Fishing Monthly Magazine | May 2023 by Fishing Monthly

• SEASONAL TRANSITIONS • TOP MAY TARGETS •

Features

Hunting for redfin • A boat called Compromise • National Rec Fishing Survey Part II •

QLD

NSW

VIC

TAS

Tested

Testing Booth: Okuma Ceymar HD • Boat test: Edencraft 233 Formula •

Species Spotlight

Angus James brings us hunting for redfin

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CONTENTS

OUR COVER May 2023, Vol. 4 No.1 QLD NSW

VIC

TAS

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

16 18 22 24 26 28 32 34 36 37 38 38 39 40 46

NEW SOUTH WALES Sydney North Sydney South Sydney Rock Ballina Coffs Coast South West Rocks Hastings Forster Port Stephens Central Coast Swansea Illawarra Batemans Bay Bermagui Tathra Albany/Wodonga Batlow Hunter Valley New England Rivers Canberra

52 53 53 56 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 68 69 71 70 72 72 73

VICTORIA Warrnambool Portland Cobden Apollo Bay Geelong Port Phillip West Port Phillip East Phillip Island Lakes Entrance Gippsland Lakes Port Albert Marlo Robinvale Yarrawonga Wangaratta Shepparton Bendigo Ballarat Crater Lakes Eildon Gippsland Freshwater 6 MAY 2023

From the Editor’s Desk...

74 74 75 75 76 78 79 80 82 82 83 84 86 88 88 89 87 90 91 92 93

This beautiful spangled emperor was caught off Point Lookout by Troy Dixon fishing a live slimy mackerel rigged on ganged Mustad 5/0 7766 hooks fished off a Live Fibre RLF19 rod with 30lb mono. An Emily Dixon image. Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.

TASMANIA Offshore Hobart

94 95

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance Bunbury Augusta Metro Mandurah Kalbarri Lancelin Exmouth Karratha Freshwater

96 96 97 98 99 101 100 102 102 104

REGULAR FEATURES Hunting for redfin

Starlo’s: A boat called Compromise

National Rec Fishing Survey Part II

Sheik of the Creek

What’s New Fishing

Testing Booth: Okuma Ceymar HD

Fun page

Tournaments

106

Tournament Calendar

107

Trades and Services/Tide page

114

Boat test: Edencraft 233 Formula

116

COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo

100

To the month, it’s nearly 10 years since the beginning of the ‘fraud incident’ that we’ve been going through that was only resolved in January. Thank you to all of the readers who reached out offered congratulations or encouragement – it was humbling, regardless of whether it was in a letter, on the email, a phone call or on social media. Apart from financial fastidiousness, it taught us just how strong and supportive our readership is. In an age where a majority of people reach for spoon-feeding and instant gratification of social media, there’s still thousands of you who appreciate the curated, no BS stories that are aimed at helping the bottom 90% of anglers to catch more than their standard 10% of the fish. CLASSIC TIMES Last month, we led a group of 20 Aussies to experience what may well be the most prestigious fishing event in the world – the 2023 Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville, Tennessee. I assume you all know that our Australian BASS Pro angler, Toowoomba’s Carl Jocumsen, qualified to fish this event

18 34

that holds weigh-ins in a stadium and offers a million dollar prize purse to the 54-angler strong field. Unanimously, the Aussies partied hard, cheered loudly and made a mark on the event. Our boy had a solid, mid-field finish, but our adopted Aussie, Canadian Jeff Gustafson, who came to Australia last year and fished the BARRA Tour in north Queensland, took home the $300,000USD first place cheque. It was a surreal experience to be celebrating with a Classic champion just hours after he won the title, but one of his first statements at the ‘after party’ was that he was coming back Down Under to finally win a BARRA event. If he does, I’m sure that it’ll take pride of place next to the Classic trophy.

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Hunting for redfin VICTORIA

Angus James

The beautiful redfin, also known as English perch, are an absolutely stunning looking fish. Redfin are marked with up to six dark bands along their dark to pale green body. As the

in at 10kg. In Australia finding perch over the 40cm mark is considered a great fish and landing one at 50cm is a trophy catch. Due to their superb angling and eating qualities English perch where introduced into Australia around the 1860s. Reddies thrive in the Australian conditions and inhabit many of

predatory nature and almost flawless spawning cycles. This begins to take place when water temperatures reach around 12ºC. These perch produce thousands of eggs on freshwater plants, with larvae hatching in two weeks to form extremely large schools. Redfin are a super aggressive carnivorous species, and for this reason they are great fun to target on a wide range of lures and will take everything from spinners, soft plastics and hardbodied lures. Basically, anything they can fit in their mouth! This makes them perfect for kids getting into lure fishing and, like myself growing up in the southern part of the country, often the very first freshwater species ever caught on a lure. These fish can ignite that first spark that develops into a

Kayak fishing allows you to sneak into hard to reach habitats.

Golden hour – the last hour before darkness is the perfect time to catch redfin. name suggests redfin have beautiful vibrant red fins and tail. Like most perch species they have a deep body and can grow to impressive sizes. They have even been known to grow up to a whopping 60cm in length and weighing

the cooler parts of our country including Tasmania, Victoria, NSW, South Australia and even southern parts of Western Australia. These fish can live for over 20 years and often put pressure on native species because of their aggressive

The author hooked into a big perch while working the shallows.

The author’s favourite big redfin combination. ZMan Baby GOAT rigged on a TT jighead attached to a Jig Spinner. 8 MAY 2023

A fat winter redfin.

passion for fishing, and fond memories of time spent in the great outdoors. Redfin are also up there with some of the best tasting fish you can eat. It’s not hard to see why many anglers down this way are extremely happy to have this impressive looking species in our waters, especially our artificial impoundments. I feel extremely privileged to be living in Victoria because it gives me the opportunity to explore and fish many of the great waterways in close proximity, and a lot of the water down this way is the best big redfin water in the country, holding some incredible XL redfin. I absolutely love targeting them. It requires a lot of time on the water and a certain skill to find the big ones, but it’s worth it. Places like Lake Fyans, Lake Wendouree, and Lake Wallace, just to name a few, are some examples of the locations to hunt those bigger models that lurk beneath. Catching redfin can be an easy exercise on artificial

presentations, especially during the warmer months when they become a lot more active. At that time of year, it’s not uncommon to get cricket score catches of fish around the 25-30cm mark, but finding the big ones

consistently can be the real challenge. However, when it all comes together and that big perch hits the net, it’s pure excitement and adrenalin. Very addictive! Big redfin are a truly majestic creature, and can

be encountered in most waterways in the south of the county, from lakes and reservoirs to streams, rivers and farm dams. Land-based, kayak or boat can get you hooked up to a PB redfin. This is why they are such a great

Land-based sessions can be very rewarding.

species to target. Some of the best perch sessions I’ve had have been on foot, hiking into secluded areas that are hard to get to, and reaping the rewards. Google Maps is a great way to find new areas, and often a recon mission results in some beautiful big red dogs. TACKLE Perch fishing with lures is all about finesse. Often using light spin gear, I prefer my rods to be in the 1-3kg range. This allows me to cast a wide range of lures, including very subtle presentations into likely-looking areas. Having a nice light spin reel with a smooth drag around the 10002500 size is the way to go. I load up with a super smooth braid, often an 8 carrier, to give me a nice long cast when needed. Having a fluorocarbon leader is a must. A big redfin sure can pull hard, and having that abrasion resistance will save you from losing that trophy fish. Often a rod length of 8lb fluoro leader (e.g. Platypus Stealth FC) attached with a beautiful little FG knot will give me the full confidence I need to tangle with these beasts. Having this style of set-up gives me the ability to flick my lures long and accurate into the sweet spots. The braid also gives me direct contact to my

Making memories with the family. presentations so I can feel everything and detect any strikes. Often when a big redfin takes your lure it will

be the smallest flick of the line. Then, when you go to move your lure again the fish will take off and you will

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have extremely fun heartpumping, line-peeling, finesse fishing battle ahead of you. TIMING The optimum time to target the bigger fish is during low light conditions. I prefer to hit the water before first light and also the last hour before darkness (I call it the ‘golden hour’). Overcast days are also very rewarding. During these windows, I often find big fish hunting prey, like hungry velociraptors, on the edges in very shallow water, smashing small baitfish and yabbies. For this situation I will choose a bank with plenty of weed and cover. I then cast my lures parallel across the bank in the shallows, and begin prospecting the area. I have found the perfect artificial presentation for the job. To cover both food sources in the one lure I use a soft plastic creature bait with a nice thick grub body and two paddle-tails on the back (e.g. ZMan Baby GOAT), rigged on a jig spin. This winning combination basically gives you a finesse spinnerbait that moves through the water column like a yabby, while also giving off a flash and vibration that appears to mimic a scattering baitfish. Because of the way the wire in the jig spinner is designed, the soft plastic can work its way across areas that would often be too snaggy to

and creature baits with lots of movement are great choices. Often a super slow retrieve with a few rod twitches thrown into the mix will get the big winter reds fired up.

As you can see, targeting redfin is a great way to spend time outdoors. They are fun to catch and taste amazing, and your next PB could be just a cast away. See you out there!

A magnificent land-based cold winter morning beast. fish. I keep in direct contact all the time with my lure. Feeling my way across the likely strike zones, my lure will be bumping across the weed creating lots of movement – stirring things up like a yabby or a small fish would. This gets the big reds excited and often they won’t be able to resist, especially with some added scent on the

presentation. Often if the fish misses the hooks the first time, it will come back for another crack, and it’s fish on. Another great way to catch the big spawning redfin over the cooler times of the year is to fish a soft plastic very slowly off the bottom. Winter can slow the perch fishing down and it can sometimes be

hard to find the fish, but when you do, hold on, because these fish are often huge. I like to use the TT Lures Ned Rig, rigged with a buoyant soft plastic (e.g. ZMan GrubZ). When the mushroom-shaped jighead sits on the bottom, the buoyant plastic automatically stands up and creates its own movement underwater. Grub tail plastics

Redfin candy – ZMan 3’’ Baby GOAT rigged on a TT HeadlockZ 1/12oz jighead attached to a jig spinner.

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A boat called Compromise NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Is there such a thing as the ‘perfect’ fishing boat? Perhaps not… It’s a cliché, yet nonetheless true, that all fishing boats represent a compromise. At its most basic level, that compromise is between affordability, portability and ease of operation on the one hand, balanced against seaworthiness, comfort and fishing space on the other. As boaties, we constantly seek the perfect balance of these desirable traits, but we’re fated never to achieve it. Perhaps we’d be better off not trying. After all, as Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy sagely observed: “If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.” The older I grow and the more time I spend fishing from boats of every ilk, the surer I become that all serious anglers actually need at least two boats in their lives. One of these craft can’t ever be small enough, light enough nor portable enough to approximate perfection, while the other can never be big enough. Let me explain… If, like me, your fishing

Being able to launch where there are no proper boat ramps can certainly be a bonus. handedly throw on and off the roof of a vehicle, or even into the tray of a ute. Those are not descriptions that apply to anything I personally want to go to sea in, although die-hard blue water kayakers might disagree! Fact is, they just don’t make offshore boats big enough for me. Aircraft carriers or luxury ocean liners are getting close, although they still pitch and roll too much for my liking in a really big sea. Any boat becomes incredibly “small” if conditions deteriorate sufficiently. Seriously, after decades spent chasing fish all the way from the shoreline to

search for simplicity, one that involves the constant paring down of anything that can possibly be lived without. As the French adventurer Antoine de SaintExpury put it: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” He could well have been writing about what I like to call ‘minimalist boating’. Minimalist boating describes that end of the scale where the smallest craft that can practically support an angler and his tackle is often the best choice for the task at hand. The validity of this justifiable desire for

minimalism is reflected by a massive expansion in kayak fishing over the past couple of decades. It wouldn’t be stretching things to claim that the kayak market has been

A line-up of flash tournament rigs at a Victorian bream fishing event.

Kayaks are perhaps the ultimate in ‘minimalist boating’.

Maybe what we really need is a big boat and also a very small one? addiction runs the full gamut — from chasing trout, perch, bream and the like in skinny, enclosed waters, to hunting game and sport fish out on the deep blue sea — it’s blindingly obvious that no one craft can tick all the right boxes. For true small water work, a boat with a shallow draft, minimal hull weight and the ability to launch where there are no man-made ramps are all paramount considerations. In an ideal world, your chosen craft for this sort of stealthy, backwater fishing will be sufficiently small and lightweight to single14 MAY 2023

the continental shelf and well beyond, I’ve come to the conclusion that five metres is the bare minimum length for anything like a “proper” offshore vessel, and that each metre over that size typically adds exponentially to the seaworthiness, fishability and creature comforts of the craft. I know there are exceptions to this “rule”, but they’re rare. Back at the ultra-light, skinny-water end of the fishing boat spectrum, my quest is completely the opposite. In stark contrast to my ‘more is more’ attitude to blue water boating, I’m driven instead by a ceaseless

the fastest growing sector of the marine business in recent times. Of course, some of its devotees have managed to lose sight of the essence of minimalism by hanging enough ‘fruit’ off their poor little ’yaks to sink a ferry. This quest for aquatic minimalism can be taken even further than kayaks

and canoes. I’ve caught fish from my stand-up paddleboard (SUP), and also from a strange contraption called a ‘float tube’: a device that vaguely resembles an inflatable armchair, which one propels about on flat water (albeit slowly) via flippers worn on the feet. Definitely not recommended in waters that

Maxi trailer boats come in serious sizes these days.

are home to crocodiles or bull sharks, these bits of kit may be stretching the definition of “boats”, but the motivation for choosing them remains the same: a deep desire to move beyond the bounds of dry land in pursuit of fishing action. I guess it’s the same desire that drove our forebears to hollow out logs or stretch animal skins over timber and bone frameworks. So let’s agree that, as anglers, we all need access to a really big boat, as well as a really small one. Only trouble is, that leaves a yawning gulf between… a place where we might desire to take our significant others and kids out fishing or crabbing or prawning on a larger estuary, bay or harbour. Looks to me like there’s a clear need here for a third boat in the angler’s arsenal… Now, that’d be perfect! Here we go again… Truth is, it never ends, this impossible quest for perfection.

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The big push for winter species THE TWEED

Leon McClymont

The cooler waters have arrived and are pushing in the winter species. Many anglers are switching up their techniques and target species. Snapper, pearl perch, trag and other reefies are the most frequently targeted this time of year in the inshore reefs and out to the 50s. This time of year, the current on the East Coast is at its minimum most days, which allows anglers to get out further into the depths to deep drop with electric reels or those that are keen enough to jig heavy jigs in these depths. This requires not just stamina but also a great technique coincided with some decent gear as a lot of winding is always required and having a poor

Peter Shaw caught this 20.5kg mulloway on a Tweed Bait pilchard. technique and not adequate gear can result in some arm burning and long retrieves from these depths. Big bait balls of pillies, whitebait and mullet are

Jayden Twig with a tasty combo caught offshore on pilchards.

Cayden Hardy did well to capture this mulloway after an intense battle on light gear.

Liam Bygott caught his first Spanish on a slow trolled Tweed Bait bonito.

Steve Dale hooked up to this wahoo on an early morning session with the author. 16 MAY 2023

also making their way along the beaches, which has the tailor, tuna and mulloway going nuts this time of year. If you can find these bait balls it can lead to some exciting fishing, it can literally be a fish a cast. The bait can be identified by the shaded areas in the water, fish busting up or birds bombing. Getting your bait or lure in these zones will just about result in

certain hook up. Finding deep gutters on the beach are also a great zone to be fishing they will either hold bait or predator fish waiting for bait to push into the gutter. Locating a good gutter is best down on a low tide then returning the following high tide to fish it when the larger predator fish will move in and prey on the bait within. The rivers are loaded with white bait and prawns,

which are also on the move this time of year, and the trevally and tailor have pushed into the systems and are wreaking havoc on the schools. Using small spinners, diver lures or surface poppers on light gear is a great technique and very effective way to target them and just downright great fun feeling that hit, or even just seeing the surface strikes that these opponents put out. There are plenty of whiting and flathead on the flats, and the most effective technique for catching bait is pumping your own yabbies on the low tide, it is also a great way to get the kids and whole family involved. Then fishing the incoming tide with your freshly pumped yabbies you can’t get a better introduction into fishing for the young ones in my opinion. Whole yabbies will produce good size fish, such as flathead, bream, whiting and even juvenile mulloway. That’s just about it for the month, as I write this I’m packing for a 10-day trip where I’ll be leaving the Tweed and heading out to East Cay reef approximately 300km off the coast of Mackay aboard Big Cat Reality, which should provide some exiting and arm stretching fishing. Next month I’ll fill you in on how the adventure went, I’ll be sure to throw a few pics in the mix as well. Tight line and until then, soak em long.

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Southern

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Mack attack through May GOLD COAST

David Green

May sees the East Australian current slow down and the water temperature generally drops a few degrees. Target species this month include blue marlin, wahoo, Spanish and spotted mackerel, snapper and flame snapper. As the current slows bottom fishing improves and the catches on the 36 and 50 fathom reefs should improve as snapper and pearl perch move inshore from the edge of the continental shelf. This year’s mackerel season has been quite good,

metal lures was the most effective method. The spotties were feeding in the dirty water that ran out of the Jumpinpin entrance. Two days later there were about 80 boats in the same area, but the fish had moved on and very few were caught, which is a typical type of pattern when it comes to mackerel. This month the spotted mackerel should be a bit bigger. Trolling small, skirted lures, spinning with metal slugs or drifting pilchards are all effective methods. For Spanish mackerel trolled dead baits or live baits generally produce the best results. As it cools down some big female Spanish

This spot is at its best when the current is running hard from the north and there is plenty of bait around. The last wahoo season was quite poor, but hopefully things will improve. High speed trolling using metal headed lures works well. Troll speed should be around 10-15 knots. If small tuna are around, they can be caught by spinning or by trolling small skirted lures. These can then be rigged to troll and are a dynamite bait for big wahoo. Where the current runs over the ledge on the Nine Mile Reef is a great spot but be careful as this area can break in even a moderate swell. Trolling deep diving minnows is

Dave Lawless with a Spaniard. They have been in good numbers this season. with plenty of spotted and good Spanish mackerel turning up in numbers at all the usual spots. I fished just off the Jumpinpin bar a few days ago and there were huge schools of spotted mackerel from just outside the surf line out to a depth of around 30m. Spinning with

mackerel start to show up. If you are targeting these big fish troll big baits such as tuna, bonito, tailor and even doggie mackerel. Fish over 20kg become more common as the water cools. May is a good month to chase wahoo on the Tweed Heads Nine Mile Reef.

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Blue marlin should be around in good numbers this month. fished well. On my last blue marlin trip, we had a double hook-up of fish around the 150kg mark, which was a bit chaotic with only two on board! One jumped off and we caught the second fish after a one-hour fight. Snapper fishing should improve this month, and surprisingly there have been good catches throughout autumn. The inshore reefs should produce snapper, teraglin, cobia, mulloway and mackerel tuna this month. Snapper and pearl perch will be in numbers on the 50 fathom line. As the current drops deep dropping for bar cod and flame snapper should improve. ESTUARIES AND RIVERS As the days cool down the fishing improves with a transition from summer species such as whiting, to winter fish species like mulloway, flathead and bream. May is the first month of the year where I start specifically targeting flathead. There has been plenty of rain over summer and baitfish have been plentiful. The banana prawns are in big schools from Jacob’s Well up to Redland Bay. All of this points to a good flathead season ahead. I generally fish the section between Tippler’s Passage and the Jumpinpin entrance. In May most of the flatties are between 40-60cm long, with the odd bigger fish turning up on the flats at high tide. I generally mix up my lure styles, using a mix of soft plastics, vibes, metal blades and hardbodied minnows. My favourite is the Gulp Nemesis 4” in the fire tiger colour. These bright orange and yellow lures have caught me hundreds of flathead over the past few seasons. Fished on a 1/4oz jighead they are very effective in a range of situations, from shallow flats through to deep water. There will be mulloway at the end of the north wall of

the Seaway this month. Live bait is the key to catching these fish, although soft plastics can also be effective on a change of tide. Most of the mulloway have been above the minimal legal size of 75cm at the moment. As well as mulloway, mangrove jack commonly move into the seaway area in May before moving offshore. These are mature fish over 50cm long, and they respond well to small live baits cast into the wash next to the

A lot of these fish start to move into the Jumpinpin and Seaway areas and some of these fish are a kilo in weight. Small weighted soft plastics, bait and small vibes are all very effective in the deep water. Schooling bream often feed voraciously as they try to put on condition prior to spawning. While mud crabs tend to thin out in May, there are still a lot of sand crabs in the central Broadwater. Working a run-in tide using pots

Brittany Horner with an early season flathead. rocks. They are also quite partial to whole squid. Try to use as little lead as possible, so the bait is carried in the wash rather than sinking to the bottom. As the water cools bream become more active in preparation for spawning.

baited with mullet in 5-8m of water is generally quite productive. Try to keep your pots adjacent to weed beds. Overall, May is a very good month to fish the Gold Coast with a wide range of options and there is generally good weather.

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Taxman has arrived early JUMPINPIN

Bo Sawyer

Hopefully you’ve had a cracker month’s fishing since I’ve reported last. However, if you’ve experienced some slower days on the water don’t worry – you’re not the only one. At the time of writing the water temps have been high and the sharks have been very active. The taxman has come early this year with several of our charter clients getting potential PB fish chomped in half. The good news is we are heading into a great time of year for fishing and water temps are already starting to cool. The prawns have been

around the Pin area is staggering and we should get some much bigger models chewing harder as we head into winter. There have been

If you’re a lure fisho I suggest slowly working vibes, and if you’re sounding up fish and not getting a hit then switch over to a plastic

Rob jumped on the Capn’s boat and landed a nice 98cm mulloway on a soft plastic.

Shane was a happy camper landing a nice thready on light gear. in the 4-7” range. I’ve been using 30-40lb leader when flicking lures and if the sharks aren’t around I’ll go a bit easier on the fish when they are close to the boat (to avoid getting busted off). If you are using bait then live

pike and mullet are a good option and try a snelled rig with about 50lb leader. Having a good sounder will make your life a lot easier as the mulloway can move around a fair bit. Try the Pin bar, any banks that drop sharply to about that 5-6m mark, deep holes and the mouth of the Logan River. If the sharks move in they will shut down a feeding school very quickly. Nothing makes me happier

than seeing this species starting to thrive again! Some nice bream have been getting caught as well. They are great fun to target on light line by either

as they become less active in the colder temps. Some cracker mangrove jack have been getting caught lately as well, which is great to see. Like the

Sharks have been a real problem lately! Ruining a nice double hook up on small mulloway.

A nice jack caught in the Jacobs Well area. thick with plenty of cast netters making their way around the Logan River and surrounds. Bagging out on decent sized prawns. The amount of small mulloway that have been

big schools of fish in that 40-80cm bracket throughout the entire system. Some much bigger models over the meter mark have been landed in the Pin bar over the last few weeks as well.

Operational

A 63cm trev was a welcome sight, these fish pull very hard.

flicking lightly weighted plastics or bait. They will be running rampant over the cooler months and I’ll be targeting them in the deeper water in the outer Pin area around bait schools. Still some great whiting fishing happening at the moment on live yabbies and worms. They should still be about but their numbers will drop off heavily for a while

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Doug and Kyle with a nice flathead caught on the Jacobs Well jetty.

whiting, their numbers will drop off but I’ve still caught 50+ models during winter before so I wouldn’t rule them out completely. After a challenging summer on the flathead we will see them really ramp up over the coming months. I love a late afternoon low tide for them on colder days as they seem to become super active/aggressive just before the sun and temp drops off. Try flicking 3.5-4” plastics on bank edges two hours either side of low. If you are bait fishing than fresh prawns, cut up pillies or live poddy mullet will work very well. • Brett from Jacobs Well Bait and Tackle has plenty of fresh bait available if you need any. Ryan and myself have plenty of charter dates available as well if you’d like to come out and chase some nice fish and brush up on your fishing skills. Enjoy the cooler weather everyone, we are in for some great fishing! Good luck and tight lines. • Capn’s Charters have dates available if you’d like to come out and learn how to fish lures or maybe just brush up on some fishing tactics, we’d love to have you on board! Call 0410 590 049 or email bookings@ capnscharters.com.au.

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Southern

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Layer up for autumn sessions BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

With the weather cooling rapidly, anglers will be requiring a few extra layers for those pre-dawn starts and night time sessions on the water. The abundance of many species will begin to change over the coming weeks with species such as snapper, mulloway, squid, bream and tailor being some of the more readily available species. Plenty of others will still be on the menu with sweetlip, prawns, threadfin, flathead, longtail tuna, school

mackerel and many more available. The crabbing will begin to wane a little but it should still be worth setting a few safety pots if you’re out on the water. Squid and prawns are definite options for those who specifically target them. The days will be a lot cooler, which many anglers seem to prefer, yet the fishing should still be hot to trot. Get amongst a few of these key targets over the coming month. SNAPPER As we move into the cooler months, plenty of anglers will have snapper on their mind. These awesome table and sport fish begin to move inshore to breed

Chris with a solid Moreton Bay mulloway.

during the cooler months. Large knobbies are on the wish list for many, however I think the specimens in the 50-65cm range are the best for eating. Currently snapper have a bag limit of 4 per person with no more than one of those fish being over 70cm, or 8 per boat with no more than 2 over 70cm, regardless of how many anglers are aboard. Remember this bag limit also includes the fish already in your possession at home. There is a closed season on snapper (and pearl perch) from 15 July to 15 August but we will worry about that when it happens. During May, the better specimens are commonly caught as they come inshore to breed. Limiting your catch of larger specimens (as the size limits are designed to do) makes good sense as it allows these bigger fish the chance to breed, helping to maintain future stocks. Any snapper bought to the boat should be handled with care and respect whilst being released as they will be the big breeding fish in years to come. Snapper will respond to a wide array of lures and baits. They can be rather aggressive at times however the larger fish don’t get to that size without some smarts. Therefore, those employing the better techniques and approach are more likely to score results. Around the artificial reefs, drifting with the current and casting lures such as soft vibes, blades and numerous jighead rigged soft plastics has proven a successful

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technique. It is best to cast the lures upcurrent or across current then work back to the boat with a series of hops and pauses or errant, slow winding. Casting an additional lure aft (generally a jighead rigged soft plastic) then putting the rod in a holder and allowing the current to lift and work the plastic, can be a deadly technique. This ‘dead sticking’ approach can often produce the fish of the day. I regularly use Samaki Thumpertail 100mm when targeting bay snapper but additionally use soft plastic shad, curltail and crustacean patterns rigged on 1/4oz or 3/8oz jigheads. Snapper will respond to a wide array of lures and many will troll deep diving minnow lures around the artificial reefs and other structure to achieve hookups. A wide array of baits can be used for snapper however the better quality, fresh baits are generally the best option. Whilst the easily attained pilchard or frozen squid can still produce quality fish, fresher offerings are a better option. Live yakkas, slimey mackerel, gar, herring and mullet can all be used successfully. These same whole baits can be used deceased, as well as fillet baits from pike, gar, mullet, tuna, bonito and even grinners. If you can’t get fresh then salted tuna and bonito fillets are well worth using and are often a lot hardier than the fresh option anyway. Baits are best fished with a minimum of lead, fluorocarbon leaders and hooks buried well in the baits with just the points proud. Larger baits often work well when there are a lot of smaller pickers around. These juvenile fish will attack the bait creating cloud of berleyed water around the bait. This scent and commotion can get the attention of the larger fish lurking out wider and hopefully they will come and investigate before the entirety of the bait is depleted. Bait fishing can be done from an anchored position or whilst drifting, especially around the rubble areas and some artificial reefs. PRAWNS Prawns began to show in numbers late in March and continued throughout April. The Caboolture River, Pine River and several of the creeks filtering into the Pumicestone Passage all produced full ten litre limits of prawns for keen cast-netters. Over the last month, prawns have been caught in numerous areas of the southern bay including Jackson’s Hole, The Powerlines, mouth of the Logan, The Saltworks, Giant’s Grave and the

Ian Johnson recently caught this 81cm flathead whilst casting a Jackall Squirrel 67 around shallow sand flats. Redland Bay Channel. During the coming month, it is highly likely that areas off Clontarf, Deception Bay and Nudgee will begin to fire. Usually by this time of the season the quality of the prawns is greatly improved with plenty of large bananas and a few brown tigers on offers. Quality 12ft top-pocket only nets are desirable for prawning as they provide maximum legal coverage and minimum amounts of debris accumulating in the net. Traditional bottompocket bait gathering nets can be used however you will waste a lot of time retrieving the prawns from the net and removing the debris trapped in the bottom pocket. Prawns will commonly lift and move around during the changes of the tide so this is when they become most visible on your marine electronics and easiest to catch. They can be predictable at times yet fickle and can be here one day and gone the next. MACKEREL Even though the temperatures are starting to cool, school mackerel should still be available over the coming months. Vertically jigging the shipping channel beacons with chromed slugs and slices will often produce good numbers of schoolies. Repeated trips to a likely beacon can reward even if unsuccessful previously. Trolling the edges of major banks and channels during the first few hours of the falling tide with deep diving minnow lures or spoons dragged behind paravanes is a very reliable way to score a few school mackerel and cover a body of water. Drifting these same zones with unweighted pilchards can also reward. As their name suggest, they

are a schooling fish therefore if you catch one in an area, subsequent passes through the same zone is likely to reward. LONGTAIL TUNA Tuna numbers have been good in the bay over recent months and May should also produce some awesome action. It is the longtails that anglers froth for due to their tenacious fighting ability and exceptional table quality, especially when consumed raw or barely cooked. Specimens in Moreton Bay can reach weights in excess of 25kg. The average fish is probably around 8kg to 9kg but plenty of specimens of 10kg to 15kg abound. Good offerings for longtails can include, chromed slugs and slices, jighead rigged ZMan jerk shads (especially the bubblegum colour), weighted casting minnows and stickbaits. I have had a lot of success on the Oceans Legacy Keeling 105 stickbaits lately. These are 105mm long, weigh 42gm and cast exceptionally well, even on PE4. Generally I opt to fish fairly heavy for longtails, otherwise the attrition rate from sharks is rather high. Even on this heavy line, plenty of fish are lost to sharks which often pounce on a hooked fish within the first few seconds of the fight. The longtails have been feeding on rather small bait most of the time which has made it hard to tempt them when they are in a feeding frenzy. They seem to get tunnel vision and will only eat replicas the same size as the bait. Small baitfish profile flies can usually be delivered the desired distance, often working when other offerings fail. When the tuna are more

OLD

MULLOWAY One of the prime species for anglers fishing throughout the artificial reefs of Moreton Bay and in the Brisbane River is the mulloway. Often termed ‘ghosts of the estuary’ due to their elusiveness, mulloway can be caught on a great array of lures and baits, especially live baits. They will respond to much the same lures, retrieves and approaches that you use for snapper and are often welcome by-catch for anglers targeting this species. Larger schools of mulloway roam the artificial reef areas and can be

scattered, with single fish sounding periodically in an area, it is a little easier to achieve results. I often cast stickbaits and work them back to the boat with a slow wind and frequent twitching. Pencil poppers will also sometimes work in this situation as will jerkshad plastics and other offerings. If you keep a longtail for the table, brain spike it first before piercing the lateral line a few centimetres behind the pectoral fin on both sides and cutting the throat latch to allow it to bleed well. Ice down immediately and you will have some prime sashimi once the fish is completely processed. SQUID Squid numbers should be good throughout the bay with most areas of clean water flowing over reef, rock, rubble and weed bed producing these tasty cephalopods. Casting egi and working it back with a series of hops and pauses or a slow retrieve with pauses is likely to produce. There will be a few to be caught from landbased spots such as Manly, Wynnum, Wellington Point, Victoria Point, Amity Point and Scarborough however the best results inshore will generally come in a month or two when westerly winds have increased water clarity.

detected using sidescan and downscan technology. Presenting a soft vibe, jighead rigged plastic or micro jig just ahead of the roaming fish will often pay dividends. However, the sharks are often quickly on the scene resulting in a negative scenario for all except the noah. The Brisbane River can hold decent numbers of mulloway at times and whilst shark losses are lessened, it is still an issue. Fishing live baits along the edges of the declines into the main riverbed, the dredge holes out from the retaining wall

at the mouth, the deeper areas around the Gateway Bridge and along the ledge just downriver of the International Cruise Ship Terminal is usually successful, especially on a night time rising tide. Mullet, herring, pike, biddies, banana prawns and squid are all excellent live offerings for tempting mulloway. Use a minimum weight sinkerjust enough to keep it in the strike zone. Baitrunner style reels allow the fish to mouth and run with the bait, giving them time to swallow it before you engage drag to set the hook.

The author has been slowly twitching the Oceans Legacy Keeling 105 around the edges of tuna schools with consistent results.

Casting lures around the lighted areas along the river, such as the terminals, riverside restaurants, jetties and pontoons is likely to reward at night. The lights attract baitfish and crustaceans towards the surface and predators usually aren’t far away. Those targeting mulloway in the Brisbane River during May are highly likely to encounter snapper, threadfin, tailor, cod and sharks, especially when fishing with live baits. OTHER ESTUARINE OFFERINGS Bream, flathead, cod, threadfin, trevally, whiting, jacks and many other species will be on the hit list for anglers fishing the estuaries, canals, harbours and creeks over the coming month. There has been some sizeable flathead taken in recent months and these are always a serious target throughout most inshore areas on both baits and lures. Bream numbers will begin to increase as water temperatures fall. Whilst basic bait fishing will always produce a few bream, rather refined techniques can be employed whilst targeting them successfully with lures. Cod will continue to be taken along rock walls, jetty pylons and artificial reefs. You may even encounter the odd jack

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or trevally whilst probing heavily structured inshore areas with lures and live baits. The greater population of threadfin will begin to move back up the rivers but there are always a few lurking around the port area. The winter whiting should begin to grace the catches of those fish squid strips or worms throughout the bays flats systems and also up in the estuaries. Subtle rigging will increase catches. CONCLUSION May anglers will have a broad array of options available to them over the coming month. Whether you are fishing the estuaries for bread and butter species or out in the bay for sporting targets, there are options galore. Tasty bay options of snapper, mulloway, sweetlip and maybe even a tuskfish or two are always on the cards. Add a few prawns, squid or crabs into the equation and seafood lovers will be stoke with the smorgasbord on offer. Cooler mornings and nights will definitely dictate a few extra layers and perhaps a warming beverage or two however the variety on offer will make the effort worthwhile. It is always a few degrees warmer out on the water than on land so that is further inspiration to get on out there.

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MAY 2023 25

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Excellent fishing across the board

group together, and we can start expecting to see larger 80cm+ models getting caught more regularly. The lower Brisbane, Caboolture and Pine rivers, Cabbage Tree Creek and Kedron Brook all hold great numbers of flathead – just make sure you’re up to date with where you can and can’t fish! Tailor have been thick in most systems, and this should continue through May. Through the day they can often be seen busting up on bait, however at night they can be found around artificial light. Any lights pools over the water are worth casting at with either soft plastics, topwater lures or baits like pilchard.

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The past few months have seen excellent fishing across the board for the northern bay and adjacent estuaries and dams. The weather has been way more settled than this time last year, and it seems the systems are still benefiting from the biblical flush of 2022. With the temperature well and truly dropping off, May is set to be an exciting month as we head into winter. The quality of the fishing in some areas is as good as some locals can recall, however they aren’t necessarily following typical seasonal trends. This is likely to do with the unusually cool summer we had and the shake up from last year’s floods. In any case, May is always an exciting time to fish the northern bay area, so let’s take a look at your options! BAY May is usually when Brisbane anglers start thinking about snapper, but in reality anglers have been recording great catches all through summer. Areas around the Port of Brisbane, Mud Island and the shallow reefs and rubble patches off

Marley King with a nice 55cm model. Snapper are still around and great fun to catch.

A good result for a session chasing Spaniards. deeper channels and well-lit breakwalls and jetties will hold arrow squid at night. Land-based anglers can get into good quality tiger and arrow squid by throwing jigs along Redcliffe, Margate, Scarborough and Woody Point. High tides are best, as this is when the water is at its clearest.

with a few little surprises here and there as well. The bream will be preparing for their series of winter spawns on each of the full moons, and will be found in good numbers in the deeper channels around river mouths and bridges. Small vibes and soft plastics will be productive, but so too

Mitchell Lane with a topwater jack in the Pine River. Now we are talking.

Anthony Cass has been chasing Spaniards on topwater with great success. Scarborough will all fire through May, especially if you can time an early morning or late afternoon with a tide change. Fishing with light traces around 10lb is a good way to get more bites, weather fishing with soft plastics, vibes or baits. Now is a good time to target tiger and arrow squid around the bay, and typically the size of the squid will improve right up to about October. Any shallow weed beds, rubble patches of rocky reefs in the bay will hold arrow squid, whereas 26 MAY 2023

Those chasing pelagics in the bay have found good numbers over the last few months, with spotted and school mackerel, mac and longtail tuna, and tailor all harassing the masses of bait that have been hanging around enjoying the nutrientrich waters. Watching the birds and fishing lures and baits in the areas where they are feeding is the key. RIVERS AND CREEKS The fishing through May is usually pretty reliable for favourite estuary species like bream, flathead and tailor,

will crankbaits when they are feeding a little higher in the water column. Just about any bait will work in these same areas, particularly on the outgoing tide. Flathead will be starting to pile on some condition leading up to their spawn in spring. They will be spreading themselves out through the lower estuaries looking for a feed, meaning trolling and casting lures over shallow flats and through nearby channels will be deadly. In the coming months they will begin to

Mulloway and threadfin salmon will be starting to feed in shallower water as it cools down and baitfish such as mullet, herring, hardiheads and gar start to enter the Brisbane and Pine rivers. At night these fish will hold in well-lit areas under bridges and pontoons, picking off baitfish as the current sweeps them past. Lures such as soft vibes, swimbaits, jerkbaits and even topwater lures will work, provided they are a similar size to whatever bait is in the area. Live baiting can be very effective if you can manage to get hold of a few of these nervous bait fish. DAMS With only one month of the wild bass season left, most bass anglers will turn their attention to the dams. Both our local dams, Samsonvale and Kurwongbah, have been fishing reasonably for bass, and better than average for saratoga. Saratoga fishing will taper off as winter sets in, however fishing around the edges during May will still turn up the odd toga.

The key is to keep moving, keep casting, and be on the lookout for any boils or movement in the shallows! At this time of year impoundment bass will generally be in a transitional

presentations like jerkbaits, soft plastics and blades and moving deeper as the sun comes up is a good way to find a pattern. As winter sets in, fish will tend to follow the pattern of feeding shallow early on before schooling up deeper as the sun rises. Points are good areas to target, as they often provide shallow water with nearby deeper water, which bass really like. WRAP-UP Late autumn can provide excellent fishing in the northern bay area, however the seasonal variation from year to year can make it a little hard to predict. Whatever you’re chasing, make sure you have some back-up options planned – there’s always plenty of alternatives if your plan A doesn’t come together! • For more up to date information on fishing in and around Brisbane call into the guys at Tackle World Lawnton and they can point you in the right direction. The friendly staff at Tackle World Lawnton cater to all levels of experience and offer the widest range of

Ethan Flowers has had North Pine Dam dialed for toga the last few months. phase, and anglers might have to chop and change a bit to find what they’re doing day to day. Starting shallow in the morning with subtle

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OLD

Change of season is a great time! NOOSA

Peter Wells

This is the amazing time of the year where we get the last of the pelagic run and the start of the winter snapper. For pelagics, some of the favourite hunting grounds are the reefs off K’gari, Double Island and Sunshine Reef but with the amount of bait around at the moment anywhere you see bird activity is worth a look. Tuna have been in the mix with plenty of mac tuna for a bit of fun with the sortafter long tails holding that bit deeper. Most of the bait seems to be hardyiheads and frog mouthed pilchards, so larger slugs 30-40g will match the hatch. From the bottom there is plenty on offer. The closer grounds have been giving up some nice snapper along with sweetlip and tusk fish. Around Noosa, anglers in smaller craft have managed to get over the bar and head for Sunshine with some great success; coral trout, mulloway, snapper and

some solid cobia have come from the area. Snapper numbers will increase as the waters cool. Some anglers think that the fish move up from down south, but this is not true as they tend to move in and out to deeper cooler waters. First, the better fish will come from the eastern side of the Barwon Banks, the Hards and Caloundra 12 Mile before

making their way closer to places like the Gneerings and Sunshine. For the bait anglers, fishing on a floater rig with a pilchard or large squid is a popular way to target snapper. For the lure anglers these fish respond well to soft plastics and jigs. A couple of options are coconut ice and nuclear chicken in the ZMan 7” jerk shads and the Flipper Jigs

from Black Magic. Another fish that has been on offer lately has been the mahimahi. These fish are attracted to anything floating on the surface as well as the FADs that are dotted off our coast. You will often see the larger bull free swimming on the surface, they will often take a well placed floater. In the river and creeks, the lower reaches of the Mary

Another of the charter operators out of Noosa got this very solid red.

Khy Lawrence with a couple of quality crabs from around the Tin Can Bay area. and the Noosa have been outstanding for jacks, barra and even a fin salmon. Anglers have had the most success with live baits of poddy mullet and larger banana prawns. For the lure anglers, larger swim baits and larger prawn profiles like the Chasebait Flick Prawn and the Zerek Live Cherabin have been outstanding. Flathead numbers around Noosa continue to impress with plenty of larger fish

first light or early evening on live baits. Crab numbers will start to drop away locally so if you are after a feed you will have to head north. Bigger bream are also starting to show up. These fish will be looking to spawn over the coming months so there will be some big ones around. Tailor have started to make their way back into the rivers, reports from the Maroochy area are from the traffic bridge down to the mouth on the incoming tide. Upsizing the leader is a must with the sharp teeth of the tailor. We see plenty of anglers trolling this section of the river using smaller slugs, plastics, and diving lures. On the beaches, the amount of bait has been outstanding, bringing plenty of predatory fish in close. To the south some beaches were closed as small sharks were working in the areas.

mouths with some nice tailor reported around Pincushion Island. Anglers have been fishing the dirty water line on the run-out tide. These fish will be feeding on smaller baitfish running to more saline waters. Trevally have also been in the mix as well as the odd queenfish. Casting a Halco Twisty into the darker water and retrieving it into the clear has been a very effective method, for those looking to throw a bait a smaller pilchard cast along that dirty water line is your best bet. The Mary around Gympie has been outstanding, and anglers are reporting some nice bass down river from the weir. Grub style soft plastics have been working well, as well as surface lures in the morning and afternoon. Sooties are also in the mix with not quite as many fish as earlier in the season. Darker

A nice Spanish taken around Sunshine Reef on charter operator Cougar One.

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Aiden Whitehead with a sooty football from the Mary River. boated on the bigger run out tides. With the amount of bait around at the moment these fish are feeding hard. Lightly weighted small pilchards, hardiheads and herring cast upstream and worked back with the tide has been the way to go. As usual for this time of the year, the trevally in the Noosa River has been outstanding, most fish come at

Mulloway have been plentiful along the Noosa North Shore as well as K’gari. Queenfish, trevally and larger tailor are also feeding hard on the abundance of bait in the area. The best approach is to fish for two hours either side of the high tide and use similar baits like pilchards and hardiheads. On the southern beaches there has been plenty of activity around the river

smaller hardbodies seem to be the favourite here. • Do not forget to check in to www.fishingnoosa.com.au for all the latest up to date info on fishing and bar crossings. The knowledgeable teams at Tackle World Noosa, Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola our new store The Tackle Shop in Gympie can provide you with the right equipment, bait and advice to ensure success!

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How boat ramp surveys help our fisheries

If you’ve recreationally fished at one of the 50 boat ramps across Queensland that Fisheries Queensland monitor as part of the Boat Ramp Survey Program, you may have come across one of our interviewers asking you to spare a few minutes to answer some questions about your fishing trip. The Boat Ramp Survey Program is a voluntary program giving recreational fishers the opportunity to help with the stewardship of Queensland’s fisheries. More than 90% of recreational fishers take up this opportunity and provide interviewers with basic fishing information about their trip. That information provides insight into patterns in boat-based recreational fishing and is primarily used to improve the sustainability of fish stocks. For example, the survey monitors changes in recreational boat-based fishing effort, what’s caught and the size of those fish. But don’t worry, your personal information is not recorded, and you’re not asked to give away those secret fishing spots! Although the interviews seem simple, there’s quite a bit of science behind them. Surveys are performed on randomly allocated days across a range of boat ramps. This allows the data to better reflect rates and patterns in recreational fishing. When we measure the fish, you may see us measuring to the ‘fork in the tail’ rather than the tip. Fork length gives a more reliable standardised scientific length measurement. If you see our friendly interviewers at your ramp, give something back to the fishery and volunteer a few minutes of your time to contribute with your information. It’s your opportunity to help look after your fishery.

Faces of Fisheries: Tonia Sankey Tonia started working in the Fishery Monitoring team in 2018 and now manages the Boat Ramp Survey Program in northern Queensland. Tonia is a marine ecologist and works closely with your friendly interviewers at boat ramps to collect important recreational fishing data. “The ocean is my haven. On weekends I’m often out in the reef immersing myself in the ocean for hours with a speargun and camera in hand. I feel fortunate that my job lets me promote recreational fishing data collection. I love talking to fishers and it’s comforting to know that fishers care about our ocean and fisheries. We’re all helping maintain the sustainability of Queensland’s fisheries.” Participating in a boat ramp survey is a simple way that you can contribute to valuable data being collected. It helps us support fisheries so you can continue to enjoy weekends on the water with a line in hand and enough fish in the ocean to catch.

Download the free ‘Qld Fishing 2.0’ app from the App Store or Google Play MAY 2023 04/23 30DAF1954

Why fish passage is vital for fish migration Have you ever caught a fish and wondered what journey it’s been on, or the obstacles it’s had to encounter?

to 2,300 km during times of flow – that’s like swimming from Brisbane to Auckland!

Many of Queensland’s native fish species, including popular recreational and commercial species, migrate at some point in their life. This could be to breed, recolonise areas, and to access new food and habitats.

Migration patterns of fish can be restricted through the construction of dams, flood levees, weirs and road crossings. Even small changes in water level, as much as 10 cm drop, can obstruct small bodied native fish, leading to reduced native fish populations.

Some fish species move between fresh and salt water. This movement is called diadromous and is undertaken by fish species such as barramundi, Australian bass, jungle perch and sea mullet. Native fish species that complete their lifecycle in freshwater also have a requirement for movement within the river systems. This type of movement is termed potamodromous and is undertaken by fish species such as golden perch, silver perch and Murray cod. Golden perch have a recorded migration of up

Any delay or blockage to native fish movement significantly reduces their long-term viability. This is why Fisheries legislation in Queensland requires adequate fish passage at structures built within waterways.

Women spearheading recreational fishing Sharney Lennox started camping and fishing from a young age when her and her brothers each had their own coloured hand line. Now living on the Gold Coast, Sharney loves the versatility fishing provides. “I can head out west to chase Murray cod and camp for a few nights, floating down a river in my kayak without seeing another person all day. I could head north to catch reef fish or chase barramundi. I can go offshore with friends close to home to catch marlin or snapper. Or I can drive 10 minutes down the road to chase some bass and saratoga at Hinze dam. Not only are they different types of fishing, but each offer a very different experience to one another.” In addition to the amazing versatility, Sharney loves being able to fish alone, with her husband and kids or with friends. “To me, life doesn’t get better than being able to enjoy fishing with my loved ones. You can make fishing as personal or as social as you want,

and when you take in to account all the different locations and types of fishing there are, the options are truly endless. As a proud advocate for fishing, particularly for women and children, Sharney is now one of the leaders for the Women in Recreational Fishing Program. In the program she continues to learn about fishing and she shares her vast knowledge with other fishers. “One of the most fulfilling things is sharing my knowledge and having someone come back to me and tell me they caught a fish on the back of the tips I have given them. My hope for this program is for more women to find the confidence to step outside of their comfort zone and give fishing a go.” Interested in joining the community? Search Facebook for ‘Women in Recreational Fishing Network Qld’ to find out more.

fisheries.qld.gov.au 13 25 23 FisheriesQueensland FisheriesQld DAFQld MAY 2023 31

Central OLD

Time to catch XOS fish on live baits BUNDABERG

Luke Truant

May is traditionally a windy month, so you’ll need to make the most of every weather window that pops up. You may not get another chance for a while. On the upside, there is some great fishing to be had

You won’t regret it. I like to run 44lb stainless wire for the Spanish; it’s so fine that it’s almost like having mono. Don’t use plasticcoated wire, because the mackerel’s teeth will cut the plastic and create burrs, which generate drag in the water and affect the lure’s action. In this unwelcome scenario, you will get far fewer strikes.

If you have ever been frustrated by storing and untangling sabiki rigs – and who hasn’t – you can solve this problem by spending $70-$90 on a hollow Sabiki rod. It will change your life. You can pre-rig them at home, and when you find the bait, just open the bail arm and you’ll be catching livies in the first 10 seconds. When

Brenton has been getting stuck into the coral trout. on a range of bottom species, both inshore and offshore. As always, if the sharks show up, just up and move to another spot that’s a good distance away. If you stick around you’ll just keep feeding them. One of the best things about May is that the cooler conditions entice the snapper to head north to our region. May is the month where you start catching big knobbies, in a range of depths. A good place to start fishing for snapper is in around 15m of water in rubble areas, and even the artificial reef. The best time of day is the hour before sunrise. Once the sun is up, your chances are slim. If you like to fish gentleman’s hours, you can target the snapper late in the afternoon, up to an hour after dark. In my experience though, the evening bite isn’t quite as good as the morning one. Interestingly, every big knobby I’ve ever caught has been off the surface. So, if you’re bottom fishing for the likes of red emperor, send a livie out the back and you may be lucky enough to tempt a big snapper. These same surface livies can also entice a Spanish mackerel. There are plenty of decent-size Spanish getting around at the moment, and you can specifically target them trolling Laser Pros, X-Raps or Pacemakers, or whole garfish. If you haven’t done much trolling for Spanish mackerel before, I highly recommend that you teach yourself how to rig thin, single-strand wire trace. Hop on YouTube and look up how to tie a wire to mono knot. 32 MAY 2023

May is also the time when you can start sourcing good numbers of live baits, which are irresistible to XOS fish. In the coming weeks you will likely experience the best fishing for big demersals for the whole year, if you use live baits. If you haven’t gathered livies before, I would start at the end leads (the east cardinal mark out from Bundaberg), and drop your sabiki rigs down around there. You’ll nearly always find them there at this time of year. If they’re not there, they’ll be on the leads before it. The main bait you’ll be catching here is yellowtail. Most yellowtail will be fairly small this month, around the size of a pilchard, so use a sabiki rig with smaller hooks for maximum efficiency. You can use larger hooks in winter, when the yellowtail are bigger.

go to YouTube and search for ‘sabiki rod’. You want to cram as many yellowtail into your tank as you possibly can, without them dying. You’ll need a lot of water flow to keep them alive – I have never seen a tank that can have too much flow. I use a rectangular tank, which is generally assumed to have higher death rates than a rounded tank, but I have a very low death rate because of the high flow and circulation. If one of your yellowtail does die, scoop it out and butterfly it. A butterflied yellowtail is a great dead bait, often working better than a pilchard. You won’t need many dead baits this month if you have a tank full of livies. At other times of the year I like to have half the people on board using dead baits, to create a natural berley and commotion down below, and the other people using livies (and rotate so everyone gets a turn). However, in May, the big fish are so dialled into livies that dead baits are not recommended.

A nice brace of autumn trout. reeling them in. You can expect to catch big red emperor and trout on your livies, which is awesome, but you’ll also get large goldspot cod, which isn’t so great.

Live baits are the go for red emperor this month. buying one of these rods, make sure it’s long enough so the whole jig fits inside. If you want to see one in action,

You don’t want stand there soaking a dead bait and have the fish turn their noses up at it, while other anglers are

This solid red has retained its striking juvenile markings.

Catching a single gold-spot cod is OK, because they’re great on the plate, but when you’re catching one after the other, you’ll get worn out pretty quickly. There isn’t much you can do about the cod problem besides catch your breath and drop back down again, in hopes of catching a red fish. Big cod can suffer from barotrauma, so you’ll want to vent their air bladder with a syringe, and use a heavy release weight to get the big fish back to the depths. I have made my own release weight using dive weights and a 12/0 hook with a crimped barb. I insert this into the fish’s top lip, and when the weight reaches the bottom, the fish pops off easily. In the weeks ahead you should still be able to catch some good-size grassy sweetlip (grass emperor), but

most of them will have moved a bit deeper. At this time of year, they tend to like depths of around 30-40m, with a scattered reef/rubbly bottom. On a sounder screen, this kind of bottom appears as just one or two pixels of colour on top of the sand. ESTUARY FISHING There are good numbers of prawns on offer at the moment. You can catch the prawns in the deeper holes near the river mouth, just be sure to use a top quality, top pocket cast net. May is traditionally a great month for crabbing. At this time of year, the majority of crabs tend to come from shallow water – shallow enough so that your pots get close to drying. There are good numbers of mullet around, so it’s not hard to get some mullet frames for crab pot bait, and save the fillets for strip baits. Anglers fishing around the rock bars have been picking up mangrove jack and barra on both dead and live baits. There are some decent grunter and flathead getting around too, taking baits and soft plastics. • Truansea Charters specialise in 10-hour day trips chasing prized reef targets such as coral trout and red emperor, as well as arm-stretching pelagics like Spanish mackerel. The maximum number of anglers is 6, so you’ll never feel crowded. The price is $350pp (or $330pp if you book the whole boat), which includes all gear, fuel, bait, ice, chilled water/soft drinks and laughs! You’re welcome to bring your own reef fishing gear if you prefer. Other charter options include half-day reef trips, half day river trips and private guiding. To find out more visit www.truansea.com.au, or you can Like them on Facebook or call Luke on 0423 015 490.

MAY 2023 33

Central OLD

Best of both seasons MACKAY

Cameron Christian

May is typically our official transition to winter and while the start of the month can be quite warm with plenty of summer species, like jacks and barra still available, the end of the month can become pretty cool and leads to plenty of opportunities for winter species like mackerel, snapper, queenfish and bread and butter species like bream, whiting and flathead. As usual, look for barra and jacks in the warmer areas during the warmer parts of the day, like sand or mud flats or rock bars and points in the afternoon on the incoming tide after they have been baking

seconds between twitches, especially on the cooler days. Fishing these areas will also lead to plenty of sooty catches and can make for a really great time. Toward the end of May when conditions really cool down, anglers should start planning to target species like flathead, mackerel, snapper and queenfish. Flathead can be super abundant as the cooler weather is typically their breeding season. Large schools of actively feeding flathead can be found on the flats around Pioneer River and Seaforth. Anglers should focus on features like gutters and drains using lures like shallow divers and lightly weighted soft plastics or fresh baits like yabbies and prawn. Large numbers can be caught during times

spin outfits. Alternatively, lures like metal spoons or old busted up barra lures like Tilsans or Halcos can be trolled around the edges of the feeding schools. There should also be tones of queenfish available during May and many can be caught around structure like the bridges and trainer walls in the Pioneer River and inshore islands and rocky headlands like those around Seaforth and Eimeo. Popular techniques for targeting queenfish include working surface lures like poppers and shallow divers, fast and erratically or fishing deeper sections using metal slugs, letting them sink to the bottom and burning them back. Snapper typically begin to show up in our more southerly waters toward the end of May as they

Jack Mitchell with an awesome threadfin from Victor Creek caught using a Daiwa Bait Junkie Minnow. taking advantage of the warmer northerly winds can lead to the best results. Persistent anglers can be rewarded however as the cold conditions tend to effect the rats more than the big fat monsters. Kinchant is typically the warmest dam and should lead to the best results. Anglers trying for monster barra in Teemburra however will usually have to adapt their techniques for the colder

and awesome data. At the time of writing, 30,000 barra fingerlings between 60-70mm will soon be released into Teemburra, 20,000 of which have been generously donated by Coral Coast Barramundi Hatchery. The remaining 10,000 have been purchased using Go Fund Me donations, funds raised by the MTA fundraiser comp and Aurizon Jilalan depot social club donations.

sooty fisheries and absolute monsters can be caught there. The flooding earlier in the year has left the dam at maximum capacity and this typically allows the lily pads to take over the weeds. This still makes great structure around the points and bays in the main basin and they can be fished using small divers, soft plastics and hardbody vibes cast as close as possible to the lily pads. Sooties are

Tim Swann with a nice O’Connell River jack caught using a weedless ZMan minnow. in the sun. Lures can be worked slow for lethargic barra but live baits can typically work best for those big lazy barra. Chasing barra in the rocky, shallow freshwater streams above the weirs throughout the Pioneer Valley can also be a great option for the land-based or kayak angler. The waters here can be a bit warmer if plenty of sun is about and the freshwater reaches of the Pioneer River are loaded with barra thanks to MAFSA. Surface lures can sometimes be the best option due to the shallow water and should be worked fast and erratically if the fish are visibly feeding but can be more reliably worked slowly and gently, waiting up to 30 34 MAY 2023

like this, however anglers should be careful with what they keep as many can be found full of roe when fileting. Plenty of mackerel catches should be seen during May and they should be easily found around rocky headlands and inshore islands like those around the Harbour, Slade Rock, and Round Top and Flat Top Islands. Surface and bird activity can be the best way to locate mackerel schools however stealth is important as a roaring engine will spook the fish and drive them deeper. Anglers should cut engines well away from the schools, keep the wind to their back and cast lures as far as possible, an approach well suited to metal slugs and

progress through their northern migration. Some will be found around the islands and deeper reefs south of Sarina initially with fresh or live baits sometimes being the best option. Looking for schools of bait on the sounder will help to find the snapper noting that they will typically sit below the bait schools, hence baits should be presented accordingly. Impoundment barra will become hard work to catch as the weather cools down and consequently the barra comps are put on hold. When chasing impoundment barra during this time of year the bite times can become really short and hard to pick. Picking the warmest parts of the day will help and

Big fat Teemburra barra like this one caught by Ben Barker should still be available during May. conditions. Downsizing lures is one such practice and also increases the odds of sooty by catch. In very exciting news, there have been two recaptures of tagged barra in Teemburra, these barra were released around 350mm and have both grown nearly 200mm in 147 days, some absolutely phenomenal growth rates

The best part of May is all the sooty action throughout the dams and freshwater rivers and streams. Sooties don’t worry about the cold weather and the stable weather patterns during this time of year leads to some great impoundment fishing conditions. Eungulla Dam is probably one of Queensland’s best

also commonly targeted in the tree tops using the same lures mentioned above cast tight into the gnarliest structure possible. The recent INDT world sooty comp should leave anglers with tones of practice for the upcoming MTA sooty comp taking place on the 20th an 21st of May, see MTA’s Facebook page for entry details.

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OLD

Don’t pack away the barra gear! TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

As I write this, there’s no confirmation that the rains from the wet season have finished. It’s been drawn out over a longer period this year, and just when you think things are looking like stabilising

in the sizes we’d been hoping for. Barra are probably the most sought-after river species up here, and conditions have been pretty good for live baiting techniques, but not so much for lure fishing. Tight in amongst cover. the barra have been a bit smaller, and the fish that we have

been one of the more consistent places to find a fish, and obviously prawn imitations work well when they’re as thick as they have been. Skipped way up into the back blocks of a drain on a weedless hook and then worked out over the overhanging branches has resulted in some spectacular, though

often we’ve found it hard to get a bite in a fishy-looking spot, only to have our luck turn around when we tried changing lures. I think the surface bite should be a bit better as the water levels stabilise and we get some clarity back in the systems. Night time temperatures and water temperatures are dropping, so we should have that doldrums period coming up soon, when the initial cooler nights make the sleeping weather better than the fishing. Once things do stabilise, however, and a bit of consistency in the temps becomes the norm, the bite will pick up. Bear in mind that you will have to downsize your lures, and find fish in the deeper holes. If you do this, you should be able to bend a rod regularly. When it comes to finding and catching fish, water temperature is the biggest thing you

That bright green head weight under the orange Paddle Prawn is a killer combination when contrast is the key to getting bites on tough days.

This beautifully conditioned barra wouldn’t touch a thing we threw until it was the right colour. On this day, pink was the best by far. and allowing the tributaries to get back to normal heights, another low comes through and gets them up to the high levels again. Combine the runoff with big tides and you’ve got a situation that can be very frustrating and confusing, as the fish often don’t do their normal stuff. Anyway, we have managed to find ‘some’ fish, but not

found in the deeper schools have been reluctant to play our game. Another issue has been the commercial competition for schooling fish. With the advent of side scan technology, it’s easier for all sectors to find the schools now, and the fish are often taken out before you get that chance to have a go. Small drains have

awkward fights. The drain fish have been up to around the 80cm mark, so they can be a handful on the lighter gear. Don’t be afraid to throw hardbodies, too. My son Tannhym has produced the goods several times when he’s gone to the 3m 90mm Halco Scorpion or Tilsan Barra 80mm and waddled them out of the drains. It’s amazing how

The last of the runout tides are prime for chasing jacks. If there is any clarity, the lumo colours can work well. If it’s a bit dirty, it can be worth trying brighter colours, just in case.

A classic shallow, dirty water combination. 36 MAY 2023

should pay attention to. At such times your sounder becomes more important as a thermometer than it is a fish finder. It can be tempting to stick with the same lures and techniques that always seem to work well for you, but the truth is they’re not always the best choice during the cooler months. This is when we change our tackle, lures, leaders and approach to target cool weather barra. Many an angler gives up entirely and packs the barra gear away,

but you can have some good sessions if you stick with it. On the downsized gear we use for much of our winter pursuits, even a 70cm barra can be a handful, and it’s always fun. Here are a few of the soft options that are proven fish catchers for when things slow a little in autumn and winter. Searching for fish in those upper reaches on the bigger tides and out towards the river mouths on the more neapish tides can quickly narrow the search. If you do find fish

in the deeper stretches, depending on the species, try small 3-4” paddle tails and prawn imitations (e.g. Madeye Paddle Prawns, 3” Atomic Prongs, 3.25” Plazo paddle tails). When rigged on appropriate sized and weighted heads, these plastics should get you bending again. Winter barra outfits more closely resemble jungle perch or bream type tackle for us. What looks like a toy is our most effective tool in winter, as it will throw the smallest of lures that we use in these cooler months. An added advantage of a lighter outfit is that it stops us from straightening the hooks on these lighter rigs, and forces us to let the fish run and tire. We employ the ‘gently gently’ approach for a few months. We aren’t as focussed on big barra as many anglers around here, but during the cooler months we actually catch at least as many medium sized fish, with the odd metre fish thrown in as when it’s considered prime time. Bycatch is always going to vary up here, with grunter and fingermark (golden snapper) getting involved when you least expect it. The likes of pikey bream, archerfish, tarpon, GTs and queenfish can also show up from time to time. All in all, I really do enjoy this time of year. The days on the water are much more comfortable, and the sun’s heat is more bearable. It’s why the Grey Nomads migrate annually up this end of the country, and who can blame them? Good luck and stay safe.

OLD

Cool weather transitions HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

This year’s wet season comes to a close this month, and what an odd one it has been! We seemed to have gotten a fair bit of rain but over an extended period of time rather than those massive

years. However, some holes that are further offshore still seem to flow and hold up good sized nannygai, red emperor, coral trout, and others. Finding these little honey holes in the middle of nowhere can be very rewarding. Barra have been a bit off the tucker in the last few weeks while adjusting to cooler water temps.

Slow rolling imitation prawns into fish holding up in backwaters have been working well, along with set baits of live mullet. During stable weather there has been some great sessions of up to 20 school sized barra being caught in just a few hours of the tide. There has been stacks of grunter caught on the ledge drop off up near the

Brock with a decent 74cm barra.

Barra will start to go off their feeding pattern when the weather cools. flooding events we used to get in years gone by. I took some researchers out to a few wonky hole marks I have inside Orpheus Island with some very expensive testing equipment to sniff out whether or not there was any freshwater flows coming out of them. Low and behold results showed that there was little if not next to no flow at all. This indicates that poor wet seasons gone by have stopped them flowing and filled them in. It makes sense that little bait schools and tuna feeding activity are dying off over the last few

Haven in the Hinchinbrook Channel and most are up there size wise. The occasional threadfin salmon has been showing up on headlands into Missionary Bay, which is always a great surprise when chasing barra. Sharks have still been an ever-present problem at the Lucinda sugar jetty, and it seems like it’s getting worse year by year. If you manage to hook a decent fish, there is a 90% chance of it not making it to the boat whole. Shark numbers are getting

worse every year and it’s an issue that will one day get to a level that it may be pretty much impossible to fix. It is beyond me that Queensland fisheries haven’t seen this as a problem that needs addressing. Fingermark are also making an appearance back into their usual areas after the freshwater from coastal rivers earlier in the year pushed them further out to sea. Some mainland creeks near Cardwell have produced some nice ones

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During stable weather patterns there have been some excellent sessions on school barra.

up around the 55cm mark caught on live baits. As waters start to cool further over the month of May, 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 also 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 lookout for a resident 3.5m crocodile that has been seen cruising the coastline there very regularly. He has taken four dogs off the beach that I know of. • We still have spots available in July, August and September this year for charters so get in quick for the end of season build up to secure your spot now. You can email us at info@ ianmoodysportfishing. com or phone us on bassco boats 0402 339 459.

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OLD

Clean waters make for great bags CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

May is typically a more stable month weather wise, which makes it ideal for fishing the Trinity Net Free Zone. The creeks and rivers are usually running clear and crisp as a result of the drier weather and smaller day time tides. This is excellent news for lure fishers as clean water makes it easier for the fish to see their lures. The other good news is that water temps also start to fall, and they have certainly been scorching hot this year. When the water gets over 30ºC the fishing can be tough, and I really prefer that mid to high 20s when

fishing in the creeks. May usually sees these temps fall into the optimum range, which can also be a big plus. The target species will be jacks and barramundi in most of the Net Free Zone Creeks. The Cairns Inlet has been fishing really well for barramundi with some great captures coming land-based off the Marlin Wharf Pier. Live bait has been producing the best results for landbased fishers with mullet and flicking prawns working the best. For boaties, flicking suspending hardbodies and vibes around the deeper bends has been producing the better fish in the Inlet. Large paddle-tails, like the 140 Molix, have also been finding barramundi casts amongst the artificial

Jacks will be on the chew in May, and working poppers in the shallow systems will be a good way to snare them.

Barra will also be chewing but make sure your hooks are sharp as they tend to swipe at lures this time of year.

Impressive angling in FNQ PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

As we see the light at the end of the tunnel to what has been a substantial wet season, it has been all ‘beer and skittles’ on the fishing front in recent times. There may be a tad more inclement weather to withstand in the very near future but anglers have already enjoyed the spoils as to how good the fishing can be at this time of year. Right offshore on the light game fishing scene we are still seeing some amazing fish being caught, including wahoo, dogtooth and yellowfin tuna. These have been achieved on the calmest of days but still what we consider ‘out the box’ for this time of year. The raging current from the 38 MAY 2023

north has obviously kept some of these prime species to hang around well beyond their normal time frame. This has been the icing on the cake at the moment. Back on the outer reef, the fishing during the day seems to gather in momentum. Large mouth nannygai, small mouth nannygai and coral trout have been quite formidable at times. In regards to these species, they will be even better days ahead for those targeting them. Add to this, you have a bit of a smorgasbord to expect including gold spot and tea-leaf trevally, a smattering of red emperor, sweetlip and a few more Spanish mackerel have been getting around. There’s always other species that pop up and raise an eyebrow. Now the reef fishing will go to a new level when the current starts to run from the south. The million

dollar question is when will this occur? Mother Nature does dictate but traditionally it can occur late April or more likely in May. That’s when you want to have your skates on if the outer reef is your preference. Closer to home we are ecstatic to report the river and estuary fishing has hit its straps following the wet season. There’s lots of fresh bait around and all the targeted species have come out to play. Barramundi, mangrove jack, fingermark and javelin fish have been all active and true in size. This scene is expected to deliver for quite a few weeks to come so there’s still a good window to play out. We’ve just started to see some big queenfish and giant trevally enter on the incoming tides with a bit of run in the current leading up to the moons. Also, it’s almost time to start planting some mud crab pots on your

structure, especially at night when all lit up. Other systems in the Net Free Zone, like the Barron and Thomatis, have also been producing both barramundi and threadfin salmon. The areas out the mouth of these creeks have also been giving up the bigger fish as well. This spot was once a very seasonal place to chase barra and threadfin but since the NFZ has come in it is now fishing awesome all year round, which is terrific news. The smaller systems like Moon River have been producing the odd mangrove jack and barramundi. They love a surface lure in this shallow system so make sure your hooks are sharp and your drags are tight. If you want to fish sub surface then

Flathead will be feeding hard on the flats. small paddle-tails, like the Molix RT Shads in 3.5 and 4.5”, are working well for these fish. Retrieving them on a slow roll is best and try not to twitch the lure too much as this can put the fish off. The other fish, which will be slowly starting to hunt around in better numbers is the humble flathead. With the cleaner water around, working over the flats with small poppers or plastics is worth the effort. Big long casts over the sand is the best method with a slow retrieve. Finally the mud crabs

will be moving as well so it will definitely pay to be setting a pot or two even if you are only fishing for a small time. The big bucks will be moving so getting a feed this time of year shouldn’t be that hard. In closing, as the Governor of the Cairns Area Fish Stocking Group I would like to thank all those who helped out with the stocking of 4000 barramundi across the Net Free Zone. These stocked fish do help to support our fishery and it’s great to see so many people coming to support the group.

The estuary fishing has been in great form with top catches of barra still around. trips, especially as May approaches. So there is a lot of upside at the moment

for the calm water option. All key performance indicators point to a ‘reel’

positive period if you are coming up to our piece of paradise.

OLD

May Mayhem to come COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

The waters are receding, the fish are fired up, and the roads are starting to open. There are so many options and the fish have started

comes down from upstream. Throwing a lure along these drop-offs and snags will get a reaction. However, they learn quickly and can be hard to get to bite if they have already been captured a few times so being there first is the key. Fishing at

so hard to predict. I have seen in years past when the Park has opened early in May then the storms come and roads become like soup and get churned up with people recovering their vehicles. I understand parks and council want to make

There are some nice mud crabs around at the moment. be alone and respect others camping at spots. You can visit other campsites and usually it’s easy enough to walk a bank to chase some fish, but it is better to get some distance from campsites as most of the water close to these areas would have seen a

few lures. The Cooktown Wharf has seen some great action over the last month with nice barramundi caught, and grunter making an appearance when the dirty water was around. Mangrove jack and trevally have been seen in

larger numbers. If you decide to visit, it is worthwhile throwing a line in at the wharf as the action is starting to heat up and should be great this month as the river clears up more and more bait is around. The reef fishing has been great with lots of trout and

A decent coastal nannygai caught by Jonathan. to stir. The barramundi fishing has been next level with some great sessions and sizeable fish around.

a congregation point can be next level and multiple captures can be the norm. So, take the initiative and plan a

sure people are safe and the roads aren’t destroyed, so have pushed back the opening. Unfortunately, it just happens this is the best time to fish these areas. Accessing the Park from Cooktown for the day is possible, so locals here can be a little flexible when deciding to visit and get into some nice fish. Most locals have their favourite spots to visit and have done the research staying there in the past. Most people travelling through will need to camp in the park or stay close by to access the area. Even finding availability at other campsites and then exploring can be productive but understand that you will not

Nice seafood feast coming up.

Roly did well on the grunter lately. The race is always on at this time of the year to get to a spot first. Fish holding areas are the deeper water drop-offs and the snags that are nearest to them this month, as the barramundi are at the front of the pools still actively feeding on another that

trip as soon as access allows to reap the benefits. Lakefield National Park is almost fully booked for the opening dates around the 1 June, however, only if conditions are fine and there hasn’t been any recent rain. Opening 1 June should be fine but the weather is

A lovely barra caught by Roly at the wharf.

large mouth nannies to keep the reef fishers happy. This month, however, will be the start of the constant SE trade winds, which will no doubt buffer us over the next few months of winter with little breaks in the weather unlikely, but can still appear. This is the time to do maintenance on your boat, gear and services for outboards, etc. and be ready just in case the weather window opens. Give all things get a tidy up, new braid on reels etc so everything is ready for the next punishing reef fishing session. The cooler weather will start to come in the next few months and the SE winds will pick up, but it’s a great time to head out and go camping and sit around a fire and chase some barramundi in the rivers close by. MAY 2023 39

OLD

Epic wet season will spell a great dry season CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

Following what most would describe as an epic wet season, Cape York will be primed for some fantastic fishing this dry season. With April now in the taillights, we can safely say the threat of a late season cyclone will have passed. Conditions will stabilise and the trade winds everyone loves so much are upon us. Late autumn represents brilliant conditions for barramundi fishing across most of Northern Australia. West Coast Cape York will be an absolute paradise for the next six months

Coral trout will start moving into shallower water in May. with consistent temperatures between 22-32ºC and just the odd southerly change pushing night temperatures below 20. Warm days and pleasant nights lull travellers into a

surface water following gravity’s course to the sea. Creeks and coastal bays will be replenished with the freshwater recharge needed to support food webs such as baitfish and prawns. The favoured fish of anglers such as barramundi and mangrove jack will be the direct beneficiaries of such a great wet season. Sticking to the east coast of the Cape York and heading offshore, May represents a transition month with cooling water temperatures along the coast and through the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. This cooler water can have a large effect on the shallower shoals, reefs and lagoon flats. Fish transition between deeper and shallower ecosystems, including many of our favourite sport fish moving into shallower situations in the cooler months. From Cooktown in the south all the way up into the

this vast fishing nirvana will be limited, with trade winds starting their inevitable march from the south. Free diving anywhere along this coast is an amazing adventure and provides unique insight into the constant fish transition. Seeing the endless movement with your own eyes really helps to appreciate just how the fish we target on rod and reels can be captured. A huge amount of the fishing population in the far north also love free diving and spear fishing. The Great Barrier Reef in the far north is still one of the greatest explorations possible on Earth, it is simply so vast and ever changing. If you gave me just one month to travel in Cape York, I would likely pick the month of May. Not necessary for the best specific fishing. But for the all round fishability and pleasantness of conditions, May would be my pick.

Emperors are on and off the flats.

A light nannygai taken on a shoal.

A nice Maori sea perch lured from the flats. false sense of security before the build up commences again in October with the return of stifling heat. East Coast Cape York will also be a pleasure in May. All those coastal creeks spilling off the Great Dividing Range will still have some freshwater seeping from springs and 40 MAY 2023

Torres Strait, this East coast of the Peninsula has literally thousands upon thousands of shallow flats, reefs and lagoons areas. The movement and cycle of fish both tidally and seasonally changes across such a vast area that it seems difficult to draw conclusions. For the next six months, opportunities to visit

Most fish will be reasonably active and the freshwater species will be thriving in these months following the wet season. Access to much of Cape York will be just opening in May and plenty of fishers will be eagerly awaiting their annual sojourn to Lakefield National Park and beyond.

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MAY 2023 41

National Recreational Fishing Survey of 2019-21 PART II MELBOURNE

Ross Winstanley

In February this year, the report of the first detailed study of the social and economic benefits from recreational fishing in Australia was launched in Melbourne at the 10th World Recreational Fishing Conference. The study provided a comprehensive picture of recreational fishers across Australia; their numbers, where and how often they fish; their motivations and behaviours; and the social and economic benefits they generate across the country. Conference attendees heard that globally, participation is declining in North America, Europe and other developed countries, despite population growth (See Fig.1). They also heard of significant recent advances in social sciences investigations of the health and wellbeing benefits to fishers, and community attitudes towards recreational fishing. The previous FMM article outlined the origins and objectives of the study and described the results on Australians’ participation in recreational fishing. It also described how the study embraced two unforeseen events that overtook it: the Black Summer bushfires and the COVID-19 epidemic. And, with the opportunity to examine the effects of major disruptions to ‘normal’ fishing activities, the following objective was added: Objective 4. Identify how fishing activity changed in response

Fig.1 Percentage breakdown of days fished per year among adult fishers. (NRFS 2023) fishers’ positive role in environmental stewardship. Those interested in the survey methods and data sources, and related technical details should refer to the full study report National Social and Economic Survey of Recreational Fishers, 2018-2021 which can be found at www.frdc.com.au/ project/2018-161. Referred to here as the NRFS, the full title reflects the focus on fishers rather than fishing catches and effort. THE ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING One of Australia’s worst-ever droughts extended from 2016 to 2020, including much of the survey data collection period. With 2019 the country’s hottest and driest year on record, the late winter saw the beginnings of what became the Black

damage to housing, infrastructure, and personal movements, including fishing and tourism generally. They also caused catastrophic damage to inland and estuarine waters, as sediments, ash and ‘trash’ were washed in and persisted for months. THE EFFECTS With the post-fires floods, and their lingering effects, coinciding with governments’ rapid responses to the COVID-19 outbreak, the NRFS turned up some interesting results. Prior to the fires, floods and pandemic, the most reported obstacles to fishing were work commitments, adverse weather conditions and the lack of fishing companions. But from March 2020, social movement and non-essential service restrictions added to

The survey showed that, nationally, the monthly number of days fished rose and fell with the imposition and relaxation of travel and movement restrictions. In every month across the first year of the pandemic, more than

in a fisher’s life? Is fishing their main recreational activity or one of several or just a minor and occasional alternative or substitute? The study looked at what activities may be linked to fishing, and what a fisher may turn to if they can’t go fishing. It found that most fishers engage in other recreational activities and are at least equally likely to choose one of them over fishing. Camping, picnics/ barbeques, four-wheel driving, and kayaking were common substitutes for fishing. Fishing is the most important activity for a third of fishers, and men of 60+ years have fewer ‘substitutes’ and spend more time fishing. But, early on, under the AprilJune 2020 COVID-19 restrictions, some fishers chose fishing over other activities, while more fished in preference to their other usual activities. During that period, fishers commonly replaced fishing with household chores, cycling, swimming, walking, gardening, and home entertainment. Thus, for many fishers, much of

lived and where they spent money on fishing around the country. It estimated that, in 2018/19, fishing contributed $11.5 billion to Australia’s GDP, supporting 101,342 fulltime equivalent jobs. The GDP total included $7.1 billion representing wages and salaries – benefiting the livelihoods of Australians and their households (See Fig.3). Of the $11.5 billion total, $3.3 billion or 28% related to fishing gear and tackle. Other expenditure comprised overnight trips (21%), boat running costs (20%), capital expenses (16%), and day trip costs (15%). While capital city resident fishers account for 59% of expenditure, much of what fishers spend occurs in rural and regional areas, highlighting the importance and value of fishing to regional economies. Although the methods used in this NRFS and the 1999-2000 national survey are not directly comparable, the growth in expenditure per fisher over the past two decades is reckoned to be 200% to 300%.

Fig.3 Economic contribution by state/territory, in 2018/19 (NRFS 2023) State/ Territory NSW VIC QLD SA WA TAS NT ACT National

Gross State Product ($m) Employment (full-time equivalent) 3,879 32,493 2,266 19,737 2,515 23,602 985 9,434 1,146 9,380 270 2,670 270 2,523 190 1,502 11,522 101,342

to the Black Summer bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. This article briefly describes the impacts of major bushfires, droughtbreaking floods, and COVID-19; switching between fishing and other activities; fishing’s economic contribution; health and wellbeing benefits; the ‘social licence’ of fishing; and 42 MAY 2023

Summer bushfires which extended until February 2020. While fires burned in every state, they were most intense over much of the coast and inland areas of Queensland, NSW, Victoria, and SA, burning across more than 24 million hectares of land. The drought and fires ended abruptly with the intense rains along the East Coast, causing extreme

the usual post-summer downturn in overall fishing activity. Interstate travel restrictions, lockdowns, ‘social distancing,’ and close-to-home movement limits severely curtailed fishing. Lockdowns were particularly restrictive in NSW and Victoria, but some fishing remained permissible throughout, except for March-April 2020 in Victoria.

Fig.2 Percentages of fishers who rate fishing to be their most important recreational pursuit. (NRFS 2023) 50% of fishers fished less often compared to a year previously. Overall, fishing activity levels changed irrespective of age, gender, and home location – except for the marked decline in Victoria during that state’s 2-month lockdown. Of those who continued to fish, 43% found that this helped them to cope with restrictions; this was particularly true for keen fishers. However, 24% found fishing more stressful than usual, and increased crowding at fishing spots, while a fear of public criticism concerned many fishers. SUBSTITUTES FOR FISHING Where does fishing sit

the social and economic benefits normally resulting from fishing were achieved through their substitute activities. However, the small minority of fishers classed as ‘avid,’ present a disproportionately large part of the economic benefits flowing from fishing on account of how frequently they fish, and how much they spend on fishing. In turn, they also less commonly choose other activities above fishing. See Fig.2. FISHING’S ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION This study, for the first time, included fishers’ expenditure on fishing, irrespective of where they

FISHING AS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY There has been a recent world-wide shift beyond measuring ‘benefits’ mainly in direct and flow-on expenditure and employment terms. This was reflected at the Melbourne world conference in February, where presentations and participation reflected the surge in interest in the benefits generated in areas such as fishers’ physical and mental health, wellness, and their contributions to research and habitat protection. The survey results show that fishing contributes health and wellbeing benefits through the

physical activity involved. A typical three-hour fishing trip involves about 100 minutes of ‘moderate physical activity’, or more than half the minimum recommended weekly amount recommended for 18-64 year olds, regardless of age, gender, or whether boat or shore based. For fishers aged above 65 years, this may represent a more important contribution to their physical activity needs. However, as the great majority of fishers – about 70% – fish fewer than five days a year, fishing plays a minor part in meeting their activity needs. As avid and older fishers who fish frequently are less likely to engage in other

and restorative aspects of fishing” are likely to enjoy healthier levels of wellbeing than others. The study results also confirm the value of encouraging people suffering stressful times to go fishing as a positive, calming and restorative ‘prescription.’ Extension of these results suggests that, for occasional fishers, similar wellbeing benefits could be obtained by engaging in their other preferred outdoor activities, such as bushwalking, camping or kayaking. There is more good news: unlike most such alternative nature-based activities, for many people, fishing remains accessible,

by 79% of Australians surveyed. In fact, fishing was more highly favoured than other uses of natural resources, such as hunting, and operations conducted in fire protection, forestry, and agriculture. See Fig.4. Fishing groups have a long history of direct involvement in conservation and habitat restoration directed at both popular target species and threatened species. However, much of their effort was conducted through fishers’ own commitment and awareness of conservation challenges. In recent times, fishers have been more active in promoting their activities in these areas, to garner

various forms of fishing, including the careful release of unwanted or undersized fish, promise to build recognition of fishing in a positive light.

for fishing advocates and communicators, and longer term with the risk of losing public support if those adverse views of younger people persist as

tagging fish, and reporting rare species and changed environmental conditions. The NFRS found that more fishers would be prepared to engage in such

Love of the association between fishing and natural environments will last a lifetime.

Fig.4 79% of Australians find recreational fishing to be acceptable (NRFS 2023). activities, fishing may be more important in meeting their activity needs. HEALTH AND WELLBEING Fishing as a naturebased outdoor recreation offers health and wellbeing benefits in many ways. Here, wellbeing can be stated simply as, “judging life positively and feeling good” or feelings of positive emotions and fulfilment, and the absence of depression, anxiety, and other negative emotions. Fishing can contribute these benefits in the forms of relaxation, confidencebuilding, social connection, and physical and mental health. Fishing is found to be particularly valuable in addressing extremes of stress and personal loss. From the study findings, those who fished in the previous year experienced higher levels of wellbeing than others who didn’t, irrespective of gender, income level, and whether living in urban or rural locations. And, those fishers who value “the nature connection

supporting positive health and wellbeing as they age and, perhaps, experience reduced mobility. SOCIAL LICENCE Questions around “social licence” or public acceptance of uses of community-owned natural resources are being raised increasingly. In Victoria, duck shooting comes to mind as a topical and contentious recreational activity, reflecting that community support can’t be assumed to stay constant and unquestioning over time. The NRFS report refers to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation’s surveys, which tracked community support for recreational fishing, between 2002 and 2018. It found that support peaked in 2011 then declined over the following three surveys, to 2018. Despite this, with continued access to fish stocks dependent on community support, fishers may be comforted to know that the NRFS found recreational fishing to be “highly or somewhat acceptable”

both public recognition and resources. Education campaigns and the widespread adoption of codes of practice for

Unsurprisingly, of those surveyed, most of the 8% who found fishing “unacceptable” were non-fishers. Fewer women than men saw fishing as acceptable, but the big difference was among age groups; on average, younger people were less likely to see fishing as acceptable and more likely than older people to find it unacceptable. That poses a challenge for fishing communicators and an obstacle to ‘recruitment’ of young fishers as numbers of currently-older age groups fade. The challenges that these pose are both immediate

they grow older. FISHERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP During the past 20 years, fishers have been increasingly involved in environmental clean-up and restoration efforts. These range from individuals collecting rubbish, to funding and actively participating in organised habitat restoration programs, such as oyster reef recovery and river re-snagging work. Small numbers contribute to research and stock assessment, for instance, by regularly recording catch and fishing effort data,

Anglers teamed with scientists in preparing scallop shells bearing oyster spat for placement on newly-created shellfish reefs in Port Phillip Bay.

programs in future. While most can readily comply with fishing regulations, the effective use of ‘best practice’ fish handling, and species identification were among factors limiting their capacity to confidently engage in these programs. Regular reporting of catch data brought interesting responses to the survey. Most agree that fishers should contribute such data, and 21% had provided information to aid stock assessments at some time, but 51% had reservations about how the data might be used. The results suggest the need, and the opportunity, to encourage avid fishers to play a role in encouraging less-keen fishers, particularly younger and female fishers, about developing skills, responsible fishing, and contributing to environmental programs. IN CONCLUSION Just as the 19992000 national survey did, this NRFS represents advances in sampling and analysis approaches that are likely to positively shape the directions of surveys and research conducted by government fisheries agencies and other interests, for many years to come. Fishers who are interested in finding out more about the “National Social and Economic Survey of Recreational Fishers, 2018-2021,” the full report can be accessed at – www.frdc.com.au/ project/2018-161. MAY 2023 43

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Vale Jack Beattie

MORWELL CRAWFORD MARINE TOORADIN 71-77 Chickerell Street Morwell It is with great sadness “I was extremely proud well as boat reviews, and P&J MARINE SERVICE CENTRE P/L P: (03) 5134 6522 that we announce the and privileged to be able absolutely loved getting F: (03) 5134 6455 Tooradin Station Tooradin untimely passing of Jack to work with my only son101 out on the waterRoad on boats crawfordmarine.com.au 3107 Beattie, 26,W:who almost Jack as we developed ClubP: (03) and5998 jetskis.” single-handedly created Marine TV and he becameE: pjmarine_services@bigpond.com Jack worked as a the Club ECHUCA Marine TV incredibly well-liked and contract producer for Club arm of Club respected by leaders in Marine TV up until early EADESMarine XTREME MARINE Insurance, along with the marine industry for his last year and was a lead 24 Sturt Street Echuca MELBOURNE his father and former dedication and commitment videographer for such P: (03) 5482 2333to his craft,” said Chris. “SoTRIPLE M MARINE Club Marine magazine respected television shows 5482 2133many have reached out to me117 as Northgate Thomastown Managing F: (03)Editor, Whats Drive Up Downunder Chris Beattie. since his passing to expressP: (03) as well working on live W: xtrememarine.net.au 9465as 8787 Jack was an incredibly their affection and respectF: (03) coverage of entertainment 9466 1418 talented and creative for him and the family is and sporting events. BRAESIDE video producer, director, incredibly grateful for theirW: triplemmarine.com.au He also pioneered MARINE WORLD cameraman, JV photographer, kind words. live coverage of events 878 Springvale editor and drone operator, Road Braeside “He was an unpaid for Club Marine, such who set the style and P: (03) 9798 8883fixture in the magazine for as the Sanctuary Cove extremely high production F: (03) 9798 7554the 18 years that I edited the International Boat Show, values for Club Marine publication, and along with where he worked tirelessly W: jvmarine.com.au TV videos that have been his sister Jess, appeared as with presenters around the widely acknowledged as an extra in many destination clock to produce coverage leaders in their field. and technical features, as of new model releases as they happened. He passed suddenly amongst friends on the Gold Coast on April 8 and will be sorely missed by his family, including mother Vicki, sister Jess and dad Chris. His family has asked that anyone who knew him mark his passing by making a donation to the Black Dog Institute, www. blackdoginstitute.org.au. – Chris Beattie MAY 2023 45

OLD

Last chance to catch warm weather species TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

For some fishers it will be the last month to target our warm water loving species. Golden perch

and barra will slow down due to the colder water temperatures. Switched on anglers will be able to work them out and continue catching, but even they will need to plan trips around the warmer, more stable weather periods.

The rest of our freshwater species mix will be more than willing to crunch a lure. Bass change habits, going shallow in some lakes and deeper in others. As the core water temperature equalises, it gives fish the ability to

comfortably spend time at a huge range of depths. Murray cod will be the one to watch over the coming months. The Queensland lakes are set for a great winter season of cod fishing. Coolmunda and Leslie Dam

are prime for cod fishing and, if rain stays away, Glenlyon will also be a great option. The cod will soon start thinking about mating, finding nesting sites and feeding more often prior to their breeding season. These fish venture

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST Bass numbers are still very hard to find in Cressbrook. A few anglers have managed to find fish within sight of the boat ramp and are catching them on G2 Spoons. I spent a whole morning sounding the dam a while ago and failed to find anything of significance even when running live sonar over any potential areas. What was great to see was the number of golden perch. Goldens can be found all over the dam. The points out from the campground and all the way down the southern side to the toilet point opposite the Eagles Nest rock wall up Cressbrook Creek held some fish. The cooler weather will see these golden perch slow down a bit but you can still expect to catch a few on frozen saltwater yabbies, live shrimp or small blades. I’m a big fan of using blades on them. Slowly sound an area on your electric motor and as soon as you spot fish, hit spot lock and park the boat on top or right next to them. Short casts and vertical presentations can then be used to get the bites. Small hops with blades like the ZX40 are ideal. Most of the time, I let my lure fall all the way to the bottom between hops but it does pay to do a few hops keeping the lure off the bottom as well. The golden perch have ranged in size from tiny to well over 40cm. Redclaw crayfish have been prolific all over the lake. These critters will get a bit harder to find once it gets really cold. If you are

after a feed, now would be the time to head out to the lake and try your luck. Baited opera house pots set in 4-6m of water should produce a feed. Since the water temperature is getting colder you may have to work a little harder and move pots around to find the best depth. • Fish’n’Bits in Toowoomba has all the gear and tips on how to chase the Cressy fish. They are an excellent store specialising in all freshwater lures and tackle. The access gates to the ramp and day use area will be open from 7am to 6pm. SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY It’s going to be an interesting lead up to winter this year. It is usually a tough time to get the bass to bite at Somerset and it isn’t until the end of winter that we see dramatic change and the bass start to feed up hard on small bony bream. The water is now very clear and this will see the fish spread out through the water column and go deep over the winter months. They will be harder to catch then, so if Somerset is on your radar, you should hit it this month. I hope I’m wrong but I think July and early August will be very tough before we see the sudden change late August. The reason I say it will be an interesting lead up is the fish were still chewing a range of lures last month. This transition period can see them change their minds as to what lure presentations they prefer and for the remainder of this month, I think a little bit of everything will work. There will still be standout lures but I think catching numbers is more about the approach

Moogerah Dam has been fishing well for bass and will be a good option this month. Some of the fish are fat and chunky models. and how you handle your spots than lure choice. The fish are very quick to shut down when boats arrive on spots. Fish on the first casts aren’t uncommon and then things just go dead. Moving frequently, boat positioning and long casts can all help. If you don’t mind how you catch them, trolling at 1.5km/h or more while working your lure behind the boat is deadly. Best lures for this are 5/8oz chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, 18g tail spinners and 1/2 and 3/8oz blades. If it sinks fast enough it can be used so you can even do this with spoons but it is a little bit harder to manage the depth of your presentation. When the wind blows hard, you can forget trolling and just rely on wind drifting to achieve the same result. Crankbaiting

is another option. While lure trolling can be slow, cranking hard bodies down gives more ability to change their speed and get a reaction. Drawing lures along so the dig into the bottom gains the attention of fish and then during the pause they float up to be belted while paused or as soon as they move again. Wind drifting and longlining with heaps of line out are the best way to get hard bodies down deep enough when relying on the cast and retrieve approach. MAROON CLOSEST TOWNS: BOONAH, RATHDOWNEY Plenty of bass will be on offer this month but you will

need to change your approach. Chatterbaits and reaction style lures will start to slow down. Soft plastics, blade baits and spoons will be more likely to produce numbers of fish. I am also a big fan of a soft plastic rigged on a beetle spin frame. The bulk of fish will remain in schools but a few of the better quality ones are likely to start making their way into shallow water nearby. Early and late in the day, crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits can be fished around the weedy margins of the lake to get these fish to bite. Topwater presentations will still get a bit of interest too. Soft plastics rigged on 1/8 to 1/4oz jigheads are also a

into shallower water where they can be targeted with big swimbaits and topwater offerings. If water is dirty, try using a big chatterbait or spinnerbait. Until next month, buckled rods from the Colonel. pretty good option. A tiny blade on a beetle spin rigged plastic would also be one of my go to offerings up in the shallows. MOOGERAH CLOSEST TOWNS: BOONAH, ARATULA Moogerah fish can be tricky to find but once located, they provide great entertainment. The schooling bass are still roaming the lake. They tend to frequent the same areas but it’s hard to rely on set spots as they move from day to day so you’ll need to spend a bit of time on the sounder. Good starting spots are in front of the houses opposite the day ramp, the points in the timber on the north western side and the flats either side of The Palms. Bigger fish are likely to be up in shallower water and your run of the mill 30-40cm bass will be out a little deeper and more likely to suspend. Cranks and chatterbaits were great choices last month but the cooler weather might see them respond best to lipless cranks, blades, spoons and soft plastics. • The lads at Charltons Fishing at Redbank are all over the fish activity at Maroon and Moogerah. Call in and grab your supplies and hit them up for tips on where the fish are biting. It is recommended camping be booked at least a couple of weeks in advance and you can also organise your day use barcode for the gate with Lake Moogerah Caravan Park (07) 5540 5600.

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Matt Taylor always seems to find a few big fish. This bass was fooled with a deeply presented Midget Spinnerbait.

OLD

DARLING DOWNS AND GRANITE BELT COOBY CLOSEST TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA If you are prepared to fish bait or small blades you’ll be able to keep catch Cooby golden perch over the cold months. The warmer periods and nicer days will fish better than any cold, windy snaps of weather so try to time your trip. Most action is likely to continue in deeper water around 6-9m deep. Sounding in this depth you’ll find a lot of drowned sticky bushes and the golden perch love

to hang around this. Frozen saltwater yabbies and live shrimp are the best baits and should be fished directly below the boat on an almost tight line to help with bite detection. When luring, the ZX40 blade is hard to beat. Small casts or vertical presentations around the boat will see the best results. I like to run at least 12lb leader and 8lb main line to ensure I can break the lure free of the sticky vegetation. Move often when luring as the fish seem to wise up to the presentation quickly. A small move to fresh fish is all that

Small blades will be the way to catch golden perch over the cooler months.

Kerry Ehrlich christened one of his timber swimbaits with this Leslie Dam cod. More of these speckled green fish will be caught over the coming months.

CAPRICORN REGION AWOONGA CLOSEST TOWNS: BENARABY, GLADSTONE I have a feeling it is going to be a pretty good month for a barra session or two at Awoonga. The cooling weather should see the action fire up as the fish sense winter coming on. The shallow weed and lilies will produce fish on topwater offering like surface lures and soft plastic frogs. These fish take some finding so be prepared to put in the time and explore different sections of the lake. Out on the weed edges and in deeper weed

pockets, the fish will feed late in the afternoon and through the night. Weed patrolling barra may increase in numbers as more open water fish return to the weed edges as water temperatures cool. Paddle tail soft plastics rigged on suitable jigheads or swimbaits, like the Molix Shad, Barambah Bony Shad and Zerek Live Mullet are all worth swimming. It pays to mix it up with different lure weights to see where the barra are feeding best. • Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing (0429 223 550) and Lake Awoonga Barra Charters (0404 151 844) run guided trips on the lake. Both cater to the

is needed once bites stop. • Cooby is open to paddle and electric motor powered craft. The gates winter hours are back in. They are open from 7am-6pm until September. Shrimp can be gathered at the dam around the edges near the car park closest to the pontoon and walking tracks to the rock wall but will be a bit harder to come by now it is cold. Frozen yabbies are also a good bait and can be purchased at Fish’n’Bits in Toowoomba. LESLIE CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK Golden perch have been thick at Leslie so far this year. A lot of these fish are smaller and just over the legal size of 30cm but there are some quality ones mixed in. Trolled lures will slow down as the water continues to cool. Blades, live shrimp and saltwater yabbies will be more productive. Look for fish around structure in 5-7m of water. Big schools of goldens will hold around the bigger submerged rocks. A quick look on Google Maps will soon reveal where some of the best areas are as the satellite images were taken needs of the angler and can do fly or conventional tackle trips to target the lake’s barramundi. It is hard to beat time on the water and a guided trip is a great way to learn more about this lake and its fish. • Mark from Awoonga Gateway Lodge always has a few productive secret spots to share. The Gateway lodge is on the way in to the dam after turning off at Benaraby. The accommodation is great with plenty of boat parking space right beside the comfortable air conditioned, selfcontained cabins each with its own veranda. To book in a stay give Mark or Lyn a call on (07) 49750033.

when the lake was very low. When golden schools are found, you can park the boat right on top of them. The ZX40 blade has been a standout lure. Hopping these under the boat or using shorter casts will keep the lure in the zone and help prevent snagging. Murray cod numbers should increase as the fish start to make their way into shallower water. The rocky shorelines will be good fish holding areas but the bigger fish will cruise around on the nearby open flats as well. Water clarity is quite good. This means big swimbaits will give you a chance of hooking one of the lakes quality cod. During the day, the cod are likely to fall back into deeper water around structure. Faster sinking lures like spinnerbaits and chatterbaits are more suitable here. Trolling on electric motors with spinnerbaits or hard bodies may get a few bites if the cod aren’t too easily spooked. • The local blokes at Warwick Outdoor and Sport

in Palmerin Street can point in you in the right direction and hook you up with the good gear and bait to catch the fish at Leslie.

COOLMUNDA CLOSEST TOWN: INGLEWOOD It is great to hear a few positive reports starting to filter through from Coolmunda Dam. Murray cod and golden perch were caught over the last couple of months on lures. If the rain and runoff stays away the dam should really clear up more over the cold winter months. Cod will be the main target as the goldens get hard to tempt unless you use live shrimp and saltwater yabbies. Murray cod will be found around the timbered areas of the lake where they spend most of their time on the shallower flats. Look for water 2-4m deep with plenty of standing or hidden fallen timber. While the water is still coloured, it will be hard to go past big bladed spinnerbaits. Lures with 5/8 to 1oz of weight are best in this depth provided they are fished on heavier tackle (30-50lb braid) to keep them tracking at a good depth.

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The new Saltiga Rough Ride delivers Australian anglers a floating stickbait that is true to the Saltiga name and built to handle Aussie angling species and demands. Specifically tuned by the Daiwa Australia team, the new Rough Ride features ultra-strong through-wire construction, a hybrid BKK hook set, and a range of colours resembling tried and tested Australian baitfish patterns. Saltiga Rough Ride construction is unique. At first glance you’ll notice its dimpled pattern, similar to a golf ball. This pattern stabilizes the lure both in the cast through the air, and when retrieving through the water. On the inside, Saltiga Rough Ride has been beefed up, featuring a thicker stainless steel through-wire construction and a hybrid BKK hook setup, a system favoured by many topwater experts. Saltiga Rough Ride features BKK Raptor X treble hooks on the belly hanger, and a BKK Diablo inline single hook on the tail. Featuring Daiwa’s ADEL foil to resemble the pearlescent underside of baitfish, the colour patterns of Saltiga Rough Ride are some of the best saltwater colours ever designed by Daiwa Australia, and give options for all conditions and locations. The Saltiga Rough Ride is available in two sizes (140F and 160F) and seven colours. www.daiwafishing.com.au

TT SPLIT RING PLIERS

The range of TT Fishing Tools have arrived, including 6” and 7” Split Ring Pliers. Designed to make adding or changing split rings and trebles quick and easy, with their ring splitter tip, these quality pliers feature a stainless-steel construction with durable PTFE coating and spring-loaded design for easy one-handed operation. Other features include serrated grips, two crimping slots, braid and monofilament line cutter, non-slip moulded grips and high visibility yellow colour. More than just a split ring plier, these are effectively a toolbox for rigging and fishing. The TT Fishing Tools range also includes 7” Straight Nose Pliers, 4” and 5.5” Braid Scissors, 8” and 10” Crimping Pliers, 5” Bait Knife and 7” Fillet Knife. You can view the full range on the TT Fishing website. Price: SRP $39.90 (6” plier), $49.90 (7” plier) www.ttfishing.com

50 MAY 2023

MERCURY AVATOR ELECTRIC MOTOR

The Mercury Avator 7.5e electric outboard generates 750W of power at the prop shaft, and produces similar speed and acceleration as a Mercury 3.5hp FourStroke outboard. The Avator is offered with tiller or remote steering, and delivers clean, quiet power. It has swappable batteries, a quick-connect mounting system and intuitive controls for easy operation. The full-colour display tracks battery level and range. The 1kilowatt hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery is a safe, reliable 48V power source that’s been drop-tested and IP67 rated for water resistance. Smart chargers monitor the voltage and current to deliver a safe, effective charge and can shut down to protect the battery if there is an issue. A digital display continuously tracks your current power status and estimated runtime. This quiet motor generates high torque with little effort, maximising battery life while contributing to faster acceleration and efficient performance. The Avator is compatible with the Mercury Marine app. You can access the app for free to enjoy basic functionality, or you can add a Mercury SmartCraft Connect module to the outboard to unlock advanced features of the app. This includes a GPS map, battery level, outboard hours, speed and system notifications. www.mercurymarine.com

RAPALA SCOOP-R NETS

The Rapala Scoop-R net is an extremely versatile fish friendly silicone net. These nets feature a custom red and black alloy anodised handle and frame, and are etched with the famous Rapala logo. The Scoop-R nets all feature a quality silicone mesh designed to suit a wide range of both fresh and saltwater species. The large and medium models both feature a sliding collapsible handle for easy storage. The Scoop-R Small net features an elastic retractable lanyard with a clip to help attach it to your bag, kayak or wading belt. If you are in the market for a new landing net, check them out at your local Rapala stockist, or head to the Rapala Australia website to see other nets in their range. www.rapala.com.au

DUO FANGBAIT 80DR

The Duo Fangbait series introduces an 80mm compact model designed for large predatory fish found in Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Brazil. Equipped with sturdy through body wire, eyelets built for big, heavy-wire hooks, and weight-shifting system of the Fangbait series, the Fangbait 80DR is set to make a massive impact on barra. The Fangbait 80DR is perfect for targeting barramundi, where a change to a thick-wire hook and ample floatation in the lure are necessary to create an enticing suspend – a technique and tactic that has gone ahead in leaps and bounds over the last couple of years. The Duo Fangbait series is designed to be a tougher series of lures – a series that allows anglers to fish heavy for big fish. This is exactly what barra anglers need as nothing stresses tackle like massive impoundment barra. Available in nine colours, these 80mm long lures weigh an easy casting 11.5g and dive between 1.5-2.5m, suspending beautifully in front of the fish’s face. Price: SRP $25.99 www.wilsonfishing.com

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TESTING BOOTH

PRODUCT GUIDE BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Good value in the Okuma Ceymar HD spin reels Earlier in the year I tested a number of the new products available in 2023 from the Tackle Tactics stable of brands (check that out in the January issue). A late arrival in amongst the products was the new Okuma Ceymar HD spin reels. As they arrived later than the other products I decided to do a standalone test on them. This gave me a bit more time to put the two reels I was supplied (a 1000HA and a 3000HA) through their paces. Four months down the track, I am now ready to let you know what I think. FEATURE PACKED Other than physical performance, one of the things that stands out for me in these reels is that they are retailing from $129rrp, but have many features you would expect to pay more money for. Available in 5 sizes, all reels have 7+1 corrosion resistant stainless steel bearings, and feature Okuma’s oversized High Density (HD) gearing. They are light in weight (reels range in weight from 196276g) and offer plenty of drag pressure for reels of their size: 5kg for the 1000 sized reel, 6kg for the 2500 and 3000 reels, and 9kg for the 4000XA and 5000XA models. More than enough to suit most people’s needs. Tackle Tactics also offers a 10-year warranty on their range of reels covering defects in material and/or workmanship for the 10-year period. Great peace of mind to know that your reel has been built to last if you maintain it correctly. WHAT I MATCHED THEM WITH My best option was to match the two reels on the TT Black Mamba spin rods tested in the previous testing booth. The 1-3kg (7’) rod with the 1000 sized reel, and the 3000 sized reel on the 2-4kg 7’ rod. I also used the Platypus Pulse X8

piece (not folding) like the ITX reels. There is also a difference in retrieve ratios. The ITX reels I tested had a 5.0:1 ratio while the Ceymar HD reels are 6.0:1. Both of these features are generally personal preference for many anglers and don’t have a huge effect on what you spend your money on. If I was going to be super picky, I felt that the ITX reels did lay the line on the spool better. It was more noticeable on the 1000 size reel than the larger reel.

The Ceymar HD reels tested by the author were spooled with Australian-made 6lb Platypus Pulse X8 and 8lb Platypus Bionic Braid X9 braided fishing lines. and Platypus Bionic Braid X9 6lb and 8lb lines on the reels, giving me the option to compare the Ceymar HD reels with the Okuma ITX reels from the previous testing booth. PUTTING THEM TO THE TEST First and foremost, although a little lighter in weight, the Ceymar HD reels matched up nicely with the TT Black Mamba rods. The lighter outfit (1000 reel and 1-3kg rod) is a great option for any budding bream lure anglers out there, as well as trout and redfin anglers in

Another beautiful Gold Coast bream that fell victim to a unweighted worm bait.

the freshwater. It casts lightweight lures and unweighted baits with ease, while the slightly heavier outfit is also capable of fishing the same options. It will also deal with heavier lure weights and handle larger species in a shorter amount of time (flathead, snapper, bass and golden perch). As far as comparing them to the very popular Okuma ITX spin reels, the first thing I need to mention is that the ITX reels are about $70 more expense, so you would expect there to be differences. Having said that, there was a number of things that impressed me in how similar they were. The drag on the Ceymar HD reels are smooth and offer a good range of adjustment. There is no recognisable difference in castability and minimal difference in line capacity of the reels. In my opinion, three things that most anglers will look for, before anything else. The differences I noticed between the reels was that the Ceymar HD had different handle options between the two reel sizes and that the Ceymar handles were one

While testing the reels the author had a fun session sight casting unweighted worm baits for some Gold Coast bream. The castability of the reels is excellent. CONCLUSION Overall, I was very impressed with the Okuma Ceymar HD reels, if I didn’t know the price point, I would have picked it for a much more expensive reel. From a general fishing perspective, they compare very well with the Okuma ITX carbon reels and, like them, they will become a favourite option amongst anglers out there, particularly at this price point For more information on the Okuma Ceymar HD reels and the other options available you can go to www.tackletactics. com.au and click on the Okuma link or just go and check them out at your local tackle store, they are well worth a look.

Australian bass are a great fighting fish and will test out the drag of any reel. The Ceymar HD reels have lovely smooth drags and plenty of drag pressure if required. MAY 2023 51

Sydney

NSW

Anglers are working towards consistent fishing SYDNEY NTH

Steve Winser

It’s definitely been a strange ‘summer’ season so far. Cold water gave way to very hot water very quickly, and algal blooms and very average water conditions followed. There were also more sharks than I can recall for a long time. Bouts of driving rain followed by southerlies interspersed with occasional stretches of good weather have been the order of the day. The bigger kings have been present inshore and in the harbour, although the sharks have made consistency an issue. The bigger fish have never stayed in one place for too long, although the smaller fish have been consistent on most reefs and markers in the harbour. As usual, fresh squid is

your ticket to consistent fishing, although live baits have taken their fair share also. Squid have been on and off, with most of our catches being green-eye calamari taken over the kelp on jigs in the #2.0 to #2.5 size range. Numbers of winter/ autumn species like tailor and trevally around have just added another twist to the overall unusual nature of this summer season, these taking live baits and squid baits with gusto. The mullet are starting to move from the backs of the estuaries to do their run, and the odd good jewie has been showing up along with them. Schools of small bonito have been everywhere in the lower harbour reaches, taking small metals and flies. Numbers of large bream have been moving down to the lower reaches of the harbour, as you

Young Alfie with his first birthday kingfish. would expect for this time of year. We have been picking up some good catches in the 5-10m depth

ranges, and there are also some large fish in the shallows at the moment. We’ve been taking these

on bread and prawn baits fished under small corks. Next month should hopefully see the water

cool a little and some consistency return, fingers crossed. However, given the fickle and ever-changing conditions of late, it would be a brave man who makes any ‘for sure’ predictions at this point! Tight lines all. • Fishing Sydney Tours takes pride in tailoring every trip to the customer’s preferred species, style of angling, and level of expertise, all within a friendly and relaxed atmosphere at competitive rates. There are some excellent fishing spots that can be accessed straight off Sydney, and we will show you where. We offer harbour, wash and offshore fishing for species ranging from kingfish and mulloway through to snapper and mahimahi. For more info go to www. fishingsydneytours.com. au, call 0481 120 600 or look up ‘Fishing Sydney Tours’ on Facebook.

PRODUCT NEWS

Latest releases from Daiwa Daiwa’s latest releases for 2023 include the OT Jig, Double Clutch 75SR and 23 Maverick MQ. Here’s the lowdown. OT JIG The new OT (Over There) jig is a castingspecific metal slug that has been developed specifically for Australia, with hooks and colours

to the most popular and sought-after sizes. Whether you’re throwing at fussy tuna schools in Hervey Bay or trying to reach those salmon schools off the beach in WA, Daiwa’s OT jig will have a size to suit. Available in five highquality colours, the finish on

Double Clutch 75SR that are sure to get every serious slugger excited. Available in weights from 20-60g, OT jig caters

OT jig is superb, just what you’d expect of a premium deep-water or slow pitch jig. Perfectly matched to

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Daiwa’s large range of shore-casting and surf reels, OT jig is a great option for your next shore-casting or slugging adventure. DOUBLE CLUTCH 75SR The popular Double Clutch jerkbait range

welcomes a new shallowrunning model with the release of the 75SR. The first true shallow-diving Double Clutch features the same great action of the original models, but now allows you to hit the shallows that were previously out of reach with the original Double Clutch 75SP. The 75SR has been designed specifically for Australia, and will dive to a maximum depth of 3ft, making it perfect for attacking the shallows chasing estuarine species such as flathead and bream, or the shallow freshwater chasing iconic species such as bass and trout.

Daiwa’s unique and patented S-GOS system is present, just like the other models in the DC range, and makes the darting action of the 75SR un-matched. You can fish the Double Clutch 75SR anywhere you need a lure working erratically over shallow cover. Sand flats, weed beds, and shallow laydowns are all tailor-made for a jerkbait and the new Double Clutch 75SR. It suspends in freshwater and very slowly floats in saltwater, make it perfect for a twitch and pause retrieve. The 75SR is fitted with quality hooks and rings and is available in a host of Australian designed colour patterns. 23 MAVERICK MQ A standout reel in the Daiwa saltwater spin range since it was introduced in 2022, the Maverick MQ line-up welcomes two smaller models in 2023, to deliver anglers a multioption range at a new price point that’s tailor-made for Australia’s diverse angling applications. Available in two sizes (5000 and 6000), the 23 Maverick features the same technologies and features of its big brothers,

23 Maverick MQ including Monocoque Body, G1 Duralumin Drive Gear, and Mag Sealed Body and Line Roller. A Metal Alloy Body, Zaion Air Rotor, Air Bail, Longcast ABS Spool, ATD Drag, Infinite Anti-Reverse, Machine Cut Handle, and Metal Alloy Knob combine to further enhance the Maverick’s long list of

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performance designs, and features and along with the 23 Saltiga position the 23 Maverick as one of standout small sized reels in the Daiwa saltwater spin reel range. For more information on the 2023 line-up from Daiwa, go to www. daiwafishing.com.au. – D&S Media

NSW

Bread and butter on the chew SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Even though the weather has started to cool down, the fishing in the southern areas of Sydney will still be firing. Whether you are fishing off the beach or rocks, out of a boat or off the shore in the estuaries, you will still be in with a great chance of getting a few fish. On some days it will be

increased in numbers off the rocks, as well as luderick off the rocks and in the estuaries. In the estuaries I prefer to use a 4kg mainline and a leader of between one to 3kg breaking strain. When fishing from a boat I find that a rod length between 2.4-3m will do the job fine, but if I am targeting luderick from the shore in the estuaries I prefer to have a rod length between 3-3.6m in length. When I am fishing off the ocean rocks for luderick, my rod length is no shorter than 3.6m.

ones that are about 3cm in width and 5cm long will do the job. To check out how I rig my floats for luderick and drummer fishing, hop on YouTube and search for ‘Gary float fishing’. Of late Yarra Bay has been producing bream, trevally, snapper, flathead and tailor along the break wall, Bare Island and the Fisheries marks. The best way I have found to fish these areas is to anchor up, berley and fish as light as possible. Peeled prawns, live nippers, strips of

working these areas, so try drifting for squid, flathead, bream and trevally. While you are out there I would keep an eye out for the schools of luderick as they will be working the weed beds, edges of the drop-offs and rocky shoreline looking for a feed. It would also be worth trolling a few deep diving lures around the area of Lilly Pilly for tailor, salmon and the odd kingfish. I did have a couple of reports (no photos) of bream, dart, tailor and the odd mulloway being caught off the beach at Stanwell Park in the later part of the day on a rising tide. FACT 3 Here is the third fact in my series of fishing tips (the first two facts can be found in previous issues of Fishing Monthly). When fishing for whiting you will need to get the timing exactly right, otherwise you will find yourself going home with an empty bag. As the tide starts to rise, whiting tend to hang around the edges of the sandbars waiting for the water to flood up on top. Once the tide has flooded deep enough on the sandbank that the whiting feel safe,

just a matter of putting in those few extra yards into thinking of where and what to target. For example, drummer and luderick can be caught throughout the year, but right now is one of the better times to target them. Drummer numbers will have

The floats that I use in the estuaries for luderick are a much slimmer style, while the floats that I use off the rocks have a much fatter body and are much longer. When I am targeting drummer off the rocks and I have to use a bobby cork, I find that the

Have you ever tried flicking a live nipper at the edge of a boat or pontoon? Try it the next time you are out and you may be surprized as to what eats it.

bonito, tuna and squid have been the best baits by far. For those fishing from the shore, you could try Bare Island, the rock break wall in the back of Yarra Bay and the small beach located up the back. Bream, trevally, whiting and flathead are worth a shot. Tailor, salmon, bonito and the odd kingfish will still be schooling up in the bay. The break wall at the entrance to the Cooks River is worth a shot for luderick, bream, flounder, flathead and trevally. The run-out tide seems to be producing more fish. Also try casting out a few whole pilchards on ganged hooks or metal lures for salmon and tailor. Flathead and flounder can be caught while drifting wide off Silver Beach at Kurnell, The Patches and between the Captain Cook and Tom Uglys bridges. Half pilchards, prawns and squid are getting the most bites. Further upstream, both sides of the old ferry at Lugarno have been fishing well from the shore for bream and flathead. I have had a couple of reports of anglers getting busted up by some big salmon. The Port Hacking has had the sand dredge working the main channels making it easy for boats to get around. It most probably has finished

This young angler caught a couple of flounder while drifting the patches in Botany Bay while using a running sinker onto the swivel, a long leader and prawns for bait. they will scour the flats in search of any pink nippers, worms and small crabs that are on offer. Things that go bump in the night and love to eat whiting (i.e. mulloway) will lay in wait for the whiting

S A O C T S A E 3 2 0 2 S E I R SE

A nice feed of bream and flounder caught by Glenn Loveday.

Sydney

to leave the sand flats. It is usually the whiting and the mullet that are the last to leave the flats. Don’t forget to keep those short reports and photos coming into gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au

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MAY 2023 53

Sydney

NSW

Bountiful autumn transition period SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

We have had a great run of weather. We’ve had only low to medium rainfall events, and the swell has not been consistently gigantic, as it was nearly half a year ago. I have found that autumn weather tends to be pretty stable, so seize the opportunity to fish the later part of autumn as the transition period provides a broad variety of species. ROCK FISHING Snapper numbers have certainly increased with the cooling of the weather and water temperatures. The offshore boat anglers are catching larger numbers in 10-25m of water. Translating that for the rock fishers, that means that the snapper are in pretty close. Wash fishing for snapper

is a great method to fish for them. You’ll be using a lighter outfit compared to the snapper angler distance casting. A good choice is a rod around the 10-12ft size, like the Daiwa 109MH, suited for line classes from 7-15kg. Complement your rod with a 5000 size reel, such as a Daiwa 5000 BG MQ, and you have a match

excess salt off the pilchards, and put them in a colander to drain. Then all you have to do is pack them in a clip seal bag and pop them straight into the freezer. 12-15 pilchards per bag is enough for 24-30 baits in a session, if you chop them in half. On your fishing trips you should also bring prawns (king, banana or endeavour),

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54 MAY 2023

A 97cm cobia caught and released by the author. It was taken on the very last cast using a ganged gar meant for a king. You can see the catch on the author’s YouTube channel. made in heaven. With this outfit you have a great wash fishing outfit for snapper and common bycatch species, and it’s a great rock blackfish outfit as well. And a sensational lure outfit for plastics and metals for the pelagics too. Back to the snapper, and what my clients have been catching them on. Pilchards are a great option, but these soft baits can be demolished if there are loads of yellowtail, sweep and mados around. You can make your pilchards last a little longer by salting them to make them tougher. A 20kg bag of swimming pool salt is cheap and never goes off, and for the average angler it will last for years. To salt your pilchards, place them in a bucket and add approximately one big handful of salt for every 15 pilchards. Put a lid on the bucket, and check it after a couple of days. You’ll find that the pilchards are now firmer. Add a little bit of water so you can get the

and some squid cut into strips, so you have all baits covered. For berley, all you need is wet mushy bread, chopped up pilchard, and chopped up prawn heads. Light ball sinkers and 2/0 to 3/0 hooks are the standard set up for fishing the washes off the rocks. If you want to learn how to do it, and many other techniques/species, check out my contact details at the end of the column. Lately, snapper from 32-45cm have been caught, with the odd bigger fish thrown in as well. Kingfish, trevally, and bream have also been part of the mix. A few quality groper are also available for anglers who want to target this great species. Typically, most groper anglers refuse to use anything other than a red crab. However, sometimes catching these crabs is not practical. There can be a number of reasons for this. For example, you may want to fish a rock fishing ledge that does not have cracks, and/or there might be no carpet of red weed close to the water level where this species of crab lives. Additionally, it may not be the low tide period or it may not be safe enough to catch the red crabs, because the waves are a bit too big to get to the spots where they are. The alternative is to use those crabs which are found above the high tide rock area, under boulders, in the cracks and above the high tide ponds. You can gather these crabs by hand or with a crab spear. Heavy gear is required when fishing for groper. Line class in the 24 kg range is

Goran Drapac with one of several fish he caught in a recent session. Flathead are often a bycatch whilst fishing for tailor and salmon off the beach with whole ganged pilchard baits. good when wrangling with a sizeable blue groper and a rod to suit the line class preferably one from 10-12ft. The pelagic action continues with late season bonito, some kings, salmon

Quality whiting fishing in the rain off the surf beach. This one, caught by Daniel Drapac, fell for a live pink nipper, which is a good bait if you can’t get worms.

and tailor. Whole pilchards on gangs, is a basic way to catch all of the pelagic species. Metal lures from 30-40g using the wash fishing outfit iI mentioned earlier. Bait Junkie soft plastic Jerkshad in the 5 to 7 in size with jig heads from 1/4 to half oz work well. if f there are too many tailor around I recommend to step away from the soft plastics because these sharp teeth will rip them up! So spots to fish for all of these species are Bluefish’s east front, The northeast face of Bluefish, Little Bluey which are the ledges at the south face lookout of Shelly Headland, South and North Curl Curl ledges and North Whale ledges. preferably fish any of these ledges in a swell size of up to 1.2 metres max. BEACH FISHING There has been a consistent run of pelages on the surf beaches as well. salmon and tailor are fairly abundant on a lot of the beaches. The outfit i mentioned above is great for spinning off the beach. I did not mention the metals. I tried out the new OT Jig from Daiwa. They work absolutely amazing, cast really well with there realistic slim profile,

NSW

amazing colour range and i have caught lots of pelagic species on them. Try out the 30-40g sizes which is close match to the white bait that often frequent the beaches. Aussie salmon to 2kg and tailor to 1kg is the average lately. The tailor preferably in the lower light to dark period. The salmon can be caught throughout the day but better during the similar

your top swivel of your rig and tie a 1/0 or 2/0 Mustad 92554 and a half pilchard. You may be able to catch the culprits being either bream or even silver trevally which frequent the beaches at this time of the year. Most anglers have given up on the whiting at this time of the year. I find that they can be in good numbers. There on the verge

reliable tackle shop can be sparse because there beach wormers are targeting other species. But call your tackle shop as this may not be the case. Whiting up to 37cm , bream to 35cm and nice flathead to 50 cm all caught whilst fishing for whiting. And you may encounter more species when fishing for them as well. Jus briefly on the jewfish. Definitely worth a shot for them this month. Beaches to fish are Manly, Curl Curl , Dee Why, North Narrabeen, Newport and Avalon. Whether you are rock fishing or beach fishing have a few Daiwa OT Jigs in your kit. You don’t want to be caught out if you have a burst of salmon or tailor or other pelagics gong nuts in front of you and your not ready to roll.

Dale Williams with a decent king caught and released while wash fishing for snapper. Kingfish have heaps of stamina and put up a great fight. • For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www.bellissimocharters.

of migrating before the water temp cools down to that frigid 18-19°C or less. That temperature decline can vary from year to year so it pays to keep a tab on the water temps. As usual the gun baits are either beach worms or pink nippers. Buying live bait at your

com.au, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com.au or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

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Ryan Thompson and Dale Williams with a bag of snapper from 32-43cm caught off the rocks in the sudsy white water. A nice king was also caught and released. time period to the tailor. The traditional three hook rig with a whole pilchard is a great way to catch them as well. Note if your getting pecks whilst using a whole pilchard they can be other species. You can tie a 30 cm length of 20 lb mono or Flurocarbon leader off

Sydney

International angler Eric Wong with a brown groper that went 58cm. It was his first groper and it went hard! It fell for a whole red crab bait with a light ball sinker straight to the hook.

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MAY 2023 55

NSW

Catching whoppers off the walls BALLINA

Joe Allan

There have been some good tailor showing up along South Ballina reaches in very consistent numbers, with the 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 at night, also on pilchards and cut baits. In between the tailor, some quality snowy bream have been showing up. Fresh, smoked tailor on a fresh white bread rolls is something to get excited about! There have been some decent numbers of mackerel showing up at the time of writing this report, and hopefully these fish will continue to stick around

Tom McCall with a thumping 145cm mackerel caught close in off Ballina.

Aaron Swanson with a solid mangrove jack caught in Evans Creek. in decent numbers. They’re such good fun to catch, whether by trolling lures at decent speed or throwing stickbaits at them. There are some quality size fish in there too, with a few 20kg (145cm) specimens in amongst them. In the river, the bigger holes behind the town in Ballina have been producing good numbers of jewfish (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. If you’re chasing the beasts, the best fish have come on the making tide during the night time. You will find some big flathead will come along as bycatch. These guys are in the holes chasing anything that comes in front of their faces. Just remember, the big girls are the breeders so please, please, please put them back. Once they get big, they’re not that nice to eat anyway. A couple of snaps and quickly get them back into the water so they can produce lots of eggs during the next spawn. It’s great watching a big crocodile swimming back down to the depths.

ba Prawn Blade s” “Yam Nige Skyring with a beautiful red dog that went 57cm, caught in Ballina.

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56 MAY 2023

Dane Colo with some tasty pearl perch caught wide off Ballina.

North and South walls of the Richmond have been fishing well over the last month. Big flathead, jewies and bream have all been thick. The pick has been South Wall on the run-out tide. Try fishing surface lures like the Atomic Pop 50 and crankbaits like the Crank 38 Mid Diver over the Porpoise Wall when the water is flowing over, and you’ll pick up some great bream. For the jewies, try small blades like the Atomic Metalz in 1/4oz or 1/2oz if the tide is running harder and you can’t 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 freshwater stretches of the river have been fishing fairly tough for the last few weeks. The water is still hot for this time of year; unseasonably hot days during March and April certainly haven’t helped the water to cool down. The fish are really scattered all over the place, with a recent local competition having fish caught as far up the Richmond arm towards Casino as you can go. Decent fish were also caught halfway between Woodburn and Broadwater. You can still find decentsized fish in patches, you just have to do the time and travel to find them. Hopefully mud crabs will start to come on in better numbers soon. The water is pretty clean around the town stretch, and I know of a few reports of blue swimmers being caught around the place too. Until next month, tight lines.

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NSW

Looking back on great pelagic run COFFS COAST

Rob Taylor

The first cool winds of autumn have well and truly arrived on our part of the coast, but although

are still actively hitting baits and lures, and I’d be targeting these now before the water starts to cool too much and they’re gone for another season. We’ve had an incredible wahoo run this year, which

bream and blackfish catches improve in the coming weeks, particularly toward the end of the month as the weather continues to cool. Jack numbers will start to thin out by the end of the month but they are still very

Gavin Hackett with a nice wahoo.

Randall Gibb with a brace of solid Spannos. Now is the prime time to be chasing these speedsters. garfish imitations or drift out a live bait to hook one of these missiles. There have been good

Daran Ryan with a solid longtail tuna off the rocks.

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numbers of garfish off the harbour walls, and they will remain in these areas while the water remains warm. Fishing with pencil floats and small hooks is a fantastic way to secure a delicious feed of these little fish, and other good thing about them is that kids love chasing them. Some big tailor and mulloway will be on offer from the rocks and we’ll start to see the first drummer show up in the washes. The beaches will be offering similar options, with bream, tailor, whiting, mulloway and the odd dart filling the gutters. The larger mulloway will be patrolling the usual beaches to the north of Coffs, so don’t discount a night session for these larger fish. OFFSHORE Mackerel, both Spanish and spotted, will be

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was right up there with the marlin run back in January. Some boats reported hot bites of up to 13 fish in a session! They main run of wahoo may be drawing to a close, but the odd straggler will still be about at the start of this month so get some hardbodied lures in the water and troll them at no less than 8 knots. The land-based game scene has been firing on the right days, with plenty of bonito, mac tuna and longtail tuna hitting the rocks. Some proper greenback tailor have been stealing live baits intended for tuna, so make sure you have a few baits if you are swimming them anywhere near the washes! CREEKS AND RIVERS We should start to see

it may mean an extra layer of clothing for those early starts, it’s a great time to be on the water. Water temperatures have remained high so we should see a good tail end of our pelagic run, and indeed there have been some fantastic catches of mackerel and tuna of late. The creeks and rivers have also been fishing well, as is common for this part of the year. Bass are on the move and starting to head downriver to spawn. Kayaks have been a great way to cover water in search of where the fish are. There are also flathead, jacks and GTs in the salt for both lure and bait fishos. Some big jacks, 60cm+,

much a fish worth chasing at the start of May. The warm water temperatures we’ve experienced this year should see a protracted flathead run, and there will also be plenty of whiting and flathead up on the flats. Some really big flathead are caught each year in May, so don’t discount the big girls up on the flats and around the edges of weed beds. The other exciting fish to chase around the rock wall entrances will be luderick, as they start to increase in numbers ahead of winter. Grab a float, small hooks and green weed and you can really have a ball catching these fish. ROCKS AND BEACHES The land-based game season is in full swing, with longtail tuna being the primary target. Plenty of tuna have been taken off Muttonbird Island and the Quarry, and we should start to see some larger models hit the rocks throughout May. Trying spinning with

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NSW

Plenty of productive days in store SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Vic Levett

There’s been a real buzz amongst the guys and girls that have been fortunate enough to get out and about enjoying our favourite pastime: fishing. The weather gods have been more than kind, and the east coast currents have been delivering loads of warm water with plenty of fish. How good is autumn! OFFSHORE Spanish mackerel, spotted

Jayden have been getting into the wahoo, scoring a solid ‘hoo more often than not. Stickbaiting has also been effective, with a quite a few yellowfin tuna in the mix. The current has been racing past the rock, causing upwellings loaded with bait that have these speedsters in a feeding melee. The phenomenal run of marlin has tapered, but there have still been plenty of encounters. Both black and striped marlin have been caught in the bay in recent weeks, along with a ridiculous number of sharks, which don’t

An unusual stargazer caught and released from the Macleay River. Mahimahi (dolphinfish) numbers are still good, however, as per usual, smaller fish tend to dominate catches later in the season. Small kingfish are also prolific around the DPI FADs. As mentioned before, the current has dictated the bottom fishing, but we did manage a session when the EAC dropped and we scored

Zane Levett with wahoo taken from Fish Rock.

Jess and Owen Truong with a solid South West Rocks Spanish taken onboard Oceanhunter Sportfishing Charters. mackerel, wahoo and even school mackerel have really stepped up a notch lately, with all species readily taking trolled live baits, dead baits and artificial lures. Trolling in and around any of reefs have been producing the goods, with Fish Rock being the stand out location. Local gun angler Graham Allen and his son

mind a free feed if allowed. Bonito, mac tuna, frigates, slimies and yellowtail schools have been turning the water to foam all around Trial Bay, with no shortage of large predators keeping them company. Cobia have been prevalent around the bay, however most of them have been small. I did hear of one large cobe of

over 30kg taken by one of the charter boats. It fell to a dead bonito fished on the bottom. Many boats targeting mackerel have also been faring well on snapper, which have been taking mackerel baits in the berley trail. May should see snapper numbers improve, especially if the water temperature drops.

prime targets this month, and now is also the time some of the bigger Spanish for the season will fall to big trolled baits. Slimy mackerel have been hard to find, but if you put

the time in to fill the live bait well, you’re almost guaranteed a mackerel. It will also be worth pulling hardbodied lures around the Solitary Islands for both mackerel and the odd wahoo. There may still

be some small yellowfin about as well. A special mention this month to local angler Troy Boulton who recently scored a marlin grand slam off Coffs Harbour. Fantastic effort Troy!

Zane Levett with a great stickbait-caught Spanish. plenty of small snapper and pearl perch on fresh tuna strips. The odd large offshore mulloway should show up this month, with live yellowtail fished close to bottom being the number one method of targeting them.

flathead and small mulloway falling to live nippers and herring, which can be jigged up along the river rock walls. Bonito can been be seen in the river busting up on bait balls brought in on the top of tides. Hairtail should be

around Jerseyville, whiting have been plentiful, along with the odd school mulloway on the many mud flats. When fishing the river, try to fish the smaller tides. BEACHES AND ROCKS Whiting and dart are the mainstay for our beaches at this time of year, and the pipis and beach worms should not be hard to find along Smokey Cape Beach, which runs all the way to Hat Head. Find yourself a nice gutter and a high tide and the fish won’t be able to resist. The Headlands will should be alive with bream and drummer in the weeks ahead. Bread berley and fresh, wild Australian green prawns fished in the trail has to be one of the best ways to spend an autumn arvo. Even though winter is

Mark Papadopoulos with a beautiful mahimahi caught on board Oceanhunter Sportfishing Charters.

There should be some larger longtail tuna patrolling our waters throughout May.

ESTUARY The Macleay River has been firing in recent weeks, with plenty of bream,

encountered more often this month, and a live yellowtail is hard to beat. Further up the river

not far away, the ocean is still in summer mode and there are plenty of calm days and warm water coming our way. MAY 2023 59

NSW

First class flathead fishing action THE HASTINGS

Kate Sheldon

The Hastings, Macleay and Camden Haven rivers would have to be up there in Australia’s best flathead fishing systems. I’m not a flathead fishing expert, but I’ve picked up a few techniques from some of the local anglers in the past few years that may help you in landing that trophy-sized metre flathead. Over the past 12 months, local and visitor anglers to the Mid North Coast have been seeing great catches of flathead, with many anglers catching personal records. Not only will you find flathead on most sandbanks, they also seem to love bridge pylons, gravel beds and break wall structures. Flathead will lay on the bottom to camouflage and hunt, waiting for unwary bait fish, prawn or squid to swim past before attacking. Live bait fishing is my go-to method for targeting flathead (although lure

Young gun Lachlan Forbes with a flathead he caught with his uncle Troy Boese in the Hastings River on a live slimy mackerel. (@troyboese)

Matt Doyle with an excellent 89cm flathead that he caught from the Macleay River. 60 MAY 2023

fishing can also be just as productive). Flathead love live bait, and I will generally use slimy mackerel, poddy mullet, hearing and yakkas. When live baiting for flathead I like to use a light leader, paternoster style rig with a small sinker and a single circle hook. Whether you’re in a boat or fishing off the bank there are plenty of options for anglers to target flathead on the Mid North Coast. Releasing the larger flathead is highly recommended, and anglers are encouraged to follow the voluntary Trophy Fishery Code of Practice when fishing in for large dusky flathead in NSW. The Code of Practice can be found on the NSW DPI website. If you want to know more about fishing for flathead, drop into a Mid North Coast fishing tackle shop and speak to the experts. Moving to offshore fishing, there are still plenty of mackerel around Grassy Head, Plomer Bay, Lake Cathie and Bonny Hills. There were reports of some great catches in April, with most anglers managing to avoid the sharks. There have also been some great snapper caught on the inshore reefs, with the new Nomad Squidtrex lure proving very popular amongst local anglers. The local FADs are still producing greatsized mahimahi. Water

temperatures have been reaching up to 27°C, and one lucky angler landed a wahoo off the Laurieton FAD.

Camden Haven Local Macey Hutchison with a 62cm flathead she caught on a Shimma soft vibe in the Watson Taylor Lake. (@hutchosfishingfam)

Kathy Dye with a monster flathead she caught in the Hastings River on the North Shore on a soft plastic with her nephew Matt Hobbs. (@mattyhobbs94) Fishing off our beaches, anglers have been reporting some huge tailor around North Haven, Diamond Head and North Shore in Port Macquarie. The majority of fish have been

taken on spinners, with the best times to fish being at dusk and dawn. For anyone keen to fish the beach at night, there have been some school mulloway caught on the beaches around Bonny

Hills and Lake Cathie using bait. The rock fishing anglers have reported a few longtail tuna around the headlands at South West Rocks and Dunbogan, with the odd Spanish mackerel in the mix. Fishing off the rocks in Port Macquarie, Point Plomer and Crescent Head has also produced some decent catches of luderick, bonito and tailor. As we head into the cooler months, we will start to see the end of the inshore pelagic season. I do like this time of year though as one of my favourite types of fishing starts, which is targeting squid. As the local saying goes, “squid in the bay in May”. Not many anglers know about the Mid North Coast squid season, but if you use a light paternoster style rig with a squid jig on the inshore snapper grounds, you’ll often find the odd tasty squid about in May, June and July. • Business Blurb - Kate is the proud owner of Bay Explorer Marine Services and she specialises in making deep drop fishing rigs for blue-eye trevalla, bar cod, kingfish and bass groper. For more info look up ‘Bay Explorer Marine Services’ on Facebook and Instagram or find her store on eBay.

NSW

Autumn sessions off the stones FORSTER

Luke Austin

It seems absolutely crazy to think that we are almost out of autumn already. The good news is that our awesome winter fishing season is about to really kick off in earnest, which means lots of big blue-nosed bream, stonking snapper, and black drummer! Wallis Lake has seen plenty of rainfall over the past few months, but

target these big, smart bream, there are a few simple things that you need to remember. Firstly, the lighter you can fish, in both line weight and sinker size, will have a huge impact on how many fish you catch. Fishing a nice, light line translates to more hits for one very simple reason: it’s thinner and harder for the fish to see. The downside of going thinner and lighter is that it’s a lot harder to pull the fish out from the gnarly structure that they love to

Secondly, presentation is very important. Whether you are fishing bait or lure, your presentations have to look ‘natural’. These fish are insanely smart, and if they can see too much hook hanging out of your bait, or if your soft plastic isn’t quite swimming right, they won’t even think about eating it! Flathead are still a reliable target within the estuary despite the change in seasons. Those anglers that have moved a little way up into the system have been finding really good numbers of fish. The average size is still great, with plenty of fish up between 50-70cm. 3-4” soft plastics and soft vibes are working wonders out there, with areas such as the Wallamba River, Regatta Island, The Cut and Wallis Island all worth checking out. The local luderick fishing is slowly simmering away, and seems to be getting better by the week. Although the huge numbers of ocean-run

fish are yet to come in and settle on the rock walls, there are still decent numbers of fish hanging about. They are taking most offerings at the moment, and if you are struggling to find weed or cabbage, imitation weed flies are working. Beach reports have been very consistent: bream and tailor! Most beaches have been producing both species in decent numbers, and there are some absolute horses about on the tailor front for those people wishing to hit the sand early. The key to finding these really big fish is to offer them something on the larger side, such as big stickbaits, poppers and plugstyle lures. All have been working well. The local stones have seen a fair bit of activity in recent weeks, and most anglers have found a bit of a mixed bag out there waiting for them. For the land-based game enthusiasts, longtail tuna and cobia are still about,

John with a nice early season luderick. despite this, the fishing is still cruising along fairly nicely. Bream numbers are beginning to really stack up throughout the bottom of the system, with some great fish caught this recently from the rock walls and down around the bridge. If you really want to

hang around! The trick is to find a happy medium between maximising bites and minimising bust-offs. This will vary from angler to angler, but you will definitely see those anglers using 4-8lb leaders hooking many more fish than those fishing 10lb and up.

Laird braved a cool morning to land this cracking tailor.

Catching shallow water reds on plastics is hard to beat! however the reports are very few and far between. Expect to put in some long, hard days if you want to get results. Throwing lures can be a very productive way to fish the rocks at this time of the year. There are nearly always tailor, salmon, bonito, mac tuna and the odd kingfish cruising about. Soaking a slab bait, piece of crab or cunje can be a rewarding way to pass the time on the rocks as the weather cools, and there have already been some great sessions on the ‘bread and butter’ specialties that are drummer, bream and luderick. Heading offshore during May is almost always productive, particularly on the reefs to the north. The shallow grounds fish really well during late autumn/ early winter, but the bite times can be very narrow so make sure you hit the skinny stuff nice and early in the morning or late of an afternoon to make the

most of it. A little further out, reefs in 40-60m are holding good numbers of trag (even in the daytime), the odd pearl perch and plenty of pan-sized snapper. We are still seeing a flutter of pelagic action for some lucky anglers, with some cracking Spanish and spotted mackerel being landed along with the odd cobia. Unfortunately, the bites are very few and far between, and with the cooling water temps, the fishing will only get harder for these warm water loving species. • Luke is the owner of Great Lakes Tackle - your ‘local’ bait and tackle store. They sell only 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! The store is open 7 days in the main street of Tuncurry. You can contact them on 02 6554 9541 or find them on Facebook to see what they have been up to!

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NSW

Autumn fun for Central Coast shore-based anglers CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

Welcome to what should be another cracker month for fishing. We’ve had a pretty good run of things so far this year, and at this stage I see no reason why that shouldn’t continue to be the case. Perhaps the most noticeable difference now is the cooler weather and some rather cold nights. Tailor numbers are peaking at the moment, and they’ve been consistent for rock and beach anglers in recent weeks. There were plenty of quite small tailor around through March and April, and in past years I’ve experienced these little choppers hanging around right into June. They help

Early morning starts are colder from now on, but it’s definitely worth getting out there and be fishing by sunrise this month! to attract predators like kings and jewies, but they can also make a pest of themselves, as bait wasters.

May is a first-rate month for bream in Brisbane Waters and the lakes. The author recently scored this nice one on a surface lure. Despite dropping temps, surface lures will still tempt bream in the coming weeks.

With a bit of luck these little ones will dwindle away, and be replaced by larger tailor. Bream are also normally in full swing along the beaches and around shallow rocks and points. They inhabit pretty much the same places as tailor, but bream will generally remain in closer and be more willing to feed through the day, whereas tailor are more active around sunset, sunrise and at night. Although casting baits like pillies, fish flesh, prawns or bread is very reliable for inshore bream right now, they’ll also hit the same lures you catch bream with in the estuaries. The heavier, better casting lures are a better choice than lures that are quite light and don’t cast so well. Shallow, reefy spots adjacent to beaches, where there is a mixture of rock, sand and whitewash, are

the areas to look for. In our part of the coastline, the stretch between Wamberal and The Entrance has more of this shallow reefy structure that’s also accessible. Of course, it pays to be careful when throwing lures around rocky places, as snags can be expensive! At this time of year there is normally a noticeable drop in ocean temperature. Each year can be different, but typically, we see temps go from 21°C down to 18°C in the lead-up to winter. This encourages mullet and salmon to increase in numbers, while bonito and kingfish may decrease in numbers. It’s also a period when the bigger bonito and kingfish are more commonly encountered close in around our headlands and shallow reefs. Offshore anglers should hopefully find a few more calm days

Drummer are one of the many species that can be caught around our coastal rocks at the moment. We are blessed to have plenty of first-rate rock fishing spots right along the Central Coast. This fish was caught at Norah Head.

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NSW

Locals taking on the torpedoes PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

May would have to be my favourite month of the year to fish the waters of Port Stephens. It’s a real crossover period, with many winter species overlapping with summer fish. In the bay, longtail tuna are still a real possibility, especially in the first half of May. Regardless of what

mac tuna are also feeding in these same areas, and can provide great fun on light gear while you wait for the big boys to show up. Flathead in the bay are starting to slow down but it’s still worth fishing for them around North Arm Cove, Tilligerry Creek and Tahlee areas. May is probably the best month of the year to chase bream inside the bay, with big numbers along the rock walls and oyster racks around

Bay and the Anchorage break wall will be hot spots for them. Fishing the tide change is the key to catching luderick, with the first of the run-out tide being the prime fishing time. BEACHES Some really nice bream have been coming from Fingal and Samurai beaches, with fish over 1kg being taken on worms and pipis, as well as some clunker whiting.

game begins. Spinning off these same ledges with smaller lures around the 20-30g mark is a great way to get connected to some smaller pelagics such as bonito and tailor. Drummer will start to become more prevalent over the next few months around the white water, and be eager to eat a well-presented, lightly weighted peeled prawn or chunk of cunjevoi. OFFSHORE Outside it’s still a live baiting lucky dip, especially on the shallow ocean reefs and headlands. Longtail tuna, mac tuna, cobia, kingfish, snapper or even a late season black marlin are all within the realm of possibility at this time of year. Snapper will be a good target late in the afternoon and early in the morning on the inshore reefs, with both soft plastic lures and bait fishing techniques working well. The inshore marlin have slowed down after an incredible season, but the shelf is still producing a few striped marlin, with charter boats averaging a few shots a day.

Big bream will be patrolling the structure in the coming weeks.

Some good schools of bonito are still in the bay. you’re chasing at this time of the year, it can pay off to always have a 30lb casting rod rigged up with a stickbait or 30g metal lure ready to cast, because longtail tuna have a habit of erupting when you least expect them. The best areas to target them are around The Anchorage rock wall through to Middle Island. Bird activity is the greatest indicator of where to concentrate your efforts. Smaller pelagics such as frigate mackerel, bonito and

Soldiers Point and Tea Gardens areas. Anchoring up in these parts at high tide, casting unweighted nippers or prawns down a berley trail is super effective way to fish for bream. Alternatively, if you’re lure fishing, slowly cover ground with your electric motor casting either hardbodied crank-style lures or lightly weighed 1-2” plastics. Luderick will really start to move into the bay this month, and the Tomaree Torpedo Tubes and Nelson

Late afternoons have been producing tailor along Fingal and Box Beach. Whole pilchards or gar rigged on gang hooks are the best way to catch them. ROCKS Longtail tuna continue to be caught from the ocean headlands such as Sunny Corner and Tomaree, as well as a few mac tuna and prized cobia. The preferred method for this style of fishing is a live yellowtail or slimy mackerel suspended under a float – and then the waiting

to head out this month, and some good long periods of stable weather. This makes it easier to plan ahead, so fuel or time won’t be wasted. Kingfish should be found close in over the coming weeks, but that’s not to say that heading out to the deeper jigging grounds won’t be productive. Snapper are another species that can be found closer or wider this month, and of course there are other species to consider, depending on your personal preference. I’d probably recommend chasing kingfish more than anything else this month though.

The lakes begin to slow down a bit from now on, as the shallow water cools down with the air temperature. Brisbane Waters takes longer to cool down as we come in to winter, because it’s deeper and is more influenced by the tides pushing in sea water. For the angler, this largely means that this month Brisbane Waters can be a bit more reliable to fish than Tuggerah Lakes. Having said that, The Entrance and the lower reaches of Wyong and Ourimbah can still provide first-rate fishing for bream with baits or lures. While most local anglers would generally consider

Brisbane Waters or Lake Macquarie to house bigger bream, I can assure you that Tuggerah Lakes also holds some very good bream at times. You just have to be patient and sift through the smaller fish in the lakes. Luderick, flathead, whiting and tailor are also likely to be encountered at The Entrance, and we shouldn’t forget that May is also normally one of the better months for jewfish in Brisbane Waters. All in all, this is a very good month for a variety of species. Just be prepared for the cooler temperatures and enjoy the nice, stable sunny days when they come.

The author with a proper hoodlum-sized kingfish.

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MAY 2023 63

NSW

Enjoying the autumn mornings on the water SWANSEA

Jason Nunn

At the time of writing this report, we still have the east coast current roaring down the shelf, and the water temp is still 26°C out there. This is unusual for April, causing heavy rainfall and storms. My mate went offshore for a fish the other day and got absolutely hammered. There were squalls all day, and he had to put the boat in neutral and face into the squall. He said he felt tingling off the stainlesssteel steering wheel due to the static from the sheet lighting all around. Those of you have experienced conditions like this will know that it’s pretty unnerving. I had to work that day, fortunately! Anyway, hopefully by May the water temperatures will drop and the current will start to break up. Coastal mullet are on the run, with vast numbers of schools making their way along the coast on their annual northern migration. We are also seeing the autumn migration of bream and luderick. These species, along with mulloway, will be popular targets for anglers this month. At times like this, when you have so many fish migrating coastally, it’s a great opportunity to target mulloway on our beaches, particularly of an evening. And these mulloway won’t only be on our beaches, they’ll definitely be in our rivers and estuary systems too. We had a fairly good run of autumn mulloway in March in the lake, with plenty of fish ranging from 65cm up to a metre in length. The mulloway run will likely continue into winter, because already through April we’ve seen really good tailor schools throughout the lake (with the occasional Australian salmon) working the big schools of whitebait. These bait schools are basically throughout the lake at the moment, and this will continue into May. The beauty of it is with so much pelagic activity on those bait schools, the mulloway will be gathering under those bait schools mixed in with a few squiresize snapper. So vibing and deep water jigging then comes into its own, (e.g. Zerek and Samaki Vibelicious). Generally, the rule of thumb is anywhere from 3-4” is the 64 MAY 2023

Katie Manderson with her father Duncan, and crew member Steve. better of the sizes. With may rolling through and these bait schools being in such prolific numbers we’re now starting ot see flathead move back into the estuary from that short stint along the backs of the beaches and the backs of the reefs, and they’re moving back into the estuary. Flat numbers should increase towards the end of May and into June. Estuary bream have been pretty darn good lately. I was talking to some guys recently who got some coastal travelling fish well over the kilo mark. These fish will remain in the channel and the lake right through May and into June. Late afternoon into the evening has been the better time to fish, and if you can match that time with a high tide, so much the better. You can get good results using oily baits such as mullet, pilchards, bonito and so forth. The tailor have been in big numbers and varying sizes. Some schools will be made up of 35-40cm fish, while other schools will have an average size of 55-55cm, which are good size fish. The bigger fish have been blowing up on the surface briefly and then dying off, so it’s good to have chrome slices rigged and ready to go when you see a bust-up. That said, the further we head towards winter, those better fish will be more common on the bottom. In this scenario, a more productive tactic is to troll deep divers such as a Halco Crazy Deep or Rapala Deep Tail Dancer.

My personal preference is for the Tail Dancer, which is a very productive lure locally. It can get down to 9m, which is the perfect running depth seeing as the lake floor in the middle is 30-33ft. The Tail Dancers, and other deep divers, really come into their own in the middle of the day. That’s when the bait comes off the surface and get pushed down towards the bottom a bit more, and the predators also come off the surface and settle. You will find it’s very pleasant

to be trolling around on a sunny autumn morning with a pot of coffee, and it’s the kind of fishing that anyone can do. While the main species you’ll catch will be tailor, you may also encounter other species such as flathead, mulloway or even pan-size snapper. Now is a good time to catch blue swimmer crabs, because most of the male crabs have moved into deeper water. Drop your pots in 6-9m of water and you could go home with a nice feed. There have been a few

A tasty brace of snapper.

squid caught in Swansea channel by guys chasing kingfish, but we still haven’t seen big numbers of estuary squid this year. Hopefully, we’ll see better squid fishing late this year, after they have had an opportunity to spawn. At the time of writing, there are still some really nice kings in the channel and the lake. Anglers have been catching them casting from the shore, or downrigging in the lake with live yellowtail or live squid. However, their numbers will taper off as winter approaches. BEACHES AND ROCKS Luderick will be a popular target off the rocks this month, and berleying is the way to go. You can also catch big tailor in the early mornings on most of our headlands. If you want to go rock fishing, please make sure conditions are favourable, wear a lifejacket, and preferably fish with at least one other person. There should be a few snapper caught off the rocks in the coming weeks. The water has been so warm all summer that the snapper numbers offshore have been down, but with the water slowly getting cooler, this should change. REEF AND OFFSHORE Plenty of flathead, particularly blue-spot flathead, have been caught on our inshore coastal reefs in recent weeks. A lot of trag have also been caught along

our coastal reefs, along with big numbers of tailor. Most guys have been catching their bag limit of tailor and trag, and I reckon that should continue this month. Snapper should start to increase on those inshore reefs this month, as a direct result of the water temps. We have been seeing a few mulloway on the offshore reefs, and live bait or squid is the pick. Remember there’s a bag limit of just one fish. Right now isn’t a great time for kingfish, but as we move into June there will be more news on the kingfish front. For anglers heading out wider for pelagics, there are still a few striped marlin around, and there have been reports out wide of a few yellowfin. The fishing has been pretty hot and cold, though. We are still looking forward to that current abating in the coming weeks, and hopefully things will improve. There have been a lot of dolphinfish (mahimahi) around lately, and the FADs and deeper water trap line may still be worth a troll for dollies and striped marlin in the coming weeks. The fish had a late start, and the water temperature has been very consistent, so they should be around in reasonable numbers until the water cools off a bit more. Anglers fishing offshore are still catching a few bonito, which have been either really little (10” long) or really big (4kg). We may also see a few mackerel around in the coming weeks, and a few longtails off the rocks too, so there’s a bit of diversity this month for anglers chasing pelagics. • Fisherman’s Warehouse Tackle World has a large range fresh and frozen bait as well as a huge range of rods, reels, lures and accessories. They also sell and service outboard motors, and have a competitivelypriced selection of new and second-hand boats. The friendly staff are all experienced local anglers, and they’re always happy to share their knowledge, whether you’re a novice or experienced angler. Drop in for a chat at 804 Pacific Highway, Marks Point, or give them a call on (02) 4945 2152. You can also find them on Facebook, or check out their website at www. f i s h e r m a n s w a re h o u s e .com.au.

NSW

Hunting out the best spots in May ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

The best of this year’s fishing is behind us now, but May is typically not too shabby if we get a lingering autumn and some warm days before the southwesterlies set in for the winter. The rockhoppers generally do alright this month as the light westerlies calm the ocean, making it safer and easier to fish. If there is a big blow then the fish get a bit of a roll on after conditions settle, so you are on an each-way winner.

far down the coast at this time of the year. Heaps went down the coast early this year so it stands to reason there should be a few still hanging about. Keep an eye out for schools of garfish hurtling along and jumping out of the water, which can be a dead giveaway there are tuna about. Longtails love garfish (as do most other pelagics). They are a premier land-based sportfish and viable target this month. Most of the headlands with any depth at all will have salmon, bonito and the odd mackerel tuna eager to grab shiny metals. The good old pillie under the bobby

are in with a shot. Tailor and salmon can be a nuisance to the jewie anglers but they are great fun on their own, and there are heaps on most beaches during the late afternoon, evenings and early mornings. In the mornings the bite gets slower as the sun get higher, and in the evenings the bite gets better as the sun goes down and evening sets in. Bream are in good numbers, picking up the scraps. If the guts keep getting picked out of your pillies, it’s time to put on a small bit of bait and pull a few bream. If you can get some

A lot of longtails went down the coast this season so they will be hanging around this month off the rocks and in close for the boaties. Kingfish are a good target for the live bait guys, with some nice fish down around the southern ledges in the Kiama neighbourhood. Live baits from the harbour are worth carting out to any of the deepwater points, or a fresh squid jigged up before daylight and slipped back out could pay off. The live slimies and yakkas will get results on the kings. as well as a lot of bycatch with plenty of solid salmon about – although they can be a pest, as can the bonito. It’s great if you are targeting them on light tackle but a nuisance on 24kg when chasing kings. There can also be a few small mackerel tuna still lingering about, and these go straight back out as big kings love them. Keep casting and retrieving small lures while waiting for the bigger fish. Aside from bonito and salmon there are other more welcome bycatch species in the way of big mackerel tuna to 8kg and some solid longtail tuna that get this

cork does well too. The washes will start to get more bream in them as the month progresses, and a little bread berley will get them going as well as bringing in a few nice drummer. The drummer will start to get going now that the water has cooled a bit, becoming more active. Trevally will start to build in numbers too, and the big bronze blackfish will be all along the coast and in the harbours in big numbers if we get a bit of rough weather. On the beaches it can get a bit chilly during the evenings but we can get some rippers. On the big tides during the evening this month is the time to target jewfish on all of the better jewfish beaches. That said, you never know where they might pop up next, so just about any beach with a decent gutter is worth a look. There have been plenty of schoolies about lately. Big fish can show up anywhere, so if you have a bait in the water on the right tackle you

beach worms there are still a few nice whiting about. They are getting a bit patchy, but what they lack in numbers they make up for in size. Flathead are just about finished, with only the odd specimen being caught. This won’t change unless we have a bit of rain and the creeks get flushed, then we might get a few for a week or so. It’s the same in the estuaries with the flathead on the wane and the bream getting a move on (the flathead are still worth a shot if we get a few warm days in a row). The bream are the go on small hardbodies, blades and plastics, or you could go the old-fashioned method and use bait, which still catches heaps more fish. The entrance to the lake and along the break walls is a top spot, with blackfish holding along the southern break wall. Weed might be a bit scarce but it’s worth getting for best results. Salmon and tailor are coming in and out with the tides, taking metal lures and

pilchards. There are some thumping whiting on the flats around the entrance, albeit not in big numbers. Minnamurra is going alright, with plenty of bream around the bridge pylons, along with the odd solid trevally. Blackfish are being caught along the ribbon weed edges in the big straight section running to the entrance, and a few nice whiting are in the sandy shallows in the same area with flathead being a bit of a lottery. Offshore the fishing is still pretty good but it will decline rapidly as the month draws to a close and the cold water moves in. For the drifters, flathead have slowed a little over the sand but are well worth chasing, with good catches all along the coast. Morwong catches are picking up, and there are a few pigfish showing up with the cooler water. There are also enough small snapper around to keep most anglers happy. Those chasing snapper are having a bit of success picking and berleying. These fish stayed around for a while after the April run, and a few nice specimens have been coming in of late. Thile the guys using plastics are going alright too. Kingfish have been on the chew since Christmas, only shutting down from time to time before getting going again. Some days are good, and others are great. All the usual spots like the islands, Bellambi, Bass Point and Rangoon are worth a shot this month. The big fish action should be further out, with the yellowfin tuna hopefully making a show. They were around in April over the shelf, with fish ranging from 30-80kg. It was nothing to have four or five jumping out of the water at a time, accompanied by thousands of mutton birds. At the moment they are a bit patchy but they could show up at any time. If the tuna are not about it is time for the big blue marlin that seem to frequent the shelf at this time of the year. Towing big skirts brings a few good fish down each season out beyond the Kiama and Stanwell canyons. If you miss the blues there are a few stripes around to keep things interesting, and maybe even the odd black, so a grand slam may even be possible. That would be a good day. The odd black may still even show up on the close-in reefs if the water temperature doesn’t take too much of a dip. There have still been a few mahimahi about on the FADs, so they are worth a look too if a bit of current

The bream will be numbering up on the beaches this month. is running. Out wide the current should have backed off a bit for the most part, so some deep water bottom donging should produce trevalla, gemfish and other deep water delights.

Along the coast the salmon are in the washes, so casting pillies and lures will score plenty of hits. There are also heaps of bonito over the shallow reefs and around the headlands. Good luck.

You don’t need the latest gear to catch fish. Angus Low, 13yo, caught this impressive 43cm bream on his dad’s vintage 1983 Jarvis Walker fishing rod, and scooped it out of the water with a plastic bag!

MAY 2023 65

NSW

Things are still holding up BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

Autumn started with a knockout punch of pelagics, and it’s still swinging as we go into the last month of the season. May is usually the month of ‘maybes’; maybe we’ll get what we’re hoping for, maybe not. However, this

prevented that bait balling action that we love, and which the south coast is famous for. Other than that, it was a spectacular season overall. There were plenty of striped marlin and lots of blues and blacks this year, and a good run of small inshore blacks as well. If the water continues to stay warm with plenty of

at this time of the year onwards is the mighty swordfish. As the currents start to slow down and we move into the cooler months, avid sword fishers gear up to chase these prized fish. Most of the successful sword fishing is done further south, and most people will travel to those areas. However, it doesn’t stop the die-hards from having a crack in local waters. If successful, they are generally smaller fish. Deep dropping out over the shelf becomes another option from here on as the currents pull up. Blue-eye, ling, hapuka, gemfish, bar cod and ocean perch are all great catches, and great table fish also. Hook’em has put out some new non-lead, glow sinkers (250g-4000g) that will get you down there. Closer to shore, from the stones to the snapper grounds has had a tonne of action over the last couple of months. There have been masses of bonito, spawning schools of mulloway, longtail tuna running with a splash of small yellowfin in the mix, inshore dolphinfish, and small black marlin here and there. Anglers also picked up some good snapper. It was on fire – inshore fishing at its best! The bonito, mac tuna, Watson’s leaping bonito, frigate, longtails, dolphinfish and black marlin we will be bidding farewell throughout the month. We’re all hoping they will return next year in good numbers. It was

Jesse caught a tonne of mulloway last year, and is off to a good start this year. one of the best longtail tuna runs I’ve ever seen, and after such an exceptional run it’s still possible for the odd bonito and maybe some kings this month. However, from here on, it’s snapper time! Another rare event that the odd fisho gets to experience once a year or so is when schools of 1m+ mulloway school up in snapper grounds. If you’re lucky, they can pop up right near your boat, and you’ll find yourself catching a fish every cast. Every year around summer/autumn I get reports of these jewies schooling out in the bay or in snapper grounds in big numbers, in what seems to be a spawning event. This can happen in

a few locations close to one another on the same day. This year it was in 16m of water out of Durras, and the fisho was actually disappointed he couldn’t get any snapper because of all the jewies getting in the way! Not a bad problem to have. (Remember that mulloway have a minimum size of 70cm and a bag limit of one per person.) The rock ledges will be trying to cool down after the red-hot pelagic run and as they do, snapper, bream, drummer and groper will be the species to warm you back up. Salmon and tailor will be backing up as we move out of autumn. For more salmon and tailor inquiries, look no further than our local beaches.

Jai has been getting in on the longtail action. May is looking stronger than the past, and that’s because we have yellowfin tuna – the heavy hitters of the fishing kingdom. We may also still have some pelagics like bonito, mackerel and kingfish, and perhaps the odd marlin. There may also still be some dollies, plus snapper, mulloway and an estuary that just keeps giving. So, strap on your gimbal and harness, crack open your most expensive Japanese lure, or tie on your favourite squid jig as we head into May. Offshore, this May should see the end of the marlin run, and what a run it was! It did get a bit slow and patchy in the end, and what didn’t help was the roaring current which 66 MAY 2023

bait, then the odd marlin is still on the cards. However, the gamefish we are really looking out for this month is the yellowfin tuna. These bad boys made an appearance at this time last year, and we are hoping it will happen again. Last year, by June they were thick off the south coast, and we had a red-hot bite for several weeks just northeast of Batemans. Trolling and looking for yellowfin at the shelf to over the shelf while looking for bust-ups is generally the go. Once you find patches of fish feeding, casting stickbaits at them has been the preferred and most exciting and successful method. Another game species that becomes of interest

Sheilsy with a nice longtail tuna from the stones.

Last year we saw some massive tailor on the chew, and it will be interesting to see if those big guys show up again. The estuaries and lakes have been going strong since last spring, with plenty of prawns filling them. This would have helped the fishing action, along with plenty of baitfish. I’m expecting a good solid run right up until it cools down moving into winter. What can run hard in the estuary during autumn is mulloway. There have been good spawning events and loads of juveniles in the last few years, which is a good sign for the health of the fishery. If the jewies aren’t all out chasing mullet on the beaches, we might see a good bite happening in the estuary. Either way, there will still be the trusty flathead to keep things going. May is traditionally a great time of the year for squid. After losing all my squid lures over the last couple of years with no squid, I’m ready to try again. The water is clearer, there has been less rain, and good reports, which have me excited. Fresh squid strips for mulloway bait seemed to be what mulloway have preferred over the last 12 months, rather than livies. Finally, don’t be shy on heading out for some cheeky late season prawns during the dark nights of the moon cycle. You never know your luck. • 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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NSW

Sea temperatures are still warm BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

As we move into the cooler months, offshore water temperatures are still high and there are all sorts of fish species cruising our oceans. Some of the visitors we have had here this season

are wahoo, dolphinfish (mahimahi), cobia and spearfish, along with mac and longtail tuna. These fish would show up regularly in years gone by but sadly over the past decade or two they have been absent. So, with these types of fish showing, are we in for a yellowfin tuna season of old? Well, let us hope so, as May used to be

the best month for them. Out around the Continental Shelf and beyond to the Canyons is where anglers should be concentrating their efforts. Trolling lures is one way of locating them. Once found, burley trails in conjunction with live baits, pilchards or cubes of fish will more often than not produce the goods. If the

Northern bluefin used to be a regular visitor to Bermi waters, just check the record books!

tuna are up on the surface chasing bait schools of mackerel or sauries, a more modern approach is casting stickbaits on heavy spin gear. This is growing in popularity and producing the goods. Marlin are always an option at this time of year, and some large lures deployed or live baits in berley trails may produce one. I have always said where there are tuna there are sharks, especially makos or blues, so keep some gear handy to handle them, or try specifically targeting them. There is something special about a big mako cartwheeling out of the water. This month you can expect to find the kingfish on the chew up at Montague Island, as they have been consistent all season, with some larger fish showing in recent times. Mixing with them are bonito, which are partial to a well-presented live bait or lure. For the bottom fishos there are plenty of options. Snapper are increasing all along the coast, with larger specimens occurring down out from Goalen Head right through to the Twelve Mile Reef. Mixing with them are the usual suspects

King George whiting are a rare visitor to our local waters. like morwong, nannygai, perches and jackets. Over the sandy and muddy areas, flathead are still around in numbers, with the grounds south out from the Murrah and Cuttagee producing nice mixed bags of sand and tigers. Throw in an occasional gummy shark,

and the evening banquet looks set. Gummies are also featuring in catches along the beaches, with anglers encountering some small whalers as well. Salmon are the main fish being captured from the beaches. Tailor, bream, whiting and the

There is still good fishing to be had around Tathra TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

With the cooler weather now upon us you would expect the fishing to start to taper off, however, the

water temps are still up so the fish are constantly on the chew. If you want to fish the estuaries this month, which ones should you target and how should you go about it? With the landmass and rivers cooling, bringing cold water down into the

estuaries, it’s a good idea to fish the shallows over the flats on the rising tide. A lot can be learnt from walking around sand or the muddy flats at low tide. Hear you can observe what is happening, and who has been visiting here at high tide. The obvious

Quality flathead are a shallow water favourite.

Even though the weather is cooler, the fishing is still hot. 68 MAY 2023

signs are of course the depressions left by flathead or stingrays, while the not-so-obvious are likely to be small crater-like dimples, crushed oysters or shellfish, and legs left behind by unlucky crabs that have had a run-in with a scaly predator. Once you find these areas, simply go back on the rising tide to hunt for the fish species that left the

signs. Places like the Bega River, Nelsons Lagoon and Wapengo Lake north of Tathra are prime areas to begin your assault. Now let’s look at what species you’re likely to catch, and how to catch them. Bream, whiting, flathead, flounder, luderick, trevally are just some of the frequent visitors to the flats at high tide, searching for

food. You can encounter these species on a regular basis by using light gear and randomly making long casts, placing baits like nippers, worms or small crabs over the flats. With the use of polarized sunglasses, you can sight these fish before fishing the area, thus improving your chances. If you like using lures, I recommend

NSW

odd jewie have been providing some variety. Fishing the estuaries at this time of year may be tough, but there are fish to be found if you are willing to put in the effort and change tactics. We all like to catch fish on lures, however I find at this time of year it is tough going. Bait fishing now

becomes a good option, and if it is bream you like to catch, start focusing on the shallow flats as these fish will fossick over them in search of worms, pipis, small crabs, shrimp or nippers. Whiting, luderick, mullet, flathead or flounder may also be cruising these flats in search of prey, and the

clear, late autumn waters can provide some exciting visual angling. Randomly scattering nippers over the flats is often all that’s required to catch fish, with the better areas around Bermagui being the river itself just upstream from the bridge, and out at Wallaga Lake either side of the bridge.

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There have been several cobia caught at Montague Island this season. combining them with your bait fishing. This can easily be done by placing your bait rods in holders while you try sight casting to what fish you may see cruising the flats. Small hardbodied lures may prove effective, but from my experience, bait generally accounts for most of the catch. The Tathra Wharf is

a good place to visit at any time of year, and especially now. Here, as well as the adjacent rock platforms, schools of small pelagics (or not so small) pass on a regular basis, coming within range of anglers wielding a spin stick or drifting a live bait. Species like kingfish, salmon, bonito or the occasional shark may take a liking

Catching mullet in the shallows is great fun.

to a drifted bait, while some of the same along with striped tuna, frigate mackerel or tailor will often react to lures. There are also plenty of small fish hanging around there in the form of slimy mackerel, trevally, garfish, or luderick, while off the nearby stones, groper, drummer and the wrasses are on the chew. Those lightweight pelagics are a good offshore option for those who wish to chase them from a boat tossing lures. Most of the headlands will also contain many of these fish, with areas to the north out from Nelsons Headland being a prime location. There is plenty of other action offshore, with the beautiful, calm autumn weather allowing reef and bottom anglers to access a host of species. Flathead are abundant both north and south of Tathra in varying depths, and gummy sharks and red gurnard also feature in the mix. Around most of the reefy structures, snapper are increasing in size and numbers, along with the usual suspects like nannygai, morwong, perches, and jackets. It’s also a good time of year for squid. Adding a jig to your bottom fishing rig is a good way to drum up some action, providing some different tastes to the evening meal.

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Late season stream trout bounty BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

It’s hard not to love fishing at this time of the year, especially the tree-lined creeks and rivers with

they will more than likely be gorging on eggs deposited by the big browns. The fish being this active makes for some spectacular fishing, and at this time of the year there is always the added bonus of the next trout you hook being trophy sized.

hardbodies will also work really well, as most fish are very aggressive at the moment, meaning they will strike any lure that resembles some sort of competition for them. Fly anglers will definitely do best with weighted and even unweighted Glo Bugs

anglers will switch from targeting the natives to targeting redfin, and with good reason – redfin are mostly easy to catch at this time of the year, they taste sensational and the natives have become very hard to catch. Around this time of the year the redfin form much larger schools then can be found during the warmer months, which means once you find one redfin you are normally in the vicinity of at least another hundred. Trolling is a popular way

If you’re fly fishing, it will be hard to beat Glo Bugging and nymphing this month.

The full spawn colours on some of the brown trout at this time of the year is, in a word, stunning. their stunningly coloured autumn leaves on poplars and willows. It makes for some amazing backdrops whilst fishing. These amazing backdrops are also handy when it comes to photographing your catch, making most fish look even more stunning then they already do at this time of the year. If you’re targeting trout then they will be lit up in full spawn colours – add that to the stunning surroundings, and even the worst photographer will get some great shots. The official trout season closes in early June, so there is not long left in the season. Once the season is closed anglers are forced to fish the lakes for the trout fix, so it makes sense to concentrate your efforts on the running stuff whilst you still can. This late in the season is usually when you can experience the best fishing in the running water, as many a big brown trout attempts to spawn – and if the rainbows aren’t thinking about it themselves,

Whilst targeting trout at this time of the year, it’s hard to beat anything that is egg coloured. If you’re bait fishing it will be hard to beat the good old brightly-coloured dough baits like PowerBait and the like. Lure anglers will do well on any flashy lure, especially ones with any red or orange. Alternatively, brown or rainbow trout coloured

The release of a trophy-sized trout. May is probably the best month of the year for a great chance of hooking that fish of a lifetime. of targeting them. After you have located the fish, any small hardbodied lures less than 60mm long that dives to around 40ft should see you stumble across some redfin

action. Add a small 1” soft plastic around a metre above your chosen lure, and you increase your chances of a double hook-up (although it can occur even when using

just one lure at times). Jigging with ice jigs, blades, vibes or plastics is another great way of catching lots of redfin from deep water.

May the cod be with us? ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

Welcome to May, and the start of the cooler months! While it might be cooling down, the bigger cod are

warming up! Throw your hoodie on, don’t forget to pack the Ugg boots and get ready to catch some goodies! This is the time of year that we Murray cod anglers typically gear up in search of

the bigger fish. The cooler months often have slower fishing in general, when it comes to the quantity of fish we catch, but that is overruled by the quality of the big fish on offer. It makes the effort all so

Even in the small streams the trout will be lit up and willing to smash just about anything that resembles competition.

The rainbows will be in great condition this month as they pack on weight before their annual spawning migration. 70 MAY 2023

at this time of year. Even though the purists frown upon this, there is no mistaking its effectiveness. To cover both bases I like to use two flies under an indicator – one a Glo Bug and the other a weighted black or red Copper John nymph. That way, if the fish aren’t yet eating eggs, they will still take the nymph. Trout lake fishing can also

be great at this time of the year. A lot of the browns will have started to head up the feeder rivers and streams, but there will still be a few around in the lakes. There will also be a few rainbows around, gorging themselves before their annual spawning migration up the feeder rivers and streams. No matter what lake you fish or technique you choose to use, a lot of the resident fish will be holding around the creek and river mouths, so it will pay to concentrate your efforts there. BLOWERING REDFIN This month, other than the diehard cod fishos, most

A quality Murray cod caught on a spinnerbait.

NSW

A nice cod caught on a jointed swimbait. very much worth it. It is still a good time of year to do all forms of targeting cod, from walking the banks to boating. Depending on rainfall and water releases, most rivers and creeks around the region generally flow fairly consistently throughout March, meaning that the clarity and heights should be fairly good. This season will again likely have slightly higher flows than usual, but this is all dependent on the rain we get. The lead up to this month has been quite good across the region; most river systems have been fishing well with

the more steady flows. As expected, the fish have been in top notch condition as well, which comes with the higher flows that we’ve seen over the past year or so. The flushes may be frustrating for anglers in the short term, but the influx of water gives the fish in those systems fantastic opportunities to pig out and get really healthy. While we have been seeing some good numbers come out of our systems around the region, the action should start to slow down regardless of flows from May onwards into the cooler months. While it’s often slow going, the fish that you can potentially catch during this time are worth the wait.

It can be easy to jump online or read magazines and see the same anglers consistently catching fish, but these anglers only get good at this hobby because of the time they put into it. It’s always a game of you

have to enjoy it for what it is, the places it takes you, the friends you meet and take along the way and the memories you make. It’s all the joys of any fishing really. So start to get those heavier leaders tied, check

The fishing slows down during the cooler months, but the results are still there for those who persist. versus the fish, and you must be prepared for the fishing to be slow from time to time. While it’s always good to be prepared and be in the right mindset you also just need to remember that you

There’s nothing better than catching cod off the surface.

your lures, and get keen for some potentially awesome quality fish. This is the time of year that it really gets exciting for the bigger ones! Good luck everyone out there!

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NSW

Finding right depth for active fish HUNTER VALLEY

Nick Price

The fishing at Glenbawn has really fired up in the last couple of months, with the bigger fish being caught deep. Fish

be seen on the sounder in both lakes. If one school of bass is not in the mood to eat, move around until you find bass that are feeding. Often bass will be seen sitting at different depths, with bass at a particular depth more

Short, sharp hops at the correct depth will excite the fish and cause a reaction bite. Once one fish is caught, the excitement and vibration of the fish usually fires up the remainder of the school. If the bass are quiet and do not respond to an ice jig then use a black curly tailed Gulp and retrieve it very, very slowly. Use a soft rod and when you get a bite, do not strike. Let the rod do the work. When people are learning this technique it is natural for them

to instinctively strike, and this unfortunately misses most fish. When looking for edge fish, look for actively growing green weed. The fish in winter move up into the weed to feed during the winter months, and can be caught on jerkbaits and plastics. There are many subtle tricks when using both of these techniques and I will talk about them at a later date, or you can drop in to the shop and I can show you. Since Glenbawn has risen considerably over the last 12

A big eel landed and released from the Upper Hunter. Instead of being a ‘fisher of men’, this local Anglican minister became a fisher of fish! have still been caught on the edge using plastics and lipless crankbaits. As the water cools, these edge fish will be caught on jerkbaits and small plastics. When fishing deep, a good sounder has been a must to sound the depth the bass are sitting. Due to water temperature, the bass sit at their most comfortable depth. There is food at depth in the form of smelt. Big schools of smelt can

actively feeding. In the same way when edge fishing bass feed at a certain type of bank, bass will be more actively feeding at a certain depth. When the fish are active you will see them moving on your sounder. It’s easy with Livescope, but even using traditional images you will see the fish lines move on the screen. When targeting these fish, try ice jigs and blades first.

A nice bass caught off the surface.

months, the carp population has exploded. In June there will be a Carp Fishing Competition at Glenbawn with lots of prizes, and it should be good fun. More and more people are heading to Glenbawn chasing carp. Worms and corn seem to be the preferred baits, while soft plastics and fly are the most popular artificials. That said, the carp have been super aggressive and have been taking lipless crankbaits as well. There are many big carp in Glenbawn, well over 10lb. These fish fight hard and

are good sport, just be sure to dispose of them responsibly. June is a month where the fish are moving more to the edge but still can be found deep. Next month I will further explore fishing the winter deep bite. Remember, if you’re heading up to the Barrington, Glenbawn or St Clair, drop into the shop at the turnoff to Glenbawn in Aberdeen and ask about the different techniques and what they are biting on. We stock all the quality tackle that you need.

Time to get out and enjoy the autumn weather NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

The New England Tablelands received some heavy downpours leading up to Easter that added some colour to the creeks and rivers, as well as giving them a decent flush out. This proved to be good timing just before the holiday period started, as many of the bigger rivers had been looking in pretty bad condition, with low water levels and plenty of algae laying around.

Blue skies, glassed out water and big cod. The impoundments and surrounding rivers can really turn it on at this time of year.

Night-time surface munching Murray cod fishing always gets the heart racing. The chunky cod couldn’t resist the wooden Kingfisher Paddler under the cover of darkness. 72 MAY 2023

Both Copeton and Pindari dams had been dropping in water levels pretty rapidly before the rains, however both have since jumped back up again, which made for some pretty awesome fishing opportunities over the holidays and into May. The water levels have been coming up quickly, resulting in an abundance of bait life now sitting on the edges. I have found these areas to be ideal for casting lures and baits, as that is where the bigger predatory fish such as Murray cod and yellowbelly have been hunting for their next meal. Bear in mind that feeding patterns don’t always stay

the same for too long, so you may want to mix it up and change lures or even retrieve speeds until you find what works best on the day. Being flexible can mean the difference between a good fishing trip or going home empty-handed. The full moon will be above on the 6th of May, with the new moon falling later on in the month, on the 20th. With the air and water temperatures noticeably a lot cooler now heading into the last month of autumn, it can make the challenge of fishing at night or even early mornings a little harder. Still, the rewards are always worth it at this time of year if you spend a lot of time on the water. The next several weeks will be where the bait life in and around the water become more lethargic, with some even colder weather still yet to come in just a few weeks’ time. This is when replicating those baits will put you in with a good chance at catching one of the monster Murray cod these waterways are known for. When the moon is full and bright, I like to throw lures with a big presence like swimbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and so on. Some of my favourites include the Megabass Garuda with

a chin-weight, Cod-King Chatterbaits and Westin 2oz Spinnerbait to gain attention under the moonlight, with white being my go-to colour. Later on in the month

favourites for the natives all year round, and definitely catch their fair share of big fish. Copeton Dam currently sits at 91%

Cold, foggy mornings always seem to have big Murray cod on the move, looking for bait in the shallows or high in the water column. At these times it’s hard to beat blind casting big swimbaits. as the new moon comes around, my approach changes. Surface lures that best replicate water dragons (lizards) or paddlers like the jointed Kingfisher that replicate injured birdlife, start to work their way to the top of the tackle box a fair bit more. These terrestrial creatures are known to be

after rising from 84% in a matter of days, while Pindari Dam sits at 85%. Here are the levels for both dams over the past few months: Copeton Dam – May - 91%, April - 84%, and March - 89%; Pindari Dam – May 85%, April - 84%, and March - 94%.

NSW

Catching quality cod off the surface CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

‘Magic May’ is upon us here in Canberra and, as always, there’s a plethora of fishing options for locals looking to pick up a freshwater native in the local lakes. There

caught of late, there have been plenty of rats feeding close to the shoreline from Batemans Bay up as far as Conjola. While the fish are no longer hitting surface lures with the same enthusiasm as they did in the summer months, they are still on the bite and it can’t be long before the big fish

Small pelagics are hanging around the ledges at the South Coast

May is a great time to take the kids fishing. are also plenty of saltwater options for those willing to make the short journey from the ACT down to the South Coast of NSW. For me, May is all about two species: big cod on surface lures and kingfish off the rocks. Given the excellent weather, I am expecting a bumper month for cod fishing. The big goodoo look to put on plenty of size in preparation for the freezing conditions that will inevitably hit the region in a few months’ time. A lot of areas have been fished heavily throughout the early stages of cod season 22/23, so the fish have wised up to a lot of the usual suspects like spinnerbaits, so the trick will be to cast something the cod won’t have seen. The kingies have hung around a little later than usual, and while there haven’t been many fish of serious size

turn up in good numbers. This will make for superb fishing before the cold sets in. LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin is fishing well. One thing I really enjoy about fishing in May on LBG is that the redfin tend to really fire for a few weeks, which gives me an

With such a huge variety of species to target and many waterways to fish, as well as little to no heat during the middle of the day now, May can be one of the better times of

the year to be out exploring the New England rivers or impoundments. Redfin and trout are plentiful, and we have been seeing some good catches of late. With many trout streams closing

opportunity to get my kids onto plenty of fish during short sessions in between inclement weather. Like the bigger natives, redfin tend to feed up through May and on LBG, it is a case of finding the older structures which line the lake and casting beetle spins of small divers near structure to attract a solid red. The concrete wall behind the yacht club is a great place to start. The pontoons on the opposite side of the yacht club are also a great spot to cast a line for redfin, and also golden perch. Speaking of golden perch, the resident population of goldens tend to tail the reddies as the water cools. If the reds are on the bite in a particular

spot, there will most likely be a few yellas hanging around, and these fish will take the same lures used to chase reds. Lake Ginninderra is a

Carp are ever present and feeding up in our local lakes.

Golden perch are feeding up in preparation for winter.

The cod are hitting surface lures. next month to fishing for the 3-month spawn period (starting after the June long weekend), now is the time to make the most of the opportunities while they are here.

Not bad for an after-work fishing session! Luke Brooks caught this cracking New England redfin after only a few casts.

good option as the weed issue is not quite as prevalent as it has been in recent months and therefore, the natives can be targeted from the shore as well as from a boat/kayak. A creature bait attached to a ned rig worked slow along the bottom is a great tactic to employ when fishing the points and will result in plenty of hits from golden perch and redfin. The surface fishing has also been good with anglers catching small to medium sized cod on paddler-style lures fished along the flats. Late May represents the best time to try for a giant golden perch, with the 100m from Diddams Close to the dam wall being a great spot to slow roll wriggler-style plastics in search of a yellow football. Lake Tuggeranong did have a significant algae outbreak a few weeks back but that has cleared to an extent thanks to some rain during April. There have been so many small to medium sized golden perch caught over the last few weeks by anglers fishing right across the lake. However, there are areas which do seem more profitable. The small rock wall behind the College is a top spot to flick vibes and blades for cruising yellas, while the spillway continues to produce good fishing. There have also been plenty

of cod caught on surface lures by anglers fishing the points at dawn and dusk from boats and kayaks. The Murrumbidgee River has been a bit hit-and-miss lately, and this is because it still hasn’t settled completely after recent rain. That said, the fishing should get better and better in the coming weeks

a tiny clump of twigs can hold an exceptional specimen. SURROUNDS Googong Dam is pumping. The redfin are feeding up along the margins of the dam, the golden perch are hitting lures along the drop-offs in the middle of the dam, and the cod are hitting surface lures. I first wrote about the surface fishing on Googong Dam a few years ago now but, for the most part, it has remained on the downlow as anglers shied away from posting cod caught on surface. This is starting to change though, with several metre fish landed by anglers targeting the shallow areas of the dam where the Murray cod are actively hunting the redfin. Photos of these fish are on social media and are causing plenty of excitement. Lastly, I do want to make mention of the pelagic fishing on the South Coast. I have spent the last few weeks making several day trips to the coast and hitting the rock ledges. I have caught

This redfin was caught around old structure on Lake Burley Griffin. as the fish move from the faster water into the slower pools. As mentioned in my introduction, casting lures which the fish may not have seen this season is the best way to fool a river giant, but be prepared to put the hours in and work every snag. Even

plenty of salmon, bonito and kingfish, along with small tuna. It is a case of casting deep divers which best mimic a ‘yakka’, as these small baitfish are in plague proportions at present, and the bigger species can’t get enough of them. MAY 2023 73

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Getting stuck into quality tuna PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

What a couple of months we’ve had in Portland. The tuna have certainly turned it on here in our town, with plenty of fishos descending on Portland from far and wide. It certainly makes a huge difference to Portland, and brings in a good influx of families and money into a wide variety of businesses. It’s great to see the ramps full and a vast range of sizes so far this year. It started with our school tuna in around the ship anchorage and North Shore towards Julia Reef. Then, as the weather cooled off, we started to see more bait schools and animal life from Lawrences

Young Joe with a nice solid school tuna. as little as 10kg right up to 145kg. A lot of fish have been in that 60-90kg range, which has been making for some great fishing. However, by the time you read this issue, who knows

what might have happened? We’ll have to wait and see. We have seen a large variety of lures catching fish lately – everything from large hardbodies diving nice and deep, to the ever-popular skirted lures in various colours and sizes. Some of the stand-out colours in the hardbodies have been redbait, bleeding mullet, sardine and pink, just to name a few. When it comes to skirted lures, the more popular colours have been redbait, lumos, evil, plus your standard greens and blues. Still, never underestimate odd colours that might just get you a fish on those quieter days. Teaser bars have also been a big hit again this year, with many colours, sizes and brands doing the job. Remember, if all else fails, chum some pilchards and run a pilchard down, or use a good live bait. Portland will have a good range of charter operators running throughout the season. If you don’t have a boat and all the gear, but want

Charlie Mako and his mate Wayne with a nice 64kg tuna.

Luke, Oscar, Marty and David with a nice 76.7kg tuna. Rock to Bridgewater Bay, with big fish marked up on the sounders. Then, like a light switch, the bigger tuna turned it on. It pretty much happened all in one weekend, and the action

has been steady ever since. Most fishos have said that the range of sizes are incredible, and it’s been quite a few years since we have seen such a vast rage of fish sizes. So far the fish have ranged from

The boys from Born2Fish with a nice feed of school tuna.

to have a go, jump online or give us a call and we can pass on some contact numbers. And of course, if you are not into chasing tuna, there are other good options in Portland and surrounds. Whether you’re into boating, land-based fishing, estuary or fresh, there’s something here for you. Happy fishing! • If you’re visiting the area, call in and see the crew at Portland Compleat Angler for all your bait and fishing needs, or to find out where the fish are biting. You will find them at 61 Bentinck Street, next to the Gordon Hotel, or you can contact them on 03 5521 1844 for any information.

Favourable fishing results for keen lure casters WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Big bluefin fever kicked in pretty quickly here this season, with multiple fish from 70-120kg being taken in early March. Portland was the definite hotspot, but there were other fish taken closer to home. Dan Grixti and Dan Ierodiaconou set out from Port Fairy and managed to subdue a magnificent 120kg bluefin in around 70m of water. The fish took a lure that was being cleared from the spread after a school fish had been hooked on one of the other rods. Speaking of school 74 MAY 2023

Harry Chatfield with a nice Merri trout he caught whilst targeting eels.

fish, there have still been good schools of these in closer to shore. May is a month that can see schools of these smaller fish present fairly close to shore. These tuna are usually in the 8-14kg range, and they’re often less fussy than the similar sized fish in summer when encountered in this area. If the high seas and tuna aren’t your thing, trout fishing locally really starts to kick into gear with the cooler weather of May. One benefit of a cooler and unusually damp summer is that the local trout should have maintained condition/survived that warmer period, and be primed ready to fire this winter. Already some good fish have started moving,

including a nice 2kg fish I managed before work. The newly-released shallow running 75mm Daiwa Double Clutches should prove deadly on the local trout population this season. May is often a great month to target estuary perch in the freshwater as they begin feeding up and moving down to the estuary in the winter months. Keen lure casters have also been getting in on the EP action using surface lures that imitate a struggling insect. The estuary section of the Hopkins River has continued to fish well for bream on all manner of techniques. Lure anglers in particular have been doing well, with clear

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It’s been great weather for chasing bluefin tuna APOLLO BAY

Craig Rippon

Tuna season is in full swing, with fish right along the coast. Recently we went out for a look, after hearing reports of a lot of bait in the water being smashed by bluefin tuna. We travelled southwest from Apollo Bay about 30km, where we saw dolphins, seals and birds feeding on a large bait ball in about 50m of water. We put the lures in and hooked up straight away. The fish went down but kept coming up. We went on to hook fish between 12-23kg on 5” skirts, and purple was the best colour on the day. We also got fish casting Nomad stickbaits. Since then there have been good catches of fish around the 60kg mark, with some bigger ones in the mix weighing over 100kg. This is the time of the year

The author with an Apollo Bay bluefin tuna caught casting a Nomad stickbait.

we typically start getting fish, and they should run for a few months. In the absence of any bird action, some anglers have been using berley to attract the fish, while others have been blind trolling around the reefs. The wind has been kind, which has allowed the boats to travel a good distance from home, and boat some really good fish. All the reefs have been producing pinkie snapper, with some larger species thrown in. A nice mako of about 120kg was weighed in recently, and a few blue shark as well. There’s so much bait in the water at the moment, and also couta and aero squid, which attracts the odd shark. Flathead of good size have also been around, and they have been going well for a while now. Flathead are a great table fish, and taste great in fish tacos. Give them a try! Whiting have been on, but many people give up

too easily. The high tide change has been the best. If you have no luck, keep moving until you find them. Stick it out until the tide runs hard, and use berley to bring the fish to you. Berley really is a must to get the whiting chewing. There have been very small snapper in amongst the whiting, which can be frustrating. You just have to put up with these pickers to get a good feed. The fish have been up to 43cm. The squid fishing has been good in the harbour, with darker colours working well. Just before dark has been the best time to target them. There have been a few schools of salmon around. They make great fresh bait for the gummies, and if bled when caught they are good in a fish curry. There are also some garfish being caught off the rocks. Small maggots have been the go on the outgoing tide with a northerly wind.

Remember to keep your cool if you hook a beast COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

The Hopkins River is the estuary of choice at present, with solid bream to 48cm being taken on fresh bait. Those in the know are targeting bream and estuary perch in excess of a kilo all over the mud water conditions due to the continuation of good tidal pushes through the open mouth. U n f o r t u n a t e l y, mulloway encounters have been few and far between. Most bream have been taken on lures fished hard to, or paralleling, bankside structure. Come late May as the waters start to cool, these fish will become more prevalent in the middle sections of the river as they begin to school up prior to spawning. The unfortunate news of carp in the system has continued, with sightings now appearing in the estuary section around Torram Stones. On the beaches at this time of year it is all about Australian salmon. Logans, Levis and East beach all produce, and you can catch them on the traditional long 12ft rod in the surf. Alternatively, if you want to target these exciting sportfish on lighter gear, Killarney Beach is the place for you.

flats that are accessible for most motorised craft. The flats opposite Lyndoch, below the ‘Toorak’ housing that sits above, are firing at times. So too is the vast shallows between Mahoneys Road ramp downstream on the northern side (underneath all those houses with great views), almost to the pumping station. This

stretch is now firing, with plenty of fish searching the muddied sandy bottom for worms and shellfish. Shallow diving, bibless or surface popper lures can be either cast or slow trolled here, and I have had great success doing this over the years. Both bream and perch have eaten my lures, along with the odd mulloway (there is

This solid bream took a small Lucky Craft lure stripped like you would a popper, across the flats opposite the bay below Mahoneys Road ramp.

Dan Grixti and Dan Ierodiaconou with a 120kg southern bluefin tuna caught off Port Fairy recently.

presently a school of sorts in the estuary). Don’t forget Rowans Flats further upstream, as this is also a great place to fish shallow. Gathering and using bait is also working. If you are keen on setting hoop nets in the shallows, try along the main jetty just upstream of the seafood shop on the Moyne at Port Fairy on a rising tide in the evening. Here you should net heaps of shrimp, plus the odd crab. Bream will take quality frozen packet prawn baits at times in the Hopkins. If

you catch a legal salmon or mullet, please fillet the fish with the skin on, and cut it into strips that may imitate a worm. This is a gun bait, even at the worst of times. Some solid mulloway have been caught lately. If you do hook a beast that strips many metres of line off your reel, don’t freak out and tighten the drag. This is how many fish are lost. If you are targeting all three species and are prepared to fish low light hours (the best times) including night time, I recommend using a quality

rod with a rating of 3-5kg. A 1000 to 1500 size reel and 8lb braided main line with a minimum 12lb fluorocarbon leader will make a huge difference. Spend the extra bucks and get a rod and reel combo (or two) set up for this scenario, which will follow you to destinations such as the Glenelg. It’s perfect there. During strong daylight hours your leader will have to reduce back to 8lb, especially if the fish are finicky. But who said fishing is simply catching? MAY 2023 75

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Soft plastics are picking up plenty of pinkies GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

Less rain in the region has meant clearer water for lure casters. The Barwon in Geelong has seen the 2018 release of estuary perch exceed 25cm, with a few over 28cm in length. This

retrieved slowly near the bottom. Bait fishos know these fish love a big scrub worm too, so we should see a few nudging 30cm as the year progresses. My neighbour Hugh Hanson has been harassing the reddies at Wurdee Buloc near Moriac and Stoney Creek Reservoir near Ballan. Hugh has caught enough for

Point Wilson to Cunningham Pier to Rippleside and North Shore, and have no itinerary so can show up anywhere, anytime. Some days they’ll be smashing baitfish on the surface, while at other times they are holding deep. It pays to check the bait balls on the bottom when you spot them in deep water. Australian salmon will

David with a beautiful coloured trout caught in the Barwon River in Geelong.

There are plenty of pinkies around for land-based anglers. Image courtesy of M. Lane. scoff just about any lure, from soft plastics to jigs to divers to metal slices. If you really want fun, tie on a surface lure. Most fish have been around the 40-50cm mark but a pile of fun on spin gear. Leopold Angling and Aquatic Club held an intra club ‘Flathead Challenge’ with Western Beach Angling Club, Bellarine Pirates and St Leonards Angling Club recently. Ben Scullin from

Bellarine Pirates took out the comp with a 1160g blue-spot flattie he caught using soft plastics in the shallows near St Leonards. The lads at Trelly’s Tackle have reported some good schools of snapper to 5kg in the 8m mark out off Clifton Springs. Those anglers getting stuck into them have sounded around first to find the schools, and sent down plastics or fresh baits such as squid and pilchards. Chris from Drysdale Bait and Tackle reports the garfish have been in plague proportions off Clifton Springs, with clouds of them showing up in berley trails. If you want to catch some gars, your best bet is to fish

Mick has been catching plenty of pinkie snapper land-based.

Bill and his son Henry managed a couple of pinkies from Corio Bay. is a great growth rate for a prized native sportfish, and a credit to those in VFA and others involved for seizing the opportunity and organising the stocking. Kelvin Baldwin has caught plenty of estuary perch out of the Barwon in Geelong, and swears by a lime green single-tailed grub 76 MAY 2023

a feed a few times, but no real solid fish yet. However, May does bring better fish as we head towards winter, so get amongst it. Australian salmon schools have been cruising Corio Bay harassing baitfish like a pack of delinquents, picking fights with anyone. They have been spotted from

David took his little sister Amy out for a crack at the pinkies.

with a float with a pin-sharp size 12 long shank hook. The prime baits are pilchard bits, squid or other tasty morsels. Toss some berley about and you’ll be in with a shot. Gars are epic on the plate and are even better as snapper bait, so pack the berley and floats, and get amongst them! Mick Lane has been catching a few pinkie snapper to 35cm fishing from Mackey St and Limeburners rock walls. Mick has been using fresh squid as bait for his latest captures. Bill Hartshorne took his 4-year-old son Henry out in the bay for his first ever fishing trip. They fished the run-out tide on

the spoil grounds in front of Leopold with Berkley 4” Turtleback worms in camo. It didn’t take long for the boys to land some quality flathead and pinkies, with one pinkie nudging 50cm, resulting in much excitement from Henry! Davie Le recently took his little sister Amy out, and they managed a decent pinkie using soft plastic lures. David says the local fishing really heats up starting from now to late June, with species like Australian salmon in abundance due to baitfish moving into our bays. Fishing any type of lure will do the trick when they are on top of the water.

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David says if salmon are on the bottom, you can’t beat a jighead around 1/8-1/4oz, and any soft plastic you like. When they are busting up, you can catch them both from the surface and sub-surface. Pike are still a plague, and any Daiwa Double Cutch from 75-95mm will work on them. The fish have been on the smaller side though. St Leonards to Queenscliff has seen a solid

run of King George whiting, with a few bag-outs and some solid fish from 35-40cm coming over the side. They seem to bite best when the tide is running hardest, so you’ll need a decent sinker around 2oz to hold bottom, and a long leader around 1m to increase the captures. Queenscliff has been hot lately, with stacks of silver trevally, yakkas (yellowtailed scad), salmon and calamari around the harbour.

Small baits and lures have been picking up the yakkas and trevally, while salmon have pretty much been a by-catch. Calamari like the areas in the Queenscliff harbour without too much flow, so pick a few sheltered areas to try for them. There have been plenty of gummy sharks down along the Surf Coast – I know, that’s no news flash – they’re always there! Kevin Mcloughlin headed down to

Salmon have been moving around Corio Bay.

Jeza with a vote for the KMart rods – a solid gummy shark!

Anglesea with his brother Jeremy in search of a few fish. Armed with something a little different – light K-Mart blister pack rods! To make sure of their success, the lads had two rods each – just for a laugh. The first few baits down they got blue-throat wrasse and yakkas. However, soon after they had a double hook-ups on gummy and seven-gill sharks, with Jeza getting a nice 14kg gummy on the budget rod. Jeza managed another 8kg gummy, and sadly lost one over the side when the drag locked up. If

you’re up for some comedy, check out their YouTube channel ‘Surfcoast Anglers’. Classic stuff lads! The tuna bite has been red-hot over the last 12 months. The action continued along the Surf Coast for all of March and into April, with anglers locking horns with tuna from 10-25kg. Casting poppers and stickbaits has been effective, or you can troll skirts or divers, with or without teasers. King brown, green and pink colours have been getting plenty of fish on the troll, while natural looking baits have

worked best for those casting at schools. Until next month, fish hard – die happy! • Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterfish@gmail. com with ‘FMG’ in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1MB (file size).

FISHING NEWS

NSW DPI and VFA team up to fight fishing crime A joint investigation by the Victorian Fisheries Authority and NSW DPI Fisheries has resulted in the most significant penalty relating to a freshwater species in Victoria in the last 20 years. The investigation found that between 2017 and 2019, a 40-year-old man had illegally netted almost 12 tonnes of golden perch from the Darling River and sold them on 56 occasions for a total of $205,600. The man was convicted by a NSW court for illegally netting fish from the Darling River,

and a Victorian court for selling them to a wholesaler in Melbourne. In March, a penalty order was issued for $205,600. The man had previously been fined $11,000 by a Victorian court and $15,000 by a NSW court, along with forfeiting his boat and equipment. Victorian Fisheries Authority Director of Education and Enforcement Ian Parks said that the joint operation has successfully disrupted and dismantled the illegal take of native fish from inland waterways. He added that several dangers to the community had been posed by this behaviour. “The unauthorised use of

A man tried to drive off with this illegal haul in his boot, but was intercepted by Fisheries Officers.

mesh nets is a danger to fish and wildlife, and seafood caught in this way can be a health risk to consumers. This remains a high priority for Fisheries Officers in both states,” Mr Parks said. ILLEGAL ABALONE HAUL The Victorian Fisheries Authority has announced it will charge a man suspected of a large illegal abalone haul in Brighton. The individual was apprehended by Fisheries Officers in Greens Point and will be charged on summons with a variety of offences including taking undersize abalone, exceeding the catch limit and possessing a commercial quantity of abalone. The individual was found to have caught more than 460 abalone, 92 times over than the daily bag limit, which is five abalone per person. 420 of the caught fish were also under the legal minimum size of 10cm. Fisheries Officers returned all the caught abalone to the water. Victorian Fisheries Authority Director of Enforcement and Education Ian Parks said two officers were patrolling the intertidal zone one evening when they allegedly observed a man with a speargun continuously diving offshore. “Additional Fisheries

A 40yo man has copped a very large fine after netting golden perch and selling them illegally for two years. Officers were called to assist with the apprehension of the man before officers on the scene allegedly saw the man remove a large catch bag from the shallows,” Mr Parks said. “The man proceeded to allegedly place the large catch bag of abalone into the

boot of his Toyota and was intercepted as he attempted to leave the car park.” This apprehension follows another at Greens Point on New Year’s Eve when Fisheries Officers discovered four men who had allegedly harvested 311 abalone, 276 of which were

undersize. If you see or suspect illegal fishing, call the VFA’s 24/7 reporting service, 13FISH (13 34 74), to speak directly to a Fisheries Officer. You can remain anonymous. – Victorian Fisheries Authority

Fishing Monthly would like to apologise for an error in last month’s magazine on page 84. We printed a news story listing the dates of local

forums in the Victoria area, however the dates were for 2022, not 2023. At present Victoria Fisheries have not confirmed the forums will

be held again this year and the mistake was due to an administration error on our behalf. Sorry for any confusion – Editor, Fishing Monthly Magazine

Fishing forum error

MAY 2023 77

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May is better than you might think under 5m deep. Those people who follow my fishing adventures will know that

PPB WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

Surprisingly, the back end of autumn and around this time of year has always been a productive fishing time for me. I have had many productive trips away to places like Gippsland and Portland, and I can safely say there is plenty of amazing local fishing on offer if you are content with targeting bread-and-butter species. In fact, at this time last year I had my most productive month catching King George whiting and squid. I had many bag-out sessions on both species. You can experience frantic moments on the water where you’ll get a King George whiting or squid per cast, which can be as much fun as any other form of fishing. Most of this is in shallow waters

I prefer targeting King George whiting with soft plastics, or even hardbody lures when in very shallow

The author with a beautiful PPB squid.

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water. I’m not suggesting it’s a more productive technique than bait, it’s just an exceptionally fun way of targeting. You remain busy at all times, you feel the strikes with rod in your hand, and you need less gear. It’s also equally as productive once you know what to look for. Both whiting and squid school up in big numbers and love similar ecosystems, which are generally shallow waters, with a good volume of weed, sand holes and baitfish. Because of this, it’s easy to target both species at the same time. Some days the whiting will fish better than squid, or vice versa, depending on the water clarity and conditions. It’s not gospel, but often the whiting fishing is better in dirty water, and squid fishing is better in clear water. However, as I said before, I’ve had many sessions bagging on both at the same time. For squid in the shallows, I usually run with a size 3 squid jig that’s typically slow sinking to avoid snags. I often start with a UV white coloured jig, but I don’t think colours matter all that much. Sometimes I think that jig colours are more for customers than for the squid! I’ve caught equal numbers of squid on gold, red, black and green in all sorts of different weather conditions, and even on some of those weird and wonderful colours. I like to work my jigs really slowly, with a couple of big, erratic lifts every 10 or 15 seconds. Generally, this is a recipe for a good feed and some fishing fun. Squid grounds are a lot more common than you might think. You will find squid in most of the shallow

It’s a lot of fun catching whiting from the yak. weedy zones, even in our local waters around Altona, Werribee, Kirks Point and Port Melbourne. Although drives to the Bellarine and Mornington Peninsula are usually very productive for squid, it’s not essential to go that far if you know what you’re looking for. Worst case scenario, you can do some experimenting or trial and error in new grounds, and you might just be surprised with some of the results – especially as these are often very low fished areas. For whiting, I’ve started giving the new Berkley 4” Fat Hollow Sandworms a good go, initially because it had become increasingly difficult to find the old 4” Turtleback worms. Maybe all my videos highlighting how good Turtlebacks can be on whiting have driven sales through the roof! I have found that the 4” Fat Hollow Sandworms don’t have quite as much action, but they still produce excellent results.

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You can get some good catches of whiting at this time of year.

Being hollow, they are easier to rig, much easier than the Turtleback. Of course, I always run the stinger hook about 6cm down from the main jighead hook, as this helps greatly with catch rates. These plastics do seem a tad more durable (but only a tad). I generally work them slowly, and even tap the rod handle to impart some action, which is similar to what I do when working walk-the-dog surface lures for whiting. As mentioned at the start of this report, if you are happy with catching a good feed of King George whiting, squid, flathead and even pinkies, this should be a productive month. Don’t let the dip in outdoor temperature or water temperature stop you from getting out on the water. Recently I ventured up to East Gippsland and spent a few days fishing the Mighty Bemm River. It’s a magnificent fishing destination which should be on all Victorian anglers’ bucket lists. We fished by kayak and also hired a boat for two days, which was amazing as we got to fish all parts of the river – the entrance mouth near the surf, the main river, and also up skinny waters of the river. All spots have a very different story to tell in terms of target species and how to catch them. On that trip we caught countless bream on soft plastics, hardbody lures and surface lures, with the biggest being around 43cm. We caught several flathead up to 60cm on soft plastics and shallow diving cranks. We also caught a massive volume of silver trevally and tailor on soft plastics and surface lures. Some of the tailor surface lure hits were insane, as they hit

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Best baits at the best times PORT PHILLIP

Gerry Morsman

There is still plenty of good fishing on offer across the whole state. We truly do have a great fishery down here in Victoria, and it only seems to be getting better and better. Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have noticed how good the tuna fishery is here now, and with the

European carp, that’s a good option this month. SNAPPER While there isn’t a huge amount of options around this time of year, it doesn’t mean that snapper fishing is off the cards entirely. There are still some nice fish being caught down south around Corio Bay. Peri has been getting some good catches, and he says that pilchard and fresh calamari were the best baits, fished just before the

great spot to target snapper if you don’t have a boat. The better time to target them is when there is a big westerly blow. This isn’t the most comfortable time to fish, but the snapper love to come in close to feed, and the deep water off Mornington Pier makes this place ideal. Using a nice, tough bait like silver whiting, salmon chunks or squid is the better option in the rough water as it will tend to stay on your hook much longer, giving you a better chance at getting a hook-up. SOUTHERN CALAMARI We have one of the best squid fishing locations in the world, and we’re super lucky that we can successfully target this species in good numbers

as the reefs near the boat ramp, so there is no need to travel far if you are launching your boat at the Rye boat ramp. Size 3.5 jigs have been the go, and purple, greens or reds have been the standout colours. Moving a little further down Port Phillip Bay around Sorrento you will also find great numbers of squid. Even the pier has been producing, which is great for those people who don’t have a boat. Moving over to Western Port, there has been some very good fishing around Tyabb and Quail Bank. All squid are being caught in around 3-6m of water over the reef. I understand this is a lot of area, but you just have to keep drifting and find

Amy Day reports the squid fishing has been hot off Sorrento of late.

Adam and Peri sure do know how to catch carp. amount of bait that is sticking around Bass Strait, I don’t see the tuna going anywhere anytime soon. In this report I’ll cover the main target species, but there are still plenty of others on offer like perch and redfin at Devils Bend, Australian bass at Blue Rock, and trout through all the streams around Eildon. Even if you just want to have fun on

tide change late at night. The fishing out wide off Mt Eliza in 20-22m of water is still producing some nice fish. Fishing at first light or the tide change is vital, especially at this time of year when the fishing isn’t quite as hot as the rest of the year. Silver whiting and squid strips are the go around this area. Mornington Pier is a

and sizes all year long. There have been some quality squid being caught out off Rye, even as close

the lure and leapt out of the air at the same time. True, they were not our target species, but it was so much fun nonetheless. We will have some awesome footage to share about this trip on the FishingMad YouTube channel and TV show in the coming weeks so stay tuned for that. Until next time, good fishing everyone. Feel free to contact me directly to share your fishing experiences, photos and catches around Melbourne, Port Phillip Bay and beyond which we can feature in next month’s article. You can contact me by email at alan@fishingmad.com.au. Please consider becoming a FishingMad member at w ww.fish in g mad . co m. au/member for fishing reports, workshops, podcasts, and exciting monthly giveaways.

Also, don’t forget to follow my fishing adventures on the FishingMad YouTube channel www.youtube. com/c/fishingmad and social media on Facebook page www.facebook.

com/fishingmad.com. au, Instagram page www. instagram.com/fishingmad. com.au and on Channel 31 Tuesday evenings at 9.00 pm and Saturday afternoons.

Memphis with a nice school sized snapper late in the season.

A quality Bemm River bream.

the squid. They won’t just generally hold in one spot unless they are spawning and sitting over their eggs, so persistence is the key to a successful calamari session. GARFISH Garfish would have to be one of the most underrated fish that Melbourne has to offer. Most people think that garfish are just bait, but please believe that garfish are one of the best table fish you can eat around this area! They are also quite easy to catch whether you have a boat or are land-based. Winter is a great time to target garfish, and places like Altona, Frankston, Mt Eliza, Mornington, and Mount Martha will hold them in great numbers. Silverfish and maggots are the go-to baits under a float, and your local tackle store is your best option if you want to learn the rig. Constant berley is the key to getting these fish in, and once you have them sucked into your berley they will generally stay until you catch your bag limit of 40 per person, or

your desired amount. GUMMY SHARKS You will hear reports of gummy sharks all year round, as they aren’t a species that moves in and out of the area with their breeding cycles. This is a

great thing if you love flake as much as I do. Reports are still coming in from the south channel around Rye. You can fish all the way through tides for gummy sharks, but your better option is to fish night time when you are in the bay. Fresh baits (e.g. salmon, trevally, yakka, squid, or slimy mackerel) are key to catching the big ones. Gummy sharks have an exceptional sense of smell and can detect a fresh bait from a long way away in the current line, and this is why using a fresh bait will give you the upper hand. Pyramid Rock in around 35m of water always fishes very well this time of year. The best baits lately have been freshly-caught reef fish such as parrotfish and Barbers perch. These are a natural source for gummy sharks offshore, and will stay untouched as a chunk bait on your hook for long periods because these fish don’t tend to eat their own kind. This gives you a better shot at keeping your baits in the strike zone.

Gummy sharks are a great target species during the colder months. MAY 2023 79

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Protecting the future of fisheries PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

Responsible fishing is something we have all been practicing for a long time now, with bag and size limits. However, our

groups trying to stop fishing. As an example, just google the ‘PEW group’. This group is funded better than many small countries, and starts spot fires all round the world, even in Australia. Admittedly, a lot of what they do concerns commercial

walks the beaches daily told me, “you fishermen are your own worst enemy”. Maybe she is right? If you don’t want fishing to be targeted by green groups, don’t give them a reason. Removing plastic is the buzz thing at the moment.

Irene with a hard-fighting tuna. pastime is under increasing threat by green groups, so we now need to be more careful and responsible than ever. You don’t even have to spend five minutes on the computer to find a dozen

overfishing, but recreational fishing isn’t immune. It doesn’t help our cause when members of the public go for a walk on the beach and bring me empty bait packets and fishing line they find. One local retired lady who

Luke McPherson, 12yo, from Drouin West caught this great snapper weighing 10.5lb, measuring 73cm at the Western Entrance, Western Port Bay.

80 MAY 2023

If I had told you years ago that you wouldn’t be able to get a plastic straw at the local café, you wouldn’t have believed me, but that’s the way things are now. It doesn’t matter if you believe in these changes or not, it is happening. Plastic litter is one area that the background groups are working on as a reason to stop us doing what we do. Some suppliers are looking at reducing plastic in their packaging, but in the meantime, we need to beat the green groups at their own game by showing that the fishing culture is changing. If you see a discarded bait bag or some fishing line, pick it up. At the shop we are more than happy to remove the packaging for you, if you’d like us to. WHAT’S BITING We are coming to the

end of our 17th season in the shop, and so many things have changed in that time in our store. However, the biggest change has been to fishing, and mostly in a good way. The quality of fish we catch locally now is far superior to what was around even five years ago. That goes for in the bay and offshore, and with the improvements in boats, confidence in the owners of those boats and the everchanging species that show up, I wonder how long before I will be reporting captures of marlin, mahimahi and other pelagic species. While we thought that the bluefin were at their best during January into February, it turned out some of the best weekends for fish numbers were at the end of March. Those anglers who were fishing all season reported to us that the schools of bluefin with the most numbers were generally encountered very late in the season. Maybe it was just the barrels and other bigger fish pushing them up. Throughout the whole season, smaller lures have been the way to go. The colour comes down to individual’s choice. Daisy chains definitely improved the chance of success, while the choice of skirts or hardbodies just depended on the fish’s mood. Dozens of customers tried using poppers with success for the first time in their own backyards. With the barrel season about to start, the only thing holding people back will be the weather. In the bay we are seeing plenty of quality, although not a lot of quantity, which is nothing new for this time of the year. The fish we see for the next few months tend to be in much better condition than those we see in the middle of summer, mostly due to the water being a little colder and the fish adding a healthy fat layer under the skin.

A great mixed bag caught by Noel. The rubbish fish are just around the corner and it’s getting to the time of the year when you specifically target fish. Pick a species, pick a tide and or change or just pick an area, but it’s not the time of year in the bay to do a 9-hour session. You will come home a few times with doughnuts, but like those anglers who have been fishing this way for a number of years, you will work out what is the best for you to achieve your goal of a feed of fish in only a morning or afternoon session. This time of the year is so busy with sports on weekends, especially

Michelle with a quality gummy shark.

if you have kids, but with planning you can still get in a football match and a fish on the same day. Through these cooler months I think it’s important to strip back your fishing expectations and go back to fishing for the relaxation of it, stressing less about the end result. I have had several customers with boats over the last 12 months or so who have just been fed up with the weather and have decided to go back to basics. They have set themselves up to fish wherever the weather has allowed – boat, land or river – and tell me they are enjoying fishing all over again. There have been some quality fish reported from my land-based customers, and some have gotten right into the challenge of the rivers chasing the estuary perch and bream, both of which have shown up in good numbers in the Powlett. Finally, I have fishing novices who come in to see me and tell me they get confused with every report they read seeming to contradict the next. We always try to tell people that all reports are past tense reports, and that what has happened the week before is not guaranteed to happen the week after! The key is to moderate your expectations, put in the time on the water, and feel free to drop into the store and ask for advice.

Record dusky flathead stocking The Gippsland Lakes has been stocked with a record number of dusky flathead as part of our three-year trial to boost the population. The 46,100 fingerlings were stocked at Kalimna and Lakes Entrance with help from members of the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation. These fish complement 35,000 duskies stocked in 2022 and 42,000 in 2021. The Bemm River was also stocked with 5,000 duskies, having received 5,000 in 2021. The trial is a key part of our Gippsland Lakes Recreational Fishery Plan to return the iconic waterway to a fishing mecca for recreational anglers.

The plan was released after commercial net fishing in the Gippsland Lakes ended in 2020, which delivered on a key commitment of the State Government’s Go Fishing Victoria plan. Thanks to the 15 volunteer anglers who caught broodfish duskies for us at Mallacoota and Lake Tyers in January 2023. These parent-fish were transported to a marine hatchery where they spawned, and their offspring grew to fingerling size for these stockings.

East Coast

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Astronomical numbers of bream GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

Bream fishing does not get any better than this! Get ready for some crazy tallies and sizes this month. As a result, the fishing effort for nearly all other species has been put on the back burner for now. The whole lakes system is filling with salty, clean water and pushing right up into Lake Wellington and the Latrobe River. When this happened about six years ago, the whole area fished

of a huge lake. Two days later I did a solo trip in the same area, and my first two bream went 45cm then 43cm. I thought I had found the motherlode of trucks. Sadly, the rest of the bream were all 35cm or under for the rest of the day, but I did land around 40 of them, and once again it was fantastic hardbody sport in the skinny waters of Lake Vic. The real champions of this stunning lake action are Barry Martin and Gordon Fraser. I watched them for hours one morning, and boy did they pull some cracker

Gordon Fraser and Barry Martin with a couple of 41cm bream. On that day they stacked over 70 bream to 46.5cm in shallow water in Lake Victoria. incredibly well. I think the next few months ahead will provide some very exciting sport. IN THE SHALLOWS The big talk around lure fishing is the incredible size and numbers of bream being caught on hardbody lures in about a metre of water, or even less. This should last for at least the month ahead before they move up the rivers towards late winter. Some of the best fishing has occurred between Loch Sport and Hollands out in Lake Victoria, with some of us releasing up to 50 bream a session. My best outing with good buddy Havo saw us throwing hardbodies all day, and we stacked 91 bream between us. My best were around 40cm, and Havo got two nice ones at 42cm and 43cm. Most of the bream were smaller, averaging around 30-34cm, but it was so much fun hooking so many fish in clean, shallow water with hardly a ripple on the surface out in the middle 82 MAY 2023

bream from the boat. While close by in my kayak, I landed just a few modest bream of around 38cm, but the boys were hooking big fish with nearly every cast, and it was incredible to watch. They netted quite a few around 40cm at first, and then 42 and 43cm fish started attacking their hardbody and blade lures. Gordon then wrestled a much bigger fish across the shallows. These larger bream fight so hard in the skinny water, screaming off sideways to the boat. Gordon eventually held up a brand new PB fish at 46.5cm, and that is a really nice trophy for any lure angler. The boys went on to release over 70 bream that day, and it’s fair to say they left them biting flat out. On a few occasions we had triple hook-ups on this impressive school of bream, and what a joy it was to see the Gippy Lakes holding such prodigious numbers of healthy, feisty solid bream. Barry mentioned that quite a few males were in spawn mode, and I backed him up on that as I also saw a few dripping, ready to breed. I have never seen this in April before, but keep in mind they also started spawning super early last winter so that means they have been reproducing for nearly nine months now! It goes to show that bream take full advantage of favourable conditions when needed. BREAM ON PRAWN BAIT Bait anglers are also cleaning up on the bream, and plain old prawn seems to be by far the best. A special mention goes to Graeme Beams who knows the area

Anthony Havers with another bream caught on a hardbody lure in the shallows of Lake Victoria.

from Hollands and the whole of Lake Wellington better than anyone. Each trip he has been writing down the length of each and every bream as soon as he releases them, and it’s so impressive to see what he has caught for the day. He has given me his score sheets and all I can say is he has been a very busy angler. The stand out fish are truck bream around 44cm, along with plenty from 38-42cm. Some bream are down to 25cm, and there’s even the odd big eel in the mix. I counted Graeme’s tallies, and often he gets over 20 bream in four or five hours on the water. One bream he caught twice within the same hour – he was removing the hook from a 34cm fish when he noticed another one of his hooks deeply imbedded from an earlier bust-off. That indicates that bream happily survive when released with hooks attached, so it can be better to leave a hook in than attempt to extract the hook and cause harm or death to the fish. THE JETTIES Once again, when I talk about bream and landing thumping fish, this name needs a mention. I should call Justin Kohte the Prince of Paynesville, as he continues to send me pics and reports that challenge any belief or logic for a land-based angler.

Graeme Beams is a local fishing legend, and has been returning up to 30 bream a session in Lake Wellington, all caught on frozen prawn. I keep seeing him with bream between 44 and 47cm along with cracker flathead around 70cm or even bigger. The real interesting thing is that he uses such a wide range of lures, from Hurricane hardbodies, crabs, soft plastics and the Muss lure, which imitates a mussel. YELLOWFIN BREAM A quick mention about the yellas down at Lakes Entrance. Justin Dingwall landed four or five real

trucks to 45cm recently, and they are a challenging beast. They live in fast-flowing, salty water right near the ocean outlet, and often tight around rock groynes and other structure. They are well known to fight and pull much harder than black bream of the same size. As a consequence, they provide a real challenge for even the best of lure anglers, and Dinga mentioned how he also bust quite a few off.

Change tactics in the cold LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

The Gippsland is an everchanging fishery, and as autumn blends into winter, we get cool, crisp evenings and a drop in water temperature. Let’s look at what’s happening this month. LAKES ENTRANCE Lakes Entrance is a truly diverse fishery, and anglers have a wide selection of species to target within the lake and offshore. King George whiting are a staple of our fishery, and many anglers come to our costal town just to target them these days. From Lakes Entrance to Paynesville, the many weed beds produce great whiting fishing. Fresh baits such as pipi and mussel are always the best for success. Australian salmon are a common catch throughout the lakes and on our surf beaches. These great fighting fish are brilliant targets on lures, with small metal slices being ideal offerings for them. Besides being great fun to catch, especially on light tackle, salmon make fantastic bait for the likes of gummy sharks and snapper.

Ricky from Lakes Entrance charter with a solid gummy shark. The offshore fishing has really fired up lately, with anglers getting great results on gummy sharks and solid snapper. Angler have mostly fished the outer reefs such as the 6-mile and 8-mile reef for snapper. The traditional bottom bashing methods are highly productive, with baits such as pilchard and squid being very effective. Closer to shore in

18-20m of water, anglers have good success fishing for gummy sharks, with the odd flathead mixed in. Baits such as squid, whiting and salmon have all been great options, and it’s just matter of mixing it up and finding what’s working best on the day. LAKE TYERS With winter looming, the lake’s temperature

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A bumper season in review PORT ALBERT

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

The weeks ahead will see a changing of the guard as far as target species go, and I will delve into that later on in this report. First up, I have to share with you what has been incredible fishing, and I’m going to declare that the last six months have

the consistent run of big yank flatties, and the number of rockies has also been staggering. In years gone by the rockies rarely got released when I netted a few, because they were a treasured and rare bycatch. However, in recent times I’ve seen their numbers explode to the point of even outscoring the yank flattie catch on some trips. What’s more, I’ve been amazed at their sizes. For years a 40cm

Grass whiting are a surprise catch on lures, and at 36cm this one tasted just as good as its cousin King George. been the best we’ve had in possibly 20 years. You may be thinking that’s a big call. Let me explain. FLATHEAD The number one stand-out for most anglers has been has begun to drop. This has started to really slow down the local flathead population. At this time of year, anglers have to work a little harder, and push further upstream trying to find those warmer pockets of water. Downsizing your soft plastics to 2-3” this month could be very helpful, as it presents a small, easy meal for a hungry flathead. Metal vibes can be extremely effective at this time of year too, and will continue to produce right into winter. The bream have been amazing this year, with some of the best flats fishing in the lake I’ve ever

rocky was a near trophy, but these days I’m seeing many of them over 50cm, with my best two going 60 and 64cm. I now generally release all rockies of about 36cm and under. Rock flathead are

held in very high regard as arguably the best eating of all flathead, and they command top dollar in markets and restaurants. However, don’t ever underestimate the eating qualities of the trusty yank. I have cooked both species side by side and asked my fellow diners to distinguish between the two in a blind taste-off. The verdict is pretty clear, with people rarely being able to tell the difference. It appears that Port Albert yank flathead match the dining excellence of the esteemed rock flatties. The big yanks have been living up to their reputation, and plenty of large fish over 70cm have been caught. Even the average size was up on years gone by and probably up around 45cm. Their range was also rather impressive; everyone found big numbers of yanks from McLoughlins all the way through to Welshpool, and I’m still getting reasonable numbers right now. They always slow down or disappear towards the end of this month, so now’s your last chance for a feed of flattie tails. WHITING A 45cm King George whiting for this area is a real thumper, and although highly prized, rarely encountered. It’s taken me years to get a 44cm PB, and even fish to 42cm aren’t common. However, the good news is that countless numbers of whiting this

season have turned up between 35-38cm, and quite a few around 40cm. Those fish provide terrific, fat fillets for any whiting lover, and with such consistent numbers of larger fish, that means we can all return those smaller whiting of 32cm and under. The legal size of 28cm or even 30cm fish provide such a small, wafer-thin fillet that they’re not worth bothering with for anglers who target them regularly. However, those smaller fish would still be a big reward for those of us trying our luck from the jetty a few times a year. At the peak of their run back in November and December it was actually nearly impossible to come across a whiting under 36cm, but that will change over the next few months. King George whiting can be caught all year round, and as May and June roll around the bite will slow right down, and if you bag 10 good-sized fish you’re going well. Yet again, I have noticed a heap of grass whiting turn up over the last few months, especially when I lure fish with small blade lures. They often hit the net at 36cm and slightly better. As I’ve said

A great feed of fresh fish including rock and yank flatties, trevs for sashimi, pinkies and a few bite sized whiting. Port Albert has been on fire. flatties I’m trying to catch. The best problem I’ve ever had! Most of the pinkies are around 35cm (a few down to 30), but there are bigger 38cm+ fish in the mix, providing pretty good sport on light gear and often in

The result of a great day’s fishing. seen. With the water cooling, the majority of the bream have begun to pull off the flats and begin to station on the edges and in the deeper

The bream fishing has been excellent this year.

weed beds. I recommend making the change to deeper diving hardbodies and minnow-style soft plastics that you can you work over the weed beds. Large garfish have been getting around a lot lately. These fun little fish make for great bait or eating, and are ideal to start young kids of on. All you need is a simple float rig with a size 12 long shank hook baited with some sand worm, and you’re well and truly set for a fun session on the gars. HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for fish lately and have a good pic, send it to stevenprykefishing@gmail. com with a short description, and you could be featured in the next edition of Fishing Monthly.

The yank flatties this year have been noticeably bigger. Fish well into the 60s have been common, with a few over 70cm in the mix. before, they taste the same as a King George whiting but amazingly, I see most anglers quickly return them, and some people even despising them on their line or even keep them as bait! If only they knew. SNAPPER The estuary fishing for pinkies in the Port Albert area has been improving for the last three years now, and lately every trip I make sees me land at least a few and sometimes over a dozen to 42cm. That’s all on lures, and I’m not even targeting them – they more or less turn up right next to the perch or rock

quite shallow water. Terrific numbers are also being found at Manns and McLoughlins, and even up into the Old Port. Over at Welshpool it’s a different story, with much bigger snapper finding jigged lures or bait in deeper channel waters. It’s been a better than average season so far, and it will be interesting to see how far into winter the bite continues. LOOKING AHEAD That sums up the bumper season that was – and I didn’t even talk about the offshore bluefin tuna or the amazing sharks from the surf. The months ahead will see the calamari and salmon become our go-to quarry, and the signs already look positive. I hear squid are already filtering into Welshpool, and I just hope the Port Albert area gets a share because last winter and spring were very disappointing. For me, I reckon there are another few trips yet to catch the last of the flathead and snapper before they shut down for winter. The month of May can often surprise us with stunning, calm weather, and even the odd warm day up to 25°C.

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Big schools of fish are throughout the system MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

With all the wet weather we had over the winter and the good flushing of the whole estuary, the fishing is still great, with anglers reporting good catches of all species throughout the entire system. The prawns are still running and settling on the sandflats that run from the Marlo jetty all the way down to Frenchs Narrows, making it an ideal fishing spot for estuary flathead and all other species that like prawns for dinner (including humans). Big schools of salmon and large tailor are coming into the estuary on the incoming tide, with the best results coming on trolling or spinning lures.

Allan Lavell and David Shanahan finished in the top 10 at the Marlo Round of the Bream Classic.

Luderick are schooling along the rock groynes that surround the islands and mud banks along the rivers. Estuary perch are schooling on snags and other structures in both the Snowy and Brodribb rivers. There are big schools of bream in the system, and they can be found from the entrance all the way up the Snowy River to the town bridge at Orbost, and up the Brodribb River all the way up to Lake Curlip. Recently we had a bream competition at Marlo, and local anglers Allan Lavell and David Shanahan competed as a team in the Marlo round of the Bream Classic. On Day One, they weighed in a nice bag of five bream of 4.11kg, putting them in 21st place overnight. On Day Two they got a better bag of 5.09kg and moved up the leader board

15 places. They ended up finishing in 6th place, with a total of 9.2kg, which is a great result. The surf beaches are still fishing at a premium, with plenty of salmon, tailor, gummy shark and big other shark species being caught. Some anglers have been using big game fishing gear, and either paddling out baits or using drones to take their baits out past the breakers in search of large predators. Anglers fishing offshore from Cape Conran and others using the entrance at Marlo have been getting plenty of action, with catches of flathead, gurnard, squid, barracoota, morwong, salmon, pinkie snapper and gummy shark. Other anglers have been targeting kingfish, tuna and, further out, marlin and swordfish.

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Anglers returning to fishing after the floods bait and lures, and a few perch in the mix. A few catfish continue to bite on baits of worms fished around the willows, and a feed of yabbies is pretty easy to catch. As we head downstream along the Murray River, Colignan has reports of Murray cod to 107cm on bait, with good numbers of smaller cod and perch also reported. The Murray at

ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

With river heights returning to normal, anglers are once more back on the water wetting a line. The Murray River at Swan Hill has produced some small Murray cod and a few sizable golden perch on bait. Carp numbers continue to be a problem, making up the majority of the catch when using bait. The yabbies have been running well in the main river, with most anglers easily catching a feed. Cooked fresh on the bank,

Mildura has several reports of larger Murray cod trolled on lures, with some of the fish over a metre in length. StumpJumpers have been working well in a range of different colours from fluoro orange to blacks, greens and purple. It’s great to see a few bigger cod still in the system down this way. Good sizes and numbers of golden

A Murray cod caught on the troll near Mildura on the Murray River. A StumpJumper did the job on this fish.

Some good-sized golden perch have been snacking on trolled lures meant for cod.

it’s not a bad way to spend an arvo with friends and family. Downstream at the junction of the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers, anglers are catching both Murray cod and golden perch on lures and bait. Fresh grubs are tempting cod to 70cm, as too are a range of trolled lures in brighter colours. Perch are striking the lures as well, and can also be tempted with a shrimp-worm cocktail bobbed around the snags. As with every section on the Murray, carp are a constant annoyance on bait, but the trade-off is they make great yabby bait. Yabbies are also running in this area. The Murray River at Robinvale has a few reports of Murray cod to 65cm on

Murray cod are now starting to show in most areas. This one was caught on a Bassman spinnerbait.

It is time to think big BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

Autumn is my favourite time of the year to spend some time on the water, chasing some quality fish. There are a number of key factors as to why this time of the year is a favourite. Firstly, there is a significant reduction of boat traffic on our waterways. As the weather cools down, the majority of water skiers and jet skis put the vessels away until the next spring season. Even the number of anglers reduces as the weather cools down. The weather patterns are often more favourable with slow large moving high-pressure systems a regular occurrence. This often produces more days with minimal wind. The end of the irrigation season finishes in the middle of the month of May. This means for a while there 86 MAY 2023

are reduced flows coming down the majority of river systems, which in turn improves water clarity. Lastly, it is a great time of the year for catching quality fish. During other times of the season, catch rates can be higher, but during autumn the quality of the fish being caught is often very good. It doesn’t matter if you are targeting redfin, Murray cod or golden perch – this is a great month to go out and try to catch your personal best in any of these species. LAKE EPPALOCK Water levels are still very good at this location. At the time of writing, Lake Eppalock is still over 91% of capacity. The lake’s water level has continued a slow decline. As I write this report, an environmental flush is currently being let down the Campaspe River, which will see water levels drop a little quicker. Redfin are continuing to make up the majority of anglers’ captures, although locating a good school of redfin has not been easy.

Anglers should be prepared to move around to a number of locations before a good concentration is found. The best concentrations of redfin have been a little deeper over the last month, generally being found in depths of between 3-6m. Your standard small hardbody lures, soft vibes, blades and soft plastics have all been working well. There are still small numbers of golden perch and the occasional quality Murray cod being caught at Eppalock. The condition of the golden perch and cod being caught has been excellent. With the continued great fish stocking of these species from Victorian Fisheries, we should see improved angling opportunities for them in the next few seasons. CAMPASPE RIVER There is an environmental flush being released from Lake Eppalock down the Campaspe River at the time of writing this report. The current release is being sent

Autumn is an excellent time to catch a large Murray cod, golden perch or redfin. If you put in the time, you will encounter some quality fish but do you have the skill to land them? down the system because of diluted oxygen levels in the Campaspe River. This kind of environmental flush initially has a negative effect on the productivity in the fishing. In the Campaspe River, when these flushes are being let down the system we

will see a drop in water temperature. This usually puts the fish off the bite for several days. A couple of days after the flush has gone through and river flows return to normal, the fishing improves again. Long term, these flushes are good for the system.

The overall productivity in the fishing in the Campaspe River this season has been poor, especially at the pooled sections of the river at Elmore and Rochester. The most productive fishing has been in the shallower sections of the river

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continues its horror run Murray cod are also dying AIRLIE BEACH of dead and dying fish in in the channels connecting WHITSUNDAY the upper reachesOUTBOARD around CENTRE to and from Kangaroo Lake. Horizontowards Shores Marina Woongoolba 17 William Murray 60cm. Most of Menindee. It will Drive be Cannonvale Some big cod are also dying these 2480 fish are getting caught interesting see7286 what’s in the lake, along with huge P: (07) 5546 P: (07) to 4946 on lures trolled for cod, but left when the dust settles, volumes of bony bream. The E: onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au E: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au a few are also eating bait, so to speak. latest intel is that a blueW: www.onshoremarine.com.au W: www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au with shrimp or worms being While we are on the green algae bloom is the the most consistent. subject of dead fish, large cause for these fish deaths, EVERTON HILLS KARUMBA The Darling River numbers of metre plus but we will wait and see.

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Native species are taking a back seat this autumn hard to catch. Lake William Hovell can produce some great trout fishing in May as the water

WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Winter is just around the corner, things are getting cold and the fishing is slowing down in a lot of places… but not all places. In some places it is getting better. Here is what’s been happening in recent weeks. MURRAY COD The Murray cod fishing has usually slowed right down by May in the Wangaratta area. I know that in some waterways, particularly the large impoundments, these colder months are preferred by many Murray cod anglers, but in the Wangaratta area it is very tough. I usually do catch a small number of Murray cod during May each year, provided the river isn’t flooded, but they do take a lot more patience. The ‘fish of 1000 casts’

catch yabbies in each winter, but for the rest of us, trying to catch yabbies in May is Mission Impossible!

These small native fish are protected in the Ovens River and must be returned to the water unharmed.

The trout streams of North East Victoria should continue to fish well during May as the trout prepare to spawn. Early May will be the best. to catch trout. The first half of May is the best as the trout often feed heavily as they prepare to spawn. The second half of May can be a bit more challenging, as the brown trout have already begun spawning in some areas. When that happens, they can become

starts to become very cold. Late in the day around the shadowed western edges of the lake are the best. Trolling winged lures such as Tassie Devils has accounted for many Lake William Hovell trout during May. OTHER SPECIES The yabbies are gone. Forget about them now until September/October. I know there will be readers who have a great dam that they

There are a lot of Macquarie perch in the Ovens River these days, which is fantastic, and over the last couple of years I have noticed that they are willing to bite in May. Last May I caught five or six one evening, just after sunset. These fish are totally protected in the Ovens River system and must be released unharmed. Last year’s floods have led to an explosion in carp numbers in some places,

A lovely feed of large redfin from Lake Buffalo in May last year. become the fish of 10,000 casts, if you know what I mean! When bait fishing, I prefer to use cheese as bait, and sometimes have success. The biggest, most important asset you have as a Murray cod angler in May, is patience. You need a willingness to sit and wait for lengthy periods of time, because the fish do not come in thick and fast, especially towards the end of May. YELLOWBELLY Yellowbelly are another species that really shut down during the cooler months, and each year when May rolls around they are all but gone. I may pick up one or two while bait fishing in the Ovens River with worms, but I wouldn’t set out on a dedicated yellowbelly fishing trip with expectations of great success. REDFIN Redfin are an interesting species. In some waterways they slow right down in the 88 MAY 2023

cooler months, and in other waterways they pick up. In the Wangaratta area, the main two impoundments, Lake Buffalo and Lake William Hovell, can often fish very well for redfin in May. In fact, I have caught some of my best redfin fishing during May in both of these lakes. I find that in these two lakes the redfin can become a lot more hit-and-miss. They can also require a lot more work to locate the fish, but when and if you do, you can have some seriously good redfin fishing. Last year in May I caught a heap of large redfin off the boat ramp at Lake Buffalo. In just half an hour or so I managed to catch and keep seven fat redfin over 30cm in length. I stood on the end of the boat ramp casting a Strike Tiger 3” soft plastic minnow in orange colour, and the fish came in thick and fast. I released quite

a few too. Then, two days later I stood in the same spot and caught nothing. That is the nature of redfin fishing in May in the Wangaratta area. TROUT May can be a great time

Lake Moodemere is full of carp at the moment, and there are a few redfin in the mix as well.

A larger than average Lake William Hovell redfin trolled on a deep-diving lure last autumn.

and Lake Moodemere is one such place. If you enjoy carp fishing like I do, the lake will be a great option. In March it fished very well for carp – too well, in fact. There are so many small carp in there, it’s ridiculous. My daughter Holly and I have been catching upwards of 50 carp in a single afternoon over there. With so many fish in one spot, surely even in the cooler months it won’t be too hard to find a hungry one. There have also been quite a few redfin turning up over there too, some of which have been quite a nice size. Lake Moodemere will certainly be worth a try in May.

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Hunting yellowbelly over freshly-flooded edges SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

Carp, carp and more carp – they are everywhere in the Goulburn at the moment. The only positive about so many carp is that the cod’s food source is so easy to match at the moment. Smaller swimbaits and wakebaits have been successful lately, with the cod busting up on these small carp schools that are running just under the surface. TN60 and TN70 Jackalls rigged with single hooks have also worked well. The key has been to start your retrieve as soon as the lure hits the water, and just lifting your rod tip a little more than usual to keep that lure closer to the top. Bait fishing has been dominated by carp reports, especially for those anglers using worms, but this can still be a great time for those who just enjoy reeling in a fish. It’s getting harder and harder to gather live baits

The author with a Kialla Lakes yellowbelly caught on a Bent Minnow with son Nate Brown. such as yabbies and shrimp, so those chasing natives have used mainly cheese or chicken. Scrub worms have also been working well when the carp don’t eat them.

KIALLA LAKES The lake is changing, with the water level rising higher than it’s been since the floods. This is pushing plenty of fish shallow. The freshly-flooded edges are

full of bait, and the yellas and redfin are hunting the bait just around the drop-off. Matching the hatch is ideal, so smaller, thin-profiled hardbodies have worked well shallow.

Don’t be scared to cast tight to the bank. Some legal-sized yellowbelly are being caught on XR4s and Bent Minnows maybe a foot off the bank. Bait fishing under the willows is still a great way to chase redfin, and the key is to either have an unweighted hook or even a float with plenty of worms on the hook. You might need to try both sides or out the front of the trees, with the fish sometimes holding in different areas of the trees. BROKEN RIVER At the time of writing this article, it’s all been about topwater action in the Broken, with a number of healthy legal fish reported. The new coloured Balista Hunchbacks have been the stand-out lure, with a slow retrieve or a ‘shake and pause’ next to big snags. Switch baiting after a strike with a spinnerbait has also been a great method if you have two rods, or if your fishing partner is using a different lure. As the cooler weather sets in, the topwater bite will slow down, but it’s

still a lure I would throw in low light periods, as well as spinnerbaits and small hardbodies. Bait fishing with worms is seeing plenty of monster carp caught in the Broken, but if you’re looking to avoid catching them, stick to baits such as chicken, cheese and yabby tails. WARANGA BASIN It was a busy Easter period at Waranga Basin, with many anglers getting in early to beat the rush at the ramps. The positive thing about getting in early was that the bite has been great in the mornings. Those fishing in the shallows with small swimbaits and topwater walk-the-dog type lures have been catching plenty of redfin. The reddies have been ambushing these lures in water as shallow as 1-3ft. As the sun comes up, the fish tend to start pushing out a little deeper, so trolling TN60s or small divers in around 6-10ft would be the go. Bait fishing off the bank has been productive for both carp and redfin, with night crawlers working well.

Anglers descending on cod central at Mulwala YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

During the recent Cod Nationals, 90 of the country’s finest cod anglers converged on Lake Mulwala to pit their skills against each other. The cod numbers produced were outstanding, proving once again just how good this fishery is. The best tip available to any angler fishing Lake Mulwala, especially those new to the lake, is to target waters around 2-3m or 6-9ft in depth. Weed beds or fallen timber add to the equation. Put these together and you are in with a great chance of plenty of green fish encounters. The average size Mulwala Cod ranges from 40-60cm, but there plenty of monsters lurking around out there, awaiting a wellplaced offering. Lure choice and colour tends to be a personal preference. One thing I certainly believe in is sticking with something you are confident in, as you will fish it better than something you don’t like. Throughout the Nationals, spinnerbaits

accounted for slightly more fish than hardbodied lures did. Looking back, early March saw the running of the His & Hers Partners Classic. A total of 48 teams participated, with the results being outstanding. Kade Blow and Annie Hockley cleaned up the field, with Kade’s 110cm fish being the biggest for the males, and helping the team take the overall title. Karen Nelson landed a magnificent 106cm cod, boosting her and husband Lee into second place. COD NATIONALS Mid-March saw the running of the 13th Great Northern Cod Nationals. The cream of Australia’s cod fishos descended on the lake, and returns proved the field’s capabilities. Over four days, 549 cod were recorded measuring in excess of 50cm. Many more below the 50cm mark were captured and not recorded. The clear favourites, Derek and Kade Blow from team ‘KD Fishing’, fished amazingly well to blitz the field. Derek and Kade had won the previous three events based at Mulwala, and their great form continued. Over the five sessions fishing, the boys picked up close to $15K cash and prizes. Kade also took out Champion

Individual Angler and Largest Fish Overall for the event, with his Big Cod coming in at 81cm. A super effort to finish second went to Steve and Thomas Pinter (team ‘Black Widow’). The pair had won the previous three Nationals, and finally got to hand the baton of

‘Nationals Champions’ to another deserving father-son combo. Third place went to Brad Murray and Daniel Mutch (team ‘Mutchy’s Contracting’), who fished consistently well over the five sessions. There many others who deserve an honourable

mention, but there isn’t enough room on the page! However, one crew I’ll make special mention of is Lance, Cohen and Hayden Berryman from Bezaro Lures. The boys spent five solid days casting their amazing handmade hardbodied lures around with great success. The

Glen Joyce with a 73cm cod caught during the Cod Nationals. This fish earned him the Biggest Cod title on Day One of the comp.

boys are aged 13 and 15, and they and their father have an amazing appreciation for Murray cod. It was a pleasure to fish with them. The kids never complained once, asked plenty of questions and listened intently for the entire session. BELOW THE WEIR Below the weir has continued to produce amazing numbers of average-sized cod on both bait and lures. This area remains a great place to fish, especially if the lake blows up a bit rough. One thing to keep in mind though is the amount of timber that lies just below the surface. These hidden hazards can create some major problems, something I found out recently after hitting one! My boat is now out of action, awaiting some insurance work to be done. • 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 (opposite the Post Office) in Mulwala. If you’re in Yarrawonga, visit us at our store located between Rivers and One Zac in the main street and say g’day. We’re Yarrawonga/ Mulwala’s fishing specialists and specialize in all things ‘green’! MAY 2023 89

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Lake Wendouree’s trout are biting BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Anglers have been treated to some unbelievable fishing over the past month, especially on Lake Wendouree. It has certainly produced some unheard-of numbers of fish catches, and has put Wendouree right up there as one of the best fisheries in the state. The exceptional fishing on Wendouree has taken the limelight and anglers away from of many of our

were eaten. There are lots of predators in Wendouree, including bigger trout and redfin, which would eat the small stocked fish. Larger stocked fish would theoretically have a better chance of survival. This approach appears to have worked well, especially our stockings at Wendouree last year. The lake is alive and well with trout everywhere – you can walk, ride or drive around and see trout jumping. I have heard many comments of non-anglers saying they saw fish jumping on

brief, reminding anglers of the tournament rules and Marine Safety Victoria regulations, which include a speed limit of 5 knots on Wendouree. The fishing kicked off at 9am, and it wasn’t long after that that my phone started to run hot. Plenty of rainbow and brown trout were being caught, ranging in size from 35-40cm at the end of the morning session. Ross Goyne was on top of the leader board with a 46cm rainbow trout, which he caught on an orange Magoo fly pattern.

Josh Fry landed this ripper 43cm redfin whilst trolling a hardbodied lure during the Against the Odds competition. Image courtesy of Josh Fry. other waters, which can be a positive thing. These other waters haven’t been getting fished as heavily as they would normally, hence reports filtering through have been a little light on the ground. STOCKING STRATEGY The exceptional fishing on Wendouree isn’t just a fluke – it has come about thanks to a collaborative partnership between our local angling body, the Ballarat & District Anglers Association, and the Victorian Fisheries Authority. They have put a stocking plan in place for the next three years, and this includes the stocking of larger 50g rainbow and brown trout, which are larger than would be normally stocked. You might wonder what the reason is for stocking these larger fish. Well, many of the smaller rainbows that had previously been stocked didn’t seem to reach their 2-year-old birthday. They just disappeared. There could be several reasons for this, but the most obvious reason is that they 90 MAY 2023

Wendouree, which is good news for everyone. ‘TWO FLY’ COMP The Ballarat Fly Fishers Club has hosted a couple of fishing competitions on Lake Wendouree in March. The first one was the Lake Wendouree ‘Two Fly’ comp, sponsored by Hurley’s Fly Fishing. The competition was run over two days, with fishing sessions on Saturday and Sunday mornings and Saturday afternoon. All registered competitors submit two flies each which are placed into envelopes and randomly picked out by competitors. The flies in the envelopes are what they use throughout the competition. If competitors lose the flies they can purchase more, with a maximum of two flies able to be purchased to remain in contention to win the comp. All fish caught are measured and photographed on a brag mat, then released. The photos are sent to a nominated mobile number via SMS. The competition started off with a safety

The afternoon session kicked off at 1pm, just in time for the mayfly hatch to start, and they didn’t

disappoint. This had a lot to do with the weather conditions – overcast skies and a stiff northerly breeze. Once again, my phone was running hot, with photos and names of competitors coming through. By the end of the first day’s fishing, we saw a record number of 90 trout, both rainbows and browns, caught and released. Ray Taillard was on top of the leader board with a magnificent 50cm brown trout. Saturday night saw competitors attend the Ballarat Fly Fishers Clubrooms for a social gathering, which included some raffles and a general catch up and talk about the ones that were caught and the ones that got away throughout the day. On Sunday morning, competitors hit the water for a 7am start. Once again, it didn’t take long before my phone started buzzing again with trout being caught. Tony Crimmins from the Bendigo Fly Fishers caught a 53.5cm brown trout, and became the new competition leader. Photos continued to come through until the competition finished at noon, and no one was able to beat Tony during that time. At the conclusion of the competition, a total of 137 trout were caught, photographed, and released. It was unbelievable the amount of fish caught, and it definitely made Wendouree the talk of the angling fraternity. All competitors gathered back at the

Trevor Holmes and Ben Young with 49cm and 50cm Wendouree brown trout caught during the Against the Odds tournament. Image courtesy of Ben Young. clubrooms for the presentation and awarding of the Lake Wendouree ‘Jim Thomas’ Two Fly Competition. Ballarat Fly Fishers Club President Nick Roche and Hurley Fly Fishing representative David Johnstone presented Tony Crimmins with the Two Fly Trophy, and also a Stalker Legend Combo valued at over $1000.

Against The Odds Trophy winner Mark Cuthbert landed the longest trout during the competition – a 52cm brown. Image courtesy of Vern Barby.

There was one last prize to be awarded, and that was for the competitor who donated the fly that the winning fish was caught on. This year’s recipient was Ross Goyne, who supplied the orange Magoo fly pattern that Tony Crimmins used. Ross won a handcrafted pen made by Jeff Willey from the Bendigo Fly Fishers Club. ‘AGAINST THE ODDS’ COMP The second tournament run by the club was the ‘Against The Odds’ Amyloidosis Awareness Day fishing competition. The comp was run to raise awareness about amyloidosis, which is a debilitating disease which belongs to the cancer family, and also raise funds to assist with research to find a cure. BFFC club member Alan Grieg unfortunately suffers from amyloidosis, and spends 15 hours a week on dialysis to stay alive. However, this hasn’t stopped Alan’s enthusiasm and passion for fishing. This year’s Against The Odds entrants were able register online prior to the event or on the day, and the competition hours were between 7am-1pm. All competitors were supplied with a token which needed to photographed next to their catch (trout or redfin) on a brag mat. These

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Stocked fish are stacking on the pounds for winter CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

Lake Purrumbete has been reasonable of late, partially due to anglers from near and afar displaying patience and perseverance, and hitting the lake hard. The campground has been full most weekends, and is mostly booked out for the foreseeable future. Over the past month the weather has been mild, with a minimal amount of rainfall keeping waterways ticking over. Most boaters have been trolling in and around 10m of water, even though only some are downrigging. The fish aren’t necessarily sitting at this depth; more like midwater, but we are talking often a similar amount in distance from the shoreline. Other anglers are photos were then sent to a nominated number. All competitors also received a travel mug, Tassie Devil (Go Fishing Victoria) and a pen courtesy of Victorian Fisheries Authority. The competition consisted of a number of prize categories – Senior Trout, Junior Trout, Senior Redfin, Junior Redfin and two mystery lengths, with the winners receiving some magnificent prizes. There was also a Perpetual Trophy, Against The Odds, presented for the longest trout or redfin excluding the other

A Bullen Merri Chinook salmon taken on a Pontoon 21 Greedy Guts flat line trolling. categories, which meant you couldn’t win the other categories with the same fish. Within minutes of the competition starting my phone started buzzing, with photo after photo of trout and redfin in varying sizes. I thought my phone would go into meltdown, there were that many photos coming through. Fish were being caught from the shore, boats and kayaks, and caught on every method and bait known. The comp finished at 1pm, and all competitors headed back to the Ballarat Fly Fishers Clubrooms for a sausage sizzle and prize

presentation. A total of 80 anglers registered for the competition, catching 107 brown and rainbow trout and 42 redfin. That’s an amazing amount of fish caught in the middle of Ballarat. The winner of the Against The Odds trophy was Mark Cuthbert from the Ballarat Fly Fishers Club, who caught a 52cm brown trout on fly. The previous winner Trevor Holmes presented Mark with the trophy. Ben Young won the Senior Longest Trout with a 50cm brown, and the Junior winner was Oliver Van Doorn with a

Lake Wendouree Two Fly winner Tony Crimmins from the Bendigo Fly Fishers Club with a 53.5cm brown from Lake Wendouree. Image courtesy of Tony Crimmins.

47cm brown. The Senior Longest Redfin prize was taken out by Alex Thomas with a 45.5cm fish, and the Junior winner was Angus Le Marshall with a 35cm reddie. Congratulations to all the winners. The Against the Odds fishing day was an amazing event with so many anglers showing their support, raising funds for research and awareness of amyloidosis. A big thank you to everyone who attended, and especially our generous sponsors who donated prizes. FISHING IN MAY Moorabool Reservoir continues to fish well for both trout and redfin, however the water levels are dropping and exposing more and more weed, which is making fishing challenging. Anglers need to find the clear pockets of water and target these areas. Our mayfly hatches have just about finished, but the trout are still eager to eat them whilst they are still around. For anglers who want to target redfin, soft plastics and micro chatter lures are the go. Once again, seek out the clear pockets of water. The water levels at Hepburn Lagoon and Newlyn Reservoir have dropped significantly, exposing lots and lots of weed. Like at Moorabool, anglers need to find the clear pockets of water and target them, either with lures, baits or flies. At Tullaroop Reservoir the water level is still very high and the water clarity is poor still, from the flooding the reservoir received back in the spring

trolling (flatlining) as well as casting a tad closer to shore in 5-6m depth. The weed beds are very close to this depth. The main species being caught are tiger trout, which have stacked on the weight. Many have been coming in at over 2kg. Chinook salmon of various sizes have also been reported, along with a few rainbow and cheetahs. The browns are currently fairly quiet when it comes to taking a bait or lure, but this should improve in the coming weeks as the water temperature drops and the fish become more active closer inshore. Local rivers such as the Merri at Warrnambool have some solid browns to 60cm taking lures worked over the designated sea run area of the river. The fish appear to be plentiful, judging by the amount of captures

in recent times, and are beautifully coloured and marked. To a lesser extent, the Hopkins River is also supplying anglers with similar fish, but these can only be taken on foot as far up as the falls. In comparison, the Merri’s fish can be accessed via boat launched from the ramp next to the old Nestle factory. Lake Bullen Merri has plenty of Chinook salmon, but many are fairly new releases, coming in at little over a pound in the old scale. However, bigger fish well in excess of 3lb are about, along with the odd rainbow. Tiger trout are still a viable fish, and many have been really stacking on the weight in the short amount of time since their release. They can be caught trolling and static bait fishing with pilchard baits.

BFFC President Nick Roche and Hurley’s Fly Fishing representative David Johnstone presenting Tony Crimmins with the Jim Thomas Trophy at the Two Fly Competition. months. Anglers have been catching plenty of redfin in varying sizes from boats and the shore, on lures and baits. I’m hoping the water clarity improves because Tullaroop is one of my favourite places to fish in late autumn/early

winter, targeting trout with lures and flies. The trout generally venture in around the shorelines/ shallows chasing smelt, and this should still occur in the coming weeks as the smelt move into spawn and the trout follow. MAY 2023 91

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The friends we made along the way EILDON

Peter Burtchell

The below average temperatures during April created the right conditions to target trout earlier than expected. Additionally,

grenade your newest rod. In my case, the unexpected event was getting a phone call from a loved one asking me to leave Eildon and move closer to my family. I can’t really complain; I’ve spent seven years on this fishing trip, so I think I’ve done

I think it is the emersion into pure nature that has kept me at Eildon for so long. Observing a peregrine falcon divebombing into a mob of grass parrots, hitting its mark with an explosion of feathers, a pelican circling down from a great height and at speed

is). What could go wrong? The bar man saw me and said, “G’day, you’re the new fishing guide?” “Yeah.” Straight away I sensed I was in for trouble here, but I kept my cool. “Just half a dozen Carltons please mate, I’m in a bit of a hurry.” “You alright mate?” “Yeah, why?” “What’s wrong with your arm? “Oh, nothing…” “A bit crook, is it?” The jig was up. Well, you just don’t need days like that! I left sober, still

Nurse Ratched will sort this.

Kate and Brendan have been great contributors to the fishing report. with reports of a landed and released metre plus Murray cod from the Eildon Pondage, it sure is shaping up to be yet another year of ‘expecting the unexpected’ when fishing Eildon. The unexpected can happen at any time. You may be transfixed to a screen, watching your targeted fish chase your lure, flicking around a foaming bait ball, a slight nudge on your

quite well at avoiding the unavoidable. If it wasn’t for COVID, my stay would not have lasted as long. So, it’s time to turn the page, and back home to family I go. As this is my final Lake Eildon report, I have taken the liberty of including some memories of my time at the lake, along with as many thank-you messages as I can, and provide an introduction

to dive in and scoop up a dead trout from the surface of the lake, or wild dogs hunting a kangaroo. Every day can produce a once-ina-lifetime event that will stay with you forever. My stay in Eildon has also been memorable for the new friends I have made along the way. I first met some of the real locals when I was on my way to the hospital, after

Paul has supplied many photos for this report over the years. hooked to the bone, arse cheek throbbing from where the dorsal fins of the fish that caught me had been a couple of hours before, and locals laughing me out of the pub. I hadn’t even done one fishing tour yet! Even worse, it was still Nurse Ratchet’s turn to get that barbed hook out of my bone. I never did ask her to check the dorsal fin holes in my cheek, I just felt she had scared me enough with the pliers. My talent for mishap didn’t stop there – it also

extended to a couple of appearances on fishing shows. My mother was viewing some shorts of me for a fishing show, and she asked me why I had a hangover when I knew we were filming that day. I patiently explained that I had to go overboard in the middle of filming, and then I was nearly decapitated, and that’s why my face was red in the film. “Whatever, son. Just next time, don’t drink before filming, alright?” After my near-

decapitation, my next show appearance nearly didn’t happen at all. An international fishing show booked boats, accommodation, and me for a few days so they could complete their filming. Then their manager pulled me aside and said, “These guys are famous anglers, they do not want to talk to you. All you need to do is show us where the fish are, so are you right to go? I’ll show them who needs to be in the film.” “OK,” I agreed, “but I will need to see their tackle before we go.”

Mick Caufield has always been on hand to answer any of the author’s questions. floater… The anticipation can be intense, and then it happens: you’re crashing into a tree, or that metre cod has just spat your lure, or your mate just fell overboard, or the gunwale helps to 92 MAY 2023

to your future Lake Eildon reporter. I am sure he will continue the fine tradition of making the Lake Eildon Fishing Report the World’s Greatest Monthly Fishing Report for you.

having a fish bury a hook in my hand. With my arm well hidden behind my back, I decided that before I went to the hospital I would quickly duck into the pub for a 6-pack (that’s how far the hospital

The author after an eventful day’s filming.

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Big trout numbers being reported WEST/SOUTH GIPPSLAND

Billy Auldist

South West Gippsland has been fishing well over the last few months, and there is still good fishing to be had. The cooler months ahead will provide a challenge for fishers, but there are ways around it and we still have lots to look forward to. The Loch, Toorongo and Latrobe rivers and tributaries in and around Noojee have been fishing well, as per usual. The recent rains mean that brightlycoloured lures will be a hit this month. With increasing rainfall, we should expect the water levels to be quite temperamental in the coming weeks, and bait fishers may start to find more success as the waterways are flushed and the food is plentiful. Not surprisingly, spinners and hardbodies have been taking care of a big number of fish in the area, with big totals of trout being reported. However, soft plastics fished on a light jighead through the deeper holes have generally been catching the more wary fish. Blue Rock Lake has been productive for land-based and boat fishos on both lures and bait over the past month. The bass action has been concentrated towards the top end of the lake lately, which boat fishers have “Why?” “I want to make sure that they have all the right fish handling gear.” You know, care for cod stuff! Reluctantly, the manager opened up their tackle boxes and yes, they had all the right fish handling gear but strangely enough they had no orange or green coloured lures. Oh well, let’s go! Around 15 minutes later, placing them on a no-fish spot, I cross to the good fishing spot and manage to land the first Murray cod with a green lure. They roll up, I hand the fish over to them and they film the release and then go back to their designated spot. I landed a second cod with my orange lure, and hooked a third on the green lure. This time they were prepared, and filmed me into their program landing the fish. 45 minutes in they wanted to go back for a coffee, and after securing the boats I headed in for a coffee only to find the famous anglers in the tackle shop buying all the green and orange lures that were available. We are now good friends, and I still maintain that I just got lucky that day.

been taking advantage of. If you don’t have a boat, it is still possible to fish the top end of the lake from the bank. I won’t give too

much away, but with a little research you’ll have yourself up there without too much hassle. Hardbodies, soft plastics

A premium South West Gippsland brown trout. That’s enough memories, now let’s move on to some thank you notes. To all of you who support the magazine and read the reports, I hope you may have gained some new insight into the fishery and also some of the people behind the scenes. A big thank you to you all. A mention must be made to the Victorian Fisheries Authority, with special thanks to Taylor Hunt and Steve Vidler for always being on hand to answer fishy questions. To Gary Fox and his events management team from Goulburn Murray Waters, thank you. A big shout out to the staff and owners of the Jerusalem Creek Marina and Holiday Park. Your inspiration kept things on an even keel. To all of the contributors who have sent photographs, content and/or bulls**t for the Lake Eildon report, a big thank you to you, too. I look forward to reading about your future conquests around the lake. Sadly, I couldn’t publish every photo that was sent to me. To contributors whose photos were blurry, or had naked people in the background, or showed

anglers who were holding big fish incorrectly – better luck next time. I do appreciate you taking the time to submit the photos, even if we couldn’t use them. To the many sponsors, organisers and helpers who have assisted to create great fishing events, including the

and jigs are all taking fish. Cicadas and other surface lures still have their place, but we should expect the surface fishing to taper off heading into the cooler months. Redfin, trout and carp can also be caught throughout the lake on most baits and lures. The trout fishing in particular should pick up in the next few weeks. Casting or trolling winged lures like Tassie Devils gives you a good shot at a Blue Rock trout. The Tarago and Bunyip rivers have been producing quality over quantity for anglers who put in the effort. Soft plastics tend to be the lure of choice in these rivers because of their snaggy nature; there isn’t much room for long casts, which makes soft plastics very versatile. Trout, redfin and blackfish are all present in these rivers, and will take a well-presented plastic. It is no secret that these rivers hold our region’s biggest trout, and if you persevere you may find yourself tangling with one of them. Lower waterways like the Hazel, Bear and Little Moe will all continue to yield carp and redfin in the coming weeks. The easiest way to fish these waters is with a lightly-anchored bait, but avid lure fishers will still catch redfin on lures at times. Local estate dams are

also worthy of a look over the next few months when rivers get high and dirty. There are often populations of redfin in these small suburban lakes, and they are good fun when you find them. Soft plastics are a good prospecting lure, but some days the redfin will

take just about anything you throw at them. As we head into the colder weather, many anglers will stop fishing for a few months. This means there will be less pressure on our waters, and therefore more rewards for those who get out and have a crack.

World’s Greatest Fishing Competition being held this month and raising much-needed funds for well-deserving charities, I thank you. The next time you’re heading to Eildon, drop into the Megabass Elite Pro Store at Jerusalem Creek or Eildon

Bait and Tackle, where you too can thank the sponsors of the events by purchasing their products in the stores, or obtaining their contact details from the floor staff. For Eildon Bait and Tackle, drop in to see Craig Parker who is the proprietor. Craig is now officially the

next writer for the World’s Greatest Monthly Fishing Report, Fishing Guide, Fishing Boat Hire specialist at Eildon. Craig is a great ambassador for all things fishing at Eildon, and I am sure you will learn a lot from him. You can contact him at goldentroutcod@ gmail.com or give him a call on (03) 5774 2712. Another great resource for all things fishing at Lake Eildon is the Jerusalem Creek Marina & Holiday Park, a friendly, family-orientated annuals cabin park and Houseboat Marina, that makes the perfect home away from home. When visiting Lake Eildon you can opt to stay in one of their floating apartments (Boatels), hire a houseboat or fishing vessel, visit the Megabass Elite Pro Store, or book a Megabass Elite Pro Fishing Tour with one of the many leading Australian fishing guides operating from Jerusalem Creek. For more information on all of the activities and attractions that Lake Eildon has to offer, visit jerusalemcreek.com.au, give them a call on (03) 5774 2585 or email info@ jerusalemcreek.com.au.

Local fisher Matt Atherton caught this quality brown trout on a hardbody in a Noojee tributary.

Young Charlie is an all-round inspiration to young and old.

MAY 2023 93

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Get ready: May is jumbo tuna time OFFSHORE

Kelly Hunt

Summer is now just a memory, but what a memory it is! We had one of the best summer seasons I can remember. School bluefin tuna turned up early; some people would argue they never left from the season before. Whatever the case, they were off our shores in great numbers and were quite hungry. The phenomenon that is Bass Straight tuna still continues to confound everyone, and has made the rest of the state a bit jealous. Last month, of course, the tuna turned up in good numbers, including some big fish caught down south. Let’s look at what else fired, and what we can expect this month. SUMMER WRAP-UP Catching tuna was made easy on the Northwest Coast, and it didn’t seem to matter where you were or what you used. At least, that’s what the social media platforms would have had you believe. The truth was, it was still a grind at times. The fish tended to come up and feed hard on some serious bait balls, and then completely disappear for hours. When they were on they were on,

and we quickly turned to surface lures on spin gear for some great fun. The surface strike is very addictive and well worth gearing up for.

Jonah and Storm with a magnificent capture.

Wade Pelham with a catch to be proud of. 94 MAY 2023

Yellowtail kingfish were as prominent around the state as I can ever remember, and anglers delighted in chasing them with new

gear, new techniques and an open mind. We threw big plastics, surface poppers and everything in between at them, and they were happy to oblige. This year there were some bigger models coming through into Bass Strait. This is exciting, as it may mean that each year the fish will be large and powerful. That was summer, but now we look towards autumn and the month of May to keep us amused and fill our tummies and freezers. It’s certainly not all doom and gloom here in Tasmania though May. The water temperature is still yet to really take a harsh dip, so the fishing is still good. As Easter is a distant memory, the best news is that the holiday crowds have backed off considerably. This is sensational news for two reasons – firstly, if you are a mainland fisher, the deals and accommodation available are great value. Secondly, you can actually drive to the fishing grounds without the roads being choked up with HiAce minibuses and campervans. This is great news, as the weather patterns in May are predominantly driven by the westerly weather streams from the roaring forties. This means the east coast of Tasmania can be settled and well suited for a weekend away fishing.

BROADBILL SWORDFISH Swordfish have been high on the list of fish to target, and there have been good catches that should continue right up to the winter solstice. Jonah Yick and Storm Eastley went out in April and caught a dead set monster, and here is that story... “Jonah and myself formulated a plan to fish the half day weather window yesterday morning. The excitement of heading out for my first swordfish of the season made it hard for me to get to sleep. My alarm sounded at 2:50am after I’d had just two hours of sleep. I headed to Jonah’s house where we prepared the boat and made the tow to Tasmania’s game fishing capital: Eaglehawk Neck. “After a glassy calm run to the shelf, we had our first bait in the water at 7am. Halfway through our fourth drop just before 10am we had an aggressive bite that came tight, and we were on. I strapped on, and set about gathering back 600m of line. “After regaining about half, the fish took two huge runs, dumping 200m of line from the spool each time. The fish darted about aggressively on top for the first half hour of the fight, before eventually jumping four times in quick succession. “Confirming we were tight to a swordfish, we set about fighting what can only be described as the most

A southern bluefin caught in early March at the Hippolyte Rock Eaglehawk Neck after a 2.5-hour battle. It pulled the scales down to 103kg. driving from Jonah in testing conditions, we were able to put some good angles on the fish, apply maximum drag pressure with some spool thumbing for what seemed like forever. “Eventually we had the fish boat side. It was very green but with the building weather we took our shot and drove the gaffs in green and dispatched the fish after a 2.5-hour fight. In the chaos we lost a sword light and snapped the rod. With the fish tail roped, our mate Wesley van den Herik jumped onboard and left his

was 289.3kg. It would be an Australian record on 60kg line if claimed. How we managed to knock that fish over so quickly or how we got it into the boat, I do not know. “There is no better feeling than catching the pinnacle of saltwater fishing and putting a 12-month supply of the best eating fish in the ocean into the freezer, as well as distributing some fresh fish to friends and family in time for Good Friday dinner. It was probably the biggest fish I will ever land, and I will treasure that day forever.”

Jack Sheriff with his big North East Tasmanian king, just under a metre and 9kg. powerful and aggressive fish I have ever encountered. About midway through the fight, the northeast wind started to build to a point I would call uncomfortable, making conditions extremely difficult. Throughout the fight I kept applying more and more drag pressure to try to end the fight as soon as possible as the slop was continuing to build. “With some expert boat

jetski free floating to help us get the fish into the boat. “Celebrations were not held yet as we made the run back in to escape the rough weather. After arriving back in Pirates Bay we exchanged hugs and high-fives as we started estimating the size of the fish. None of us were close. When Stuart Nichols came down to weigh our fish we were gobsmacked to see that the final weight

NORTH WEST FISHING MECCA Gummy sharks have been really active off the North West coast in April, and this should continue through May. The 35-40m depth line off Wynyard, Ulverstone and Devonport has yielded some beauties. The snapper have thickened up lately and are still an option. Snapper are a species that you need

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Productive fresh and salt outings HOBART

Andrew Large

Tasmania continues to put on a display of fantastic fresh and saltwater fishing. Mid to late autumn fishing usually comes with

Tiger flathead have been encountered in waters of 80m or more. Calmer days have allowed these fish to be targeted by drifting with baits. Mako shark anglers are still catching the odd goodsized shark, including a

zones of our larger estuary systems. Wider Storm Bay has been producing fish as well. The use of berley is a must, whether you’re using baits or soft plastics. Cape Queen Elizabeth and Dart Bank have seen school size and albacore tuna

A healthy Great Lake rainbow caught on a Rapala F9 (spotted dog) recently. its challenges. Summer is a fading memory, winter is looming, the weather becomes more and more unsettled, and popular summer species start to disappear with our warm water. For many anglers, the closure of the freshwater brown trout and coastal rock lobster seasons herald the end to the fishing season. However, the good news is that quality fish can still be targeted and productive outings had. For the moment, sand flathead continue to bite well on soft plastics, hardbody lures and baits state-wide. Berkley nuclear chicken colour plastics have been standouts in recent weeks.

133kg specimen caught at Bicheno recently. These sharks are starting to thin out but are available to the persistent anglers. Good bags of mature arrow squid have been seen recently in both the south and the north. It’s a sign that our water temperatures have not dropped all that far. Calamari return in the south in all the usual spots like the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and Peninsula areas. A snapper of 70cm was recently caught in the River Derwent close to Hobart. This was one of many fish taken by these anglers. This season has been very unusual, with this species being seemingly available everywhere, even right to the very upper tidal

to prepare for. You really need to get to know when and where they’ll be to accurately target them, especially in Devonport, Ulverstone and across to Wynyard. They were still coming over the gunwale of boats at this time last year, so nothing should change this month. Technique is crucial with these fish, and finding a good patch that holds fish consistently is key. Finding that patch and prospecting is the fun part, and the techniques don’t change. Fishing multiple rods in a boat with two or more anglers is tricky without the right gear. Angled rod racks are a must, and there are several on the market that will fit into a standard rod holder. Three people in a boat fishing two rods each will be manageable, but it will be easier if you fish at anchor. Fishing in

good conditions in a boat held stationary by anchor is the best way to fish multiple lines from one boat. This will raise your chance of catching something. It will also negate the tangled lines normally encountered when drifting with too many rods out. If you include some berley dangled from a rope and stationed on the bottom you will further increase your chances. A few small cubes of fish plopped over the side on occasion won’t hurt your chances either. Reels in the 3500-5000 range will be great for this style of fishing. Run some 30lb braid onto them with a leader of around 50lb. Attach the leader material with an FG knot and finish with a Strayline rig. SOUTH The Derwent will be full of bream for you to practice your techniques on this month. This waterway

biting well. Southern bluefin tuna up to 22kg have been caught, while the albacore have topped out at around 17kg. Meridian Tackle Saltshaker lures have been taking many fish. SBT to 110kg have been available on the Peninsula, in particular around Tasman Island and Hippolyte Rocks. School-sized fish to 35kg have been caught too. Bass Strait in the north seems to have gone a little bit quiet. Albacore that were plentiful along the entire east coast have backed off a bit, becoming more concentrated in numbers around Fortescue Bay, Dart Bank and Bicheno in the east. At this time of the year we see most of the action in and around the area

of the shelf, with anglers at times simply striking this species as more of a by-catch while chasing SBT. Sand whiting continue to provide anglers with great late season action in the many sandy shallows around the state. King George whiting have been gracing anglers’ bags in the north, particularly around Low Head and surrounds, with fish to 67cm being caught. Rumours of yellowfin tuna persist, but at this point no confirmed captures have been made. Odd captures of kingfish continue to occur state-wide, but these too are lessening as we dip into winter. The River Derwent has produced the odd fish in recent weeks, with Margate Bay/Northwest Bay producing numbers of fish and keeping anglers entertained. I’m tipping when the bait disappears, so too will the yellowtail. Southern estuaries are experiencing good runs of autumn black bream. Cornelian Bay and Old Beach areas in the River Derwent, and Castle Forbes Bay in the Huon estuaries, are great starting points at this time of the year as bream congregate at the upper tidal limits. Freshwater action has ground to a halt with the closure of the brown trout waters, however rainbow and open waters remain fishable. Great Lake is producing some tremendously wellconditioned browns and rainbows, and to be honest it’s hard to go past at this time of the year. Trollers are doing very well in 3-5m of water (around the edges) but those anglers who are trying the open windlasses are still taking a more pelagic type of trout and better numbers of rainbows, which generally

Danny Smith with a very nice Derwent River bream.

Oscar from the Wigston Lure factory with a freshly netted brown trout from the Central Highlands. prefer the more open water. Rapala Spotted Dogs in F9 have been doing a lot of the damage recently. Other good options are Y106 and No 50 in the Tasmanian Devil. Lake King William and its lively trout have not disappointed either at the tail end of the season, and will continue to fish well over the next few weeks. Lake Burbury is well worth a visit now as it’s actually not too far above sea level in elevation, and fishes well during winter. Anglers’

bags will be 90% rainbow trout with only the very odd brown making it on board or ashore. Burbury’s rainbows generally range from 0.8kg to 1.6kg, with bigger specimens encountered from time to time. Enjoy what remains of our migratory seasonal species in the salt, and our freshwater lakes, and get out while you can. Winter in Tasmania closes in all too quickly, sometimes dashing hopes of that ‘one last trip’. Do it while you can.

has varied terrain to hone your skills. Look for rock banks and deeper rocky areas to fish. Here you can use hardbodied lures with a much bigger bib or metal vibes, which are very popular on the mainland. Cast these out long and hard, and give them ample time to sink – this is crucial. Wake the fish up with some good rod tip lifts, and let it fall again to the bottom. Leave it there for a while and repeat. I also like fishing metal vibes off the bottom and in mid-water slowly, and have their action incite a bite from a range of species. Most of the action down south will be around southern bluefin tuna. The area is renowned for its sensational action at this time of year, and May is jumbo time. Last month there were some big tuna caught and some were well over the 100kg magic mark. Look for the big fish to thicken up and then hope

that someone lands a true monster. There were some serious fish around last year, and with another lap of their migratory pattern under their belt they should be massive. These fish will demand that you check your equipment, as they will test it to the limit. Line that has been on reels for some years will need to be replaced, and doubles need to be retied. Inspect all your lure leaders because a nick from old battles or damage in the boat will reduce the breaking strain considerably. Lever drag reels will need the drags re-set, and it’s a good idea to service the eyes of any roller rods you have. This can be done simply by making sure the rollers move freely, and ensure that all of them are sprayed with a small amount of lanolin. MAY 2023 95

South Coast

Lots to do for land-based anglers ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

The south coast has been enjoying a mild autumn, with plenty of calm days and opportunities to go fishing. There have been good numbers of salmon along the coast, with sizes up to around 7kg. Smaller schools have been spotted at local beaches like Salmon Beach and Fourth Beach. The salmon are also being caught by anglers fishing 11 Mile off the reef and, further out of town, Roses

and Munglinup to the west. To the east, there are plenty of fish at Alexander Bay and Thomas River. The salmon will continue to school as we head into winter and the water temperatures change. The best rig is still a standard paternoster with a pilchard on a gang, and a 3/0 circle hook below with a bit of squid on it. This lets you cover all your bases so you can still catch those fussy eaters. If bait fishing isn’t for you, any shiny lure will work such as a Halco Twisty. Weights range from 30-70g depending on the rod you’re using.

There are good numbers of skippy being caught, with samples around that 4kg mark showing up. The best beaches have been Thomas River, Stockyards and 14 Mile. We are also seeing plenty of small bronzies being caught, with Roses and Munglinup beaches producing plenty of bronzies. Out to the east, Thomas River, Poison Creek and Israelite Bay have also been yielding bronzies. There are still plenty of herring around, with local jetties yielding good numbers. Squid are starting to come back in as well, and there are

Oli Stevenson with a trophy mulloway. Image courtesy of @olistevensonn.

plenty of garfish at night. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour is still producing plenty of small King George whiting, smaller herring, flathead and the occasional bream and flounder. The local lakes are still producing numerous bream up to 40cm. Rainfall events have increased the water levels, which has helped to improve the fishing. When it comes to lure choice for the bream, soft plastics are still a standout. We like the Daiwa Bait Junkie 2.5” Minnow in any of the natural colours, rigged on a no 2 hook with a 1/16-1/12oz jighead. A lot of guys are using 4-6lb braid and 4lb leader, but you can still get them on 20lb if you’re rather fish heavier. It’s a trade-off; when you go really light you will lose the bigger fish, but you’ll catch more fish overall. Good leader choices include Black Magic Fluorocarbon and Daiwa J-Thread FC 4-10lb. Moving on to fishing in the bay from a boat, you can get good catches of squid, plenty of sand whiting, and there are also snook and bluefin tuna coming through. Additionally, we are seeing the occasional in-close pink snapper, plenty of queen snapper, sweep and even

Lachy Warren with a healthy gummy caught while salmon fishing. Image courtesy of @lachywarren. some nannygai in around the closer islands at the moment. Out wide, there are good numbers of samsonfish, with plenty of samples over 20-25kg. There are also loads of smaller yellowtail kings (around 8-10kg), plenty of nannygai going 65cm, and good numbers of pink snapper out wide up to 11kg. There are also plenty of breaksea and queen snapper on offer. Looking to the future, we will see the salmon schooling up after they come back from Perth, and they will stay close to the shoreline for a while. Squid fishing will improve with the cooler water temperatures, and we will still see plenty of sambos and yellowtail kingfish coming close to the shoreline.

Shore-based anglers can also start targeting the bigger skippy, which can go up to 7kg, and there are also plenty of small mulloway on offer. If you’re prepared to drive you can go to Cocklebiddy for 3-4 nights and catch bigger models of mulloway, along with good pink snapper. It’s a good trip to make, particularly in summer. • Established in 1986, Southern Sports and Tackle specializes in the supply and servicing of fishing equipment. They have an extensive knowledge of the local area and provide all brands, whether you’re fishing from beach, jetty or boat. Come and chat to the friendly staff at Shop 16, The Boulevard, Esperance or phone 08 9071 3022.

It’s an autumn pink paradise BUNBURY

Whiteys Tackle and Camping

With the opening of the demersal season, thoughts turn to the inshore pink snapper fishery. These pink slabs are in close to shore at the moment and are in large 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-store that are perfect for the job. Once the berley trail is established all you need to 96 MAY 2023

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 sizes are the most common. Black bream are a popular target over winter with the

There are certain plastics on the market that have a large amount of scent built into them to provide the bream a smelly scent-filled target in the dirty water. In this situation some of the most successful plastics would be the Berkley

colours that give off a bit of flash doing the damage. Rigged with a solitary treble hanging off the rear end, these bream magnets will bring the fish from far and wide and with such a small profile lure the hook rate is exceptional! Cast in close to the timber let it sink down, but be ready to strike and engage the bream because he will race out and nail it and be back to his lair given the chance. If you are in the mood for sitting back on the riverbank and chilling out, a small ball sinker running down to a baitholder or shiner hook

This pink snapper was caught landbased on a drone by Scott Storey. laced with a fresh strip of mullet will usually fool these cunning fish. Look for creeks or runoffs feeding into the main branch of the river

Harry Fowler with a decent rainbow trout caught on a ZMan Slam Shady Grub. Collie and Brunswick rivers always holding a few, while they can be tough to find sometimes the quality makes up for it. With the cooler freshwater flowing leading into the river the winter bream do get sluggish and that means time to get out the soft plastics and vibes. Slow your retrieves down using long pauses and small movements are the key to targeting winter bream.

Gulp soft plastics and/ or the ZMan soft plastics smearing in a scent. 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 1/8 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

Kristy Diable with a decent dhufish caught using a Vexed Bottom Meat and a nice fresh piece of occy.

because good chance bream will be waiting to pounce on any offering flowing into the river. Other news on the boating front; dhufish are a hot target with local anglers catching these fish in the 30-35m range. You can target these fish with quality bait like fresh octopus or mullet, otherwise give jigging a go. This method of targeting dhufish is super fun and can entice a bite out of aggression, meaning you can catch fish even when they aren’t feeding! • As always call into the store to get the latest info on where they are biting! And 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 don’t be shy, come on in and say hi, show off your catch and ask any questions you may have.

Salmon are slow running AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

Two schools, two measly schools is all that we have seen of the great salmon run of 2023 so far. They are around, just slowly making their way up the coast with

There are plenty of prizes to be won and anyone can enter, all you need to do is catch a salmon and log it on the Salmon Slam 2023 app. The Hardy Inlet is still producing plenty of whiting, both yellowfin and King George and they are of a pretty good size, which is

legal size to keep with the odd larger fish thrown in. It means that if you want to practice your technique for soft plastic or lure fishing for them you can actually watch the fish as they interact with each other and your lure of choice. This is an excellent way to see what works best. If you want to try bait then whole river prawns always work well. They also love black mussels, cockles and oysters and equipped with a strong set of dentures they don’t mind crunching a bit of shell to get to the meat. Try a variety of things to see what they like best.

A nice tarwhine taken on a bait of mulie pieces off the rocks.

Perfect specimens of salmon prepped and ready for the hot smoker. a few getting around to Denmark but not many heading further along yet. Plenty of the locals have been doing the early morning reccy to their various favourite salmon spot searching for a black mass of hundreds if not thousands of salmon vividly contrasting against the white sands of the shallows as they push along the coast feeding on anything small enough to fit in their mouth. Unfortunately, most have come home without even sighting a single fish. Only a couple of schools and a few small groups are all that have arrived so far. Experience tells us that although the schools are yet to arrive, they will, and all indications are that the Cape currents are pushing cooler water up the coast creating the perfect conditions to have a massive run. As mentioned in previous articles when it comes to salmon large metal slice lures, plugs and poppers are all extremely successful when they are on the bite. It is just a matter of getting a school within casting distance. Target in front of the direction the school is travelling and they will smash your lure. If using bait then the same concept applies but you can let it sit on the bottom and wait for them to find it or wind it along like a live fish. Recfishwest is again hosting the Salmon Slam competition, which is the biggest land-based fishing competition in Australia and spans from March to May.

a bonus. Most have been found on the East Augusta side, around The Sticks and towards Molloy Island. Blue swimmer crabs continue to be prevalent and with the average size of 17cm across the carapace means there is plenty of meat in each crab. West Bay, East Augusta and towards Alexandra Bridge seem to hold the most. Spleen and chicken necks in a bait pot are best bet to avoid stingrays and can last several trips if managed correctly. Black bream have obviously been breeding extremely well in the Blackwood River as there are huge numbers right throughout the system and they are not difficult to locate. I have found that the fish around the jetties are generally around the

Blackwood River black bream spend lots of time in the saltwater making them delicious to eat. If you want to try boat fishing but don’t own a boat then come and see the friendly staff at Augusta Xtreme Boat Hire who can sort you out all manner of water craft for the experienced operator or novice. Part of Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports, you can drop in to the shop in the main street or visit Emma who will be working at our moorings near the Old Town Jetty. No skippers ticket is required to operate most of out boats and basic instructions will soon get you underway. Fishing out in the bays remained off limits

The crabs are big and full of meat at the moment so you only need a couple for a feed.

South Coast

to demersal fishing for the month, however, everyone counted down the days to the next open period starting at Easter with signs that big numbers of pink snapper and dhufish were there to be caught. The weather reports for the next few weeks are for ideal fishing conditions so there are plenty of larger boats planning on hitting the continental shelf for some deep water fishing. Due to the prohibited demersal period fishing in Flinders Bay has revolved around yellow tail kingfish, samson fish and whiting. Sand whiting numbers are great and there are reports of very large King George whiting haunting the same areas. The King George have been mainly caught by anchoring up and berleying when you pick a couple up while on the drift. Squid is by far the bait of choice but they also have shown a liking for mulie pieces. Don’t be afraid to up-size hooks and baits as fish in the 60cm range have a pretty big mouth. The demersals should be prevalent throughout all the reef areas after a break from being targeted. Use your sounder to find a lump that looks likely and drop a soft plastic or bait down. Just remember that there has been a raft of rule changes, make sure you are

familiar with the new size and bag limits in this area. There are also a number of sanctuary areas and restricted use areas in the Ngari Capes Marine Park so ensure you are fishing in an authorised area by downloading and using the maps feature on the Recfishwest app for smart phones. Beach fishing revolves around salmon and herring at this time of the year which attracts a large number of people trying to capture a big fish from the shore. Remember, the beaches are big, the schools will travel from one end of a beach to the other and provide everyone the chance for a catch. Don’t crowd people who are fishing, find your own spot and respect those who have a fish on. Have fun fishing and avoid spoiling what could be someone’s first or only chance at getting one of these iconic fish by trying

rock fishing spots in Augusta so why not take a minimum of gear for a session and go for a walk along the coast trying spots wherever it takes your fancy. Berley them up to bring them around and keep them interested. Find a spot at the rock-walls at the marina, off the granite at Ringbolt Bay, Skippy Rock or Elephant Rock and give it a go. Try using lures or soft plastics if the salmon or herring schools are in, they will hit most things thrown at them this time of the year. • Rock fishing is dangerous at times and careful consideration of where and when you fish must be done. Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor

A decent lure caught 7kg salmon caught by Gavin Gillam, one of several caught. to muscle in on the action. Rock fishing is great during autumn just avoid it if the swells are up or it has been raining. Plenty of bread and butter species, tarwhine and whiting are on the bite so give it a go. There is plenty of

Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta -the local tackle shop, boat hire and font of all local fishing knowledge. Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the BP Service Station in the centre of town. MAY 2023 97

West Coast

Fishing choices are endless METRO

Jacob Crispe

From an angling perspective things feel like they are back to normal. As anglers, with no bans now in place, we can head out to do one of our favourite things and enjoy targeting our favourite species. The fishing in May should not disappoint. SWAN RIVER Cooler temperatures and some rain have changed the fishing patterns in the Swan a little. As more freshwater

and will only change if we get significant rainfall. The species that has really taken to the cooler temperatures has been the bream. Although there are still some good flats fishing for them, they will now transition to the abundant structure on the river’s edge and targeting this structure with lures and bait will be you best option to fish for them. As mentioned, there is plenty of structure around, with the area between South Perth and Dalkeith being a good starting point. Until the rains arrive,

Young Jordan Zahradka with a lovely pink he caught while targeting snapper from the beach with his Dad. metal lures and stickbaits worked pretty quickly will be your best option. You can use small hardbody lures as well. They can be very effective if the faster retrieve is resulting in missed strikes, as you can fish them more slowly. The mulloway fishing just seems to be getting better and better. Like the bream, they will become more structure orientated,

Cameron with an outstanding mahimahi caught on a sneaky mission out to the FADs.

Brodie McDonnell with a true silver ghost of the night caught on his last cast in Cockburn Sound. Point Walter, South Perth, Como and Madora Bay. Small hardbody lures and blades will be your best option as the toadies are still about and will destroy any soft plastics and baits you may use. The tailor fishing will continue to be great option. The area between East Fremantle and South Perth has been the hotspot. Small

No squid are safe when Dom Magoo is on the water. This one was caught out of Freo.

snapper activity along them. Firm hardy baits and an eye on safety (wear a life jacket) can be rewarded with some excellent landbased snapper fishing. Other targets will be squid (less of them but larger in size), tailor (low light periods in particular) herring and skippy (berley the key to success). South Mole and the Fremantle Sailing Club rock walls always produce (all angler levels), while North Mole is popular for

so areas like Causeway, the E Sheds and Mosman Bay that have boat moorings and other artificial structure can hold plenty of fish. With the weather change we have had, the prawning (dabbing) has

The Zahradka boys with a 5-star feed of prawns caught dabbing from a jetty in the Swan River.

Egi Master Chin Moy has taken catching squid to a new level by consistently hitting big squid from the sand! hits the system more of the action will be focused on the lower reaches of the river, however at the time of writing the fishing action is still widespread 98 MAY 2023

the flats fishing for flathead will continue to be good. This will drop away once there is more freshwater in the system. Areas worth trying are

Dwayne Robinson with an epic shot of a mahimahi he caught on jig.

really been on the up and up. The prawns have been a good size and well worth the effort to go and catch. I expect that the good prawning will continue in May. ROCK WALLS AND BEACHES There will be plenty of activity on our rock walls as the cooler weather and storms will increase the

more advanced anglers. A little tip that has stuck with me since I was child in regards to berley, is to soak a rag in fish oil and place it in the water. My dad did this every time we went fishing. The oil slick it creates can really fire the fish up. Give it a try. There will a lot of activity on our beaches. Herring, tailor, sand

Changing targets set for the cold MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

As we begin to see the end of autumn, the winter weather begins to set in and our targetable species change along with it. We can expect to see fewer of the

These spots will produce well when it comes to your normal resident species such as herring, whiting, silver bream and trevally as well. When targeting these fish, a moderately weighted pilchard, prawn or some squid will work well and can often result in some

Silver trevally are great fun on light gear, just ask the Hill brothers who rate them as a target on many of their outings. warm water fish like tailor or numbers of yellowfin sticking around, although the odd fish will still get pulled up and generally be a bigger specimen that is happy hunting on its own. Fishing from the town or Dawesville rock walls is a great option at this time of the year, as the narrow entrances offer great flow of water with tidal movement and will quite often be some of your first spots to clear up of debris as a result.

unlikely by-catch. Anglers should expect that salmon schools will now be passing through these areas, although the quantities of fish coming through may range from evident schools to smaller numbers of singular fish that can be quite shy in their migration. In previous years, a moderately weighted pilchard, scalie or whole herring has worked well and in others it has been the lures that have picked up some of the more finicky

whiting and skippy will become more frequent and their activity gets the other predators, like mulloway and shark interested. In turn this means good fishing for

called “Salmon School Tracker”. If the salmon are around, this page will tell you where they are. INSHORE Our inshore water is a veritable smorgasbord at

fish, which are hesitant in committing to feeding. Pink snapper are another very viable option if you are chasing something different from the stones, with great sized specimen roaming close to shore looking for an easy meal. Quite often pink snapper will patrol such areas, as some of their favourite food sources will get dislodged from the rocks as a result of the heavy surge and can often become a disorientated meal. If you are looking to get some sand between your toes, the beach should produce quite well if you are able to find a section of clean water that is weed free and has some contour to it. Although some of your larger specimen can be harder to target due to the abundance of weed as a result of surge, there is definitely plenty of

bread-and-butter fish to go around. Using your smaller baits, herring, sand whiting and silver bream are plentiful around most beaches from the town and all the way through to your drive on stretches like White Hills or Preston. Chasing some of your bigger specimen like salmon, snapper or mulloway will be very much an option, although you will still need to put a lot of consideration into where you fish and placing your baits into a gutter where it can sit for an extended amount of time. Though at times you can get lucky with regards to hooking up almost immediately after putting your bait in the water, in most cases you will have your best chances where you can soak your bait and let the fish find their way to you. With the larger swells,

Rene is an avid bream angler who lives locally and absolutely loves the challenge of bream on lures.

West Coast

Ryder is a great example of persisting in order to achieve the desired result – he managed to go from one beach personal best to catching an even bigger one after this! it can only be assumed that foraging fish will be looking through overturned sand as it exposes new food sources and offers easy pickings for minimal effort. River fishing is a staple all year long, though it can be challenging for some during certain points of the year. Fishing in Autumn provides ample opportunity for anglers to get stuck into some great sized bream, with there also being a possibility of coming across some of

the elusive river mulloway that frequent the Murray and Serpentine. If you are fishing up the rivers, lightly weighted or unweighted prawns or worms are ideal and will not last long when casted relatively close to structure that provides fish with a sense of security. If fishing lures, you will find that the fish can appear shy, though aggravated and hungry fish will be readily willing to eat a variety of lures you will find in your box.

some quality squid and King George whiting. You may just need to change locations a bit as, in particular, the whiting will move around. Any broken water or

The mighty Z Man, aka Peter Zahradka, with a lovely metro beach pink!

Dom Magoo with an absolute cracker Swan River blue! beach anglers. The other option, although they can be fickle at times, will be Australian salmon. They should turn up? If you love chasing salmon there is a great Facebook page that is worth following

the moment. During the day our shallow reefs will hold plenty of skippy and herring, while these same areas will hold snapper at night. A good berley trail will improve your fishing. Broken ground in 10-12m of water will hold

inshore reef systems along the coastline will have tailor holding in and around it. Metal lures, stickbaits or gang rigged mullies will be your best options to catch them. The bluefin tuna fishing has been on fire

recently and this should continue. The 25-40m line seems to be where they are most prolific. Keep an eye out for birds as they are your best indicator as to where the tuna schools may be located. As you head a little wider (30-50m), reefy areas will hold dhufish (some really big ones are being caught), baldchin groper, breaksea cod, the occasional big King George whiting as well as snapper of all sizes. On top of that,

samson fish, yellowtail kingfish and salmon should all be on the chew. It really is a great time for our inshore anglers. OFFSHORE Our offshore fishing continues to be dominated by the mahimahi fishing around the FADs. Not only has the fishing for them been fantastic, the quality of the fish this year seems to have improved as well. A win-win for anglers fishing for them. Anglers targeting them are generally using live baits

or are casting stickbaits or minnow style lures around the FADs. Deep dropping will be a little more difficult (less weather windows to get out to do it), however this is always a viable option off our coastline and the resulting captures are some of the best eating fish in the sea. May is a fantastic month to get out and wet a line. I hope you all have a chance to do it and I will catch you next month. MAY 2023 99

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Better boating in May LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

May is a great boating month for Lancelin. Whilst we usually see the first storms of winter, the weather in between can be

reduce the take in demersal species. Feedback I am getting is a loss of faith and trust in Fisheries management. Fisheries really have some hard work ahead of them to get back the trust and good will of the fishing public. Minister Don Punch

Most purist fishers put extra prestige to one caught off the cast. With snapper so close to shore, it’s always a great opportunity to be fishing for them from the kayak or small tinny. One thing I find in water depths less than 6m is you need to be quiet,

A 130m drone drop found this knobby snapper. especially fishing from an aluminium boat. Berley is the key to success with snapper, often the longer you fish the

inshore this time of year, you will find them around the bay even in very shallow water. They maraud the schools of

The best baits can be a live squid or herring. They are a great fighter, although not the best on the chew, so most

Autumn tailor run was a blast, plenty of chunky fish happy to take baits or lures.

Ben usually fishes back home in a UK pond for carp, what a session he had catching his first ever saltwater fish!

Even the smaller guitars pull hard. fantastic. There are lots of fish species on offer, also that extra aspect on the water with whales migrating through our region. The first big blow is often late May scouring out the gutters making deep nearshore water great for lure casting off the sand. The downside is the beaches will be fluffed up, narrow and steep. The beaches are already in a poor condition so be extra careful this winter to prevent a serious offroad misadventure… there are already enough artificial reefs along our stretch of coast! Although the water is cooling, the tropical species will still be passing through for the next few months returning to warmer waters. I have not met a fisher yet who likes the plan WA Fisheries came up with to 100 MAY 2023

has put fisheries in a very difficult position. There has been plenty of garfish around in recent weeks, however there has been no word about the review into the take of garfish that was supposed to have happened last year? So, at the time of writing, southern garfish cannot be caught despite it being one of the best months to fish for them locally. The best dhufish catches usually come from out deep this time of year, although the better lumps still hold fish closer to shore. Pink snapper have been going off for the beach fishers, especially for those willing to get up early and cast a line well before the sun rises. These days we delineate between a fish caught off the cast vs drone drops. We are a funny lot us fishers!

better it gets as the berley trail brings them in and holds them in the area. Samson fish move to the

herring and down near Eddies Island and often come in to feed around the jetty, early morning is the prime time.

There has been some fantastic weather between the cold fronts.

people fish them for sport and return them healthily back to the sea. The last several years I have been finding May and June the easiest time to catch Spanish mackerel. Schools of pilchards and blue mackerel can be prevalent around the 17-25m depths. Trolling lures around these schools will catch them, but what has proved most effective is to dead slow troll live baits around the perimeter of the baitfish schools. It is best to be out at first light when the schools will be bubbling on the surface, as the sun rises the activity diminishes. Tuna have had a bit of a comeback after a slow few months and can be found right through the depths with fish not uncommon inside the white bank. Skippy have moved into shallower waters. They don’t like to hang over sandy bottom so fish near reef or weed beds. They can be caught from the shore,

Offshore antics running amok this autumn KALBARRI

Stephen Wiseman

Early morning starts are required to get in amongst the activity of the toothy critters running amuck offshore; wahoo, macks and tuna are still plentiful from the Bluff to north of the Sand Patch. Best time is just after the sun hits the water for the macks and wahoo, with tuna smashing lures umtil well into the day and again just before sundown. Beach fishos have been watching tuna schools busting up bait balls late afternoon from in front of Wittecarra and one lucky angler fishing for tailor managed a mack from the beach. What a nice addition to the bucket there are plenty in the bay too and great fun on light tackle casting small soft plastics or micro jigs. Schools of better size fish can be found out on the white bank and the lumps/ coral patches 25-30m where the micro jigs work really well catching skippy. Big dhus are never shy on grabbing a tiny jig in these depths, so fish a heavy leader because the dhufish will completely inhale the tiny jigs and their teeth will wear through anything under 50lb in short order. The mullet run started early this year bringing along with them plenty of sharks to the nearshore. We have been picking a few up most nights on baits intended for mulloway

of tailor. Mulloway activity is picking up and, with the promise of a river coming down, it will only get better as will all the activity around the river mouth. Watch the muddy water areas as the tide changes, and fish the change of tide as that’s when most of the activity will happen. Whiting activity has been a bit slow but there are still some nice little fat fish to be had on the flats behind frustration and in front of the IGA car park. The rock hoppers and cliff climbers have been doing well with catches of pink snapper and baldchin groupers from south of town, any of the coastal gorges that are accessible will produce good fish but care is needed

A Kalbarri mack caught around the coastal cliffs. along with guitar rays. The guitar rays always blow my fishing customers’ away with the shear pulling power for their size. It’s the best time of year to be catching large mulloway off the beaches. Best chances are a few days leading up to the full moon and around the new moon, although at this time of year so long as you have a bait in the water, anytime of day or night it is a possibility. Fresh bait is always best for mulloway, next best fresh frozen mullet. While we have been

West Coast

when down on the rocks. Try Pot Ally as a good starting hole, it is easy to get down and onto the rock platform to the south side. Upriver has been doing well for mud crabs and a few blue swimmers, just enough for a tasting but a lot of hard work. Big black bream are still around and can put on a good show for their size with a few stretching out to 350mm. Down the coast at Wagoe, macks have been seen jumping just offshore but with the southerlies blowing ballooning has not been an option so it’s a waiting game until the easterlies kick in and then the activity will get hectic. As always take care on the water and make sure you have all the safety gear. having a great run on tailor, now they typically become difficult to catch and unpredictable, often they can be biting mid-afternoon yet none at sunset. They will have released their eggs last month, the majority moving off. As the water cools, larger class fish can be caught along the gutters and reef breaks. There are plenty of herring around now so try hedge your bets each way by baitcasting small pilchards on a gang of 3-4/0 hooks.

Lots of guitars have been stretching the arms of unsuspecting anglers.

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Ben Spadaccini caught a 62cm flathead at Leighton Beach late afternoon. It was caught 4m off the beach on the first cast on a Shimano Vanford on a Daiwa TD Black Pinster 641LFS on a ZMan MinnowZ. MAY 2023 101

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A sea of blue swimmers DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

The blue swimmer crab season is off to a fantastic start with the crabs running before Easter weekend and of all sizes. We had welcomed late wet season storms at the same time that challenged the local crabbers, but those who persisted were well rewarded.

net, whereas I was losing anything up to 70% of my nets to shark damage a session beforehand. Still on crabs, there are some really solid mud crabs being caught, especially on the full moons when the crabs work the creeks at night for a feed. The creeks south of Karratha have been performing very well and with the access roads and tracks dried out, the creeks have become much more

along the channel markers and gas pipelines and all of the ledges and ground in between is fishing really well with the odd species previously mentioned as well as plenty of blueline emperor, coral trout, Spanish flag and bluebone. The bluebone will start to slow down now the water temperature is cooling off as this species are far more active in warmer water. Bluebone can still be caught

John Palermo with a fly fisher’s dream species, a stunning pennant fish. your while to try some switch baiting or trolling lures as there are plenty about. Fly fishing is becoming very popular around the

diamond trevally to name a few. With the endless grounds surrounding the islands of the archipelago, nearshore shoals, mackerel

jack, bonefish, spangled emperor and even coral trout will be the species to target. By the end of May, the king prawns will be turning

The Pilbara region is host to monster GTs, which angler Darren Aliphon proved by fishing large casting poppers. May and June will only increase in size and numbers of the crabs, and they will also move into shallower waters and spread out across the bays. Sharks can be a

accessible. Water temps have cooled off nicely. Since the pictureperfect weather the Pilbara experienced during the wet season, mild weather, lots of

but the effort is greater when line fishing. Spear fishing for bluebone is much easier in the cooler water, and it is during the dry season we start to see many of the large male sultans speared as they become less active and easier targets. The sportfishing is starting to kick into gear with sailfish turning up regularly among the ship anchorage as well as northwest side of the archipelago islands. Numbers will rapidly increase into June setting up nicely for the billfish comps in July and August. I will cover more of the billfish action as we progress but if you are up in Karratha on holiday it is definitely worth

John Palermo with a solid queenfish on fly. Pilbara region with many species being great targets. Firstly, the blue bastard, one of the most sought-after species among fly fishers, followed by queenfish, spangled emperor, trevally, mangrove jack, bonefish, permit, pennant fish and

islands, multiple creeks and flats, the Pilbara coastline is a fly fisherman’s dream location. The fishing is evenly spread across the two seasons with plenty of fish to target in each of the weather conditions. As we head into the dry season, mangrove

Golden trevally are a tough fish pound-forpound, landing them on fly is no easy feat. problem at times with the drop net baits luring them in and destroying the nets. Fishing for blue swimmers, I have learnt to run a very light gauge bait clip, the opposite I run for mud crabs. The reason is the sharks rip at the bait and the bait clip fails early, leaving your drop net in relatively good condition. After a few crabbing sessions of testing this method, the sharks destroyed one 102 MAY 2023

rain and no cyclones has all resulted in the demersals, such as red emperor, rankin cod, saddletail seaperch and the like, moving into shallower water earlier than usual. Some really good examples have come from depths around the 20-30m mark, which is great as the distance needed to travel is much less. In fact, the fishing for demersals from the iron ore and gas ports,

Darren Aliphon having fun with Pilbara coral trout on jigs.

up in Nickol Bay and around to Point Samson. The prawns can be targeted from boats using dab nets and bright lights shone into the water or cast nets from the shore or even the Back Beach boat ramp walkway. The prawns run from May through to August and an easy way to pick the better days is by using the expertise of the trawler fisherman, when they are out, the prawns should be running. Next month’s article I will endeavour to bring some insight into the mangrove jack fishing in Karratha. The creek populations have been exploding over the last couple of years and it is not uncommon to see schools of jacks in the mangrove shaded creek edges while either incoming or outgoing tides are running. They congregate in these areas and strike at any food that comes past, and this is a great way to entice a strike by replicating it with lures or unweighted baits.

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

Billfishing remains steady INTUITIVE CONTROL EXMOUTH

West Coast

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

INTUITIVE CONTROL

Barry Taylor

This month’s report has been supplied by Connor Luff. GameX has been run and won, and there was a good turn-out this year. It started off pretty windy for the first couple of days, but then the weather game good, so everybody got a good crack. Out of the 237 billfish tagged, there were 161 black marlin, 68 sailfish, seven blue marlin and one striped marlin. There were 59 pointscoring fish weighed in, which included Spanish mackerel, shark mackerel, school mackerel, queenfish, golden trevally, cobia, dolphinfish, yellowfin tuna, striped tuna, wahoo, barracuda, spangled ALBERTON

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Maccy Dave has been putting his clients onto some good mackerel, but it was a surprise when a jobfish showed up as well. Image courtesy of @Maccydave. BRAESIDE

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MAY 2023 103

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Dry, hot summer punishes winter freshwater fish FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

The west coast of Australia experienced one of the driest summers on record and, although the coastal areas remained quite cool, the inland areas were hotter than normal. This is not

of the smallest over there at 366GL. Having said that, it seems that judging by the reports coming in, the fishing has not been that bad with both trout and redfin showing up in a few locations. AUSSIE NATIVES Not too many reports coming through of late. The cooler water has the opposite

secure a meal. You had to be quick on the fly as they were so fast. The lazy anglers would often find it difficult to hook one of these superb conditioned rainbows. I find on occasions this still occurs if you happen to be there at the right time. The planned small trout stocking should improve things in winter.

Brown trout are being stocked in increasing numbers throughout the dams. Wendy Jane caught this little one while trolling in 8m of water using a yellow winged Tassie Devil.

A well-conditioned rainbow caught by the author fly fishing as the moon rose after midnight at Wellington Dam. an ideal situation when it comes to trout fishing our freshwater locations. Warm dry summers normally result in excessive use of water by the irrigators with our dams having reflected this by being quite

effect to trout as all these species except Murray cod seem to be less active this time of the year. Still there’s plenty around if you know where to look. Don’t expect big expanses of water as most are caught

Predicted Dam Levels for South West WA Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 50.7% at the end of March compared to 58.9% as of the same time last year. Perth and the South West has experienced a record dry period, placing a huge strain on irrigation needs. Some very heavy rains fell in late March with mainly inland areas receiving the better falls. Our dams are very low and good rains are needed this winter. WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM low from the lack of rain we experienced. The rivers have also suffered with most being very low as well. Late March heavy rains hit throughout the inland parts with widespread falls from 50-130mm. This was followed up by falls from 10-50mm only a week later, which fell in the same area, and also closer to the coast where our dams are located. A recent trip to the East Coast fishing a number of their dams reinforced just how little water we have here in the South West. Our irrigation dams only hold around 300GL when full, so a comparison would be Windemere Dam near Mudgee NSW being one 104 MAY 2023

43% 86% 62% 57% 54% 35% 58% in small lakes and dams throughout the South West. DAMS Waroona Dam It is very low at the moment with large exposed banks not offering any incentive for trout to come to the edges. The exception being when they are chasing gambusia in very shallow water. I remember back in the early 1980s at this very dam when we would look forward to the exciting fly-fishing in autumn. Trout that averaged around a kilo would chase schools of these little invasive species, and in some cases would nearly beach themselves in the attempt to

Drakesbrook Weir I haven’t fished this little water for some time, however local angler Jonah Chiera has been keeping a close eye on the place. He reported that the water level has been fluctuating recently and apart from a few rises in the late afternoon the fishing has been quiet. He hasn’t been able to get his kayak out to the deeper areas where most of the bigger redfin tend to hold. This water needs a decent stocking and although trout stocks are limited this year (due to a revamp at the Hatchery) there will be enough to provide limited sport. Harvey Dam A few good trout have

Most West Australians are happy to go camping, but adding a session of fishing improves the experience. This photo tells it all. been caught around Quarry Bay, Nicholson Point and Winter Creek Bay. The trick is to move around until

you find where they are holding. I have most of my success when fly-fishing of an evening by first locating

Some of the author’s favourite flies he uses in WA waters. Start with the smaller ones then change up sizes as it gets dark.

the schools of rainbows and trolling during the day. Then I come back at sunset to fish the adjacent bank, as the trout come in closer when it darkens. I tend to favour a small killer pattern like a Mrs Simpson or Hamils Killer but change to a larger Craig’s Night Time or Woolly Bugger when it gets dark. Redfin are being caught with the better sizes falling victim to the ever more popular technique of dropshotting. This is one of my favourite techniques I mastered around 10 years ago and boated over 60 redfin when I was spot-locked on a school in 15m of water in this very dam. Wellington Dam I am planning a 4-day trip to this dam so will report in the next issue. Meanwhile the reports are that trout are being caught from the Yabberup arm, as well as Farm Bay and Hamilton River arm. The new

boating laws have prohibited skiing on this water and the use of any petrol-powered vessels with a motor greater than 6hp. The use of electric powered vessels are allowed, which is a rule that I managed to get Department of Transport to change as the previous ruling prohibited even electric powered vessels outside the ski area. It’s

this spot as the rewards can be low. I tend to fish it occasionally and always manage a trout or two. Some nice redfin hold in the deeper sections so a good sounder is a must. Water is very low at present. Lake Kepwari Redfin are the only target species with some nice size specimens coming out on occasions. The top end where

West Coast

being caught, however size can be on the small side. RIVERS Murray River Trout have been elusive in the main section with the occasional little rainbow being spotted in Nanga Brook. Redfin are holding in the deeper sections with far upstream being better for the larger fish. Casting soft plastics around the logs in the

Big West Australian Murray cod are around if you know where to look. This is the time of the year when the big ones are caught. over summer but I would give it a miss as low water flows result in poor quality fishing. Collie River above Wellington Dam Some great redfin are still being caught in the vicinity

year to explore this system as the first rains fire some action. Look for the faster sections of water from Bridgetown to Nannup with the latter being the preferred option. Large flies and lures are preferred if

recently. Look for places away from the popular spots with the more inaccessible runs holding some fish. They have been hard to tempt but this month should see better flows and less wary trout.

The Blackwood River can be productive at times as not many people fish it. Don’t expect large numbers but the trout are normally a decent size. Photo courtesy Kurt Blanksby still not clear if bass style boats or larger boats like my Stacer Crossfire that has a large heavy petrol-powered motor mounted on the rear is allowed, even though it has a bow mounted Minn Kota electric motor on the front. I’ve had no issues at other electric powered dams so would expect Wellington

the river flows in can be a good area to head for if you have a boat or kayak. Petrol powered vessels are allowed as it’s a skiing dam as well. Big Brook Dam This water fished well even over summer. A few trout are still getting caught despite the heavy angling pressure it receives. Fly

deep pools is the go. Northern Jarrah Streams This is the time of the year when you will see trout moving up from the number of dams dotted along the escarpment. Small lures and flies on ultra light gear is how to attack these streams that can be heavily overgrown in sections.

A typical wild rainbow trout from a Northern Jarrah stream with the crimson colouring. These waters haven’t been stocked for many decades

Eric Kirsch with two large redfin he caught spinning a South West river. This is the time of the year when redfin are very active. would be the same. Some big redfin are getting caught but this is dependent on area and as this water is over 20km long it’s all trial and error. Glen Mervyn Dam Not many anglers fish

fishing can be fun up the back section with a few trout taking any of the wet patterns. Spin fishers are also managing the odd one using small-bladed spinners or soft plastics on light jigheads. Redfin are

Brunswick River It had a stocking so worth a look above the highway bridge. Collie River below Wellington Dam This section fished well

of the town. Casting into the structure with any of your favourite lures will produce fish of varying sizes. Being on the water gives you better options as you can move around with ease. Preston River Reports have been low recently, however some nice little trout have shown up in the faster sections around Donnybrook. Capel River Good redfin are being caught around the winery but most are keeping tight lipped about captures. Blackwood River This is the time of the

the water is dirtier. Warren River A few trout are still being caught right through the system but redfin are a more reliable option with some large models being caught in the larger pools. As with most situations those with kayaks or small tinnies are experiencing most of the action. Don’t be fussy on style of lure as most of the popular ones are working. Soft plastics are easier on the hip pockets and get down deep fast. Lefroy Brook Has been very low and receiving a lot of pressure

Donnelly River Low upstream with any options being down below the permanent streams that flow in. Boat Landing has been quiet with saltwater species offering most of the action. That wraps up another month and as can be seen there are a lot of areas that hold fish. Don’t expect large numbers as the fishing can be limited. There’s something to be said about sitting around a campfire on a chilly night with a nice red, port or a whisky talking over the days fishing with family or friends. Until next time, stay connected. MAY 2023 105

A day with Carl Jocumsen: Bassmaster Classic FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Now that I’m back from the 2023 Bassmasters Classic in Knoxville, Tenessee, I’m forced to have a bit of down time. Thank you USA-strain COVID! So I thought this might be a good time to tell y’all about the day I spent marshalling Australia’s latest Bassmaster Classic qualifier – Carl Jocumsen. To be honest, this was the part of the trip that I was looking forward to the most. The other end of a journey that started when we met Carl in his mid-teens at Cressbrook Dam. He was always asking Phil Lomas too many questions as he was trying to capture the Schofield-won Grand Final in 2000. I think that I may have signed every single cheque that Carl won in his years of tournament fishing in Australia – from the $500 he won at Moogerah dam for Big Bass in an electric tournament to the $5,000 that he won at the Lake StClair Grand Final that catalysed his stateside journey. We’re just a small part of an army of people that wanted Carl’s passion to turn into success. And what an ambassador for hard work and being Australian he is. Carl reckons that he isn’t superstitious, so I’m unsure if he wanted someone he knew in the boat or not. Maybe it’s easier to go with a random marshal that you don’t really need to interact with? But the BASS media crew saw it fit to pair Aussie marshals with the Aussie angler. The logic is sound. So, it’s my pleasure and duty now to relay that experience. You can see the fishing bits on the video I shot during the day. Carl had Scott, his own media guy following around, so mine’s done with poor audio. It’s on the ABT YouTube channel if you want to watch it.

Running down the lake on Day 1 of Carl’s first Bassmaster Classic and I wondered if Carl should have his shoelaces tied. But the eventual result was kind of beside the point – it was great to be on the water and see what an angler that Carl has developed into over the years. Apart from spending a practice day with him at a Cal Delta Elites event many years ago, I reckon that the last time in a boat together was in a BREAM Queensland Open or an AFC pre-fish. I had no white hairs and he had no neck beard! The days start early. For a 7:30am start, the marshals meet at the boat yard to be bussed to the ramp at 4:15am. From there, you wait until you’re allocated a pro and you jump in the boat as they drive past. Kayla, Carl’s wife, dropped us in and it was about a kilometre of idle to the start. Tying up to the dock, it’s a stream of interviews with daughter, Rivah, on board. Kayla’s mum brought her down until Kayla could make it back. Carl did maybe half a dozen with various media. Dave Mercer was booming across the PA in the background, interviewing favourites and crowd favourites, until it started to settle down and the American National Anthem echoed across the river valley in Downtown Knoxville and the crowd silenced.

Gallery player. Carl landed a couple of non-scorers for the BASS chase camera boat. 106 MAY 2023

By this stage, thousands lined the riverbank and as it ended, they started to cheer. Carl’s reception from the crowd – and particularly the vocal Australian contingent of around 30, flag waving, kangaroo-wielding, screaming fishing tragics who had travelled to the other side of the globe to share this moment – was moving. It’s at the start of the highlights video. Y’all made an impression. You could hear it in Carl’s voice at the weigh-in. But that was at least nine hours away. After a couple of hundred metres of idling, it was blast-off and time for a 30-minute run downstream with the foot to the floor. Carl knew where he wanted to start and had everything planned for any contingency. He was confident and had done his homework. The tournament arena was two lakes. Fort Loudon Lake that snaked downstream for about 40 miles where it joined Lake Tellico right near the dam wall. The two lakes are joined by a short canal about a kilometre long. This is where Carl’s BARRA Tour teammate and fellow Elite angler, Jeff ‘Gussy’ Gustafson, won a blue trophy and $100,000USD the last time the tour visited this arena. Word on the street was that the smallmouth bite that he rode to victory then wouldn’t stand up in the Classic. If this is what the fellow anglers were saying, around 15 of them didn’t believe it. The canal seemed crowded first up. Carl pulled up in around 20 feet of water near the bridge and slowly drifted in a slight current as he bounded from the driver’s seat. He is, and has always been, very organised. All of the rods that he’d planned to use for the day were laid out

and freshly tied – spinning rods on one side and baitcast rods on the other. Carl is very loyal to his tackle sponsors. Millerods, Shimano reels, Bassman spinnerbaits and Humminbird sounders were all in eyeshot. I’m pretty sure that Carl didn’t used to mumble to himself while he was fishing, but he definitely does now. Same as a lot of us. You know what we all say … if you need expert advice, ask yourself. But in reality, I think that he was just talking through his plans and solidifying his thoughts. Either that or he was talking to me and my hearing has gone and he now thinks I’m a rude idiot. But the marshalling instructions were clear. No offering information on the lake or helping with the fishing. Strangely, I was allowed to get up and hand feed him a sandwich if I wanted? But if I saw a fish bust up next to the boat, a bass on a bed or anything else remotely interesting, you had to shut up. And I was determined not to be the one who got Carl disqualified from his first Classic. And he didn’t eat all day. I only saw him drink once. “We’ll leave here at 9:30 for the next spot,” Carl said. He was hoping to get a fish or two early in the canal, but it seemed quiet, apart from a couple of nudges and a smattering of fish on his Humminbird Live. Carl definitely doesn’t waste time between spots. Or, in fact, at all during the day. It’s rod down, jump into the seat and hammer down. We pulled up to his ‘money spot’. It was the base of an old silo that would have been flooded when the lake filled, sitting on a point in about 20 feet of water. You could see that Carl was excited. “It’s going to happen here,” he mumbled

as he picked up “Gussy special” on a spin rod and dropped it to a school of smallmouth bass that his Mega Live showed to be lifting off the bottom. The bass rose, looked at the bait, rejected it. “That’s not good,” Carl mumbled. After a few more drops, he switched baits to a smaller profile and landed a non-keeper. After that, he picked up a Ned-rigged plastic and landed a 17 3/4” smallie on the first cast. It was 1/4” short of the legal keeping size. Then the fish shut down. Carl was a little bit frustrated at this but assumed that he was at the spot too early. “The last time I checked these fish it was sunny and closer to midday,” he said. It was now time to run and gun some of the other spots he’d identified in practice and pre-practice.

Carl wasn’t allowed to look at BassTrakk, but I was, and I could see that nearly all of the field (apart from Gussy with 17 and change) were at about 8lb or less. It was fishing brutally tough. Eventually, Carl scratched out a 14 1/4” largemouth on a jig on a busted up old brushpile. I reckon that this was one of the most important fish he’d ever caught. It meant that he had a fish to weigh at the Bassmaster Classic and he could now take that journey he’d always dreamed of with a weigh-in bag. After a while, curiosity got the better of Carl and he ran back to see if his silo-smallies were in a better mood. They were probably a 20km run away. They were definitely there and they were definitely still difficult to catch. Carl then ran some new water, identifying long, submerged points on his

Carl’s first stop was around the bridge in the canal that joined the two lakes. Just like a BREAM event. He fished shallow points laden with stumps with a 6” MagDraft. He fished docks and laydowns with his Molix jig. He threw crankbaits and jerkbaits at brushpile fish that he identified clear-as-day on his forward facing sonar. “These ones look a lot like crappie,” he said as he set the hook, as if on cue, on a mega crappie. He fished a particular deep-timber pile twice with all of those techniques. “I landed a 4-pounder here in practice,” he lamented. To be honest, his decisions all seemed sound and we seemed to always be on fish. Just not the right ones to win the Classic on.

Humminbird LakeMaster charts. On about the third stop, he pitched to a blob he saw 20’ in front of the boat on his LIVE and set the hook on what ended up being an 18” smallmouth. “Now we’re talking,” he said. He threw a few more casts and then stopped and decided that it was time to gas-up for the trip home. Later, when I asked Carl why he didn’t continue with the pattern that had just yielded him a 3-pounder, he said, “I’ve fallen for that trap before and spent hours chasing another one of those ‘random’ fish. It’s just not a pattern here.” On the way to the

marina, Carl dropped in and chatted to Gussy. “I got 5 smallies,” Gussy said, in his best Canadian accent. Neither of them knew that he had a near-seven pound lead on the rest of the field at that time. After filling up, Carl then started to run some water in Fort Loudon on the way

back to the finish. He jacked an undersized smallmouth and another undersized largemouth off one dock with a roving camera boat beside him and Robbie Floyd commenting. Gallery player. He landed a final, scorable largemouth off a shallow, rocky flat on a small, bream sized crankbait

(a Rapala OG Tiny Flat Side). I was proud. His bream training had paid off, even though he looked uncomfortable throwing it. “Lots of the field will be doing this to catch a 7-pound limit, but that’s not what’s going to win the Classic,” he said. Carl was very meticulous to not fish too fast.

“You have to run a lot of spots but you have to slow down enough to fish them thoroughly when you get there,” he said. He practiced what he preached. Ran fast, fished slow, maximised his fishing time and checked in with 5 seconds left on the clock. “That was a little too close,” he said,

after misjudging the check-in point. Were there regrets with three fish for under 6lb in the livewell? “Jeez, it was hard on nearly everyone,” he said, as he looked at BassTrakk for the first time in the day. He pulled up next to in-law Brandon, who only had two bass in the box,

and another angler who had donutted. He was definitely disappointed to not catch a limit, but framed the moment in perfect perspective. “I get to fish the Classic and I get to walk across that stage that I’ve always dreamed of,” he lamented. And that, I reckon, is a pretty perfect result.

Tournament Calendar 2022 DATE

Tournament

Location

State

Contact

2-4 May

Daiwa BREAM Aus Open

Sydney Harbour

NSW

abt.org.au

6-7 May

BREAM R4

Hawkesbury River

NSW

abt.org.au

7 May

BASS Electric R3

Lake Macdonald

QLD

abt.org.au

20-21 May

BASS Pro R3

Boondooma Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

23-24 May

BASS Pro R4

Somerset Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

28 May

ECBS 3rd Round

St Georges Basin

NSW

wsbb.com.au

3-4 Jun

BREAM R5

Lake Macquarie

NSW

abt.org.au

5 Jun

ECBS Tackle Addiction

Hawkesbury River

NSW

wsbb.com.au

17-18 Jun

BREAM R6

Blackwood River

abt.org.au

24-25 Jun

BREAM QLD Open

Moreton Bay/Gold Coast

QLD

abt.org.au

BREAM R7

Gladstone

QLD

abt.org.au

19-20 Aug

BREAM R8

Gold Coast

QLD

abt.org.au

20 Aug

BASS Electric R4

Hinze Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

9-10 Sep

BASS Pro R5

Hunter River

NSW

abt.org.au

12-13 Sep

BASS Pro R6

Lake St Clair

NSW

abt.org.au

24 Sep

ECBS Shimano Round

Botany Bay

NSW

wsbb.com.au

29-30 Sep

BARRA R1

Lake Tinaroo

QLD

abt.org.au

1 Oct

BARRA R2

Lake Tinaroo

QLD

abt.org.au

7-8 Oct

BASS Electric GF

Wyaralong Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

15 Oct

ECBS Grand Final

Sydney Harbour

NSW

wsbb.com.au

28-29 Oct

BASS Pro GF

TBC

QLD

abt.org.au

23 Nov

BARRA R3

Teemburra Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

10-12 Nov

BREAM GF

Port Stephens

NSW

abt.org.au

24 Nov

BARRA R4

Kinchant Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

26 Nov

BARRA R5

Peter Faust Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

28-29 Nov

BARRA R6

Peter Faust Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

MAY

JUNE

JULY 22/23 Jul AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au Just supply a date, venue, tournament name, telephone number and contact name.

MAY 2023 107

Ewen Maddock Fish Stockers Teams Tournament

It was a perfect day at Baroon Pocket Dam for the Ewen Maddock Fish Stockers Teams Comp held on 19 March. There were 24 teams in boats and kayaks who slugged it out. The eventual winners Team Battle Yakers who took home the $750 cash 1st prize. Paul and Carl from Battle Yakers said the edge bite was overrun with spangleys so they headed out to deeper water to try their luck. Paul also won the biggest bass prize of a $150 Yak Hunters Australia voucher with his best fish going 380mm. On top of cleaning up

the competition and supporting the stocking group. It was a great morning had by all with a magnificent sausage sizzle at the prize presentation topping it off. Thanks also to BCF, Sharppoint Jigheads, Estuary Clothing Co, Berserk Australia, Yak Hunters Australia and Ankhor Clothing for all the fantastic prize donations. – Tenpin (Steve Bolin)

on the major prizes, Paul also caught his bass on his own Yabinator 70mm Vibe on a super slow troll. Carl caught his best fish on a Gold StumpJumper and this ultimately secured Team Battle Yakers the number one spot. Second place went to Team Estuary Clothing Co who won $350 in cash. Team Muzza & Holmes took out third place and won $200 cash. Thanks to all the competitors for entering

Tagging Tales Suntag is a world leading citizen science volunteer fish tagging program that is part of an Australian program that has tagged over 1,000,000 fish and was the first volunteer

program in the world to reach that milestone. Data collected through the program is used to improve our knowledge base of recreational fishing by providing near real time information on the status

Brought to you by of coastal estuaries and inland impoundments. Thanks to the fish, we can provide you with some interesting stories that they tell. OFFSHORE SPECIES The Suntag tagging

program includes many different species and because of that we have an incredible insight into many fisheries. This saddletail snapper was initially captured in the waters of Turkey Beach in Central Queensland. For

the next three and a bit years it travelled and grew, eventually being recaptured 37 kilometres away on the offshore grounds. It grew 41cm in that time. All invaluable and interesting information to anglers. Check out the growth on the tag in the image. WHAT TO DO IF YOU CATCH A TAGGED FISH The information you will need to report your recapture is. The length of the fish and the location it was captured. 108 MAY 2023

Get a photo if possible. To report the details of your recapture you have two options: Call 1800 077001 or go to www.crystalbowl. infofishaustralia.com. au/suntag/recaptures/ recapture_form_1.html and fill in the form. In return you will receive a certificate providing the details of the tagging and recapture of your fish, as a thank you for providing the information.

ECBS ROUND 1 RESULTS Finally, time to start our fishing tournaments again! The Bill Maguire Memorial Round was held on 26 March at Sydney Harbour. As the name suggests, the first round of the East Coast Bream Series is dedicated to Bill Maguire. The team

first place and a cheque for $2,500. “After finding out that the bag size was reduced to 3 fish we knew straight away that we needed to change up our game plan. We decided to stay east of the bridge all day targeting oyster encrusted

Winners are grinners! Team Lowrance/Sunline took home two cheques and a fishing voucher! thanks Lesley Maguire for presenting the perpetual trophy, as well as providing the prize packs for the day. ECBS have changed the catch from 5 fish to 3 fish for this year. It was a decision that caused mixed feelings within the fishing fraternity but it appears that the results across the board made the event a lot closer. There was a great turnout of 57 teams and all new teams enjoyed the social aspect to the event. It is always great to see anglers chatting before and after the event. Congratulations to all the winning teams. FIRST PLACE Michael Colotoures, Robert Patruno, Theo Colotoures of Team Pheonix Boats took out TOP TEN PLACINGS Place Team 1 Pheonix Boats 2 Flat Nacky 3 Lowrance / Sunline 4 Outcastin 5 Stingin For Fishin 6 Aussie Bass Clasic 7 Power Pole / Daiwa 8 Stealth’n’Sherman 9 Couple of Old Guys 10 On the Chew/Nulook Floors

banks, poles, pontoons, to target big fish only,” said Michael. “The morning started off a little slow but we still had our bag within 30 minutes, but their size was lacking. “The big fish decided to come out and play around 10am for us with an hour window landing 3 big fish all around that kilo mark. “It was good to take out the first win for the series, even better knowing that 3 fish or 5 ain’t gonna slow us down!” SECOND PLACE Team Flat Nacky consisting of Steven Cole and Daniel McLovin Hayes placed in second spot just shy of the top spot weight with 3 fish for 2.92kg – only 11g between them! The team took home $1,200 for their efforts. THIRD PLACE Greg Beattie and Toufick Hachem of Team Lowrance/ Sunline took home multiple cheques for their session – $800 for third place position, $200 for the Biggest Bream and another $50 voucher from Kingswood Sports Club. “We started our day east of the bridge using Cranka Crabs on rocky outcrops and poles. We also used the Active Target to confirm

Lesley Maguire presents the Bill Maguire Memorial Trophy to this year’s winners, Team Pheonix Boats. poles worth casting to,” said Greg. “Touf landed our anchor fish of 1.4kg on his first cast of the day. The pitifully small rising tide kept us east of the bridge waiting to move west and leaving a lot of places we would normally fish on the way back high and dry. “We made do with what we could fish with OSP Bent Minnows. WE saw a few fish come up that would have helped us but they just would not commit. We caught a few more fish but couldn’t better what we already had picked up on the crabs earlier

in the day.” FOURTH PLACE Team Outcatin, Gary Nano and Adam Viksne, were happy with their fourth

the way before we headed back for a final go at the bridges where we got an upgrade before heading back to weight in.”

Toufick Hachem caught the big bream for the session, weighing 1.43kg. spot and a cheque for $600. Gary talked through their day, “We decided to start fishing bridges early on but only managed a few small ones so decided to fish the rocky edges for most of the day. We managed to pick up a few good ones along

Flat Nacky took out second place. Anglers Michael Colotouros, Robert Patruno, Theo Colotouros Steven Cole, Daniel McLovin Hayes Greg Beattie, Toufick Hachem Gary Nano, Adam Viksne George Agatho, Chris Skapetis Lachlan Latham, Michael Gauci, Nick Toole Mark Crompton, Glenn Ross, Grant Kime Craig Snudden, Mick Snell, Riley Ganderton John Picton,Greg Silva,Graham Franklin Zac O’Sullivan, Ryland Sanisbury, Rodney O’Sullivan

Fish 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Weight (kg) 3.03 2.92 2.61 2.49 2.42 2.38 2.36 2.28 2.27 2.17

Points 200 199 198 197 196 195 194 193 192 191

KINGSWOOD SPORTS BIG BREAM This year there is a big bream award for each round. Winners get $200 plus a $50 gift voucher from Kingswood Sports Club. Third place Team Lowrance/Sunline, Greg

OOD SPO GSW RTS KIN

For full results and placings go to www.wsbb.com.au MAY 2023 109

BARRA OPEN presented by

BARRA AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Team Tracker win Venom BARRA Australian Team Tracker, which consists of Biloela’s Kris Lassig and Calliope’s Anthony Pelling weighed six barramundi over three days to win the Venom Rods BARRA Australian Open on Gladstone’s Lake Awoonga. Taking the $5,000 winner’s purse and the perpetual trophy, this was their third year fishing the Open, with their levels of

Kris had just popped out of the weed that clued the boys into the pattern that yielded all of their catches. Anthony and Kris used both baitcast and spin tackle to put barra in the boat and points on the board. Anthony showed his baitcast rig, which consisted of a Lews reel on a Dobyns Champion 744 rod. He spooled it with 30lb Sufix 832 braid and a Sunline

Fastach clips. Although successful at the Open, this year isn’t the year that they’ll have a crack at the full BARRA Series. “It’s definitely on the cards in the future, but it won’t happen this year,” Kris concluded. GLADSTONE FLY AND SPORTFISHING SECOND Local guides and content creators are on a bit of

Anthony Pelling with a fat, Awoonga barra ready for release. All fish are photographed and measures on the official ruler snd released at the point of capture. a hiding to nothing when it comes to tournament fishing. If they win, everyone expects it and if they lose they risk their guiding credibility. So, a second place for Corey Gooch and Dean Silvester (Team Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing) was probably right in the sweet spot.

Leon Mittlwhouser’s Big Barra was a real showstopper. Measuring 124cm and with an allocated weight of 30.27kg, it was a great time to land a PB fish. It ate a Molix shad at the mouth of Futter creek. success varying as wildly as the moods of the barra they chase. “Our first Open was the one that was split between Monduran and Awoonga. We came to see what it was about and caught a few fish,” Kris said. The second year was a fizzer, with no barra being converted into points after biting. It was a donut for Team Tracker. But it was third time lucky for the duo – their 6/15 bag for 60.22kg, nearly 14kg clear of the rest of the field. “It’s a surreal feeling, but a good one, I’m still shaking,” said Kris after the presentation. The pair started the event fishing barra sitting around sunken trees, but a move to the weedy margins of Futter Creek and a barramundi eating a soft plastic bait that

FC100, 60lb fluorocarbon leader. The lure was a Shads Lures Hollowshads 7” in ayu that he rigged on a Barambah 7/0, 3/8oz jighead and a Decoy YS81 #2 stinger hook. Kris preferred a spin rod to pop the bait out of the weed and trigger the bites. Scan the QR code to see the Champion Team Tracker

He used a Dobyns Champion XP705 paired with a Daiwa Caldia and spooled with the same Sufix line and FC100 leader. His Shads bait was a 6” Hollowshad in silver flash. He added an extra Mustad swivel between the stinger hook and the eyelet. Both anglers used the Mustad

Team Samaki’s Tommy Wood and Josh Lowry went from last place to third on the final session with a 4-barra rally. Daily Big Barra winners were rewarded with a Venom rod.

RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 110 MAY 2023

Their 4/15, 46.47kg was accumulated on the first and second day, finishing with a blank scorecard on day 3. Corey says that this is typical for Awoonga this year. “The fish seem to be always changing on this lake this year. You find

Team Tracker Gladstone Fly and Sportsfishing Samaki LJs Compleat Angler Gladstone Dobyns Rods Fish With Me Barra Bandits Barra Boys Blacklisted Samurai

Anglers Anthony Pelling/Kris Lassig Corey Gooch/Dean Silvester Tommy Wood/Josh Lowry Liam Jones/Leon Mittlehouser Mick Slade/Ben Wilcox Marc Edmonds/Matt Dow Moz Khan/Glen Smith Josh Towie/Thomas Ryan Adam Sharam/Frazer Ryan Rob March/Terry Allwood

Full results at abt.org.au

Fish 6/15 4/15 4/15 1/15 2/15 3/15 2/15 2/15 2/15 2/15

Weight (kg) 60.22kg 46.47kg 41.13kg 30.27kg 28.98kg 24.68kg 22.41kg 21.95kg 18.65kg 16.00kg

Payout $5,000 $2,500 $2,000 $1,500 + $500 big barra $1000

BARRA OPEN presented by

Open on Lake Awoonga them and a week later they’re gone. When we are chartering, you nearly need to start from scratch every time,” he said. The team had found a couple of solid patterns the week leading up to the event – one on topwater frogs and another on deeper, schooling fish. Both patterns seemed to slow right down during the event. “The frog bite may have died due to boat traffic, but

Dean likes throwing Slick Rigs and Zerek Live Mullets to the more open water fish while Dean prefers to cast a Molix 140 Shad into the weed edges and rip them out. SAMAKI’S COMEBACK TO THIRD Team Samaki, Tommy Wood and Josh Lowry, donutted the first two days of competition, but a final day 4-fish bag (4/15, 41.13kg) rocketed them up to 3rd

BARRA AUSTRALIAN OPEN

last day that we ended up fishing a weed edge where the barra were hemming bait against the edge,” said Lowry, “The fish were biting the soft plastics as we cast them along or out from [and winding back into] the weed edge.” The bait of choice was a 6” paddle-tailed plastic with a 5/8oz head that Josh fished on a Samaki C12 7021BMH rod and Shimano Curado 150DC reel loaded with X

Kris Lassig is from Biloela, but sure knows his way around a barramundi. His first fish cracked the pattern for the boys.

Winners of the Venom Rods BARRA Australian Open take home $5,000 cash and get the perpetual trophy for the following year. There’s smaller trophies that they get to keep as a memento as well. the deep fish should have held up,” Gooch mused. Gooch’s gear was exactly the same that he uses on his charters. In the baitcast department a Combat V2 ATC reel matched with a Venom 6kg rod while in the spin arena it’s an ATC4000 reel and a 15-30 Bladen-Tails rod.

of the teams that look like they may also compete in the rest of the Zerek BARRA Series throughout the year. MITTLEHOUSER’S MAMMOTH When news of Leon Mittlehouser’s 124cm (30.27kg) barra hit social media, it went viral. Thousands of people saw, liked and shared the beast that came from the

pole and there was a fair proportion of the fight where we thought that we were going to lose it, but this was a fish that was just meant to be. It swam away strong and it’s still in there for someone else to enjoy down the track,” Leon concluded. It gave him serious bragging rights over teammate, Liam Jones, from

place and the $2,000 cheque that accompanied it. The bag was anchored by a 106cm (15.27kg) barra that Wood landed in the dying minutes of the competition. “We’d spent two and a half sessions targeting hundreds of deeper fish that we could see on LiveScope and it was only late on the

EXTRA PORTRAIT PIC NEEDED PLEASE

Team Samaki’s Tommy Wood shows the fish which cracked their pattern on the last day of the tournament.

Dean Silvester and Corey Gooch (Team Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing) finished a solid second place. Braid PE3 line and a 66lb Slim & Strong FC leader. “Once we found what the fish were doing, the bites came much more easily. We’d only had seven follows and two bites before we did this,” Josh continued. The result gave the pair a great start in their BARRA Team of the Year campaign – they were the highest finishing

mouth of Futter Creek. “It’s definitely a PB and the lure’s been retired already to the wall,” Leon said. Despite the fact that this was the team’s only fish, its sheer size was enough to land them 4th place and a healthy cheque, as well as a Venom rod. “The fish went around the electric, the LiveScope

LJ’s Compleat Angler, who was still to land a metre-class fish from the lake. If you drop into the shop, remind him of it! Full results can be found on www.abt.org.au and a massive thanks to L Wilson and Co and their Venom Rods brand for making the Open one of Australia’s most lucrative BARRA events. MAY 2023 111

BREAM SERIES presented by

The Captain Risky Coota comeback Returning to the scene of the 2022 BREAM Grand Final, ABT concluded its Victorian road trip at Mallacoota for the SUNLINE sponsored third round of the 2023 Daiwa Bream series. Kris Hickson had a point to prove after a disappointing result at Gippsland Lakes. Even with numerous missed chances on big fish, he was still able to mount a monster comeback on day two, dropping 5.391kg on the scales to weigh the only 10kg total for the event. Local player Mitchell Blomquist kept Victorians on the podium in second

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ranks of non-boater champions that have won the first ABT event they have competed in. He put his bent minnow to work from the back deck and logged a stack of yellowfin bream in the ABT tournament series app over the whole event. WELCOME BACK CAPTAIN He may have taken a small hiatus from bream fishing in 2022 but you cannot, and more Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winners Interview

Fear the beard! Kris Hickson is back and he wasted no time getting back on the leader board. Caldia 2000 and the new Saltiga 8 braid in PE 6, which helped massively with casting distance.

Day two he broke the tip off the Infeet Z rod early on through a mishap so he switched to an Infeet EX

In fine form, boater Mitchell Blomquist of Victoria hit the flats, weighing two solid bags of black bream to finish in second place. place, putting in a clinic on the flats at Goodwin sands and weighing one of only two 5kg bags for the whole event on day one at 5.054kg. Marlon Thompson joined the ever-growing

importantly should not, ever count Kris ‘Captain Risky’ Hickson out. If you ask him, he’ll be the first to tell you he wasn’t confident he’d done enough on day two to take the win, which might seem odd considering

BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 112 MAY 2023

he weighed the biggest bag of the event. Risky summarised his day two as, “Frustrating to say the least” adding that he pulled hooks and busted off a “ridiculous amount of really big fish”. When asked how confident he was in winning when coming back to weigh in, he replied with a simple “not at all, I thought I’d blown it”. Kris spent the event running to spots he could tell people had overlooked. “Every usual spot I fished had a boat on it, so I just started fishing banks that people had overlooked and tried to figure them out as I went along.” Throwing mainly super lightweight plastics, and needing to be as accurate as possible, he used predominately two rods for the whole event. “The first day I started with an Infeet EX 6101ULRS but after a few bust offs and missed hook-ups I switched to the Infeet Z 681LRS, great accuracy and a bit more grunt to set hooks and steer the fish,” he explained. He paired it with a

Angler Kris Hickson Mitchell Blomquist Peter Breukel Brad Hodges Paul Langley Ahmad Mafoud Sam Peck Grant Oliver Darren Weda Steven Pryke Tom Slater Blake O’Grady

Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

His likeness to a wizard is not just in appearance but fishing ability as well. Captain Risky smacked the biggest bag of the event on day two for a come-from-behind victory. Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 10.152 9.635 9.175 8.903 8.889 8.770 8.598 8.537 8.505 8.299 8.195 8.120

Payout $4200 + $250 1st Merc bonus $2000 + $125 2nd Merc bonus $1000 + $75 3rd Merc bonus $900 $800 + $500 X braid big bream $700 $700 $600 $600 $500 $500 $500

722LFS, sacrificing a bit of accuracy on the calm slick conditions but gaining casting distance through the extra length. It was paired with a TD Black 2000 and 6lb J Braid Grand. For leader, Kris ran 6lb J thread X-link all weekend. “Some of the bust offs would have broken anything but some of the times I had fish running through sticks and weed and the leader came out unscathed, which was pretty impressive.” Here is a trap for young players from Risky himself,

BREAM SERIES presented by “Don’t leave the last of the spool of leader in the sun or a hot car or it will weaken it massively! I knew this but still did it and it cost me. Well, kind of…” This little mishap lost Kris a few fish around the 40cm fork length early on day two that could have seen a bag over 6kg, but fortunately it didn’t end up costing him in the end! Kris created his own hidden weight jigheads out of the Daiwa Bait Junkie jigheads by cutting the weight off the head, leaving just the bait keeper. He used this lighter option to lob creature baits like, the Little Trooper, to snag dwelling fish. Meanwhile he chose a slightly heavier internal weight for the Risky Critter – a bait he had a big hand in designing, hence the name – to lob at ‘mudding’ fish as it was a bit windy, and he could cast closer to the fish. He described the bite as, “non-existent, you couldn’t feel any bite through the line they were just picking

Blomquist fishes Mallacoota regularly and his consistent efforts there paid off for him as he secured second place in the boaters. He built on his successful campaign at Gippsland Lakes that saw him finish in 4th place. A flats fisherman through and through, Mitchell focused on fishing the northwestern side of the popular Goodwin Sands area quite methodically and although he did find a hand full of fish on edges, this is where he focused Scan the QR code to watch the NonBoater Winners Interview

his efforts. His Bassco Tornado is fitted out with a 10-foot Minn Kota Raptor, which he described as ‘game changing’ to his fishing. It was the key to holding still in the shallow water

BIG BREAM PRIZE

Paul Langley from NSW won the $500 Big Bream bonus thanks to X Braid for his 40.5cm, 1.488kg lump of a black bream caught on a creature bait fished along a rock wall upriver. it up and swimming off. You just had to swing hard if you even thought that one had picked it up.” The 2014 Hawkesbury Grand final champion, Hickson will be relishing in his qualification to another NSW Grand Final at Port Stephens, a yellowfin fisher’s heaven! BLOMQUIST STAYS CONSISTENT Victoria’s Mitchell

and thoroughly working a small area at a time. Mitch would anchor in the weed (to hide the boat better) in 1m of water and cast up onto the sand in around half a metre of water, where he could see the fish cruising through with just his eyes and a quality pair of polarised sunglasses. “The water was super clear and there wasn’t much wind, so with my sunnies I could see the fish come through and I actually sight cast to a lot of fish,” he explained. From experience he knew the fish would bite as the wind picked up from the east, which is his preferred direction on the flats, he just had to bide his time knowing that the fish would push up with the wind. “There was fish on every edge in the whole system, you just had to sit and wait for them to come to you,” was his advice. With the fish sitting on the sand, it took the weed out if play and so he was free to use a crankbait without getting hung up every cast. He chose a shallow Hurricane Twitch 50 in pink eye suji colour and a Daiwa Infeet Kodachi in rose suji colour, slowly dredging them along the sand with long pauses. Rods and reels were a Daiwa Infeet Z paired with a Daiwa TD Sol spin reel and a Samurai infinite 2-6lb paired with a Daiwa Freams 2500, combos that have earned their reputation as quality bream hardware. Both outfits were spooled with Majorcraft Dangan braid in 8lb and the sponsor karma was in play again, this time for Mitchell as he ran 4lb Sunline V-hard Fluorocarbon leader on both outfits. A combination of good decisions and excellent timing were major reasons for Mitchell’s success, both attributes that will no doubt see him continue to stay close to the podium, especially around his home waterways. DEBUT VICTORY FOR THOMPSON Our 3rd non-boater champion for the year and our 2nd first time winner, Marlon Thompson just so

One shot, one kill – Marlon Thompson used a topwater technique to secure the champion non-boater title in his first ever ABT event. happened to do it in his first ever ABT event. From the St. Georges Basin area of NSW, Thompson has experience targeting both yellowfin and black bream species and has recreationally fished at Mallacoota before, so he came to the event with a good idea of Scan the QR code to watch the Field Highlights

what to expect. Displaying a depth of knowledge of moon phase and bait, he explained that, “We had a new moon for the event, and I knew the prawns would be running and bream become so honed in on prawns.” Making a long cast, he would work it back 5-10m and then pause for as long as 15 seconds and this is usually when the fish would rise to it. If they didn’t, he would continue

NON- BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Angler Marlon Thompson Brad Young Joel Corrie Simon Morley Scott Scicluna Michael Sammut Lance Marsh Colin Wilson Van Ho Nguyen Allan Lavell

Fish 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6

working it until he could see one come after it and he would pause it and then coerce them into eating. A simple yet effective set up, Marlon used a Daiwa TD Hyper 702 1-3kg in a medium fast action matched with a Shimano Stradic Ci4 2500, 6lb Daiwa J-braid and, the most important link in the chain, a length of 6lb Monofilament leader. Unlike fluorocarbon, which sinks, mono has neutral buoyancy meaning it won’t drag the lure down and enhances the action making it the preferred choice for avid topwater anglers. Thompson had no dramas landing fish clocking up 10 on day one and 15 on day two with the yellowfin far outnumbering and outweighing the blacks. “I wasn’t doing anything overly special, I just had confidence in what I was throwing and stuck to it,” he said in summary of the weekend, adding that he is looking forward to the Grand Final at port Stephens.

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Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 5.287 4.992 4.968 4.773 4.701 4.689 4.471 4.435 4.383 4.366

Payout Daiwa prize pack + Freams Reel Daiwa prize pack Maui Jim prize pack Daiwa prize pack Cranka lures prize pack Prolure prize pack Samaki prize pack Atomic prize pack EJ Todd prize pack Toadfish prize pack MAY 2023 113

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Datum Times

Fishing Monthly Magazine | May 2023

Articles inside

GEN III

Edencraft 233 Formula with Twin 300HP Mercurys

DUO The Captain Risky Coota comeback

Open on Lake Awoonga

Team Tracker win Venom BARRA Australian

Tagging Tales

Ewen Maddock Fish Stockers Teams Tournament

A day with Carl Jocumsen: Bassmaster Classic

Dry, hot summer punishes winter freshwater fish

Billfishing remains steady LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE… INTUITIVE CONTROL

A sea of blue swimmers

Durable Oztent AT-6 Air Tent

Offshore antics running amok this autumn

Better boating in May

Changing targets set for the cold

Fishing choices are endless

Salmon are slow running

It’s an autumn pink paradise

Lots to do for land-based anglers

Productive fresh and salt outings

Get ready: May is jumbo tuna time

Big trout numbers being reported

The friends we made along the way

Stocked fish are stacking on the pounds for winter

Lake Wendouree’s trout are biting

Anglers descending on cod central at Mulwala

Hunting yellowbelly over freshly-flooded edges

Native species are taking a back seat this autumn

It is time to think big

Quintrex Freestyler X

Big schools of fish are throughout the system

A bumper season in review

Change tactics in the cold

Astronomical numbers of bream

Record dusky flathead stocking

Protecting the future of fisheries

Best baits at the best times

May is better than you might think

NSW DPI and VFA team up to fight fishing crime

Soft plastics are picking up plenty of pinkies

Remember to keep your cool if you hook a beast

It’s been great weather for chasing bluefin tuna

Favourable fishing results for keen lure casters

Getting stuck into quality tuna

Catching quality cod off the surface

Time to get out and enjoy the autumn weather

Finding right depth for active fish

May the cod be with us?

Late season stream trout bounty

There is still good fishing to be had around Tathra

Sea temperatures are still warm

Things are still holding up

Hunting out the best spots in May

Enjoying the autumn mornings on the water

Locals taking on the torpedoes

Autumn fun for Central Coast shore-based anglers

Autumn sessions off the stones

First class flathead fishing action

Plenty of productive days in store

Looking back on great pelagic run

Catching whoppers off the walls

Bountiful autumn transition period

Bread and butter on the chew

Latest releases from Daiwa

Anglers are working towards consistent fishing

Good value in the Okuma Ceymar HD spin reels

THE FREEDOM To Escape.

Gary’s Marine Centre

Last chance to catch warm weather species

Vale Jack Beattie

National Recreational Fishing Survey of 2019-21

Epic wet season will spell a great dry season

May Mayhem to come

Impressive angling in FNQ

Clean waters make for great bags

Cool weather transitions

Don’t pack away the barra gear!

Best of both seasons