated right next to the water, with apartments, hotels and camp parks. It has easy access to both the lakes

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and the picturesque Ninety Mile Beach. Metung is a small quaint village surrounded almost completely by lake water. It’s a popular tourist destination for those enjoying trendy dining options, artisan galleries, great outdoor markets and one of the best pubs in Gippsland. However, my very favourite location is Paynesville with most of its accommodation overlooking the dazzling lakes or a system of charming canals. There are a couple of bakeries, classy pub or café dining and excellent take away options. At Captains Cove they have double story resort style apartments that have tranquil water views, where you can moor a boat at your back door. It really is peaceful living and you can feed the local ducks and swans while enjoying a quiet drink at your own private jetty right at the water’s edge. One of the best attractions at Paynesville, apart from the first-rate fishing options, is a ferry trip to Raymond Island that’s famous for koalas and

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There are also quality golf courses at Lakes Entrance or Bairnsdale. Speaking of little white balls, Lakes Entrance is the home of mini golf and, if you can’t fish on a windy day, this will entertain kids and adults for hours. Oh, and just before I go, don’t forget the Golden Tag promotion with about 900 fish still tagged and each worth $2,000 each. So while you’re stuck at home, start planning your next holiday to Gippy Lakes to see the absolute beauty of this region. The locals are ready and waiting for your arrival, so I’ll see you on the water.

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the vast lakes to spot the local dolphins or try a fishing charter to catch a few local bream or offshore snapper. What about a stunning helicopter ride to view the lakes from above, maybe hire paddleboards and kayaks or visit a local winery or beer brewery?

• Captains Cove Resort at Paynesville (03) 5156 7223 • Gippsland Helicopters, Jarrod Janson 0409 179 652 • Thunderbird Cruises from Lakes Entrance 0409 946 292 • Far Out Fishing Charters 0428 401 819 • Lakes Entrance kayaks or paddle boards, Venture Out Australia 0427 731 441 • Footbridge Mini Golf, Lolly Shop & IceCream Shack (03) 5155 1488

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Owen Pierce with a hefty Hollands Landing ‘horse’. An exceptional Gippy Lakes bream caught on lure.

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Viral fishing advice NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

We are all living in exceptionally challenging times, but fishing and its related arts and crafts are one way to maintain our mental and physical health in the face of increasing adversity. We now find ourselves in a worrying and fast-changing

Under the current COVID-19 restrictions, you may fish for the purpose of eating your catch in most states except for Victoria, which has an outright ban on ALL recreational fishing. Social distancing must be obeyed. Please be aware that the regulations may change after this magazine has gone to print and we strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in their state before leaving home.

This could be the ideal time to teach yourself a new fishing-related craft such as fly tying, rod building or making your own lures and floats. Keep occupied and stay safe! world. As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, the state-of-play (and the rules) changes almost by the hour. At the time of writing, I was still allowed to go fishing for a feed, and I was doing exactly that! The emphasis of my angling efforts had shifted somewhat from sport fishing with lures and flies (usually accompanied by lots of catchand-release) to what I like to think of as ‘subsistence fishing’: targeting relatively abundant and locally available species, often using bait, and bringing home regular meals of fresh-caught seafood. For me, going fishing at this time of increasing anxiety was something of a no-brainer… especially as most of my paying work had already dried up! Fishing allowed me to get outdoors while still allowing safe social distancing from other people (and I deliberately chose times and places where I

protein at a time when many foods were becoming increasingly scarce on the supermarket shelves. Furthermore, catching my own helped to remove some of the pressure on those scarce supermarket commodities, leaving more available for those who can’t (or prefer not to) hunt and gather for themselves. However, I didn’t regard the crisis as an excuse to mercilessly hammer vulnerable resources, especially of species already under significant pressure and threat, such as mulloway, kingfish and snapper. Bag and possession limits in most

An empty rock ledge at dawn. Not a bad place to escape the stresses of our pandemic-threatened world… if you’re still allowed to go. use of the so-called ‘B-grade’ table fish: things like mullet, Australian salmon, luderick, morwong, bonito, trevally and tailor. And I encouraged others to do the same via my regular social media posts. I fear that by the time you read this, lots of us may no longer have the luxury of being able to choose to go fishing, even on our home patches. Many will be in total lockdown at home, or operating under rigid ‘shelter in place’ restrictions, and for very good reason. If we are

So, what do you do on the fishing front if you’re cooped up at home? Fortunately, there are some choices. Why not learn a new skill, such as fly tying, rod building, lure crafting or making your own floats? If you’re a game fisher, re-rig all your trolling lures on fresh leaders. And regardless

supplies you need. So there are really no excuses! To help you with all of this, my wife, Jo, and I will be compiling and constantly updating lists of resources and contact points for on-line training, video courses and the supply of resources: from lure making classes to places

Why not tie some flies? They don’t need to be complex things of great beauty to catch a few fish!

A little subsistence fishing. As the COVID-19 crisis unfolded, Starlo took himself out onto a rock ledge near his home. He secured several meals of delicious black drummer or rock blackfish for his family. was unlikely to come close to anyone). This was important from a mental and physical health perspective. Fishing also provided a welcome source of healthy

Australian jurisdictions are already extremely generous. There was absolutely no need to exceed those limits to feed my family, even at this time of crisis. I also made more

going to avoid Europeanstyle health system collapses, we really do need to flatten that statistical ‘curve’ we all keep hearing about… It’s imperative.

of what you fish for or where, there’s always a heap of maintenance that needs to be done: tackle boxes to be sorted and re-organised, reels to be serviced and re-spooled with new line, rods to be cleaned and thoroughly checked over for necessary repairs, trebles and split rings to be upgraded on lures, boats to be cleaned… the list is seemingly endless. There are plenty of great on-line resources that will teach you how to do all of these things if they’re new to you, and you can still mailorder any of the equipment or

where you can mail-order fly-tying materials. You’ll find links to all of this on the free section of our Fishotopia.com website portal. My message to you is clear: stay active, remain alert and above all, look after yourself and those around you. Isolate as much as possible from others, wash your hands regularly with soap and water, cover those coughs and monitor your health for symptoms of COVID-19. We will get through this, and there’s a wonderful fishing future on the other side.

An uninhabited beach is a wonderful place for some serious social distancing, but check first to make sure you’re still allowed to go there. 10

MAY 2020

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MAY 2020

Toothy torpedoes and bumpy heads patrol getting the bigger models. Bream are hanging around the structure on the making tide. Rockwalls, bridges, weed banks and oyster leases are all fishing well with baits and lures. Try mullet gut, strip

THE TWEED

Anthony Coughran

Wow, this year has been full on! Bushfires, drought, floods and now COVID-19 – none of which has stopped the fish from biting! Mackerel have shown up in reasonable numbers over the last month and are smashing top to mid water baits and lures. While snapper are patrolling the reef bottoms and picking up any well worked plastic or drift bait. Jacks have slowed down with the cooler water temperatures. Nevertheless, hardcore jack guns have found a few while working the right structure on the right tide, with the right lure or bait – either dead or alive or large strip bait.

Andrew Strong with a nice brassy. micro jigs are all working well in this very delicate bite. Soaking a small live bait also works well at dusk. Bread and butter species are in full swing. Whiting are working the banks on the making tides. Using yabbies and worms while drifting these banks is paying off best, but the top water lures are

Nick Dillon found a big head thumper. baits, worms, yabbies, half pillies, white bait and even chicken breast. Most 2-3” plastics in natural colours

Kristian Frey with an awesome looking golden. The soapies are already starting to stack up in some of the holes that hold bait and are taking a few varieties of lures. Slack tides coinciding with dusk is the best time for catching these soapies. There are a few larger models moving along the beaches and headlands chasing the odd pack of tailor around. OFFSHORE Spanish mackerel have finally started to show in okay numbers and are patrolling most Tweed reefs. Towing mid to top water dead baits, live baits, and hardiheads all work well on the right day. However, they have been changing the bite halfway through a morning. For instance, they will be hitting troll baits, livies and hards all morning, then just shut down; swap to using float lines, metals and surface lures, they start biting again. The tip is to have a wide range of techniques to increase your catch rate. Some good wahoo are also being caught this month. Towing skirts, gar, and hards all working best on the 24s and 36s. The reefs out to the 100m lines are fishing well for mixed reefies. Drift baits, plastics, micros and octa jigs all work well. The odd pelagic is still 12

MAY 2020

tides, with the last two hours fishing the best. Finding a good draining sand bank, weed bed and mangrove, and matching the hatch on that tide are the key to finding your flatfish.

hanging around for those fishing around the 100m lines with skirts, and there are lots of live baits on local reefs at sun up. ESTUARY Jacks are still around for those who are looking. Finding that right structure on the right tide is still producing some very nice specimens. Working bridges, pylons and pontoons

with the right lures will still trigger a bite. Live baits, dead baits and strip baits are fishing the best. Look for structure and bunker in, as it could be a long time between bites. Soapies are starting to stack up already. Look for holes that hold bait on a slack tide – slack low fishes best when it aligns with dusk. Working blades, vibes and

Some good Spaniards are getting caught off the Tweed this month. and profile on light weighted jigheads, say 1/12oz, with light leaders around 6lb are working best (and are great fun). For the best results, remember to match the hatch, and lades, small vibes, 30-40mm hardbody lures and various surface lures are all working well. Flathead are starting to work the drains on the run-out

Leon with a solid silver dinner plate.

There are some great trevally in the system this month. Working the current lines of the run-in or -out tide is key. Working surface lures, plastics, vibes, blades and small metals are finding a few golden, and big eye. Matching the hatch again is very important in lure selection. Always match with whatever bait is in that current line that day – it might even change as you drift along with it. BEACHES There are some big mulloway starting to get caught off the beaches and headlands. Big strip baits are fishing best at the moment in the deep gutter on the headlands, rock walls and beaches. A few good tailor and dart are starting to also show up at dusk and dawn coinciding with a high or low tides. Use a few metals between 20-60g and you should score, and if there’s a bit of cloud cover or white wash then you double your chances. Soaking a half pilly, ganged up pilly, strip baits, white bait, yabbies and worms will also catch some great tailor, bream, dart, whiting, flathead, big eye trevally and the odd shovel nose. Look for the deeper water along the back beaches, around the rock walls and off the headlands.

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Fish only for a feed SOUTHERN GOLD COAST

Mark Ward markward222@bigpond.com

After a few tough months in the estuaries, things have finally improved. Flathead have been on the bite and my son and I have bagged just about everything from reef fish in the canals to bream and whiting on the flats.

daily, I have no idea what will be install for us by the time this goes to print. So I will write this up as though nothing is happening but please be aware of the current restrictions. ESTUARY It took a long time for the water to clear but as soon as it got a green tinge to it instead of the brown that I was getting use to, the flathead started biting again.

the water had a chance to warm up and the results have been excellent. By now the water will be even cooler so the fishing will continue to improve. Fishing for bream in the canals has turned up a lot of good-sized flathead. Not what we were chasing, but a good by-catch just the same. It’s common for flathead to be in the deeper, cooler water of the canals that have

Trevally will be harassing baitfish this month. Find the bait and trevally won’t be too far away. of the lures. Working plastics around canals and other structure has been catching a lot of juvenile reef fish. Spangled emperor, grass sweetlip and juvenile snapper have been in good numbers. Look for gravel patches, rocks and structure that has good current flow and preferably lots of bait fish. In the Nerang River, the rock patches in front of TSS, the racks and structure near

Cody Ward with a thumping bass landed by slow working a Hot Bite Spectre Vibration Jig. Slowing it down as the water cools can be very productive. We are in the middle of COVID-19 lockdowns so fishing has been limited to only fishing for a feed at this stage. With it changing

The water temperature has still been up a little so I started fishing the flats and shallows on the cooler, overcast mornings before

good tidal flow. The flathead respond well to even the smaller bream lures with soft plastics, such as ZMan and Berkley Grubs being the pick

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The rocks and bridge around the mouth of Tallebudgera has been producing a lot of fish as have the rocks around the Tweed and the gravel patch near Kennedy Drive boat ramp. If working lures for bream, keep leaders as light as you can and, when you think you are fishing slow, go slower. When bream are in a school, they will aggressively take a lure

never return, but some bream anglers wind the line up and wait to feel the weight of the fish before striking. Either way has its hits and misses so that’s some thing each angler can work on. I know that winding and waiting for the fish to load up can sometimes keep the bream interested enough to strike again, if he misses the first time. Lots and lots of options this time of the year. The weather is often very kind so as long as the rules don’t end up treating anglers like professional football players, we should all have tight lines. BEACH Flathead and bream migrate up and down the surf beaches during autumn. It’s not uncommon to catch flathead in the 70-90cm range in very shallow water. I grew up fishing South Stradbroke Island and the Straddie Cocktail was a pipi with a bit of beach worm. The amount of oversized flathead I landed on that bait, lead me to believe that a big flathead loves a pipi and worm cocktail as much as a bream and whiting does. Frozen worms and pipis are not anywhere near as good, but will work if nothing else is available. Other frozen baits include white bait and pilchards cut The author with a canal bream caught on a soft plastic. in half. I only like to use whole pilchards on gang the council chambers and due to the competition but hooks for tailor as I find the the bridges around Bundall when feeding alone, they are hook up ratio for flathead have all been fishing well for very wary and presentations and bream significantly juvenile reef species. need to be perfect. Use very higher when using single Trevally have also been light braids as a main line hooks as opposed to a whole caught around the canals and and leaders, between 8-4lb pilchard and gang hooks. structure. Trevally have big is ideal. Work very short Tailor have been moving appetites and need a good movements and allow the up the coast and this is the supply of bait fish to keep plastic to sit or drift along perfect time to get out and flick some pilchards or them happy. Golden and with the current. giant trevally have been The best tip I can give is slugs for tailor. The rocky around and this time of year to let it sit or drift on slack headlands can see schools we should also see diamond line. I keep my line bright of smaller chopper tailor trevally. as possible so I can easily but the bigger greenback Bream will be increasing see the bow in it as the lure tailor are very much loaners in numbers as they prepare is sitting and this bow is my or in very small schools. to spawn. They are still bite detector. It’s often a very There have been a few big very shy with lures but bait sudden, light flicker of the tailor landed from around fishing can be deadly. As slack line that is the only hint Cabarita and Kingscliff but these fish may be spawning, to a bream picking up the for a Queenslander that can’t take only what you need for plastic. I always strike but I travel across the boarder, it is a feed and leave the rest. miss a lot of fish and they To page 15

It’s time to be safe and play by the rules GOLD COAST

David Green

At the time of writing, recreational fishing from a boat is allowed as long it is for the purpose of food collection and can only be done with members of your household with ideally one or two persons on board. With this in mind, my column will focus on tactics to produce a feed of fish for your immediate family. I work as a doctor in the middle of a busy emergency department on the Gold Coast and am working with COVID-19 patients everyday. I can’t emphasise enough the importance of social distancing. As anglers, we are still allowed to fish with reasonable restrictions in place. These must not be ignored, because it is quite clear that the government will rescind the current rulings and stop From page 14

killing me! Good options this side of the boarder are the rocks around Tallebudgera and Burleigh Hill as well as the spit and South Stradbroke Island. Another good trick is to flick an unweighted pilchard towards the rocks on the north wall of the Gold Coast Seaway.

all recreational boat-based angling if the conditions are flaunted. Good target species this month include Spanish and spotted mackerel, wahoo, snapper, mulloway and pearl perch. Always remember the reason to go fishing under the new laws is for food collection, so it is important to observe size and bag limits. One decent Spanish mackerel or wahoo will feed a family for weeks. The best way at present to catch mackerel is to slowly troll live baits or rigged dead baits from a downrigger. This generally out-fishes most other methods. Lure trolling for mackerel has been quite poor this season so far. Good alternative methods to get a feed of mackerel include anchoring up and berleying with chopped pilchards, and then fishing pilchards under of float or drifting in the berley trail. Metal lures can also be quite effective when spun at speed through the

berley. This method catches a variety of mackerel species, including doggy mackerel, spotted mackerel and Spaniards. Mulloway, tailer, snapper and tuna also turn up frequently using this method. As the focus on fishing is to produce food for your family, make sure you take plenty of ice. You may well be asked to show your catches to any inspectors and catch and release of legal sized edible fish will be frowned on during this period. I also think that marlin fishing should be considered off the agenda, as it is not a normal practice to eat a blue marlin! There are some good bottom fishing options this month that should produce a feed. The water cools down a bit this month and the start of the snapper run shows towards the end of the month. Fishing soft plastics and pilchards on the 24 and 36 fathom reefs should

BASS The dams are all closed at the time of writing, but I was out just before the closure and the fishing had started to slow significantly. We had big schools of bass that just wouldn’t bite so working out ways to get them to take a lure was challenging but a challenged that I enjoyed. I landed them on

everything including spoons, spinnerbaits, ice jigs and chatterbugs. The best option for the Hinze and Clarrie Hall is to work the edges early and late in the day and to jig the timber of schools in the middle of the day. It can be challenging but it is also very rewarding. Hopefully, the dams will be open again soon.

produce some nice fish this month. The aim is to produce a feed of decent fillets rather than target trophy fish. Good edible species that will also turn up include teraglin, parrotfish, mulloway, tailor and marble flathead. Fishing offshore in the early evening or into the night is a great way to produce a feed of fish in minimal time. Live bait is the key, and mulloway are a good target. The week leading up to the full moon is generally the most productive. I use circle hooks for this type of fishing. Offshore fishing under the new rules must be food focused. Take care to minimise contact with others when you are fuelling up and never take people out in your boat apart from your immediate family. RIVERS AND ESTUARIES Once again, it must be emphasised how lucky we are to be able to go fishing, and it is in the estuaries where there may be temptation by some to flaunt the rules. Please stay in the rules! This month the idea is to keep things simple to achieve the goal of producing a feed of quality fish for the table. Estuary target species this month include bream, flathead and whiting with the odd mangrove jack still around. There should still be good numbers of sand crabs too. The central Broadwater from Crab Island through to Tipplers Passage generally fish very well in May. The rain we had in late spring

has brought the estuaries to life and there is currently a lot of bait throughout the entire estuary system. White pilchards, anchovies, hardiheads and herring are all in big schools at present. These attract a lot of tailor and flathead and the fishing should be very good this month. Most of the flathead this month will be smaller fish with a lot under 40cm. The aim is to get a feed of more decent fish around 50cm in length. Working the flats at high tide generally produces a few bigger fish, and the bream feed hard prior to spawning. One of the many casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the cancellation of the 2020 Gold Coast Sportfishing Club’s Flathead Classic. This decision was not taken lightly and with the current global degree of total uncertainty it proved impossible for the club and the sponsors to commit to the event. I’d like to thank Bruce Anderson and the club for their work in difficult circumstances and

they have made the right decision. Hopefully, there will be a smaller scale catch and release tournament sometime later in the year when things finally start to settle down. To catch sand crabs this month, work the weed beds in 3-6m of water between the Seaway and the Alderschotts. The run-in tide early in the morning is generally the best time to chase them. Good fresh fish frames, like mullet and whiting work well for sandies. On the flats near where you catch sand crabs there will be plenty of garfish. Use a mesh bag full of bread soaked in tuna oil to attract them and fish with a number 10 hook under a quill float. Garfish are excellent eating with sweet white flesh. The bones are easy to remove, and they are easy to clean. We are all in difficult times. We can fish with our immediate family to provide food for our tables. Please do not flaunt any of the current rules or we will not be able to fish at all.

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Flicking for bream in the canals can produce some big lizards this month. Landing them on light leaders can be a challenge.

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Let’s hope the fishing continues JUMPINPIN

Mick Morris gembait@tpg.com

Well what a year it has been! Fires, floods and now a pandemic, but we will get through it and hopefully we can continue to fish in small numbers and get some fresh air and a break from the house. Banana prawns are continuing to show up in the Logan River, Redland Bay Channel, the Salt works and near Jacobs Well across from Behms Creek. It has been a great prawn season this year and we hope to see it continue right through the month. We can expect mud crabs to be about in good numbers from the Logan River all the way north to Redland Bay and south to Cabbage Tree Point. Run your pots along the edges and drop-offs near the mangroves in these areas and you’ll be sure to get a few quality bucks. Sandies, too, have had a really great season and this is a great time of year to catch a feed of sweet sand crab in the channel from Karragarra to Cabbage Tree Point. Bream will be the main

species that make up most fishers catches throughout this time of year and, while they are able to be caught all year round, you’ll notice that there are a lot more quality

fish showing up as water temperatures cool off. Try fishing at the top of the tide along Kalinga Bank, the deep hole off NE Crusoe Island, Short Island, Tipplers

A healthy feed of whiting caught on blood worms near Slipping Sands.

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Island, the beach off South Straddie, the Powerlines and the north wall of the Seaway. Best baits to try are prawns, yabbies, herring, white bait, chicken or mullet gut, and flesh baits. You can expect the flathead catches to pick up this month, as they have been very quiet for the first part of the year. Now that the water has started to clean up, flatties will start to fire. There are several ways you can catch flatties on plastics: using cast and retrieve; twitching along the bottom to imitate an injured baitfish; drifting using a lifting action (teabagging) straight up and down; or, the easiest method, just stick the rod in the holder drag a hardbodied lure around the shallows and you’ll be surprised how many flathead you can catch in a day! The trick with trolling is to make sure your lure is at the right depth near the bottom and it’s vibrating. When it’s vibrating, it means it is swimming properly, if it’s not vibrating you’ve probably picked up some weed and need to remove it. If bait fishing is your go, live mullet and herring

Muddies have been a bit easier to catch lately, as there are fewer boats out there. those draining banks. Try from Kalinga Bank to the Bar, the Stockyards, west of Short Island in the shallows, Cobby Passage, across from Slipping Sands and the mouth of the Logan.

are the best, followed by prawns, pillies and white bait. You’ll find good lizards at the last of the run-out tide when banks start to get exposed and drains appear where they lie and wait for an easy meal to come off

Good whiting should be available from the Green Bank, the Bedrooms, Tiger Mullet Channel, Tabby Tabby, Tipplers and the Never Fail Islands. Stick with live bloodworms, beach worms, yabbies, squid or

small peeled prawns as bait. Tailor have shown up finally but still not in the numbers of previous years. When they aren’t schooling up on the surface and busting up the schools of white bait, then a few fishos have had some success dropping pillies to the bottom and slowly retrieving their bait through the water column in the deep water just before the breakers of the Pin. Another good way is when bait fishing for bream or whiting, just throw an unweighted pilchard way out the back away from your other lines and let it sit just under the surface. I’ve had some great success doing this and there’s nothing like a feed of fresh tailor. • Thanks for all your reports and fish weighed in. Drop us a line at Gem Bait and Tackle if you’d like to order bait or get some up to date info on what’s biting on 07 3287 3868, catch us on facebook or email gembait@ tpg.com.au.

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MAY 2020

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May the fish be nervous BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

With so many peoples’ lives disrupted over the last few months, hopefully May will be a better month for everyone. More time spent fishing and a return to the normal activities and life we all appreciate will be comforting. With the cool weather well and truly upon us, anglers will notice some species on offer in better numbers. Snapper, mulloway, tailor, sweetlip and squid will become regular captures, however threadfin, tuskfish, flathead, school mackerel, longtail tuna, crabs and prawns will still all be on the menu. Get out and check out a few of these beauties.

I use a lot of soft vibes for fishing the artificial reefs but always have a micro jig ready for when a snapper sounds directly below the boat. Free-spooling the jig straight down in front of a snapper will usually see you getting whacked on the first lift. Early mornings and evenings often produce a flurry of bites as the sun rises or sets, especially around the artificial reefs and bay island surrounds. However, snapper can be caught anytime, day or night. Lures often produce better results when the tide is running hard, but baits can be a better option around the change of the tide and periods of slower tidal movement. A wide array of natural offerings can produce with fillet baits, pilchards and squid being popular choices. Other good

plastics can be exceptionally efficient, especially when drifting. Most commonly used in deeper waters is the jerkshad style, however within Moreton bay a broad array of offerings including paddle tails, jerkshads, T-Tails, curltails, prawn profiles and crab imitations can be used. Casting upcurrent and working the plastics back with the current will generally produce the best results. Dead drifting a plastic, with the rod in the holder will often produce quality fish while you drift. However, you need to keep jighead weight lighter than usual to ensure the plastic doesn’t drag along the bottom and snag. Soft vibes are also highly effective with the Samaki Thumpertail 100mm my go-to offering when chasing

There’s been good numbers of quality tiger squid in Moreton Bay. As water conditions get clearer inshore, numbers will improve for land-based anglers. SNAPPER The most highly sought after fish in the bay during the cooler months is the snapper. Whether you target these for the table or sport, better numbers of quality fish will enter the bay in preparation for their breeding activity, as the water temperatures drop. This increases angler’s chances of scoring a better quality specimen in areas such as the artificial reefs, bay island surrounds, wrecks, coffee rock and ledges. Most places where baitfish congregate will produce quality snapper and many other species. Snapper can succumb to a broad array of baits and lures, using a wide variety of techniques. Anglers always seem to be finding new ways to tempt snapper in a range of depths. Lures are a very popular method that allows you to cover larger areas of water during your search. Whether it is casting jighead rigged plastics, hopping vibes, yo-yoing micro jigs or dragging deep diving minnows, artificials can be a very productive way to score a few snapper in numerous scenarios. 18

MAY 2020

baits include yakkas, slimey mackerel, pike, herring, banana prawns, cuttlefish and even strips of chicken fillet. Baits presented so they don’t sit in the current are more likely to produce the goods. Many anglers chose to anchor while bait fishing for snapper, however drifting is also highly effective. This will generally limit you to one rod per person as snagging is much more likely with baits fished on or close to the bottom. Soft plastics have been a popular technique for chasing snapper in SEQ for well over a decade now. Whether you are fishing shallow waters inside the bay or the deeper waters to over 100m offshore,

bay snapper. Trolling deep diving minnow lures, which descend into the bottom third of the water column will allow you to cover a lot of water and also results in by-catch such as mackerel, cod and even mulloway. The quality and quantity of snapper will gradually increase over the following months – one of the reasons they are the number one target for most bay anglers during this period. MULLOWAY Healthy numbers of mulloway are around during the cooler months, although they seem to be a sporadic year round capture throughout Moreton Bay and the river systems flowing into in.

Billy with another superb Brisbane River threadie well over the magic metre that was taken on live bait. Mulloway are often encountered while targeting snapper as they inhabit the same areas throughout the bay, such as the ledges surrounding the bay islands plus the artificial reefs. They are often found in schools, therefore if you get one you are likely to catch subsequent fish in the same area. They also respond to much the same techniques as snapper. The larger specimens are suckers for a well presented live mullet, pike, yakka or slimey mackerel. Often anglers can sound out an area and locate a school of mulloway and then cast to these fish with vibes, soft plastics and micro jigs. Sharks can be a problem when trying to land mulloway in many areas, especially on light line. Brisbane River anglers can score quality mulloway from boats and even land-based positions along the river. Those fishing via Shank’s Pony can deploy live or quality fresh baits from locations such as the Newstead Jetty, Colmslie Jetty, under the Gateway Bridge, Luggage Point and numerous other locations. Mulloway and threadfin can also be caught while casting lures from land-based locations further upriver, especially around lighted areas at night. For the boaties, there is a broad array of great spots for chasing mulloway. The dredge holes down towards the mouth, the ledge just upriver from the Sewerage Shute, Claras Rocks, Caltex Reach, Oil pipeline and many other spots are worth checking out. KING THREADFIN SALMON Anglers targeting mulloway in the Brisbane and Logan rivers will catch plenty of quality threadfin. As the water temperatures drop, threadfin tend to follow the prawn schools upriver, which increase the chances for those fishing further up the system. Casting lures around lighted areas at night is becoming a popular pastime, and for those who put in the hours are scoring the results. Soft plastics, vibes, shallow

minnow lures, surface lures and many others can be put to good use on threadfin attracted to lighted areas by the baitfish and prawns. With threadfin moving around following prawn schools during the rise and fall of the tide, shore-based anglers soaking live and even dead baits such as mullet, herring, banana prawns and similar, have a good chance of success. Some anglers will manage several quality fish in a single session, especially on a rising tide during nights on the lead up to the full moon. Boaties can use their marine

produced quality threadfin on a regular basis. SQUID The squid fishing has been awesome over the last two months for anglers fishing out in Moreton Bay. As the water temperatures fall and westerly winds create clearer conditions inshore, land-based squidders will begin to score better numbers from many foreshore locations. Cold nights spent wandering the foreshore at Scarborough, Redcliffe, Wynnum, Manly, Cleveland and Victoria Point can be beneficial, with several

Early mornings and late afternoons produce some quality bay snapper, as Chris Deeks well knows. electronics to scout out fish holding in certain areas and then present them with a live or artificial offering. Anchoring adjacent to the declines into the main riverbed and then deploying quality live baits is a recipe for success. The decline near the oil pipeline and the swing zone out from the grain loading wharf are popular spots for bait fishing that regularly produce results, although there are many areas along the river that have

tasty tiger or arrow squid for the pan. In this situation, anglers will commonly cast egi to any squid pinpointed by using a high powered LED headtorch. Sometimes the squid can even be sighted around illuminated areas, such as waterside restaurants, jetties, pontoons and boat ramps. At his time of the year, squid are often easy to fool with egi around the foreshores, however some

get very cautious over time and will regularly refuse all offerings presented to them. Out in the bay the tiger and arrow squid are generally not fussy and will pounce on most egi put before them. However, they can also be fickle creatures and on some days they will have a preference for a certain jig colour. Having egi of differing sizes and colours will heighten your chances of being able to achieve success after several jig changes. Casting egi around the weed beds along the western side of Moreton Island, the shallows of the bay islands, along the Amity Rock Wall, the discoloured edges in the Rous Channel and other similar areas will all yield results. For the shallows of the bay islands, I like the higher stages of the tide, while in the channels I prefer the lower stages. Often the Rous and Rainbow channels will hold large numbers of arrow squid. These can often be hard to catch on egi, however a pilchard or other baitfish pinned on a squid skewer will generally get their attention. Often one squid will be followed up by several others. Having two egis or skewered baits can greatly heighten chances. Ensure at least one skewered bait or egi is in the water at

all times. Drifting a pilchard pinned on an egi skewer under a float while drifting flats targeting whiting or casting lures for snapper around the bay islands will often pay dividends. When the float dips, you have a squid on. Keep the rod tip high and wind slowly to avoid tearing the barbs out. Beware of an inky blast when the squid is close at hand. TAILOR Although still fairly early for this iconic species to fire, there will be a few tailor around during May. The Brisbane River often holds some respectable fish and these are often caught randomly while chasing other species, especially along the retaining wall at the mouth and the fronts of lighted jetties. The Koopa Channel sometimes has a few schools, as does the Sand Hills area. They are also randomly caught around the Manly Rock Wall, Scarborough Jetty, Peel Island Reef, Amity Rock Wall, Dunwich Jetty, Goat Island, Green Island and Mud Island. They are voracious predators and can be caught on a wide array of lures, flies and baits. Anglers casting egi for squid will often get bitten off by a greedy tailor in the shallows around the bay islands. Topwater offerings

such as walk-the-dog style stickbaits, fizzers and poppers can produce some exciting strikes. Pilchards fished a metre or two below a float or mid water will generally tempt any tailor in the area. There will be a few tailor during May, however the best action on this species will occur over the following months. PRAWNS It’s hard to say whether the prawns will still be around during May but they have been fairly prevalent until well into April. Areas such as off Deception Bay and Nudgee, The Saltworks, eastern end of Lamb Island, The Powerlines towards the southern end of Russel Island, Jackson’s Hole and various holes down towards Jumpinpin are all likely to produce prawns. Check out the deeper holes in these areas around the tidal changes. Some years the prawns have continued right throughout winter and hopefully that will be repeated this year. LONGTAIL TUNA Anglers fishing Moreton Bay over the last few months have regularly been greeted with surface explosions caused by big longtail tuna. These have been a little hard to approach at times and can be fickle in their feeding but plenty of quality fish have been hooked. However,

Bill Cullen with a great shot of prawns taken while out with Drew Argus of Pro Throw cast nets. a good portion of these have been eaten by sharks, predominately large whalers and the occasional tiger. Some anglers have persisted

in trying to get a longtail to the boat but unfortunately all they have done is feed the sharks and help them get bigger, more aggressive and

less worried by boats. I am not sure what can be done about this, especially when you aren’t allowed to kill a shark over 1.5m. Their numbers will increase in the coming years until someone in power decides that they aren’t an endangered species along the East Coast of Australia and removes the size limit. As the water temperatures fall, we will probably see less surface activity from longtails but they will still be around. Live baits fished around the shipping channel beacons is a reliable way to score a few during this period. CONCLUSION Hopefully by the time you read this the COVID-19 Pandemic has abated and life is beginning to return to normal for most, although the full effects will be felt for sometime to come. Getting out and spending a day on the water is a great distraction to the hard realities of life and refreshes the soul. Being in the great outdoors with clean oceans, sunshine and marine life is reward in itself. Catching a few fish is just a bonus for those who love the outdoors. I wish the best for all our readers and their families and hope we can put the virus behind us soon and return to our great Aussie lifestyle.

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Fishing available for responsible anglers NORTHERN BAY

Steve Nash

With our sport and social lives put on hold for the time being, it has become difficult for many of us to get out and chuck a line in. However, doing so in a responsible manner and implementing the practices of safe social distancing as best we can, getting out to the water to explore what the bay has to offer can be the best remedy to escape and recharge those batteries while still complying with government issued warnings. Fishing reports understandably have been a bit patchy with all that’s been going on. But the dedicated and self-isolating anglers have been reporting good numbers of snapper and bream, with

numbers. Fishing with small live baits around the bridge pylons have been the most productive method and fishing at night will attract the larger models of fish. Good numbers of bream

Chasing night time Mulloway is so rewarding.

Bream are hanging around mouths of our rivers ready for spawning. the occasional schools of mulloway appearing in the north bay areas, with Pumicestone Passage being a hot spot with good sizes and

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off the bridge pylons from hays inlet to Brighton but there are plenty of legal ones amongst them. RIVERS Bream and flathead are still the best to target this month as

and flathead have been caught along the beaches of Redcliffe and the lower reaches of the Pine River. A lot of small bream can be seen feeding

good numbers will be feeding around the mouths of the river. Bream will usually hang in areas out of the full force of the tide run. The best bite time for bream will be as that tides slows, increasing your chances of hooking up on a few. During the early mornings, flathead will generally populate in the shallows. This is usually a good time to target them. As the day warms up, the flathead will head back to the deeper drop-offs. While most people are off chasing the local snapper population around the bay or soaking a bait waiting for a bream or flathead, I do have an obsession for chasing mulloway. These silver ghosts

be around. Pumicestone Passage bridges, the mouths of the Caboolture and the Pine River are regular feeding spots for mulloway. Mulloway like to feed in areas that bait schools move through, facing their heads into the current and using the pressure waves in front of pylons to conserve energy while waiting for unsuspecting food to come to them. Bridge lighting that light up areas of water at night are good areas to start targeting them. These areas are a favoured feeding spot where the mulloway school and ambush bait fish. Using medium-sized paddle-tail plastics, like ZMan 3” Minnows, with a slow retrieve on a heavy jighead keeping it close to the bottom or Zerek Fish Traps are effective in catching yourself a silver ghost. THE BAY Snapper and grunter bream will be the prominent species feeding this month from the reefs and rubble grounds of Scarborough to Bulwer wrecks and Captain Nielsens. Cooler weather means sharks won’t be as active in the area, saving yourself from being victim to the ‘taxman.’ SQUID Squid will also be on the menu at this time of year as the water starts to clear up in the bay. Squid will feed in close around the rumble grounds along the front of the Peninsula. Shorncliffe and Woody Point jetties are great places to throw jigs for squid. Walking the foreshores

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the spread of COVID-19. As disappointing as this is, please adhere to these current rules and regulations. With the potential months

Marty Bubb with a typical size tiger squid caught while land-based fishing. that perfect cast in. Colours and sizes of jigs can be a little daunting when shopping, but keep in mind that bright colours will work best in low light and dark natural colours will work during the day. When hooked up to a squid, remember to keep firm pressure on the line, but not too much that it pulls the spikes out of the tentacles. DAMS Unfortunately, all South East Queensland dams are closed for all activities – a precaution that SEQ Water have taken to help mitigate

passing through of zero fishing pressure in our freshwaters, the quality of fishing in our dams should be red hot! Something we are all looking forward to getting back and doing! So, let’s use our extra time at home to sort through our lures, replace trebles, and service rods and reels. At this stage, time is something we will have plenty time of. Keep your morale up, and chins high and wait out this rather strange period of our lives. And hopefully before we know it, life will be back at its same good old self.

Good numbers of flathead are still being caught.

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of the estuaries are the ultimate estuary catch and there is something so special about landing these large predators. All our rivers in the north bay have good schools of mulloway that visit at certain times of the month. These fish have a tendency to move around a lot. Feeding in a particular part of an estuary one night and doing so in an entirely different part another night. But fortunately, you can be assured that they will

of Redcliffe at low tide early mornings or late afternoons are good times to chase squid as they are at their most active, attacking slow sinking jigs without hesitation. Techniques varies from day-to-day depending on current, water temperature and aggressiveness of feeding. Cast out and allow your jig to sink slow and natural as possible until it just about touches the bottom. Then giving it a slow lift up to gain

A well-stocked tackle tray full of squid jigs.

Quality catches from the Sunshine rivers NOOSA

Peter Wells

With some pretty unpredictable weather over the last couple of months, the rivers have been a good option for anglers. The waters have started to cool so the flathead will move up in the shallows during the high tide period and sun themselves. These fish are easily targeted in autumn as their body temperatures will be up and they are a lot more agile. Soft plastics, like the 4” Powerbait Nemesis on 1/6 size 1 jighead, have been working very well; casting up onto the bank and worked back slowly has been the best approach. Make sure you use scent when fishing soft plastics as it helps fool the fish into thinking your plastic is the real thing. Another option for chasing flathead is to troll small shad style lures, like a Zerek Tango Shad. These are great little lures and are very successful when worked through the shallows and around drop-offs. Bream are really on the move as they move into our rivers to spawn. Fishing the pontoons around the Noosa Sound is always worth a go. Try using unweighted prawns and cast to the shadow line of the pontoon. These fish are very smart and if the bait plummets to the bottom they will not touch it, being unweighted the baits will fall more slowly and look more natural. Use the same principles if you are using soft plastics – a real favourite is the ZMan GrubZ in the 3” size, they have some great colours and fall really naturally on a 1/12 or 1/16 jighead weight. For those that love chasing sweet whiting, the top of the tide and the first hours of the run-out around the mouth of the Noosa River is the place to be. Live worms have been the go-to bait for catching a feed of these tasty fish. Black Magic do a rig called the Whiting

Whacker, this rig combines a very effective visual attractant as well as bait, and has claimed some really big whiting. Golden trevally, GTs, queenfish and tailor have all been on the chew in the Noosa. The Tewantin stretch up stream to the ferry crossing has been producing. Once again targeting these fish around the low light periods morning and night will see you come up with the goods. Fishing top water is a great visual way to target these fish and really get the blood pumping as these

These fish are in prime condition at this time of the year so if you like a feed of mackerel try trolling dead baits nice and slow around the close reefs. This late in the season is when we get the reel big ones swimming by and they are usually in close. Fish over 30kg are what we are talking about, so you will have to have the gear to cope with the battle. Heavy leaders, 50lb braid, strong knots, and big baits are all key to doing battle with one of these monsters. For anglers that love a

Finn Horton-Stephen with a 55cm jack from the Mooloolah River on live baits around the pontoons.

Jesse Hopley got this pair of reef jacks from the middle part of the Barwon banks fishing live baits. fish smash surface lures. Try the ever-popular Sugapens in the larger sizes or the G splash from Lucky Craft. With swell and wind up a little over the last couple of months half the battle has been being able to pick a good day to hit the water if you are heading offshore. There have been plenty of Spanish mackerel in close.

feed of reef fish, Sunshine Reef has been producing, grass sweetlip, Venus tusk fish, coral trout and pearl perch. Fishing hard to the bottom is the key so make sure you have enough lead to cope with any run. A ball sinker right on top of the hook is the best approach. Up on the Northern reefs, North Reef has had cobia, Spanish mackerel, pearl perch,

Moses perch, snapper and tusk fish. The Hards have had red emperor, pearl perch, hussar, snapper and amberjack. Double Island Point has fired with red emperor being landed in good numbers, as well as mackerel, amberjack, pearl perch and snapper all hitting the decks. For those fishing out of Mooloolaba, turning right and heading down to Currimundi Reef has been very productive. Most reports have come from anglers fishing just on dark, with good-sized snapper and grass sweetlip taken on floating pilchards. Outer Gneerings and Murphys Reef have seen good mixed bags with snapper, sweetlip, Maori cod, and pearl perch all on the menu. Tuna season is really firing at the moment with some big schools of fish feeding. These fish do tend to feed to the north so if you can get to the north

of the school you will stand a good chance of getting a few casts in before they sound. Typically, these fish are very skittish at this time of the year so you will only get a few casts in before you have to move to find them again. Mack tuna make up a lot of the schools but there are good long tails and yellowfin in amongst them. Slugs are a very popular way to fish for them and you will have to have a good range as matching the hatch is very important. On the beaches, the Noosa North Shore has been fishing really well for bream, flathead, whiting and tailor. Try up between Teewah and Double Island Point as this area seems to be holding the best gutters. Live worms and pipis have been working very well on the smaller bread and butter spices, with pilchards, bonito and mullet strips perfect for

those tailor and mulloway. Fish at night for these hard fighters, with the new moon phase seeming to be the better time. For the rock hoppers, the Noosa National Park rocks have been firing for mulloway and bigger tailor. One of the advantages of the headlands is the added bonus of some nice snapper and grass sweetlip on the chew. The better baits are pilchards, whole large squid, mullet fillets and live yakka’s combined with the last half of the run-in tide. • Don’t forget to check in to www.fishingnoosa.com.au for all the latest up to date info on fishing and bar crossings. The knowledgeable teams at Davo’s Tackle World Noosa and Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola can provide you with the right equipment, bait and advice to ensure success!

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The Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF) has published session videos from the 2019 National Recreational Fishing Conference, allowing everyone to enjoy the insights gained by delegates in attendance. With most of us now in self-isolation at home — many of us with more time on our hands than we’d like — the opportunity exists to spend time doing things that not-so-long-ago may have seemed indulgent. Many organisations around the country are working to deliver online activities and content that help to fill our days and occupy our minds. The Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation

Over 200 delegates attended the Conference in person. Now every angler can be a fly on the wall. recreational fishing; • To educate the public on how to protect, preserve and care for the environment, whilst recreationally

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Delegates were able to drill down into the topics during the Panel Discussions. (ARFF) believes the recordings of last year’s National Recreational Fishing Conference fit perfectly into this niche. The Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF) is a partnership between state peak fishing bodies, representative organisations and fish habitat groups that forms the peak national representative body for recreational fishers to the Australian Federal Government. WHAT IS ARFF The ARFF is a not for profit organisation with a voluntary Board of recreational fishing strategists. The objectives of ARFF are: • To educate and promote the benefits of sustainable recreational fishing to the public and to ensure the maintenance and growth of fish population throughout Australia; • To educate the fishing community on ethical, environmental and safety aspects of sustainable recreational fishing; • To raise awareness of and promote, the health benefits of sustainable

fishing, including land care, flora and fauna and marine conservation; • To promote the accessibility of sustainable recreational fishing activities to persons of all age group, genders and

ethnic origins. Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation National Recreational Fishing Conference 2019 was supported by funding from the FRDC on behalf of the Australian Government. “The Conference was incredibly inspirational. The rooms were always buzzing and discussions were robust and energized. Everybody came away feeling inspired and knowing a little (if not a lot) more than when they came in,” ARFF Chair, Brett Cleary said, adding “If some of that energy and inspiration can help keep Aussie fishers from going stir crazy in these difficult times, we’ll be thrilled.” All eight sessions of the Conference are available to watch online for free, including panel discussions. For further information, please visit www.arff. net.au/nrfc-2019-sessionvideos/ – NRFC

Action! Every session and panel discussion of the 2019 National Recreational Fishing Conference was filmed and is now available on the ARFF website. MAY 2020

Time to be a hunter-gatherer HERVEY BAY

Dane Radosevic

I am sure many, like myself, were glad to see the end of 2019 and thought bring on 2020! This’ll be the year! Wow, what unprecedented times we are living in, with the big unknown of when will life go back to normal? Will the threat of the virus last three months? Or maybe even six months? To some degree this situation is ‘literally’ in our hands, and we are the only ones who can stop the spread of this threatening virus via practising social distancing, selfisolation measures and proper hygiene. At the time of writing this article, recreational anglers have been fortunate to be given the privilege to still go fishing as a primary source of food gathering for our families. Please do not ruin this opportunity by not obeying the current

regulations in place (I won’t highlight these as they could very well change and cause greater confusion). Don’t be the

Christie showing off a solid cobia she caught on a live bait while fishing out the gutters.

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one of the greatest forms of relaxation, meditation, stress and anxiety reliefs all of which many will be faced with throughout these tough times. Rather than a full scale report on the entire bay and Great Sandy Straits within this article, I am hopefully going to give you more of a lucrative plan that will allow you to sneak out for a fish, secure a nice feed and get back to base, aka home. ISLAND HOPPING The inshore islands and their fringing reefs have continued to fish well for the majority of anglers putting in the right effort around the dawn and dusk periods with a good bite often improving well into the evening. The shallower reef flats to the northern end of Big Woody (outside of the obviously marked green zone), along the main drop-off , the channel hole

and juvenile snapper with the possibility of a knobby. A variety of baits have been working, with the more wholesome and hardy offerings, like whole banana prawns, hardiheads and pike proving best, and also helping to prolong the effects of the ferocious pickers. A very simple yet effective rig for this shallow water fishing consists of a small ball sinker, chosen according to the depth and current, that is allowed to run straight down onto your hook of choice, preferably a 3/0 or 4/0 in a longer shank bait holder style. Coral trout have been in good numbers and although they are a prized capture for some, they are quite a regular capture for others practising the correct techniques. Trolling medium diving hardbodies around the fringing shallow reefs and drop-offs surrounding these islands is a very

worthwhile technique that will also account for good numbers of cod and the odd sweetlip or mackerel while doing so. Alternatively, drifting across these same areas and hopping smaller 3-4” soft plastics, like the ZMan 3” MinnowZ in either new penny or opening night or one of the many prawn imitations will produce plenty of action. Depending on the shark situation, the deeper wrecks and gnarlier reef and ledge country should fish quite well for all the above listed species, however you will find the size of fish often improve. Nannygai will be another prized target species throughout this area, especially this time of year, and can come in thick and fast if you happen to stumble across a patch of fish. They can be caught using artificial lures, however well-presented fresh bait will often be the fate of a curious nanny. Make sure to have a squid jig tied on when venturing into these areas as they can be found in good numbers and are a delicious feed and/or prime fresh bait. FURTHER AFIELD Moving further afield,

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Juvenile snapper will become a regular target species over the shallower inshore reefs and love a lightly weighted soft plastic.

the southern and northern gutters will be one of the better options with a wide variety of species available to target from demersal to pelagics. This time of year is one of the better seasons to provide a more substantial catch. Stay observant on your run-out as there have been schools of tuna working bait balls from around the 25 Fathom Hole area north, with a mix of mac, longtail and yellowfin tuna around and will be best targeted with ZMan 5” StreakZ in bubble gum pink or small 30-40g chrome slugs. Mac tuna can make for great strip baits on the reef. However, if you happen to stumble across a patch of longtail or yellowfin tuna despatch them appropriately, well bleed and iced they make for a great fresh meal. The actual gutters themselves and along the more pronounced ledge country has been providing a mixed bag of reef fish consisting of sweetlip, cod, hussar, Spanish flag, Venus tuskfish and coral trout. However, the pelagics have also been the thickest in these areas with mackerel accounting for many ‘bite offs’ and a variety of trevally and cobia hitting your offering destined for the bottom. This may come as a bonus, as school or Spanish mackerel and/or cobia well cared for and eaten fresh can make for a great feed. For the more dedicated reef fisho, they can become a nuisance and it pays to try and stay well clear of the big shows on your sounder. For the adventurous anglers who have been willing to put in the time to start searching away from the main reefs looking for some of the smaller more isolated patches, their

efforts have been rewarded with better quality fish, especially coral trout and the odd big nannygai and red emperor as now is the best time of year for them! Plus the added bonus of these less pressured areas is there are less sharks. Win win! The better results for the more prized captures have come from those prepared with a bait tank of live pike. They make great fresh baits and are near irresistible for a hungry red fish! They can be sourced from various locations, either around the harbour rock wall before departing or on the main bait grounds north of the red cardinal mark. Alternatively, if leaving from Burrum Heads there have been masses of them packed along the floating pontoons. Otherwise, a variety of dead baits, such as California squid in the 2.2kg boxes, mullet fillets

hooking more prized and desired species like coral trout. The tea bagging technique is very effective and also allows you to fish lighter conventional spin tackle with the ability to still land big fish. LAND-BASED BREAD AND BUTTER STAPLES Now is the perfect opportunity to go back to basics and dust off the light spin tackle. The likes of whiting, bream and flathead will be great

provide great exercise and a likely opportunity of a tasty feed of whiting or flathead. Areas such as the rock groynes, base of the Urangan Pier and in front of the aquarium are proven areas to target. Alternatively, fresh sand worms or yabbies are the better options if wishing to soak a bait. Keep mobile as this gives you the advantage of finding the fish sooner. From one end of town

Regular angler Matty with a nice table size trout he caught while tea bagging soft plastics out at the gutters. or IQF pilchards will make good tempters. Many anglers have migrated across to fishing artificial soft plastics and jigs with great success, somewhat eliminating a lot of the smaller by-catch and

targets around the bay on the larger building tides and can be caught using a variety of baits and lures. The main town beaches will be worth a stroll with a soft plastic or small topwater lure, which will

to the other, the fringing rocky outcrops, ledges and shallow reefs of point Vernon to the mud flats of Booral these two locations should provide catches of all the species mentioned above, however will

typically produce better quality bream and flathead, with every opportunity of quality by-catch from coral trout to grunter. I apologise for the very basic and short report this month, however due to

the current circumstances we haven’t been receiving all our usual reports, nor getting out enough either. Anyhow I thought this style of report was fitting with the rules and regulations in place at the moment.

To all our fellow anglers, from the team at Fisho’s Tackle World Hervey Bay, take care and stay safe during this uncertain period of time and stay positive, as this will not last forever!

FISHING NEWS

Stakeholders urge Government to pass fisheries reforms The recreational fishing and conservation sectors are united in urging the Queensland Government to immediately deliver the committed, long overdue fisheries reforms. Both the Great Barrier Reef and regional jobs in the commercial and recreational sectors depend on viable and sustainable fisheries. Fisheries management in Queensland is out-dated and below the standards expected by the community, particularly for a number of fisheries that operate within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. A complex suite of inefficient arrangements inhibits the profitability of commercial operators, diminishes recreational fishing experiences and ultimately impacts the sustainability of fish stocks and other marine wildlife. In January 2019, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, the Honourable Mark Furner, acknowledged that, “The overwhelming message from stakeholders to a number of reviews since 2014 is that fisheries management must change. Doing nothing is not an option when the current system is not working.” Across two terms, the Palaszczuk Labor Government committed to reforming fisheries management and developed the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 20172027. Despite three years of thorough consultation and $20m of public funds, the modern management that stakeholders were promised is yet to be delivered. Commercial fishers need

reform to secure their ongoing viability. Many commercial operators are calling for an end to the uncertainty impacting businesses and welfare. Commercial fishers have been operating under investment warnings since 2014, limiting the ability to invest in their businesses with confidence and restricting access to credit. Hundreds of operators have invested their time in good faith to shape this reform and are on the brink of being forced to leave the industry if these reforms are not implemented now. Recreational fishers are extremely frustrated. The 943,000 Queensland recreational fishers have seen changes to in-possession and boat limits, but not the critical reforms to the commercial sector to secure resource sustainability. Recreational fishers have seen failed attempts at reform before and want to see the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy to allow fish stocks to be rebuilt and maintained at sustainable levels. The regulatory amendments will act to deliver the 60% of unfished biomass targets that will provide for enjoyable recreational fishing experiences and the security of thousands of jobs in the recreational fishing sector. The conservation sector and public more broadly welcomed the development of the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy as an opportunity to lift fisheries management to best practice standards, secure sustainable fish stocks and reduce threatened species interactions, particularly in the Great Barrier Reef

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World Heritage Area. Without implementation of the proposed reforms, fish stocks will continue to be depleted and threatened species will be pushed to the brink of extinction through unintended by-catch, failing to deliver on commitments to the Federal Government and UNESCO through the Reef 2050 Long Term Sustainability Plan. These reforms are not ground-breaking, they are long overdue and simply lift fisheries management up to the standards of the Commonwealth and other jurisdictions. Our organisations call on the Palaszczuk Government to uphold its commitment to delivering commercial fisheries reforms and urgently pass the regulatory amendments and commit the additional funding required to implement the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017-2027. For more information, please contact: Recreational Fishing Sector, Paul Aubin, Founder or CAREFISH, 0418 772 751; for the Conservation Sector, Simon Miller, Project Manager Sustainable Fisheries, WWF-Australia, 0429 042 124. • This statement was released by a cross-section of stakeholders: WWF, Fraser Coast Fishing Alliance, Sunfish Queensland, Suntag, Australian Marine Conservation Society, ANSA, Mackay Recreational Fishers Alliance, TRAFFIC, Queensland Recreational Fishing Network, CAREFISH.

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the weather drops. Forty Acre and Ross Reef had doggies showing like big bait schools on the sounder in quite shallow depths. Lately all the Queensland school mackerel have been just under size with an odd bigger fish among them. As we progress into May, there will be the schools of bigger fish hitting all the inshore grounds. We have seen them at the patches south of Barren and Liza Jane. There have been some spotted mackerel along the coast just outside our area. The dropping temperatures and the better run of weather allows the bay to remain cleaner for longer periods. The fish tend to stay in longer and

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pass through the bay, instead of bypassing in the better water out wide. They are following schools of white bait or northern pillies and that means they are sitting higher in the water column and taking smaller lures. Double Heads, Ironpot and Claytons are specials on those calm oily rising tide mornings. Quartz, Wedge, Divide, Humpy, Barren, Findlays, Conical and Corio Heads are other good spots to try in May. The old floating pilly is pretty hard to beat on most occasions. The use of berley has definitely dropped off, as more guys prefer to target the mackerel with lures. For some reason they have linked berley with bait fishers and don’t bother. I think the other way. Often a slow steady berley stream brings the fish right to the boat in a semi-frenzy. This is the time to drop a flasher or a croc and watch them get smashed. I look for current edges and points where it runs hard on one side with an eddie on the other side. Rubble patches can be very productive if they also hold the bait schools. Farnborough and Bangalee are the surprise spots. It can be hard to know exactly when to go there and strike fish. I have noticed that anytime you see birds just outside the waves as you drive up the beach, the mackerel will be at either of those spots. Spanish mackerel are going very well at some of the northern and wider spots. Over the coming weeks there should be more of them at the regular spots

around The Keppels in good conditions. Just like the lesser mackerel, they will be feeding on the small to average size baits and are more likely to grab a similar sized lure or bait. However, if you know the fish are there but won’t bite, try a big ribbonfish or bonito, or switch to a decent sized sea gar. We troll our baits close to the surface or use the shallower lures on sun

up. As the sun moves up, the fish will hang a little deeper and then the deeper gear comes out. Outriggers give you the chance to tow a lure or hold a bait at the same depth the fish are feeding. We use the downrigger even when anchored to keep the floaters in the zone. We are lucky to have some decent populations of queenfish on The Capricorn Coast. Any of the local headlands, Rosslyn Bay Harbour or The Keppel Islands can provide top action at times. Many years ago we found that using lures or live baits can work depending on the tides and wind direction at each spot. Ironpot and Corio Heads are two places I target queenies the most. They have lots of current passing and lots of bait schools among the structures. My favourite method used to be popping, but these days with the quality stick baits and plastics you can keep trying different things until one stands out. When fishing from the beaches around the islands, the more natural and the closer the resemblance to herrings or hardiheads, the better chance of getting connected to a queeny. Towards the end of May if the temperatures drop as usual and we get no more fresh flows from the river, there could be a run of chopper tailor. Over the years they turn up when

Zac Moss showing the kids how to catch Fitzroy River barramundi.

everything is right. Usually they hit Quartz, Ritamada, Double Heads and up to Farnborough. They have even been taken inside Corio Bay and The Jew Hole. In recent years, there has been a run of rotten weather at the same time they should be moving in, which has turned them around at Cape Capricorn. This year has signs that it will be a bumper year for all the migratory predators, including tailor. Tailor are fairly easy to catch when you know when they are here. We use numerous methods from trolling smaller minnows and divers, to casting chromies and floating pilchards. I do prefer a natural colouring lure, although I have mates who would rather a fluoro lure. Bream begin to rule the estuary mouths and bays when they aggregate with the start of cooler days. Their early part of their breeding season means more aggressive feeding times. The Fitzroy Delta has some of the biggest bream anywhere and often turns out fish around 2kg. There are holes and rocky oyster patches where the bream move up and down with the tides. Lures or baits can both give plenty of action at times. Once again

berley is much forgotten when it can make the difference between getting a feed or nothing. Corio, Coorooman, The Causeway and The Narrows are all prime locations. Like many other species, the better captures are just on dark or

early in the morning. King threadfin salmon continue to be the dominant species just ahead of barramundi in The Fitzroy River. Quality kings are almost guaranteed if you spend the time to find them, and either lures or

live baits can work. Vibes really are the standout lure as a rule. This can all change with the increase or decrease of angling pressure in a particular location. It does pay to change things up when the fish are quiet. We always

Alan Dodd nailed this top Spaniard out from Yeppoon.

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have various colours and styles of vibes or paddletails that may make that little difference enough to inspire the fish to bite. When it comes to barramundi, lure colours and water clarity does make a difference. The natural presentations have been performing better at present while the river is cleaning up a bit from recent weather events. The fish are pretty well spread from town to the delta. There are some pockets with more fish than others and this can change with the tide sizes or any rain we might get. The barra anglers who only use vibes are having the most success in the holes and deeper channels over the neaps. My favourite method is to fish from sunken trees to rock bars and gutter mouths with

deep divers. The particular lure type can vary depending on depth and type of structure. Big-bibbed timber hardbodies go well working the deeper structure where you can feel and bump your way through and over limbs etc. Surface lures and shallow divers are the pick for gutters and rock bars where the fish are high in the column. The clearer the river the more bait schools wind up towards town. Live baits are really doing the damage at night along the banks and fishing platforms. The COVID-19 crisis is showing what we can or can’t do. Fishing for the family is still allowed and this time of year is certainly prime fishing time. Please follow the health guidelines and stay safe.

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May Mackay means transition MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

May means transition time from the summer to winter fishing styles here in paradise. As I put this report together, who knows what further restrictions may be in force, but one thing is for sure, there is nothing better than getting out in the fresh air for a spot of fishing. Barra during April have

stayed on the bite and plenty of fish have come from both salt and freshwater areas. The mangrove creeks and estuaries in the NFZ have fished exceptionally well so far this barra season, with fish ranging from runts around 50cm up to many metre fish falling to live baits and lures. I expect this trend will continue into the early part of May then gradually taper off as the water and air temps start to cool off. Apart from the NFZ, barra will still be active closer to

Mackay in Reliance Creek and the Pioneer River including right in the city centre. The rocks around the highway bridge will keep turning up barra, mainly around the top of the tide and on the run off. Further upriver the new wheelchair friendly fishing platform near the hospital will also see a few barra caught and for those willing to bash through tall guinea grass and slide down banks etc, the upper reaches of the tidal influence will also produce.

Paris Lee enjoying the crystal clear waters of Cattle Creek and having fun catching sooties on lures from her kayak.

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If fishing these areas well upstream, watch where you are walking as plenty of eastern brown snakes and taipans are common here. Best spots well upstream in the salt tend to be around the small rock bar areas, and lures such as soft vibes and large paddletail plastics are productive. These areas can almost dry out depending on the tides, and for some local up-to-date info, call into our two local tackle shops for the ‘good oil’. Further up in the freshwater below Dumbleton Weir, more barra and jacks can be found around the rocky areas, but make sure you respect the laws regarding fishing near the weir. Photos are often posted on Facebook of barra caught almost at the bottom of the weir and, while most are released, it is still illegal to fish there and a hefty fine can result. Be warned the Fisheries Officers well know this spot so fishing there is a dumb thing to do. Other spots in the salt worth a try for barra during May are south of the city in Bakers and Sandy creeks while down Sarina way, the Inlet, Plane Creek and Rocky Dam Creek. These areas also have some large crocs in residence so again it pays to keep your eyes open, don’t clean fish anywhere near the ramps and stay out of the water. Live mullet seems to be the go-to method in Rocky Dam Creek although strong action vibes and big paddle-tails will also score a few fish. Freshwater barra in the dams will start to taper off during May, and best opportunities will be on those calm still days. Look for small patches of warmer water as 1-2C can make a big difference to a barra’s comfort levels and encourage them to feed. All the dams have had a top up with barra fingerlings with 18,000 going into Teemburra Dam early in April. A further 1000 fingerlings around 100mm have also been released in the Pioneer River early in April, and that rounds out MAFSA barra stocking until later in the year. Barra up in the freshwater above the weirs will stay on the chew through May and into June as the water will generally stay relatively warm. Fish up to about 80cm are not uncommon following regular stocking by MAFSA over the last 5-10 years. Staying with the freshwater scene, river sooties stay on the chew right through winter as they do in the dams. Sooties are great fun and respond to all types of fishing from bait, lures through to flies. Bait fishing tends to hook fish down in the throat, or worse, and should be done with barbless hooks to make for easier release. Lures and flies are almost always hooked

Ben Ferguson with a 74cm golden snapper caught near St Bees Island off Mackay. The fish took him under a rock ledge and into a hole before he boated it, hence the damage on the side of the fish. in the lips of the sooties and they release well as they are a tough fish. Walking/wading Cattle Creek or the upper reaches of the Pioneer with light lure casting gear or a 4-6wt fly rod is great fun and very good for the soul. Beautiful clean water, feisty sooties, with pleasant quiet surroundings, adds up to 100% enjoyment levels. Back down in the saltwater, the creeks and estuaries will feature plenty of flathead, pikey bream and whiting coming into the cooler months. While these species may not have the ‘glamour’ of barramundi, they are important recreational targets and can be found along the beaches and the open estuary areas. As such, they are easily available for shore-based anglers, especially in places like Sarina inlet, Sandy/Alligator Creek and the Pioneer River mouth. Live yabbies can be pumped at plenty of spots and are the best baits going for whiting and bream. Boat anglers will find these fish right throughout the systems, although they are mainly caught more towards the mouth of the creek systems. Threadies and golden snapper will stay on the chew through May although the mangrove jack fishing will taper off sharply with the cooler weather. Look for the golden snapper in the deeper holes and rocky areas in the creeks, while the threadies roam right from the mouth up into almost freshwater. Both species will smack live prawns, small poddy mullet

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and, on occasions, strip baits and are a welcome addition to the esky. Offshore fishing will, as always, be wind dependant but if we get a run of calmer weather and or N/NE winds, we should see bait schools moving inshore and bringing mackerel and tuna with them. This time of the year on calm days, there will be plenty of anglers heading to the harbour to check if the bait schools are in. If they are, then the word gets around very quickly. Further out the calm days will see plenty of reef fish action with trout, red throat and nannies on the chew. Red emperor will be found in the deeper waters and as usual the shipping channel will fish well. Good baits include squid, pilchard and strip baits, while big plastics on very heavy jigheads will also score plenty of fish. May will see a few snapper start to trickle into the more southerly waters of our area with the islands out from Cape Palmerston, such as Elamang, being the first places they tend to show up. The main run of snapper happens in June and as the winter season progresses the snapper move further north and are commonly caught off Hay Point, and Flat and Round Top islands out from the mouth of the Pioneer River. So May provides a diverse range of fishing opportunities for anglers, and if travel restrictions are not in force then it is an ideal month to head north to paradise and enjoy our wonderful fisheries. See you at the ramp.

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Tasty treats to tempt us WHITSUNDAYS

Mick Underwood

Isn’t it a crazy old world that we’ve gotten ourselves into? We’ve all had our lives turned up side down and had them vigorously shaken. Thankfully though, one thing remains constant, the fish still bite. As I am writing this column, a few weeks before

as golden snapper, coral trout and sweetlip, have been on fire and are providing some good entertainment and a few tasty feeds. The southeast trade winds have kicked in with plenty of vigour this year and this hasn’t done the water clarity any favours, which means that spearfisher’s are out of the game and lure fishing for reef fish is hard work as well. It’s been mostly

moment is deciding whether to have prawns, crab or fresh fish on your sandwich, it’s a tough life we live in the tropics! On with May now, and this is normally a great month to be out on the water and get into some piscatorial action, as there will be options aplenty. It’s not just the fishing that I like in May, the weather is typically beautiful. The humidity will have abated somewhat and the morning

The pelagic bite has been intermittent recently but with a bit of astute hunting around, there have still been some decent fish to be caught, like this queenfish caught by Grace. but they won’t just swim up to the boat and jump into the esky for you. Be prepared to work a bit harder for these guys as they pull like trains and have a never-say-die attitude. When on charter these are one of my favourite species to introduce inexperienced anglers to light tackle sport fishing with for a few reasons. Firstly, they’re normally not that fussy and, as such,

not try to bury themselves into the reef or purposefully swim behind a rock and cut you off. Lastly, they go like all hell and don’t know when to give up. All these little factors help to make them a top quality sport fish and when you get to fight them one after another in just 2-3m of water on light gear, well that’s just a blast. The reef fishing should keep rolling along nicely in

lures are soft plastics and hardbodies, but when they’re turned on they’ll eat just about whatever you put in front of them. If you haven’t had a go before, try casting small to medium sized poppers over any likely looking turf. Coral trout love them and the visual aspect of this style of fishing automatically heightens your excitement levels. Good luck to you all with

Jeremy Thompson fed his whole family with this fish, which he caught by drifting a lightly weighted bait back into a pressure point. the magazine hits the news agent stands around the state, we are still permitted (all be it with a lot of restrictions) to get out on the water and be able to chase a fish or two to feed our families. I hope that as this magazine goes to print the situation hasn’t changed and that we can still get out, go fishing and maintain some form of sanity. Autumn is generally a cracker period of the year to get amongst some nice fish and, so far this season, the autumn bite is rolling along nicely. The best action for most species has been up on any

conventional bait fishing techniques that are getting the job done. This is a bit to my bemusement as it is no secret that I love to get out and cast lures to catch a nice reef fish for dinner. The shallow reefs haven’t been the only place to be, the estuaries have been on fire. The prawn run this year was nothing short of sensational with most anglers cast netting a good feed with ease on a daily basis. Up until just recently, the mud crabs have been obliging and there have been some beauties caught. To top it all off, the

Coral trout haven’t been the only reef fish eating up in the shallows. Mel Carter did well to rip this nice fish out from under a shallow bommie. productive shallow country. This is good for the fuel budget as you don’t have to venture far from the boat ramp to get into some good fishpulling action. Up on top of any shallow, reefs species such 30

MAY 2020

fishing in the estuaries has been first class. Species such as barramundi, mangrove jack and king salmon have been nice and active and easy to get a hook into. The biggest dilemma amongst locals at the

air is crisp and clear, but not cold. We also quite often get to enjoy long runs of calm balmy days, so I hope that May this year will be the norm and that we are all allowed to be able to get out and enjoy it. Up in the estuaries things will slow up a little due mainly to the water starting to cool. Heat activated predatory species such as barramundi and Mangrove Jack will still be able to be caught but their bite windows will become shorter and less often making them a more challenging target. Moving out of the creeks and onto any little shallow reef and rubble patches in Edgecumbe Bay. May is perhaps my favourite month to be fishing this country, as it is generally when vast schools of baitfish move into the shallows and, in with them, comes the pelagics. All ready this season there are some big schools of herring and garfish starting to congregate at the back of Edgecumbe Bay and this is setting a good stage for some quality fishing over the coming weeks. There are typically so many pelagic species to get after once the bait thickens up, but the first to normally show up in good numbers are school mackerel and golden trevally. School mackerel might not pull hard but when they’re around in numbers they are easy to catch and are an easy way to get a tasty feed in the esky. Golden Trevally can be easy to get a hook into as well

Visiting French angler Mathiew loves his top water fishing and was stoked to catch his PB queenfish on a stick bait. are relatively easy to get a hook into whether using bait or lures. Secondly, once a hook penetrates their big blubbery lips it generally stays stuck there, which means that novice anglers can make a mistake or two with them and still be in with a chance of success. Thirdly, they are clean fighters as in when they are hooked they will normally bolt for open structure free water and

May and, as with the pelagics, the best action is generally on the shallow country. Quite often in May, I’ll see some of the biggest coral trout for the year caught and the fish normally come from 2-4m of water. The water in these areas is currently filthy, but in May we often get a long run of nice clean water that will lend well to lure fishing for reef species. My go-to for coral trout

your angling endeavours in May, it really is a great time to be out there and getting amongst it, I only hope that we will all be able to do so. • 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.

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All are bracing for changes TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

Who would have thought that there would have been so many lifestyle changes and unexpected laws introduced since the last edition of Fishing Monthly? Then again, who would have believed that toilet paper could spark such a morally degrading trend in Australian society.

The government has allowed anglers to go out to catch a feed, but really going fishing isn’t a risk at all to spreading COVID-19. The only place that we need to stop on the way to fish is the service station, (not one of those ones that lifted their prices at a time when Aussies were hit they’re hardest), but the more out of town ones which seemed to have less people and better prices. The procedure is very

tensions are running quite high at present. We can go bush or get out on the water without the slightest chance of coming within many metres of anyone else. To me, that seems pretty safe for all concerned. A few feeds of fresh fish may be enough to avoid that one extra trip to the supermarket, and therefore reducing the risk in other ways. Time to be briefly separated is absolutely

Mick Rennie holds a nice sized queenie taken on light spin gear casting at local structure. Queenies give a spectacular fight and they aren’t bad on the plate. While I take my hat off to some politicians for the way in which they have tried to implement safety nets for all Aussies, the political hypocrisy was disgustingly and blatantly flaunted as Queenslanders we’re made to come out of the safe environments of their homes and made to line up with strangers and vote at a time

when prioritising even a trip to the supermarket was frowned upon! Considering the social turmoil and uncertainty of future developments due to the pending lockdown, potentially life threatening illness and insecurity of changing a government in the midst of such a pandemic, made the validity of the whole voting procedure, and the ultimate outcome, pointless. There’s no doubt that anyone who is passionate about their favourite pastime will find a way to do it. 32

basic. Get a piece of paper towel and grab the hand piece, pull the trigger and fill the tank with $60+ worth of fuel. Walk to the door of the service station and use the same paper towel to push the door (if not electric). Wrap the same piece of paper towel around your PIN number punching finger, or Paywave. Open the door if

MAY 2020

necessary with that same old bit of paper towel and then discard it in the bin before entering the car. I know a few months ago this would have seemed over cautious to the extreme. However, if my wife gets the insidious disease, there’s every chance it would kill her due to a pre-existing condition. The thought of loosing her to a disease that should never have been able to develop in the first place is terrifying. With my poor missus and boy cooped up in the house while I’m at work,

necessary for domestic harmony in our situation, and who knows for how long. Smaller independent tackle stores are actually quite easy to manage and control for minimising potential contamination using staff to help decide and pick on an item from the shelves and then process the transaction on a regularly wiped down counter top where products can be paid for and bagged for customers. I know that our staff and management are doing all we can to provide a relatively sterile environment for customers entering The Fishing Warehouse in Townsville. Abiding by the social distancing rules, regularly disinfecting contactable surfaces, and minimising handling by the customers makes it easy to provide a secure and safe shopping experience. TARGET FEED OF FISH For inshore fishers, barramundi, mangrove jack and down the line a bit from them, flathead and grunter would be our main target species. If I had to put together an essential lure ‘survival pack’ then this is what it would contain. For species like trevally, salmon, queenfish, the Halco Twisty in 15-60g would be a certainty, along with 4-5” Paddle Prawns in lumo, orange and pink, with 1/4oz 1/0 hooks for the 4”, and 1/3oz 4/0 for the 5”. I’d

also use some 5/0 Weedless EWG Atomic hooks for the snags. A 50-75mm Atomic Semi Hard soft vibe would definitely be in there, as would the 3” Atomic Prong and suitable jigheads. Since the minor floods that we had in the local area this year, the water is settling, and the fish can be more easily found. Jacks are once again working they’re way back up into the upper reaches of rivers and creeks, and barra are following the tides as always. Flats areas and open drains are a great place to look for barra, especially on the last of the run-out and first of the push-in tides, and if you get the timing just right, good numbers of barra and jacks can be intercepted. Grunter are plentiful and are big in size. Many catches have seen the fish averaging between 58-62cm, which is decent fish in anyone’s language. The frequent by-catch of golden snapper has also been very welcomed by anglers and both are taking live baits of small mullet and fresh fillet baits of mullet and gar rigged on either octopus style or octopus circles. The main thing to remember about the circles is not to strike at all, just allow the rod to load and then drag start to be taken under fighting drag pressure before lifting the rod into normal fight angles. STORAGE KNOW-HOW If all of a sudden you’re going to be relying largely on what you can catch to offset food costs in these uncertain times, then a cast net is going to provide you with a tool to collect a steady supply of bait, and is possibly your cheapest way to continue fishing.

Walking the banks is one way of getting exercise and catching a feed to go. Unused bait can be frozen and used at a later date for other species and locations. We freeze old ice cream and Tupperware containers full of water to make our own block ice. It can help reduce the costs, as cooling your catch is extremely important up here when you to keep it for the table. When storing fish for a relatively long amount of time, say months, it is important how you prepare it at the cleaning table. A Cryovac system is the best for freezing fish, as it sucks all the air from the packaging and, even months, later come out as good as the day they went in. We fillet and skin all of our fish, and we use good old ziplock bags. Once your fillets are in the bag, 3/4 zip it up and then place

It’s so important to get the kids out as often as we can at these tough times. The smile makes it worthwhile.

your lips over the inch or so of unsealed bag. Ensuring there’s no moisture to be sucked out, simply place your lips over the unsealed area and breath in. You’ll see all of the air exit the bag and give that ‘vacuum sealed’ appearance, and as your lips leave the bag, slide your fingers across the seal and close before air enters the bag again. Simple. It’s nowhere near as good as a proper vacuum sealer, but it does the job. Another way to remove the air from the bags is to do as before and zip up most of the seal, and then submerge the bag slowly into cold water, so the air is actually squeezed out by water pressure. Other smaller fish such as whiting, flathead, bream and similar can be tightly wrapped in Glad Wrap to remove as much air as possible. ‘Glazing’ is an old known, but more timeconsuming, method of ensuring no air in packaging. Scale, gut and prepare your fish for the freezer, then place it on a flat surface. Have a tub or container big enough to fit your fish in whole, and have it chilled to almost freezing. Remove your fish from the freezer and dip into the chilled water and allow a thin coating of ice to cover the whole fish inside and out. Re-dip to double the coating a few seconds later and then either place in an area where the ice can’t be cracked or chipped, or wrap as per normal in Glad wrap. It is a popular and effective technique, and it is recommended to use saltwater. Look after each other, and appreciate the important things.

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NEWCASTLE ENDEAVOUR MARINE 1 Nanda Street MARMONG POINT Phone: (02) 4958 4588 Email: sales@endeavourmarine.com.au Website: www.endeavourmarine.com.au MAY 2020

Isolating around Hinchinbrook LUCINDA

Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com

What a wild few months it has been, and I am certain plenty of people haven’t got the chance to get out

of prawns were about and the fish were gorging themselves on them, which can make it a little harder to fool into eating your lure or live bait. The problem when they are eating the smaller prawns is that they can become picky and with such

Toni is now known as the ‘Grunter Queen’, as she caught three grunters in three casts! fishing as much as they would like. But I won’t sit here and type about all the terrible things going on in the world at the moment so instead I’ll continue to tell you about the fishing around Lucinda in NQ. I must admit we are pretty lucky up here as isolating ourselves away from people is easy when you have hundreds of kilometres of mangrovelined creeks and tropical islands to explore. May is a great time to be out there fishing as it is very comfortable weather. The only problem normally is the southerly trade winds will be blowing, which can make getting out into the blue water a little harder. HINCHINBROOK CHANNEL Despite a pretty poor wet season the fishing has been fairly good for those chasing barramundi. Plenty

an abundant food source readily available they are never short of a meal. For those using lures, I would suggest keeping your eye out for what bait is about most and try matching your lure to that size. Prawn imitation profiles are always effective on any fish that swims and should always be tied on to a rod for a few flicks. Adding some scent to your plastic is also a great way to attract timid fish or get them to commit instead of just bumping your lure with no intention to eat. Mangrove jack have been a lot harder to find the last few months but that is common with dirtier water and the heat. Around this time of year they should be about in great numbers as the water temps cool and the water clears. This is one of my favourite times to target them as they are

normally snapping away feeding up before the water gets too cold and they are less active. Get right up the top of creeks and find some heavy structure to fish as the tide starts to push its way back up. Soft plastics rigged on snag-proof jigheads come in to their own in this environment as you can fish them deep into the structure without the fear of constantly getting snagged. Make sure you watch your line for any bites and get ready to lock up and try pull them away and into the boat. Jack fishing is pretty hectic and you will need to be on top of your game most of the time with quick rod work, while applying pressure to lead them into open water. Grunter have also been thick on the flats chasing the prawns. On a recent trip, I saw plenty of these hard fighting fish landed, and they are superb eating. Grunter are another sucker for a well presented soft plastic with the everreliable ZMan 3” MinnowZ always producing these fish,

especially when covered in pro-cure scent! JETTY, ISLANDS AND REEF The weather has not been kind over the last month so getting out into the blue water has been rare. This is frustrating as the fishing should be going off at the end of the sugar loader. The only positive with the constant bad weather is that with the COVID-19 restrictions in place, most of us couldn’t go anyway. If the weather lets up, the jetty is the place to go to target big golden snapper that would be moving back in after pushing out wider with the dirtier water. These fish will hold off the jetty structure or hang around the small scattered rubble bottom away from the jetty itself. Some of the best fish I’ve caught have been about 100m off the jetty itself, hanging on very small bottom structure that has bait in the vicinity. The sports fishing for the jetty GTs and queenies will be starting to ramp up and everyone is hoping

Despite a pretty poor wet season, the barra fishing has been good. for another epic year of queenfish chaos. The jetty is one of the best places to target these speedsters and they really would have to be one of the most underrated sports fish of all time. I can chase them all day and never get bored, they fight hard, rip lots of drag and there aerial displays are next level. The best thing is that they are suckers for nearly any kind of fast moving lure or plastic and they love smashing surface lures. Lobbing poppers around and ripping them back to the boat is sure to get the

A perfect example of a Hinchinbrook barra.

adrenalin pumping once a good school is located. Queenfish schools show up well on side scan sounders and normally it’s as simple as slowly driving around until a good school is found. Deploy the electric motor or set up a drift and work you lures through the area, get ready for some fast paced action once you hook up, as queenies are masters at changing direction – if you’re too slow they will be around the boat, jumping and getting you into all sorts of trouble. If you’re fishing with other people a well timed cast towards a hooked fish should see an immediate double hook up as most of the time a hooked fish will have several of its mates following in excitement. Double and triple hook ups mean chaos! I just want to add that queenies need to be unhooked quickly and returned back to the water as they won’t last long inside a boat. By all means get a quick picture but make sure everything is done as quick as possible. I bring a thick wet towel to lie them on for unhooking and always have camera gear ready to shoot before spearing them back.

Living a bad dream: Pathogen killed the party HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

Are we living in a bad dream? Can’t believe in a space of a few weeks that our planet, our economy, our health, our way of life has been given a nasty uppercut from an unwanted viral pandemic! The charter industry came to a grinding halt a few weeks ago, as we could not accommodate social distancing laws that were implemented. How we come back from this once we are allowed to start normal operations again, well who knows? I am fairly lucky that I should be able to ride the 34

MAY 2020

storm out, but for other operators they might not be so lucky. Hopefully, government assistance gets everyone through this crisis. At the time of writing, the Queensland government were still allowing us to use our boats for the purpose of fishing to bring home a feed with no more than two people on board, keeping social distancing measures apart. Normal boating and any other non-essential on water activities are not allowed. Fishing and crabbing activities from the bank or mainland while keeping social distancing laws is still okay at this stage. However right before we started getting cancellations/ postponements, conditions

were fairly deteriorated around Hinchinbrook due to a trough pushing through from out at sea off a tropical low, which was headed towards Vanuatu. With strong winds and the rain chilling the water temp down to 26C, it was starting to prove difficult to get a bite out of timid fish. Nevertheless, we still managed a few here and there in the 80cm range and my very last fish before ceasing charter operations was a nice 102cm barra while exploring some new areas. For a few anglers who braved the 20-25 knot conditions there were good rewards of red emperor, trout and nannygai on the inner reef and shoals being reported. And

with surprisingly, very few sharks! I assume land-based fishing will probably be the only fishing allowed going forward, as laws are changing even further and they (government) could end up banning all on water fishing from a boat. Travelling down to your local rockwall at late afternoon or night on the full moon would be a good area to cast a few shallow divers or slow rolling plastics. Many times over the years, this type of fishing has produced some really great fish. Alternatively, on the dark or new moon you look for areas of artificial light to focus on, such as jetties or piers with lights on them glowing out over the

water. This can all be done keeping a large distance from anyone else. As waters start to cool over the month, the seasonal run of Spanish mackerel should start to head further inshore. Areas around the end of the Lucinda sugar jetty, near Pelorus and Eva Island are hotspots for them. If you are able to, there have been some good prawns along the beaches of late. During my last trips while cast-netting for mullet along the foreshores near Meunga Creek, I had a good number of nice-sized school prawns in every cast. Although, if casting anywhere along Cardwell’s foreshore be on the look out for a resident 3.5m crocodile that has been

regularly seen cruising the coastline. I guess now that we are all mostly stuck at home it would be a good time to get stuck into any of those projects that you have put on hold. I am giving my charter vessel a complete refurbishment and will have her looking like new when we get to the other side of these crazy times. • 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 0402339459.

Good returns weather permitting CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

The Net Free Zone has continued to produce the goods for anglers both in the creeks and rivers and out the front of the headlands when the weather has permitted.

pressure of late so it has been paying dividends to target some of the smaller schools a little north and south. These fish are moving all along the coast and are not just in one location. Take a bit of time to search them out for the best results. Casting both vibes and prawn patterns at these fish have produced the best bites

amongst them, so try a few different techniques to get the best results. I have even seen some excellent barra being trolled up as well around the headlands and coastal spots. The Cairns Inlet continues to produce the best numbers of both barramundi and jacks for those live baiting and throwing lures. We haven’t

been having a lot of success on the Molix 100 swim baits of late, as well as the Live Target Easy Roll Shiners. These are both excellent for jacks and barra and are really simple to use. These are best fished as close to bank structure as possible and then just gently and slowly rolled back to the boat. Mud crabs have also been on the run thanks to a bit of a flush and are in good numbers in all systems. With the winds beginning to increase over the next few months as the trade pattern emerges, the crabbing will get much better and more consistent.

The Cairns Inlet has been producing good numbers of barra lately.

The author with a decent mangrove jack. King threadfin salmon continue to pop up out the front of the coast and headlands in good schools. Some of the larger schools have seen a fair bit of

on lures. Live baiters have been getting the best fish, especially in those areas where the water is dirtier around creek mouths from the run-off. Barra are also

had much a of a wet season, so the rivers and creeks are still running pretty clear, which makes them perfect for throwing soft plastics and hardbodies at snags. I have

The Molix 100 swim bait was the undoing of this barra.

Fish numbers now have a chance to explode PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

Never in all my time living in the region since 1996, have I seen such devastation on the local area that has been caused by COVID-19. Only a handful of the local population have been able to continue with some normality. I always feared that a

severe cyclone could have a similar effect on the area, but even that has no comparison to what we are experiencing now. Hospitality and tourism, which makes up for a huge percentage of revenue for the shire, has literally stopped. I don’t know of anyone or any local business that has escaped the enormity of the situation. It has been a lot to absorb and extremely distressing. Being linked directly to the fishing charter industry,

Plenty on offer to catch a feed off the reefs.

I can categorically say we are in a deep freeze for an extended time. I will comment on the state of play within our industry and what the future may hold. When the full brunt of the nationwide situation came to light the marine industry was literally shut overnight. All fishing charter boats, whether game, reef or river, were imposed with strict regulations forcing closure. It also applied to the likes of the diving and snorkelling sectors. It was literally closing doors and ceasing operation immediately for all and sundry. To walk around the marina with every single boat docked and not with a soul around was eerie to say the least. Once the Queensland government banned all travel opportunities to the region, it was lights out. Consequently, the whole sector ceased and I would envisage 99% of people lost their jobs and revenue streams overnight. The marina hub and associated businesses are a massive employer of the shire and a huge chunk of our community was suddenly left jobless.

It has been compared to the pilot strikes back in the late 1980s, which saw the area crumble. Back then, tourism was in its infancy but nowadays it is a booming business. From the boats we are associated with at Fishing Port Douglas we have all been forced to seek government assistance like everyone else. We are working and communicating everyday to minimise any business expenses that we normally incur. This has included banks, insurance companies, also the rental aspect of marina berths and much more. Nevertheless, we have every intention of being ready to bounce back immediately whenever that may be. That’s all we can hope for and wish everyone in the area the same sentiment. Let’s get back to a bit of fishing, as there will be many of you with plenty of time on your hands to catch a feed for dinner. With the handful of charters we got in before the shut down, the fishing was okay. Obviously, the hot, steamy summer is over and the weather is changing by

the day. We are seeing the southeasterly winds return, which will soon see a shift in ocean current with cooler waters coming from the south. Referring back to my notes taken throughout the years, the next month or so can explode with activity

the currents. These fish will be about if you know where to go. Coral trout and other species will still bite consistently in the haunts you’ve been fishing for over the last few months. My tip is to think southern currents and shift accordingly.

and significant numbers of fish are caught. Within the late stages of March, we explored a couple of areas that I suspect will only get better, and we got some surprising results, such as finding legal red emperor as your main species for the day. Typically nomadic schools of fish, such as red emperor and nannygai, will move location according to

Normally we also start to see some better mackerel movement back into the area and I can say the cobia are still continuing really good form. Hopefully we’ll be back next month to continue further reports and take care everyone in these unprecedented times - a popular term used in everyday conversation nowadays. MAY 2020

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Fishing the closure COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

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Nannygai are still around and are great eating fish. the world recovers. The reefs here have also seen commercial fishing reduce dramatically and, although not good for the industry, hopefully less fishing pressure may increase stocks. In Cooktown, we have enjoyed good fishing for a while. The SE wind has blown for nearly 90% of the year so we have had a

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Cooktown and the Cape have been in lockdown, with restricted access to essential services only. With the communities asked to isolate, the option most are taking is to get out fishing for a feed. This time of the year sees the barramundi still on the bite, but not for much longer. The cooler months are ahead and therefore fish are harder to tempt. The winds are picking up and look to be around for a while, so reef fishing opportunities start to become very limited. However, if a window opens and, if we’re still allowed, don’t let it pass by without getting out there. The nannies as still biting strong and are such a nice fish to eat. Recent captures have shown that large specimens are still showing up. They fight so hard and are often mistaken for a shark, until they start to circle under the boat. Barramundi are also hunting the schools of baitfish as they run the tidal and flood waters. Being in the right spot at the right

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Barra won’t be around much longer with the cooler weather approaching. time is key; observing the area you want to fish, to see when the action occurs, will let you know when it’s worth fishing. The situation we face in the world today seems to have further restrictions and makes it harder to go out and enjoy the beautiful creation around us at the moment. Living further north in more isolated places allows more opportunity to get out and go for a walk on the beach and not be too worried about meeting up with large groups of people. With the world coming to a sudden stop you see reports of Venice channels clearing and pollution over china reducing to levels not seen for decades. So it does raise the issue of how we can work towards making things better, for not only us but the environment in general once

natural closure due to the prominent rough conditions we often experience. The winter period is especially tough, with June, July and August being almost ‘reef trip free’ due to the weather. However, I think there have been positives to the restricted times as I’m sure the fish enjoy the reduced fishing pressure. It might have been a

long enough period, or our sparse population may have helped, but fishing has consistently been good in the north. Nevertheless, as fish stocks deplete further south more fishing boats are on the move to find new ground. The influx of boats coming to Cooktown from Cairns has dramatically increased in the last year or two and, therefore, places more pressure on our local reefs. It does raise the question of what’s happening to their fish stocks in their local area. For us, it’s more concerning the extra pressure put on our local waters. As roads get better and access improves then this issue is going to increase. Fish management needs to improve and looking at what can be done at a local level to help stop the need to look further afield. The next month should see the rain easing, the river dropping, and the weather will start to cool with the wind up consistently. It will be tougher to find fish for the dinner table. Access will no doubt also be an issue and maybe even more restrictions on movement, making it even harder to venture out. This will be a year to remember but one that will provide lots of opportunities in the future and give us hope that the fishing might just get better for it. I’m looking forward to what lies ahead instead of dwelling on what is happening now.

Give the fish time to rest for next season TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

With lakes and weirs closed and restrictions on boating use, I can’t see myself getting out for a fish anytime soon. I am sure there are plenty more people in a similar situation. When the dams are closed and you live nowhere near other waterways, it can be quite a drive to the nearest spot. To travel and go for a fish would be breaking the rules about staying in your own area. It would also be breaking the rule introduced on the 31 March which said you can no longer go boating for recreation (it must be essential for food). I made the call, long before they even announced

need to toe the line and follow instructions to see if we can kick this COVID-19 virus in the butt as early as possible. The sooner we are on top of it, the sooner we will be back to travelling and fishing like normal again. Social media was in a frenzy prior to me penning this piece. Never have I seen so many fish-loving people in such hysteria. It was in regard to the uncertainty and debate of being allowed to fish or not. Regardless of views, it just goes to show how passionate so many of us are when it comes to doing this one thing we have all taken for granted. Now, we have had a taste of losing something we love to do in the short term due to substantiated health concerns. Let’s share the same passion, never letting this

attitude creeps up on us and we don’t band together to have our voices heard. The next time we are faced with fishing closures, senseless Green Zone plans or nonsensical rule changes, we need to remember how it feels to lose something we love and stand up letting them know we don’t want to give it up due to political reasons. It’s well and truly time for all anglers to be strong and join these fights. THE FISHING SCENE So what happens to all the fish during the closures? They have no idea about COVID-19 and just keep on going on with their daily business. Where they are usually pressured in the lakes, they will be able to enjoy cruising around the place in peace without fear of hooks pinning them. In the Toowoomba region, we quite often have the lakes

It will be nice to put ourselves back into this picture somewhere down the track. A glassy day on Hinze Dam with hungry bass. sessions. There are still the other influencing factors like weather patterns and the season, which will coincide with these lakes reopening and these will also dictate just how well they fish. There is no way of knowing how long things will be locked up and we can only wait and see what direction the government takes next. It looks as though it could be some time before things return to a new normal. The longer the time frame, the more keen we will all be to get back into it. With the fish ready and willing, when that day comes, the lakes will be very busy. WHAT TO DO So what can you do to keep yourself occupied during this time? It is a good time to pull out all your tackle trays and have a play and tinker with the contents. Check hooks for rust, rolled or dull points and give everything a good

everything is maintained. Any dodgy reels, old braid, broken rod guides, old batteries can all be serviced and replaced if necessary. It is the ideal time to tackle all the jobs, which should get done but just seem to be put off. I have just rewired my big boat and added a few little extras. Next I will be cleaning out all the storage hatches which somebody (me) left water in causing mould and some rust stains. Then the boat will get a good clean and cut and polish so it is shiny, sexy and waiting for the day we are allowed to fling lures at the fish again. Do all those time consuming jobs, like replacing trailer wheel bearings, checking lights, brakes and rollers. If you have the money to spare and can get your hands on the gear to do the job without breaking the rules, support

as we come out of this or if it will even go away all together. All you can do is live in hope and be ready for fishing on the other side of it. Fishing certainly helps to keep me sane and is my way of chilling out and enjoying the outdoors. Hopefully, we’ll be back at it sooner rather than later. Hot Bite Fishing will still be going full steam ahead as we move through the year. I expect tackle sales to drop right off but that should give me the chance to build up stocks of lures and be ready for when you need them. Spectre Vibration Jigs and Midget Spinnerbaits are slowly starting to build in numbers, something that has never happened before. The demand has been way higher than what a simple lure maker like me can put out. More G2 Spoons will be arriving for

For more information call your nearest dealer

My last session at Somerset before the closures produced great bass. Without anyone fishing it, the fish will be hungry when it finally reopens. no recreational boating, to sit it out and wait. I am not saying I agree or disagree with the government decisions around this. I do however, believe we

happen in a political arena. The government has been well known to turn a blind eye to recreational fishers. The old Aussie “She’ll be right”

NEW

closed to bacteria outbreaks. It is something that isn’t seen across the other lakes but has given us an insight as to what happens when the fish are left alone for a several months.In the course of these closures, the fish quickly drop their guard and return to feeding as they would when totally unpressured. As soon as these lakes have reopened, the fishing has been out of control. The only question is, how long will this last? I am guessing most lakes will see some insane fishing as soon as they reopen. If you are there in the first days you are likely to have awesome

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clean and check over. If you need to top up, do it now if you can. If the lakes were to reopen in a prime bite time, you can guarantee the best performing lures will sell out fast. Top up now as I am sure there will be some good deals around. Apart from checking your tackle boxes, make sure

local business and knock it all over now. There should be no excuses. When it is time again for fishing, that’s what we should all be doing. SO WHAT’S NEXT There is no way of knowing how long things will be the way they are. There is also no way of knowing what will happen

those hungry bass and the Jets Tail Spinner will be re-released later this year. It is likely you will see another new lure hit the shelves before spring too. If these lakes open and the fish are chewing, I want everyone to be able to get their hands on the latest and greatest lures.

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Getting back to basics PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

What an incredible start to 2020 with fierce bushfires, droughts and now a pandemic outbreak that is touching us all around the world. It sure is trying times for all of us, but there still is a glimmer of hope as we’re still allowed out on the water to catch fish for the dinner plate. With forced closures of businesses right across our country, money is becoming tight for a lot of us and for those that are social butterflies,

to be able to catch fish from the shoreline, public walls, our stunning beaches and off the rocks along the coast. Most of us can remember days when we were growing up and our grandparents, fathers and mothers used to take us to the water’s edge and show us how to catch some fish. These techniques are coming back for us to be able to use once again. For instance I grew up catching blackfish with our family because it was a cheap and enjoyable pastime. We used to make our own fishing gear including rods, floats and most importantly we gathered out baits from the shoreline to

Decent bonnies like this one are popping up with the tailor schools. social distancing is also another hurdle that has to be fought. In times like these I can be happy that there are many of us out there that can still go and catch some fish and take-home a relatively cheap feed for our families. We don’t have to spend vast amounts of money on fuel for our vessels, and most of us have the knowledge

use on the local populations of luderick. These lessons were well taught and so much so that I am confident in being able to show my kids how to do this and catch and a fish for us to take home for dinner. I was also shown that using parts of the luderick can also see other fish being caught. For

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instance, scales can be used in berley that can consist of stale bread to attract species such as bream and flathead. The gut that is normally thrown hastily into the water can now be looked upon as a great source of bait to catch bream, baitfish, flathead and mulloway. The gut is probably most useful when catching bream I use a long section of the intestinal tract and hooked it away so it has a short tag hanging off the hook. By using light line and little to no weight while fished in a bread berley trail this bait is dynamite on bream. Another use for the same section of this fish will see you catching baitfish at public wharves and, of course, these baitfish can be used live to catch other larger fish, filleted to catch smaller fish and, in some cases, deep-fried and eaten by us. Prawns are another thing that can be gathered along weed beds by using prawn scoop nets, which of course equates into a decent feed by itself or they can be used to target other fish. It is important to remember not to destroy these weed areas as these areas are the nurseries of our river systems. Squid are also another real target that the average angler can catch and by fishing weeded areas you can come home with quite a few. You can also hit the well light public wharves to target squid. The light on the wharves that shine into the water naturally attract baitfish and squid will actively chase them for an easy meal. Remember to only take what you need for your immediate use. We all have to remember that this resource is for everyone to use and there are bag limits and size limits that must be followed and adhered too. Please remember that the bag limits and possession limits are what you possess immediately while fishing and what is in your freezer at home. I hope in the coming months we do not see arrogant people catching their bag limit every day so they can put fish in the freezer to hoard for the times ahead. By catching only what you immediately need and leaving some fish for the next person to catch so he can feed his family as well, is a lot better way to use our resource.

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Some of these solid fat kings are waiting to be caught. For those of us that are lucky enough to have a vessel once again we do not normally have to travel too far to tangle with some fish. Along Pittwater we are lucky enough to have many weed beds and sandy areas as well as sunken boats and moorings. A lot of these above-mentioned areas can see some great fish being caught. If you wish to do it cheaply, once again, your humble bread berley mixed with some cat food tuna can see quite a few fish being caught. When you anchor on Pittwater you will notice that there isn’t very much current once you go south of Soldiers Point and Stokes Point. To combat this lack of current, it is always best to use a very fine berley or one that floats (i.e. bread) and have it being dispersed down deeper through a weighted berley bucket. You only have to get it deep enough so seagulls won’t be able to get it and you will be surprised at how many different species of fish will react to a bread and cat food tuna mix berley. Don’t forget lures can also be used and, in the right hands, are a very important and productive way to catch fish. Soft plastics and hardbodied lures can see flathead being targeted, as well is bream and whiting. With all that being said the last month has still seen some great fish caught along Pittwater and Broken Bay. Kingfish are still doing

rounds of Pittwater but with the cooling water they are becoming less aggressive. Areas to catch kingfish at the moment are the Kingfish Highway, The Supermarket, around Scotland Island as well is in Careel Bay. The better fish have been eating yellowtail, garfish and small cuttlefish on the downriggers. Some big squid have been encountered around Barrenjoey Head as well as Mackerel Beach, The Basin and Careel Bay. The natural

few being caught. Using soft plastics, pilchards or fish strips seems to be the best way to target a feed. Along Broken Bay there still seems to be some schools of tailor showing up for an early morning feed and there is the odd bonito as well. So as you can see there are some fish still to be caught right along Pittwater and Broken Bay and you don’t have to spend a great deal of money to get a feed of seafood. I hope this report helps

Some big flathead are still showing up around Broken Bay. colours seem to be working better than the fluoro colours, but make sure that you have a few handy just in case the natural colours don’t seem to work. Drifting for flathead from Patonga towards Lion Island is still seeing quite a

to get you onto some fish and brings a smile to your face in these hard times. Look after your love ones. • Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www. estuaryfishingcharters.com.au

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Easy to isolate when fishing off the rocks SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

Our way of living, freedom, the privileges some of us may have taken for granted, have now been acknowledged

vastly reduce the crowds on our beaches by at least 85%. Also there are a lot less anglers fishing the estuaries, rivers, and to a lesser extent rock fishing. On the ocean rocks you generally have a lot less human interaction, so social distancing is not so

A double header black spot goat fish caught on the Zerek Fish Trap off the ocean rocks. They are rarely caught on lure, let alone two at once! They are also a superb table fish. Photo courtesy of John Halford. and appreciated even more than ever. A lot of our Sydney beaches have been some what closed, to

much of an issue. So as we enter a faze of unknown territory, we can keep ourselves busy

by reading up on fishing literature, YouTube info, and have chats on FB and Instagram forums to get our fill. Below is some advice on location, tips, and info of what may be biting this month. OCEAN ROCK FISHING If we are able to venture out to the ocean rock platforms, the king and snapper fishing has improved. Big bream, luderick and rock blackfish are now available, and it’s also the start of the trevally season, which is one of my very favourite sashimi fish! For many years I have been calling this the transition period, as it’s the time when the warmer water species are drawing towards an end and the winter species are more commonly being chased. There have been some nice kings up to 95cm being reported. Not in large numbers, but still nice fish – my clients have been catching them up to a little over 80cm. The best method to use is spinning gars on a set of gang hooks with swivels between each hook. The hooks I use are the Mustad 5/0-6/0 or, maximum size, a 7/0 7766D Tarpon. You will need ganging pliers to open the eye of the hook so you can put a swivel through the open eye and slide it through down the shank and to the bottom of the turn of the hook. Then, with another hook, open the eye and put another swivel and repeat the above. You

Mark George with an 80cm kingfish he caught while spinning whole eastern sea gars. It is worth the effort to catch or purchase the eastern sea gars as they work much better than river gars or the tropical robust gars. can choose to have up to four hooks for your gangs. The leading hook, which is the top hook, does not require a swivel. Use the ganging pliers to close and secure. Alternatively, you can purchase readymade gangs. The outfit I recommend is the Daiwa Saltis PE-6 962XHS two-piece 290cm and a Daiwa 5000-6500BG with 50-80lb Daiwa J Braid with 60-100lb mono or fluoro carbon leader, and 24-37kg line class. This will be suitable for kings and blue groper. This is medium priced outfit and one of the range that I use for my clients. There have also been some cracker snapper coming off the stones, with fish to over 63cm. Distance casting and fishing the sudsy white water in closer has been producing the results. Yes – you can catch snapper in quite close in the white water. It is important to fish the correct times of the day, and you may remember me saying in past columns to fish the low light periods. That means the dawn to

Distance casting onto the sand/reef edge or fishing the sudsy white water off the deeper headlands are producing snapper. 44

MAY 2020

a little past the sunrise, and an hour or two before sunset to just after sunset. Please be mindful that rock fishing is very dangerous if you are not well versed with wave impact, wave energy, tides, tide sizes, swell direction, and much more. Always wear a life jacket, and have steel spike boots on sandstone rocks or Dunlop Volleys on the volcanic rocks. I could mention thousands more words regarding rock fishing safety alone! So just be careful. For the kings, salted and unsalted sea gars, Silstar Slapstix baits, live yellowtail, and for the snapper use salted striped tuna or slimy mackerel, and the freshest possible squid strips for distance casting. Wash fishing half to three quarter pilchards, squid strips, large prawns, and fish fillets. Match some of the berley with what you are using for bait. Manlys Bluefish Eastern Front, North Curl Curl, Long Reef during

The author’s sister Teresa with a nice whiting from the local beaches. This fish is over 38cm and there are bream of similar sizes as well. They are one of those beach species that can be caught in really flat conditions or in relatively rough conditions.

the low tide period, North Newport rocks and North Whale headland SE section are some of the locations producing kings, snapper, trevally, salmon, tailor, rock blackfish and luderick. Take a 10ft+ spin outfit suitable for 8-10kg line class, and 25-45g Snipers for the mac tuna and frigate mackerel run that should be available this month. To page 45

Excellent fishing conditions predicted for May SYDNEY NORTH

Alex Qasabian

Colder water and westerly winds throughout autumn will make for some excellent fishing conditions off the rocks. A slight swell will keep many of the rock species, such as blackfish, black and silver drummer, excited but you will still need to remain aware of

the conditions, as rock fishing can be very deadly. Small fingers and gutters along the headlands, as well as along the corners of beaches where sand meets the rocks, it will quite often hold a nice washy pocket of water – that is just where you want to be to find blackfish on the bite. It can be as shallow as 1-2ftt but as long as they have the cover of white water, they will

take your bait. A variety of string weed and cabbage, as well as artificial weeds, will work wonders even on a spinning outfit. Running between 6-10lb line class outfit for the black fish has been most successful as they can be a bit line shy but tend to not be too bad in the wash. Taking to slightly deeper water with similar conditions will start producing the line-pulling

Jay Kim with an excellent yellowfin tuna. drummer. You will still definitely catch drummer on weed bait but there are other means to specifically

more fish. If fishing a heavy white water spot, you can get away with a higher pound line, for they

will always be beneficial, as you never know what they want. We have been focusing on running a

A slight swell will get the drummer excited. From page 44

OCEAN BEACH FISHING This month, there will be large runs of tailor in the evenings, with a 1kg specimen the norm. The run of chopper size tailor from 25-35cm will be reduced on most beaches as we progress more into winter. Although, some beaches will still have choppers available for the smoke house. Gang pilchards are hard to beat in most circumstances. Successful tailor anglers tend to get better results when fishing together in the one hole. Tailor are predators and normally in relatively large schools in search for small fish. Because they are usually on the move, you will often only have a quick opportunity to catch one or maybe a few fish before they are gone from the gutter you are fishing. The benefit of fishing with someone else is that tailor generally leave a berley trail once they take your bait. When the tailor is hooked on ganged hooks normally there is still some pilchard still left on one of them. Tailor, being a head shaking species, will shake off some or the

remaining of the pilchard and create a trail of berley as you are winding the fish in. Multiply that with two, four or more anglers and you have a lot of berley being dispersed and the tailor are more likely to stay in the area. If you’re the only person tailor fishing in the beach gutter, then have two bait containers: One for your bait and one with cubes of pilchards. You can chop up one pilchard with large sturdy scissors into around 6-8 pieces. Four to ten pilchards will be a reasonable amount of berley that you can trickle out a couple of cubes every few minutes. The whiting are on for this month, with good numbers of bream as well. Both species will migrate from late April to mid to late I have a great paternoster rig that I designed many years ago and have been using and my clients. Check out my youtube channel, type in Alex Bellissimo for the instructions, along with quite a few more short vids. The top baits, live beach worms, pink nippers, and pipis work well for the bream and whiting. May is a good month for mulloway, so don’t

forget about fishing for the ‘bronze beach ghost’. The best baits are tailor fillets, mullet fillets, and large live beachworms. Live baits, like yellowtail and mullet, around that 22-30cm mark will catch the bigger fish. Beaches to fish are North Palm Beach, Newport, and Narrabeen/Collaroy Beach. The likelihood of not being able to fish is the stark reality for Australians and most people in the world. This will eventually pass and life should be back to normal, hopefully in the foreseeable future. I have a reasonable stock of frozen fish vac packed and will be giving some away to some people in need. Remember we will have some people that will be in a difficult predicament, so be kind and assist them as much as you can. It could be just talking to them, could be assisting them with maintaining their back yard, cooking them a meal, or for many different reasons. • 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.

Hayden with a decent line-pulling drummer. target them. Bread and prawns will prevent a lot of the blackfish and other unwanted by-catch that usually feed on seaweed. Again you will find trevally and bream trying to eat the bread and or prawns which isn’t a bad by-catch. Anywhere between a 10-20lb line class is what you will need to subdue a serious drummer. If fishing clearer water, drop the line class to get the bite, you will find this will result in losing fish, but overall it will definitely get you

wont be as weary as they can’t see the line as well. Berley is a must for getting drummer on the chew, a simple bread and sand mix will work fine. I have been using Sasame Iseama Ringed hooks size 6 and 4 with great success. YELLOWFIN TUNA Heading offshore to at least 500-600 fathoms, you will start picking up some quality sized yellowfin tuna. They have been taking both skirts and the Profidgie. Having a mixed spread

mixture of our favourite of Tantrums and Jb lures. • For all the latest info on what’s biting and where, drop in and chat to the expert staff at Fishing Station, located on 50 Darley St, Mona Vale. They stock an excellent range of tackle and bait, and are open every day except for Christmas Day and New Years Day. You can contact the team on 02 8094 9197, or see regular news and product updates at www.facebook.com/ fishingstationaustralia. MAY 2020

Fishing is going strong SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Even though the water temperature in the Port Hacking River will have cooled down a fair bit by now the fishing will still be good on most days. During May, I will mainly target bream, trevally, leatherjackets, luderick, squid and tailor. With the odd flathead and mulloway thrown in. You need to decide on what particular species you are going to target on your next session and whether you are going to use bait or lures. Sure, you might want to have a couple of small metals for the tailor or a couple of squid jigs as a backup. If I am going to go bait fishing for bream and trevally out of my boat, I will take

four rods, a bucket of berley, a packet or prawns, a few pilchards and maybe a fillet of freshly caught mullet. When you find the spot that you are going to fish, anchor up, throw out a couple of handfuls of berley, cast out your baited-up rigs and wait and see what happens. Throw out a couple more handfuls of berley over the next 15 minutes. If nothing happens then move to another spot. It may only be 50m away, and start again. This is what I had to do on my last session and it took to spot five to start and get fish. Places that are worth a shot are the drop-off on the NE side of the flats at Lilly Pilly on a run-in tide, the entrance to Yowie Bay on a run-out tide, at the start of the 8-knot area that lead to Grays Point, the drop-off at Maianbar and the edge of the weed beds that at the

entrance to Gunnamatta Bay. Luderick and leatherjackets can be caught fishing the edges of weed beds, rocky points, wharves and pontoons on both the run-in and run-out tides. Place to try are Lilly Pilly, Gymea and Gunnamatta Bay baths, the weed beds at the entrance to South-West Arm and the ballast heap. Early morning and late afternoons are the go for trolling for tailor and salmon in the bays and main channels. I use 30-60g metals, Fish Inc Winglet, 87mm Zinc Stickbaits and even whole garfish or pilchards on the TT’s bait trolling rigs. I have found that 2-4 knots would be an ideal speed.

This female groper fell for a well-presented peeled blue-tailed prawn on 2/0 Owner hook.

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When I was last out, I came across a few blue swimmer crabs on the sand flats. Remember that you cannot use any type of crab traps in Port Hacking, it has been so for about 40 years. Don’t forget that you now have to wear a lifejacket when fishing off the rocks in the Sutherland Shire. Bream, trevally, drummer, luderick and tailor are being caught off the rocks at Kurnell and in the Royal National Park. When the seas are huge outside and you can’t fish off the front at Kurnell you should try just inside of Sutherland Point. The trick to fish here is to fish as light as possible, or suspend your bait under a small bobby cork. Peeled prawns, half pilchards and strips of tuna, bonito or mullet are the go. The rocks south of Cronulla Point are also worth a shot. Both the shore-based and boat anglers are getting into good quality squid throughout the Port Hacking and offshore. I have been getting a number of them

on Fish Inc Egilicious squid jigs in the coral shrimp, bleeding belly and fluoro orange colours. During the wild weather that we experienced when we had the floods, some of the beaches in Bate Bay copped a fair bashing. With piles of stinking kelp piling up and much of the sand been washed out to sea. Finally, the beaches have come back to normal and there have been a number of great gutters formed up from Elouera to Boat Harbour. Much further south at Garie and Stanwell Park beaches the erosion hasn’t happen like up at Cronulla. Try these beaches for bream, whiting, dart during the day and tailor, salmon and mulloway on those overcast days, early morning and late afternoons. Remember we are only allowed to go fishing for food and only with our immediate household. Don’t forget to keep those reports coming in to gbrown1@iprimus.com.au.

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Mick and the author ventured down south for a nice drummer session before the lockdown.

Keep moving to find the fish BOTANY BAY

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Wow, what a few weeks of rain will do to any system that has been through a drought. Not only have the dams increased in capacity, the creeks, rivers and bays have had a fair bit of a clean out. Just as we all go into lockdown! But there are still plenty of opportunities to

and don’t forget to berley! Tom Mitchell from Botany reports that he and his brother have been getting a few luderick and trevally off the eastern side of Bare Island. Green cabbage and pilly tails have been the best baits. Lately I have been using the Neptune Fish Magnet Burley Pilchard Logs. Simply place it into a berley pot or bucket and tie it to the side of your boat, or just put it into your berley pot on your boat.

and oils from tuna will get into the water. Mulloway can at times be pretty hard to get. You need to spend time on the water and note down when, where and what you caught your mulloway on. Baldface Point, Kangaroo Point, Tom Uglys, Como and Captain Cooks bridges are all great places to fish for mulloway. I have found that the best time to fish for them is about an hour either side of the

Mark Olsen came aboard to give me a few tips on how to use my new 12” Lowrance HDS Live sounder and he managed a couple of bream on hardbodied lures. catch your dinner and keep your social distancing. By now the kingfish and flathead bite in the bay would have slowed down. There will still be plenty of bream, trevally, salmon, tailor and bonito up for grabs. It will be just a matter of moving about a bit if you can’t find them. If you have never fished the bay before, I would try places like trevally alley, the end of the third runway, the drums, the oil wharf and wide off Towra, if you are fishing out of a boat. For those of you that are fishing off the shore I would try Frenchmans Beach, Bare Island, Silver Beach at Kurnell, the NE corner in Yarra Bay, the breakwall at the entrance to the Cooks River, Dolls Point and the southern and northern ends of the Captain Cook and Tom Uglys Bridges. Using whole and half pilchards, peeled Hawkesbury River prawns, piece of chicken breast, strips of mullet and pudding baits would be the go,

them live. I will cube with small pieces of pilchards. I had my first go at trolling (2 hours) large hardbodied lures for mulloway in Botany Bay, but with no success. This is not going to deter me as I know that I have the right lures, went at the right time of the tide and was trolling at the right speed, and there was plenty of bait fish around. I reckon that I will need to put in a lot of hours on the water before I have success. Further upstream in the Georges River the bream tournament anglers have been pulling in a few bream along the rock wall downstream of Lugarno, upstream of the Alfords Point Bridge, the Moons, Picnic Point and at the base of the Milperra Bridge. ZMan 2.5” GrubZ and Slim SwimZ, Gulp 2” Shrimps, Cranka Crabs and Pro Lure hardbodied lures have been working well. You need to make sure that you are fishing as close as possible to the rock walls and edges to get more bites. Try fishing the mangrove edges in the Woronora River for bream, mullet, garfish and flathead. Lightly weighted prawns and pink nippers would be my first choice. Pilly tails and strips of mullet would be my next go-to baits.

Plenty of bream and trevally are schooling up off the rocks, with the odd goodsized tarwhine mixed in with them. That’s unless it’s an overcast day, then I will venture out during the day. I use whole pilchards and garfish for the salmon and tailor, and strips of mullet and tuna are great for the rest. Offshore Scotty Lyons has been getting his clients into morwong, snapper, pigfish

and sand flathead while off the Wedding Cake Island at Coogee and way down south at the Humps. He has also been trolling his way to these spots and picking up bonito, salmon and the odd kingfish or two. Don’t forget to keep those emails coming to gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au.

The ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ in greasy prawn helped Gavin Maguire catch his first ever bream while fishing the flats. It’s a great way of attracting fish to your area. You can also chop the log into pieces, and mix it with chicken pellets or bread, as well as leftover bait or seafood. The natural blood

low or high tide. Baldface Point is good on the run-in, Kangaroo Point near the marker that is off to the north is good on both run-in and run-out. Anchor away from the marker and fish back to it. Tom Uglys, Como and Captain Cooks bridges are good on both run-in and run-out. You will just need to work out which pylon is holding the fish at particular time. I catch my own squid and use them either whole or in strips. Much the same as I do for kingfish. Whole and butterflied slimy mackerel, mullet and yellowtail are a good bait. You could also try

During the wild weather that we experienced when we had the floods, over the past few months some of the beaches north of Botany Bay copped a fair bashing. There was piles of stinking kelp and much of the sand had been washed out to sea. Finally, this has come back to normal and there have been a number of great gutters coming and going from Maroubra to Bondi Beach. Bream, whiting and dart are being caught during the day and if you are into fishing at night, there have been salmon, tailor, sharks and rays about. I prefer to fish at dawn and dusk for my salmon and tailor.

While fishing out at Broken Bay Wide off Sydney, Luke Galea scored this impressive bull mahimahi that weighed in at 16.5kg.

MAY 2020

Good bass on offer after flood BALLINA

Joe Allan

Freshwater stretches of the river have been fishing well for Aussie bass since the semi flood in March. Big spinnerbaits with silver willow blades were producing the best numbers along with chatterbaits. Try Bassmans 1/2oz spinnerbaits, these things really push some

Some of these articles were submitted prior to the COVID-19 fishing restrictions and may mention targeting fish that are not suitable for eating. Under the current restrictions, you may only fish for the purpose of eating your catch. Please be aware that the regulations may change after this magazine has gone to print and we strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in their state before leaving home. For further information go to: preview.nsw.gov.au/covid-19. been fishing well over the last month. Big flathead, mulloway and bream have all been thick. The pick has been south wall on the run-out tide. Try fishing

surface lures like the Atomic Pop50 and crankbaits, like the Crank 38 Mid diver over the porpoise wall when the water is flowing over, you’ll pick up some great bream. For the mulloway, small blades like the Atomic Metalz in 1/4 or 1/2oz, if the tide is running harder and you cant get to the bottom. When fishing shallow over the wall, there can be some great visual action as the fish come from the depths to hit your lures. The beaches and rock walls around Ballina have had some good catches recorded of late. The dirty water run-off from the storms we’ve had lately

Adrian Melchior with a thumping big flathead caught off the porpoise wall in Ballina on an Atomic Hardz Metal 1/4oz blade.

Wes Jeffery with a nice mackerel caught on a live bait off the headland at Evans Head. water and get the attention of the fish in the vicinity. One cool thing about the dirty water run off coming out of the drains is you can actually fish some pretty big top water baits during the middle of the day. The dirty water makes the bass a lot less skittish and more aggressive. If you can get

onto a pattern like this, try a new lure from Atomic, the Slappa 90. It’s a pretty large lure for bass but that won’t stop them eating it. Big folding wings cause a large amount of water disturbance, so these things definitely get their attention. North and south walls of the Richmond have

Nicole Bower with a trevally caught on a 120mm Bassday Sugapen.

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has really stirred up the mulloway and they’re on the chew big time. There have also been some

tailor showing up in very consistent numbers with best spots being out the front of Boundary Creek and along the front of the Broadwater rocks. The tried and tested blue pilchards and metal slugs have been great during the day but the better fish have been coming in on pilchards and cut baits. In between the tailor, some quality snowy bream have been showing up. Offshore has been going well for mackerel, but they have been showing up later than expected. Trolling 100-180mm divers seem to be working very well, like the new Atomic Hardz Dragstar. Once you’ve found the active fish, try casting lures for them. Lures like the Bassday Bungy Casts, at 30g you can punch these 100mm sinking stick baits out a hell of a long way. Out the front of Lennox

Head, the 32 fathoms have seen good numbers juvenile snapper and surprisingly good numbers of flathead around the edges of the reefs. Out wider there are also great numbers of quality amberjack being taken. The bigger holes behind the town in Ballina have been producing good numbers of mulloway and this should continue as the water starts to cool down. Live mullet have definitely been the best bait but you will get them on big soft plastics during the day. Please don’t chase the beasts at the moment, as the big girls are the breeders and they’re not that nice to eat. You will find some big flathead will come along as by-catch. Remember to socially distance when fishing, and that we are only allowed to catch what we are going to eat.

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Christian Booker with a stonker tailor caught casting a Bassday Bungy Cast.

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Snapper ready for the plate YAMBA

Dave Gaden

At the time of writing this report, we are in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. I’ve suspended all fishing charters until it is deemed safe again, as the risk to staff and customers is too high. I don’t know what the impacts of the horrible pandemic will have on our passion of catching a feed of fish, but I’m very hopeful that isolation can be sitting in a boat out in the river or at sea, and life can have some pleasure.

Traveling to this beautiful part of the planet will be severely limited in the coming months so my very basic report will be just for those who are already living here, but anglers are the eternal optimists, so here goes. May offshore from Yamba is a great month for chasing the return run of mackerel, both spotted and Spanish, as well as those speed demons the wahoo. We had a very poor run of mackerel on their way south this year for a couple of reasons. The smoke over the water had

some small effect on the fish not wanting to come in close, and we had water temperatures way lower than previous years. When the water temps did start to lift, the rains we all needed finally arrived and the dirty water held them wide. So in a nutshell, only a handful of fish were taken. This is not the first year this has happened and my records show that when it does, the return catches are through

the roof. The fish will be in no hurry to head home to the northern grounds and a bag limit of five should be easily obtainable. I could go on with all sorts of techniques on how to catch these guys but I think the sheer numbers will mean any trolled skirt or lure at sunrise and any lightly weighted pilly all day will find you sick of eating mackerel. May also signals the return of the whales. As I’ve

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Carl with a beautiful 90cm, 8.2kg snapper. There are still a few bigger specimens about. said before every year we spot our first Humpback around the 14 May. Now I know you don’t read this to learn how to catch whales, but the whales traveling north bring with them other things. There will be greater numbers of sharks for a start, a lot of the nasty

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whites and tigers will come in from the greater ocean for the migration – they know they will get an easy feed from older whales that die on the trip. Sharks can make your day interesting if they decide your hooked fish is an easy lunch or your propeller looks edible. The fish I’m really interested in is the cobia that hang right alongside the whales on their trip north. I can’t count the amount of times I have hooked one of these hard fighting fish on a floater just as a whale breaks the surface at the

back of the boat. Normally when fishing for the cobia, I use a fairly heavy clear leader to a live bait, but this is May and the chance of the livie being taken by the toothy mackerel is way above average. You won’t miss many big cobia by having a wire on the livie, just have a short 30cm black wire instead of a metre. Reef fishing this month will be great. When you have a few pelagics in the icebox, head south to the grounds off Brooms Head and 20-30m of water is all you will need. Look for the

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change in the bottom first before you start looking for fish. By that, I mean if you can find where kelp ends and rock starts, or reef drops off to gravel or sand, you will find the fish traveling along these edges. Currents will be fairly light this month so it will be easy to anchor get a good solid berley going and float some light strip baits out for the snapper,

pearlies and tuskfish. On the wider ground 40-50 fathoms, will be a large amount of ‘pan size’ snapper. There will be the

the snapper clearly on the sounder and as you drift past them (current running north to south). You will also find the pearlies and

exciting fish will hold the FAD all day and it will be a simple matter of flicking half a pilchard on a single hook at them and hang on. Remember to throw a handful of chopped pillies at the FAD every time you pass it to keep them interested. In the estuary after our first decent rain cleared things up the dusky flathead will be a prime target. The entrance to the lake, back

channel behind Goodwood Island and the middle wall will all be good spots. Bream will be getting ready to spawn as the month rolls on and their numbers will make their way towards the river mouth. I really like to night fish for the bigger specimens when they are in this movement stage. Please guys stay safe at this difficult time and let’s hope we can still enjoy our passion.

Greg Ryan from Warwick with a 4.75kg pearl perch. They will be hanging out on the southern side of the snapper shoal this month. odd big one mixed in but average fish will be around 35-40cm this month. Drifting over the hard rock and gravel on this wide ground where the wire weed grows, you will see

pigfish predominately hanging on the southern side of the snapper shoal. The FAD this month will have the largest of the mahimahi for the year. These fast growing and

Brian and Tony with a pair of bookend mulloway.

The wide ground will be choked with pan size snapper like this during May.

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Stay away from No Take species COFFS HARBOUR

Dayne Taylor

May marks the beginning of our annual ‘No Take Closure’ for Australian bass and estuary perch in NSW rivers and estuaries. This closure is designed to assist and protect these species in their spawning period. Normally, you can still go out and target them with a strict catch and release policy in place, however, due to the new lockdown you can only target fish you intend to keep for a feed. With the welcomed

Michael Goodwin with a bass. They are under the ‘No Take’ closure so shouldn’t be targeted for the duration of the lockdown.

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rainfall over the past two months, our local native Australian bass have been in tip-top condition and should have no issues travelling up and down stream to spawn in the brackish waters. In May, expect much more stable weather patterns, with cooler mornings becoming the norm while

blasting out offshore or screaming up the local estuary in the boat. OFFSHORE Spanish and spotted mackerel are in full swing and great numbers are being found. Mackerel are in full force, with the odd cobia showing up as well. Trolling a live slimy mackerel or yakka, or chin weighted dead baits, such as bonito, around the bait grounds is the most successful method for catching them. If you are out early, why not try for a snapper in close as the sun rises? Some great reds have been brought undone on plastics in the shallows. A little wider and deeper, there are plenty of good reef species, such as snapper, pearl perch, tusk fish and teraglin still to be had out in 40-80m of water. The current can be testing at times, but any break in the weather and you should give them a crack.

Matthew McEwan with a tasty Spaniard. Mackerel are in full swing in May and will be found in good numbers. A simple paternoster rig with a mix of squid and pilchard baits with an 8oz lead on the bottom seems to do the trick. Any fresh slab

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Even though the weather has cooled down, jacks are still about.

baits, and even live baits, dropped to fish marked on the sounder in these depths won’t stand a chance. Off the headlands and rock walls, there have been good numbers of long tail tuna caught land-based. Live baits set out under a float are a great bait, although a few have also fallen for a metal slug and top water lures as well. ESTUARIES AND BEACHES Tailor are plentiful in the beach gutters and around headlands off the stones. Ganged pilchards, or a medium-sized metal slug cast and retrieved will get you a few. Whiting are still on the chew throughout the sand flats of the lower reaches of the rivers. Baits are the best choice for a feed in the rivers, pink nipper yabbies are a great bait and good fun to collect with the whole family, you will also

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MAY 2020

pick up a heap of welcome by-catch, such as flathead and bream. With the rivers running a bit of colour, there is no better time to target a big estuarine mulloway. The lower parts closer to ocean bars make for tough fishing conditions when the tide is ripping in and out, but it is also a great place for these big river monsters to ambush and feed on mullet and other bait being flushed out of the systems. Live poddy mullet and 6”

paddle-tail soft plastics both work exceptionally well. Target areas with a deepwater hole where a sand flat runs into, or areas with ‘white water’ or wash as the mulloway lay under it for protection and ambush prey. Current eddies make a good target location as well! Trevally and mangrove jack are still tormenting anglers in the estuaries, you can spend hours upon hours targeting both hard fighting fish. Soft plastics replicating a herring or mullet are a

great lure choice. And you will also get plenty on top water stickbaits as well. Simply search the mid region of the estuary and target rocky reefs, fallen tree snags and the likes. A quality sounder also makes it easier to seek out structure in deeper water. As the weather has begun to cool down, don’t think jacks disappear, they are most definitely still around and still need to eat! Crabs continue to be easiest to catch in pots

left to soak overnight at intersections or around small drains and feeder creeks. A collection of your filleted fish frames, a whole mullet, or bonito cut into halves, make for great bait. Why not try a nice sweet chilli mud crab recipe if you manage to get a few, I highly recommend it! Until next month, cast like there is no tomorrow and retrieve like you have all the time in the world.

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Jordan Voglsinger with an impressive catch of wahoo.

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MAY 2020

Rain means good fish THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

I’m really looking forward to the winter months now that we have had some decent rainfall, as it indicates a very good season for our Mid North Coast rivers, beaches and offshore. Last winter was a little patchy on the Hastings with a very quiet bream spawning season. Lack of rain was the main reason as we didn’t see the fish in as bigger quantity as per usual. Bream gather in the deeper sections of the river and

head down and out onto our breakwalls and beaches, and the fishing can be excellent. Fishing from the south or north walls of an evening can produce plenty of fish using fish strips or most fresh baits will get you into them. Remember you do not need a massive weight to get your bait out, a small running ball sinker is all that’s required. Cast out along the wall, let your bait drift keeping in contact with your line and when drift is finished, repeat. Bream love a lightly weighted drifting bait. Other fish you will be able to target off the walls will be tailor, as they like to

get in on the action in winter. Casting and retrieving pilchards on gang hooks is effective, as is casting one of the many smaller metal lures on the market. Those who are interested in bigger species this month, it is the start of the big mulloway season. With the mullet run underway, it is prime time to cast out a livie or do an hour or two lure casting around the tide changes. Both walls on the Hastings as well as the walls on the Camden Haven River produce big fish during the colder months.

There will be plenty of opportunity for catching mulloway this month. garfish. If the current is a little hard you can use a paternoster style rig. I use a star sinker as my weight and a three-way swivel to connect a trace, with gang hooks above the sinker approximately 2ft. This helps slow down your drift while your bait still drifts about. Once we have enough tailor as bait (or food), we put one out either live or freshly cut on bigger gear for mulloway. Depending on the beaches, currents will decide what rigging method to use – usually snelled hooks from 7/0 up to 10/0 are useful. Winter

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Corners of rocky headlands can produce outstanding fishing in May. Cut fish baits on 1/0 hooks and a ball sinker running to it, is as hard as it gets. Beaches of Port Macquarie region all hold fish, check them out and choose a likely spot. Lure fishing the river this month should be entertaining. Vibing or working plastics along the walls and deeper holes should see good numbers of bream caught, yet still be able to get the flathead and school mulloway that hang around in winter as well. Overall, May is the start of a promising winter

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Beach fishing is an excellent option with mulloway, bream, tailor and salmon all on the target list. I like to get on the beach an hour or so before dark and I like a high tide that falls anywhere between 6-10pm. Why? Because it’s a comfortable time and you still get home at a reasonable hour. Depending on the tide, I will cast for tailor and salmon for the first hour to use as bait for mulloway, and maybe keep a tailor or two for my dinner as well! Tailor rigs can be as easy as a ball sinker running down to a ganged hook rig suitable for pilchards or

Dave with a nice flathead taken in the deeper water. really is a good time for this style of fishing. Bream enthusiasts will get some nice fish off the sand and fishing gutters.

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Mandy with a cracking Coal Wall bream on the Samaki vibe.

Insane fishing on the horizon FORSTER

Luke Austin

May is an amazing time of the year to be on or around the water in Forster/Tuncurry. The

to tempt. For bait fishers, fishing of an evening increases your chances dramatically; strips of bonito, slimy mackerel and mullet are working really good at the moment. Lure fishing

even under the bridge on the Tuncurry side, as they chase the schools of baitfish in and out of the estuary. The key to a successful tailor mission, no matter the location, is to try and fish those low light

worth checking out for a bit of land-based fun. Longtail tuna, snapper, big kingfish and mulloway are all on offer right now down there, you just need to time it right and fish the tides. As alluded to previously, the ocean is alive with fish at the moment. There are all sorts of baitfish and predatory fish about. The shallow inshore reefs in 10-30m are fishing really well for snapper with the odd nice teraglin thrown into the mix. If you are fishing these shallow areas and find yourself getting ‘bitten off’, there’s a very good chance that you have found a school of mackerel. Spotted and Spanish mackerel can hang about well into June if we are lucky and if the water temperature holds above 21-22C. The deeper reefs are always productive at this

Jed Redman with a break wall longtail.

Greg with a decent shallow water, plastic-munching snapper. amount of aquatic life is unbelievable; all sorts of baitfish litter the coast in their millions, bream and mullet undertake their annual spawning migrations and the fishing is insane. May is the first month of the ‘winter fishery’ for me. Anglers’ make a definite shift this month away from the summer species as they begin to focus more on species such as bream, luderick, drummer and tailor. In our estuaries things are very exciting at the moment. Bream are very well spread out and in great numbers. The weed beds in the southern section of Wallis Lake are fishing very well and you can expect to run into huge schools of fish down there. They will respond to just about any technique but throwing shallow cranks, surface lures or lightly weighted soft plastics are by far the most successful. For those anglers chasing quality rather than quantity, most of the bigger Bream have now made their way down to the lower reaches of the system, between Wallis Island and the mouth. The oyster leases, rock walls, jetties and bridge pylons are all worth checking out. These big ‘blue-nosed’ breakwall brutes can be very cagey and quite tricky

for these fish can be very challenging. You have to fish light (in both line weight and lure weight) and your lure presentation has to be as close to perfect as possible. Soft plastics that imitate shrimps, crabs and small baitfish will all work well and are probably the most successful types of lure to use. Flathead and whiting haven’t shown any sign of slowing down yet. Flathead have been particularly good up around Wallis Island, Regatta Island and ‘The Cut’. A few bigger models are still being caught in the lower reaches but their numbers are definitely thinning out as the majority of them have now started to head back up the system into the back of the Lake and its tributaries. Tailor have really started to show themselves now with some great fish being caught from the beaches, headlands and

periods and don’t be scared to move about until you find the fish. The beaches are still fishing very consistently. Along with tailor, there are also some nice bream, whiting and Australian salmon cruising about. 7 Mile Beach has been particularly productive down around the Elim and Santa Barbara area. Our land-based game season will be slow this month as temperatures begin to cool. However, it is often this month that we see the biggest longtail tuna being caught (there was one caught this time last year that was 28kg) so even though the days might be long on the stones, the potential rewards make it worthwhile! With lots of baitfish moving in and out of the estuary, and other species undertaking their annual spawning migrations, the breakwalls are always

Brad with a couple of typical May greenbacks.

time of the year and, with a bit of luck if the pest species (leatherjackets and barracouta) will hold off for a little while yet, we can target snapper, pearl perch and teraglin with ease. The wider grounds are producing some nice kingfish and the odd bar cod for those wishing to go for a run-out there. Keep an eye out for tuna while you’re out there. • Luke is the owner of Great Lakes Tackle - your ‘local’ bait and tackle store. We only sell the best brands and offer sound, friendly advice on where you can go to land your next trophy fish while visiting the wonderful Great Lakes region! Open 7 Days in the main street of Tuncurry Ph:0265549541 or find us on Facebook to see what we have been up to!

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Best all round fishing forecast for this month PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

The last month has been a challenging time for everyone. As I write this, the boat ramps in Port Stephens have just been locked down so it’s hard to say where we will be by the time this goes to print. Let’s hope things improve as May provides the best all round fishing of the year. It’s a real crossover period that sees the seasons for different species overlap. Inside the bay, bream are thick from the mouth of the Karuah River through

to the Boulders. Typical bream holding areas are any structure, especially oyster racks, rock bars, islands, points and the breakwalls. The best way to fish these places is either bait fishing unweighted nippers down a berley trail or casting and retrieving small plastic and hardbodied lures. The water is still warm so flathead will still be patrolling the edges of the shoreline ready to smash a hardbodied or plastic lure. Tilligery Creek, Taylors Beach, Tahlee, Corlette, Jimmys Beach and Shoal Bay are all worth a crack early morning or late afternoon.

Mulloway are another species that fish well in May. The bridges at Karuah fished with soft vibes on the tide change are a good option for catching one. Live baiting the deep holes and channels from West Bank drop-off to Middle Island and Fame Cove will also produce good mulloway this time of year. Frigate mackeral, mac tuna and longtails will be slicing through the bay. Hone in on birds working, especially terns and gannets. Once you find a bit of activity, cast smaller metals around 15-30g into the bust ups. You can catch plenty

Mulloway are a good options this time of year. metal lure. With mullet bream and luderick beginning to travel along the beaches, mulloway will not be very far behind them. Fish after dark using larger baits, such as whole squid mullet, tailor or luderick heads, or even better try get out a live whiting or tailor. ROCKS Early May is perhaps the best time to try your luck at landing a longtail tuna or cobia from the rocks. Live baiting with slimy

with Fingal through to Rocky Point all prime areas for these. OFFSHORE Live baiting the inshore reefs and headlands is a great way to get hooked up to some fantastic fish this time of year. Longtail, tuna, kingfish and also cobia are all on the cards. Plenty of trag and pan size snapper on the Vee, 21 and Gibber reefs. Bigger reds to the magical 20lb mark can be found from now through the winter months, from 10-30m of water around the inshore reefs.

These fish are great candidates for soft plastic lures with 5-7” jerk shad styles by far the most popular. Cast them out on 1/4-3/8oz jigheads using 20lb spin gear and 20lb leader and no doubt you will catch a few. Best areas to use plastics are around the islands through to Edith Breakers. Bait fishing for snapper will also produce good results. The most important thing is to fish either early morning or late afternoon with unweighted baits at anchor and plenty of berley.

Bream will start to flow into the estuaries and become one of the main targets. of squid in the moorings at Shoal Bay, as well as the weed beds over Jimmys Beach, with smaller jigs around 2.5 sizes working the best. Beaches are fishing well with good tailor schools feeding on first light from box beach to Samurai. Whole pillies or gar rigged on gang hooks is by far the best option for tailor followed by a

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Port Stephens is an amazing estuary to have longtail like this come into the bay. mackerel or yellow tail suspending 2-3m under a float is your best bet to get connected to one these bad boys. Doing this, you will also encounter plenty of other species such as salmon, tailor, mac, tuna bonito and even the odd snapper. Winter species, such as drummer and luderick, will also start appearing in better numbers this month,

Conditions brighten for good May catches SWANSEA

Jason Scerri coloratolures@hotmail.com

2020 has not been the greatest of years for Australia, and the world over. We suffered from severe drought, then came the horrific bushfires, followed by devastating floods, and now the world battles a pandemic. The impact is bigger than any of us had ever imagined we would see in our lifetime. The loss of jobs,

productive. This top water action in particular will more than likely tapper off now as temperatures start to drop off and the bream start to move into deeper waters. In saying that, the flats and sand islands are still producing fish in the right weather conditions and on the tide change. Again, shallow dive and top water lures are proving very productive. As we move into these cooler months, the bait balls start to move into the deeper waters and chasing them

time of year to score some chunky specimens on this live squid offering. A few anglers have put some effort into fishing the local beaches lately and some nice bream have been about. As a rule, peeled prawns have been working well and scoring some quite nice bream. As we move further offshore, it’s that time of year where we bid farewell to the inshore run of marlin for the season. It may not have been the best season we have seen but it certainly

don’t intend to eat. It is certainly a very long run to these grounds and if you’re not in a boat of substantial size then please make sure that you pick your days well. I fish these grounds in my 4.5m Polycraft on occasions but I log on/off with marine rescue and coordinate a time when I know a friend with a larger boat is also out wide. I make radio contact with them every hour and would raise an alarm if we could not contact each other at the agreed time. Nothing is fall proof but every extra step you can take is worth doing so. SBT will hopefully move this far up the coast as we hope for each year. We are still a month or two away from the main run of the SBT but we have our fingers-crossed every year! Well I know there is currently a load of doom and gloom in the world but I would like to encourage you all to remain patient, and do as we are told by the authorities. Most importantly stay safe, look after your loved ones and I pray that we all beat this virus together and come out the other end stronger for it.

The author found good numbers of 70cm mahimahi off some traps out wide. Trolling custom 6-8” lures proved very effective.

M.A.S.T.NSW

Great to see young Lachlan fishing and managing this lovely bream from a recent beach trip. the millions of dollars lost from investments and the closure of small business. The list goes on. Of course, none of it compares to the heartbreak of lives that have been lost. As I type this article we are in limbo as to whether or not we will go into complete lockdown. If we do, it will more than likely include the stop of fishing until the lockdown is over. The reality is that, even though it’s disappointing, we will need to go along with it and be willing to do it for the safety of our family, friends and loved ones. Now on a positive note, we have had good rainfall in recent times and the lake has fired up nicely as a result of this flush. The lake itself has some stonker bream about at the moment. The northern end around Belmont Bay has been producing some great bags. Top water and shallow dive lures worked around the edges has proven very

are schools of small tailor, good numbers of mulloway and flathead. I love this time of year and this style of fishing. I opt to work the 8-10m mark regardless if I’m fishing the northern or southern end of the lake. Use sufficient lead on your jigheads to get those soft plastics to the bottom, as that is where you will find some very large flathead. I am very picky when it comes to what plastics I use for this style of fishing. I like a paddle-tail in the 4-5” range and the colour needs to be white, bright green or pink. These are my go-to options. I have also started to spend more time drifting a live squid out on a 2 hook rig, while I’m drifting and throwing around my lures. This is a very effective way of schooling a mulloway or two, not to mention some very large flathead. The lake can also produce some reasonable size tailor and it’s not uncommon at this

was not the worst, and some days were absolute rippers! Live baits slow trolled and pitched into bait balls were scoring the numbers, and crews pulling lures were certainly getting a good share of the action, along with plenty of solid mahimahi as by-catch. The fisheries FADS were again disappointing this year and I really firmly believe they need to consider putting in a second one in our region further offshore. I found more so this year than any other year, that traps or homemade FADS just a few kilometres wider than the fisheries FADS were producing far greater number and a much better quality of mahimahi. This time of year will see game fishing crews switch their attention to blue marlin and Norah Head canyons. However, as the current rules stand, we are only allowed to fish for food in NSW, so it is best not to target species you

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Berley boosts bream numbers ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

It’s getting dark a whole lot earlier and the prevailing winds are now from the west, but not howling just yet. Those nice sunny days with calm seas are the order of the day, but all that can change very quickly so you will have to make hay while the sun shines as bad weather this time of the year usually lasts a while. Bream will be in the shallows all along the coast from the beaches and headland washes to the sheltered quiet bays. If the weather turns nasty, they’ll be in the protected harbours. So everyone is in

with a chance of getting a few for a feed, and the key to catching them is berley. It doesn’t matter if you are fishing the shallows in a boat or shore-based, the best way to get a few is use a bit of berley and bring the fish to you rather than you chasing them all over the place. Even on the beaches, a bit of berley really helps improve your bream catches and, as a bonus, brings a whole lot of other species in on the chew as well. Some of the better spots are easy to get to and are all along the coast. From the boat ramp at Coledale, Sandon Point, Bellambi behind the pools and south of the old sewerage pipe, Wollongong behind the pools and in the harbour

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boat moorings at night, Cono beach near the groin, Port Kembla’s MM beach and north of the sewerage works, Barrack Point at the entrance to little lake and on the southern side then Shellharbour harbour and the whole of Bass Point with the area around the gravel loader are all good options. The entrance to Minnamurra and the Boneyard, particularly if there is a bit of a sea running as this is a safe spot that attracts a lot of fish, and the outer edges

There are plenty of bream all over the place this month, just add berley for best results.

Get in now while there are still a few kings about, before winter sets in. of Kiama harbour and all of the sheltered areas in the bays south of Kiama to Gerringong. That should give you a few options in most conditions. Berley can be in lots of forms from an onion bag full of fish scraps to your own special mix of bread, tuna oil and minced pilchards that are sparingly added to the area you are

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fishing. The onion bag method works well on the beach, particularly if you have minced fish frozen in a block then staked in the wash zone to let the waves do the work as the berley block thaws. It is amazing how well it works. On the beaches at the moment along with the bream are some bigger salmon starting to show, and some very good tailor during the evenings. A few flathead are still about, but this month should see the end of them. Mulloway

will get bigger as the month wears on with next month notorious for big fish. There will be enough smaller fish to keep you happy if you like to get out after dark and chase them as the evenings are now starting to chill. Some nice whiting are being picked up and what they lack in numbers at this time of year they make up for in size. The lake is slowing with most of the summer species now quiet, but for persistent anglers there is still the odd flathead about. It is time to change tactics as there are some solid blackfish around and there are plenty of good bream on the move too. If you can’t get any weed don’t worry too much, try the synthetic pre tied weed flies and use them in exactly the same way – under a float as you would the real thing. You will be surprised how well it works. On the rocks, your bream berley will bring in a few trevally and, if there is a bit of bread in the mix, some nice drummer are starting to get about

the washes now the water has cooled. On the deeper ledges there are a few bonito and even a stray late mackerel tuna getting about along with some kingfish of varying sizes, from under-sized rats to solid fish of 10kg and better. Use live yellowtail and squid at dawn for the bigger fish, and pillies and poppers work for the smaller ones. Salmon will grab your yellowtail too and there is still a chance of a longtail in the early part of the month. The odd snapper will be about for those fishing squid heads or fish fillets off the deeper ledges too. Offshore it is transition time as the warm water starts to disappear and the cooler currents take its place. However, it isn’t all over and done with yet, as

there are still a few warm water species hanging about in the leftovers from the warm summer currents. A few mahimahi can be found around the traps on good days and, like the early fish, the later fish seem to be larger and more temperature tolerant than the rats of summer. Yellowfin tuna should make an appearance over the coming weeks if the currents are favourable. Kings will be hanging around the usual spots, like Bellambi, the islands with plenty of seals and Bass Point at the wash and along the northern side. Down rigged live squid and mackerel are the best baits while out wider. The Hump up north, Bandit and Wollongong reefs and the Humps off Shellharbour To page 59

There are some nice pan-sized little snapper over the reefs. You’ll find a few bigger fish on the deeper hard ground.

Fires, floods, famine and fishing BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

Wow! What a time we have been having here on the South Coast. Never did we see such an extreme set of events coming our way that resembles the plot of a science fiction movie. We have seen drought, fires, floods, viruses and if you told me Godzilla was to rise out of the ocean next week and start eating people, I would believe you. As farfetched as that sounds it’s probably not too

far from the truth in terms of extremes that are still yet to come. We are expecting a huge hit to our economy and the likes of a depression to kick in, which means very hard times ahead. We just have to hope the government has plenty of stimulus where need be and we ride this storm out. So I must apologise again in regards to information given in my last write up. All the fund raising events and fishing events that were scheduled were obviously cancelled. As you know, absolutely

Georgia Poyner has been on top of the kings. From page 58

should hold a few good fish. Use your sounder to find them, then drop knife jigs or weighted live baits down to the depths they are holding at. There are still a few good-sized bonito mixing it with the kings and, while regarded as just bait for so long, they are now much sought-after for the table, my how things change. Snapper have slowed since Easter and the April full moon, but this month

you are in with a chance. You may even pick up a fish or two from your bream berley, and fishing in 30-40m will be more rewarding. Anchor with berley and lightly weighted baits or drifting with plastics will all score fish, and they are better than average size too. For the bottom bouncers, the flatties don’t seem to have backed off too much so they are well worth a try over the sand patches but they could shut down anytime if the water

everything got cancelled. However as I type, what hasn’t been cancelled so far is fishing! As I sit here at Compleat Angler Batemans Bay, fishos are coming in to stock up. This is an essential service and fishing will beat this coronavirus. But on a more responsible note, if we can still fish or go out on the boat, keep your company to just your household. Isolating this while there is no cure is the only way to get on top of it. So keep your social distancing. So if we can fish this month and if you can get on the water with a boat, then you can’t beat the snapper bite that has been so consistent since the spring, with a good run through summer and a bumper autumn. This has been one of the longest runs of snapper in 10 or more years. Fishos are getting more and more confident on the finesse set-ups. You can really see the catch rate increase as you bring it right down. Guys and gals are basically using bream gear, 2-4kg rods with 2500-3000 size reels spooled with 8-10lb braid and pushing the limits on 10-12lb fluorocarbon leader. Yes, there has been plenty of bust-offs and ones that can’t be stopped, which has caused a slight increase in the rod of choice going to a very specific 3-6kg rod, as it’s still got finesse. gets cold down deeper. Smaller snapper are over the reefs, along with pigfish and mowies. Barracouta will start to move in with the leatherjackets and make a habit of taking all your gear. Don’t be too surprised if a stray pearl perch left over from the warm water shows up as well. All this is a possibility if we are not all locked away in confinement, so here’s hoping everyone is well and able to get out and get a few. Good luck.

The Samaki range in the new Archer’s, Zing Extremes or C12 suit the bill. The presentation that has been popular here lately has been the 4-5” ZMan Curly Tailz in a variety of colours, and if you want some hot tips then come in store. What causes a mess on this light gear and turns it inside out, are the frequent encounters with kingies. It’s probably good to have a heavier outfit on hand as there has been a good run of kings from bommies to headlands in the area. Samsonfish seem to be mixing with the schools as well. It’s great to see more of a presence of this linetearing species and it would be unreal if they continue to hang around throughout the winter, as they did last year. The FAD might be taken out by now, so if it’s gone, it’s gone, and then to return in November. If you are heading to the shelf for a look, then there should still be a few stripes kicking around as the food supply for them has been quite good. There has been a good supply of stripey tuna also and the big blue marlin would smash one of them being skipped. Other then beakies, we have been having some awesome schools of yellowfin rock up every now and then. They are very hard to interest when they are fixed on sauries, but the odd long liner has had a few good shots and the fish have been of great size and quality. Coming back inshore,

Brodey Coulter with a healthy bream. the salmon run along our beaches has been very productive. The Moruya breakwall kicked it off at the end of summer and fishing well into autumn, along with a lot of beaches and headlands. Amongst the salmon have been a few good tailor and trevally. From the stones, snapper have been great and found in some less popular places. What really kicks off from the stones, headlands and at the ends of beaches or boat ramps at this time of the year, is squid. They start spawning throughout April

BATEMANS BAY

and are good through May. So get your breadcrumbs out and roll in the rings. It’s calamari time. In our estuaries, the fishing has battled through the floods after fires and managed to weather the dirty water period. Bream are biting hard through it and, as the water cleared, the flatties made a comeback. Now it’s clearing up, it can only get better, but once it starts to really cool down, so will the fishing. So get into the estuaries now for that last run of warm weather. One thing that is pretty certain is that there will always be water, and where’s there’s water, there is life and there is fishing. So let’s just take one day at a time and fish when we can. • 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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Plenty of top tucker for persistent anglers BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

As Australians are entering into an uncertain future, not knowing when life will get back to normal (or what the new normal will be), there will hopefully be something we can do close to home without encroaching on one another’s space, and that is to go fishing. Not only is it stress releasing in a time where it is needed, it also has the benefit of putting fresh food on the table, especially now as it is tuna time where one good fish can provide plenty of tucker. For tuna, there are a variety of ways to target them and the best is to berley and cube. It’s not bad practice to troll at first, hopefully catching a fish, which can indicate tuna in the area. Once located, start your berley trail and work the area for a reasonable

time. There is usually a lot of boat activity at present so it pays to listen to the radio as to how other boats are going, which will show where the fish are congregating. Baits that can be used while berleying can range from cut mackerel, yellowtail, striped tuna to whole and cut pilchards. You can also hang a shark bait out or a live bait on heavier mono for tuna and marlin. Depending on water temperatures at the time, can have a bearing on what game fish may still be around. It is still likely there will be mahimahi, albacore tuna, and sharks in a variety of species (which can include mako, blue, whaler and tiger). Marlin will still be present and it is very likely if you target them by either trolling live baits or lures, fish will be encountered in good numbers. Yellowfin can also be found in this manner and there is still a possibility a

spearfish may come along. Montague Island is fishing well for kingfish and bonito with yellowfin appearing up off the north end of the island. Kingfish will respond to different methods, from jigging, using squid to slow trolled or deep fished live baits, and the bonito prefer the livies. Kingies and bonnies are being taken out from the bommie at the Blue Pool, around the Three Brothers Rocks and down at Goalen Head. Deep diving and bibless lures seem to be doing most of the damage with some fish being taken on small skirted lures. There are plenty of salmon getting into the act while targeting the other species, which will keep anglers entertained while waiting for a better prize. Reef and bottom fishing is particularly good and should remain this way for the months ahead. Even though waters are starting to cool, this form of fishing is at its best

Bermagui River is one of the last strong holds for estuary catfish on the South Coast. So handle them with care and release unharmed.

It’s tuna time, so let’s hope there are plenty this season. and it is a great time to target snapper. As the hard pushing summer currents back off, it will now allow anglers a variety of ways to fish the reefs. Deeper reefs, like the Twelve Mile, are easier to fish, for a mixture of species like the much sort-after Tassie trumpeter. Closer to shore a variety of techniques can be used for bottom dwellers. Plain, old fashioned, drifting over these areas using fresh bait will almost certainly result in a mixed bag of table fish. Becoming more popular is the use of soft plastics on light gear, not only is it fun but it will usually secure a good feed of fish. Start in close to shore working your way out as the day progresses, cast in the direction in which you are drifting and work the lures back to the boat. Dropping the pick at this time of year is also very successful, allowing anglers to run berley, bringing the fish to the surface. Snapper respond well to this method and some large fish are currently being taken. A host

of other species will come into the trail, these may include trevally, kingfish, mowies down deeper and the occasional shark. Fish as light as possible for the best results, setting baits at varying depths or throw some of those soft plastics around for fun. There are plenty of fish around on the beaches and rocks with salmon dominating the catches. Most of the beaches are fishing well with some nice schools of bream for anglers to target. Mixed in with them has been tailor, trevally and, anglers fishing into the night on the moon

have caught quite a few gummy sharks. Drummer are dominating the rock catches with some very big fish being taken first thing in the morning and late afternoon with cunjevoi proving to be the best bait. Those bream on the beaches are moving into any estuary system that is open to the ocean providing plenty of entertainment for estuary fishos. For best results use striped tuna and berley the coming in tide in the channels at first, then moving onto the flats as the tide rises where you can use tuna and nippers for bait or toss lures.

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Brogo bounces back TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Since the fires, flooding rains came to the Bega District taking Brogo Dam from near empty to over flowing in less than a 24 hour period. There was some concern that the quick filling of the dam, along with any ash that may have washed into the dam, may have resulted in fish kills on the bass population. I am pleased to report that to my knowledge there has been no such kills and up until recently before the weather started to chill, anglers were experiencing some excellent captures of some quite large fish. Hopefully, also when life in this country has some kind of normality the Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association will do its annual stocking later in the year releasing more bass into the dam adding to this already great fishery. Out at sea it is tuna time with plenty of yellowfin to be found. These fish are falling to a well-presented pattern of lures both skirted or swimming. Mixed in are plenty of striped tuna, the odd albacore, mahimahi or a stray marlin. For those who wish to berley, tuna will respond to cubes or live baits while sharks, especially mako, will also venture into the trail; a shark bait handy or in the water will account for them. Closer to shore there is plenty of light sports action around the rocky headlands. Bonito have been around in some of the largest numbers I have seen in years providing plenty of action, mix in salmon, kingfish, frigate mackerel or striped tuna and you are in for a lot of fun. Jigging both plastics or blades is popular now within the area, they are not only producing those species mentioned above but plenty of bottom dwellers. Snapper

As you can see, there are plenty of quality bream in the Bega River. take a particular liking to these methods and are increasing in numbers all the time. Expect some decent flathead to be taken around the fringes of the reef as you drift on to sand. For those who are not into lure fishing, there are plenty to be had with traditional bottom bashing. Flathead have long been the main target out of Tathra with plenty of sand and tigers on offer. The sandies tend to like the shallower water close to shore, out wider those large tigers are to be found and also expect the occasional gummy shark to filter into your bag. All the reefs are fishing well with most species on the chew with some very decent snapper making up the bulk of the captures. On the shoreline, as you would expect, there is plenty of pelagic action around the rocks and off the Wharf. Bonito have been around in many numbers only too willing to take a wellcast lure, mixed in have been frigate mackerel, salmon, the odd kingfish and plenty of tailor, especially of a night on the wharf with strip baits. Fishing for drummer off the stones has been brilliant all along the coast and never better than around Tathra. If you are using cabbage weed for bait, it is likely you will attract a few good luderick to mix in the bag. These fish may also be encountered from the wharf close to shore.

All the common fun species, like yellowtail, mackerel, trevally are being captured off the wharf providing hours of entertainment for kids and adults. The beaches are consistent with plenty to be found there as well. Salmon are most prolific with all the beaches hosting their share. Along with them you can expect some very nice tailor, the odd mulloway and, at night, gummy and whaler sharks. Not to be left out there are plenty of bream, whiting, mullet or trevally in close to shore gutters, which with the use of berley can be enticed to feed. Bream have been the flavour of the season just about anywhere you go or any estuary you fish in and since the big flush of the Bega River system it is full of them. Black bream especially like structure, and there is plenty of that after the floods. Work lures around any form of this no matter how small you may think it is. Mixed in you are likely to encounter estuary perch, and quite often flathead look for those bait fish that will also hang around a snag. All the other species of estuarine fish are on the chew in Bega, and the surrounding estuaries are holding good stocks. However, hurry as the cooler months are coming fast and the estuaries will soon quiet down.

Since Brogo has filled, the bass are healthy and in good numbers. MAY 2020

Recreational Fishing Update Fishing & COVID-19

We hope you are keeping well and safe during these challenging times. At the time of writing in early April, NSW Police have advised that recreational fishing is permitted, as long as people follow all other advice in relation to social distancing and gatherings of two or more people. It is vital you follow NSW Health guidelines around social distancing. Detailed advice on social distancing is available at www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19. As well as strictly following social distancing guidelines, all fisheries rules and regulations continue to apply in NSW, including bag and size limits. Please work with our fisheries officers to ensure they can carry out their duties while keeping everyone as safe as possible. Stay tuned to the NSW DPI Fisheries Facebook page for updates. Meanwhile, check out this month’s selection of fishy news from earlier in the year. Hopefully the info we’ve included here will provide hope for a positive fishing future in NSW as we work through these difficult and challenging times. Stay safe! NSW DPI Fisheries team.

Fishos Report Weird Catches!

Some interesting catches and sightings of “weird” fish have been reported to DPI Fisheries in recent times. These include a finny scad caught in Sydney’s Port Hacking by South Coast angler John Reay. John was targeting bream when he hooked on the hard-fighting finny scad, aka torpedo scad or finletted mackerel scad. More common in northern waters, this species isn’t a regular catch in NSW, although they have been previously reported as far south as Sydney. John reports that the scad put up a great fight on his bream gear! Another interesting report from the southern Sydney area came from keen fisho Brenton Spinks, who caught a purple tusk-fish while fishing the Botany Bay flats while competing in a bream tournament.

Funding Boost For Talbingo! A popular trout fishery with the added bonus of native trout cod, Talbingo Dam recently received a major boost with the announcement of $1.35m in funding to improve recreational facilities. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said the funding – $850,000 from the NSW Government and $500,000 from the Commonwealthowned Snowy Hydro Limited – would be used to improve boating facilities, foreshore access, car parking and swimming access. The funding announcement comes as the Talbingo region begins to recover from the devastating bushfires earlier in the year. It is expected work on the improved facilities will be completed before the summer of 2020-21.

DPI Scientists Tracking Tagged Dusky Flathead

Following on from the stocking late last year of 1200 juvenile dusky flathead into Lake Macquarie, DPI scientists recently released 40 larger flatties fitted with acoustic tags. Reared by DPI’s Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, the fish measured about 20cm and were released around the artificial reef near Galgabba Point in the southern area of the lake. Signals from the tags fitted to the 40 duskies will be picked up by an array of listening stations, which will allow the scientists to track detailed movements of the fish in the vicinity of Galgabba Point, as well as more general movements around the lake. This data will provide important information on the movements and habitat use of stocked dusky flathead and will help guide future stocking events. Aside from dusky flathead, DPI is continuing work to breed and stock other key species such as kingfish and mulloway. The trial dusky flathead stocking project is a great example of your fishing licence at work!

MAY 2020

Again, this species is more commonly found in tropical waters. A bit further south along the NSW coast, Jorge Richardson sent in a video showing a spectacular juvenile pennantfish cruising around a local marina. Check out our Facebook page to see this amazing little fish. Let us know if you catch or see any weird fish. Send images and catch details to fisheries.info@dpi.nsw.gov. au and we’ll share the weirdest and most interesting captures.

Donate Mulloway Frames, Score Free Lures!

If you enjoy targeting and catching mulloway, NSW DPI Fisheries needs your help! The NSW Research Angler Program (RAP) is looking for keen mulloway fishos to team up with us to

gather important biological info about this popular sportfish. If you decide to keep a legal-size mulloway of 70cm and above, we encourage you to not only take the fillets but to maximise the worth and value of the fish by donating its frame to the RAP. It’s simple and easy to get involved. Search “Research Angler Program” at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au for the location of your nearest drop-off location. We’ll look after the rest. For each frame you donate, we’ll send you a pack of fantastic Berkeley soft plastic mulloway lures! The RAP program is another great example of your fishing fees at work.

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

May the big cod be at their best this month ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

If you don’t mind stacking on some warmer clothes and toughing it out, your chances of catching a big fish are already half there just by being motivated to go do it. Generally by this time of year, my style of fishing tends to change. I normally usually like to wet wade through water and do stacks

of water crossings that can be up to chest deep at times, but with the cooler weather approaching, this will be far too cold. However, it doesn’t stop me from fishing, all I need to do is change my approach and location. With the focus on bigger fish at this time of year, your tackle approaches and choices can be a huge factor that will influence your success. As a starting point, using bigger lures will generally entice

bigger fish to eat. Despite differing opinions from cod anglers, most would agree with this statement. Likewise, another important factor is line class and terminal tackle. Big fish are smart, so they will find absolutely any weakness you have during the fight to put themselves in front. Line class is so important for this, and so often it’s something that is questioned and debated in cod fishing. I suggest, especially for this time of year, at least 30lb braid with stronger leader. During the cooler months, I use 40lb and upwards to 60lb. This gives insurance that you have amble strength to hold the weight of a big fish, and allows you to give the fish some curry if you find yourself snagged up, as they will take you straight into structure in attempt to break free. That’s where a strong line and leader is probably most important, you need some allowance and resistance in your line to pull fish from snags, lighter line just does not make the cut if you find yourself snagged up and in a messy situation. However, even with the strongest line and leader, you need to make sure you tie the best possible knots. If you have a weak knot, this will

When tackling big cod, don’t go in under-gunned. Make sure your line and tackle is up to scratch. be the first thing that gives in the rope, and you can kiss goodbye to your fish and lure. If you’re unsure on what knots are the best to use, YouTube is a fantastic learning resource for this and it will teach you in under 15 minutes how to tie a strong knot. For my leader knots I use an FG knot, or an Albright. Terminal tackle is treble hooks, lure clips, split rings, and similar. I can’t stress enough how important it is to use good quality, strong purpose-built terminal tackle. Sometimes lures require

hook and split ring upgrades, so pay attention to all the fixed terminal tackle on lures and upgrade if needed. If you are someone that chooses to use lure clips, I suggest using Mustad Fastach clips as a personal preference. These clips are strong, easy-to-use and are purpose-built! My favourite split rings to use would be Decoy or Mustad split rings, and my favourite hooks include Shout, Mustad and Owner. Be sure they are strong ganged hooks too, most hook companies offer a range of different

t u H o r a T t c n h e e d ry a G

ganged hooks. This is a fantastic time of the year for bigger fish, but it is going to be difficult to chase them with the current pandemic restrictions. I suggest we all can be smart during these times. If you are advised to self-isolate and stay home, just do it. It’s better to do it now than still having to do it months and months down the track. Stay healthy, consider others and be hygienic. Something else that I would like to touch on is the impact it’s having on businesses. Small businesses are suffering during this time, especially the fishing industry. So if you can, support businesses you like to use and purchase your fishing needs from them, as small or large as they are, it all helps. For stores that you would usually walk into, many of these businesses are offering online purchases and postage. So if you can afford to do so, now is a great time to do it! And that goes for anything – together we can make a difference! • Please remember that Victoria is in complete shutdown and no recreational fishing is permitted. – FMM

Gaden Trout Hatchery

This yellowbelly is a welcome by-catch in autumn.

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

Guided tours 10 am and 2 pm.

Self-guided tours on selected days. Small admission fee. Gaden Rd (off Kosciuszko Rd) Jindabyne. 02 6451 3400 www.dpi.nsw.gov.au 64

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Small streams offer plenty BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

Air temperatures might be starting to cool down but this doesn’t mean the fish are as well. In the greater Batlow area the fishing is often described as ‘hot’ during May. Fingers crossed by the time you are reading this, the isolation and social distancing rules don’t stop us all from doing what we love and getting out on the water for a fishing fix, which is a great way of helping with mental health, something we are all going to need during these tough times. As I write this article most of the large lakes have been closed due to the Covid-19 crisis but, just in case those rules are relaxed by May, I will cover Blowering Dam even though at this stage it is closed to angling. BLOWERING DAM Redfin are always a good option at this time of the year. Schools are starting to become more concentrated in the deeper water as they start to prepare for the annual spawning effort. These fish can still be targeted trolling, however extra deep diving lures will be needed. Fish will

fish then cast plastics into the school. Alternatively, have an ice jig or blade rigged ready to go as these lures are just as good and quite often even better than the soft plastics. Murray cod and golden perch will be feeding up before the onslaught of winter, so they will be worth focusing some energy on this month as well. Mid to late afternoon is the best time to target the

creeks in the area it will be very hard to beat indictor nymphing and glow bugging this month. If you’re not into fly fishing or think that you can’t fly fish then simply use the flies (nymphs and/ or glow bugs) on your light spinning rod. Use a small amount of split shot sinker on your line and allow the flies to drift along somewhere close to the bottom and you should hook

The small trout streams of the district may be our only fishing options this month. Even if the larger rivers and lakes are open, the small creeks will be the safest option for those wanting to avoid human contact as much as possible. If the Eucumbene River is open to fishing this month please respect whatever social distancing rules are in place. Most importantly, if we respect each other we will still be able to have a good time, take some stress out of our lives and recharge the soul.

If Blowering Dam is open to fishing, redfin will be at the top of most angler’s target list. Targeting them with blades like the Insanity Tackle Yab blade is a great way of catching cricket scores of these succulent fish. be anywhere from 20-80ft down but I find that there is consistently fish holding at 30-40ft, I suggest you start exploring at that depth first. The AC Slim Invaders in the 40ft model are the perfect lure for locating schools while trolling. Heavily weighted soft plastics are another great option for seeking out these schools. Even if you don’t troll one of the heavily weighted plastics it pays to have one rigged. As soon as you catch fish trolling, pull up and throw the plastics out and continue to catch fish until they shut down, then repeat the process. In other words, troll until you catch

less active. Once that water warms up in the middle of the afternoon they will become more active and be easier to catch. TROUT RIVERS AND STREAMS Eucumbene spawn run will be interesting this year, if it actually happens. The fires affected the catchment and may affect the run, or at least the success of the run, and with social distancing rules

natives at this time of the year. Unlike summer where most of the action is after dark, at this time of the year the water temperature over night and early in the day is much cooler and the water is at its warmest in the late afternoon, which is more comfortable for the fish. This makes them the most active at that time. Natives are a lot like us in that they take in warmth from their surroundings, so in the middle of a hot summer’s day they, like us, will seek shade and wait until the sun goes down before becoming active. When the nights and mornings are cool they will be cold and therefore

in place it will definitely impact the fish. Normally it is shoulder to shoulder during the spawn run but as this whole thing is new to everyone no one knows just yet how it will affect things. I am expecting that they may shut down fishing in the Eucumbene River during the spawn run as unfortunately so many people don’t seem to have any common sense. If it does remain open, be cautious of each other and be sure to abide by whatever regulations are in place at that time. If we all listen and follow the safety measures, Covid-19 will soon be a distant memory. If we don’t listen and continue to go about business as usual we may be still feeling the effects of this virus next spawn run. Regardless of what rules will be in place, if you want to avoid human contact but still fish try one of the hundreds of smaller trout streams in the Snowys or foothills to the Snowys. The fish may not be as big as the Eucumbene spawn run but they will be plentiful and you will have little to no risk of human contact. Whether you are fishing the Tumut River, Eucumbene spawn run or one of the smaller rivers or

into a few fish. Spinning with small hardbodies lures like IMA Sukaris, Insanity Tackle Sso Minos or Rapala CD minnows in either trout colours, clear colours or very natural colours is another great way of hooking into plenty of trout this month. The key to getting good numbers of fish is to keep covering lots of water. Once you finish fishing a pool or the fish

stop biting in a pool, move upstream and get stuck into some more. If you put the hard yards in this month

you should be rewarded with plenty of fish. Good luck, good fishing and stay safe.

After bush fires seriously affected the Eucumbene River catchment earlier this year, it is anyone’s guess as to how successful this year’s run will be, or if they will run at all. MAY 2020

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Prepare for a frosty month LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

A frost in May is usually a pretty serious affair. Sometimes you can feel it coming down late in the evening before going to bed. The sun dips below the horizon and straight away there’s a nip in the air. Before long, dew point is reached, which quickly turns to ice – it’s like natures race to the bottom of the freezer. Camping in it is not for the faint-hearted but from a fishing perspective there are many rewards. BROWN TROUT Pre-spawn for brown trout is in full swing, aggression levels (particularly in the males) goes through the roof. Some of the biggest browns of the season will come in May, guaranteed. Lake Lyell is a fantastic brown trout fishery, untapped to a certain degree. In fact, you could put most brown trout impoundment fisheries in that category. Their inherent habits of feeding mostly at night, especially the bigger ones, straight away puts them

Bigger rainbow trout are nearly always on the cards in late autumn.

lure, and set the hook quiet aggressively to the side when you get hit. Keep winding even if you miss the hook set, chances are he’s still after it. BIG COD The addiction for me, as with most freshwater anglers in these parts, has come at a cost. Other species have definitely taken a back seat. That’s okay, I’m enjoying the space and learning plenty. It’s been interesting watching the take up – anglers applying themselves, drilling down, learning from on the water mistakes, getting in the grind. The journey to a giant can be a long one but I can assure you the feeling is so much better if you’ve done all the hard yards yourself. There

The good news is for the most part in May, this changes quite a bit. They start to move around higher in the water column away from the bottom, they can congregate or move to staging points in the lakes. Their aggression towards other fish escalates, especially other trout as they absolutely smash them, males in particular. When it comes to lure selection, bigger is better. I’ve caught them on minnow

Brown trout aggression level increase during prespawn, which can make them easier to target.

Camping in May means cold hats in the morning if you leave them out. at arm’s length from most anglers. The other big factor is their addiction to feeding on yabbies when they aren’t present in any numbers.

imitations over 100mm in length, lures designed for barra. Hardbodied lures are good, the inherent rattle of hooks and vibrations can bring

FISHING CAMPING

in aggressive fish from long distances. If you are getting follows and the occasional hit but not hooking up, try a big soft plastic; and visa versa. I swap between the two quiet often during the course of a session. Converting hits to hook-ups with both offerings can be frustrating, remember a lot of the activity is out of aggression, so its tail slaps and head knocks, so make sure your hooks are needle sharp. With the soft plastics, stand straight on and point the rod tip straight at the incoming

Staying warm is a major factor in staying out. are shortcuts, but the elation will be short lived and shallow, and mean very little in the weeks and months ahead. The first big consecutive frosts of May will drop water temperatures fast. It’s a trigger that forces the hand of any underwater inhabitants. Forced behaviour due to water conditions can concentrate activity and this is key when it comes to big cod. This will vary obviously between impoundments. Being a student of nature, I will provide you with the keys to success. On the water observations are critical. Things may look cold and lifeless but subtle small things are happening. Boat-based cod chasing definitely puts you at an advantage most of the time (not all of the time) but don’t discount getting out on the bank. I’ve held this one pretty close to my chest for a number of years now and there are many advantages.

Mixed bags expected HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Phelps

What a rough time Australia and the whole world is going through. From drought to fires then COVID-19, it feels like a storyline out of a Hollywood movie lately. As I write this article, the tightening of restrictions come into place and inland

waterways close their doors to the public to stop the spread of this deadly disease. I am totally for it and can only hope that it’s a fairly quick turnaround to get everyone back to what they love doing, fishing. Hopefully we are able to fish again in May because the fish will be starting to hit their winter gorge. The drought had certainly not turned but there had been some slight

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The most significant advantage is that there is no boat noise. As your swimbait gets closer to the bank, a following cod will have a bigger commitment to eat your lure – as he gets nearer a noisy boat, light levels begin to change, and he is in deeper water. A pause or change in direction as your swimbait gets closer to the bank is a real trigger, and a longer rod helps with this no end. Watching a big cod eat a swimbait at a rod’s length off the bank is something I don’t think I will ever tire of seeing. Remember walking the bank, casting swimbaits and wake baits is in most cases a short window of opportunity that has many drawbacks, sometimes quiet expensive ones – your retailer will love you to bits! Hope to see you on the water soon, just keep your distance and don’t cough on me!

Mitch Cone with a brace of late season top water bass, not many bite this time of year but there is always a chance of big ones.

hope with steady showers passing through bringing some life and food source back to the fish. The lakes have been freshly loaded up with baitfish and steady levels have seen some hope that Mother Nature might ease her grip over the coming months. If you are fishing the local impoundments, May being the last month of autumn can still be a mixed bag. The water is cooling and fish can be in still a slight transition stage, depending on the recent weather. Around that 16-17C water temp is the tipping point for the impoundment fish. A run of cold weather or frosts can drop these temperatures and the fish should be pushing towards winter patterns. Warm calm days can still have them spilt between techniques that will work. Typically, autumn fishing is a little tougher than other seasons, as the fish spread out throughout the water column as the temperature changes. WINTER TECHNIQUES The humble soft plastic paddle-tail is a staple for the To page 69

Imitation is key to success NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

I often get asked what my favourite time of year is to target big Murray cod. I would have to say May and June are the best two months for me, going off previous seasons’ results.  As the weather gets colder, the bait-life start becoming dormant. Small fish species become scarce and the shrimp and crayfish move deeper into the mud, escaping the colder temperatures. This is where replicating those food items becomes a must if you are looking for an active winter native. Fishing surface lures

Zac Manning with one of his two 1m cod captures on the light tackle. feat for anyone, let alone on the light spin gear! This time of year, the biggest key to coming across a fish of a lifetime is spending time on the water, as the natives bulk up for the winter. However, this virus is

expected to get worse during the colder months so we will have to play it by ear in the meantime and abide by the isolation regulations. Both Copeton and Pindari dams have been fishing pretty well lately, with a variety of fish species being caught. Although, at the time of writing this report I had a couple of mates get asked to pack up their camp and head home from Pindari Dam to help stop the spread of the virus. So if you are planning a trip to one of these locations in the near future, it is probably a good idea to check with the local rangers or council. Copeton Dam is currently sitting around 11% of its capacity. Pindari Dam is at similar levels and is up around the 10% mark. The local rivers still have a bit of a flow to them with the small amounts of rain hitting the Tablelands area in recent weeks, which is really good to see. However with

BigM4.0 Crankbait down the hatch! Very effective when worked slowly around the weed beds.

Megabass Vibration-X Jr Vibe bringing Zac’s big Murray cod undone. that replicate lizards, rats and/or birds this time of year is also a really good option, as the XL Murray cod start looking to the surface for an even larger meal. This time of year it is not uncommon to have a big cod eat a lure that is intended for smaller fish, like yellowbelly or redfin perch. In fact, it is not uncommon to have a larger cod try From page 68

cold-water impoundment fishing. The ability to cover water quickly with long casts looking for active fish means this is one of your first lures to tie on when looking for fish. Fishing deep points, bays or walls, not far from the main river should have you close to your target. Casting up towards an edge while the light is low then gradually fishing out deeper as the day goes on is ideal. A jerk bait is another winter bait that works well. Big long casts up next to shallow water cover, like timber, rock or weed. Then winding down to swimming depth, pausing then hard rips on the rod to get it dancing around and pausing again. The pause can be as long as you can wait. Sometimes an aggressive one or two second pause is enough. Other times, I’ve waited up

eat your smaller fish off the hook while fighting it back towards you too. As they start bulking up for the winter months anything can happen. Zac Manning found that out lately with two really large cod, both over the 1m mark that crazily ate his small lipless crankbait intended for perch over two consecutive trips. A massive to 30 seconds between rips. Experiment to see what’s working on the day. Plastics and jerk baits are two of my favorite lures for winter techniques but sometimes the fish are just too deep for these to work well. Sounding around deeper water in 30-60ft you

A beautiful coloured river Murray cod taken off the surface. may find the fish schooling up. Sinking the paddletail plastic down to these fish and slow rolling back will work. Other times an ice jig worked in their face aggressively is what’s required to get a bite. A small blade or spoon may also work on the deep-

Jerk baits really hit their straps this month as the water cools and they start to transition shallower.

water winter schools. Slow rolling or hopping tight to the bottom may be what’s required to get a bite. Depending on what the fish look like on the sounder should determine what retrieve you use. Stacked up and high in the water column the slow roll should be fine and tight to the bottom, a hopping retrieve. If it has been warm over May, there may be a few fish still hanging onto warm water patterns. Top water surprisingly still works well in May. No hard and fast rules on the topwater game. Sometimes they like an aggressive quickly moving bait. Sometimes they like one dead sticked on the spot. Mix it up to see what they want. The skirted jig can also still work in May. For shallow water cover you need to cast in the thick of it. Shallow water timber is ideal and your casts need to be pin point, the closer you can get it to cover the

better your chances on getting a bite. Not too heavy on the weight selection, I like 1/4 or 3/8oz jig for this. Your aim when fishing shallow is a nice slow fall not to spook the fish and allow time for them to see it then come over to it and eat it. A heavier skirted football jig also could work in the deeper water during warm weather. Fishing them on spin rod and thin line to help cut through the water is ideal. Dragging them slowly across the bottom and

the river levels dropping so much since the floods earlier in the year, the weed beds are starting to show up again, which can be difficult to present a lure to properly at times. I would say as we head into the cooler months the weeds will start to die off again with the overnight frosts, which should see the river clean up the again. In the meantime, the weeds can also be a positive as they provide cover for the cod that create plenty of ambush points for food or, in this case, your intended lure. So with daily exercising still recommended, it won’t hurt to get out on the river in some fresh air and get amongst some good winter Murray cod fishing. Stay safe and tight lines. shaking on the spot can catch fish in water up to 60ft deep. Fish this month with an open mind. Sometimes moving quickly between spots and techniques can find you fish and work out a pattern, or sometimes you need to slow down and just fish what’s in front of you. Here’s hoping to speedy turnaround of the current restrictions and I see everyone on the water soon.

Local lakes will still be producing good catches CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

This is a tough report to write. In many ways, the fishing in Canberra has never been better but with the advent of COVID-19, most anglers in the local region are choosing to stay home. This virus has had an enormous impact on the local fishing community with some tackle stores facing closure and many popular waterways closing intermittently to comply with social distancing laws. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stress enough how important it is, now more than ever, to shop local and support the people who support us in pursuing our passion. Most of the local tackle stores in the ACT and Queanbeyan have online ordering and are well placed to get anglers what they need so that they can fish the local waterways (which

performer in the cooler months, especially if fishing around low light periods. The spillway remains the best spot to target a big native with large vibes and medium sized spinnerbaits accounting for some cracking yellas over the last few weeks. There are schools of redfin sitting just off the points near the

Carp will readily take a lure right through May. they move from crevice to crevice. There have been plenty of massive redfin caught

Some of these articles were submitted prior to the COVID-19 fishing restrictions and may mention targeting fish that are not suitable for eating. Under the current restrictions, you may only fish for the purpose of eating your catch. Please be aware that the regulations may change after this magazine has gone to print and we strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in your state before leaving home. For further information go to: www.covid19.act.gov.au. of the lake. The Murrumbidgee River is fishing well and a few cracking cod have been landed by anglers fishing the faster water. Large plastics, medium sized swimbaits (like the Jackall Gantia) and spinnerbaits slow rolled around sunken rock have also accounted for some good-sized fish

good starting off point. The resident cod are also on the chew but are sitting deep, so to target these fish you

The river is starting to kick into gear.

still remain open). So shop local, order online and get out for a feed of fish. LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin is the place to be. This lake fishes particularly well through May when the larger golden perch come in close to the bank, feed up on small fish and big yabbies before returning to the deeper water in winter. These fish can be targeted with small jigs and blades, but by far the best method is casting a vibe out along a likely flat and then slow rolling the lure near the bottom. If there is a lot of rock along the bottom, even better as the goldens patrol these areas constantly through May, picking off yabbies as 70

MAY 2020

Golden perch are on the bite.

will need a kayak or boat and a good sounder. Lake Tuggeranong is really firing up. This lake has always been a proven

dog park and, as always, the area directly under the bridge is worth a look as all three lure targets regularly move through this part

recently with some almost touching the magic 50cm mark. These fish can be found in a variety of locations from the scattered willows, which line the banks along Lady Denman Drive, and in close like under the rowing jetties at Yarralumla Bay. Lake Ginninderra is my pick of the urban waterways during late autumn. There are always large golden perch feeding up along the weed edges and these fish canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t refuse a soft plastic slow rolled parallel to the weed. Shallow running divers are also a good choice if after a large golden or good sized reddie, with the rock wall leading from the Police Jetty right round to the college being a

Vibes are working well on the resident goldens.

while a few anglers have also caught big numbers of small to medium sized golden perch using small vibes fished tight to the bank. SURROUNDS Anglers fishing Googong Dam have been provided with many memorable captures of late including several large cod up to 130cm. Most of these large cod have been landed by anglers targeting golden perch on small vibes and using deep jigging tactics. Therefore, it pays to upsize your terminal tackle if hitting the dam and ensure line and leader are 20lb+. Plenty of big goldens have also been caught by boat and land-based anglers, while the ever present reddie population has kept anglers entertained in between the natives. These fish also taste great and should be taken home for feed.

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS EDIBLE CATCHES IN AUSTRALIA S

K M M U

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MULLET MULLOWAY NANNYGAI PRAWNS QUEENFISH REDFIN SNAPPER SQUID THREADFIN TUNA WHITING

Name: Address:

P/Code: Phone (day):

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack. SEND ENTRIES TO: FMM Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

FMM MAY 2020

BARRAMUNDI BREAM CRABS CRAYFISH DHUFISH FLATHEAD GUMMY SHARK KINGFISH LUDERICK MACKEREL MAHIMAHI MARRON

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

FIND-A-WORD

The Find-a-Word prize winners for March are: M Couchman of Roma, B Sanson of Melrose Park, O Sorell of Prahran, L Doecke of Byford. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – FMM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winners for March are: P Cinotta of Tinana, B New of Pagewood, M Lewellyn of Wangaratta and J McAlinden of Greenwood. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – FMM

FIND THE ZMAN LOGO

The Find the ZMan Logo prize winners for March were: Queensland: R Waters of Temora, J Carvolth of Peak Crossing, R Treacy of Frenchville, K Bennett of Doonan, R Durie of Holt, D Allen of Moggill, R Davis of Sarina,J Goody of Mt Berryman, A Remfrey of Rothwell, J Boneham of Eight Mile Plains, M Gillett of Boonah, O Dillmann of Southbrook, K Martin of Dalby, D Hutchins of Bundaberg, R Elworthy of North Bundaberg, A Kross of Glenvale, H Morrison of Forbes, J Drew of Burrum Heads, D Davison of Guyra, J Northam of Worongary, C Robinson of Edmonton, B Adams of Bongaree, D McClurg of Boondall, G Anderson of Emu Park, C Renz of Crestmead, K Goodman of Mount Morgan, C Couper of Chinchilla, E Lezuchowski of Darra, K Williams of North Mackay, I Hamson of Conondale, K Edwards of East Innisfail, P Moody of Kingston, A Tretter of Ocean View, O Noffke of Kulangoor, J Bugno of Bardon, J Rasmussen of Frazerview, B Barratt of Bucca, M Hever of Childers, C Hendry of Imbil, B Rosenthal of Thornlands. New South Wales: B Laurenson of The Bight, F Bubas of Albion Park, J Szabo of Penrith, T Cosgrove of Girraween, I Donaldson of Cessnock, K Thompson of Ermington, D Turner of Kincumber,B Gorham of Toronto, M Beckett of Woollamra, N Chamberlain of Goulburn, G Tasker of Belfield, A Hoss 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

Darawank, P Gravina of Glenhaven, R Chown of Glendenning, P Lyneham of Fern Bay, E Owens of Banks, G Walsh of Greystanes, I Dando of Tuggerawong, N Webster of Richmond, B Bell of Wodonga, D Sullivan of Aberdeen, J Wicks of Cootamundra, D Hohnberg of Trangie, D Burgess of Elermore Vale, J Vincent of Beechwood, D Drayton of Moore Creek, S Roweth of Millthorpe, B Weiss of Hughes, D Farrawell of Port Macquarie, S Chapple of Nambucca Heads, J Morante of Wauchope, R Webster of Booral, T Polley of Tinonee, C Anthony of Heatherton, D Reeves of Windsor, I Salmon of Basin View, J Smith of Kelso, P Bak of Denman Prospect, B Newham of Penrith, M Wettelano of Boorooma Victoria and Tasmania: M Adams of Grahamvale, J Sherman of Enfield, R Coombes of Vermont, J McKeown of Langwarrin, P Hutcheson of Moe, M Stevens of Alfredton, J Booth of Miners Rest,A Melis of Reservoir, R Newton of Wangaratta, L Greaves of Doreen, R Price of Mildura, R Waters of Temora, B Bell of Wodonga, C White of Geelong West, G Bell of Mernda, T Darker of Daylesford, D Culshaw of Banyo, D Hill of Cranbourne North, D Dunn of Warrnambool, D Coltish of Tatura, S Ward of Curlewis, M Forys of Indented Head, G Ball of Tatura, A Durante of Randwick, H Siesmaa

of Ferntree Gully, R Holley of Murchison, W Johnson of Morwell, G Thomson of Geelong North, R Pool of Invergordon, C Adams of Echuca, K Sutherland of Drysdale, S Roweth of Millthorpe, C Peeters of Colac, S Waters of Prahran, R Drendel of Mt Helen, J Smith of Carranballac, G Carroll of Euroa, N Bryant of North Albury, N Brown of Belmont, C Mehir of Belmont. Western Australia: D Culshaw of Banyo, S Cameron of Tyndale, D Werder of Dawesville, L Gibbs of Boulder, J Hislop of Yokine, K Lockwood of Rockingham, A Hogan of Parmelia,N Martin of Winthrop, B Jacobs of Safety Bay, G Higgins of Eaton, C Carey of Bentley, A Honey of Oldbury, N Robinson of Dowerin, J Curley of Falcon, L Doecke of Byford, M Howlett of Collingwood Heights, B Barwick of Wandina, P Dunlop of Capel, C Walker of Canning Vale, M Curry of Ballajura, I Jones of Dunsborough, S Szabo of Albany, G Uren of Ballajura, M Pforr of Bicton, K Cowton of Mount Helena, G Duncan of Duncraig, R Stoddart of Denmark, P Baskerville of Glenfield, B Piercey of Eaton, K Andrews of Kalgan, I Macleod of Busselton, R Coddington of Hillarys, L Zaremba of Little Grove Prizes delivery can take up to 8 weeks. – FMM

10 DIFFERENCES

ORIGINAL

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

The answers to Find the ZMan Logo for March were: Queensland: 11, 12, 16, 24, 26, 31, 36, 41, 46, 50, 58, 62, 69, 90, 96. New South Wales: 8, 14, 18, 26, 31, 34, 39, 41, 47, 55, 69, 72, 75, 78, 84. Victoria and Tasmania: 8, 13, 18, 22, 25, 32, 40, 42, 50, 54, 57, 60, 65, 80, 83. Western Australia: 8, 10, 13, 15, 19, 22, 25, 26, 31, 33, 34, 47, 59, 51, 55. MAY 2020

No hiding in the cold climate WEST COAST

Brett Carson

Traditionally, anglers have targeted mulloway in the warmer months with an ‘r’ in them (like yabbies), however, we

freshwater spring fed creeks, like 8 Mile Creek and Deep Creek. In years gone by, we have targeted the 50lb specimens that cruised the large kelp beds while hunting the masses of bait that are there. When the Glenelg mouth is in good

feeds –even just one catch for the night can feed the family a few times. The beach sunsets are often inspiring and when the sun starts disappearing the fishing can turn on. Sauries are a great surf bait that are oily and hold together, we also sell a lot of frozen mullet to the surf fishos too as the sharks seem to love them. Bream and perch are fishing well with the perch surface bite still a thing, some are using small live bait to target them below a float. The snags up river are holding large perch that smash the lures and bait and head for home the second

they hit. You may need to upsize the leader to try and beat the snags, depending on how heavy the country is that you are fishing. The day time tides in autumn are a great time to target the bream in the estuary, as the blue water pushes in. Crabs are the best to weed out the smaller fish. Pod worms will match-thehatch in the area, as the bream will be naturally digging for these tasty little morsels in the sand banks as the tide stirs the sand. If the state border restrictions are lifted, May is the last chance to go over to South Australia for a feed of crayfish, as the season Jack with a healthy cray taken while snorkelling.

Charlie with a 38cm bream taken on podworms. now have better ways of finding and targeting fish in the cold water. Vibes changed deep-water lure fishing and sounders leave nothing to chance when exploring fishing spots. The last few years we have had exceptional fishing in the colder months. Summer through to April is the time of the year that large schools of mulloway congregate in the bays of the nearby South Australian Coast, often around the

condition, at the end of summer/early autumn, those large specimens can swim up with the bait schools and make for a bumper winter. The surf has fished exceptional of late with stories of awesome gummy and schoolie catches throughout the area. It’s a great place to cut your teeth and, with this area’s abundant untouched coastline, there is so much ground to explore. The average size of the fish caught will provide a few

Laurie landed his first gummy in the Nelson surf.

ends at the conclusion of the month. Drop nets are a simple way to target them when the sea is flat, if you don’t want to purchase a yearly pot licence or expensive snorkelling gear and gloves. It’s funny how holding a crayfish that’s prickling your hand is bearable when you love the taste. I’ve poked one inside my wetsuit before and while he took the skin off my guts, I grabbed another. I’m chubby and food tends to steel my nerve. So don’t put away the rods yet, the fish haven’t read the

news and don’t give a rats about dunny paper. Stay safe and do the right thing! • So good luck and feel free to come and see us at Nelson Boat Hire for the latest info, we have 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.

Salmon set to soar WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

In these crazy times, the importance of our pastime in keeping us sane has never been more evident. So let’s forget about what’s going on in the world for a minute and talk fishing. The Hopkins River

still remains open to the sea and has continued to fish well. Normally it closes over summer but this hasn’t been the case this year, with the constant tidal exchange perhaps being a contributor to the good fishing experienced there recently. Bream have been taken in good numbers, with just enough 40cm+ fish encountered to keep things interesting.

Luke Gercovich with 45cm of surface lure boofing estuary perch. 72

MAY 2020

Mulloway have been a little quiet, with most captures being incidental ones whilst fishing for bream, rather than being about in the numbers to specifically target them. Estuary perch have been responding to black crickets fished on the surface during calm evenings. Keen lure casters have also been getting in on the action using surface lures that imitate the struggling insect on the surface. The implosion of a decent perch on your lure when you least expect it certainly gets the heart racing, particularly if it’s in the dark. May is often a great month to target the EP in the freshwater as they begin feeding up and moving down to the estuary in the winter months. With isolation rules applying and the snakes in hibernation, it’s an excellent time to get out a canoe or wander the banks of a nearby freshwater waterway. The trout should be well and truly firing come May, as there have been a few good fish encountered over the past few months whenever we have had a cooler spell with a bit of rain. As always minnow style hardbodies and plastics

May is usually a good time to target Australian salmon. will do the damage at this time of year. Tuna seem to be making the transition from inshore, summer behaviour to more traditional tuna behaviour and depths. It will be interesting to see what happens this tuna season, as there will surely be fewer boats on the water with travel restrictions in place. King George whiting and squid have been popular inshore targets in autumn, but whiting generally slow down by May. Last winter was a very quiet for salmon fishers. May is often a time when

they fire up, particularly in places like Killarney, Point Fairy beaches and the Warrnambool breakwater.

Hopefully this winter will see a few more big schools of this exciting sports fish around.

These articles were submitted prior to the COVID-19 stage 3 lockdown restrictions so will contain advise on fishing that is no longer accessible. We fully support any government restrictions and their decision to stop recreational fishing to halt the spread of the virus. However, the nature of any crisis response is fluid and ever-changing, so we have made the decision to print the reports in the hope that if regulations alter you will have all the fishing information on hand. We strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in your state before leaving home. For further information go to: www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.

Hoodlums at Hopkins COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Sizeable bream, many exceeding a 1kg, are still being caught in the Hopkins River. Dawn and dusk, and after dark seem to be the prime times to wet a line. During daylight hours many anglers are landing fish that are barely legal-size, with the bigger ones keeping mum. Popular spots at the shallow mud flats, such as next to Mahoneys Road, the fence that is just upstream of the Institute, and Rowans Flats.

Soft plastics cast towards the bank and worked back to the boat are proving successful. So too are surface lures, and we are talking depths as shallow as 50cm! Bream are burrowing into the mud looking for tasty morsels and sometimes can be seen ‘tailing’ or disturbing the water’s surface tension as they hunt for food. Bank anglers have been getting a few from in and around the Institute and from Rowans Lane. Hang back from the water’s edge so as not to spook any fish and cast out only 3-4m with baits, such as crab and brown shell.

Again, the best times are in low light hours. It seems in late March, early April we have had a run of King George whiting. This is not unusual and should last throughout the month. By May, most of the fish will move out to much deeper water for the winter awaiting the next season. Port Campbell Pier and Warrnambool breakwater has seen fish to 39cm landed on a variety of baits, including softened squid meat, pipi and mussel meat. Land-based spots, such as Newfields and Worm Bay, should be also

White water areas along the coastline can hold good fish that love to feed in wash, such as sweep. However, they are tricky to fish from a boat.

The Port Campbell jetty is a top spot for land-based anglers chasing a plethora of saltwater species, but you need to avoid the crowds. firing, especially on a rising tide. Kelp worm is also a top bait and can be found in the sand under clumps of washed up kelp at low tide but remember that digging implements, such as shovels, are banned. A pair of sturdy gloves is what’s needed to dig down. Adding berley into the mix can only improve the bite. The inshore reefs and bommies are currently holding good schools of sweep to over 2kg. The odd pinkie snapper along with rock cod, morwong and leatherjackets are also being taken. Best baits have been soft baits, with pipi and craytail the favourites. Hosiery elastic is needed here

to keep the bait on the hook. Most of these spots can only be accessed via boat. Keep a vigilant eye on the sea while keeping the motor running is the only safe way to fish these bommies. So, unfortunately the skipper must miss out on playing a fish. Plenty of schooling southern bluefin tuna are being taken along our coastline and not too far offshore either. These fish are smaller in size and weight compared to what’s been caught in the recent past, but still put up a great fight on medium gear and are the perfect size for the table. Diving flocks of seabirds working the surface

are the dead giveaway for a school of tuna mass feeding on sauries or mackerel. Surface lures worked in and around the school are picking up a few fish. There’s also plenty of yellowtail kingfish about and often they can be lurking nearby a school of feeding tuna. Plenty are being caught on minnow lures trolled and cast, but jigging seems to be the way to catch a few with knife jigs the go apparently. Again, as with the tuna the average size of the fish caught seems to have fallen with many ‘rats’ being caught as opposed to the larger hoodlums.

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Less wind and more fishing GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

May can see less windy days and more time on the water – if we’re allowed out of the house that is! Past years has shown the southern bluefin tuna get a bit bigger, silver and snotty trevally become a little more available and we get a decent run of king George whiting inside Corio Bay. FRESHWATER The Barwon River in Geelong has had isolated captures of small estuary perch from the 2018 release, along with a few redfin. The ever-present carp are also worth a shot this

James caught these kings after watching them follow his jig to the boat.

Poppy looks pretty pumped with her carp she caught in the Come and Try Fishing Day at St Leonards. time of year if the weather remains settled. Soft plastic lures have been the standout for redfin when worked parallel to the weed beds. The resident gudgeon and minnow make excellent bait and they can be trapped using a collapsible bait trap baited with white bread. Hook them through the top lip and cast them a metre or so out from the weed beds and you’ll be in with a better than average chance at a redfin. CORIO BAY Anglers fishing inside Corio Bay have found a few pinkie snapper biting but the tiddlers have made it difficult. St Helens and the Geelong waterfront have seen a few pinkie snapper just on dark for land-based fishos while Clifton Springs, Point Henry and Point Wilson have been best for boat fishos. May last year, there were a few solid snapper caught out off St Leonards in 20m of water. Search around with your sounder and drift likely areas or when a school has been located. Anglers have enjoyed a few days of hectic salmon action along the Geelong waterfront with schools of them attacking lures cast from 74

MAY 2020

the shore. Most of the fish are either side of a 1kg in weight so fantastic fun on light gear. Their appearance is quite sporadic and sometimes the school can be located by seeing the fish gorging themselves on small fish at the surface and other times they are holding deep. So what you need to cash in on these salmon should they be, a) there and b) hungry. A rod about 2m with a line rating from 2-5kg, or anything

in between that, and a lure about 60-80mm long. Metal lures work well as you can control their depth and cast a long way with them. Metals around 30-40g are about right. Cast them out and try several different depths, such as a steady retrieve across the top or let it sink a bit before commencing the retrieve. The beauty of salmon is that when they’re ‘on’ they’re not too fussy so you can vary all that a bit and still get a few. They also love fish baits, such as pilchards, white or bluebait, and will take just about anything else if lure casting isn’t your thing. Daniel Colyer landed a cracking snapper weighing 6.1kg while chasing gummy sharks on the edge of the shipping channel just off Clifton Springs. Daniel caught his fish on a running sinker rig down to a 7/0 circle hook with a squid head and says the fish put up a solid 10 minute fight before it was landed. Dean McDonald has been getting stuck into a few whiting out off Clifton Springs lately. Dean has fished with Stewie Turner and on another trip with Greg Ainsworth where they caught around 20 fish each trip using pipis in 5m of water. Fair-sized flathead up to

Daniel used a drone to drop his bait out deep off Eastern View to land this gummy.

50cm have also been biting inside Corio Bay with both bait and soft plastic lures working well. Paul Mayer and his mates, John and Simon, got stuck into plenty of pinkies and flathead inside Corio Bay using Munroe’s soft plastic lures and JigMan jigheads. BELLARINE PENINSULA Calamari and whiting have been going well around the Bellarine Peninsula lately with the settled weather seeing a few anglers get amongst them. Hugh Hanson fished with his dad Paul out off Indented Head where they managed a bag limit capture of calamari using red cloth jigs from 10am to 2pm. Hugh said they worked the 4-5m mark without much luck but they found them in close this time with the father/ son team picking up most of their squid in only 2m of water. St Leonards has been producing solid gummy sharks to 15kg using slimy mackerel for bait in depths over 10m. St Leonard’s Pier saw a few snapper around 3kg caught on bait right on dusk. Snapper here seem to bite well if you get a day where strong northerlies batter the shore. The St Leonards Angling Club and Bellarine Pirates Angling Club hosted a ‘Come and Try Fishing Day’ at St Leonards Lakes recently. The clubs provided rods, reels, fishing coaches and a BBQ lunch for the 48 participants. The event was made possible by a grant from the City of Greater Geelong CISF Healthy and Connected Communities Grants program. The first carp caught and removed from the lake was by 7yo Poppy Pickersgill, who fished with sister Lulu and mum Amy. Poppy won a rod and reel for her efforts. BASS STRAIT AND SURF COAST Yellowtail kingfish were in good numbers in and around the Rip at the time of writing but expect them to taper off in May. James from Fishing Victoria had an epic morning jigging for kingfish in the Rip and watched as a whole school of them come up from the depths to chase it! He dropped it back down a few metres and bang! James says, “The Black Magic 200g Deep Water Slim Swim Pink Frost did the damage!” Best bet has been to plan your attack around slack water and using jigs or live baits such as small, whole squid, tommy rough or small but legal length salmon. Most fish were between the 2-4kg mark but go rigged with heavy tackle as larger fish can show up at any time. The Surf Coast can see southern bluefin tuna either side of 100kg show up in May. School sized fish to 30kg were still available at the end of March, so here’s hoping!

Chasing a few gummies off Clifton Springs, Daniel managed this beaut snapper instead. Daniel Swida fished from the beach at Eastern View recently. The plan was to land a shark from the sand so he had kitted up with some 24kg tackle down to a ‘Sharky Shepo’ wire trace and a whole striped tuna as bait. As if that wasn’t a tad left of field Daniel sent the bait out under a Phantom 3 drone and dropped it around 100m offshore. The lads ended up with a quality gummy shark on the beach for their efforts that took the bait

have been caught on the closer reef areas along the Great Ocean Road but the 45cm+ models that are often caught here are a little harder to find. Lorne Pier has seen whiting, calamari, Australian salmon, silver trevally and pinkie snapper around when the sun sets. • Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterfish@gmail.com

Hugh with one of the many calamari he and his dad Paul caught off Indented Head. at high tide about 9pm. The weather has made it difficult to get offshore but snapper to 60cm have been biting off Lorne while gummy sharks to 10kg have also been caught by anglers drifting out deeper. King George Whiting

with ‘VFM’ in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1mb (file size).

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The challenge ahead for Victorian fishers PORT PHILLIP BAY WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

When COVID-19 hit Melbourne, fishing like many other industries, was not immune to its destruction. Yes, fishing is an awesome way to escape the hysteria and self-isolate away from the crowds, but the economic impact to local tackle shops, fishing retail outlets and fishing services will make its mark. Only time will tell how devastating this is but my thoughts and wishes go out to all fishing businesses impacted during these difficult times. I know I’ll be out there continually fishing and buying products to support our industry. The fishing trends change at this time of year

temperatures make early mornings on the water a little more challenging. But don’t worry there are always many positives to draw upon. For starters, the logistics launching and retrieving a boat is so much easier. The colder temperatures will see diminished boat ramp traffic. Now that peak snapper season has come and gone there will be less queues and less challenges to find available parking for your trailer. WHITING Whiting fishing is very strong right now from Werribee all the way through to Queenscliff in patches. Top performing locations have included Werribee, Point Wilson, Avalon, St Leonards, Wedge Spit and Clifton Springs. Anywhere with weedy areas between 3-6m deep, has been producing

Good size pinkies are still around. cage full of pellets, crushed up pipis, and chopped up oily fish, such as pilchards is a great way to bring the fish in. The scent trail should keep them on the chew for some time, and you can even expect decent by-catch, such as pinkies, flathead and even the occasional salmon or gummy shark. I have had several occasions on the water targeting whiting this past month. I have managed to nearly bag out on each occasion showing that

lines and berley at the back. Last week a mate and I got onto a hot bite of whiting. Two boats close by watched on and decided to come and anchor up 15m away from our boat! This is unsafe and unnecessary. There is plenty of room for everyone, just ensure you’re not getting too close to others. In the end we moved on just for safety reasons, which is a little sad. SNOOK Snook continue to hang around in big numbers.

Shallow grounds between 3-5m deep around Werribee and Port Melbourne, have been great places to specifically target them. I have caught countless snook while flicking soft plastics, and mid to deep diving hardbody lures. Not much action is needed when targeting them with lures, just a slow to medium slow roll will account for good numbers. They do hit lures hard and this is an exciting way of fishing when retrieving mid diving hardbody lures. GUMMY Gummy sharks will also be a common catch during this part of the year, both in open water and in the shallows. Catching small pups and some bigger metreplus models. Werribee has proven to be a productive spot to target them, however be prepared to catch pest species such as rays and Port Jackson sharks. Fishing the right tides is quite critical and even during the night when predatory fish are most active. LAND-BASED Land-based fishing is also doing well. There are good catches of flathead being taken from Wyndham Harbour rock wall with baits and soft plastics. For bait fishos, it’s tough to go past the ever-humble pilchard. Whilst for soft plastics the Berkley

Morning Peninsula is a great land-based option. around Melbourne. Water temperatures start to decline, and the annual snapper run is coming towards an end. The weather starts to become a little unpredictable and colder

good numbers of whiting. The key to success has been to keep moving – if a spot is quiet after 20 minutes, pull up the anchor and try a new spot, even if it’s just a few hundred

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metres away. I am continually surprised how moving such a small distance to a new spot can bring the fish on. Another recommendation is to berley properly. A berley

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The author’s 80cm snook caught on a soft plastic. whiting fishing is strong right now. During normal peak whiting seasons you can expect many boats gathered in one immediate area. I was in Wedge Spit before the lockdown and there must have been 50 boats within a small circle radius. Remember to show some common courtesy and safety to others. Give others ample space and when travelling past them go around the front of their boat to avoid their

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Turtle Back Worm and ZMan Slim SwimZ have been great choices in these areas. It’s also worth noting that the bream and pinkies

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land-based fishing locations in all of Melbourne – a natural and scenic wonder. I had one land-based session

awesome for everybody. Until next time, good fishing everyone. I encourage you to contact me to share

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MAY 2020

Hoping for warmer settled weather in May PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

Recent weather and seasonal patterns have continued the trend of the late summer and early autumn months over the past couple of years. Warmer and more settled weather has been the feature over the early part of the Easter school holidays. Unfortunately, the great fishing and boating conditions have been largely overshadowed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the impact that is having on our everyday lives, and our livelihoods. These ongoing changes, restrictions and closures are changing by the day at present, and no doubt by the time you’re reading this copy of Fishing Monthly, things will be much different than what they are now. The good news that I can share is that the fishing over the past month has been very good, and many of the species options

The bluefin tuna bite around the entrance to both of the bays has remained a feature for the past month. normally enjoyed over the summer months have continued into the autumn months as well. At the time of writing, this trend has continued, although the cold starts to the days have certainly arrived. While water temperatures are

certainly beginning to cool down, I would expect this good fishing to continue for some time. While the action seems only to be shared by the same dedicated groups of anglers, a real feature of the last month has been

the size and quality of snapper on offer out from the wider marks. Due to so many other angling and species options on offer throughout the bay, many of these anglers have had the action to themselves. While this is nothing unusual, the size and quality of the fish has been exceptional, with plenty of reports coming in of snapper to 6-8kg being landed, which is great news for the bay’s anglers. Much like last year, smaller school-sized snapper have been keeping anglers busy out from various areas closer to shore, particularly those nearby substantial areas of reef and bait schools. Typically, most of the pinkies have been around the 1kg mark and smaller, with enough 2-3kg fish around to keep things interesting. These fish will

Reliable and plentiful schools of pinkie snapper have provided great sport and table fish for anglers fishing around Mornington. Photo courtesy of Brendan from IFISH.

respond well to a variety of baits and lures and will also bite for longer periods of time with the use of a

Some big bags of whiting have been coming in from all over the eastern side of the bay. Photo courtesy of Brendan from IFISH.

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MAY 2020

Mark Keaveny holds a nice southern PPB kingfish taken on a green Shimano Colt Sniper jig.

good berley trail. They are a great fish for novice and young anglers to learn the finer points of fishing and make pretty good tucker as well. Be mindful of smaller undersized fish, as these ‘keyring’ sized pinkies can be very annoying at times. Care needs to be taken to return undersized fish to the water, and to stick to your bag limits. Mornington has been a real hotspot over the past month. Calamari fishing took a while to get going this season, just like last year, but the good old cephalopods have certainly made up for it over the past few months with ridiculous numbers right along the eastern seaboard. Both land-based and boating anglers have really been cashing in at present, anywhere from Frankston to Safety Beach. The real honey holes at the moment for the boating anglers seem to be the inshore reefs around Mount Eliza and Frankston, and Mount Martha. For the land-based anglers, Mornington Pier has been a Mecca of late,

and it’s practically black with squid ink. It’s worth noting that even though the squid have been in big numbers, planning your missions during times of low light early and late in the day will always provide the best fishing. This is also when you are more likely to catch the bigger more predatory models. And while the water remains clear on the inshore reefs, using natural coloured jigs in green, brown and red will produce the best results. The consistency of the whiting fishing right along

the eastern side of the bay over the past month has been welcome news to many anglers. I’ve had reports coming in from right down south at Sorrento all the way to St. Kilda that is great to see. Much like other trends this year, it seems to be a little late, so expect this to continue for a while yet. Fresh squid, mussels and pipis are the best baits, and Bass yabbies if you can get hold of them. Boat and landbased anglers have all been getting amongst the action, but much like the squid fishing, the best success will come during times of

low light, especially on the right tides. Amazingly, the southern bluefin tuna bite that has been so amazing this year continues, which is a great sign for the future, as well as the fact that kingfish are still being taken in the southern reaches of the bay. The fishing trends of this year, and the craziness of the coronavirus have certainly taught me not to take anything for granted, and to appreciate the great fishery and resource that we have to explore in PPB, and what it has to offer everyone!

Plenty of bay bounty PPB OFFSHORE

Gerry Morsman

What better way to take our minds off things than to go out for a fish, and let me tell you there is still plenty to offer all over both bays. With the whiting still biting better than ever and squid continuing to take whatever is on offer there is sure to be something out there for you. Even if you don’t have a boat, most fish like to get in close to feed later in the evening or deep into the night. With the whiting in such good numbers this gives you a great chance at a good time and a great feed. SNAPPER We all love our snapper and even though we haven’t had the best of seasons there are still a few out there on the chew. There have been some fairly good reports of larger schools still hanging around wide off Mornington in around 20-22m of water. The better baits have been fresh squid strips and the good old humble pilchard with the running sinker rig being the rig of choice for most anglers. Carrum is still getting its fair share of reports around the scattered reefs over the mud flats, with again pilchard and squid strips being the pick of the baits. One place that keeps popping up lately and slides a little under the radar is Mt Martha in around 18m of water. Sounding around until you find some solid arches on the screen is the key to consistent captures. The odd small gummy shark report has been popping up in the Mount Martha area while people are targeting the snapper. Land-based fishers have been doing well on the pinkies (juvenile snapper) off the rocks around Mornington using squid and silver whiting as bait. These baits are a little stronger and tend to stay on the hook much better when casting. The water will drop off quite

quickly in certain areas of the rocks around Mornington so you don’t need to cast too far before you find your baits in around 6m of water. SOUTHERN CALAMARI SQUID Southern calamari squid are one of the more popular species to be chasing this month, with plenty on offer all over Port Phillip Bay. Starting up around Black Rock in the shallow waters over the broken ground in around 3m of water. Using smaller jigs is the key no bigger than a size 2.5 with the better colours being the green with a gold belly and your more natural colours. Moving down to Mt Eliza in front of Sunny side beach has been producing great numbers. There is a large scattered reef out the front of this beach that holds squid anywhere from 2-6m of water. As per usual, Mornington and Mount Martha are still producing the goods with reports of the larger models hanging around, which is music to all of our squid fisher’s ears. Yes, there is still some tiny squid hanging around but this makes it all the more exciting because you just don’t know what size you will get with the mixed bag size hanging around at this point in time. If you are after the larger squid, then look no further than Rye! The reports have been amazing from this area with anglers reporting that they are bagging out in no time and the size of the squid have been more than impressive. Using size 3.5 jigs in either blue green or red have been the go. Moving across to the other side of the bay, Chris from Trellys Geelong reports great numbers of squid around the Queenscliff area. Drifting over reef in around 4m of water using 3.5 size jigs in the red colour was the key. KING GEORGE WHITING There has been a hot bite on the whiting lately with many anglers getting amongst the action. Land-based anglers have been putting in great reports around the Dromana area off Anthony’s Nose. One

of the great things about this location is that you can park your car and cast straight off the wall right where you have parked, so there is no walking needed to get to your location. Fishing small squid strips have been the key. Squid strips stay on your hook much better than soft baits, such as a pipi, when casting a long distance from the shore. Sorrento boat ramp has also come up in the reports for the land-based anglers, and so has the beach at Mornington. Boat fishos have reported that Mud Island has been on fire in waters as shallow as 2m. Don’t let the shallow water scare you off because whiting are well known to get up into much more shallow water to feed on any crustaceans that might be habitating the area. Portsea has also been a hotspot. In the sandy holes you can spot fish without a sounder. If the fish aren’t biting in the first patch just keep moving around until you find them. GUMMY SHARK The southern end of the bay around Rye in the south channel has been a go-to spot lately for gummy sharks anywhere up to 25kg and, if you are lucky, even bigger! Sit on the edges of the channel and use fresh baits if you can get them. Fresh baits, such as Australian salmon, yakka, squid or slimy mackerel are ideal baits. Gummy sharks have a very good nose so getting a fresh bait out in tidal areas, such as Rye, is crucial to having a successful fishing trip. The rig of choice has been the running sinker rig with an 8/0 circle hook. Make sure to pin your baits with plenty of the hook showing allowing that ultimate hook up. As you move closer to the entrance near Portsea, the same actions apply just as you would if you were fishing Rye. Fishing the south channel will find you hooking a lot of by-catch such as banjo sharks, Port Jackson sharks and stingrays, so make sure to have plenty of tackle on board as you might find yourself losing a lot of gear.

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MAY 2020

Offshore is producing outstanding catches WESTERN PORT NTH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

When you’re told by the government to self-isolate, is there a need to jump on to social media report pages and ask if it is okay

that is impressive. These fish have been about since January and even with so many anglers targeting them, they have continued to arrive in vast numbers. How long will they stay about? Who knows, but as soon as we can get back out there the reports coming

and flathead making the most of the bounty. There is nothing technical about this style of fishing, it is just a matter of drifting in the right areas. If you are after a good feed of flathead, fish the last of the run-out tide along the Flinders Bank. This is

While we have the opportunity to catch such solid fish in Melbourne, you might as well make the most of it when you can. to go fishing? While I love to go fishing, sometimes taking a break to contain something so serious is more important than enjoying a leisure activity. With that said, a few reports have filtered through prior to self-isolating. The offshore scene has been the best I have ever heard about. I remember back in 2008 catching striped tuna on light spin rods. It was amazing to have caught tuna in Melbourne, which wasn’t heard about since the 60s and 70s. Just look at us now? Southern bluefin tuna in vast schools and some fish up to 40kg, now

will let us know? On another note, just because these fish are in large schools doesn’t mean that they are easy to catch. In fact, tuna are flighty at the best of times. Try to find a patch of fish with no other boats around it and work carefully. If you find them busting on the surface, small stickbaits and poppers are worth throwing into them and if they are up and down and moving fast, trolling with two diving hardbodies and three or four 3-4” skirted lures is an effective trap. Tuna aside, the bottom bouncing has also been excellent with gummy sharks

Kilcunda in 20m of water. There is also significant reef throughout here, but it is a well-known location for sand and tiger flathead. If you are going to give either of these two locations a try, then you should take a heavy rod and fish a big bait on the bottom. While drifting for flathead, it is very common to also catch gummy sharks. Inside the Port, the fishing is very productive. It is elephant season right now but they are widely scattered. The prime locations are the elephant triangle, which is located from Rhyll to Corinella, Observation Point and back to Rhyll. This area is prime elephant ground at the moment and worth anchoring up to fish for them. Elephants only have a small mouth so keep baits small and hook sizes either a 2/0 or 3/0 suicide. Whiting are still about in fair numbers, especially along the bottom of the middle spit. It is relatively shallow here but providing you’re fishing amongst the sand holes you should have

There are plenty of arrow squid offshore and inside the port at the moment.

Tuna are feeding on small sized bait, hence the need to troll smaller lures.

no trouble in finding a feed. If you are struggling to find them, you can always make a short move between Tankerton Jetty and the rocks at Tortoise Head. On the high tides, fish in 2m of water and as the tide drops, work back out into 5m and the opposite on the run-in tides. Don’t forget about flicking a squid jig out while whiting fishing. They are still about hiding. Fishing is going to be very interesting over the next few months, especially if we hit a full lockdown, which we haven’t as I type this. So, no matter what happens, stay safe all.

It’s not hard to find a school of tuna, especially when they breach the surface.

These articles were submitted prior to the COVID-19 stage 3 lockdown restrictions so will contain advise on fishing that is no longer accessible. We fully support any government restrictions and their decision to stop recreational fishing to halt the spread of the virus. However, the nature of any crisis response is fluid and ever-changing, so we have made the decision to print the reports in the hope that if regulations alter you will have all the fishing information on hand. We strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in their state before leaving home. For further information go to: www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.

MAY 2020

located just outside the entrance into the Western Channel. If you begin your drift around 2km south of the Fairway buoy with the outgoing tide, you’ll drift over the Flinders Bank. The bottom is mostly sand, which is the reason it has a very high concentration of flathead. Another popular location is off Kilcunda, or at least from Punchbowl to

Skirts in the 3-4” length are ideal for tuna.

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Top end prize of whiting INTUITIVE CONTROL

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WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Western Port’s top end has been fishing very well in recent weeks, however, that has all changed now with the self-isolation rules now in effect. How long this will last, nobody knows but we can only hope we can go back to normality soon. Before the restrictions, there has been no shortage of King George whiting caught throughout the channels. I thought that their numbers might have begun to dwindle with the cooling water temperatures, but they are certainly showing no signs of slowing up any time soon. In fact, it is been very interesting to see anglers targeting TWEED HEADS SOUTH whiting and returning with a TWEED COAST MARINE solid bag of fish. 32 Machinery Drive Annie Gentle and Tweed Heads South P: (07) 5524 8877 E: admin@tweedcoastmarine.com.au W: www.tweedcoastmarine.com.au

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NORTH ROCKHAMPTON RIFEN BOATS The Port is loaded with whiting if you’re keen 6toDooley North Rockhampton put in Street the time. Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe. P: (07) 4927 9150 of calamari amongst the weed E: rifen.boats@bigpond.com beds. Basically, wherever W: www.rifenboats.com.au you’re fishing for whiting, calamari are also in the same AIRLIE BEACH areas. That is unless your ROCKLEA WHITSUNDAY OUTBOARD fishing CENTREin 10m or deeper, then tide will be running too KAREE MARINE 17 William Murray Drive the Cannonvale fast to flick for calamari. 1776 Ipswich Road Rocklea P: (07) 4946 7286 The shallow weeded banks P: (07) 3875 1600 E: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au are loaded with calamari and it E: sales@kareemarine.com.au W: www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au only takes a short drift to catch a few. Depending on the depth W: www.kareemarine.com.au CAIRNS you’re drifting over, keep in mind that if you’re in 2m of AUSSIE MARINE NORTHERN GOLD COAST water, then use a 2.5 sized jig 5 Hannam Street Bungalow ONSHORE MARINE and anything deeper, a 3.0. Horizon Shores Marina, Woongoolba P: (07) 4033 8800 Using a 3.0 sized jig in P: (07) 5546 2480 E: sales@aussiemarine.com.au shallow water will just cause you to get snagged more often E: onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au W: www. aussiemarine.com.au Justin Blythe managed a nice gummy shark and potentially cause you to W: www.onshoremarine.com.au from the surf. Photo courtesy ofKARUMBA Justin Blythe. lose your jigs. In avoiding that, you’ll work your jig too fast, JONES MARINE EVERTON HILLS Charring Cross have been the been berleying and sticking hence the need to fish with the Yappar HOLT MARINE two more productive channels out the38 whole tide. Street Karumba right weighted jig for the depth 25 Queens Everton P: (07)to4745 in theRoad top end to targetHills whiting. Prior the9159 ‘self- of water you’re fishing. However, situation, Reel If you are in need to tangle P: (07) 3353 1928 8don’t discard isolation’ E: jonglo@bigpond.com Browns Reserve, Joes Island Time W:Fishing Charters withsomething that will strip E: info@holtmarine.com.au www.jonesmarine.com.au and the top of the Middle Spit. skipper Kelvin Bertachini line from your spool, then W: www.holtmarine.com.au Western Port is extremely was doing extremely well you in for a good chance IPSWICH tidal, so berley is essential to on the whiting in many when fishing Bouchiers and CAPALABA IPSWICH MARINE bring the fish to your location. different locations. The top Bouchers Channels. The MIKES MARINE Huxham Raceview If you don’t berley, then you of the 45 middle spit Street has been elephant sharks have now well expect to make many a go-to spot3294 purely due to and truly taken up residence 9 Smithcan Street Capalaba P: 07 3944 moves3418 until you drop in on the quantity of fish, but if a throughout the Port with the P: (07) 3390 E: enquiries@ipswichmarine.com.au a patch of fish. Even though school is spooked, a short top end channels extremely E: sales@mikesmarine.com.au W: www.ipswichmarine.com.au/ this is a highly successful 20m further along the bank is productive. Mind you, there W: www.mikesmarine.com.au method, berley will also attract all that is required to find the are also plenty of good-sized other species. school again. gummy sharks, seven-gill NOOSAVILLE Tyabb and Quail Banks Although whiting are the sharks and the odd bronze are COAST extremely productive but main targetable species in the whaler shark at this time of SUNSHINE MARINE they getRoad hit hard from anglers. top end, there are also hordes the year. 122 Eumundi Noosaville It is common on any weekend P: (07) 5449 7633 to have 20 or so boats all E: sales@sunshinecoastmarine.com.au whiting fishing. Increased boat W: www.sunshinecoastmarine.com.au traffic can shut fish down if anglers are moving around a lot, so it is more productive to find your own area away from everyone else. One particular location, which is just north of Scrub Point on French Island, is a shallow mud bank. This is the entrance into the Eastern Channel and fishes extremely well on the run-out tide for whiting. Recently, there have been some big numbers of fish caught by anglers who have Tortoise Head is a great location to target whiting.

VIC MERCURY DEALERS ALBERTON ALBERTON MARINE 39 Johnson Street Alberton P: (03) 5183 2344 F: (03) 5183 2219 W: albertonmarine.com.au

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MELBOURNE MELBOURNE MARINE 92 Hallam South Road Hallam P: (03) 9703 2003 W: melbournemarine.com.au

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TOORADIN P&J MARINE SERVICE CENTRE P/L 101 Tooradin Station Road Tooradin P: (03) 5998 3107 E: pjmarine_services@bigpond.com

SHEPPARTON BOATS AND MORE 207 Numurkah Road Shepparton P: (03) 5822 2108 F: (03) 5821 2908 W: boatsandmore.com.au MORWELL CRAWFORD MARINE 71-77 Chickerell Street Morwell P: (03) 5134 6522 F: (03) 5134 6455 W: crawfordmarine.com.au ECHUCA EADES XTREME MARINE 24 Sturt Street Echuca Phone: (03) 5482 2333 | Fax: (03) 5482 2133 Website: xtrememarine.net.au

MELBOURNE REGAL MARINE 514 Canterbury Road Vermont P: (03) 9874 4624 F: (03) 9874 6586 W: regalmarine.com.au MELBOURNE THE MARINE SHOP 6 Holland Drive Melton P: (03) 9747 0588 F: (03) 9747 3999 W: themarineshop.com.au MELBOURNE TRIPLE M MARINE 117 Northgate Drive Thomastown P: (03) 9465 8787 F: (03) 9466 1418 W: triplemmarine.com.au

MAY 2020

It’s all about the May bream GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

During all the years I’ve lived next to the Gippy Lakes, I’d have to say that right now, it’s fishing as good as ever. Maybe not for the number of fish, but certainly for the biggest sizes. Bream captures have been outstanding and flathead are turning up in fair numbers and good sizes. There are other fish on the chew as well, like tailor, mullet, trevally and pinkie snapper. The prawn run has been going nicely this year and I’ve been getting regular kingfish photos sent to me. But for this report I’m going to find it very hard to discuss anything but bream. If the current virus situation has us all locked inside at least it’s nice to read about people catching fish! I might have to really downsize my tackle and give my backyard goldfish a run for their money! HOLLANDS LANDING TO SEACOMBE Once again, the far west of Gippy Lakes area has really fired up. Hollands Landing has been the location nearly every bream angler wants to visit.

And for good reason! There have been a lot of 40-47cm bream hauled in there, mainly by lure anglers. The last few months have seen many bream comps held on the Gippy Lakes and a lot of the gun anglers have all made the straits their number one location. Most of them caught cracker bream from Hollands Landing all the way up to Seacombe, and even out into Lake Wellington. Thumping

bream from 1.2-1.7kg were brawling in the snags and plenty of trucks were busted off after very short battles. Soft plastics were probably the main lures employed, but crab patterns were a real feature for some. I was fishing with comp anglers Shane Hadley and Aaron Bickery recently, and I watched these boys really whack an impressive tally of big bream to 46cm near

Shane Hadley enjoyed top sport at Hollands and landed plenty of big bream on GrubZ motor oil.

Hollands Landing. They were using 2.5” ZMan GrubZ in motor oil on fairly light jigheads. At one point I saw Shane pull in three big bream in nearly as many casts. All the while I sadly failed to score even a bump, so I certainly paid attention on how and where they were hooking so many bream. Their fellow comp mates Owen Pierce and Tony Pettie were also there in the straits and both pulled in impressive bream around 43cm using various lures, like Hurricane Sprat 65s, Sting 37s and various soft plastic grubs. UPGRADE YOUR LEADERS! I want to make mention of Paul Malov and Alex Franchuk who weighed in five superb bream at 6.93kg during a recent comp and once again all were caught in the straits. Interestingly, I note that after the comp Paul talked a lot about using leaders up to 14lb breaking strain and Alex said they sadly lost very big fish to lesser leaders. For many years I’ve written about how you really have to break all the bream rules when fishing the straits and I have talked all my mates into using up to 8kg leaders. A lot of anglers still won’t believe it, but then again most of them have never tried using such beefed up lines. In fact I swear it makes no difference

Tony Pettie with another impressive Hollands’ bream that took a liking to a Sprat 65 in the tomahawk colour. at all when using those 16lb leaders in quite a few bream fishing scenarios. Some astute anglers have told me bream are reluctant or even refuse to take lures with such heavy lines but I’ve always proven otherwise. We can all catch bream on 4lb leaders but good luck with that at Seacombe or Hollands where snags are covered in barnacles. Paul and Alex came in second place for the comp and both boys agreed it was some of the best bream fishing they had ever encountered, with thumping fish and lots of them. In fact, a lot of the anglers during that particular event also remarked on just

how well the area was fishing and the bag weights of the top ten teams were mind blowing. A few large estuary perch and the odd big flathead were also landed by anglers fishing the straits and their numbers will grow over the next few months and peak in late July. LAKE WELLINGTON I’ve recently been hearing a few reports about blue-green algae and it’s been a few years now since the last major alerts. A bloom is currently present in the western end of the Gippsland Lakes from Marlay Point and Roseneath Park in Lake Wellington, the straits are to Hollands Landing and now Loch Sport in Lake To page 83

Fish revival after fires BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS Bemm River Accommodation . . . . . .0427 584 233 Cosy Nook Flats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0488 672 260 Bemm River Caravan Park . . . . . . . . . . 0428 557 438 Bemm River Bait and Tackle . . . . . . (03) 5158 4254 Hooked On The Bemm . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0459 124 833 Bemm River Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (03) 5158 4241 Bemm River Holiday Flats . . . . . . . . (03) 5158 4254 Bemm River Hire Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0427 584 233 Bemm River Bungalows . . . . . . . . . . (03) 5158 4225 Please support this bushfire affected area 82

MAY 2020

At time of writing, we have just gone into full lockdown in our small community due to the COVID-19 crisis.  The current status of the fishing is brilliant, and so is the prawning. The government sponsored tag-a-fish promotion began with a blast with the first $10,000 fish being caught at Bemm River, the same weekend as the Hobies in February. Within the first ten days, three other $10,000 fish were also caught in Bemm River. Since then

we have had four $2,000 tag fish caught. Some of the areas where the tag fish have been caught include Mallacoota, Lake Tyres, Corryong and Lakes Entrance. The weather has been amazing and so far everyone has been enjoying the back to normality after the bush fire event with awesome fishing in the lake, river and surf. A reminder to all boaties, make sure your safety equipment is up to date and in good condition. This includes servicing of your life jackets and dates on flares. We wish you all safety and good health during this

time. We must process this current crisis of COVID19, stay vigilant, safe and healthy and pray that things get back to normal as soon as possible with everyone being healthy and safe. Please stay in contact, call anytime. Sending you all our very best wishes of love, support and good health. • 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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Lots of surf action INTUITIVE CONTROL the rivers and streams in the areas impacted by the lack of tourists over the holidays. The first 10 gold tags handed in to receive $10,000 each and the remainder $2,000 each. In the first week of the release all the $10, 000 were claimed but there is still plenty of $2,000 left in the rivers and

estuaries in the designated areas. With the rain missing our area, the rivers are still running low. With very little flow, the mcclymont@net-tech.com.au fishing has been hard with On the fishing front there reports of bags of three or four is plenty of action. After fish common. Some bream the bushfires the Victorian have measured over 40cm government fishing authority but no anglers have been able released gold tagged fish into to bag out. On the good side of the ledger are the prawns. They are still here in good numbers and are still schooling along the sand flats that run from the Marlo Jetty all the way down to Frenchs Narrows. Big flathead remain in the same area feeding on the prawns, and anglers have reported getting some trophy flathead fishing with lures. Salmon and tailor are still in good numbers down towards the entrance, for best results use metal lures. Reports from the surf ALBERTON BRAESIDE fishing brigade is good. The ALBERTON MARINE JV MARINE WORLD group that target the big 39 Johnson Street Alberton 878 Springvale bronze Road Braeside whaler sharks have P: (03) 5183 2344 P: (03) 9798 8883 reported had plenty of action with several being caught and F: (03) 5183 2219 F: (03) 9798 7554 released, with the smaller fish W: albertonmarine.com.au W: jvmarine.com.au There has been plenty of action in the taken for the table. surf catching bronze whalers. BENDIGO MELBOURNE Along with the bronze whalers, anglers are getting BENDIGO MELBOURNE From page 82 MARINE & OUTDOORS big bream being caught in the MARINE several good size gummy 160 Midland Highway 92 the Hallam South RoadaHallam water sharks, prized catch for many Victoria. At present theseEpsom are lower Tambo and anglers. There are also plenty theP:only affected with clarity there isP:improving (03) places 5448 3988 (03) 9703 2003 these levels of blue-green week to week. A lot bait and of salmon, tailor, flathead and W: bendigomarine.com.au W:ofmelbournemarine.com.au algae and it’s safe to eat fish lure anglers are concentrating rays about. caught in the area, provided downstream of TOORADIN Johnsonville Offshore is still fishing MELBOURNE that they have the gills and boat ramp. great with reports of plenty of BL removed. MARINE P&J MARINE P/L guts Meanwhile over in the SERVICE gummyCENTRE shark of all sizes being 614 Plenty Road Preston Tooradin Road Tooradin 612Lake Wellington is Mitchell, areas 101 like The Station taken. Anglers only keeping the still fishing really well Cut and down P: around the 3107 sharks that are well over size. P: (03) 9478 1420 (03) 5998 and there’s produced As well as gummies galore, F: (03) 9470still 4638a lot of river mouth have E: pjmarine_services@bigpond.com bream catches in areas big bream, especially there are plenty of flathead, W: Tuckers blmarine.com.au like Shoreline and early morning or in windy barracouta, gurnard, pinkie MELBOURNE Poddy Bay. I’ve only been conditions. snapper, squid, salmon and REGAL MARINEsome kingfish. Things have SHEPPARTON getting modest numbers of There’s a lot of good BOATS AND MORE Canterbury Roadtough Vermont Wellington bream over the fishing ahead of us514 as we move been for all Australians, last or two, but Shepparton I’m into the prime time of winter. so let’s hope the virus that is P: (03) 9874 4624 207week Numurkah Road still My 2108 last visit saw I just hope a certain pandemic devastating the whole world F: (03) 9874 6586 P: happy. (03) 5822 me land 14 bream all around let’s us all get out and enjoy can be overcome and we all get W: regalmarine.com.au F: (03) 5821 2908 35cm, with one nice one the sport we love the most. back to normal. W: boatsandmore.com.au at 42cm and two big carp MELBOURNE around 5kg. I used small These articles were submitted i THE MARINE SHOP prior to the COVID-19 MORWELL blades tea-bagged in 4-6ft of stage 3 lockdown restrictions so will contain advise water or cast into the shallow CRAWFORD MARINE Holland Melton on fishing 6that is noDrive longer accessible. We fully lake edges just 2ft deep. I P: government (03) 9747 0588 71-77 Chickerell Street Morwell support any restrictions and their also talked to bait anglers, F:stop (03)recreational 9747 3999 fishing to halt the P: (03) 5134 6522 decision to like local guru Graeme spread of the virus. However, the nature of any W: themarineshop.com.au F: (03) 5134 Beams, who 6455 has been crisis response is fluid and ever-changing, so W: crawfordmarine.com.au catching fantastic numbers we have made the decision to print the reports MELBOURNE in the lake every trip and in the hopeTRIPLE that if M regulations very impressive sizes all on MARINE alter you will have ECHUCA all the fishing information on hand. We strongly frozen prawns. EADES XTREME MARINE 117 Northgate Drive advise all anglers to check theThomastown rules in their state TAMBO AND P: (03) 9465 8787 24 Sturt Street Echuca before leaving home. For further information MITCHELL RIVERS go to: www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus. F: (03) 9466 1418 | Fax: (03) 5482 Phone: There (03) are 5482 also a2333 lot of W: triplemmarine.com.au 2133 Website: xtrememarine.net.au MARLO

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Great season for kingfish LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

2020 has been an emotional roller-coaster with fires that damaged land and property throughout the eastern sea board and now with the virus making its way through the country. These testing times show the true character of people and the strength of local communities. The Gippsland lakes has begun to cool, with winter beginning to creep in. The

cool nights have begun to draw the water temperature down. However, with the mixings of the season, all manner of fish are up for offer. This season has been one of the better years for yellowtail kingfish in the lake system. Kingfish are scattered throughout the system, and the majority of them are massive. They are great fun on light tackle and many unsuspecting anglers have become unstuck while targeting the likes of bream and trevally around the

local wharfs. Yellowtail kingfish have been seen as far as Duck Arm but it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t surprise me if they were travelling further upstream, especially considering the lack of freshwater and plenty of baitfish around. Areas such as Cunningham Arm and the straits at Paynesville have been two of the most frequent areas that the kings working. During the recent Vic Bream Classic, I easily saw at least 30 kingfish per day cruising around the wharfs and

Kingfish are great fun on light tackle.

LAKES ENTRANCE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

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Please support our bushfire affected areas 84

MAY 2020

the Paynesville ferry. Soft plastics patterns that match the baitfish or that standout from the crowd generally seem to be the best. Natural blues and greys have worked well, but a pearl white has been the best offering. Lures from 3-6â&#x20AC;?, like the Atomic jerk baits, have been the best approach. Whiting are still kicking on strong, with large numbers of King George and plenty of sand whiting scattered throughout the lower lake. I have had a ball targeting these great eating fish. Areas, such as Nungernur and the main weed beds of Fraser Island, have been the centre of all the activity. Typically, baitfish tactics have been the best approach with either pipis or mussels as the best baits. As the water begins to cool, large schools of salmon are a common sight while chasing whiting. They will readily smash a top water across the weed flats and make for some great light tackle sport fishing. Depending on the school, these salmon are usually monsters. LAKE TYERS With cooling temperatures, the lake has begun to drop-off and fish are settling in the winter habits. This time of year is a great for targeting those large duskies. They make their way up on to point and shallow bays to warm and feed up for winter. Areas such as Crystal Bay are great areas to start your search. The shallow mud flat is warmed by the sun and are full of small baitfish,

Whiting are still going strong and are scattered throughout the lower lake. Lake Tyers prawn stocks have recently had a major boost. Fisheries have stocked the lakes with 15,000 eating size prawns. This boost to the local prawn population should help recreational anglers and increase the food sources in the lake for the fish. The shallow sand bars are a great area to target large dusky. Lake Tyers has become a good swim

bait fishery and the local flatties love to smash large mullet patterns HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for fish lately and have a great pic please send to stevenprykefishing@ gmail.com with short description and you could be featured in the edition of Fishing Monthly.

It has been a great season for kingfish. such as white bait and mullet, so it makes a perfect area for hunting predators. With all this bait around, predator fish such as tailor and large silver trevally, have been prevalent in the lower lakes. Trevally, up to the 50cm mark, are being caught in the deeper weed beds. Typically, minnow style plastics are a great option as it matches the white bait that are highly prevalent in the system.

These articles were submitted prior to the COVID-19 stage 3 lockdown restrictions so will contain advise on fishing that is no longer accessible. We fully support any government restrictions and their decision to stop recreational fishing to halt the spread of the virus. However, the nature of any crisis response is fluid and ever-changing, so we have made the decision to print the reports in the hope that if regulations alter you will have all the fishing information on hand. We strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in their state before leaving home. For further information go to: www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.

Looking forward to better times MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

It’s just one thing after another! Before I get into what little there is to report, I will give an update on what’s been going on since the bushfires. The rain over the past month has been enough to see the bush start greening up. Naturally there are some areas where the fire was so hot it is still black everywhere, but overall the bush is recovering. For all those experts who forecast all the fish in the lake were going to die due to ash entering the lake, well there is no fish kill. No doubt, they probably have already forgotten their comments that influenced a lot of ignorant people. People started returning to Mallacoota with the foreshore caravan park opening and visitors came to enjoy the fishing. Alas, that has now all ended with the increased restrictions due to

COVID-19. We’re now on lockdown, so hopefully the quicker things will be fixed and we can get back into recovery mode. The park is now closed and everyone has been told to go. It is residents only,

with no visitors to the area. This is not the time to be here, the hospital is far away and we only have a small doctor’s surgery. Also, the point is not to spread the virus – the next step to help protect the people would be

Plenty of good eating size flathead have been caught on soft plastic lures.

to shut the road at Genoa and anyone who leaves is not allowed back. This virus needs to be starved out, let’s stop it finding a host or it will keep going. The boat ramp is constantly been dredged and is usable only on the tides, but there has been little offshore fishing done. No doubt the fish are out there but the people aren’t, and it will be the same story for a while yet. The lake has been fishing well with plenty of flathead being caught. It was great to see a local who was lucky enough to catch a flathead with a golden tag in it and, as it was one of the first fish caught, it was worth $10,000. All the $10,000 tagged fish have been caught but there are plenty of $2,000 fish swimming in the selected locations throughout Victoria. Plenty of bream have been caught with the back of Goodwin Sands and the Top Lake and upstream through to Gypsy Point

Mikey Vucic with a great leatherjacket. They are not a common catch in Mallacoota. producing fish on a variety of soft plastics. So that’s about it on the fishing front. We’ve got to get through this time

together and do what has to be done. This is not the time for a ‘She’ll be right’ she attitude, it will come back and slap you in the face.

Before the virus hit our shores CORNER INLET

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

Covid 19 has turned our world upside down, and in Victoria fishos have been told we can’t fish anymore! Anyway, I’m not going to get into that, so let’s just share some reports from before it all turned to hell in a hand basket. Before 2020 turned into a complete nightmare, the fishing at Corner Inlet was insane. The kingfish had turned on in a big way and it wasn’t hard to get a

good bag of kingies to 70cm of average size with some cracking 85cm+ models mixed in. I found using 150-200g knife jigs was the way to get the bigger fish. Some anglers have been using squid strips, or even live bait such as yakkas, and were catching some better fish. There is a massive school of smaller kings out there and they have been there for a while now. They are easy to catch on stick baits and poppers with a really fast retrieve. While the wind eased off and was easy to get offshore, anglers were taking

advantage of chasing the big gummies. There were some absolute crackers getting caught out wide up to the 50m line. Further east off Port Albert and McLaughlins, the gummies have been huge with plenty over the 20kg mark. On the reefs off Corner inlet, there were stacks of pinkies getting caught in 21m through to 30m, with squid and pillies being the main baits. Down off McLaughlins, the snapper have been big on the 18m line with plenty over 7kg getting caught. INSIDE The whiting have been

red hot this season, and before COVID, most anglers were able to bag out on whiting at Welshpool and Port Albert with pipis and Bass yabbies being the best baits. The snapper had another run in the entrance and up the Franklin channel, and there were mixed sizes from pinkies to 8kg models caught before the closure. Anyway, this will be my last report for a while. We are heavily focusing on deliveries and online at the moment so hopefully we can all get through this and come out on the other side. • In the meantime, get your gear ready and feel free to check out our online store at www.allwaysangling.com. au or call us on 0351748544.

Before we were told we can’t fish, the kingies were going off at Port Welshpool with some cracking fish caught on jigs.

203 Imlay St, Eden

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Open 7 Days We were getting some good kings on stickbaits and poppers, with this specimen getting tricked by a Flanker Lure.

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Measuring isolation ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

I have always loved the open freedom derived from fishing and the vast

measured in miles. With the world all but turned upside down, it’s great to see responsible anglers still enjoying the great fishing to be had in our local waters. Over the past month

Surface bite is underway. This Murray cod took a liking to the Bassman Aussie Crawler surface lure. emptiness where nature puts on a show like no other. The crackle of a riverside campfire at night or the bird song at first light, are tunes to be enjoyed as you contemplate how the day’s fishing might unfold. With things how they are I can see no better place to be than up the river wetting a line in the open space where the safe distance zone is most often

some good-sized Murray cod have been caught in the Murray River at Swan Hill. The biggest to date, is a respectable 110cm fish taken on a yabby. While natural baits are still accounting for some good cod captures several kitchen baits are also scoring some big fish. Cheese is still tempting a bite too, as is chicken and dim-sims, although these are getting a litter harder to source. A few good sized perch to 56cm have also been landed in the Murray at Swan Hill on bait. Shrimps, worms and small yabbies fished in the backwater have been best for the perch. With the water clarity quite good, both cod and perch have also been taking lures so there are

Bright colours working best on the troll for cod.

Rod Mackenzie with a nice Murray cod taken on a StumpJumper lure. plenty of angling options. It’s also that time of the season when the surface bite starts to escalate, so don’t forget to try out the top water action during low light periods. It’s a similar story heading downstream along the Murray River to Boundary Bend where anglers are landing both perch and cod on lures and bait. No.1 StumpJumpers in green or orange seem to be the best size and colour. Wemen on the Murray River has reports of several cod to 70cm on lures and some

good-sized perch on bait. Several big cod have also been caught and released in the Murray River around Mildura and Wentworth. Larger lures seem to be on the menu with most of the bigger cod landed on the troll. Deep snags well off the bank are holding the better sized cod and it can sometimes take several passes to tempt a strike. Some good-sized perch are also being caught on the larger lures so it’s a win all round. It’s a similar story further downstream through

Fort Courage to Lock 9 and beyond where both Murray cod and golden perch have been caught on bait and lures. A few good sized Murray cod have been landed in these sections on surface lures and this top water bite should continue to improve as the weather starts to cool. All up there has been some really good catches of late in our local waters and that’s tempting plenty of anglers to enjoy the riverside isolation and the chance to catch a feed of fresh fish.

Marvellous Mulwala YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

What crazy times we’re living in. This is normally the time of year I go on about how good Lake Mulwala is fishing, it’s the place to be, you would be stiff to miss out, and so one. Currently it’s hard to advise whether a trip here would be a wise move as our current situation is changing from day-to-day. Lockouts, business closures, social distancing and self quarantine will govern what we do over the next few months. Traditionally we are in the midst of ‘prime time’, but somebody has forgot to tell the cod that. Sure, there have been some rippers caught over the last month or so but general catch rates

of average sized cod, 40-65cm have decreased slightly in comparison to other years. Be it the blue-green algae, barometer, wind, sun, water levels or even the moon, it seems we need a talking fish to tell us what’s going on. Looking back, there have been some beautiful cod caught. Matt Mildren reporting his best cod stretched the tape out to a very healthy 117cm taken off the surface. Other healthy specimens for the month fell to Dixie Penrose 115cm, Ash Knoll 115cm, Danny Miller 104cm, Kyle Dalrymple 102cm, Zac Howard 98cm and Tubby Cooper 97cm. There were reports of a 140cm cod landed below the weir but I will look for a few more details before I get too excited. The best ‘feel good’ story came in from a couple of young Yarrawonga boys in Tyler True and Trai Stell. The

These articles were submitted prior to the COVID-19 stage 3 lockdown restrictions so will contain advise on fishing that is no longer accessible. We fully support any government restrictions and their decision to stop recreational fishing to halt the spread of the virus. However, the nature of any crisis response is fluid and ever-changing, so we have made the decision to print the reports in the hope that if regulations alter you will have all the fishing information on hand. We strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in their state before leaving home. For further information go to: www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.

MAY 2020

boys were bait fishing around the Bundalong area with Tyler landing a magnificent 111cm cod. Not to be outdone, Trai backed it up hours later with a 115cm beauty that was caught on the sliver of a carp they had recently bagged. Great effort boys! Mid March saw the running of the 10th Anniversary Great Northern Cod Nationals with an amazing group of our country’s finest cod fishing tournament anglers taking part. The Cod Nationals is fished over four days through five different fishing sessions using various styles and techniques depending on the rules for each day. Results were close all week with participants fishing hard each day. The winners’ list read as follows: Big Pecka’s Small Fish Award went to Kev Wild who landed a whopping specimen that measured 18.6cm! This aggressive beast took a spinnerbait. At the other end of the scale, the Tonic Big Fish Award was awarded to Bryn Mathew for his magnificent 105.4cm beast taken on a Pimp Daddy lure. Zerek Lures were kind enough to donate $500 worth of lures to the anglers who caught the largest cod on one of their lures for the week. The luck winner here was Zac Jury who landed a 69.2cm cod on a Zerek Affinity swimbait. There were a fair few whispers about on who had

Bryn Mathew with the largest cod from the Cod Nationals, an award winning 105.4cm. and hadn’t caught what for the final day and it was no surprise to all when Team Black Widow, father son pairing of Steve and Thomas Pinter, were awarded the title of Champion Team for the 2020 Great Northern Cod Nationals. The boys fished extremely well in the last two hours of the final day landing three legal fish and blowing the event out of the water. Ultimately, a $10,000 winner’s cheque was theirs. A very creditable second place went to Team Wilson, the brothers Ian and Matt Rogers. They had fished very well over the first three days but struggled to find many

on the last day. The everconsistent Team K-D, father son pairing of Derek and Kade Blow took third to top off a great event for them. A new pairing of Mick Beale and Sunny Martins teamed up to form Swamp Donkies. They fished well together and claimed fourth place. To round out the top 5, the everconsistent Mick Massier and Matt Pejkovic of Shake N Bake took fifth. It was no surprise that Thomas Pinter claimed the individual champion angler title ahead of his closest rival Bryn Mathew. Glen Scoble took out third place, and Ian Rogers and Steve

Pinter took 4th and 5th respectively. If anybody is keen to get involved with the Cod Nationals I highly recommend you get in touch ASAP and get your name on the waiting list as the event is capped at around 40 teams. If you’re visiting town I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski, the shop with the big green cod out the front in Mulwala or check out our Yarrawonga store located between Rivers and One Zac in the main street. For up to date reports or any other fishing related matter feel free to give us a call on 0357 443133. Stay safe everyone.

MAY 2020

Know where to look in Wangaratta WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

May is the first month of the year when the fishing starts to become really tough in North East Victoria. But fear not, there are still some great fishing options around if you know where to look. MURRAY COD Locally, the Murray cod

consistent Murray cod fishing in late autumn, your best bet is to head to Lake Mulwala. I have had some great cod fishing in Lake Mulwala at this time. When irrigation water releases from Lake Hume have ceased, the water clears and everything becomes stable. YELLOWBELLY The Wangaratta area is not a known yellowbelly hot spot. I am hoping this changes

Lake William Hovell can be a great place to target redfin this month. Don’t forget to pack plenty of warm clothing though. fishing slows right down in the Wangaratta region during autumn, and by May catches of Murray cod are few and far between. In saying that, I have caught cod in May around Wangaratta, and I will be trying to do that again this May. When cod fishing during May, you need to practice the three Ps: Patience, Persistence and Perseverance. If you are patient, persistent and willing to persevere, eventually you have a great chance of catching a May Murray cod. I have caught some of my biggest fish in May in the Wangaratta area, although I never catch great numbers. If you are looking for

over the coming years as Victorian Fisheries Authority have stocked yellowbelly into the Ovens River. Although slightly out of my reporting area, Lake Nillahcootie can be worth fishing during May. I have caught quite a few yellowbelly just angling off the bank over the years. As with the Murray cod fishing, I never experience red hot fishing in May, however I have caught enough fish to warrant a fishing trip to the lake in May without any hesitation. REDFIN May can be a great time to catch redfin in both Lake Buffalo and Lake William Hovell. I have experienced great fishing in both lakes during autumn in years gone by, and have found May to be the best month to target the larger redfin. I caught my biggest ever redfin in Lake William Hovell in May, a

43.5cm ripper caught on a 3” soft plastic curl tail grub. In both lakes, baits of live yabbies and live shrimp should work well. If you are lure fishing, try trolling small hardbody lures. Something small that dives deep is a great place to start. Recently I have been having success on the little Damiki Disco 38. It does not dive as deep as I would like it too however I have been having no problems catching small redfin on it while trolling around Lake William Hovell. Of the two above mentioned lakes, Lake William Hovell seems to be the most consistent, however my more memorable fishing sessions have come from Lake Buffalo. In Lake Buffalo, when they’re on… they’re really on, and that is usually in mid-autumn. TROUT May can be a fantastic

Although the cod fishing slows down a lot during May in the Wangaratta area, it is still a worthwhile place to wet a line as a few cod get caught each season. time to target trout in the streams, particularly early on in the month before the trout start to spawn. Early in May, the trout usually start to become quite aggressive and willing to hit minnow type lures. Trout often pair up in May in preparation for their annual spawning, and the male trout can become very territorial. Often, the use of a larger minnow than you would normally use can be a great idea. The trout will often look at the minnow as a threat, rather than a source of food and will strike out of aggression rather than out of hunger. With all that said, they still need to eat and smaller minnows and soft plastics

Rainbow trout fishing seems to be a bit more consistent than brown trout fishing during May, most likely because rainbow trout spawn later in the winter than brown trout do.

will definitely catch fish. The use of a fluorescent coloured small lure can be very beneficial as well as trout often feed on the eggs of other trout that have already spawned. Fly anglers use bright orange Glow Bug flies, and lure fishers can use a fluorescent orange super vibrax spinner, or even the new Tassie Blade spinner if fluorescent colours will no doubt work. Good luck to everybody heading out fishing this May. Remember, this column is written several weeks in advance to allow time for printing and distribution, a deluge of autumn rain could affect many of the tips that I have provided.

These articles were submitted prior to the COVID-19 stage 3 lockdown restrictions so will contain advise on fishing that is no longer accessible. We fully support any government restrictions and their decision to stop recreational fishing to halt the spread of the virus. However, the nature of any crisis response is fluid and ever-changing, so we have made the decision to print the reports in the hope that if regulations alter you will have all the fishing information on hand. We strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in their state before leaving home. For further information go to: www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.

FISHING MEDIA

Catch all the fun at robbiefishing channel An old school angler, Robbie Alexander was born in Wangaratta, baptised in water from the Ovens River and grew up living and breathing freshwater fishing. When we asked Robbie if he had a motto for his YouTube channel his reply was simple, “To capture the FUN aspect of fishing”. Robbie believes that fishing should be fun, and every fishing adventure should be enjoyable regardless of whether any fish are caught, and he captures this very well on his YouTube channel, robbiefishing. From large stream trout and Murray cod, to falling facefirst in the mud while catching yabbies, the robbiefishing channel

MAY 2020

has it all. It is packed with fishing tips and tricks, and filled with entertainment. Robbie really does convey the message that fishing should be enjoyable, as he makes his way along the river banks kicking snakes out of the way, talking to the cows and casting his fishing lures with precision accuracy.

Robbie has on screen charisma that makes you want to keep on watching this loveable character. He happily admits to not knowing the fancy name of his lure retrieve, or how to tie an FG knot, but when questioned about his KISS fishing mentality (Keep It Simple Stupid) Robbie simply replied with, “I catch enough fish without

knowing all the fancy words and fancy knots”, which was followed by Robbie’s trademark roar of laughter. Robbie’s channel, robbiefishing, showcases Australian freshwater fishing at its very best. It includes a lot of Murray cod, trout, redfin and even carp fishing. On robbiefishing you will find a mixture of lure, fly, bait, crays and yabbies, as well as a number of product reviews for many different outdoor fishing and camping related products. If you need some easy viewing in these hard times, why not switch on YouTube, look up robbiefishing and enjoy some of the 900+ videos (and growing regularly) on the channel. – FMG

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Getting prepped for winter SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

Normally this time of year we are all talking about getting our cray pots ready, setting up our big cod gear and cutting firewood in preparation for the colder fishing months. But unfortunately we have only been focused on things like self isolation, social distancing and no boating. This would have to be one of the hardest reports to write as the weeks leading into this we were almost on full lockdown so many have just not been on the water. The other thing is, I don’t know when this article comes out in May if we can fish at all so I will do my best to keep you up to date or a heads up on how I think the fishing will be in coming months. Back to the fishing and the Goulburn River had very limited reports sent in recently with many finding

Those bait fishing I would head to the sandbars out Rafterys Road and fish the edges of the bars. The surface season is pretty much done in the Broken River and water levels are at very low levels, so a little less stress on the fish may do them well for next season. There were still some reports of cod being caught on Bassman Mumblers in black and orange or the Pirate spinnerbaits with the vibration blades. Bait fishing around Shepparton has been very popular this year with some cod being caught up to 70cm around Broken River Drive area. It will get tough in the winter but using big baits would be the key to getting a decent fish. WARANGA BASIN May is one of my favourite months to fish Waranga Basin, but it seems like fishing Waranga will be limited again. In 2019 the blue-green algae outbreak stopped us fishing out at the Basin, and

old fence post if you can find them. If we can get out for a fish in May, I would be fishing in around 15-20ft and just zig-zagging depths to find where the fish are. Once you find a certain depth I would just stick to it as they seem to hold in that depth around the lake. Smaller soft plastics or spinners will work on the edges if you’re looking for high numbers of fish, but these fish are very small. CRAIGMUIR LAKE Bad news keeps coming in this report with a fish kill at Craigmuir Lake in late March. Local fisherman and Mooroopna resident, David Savage, alerted the authorities on this devastating fish kill after smelling dead fish. Up to 70 cod, yellowbelly and redfin have died in the lake, which is a massive hit to the overall fish numbers in the area. There were reports of a cod around the metre mark retrieved from the lake and

Nick Brown with his prizes after finishing second in the ABT Bass Round at Lake St Clair. it tough to land a decent fish. This is not uncommon for this time of year and I would expect numbers of fish being caught will keep dropping as the water temp drops off. Switch your thinking to big lures this winter if you’re going to spend a full day on the Goulburn for maybe one fish it may as well be a big whopper. Trolling around the deeper bends upstream of the Broken Junction will be the best bet.

this year it looks like the Coronavirus will have shut down fishing for May. Before all the virus shutdowns, the Basin was fishing well with some good-sized redfin up to 43cm being caught towards the wall. Trolling pink or white divers was working best for those chasing redfin in around 16-18ft. The odd yellowbelly was being caught in late March mostly around points and

These articles were submitted prior to the COVID-19 stage 3 lockdown restrictions so will contain advise on fishing that is no longer accessible. We fully support any government restrictions and their decision to stop recreational fishing to halt the spread of the virus. However, the nature of any crisis response is fluid and ever-changing, so we have made the decision to print the reports in the hope that if regulations alter you will have all the fishing information on hand. We strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in their state before leaving home. For further information go to: www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.

MAY 2020

some yellowbelly measuring over 50cm. I hope to have some more information on the fish kill at the lake in coming articles but I would be staying clear of the lake to keep down stress levels of the fish. KIALLA LAKES Kialla Lakes had a good run prior to this report being written and it was lake number three (the small one) that was fishing best. We were lucky to receive a few autumn thunderstorms and if you have read my articles before you would know how much I love fishing Kialla with storms around. A few locals have been casting weedless baits in the lake and having success catching legal sized yellowbelly and redfin. Small weedless jigheads with a beetle spin using almost any plastic from a black Gulp to a Keitech has been best.

If the tricky conditions are not suitable for you I would be sticking with the first lake where you can still catch fish around the willows on both bait and lures. SHEPPARTON LAKE Just like last year, the council has commissioned the weed dredging machinery to clear out the weed in the lake. We should get a bit more clear water to target fish in the winter months with the weed not growing as fast in the cooler months. Casting small spinner or floating baits around the grass hill is the go-to technique in the Shepparton Lake. Redfin and silver perch will still be on the bite during the winter months, so it’s not just trout on the target list. The months leading into this article, the yellowbelly and cod dropped off with the cooler temps setting in. I can see it being very tough to catch those species in the Shepparton Lake. LOCAL CHANNELS The channels fished well in late March, with many fish being caught on the downside of drop bars. Casting lipless crankbaits or spinnerbaits into the wash was the best method from Shepp East all the way to Murchison. What was surprising was the number of yellowbelly being caught at this time, normally the spring or summer months are the most active times for the yellowbelly in the channel but they seemed to chew a lot later this year. There has also been some smaller redfin being caught on bait in the main eastern channel out new Dookie Road area. By now the channels should be lowered like every winter period and if we are able to fish them I will switching things up and throwing a Football jig at the muddy rock edges. I am not sure how the local fish will react to this

Ashton Gibson with a smaller redfin from the main eastern channel. technique but I will be fishing similar to how I targeted bass. I will rig up a Jig Pro Football Jig in black or brown and have a Yum Yabby soft plastic trailer. A little trick is to trim your skirt just behind the hook. A longer rod is like a Miller Rods Switch Freak UL is ideal for Jig fishing just gives you a lot of control of the jig to slowly drag or lift it over the rocks. I will be just slowly dragging the jig around the rocks and try to imitate a yabby trying to find a good winter hide out. If we get locked down and can’t fish the week or two after the drop of water, I probably wouldn’t use this technique as I feel the fish will leave the edge and head for deeper structure. ABT ST CLAIR Just before the shutdown of events, I was lucky enough to fish in my first ABT Bass Pro Tournament at Lake St Clair NSW. I was paired

with Matthew Langford and Dane Price for the event and I was lucky enough to finish second out of the non boaters, and help Matt take first place and Dane third place out of the boaters. I hope the season can continue after all the coronavirus outbreaks, as I now have a taste of competition bass fishing and love it. I couldn’t do it without the support of my valued sponsors but also the readers and advertisers of this magazine. I look forward to doing a couple days in the local tackle shops talking about how these bass tactics can be used on our local fish which will be announced once the virus pandemic hopefully ends. Thanks again to the following supporters: Miller Rods, Trelly’s, Jig Pro, Tonic Eyewear, Bassman Spinnerbaits, Hot Bite Fishing, Dizzy Scent, Australian Inland Fishing Charters and Fishing Monthly Magazines.

Nick Brown and Mathew Langford with bass after day one of the ABT St Clair BASS Pro.

Gippsland Lakes now net free The Gippsland Lakes have joined a list of recreational fishing havens along Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s east coast that are free of commercial net fishing. The 10 remaining commercial netting licences exited the fishery on 1 April 2020 with a $9 million compensation package, funded entirely by the State Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Target One Million plan, not recreational fishing licence fees.

In Gippsland, recreational fishing is big business, worth more than $325 million annually. Returning the Lakes to recreational fishers will boost tourism and regional jobs, and help rebuild fish stocks. Commercial bait, eel and mussel fishing are unaffected and will continue in the Gippsland Lakes.

Their departure means an extra 200 tonnes of bream, dusky flathead, whiting, tailor, trevally Victorian and Commonwealth and luderick for recreational fishers offshore fisheries that use the to enjoy. Lakes as a port are also unaffected, ensuring that prawns and other species sold into the food market remain available to consumers.

Photo courtesy Scott Gray

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

Big cod set to move in NAGAMBIE

Sunny Martins

It has been an extremely tough month to report on, as most people have been staying home during these unprecedented times. However it is times like this that give us a chance to brush up on knot tying, hook sharpening and future trips planning. Historically this is one of the best times of year to be fishing the Mitchellstown/ Nagambie area, especially those chasing bigger fish.

Looking on the positive side, with next to no anglers on the water means these fish wont have seen a bait or a lure in a long time so when things are relaxed and people are able to go fishing again, there should be a red hot bite. MITCHELLSTOWN Mitchellstown this time of year attracts a lot of anglers looking to target bigger fish. As the smaller fish start to move into their hiding holes, the fishing gets harder. However, those who are willing to put in the time are generally rewarded. Most fish this time of

Local gun Kyle with a nice Murray cod caught on a lipless crankbait.

year would be found tight up against the timber along the banks waiting to ambush their next meal. The stretch from the main bridge all the way down to the caravan park is perfect water to find good timber lining the banks. The willow trees are always a great spot to look for fish, especially those hoping to target golden perch. The most effective techniques this time of year are big presentations. BIG lures, like big 1oz spinnerbaits, 200mm+ surface lures like the 200 and 285mm Barambah Bidjiwongs, large divers are great too. You want something big that’s going to stay in that cods face along time to entice a bite. Bait works really well this time of year with large yabbies and big pieces of chicken rigged on a circle hooks producing. NAGAMBIE This is the best time of year to be fishing around town, most recreational boaters, such as jet skiers and wake boaters have packed up for the winter. Because of this, the waters around town clear up and a lot of the fish who weren’t there in the summer months start to move back. This time of year is a good time to be bait fishing from the board walk or around from the rowing

Murray cod caught near Kirwans Bridge on black and orange spinnerbait. club, as fish like carp, redfin and golden perch move up close to the banks to feed on invertebrates in the weeds. Lure fishers often have success too, with a lot of redfin and golden perch being caught on small hardbodies and lipless crankbaits, like TN50s and TN60s. KIRWANS BRIDGE Kirwans is a fantastic spot this time of year for anglers looking to catch numbers of Murray cod, with a lot of fish this time of year being caught. All the smaller fish try to get one last feed in before going into hiding for the winter months when the bigger fish are more actively feeding. The best areas to check out around Kirwans in autumn are the flats and the willows lining the river’s edge. A lot of the smaller cod and the golden perch will be hiding

up underneath the willow roots waiting for any slow moving bait to come past. The flats are another great area to target, especially for lure anglers. The upright timber and weed clumps always hold fish and a

great way to target these is with shallow diving hardbodies, like Gidgees or Pimp Daddy shallow divers, spinnerbaits work really well this time of year too, especially on a super slow role.

The author with a tidy cod from Kirwans Bridge.

Unpredictable conditions continue this month BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

This season’s weather has been the most unpredictable I can remember. We have experienced the lot – drought, strong winds, high temperatures, bush fires and heavy rainfall, you have got to love Australia! All these variables have not helped the consistency in the fishing, which in turn can make our jobs of predicting what will be happening over the next month’s fishing a difficult job. The good news is that during the autumn months we often experience more stable weather patterns, which should produce some excellent fishing over the next couple of months. LAKE EPPALOCK The fishing in Lake Eppalock has remained good. However, anglers need to be prepared to work hard in order to locate a good concentration of fish. The majority of redfin are still being caught in the depth range between 8-10m of water. The best baits 92

MAY 2020

have been small yabbies and worms. Casting and retrieving soft plastics along the bottom has also been a productive method. Trolling deep diving hardbody lures has also been producing limited numbers. The productivity in the golden perch fishing remains good if you are prepared to work hard. Good techniques have been casting lipless crankbaits around the edges of standing timber. Dark colours, such as black and purple have been working well and silent lipless crankbaits have been more productive than the rattling version the majority of the time. Small numbers of Murray cod are still being caught. The majority of these are being caught as a by-catch by anglers targeting golden perch or redfin. As the numbers of Murray cod improve in this impoundment, we will see more anglers in the next couple of years seriously targeting this wonderful fish. Water clarity is still good in the majority of the lake, however some recent heavy rainfall on the eastern side of the lake produced some inflows into the Derrinal pool, in turn water clarity has reduced in this section

This 69cm Murray cod was caught and released by the author in the Campaspe River before the recent rainfall and the water clarity deteriorated. of the lake. CAMPASPE RIVER The productivity in the fishing has declined significantly in recent weeks. This has been due to some recent heavy rainfall, which produced a large dirty flush to run down the Campaspe River. Literally in a couple of days the fishing went from good to very poor. The good news is that the water clarity is slowly starting to improve and anglers should hopefully still experience some productive fishing at this river system before the chill of winter sets in. If you are still fishing the Campaspe River with the poor water clarity, then concentrate your colour choice

to bright fluoro colours or dark silhouettes that are always good options in dirty water. CAIRN CURRAN The fishing at Cairn Curran has remained good. There have been a few reports of anglers landing some quality redfin around the 40cm length. The majority of these have been caught by anglers bait fishing around the standing timber with yabbies and worms. The same technique is still producing reasonable numbers of golden perch. Other good options for the redfin have been casting and retrieving bright coloured soft plastics and hopping them across the bottom. For those anglers chasing the golden perch on lures trolling

medium-sized hardbody lures along the edges of the rocky shorelines and around the edges of standing timber has been producing a few fish. Casting the rocky shorelines and standing timber with lipless crankbaits has still been a productive technique. With the water temperatures starting to cool down, this is the time when the Murray cod will start to feed more aggressively to put condition on before the chill of winter sets in. While Cairn Curran is not producing large numbers of Murray cod there are enough resident Murray cod to make the effort worthwhile in targeting them. Casting a larger lipless crankbait or spinnerbait or

trolling a large hardbody or swimbaits are all good options when targeting a Cairn Curran Murray cod. LODDON RIVER The water clarity is currently patchy in the Loddon River after some recent rainfall produced some inflows of dirty water into the system. The good news is at this stage the water clarity is improving and as long as we do not receive heavy rainfall in the next few weeks the productivity in the fishing should be good again shortly. The next couple of months is a great time of year to think big! At this time of the year you will often see increased numbers of large golden perch being caught in the system. It is also the most productive time of the year to land that large Murray cod that most anglers are chasing. Keep this in mind when fishing the Loddon River over the next couple of months. It is a great time of the year to troll those large hardbody lures, big swimbaits, large lipless crankbaits or spinnerbaits. If you put the time in, the rewards can be worth all the effort.

Trout on the chew around Ballarat BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Anglers around the district have been treated to some excellent fishing over the past month with plenty of rainbow and brown trout being caught from our

the COVID-19 virus. If this is the case, it’s in everyone’s best interest to adhere to the directions we are given and follow the rules, and on the positive side it will give all the fish some breathing space from us anglers. This will allow them to grow even bigger and when the

The mayfly have started to hatch for the fly fishers, depending on the weather this will continue through to the end of May when is really starting to cool down. The trout have been feeding on them as if they were waiting for the hatch to start, brown nymphs, possum emergers

Wayne Rigg landed his new PB for Lake Wendouree. This magnificent 60cm brown trout hooked only a few feet from the shore. Photo courtesy of Ben Young. local waters. Last month I mentioned that autumn is one of my favourite times of the year to fish, going on the past month’s catches I certainly haven’t been disappointed, with still plenty of fishing time ahead of us, unless we are placed into total lockdown due to

restrictions are lifted the trout and redfin in our waters will be hungry and eager to eat our baits, lures or flies. Lake Wendouree has been the top water in the district over the past month, as I projected and certainly going on last year’s fishing records it hasn’t let us down.

Wayne Rigg landing another ripper 55cm brown trout casting a Spawning Brown Trout Bullet lure. Photo courtesy of Ben Young.

These articles were submitted prior to the COVID-19 stage 3 lockdown restrictions so will contain advise on fishing that is no longer accessible. We fully support any government restrictions and their decision to stop recreational fishing to halt the spread of the virus. However, the nature of any crisis response is fluid and ever-changing, so we have made the decision to print the reports in the hope that if regulations alter you will have all the fishing information on hand. We strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in their state before leaving home. For further information go to: www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.

and shaving brush fly patterns have been the standout flies during the month. The lure and soft plastic fishing has been first class, as it was this time last year. I have noticed that we haven’t been getting as many looks/ follows as last year at the moment and the fish are not congregated in the main rowing channel. This has been the case all over the summer, which might have meant the water temperature didn’t reach the high temperatures when the trout look for the deeper cooler water in the rowing channel. The result of cooler temperatures means the trout are spread out all over the lake, not just in the 2km stretch of the channel. We need to cover more water to give us the best chance to catch them. I have been hitting Wendouree a lot over the past month targeting the windy, overcast days resulting in some excellent catches, all in the middle of the day fishing out of a drifting boat. I normally head out from about

10am-3pm, targeting the weed beds around the lake, especially casting lures along and at them. Trout and redfin during the day seek refuge in the weed and when a lure, plastic or bait is thrown in front of them, they quickly swim out and eat them. Wayne Rigg and fishing partner Ben Young, have been getting amongst the trout casting small hardbodies and bent minnow surface lures. Bent minnow lures, which are actually a bream lure, are the number one lure for Wendouree. There have been some very notable catches by the boys over the past month, include Wayne’s new PB for Wendouree magnificently conditioned 60cm male brown trout, which was caught casting a bent minnow only a couple of feet from the shore. Other catches include several fish in the mid 50cm size range. Shane Jeffrey has been nailing quite a few nice trout while casting lures out of a drifting boat in the mid 50cm range as well – there appears to be a lot of fish around that size! These fish could be the

Cam Griffin landing a smelt feeding rainbow trout from the Moorabool Reservoir on a G35 Bent Minnow lure. Photo courtesy of Cam Griffin. the trout would start feeding on them, but that’s not the case, the trout are feeding on smelt small baitfish. The water is obviously cool enough and the smelt are coming into the shallow

casting bent minnow lures at the smelters. Overcast days with a bit of breeze is ideal conditions to fish for smelters, or early in the morning at Moorabool. But be prepared to cover plenty of water

Shane Jeffrey hooked into this golden coloured 52cm brown trout casting a small hardbodied lure out of a drifting boat on Wendouree. Photo courtesy of John Monteduro. mid 40cm trout that we were catching this time last year. Moorabool Reservoir only about 20 minutes has started to produce some nice fish over the past month – I did mention that I thought it would fire up. I thought with the mayfly starting to hatch,

The author nailed this lovely 42cm redfin while casting a bent minnow hard up against one of Lake Wendouree’s many weed beds.

water to feed and the fish are in there feeding on them. We call these fish ‘smelters’, when referring to fish feeding on small baitfish. The fish normally feed on smelt in the cooler months when the insect activity slows down. The fishing is very visual as you see the trout and redfin crashing through the schools of small baitfish. Not only are they trying to eat them, but also at the same time they injure the smelt then turn around and eat the wounded smelt. Fishing for smelters can be very frustrating given they move very quickly, they can be just in front of you one minute and the next minute they could be 20-30m up the bank. Cam Griffin has been out chasing the smelters over the past month catching some lovely rainbow trout

looking for the smelters. Anglers can catch smelters on lures, plastics and flies. The key to success is being able to get your plastic, fly or lure in front of the feeding fish, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Tullaroop Reservoir the reports have been a bit thin on it, with only a few catches of redfin I’ve heard on the grapevine. I expect over the next couple of months that Tullaroop will really fire up. With cooler weather and cooler water temperatures, the trout will once again start to move into the shallower water to feed. Anglers casting lures and flies will do well; we have had excellent results over the past few years casting wobbler type lures, especially on the deeper banks. I am hoping this year will be the same, Tullaroop is certainly one fishery to put on your radar. MAY 2020

Last chance for a trout WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

This will be no ordinary month as we may or may not be in lockdown, and how that looks for recreational fishing is unknown. As of late March 2020, Southern Rural Water have closed off access to the boat ramps and recreational areas of Blue Rock Lake. For updates on when the restrictions will be lifted, follow SRW on social media or on their website. May is the last full month of stream trout fishing before the trout season comes to an end in early June. The 2020 trout and salmonid closed season on rivers and streams is from 12:01am on Tuesday 9 June until 11:59pm on Friday 4 September. This is a good chance to remind anglers that if you are fortunate to be out and about to catch and release stream trout, particularly this time of the year, as the streams and rivers are not stocked with trout and rely solely on natural spawning. A lockdown and some hopeful winter rain may provide local trout a reprieve from angling pressure and a

good spawning season ahead. This region received above average rainfall but has been followed by a dry autumn, so a late autumn break is wishful thinking. The migration run is usually triggered by the first decent rainfall topping up the catchments and a signal for trout to make their journey upstream. It is likely as the month ends, stream trout will become more difficult to entice with lures as their focus shifts from feeding to making the spawning run. Many catches late in the season tend to be trout aggressively protecting their spawn territory rather than the need for a feed. Wellpresented live baits and natural fly patterns or nymphs will out-fish your traditional spinner blade or hardbody lures. As an angler that appreciates trout not just for the sport of catching, stumbling across a spawning ground is an exciting spectacle. There are other options for stream fishing too and if you are local to some nearby streams, then eel and blackfish are good targets and in plentiful numbers throughout the streams of West and South Gippsland. These target

species provide a lot of fun for anglers of all ages using light gear, similarly to what you would use trout fishing. Blackfish are an exciting winter target species in streams and can be caught using the same techniques for targeting eel. Target slow moving or still ponds and use a rig that presents the bait at the bottom of the streambed. Eel and blackfish live in in-stream structure, like fallen timber, large rocks and bank cutouts, therefore ensure your bait is presented within their feed zone. Eels in these streams commonly grow to up to 70cm. Blackfish vary in greatly size, and there are some big specimens to be found. Both species are best targeted late afternoon into the evening. Best bait by far for both species is the trusty garden worm. Blue Rock Lake turns on the trout action in May with lots of surface activity. Currently the lake is sitting at or near 100% but, as mentioned above, it will likely only receive local fishing pressure from the shoreline over the coming months if we are in lockdown. Stream trout may start shutting up shop as they shift their attention from feeding

Stanley Haughton managed some bass action from the shoreline at Blue Rock Lake. His first fish was easily a keeper at 35cm+, but someone forgot to pack a landing net! Luckily, he landed this one for a photo before releasing. to spawning, but the lake fish are still on the prowl. Trolling is the preferred late autumn/winter technique for trout so. if fishing from the shoreline. the next best thing will be casting and slowly retrieving lures. Fly fishing is also a great way to get amongst the

lake trout action and very achievable from the lake’s shoreline. Bass are still active this time of the year and are generally found schooling out in the lake on the points and can be targeted from the bank by casting out baits, such as worms. If boating

and kayaking is allowed, then sound up schools and use ice jigs or soft plastics to entice action. Feel free to send me a report or photo particularly if you managed to get out during these challenging times. Please email me any questions. Happy fishing!

Bounties before the ban EILDON

Peter Burtchell

Craig Parker from Eildon Bait and Tackle caught the last of the big metre-plus surface Murray cod before our fishery shut down amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

colours. The lakes and other surrounding rivers also produced well as the trout began to gain wait prior to their upcoming spawning migrations. Bob and two friends from Papanui Houseboat spent several days fishing mid week out of the Jerusalem Creek Arm and ended up

measures will reduce the virus transmissions. By remaining at home we will help to eliminate accidents associated with sports and travel, thus reducing the burden on what appears will be overrun emergency departments and hospitals. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those combating this pandemic and to all that will be affected by these unprecedented events. Let us all live in hope that we will learn from this crisis so that our nation and others can be better prepared in coping with both pandemics and economic crises in the future. We wait for the day when the bans are lifted and the rested fish can once again thrill us with their aggressive

Craig Parker and the last of Lake Eildon’s metre-plus cod landed before the non essential travel ban. feeding and fighting action. • Jerusalem Creek Marina & Holiday Park is a friendly, family-orientated caravan park, and makes the perfect home away from home. While

there you can opt to hire one of their Boatel floating apartments, hire a boat or book a fishing guide at competitive prices. For more information on all of these services and

other attractions in the area, visit jerusalemcreek. com.au, or give them a call on (03) 5774 2585 or email info@jerusalemcreek. com.au.

Bob ‘The Legend’ with another Murray cod he caught around lunchtime trolling the west side of the Lake from Jerusalem Creek. Craig hooked up the green demon within four minutes of beginning his trolling session in the late afternoon at the dam wall. During March, the Goulburn River at Eildon was producing well with 1-1.5kg brown and rainbow trout being landed. The fish preferred spinnerbaits in black, red and green 94

MAY 2020

with 12 Murray cod caught ranging from 65-93cm. The fish were caught trolling and bait fishing in depths of 5-8m on the western side of the Lake. As I am writing this report in the midst of the non-essential travel bans throughout Victoria, our fishing sport for now has ended and banned

This is just one of 12 cod caught over a mid-week mates’ fishing trip.

The boys from Houseboat Papanui had a productive time on the water.

WIRF wonderings WIRF

Cara Cummings

Hooked On Portland celebrated Victoria’s coastal centre as a fishing and tourism hotspot. The free

while handing out show bags. Tiff was on the panel session with VFA’s Travis Dowling and alongside Lee Rayner talking all things fishing and answering questions. Tiff offered knowledge and advice on the species of fish

Tiffany Newton and VFA staff at Hooked On Portland. festival, hosted in partnership with local council and the Victorian Fisheries Authority featured a great weekend of entertainment and activities for all ages. Highlights of the event included, fishing clinics and competitions, seafood and wine bar by the bay, giveaways, children’s amusements and activities, foodie master classes and live music. The festival ended with an industry panel featuring fishing experts from the field. Our very own WIRF mentor, Tiff Newton was manning the VFA stand, representing and showcasing the WIRF network to the locals on Saturday. She had a great time introducing Sami Snapper to all the families and children

she regularly catches, including what type of lures to use and her recommended fishing locations. HOOKED ON LAKES ENTRANCE Returning for its fourth year, this year had an extra buzz in the air, as many came along to support the local Victorian commercial fishers and businesses in the Gippsland region, who truly needed the help to recover from the devastating bushfire season. This event included cooking demonstrations, fishing clinics and entertainment. The WIRF representatives started the weekend with a team dinner at the Lake Tyers Water Wheel Pub overlooking the entrance. They then joined the VFA on a prawning expedition in preparation for demonstrations the next day. A magnetic fishing pond was set up at the WIRF stand,

whiting, crabs and toadfish. WIRF Leader Niki Duckstein commented that, “It was so promising to see so many young girls and their mums keen to give fishing a try.” Ultimately this is what the WIRF network is all about and was great to see a strong turnout of females and young future leaders. A highlight of this event from WIRF Leader Michelle Jackman was, “Sitting with two sisters on the pier during a ‘Come and Try’ session. The youngest sister kept constantly winding her rod in as soon as it was cast. The oldest sister sitting ever so patiently

waiting for the bite telling her she needs to be patient. But yes, you guessed it…. the youngest, impatient one caught a fish.” TALKING FISHING We must have impressed the crew as the WIRF girls were invited back to be special guests on Chanel 31’s Talking Fishing with Hosts David Kramer, Adam Ring and Steve ‘Trelly’ Threlfall. Niki Duckstein and myself were honoured to be able to represent the network, talk about our fishing passion and share some insight. Once we got past the nerves of being on live TV, we relaxed and enjoyed a great show and banter with the boys.

Being able to promote more women fishing in the media is a wonderful opportunity and we hope this momentum continues so we can encourage and see more females out on the water! If you missed the show, you can catch up on the Talking Fishing Facebook page or YouTube (Season 9, ep 24). 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

Not-so-fishy fun fish biscuits Niki and Michelle parting wisdom to these young fishers!

Niki Duckstein and Cara Cummings on the set of Chanel 31’s Talking Fishing .

WIRF leaders and VFA staff at the WIRF stand.

These articles were submitted prior to the COVID-19 stage 3 lockdown restrictions so will contain advise on fishing that is no longer accessible. We fully support any government restrictions and their decision to stop recreational fishing to halt the spread of the virus. However, the nature of any crisis response is fluid and ever-changing, so we have made the decision to print the reports in the hope that if regulations alter you will have all the fishing information on hand. We strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in their state before leaving home. For further information go to: www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.

providing fun for lots of kids who participated and won prizes, some of which were lucky enough to take home a limited edition ‘WIRF Tassie Devil’ lure. A team of WIRF Leaders assisted VFA and Fishcare in running ‘Come and Try’ fishing clinics for kids (and some parents) to learn the basics and throw a line in! A range of fish were caught including yakka (yellowtail), King George

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 24) 3 cups plain flour ¾ tsp baking powder 1 cup salted butter (room temperature) 1 cup caster sugar 1 tbsp milk 1 egg lightly beaten METHOD Cream the butter and sugar using an electric mixer, add egg and milk and stir until just combined. In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Mixing the creamed ingredients on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients 1/2 a cup at a time. The mix will start to form a crumb/dough texture. Tip onto a clean dry floured surface and roll the mix into a ball. Cover in cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll the dough out to 3-4cm thick and cut out your shapes, place on baking tray and refrigerate for 10 minutes before putting into oven. This will help them to keep their shape. Bake in a pre-heated oven 180C for 8-10 minutes or until slightly brown. Decorate as desired. MAY 2020

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

It will be tough times instead of tight lines TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

It has been a full month of unheralded and totally unheard-of social distancing and shutdowns. Fishing in April was non-existent and everyone is feeling the pinch. The states all had a different view as to what to do with the rec fishing sector in these troubled times. Anglers didn’t help by asking lots of questions on social media. Some were pretty well thought out and constructive, while others were not very helpful at all and quite confusing. What I am finding amazing and quite impressive is the fishing community as a whole knuckling down and getting the job done. Heeding the advice their state has offered and following the measures, so we can get through this and rebuild our nation as smoothly and as quickly as possible. The creativity and crazy stuff that I have seen on the net and Facebook has been extremely entertaining. The cabin fever is alive and well and people have been very clever. So let’s walk through a few things that you can do while life is a little different. Things that will stop you from going stark raving mad! GEAR MAINTANANCE I imagine by now you have maintained your gear inside out and have nothing left to make right. You would have cleaned your reels and gone over your rods with a finetooth comb. Some of you may have even been brave enough to open your reels and give them some grease

and a few drips of oil. If you are certifiably insane you may have even opened up a Shimano Stella and had a look inside. You would have noticed all the parts in the known fishing world in there – all of them! Not one left out of the mix. You would have then carefully, ever so carefully, put the reel back together with the sweat beading on your brow as if you were disarming a thermo nuclear warhead. Now you know. You know never, EVER try to fix a Stella yourself. Your attention will have no doubt turned to your boat of kayak or any other gear that helps you get near, close or on the water. This may have meant cleaning the boat. Now I am not talking about any Johnnycome-lately general tidy up here. I am talking about a full-blown gut the boat and repack the way you want it. Go and grab a big wheelie bin for the rubbish and lay out a tarp on the ground for the other stuff. You must be ruthless and toss out anything that looks like rubbish. There will be stuff that can go back in tackle boxes, but don’t start to re arrange tackle boxes now, that comes later. There will be some stuff that can go back into the shed as well. You will have heaps of stuff collected in there and it all needs a red-hot sorting out. Once you have an empty boat give the whole inside a wash down. Get a broom and some hot soapy water and get stuck in. Then rinse off. Start in the cab with a soft cloth and clean up all the areas that are covered with grotty, sunscreen and bait covered fingers. Rinse that off and you can start to re pack. Make sure you

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bring on the essentials and the safety gear. Nothing more infuriating than a boat cluttered with stuff you might use in 5 years, maybe. This is the time to put together a simple yet well thought out first aid kit. The same can be said for a tool kit. Don’t pack every socket set you own right up to half inch. Be like the Dakar Desert racers and just pack enough clever and thoughtful tools to get you out of trouble. The safety gear needs an eye running over it. Make sure it is all in date and working perfectly. Spend some time thinking about the best place to stow it. All too often it is tucked out of the way and no one but you knows where it is. Real handy if you are the one who suffers some issue and the others on board know nothing of the safety equipment. When putting everything back make sure you give some thought of where it should go and where it is best accessed. This will help the running of the boat when the pressure is on in the heat of battle. Too many times I see a good fish hooked and lost because of the pandemonium of not being able to find a net of gaff. Items should have a home and they should always be returned to that position so a hand can be placed on it instantly or a skipper can say where it is and it is actually there. PRACTICE This is a very much forgotten aspect of fishing and is very rarely even thought about. If you are a keen angler and actually take your fishing seriously then, like all sports, you must work on it. All sports rely on technique. When muscle fatigue sets in and you get tired you need to fall back on technique to win the battle. A lot of people get away with whatever they have done for years and think this is the way forever. This is simply not the case. There are a great range of things you can do to become a better and more capable angler and, with all the time on your hands, there has never been a better time to learn and experiment. FISHING YOU 2.0 Okay right now we better have a ‘controversy alert’ for what I am about to write will upset some and stick in the craw of stubborn people that don’t like change and are pig-headed. Most of you that know me understand that I don’t care and have very strong views on this

topic so here it is. If you class yourself as any sort of an angler and aspire to be the best fisher you can be, you need to cast with your most preferred hand and wind with your non preferred hand. Now that means if you are righthanded you wind the reel with your left hand! BOOM! There it is, your head has exploded and you’re so triggered. Well, get over it. It’s just how it is. Your right arm is the most dextrous and strongest and is the arm you need it to put hurt on the fish. The left is just for recovering line when you drop the rod tip. Good technique suggests that there is not a lot of pressure on when you do this and winding on the down movement on the rod is easy-peasy. Now, yes this will feel awkward because you have been doing the opposite from when you were a kid. A time when no one took you under their wing and the family members or friend thought that you need your strongest hand to wind as it was like the motor on a winch. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Once you have opened your mind to change and stopped being so pig-headed you will see exactly what I am talking about. The reel is not a winch, the rod and the rod arm do ALL the work in fighting a fish. If you practice it will come quicker than you would ever imagine. When it is all boiled down it is only turning a circle with a static captured centre point, and after two weeks of giving it a red hot go, you will be thanking me. No more swapping hands after casting off. No more of having your left arm getting tired while fighting a stubborn kingy and swapping to your right arm. Only to stand there like a twit as the fish gets a rest because you can’t wind! I can hear all the stubborn nay-sayers already – “What about overheads?” Well, an offshore overhead reel is designed to be used in a harness and if the harness is on properly and with correct technique you squat and wind and use the other hand to mend the line onto the spool. There isn’t any need for either hand to be doing anything too strenuous so the winding goes to the most dextrous hand to get the line on quick should that big pelagic come at you at a furious pace. That being said, when I am using 30 size overheads and 16s I would love PENN to have some left-hand wind

models as the line classes of 6, 8 and 10kg would be a delight to fish non preferred hand winding, strongest arm fighting. A LITTLE OUT THERE The enemy to all anglers is fatigue and lactic acid, and the more you can practice and train your body the better you will handle any situation. It could be the casting involved in a two-day bream or bass competition or winding in the five striped marlin of a game fishing comp. If you are not used to that sort of repetition and muscle fatigue you will be well out of the money. There are many ways to use your imagination to help train and be prepared for these situations and we have a bit of time on our hands of late. The coolest fun when bream or bass fishing to work your muscle fibre, is to build muscle memory and casting accuracy. Many times, a fish has come from placing that lure perfectly in front of a fish in a snag or some structure on the first cast. This is just practice. Get a casting plug off a tackle store or make your own. They are simply a weight close to the weight of the lures you use. In the same way you might have a few different lure weights, you should have a few different weighted casting plugs. Then just pick a target at a short distance and just start casting. Cast after cast after cast. To begin with, you are just looking for the number of casts and the accuracy will come. When you feel like you are getting some fatigue then start to really hone in on accuracy. This may seem backwards but when you are late in the day and you see a good snag and the sounder says it’s holding bait and bigger fish, you want to drop that lure right in between the two main logs sections first cast. This will have you pull that winning fish out of the snag and land you on the podium. That is where the casting practice will make sense. You can also practice competition game fishing as well in your back yard.

Go and get a big kite and wait for a windy day. Cut the string off the kite that it came with and clip on the jap snap from your wind on leader to the kite. Send that kite high into the sky as far as you dare thumbing the spool to avoid over runs. Once it is well up there precede to wind it down as quick as you can – wind, wind, wind. Then after you have wound it down one-third of the way have a little breather then go again – wind, wind, wind. Then take a rest but keep winding the reel and the kite down until it is hovering above you. Then let it go all the way up again, and repeat. Alternate between halfway wind downs from the top and short rests the rest of the way and then repeat. If you do this four or five times you will start to really understand reel-arm fatigue. You will also get a good sense of what lactic acid is all about and what it does to your body. As we perform strenuous exercise, and in this case winding an overhead reel fast for long periods, we begin to breathe faster trying to get more oxygen to our muscles. Our body prefers to generate most of its energy using aerobic methods, meaning with oxygen. In this case, however, we are simulating winding in a big angry blue marlin. This requires energy production faster than our bodies can deliver oxygen. So, in this case the muscles being used generate energy anaerobically. This energy then comes from glucose through a clever process called glycolysis. Now bear with me here because we are getting all science-y. What happens here is the glucose is broken down into a substance called pyruvate. So we getting a bit puffed but the fish still needs winding in and the skipper is yelling, “Wind, wind, wind” but your body wants more oxygen, so it converts the pyruvate into a substance called lactate, which allows glucose breakdown and also energy production to continue. The working muscles can continue this To page97

These articles were submitted prior to the COVID-19 stage 3 lockdown restrictions so will contain advise on fishing that is no longer accessible. We fully support any government restrictions and their decision to stop recreational fishing to halt the spread of the virus. However, the nature of any crisis response is fluid and ever-changing, so we have made the decision to print the reports in the hope that if regulations alter you will have all the fishing information on hand. We strongly advise all anglers to check the rules in their state before leaving home. For further information go to: www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Albacore still about HOBART

Andrew Large

May is a great time around South East Tasmania. The trout season finished a few weeks ago, effectively shutting down 99% of rivers, leaving only the year-round open waters to fish. May is anglers last

chance to fish relatively settled water, both in the highlands and on the coast for SBT and normally a few remaining large albacore. It really is the last chance for all anglers to fish chilly mornings, warm days and chillier evenings before the whole state turns on a dime and slips into winter. Snapper are wrapping up for the year in Storm

A fantastic example of a shallow water blue spot flathead. These fish can reach sizes of up to 1m. From page 96

energy production at high rates for 1-3 minutes but then the lactate can accumulate to a high level called lactic acid, and it is not nice. When you experience it, you can feel your muscles burning. If you keep hovering in and around this metabolic activity by continuing winding in the fish, you can even feel nauseous and sick. A side effect of high lactate levels is an increase in the acidity of the muscle cells, along with disruptions of other metabolites. The same metabolic pathways that permit the breakdown of glucose to energy perform poorly in this acidic environment.

On the surface, it seems counterproductive that a working muscle would produce something that would slow its capacity for more work. In reality, this is a natural defence mechanism for the body; it prevents permanent damage during extreme exertion by slowing the key systems needed to maintain muscle contraction. Once the body slows down, oxygen becomes available and lactate reverts back to pyruvate, allowing continued aerobic metabolism and energy for the body’s recovery from the strenuous event. In angling circles when fighting a big fish we tend to call this the wall, and it can come on pretty quick. We must remember that

and Frederick Henry Bays. Fishing has been fantastic with fish up to 7kg landed. Storm Bay, Adventure Bays and Tasman Peninsula waters in the vicinity of Tasman Island and the Hippolyte Rocks are still alive with SBT, although recent restrictions on fishing has made it hard to target these fish. Fish to 103kg are available. Calamari returned en masse a while back and quality fish should be available if given half a chance. South Arm, Betsy Island, Nubeena and South Port are great starting points. These fish should be with us until around August. Albacore have been seen in and amongst SBT schools. As mentioned above, it’s not unusual as the water cools and recedes that larger specimens in the 18-22kg pass for the second time back past Tasmania. These fish have spent the late summer months below Tasmania mixing in the cooler water, and small pockets of 2-5kg fish can be stumbled upon in ther warmer patches. Australian salmon summer runs have all but finished these fish are normally anywhere between 500g-1.3kg making way for larger mature winter fish of around 2.5-4kg. These will be available along the many shore beaches, such as Clifton Beach in the South and Beaumaris Beach further up the East Coast. A paternoster surf rig using squid as bait and a Hookem surf popper in the yellow is the trick in low to medium surf. Sand flathead taper off a little in coming weeks, as their metabolism slows as the water cools. Large populations move out wide in preparation to spawn

over winter. For the time being, inshore action for the bait, spin and troll guys still exist. Blue spot flathead are always the talk over late summer and autumn. Now is really your final chance to target one of these fish in the shallows before winter rains set in. A slowly fished Panish 90mm minnow or Gulp Nemesis soft plastic is a combination hard to beat. Yellowtail kingfish have been unheard of for the past six weeks. April action was a tad slow as well, undoubtedly because of lower average surface temperatures. May is a good month for kingies, so a couple of hours spent in the Derwent estuary may be worthwhile your time. Flounder and still, dark nights go hand-in-hand. An angler can be on the water with their waders, flounder light, battery and spear by 6pm and off again with a good feed by 10pm, which is testament to a healthy fishery down this way. I’ve been saying for a

few years, floundering is on the verge of becoming a lost art these days. The knowledge is just not being passed down. It’s pretty easy – rising tide, sandy bay, an LED flounder light, a small 12V battery and Hook’Em 1.8m two prong spear, and away you wade! Sweep the light like you were looking for a land mine or prospecting for that killer gold nugget. An entire fish can normally be sighted, but sometimes only the eyes can be seen with anglers left looking for the faint outline of the flounder. Make spear shots to the head to save the tasty flesh, so it’s important to be 100% sure as to size before dabbing (spear shot). Sea gars are available at night from coastal jetties. Add a little berley to help things along a bit. Close to Hobart, Woodbridge Jetty and Southport are prime options. On the freshwater scene, Great Lake continues to fish well, as it has done since the very

first week of the season. These late season fish are in superb condition and nudging 1.8kg. Dee Lagoon has fish nudging on frosty mornings and still sipping jassids this late into the year. There are 2kg brown trout rumoured to have been caught. Sea trout in the Derwent and Huon estuaries have started to run. These fish are heading up river to spawn and many are feeding along the way. As many as 80% are not spawning at all, as is the case with lake trout. These fish are prime candidates for bait, spin, troll and fly fishers close to the CBD. In short, summer and autumn 2020 have been unpredictable and limiting as far as opportunities have gone for fishing. The fish are there, so if you get a chance before the temperature plummets and the winds howl get out there and chase some of the more common species available. Stay safe on the water.

the muscles used when the load comes on a 50lb outfit and a fish takes us on, are rarely used. Throw into the mix that in a bit of swell and a little sea, your legs and body are doing all they can to keep you from falling over and we don’t even realise. So quite quickly you can have a sore arm and back and think, “Wow, I thought I was fitter than this?” Don’t despair as this will pass. Concentrate on good technique and stand firm. Stand up and if the fish runs and pulls drag, that’s your time to rest, but be ready. Be ready to regain line by lifting the rod up to about 45o and quickly wind down. The biggest mistake I see anglers make, is that they think they need to get

20m or more of line back every time they wind the handle. This is not the case. To get that 20m of line back people tend to haul up on the rod and lift the rod up as far as they can. This is called ‘high sticking’ and it’s bad – very bad for all sorts of reasons. High sticking is one of the easiest ways to bust your rod. It can line wrap the tip, when you go too far up and drop the tip down too quick. Rods are not designed to be used this way; the mid and butt sections of the rod are where the fish should be played. The tip is there for a cushion and shock absorber. It’s better when in a boat to start your load lift with the rod tip in the water and raise to 45o, than start at 15o and go past 90o!

Another reason I don’t like high lift and high sticking is because it’s the best way to drop a hook out of a fish. The load is on and then as you drop the rod tip down super quick, there is little to no tension on the line. Good hook up and you will get away with it. Later in the fight when a hole is worn in the fish’s mouth and your technique gets even worse due to fatigue, the fish is gone! So, DON’T high stick and don’t give up first sign of physical discomfort. Get inside your head and go through your sound technique of a good bend in the rod, lifting to 45o or less and quick full winds on the reel. All the while, keep the load on the rod and down the line to the fish.

Half winds, quarter winds, whatever gets the job done and keeps the fish under some load. Keeping the rod bent and the line tight is making that fish run up hill. Give it to the fish for long enough and you will start to get line back. Lift and wind, lift and wind. Your strong arm for the lifting work and your other arm for the simple task of bringing the line back onto the reel. Okay, so now you can let the debate start. I am not sure why, but people love to argue about this. But try swapping hands for a week and you will asking yourself why you didn’t do this ages ago. Have fun, be frosty and stay tuned for the good times.

Nice sized albacore tuna are still around in autumn.

MAY 2020

Metro

You can use your fishing rod to socially distance METRO

Jacob Crispe

We are all passionate West Australian fishers and we understand people want to fish at this difficult time for

tackle in case you get bitten off, are essentials. Flathead are another staple fish during May. The shallow flats from Point Walter to Alfred Cove are great areas to target them. Point Walter is best at low tide, while Alfred

the Swan will likely hold a few bream. Using 2-4” soft plastics are a very popular way for lure anglers to catch them, however if the blowfish are decimating your plastics, smaller hardbodies or blades can be extremely effective lures to catch bream. The biggest predator in the Swan system is the mulloway. April has seen some fantastic fish caught, which should continue through May. Live baits are your best option with

dark are also great times to target tailor in the same areas. By far the most productive method in recent times has been casting 2-4” soft plastics. Retrieve them erratically and at varying speeds until you find out what they like, and you are bound to get yourself a feed. The other key seems to be using plastics that have glitter in them! NORTHERN BEACHES The area from Swanbourne to City Beach has

Marco Orifici and his cousins Daniel and Jasmin Messina getting crabby on the Swan! There are plenty of blue swimmer crabs around.

Matt Petrillo from Anglers Fishing World Fremantle with an epic shot of a lit up mahimahi from a recent trip out to the FADs. a break, for mental health and wellbeing benefits, and to provide a feed for their families. If you need to go fishing we urge you adhere to strict social distancing, the two person rule, fish locally where you live, travel directly to and from home, and do not congregate at land based locations. Please remember, support all Australian tackle shops and local businesses. As a member of the team at Anglers Fishing World in Fremantle we know how important local support is for every small business. SWAN RIVER The Swan River is an amazing fishery and May is a great month to target a number of species. There tends to be plenty of tailor in the system from Freshwater Bay and beyond. They might not be monstrous in size, but are great sport on lighter tackle. When you find them they can be quite easy to catch and will take most offerings, whether you are using lures or bait. A pair of pliers is a must-have when you are tailor fishing. You really want to keep fingers and toes away from the pointy end of them. So a pair of pliers and a bit of extra terminal

Cove is better fished at high tide. Smallish soft plastics and medium to small hardbody lures are perfect to flick around the flats. Look for any discernable ambush points and drops-off and there is every chance a flathead will be there. Alfred Cove also has excellent crab fishing at this time of the year. The best area

John Vickery getting rewarded for his late night efforts with this lovely mulloway. is from Alfred Cove through to Mozzies. The other bread and butter species is bream. Structure is the key when targeting them, areas like Deepwater Point and the various bridges, jetties and rock walls throughout

The author with a lovely skippy caught on an inshore Fremantle reef. 98

MAY 2020

Young gun Jagger Winstone shows us how it’s done with a ripper Cockburn Sound squid.

scaly mackerel, bony herring or mullet at the top of the list. Lures are also an option. Larger profiles soft plastics rigged on 1/2oz or more jighead (depends on the water you are fishing) cast out and allowed to get to the bottom before slow rolling them back to you, is a dynamite technique. Paddle-tail plastics provide additional action, and the key is to use the larger profile plastic and keep it close to the bottom when retrieving. FREMANTLE ROCK WALLS The Fremantle rocks offer great access for anglers and numerous fishing opportunities. Skippy, herring and squid are around in good numbers throughout May. In particular, it is a great time to catch skippy, the average size seems to be better at this time of the year. Low light periods and after

been producing good numbers of sand whiting, herring and tailor. The key is to use a bit of berley while you are fishing. It will bring the fish closer to you and also keep them in your vicinity for longer periods of time. There are also a group of dedicated anglers that fish these beaches at night. They are predominately targeting sharks. Black tip whalers and bronzies are their main targets as they are great fun to catch and are excellent of the plate, if you like a bit of fresh flake. Mulloway are another nighttime target. They always seem to be about and a live bait or fresh strip bait will give you every chance of being connected to one of these silver ghosts. INSHORE GROUNDS May is prime time for big squid in the area between Freo and the shipping channel. As the weather cools the squid just seem to get bigger and bigger. There should be plenty of herring, King George whiting

and skippy throughout the Cockburn Sound, especially the area between Garden Island and Rottnest. Small soft plastics and bait will be the most productive. Demersal fishing is also excellent in May, with pink snapper, dhufish, breaksea cod and bald chin groper on the chew. Mackerel, both Spanish and shark, should be around in good numbers. If the current fishing is anything to go by, you would be crazy not to try. Spanish up to 20kg have been caught around the west end of Rottnest, so that seems a good place to start. Yellowtail kingfish are also around in good numbers. Trolling dead baits around the west end of Rottnest is a red hot method to target them (be aware of the current exclusion zone). Southern bluefin tuna will also be out and about. Good schools of fish have been reported from Rockingham all the way to Rottnest. The

30m mark seems to be the magic number. Casting metal slugs at them or dropping unweighted mullies back to them should see you with a bit of sashimi on board. DEEP DROPPING AND OUT WIDE Better weather patterns during May will make getting out wider more comfortable. Deep dropping in 150-500m of water can see you catching all sorts of great eating fish from eight bar cod to blue eye trevalla. The eating quality of these fish makes all the effort worthwhile. The FADs are also a great option at this time of the year. Mahimahi and tuna can be found in big numbers around them and be caught by trolling, casting lures or with live baits. Mahimahi up to 10kg have been reported, with the average size around 4kg. Last but not least there have been good numbers of marlin at the trench. A recent

Max Sampson shows how effective casting sinkingstickbaits at tuna schools can be with this beautiful little bullet southern bluefin tuna! A supreme sushimi fish caught just behind Garden Island.

competition not only reported a good number of captures, but also plenty of fish in the area. STAY SAFE AND WELL If you have the opportunity to fish in May, enjoy it and do it safely. Don’t forget to support small business if you can and if you want more information about anything in this report you can catch me at Anglers Fishing World or via my Facebook page Jampacked Fishing Adventures.

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West Coast

We will carry on AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

These are certainly strange times for everybody on the planet at the moment. We have had lockdowns and restrictions on our ability to travel, limits on essential items and the activities we can carry out. I can only imagine that it is reminiscent of what people would have had

Deepdene, Cosy Corner, Hamelin Bay and Boranup. It was notable however, that many of the early schools were not voraciously feeding and only small numbers were caught. As March progressed however, the fish became increasingly aggressive and began hitting anything that was thrown at them that resembled food. As always, the herring schools arrived along with the salmon and the

remind me of those little dogs you see that will take on a Rottweiler because they have no idea that they are grossly outmatched. A 15g metal slice lure is all you need, however, a blob with a leader and a long shank hook fitted with a piece of bright tubing will also do very well. River fishing has changed. The large numbers of yellowfin and King George whiting, which

A typical sized dhufish for Augusta. The majority of shallow to mid depth fish are falling into this range.

A 6kg well-conditioned mid season salmon ready to spawn. It was captured just south of the marina rockwall on a 30g Gold Twisty. during the dark years of the world wars. Like those times, these will pass and life will carry on. The salmon season started early in 2020 with a small but constant stream of schools moving along the coast from Esperance in early February. By the end of the month good numbers of fish were turning up in

the Ellis Street Jetty. This has being a popular spot to catch them with Yamashita Egi Sutte-R jigs in the 1.8-2g sizes showing to be absolutely deadly. The glowin-the-dark body seems to be irresistible at night and just as effective during the

aggressive little buggers not only provided food for the salmon, they quite often would compete for a bit of the action. Many times a lure that was aimed at salmon would end up with a bunch of herring all over it like a rugby scrum, their only aim to eat something that was much to big for them to swallow. They

Dhufish are proving to be a great resource with them being the most common large demersal brought over the side. Interestingly, the good old salmon has also shown to have no preference for where it travels and at what depth. There have been some interesting by-catches for bottom bouncing fishers in waters to 40m. The Blackwood River is currently looking pretty nice between Alexandra Bridge and Sues Bridge and those fishing from the riverbanks are able to keep their distance from other people due to the terrain. Land-based anglers wanting to catch bigger fish have resorted to walking the tracks for some distance looking for snaggy areas, as the more popular spots near the bridges seem to only hold small fish at the moment. Kayak and boat fishers

have shown the advantage of being able to cover larger areas of the river with their ability to manoeuvre into inaccessible spots to those land-based. The resulting bream captures have been of much bigger average size. Squidgies soft plastics in natural colours are very popular, as are the river prawns for those using bait. I would suggest that at the moment with the steady increase in prawn numbers in the river that this would be a good place to start if you are looking to improve your catch rate. Drop in to the tackle shop or give us a call to find out what is working best as the bream seem to change their favourite quite regularly. The marina rockwall has been the perfect place to capture big herring and skippy. The schools of salmon are also using the rockwall as a guide as To page 101

The smile says it all. Who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t love a nice-sized dhufish lifted off the bottom? Octopus was the bait of choice.

A pan-sized pinkie (well, a big pan) like this makes a perfect meal when cooked whole and shared with the family.

100

were the main catches over recent months, are gradually dwindling away to the occasional catch. The herring have taken their place with some thumping sizes getting caught, especially around the Colour Patch, Ellis Street Jetty and West Bay. If you have a boat or kayak, use a small floating hardbody and troll it behind you near the channels for best results. Once you get some hits concentrate in that area. Herring around 30cm are not unusual, along with some 50cm tailor and the odd undersized pink snapper. Squid numbers are at an all time high in the Hardy Inlet with reports of plenty of large specimens haunting the edges of the light around

day. They closely match the size of river prawns in the system at the moment and are a perfect example of matching the hatch. Autumn weather has been particularly beautiful in Augusta with some absolutely magnificent glass-off days that corresponded nicely with low swell conditions. The social distancing rules that have now been in place for a while were somewhat stretched with many boaties heading out as often as they could to engage in an activity that could soon be put on hold for some time. The weather and fishing gods were all in agreement for a change and this resulted in plenty of great demersal catches in Flinders and Hamelin bays.

Allan Brown is a specialist when it comes to catching small dhufish. This is one of the many he returned to the water. Caught on squid drift fishing in Flinders Bay.

West Coast

Close of bumper salmon season BUSSELTON

Stephen Norman

As the 2020 salmon run gradually draws to a close, we can reflect on what was an absolute bumper season! Early season fishing saw the majority of these fish seeking shelter in and around Cosy Corner

April into May often sees a noticeable change in the fishing in the South West. We begin to get a taste of things to come over the winter months. Pink snapper have been the first noticeable change, making a decent arrival in the bay with numbers increasing significantly in the past month. However, they are

with only a small running ball sinker inbetween, is all you will need. The second major change has been the squid. Although not in massive numbers just yet, squid have begun moving inshore and catches from the Busselton Jetty have slowly been on the incline, hinting of a good winter season to come with nights fishing the best. WHAT’S HAPPENING NEXT Transitioning into May, we should continue to see big numbers of salmon make their way north between the capes and into Geographe Bay providing that water temperatures stay nice and cool. If so, the salmon will hug the coastline and they should remain in our waters for a longer period of time, as opposed to the salmon seeking cooler water offshore.

Weather patterns in May can be hit and miss so the best areas to try would be the sheltered waters of Eagle Bay, Point PK and Castle Rock, just a short drive from Dunsbrough. During May, we generally begin seeing consistent numbers of pink snapper in Geographe Bay, but this is vastly weather dependant. We have already seen great snapper catches during April so coming into May we should see these numbers increase even more prominently due to cold front weather systems. These storms generally bring with them strong northerly winds, and when these winds hit they will stir the bay into a brown soup. Now while this may look unappealing, it means good things for the snapper. Once this happens, snapper will often push inshore in large numbers

Chunky school salmon taken on a Richter Plug from Boranup Beach. and Hamelin Bay before moving further north along the coast and rounding the cape in early April. With the salmon came sharks, a whole lot in fact. The progression of the salmon was sometimes halted because of sharks and dolphins. They would often hold schools in certain areas for over a week at a time, which made for easy pickings. Transitioning from

still holding in deeper water, generally between 30-35m. This is a good sign of things to come, as it means we should see yet another prosperous snapper season over the coming winter months. As always with snapper, fresh squid have been the most productive bait. Fresh strips presented in a berley trail is always the best technique to entice a snapper bite. About 2m of 60lb leader straight to your 7/0-8/0 snelled hooks

Snapper dreams! This big red was taken after dark on fresh squid while fishing in 25m of water.

From page 100

they make their way along the coast, and they will provide an opportunity for an exciting session on light gear. Try chrome or gold slice lures when the sun is shining and you will soon see what is lurking nearby. As night comes in, then the squid are really putting in an appearance with 40-50cm cephalopods always willing to have a go at a jig or dead baited herring. During the end of the salmon season there are always a number of bronze whaler sharks following the schools. As they thin out, they will mooch around looking for an easy feed. Try slide baiting a whole herring or salmon fillet off the rocks at the Honeycombs

Breaksea cod are known for their big mouth, this juvenile proved it by taking a whole mulie drifted off the rocks at Cosy Corner.

Some early season land-based snapper from Geographe Bay. Sticking it out on those rough nights pays off! as the turbulent weather stirs up all kinds of food, such as crabs and small leatherjackets. The good news for boat anglers in this instance is that after these weather systems pass over we generally see at least a day or two of calm weather, allowing boat anglers to shoot out and take advantage of some shallow water snapper fishing. Last year, and in previous years, we saw snapper caught from the beach, right out to 35m of water. Try using either scalies or fresh squid as bait, whether you are landbased or fishing from a boat. Heading into winter a whole range of freshwater species will open up for anglers in the South West. Rainbow and brown trout, as well as solid redfin numbers are all to be expected in our freshwater systems. Rivers such as the Donnelley, Warren, and Blackwood are all worth a crack, as well as any of the major stocked dams, such as Harvey and

Big brook. If you’re using hardbody lures, Rapala F-5 and RMG Scorpion 35 are hard to beat in natural and bright colours. If you’re opting for soft plastics, Madeye Paddle Prawns and Flutter Shrimps in 2.5” and 3”, as well as the Brawler Bait Fatboy swims are all dynamite, especially on the redfin. The Mepps spinners in size 1 and 2 are one of the most effective and easy to use lures that not too many freshwater predators can say no to. If you’re wanting to have a crack at fly fishing, try early morning or late afternoon and give the fly stone and pheasant tail bead head nymphs in size 14 a shot. • 2 Oceans Tackle is the south west’s premium fishing tackle outlet. Drop in and see our friendly staff for professional advice and choose from our massive range of fishing tackle that is sure to keep you fishing for longer. 2 Oceans Tackle 14 Albert St, Busselton WA.

or Elephant Rock, or try a balloon fish with the wind behind you from Stinkies or Skippy Rock, you will eventually pick up a bronzie, hammerhead or gummy. Don’t forget that most whaler sharks over 6ft long will need to be released as there are strict size limits. Their inter dorsal measurement is 700mm maximum, however anything under that will make for excellent eating. Treat them well, bleed, fin and chill as soon as you can and the resulting fillets will feed your family very well for many meals. Here is hoping that this evil virus that is decimating the world and altering the way that we can all live our lives will soon be a thing of the past and we can get back to normal life.

As I always point out, Augusta has some really productive rock fishing locations, however, people have died here by 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. • 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. MAY 2020

101

West Coast

Reds will rule the winter BUNBURY

Grant Teede and Josh Italiano

With winter rapidly approaching, thoughts turn to the inshore pink

berley trail is established all you need to do is present an unweighted or lightly weighted mulie/scalie on a gang or snelled hooks with hook size determined by the bait used, 4/0 to 6/0

but the quality makes up for it. With the cooler freshwater flowing into the river, the winter bream get sluggish, and that means time to get out the soft plastics and vibes. Slowing

Lachlan Atkinson with a double header of salmon.

Josh Italiano caught this lovely nanny while jigging. snapper fishery with these pink slabs coming in close to shore in great numbers. The rough weather presents a good opportunity for the pink snapper to forage for food that gets bashed around and dislodged during and following the numerous cold fronts that will be coming through over the next few months. Due to the fact that they move around a lot looking for their next meal, the best results usually come in the form of setting the pick and getting a solid berley trail going, bringing the fish to you. Some days it will only take minutes for them to appear and once they come up in the berley trail the fishing is generally hot, with fish coming one after the other. A berley that consists of fish frames, old bait and scraps works a treat but can be a messy job to do at home. Nowadays though, there is quality frozen berley options available in good tackle shops that are perfect for the job. Once the

sizes are the most common. I have found occasionally they will go off the bite (usually when you drop a fish!) and then it is a good idea to change it up to get them switched on again. By that, I mean put the baits away and try a couple of lures. Good results will come on soft plastics with vibes being especially deadly, they can change the mood of a fussy pink snapper. With lures they will hit it out of aggression, which will get them feeding freely again. Another technique to get them biting is to drop down a micro jig in the 5-20g range. This smaller offering flicking and darting off the bottom will replicate a small baitfish, you could also get a bonus by-catch of any skippy that are milling around the berley trail. Black bream are a popular target over winter with the Collie and Brunswick River always holding a few. They can be tough to find sometimes,

your retrieves down using long pauses and small movements are the key to

Chad Hogan with his first green eye shark on jig.

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MAY 2020

targeting winter bream. There are certain plastics on the market that have a large amount of scent built into them to provide the bream with a smelly scent filled target in the dirty water. In this situation, some of the most successful plastics are the Berkley Gulps and the Keitech Shiners and Impacts. Generally, you will need a little bit more weight on the jighead to counteract the harder flowing water, so look at using between 1/16 and 1/8oz jigheads with a hook size to suit your plastic choice. In regards to vibes the River2Sea Baby Vibes are an absolute killer with

either the darker colours or baitfish colours that give off a bit of flash doing the damage. If you are in the mood for sitting back on the river bank and chilling out, a small ball sinker running down to a baitholder or shiner hook laced with a fresh strip of mullet will usually fool these cunning fish. Call into the store to get the latest info on where they are biting! â&#x20AC;˘ The crew at Whiteys Tackle and Camping in Treendale are always more than happy to share their knowledge of the southwest and fishing techniques so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be shy, come on in and say hi, show off your catch and ask any questions you may have.

West Coast

Comfortable and rewarding fishing ahead MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

During April, those cooler days made fishing quite comfortable for locals. Salmon have been building in numbers, but so too have sharks as they come in chasing schools of salmon migrating up the coast.

the same, but you will start to find a few more breaksea cod and more schools of southern bluefin about. Positioning is proving to be more important than lure choice or colour, but baits of choice are definitely fresh squid, mullet and herring. During May, you are likely to find there are plenty of herring, tarwhine, the odd

often. Salmon are starting to show up in thicker numbers particularly off the ocean side and around most of our local rock structures. Whilst these fish can regularly be observed just out of casting distance, a lot of the fish being picked up are being intercepted while cruising the rock walls looking for easy pickings.

Matt picked up this silver ghost shortly after sinking his first scalie. Mandurah beaches certainly produce some hard fighting fish!

Salmon are good fun to catch on light line and lures. Nothing beats triggering a bite and getting success! With the cooler weather, snapper have been getting pulled up from some of Mandurahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more popular rock structures and beaches, but catches can be quite inconsistent and difficult. While the estuary flats still have some fish on them, at this time of the year the river fishing really starts to pick up. There have been plenty of bait up through both of the systems, with some great sized black bream and yellowtail grunter definitely keeping those wetting a line entertained. Fishing from the 5 fathom, you will find there are good sized dhufish and pink snapper about.

This little hammerhead was caught out the back of James Service while sinking baits for a shallow water snapper.

This beautiful slab was caught in the crystal clear canal waters. They are hard to catch, so they produce very rewarding fishing. Choosing to fish on drift or anchor will depend on the day, but there are reports that both methods have been producing and on a multitude of baits and lures. Heading out a bit deeper, you are likely to encounter much of

regardless of the species. Town has been producing a mixed bag for kayak anglers and shore-based fishers. For those who are a bit more mobile, some of the canals throughout town are offering good-sized black bream and mulloway. Fishing around the bridges has been turning up good numbers of herring, salmon trout, tarwhine and also the odd whiting. On

skipjack and whiting being pulled up in the Dawesville Channel. Off the restaurant jetty is a popular location, but any of that stretch produces quite well and can turn up some unexpected by-catch if you visit a bit more

Salmon are also starting to push through the ocean side of town, to the northern beaches and fishing on a change of light has been one key to success while targeting these fish in lower numbers. Live baits, casting metals and diving lures are all great options depending on the day, as well as how the fish are behaving. When fishing from the beach or rocks at this time of the year, sinking a bait can be your best option and is often preferred. Not only will a well-presented bait appeal to a migrating Australian salmon, but it also appeals to a wide range of species like mulloway, sharks and snapper. Mixing up your presentations, like in any other sort of fishing, may appeal to the slightly pickier fish and also give you more of a chance at hooking up

the right moon phase, there has also been some prawns and squid being picked up. Targeting either of the two

in Mandurah can be quite hard at times, but if you are fishing around both of the ocean entrances, you are definitely in with a good chance at picking up a few. If you really want to put in a good effort chasing big bream, you will find more opportunity through both of the rivers. While these fish can be notoriously hard to retrieve from dense cover, you are more likely to catch fish that are situated here as they have an abundance of food to hunt in a confined space. Bream will fire throughout the systems, but if you are struggling you will want to try a bit further downstream. At this time of the year, we experience a lot more rain on average and quite often the bait will get pushed downstream in the heavy currents. Quite often you will find that the predators will follow this moving abundance of bait, as it means they are more likely to gorge themselves sooner than if they were to focus on smaller schools or more isolated offerings. Upsizing the profile of bait or lure used, will open your opportunities up a lot, as there are a good number of mulloway around actively

hunting and looking for bait. Live bait or lures from 3â&#x20AC;? in size are ideal. Freshwater fishing has been a bit quiet during the warmer months, but as things continue to cool down, the rivers and dams are coming back to life. It is now a great time to get back out on your favourite dam to try your luck at some redfin or trout. Whether shore-based or fishing from a kayak, there are plenty of options available depending on where you choose to go. Waroona for example is a great starting spot as you are able to book a camping spot for the weekend, fish to your heartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s content and take in all of nature in the process. When heading out, your best option is to throw lures as they allow you to constantly cover ground and present to many different fish until you find one that is willing to eat. Gold, brown, red and rainbow pattern lures are all a great option if you are stuck for choice, as they are proven achievers and work well year round. On your brighter, more clear days, it will pay to fish more subtle, natural patterns, moving onto more distinguished patterns to suit changing conditions, such as water clarity and sun.

A hen brown being released back into the dam for another angler to catch. This one fell to a Poltergeist shallow running lure. MAY 2020

103

West Coast

Take care on the steep and narrow beaches LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

Usually with the cooling waters, tailor catches start to fall away as we rapidly approach winter. The swells should be forming up the beach gutters again, which is great news for those who like to chase mulloway. It will also help concentrate the bigger resident green back tailor if they hang around. The down side is that the beaches become narrow, steep and soft. Lancelin is renowned as a bogging hot spot, with many people having to contact local recovery

business to save 4WDs being lost to the sea. Some sections are already quite narrow at the top before a steep drop to the water, so these sections will likely need to be avoided after the first swells. There are back tracks you can use to access different parts of the beaches, until reaching the defence force bombing range about 8km north of Lancelin. Heading south, there are back tracks allowing access to some of the popular spots like Fence Reef, where you can usually travel up and down the beaches some distance in each direction. It is one of the best times of the year to land

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a big mulloway. The mullet are running north, they travel in clean water just behind the sandy turbulence caused by wave action. Often this is where the mulloway will be waiting, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do that big cast out far as you can or youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re likely to be sending your bait well out past the fish. Also look for pressure points where reefs meet the beach that can back up the mullet schools or deep near shore holes. The beaches also fish well this time of year for better size sand whiting than the summer months. Fishing early morning in the first two hours of light will see better catches, near reef or seaweed can find larger specimens. Keep a berley trail out while whiting fishing and you can usually progress into catching a good feed of herring as the morning progresses. Pink snapper can also be caught from the beach. The better spots usually produce smaller fish during the early evening, most the larger ones are caught after dark or early morning.

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Adam Marie is a regular Lancelin visitor with his kayak, this time a great eating-sized pink snapper was bagged.

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West Coast BOATING The whales will be heading up north for the winter again with numbers peaking next month. It always adds that extra element to a day out on the water watching the whales. If you are lucky enough a few might come in to check out your boat. It is also time the cuttlefish move in to breed. They will quite often take a bait or soft plastic intended for demersal species. The bite is different to when a fish hits a bait with a sharp tap. You will feel a couple of long surging tugs as the cuttlefish has grabbed the bait and is trying to swim back squeezing water from a cavity in its body, through a funnel-like siphon which thrusts them backwards. It is important not to strike to try set the hook, as this will just rip the hook out of the soft flesh. Just start a slow retrieve, if there is a lot of weight it is hooked, if there is no weight, drop the line back and try again. Once you know it is on the hook, back the drag right off so it can take line as it fights back and just keep up a slow steady retrieve to the surface easing off each time the swells lift the boat. When you have it at the surface, don’t try to lift it out the water with the line. Use a landing net or gaff, for the final lift into the boat. The belly meat is delicious, rivalling squid, and the head and tentacles make great dhufish bait.

They have two long tentacles (candles) they can shoot forward to capture prey, these are soft and a make excellent bait for King George whiting. Although the waters might be cooling, Spanish mackerel will be passing as they head back north from the South Coast. Last year the best catches off Lancelin were made by both anglers and spear fishers in May and June when most people were not fishing for them. Inside the bay, big blue swimmer crabs can be caught using drop nets where the sand edges meet seaweed along the shore or off the jetty. Plenty of herring can be caught from the jetty each night and can be great fun on light gear and small lures. They have been a very good average size this year. Snook school up over the nearshore weed beds and in the bay. If you look after them well on ice, skin them and cut the red meat away from the fillet before cooking, they are well worth the effort. They are a great fun fish to catch, as they are an aggressive predator they will take a wide variety of lures on 2-4kg gear. They will have you dancing around the boat with some powerful

long runs and head shaking jumps. They are much overlooked for what they can offer the angler. WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING Lancelin angling and aquatic club events have been well patronised this year, with great fish being weighed in each comp. One recent comp saw Christian Duffy land the

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largest dhufish to date for the year at 18kg. Some great King George whiting were weighed in, and junior angler Deklan Seitze tipped the scales at 1.24kg, another largest for the year. Petra Candido caught a great spangled emperor at 3.5kg, a new club record for the species. The mullet run has been To page 106

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Graham Doodson has been getting plenty of big guitarfish this year in his quest to find large mulloway. His son is quick to lend a helping hand to land them for a quick picture.

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105

West Coast From page 105

great this year as it started early. The low swells early in the season have made it an easy task to walk a haul net ahead of the schools. Herring have been increasing in abundance, with plenty of fish along the beaches that are well over 30cm.

Last year it was a difficult one for land-based pink snapper anglers along our coast. However, it is much improved this year with some great fish being caught from the beaches of Guilderton through to north of Wedge Island. Small boat fishers and kayak fishers are getting

some good fish, as well from the nearshore reefs. Large guitarfish have been particularly abundant this year, leaving plenty of anglers with sore arms and a big smile after an epic battle when encountering one. Samsonfish have also been in abundance along the usual ambush sites along

the coast, where they smash the passing mullet schools in spectacular fashion. The crays have been great this year with plenty in close all year. Pots have been producing plenty of reds each new moon, with good numbers of just undersize crays indicating a good next white run as well.

The whales will be back. This one circled othe authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boat up close out the back of Lancelin Island.

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West Coast

There is always plan B! JURIEN BAY

Salty

It’s been a great month to get out on the boat and go fishing. The only challenge has been the

the right tackle. IN THE BAY Small vessels and kayaking have been catching squid, herring, tailor and whiting from the sand holes.   The talk at the cleaning

station has been of  dhufish, pink snapper, baldchin, breaksea cod, and, of coarse, the odd hardfighting 40cm sambo. The  50m range has seen some nice yellowtail kingfish, pink snapper, spangled and red throat emperor. There are still plenty of mackerel on the outer reefs.         Check the weather reports before departure and log on with Sea Rescue group. When in the bay, adhere to Marine Park Fishing Zone and remember to bring your catch up slowly so undersized species will have a much better chance of survival when released.   If you think you’re

This young lad’s first dhuie went 55cm – the smile says it all. in the float so you can warn other fishers.      • Jurien Bay Oceanic Experience offers sea lion and marine life tours, snorkel excursions, rock lobster catching, offshore

fishing charters and more. You can contact them and book a charter on 0432 806 234, online at www. jurienbayoceanic.com. au or emailing info@ jurienbayoceanic.com.au.

There are plenty of hard-fighting sambos out on the reef.

tide offshore, which has made many of us resort to plan ‘B’ at times. Some of the best action for pink snapper has been in the 100m range.  The 30-40m range has seen great catches of 7-8kg dhuies. Out at the reef, there have good catches of mackerel and samsonfish caught on shallow diving Halco lures.  Bottom bouncing for baldchin groper has also seen some thumpers caught.   For bait,  octopus, squid, mullet have all been very good.  The plastic glow squid have been getting smashed by pink snapper.    Island point and the town jetty has seen great catches of tailor, some in the 50cm+ size, along with some small bronze whalers.   When in the bay call, in to Seasport Tackle, get Shane to hook you up with

Plenty of western rock lobster on offer this month. snagged and lost your gear, look to see if there are any lobster pot floats nearby. If so, please mark floats by tying a piece of rag or knot

A typical sized Jurien Bay baldchin groper.

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107

West Coast

Consistent weather makes for good bags GERALDTON

Graham Maunder & Michael Triantopoulos

At this time of year we would normally see a drop in the number of some species, but this year the fishing season has been very consistent with good quantities of tailor and whiting providing anglers with enough fish in the bag for a meal or two.

the case of dart and tarwhine, use a float rig with no.8 or no.10 long shanks trailing about 60-90cm behind the float with small baits of soft prawn, fresh softened squid or wogs. Put a tiny split shot (no. 0) or smaller (about 5cm) from the hook on the longer lead as this will help to separate the trailing baits. Migrating mullet schools are in full swing at the moment with the usual

Graham with a decent pink snapper. It’s the first fish he’s caught on a soft plastic. Most years, herring would have been a big part of our target species in the Mid West, but this year while the herring have been quite good in size (up to 30cm) the numbers have been low and very inconsistent. Fortunately for us, other species are filling the gap. Late summer into early autumn sees species such as tarwhine, garfish, spotted and common dart being caught. These species are mostly caught on bait, either with a Paternoster or running sinker rig with coral prawn or squid for bait. In

108

predators of sharks and mackerel in tow. Shorebased catches of mackerel are not in large numbers yet, but there are plenty of sharks about and plenty of bites offs and break-off stories as well. Anglers are by nature an optimistic lot and when a large fish is lost without being seen, all sorts of prize fish were thought to be on the line. Mulloway season has been very inconsistent this year, with short periods of boom and longer periods of bust. Numbers of school mulloway up to 1m or so are

the norm, but the big fish of 1.2-1.5m have been in short supply. The usual hot spots at West Bank, Royces, Coronation Beach and Lucky Bay have been the best producers this season. There have also been plenty of big mulloway hooked up that didn’t fight quite right – they turned out to be shovel nosed rays. A good challenge on the line, but not quite the desired result. Land-based squid season is still going strong with bag limit catches off decent sized squid (40cm tube) from some of the northern bays as far north as Port Gregory. When the squid are in good numbers and feed competitively, most jigs will work, but when they’re picky a good quality jig will out preform the others. There are quite a few good brands around but a 2.5-3.5 size Yo Zuri or Yamashita jig are strongly made, they cast well with a good balance and action, and they’re not too expensive. Colours and patterns will vary depending on weather conditions, water clarity and local area environment. In our region squid jigs with red and rainbow tape with an olive/ green, brown cloth has been very successful. BOATING Late summer, early

There have been consistent captures of red emperor at the Abrolhos Islands. autumn has seen a break from the wind and swell, which has provided some spectacular days for fishing on the water. Pelagic species, such as mackerel and tuna, have been slow and inconsistent. However, there have been some great fish caught trolling the reefs out the back off Point Moore and off Drummonds Cove.

Late afternoon seems to be providing the most success. Greenough River mouth south to African Reef has been producing dhufish to 10kg, pink snapper, bald chin groper, and samsonfish. Trolling lures around big

Brody Gilchrist with a 110cm mulloway caught at Southgates Beach.

Dion Watson with a 22.5kg wahoo caught at the Abrolhos Islands.

African has seen consistent captures of mackerel. Anglers venturing out towards South West Bank have had great mixed bags off mackerel, yellowfin tuna, dhufish to 10kg, coral trout, pink snapper to 6kg and bald chin groper. Closer to town, anglers fishing the reefs around the Light House to South Gates have had some consistent captures of spangled emperor to 50cm, bald chin groper, occasional coral trout and skippy to 1kg. The

fishing around the shipping anchorages on the northern side of town has been producing dhufish, estuary cod, coral trout, bald chin groper and pink snapper. • Geraldton Sports Centre is the Mid West’s specialist fishing tackle store. Drop in and see the friendly professional staff for local advise and knowledge and browse the extensive range of fishing equipment on show at 204-208 Marine Terrace Geraldton WA, Phone, 08 99213664.

West Coast

Create mayhem on the mulloway during May KALBARRI

Stephen Wiseman

The continued flow in the Murchison has seen plenty of mulloway being caught from Chinamans, all around the Sand Spit and right up to the Pens. These fish are being taken on a

wide variety of baits, strips of mullet or live whiting, even jigs have worked for a few. Whiting have been on the bite in the same area’s with one unlucky angler loosing his whiting rod after hooking a small whiting and then loosing the lot to a passing mulloway, or so the

story goes. Pink snapper numbers are on the rise with catches in front of the sand patch being consistent. Try out around 20m as a good starting area. Shore-based pinks are also on the go, little rock crabs are the go-to bait or cast mullie when the easterlies are on with a small swell.

Rob with a decent pink taken from the rocks.

There have been plenty of mulloway caught along the beaches.

Some nice mackerel are still around and should remain for a few months with the flush of warm water still pushing down the coast. Bait schools are thick and can be seen covering the size of a football field. Yellowfin tuna have been caught but are being a bit gun shy. Downriggers have proven successful to tempt the

bigger fish, with a solid 50lb fish taken north of the sand patch west of Bald Face. Some nice tailor have been taken by Sharkfin Rock at Red Bluff. Although they are not big fish, they are very plump and well worth the effort. With the dredge work continuing, regular bust ups are common place along the

spillage line moving west from the beach. Airborn macks and some nice size yellowfin are there for the taking but it’s hard yakka doing figure-of-eights along the strip. Try dark lures or deep divers 10m+ for best results. With the present situation, be respectful and enjoy your private fishing spots.

SHEIK OF THE CREEK

The funny thing about boats is that they ‘know’ BRISBANE

The Sheik of the Creek

The funny thing about boats is they seem to have a sixth sense about their owners. They know for example, the exact time you have extra coin saved up in your bank. You may have earmarked that little bit of revenue for something along the lines of home improvement, another hobby, a slab of your favourite bevvie or even, if you’re really killing it and are rich beyond most people’s dreams, a packet of darbs. But like a jealous mistress, your watercraft senses that now is the time to spring that leak, blow that anchor light bulb or dislodge that dodgy connection under the floor. All those finances now have to be diverted back to your one true love. Perhaps this is why ships have been referred to as ‘she’ since those days Scandinavians rowed across vast oceans to rape and pillage and generally behave like English soccer fans, except more polite. Personally, I seem to never be in a situation where I can rock back and congratulate myself on having everything in

are referred to as ‘she’.

the boat under control and, what is known as, shipshape. The very term shipshape is a bloody joke, because if things were being described as shipshape in my world, they would be: a. Covered in stinking mangrove mud and

mullet gut; b. Not working; or, c. About to be not working; or d. All of the above. The other X-Filesie thing about boats that freaks me out is that things that blow or break or rust, will blow, break and rust in the most

inaccessible part of your pride and joy. If you ever have the chance to build your own boat, or have it built, I recommend you make it like Lego, so you can pull it to bits to gain access to that pump, wire or rivet that’s hiding just beyond finger

touching distance under the floor/behind the console/in the pod. Mahatmir Ghandi would have done his nut trying to reconnect some of the wires I’ve had to deal with in various boats over the years. It’s why smart people take one of a couple

of options when dealing with these finger stretching problems. They either: a. Ignore it; b. Run another wire; c. Pass it on to an expert; or, d. All of the above. Which is probably another reason why boats MAY 2020

109

North Coast

Massive browns to monster blacks BROOME

Troy Honey

The end of March saw many local anglers bring in some terrific trophy fish, along with huge brown mud crabs. It is obviously a challenging time for

to April. One lucky junior angler, Jaxon Greatwich was out fishing early on with his parents across the bay in an area known as the Fingers. The Fingers are a series of short inlets of mangroves across Roebuck Bay from Broome that fish very well with the large tides and are

by the end of battle, which left him victorious over the fish that measured 96cm and a trophy that no doubt will be treasured for some time to come. Still in the bay and associated creeks, there have been several catches of very good size threadfin salmon

Jaxon Greatwich caught this beautiful black jewfish while fishing in Broome across Roebuck Bay at the mouth of the mangrove Fingers, which run into the bay. everyone, and even more so in Broome and the wider Kimberley region to ensure safety is paramount in the local indigenous communities. Following strict guidelines, fishing is still possible in certain areas around Broome and out on the boat and there have been an array of superb catches to report to you this month. Last month I touched on the good numbers and size of the black jewfish that are being caught in Roebuck Bay and that has certainly extended through

than enough reasons to fish the area. As mentioned before, the size of some of the brown mud crabs being caught at the moment around Broome is nothing short of staggering. These browns will give even the largest of green mud crabs a run for their money. One thing to note, it is documented after a study a couple of years ago by scientists in the Northern Territory that brown mud crabs are officially more aggressive than the greens. Combine that with the size of brown mud crabs being caught in Broome at the moment and you have to ensure you know what you are doing if planning a day out chasing them. Last year, I was not quick enough when handling a couple of small but legal size brown mud crabs in the esky. Now knowing the feeling when the hydraulic strength of the claw clamps down around one of your fingers is something I will carry with me for life and never make that mistake again! I can only imagine what the damage would be like if one of the recently caught brown mud crabs that have been tipping over 200mm across that carapace

a popular spot for those chasing threadfin salmon. Fishing on an incoming tide, Jaxon armed his rod with a reel running 30lb braid and 80lb leader, running sinker and prawn for bait. It wasn’t too long before game on and the black jewfish being such a powerful fish, made a couple of big runs before wrapping the braid around the motor without somehow breaking the braid. With Mum and Dad’s help, Jaxon managed to untangle the monster and finally land it. Jaxon’s legs were wobbling beneath him

Will Burns has been exploring what Dampier Creek has to offer and there is no doubt it produces the goods when you see bluenose salmon of this size being landed. emperor numbers are rising rapidly with fish in the 35-45cm range schooling over coral bottom from 25m and deeper. Golden snapper are still being caught with the more predominate area is further up the coastline of Cape Leveque. Mangrove jack can be found in all of the creeks along this stretch of coastline. If you’re fishing for demersals from shore up the cape, try casting and retrieving bibbed minnow lures off rocky outcrops for coral trout. They won’t always be size but they are always about in these areas. The more prized red emperor and rankin cods are still further out and finding fish of good size over 50cm you will need to fish ground deeper than 40m. Smaller sharks can be less common in these areas but if you hang around lumps for too long, the larger bronze whalers of over 2m will become a problem. One option is to look for ground along contours that have small ridges running of height of 1m or less and hard coral bottom. Sharks are less likely to congregate in these areas when compared to large lumps and reefs where they

find feeding much easier. The demersals are plentiful in Broome if you spend the time researching and finding them, but escaping the sharks will be your biggest problem. Trial, record and establish an anti shark plan that works and then stick to it. After a couple of years of trial I learnt the secrets to fishing in Broome with a lower shark rate and the benefits are not only what you land, but also on fish stocks and that is the most important point to consider. It has been an amazing wet season in Broome and the wider region with excellent rains that have again set the fishery up for a great year of barramundi breeding. The next couple of years will see many trophy fish caught so now is the time to start planning for the next wet season fishing adventure, service all of your reels, stock up on your lures and support the tourism industry in a region where it supports the entire community. Broome is going to need all of your help to get through the current economic climate and I am sure they will meet you with open arms when you arrive to claim that treasured metery.

Local angler Will burns knows how to make the most of the divers fishing in Broome, especially when you don’t have to venture far for what many regard as the best eating fish in Australia, the blackspot tuskfish. He caught this great example of this prized eating and fighting fish at the Broome Jetty.

Barramundi can be found all around Broome from in the creeks, along the beaches and schooling up around the jetty pylons at night. Will got stuck into a few feisty barra in Dampier Creek recently, which is accessible to anyone with a tinny when holidaying in Broome. 110

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along with bluenose salmon, barramundi and even some solid queenfish around the metre mark giving anglers a challenging time on light gear. As we head into the cooler, less humid months of the dry season, the drop-off of barramundi catches won’t deter anglers from targeting this area as both threadfin salmon and mud crabs will continue to provide more

would be like. Dry season upon us also means cooler water temps which means the demersals will move in closer and the pesky smaller shark numbers will be down in the warmer, shallower waters. Already there have been a few great catches of saddletail snapper in close with fish in excess of 60cm being caught as close as the 20m mark. Blueline

Will Burns with a monster Dampier Creek bream caught on a retrieved Squidgy.

North Coast

No need to be upset at the end of the barra season DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

May in Karratha is by far the best time of year to plan your fishing trips for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the weather is mostly perfect with

Nickol Bay and around the boat moorings in Dampier are popular spots to grab a good feed of blue swimmers but there are many other areas to try such as around Cleaverville and out on the sandy flats surrounding the small islands just off Cossack.

March to June is the great blue swimmer crab run in Karratha that all locals and visitors look forward to. Marni Alexander knows how to find them by using the water temperature as her key indicator. subtle winds, pleasant temperatures in the mid 30s and the humidity drops off significantly. Secondly, it is just the start of the tourist season with many of the local camping spots and fishing grounds having a good breather from the crowds and lower fishing pressure. With the cooler water temperature flowing through, the demersals will follow and the only downside is the barra fishing will slow down to a near stop. The dreaded irukandji and box jellyfish numbers will disperse through May, but please bear in mind we did have two irukandji stings in April last year, so you still have to be vigilant if swimming and diving the local waters. Easter is a very significant date on the fishing calendar in Karratha as it marks the kick off of the great blue swimmer crab run. Crabs have been caught a few weeks before Easter this year although the size and numbers are down a bit but as we moved past Easter, both increased dramatically with many people bagging out in only a few pulls of their nets. Areas such as

As the water cools, the blue swimmers will move into shallower water. Early on, around Easter, they are generally in 6m or more but by mid-May they will be at your feet in less than a metre. The colours of the males are nowhere near as bright blue as their southern counterparts but that does not impact taste in any way. For bait, you cannot go past chicken wings on a wire clip. I prefer chicken

for blue swimmer crabs and although red meat such as lamb necks do work well, they are more expensive and are the preferred option for when chasing muddies. Our first run out this year was a success with a nice esky full of blue swimmers, but they came at a price with the sharks getting stuck into our bait and making a mess of our drop nets. That was early on with the water temp still up a bit, which will always result in higher shark numbers about. It is a short but sweet blue swimmer crab season in the Karratha region and all over by the end of June with nothing but stragglers still hanging around, so you need to make the most of the few months they are in close. If you have managed to get out and find some crabs, there is another trick to always ensure you roll out when fishing this beautiful region. Always keep all of the cooked crab shells and left over bits. Smash them up into small pieces and keep in the freezer in snap lock bags. If you can contain yourself, try not to eat all of the cooked crab legs as these are right up there with the best of baits for the mighty bluebone. Bluebone cannot resist a couple of cooked crab legs presented on an 8/0 hook and running size 5 bean sinker attached to a 125lb handline. Throw that out around any rocky outcrop or reef in the area and you are sure to go home happy. The cooked

A fish that is very common in waters around Thevenard Island and Exmouth further south is the solid fighting and great tasting jobfish. Russell Millar got into them recently while fishing the depths for demersals and landed this very good size example of the prized fish.

crab legs are not preferred by just bluebone, all species of emperor including red and blueline, rankin cod, saddletail sea perch, jobfish and many other will all be keen for a taste. The Karratha region is host to a spectacular range of pelagics and billfish, and none more so than the sailfish. May sees the start to the rise in numbers of these sportsfish and the peak period

continues right through to November, although sailfish can be caught all year round. During this period it is not uncommon for boaters to tag 10 or more in a single session and you can be assured of this ultra-reliable fishery producing when planning your next trip. Sailfish have a long, tapered lower jaw and it can be a tedious chore when trying to gain a hook up on bait or even skirted lures. The two standard methods are by using teasers and switch baiting or trolling skipbaits using locally caught garfish, mullet or small queenies, with the latter starting to become a very popular option. By trolling your skipbaits between 3-5 knots off the back of the Dampier Archipelago out to

Local angler Russell Millar loves the challenge of fighting big trevally, with GTs being his predominate catch, but when a pennant trevally of this size comes along you certainly know you are doing something right.

Plenty of rocky outcrops around the Karratha region. You can isolate easily here and you will find abundance of species like this blackspot tuskfish. the rigs and ships with a nice spread of teasers, it should have you in the action in no time. Most importantly is to try not to overcomplicate it and have a deckie and skipper action plan with good communication. The same goes for tackle, any good brand 6-15kg spin outfit will more than suffice. Working the tide changes, which is even more important on spring tides, will finish off your Karratha billfish fishing day setting you up for the highest chance of success. On the pelagic front the trevally have been on fire since March and through April with more monster GTs around the 20kg mark being caught over the shoals in the Archipelago. One standout capture was local Russell Millarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s massive pennant trevally that exceeded the 1m mark effortlessly. Along the edges of these shoals around the tide changes is also the prime location and time to troll lures for Spanish mackerel which, like the billfish, are coming into the peak time of year for them.

Threadfin salmon and barramundi catches are all but behind us now with only the rare catch still being reported. That is not to say

the creeks are not worth a fish as there is plenty of new ground for mangrove jacks and mud crabs to explore after cyclone Damien unleashed heavy rains that cut new banks and allowed isolated waterholes to once again become part of the flowing systems. Challenging times ahead of us all while we navigate the government isolation changes together which, even if they do keep us from enjoying our favourite past time, will give us all a chance to support our local tackle and seafood stores, neaten up our tackle boxes, service our reels and boat motors and reduce fishing pressure on our prized stocks. When we come out the other side of this, I am sure it will be a season to remember. Stay safe and thank you for supporting Fishing Monthly Magazine and all local fishing businesses for that matter.

Longnose emperor are often boated around the 28-38cm size range. They do grow much larger and are just divine to serve up on the dinner plate. Russell shows just how large they can grow with his catch last month. MAY 2020

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Freshwater

Time to nurture and take care of our fisheries FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

Late autumn can be one of the best times to go freshwater fishing in our, state. Unfortunately for most of us it involves driving some distance from our homes and, as I write, the government is suggesting we don’t do that because of the chance of spreading this dreadful virus to towns and communities that are not capable of treating people should they become ill. For those of you who read my previous reports, you would be aware of the lengths I go to promote country towns as I am from one myself. I have watched it decline over the last

trout in our rivers and streams. Unfortunately, I don’t have the stocking figures as yet because the FFRG committee that I sit on with Recfishwest was postponed to a later date. Hopefully, it will be held through a video session to be announced. I can say that there should be around 2000 brood rainbows and 7000 advanced yearlings to go around, but with some of the dams being critically low we will need to be smart on how we go about stocking these lower dams this year. Waiting for them to start rising would be a good start. AUSSIE NATIVES As most are aware, the lack of these East Coast species available to the general public makes

can inform you of any restrictions or shut downs. Drakesbrook Weir Beautiful scenery is essential to our well-being, so hopefully travel restrictions will only be temporary.

Big redfin lurk in the long dark pools of the Warren River. Eric Kirsch displays a couple of fine examples. PREDICTED DAM LEVELS Some of our dams are reasonable considering the long summer that started in November. Harvey, Glen Mervyn and Wellington Dams are extremely low with Harvey being the lowest in 11 years. Glen Mervyn is the lowest I’ve seen it ever, so we need a decent winter or things could be challenging next summer.

WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM

couple of decades so to tell people to avoid towns is hard for me to do. It’s going to be hard to stop people fishing and I can only advise that if you do travel south then bring your own supplies and camp away from people, but most of all don’t put towns at risk. This may change for the worst as a total ban may be implemented, as is the case in New Zealand with the government banning hunting and fishing. Hopefully, this doesn’t occur and if we get our usual rains in May it should fire up the 112

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43% 83% 58% 18% 32% 15% 52%

targeting them very hard unless you are in the know. Reports are getting harder as most are so secretive of location and I can understand why as foot traffic has increased in these once hidden locations. Still a few have been caught with a variety of cod sizes being reported, so it could indicate that they are successfully breeding or possibly restocking has occurred.

Callum Madden is a big advocate of catch and release, especially brown trout like this one out of Big Brook Dam.

A superb section of a SW river that holds some trophy browns. They only get big thanks to those who practise catch and release.

DAMS Waroona Dam I had a look at this water in early April and can say it was lower than previous years with some of the weed beds starting to become exposed as the water recedes. Trout reports have been patchy but casting in the quieter parts of the dam with lures and flies should turn up a fish or two. Redfin are active and if you have a boat with a sounder then look for the schools that start to congregate this time of the year. Lake side camping is available through the caravan park and they

Some good reports have come in of a few nice rainbows being caught from the shore recently by locals so hopefully a few more turn up. Redfin should show up in the deeper water with average size up on previous years. Stable water levels over summer have resulted in good weed beds being established, so look for these if you are on the water. Logue Brook Dam No reports, but May is a good time to target trout in this dam. Water levels are stable and this dam hasn’t suffered the large draw down of some in the area.

Freshwater Harvey Dam Unfortunately this waterway is extremely low this year with the old weir wall being exposed. It is the lowest in 11 years and the fishing has been poor with lots of anglers complaining and coming away with low numbers of redfin and trout not even sighted. Hopefully things will change when they stock it but this may not be until August. Wellington Dam This dam is also very low this year, but a few redfin have been caught at both the Potters Gorge end and over at the Hamilton arm. Trolling lures has been the best method but you must keep moving until you find the fish. Glen Mervyn Dam No reports of trout but a few redfin have turned up in the extremely low water on lures. Big Brook Dam A nice brown trout was reported here that came from the dam wall, along with some reasonable redfin. This is a scenic dam and even if you don’t catch a fish, the views are

Some dams are high but unfortunately this one is off limits as it’s used for drinking water. Although efforts have been made, Water Corp won’t allow controlled access to sport fishing. favourite upstream haunts. Collie River Below Wellington Dam Trout are still being caught with a number of browns showing up in the catch. I can’t make it any clearer that these beautifully marked trout

rarely caught up near Collie. Locals seem to do well but are sometimes reluctant to disclose information. Capel River (New Location) I have been reluctant to report on this river as it’s a small water and prone

Some of the dams are extremely low and unless we get sufficient rain this winter, irrigation will be limited next season. breathtaking. May is when it normally fires with good flyfishing in the darkness on larger flies. RIVERS Murray River No reports of trout so far but redfin are still coming out of the deeper pools on lures. Don’t disregard soft plastics as they can be deadly when cast close to timber. Well upstream has been quieter than normal but I know one angler that never misses at his

to over fishing. Redfin are available and some medium size models are caught by those that know the area. I would suggest you arm yourself with a good selection of lures and go exploring, but please limit your catch (even though this is against the fisheries recommendations for this species). Blackwood River above Bridgetown Mainly redfin have come from well upstream and some of the reports have revealed some impressive specimens. Exploring is the key to success. Blackwood River below Bridgetown It’s been hard going but a few trout have been hooked in the vicinity of Nannup. Warren River This river is renowned for big redfin that lurk in the deep dark pools. It seems the whole section from above Rooney Bridge all the way to the lower

A beautiful rainbow from Drakesbrook Weir caught while trolling. Zac Faulkner is one of the many locals that are lucky to have this water in their backyard.

should be returned to the water as they are a rare catch and are harder to produce down at the hatchery. Keep an eye on water flow as irrigation is normally shut down and the fishing can shut down as well Collie River Above Wellington Dam This was the site for the competition held in March with some great catches turning up at the weigh in. Of course, I’m talking redfin as trout are

section by the sea is turning up good sizes. Trout are harder to locate but a good bit of rain and they seem to materialise out of nowhere. Lefroy Brook All the usual spots are holding trout but, as I write, the flows are mainly only from what they let out of Big Brook Dam. A good map is essential if you don’t know this area. Stealthy approach is imperative in low water where the trout are cautious and spook at any movement. Donnelly River The debate is still raging regarding the dam proposal on Record Brook next to the upper Donnelly. For those that aren’t aware, the proposal is to build a weir on the Donnelly and pump water to a dam the size of Waroona Dam.

Bass are not native to our state and authorities are trying hard to keep them out of WA. Ironically, they are considered the Holy Grail on the East Coast and gaining that same reputation here.

This would then become available to irrigators from Manjimup to Pemberton, a great scheme if we had a reliable rainfall pattern like we did in the 70s. I will keep you informed as information comes to hand or you can go to Save The Donnelly Facebook group for more info. There has been some nice trout both rainbow and browns come out of the lower sections. I would try Boat Landing and trolling close to the timber is a good start with all the usual lures. Please return the browns as they are only just getting established. So there you have another report on what’s available in our south. If we don’t go into lockdown then follow the government recommendations and keep everyone safe in these trying times. Stay safe and tight lines. MAY 2020

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recfishwest

The crucial role recfishing must play in Western Australia’s recovery post-COVID 19 At the time of writing this article, the Government has just announced new restrictions strongly advising people to stay in their homes unless shopping for essentials, medical appointments, exercise and work.

of their mental health and wellbeing. However, in these exceptional times, we urge recfishers to be safe and be responsible and to stay at home if you can – other than for the exceptions outlined above.

fishing is going to play in the social and economic recovery of this great State of ours post COVID-19. Coming out the other side of this, people are going to need a very large breath of fresh air both figuratively and

Fishing is going to be a key activity in boosting WA fishers’ mental health and wellbeing. Photo courtesy of Perth Fishing Safaris.

Recfishwest want to see West Aussie fishers back out there after the restrictions. If it wasn’t clear before that fishing for now was off limits, it is pretty clear now. By the time you read this it is entirely feasible that you will be reading this in your home with complete lockdown in force to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These are obviously very challenging and stressful times with many in our community who may have been looking to fishing to provide a muchneeded break for the sake

FISHING’S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING LIFTING QUALITIES So now what? Aside from this being a great time for working on some serious fishing gear and boat maintenance, rig-tying, fixing rods, lure-making and learning a whole range of new fishing related skills online etc., we, as the recfishing community, need to take the longer view and look to the highly important role

literally – the toll, the fall-out of the COVID19’s pandemic is going to take on our community will undoubtedly be huge. Fishing is going to be a key activity in boosting WA’s hundreds and thousands fishers’ mental health and wellbeing. Fishing provides us all with that opportunity to get out there and get away from whatever the trials and tribulations we are facing in our daily lives. It’s an absorbing and

Fish towers attract dhufish, queenfish and samsonfish. 114

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Dunsborough Artificial Reef is surrounded by footballer sweep. engaging activity that also has a very social and therapeutic element to it for many – for some fishers they will talk openly about stuff they are dealing with, with mates on a boat or on a fishing trip away they wouldn’t necessarily open up about normally – this is particularly important for many men who have a tendency to bury their thoughts feelings if they are struggling. For other anglers it gives them a chance to connect with nature getting away from the urban or town environment and clearing their head of the clutter. One of the great things about fishing is that when the bite begins, you are utterly absorbed in the

moment – it’s almost like everything else ceases to exist – Zen masters can spend years of meditating to be completely engaged in the moment like this! All of this will be really important for those who’re doing it tough right now – engaging in normal and pleasurable activities like fishing post-COVID will help us all regain a sense of slowly returning to normality at a time when everything has been turned upside down. RECFISHWEST’S CONTINUING COMMITMENT DURING THE CRISIS At Recfishwest we’ll be doing all we can to offer support to those in our community who are struggling with all of this

recfishwest and, rest assured, we’re going to be working hard in the background during this challenging time to meet our stated mission and purpose – to make fishing better for West Aussies forever. This means we’re going to be working hard to progress projects like fish stocking, artificial reefs and FADs that can and will bring enhanced fishing opportunities and an economic boost for local communities. We’ll be using this time to work closely with Government and our partners in industry to fasttrack these projects. We’ll be urging governments and authorities to get rid of the red tape that can hold up these projects so that we can make real advances in: • Getting more reefs in the water; • Aussie natives stocked in inland lakes and dams; • More FADs for our Statewide FADs program;

The tackle and charter industries are being hit hard by the crisis. giving this commitment, “I look forward to working in partnership with Recfishwest

Spectacular were set to help West Aussies celebrate salmon like never before – bringing a further boost to the South-West and Great Southern. Before we made the right decision to call them off, these events had already began to attract a lot of interest and buy-in from participants (more than 1,000 anglers registered for the Slam in the first four weeks of the comp before the run had even got going) and sponsors within the fishing tackle and outdoors industry – and we thank them for their support. Needless to say, we will be working hard to ensure these events come back bigger and better next year using the time we now have to refine the app technology used for the Slam and planning ahead

towards recovering our recreational fishing sector post-COVID-19.” We are encouraged

The annual salmon run alone sees recfishers spending $331 million on fishing gear, bait, food and accommodation in pursuit of these awesome sportfish.

One of the great things about fishing is that when the bite begins, you are utterly absorbed in the moment! • Finding real solutions to the shark bite off problem; • Stocking of a range of great recreational species; and • Promoting the amazing experiences offered by abundant stocks of salmon on out South and lower west coasts. These are just some of the projects that we will be throwing all our organizational weight and resources into to make happen, resulting in real, meaningful and multiple beneficial outcomes for West Aussie anglers. We want to see West Aussies fishers back out there after this doing what they love – it’s in the WA DNA, a part of who we are – the Fisheries Minister Peter Tinley recognized it as such

by this and we will be doing all we can to ensure Government continues to recognise the importance of recfishing to WA and

Recfishing will have a huge role to play in the economic recovery of WA. Photo courtesy of Colby Smith.

throws its support behind the wellbeing of the recfishing community. 2.4 BILLION REASONS FOR RECFISHING BEING A MAJOR PART OF WA’S RECOVERY Recfishing will also have a huge role to play in the economic recovery of our state; recfishing is worth $2.4 billion a year to our economy and fishing initiatives like artificial reefs, fishing competitions and festivals bring big boosts to regional economies attracting intrastate, interstate and overseas visitors wanting to sample the great fishing regional WA offers. The annual salmon run alone sees recfishers spending $331 million on fishing gear, bait, food and accommodation in pursuit of these awesome sportfish – and events like our app-based Salmon Slam fishing comp and the Albany Salmon

for next year’s events. Of course, on the economic front, the tackle and charter industries are being hit hard by the crisis and we will be working closely with those heavily impacted by this to do what we can to support them. You can play your role on the other side of this by buying your fishing gear local, consider giving family and friends vouchers for charter fishing trips for birthday and Christmas presents and when the restrictions are lifted to plan your fishing and family holidays in regional WA. Our commitment to you and recfishing in WA is as strong as ever; in times of crisis, we all have to stand up, pull together and do our bit. We will get through this together and come out the other side making recfishing in WA better than ever before helping this glorious State of ours shine again. MAY 2020

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Pryke’s first time wins Derwent Cranka round The 2020 Tasmanian ABT Tour saw over 25 boats catch the Spirit of Tasmania from the mainland to this breamin’ Mecca. It was a mix of seasoned Tasmanian tournament fishing veterans and firsttimers who were ticking an event off the bucket

list. They mixed it with the local Tasmanian anglers to create an experience to remember. Lakes Entrance’s Steven Pryke was a first-timer. He’s an angler who fishes both the powerboats and the kayak events and does very well in each. In fact, he’s currently

Due to the cost of getting the boats and gear across, ABT only visits Tasmania every second year for the Costa BREAM Series. Many anglers make it a “must do” trip. Luckily, the 2020 iteration finished before the COVID-19 lockdowns.

leading the BREAM Angler of the Year race after four events. Depending on what happens with the COVID-19 virus, he may well be leading come the end of the year. The practice day was his first time on the Derwent and after bouncing around a few places, he settled on a historically productive stretch called the Bedlam Wells. “I felt comfortable there because it reminded me of spots I fished in the Mitchell River at home,” he said. Boxing a couple of nice fish there, he made the decision to fish that location on the tournament day. It proved to be a masterstroke. Pryke had also assembled information from previous event reports, livestreams and from kayaking legend, Richard Somerton. Opting for a soft plastic presentation instead of the jerkbaits often preferred at this venue, Pryke caught all of his fish on a Squidgy BioTough 100mm Wriggler. He fished it on a 1/16oz Atomic Seekerz jighead, 181 Samurai Reaction rod and a Daiwa Luvias 1000 reel. “The bream were stacked up in between 1.5 and 2m of

It was all about consistency for Steven Pryke. A pair of 5kg+ bags earned him his first ABT win on his first trip to this iconic venue. water. We landed at least 30 bream on Day 1 and another 20+ fish on Day 2,” Steve explained. Consistency proved Pryke’s strength while taking his first ever ABT win, boxing 5/5, 5.27kg on Day 1

BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Name Steve Pryke Adam Crick Shane Ling Cam Whittam Wally Fahey Leigh McKenzie Declan Betts Scott Towner Josh Williams Alan Lister

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) 10.43 10.36 10.15 9.83 9.57 9.01 9.00 8.99 8.95 8.82

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 116

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Prize $3,000 + + $250 Merc bonus $1250 + $500 Big Bream $1000 + $125 Merc bonus $900 + $75 Merc bonus $800 $700 $600 $500

and another 5/5 for 5.16kg on the final day of competition. “On both days I had my bag by about 8am and used the rest of the day to upgrade,” he continues. The Sunday session wasn’t without excitement, however. After a full day of fishing the one spot, Pryke found his cranking battery

depleted. Luckily, Tasmanian Jack Gillespie came to the rescue and the jump starter required to get his valuable catch back to the weigh-in at Bellerive Yacht Club. The weigh-in was an exciting affair, with Pryke consistently just trumping Tasmanian, Adam Crick’s scintillating second day bag.

Scan the QR code to see the day one highlights.

Scan the QR code to see the day two highlights.

Crick nearly achieves the impossible Adam Crick’s heroics on the Derwent in 2018 were in the front of all anglers’ minds when ABT visited the venue again in 2020. Mining the sparse waters of Ralphs Bay that event, he assembled the bags required to take the title, and the weather let him do it. 2020, however, was a different story. Strong winds forecast on Day 1 kept Crick in the Derwent proper and an average bag of sub-4kg placed him in 16th going into the Sunday. He needed something special, and so very nearly got it. Heading back to Ralphs, Crick mined a ripping limit of fish between 37-40cm to the fork of the tail. They dropped the scales to 5/5, 6.43kg and he came within 60g of snatching the win from 16th place. Crick fished an assortment of lures, including DD Panishes (7/15/20 colours), Lucky Craft’s Flash Minnow in

VHard leader. “I did upgrade a few times during the day and the biggest fish in by bag came in the last 5 minutes before I had to leave,” Crick explained, visibly excited at the weigh-in. He has definitely earned his reputation as the man to watch on this big bream Mecca.

BREAM SERIES

abt

DAIWA J BRAID BIG BREAM

If Adam Crick gets to fish Ralphs Bay, he’s always dangerous – even from 16th place! ghost sayori and a Lucky Craft Tango in disco. His technique was typically Tasmanian, a basic, slow twitch with

pauses on shallow rocky edges and flats. He fished the baits on a Black Hole NS One 702L

Bream Special, rigged with a Daiwa 2004 Exist spooled with Sunline Siglon PE8 10lb and a 5lb Sunline

J-Ro does the Derwent right

Victorian Jesse Rotin loves the Derwent. He finished second from the back of the boat the last time he visited, and he took it up a notch in 2020 by bagging the non-boater trophy. He

Bream Series presented by

loves the Derwent and says, “It’s a mixture of all my favourite locations across Australia shoved into one decent river.” Jesse was paired with Rob Warren on Day 1. “I decided to change

to a favourite lure of mine, the Daiwa Presso Minnow 6F in lazer ayu after deeper lures were getting weeded in the shallows. The key was to cast it right up onto the shallow rocky edges, then twitch the lure back with a

Non boater champ, Jesse Rotin, bettered the 2nd place that he earned last time he visited the Derwent. He’s a mean stick at the back of the boat on this venue.

decent pause, giving the fish plenty of time to sneak up and grab it. After the first drift, I had put together a nice bag all on the edges around the Bowen Bridge,” Jesse said. Day 2 saw Jesse paired with Launceston Mercury dealer, Zane Wyatt. After bouncing around most of the morning, the pair settled on some deeper water oyster reefs near Mona. After getting owned by several bream in a row, Jesse upped his outfit to match the challenge. He used a Daiwa TD Hyper 701LFS/TD and Sol 3 LT spooled with 8lb J-Braid Grand and a 5lb leader. “The oyster encrusted rocks we’re still in the back of my mind but with the slightly heavier leader I was more confident to tighten the drag and wind like a mad man and crank them away from danger. This worked great and I landed a decent bream straight away and, after that, never got roasted again, allowing me to put together a nice bag,” Jesse explained.

Crick’s 6.43kg Day 2 bag was, by a long margin, the biggest bag weighed in at the event. Adam Crick’s Day 2 bag consisted of the biggest and second biggest bream weighed in at the event. That was to be expected of a limit that surpassed the next biggest mark by nearly a kilo. The $500 fish was landed in the last five minutes of fishing and definitely added to the excitement levels.

Scan the QR code to see Steven Pryke interview Nearly all of Jesse’s fish on Day 2 were landed on ZMan GrubZ 2.5” in motor oil on a 1/16oz jighead, except one which was his first fish of the day on the Daiwa Presso 6F in lazer ayu. “All in all, I had a fun

Scan the QR code to see Jesse Rotin interview time in Tassie, I got paired with two great boaters and this is what allowed me to weigh in my winning bag. As always, the ABT Tour was really good fun and I already can’t wait for the next competition,” Jesse smiled after the weigh-in.

NON-BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Name Jesse Rotin John Galea Jack Morris Mike Hodges Leighton Beer Allan Morrison Michael Thompson Antony Suttil Greg Cooper Grayson Fong

Total Fish 10/10 10/10 9/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10

Total Weight (kg) 8.54 8.20 8.08 8.02 7.97 7.78 7.48 7.14 6.92 6.68

Prize Costa + ProLure pack Daiwa pack Sufix pack + Pro up winner Atomic pack + rod EJ Todds pack Samaki pack + rod TT Lures pack Cranka pack Ecogear/Imakatsu pack VMC/Keitech pack

From the base at the Bellerive Yacht Club, anglers venture to both ends of the system. MAY 2020

117

Mercury St Helens win to Singapore’s Sutcliffe The Mercury round of the 2020 Costa Bream Series, and the second leg of the Tassie tour, saw another milestone for ABT – our first ever international winner. Mike S u t c l i ff e travelled all the way from Singapore to take out the win, bringing two bags over 4kg to the scales: 5/5, 4.27kg on the first day and 5/5, 4.62kg on the second, holding off a hardcharging Mario Vukic by just over 600g.

This isn’t Mike’s first trip to Tassie and he’s had a love/hate relationship with St Helens over the years, bringing in a few good bags, but also a share of ones best not mentioned. However, the years of accumulating knowledge of the arena paid off this time, as despite having what he called a ‘spectacularly ordinary’ pre-fish, he identified an area that held the quality fish he needed. Fishing towards the

How does Mike get this on the plane to Singapore? That’s his problem.

mouth of the bay, between a patch of oyster racks and the shore, Sutcliffe knew that to succeed in the clear, oceanic water, one thing was important – distance. “I fished with the wind,” he told us, “which was coming from different directions over the two days. Against the tide on the first day and with it on the second.” As well as ensuring the wind was at his back, Mike selected a lure he thought would cast a long way, opting to fish a Zipbaits Khamsin Jr shallowrunning lure in colour 300. “That was the lure that did the damage on both days,” Mike said in his post-win interview. He later told us that on day two, he upgraded several times and didn’t actually landed a fish under 30cm, which is testament to the pulling power of this particular bait. He paired the winning lure with a Samurai Reaction RE201-270 rod, a Daiwa Exist reel spooled with 10lb braid and 4lb Daiwa J-thread leader. If you use the QR code

Mike Sutcliffe presented a string of bream like this to the weighmaster to take the trophy back home to Singapore. here, you can watch the short pieces of footage he managed to capture of himself fishing on the final day (it was his first time running a camera on a boat). You’ll also see that the piece of water he fished looked pretty featureless, but what was under the surface seemed

BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Name Mike Sutcliffe Mario Vukic Cameron Whittam Peter Nord Steve Duff Tom Deer Declan Betts Josh Williams Adam Crick Grant Stingel

Total Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 10/10

Total Weight (kg) 8.89kg 8.21kg 8.12kg 7.97kg 7.80kg 7.17kg 7.07kg 7.03kg 6.97kg 6.75kg

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888

118

MAY 2020

Prize $3,000 $1,250 $1,000 + $250 Merc bonus $900 + $125 Merc bonus $800 $600 $500 + $75 Merc bonus

to make the difference. “If you could see patches of weed that looked like sponges, that was where the fish seemed to be,” he concluded. The area Mike fished wasn’t a flat in the traditional sense of the word. It was more like a ‘drop off from a flat’, which was essentially the main highway for bream moving up to feed.

Having an extra little bit of depth of water to work with meant the fish were less likely to spook than they were in the really skinny water of the flats another reason those long casts came in handy, too. This was Mike’s firstever win in an ABT career that stretches back to 2004. He’s already making plans to defend his title at St Helens in 2022.

Scan the QR code to see the day one highlights.

Scan the QR code to see the day two highlights.

Vukic always improving at St Helens Having fished St Helens on two previous occasions, Mario Vukic knew it was difficult catching fish on the shallow flats unless it was near or on the high tide. He targeted deeper dropoffs and weed edges that dropped down to about 20ft to maximise his fishing time while waiting for the tide to rise. On Day 1 Mario went

straight to these drop-offs and fished the weed edges as the tide was low. “I was sitting out in about 18-20ft casting right up the weed edge in about 1-2ft, pulling my 2.5” motor oil ZMan GrubZ fished on a 1/16oz jighead through the weed and down the sand drop-off. The bigger fish would hit it as it came out through the weed and the mid-sized fish

flats and fished my soft plastic, basically twitching it along the bottom, and managed to get the final two fish to complete my bag. I went back to the drop-offs for the last 30 minutes to get an important late upgrade changing my plastic to the Squidgy Bio Tough 100mm Wriggler in bloodworm which put a 950g fish in the well,” he said. Mario only caught six fish on day two but they were the right quality. He was very

Bream Series presented by

BREAM SERIES

abt

satisfied with a second place finish in such a high quality field at an interstate venue.

DAIWA J BRAID BIG BREAM What would the odds have been for a Singaporean and a Queenslander taking home the titles in Tasmania?

Mario Vukic gets better and better each time he visits St Helens. At his current rate of improvement, he should win in 2022.

would hit it on a secondary ledge in about 6-8ft. If you fished your plastic any deeper you would catch trevally after trevally, so the plastic was wound in about one third into the retrieve,” he said. Mario uses a relatively slow taper rod in the Gloomis SR842-2 GLX with a Daiwa

Exist spooled with 0.8 (12lb) Sunline Castaway braid and 4lb Sunline VHard Leader. On Day 2 it was a little tougher with higher winds making plastics fishing challenging. “I was stuck on three fish for quite some time. So at high tide, I moved up to the shallow

Grayson Fong does it again Hot off his emphatic victory in Round 2 on Gippsland Lakes earlier this year, Daiwa angler Grayson Fong from Queensland has yet again shown his skills and diversity from the back of the boat to cruise to victory at St Helens. Paired with Adam Crick on Day 1, Fong took advantage of open water out the back of the boat while Crick focused on fish sighted in the shallows near the infamous Stockyards. Using a Lucky Craft Flash Minnow in live wakasagi colour, Grayson concentrated on making long wind-assisted casts to maximise the time his lure was in the strike zone. He found a twitchtwitch-pause retrieval to be the most effective as majority of his fish hit the lure while it was paused for 3-4 seconds. This technique saw Grayson lead the non boater category after Day

Al Lister bagged $500 and some Daiwa J-Braid for taming this 1.49kg brute on the flats. Lister Lands Daiwa J-Braid Big Bream Rod: G.Loomis E6X. 7’ 2-6lb. Reel: Daiwa Exceler LT2000. Braid: Sunline Castaway 10lb. Leader: 4m of Sunline 4lb Flourocarbon leader. Lure: Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 65mm 3.8g in a blue baitfish colour. On the flats in 1m of water, long cast with the wind then a twitch and pause retrieve. The fish hit on the first twitch and fought hard all the way to the net. It weighed 1.49kg.

Grayson Fong not only led the non boater division on Day 1, he also weighed the heaviest bag of the day. 1, as well as weighing the biggest bag for the whole field for the day with an impressive 4.40kg. Day 2 saw him paired

with Victorian stalwart Peter Stephens whose generosity to give Grayson the run of the boat rewarded both anglers as they soon

figured out a pattern with over 15 legal bream hitting the decks for the day. Fong’s fifth fish was long awaited with this

NON-BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Name Grayson Fong Stuart Walker Leighton Beer Richard Wootten Allan Lavell Blair Bryant James Blazewski Peter Mazey John Galea Travis Ryan

Total Fish 10/10 10/10 9/10 8/10 9/10 8/10 8/10 8/10 6/10 7/10

Total Weight (kg) 8.34kg 6.95kg 6.85kg 6.22kg 5.62kg 5.12kg 5.05kg 4.96kg 4.77kg 4.66kg

Prize Costa + ProLure pack Daiwa pack Sufix pack Atomic pack EJ Todds pack Samaki pack Tackle Tactics pack Cranka pack Ecogear and Keitech pack VMC pack

level of anxiety testing his ability to keep cool under pressure. “I felt that I may scrape in for a victory with just four fish but I definitely knew a fifth fish would seal it for me,” said Grayson, ‘It took me two hours and ten minutes to find that fish which was the most carefully played fish all day!’ Hitting the final weigh in with another solid bag of 3.94kg, sealed his second victory for the year by over 1.3kg and gave him valuable points towards his

ultimate goal to win non boater AOY for 2020. Grayson’s rig consisted of a 2019 Daiwa TD Hyper 701ULXS rod paired with a Daiwa Silverwolf 2506 reel spooled with 8lb Daiwa Evo 8 braid. His choice of leader was 4lb J-Thread Fluorocarbon in which he said it was his favourite due to the line’s high abrasion resistance when fighting constantly turning fish. He also retrofitted his Flash Minnows with Decoy YS25 trebles in size 12, which he adamantly confesses is a ‘confidence thing’.

Scan the QR code to see Boater winner’s Interview with Mike Sutcliffe.

Scan the QR code to see Grayson Fong win non-boaters. MAY 2020

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Fishing in the era of the coronavirus

SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

I was going to do a dive into Biosonics Survey data this month but the world decided to go all World War Z, so instead I thought sharing my experience of the fishing events I toured as the corona virus took hold is a more appropriate story. By the time this article makes it to my readers, everyone will be well into the learning how to live with corona virus, assuming that the current positive trends end up continuing. Also, by the time this hits readers we will

right now. I am also concerned that we have an industry to return to, as there are industries with similar dynamics that are dying fast overseas. There have been agitations from the tackle industry to keep people fishing but that is not a good answer. Fishing will have a very important role to play in the community in the coming months, but I have to say now is not the time to push that button. Right now we all need to make the right decisions to get through, and work together to get things moving on the other side. THE WORLD ENDS FAST I know you shouldn’t finish a story at the end but I think that is most relevant to where we are now – dealing

Jess Sutton taking a break on her way to the Most Skilled Angler Award. be well into our first round of responses trying to help people out to keep their sanity and connection to fishing. I have always been positive in a crisis, there are a lot of people out there struggling more than me, and anything we can do to help has to be the mode

with the end of the world, or at least the world we knew circa Christmas time. Most years Christmas comes too fast, this year it can’t seem further away. I was on the road for pretty much the whole corona virus outbreak, so for the most part

it all felt like a movie. It was all happening around me even while I was focused on fishing competitions and making sure they were successful. Like almost everyone, my family and Infofish have been hammered by the impact, my middle daughter and the boyfriend of my youngest lost their jobs in the first round of shutdowns, both were in hospitality. When I got back to Brisbane from my travels there were only four people left in the Fishing Monthly office, by the end of the week there was just me as they all went home to work. I have also had to stand people down, which hurts. We had lots of work still to be done but the impoundments have been shut down and fishing comps are a no-go right now. Our last gasp effort, which involved work we had to complete in Gladstone, was shut down when they closed the boat ramps. I don’t think I ever imagined in January that by April the government would have shut down my business by force. The reality is right now that’s the best course of action. Dealing with an economic crisis is one thing, as the US is learning – dealing with an economic and health crisis at the same time is even harder. At least Australia is heading in the right direction to get on top of one of the two. THE EARLIEST DAYS I was in Gladstone running an event with Fishing Freshwater when things started to bubble into the consciousness. The first countries were being blocked in terms of travel. Cases here were light on and while it was in the news, it was all about overseas. I remember the Gladstone event well, I made a mistake in the scoring when I misunderstood an instruction from a competitor and in all

FIG.1 COMPARISON OF THE KEY OFFSHORE SPECIES Category Heaviest(kg) Avg (kg) % Diff 1st-2nd Red Snapper 2.81 1.86 1.4% Samsonfish 19.25 11.88 14.7% Queen Snapper 8.16 4.04 32.3% Harlequin 2.72 2.16 1.9% Breaksea Cod 2.54 1.62 8.1% Sweep 2.11 1.63 1.0%

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MAY 2020

% Diff 1st-Avg 50.9% 61.9% 101.8% 26.0% 57.1% 47.4%

Phil Lyons getting into the right spirit and having a good time fishing on a women’s team. fairness I should have paid more attention and double checked. That mistake cost a team official recognition of placing seventh. While the guys in the event tried to make it up to him, the guy in question went to war. For seventh place. In an event where he was an invited competitor, not a full paying entrant. I get the competitive nature of barra fishers, but there is a line where you have to be reasonable. The event was for promoting Lake Awoonga, not part of the main competitive calendar and it was trying to get on its feet. Pushing the event managers to the point where they want to quit is the kind of behaviour that has plagued the barra guys for a while. We pulled out of events in Rockhampton this year where a personal vendetta became too toxic – we won’t be back. One of the events has already folded, an event Infofish cofounded and put years of time and money into.

Is that the right way to promote your sport? I did see the same guy on social media a couple of weeks later cheering the fact that he had successfully bought toilet paper. I am hoping that was a reminder that there are more important things in life. In the coming months, the industry will need people to have a go, build things up and support those around them, not tear them down. To their credit, while the guys at Fishing Freshwater copped it, they have been one of the first in line to provide options for fishers while they are stuck at home, even as Matt Mott had to shut to doors on his tackle store. I think that speaks volumes to their character. GOING TO NEW ZEALAND My next stop was a fast trip to New Zealand to meet with the Sportfishing Council to talk about the Nationals. This was the first sign of things

turning weird. In the airport, I was through customs in seconds, many of the gates were shutdown and the flight was only two thirds full. On arrival in New Zealand they asked us if we had been to china in the past 14 days, if not we were handed a card with a number to ring if any symptoms arose. It’s crazy to think that a bit over a week later the border would be shut altogether. The meeting with the NZ Sportfishing Council was very productive and we covered both events and survey, I am crazy-excited to be part of their Nationals because it’s a massive event and a huge technical challenge to pull off. The Kiwis have a lot of seriously good fishing, particularly the inshore/ freshwater combination and it should be no surprise that fish is big part of the diet. I have on my bucket list to do a tour of NZ, living off fish. It’s funny, as a very technical person, the older I get the more I appreciate the low-tech ways of life. HEADING WEST THEN SOUTH Next on my travels I flew to Perth, then onto Esperance for the Esperance Deepsea Classic. If I could do a fishing comp a week, it’s competitions like the Deepsea Classic that I would choose to do first. It’s a community event run by the local fishing club, gets a wide attendance from as far away as the Kimberleys but it’s not a full-on glory event. Everyone is there for a good time. Nigel runs the competition like clockwork and there are few places in the country more breathtaking as a backdrop. Esperance should be on any fisho’s travel list (when we’re allowed to travel again). Esperance went to the top of the list in terms of events I have attended this year.

FIG.2 COMPARISON OF THE KEY INSHORE SPECIES Category Heaviest(kg) Avg (kg) % Diff 1st-2nd Skippy 5.55 1.20 302% Snook 2.45 0.96 40.8% KG Whiting 0.74 0.31 89.7% Sand Whiting 0.25 0.18 31.3% Flathead 2.72 0.50 13.6% Herring 2.54 0.22 3.2%

% Diff 1st-Avg 364% 156.1% 136.2% 40.2% 49.4% 45.5%

We were there on behalf of ARFF to run a photo comp in support of the main event, and to record the event’s weigh in and make them available via the Tacklebox App. The categories reflected the local fishing, with some species we don’t often see: pink snapper, red snapper, queen snapper, samsonfish, harlequin and breaksea cod and sweep in the offshore, skippy (silver trevally), snook, King George whiting, flathead and herring (tommy ruff) for the inshore. One thing to note, when they call this the ‘Deepsea’ event, it’s because the bottom contours away fast so there is no need to travel huge distances to get to deep water. The weather wasn’t the best, which will have influenced the results. As you

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Team PULLIN SKIRT AWESUM GOT IM ON SEA TRIX PUSSEE GALORE

ice and filleted and left over fish were used for fish and chips sold by the club. Given there were about 100 teams, that’s about 4kg a team, so if you have a need to get fish for the family that’s definitely achievable. One other important note, there is an amazing pie shop, the Esperance French Hot Bread that sells the best Seafood pies. I didn’t need to go anywhere else to get food. HEADING NORTH By the time I was back in Perth things were starting

This is what they come for! There were 255 marlin and sailfish caught for the week. might expect for reef species, there was less variance between first and second and the difference to the average size fish. Samsonfish, as the key target species, you would expect variance based on skill of the fisher. A range of 5-19kg bears that out. Similarly, with queen snapper the range was 2-8kg with a big difference between 1st and 2nd, more than 2kg. See Fig.1. for a comparison of the key offshore species. On the inshore species front, there were less entries. A showed a similar pattern of the pelagic species, and skippy (silver trevally) and snook (similar to pike) had exceptional catches that dominated. See Fig.2. for a comparison of the key inshore species. Interestingly, the Fish-On database suggests that 600g is a big snook, however more than half the fish cleared that bar with a largest of 2.45kg. The Skippy section was taken with a 5.55kg fish, which is a horse. When you add in Australian salmon, not on the list for this event, the close-in options are all good to keep fishing when the wind is up. All up 387kg of offshore fish and 40kg of inshore fish were weighed in. Once weighed the fish were kept on

to go nuts. It was about this time the Great Toilet Paper Famine of 2020 was in full swing and, on my few days stopping over to work on an app for Marmion Club, it was clear that things were about to unravel. By the end of that week when I was heading to Exmouth, the lockdowns were starting. Tasmania was closing the border with Tracy only getting in hours before the lockdown to help out with a tuna event. I had committed to GameX, which is a huge weeklong event, so I wasn’t turning around. Again, if the world was going to end, Exmouth would be high on my list. Visually the similarities between Esperance and Exmouth are striking, though there is a big temperature difference. Maybe it’s the heat but the fish are also bigger. It’s fair to say that while in Esperance you would head to the beach for a dip and to catch dinner, but Exmouth you would wonder if you would be dinner! There are a lot more things with teeth. Adam from ARFF went fishing a number of times and would come back shaking his head having been smoked, although he did pick up a 1.25m giant trevally that had him smiling for days. I am relatively new to gamefishing but it’s easy to

Species 7 9 9 9 8

Line Class 11 10 10 10 11

fall in love with the sport when you get up close and personal. If flyfishing is our version of the sport of kings, a more refined activity for the gentry, then gamefishing is NASCAR. It’s all big engines, big personalities, big fish, high adrenaline and the most technically challenging set of fishing rules in existence. Gamefishing is the only format I have experienced where gear checks are mandatory – and enforced. On the last night there was a bang on clear winner of the 6kg category disqualified because he failed the gear check. Gamex is a highly innovative event that combines a point system and species/ line class combinations that make it possible to have both catch and release and weigh in contribute to the final score. There are a lot of categories so strategy has to be worked out early on – if you target marlin you will be stuck in the Catch and Release section but if you target a wider variety of species, you need to focus your marlin time if you want to stay in the hunt on Catch and Release. The high levels of innovation translate to backend complexity and I knew this one was going to be hard. For my part while the basics were easy enough to get into the system, I had limited information on how people worked and the first couple of days were pretty stressful. I have to thank Raquel and Kerry the two main score checkers for their patience and guidance through the process. By the end of the week things were running reasonably smoothly and they deserve a lot of the credit for that. I believe Gamex is a strong candidate for the best in the country. There will always be a lot of debate on that but the technical challenges of winning, the balancing of traditional and modern formats, the need for endurance and strategy, the professional organisation if there is a template for ‘Best in Class’ of events, Gamex is it. A dive into the intricacies of the event would take a dedicated article, which will probably be my next article. The champion boat category summarises the way this event is right at the top of events in overall design. Champion Team Overall went to Pullin Skirt which, while a team effort, awarded solo fisher points to Anna Passmore who took her team to the top. Second was also a solo points contributor Matt Arscott from Awesum, followed by third place Jess Sutton from Got Im On – an

Points 6,480.00 6,351.25 6,010.00 5,669.58 5,204.17

impressive 12yo who also took out the Most Skilled Angler and national weight records along the way. See Fig. 3. for results. ESCAPING EXMOUTH I was in trying to leave Exmouth when the wheels really fell off. I will never fly Qantas again. Right now, reliability should be the one thing airlines need to achieve but first the plane we boarded was grounded when oil was spewing from an engine. We stayed at the airport until late only to have an alternative rescue plane cancelled with a breakdown just as they were handing out boarding passes. I spent the night in a room without power or air-conditioning. The next morning was chaos, as the next plane ran so far behind, I missed the second connection I had booked to Brisbane and nobody at Qantas was willing to provide any help beyond ringing a call centre that nobody could reach. Once I made it to Perth rather than trying to get out, I headed to an apartment and booked a flight with Virgin for the next day. That night at the apartments was kind of errie, as there was only one other person in a huge complex that was normally full. The city was quiet, it really did feel like the world was ending. Perth Airport was largely empty, the lounges closed, and everyone was staying well away from one another. Even so my stress levels were pretty low as by now I realised there was nothing to do but go with the flow. Virgin were much better at communication and it was clear they cared about their customers wellbeing. We received instructions on what to do healthwise, otherwise the flight was like any other

Rhett Foster with a triple header that shows what’s on offer in Esperance. I have taken. I was just happy that I made it out. FISHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER There is no way this all ends without a serious recession. While, as with the GFC, I think the impact on Australia will be less, I think personal food security will still be an issue. When the choices start to come down to rent or food, it won’t matter how well the supply chain works. There are two things I would advise people to be doing right now even while in isolation. First – don’t break isolation rules to go fishing. Yes, I know there will be people that do but right now we need to do the right thing. What I would be doing even in isolation is getting a garden going. While modern houses have skimped on the yard there will still be options so learning all you

Event Organiser Nigel Worth being creative with his selfie style. He took home $400 for the photo competition.

can on gardening and getting something happening will be very useful in a few months. Next, I would swap my sportsfishing skills for food skills. Sportfishing is amazing and there will be a time when it will dominate again but finding the most efficient way to get a good supply of fish is a good idea. The one thing that is on all our sides fishing wise is there is now a serious glut of oil, which means fuel will be cheap for a good long while. I would also bone up on your land-based game, if you don’t need to be on the water, then don’t. A lot of people on the water means much higher risks for rescue resources that will be thin. If you can get your healthy protein safely – that is the right choice. For bonus points, learn pickling and preserves. I know people in the pacific northwest of the US that have been living off their gardens and stores ever since this crisis started and they are fine for another year or more. One last thing that I think kind of sums up the lost potential that has come with the Coronavirus. Before this all started, we helped Recfishwest to get a new event up called the Salmon Slam. It was fastest to 500 participants, then 1000 people, to sign up to an online event and was really starting to crank up. Unfortunately, Recfishwest had to cancel it just as it was starting to really gain momentum. I think that kind of sums up the past month. We were all heading in a good direction only for the gods to remind us that we really aren’t in control of our destiny, but we are in charge of how we respond to adversity. Let the coming months be the ones we choose to be at our best. Stay safe all. MAY 2020

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Winter wonderland – kayak flats fishing BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

With everything moving so quickly it’s hard to know where we will be at in terms of lockdowns and restrictions when you read this, however I can assure you that wherever we are at, fishing and kayak fishing is going to be a big part of my life and my day-to-day activities.

reels, tidy up your kayak and maybe do some fitout, such as rod holders, anchor running rig, mounting a sounder, or adding other mounts and accessories. If you do find yourself in lockdown don’t forget about your fishing buddies, friends and family. Stay in touch on social media, set up some chat groups, video chat and phone each other. Check in with and check up on others. If we’re not in lockdown then kayak fishing is one

that I may infect. If you are further from the water, then you have other aspects to consider, such as fuel stops, launch points and so forth. If the level of risk starts to increase as you break down the adventure you have in mind, you may be better tinkering in the shed, getting some casting practice around the yard, joining some yak forums and groups, watching some fishing videos and spending time with the people that you are already

The cooler months sees an influx of fringefin trevally. What winter species turn up in your local? I launched to an absolute glass out and paddled to some flats that are exposed at low tide. I was fishing the last of the run in and first of the run out, with about 1-1.5m of water covering the flat. When fishing these flats, I look for bait activity and structure. Bait flicking or swimming quickly is a giveaway that there are

A simple setup ready for a kayak flats session. Fishing and kayak fishing are inexpensive activities that are good for our physical and mental health and will be an important part of our lives moving forward in what will be a damaged economy.

of the best ways to get some vitamin D, fresh air, a fresh feed of fish and some headspace. The key thing here is common sense and someone said to me, think like you have the virus and

After a few fringefin trevally it was nice to connect with a bream.

A dry bag is excellent for storing your soft plastics wallet and other fishing tackle. Lockdown doesn’t mean trapped at home, hopefully it means safe at home and you will have time to sort your fishing tackle, service

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act accordingly. For me, I am lucky enough to carry the kayak across the road, launch and have zero contact with anyone or anything

in contact with. Winter is almost upon us and this is one of my favourite times of the year for fishing. Prepare for the conditions and you can find the systems loaded with bait and in turn fish, the fish feeding aggressively, and we are also blessed with some amazing glassy days at this time of year. Here’s a quick wrap up on a recent adventure fishing the flats, along with ten quick tips for kayak fishing the flats in winter, a prime time to be exploring and fishing this shallow water, winter wonderland. I generally define the flats as areas that are out of water at low tide and covered by a rising tide, however it may be an area of shallow water, with a relatively flat bottom that is covered at all stages of the tide.

JUSTIN’S FLATS TACKLE BOX Okuma Cerros 7’ 2-4kg Spin Rod Okuma Epixor EPXT-20 Spinning Reel Platypus Platinum Braid – 6-10lb Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader – 10lb ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ – motor oil, midnight oil, baby bass, bad shad and pink glow TT Lures DemonZ Jigheads – 1/6oz 1/0 and 1/4oz 1/0 Pro-Cure Super Gel Scent – pilchard, mullet, inshore saltwater and saltwater yabby predators in the area, so get a cast in there. Structure on the other hand may seem less obvious as you may be fishing a football field size area of water. You need to pay attention to what the water is doing and utilise a pair of quality polarised sunglasses so that you can see through the surface glare and note what is below the surface. Water movement can create current lines, eddies and other indicators of structure and depth changes below the surface. These can be worth focussing on.

Your sunnies will help you locate less obvious structure below the surface such as rubble patches, channel edges, timber snags and depressions in the bottom. One of my favourite types of structure is weed beds, which are easily identifiable as the dark colour changes where the bottom moves from sand and mud to patches of eel grass. These weed beds hold bait, such as crabs, prawns and baitfish, which in turn attract predatory species. I position the kayak so that I am drifting at about

A short handled net comes in handy for landing and handling fish.

a 45-degree angle, fanning casts around the front and to the side of the kayak. I will cast ahead or across the drift and I generally fish a ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ as a search bait, rigged on a 1/4oz 1/0 TT Lures DemonZ jighead. Casting behind the drift means you are dragging the plastic, losing control of its action and it presents less natural. Regardless of whether the wind or tide is powering the drift, I always cast ahead of the drift or across the drift, but still ahead. This jighead may seem heavy for some in 1-1.5m of water, however it allows me to cast long, hop the lure a couple of times once it hits the water and then commence a slow roll, with the rod tip up a little. If the lure is hitting the weed, speed up a little or

fish it went ballistic, I saw the lure fly through the air, while the flathead was doing its best to leap from the net. A bit of wrestling and the fish was soon in the net and dispatched into the icebox that was strapped to the rear well of the kayak. Once the tide turned the bite shut down, which can often happen. At times the fish will want to eat on the outgoing tide, at other times it’s the incoming tide, so it often pays to fish a tide change. I haven’t looked into the science of it too much, however it probably has to do with variables such

This was not a bream or a flathead, by the head shakes and speed of the runs and soon enough I saw a trevally surface out from the kayak. Of course, it saw me also, so that meant another three or four solid surges before I had it in the net, unhooked and released. It was only around 45cm, however these guys always put up a great fight on light gear. That was enough for me and I called it after what had been an excellent flats session, landing half a dozen bream, a couple of flathead including one for dinner, and a few trevally.

Everything you’ll need on board. prepared for the stinky slime they leave everywhere. By this point in time I was thinking I was due for a good bream, so I moved further

the flat, I cast along the drop off, allowed the plastic to sink and then commenced a hop, slow roll and pause retrieve. The Slim SwimZ

Up close on that deadly little baitfish imitation.

A solid handful of bream on the goto ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ.

Flathead are another flats favourite and this one was invited home for dinner.

along the flat to fish a deeper edge, loaded with weed and dugong! I had dugong popping up all around me

10 TIPS FOR FISHING THE FLATS 1. The tide is your friend – use it to cover water as you drift. 2. Throw long casts ahead of and across the drift. 3. Target the tide change and either side of the high tide. 4. Keep your ears and eyes open for bait being harassed. 5. Smaller lure presentations will attract a wider variety of species. 6. If there is no activity on the flat, move further along or change flats. 7. Add scent to your lure to attract fish and trigger strikes. 8. Structure is key, so keep an eye out for depth changes, weed, rock, etc. 9. Mix up your retrieves until you find what is working – speed, depth, action. 10. Don’t forget the net! That will be the day that you hook that monster flathead. lift the rod tip slightly. Fish are up on the flat to feed, so they don’t mind a little speed in the retrieve, and this allows you to cover water until you find active fish. If I receive a bite, I continue the retrieve at the same speed and the fish will generally hit multiple times until they find the hook. If you prefer to fish lighter and slower, you may wish to drop your jighead weight down to a 1/8oz or 1/6oz. I will occasionally slow the retrieve, when I find an area

of active fish, however I then generally switch to the Ned Rig, casting a ZMan 2.5” TRD CrawZ or 2.75” TRD BugZ rigged on a 1/10oz TT Lures NedlockZ jighead. On this occasion the little paddle-tail did the job though, with a fringefin trevally the first aboard, followed by another, then a small flathead, a small bream and another fringefin. These are just one of the species that turn up on the flats in winter and they are great fun on light gear, just be

and as cool as these guys are to watch, I didn’t want to ride one. Making casts to bait disturbances I was soon rewarded with a nice bream, followed by another and then a couple more. I was fishing a little deeper and so had slowed the retrieve a little, allowing the plastic to swim closer to the bottom before pausing, adding a couple of hops and continuing. Most hits came as I commenced the retrieve again following the pause. Drifting off the edge of

was again nailed by a fish and this one felt pretty solid. After a few good runs I saw colour on a decent flathead and immediately started telling it to stay on, stay on, as it was going to be dinner. As I slid the net under the

as tide heights, bait in the system, water quality and clarity, moon phases and the million other variables that we deal with as anglers. I guess the main take out is to allow yourself at least an hour of fishing either side of a tide change. It sometimes pays to move along the flat or change to another flat if it’s not happening, and that’s what I did. I moved to a windblown weed flat that had about a metre of water over it and was rewarded second cast with a solid hook set and blistering run.

This type of fishing can be simple, fun and productive, often producing a mixed bag of species, including a few surprises. Next time you have a few hours up your sleeve, get out on the flats and have a crack. If circumstances mean that we are unable to fish, then it’s time to ready the gear, fit out the kayak and investigate what flats are available in your local area, because fishing is at the heart of Australia and we will be back on the water soon. Fish on! See you on the water.

Trevally are awesome fun on light gear, especially when hooked on shallow flats. MAY 2020

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Which life jacket best suits your fishing needs? BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Working for the FM group has been an ongoing source of both enjoyment and education for me. In researching some of the

There’s always so much to learn. I next started to shake my head in wonder when compiling the boating article in last month’s issue, which looked at state-to-state requirements for wearing PFDs on the water. Once again, my knowledge base

So with all this is mind, how do you choose which style is best for you and your fishing situation. INSPECT THE RANGE Styles and individual features of PFDs vary greatly. I understood this more after a visit to Road Tech Marine’s store at Capalaba, where

freedom of movement is important when wearing a PFD. Movement within a boat can be restrictive at times so, while foam-filled units are efficient, inflatables rule the roost for anglers due to their slim line styling. However, these styles have special service requirements,

The weak link in any inflatable PFD will always be the bladder, so it’s vital to keep sharp bits of tackle well away from it.

The Spiral jacket is an ideal foam-filled unit for youngsters, as it is equipped with both a waist and crotch strap plus reflective tape for extra visibility. articles, I have gleaned useful knowledge on various topics that were not overly familiar to me beforehand. Looking back, I broadened my knowledge when researching rules and regulations for towing boats and trailers because some state’s rules differed, even to speed limitations on vehicles that are doing the towing!

broadened as I took in the various regulations – it seems the cooler the climate, the more stringent the regulations. However, underscoring every state’s guidelines was one very distinct message: If a boating mishap occurs, nobody should be in the water without a PFD. The purpose of a PFD is not just to keep you afloat, but to keep your head above water.

The Crewsaver 150 is a great adult-sized PFD with ample comfort, room to move and has easy yearly inspection as a bonus.

bulky but it will work. To make sure it stays put, ensure it has a crotch strap to keep it correctly in place. Also, make sure the unit is brightly coloured and has a reflective patch on it. ESTUARIES, BAYS, AND OFFSHORE Inflatable models from 150 to 180 come into

Splashdown 150 and the Crewfit Sport 165. I give both of them top marks for comfort and unobtrusiveness. These adult size inflatables adjust to the size of the wearer when in use and the Crewfit Sport 165 (manual or auto inflation) even has a unique chin support to keep the wearer’s head upright.

I inspected a very large range of PFDs and assessed their features. As expected, they all conformed to the Australian 4758 standard, which is a mandatory legal requirement. There were two main categories: foam-filled or inflatable PFDs. There are pluses and minuses for each style. As a keen angler,

The Splash Down unit reveals its gas cylinder for perusal and test weighing.

A designated fold line is handy when reassembling a PFD after inspection and testing. 126

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which I will discuss later on. CHILDREN There’s hardly a better moment in life than taking a youngster out in a boat – the pride, fulfilment, and definitely the best of times. However, these little darlings do range in size, so the ideal way to get a PFD to fit is to opt for a foam-filled one, which have a decent range of sizes. It might look a bit

their own in these fishing scenarios. They are a snug, body hugging, style of unit that allow perfect freedom of movement. There’s also the 190 and 190 N models with inbuilt lanyard attachment, but these are full time professional work units and a bit of an overkill for general angling use. The more day-to-day style units that I like are the

ROCK FISHING Shore-based rock hoppers are catered for thanks to RTM Rock Fisherman’s waist style life jacket. This compact unit is worn as a bum bag until required and comes in a range of styles to cater from 40-50g up to 70kg and beyond. Activated via a lanyard and inflated with CO2 (same as the other

inflatables), it impressed me with its practicality and compact size. Like all other approved PFDs it can be inflated further via a top up tube.

MAINTENANCE I mentioned earlier that inflatable PFDs need some scheduled maintenance, other than the usual wash down and careful storage

During inspection, the supplementary inflation tube is used to ensure the bladder remains inflated for at least 12 hours.

in salty conditions. The operation of an inflatable unit relies upon a CO2 cylinder discharging to inflate the various bladders built into them. Two things are therefore vital: the serviceability of the gas cylinder, and the ability of the bladder to inflate and remain inflated. Accordingly, the units need an inspection (as per manufacturer’s recommendations) by the owner to remain in service, or alternatively return to a service centre depending upon the make and model of the garment. Moreover, the record of maintenance needs to be on hand within the boat if requested by relevant authorities. Obviously, it’s prudent to take a look at the manufacturer’s instructions when purchasing a unit because some will need to be returned to a service depot for servicing, while others just need a check and self verification capability that an owner can perform. Servicing the PFD A three yearly self check and certification seems to be common for major brands of mid range units, with instructions for self-service on the internet. After the third check, it’s advised to have the unit returned to a service depot for a more detailed check. This service will usually be cheaper than

How convenient: record your self-test date right here. a replacement. Self-service starts with giving the jacket a once over to ensure everything appears to be in proper order with no abrasion, corrosion or damage evident. The cylinder Remove the cylinder and examine it for any signs of corrosion or damage. Also, it is vital to weigh it to ensure the CO2 is the prescribed mass as displayed. If it cannot be weighed, then it should be replaced with an identical one. It should only cost around $20, which is a small prize to pay for a loved one’s life. The Bladder Use the supplementary inflation tube to inflate the

bladder and ensure it remains inflated over night. If all is well, the bladder can then be deflated using the cap on the inflator tube and carefully placed back into the jacket. Repack the jacket along the fold lines and into its original form making sure the toggle is where it should be and unlikely to snag on the wearer. If a whistle is present, ensure it works and that any reflective tape fitted is also still in place. Verification Lastly, the self test inspection and tests should be marked on the jacket with a permanent marker, using the prefix ST for self test and the correct date to verify

the work. A self-test form, supplied with the jacket or downloaded online, should be completed, signed and then kept handy in the craft. THE LAST WORD These things are not a life jacket until inflated. One jag with a lure, fish hook or other pointy bit of fishing tackle can render an inflatable useless, which is exactly why we should take a lot of care when wearing one, plus make sure it’s inspected quite regularly as well as serviced every year. Also, bear in mind that one could use a high performance level PFD in low risk situations but not the reverse!

FISHING NEWS

Whittley releases new outboard-powered, legally trailerable CR2600 OB Longstanding Australian fibreglass boat builder, Whittley Boats, are set to release their new CR 2600 OB (Outboard) online instead of at this year’s Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, a sign of the current times. The Group’s new CR 2600 OB is a purposebuilt, legally trailerable outboard powered sports cruiser that’s designed for the unique Australian boating lifestyle. The CR 2600 OB was created with the Queensland boater in mind. The outboard

motor enables beach and shallow water access from the rear with ease. More storage at the rear of the

boat is made available where the sterndrive once went without compromising large areas of the swim platform space. The leg and prop can also be tilted up out of the water, lowering maintenance during mooring. Laurie Jackson, Sales Manager at Whittley Gold Coast Sales, had this to say about the exciting new model announcement. “Since we opened our new showroom at The Boat Works on the Gold Coast, consumers have been regularly asking for Yamaha outboard powered packages for our larger Cruiser models. The Research and Development team at the Whittley Factory have worked closely with feedback from customers, to

design outboard versions of our popular CR models. The key was to be able to trim the engine up, as well as minimise the room lost on the large rear swim platform. Consumers can also enjoy a weight reduction in this new OB model over the traditional sterndrive model, which makes the package lighter to tow behind a suitable vehicle.” Eye catching and spacious, the tightly drawn lines and subtle curves hint at something special and stepping on-board only confirms your first impression. Making the most of its 2.49m beam, the CR 2600 is both spacious and innovative. An elegant helm console with twin seat

provides the captain and first mate a commanding view through the panoramic windscreen. Ergonomics have been well considered and everything falls easily to hand. The sliding curved solid cabin door reflects

of outboard power. The outboard version offers additional storage and cabin space, whilst still providing a wraparound swim platform at the rear of the boat. Customers can enjoy increased reliability

the detail Whittley is renowned for. Neville Whittley, Managing Director at Whittley Boats, has this to say about the exciting new model release. “The new Whittley CR 2600 OB combines the awardwinning quality of the sterndrive version, with the widely known benefits

and lower service costs from an outboard engine; one of the many reasons why we have seen outboard powered packages continue to increase in popularity. We certainly look forward to showing customers our latest outboard powered cruiser model online and in store when restrictions permit it.” – Whittley MAY 2020

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Yellowfin Plate 5800 FHT with 135hp Evinrude E-Tec - SC

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Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

We’ve had a look before at some of the bigger boats that were launched at the Yellowfin Plate re-launch in 2019. You know, back in the time when you could just take your boat out because you wanted to. A lot has changed since then, but what hasn’t changed is the strength and purpose of design in these boats. The Yellowfin Plate team are still making handcrafted aluminium plate boats with an attention to detail that is not usually found in a big manufacturer. “There’s a team of 17 of our best welders and boat builders who work on the Yellowfin Plate team,” says Drew Jackson, Yellowfin Plate Sales Manager, “and you can see the attention to detail in all of the little one-percenters that sets these boats apart.” JV Marine’s Mark Stav agrees. “There isn’t a plate boat built out of a parts catalogue. The factory goes to great lengths to ensure that the elements all function and

Main: Yellowfin Plate re-launched their brand in 2019 and the 5800 Folding Hard Top (FHT) was a standout in their range. Above: Powered by a Gen 1 Evinrude E-Tec, the economy was noticeably worse than boats powered by their G2 product on the test day. The trade-off, though, is price. Both engines have the same warranty. look great. We love selling them,” he said. All of Yellowfin Plate’s models are based on the Offshore HD hull, which has traditionally been designed to ride smooth and feel solid underfoot in offshore conditions. And although this model lacks the length of some of the brand’s flagship models, it’s designed for a purpose – to access all the same water yet fold down to

SPECIFICATIONS Length.......................................................5.84m Beam.........................................................2.40m Bottom sheet.............................................4mm Side Sheet..................................................4mm Hull weight............................................... 863kg Max motor weight................................... 206kg Max HP..................................................... 140hp Capacity............................................. 5 persons 128

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a point where it’s storable in a standard garage. The boat has an open design with a runabout-style, minimalist cabin and a floor made of easily maintained chequerplate. There’s paint on all the bits that need it and none on the highwear surfaces. The test day offered a choppy Southport Broadwater, so we could really test the ride. Would they bang like a dunny door in the wind? We were pleasantly surprised. Not only was the ride very soft for a plate boat, but it seemed to be a lot quieter than in previous Yellowfin models. It’s not that we got to compare them side-by-side, but maybe these hulls have more foam in the cavities to assist flotation. One thing I could notice while driving this rig was the

difference between Evinrude E-Tec G1 and G2 steering. The G2 models on the other hulls all were fitted with the

integrated power steering, which is light and smooth throughout the rev range. Dropping back to standard steering in this boat was noticable. Fuel economy with the G1 motors is definitely worse. This rig yielded between 1 and 1.5km/L between cruising speed and wide open throttle. The bigger Yellowfin boats on the test day did better. I suppose what we are saying is that if you can afford a G2, the benefits are there for both performance and economy-wise. Incidentally, this rig topped out at 59km/h at 5,500rpm and 1.16km/L. Drop it back to 3,500rpm and you get 1.5km/L at 33km/h. By the numbers, this economy was 30% worse than the best of the G2 powered boats, which is food for thought. Supplied on a Yellowfinbuilt aluminium I-beam trailer, there’s a real

confidence in getting a boat/ motor/trailer package all rigged at the factory. “All we have to do is drop a battery in and do the registrations and we are good to go,” said Stav. You know that the boat has been set up by experts and will be backed by a solid factory warranty. The boat launched and retrieved perfectly and it was an easy task with two people, and only a little more complicated if you’re launching solo. A pontoon at your ramp will help. Package prices for this rig start in the high $50Ks from your local Yellowfin dealer. That’s with a G1 115hp outboard. You can upgrade the horsepower and spec it up from there. For more information, visit www. yellowfinplateboats.com. au or Like Yellowfin Plate Boats on Facebook for the latest updates.

All Yellowfin Plate boats are based on the Offshore HD hull. The 5.8m is made of 4mm bottom and side sheets, with plenty of underfloor structure to make this hull as rigid as they come.

Top: Yellowfin Plate dealers can order a boat/motor/ trailer package straight from the factory. Just add a battery and you’re done. This makes customer delivery speedy. Below: When boats reach that 1.5 tonne mark, you’re crazy not to get a twin axle trailer.

Top: This is the folding hard top. It and the windscreen can fold back to fit this rig into most standard garages. Below: Yellowfin Plate trailers are built in the same factory that their hulls come out of: Coomera, on the Gold Coast.

The hull is 2.4m wide and deep enough to consider it a serious offshore capable boat.

Chequerplate decks are easily maintained and fall in with the Yellowfin Plate philosophy of building things simple and strong.

Top: In climates like Queensland, the hard top’s shade is truly appreciated. As is the extra rod storage up and out of the way. Left: Like all things Yellowfin, the transom door design is simple and unlikely to fail. Right: This is how Queenslanders like an anchor well – devoid of a winch. You wouldn’t see this in Victoria!

The seat pedestal wastes no space with tackle storage underneath.

Evinrude E-Tecs have always boasted no break-in periods and long periods of no scheduled maintenance. They promise turnkey boating experiences.

Top: While not boasting the additional length and cockpit space of its bigger cousins, the 5800 is still capable of accommodating three people fishing comfortably. Left: At Fishing Monthly we are big fans of the flushmounted electronics. The 5800 holds as big a unit as you’d need. Right: There’s enough room in the cabin to get out of the weather, but it’s kept simple for ease of cleaning. It isn’t lockable. MAY 2020

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REPOWER

with

Honda 250hp 3.6L repowers Cruise Craft Outsider 685 It’s been a while since we’ve tested a boat with a Honda on the back, so when the opportunity came along to work with Honda’s Mark ‘Hightower’ Suttle and one of their newest dealers, Bribie Marine with Dave O’Neal and his crew, we jumped at it. With Dave’s dealership replacing the old Bribie Boats, he sells Stessl and Horizon boats powered by Honda and there’s plenty of rigs in his yard for you to check out. The Cruise Craft that was the subject of this repower was in pretty good nick. It’s a fair call to say that most Cruise Craft boats will outlast their first engine and this rig was fitted with a EFI 2-stroke, 225hp outboard initially. It was a reliable and punchy motor - EFI two-strokes are - but it was also thirsty. Testing before the original outboard was

we call BLAST technology,” Mark said, “which advances and modifies the ignition timing through the rev range, making the acceleration much better than some of our older models.” “Also, the Drive by Wire (DBW) technology is smooth as silk on these engines. We’re not the first in the industry to have it but it’s done right,” he continued. Drive By Wire deletes the need for push/pull cables in the boat rigging, instead sensing the throttle and gear movements and converting them to a digital signal that’s relayed to the engine over a copper cable. Hence the name. The signal is delivered to an actuator in the engine that then performs the tasks that were signalled at the helm. It’s also an ecosystem that readily plugs into the Garmin fish finder/GPS ecosystem

This Cruise Craft repower replaces a two-stroke EFI, 225HP outboard with the new 4-stroke, 3.6L Honda 250 - complete with Drive by Wire technology. It ended up being 50% more economical!

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If you love your boat, a repower is often the way to improve performance, economy, reliability and the on water experience. removed showed a cruising speed of 51km/h at 4,000rpm yielding 1.04km per litre of fuel burned. That was fitted with a 17” propeller and loaded with three people. Fast forward to the launch of the boat with the new engine, and we got to come out on the first ride. Hightower came with us and explained the technology in these new Hondas. “These motors are equipped with what

that was also fitted at the time of repower. “We’ve added a 16” Garmin GPSMAP into the helm and this plugs into the motor telemetry. We’ve also got a 1kW transducer and it reads great at cruising speeds,” Dave O’Neal said. With five on-board during this testing and filming, Dave kept to the same diameter and pitch as the original prop. “This motor could probably spin a

The Honda is definitely not the lightest engine in its class - weighing in at nearly 300kg, but it’s dead quiet and the BLAST technology makes it no slouch out of the hole. ADVERTORIAL

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The test day was in between rain squalls at Bribie Island (before the COVID-19 lockdowns). The outsider was in great condition - testament to the build quality of these local boats. 19” but we kept it the same for testing purposes,” he added. Dropping the throttle, the mid range torque was very non-Honda and the boat jumped up onto the plane. “That’s BLAST kicking in,” Hightower smirked as I held on. Levelling out to the 4,000rpm cruising speed, the gauges told the story. Sitting on 49km/h we were getting just over 1.5km/L

burned. That’s 50% further than the original motor could do with that same litre of fuel. Impressive, considering that it’s 25hp more. “We’ve set this up as a demonstration boat to show what the Honda can do,” said Dave when quizzed about why the repower happened. Secretly, though, we reckon that Dave won’t be trying too hard to sell this rig - at least not in the near future.

With a speed of 49km/h at 4,000rpm with five persons on board, the Honda delivered 1.53km/L. Compare this with the 1.04km/L with the old two stroke and you immediately get 50% more range.

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Fishing Monthly Magazine | May 2020

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Fishing Monthly Magazine | May 2020