Fishing Monthly Magazine | November 2021 by Fishing Monthly

• LEARN ABOUT BREAM LURES • SPRING SESSIONS BLOOM • FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION QLD

NSW

VIC

TAS

Features

Learning about bream lures • Hidden secrets of Lang Lang • Understanding gear ratios • How sustainable are bream stocks? • Citizen Science: tagging •

Tested

Location Spotlight

Wilson’s ATC Combat 100 baitcaster reel • Stessl Trophy 590 Territory with Mercury 150 ProXS • Power Pole Micro Anchoring System •

QLD

Tom Wilson shows us the hidden secrets of kayaking at Lang Lang

NSW

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CONTENTS

OUR COVER November 2021, Vol. 2 No.7 VIC

TAS

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

16 18 22 26 28 30 34 36 38 40 42 42 46 47 46 48

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

54 57 56 58 60 62 63 64 65 68 68 69 70 71 72 72 74 74 76 77 75 78

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

88 88 89 90 91 94 96 96 98 99 98 99 100 100 103 102 104 106 107 106 104 96 96 97

NOVEMBER 2021

From the Editor’s Desk...

Alan Bonnici was very happy with this beautiful snapper he caught from Port Phillip. An Alan Bonnici image. Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.

TASMANIA Hobart

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

110 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118

REGULAR FEATURES Learning about bream lures Hidden secrets of Lang Lang Starlo’s back to basics Sheik of the Creek Track My Fish How sustainable are bream stocks? Testing Booth: ATC Combat 100 Fun page/Sub page What’s new fishing Tournament Calendar WIRF Recfishwest Tournaments Trades and Services Tide page Boat test: Stessl Trophy 590 Territory Testing Booth: Mirco Power Pole

8 12 14 25 50 52 81 82 80 106 108 109 120 126 127 128 130

COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo

108 WIRF

GETTING BACK TO NORMAL We can all see the light at the end of the tunnel. There will come a time in the not too distant future when we can get back to living as normal a life as possible, post COVID. Despite the vocal minority, Aussies are getting vaccinated quickly and this will let us travel to fish again as safely as we can. Throughout the pandemic response, fishing seems to have been one of the activities that has kept people sane. In that way, we are lucky that we are in an area that hasn’t suffered as much as many industries. Even in the harshest lockdowns, there was the ability for most people to get out and fish, even if your area offered limited opportunities. The COVID-induced national Fishing Monthly has had mixed response. Around 90% of people gave positive feedback. It opened their eyes to the mountain of domestic opportunities when it came to fishing. And in a climate when we couldn’t travel anywhere else, that was great. Around 10% of you hated it. We get that, too. There’s nothing better than reading about different views on your local waters.

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The consolidation reduced that amount of local content. The question we often get asked is whether we are going to go back to the state format? Currently, no. COVID effected Fishing Monthly and we lost around 1/2 our staff due to panic advertising drops and, although the industry is buoyant, we aren’t at the advertising levels that allow us to do this. In the current form, we stay in business and get to keep making the magazines that we love making and you love reading. So the new format is the new-normal for us. 25 YEARS OF GARY BROWN Congratulations to Gary Brown, our long time southern Sydney scribe who has contributed for 25 years this issue. I know whenever we (used to) do boat shows in Sydney, it seems like every second person walking past was taught to fish by Gary in his TAFE classes. Thanks for the support, Gary, and we know that the readers have loved your work! BARRA ON FIRE As we go to print with this issue, the Queensland barra dams are on fire. It seems as though 2021 will be a year to remember for lakes, from Monduran to Tinaroo. If you want to visit Queensland when the border (finally) opens, come up and make the trip, catch a barra of a lifetime and make some fishing memories. The local operators would love to have you and who wouldn’t like to add a metrebarra or three to the photo album. Come and visit Fishing Monthly’s birthstate when you get the chance!

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Learning about lures: catching a bream bounty CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

Four decades ago, when I first started offering lures to my local bream population, we called it ‘bream spinning’, because back then almost any form of cast and retrieve lure fishing was commonly referred to as ‘spinning’. If you didn’t spin, you trolled! Fast forward to the current day and it doesn’t matter exactly what it’s called, casting lures for bream continues to grow in popularity. Perhaps the biggest individual turning point in the game that I can think of would be the advent of bream tournament fishing. In fact, the guy behind this very magazine, the highly respected Steve Morgan, was

The author has spent his whole life chasing bream and almost four decades of lure casting for them. After all that, the best advice he has is to simply get out there on the water and cast, look and learn as much as possible. Sure some lures may be better than others, but there’s no one magic bullet or top secret lure! smaller models, which would interest bream, bass or trout. Perhaps the biggest brand name of this period,

which made an impact was Rebel, with their miniscule models, the Crawfish and Crickhopper, as well as a small shallow swimming frog and a few other slim profile types. The Crawfish though, was the one that went onto bigger heights and became our most popular bream lure for a few years. In fact, still now a lot of keen anglers have a few Rebel Crawfish lures in their boxes. We didn’t have much else to compare with at that early stage, so these small, traditional crankbait lures remained the main type of bream lure for many years. Obviously, different brand names and models kept coming onto the market and our choices continually expanded. The question is, does this type of lure still remain a valid choice and have its place in the modern angler’s tackle kit? The answer is a very firm YES. These lures are an ideal choice for a variety of different scenarios.

them as soon as they land, even without being retrieved. They can also be retrieved in different ways, from very slowly, to much faster and more aggressively. It’s largely up to the angler, how they want to ‘drive’ a lure, but my main tip here is to go slower and more cautiously during the cooler months and a bit faster, with more stops, pauses and faster rips through the warmer months. Black bream are also often more inclined to hit a lure worked slowly, as opposed to yellowfin or pikey bream, which tend to prefer some faster, more erratic movement. Once again though, this is a variable thing and I’d always be considering the time of year and prevailing weather when deciding what sort of retrieve to employ. Another way we can use these lures, which shouldn’t be ignored, is to slowly troll them behind a boat or kayak. This isn’t the way to go about things during a tournament,

Hardbody crankbaits have been the longest serving lure type on the bream scene. These modern versions are exceptionally effective when used at the right time and place, with the right angler input! one of the main players in getting the ball rolling with bream tournaments in this country. I still remember the old days at Brunswick Heads, on the NSW North Coast, where I watched Steve and his brother Tim Morgan cast lures for bream in the river there. I can say in all honesty, these guys were ahead of their time and it’s no wonder that their names ended up becoming so known in the angling world in the years to come. HARDBODY CRANKS Way back in the early days the main type of lures aimed towards bream were actually the smaller bass lures. It was widely known for many years that our freshwater bass would keenly smash a small diving hardbody or crankbait. The concept of catching bream on lures didn’t start to take hold until the 70s, and more so during the 80s. So back then, we didn’t have the enormous variety of lures that we do today. So at this stage, some 8

NOVEMBER 2021

of the smaller bass lures were gradually building a reputation as bream lures. As this relatively new style of Aussie angling took off, more people also started experimenting with little trout lures, such as

Nilsmasters and Rapalas. By the late 80s, a number of smaller, more suitable lures started arriving, mainly from overseas, although a few switched on local manufacturers were also beginning to make new,

An historic photo of the author at Bemm River with a nice black bream. Although both species share very similar habits and can happily live side by side, generally speaking, black bream respond better to slower or less aggressive lure fishing techniques than their northern cousins.

Surface lures come in a variety of different forms and we’ve seen a number of weird and exotic models emerge over the years. Overall, they work best in shallow water during the summer months, but be aware that there can still be times and places in the middle of winter when bream will still hit them.

Perhaps the main application that comes to my mind is casting to fallen timber, rocks and other bankside structure in our creeks and rivers. In these snaggy places, a floating crankbait can be cast and retrieved over or through potentially snaggy structure, with a pretty good chance of not getting snagged. However, because they float and generally don’t dive more than a metre or two, even if they do get caught up in timber or rocks, it’s normally pretty easy to get them back off again. Overall, they’re possibly the most versatile type of lure to cast for bream, as they can also be fished in a number of different ways. When in the mood, bream will smash

but it works well and is an excellent technique to try when bream aren’t coming your way. Just keep it slow and about 15m or so behind the vessel. You’ll feel the lure vibrating through the rod and if it stops vibrating than wind it in because chances are the hooks have picked up a bit of weed or debris. If you hook a couple of fish in the one spot then stop and try casting there. Trolling is a great way to find patches of bream in lakes or rivers. SOFTIES Soft plastics were the next big thing and they sure made a big impact on all forms of fishing around the country from the late 90s and early 2000s. This time, Steve Starling was

one of the main players in helping Aussie anglers learn about fishing with softies. Although these newer rubbery lures appealed to a wide variety of species, keen bream enthusiasts embraced them more than anyone else, myself included. Once the basics of soft plastics fishing are understood and they’re put

to work in the right way, their effectiveness becomes very obvious. I’d say that my own bream catch rate and numbers of fish caught possibly doubled, after years of hardbody crankbait use. As good as they are, softies aren’t the Holy Grail of bream lures and they really shine in some departments, but aren’t so

effective in others. When casting amongst a patch of fish, few lures could equal a well presented soft plastic. However, the key is finding the fish in the first place and this is where softies lag behind. Due to the slower way we use them, it normally takes longer between the time you fire off a cast and have the lure wound back

The author caught this nice bream on a surface lure in a Lake Macquarie feeder creek. Surface lures are great when fishing timber lined creeks and they’re perhaps the least likely types to get snagged.

This bream took a diving hardbody cast towards a wharf. Hardbody lures were the first style of lure to be employed for bream, as far back as the 1960s, and they became more popular by the late 80s. All lures have their place and one area where hardbodies continue to shine is casting towards structure, like jetties, wharves, pontoons, fallen timber, bridges and rockwalls.

to the rod tip, ready to cast out again. So during a given timespan, other lures like hardbodies or vibes could be cast and retrieved a lot more. Plastics may also be harder to use in windy conditions or when fishing with a strong current flow. These situations can put quite a bow in the line and one of the key factors that

brings success when using these lures is to maintain a reasonably straight line between the water and rod tip. This is so we can visually detect bites or other movement in the line. The more prominent a bow in the line, the less we can do this. So overall, I’d be keeping soft plastics (especially scented or flavoured types)

as front line weapon of choice, providing you’re confident of finding where the fish are in the first place and the prevailing conditions are suitable for this slower style of bream luring. VIBES Another turning point in bream lure evolution was around 2007 when metal To page 10

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vibes hit the Aussie market. Although this style of lure had already been available here, in different forms for a few decades, these newer metal vibes were of more recent Japanese origins and their small sizes immediately had bream anglers interested. I quickly embraced them and started catching bream from the word go. In fact, small metal vibes have remained my main lure of choice for bream around the Central Coast lakes, throughout the year. Often abbreviated to ‘vibes’, they are extremely effective and surprisingly versatile. I regularly use them in the deeper parts of Lake Macquarie, as well as water as shallow as 30cm. They can even be burned across the top of shallow weed beds with surprising success through the warmer months. To my way of thinking, small metal vibes fill a similar spot to soft plastics, but due to their faster sink rates and a few other factors, they can be used in a quicker way than softies. When bream are in the mood, they’ll often pick a metal vibe off the bottom, as it lay there motionless. More often though, a slow, steady retrieve, with stops or pauses along the way is the best way to go.

Soft plastics are an excellent choice when fish may be in a hesitant mood or not hitting other lure types. However, they need to be fished slowly in order to achieve results in most circumstances. Over the years, I’ve tried a wide variety of vibes, including the various hybrids and soft vibes, but my personal favourites are the Ecogear ZX30 and 35 models. Replacement stinger style hooks are readily available as a set, but I prefer to make up my own, with some thick, cheap braid,

to be casting around a timber lined creek for example. ON THE TOP Many anglers love nothing more than casting surface lures, for bream or any other species for that matter. Small surface lures are another mainstay of my bream box and although they’re mainly used during the height of summer, I’ve caught bream on the top in all months of the year, including the depths of July. Still though, they’re generally at their best when it’s nice and warm and prawns or shrimp are out and about. Perhaps the two main areas where they’re not so good is when fishing deep water, as in major tidal rivers, harbours or deeper sections of bays or lakes and also when bream are in a hesitant mood. If I’m starting to find bream reacting too slowly or constantly looking, without actually biting, I don’t muck around too much. It’s off with the surface and on with

or more playing around with bream that are reluctant to hit a surface lure. IN SUMMARY There are a few other types of lure or sub categories that I could have included here, as well as fly fishing. However, the main types are covered. So, is there one type I would recommend above the others or is there any particular stand out model to suggest? Anglers always want to know, but unfortunately there isn’t always a realistic and true answer. What I can say with confidence though, is that it’s very much up to the angler to learn about the pros and cons of different lures and realise that there’s the right time and place for all of them. It’s also very important to understand that the angler’s input is more important than what’s tied on the end of a line, be it lure, fly or bait. By far the best way of learning and understanding

size 10 Gamakatsu Octopus hooks and some super glue. I don’t even bother with those rubber legs, as I strongly believe it makes no difference to bream if they are on the hooks or not. Most lure types have their weakness and the biggest problem with sinking vibes, especially the metal

Australian made, next generation, soft plastic lures.

This fish took a metal vibe in a coastal lake during winter. Vibes hit our market in a big way about 15 years ago and have remained one of the main types worthy of a place in the bream angler’s tackle box. ones fitted with two sets of trebles, is they are very snag prone around rocks or timber structure. So they’re definitely not the best thing

something else like a vibe or whatever. I’m always out to catch fish more so than just take in the scenery and it’s all too easy to spend an hour

about lure fishing for bream is to get out there and spend as much time as possible, casting, looking, taking note and hopefully catching!

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The hidden secrets of kayaking at Lang Lang VICTORIA

Tom Wilson

Lang Lang, at the top end of Western Port Bay, is a rough diamond. A muddy and featureless expanse of water, it is not a fishing spot that generates visual excitement for the uninitiated. However, looks can be deceiving and

given day I would expect to see fishing kayaks outnumbering motorboats three to one – the old concrete boat ramp is barely capable of delivering a small tinny to the water at high tide, which might have something to do with it. Less important than the rustic charm of the boat ramp is the fact that quality

low tide, focusing your efforts in and around the channel. The second is to fish the high tide, targeting fish that venture up onto the mud flats to feed. There is a vast range of species that can be caught at Lang Lang. School and banjo sharks are always prevalent, snapper and elephant fish come and go,

A great sized gummy for Lang Lang. and treat the little guys with respect. Releasing small fish quickly and taking only what you need for tonight’s dinner, will go a long way in preserving a special ecosystem.

GUMMY HUNTING Finding and catching gummy sharks in my kayak took me some time to figure out. I never expected to find success in 2m of muddy water at the top end

of Western Port Bay, but that is the way it played out. I mentioned previously that there are high and low tide options for fishing Lang Lang and my preference is certainly the high. My

Lang Lang may seem like a muddy and featureless expanse of water, but the sunrises are beautiful. but the species that most anglers are there for is the gummy shark. I should mention at this point that this is not a spot where you are likely to break a gummy shark size record. Lang Lang is more like a shark nursery, where fish ranging from undersized to about 1.2m live a sheltered existence before heading out to the sea. Keep this in mind when you fish here

Meeting a few banjo sharks is inevitable at Lang Lang.

Setting baits at dawn. Lang Lang is actually a fishing favourite for kayak, land-based, and boat anglers alike. Of all the spots that I fish from my kayak, Lang Lang is the one that most consistently provides a table sized gummy shark, all year round. KAYAK FISHING PARADISE Lang Lang has long been a popular kayak fishing destination. On any 12

NOVEMBER 2021

gummy sharks and possibly snapper are just a short paddle away. Timing the tides at Lang Lang is crucial to planning an enjoyable trip. The soft, muddy edges are almost impassable at low tide so launching and retrieving within a few hours of the high is a must. There are two ways to approach a Lang Lang session in my opinion. One is to fish the

Releasing small fish quickly and taking only what you need for tonight’s dinner, will help gummy stocks in the future.

theory is that gummies rise out of the channel at high tide to search the mud flats for tasty morsels. When these big predators leave the safety of the channel to cruise the shallows, they are there to eat! All the usual gummy baits, such as eel, squid, and pilchard could work here but the secret weapon is a big prawn. Juvenile sharks spend a lot of time foraging for mantis shrimp and crabs around Lang Lang so the scent of a juicy crustacean sets them right off! You don’t need anything fancy in terms of a rig for this kind of fishing, a running sinker with two snelled hooks at the end is what I use. The snelled hooks provide a little extra hooking power and they also help to hold a large bait in a presentable position. Another key

factor to consider is sinker weight. Make sure that your sinker is just heavy enough to keep your rig to the bottom when the tide runs. Gummy sharks hunt with their noses and this is well demonstrated in their ability to sniff out a prawn in murky waters. Because of this I try to position my baits in a way that strategically maximises the scent radius. I like to picture each set bait as

having an invisible scent ring surrounding it. If I cast two baits at opposite 45º angles from the front of my kayak, the invisible circles overlap giving me a large scent presence in the area. A little bit of chopped berley thrown in to drift away on the current helps too. Once the trap is set it’s time to settle in for the waiting game. Given the quality of this location, I wouldn’t expect to wait

long for a bite! SNAPPER SURPRISE Lang Lang has always been a spot in which you can be surprised by a big snapper, but I never rated it highly as a snapper targeting destination. However, the number of great fish caught there recently has forced me to rethink this assessment. Not only have snapper been circling Lang Lang in big schools, but they show up at times when

Lang Lang is like a shark nursery, so don’t expect big sizes.

A decent pinky snapper caught in 2m of water.

other spots are producing nothing better than a 30cm pinky. It might be warm water temperatures in the shallows or some other factor that I’m missing, but something makes Lang Lang special in its ability to produce snapper outside of the recognised season. In all honesty, many of my Lang Lang snapper catches have been by-catch when I was targeting

gummy sharks. Snapper hunt across the same mud flats at high tide, and the same rigs and methods are effective. The only adjustment I make if I sense that snapper are in the area, is that I will swap a prawn bait for a slimy mackerel or a pilchard. In the upcoming season I plan to target snapper with soft plastics and hardbodied lures. Lure fishing is not

common practice at Lang Lang but when snapper are feeding in the area, I’m convinced that I can make it work! Whether you fish from a kayak, boat, or land-based, do yourself a favour and wet a line at Lang Lang. The fight that you’re in for when you hook a good gummy in 2m of water is not to be taken lightly!

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NOVEMBER 2021

Understanding gear ratios NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Retrieve speeds can be really important in many styles of lure fishing, and those speeds are dictated by several factors, including your reel’s gear ratio.

one complete turn of the handles results in more than one turn of the spool or, in the case of spinning and closed-face reels, the mechanism that recovers line and wraps it around the spool. So, these reels have a gear ‘ratio’, which is expressed in terms such as 4:1, 5.2:1, 7:1 or whatever. In that measurement, the

Spinning for tuna with metal baitfish profiles demands a fast reel, ideally one that’s capable of picking up at least 90cm of line with each rotation of the handle. Some fishers remain a little confused about the meaning and impact of different gear ratios in fishing reels. So, let’s have a look at what gear ratios actually are, what they mean, how they impact your day-to-day fishing, and which ones best suit the styles of fishing you do. Direct drive,

first number tells us how many times the spool or pick-up mechanism spins each time we rotate the handle through one full turn, as expressed by the numeral ‘1’ after the colon. The higher that first number, the ‘faster’ the reel. In other words, the more times the spool or pick up spins for every turn of

be as fast as possible. After all, if we want to slow down our retrieve — perhaps to give a better action to a certain lure — we can simply slow down the rate at which we turn the handle, right? While that’s true, high speed gearing also comes with certain mechanical disadvantages. For starters, the higher the gear ratio, the greater the difference in physical size between the main gear and the pinion gear inside the reel. Obviously, there are practical limitations on how dramatic that difference can be. They come down to the sheer size of main gear you can fit inside the reel’s housing, and also the fact that, as the pinion gear reduces in size, it can become weaker and more prone to wear and tear — or even to complete failure under extreme stress. When I was growing up in an era that saw a blossoming of the sport of ‘high speed spinning’ for tuna and kingfish from the ocean rocks, the need for speed was paramount. In those days, gear ratios of 6:1 or higher and actual retrieve rates in excess of a metre of line per handle turn were the Holy Grail. Those who could achieve such flatstick retrieves definitely caught more of these fastswimming pelagic species. But there were tradeoffs, too, and the old 621 Seascape Australian-made overhead — the first reel to achieve such high speeds — was notorious for failing under extreme load. At times, its tiny pinion gear would simply shatter like a cracked walnut during a torrid encounter with a heavyweight fish. Happily, manufacturing methods, construction techniques and metallurgy have all come a long way since the 1960s and ’70s. Today’s high-speed reels are much more reliable than the old Seascapes, and such catastrophic gear failures are rare indeed these days. But you still need to

accept that a very highlygeared reel may wear and deteriorate sooner than a slower one. The other reality is that highly geared reels are harder to turn under load than slower reels. This is because of exactly the same principles that apply to pushbike gears, or the winch on your boat trailer. Lower gearing means you have to make more turns or rotations to achieve the same result, but those rotations can be performed with a lot less effort — whether your pedalling your bike up a steep hill, or winching a heavy boat back onto its trailer. So, lower gearing is effectively more ‘powerful’ than higher gearing. That’s exactly why some sophisticated game reels and overheads have dual gearing: a fast ratio for quickly recovering line, and a slower one for cranking heavy, stubborn fish out of the depths. As mentioned, gear ratios aren’t the only input governing retrieve speeds. There are two other factors to consider. One is the effective circumference

NOVEMBER 2021

the handle. Obviously, this has a direct impact on how much line is retrieved every time we spin the handle — although there are also other factors that impact actual retrieve speeds. Now, you might think that high retrieve rates are a good thing, and that all reels should be geared to

of the spool and the other is how fast we spin those handles. Spool circumference is an often overlooked component of actual retrieve speed, but it’s an

recovers more than 102cm per crank of the handle. Obviously, this will vary depending on how full the spool is. If your line load is well down, spool circumference is reduced and your reel will be slower to retrieve line. That’s worth remembering, too. These days, some reel makers list the length of line retrieved each handle turn (with a full spool), and that can be very useful when choosing the right model for your purposes. If you’re chasing fastswimming pelagic fish, it can be very handy to have a reel that rips in at least 95 or 100cm of line per handle turn. QR CODE

In deep water bait fishing scenarios, winching power and gear strength is more important than sheer speed.

Fishing with soft plastics generally doesn’t demand quick reels. In fact, there can be big advantages to slowing down your presentations. non-geared reels such as most centrepins, sidecasts and fly reels have a retrieve ratio of one-to-one. In other words, each full rotation of the handles turns the spool one complete turn. By contrast, in all geared reels — threadlines or spinning reels, overheads, baitcasters and the like —

Fast-swimming fish like the tropical mackerel can often respond best to fast-moving lures. It’s handy to have a quick reel when chasing them.

Keeping your spool well topped up with line will optimise both retrieve speeds and drag smoothness – not to mention casting performance.

important one. A reel spool with a 60mm diameter has a circumference of around 188mm. On the other hand, a spool with a diameter that’s just 5mm larger at 65mm has a circumference just over 204mm. Clearly, this impacts actual retrieve speeds. Two reels with exactly the same gear ratio – say 5:1 – will retrieve different amounts of line per handle turn if they have different sized spools. The one with a 60mm spool diametre will pick up just over 94cm of line per handle turn, while the reel with the 65mm wide spool

Scan this QR code to watch Starlo’s short instructional video on gear ratios and retrieve speeds, or go to his “Starlo Gets Reel” channel on YouTube to find it. Finally, how fast you can spin those handles directly impacts your actual retrieve speed. This comes down to the smoothness of the gears, the length of the handle shaft, and how dexterous or skilled you are. You need to factor in all of these things when choosing between different makes and models of reel.

Southern

OLD

Top offshore action GOLD COAST

David Green

This month the water temperature increases on the wider grounds and, if we can avoid a complete Covid lockdown, there should be some good offshore options. November usually sees mahimahi arrive on the inshore grounds and a few black marlin turning up. There have already been good reports of some nice black marlin on the 36 and 50 fathom line. Out wider there should be blue marlin and yellowfin tuna out beyond the 1000m line. November is a great month to start trolling and as the current increases from the north, the fishing should improve. On the inshore grounds it is a good time to start doing a few exploratory trolls looking for birds and bait. We should start to see the first push of the East Australian Current moving south and if you see blue water with coral spawn lines it is worth a look for mahimahi. It is definitely worth a troll on the reefs east of Jumpinpin, from

Sullies to the Cotton Reef, in November. November is also a good month to chase tuna on the inshore grounds by casting metal slugs or plastics or trolling small lures. If the blue water moves in close to shore and the water temperature is over 25ºC there should be a bit of pelagic activity this month. Early in the season I like to cover a lot of water and find small skirted lures like Black Snacks, Meridians and Pakulas very reliable. Pink and purple, blue over gold and white are all effective colours for small black marlin and mahimahi. Mahimahi love brightly coloured lures. If the current doesn’t come in there should still be a few snapper around on the 36 fathom line and quite a few big fish over 7kg turn up in November. Out wider on the 50 fathom line bottom fishing can be very limited when the current is running hard, but there should still be pearl perch, kingfish, amberjacks and samsonfish to catch. Jigs, live baits and paternoster rigs are all effective. If the water is blue and warm and running

more than two knots from the north you are generally better off packing away the bottom fishing gear and start trolling. Deep water jigging with metal lures can be effective even in moderate current. Close to shore the inshore reefs often produce a few cobia and there is also a chance of a few early season doggy and spotted mackerel. There may also be schools of longtail tuna feeding in 10-25m of water just outside the Jumpinpin Bar. Bottom fishing on the inshore reefs slows down in November but there is still the odd snapper to be caught, as well as teraglin, tailor and a few mulloway at night. There have been a lot of sharks around this year and they love eating hooked mulloway. This is a problem that seems to be increasing year to year. ESTUARIES AND RIVERS The Gold Coast Sport Fishing Club’s Flathead Classic has been run and won, and although it was an online tournament it was well received. Congratulations to Team Reel Easy and champion angler Tommy Ryan. This

Sue Sullivan with an 82cm flathead. They continue to be a top target in November. year the deeper sections of the estuaries were very quiet and most of the 5000+ fish caught were up on the shallow banks. Casting soft

plastics and trolling were both effective. This month flathead will continue to be a target species and there have been plenty of

40-60cm fish around. If the day is cloudy the tops of the sand flats should also produce some decent flathead on the last of the

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run in tide on both swim baits and large soft plastic stick baits. As the weather starts to warm up and we get a few storms starting, the mangrove jack should start to bite freely on both hardbodied lures and soft plastics on the rock bars in the Nerang and Coomera rivers, and also around the floating pontoons. The Runaway Bay canals are also worth a look. November is also a good month to target mangrove jack on surface lures, particularly around the period of first light up to sunrise. If herrings or mullet are rippling the surface the mangrove jack are usually not far away. There should also be big eye and giant trevally around as well as a few tarpon, estuary cod and giant herring. These respond to both cast and trolled blades, hardbodies and soft plastics. Whiting should start to show in good numbers in the Nerang River this month as things warm up. A lot of the best catches are taken at night in the section of river around the council chambers. A long leader, light monofilament nylon line and good bait are the key to good whiting catches. Good baits

Dave Lawless with mahimahi. They will be around in good numbers this month.

include worms, soldier crabs, shrimp and yabbies. It is also a good month to try for whiting on surface lures on a rising tide in the Broadwater. If small prawns are skipping away from feeding fish there is a good chance the whiting will respond to this method. Windy conditions seem to work best and let you make long downwind casts with the small lures used. Sand crabs are another tasty option in the main part of the Broadwater in November. Fresh mullet, whiting frames or flathead carcasses are all great sand crab bait. Work your pots on a run in tide in 4-6m of water around the edge of the eelgrass beds. In November the sand crabs feed very actively and the best catches seem to be on relatively calm days when the water is quite clean and clear. Unlike mud crabs, most sand crabs are full of meat and they taste delicious. Overall, November is an interesting month to fish the Gold Coast and as the days get longer and the water warms up there should be plenty of action both on the offshore grounds and also in the estuaries. I just hope we aren’t forced into lockdown.

Charles Britton with a pretty GT.

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OLD

Keep an eye on the forecast JUMPINPIN

Bo Sawyer

With November upon us I can’t help but think how quick this year has gone! At the time of writing, we’ve seen the start of the

will definitely get the job done. Rocky outcrops are another great spot and I’ve also been railed by a couple of monsters on the powerlines using soft vibes. Jacks love live herring or mullet and dead bait also works if well presented.

The author with a 79cm flathead caught on a soft plastic. storm season kick off and it’s a timely reminder to check the forecast before heading out. As there is little phone reception out in the Pin mouth it can be impossible checking the weather radar at times and I’ve certainly been caught out before. It’s not very fun believe me, so stay up to do date on the forecasts. There’s been a few mangrove jack getting around at the moment. They will feed more ferociously before thunderstorms with the spike in humidity, but again be careful with the weather. Cranka Crab lures dropped along mangroves are dynamite but hardbodies

NOVEMBER 2021

Flathead catches have still been rolling in, and the size has definitely improved with some monsters being caught. Regular readers will know I love chasing them on soft plastics but bait is also a great option. Brett from Jacobs Well Bait and Tackle sells fresh blue pilchards that have been nailing plenty of big flatties. When the northerlies are out in force they have been a bit quiet but there’s usually a few still biting. Trolling Tango Shads or Double Clutches in 1.3-1.5m of water is a great option when they’re a bit hard to find or the wind is playing up. Try along Kalinga Bank, Gold Bank, the northern side of Crusoe Island, Tipplers and the Pin mouth around the tide changes. The mouth of the Logan and south of Russell Island are good options as well if you want to fish the northern end. Plenty of whiting are out and about and are a great target to chase when the tides running a bit too

much for other species. The bottom of North Straddie has been fishing well for them in the deeper water, I did very well there just recently. Other spots to try are along the northern side of Crusoe, Kalinga Bank and the lagoons at the northern point of South Straddie. Live yabbies and worms are best. If you can’t get those then grab some frozen prawns but peel off the head and half of the shell. This exposes the meat and makes it easier for them to suck down. Leaving the bottom half of the shell and the tail on will make soft prawns stay on the hook much better. Long shank hooks are great but if you’re getting a lot of undersized

Gordon with some nice mulloway he caught offshore.

Massive 94cm lizard caught on Capn’s Charters that run out of Jacobs Well.

Ryan and Jaiden caught a nice feed on pillies and worms from Jacobs Well Bait and Tackle.

fish swallowing the hook then go a size up to protect the babies so they can turn into elbow slappers. Bream have decreased

in size but are still plentiful. Prawns, yabbies, worms, mullet strips are all great options. Try along Kalinga Bank, eastern Crusoe, the

SW tip of North Straddie plus there’ll usually be a few schools showing up on the sounder near bait schools. There’s been some nice mulloway caught around the Powerlines, the Pin mouth and out offshore. The slack tide is always best and the schools will generally go quiet as the tide starts pumping again. Throwing out a live mullet or yakka is the way to go otherwise soft vibes or 5-6” plastics are great if you’re a lure fisho. When I’m fishing in water less than 2-2.5m and the tide goes slack, I like to fish with no sinker. The bait will look very natural and the mulloway are more likely to come back for a second strike if they miss the hooks on the first, because they won’t feel the weight of the sinker. Well good luck this month everyone, tight lines. • To see more of my fishing adventures on Instagram, follow The Bobo Boat (@ thebobo_boat)

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Southern

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Flatties fill the bag SOUTHERN BAY

Nick Whyte

There are still plenty of flathead around the Jumpinpin area within sight of the bar. There are some quality fish in the deep and any shallow flats close to deep water are producing good numbers of fish. Using bigger hardbody lures or swimbaits have been accounting for the better

size fish, while casting small lures like the Zerek Flash Minnow Wriggly’s to the drains and edges has had the best results for bigger numbers. The trusty old Fish Traps have been the go in the deeper water, along with larger soft plastics like the McArthy 5” paddletails. In the southern bay the area around the mouth of the Logan River has been producing some quality flathead. Try around the Ws on the low tide and also

Dave Hall with a decent Jumpinpin flatty.

the northern end of Garden Island as well. Look for the draining water or areas with large amounts of bait. The threadfin salmon are starting to show up more regularly around the port. They are still not in big numbers but shouldn’t be too far away from their annual spawning migration. There are still quite a few fish up through the city reaches, especially at night around the lights. There’s been quite a few school mulloway around the mouth of the river. Most of these fish have been falling to slowly worked soft plastics or soft vibes. I prefer the 95mm size but the 110mm can be the go in the harder running water. The better quality fish have been coming from the lead beacons out the front of the port. Putting the time in to sound out the fish will see you with a much better chance of catching the bigger fish. Make sure if you’re looking to release these fish that you try to release as soon as possible after capture. When pulled from deeper water they can suffer from barotrauma and may need a release weight to get them back to depth. Don’t sit

Brenden Whyte with a solid fish caught on a Zerek Fish Trap. there catching fish after fish if they aren’t releasing. Take care of what we have in the river and it will only keep getting better. We should see a few mulloway getting around the Peel Island and Coochie artificial reefs this month. Once again, use your sounder and fish where the fish are. There have been good reports of whiting from the southern bay areas. The sand flats around the powerlines and the bottom end of Russell Island have been winners of late. There has also been good numbers up the Logan River with the Aggesester Sands area and the Logan/Albert junction areas being consistent and should stay that way if we don’t see much rain. Fresh worms and small soldier crabs have had the best results for bait fishers, and for the lure fisher try long skinny poppers worked fast across the surface as it will attract the better quality. Mangrove jack reports are coming in hot. The afternoon storms starting to fire up should see you in with a good chance to bang a red fish. Fishing live

baits into the night around structure will see you with the best chance, but casting hardbody or soft plastic lures tight to structure will really get the heart going. There’s been a few fish around the rock bars and sunken timber in Cobby Cobby Passage,

Sovereign Island canal entrances, Logan River rock bars and Raby Bay canals. If you have a great capture from the southern bay you would like to share, email them through to nick@ techfishing.com.au Till next month Tech-it-easy.

McArthy 5” paddle tails are deadly on the big fish.

Richie Lucker with a nice bay mulloway. 22

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colonisation of the Americas when those who were involved in fishing were seen as witches who practiced Dark Arts. After several were burnt at the stake, the Fishing Industry Association of the time tried to change the public’s perception by changing it to the less challenging modern pronunciation. Which is all complete crap… but it could be true.

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Southern

OLD

Heat brings on hungry fish BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Warming conditions will produce some hot fishing for many anglers during November. Rising water temperatures will increase the metabolism of many species resulting in them being hungrier and more aggressive. Heightened presence of baitfish will also aggravate many fish into a feeding frenzy, especially the pelagics. Whether you fish in the creeks, rivers, estuaries or bay, November promises some rather exciting options for all. Let’s check out some of the piscatorial possibilities. THREADFIN For anglers fishing the Logan and Brisbane rivers, better numbers of threadies will be caught in the coming weeks. This action will be heightened if we receive any decent rain due to it flushing prawns schools down the systems. The Brisbane River is a very healthy threadfin fishery and specific targeting will increase chances of scoring your target species. For those who prefer the more relaxed approach with baits, live offerings work exceptionally well. Herring, mullet, pike, gar, banana prawns and biddies are all worth using. These baits are generally fished close to the bottom with a minimum of sinker weight. Allow the threadfin to mouth the bait and begin running away before you set the hook. Dead baits of these same species, plus pilchards, can also get the job done however live baits are

definitely your best bet. Baits can be fished in a lot of locations along the river with great success because threadfin move up and down the river with the tide, following prawn and bait schools. The declines into the main river basin are usually reliable as are other passageways, such as creek mouths and the fronts of the major jetties where bait species often congregate. Known areas include the Oil Pipeline, Swing Zone, under the Gateway Bridge, around the dredge near the mouth, the rocky ledge just in from the sewerage outlet and the Caltex reach. Obviously, many of these same areas can be fished with lures including soft vibes, blades, soft plastics, micro jigs and numerous other offerings. Good quality sounders allow you to find threadfin by scanning many of these areas, especially with side-scan models. This means

you are not casting to fishless water. However, just because you can find threadies doesn’t mean you will be able to catch them as they can be quite pedantic at times, especially when feeding on the prawn schools. Heightened numbers of threadfin will be found in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River during the warmer months, and you will even find them in most other river and creek systems so get out and have a crack. MACKEREL School mackerel numbers have been decent in recent months and usually it is not too hard to find a couple if you’re keen for a tasty feed. They have been located in major channels and around the bay islands and by now will probably also be found in decent numbers around the beacons. They will respond well to cast and retrieved chrome

Quality flathead are regularly taken in the Brisbane River while fishing for threadfin and other species, but results will improve with specific targeting.

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slugs, trolled minnow lures and spoons, most live baits and even the humble pillie. Floating out a pilchard whilst targeting other species such as snapper and whiting can be rewarding because mackerel regularly patrol these same zones. Gang-hook rigged pilchards can be dropped adjacent the shipping channel beacons, especially around the tide changes. The Measured Mile is one popular area that regularly holds good numbers but all the beacons north of here are worth trying. Dropping chromed slugs and slices to the bottom and then retrieving as fast as possible will also entice strikes. Whilst deep diving minnow lures to around 120mm can produce strikes, trolling with spoons, like the Kimberley and Halco Barra drone in the 3-4” sizes is usually a better option. These are usually put down to around

5-6m using a paravane or trolling board set up. This is a great way to cover a good degree of ground in your search for mackerel and ideal for trolling the channel edges on the falling tide. We may see the odd spotted mackerel show up but these are usually more reliable in December, if they show up at all. Last year was an extremely poor spotted mackerel season in Moreton Bay despite there being good numbers at times in areas both north and south of our location. MULLOWAY Despite warming water temperatures, anglers will still be able to score a few mulloway around the bay islands, artificial reefs and lower reaches of the Brisbane River. This time of the year often sees some better quality mulloway caught with specimens over a metre in length not that uncommon. Mulloway can be caught on a broad array of baits and lures. Live baits of mullet, large herring, squid, banana prawns, yakkas, slimey mackerel, pike and several others can all be

In previous months, many longtail tuna have been caught as by-catch, however surface feeding schools should become more prevalent in the coming months. put to good use. These are best fished close to the bottom employing a minimum of sinker weight and a single hook or snelled hook rig. Allow the fish time to mouth the bait and begin swimming away before striking to set the hook. Some use circle hooks but I prefer a simple suicide (beak) pattern hook. Fish bait along ledges, adjacent prominent structures (such as wrecks) and in deeper holes (such as the dredge hole at the Brisbane River mouth). Best action will often come within an hour either side of the tide change. Lures such as soft vibes, prawn profiles, large curl tail grubs and paddle-tail shads will all work a treat. Soft plastics are generally fished on jigheads with just enough weight to get them into the strike zone. Slow rolling retrieves or hopping your offering can work well. Lighted areas are worth trying at night with lures because baitfish attracted by the luminescence will tempt all manner of predators into this zone, including mulloway. There are several spots along the Brisbane River and also in residential canals where lights shine onto the water from residences, restaurants, boats and bridges. As predators are attracted closer to the surface than usual, these spots also offer great opportunity for the fly fishers to stick a couple of solid mulloway or threadfin. Land-based efforts can also be well rewarded at many locations. The artificial reefs and wrecks in Moreton Bay can hold quality mulloway. Larger schools can often be located, however these regularly have large sharks close by and hooked fish regularly get eaten. Whilst the numbers of mulloway will be

waning throughout the month there will still be some quality specimens to be caught for a while yet. LONGTAIL TUNA November can offer a few decent surface busting schools of longtails throughout Moreton Bay. These are more commonly seen in areas such as the shipping channels, northern side of The Paddoc’ green zone, Harry Atkinson to the Rous Channel western entrance, Middle Bank, out from the Moreton Island Sand Hills and the NW Channel. However, longtails can show in all corners of the bay at times therefore having a rod rigged and ready with a chrome slice, stickbait, casting minnow or pencil popper while transiting the bay is a good ploy. When a school pops up you will be ready to deliver a cast into the fray. The fly fishers also have a great chance of success when delivering a baitfish profiled fly on an intermediate or shooting head style line. Longails are less spooky early in the season therefore approaching a school is somewhat easier. However, the baitfish are also usually very small therefore getting a strike can be quite difficult at times. You will often need to cycle through several different lure types and profiles until you get a positive result. Some days you still won’t be able to get longies to bite and will eventually depart in frustration. I usually resort to a small surf candy type fly when they are being pedantic. This cast out and stripped back at speed using a doublehanded strip or it is just allowed to sink through the water column like a wounded prey. As water temperatures rise, the prevalence of baitfish and surface activity will increase within Moreton Bay.

OLD

Therefore, surface activity will be more likely, which is the easiest way to pinpoint all pelagics from a distance. FLATHEAD Good numbers of flathead have been caught in recent months and we should see this continue for a few months yet. Brisbane River anglers targeting threadfin and mulloway will encounter flathead readily, especially when hopping vibes around the wharves and along the declines into the river basin. All creek, river, canal and estuarine areas will have decent numbers of flathead to be caught. The trick is pinpointing their ambush locations at certain times of the tide. On the higher tidal stages they will be up on the banks or the shallows. As the tide begins to fall they will take up ambush spots along the edges of the banks and at the mouths of drains and gutters leading off the flats or out of the mangrove expanse. Inspecting various areas at low tide will allow you to pinpoint likely areas to try on the higher stages of the tide. You may even see the elongated recesses in the sand where they have been laying in ambush. These areas can be worked over by cast and retrieve fishing with various soft plastics, blades, soft vibes, diving minnow lures, flies and many other artificials. Trolling

lures is a great way to cover a good area of water and ideal for sussing out a new area. Brightly coloured lures, which bang and rattle across the bottom are perfect for this approach. Trolling the edges of the banks on the falling tide is a sure-fire way to find a few. Flathead will eat a wide array of baits with small pilchards, whitebait, frogmouths, herring and diver whiting being prime offerings. Drifting the tops of the banks on the higher tidal stages or in

the gutters on the lower stages will work well. Use enough sinker weight to keep the bait on the bottom. The disturbance caused by the sinker dragging through the mud and sand will increase the chances of flatties honing in on your bait. A small set of ganged hooks or a snelled hook rig (see October issue for tips on making these) will present the bait well and increase chances of hooking up. Decent numbers of flathead can be caught virtually any month of the year with the

right approach. PRAWNS Sometimes during November we may get an early run of prawns but this is highly dependant on getting some rain. The lowering salinity higher up in the river systems will push the prawns down. Usually it is mainly small to medium sized prawns but these are very tasty and also make great bait. The Caboolture and Pine rivers are usually the best bet

November often produces some quality mulloway from the Brisbane River, artificial reefs and deeper ledges out from the bay islands.

early in the season, however the Brisbane River can also be decent, especially at night. The best prawning is yet to come so check your nets, make relevant repairs or shout yourself a new one. A 12ft top pocket only net is the best option for serious prawning. I have been using a Pro Throw net for several seasons and it is still going well due to having heavier mesh than many other models on the market. SNAPPER Some of my best quality bay snapper are scored during November. Although snapper numbers have depleted since the cooler months, there will still be good knobbies to be caught. The artificial reefs, various wrecks and surrounds of the bay islands are prime places to target. Quality fresh baits and a broad array of lures can all work a treat. I find the larger tidal movements offer the most aggressive bites on lures. I predominately use Samaki Thumpertail 100mm these days but have had great success on a broad array of plastics including curltail grubs, jerk shads, T-tails, paddle-tail shads and ripple-tail worms. I think it is more important to fish the offering well than it is what type or brand it is. Fishing quality baits, such as fresh fillets from bonito, mullet, pike, gar or tuna is highly recommended. The humble pilchard or frozen

Southern

squid can also work a treat when presented well. All baits should be fished with a minimum of sinker weight. Use just enough weight to keep offerings in the lower third of the water column and use long leaders so the baits can waft in the current. Fishing from an anchored position or drifting can work well. Early mornings, evening and nights can be pleasurable and productive times to be out chasing bay snapper. Sweetlip, tuskfish, morwong, cod, mulloway and numerous others will be welcome by-catch. CONCLUSION I reckon November is a top month to be out probing the waters of Moreton Bay, Brisbane River and other waterways. The aggressiveness from bay pelagics, mangrove jack, threadfin and many other species can be attributed to warming water temperatures, which heighten metabolism and aggressiveness in many species. Early morning starts are a pleasure after the coldness of months past. I love the hot sun beating down during the day but ensure to take slip, slop, slap and slurp precautions to avoid the effects of UV. As the waters warm, the fishing will be hot so get out and get amongst them.

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Southern

OLD

Good spring catches all round NORTHERN BAY

Tackle World Lawnton

The weather is warming up now and we have seen some good catches both offshore and in the estuaries and dams. The estuaries have been the pick of late with a good number flathead catches being reported. Also as mentioned in

more visual and exiting than an explosive top water eat, so pick your species, decide how to target them and give it a crack. OFFSHORE In November we can expect our pelagic species to fire up throughout the northern bay. Mackerel and tuna species provide great sport and are also good on the chew. There are plenty of ways to catch them

good bait on the sounder – find the bait and you’ll find the fish! Try slowly floating down a ganged pilchard or cast some metal lures into the zone with a moderate to quick retrieve. You can also try chasing the active bait schools on the surface. Keep an eye out for birds working the topwater and you’re heading in the right direction. Glide in with your boat at a distance and

Long tail tuna, along with other popular pelagics, will become more common through November. our last report we have seen numbers of mangrove jack start to increase, which this is a good sign for the hotter prime months to target these predators of the estuary. One bonus with the warmer weather is it will entice a lot of our favourite local species to start eating off the topwater. There is nothing

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also see good catches of along the surf beach at Bribie Island. Whiting are a great fish to chase with the kids as they take a variety of baits. Live yabbies and thin squid strips are common baits, but for best results you can’t go past a well presented worm on a small long shank hook. If worms are hard to come by, another option is to try a Bio Bait worm imitation, such as a Marukyu ISOME worm. This artificial worm is by far the most popular on the market as they look just like a beach worm and seem to work just as well. Keeping in line with targeting fish on the top water – give whiting a go! A small slim floating stick bait creating a walk-the-dog action, or small popper over the shallow sand flats can often stir them up. Plus it’s great fun catching them this way. It’s also worth chasing flathead this month and there should be plenty of numbers about. If you plan to keep some for a feed, just remember to release the larger specimens as they are females and our breeding stock and we will rely on them future productive years. Current regulations state 75cm is the maximum size and must be released – the smaller models taste better anyway.

and some are easier to locate than others, but persist and you will be rewarded. Land-based anglers best chance of hooking into some school or spotted mackerel and maybe a tuna would be to hit the long bridges or the Shorncliffe Pier. Those venturing offshore should try and locate some

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FRESHWATER This time of the year is one of our favourite times to hit the freshwater early morning and late afternoon to lure out a few fish from the edges. The good news is you will see some more active saratoga as the

Small floating stick baits with a walk-the-dog action is also a great way to entice a toga. With the warmer water, the bass are now spread out more across the dams and have become quite active along the edges and points. If you can get

Good size and numbers of summer whiting are coming on the chew.

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This decent flatty was caught in the Pine River.

Marty Bubb with a cracker whiting he caught recently. turn off your outboard before throwing some long casts into and around the edges of the schools. Also taking a stealth approach by aligning your boat up from the moving school and wait for them to move towards you. Casting small to medium metal lures that match the profile of the bait fish. But remember to take a few different sized metals with you so you can match the hatch. BEACH AND RIVERS Across the northern region we should see some good numbers of summer whiting coming on the chew. In the rivers and passage try fishing over the shallow sandbanks and yabby flats. We should

water temperature heats up. Toga love a variety of lures but you can’t go past a spinnerbait or small chatterbait. Make sure you pack some topwater lures as well, as they love to target some bait around the lily pads and grassy reeds. Soft frog presentations thrown close to and even onto the lilypads worked great last season, and there’s no reason why they won’t again this year.

Josh with a decent bass caught on a Biovex joint bait.

some live freshwater shrimp or African night crawler worms you’re in with a good chance of catching few. Bass are another freshwater fish that are great fun to target on the surface and with the warmer weather bringing some insects down to the water at dawn and dusk they will fire up some surface feeding. Small poppers, walk-the-dog lures and cicada imitations are the most popular and work a treat. It’s also worth considering trying a small jointed swimbait. A few of the guys from the store have been using these recently with great success. • 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 brands at the best prices. They are located at 640 Gympie Road Lawnton (07) 3205 7475 or find us on Facebook and Instagram

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Southern

OLD

Plenty of flatties in the rivers NOOSA

Peter Wells

Sunshine Coast rivers are alive with flathead at the moment. Fishing Bli Bli Islands in the Maroochy River or around Makepeace Island in the Noosa, are prime areas if you have a boat. Cast up onto the shallow banks and work your lure into the deeper water where the fish are holding and feeding on food coming off the banks on the run-out tide. Soft plastics are ideal in

fish have been inhabiting the deeper holes and have been happy to take those same plastics. For those that target these fish, soft vibes have been fantastic; give the Samaki Thumper Tails a go as they have a broad tail that put out a lot of vibration that the fish pick up on their lateral line. Towards the mouths or the rivers there have been some good trevally and tailor taken with fish taking surface lures on the run-in tide. Popper and surface walkers have been great for anglers from the boats with land-based anglers doing

poppers consistently without stopping may see you with some nice elbow-slappers. This time of the year is all about the mighty mangrove jack. These fish are amazing hunters and must be the ultimate river predator, living in snags, under structure, around mangroves and pylons and shooting out and ambushing their prey! There is nothing like the hit of a big jack. Fishing good quality braid is a must when chasing jacks, and ideally be around 15-20lb. Use an FG knot to

Anthony Thoma with a quality 67cm flathead taken in the upper reaches of the Maroochy River. It was safely released after the pic. these situations with plenty of fish taken on the PowerBait Nemesis in the 4”, with reds and pinks the most popular colours in the paddle tail and wriggler tail. For the bait anglers, small fish baits, like baby blue pilchards on small, ganged hooks or prawns on baitholder style hooks have been dynamite. A by-catch for the flathead anglers has been small to medium mulloway. These

well with smaller slugs and micro jigs cast to the middle of the river and retrieved at speed. The bread-and-butter species have also been plentiful with plenty of young anglers picking up some nice whiting and bream around the river mouth flats. Prawns, worms, and yabbies have all been ideal baits. When there is a light breeze is the ideal time to try catching whiting on surface. Working small walkers or

a 20-30lb fluorocarbon leader as this has more abrasion resistance than normal mono. If throwing lures, Jackall Hank Tunes, Molix Jerkbait and the Berkley Pro-Tech are all great options and are suspending presentations. This type of lure ensures it will hang in front of the fish’s face that bit longer, often enticing a big hit. As for bait, live bait is the best and poddy mullet or herring are perfect. Dead baits,

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such as salted bonito fillets, unweighted at night in the slow current areas can also be deadly. On the beach, with those annoying northerlies seeming to blow every day, your best bet is to head out early or fish evening into the night. We can also get some good swells with the start of the monsoon triggering the odd cyclone and some big storm swells. The good news is, with a bit of swell and wind, things will definitely improve for anglers as the swell provides better gutters and more cover for fish. Larger whiting is one such fish that likes a bit of cover with some good catches coming from the gutters on the start of the run-out tide, fish to 35cm have been taken on the beaches between Peregian and Coolum. Tailor are still around with some big rough fish making their way back from up north after spawning. You will more than likely see these fish at sunrise and into the early evening. Don’t expect big numbers but the fish you catch should have some size to them. The area just south of Double Island or on the Noosa North Shore has been where most of the action happens but if you do spot a good gutter on one of the local beaches it is always worth a look. Mulloway anglers always look forward to this time of the year with plenty of bigger fish taken off the beaches. Most fish are caught at night around the new moon phase. Bigger baits are best, so fishing big strip baits of mullet, tuna or salted mackerel are all ideal. Quality squid is also another favourite along with big clumps of worms on a larger baitholder style hook. The most successful mulloway angler cast to the back of the breakers and leave the rod in the rod holder with moderate drag to let the fish run. Waiting

Steve Brown with a quality Sunshine Coast snapper. Steve picked up a nice bag of snapper, the best here is a 72cm model. until the fish turns and runs is most important as an over exuberant angler will quite often pull the hooks free trying to hook the fish. Offshore out of Noosa, November/December are the months of variety for the offshore anglers with plenty of quality fish on the chew. In close, tuna should really start to come on with the northern bait schools pushing ever closer to the coast. Sunshine reef has been fishing well for trout, sweetlip, juvenile snapper and cod. North Reef is playing host to some quality snapper, pearl perch, sweetlip, mulloway and cobia. For those in larger boats that can cope with heavier conditions, the Reefs off Double Island have been prime hunting grounds for both reef and pelagic species, the good old pilchard floater has worked well but the most productive must be live baits. Lightly weighted, these baits will work through the water column and give you the best chance at mackerel, wahoo, mahimahi, tuna, as well as all the bottom species

if it gets that far! To the south out of Mooloolaba, fishing the outer Gneerings and Murphys Reef has been good for snapper and grass sweetlip. If heading to the Barwon Banks, try fishing the deeper watermark around 90m for pearl perch and snapper. Fishing micro jigs from the Samaki range along with Shimano Colt Sniper jigs are the standouts. Mackerel numbers are also starting to improve with school and spotted mackerel starting to show up and feed on the plentiful bait that is around at the moment. Casting slugs or jigs to the edges of the schools and letting then fall through the school before working them back at speed can be an effective method. • Don’t forget to check in to www.fishingnoosa.com.au for all the latest up to date info on fishing and bar crossings. The knowledgeable teams at Tackle World Noosa and Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola can provide you with the right equipment, bait and advice to ensure success!

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Central

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Outsmarting the sharks BUNDABERG

Luke Truant

We are experiencing an excellent run of red emperor at the moment – one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. However, the numbers of other species have tapered off significantly. At the same

live bait, I haven’t been able to get them to take sabiki jigs. Another possible factor in the reduced catches of trout etc is that it’s the time of year for spawning aggregations, so perhaps the fish have been clustered in specific areas that we weren’t fishing. Regardless, from now on live baits will be very patchy,

A tasty mixed bag of reds, trout and Spanish mackerel. time, live bait is becoming harder and harder to catch; whether this is a coincidence or not, I can’t say. Recently, even when I have found a

but you’ll still catch plenty of quality fish on long strip baits or – even better – hussar heads. We are catching fish on them every single day. Just the

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other day we caught a smaller Maori cod on a massive hussar head – the head only just fit in the cod’s mouth, and it was wedged in so tightly that the hook was completely unnecessary; the barb didn’t even touch the sides. That’s how aggressive the hits are on hussar heads! When it comes to strip baits, you want them to be large, long and supple, so they will waft enticingly in the current. The best way to present your strip bait is with a single hook at the thicker end of the bait. When the hook is at this end, the tail section is able to bend and ripple freely – much better than if you put the hook through the middle or through the thin end. I personally like whole fillets, the bigger the better, and I leave the tail on. I also love squid as bait but it has to be good quality Australian squid if you want to catch bigger fish in good numbers. True, Australian squid is very expensive, but the cheap blocks of imported squid just don’t cut it. When using a mid-sized Australian squid I’ll insert my hook at the top of the hood, and weave it down three or four times to the middle of the hood. I then push the hood up over the eye of the hook and onto the line. Cheap squid bunches up when it hits the water, but Australian squid holds its long shape, and presents more naturally. For a bigger squid I’ll cut it into two sections right through in the centre of the hood, and use the top of the hood for one bait and the bottom of the hood for another bait. If you can’t afford Australian squid, you can use a 3-hook gang with swivels between the hooks, so your cheaper squid looks more natural and appealing to the fish. I recommend Striker 3-hook gangs for poorer quality squid. Another affordable option is to buy fresh cuttlefish heads direct from the trawler or from a seafood processer. Cuttlefish

heads are cheap and very effective. I cut the head in half and use it as two baits. THE MONTH AHEAD November is traditionally a good time to chase any species that you can get away from the sharks; last November was a bad shark month. The reds are on a red-hot run at the moment but you’ll be feeding 80% of them to the sharks. For that reason, in the coming weeks I recommend focussing your efforts on trout in the shallows, in around 10-15m of water. The sharks will still be there, but because the water is shallow you only have to give a few winds and your fish will be in before the sharks can get it. The most reliable way to get your fish in quickly is to fish with an 80lb handline. If you prefer to fish with a rod and reel, use a good quality overhead with a high retrieve rate. Don’t pick up the rod, just stick it in the rod holder and wind as fast as you can. I guarantee you’ll bring the

fish in faster this way than you would if you were holding the rod, and it’s certainly miles better than pumping and winding with a spin reel. I use a Torium 20 HG overhead, which has a 6.2:1 retrieve rate, and spool it with 80lb braid and 80lb leader. Mono leader

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is fine but fluoro is better, if you have the money. Another good target this month is small black marlin. They’re here right now and in good numbers, especially

Trout will be a good target this month.

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Mal with a big cobe. Cobia are a good target at this time of year, because the sharks usually ignore them.

Ryan with a quality red emperor.

inshore. You don’t need a big boat to catch them – some are being caught from 10ft tinnies. Most of the blacks around here are around 10kg, with a few bigger ones up to 35kg, all in less than 10m of water. Your normal winter bait marks should have black marlin on them now. The blacks are feeding so voraciously that it doesn’t really matter what you troll for them, just make sure your lure has single hooks. Trebles don’t hook in solidly in their mouths because the gap between the barb and shank isn’t wide enough. When targeting blacks, I run Halco Laser Pros and skirts, and my favourite skirt is the Williamson Live Ballyhoo rig (a soft plastic baitfish imitation with a skirted pusher rigged over its nose). You can troll them at 6-8 knots, and I’ve caught hundreds of small marlin on them. If you haven’t caught a billfish before, and want to bring one on board, be very careful when you have it in the boat because it can jump towards you. Even the smaller

ones can be dangerous when they’re thrashing on the deck. The mackerel fishing is much the same as last month – they’re few and far between, and the fish are either tiny or huge. One day you’ll find a patch of just legal fish, and on another day there’ll be a school of 20kg+ fish. It’s good to troll over areas you’ve caught bait in the past, and the bait doesn’t have to be there at the time. Sometimes you’ll see nearly no bait, and that’s often when you’ll catch hundreds of smaller Spanish. What they’re feeding on is anyone’s guess. I don’t recommend fishing in the deep this month. True, you can hook reds and trout on big live baits in the depths, but the sharks will probably take them. At this time of year, the only species I’ll target in the depths is cobia, which the sharks tend to ignore. My theory is that the cobia look like remora (sucker fish), and with this disguise the cobes can swim around the sharks safely. When you see layered fish on your sounder and not a lot of structure on the bottom, that’s a sign there are cobia there. Often they’ll hang off a tiny rise or rubbly bit. Make sure to mark spots where you catch cobia and come back later. They won’t always be there but they’ll be back one day. • Truansea Charters specialise in 10-hour day trips chasing prized reef targets such as coral trout and red emperor, as well as arm-stretching pelagics like Spanish mackerel. The maximum number of anglers is 6, so you’ll never feel crowded. The price is $300pp (or $275 pp if you book the whole boat), which includes all gear, fuel, bait, ice, chilled water/ soft drinks and laughs! You’re welcome to bring your own reef fishing gear if you prefer. Other charter options include half-day reef trips, half day river trips and private guiding. To find out more visit www. truansea.com.au, or you can Like them on Facebook or call Luke on 0423 015 490.

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Last hit before closure MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

October brought very high temperatures and northerly winds, and those conditions provided the barra anglers with a last hit out on the saltwater barra. With the closure from 1 November, barra anglers will turn their attention to the dams, with Kinchant and Teemburra dams being

of standing and lay down timber, large areas of weed beds and lilies and prominent points in the open basin area. Give it a go, and if all else fails, go and have some mega fun on the mega sooties in the dam. First time dam barra anglers are often confused about gear, but any barra lure will work just as well in the dam as in the saltwater. Get a supply of big paddletails with various weights and around 7/0 extra strong

Blue salmon are becoming more common in the NFZ and anglers are happy to catch ones like this beaut blue caught by Kirsten Jordan. Photo courtesy of B Pollard. the main focus. Eungella Dam should not be discounted either as the high temperatures there will suit the barra. Admittedly, barra in Eungella Dam are much harder than the other two impoundments, but for those prepared for a challenge of huge barra, now is the time to hit Eungella. Eungella Dam tactics should mirror those used in Teemburra as apart from the elevation above sea level they are similar, i.e. plenty

hooks as well as some curly tails. Colour wise think bony bream, so white, cream and lighter shades of green will work well. The old standard gold and black Squidgy Slick rigs are a good stand by. Soft vibes work well and the weedless version of the Zerek’s is an advantage around the weed beds. The fact that these vibes are the size of barra’s favourite food source (75-100mm bony) is no coincidence. For hardbodies check out

the likes of Reidy’s B52s, Gold Bombers, Halco, Storm and Rapala minnows up to 150mm long and with a range of operating depths. The surface luring for dam barra is unreal, and my favourite is the Tango Dancer in the green pattern however Ziggies, fizzers and cup-faced poppers like the Rapala Skitter Pop all work well. Soft frogs can be dynamite and both the cup face like the PopfrogZ, and the straight fast retrieve models work well, especially in low light. For me, the barra surface smash is the best way to catch them! If in doubt about the dam barra fishing, I suggest calling into Tackle World in Mackay and have a yarn to the staff there. They are all anglers and will be able to set you up with the right gear, lures and advice. Moving down in to the saltwater, with barra off the menu, a lot of attention will be directed at jacks hard in the snags. The hotter the weather the better the jack fishing, and those really hot windless days are gold in the mangroves when chasing jacks. Weedless plastics are probably the best way to chase them as the lure has to be right in tiger country and treble-armed lures spend more time snagged in mangroves than enticing fish. Use plastics around 100mm and use minimum 15kg leader around the snags. Soft plastic prawns worked right in the snags will get belted quick time and then the trick is to get the fish out. Decent estuary cod will also be caught using these methods. King threadfin and blue salmon will be a regular catch through November although the blues are scarcer during the summer months. Kingies

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Aemon Panton heard about the local big dam barra, so when he visited he chartered Paul Dolan and landed this 106cm Teemburra tank, as well as several others! respond to live baits, strip baits and a variety of lures. Soft vibes are probably the most reliable lures although the soft prawns are also a big hit with both species. They can be found right throughout the creek systems, flats and channels around the mouths of the creeks. Again talk to the local tackle shop guys for the latest info on where the salmon are on the chew and what they are chasing. Other species that are popular during November will be flathead, grunter and bream with whiting being not so common. Flathead and grunter can often be encountered in the same area, with both having a liking for sand flats interspersed with gravel sections. They can be found around the estuary systems from Sarina Inlet up to the top end of the NFZ, and are a great target with the bonus they are both extremely good eating. Yabbies, prawns, strips of gar, and similar, will all catch them, and the lure angler will find small hard bodies, and plastics are well worth trying. Anglers chasing pelagic will find the October action should extend all through November and up to Christmas. Hot still days or with light morning northerlies are magic out on the ocean, with tuna, mackerel, queenfish and trevally smashing into bait schools and creating mayhem. This action can be

found right throughout our area. The islands around the NFZ and those out from the harbour and Pioneer River are top spots to start looking. Look for the birds, which will follow the schools and often the action is right on the surface. Trolling or drifting pilchards will attract

Local guide Paul Dolan enjoys exploring Mackay’s flats, especially when he gets to cast a fly at permit like this one. plenty of attention, but for my money nothing beats chasing them with spin gear and lures. Plastics, shinies, minnows, vibes and jigs can all score fish although a mackerel’s razor sharp teeth can chop a plastic to bits. Trolling a spread of shinies

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and minnows is a good way to pick them up, but have a spin rod with a shiny or slug ready for a quick cast should there be a bust up nearby. Fish kept for the table should be immediately bled well then packed in ice or put in a slurry of ice and sea water. Reef fishing during November should be

Young Finn Gee loves fishing with his granddad, Geoff Newby, and regularly out-fishes him with barra like this 97cm golden beauty from Kinchant Dam.

fantastic while the weather holds. Trout, nannies, red throat and the emperors will all be on the chew from the close islands right to the outer reef. Many anglers are now using jigs and large plastics to score reef fish, and with modern electronics it is possible to target individual fish. The small boat angler can get some pretty good reef species around the NFZ islands and those close inshore near Mackay harbour, and there is plenty of trout in these shallow waters. So Mackay as always throws up endless fishing possibilities during November. For those fishing the creeks/estuary systems, chucking in a few crab pots while fishing is likely to score you a feed of delicious muddies as well. Come and sample Paradise during November, both the weather and fishing will be hot. See you at the ramp.

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Tempting is tough in big winds WHITSUNDAYS

Mick Underwood

Well that’s another month done and dusted, and an average one at that! Mainly due to the weather as it has been damn windy.

around Bowen as anglers there have been smashing them. Our creeks locally, Hydeaway Bay, haven’t yielded a lot, but they haven’t for a few years now due mainly to commercial netting pressure. To the south of me, Airlie Beach,

now and I’ll start in the estuaries. Angling attention in these areas will wane a little this month as the barramundi season is now closed. Mangrove jack will take over as the primary target species in the creeks and they should be on fire.

move this month but please remember to be aware of the reef fishing closure from the 2nd of the month until the 6th. During this period, coral trout and other reef fish are off limits to allow them to spawn. When these guys are in mating mode I quite often catch the better fish away from their usual lairs of coral bommies and rocky reefs. Although some fish will still be caught in their usual habitat, a lot of the fish (especially the sexually mature fish) will be out in the open. I normally find them adjacent to their normal reefy homes on flat sandy, weedy or rubbly country. This is pretty much their courtship grounds.

The coral trout will be coming on this month. The young fella nailed this with a lightly weighted pilchard. the weather plays the game. It is prime time to get after a few rampaging sailfish or little black marlin. As long

A nice longtail – everyone is hoping for more of these this month. Offshore days have been limited, and on the days we have had the chance to get out there, the fish have been fickle, especially the Spanish mackerel. They weren’t hard to find but getting them to bite, well that’s a different story. Now that the water has warmed considerably, these fish have all bolted from the area and gone south for the summer. The big queenfish and the golden trevally have vamoosed as well. About all that’s left out of the pelagic brigade are tuna,

anglers have had a nice end to the barramundi season, systems such as the Proserpine and O’Connell rivers have given some good numbers of fish. Another little positive is that the inshore reef fishing has started to fire up, which is putting smiles on dials amongst the local trout angling fraternity. On the beaches the whiting have been noticeably thin this year. I am unsure as to why this is and it has the grey nomads up in arms as they love

I think that the weather will dictate how much attention they get over the coming weeks. We are now in a northerly season and if we get pummelled by those then the estuaries will be one of the only places available to fish. Even though the barramundi season is closed don’t forget we have one of the countries classiest impoundment fisheries available to us up on Lake Proserpine. The fish up there are plentiful, huge and they will be ready to eat whatever is thrown at them. Back onto the briny now and I will have a quick chat about the inshore reef fishing scene as I think that will be one of the prime places to be fishing through November. The local coral trout population should be active, hungry and on the

Kelly with her first ever big golden trevally. This is when trolling small hardbodies comes into its own and drift fishing with soft plastics and vibes is a good ploy. Expect the bites to be vicious and the fish to be angry. Although they are delectable on the plate I don’t rate coral trout too highly as a sports fish but through this spawning period they can really turn it on and be a lot of fun. Moving onto the pelagic scene now and, although winter time is pelagic time in the Whitsundays, there will still be a couple of good options this month if

Another nice tuna caught the traditional way by casting and retrieving metal slices. billfish and a few school mackerel. We haven’t had a lot of calm or clear water days to get at the billfish and, even though the tuna do like to feed on the calm inshore grounds, they have been intermittent as well. On a positive note, the end to the barramundi season has been a cracker, especially in the creeks up 38

NOVEMBER 2021

to line the beaches and enjoy catching these tasty little morsels. Still on the beaches, and I have seen some nice flatties and squid come to hand but they will become tougher this month. Now that the water temps are high, these species will either disappear or become lethargic. Getting into November

This golden trevally fell victim to a big soft vibe.

as we get some clean water and the northerlies stay at bay, then there should be a lot of fun to be had with these guys. Mac tuna and longtail tuna should be around in numbers also, but as with the billfish the northerlies will have to stay at bay for us to be able to have some fun with those species. There we go, that’s getting close to a wrap for another month, as always I wish you the best over the coming weeks, If you like coral trout and barramundi and have been hibernating for the winter, it’s time to come to come to life, dust off your tackle and get out there and have some fun. • Reel Addiction Sport

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Turning nibbles into hook ups TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

It’s been amazing how quickly the seasons have swung around, and already the TV is chanting the storm season ads about being prepared for what’s ahead over the next few months for north Queenslanders. Having always been infatuated with natural indicators which give an indication of what’s to come, there have been a few people who have suggested we may be in for an early wet this year. If that’s the case then it’ll be a great outlook for anglers and fish stocks, and they’ll hopefully get a chance to lay their eggs before the commercial nets take them out of the systems. Mind you, it’s not just the pro sector that make an impact on big breeders; recently there

have been images of femalesized barra being ‘necked’ in freshwater reaches of systems, some images coming from known private properties that some unscrupulous anglers think is their right to access, no matter what the law. The owners have had to deal with cut fences which allows their stock to escape, gill nets set by black market dealers, and trespassers carrying weapons. One farmer discovered that a heap of his cattle had escaped because a trespasser had cut his fence to launch a boat next to the highway. Imaging the consequences if someone hit a cow at highway speeds. So in the middle of the night this poor guy is trying to round up cattle and dodge/alert drivers, and then have to fix the fence on his own. Farmers have now been taking photos of trespassers and their vehicles and vessels, and contacting authorities.

Anyway, enough of that. ESTUARIES AND RIVERS Big schools of big barra are being discovered by anglers in the north in the kind of pre-wet scenarios experienced every year. Some of the photos I’ve seen in recent weeks have been incredible. One in particular had hundreds of big barra stretched out over a couple of hundred meters, all flanked by big bull sharks in

still accounting for plenty of fish at present, and 3-4” fish and prawn imitations are really now becoming a stable presentation, not just a technique reserved for the cooler months. I recently got a new outfit for these smaller lure presentations, and while not cheap, it’s by far my favourite spin outfit for chasing bigger fish. It’s ideal for fingermark

Bream are in massive numbers and make up about 70% of catches if you’re using bait. Great fun, but not on the menu when there are grunter around.

When hopping plastics through the deeper holes for grunter, you want a rod that allows you to feel every little nibble that they’re so notorious for.

Some nice flatties are still playing the game, and mangrove fringes near drain mouths on a dropping tide is a pretty consistent place to hunt them. This one ate a chartreuse 5” Paddle Prawn rigged weedless for other species.

hunt mode. It’s true that the bullies have learned what the sound of a transducer is, and the hum of an electric motor in these more open areas, and just wait for one to be hooked before sliding in for the kill. It’s pointless trying to beat them so we have left the big fish alone and gone elsewhere instead of giving the dammed sharks an easy meal. Deeper holes have been stacking up with these schools of big barra, and with just a few weeks of the season left before closure, some anglers have been having a ball. Soft vibes are utilised for this style of fishing to great effect, and a vibe between 60-120mm is in the right size, with the bigger, heavier models being more suited to that 6-10m depth range. As is often the case, shallow snag-dwelling fish are smaller, and plenty of rats are being hit while chasing other species such as jacks. The small lure approach is

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in the shallows, grunter and barra with small prawn imitations, jack poppers and stick baits, and queenfish. Baitcasters have always been my weapon of choice, and I had forgotten how versatile a good spin outfit is. The rod is a 6-12lb Samurai Infinite Spin and the reel is a Daiwa Certate 2500. The rod tapers perfectly for the cast, while still having the power in the butt to pull out some decent fish from heavy cover. The sensitivity is insane; every little nibble at your plastic or lure from species like grunter can be felt clear as a bell up through the blank and into your hand. This alerts you to slow down the retrieve and let the fish follow through with the attack. It really does convert more fish into hook-ups. If you can’t afford this particular outfit, chat to tackle store staff to try to find a good substitute. The braid is a fine 15lb and the leader 25lb Dangan FC. More of a traditional technique, live baits and trolling are still producing well at the right times of the tides, and many anglers are using the slack tide to gather baits and then presenting them on the run-in with good affect. All the usuals are catching fish, with mullet and big herring being the most successful. My mate Mick Rennie hooked a nice barra on a dirty old strip of tarpon that had been sitting for two hours while we were camped the other night, so expect the unexpected. GRUNTER In recent weeks there has been an incredible increase in grunter numbers and quality a long way up the rivers. On a recent camping trip we

managed plenty of legal-sized grunter on small lures during the day, and on baits at night while we were sitting around the fire. Fresh slab baits are no doubt going to be very effective, and fresh mullet and herring fillets can be obtained easily with a cast net. For shop-bought baits, Lund’s Squid and peeled prawns have been doing well, along with gar fillets. Running sinker rigs are the go here, and allowing the line to run through the lead as the fish makes off with the bait will let them get the bait down that bit further before setting the hook. Depending on the size baits you’re using, hooks of between 2/0 and 5/0 are going to be a good choice, and the bigger the bait the bigger the hook obviously. The Gamakatsu octopus suicide is the choice for me when it comes to grunter. The shorter shank allows the fish to chew on that bait without interference before

moving off with it. MACKEREL AND OFFSHORE There are still plenty of mackerel that are keeping trollers on the go, and trolling wolfies at a slow speed has been the main style of assault. The good old Halco Laser Pro 190 has also been catching plenty, with by-catch species including yellowfin and bluefin tuna, cobia and so on. This kind of lure is also effective on shallow reefdwelling species like trout. When it comes to line, 50lb braid is pretty standard and a 60lb leader usually takes the punishment if a decent trouty gets back home. Firm drags are an absolute prerequisite for this stuff, and ‘go hard or go home’ is the fight tactic. The 5m and 8m Scorpion 125s work well too. If you’ve never tried fishing for trout in this way, give it a go next time you’re out wide. Good fishing to you all, and I hope you all bend a rod.

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Au revoir barra, bonjour summer! HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

During the end of October, before the barra closure, we saw the water temperatures creep up and the barra start to respond to shallow hardbody lures fished on

to build in the usual haunts at the mouth of rivers and tributaries in preparation for their breeding cycle. However, as per usual, we did cop the always-present bull sharks. On one occasion, a 3m shark took one of my client’s barra estimated at 80cm! It was right up in the shallows against a mangrove bank. It amazes me

Garry Berryman with a tasty fingermark. the flats, the drains and backwaters quite well. Most fish were in the 72-90cm range with the bigger girls not making an appearance for us before the season ended. During the early parts of October there was a noticeable absence of mullet and herring schools, which should have been around like previous years. But once we came across areas that held a few baitfish, we did much better on the barra. Just before the season ended there were quite a few aggregations starting

how shallow and brazen these fish are willing to go to get a meal. Once you get your first fish taken, just move on to a new spot as it’s highly likely you will just feed more fish to them after that. Mangrove jack had also become a regular capture for us during October as the water temperatures rose. They certainly thrive on those hot summer days and are a brilliant species to chase during the closed barramundi season, which runs from midnight 31 October 2021 until midnight 31 January 2022, in all tidal waters in Queensland.Placing baits, like mullet, close into the snag or casting hardbodies/ weedless plastics deep into timber or rocky outcrops is bound to get you into a fight with these delicious tasting fish that give you a run for your money. Quite often you

will have to make sure they don’t peel too much line off or you’re certain to lose a lot of tackle. There is generally only a short distance for them to travel to dust you off! With the barra fever coming to an end in October we start to shift our focus to other species like fingermark, queenfish, largemouth nannygai and king threadfin salmon to name a few. The Lucinda Sugar Jetty

October delivered some great catches of barra, like this 83cm model caught by Angela Olsen.

Kerry was delighted with her 87cm barra. Remember they are now off limits until February.

As the temperatures rise, mangrove jack will be a regular catch for anglers.

is a great place to chase these types of species, which often respond well to the building tides leading up to the moons. High speed retrieving metal slices will quite often get you tangled up with the ever-present big queenies that frequent the pylons out there, or jigging vibes such as the Quickcatch 30g ss120’s for fingermark close to the pylons. King threadfin salmon will

be the fish I will be chasing in November. Looking in Junctions or deep holes in Bends you can often find them holding up in numbers with a good side scanning sonar. Baits, like mud herring, placed on a dropper rig or soft vibes jigged at the right depth placed in front of them usually gets the results. On big tides I often catch them on shallow rocky headlands in the fringing dirty

water lines using shallow divers. But be careful as these critters frequent the same areas as barra do and an accidental capture of a barra is very much a possibility. If you do catch a barra by mistake, it is best to just try and de-hook them in the water if it’s safe to do so. In my opinion, threadfin salmon fight harder and taste far better on the plate than barra do. Sharks have been giving a lot of anglers a hiding during October, with reports saying that fishers are losing up to 60% of fish hooked. The best practice has been to move on once a couple of fish are taken at any given spot – but lately it seems just about impossible to escape them. • Now is the time to get in and secure your spot for the 2022 Barramundi season starting in February. To book a charter, you can email us at info@ianmoodysportfishing. com with your enquiry. Or alternatively call us on 0402 339 459.

Time to target angry reds CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

The seasons have run about a month late this year with the cooler weather and

mighty mangrove jack. These fish will be at their best in November and will be prime targets on both bait and lures. All systems will be holding jacks and the best way to target them is to throw small paddle-tail like lures like

the Molix 95DR is a perfect option. This little lure is perfect for throwing into structure and suspending, and its wicked rolling action is just perfect for jacks. If bait is more your thing then take your time to gather some fresh herring as these are like jack lollies. Try and fish these as lightly weighted as possible and drift them into structure. There is no need to

keep them alive as jacks do prefer dead baits to live baits in my opinion. The Cairns Inlet will be holding the bigger jacks. Try moving further up the system and luring the smaller creeks coming off the main system for the best success. The Barron and Thomatis creeks will also be holding jacks but I prefer Thomatis as it has better snags and rock edges, which

Sam Hobson with his PB bream taken in the Cairns Inlet.

The Goat or Baby Goat from ZMan are a good choice for targeting jacks. southeast trade winds hanging around later than usual. The good news is that spring has finally arrived and the warm and tropical weather is here, which the fish are enjoying as well. With barramundi off the cards for 2021, NFZ anglers will be best to target the 42

NOVEMBER 2021

the Molix RT Shad at snags and roll them back slowly. Another lure, which has been devastating on the jacks of late, has been the ZMan Goat and Baby Goat. These plastics are awesome for skipping under the mangroves fished either above or below the surface. If you are a hardbody angler then

Grunter or javelin fish have been thick in the Cairns Inlet and Anthony Hobson caught about 20 this day.

seem to hold more fish than the edges of the Barron. Moon Creek will also be holding jacks, especially the canals, which seem to fire up this time of year with the bigger tides. If you are chasing a little more relaxed approached to fishing the NFZ then it also has some terrific bread and butter fishing options. Just the other day I took my young nephews for a fish in the Cairns Inlet and it was incredible to see the amount and diversity of fish on offer. The boys caught

estuary cod, javelin fish, bream, Moses perch, trevally, sweetlip, mangrove jack, mud crab and even lost a sizeable barra all in the space of three hours soaking baits. It was a lot of fun and there was rarely a dull moment when the rods weren’t loading up. November is an awesome time to be chasing fish in the NFZ and if you are on your way to Cairns feel free to shoot me an email on dkaggelis@gmail.com for some more detailed advice.

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Winds drop and fishing fires up COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

This time of year is my favourite with the winds dropping and the seas calming, and the reef fishing windows grow longer in duration. It’s a great time to head out for extended fishing trips. Taking the family out

them ready to snorkel and be confident to do it easily and get the most enjoyment from it. We were lucky enough to go north towards Lizard Island and camp out on the boat for two nights and the weather was dead calm. Fishing wasn’t the priority but we still caught enough for a fresh feed each night, and being close to the islands we could cook up on

that it was going to work as it has the appearance of a baby shark with no colour, but he proved me wrong as it was the first to catch a mackerel. Only problem was the bib broke so it couldn’t be used again. But not bad for a find on the beach and you couldn’t keep the smile off Jonathan’s face! So lots of fun to be had as the weather will continue to improve this month and there will be more opportunities to venture out to the islands and reefs for extended stays. Make sure to watch the weather and plan well as getting stuck in bad weather can be more than uncomfortable and can turn the family off from wanting to do it again. Having some protection around you when

you stay overnight is worth it, as the calm days usually means that the storm season is coming and weather can change quickly. Being out in open water or having to head home at that time can be unpleasant. So look for multiple calm days and plan to shelter around structure at night or if the afternoon breeze picks up. Travel home in the mornings as this is usually the calmest period. It’s such a pleasure to cruise when it’s calm rather than to fish longer and bash your way home. The wharf has also been producing some nice mackerel and, as mentioned before, we do get some really large specimens come into the river mouth. One local angler had a

Joshua Coventry with a large saratoga. for overnighters can be a mission with all the gear you take but memories will last a lifetime. The weather is usually windy and only as summer approaches do we get some calm days as the build up to the wet season starts. The islands and reef cays are amazing with the crystal clear waters around them, and with no breeze around it can get hot and cooling off with a snorkel on the reef is a great option for a break from the heat. The kids here are getting into underwater hockey and its been such a great way to get

the beach and enjoy some fresh fish with a bottle of wine and watch the sunset with the calm seas all around. Couldn’t get much better. We did also have the first reef closure on, so only trolling was available on the last day but we managed to find some nice Spanish mackerel, which was a great way to finish the trip and provide a nice meal on our return home. Reminder that the next fin fish closure is on 2-6 November. My son Jonathan caught his first mackerel on a Shark Halco lure that he found on the beach. I had my doubts

Yindilli Kamholtz captured this beautiful coral trout.

Jonathan’s Spanish mackerel that he caught on a Shark Halco lure he found on the beach! big Spanish on but was unable to stop it and it took all his line – the fish won that fight. The grouper are on hand as the fishing improves, as they wait patiently until you get your prize catch right up to the side of the wharf and then a big sink hole opens up in the water as they devour you dinner. So be aware and be prepared to lift your fish quickly out of the water and it’s also good to ask for help from other anglers around you as no doubt they might need your help soon to land their fish. Exciting times can be had at our local wharf and bait fishing is so much fun with the kids and schools of herrings are in large numbers this year, as well as pike, so lots of fun to be had with the kids.

The barramundi closure will be on this month and they will be moving around the waterfront as the breeding season starts, so be aware and leave them alone as much as possible so that the opportunity is there to increase their stocks. I know it can be tempting to catch and release them, but with hooking fish there is always the chance that permanent damage can be done. The large females can often be seen swimming around the wharf as winds drop and the water clears. It’s great to see these large fish each year and know that future generations of them will continue to stock our waterways if they can be left alone to breed.

The heat is on and we love it

Settled into predictable places for clued up anglers to plan around and hence target their chosen quarry. On both the west coast around Weipa and the opposite side between Cooktown and Cape Melville, billfish will have arrived to keep fishers focused on teasers, pushers and trolled baits. The big boys up to and past the

CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

The dust and corrugations are making their presence felt. The flies and late year mosquitos are congregating for the build-up. Distant clouds begin to rumble off to the west. Waters are shrinking, most not fit for drinking. Why would fishers choose November to fish

Beautiful calm conditions looking towards Icolette.

Hooked up on the flats. 46

NOVEMBER 2021

This big Maori sea perch was from the flats.

the Cape? Put simply, this period often sees some of the best weather and brilliant fishing. Late spring can see estuary species thicken in numbers, billfish begin to turn up in their usual haunts and reef species chew their heads off. This is the time of year where a good late previous wet-season starts to count. All those organisms born from the large influx of freshwater into the creeks, rivers and tidal mangrove areas will have settled.

Calm mid-spring conditions on the east and west coasts.

magical 1000lb will be showing up on the Ribbon Reefs, having followed their secret trails around the Pacific to pull in close to the coast for a late spring feast. The barra season has now closed on both the East Coast and the Gulf of Carpentaria. Anglers need to be cautious to release any hooked barra in perfect health and with as little stress as possible. It is in everyone’s best interest to have a successful spawning season and with La Nina upon us again for another wet season, this is To page 47

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Pushing quickly into summer PORT DOUGLAS PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Lynton Heffer Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

The change in the season happened very quickly this year, over a matter of days in fact. By late September air temperatures jumped From page 46

a distinct possibility. Following what has been an unsettled dry

dramatically, and it will only get hotter moving forward. This shift in temperature has transpired across to the fishing scene triggering certain changes to occur. We’ll start with the reef fishing, and it is quite safe to say that a lot of species

have spawned in the first set of closures at the start of October in our region. All the indications were there with female coral trout going into lock jaw mode prior, male coral trout were being caught up in the shallows in readiness for the females to do their business, and a lot of

season on the east coast, this should be a window to finally see some of the glamour weather East

Coast sport fishers have only dreamed of in recent months. A great crosssection of species will be firing up. The water temperatures should allow awesome shallow-water sight fishing. Pretty soon the shallow reef-tops will warm up and some species will retreat to slightly cooler depths. Jigging deeper shoals and reef sections will become more productive as temperatures increase. A Coral Reef Fin Fish closure applies 2-6 November 2021, so be super cautious not to transgress. November is a month I look forward to each year as the weather transitions from cool try season to warm build-up. Many fish who have been quiet over the past few months will be getting busy and ready to jump on a line.

Mid-morning popper-caught barra.

other species were fully roed up, including red emperor and Spanish mackerel. This was a classical tell tale sign the local fishing population was ready for copulation. With water temperatures rising a lot of these fish will revert back to the deeper waters in the next couple of months. The November reef closure could be a non-event for fish reproduction according to many. Despite the changes, overall the fishing has been quite positive with good numbers of fish coming back to the docks on most days from the reef. The biggest move on the fishing scene has been the early arrival of big black marlin along the edge of the outer reef along the shelf. This started late September and it is happy days ahead. A lot of trips have seen the boats hooking up to multiple marlin on any given day, some tagged and others jumping off, which is the nature of the game. Fish have ranged between 200-900lb and the weeks ahead will no doubt see several 1000lb Titans hooked up too. Importantly, the signs are very positive for a big

The early arrival of big black marlin on the edge of the outer reef along the shelf has game fishers excited! heavy tackle season with sea conditions having flattened out in general. A lot of business trade for the marlin season has been lost due to border closures but there are still quite a few Queenslanders wanting to take on this ultimate format of the sport. Naturally our rivers and creeks have seen water temperatures rise, which has sparked the likes of fingermark (60cm), mangrove jack (50cm) and legal size barra. Barra have to be released as of the 1 November for the following three months, but good catches of fingermark and jacks will continue for many weeks to come, before the wet season kicks in.

There’s also been some cracking javelin fish caught up to 60cm and there’s always a golden or river trevally cruising around. Tides with some run-in the water are prime times to see more action. If you want to see an array of species, the Daintree River just north of Port Douglas is the best system to get the best results. On the tourist front we saw a good little burst of activity during the school holidays, but as a community we are all extremely nervous moving forward with our fate in the hands of the State Premiers, which will tip the scales either way. Our little seaside fishing village is waiting with bated breath.

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Impoundment barra steal the summer show TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

We are so lucky to have our stocked fisheries. It means when closed seasons occur for bass, cod and barra in the wild, we can still enjoy catching them in the dams. The barra will be

stealing the show and are much more catchable for the average angler. If you’re new to barra fishing, this is the time of year to give it a crack. Lakes’ core temperatures have warmed up creating a stable environment for the fish to actively feed. The warmer temperatures have them out in deeper water where they

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST The big Cressbrook bass can be such finicky fish. Early morning and late afternoon is usually the best time to head to the dam. If you stumble across the big models, the action rarely lasts long so you will need to be

and you’ll need to work fast to get more bites before the action dies down. The 50cm models have been holding out in front of the boat ramp and on the points up towards Eagles Nest from there. The Bull Creek arm also has some quality fish but there are a lot of smaller ones mixed in.

have nowhere to hide from today’s fancy fish finders. Of all the fishing I have done, impoundment barra are my favourite fish to chase. Sometimes frustrating, rarely easy but always super rewarding with their display of aerial antics and line peeling grunt. Until next month, buckled rods from The Colonel. deep and scatter across the flats very close to the old riverbed drop off. Spoons and metal jigs would be my first offering but if they refuse, mix it up after a couple of casts and run a soft plastic through them. The size of Cressbrook schools is a lot smaller than some of the other lakes. Once a school shuts down or moves away after being pressured, you

Luke Sticklen loves banging big Somerset bass. They might drop in weight but there will be plenty of 50cm fish on offer towards the end of the month when they switch to chatterbaits. on your game right from the first casts. Bigger plastics, G1 Gang Banger and Raptor Jigs are standouts on the big fish. First casts are often eaten

The thermoclines will push the fish shallower this month and it will be rare to see them deeper than 33m. The bigger fish will favour water less than 30m

need to leave the area and find new fish. You can always return and check in on the ones you have already fished after an hour or two.

Gary’s Marine Centre

Niko from the AFN Fishing Show was chasing a Somerset 50. This bass was very close to the magic mark. You’ll need to tune in to 7Mate and follow this season’s show to see if he managed to nail his target fish. Trolling deep diving hardbodies up the old creek bed will start to produce a few scattered bass. You can work on your technique as this action will get even better towards the end of the year. Live shrimp fished vertically below the boat will produce bass and golden perch. Try water depths around 8-10m out from the boat ramp area. • 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. If you want an early or late session, don’t forget the longer open hours are to 6am to 8pm. SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY It is still a bit too early to tell how the Somerset fish have fared after transitioning into the warmer water. We are usually in a time of year when they get fussy and don’t really commit to a particular lure style. Soft plastics, blades, spoons, metal jigs, soft vibes and Spectres Vibration Jigs will all produce on different days. Trollers using deeper lures will also start to get into the action as the fish venture shallower and spend more time in under 10m of water. The Spit should continue to hold a few

fish but they will start to flood to areas like Pelican Point and Bay 13. We may also see some take residence wide of Queen Street. Their schooling location become a little more predictable but you will need to be on your game as they can move a lot over the course of a day. If you manage to keep track of these movements, you’ll stand a much better chance of nailing heaps. At this time of year, I like to try a soft plastic or spoon lures for the first couple of casts on fresh fish. If there’s no interest in that, I’d switch up to a Spectre Vibration Jig slow trolled or drifted with the wind. Between these offerings you can usually work out what they prefer on the day and each spot can be different. It’s a much easier task next month when they just seem to love Spectres and other chatterbaits or spinnerbaits. • Somerset Fishing has their store based at the area above the day use boat ramp. The store is open over holidays and otherwise from Thursday to Sunday. Orders can also be made online via the website www. somersetfishing.com.au. They have an excellent range of gear suited to fishing for bass and golden perch.

WIVENHOE CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, LOWOOD Suspended bass were cruising the river and creek beds last month. These fish should move back into the breaklines where they’ll find a comfortable depth where the beds meet the adjacent flats. Most of the action will be in the area out from Billies Bay and the fish can be tricky to find. I still believe a big portion of the bass move down past the no boating buoy line in summer. Trolling deep diving hardbodies that almost scrape the bottom in about 10m is a great way to pull a few fish while searching. If numbers are found you can pull up and cast spoons, plastics and tail spinners at them. Trolling soft plastics rigged on 1/2or 5/8oz jighead or 18g Jets tail spinners at 2km/h is another good way to tempt them when you find them bunched up. If you keep the boat moving you’ll generally pull a lot more fish before the follow the boat and stop biting. Boats can be launched at the ramps at Billies Bay and Logans Inlet. There is a 6 knot speed limit and if you are petrol powered, you need to have a 4 stroke or low emissions outboard and travel at 6 knots in all areas when on this lake.

C ast i ng l i pl ess crankbaits, soft plastics and blades around the weed edges should produce bass and the occasional golden perch. Schooling fish will also be found deeper in 10-13m

of water. Searching for these fish will pay off and you can then catch using spoons, plastics and blades. The middle reaches of the lake around The Island, Barbers Pole, The Junction and Pelican Point are worth searching.

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BOONDOOMA CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSTON, KINGAROY Bass and golden perch will be chewing well this month. Healthy weed edges will be worth exploring early and late in the day.

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or early morning session casting lures at them. Locating numbers of fish around the weed edges is the trick to boating numbers when casting. Rather than using normal sonar to locate goldens around the weed beds, I switch to down image, which separates the fish better from the weed. I am still to play with my Active Target Live sonar on

the goldens but think it will also change the game and the way I fish for them. When we have caught a few goldens from a spot before we have seen big cod follow them up. Having the Active Target running and a big swimbait ready if the opportunity arises could see you connected to a Cooby giant. Trolling TN60 Jackalls and 3m divers like the Halco Poltergeist should fool fish

frequently used. I am a big fan of Vanish Fluorocarbon in 60lb and have found it to be very reliable. With the water heating, we could see the fish starting to make their way out into the open water during the day. Here they will feed on the bony bream schools and suspend at a comfortable level. When good concentrations are found, soft plastics and vibes can be cast to them. Trolling plastics and hardbodies is another way to get these open water fish to chew. • Justin Nye from Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing runs fishing charters on the lake. He caters to the needs of the angler and can do fly or conventional tackle trips to target the lake’s barramundi. He successfully guides clients onto fish right through the year and has a good understanding of fish

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, self-contained cabins each with its own veranda. To book in a stay give Mark or Lyn a call on (07) 49750033. CALLIDE CLOSEST TOWN: BILOELA Get your barra rods ready for Callide. After a steady spring start, the fish will now be fired up. The water will have warmed and the thermoclines developed enough to see the fish cruising and happy for longer periods of time despite adverse weather. I’m tipping we’ll see the barra out in the deep water again this year. Lake levels are very similar to last year and, in summer, the fish moved out into

DARLING DOWNS AND GRANITE BELT COOBY CLOSEST TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA I’ve been holding off fishing Cooby for goldens but if the algae doesn’t close the lake down as it has in the past, you’ll see me out there over the next couple of months. The warmer water really fires up the golden perch and I love a late arvo CAPRICORN REGION AWOONGA CLOSEST TOWNS: BENARABY, GLADSTONE Awoonga is firing. There were a few ordinary days over the last couple months when cold windy fronts moved through but now the core of the lake has warmed and thermoclines developed, we’ll see more reliable fishing. For night time fishers, barra will be moving around the weedy points. Lures like the Zerek Live Mullet, Barambah Bony Shad and Molix Shad 140 are hard to beat. Paddletailed soft plastics in the 5-7” range can also be custom rigged to suit the depth you are fishing or where the fish are mostly holding. It is good open water apart from the weed and occasional bit of standing or hidden laydown timber

around the weedy margins. If deeper fish are spotted down the wall end, try ZX40s and soft vibes hopped and jigged through them. Bait anglers can try live shrimp or frozen saltwater yabbies in either the deeper water or on the edges of the weed beds. You should look for water deeper than 4-5m when bait fishing. • Cooby is an electric motor only dam and no outboards can be used. It is a great small dam for a paddle.

The dam hours are 6am to 8pm. Launching is from a gravel ramp, which is well suited to smaller boats. For bigger and heavier boats I’d recommend a 4WD. LESLIE CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK The fishing is picking up as the water clears and warms up. Golden perch numbers have increased and expect the cod to be out in force

again as they finish up with their breeding. Trolling lipless crankbaits is a good option when the fishing is slow. If the fish are fired up, hardbodies will also be effective. Try working 4-7m of water. Bait fishing will be best early and late in the day. Live shrimps or frozen saltwater yabbies are very effective on the yellowbelly.

There have been some big Awoonga barra holding around the gullies and creek entrances near the main river beds. best concentrations of fish to give yourself a good chance. During the day, the fish can disperse or head a little deeper and rest up. The night time sessions will be a good time to look for fish cruising closer to the shoreline. Bait filled points or bays are going to attract and hold predators for longer so they are worth staking out to see what’s cruising past. The Molix Shad 140 is a great casting lure for these areas. The trick is to

fish it close to the bottom without it touching. If the barra are showing higher on the sounder, you can run lighter lures midwater. A few fish will still be found in the tree lines around Pelican Point. They are fussy fish. Most of their time is spent staging and not interested in feeding. If you are lucky enough to hit them around a bite window, be prepared to follow hooked fish and unstitch them out of the trees. Suspending hardbodies are a good

option on these fish. • You can stay close to the dam at Lake Callide Retreat. The park has basic camping, powered sites for camping and vans and also self-contained cabins. There is a wellequipped camp kitchen and toilets and showers up in the main part of the park near the office. Make sure you bring all of your fishing tackle. The kiosk has a limited amount of fishing gear but it is well suited to the lake.

705 Sportsfish Arvor 705 Sportsfish NOW IN STOCK! HEAVILY FACTORY OPTIONED Niki Sticklen was almost ready to give up the night when this 97cm Awoonga barra decided to bite. It can be tough going at times but those who refuse to give up are rewarded. so you can get away with 20-30lb braid for lighter lures. I still like to use 50lb for casting bigger heavier lures as the stress of constant casting will eventually wear and weaken lighter lines. As for leader, most opt for at least 60lb with 80lb probably the most

movements. It is hard to beat time on the water and this is a great way to learn more about this lake and its fish. You can contact him on 0429 223 550 or visit the website gladstoneflyandsportfishing .com.au. • Mark from Awoonga Gateway Lodge always

the open and suspended. When the fish are up higher in the water column, they are pretty easy to catch. These fish will only be 3-4m deep and are keen on soft plastics and swimbaits. Both trolling and casting will work. Mornings and night are prime times. You will need to search for the

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Citizen Science in Focus: fish tagging SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

For the next few months, I want to go through the various types of citizen science efforts around the country, where they are up to, their potential uses in the future. I also want to debunk a lot of the misunderstandings of citizen science, what it’s good for and how it fits into the cosmic scheme. The reality is that each year, citizen science becomes more and more important and should be seen as a serious part of future management of the fishery. The role of citizen science in that future is the topic I am both passionate and cautious on. Over the past five years we have been involved in a number of programs that are taken seriously and delivered good work. More and more we are having positive discussions with managers on Citizen Science and how we can work together. The gap to me is in the understanding of the types of problems Citizen Science is best applied to and focusing on that first. CITIZEN SCIENCE DATA VS OFFICIAL FISHERIES PROGRAMS One of the first things upfront I want to address, because it comes up often, is that there is world of difference between citizen collected data and officially collected data. Whenever there is a conflict, fishers often try to gather data themselves to support their case, whatever that is. While that is completely understandable, it’s the wrong approach. Typically, citizen science datasets such as fish tagging are collected for purposes other than fisheries stock assessments or assessing fishing effort. That is not to say they can’t be used for those issues but work has to go into the design of the citizen science program to get there. Official programs are designed specifically to provide answers to larger management questions such as stock assessments and fishing effort. The results of those programs often help reduce the error on understanding what is happening in the fishery overall with budgets balanced having to walk the line between doing so as cheap as possible while still being rigorous enough for official use. While I have my issues with those programs, unless you have a better approach and dataset, they are the gold standard. They use the best science they can given budget constraints. The key takeaway that I 50

NOVEMBER 2021

want to get across is that people should avoid the temptation to use citizen science data in political advocacy unless: a. The data is assessed and reported independently; and, b. The data is fit for purpose and is of sufficient quality to be usable. CITIZEN SCIENCE VS SCIENCE Ever tried to use a hammer to cut a loaf of bread? While I am sure there is some talented ‘mad lad’ out there on TikTok that could, reality is hammers aren’t designed for loaves of bread. One of the challenges for scientists with citizen science is what they are looking for in the case of their metaphoric loaf of bread is a knife, what they often get is a hammer. As we have gone through the process of using citizen science for actual science I have a good appreciation of the differences between them and the benefits of their differences. The challenge with using science as a diviner of truth and is it’s always in arrears. It’s a bit like solving a murder you need to have the evidence collected in a specific way before you can make an assessment. Citizen science data is often collected in a less structured way as a volunteer. To convert from citizen science to standard science you either need to introduce a sample design which can reduce your volunteers or get enough data and enough information on how the data is collected to extract a standardised sample from the larger dataset. I have had many conversations with scientists on this topic and by and large they are correct that often citizen science data doesn’t fit their needs. That doesn’t mean citizen science is not useful. While a hammer isn’t very good for cutting a loaf of bread, neither is a knife good for building a house. Science by design tells you what happened after the fact, it’s a very expensive way of working out what is happening in the here and now. Contact tracing might be effective in helping deal with COVID but it’s resource heavy

– which is why Checkin Apps, the COVID equivalent of a citizen science program have been heavily promoted. Check In apps, don’t replace contact tracing but they do a good job of reducing the manpower required and indicating where and how big a problem you have at an exposure site. This in turn allows for better targeting of resources. Like COVID Checkin Apps, citizen science works best when you provide indicators on what is happening in the real world now so Agencies, businesses and stakeholders can devote finite resources in the right direction. Citizen science allows a data collection program to get boots on the ground faster, cheaper and in many cases for longer. With the advent of apps and other improvements in technology getting coverage and reliably collecting data has become easier than ever before. In other words both science and citizen science are needed in the modern world, one is not better than the other, they complement and inform each other. FISH TAGGING Fish tagging programs, indeed many forms of animal tracking programs along with astronomy are probably the oldest forms of citizen science or at least the modern version of citizen science. It should be noted that Australia is home to one of the two major fish tag manufacturers, the best I might add by quality of product and their levels of service. Hallprint, based in South Australia supplies tagging programs all over the world and is a great example that Australian companies can lead the world when we put our mind to it. There are four main types of tagging program: • Researcher programs • Fisheries managed programs • Co-programs between fisheries and recreational fishers • Recreational fisher developed programs Of the four the first two tend to be short-term programs of 3-5 years focused on

The most common use of recreational tagging programs is to look at growth and movement of fish. a specific issue and have a finite amount of funding. The latter two tend to be longterm programs even though they have their ebbs and flows depending on the availability of tags and fishers to put tags in the water. The two largest and longest programs are Suntag in Queensland and the NSW Game Fishing Program, which operates Australia wide through the Game Fishing Association of Australia. The game fish tagging program started in the late 1970s and the Suntag program in the mid 1980s and both are still in operation today, demonstrating the enduring passion of fishers. Suntag recently had 3rd fisher who passed the 10,000 fish tagged mark and if you think about it, catching 10,000 fish let alone tagging them takes a special kind of dedication. Of the three to have passed the mark, one of them Barry Oxford has passed the 10,000 fish tagged for a single species and has now passed 13,000 bass tagged. Will that record ever be broken? It’s possible but there are a lot of fishing trips needed to get there. If you add up all the main recreational tagging programs just shy of 1.5M tags have been put into fish in Australia, with just over 80,000 fish recaptured so it’s a significant effort. HOW DOES FISH TAGGING WORK? Over time there have been many types of tags tested but in the modern times, the most common two are

Left: Dart tag’s applicator has needles of different lengths, up to 15cm for the largest tags. Right: Gun tag’s applicator is a version of the common clothing tag guns.

the dart tag and T-bar tags commonly known as gun tags. The difference is in the size of the tag and type of applicator required. For dart tags the applicator is a needle of different lengths up to 15cm for the largest tags, for gun tags the applicator is a version of the common clothing tag guns. Hallprint produce a range of applicators but Avery are a good provider of guns as they have both a lower cost version and a meat packing version that is easier to wash and has stainless steel components that better survive use in salt water. Tagging is relatively straight forward, although it’s often a bit jarring at first. The needle is inserted into the flesh beneath the dorsal fin and the anchor on the tag holds it in place. While there have always been concerns around fish welfare, as long as the fish isn’t out of the water too long and due care is taken not to keep the fish on a hot surface, essentially all the good fish handling practices for releasing a fish safely. The one issue that does need some attention to is barotrauma. There have been times particularly during the Released Fish Survival project in the mid 2000s where fish tagging has been used to help understand survival of fish suffering barotrauma. In general, tagging of fish is recommended in waters under 20m or species not affected by barotrauma. HOW DO FISHERS GET INVOLVED IN TAGGING? Fish tagging is not generally something that you can undertake on a personal level without getting involved in an official program, this is due to the increasing complex world of Animal Ethics and Animal Welfare. Tagging is seen as a scientific activity and should be done with a purpose and oversight, something I agree with. That said there are official programs in: • Queensland via Suntag (and subprograms like SCF Australia) • Gamefish via the NSW DPI/GFAA • Northern Territory viaAFANT • Western Australia via Westag • South Australia via SAFTAG

Of the programs, Suntag and the NSW DPI programs are the best resourced and easiest to get involved with. HOW HAVE TAGGING PROGRAMS BEEN USED? The main uses for tagging was a topic I covered in a previous issue of Fishing Monthly so this month I will focus on the evolution of the tagging programs over time. The functional use of a tagging program comes down to how recaptures are viewed as they can be seen in two ways. First, and of most interest to fishers, they can be a way of tracking the history of a fish, recording the changes it undergoes such as growth and movement over time. Secondly, tagging can be used in a way to exclude a fish from a survey. Once a fish has been caught and recorded, the tag indicates that data has already been recorded for this fish and it can be ignored. This is particularly the case in researcher driven or stock assessment programs that use tags. Interesting in smaller geographical regions the rate of recapture can be very informative on a population. In the mid 2010s there was a significant tagging program looking at king threadfin in the Brisbane River. The recapture rate was one of the highest on record indicating that this was a smaller population. The most common use of recreational tagging programs is in looking at growth and movement of fish and this is of most direct interest to fishers. Most tagging programs provide some form of recapture certificate to show the history of a fish, and there have been instances where a fish can be shared across multiple fishers. Along with annual reporting of catches and movements and some additional scientific analysis of that data – this was the status quo of tagging from the 1970 until mid 2000s. In the mid 2000s the focus on Released Fish Survival took the tagging program in new directions acting as a support to experimental work on a number of species to look at post release survival particularly of deeper water species, though with a lot of tagging of estuary and freshwater species tagging data played a role in helping. Suntag in Queensland in particular has moved past the traditional over the past ten years to address a range of other problems. This began in the early 2010s when the long-term tagging effort combined with what was a once in a lifetime spawning even to track the status of Barramundi on the Fitzroy River. This work eventuated into a predictive model that successfully forecast a year in advance things like catch rates,

stock structure and recruitment. This is one instance where citizen science data has taken centre stage in a fisheries debate as the community collected data, combined with official data became central to the development of a net free zone in Rockhampton. As test cases go both sides of the debate used the community data as justifying their positions, which said both were coming from different perspectives. The commercial argument was their activity was sustainable as such should continue. The recreational argument was that the river had been in a poor state for over a decade in terms of stocks and the river stocks should be protected as the Barramundi cycle is boom bust. In reality both were arguing correctly but the real issue was – what is the best use of the fish. The Net Free Zone came into effect in 2016 but a 2019 report from Queensland fisheries found little difference between the Net Free Zone and reference sites. So what to make of all of this? The reality is the Commercial Fishers got the best of the ‘boom’ that is from a full river in 2011 by the time the net free zone was in place, the long term climate cycle was in the dead zone in terms of barramundi spawning. There is annual monitoring of recruitment (success of spawning) and 2020 was the

first really good year for nearly a decade. This is the challenge with managing a stock that is highly subject to climate cycles. One of the weaknesses of the Fisheries assessment was it looked predominantly at harvest, but barramundi is increasingly targeted for sport and released. There is also a voluntary code of practice for example in place in the Net Free Zone, which is much stricter than Fisheries regulation, but is not in place in other sites. As I have noted in previous articles, distorting the makeup of the fishing effort and fishing power of the sample community can and does affect survey methodologies. Further the change in focus on barramundi overall to a greater level in catch and release might just mean the residual fishing population that does harvest fish have similar experiences. In this respect the citizen science data didn’t support the Fisheries report, or rather it showed the experiences of the catch and release dominant fishers was not the same. The data from that group showed that the net free zone did a better job of preserving the residual stocks through the long dry period than the decade before where fishing conditions became so bad the locals were actively considering voluntarily shutting down fishing.

The Fitzroy River Net Free Zone is one case where I think the Citizen Science data provides a more informative assessment because it covers a much longer timeframe and many more elements of the ecosystem than the fisheries datasets. If I am being honest, the reality is the two sets of data should have been used together all along if an evidence-based approach to the future of the Net Free Zone was the goal. Moving on, Covid introduced a new problem – how do we track fishing during a pandemic. Prior to Covid all the effort in citizen science and tagging programs was focused on understanding fish and fish stocks, and it was only during Covid that much thought was given to tracking the other party in the fishing equation – the fisher. In Queensland there are between 1,100 and 1,400 fish recaptured every year, put it another way that’s 1,100-1,400 opportunities for surveys with a truly randomised sample of fishers. As a first stage in testing if this is a useful process details on how far the fisher had travelled were collected for all recaptures. The hypothesis was that if recaptures are a reflection of the community, we should see changes in recaptures during different stages of lockdown and that is in fact what

happened. When you add in border lockdowns you should see some impact from border arrangement changes and again that appears to be the case. This methodology is the closest citizen science program to traditional boat ramp surveys with one gap being fishers who catch nothing – by default in order to be picked up you need to have caught a fish. What we have seen over the past 10 years of work, in particular is tagging, provides an excellent ‘canary in the coalmine’. It’s not only sensitive to change in the real world, it’s a fast response measure of change. The ability to measure changes is the very foundation of good monitoring of any system. Importantly, Tagging provides options to measure changes in multiple aspects of fishing and fish stocks at once providing maximum bang for buck. With the day on day nature of the data, it’s a relatively simple exercise to add in other datasets such as COVID lockdowns or weather cycles as influences on changes. It’s this ability to measure changes in the real-world conditions in near real-time that I think provides tagging with its long-term future. WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR TAGGING PROGRAMS? One of the biggest selling points of tagging programs is

the $ for $ return on funding. In the case of Suntag program the contribution from fishers is around $18.80 per dollar of public funding spent on the program. While I don’t have numbers for the NSW DPI game fish tagging program, that figure would be much higher given they tag less fish at a higher personal cost due to the expense of running game boats. Like it or not COVID has changed the world and I think in the coming decade monitoring and understanding human activity will dominate the efforts of governments and businesses alike. While there will be different schools of thought on whether this is a good thing or not, the reality is the effects of COVID will be with us for a good long while and even in recovery from the COVID impacts it will be important to understand what has changed in order to adapt. For this reason I think that the utility of tagging to monitor changes in regional areas will be one of the big payoffs and drivers for greater tag availability. While there are upfront costs in the form of tags, it doesn’t take long before tagging becomes cheaper than salaries, training and travel costs when you have a larger area to cover. In the ‘what about the fish’ space that traditionally has been the key driver for

tagging, there are not that many species where growth and movement is a total unknown. There are some under pressure stocks such as mulloway and snapper where specific tagging efforts might apply but there are not many pressing fish related issues for tagging. The exception on a larger scale though is impacts of climate change and where climate change is concerned, I think tagging does have a role to play as longer-term resources are expensive to maintain. This is one area where apps overlap with tagging and we are experimenting with the Sunshine Coast region to provide species presence each year with a multi-faceted citizen science program that is now into year four. In all over 300 species have been reported in the region, which underlines exceptional biodiversity. CATCHABILITY OF A TAGGED FISH I was hoping to include some modelling in this article on catchability of a tagged fish because that helps a lot to flesh out the conversation on the use of tagging as a monitoring tool. It’s also a bit of fun to think about your chances of catching a tagged fish vs say winning the lottery. Sadly, I have already taken up my word count with the basics so that will have to wait for next month.

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Sustainability: how your bream stocks rate MELBOURNE

Ross Winstanley

During 2019, teams of fisheries scientists around Australia conducted the fifth in a series of assessments of major Australian fish stocks. Among the 148 species covered were species taken by commercial and recreational fishers in two or more states. These included assessments of two bream species: • black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri occurring in estuaries

several factors such as: • the desirability of uniform state-wide fishing regulations: • limited data for setting estuary-specific management measures; • difficulties in distinguishing between species, including hybrids. Above all, fine-scale management is impractical due to the highly variable influences of regional and year-to-year environmental conditions on bream populations, in areas such as recruitment, growth and fish numbers. Table.1 indicates

Black bream are among the most studied species in Australian estuaries. across southern states, from New South Wales to Western Australia; and • yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis occurring in eastern estuaries from Queensland to Victoria. Where the two species co-occur in southern NSW and eastern Victorian estuaries, ‘considerable levels of hybridisation’ occur, adding to the difficulty in assessing the status of each species. BLACK BREAM Black bream are popular angling targets in estuaries from southern NSW to WA’s west coast. With market prices rivalling those of snapper, they are popular among seafood consumers in the southern states, although access has become increasingly constrained. Fishing and environmental pressures have depleted bream numbers across their range. Bream are a recreational-only species in Tasmania and are heading towards that position in Victoria and SA. The SAFS 2020 report records the combined commercial catch for Australia as 102 tonnes. Genetic studies indicate some exchange between populations in adjacent estuaries, but tagging has found little evidence of coastal migration between estuaries. Based on the available biological information, the current view is that ‘estuarine black bream populations should be managed as distinct biological stocks’. However, this has proved impractical on account of 52

NOVEMBER 2021

where local exceptions have been made for black bream in Victoria’s Gippsland Lakes, and WA’s Swan and Canning rivers. With these challenges in mind, the black bream assessments have been made on the basis of nine ‘management units’ across the five southern states. Of those units for which there was sufficient information, four were classified as ‘sustainable’, one as ‘depleting’ and one as ‘depleted’. Southern New South Wales Black bream occur south of 32º South (Foster), co-occurring and hybridising with yellowfin bream to the point where as few as 5% of a population may be ‘pure’ black bream. With as many as 45% of bream being hybrids, species identification difficulties, and accidental or arbitrary ‘misreporting’ of catches confound estimates of commercial and recreational black bream catches. As a result, black bream in this management unit are classified as an ‘undefined stock’. VICTORIA The closures of net fisheries in Gippsland Lakes (2021) and Port Phillip Bay (2022) are reducing commercial landings of bream in Victoria to incidental catches from the last remaining inlet fishery, Corner Inlet. Across estuaries from the Glenelg River in the far west, to Mallacoota Inlet, bream have become virtually a recreational-only species. As a result, ‘stock assessments’,

such as they are now, will depend on data from creel surveys and volunteer angler diary programs. Victoria’s black bream assessment addressed two fisheries in each of the eastern and western estuaries. The majority of estuary fisheries were not covered, for lack of data. Victorian Eastern Estuaries With commercial fishing removed from estuaries between Lake Tyers and Mallacoota Inlet in 2003, estimates of stock status have relied on catch rate and size composition data from a volunteer Angler Diary Program. In the following years, total annual mortality or death rates in Mallacoota Inlet decreased from 57% to 31-36%. After the removal of commercial fishing from Lake Tyers, the annual mortality rate was estimated to be 24%. While there are no more recent estimates, bream above 35cm long are consistently caught, suggesting low fishing mortality. There are indications of recent spawning success in both inlets. On the basis of the limited available evidence, black bream in this management unit are classified as an ‘undefined stock’. Gippsland Lakes Commercial catches of bream from the Lakes have dropped ‘considerably’ since the 1980s, partly as the result of ‘negative environmental drivers’ – particularly since 2012 – and licence buy-outs since 2000. Mesh net catch rates have reached the lowest point seen in the post-1986 reference period. Creel survey and Angler Diary records have also shown declining catch rates by anglers. Three recent years have shown ‘relatively stronger’ recruitment, and anglers are reporting increased numbers of small bream. The most recent fishing mortality estimates are not believed to be a constraint on annual spawning success, hence the conclusion that the reduced stock size is primarily the result of adverse environmental conditions over many years. In response to these trends, the Victorian Government has made bream fishery management changes, specific to the Gippsland Lakes. These include the removal of all commercial net fishing and tightening of recreational catch limits for bream. Anglers widely supported recent moves to restore the Lakes bream stock and fishery, including the introduction of a 28-38cm slot limit to provide increased protection for the larger adult bream. Based on the 2019 examination of a large body of information, black bream in the Gippsland Lakes management unit are classified

as a ‘depleting stock’. Victorian Western Estuaries Black bream are present in all bays, inlets and estuaries west of Wilsons Promontory. Data from the Angler Diary Program show that fish larger than 35cm are consistently taken in the Glenelg and Hopkins rivers, and that undersized fish numbers suggest regular spawning success. Otherwise, there are no estimates of recreational catches from this management unit. On the basis of this limited information, black bream in the Victorian Western Estuaries management unit are classified as an ‘undefined stock’. While not reported in the SAFS assessment, annual commercial bream catches from Port Phillip Bay briefly rose from a decades-long trend of less than one tonne, up to 15 tonnes between 1998 and 2015. Catches of up to two tonnes per haul seine shot, with some bream weighing more than 2kg, indicated the presence of a sizeable and largely unfished stock which undertakes postspawning movements from several inflowing streams, into the Bay over summer months. Published in Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly in July 2019, the article Bream in the Bay – Eldorado or just teasers? pointed to bream in the Bay as an untapped resource for Melbourne anglers. With all commercial net fishing to cease from March 2022, this will, in effect, become a recreational-only resource. Tasmanian Scalefish Fishery Since their sale was prohibited in 1998, black bream have become a recreational-only species. This recognised both bream’s popularity among estuary anglers and the previous low annual commercial production (max. 10 tonnes). While recreational catches were ‘fairly stable over time’, estimates fell between 2012/13 and 2017/18. At least in part, this seems to reflect increased levels of catch-and-release fishing for bream; 68% of the 27,000 fish caught were released in 2017/18. The assessment concluded that the spawning and

Bream are popular with seafood consumers, with prices rivalling those of snapper. Photo courtesy of Ocean Made Seafood.

recruitment capacity of the bream stock is unlikely to be impaired and is not threatened under current fishing pressure. On this basis, black bream as a component of the Tasmanian Scalefish Fishery management unit is classified a ‘sustainable stock’. SOUTH AUSTRALIA Lakes and Coorong Fishery Assessments of what has historically been SA’s largest bream fishery have relied on commercial net fishery catch and effort data, and age-structure data. Annual commercial catches peaked and remained above 45 tonnes between 1980 and 1986 before they ‘abruptly declined’ to average four tonnes until 2018/19. The decline and sustained low catch levels are attributed to ‘low fishable biomass’. While bream may live beyond 30 years, catches since 2008 comprised 4-17yo, with few older than 10 years. The ages of bream in these catches indicate that successful spawning had occurred during just five years of favourable environmental conditions since the mid-1990s, most recently in 2012/13. Above average recruitment in 2018 is expected to boost the stock in several years’ time, however, there is no prospect of recovery to historically high levels. Fishing is believed to have reduced the stock size and its recruitment potential, and recent management measures are expected to lead

As popular sportfish, with high post-catch survival rates, anglers are increasingly releasing solid bream like this. Photo courtesy of Eligh Quigley.

to a recovery. After considering the available evidence, the 2019 assessment classified the black bream in the Coorong estuary and Lower Lakes management unit as a ‘depleted stock’. Marine Scalefish Fishery Black bream is a minor species in SA’s commercial multi-species, multi-method fishery in open waters. With annual commercial catches of up to 3.2 tonnes over the past 38 years, and the state-wide recreational catch estimated at 4.5 tonnes in 2013/14, the resource is ‘unlikely to be depleted’, with no threat to yearly recruitment. On this basis, the 2020 assessment classified bream in the SA Marine Scalefish Fishery management unit as a ‘sustainable stock’. WESTERN AUSTRALIA The SAFS 2020 report notes that at the time of the assessments, the state-wide commercial catch totalled 57 tonnes, and the recreational catch was estimated to be four tonnes. South Coast Estuaries Records since 1976 show that annual commercial catches of black bream have been increasing from a low base, to the point where ‘careful monitoring’ continues to be needed to ensure that numbers remain high enough to maintain sufficient recruitment. Bream populations in these estuaries are considered healthy enough to sustain current fishing pressure, hence black bream in the South Coast Estuaries management unit are classified as a ‘sustainable stock’. Separate to the SAFS 2020 report, a 2003 trial established that stocking can significantly benefit both bream stocks and fisheries in estuaries where natural recruitment is impaired. West Coast Estuaries The estimated stock size in 2019, suggests that it may be depleted to a point where ‘there is a risk of recruitment impairment’, hence the need for continued careful monitoring to see that fishing pressure does not ‘lead to a stock

issue’. However, the evidence indicates that the stock size is adequate to maintain recruitment at the current levels of fishing pressure. On the available evidence, bream in the West Coast Estuaries management unit are classified as a ‘sustainable stock’. YELLOWFIN BREAM Yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis occur in eastern estuaries from Queensland to Victoria. Although tagging studies indicate some limited movement of bream between estuaries, genetic studies show this to be a single east coast stock. The SAFS assessment examines the species at a whole-ofstock level, using evidence from the three eastern mainland states. Legal minimum lengths in each state allow for some yellowfin bream to spawn at least once before being liable to be legally retained. Research in Queensland and NSW indicate that the survival rate of hooked undersized or unwanted bream is very high when they are released. Queensland assessment The recent stock assessment found the spawning stock to be at 34% of the unfished stock size, and well below the 50% level that could support

the maximum sustainable yield. Bream size and age compositions have been quite stable over recent years and the assessment suggests that continued annual catches of about 150 tonnes will allow a steady build-up of the population, to 60% of the unfished level, in 12 years. Queensland Government programs have resulted in continued reductions in commercial fishing effort

over the past 10 years, and recreational fisher numbers have decreased since 2001. While the combined commercial and recreational catch in 2019 was 163 tonnes, continuation of these trends in commercial effort and angler numbers may result in a steady build-up towards the 60% target. New South Wales assessment About 75% of the

entire recorded Australian yellowfin bream catch, which includes some black bream and hybrids - comes from NSW commercial fisheries. Average commercial catch rates have been stable over the past decade, and the size composition of bream has been ‘relatively stable’ since the 1950s. This is taken to indicate that the stock in NSW waters is in

BAGS AND LIMITS QUEENSLAND SIZE LIMIT/SLOT Yellowfin bream, pikey bream, tarwhine 25 cm

DAILY BAG LIMIT 30 combined

NSW Black and yellowfin bream Tarwhine

25 cm 20 cm

10 combined

VICTORIA Bream, all species, including tarwhine Gippsland Lakes only

28 cm 28-38cm slot

10 combined 10 combined

TASMANIA Black bream: -Marine waters -Inland waters

25cm 25cm

5 10

SOUTH AUSTRALIA Bream, all species

30 cm

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Black bream Swan and Canning rivers

25cm 25cm

6 6 inc. 2 > 40cm

Current daily recreational catch limits for bream species around Australia. Note 1: additional fishing restrictions, e.g. closures, apply in some states. Note 2: WA catch limits also apply to tarwhine, northern black bream and western yellowfin bream

a healthy condition, capable of maintaining adequate recruitment to sustain the stock. Following commercial effort reductions in estuarine net and trap fishing, the commercial catch of 276 tonnes represented a 16% reduction compared to the long-term average. The recreational catch was estimated to be 123 tonnes in 2017/18. Taken together, the level of fishing pressure is considered sustainable in terms of the stock’s spawning and recruitment capacity. Victoria At the time of the 2019 assessments, the ‘very small’ Victorian component of the yellowfin bream stock, and how fishing might affect it, were seen to have little bearing on the East Coast stock. With no commercial fishing in almost all eastern inlets for at least 15 years, and no commercial catches reported in 2017, virtually all fishing pressure was attributable to recreational fishing by tourists and the small local population of anglers in the region. Closed since March 2020, the Gippsland Lakes commercial fishery yields of yellowfin bream were historically small, and had not exceeded 1.5 tonnes since 2010. There is no estimate

of the recreational catch of yellowfin bream in Victoria. While aimed at helping to rebuild black bream numbers, the 28-38cm slot limit introduced for the Gippsland Lakes fishery in 2021 should also help the yellowfin bream population. Eastern Australian Yellowfin Bream stock On the basis of the evidence considered across these three eastern states, the yellowfin bream stock has been classified as a ‘sustainable stock’. Note that recent experiments suggest that this species may prove resistant to the impacts of climate change. NATIONAL REPORTING The Status of Australian Fish Stock Reports are a series of assessments of the biological sustainability of a broad range of wildcaught fish stocks against a nationally agreed reporting framework. The two-yearly reports examine whether the abundance of fish and the level of harvest from each stock is sustainable. Definitions of ‘sustainability’ and quoted passages in this article are taken from the SAFS 2020 Reports. More details about the status of Australian fish stocks are available at – www.fish.gov.au/reports.

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Warm days make fishing fun PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

The water has finally gotten a little bit warmer, and with this warmer water the surface activity has picked up on most mornings. To find out where all the fun is, head out first thing in the morning and watch out for seabirds. They will show you where a lot of fish are feeding on the surface. On Broken Bay we are seeing some salmon schools, and mixed in with them are some rat kingfish. Both species are a lot of fun to catch on lighter fishing gear. The better lures to use have been small metal lures in the 5-15g range. The smaller lures are needed sometimes because these fish do become finicky, especially when being chased by boats regularly. I know everyone gets excited when they start seeing fish busting up on the surface but please be careful and respect other boats around you. Please

provide plenty of space between vessels, this way everyone has a chance at catching some fish. When chasing fish do not cut off the angles other boats are using to make long casts. Recently I have seen a few arrogant boaters doing exactly that. Remember there is plenty of room for everyone to enjoy our wonderful waterways and the surface activity is really a bonus that should be shared. When fishing around the surface activity it can be a good idea to place a bait on the bottom using a paternoster rig or a running rig, for a chance at some bottom-dwelling species. Some of these bottomdwelling species can be flathead, flounder, trevally and even jewfish or sharks. Just remember to put your rod in a secure rod holder. Our mornings whilst on charter have started by catching squid so that we can down rig along Pittwater chasing kingfish. Most of the squid that we have encountered have been towards the mouth of Pittwater, mainly at

Palm Beach weed beds, Mackerel Beach and Careel Bay. The better size jigs to use have been size 2.0 and the colours seem to vary from day to day, with natural colours seeming to catch just as many as

should be the undoing of many flathead when using a paternoster rig and drifting. I like to drift along Pittwater between Palm Beach and Sinclair Point. This area has a massive drop-off and if fished

Sunny days and kingfish – what a blast!

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Some big dinner squid are still around. the fluoro colours. It is amazing though that the odd day squid will prefer fluoro colours over the natural colours. Make sure you put some scent on your jig down towards the business end where the spikes are. Everyone has their favourite scent but my two favourites are S Factor and Halco paste. Both of these pastes stay on really well and rarely do you need to reapply them (if you don’t wipe them off by grabbing the coated areas). Areas to try for kingfish are again around the mouth of Pittwater, Broken Bay and amongst the moorings on the eastern side of Pittwater. Keep your eyes peeled though as there is the odd bit of surface activity along the western side as well. For those wanting to catch bread-and-butter species such as flathead or flounder, the drift between Patonga and Lion Island is working well. The usual baits of pilchard pieces or a well-presented prawn

correctly you can reap the benefits and catch a good array of species. Along our coast we are starting see a run of kingfish showing up in close along points and rocky headlands. Most of these fish are on the small side, but by catching a few and moving on you will eventually find a few larger ones to tangle with. These fish along the coast can be caught using a

Kids shrieking with delight and catching big salmon. Is there anything better than that?

variety of techniques, but my favourite is to down rig yellowtail or slimy mackerel and have two people casting lures such as white Slug-Gos towards the horizon to catch fish we are not travelling over. Not only does this catch fish from areas that are not travelled, it also can bring in some followers to eat what is presented on the downriggers. Reef fishing in depths of 40m+ will see some snapper, morwong and flathead being caught, just to name a few. The 50m mark over the sand is also a great place to catch blue-spot flathead, with the odd snapper showing up as well. So as you can see there seems to be plenty of fish to keep us amused. If you are able to, please support your local charter operator as most of us have financially suffered with COVID lockdowns and restrictions placed on our businesses. Most of us have been waiting patiently for our tourism market to open back up and these fast-approaching school holidays will be a great time to start using us again, and learn to catch more fish. I hope this report sees you excited and dusting off your fishing gear so you can enjoy a great day on the water. • Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www. estuaryfishingcharters.com.au

Recreational Fishing Update quickly re-released with the original tag in place, hopefully for another lucky angler. Each reported recapture contributes to our understanding of pelagic fish species. If you are lucky enough to recapture a tagged fish, please ensure you report it using our online recapture form which can be found on the NSW DPI website. The Game Fish Tagging Program is a great example of your licence fees at work!

Recaptures Reveal Kingfish Journeys

Two kingfish originally tagged in very different locations have been recaptured off Yamba on the same day by the same fisher. The two recaptures highlight the dynamic and variable movement patterns of the iconic species, while it also gives a small insight into the potential of genetic mixing between different populations. The first kingfish was originally tagged on 27 December 2020 by gun angler Scott Lihou, who was fishing offshore of Port Lincoln, SA. The fish measured 126cm total length and was estimated to be 14.5kg. Fast forward 249 days to 2 September 2021, and the fish was recaptured by commercial fisher Troy Billin who was fishing around Yamba, NSW. The fish weighed in at a solid 22.5kg upon recapture, showing considerable growth. During its time at liberty, the fish travelled

Trout Bonanza!

The 2021-22 trout fishing season is set to be one of the best in years, with good rain meaning rivers and streams across the State are in excellent condition. Since the season officially started on Saturday, 2 October, we’ve heard great reports of excellent trout fishing across NSW, with key locations including the Thredbo and Eucumbene rivers in the Snowy Mountains, the Fish River near Bathurst, the Goobarragandra and Goodradigbee rivers near Tumut and Yass and a range of productive streams in the Central Tablelands and New England areas all producing quality fish. Popular lake fisheries are also rewarding anglers with Talbingo in the State’s south and Malpas Dam near Armidale benefitting from the release of ex-broodstock from DPI’s Gaden and Dutton trout hatcheries. Last season about 2.7 million trout and salmon were released into the rivers and streams across throughout NSW. Releases were conducted with Acclimatisation Societies as part of the NSW DPI Fish Stocking Program. For information on the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee and trout fishing rules check the NSW DPI website online.

some 1,300 nautical miles (~2,405km) from the original release location. The second fish was recaptured on the same day and in the same location by Troy. Interestingly, this fish wasn’t sporting a NSW DPI tag, rather a New Zealand gamefish tag. A quick email to our counterpart John Holdsworth from Bluewater Marine Research determined that this fish was originally tagged at Gannet Island offshore of Raglan, New Zealand. Raglan is located on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. The fish was originally tagged on 14 February 2018 by keen angler Richard Hart. Richard measured the fish at 97cm and it was estimated to be 10kg. Upon recapture the fish weighed 20.8kg. The fish spent 1296 days at liberty and was caught more than 1165 nautical miles (~2,155km) from its original release location. Historically, there have only been three other reported recaptures of New Zealand tagged kingfish in Australian waters. All three fish were originally tagged at the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Two were recaptured at Montague Island and the other was recaptured at Jervis Bay. The Game Fish Tagging Program is a great example of your fishing fees at work!

Flathead Recapture A Family Affair

A dusky flathead originally released by keen 6-yearold fisho Jasmine Debono on 6 August 2021 has been recaptured by her dad Nathan. As far as we can tell, this is the first time the Game Fish Tagging Program has recorded a father/daughter recapture, which gives a new meaning to “keeping it in the family”. Jasmine often accompanies her dad Nathan during their fishing sessions out on Lake Macquarie. Jasmine absolutely loves her fishing and spending time out on the water, sometimes she even manages to sneak out with Dad during the week before school. Jasmine caught and tagged the 72cm flatty in Lake Macquarie. At this stage it is her personal best, but we expect Jasmine will come across some bigger models in no time. Proud dad Nathan recaptured the fish only 32 days after Jasmine released the fish with a NSW DPI tag, the fish still measured 72cm and was caught less than 300m from where it was originally caught. It was

Weird Catch In Lake Mac

Lake Macquarie, a highly popular Recreational Fishing Haven and Trophy Flathead fishery north of Sydney, is well known for producing quality fishing for a range of common estuary species including bream, mulloway, tailor and dusky flathead. However, Lake Mac regularly throws up a few piscatorial oddities. Over the years we’ve seen pictures of anglers who’ve caught a variety of tropical species including mangrove jack, giant herring, pennant trevally and big eye trevally. Recently Lake Macquarie local Mark Williams got in touch with details on an interesting capture involving a lesser or doublespotted queenfish (Scomberoides lysan). This species is common in the eastern Indian Ocean and the Indo-westcentral Pacific but has been recorded as far south as Sydney. A close relative of the giant queenfish (a highly popular sportfish found across most of the Top End), the doublespotted queenfish grows to about 6kg, compared to a maximum size of 16kg for the bigger queenies. Mark’s fish, which was caught on a metal while casting at schools of tailor, looks to be about average for the species at about 2-3 kilos. Mark and his fishing mates Peter Macor and Sam Zikman have caught quite a few of the doublespotted queenies in recent times, most often mixed in with feeding tailor. Great to see one of our premier RFHs producing such a diversity of species! Let us know if you’ve caught any “weird” fish in Lake Mac – or anywhere else in NSW, for that matter. Email your stories and images to fisheries.info@dpi.nsw.gov.au.

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au NOVEMBER 2021

Sydney

NSW

Reaping rewards from the rocks SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

The people of NSW, especially those in Sydney, feel like they have been reborn with the loosening of the COVID restrictions. It has been hugely welcomed by the LGAs that have been under tighter restrictions than other suburbs. It’s great that anglers can

finally enjoy being out on the water with family and friends, enjoying this wonderful pastime. The info below will hopefully help get you locked into what is currently happening off the ocean rocks, beach and estuary around the northern suburbs of Sydney. OCEAN ROCKS Water temperatures can vary significantly from one day to the next at this time of year, which can affect fish

This fat porker was the last bait and cast of the outing! Oliver Kovarik landed this fish with style. The pigs are currently filling up on the abundance of cabbage weed that is growing on the ocean rocks.

behaviour. Some days the current may have an unusual chill to it compared to the air temperature, while on other days it’s just as warm in the sea as it is on land. This variation is typical of the transition phase in November. The big, medicine ball rock blackfish (black drummer) are on the chew, filling up on the abundance of cabbage weed that is on the rocks. Reports of fish to that 4kg mark or just under 60cm are being caught, with some anglers losing the occasional freight train size fish. Around 1-3m deep is an average depth you can fish for big pigs, and you can catch them on big cabbage baits suspended under a float. Berley up with cabbage weed for better results. The traditional peeled prawn baits and mushy bread berley is also a winner with this species, and a well-presented bread bait in conjunction with bread berley works well too. When using white sliced bread baits, take off the crust. Bream and luderick are often part of the haul. We are getting towards the tail end of the silver trevally run and often some of the fish can be in that 50cm+

range. If you fish typical shallower water areas with lots of boulders and shallow ledges you may expect more rock blackfish. However, if you are pig fishing in deeper areas you may encounter more trevally and even the occasional snapper and more amongst your catch – in certain locations, at least. Try the shallower ledges and boulders of Manly’s Little Bluey 100-250m south of the end of the Bower St car park. Long Reef in Collaroy is also producing the goods. This is a vast area where you can fish the ledges and boulders on the south face and north face. Snapper catches have been up of late. Fish to 55cm are being taken in the wash zone and casting out wide as well, providing the bottom you are fishing is suitable for bottom fishing. Fish baits like salted slimy mackerel and fresh yellowtail fillets are good choices. Prawn baits in the larger size (king, endeavour or banana) and half pilchard baits are also working a treat whilst wash fishing. When it comes to berley, use a pilchard, bread and some prawn mush. Whilst berleying, be consistent, not liberal – don’t deploy large, inconsistent amounts. Vary your sinker weights according to the amount of wash/current on the day. I use a Daiwa Over There 109MH 10-20lb rod coupled with Daiwa 5000D-H BG MQ and 20lb J-Braid Grand with the same weight fluorocarbon leader, which is a great match for rock blackfish and wash snapper. When wash fishing, look for the deeper water ledges. Try South Whale rocks, North Curl Curl and

Rob Marich with his bag of luderick and a nice rock blackfish he landed on light 8lb luderick gear. Fishing off the rocks in Sydney Harbour can be surprisingly rewarding. Bluefish’s eastern front. Take into account that deep water equates to high energy waves! Do not take fishing the rocks lightly. Get the right advice if you don’t have an understanding of fishing the ocean rocks. OCEAN BEACHES The 2021-22 run of whiting has begun! I was walking on the beach at South Narrabeen and saw an angler with a whiting that would have been in the mid-40s – a huge fish! There are numbers of whiting from 32-38cm being caught on some of the beaches. North Narrabeen is one of these beaches

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The reds are on! You can catch good fish off the rocks but you have to put in the effort.

producing great whiting. The occasional Aussie salmon is picking up worm and pink nipper baits as well. Other beaches producing further north are Bungan and Palm Beach. Further south, Dee Why and Curl Curl are yielding good whiting, with a mix of bream thrown in. When targeting beach whiting, preferably fish around half tide up to the high. The reason is that when the tide is approximately half on the rise, it becomes flooded enough for whiting, bream, dart, flathead etc to forage for small fish feeding in the shallows, and feed on the worms, pipis and crustaceans. Therefore, the opportunity for anglers is generally better. Some locals are catching beach jewfish, with a variety of sizes being reported. One angler mentioned he caught a 65cm jewie, while another angler on the same beach caught a very nice 12kg specimen. Obviously these two fish are probably not from the same school, but the variation in size is interesting. Generally, beach jewfish average from 75-100cm, with larger fish being caught every year by beach anglers. One of the gun baits to use for jewies is live bait. Remember that beach jewfish come in close mostly after dark on in search of small fish like whiting, mullet, small tarwhine and more (you can catch jewfish off a Sydney beach during the day but it’s uncommon). Fresh baits like yellowtail fillet, mullet fillet, whole dead baits and butterflied baits work well too. The two jewfish mentioned above were caught To page 57

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at North Narrabeen, which is hardly surprising because of the run of whiting currently on the beach. I recommend Bungan, North-South Narrabeen and Dee Why as well. ESTUARY We are seeing a run of luderick and rock blackfish from North Harbour’s Dobroyd Head. The luderick are not as large as the fish caught from the ocean rocks of late, but they’re still reasonable fish, averaging around 29-35cm. The rock blackfish are up to about 1.3kg. Pigs are also being caught by anglers targeting luderick. Another location that has been producing some good luderick fishing of late is Middle Head. If you fish in the harbour you will need to bring in your own weed because there is no bait gathering from the shore. You can catch bait with a rod and reel but you can’t gather invertebrates, cunjevoi or weed. Both Dobroyd Head and Middle Head have salmon and some tailor early in the morning, and it’s definitely worth a spin for a king as well. At the Old Gas Works Little Manly, kings to 70cm are falling for live yellowtail suspended 2-4m under

a float. If you like to flick plastics, the 7” Bait Junkie Jerk Shad in pilchard glo is a good fluke-style bait. Some good tailor to 35-38cm are showing up after dark. You can catch them using a whole ganged pilchard fished around 1m under a light foam gloat. Alternatively, you can cast and retrieve unweighted pilchards. There is a good run of flathead in Narrabeen Lagoon as well. Fishing the Pittwater Road bridge, especially on the western side, can yield dusky flathead to 50cm. The Bait Junkie 4” Grub in the white pearl and chartreuse has been catching them. There are also reports of estuary perch being caught at night. Towards the front of the lagoon, there are nice whiting and some flathead as well. Remember when fishing the ocean rocks to have all the safety equipment – a PFD 50+ Life Jacket (I use Hobie), hi-vis rain coat and steel spike rock boots or stretch-on spikes. Please check out my YouTube channel, Alex Bellissimo. I hope you’ll enjoy it • For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www.bellissimocharters. com.au, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com.au or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

Lots of quality wash fishing SYDNEY NTH

Steve Winser

Over the last month with the lockdown still in force, I haven’t been able to go on as many fishing trips as I normally would, although my rec contacts have been out a bit, which helps keep the finger on the pulse. Wi t h water temperatures lifting slightly in the Harbour and water clarity still reasonably good, the usual winter species have been consistent. Bream, blackfish, trevally and so on have been solidly reliable, with bream over 40cm common and blackfish to 45cm to be had on the majority of the shallow water areas. When fishing these we look for rocky outcrops up against kelp or ribbon weed banks or edges. We fish surface or slightly sub-surface bread and prawn baits. Some 40cm+ bream are still being taken on smaller soft plastics in the 40-50mm range on 1/16oz jigheads. Surface fish schools of salmon and tailor

Chris with a solid blue groper from the washes. have been present in the upper harbour reaches but consistency has been an issue. The schools are small and moving quickly, so you have to be Johnny-onthe-spot to have a chance at catching them. Small metals in the 7-10g range and 50mm soft plastics will work if you can get a cast in. Kingfish are still present in the upper harbour reaches but with water tempereatures still down, they have been lethargic on the bite. One day on and two days off has been the norm

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in recent weeks. There are some decent fish in the 90cm range to be had although once again, primo baits of fresh squid, garfish and so on are needed, with just the odd fish being taken on lures. My personal favourite lure is the 9” Slug-Go in white rigged with a weighted worm hook. As usual at this time of the year, the wash fishing has been the standout, with some horse-sized blue groper and black drummer around. That afternoon bite about an hour or two

before dark has been the one to fish. We catch our drummer on bread and prawn baits, and when targeting blue groper we gather crabs from the local rock ledges. Next month should see a gradual rise in water temperatures. The winter shallow water targets of bream and blackfish will continue, and I foresee no slowdown in the quality of the wash fishing. We should also see the kingfish start to move into the lower harbour reaches. • 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.

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Expect maximum catch rates SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

November will start to see an increase in the numbers of flathead in the lower parts of the estuary as they gather to start their spawning run. Whiting numbers will also increase in the estuaries and off the beaches, and luderick will also be schooling up on most of the rock platforms. There will also be an increase in the

numbers of pelagics like dolphinfish, bonito, kingfish and striped tuna. Your usual species like bream, trevally, Australian salmon, tailor, leatherjackets, snapper and squid will still be about too. Just recently I ventured out to do a bit of filming for my You Tube channel ‘Gary Brown’s Fishing’ and all I needed to do was get some shots of my revamped boat. The plan was to go to Maianbar and pump a few nippers and then anchor up in the main channel that runs

Andrew Humphries can’t wait to get back out on the Port Hacking River to get amongst a few of these again.

from Lilly Pilly and out to the heads, lay out a berley trail, cast out a couple of outfits and sit back to wait and catch a couple of bream and trevally for a feed. After waiting for around 20 minutes and not having a bite at four different spots, I decided to move a couple of hundred metres to spot five, and within five minutes it was on. I managed to land five bream and four trevally before the bite shut down as suddenly as it had started. So why did it turn off? Were the fish just passing through? I don’t think so. Did the tide stop moving? Definitely not! Did I stop the small and steady berley trail? No! Did I run out of nippers? No, I gave what I had left to a kid who was fishing at the Yowie Bay boat ramp. So, what could have it been? Personally, I think it was the dramatic drop in the barometer from the crappy weather that was coming from the south. RECIPE FOR SUCCESS One of the things to emerge from COVID restrictions is the amount of people who have come into the store (BCF at Taren Point) who have either never fished before or have decided to take up fishing again. One of the most common questions we get asked is, “Where is a spot that I can go and catch some fish?” I let them know that it’s not just about the spot; there’s a number of things that will have major influences on your chances of getting a few fish. For example, you need to: 1. Know your targeted

fish species 2. Choose the type of terrain you are going to fish in 3. Keep records 4. Devise a plan 5. Either use bait or lures, not both at the same time 6. Timing 7. Select and maintain the correct tackle for the job on hand 8. Be patient. The key to any angler’s success is to interlock all of these eight steps together when chasing the fish that you are targeting. If you do this, you too will be able to put yourself up amongst that 10% of anglers who catch 90% of the fish. To also help you along for your next outing I’m going to list five techniques to try the next time you are fishing off the shore in the estuary, out of a boat, off the beach/ rocks or fishing offshore. Off the shore in the estuary If you’re targeting flathead with lures from the shore, try not walking into the water as they can be found in water less than 10cm deep. As you work your way down to the water’s edge, cast out the lure and retrieve it back up onto the sand. This also works while using bait. Out of a boat in the estuary Indications that bream have been feeding over

Jake Douglas with his first ever Australian salmon that he caught while fishing off Wanda Beach with whole ganged pilchards. to dislodge the hooks. Off the rocks When using a set of ganged hooks, make sure the eye of the top hook in the set of gangs is a straight eye (for example a Mustad 4200) and the rest of the ganged hooks have turn-down eyes (for example a Mustad 4202). Fishing offshore Try slow trolling (2-3 knots) either pilchards or garfish that have been rigged on either a set of gangs, doubled snooded or a single hook for kingfish, bonito, salmon and tailor. The barrel or ball sinker has to be above the hooks as it acts as a type or keel to stop line twist.

Occasionally some weird looking fish turn up in Port Hacking River. This boxfish was caught while fishing the flats for bream with soft plastics. shallow banks and within the intertidal zone are ‘blow holes’. These are depressions in the sand or mud, surrounded by displaced sediment giving a crater effect, and usually exhibiting a colour change which is due to the next layer of sediment being exposed. Off the beach Australian salmon and tailor can put on an aerial display while trying to dislodge the lure. Watch your line and if you see the line heading towards the surface, try dropping the tip of the rod. This action tends to decrease the fish’s leverage 58

NOVEMBER 2021

WHAT’S BITING For those of you getting out this month, bream, flathead, whiting, flounder and trevally will be found along the shore from Dolls Point to Brighton, off the Cooks break wall, under the Toms Ugly, Captain Cook, Como, Alfords and Milperra bridges. Mono Point, Yarra Bay, Bare Island, the drums and the oil wharf will have bream, snapper, trevally, yellowtail, slimy mackerel, tailor, salmon and kingfish. Off the rocks at Kurnell, you could try for luderick, bream, trevally, tailor, salmon, bonito, leatherjackets and the odd snapper or two. Try drifting in 20-30m of water just north of the entrance to Botany Bay and South of the entrance to the Port Hacking River for sand flathead, tarwhine and the odd snapper. Bream, whiting, flathead, flounder and crabs can be caught at Lugarno, the Moons and Soily Point. Further upstream you could try Cattle Duffers. The Port kingfish will have shown up in numbers so try trolling the main channel and live baiting the deeper bays. Don’t forget to keep those emails coming into gbrown1@iprimus.com.au or call into the BCF store at Taren Point and say hi.

Check out how dark this dusky flathead is. It was caught while casting a ZMan 3” MinnowZ into sandy patches in amongst the weed beds.

NOVEMBER 2021

NSW

Scouting ahead to find the fish BALLINA

Joe Allan

This is a great time of year to be out and fishing. Temperatures are not as crazy as in the dogged days of summer, and the freshwater reaches of the system have the bass really fired up and are really spread out. I’ve heard good reports of bass up as far as Woodlawn on the Wilson arm and around Casino in the Richmond arm as well as below Woodburn down to Broadwater. Moving baits like spinnerbaits and mid-running crankbaits seem to account for most of the fish, but as the water heats up the jig bite will start to improve. The early season surface bite has been really good, with weedless frogs and buzzbaits doing the damage. The Gamakatsu Skip Gap hooks are my go-to when throwing surface plastics because the funny shape of these hooks holds the plastics up on the shank better than

other hooks do. They’re designed for that type of fishing, hence the name ‘Skip Gap’ for skipping baits

across the water. Whiting in the lower reaches of the Richmond are on and firing on small

surface lures. Anglers have been getting good results on Bassday Sugapen 70s in a variety of different

Dan Clay with what would be considered a fish of a lifetime in some countries – here, they’re a pest!

Damon Andrews with a nice bream from a rock wall up river near Wardell. colours depending on water clarity and sunlight. The most popular though are the C95 (orange), MB16 (clear with pink stripes) and C137 (banana prawn). You should get these walking as fast as you can over the weed or sand flats, until you find a concentration of fish. Then keep going because they can be in big numbers together. Be prepared to hook a few other species as bycatch like small trevally, bream and very hungry flathead. When there is water moving over these flats, the fish know it’s time to feed. A good little trick is to change the rear trebles out and change to the Atomic Assist hooks in size 10. This will help increase

your hook-up rate when the fish are not as committed. Flathead are well and truly on the bite in the middle reaches of the river around Pimlico Island and right through up to Woodburn. If you’re bait fishing, get some white pilchards (salted keeps the flesh harder), fresh prawns and live poddy mullet. If you’re into throwing lures or trolling them behind the boat, this can be one of the best times of year for this type of fishing. Get as bright a lure as you can, because flathead can’t seem to get enough of these fluoro things. Offshore, the close-in reefs have been producing a few tuna, bonito and horse mackerel of late. The best way to target these is to trolling big metal slugs or skirted lures. If you find a bait school, get your slugs and start casting because this action can be crazy, with fish often coming cast after cast while you’re on the school. There’s still a fair few

snapper around the Lennox Point, Riordans Reef and Black Head. The latter can be a little hit and miss though. There are a lot of smaller fish but these are still great eating and can provide some great fun on light gear. As the water starts to really warm up the mahimahi will become very hungry and be around in solid numbers. The best spots to check are the FADs and the wave buoy. Further afield there have still been some nice pearl perch and kingfish. The beaches along South Ballina can produce some amazing whiting fishing at this time of year. Scout the beach a few days before the bigger tides and head out at night with live worms and pipis. The pipi numbers will start to increase as the water warms up. Watch out though, if the northerly is blowing the bluebottles will be out in numbers and while not deadly, their stings will pack a punch and are very uncomfortable.

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Dom Bortolin, looking like The Undertaker, caught this beautiful snapper off Lennox Head.

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This solid bass came from a school up the Richmond River towards Tatham.

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NSW

Freedom for fishing families COFFS HARBOUR

Dayne Taylor

Spring is the best time to wet a line on the Coffs Coast. The days produce perfect weather temperatures, and our estuary systems really start to heat up. Coffs Harbour has plenty to offer

bream doing this, making for a tasty mixed bag of fish for dinner! With the water temps rising every day the crab activity will also increase. A collection of your filleted fish frames or a whole mullet cut into pieces makes for great crab bait, and you can have hours of fun chasing muddies

The author with a nice flathead taken on an OSP Bent Minnow. and blue swimmer crabs with the family and your friends. Let’s be real, you would be hard pressed to find anything

another pause. If this does not get a bite, retrieve and repeat. It is a simple and effective method, and it works well on both the bream and bass at this time of the year up above the gravel beds towards the fresh water. Offshore, the deeper reefs in the 30-60m range have been the more productive areas for bottom fish such as snapper, pearl perch and teraglin. A mixed offering of both pilchards and squid on a paternoster rig are sure

Craig Hanlon has been getting some decent snapper lately.

Dale Johnson taking advantage of an early morning bite period on the snapper.

Matthew McEwan was happy with this nice bar cod.

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to produce the goods. Fresh strip baits of bonito, mullet or even slimy mackerel are also effective for reef fishing. In a little closer and shallower (15-30m reefs) I have found that a single, small ball sinker and a single hook with a nice fresh slab of bait drifted down is accounting for some very nice snapper. If lure fishing is more your scene, slow pitch metal jigs are working very well on these deeper fish. And another great option is a heavily weighted curly tail type soft plastic such as the Berkley Gulp Nemesis or Jigging Shrimp dropped to fish holding near the bottom. In shallow, the snapper are

still actively taking an array of well-presented soft plastics like the jerkbait profiles and smaller paddle tail plastics. 1/6oz to 1/4oz is the ideal size jighead to keep the lure in the water column for longer to entice that bite. On the kingfish scene there have been some nice fish taken on both topwater lures and jigs, as well as live and dead baits dropped to marked fish around that 60m mark. The lighthouse is an obvious choice for trying your luck at a bit of topwater action early in the morning and late in the afternoon. 80-120mm size stickbaits with quality hardware are a must. These fish fight dirty when hooked and there is nothing worse than losing a $50+ lure in the reef or the fish of a lifetime due to dodgy terminal tackle or light leader and braided line. Last Month (October) we had a great run of striped marlin off the Coffs Coast, with plenty of action had by all willing to get out after a few. Fingers crossed it’s a sign of a cracking billfish season ahead, with the inshore run of juvenile black marlin likely to arrive any day now. Until next month, cast like there is no tomorrow and retrieve like you have all the time in the world.

for the whole family when it comes to fishing, and I’m sure the folks from those areas in lock-down the past few months are hanging out to get back up here. Whiting and bream are plentiful in the beach gutters and throughout the sand flats on the lower reaches of the rivers. Topwater lures such as the OSP Bent Minnows and Bassday Sugapens are both great choices for all levels of skill to try and tempt a whiting on the flats. Long casts across the shallows and a quick, steady retrieve will entice an aggressive bite from these feisty little fish. Otherwise you cannot beat well-presented unweighted pink nipper yabby drifted along in the current on a red no.1 worm hook. You will pick up a heap of welcome by-catch such as flathead and

better to do on these warm afternoons than sitting back with a cold beverage and busting into a nice, fresh cold feed of crabs! The steamy hot days and stormy afternoons make for ideal conditions to chase a few mangrove jacks and giant trevally up our creeks and rivers. Live baits are hands-down the most effective way to get a result, but some time spent peppering a snag or rock bar with lures is also worthwhile when that 50cm red beast finally slides into your net. Both the Berkley PowerBait Hollow Belly rigged weedless and Jackall Squirrel usually get me the results, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try different lures or techniques. Further upstream the bass are going bananas for topwater lures. Cicada imitations are a go-to with the buzzing in the trees at this time of year, and they are hard for any bass to refuse when presented up in the shade of an overhanging tree at any time of the day. Once your lure lands, leave it to sit still for 10 seconds, then give it a little jiggle, trying not to move it too far, followed by

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NSW

Anglers are unleashed COFFS COAST

Rob Taylor

It felt like the old gold rush days when the NSW government lifted COVID stay-at-home orders and every fisho and his dog joined the exodus for the hills and all with one fish in mind: Australian bass. The result was an impressive stream of pics hitting my inbox as local fishos showed off bass after bass in the 40-50cm+ range. Local rivers all produced fish, as did the bigger systems like the Clarence which weren’t subject to annual closures. Bassman Spinnerbaits were a popular lure choice along with plastics and surface presentations such as D-Style Reserves. I’m not

spring trilogy that is flathead, whiting and bream have also been hugely popular as we head into summer proper. Now that we’ve left winter behind us, let’s take a look at

higher reaches. The Bellinger and Clarence will be well worth the effort, and with the annual cod closures lifting this month, the Mann and Nymboida systems will also

Jason Oliver with an early season bass.

The author with a chunky local longtail. It won’t be long until the LBG fraternity can chase these guys. be the places to be if you’re looking to mix it up with some iconic freshwater natives. There’s nothing better than walking a Pompadour across the top on a spring afternoon in a river as pretty as the Nymboida. Expect some solid cod to take an interest in the Pompadour as well. In the salt, the creeks, rivers and estuaries will be the focus for those chasing big lizards and early run mangrove jacks. The lower reaches are where the big flatties will be gathering, and either baits or lures will produce fish if you find them. I like to drift the edge of sandflats and drag

a live poddy mullet out the back while I flick plastics up the front. That way I’ve got all bases covered and can generally raise a solid flathead. For the jacks, the bigger systems with rock walls will be the place to drift with livies. Alternatively, you can head upstream and pepper likelylooking snags and coffee rock with your lure of choice. And don’t forget to hang on. ROCK AND BEACHES This time of year can be a tough one for rock fishos as the winter species such as tailor and black drummer wind down and we wait for the first of the pelagics to arrive. It’s not all doom and gloom though as we’re still catching healthy tailor at the time of writing, and some jewfish have fallen to big bibbed minnows spun through the rock washes. I reckon

OFFSHORE The boaties and yak brigade are in for a treat this month as some big snapper will be patrolling the shallow reefs and everything in between, out to 60m. There will continue to be some surface action in the form of mac tuna, bonito and stripies for those looking

A perfectly conditioned bass. Now is the time to throw some lures in the fresh. for some speed merchants to throw slugs at. Motor upwind of a school, cut your motor and cast over the lead fish.

what November should bring. CREEKS, RIVERS AND ESTUARIES As mentioned, the freshwater systems will be firing, with plenty of bass on the chew and moving into the

Finally, keep an eye on the SST charts. If we get readings of 24 and above, we could have our marlin season underway.

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Darran Ryan caught this shovelsized lizard on a glide bait. sure if the bass are in greater than usual numbers or if it’s a case of severe COVID fatigue seeing more anglers than usual desperate to get outdoors and hit the fresh. Either way, there have been some great early season sessions. In the salt this month we saw plenty of post-spawn snapper around the 30m line and out to 50m. Pearlies and some horse tuskies have also been hitting plastics intended for snapper, and for those anglers willing to put in the time, some solid mulloway have been lurking about the offshore reefs. The local beaches and headlands are still producing tailor in numbers along with the odd Aussie salmon and out-of-season weirdos like GTs and big-eye trevally. The

Fingers crossed the big kings, sambos and amberjacks have taken up their positions around the Solitary Islands and pinnacles along the 70m and 90m lines. Jigs and live baits dropped down to marked fish will likely elicit solid hook-ups, but stopping them is where the real fun starts.

TH IS BU SI NE SS IS

Jason Oliver knows to hit the local freshwater systems early.

The author with a red off the stones. Snapper are a viable land-based target at this time of year.

there will still be some good fishing off the stones for those willing to think outside the box. Try berleying the gutters with truckloads of bread for some mixed bag mayhem. You might be pleasantly surprised. The beaches will still cough up the odd tailor and salmon amongst the bream and whiting, but the main focus will be mulloway. Pick your time and location right and there will be some big silver ghosts just metres from your feet at this time of year. Stopping them is another matter.

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NSW

Fun fishing the flats THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

There is something inherently peaceful and exciting about fishing the vast flats we find in our

down the front of systems such as Hastings and Cathie. These are typical shallow, sandy areas mostly devoid of much structure. At this time of year they are home to mullet, whiting, bream and flathead. Fishing these areas generally means not

and nippers – this way you can get a mixed bag of fish. For the flathead enthusiasts, soft plastics work too – just cast and retrieve, throwing in plenty of pauses. Paddle tails, jerk baits and wrigglers all catch fish. For those who put in the effort to gather live bait, a poddy mullet drifted or slow trolled is spot-on over the next few months. Hard bodied lures come in all shapes and sizes and a few that can be very effective on our local flats are the shallow running chubby style lures and just by casting and slow rolling them back you can catch fish this is a proven bream technique. The other lure that is very handy is the hard jerkbait patterns like the well known Double clutch, these lures are made for flats fishing and retrieves

Ryan Ford with a great fish taken on a big Cossfire surface lure. can be slow roll but the flatties love a retrieve very similar to using a plastic wind it down then a couple of rod lifts take up the

The author rolling some hardbodied lures over the shallow rock bars. local waterways in the Port Macquarie region. We have plenty in the Hastings, plus also Lake Cathie and the Camden Haven, so to the newcomer what are we talking about with flats fishing? Firstly, we are looking for water that is a metre or less in depth, and mostly fishing in the half metre sections. You have sand flats, mud flats and in some systems you have rocky flats. Let’s have a look at each and what we can expect to catch and how. Sand flats can be found

sitting in one spot. You can drift in a kayak, use the electric motor on your boat or good old leg work if you are wading to cover a wider area. Depending on your target species there will be several options, and most of them (except big lure flatty fishing) will require only a 1-3kg rod on a small threadline with 3kg braid and 3-4kg leader. What to tie on? November can be worth casting a surface lure for whiting, and it can also be a time to use beachworms

Mandy showing the spoils of a Pelican Island whiting session.

Gavin with a nice flatty caught while fishing plastics in the shallows.

slack pause and repeat, the hits can be awesome in the shallows and its very common to have flathead clearing the water on the strike. Mudflats are very similar to fish but we can often have some weed beds mixed in and this is the

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NOVEMBER 2021

The results of a session using shallow divers on the flats.

point of interest because at this time of year these weeds will have prawns in them and seriously guys its game on casting around these areas all the above methods work but here any of the amazing prawn imitation plastics is ideal, it will not take you long to work out which weed beds are firing, keep your lures or baits in the zone. Last flat scenario and it may not even be classed as flats fishing but it is those upriver rock bars such as in the Hastings locations like Narrow gut this has rock throughout and can produce excellent bream fishing over the coming months again using surface lures such as sugar pens or slow rolling shallow hard bodies is great fun. Plastics do catch in these areas but weedless is preferred as you will lose gear, remembering in tidal water it can run pretty fast over these areas.

NSW

Bumper prawn feast FORSTER

Luke Austin

November really starts to heat up here in the beautiful twin towns of Tuncurry and Forster. Fishing options are numerous and the amount of aquatic life getting about is just insane!

prawns, crabs and loads of fish! Sand whiting are a summer specialty and they’re becoming very prominent among catches now as they begin to populate the numerous sand flats and adjacent gutters in big numbers. Targeting these fish with small surface lures is very

There are loads of chunky flathead getting about now. The local estuary fishing is simply amazing at this time of year; the tidal waters of Wallis Lake are alive with all sorts of marine life, including

effective and can be done on any of the shallow sand/ patchy weed flats in the main parts of the lake, from Pacific Palms in the south all the way to the

mouth of the system. If you find yourself on the water around the low tide and unable to target the shallows, have a go at fishing the deeper holes and channels that sit near these sand flats. You can use grub or worm style soft plastics, metal vibes or baits of beach worms, pipis or yabbies. Trumpeter or winter whiting are still about in good numbers, but they will start to move about a bit in the coming weeks. If you find yourselves drifting the usual spots up around Lanis/the Step or The Duckpond and not getting much action, don’t be afraid to go searching for the fish. Areas worth trying include the northern side of Regatta Island or up towards Green Point upriver, or possibly the main channels closer to the mouth of the estuary down as far as The Paddock even. If you’re lucky enough to have a good depth sounder, simply sound around likely-looking areas until you find the schools of fish. Flathead are becoming easier and easier to find now, and the quality of the fish is really good thanks largely to the bumper crop of prawns that we are seeing this year. While they are responding to wellpresented 3-4” soft plastics, the better sessions are coming on the back of soft and metal vibes. There is a growing number of anglers throwing swimbaits, stickbaits and large soft plastics about the sand flats, and the effectiveness of these techniques is just insane. I don’t think I have ever seen so many large 80cm+ fish being landed so easily! The local bream have well and truly zeroed in on this year’s emerging cicada

Ricky Noonan with a cracking November red. population. Local anglers have been having a ball up the rivers throwing cicada lures to fool some very nice 35cm+ fish. There are also good numbers of fish schooling up on the broken ground and cockle beds to the south of Wallis Island down around Coomba Park and Pacific Palms. The majority of the fish in these schools are only small but there are plenty of nice specimens mixed in if you are happy to fish through the numbers. The local beaches are tracking along nicely as they settle into their summer pattern. Bream and whiting are dominating catches and can be found on most beaches fairly easily. There are still schools of hard fighting Australian salmon cruising the coastline with

the odd tailor mixed in. Unfortunately, reports from the rocks are very few and far between, as is often the case at this time of year. The ledges down around Pacific Palms and Seal Rocks are holding some very nice tailor and the odd small kingfish, but that’s about it. Offshore fishing can be a bit of a mixed bag this month. The deeper reefs in 45-80m are fishing the best and seem to be holding plenty of nice pearl perch, trag and snapper. The shallow reefs are holding snapper but they are fairly well spread out, so if you decide to target these fish don’t be surprised if you only manage to land a handful with a lot of casts in between. On the upside, the quality of the fish that are hanging about these shallow

areas has been very good lately, with most fish up over the 50cm mark. Heading wide is absolutely worth it this month. It is often November that sees the biggest mahimahi of the season landed, and there is always a good chance of running into some yellowfin or possibly even a marlin. • Luke is the owner of Great Lakes Tackle – your ‘local’ bait and tackle store. They only sell the best brands and offer sound, friendly advice on where you can go to land your next trophy fish while visiting the wonderful Great Lakes region! They are open 7 days in the main street of Tuncurry, and you can phone them on 02 6554 9541 or find them on Facebook to see what they have been up to!

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NSW

Quality fish taking lures PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

One of the most exciting ways to catch fish is using surface lures, and when it comes to estuary fishing

from Tahlee to Taylors Beach will produce some cracking elbow-slappers on surface lures. I like to start fishing on the high tide but the bite generally heats up as the water and food starts to drain off the flats. A

Don’t be frightened to cast big surface lures for flathead. Even small flatties will crack 20cm+ size lures.

too. While 50-80 mm surface lures are ideal for whiting, if you want to home in on catching more flathead on the top, use much larger lures up to 200mm long and focus your efforts around flats areas with structure or the mouths of feeder creeks. A slower action with a 2-second pause between splashes works best for lizards. Bream will also be chewing on the top this month, with 30-60mm size lures cast around shallow rock bars on high tide the using a slow splash, splash, splash, pause retrieval working best. For bait fishers you’ll be able to catch plenty of quality whiting this month down the bottom end of the bay. You can check out Nelson Bay, Little and Shoal Bay beaches as well as over the other side along Jimmys Beach through to the Boulders. High tide and live worms rigged with light leaders and long-shank hooks will be the recipe to success in these areas, especially if you can get those tides to line up with late afternoon and early morning.

Chris Bogas with a cracker mulloway. systems firing on all cylinders. The mulloway fishing has also been pretty good in the bay, with fish coming from the new and old bridge at Karuah as well as the deeper water around Soldiers Point through to the wreck at Salamander Bay. While live baiting is the most effective way to target them, dead squid also works a treat, as do soft vibe style lures. OCEAN BEACHES The ocean beaches are coming into their prime months, with big whiting holding in the gutters on the high tides. The pick of the beaches are Fingal Bay, Samurai and Along

Stockton. Live worms rigged on a double paternoster style no. 4 long shank rig the only way to go when it comes to catching these tasty critters. Jewfish will be worth a crack after dark around the full and new moon phases, especially along Stockton. ROCKS The ocean rocks are still holding some good bream around the wash zones, with lightly weighted large peeled prawns or fresh cunjevoi a sure-fire method to get into them. Sheltered Bays south of Fingal down to Boat Harbour are great areas at this time of year to catch squid, with size 3.0 jigs being the ideal size in pink,

orange and green colours. OFFSHORE Trag have been in good numbers on the inshore reefs such as the Vee, 21 and Gibber, with a few snapper to 3kg mixed amongst them. The FAD will be worth a look for some dolphinfish this month, and usually those early season ones are quality fish up to 10kg. They will take a wide range of lures from skirts to metals, but a live bait is the best way to find those better class fish. It’s also time to dust off the game gear and head out wide for a look, as the last two years produced an early bite of striped marlin in November.

Estuary chain reaction SWANSEA

Jason Nunn

Nelson Bay breakwall is always good for a bream. November is one of the best months to do it. Let’s start with whiting. Most of the shallow intertidal sand and mudflats

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Flathead are in great numbers through the back half of the bay, with the Karuah River all the way up to Allworth and Tilligerry

At this stage, COVID restrictions have eased somewhat, making it easier for anglers. People outside the Sydney area can now travel seaward as far out as they like, as long as they are doublevaccinated (a regulation that’s frustrating for the people waiting for their second dose). From 1 December, everybody will be able to head offshore. Locals are enjoying the first real prawn run of the year. Huge numbers of juvenile eastern king prawns are gathering together for their journey out of the estuary to the offshore prawning grounds, where they will grow to maturity. The prawns started running on 28 October and will continue until 5 November (7-10 nights after the full moon). As well as being good on the plate, these prawns kick off a chain reaction in the estuary. The banquet of food washing down on the run-out tide on the dark usually attracts all the normal estuary targets, particularly bream and

whiting. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for! We’ll see a dramatic increase in bream and whiting in the shallow area of Swansea channel, and quite a few flatties will also come in to chase the prawns. On a single trip you can get a couple of kilos of prawns for dinner, a few whiting or bream and even a few squid, and end up with a smorgasbord to take home. At this time of year the flatties move from deeper water to the outer reaches of the lake in the shallows, where they prey on poddy mullet, prawns and juvenile fish in the warmer water. My tip is to use paddle tail and grub tail soft plastics, because they don’t require angler input to create an enticing action and vibration through these shallower waters – all you have to do is slow roll them. Around 4-5” is a good size, as it replicates what’s moving through at that depth. There are plenty of soft plastics that will work, but a standout at the moment is the Zerek Flat Shad Pro Weedless paddle tail. They come pre-rigged, and the 5” size is a good mullet imitation. Regardless

of which plastic you use, the most consistent colours in this scenario are natural patterns such as grey/white. Fluoro colours aren’t ideal in shallow water. If you prefer to fish with bait you can catch flatties on whitebait and salted pilchards, and good quality prawns such as Hawksbury prawns. And because flathead can often be found in the same locations as bream and whiting, you can pick them up as by-catch. You can catch whiting over the sand flats in Swansea channel, particularly at the dropover end at Marks Point in around the sand islands. Focus your efforts in shallow water of 1-2m, and no deeper. Use 4-6lb fluoro leader, a no. 6 or no. 8 long-shank hook or worm hook and swivel, and fish a running sinker and a small weight. I normally use a no. 2 or 3 ball sinker, particularly in a bit of current. Expect a by-catch of bream. Live or fresh prawns are obviously the best estuary baits during the prawn run, but tube worms To page 69

NSW

November angling tactics CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

Although it’s not summer just yet, the fishing has warmed up nicely in recent weeks. As is typical at this

longtom are a perhaps a novelty catch that are also very quick to pounce on small lures aimed at bream. Some of the longtom are surprisingly big and put on an acrobatic performance once hooked. However,

mixed results. The biggest individual problem has been rapidly changing weather, which means the wind, wave action and beach formations also change quickly. You may check the beach in the morning

reasonably good month for jewfish here, so those anglers keen on putting in some time after sunset could be rewarded. Use top quality bait like calamari squid, big beach worms, fresh tailor or mullet, and be sure to have a bait in the water right on the tide change. Sure, the odd jewie is caught at any time, using any bait, but that’s really pot luck type of stuff. The successful angler is normally the one who does everything right and is willing to put in the time at night. This isn’t normally thought of as a prime rock fishing month, but I suspect that’s because other areas of our local angling are starting to grab the limelight. However, I’ve often found November to be reasonably good around our rock ledges. When using pilly baits, salmon are one of the more likely customers to come along, but a few tailor, bream and trevally are also possible. Luderick, drummer and groper are other fish well

Expect a few salmon along the beaches this month. Glenn picked this one up on his bream spinning gear at Budgewoi recently.

Flathead are active throughout our waterways at the moment. The author is pictured here with a Tuggerah Lakes fish that was kept for the dinner table. time of year, the shallower parts of Brisbane Waters and the lakes are warming up and seeing a lot more activity from bream, whiting, flathead, mullet and prawns. From an angling perspective, it’s the bream, whiting and flathead that will interest most of us. For me, the skinny water bream fishing has long been a major part of my warm weather fishing since the ‘80s. While I target bream I’m also grateful for any whiting and flathead that get in on the act. In some spots around our waterways, From page 68

are still very effective too. Farmed in lake Macquarie, live tube worms have become a centrepiece for whiting fishing along the coast, and they’re very effective on bream as well. We get regular fresh deliveries of those, so if you want to keep all your prawns for dinner, we can provide you with worms – just bear in mind that they do sell fairly quickly. To keep your worms in good condition, put them in a bucket of saltwater, preferably with an aerator, and change the water each day. On the back of the prawn run we should see build-up of more squid, and we’ve also seen quite a good start to the

I’m definitely not a fan of catching them, as they can be problematic when trying to extract the hook for release. They are edible but full of bones, or so I’ve been told. We had quite a dry winter and some rain in recent weeks, so the current situation means we should look forward to reasonably good estuary fishing and see prawns kick into gear more in the lakes. Average rainfall is what we want, unlike last summer which was just a bit too wet! I’ve been fishing the beaches quite a bit in recent months and encountered

and by the afternoon things are already quite different, and it’s hard to work out exactly where to fish and what species to target. Still though, there has been a consistent run of small-to-average tailor pretty much all year. I haven’t caught tailor on every outing, but a few seem to be around most of the time. Occasionally a few larger tailor have also shown up, and of course salmon have also been active. Bream, silver trevally and a few small flathead have also come my way lately. November can be a

mulloway season. Most of the fish have ranged from 75cm up to around 1m, with the majority being taken on live squid. Remember that jewies have to be over 70cm to be legal, and the bag limit is one fish per person. We are seeing a lot more anglers releasing their mulloway, which is great to see. Along the beaches the fishing has been a bit hit-and-miss because the water temp has been fluctuating so wildly. However, in the coming weeks we should see a more consistent run of warmer water and we’re already starting to see a few bream and whiting along our coastal beaches. This should increase in the coming weeks.

The fishing offshore is hard to predict due to lockdowns preventing anglers from heading out. We’ve had to resort to recycling the same patch of inshore water, which has been yielding mediocre catches of snapper, trevally, flathead and the odd kingfish. In November last year we already had marlin on the shelf and were jigging quite a few kingfish down around Norah Head and snapper around the farm before the current picked up. But of course, currents, sea temperatures and fish movements change from year to year, so this November could be quite different. We’ll have to wait and see. Hopefully in the December issue I’ll have better news about the

Bream are well and truly kicking into gear now, and the shallows are where a lot of fish will be found this month. offshore fishing. • 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. fishermanswarehouse.com.au.

worth chasing right now. As with beach fishing, keep a close eye on weather and swell forecasts. Mornings can often be a better bet than the afternoon period and this is due to the fact that north-easterly wind picks up more as the day progresses and this could mean waves crashing over the rocks a lot more, even if the swell hasn’t increased in size. Again, November isn’t normally a highly regarded month for offshore fishing, although anglers will no doubt be keeping an eye out for the first trickling of summer pelagics to turn up. In our part of the world, rat kingfish are the first to arrive, particularly within a few kilometres from shore. Each year is different and

sometimes these smaller kings can be quite thick, while other years they may show up in smaller numbers. The size of the fish can vary as well, but unfortunately, the majority of them are normally undersized. So please keep an eye on the sizes and only keep the legal ones of 65cm or above. Depending on your angling tactics, silver trevally and salmon are also reasonably common at this time of year. The sambos are more of an inshore thing, so anglers fishing any further out than a few kilometres won’t be bothered by them. Overall though, it’s definitely worth getting out there, regardless of which species you’re hoping to find. NOVEMBER 2021

NSW

Will the ’fin stick around? ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

The big news over the past few months has been the invasion of big yellowfin tuna close inshore. It used to happen on a regular basis pre-90s, but with thousands of longline hooks taking their toll, the stocks became a mere trickle of what they had been in the past. True, we did get the odd season where a school would take up residence in close, often in the Shellharbour region, and hang around for a few months. This was usually when favourable currents brought a school of oceanic yellowfin close to shore, those ones with the big sickles, and they had a feast on the plentiful bait along that part of the coast before eventually moving on. However, it hadn’t happened for a long time – until now. Sadly, very few anglers could get a crack at them as the whole coast was in lockdown, so there was very little boat traffic on the water. This may have also helped keep the fish closer for longer due to not being targeted by hundreds of boats every day. With a bit of luck they will still be around this month, so anglers can hopefully have a crack at a big ‘fin in close without needing to head so far to sea they need to get their passport stamped, which has been the norm for the past few decades. November is usually pretty good for yellowfin out on the shelf and beyond and, as always, has been in the lap of the currents. Usually there are a few albacore out wide as well so it is worth a trip out wide if the inshore bite is over. You

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can also deep drop for bottom dwellers as the current is usually much slower at this time of year too. The water out wide has stayed relatively warm over the winter and spring, so there may be a run of striped marlin this month. We haven’t had a good run of stripes in November for a few years now so we are due for one. When they do show it is usually in large numbers for a couple of weeks before the hotter water pushes them out, and the first of blacks take their place as early as late December. That first push of warm water late in November every year sees some of the biggest dolphinfish

The bigger fish must tolerate that couple of degree cooler water to take advantage of the larger quantities of food in this temperature range, and they are usually right on the temperature break and are not about for very long. Closer inshore, November has always been good for some solid kingfish action on the deeper reefs all along the coast, with the best a little further down the coast at the Banks. There are also always a few around Wollongong Reef and Bandit if you slow troll deep with slimies or squid, or watch that sounder and drop a weighted live bait down to the school you find. Knife jigs work too but the bigger

down the pick and berleying if the current is light. For the bottom bouncers there will be a few snapper falling for drifted baits down deep, with plenty of mowies and pigfish over the reefs and the ever-present leatherjackets. On the sand, the flathead are up and running and will only get bigger and more abundant over the coming months, with good catches from all the sand patches along the coast. The lake is starting to fire for flatties as well for boaters and shore-based anglers, with the shallows now warm and teeming with small baitfish, shrimp and prawns. These flatties too will get bigger

There have been heaps of yellowfin tuna in close along the coast.

Whiting are starting to move on the beaches and will only get better as we head into summer. (mahimahi) of the season, and a few spearfish caught by those chasing early marlin and ‘fin. Then the big dollies disappear before the rats show on the 23°C+ water.

fish like the live baits best. Quality snapper will be on the reefs in the 30-60m mark, and they can be caught drifting plastics or jigs over your chosen area or putting

and more abundant over the next couple of months, ready for the Christmas holidays. Minnamurra is the same, with some nice bream around the bridges in both here

and in the lake during the evenings, with live prawns being the top bait. Blue swimmer crabs are about in good numbers but it can be hard to find a spot to put a trap some days, with so many out there. Keep your eyes open when travelling in the boat. On the rocks the deeper ledges have some nice salmon and tailor on lures and pilchards, with a few trevally thrown in if you add a bit of berley. Some decent kingfish are moving along the coast this month so it’s time to get a few live baits out there with the best being big live slimy mackerel. Squid work too, but by using a big slimy you are in with a chance of a hooking a yellowfin from the stones. Yellowfin are now almost mythical creatures from the rocks, but you never know –

you might get lucky. A few big mac tuna always seem to pop up this month on live baits from the rocks. The washes on most headlands have bream and drummer with a chance of a snapper in the lee of any rough weather we may get. On the beaches it is whiting time. Port, Windang, Warilla and Coniston will start them off. Most fish will be just legal but as the month goes on they will be on all the beaches and getting bigger, fatter and more plentiful, so grab some beachworms and hit the sand. A few bream and salmon are in the mix as well with some nice tailor on the northern beaches just on dark in the evenings. A few school jewies are starting to show too, with the bigger ones more prevalent next month. Good luck.

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Mind blowing inshore tuna The inshore tuna run was crazy this spring. We didn’t quite know what to expect, as in past decades spring tuna are usually found out on the shelf or beyond and they are usually smaller school fish. However, last year after a good winter run of tuna we had a crazy bite of school yellowfin that were

bluefin and albacore among all of these yellowfin. There was an estimated a 130kg bluefin caught inshore off Jervis Bay during the run. The albacore were of a large size for their species, with some good 15kg ones getting caught. The odd albacore was getting caught inshore, but there were even larger schools out to the shelf. Memories were made during this spring’s tuna run and will never be forgotten. In November we may

Georgia Poyner finding albacore during the inshore spring tuna run. bigger than you’d expect in spring. They ranged from 20-40kg and were running along our coastline from Narooma to Batemans Bay only 5-6km out, in snapper grounds! It blew our minds that we could travel from the boat ramp and in 20 minutes be cruising around looking for tuna bust-ups in snapper grounds and throwing stickbaits at them and hooking up. So we weren’t sure if such a phenomenon could repeat itself this spring, and it not only repeated itself, the tuna were even bigger! They were also in bigger schools and were found in more places. From Narooma to Shellharbour, big yellowfin were being caught on the troll and by anglers chasing them down and casting stickbaits at them. This year inshore yellowfin were 20-70kg, that’s just mental! We have not seen anything like this in 50 years. To make it even more pleasing there was the odd

continue to keep making memories because tuna can maintain a presence at this time of year, and with them

lingering around like they have for the last couple of years it’s definitely worth a look. The main plan lately has been to go snapper fishing and take stickbaits and gear that can wrestle tuna. That way, if there are no tuna on near you then you can resort to snapper fishing or vice versa. You don’t want to be snapper fishing and then seeing 40-50kg tuna busting up and flying through the air 200m away from you with a 4-8kg rated snapper rod in your hand. Snapper is usually the hit species during November and could still take the limelight if the tuna settle. It’s a great month to go out and find big schools of reds in the 60-80m or even deeper mark. Those depths have always been the domain of the old paternoster rig with an 8oz or heavier snapper lead. This lets you get your bait down to the depths quickly with as little flutter as possible to catch snapper. Something else that’s perfect for that depth, and which is taking the fishing world by storm, is micro jigs – and not all are so micro. Snapper will hit micro jigs up to 150g and 200g. I still try to fish as light as possible and increase the weight if I can’t get it down. Snapper, like the tuna, have been running quite well over the last few years and have been our breadand-butter fish on the south coast. After a solid run in November into December they can tend to slow down, but in recent years snapper fishing has been quite good from the stones and on the boats, even through the tough month of January. By then the water has warmed up and there are other options like kingfish, dolphinfish and bonito – not to mention

marlin out on the shelf. November is the month when things start to warm. The Eastern Australian Current starts to make a push south and the air starts to heat up, followed by an increase in water temperature. When we start seeing nice blue water start pushing in, you can bet there are kingies in there somewhere. You can see this water on today’s charts and go to the area and put a fresh squid on a downrigger. Troll it past places of structure or kingie haunts when the water conditions are right, and/or there’s good food source for them. Down rigging has been around for quite some time, but I think there will be an even larger uptake of this method over the coming years because it is such a deadly way to catch kings – and fishos today like to have 1 or 20 of everything. What we could see by the end of November is the usual by-catch when fishing for kings and that’s bonito. That’s despite the fact that their run was a little later last year down here, as with mac tuna, which were in greater numbers off Sydney and north. Rock fishers start getting excited and focus less on snapper and drummer and more on kings, bonnies and mac tuna in these coming months. But as mentioned before, snapper are still available. Salmon and tailor will also be on the cards when fishing from the stones. From the beaches we can also expect salmon and tailor. The beaches last year were on fire with good bream, and we hope that repeats itself. But the most welcomed species at this time of the year is one of Australia’s favourite table fish: whiting. From now on you can expect schools of whiting to appear on our beaches and lake openings

Harry from Offshore Adventures with a solid yellowfin from the crazy inshore run.

Georgia went upstream and found this fella. Bring on the bass. and into our estuaries. Good fresh worms were deadly last year, and whiting never usually turn their nose up to a well-presented nipper. It’s the time of year when lure fishers get their Sugapens and other surface lures out, and these days they are casting with even more slightly long flats rods. The choice in the past was 7’0” to 7’6” rods, but now are some longer options (7’8” to 8’0”) specially designed for whiting fishing, which cast small light surface lures even further. Covering more ground means fewer casts and a better chance of catching fish. Estuary fishers start to get excited as things warm up; spring time is for hunting big flatties coming out of hibernation, and it’s also a great time for mulloway. We haven’t seen a great deal of mulloway action lately, but there have also been fewer anglers chasing them due to COVID restrictions. However, with restrictions easing, things should hopefully get back to some kind of normal, and estuary fishing will be enjoyed by all. Bass fishing upstream will go from strength to strength from here on, and one of our favourite fisher girls, Georgia Poyner, has been going for the odd look lately and finding them. Spring has done its thing and even more, so get among the last month of it. • For more up-to-theminute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff. They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).

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November on the move BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

This month most aquatic creatures start to get on the move, providing plenty of opportunities for many activities for anglers. It is that time of year along the far south coast where most estuary systems are holding their share of prawn stock, and with the

warming water they are growing fast. This means a feast for all. The estuary fish feed furiously in order to put on weight, while other creatures including bird life will also benefit – and we humans have the most to gain, with both the increased fishing activity as well as a good feed of these lovely crustaceans gracing our tables. At this time of year don’t expect them to be overly large, but do expect

plenty of them. The best time for prawning will be the first week in the dark of the moon, with the better lakes likely to be both Cuttagee and Barragoot. Remember when cooking these delicious school prawns, cook them in ocean salt water then dip them in the same salty water chilled with ice for the best flavours. Most of the estuaries around Bermagui have

Wallaga Lake bream just love fresh or live prawns.

Whiting, like many other fish, like feasting on prawns in the shallows.

prawns in them, and for anglers the best time to fish prawn imitations is early in the morning. Prawns that have been caught out and not yet buried back in the sand are easy prey for predators, with flathead and bream being top of the list to take advantage of this. Whichever estuary system you fish around Bermagui, work the drop-offs and weed beds, especially on the outgoing tides. Remember when in Bermagui, check out around the bridge of a night when

the tide is receding as it can provide some very exciting angling. Fish the edge of the bridge lights with bait, with live or fresh prawns being top of the list. Nippers will also work very well, while those prawn imitation soft plastics, especially ones that glow in the dark, can provide some interesting entertainment. Flathead, bream, whiting, trevally, tailor or even jewfish will congregate around the bridge, waiting for prawns that emerge into the lights. Estuaries that are open to the ocean will allow this

prawn stock to filter back into the sea, and when this happens the offshore bottom fish will also step up a gear. If you have the time to go out and catch some fresh prawns the night before going out to sea, then fish out from the estuaries that are open to the ocean where you are likely to find some very big sand flathead. These fish may also be taken with plastics and light gear to provide even more fun. Snapper and morwong will also feed on these prawns, so the inshore reefs

Where to go fishing first TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

In the Tathra area there are so many options for anglers, from offshore game and reef fishing, to the beautiful sandy beaches and rocky shores, and the many estuaries and lakes within easy reach. And then there is the sweet water of Brogo Dam along with rivers below it. So where to first? Offshore, water temperatures are heating up, providing excellent angling for both boat and land based fishos. On the beaches there are plenty of whiting, bream and mullet being taken on baits like worms, nippers or pipis, while those using larger cut baits, pilchards or lures are catching a wide variety of species like tailor, salmon, the occasional jewfish and sharks at night. Another popular landbased spot in which to take advantage of some of the species mentioned on the beach is the Tathra Wharf. This high platform gives 72

NOVEMBER 2021

There are many estuaries in the Tathra area where you will find quality flathead.

anglers the opportunity to observe these species passing, as well as tangling with the other residents such as trevally, mackerel, yellowtail or garfish. Sand flathead are also an option with a good long cast and a bait sunk to the bottom. Out at sea, those flathead are very abundant out from most beaches in around 25-40m of water. Mixing with them are some nice red gurnard and the occasional gummy shark, although not surprisingly the larger gummies are coming from depths from 40m and beyond, where some exceptional tiger flathead are also being produced. Most of the reef fishing is also pretty good, with areas like Aragunnu and Goalen Head to the north or the White Rock area south providing regular species like snapper, perch, nannygai, morwong, jackets and the occasional pigfish, all of which are excellent table fare. While targeting these reef fish, don’t be surprised if you encounter some kingfish, which seem to be moving up and down the coast on a

Gamefish like southern bluefin are on offer at the moment. regular basis. In the Bega River things have really fired up, as the many estuary species start to feed on the multitude

of food sources available at present. Prawns, nippers and worms can be found all throughout To page 73

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can be targeted for good results, and not only with bait – plastic lures can also be very effective around the shallow structure. Further afield, the wider reefs have their attractions for anglers, with more variety on offer. Out around the Twelve Mile Reef you can encounter Tassie trumpeter along with ocean perch, jackass morwong and some of the largest tiger flathead you will find. While out wide you are likely to see schools of tuna working, in the form

of yellowfin, albacore and stripies. It has been a good early season with many fish being captured from around the edge of the Continental Shelf and further afield out over 1000 fathoms. Most fish are being captured on the troll, with a good spread of mixed lures seemingly doing the job. Mixing the lures will allow anglers to find how the fish are feeding, i.e. if they’re taking diving lures they are likely to be down in the water column which should show

on your sounder. They may also take both lure types, with the diving lures attracting them to the skirted ones. If a pattern emerges, change your lures accordingly for better results. When targeting tuna you should expect sharks, particularly big makos. These predators love to harass tuna schools, so if you get sick of catching tuna, deploy a well laid berley trail consisting mainly of tuna and hang on, as things will start to get exciting.

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the system, especially in the shallow warmer water along with small baitfish and shrimp. They have a tendency to congregate around the rocky shores, weed beds and some of the many snags lining the river’s edges. If you use these critters as bait you can expect to tangle with some excellent black or silver bream, one of the many large flathead, or any of the other species like whiting, luderick, mulloway, perch, trevally, tailor or garfish, which are all throughout the system at present. Neighbouring estuaries like Nelsons Lagoon and Wapengo Lake to the north are also hosting plenty of early season estuary fish like those previously mentioned. Tactics are similar within these estuaries, which offer good wading opportunities over the flats due to the many prawns along the coast. Early morning is a prime time to target these species as they lie in wait for a sluggish prawn that has not returned to its daytime rest in the sand. The added bonus of so many prawns is that

we anglers can also feast on them, with the prime places this season being Wallagoot Lake south of Tathra and the Bega River at Tathra itself. At present Brogo Dam is fishing extremely well, with its population of Australian bass all fired up and on the chew. These fish are responding well to cast lures early in the morning and during the evening, when surface lures become a spectacular way of catching these fish. Trolling or bait fishing through the day is also producing quite well, and for those wishing to wave the long wand of an evening, these fish are responding to a wellplaced fly. Below the dam wall in the Brogo River, fish can be found returning after their annual spawning with some of these fish being quite large. If enough water is available in the river, small kayaks are an option – you can do a jaunt from the dam downstream to the highway bridge at Brogo Pass. Good fish will be encountered all through this section of the river. Moving further downstream on the Bega River between Bega and Tathra, especially just prior

to the salt, there is some great water hosting plenty of bass. Some of these fish in recent times have been exceeding 50cm, but if you want to chase these bigger fish be prepared for early starts or to fish well into the night. Again, most lure patterns will work well here, and if the cicadas have started to emerge from the ground it’s likely that a well-placed cicada imitation fly will produce some excellent fishing. Not only are there bass here, as you get to the slightly brackish water black bream and estuary perch are also likely to be a regular catch. The bream especially like to feed on cicadas if they are around. Bream can often be observed taking these insects from the surface with the tips of their mouths, before dragging them beneath the water’s surface where they break them into more manageable portions. If you are fly fishing for bream, it’s important to resist striking too early as you may just take the fly from the tips of their mouths. You won’t have the same dramas with perch or bass because their feeding habits are not as subtle as a bream’s.

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Match the hatch to find fish NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

The trout season is officially open, and both the rainbows and browns are looking in healthy condition after their spawning period finished up on the October long weekend.

line can sometimes can be needed when targeting more pressured fish just to get the bite. When using spin tackle, I like to keep it simple and use small Celta-style lures, soft plastics on light jigheads or even small hardbody lures that mimic baitfish or baby trout – especially at this time

in effect until 1 December. Copeton Dam has remained open for targeting Murray cod since the closures in September and has continued to fish well for both golden perch and the cod species on a range of lures. It always seems to be around this time of year

around the 86% mark. Pindari Dam has also continued to fish well so far this spring. There have been reports of goldens and silver perch being on the bite all around the basin, as well as in the thicker timbered areas towards the top two thirds of the dam. Fishing the same methods as mentioned above with Copeton can also be really effective in this waterway. Casting or trolling lipless crankbaits between 40-70mm in length should put you in with a pretty good chance of finding active fish. It’s good to focus on the shallower banks early in the morning and late in the arvo, and move to deeper water to target the standing timber or even troll the treetops that are just submerged underwater during the middle of the day. These approaches can be really effective on the

The streams are up and flowing nicely at this time of year and are filled with some awesome quality fish to target. right day and are not to be looked past. Just a reminder that Pindari Dam is closed to

Copeton Dam is fishable all year round so get out and make the most of this beautiful New England weather. There are plenty of little creeks and streams that hold these beautiful fish, which can be found in most areas east of the Great Dividing Range (as well as a handful of creeks to the west which get stocked annually) where temperatures are

of year before it gets too hot, and the trout seem to be more aggressive, eating bigger lures. With fly tackle it can be a lot more complicated. It comes down to owning a big variety of flies and paying attention to what

when the water temperatures warm up that the natives start to dial in on the smaller bait, and this is where matching the hatch and downsizing baits can be a major factor in finding fish consistently. Around this time of year, it is always the lipless

Trout season has finally opened back up and the fishing has been exceptional, with some quality fish like this beautiful rainbow being caught on both spin and fly tackle.

cod fishing this time of year and will open again with the most rivers on 1 December. Pindari is sitting at 100% capacity at the time of writing. The Severn River is still open for fishing opportunities at this time of year, however with the Murray cod breeding season being in effect up to 1 December. Lures up to 60-70mm long are considered to be a good length for yellowbelly, while anything larger could class you as targeting Murray cod, which could attract a pretty hefty fine from NSW DPI. I find this time of year to be the perfect time to be heading out to the local impoundments, especially Copeton Dam, as Murray cod can still be targeted in this waterway during the ‘Cod Close’ period if you are still after a big fish fix. There is only one month left until the Murray cod season re-opens so get out and enjoy the last of the beautiful spring fishing and weather. Tight lines

The local dams are mostly full this year compared to previous seasons. Fishing the ‘skinny’ inlets where water flows into the dam can be really productive at this time of year, as they can hold active fish looking for abundant prey such as shrimp and baitfish. generally colder. With these conditions, it can make for an awesome day out on the water exploring the smaller systems while throwing lures and/or flies for fast, agile fish in skinny shallow water. When targeting trout, using lines anywhere between 8lb and 15lb are good choices in the smaller streams as the bigger fish can be known to snap lighter lines pretty easily mid-fight, with rapid head shakes and sharp little teeth. However, downgrading to lighter 74

NOVEMBER 2021

the current ‘hatch’ is at the time, as many fly fishers know. It’s a bigger game of patience and persistence than conventional tackle, but just as much fun. The perch species have also been fired up of late, and have been coming on the bite in really good numbers after both the weather and water temperatures started rising rapidly in recent weeks. This has made for some cracking fishing opportunities across the whole of NSW, while the Murray cod spawn season is

crankbaits and small bladestyle lures that seem to find their fair share of fish. These lure styles are a really good option for both casting and trolling this time of year because they replicate the abundant prey such as the smaller baitfish and also the crayfish/yabbies, which start making their way out of the mud and other hideouts where they’ve been hibernating during the colder months. At the time of writing this report, Copeton Dam is currently sitting

A healthy Pindari yellowbelly taken on a lipless crankbait – definitely a favourite for perch species at this time of year.

NSW

It’s open slather this season for popular species LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

It’s been a tough period for us all, but the worst is over, and what a relief. The hangover will no doubt linger but eventually it will just be a blip in a distant past. As spring gets up and going, life explodes; all manner of critters have multiplied, and it’s a time of plenty. Trout in the Fish River and its many tributaries will continue to feast on this beautiful bounty. Some of the insect hatches beggar belief. Still and quiet pools come

alive with rising trout, and it’s hard to work out the numbers with so much activity. The melee can be quiet distracting and frustrating. Rest assured, after many failed attempts I’ve worked out it’s best in most instances to cast and leave the dry to sit. Sounds easy… Local acclimatization societies or stocking groups have been very active in the last few seasons, enhancing the population of trout. In fact, I cannot remember a more active group of volunteers in my time. It’s such a fantastic thing. TROUT DAMS Nocturnal activities with brown trout later in the month can be a driving

factor in what we do as anglers. It’s no good being somewhere they are not, right? Low light levels get those big old brown trout up shallow where they are very active chasing yabbies, small fish and, in some waters, mud eyes (dragon fly larvae). Setting yourself up for such pursuits requires a bit of thought. A good quality head lamp is a no brainer. True, you’ll get away with the mobile phone torch, but hands free is the way to go. It can and will be cold at some stage so at the very least take a jacket with wind stopper technology. Walking back to the car with wet feet is not pleasant, so don some

gumboots or better still, put on some thigh waders. A careful, cautious approach is still recommended, especially if the moon is out. Remember these trout are creatures of habit, and chances are they will be feeding in the same area most nights. They recognize change and are quite happy to stop feeding and move on. Lake Lyell can be very busy with other recreational water users as the water temperatures rise, and this is also another reason to become a nightwatchman of sorts. Thompsons Creek Dam (TCD) and Oberon Dam are also other great night-time venues for bigger brown

trout, although access and time restrictions need to be taken into account. Fly fishing need not be your only method of operation. Plenty of trout get caught on lures after hours, and the next one caught on a slowlyretrieved fly behind a small bubble float certainly won’t be the last. GOLDEN PERCH Normally by this time of year I would have had my fill of golden perch, with the track to Windamere well and truly worn from my constant attention. This year, however, C O V I D - r e l a t e d restrictions early in the spring have changed all

that. Hopefully that hot spring bite we are all so accustomed to will linger on. If not, adjustments will be required, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing; forced change encourages more learning. Deeper weed edges I’m thinking? And maybe a move to the standing trees in deeper water? Those feeding seagulls and cormorants out in deeper water could be a sign of some fishy activity below? I remember hooking my best silver perch trolling open deeper water back in the day, definitely food for thought. Hope to see you on the water soon. Until then, tight lines.

Time to trick up your lures HUNTER VALLEY

Nick Price

This month I will focus on fishing the edge using lipless crankbaits and look at some of the different techniques and

in a couple of year classes, with 12-month-old trout being about 9” long and 2-year-old trout averaging 18”. Remember that all the trout are stocked by local clubs so please be responsible and release all the trout that you

being an indicator dry fly followed by a pheasant tail nymph. Having said that, in the skinny water of the Tops, a small Celta or Rapala minnow will account for many fish too. Remember when working a Celta always work upstream, casting roughly 45°, and wind with the current helping the action of the lure. Both Glenbawn and St Clair are on fire at the moment. The water temperature is perfect and the reaction bite is insane during November. My technique for this time of year is to work the banks early with a lipless crankbait such as a Jackall TN60. I find that if you put beetlespin blades on the lipless crank it will a

out-fish a straight lure. I also replace the trebles with singles. This allows me to put the lure in gnarly places without getting snagged. It does not affect the hook-up rate because the bass are aggressive and hitting hard. I use 20lb braid and 20lb leader when fishing this way. The bass are definitely not leader shy and are going hard! Once the lipless crank bite slows I switch to a swimbait. I like the Biwaa and find that the more subtle, quiet action gets the hits during the day. The bass are still aggressive but seem to bite more with a slightly more finesse lure. Again, I throw to the edge and slowly wind in. At this time of year I sometimes

Fly fishing using a nymph and dry indicator is the author’s favourite on the Tops.

Jackson with a nice bass from the Hunter River. how to ‘trick up’ the baits. I will also look at a few bass swimbaits which work well when the sun is up and the fish are a little less aggressive. But before we look at Glenbawn and Lake St Clair I want to focus on trout! After two good seasons with consistent rainfall the trout season is fantastic. The trout are

don’t need. When chasing trout in the Upper Hunter, head towards the Moonan area (don’t forget to stop in the local Moonan pub for a good feed when you need a rest). For consistent results go up onto the Tops, through the Dingo gate and fish one of the many streams loaded with trout. I love using fly on the Tops, with my favourite

Lots of little trout are easily caught on a Celta, and easily released.

upgrade the size of the swimbait and throw it in heavy cover. Big bass hit these. I am sure they are hit solely out of aggression and the bass is saying “get out of my territory”. Chatterbaits work well this time of year too, particularly if you notice the fish hugging the bottom on your sounder. Hop your chatterbait as you would a blade. It is worth trying different colours and sizes until you find what the bass are eating. Next month I will focus on fishing surface. The surface bite both this year and last year has been sensational. And remember, if you’re heading to Glenbawn or St Clair, please drop into the shop at the turnoff to Glenbawn in Aberdeen and ask about the different techniques and what the fish are biting on. NOVEMBER 2021

NSW

Last chance for a golden BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

Blowering Dam has continued to produce the goods over the last couple of months and the great fishing should almost definitely continue through the rest of this month. At this time of the year it’s all about the often trophy-sized golden perch in this lake, but there have also

perch fire during the spring months no matter where you fish, but this is especially true at Blowering Dam where during spring it’s not uncommon to land 10 or more a day. The rest of the year, if you can manage to land more than one yella a day you’ve done very well. This month will be your last good chance to get amongst good numbers of big golden perch before they become a rare catch. Bait fishing with worms

willing to hit a cast lure. Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits have been the main fish takers, as per usual, however suspending hardbodied lures and plastics are hard to beat when the fish have been too finicky to hit your usual lures. Trolling in 3-7m of water is another good way to target the slightly deeper goldens, and some of the better lures to troll are the locally-made Stuckey lures, Trollcrafts Double Downers,

The trout fishing in the Tumut River is second to none, and double hook-ups are often the norm. nerve to move up around the edges of the dam to take their place and can be caught on just about anything. Using worms or maggots as bait will almost definitely get you a feed, but if you’re keen

around the area you just caught a fish from. By doing this you will increase your catch rate considerably. TROUT This month is probably your last good chance to get

out at night. The plentiful frog population plays a big part in drawing these fish into the shallows after dark. These little protein-packed, easy targets form the main

This month will be your last good chance to get into some land-based golden perch action at Blowering Dam. been some good-sized trout caught and lost as well as the odd giant Murray cod, which are mostly being caught as a by-catch whilst targeting the golden perch. It’s great to see so many anglers decide to give the big Murray cod a break during the spring months, even though you’re legally allowed to target them in Blowering Dam. GOLDEN PERCH It’s no secret that golden

and yabbies along windswept banks is a popular way of targeting the golden perch population this month as they start to move off the edges and into slightly deeper water. Lure casting has been awesome in the last couple of months, with cricket scores of big golden perch being landed on the cast. The action should start to slow down a little this month, but there will be still plenty of fish

#3 Stumpjumpers and lipless crankbaits, especially the Insanity Tackle Slap Walkers. The Slap Walkers have three tow points each of which allows the angler to troll at a slightly different depth to match the depth of where the fish are holding. REDFIN As the majority of the goldens start to move away from the edges of the dam, the resident redfin find the

It surprises many anglers just how shallow these golden perch will sit whilst trying to get a feed of frogs and yabbies. This fish was caught only 2m off the bank in less than 2ft of water.

With giant golden perch like this on tap you’d have to be mad not to target the golden perch in spring. 76

NOVEMBER 2021

to keep active try casting small spinners like Celtas, Rooster Tails, Bling Spins and the like. If the fish are fairly active you will catch far more fish this way than you will by bait fishing. Small 1-2” soft plastics in white, pink or red or a combination of these colours are also worth a chuck around the banks. Trolling is a proven method for targeting the redfin. Stick to the 3-7m mark with small lures and you will soon find a school. Once a school is located, I strongly recommend pulling up and casting small lures

amongst the trout population in the lake. There have been some really good rainbows caught over the last couple of months, with most of these fish hitting lures that were destined for golden perch. Working the flats with big wet flies is another good way to target the resident trout. NIGHT FISHING More and more anglers are clueing onto the awesome fishing available after dark. Most of these anglers are out to target Murray cod but there is an ever-growing population of anglers who have worked out that it is not just Murray cod that come

part of their diet, along with the crustaceans during the spring months. Once this is learnt, anglers can then take advantage of it. I recommend casting soft plastics which have twin tails, either curl tails or paddle tails, it doesn’t seem to matter so long as it looks similar to a frog or yabby. This can be the best way to target these fish after dark. The beauty of this form of fishing is the fact that almost all fish species in the dam are up in the shallows taking advantage of the situation, so you just never know what is going to hit your plastic next.

NSW

Targeting trout in spring ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

n Trout Hatchery e d a G

Gaden Trout Hatchery Gaden Trout Hatchery

A very solid river trout and the fight lasted over 10 minutes! Trout are definitely an epic sporting fish. amounts of fish of all species stocked for years, and these fish are absolutely there for anyone who is willing to just have a crack! I’m often questioned as to what area of the lake is best to launch a boat from, or what are the best fishing areas on the lake. To be honest, I don’t really have any favourite places to target in the lake, and as for launching a boat, with

Match the hatch to what the fish have been eating. This was inside the stomach of a trout.

you get onto them, you’ll often find that you can catch stacks in the one area. As for trout, I again have no real hot spots as I’ve had success in many parts of the lake, but a popular spot forOpen many anglers is thepm areadaily. 10 am–4 leaping fish 4 species from Bell Bridge right across Closed Anzac, Christmas, Boxing day. aquaria, breeding ponds, AV show pass the Hume Weir wall. Many anglers troll along this beautiful picnic–BBQ area Guided tours 10 am and 2 pm. area, and based off photos smoked trout for sale Self-guided tours on selected days. many of the trout caught are find out about kids fishing workshops. coming from this area. There Small admission fee. could be specific reason for this, but there is always a lot of anglers hitting this area so Gaden it could Rd be (off the reason for Rd) Kosciuszko more results. Jindabyne. 02 6451 3400 Just be adventurous and www.dpi.nsw.gov.au think out of the box, but also keep it simple and just enjoy it. The results won’t be far off! If you are new to fishing or just want some advice, call into any local stores A stunning river trout with perfect markings. around the area, such as It’s great to see fish in such good condition!

See how premier sport fish are bred and raised!

* * * * *

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This year we’ve had such an up and down spring. It’s been hard to get out and fish all the places we wanted to throughout the lockdowns, but at least we have still been able to do some fishing in the border regions. And so far, it’s been quite good! Lake Hume is full and the smaller flowing systems have had some lovely flushes over spring, which will lead into a fantastic cod season I believe. But that aside, looking at what we have to enjoy now, it is quite good! Lake Hume is still producing some fantastic numbers of trout, redfin and golden perch. Many experienced anglers around this local area are saying it’s the best Lake Hume has fished in a long time. Personally, I believe a lot more people have been hitting Lake Hume due to travel restrictions with COVID, but with the results the lake has been offering it’s hard to drive past to go to other fisheries. Not only are the numbers of fishing being caught great, the size of the fish being

Blueys Hunting and fishing in Wodonga, Complete Angler in Lavington or Elks Hunting and Fishing in Albury. Anyone at these stores will be able to give you a hand, and give you straight up good advice on whatever you want to catch. Another location of interest at the moment in the local area is the Lake Hume Spillway. Many trophy-sized trout have been being caught, and these fish are incredibly good fighting fish. They are fit and strong from the rapid current, so if you hook into one make sure you are ready for an epic fight that you won’t forget for some time. If you have never fished there before, it’s definitely worth a look. It’s just a nice spot to go for a casual cast! That’s all for this month, best of luck.

8x3 Original

ut Hatcher o r T n e d y Ga

Gaden Trout Hatchery Gaden Trout Hatchery See how premier sport fish are bred and raised!

caught is also awesome to see – trout in particular. So many lucky fishos have been snagging into trout regularly on the lake between roughly the 5lb-7lb mark, or 50cm75cm, and some even bigger. I’ve never seen so many photos of trout emerge from Lake Hume, but it does show that with a lot more people targeting them the results are in good odds. So, if COVID has a silver lining, I suppose it’s that more local people have been hitting the lake and going home satisfied. Lake Hume has had generous

the water level so high all of the public ramps are well and truly good to use at the moment. You’ll find concrete ramps over the whole lake, and my advice is to just grab a map of the lake from your local tackle store and go from there. When it comes to fishing areas, the whole lake seems to give results. If you’re targeting schooling fish, (redfin/golden perch), no matter the area my suggestion is to just keep moving from spot to spot until you find them. Once

Open 10 am–4 pm daily.

Closed Anzac, Christmas, Boxing day.

Guided tours 10 am and 2 pm.

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

leaping fish * 4 species * aquaria, ponds, AV show * beautifulbreeding picnic–BBQ area * smoked trout sale * find out about for kids fishing workshops. *

12934

A near heartbreak on a good-sized trout. The rear wire in this lure broke off during the fight. A reminder to why quality tackle is a must when targeting big fish!

PLEASE CALL TO BOOK

Gaden Rd (off Kosciuszko Rd) Jindabyne. 02 6451 3400 www.dpi.nsw.gov.au NOVEMBER 2021

Canberra

ACT

Epic golden perch bite CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

As lockdown restrictions ease, anglers will begin to venture further afield within the ACT. During the strictest weeks of lockdown, most local

the end of spring. As for me, I’m hanging to get stuck into some bass fishing down the South Coast. Usually at this time of year, I’m doing day trips down the Clyde Mountain in search of bronze brawlers. I am missing the sounds of the cicadas and

I fished the lake every day through October, and sometimes the water clarity made fishing tough going. However, I did work out the bite in the end and it was not what I expected. I usually fish the points in my kayak and hit the ledges from the bank with both plastics and vibes. However, it was only when I moved to fishing parallel to the reed-lined banks at Weston Park and employed a hop-and-pause retrieve in about 3m of water did I start to get results. The other trick is to fish the windswept banks as opposed to the quieter areas of the lake. The golden perch are moving up onto these areas to feed and will readily hit a Jackall TN50.

Chris Troth with a big spring yella.

Despite the poor water quality, the yellas are feeding up. anglers stuck to whichever lake was within 5km of their residence. This meant that some anglers struggled in areas around Lake Burley Griffin while

the sense of trepidation that comes when working a surface lure over a likely log in a pristine river system. Let’s hope the borders open soon.

Carp are always a viable target when the natives aren’t playing the game.

There is a lot of good trout water in Canberra. others who could fish Yerrabi Pond cleaned up. Fortunately, every local lake is now accessible to all Canberra anglers, and if we get a few weeks of clear skies, the lakes will settle, and the conditions will be perfect for an epic golden perch bite towards 78

NOVEMBER 2021

LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin copped a lot of rain through October and this has really affected the fishing. The fish were starting to move into their usual haunts before the rain hit but once the deluge subsided, the fish had moved again.

Lake Ginninderra is a little hit-and-miss at the present time. It is possible to catch a cricket score of redfin either from the bank or boat, but this is very dependent on conditions. A clear, windy day is best if you’re looking to bag out on reds. If you work the

weed beds on the drift with a ZX blade or soft plastic, it is also possible to connect with one of the big resident golden perch which have a habit of following the reddie schools around. If the reds and yellas aren’t sitting near the weed beds, head to the bridge and cast plastics close to the pylons. It is possible to catch big reddies and golden perch in this area. Lake Tuggeranong remains a good option, especially for those willing to put in the time and fish slow and methodically. The fish are always moving in Lake Tuggeranong, and this includes up and down the water column. I always take two spin outfits with me when hitting the lake and use both in each area I fish. The first set-up is slightly heavier and on this I run blades and vibes. On the other lighter outfit, I run a 1/16oz jighead attached to a paddle-tail or grubtail plastic. I fish blades deep and the plastic high up in the water column. In this way I usually find the

fish faster. Yerrabi Pond is starting to cop a lot of fishing pressure. This is because the lockdown restrictions have eased and those who haven’t been able to fish the pond for over a month now

fish it almost every day. This was to be expected as some of the captures out of the pond during lockdown were sensational, with anglers landing yellas to 59cm. It is still possible to catch a big golden perch in the pond but like Lake Tuggeranong, it takes time and patience. A few clever anglers have wised up and have switched the spin for the fly, and are picking up some massive fish while working flies over the weed beds. It wouldn’t be a monthly report without a good tip. The trout fishing in the ACT is actually very good and this does surprise a lot of anglers. There are a few local rivers which are definitely worth a look this month and all it takes is a quick skim of social media to see that the fish are big, healthy and will readily take a dry fly or plastic. Jump on Google Maps and have a look around. I’m sure you will be impressed by some of the amazing trout water right here.

The golden perch are pushing up onto shallower banks at LBG.

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Completely redesigned and redeveloped, Honda’s all-new BF115, BF135 and BF150 offer VTEC* and PGM-FI technology for rapid acceleration and outstanding performance. This joins an ECOmo system for greater fuel efficiency and Honda iST technology that delivers precise engine response. The main technological advancement for 2021 is the addition of iST, Honda’s Intelligent Shift and Throttle (Drive by Wire) technology. This feature enables precise electronic engine response, allowing owners to control multiple engines with a single lever and ensuring comfortable, easy operation for stress-free boating. All three Honda Marine outboards feature multiple rigging options for a customized on-the-water experience; choices include both Intelligent Shift and Throttle (iST) and mechanical control options. VTEC* optimises engine performance throughout the entire rpm range. Honda BLAST technology, with PGM-FI electronic fuel injection, delivers instant acceleration to an optimum cruising speed all while ensuring fuel efficiency, whilst Honda’s Outboard Alert system allows for safer cruising. Efficiency is further enhanced by Honda’s unique ECOmo system which adjusts the fuel-to-air ratio to optimise fuel economy. This improves fuel consumption while cruising and maximises efficiency to reduce the impact on the environment. *only available on BF150 model www.honda.com.au

HURRICANE SPRAT 85 HYBRIDS

The Hurricane Sprat 85 Hybrid is one of the newest releases from Hurricane Lures, and field tests in Victoria, NSW, WA and Queensland have been sensational. Hurricane is confident that even the inexperienced lure fishers will catch fish with these lures, because Sprat Hybrids are like a fish snack that’s irresistible and cannot be ignored. That’s how good the field tests have been! Features include: thin profile, enticing action, worm-like swim, fish-like appearance, buoyant Flexitech tail-up position, scentholding ribs. The Sprat 85 Hybrid is currently available in seven hand-picked experienced angling colours: motor oil UV, super oil UV, camo UV, sickle UV, dagger UV, tomahawk and hatchet. www.hurricanelures.com

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TESTING BOOTH

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

ATC Combat 100 baitcast reel from Wilson Fishing

As we head towards the latter end of the year, many anglers’ thoughts and plans will be around what our warmer months offer of the piscatorial variety. Golden perch, Murray cod, Australian bass, sooty grunter and saratoga come to mind in the freshwater with barramundi, mangrove jack and many other estuarine saltwater species becoming more active as the water warms. As much as the current Covid challenges will curtail some of our efforts, we anglers are a resilient bunch, meaning that thoughts, plans and preparations are a positive, at a time when we all need it.

a lightweight, compact and tough baitcast reel that covers the challenges the previously mentioned fish offer. In the field I decided to match the test reel with a Bone Voyage BVC654M travel rod. For some that may seem strange but to have a rod that will fit into a small suitcase, that is suitable for my bass, golden perch and small water Murray cod fishing needs is a win for me. Previous testing of other models (Bone Travel rods) made this an easy choice to make. As with all my baitcast reels I spooled it with 20lb braid, in this case 20lb Tufline XP Indicator braid (also distributed by Wilson Fishing). It has been an interesting few months of using the outfit as it has very much been a transition period for the native fish in our SE Queensland impoundments. The bass tend to school up in big numbers in the main body of water of the lakes, the golden perch bite slows as the water temperature cools and rain saw our few Murray cod waterways rise significantly and the fish hard to find. The challenge has been to find a consistent method to put the Combat 100 through its paces.

The author decided to match the reel with a Bone Voyage BVC654M travel rod. Inset: The newest model to the ATC range of reels, the Combat 100 baitcast reel.

Casting spinnerbaits from his kayak is one of the author’s favourite pastimes.

Top: A beautiful bass caught on ATC Combat 100 and Bone Voyage combination. Above: Golden Perch just one of many fishing targets that Combat 100 is suitable for.

the rod are the

With that in mind, many anglers will target the above species using a baitcast outfit, so I figured it would be an opportune time to check out the new ATC Combat 100 reel from Wilson Fishing. The nuts and bolts The Combat 100 is the younger sibling of the Combat 200, which has been a popular choice for anglers looking at the heavy-duty end of baitcast reel applications. The 100 is aimed more towards casting lighter offerings and more general use, but with similar heavyduty features. Breaking the information on the reel down. It is available in left or right hand wind. It weighs 180g, contains 9+1 stainless steel ball bearings and has a retrieve ration of 7.3:1. Add to that 9kg of drag and you have

This has seen me casting everything from 20-30g metal spoons, tail spinners and large blades at schooled fish on Somerset Dam to lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and mumblers in our urban lakes from my kayak. Mix in casting hardbodies around the weed at these same locations and I can attest that the castability of this reel is excellent. Minor adjustments are easily made on the reel’s cast control systems, simply click either the magnetic control system or the spool system tighter or looser depending on the weight of the lure or your casting ability (I love the fact that they are click adjustments, it makes the process easy for everybody). A more recent encounter has provided me with an excellent insight into the quality of the ATC Combat 100 reel. Most of my better

captures up until recently have been fishing from my kayak. I tend to fish a medium drag and let the fish fight and tire away from the kayak, making it easier to slip the net under them when they are at close quarters. The Combat’s smooth drag has made this easy and some nice fish have been tagged and released. However, a sneaky mission into the timbered upper reaches of Somerset Dam, offered a different challenge. Any fish caught

around the structure will quickly bust you off on it, resulting in the need for much tighter drags and a bit of combat angling when you hook up. I had a very well conditioned 48cm Australian bass take a liking to my spinnerbait in the middle of a log pile on that day. I may have said a few choice words as I extracted the fish out of said log pile. The end result, one very happy angler, as the outfit and the Combat’s 9kg drag worked a treat. Final thoughts First and foremost, I have to say that the castability of the Combat 100 is the standout feature. I am sure that as I use it more over the next few months other things will come to the fore, but castability is an important feature of a baitcast reel and it has it. I am also confident that it will satisfactorily deal with the fish species mentioned at the start of this testing booth. The strong and smooth drag will be popular and a key feature for those anglers targeting them. A minor thing for me is the retrieve ratio, I would love to see a slower retrieve model that suits the spinnerbait and mumbler lure fishing I do a little better. Overall the ATC Combat 100 reel is a lightweight, tough, strong, very castable reel that is well worth considering if you are chasing a new baitcast reel. Check them out at your local quality tackle outlet or for more details go to www. wilsonfishing.com.

A bit of combat fishing in the upper reaches of Somerset Dam resulted in the capture of this beautiful 48cm bass. Every reason to smile, the author with a late afternoon golden perch capture.

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Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Fast times and plenty of game fishing highs OFFSHORE

Kelly Hunt

The game fishing season is coming at us at a furious pace. Time ticks on and the days fly by and we are well into our second month of daylight savings. You all have read how I love this time of year. More daylight hours means more fishing. It is a two-fold bonus time as it not only allows more daylight to actually fish, but also more time after

Bluefin and albacore tuna are regularly the result. This will mean having a rig ready to throw at a mako should it swim up the trail. Sometimes when bottom dropping because of the activity, they will swim straight up and be there right in front of you. A good tip is to have a half bucket of soupy goop to sploosh into the water. If this is some fine fish flesh and some blood it will hold the fish in the vicinity and fire them up. Early shark success is

spool if on an eggbeater, as the fish taking off can leave you with a big bird’s nest if not careful. BIG TUNA Speaking of Eaglehawk Neck in the states South East, there have been a good run of jumbo sized bluefin in October and fingerscrossed they hang around this month. The fish have been over the magic 100kg and in great condition. If you are looking to try your luck on these giants, make sure your gear is in very good condition and you have checked your knots and rigging. The area fishes well in all weather as you can often find a shore to fish that is shielded by any strong winds that may get up. However, really concentrate on what is going on around you and pay attention to the forecast weather as it can change quickly. Having an idea of what to expect can help you plan your day and fish to the best conditions and tide. You all know my thoughts on skirted tuna lures and you can go no better than Zacatak lures Redbait or the Sacred Saury, and for divers it’s the Laser Pro from Halco. Work your sounder and work the tides around the points and headlands of the area. Don’t be scared to troll at every bit of 8 knots. When the big fish are about I like to use a bit of speed to fire them up. This is all about patience. These big fish pop up to seed and feed hard a number of times a day. That number might be one or it might be six times or more. You have to be on that spot with the

trap set beautifully. Modern sounders will pull a return out of baitfish that you can easily identify as a big fish or jumbo. Get your sounder tune right and it will be a huge asset in this big fish hunting exploit. Should you get your sounder tune dialed in and get some great return, don’t leave the area in the first half hour of no action. Good skippers will do big and small circles in a certain pattern that allows them to keep a handle on what the big fish are doing. They often move in groups, but not big schools like the smaller fish. Staying focused having extreme patience and having the best trap set you can muster pays dived ends. ADRIAN MOZZA MORRISBY: 1972 – 2021 It is with great sadness I write of the passing of Adrian MOZZA Morrisby. Not just known to a great many in the fishing fraternity in Tasmania, but around the nation and across the world – he was simply known as Mozza. He wasn’t the greatest recreational fisherman, he didn’t have a great career in commercial fishing, but he was the greatest character and human most of us have ever known. His love of the waterways around Tasmania started at a very young age in and around Orford. He loved a raft up in the many treasures Maria Island and Schouten Passage give up. Back in the day he was very active on many fishing forums and, of course, he was the king of Facebook with his low budget boot

Justin Stevens with a decent sized mako. Make sure you use plenty of berley when searching for these sharks. strap weekly fishing update – Mozza’s Hotbite. This was not the reason why he had 3,000 people to his Celebration of Life day (funeral). This is not why he had 42,000 people watch the live stream of his send off. Everything this man did was done

with a positive outlook, an amazing attitude and heart. He did so much for so many people. He made dreams come true, he made my dreams come true. What do you owe a man like that? Everything. Rest in Peace you most glorious human.

Josh Hammersly caught this big bluefin recently with his gun crew. work to do jobs around the house to build up brownie points to go fishing. So let’s get out there and have a look at what we can expect. MAKO SHARKS Mako sharks are here and there will be some who howl “too early” – I say rubbish. If you are out wide looking for stripey trumpeter or even wider for blue eye trevalla, take some berley. There is no reason not to have some berley out behind your boat while you are fishing away. You never know what might pop up! The berley will have an added bonus of bringing on tuna as well, so keep an eye on your sounder. Quite often when having a shark drop we will see something of interest and drop a jig down into it. 84

NOVEMBER 2021

often had on the continental shelf, and places to have a try are St Helens, off Schouten Passage and Eagle Hawk Neck. Be prepared, as I said, and it is often a good idea to have a rod and wire trace sitting rigged and ready to go. Mako sharks that pop out of nowhere with impromptu or light berley in the water can be timid. Getting a bait in front of them swiftly and without fuss is often the key in a good hook up. If the shark is a bit spooked and finicky, let the bait out of the back of the boat and strip line off the reel with drag set low and with the clicker on. If you can have the bait drop down through the water column smooth and natural looking they will pounce on it. Have your thumb on the drum of the reel or the

Mozza will be missed by friends, family and the fishing fraternity.

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Opportunities for keen anglers HOBART

Andrew Large

Anglers have been hampered by fronts of cold wintery weather in recent weeks, which have severely limited fishing escapades. In the saltwater we have seen sand flathead starting move in some areas – water temps are still down but some action has been seen throughout Storm Bay. As late spring temperatures continue to rise, flathead will move into the shallows and start hitting soft plastics and deep diving lures. Big runs of Australian salmon have been sighted off Kingston Beach in large numbers. Cremorne and Pipeclay Lagoons are experiencing a limited run of good fish to 2kg. Good days have been a bit patchy but the rewards are there for persistent anglers. Huon River is also experiencing a good run of smaller salmon from Dover and further up into the channel. Meanwhile, sand whiting have been encountered around Lewisham in the south while good runs of King George have been experienced along the

northern coastline and northeast of the state. In deeper waters off the east coast, tiger flathead are still very quiet. Rumour has it some fish have been caught around Bicheno in 80m of water. In the south on the edges of Storm Bay, snapper have surprisingly been taken recently near Betsy Island and further south into channel areas. This is a tad unusual for early spring. Calamari are staying well offshore for the moment due to surge related wave activity in close. Patches of fish can still be found but a little searching may be required for some quality fishing. Adventure Bay, Nubeena and Marion bays have seen reasonable captures. Northern and Southern closures for calamari are now in effect. Southern bluefin tuna are still taking the odd lure in Peninsula waters. Good captures of October jumbos continue to attract anglers to the southeast. Other reports out of Pirates Bay have filtered through of quality fish around the 25kg mark. Estuary fishing has suffered a tad due to large influxes of mid spring runoff

due to heavy rains. Sea trout are running well in southern, western and northern rivers. The River Derwent has been fishing well since early August and shows no sign of slowing for the moment, particularly with annual whitebait runs beginning to build. The Huon and further south have been a little slow but are producing fish, with the slowness due to high river levels in recent weeks. Bream action is increasing as bait increases. The lower to mid reaches of the estuary systems are probably the go-to zones becauase fish haven’t pushed all the way through to upper reaches just yet. Surprisingly, tailor to 45cm have been caught by those anglers chasing bream and sea trout. These fish are patchy but are mixed up with feeding schools of Australian salmon and bream. Our freshwater areas have been fishing particularly well so far this season, with high water levels for the second year straight giving trout ideal conditions to feed up and put on weight. Highlands areas were battered by fierce weather fronts and snow for 4-5

weekends in a row, but the weather has been surprisingly fine during the week. The pick of the lakes are as follows. At medium altitude Bronte Lagoon is without doubt the number one water in the state. So far this season fish are fitter than they were last season and are eager to hit a lure or fly. All methods are working well – spin, troll and fly, both land-based and from the boat. Slightly lower in elevation, Four Springs in the north is probably only second to Bronte by a smidge and has seen rainbow trout to 7lb landed so far this season. There have been rumours of good mayfly action on this lake already. Sitting atop the eastern tiers, Lake Leake has dropped back a little in tempo from last season but is still producing good brown and rainbow trout. Again, all methods are working well. As I write this report, the lake is spilling and will continue to do so for a while. Nearing the peak of altitude for trout fishing in Tasmania, Arthurs Lake is producing good number of short, fat fish around the 2lb mark. Fish have been found

Trout are reacting well to most types of fishing this month. This one was caught on a Fish Art Lure. Photo courtesy of Will Thorpe. around the edges all over the lake, with both fly and spin anglers all reporting good bags. Needing no introduction, Great Lake is a little slow but again we put this down to cold snow melt inflows and extremely low water temps. Well-conditioned fish have been caught, however. The Tasmanian Devil in S12 and 121 is a personal favourite for troll and spin fishing. Woods Lake, being lower and not as snowaffected, has been fishing well. Spin fishers drifting the edges have taken quality fish to 1.8kg. Fly activity will increase now that ambient temperatures are on the rise. Fly only, Penstock Lagoon has been fishing well and has offered a little

bit more shelter on those blustery days. Fish started off in close around a month ago and have recently started to hit flies on sinking lines out wide in the mid reaches. Little Pine Lagoon (another fly only water) started off slow for the season, with lower alpine temperatures limiting fish activity. Recent days have seen fish starting to move on this water. Take it easy this month fishing around the state. Watch the wind strengths and while the rest of the state is lined up for a good soaking well into early summer, great fishing still exists and is out there for the keen angler. Pick the windows and breaks in the weather and get out there.

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VRFish Update

invested into. The State water minister should have decided on a permanent solution by the time you read this. The camping on waterfront crown land site assessment by the public land manager DELWP is as farcical as the regulations. 55 sites have so far been assessed and the number approved for camping, zero. This is no surprise from a public land manager that will use any available tool to block recreational fisher access to public land on rivers. This is also despite the August press release from the Andrews Labor government restating their commitment to open new camping areas alongside

The ‘red tide’ is fast approaching Port Phillip Bay as I write this and if the snaps of big Reds already flashing past on my social media is any indication, it’ll be a great season. By the time you are reading this we should be out of lockdown in metropolitan Melbourne and hitting the ramps in peak numbers. This Snapper season will be a big test for the Andrews Labor Government 2018 election commitment to deliver Better Boating for Victorians. To the State Government’s credit, the last three years has seen the formation of Better Boating Victoria, creation of the Better Boating Fund trust account in legislation and about half of the $33M in boating fees collected each year being returned to maintaining, upgrading and building new public recreational boating facilities every year for the next 10 years. A huge step up from the $3M a year for public boating facilities we were getting returned from our fees under the previous program.

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

ACCESS Improving service levels for the majority of boat registration and marine licence fees payers, who live near and use Port Phillip Bay and Westernport, is a core part of the commitment. Stupidly long waiting times to launch and no chance of finding a trailer park were the key issues that boaters wanted fixed. This November’s test will be to simply ask boaters “Is your boating better?” Water and Access issues continue to drive me crazy with some really big shaftings for recreational fishers occurring across the State causing VRFish to pad up and go into bat. Wimmera mallee pipeline communities learned that their 10 recreational lakes received zero water allocation for this summer, despite the State government guarantee of high security allocation recreational water and Wimmera residents paying a recreational water charge on their water bills. The water authority has since come to the rescue with a top up of the lakes (and to their credit a couple of other waterbodies) to see rec fishers enjoying the great fisheries our recreational licence fees have been

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

HABITAT

Improving our vital fish habitats through protection, restoration and enhancement.

WATER

Keeping our rivers flowing and defending recreational and environmental water allocations

PROMOTE

Promoting fishing in Victoria, creating new and vibrant fisheries and supporting the next generation of fishers.

BEST PRACTICE

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

www.vrfish.com.au/snappersurvival 86

NOVEMBER 2021

PO Box 4574, Geelong, VIC 3220, AUSTRALIA

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rivers in Victoria with hundreds of new areas to follow the first 27 sites being investigated.

DELWP and their Minister will be surprised by how annoyed recreational fishing is about to get.

And it gets even better. DELWP are now using their power to require cultural heritage assessments for works permits and stifle infrastructure replacements that benefit recreational fishers. You might have heard of the jetty renewal at Lake Purrumbete being forced onto ice but did you know that the replacement of a wood BBQ for a gas unit at Dartmouth Pondage has been deemed to require a cultural heritage assessment? If they go after recreational fish stocking and require recreational licence fee funded cultural heritage assessments next, I will not be surprised.

Lastly, it’s time to start work on our annual report, annual general meeting and the part of the State Government term that is always exciting, the election policy agenda. What is it that recreational fishers want the political

parties to commit to at the next election? What will make your fishing better? If you see the VRFish surveys coming out over the next few months, make sure to have your say. If you have any ideas or issues you want fixed, then you can contact me at any time. Now get out there!

Ben Scullin - Executive Officer

MAKE FISHING BETTER BY JOINING VRFISH VRFish Individual Membership Annual membership subscription: $25.00

Member benefits • Receive regular ‘Member First’ email updates on important issues that affect your fishing. • Be represented on key issues affecting recreational fishing at a local, state and national level. • Receive our monthly ‘Fishing Lines’ e-newsletter emailed to you with all thenews and events happening in Victorian Fishing.

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Member benefits • Monthly e-news ‘Fishing Lines’ to keep you up to date with issues affecting your fishing. • Opportunity to have your say on the future of fishing through surveys and polls.

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

Other membership categories • Visit our website www.vrfish.com.au to learn more about our membership options including for fishing clubs.

VICTORIA'S RECREATIONAL FISHING PEAK BODY

HABITAT

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Visit the VRFish website www.vrfish.com.au to join and contact us on issues affecting recreational fishing.

ACCESS

BEST PRACTICE PROMOTE

#makefishingbetter NOVEMBER 2021

VIC

Wet weather bursts should cease this month WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Early spring has been its usual more-like-winter self, with strong winds and a continuation of the wet weather we have been experiencing for the past few months. Just when we get a few nice days and the rivers start to clear and drop, down the rain comes again. November is usually a more reasonable weather month and the warmer weather species and techniques begin to be a far better option than they are in the early part of spring. Those few windows of good spring weather have turned on some exceptional offshore angling. Both

gummy and school shark have been in good numbers with some big fish amongst them, like Janaka Kandage’s 26.8kg fish. For those who don’t have an offshore boat, local charters have regularly been putting their customers onto some quality hauls of tasty flake. These fish should still be a good option in November with snapper numbers also increasing at this time. Those pushing even wider have been taking good captures of blue eye on electric deepwater reel setups. No sign of a late season barrel tuna locally though. It’s probably only one more month and the summer school fish will hopefully once again grace us with their presence. Local rivers have been flowing fairly hard and

Good weather windows have resulted in productive sessions.

brown for the past few months. Just when it looks like dropping and clearing, we get another burst of rain. This has made things tough in the bigger systems, like the Hopkins and the Curdies rivers. Some quality bream and EP over 40cm are still turning up but the numbers and consistency are not what they usually are at this time of year. Smaller catchments, like Yambuk Lake, have produced more consistent results. On the trout scene some good fish to 3kg have been taken even though the waters remained high, particularly in the Hopkins and the Emu rivers. The way things look some of the freshwater rivers might be the perfect height and clarity and still fishing well, To page 89

Looking forward to hot fishing PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

Finally, we are able to open our doors again in Southwest Victoria, and we are very excited to help our customers within

the Lee Breakwater, we have seen a great few weeks on gummy and school sharks and 7-gillers. We might also be in for a great snapper season off the wall as we have already seen some fish well into the 7kg+ mark. Whiting, salmon, squid and couta are also about.

inside and outside of the reef. It won’t be long until the mighty kingfish more into the area also. The boats that have been able to fish around to Bridgewater have had good bags of flathead, gummy sharks and gurnards. Also, anglers fishing the deeper water from behind Lawrences Rock to Cape Nelson are getting very good mixed bags, including snapper, queen snapper, sharks and nannygai, just to name a few. With the weather improving the big guns will head to the shelf to chase blue-eye, knife jaw, gemfish and pink ling, as these fish are pretty popular to catch and serve up on the table. Land-based anglers can fish from the Lee Breakwater as I mentioned, but the Trawler Wharf is also a good option

and the canal for the young ones. And in the very near future the new Town Jetty will be operational and this will be great for families, kids and anglers catching their baitfish. North Shore beaches like Snapper Point, Narrawong Beach and Fitzroy Mouth can fish very well at this time of year, especially night-time fishing for gummies and schoolies. There are other spots around this area that you can try; Pivot Rocks is another good land-based area, especially for salmon and couta. The odd whiting, snapper and sharks can also be caught here. We also have some great river systems in the area, such as the Surrey River for bream, mullet and eels; the Fitzroy River for bream, mulloway, estuary perch and mullet;

Jamie Mathers with a beautiful snapper caught land-based off the Lee Breakwater.

Young River with a couple of King George whiting that he and his dad caught recently in the bay. regional Victoria to catch fish. Hopefully by the time you read this, our whole state will have started to move forward again in a safe manner. We have seen the fishing in Portland starting to ramp up. Starting with 88

NOVEMBER 2021

Fishing the bay from a boat is also ramping up, with bigger bags of whiting from Blacknose Point, in front of the water tower and North Shore. Also mixed in are pinkies, salmon and couta. The north shore has also seen its fair share of sharks

Oscar and Harriet love fishing in the harbour with their dad.

and a bit further away is the mighty Glenelg, with mulloway, bream and estuary perch being the main species to chase. All of these river areas are boat accessible, and land-based areas are provided. In the freshwater we should see some redfin out off Bridgewater Lakes, plus a few fire dams around the area. And remember that the yabbies are also starting to show up around some of our freshwater lakes and rivers. • For all your bait and tackle needs, call into Portland Compleat Angler and say g’day to the Fisher crew, and get all your local information for your next trip. You will find them at 61 Bentinck Street, next to the Gordon Hotel. You can also contact them on 03 5521 1844, or look them up on Facebook. They are always happy to point you in the right direction.

VIC From page 88

even as late as November. The problem then being snakes, and long bashes along overgrown stream areas can be risky at this

and wander along the beach throwing lures. Good fish to over 60cm and 3kg have been encountered. Cray season will be in full swing this month with

Try angling on the edge COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Plenty of rainfall has looked after all of our waterways and the fish have been getting another rest from us pesky anglers. Lockdowns are a good time to clean equipment, so give your reels a warm, soapy bath along with a good rinse then dry in front of the heater.

They’ll thank you for it. You can replace any dodgy treble hooks on your lures, and think about re-spooling your reels with fresh line. There’s plenty to do and you’ll be more than ready when this latest lockdown finishes. The Curdies has been fishing well with some excellent bream and estuary perch taken. The lake has fired on high tide, and fishing the edge

where dirty water meets salt has been the go. The river has also fished well despite the outgoing dirty water, with anglers in the know fishing deep because cleaner water resides at depth. Black or dark coloured metal blades shine at this time of year in this estuary, and that is a fact backed by many reports. Working the blade in short, not long hops helps. Not to mention that keeping the lure tight up

Some quality estuary perch are still being caught despite the dirty water. warmer time of the year. Killarney Beach area has still continued to be a good producer of quality salmon for those who wish to brave the poor conditions recently

both divers and hoop netters hopping for flat conditions to target their quarry. Don’t forget to have your tags ordered from fisheries and ready to go when the season opens on 16 November.

Plenty of Curdies bream are currently active around the river mouth in readiness for their spawning run, and are taking soft plastics twitched slow along the bottom.

against the bank keeps the lure in the bream’s feeding zone. The Hopkins has been tough, with bream schooling up in readiness to spawn and being very finicky when it comes to feeding. The deeper water around Kinnear’s Hut seems to be the first place to try. A few good mulloway remain in the system, with fish around a metre in length being caught by those fishers who are prepared. Night fishing from a boat around the institute is where many anglers spend the night, with both live and dead baits soaking. It’s fairly quiet regarding the saltwater scene due to blustery weather preventing most anglers from launching. However, large schools of Australian salmon have apparently begun to move close inshore to many local beaches and are within reach from the beach. The latest reports speak of fish up to 2kg+ taking squid baits on double paternoster rigs fished just the other side of the breakers. From September a few onshore south-easterly winds began blowing, which points to a rising barometer which generally points to good fishing.

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Can’t keep a good angler down PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

They say all nightmares eventually end, but unfortunately the last 18 months has been one of those nightmares you have night after night that doesn’t seem to be ending. Still, however bad it has been for everyone,

a beach and casting a few lures for salmon, calamari or a plastic or two for a flathead can be invaluable to your health until you can drag the boat back to your favourite fishing spot. It has been one of the strangest but best starts to a season we can remember. The early reports we got were better than we have seen in our time in the

or widespread as they have been over the last couple of years, they are building in numbers and we would expect by Christmas they will be a bit of a pest again. Times and places for catching snapper this year have also been all over the place. Early season our advice would be wait for a rising barometer and head to the top end of the bay, Freemans Point, or some of the deeper channels to catch the one travelling past. Then, as the season goes on, fish further down the bay towards Rhyll. This season just throw the rule book out, head out anytime and to anywhere, use your sounder, find the fish, berley up and wait. Some of our first reports this season came from the mud in the shallows, with some of the best reports from an almost bottoming out barometer. Whiting and calamari

almost take the rod out of the holder – all in crystal clear shallow water so you can see how they are biting. With no pipis around people are having to go back to some methods they used before pipis became popular. We’re talking cocktail baits made up of pilchard fillets, calamari strips and mussels, used either on their own or together. We have found far more anglers have gone back to using a reasonable amount of berley as well. I recommend using quality, mushed up pilchards in a berley pot. As the leatherjackets and toadies find their way to the whiting grounds by the thousands, you will need to change your berley tactics. I hold off on putting my pot in the water until I get my first whiting. It doesn’t stop the rubbish but it does give you slightly longer at

An early season PB for Chloe.

Everybody strives for a genuine 20lb snapper, like this one caught by Jordan, but not everybody is lucky enough to find them. many are using fishing as an escape from the reality – and with the warmer weather and longer days, it’s becoming an escape for more and more. If you are a boat fisher who is just sitting and staring at your boat with the travel restrictions, drop into your local tackle shop (click and collect if you need to) and kit yourself out with some landbased fishing gear. You don’t need to spend a fortune. The personal gain from walking

shop, and all from far fewer anglers. The genuine 20lb snapper is something many snapper fishers dream of, and we would see a couple over a normal season. This season so far we have already seen five in the high 8kg mark, with many others very close to that. Not only have we seen the big snapper but plenty of the pan-sized, 36-40cm ones and again an influx of undersized pinkies. While the pinkies aren’t as thick

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Sometimes the view alone makes it worth heading out in the boat. started very slowly; they were difficult to find and even harder to catch in any worthwhile numbers. Then someone turned on a switch and everything became a bit easier. Why? Who knows? A possible reason is that anglers had to move all the time to get away from the couta and pike, both of which are partial to a feed of calamari or whiting. As the reports of calamari and whiting improved, the reports of the couta and pike disappeared. I guess if something was trying to eat me I would hide as well. We are seeing a few strange changes in these species’ behaviour as well. The calamari have been playing with and following baited jigs and not always taking them, and then when you worked an artificial jig beside the baited one they would aggressively grab it. Whiting, too, have posed a few challenges. Sometimes they’ll just be mouthing the baits and not hooking up, while the next fish will

the whiting. If you were lucky enough to be able to fish during the school holidays, then at some stage I’m sure you took the kids out to target salmon. There were schools all over the bay, and each school seemed to be a different size. Many anglers were missing out throwing big lures, but once you changed to 15-25g

you could catch as many as you wanted. With some of the schools of salmon there was also plenty of couta and the odd pike, so it got as little expensive after a while if you were unlucky enough to find those schools. Offshore fishing has fired up with the gummies especially while the acres of

spider crabs were paying us a visit. The best catches came from the area around the windmills in 40m+ of water, but if you wanted flathead or pinkies you needed to come into shallower areas. We haven’t had any reports of tuna despite the very large schools of baitfish, but I think it will all start to happen again once we get closer to December. Kingfish will also start to fire up when there is a bit more temperature and clarity in the water. With all the stock shortages from all suppliers at the moment, and no real sign of anything getting better soon, we have been suggesting to people who want to upgrade their gear to layby so as not to miss out. While many of the lower or standard tackle, rods and reels stock levels are OK, anything top end, such as tuna or kingfish gear, is in short supply and will be difficult to buy after Christmas. If you find what you want in your local tackle store, ask them about lay-by so when the fish fire up you won’t be disappointed.

Ash with a quality offshore gummy.

VIC

So much happening this month GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

Well, it’s been a big month in fishing! There’s a lot happening in the region with many popular species kicking the door down to be caught. I’m also getting plenty of news for boat ramp upgrades thanks to the Target One Million and License Fees At Work funds. These include extra car parks for Avalon and Limeburners, Point Richards and Queenscliff boat ramps, plus dredging and additional floating jetties for some of those ramps.

Justin has been catching gummy sharks drifting off Barwon Heads.

Max’s first calamari catch went well. Big rains have seen the Barwon River run high and dirty. Bait fishers have caught eels to 70cm, carp to 6kg and redfin to 500g. The estuary perch stocked by VFA have been a little quiet but expect hem to go nuts this month. As insect activity increases, tie on a few small surface lures as the perch love a good top water bite. I took my 13yo son Max down to the Breakwater to soak a few worms recently. It was quite busy as it was a decent Sunday and plenty were fishing, riding bikes and going on walks around the river. Other anglers caught redfin on lures despite the coloured water and carp to about a kilogram on bait. We had a

few small bites but could not hook them until Max landed a tupong, which was pretty cool. Jaron Parkinson from the Fishing Mafia fished the Moorabool River near Meredith using Jan Juc worms and caught himself a solid 42cm brown trout. Wurdee Buloc Reservoir near Moriac was 91% and West Barwon Dam at Forrest was 100% at the time of writing so the trout should be scouting the margins for drowned food and the redfin can really kick into gear in November. Keep your lures deep for redfin while trout don’t mind a shallow running lure, dawn and dusk are the best here. The Geelong waterfront

NOVEMBER TIPS FOR THE REGION • Snapper out off Clifton Springs and Portarlington will be red hot this November. XXXL calamari should be hanging around Point Lonsdale. Best here is a baited skewer style jig baited with tommy rough, garfish or similar fish bait. • Bass Strait for snapper and gummy sharks. Try drifting in 30-55m of water using squid for bait. • Clifton Springs for whiting and calamari. They’re almost always available here – keep your bait fresh and keep moving if you don’t find them immediately.

has seen some big schools of salmon crashing baitfish within casting distance of shore based anglers. The salmon have been grabbing all sorts of bait and lures providing excellent sport. Rick Del Rosario has been getting stuck into them casting from the rock wall at Limeburners boat ramp. Rick says he has caught most of his on soft plastics and metal lures and his best fish to date was 2kg. Pike have also made an appearance from Geelong waterfront to Clifton Springs with a few anglers catching them while fishing for salmon and snapper using soft plastics. Most of the pike have been around 70cm but they do get a lot bigger so keep an eye out for them. Max and I also spent some time trying for salmon along the Geelong waterfront without luck. It would seem they were there the day before and day after we fished there every time we tried! We ended up with a few small calamari fishing off Clifton Springs and Avalon in four meters of water. One of the squid was Max’s first so there was a lot of

kindly obliged by jumping on baits and lures. There has been some rippers caught by anglers in boats and land based and I expect it to continue well into the next month. Adam van der Lugt from Trelly’s Tackle in Geelong was fishing for pinkies using light bream tackle in 7m of water. Adam says he was lucky to land the beast and the fight could have gone either way and he was just lucky the fish didn’t head for cover. Adam caught his snapper using a 3” ZMan Slim Swim in motor oil colour. Darren Foster has been fishing with his son Zac down at St Helens rock wall a bit of late. Darren thought things were going ok when he landed a nice snapper of 64cm. A couple of weeks later, Zac managed to land an 84cm beast that required assistance from nearby anglers to land.

How’s that for a bag of solid whiting? Peri vs Swan Bay. reports this year than the last few years – that’s for sure. The swell has been big but those that have been offshore have

Antony had a wild salmon session down near the Barwon estuary mouth.

with dawn and dusk the best. Anthony Hocking from Roland Hocking Angling Suppliers fished the lower Barwon estuary and got stuck into plenty of salmon. Antony has also caught a few tailor casting lures here so he was sort of expecting them to turn up. Instead, he had a great session on salmon up to 55cm using chicken for bait and a Roland Hocking paddle tail grub in motor oil colour. Antony caught the salmon on his R.H. 6’6” Blackjack Combo with 4kg R.H. Viribus X8 Braid and 3kg R.H. Carbon leader. Peri Stavropoulos had a great session on the whiting fishing near the mouth of Swan Bay after dark on the run out tide. Peri bagged a heap of solid whiting up to 40cm using pipis for bait and pilchard

Well done, Zac! If you fancy a shot at snapper, give St Helens or Limeburners rock wall a go around dawn or dusk. Top baits include pilchards, bluebait, squid or raw chicken and try to time your session with a tide

Adam boated this ripper using light bream tackle.

Darren has been fishing for snapper from St Helens rock wall and doing pretty well. excitement, laughter, pointing and yelling. Snapper are high on everyone’s hit list this November and they have

change for best results. Bass Strait and the Surf Coast has been fishing very well for gummy sharks. I’ve had more gummy shark

done well. Alan Falzon fished with Justin Green out off Barwon Heads recently. The lads picked up a pair of solid gummy sharks up to 7.6kg (cleaned) and spent most of their time drifting in 35-40m. Alan noted there was another boat that caught seven gummy sharks while anchored chasing snapper so there must be a few about. Lorne Pier has also seen gummy sharks caught after dark as well as salmon, trevally, whiting and pinkie snapper

cubes in a pot anchored to the bottom for berley. 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). NOVEMBER 2021

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Good weather, easing restrictions, happy days! Williamstown and scattered along the Mornington Peninsula. As the water temperature rises towards the optimal zone between 16-18ºC, I expect catches to become more frequent all around Port Phillip Bay. I’ve observed interesting migration patterns of snapper over the past 10 years. I follow their movements and find they come from offshore through the heads of Port Phillip Bay, and for a short

PPB WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

It’s been a treacherous 18 months with COVID around Melbourne, but finally, things are looking up. The weather is improving, the restrictions are easing, and snapper season is finally here. Let’s hope it’s a productive season because we have earned it. For many anglers around Melbourne, it’s time to dust of the boat, kayak or jet ski, start preparing your rods and reels and get ready. Thankfully the early signs are looking very promising. Even with quite cool water temperatures, we have seen many snapper come into the shallows with catches being featured regularly. These areas have included the Geelong waterfront area,

arches to appear using traditional 2D scanning. My preferred method of attack has been catching them on a soft plastic. I wouldn’t say it’s a method more successful than bait, but I just love that moment when a snapper strikes your plastics and you feel that hit with the rod in your hand and you strike to set the hook. Those moments for me are what it’s all about. 4” curl tails, 4”and 7” worm imitations, and 4-5” jerkshads are my favourites

and kilometres to find the school that’s feeding. During the early weeks of November, we will see local areas like P2, The Cardinal, Williamstown Reef, Black Rock, Carrum, Geelong waterfront and Ricketts Point fish very well. Then, at some point, the snapper will head into deeper waters between 10-15m, and prime areas will include Fawkner Beacon, near the T1, T2, T16, T18 markers (stay clear of shipping

It won’t be long before the big reds are here.

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This snapper was caught in 5m of water.

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period of time they’ll head for shallow waters. During the last week of October and the first weeks of November, I will often catch many snapper in under 8m deep. In the last few seasons, I have caught many snapper from my kayak cruising around the shallows in 3-5m of water. The sounder plays a key role here and I tend to cover lots of ground following contour lines looking for

during this time, usually paired with a 1/8oz or 1/6oz jighead. This side of Port Phillip Bay doesn’t have strong tidal waters, so those weights are usually heavy enough in these shallower areas and encourage a nice swimming action and sinking rate of those plastics. I don’t find that scent makes much difference when targeting snapper; it’s all about putting in the time

lanes), spoil grounds, and more towards the heads between the Mornington and Bellarine Peninsula. Following their movements can be tricky but social media is a great way to stay on top of where the action is happening. It’s something we also follow and detail on the FishingMad website. Those fishing with baits should also have great success this season in those same locations. Pilchards,

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silver whiting, salmon and squid will make brilliant baits on a single 5/0 or 6/0 or snelled setup. Anchoring up in a trusty location and berleying up or cubing pilchards will also help create a scent trail to bring the big reds in. Its just a case of than sitting back and waiting for a rod to buckle. It’s going to be an exciting few months ahead and I suspect a very productive snapper season, so good luck to all anglers out there. It will be very interesting to monitor the fishing pressure of our waters this season. Fishing, boating, kayaking and even jet ski fishing are booming as recreational sporting activities. Understandably so because they are so much fun and appeal to a wide audience. The volume of new boats, kayaks and skis being sold is at record volumes. The downside of this is the pressure it puts on our local boat ramps, which already cannot cope with the demand. Also the pressure on our fish numbers, because large volumes of anglers head out daily to catch snapper. I’m not suggesting that changes are required immediately, rather that we really need to monitor this situation closely. I know in my local area of Altona launching a boat in peak snapper season has become a very difficult task. Horrendously

long queue times and lack of ample parking really highlights the pressure. The booming population growth in our local areas combined with more people fishing

which is quite unusual for this time of year. Jack Sullivan has been sharing some of his great gummy catches in recent times. Using fresh squid candle

Jack Sullivan with a nice gummy. means that more resources is well overdue. Back to fishing and the good news is that other fish species too are fishing well. We’re still seeing gummy sharks and salmon being caught in good numbers

Jesse Baron with a land-based snapper.

strips fishing in 25m deep around Point Danger in Torquay has accounted for several healthy size gummy sharks. The whiting fishing is also starting to heat up. Whiting tend to come on very strong during December and January however they will start to be caught locally in good numbers again soon. Areas such as Wedge Spit, Werribee, St Leonards, Queenscliff and Clifton Springs will be great areas to target whiting. Until next time, good fishing everyone. Please feel free to reach out to me directly to share your fishing experiences and catches around Melbourne, Port Phillip Bay and beyond, which we can feature in next month’s article. You can contact me via email at alan@fishingmad. com.au. Also don’t forget to follow my fishing adventures through my website www.fishingmad. com.au, and to subscribe to the FishingMad YouTube channel at www.youtube. com/c/fishingmad. You can also follow us on social media on Facebook (www. facebook.com/fishingmad. com.au) and Instagram ( w w w. i n s t a g r a m . c o m / fishingmad.com.au), and consider becoming a FishingMad member at w w w. f i s h i n g m a d . c o m . au/member for fishing workshops, detailed reports and monthly giveaways.

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Great land-based captures PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

To say that this year has been strange would be a huge understatement, and on top of the seemingly never-ending lockdowns, the bay and the fishing seem out of whack this year. At least this year, we Melbournians have been ‘allowed’ to fish, although only those living close enough to the water have been legally able to. And you thought the fishing

be free to move around the state again. The transition from the winter months into spring has been less gradual over the past few years, and seems to arrive in a big hurry late in the season. This year has been similar, but seems even later than usual. The bay has enjoyed an extended period with little or no angling pressure due to lockdowns, so the food chain and ecosystem has had an unusual and abnormal time of recharging. All this adds to the current feeling of abnormality, but at least some

from the rocks and jetties early in the season is always a feature, especially during the worst weather, and the local areas around Mornington and Mount Martha have been producing good numbers of fish. Mornington Pier has been the real hotspot and provides a good, safe platform on even the worst days, when most sane anglers are tucked away at home. You’ve got to be prepared to fish during the worst of the weather, and more often than not this also involves getting cold and wet, but I’m telling you the rewards

there haven’t been a lot of reports coming in. Most of the recent snapper action has been coming from in close around Mornington Mount Eliza in 10-12m of water. Traditionally, snapper tend to stay close to reef and other structure while water temperatures are still low, so expect these areas to continue to be productive for a while yet. The Royal Reef, and the wider areas on the inshore side of the Mount Martha mussel farm have been productive for boat and kayak anglers, both enjoying their limited hours of freedom on the water. As always, the good old calamari continues to be a major drawcard for land-based and boating anglers alike, and while the areas further south are currently fishing more consistently, our local areas will continue to improve as the water and weather gets warmer. The numbers of squid in the local inshore areas should also increase greatly in the coming months as well. Plenty of other bread-

Al Lesko with a snapper taken from the rocks recently. This beast measured 101cm and pulled the scales down to the magical 20lb mark. An awesome effort land-based. and-butter fishing is also on offer now, and good early reports of whiting are very encouraging. Families have been out amongst the action, which is great to see, and it’s certainly awesome to

see some of the bay’s more fortunate anglers back out on the water again. Hopefully next month brings more good news for anglers farther afield and we can all get back out on the water together.

Big duskies on the flats MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

Gerry Morsman with a pair of school snapper from the rocks at Mornington. There have been plenty of fish this size landed from the local rocks and piers so far this year. could be tough or confusing sometimes! Unlike last year during lockdown, anglers in Melbourne Metro areas have been allowed to go fishing and boating, but only within 5km of home, and for a maximum of two hours a day. This was then extended to 15km and for four hours! And if you’re reading this from another state in Australia, and think it’s some sort of printing error, I can assure you it’s not! Fortunately, by the time you are reading this edition, the current lockdown should be over, and Victorians will

of the bay’s anglers have been able to reap the rewards over the past month. At this time of year, on the bay it’s all about snapper, and for those anglers fortunate enough to be able to get on the water, this will be no different. Traditionally PPB goes into a snapper frenzy at this time of year when the footy finals are finished. I think it’s just all going to happen a little later this year when things get back to a little closer to normal. What has been very encouraging in recent times has been the regular landbased snapper captures that have been reported. Snapper

are worth it. I’ve been fishing recently with my mate Gerry Morsman, and we’ve been getting amongst some lovely school-sized snapper up to 2.5kg from various spots around Mornington. Another bloke that I know who puts more hours in than anyone, Al Lesko, has also been getting some nice snapper from the rocks. During a particularly nasty cold and wet afternoon recently, Al achieved the holy grail, landing a genuine 20lb snapper from the rocks. What an amazing effort! As far as snapper reports from the boating anglers go,

MARLO

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With COVID still here and lockdowns a common occurrence, it has been difficult to organise a fishing trip or even a fishing event. However, we anglers are good at making the best of what we have, and we have been fishing on when regulations have permitted. At this time of year the bream arrive on their spawning run and move up the rivers into the lakes and small streams in big numbers to breed and ensure their genes will be in our estuary for years to come. The bream are not the only fish species that spawn this time of year – other fish species also come into our estuary to reproduce and renew the numbers of their species. At the present time the fishing has picked up, with anglers getting good bags of bream all the way from the entrance at Marlo up to both lakes, Curlip and Corringle, and up both the Snowy and Brodribb rivers, giving anglers good access along the riverbanks. I’ve been hearing reports of good captures of estuary perch from the snags and structures in both rivers. Mullet have started to appear in good numbers and should increase with bigger schools moving into the system soon. Luderick will also arrive at the right time and move in schools along the rock structures that surround the

islands and riverbanks. Big schools of salmon and tailor are coming into the estuary on the incoming tide and are congregating near the entrance. Big numbers of dusky flathead are gathering along the sandflats that run from the Marlo jetty all the way down to Frenchs Narrows. If you want to see the quality of flathead caught on the sandflats, check out the photo of local angler Harry Young with his 90cm dusky flathead caught on a hardbodied lure. Harry released his fish to fight another day. The surf beaches are fishing well with plenty of salmon, tailor, flathead, and

shark on the chew, and already for the shore-based game fishing anglers, the bronze whalers have turned up in numbers with anglers reporting catching and releasing four or five decent size sharks. Offshore, weather permitting, is fishing very well, with flathead, gurnard, squid, barracoota, salmon, pinkie snapper and gummy shark on the chew. With the warmer months on the way, warm currents will come down the east coast and enter Bass Strait, bringing with them big schools of baitfish shadowed by predatory species.

Harry Young with a big dusky flathead he caught recently.

Your Your fishing fishing licence licence fees fees at at work work Recreational fishing licence fees are funding 11 projects, Recreational fishing licence fees are funding 11 projects, worth nearly $1 million, to further improve fishing worth nearly $1 million, to further improve fishing opportunities in Victoria. opportunities in Victoria. » $110,000 to install more snags into the Gippsland Lakes at the mouth of » $110,000 to install more snags into the Gippsland Lakes at the mouth of the Mitchell River to enhance the fishery for bream, estuary perch and the Mitchell River to enhance the fishery for bream, estuary perch and Australian bass. Australian bass. » $84,830 to build a pontoon-based all-abilities jetty at Pritchards Landing » $84,830 to build a pontoon-based all-abilities jetty at Pritchards Landing on the Glenelg River. on the Glenelg River. » $100,000 to add woody habitat and rocky refuges to Waranga Basin to » $100,000 to add woody habitat and rocky refuges to Waranga Basin to complement golden perch stocking. complement golden perch stocking. » $81,230 for the Australian Trout Foundation to continue the Victorian Wild » $81,230 for the Australian Trout Foundation to continue the Victorian Wild Trout Fisheries Management Program. Trout Fisheries Management Program. » $40,990 to deploy more snags into the Little Murray River at five sites » $40,990 to deploy more snags into the Little Murray River at five sites between Swan Hill and Fish Point Weir, focusing on deep pools. between Swan Hill and Fish Point Weir, focusing on deep pools. » $34,520 to install five instream woody habitat structures into Pyramid Creek » $34,520 to install five instream woody habitat structures into Pyramid Creek to create more habitat for Murray cod and golden perch. to create more habitat for Murray cod and golden perch. » $31,200 to install lunkers in the Goulburn River, near Eildon, which will » $31,200 to install lunkers in the Goulburn River, near Eildon, which will provide shade and cover for trout. Riverbanks will also be planted with provide shade and cover for trout. Riverbanks will also be planted with native species. native species. » $27,770 to place 80 logs, stumps and root balls into the Goulburn River at » $27,770 to place 80 logs, stumps and root balls into the Goulburn River at four sites near Wyuna. four sites near Wyuna. » $17,130 to add 30 snags into the Goulburn River at Horseshoe Lagoon, » $17,130 to add 30 snags into the Goulburn River at Horseshoe Lagoon, near Trawool. near Trawool. » $138,000 to undertake catch and effort surveys with recreational fishers in » $138,000 to undertake catch and effort surveys with recreational fishers in Port Phillip, Western Port, Corner Inlet, the Gippsland Lakes and off Lakes Port Phillip, Western Port, Corner Inlet, the Gippsland Lakes and off Lakes Entrance to inform sustainable management of stocks. Entrance to inform sustainable management of stocks. » $259,700 for educational products that make it easy for fishers to understand » $259,700 for educational products that make it easy for fishers to understand catch limits including the Recreational Fishing Guide, rulers and measures. catch limits including the Recreational Fishing Guide, rulers and measures.

Your licence fees also contribute to extra Fisheries Officers, fish production at our Snobs Creek Your licence fees also contribute to extra Fisheries Officers, fish production at our Snobs Creek hatchery, VRFish, Fishcare, the Small and Intermediate Grants Programs, and the State Government’s hatchery, VRFish, Fishcare, the Small and Intermediate Grants Programs, and the State Government’s plan to get more people fishing, more often. plan to get more people fishing, more often.

vfa.vic.gov.au/feesatwork vfa.vic.gov.au/feesatwork Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

East Coast

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Gippy Lakes all shook up! GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

A lot has happened since I last reported in, and we’ve had a lot more rain and survived an earthquake!

annum. I know Victoria had the wettest Autumn in three decades so maybe we will set new records this year. The harsh Millennium Drought of 1996 to 2009 was followed by the wet decades of the 1950s and 1970s so historically our climate cycles

Some of the best fishing in the Gippy Lakes is around the jetties of Paynesville, especially for mullet and big schools of bream. The fishing has been a little tough, mainly due to the winds of 40km/h and more, so we’ve had some testing times. Still, nothing stops keen anglers, not even a rumble of 5.9 on the Richter scale. SPAWNING BREAM I’m tipping this year has been one of the wettest in Gippsland for a long time. There have been three flooding events with two of them very significant, and I can’t remember a time when all the rivers have run so high and dirty for this long. So far this year 526mm has been our total rainfall compared to last year at 422mm, and an average of 418mm per

in strange ways. What does this mean for anglers? Well, as we all know, bream need fresh water to spawn and drought years will hinder their breeding, so when it rains they take full advantage and reproduce like mad. In fact, I’ve witnessed what I believe to be two spawning events during some wet seasons, one around November and another two months later in January. Already I’ve noticed their spawning run is the earliest I can remember. The result is that some bream have already spawned in the rivers and are now back out in the lakes. For this reason, your next fishing trips should include time searching the lower rivers – just make sure some lake fishing is also on your agenda. PAYNESVILLE JETTIES Quite a few anglers

A healthy 44cm Gippsland bream caught on the new Hurricane Hybrid soft plastic.

including myself have caught some ripper bream in Lake Victoria, mostly around 35cm and bigger. I’ve found them close to the jetty pylons and even the shallow areas of Paynesville, with good numbers of fish holding in around 2m of water. Quite often the bream will sit right up under the boat hulls so it pays to run a floating hardbody or a light weighted soft plastic along the side of moored boats. In the deeper areas I jig blades and soft plastics right next to the structure, and this is most effective while walking the jetties. Newlands Arm and Duck Arm are also holding good numbers of schooling bream, and they have generally been larger fish around 40cm. Keep an eye out for the yellow-eye mullet there too because some cracking big fish have been caught recently by a few in the know. MITCHELL RIVER The lower reaches around the mouth of the Mitchell River along the Silt jetties to the mouth has been holding big numbers of bream for a long time now, but good luck trying to catch them. Everyone pulls up when the sounder fills with schooling fish but very few of us have tricked many. The odd big fish will grab a bait or lure but most of us give up after a few hours of drawing a blank. So there’s a challenge for you to crack the code in this area, and if you do have success, get back to me! One last mention needed is The Straits between

A chunky bream caught on a lure while walking the jetties of Paynesville recently. Hollands and Seacombe. After about five months of hardly anyone fishing there due to dirty water flows, I’m now hearing of a few large bream being caught there. I’d better go check it out and report back to you. NEW HURRICANE HYBRID Every now and then a new lure hits the market and I always enjoy field testing them. Recently I tested the 85mm soft plastic Hybrid Sprat introduced by Hurricane Lures based here in Gippsland. It has a fairly unique design that combines the body of a paddle tail plastic with the curl tail of a grub style softy. So far I’ve had a few sessions with the new Hybrid 85, and I’ll give you the early results. I started off in shallow dirty lake water about a metre deep and over two days I landed 19 bream. The best three went 45cm, 44cm and

42cm, and the rest ranged from 24-38cm. They attacked the lure with surprising aggression, yet my retrieve was very slow and subtle. The active curl tail seems to allow minimal movement for maximum attraction. These plastics have a very lifelike, soft silky texture yet a super tough extra stretch durability. Also, every lure angler knows it’s important to deliver a new and different soft plastic to educated bream, which have been repeatedly exposed to the same old lures for possibly years on end. LOOKING AHEAD Already the whiting reports are coming in from Metung to Kalimna, and if last summer is an example of what to expect then get ready for another season of King George mania. Obviously the best bait is pipi, but you can also get good results on local mussel and especially live shrimp baits.

The fishing benefits of rain MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The past month has seen over 80mm of rain in Mallacoota. Spring rain is always good for the fishing as we head into summer,

and with the cold weather finally leaving us behind, the coming months will really see the fishing fire up. The school holidays saw plenty of visitors to the area, with the foreshore caravan park full. At present the park is empty though, and the hope is that travel restrictions will end

Some good tailor are being caught. This fish wasn’t far from biting off the lure, as they often do! 98

NOVEMBER 2021

before Christmas so the local businesses can enjoy a good Christmas period. The great spring weather has seen plenty of locals getting out there fishing offshore. The water temperature is still cold at around 15°C, and this cold water has seen plenty of southern bluefin tuna turn up. These fish made an appearance at the same time last year, and no doubt the big schools of whitebait in the area have something to do with this. The tuna being caught are up to 12kg and you don’t have to go far offshore to get amongst the fish, with plenty of fish being caught around Gabo Island. Good numbers of gummy shark are still being caught, with plenty of fish over 1.5m in length. No doubt the flathead fishing, both sandies and tigers, will be in full swing with the arrival of the warmer currents. The conditions at the Bastion Point boat ramp are good at present, with plenty of water for launching and retrieving your boat. Just use

some common sense and don’t head out if the swell is too big. All the local beaches are fishing well for salmon and the odd tailor, and until the water temperatures rise things won’t change (the warmer currents will see a greater variety of fish being caught). The salmon are being caught right through the lake. I’m not sure if this is a good thing because anything in front of them will be eaten – small bream, flathead and so on. Good size tailor are also about in numbers, with fish being caught in the Bottom Lake through to Gypsy Point. The flathead are biting well. During the early season, finding these fish in the warmer areas is the key to getting a bag of fish. The open areas facing the north are a good place to start looking for that warmer water, particularly if the bottom is mud because this warms up quicker. The bream fishing has been productive, with good catches of yellowfin bream and black bream with plenty of sizeable fish being caught.

A great bream caught on a blade. The back of Goodwin Sands is a reliable spot to encounter some good fish. As we head into summer, the rain we’ve had over the past months will be great for those anglers who love

tossing a lure around for a bass. A hot day just before a storm is the best time to fish.

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East Coast

Plenty of chances for success on the water LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

With spring here and the days becoming longer, anglers have made the most of their chances to get out on the water. The mixing of seasons provides many options for anglers, from King George whiting in the lake to quality snapper off the many reefs offshore. The sheltered waters around the many islands are ideal areas to target King George whiting and sand whiting. Bait fishing is one of the best methods, with fresh mussel and peeled prawns being some of the best options locally. These baits will produce a wide array of fish captures.

The shark scene will soon be in full swing. beds meet the sandy patches. A quality sounder will make this a lot easier, otherwise it’s a complete guessing game! Metung has been a popular spot lately for many land-

Flathead have begun to push their way up on the shallow edges and rocky areas. With all the recent rains, the lake has been extremely dirty, which has made it hard to locate where the massive weed

based anglers. Shaving Point has been a good producer of King George whiting, and the same old bait fishing methods

have produced the goods. The Metung Yacht Club has been a good producer of many species. Lots of anglers have been targeting snapper since the removal of commercial netting. In the Gippsland lakes, snapper have become a regular catch. In the lower lakes, the size is slowly getting bigger and the odd snapper up 40cm has been caught. Bait fishing with squid and pilchard strips are great options. Many anglers have begun to target the snapper around the dock with lures, as they are common by-catch when chasing bream. Soft plastic minnows and grubs are a great option, but something a lot of anglers don’t use locally is micro jigs. They’re highly effective, especially on snapper in the lake. The local beaches have been producing lots of salmon. The majority of them have been smaller models but there have been a few models up to the 2kg mark, which have taken anglers by surprise. Lately, bait fishers have had the upper hand, producing

better quality salmon on pieces of pilchard matched up to a paternoster rig and cast in a good looking gutter. Spinning with metal lures also has been a good producer, although it has been mainly catching smaller salmon. Still, but they’re great fun on light spin tackle! Anglers have used many different techniques but spinning with smaller metal lures, usually around the 15g size, has been highly productive. Small micro jigs like the Major Craft JigParas are becoming my favourites. The jigs have a great action on the drop, allowing you to either crank your lure in fast, like traditional spinning for salmon, or to allow it sink and give the rod short, violent rips, causing the lure to hop and dart around. The latter has been extremely productive and has produced fish on days when nothing else has. With the warm water currents making their way down the coast, it won’t be long before the local shark scene will be in full swing. LAKE TYERS The lake has taken on many different forms over recent times, with the lake open briefly to the sea then closing back up. Since then the lake has already begun to rise, flooding some of the smaller islands in the main lake. Lockdowns reduced the number of anglers venturing out on the lake, but there are still plenty of fish about. The Nowa Nowa arm has held good numbers of bream in the deeper margins. Locating these fish has been the main part of the game. Areas such as Iron Stone Bay and Devils Hole have been ideal areas to

start your search, and making the most of quality marine electronics has been a big advantage as these schooling bream are not everywhere. Fishing these schooling bream hasn’t been easy as they have been very picky, but a well-presented grub on a light jighead has been a good option.

made their presence known lately, with tailor up to 80cm long being landed by anglers. Large hardbodied lures that imitate a garfish have been an ideal offering. Msany anglers have targeted these aggressive hunters by trolling around the deeper margins of the lake. Places such as Mill Point and the Glass House have plenty

Some of the bream have been very finicky of late. With the lake slowly warning up many fish such as bream and flathead have begun to push their way up on the shallow edges and rocky areas. Small Chubbystyle hardbodies have been a productive option, especially something that will run around the 1-1.5m range. The monster tailor that call Lake Tyers home have

of deep water and usually hold good numbers of baitfish. HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for fish lately and have a great pic, please send it to stevenprykefishing@gmail. com with short description and you could be featured in an upcoming edition of Fishing Monthly.

Big bream and fat flatties BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

The entrance remains open at the time of writing and the fishing has not disappointed. People who have been fortunate enough to travel to our beautiful area have been rewarded with some amazing catches, with the black bream starring once again. Some quality fish up to 44cm have been caught and released in recent weeks. There are also large dusky flathead being caught and released around the sand beds around Pelican Point, some of these fish measuring just under 1m in length. These fish have been caught mainly on soft plastics, but cut crab has also been a very successful bait for both bream and flathead.

The perch are still around the edges, tantalising anglers. With the water level being so low it is hard to get lures into these areas without being snagged, but perseverance by some anglers has yielded impressive results, with some very nice fish being landed. At the turn of the tide in the channel, where the

river water meets the ocean water, there have been plenty of yellowfin bream taken, and the salmon and tailor have started to fire up as well. The river has started to produce good fish, with the best area being just around the first bend opposite the farmhouse. These fish are being taken on frozen prawn,

The Nixon family enjoyed a productive holiday.

sandworm and cut crab. The surf is producing some great catches of salmon and reports of the odd gummy being caught on pilchards and squid. A regular visitor, Josh Nixon finally brought his family to Bemm for the first time. Josh’s son, Logan, out-fished his father on the first day with an amazing 42cm bream. Logan quickly followed this up with a 38cm bream. That’s it for this month. If you have any enquiries, give me a call on 0427 584 233 – the phone is always in my pocket! • For on the spot and up to date fishing reports check out Robyn’s website: www. bemmaccommodation.com. au or ‘like’ us on Facebook – Bemm River Holiday Accommodation Phone: (03) 5158 4233/Mob. 0427 584 233 Email: bemmaccomm@ bigpond.com.

Logan Nixon out-fished his dad with this 43cm bream. NOVEMBER 2021

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Well-overdue angling fix ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

Most of our local rivers are running a banker with some water spilling into the low lying pockets of bush as the flow makes its way downstream. Perhaps a flood

bankside in the warm spring sun, surrounded by bush and the sounds within, was reward enough to quench the soul and take a break from the pace of the world. On my first trip, the first bump on the line was a welcome distraction as it loaded to a line-whistling run that zigzagged towards a large tree jutting from the river. The

With plenty of water in our rivers, bait fishing has been the most productive method of securing a few perch this past month. Between the showers of rain, drowning worms in the back eddies and shallow banks has been very productive, with most sessions turning up a fish or two. Carp too are a constant catch, testing lighter tackle amongst the timber-rich waters that our native fish prefer. The Murray River from Swan Hill right through to Mildura and beyond is running high with poor water clarity, so the fishing and methods used are pretty much the same right

the way along. Under such conditions, baits of worms, shrimps and small yabbies fished on the edges of eddies close to or behind snags are sure to tempt a bite. Most bites come fairly quickly, tapering off the more time you spend at each spot. Generally it’s best to continue moving from one likely looking spot to another to get the best results. At this time of the year I like to keep the odd perch for the table because fresh fish is a welcome change. With so much water about, word has it that yabbies are starting to move. These

While most perch are being caught on bait, they will snatch a lure if it’s placed in the right spot.

A few good-sized yabbies are starting to run in the river. is imminent as high spring rains are predicted, and the consistency of downpours rings true of the forecast. With an easing of COVID restrictions providing means to travel, a few trips to the Murray locally provided me with a well-overdue angling fix that I sorely needed. To sit

fish’s speed and power was way beyond that of the target species of golden perch, and I called it for a carp. As the fish was drawn to the shallows, I found that I was right. Pest or not, it was good to feel the weight of a fish on the line and to be back in surrounds that feel like home.

Spring is a great time of year to target a few redfin.

crustaceans are another tasty delight that is always welcome in the pot. It’s been a few years since we have had a good run of yabbies in the river so fingers crossed they’ll explode en masse as they have done in the past. In the Lakes between Swan Hill and Kerang a few good-sized perch have been biting on bait, with river

shrimp the pick if you can get them. Worms are also catching fish, with the large scrub variety working the best. Redfin, too, have been about on both bait and lures, with small soft plastics accounting for a few fish. It’s expected that the bite on both these species will only get better as the water temperature continues to warm.

Fishing is set to fire in lakes BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

The fishing around the Bendigo region has started to improve over recent weeks. In the coming weeks as conditions improve, the productivity of the fishing will increase dramatically. The key ingredient is the amount of rainfall we receive over the next couple of months. Water levels are currently good in our local impoundments but a few more major rainfall events are required to see these impoundments reach near maximum water levels. Being an optimist, I still am hopeful that this will occur. LAKE EPPALOCK Unfortunately, the week before writing this report water levels were dropping in Lake Eppalock. The lake’s water levels dropped around 2% of capacity. This drop in water levels was caused by environmental flows being released out of the lake down the Campaspe River. The current water levels in Lake Eppalock are at 54% of capacity. The region is currently experiencing some reasonable rain while writing this report. The rainfall has been less than forecast so far, but hopefully it will be enough to see water levels rising again. This is 100

NOVEMBER 2021

the key factor to the overall productivity in the fishing in Lake Eppalock. If the water levels don’t rise much more we will still end up with good fishing, but if the water levels reach near capacity the fishing will be excellent. The water clarity is currently the clearest in the Kimbolton pool and Derrinal pool sections of the lake. Water clarity is currently the poorest at the upper sections of the lake in the Twin Rivers area. The numbers of golden perch being caught has been slowly improving. Golden perch have been caught by those anglers bait fishing around the standing timber. Anglers grubbing the trees with soft plastics are also producing a few fish. Trolling small to medium sized hardbody lures in 5-8m of water has also been producing a few fish. For those anglers casting the bank edges, the productivity in the fishing has been slow. This will change very quickly as the water warms up and greater concentrations of fish move to the edges to feed. I predict that by the time you read this report, the edge bite will be ON. Casting the edge bite during spring can be super productive. Early in the season I prefer to use silent lures (no rattles). Silent lipless crankbaits, metal blades and silent hardbody lures (especially the suspending variety) are great options. By the end of November,

as the water temperatures continue to warm up the fish become more aggressive, and those lures with rattles improve in their productivity. The redfin fishing has been slowly improving but at this stage the majority of redfin being caught are only small. When the water warms up over the next month or two we should see a good improvement in the numbers and quality of the redfin being caught. CAMPASPE RIVER The productivity in the fishing in the Campaspe River has been slow. Water clarity has been poor, due to inflows from rain events and a recent increase in flows from an environment flow which has been released from Lake Eppalock. There have been small numbers of golden perch being caught in the system. The majority of these have been caught on brightly coloured spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits. I am predicting the slow start in the fishing to continue in the Campaspe River. I am hopeful that we will continue to receive above average rainfall over the next couple of months. While this won’t be good for the fishing in the short term, when the water clarity does settle the fishing will be good. The one major factor that can change this is if Lake Eppalock does reach capacity and the spillway is

overflowing. I am hopeful that this will occur this spring. When the spillway first starts overflowing the fishing is not great, but once it has been running for 10 days or more, good concentrations of fish can move into the area and the fishing can be very good. CAIRN CURRAN At the time of writing this report, Cairn Curran water levels were approaching 64% percent of capacity, with more rain forecast. This rain should see the trend of rising water levels continue. Water clarity in the reservoir is not too bad for this time of the year considering the inflows this waterway has received over the last couple of months. The fishing is not firing yet but we should see a significant improvement in anglers’ catch rates at this location in the coming weeks. Jason and Mark Andriske recently fished this location. The guys made an early start on the water and started casting the shoreline with a range of lures. After several hours of no results, the guys changed tactics and started trolling. The change in technique was their secret to success; once they started trolling they ended up getting some good results. They managed to land one redfin measuring 25cm and six golden perch measuring 25-45cm. The most productive lures for them on their day were Feral Catt, Kneller Destructor and Custom Crafted Basshunter.

This golden perch was caught on a large lipless crankbait. The lure’s trebles were replaced with single hooks to improve snag resistance when fishing over structure. The most productive trolling depths were between 5-8m. The water temperatures were still cold the day that Mark and Jason were on the water. Over the next few weeks as the water warms up we will see the productivity of those anglers casting the shoreline improve as greater concentrations of fish move into the edges to feed. I think we should again see some very good fishing at this location over the next few months as it continues to improve from year to year, thanks largely from the good work and fish stockings from Victorian Fisheries. LODDON RIVER If my prediction of aboveaverage rainfall for the region does come to fruition, the productivity in the fishing in the Loddon River will be low early in the season, mainly due to reduced water clarity. As always in spring, it can

be hard to predict what is going to happen because of the variable weather that the spring months bring. While the water clarity remains poor, the productivity of the fishing will remain lower. In the reduced water clarity, lures with UV colours such as orange, pink, and chartreuse are good options. Spinnerbaits that create a good flash can also be effective in the dirty water. At the present time there are only small numbers of anglers fishing this location. Catch rates are low, and consist mainly of golden perch. The best lure options have been brightly coloured lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and suspending hardbody lures. We should still see a reasonable improvement in catch rates as the water temperatures increase over the next month.

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It’s going to be a ripper month! WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Spring is off to a cold and damp start with heaps of water flowing out of the hills ensuring a decent

November, especially in the first half of the month before the heat kicks in. All streams across the region will be worth fishing as a wet winter has seen the trout feeding up and growing quickly.

further afield to Waranga Basin to fish for redfin during November as well. I usually catch a few redfin there in November, but choosing a calm day with no wind is absolutely critical. Lake Hume is shaping

On the flip side, the two main lakes in the Ovens River catchment, Lake Buffalo and Lake William Hovell tend to fish quite poorly for redfin during November each year. For some reason they seem to fish best during the autumn when the water is dropping. I suspect that it could have something to do with both lakes being small lakes with quite a decent inflow of cold water each spring. YELLOWBELLY Catches of yellowbelly have been improving in the Ovens River over recent years thanks to the Victorian Fisheries Authority stocking them in there. Last year we saw a few yellowbelly over the minimum size limit being

Spring has started off wet in North East Victoria. High and dirty water has seen the trout feeding very well. One of my favourite yellowbelly fishing destinations each spring is Lake Nillahcootie. I love it up there, and November is the best month of the year to fish there for yellowbelly. The average size of the yellowbelly in Lake

will fish well using all techniques. I am really looking forward to heading over to Nillahcootie to do some more kayak fishing this November. Last year I had good success trolling the Bassman Tubby Native minnow behind my

November can see great redfin fishing in some places. Try Lake Sambell in Beechworth or Allans Flat Water Hole near Yackandandah. Lake Hume is also shaping up to fish very well this November. flow in the streams for weeks to come. November is shaping up to be an absolute ripper for fishing in North East Victoria.

I predict that the Ovens River itself will look mint in November, while the main tributaries off the Buckland, Buffalo and upper King

up to fish great in November. It has been producing big catches of redfin during September and is only likely to improve.

This Lake Nillahcootie yellowbelly took a bait of worms the moment the sun hit the water.

An Ovens River trout caught last season near Bright. The Ovens River should be looking fantastic this November. MURRAY COD Spring is off limits to Murray cod fishing in all North East Victorian waterways except Lake Eildon where year round Murray cod fishing is available. No matter how nice the rivers look and how tempted you are, if you want to toss a few larger lures around to target Murray cod, head to Lake Eildon where you can do it legally. TROUT The trout fishing varies from year to year in November. The variation is largely driven by the weather. As this year has been a cool and wet spring, I am expecting the streams to all be fishing really well in 102

NOVEMBER 2021

rivers will all be equally as impressive. All methods of fishing will be worth trying in November. Soft plastics, small minnows, spinners, drifting grasshoppers, if they’re around, fly fishing etc… They should all work, and I am predicting this November to be an absolute ripper. REDFIN The redfin fishing will be hot and cold in November. Hot in some places and cold in others. Spring time is usually a great time to fish for redfin in Lake Sambell and Lake Kerford in Beechworth, and also Allan’s Flat Waterhole near Yackandandah. I often travel a little

caught, so this year I am expecting to see a few half decent fish turn up. The river isn’t teeming with yellowbelly, but their numbers are improving each season and things are really starting to look up for the Ovens River as a yellowbelly fishery.

Nillahcootie is not huge, but they are plentiful and a lot of fun to catch, and a legal sized fish or two is never far away. September has been producing some great yellowbelly fishing for anglers fishing with worms off the bank at Nillahcootie and I suspect that November

Kayak fishing can be very productive at Lake Nillahcootie in November. Avoid windy days as the lake can become quite choppy.

kayak, catching quite a few yellowbelly. On one trip to Lake Nillahcootie with my dad last spring, I even trolled a carp on the above-mentioned lure. CARP Yep… just like the other species, November is a great time of the year to catch carp in North East Victoria. My favourite carp fishing destination Lake Moodemere will be well worth fishing if you are wanting to lock horns with a hard pulling mud marlin. Actually, Lake Moodemere could be interesting this November. It has just had a full flush of fresh water thanks to flooding on the Murray River. The last time this happened was 2016, and the lake fished well for redfin for a while afterwards. I am really hoping that the same happens again this spring. Pretty much anywhere that has carp will be worth fishing this spring, they turn up everywhere and are great fun to catch.

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It’s mayfly time in the highlands BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Springtime around the Ballarat/Central highlands region of Victoria is one of my favourite times to fish, especially chasing trout on the fly. It’s mayfly time. These small insects are preyed on by trout during the spring and autumn months, and most of our waters around Ballarat experience mayfly hatches. At these times, anglers from all over the state pack up their fly rods and head up to fish our waters. Fly fishers use imitation mayfly patterns to try to tempt the feeding trout to eat their artificial flies in amongst the natural ones. The mayfly (or ‘dunns’ as we call them), generally start to hatch anywhere from around midday to 4pm during the spring and autumn months, with overcast, warm days being the best weather conditions for the hatches to occur. The mayfly do hatch during the brighter days, however the best hatches occur on the dull days. Mayfly start off as a little subsurface insect called a nymph. The nymphs crawl out of the weed/mud and make their way to the surface to eventually hatch into mayfly on the surface. There are three stages of the hatching cycle, and fly fishers use different flies to replicate each stage of the migration. Stage one is the nymphal stage, stage two is the emerger stage and stage three

High water levels have made fly fishing in some areas of Moorabool reservoir difficult. However, that didn’t bother Darren Lyle, who caught and released this lovely brown on a damsel fly pattern. Image courtesy of Darren Lyle. lure casters. The water is at the highest levels I’ve seen for a number of years. The water has flooded up over virgin ground, with grass and thistles everywhere, which means plenty of tucker for the fish to feed on, with grubs and worms high on the menu. The high water levels and all the grass and thistles provide perfect cover for smelt to hide in and feed. The trout like to follow them into the shallows to gorge themselves on these baitfish.

nymph and a stick caddis. It wasn’t long before I saw a trout porpoise and eat a single midge in front of me, and I cast my flies about 2ft in front of the feeding fish. After a couple of slow draws, a trout engulfed my black nymph, but after good tussle the fly came free. “Oh well, that’s fishing”, I thought. I then started prospecting along the shoreline in close and out in the deeper water with a Hamills Killer and a stick caddis fly pattern. It wasn’t long before another trout tried to eat my flies as I lifted them out of the water to cast. “Bugger,” I thought, “another missed opportunity.” The very next cast, I started a slow figure-8 retrieve when one of my flies (a Hammill’s Killer) was

nailed by a brown trout that leapt out of the water straight away, which was awesome to see. After a good tussle, I landed a magnificent golden coloured brown trout, which I released to fight another day. I continued to fly fish for another hour with no success, so decided to cast some lures around instead, as I had seen a couple of fish smelting out too far for me to reach with a fly. I started casting my favourite trout lure, a Bent Minnow surface lure in the T26 pattern, and it wasn’t long before the lure got crunched by a fish in very close to the shore – but unfortunately the hooks didn’t stick. I continued to cast the Bent Minnow around and it was nailed once again, and this time the hooks stuck. After a good fight, I landed another ripper brown around the 2kg mark. Not a bad session. Vern Barby, one of the state’s best fly fishers, has been fishing Tullaroop quite a bit over the past month. Tullaroop is one of his favourite early season waters to fish, and on recent trips Vern has landed some lovely

I have taken advantage of this feeding frenzy, like quite a few other anglers, and caught some lovely brown trout around the 2kg mark. On one recent session, I started off fly fishing at first light. There were a few trout feeding on midge in the shallows, in only inches deep water. I cast a couple of my favourite early morning flies around without any success. I then changed my fly patterns to a black

browns up to 2kg, mainly on smelt patterns. Vern is very excited about the fishing over the next couple of months, especially when the fish start to feed on mudeyes and damselflies. Exciting times ahead for us all. Lake Wendouree has

Mayflies are on the trout menu in most of our waters around the Ballarat Region.

The author caught this golden coloured brown trout on an OSP Bent Minnow while fishing Tullaroop Reservoir recently. is the adult stage. My go-to flies throughout these stages are brown nymph, Possum Emerger and a Shaving Brush. However, there are literally hundreds of different flies that anglers use to imitate the mayfly hatch stages, it’s just a matter of trying different ones that the trout will find enticing enough to eat. Tullaroop Reservoir has been producing some excellent catches for both fly fishers and

Lake Wendouree has produced the goods for Trudi Ward with her PB brown trout of 63cm. It was caught on a mud-eye suspended under a float. Image courtesy of Chris Ward.

Vern Barby landed this magnificent Tullaroop Reservoir brown trout on a Woolly Bugger.

seen angler numbers start to increase, with some excellent reports filtering through. It was great to see recently as I drove around the lake, that every vantage point – jetties, pontoons and points – had anglers fishing from them. During my lap of the lake, I did manage to see two fly fishers catch a couple of trout that were feeding on mayflies. Trudi Ward recently landed her personal best trout, catching a magnificent 63cm brown whilst fishing with her husband Chris land based from Lake Wendouree. Trudi caught this ripper on a mud-eye suspended under a float. This method is a deadly way to catch trout not only in Wendouree, but also our other fisheries that have trout in them. Moving forward, when our mud-eye hatches really start to fire up in late November/December, the trout will actively start

feeding on them and this will be number one on their diet. Moorabool Reservoir is full and overflowing, with water spreading over new ground and the fish feeding in the shallows. Mayfly hatches are in full swing and the trout are feeding on them. Darren Lyle regularly fishes Moorabool and has landed some lovely brown trout on damselfly patterns. Darren said the water level is so high it’s made it difficult to cast in some areas, due to trees and vegetation being right on the water’s edge now. It’s just a matter of casting along the edges. The fish are in very close, taking advantage of all the new food that is available to them, so eventually you will come along a feeding fish which is eager to eat your fly. Moorabool over the coming months will fish really well is my prediction, whether you fly fish, cast lures or like to bait fish, especially with a deadly bunch of unweighted worms being cast out or a mud-eye drifting around suspended under a float. Exciting times ahead. Newlyn Reservoir and Hepburn Lagoon, located within 5km of each other, have both been fishing well. I have received some excellent reports of trout being caught on flies, lures and baits at these waterways. November and December, prior to our weather really warming, are the best months to fish these waters, especially if you like to fly fish or fish natural baits like worms or mud-eyes. Fly fishers can target the trout feeding on midge early in the morning, mayfly at lunchtime and mud-eye feeders evening and after dark. For the anglers fishing mud-eyes or worms, these same times apply. I have a simple philosophy: fish eat like we do, morning noon and night, so if you target those times of the day, I believe you’ll have a greater opportunity to catch fish. NOVEMBER 2021

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Rain fires up the fish SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

November is one of my favourite times of the year locally, with almost every area starting to fish consistently well. At the start of spring we had some good rain and hopefully this has fired up the river fish and we’ll see them continue to bite throughout the rest of spring and early summer. We have also been blessed with some much-needed access improvements around the area, with the Victorian Fishing Authority and Parks Victoria upgrading the tracks in and around the bushlands leading to the Goulburn River. These upgrades will make it easier for people with 2WD vehicles to access the river fronts. The program will cost over $17,000 and it

adds to the hundreds and thousands of Murray cod and golden perch being released into the Goulburn River over the past five years. It’s great to see our fishing licence fees go back into not just fish stocking but also access. With the early spring rains we did get some natural river rises, and this is the perfect recipe for yellowbelly locally. Bait fishing the back waters has worked best, with yabbies and scrub worms catching the most fish. At Toolamba, Murchison and also downstream at Undera, the bait fishing was best, with those anglers fishing in the heart of Shepparton tending to troll more fish up than anglers using bait. Trolling small Codgers or the new small Old Mate lure will be perfect for yellowbelly, with pink, purple and greens being the colours of choice.

Heading into the warmer months we should see our shrimp nets filling up so if you can get fresh bait I would be using it because yellowbelly can’t resist a hook full of shrimp. SHEPPARTON LAKE The lake got a muchneeded weed chop in late September which has made fishing so much easier. There is still plenty of weed on the edges but it’s so much easier to cast behind the first wall of weed to the open water. Yellowbelly can be caught trolling TN60 Jackalls, or you can cast a basic spinner or ZX40, both in gold. There was a stocking of trout in September also, and these fish are well and truly worth chasing on light gear. They can be great fun. Fly fishing locals have reported plenty of fish, and so To page 105

Josh Dohnt from The Native Project with a cracking spring yellowbelly caught in the local channel.

Predictions prevail WEST/SOUTH GIPPSLAND

Billy Auldist

I predicted in my report last month that West Gippsland rivers were likely to be high

trout opening, most of southwest Gippsland was hit by thunderstorms and heavy rain. Needless to say it didn’t matter to most people because we were still stuck at home in lock down. The

means in perfect condition, but they were now fishable. During the first few days of freedom a large number of anglers found success on bait throughout the region but the attention soon turned to lures. Hanno Parker from Noojee Bush Goods is always a good source of information on local fishing. He reports that he has been catching high numbers of trout in the La Trobe, Toorongo and Loch rivers using a wide variety of spinners and hardbodied lures, such as Bullet, Pieca and Rapala minnows. The rivers in and around Noojee have been up and down a lot recently so when the

A typical trout from Noojee waters. The author caught this one on a Mepps spinner in the Toorongo River.

Keen angler Dylan Powis has hooked into a large number of carp recently. This is one of the better ones he has caught from a small suburban creek. and dirty for trout opening weekend in September. Almost on cue, the day before 104

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rivers had calmed down a bit by the time regional Victoria was let out a week later. They were by no

Noojee local Blake with an impressive brown trout from a local river.

water gets up a little, it pays to go back to the basics of drifting a worm. The Tarago River has been dirty above and below the reservoir and hasn’t seen a whole lot of angling pressure, but I am sure we will see this change in the coming weeks. The Bunyip has been clear in the higher reaches and Justin Booth reports catching over a dozen brown trout on a variety of smaller soft plastics and Jackall divers. The Tanjil River has also been much the same story, there have been a few reports of anglers heading up into the hills above Blue Rock Lake and finding fish. Icy Creek also provides another feasible option for a trout fisho. To page 105

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have at the basin as I LOCAL CHANNELS have anglers casting small write this. If we continue It hasn’t just been soft plastics or small to see the water rise this yellowbelly on the catch shallow divers. should bring the fish into list this spring – the KIALLA LAKES the shallows, especially redfin have also been It’s the golden month if there are some freshlyon the chew. The redfin for Kialla with November submerged grass banks. have been caught mostly being prime time for These areas always seem in the channels over to fish well for both yellowbelly in all three towards Waranga Basin redfin and yellowbelly. lakes. Floating baits and between Murchison True, the water will be and Tatura. Soft plastics around the drop-offs, shallow, but slow rolling with a beetle spin or small willow edges and weed a Daiwa Double Clutch diving lures have been banks is a perfect way to or a 2-3” lightly weighted land numbers of fish in a working best. plastic will be perfect for session. Scrub worms or Yellowbelly up to these fish. 50cm have been caught on shrimp would be my baits For those anglers lipless crankbaits around of choice. fishing deeper, I drop bars and bridges from Those using lures will recommend trolling Nagambie to Katandra. find smaller spinnerbaits 40-60HP FOURSTROKE RMG Crazy Deeps or the and divers will work well In the past I have always PERFORMANCE 15ft Codgers in white, used a beetle spin but in the same areas. Slowly orange or green. more recently I switched retrieving a blade or TN Bait fishing has been to a blade on the back 60 is also a great way quiet lately but that doesn’t hook tie point. If you don’t to target both yellowbelly mean it will stay the same and redfin in the lake. want to remove the back in November. Fresh is best treble you can buy some WARANGA BASIN so get yourself the highest Water, water and more VMC trebles that have a quality baits possible. blade built into the hook. water – that’s what we ROCKLEA NORTH ROCKHAMPTON page 104 & LEISURE BRISBANE From BOATING RIFENstart BOATS will really to kick in some attention. Blue Rock The species, and get Reservoir is one of the the fishStreet active.North The Rockhampton 1713 Ipswich Roadusual Rocklea 6 Dooley like1600 carp and redfin, have usual lures, spinners P: (07) 3875 P: (07)like 4927 9150and state’s best bass fisheries been caught all over the hardbodies will be catching and it is right on our E: sales@kareemarine.com.au E: rifen.boats@bigpond.com district in reasonable trout as always. The warm doorstep. Divers and soft W: www.kareemarine.com.au W: www.rifenboats.com.au numbers and fishing for weather will bring plenty plastics are good starting them will only improve. of insect hatches, which points for bass, but on the NORTHERNMost GOLD COAST AIRLIE BEACH streams in the will be stirring the trout hotter days especially, you to the flyfishers ONSHORE lowlands, MARINE like the Hazel up, much WHITSUNDAY OUTBOARD should CENTREconsider throwing a and Little hold delight. For lure fishers water lure like a cicada Horizon Shores MarinaMoe, Woongoolba 17 William Murray Drive top Cannonvale or popper in the dawn and good numbers of carp who come across a hatch, it P: (07) 5546 2480 P: (07) 4946 7286 and reddies. They are, is still possible to fool one dusk periods. E: onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au however, heavily affected of the E: many trout feeding on All of the local trout W: www.onshoremarine.com.au W: www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au by rainfall so coming into them using a small spinner rivers will be getting November they should be preferably a Rooster Tail. a lot of attention during EVERTON in HILLS good shape and a good I findCAIRNS the Mepps Thunder November so the trick close-to-home option. Bug are the perfect HOLT MARINE AUSSIE MARINElure to is going to be finding a stretch of river that hasn’t Heading into ‘match the hatch’ and hook 25 Queens Road Everton Hills 5 Hannam Street Bungalow been fished. It usually pays November the rivers a mesmerized trout. P: (07) 3353 1928 P: (07) 4033 8800 should be well and truly The warmer weather to try and reach hard to E: info@holtmarine.com.au sales@aussiemarine.com.au fishable. The water should will E: also bring Aussie access sections and then be lower and clearer and bass into the picture too, put some kilometres into W: www.holtmarine.com.au W: www. aussiemarine.com.au the trout will be on the they will be more actively your legs to get away from and worthy of other anglers. CAPALABAchew. The warmer weather feeding KARUMBA MIKES MARINE JONES MARINE 9 Smith Street Capalaba 30 Yappar Street Karumba P: (07) 3390 3418 P: (07) 4745 9159 E: sales@mikesmarine.com.au E: jonglo@bigpond.com W: www.mikesmarine.com.au W: www.jonesmarine.com.au From page 104

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Justin Booth had a good session catching plenty of trout with soft plastics in the higher reaches of the Bunyip River. NOVEMBER 2021

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Cod Classic all go YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

First up, it’s great to be able to announce that the Mulwala Football Netball Club’s iconic Cod Classic fishing competition is going ahead once again in 2021. Albeit on a slightly smaller scale, Lake Mulwala and the Murray River will come alive over the weekend of December 4-5 with anglers descending on the home of the Murray Cod to celebrate the opening to a new cod season. A raft of new implementations will be put into place for the Cod Classic to maintain a Covid safe event. All efforts should be

worth it as competitor interest is strong. Many anglers are looking to get back on the water and enjoy some fishing freedom. At the time of writing, planning is being put in place to allow competitors to be able to register/weigh in fish in either NSW or VIC depending on what travel restriction allow them at the time. A vast haul of prizes will be up for grabs with three Yamaha/ Quintrex/Humminbird boating packages topping the list. All up, in excess of $60K prizes will be given away. Entry fee will be $90 for adults and $45 for juniors. Best bet for anyone wanting to get involved is get on the blower and give Tony a call on mobile 0439 441 667. It’s a guessing game

this time of year when and where the yellas will fire in and around Lake Mulwala. Currently a few locals are picking up a smattering in the usual haunts at the train bridge behind the old police station and at the outlet to the Yarrawonga Channel. Ryan McMaster has been the ‘master’ by landing eight on two different occasions whilst scoping. Traditionally, by late October we’ve received enough warm days to see the golden perch up and about. History shows the water above Majors Creeks up to Bundalong and surrounding backwaters are the most productive. TN60 Jackalls, hardbody lures in the 50-80mm size range or smaller profile spinnerbaits in natural colours would be my preferred option.

Eve Sharp with a 50cm+ yellowbelly taken off the foreshore in Yarrawonga.

The lakes are in good form after lockdown redfin caught by those using metal bladed lures worked off the bottom and back up through the water column. Bait anglers have done well fishing live mudeye under a bubble float close to the weed beds. There have been 900g trout coming out of the lake, along with the previous release that are fast approaching 2kg in weight. Lake Purrumbete has a few browns and chinooks taking lures both trolled and cast with the odd fish exceeding 3kg. Medium to deep divers in popular minnow patterns are doing well. Late afternoon through to dusk remains the prime time followed by dawn. Again mudeye is working well here when presented close to the weed edge under a float. Plenty of cheetah, tiger and any other hybrid trout species

CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

We are back open for fishing, well, for the time being anyway! Rather than further lockdowns, it looks like we are trying to vaccinate our way out like many other countries are doing. Time will tell. Lake Elingamite’s levels are good so there is no problem launching the average tinny there. Some good brown and rainbow trout have been caught along with some sizeable redfin. Trolling lures remains popular, followed closely by cast and retrieval. Surface to deep diving lures can be employed depending on what you are doing. The deeper section has seen school

The author with a sizeable Elingamite redfin taken on the troll.

are being taken mainly by lure casters working the water from the weed edge out to about 12m. Schooling redfin are taking live minnow and soft plastics worked at depth around the lake’s edges. Schools can be located via a boat’s sounder and those concentrating in depths from 12-18m. Lake Bullen Merri has been reasonable for Chinook salmon and rainbow trout over 60cm, taking trolled minnow lures in depths around 6-8m not far from the shore at all. Bank anglers are experiencing similar success casting out to similar depths using live minnow, powerbait, scrub worm and pilchard fillets. Soft plastics cast out on a heavier than normal jighead has also worked well.

Tournament Calendar 2021 DATE

Tournament

Location

State Contact

13 Nov

Carp & Tilapia Eradication competition

Wyaralong Dam,

QLD www.lafma.org

15 Nov

2021 Zerek BARRA R3

Teemburra Dam

QLD abt.org.au

16 Nov

2021 Zerek BARRA R4

Kinchant Dam

QLD abt.org.au

18 Nov

2021 Zerek BARRA R5

Peter Faust Dam

QLD abt.org.au

20-21 Nov

2021 Zerek BARRA R6

Peter Faust Dam

QLD abt.org.au

27-28 Nov

NS Rods Sunline Bream Classic GF

Marlo

VIC www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

3-5 Dec

2021 Daiwa BREAM GF

Port Stephens

NSW abt.org.au

4-5 Dec

Mulwala Cod Classic Fishing comp

Lake Mulwala

VIC

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER Tony 0439 441 667

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. 106

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The Juniors leading the way EILDON

Peter Burtchell

Countless hours and countless fishing trips to Lake Eildon finally paid off for our local junior angling legend, Archie, during the September school holidays.

session the day before, his efforts finally hit pay dirt with a fine 105cm early morning beast. A purple 2oz Assassin Spinnerbait was Archie’s choice of lures for the morning’s successful session. On top of a great fight and cracking photograph, Archie’s hard earned

brand of spinnerbaits, sinkers and lures based on the great job Archie has been doing. It is great to watch the Australian tackle manufactures obtain some great exposure as their Junior Ambassadors showcase product effectiveness while the Juniors advance their fishing, networking and social

It is only a theory however, carp are a major food source for the Lake’s Murray cod as they begin to reach lengths of nearly twice that of their carp prey. Again with lockdowns in force across much of the state, only a select few were able to try their luck. Andy who is a regular angler to the lake managed to catch some nice brown trout flatlining a purple Tassie Devil. Kate Norman another regular angler and local to the lake continued to catch Murray cod and even a nice brown trout whilst flicking a Magdraft for Murray cod on the western banks of the Jerusalem Creek Arm. A local resident Murray cod, aptly named ‘Chops’, once again has been dragged from under the boatels. This time the successful angler was

Young Andy with his brown trout. would normally be overseas, along with boat ramp parking (as extra parking will be metres underwater), a sit

Junior Archie with his first Eildon 1m+ Murray cod. Archie is an ALVEY Junior Ambassador and with his Alvey Baitcaster combo in full swing he finally managed

rewards kept growing with a Spinnerbait Sponsorship Deal. Obsession Spinnerbaits have been following Archie

media engagements skills. Later in September the magnitude 6 earthquake stirred up a lot of speculation of whether you could feel the quake if boating on the water and whether the fishing action was affected. We can confirm that if you were on the water in a vessel you would have felt the shockwaves and viewed a jelly type water action on the surface of the lake as the shockwaves rolled through. As for the fish being

Kate Norman with a very early Murray cod capture. Brendan Everett who enjoyed the relaxed fishing atmosphere from his floating hotel. During October and November surface action

down meal with the ongoing COVID distancing rules and Guided Fishing Tours – as one of the lake’s gun anglers Mick Caufield has saddled up with Jack Harder Guided Fishing for the spring and summer seasons. Mick’s knowledge, technical ability and high success rates when targeting trophy size fish on Lake Eildon

are just some of the reasons why Mick is in high demand. His recent angling projects include an appearance in Total Native 2 the largest native fishing film ever made, which is a true cinematic experience of the Mighty Murray cod. He’s also a content development and presenter for Tackle Tactics, and columnist for various fishing magazines and books. Be sure to book early should you be looking for the ultimate in native fishing tuition, outfitting, strategy and tactics to be used to hook into, fight, land and release a trophy native fish species that you will never forget. • Jerusalem Creek Marina & Holiday Park is a friendly, family-orientated caravan park, and makes the perfect home away from home. While there you can opt to hire one of their Boatel floating apartments, hire a boat or book a fishing guide at competitive prices. For more information on all of these services and other attractions in the area, visit jerusalemcreek.com. au, or give them a call on (03) 5774 2585 or email i n f o @ j e r u s a l e m c re e k . com.au.

Brendan Everett likes fishing in comfort. to land and release his first 1m+ Murray cod flicking everything his tackle box has to offer. After a nine-hour fishing

on his Instagram account (#archiethefisherman) for quite some time and were quick to offer Archie an Ambassadorship for their

Relax and enjoy delicious food and warm hospitality. Mick Caufield is the resident fishing guide.

Kate with a nice by-catch after flicking a Megabass Magdraft for Murray cod.

spooked, large masses of carp presented on the surface of the lake, which had not been seen for some time due to the cold water temperatures. The carp began to surface from the depths within an hour after the quake, which may suggest that after the Murray cod had encountered this novel event they were pumped full of adrenalin and were off on a hunting spree forcing the carp to head for higher water.

will really heat up as the Murray cod take advantage of ambushing the many ducklings that are now present on the lake. With water levels of 81% at the beginning of October the newly inundated grass beds will prove very productive for redfin and yellowbelly for the remainder of the spring. The only things predicted to be in shortage this year will be accommodation due to the influx of local tourists who

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

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

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Get to know your WIRF network leaders WIRF LEADER Name: Amanda Keilar Age: 55 years Region: Phillip Island Profession: Semi/Retired, work at a Fisherman’s Co-Operative, occasional commercial fishing and organise ladies fishing charters Specialising: Primarily saltwater fishing How/when did you first get into fishing? Both my grandfathers were fisherman. Les Wilde’s from Corinella was a commercial and charter fisherman and Jack Keilar in Warrnambool an avid angler. I loved spending school holidays with them as a child. Favourite species to fish for? King George whiting, gummy, snapper, mako, tuna, flathead, squid, mulloway and reef species. What’s your fishing style? Mostly saltwater with bait, occasional lure and freshwater. Most memorable catch/PB? The first SBF tuna caught in our local waters. When all the research and planning had finally paid off there was a big “Woohoo!” screamed across Bass Strait. What does being a WIRF Leader mean to you? An ambassador for ladies fishing, chosen for her love of fishing. Someone who works to enhance the profile and involvement of other women in the sport. What do you hope to bring to the WIRF team? Passion, enthusiasm, ideas, positivity, inclusion and experience. If you could fish with a celebrity, who would you choose? Jessica Mauboy, a great Australian female ambassador. I would love to fish with her out of her birthplace of Darwin. She would be great for a laugh and a sing-along. What’s the best fishing advice you’ve ever been given? Be very proud of what you catch land-based, any fish is worth 5 points compared to 1 point caught out of a boat. Also, fishing is a continual learning environment, the more knowledge you gain the more you start to catch. Tell us something interesting about yourself? I occasionally work on a commercial wrasse boat, using barbless hooks to line catch parrot fish. I love being part of a small team trying to catch the numbers required for the buyer and I love being at sea. If you were a fish, what species best describes you? A butterfly Gurnard – displaying my best colours on the water, and it’s a cool fish!

WIRF LEADER Name: Caitlin Berecry Age: 28 years Region: Guildford (near Castlemaine) Profession: Operations and Marketing Manager for InFarm (agtech company using AI to help farmers) Specialising: Freshwater fishing How/when did you first get into fishing? Relatively late to the fishing game! My partner introduced me to the sport about six years ago and it’s been non-stop since. Favourite species to fish for? A tie between bass and Murray cod, with barra as a close third. What’s your fishing style? 100% lure fishing. Anything from casting big swimbaits out of the boat through to surface lures out of the kayak. Most memorable catch/PB? Would have to be my PB Murray cod at 112cm out 108

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of Eildon. I’d fished most of the winter for donuts, so it was the best feeling ever landing that fish off the surface, I nearly cried when it hit the net! What does being a WIRF Leader mean to you? Fishing has changed my life for the better in so many ways, and to be able to share that gift with other women is going to be really fulfilling. Fishing has so much to offer, whether that’s a connection to the outdoors or to family and friends or even the mental health benefits, I’m really looking forward to getting more women and their families involved. What do you hope to bring to the WIRF team? My background in building community for women and my passion for the sport. If you could fish with a celebrity, who would you choose? Either Jo Starling or Matt from Pelagic Pursuit Fishing. What’s the best fishing advice you’ve ever been given? Persistence pays! It’s called fishing not catching, so don’t expect results without having to work for them. Tell us something interesting about yourself? It took me nine months to catch my first Murray cod – I thought I was cursed! If you were a fish, what species best describes you? The other half would probably say cod (picky and doesn’t like the cold) but I think I’d be a bass, small and tenacious!

WIRF LEADER Name: Catherine Watt Region: Melbourne Profession: Retired Specialising: Salt and freshwater fishing How/when did you first get into fishing? I first got into fishing as a young child. Eldest child of an Australian Navy man, I spent many hours on the water off Glenelg in South Australia fishing, mainly for whiting. Favourite species to fish for? Yellowtail kingfish. I love the challenge of trying to land this powerful fish and the show it puts on until you get it in the boat. What’s your fishing style? I mainly use fresh or live bait to fish with, but would like to experiment more in the future with lures and plastics. Most memorable catch/PB? A giant trevally I caught off the northwest Australian Coast. It was the biggest fish I have ever caught, around 30kg. Such a thrill after a long and exhausting fight I had it in the boat and happily released it back into the water. What does being a WIRF Leader mean to you? I want to break the gender stereotype in fishing and show other women that you can be an equal and not just a decorative piece. What do you hope to bring to the WIRF team? Inspire others and help run fishing clinics for women that have perhaps never held a fishing rod ever before. If you could fish with a celebrity, who would you choose? I would love to go fishing with Keith Urban. I admire how he talks about the love for his wife, and he could sing and play guitar all day for me. Actually, I would be happy to do all the fishing! What’s the best fishing advice you’ve ever been given? You can’t catch a fish without your rod in the water, and try a using different baits until you find what the fish are biting on. Tell us something interesting about yourself? I used to be the lead singer in a covers band in Adelaide years ago and was the fastest girl over 100m in my high school years. If you were a fish, what species best describes you? I guess the best species that describes me would be a coral trout.You will find a lot of pink in my wardrobe, and you won’t find me swimming if the water is too cold.

WIRF LEADER Name: Lee Spyrou Age: 53 years Region: Middle Park, VIC Profession: Owner Swimming Pool Company – Al’s Pools & Spas Specialising: Saltwater fishing How/when did you first get into fishing? From the moment I could hold a rod, I was hooked, my love of fishing was inherited from my father. Bonding over redfin, yellowbelly and carp at Yarrawonga, soaking eels in the bath, until we flushed them clean and hunting down big flathead and elephant fish in Western Port Bay. Favourite species to fish for? Tuna, snapper, whiting, flathead and squid (really anything I can). What’s your fishing style? Love flicking a soft plastic, but mainly bait fishing from my Bar Crusher. Most memorable catch/PB? Tuna fishing out of Nauru would have to be my most memorable experience, however my PB was last year landing a 6.5kg snapper off Williamstown. What does being a WIRF Leader mean to you? The opportunity to spread my passion, belief, and desire, to see more women involved in the sport, and to open the eyes of all, to the urgent need to become involved in the survival and rebuilding of our bays and fisheries. What do you hope to bring to the WIRF team? Energy, enthusiasm and fun. If you could fish with a celebrity, who would you choose? Robson Green, I love his wonderful fishing adventures and his delightful personality. It would be my dream to be able to travel the world fishing as he does, with a female slant of course (PS: open to offers – hint, hint!). What’s the best fishing advice you’ve ever been given? When nothing’s going right, just go fishing! Tell us something interesting about yourself? I broke my neck and my heart stopped when I was 21, leading to an incredible near-death experience – from that moment forward I was determined to make every moment count. If you were a fish, what species best describes you? A mermaid! But seriously a shark, I loved learning that a shark will never outgrow its environment, put it in a tank and it will grow to a mere 20cm, however in the ocean its growth is limitless. The same in life, don’t hang around small thinking people, change your environment and watch yourself thrive.

WIRF LEADER Ruth Beeby Name: Ruth Beeby Age: 58 years (going on 40) Region: East Gippsland Profession: Community Access Worker Specialising: Estuaries and freshwater fishing How/when did you first get into fishing? I fished as a child with my father from jetties around Western Port Bay. Later I camped and fished a lot on the Glenelg River and Toolondo in Western Victoria. It wasn’t until approximately 7 years ago I met a guy that was a brilliant fisher, and we fished all the time – saltwater, freshwater, offshore and estuaries. I learnt so much about it all and just soaked it all in like a sponge. Now I fish on my own but chose to chase bream in my Hobie kayak and compete in To page 109

recfishwest Northern WA fishing communities weigh in for Fishing for Science Did you know juvenile black marlin can grow up to 49mm and 740g a week, reach more than 1m in length in as few as 100 days and grow to 15kg within their first year? Similarly, were you aware the Gascoyne, the Kimberley and the Pilbara

each have their own separate biological stock of red emperor? If you love catching Spanish mackerel, here’s a fun fact: Spanish mackerel in WA’s north rarely move more than 100km, while those in the State’s southern waters will migrate

From page 108

the Hobie Fishing Bream Competitions, which are held all over Australia. I am very passionate about these comps and have flown to a few interstates. Great fun and great people, plus you get to see places you had no idea existed. Favourite species to fish for? Black bream, especially the big ones where I live in East Gippsland. PB is 43cm at this stage. What’s your fishing style? I fish with softbaits, hardbodies and blades from my kayak mainly. I also practice catch and release. Most memorable catch/PB? I caught a ripper black bream at Newlands Arm last year under my daughter and partner’s boat. It was 1.5kg and I was just so stoked to land it. What does being a WIRF Leader mean to you? For me it’s all about getting to meet and talk fishing with other like-minded women that love what we do. Learning new skills and passing on information to help encourage others to join in the fun of it all. I am very enthusiastic about what I consider more than just a ‘hobby’. It has become a lifestyle for me, especially now I live closer to the fish I love to target. What do you hope to bring to the WIRF team? I hope to inspire other women to take up this wonderful sport. Create avenues for women who don’t have the opportunity to fish regularly to come along and give it a go. I would love to see more women participating in the Hobie series. There are not enough women in it – generally 100+ men and around five women maximum. If you could fish with a celebrity, who would you choose? I’d like the opportunity to fish with Carl Jocumsen an Aussie living in the states who fishes for bass on the tournaments there and has won! He’s an absolute legend here and ‘never’ let’s anything phase him. Such a positive bloke who really knows how to fish. What’s the best fishing advice you’ve ever been given? ‘Slow it down’. A good friend of mine once said that to catch bream (finnicky things they can be), just to slow things right down. Slower retrieves with hardbodies and plastics. Immediately I started doing this, I caught more fish. Best piece of advice – thanks Bruce! Tell us something interesting about yourself? I previously lived on big sheep and cattle properties and had horses. I am pretty handy on the tractor, motorbike and on a horse. I love cooking – just ask my friends! My Hobie is named ‘My Horse’ – but fortunately it’s never bucked me off. If you were a fish, what species best describes you? I’m definitely a black bream – intelligent, quick thinking and puts up a good fight. Not as fast as some, but a great sport!

Did you know Spanish mackerel, like this one caught by Recfishwest’s Zach Relph, often travel and hunt alone once they mature? Photo courtesy of Jade Relph vast distances with the Leeuwin Current. Also, smaller Spaniards are known to hunt in packs, but they often travel and hunt alone once they mature. It’s information like this that fishers are keen to know, with fishing communities in WA’s north recently playing an important role in contributing to a program focused on better understanding valued recfishing species – Fishing for Science. Some of the Recfishwest crew were out and about on the road in August checking in at a couple of fishing comps, the Ashburton Anglers’ MACK10K 2021 out of Onslow and King Bay Game Fishing Club’s Dampier Classic. “It’s always a buzz being in town when the local communities are out in force enjoying these key events in the regional fishing calendar,” Recfishwest Operations Lead Matt Gillett said.

“The cherry on top for us was the excellent response we received for the fish sampling activities we were running at these comps as part of our Fishing for Science program.” Run in partnership with Woodside, Fishing for Science provides Recfishwest a platform to collect samples from fishers at the weigh station to support science and monitoring of our fish stocks. “At both the Dampier Classic and the MACK10K, fishers were eager to provide their fish for sampling, have a yarn with our guys about their catches and learn more about the basic biology of the fish they caught,” Matt said. “In Onslow, almost 60 mackerel heads were given to us by fishers to pass onto DPIRD Fisheries scientists at the Department’s Hillarys fish labs. “While in Dampier, comp participants brought 56 fish made up of 15

Keen young fishers put Recfishwest Operations Officer Sam Russell to the test about his fish biology knowledge at the Dampier Classic.

This network has been created to encourage females to participate in the fishing activity with the family (not just to observe). It is linked to the Target One Million drive to increase participation to get one million Victorians fishing. Our aim is to establish an interactive facebook group for women to enable them to talk, gain and share knowledge to engage in recreational fishing activities in a comfortable manner. Female anglers of all levels will be encouraged to join, post and learn from one another. https://www.facebook.com/ groups/womeninrecfishing

different species to the sampling table, where our guys did a quick analysis of the fish and fed back information about the length, condition, sex and reproductive maturity of the fish they caught.” Data gathered at both competitions included weight, length, condition, parasites, sex and maturity stage, while tissue samples from each fish’s belly were also taken for future research, Matt explained. “This made for good discussion around fish science and also some of the kids at the event drawn to the sampling activities and keen to learn more about what was going on,” he said. “The willingness and enthusiasm to contribute to these sampling activities and the evident thirst for knowledge by many of the

The Recfishwest crew getting stuck into their sampling work at the MACK10K competition.

comps’ participants, once again shows how much fishers care about the fish they catch. “Fishing for Science provides an opportunity for fishers to learn more about the fish they catch and a way to give something back by contributing to knowledge which will only help protect our fisheries. “So, a big shout out to all of those in the Onslow and Dampier fishing communities who contributed to this program – it’s going to be interesting to see how this program develops from here… watch this space.” NOVEMBER 2021

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South Coast

Water temperatures rising and fish producing ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

Local waters have been producing plenty of fish in recent weeks. Both beach and boat-based anglers are continuing to catch winter species, while at the same time we’re seeing more of the warmer water species coming through. The local jetties have been producing bigger herring (locally referred to as bull herring), and they’re still chasing topwater presentations, such as a prawn or squid fished under a float, and homemade surface lures consisting of a lumo tube on a no. 4 longshank hook with a no. 2 berley blob for weight, cast

out like a lure. Other options are Tassie Devils in blue, and Halco Twisties in 10g or 15g. Taylor Street jetty is also producing some King George whiting, with squid still being caught on Tailor Street and Tanker jetty. Bandy Creek boat harbour is producing good numbers of King George whiting. Sizes and numbers are increasing, with plenty of fish now up to 35cm. Mixed in with them are plenty of herring, flathead and flounder. The Bream Lakes are still full of water from the winter rains, so the fish are spread out a little bit further. If you’re willing to put the effort in there are fish to 40cm+ on offer. Many are being caught on bait such

as coral prawns, while lure fishers are doing well on 2” Gulp Baby Shrimps and 2.5” ZMan Slim SwimZ in bloodworm. For beach fishers, Fourth Beach, Salmon Beach and 11 Mile have all been producing good numbers of salmon, with plenty of specimens up to 8kg. The favoured bait is still pilchards on a paternoster rig, preferably with a star sinker so you don’t roll around in the surf. Suitable chrome lures include the Halco Slice and Samaki Flash 40g, or you can try the Halco Slidog 105 40g stickbait. Another new lure that’s worth trying is the 56g Iron Candy Magic Missile 2.5 slice. Heading east of town, beach fishing has still been

producing good numbers of salmon along with plenty of gummy sharks, flathead, herring and skippy. One skippy weighed in at a local beach comp went 4.5kg. The best beaches to tyy have been Thomas River, Alexander Bay, Wharton Beach and Israelite Bay. Guys heading west of town have been catching plenty of flathead up to 80cm, salmon, and also gummy sharks. The best beaches out that way have been Roses and Munglinup. Boat fishing in the bay, when the weather permits, is still producing plenty of squid, big sand whiting, snook and even the occasional bluefin tuna. Local islands have been producing plenty of queen snapper, sea sweep,

and breaksea cod. Anglers heading out wide are seeing plenty of samsonfish going over 30kg, yellowtail kingfish up to 20kg, nannygai going 65cm, and a mix of queen snapper, breaksea and harlequin fish. The coming months should see water temperatures slowly increase, causing the samsonfish to head in closer to the mainland and group up close to the islands, accompanied by a few yellowtail kingfish. Boat fishing in the bay should also potentially see more bluefin tuna come through, as the season has been starting earlier and earlier in recent years. Beach anglers can expect to see a lot more gummy sharks being caught as they

come in closer to birth their pups. Salmon should be more scattered before they come in big numbers in summer. In the coming weeks we can expect plenty of herring and they’ll get bigger and bigger. The winds and weather will hopefully start to settle a bit more, with more sunshine and more opportunities to get out. • 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.

Great weather for all fishing AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

As we get towards the business end of the year the spring weather gets better and better in Augusta with the early season rains ending and the inexorable temperature rise signalling that summer is not far away.

year, however, it is clearing more and more each day. With a bit more time it will return back to the crystal clarity that summer tourist expect. Freshwater fishing from the Sue’s Bridge section of the Blackwood has been pretty good lately with plenty of black bream around in the snaggy areas. It is well worth a visit just to see how many fish there are in the area, including

Blackwood River campground at Alexandra Bridge, which is a mere 26km from Augusta. For a $10 fee per adult, the campground has everything you need to set up a base camp. Here the water is brackish due to the influence of the ocean tides still having an effect. Known to be an excellent area for black bream, the effect of the saltwater improves their overall eating quality immensely compared to the sometimes muddy quality of purely freshwater fish. There is a small platform on the southern side of the bridge itself where it is quite safe to allow children to have a fish. For day tripping, then there are plenty of areas accessible on foot or 4WD along the length of the river, just get yourself a HEMA maps GPS system and it will show you the way. Sometimes the adventure of finding spots is as good as the fishing itself. Closer to Augusta townsite the jetties are providing plenty of entertainment, especially for the kids in town over the school holidays. With the Ellis Street and town jetties firing every day with herring and skippy there was no reason to go anywhere else to keep them occupied for a

few hours. With a bit of pollard and fish oil mixed for berley there was no need to do much else other than throw a bait in the water. The herring have been constantly zipping about eating whatever looks like food while the skippy have been a bit more cautious, skulking about in the shadows under the jetty before quickly grabbing a bait and trying to get back under the safety of the timbers. River prawns and cockles are proving to be the kryptonite for them at the moment but when the feeding mood is upon them they will take most baits. There are lots of small pink snapper at times so try to be careful with them for a safe release. Try lightly weighted or better still unweighted baits for best results and small metal slice lures or soft plastic grubs cast out towards the channel. For a different fishing experience or just an explore then why not take the family for a look at the jetty during the night. The excellent lighting always attract myriad fish species and it is surprising what sometimes turn up. Squid, cobbler and octopus will frequently be found mooching around near the rocks and yellowfin whiting, tailor and tarwhine are all

Jason Morgan known locally as the ‘Dhuey Whisperer’ landed this solid dhufish on a recent trip to Spot X. This beauty was quickly released. actively feeding and can be seen darting in and out of the lit areas from the inky depths just outside of the range of the floodlights. Out in the ocean there have been some very exciting times. Not only with the fishing but also with a full on rescue taking place involving Augusta Volunteer Marine Rescue, the RAAF rescue chopper and civilian vessels. A small craft

Hayley Muller jigs up a dhufish while taking a break on her dad’s charter boat. That being said, I sit here writing this article while it is 20ºC watching the rain cover the Hardy Inlet with a fine mist. Apart from that, the weather has been perfect with barely a ripple on the water. Great weather for all types of fishing. The Blackwood River, as with most rivers in the state, is still dirty with the runoff from an exceptionally wet 110

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cobbler and some of the biggest goldfish you will ever see. Why not spend a couple of days at the well maintained camp grounds and explore the area. Have a look around at night time with a torch and not only will you see the plethora of fresh water fish species, but many nocturnal animals such as the possums and kangaroos that inhabit the area. There is another excellent

Ian Offer landed this chunky Blackwood River black bream during an afternoon fishing trip near Molloy Island.

came to grief on Seal Rock and the skipper became a casualty after being crushed by his vessel when he tried to save it from the rocks after engine failure. It was great to see in times of emergency the well-trained volunteers of the marine rescue and St John Ambulance working in tandem with the chopper crew for a very successful result. This rescue showed very well the need for people to be aware of sea conditions, their skill base and the capabilities of their vessel. It also enforces the point that it is very important to think with a clear head in times of stress. Never put yourself in danger trying to minimise damage to your vessel by putting yourself in a position where you could end up seriously injured. Boats can be replaced but you generally get one go at life! On a lighter note, the wonderful fishing conditions continue at the end of spring To page 111

South Coast

Excellent catches for LB anglers BUNBURY

Whiteys Tackle and Camping

With upon area quite

the warmer weather us, the Bunbury has been fishing well with land-based

anglers reporting some excellent captures. The finer weather has made for some ripping flats fishing in the estuary with the water being super clean and crystal clear. Chasing the yellowfin whiting is still all

Chasing yellowfin whiting is all the rage this month. From page 110

and with low swells and calm conditions allowing boats to spread out in all directions. This has resulted in some great varied catches from Black point through to Hamelin Bay. On the demersal front, dhufish remain strong however, pink snapper seem to be absolutely everywhere regardless of the water depth. From jetty fishing right out to the deep waters pink snapper have been landed left right and centre. Some excellent sized fish have been caught in the 15-30m depths showing that you don’t need to travel to the ends of the

through are pretty obvious. Don’t drive too close to any schools or you will spook them just plan your course to allow the lure to run across the school for best results. If you want to have a try at casting into the school then approach slowly and stay at the limit of your casting range and work the edges. Yellowtail kingfish and samsonfish numbers around the islands and exposed reef are still good and some nice fish have fallen to trolled lures and butterfly jigs. For a bit of added excitement try catching a squid and live bait it down the water column on some of the better lumps, the

the rage, and baits and lures are working extremely well. If you’re going to stick to bait then bloodworms on a #6 long shank hook is the go. Just remember even though the whiting love the bait, so do the blowfish! If the blowies are too dominant switching to a lure will help target the whiting specifically and greatly reduce your blowie by-catch. The estuary has also been producing some exceptional tailor sessions on the inside of the Cut. Casting or trolling small metal lures or hardbodies is definitely proving to be the more effective method. Mixed through the tailor is some chunky herring and these aggressive speedsters are feeding on the abundant baitfish and will hit most lures with full force and are great fun on the light gear. The local beaches have also been steadily producing. Belvidere and Buffalo Beach have produced great numbers of tailor, none of

those northern monsters but plenty of numbers to be had. Further north towards Binningup and Myalup, we have had a couple of reports of metre-plus sized mulloway. Fishing for mulloway can be very time consuming, but patience does eventually pay off. Setting a live bait in a gutter or near a small patch of reef just after dark will give you the best chance. Bunbury Back Beach and Dalyellup beaches have been producing some good herring. Plenty of constant berley is the key to attracting them to you and, more importantly, keeps them there feeding. Just a small amount at a time will also ensure you’re not over feeding the fish and leaving them uninterested in the baits you’re presenting. The warmer weather also means great things for our river bream fishery – surface action! Fishing for bream on top water has to be my favourite technique to target

A fantastic example of a tasty King George whiting. them. The OSP Bent Minnow and Bassday Sugapen being my go-to lures. Fishing the shallow banks at first light should see you with a good chance of catching a bag limit.

• Call into the shop at 1/143 Grand Entrance, Australind for the latest fishing reports and what’s biting, or simply to have a yarn. Until next time, tight lines and screaming drags! – Joshua Italiano

when you get them into safer territory. Bagging out on sand whiting on the flat grounds has been pretty easy so it is just a matter of choosing a likely spot and then just drifting for a while with squid or sand worms for bait. Many of the schools are smaller fish but with a bit of searching around you will find the large fat whiting that look like they are bursting at the seams. Once located, lock in your drift area and run over it until you have caught a feed. Anywhere around the 16m mark in Flinders Bay, especially around the back of the abalone ranch will produce good fish with the bonus of

Multiple services were required to help rescue an injured boat skipper after he was crushed by his vessel when it ended up crashing onto Seal Rock in Augusta.

A clean looking meal sized pink snapper like this is just what you are looking for when out on a charter. earth looking for your pink snapper trophy fish. Tuna numbers have dwindled, however, there are still fish being caught on trolled hardbodied surface lures. Keep an eye out for surface bust ups and birds action while on the sounder the schools of bait travelling

samsonfish and kingies take them at lightening speed and head for the hills. Lean back and hang on for the ride of your life, just remember they will drag your braid through the roughest territory they can find in an effort to cut you off. Hit them hard initially to stop the run and then take your time

some King George whiting to mix it up. The Augusta boat harbour rock walls are a resource that are often neglected due to the abundance of other land based fishing locations in the area. If you take the time to try a few spots there is the opportunity to not only catch bread

and butter species but also demersals and pelagics as well. On a calm day it is possible to watch samsonfish patrolling the length of the marina where they menace anything that looks like a meal. Anyone with a boat that has cruised past the rock-wall will tell you that there is some fantastic structure in and around the marina and well within casting range. Fishing from the northern end of the main rock wall has seen large blue groper, pink snapper and harlequin fish caught by fishers that would never have had the chance land based previously. I have also seen Spanish mackerel landed just on nightfall, however, this is pretty rare as they stick to the warmer currents. Off the smaller inner rock wall you can always berley up skippy, herring and garfish with squid and cuttlefish also an added bonus on occasion.

The other advantage of the small rock wall being that on windy days there is always a flat protected section of water to have a fish when you are desperate. Just be careful walking on the rocks as they were not designed with fishing in mind. There are plenty of sloping rocks and gaps that will swallow your fish, tackle or foot if you are not careful. Flat Rock just south of the marina entrance has been pretty active, especially when the swells have been down. There have been sand whiting in abundance, garfish and herring as well as the odd tarwhine. This spot is almost guaranteed to produce enough for a mixed bag meal for the family. Baits of sand worms, squid, coral prawn pieces and cockles have all produced plenty of fish. Rock fishing can be very productive in Augusta but it

can also be deadly. Choose a spot that allows you the chance to seek refuge from any king waves and don’t let calm conditions fool you into thinking you are safe. Rogue waves are just that and can quickly result in being thrown into the water. People have died here after being washed off by king waves. • Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta -the local tackle shop and font of all local fishing knowledge. Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the BP Service Station. NOVEMBER 2021

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West Coast

Options a plenty as the weather warms METRO

Jacob Crispe

As we let our demersal species do their thing in peace, with a demersal fishing ban currently in place, our other Perth metro fishing options continue to improve and provide plenty of choices during the closed period. SWAN RIVER November should see the benefits of the good rain we had during the cooler months with salinity levels increasing and the saltwater now pushing back up the system. The bait pushes up with it and the predators don’t take long to follow. Flathead will become a favourite target for many anglers. They will push up onto the shallow margins of the waterway making them a little easier to find. Most target them with small hardbody lures or blades. Look for any form of structure on the flat, whether it is weed, some slightly deeper water or even a colour change of the bottom. All are worth casting around and can produce some nice fish. Popping for whiting will also be on the cards. The Swan doesn’t fish as well as some of the neighbouring waterways

James Close with a thumper pigeon pair of greenback tailor pulled from casting stickbaits over an inshore reef system closer to Yanchep.

Drago Bozuric hits his target after many hours spent on cold nights chasing the elusive silver ghost from a metro beach gutter. chopper tailor in the system at present and their numbers should increase as the month goes on. Target them in the deeper water

that neighbours the flats that I have been talking about with either small stickbaits or metal lures. Jetties are also popular places to target tailor. Point Walter, Applecross and Como jetties are well worth a try. Mulloway captures continue to be consistent. The area between The Narrows and South Guildford is a good place to start. Fresh or live baits like trumpeter or scalies will be your best option. For those of you that

Hools Orifici never fails when it comes to finding these 5-star fish! A lovely feed of sand whiting caught on the edge of the shipping channel near Freo.

Young gun Maxi Sampson finding the big squid in shallow waters with a super bright jig on an overcast day. using this method, but that shouldn’t stop you, as plenty of good whiting are caught from the various flats on the Swan. Bream will be one of the first fish to push up the system as the freshwater 112

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recedes. They can be heavily structure orientated at this time of the year, but it is no surprise when anglers popping for whiting end up having a great bream session on the flats. There are plenty of

It’s easy to see why this guy is the master when it comes to chasing these predators in the shallows. Peter Zahradka with a Swan River bar-tailed flathead.

like a fresh feed of crab, November should see crab captures improve. ROCK WALLS AND BEACHES The Fremantle rock walls will be the place to be this month. It is one of the best months for King George whiting fishing. You seem to find them everywhere and add to that the skippy and herring that frequent similar locations and you have a fishing free for all. Just remember that berley is an essential component to fishing the rock walls. It brings to the

fish to your location and keeps them there for you to catch a few more. Squid will also be a popular target this month. As the water clears they push even closer to shore, meaning a feed of squid is definitely on the cards. I don’t believe I have mentioned it before but black bream can also be present at this time of the year around the rock walls. The abundance of food seems to be irresistible for them and anglers in the right place at the right time To page 113

West Coast

Excellent estuary fishing will be available there are still plenty of fish to target aside from the normal pink snapper or dhufish. Anglers are reporting schools

MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

The estuary is beginning to heat up, both weather and fishing wise. Yellowfin whiting are plentiful throughout, with anglers targeting them from the flats surrounding Coodanup, Yunderup and also the southern end of the estuary. If you are trolling lures across the Peel-Harvey, there will be plenty of herring, tailor and the odd salmon trout around to keep you entertained. Heading up into the river systems, you will find that the fish have started to push back upstream and can be caught quite a fair way up thanks to the increase in salinity, as well as lack of rain. The cut is well worth trying if you are chasing a good feed of bread and butter. There are plenty of yellow-fin, sand and also King George whiting on the estuary side of the Cut. The channel rock walls are producing good amounts of herring, with the odd skipjack, tailor and good sized silver bream around

Upstream fishing in the rivers can be quite fun, but it can also be a painful exercise with plenty of dense timber cover. too. If you’re chasing a good feed, lightly weighted prawn baits or even a small whiting paternoster with squid or cubed mulie will do the trick. Weed has cleared up for the most part, with our beaches slowly recovering from a battering during the colder months. Thanks to the conditions, there are some great new gutters and structures to search for fish. Tailor numbers are on the rise, plenty of herring

are around and a few good sand whiting are also being caught. When targeting larger fish like mulloway from the surf, using fresh baits will definitely enhance the odds at coming across a quality fish and especially when they are picky. Mixing up your rigging styles can pay off big time when chasing ghosts, so be sure to move between fixed and running rigs to see how one may perform compared to the other.

If you are thinking of heading out to one of the local dams, now is a reasonably good time to make it happen and see if you can get yourself a good trout or two. Following the release of trout into our local waters during October, anglers will find that there are a lot more brown and rainbow trout around than in previous months. Using your spinners from shore, you are likely to encounter some of these quality fish and there is always a good chance that you will come across some good redfin too. If you are taking a kayak, some moderately weighted plastics or bibbed diving minnows are ideal and will let you effectively fish a wide variety of structures in search of fish. Offshore fishing can be quite limited during the demersal ban period, but

Estuary tailor can provide a lot of sport and are also willing to take an artificial lure like this 2.5” soft plastic.

Skinny water trout can be difficult to achieve locally, but there are fish there for those who put in some time. From page 112

can reap the rewards. Whiting will be a popular beach fishing target in November. Most beaches will hold whiting. Cottesloe or Floriet would be good locations to start. Mulloway will be in similar locations. They like nothing better than a feed of sand whiting so why not take a heavier outfit and pop a live whiting back out in the surf. You never know your luck. Shark fishing from our beaches is a popular pastime. They are widespread at this time of the year. Anywhere from Port Kennedy north will be worth a try. This may something to do with the tailor numbers at present. They can be caught in

of tuna showing up, with plenty of visuals of jumping fish and birds working the top water. Trolling bibbed or

similar areas and places casting small metals into the beach gutters. Herring are also a popular family fishing option. Pop a berley bag into the wash to attract them to your area and hopefully mum, dad and the kids can enjoy catching a few of this fun little species. INSHORE AND OFFSHORE Options are a little limited with the demersal ban in place, however King George whiting and squid are always available. Broken ground in 4-8m of water will be your best bet. You may need to move around a little bit, but once you find them you should pick up a good feed. Skippy are another popular target. They tend to found around reefy type

structure. Herring and small samsonfish can be found in similar areas. Areas of exposed reef are also worth casting metal lures or stickbaits around. The white water around these reefs can hold some nice tailor and the odd samsonfish. For those tuna anglers out there, try the western end of Rottnest Island. Trolling lures in 30m of water in the area from Point Perron to Hillaries will be a good starting option. For many, November is about leaving our demersal species to do their thing and finding other options to put a bend in our fishing rods. We are so lucky that there are plenty of alternatives to do exactly that. Good luck and I will catch you next month.

Tuna are great fun, providing a fix to those who would usually target pink snapper or dhu.

surface lures can be quite effective, but it is also worth rapidly retrieving some metal slices to mimic smaller baitfish the tuna are likely to be feeding on. For those who enjoy dropping live baits over the side, it can be quite rewarding to troll a live herring around some of your inner reefs during this time of the year for big samsonfish and kingfish that are out on the hunt. Places like James Service, Bouvard and inner Five Fathom reefs are ideal. December is something most locals cannot wait for, especially when it comes to fishing and outdoor recreation. Although the weather can be quite punishing heat wise, our flats come alive with an abundance of crabs, whiting and tailor. Not only crabbing, but the demersal ban will also be at the forefront of many minds as we head into the middle of December and get back into some of the more preferred table fish. We can also expect the rivers to fire up. NOVEMBER 2021

113

West Coast

Time to prep before the season LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

November is a quiet period on the fishing calendar before things start to get full on! The white cray run starts late this month, leading to the demersal

Perhaps heading out when otherwise they wouldn’t have in anticipation knowing the pots will likely be full. When pulling pots, wear your life jacket and make sure someone knows where you are and when you are due back. Lancelin VMR offer a log on and off service, call

well behind other states in Australia. Small boats can be vulnerable to tipping whilst trying to get to pots on shallow reef in swell. When setting pots be aware of upcoming swell forecasts, to be sure pots are left in sufficient depth so they will

The tuna have been in fantastic numbers, with plenty of yellowfin among them. fishery reopening mid December along with the start of school holidays. Time to get the boat serviced and ready to go for next season. There will be waiting lists at the boat service centres of weeks to months, if you do not get in now, there won’t be much availability this side of Christmas. It is a good time to check up on the boat trailer making sure bearings are tight and greased, brakes work etc, especially if planning any road trips over the holidays. I also use this time to go through the safety gear making sure flares are in date, life jackets are

with your designated local call sign or boat rego number on VHF ch22 providing the following information: number of people on board, destination/bearing, fuel status and time of return, remembering to log off once safely back on the beach. There are always plenty of days, especially early in the season that small dinghies need to head out at first light before the radio room opens at 0630hrs, often to beat the wind. When heading out before the radio room opens make sure someone you trust has the information and will alert authorities if you become overdue. It would also be a good idea to load

aboard. Only one-person should be leaning over that side of the boat, if there are two people on board, the other watches for swells at the motor and counterbalances from the other side. If the wind is up, keep a lookout while clearing and sizing the crays, drifting into someone else’s pot will snag the motor, and can result in waves swamping over the rear of the boat. There are lots of boating options during the demersal ban. Skippy have been providing some fun sessions with schools being encountered along the White Bank and some of the near shore reefs. Dropping a berley pot around some of the deeper areas of the bay has been finding some schools too. Sea tuna have been prolific, with an exceptional amount of decent size yellowfin among them than we usually see. Halco Max in white redhead has been

You might recognise Kevin Mahney from Lancelin Café and Pizza, taking time off to cast some baits. Setting a live one out the back under a balloon whilst stocking the icebox, you can hook up anything from a big yellowfin tuna to a mako shark. King George whiting in the bay have been difficult to target, mainly because it has been so hard to get past the pickers and blowfish. The nuisance fish numbers have come down to a manageable level, keep the berley in the boat and you should be able to score a feed of what many call the best eating fish in the sea. Trolling or casting lures has been a good way to dodge the blowfish and has been very productive with plenty of herring, skippy and snook schooling around the weed beds.

Charlie spent the recent holidays catching herring and sand whiting at Didie Bay. slaying them of late and is a great lure to head off the fast moving schools easily towed at 12 knots or more. Sand whiting are always a great fall back when the demersal ban is on. Out from Lancelin, hit up the grounds around 18-22m until you get onto the larger ones. Once you find the big ones, drop the anchor.

By the end of the month, we should see pots full of freshly moulted white crays – they are referred to as ‘milk bottles’.

Chris Hartanto was casting a Halco Rooster for greenbacks from his kayak and found a nice little yellowtail king. serviced, EPIRBs and radios are cleaned and checked for operation status. Don’t forget the boats battery either, a lifeline for communications and engine reliability. Late this month, the white crays will be on the walk again, a time when many people get excited about their lobster fishing. 114

NOVEMBER 2021

up the Deckee app on your mobile phone. Earlier this year Lancelin Sea Rescue successfully trialled a log on log off through the app via your mobile phone. Hopefully, the Deckee LOLO will be active in time for this white season, it is long overdue for this type of 24 hour coverage –

For those with no 4WD, beach fishing the shallow flats south of Edwards Island has been a productive location for flathead, herring and tarwhine. North Point has been good for tailor, herring, sand whiting and at night small whaler sharks. Surf beaches have some 30cm+ bull herring taking the pilchards meant for tailor. November usually provides the last good mulloway run on the new moon for the season, and there are lots of small whalers along the deeper beaches. November is a great tailor time, after a poor season last year (some locals say worst in decades) it was a slow winter. Spring has seen improving catches,

not be near breaking waves when you return to check them. When checking the pots’ position, the boat with the pot up wind, dragging behind the boat, rather than drifting over the pot. The boat will be better balanced should a swell, wind wave or white horse hit whilst the heavy pot is being pulled

Spring is the best time of year to be casting big lures for big tailor.

with good numbers of 45-50cm fish and some great 60cm+ greenbacks from the reef breaks and gutters. Moving towards the end of the month will see a lot more smaller choppers through the summer months. Jetty fishing has been plagued with blowfish during the day, however at night there are plenty of herring. Bait casting pilchards with the wind from the north end usually finds some tailor from sunset. Once the lights kick in, casting lures to the edge of the lights reach can find tailor, snook and pike as well.

West Coast

More fish heading for the flats EXMOUTH

Barry Taylor

Report supplied by Josh Cheong We have had a pretty windy few weeks, so anglers have been fishing for whiting along

side. Those who have been getting out on the boat have been fishing out of the gulf because that’s been the better option. Fishing down towards the bottom of the gulf has been producing queenfish and a few trout as well. When the wind has backed

but it should start to pick up in the coming weeks, with the blue marlin coming on shortly. The blues tend to fire up when the water warms a bit heading into summer. There have been a couple of sails caught in the gulf but not the amounts that we’d like to see. Still, it’s just the start of the season and things should improve in the coming weeks. We have seen a few giant herring down the bottom of the gulf being caught by anglers casting small stickbaits and flies.

There has been the odd school of longtails in the gulf as well, feeding on micro baitfish. The longtails can be caught casting really small plastics or 15-20g metals. In the coming weeks, as the water warms up we should see more fish coming onto the flats in the gulf. The jacks should start to fire up in the marina, providing a lot of fun for land-based anglers. You can catch them on an unweighted mulie sunk down in a berley trail or 3-5” soft plastics (e.g. Bait Junkie 4.5”

This rankin put a serious bend in the rod as he headed back towards his bommie! Image courtesy of @primal_instinct_fishing.

Minnow or Biwaa 5” Shad) rigged on a 1/4-3/8oz jighead. The marlin action should continue this month, and sailfish numbers in the gulf should increase. • For all the latest news on what’s biting and where, drop into Tackle World Exmouth at 3 Maley St, Exmouth or give them a call on (08) 9949 1315. You can also view the range at www.tackleworldexmouth. com.au, and see the latest catch photos on their Facebook page. This family business stocks a large range of tackle, from light spin to big game. The staff have a wealth of local knowledge and expertise, and are always happy to help.

Josh Cheong ticks another species off the list with this plastic-crunching giant herring. Image courtesy of @indepthangler_josh. the beaches and finding the leeward side of the cape to fish around, to make the best of the windy weather. We have also been getting a few queenies and trevally off the beaches, with spangled emperor more around the west

off there have been a few mackies up around the islands for the anglers who venture out there. There has been some good bottom fishing for goldband snapper and red emperor. The marlin action has quietened down quite a bit

First mackerel for Jolina. Image courtesy of @yimtaro.

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115

South Coast

Choose your target for success DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

If there is one thing I have learnt to always practice from nearly 40 years of fishing is that choosing a specific species to target, over hitting and hoping on any given day, wins hands down every time. And that

lined up with a super low tide of just 0.2m, conditions looked great with light winds around 8 knots that strengthen considerably in the early afternoon. I wanted to do some land-based fishing as finding the time to wash the boat that weekend just wasn’t on the cards. With the super low and light winds both

Not having caught a queenie for many months I decided to pick them for my target species. Queenie fishing, especially from land is a great sport. They are an aggressive fighting fish that are well known for their aerobatic displays. As waters warm from the change of season from dry to wet, queenies start to move into the shallows around bays of the Burrup Peninsula and around the coastline to Cossack. There are many locations along this stretch

zuke queenie don for dinner. I targeted a species by using the variables and I was successful. We are now in November, the demersals are heading out to deeper, cooler water, the Spanish mackerel and big GTs are making themselves known over the shoals in the archipelago, the blackspot tuskfish, aka bluebone are on the rise, threadies continue to be a pest to the barra fishers chasing an early season metre-y, which is a

Queenies are an exciting fish to catch land-based. They fight hard and really put on a show. All the creek and coastal areas hold good numbers of queenfish, and November is the month that starts to see catches increase significantly.

Wet season is tuna season. The author couldn’t resist casting a bottom jig he was fishing with at a passing school of mack tuna. is even more important when fishing tidal locations such as Karratha. Throw in a dual season calendar year where the climate is worlds apart and what you catch in June is going to be significantly different to what you catch in January. For most of us, it is our employment that defines what days we have available to go fishing and this is our opportunity to plan ahead by looking at the tides and season and then as we get closer looking at the weather conditions such as wind to choose the best species to target on that day. In October I wanted to go fishing early on a Saturday morning as I had a pile of home chores that were tapping me on the shoulder to have done and I knew if I didn’t get out fishing first thing, the likelihood of getting out that weekend would diminish rapidly. Sunrise, which is always a great time to fish, also

lining up with sunrise and the early start to the wet season with the water temperatures increased and humidity raised, I knew the queenies, threadies, barra, flathead and whiting would all be feeding in the deeper water where creeks and drains fed into.

NOVEMBER 2021

visitors, it will be the Karratha barra at the top of the list to target in November and the back beach boat ramp carpark will be packed with empty boat trailers with creeks, such as Airport and Nickol being the focus. Threadies, queenies, mangrove jack, bream, whiting and flathead can all be found in these creeks along with good numbers of mud crabs. There are even some blue swimmer crabs to still be found in the deep holes of the creeks where the water can be cooler, they can be hard to find but once you find them, they are always there. Due to a failed transducer on my boat that has been sent away for a warranty claim, it will be land-based only fishing for me, which I am looking forward to. A land-based barra and threadie are at the top of my target list, but I will also be fishing for flathead on lures, whiting on poppers and bluebone on both freshly caught rock crab baits and lures on light tackle for the challenge.

It doesn’t get better than fishing the pristine Karratha coastline at sunrise fighting a queenfish.

Nothing beats a plate of freshly caught Karratha whiting. The author enjoyed early morning fishing for them on tiny poppers last month at a super low tide of 0.2m. 116

The river systems around Karratha are teeming with red claw once you get up to the freshwater. The author had a successful day catching many using rock melon for bait to attract them.

coral trout, GTs and mackies can all be found in close to the islands at this time of year. Hammersley Shoal and Bare Rock are two places to try for mackies and GTs, and then wherever there is good bottom structure around the balance of the islands for coral trout and bluebone. Try trolling for coral trout over the broken ground in depths of 10-2m and anchor over the same ground for bluebone. There are some very healthy and robust bluebone in the archipelago so make sure you are armed accordingly with strong tackle. There is a rise in anglers using lures and jigs for bluebone, which make for exciting fishing when they take them and head straight for their holes. You certainly need to be on the ball here to be successful and I aim to bring you more of this type of fishing for bluebone. For most, using handlines of 100lb strength or more is a sure bet to stopping these blue brutes. Just make sure you wear a good pair of gloves. For most locals and

where you will find creek systems holding plenty of baitfish, and by using cast nets to catch the bait and strategically placing the rigged live bait where the emptying feeder creeks are, sets you up perfectly. Which is exactly what I did that morning, and it was only a matter of minutes before good sized queenies where all over my bait then hooked up and, as predicted, the aerobatics had begun with a solid queenie of 70cm peeling line of my spool. A few short hours afterwards and I was eating some of the best sashimi and preparing

great problem to have, and the mud crabbing has never been better. The challenge of fishing in Karratha in November is always the wind, as it is the windiest month of the year due to the change in seasons and the hot air coming from the inland desert creating a vacuum over the coastline. For those wishing to get the boat out offshore, using the islands in the archipelago as wind breaks on the windy days, is the best option. There is some fantastic fishing around or beyond the islands and the islands make life very easy. Bluebone,

Coral trout are plentiful throughout the Dampier Archipelago and the perfect demersal species to target in November. The author found quite a few in 20m just north of the islands.

South Coast

Barra build up in Broome BROOME

Troy Honey

Broome is officially in build-up phase and with that brings what many will argue as the best time of year for barra fishing. The build-up is the transitioning between the

in Broome during the build-up. This method works extremely well as the fish are actively spawning and feeding higher up in the water column. Trolling allows you to cover a large area of ground in a short period of time, this method always produces quality fish and numbers.

and in this heat is when the barra really fire up. Be very mindful out here as the river is laden with large saltwater crocodiles who are also much more active in the heat. There have been many reports of barra being caught throughout October with both size and numbers increasing steadily. Dampier Creek located adjacent to the Broome town site has been producing some excellent barra and is well worth trying. Live mullet baits are working well but with the water temperature rising rapidly, lures will come to the fore and be the preferred option by anglers. Crab Creek to the East of Roebuck Bay is holding plenty of barra but the size is down when compared to Dampier Creek. You will

the whales are long gone as they head further south to the cooler waters for their annual migration. Queenie and trevally activity from both land and boat is starting to improve and November will see fishing for pelagics such as these become more popular amongst anglers searching for the spirited action they provide. Casting poppers and lures around the rocky shoreline from Entrance Point to Gantheaume Beach is the prime location in Broome for both species as is all along the coastline from Broome to Crab Creek and further north around James Price Point, with the latter being my preferred location as it holds some very big queenies over the wet season. Both low and high tide

I have great success using this method and the key to big queenies and trevally is using big live mullet. Not only are queenies an exciting fish to catch with their aerobatic display they put on every time, but they also make for one of the best sashimi. Some find them not

In only 11m of water off Broome, Matt Elias caught this stunning red emperor that fought hard all the way to the surface. dry and wet season. This period occurs between October and December, where the humidity builds before the rain comes. The build-up produces some of the most insane barramundi fishing in Broome. As the heat and humidity increases so does the barra activity, particularly around river mouths and coastal creeks. The barramundi breeding season begins roughly around October every year, this means all the big breeding females and smaller males (usually around 800mm or below) congregate around coastal areas and river mouths to spawn. Trolling is one of the most popular and effective fishing methods

Targeting barra in Broome can be by either casting or trolling a variety of habitats, from coastal rocks to river mouths, to snag ridden creeks. As by-catch during the build-up, often encountered are some monster threadfin salmon and the occasional black jewfish. With winds at this time of year in Broome often not too favourable for offshore fishing from small boats, fishing the build-up for barra is ideal with the creeks and river systems more protected. November is when we really start to see things heat up out on the Fitzroy River, just over one hours drive east of Broome. Day time temperatures can often exceed 40ºC

Sarah Barton ticked another species off her bucket list in Broome and did it in style with this solid rankin cod. whiting to be caught in Broome and along Cable Beach is where you will find them. Again, both tide changes are good times to start fishing, but my success here has always been as the high tide, on spring tides retreats down the beach.

Matt Elias and Sarah Barton entered the Broome Marlin Cup onboard charter Fully Sic. Even though a marlin was not landed, Matt got his first sailfish, which is a great way to top off entering the comp. also find endless threadfin salmon here at the moment. Further out offshore we are coming to the end of the billfish season. October has seen quite a few sailfish being caught along with a handful of small black marlin. It is often said where you find whales you will find sails and the last of

changes are the times to be casting for these pelagics as they come on the bite working together to round up baitfish. It is in the schools of baitfish that you want to be concentrating your lure or popper or even use a cast net to catch some of the baitfish and use a live bait rig cast from shore. Some of the best sashimi is on offer in Broome, especially over the wet season with the waters teeming with longtail tuna such as this one.

Matt Elias and Sarah Barton are currently on a year off from work, travelling and fishing their way through the NT and now WA with the perfect setup to fish the Kimberley.

the best table fish, but I strongly disagree. Try this simple method and I am sure you will be convinced. Preheat oven to 200ºC, place freshly caught and well bled queenie fillets in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Blend the juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 red onion and 1 clove of garlic together and pour over the queenie fillets. Bake for 25 minutes and enjoy. I haven’t had a person yet tell me it is not sensational. November is also the start of the best whiting fishing along Cable Beach. There are some very big

Beach fishing for whiting is best using baits over poppers as the poppers needed for whiting are very small and it can be challenging to achieve a good action as small waves or wind can interfere. If conditions permit, then small poppers are worth a try, if not, then baits such as peeled prawn pieces or lambs’ heart both work very well but the best is beach worms by a long way. Bring you deck chair, put a rod holder in the sand and kick back on one of the most iconic beaches in Australia while catching a 5 star feed, pretty hard to beat. NOVEMBER 2021

117

Warmer waters send trout deep FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

With the warmer weather we normally experience here in WA this time of the year, November can result in elevated temperatures in our northern waters. This can send trout to cooler water down deep. It mainly occurs in the latter part of the month, so my advice is to keep this in mind if you are keen on landing a trout from our waters close to Perth. This does not apply to our southern waters and those streams and rivers that remain shaded, or are fed by cool water released for irrigation that normally starts this time of the year. Generally, the reports coming in have indicated a below average season in some waters, however, others have been fishing reasonably well. Most of the hatchery stocking has been completed with around 40,000 yearlings, 2,000 brood rainbows, 500

Redfin are great fun on the fly rod. This one was caught by Simon Holland in the Pemberton region. careful if you are on the water because ski boats and jet skis will be very active in the warmer weather. Redfin fishing has been quiet of late, but things should improve in this warmer weather.

activities were on offer with displays from Fisheries, Recfishwest, fishing clubs and more. It was good to see an old mate Cha’s heading the Fishability stand and offering

the young children involved in the release with them running to the water with buckets of trout. Some nice browns and rainbow trout were in the mix so these should still show up through this month if the water remains cool. Logue Brook Dam Not many reports have come through with most anglers preferring to fish the more productive waters close by. Ski boats and jet skis can make this dam unpleasant to fish, especially on the weekends. Harvey Dam Along with other anglers, I fished this water a few times with limited success despite

Andy Barns was delighted with this brown trout he caught at the Troutfest. He chose to release it so others can enjoy the same experience. FFRG (stocking committee) because of the unforeseen rapid water level increase over winter should see better results in the next few weeks. This dam went from 20%

full resulting in a lot of water between fish. Around 6,000 rainbow yearlings have gone in with more planned from the reallocation so hopefully they will grow out and survive

The quality of trout being released by the Pemberton Trout Hatchery is impressive this year. This one put up a great fight after hitting Wendy’s lure. brood browns and 350,000 fry going into our waters this year. Redfin numbers seem to be lower than previous years with mixed reports coming in from shore anglers and those that fish exclusively out of boats and kayaks. DAMS Waroona Dam This dam fished reasonably well this season, however, most of the trout caught were some of the 400 odd ex-brood rainbows and 80 brood browns stocked in winter. There were around 2,000 yearling rainbows stocked at the same time, but the reports indicate they are still small and not offering much action considering many being caught. There should be a few around this month but be 118

NOVEMBER 2021

Drakesbrook Weir This was the venue for the annual Troutfest held in early October with a great turnout, considering the unusual cool day we experienced. Lots of

an opportunity to those with disabilities to fish for trout. The main event was the release of trout by Fisheries WA that come from their Pemberton hatchery. It was pleasing to see

PREDICTED DAM LEVELS Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 78.5% as of end of September 2021, compared to 49.3% at the same time last year. Harvey Dam rose from just 22% in autumn to around 88% at the end of September, Wellington Dam also went from around 32% to 90% at the end of September. There are rumours of a hot long summer so these good storage levels will be handy for irrigators and fishers. WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM

80% 92% 83% 91% 93% 98% 100%

Tight Van-Leeuwen with a little brown trout from the Lefroy Brook. several hundred ex-brood rainbows being stocked over the winter. I’m getting mixed reports with some claims of good catches being had. A further stocking of trout that were relocated from other waters on the advice from the

capacity in autumn to 80% in September, which resulted in a massive inundation of grasslands and timber regrowth being flooded by the rising water. Considering the dam covers 550 hectares when

over summer. Again, this dam was the venue for the annual Harvey Water Bash held in October. With around 70 anglers battling it out for the many prizes on offer over the 2-day event. Tagging a number of trout a few days before the

competition has taken place by Fisheries WA with a $50 prize offered by the organisers if caught over that weekend only. It will be interesting to see what Fisheries will do with any information gathered both on that weekend and the preceding time after the event. Full details in the next issue. The redfin fishing has been mixed with some finding it hard to find the fish with the elevated water levels.

with the warmer weather after a slow start to the season. A few browns are starting to get caught but mainly early morning and late afternoon. If you are keen on flyfishing and can handle a fly in the dark, then this is the time big browns cruise the shoreline sometimes only a metre off the bank. I generally don’t wade and stand well back to avoid spooking these fish. My go-to fly is

into structure. Northern Jarrah Streams Things have slowed down with most of the trout safely back in the dams. A few resident trout are being caught in the lowline streams, but landowner permission must be obtained beforehand. Brunswick River This water received a yearling stocking so it’s worth a look if you are driving past. Collie River above Wellington With flows well and truly subsiding redfin fishing has picked up with reports indicating we maybe in for a better than average season. Good bank access is available both above and below the town of Collie. Collie River below Wellington Dam Undoubtedly our premier hot weather fishery, this section has both brown and rainbow trout. It receives a

Troutfest was a family affair with plenty of attendees this year.

Some of the key personnel that attended this year’s event: (from left) Andrew Beer, Senior Research Scientists Fisheries WA; Terry Cabassi, Manager Pemberton Trout Hatchery; Jonty East, Hatchery staff; Wendy Banks; Peter Fragomeni, Recfishwest Stocking Committee member; Danielle Hartshorn Recfishwest R&D Officer; Dr Andrew Roland, CEO; Aaron Moses, Operations Officers; and Sam Russell far right.

over east. Small dry flies like Red Tag’s, Humpies and one of my favourites the Greenwell Glory can be deadly if presented correctly and all attempts are made to avoid line drag and sloppy presentations. Lure fishers have their fair share of fun as well. Top areas are generally throughout the whole system with the section above the hatchery being an old time favourite, other areas are the Cascades and the stretch before it enters the Warren. Donnelly River Reports have been slow of late, but this doesn’t necessarily mean fish haven’t been caught. It’s had a good stocking, so my advice is to get a good map but, preferably one of those that rely on satellites as mobile reception is unreliable. With the good rains experienced this year and

Blackwood River November is the time to explore this river. My advice is to get your-self a copy of the brochure put out by the WA Trout Foundation. It details some of the better options and a must in my opinion, as this river is not easy at the best of times. Warren River As with a lot of the rivers in the area the Warren flowed high and discoloured until early October. Most avoided it, however, those that persisted were rewarded with a few trout of both species. The trick was to fish big and heavy to get down in the fast current. This water received a huge stocking so hopefully the future should see some reasonable trout coming to the net. Redfin are still showing up in the big pools with big soft plastics dominating in tackle choice. Hardbodied lures are working well with certain anglers having their own favourites, even the humble fly has turned a few up recently. Lefroy Brook Simon Holland from

the record numbers of trout stocked throughout our state, now is a great time to explore our dams, rivers and streams. Remember you need a freshwater licence if you intend to fish in our inland areas and snakes are very active, especially around water.

Cha’s Riegert from Fishability releasing one of the many trout with Fisheries Minister Don Punch and MLA for Murray-Wellington Robyn Clark at this year’s Troutfest. Wellington Dam A few of the 10,000 small yearlings have been showing up in amongst the anglers chasing redfin. It will be interesting to see how these rainbows do in a predominantly redfin water. Glen Mervyn Dam This little dam does not receive much attention despite it filling to capacity buy mid winter. It only gets around 200 rainbow yearlings so I’m not sure whether this is a suitable number to offer reasonable rewards for the effort. Redfin are an option if you happen to be in the area. Big Brook Dam Things are picking up

a Craig’s Nighttime but most of the commonly used patterns do work. Redfin are also being caught from the wall right up to the back section. RIVERS Murray River The water has dropped considerably since the flooding that occurred earlier in the season. A few of the yearlings are showing themselves in the faster sections above the town of Dwellingup. Well upstream a few redfin have been caught on red spinners. A report came in of a kayaker getting into a few larger fish using soft plastics like paddletails and marron patterns cast

lot of attention that can put a strain on the stocks, so my advice is to practice catch and release to preserve stocks for the future. All the runs hold fish however, the going can be tough with a slip on the slimy rocks a real possibility.

Simon Holland, Daniel Simpson, Callum Madden and other members from Southern Forest Freshwater Angling Club at this year’s Troutfest. They contribute plenty of photos from the Pemberton region.

Daniel Vermeulen with a nice silver perch caught at his secret spot. If these species were added to the official stocking program, it would improve our trout fishery by providing year round opportunities in selected waters through our state. Southern Forest Angling Club has reported that this little water is fishing well, and it was confirmed by a couple of other anglers that ventured down that way recently. November is the month when dry fly fishing excels, and the Lefroy can (at times) match some of the best streams

NOVEMBER 2021

119

BASS SERIES presented by

BASS ELECTRIC AUSTRALIAN OPEN

abt

Bostock wins Humminbird Open with PB technique Long time BASS Electric competitor, Peter Bostock, emphatically won the Humminbird BASS Queensland Open on Wyaralong Dam with a combination of a magic spot and an innovative technique. His 10/10, 14.315kg limit over two days easily outdistanced Scan the QR code to listen to Pete Bostock explain his new PB technique.

runner-up Adrian Wilson (10/10, 11.950kg) and earned him $2,500 cash. Adding to the win was the fact that Peter captured all of his limit catches on the ABT action cameras and you can scan the QR code hereby to watch the excitement and his innovative technique. Destined to be known as the ‘PB Technique’, Peter fished a small, Berkley PowerBait Power Shrimp (2”) on a wide gape hook with a running 1-ball sinker – yellowbelly bobbing style. Scan the QR code to watch the Pete’s Perfect Morning

He targeted fish on his live, downward facing sonar and used incredible finesse to tempt the bass into biting. Each day, he landed a limit early and his two limits were the best two of the event, dropping 7.50kg on the scales on Saturday and 6.815kg on the Sunday. Bostock fished his ‘magic tree’ in the southern arm of the lake, concentrating his vertical presentations in around 6m of water. “When I got the bait to the right depth, I’d just gently tap the rod butt to move the lure enough to get them to bite,” Peter said. Sure enough, the highlights revealed an incredible finesse touch that yielded bass after bass.

Brisbane’s Peter Bostock was a popular Open Champ and took home $2,500 for his efforts. especially Day 2. It’s not everyday where you see someone hook a bass while singing along to Pink Floyd. WILSON A SMILING SECOND BASS Electric co-organiser, Adrian Wilson, was the only other angler that managed to fill his full limits each day on his way

Scan the QR code to watch Adrian Wilson explains his runner-up techniques

“I’d marked the pile a few years ago and you can be certain of one thing in this lake – if there’s a snagpile, there’ll be bass in

Peter’s fish averaged over 1.4kg a piece. Peter fished the lure on a light Phenix jig rod, Shimano Chronarch reel and 8m of 20lb Daiwa J-Thread fluorocarbon leader over some Sufix 832 braid (20lb) behind it. “I did a fair bit of practice in the sink at home Scan the QR code to watch the Day 1 Highlights

to make sure that I had the rigging and the action right,” Pete revealed, “There are different segments in the tail that give the lure a different actions and it’s definitely one fish per bait.” Do yourself a favour, watch the highlights -

The Humminbird BASS Electric Australian Open offered 100% of payback to competitors.

RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 120

NOVEMBER 2021

Angler Peter Bostock Adrian Wilson Mick Horn Steve Eldred Chesley Lennon Tom Reynolds Luke Atkinson Christian Manolea Charles West Blake O’Grady

Adrian Wilson spends a lot of time at the lake and was happy with his second placed finish and the only other 10/10 bag. to 11.95kg, which averages nearly 1.2kg per bass. He started reasonably slowly each day and relied on a logpile that he’d marked several years earlier to box the bulk of his bass.

Full results at abt.org.au

Fish 10/10 10/10 7/10 4/10 8/10 2/10 1/10 1/10 1/10 1/10

Weight(kg) Payout 14.315 $2500 11.950 $750 7.765 6.760 6.425 1.470 1.200 1.180 0.965 Humminbird Helix 0.715

it,” he said. Wilson primarily used a single-hook-rigged lipless crankbait fished on an old G Loomis 485 Crankbait rod fitted with a Daiwa Steez reel, 20lb braided line and a ‘light’ 16lb leader. “Everytime I got a fish, I hit timber,” Wilson said, “You have to get down and in the structure to get these fish to bite.” HUMMINBIRD GEAR HELPS While you’re online, check out the Humminbird Mega-360 imaging in the video that ABT produced with Mick Horn before the event. It’s technology that lets you know just where the bass are in the trees.

Fishing stories

Insects from Hell Rottnest Island is fishing with one of the other comprised mainly of sparse guys in the club and we’d vegetation, the occasional fished well into the early tree, the occasional beach hours of the next morning, Insect repellant is a on the eastern side and but ultimately that torrential product that I strongly hundreds of reefs. It truly is rain was just far too much recommend for all anglers. a magnificent place to spend and we decided to call Many years ago, when I a weekend: sightseeing, it quits. was an invincible young fishing, riding push-bikes, That left us with fisherman, if someone had getting pissed at the hotel, somewhat of a dilemma. Either we’d traipse the 2km said to me as I was about and so on. to head off on a weekend’s And be sure to take your back to camp carrying the fishing trip, ‘don’t forget seasickness pills before the fish we’d caught and all of the insect repellant,’ I’d boat trip over. Trust me – our gear, or seek emergency have just laughed, spat on someone always throws up shelter. We opted to take 40-60HP the ground, scratchedFOURSTROKE my during the approach to the refuge in a nearby cave, and crotch, lit a smoke, and island, and if the motion of that, my friends, was the PERFORMANCE then moseyed on over to the water isn’t enough to biggest mistake we could my trusty Landrover. make you want to heave, possibly have made. You Nowadays, insect a sandal-full of someone see, we weren’t the only repellant is high on my list else’s pungent, congealed living creatures seeking of essential fishing supplies. vomit surely will be. shelter from the storm. I learnt from experience, as Anyway, enough of that. By my estimates, there is often the case, and the The eastern side of the would have been close to ALBERTON main offender is the humble island offers MELBOURNE welcoming thirteen thousand, three ALBERTON MARINE MELBOURNE CENTRE mosquito. They’re annoying accommodation for MARINE hundred and seventy-five a half mosquitoes in that little when those who appreciate 39 #@!!s, Johnsonbecause Street Alberton 92 Hallamthe Southand Road Hallam comforts of home. We, on 2003 cave. The trouble was, we theyP:jab (03)their 5183blood-sucking 2344 P: (03) 9703 attachments into your skin, the other hand, opted for were both so exhausted that F: (03) 2219a small the ‘roughing it’ W:approach, melbournemarine.com.au they first5183 inject we didn’t notice. So, due to W: albertonmarine.com.au amount of anaesthetic. That as die-hard fishermen tend physical exhaustion, mainly, means that you don’t feel to do. No fancyMORNINGTON hotels and PENINSULA we each somehow managed MY MARINE for our to drift off to sleep, and as theBENDIGO bite until they’ve gorged three-course-meals themselves your &blood fishing club guys back then. Highway the rain& continued to pelt Cnr Nepean BENDIGO on MARINE OUTDOORS and160 areMidland ready toHighway fly off.Epsom It’s No way, it wasPonderosa a bus tripPlace down outside, the hungry Dromana rather an intrusive action, to the western end of the mass of mosquitoes lining P: (03) P: (03) were5987 left 0900 the rocky walls of the small really, and5448 I’ve3988 always felt island where we W: bendigomarine.com.au W: mymarine.com.au strangely relieved that they to our own devices until cave watched on with glee. don’t grow to more than a being picked up again the And at that very moment, MORNINGTON PENINSULA MELBOURNE centimetre long. following morning. they had but one thing on BL MyMARINE most devastating It’s occasions their little minds – dinner! NAUTICALlike MARINE experience mosquitoes men Road Waking up in the 141the Hotham 612- 614with Plenty Road Prestonthis that separate occurred on Rottnest Island from the boys. There’s morning and discovering that (03) 9478during 1420 a trip a lot of good Sorrento oneP:weekend reefs from you’ve been eaten alive is F: (03) 9470 4638 P: (03) 5984 with my old Angling Club. which to fish, but there are 1666 not a good feeling. We were Rottnest Island, incidentally, also plenty of E:steep hills both well enough covered in W: blmarine.com.au info@nauticalmarine.com.au is a 6km long, 1km wide to negotiate, W: andnauticalmarine.com.au you’ll waterproof clothing so that island, 20km off the coast find yourself doing a fair only our hands and faces SHEPPARTON of BOATS Perth,ANDthe MOREWestern amount of walking. TOORADINBut were exposed. But, at first Australian Capital. it’s worth it, believe me. light, when my eyes slowly P&J supplies MARINE SERVICE CENTRE P/L glancing Road 207 For Numurkah the benefit of Shepparton any There are abundant opened, I recall P: (03) 5822 2108 101 Tooradin Station Road Tooradin non-local readers, Rottnest of Australian salmon, down at my hands to see a Island was5821 originally which you 3107 swollen, purple and reddish F: (03) 2908 named crayfish (for P: (03) 5998 Rats’ Nest Island, because need a license, E:ofpjmarine_services@bigpond.com course!) coloured pulped-up mass of W: boatsandmore.com.au of an abundant population yellowtail kingfish, herring, skin and flesh. My face was of MORWELL small marsupials called trevally and so on. You the same. I then looked over GEELONG Quokkas. Unique to Rottnest name it, it’s there; one of at my friend, who had woke CRAWFORD MARINE CENTRE Island, the island’s original our guys even PORTSIDE pulled in MARINE a before me and looked as 71-77 Chickerell Streetthat Morwell dhufish. Now there’s fish though he’d been savaged discoverers thought 36-38 aGeelong Road Portarlington in his sleep by some kind of these harmless marsupials worth catching,P:and P: (03) 5134 6522 (03)that’ll 5259 1110 looked like big 6455 rats. give you an idea of how wild animal. And, like me, F: (03) 5134 E: info@portsidemarinecentre.com.au It’s got me beat why. deep the water is off of he was staring at his hands W: crawfordmarine.com.au W: portsidemarinecentre.com.au To me they look like a some of the reefs. in shock and disbelief. cross between a wombat The other good thing We both immediately is that it’s panicked, and shouted andECHUCA a wallaby and they hop about the islandMELBOURNE EADESonXTREME MARINE means that SHOP around two legs. But, an island. That THE numerous expletives (not MARINE whatever reasoning, if it starts blowing a gale, suitable for publication 24 Sturt their Street Echuca 6 Holland Drive Melton that’s what they2333 named the you just pack up and move in this article), before P: (03) 5482 P: (03) 9747 0588 island, and the name was to the other side so that staggering back to camp, F: (03) 5482 2133 F: (03) 9747 you.3999 where all eyes immediately eventually changed to what the wind is behind xtrememarine.net.au W: one themarineshop.com.au Unfortunately, the thing turned towards us. it isW: today. Rottnest Island is a you can’t escape from is the The looks of horror we BRAESIDE fisher’s paradise. Reefs that rain, which leads me to the received from the other MELBOURNE protrude intoWORLD extremely gist of this littleTRIPLE story. M MARINE club members will forever JV MARINE deep surround the The rain did fall on that remain in my mind. I recall 878water Springvale Road Braeside 117 Northgate Drive Thomastown western end of the island. fateful night. And when feeling like a hideously P: (03) 9798 8883 P: (03) As with any type of fishing I say that it fell, I 9465 mean 8787 mutated creature that had F: (03) 9798 7554 F: (03) 9466 in these sorts of locations, that it reeeeeaallly fell. The1418 wandered in from the wild. jvmarine.com.au youW:need to be careful. Heavens opened up like And for the record – it hurt W: triplemmarine.com.au Some of the Rotto reefs are never before. Yep, the giant like hell! hundreds of metres wide, hose in the sky sure was on So, take my advice – and full of holes. My advice full-blast that evening…(I put insect repellent on your is to dress lightly, and to think you get the picture). fishing gear check-off list. avoid wearing those chest- When it does rain that Those annoying, centimetrewaders with the steel-cap heavily, fishing is really long, proboscis wielding, compoundboots. Sure, you won’t get the last thing you feel like six-legged, wet, but what chance have doing, regardless of how eyed, buzzing little blood you got if you step into a many fish you might catch. suckers can inflict some hole or slip over the edge? I’d spent the whole day serious damage! WA

Colin Joyce

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NOVEMBER 2021

121

BREAM SERIES presented by

BREAM QUEENSLAND OPEN

abt

Blake O’Grady breaks through for the win

Blake O’Grady has been knocking on the door (with a battering ram) for an ABT win for a while now and he finally got the chance to smash through it for his first win at the Queensland BREAM Open sponsored by Samaki. Weighing in via the ABT Tournament App, which has now been used successfully on a few events including the BREAM Australian Open, O’Grady kept Shane Wolhuter at bay by 0.566kg with a final weight of 10/10 fish for 6.567kg. This means ‘Geoff’, the lovingly nicknamed bream on the trophy, will be living on O’Grady’s mantlepiece for the next year. Much like the Australian Open, the Queensland Open was run on the ABT Tournament App with great success. This allowed anglers and spectators to keep a keen eye on each other as their competitors logged each of their fish into the app. O’GRADY TAKES HOME THE BACON Blake O’Grady has recently made the move to the Brisbane region and has fully immersed himself into the local breaming offered on the Gold Coast and Moreton Bay areas. Having a local edge certainly has its perks when it comes to tournaments too. Pre-fish for O’Grady started weeks in advance as he got a good feel for

with 5/5 fish for 3.997kg meant he was well and truly leading after day one. Day two and the start location had been moved to Cleveland boat ramp where O’Grady chose to head to Scan the QR code to watch the Winner Interview

Blake O’Grady finally gets the win he’s been looking for at the Samaki sponsored Queensland BREAM Open. what the fish were doing in advance of the tournament. Spending the pre-fish day around Redcliffe, O’Grady got together a plan for the two days ahead that was consistent with what he had discovered in the weeks prior to the pre-fish ban. “I pretty well knew where the fish were and what they wanted to eat, so I was more just going down to check it out and make sure I could fill a bag.” Each day had a different start location. On day one, take off was from Spinnaker Sound Marina at Bribie Island where O’Grady opted to make the run through the chop down to Redcliffe.

As the Samaki BREAM Queensland Open was run on the ABT Tournament Series app, all fish count - no matter what the size.

Jamie McKeown targeted the bigger bream in Raby Bay.

BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Blake O’Grady 2 Shane Wolhuter 3 Jamie McKeown 4 Luke Rogan 5 Tristan Taylor 6 Darren Borg 7 Steve Morgan 8 Peter Cashman 9 Scott Sandilands 10 Sam Peck 122

NOVEMBER 2021

Brisbane to crankbait a set of rocks he had been saving. “As soon as I got there, I could see bait getting smashed off the point of the rock bar.” Targeting that feeding frenzy saw him land his first fish for the day, a 35cm

Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 7/10

Fishing around Redcliffe on the low tide, the morning was slow with only one 31cm fork length fish hitting the scales. With the fishing slow, the decision was made to move to an edge he knew held good fish, and it proved to be the right one. Within a few casts, O’Grady had logged a 38.5cm to the fork, 1.266kg bream, which remained the unbeaten Big Bream the whole tournament. This set the tone for the rest of the day with the big fish falling to the same custom-painted Atomic Hardz 38; you may remember him using to fool another big bream at Ballina earlier in the year. Rounding out the day

fork kicker fish weighing just under a 1kg. However, the fish that came up with it was the one that really caught his eye. “I was devastated I didn’t get one of the other five or six that were with it because they were all bigger by a long shot. I didn’t realise until I measured it that it was 35cm and all those fish would have been up around 40cm.” Things got tough from there as he only got one fish for the next 3 hours, which meant it was run and gun time. Shooting over to a reef at Redcliffe got him his third for the day, then running back to Brisbane to get his fourth on a mangrove edge. Finally, in a last ditch effort,

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) Payout 6.567 $4000 6.001 5.777 5.570 5.255 5.200 BREAM QUEENSLAND OPEN 4.297 3.961 3.929 3.572

abt

BREAM SERIES presented by running back to Redcliffe in the dying minutes of the final hour to secure his fifth fish. All weekend O’Grady put his trust in the one rod and reel combo of a Duffrods Broken Bones Edition Black paired with a Daiwa Certate 2004 spooled with 10lb Gosen and 8lb leader. “This is my go-to rod and reel for pretty much everything.” He would also like to give special thanks to AV Tech Solutions in Brisbane for helping keep all the electronics on his boat in top shape, as well as his partner

BREAM QUEENSLAND OPEN

abt

Scan the QR code to watch the Day 1 Highlights

Lauren for helping him keep his sanity. SHANE WOLHUTER SNATCHES SILVER Another Brisbane local, Shane Wolhuter has so much confidence in the arena that he didn’t even need a pre-fish to claim second place. He started on the Brisbane River on day one, Scan the QR code to watch the Day 2 Highlights

before heading to Mud Island to throw a Seven And Six Fishing 40mm crankbait in muddy prawn colour across the flats. Wolhuter had landed roughly 20 fish to start the session, which meant the rest of the day was for upgrading. Making the move to Tangalooma wreck to throw 3” shads Tough Yabby’s on a 1/8oz jighead did the trick, and

Blake O’Grady landed the biggest bream of the event from Redcliffe – it was nearly 40cm to the fork of the tail.

he landed some nice fish to bump up his bag. “The 1/8oz jighead was crucial as there was just too much current for anything lighter.” The final hours of day one were spent at the ‘poo chute’ where Ecogear Aquas and olive Cranka Crabs continued to make slow but steady upgrades to his bag. Filling his bag on the Brisbane River on day two, Wolhuter worked from the Gateway Bridge back down to the mouth throwing his same combination of Aquas and Cranka Crabs from day one. “I swapped between the two depending on how deep it was.” He chose to fish an old school G.Loomis Mossy Back 4-8lb with a 2500 Shimano Stradic with 6lb Exact depth braid and 4lb Ocea leader for plastics

and Cranka Crabs. While the same combo, but with a longer leader, the 1000 size Stradic was the choice for crankbaits. Those following on the app would have noticed the late charge made by Wolhuter on day two that very nearly saw him snatch the crown from Blake O’Grady. All because of a move back to Mud island that landed him 3 crucial upgrades by fishing the drains with his crankbait before heading back to the port of Brisbane for one more upgrade before the end of the session, finishing day two with 5/5 fish for 3.269kg and the second biggest bag of the tournament. Thanks to Josh and Kate at Samaki Australia for putting their support behind the event so we can continue to put the best bream anglers in Queensland head-to-head. NOVEMBER 2021

123

BARRA Series presented by

Schwerins take the Barra Open win

The Venom rods BARRA Open was one hell of an event! Four days on two of the most renowned barramundi dams in the country, pitting the countries best barramundi fishers against each other is certainly a recipe for some pretty memorable moments for the ABT archives. Anglers fought it out over 4 days and nights to try and fill their 5 fish limit of the biggest barramundi they could keep hooks in. The first two-day and night sessions were held at Lake Awoonga, renowned for XOS barra in years gone by. Just to keep anglers on their toes, the third and fourth sessions were held on Lake Monduran, another impoundment returning to its glory days after years of

GOOD FORMWORK FOR SCHWERIN CONCRETING Keeping the BARRA Open a family affair, first placed father-son duo Jake and John Schwerin of team Schwerin Concreting took home 5,000 reasons to smile Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview

about their week’s fishing with $5,000 in their pockets. “We had Awoonga pretty sorted with spots and fish. We had a lot of spots to hop between,” Jake commented in their winners’ interview. And they certainly did,

Father-son team Jake and John Schwerin of team Schwerin Concreting had plenty to smile about after being named the Venom Rods BARRA Open champions!

Second place honours went to the only other father-son duo of the event, team SCmarine Doctor Rob and Tommy Wood. Clawing back from a 20kg deficit to do it! successful stocking efforts. In an epic back and forth battle that went down to the final half hour, father-son duo John and Jake Schwerin of team Schwerin Concreting took first place honours over 2nd place father-son duo Rob and Tommy Wood of team SCmarine Doctor by just 560g. A small enough margin in a bream or bass comp, it’s an even smaller margin considering these two teams caught 173kg of barramundi each! The podium was rounded out by Team Dobyns Rods, Michael Slade and Ben Wilcox, in 3rd place with 17/20 fish for 161.40kg.

boating two very solid 55kg limits in the first two days at Lake Awoonga. “We didn’t actually think we were going to get a day bite until we went into this gully on day one and the sounder lit up, which was a bonus for us because all our bites had been at night.” Once the sun went down, the pair went to work hopping between roughly six spots they had to choose from to find the active fish. The spots varied from points to ledges of weed where the two had narrowed the fish down with their Humminbird 360 and side scan. Once they found the fish,

RESULTS Place Team 1 Schwerin Concreting 2 SCmarine Doctor 3 Dobyns Rods 4 Team Tracker 5 Venom 6 Warwick Outdoor & Sports 7 Renegade 8 Imakatsu 9 Anita Barra 10 Fishing Monthly 124

NOVEMBER 2021

Anglers 18/20 18/20 17/20 15/20 13/20 12/20 13/20 14/20 11/20 11/20

the key was to present their baits just that little bit slower. “Being early in the season, I think it’s important to slow everything down.” Fishing with a slower ratio reel of 6.3 with 35lb F4 #3 Toray braid and 80lb leader matched with a 7’4” Edge Rods Delta, their combination of Molix shads, Squidgie Slick Rigs and Squidgie fish baits were kept in front of the fish for a lot longer, which was crucial for the bites. After their solid bags at Awoonga, it was time to make the move to Monduran for the final two sessions where things got slightly tougher, with the pair only bagging 4/5 fish in the third and fourth sessions, however it was just enough

to get it done. “We pretty much stayed in the one arm at Monduran and just kept moving. Covering ground quickly but fishing with a slow retrieve still.” Scan the QR code to see the Runnerup team interview

All their bites at Monduran came on a 7” Castaic Swimbait on a 1/2oz. Jighead fished tight to the edges in less than 10ft of water. Again, using their Edge Rods combos from Awoonga. On the last session at

Rounding out the podium in 3rd place was team Dobyns Rods, Michael Slade and Ben Willcox, finishing with 17/20 fish for 161.40kg. Full results at abt.org.au

Fish 173.83 173.27 161.40 139.90 127.50 118.79 118.76 117.04 97.71 95.89

Weight(kg) Payout $5000 $2500 + Venom rods Big Barra $1000 + Venom rod Wilson prize pack Wilson prize pack

BARRA Series presented by Lake Monduran, the pair put on an epic back and forth battle with team SCmarine Doctor that went down to the final hour. “That was a heartstopper at the end there, when the other boys got that 95cm. We weren’t sure what was going to happen, the fish hadn’t uploaded to the scoreboard yet and we were all sitting around the ramp waiting to see what happened.”

monster caught at the death in the fourth session. In the first session on Lake Awoonga, the duo only just managed to scrape together a bag of fish, however it was enough to keep them in the hunt. A change of tactic was required for the second session. Unable to fill a bag and with the clock striking 8:30, they only had 1.5 hours to get their fish. “We headed to a bank

Holding up the 17.2kg fish that closed the gap between them and Schwerin Concreting. Tommy Wood knew they were going to give the Schwerin boys a run for their money.

Jake Schwerin with one of the stout Monduran barra that helped them secure victory.

choice. A 30lb braid meant long casts could be made with their Redic jerk baits, while 50lb monofilament leader meant the lure didn’t sink down past the fish on long casts. Learn more about the intricacies of jerk baiting barramundi with Tommy Wood by scanning the QR code. The barra in Monduran required a different approach, as the fish were holding a lot tighter to the edge than they were at Awoonga, often in

3ft or less. Black and gold Slick rigs were again the lure of choice, however the standard jighead they used at Awoonga was too heavy for the shallow fish. Instead, the stock jigheads were replaced with TT SL12 1/2oz heads to trim substantial weight off the lure for those shallow fish. Day three was a grind with the team only landing 3 out of 5 fish, however a dropped fish of considerable size was to set the tone for the fourth and final session.

It all played out for the boys in the end when the final scores were tallied up and they’d taken the win by the smallest of margins in a battle for the ages. BIG BARRA Tommy Wood held onto the Venom Rods Big BARRA with his 109cm, 17.12kg Monduran horse that was a turning point for their whole comp. DOWN TO THE WIRE Our second-place father-son team of Rob and Tommy Wood (Team SCmarine Doctor) fought tooth and nail with Schwerin Concreting until the dying Scan the QR code to see a How To: Jerkbaiting Barramundi with Tommy Wood

minutes of the last session. The father-son duo finished the weekend with 18/20 fish for a total weight of 173.27kg and just half a kilogram off their first BARRA victory. Wasting no time in prefish on Lake Awoonga, the pair boated a 120cm fish that would have scored 26kg and taken out Big BARRA by at least 8kg. Some might say peaking too early? Fortunately, Tommy ended up holding onto Big BARRA for the tournament with his 109cm, 17.12kg Monduran

Glen Smith from team Barra Bandits with the previous Big BARRA of 16.84kg before being pipped at the post by Tommy Wood. that I knew fished well on a southeaster and as soon as we did, we banged a whole bag of 90cm+ to fill and upgrade our bag.” This move saw the pair heading to Monduran for the third session in 6th place. At Awoonga, the pair targeted where the thick weed edges finish off the bank in 9-15ft of water. The lures of choice were a Squidgie Slick Rig ‘modded’ with an extra stinger treble under the belly and a Samaki Redic Jerkbait in pink. A Shimano Tranx 200 paired with a 7ft Samaki C12 baitcast rod from Tommy’s proud sponsors at Samaki were the weapons of

“I said to dad we just need to go for it. We need one good fish to close that gap and we know where we can find it.” Going into the final session sitting in 3rd place and 20kg off 1st, the pair returned to where they had dropped a good fish the day before and no sooner had landed a 109cm barra to start them off. Weighing 17.2kg, they had all but closed the gap between them and Schwerin Concreting with one fish. The rest of the bag came in quick succession and according to the app, they were headed home victors with half an hour to go. “We followed Morgo back to the basin to head in before he stopped us to say that Schwerin Concreting had just uploaded another fish to snatch the lead, and we better have one more crack.” And have a crack they did, boating a 95cm fish to close the gap, and it was almost the fish they needed. “Full credit to the Schwerin’s, it’s hard to be upset about losing when it’s that close. Those boys fished really well, especially at Awoonga,” Tommy Wood concluded.

Anglers await briefing at Compleat Angler Gladstone before a big four days of fishing. NOVEMBER 2021

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