Fishing Monthly Magazine | November 2024 by Fishing Monthly

• LAST OF THE SPRING SPECIES ON SHOW • TESTED

Whittley CR2180 with Mercury 150hp 4-stroke QLD

NSW

VIC

TAS

Features

Bass bolts from the yak • Yabby basics: catching crayfish • Starlo: it’s troutin’ time! • Queensland cod in the creeks • Atomic line up review • Australian Fish Stock reports •

FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

Toby Grundy searches for bass bolts from the kayak

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Our Cover

Contents From the Editor’s Desk... improving our events offerings. Through ABT, we have lots of livestreaming expertise and you’ll see me a bit in that space as well. Our website will still endure and we plan to make all of our paywalls on Issuu disappear so everyone can read all of our content since we started simultaneously publishing on digital platforms. I still have lots of demand for our video and written boat tests and there’s a whole bunch of corporate video work that I’ll be able to devote more time to. Who knows - you may even see a sneaky annual or two forged from the old fires. Maybe get back to the days where quality journalism rather than social media fads drove technique innovation. But for now, expect the December 2024 issue to be the final ‘monthly’ we produce. And we expect it to be a ripper! Paid subscribers: there will be instructions on the final flysheet how to receive the balance of your subscription paid back to you. This will be pro-rata for the number of months you have left.

INSIDE This Issue

QUEENSLAND The Tweed

Forster

Port Albert

Mandurah

111

Port Macquarie

Gippsland Lakes

Lancelin

112 114

Port Stephens

Lakes Entrance

Kalberri

Brisbane

Swansea

Marlo

Exmouth

115

Northern Bay

Central Coast

Mallacoota

Freshwater

116

Sunshine Coast

Illawarra

Bemm River

Bundaberg

Batemans Bay

Robinvale

Mackay

Bermagui

Wangaratta

Townsville

Tathra

Yarrawonga

Hinchinbrook

New England Rivers

Shepparton

Cairns

Hunter Valley

Bendigo

Port Douglas

Batlow

Ballarat

Cooktown

Albury/Wodonga

Gippsland Freshwater

100

Cape York

Canberra

Eildon

100

Freshwater

Crater Lakes

Jumpinpin

VICTORIA NEW SOUTH WALES

Portland

TASMANIA Hobart

Sydney Rock

Warrnambool

Sydney South

Cobden

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Ballina

Geelong

Esperance

108

Coffs Coast

Port Phillip

Bunbury

108

South West Rocks

Phillip Island

Metro

110

6 NOVEMBER 2024

REGULAR FEATURES Bass bolts from the yak

Yabby: catching crayfish

Starlo: it’s troutin’ time

Phases of the moon

QLD cod in the creeks

Sheik of the Creek

Review: Atomic line up

Australian Fish Stocks

102

Fun page

107

Tournaments

118

Tide page

122

Test: Whittley CR2180

124

Trades and Services

126

COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo

123

Angus James with a beautiful redfin from Victorian waters. An Angus James image.

QLD NSW

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FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE Published by:

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Business Office: Unit 1, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, Qld, 4128

FREECALL: 1800 228 244 Managing Editor: Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas Editorial: Nicole Penfold Field Editors: Peter Jung Publisher: Steve Morgan Advertising Enquiries: Nicole Kelly: nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au Phone: 0407 369 333 Peter Jung: pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au Phone: 0410 662 927 Printing: Printcraft (QLD) Pty Ltd Production: Jacqui Thomas Website: www.fishingmonthly.com.au Distribution: Are Direct Subscriptions: Kym Rowbotham Accounts: Marie Dykstra

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FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2024

staff and Editors over that time. Many of them stuck with us through the hard times. After the Robyn Lawrie fraud that was uncovered in 2013 and the COVID crash of 2020 we restructured and regrouped to successfully continue the monthly title. Part of that strategy was to build a large subscriber base to insulate us from the decline in news agencies. This strategy has now bitten us in the bum. There’s no guarantees at all that there’s not a catastrophic postage price rise again in 2025. There’s been several bankruptcies of advertisers who owed us a lot of money that will never be recovered. I suppose it’s a part of all business. So for all of you who have worked and written for me, read the magazine and advertised with me - thank you. It’s been an awesome ride. Is this the last you see of me? Not at all. We will still publish the business-tobusiness trade magazine that the industry sees behind the scenes. FM’s sister company, Australian Bass Tournaments (ABT) is doing just fine and I’ll spend a percentage of my time there,

ISSUE: VOLUME 5 NO.8

RIP FISHING MONTHLY I predicted this in an editorial a few months ago - Australia Post having a major part in making the production of a quality Australian-made fishing magazine unviable. I did the numbers and we are now there, despite a large subscriber base and substantial advertiser base, I now have no levers left to pull to make a monthly magazine profitable. With increases in postage, print and inflation in general, it’s now nearimpossible to make a monthly magazine with six staff and to not go backwards. So, after writing for the magazine since Volume 1, Issue 2 in 1987, when I was 15 and buying the company in 2000 when I was 28 I get to be the one who has to make the decision to wind the printed magazine down in December 2024. That’s around 450 months of magazines. For a lot of the time, we published up to four magazines a month and since COVID in 2020, it’s been a single, nationwide issue. We’ve dealt with millions of copies sold, hundreds of writers and dozens of

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FEATURE

Species

FMM

Bass bolts from the yak CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

There are very few fish that captivate me to the extent of the Australian bass. I think it has something to do with growing up in Canberra where there isn’t a bass in sight and reading ‘Bethune on Bass’ on cold mornings while dreaming of surface strikes in the middle of crystal-clear pools along the coast.

but that I was going to need a kayak to access some of the trickier spots and hook a 50cm specimen. Nowadays, I spend a good portion of spring chasing Australian bass from my kayak. However, when I first started fishing from a kayak, it wasn’t the game changer I thought it would be, in fact for a long time, it proved more of a hinderance. I found adjusting to life on a kayak instead of a boat difficult as the smaller creeks and rivers still contained plenty of current which made learning to stand tricky and working out how to pedal, cast and manoeuvre the rudder all at once was like relearning how to drive a manual car. Suffice to say, I got there in the end and it is now a case of basically having the kayak permanently strapped to top of my ute through the warmer months because I can’t imagine fishing for bass without it anymore.

Releasing another quality bass. THE KAYAK I use a Native Slayer Propel 10 when fishing the rivers and creeks that feature prominently right throughout large

The author with a 50cm fish pulled from a tiny pool. I remember catching my very first bass while fishing the Gloucester River in Northern NSW and while it was tiny (around 20cm), catching that fish not only reiterated to me that bass fishing was as challenging as it was interesting 8 NOVEMBER 2024

The Dragon Maggot is the author’s favourite plastic.

sections of the NSW South Coast. This kayak is remarkably light at around 27kg (without the propel attached) and so I can carry it over my head from shed to ute and then from ute down to the water with ease. It is also incredibly tough, easy to steer and because of its small size can cruise in and out of some remarkably tight spots. I started my kayak fishing journey with a 13-foot kayak and this was a mistake. There are long lengths of overgrown wilderness along the creeks and rivers where I fish. The branches often reach out right over and under the river and there were instances where I would move parallel while fighting a fish and get the kayak wedged between branches and because I couldn’t move, the fish would often brick me and snap off. I have no such trouble now with the Slayer 10. This kayak has the Native

Species FEATURE

FMM

Bass love a plastic worked slow in clear water. Propel Drive which means I can pedal forward but also backwards instantly, and it is a very quick yak. I don’t have anything fancy on the kayak like a sounder. Fishing for bass from a kayak is all about enjoying the natural environment, reading the river and keeping a sharp eye on the edges of the bank and observing fish behaviour. If I’m fishing a wider river and I

know I’m in for some rough weather, I switch to my Native Titan 10.5. This kayak is heavier than the Slayer but it is more stable. I can stand up and fish comfortably as the yak is broader than the Slayer and handles choppy water very easily. I will say that it doesn’t turn nearly as well and because it is heavier, it is slower than the Slayer. LOCATIONS I start by looking for any kind of structure that is going to slow up the current and give me a pocket of slack water to cast into all while being able to keep my kayak drifting along in the middle of the pool. Even artificial structure like a sunken slab of old pylon or a half-eroded metal barrel

David Pidcock proving that a paddle yak is just as effective as a pedal yak.

LURES Dragon Maggot 2” in carrot Squidgie Wriggler 80mm in bloodworm Bite Science Dirty Grub 2.5” in motor oil Ecogear ZX35 DStyle Reserve Hatch OSP Bent Minnow Tiemco Soft Shell Cicada Megabass Siglett

A quality bronze bolt.

can provide enough of a break in the current to create slack water. The bass sit in the pockets of slack water, out of the current waiting for a tasty morsel to swim past. That said, if I spot a bit of structure creating slack water that then leads to a cluster of reeds or overhanging trees then this is by far the best location as the bass will ‘queue’ in these areas and it is possible to pick up a dozen fish as the slack water created by the root ball or pylon then continues into the overhanging branches that follow ensuring that the water stays slower than the main flow meaning more fish can sit in this area.

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NOVEMBER 2024 9

FEATURE

Species

If I can’t find any significant root balls, tree stumps or long lengths of overhanging trees, I look for submerged boulders or sheer rock faces leading

FMM the key and that means no paddling or peddling straight after the lure lands and giving the lure time to work its way to the bottom and give the bass time to take a

lure a slow lift out from the slack and into the main current. If the bass hasn’t hit the lure on the way down, I try to trigger the bite reflex by making the lure seem like a prey item that is making its way out of the slack water and back into the main section of river or creek. If I get a few fish using plastics, I turn to surface lures because if they are eating a plastic, the bass will often hit surface. I use the same tactic when casting surface

Bassday Sugapen. Sometimes I find the bass want a presentation that represents a wounded prey item like a bent minnow and nothing else will do while at other times, it is the opposite. Soft plastics, small, shallow divers and a few small blades and vibes also feature in my tackle box. TACKLE ‘Buy the best you can afford.’ I’ve read and heard this line countless times

A good sized specimen taken using a surface lure. into the water. Bass stick like glue to rocky areas, especially in spring when the water is often very clear making it easier to pick yabbies. Others forage off rock and quickly dart into a crevice if a bird or eel cruises past above or below the surface. The crevices also create slack water for the fish to sit in and take a break

good look at it. I want to stress that this is not ‘dead sticking’ because the lure isn’t ‘dead’. Dead stick technique is about using vibes and blades and allowing the lure to sit on the bottom without moving. This is different. The plastic will be ‘swimming’ the whole time as the tail of the plastic will kick into gear on the

Target structure on either side of the flow. from the faster water and it is here that the bass can be targeted with a variety of lures ranging from surface lures through the small spinnerbaits. While these ‘pockets’ in the rock do not always contain large quantities of bass, like in the overhanging branches, the few bass that do tend to sit in the rock are often much bigger, often trophy sized specimens. TACTICS Stop winding. I know that sounds counter intuitive, and it is, but the best tactic in my arsenal is really no tactic at all. I simply cast my soft plastic into a likely bit of slack water and I wait and allow the kayak to continue to drift with the current. Fishing ultra clear water for bass is challenging as they are particularly skittish and peddling the kayak or working the lure as soon as it hits the water can be enough to send them into shut down mode. Finesse is 10 NOVEMBER 2024

swim down and even after reaching the bottom, the tail will still be moving. Once the lure has touched the bottom, I wait a few seconds and then I give the

Spring is a great time to target these little battlers. that I do for fishing plastics. For the first 10-20 seconds, I don’t wind. I let the lure sit in the slack water, position my kayak parallel to the bank and drift with the current. Winged surface lures are going to move ever so subtly without winding the reel. I then ‘pulse’ the lure out from the snag and into the main flow of the river or creek by twitching the rod tip back and forth as I drift. Again, I don’t wind; I use the movement of the kayak to move the lure as I drift. When I first started fishing from a kayak, I fished lures far too fast as I didn’t take into account the movement of the kayak. LURES I’ve included a fact box with some of my favourite lures and all of them have caught plenty of fish for me. I would suggest packing a wide variety of lures ranging from poppers and cicada style lures for top water fishing and even an OSP Bent Minnow and a

The author’s original set up. It ended up being too big.

from a vast number of professional anglers. For me, that line applies to the kayak but not for the tackle. A tight bass river is no place for high end rods and reels. I’ve capsized a few times, snapped rod tips after getting caught up in overhangs and have fully submerged plenty of reels over the years. There are lots of affordable options out there that have quality about them without breaking the bank and if the rod snaps or the rod seizes, it won’t be the end of the world. I use a 1-3kg Rovex Inazuma rod matched to a Ryobi Affinity 2000 spin reel spooled with 8lb braid and 10lb leader. This is solid set up being both very light and quick in the tip but there is plenty of power in the butt should I have to muscle a big bass from cover. THE HYBRID MODEL The best part about kayak fishing is that it is very easy to jump in and out of the yak and go for a walk in the tighter sections and then return to the yak after fishing the these smaller pools. It is very important to wear appropriate gear if planning on getting out of the kayak during the course of an angling session. The creeks and rivers I fish are extremely isolated and so there is only limited phone reception and no easy access in or out. Therefore, I always wear good quality boots (even though I’m fishing from the yak), a long sleeved shirt, long pants and a hat. I pack sunscreen, a snake bite kit, first aid kit, a change of clothes, plenty of water, snacks and my beacon. ALWAYS ON THE LOOK OUT For the most part (where I fish anyway), the creeks and rivers are clear

Species FEATURE

FMM and therefore it is very easy to sight cast at fish holding in the slack water or at those fish moving back and forth between the main current and the snag. Keeping a sharp eye is part of the reason why I love this form of fishing as kayak fishing is as much a continuous

is whether we like it or not) but I think polaroids must have been as impactful when first introduced because I can guarantee that without them, I wouldn’t catch half as many fish as I do now. I’ve cast plenty of times in close to a snag only to then witness a fish swim up, take a look at the lure and swim away. I’ve then cast in again, watched to fish approach, twitched the lure ever so slightly and then watched as the fish inhaled the lure. This wouldn’t be possible without my polaroids. I use Spotters Savage frames coupled with Ignite mirror lenses. These are great for fishing in high sun and are

Artificial structure can create significant areas of slack water. lesson on fish behaviour as it is about landing a trophy sized specimen. Aside from the kayak, the other nonnegotiable is a good pair of polaroid sunglasses. I remember when live tech was first introduced and a lot of anglers talked it up as a ‘game changer’ (and it

The Native Titan 10.5 is a great kayak.

Affordable quality gear will get the job done. very light weight. However, I do think any sunnies will do provided they are polarised. CONCLUSION Kayak fishing for bass in rivers and creeks can be challenging at first because there are so many factors to take in consideration ranging from the current to the snags and to the techniques and then to the kayak itself and how to move it to maximise its effectiveness. However, by thinking of the kayak as an extension of the rod and reel and using the current to move the kayak and the therefore the lure, it is possible to fish slowly and methodically and catch some truly enormous fish from a vast variety of different structure.

NOVEMBER 2024 11

FEATURE

Species

FMM

Yabbying basics: how to catch crayfish VICTORIA

Tom Wilson

Catching freshwater crayfish (yabbies) is a classic Aussie pastime and the perfect starting point for young anglers. It’s a great way to introduce kids to the satisfaction of catching their dinner, or it could be an interesting way to source a new family pet. By net or by string, yabbying is heaps of fun and a great way to spend a day outdoors.

range, but there are a few unfortunate souls who live too far north. No need to worry, however, because redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) are a similar species that can be caught in the tropics using the same methods. Marron (cherax cainii) are the WA equivalent, and they inhabit waterways in the south-western corner. A feral population of marron has established itself on Kangaroo Island, where they are sustainably farmed. Ironically, the most impressive of Australia’s freshwater crayfish is native to Tasmania, where catching them is completely off-limits. The giant freshwater crayfish is a prehistoric beast that you must look up on YouTube if you haven’t already.

A bowl of bite-sized morsels, ready to be served up with mayonnaise. CRAYS GALORE There are over 100 species of freshwater crayfish in Australia. The common yabby (Cherax destructor) can be found throughout much of Victoria, NSW, SA, Southern Qld, and even into the south of the NT. It’s an impressive 12 NOVEMBER 2024

Checking a pot to see what’s inside.

A nice-size yabby, ready for the pot. YABBY WATER Yabbies are abundant within their natural range, so whether you live rurally or in the suburbs, it’s likely that you’ll find them close by. I grew up less than 20km from the Melbourne CBD, and for me, it was a 15-minute bike ride to the nearest yabby hole. Modern town planning has blessed the suburbs with many ponds and dams with yabbying potential. In the country, farm dams are usually jam-packed with yabbies. Shallow lakes, irrigation channels, and the backwaters of inland rivers are also excellent places to try. When scoping out a new yabby hole, there are a couple of things to look for to narrow down the search. Yabbies are mostly found in murky waters. I’m

Species FEATURE

FMM keep things simple with a 5-8m length of string tied to a stick that I poke into the muddy bank. I have seen other people use a fishing rod for this, which also works a treat. Throw your meat into the water just a few metres from the bank, and it will slowly sink to the bottom. When the bait has settled, keep a close eye on the string and watch for movement. If you are in a location with active yabbies, it shouldn’t be long until you notice a tug on the string or a line that is unusually taught. Now that a yabby is engaged with the bait, gently draw the

well-positioned net. BAIT OR PLATE? When you perfect your chosen trapping method, and the bucket is full of yabbies, you are faced with the dilemma of what to do with them. Yabbies are delicious to both people and fish, which makes them either a gourmet dish, or a dynamite bait for many fish species. Yabbies of varying sizes can be tactfully selected to target specific fish. Small ones are excellent bait for river blackfish, redfin, and yellowbelly. I have even heard of the little ones being used

The easiest way to catch yabbies is to set baited nets. not sure if they make the water dirty or if they seek muddiness as a form of protection from predators. Either way, muddy water is what you need to find yabbies in abundance.

Gathering yabbies will give your kids a love of fishing. The second thing to look for is the presence of yabby holes on a bank. These are usually about the size of a 50c piece and can be seen on the shallow edges of a waterway. Yabbies retreat into these burrows in the cooler months, and as an incredible method of self-preservation, they can seal the entry and survive inside for years when a waterway dries up. THE EASY WAY The easiest way to land an impressive haul of yabbies is to set baited nets. Drop nets and pyramid nets can be picked up at most tackle shops and are a very effective way to load up on yabbies. Opera house nets used to work well, but they are now banned in most states because of the threat they pose to native fauna. The chance that a platypus or turtle will get caught up and drown is far too great. Although legal nets are much safer, you should still check them regularly and refrain from leaving them in the water for extended periods. The best type of bait to lure yabbies into your trap is a hotly debated topic.

Carp fillet is a popular option, probably because these pests are in plague proportions at many quality yabbying spots. Just remember that carp cannot be used as live bait or transported while still alive. Ultimately, all types of smelly meat are potentially great yabby bait. My favourite is chicken legs because they are cost-effective and the bone can be tied very securely to the base of a net. Never underestimate the ability of a yabby to tear a poorly-secured bait right out of your trap! THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY The old ‘meat on a string’ technique is a time-honoured tradition and a super fun way to catch yabbies. It requires more skill and patience than netting, and provides a sporting thrill that we anglers are addicted to. I have treasured childhood memories of riding my BMX to the local dam to see which of my mates could drag in the biggest set of claws. The setup for meat on a string yabbying is as easy as it sounds: tie a cube of your preferred yabby bait to a piece of string, and toss it in. Beef offcuts or chicken necks are perfect for this, and a strong mono fishing line works well for the string. I like to

Yabbies are abundant within their natural range. string toward yourself. With practice, you will learn the feel of a line that has a yabby clamped onto it. How much line you retrieve before attempting to land the yabby will depend on the length of your net handle. A good tip is to lift the line vertically to give you an accurate read on the distance of your bait from the bank. In most cases, you won’t be able to see the yabby because of the murky water, so it’s important that you learn to gauge distance before you swing the net. The idea is to carefully position the net behind the yabby and drag it towards the bank. When the yabby realizes something suspicious is going on, it will kick back towards the deep water and hopefully straight into your

Yabbies are delicious, both for humans and fish.

to temp bream in brackish waters. The large yabbies are an old favourite for Murray cod. The basic running sinker rig is a simple and effective way to present your bait. Threading your hook through the yabbies tail just once will allow it to kick around and hopefully draw the attention of a hungry predator. Until a recent family holiday, it had been a long time since I tasted yabby meat. Boy, have I been missing out! We stayed at a rural property with a dam full of yabbies, so gathering enough for a feed wasn’t too challenging. I found an instructional video online to guide me through the process of cooking and shelling the catch. Dropping the live yabbies straight into boiling water sounds brutal, but it dispatches them quickly, and they don’t take long to cook. You’ll know when they are done because they turn a beautiful burnt orange colour. Twist the tails off and gently remove the meat inside, taking care to also remove the digestive line (aka ‘poo vein’), which you do not want to eat! When you work through a bucket of yabbies, you are left with a pile of delicate, bite-sized morsels that are ready to eat. Served with a mayonnaisebased sauce and a couple of the larger claws, fresh yabby is as delicious as any other crayfish I’ve tasted. Many people claim that they’d love to catch yabbies if only they knew a good spot. The truth is that yabbies are just about everywhere. If you have a muddy dam in your local parkland, chuck a piece of meat in and see how you go! NOVEMBER 2024 13

FMM

BACK TO BASICS

It’s troutin’ time! NSW SOUTH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Trout fishing offers its own special charms, and it’s not really that hard. If you’ve been thinking about giving it a crack, now is the perfect time to do so! From our island state of Tasmania, right up through the cooler, higher altitude regions of Victoria and NSW, and all the way to the New England Plateau not far from the Queensland border — as well as in pockets of South

before, don’t worry about needing heaps of specialised and expensive gear. Exactly the same outfits you use to catch bream, whiting and flatties in the salt will work just fine on trout, as will a lot of the lures you might throw at those popular salty species. When it comes to bait, a few earthworms dug from the backyard compost heap can be just the ticket, especially when presented on light running sinker rigs. In fact, “light” is a good word to keep at top of mind when thinking about trout. Trout are a fish that definitely

flash of sunlight bouncing off a glossy rod blank, a watch face, belt buckle or knife handle can be enough to alert wary trout to your presence and send them high tailing for cover.

A beautiful river-dwelling rainbow trout taken on a Squidgy soft plastic. Trout respond to a wide range of lures. Australia and the southern corner of Western Australia — it’s currently trout time! These introduced European and North American freshwater fish tend

reward finesse. The lighter and finer your main lines and leaders, the more trout you’ll generally fool. Always choose clear, dull or naturally-coloured lines and leaders, too. Avoid fluorescent or high-gloss materials. While you’re at it, minimise any unnecessary “junk” in your rig between you and the fish: if you can possibly get by without swivels, sinkers, rings, clips or other items of terminal tackle, always do so. Also think about what you wear and carry with you when you’re stalking sharp-eyed trout, especially in clear, shallow streams. Dress in dull-coloured or camouflaged clothing that roughly matches the background and avoid bright, fluorescent items of apparel or shiny, reflective accessories. A sudden

Brown trout generally deal better with Australia’s harsh conditions than either rainbows or brookies and there are quite a few selfsustaining populations of browns. You’ll find trout in lots of our cooler lakes, dams, rivers and streams, but make sure you talk to the staff at a local tackle store in the area where you plan to fish to find out the best spots and the gun local lures, baits or flies. These folks usually have their finger firmly on the pulse of things. There’s increasing debate these days about whether or not trout — as introduced fish — should continue to be stocked into Australian waters, where they definitely compete with

Simple spinning blade lures or in-line spinners can be deadly on trout. to struggle a bit in the heat of our harsh antipodean summers, December, January and February can be tough months to tempt a trout, at least outside of the Apple Isle and our highest mainland alpine waters. So, if you’re going to chase a few trout, it’s probably best to do so right now, before it gets too hot. If you’ve never chased a trout 14 NOVEMBER 2024

There’s no denying the beauty of a fresh-caught rainbow trout from cool, clear, alpine water.

VIDEO

Starlo certainly loves his trout fishing! What’s not to love? Scan this QR code to watch Steve’s latest episode on chasing trout in streams.

and even prey on some native species. Certainly, there’s not very much sense in continuing to propagate them in “marginal” waters where they struggle to survive. However, across large tracts of our cooler inland areas, trout definitely represent a valuable addition to the fishing scene, and a significant boost to

This big, hook-jawed rainbow slammed one of Bushy’s old Stiffy minnows painted up in the “spotted dog” pattern. Sadly, these lures are no longer made, but plenty of others work well, too! local economies. So, I reckon we should celebrate them where they thrive, and take advantage of their presence. In the longer run, it may be an academic argument, anyway. Rising temperatures, longer summers and dramatically increased predation by cormorants are all adversely impacting trout stocks in many regions. The writing may well be on the wall for these speckled immigrants. But for now at least, there’s still a lot of fun to be had chasing a trout or three in many parts of the country So, get out there and give them a crack!

QLD Southern

FMM

Pelagic activity starting to increase THE TWEED

Leon McClymont

November is a great time of year for Tweed anglers, as it has so much on offer. From tasty reefies like snapper, trag, tuskies and pearl perch to fast swimming pelagics that are starting to turn up with the warming water more each day. Pelagic species will really start to show their face as their arrival coincides with the large schools of blue and white pilchards that congregate around this time of year. It’s generally late October start of November the large schools of pillies push their way south in search of cooler waters.

November is typically the kick off of the spotted mackerel and cobia as they love the blue and white pilchards. A great technique to use while targeting these species is fishing on anchor with your live baits on floats out the back of the boat. Then, with a second setup fishing an unweighted bait, such as blue pilchard or even half a blue pilly can be sufficient bait for a spotted mackerel of cobia. Be sure to cast your unweighted bait up current to ensure it has time to sink sufficiently enough not to interfere or tangle with your livie on the float out back of the boat. Using berley will also increase your catch rate, as it will attract the predators in. If they are feeding on your berley then they will most likely follow the

trail right to your presented bait and feed on that. Spotted mackerel and cobia are really reactive to a berley trail, with them often seen swimming right up to the boat. Spotted mackerel will feed typically in the top half of the water column, where cobia will feed right throughout the whole water column top to bottom. They are well renowned scavengers and will take an easy feed whether it’s some sort of marine creature drifting in the current or a crustacean dwelling at the bottom. Cobia have a wide variety of diet and a large appetite so not often will a cobia not eat, it’s generally their downfall. With both baits set you can either sit back and relax and wait for some action, which if you’re in the right zone implementing these techniques you shouldn’t have to wait long for some action. If you do find it a bit slow then spinning metals whilst your baits are soaking can also make the difference. Sometimes the mackerel can be so focused on these schools of white bait, throwing metals can be the difference between catching fish and not. There have been many days the mackerel won’t eat a live bait or bait, so throw a metal on and give it a quick rip through the water column to have it get smashed. Spanish mackerel are still starting to turn up. They aren’t too far behind the arrival of spotted mackerel. Stepping out a bit wider there have been plenty of mahimahi off the FADS off Tweed. The FADS slightly north of Tweed have been pulled for

Seth Hollands put in the time to get this solid 60cm mangrove jack.

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The author with an XL cobia caught last November.

Kelly Iwanuscha showing off a healthy Tweed River flathead. maintenance and deployment will be announced from the Department of Primary Industries website. Fishing the continental shelf this time of year has very good water, holding very large yellowfin, marlin and large bull mahimahi. Follow the currents and up-dwellings can help find the action, birds are also a sign and a good one to keep your eye out for. High circling birds can indicate baitfish schooling up deep in the area, and where the bait is the predators can’t be too far away. The deep dropping scene has been producing some quality fish from nannygai, bar cod, flametail snapper and trevalla. These are top quality eating fish and some of the best in the ocean. The river has had a recent flush of freshwater but has recovered well. Prior to the rain, the baitfish yakkas pushed right up to Boyds Bay Bridge and some top water chaos was reported in, with unknown boofs being heard and seen just after the tide change. When the bait congregates in the river it can lead to some fire sessions, with tailor, trevally, flathead, and mangrove jack. They school up in this area when the baits are thick. Even yellowtail kings and cobia have been caught within the Tweed River when the food source is plentiful. The recent flush of fresh has seen the mud crabs pushed out of the higher reaches of the river and are in abundance from Chinderah right down to Condong. At time of writing

Southern QLD

FMM there were reports of pots having 5-6 legal crabs in each. The Tweed Coast beaches are being severely damaged and chewed out from the recent large swells, resulting in sending tonnes of sand back into the gutters. The deep rocky areas around the headlands and break walls have now been filled back up. Another positive side of the large weather system, with such a heavy amount of freshwater, is the mulloway fishers were seen on most break walls chasing the ever eluding big jew in

the murky muddy waters. Casting hardbodies or soft plastics seems to be the main approach from anglers these days as the lure scene seems the most fashionable thing. But don’t let all the hype confuse you with the old traditional techniques still performing well above lures in most scenarios. Fishing a beach worm has got to be the number one most tried and tested as a dominant mulloway bait that can catch them at all sizes from small soapies to big jewies well over 20kg. This time of year the kingfish also

Luke Reilly with a brute Tweed Coast snapper.

Ryan Ziets pulled this nice late night red jack while fishing cut bait.

move right in close to the shore, even right into the beach breakers. A very rare occurrence for most anglers (one I haven’t seen myself with the naked eye until just recently) is when a school of kingfish approximately 8-10kg models

cruised right in to the shore break right in front of me – unfortunately no rod was at hand so I just had to watch and enjoy the view of such an epic encounter. Until next month soak ‘em long.

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NOVEMBER 2024 17

QLD Southern

FMM

Rolling in the deep JUMPINPIN

Bo Sawyer

I hope you’ve all been catching some great fish over the last month. Our clients have been getting stuck into some monster flathead over the last several weeks and it’s great to see these fish in a very healthy condition.

We’ve had some periods of dirty water in the Pin area with the bigger tides, especially when these bigger tides have lined up with northerly winds. If you are interested reading into tide charts a little more, look at the numbers underneath the tide times and they will tell you the water levels. The further away the low tide level is from the high tide – the more the current will be flowing, and vice versa. These tide levels play an important part when I’m planning my sessions. If the tide is slack then I can fish deeper areas throughout the day, if it’s running hard then I can only fish deep areas around the tide change. I will go over more of these tips in my next report. Let’s get into the fishing. Flathead have definitely been the flavour of the month at the time of writing. The average size has been impressive with plenty of fish in the 70-80cm bracket being caught. I’ve been doing well on 5-7” plastics in the deeper water and 3-4” plastics in the shallow water. On tougher bites,

How’s this for a Jumpinpin trev! Just a quick reminder, flathead around the 60cm mark are almost guaranteed to be females and have a very high egg production per pound of body weight. Just something to keep in mind. Let’s take a quick look at the recent water conditions.

A few trevally are starting to show up in the warmer waters. 6lb leader for best results. Bait wise try worms, whitefish, yabbies, cut up mullet or pilchards. I’ll be targeting them in any deeper water holding bait and around Jacobs Well channel and Tipplers. Great to see the whiting catches increasing as the water temperature does. You can’t go pass live yabbies and worms when targeting these tasty fish. Small surface lures with the back trebles switched out for assist hooks are another great way to target them and it’s a tonne of fun. As I always say, fish for them in deeper water during the day and super shallow at night. Try fishing around yabby flats and the deeper water adjacent to the same areas. Tailor have been hit and miss for me again this year. Just recently we

were getting some big ones coming through the Pin on the last of the incoming. Most of these fish were in the 40-50cm bracket hitting our flatty lures. I’ve seen heaps of birds working to the right of the Pin bar as well and I expect plenty of people have been nailing them there, it gets very bumpy around this section so please be cautious of waves. That’ll do me for this month ever yone. I always appreciate everyone taking their time to read my reports and saying G’day to me on the water. I hope you all have a great month and catch plenty. • Don’t forget to see Brett at Jacobs Well Bait and Tackle, and visit us at Capn’s Charters on Facebook we’d love to have you out for the day. Until next month, tightlines.

The author scored this nice 80cm flathead fishing in the deep.

There are some cracker flatties being caught at the moment. 18 NOVEMBER 2024

try working your lure slower or even slow rolling it. For the bait fishos, try drifting with pilchards, white bait and live mullet or herring. Places to get into a few are Kalinga, Pin bar, Crusoe, Millionaires and the lagoons. We’ve had a few cracker bream come into the boat recently. The average size is down but there’s always a few big ones around. Small plastics in the 2.5” size, small cranks, and even small surface lures will get you onto them. Use light gear with

Another cracker flatty caught on a 3” paddle tail.

QLD Southern

FMM

Hungry, aggressive fish are on the attack BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Hot days, warm water temperatures and fluctuating barometric pressures result in some pretty awesome fishing opportunities during November. Metabolisms are heighted due to the warmer waters resulting in hungrier and more aggressive behaviour from most species throughout the bay and estuaries. Increased numbers of baitfish and other prey species promote this aggressive behaviour, which increases opportunity for anglers in all waters. During November we will see prominent pelagic activity throughout Moreton Bay as well as improved fishing in the creeks, rivers and estuarine systems. With days getting rather warm at times, many anglers opt to fish early morning, late afternoon or even at night. Let’s explore a few of the more prominent target species for November angling. LONGTAIL TUNA One of the more sought-after bay pelagics due to their size, fighting ability, table quality and general elusiveness, longtail tuna numbers will be increasing during December in line with the influx of many baitfish species. At times, longtails can be easy to approach and tempt however mostly this is not the case. Getting within casting distance can be fairly difficult and requires careful stalking plus a knowledge of their habits. Predicting

The makings of a great meal: a solid longtail for prime sashimi and a mackerel complemented with lemon pepper tempura batter. Quality pelagics like this will be around in great numbers during the coming months. 20 NOVEMBER 2024

the feeding direction of longtails, then getting ahead of the action and cutting the motor is often a successful ploy. Observing their feeding pattern will allow you to do this. Commonly they will herd the bait schools into the current although this is not always the case. Birds following the feeding fish give you an indication to their direction and how far beneath the water they currently are. The birds are usually a mirror image of the fish below the surface. As the longtails go deeper the birds will rise higher in the sky. As the birds get closer to the surface you know the longtails are likely to sound, therefore getting within casting distance is recommended. The more you observe the longtails and how they are feeding, the better your chances of predicting their movements. This will increase your chances of being within casting distance at the right time. Choosing a successful lure for longtails can be even a hard ask. Usually their preference will depend on the baitfish on which they are currently feeding and you will need an exact profile to have any chance of success. Often the bait may only be a centimetre or two long and almost translucent which makes lure selection almost impossible. Fly fishers have the upper hand here because they have the ability to deliver extremely small flies the desired distance- the casting weight is in the fly line, not the fly. Obviously windy conditions and the skill level of the caster can hamper the ability to deliver the offering the desired distance. For the average angler, being able to cast an extremely small (and lightweight) offering to the feeding tuna is almost impossible, especially when the tuna are a bit spooky. Sometimes you may get success on a much larger profile such as a stickbait, pencil popper or large jerkshad plastic, so this is worth trying. In generally it pays to continue trying different profiles just looking for the one offering a single fish might take a liking to. Some days will be memorable and others will result in you returning home fishless. Some of my favored lures for longtails include Oceans Legacy Keeling 105H stickbaits, Zman 5’ Jerkshads in bubblegum rigged on a 6/0 3/4oz Headlockz jighead, numerous chromed slugs and slices including Maria Mucho Lucir, Halco Twisty, TT hardcore, Todd ignition and Samaki Flash as well as nomad Dartwing pencil poppers. However, there is a broad array of offerings that can work on any given day with the correct retrieve. Longtail numbers will be healthy for several months now throughout the Moreton Bay area so you will have plenty of time to get out and chase them over the coming months. MACKEREL It will mainly be school mackerel on

Estuary cod, such as this gold-spot, can be caught in the creeks, rivers, bay and estuaries. They are rarely targeted and mainly caught as by-catch but are a favourite of the author’s as a table fish. offer over the coming month however occasionally a small number of spotted mackerel are located, most likely in the northern bay. School mackerel numbers have been healthy since August, however the more prominent locations and best target methods can change considerably over the months. Early in the season the best action often occurs in areas such as the Kianga Channel, Rainbow Channel, Rous Channel and northern areas of the bay. However, by now the mackerel have also spread throughout the bay and can be caught around the shipping channel beacons, artificial reefs and bay island surrounds. Schoolies can be caught with an array of techniques and are great table fare therefore are readily targeted by recreational anglers. For anglers fishing anywhere in the bay, having a gang hook rigged pilchard suspended in the upper half of the water column is likely to reap rewards. This can include around the artificial reefs, bay island margins, up on top of the flats areas whilst targeting whiting or whilst anchored around the shipping channel beacons. School mackerel will sometimes be found smashing baitfish on the surface where they can be caught by cast and retrieve methods with chrome slugs. Cast near the school and begin winding a split second before the slug lands to eliminate getting bitten off. The faster you wind the better the chance of a strike- you cannot wind too fast providing your lure is in the water and not skipping across the surface. Whilst a short piece of wire in front of the lure might seem like a good insurance against getting bitten off, this will greatly decrease the strike rate. Trolling spoons behind a paravane is one of the best ways to cover a degree of ground in your search. Mackerel will often patrol the channels and edges of the bank systems on the first few hours of a rising tide, therefore this is a prime time to be working over these zones. The first couple of hours of the falling tide also offers ideal opportunity. A

trolling board and spoon rig can be trolled using a rod and reel (minimum 15kg main line) or a handline of around 50lb. I opt for the latter due to the ease of storage for having it ready whenever I decide to use it. A decent glove is desirable to avoid line burns. I only ever troll one rig but some anglers will deploy two lines to increase chances. SNAPPER Although many consider the cooler months to be best for snapper, I personally score some of the best quality specimens during November. There are greater numbers around during winter but I have caught my trophy class specimens around this time of the year. Quality snapper will be caught in all the usual places including artificial reefs, wrecks, bay island surrounds and other isolated pieces of structure. Lure fishers commonly use soft vibes, numerous soft plastics and occasional other lures for cast and retrieve fishing. Drifting across the artificial reefs or around the bay islands whilst you cast and retrieve these offerings can regularly score you a bag of fish. Cast upcurrent, allow the lure to sink into the lower third of the water column and then begin your retrieve. Vibes and jerkshad plastics are commonly hopped whereas paddle tails, curl tails and many others are rolled or retrieved with altering cranks of the reel handle and intermittent pauses. I commonly use Samaki Thumpertail 100mm vibes for targeting bay snapper and employ an irregular pattern of intermittent winding and pauses. These are a paddle-tail vibe therefore they don’t suit the hopping techniques employed with many other soft vibes. These have accounted for plenty of trophy snapper, mulloway, longtail tuna and other species whilst casting them around the artificial reefs and bay islands. Bait fishers are advised to use the best quality bait they can, however it is still surprising the amount of quality fish caught on frozen offerings such as squid and pilchards. Fresh fillet baits

Southern QLD

FMM from bonito, tuna, mullet, pike, gar and even grinners are ideal offerings. Live baits of yakkas, herring, pike and the like usually out-perform most other offerings when presented well with a snelled hook rig, fluorocarbon leader and just enough weight to place the bait in the strike zone. Baits do not have to be right on the bottom for snapper, which can be caught all the way through the water column. The larger specimens will regularly feed close to the surface, attracted to this zone by baitfish and other prey species, especially around the bay islands. A vibe or soft plastic is often hit soon after splashing down. The lower half of the water column is commonly the best zone to concentrate your efforts with baits either whilst anchored or drifting. MULLOWAY Just like snapper, there will be plenty of quality mulloway caught during November. Many will be secured as bycatch by those targeting snapper. However, specific targeting with larger live baits is likely to reward. Mulloway will be caught in the Brisbane River out from the major jetties and wharves, in the deep holes such as the dredge areas towards the mouth, Clara’s rocks, beneath the Gateway Bridge and around lighted areas at night. Out in Moreton Bay, prime areas include the artificial reefs (Peel, Harry Atkinson, Coochiemudlo, Bill Turner etc.) and numerous wrecks. An occasional quality mulloway is caught around the bay islands, mainly in the deeper zones such as The Saltworks. The leads beacons of the Brisbane River, all the way out to The Measured Mile beacon are all worth a try. Lure fishers also score well on mulloway at times especially the sub metre specimens which are commonly found in schools of a dozen or more. I find the larger specimens a better proposition using live baits in many of the areas I fish. Usually around the changes of the tide offers the best results however every spot can fish differently at various times depending on the moon phase and the size of the tide. Mulloway can be caught

year around in the bay and Brisbane River although numbers will taper off slightly as the water temperatures rise. JACKS AND COD Warming water temperatures and rising barometers offer ideal scenario for those chasing mangrove jacks and estuary cod in the rivers, creeks, canals and harbours. Both species become more aggressive and ravenous when the water temperatures rise as this spikes their metabolism. A rising barometric pressure happens when thunderstorms are building and really promotes aggressiveness in both species. You commonly need to get your lure or bait really close to solicit a strike, however when the barometer is rising, especially over 1020hpa they will move well away from their structure to smash a possible food source. This puts you in with a much greater chance of success as your presentation does not need to be pinpoint and you have a much better chance of keeping these ambush predators away from their sanctuary. Commonly anglers will cast lures such as soft vibes, minnow lures, small swim and glidebaits, numerous soft plastics and even surface offerings to tempt jacks and cod. The closer you get these to structure such as bridge pylons, mangrove snags, rock walls, jetty pylons, wharves and other structure, the better your chance of success. Live baits also work well with banana prawns, herring, mullet, biddies and the like working well when fished around prominent structure and also the deeper holes around bridges and in the canals. The retaining walls at the mouth of the Brisbane River and the eastern side of mud hold some sizeable estuary cod, although jacks are fairly rare in these zones. Any successful outcome on jacks and larger cod will require fast reflexes, sturdy drag pressure, good rod work and a degree of luck. Whilst awesome sport, both are great table fare with estuary cod being one of the more underrated table fish in my opinion. There are several months of quality fishing ahead for those wanting to target either of

these species. CRUSTACEANS Mud, sand and blueswimmer crabs are all commonly caught during November. In the estuaries, rivers and creeks mud crabs can be caught whilst deploying safety pots baited with fish frames, mullet, chicken carcasses, chicken necks or even a couple of pilchards in a bait bag. These pots are best set at the mouth of drains and gutters leading away from the mangrove expanse, in deeper holes and the more isolated creeks. The deeper

find a similar area to deploy them. The same pots and baits will work for sandies and blueswimmers as you use for muddies. I like to check my pots at least every three hours however many set them for long periods without checking. Be aware of the relevant regulations, size and bag limits for pots and the various species before setting out and ensure you have a suitable measuring device. CONCLUSION With so many prime species on offer over the coming month your

Although considered a cold weather target, good numbers of solid mulloway will be caught in the Brisbane River and throughout the bay using both lures and baits for a while yet. into the mangroves you can get your pots the better your chances of success. However, rainfall will lower salinity and force the mud crabs out of these zones and into the main channels where salinity is higher. Therefore, it pays to take into consideration these factors when setting your pots. Sand and bluswimmer crabs can be caught around the mouths of the estuaries and larger rivers however are more common out in the main bay areas. The surrounds of the bay islands, along any contours or ledges and deeper channels are all good places to set a few pots. Take note of the depths where commercial pots are set to use as a guide on any given day. However, do not set your pots along the same string, go and

decision on what to do can often be a hard one. Good numbers of pelagic species will be caught in the bay over the coming month including mackerel, tunas, cobia and both species of bonito. Prime demersal species such as snapper, mulloway, cod, sweetlip, tuskfish and many others will also be on offer. In the creek, river and estuarine areas anglers will be treated with flathead, whiting, bream, cod, jacks, trevally and many others. Setting a few pots whilst you are fishing will likely reward for tasty muddies, sand crabs or blueswimmers. Warm weather and water temperatures can create some awesome fishing opportunity in Novemeber so slip, slop, slap and get out there.

NOVEMBER 2024 21

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Consistency is on its way for summer species BRISBANE

Bob Thornton tackleworldlawnton@gmail.com

Unusual spring weather, which was a focus of last month’s report, seems to have rolled on into this month. So far, we’ve seen a whole range of strange and unseasonable occurrences this spring, however with summer fast approaching, we can expect more consistent high temperature days and rain through November. Rapidly changing weather conditions have mad trip planning more difficult than usual. Knowing where to fish, what to target, and even which lure or bait to use requires intuition when you can’t rely on the calendar to provide the clues. Overall, the fishing across the region has been sound, albeit with offshore conditions less than ideal. Despite slow offshore reports, though, anglers have had plenty of other options to scratch the itch, including an ongoing beach tailor run that many have called “the best in years.”

nutrient-rich water into the basin. Whether or not this wet trend continues remains to be seen, however climate models have predicted another wet summer, similar to last year and the year before. Whatever November brings, it’s sure to be an exciting one for local anglers. November is often warm without being unbearably hot, plus the risk of major flooding is still quite low, though still possible. Additionally, things are fairly quiet on the water, as the holidays haven’t yet started. Anyway, let’s see what’s been happening! OFFSHORE Early spring was littered with strong southeasterlies that whipped the swell up, making offshore trips of any kind difficult and even dangerous. Once again, quick morning trips have been the way to go, with the trick being to dart out before or just on sunrise, and get back to the ramp before any afternoon sea breezes or storms roll in. Those who’ve been out have reported excellent snapper catches.

Archie landed these two lovely snapper and a few others fishing offshore with his dad. In about an hour of fishing they’d already filled their bag limit and were back at the ramp before 8am! Photo courtesy of Stewie McGrath.

Several heavy rainfalls have kept the estuaries and streams firing, which until recently were in dire need of a flush. The bay fishery has also benefitted from the rain, with rainsoaked systems like the Brisbane, Pine and Caboolture rivers emptying 22 NOVEMBER 2024

Floatlining with pilchards, squid strips or fish flesh baits has been the number one method for snapper, closely followed by paternoster rigs with the same baits and 5-7” soft plastics worked near the bottom. The edges of reef systems

November is a good time to fish the bay’s shallows for snapper, especially just after any wet and windy spells. in 20-30m of water have been consistently holding schools of snapper, with spangled and grass emperor, tuskfish, various cod species and the occasional coral trout helping to fill out the bag as well. The Inner Gneerings, Caloundra Wide, Sunshine and Currimundi reefs have been regularly producing big snapper and other bottom fish, with Murphys and Halls reefs, the Blinker and Arkwright Shoal also firing on their day. Spotted and school mackerel have been a regular feature around the shallow reefs, with these speedsters often succumbing to a bait or soft plastic intended for reef fish. Specifically targeting macks with trolled lures has been effective too, and the stretch of water between Brays Rock and the Blinker is a good troll run for anyone interested in bagging a few tasty mackerel for the BBQ or smoker. Any deep-diving hardbodies between 80-120mm are suitable, with troll speeds between 3-6 knots sufficient. The same lures can also be trolled around reef edges – a method surprisingly effective on snapper, spangled emperor and other reef fish. News on Spanish mackerel has been slow, with very few anglers able to capitalise on good weather windows to get out and chase them. With that said, a handful of 20kg+ models were taken casting stickbaits around Hutchison Shoal in early spring, plus a few smaller models have been reported taking slow-trolled dead baits in the North Moreton area.

It will definitely be worth having a cast or troll for Spaniards in November, even if it’s just a lazy troll as you travel between marks – you never know what you might turn up! Speaking of trolling, we’re still yet to hear any decent billfish reports in the local area, however by November we can expect to see black marlin turning up around locations like Sunshine Reef, North Moreton Trench and the scattered ground around Point Lookout. Those who did reconnaissance runs with their trolling gear in September and October reported raising the odd fish, and some even managed to land a few giant mahimahi as well. Weather permitting, many will be hoping to head out to the FADs and wave recorders out wide, with reports of mahimahi sitting on these marks coming to us as early as August! As the water temperature continues to warm, more of these golden acrobats will show up on the offshore buoys. Once the numbers build up, most baits (live or dead) as well as lures will trigger a response from these aggressive fish. If bled and put straight on ice, they are one of the tastiest fish in the ocean in my opinion, having a flavour and texture unlike anything else. BEACHES Beach tailor have been the talk of the town this season, with the ocean beaches along K’Gari (Fraser Island), Moreton (Mulgumpin), North Stradbroke (Minjerribah), South Stradbroke and Bribie all producing trophy fish at times. While K ’Gari has been the

Southern QLD

FMM standout, Moreton and both the Straddies have been consistent with the numbers and quality. Ganged pillies have been the go-to for most anglers, though casting metal slugs, sinking stickbaits and even poppers has been productive as well, especially for larger fish. The washy conditions of later winter and early spring seem to have brought the fish on the bite, with regular southeasterly blows keeping the weed and jellyfish at bay for the most part. This may start to change in November, though we saw the tailor action continuing into November last year, and I see no reason why this won’t happen again this year. Sunrise and sunset have been the key times for tailor, and while a high tide is preferable, time of day has seemingly been more of a determining factor for success recently. Summer whiting have been holding their own as well, with Noosa North Shore, Teewah and Red beaches clocking some serious size and numbers. Some locals have mentioned a slight iodine taste in some of the whiting, likely from the slime weed build up in early spring due to a lack of rain. With a good drop of rain falling since though, hopefully the whiting are back to tasting as good as ever. Beachworms (fresh or cured)

have been the favoured baits, though pipis, yabbies, and squid pieces have been effective when beachworms aren’t available. MORETON BAY Choppy conditions on the bay have made boating difficult, but they have contributed to good fishing in the shallows on the western side of

the bay, especially when the wind has been blowing from the east and southeast. Catches of school mackerel, tailor, trevally and tuna are still being reported from Woody Point and Shorncliffe jetties. Bait schools swept in from the wind have attracted predators, which have often been

seen feeding in mixed schools. Tailor and mac tuna have been the most common pelagic species taken on lures at both jetties, however schoolies and various trevallies have turned up at times too. Land-based longtails are something of a unicorn in this part of the world, but are always a possibility, especially if casting larger metals, stickbaits or poppers in the 100-140mm range. Recent conditions have also churned up the shallows around Scarborough, Woody Point, Fisherman Island and Wellington Point. Snapper have been using these turbulent spells and the days immediately after to hunt prey over rubble and reef in only a few metres of water. The best results have come just on sunrise, with small soft plastics and unweighted flesh baits getting the job done. With the shallows warming up as we approach summer, more grass emperor, estuary cod, tuskfish and grunter have been showing up too; all of them welcome additions to my icebox. Kingfish have been a little sporadic this spring, though reliable reports indicate that the shipping beacons around the Measured Mile, Curtain Reef and the edges of Rainbow Channel have been holding them at times. These fish will

Topwater frogs have been getting the job done on local jacks and are an ideal presentation for firing up these fish after rain. Photo courtesy of Ethan Flowers.

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tend to feed aggressively when there’s more tidal flow in these areas, and the presence of bait is always a good sign. Live baits of yakka, slimy, gar, pike and squid are like jellybeans to these brutes, and shouldn’t take long to get eaten if there’s kingies present and hungry. Once hooked, kingies are one of the dirtiest fighters around, making repeated runs toward structure and often earning their freedom in the process. Out in the deep, things have been a little quiet, with infrequent reports from Harry Atkinson and other deeper marks nearby mentioning plenty of boats and plenty of sharks. Big snapper and mulloway have been landed on both bait and lures in recent weeks, however the best results have been achieved at first light. It’s worth drifting a pilchard or fleshy bait in the rod holder while you prospect with lures. Plenty of decent school mackerel have been landed drifting baits over the wrecks and reefs in the bay, plus there’s always a chance of a big snapper rising to smash a bait drifting in mid-water too. RIVERS AND ESTUARIES Recent rains have been a godsend for our local creeks, which are now full of nutrients and bait. Before the rain most of the action on species like mangrove jacks, barramundi, threadfin and mulloway was in the upper tidal reaches of the Pine (north and south arms) Caboolture, Mooloolah and Maroochy rivers, as well as the Pumicestone Passage creeks. Now, much of that action has spread down to the river mouths, with predators using the discoloured water to ambush disorientated prey. The local jack fishing has been spectacular, with big and small systems alike producing PBs for anglers, as well as plenty of bust-offs and tails of ‘the one that got away.’

The beach tailor season has been phenomenal, with fish of this calibre common on our island beaches. Photo courtesy of Mitch Morsch.

High temperatures and murky water are a recipe for topwater action, with a mix of poppers, stickbaits, soft plastic frogs, bent minnows and topwater prawn imitations getting plenty of attention. Lures between 80-100mm have been the most productive, with colours that stand out in the discoloured water preferred over more realistic and natural hues. With barramundi season now closed (as of 1 November), any barra landed in the estuaries will need to be released immediately. The idea of a closed season for barra in SEQ may seem strange, as they’re not a regular catch for most anglers down this way anyway. Moreover, any barra landed locally are assumed to be either stocked, or wild fish from up north that got ‘lost’, but this may not be as true as it was once thought. There is evidence (scientific and anecdotal) to suggest that barramundi do breed in SEQ, and a closed season is vital to

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regular runs of jelly prawns in our creeks and rivers, and this has been great news for anyone casting lures for whiting and bream. The flats areas around the mouth of the Pine River, the middle section of Pumicestone Passage and the Chambers Island section of the Maroochy River have been teeming with big whiting. These fish are on the hunt for jelly prawns, and little poppers, stickbaits and bent minnows between 50-70mm have been smashing them. A fast, constant and splashy retrieve is the key to fooling these keen-eyed foragers, and wind-assisted casts over the flats will help you to cover more ground as you search. Bream will also turn up on the flats, however they are usually more at home around structure, especially in late spring. On high tide, bream love venturing into mangrove forests and other bankside cover in search of prey, with jelly prawns, insects,

Nighttime sessions can be productive after extremely hot days, with this high 40s fish taking a large paddler in pitch black conditions. ensuring our limited stocks of barra can do so in peace. Threadies have once again been playing fast and loose, turning up here and there, but never hanging out in any one area for too long. Most recent thready captures have come from deep holes in the mid to lower stretches of the Caboolture, Brisbane and Maroochy rivers. Like barramundi, they will school up and sit deep in summer, often close to river mouths, however unlike barra, threadies aren’t protected by a closed season. With this in mind, be sure to take care of any fish you wish to release, and only take what you need if keeping any for the table. Summer rains are important for bringing the nutrients that barramundi and threadfin fry feed on once hatched, so fingers crossed it’s a good breeding season! The rains have been delivering

bloodworms, small fish and crabs all on the menu. In systems with limited natural structure like canals, bridge pylons, pontoons, rock walls and underneath walkways are good places to find hungry bream. Newport Waterways, Ningi Creek and the Mooloolah River have been firing for bream lately, but any systems with suitable habitat should be harbouring plenty of bream at the moment. Crabbers have already potted lots of big muddies this spring. Now we’ve had some rain to stir up the estuaries, the action should only go up a gear. The channels around the Pine and Caboolture river mouths, as well as the 3-5m zones in southern Pumicestone Passage, have been highly productive. Working your pots with regular check every hour or so has been the best way to avoid theft, and with so many crabs around there really is no need for long soaks.

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If your pots go a few drops with no luck, try moving them into deeper water. Alternatively, you could try a different part of the system, as muddies can sometimes become clumped in stretches of river where the temperature and salinity is most comfortable for them. FRESHWATER The bass fishing across the region

more competition for food, and now is when we often see the best fishing in the small streams. A whole range of lures work well in these confined environments, with bass tending to be quite opportunistic with their feeding. With that said, small stream bass aren’t pushovers. Being highly attuned to their surrounds helps them to find food when it enters the pool,

your lure has landed. The bigger pools in the North and South Pine, Brisbane, Logan and Albert rivers have been fishing well too. Nighttime sessions will start to become more productive as the daytime temperature increase, with larger fish often coming out after dark to hunt. Smaller local lakes like Kurwongbah, Ewen Maddock , Enoggera, Borumba and Manchester have been teetering on the edge of spilling, and by now some may have already spilled. The tiny pools downstream can fish really well when the dams are spilling, with stocked bass reverting back to their wild habits as soon as they tumble over the spillway. In the dams themselves, things have also been very exciting. Ewen Maddock, Borumba, MacDonald, Maroon and Hinze have all been

in the deep has become very effective in certain dams. Trolling is a fun summer activity, and a simple way to bag a few fish when you have kids or inexperienced adults with you. Samsonvale, Moogerah, Borumba and Baroon Pocket have been a trollers’ paradise lately, with thermoclines (a layer of cooler water visible on a sounder, usually forming at about 3-4m) providing a comfortable spot for bass to suspend during the heat of the day. It’s fairly easy to find these fish, and trolling around in open water with lures that dive to 4-6m is a highly productive way to do it. Once found, suspended fish can also be caught by casting spoons, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, soft plastics and even flies fished on fast-sinking lines. Trolling is a successful method in most lakes stocked with bass, however the lakes mentioned above tend to provide the

This tagged fish ate a LuckyCraft Sammy on a hot and humid afternoon at Lake Maroon. The tagging data revealed only a few centimetres of growth in several years. Hopefully this fish can provide more valuable data in the future! has been fantastic, with both local dams and streams providing plenty of action. Recent rains have resurrected many small, local systems, which prior to the rainfall were a series of stagnant pools. Increased flows have brought these delicate ecosystems back to life, providing oxygenated water to fish that have been doing it tough. Tributaries of the Pine, Brisbane and Logan rivers have all received enough rain to aid the upstream of migration of post-spawn fish, which mix with residential fish during summer. Extra fish in the creek results in

but it also allows them to spot danger coming from a mile away. Because of this, anglers need to move quietly. Staying low and making accurate casts toward any likely looking piece of cover is a good approach, giving the fish plenty of time to find your offering with your retrieve. Casting accuracy is a huge asset in any bass creek, but keep in mind that small, shaded pools will often have a plethora of sunken structure littered through them. In other words, sometimes it’s worth throwing a cast into the middle of the pool, as quite often fish will be holding in structure right below where

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Tackle World Lawnton owner Ryan displays a good eating size school mackerel. Schoolies have been turning up in all corners of the bay lately, including close to the shore around Woody Point and Shorncliffe. producing excellent morning and afternoon topwater bites on bass. Lily-lined lakes like Kurwongbah and Maroon have been on fire, with soft plastic frogs and other weedless presentations ideal for working the pockets between the weed and lilies. Saratoga have mostly come out of their spawning lock-jaw, with Borumba, Somerset, Kurwongbah and Samsonvale boasting good numbers of fish up to 80cm. Borumba and Somerset are holding the dual title for biggest toga captures lately, however we’re seeing better numbers of fish from Kurwongbah. Spinnerbaits and chatterbaits are getting the job done, as usual, though lightly-weighted soft plastics and flies have been very effective when the bite is tough. With the warm weather, trolling

best conditions for it. WR AP-UP As we get to the pointy end of the year, November offers us a chance to wet a line before seasonal obligations and the extremities of summer and really set in. With a wet summer predicted, it’s difficult to say how fishing will be affected over the next few months. All the more reason to get out for a fish asap! • Thanks to all our wonderful customers who send us photos and give us intel over the counter. If you’re in the Brisbane North/Moreton Bay region, make sure you swing by Tackle World Lawnton on 640 Gympie Road and check out our range. We stock everything you need to chase local species, plus a great selection of fresh bait as well.

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Rising temps are getting the fish fired up NOOSA

Tackle World Kawana

This month’s report has been supplied by Chris Hill. Over the past month, some really good whiting have been taken on worms and prawns along the local beaches. Lots of whiting have also been getting caught down Bells Creek way. Some quality flathead have been caught off the beach in recent weeks, mostly on pillies or cut mullet strips. A few tailor have been turning up here and there, too, taking pillies and

chrome slices. In the rivers, you can have some great flatty sessions fishing the flats at this time of year. Two of the stand-out soft plastics are 5-7” PowerBait Nemesis curltails and Crush City Imposter prawns. For something different, you could try a jointed swimbait like the Zerek Affinity 160mm. In the rivers and canal systems, mangrove jacks have started to come on the bite, with good reports coming from Caloundra and Pumicestone Passage. They can be found around natural and man-made structures, like the bottom of

bridge pylons, pontoons, fallen timber, and so on. The most reliable way to catch jacks is with live mullet, but soft plastics have also been catching their share, particularly paddle-tails like the 4-5” DieZel MinnowZ. If you want to fish hardbodies, the Daiwa Double Clutch and Lucky Craft Pointer are two good options. Offshore, out at the Banks and Caloundra Wide, snapper and pearl perch are still being caught when the weather has allowed. Squidtrex vibes continue to be a stand-out for lure fishers. Some mackerel have started to show

Sunshine Coast waters, the Barwon Banks and the Hards. All of my snapper bag-outs this year have come from in front of the Barwons. I was four under one day at the Hards, but I have been getting lots of quality pearl perch there. There is also more variety with amberjack, kingfish, tuskfish, and so on adding to the bag. In front of the Banks it has been very clean, with just snapper

fish, so you get the best of both worlds. If you want to try this, remember to use only a small piece, otherwise the bait will kill the action of the tentacles/skirts. Another way to combine bait with a jig is to use Vexed Bottom Meat hybrid jigs. As this article goes to press, the pelagics should be turning up. All indications are it should be a good marlin year after last season’s terrible run. Our club as a whole tagged only 76 last year, coming off 600 the year before. They are all through Central Qld waters, and there are lots of sailfish in Central Qld, too. The Spanish mackerel should be good this month. They never really left here

up, but most of them are schoolies and spotties at the moment. There haven’t been many reports from the local dams lately, but the bass should be firing up as the water temps continue to rise. • Tackle World Kawana Waters has been servicing the Sunshine Coast for over 30 years. The store stocks the most up to date tackle, with staff skilled in its use and able to meet all your needs in product and advice. For local advice and the right gear, see the team at 8 Nicklin Way, Minyama or give them a call on (07) 5444 0714. You can also find them on Facebook.

Good catches continue when weather allows Sunshine Coast Offshore Robert Smith

Finally, we’ve had a bit of settled weather to get a few trips in. This would have to be my worst year for weather since I started in 2007! We had an OK June and September, but the rest of the year has been atrocious, weather-wise.

This pearl perch couldn’t resist a slow-pitch jig. On the upside, the fishing has been good when we’ve been able to get out. The fish have not been hit hard due to the weather and bag limits; guys with big boats are now more likely to hit Turkey Beach or 1770 than fish the local

and pearl perch. Conventional metal jigs have been catching some good fish lately, but my most successful technique has been a slide octo jig with a little bit of bait on it. The bait acts like catch scent and attracts more

A nice-size snapper. These fish have received minimal fishing pressure due to all the bad weather we’ve had.

A quality snapper caught on a knife jig. this winter, so as the water temperatures rise, they will come back on the boil. Their numbers will be further boosted by migrating fish. • Smithy’s Fishing Charters is dedicated to exclusive trips for small groups. We specialise in offshore deep sea, reef, game, sport, jigging and soft plastics for up to 5 customers. All fishing equipment and bait are supplied or bring your own. Centrally located at Minyama on the Sunshine Coast, we can tailor a trip to suit everyone. For more information visit smithysfishing. com.au or call skipper Robert Smith on 0407 574 868.

FISHING NEWS

Weekend operation nets 82 abandoned pots Fisheries Queensland has teamed up with Kabi Kabi Traditional Owners and Maritime Safety Queensland to clean up non-compliant and abandoned crab pots in the Pumicestone Passage. During a 2-day operation, participants seized 82 primarily derelict or unmarked pots, with one infringement notice issued. Most of the pots were ghost fishing, containing either live or dead marine species, including mud crabs, blue swimmer crabs and bream. This large seizure serves as a timely reminder for anglers that adopting responsible 30 NOVEMBER 2024

A small sample of the abandoned pots retrieved from Pumicestone Passage.

crabbing techniques is essential for maintaining a sustainable fishery. When crabs or fish die inside a ghost pot, their carcasses attract more crabs, and the cycle can continue for a long time. To avoid losing your pots/dillies, make sure they’re heavy enough, and have enough rope attached to the float, so they don’t get swept away in strong tidal currents. You should also check them regularly. To see the latest crabbing rules and regulations, visit www.qld.gov.au or download the free Qld Fishing 2.0 app. – FMG

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QLD Central

FMM

Plenty of options: offshore, inshore and estuary BUNDABERG

Luke Truant

In between the finfish closures, we’ve been enjoying some memorable sessions out on the water, catching quality red emperor and coral trout. Bigger models have outnumbered the smaller/medium ones lately. Similar to this time last year, we’ve been catching them in a variety of depths – everything from bommies in only 18m of water through to fern country in 45m+.

stab the hook through the middle of the fillet. Instead, insert a single hook at the wide end of your bait so the thin end is free to waft naturally in the water. To a wary predator, a gently wafting bait is more enticing than a strange-looking hunk of flesh. November is often very windy, with limited opportunities to head offshore. If you can’t get out wide, one option is to chase school mackerel inshore. They can often be found around Burnett Heads along the lateral marks all the way to the end, around 3 miles out, or Ryans Reef. A very effective way to catch them is with a spoon under a trolling board/paravane, trolled at 5.6-7 knots. If you haven’t fished with a trolling board before, your local tackle store will show you how. It’s very straightforward. While fishing inshore, you can always drop down a bait or plastic for grunter or grassy sweetlip (grass emperor). You may even encounter a big jewfish. ESTUARY FISHING In the estuaries, rising water temperatures are causing the fish to feed more aggressively, and things will only get

We can expect more trout like this to turn up this month, weather permitting. cod and threadfin salmon. Prawns are a stand-out bait. There have been plenty of prawns towards the mouth of the Burnett in recent weeks. I like to gather them at low tide, ideally on a neap tide (it’s difficult on big tides), and over the past month good numbers have been caught at the Sailing

Plenty of nice trout were caught on this trip. It’s harder to get live baits now, with fewer yellowtail scad around the usual bait spots. Fortunately, the reds and trout are less interested in livies at this time of year (as opposed to winter, when they’re pretty much obsessed). That said, it’s still worth having a quick jig for livies before you head out wide. If you have, say, four people in your boat, I recommend having one person fishing with a livie and the other three anglers using big flesh baits. When it comes to flesh baits, I’ve had

Some large prawns recently caught by the author. a lot of success using big hussar/iodine bream fillets with the tail left on (wings also catch their share). With flesh baits, hook placement is important; don’t just 32 NOVEMBER 2024

the moisture in the prawns, and prevents them from going black. Take them out of the freezer on December 23 so they have enough time to defrost in the fridge. As I’ve said before, mass-produced cast nets are pretty hopeless at catching our local prawns. If you want to catch buckets of prawns, you’ll need to spend at least $300 on a quality top-pocket cast net. I got mine from Castaway Cast Nets (Google ‘Castaway nets Bundaberg’ to find them). You can get hundreds

A solid spangled emperor (yellow sweetlip). better in the coming weeks and months. Barramundi are off-limits until February, so mangrove jacks are the main target. Jacks will take a variety of baits and lures, including livies, strip baits, 3-4” soft plastics and hardbodies. These predators like to hunt around the rock bars in the Burnett River during the run-out tide, and I also get good catches further upstream amongst the snags. At the time of writing, the grunter are thick in the estuary, with good numbers of quality fish up to 70cm. I personally like to target grunter on the rubbly, rocky sections of the river. I usually use long strip baits of mullet or mullet gut, and fish the run-in or the margins of the tide change. You’ll often have the best bite on the last hour before a change, or the first hour of the run-in. Flathead are also biting well, taking a range of soft plastics and baits, along with

Club and Strathdees. The prawn run will likely continue until a couple of weeks before Christmas. If you want cooked prawns for Christmas Day, pre-cook them in boiling salt water and cool in an iced brine, then don’t drain them afterwards. Leave them in the water as it cools, and then put them in the freezer, water and all. This retains all

A big flesh bait was the undoing of this trout.

There’s always the chance of an XOS cod taking your bait. of dollars’ worth of prawns in just a couple of days, so your net will soon pay for itself. • Truansea Charters specialise in 10-hour day trips chasing prized reef targets such as coral trout and red emperor and arm-stretching pelagics like Spanish mackerel. The maximum number of anglers is 6, so you’ll never feel crowded. The price is $370pp (or $350pp 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, find them on Facebook or call Luke on 0423 015 490.

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QLD Central

FMM

Put your gear and resolve to the test this month MACKAY

Tackle World Mackay

Saltwater barra season is over for another year, so you might have to get your fix at one of the local dams this month, or target another species. Fortunately, there are plenty of options to choose from. DAMS How lucky we are to have some great stocked dams on our doorstep!

beds close to the boat ramp and no trees for the fish to wrap you around. Fishing along the edges using lures like Barra Classics or RMG Scorpions will see you in with a good chance. Troll as slow as the boat will go. INSHORE Recent northerly winds mean the mackerel schools have been in good numbers this year. The mackerel we target at this time of year include spotted, school or grey (broad bar),

Ben with a lovely night-time barramundi. Image courtesy of @bens.fishing.

A couple of friends with a couple of fish – a grunter and a fingermark. Image courtesy of @finlayjai58.

Shannon had a good fight on her hands at Seaforth with this golden trevally. Kinchant and Teemburra are both fishing well, with the fish widespread around the dams at the moment. Kinchant has had a lot of barra caught out in the open basin, and they are quite easy to target. If you have a good sounder set-up, just find the schooling fish and start throwing a lure of your choice. If you’re fishing with a friend you should both try throwing different lures, as the fish will often respond better to one particular lure or retrieve. Some of the go-to lures to start with would be 80-100mm, suspending hardbodies such as Jackall Squirrels or Samaki Redics, or even a soft plastic. If casting lures isn’t your thing, Kinchant is a great place to sit back and troll a lure or two as the sun goes down. There are many weed 34 NOVEMBER 2024

and they’re all great to catch and are pretty good on the plate. You don’t need a boat either; there are a couple of land-based spots – Blacks Beach and the south wall of the harbour – that have been producing fish. Throwing metal slugs, small stickbaits or pilchards on a set of gang hooks will see you in with a chance. If you’re fishing from a boat, trolling lures is a good way to find where the fish are schooling up the baitfish. Many people troll Halco Barra Spoons at this time of year, either with a sinker or trolling paravane to get the lure down a bit deeper. With the single hook, releasing unwanted fish is much easier. A great way of eating mackerel, if you have not tried it before, is to hot-smoke them. Just remember to

put the fish in a brine mixture for 24 hours and let the fillets dry before putting them in the smoker. Grunter have shown up over some of the soft coral and gravel beds along the coast. Some of the areas to try are out around the wreck at Seaforth, Victors Island or Glendower Point. There is a good chance of a grassy lipper or stripy along the way as well. Try using squid, local banana prawns, strip bait like ribbonfish, or an off-cut from one of the mackerel. CREEKS The hotter weather means the mangrove jack really start to fire up in the estuaries. They’re one fish that will test your gear and resolve as they won’t move too far from structure. I prefer to target them on lures because the strikes are something to behold. Hardbody lures around the

A beautifully-marked spangled emperor (sweetlip). prefer. The weedless hook is less likely to snag up on the cast when you’re trying to get your plastic to the back of the snag, and the fish still find

It’s a great time of year to target mangrove jack.

A nice coral trout, red emperor and nannygai.

80mm mark will work, but skipping a soft plastic further up the back of the snag fires them up even more. It’s a technique that requires a bit of practice but is great fun. You can use weedless soft plastic presentations like ZMan FrogZ or Chasebait Frogs, or any other soft plastic that you

the hook with no problems. If bait is your thing, a slab of mullet or half a pilchard will get the results. Remember, if there are too many barra in the area you’re fishing this month, move on and leave them to complete their breeding cycle.

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QLD Tropical North

FMM

The estuary fishing takes centre stage TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

The change in weather has been obvious in recent weeks, and the fish have reacted accordingly. Barra are becoming much more active, and other estuary species are also becoming more aggressive. BARRAMUNDI The topwater bite has been quite good when the weather has permitted, and we’ve experienced some nerveshattering bites right at the rod tip over the past month. Most of my barra (and jacks) have been caught on the Halco Roosta popper in the 80mm size. It casts a long way so it’s a good option when the fish are a little shy, and a long-distance presentation is needed. For the light line enthusiasts, I recommend the Bassday Splash. This prawn imitation has a subtle little water spit, and it performs well on those glassed-out mornings when the bait is nervous. We usually fish these on 10-15lb braid and 20-25lb leader for the

open-water snag scenarios. When targeting deeper schools, we’ve been getting good results on Atomic Real Baitz soft swimbaits. There’s a range of models, including Whiting and Bony Bream, but it’s the Mullet model that’s been kicking the goals for us. These lures hold reasonable depth on a straight retrieve, and we fish them on 30lb braid and 30-40lb fluorocarbon leader. ESTUARY SPECIES There have been reports of some big whiting in the deep holes, which is unusual for this time of year; the colder

Mick Rennie with a beast taken casting deep snags, this time on a weedless rigged 7” Paddle Prawn.

Tannhym caught this flathead working a Paddle Prawn 4” over a receding sand flat. The raw prawn colour is a cracker when the water is clear.

Mick Rennie nailed this beauty while casting weedless plastics over a mud flat early in the morning.

months are usually better for these tasty prawn eaters. Mixed in with the whiting have been grunter and jacks, which will give you a run for your money when hooked on whiting gear. On a recent trip with my son, we broke out of our normal jack obsession and decided to throw a couple of lures for the good old flathead, which are quite prolific up this way. The same flatty areas that anglers fish down

south are productive in the north, and tapered, shallow sand bars are a prime location during the runout tide. Smaller hardbodies and soft plastics will catch them with ease when worked slowly around the sand bars in most of our waterways. Live baits are always well accepted by flatties, but the bite on a lure is very different and gives you a bigger adrenalin rush. A light 10lb braid spin or baitcaster combo is all that’s needed, and 20lb fluorocarbon leader is adequate for most flatties. PELAGICS Spanish mackerel have been around in big numbers – a stark contrast to the questionable research that led to a reduced bag limit. Because the bag

Working a small hardbody, like this Atomic Jerk Minnow, is a great technique for catching big lizards.

You know you’re in with a good chance when the sounder screen lights up like this.

Tannhym Hodge with a barra taken on a paddle-tail shad rigged weedless and fished in thick timber. Weedless is the only option for these scenarios. 36 NOVEMBER 2024

limit is now only one Spanish per person or two per boat, many anglers have been catching their limit quickly. Unfortunately, they often aren’t satisfied with their two fish, and keep fishing in the hopes of ‘upgrading’ to a bigger Spanish. If a bigger fish is

caught, these anglers toss the smaller fish over the side. This is just wasteful and teaches the sharks to follow boats closely. True, many sharks already follow boats, but we don’t want to make the problem worse. Traditional mackerel lures, such as the Halco Laser Pro 190 or the new 210, have produced as normal. Trolling wolf herring is also very popular, and with good reason – it just works. A slowtrolled wolfie has accounted for many fish for inshore anglers in hard-fished areas. Sharks can be a real issue with the wolfie tactic, but this is a risk with any form of fishing nowadays. Trolling a large gar chin-rigged on heavy wire, which lets you skull-drag in reasonable fish, will help you get sharked less often. Gear that’s heavy enough to stop the fish from turning and running, and which allows you to basically skip it across the surface, has been working

FMM

Tropical North QLD

well for some anglers. Billfish have been suspiciously absent from our local waters this year, with skilled anglers reporting only a few captures here and there. Part of the problem has been the weather, which has prevented many game fishers from getting out on the water, but others have reported less bait in normally productive locations. BOTTOM FISHING The deepwater fishery is the fastest-evolving fishery in the north at the moment. Most anglers purchasing electric combos have done so to minimise getting sharked

Once the sun goes down, it’s surface lures for us.

The motor oil UV Atomic Prong 4” is a good lure in water that’s a bit dirty. The coloured heads definitely make a difference to catch rates. in their normal fishing spots, only to discover new opportunities to fish even deeper. These reels have opened up a whole new world to northern anglers with big enough boats to fish in 100-200m+ of water. The main selling combos have

can land those unknown ooglies in extreme depths most of the time. Remember though – while you’ll beat more sharks with an electric outfit rather than conventional gear in sharky locations, you won’t beat them all. This means you need a sacrificial and deliberate weak spot to let you bust off a shark if necessary. For those who opt for 80-120lb braid and 150lb leaders, this may mean incorporating a lesser breaking strain trace from the leader to the hook. This gives you a ‘bailout’ option if need be. Without the ability to strike when deepwater fishing, circle hooks have proven to be the most widely accepted hook design. The most common sizes used are 9/0 and 10/0. THE MONTH AHEAD Many weather forecasters are predicting a massive wet season this year. By the time you read this, we may be experiencing an early onset, which will get those big barra on the move to

The author and Mick Rennie had a double hook-up on the Real Baitz Mullet while fishing a local deep hole. The bites on these things are super aggressive. been the Daiwa Tanacom, Seapower and Seaborgs, and Shimano Leobritz, Plays, Force Master and Beastmasters. The larger models in both brands are recommended for the extra deep stuff. With up to 50kg of drag pressure, you

do their spawny thing. Remember that the closed season starts on 1 November, which means you can’t specifically target barra until February next year. Until next month, stay safe and good luck.

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QLD Tropical North

FMM

Fingermark on the menu in November HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

During the last weeks in October, before the barra closure, we saw the water temps creep up and the barra start to respond to live baits fished on the flats, rocky spits and backwaters quite well. Most fish were in the 70-90cm range. After enduring one of the longest and coldest winters in a

which runs from Midnight 31 October 2024 until midnight 31 January 2025 in all tidal waters in Queensland. Fingermark or golden snapper will be a target of mine during the barra closure in November. Picking out those tides after the moons that become quite neap will be best bet at Hinchinbrook. Sourcing large greenback herring from around pylons and near structures is what I prefer for bait fishing. A good supply of soft vibes

Brett Murrie with a pretty coral trout.

An impressive Missionary Bay fingermark. long time we did not see the real red hot barra fishing last long before the season ended. Mangrove jack have also became a more regular capture for us during October as the water temps rose. They certainly thrive on those hot summer days and are a brilliant species to chase during the closed barramundi season,

in that 20-30g range I will also be using in among the baits. Threadfin salmon will be a fish that 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. Also, on big tides I often catch them on shallow rocky headlands in the fringing dirty water lines in Missionary Bay 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. Best to just try and dehook them in the water if it’s safe to do so. In my opinion,

just about impossible to escape them. November is also probably one of the last favourite months for coral trout. Areas around Otter Reef off Cardwell have been producing some real nice plate size models of late according to a lot of close friends of mine who have been out there. My new offshore charter vessel is still making progress and should hopefully be operational in November.

Steve Menso was pleased with his red throat capture. threadfin salmon fight harder and taste far better on the plate than barra do, they are one of my favourite species to chase. Sharks have been giving a lot of anglers a hiding during October with a lot of reports that up to 60% of fish hooked are being taken by them. Best practice has been to move on once one or two fish are taken at any given spot, but lately it seems 38 NOVEMBER 2024

It will accommodate up to six anglers and I will be offering it on a share charter basis. I’ll be disclosing further info on those trips closer to completion. • Now is the time to get in and secure your spot for the 2025 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.

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QLD Tropical North

FMM

Seeing red in the summer heat CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

The barra may be off the hit list, but there are still plenty of other fishing options in the Trinity Net Free Zone in November. The best time to chase a mangrove jack in the Trinity Net Free Zone is in November. The reason why these fish bite so hard in November is because

Crabs will be back on the move. it is build-up time. Build-up time means the stormy humid weather begins to build up and with it comes the jack bite. These hard-hitting fish are at their most aggressive when these conditions kick off and this is great news for Trinity Net Free Zone fishers. One of the coolest things I notice this time of year when

catching jacks is how red they get. It is almost like they shade that extra bit darker to match their temperament. In saying that, no matter what colour they are they will still smash a lure with extra venom, so it pays to be loading up rods and reels with some stronger line and leader. I won’t fish any lighter than 30lb braid and 40lb leader this time of year for jacks. Whilst it is overkill for smaller fish, when you start encountering those 45cm+ fish in tight country you really need that extra stopping capacity and be able to lock up everything when required. This includes burning a thump or two on the spool. Leader material is key and I like to use the Sunline FC Rock gear as it is still supple, which gives your lure that ability to swim freely but also tough enough to get wrapped around a snag or to without breaking. Lures are pretty simple. For snag bashing, paddle tail plastics between 3-5” are the go. In deeper timber prawn style plastics especially the new ZMan PrawnZ Elite will be your best choices. In the Inlet fishing the run-out tide will be your best bet for jacks. There will still be water on the snags and as the tide drops they will become more accessible to lures. Over the low tide, target the deeper snags as this is where the jacks will move to once the banks are high and dry.

In the Barron and Thematic and Moon Systems, I prefer the run-in tide as there are plenty of snags to cast at even in the low water. There are also some really good rock walls and debris from this year’s floods around, so they are worth casting at as well. The other species worth targeting this time of year are the flathead. These fish really fire up in the warmer water and will get right up in the shallows chasing bait fish. There is no better time to target these fish on top

Top water flathead fishing will be firing in November.

Jacks will be feeding aggressively this month.

water especially hardbody walk the dog lures. The water can never be low enough and make sure you get your lure as close to the bank as possible as this is where they will be. Finally, the crabs will begin to show up again and whilst they won’t be in hue numbers it will be worth putting a pot in or two. Next month we should see similar conditions with some rain mixed in as well. This will make fishing a little tougher especially if we get plenty of the wet stuff.

Heart of the season produces great fishing PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

With a more settled weather pattern and a steady flow of tourists we are on the verge for great overall fishing. However, there are a few pieces of the puzzle to overcome as you’ll read. We’ll start with the reef fishing, which is probably the most popular choice for punters at Fishing Port Douglas. It took until late September to offer this at a full day level due to the wind intensity. To be honest, the fishing has been red hot and no problem hooking into nannygai, spangled emperor, red emperor and coral trout. At times though, the ‘men in grey suits’ stole the show around the moons and made it difficult. We’ve experienced days where some cracking fish were hooked up one after another, but on the worst day we recorded re-rigging 40 terminal outfits. Some of the heads of the fish we did manage to boat showed they were thumping fish. There are certain sections of the reef to avoid, as the water temperatures increase the shark activity. Unfortunately, two sets of Reef Closures in October and November 40 NOVEMBER 2024

normally coincide with great weather and you can’t go fishing on the reef. Double this with three weeks of Spanish mackerel closures in both months only compounds the opportunity to go fishing as soon as you leave the harbour. The mackerel closure in particular is an extremely controversial topic introduced by the current state government. Back to the calm water inshore scene and fingermark have enjoyed the spike in water temperature. They’ve been around the 50cm mark for the most and using live sardines don’t miss the mark. Mixed in

whilst targeting them have been a few cod on the side. There’s been other species in different sections of the river and creeks, including queenfish, golden trevally and javelin fish, which seem to be around in reasonable numbers. The brilliant run on the barramundi is still the highlight up in our neck of the woods – it is the number 1 request by far! As I’m writing this, it is with a smile as our strike rate on charter has been right up there, maybe 70-80% of trips. They’ve been good thumping sized ones up to 85cm, probably averaging

There are still plenty of great captures between the closures!

70-75cm overall. From memory most have been caught using live bait with the odd one caught on lures, but only with good anglers. The turns of the tide are critical for an hour or so with low tide probably producing the strongest barra bite. In saying this we’ve been able to pluck them at random which shows they are fattening themselves up before the wet season. Unfortunately, their 3-month closure is basically upon us and any accidental catches must be released. It will go on record as the best barra season in over 20 years. The game fishing endeavours have gotten off to a slower start, which can happen year by year. The top of the Ribbon Reefs have picked up gradually recording marlin and other light tackle pelagics. The Port Douglas grounds have been awaiting some decent current to kick into gear on the shelf and then this will fire up. It’s likely this is already taking place as I write. Reminder, the Port Douglas Marlin Challenge 4-day tournament is from the 20-23 November and all based on good tides. This is a Blue Ribbon Event and you can reach out to me via www.fishingportdouglas.com.au if you are interested in competing.

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NOVEMBER 2024 41

QLD Tropical North

FMM

Rising excitement with increased heat COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

The fishing has risen to exciting levels due to the increase in temperatures and the fish are active and providing many great memories, with some sessions reaching the 50 fish mark.

saltwater crocodiles that I have seen lately definitely enforces the potential risks. I’ve been a little bit more warry and I’ve been thinking of a way to get my fish up away from danger, so I don’t have to be next to the water to retrieve them. I have a few ideas and will trial them and let you know next issue how I have done and what has worked. The closure of the barra season will allow them not to be targeted and the coastal areas should see the migration of large females around the headlands and wharf areas. They are impressive when you

Double hook up! reef fishing. The reef fishing is becoming more available as the southeasterly winds start easing. The wonky holes are also producing some nice large mouth nannygai – they are so much fun and pull like a freight train sometimes, especially when they get over 10kg. I love finding a new spot and it can be mayhem when the first squid bait reaches the bottom. The wonky holes seem to only hold a couple of fish but saying that I have experienced a few, which I left them biting. They are so nice to eat but I think my favourite is the fingermark and I’ve made it a priority to find more of them this year. The headlands and close shore reefs will be my hangout for the next few good days to see if I can find

Emily Kamholtz caught two pretty nannygai. Barramundi have been hungry and the water levels in the fresh are starting to drop. The larger waterholes and getting land-locked, the fish are desperately looking for food and waiting for the flush to come from the wet season rains. The rains could still be a few weeks or even months away but hopefully not too many fish die before they arrive allowing them to escape as the river levels rise again. This month has been incredible with some fun sessions, but my lures have taken a hammering and need to get some more made. There has been some media on Facebook about lures getting snagged and to leave them due to the potential for an ambush from a croc, which is good advice. The number of large

James with a decent barra. see them milling around the pillions at the wharf, especially as the water clears due to the calm waters at this time of the year. The bait school should also start to be a regular occurrence at the wharf and with it will come the pelagic species. We haven’t seen too

Jono is never disappointed with a great barra catch.

Barra love poppers! 42 NOVEMBER 2024

much mackerel around so far but hopefully that improves this month. The large Spanish can put up a show at the wharf and cause a frenzy of activity as all hands-on-deck are sometimes needed to help to get them away from the resident groupers as they get close to the wharf. They’ll be lots of fun and a great opportunity to get some fresh herring bait for

these great eating fish. Hopefully, the search is successful and I have some photos for next month’s issue. Lots of great opportunities and weather window for exploring and seeing what’s around to get the arms sore. I hangout for this time of the year and feel there is going to be lots of nice seafood dinner to share with family and friends this month.

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NOVEMBER 2024 43

QLD Tropical North

FMM

Plenty to focus on in the Cape CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

We are now into the closed season of the barramundi fishery in Cape York, and there is far less to talk about! But as all anglers know, life must go on despite the rules and regulations. Crayfish, Spanish mackerel, reef fish and barramundi are all off the cards at certain times late in the year. Fisherfolk need to be broader in their appreciation of their favourite pastime. In the meantime, it becomes harder and

fish for wild and exotic species. We just have to reach a little further into the box of tricks this time of year. So let’s look through what some of these options look like. Fly fishing in the

This epic diversity applies mainly to the east coast, however even the Gulf of Carpentaria coast offers an extraordinary diversity. Fly fishers who are part of the cool kids’ club

Giant herring play up in the shallows.

This 110cm barra was caught on a remote east coast creek mouth.

Clear water and white sand: a fly fisher’s dream. harder to run charter operations with restrictions overlaying prime weather windows. There are always wilder places to

FG KNOT

MADE EASY

are all out chasing permit and blue bastards on the flats these days. Large specimens of both species make the far northern flats their home and small crab profiles and occasionally shrimp and baitfish presentations will attract a fickle bite.

Cape has always been a bucket list experience for those chucking around fur and feathers. The diversity of fish species is truly astronomical with the inclusion of the Great Barrier Reef. Just last week, I fished two fly angers on a very slow day on the outer barrier reef. We had some incredible shots on big blue-hole residing giant trevally however all shots either ended up in misses, heartbreak or snap-offs. But even for a day when not much went right, we still managed 14 species on fly. In a 6-minute block, one angler caught an oceanic queenfish, a cale cale trevally, a tiny GT, a gold spot trevally, a rainbow runner and a shark mackerel from the same spot. The reef flats look amazing in November.

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A nice little milkfish taken on fly.

Tropical North QLD

FMM The west coast offers wadable flats, despite crocodiles being well and truly at home in this environment. Generally, conditions are clear enough to make wading in the shallows relatively safe. There are other species on offer which make this a world class fishery, especially north of Mapoon where conditions tend to be a little clearer, the winds sometime lighters and the skies brighter. The first half of the run-in tide will bring a whole host

a predatory fish in over the flats, including rays and sharks that will often have fish swimming with them. Slack spotted tuskfish are a prime species that looks incredible and is not too fussy when it comes to swallowing shrimps and crabs. The small models are a sinch, however the larger specimens are rugged fighters and a little shy by nature. Giant herring are another inshore speedster which are incredible to fight on the long wand.

Birds line up waiting for the tide. The live happily in areas of high current and tidal flow close to shore and will also come into shallow gutters and coastal rips to feed. Like most predators, they will happily feed on tiny white baitfish profiles such as a sparse clouser minnow. Chasing large marlin will be on the cards in the southern half of the Cape on both sides of the Cape. The odd black marlin and more plentiful sailfish will be

Expect hot calm mornings with great sight-fishing.

recorded along the west coast, while the Ribbon Reefs moving back towards Cairns is where the monster black marlin will be riding the oceanic currents, choosing their optimal temperature/ nutrient ratios. Let’s see how the fishers are fairing in November after the Halloween party at Lizard Island finishes on the 31 October at the tail end of the Game Fishing Classic!

Phases of the moon November 2024 The best moon phase for fishing typically revolves around the new and full moon phases. During the new moon (when the moon is not visible in the sky), and the full moon (when it’s fully illuminated), the gravitational pull of the moon is at its strongest, resulting in higher tides. This increase in tidal movement often triggers feeding behaviour in fish, making them more active and easier to catch. Additionally, during the new moon phase there is less moonlight, which can make it harder for fish to detect anglers, providing a stealthy advantage. Use this calendar as a guide to help choose the best days of the month to increase your chances of a catch.

SUNDAY

Brought to youON by BEST FISHING DAYS BASED LUNAR PHASES

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

November 2024

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

0 Z NEW MOON

Z Y X W V U T 10

FIRST QUARTER

S R Q P O N @ 17

FULL MOON

M L K J I H G 24

LAST QUARTER

F E D C B A A

KEY: BEST GOOD FAIR POOR

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QLD Freshwater

FMM

Lots of good fishing to be had this spring QLD FRESHWATER

Peter Jung

I piece together this report in early October, and I am genuinely excited about the freshwater fishing in the coming month. I have managed to get out and fish several of the waterways in this report recently and each of them fished better than expected and the quality of the fish on most occasions included what I would call fish of a lifetime. This time of the year is a fantastic time to visit our barramundi impoundments. I know that I only report on Awoonga, but there are SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND LAKE KURWONGBAH It is so good to see Kurwongbah’s fish population spreading throughout the lake. Up until recently the bass were concentrated in schools in the main basin and areas lining the old creek bed. To say the bite was fickle would be an understatement. The fickle bite and the Cabomba weed explosion the lake has experienced had many anglers scratching their heads. Warmer water temperatures have seen the fish slowly spread throughout the lake and onto the edge of the weed

Raymond Parry has a yearly visit to Somerset Dam with the author. This year’s visit was a good one, with fish like this 50cm golden perch eating one of Ray’s Obsession Spinnerbaits. zones. In theory this makes finding patches of active fish much easier. I say in theory as finding the edge of the weed zones can be a task in itself. Good lures to search for these weed edges without constantly hooking the weed are spinnerbaits or lipless crankbaits (I swap the trebles on these with inline singles to minimise hooking the weed). Once you find the right zones, the fishing in Kurwongbah can feel like it is easy and when this happens, enjoy it. Saratoga are another species that is present in Kurwongbah. These fish tend to use the weed/lily pads and the channels within them to patrol looking for food. Surface lures, shallow running hardbody lures or the previously mentioned lures will 46 NOVEMBER 2024

plenty of others that all hold trophy fish and just good fishing in general. This starts from Lake Monduran in the south to Lake Tinaroo in the far north. The Mackay region has a number of lakes with world class barramundi fishing as well as Eungella that has some of the best sooty grunter fishing you will find. Each holds the opportunity for a seasoned angler or a beginner to catch one of Australia’s iconic fishing species. Then you have the golden perch and Murray cod fishing in our southern lakes like Leslie and Glenlyon dams. Both waterways have been fishing very well. Leslie is certainly showing that all the hard work done by the local

stocking group has been worthwhile. Plenty of medium sized golden perch have been regular captures and cod anglers are also seeing the odd trophy fish being caught. It is great to see these waterways being recognised as fishing destinations by not only the locals, but by anglers everywhere. For those of you who have never caught an Australian bass, there is no better place to do so than in the southern corner of Queensland impoundments. From small urban waterways like Enoggera Reservoir and Lake Kurwongbah to the amazing Somerset dam and Lake Wivenhoe, you have the opportunity to tangle with this hard hitting, hard fighting

Aussie native. Whether you fish from a kayak or boat, you should be able to find a waterway that has a bass or two in it. November is the prime time to target any of these fish, before the water and outside temperatures change the fishes’ habits and locations, so get out and enjoy your local or not so local freshwater waterway. Don’t forget if you have any news you would like to place in the news section of this report, please email it to pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au and I will do my best to get it into the report. Until next month, see you later from PTP Fishing.

all work. You may just need to venture closer to the shoreline and prospect the areas with less weed. Another thing to be mindful of at Lake Kurwongbah is the other users of the waterway. As the weather warms the zone that the ski boats are allowed to operate, does get busier and although many of the ski boat operators are courteous to other users, some test the boundaries, so take care to minimise being in the main skiing areas and be aware of them being on the water. November will be a great month to try Lake Kurwongbah. • Lake Kurwongbah is a paddle craft only fishery. There are launching and zoning rules in place. To find out more about these rules go to the SEQ Water website and look up Lake Kurwongbah. SOMERSET DAM The lake is currently showing why it is considered to be the premier bass fishery in the region. The big bass continue to come for anglers fishing the deep contours of the lake. There are large schools of bass present in most of the popular locations. The Kirkleigh flats, Pelican Point, Red Rock and The Spit all offering up good fishing if the fish present, switch on. You have plenty of options to target these fish with. Most are choosing to roll a paddle tail soft plastic rigged on a 1/2oz-5/8oz jig head through the fish or do the same with a

metal spoon or soft vibe. Downsizing can also work if the fish remain tight lipped. Dropping small metal vibes to the bottom and then bringing them slightly off it before doing small lifts of

Besides that, the fishing was excellent. The best lures were 1/2oz spinnerbaits and medium sized deep diving hardbody lures. My lures of choice are 1/2oz Obsession

The bass in the upper reaches of the Somerset Dam tend to be a little smaller than their schooling counterparts. This doesn’t worry the author, especially when they hit his spinnerbait like this one did.

Lake Kurwongbah has a healthy population of southern saratoga in it. At the time of writing, anglers were having regular interactions with them. the rod tip (vertical jigging) can be the kryptonite to get the fish to bite. Talking to Tye from Somerset Tackle and the team at Fish N Bits another key is a bite window at 4pm and a little bit of wind to break the surface up. I only write this because on a recent trip I experienced this 4pm witching hour on three separate days. Each day there was a definite improvement in the fishing around that 4pm time, who would have thought. The main body of the lake is not the only place fishing well. The timbered zones in the upper reaches of the lake are also holding good numbers of fish. The bass tend to be a bit smaller than in the lake proper, but this is countered by some quality golden perch that call the area home as well as a good population of saratoga. I enjoy getting up into this 6-knot zone, especially when the main lake is getting busy with other users. It offers you a peaceful place to continue fishing. Mind you on a recent trip when I was well into the 6-knot zone we were still joined by a number of jet skiers hooning. I promptly reported them to SEQ Water, and I urge others to do the same.

Spinnerbaits in a single spin from their bass series. The GOAT, GM, Sunset and Ray’s Special colours are all proven fish catchers in Somerset. Good hardbody lures to try are the DUO Spearhead Ryuki 70MR and the Hide Up range of lures in various depths. You want your lure to be running mid water when you are running beside the standing timber in the area. I know I have at least one more trip planned for Somerset in November. • For up to date information on what’s biting and where to go, see Somerset Tackle and Boat Hire at Kirkleagh (right near the boat ramp). You can hire a boat or just pick up some tackle. Open 8:30am – 5:00pm Friday to Sunday ENOGGERA RESERVOIR Thank you for all the feedback about including Enoggera Reservoir in this report. It looks like many people were not aware of the fishing in this waterway and have given it a try. The feedback was generally positive, especially on how beautiful the waterway is. Many had experienced the lake and the surrounding national park via the walking trails and bike trails around it but had never looked to enjoy it from the water and maybe catch

Freshwater QLD

FMM a fish in the process. The other feedback was that finding the fish had been difficult. Having deeper edges than most of our lakes, the water temperatures always remain a little higher in Enoggera, meaning the transition of the fish from the deeper water to the edges can be a little slower and they may only inhabit small pockets in the waterway. November should see many more fish inhabiting the lily lined edges and make finding the fish a little easier to do. The one tip I will offer is to have a 5cm lipless crankbait in your arsenal of lures (again I replace the trebles with DARLING DOWNS AND GRANITE BELT COOBY DAM Another small waterway that has continued to fish well is Cooby. The fishing or at least where the concentrations of fish are holding has be the only real change. As the weather and water warms the fish tend to push back to the deeper drop offs and structure. Areas like the Sailing club and the rock wall should continue to produce fish for those people hopping small blades or Zerek Fish Traps. Either style of lure is deadly when you slowly work it down or around the drop offs and structure I have mentioned. Trolling is always a great option at CAPRICORN REGION AWOONGA DAM It is an exciting time of the year to visit our barramundi impoundments. The fish are enjoying the warmer water temperatures. They become more active and really fire up when hooked. It is also a time when topwater really comes into play in Awoonga. From before the sun comes up to late morning, topwater lures are an option. Barramundi are already an exciting fish to catch and having them take a surface lure is next level. Outside of the topwater, looking for points that the wind is blowing onto and the areas around them should be your priority. Even better if the wind has been

There are also some decent sized silver perch in Somerset. A GOAT coloured 1/2oz Obsession Spinnerbait was this one’s undoing.

Inline singles to help avoid hooking the lily pads). My favourite is the Rapala 5cm V-Blade or the Live Target Sonic Shad (3/8oz), however there are plenty of others out there. Another lure I have had success with is the Atomic Hardz Vib in the 6cm size. It is a smaller profile 6cm option that comes in a great range of colours and has caught me plenty of fish in Enoggera. Come and say hi if you see me there. • Enoggera Reservoir is a paddle craft only fishery. There is a launching area a small walk down from the Walkabout Creek carpark. There are rules relating to launching about on water activities.

To learn more about these rules go to the SEQ Water website and look up Enoggera Reservoir.

Cooby as well. The Hide Up range of divers are a great option. They come in a great range of diving depth options to suit where the fish may sitting on any given day. Bait anglers should also continue to do well. Frozen saltwater yabbies and shrimp are always good bait options. • Cooby is open to paddle and electric motor-powered craft. The gates are open from 6am-8pm. Fish’n’Bits tackle store in Toowoomba can help you out with all your bait and lure fishing needs. LESLIE DAM Leslie like many of the lakes in the district is fishing well. Any run of settled weather has had the fish on the chew on both lures and bait. Consistent water levels and lots of hard

work by the stocking group over the last 2-3 years are really showing on this waterway. It has been both golden perch and Murray cod that have been biting. John from Warwick Outdoors was pretty confident that the golden perch fishing should remain constant, while the cod fishing may taper off or at least the larger fish captures will become less common. Trolling has been the most productive method. It is a terrific way to cover lots of water. It is just a matter of adjusting your lure diving depths to the zones you are fishing. Once you find that zone, stick in it, as where there is one fish there should be more. Four metre divers were the go at the

time of writing. Bait anglers will also get their fair share of fish. Worms, fresh shrimp, or frozen saltwater yabbies are your best options. Fishing with bait can be a little fickle if a cooler run of weather occurs, so focus your efforts when there has been 2-3 days of better weather. If you want to support the Warwick Fish Stocking Association, they are running a Family Fishing competition on the 15 November at Leslie. Join in and help them to continue to improve this fishery. • The local blokes at Warwick Outdoor and Sport in Palmerin Street can point in you in the right direction and hook you up with the good gear and bait to catch the fish at Leslie.

blowing on that area for several days. The fish will sit a little wider while the sun is high in the sky, but they then will work their way to edge later in the day and into the evening. Most anglers will focus on being on the water fishing in the periods leading into and during first and last light. You will see from the images within this report that some monster fish are being caught and Awoonga’s sister fishery Lake Monduran is also fishing well. • Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing (0407 273 221) run guided trips on the lake. Both cater to the needs of the angler and can do fly or conventional tackle trips to target the lake’s barramundi. It is hard to beat time on the water and a guided trip is a fantastic way to learn more about this lake and its fish.

A beautiful example of one the larger bass that can be caught in Enoggera Reservoir. The author likes using a Rapala 5cm V-Blade with the trebles replaced with inline singles.

All of our Queensland barramundi impoundments will be fishing well in November. It is fish like this one that keep people coming back to Lake Awoonga.

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This Lake Awoonga barramundi was one of many caught on a Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing charter at the Lake.

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FEATURE

Location

FMM

Get started on catching cod in the QLD creeks NORTH QUEENSLAND

Joe Nugent

Holding the title as Australia’s largest freshwater fish, Murray cod are known for their aggressive strikes and powerful fights. With their impressive size and dirty tactics, big cod have been the subject of many anglers’ “one that got away” stories.

Murray cod can be found throughout the Murray Darling Basin – a network of rivers and streams spanning from southern QLD to Northern Victoria. Unfortunately, commercial fishing in the 19th century had a massive impact on the population, a consequence of which anglers still pay the price today. Cod numbers are at an estimated 10-15% of their pre-settlement numbers, and their recovery is hampered

The author with a healthy cod from an early morning session. 48 NOVEMBER 2024

by habitat destruction, weather events and overfishing. Nonetheless, for many anglers, the challenge of pursuing these elusive fish is part of the appeal. Murray cod are one of our most popular sportfish, both in the rivers and impoundments. Typical Murray cod measure 50-100cm and weigh 5-20kg. However, in ideal conditions, it’s possible for a Murray cod to grow over 1.5m and weigh over 100kg! Like other species of freshwater cod, they are predominantly ambush feeders. These sedentary fish spend most of their time lurking deep within structure, waiting for prey to pass by. They feed on baitfish, redclaw/yabbies, birds, lizards, snakes, and more. Throughout the year, cod behaviour changes slightly. During winter, smaller fish tend to shut down and conserve energy, while larger fish continue to feed in order to maintain their size and weight prior to spawning. Spawning typically occurs during spring each year. Unlike some other species in stocked impoundments (e.g. barramundi and bass), which require salt/brackish water to breed, there’s evidence that Murray cod can reproduce in freshwater. For this reason, state regulations prohibit targeting Murray cod during the vulnerable spawning period.

Walking the banks in search of cod. Rules vary from state to state, so check your local regulations before hitting the water. QLD MURRAY COD Murray cod can be found throughout Southern QLD in rivers and stocked impoundments. Although the largest cod are generally caught in impoundments, I prefer to target wild cod. I focus my efforts on walking the banks of smaller rivers and streams which meander their way through Southern QLD, and across the border

Location FEATURE

FMM

into NSW. This region includes a mixture of private farmland and National Parks, which provide access to various creek systems within the Murray Darling basin. Targeting cod in this area is a rewarding experience. The border of QLD and NSW is a well-known tourist destination for hikers and campers, and

for different depths and water flow. At a minimum, I’ll carry a surface lure, a hardbody and a spinnerbait. This allows me to significantly vary the presentations on offer and easily adjust my fishing style when needed. Given the sophistication and craftsmanship of some cod lures, prices vary drastically, from $10-$100+. If you’re on a strict budget, don’t overlook some of the simpler, triedand-true lures on the market. They may not be handmade or feature intricate paintwork, but off-the-shelf lures are a cost-effective way for the weekend fisho to get into cod fishing. On the cheaper end of the scale, retailing for about $15, the Size 2 StumpJumper from JJS Lures is one of my favourite and most reliable cod lures. I prefer natural colours that match the surrounding structure; anything green is usually a good starting point. Cod can also be targeted using bait. Small fish, worms, yabbies, dim sims and cheese are all common baits for cod. Many old-school cod fishers swear by using cheese. It’s unclear whether the cod are attracted to the cheese itself or the baitfish that it attracts, but nonetheless,

CLOSED SEASON FOR COD Queensland NSW Victoria South Australia

1 Aug - 31 Oct 1 Sept - 30 Nov 1 Sept - 30 Nov 1 Aug - 31 Dec

* Exceptions apply. Please check your local state regulations for further information.

Size 2 StumpJumpers are a costeffective and reliable lure. many of the creeks are found within the deep, granite-lined valleys surrounded by steep, mountainous terrain. There’s something special about being on the water before sunrise and watching the early morning fog roll off the mountains above. Cod in this area generally aren’t massive, but can be found in good numbers. Make no mistake, although there are fish throughout this area, you will have to work for them! They are elusive and temperamental, requiring a great deal of patience and persistence to achieve success. CATCHING A COD Given Murray cod have such a broad diet, there are hundreds of different lure and bait combinations marketed at catching cod. When it comes to fishing small creeks, it’s wise to carry a variety of lures, and adjust your fishing style to cater

volunteers are also working to improve the habitat of river systems by removing pests, re-snagging rivers and reducing bankside erosion. For anglers, the most effective way to help is to do the right thing with regard to size limits, bag limits and closed seasons. After all, the best thing about Murray cod is the thrill of catching them, and the enjoyment of being outdoors.

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it catches cod all across the country. The most important aspect when trying to trigger a cod to strike is working close to the structure. Cod tend to set themselves up deep within structure, waiting patiently for bait to move within striking distance. When lure fishing, make sure your casts are accurate, and the lure is worked appropriately, keeping it as close as possible to the structure. Cod strike hard and love to dart back into the structure they came from, so you need to use an adequate set-up to avoid disappointment. A barra outfit can be a good option, if you have one. My go-to is a baitcaster combo with 50lb braid and 50lb mono leader. Having an adequately-sized leader is vital to a good cod set-up – not only to avoid being broken off by a snag, but to avoid getting rubbed off by the rough plates on the top and bottom of the cod’s mouth. If you catch multiple fish in a session, or have an extended battle with a giant, these plates can easily rub through smaller leaders. AFTER THE CATCH It’s rare to find an angler who is willing to keep a Murray cod – not because they taste bad, but because most anglers want to protect these iconic sportfish. Still sitting at a fraction of their pre-settlement population size, the road to recovery is a long one for this slow-growing species. Many restocking groups, both government and private, exist throughout the country. These organisations are reintroducing and restocking Murray cod populations, both wild and captive. Staff and

Riley was stoked with his first Murray cod, taken slow rolling a hardbody alongside submerged timber. NOVEMBER 2024 49

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NOVEMBER 2024 51

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Sydney

FMM

Get ready for some hot sessions off the rocks SYDNEY ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

This month, we have some major migrations of species occurring off the beaches, including whiting, mulloway, and the start of the tailor run. And off the rocks, kingfish and bonito should be in numbers later this month, along with bream and snapper. And the so-called winter species, like rock blackfish and luderick, will be on as well.

the south coast. The cabbage weed is flourishing thanks to the warmer days and the reduction in the winter/ spring westerly winds, which often bleach the weed. Have you ever had a meal of rock blackfish? If not, you are really missing out! Luderick are often found in similar areas to the pigs, although the pigs prefer rougher terrain like boulders, and steep ledges in around 1.5-4m of water. Prawns are great bait for this species. I prefer to use the larger

Rock blackfish prefer the shallower, rough terrain where their caves, holes and gutters are. I suggest Manly’s Little Bluey next to Shelly Headland, freshwater pool and surrounding rocks or North Curl Curl boulders. The evergreen Long Reef at Collaroy also has a lot of areas to choose from, and Mona Vale Rocks fish quite well too for both pigs and luderick. If you want to use weed in these areas, you may need to bring your own because it’s illegal to harvest weed from North Curl Curl, Long Reef and Mona Vale Headland (not to be confused with Mona Vale basin rocks). Snapper and kings are two of my favourite species, and November is a good month to target them. Try fishing the sudsy white water in depths of around 5m, to the deepest ledges in Sydney (around 18-20m) right in close. This could get you onto a good king or snapper. Wash fishing for snapper will often get you onto a mix of species, which vary according to the time of year. For example, in winter you’ll find trevally can be the bulk of the catch, along with snapper, bream and salmon/tailor. During the warmer months, the most common snapper by-catch consists of small kings, bonito, some trevally, and bream. The best baits are half pilchards,

Jonathan Hidalgo with a nice bag of rock blackfish. They’re pugnacious fighters and are one of the tastiest fish in the ocean. bait. However, that hook size is too big for your plate-size snapper, trevally and bream. If you do get a deep hook-up and can’t easily dislodge the hook, just snip the line close to the mouth and release the fish back into the ocean. This will

John Halford with a 60cm red. This fish was caught over an abrasive shallow reef dropping off into deep water. The line was so damaged that the fish was landed just in time. I always get pretty excited in November, anticipating what we will catch. The hard part is choosing what to target. ROCK FISHING Many anglers stop fishing for a species when they think they’re not in season. For example, rock blackfish are targeted by most rock anglers in the winter months, but not in spring. However, November is a great month for them, especially from the southern section of the mid-north coast to

prawn varieties like king, banana and endeavour prawns, and I like them peeled as well. The smaller prawns also work well, and can be used peeled or unpeeled. And, of course, white bread is an obvious bait because it’s often used when berleying up for this species. A mix of species are often caught in these areas, including luderick, trevally, bream and even the odd snapper and more. And if you want to avoid most of the annoying by-catch, cabbage weed baits work well.

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Richard Schonell with a night-time bream. You can enjoy some great sessions when they come right into the shallows. squid strips and the larger prawn varieties. Bonito is also a great bait (and berley), and you can catch plenty of them when they’re in season. Hook size is important, and I recommend larger hooks from 2/0 to 3/0. This minimises gut-hooking undersize fish, especially snapper. Undersize kings, unfortunately, can scoff down a 5/0-6/0 and a largish

give it the best chance of surviving – especially if you use non-stainless hooks. As the hook starts to rust, it will drop out of the fish. Hooks are not so expensive that you have to use stainless ones and kill undersized fish. Don’t be stingy; it’s only a hook! This month, the kings will be migrating in numbers, and they can be sizeable fish, too. I recommend

Sydney NSW

FMM using a 24-37kg outfit. Live baits like slimy mackerel are great if you can get them, and live yellowtail are also good and are more readily available. Alternatively, you can bring in your own live bait caught at a jetty or public wharf in the harbour or Pittwater. You will need a decent aerator to keep your live baits alive in a bucket of saltwater to transport them to your rock spot. It’s not necessary to have 15L of water; 5-7L will be ample from your car to the location. You can then change the water when necessary at most rock spots. Lures work well for kingfish, and I’ve had good results on the Saltiga Rough Ride 160mm and the Over There 130mm. When it comes to soft plastics, the Bait Junkie 7” Jerk Shads with a 6/0-7/0, 1/2-1oz jighead will suit most situations. And if, by some chance, you can get eastern sea gars, they work great! BEACH FISHING Even though it’s November, the water is still alternating between warm and cool temperatures. That means the salmon are still available, and you can encounter some large fish up to 70cm+. They go really hard, especially on 3-4kg outfits, ripping off a lot of line. Salmon are often encountered by anglers targeting whiting or bream, and will readily pick up worm baits or smaller fish baits. However, spinning metals is the most popular way to fish for salmon. I usually use OT jigs in the

The author has caught a lot of snapper over the years, but it never gets old. It’s heart racing when you’re fishing in close, and you need to wash the fish up with a wave to land it. 20-30g sizes. A pilchard on a set of three 3/0 to 4/0 hook gang hooks is a great tried and tested method. If you’re fortunate, you may even catch a mulloway. Speaking of mulloway, November is a great time to target these fish. Live whiting, dart, tarwhine, yellowtail and mullet are all good baits. Fresh squid (either strips or whole) is also an awesome bait. If you cannot get fresh baits for

a night-time mulloway session, try California squid, whole bonito or mullet from your local tackle shop. These baits might not be as good, but at the end of the day you’re better off fishing with store-bought bait rather than cancelling the trip because you couldn’t get fresh/live bait. Just make sure that the baits aren’t freezer burnt. If you’re using bonito, you should fillet it and slice it lengthways, giving you 2-3 large baits. With mullet, make sure

you scale them because their scales can stop a good hook-up. You’ll find the whiting coming on the bite this month in larger numbers. As usual, you want to have the best bait possible for them. Live beach worms are great. Blood worms are even better, if you can pump the mud in the estuary for them. Pumping yabbies on a low tide flat works well too, and will generally get you onto the whiting and bream. Palm Beach all the way to Manly Beach will get you on to any of these species. My picks are North Narrabeen and Dee Why Beach for the whiting and mulloway, and Curl Curl and Newport for the salmon. Get yourself ready for this season’s whiting, beach mulloway, and off the rocks for kings, snapper and more. If you get the opportunity for a fish, plan it out and have a lot of fun with this fresh migration. • Alex Bellissimo is an experienced rock fishing guide with proven teaching formulas. If you’re an experienced angler, he will bring your abilities to new heights. And if you’re new to rock fishing, Alex will teach you all the fundamentals so you can consistently catch fish -- and stay safe at the same time. All tackle and bait is supplied. To find out more, visit www. bellissimocharters.com.au, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com.au, or call Alex on 0408 283 616.

FISHING NEWS

Fisheries officers seize illegal catches Sydney Fisheries Officers regularly patrol the coastline, including Aquatic Reserves and Intertidal Protected Areas. In mid-October, NSW DPIRD Fisheries Officers from Sydney North and the Marine Estate Mobile Squad apprehended three individuals within the Long Reef Aquatic Reserve – the oldest reserve of its kind in NSW, established in 1980 to conserve its diverse marine life and habitats.

These individuals were found with 2,667 molluscs, contravening the Aquatic Reserve notification. In addition to collecting within the Aquatic Reserve, these offenders were also found in possession of more than the daily bag limit for molluscs, did not have valid Recreational Fishing Fee Receipts, and were in possession of shucked turban snails. Compliance outcomes under the Marine Estate Management Act 2014,

Three individuals were found with 2667 molluscs from a marine reserve.

Fisheries Management Act 1994 and Fisheries Management (General) Regulation 2019 will follow. Black market crabs In late September, an Iluka man was convicted and fined nearly $28,000 on 12 charges related to the illegal take and sale of mud crabs. The case was heard at Maclean Local Court, where he pled guilty. Earlier this year, Fisheries Officers from the Clarence District and the Statewide Operations and Investigations Group apprehended him and his partner while in possession of 50 mud crabs. This arrest followed a lengthy surveillance period that uncovered their activities of taking mud crabs from NSW waters to sell without a Commercial Fishing Licence. At the time of apprehension, the man’s vessel was seized along with 50 mud crabs, fishing gear and his mobile phone. In addition to the fine, he received an 18-month Community Correction Order, and his vessel and trailer were forfeited to the State. His partner was also issued two penalty notices totalling $1,000 for her involvement. The black-market sale of fish is a serious Fisheries offence, and Fisheries are committed to targeting those involved in such illegal activities.

This illegal haul of mud crabs cost the perpetrator his boat, gear, and $28,000. Regulations and closures are available online and on the free NSW Fisheries FishSmart app. The public are reminded to report suspected illegal fishing activity to the Fishers Watch phone line on 1800 043 536 or online at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/ compliance. - FMG NOVEMBER 2024 53

NSW

Sydney

FMM

Spring bounty for anglers in local waterways SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Early in my fishing career, I used to think that squid were only a winter option. I was so far from the truth that it’s silly; squid are definitely a yearround option. Many readers have asked me where to go to catch a few squid in the southern Sydney area. If I told you there are literally hundreds of places to try, you most probably wouldn’t believe

Koby from Fergos Tackle World at Taren Point has been catching some nice squid in the Port Hacking River. Pink is not a bad colour to start with. me! You don’t have to have a boat, either; you can try a local jetty/wharf, a rocky shoreline or even just over the sand. To help you get started, I will give you 10 locations in Botany Bay and 10 in the Port Hacking River. In Botany Bay, you could try Brown’s Rock on the eastern side of the Little Congwong Beach, Bare Island, The northwest corner of Yarra Bay, the break wall at Port Botany, any of the groynes from Brighton to Dolls Point, any of the groynes along Silver Beach at Kurnell, the Kurnell Peninsula, the drums in the middle of the bay, the tugs near the oil wharf and Watts Reef. In the Port Hacking River, you can try Boat Harbour, Shark Island, The Merries reef, Windy Point, Jibbon Point, Bundenna Wharf, Lilli Pilli Baths, Gunnamatta Bay Baths, Gymea Bay Baths and the main channel from the entrance to Burraneer Bay to Lilli Pilli. If you’d like to gain valuable insights into Australian squid species and habits, I highly recommend reading 54 NOVEMBER 2024

the Australian Fisheries Resources book, first published in 1993. There were so many things I didn’t know about Australian fish and squid before I read this book. It’s no longer in print but there are second-hand copies available online. FISHING IN NOVEMBER November will see the numbers of kingfish, bream, flathead and silver trevally increase in the southern Sydney area. If you want to target them while at anchor, you will need to berley and fish as light as possible to increase your chances to get amongst a few. When I’m targeting kingfish, I spend of lot of time trying to get a few baits. In my experience, this tends to get better results. Live squid, yellowtail, slimy mackerel, garfish, mullet and prawns are my favourite baits. If you don’t have time to go out and get live baits, I recommend heading to Mac’s Bait Bar and getting some of their fresh Hawkesbury River squid and prawns, or even a few live beach worms or live prawns. Places that are worth a shot from the land in Botany Bay for kingfish are Bare Island, Brown’s Rock, the Port Botany break wall, the break walls at the end of the Cooks River, the sand bar off Dolls Point and splashy at Kurnell. From a boat, the most popular spot is Trevally Alley, but you could try the oil wharf, Watts Reef, The Drums, the ends of the runways and the sticks off Silver Beach. Bream, trevally, cowanyoung and slimy mackerel can also be caught here. For those of you who prefer to drift rather and fish while at anchor you could try Yarra Bay, in 4-5m of water off Towra Point, between the Captain Cook and Tom Uglys bridges, from Kangaroo Point and upstream to the bridge at Como and the stretch of water near the old ferry pads at Lugarno. If you have a boat, you could try any

There are a number of land-based spots that produce bass in the southern Sydney area. Check out Google Maps and you could get yourself a well-conditioned bass like Joel Cook did. of the deeper bays in the Port Hacking River for kingfish, especially in and around the boast on swing moorings, the marinas and the port and starboard markers and drums. The baths at Lilli Pilli, Gymea and Gunnamatta tend to get crowded on weekends, so try to time your fishing sessions during the week. South-west Arm is a great place to explore for kingfish, bream, trevally, leatherjackets, mulloway, squid and tailor. Having a good depth sounder will increase your chances, and if you want some advice, come and see us at BCF at Taren Point and we’ll take you through them and what they are capable of. Over the past month, the beaches in Bate Bay have been the place to go for Australian salmon, tailor, whiting, bream and dart. The two best baits by far have been beach worms and pilchards. Offshore, the inshore reefs have been producing snapper, morwong, pigfish, trevally and tarwhine. Try

using half pilchards or garfish, strips of squid, or salted-down slimy mackerel. Sand and tiger flathead are also an option north and south of the entrances to Botany Bay and the Port Hacking. Try the 30m depth for the sand flathead and wider for the tigers. Don’t forget to keep those photos coming in, and subscribe to the ‘Gary Brown Fishing’ YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/@

Andy Sparon with a mulloway that gave him a great fight on light gear. Try working soft plastics and blades around the bridge pylons in the Georges and Woronora rivers.

There are some great size tailor about at the moment, with plenty of fish taking surface poppers and stickbaits.

garybrownfishing8574). The monthly fishing photo competition at the BCF store at Taren Point will keep running until October 2025. All you need to do is catch a fish (it doesn’t have to be big), bring in a photo of you with it and what lure you caught it on, and you will go into a monthly draw of a ZMan/TT’s prize pack. If you also make a small donation to Ozfish at the shop, you will receive an extra entry, and if you also catch the fish on a ZMan or TT jighead you will receive another entry. The winner will be drawn out of a hat at the shop.

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Big flathead and jacks are on the cards BALLINA

Anthony Melchior

An unexpected East Coast low hit our shores at the start of October, with many smaller storms resulting in a big deluge of rain. We saw the river in Lismore rise around 3-6m in some areas, due to the huge fresh getting pushed down. It’s slightly uncommon for this time of the year, but not to worry because it may have pushed the last of the big

colours in the dirty water. You want your lure to look like a mullet minding his own business in the water. Try to get your hands on some 1-2oz jigheads with a 5/0-7/0 heavy gauge hook so you don’t lose any of the big silver ghosts. Inshore, the longtail tuna have been cruising around in large numbers. There have been some reports of blokes getting a few around the 8-10kg mark, which are trophy fish on light gear.

Damon with a solid bass from the upper reaches of the system. these guys on the sand and mud flats all the way up the river from the break walls on small/medium-sized plastics. Don’t be afraid to live bait

on the flats, either. Try throwing out a live poddy mullet and let him get taken across the flat with the tide. No sinker is needed – just let the

Josh with a cracker longtail tuna. mulloway out of the river and into our close inshore and offshore reefs. Whilst writing this article we were still getting a few metre-plus mulloway in the lower parts of

If we get some more hot weather and the sea temperatures rise, we can expect to see a few of Spanish mackerel and spotties. They are starting to make their way through

Josh with a massive flathead that measured 94cm.

A 62cm red beast caught by Angus. the Richmond River system. A big number of smaller school jew in the 30-60cm range are still around in the river, too. Don’t be afraid to get out on the break walls and throw big 5-7” paddle-tail plastics in more solid 56 NOVEMBER 2024

the bait and snapper grounds inshore and offshore. RIVER/ESTUARY The flatties have been making their way upstream, with a few caught up as far as Woodburn. You can catch

Dylan with a cracker river bass caught in dirty water.

Byron Coast NSW

FMM

Golden barra project takes aim at basa imports James Cook University researchers and Mainstream Aquaculture are a step closer to unlocking the mysteries of gold and platinum barramundi after identifying what gives the species their unique looks. The study, recently published in the scientific journal Aquaculture, revealed that genes in the pigment-producing cells in gold and platinum barra lacked the ability to produce melanin and other pigments. “Without the black and silver melanin shading in the skin, the other pigment cells that produce yellow and gold colours come through to make the fish look gold,” said Professor Dean Jerry, study co-author and Director of the ARC Research Hub for Supercharging Tropical Aquaculture through Genetic Solutions at James Cook University. “In the case of platinum fish, it appears

as if both melanin and yellow pigment cells stop producing pigments, leaving the fish to be white/platinum in colour.” Prof Jerry said the flesh of the golden barramundi had a lighter, whiter appearance compared to the greyer flesh of a regular barramundi. “It does not change the eating qualities of the fish – golden barramundi have the same great taste and texture that we know of, but they look more attractive as a fillet to the consumer,” he said. “One of the things that can put the consumer off a regular barramundi fillet is that when you compare it to, say, an imported Basa catfish fillet from Vietnam, it looks grey which wrongly gives the impression that it isn’t fresh.” The project, which has been running for two years and conducted by postdoctoral researcher Dr Roberta Marcoli, studied barramundi of varying colours,

including golden coloured barramundi produced by industry partner Mainstream Aquaculture, which has large numbers of golden barramundi broodstock in their hatchery. Prof Jerry said now that it was

bait do its thing. You can catch some very big flatties this way. Glidebaits are also a good option when chasing bigger flathead. You want your glidebait to move the same way that your live bait does, so twitch and pause it and bang – hang on! Go into your local bait and tackle shop and have a look out for these lures. I really recommend

throwing them for big flatties. With our water starting to warm up, we are starting to see our red toothy friends, the mangrove jacks, firing up along the rock walls. Our rivers around home aren’t known to hold large numbers of jacks, but we still get some very decent sized fish. A young local angler, Angus, recently caught a horse of a jack

going 62cm. The colours of these bigger models are very cool! If we get some decent weather and clearer water, we should start to see plenty of good-size whiting turning up. Try out on the sand flats in the river to get some fresh yabbies. Yabbies have proved time and again to be an excellent way to catch whiting. If you prefer to

understood which genes contribute to producing a golden barramundi, the team can look within those genes to identify fish with the desired genetic variation, and improve Mainstream Aquaculture’s ability to selectively breed them. - JCU

A school of gold barramundi. Image courtesy of Mainstream Aquaculture. fish with lures, there are a few soft plastics that imitate yabbies, and you can throw them lightly weighted across the flats. The Alpha Blokes Podcast guys make an Alpha Yabby, which works well, if you’re looking for an alternative. Until next time, tight lines and stay safe out on the water.

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NSW

Coffs Coast

FMM

Quality snapper are everywhere in close COFFS COAST

Rob Taylor

November is always an exciting time of year as we barrel into the home stretch for 2024. We come out of a few slow months of fishing to be greeted by warmer weather, warmer water and hungry fish. At this time of year we also start to see a changeover of species, as the winter fish wind down and the pelagics begin moving in. The promise of a solid pelagic run gets everyone hopeful and excited. Loads of kingfish have turned up at

great times to chase luderick. Drifting a float along a rock wall, baited with cabbage or hair, is a great way to spend an afternoon and teach a kid the fine art of luderick fishing. Kids can learn a lot from chasing the humble luderick as it’s a fishing technique that teaches patience, presentation, timing and finesse. All skills which make a great angler. Mangrove jack have started firing up, and plenty of solid red dogs have been hitting the river banks, kayaks, cast platforms and footpaths along river bridges. Some truly thumping jacks over the magic 50cm mark have been caught

Local angler Finn with a big snapper he caught during a session with Coffs Harbour’s red legend, Brad Bye.

Fish like this in November would have been unheard of years ago, but several large longtails were landed from the rocks recently, and plenty of fish are actively feeding south of Port Stephens. The author had to share this fish with the sharks. the islands, and snapper are everywhere in close. There’s been some fantastic snapper on plastics action in close, and some big fish have been caught and released. Mahimahi are on the traps, FAD and wave recorder, so a good feed is certainly on offer for the boaties. There’s the odd big bull mahi in amongst them too, so keep an eye out for them. They tend to be quite curious, swimming close to boats with a few cows in tow. It’s almost as if they’re begging to be caught and barbecued! Still, if you had five stalkers closely following your every move, you might want to be barbecued, too. Striped marlin are working the 100m line in singles and pods. Pulling skirts with a teaser or two will usually raise a couple of stripes. It won’t be long until some blues enter the fray to make things interesting. CREEKS AND RIVERS All the local creeks and rivers are fishing well, and things will only improve as we head into summer. The main targets are flathead and whiting, although there are still a lot of bream. You can also have some fun fishing for luderick along the rock walls at this time of year. The last of the run-out and beginning of the run-in tides are 58 NOVEMBER 2024

already, and we seem to be getting a better mangrove jack fishery every year. Live baiting, flicking lures/plastics, and even dead baits all work on jacks, but

the big ones tend to be taken at night on live baits. The truly thumping jacks usually hang around the road bridges and marina pylons at night, although that kind of territory can make them hard to extract. ROCKS AND BEACHES The rocks can be quiet in November and December in terms of the big pelagics such as longtail and Spanish mackerel. However, there will be loads of bonito, mac tuna and even the odd Australian salmon patrolling the headlands just outside the wash lines for the light spin brigade. Light casting outfits capable of flicking 30-55g metals and stickbaits are all that’s needed for a session off the rocks. Third Headland, Sawtell Headland, Trapdoors, Gallows,

Kenny Miller welcomed this sunrise session with a thumping red. The smile says it all.

Muttonbird Island, Charlesworth Bay and Moonee are all great headlands to walk and explore for smaller pelagics and tailor. There have been plenty of smaller mulloway in the washes. The larger paddle-tail plastics or big crankbaits by Croaker and Jollip are deadly effective and might also tempt that 30kg giant as it wobbles past. Find areas with plenty of white water close to the rocks and work lures slowly at varying depths. The best times usually coincide with heavy rain periods when nearby creeks and rivers pour out brown water with loads of bait. Big jew love those messy days and provide a great alternative when the rivers are too dirty, offshore has too much swell and the beaches are blown out. Take care though as the rocks and break walls can be deadly in these conditions. No fish is work risking your life – not even a trophy mulloway. OFFSHORE To succeed offshore in November you need to be clear in your mind about the species you are targeting. Unlike summer, when all you need to do is troll a live slimy mackerel around for any number of different species, success in November means focussing on your intended target. This will usually be snapper, kingfish, mahimahi or pearl perch. Snapper are plentiful this month and the big ones are generally taken on plastics. Mid-range fish make up the majority of bait-caught snapper by either floatlining in the shallows or on paternosters out deeper. Kingfish are a popular target at this time of year and the schools are easy to spot as they mill about the surface at south and split solitary islands. Look for the side of the island with the most current, and if you can’t see them on top, troll lures while keeping an eye on

Coffs Coast NSW

FMM your sounder and you will find them soon enough. Halco Laser Pros are a reliable lure to find fish. Early mornings can sometimes produce huge kings on stickbaits but the big fish will head deep once too many boats turn up. For a certain feed, check the FAD, fish traps or wave recorder for the ever-

reliable summer dollies (be sure to get there early to beat the boats). A tank full of live slimies will get you some beautiful mahi fillets pretty quickly. If the FAD or a particular set of traps doesn’t produce fish in the first few minutes, move on to the next set of floats. You will know straight away if dollies are home.

FISHING NEWS

New colours for Northern Tide dresses The iconic Northern Tide fishing dresses are now available in eight eye-catching new colours. The Jersey Dresses now come Blue-Rose and Purple-Boho patterns, while the Fishing Shirt Dresses are now available in Deep-Navy, Iced-Lilac, Mint-Green, Rich-Berry, Sugar-Pink. There have also been additions to the children’s range; the Young Crew Jersey Dress now comes in a Beach-Haze pattern and also Purple Boho, so the littlies can enjoy wearing a dress that matches Mum’s. ABOUT THE RANGE Northern Tide Apparel is based in the Northern Territory, where the sun is strong and the fishing is insane! Owner Danielle is the woman behind the brand that’s credited with designing and creating the first female fishing dress. “I struggled to find cute women’s fishing gear or, for that matter, any appropriate women’s fishing gear,” she explained. “Usually, the only choice was to wear an oversized male fishing shirt or be over-exposed to the sun. I wanted to not only be comfortable but also to feel more feminine, and that’s how the concept of the Jersey Fishing Dress came about.” Daniel spent years perfecting her eye-catching yet practical styles, which suit most body types and are cool and comfortable. “We strive to empower women to feel good and look amazing whilst enjoying the outdoor activity they love,” Danielle said. “We are also committed to delivering high quality UPF50+

ARPANSA certified fabrics journey.” The range has expanded a lot since the early days, with the two most popular options being the Shirt Dress and Jersey Dress. SHIRT DRESS The Shirt Dress is a high-performance, ultra-lightweight garment that feels like second skin. It is designed to be a little roomy, for maximum comfort. Features include: UPF 50+ certified material; ultralightweight, high-performance fabric with stretch for a sleek, stunning silhouette; and a curved hem and side split, embracing and flattering various body shapes. The Shirt Dress is available in nine colours, and sizes range from XS to 3XL. It also comes in kids sizes, from 18 months to 12 years. JERSEY DRESS The Jersey Dress is made from a lightweight, high-performance material for a sleek and flattering fit. It has a collarless design with an internal print panel for a unique touch. It’s made from ARPANSA-certified UPF50+ fabric for superior sun protection, and its extra-long zipper allows for easy cooling without removing the dress. The cuff has thumb holes to protect hands when sleeves are down, and the cuff stays in place when rolled up. The Jersey Dress is available in nine colours/patterns, and sizes range from 6-22. For more information on the full range and colours, or to buy a dress online, visit northerntideapparel.com. You can also find these dresses at select tackle and outdoor stores nationwide. – FMG

Brad with a solid red. It shows the quality of the snapper fishing off Coffs at this time of year.

NOVEMBER 2024 59

NSW

Coffs Coast

FMM

Healthy mixed bags from estuaries and offshore SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Vic Levett

With summer only a few weeks away, the fish seem to be getting into the swing of things. While the weather has been typical of this time of year, with strong north-easterlies and the odd southerly blow, there has been

fishing. Unfortunately, the sharks have started earlier than usual this year and I’m guessing that Fish Rock will be unfishable by Christmas! Snapper and pearl perch have been firing on the deeper reefs. Large numbers of slimy mackerel have been on most reefs on the 70m line, and they make the perfect slab bait for targeting reef fish. If the first

Spring is mahi time on the Mid-North Coast.

Some solid kingfish have been patrolling the headlands. the odd window of good weather to get offshore. OFFSHORE The DPI FADs have been deployed for over a month now and they have been producing quality mahimahi. As per usual, live baits have been the key to success. Mahi are great tablefish, but they must be handled in an appropriate manner (i.e. quickly despatched, bled and put straight on ice). Kingfish have shown up in good numbers, and some larger models were encountered last month, with a few fish over 120cm. On the days when the current pushed past Fish Rock, the kings could be seen exploding on gars and sauries. This made for some outstanding topwater

Drummer have been plentiful amongst the washes.

One of the tastiest fish on the East Coast. 60 NOVEMBER 2024

spot doesn’t fire within the first 20 minutes, just keep moving around until you locate them. Pigfish, blue-spot flathead, teraglin (trag) and morwong have also been quite plentiful. The odd striped marlin has also been encountered in 70m and out to

the shelf area. In the bay, baitfish are at all the usual haunts, with mackerel tuna, frigates and bonito taking small metals. Just look for the birds, and the tuna won’t be too far away. ESTUARY There have been plenty of flathead on offer in the river. Drifting the rock walls with livies is the best option. Lures such as soft plastics and hardbodies have also been doing well in the sand flats upstream of the boat ramp. In these shallow water areas, a little bit of stealth goes a long way. School mulloway have been quite active throughout spring, and fish to 90cm have made up the bulk of the catches. Both Smithtown and Jerseyville bridges have been holding a good number of mulloway, as well as the Gladstone area.

High tide in the river has seen plenty of surface action, with bonito and small mac tuna terrorising small baitfish. If the coast is too windy, why not try the Macleay’s world-class bass fishing? Up towards Kempsey and beyond should be hitting its straps from now on, particularly on those hot summer afternoons. Casting lures in and around snags and rock bars will be productive for bass in the coming weeks. As usual, bream and blackfish are in good numbers. Back Creek, the Boat Ramp, the public wharf and under the Rescue boat are great spots to target them. Whiting should improve into summer. Live worms and pink nippers pumped from the mud flats on low tide are some of the best baits. Crabs, especially mud crabs, have been plentiful of late However, after coming out of their winter hibernation, many crabs are relatively empty. They’re not worth keeping because they don’t have much meat and are, in my opinion, not as tasty as a full crab. Hopefully, by December they should be prime eating. ROCK AND BEACH This year has been one of the best years for drummer. Numbers have really improved, and most washy areas have seen plenty of activity. Light berley trails of bread and prawn shells, with a lightly weighted cunje bait, will get the job done. Kingfish and tailor have been patrolling the headlands, and dawn and dusk are the best times to target them. Slow-rolled garfish and metals have been getting a lot of attention. Mulloway off the rocks have been hit-and-miss, with the weather and the ocean swells dictating access to the rock ledges. The Little Bay has had good numbers of whiting, bream and tailor on offer. The Boulders has also had a fair amount of bream.

Macquarie Coast NSW

FMM

Exciting opportunities all along the coast PORT MACQUARIE

Kate Shelton

As the warmer months approach, the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has strategically placed Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) along the state’s coastline.

Here are the FAD locations: • South West Rocks 30° 50.534’ S 153° 11.803’ E • Hat Head 31° 00.636’ S 153° 07.795’ E • Port Macquarie 31° 24.567’ S 153° 04.725’ E • Laurieton 31° 39.601’ S

Matt Hobbs with a monster 14kg mulloway from the Hastings River. Image courtesy of @mattyyhobbs94.

Luke Middleton from Bonny Hills landed some fantastic bream thanks to his brother Dylan’s worm-fishing expertise. These GPS-tracked floating buoys, anchored to the ocean floor, attract fast-growing pelagic fish species like mahi mahi, marlin, and wahoo.

152° 56.235’ E • Crowdy Head 31° 47.000’ S 152° 55.200’ E In the Camden Haven region,

Levi Vandermeel at Ned Kelly’s Bait n Tackle with a great catch of bream he caught on bread at the Port Macquarie boat ramp. Image courtesy of @pelagicwarfare. The options in and around South West Rocks for land-based are endless; just ensure safety is your priority. Waves carry a lot of power and can sweep even the strongest angler back into the ocean, so try to fish in safe locations and don’t fish alone. November will produce some awesome fishing. From mahimahi out wide to mulloway in the river, there are any number of options to chase fish. Get in now before the crowds of summer arrive. Be sure to drop into our local tackle shops to find out what’s biting and how to target your chosen quarry.

rock fishing anglers have been scoring late-season drummer, bream, and the occasional snapper around Diamond Head and Perpendicular Point. Offshore, snapper action remains hot, with both baits and lures proving effective. Kingfish and bar cod have also been on offer, with live bait producing the best results. In the Hastings River, flathead activity has picked up as the water warms. Anglers have reported good catches from the break walls to Wauchope, with some fish exceeding 90cm. Lures, whitebait, prawns, and mullet strips have all been productive. Mud crabs have also been plentiful, especially upstream towards Wauchope in those deeper sections of the river. On the beaches, bream have been consistent at Oxley Beach and Lighthouse Beach to Lake Cathie, particularly during evening high tides. School mulloway have also been encountered and the odd salmon. Offshore, game fishing anglers have been targeting striped marlin with success since July, with one of the better seasons we have seen locally in a long time. Hopefully, we will be in for a bumper season on the inshore black marlin. Snapper remain active but require more effort, with anchoring and berleying proving effective. Kingfish have been plentiful around Trag Rock

November should see the odd trophy red caught on the inshore reefs.

and Crescent Head. As the summer season unfolds, anglers can expect exciting fishing opportunities along the NSW coast, with the FADs providing new hotspots for pelagic species and the start of the inshore black marlin season. • Kate Shelton is the proud owner of Bay Explorer Marine Services, and she specialises in making deep-drop fishing rigs for blue-eye trevalla, bar cod, king fish, and bass groper. For more info look up ‘Bay Explorer Marine Services’ on Facebook and Instagram, or find her store on eBay.

Ruben Waters had a day to remember, reeling in this monster snapper off Lake Cathie on a soft plastic. Image courtesy of @rubenwaters94.

Most of all, stay bent! • Vic Levett and his son Zane run Oceanhunter Sportfishing charters out of the beautiful South West Rocks. They target all manner of sports fish from king fish, mackerel, cobia and all way through to the famous black marlin of Trial Bay. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced angler, the boys will put you onto the best fish available. To find out more visit w w w.Oceansportsfishing.com.au, Insta Ohsportfishing, Facebook Oceanhunter Sportsfishing. Email vic@oceansportsfishing.com.au, or call 0414 906 569. NOVEMBER 2024 61

NSW

Macquarie Coast

FMM

Plenty of flathead and bream to make it exciting FORSTER

Luke Austin

November is always a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to weather. However, despite the often windy conditions, there is always an abundance of fish and a huge range of fishing options on offer. With the days warming up nicely, this month is the perfect time to get out and enjoy the estuary fishing. Even on the windy days, the amazing Wallis Lake always has angling options. The good old flathead are almost a certainty over the next few months, and they have been biting well of late. In around the leases known as The Paddock, up around Lani’s Holiday Park and over at The Cut have been good spots for getting a nice feed of 40-55cm fish. If you’re more

You never know what might turn up in the estuary at this time of year. Ian had one hell of a fight on his hands with this solid golden trevally!

interested in tracking down something a little larger, try throwing large hardbodies over the shallows on a high tide, or fish a live herring or yellowtail down along the rock walls and near the bridge on the runout tide. Locals living up the Wallamba are still seeing plenty of fish right up high in the river, but these fish will thin out in the coming weeks as they make their way downstream for summer. Trumpeter whiting are still fishing well. They have been a little tricky to find but those boats that put the effort in to find the fish will have no trouble getting their numbers up. Don’t be afraid of going out and actively finding the fish! Sand whiting are really starting to get up and are moving about with a bit more purpose on the sand flats now. Those of us who enjoy the thrill of throwing surface lures for these silver speedsters are really starting to enjoy the high tides now. If you prefer bait fishing, simply pull up on a good-looking sand flat and toss out a wellpresented worm, yabby or prawn and you will find plenty of action. Getting out onto the weed beds to the south of Green Point at this time of the year can be really good fun. The bream school up in huge numbers and it’s not unusual to score fish on nearly every cast some days. While I haven’t heard of many big fish down there yet, the fishing has still been super fun, with the odd mega tailor mixed in to keep you on your toes! There have been a few big kingfish cruising about, with the odd one landed down around the rock walls. These fish are very cagey, and hooking one can take hours of effort. Soaking a live bait is the most successful method and you can expect to see plenty of bycatch in the form of mulloway and flathead. You may even snag something a little more exotic such as a mangrove jack, estuary cod or even a golden, giant or silver trevally! The local beaches have been fishing

Alan with a battle-scarred bream from around the racks. well, and this should continue if the weather plays the game. Whiting, dart and bream have all been about in good numbers, with the odd tailor, salmon and flathead mixed in. Reports from the stones have been a little slow of late, but the wash zones in close are definitely still holding some tasty morsels. As long as there is a bit of wave action, the drummer, bream, luderick and snapper will all be there feeding as hard as they can, while they can! Getting offshore has been a little difficult in recent weeks. The best reports have come from anglers fishing the reefs out past 50m, which have fished well for

trag and the odd snapper. With coastal temperatures on the increase, we have seen some cracking mahimahi locally. The FAD and trap buoys have been producing plenty of fish up to about 12kg. • 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 seven days in the main street of Tuncurry. Give them a call on 02 6554 9541 or find them on Facebook to see what they have been up to!

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62 NOVEMBER 2024

Flathead are about in good numbers now, and they’re suckers for a live bait!

Hunter Coast NSW

FMM

Surface lures are dynamites over the flats Out wide, a few early-season striped marlin have been caught, and the action should only get better over the next few months.

PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

It’s been an amazing couple of months of fishing in Port Stephens, with early spring yielding an insane run of longtail tuna inside the bay and along the coastline. The main reason for this is the massive schools of frogmouth pilchards, which moved into the bay in early spring. While the tuna are now gone, other species like mulloway and flathead are now taking advantage of the bounty. Those anchovies will be pushing up over the flats on top of the tide through the bottom half of the bay, and will make for some fantastic flatty fishing this month. Beaches like Shoal Bay, Dutchies, Bagnalls, Corlette and Taylors should all be firing, but you want to match the hatch with what they are feeding on. Soft plastics or hardbody lures around 3-4” will work best. As the tide starts to drop under 5m of water, a surface lure can often be a great option for flathead. This is especially the case with patchy weed\ sand bottoms as surface lures allow you to cover that ultra-shallow water where flathead are often still laying. Surface lures will also work well on whiting and bream over the next couple of months,

A monster bream for Ben Lennon. feeder creeks of Karuah and Tilligerry, and blue swimmers in the back half of the Port around Taylors Beach through to Tahlee and North Arm Cove. OCEAN BEACHES It’s coming into a great time of year for beach fishing. Live worms make a huge difference in catches when fishing for bream and whiting – so much so that I personally don’t use anything else. I highly recommend that you get yourself some worms and head down to Fingal, Samurai or Stockton and

Big mulloway, like this monster for James, are holding in the deep water. and are a great way to get a mixed bag of species when fishing the flats. Mulloway have been in the deeper water around Corlette through to Soldiers Point. While you can tea-bag lures such as soft vibes and large plastics, the most effective method is to drop a live bait down. Slimy mackerel and squid are my two favourite types of live bait. Other good options include yellowtail, mullet, herring, or even the ever-reliable trumpeter whiting. Once you’ve got your live bait sorted, rig them up with a circle hook around 7/0 gently pinned through the top of the shoulder on a paternoster-style rig, and fish on the tide change when the tide is slacking off. Plenty of crabs are around inside the bay. There are good muddies up the

fish in a deep gutter on a high tide. You should catch a stack at this time of year. Walking the beaches (especially up around Fingal Spit or Samurai) on first and last night, casting with 30-40g metal lures, should produce some quality tailor and the odd salmon. ROCKS While November isn’t the best time to be fishing the ocean rocks, you will still find fish in the wash zone with unweighted baits picking up bream, leatherjackets and drummer. The best baits to use are large, fresh peeled prawns or cunjevoi. OFFSHORE Snapper are still a go-to target for offshore anglers, with good reports of reds spread from Fingal thought to Seal Rocks over the shallow reefs in 10-30m

of water. While the tide changes can sometimes spark a middle-of-the-day bite in the shallows, most of the action is usually a couple of hours after first light, so make the effort to get out early when chasing snapper. Trag are in good numbers on the Gibber and 21 reefs, and the odd mulloway has been showing up too.

Flathead are feeding over the shallow flats.

FISHING NEWS

Anglers busted at Cabarita Ferry Wharf NSW DPIRD Fisheries has received recent footage of irresponsible fishers illegally accessing Cabarita ferry wharf in Sydney Harbour. This wharf has been closed to fishing since 2011. In a separate incident on Cabarita wharf, Police recently confiscated fishing rods and gear from people illegally fishing from the wharf. This is a stark – and very expensive reminder to fishers who flaunt the rules. Fishing is permitted at more than 100 locations around Sydney

Harbour, including wharves, piers, parks, and reserves. To see maps of fishing locations throughout Sydney Harbour, go to www.dpi.nsw.gov.au and search for ‘Go fishing Sydney’. Fishers are again reminded to please do the right thing while using areas where fishing is permitted, and encourage your fishing mates to behave responsibly. You can report suspicious fishing activity to the Fishers Watch Phoneline on 1800 043 536 and contact NSW Police to report any anti-social behaviour. – NSW DPIRD Fisheries

NOVEMBER 2024 63

Rod Builders Workshop

Advertorial

Fishing for flatties: Samurai blanks range

I have just finished fishing the Gold Coast Flathead Classic, where I was able to give a new rod a solid workout casting plastics for flathead, both before and during the Classic. This rod has come out of the Samurai CG3 stable of blanks and really impressed me with how nice it was to use. It is 7’ long and is designed to be used with 6–14lb line and cast weights between 5–21 grams. Flathead fishing has always been one of my and my son Ben’s passions, and we have been fortunate to have fished in all 30 Flathead Classics. In fact, we are the only two anglers to have fished every year of this great competition, run by the Gold Coast Sportfishing Club.

these rods is the reduction of weight and the improved sensitivity achieved with these changes. For us, gone are the days of elaborate decorative wraps and guide bindings. These rods are designed and built with a minimalistic approach, and the results are dramatic! To start the building process, I have used a Fuji rubber butt cap which matches a small Duralon rear grip from the “Speed” range of grips. These are secured with a good-quality two-part slow-curing epoxy glue, and remember to also scuff the blank surface to allow the glue to adhere strongly to the blank. Next is the reel seat, and this is where there has been a massive advancement with the recent evolution of Fuji’s TCH range of reel seats. These reel seats feature Fuji’s groundbreaking Titanium Carbon Hybrid technology, and this has resulted in giving the angler an incredibly sensitive feel through the rod. Couple this with the added strength and durability of these reel seats, and it has become a regular inclusion on many of our rods now. This blank has a butt extension of 345mm fitted to the blank

Having fished in every Classic has given us a unique opportunity to design, build, and test many flathead rods over the years. The advancement in blanks, components, and building techniques has been incredible since its inception in 1994 (one year was not held due to Covid), and each year we always seem to be talking about and planning how we can improve our next flathead rod. One very noticeable change in our rod-building techniques for

from the factory to give the overall length of 7’. Due to this extension and the butt length of 230mm (this is the distance from the end of the butt cap to the bottom of the reel seat) that I like to use, I have had to use the size 15 reel seat, which is no problem as it still secures a size 3000 reel perfectly. To match these reel seats, Fuji has developed a range of titanium winding checks which are used at both the top and bottom of the reel seat body. Just measure the blank at the points where you intend to position your reel seat, and then use the winding check with the matching ID. The mobile hood is positioned down, and this hood can be matched with Fuji’s carbon sleeve and titanium check. The carbon sleeve is available in two lengths, either 10 or 21mm, and the check fits perfectly into the sleeve. Once you have decided which sleeve you are going to use, it is necessary to trim back the hood to allow a snug fit. Trimming this hood is an easy process with either a Dremel tool or a hacksaw. These parts are glued onto the hood before the reel seat is permanently fitted to the rod. An important thing to remember is to slide the bottom winding check onto the blank before the reel seat is glued into position. Once the reel seat is secured, the winding checks

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can then be glued into their positions. Guide selection is another very important feature in adding to the rod’s sensitivity, and this is achieved by using Fuji’s KR Concept. This allows the line coils spiralling from the reel spool to be choked down quickly until it runs straight through the rest of the guide train. By keeping these guide sizes small, the line flows closely along the blank’s surface, resulting in a blend of both increased sensitivity and performance. The premium guides that I like to use on these rods are the Fuji Torzite guides, which have a titanium frame. These guides are extremely high quality and are a perfect enhancement to this type of rod. The guides are bound using size “A” thread, and I keep these bindings very short. About three turns of thread before the start of the guide foot is plenty to provide a secure bond to the blank. Finish these bindings with three very thin coats of a good-quality two-part epoxy rod finish, and you will have a rod that is an absolute pleasure to use and will increase your captures due to the added sensitivity you have created. – Brad Job

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NOVEMBER 2024 65

NSW

Hunter Coast

FMM

Beach fishing picks up as water temp rises CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

Spring is notorious for unstable and rapidly changing weather patterns. That’s exactly what we’ve had through most of the season, with a warm, dry start and then more rain, wind and everything else thrown into the mix. However, the local fishing has been very good. Salmon were very scarce in 2023, so I’ve made a point of catching up a bit this year, as the sambos have been around in good numbers. I’ve enjoyed hooking into them at the beach and off the local rock ledges. Although the average size is still smaller than it was 10 years ago, there have been a few larger models, around 2-3kg, amongst the 1kg rats. The bigger ones certainly are excellent sporting fish, for those of us who enjoy our light tackle or fly fishing. Interestingly, I still hear some people complain about the salmon. They claim that the salmon eat all the baitfish and that’s why we aren’t seeing many tailor showing up these days.

Flathead are a common and welcome by-catch while chasing bream. This one ended up as the author’s dinner! People will believe what they want to believe, regardless of what the reality is. The rest of us are just happy to get out there and hook into a few hardfighting fish. The beaches should pick up more as the water warms, and salmon will again be common in the surf zone this

month. A number of big mulloway have been caught along the beaches in recent weeks and it’s good to see that in 2024 there are still bigger (20kg+) mulloway swimming in our waters. A lot of the younger guys are targeting them with big soft plastics and hardbody lures, with varying

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success. I know from experience that chasing jewies with lures can be quite successful, but it’s also not as reliable as good bait fishing techniques at the beach. At some places and times, lure casting can be a better option than bait fishing, and it’s also more convenient. However, for consistent results along our local beaches, I recommend spending the time to round up some fresh mullet, tailor, beach worms or calamari. Fish the rising tide after sunset or before sunrise, paying particular attention to the brief tide change periods. The rocks have also remained productive, with salmon, trevally, bream, luderick and drummer caught from all the popular rock ledges. This should continue in the coming weeks if weather and sea conditions are favourable. Historically, I’ve enjoyed some pretty good rock fishing in November, although some years colder green water has moved in and shut things down. I don’t think that will occur this year, but nature does what it does, so don’t be surprised if that happens. If the currents are favourable

Hunter Coast NSW

FMM

Prawn run bounty kicks the fish into gear By the time you read this, we’ll be in the middle of the October/ November prawn run – the most significant prawn run of the year. It started on 27 October and will run until around 5 November. This run always produces good numbers of juvenile eastern king prawns, most small to medium in size, with the odd leader prawn (giant tiger prawn) amongst them. The October-November run is very important to the Lake Macquarie and Swansea area. It provides a much-needed banquet for hungry fish wanting to put on condition after a lean winter. In no time, the scrawny summer whiting become fat and healthy, feeding actively over the flats, along with travelling bream. When you’re targeting whiting, these bream can be an annoyance; they’re usually thin fish in spawning mode, and measure only 24-30cm. There are a few good ones amongst them, though. The best baits for the whiting and bream are tube worms and live prawns. Flathead are also moving into the shallow water, taking live prawns and prawn imitations. A range of prawn lures will work in this scenario; soft plastics, blades

and surface lures will all catch their share. I recommend using pumpkinseed colour (or similar) because it’s the same colour as greasyback prawns. If you’re using plastics, a light 1/8-1/4oz jighead is sufficient because there’s not a lot of current in that shallow water. 10lb fluorocarbon leader is ideal for chasing flatties in the shallows. Silver trevally are moving back into the systems in numbers, which is a good sign. A. Over the last month or so, we’ve had plenty of reports of fish up to 50cm+ being caught in the estuaries. Silver trevally fight well and are quite good on the chew. They’re very easy to fillet and bone, too. Another species on the increase is the yellowtail kingfish. You can catch them throwing surface stickbaits or poppers around the markers in the lake, but the most consistent method is downrigging live squid and trolling very slowly. The most common bycatch is mulloway, so it’s win-win. You can specifically target mulloway at night with live squid or cast lures at the bait schools. As we move into mid-summer, lures will be less effective, but you can still catch the jewies at night on live squid. A few blue swimmer crabs are kicking around in the lake, but quite

and there is enough bait around, we’ll also likely see some kingfish and possibly a few early bonito. Kings are more likely though and they may be on the small side. So although I wouldn’t get too excited about it, I’d suggest an open-minded approach to rock fishing this month and it could be an idea to bring an extra rod and cast a few lures around. If that fails, stick to using bait for the bream, drummer, luderick or salmon. Offshore fishing has also been reasonably good. Earlier in the season we had a run of mac tuna and longtail tuna, close in along the coast.

In the old days, it wasn’t uncommon to have the macks show up here in spring, but longtails are more of an autumn and early winter visitor here, so that was a bit unusual. This month it’s still possible for the macks to be here, but most anglers will be looking more to the warmer currents for marlin out wide and kings in closer as we head towards summer. November is also the first month when the dreaded north easterlies can be a problem when heading out from Norah Head or Terrigal. It’s never easy to get the timing right,

SWANSEA

Jason Nunn

a few females have been in berry (carrying eggs), so be mindful of that. Whatever you choose to target this month, please keep only what you need for a feed – you don’t have to whack everything on the head! If we want the good fishing to continue, we need healthy fish stocks. BLUEWATER From Coffs Harbour south, the currents and temperatures are looking favourable, and we are already starting to see some striped marlin coastally. Mahimahi have arrived early, not only on the shelf but also on the FAD off Swansea and the outer fish traps. There aren’t heaps of them yet, but in the new year there will be plenty. A good way to catch mahimahi is to troll around to find the fish, and then use a live slimy or yellowtail, particularly around the FAD, traps, or flotsam like floating logs. I recommend using circle hooks to make it easier to release undersized fish. This month, we’ll probably see bigger numbers of striped marlin coming down the coast (and possibly the odd blue out wider). Sharks will also become more numerous, with tiger sharks, whalers and makos all on the cards, depending on the current. BEACHES At the time of compiling this

report, the water along the beaches is only 17°C, which is quite cold. The fishing has been quiet, with only a few salmon, the occasional bream and the odd flathead, and that’s about it. Our fortunes should change at the end of November, when there’ll be a lot more whiting along the beaches. Worms are the best bait, and in my experience tube worms tend to out-fish beach worms these days. The local tackle stores don’t sell live worms anymore but you can have them delivered from a local business called Tube Worms To You. You can find them on Facebook (www.facebook .com/ tubewormstoyou) or call them on 0461 570 856 to place an order. • Fisherman’s Warehouse Marine, run by Patrick Nunn, is your one-stop shop for outboard sales, repairs and servicing. They are the local Honda outboard dealer (sales and service), and also service Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki, and Tohatsu outboards, and sell spare parts. For more information call 02 4945 2152, email enquiries@ fishermanswarehouse.com.au, or drop in and see the guys at 4/2 Suite Street, Warners Bay. Subscribe to the ‘Swansea Fishing Report’ YouTube channel or the Fisherman’s Warehouse Marine Facebook page for weekly Swansea fishing reports.

Bream have been going really well in the lakes and Brisbane Waters. The action will only get better as it gets warmer.

Salmon will still be cruising the surf zone this month, although it’s probably the last month we will see them in numbers until next winter.

with work and family commitments playing a part. If possible, keep a close eye on the synoptic charts and forecasts, to try and get out a day or two after a southerly, which is when the first part of a high-pressure system moves over. The stronger north easterlies kick in when the centre of a high starts moving out to sea. Pre-dawn launches and quick

sessions are also better than trying to fish throughout the day. In the lakes and Brisbane Waters, it’s been all about bream and flathead lately. I’ve been concentrating more on bream, with a few flathead inevitably getting in on the act. The whiting should also be more active this month, particularly in the shallows. NOVEMBER 2024 67

NSW

Illawarra Coast

FMM

The estuaries are starting to hit their straps ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

It’s daylight saving time, and even if you work until 5:30pm, you can still get out in the afternoon and have a good solid fish before it gets dark. BEACHES Beach fishing is always good at this time of year, and you have minimal gear to wash down when you are finished, so you’re not cleaning up late into the night. The other good thing is nobody in Wollongong lives much more than 10 minutes from the beach, so, there are no excuses for not going. Most beaches at the moment are holding fish of one type or another, and catches will only improve over the coming weeks. Down south, Bombo has salmon, bream, whiting and a few tailor, while a bit further north, the whiting should start to get going at the Farm. Don’t be surprised if a few salmon

Most of the inshore snapper have been small but there has been the odd better one among them. pick up the beach worms while you are chasing the whiting. Around Shellharbour, both north and south, the beaches hold a variety of species including bream, salmon, tailor, flathead, whiting and a few mulloway after dark in the deeper holes and gutters. Now we come to the best fishing beaches on this part of the coast: Warilla and Windang beaches. Due to the run out of the lake, every fish in the area is attracted to these beaches, particularly on the darks if there are a few prawns moving. There are bream, flathead, heaps of whiting, salmon, tailor and mulloway. Back in the day, yellowtail kings were taken on 68 NOVEMBER 2024

live baits meant for jewies. I haven’t heard of it for years, but it’s always a possibility. On the other side of Port Kembla, Coniston Beach behind the golf course has always been a special location for tailor and mulloway in summer, with a few big flathead and salmon thrown in to keep things interesting. A productive reef just offshore means the fish don’t have to travel far from cover to get to the surf zone, particularly during the evenings. On the other side of town, the northern beaches start with Fairy Meadow Beach, which produces good mulloway all summer along with whiting, salmon, tailor and a few bream. East Corrimal is renowned for its jewies and tailor, along with heaps of bream on the right days. The next half a dozen beaches from Bellambi to Thirroul are not outstanding but they do have a ready supply of bream, tailor, salmon and the odd jew, with plenty of whiting at this time of year. From Thirroul north, the whiting seem to taper off, and the jewies really dominate the next few beaches. Coalcliff is a standout; being short and deep, it attracts plenty of tailor and mulloway, as does Stanwell Park with its deep gutters. Bream, tailor, salmon, flathead and the odd snapper are also on the cards but the jewies are the main event. As for baits, you can’t go past beach worms for most species from whiting, bream, salmon, flathead and school jew. Tailor and salmon love pilchards, while the big jewies love a fresh slab of tailor or squid, or even a live tailor. Big plastics are the weapon of choice for many anglers, and big, shallow-running stickbaits are becoming more popular and getting some solid fish. Throw in a few dart, trevally and rays of various shapes and sizes, and there is plenty of scope for fun on the local beaches this month. ROCKS On the rocks, there is a bit of action as well, with a few pelagics showing up to get the LBG guys started for the season. The deeper ledges down south at Kiama, Bombo, Bass Point and Port Kembla have schools of salmon and rat kings working the surface, along with a few bonito. If you are lucky, the occasional school of striped tuna may come within casting range. It’s not common these days, but it’s still on the cards. Small lures on light tackle will provide some fun if the fish come into casting range, or you could soak a pilly or live yellowtail under a float to pick up the salmon and tailor. A few

The lake is starting to fire for better flatties, even when it rains. On rainy days there are fewer boats and it’s much quieter on the water. larger kings have been frequenting the same ledges, and a live squid (if you can find one) will bring these guys undone. The washes right along the coast still have some very solid drummer on the bite. Cunje, bread and prawns are the baits of choice. A few bream are still lurking in the quieter bays during the evenings if you can get some calm weather and throw in a bit of bread berley. Trevally are worth a shot this month off most of the deeper ledges. You can get some good fish if you use a bit of bread and tuna oil berley, and fish light with pilchard pieces. The south side of Bass Point and Bombo are worth a look, as is Marsdens south of Kiama. ESTUARIES The estuaries are really starting to hit their straps, with the flathead whacking anything in range. Minnamurra has good fish along its entire length, and don’t overlook the very shallow sand flats on the falling tide. The larger fish seem to favour these areas, particularly around the mangroves. A few bream are around the bridges and there are some whiting down around the entrance. Most of the whiting have been on the small side, but they will get larger and more numerous over the coming weeks. The lake is going well, with flathead all along the main channel, up at the drop-off and around Tallawarra and the entrance to the feeder streams. Bream are taking lures and live prawns around the rocky walls and islands and down under the bridge during the evening, with whiting seemingly on the increase daily around the sand flats at Primbee and the entrance to the lake. There are garfish and plenty of mullet if you berley with a bit of bread and

bran at the drop-off, and a few bream often appear as well. Prawns in the lake are nothing like they used to be before the entrance was permanently opened. However, there are still more than enough for you to get out on the dark around Primbee and Berkley and grab a few for live baits. And you never know, it might be one of those nights when they really congregate and run, and you can get a feed as well. OFFSHORE We’ve had a great run of yellowfin tuna during winter and a few in spring, so let’s hope we get a few in late spring and early summer. Trolling has been scoring the most fish, with a great day consisting of four or five hook-ups and two fish. Good old-fashioned cubing has brought many fish undone in days gone by; it was just a matter of trolling to find the fish (or using your eyes) and then getting the pillies going. It’s a lot of fun when you’re hand-picking which barrels you will feed next, right behind the boat. It saves a heap on fuel, too. Most fish were well offshore, out around the Port Kembla and the Kiama canyons, but some were caught in as close as 60 fathoms. They often come right in close, and can last a few weeks before moving on. You should always investigate a flock of terns if they’re moving fast and diving on feeding fish. Still out wide, only a few striped marlin have been reported having a look at lures trolled for ‘fin, but they should pick up in numbers over the coming weeks. They always precede the blacks by a few months. Mako sharks of various sizes are about on most days out on the shelf, while tiddlers up to 20kg are on the closer reefs annoying the snapper fishos.

Batemans Coast NSW

FMM

Time of year when many species kick into gear BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

November brings us well and truly into spring and knocking on summer’s door. Spring is when everything comes to life, and many species spawn. One such species is snapper,

Lucanus-style jigs, kabura jigs and micro jigs. This might sound overwhelming to bait fishers, but if you are willing to explore other techniques, just ask your local tackle store staff to take you through them. I personally like all approaches to catching snapper, especially micro jigging because you can use a lot of different weights to suit the depth.

These pelagics may be found under any kind of bird activity you might notice. It’s always good to have a 60g metal or weighted stickbait tied on an outfit ready to cast. Expect mowies, flathead, pigfish, nannygai and so forth as bycatch. It’s also the time of year when sharks of all kinds pick up. You’ll start seeing the odd hammerhead swimming downhill in the warmer currents, or the odd mako around the boat. Boats heading further out towards the shelf can expect to see FADs being deployed along the NSW coast. These will attract mahimahi, kings and marlin. It won’t be too long before these species show up. Out on the shelf, we could see an early marlin and there’s the chance of tuna turning up. If the current is

Naite Turner has been finding some bass action in our backyard. whose spawning season starts in October and continues until the end of November. These fish are generally found out in 60m+ in great numbers in late spring/early summer. In early October, anglers reported plenty of snapper in 15-40m of water with roe inside them, indicating that spawning had begun. I expect these fish will push out deeper this month, like most years, and will be found in depths of 60m+. The traditional way to catch snapper offshore is with paternoster rigs weighted with 6-8oz snapper leads and baited with pilchards or squid. Today, however, we have soft plastics, hardbodies, octa jigs,

When using jigs, the deeper it gets, the better. One of the most popular soft plastics closest to a jig is the Nomad Squidtrex, which is one of the bestselling lures for snapper of all time. It’s fairly unique in that it’s shaped a bit like a jig, but it is soft. It looks like a squid and is well weighted to get down. These lures are effective when jigged slowly and don’t need aggressive rod flicks like micro jigs do. You can even leave your rod in the holder and let the swell do the work. Snapper may take the limelight on the inshore reefs this November, but keep your eye out for schools of kings or even bonito on the surface.

INSHORE In closer, the yellowtail kings are over the usual reefs and around the islands and Bass Point but live baits are needed for best results on the larger fish. The same areas have plenty of silver trevally; just anchor up, add berley, and the fish will come to you. Salmon, a few tailor, and bonito are all along the coast, so watch for the birds and the telltale splashes. In close, most of the snapper caught have been pan-size, with only the odd decent snapper turning up. The better fish seem to be in the deeper water of 40m+. Mowies are on the increase in many ice boxes, along with a few pigfish and some of the samsonfish that start to get about at this time of the year (although they are only

a few kilos at most). If the water warms a little more, we could even see a few teraglin (trag) show over the bumps on the full moon. For the legions of flathead fishos out there, now is your time – in the coming months there will be good fish over all of the regular sand patches along the coast. You shouldn’t have any trouble getting a feed unless one of those freezing currents show up, which can happen at this time of year, and shut down the bite for a few days. One thing is certain: there won’t be any shortage of leatherjackets. They seem to be everywhere, removing hooks. There are even a few barracouta still about. That’s all for this month’s report. Things will get even better next month.

Zoe O’Connor with a springtime yellowfin. There are still a couple kicking around.

Joey Moran with a typical snapper for this month. favourable, stopping for a deep drop is usually productive. From November onwards, we’ll start to see magic beginning to happen on our beaches and in our estuaries. We can expect whiting to be in numbers along the beaches and in our estuaries by now; they had a slow start this year but should pick up this month. Beach worms and nippers will always be the best baits for these great tablefish. Surface lures and poppers work well on whiting in the lakes and estuaries, but don’t forget to replace the back treble with small assist hooks for a better hook-up rate. The other main tip is to keep your lure moving. Whiting respond better to a constant retrieve without the kind of pauses you’d use for bream and flathead. Bream and flathead are in full swing, and the action will continue throughout summer and into autumn. We have already seen a few

1m flatties on brag mats, and quite a lot of 60-80cm ones. It really does make a difference when you throw larger lures at flatties; 7-9” lures are a must if you want that metrey. As far as a large flathead is concerned, it’s not worth the effort to chase down a small baitfish. Swim a 9” lure across its nose, however, and these predators are much more willing to expend some energy in hopes of a substantial meal. Fishos have been heading out the back looking for bass lately, and with warm air temperatures and an early start to spring, bass have already been taken off the surface. Small, chubby shallow and deep diving lures have also been catching their share. Bait Junkie Kikker Curly frogs and ZMan FrogZ have been popular the last couple of years and are already proving themselves this year, even though it hasn’t been raining. We had assumed frogs were effective because of the rain we’ve had in previous years, but I guess bass will hit most things off the surface. • Anthony Stokman is the owner of Fish Batemans Bay, your one-stop shop for tackle, bait and valuable advice on how to catch more fish. The crew are always happy to chat about what’s been biting and where, so drop in and say hi. You can find them at 65A Orient Street, Batemans Bay, or give them a call on (02) 4472 2559. NOVEMBER 2024 69

NSW

Eden Coast

FMM

Focusing on lure fishing for good catches BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Summer is fast approaching, and so is the best fishing. Estuary fish have migrated back into the tidal rivers, eager to feed and put on condition. A variety of methods will work, but this is an especially good time to focus on lures. Most of the systems within the area are relatively shallow making for good visual angling. Up over the flats is

Only 40 minutes’ drive from Bermagui, Brogo bass are always willing to attack a lure.

the place to be at high tide, especially around the seagrass beds. All manner of life forms abound here, creating a rich food source and attracting predators. Flathead will be a good target this month, and those anglers with good vision can try sight-casting for them. It makes for exciting angling. If you spook the fish in this shallow water, don’t worry – you can always return later or on another tide. The flathead will often stay in the area for some time while the pickings are good. Bream, whiting, and trevally are also to be expected over the flats on lures, while other species may prefer a well-placed nipper or prawn. Speaking of prawns, now is the time to get serious in finding some. That said, this year will not be a very good one. That’s because the lakes that generally harbour them haven’t been open to the ocean at the right time of year. The prawns you are likely to find will probably be in the systems open to the ocean, like the Bermagui River. When there are prawns within this river, try fishing around the bridge lights at night for exciting results. Moving out of the estuaries and staying shore-based, the beaches have been very productive, with a variety of fish visiting them. Salmon are the mainstay, with bream and whiting also

Skirted lures have been used for ages, trolling for, tuna and they are still eating them. making an appearance. These fish have been falling to well-presented beach worm baits, and you’re likely to find the odd mullet also getting into the act. Fishing at night around the full moon will give you the best chance of catching a mulloway or a gummy shark. There have been quite a few taken in recent weeks. Offshore, there is another way to lure fish – trolling – and there are plenty of tuna to be found. Albacore, yellowfin, striped and the occasional bluefin tuna are out around the Continental Shelf, where the way to find them is trolling lures. Skirted surface lures work well in conjunction with bibbed diving or

bibless lures. There is a good chance of an early-season marlin, with the water temperatures set to be the highest in years. Wherever you have tuna you have sharks, with makos being the most prolific. They love to eat albacore, and anglers often will have one snatched off their line by an aggressive mako. When you have had enough of the tuna, try berleying for those sharks, as they are one of the best sportfish going around. Up at the Rock, Montague Island has been producing some good kingfish action. These fish have been responding to a variety of methods, so you

River and reefs producing quality mixed bags TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Offshore the action is great, especially for anglers who are dropping down for a feed of fish off the bottom. It is flathead time out on the big blue briny, and just about anywhere you go, you are likely to find them. Out from most beaches sand flatties are lurking where they can be found in varying depths. How you fish for them also varies; you can drift using conventional methods, or try something else like casting soft plastics in shallower water, which is now becoming very popular.

Wider out, you can get good catches of those lovely tiger flathead, and you’re also likely to encounter the odd gummy shark or red gurnard. Nearly all the reefs have been producing some form of reef dweller, with snapper being the most sought-after. Either south or north of Kianinny Bay will put you onto some excellent reefs in varying depths. Other species you can encounter include ocean perch, morwong (both rubber lips and jackass), wrasse, jackets and more. Further afield, out over the shelf, there is some game action in the form of tuna. Striped, albacore and yellowfin tuna are showing in reasonable numbers, with most being taken on the troll. While

Blue morwong are stunning fish, and there are plenty to be found along the inshore reefs. 70 NOVEMBER 2024

You will find trevally at the wharf, up the river and around the rocks at Tathra. you are out there, keep your eyes peeled because it would not surprise me to see an early marlin or two. The ever-popular Tathra Wharf is now seeing some of the summer species turning up. Slimy mackerel are always a hit for young and old, with large schools showing up randomly around the Wharf, where they cause havoc with their frenzied feeding habits. Yellowtail and trevally are also regulars, along with passing schools of salmon to keep anglers entertained. With the salmon, there is a chance of a kingfish as schools start to move along the coast. A well-presented live bait may do the trick. These species will frequent the adjacent

rock platforms, along with other angling targets like drummer, luderick, groper and more. The Bega River is one of the most popular lure estuaries within the south coast, with a variety of species on offer. There is also plenty of structure in the form of rocky walls, weed beds and sunken or exposed timber, all holding their share of fish. Other areas may include tidal flats where food sources like worms, nippers, shrimp or prawns will have permanent water over them, allowing predators like whiting, bream, flathead, luderick and trevally to hunt. Early morning anglers polarizing these areas should have some excellent

Eden Coast NSW

FMM need to be ready to adapt to find what’s working on the day. Most of the fish are only just legal size, which is typical for this time of year. If you don’t have any success at the island, you can always go out wide for the tuna, or try a spot of bottom bouncing on the way home. Out from Tilba, there are plenty of sand flathead,

Water levels are down slightly in Brogo Dam but the bass fishing is excellent. A favourable scenario is a warm, balmy day leading into a still evening, followed by a warm morning. On that second morning, anglers will likely encounter excellent fishing as these predators chase aquatic life along the weed banks during the day. Later

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Salmon are only too willing to eat a lure.

brisbaneboatingleisure.com.au while on the wider deep grounds W: thewww.in the afternoon and evening, the bass

tigers are on the chew. They range from here to far south of Bermagui, making for good angling, plus a great feed for the table. On the reefs, things are relatively good, with plenty of snapper, morwong and other assorted species. You will need an early start because the northeast trade winds usually get up around mid-morning. sight fishing. A variety of lures will work – everything from soft plastics through to hardbodies or even fly. Further up the system, timber and rocky shorelines not normally covered with water may now be worth a look. Bream and estuary perch will look to feed in these areas, providing good shallow water angling. Up where the salt meets the sweetwater, there are flooded areas providing bass with not only aquatic food but also lots of terrestrial insects. It makes for exciting surface action for both lure and fly fishers. Away from the estuaries, other forms of angling are faring well. The beaches are producing all sorts of goodies, with salmon being the dominant species. If you find a good gutter combined with a high tide, you should have good action with these lovely sportfish. Bream, whiting and mullet are all there as well, responding to a variety of baits. At night, you can encounter gummy sharks, tailor and the odd mulloway. At the ever-popular Tathra Wharf, some of the summer species are turning up. Slimy mackerel are always a hit for young and old. Large schools will show up randomly around the Wharf, where they cause havoc with their frenzied feeding habits. Yellowtail and trevally

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The Bega River is renowned for its big flathead. are also regulars, and passing schools of salmon will keep anglers entertained. With the salmon, there is a chance of a kingfish as schools start to move along the coast. A well-presented live bait may do the trick. These species will frequent the adjacent rock platforms, along with other targets like drummer, luderick, groper and more. NOVEMBER 2024 71

NSW

Freshwater

FMM

Target some active fish in the shallows NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

The New England area always fishes well in mid to late spring, especially for perch and trout species. A lot of people were on the water during the school holidays with many reports of quality fish being caught. The good fishing should continue in the coming weeks. The golden perch have schooled up

the shoreline can be very productive. Many lures work well fishing this way. However, two of the most productive and snag-effective lures are blade-style lures (e.g. Ecogear ZX) and reaction baits such as a spinnerbait/beetle spin/chatterbait that create a lot of flash and get the fish’s attention. Lipless crankbaits also work well, but I suggest changing the trebles to stinger hooks to save losing tackle. Letting the baits sink to the bottom and slowly

Footy season is finished on the field, but not on the waterways. Plenty of chunky perch can be caught at this time of year.

A beautiful Tablelands brown trout caught on a 2” soft plastic while casting a deeper pocket of a shallow stream. If there are active fish in a stream, they will soon let you know about it. now and are aggressive, often fighting each other to get to a lure, and chasing hooked females all the way to the surface. Having a kayak or boat can be handy when targeting schooled-up perch. However, as we head towards summer, there will be more land-based opportunities. Many

hopping them back up into shallower water creates good ambush opportunities for active fish harassing the bait life. With the more active fish usually being up closer to the edges, long casts are not 100% necessary. A rod around the 7ft mark will do, matched with a 2500-3000 size reel and 10-15lb braid and leader. Fishing heavier lines helps with snags, although it can help to downgrade leader sizes if the bites are tough to find. The new moon will fall on the first day of the month, which should see the fish feed more comfortably in the shallows for a bit longer at each end of the day, while under the cover of the darkness. The full moon will be above on 16 November. The smaller streams have been producing some epic-sized and conditioned rainbow and brown trout since the re-opening on the long weekend,

thanks to some awesome restocking efforts from the local fishing clubs in recent seasons. With a few thousand more released in September, they should continue to grow for seasons to come if waterways stay clean and healthy. If trout fishing is new to you, I definitely recommend giving it a go. Using similar tackle to what was mentioned above will be a good start. I like to fish a longer rod in the smaller streams for cast accuracy and more feel for the lure. Small soft plastic lures around the 2” mark on a 1/6oz jighead would be my favourite technique to use; however, Celta-style lures and small spinnerbaits always get the attention of an active fish looking for a meal, including aggressive redfin perch, which can be found in most of the waterways around the New England Tablelands area. DAM LEVELS DAM

JUNE

Pindari Dam Malpas Dam Dumaresq Dam Lake Keepit Chaffey Dam Split Rock Dam *Glenlyon Dam *Copeton Dam

*Available to target Murray cod all year round Levels current at the time of writing

Walking the banks of the impoundments can be very productive at this time of year. active fish will be up in the shallows early in the morning and late in the afternoon, chasing shrimp, crayfish and other prey hiding around the structure up in the warmer water. This is when walking the banks, casting and burning lures back to 72 NOVEMBER 2024

50% 99% 99% 61% 100% 97% 62% 74%

Trout season 2024/25 is proving to be one to beat, with some cracking fish already caught around the New England area.

Local angler Lilly Oliver with a beautiful conditioned Murray cod. If you catch a by-catch cod during the closure, return it to its nest as soon as possible. European carp are also becoming more abundant in our waterways, which is not a good sign. Some might even be pushing that metre mark, and I would say it’s about time to find out. Getting a few out of our waterways is the least we can do. There are many impoundments open for fishing opportunities, However, with the Murray cod breeding closure still in effect up until midnight on the 30th of this month. Lures up around the 60-70mm mark are considered to be of good length for perch species, etc. Anything larger could class you as targeting Murray cod, which can carry a hefty fine from NSW DPI. November is the perfect time to head to Copeton Dam as Murray cod can still be targeted in this waterway during the cod closure, if you’re after a big Murray cod fix. On that same note, with only four weeks to go until the cod season opens back up for 2024/25, It is time to get the bigger gear out and ready! Until next month, enjoy the last of the spring weather, and tight lines.

Freshwater NSW

FMM

Don’t miss out on the November reaction bite HUNTER VALLEY

Nick Price

November is reaction time. The fishing at Lake St Clair has been consistently good over the last few months, and it should stay that way throughout summer. Glenbawn has been steadily getting better, with the climax being November and the reaction bite. The action is insane – the fishing is like the old days. The average size is well above a kilo; the fish are fat and healthy, and most importantly, angry. I recommend fishing the grassy banks and amongst the timber this month. If you’re not using 20lb braid and 20lb leader for this kind of fishing, you will lose plenty of gear and donate lots of money to your local tackle store. You can use all your favourite reaction-style lures, including lipless cranks such as the TN60s, square bill cranks, swimbaits and spinnerbaits. This is easy fishing, cast to the edge and wind in, but the early angler will catch more fish. The bass are more active in low light conditions, which means you need to get on the dam as the sun comes up, or fish late in the afternoon and into the night. An overcast day is perfect for the late risers. The bass will still bite on sunny days, just not as enthusiastically. Once the sun is high in the sky, try a few different options, such as swimbaits or beetle spins. These lures will often induce a strike when the lipless crankbait bite slows down. The carp are still in good numbers in Glenbawn. If it’s the middle of the day and the bass have slowed down,

hard-fighting fish. They may be an introduced pest, but they are a great sportfish. The trout season started well in the Upper Hunter. The lower streams are not holding the numbers or sizes of previous years but the streams up higher are still holding good numbers of fish, including the odd bigger specimen. Celtas, Rapalas and fly are all working well. The further you walk, the more trout you will see – just be wary of the dreaded snakes. Trout up here live in tiger snake country, and if you get bitten you are in strife; there is not much phone reception on the Tops. It’s a good idea to take a compression bandage just in case, and fish with a mate. Waders may protect your legs but it’s just as easy to be bitten on

A nice carp caught in the river.

An average Hunter River bass. fish. However, as the season has progressed and the big girls have moved further up the river, the fishing has improved considerably. If you are going to fish the river and

want some tips, drop into our store on a Saturday. Staff member Cooper works on Saturdays and fishes the local Hunter River a few times a week. He lives for fishing! The 2024 ABT BASS Open was held on September 28-29, and local Jared Kermod took home the win! Big congratulations to Jared. He works hard on his fishing, and it’s great to see his efforts rewarded. A cold front arrived just before the competition, which made things tough, but despite this there were good numbers of bass caught, and they were all big. The results are on the ABT website. December is surface time. Although fish are still hitting reaction baits, everyone’s favourite is surface. Next month, I will focus on surface luring in Glenbawn and St Clair. • If you’re heading up to the Barrington, Glenbawn, Hunter River or St Clair, please drop into the shop and talk to Nick or Cooper, and ask about the different techniques and what they are biting on. The store is located at the turnoff to Glenbawn in Aberdeen, and stocks all the quality tackle you need.

Catching carp on fly is a lot of fun. and you want some fun, go and chase some carp. These fish are easy to catch on bait and are fantastic fun to catch on fly. When at Glenbawn, do yourself a favour and chase these big,

the arm or hand when traversing the tussock grass. The Hunter River is now fishing well for bass. The start of the season was slow, with lots of miles between

Glenbawn bass are big, fat and angry in November. NOVEMBER 2024 73

NSW

Freshwater

FMM

No need for early starts or late nights this month BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

You’d have to be mad not to enjoy this time of the year. The days are getting longer, but the temperature is still quite comfortable, which

Blowering Dam this year started a bit later than usual once again. However, it is in full swing now, with good numbers of fish being caught. There are some absolute stonkers amongst them, as is usually the case at Blowering Dam. Trolling has been working a treat

Thanks to recent trout stockings, there have been plenty of surprise trout hook-ups on lures meant for golden perch.

Redfin will start popping up in the shallow margins of our lakes this month. means the fish are generally at their most active during the middle/later parts of the day. This is great if you don’t like fishing at night or waking up early. The water is still warming, but it’s not too warm yet, so the fish feel very comfortable at all depths. In these conditions, they generally feed quite hard. Add to this rising water levels sweeping all sorts of food items into the system, and it’s easy to see why the fish are so active in late spring. I suggest enjoying the last of the great weather as it won’t be long until it gets too hot for both humans and fish, and the best fishing goes from gentlemen’s hours to super early starts or late afternoon/night sessions. GOLDEN PERCH The golden perch fishing at

TROUT If natives aren’t your thing, go and get stuck into some trout. The season is now in full swing, so anglers have the choice of fishing the rivers, streams and lakes now. There are plenty of options, and the fishing has already been sensational so far this season, especially in the running water. The trout lakes have also been

Trout can be targeted in our creeks, rivers and dams this month. Deciding which waterway to fish will be your only problem.

Trolling is a great way to locate active golden perch schools at Blowering Dam. 74 NOVEMBER 2024

for golden perch, with quite a few trout encountered as by-catch whilst targeting these goldens. Lure casting has been the most productive method of late. Many goldens have been

encountered around standing trees, and also along the wind-swept points and banks – especially those that have created a milk line along them. These milk lines are true magnets for active fish. If you have no luck in those types of areas, the goldens are also in the backs of some of the super-weedy bays. The only real way to target fish in there is with plastics rigged weedless, and it is very hard to beat a frog imitating plastic. Frogs are a primary food source for the goldens at this time of the year so a good frog imitation rarely gets refused. In these super weedy bays, every other lure style gets fouled up with weed so it’s lucky that the only thing you can throw happens to be what the fish are in there looking for anyway!

The Tumut River will be a great option in the coming weeks, especially if it’s in low flow. fishing well, and I expect this to continue this month. As I said, the rivers and streams have fished really well, but only when they are not running high. When the running water is too high and dirty, you generally find the fishing is far better in the lakes anyway, so bear this in mind next time you plan a trip and think the rain has ruined your chances. Generally, the worse the weather, the better when it comes

Freshwater NSW

FMM

November is the time for Hume to shine! ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

A hint of summer is in the air, and there are plenty of fish to come with it! November is always such an exciting time to fish in our big pond, as yellowbelly in Lake Hume typically fire during November. The water temperatures are usually high, and bait activity is plentiful – the perfect recipe for spawning yellowbelly. Usually, at this time of year, we will see huge fish caught, and these fish are typically female fish

when you use light spin set-ups or finesse baitcasters. This is why they are such a popular fish to target. Unfortunately, this popularity can make the fish quite wary, especially towards the end of the season, when they have had a few months of pressure. The fish are particularly wary in the most popular, highly pressured spots in our waterways. These days, many people are running Live technology, so the fish are copping a lot more pressure than they ever have before. Fishing with Livescope has taught people a lot about the behaviour of different fish species.

Mitch with a solid fish taken on a 3” grub. may spawn in different areas and/or their feeding behaviour might change. Yellowbelly are relatively easy to catch; finding them is usually the hardest part.

stay in tackle boxes. As for line class, I like to fish very lightly for these fish; 6-10lb braid is a good size, especially if you are doing a lot

Lachy with a fat Lake Hume yella. loaded up with eggs. Lake Hume holds some absolute donkey trophy-sized yellowbelly, and they are actually quite easy to catch once you have worked them out. Fishing lightly for them is a massive factor, because heavier lines can spook fish. Using lighter lines can also increase lure performance. Finesse fishing is also really fun; yellowbelly are fantastic fighting fish

All this means that decreasing your braid and leader sizes can make a big difference to your catch rates, whether you’re fishing with Live technology, an older sounder, or no tech at all. If you’re struggling to find yellowbelly at Lake Hume, I suggest fishing areas you haven’t ventured to before. Different spots can fish better or worse from season to season. With slightly different lake levels compared to last year, the fish

to lake trout fishing. Rising water is a trigger for fish activity, so don’t let a bit of rain hold you back. So, as you can see, there are still

quite a few options to choose from whilst fishing in the greater Batlow area this month. Grab your favourite rod and go get amongst them.

A high 60s model caught in November last year. As for lure types, soft plastics in the 2.5-4” category are always a good go-to. Curl tails work well on a vertical retrieve along timber, while paddle tails

of soft plastic fishing. Keeping it light will give you maximum feel with the smaller lures, and a leader to match would be 8-12lb. Sometimes, on a super-slow bite,

Yellowbelly around this size are common at this time of year.

Catching and releasing big goldens in the crystal-clear shallows of Blowering Dam is addictive, and now is the perfect time to do it.

can be really good for fishing on open flats. Soft vibes and small blades are also good, especially on an edge bite. Lipless crankbaits may be old-school lures, but time and again, they earn their keep to

it can pay to go even lighter. I have found that even 4lb leader can convince fish to eat, especially in pressured areas. While they can be relatively easy to catch, they aren’t stupid and do wise up fast. NOVEMBER 2024 75

ACT

Canberra

FMM

Lure fishers catching a better class of yellas CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

I get to do a bit of product testing from time to time throughout the Spring and Summer months. This would seem like a dream come true to some anglers, but I view it as a

right and will give considerable service, but it comes down to the angler to do their research before purchase. I have refused to promote over a dozen products now and have sent over a dozen back for review with pages of feedback on why a product should never make it to the shelves (without changes). Then I’ll

Chris Troth with a nice golden perch. does every year around the end of October or the start of November, the action is consistent, and some big fish have been caught. One spot that has been providing good action (for me anyway) has been the reed-lined

bank directly opposite the back of the yacht, where the golden perch are hitting wriggler-style plastics. Another spot worth a cast is the concrete ledge around the back of the museum. The reddie action across the

The author with some Googong gold. significant responsibility. I know the feeling of buying a reel or rod and quickly discovering that whoever tested the product had let a subpar product through to the keeper. Increasingly, the lines between a quality product and a poor one are becoming blurred. This becomes evident after a quick browse at any major tackle shop where reels on display (ranging from $50-$200 in various brands) are often made in the same factory. A quick glance at the handles, bail arms and drag adjustments fitted to spinning reels will tell any astute angler that there’s little difference between brands. Most reels in the $50-$200 price range are made with the same or similar components, both on the outside and inside of the reels. What does this all mean? Well, I think it comes down to trust. Some pro anglers will promote whatever product major brands send them, while other pros don’t. Others may mention a new product once or twice and then go right back to a product they were using months previously, and are very careful in their word choice when mentioning an inferior product. You need to keep a sharp eye on the socials and carefully examine what new products are being promoted and for how long, then compare these products with similar ones from other brands. It is still possible to find a product that has been thoroughly tested by trustworthy pro anglers that is built 76 NOVEMBER 2024

see that exact same product pop up with different stickers and from a different brand, months or sometimes years later. This links back to my opening few sentences in that providing honest feedback can be tough, especially when another brand releases the product I have criticised. The only solution here is for any angler to approach the purchase of a new rod or reel with eyes open and research done right. LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin Lake Burley Griffin is fishing well at the moment. While we are yet to see the lake explode to life, as it

Googong is producing some quality fish.

Light spin gear and a few plastics are all that’s needed to fish LBG.

majority of the lake has been good, with smaller fish cruising the edges behind Lennox Gardens and the bigger specimens sitting just off the willows that line the banks along Black Mountain Peninsula. Working a ZX35 in dark knight colour close to the shoreline at the peninsula and in between the snags is a good strategy if you’re looking to connect with a redfin or golden perch. Lake Tuggeranong Lake Tuggeranong has been my local pick for some time now. I’ve been fishing the lake a couple of times a week for several months now, and (touch wood) I don’t remember returning fishless in all that time. The lake provided a lot of memorable moments for me through winter, and the action stayed consistent through early spring.

Hobart TAS

FMM

Heading into a great summer season Anglers have been restricted by runs of low-pressure cells and blustery westerly weather in recent weeks, which has caused frustration as these big weather patterns have left fish biting in most locations. Saltwater has seen sand flathead starting to move in most areas. The water temps are still down, but some action has been seen throughout Storm Bay and Tasman Peninsula waters. As late spring temperatures rise, flathead will move into the shallows and start hitting soft plastics and deep diving lures. Please remember that new regional bag limits are now in place around the state. Schools of Australian salmon have been sighted off Ralphs and Tranmere points in the River Derwent close to Hobart. Cremorne and Pipeclay Lagoons have been 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 has also been experiencing a good run of smaller salmon from Cradoc to Verona Sands and further up into the channel toward Gordon Point Reef. 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. The odd tiger flathead has been turning up in deeper waters off the east coast. Upper Storm Bay has also seen fish caught. Spring snapper have been taken

recently near Betsy Island and further south near Bruny Island and around the Friars. Deeper offshore reefs have historically given up early-season fish, but it’s a little surprising this year to have this species so early and in such shallow waters in the south. Calamari are available in most coastal locations at the moment. Patches of fish are available in the south of the state around White Beach and Adventure Bay areas. Be mindful of the October/November closures in the southeast and around the state, particularly in the north. New northern and southern closures for calamari are now in effect. Good-sized SBT are still taking lures in the southeast, with captures of school-sized fish to 80kg reported in recent weeks. Cape Pillar and Tasman Island seem to be the go-to areas. Estuary fishing around the state is generally fishing quite well depending on runoff from recent rains. Late spring sea-trout are running well

in southern, western and northern rivers. The Pieman and Arthur rivers have fished extremely well of late. The Derwent and Huon rivers continue to produce nice sea and resident trout, mainly due to a prolonged whitebait season. Anglers drift spinning the edges have done well with Tasmanian Devil lures with silver in their colour scheme. Bream action has been hot in the lower to mid reaches of estuary systems. Bream are content for the moment to chase whitebait alongside. The East Coast lagoons are fishing well, too. Freshwater areas have been fishing particularly well so far this season, with high water levels for the third year straight, giving trout ideal conditions to feed up and put on weight. Highland areas haven’t been spared the wild weather battering either, but have still been fishing really well with many waters producing above average-sized fish.

At Bronte Lagoon, all methods have been producing fish, with spin, troll and fly all working, whether landbased or from a boat. Four Springs in the north has seen rainbow trout to 2.7kg landed recently. Browns to 1.9kg have been scoffing 2.5” black and gold Berkley T Tails and Rapala F7 SDs. One of only two lakes on the eastern side of the state, Tooms Lake continues to fish well from last season. It is still producing good brown and rainbow trout, which are feeding heavily on galaxias around the shorelines. All methods have been working well. At the time of writing this report, the lake is spilling and should continue to do so for a while. Arthurs Lake, being nearly full, is producing good numbers of fish around the 1kg mark. Fish have been found around the edges all over the lake, with both fly and spin anglers all reporting good bags. Cowpaddock Bay to the north has been yielding some quality catches. Great Lake has been fishing well again over the past month, with well-conditioned browns and rainbow trout being caught via all methods. That said, the Tasmanian Devil in 51 and S12 have been particularly effective when worked around the edges. The F9 Rapala Spotted Dog has been taking fish during the middle of the day. Woods Lake has been fishing well, and spin fishers drifting the edges have taken quality fish to 0.9kg. Fly activity will increase now, as insect life in the warming shallows begins to thrive. Tight lines this month guys, as we head into what looks like a great summer season ahead.

Now, the reddie action is heating up, and the golden perch are hitting lures from the pylons under the bridge and the spillway

but also at the points behind the dog park. Soft plastics from 2-3” and in wriggler style in natural colours have been producing the better fish for

me, but I do work the plastic really fast as opposed to my regular, slow ‘hop-pause’ retrieve, which I use for all the other local lakes. Lake Ginninderra Lake Ginninderra is a bit of a mixed bag. Maybe this is more down to my angling ability than anything else, but for me, the place hasn’t provided me with consistent fishing for some time. There was a period around five years ago where I would drop past ‘Lake G’ after work throughout the warmer months, cast around for a bit, land a golden perch and head home. Now, I seem to spend hours on the lake with little to show for it for an entire week, only to land a solid fish in a short session the week after. A creature-style plastic coupled with a ned rig, fished slow, is still the lure that is providing me with the better hits. However, I have also caught a few small reds by working

small crash divers in close to the concrete walls near the College. SURROUNDS Googong Dam is definitely worth a visit. The golden perch are increasingly moving from deep into the shallows, and are feeding on a variety of forage, from yabbies through to small baitfish. The redfin are following suit and can be seen patrolling the edges from the base of the main carpark right up and into Shannon’s Inlet. These fish can be targeted with either paddler or wriggler-style plastics coupled with a beetle spin and worked at a medium pace near the half-sunk timber. If fishing from a boat, head to the entrance to Bradley’s and cast small, shallow-running divers parallel to the rock walls. Here the yellas sit and wait for bait schools to swim past and will eat anything that swims past.

HOBART

Andrew Large

Sea-run trout in the River Derwent are a prime target at this time of the year and throughout December.

Some of the bigger goldens are starting to turn up.

NOVEMBER 2024 77

TESTING BOOTH

Quality from an angler favourite – ATOMIC FISHING MONTHLY

Peter Jung

I have been in or part of the fishing industry for over 25 years. I must admit it does not feel that long, however time does fly when you are having fun. In that time, I have seen many brands come and go and some brands grow and get bigger and stronger. That is the category that I would put the brand Atomic into.

Yes the flathead just kept on coming. This time on the Atomic Bream Shad 40 in the ghost brown shad colour.

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY 78 NOVEMBER 2024

The team at Frogleys Offshore introduced the brand to Australian anglers via a small range of soft plastic and hardbody lures some 15 years ago. Skip ahead to 2024 and that range of soft plastics and hardbody lures now covers a broad spectrum of angling species here in Australia and has extended to include rods, lines, fishing accessories and clothing. The quality of the products has never been questioned, with many of the lures being favourites amongst tournament anglers and proven tournament winners throughout the history of the brand. However, it is not only the tournament anglers that have taken to the brand. An affordable price point also means that the general public have also enjoyed what this brand offers, making it a name most anglers will know and love. So, you can imagine how happy I was when a parcel from Frogleys Offshore arrived at the Fishing Monthly office. The parcel included several hardbody lures, the latest version of the Atomic rods and lines as well as a few other lures and a Major Craft reel that I was very keen to try. That was a couple of months ago and I have to say, it has been nice to familiarise myself with the Atomic brand and some of the products within it. This is what I checked out.

The grey assassin colour Crank 38 was dynamite on the bream and flathead. Atomic Arrowz rods The Atomic Arrowz rod range is expansive to say the least. If there isn’t a rod within the range to suit your needs, I would look again, because there is. There is everything from light spin outfits to beach and offshore rods. The range has had a recent upgrade, with slight changes in the blanks. The biggest change is the fuji components used. They have always used full Fuji components, but the latest iteration has had an upgrade in the guides, improving the sensitivity and the durability of the rods. The biggest win for anglers is the price point. Almost the entire range retails for under $200. The two rods sent to me to be tested were the 7‘ 2-piece 3-10lb spin rod (AAS-27OUL) and the 6’6”

2-piece 2-6lb spin rod. Both good options to cast the small hardbody lures that were also supplied. Major Craft Ceana 2500HG spin reel The range of Ceana reels has three sizes in it, 2500, 3000 and 4000. Each has a 7+1 stainless steel ball bearing system and the 2500 supplied has a 6.2:1 retrieve ratio or 86cm of line retrieved per one turn of the handle. The 2500 weighs 240 grams and has a 7.2kg maximum drag. Well more than I was going to need for the fishing I was going to do in this testing booth. Atomic Linez braid Atomic Linez braids come in either 4 strand or 8 strand configurations, with the 4 strand coming in a multi coloured look, while the 8 strand also comes in the multi coloured look or

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

TESTING BOOTH green. They are available in 150m or 300m spool sizes and are available in 6lb-45lb breaking strain in the 4 strand and 10lb-140lb in the 8 strand. The lines sent to me were the 8 strand (multi colour look) in 10lb and 15lb. Atomic Hardz lures As mentioned, there is a vast range of lure options within the Atomic Hardz range. Everything from tiny surface lure options to barramundi tough lures, offshore lures, squid jigs and much much more. If you want to check them all out, go to www. frogleysoffshore.com.au, click on the Atomic link and then the lure link and then you can work your way through all the various options available.

I put the reel on? Secondly, is 10lb or 15lb line overkill for the fishing I would be doing and would heavier lines affect castability and even the visibility (by the fish) of the line be too much. Thirdly, and in many ways the most important, was the taper of the rods. Both have a medium taper, delivering the power to fight a fish from a much lower point in the rod

An Atomic Crank 38 munching bream. These lures are tournament proven and come in a great range of colours.

The Major Craft 2500HG reel spooled with the Atomic Linez braid was a good match for the rods tested in this Testing Booth.

High Carbon Steel Superior Strength

Individually Tempered Thinner Gauge

The ultimate hook penetration and connection

While you are there, take the time to check out all the colour options. The colour range is impressive. For this testing booth they supplied a few colours in each of the following models; Crank 38 deep, Crank 38 Mid, Bream Shad 40 Deep and the Jerk Minnow 65 Mid. Each of these are good options for the bream, bass, flathead etc that inhabit my local waterways. Let the testing begin The testing process really begins well before you even consider wetting a line. Certainly for me there were a few questions to be answered. Firstly, which rod would

A welcome but unexpected capture from the author’s creek: a 35cm bass that would dwarf anything he would expect to catch. It was a good test for the 6’6” Arrowz/ Ceana outfit in tight country. blank. Every angler has their own preference (mine is a fast taper rod). I needed to keep an open mind and remember that medium taper rods offer great casting capabilities for small light lures and for keeping hooks in fishes’ mouths using

Micro Barb Stay Connected

Conical Point Exceptionally Sharp

Chemically Sharpened Ultra Smooth Distributed by

NOVEMBER 2024 79

TESTING BOOTH light leader and fine gauged hooks, which is exactly the type of fishing I would be doing. I did put the reel on both rods and eventually it stayed on the 6’6” rod. It was more balanced on the 7’ rod (it was fine on both), but because I was using the longer rod in more open water, wanting to do longer casts, I preferred a smaller reel to do this with. I was using the shorter rod for more close quarters fishing (fishing small creeks and from my kayak), so less need for long casts and the size of the reel doesn’t matter as much. I would love to see a 1000 or 1500 size reel in the range, but there is no question the 2500 could be used in either scenario. From a line point of view the Atomic Linez X 8 is a fine diameter

The one scenario I didn’t expect to test as early as I did was the power of the rods and the taper difference the Atomic Arrowz rods have (in the models I was sent), compared to my normal preference. I am very lucky to have a small creek that has a few bass in it, only a hop skip and a jump from my house. The fish in it are generally only small (20-25cm), but they are fun to play with. There is the odd bigger fish and due to the size of the creek, if you happen to hook one of them, you will need plenty of angling skill and a little luck to land the fish. When all the gear arrived, I couldn’t help myself. I quickly rigged up the 6’6” Arrowz rod with one of the Atomic Crank 38’s and went for a wander down to the creek. First cast at the

The author was impressed by how well a light rod like the 7’ 2-piece 3-10lb Atomic Arrowz spin rod dealt with some of the better flathead he caught. line (10lb PE 0.4 and 15lb PE 0.8) so visibility from a fish perspective was never going to be an issue. These diameters are as fine as many of the other lighter lines available in the market and ensures the sensitivity and feel you expect/want when fishing light braid remains, with the bonus of offering you a little insurance should something bigger than expected come along. I am glad I had this on a couple of occasions while I was testing this gear, because I may well have been telling you about fish that got away if I didn’t. I put the 15lb on the Major Craft reel and the 10lb on a smaller 1000 size reel I had. The other thing with braided lines that is important is how well your knots can be tied with them. I use an FG knot for my braid to leader connections and I had absolutely no issues with it using the Atomic Linez to a light (4lb) or heavy (15lb) leader. I even tried a double Uni knot just to see how it would hold and had no issues with it either. Atomic Linez braid is great to tie knots with.

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Just under 70cm worth of flathead that ate an Atomic Bream Shad 40 cast using the 7’ Atomic Arrowz outfit. Although the author felt like the fish was dictating the fight, he still managed to easily land it. fish without pulling or straightening the hooks of the lure. The fish ended up being 35cm long and was as good a test that I could ask for the outfit on its first outing. It also was not the only time something bigger than expected ate one of the Atomic lures cast with it. A shallow rubble patch that is usually stacked with bream was also the home of a 50cm plus flathead. This fish ate one of the Crank 38 Mid lures. When I say ate, it swallowed it. All you could see coming out of the fish’s mouth was my 4lb leader. I had all the room in the world to fight this fish, so a smooth drag and a soft touch was required and that was exactly what I had with the 6’6” rod and the Ceana reel. These were just two of the memorable captures on this outfit. The 7’ Atomic Arrowz rod was

Finally a bream ate the author’s Atomic Jerk Minnow 65. best snag in the creek saw the Crank 38 get eaten by a bigger than average fish. Said fish then proceeded to do all its fighting on the other side of the snag, before being gently coaxed to the bank where I was fishing from. I was very thankful that I was using the heavier line, but also pleased that I could crank the drag up on the reel (so the fish couldn’t take more line and take me into more trouble) and let the rod absorb the lunges of the

definitely more suited to the open water casting scenario or to flick around bridge pylons for bream using either of the Crank 38’s, the Bream Shad, or the Jerk Minnow. It is a lovely light rod that is perfect for casting these small lures for miles. I think it would also be more than suitable to use for lightly weighted soft plastics as well. I loved the taper of the rod in the bream scenario, but I will say I felt the fish was controlling me rather than the other way around, when I hooked

a couple of bigger flathead. Having said that I didn’t lose any of the larger fish, so that just may be my rod taper preference coming into play. Final observations I understand why these products are as popular as they are. The Atomic Arrowz rods look good, they are at a great price point, there is an enormous range of options (including, I am sure, a fast taper option that I would feel more comfortable with) to suit many fishing applications, and they are built using great components. They would be a great option for anyone looking to step into their first graphite rod outfit. Affordable and fit for purpose. I had high expectations for the Atomic Hardz lures. I have seen and heard so much about them and they did not disappoint. Great colour range, fantastic range of lure styles and depth options. They match up to the hype and I can’t wait to get my hands on a few of the Crank 38’s in the double deep, I think my local impoundment bass would like them. As mentioned already the Atomic Linez braid X8 is a quality braided fishing line. Very fine diameter with good abrasion resistance and you can tie great knots with it. It has everything you want from a braid. Finally, the Major Craft Ceana reel. Smooth drag, plenty of line capacity, tons of drag power and a competitive price point (around $250-$270) make it a good option for these rods and others similar. I would love to see it come in a 1000 or 1500 size as I believe it would then be a perfect match for the two rods I tested. As you will see from the images within this testing booth, I have had a ball putting these products through their paces. Lots of good fish and a few surprises along the way. These products are well worth checking out. To see the full ranges go to www. frogleysoffshore.com.au or ask for them in your local tackle store.

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

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

RIPTIDE TERROVA QUEST 4

The Quest series of dual 24/36 volt brushless trolling motors were designed for anglers who demand the best from their equipment, even in the harshest environments. With a reinforced motor and mount, more advanced GPS functionality than ever, and even an eco mode to extend battery life, the next generation of Terrova is designed to have your back out on the water for years to come. Features include: Stow/Deploy Lever, Advanced GPS Trolling System, Part of the One-Boat Network, SpotLock with Jog, Drift Mode, Real-time Battery Monitoring, Digital Maximizer, Heel-Toe Programmable Electric Foot Pedal, Built-In Dual Spectrum Chirp Sonar, Indestructible Composite Shaft — Guaranteed for Life, and Mobile App Compatibility. For a full description and detailed specs, check out the Minn Kota website. www.minnkota.com.au

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FISHCRAFT STICK DOG

The Fishcraft Stick Dog sits patiently on the surface, eagerly awaiting your command. With a quick rip, a playful twitch, or a long, dramatic sweep, you can bring it to life, creating a dynamic topwater action that sends predatory pelagics into a frenzy. The Stick Dog’s erratic movements, striking colours, and built-in rattle are the perfect recipe for bringing you those adrenaline-fueled, topwater showdowns you’ve been fantasising about. Equipped with 5x strong treble hooks, you can rest assured that when those giants strike, you’ll be locked in, for better or worse! This new lure is available now in 160mm and 180mm sizes and a range of fishcatching colours. www.fishcraft.com.au

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DAIWA INFEET SK NEW MODELS

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

Daiwa’s Infeet SK (skeleton) rod range welcomes two new models to the lineup for 2024. A sought-after series since it was introduced last year, the Infeet SK range is tailor made for the light tackle angling looking for heightened control with its Fuji SK skeleton reel seat putting ultimate touch and feel in the angler’s hand. Apart from the skeleton reel seat, Infeet SK boasts some additional unique features, most notably a combination guide train of a Fuji titanium SiC stripper guide followed by a near-full set of Daiwa’s AGS carbon fibre guides. Lighter than titanium, AGS deliver unmatched responsiveness, sensitivity, and lightness in the hand. Blank technology is performancefocused in design with HVF Nanoplus graphite combining with X45X Full Shield technology to eliminate blank twist and results in a rod that cast insanely well for its size, and feels crisp and responsive when casting and working lures. Two new fast tapered (blue coloured), light powered models have been added to the range with a 681L+FS and 722LFS delivering light tackle finesse anglers more choice. From skipping unweighted soft plastics to rolling hardbodies and blades the Infeet SK range will have you armed and ready for a range of light tackle techniques and applications. www.daiwafishing.com.au

VMC GANG HOOKS

VMC Australia is introducing a range of gang hooks to suit the Australian market. These gang hooks will utilize the VMC 9255 forged O’Shaugnessy hooks. These hooks feature a high carbon steel construction and are coated with VMC’s famous Perma-steel finish for added corrosion resistance and durability. Made in France, the VMC Gang Hooks pass through a rigorous screening process to ensure every hook meets our quality standards. They are available in sizes from 3/0 to 6/0 and in a standard gang hook and swiveled configuration. Whether you are casting pilchards into the surf down south or floating large flesh baits down to reefs up north the VMC Gang Hooks are a must. Price: SRP $11.95 (swiveled), $9.95 (nonswivelled) www.rapala.com.au

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ZMAN PRAWNZ ELITE 3.5” AND 5”

Everything eats a prawn and ZMan PrawnZ Elite has an ultra-realistic profile, legs, antennae and body detail, including highly detailed, hand-painted colour schemes. The segmented body and upturned tail design create a natural tail kick, while a balanced internal weight, 3/16oz for the 3.5” and 1/2oz for the 5”, creates the perfect posture on the fall and when at rest. On the fall and slow draw the legs and antennae quiver and vibrate, creating both movement and a subtle vibration An internal glass rattle provides added attraction, and the PrawnZ Elite comes pre-rigged and ready to fish straight out of the packet, with a 2/0 2X Strong Mustad UltraPoint hook in the 3.5” model and 5/0 in the larger 5” size. ZMan’s 10X Tough ElaZtech construction ensures enhanced durability when taking on Australia’s toughest fish species. Check out this ICAST Award Winning soft lure at your local ZMan stockist. Price: SRP $15.95 (3.5” 2-pack or 5” single) www.tackletactics.com.au

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6 SHIMANO DYNAFLARE SURF RODS

The new Shimano Dynaflare series of surf rods offers anglers a premium range tailored to the rigours and rewards of surf casting. These rods feature a 30 TON blank reinforced with T45 carbon, delivering a harmonious balance of strength and sensitivity. The series ranges from the 902ML 4-8KG, an ideal choice for light surfcasting with its 9’0” length and medium-light action, up to the 1463XH 20-30KG, a 14’6” powerhouse capable of handling the demands of big surf and bigger fish. The EVA grips are shaped for comfort and control, ensuring a secure hold in wet conditions, and downward winding reel locks provide a secure connection to your reel. Fuji K-Frame guides reduce tangles and friction for smoother, longer casts. Each rod has a carefully measured distance from the reel seat to the rubber butt cap, optimising leverage and control for casting and fighting fish. Each rod is 2-piece with a half joint (except for the 3-piece 1463H), which makes transportation convenient without compromising on rod action or integrity. This feature, coupled with the lengths ranging from 9’0” to 14’6”, means there is a Dynaflare rod for every shore angler. fish.shimano.com

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West Coast

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Catch yourself a tasty mixed bag off Portland PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

G’day fishos! I’m sure we are all gearing up now for a big season ahead. Here in Portland we have seen significant changes in the last few weeks, both in the weather and the fishing. Land-based off the breakwater, we have seen some good snapper already, with models up in the high 70cm range, plus some very healthy gummies and

area, like Snapper Point, Narrawong Beach and along Dutton Way, will also start producing some good quality landbased fish. This time of year is always exciting around the harbour and bay as we start to see greater numbers of big whiting getting around in better numbers. Some of the whiting can be as big as 60cm, but the average size is 40-45cm, which is still a good size. These fish are very common in both shallow and deep water. Wellpresented baits such as squid and pipis will give you a great chance of catching a good feed. We are also seeing good-size whiting being caught on jigs and plastics. The North Shore reef lines from

snapper, gummies, schoolies and even kingfish. As we head deeper outside the bay and back of Lawrences Rock right through to Bridgewater certainly opens you up to a huge variety of fish, especially in 50-100m of water. Flathead and gummies are highly sought-after fish down towards Bridgewater, drifting around the hot spots. Back towards Cape Nelson, you can encounter a good variety of snapper, sharks, nannies and more. Big makos will also be on the cards in these areas. Out wide, in depths of 140m right through to the shelf in 350m+ of water, there are some great opportunities for big boat fishos, when the weather permits. You can have some memorable sessions

Kraken Fishing Charters have been putting their customers onto some quality flathead.

This month, we will start seeing some good quality calamari, both from the boat and land-based. A great catch from the shelf, taken on a trip with Matthew Hunt Fishing Charters. schoolies. Over the next couple of months, the Breakwater jetties and landings will also improve, with fish such as whiting, squid, snapper and trevally, just to name a few. These areas are great for traditional baits, soft plastics and hardbody lures, so you can have fun mixing it up for an extra chance of a quality fish. Beaches around the North Shore

Young Oscar and Harriet love catching slimy macs in the Harbour. the Town Reef, Dutton Way up to Julia Reef, will only get better as the weather improves. Depending on the water temperatures, you can catch some quality

on deep bottom fish – everything from trumpeter to blue-eye. There are also makos in these deep water areas, which are always a big game prize.

With so much on offer, let’s hope we are in for some warm, stable weather throughout November, and get into some great fishing. • For all your weather and fishing information, call us at Compleat Angler on 03 5521 1844. You will find us at 61 Bentinck Street, Portland, and we have all the bait and tackle you need. You can also find us on Facebook, where we post regular updates with news, photos and in-store specials.

FISHING NEWS

Codference lures fishers to Shepparton Murray cod fishers will descend on Shepparton for the 7th Murray Codference, once again being held in the heart of the Goulburn Valley on Saturday 16 November from 9am to 4pm. Victorian Fisheries Authority CEO Travis Dowling said the free event has become a favourite for native fishing enthusiasts and will once again feature presentations from a host of experts, including renowned recreational fishers Lubin Pfeiffer, Kate Norman, Colby Lesko and Robbie Alexander. “Our Codference has become one of the most highly anticipated dates for cod fishers from Victoria and interstate and it’s a great way to get you primed for the season opening again in many lakes and rivers on December 1,” Mr Dowling said. “Attendees can learn how some of the best fishers in the country target

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and catch metre-long cod, the latest on our record-breaking stocking effort and updates on the project to triple the size of our Arcadia hatchery – which is just a short drive down the road from Shepp.”

This year’s event will be held at a new venue – the GV Hotel on High Street – and has again attracted an array of renowned cod fishing experts from Victoria and interstate. Recognised as Australia’s pre-eminent recreational fisher, keynote speaker Lubin Pfeiffer travels the globe in search of great fishing experiences as part of TV programs BigAngryFish and Full Scale Fishing Adventures. He has also represented Australia at world fly fishing championships, but his love for Murray cod and immense skill catching them keeps him coming back to the iconic native species in Victoria’s rivers and lakes. Fishing personality and photographer Robbie Alexander, who has more than 130,000 followers on his Robbiefishing Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages, will share basics for beginners so you can get the family wetting a line and catching their first cod.

Young guns of the recreational fishing scene, Colby Lesko and Kate Norman, will help you catch your next ‘metery’ and all speakers will discuss using livescope or active targeting in cod fishing. The VFA and project partners will also share the latest on construction of the Arcadia hatchery expansion, Cracking the Code on Macquarie perch production and the 10inTen initiative to boost numbers of threatened species at the Snobs Creek conservation hatchery. “This year’s Codference will be our best yet and we’d love to see you there, chat fishing and share lunch as we get set for a bumper summer of cod fishing,” Mr Dowling said. Tickets for the event are free, lunch will be provided and spaces are expected to fill up fast. To register and find out more go to www.vfa.vic.gov.au/ murraycodference. – VFA

West Coast

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VIC

Plenty of options to look forward to in November WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Conditions here in the southwest have continued to conspire against anglers and most fishing options locally continue to be a bit quiet. Constant strong winds over the past month have limited all offshore bottom fishing, which had been so good earlier in the year. Lack of

Bream should return this month, eating lures close to the bank as the water warms.

rain has continued to hamper inshore options. Trout fishing has been fairly productive, but hard work with sizes down on most years. Many of the local estuaries have been frequently opening and closing with the lack of flow, and good bites have been hard to come by, with many fish still schooled up deep in the cool, clear water. So, let’s look ahead to November with a bit of positivity; hopefully things will turn around as the weather begins to warm up. One thing to look forward to in November is the southern rock lobster season opening on the 15th of the month. Divers and drop netters will be hoping for some good weather to get in nice and close to their favourite ledges or reefs. Warmer, longer November evenings will also see more anglers out targeting another tasty southern specialty: King George whiting. Shallow waters less than 5m of water around Lady Bay, Killarney and Port Fairy should provide some quality fish, with most in the 36-43cm range. Whilst most snapper anglers are targeting Port Phillip and Westernport bays, there are still snapper on offer off the South West Coast at this time of year. At this time, you are always a good chance of a better fish before the droves of summer pinkies arrive. The added attraction of doing a bottom bash for

local snapper is the possibility of a mixed bag with gummies, schoolies, morwong, squid even a big whiting all a chance when you are fishing the deeper waters from around 30-45m. November is always a good month to chase bream and estuary perch in the Hopkins. The fish have usually well and truly returned to the edges by November, and can be targeted on shallow-running hardbodies and even surface lures. Another fisher y that’s not too far away, but is a good option at this time of year, is Rocklands

Reservoir. Fisheries have pumped a huge amount of cod and yellowbelly into this system over the past years, and the fish are really now starting to reach impressive sizes. Cod to 70cm and yellowbelly to 60cm are impressive specimens and are now being taken at these sizes. Despite the large number of fish stocked, it is a massive waterway and very heavily timbered. Finding fish can be difficult so it’s important to give yourself plenty of time on the waterway and use your electronics well to locate fish.

background looked very much like the Curdies River bank, and the information attached to the pic pointed out it was taken only days prior. It seems that some fish are still hanging on. This was a very large bream; hopefully the angler in

question released it to help keep the species alive in this system. The Hopkins River has been slow going for many anglers lately. However, a few have done well, catching bream to 1.4kg on bait, mostly pod worm followed by live

shrimp. I’ve been told you are doing well if you manage a decent bite or hook-up once every half hour or so. Most bream have been caught in the bottom half of the river. However, by the time you read this, I suspect the fish will be schooling up and moving upstream on their annual spawning run. Estuary perch are also about, but they have been finicky when it comes to striking an angler’s offering. Plenty of small fish are getting around, and a ‘big fish’ only pulls the scales down to 800-900g. The perch are being taken all over the estuary, but that will change soon as they school up and move down towards the mouth for their spawning run. The Gellibrand River at Princetown has been hard going, with only small perch and bream being caught in close to the bankside reed beds. A few sea-run brown trout have turned up, although not of any notable size. Most of the trout have been taken on lures being cast out for the perch.

Rocklands Reservoir is a good option in November for stocked natives.

Anglers hold out for warmer days on the water COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

I cannot believe the extended blast of wintry weather that has engulfed most of spring and could easily threaten our summer. Fishing conditions have been frightful on most days, and only the hardy have been venturing out on the water. Low barometer readings point to a distinct scarcity of bites. The fish, almost like us, do not want to play the game. Many anglers have written off the Curdies River. There has been much pollution of the waters in recent times, due to too many nutrients running into the river from nearby farmland. High temperatures and a lack of rain contribute to fish kills, and there have been several in recent years. However, recently a little bird showed me a photo of a very sizeable bream taken on a black vibe in 4m+ of water, and it was dripping milk, indicating it’s a male in breeding mode. The

A brace of Hopkins bream taken on soft plastics on the edge of the channel opposite the ski club.

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All the signs are pointing to a ripping month GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

All right! The snapper are well and truly pumping, with good numbers pushing into Port Phillip and Corio Bays. Solid fish either side of 5kg were being caught early in the season, so we could be in for a ripping November.

recently fished Wangim Walk with a few mates, where they caught a 60cm snapper on a slimy mackerel fillet. For boaties, the shipping channel out off Clifton Springs and Portarlington has always been the go-to for November snapper. We can expect plenty of quality fish up to 6kg or so, with the odd fish nudging 9-10kg caught every year. The Surf Coast is one of the first places to see larger snapper as they make their way up and down the coast and into Port Phillip and Corio Bays. The reefy areas from Torquay to Barwon Heads are known to have produced 9kg fish at this time of year, so it’s worth heading offshore if you’re keen on a solid snapper. Wayne Tempest fished inside Corio Bay with his partner Angie recently, and they boated some beautiful snapper using fresh squid heads for bait. The pair were fishing over mud and into

On a recent trip off St Leonards, Shayne was plagued by 7-gill sharks, and was pleasantly surprised to land this big gummy. St Leonards. Some of them weren’t shy to be on the plane only 50m off the back of your boat, which no doubt made the whiting a little shy. There have been a few calamari about St Leonards and Indented. Nothing really big, but enough numbers to get a bag limit with some patience. Gummy sharks have also come on the bite out off Barwon Heads and St Leonards. Shayne Grace fished in perfect conditions in around 22m off

Angie with a solid snapper caught on a fresh squid head. Fresh squid and pilchards have been doing the bulk of the damage so far, but don’t be afraid to mix things up. There are good numbers of tommy rough and small salmon around Geelong and the Bellarine, which make great baits for snapper and gummies. Land-based anglers should be fishing after dark at Limeburners, St Helens and North Shore rocks. During the day, the Geelong waterfront has been producing some quality snapper to 2kg on baits and soft plastics. Jae Peters

Jae and some clients caught this mixed bag land-based from Indented Head. an 8m drop-off. They gave me a couple of photos of their captures, and Angie suggested her fish looks much bigger in the photo. She has a point!

How’s that for a bream! Jae from Barwon Heads Fishing Guides caught this big bream with clients using live crabs. 84 NOVEMBER 2024

Jae Peters from Barwon Heads Fishing Guides recently took a client land-based fishing at Indented Head using salmon and mullet fillet for bait. They caught a few small but legal length gummy sharks, a 67cm snapper, a 45cm whiting, a flounder and a luderick. That’s a fair spread of species! The flounder and luderick are out of left field. I recently took my son Max (16yo) and his mate Tex out off St Leonards. It was one of the first glass-out days on a non-work day we’d had in a long while, so I knew it would be busy. We launched at Queenscliff at 6:45, and the car park was nearly full. We fished the grass beds, the mouth of Swan Bay and out off St Leonards looking for whiting until about 12 without losing a bait – nasty! The lads inhaled their rolls at 10am and were ‘dying of starvation’ at noon, so we beached at St Leonards and the lads hunted down a bakery. Those pies didn’t stand a chance. We headed back out, and with a tide change to run-out, we caught 10 whiting to 36cm. Our haul didn’t exactly set the world on fire, but we had a feed. The boat traffic was nuts, with at least 100 boats in a patch out off

Wayne with a brace of quality snapper he caught inside Corio Bay. Indented Heads recently, and during the incoming tide he was plagued with rays and Port Jackson sharks. As soon as the tide turned, on came the pesky 7-gill sharks! About two hours into the run-out tide, one of Shayne’s rods took off again. Thinking it was another 7-gill, Shayne played it to the boat without much enthusiasm until he saw it was a ripper gummy shark! Jae Peters recently took some clients to the Barwon River, where they caught a massive bream of 48cm using live crabs and a tailor. Jae noted that there have been a few tailor caught in the

Central

FMM Barwon estuary lately. COMPETITIONS! Leopold Angling and Aquatic Club are hosting the Geelong and Bellarine Snapper Classic again this month. The competition runs from 2-16 November and boasts over $27,000 worth of prizes. For more info, head over to https:// leopoldaac.com/2024-snapper-classic. The commodore of Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club, Keith Miller, says it’s been windy along the coast so there’s not a lot to report. The flathead are still biting well. Snapper and whiting were scarce at the time of writing, but there’s been the occasional gummy and school shark being caught. There are plenty of salmon in close but that’s about it for boaties. LORNE PIER Keith was out on the Pier last month and came across a couple of blokes catching heaps of mullet. They were using a technique Keith hadn’t seen for 40 years: fishing with extremely long bamboo poles and no reel. He said a lot of mature folk will remember that last century, the Italians and Greeks used to fish off the Lorne Pier this way – they just tied the line to the tip of the rod. The line was the same length as the pole, so when they lifted the pole the hooked fish would swing in at hand height, where they quickly grabbed them. These anglers nearly always used a small float with one or two hooks below, and a bit of split shot to keep the bait

down. They always had a big bucket full of white bread minced into a paste with water, and sometimes fish oil, which they continually ladled into the water near their bait. Some of them would screw big cup hooks into the old wooden pier where they would hang their rod over the water to save their arms. I can remember how successful they were; they always caught more fish than anyone else. Keith says that these two blokes were doing the same thing last month, only their rods were telescopic fibreglass ones and were much shorter and lighter than the old bamboo ones, and they were catching all the fish. Apart from the mullet, there have been good numbers of trevally, salmon, grass whiting and the odd snapper and King George whiting being caught from the pier. This method of using long poles was also very popular at Geelong’s Cunningham Pier, and historical photos of the pier often feature rows of fishers with these long poles. Until next month, fish hard – die happy! • Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send a report to slaterfish@ gmail.com with “FMG” in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Photos are always great.

VIC

FISHING NEWS

Free camping in Vic Victorians and other visitors can enjoy camping in the great outdoors for free this summer and beyond at some of the state’s most beautiful and beloved places. Camping at 131 of Parks Victoria’s paid campgrounds will be free between 1 December 2024 and 30 June 2025. Bookings are essential, even though there is no charge. The announcement means free access to some of the most popular campgrounds in Victoria, from HattahKulkyne near Mildura to Tidal River in Wilsons Promontory, and from Glenelg to Mallacoota. They join thousands of other free camping opportunities across parks, reserves and state forests. Free camping will ensure campgrounds remain accessible and affordable for families and bring more tourism to regional areas. A maximum of two campsites per campground can be booked in a single

transaction during this time (excluding approved education and Licenced Tour Operator activities). This ensures more people can access a free camping adventure in nature. Existing bookings for the summer will be honoured, and camping fees will be refunded. As you can understand, with over 15,300 bookings impacted, this is a big task, and Parks Victoria will provide more information on how long this will take in the coming weeks. Free camping in designated areas at other parks, reserves and state forests will continue. Fees will continue to apply for roofed accommodation like huts and cabins, the unique Discovery Tents at Point Nepean and remote hike-in campgrounds along the Grampians Peaks Trail. For more information and updates, visit www. parks.vic.gov.au. – Parks Victoria

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Super catches of spring snapper from the shore PORT PHILLIP BAY WEST

Jordan Mathews

It’s official – snapper season is now in full swing for 2024! However, this has come with a caveat for many anglers; we saw a lot of unusually warm weather during August, and the expected strong winds didn’t come around until September. They have been consistently holding over Melbourne. This has held water temperatures a bit lower than normal for this time of year and made it difficult for anglers to get out there and chase snapper.

closer to 20°C. The ‘Snapper Sultan’ Kevin Sun has continued to establish himself as Melbourne’s number 1 land-based snapper angler, with fantastic catches from various spots all around Port Phillip Bay. Pilchards have been the stand-out bait. He advises that knowing which phase of the moon you’re fishing is important, as the fish will tend to bite during the same windows with the cycle repeating itself every two weeks. He has been working incredibly hard to figure this out over the last few seasons, and the results speak for themselves.

Alan Bonnici with a Williamstown snapper.

Peter Bakaj with a 44cm bream. All that said, there have been good numbers of decent fish caught around the edges of the bay. These fish have been feeding voraciously in the shallows, fattening up on their prey before heading out deeper for the spawn event that happens around late November and early December when water temperatures have risen

Closer to Melbourne, local angler Ardian Rushiti spent a cold and windy night soaking pilchard and squid cocktail baits at Webb Dock to try his luck. Ardian was rewarded with his bag of three snapper over 40cm – and when I say over 40cm, I mean well and truly over the mark! Three fish between 65cm and 80cm

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5.03 TERRITORY

550 TROJAN 86 NOVEMBER 2024

in mid-September is phenomenal fishing in anyone’s book for Melbourne! Personally, I have been fishing the Point Cook R AAF base pier, Millers Rd reef at Altona as well as Wyndham Harbour and have been seeing plenty of quality fish on the sounder since early September – However, getting them to bite has been the tricky part! Snapper have not been the only fish we have been seeing in better numbers though, from Williamstown through to Werribee South we’ve already been seeing better flathead moving into shallower water. Usually, these fish will be in deeper water during the colder months where the water is typically warmer, so to see that those fish have already started moving into the shallows is a really encouraging sign! Due to the previously mentioned lower-than-normal temperatures being seen across all different ecosystems, the usual winter run of bream has run well into October with the Maribyrnong and Yarra rivers holding a lot of good fish. Local Angler Peter Bakaj has been walking the banks, armed with a single fishing rod rigged with the quirky mussel imitation hardbody and has been rewarded with some solid black bream up to 44cm. In the freshwater, we have just recently had our annual stonkergeddon of large rainbow trout and there has been no shortage of anglers getting amongst the action with these ex-brood fish from the hatcheries! While these fish are not overly fussy on what they will eat, most anglers have found that slowly retrieved spoons and hardbodies

have been most successful for these fish that many affectionately call ‘pellet-pigs’. Nathan Williams is one of many that found success while using this technique with a Rapala F5 at Navan Park. As far as the natives go, Werribee River has been seeing the local bass population begin to awaken from

Ardian Rushiti spent a cold night at Webb Dock and was rewarded with three quality snapper. their winter slumber. As with last summer, baits like live yabbies and Jan Juc worms have proven themselves to be a consistent way to catch these formidable little fighters However, some anglers have seen catches

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FMM already with small paddle tail soft plastics with a yellowish-gold body tone. Soft plastics like the Munroes 2.75” paddle tail in Glass Monkey

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to season with very few yellowbelly seen under 40cm and plenty of cod well over the 60cm mark for anglers. The best part is that it doesn’t matter

Kevin Sun caught this land-based snapper on a pilchard.

Luca Kuzevski with a Murray cod from Melton Reservoir. are a proven favourite amongst many local anglers for their almostperfect replication of the Galaxiid minnows that populate the river. As water temperatures continue to rise towards 20°C, we will then see those surface boofs that everyone loves when chasing Bass. Cicadas and Whopper Ploppers are the usual lure of choice for most anglers fishing the Werribee, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box with lure choice when fishing surface; small stickbaits, buzz-baits, frog/ rat/snake imitation lures and even small wake baits will attract a strike from these highly aggressive fish. Further upstream, Melton has been firing on all cylinders with the springtime yellowbelly and Murray cod making their appearance known. The average size of these fish continues to grow from season

whether you’re fishing from a small boat, a kayak or the banks – everyone has a good chance of finding either species at this time of the year! Local

Nathan Williams with a stonker trout.

anglers Ti Lepkhammany, Terry Kuzevski and Terry’s son Luca have been fishing Melton consistently lately and found both iconic native species have taken a liking to their trolled presentations. This fishery just seems to be going from strength to strength and it is an absolute testament to the perpetual hard work that Victoria Fisheries Authority puts into their stocking program. With water temperatures creeping ever closer to the coveted 17°C mark in the bay and catches of snapper already being so prevalent, we should be in for an awesome snapper season this year once those fish start to move out to the deeper water as it gets closer to spawning time which I am predicting will be later than normal this year. We’ve also got the summer run of flathead and whiting to look forward to which is something I am very much looking forward to as well as all the action with our native brutes in the freshwater!

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COMING SOON

As we move later into the year snapper fishing is a big focus for many anglers. Here are a few tips to help you catch more SNAPPER.

• Burley is essential.Vary your burley mix (pellets) in differing sink rate products to cover more of the water column. • Ensure your hook point is well clear of your bait to improve hook up rates. • Use a variety of baits when you start fishing, to find out what the fish want on any given day. • Soft plastics are a great alternative to baits. • Metals jigs can also be very effective on snapper.

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Snapper are bigger and more numerous PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

It’s not hard to see just how much the fishing has been reflective of the weather that has come with it. This change for the better has put a lot more boat traffic on the water, and the jetties have been more crowded, with plenty of reports. The main hype of boat anglers is still the snapper that have plagued Westernport Bay this year. We have seen a vast improvement in snapper stocks compared to previous years. In the past, the pinkies have been so numerous that it was almost impossible to target any other species. This year, however, has been the best snapper season we’ve had for a long time. The fish have been bigger and in better condition, and the bag numbers have been consistent. That said, because there have been so many boaters taking advantage of

the good weather, the fishing on the corals has been a bit slow during the day. Those anglers who are finding success are either on the water at 5am as the sun rises, or fished on the outskirts of the channels, away from the congregations of boats. Those fishing in Cleeland Bight have been catching plenty of draughtboard sharks and stingrays of various types. Those fishing towards Rhyll told me that if cod were keepers, they would have bagged out and been home in half an hour. The area around Dickies Bay still contains no shortage of leatherjackets, but like all the other areas, you just have to persevere and the better fish will eventually turn up. The whiting are showing no signs of slowing or dropping quality. There have been some very good reports from Cleeland Bight again, and we are also starting to get reports from other areas, with the winds allowing.

Anglers are also getting plenty of mixed bags, with couta and trevally showing up around the bay. Anglers trolling offshore for pelagics have been making stops to do some bottom bashing for flathead. Most of these fishers have managed a feed but that’s about all they managed; it’s a bit early for flathead to be in big numbers. Most of the flathead reports I’ve heard have been west of Woolamai in around 40m of water. Calamari reports have been inconsistent this past month. With so much weed in the water, your jig can be like a magnet, attracting grass as soon as it touches the water. In spite of this, we have had plenty of reports but not as many as I would have expected. Most reports came from experienced anglers who understood that weed on a jig decreases your chances considerably. For newcomers to calamari fishing, it’s been very difficult, especially if nobody told

them to keep weed off the jig. The best reports came from boaters who found small patches of clean water. One thing that has been consistent for both boat- and land-based anglers has been the quality of the calamari in recent weeks. The normal spots all worked at some stage, with the squid taking both artificial and baited jigs. A range of jig colours have worked, particularly white, red, and orange. In Westernport Bay and Bass Strait, the fishing is constantly changing. Fishing in the morning isn’t the same as fishing in the afternoon, and you’ll have success on a particular species one day, and then they’ll disappear for a week. A bad day’s fishing around Phillip Island doesn’t mean it’s not worth visiting. It’s one of those places that require more patience and persistence than you’d dedicate to another hobby. You won’t always get a full bag, but hitting the water is about more than just catching a feed.

FISHING NEWS

Talk Wild Trout Conference delivers again! Victoria has delivered another successful Talk Wild Trout Conference, celebrating, learning and sharing wild trout fishing with recreational fishers in Victoria’s high country in Mansfield on Saturday 21st September 2024. The major rec fishing stakeholder engagement event held this year in partnership between the Australian Trout Foundation and the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA), attracted more than 130 avid, influential and representative trout fishers from across Victoria, NSW and Tasmania. With an amazing line up of speakers, you can see why the feedback on the event from the attendees has been exceptional. Key presentations included: • Philip Weigall (FlyStream), and James Norney (Mountain Fly) on their expert tips on trout fishing and how fishers can maximise their chances in a dynamic environment.

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• John Billing (Mending Casts) and Matt Tripet (The Fly Program) on insights into the incredible mental health and wellbeing benefits of trout fishing. • Shea Bloom (Women in Recreational Fishing and Boating Network) and Karen Brooks (Australian champion tournament fly fisher) on how more and more women are getting into trout fishing and fly fishing. • Terry George (Australian Trout Foundation) and Andrew Briggs (Victorian Fisheries Authority) on how trout fishers and Catchment Management Authorities are contributing habitat restoration, which benefits not only trout, but the whole ecosystem. • Jarod Lyon (DEECA) on how trout fishers can support the recovery of threatened species which has big benefits to social licence of trout fishing • Taylor Hunt (Victorian Fisheries Authority) on the partnership approach recreational fishers and Government

are taking to manage trout fishing into the future, embracing social licence and the broader benefits of recreational fishing to the community and the environment. The Conference also provided an opportunity to acknowledge and recognise major contributors to recreational fishing and river health. A VFA individual award was presented to Terry George, President of the Australian Trout Foundation for his exceptional contribution to recreational fishing and river health over the past decade. A VFA project award was also presented to the MayFly Rise Project

Partners for their collaborative efforts to install log jams and boulders to create fish habitat, and the revegetation of banks for enhanced river shading and insect activity on the Ovens River in North East Victoria. Congratulations to Terry George, Australian Trout Foundation. Alpine Fly Fishers, Wangaratta Fly Fishers, and the North East Catchment Management Authority! With the seventh Talk Wild Trout Conference completed, recreational fishers now turn their attention to the equally anticipated Murray Codference, to be held this Spring in Shepparton. – VFA

Better facilities at

Cairn Curran Reservoir Freshwater anglers and boaters can now enjoy upgraded facilities at Cairn Curran’s Picnic Point thanks to your fishing and boating licence fees, and Goulburn Murray Water. A new concrete boat ramp has been complemented by a resurfaced carpark, measures to reduce erosion alongside the ramp to stop ruts and potholes, and new signage. The adjacent amenities block is a self-composting, zero discharge facility featuring two unisex cubicles and a third big enough to be accessed by people in wheelchairs.

Cairn Curran has also benefitted from record-breaking fish stockings and scored a whopping 450,000 native fish last season, including 250,000 Murray cod – its most ever in a single year!

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Calamari chaos for Port Albert anglers PORT ALBERT

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

I know that spring is always the windiest season, but really! I’m no climate alarmist, but I can’t remember so many weeks of sustained, near record-breaking gale-force winds. I’m talking up to 100km/h or just over, and it’s not just on the coast but inland areas as well.

The calamari and happy smiles keep coming as James welcomes aboard another squid during a busy session recently at Corner Inlet. On the rare, calmer days, there have been a few brave anglers who have faced the tempest or are we just the addicted crazy ones? We can look forward to better weather this month, and in this report I’ll give you some fishing hotspots for the coming weeks. First up, however, I have plenty of squid news. REPORTS ARE ‘I-TENTACLE’ TO LAST MONTH Just like my last report the squid news is amazing. The numbers and sizes of the calamari in Port Welshpool have resulted in many anglers enjoying this fun jigging sport for the first time. For those more seasoned squid anglers, we all agree that this year is one of the best for at least a decade. Most of us measure this by how quickly we reach our bag limits, but I gauge it more by how spread out they are. For the first time ever, I’ve been finding them in weird and even random areas I’ve never bothered trying before. When I have caught enough squid for the session, I’ve moved to my favourite perch and flathead haunts, only to find – you guessed it – more squid! The calamari have been happily attacking my small blade lures, and have often stayed hooked right to the net. In fact, when I’m looking for squid I’ll even use lures to tease them up to the boat or my kayak. Sometimes I’ve seen two or even three squid following 90 NOVEMBER 2024

my soft plastic or blade, so I let the lure fall to the bottom with the squid following it, and quickly grab my other rod rigged with a jig and lower it down to them. They usually all rush at the jig. When one squid has hold of the jig, I leave that with him, wind up my other lure, swap it for another jig and lower it down. You can see where this is going! Yes, I’ve caught two squid doing this. I haven’t caught three yet, but stay tuned. UP IN ARMS Calamari are very efficient hunters, with eight limbs and two much longer tentacles or ‘candles’. Despite what most people think, the tentacles are delicious. I’ve been cooking squid legs for years, and they have a better taste and texture than the hoods. Yes, the tentacles have hundreds of suckers, but trust me when I say you don’t have to worry about eating them; when they’re fried, the suckers totally ‘disappear’. I’ve never eaten tentacles raw, but I imagine if you did, the suckers would get stuck in unwanted places! However, once cooked in batter, breadcrumbs, or simply pan-fried, you’d never guess there were any suckers in the first place. Ultimately, the tentacles are definitely too valuable to waste on bait (I’d rather use strips of hood for whiting or gummy shark). For some reason, when cleaning calamari, everyone wants to keep the hoods intact, to cut up and cook as squid rings. To do this, however, you have to clean out the entire inside gut area of the hood, including the ink sac. This is never easy, plus it’s timeconsuming and always messy! Here’s my quick and easy way to clean squid for the table. The first thing I do is cut the 10 legs away just below the mouth or beak. Then, I simply open up and split the hood vertically with a knife, being very careful not to pierce the guts, especially not the ink sac. What you’re left with is a flat

This was early in the day before I got covered with ink! It’s the best problem a squid angler can ever have. The fishing will probably stay red-hot until Christmas.

Surf fishing is ramping right up. We can expect some excellent salmon and gummy sharks to continue turning up right along the 90 Mile Beach. sheet of squid that you can now easily but carefully scrape away, and simply remove all the insides. I can then cut the flat hood into whatever shapes I require – strips, rectangles or square blocks, long or small. Yes, they are all flat pieces so I never have squid rings, but so what? Flat pieces of calamari are much easier to crumb or batter, and they cook faster. Further to that, I often don’t bother to skin the calamari, and I eat the ‘wings’ or ‘flaps’ as well.

LOOKING AHEAD Eventually, the windy days will drop away, and the hotspots for squid will continue to be the Toora and Lewis channels at Welshpool and even off the long jetty at night. At Port Albert try the main channel from the boat ramp all the way out to the entrance. Snapper and bigger flathead will be on the go from now on. Also, right now is prime time for gummies, bronze whaler sharks and big salmon right along the 90 Mile Beach.

High water levels LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

Windy days and plenty of rain seem to be the norm lately. Faced with these challenging conditions, many anglers have chosen to put up their gear and get ready for the summer months. We don’t have long to wait. LAKES ENTRANCE The wet winter blues are lingering, but the water quality has improved, and anglers have begun to explore. King George whiting catches are something Lakes Entrance has become known for over recent years. Over the past month or so, larger whiting have been a little harder to locate. However, the mid-35cm fish have been relatively easy to find around the many weed beds scattered around Rigby and Fraser Island. In my experience, the key to success is covering plenty of ground early in the season and using lots of berley. Australian salmon continue to be thick throughout the lower lakes. They can be a lot of fun to catch, especially when they eagerly climb all over your lure before smashing it. Areas such as Kalimna and Nungurner have been very popular, with large schools

A solid breambo taken on a Samurai Reaction spin rod. of salmon frequenting these areas. White soft plastics have been the go. Gulp Minnows and Squidgy Flick Baits have been particularly deadly. Small topwater lures are also great fun, particularly little walk-the-dogs like the Atomic K9. It’s great to see the aggressive hunters climb all over your topwater lure. Our local surf beaches have

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The bream and estuary perch are about to fire GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

“La Niña”. These are two words I’ve been hearing quite a lot, and the projection is for wetter than normal weather this summer. However, at this time last year, the BOM tipped a strong, dry El Niño for six months and we were promptly hit with three big floods all in about 10 weeks. It proves

that, just like fishing itself, long-term weather is very hard to predict – just like the last two months of terrible winds we’ve suffered. LAKE FISHING FOR BREAM Many bream anglers look forward to shallow water sports that can involve exciting sight fishing. Finding lake bream is usually best from late summer into autumn, but a few big fish seem to have spawned early and are back from the rivers and out in areas like Duck

Arm, the Mitchell Flats, Newlands Arm, and even Wattle Point and Loch Sport. The best part of looking for lake bream is that you may also find a few early-season flathead, so be prepared to hook some thumping big duskies this summer. I’ll have more to say about this in the next issue. PAYNESVILLE AND HOLLANDS I’m a great fan of land-based fishing for bream, and you don’t need a boat to score good numbers of small and surprisingly big fish. It makes sense because we all know how bream love to hang around structure, and I reckon it’s easier to drop soft plastic lures and small blades straight down the sides of pylons while walking jetties. The real trouble begins when you try hauling in your catch because in a boat or kayak, you can pull big bream away from the structure but when you’re standing on the jetty there are obvious problems with busting leaders around barnacle-covered timber! The best insurance policy here is to upgrade your leaders to at least 12lb, and fish a very tight or even a locked-up drag. Bait anglers can use those same techniques

The warmer weather has the bream moving out in the shallow lake areas. Their numbers will quickly grow in the coming weeks. begun to get very busy. The big game shark season is here, and it’s a common sight locally to see anglers waiting on the beach with 50 and 80 wide game reels in search of big sharks. Bronze whalers are a common catch with these anglers, and each year we also see the odd white and hammer turning up. LAKE TYERS The lake continues to rise more and more, and I’m starting to wonder if it will open any time soon. At the time of writing this report, the lake is sitting at 2.1m above usual levels. This has made accessing the lake very interesting, with many of the boat ramps underwater. Boat ramps such

as the Nowa Nowa ramp are basically unusable – you’d have to drive through the lake to make it to the ramp. These high waters can make for interesting fishing. The fishing is typically really good once the water rises, but as the vegetation rots it reduces water quality, and many fish move away and seek out better areas. This winter has been extremely slow out on the lake. 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 a short description, and you could be featured in the next edition of Fishing Monthly.

Luderick have begun to turn up in numbers around the many wharves and rock walls. This one was taken on a small weed fly.

The jetties have been thick with bream and they’re still hanging around areas like the Paynesville canals. with prawns, shrimp and sandworms. Another trick is to fish with unweighted plastics or suspending hardbodies and work them along the sides of moored boats because bream don’t always hug the bottom and often sit right up and under boat hulls. When you fish landbased, my best tip is to always have a long-handled net within easy reach so you can quickly surprise a big bream early in the fight. I’ve had continued success in the Paynesville canals recently but this time in the kayak. I cruise around and wait for my sounder to pinpoint the schooled-up bream and they are mostly fun fish around 30cm all taking blades.

Estuary perch are very mobile in the rivers, and hardbody lures are tricking plenty of nice fish around 38cm. Hollands has been a little slow as it can be about now, but I reckon it’s the first time in about a decade that the bream have hung around all year. You can expect to find a few trucks lurking in the snags. Another good area being overlooked these days is Duck Arm, and while searching for big bream you may also find a few dusky flathead. THE RIVERS Perch are up to their usual tricks, and some big numbers have been caught high in the Mitchell above the town and up the Tambo River near the Blue Hole. At this time of year, they often respond to hardbody lures better than soft plastics. When it comes to bream there are schooling fish in deeper water that are mostly 30-35cm. As usual, the bigger models are on the edges of rock walls or in the better tree snags. Spawning season is in full swing, and the two hotspots are the middle sections of the Tambo and the upper reaches of the Nicholson. Sandworm bait and live crab are the most effective baits, with live shrimp being the next best. The best lure method is a soft plastic on a 1/16oz or 1/12oz jighead. If we do happen to get increased flow rates due to a La Niña weather pattern, the rivers could see bream stay in the upper reaches of these streams, even into the new year. The Mitchell River has been a little disappointing as far as bream are concerned, and that’s quite unusual with its flow of good clean water. The highway bridge in Bairnsdale usually holds amazing numbers of perch but they disappeared a few months ago and headed upstream. If I were after a big river bream this month, I’d be heading for the Nicho and starting right near the bridge pylons, and then I’d head downstream and work all the rock walls deep and slow. NOVEMBER 2024 91

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Flathead on the chew on the Far South Coast MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

This is an excellent time of year to be fishing the Far South Coast. As the days warm up, Mallacoota offers some great fishing as we head into summer. The past month has seen around 50mm of rain which is ideal for keeping the rivers and creeks flowing. Spring is always a great time to be fishing, with everything starting to

come alive after the colder months. This time of year often dishes up the best days on the water, with little wind, unlike the summer months when it can really blow. Over the past month there has been some good fishing in the lake, with flathead really coming on the bite. Flatties start spreading out and moving up into the shallows as temperatures increase, and the open areas facing the north often attract plenty of fish. These same areas can often get too warm over the summer

Fishing deeper water with blade lures is a reliable way of getting amongst some fish.

months, causing the fish to move elsewhere. Whether fishing with bait or lures there are a variety of options available. Upstream in the rivers, you can spend your time chasing flathead, black bream and perch. It’s always nice and quiet up the top end of the system, with very few boats venturing far upstream. It’s also a good way to spend a windy day, as you can find plenty of areas out of the wind. The Top Lake and Bottom Lake have many reliable areas where fish can be found – it’s just a matter of keeping on moving to find them. Mulloway are present in the lake in good numbers, and no doubt there will be good numbers of jewies caught over the coming months. There’s some good fishing to be had out around the entrance to the lake. In this area there is good tidal movement with a variety of species on offer. Yellowfin bream, sand whiting and flathead can be caught anywhere from Harrisons Channel out to the John Bull marker. The weed beds alongside the channel can also fish well for silver trevally. With the temperature offshore being around 15°C, the fishing has still been quite slow, but as temperatures rise the fishing will improve. The beach fishing has always been

Brightly-coloured lures can often be a good choice when chasing flathead. about salmon, along with the odd tailor. As the water warms you can expect a better variety of fish to be caught, including yellowfin bream, sand whiting and the odd flathead. Some anglers will also be fishing into the night, chasing gummy shark.

Things are hotting up around Marlo

many more. The fishing on the offshore grounds is also improving. There should be plenty of sand flathead about and a feed of gummy shark should also be on the cards. If current indications are

MARLO/ORBOST

Marlo Ocean Views

As we head into the warmer months, the fishing in Marlo tends to warm up, too. One species that comes to mind is the dusky flathead. As soon as water temperatures in the estuary start rising, the flathead become more active and their numbers throughout the system increase. Shallow flats like the Snowy River mouth side of the boat ramp, below the Snowy River lookout and at Frenches Narrows are wonderful places to target the flathead. Small medium to deep diving hardbody

There are a dedicated group of anglers who target sharks from our beaches, with amazing results.

MARLO

OCEAN VIEWS CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

HOSTS: Les & Kathy HEYNE

03 5154 8268

• Deluxe cabins • Cabins with ensuite • Budget cabins • Premium ensuite vans • Powered & Unpowered sites • Pet friendly • Boat friendly • Undercover BBQ areas in Marlo Largest park • Large oval • Kitchen • Camp fires • Kiosk the beach Short walk to • Coffee shops

www.marlocamping.com.au 92 NOVEMBER 2024

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lures, and 2.5” to 4” plastics rigged on 1/4oz or 1/8oz jigheads are great options to explore the shallow margins with. The obvious sign that the flathead are in the area are the lies they leave behind as the tide recedes. Make a mental note of them and fish those areas on the next dropping tide. Elsewhere in the system, the bream are still on the chew. Fresh worm baits are still the best option. Estuary perch are also still an option, particularly around the natural structure on the edges. The EPs tend to school up, so if you find one you should find

A bruiser Snowy River black bream. anything to go by, beach anglers will also be enjoying themselves. Salmon and tailor have been consistently caught for a while now, and this should continue into the warmer months. There have also been some big

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Good numbers of fish coming from the shallows BEMM RIVER

Brian Ibister

Tony Vukovic, of The Bemm River Angling Club, reports that after the massive downpour we had, the mouth is open and the lake level has dropped significantly. This has

at times with the lake level being so low. The Mahoganys and Siberia have been fishing well, as well as the weed beds between the channel entrance and Mud Lake. There’s also good fishing from the mouth of the river to the Swan Lake channel. Some nice bream are being caught on prawns and soft plastics. Tony mentioned that he fished land-based in the late afternoon, up at the Siberian end, and caught four bream in four casts on prawn baits. The river has been fishing well, with some nice perch being caught on plastics and sandworm. Good quantities of bream have also been landed off the fishing platform at Dollys Garden, as Peter McCoy will testify. Salmon and tailor are still being

The boat ramp and fishing platform at Sydenham Inlet.

Eiichiro Sanderson with a 45cm perch. made for great fishing along the shallows for those anglers brave enough to get out for a fish. Launching boats can be difficult sharks taken from our beaches. There is a dedicated group of anglers who set up and do this fishing, and the results are unbelievable at times. If you haven’t been to Marlo before, why not do so in November? It’s a great time to hit the water. • Les and Kathy Heyne are the owners of the Marlo Ocean Views Caravan

Peter McCoy with a nice bream on a soft plastic at Dollys Garden.

with prawns in the estuary with good results, and also caught many excellent fish in the river on soft plastics in the afternoon. The kids had a ball, releasing all their fish to fight another day. That’s all for this month. Until next time, we hope to see some of you readers down here. Tight lines. • East of Orbost and about half an hour from the Cape Conran, Bemm River has some of the best beaches in Australia. Located on the edge of town, surrounded by unique bird life and landscape gardens. Cosy Nook Accommodation has seven fully selfcontained units and two cottages. All are very well appointed, and one of the cottages is even pet friendly. For up-to-date fishing reports and reservations, contact Peter or Brian

and Camping Park. It has 13 acres of beautiful grassed parkland just a short stroll from the beach, with both powered and unpowered sites, and cabins available. There are two undercover BBQ areas, a full kitchen, and an onsite kiosk and LPG refills. For more information, visit marlocamping.com.au or call 03 5154 8268.

Andy Vukovic with a 2.75Kg salmon caught on a lure whilst trolling down the channel.

There is still plenty of good bream fishing for everyone to enjoy.

enticed with lures in the channel, with Andy Vukovic getting amongst them recently. Gerard Sanderson had a great, although brief, trip with friends and grandkids in tow. They fished mainly

Isbister on 0487 307 446 or 0488 672 260, or email cosynookbemmriver@ gmail.com. You can also get up-to-date fishing info and tips from Mark and Jane at Bemm River Bait & Tackle, who stock all the gear you need. NOVEMBER 2024 93

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Windy weather has been giving anglers curry ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

Talk about blow the dog off a chain. This past month has seen more wind than a gutful of laxatives at a curry-eating competition. The weather has been nothing short of atrocious, and any time spent on the water has been far from ideal. Add to this a season when the temperature has fluctuated from high twenties one day to low teens the next. Just as the perch start to show some interest, they drop off the chew just as quickly. In saying that, it’s not all doom and gloom as the warm weather is close at hand, and the perch that are being landed are all of good size. In the Murray at Swan Hill, some good-sized perch are taking bait, with local river shrimp working best. With a good rise in the river, worms are also finding the bite on the edges of backwater near the snags. As is usually the case during spring, smaller Murray cod also find the tantalising scent of bait too good to refuse, and a few of these fish have been caught and released amongst the mix this past month. In the local lakes, Merrin has some good-sized redfin on bait and lures but the trick is finding a bite window between big blows. Charm, too, has a few redfin and the odd golden perch on bait. Worms, shrimp and local whitebait are doing the damage here, and if the weather continues to READER’S

While filming a piece on the Murray Darling Food Bowl, TV personality Charles Wooley caught this carp on the Murray River near Wentworth.

two of warmer weather, it will be full-on again. Downstream towards Wemen, most anglers fishing the snags with bait have been finding a few good-sized perch amongst the carp. It’s a similar story right through to Mildura, with good sized perch caught on bait tight to the snags. In the Murray between Mildura and Wentworth, anglers using vibes, smaller hardbodies and plastics are picking up some respectable golden perch to 55cm+. It’s been a great couple of seasons in this area, and I suspect the leg-up from Darling flushes during the last flood has boosted the native fish population in this weir pool. So, all we need now is a little less wind and a little more sunshine, and the fishing down this way should be in full swing.

warm, we can expect this bite to only get better. The Wakool River continues to be the pick for golden perch, with good numbers of sizable fish a consistent catch for most anglers. Bait and lures are both working well in the Wakool, with shrimp, small yabbies and scrub worms all on the menu. Spinnerbaits, Zerek Mullets, small StumpJumpers or any lure in that 60-80mm range is up for grabs. Colour doesn’t seem to matter; it’s more about getting it in the right spot. The Murray River below the Euston Weir should start to fire with this fresh flush of water. Last year, the goldens stacked and I suspect if we get enough flow and a week or PICTURE

Kelsie Gull caught this solid golden perch from Lake Charm on a soft plastic. Warmer weather should see these fish come on the chew.

Edward Perks went for a flathead fish and managed to land his new PB flatty, which measured 67cm. A nice sized golden caught on a Bassman Compact spinnerbait below the Euston weir. 94 NOVEMBER 2024

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November is prime time to chase golden perch WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

November is a time to be very excited if you are an angler in North East Victoria. The Murray cod season is about to open, and most fish species are on the bite!

until Sunday, 1 December before we can target Murray cod there. YELLOWBELLY November is prime time to go fishing for yellowbelly. If you are after a trophysized yellowbelly, head to Lake Hume or Lake Eildon. If you are after a feed of yellowbelly, head to Lake Nillahcootie,

A rare wild stream trout caught in a tributary of the King River.

Silver perch have been stocked into Lake Buffalo and Lake Nillahcootie, along with many smaller familyfriendly waterways such as Merriwa Park Lake, Stanley Dam and Allans Flat Waterhole. I caught one on a bunch of worms in the first week of September at Lake Nillahcootie. It was not big so I threw it back. I caught it angling off the bank at sunset. Silver perch can be taken from lakes in North East Victoria, but they are protected in rivers. Make sure you download a copy of the Vic Fishing App to ensure you adhere to size and bag limits. For what it’s worth, I have eaten a few silver perch and they’re not the best eating. They’re not even in the same class as yellowbelly or redfin. REDFIN There should be a few redfin on the chew in November. The main lakes in the catchment, Lake Buffalo and Lake

MURRAY COD The Murray cod season is still closed throughout November. However, if you just can’t wait until December, you can still head to Lake Nillahcootie or Lake Eildon, which are both now year-round Murray cod fisheries. I spend a bit of time at Lake Nillahcootie each November chasing yellowbelly and almost always catch

The small streams running through rural areas often hold some decent redfin, and November is a great time to catch them. Remember to ask for permission before entering private property.

Finding carp shouldn’t be hard in November. This one was caught in the Ovens River in the middle of Wangaratta in September. Murray cod as a by-catch. Now that the closed season has been lifted from this lake, they will no longer be a by-catch. They will instead be a target species. Most of the cod I catch in Lake Nillahcootie in November are small, although I have always used smaller lures as I have been targeting yellowbelly. This year I might also take a heavier rod and some larger lures and target cod. As for the rivers, we need to wait

where the average size is quite a bit smaller. Whilst there is no maximum size for yellowbelly, their eating qualities drop once they get over 50cm in length. In other words, they taste like crap! Broken Creek is a spot that I like to go fishing for yellowbelly each year, around the Katamatite area. This area was affected badly by a blackwater fish kill a few years ago, although I have caught yellowbelly there since that fish kill. This area is full of carp, which are a lot of fun to catch and active during November. There are also a few yellowbelly in the mix if you persevere through the carp. The Ovens River, anywhere from Wangaratta downstream is also worth fishing for yellowbelly during November. I usually catch a few this time each year, just angling with worms as bait. SILVER PERCH I have never had a category in my fishing report dedicated to silver perch before. However, thanks to some quite substantial fish stocking from the Victorian Fisheries Authority, they are now a viable target species in North East Victoria.

William Hovell will be worth trying but may not fish great. I sometimes catch a few small redfin up there in late spring, but it’s usually well after Christmas before both lakes really fire up. Lake Sambell in Beechworth usually fishes OK for redfin in November.

A fat Ovens River yellowbelly – the perfect size for the plate. water is usually a bit more off-colour. Some big redfin can be found in these streams and often share the waterway with carp and blackfish. TROUT Sadly, the trout fishing has been a bit of a disaster this season. Trout are quite a cyclic fish at the best of times, with some seasons being better than others. Early indications are that we are not going to have a good trout season. I would love nothing more than to see some of these streams stocked with trout again like they used to be. Doing anything to help the trout fishery has to be better than doing nothing at all. It’s really hard for me to suggest where to go fishing at the moment when I am struggling so much to find trout myself. The Ovens River upstream of Bright is usually a good place to start, and I know that a few trout have been caught up that way. I have caught a few trout in tributaries of the Ovens and King Rivers this season, but I have had to work very hard for them. My advice to anybody heading to the Ovens Valley targeting trout this year is to come prepared – prepared to work very hard for very few fish and prepared to have fishless trips. Let’s hope for better news on the trout fishing front next month. OTHER SPECIES November is a great time of the year to go yabbying in North East Victoria. The water is usually at its prime temperature by November, and

A small Ovens River yellowbelly caught using worms as bait. I like to fish the streams. The lower reaches of some of the region’s trout streams can be good places to fish for redfin. Way down where the water is too warm for trout. The pools are usually deeper in these lower reaches, and the

the yabbies are usually quite active. Carp will also be plentiful and easy to find in the coming weeks. I have caught a few in the Ovens River recently, and have been catching heaps of carp in Lake Moodemere. NOVEMBER 2024 95

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It’s yellowbelly time YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett

At the time of writing this report, we’re dead set in the middle of two seasons, with cod season closed and the yellas not quite firing yet. However, by the time you read this, we should have received enough warm days to see the golden perch up and about, giving anglers a fair chance of returning home with some ‘gold’. History shows the water above Majors creeks up to Bundalong, and surrounding backwaters, are the most productive. TN60 Jackalls, 50-80mm hardbodies, and smaller profile spinnerbaits in natural colours would be my preferred options. During the long weekend in September, plenty of visitors came to town, and many tried their luck in the lake without caring which species they caught. It was interesting to hear of the numerous captures over the weekend, with a few nice yellas amongst them. Hopefully this will continue. By the time this magazine hits the shelves, the Golden Dollar$ fishing comp at Bundalong will have been run and won, and we’ll report on that

next month. This is a non-scoping comp. Interestingly, once you take the ‘scoping’ element out of competitions, many more people want to participate. For instance, the Cod Nationals now has a waiting list of nearly 20 teams wanting to get involved. Participants know they actually have a chance of winning, as opposed to some other events where the best scopers are far ahead of everyone else. With only a month to go until cod season re-opens, dedicated cod fishos will be preparing for the season that lies ahead. Where else would you rather be than Lake Mulwala? Whilst there, get yourself entered into the 25th Anniversary Yamaha Cod Classic, Australia’s premier freshwater fishing event. For more info, check out www.codclassic.com.au • If you’re visiting town, call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski (opposite the Post Office) in Mulwala or Yarrawonga Fish Camp Ski (between Rivers and One Zac). We are your Murray cod specialists in Yarrawonga/ Mulwala and specialize in all things ‘green’! We’re also your official cod Classic store. For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports give us a hoy on 03 5744 3133. Until next edition, happy fishing.

2024 Yamaha Cod Classic

Yarrawonga local David Arzuhaldzic with a lovely 56cm golden perch caught in early spring.

2024 Cod Classic Preparations are well underway for Australia’s largest and longestrunning freshwater fishing event: the iconic Yamaha Cod Classic held at Lake Mulwala. The Cod Classic is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year, and 7-8 December will see the twin towns of Yarrawonga and Mulwala come alive with 2500+ fishos descending on the lake. After a very positive outcome and attendance in 2023, the 2024 event promises to be even bigger and better.

Lake Mulwala

December 7th and 8th 100K+ in Prizes including

5 Boating Packages ENTER ONLINE TODAY! www.codclassic.com.au

Enquiries: Tony 0439 441 667

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A massive $100K prize pool, which includes five Yamaha/Quintrex / Humminbird boating packages, will be given away over the weekend. There’s also a list of major lucky door prizes too long to mention, and the chance to spend 30 seconds in a cash grab machine! The new look ‘Mega Raffle’ will be promoted over the event weekend, with a boating package being the ultimate prize. This family-friendly event caters to all skill levels, both from the boat and the bank, using either bait or lures. It means everybody has a chance of winning one of the many great prizes on offer. There are also

random-draw prizes, so you don’t even have to catch a fish to win! Anglers who register a legal-size Murray cod, a 45cm+ golden perch or even a carp can go into additional prize draws. Being run in conjunction with the Cod Classic is the Australian Canoe & Kayak Cod Fishing Championships ($20 entr y). Entering its 13th year, this event caters for anglers fishing from a canoe or kayak. The Fishing & Outdoors Expo will again be a feature, giving attendees the chance to grab a bargain. Other popular attractions include the ‘Venom Rods Cod Talk’, with selected cod specialists on the Friday evening, and the Samurai Rods Australian Pro Casting Championships. As usual, multiple food vendors will be attending. The entry fee for adults is $90 pre-paid (or $100 on the weekend) and $45 for juniors ($50 on the weekend). The entry fee includes a souvenir stubby holder, a complementary ticket in Mega Raffle (adults), Wilson lure and Bassman Spinnerbait (for the juniors), and entry into numerous lucky door prize draws. You would be crazy to miss this iconic event, so sharpen your hooks, pack the boat and grab your swag! The 2024 Yamaha Cod Classic is going to be MASSIVE! Tony Bennett • For more information on the Classic, check out www.codclassic. com.au or call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski, now at two locations: 74 Melbourne St, Mulwala (opposite the post office) and 61 Belmore St, Yarrawonga (between Rivers and One Zac), or phone Tony Bennett on 0439 441 667.

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Slow start to the season BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

It has been a very slow start to the fishing during the spring months this year. Day and night time temperatures have been below average, and the water temperatures are only increasing gradually. The amount of wind that the region has been receiving is ridiculous. You wouldn’t even be game to fly a kite, because you’d be scared the string would break or you’d get launched into the air. The windy days have limited anglers’ opportunities to go fishing. Spring is often when our impoundments receive their biggest inflows, but we’ve had below-average rainfall in the region and levels are dropping in some impoundments. Still, we all know things can change with a couple of major weather events. Hopefully, we’ll get better weather this month, with increased catch rates as water temps make the fish feed more aggressively. LAKE EPPALOCK Water levels have dropped significantly at Eppalock (it’s currently at 83%) with minimal inflows over the past month or so. In recent weeks, a significant environmental flow was released out of Lake Eppalock down the Campaspe River. The amount of water being released is less than peak flows, but still greater than the flows often released at this time of the year. So, in the short term at least, the water will keep dropping at Eppalock. There haven’t been many fishing reports over the past month, mainly due to the poor weather

conditions. A few anglers have managed to find good concentrations of redfin in the deep water, mostly in depths of 8-10m. Finding a good concentration of redfin has not been easy, though; you’ll often need to move around to find them. Soft plastics and soft vibes have been working the best. Bait fishers using worms and small yabbies have also been getting a few nice redfin. Anglers trolling hardbody lures have been doing it tough. However, this approach should work better as water temperatures increase and the fish move into shallower water, and feed more aggressively. On a positive note, there’s been an increase in Murray cod catches, although the majority of fish have been small (45-55cm). Most of the cod have been caught on small, trolled hardbodies meant for redfin – definitely a welcome by-catch. The cod are more plentiful than golden perch at the moment. With the lingering cold water temperatures, not many goldens have been caught lately. That should change this month though, with a boost to catch rates. Looking ahead, there’s going to be some exciting fishing in future seasons, due to VFA stocking. I’m looking forward to seeing those native fingerlings grow into some great predatory fish. CAMPASPE RIVER Just as the water clarity was improving in the river, everything reversed, and the clarity has been poorer recently. This is due to increased outflows from Lake Eppalock. A significant environmental flow was released down the river, and river flows are still being maintained at higher levels. Hopefully we will see flows reduced again soon, and the clarity will improve.

Murray cod catches are increasing at Lake Eppalock. The fishing has been slow, but that should improve this month as the water warms, and fish feed more aggressively. You can often find them congregating below the weirs at this time of the year. If you want to fish with lures this month, I’d recommend using bright/fluoro colours like pink, chartreuse and orange, which stand out in the dirty water. Bait fishing is also a good option when the water clarity is poor. Worms, yabbies and shrimp will all catch their share. The water clarity is currently good in Lake Eppalock, so once the outflows are reduced, the Campaspe should hopefully start clearing up. CAIRN CURRAN The water levels in Cairn Curran have been dropping in recent weeks. The inflows have been well below average, and the reservoir is currently at 65%. There hasn’t been much improvement in water clarity over the last month. We’ve had many windy days, which have stirred up the water and prevented much of the sediment from settling. Due to the wind, comparatively few anglers have managed to get a good day and put the boat on Cairn Curran for a fish. Most fish have been caught by land-based anglers fishing around the rocky shorelines.

Bait fishing with worms and yabbies has been the most productive method. This month, we should hopefully see the water warm up. When that happens, plenty of fish will move into shallower water to feed. You can catch them on a range of lures, including lipless crankbaits, blades, small profile spinnerbaits and suspending hardbodies. I suggest using bright/fluoro colours to stand out in the dirty water or dark colours to create a good silhouette. LODDON RIVER The water clarity is currently average or poor at most locations along the Loddon River. This is to be expected, thanks to all the water being released into the river from Cairn Curran and Laanecoorie reservoirs. The water is cold in the river for this time of the year, so the fishing has been slow. Fortunately, the weather forecast indicates we should get warmer weather this month. This would definitely help the fish to feed more aggressively. Golden perch often gather below weirs and natural barriers like rock bars at this time of year, so those are good locations to focus your efforts. Good lure options include lipless crankbaits, small to medium-sized hardbody lures, and smallprofile spinnerbaits.

Spring bite is firing up for goldens and redfin SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

The Goulburn River in Shepparton has been running high, which has made springtime yellowbelly fishing a tad difficult. Still, we have all seen the river running high before, and some regulars have worked out the best ways to fish the high water. Recently, some local anglers have been fishing land-based, targeting the flooded grass banks with square bill hardbodies and small crankbaits like the Jackall Chubbies. Spinnerbaits have been harder to fish on these shallow banks, so floating lures have been a better choice. Bait fishing in the backwater pools with worms is another great way to target yellowbelly in the high river times. The Murchison area is usually a springtime favourite for those chasing yellowbelly. If the river levels settle, we should see this area fire right up.

Both bait and lures have worked well in past springs. BROKEN RIVER The yellowbelly are on the chew in the Broken River with some decent-sized fish being caught. The stretch of river from the junction to Archer Street Bridge has been on fire, with legal-sized yellowbelly caught on plenty of different lures. Small Codgers and Old Mates have been the stand-out diving lures, with some yellowbelly also caught using the Pirate Spinnerbaits Vibration Blade spinnerbait. Darker colours in both lure styles have worked best, and the key is casting tight to structure. Upstream from Shepparton, around both weirs, we are getting reports of yellowbelly being caught on lipless crankbaits cast into the pools below the weirs. Rigging them with a single hook makes the lure come through the cover much easier, and the hook-ups are usually a lot more solid. Bait fishing in the Broken has been great, with both yellowbelly and carp

being caught regularly on scrub worms and nightcrawlers. Shrimp are starting to consistently appear in nets, so if you can get your hands on some shrimp or yabbies I would be throwing them on a hook as well. KIALLA LAKES The springtime bite in Kialla is starting to fire up with legal-sized yellowbelly and redfin up to 30cm reported lately. Slow rolling TN50s has been a great way to chase fish recently, and the key is to lift your rod tip a bit more than usual because the bottom is covered in leaves. If your lure sits on the bottom for too long, you will get fouled up. Jerkbaits and Bent Minnows fished around the edges have also worked well in the evening, as the fish chase bait around the edges as the sun goes down. Bait fishing around the sand bars has also worked well. Small yabbies and worms have been the best baits for anglers chasing yellowbelly and redfin. WARANGA BASIN It’s a standard spring, with the weather being hot, cold, wet, dry, calm and windy, which can make fishing at the basin a little

difficult. Still, those who have picked the best conditions have been catching plenty of fish in the warming water. Slow rolling soft plastics around the points and in the shallows has been a great technique, with 2” Easy Shiners on a 1/6oz jighead working well for redfin. As the days warm up, you may need to push a little deeper, switch to a 1/4oz jighead, and target the points a little deeper. Vertically fishing ZX40 blades is again a great way to chase yellowbelly, with some big fish being caught around sunken timber, old fence posts and bigger rocks on the bottom. Trolling TN60 Jackalls in 10ft of water has also been a way to chase the redfin when they push shallow. Some nice fish have been caught this way. Bait fishing from the bank has been great, with high numbers of fish reported in the evenings. Scrub worms have been working the best. Small yabbies have also been great for boat-based anglers chasing yellowbelly, targeting the same structure mentioned above. NOVEMBER 2024 97

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Springtime is prime time to target trout BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

The waters around the Ballarat and district are really starting to fire up, with warmer weather and abundant insect life getting the fish on the bite. Local anglers have been making the most of this opportunity and cashing in. Most of our fisheries’ water levels

A couple of mates and I ventured out there recently, just for somewhere different to go. Upon arrival mid-morning, we noticed a couple of trout jumping out of the water, eating dragonflies. As the day warmed up a bit more around lunchtime, the trout were jumping everywhere as more and more dragonflies appeared from the previous night’s hatch. The trout we saw varied in size from newlyreleased stocked brown trout to solid fish

Greenhill Lake produces excellent-sized trout like this rainbow, estimated to be 5-6lb, caught by Vern Barby on fly. Photo courtesy of Vern Barby. are pretty low, and we have been hoping for big spring rains to top them up and allow trout to mooch over newly-flooded shorelines. Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened yet; fingers crossed we’ll get some rain. Some of our prime springtime fisheries, such as Hepburn Lagoon, Newlyn Reservoir and Moorabool Reservoir, are very low. Moorabool and Newlyn have deep water, so if we have a long, hot summer, the fish will survive. However, I have major concerns about Hepburn, which is shallower. Currently, the lower water level in all three fisheries has exposed a lot of weeds, reducing the amount of fishable water. Anglers will need to find the clear pockets and target them with flies, lures and baits. I fished Moorabool recently on the southern side, for the first time in over a month; normally, I’d be there every week at this time of year. The southern shoreline has some fishable water between the shore and the weeds. As the water temperatures rise, I don’t believe the trout will feed in this area. I will persist with Moorabool this month, fishing the deeper edges in the evening, hoping that trout will come in looking for mudeyes to eat. NEWLYN Newlyn Reservoir has been one of the standout waters over the past month, despite the low water level. There are fewer spots to fish, with lots of ribbon weed in most areas. However, the trout are hungry and on the chew, making the most of whichever insect species are hatching on any given day. 98 NOVEMBER 2024

we estimated to be around 4-5lb. We were able to catch a couple up to 2lb stripping Woolly Bugger flies. The big ones eluded us on this day, but we were very excited by what we had seen. I told my work colleague Steve Angee about it, so he headed out on his next available opportunity a few days later. Steve said he only saw a couple of fish move – nothing like what we had seen only days earlier – but he did manage to catch a couple of browns around 3lb that engulfed his Bent Minnow lures. Steve said there was enough action for him to come back and do some more prospecting of the fishable water. I remain optimistic about good fishing at Newlyn, given what we saw and the mayfly hatches that I talk about so much about. I think the fishing should be OK for the next month or so.

GREENHILL We’ve had some great sessions at Greenhill Lake at Ararat, catching quality trout. The fishing has slowed down now though, with only the odd report filtering through. We were hoping for good rains to top the lake up, but unfortunately, that hasn’t occurred. Hopefully, the water temperatures won’t get too high because this could affect the trout population. Vern Barby has been up fly fishing at Greenhill recently. He likes to fly fish out of a drifting boat, targeting the weed beds along the shorelines. On one of Vern’s recent trips he fished with mate Garry Rappley, and the boys nailed three ripper rainbow trout, one estimated around the 5-6lb mark. All were caught on Woolly Buggers stripped reasonably fast on intermediate/slow sinking lines, ensuring the flies were deeper in the water column. Vern said the rainbows were the best he’d seen in a very long time. Vern headed back another day to see if he could snag another. The weather conditions were different this time, with bright, sunny skies. This isn’t for Greenhill, given the shallowness of the lake, and he had no luck that day. However, an angler trolling soft plastics caught three magnificent trout, so this

Wayne Rigg and Ben Young have been out casting lures and plastics targeting trout. This 42cm redfin decided to spoil the trout party and eat Rigzie’s shallow-diving Double Clutch. Photo courtesy of Ben Young. waterway is worth a look. TOOLONDO Toolondo Reservoir, in the Grampians Region, was one of my favourite fisheries back in the late 1980-90s. It was one of the state’s premier trout fisheries until it was

The local streams and rivers fish well around Ballarat in spring. Donnie Rogers has been getting amongst the trout using soft plastics and small hardbodies. Photo courtesy of Donnie Rogers.

Newlyn Reservoir’s brown trout found Steve Angee’s Bent Minnows too irresistible not to eat. Photo courtesy of Steve Angee.

taken offline from the Wimmera Mallee system. It went dry after that. A few years later, there were campaigns to have water put back into Toolondo, which would come from Rocklands Reservoir once it reached a certain water level. The campaigns were successful, with water being put back into Toolondo. Unfortunately, that water introduced carp into the reservoir, and their numbers quickly increased. The Victorian Fisheries Authority employed a professional fisherman to remove the carp from the fisheries, which reduced the population by 100-200 tonnes. VFA have stocked Toolondo with good-sized rainbow and brown trout

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Intrepid anglers brave winds to score quality CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

This Crater Lakes report is my 150th for Fishing Monthly. It has been a pleasure and honour to do this, and hopefully it has helped some anglers over the years to catch some quality fish. Thanks to editor Jacqui Thomas for refining and editing what I send her, and giving it a final polish. We’ve had an extended winter, with storm after storm coming from Antarctica to batter our coastline. The saltwater scene, by and large, has been out of the question. However, for those who are brave enough to wet a line, the inland scene has been a slightly better option. When the wind has been behaving itself, those who launched at Lake Purrumbete have done reasonably well in the brown trout department. The browns have been caught on a variety of trolled lures, including winged lures like Lofty’s Cobras, not

too off the bank. The trout have pulled the scales down to over 2kg, and have been striking lures aggressively. The 8-12m depth range seems to be the area to work over. Of course, the lure

doesn’t have to dive to anywhere near that depth as the trout will spot it from below, and come up underneath to take it. Have your lures well out the back

over the past couple of years. They have thrived, growing up to around the 55cm mark, as the reservoir is full of food. There have been plenty of reports coming through on Facebook and YouTube, which has seen anglers once again targeting trout in Toolondo Reservoir. My son Maxi and I headed up for a trip recently. Our plan was to mainly fly fish, and if we didn’t have any luck, switch to casting or trolling lures. Upon arrival at the reservoir, we launched the boat at the newlyconstructed launching area on the

small baitfish or damsel flies, which are a staple diet for Toolondo trout. Maxi didn’t have to wait long before one of his flies was engulfed by a very nice brown in the mid-40cm range. He followed it up with another of a similar size. Over the next couple of days, we landed quite a few rainbows and browns up to 3lb on flies and lures. I believe Toolondo is back on the map as a trout fishery, and those who have fished it in the past will know what I mean. The word on the street is the current water levels should see it fishing well for the next two to three years. That should see

have some excellent streams within 10-20 minutes of Ballarat that produce some excellent-sized brown and rainbow trout. Donnie Rogers is one keen angler who is happy to put in the miles walking up and down the local streams. He said the streams have been quieter than in the past few years. This could be because they didn’t get big flush-outs like in other years, when many fish move around a lot. It’s just a theory, but it makes sense. Donnie has been catching some quality browns recently, casting small hardbody lures and soft plastics. It’s important to cover plenty of water to find the good pools and runs where the fish are. Donnie said he always wears his waders because there are plenty of snakes along the stream and riverbanks, and they are very aggressive at this time of the year. WENDOUREE At Lake Wendouree the fishing is getting better by the day. Anglers have been flocking to the lake in numbers, especially the fly fishers, as are some competitions being held there. Many of these guys and girls head up for practice before the comps. The fact that some of our other waters are low is another incentive to fish Wendouree, along with the mayfly hatches, which are in full swing. I’ve been fly fishing on the lake with a fair bit of success, when the weather conditions are good, i.e. overcast skies, a bit of breeze and some drizzle. This is not everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re ideal as far as I’m concerned. On a recent session with a northerly breeze and intermittent showers, I landed two nice fish: a rainbow of 49cm and a brown of 40cm. I dropped another three

A typical Purrumbete redfin taken jigging at depth.

The author landed this ripping 49cm rainbow trout on a gold Humongous fly pattern at Wendouree. western side of the reservoir, which was paid for by Fisheries and Better Boating Victoria grants. It was a pleasure to launch at a good ramp instead of what we’ve had to use over the years as the water levels decreased. We headed out for a fish, targeting an area that the wind had been blowing into. Our plan was to fly fish with Woolly Buggers, which can imitate

the fish grow up to 8-10lbs like they did years ago. Hopefully, heavy rains next winter will reach the trigger point in Rocklands Reservoir to allow further water to flow into this fishery, and restore it to its former glory. RIVERS AND STREAMS The early and late spring months are generally the best times to fish the streams and rivers around Ballarat. We

because the boat’s hull will often initially spook any nearby fish, and they need a bit of time to calm down and take your lure. Trout don’t have a true brain – just a pinhead-sized ‘program’ (according to the boffins), so the fish have little memory and seem to ‘forget’ what just happened. At that point, they’ll hopefully go back into feeding mode when your lures swim into the zone. Reasonable redfin have been taken lately. Most have been caught at depth by simply jigging minnow or worm-style soft plastics, metal vibes or ice jigs just off the bottom. Spreading a bit of sinking berley about can often help to keep the fish in the strike zone. Bullen Merri has been producing a few tiger trout and Chinook salmon, with most being taken on trolled lures in 8m or so of water. Following the lake’s perimeter and hanging out 10m or so has produced a few fish. The tigers aren’t far off 3kg, whilst the ‘chooks vary from 700g to just over 2kg.

Toolondo Reservoir has been producing quality trout like this 45cm brown caught by Max Stevens on an orange Magoo fly. off and had numerous trout slash at my flies when lifting them out to recast. Wayne Rigg and Ben Young have been out casting lures and plastics out of the boat, with good results, including a 42cm redfin caught by Rigzy on a shallow-diving Double Clutch. The boys said they had plenty of fish follow the lures and turn around at the last minute. It’s a similar story with many other anglers recently. Land-based anglers casting flies, lures, plastics and fishing baits have been doing well. Catches will only improve for anglers bait fishing with mudeyes, as they really start to move around. The trout and redfin will start to focus on them, as they find them irresistible. NOVEMBER 2024 99

VIC

Freshwater

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Prime time is approaching in West Gippsland WEST/SOUTH GIPPSLAND

Martin Auldist

Well, the open season for river trout here in West Gippsland is off and running, as it is all around the state. Reports have so far been sporadic but there’s been some good fishing to be had. In this region, it can sometimes be problematic to turn up big numbers of trout in September and the early parts of October. The water is still pretty cold, with many of the local streams being fed at least in part by snow melt from Mount Baw Baw, while insect activity is also yet to peak. Nevertheless, the streams are in good nick at the moment, eminently fishable with good water clarity, even if water levels are lower than one would expect at this time of year. Hanno Parker, from Noojee Bushgoods, reports that his customers have been catching good numbers of small brown trout in local streams,

A small but feisty brown trout from the Toorongo River that took a liking to a small Mepps bladed spinner. with bait fishers using earthworms having the greatest success. These fish have averaged 26-28cm, but don’t be surprised if a fish of 38cm or

more jumps on. Lure anglers have been successful too, primarily when using bladed spinners or small soft plastics such as Strike Tiger nymphs

or similar. Hardbody lures have yet to come into their own but should do so as the water warms. Hanno nominates the Toorongo River as the early season standout. It is a medium-sized, very scenic stream that is yielding a slightly better class of fish than neighbouring waters. If, on the other hand, you’re after quantity rather than quality, give the Loch a try. This small stream holds more fish than anywhere else in the region. If you’re in the area, Hanno really is Johnny-on-the-spot, so drop into Noojee Bushgoods for all the latest fishing info. Interestingly, Hanno reports that he recently caught his PB rainbow trout of 49cm in a local stream so expect the unexpected. Over at Blue Rock Reservoir, meanwhile, land-based anglers have been catching moderate numbers of bass to 32cm on baits of earthworm, along with some redfin. Out in the lake, boaters have been catching them on lures, just as they have all

Hit the water to hunt down some footballs EILDON

Daniel Piazza

With footy season done and dusted, it’s a great time to get to Lake Eildon and catch your own football yellowbelly. Let’s go! When sounding up fish, I prefer to look for smaller groups of fish away from the bigger schools. My reasoning is that these fish are more willing to feed than the spawning fish in the main schools. Of course, fish in the school can still feed, so you shouldn’t write them off. You can also use the prior day’s

wind directions to help you pick a bank to start looking for fish. The moon plays a big part in fish activity, and you can get good catches before a big weather system or right after a big rain event. Worms, shrimp, small yabbies and fresh bass yabbies are all great baits for yellowbelly. Be prepared to move around regularly; sometimes every 10 minutes or so. This year I’ve been concentrating on three different areas that are quite far apart, often travelling between them multiple times in a single day. I like to launch at Fraser Nation early in the morning (around 5:30am) and head

An early season yellowbelly.

Tiana and Ben from Summit Outfitters with a pair of spawning cod caught on trolled hardbodies. 100 NOVEMBER 2024

south about 25km to Fry Bay, which takes about 45 minutes. The reason I park so far away is because my last spot is only about 15km north of the ramp. This spot is Aird Inlet, and I usually pick a bay somewhere in the main arm. Horse Bay is also a good spot to look for spawning yellowbelly. If you want to fish with lures this month, I would start with a black grub tail. The first thing you want to do is make sure your jighead is not too heavy or too noisy. Why does noise matter? Well, the fish can be spooked easily some days. When prospecting, I take a stealthy approach in every new area I visit. I put my side scan on, and scan the bank from about 30m. This is a good enough distance, so you want your sounder set on a 30m scan area. I think the direct beam from the Lowrance Active Target can spook and unsettle the school. Next, set yourself up on spot lock

and start going through the different retrieves – slow roll, pause and hop, shake and roll, and so forth. Using scent on your lures can make a big difference, too. Murray cod are always around, and are the main reason the lake has become so popular. By now, 40% of the Eildon cod population would have to be over a metre long. If you’re blind casting, big spinnerbaits and soft plastics are good choices. Long rocky banks are the pick for a relaxing afternoon casting session at this time of year. As the banks warm up in the sun, the bait will come closer – a prime opportunity for a hungry Eildon cod. Thunderstorm season is here, so try to hit the water before these weather events. You can experience a short, sharp, exciting bite during

Freshwater

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LIGHT, POWERFUL, winter. The lure fishing for bass DURABLE… freshwater fishing in this region will

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

INTUITIVE CONTROL

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should really start to fire up as the water warms. Huge numbers of bass up to 38cm have also been caught in at least one local river; I will leave it up to you to figure out which one. By the time this magazine hits newsstands and mailboxes, the

be reaching a peak that should be sustained all the way through summer and early autumn. All techniques will work but my main advice is to keep mobile, wet wade if you can, and don’t overlook small, out-of-the-way waterways that everyone else ignores.

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those times. Australian-made spinnerbaits with a P: 07 5532 5812 Until next month, stay safe on the wide range of coloured heads and skirts. sales@amcboats.com.au E: shaun@trmarinegc.com.au water and on the banks. The snakes These spinnerbaits feature heavy-duty : www.amcboats.com.au W: www.trmarinegoldcoast.com.au will be up and about, so remember to wires and high-quality finishes, and supervise your kids. are proven effective on our native fish. • Daniel Piazza is the creator of Primal Google ‘Primal Spinbaits’ to see where Spinbaits – quality handcrafted, you can buy them. (07) 3808 7333

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Jed Limond (12yo) with his PB snapper that measured 80cm and weighed 7kg. The fish was released after this photo. NOVEMBER 2024 101

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Status of Australian Fish Stocks, 2024 MELBOURNE

Ross Winstanley

During 2022, more than 100 fisheries scientists across the country began to review the status of Australian fish stocks, reported by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation in August this year. The sixth in a series of two-yearly assessments published since 2012, this report covers 503 stocks spread across 155 fish and other seafood species, many of which are of direct interest to anglers. Stock by stock, each assessment report describes whether the abundance of fish and the level of harvest from the stock

Red throat emperor (Photo: Recfishwest) are sustainable, and indicates changes since previous assessments. Overall the results show that, of the 390 assessable stocks examined, 316 were assessed as sustainable, 16 were ‘recovering’, 13 were ‘depleting’ and 45 were ‘depleted’. The following results apply to stocks of interest to recreational fishers, for which the assessments show improved or deteriorating condition. RECOVERING STOCKS Of the eight stocks found to be in improved condition since the previous assessments in 2020, the following have a significant level of interest to recreational fishers, at least at a local level. Mulloway – NSW From 274t (tonnes) in 2000, recreational catch estimates fell to 55t in 2019. Annual commercial catches declined substantially from about 400t in the 1970s and have averaged 74t in recent years. A 2013 recovery plan saw the legal minimum length raised from 45 to 70cm, plus staged reductions in daily recreational catch limits and trip limits for commercial fishing. While the evidence suggests that, over the long term, the stock size has been depleted and recruitment (spawning success) has been impaired, environmental conditions in two recent years have favoured successful recruitment. Considering all the evidence, the mulloway stock in NSW has been upgraded from a rating of Depleted to Recovering. RED THROAT EMPEROR – WA While analysis of pre-2022 data suggests that the maximum sustainable catch of red throat emperor is 87t, combined catches exceeded that level, peaking above 102 NOVEMBER 2024

200t in the mid-2000s. Following 2010 management interventions applied to the West Coast Bioregion, where the majority of red throat emperor are caught, annual catches fluctuated around 40-80t. In 2020/21, commercial catches totalled 30t and recreational catches – including other emperors – totalled 10t. Total recreational catches of emperor species have been below the 11t ‘benchmark recovery’ level in all five surveyed years since 2011/12. The evidence suggests that management has effectively maintained red throat emperor catches at acceptable levels. Nevertheless, additional management controls introduced in 2023, to further reduce catches of key snapper and WA dhufish stocks, will reduce fishing mortality (death rate) of red throat emperor. The combined weight of evidence indicates that the WA red throat emperor is a Sustainable stock. Other stocks with status upgraded since 2020 are: • Albacore – Indian Ocean: from Depleting to Sustainable. • Blacklip abalone – Tasmanian Western Zone: from Depleted to Sustainable • Commercial scallop – Tasmanian fishery: from Depleted to Recovering • Estuary cobbler – WA South Coast Estuaries: from Recovering to Sustainable • Greenlip abalone – WA Area 2 fishery: from Depleting to Recovering • Greenlip abalone – Tasmania fishery: from Depleting to Sustainable. DEPLETED STOCKS Jackass morwong – Eastern Australia Exploited mainly by offshore trawl fishing, since 2013, total commercial catches by state and Commonwealth fisheries have fallen from 297t to 16t in 2022. NSW, Victorian and SA state recreational fishery records show negligible to zero reports of jackass morwong, but this species is popular among recreational fishers in Tasmania where it is taken by angling and amateur nets. Tasmania’s estimated recreational catches peaked at 32t in 2000-01, and have declined to 8t in 2017/18. Peaking at 33t in 1997/98, Tasmanian commercial catches are generally less than recreational catches and have been below 5t since 2011/12. The 2021 stock assessment for the jackass morwong eastern stock estimated that the stock size in 2022 would be just 15% of the unfished level. Modelling indicated that, with a steady decline in

Southern sand flathead

productivity since 1990, fishing pressure had exceeded the ‘target’ level of 27t over the past 30 years. With annual recent recruitment estimated to be low, the stock’s ability to recover is impaired, with recovery to an acceptable level likely to be a lengthy process even under a zero annual catch scenario. Based on the extensive evidence and detailed modelling, the jackass morwong eastern stock has been downgraded from Sustainable to Depleted. Southern sand flathead – Tasmania The most popular marine recreational target species, sand flathead, has been in decline for many years. This is despite increasingly targeted management measures aimed at addressing the situation. After peaking at 10-15t between 1995 and 2008, annual commercial catches declined, reaching 4t in 2021/22. Always exceeding commercial catches, estimated annual recreational catches of almost 300t in the early 2000s fell to 184t in 2017/18. Since 2012, annual field surveys confirmed low numbers of legal sized fish, particularly off southeastern Tasmania. In 2015, recreational bag limits were reduced, from 30 to 20/day, and the legal minimum length was raised from 30 to 32cm. However, heavy fishing pressure continued, particularly on females. By 2022, fishing pressure on the stock of spawning females, estimated to be below 20% of unfished levels, remained unsustainable. As a result, the bag limit was reduced to 10/day and the legal minimum length was increased to 35cm. Based on these studies of the fishery performance and the stock response, the southern sand flathead in Tasmania has been down-graded, from Depleting to Depleted. Snapper – West Coast In WA’s West Coast Bioregion, snapper catches, mainly by commercial fishers, increased in the 1980s, peaking above 500t in 1988. Then, influenced by variable annual recruitment, combined commercial and recreational catches fluctuated between 200t and 400t until remaining below 250t since 2010 when significant measures were introduced to address overfishing of major scalefish – snapper, dhufish and baldchin groper – in the Bioregion. In 2020/21, the commercial snapper catch was 109t and the recreational catch was 80t, including 28t taken by charter fishers. On top of that, in estimating total catch-related mortality, the ongoing monitoring and regular assessments also factored in ‘post-release mortality’, that is deaths of under-sized snapper released after being hooked and brought to the surface, suffering from inflated swim bladders. While the snapper recovery strategy had set 35t as the upper recreational limit to enable stock recovery, total

Jackass morwong recreational fishing mortality exceeded that limit in every survey since 2011. Since the management changes applied to commercial and recreational fishing in 2007-2010, modelling suggests that the decline in the spawning stock had halted and that there was ‘limited recovery’ by 2020. Under current catch limits, there was no evidence suggesting stock recovery is likely by 2030. The evidence indicates that the stock size has been depleted and recruitment ‘is likely to be impaired’, with no stock recovery likely under current fishing pressure. On this basis, the West Coast snapper stock condition has been down-graded, from Recovering to Depleted. Golden perch – South Australia Previously assessed as Sustainable, golden perch are now rated as Depleting, based on commercial catch data, and field surveys in the lower River Murray. The recreational catch was estimated as 11t in 2021–22, down from 37t in 2013/14. The commercial catch was 35t, down from 88t in 2013/14. Factors influencing golden perch abundance include low recruitment since 2011, adult movements to upstream regions, natural mortality, and fishing. On the bright side, there are signs of increased numbers of one year-olds and of some young fish spawned in 2016/17 and 2018/19, in the gorge section of the river. Other stocks with status downgraded since 2020 are: • John dory – South Eastern Australia, from Sustainable to Depleted • Giant crab – South Australia, from Sustainable to Depleting • King threadfin – Gulf of Carpenteria, from Depleting to Depleted • Brownlip abalone – Western Australia Area 2 Fishery, from Sustainable to Depleted. NATIONAL REPORTING The Status of Australian Fish Stock Reports are a series of assessments of the biological sustainability of a broad range of wild-caught 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 2022 Reports. More details about the status of Australian fish stocks are available at fish.gov.au.

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Sustainability: how our snapper stocks rate During 2022/23, teams of fisheries scientists around Australia conducted the fifth in a series of Status of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) assessments of major Australian fish stocks. Among the 155 species covered was snapper Chrysophrys auratus, taken by commercial and recreational fishers between Shark Bay, WA, to northern Queensland. Of the 12 stocks assessed, six were found to be ‘sustainable’, one ‘recovering’, four ‘depleted’ and one ‘undefined’. Recent genetic studies have shown snapper occurring from Queensland to southern New South Wales to be a single stock, known as the East Coast stock. Victoria’s eastern stock occurs east of Wilson’s Promontory where mixing also occurs with some fish from the East Coast stock and the Victorian western stock. While the latter is largely founded on recruitment from Port Phillip Bay, it extends into waters off south-east South Australia. SA’s other two stocks are based on separate recruitment from Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf. In WA, Shark Bay contains three biologically separate stocks, while ocean waters off Shark Bay and coastal waters to the south contain separate stocks. QUEENSLAND About one-third of the combined catch from the East Coast stock is taken off Queensland, entirely by hook fishing. Estimates of the stock size in 2016 indicated it was below 20% of the unfished level; falling catch rates since then point to a continuing decline. Added to this, catch monitoring showed falling proportions of older and larger fish between 2007 and 2021. As commercial licence numbers and annual fishing effort declined, between 2016 and 2022, the commercial catches

fell from 61t to 11t, reduced to just 7% of the total Queensland snapper catch. In 2021/22, recreational fishers took about 128t and charter fishers took about 19t, together making up most of the total snapper catch. Between 2013/14 and 2019/20, while annual recreational catches had increased from 74t to 127t, catch rates had decreased. Current management measures include a 4/day bag limit and 35cm minimum length, and since 2019, a commercial Total Allowable Catch of 42t and a July-August closed season. Despite these measures, the indications are that the decline in the

spawning stock continues, ‘recruitment is likely to be impaired’, and under current arrangements, the stock will not rebuild. On this basis, snapper in Queensland waters are classified as a Depleted stock. NEW SOUTH WALES At the 2022 assessment, combined annual catches by both recreational and commercial fishers were at historic low levels and had been averaging about 345t since 2016. The 2019/20 recreational catch was estimated at 160t and, at 170t, the commercial catch was below the average over the previous 10 years. Management measures have brought about a decline in annual fish trapping effort, and both modelling and the sizes and ages of commercially landed snapper suggest that the population has been rebuilding since about 2008. Under current levels of fishing pressure, with the stock size increasing and apparently healthy reproductive capacity, snapper in NSW waters are classified as a Sustainable stock. EASTERN VICTORIA For assessment purposes, the snapper occurring off eastern Victoria are regarded as a distinct stock. This is despite clear evidence of some periodic recruitment from Victoria’s western stock (from west of Wilsons Promontory) and additions from the East Coast stock. About 50% of the fish appear to be of ‘mixed heritage’ between those two adjacent stocks. While catch information is lacking, anglers are increasingly targeting snapper, particularly spawning aggregations, on coastal reefs between Lakes Entrance and Corner Inlet. Catches by Victorianmanaged commercial fishers have averaged about 3.5t annually since 2009; Commonwealth-managed fisheries have averaged 14.5t over the same period. In the absence of estimates of stock size, exploitation rates and recruitment, on which to assess this stock, snapper off eastern Victoria are classified as an Undefined stock. This assessment and classification includes the snapper that are increasingly being taken off Tasmania’s northern and eastern inshore waters. While there are no estimates of recreational catches, they have improved to the point where there is now a bag limit (5/day) and minimum length (30cm). WESTERN VICTORIA After an earlier decline, creel surveys showed that recreational fishing catch rates in Port Phillip Bay and Western Port stabilised after 2014, with some improvement in 2021/22 as fish from the record 2018 recruitment (spawning success) entered the fishery. The most recent estimate of the recreational catch from this stock was 561t in 2010. Since commercial net fishing in Port Phillip Bay ceased in 2022, replaced by quota-managed line fishing, annual commercial catches have been about 50t. The Victorian commercial catch

in 2022/23 was 54t, most of which was taken in Port Phillip Bay where longliners were unable to take their 88t Total Allowable Catch. Catches off south-eastern SA have also declined, with the commercial fishery taking 25t in 2021. Exceptionally high recruitment events in 2018 and 2022, demonstrated that the stock’s spawning capacity remains sound and is expected to contribute to rebuilding the stock for years to come. Under current reduced commercial fishery management measures, the outlook for recreational fishers looks good. Victoria’s western snapper have been classified as a Sustainable stock. SOUTH AUSTRALIA GULF ST VINCENT From a low base, commercial snapper catches had increased rapidly from 2006 to a record of 454t in 2010, and stayed high until 2015 as fishing moved from handlining to longlining. That was followed by a major decline in catches and catch rates, prompting a succession of tightening controls which failed to halt the stock decline, and the fishery was closed indefinitely in November 2019. Further measures aimed at helping to restore the adult snapper stock and its spawning success showed no response by the 2022 assessment. From a combination of recreational and commercial fisheries data and fishery-independent information, stock estimates fell from 2,780t in 2014 to 404t in 2022, and recruitment persisted at ‘poor’ levels from 2010 to 2019. With the depleted stock size and continuing impaired spawning performance, the Gulf St Vincent snapper are classified as a Depleted stock. SPENCER GULF/WEST COAST Despite a succession of tightening controls on fishing, stock estimates decreased from 2012 to 2019, when the fishery was closed to assist stock rebuilding and improved recruitment. With northern Spencer Gulf the main nursery area for this stock, age composition data from catches in the Gulf showed no sign of strong annual recruitment since 1999. Estimates of the fishable stock fell from 5,350t in 2005 to 543t in 2022, as the result of poor recruitment over two decades,

combined with continually fishing a depleted stock. All evidence points to the condition of snapper in this region as a Depleted stock. WESTERN AUSTRALIA Biologically separate snapper stocks occur inside Shark Bay, and snapper in open coastal waters show genetic differences from snapper from the Shark Bay Oceanic, West Coast and South Coast regions. Tagging and microchemistry studies indicate resident tendencies among adults within the Gascoyne, West Coast and South Coast bioregions, where they tend to spawn in multiple embayments or inshore locations. SHARK BAY Inside Shark Bay, biologically separate stocks occur in the Eastern Gulf, Denham Sound and Freycinet Estuary. The 2022 assessments confirm previous findings that snapper in each of these three regions are Sustainable stocks. Under the conservative management measures in place for 20 years, catches have been held within ‘target’ limits and are no threat to spawning success and recruitment. In Denham Sound, the combined recreational and charter catch in 2022 was about 6t, compared to the ‘target’ or upper limit of 12t. The commercial catch had averaged 1t since 2003 and was 1t in 2022. In the Eastern Gulf, the combined recreational and charter catch in 2022 was about 2t, and well below the limit of 12t. At 0.5t, the commercial catch in 2022 was below the limit of 4t. At 13t, the recreational plus charter catch in the Freycinet Estuary was well above the 4t limit in 2022. However, as this is around the estimated average Maximum Sustainable Yield for the stock, this is not considered to pose a risk to recruitment. The commercial catch was less than 1t. SHARK BAY OCEANIC In 2021/22, the combined recreational and charter catch was 25t, and the commercial catch was 42t, well below the allowable total of 51t. The previous (2020) assessment pointed to both a weakened stock size and impaired recruitment, resulting in ranking snapper here as a ‘depleted’ stock. The resulting reduced commercial Total Allowable Catch and other management strategies were expected to protect spawning fish. This was born out in the latest assessment, finding that the spawning stock is rebuilding and that, if overall catches continue at well below 100t annually, this recovery should continue. Accordingly, snapper in the Shark Bay Oceanic management unit are classified as a Recovering stock. WEST COAST As part of a 20-year recovery plan, since 2010, the management actions have been in place to reduce fishing pressure on snapper (and other demersal species) in the West Coast Bioregion, which includes the coastal waters NOVEMBER 2024 103

104 NOVEMBER 2024

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most accessible to Perth anglers. The previous assessment (2020) noted evidence of fishing pressure being reduced to a degree that should produce improved recruitment and a stock recovery. On that basis, snapper off the West Coast were assessed as a ‘recovering’ stock. However, the 2022 assessment found that while management actions had halted the decline in stock size, there was ‘limited recovery by 2020’. Consequently, in 2023 the original upper limits set for recreational and commercial fishing impacts, including landed catches and mortality of released fish, were tightened to 17.5t and 69t, respectively. In 2020/21, snapper catches were 52t by private anglers, 28t by charter fishers and 109t by commercial fishers. Estimates of the combination of annual catches and mortality of snapper released by recreational fishers have exceeded the stock ‘recovery benchmark’ for the sector since 2011. From the most recent assessment, there is no ‘evidence to show that the new management arrangements have reduced the total fishing mortality to the levels required to rebuild snapper stocks by 2030’. On this basis, snapper in the West Coast management unit is classified as a Depleted stock.

SOUTH COAST In 2020/21, recreational fishers caught 12t of snapper and commercial fishers caught 27t; the combined catch was within the ‘historic range’ for this stock. The average commercial catch since 2015 was down by 33% from the average over the previous decade. The most recent stock assessment concluded that, while the present levels of fishing impacts and the stock’s spawning capacity are within acceptable limits, there is no leeway beyond ‘historical levels before risk becomes unacceptable’. The evidence points to snapper off WA’s South Coast as a Sustainable stock. NATIONAL REPORTING The Status of Australian Fish Stock Reports form a series of assessments of the biological sustainability of a broad range of wild-caught 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 2022 reports. More details about the status of Australian fish stocks are available at fish.gov.au.

During 2022/23, teams of fisheries scientists around Australia conducted the fifth in a series of Status of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) assessments of major Australian fish stocks. Among the 155 species covered were three bream species taken by commercial and recreational fishers in two or more states: • Black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri occurring in estuaries across southern states, from New South Wales to Western Australia; and • Yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis occurring in eastern estuaries from Queensland to Victoria • Western yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus morrisoni, occurring between Geraldton and Shark Bay, WA. Where the first two of these species co-occur in southern NSW and eastern Victorian estuaries, they tend to interbreed, producing hybrids, adding to the difficulty in reporting and assessing the status of each species. BLACK BREAM Occurring in southern estuaries between WA and NSW, the sustainability status of black bream stocks ranges from sustainable (3 stocks), through recovering (1 stock) and depleted (1 stock), to undefined (4 stocks). Being estuary-dependent, black bream’s growth and annual recruitment (spawning success) are dependent on environmental conditions, particularly rainfall, in the inlets and their catchments.

Historically the subject of competing recreational and commercial fishing interests, black bream have effectively become a recreational-only species in Tasmania and Victoria. This is despite sustainable stocks occurring in some waters, and high consumer demand with market prices generally higher than for snapper in southern states. The SAFS 2022 report records the combined commercial catch of black bream as 97t, down from 102t in 2020. SOUTHERN NSW With NSW being the cross-over region for black bream and yellowfin bream, genetic studies have found high levels of hybrid bream, as high as 45% in one study of bream in five southern inlets. Because of the difficulty in distinguishing among the two species and their hybrids, they have commonly been reported together, making confident assessments of recreational catches, or the stocks, impractical. Despite this difficulty, since 2009, commercial fishers have recorded black bream separately. Recent catch estimates have varied between 20 and 30t/year. Given the level of uncertainty, the black bream in Southern NSW is classified as an Undefined stock. VICTORIAN EASTERN ESTUARIES With commercial fishing ending in 2003, monitoring and assessment of the black bream hinges on catch,

Sustainability: how our bream stocks rate

NOVEMBER 2024 105

FEATURE

News

effort and fish length data collected by angler diary volunteers targeting the species in Mallacoota Inlet and Lake Tyers. After commercial fishing was removed, the bream mortality (death rate) due to fishing fell from 57% to 31-36% in Mallacoota Inlet; in Lake Tyers it fell to 24%. In both inlets, bream larger than 35cm are being caught consistently, indicating the relatively low impact of fishing. The high numbers of undersized bream suggests recent spawning success. However, while angler diary data indicate a recent decline in catch rates, the diary coverage has reduced to the point where it is not possible to confidently estimate fishing pressure or the state of Victoria’s eastern estuaries stock which is, therefore, classified as Undefined. VICTORIA GIPPSLAND LAKES The 2020 assessment concluded that the Gippsland Lakes black bream stock was depleted, primarily as the result of adverse environmental conditions over many years. So the removal of commercial net fishing in 2020, and the introduction of a 28-38cm slot limit in 2021, were expected to aid stock recovery through protection of larger breeding fish, and an overall reduction in fishing pressure. The slot limit alone was expected to lift the stock of breeding female bream by 12%. And, with angler support, the bag limit was lowered from 10 to 7/ day in 2023. Between creel survey and angler diary data, there are clear signs of a recovering stock with increases in the sizes of harvested bream, recent recruitment, and protection of fish larger than 38cm long. Recruitment in 2022 was the highest ever recorded in the lakes system, and is expected to boost numbers of legal sized fish over the next 5-6 years. But while management measures are having the intended effect, there is no information on the overall recreational catch or fishing effort. As a result, black bream in the Gippsland Lakes are classified as a Recovering stock. VICTORIAN WESTERN ESTUARIES In the absence of commercial fishing or a recreational creel census, assessment of black bream in the estuaries west of Port Phillip Bay rely on angler diary catch rate and fish length data, from the Hopkins and Glenelg rivers. Consistent catches of bream larger than 35cm in both rivers suggest low fishing pressure. In the Glenelg River, undersized bream caught in most years suggest recruitment is occurring regularly. Reduced volunteer participation has undermined confidence in the angler diary data. Overall, there is insufficient reliable information available on which to estimate the recreational catches or 106 NOVEMBER 2024

FMM to classify the stock other than as Undefined. TASMANIAN SCALEFISH FISHERY In recognition of the previous low commercial production and black bream’s popularity among estuary anglers, black bream have been a recreational-only species since 1998. In 2017/18, the estimated recreational catch was 27,000 fish of which 67% were released, in keeping with the prevalence of catch-andrelease fishing for bream. While the stock is not considered to be depleted, as the estimated catch had decreased by about 50% since 2012/13, the classification has been down-graded from sustainable to Undefined. SA’S MARINE SCALEFISH FISHERY Black bream is a minor species in SA’s recreational and commercial fisheries. In 2021/22, the estimated recreational catch of 5.5t was about 67% of the State’s combined recreational and commercial catch of bream. Commercial catches of 2-3t were landed between 2014/15 and 2018/19, and the unpublished 2021/22 catch and catch rate were both rated as stable, showing no sign of recent declines. The assessment concluded that the current levels of fishing pressure are unlikely to deplete the stock or harm future recruitment, hence the classification as a Sustainable stock. SA’S LAKES AND COORONG FISHERY While the Lakes and Coorong Fishery has been SA’s most important commercial source of black bream, the assessment makes no mention of recreational catches there. From more than 35t/year in the mid-80s, to 2/t in 2008/09, catches since then have remained low, with the 3.4t taken in 2021/22 the highest in recent years. The low catches are associated with reduced fishing effort which, in turn, reflect low stock size. Recent above-average recruitment events have not led to recovery of the stock. The evidence suggests that fishing pressure over many years has reduced the stock size and its reproductive capacity. Remedial management steps since 2018 and abundant juvenile bream spawned in 2020/21 offer some hope of recovery. For now, the stock is classified as Depleted. WA’S SOUTH COAST ESTUARIES While boat-based recreational catches from these estuaries total about 2t, shore-based catches are unknown and commercial catches may be up to 60t. Varying between estuaries, bream may reach between 16 and 19 years, and surveys indicate that the older fish remain present despite fishing pressure. As bream begin reproducing while undersized, the stock of legalsized fish are all mature and many have several opportunities to spawn. As the evidence suggests that the

current fishing pressure is unlikely to deplete the stock or to reduce its spawning capacity, bream in the South Coast estuaries are classified as a Sustainable stock. WA’S WEST COAST ESTUARIES The main recreational catches of black bream come from the Swan Canning Estuary and the Hardy Inlet. Overall, boat-based catches are about 1.5t, while shore-based catches are unknown. Historically, annual commercial catches have varied between one and nine tonnes. Just one commercial fisherman is licensed to fish in each of these two main inlets, so while their catch details are unpublished, they total less than 9t annually. As fish of legal size are mature, when caught they have previously had the chance to reproduce. Since 2001/02, when bream were stocked to boost numbers in Hardy Inlet, there has been just one major spawning event, in 2008. As a result the fishery depends on fish recruited in these two events, plus the few spawned in other minor recruitment events. The number of 9+ year-old fish present suggests that fishing pressure is not excessive, and the West Coast bream are classified as a Sustainable stock. YELLOWFIN BREAM Yellowfin bream occur in inlets and estuaries between the central Queensland and central Victorian coasts. Although tagging shows limited movement between estuaries, suggesting somewhat isolated stocks, genetic studies show a single stock across this wide range. Towards the southern end of their range, where they co-occur with black bream, the two species hybridise – see above comments for black bream in southern NSW inlets. While the state components have been assessed separately by the three states, the SAFS assessment is presented as a stockwide report. Legal minimum lengths in each state allow for yellowfin bream to spawn at least once before being liable to being retained, and research has shown high survival rates when undersized or unwanted bream are released. Assessments in the two states with significant catches of yellowfin bream – Queensland and NSW - both conclude that, under current levels of fishing pressure, the stock’s spawning and recruitment capacity appears to be secure. QUEENSLAND In Queensland, recreational fishers take about two-thirds of the total annual catch from this stock. In 2019/20, recreational fishers took about 109t, and in 2020/21 commercial fishers reported a total of 45t landed. The recreational harvest of yellowfin bream in Queensland has been in continual decline over the past 20 years. Factors affecting this include the increased minimum size limit in 2010 (from 23

to 25cm) applied to all sectors, and the 2009 reduced recreational catch limit. Since 2004, commercial catches have declined to an all-time low of 57t in 2021/22. The causes include licence buy-backs, introduction of no-take zones, and the increased legal minimum size. The most recent combined recreational and commercial catch of 179t in 2019/20 is well below the maximum sustainable catch of 420t/year. Continuation of catches at similar levels should enable the stock to rebuild. The increased minimum size enables more mature bream to reproduce before being taken, increasing the prospects of an increased stock size in Queensland waters. NEW SOUTH WALES In NSW, the most recent recreational catch estimate of 127t in 2019/20 included both bream species plus hybrids. The size composition of yellowfin bream taken show no real change, and more than 75% of those caught by anglers are released. About 75% of the total commercial catch from the East Coast yellowfin bream stock is taken in NSW waters. Both average annual catches and the size composition of bream have been relatively stable over at least the past decade. VICTORIA With all of Victoria’s eastern inlets plus the Gippsland Lakes closed to commercial net fishing, the commercial catch of yellowfin bream is believed to be less than 1% of the total taken from the whole East Coast stock. The recreational catch is unknown. In conclusion, from the evidence examined from across the range of the Eastern Australia yellowfin bream, the stock is classified as Sustainable. WESTERN YELLOWFIN BREAM In 2022, of the 24t total commercial catch of western yellowfin bream from Geraldton to Shark Bay, 16t was taken in the major fishery for this species, in Shark Bay. The recreational catch was ‘assumed to be around 1-2t’. Two recent assessments, based on examination of commercial fishery data dating back at least 47 years, estimated the current stock size and the impacts of fishing. They concluded that the stock has recovered from early historical overfishing. Based on the evidence, the western yellowfin bream stock is classified as Sustainable. NATIONAL REPORTING The Status of Australian Fish Stock Reports are a series of assessments of the biological sustainability of a broad range of wild-caught 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 2022 Reports. More details about the status of Australian fish stocks are available at Fish.gov.au.

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS

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NOT LONG TO GO ! Make sure you get your entries in NOW! The Rapala Rookies celebrates the next generation of anglers coming through the ranks and provides them with a safe place to celebrate their catches. This free to join app based competition allows anglers up to the age of 16 to share their success and join the Rapala Fishing community as they catch fish species Australia wide on Rapala lures. To be eligible to claim your Rapala Rookies badge you will need to catch one of the 18 different Rapala Rookies species listed in the app using a Rapala Lure. (You will need to take a photo of you and the fish with the Rapala lure clearly visible in the picture.) And go into the running to earn the title as Rapala Rookie of the Year for 2024. Once you have your photo you can upload it into the Rapala Rookies app. Once the image is approved by admin, we will contact you for your address via email and send out the corresponding Limited Edition Rapala Rookies Badge. You can only receive 1 Rapala Rookies Badge per category.

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The Find the Rapala Rookies Logo prize winners for September are: 1st place J Ramsey of Tocumwal, 2nd place J Titter of Werribee, 3rd place R Davies of Alligator Creek. They each won a Crushcity/Rapala prize pack. Prizes delivery can take up to eight weeks. – FMM

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NOVEMBER 2024 107

South Coast

FMM

Making the most of short, sharp bite windows ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

Esperance has been enjoying some great weather over the past month, with lighter winds, plenty of sunshine and great fishing. There have been heaps of salmon cruising around the local beaches, with samples up to 6kg. We’ve been seeing both individual fish and bigger schools in the water. Beaches such as Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach, 10 Mile and 14 Mile have all been producing good catches, and have easy access for 2WD vehicles. If you have a 4WD, there are plenty of fish at Whiley Bay and Roses. We are continuing to see lots of herring being caught, along with some smaller skippy, good-size flathead (with the occasional sample over 3kg0, and the occasional gummy around the 12-15kg mark. Beaches such as Roses, Munglinup, Thomas River and Israelite Bay have been producing plenty of those species. Smaller mulloway are also being caught at Israelite Bay, mixed in with some good tailor, salmon and skippy around the 2kg mark. Israelite is

The owner of Southern Sports and Tackle, Murray Johnson, with a ripper wahoo he caught on a recent holiday to Fiji. producing plenty of bigger flathead as well. At the time of writing this report, the tracks out to Israelite have just been graded, so it’s easier to get there and out to The Cliffs. That

location is producing plenty of bronze whalers, salmon, tailor and mulloway. Back close to town, anglers fishing off the jetty are reporting plenty of squid, herring, garfish and

some ripping flats fishing in the estuary with the water being super clean and crystal clear. Chasing the yellowfin whiting is still all the rage, baits and lures 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

Bunbury bounty bonanza BUNBURY

Whiteys Tackle and Camping

With the warmer weather upon us, anglers are finding the Bunbury area has been fishing quite well with land-based anglers reporting some excellent captures. The finer weather has made for

the occasional small skippy. We’re also seeing the occasional bonito being caught, along with a few small samsonfish. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour is producing plenty of King George whiting, with the occasional bigger model over 30cm. There are still bream in Bandy Creek being caught up to around the 40cm mark, along with plenty of flathead, flounder, herring, and small skippy. At Tailor Street Jetty, good numbers of King George are being caught, with samples up to 35cm, and lots of herring. Some anglers have been picking up the occasional squid. The bream lakes have been firing, with plenty of fish up to 40cm. Some even bigger fish are mixing with the smaller ones; team member Ollie got a 44cm fish recently. Further afield, the river systems between here and Ravensthorpe have been producing good bream, due to the influx of water from earlier rain events. Anglers bait fishing from boats have been catching heaps of sand whiting, the occasional King George, and plenty of flathead and squid. At this time of year, the squid tend to

They don’t have to be huge to be fun!

Trout were still available in early spring.

A beautiful amberjack capture. 108 NOVEMBER 2024

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 bait fish 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 the mulloway can be very time consuming and patience does eventually pay off. Setting a live bait in a gutter or near a small patch

South Coast

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LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE… contact with the lure.

be bigger, although they’re not in massive numbers. Around the islands there are lots of queen snapper being caught, along with breaksea cod and samsonfish. The samsons tend to come in closer at this time of year, putting them within reach of smaller boats. Guys heading out wide have been getting nannygai to 65cm (3kg) in good numbers, but the bite window can be short and sharp. It’s not uncommon to get your bag limit in half an hour (usually on the high tide) and then have to wait three hours for them to come on again. There are also plenty of queen snapper out there, plus breaksea, the occasional harlequin, good numbers of samsons and the occasional yellowtail kingfish. If you want to specifically target kingfish, the best BENDIGO spots at the moment are Moby, Giant BENDIGO MARINE & OUTDOORS and Mackenzie islands. If you want 160 Midland Highway Epsom to try something different on the P: (03)you 5448can 3988throw stickbaits such kingies, W: bendigomarine.com.au as Halco Slidogs, CID Shiversticks, or Shimano Ocea Flash Boost 190s. SHEPPARTON Work your lure with a stop-start BOATS AND MORE retrieve, i.e. let it pause and the tail 207 Numurkah Road Shepparton will sit down, and as you pull forward P: (03) 5822 2108 the nose will dip, then a short pull 2908 andF: (03) let 5821 it settle again. Be sure to W: boatsandmore.com.au take up the slack so you’re always in

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

INTUITIVE CONTROL

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LOOKING AHEAD As temperatures rise, we can expect regular, strong southeasters lasting from lunchtime until after dark. To avoid them, hit the water at 3-3:30am and aim to be back at the ramp by lunchtime. Don’t go a long way west of town or you’ll have a long trip home if the winds come in early. Fish southerly waters or eastern waters, just in case. Species-wise, we should see plenty of sambos coming in around the closer islands and schooling up in bigger numbers. You can have a lot of fun jigging for them. We should also start seeing a few bluefin tuna being caught out wide, and eventually they’ll come in closer. On the beaches, the salmon should continue to gather in good numbers. MELBOURNE Bear in mind that they will come and MELBOURNE MARINE CENTRE go, often heading out to sea one week 393-399 South Gippsland Hwy and returning the next. South •Dandenong Established in 1986, Southern Sports P: (03) 9703 and Tackle 2003 specializes in supplying and E: info@melbournemarine.com.au servicing fishing equipment. They have W: melbournemarine.com.au an extensive knowledge of the local area and provide all brands, whether MORNINGTON PENINSULA you’re fishing from the beach, jetty or MY MARINE boat. Come and chat with the friendly Cnr Nepean Highway & staff at Shop 16, The Boulevard, Ponderosa Place Dromana Esperance or phone 08 9071 3022. P: (03) 5987 0900 W: mymarine.com.au bream on top water has to be my most

favourite technique to target them, MORNINGTON PENINSULA the OSP Bent Minnow and Bassday NAUTICAL MARINE Sugapen being my go-to lures. Fishing 141 Hotham Road the shallow banks at first light should Sorrento see some unbelievable adrenalin P: (03) 5984 1666 pumping action and surface boils to E: info@nauticalmarine.com.au drop your jaw. W: nauticalmarine.com.au • Get out there and enjoy the sunshine and if you’re having any issues with TOORADIN your gear or SERVICE techniquesCENTRE or justP/L need P&J MARINE some advice come in and see the boys at 101 Tooradin Station Road Tooradin Whiteys Tackle and Camping they have P: (03) 5998 3107 aE:wealth of local knowledge that they are pjmarine_services@bigpond.com always happy to share.

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There are still some lovely freshwater trout around. NOVEMBER 2024 109

West Coast

FMM

Bread-and-butter fishing options this month METRO

Jacob Crispe

With the weather warming it has been to see that people are getting out and about having a fish and exploring the fishing options in the Perth Metro area. The lure of catching a flathead seems to have got everybody excited, including yours truly.

water winter homes and have started pushing up into the shallower water areas of the Swan. There are plenty of areas that you can wade and fish for them from East Fremantle through to the Narrows. I like to fish the last of the run in tide and the first of the run our tide using either soft plastics, metal blades or small to medium sized hard body lures. I focus my efforts on casting to any obvious depth changes or around any weed that may be present. Another good lure to try is the Vexed Buckabou jig. They come in a range of weights and have been highly effective on our flathead in recent years. Tailor will always be a big part of

Young gun Harley getting it done with this lovely tailor while out fishing with good friend Nolan Unwin! to result in a tailor or two. The odd giant herring is also being hooked by anglers targeting the tailor, so it can pay to have a heavier outfit with you to try and hook (and keep hooked) one of these amazing fish. Another bycatch has been a smaller class of mulloway. It is great to see the next generation of mulloway showing up

in the system. Good places to try for these fish is around the many bridges that cross the Swan. They act like food concentrating devices, bringing the predators in looking for a feed. The bream fishing should also continue to be good. They have spread throughout the system and can be targeted with either bait or lures.

Han Yeoh is definitely part ninja, stalking down this lovely flathead on the Swan River flats. It is hard for me to decide whether I head to the rock walls and chase squid or do I hit one of the many flats of the Swan to try and find a flathead. More than likely I will do both. I

The fish tucker man strikes again with some lovely Swan River tailor! the angling effort in the Swan River. There are positive signs this year that the class of fish being caught is on the bigger side, which is exciting. Small metals, stick baits or baits cast around bait schools or where shallow water drops into deep water is likely

A perfect full bucket of 5-star fish by the Fish Tucker Man, Dom Magoo!

Peter ‘ The Z Man’ Zahradkah strikes again. No rod needed, just a beach, weed patch and a hand line! really love this time of the year. SWAN RIVER As mentioned, there are already good signs that the flathead have made the move from their deep110 NOVEMBER 2024

Lachlan Carter with a lovely yellowfin caught on the troll with a trusty Halco!

Bream love structure whether it is manmade or natural, so a river prawn or a lure of some sort presented around this structure, has every chance of a bream eating it. ROCK WALLS AND BEACHES Tailor will be one of the main target species from both our rock walls and beaches. Like the river the size of the fish this year is on the bigger side (30-50cm). The bycatch around these tailor schools can also be good with mulloway and flathead all following them around eating the scraps as they clean up the bait fish. As the demersal closure does not affect land-based fishing, many snapper anglers are hitting our beaches and rock walls to target them. Drone anglers are having plenty of

West Coast

FMM

Nolan just can’t help himself with a solid early morning session on some solid tailor! success from our beaches, while the rock walls can really produce during and just after bad weather. The focus for many, however, will

be the bread-and-butter species like skippy, herring and squid. Any weed patches will hold squid and their numbers increase at this time of the year. The key to the other two is a good burley trail. Do that and the skippy and herring will come to you. The other key will be to focus your fishing efforts on tides or light changes and if they happen to match up, even better. INSHORE Our inshore waters will be a busy place with the demersal closure in place. Herring, skippy, sand whiting, King George whiting and squid will be the big focus for many anglers. Anchoring off exposed reef structure and setting up a berley trail is an effective way to concentrate any herring or skippy in the area around you (may bring the tailor to you as well), while drifting the shipping channel is the most popular way to target the sand whiting. Areas like Middle ground offer good all round fishing, with plenty of

broken bottom and weed to focus on catching either squid or King George whiting. The KGW move around in schools, so it may be a case of moving locations until you find fish. This could be one move or twenty depending on the day. They can be berleyed up, but it is still better to find fish and then use berley to keep them around you, than rely on burley to bring the whiting to you. As far as squid fishing goes, most weedy areas will hold squid at this time of the year. They tend to be on

OFFSHORE With demersals off the cards and anglers heading our wide will be focusing on pelagics like bluefin tuna and Spanish mackerel. Their numbers will increase with water temperatures, and most will troll a spread of lures behind their boat, varying the depths to find what the fish prefer on that day. Speed jigging for samson fish and kingfish is also an option. Another option that is causing a stir amongst anglers is targeting swordfish. There have been more and more reports of

Chris Davies has been putting in the hours lately and was nicely rewarded with this lovely beach mulloway. the smaller side, but they are forever hungry, so any 3.0 or 3.5 sized squid jig fished around the weed has a chance of being eaten. I prefer Yamashita jigs, but it is always good to ask the people in your local tackle store what the latest options are. Most will hold a wide range of jigs and they will know what is currently working best.

Nolan Unwin with a lovely pink snapper from the sand!

anglers hooking fish out off Perth. These fish are a bit like the Holy Grail to some offshore anglers and it seems we are getting closer to regular catches in our waters. Enough said for another month. I hope you have the opportunity to get out and wet a line and I will catch you next month.

PRODUCT NEWS

Daiwa announces release of Saltiga Metal Jigs Designed for ultimate performance and robustly constructed for supreme strength and durability, the new Saltiga TB, FK, SL and BS jigs are built for Aussie anglers and species. The TB Jig is distinguished by its light resistance during jerking and a prolonged flashing fall time. This unique action allows for an extended presentation of the jig to the target fish, increasing the chances of enticing bites. Effective on predatory fish, this action creates intervals for bites by enticing the fish with a long, tantalising fall, ultimately leading to heightened catch rates and angler success. The FK Jig design is centred around a one-pitch jerk action with an optimised flashing action on the fall. This specialised lure mimics

an injured baitfish’s descent when detached from a bait ball. The FK jig has a flashing fall with perfect balance and speed. Its flashing fall draws the attention of target species and triggers a bite response. The Saltiga SL Jig was developed for use in areas of high current where ease of jig movement is important. The SL jig displaces water with little resistance, minimising drag, making it ideal for use at all depths. The intricate shape design contributes to the jig’s ability to deliver stable jerks and falls, even in the face of strong currents or a fast drift. The SL jig has a distinct action on the fall to allow predators the time to strike between jigging movements. The SL Jig is extremely versatile in its action and is perfect for fishing for both pelagic and demersal species

thanks to its ability to excel with both a slow and high pitch retrieve. The Saltiga BS Jig is the ultimate metal jig designed for offshore adventures. BS, or Back Slide, perfectly describes its unique shape, ensuring a smooth backward glide. A popular and highly effective design, the BS jig should be a staple for jig anglers. The new Saltiga jig range is available

in a host of different sizes and weights, while the colour range has been selected to meet the appetite of Australian anglers and species. Daiwa’s Adel Foil technology features strongly in the colour range to enhance flash and appeal, while BKK hooks and Assist Cord deliver ultimate strength and confidence between angler and jig. – Daiwa NOVEMBER 2024 111

West Coast

FMM

Tailor your fishing MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

November is an exciting time for the people of Mandurah who love to fish. Not only is the weather great, but we are particularly spoilt for options when it comes to inshore fishing. Although demersal fishing is off the cards until next month, anglers may opt to go chase pelagic species offshore, or perhaps head to the beach and make the most of the annual tailor run. Unless you are an avid demersal fisher looking to fill your fridge, there is surely

Not only are redfin fun to catch, but they also have an incredible display of colour!

going to be something there which will keep you busy and scratch your itch at the same time. Our local waters are starting to become much warmer than previous months which means that beach fishing is a great option for anglers. Seaweed abundances have begun thinning right out, the water has cleared up significantly and fish activity should really pick up as we progress through the month. Tailor fishing will be the main prospect of many beach anglers, as like clockwork, they begin to show up in larger numbers when warm water is frequent and as such will provide a lot of regular fun to anglers of all skill levels. If you are targeting tailor from the beach, a simple ganged hook setup will suffice when paired with a three-way swivel and a moderately sized star stinker. This setup is especially effective as the linked hooks will protect you from their teeth while also giving you plenty of chances at hooking fish and keeping them connected too. Though tailor tend to be a species that you can target all day long, focusing your fishing efforts around first and last light where fish are actively looking to feed will yield the best results. Many fish

Soapies and tuna are producing clean fun particularly with a jet head will also give the required speed. The idea is to run the lures out a good 70-80m behind the boat, passing ahead of the school’s path. Done right the lures will run through the head of the school, keep the throttle on after one rod hooks up. Multiple hookups are common. CASTING Casting to the schools can is the most effective way to catch fish without spooking the school. Long

LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

While the demersal ban remains in place, ending next month on the 15 December, tuna will be the main game for offshore fishers. At this time of year tuna are rampant out past the 20m depths. There are two basic methods commonly used, trolling or casting to the schools. A few tuna tactics for those wanting to give it a crack: TROLLING Trolling can be with a rod in either overhead or a spin reel

Dean had a great morning on typical plump spring tailor.

Everyone is waiting in anticipation for the white cray run to start later this month. 112 NOVEMBER 2024

combo. Size wise, a 5k spin reel with 10-15kg line will tackle the average bluefin or skipjack we see locally. However, any smaller will struggle to tow a lure at speeds up to 15 knots and should you hook up on one of those big yellowfin, I can testify there can be less than 30 seconds to turn the boat and take chase with a good helmsman before all of the line is stripped off the reel! While bibbed minnows do work, bibless will give a speed advantage chasing down schools that can be traveling at 9 knots or more positioning the lure in the sweet spot for a strike – Halco Max being a favourite in red head. Otherwise, skirted lures

The past two seasons have seen small soapie mulloway in numbers we haven’t seen for 15 years. This bodes well for the future of the fishery. casts are best as often tuna will sound if you try get too close. Positioning the boat upwind will help with cast distance and a stealthy drift towards the school. A 5k, 10kg spin reel is a lot of fun on the average fish, 6-10k with 15kg line will have a decent

West Coast

FMM we target are best targeted around a change of light as the low light conditions offer a sense of security to fish which allows them to feed with far less hesitation unlike mid-day where they are exposed and hesitant. Clearer waters of the beach can leave species like herring, whiting or tailor feeling susceptible to being preyed upon and as a result you can sometimes struggle to catch unless you fish this period of light change. Estuary fishing is another option which is hard to look by during this month and will provide some great fun if you are willing to put in the yards. Though we cannot crab in the Peel-Harvey just yet, anglers will find a lot of entertainment chasing yellowfin whiting around the estuary. Though they may not be thick in numbers yet, the numbers of fish will only increase as the month goes on and warmer days become more prevalent. If you are looking to chase some yellow fin, you are going to find a lot of success if you are wading sand flats or drop offs surrounded by an area of seaweed. Yellowfin can be hard to target on lures, but it is by far the best

diving minnows or metal blades which are much easier to tempt fish with and covering ground to ensure you appealing to different fish. If you are planning on heading out to a dam, it will be well worth throwing a rod into the car and trying your luck at some redfin. Redfin are a species that produce year round, are relatively easy to fool and will also keep you entertained

for hours provided that you fish for them correctly. If you are fishing from the banks, lures like spinners or metal blades can prove very effective as they offer great casting distance and an action that brings fish in from a large area around it. If you are looking for an option that is less active whilst you have a beer, anglers will find great success throwing worms or trout baits on a small hook and pairing the bait of choice with a small split shot sinker. Kayak or boat anglers have many more options when it comes to fishing freshwater, as their mobility is a huge advantage when it comes to locating fish rather than relying on them to come to you. Though sounders prove very useful in figuring out what depths fish may frequent at, once you cover enough ground you will generally find similarities or factors that will allow you to refine your understanding of what the fish are doing on the given day. When fishing freshwater, it is always a great option to try both shallow and deeper waters with a variety of presentations to give yourself a good chance at catching.

stickbaits or poppers to the white water when it can be done safely. Inside the bay we have seen some great catches of King George whiting and flathead around the sand holes and weed edges. While squid have been most active late in the day as the sun sets. Sand whiting always a reliable fall back for a feed while the demersal ban is on. Larger specimens have been around the 20m depths and just north

starting late this month and running throughout December. There will be a very busy beach each morning with pretty much every boat in town and some heading out to pull full lobster pots. November being the last good mulloway fishing month, for volumes if not size with plenty of schoolies in the gutters along with the odd big fish. Pink snapper have been mostly

Whiting are a thrill on topwater, especially as you get to see them explode on your lure. This is why Han is so addicted! approach to targeting these fish as you are able to trigger a reaction bite and you are also able to simultaneously appeal to more fish. Targeting these fish on surface is a satisfying experience when you see the fish swiping at your lure, though fish can be hard to connect with and pattern. If you are a novice lure fisherman, you will want to focus on sub surface presentations like shallow

There’s been good numbers of greenbacks on the reef breaks and along the surf gutters. chance if a larger specimen or mackerel smashes the lure or, as often happens, eats a smaller hooked fish! High geared reels HG or XG will give the lure the speed to get a reaction bite, you can’t wind too fast, too slow and the fish just won’t bite! Most importantly wait until the right moment to make the cast, often fishers new to this type of fishing rush the cast missing the sweet spot guaranteed for a hookup. Take the time to be sure the boat is at the right distance, if the school is moving don’t cast at the school or the fish will have passed before the lure lands. Make sure to consider the direction and speed fish are moving, casting so the lure lands as it passes through the head of the school on the retrieve. Lures of choice would be small

stick baits or metal slugs, there are plenty of choices in these categories some proven favourites would be the CID shiverstick in pilchard or the Gillies baitfish in whitebait is irresistible. But do change the hooks on the Gillies as the standard will easily be straightened by the speed of the tuna crashing the lure. WHAT’S AHEAD While it would normally be considered too early for mackerel, times are a changing. The season is getting longer with a smattering of fish caught throughout the winter months. Last November after a series of calm hot days saw warm surface layers and some good catches. Yellowtail kingfish have been schooling on the outer bays’ reefs. Any sign of birds hovering the breaks is a sure indicator there will be kingfish present. It is well worth casting

John West has been touring Australia and came out to cast a few baits. A 120cm mulloway was a little more than expected on gear more suited to tailor. and south of the bay in 5-6m. There have been plenty of herring from beaches, bay and jetty. Along the surf beaches bull herring 30cm+ have been hitting the tailor baits! The beach fishing is usually best in the mornings with offshore winds as the floating sargassum weed has started early with a vengeance this year, washing into the gutters with each afternoon sea breeze. The big event everyone is anticipating is the white cray run

falling to drone drops 200-300m, but we can soon expect a lot of 40-60cm fish within casting range at sunrise as the month progresses. The spring run of larger sized tailor are feeding aggressively along the beaches, with 50cm not at all uncommon. Do keep in mind only two over 50cm make a bag limit and these fish are full of roe preparing to breed, so only take what you immediately need. NOVEMBER 2024 113

North Coast

FMM

Catching pink snapper along Red Bluff KALBARRI

Stephen Wiseman

Pink snapper from the beach are coming in thick and fast from along the cliffs past Red Bluff all the way up to the sand patch north of

the river. Anglers fishing around Red Bluff have pulled in some respectable fish. To the north, snapper and mulloway are plentiful in the gutters just after sundown and they are biting on any bait put out there so don’t be too fussy.

Anglers fishing around Red Bluff have pulled in some respectable fish, like this lucky holiday maker did – a beach pinky measuring 61cm.

114 NOVEMBER 2024

Boat anglers are also getting in on the activity with most boats getting the limit and heading home for a coffee by early morning, which is a nice surprise without the shark predation. Plenty of baldchin can be found in close, along with some stunning coral trout. With the swell down, the spear-fishers have been cleaning up. The river has been a bit quiet but smallish whiting are around in the usual areas along the flats. In front of IGA and the shallows at the back of Oyster Reef is as good a place as any, and best bait is still small pieces of river prawn for whiting. You may even pick up a black bream. The Kid’s Whiting river comp produced a wide variety of species from blowies to whiting and everything you could think of. The latest on the river mulloway is that they are still found in fair numbers. A 1m fish got reduced to head and gills sadly last week by a big critter in the river, so be careful when wading around trying to gaff your fish! Boaties are still getting a feed of crays but a large number are now

The author is always keen to get out for a spot of snapper fishing.

North Coast

FMM

Plenty of opportunities for anglers inshore EXMOUTH

Barry Taylor

This month’s report has been supplied by David Holder. The inshore fishing has been very good over the past month, with good numbers of sailfish in the northern end of the Gulf. The most reliable way to catch sailfish is live baiting with yakkas rigged on a 6/0 or 7/0 circle hook. You can collect your livies over the shoals and from the FADs, using a sabiki jig. Some blue marlin have also been turning up around the 500m grounds. As well as trolling lures, some of the guys are also pitching baits at them. Some big trout have been getting caught in the Gulf lately, with specimens up to 80cm turning up around the shoal patches. In this unforgiving country, you’ll want to use 60-80lb leader. If you’d like to target the trout with lures, you can’t go past a Squidtrex soft vibe;

There are good numbers of sailfish in the Gulf.

in black spot and have to be returned. It’s a bit of hard work getting the catch limit. Yellowfin and stripy tuna are around so we may be in for an early run of good yellowfin as last year was a bit of a fizzle. Check all your gear as the barrels that can run through will test your gear to the max. With yet another boating accident just to the South of Kalbarri it always pays to check all gear and tell people where you are going as our extensive coast is not covered by radio, safe boating to all.

Some big mahi mahi have been turning up over the past month. they are still working brilliantly on a range of bottom species. When it comes to soft plastics, a 5-6” paddle-tail is the go-to, in blue, pink or white. A few good mahimahi have been reported in recent weeks, with some being taken inshore around the FADs, and others taking lures meant for blacks. When fishing around the FADs for dollies, you can use a live bait like a yakka or a stickbait or 4” white plastic. Land-based anglers have been enjoying some fun sessions on queenfish in the Gulf using 90-100mm size stickbaits such as Halco Slidogs and Nomad Mad Scads. You can also catch large golden trevally and GTs this way. Remember that the queenfish can change their feeding behaviour from day to day, so vary your retrieve speed to see what works best. There are still spangled emperor on the west side, taking squid baits fished in a mulie berley trail, and stickbaits over the bommies. At the time of compiling this report, the mangrove jacks haven’t really fired up yet. However, as temperatures rise, they will start to feed more aggressively, taking both lures and bait. You can also have fun casting small vibes and

bottom of the Gulf in around 6-7m of water. They’re not massive numbers yet but that will change as we move into summer. LOOKING AHEAD In the coming weeks we’ll start seeing more bigger mackerel coming into the Gulf, and you can catch them trolling around the bait schools or throwing stickbaits. Golden trevally will start to school up in the Gulf as well, taking vibes and soft plastics. Finally, blue marlin season should really kick off as the water warms up out in the 600s to 800s. • For the latest news on what’s biting and where, drop in to Tackle World Exmouth at 3 Maley St, Exmouth or call them on (08) 9949 1315. You can also view the range at www.

David Holder with a ripper coral trout caught on a Squidtrex.

Golden trevally can’t resist a well-placed vibe.

Alan with a decent pinky for the esky.

soft plastics around rock bars and other structure for bream, flathead and estuary cod. Whiting are still a good target near Learmonth jetty, with most being caught on peeled prawns. A few blue swimmer crabs have been starting to get through in the

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. NOVEMBER 2024 115

Freshwater

FMM

Redfin Challenge a success FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

With the weather warming up throughout this month the conditions can change dramatically when it comes to trout fishing in this state. The early part of the month can be quite different to the later part with temperatures rising to the point that a lot of attention needs to be placed on water temperatures in our northern dams.

I wasn’t registered for the event. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of anglers both on the bank and fishing from kayaks and boats. It was a great turnout with 245 registered entries for the weekend. The other interesting note is they had the main draw of a cash prize where you put your receipts of any purchases in the town over the weekend and it was drawn at the end of the event. The tally of all receipts was an impressive $16,600 and that’s not including all the other anglers like myself that were down there that

showing clearly on the sounder. Some tasty fillets were bagged although all the trout we caught were released to fight another day. The southern waters have been fishing well for both trout and redfin with some nice catches being reported. AUSSIE NATIVES The conditions have been great and I’ve noticed the silver perch are very active in my area. No reports are coming in of cod however, most people are generally not happy disclosing information as they are very rare in this state. DAMS Waroona Dam I confirmed that all our dams rely heavily on hatchery stocking to be viable fisheries. On my last trip there were some nice trout coming to the net. The water was very low at only 50% so

Majestic karri trees shade Big Brook Dam. Even a fishless day is rewarded with breathtaking views.

The author with a nice 49cm brown that was part of a trifecta made up of a 43cm rainbow, and a 40cm redfin. Surprisingly, they all hit the same Tassie Devil at one of the irrigation dams. Mornings are the preferred times to be chasing trout if you are shorebased as the water is cooler, with less emphasis if you happen to have a boat or kayak where deeper water can be accessed that tends to remain cooler. On occasions we may experience mild Novembers so the water remains quite cool throughout the whole month and trout stay very active. The southern region is quite different with lower temperatures being the norm. There was a very successful Redfin Challenge run by a Waroona tackle shop over a long weekend with some nice redfin and trout caught by a variety of anglers. There was a huge prize pool on offer with great gear up for grabs and thousands of dollars in cash as well. The biggest redfin was an impressive 1.825kg specimen that blitz the second place holder of 1.3kg, which was a respectable 44cm, so I would estimate the larger one would have gone close to the magic 50cm. All trout were entered in centimetres which I found was a great idea as it allows for them to be released after taking a photo on a brag mat and displaying the registration tag number. The biggest trout for the weekend went 46.5cm and, although it wasn’t as big as the 49cm brown I caught, it qualified as 116 NOVEMBER 2024

weekend. I managed a trifecta one morning by landing a 43cm rainbow a beautiful fat 49cm brown trout and a 40cm redfin all caught trolling using the same lure – I wasn’t register so couldn’t claim any of the prizes. We managed to land quite a few redfin in the 26-34cm range from Drakesbrook Weir with the trout being harder to tempt despite

Wendy was happy with the last trout caught from the Stacer Crossfire 449 before its sale. She would have finished equal first in the women’s trout division at the Redfin Challenge if she had registered for the event.

Working a nice section of the Donnelly River well upstream of the highway bridge. The fly-fishers can find some good trout if they are willing to explore the secluded areas.

I would expect it will be virtually empty by next autumn. There was a distinct lack of redfin showing on the sounder and I put it down to the lack of successful breeding because of the exposed banks in the last couple of years. We did manage a few but not of the standards of other waters . Drakesbrook Weir By far the better of all the dams with good trout and redfin being caught recently. Logue Brook Dam Not as productive as usual, although a few trout have been caught on occasions. The ski boats will be active this month and the jet-skis will make being on the water hazardous. Harvey Dam This dam only started fishing for trout recently after the stocking. It’s producing the occasional larger trout and the yearlings are very small

Freshwater

FMM compared to what was stocked many years ago. I’m not sure if it was the harsh summer experienced this year or the over-crowding of the ponds, which results in small stunted yearlings. Whatever the reason, I believe (with the current licence fee of $50 being the highest in mainland Australia) we could do better for trout anglers in this state. I will bring this up with the Senior Fisheries manager that oversees the running of the hatchery and members on the FFRG to see if improvements can be made for next year. Some nice

40- 45 cm range taking plastics dropped deep around timber. Big Brook Dam Some nice trout are getting caught down the back end so if you are serious about getting into a few then this is the place to visit. This dam has again hosted the Pemberton Trout Festival in October with a great turnout of all ages that travel far for this event. RIVERS Murray River This river has not been fishing well recently with only the feeder streams

in fast water and the opposite is the case in slower water. A report of a big brown trout come through but I wasn’t able to confirm this with a photo.

month so pay attention as the middle section will have better flow due to a few brooks entering the river. The best way to access this area is the

Prize presentation at the local tavern. The Waroona Redfin Challenge run by the local tackle shop is a great event that attracted 245 entrants and generated nearly $20,000 for the town. Photo courtesy Drakesbrook Tavern Facebook.

Silver perch are very active in the warmer months. This one fell to a slowly retrieved green marabou fly pattern fished slowly along a weed-bed. redfin have been coming out so this is a positive if you happen to be down there. The camping ban has made it difficult if you want to fish over a weekend. Wellington Dam A few reports of trout coming out of the mid-section of the dam has been encouraging with trolling being the preferred method. Hopefully the brown trout stocking will result in better opportunities next year. Redfin have been active with a few larger ones in the

DAM LEVELS South West WA Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 58.3 % at the end of September compared to 62.1% as of the same time last year. Unfortunately, September rainfall was well below average which is disappointing after the record rains we had in August. Glen Mervyn, Waroona, and Wellington dams are still very low and will struggle this summer. Thankfully Drakesbrook, Big Brook and Harvey Dams are all at near capacity. WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM

Lee Praed with his second place redfin he entered at the recent Redfin Challenge. It went 44cm and at 1.3kg he fell short of the winning 1.83kg caught over the weekend.

59% 94% 72% 94% 60%. 60% 100%

turning up very small yearlings. Redfin are still prolific in the deeper pools with soft plastics doing most of the damage. Northern Jarrah Streams Most of the trout have retreated back to the main dams, however, those permanent spring fed streams hold trout all year. The ones below the scarp are fishing well if you can obtain permission from the landholders. Collie River below Wellington Dam With the start of the irrigation season under way things will pick up this month. Big flies and lures are the go

Collie River above Wellington Dam This section around the town fishes well this month. Some nice redfin are taking both hardbodied lures and soft plastics throughout the area, with the small weir fishing well Preston River Not a lot of trout are showing up with mainly redfin being caught down from Donnybrook. Blackwood River This is the month to fish this river, although it’s not fishing as well as previous years. It seems the Nannup area is preferred over the rest of this largish river. Warren River Trout are showing up in all the rapids on most days. There was a report of a couple of anglers doing well on one set further upstream despite a group hammering the same section without results. The trick is to keep moving and to break up the river in two sections. One day fish the upstream section and explore the downstream section the next. All the pools are fishing well for redfin as usual. Lefroy Brook By far the best time to fish this river with the fly. I would try and find the hard-to-reach areas as it cops a beating this time of the year. Some impressive work has been done in the area by dedicated freshwater anglers and groups in the way of planned access and restoration work on old trout ponds upstream of the swimming pool. Check them out if you happen to be in the area. Donnelly River Not a lot of reports on socials but I know trout are being caught in this river and some are of reasonable size. The upper reaches will be low this

use of satellite mapping as phone reception is limited. Some big browns lurk in the faster runs, especially if they are upstream of a big pool. The going can be tough as the roads are 4WD only in some cases. That’s another report on what’s on offer on the freshwater scene in south-west WA. The fishing can be

A wild small rainbow trout from a Northern Jarrah stream. It was believed that trout perished in this stream after many years of reduced rainfall and hot summers. tough with rewards going to those that put in the effort. Leave only footprints and please be aware of fires coming up in summer. Snakes a widespread especially around water so take care. Until next time Stay Connected. NOVEMBER 2024 117

BASS SERIES presented by

Cameron Hall’s Emotional Wivenhoe BASS Win Coffs Harbour and Motackle’s, Cameron Hall overcame breakdowns to take his first ever ABT Boater win. Fishing out of a borrowed boat with an electric and sounders unfamiliar to him he showed how versatile you need to be to get the job done. Here’s how he did it. Day 1: 5/5, 7.155kg Day 2: 5/5, 6.555kg Total: 10/10, 13.710kg Cameron had one particular plan, which was to make the 1h 25min run to the top part of the river arm from the start, after having caught some fish there in prefish on what he says was “river style” fishing. Hall said, “the way I was fishing and the baits that were used was very much like my home Clarence River, aggressive fish that wanted lures moving quickly and with plenty of structure to try and get back to it was great fun.” He fished mainly exposed higher edges of the creek bed he could see on his sounders that had turned into almost little islands of spindle trees and grass. Sitting in roughly 10-15ft and casting towards these shallow feeding grounds he soon found the fish hadn’t moved at all, losing his first three bites to

Emotions were high for Team Hall who were by Cameron’s side for his first ABT win. bust offs and pulled hooks. “This really had me scratching my head after the third fish, so I sat down, drank some water and just fished how I like to. It wasn’t until then I started to get them in the net,” Cameron explained. He used two main techniques of casting a Jackall TN 60 in Brown Dog colour matched with a beetle spin

blade for extra vibration and flash and also throwing a Megabass Z3 crankbait for any fish he saw out deeper on the Lowrance Active Target. Hall found himself in third place after the weigh in on Day 1 and was confident he could catch 5 fish again on the final day.

handy 1.14kg fish. Another key bait for Hall was also a Jackall TN 60 in colour Senko Gill with a single hook of front and rear. “I found the bite for me on the dressed Jackall slowed, but they still wanted a loud presentation and this looked

Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winners Interview

Stepping up from Bass Electrics to the Bass Pro events this season, Shaun Ezzy is one to watch in the future!

The near 90min run to his spot each day paid off for Cameron.

BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 118 NOVEMBER 2024

Angler Cameron Hall Shaun Ezzy Mick Johnson Simon Marchant Adam Mears Callum Munro Mark Parriott Matthew Langford Peter Phelps Mark Lennox

Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 7/10 10/10 7/10 9/10 9/10 8/10 4/10

Cameron set off for his section of fishing area on Day 2 and quickly converted fish to the boat that eluded him the day before and by 9:30am he had his full limit. He noticed some fish sitting in 25ft of water on a hump and casted a Flash Union Full Metal Sonic Blade, 7g in colour 001 Horohas which landed him a

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 13.710kg 13.690kg 12.335kg 10.575kg 10.450kg 9.505kg 9.115kg 8.605kg 7.380kg 6.845kg

Payout $2,800 $1,400 + + $250 Merc bonus $1,000 + $125 Merc bonus $900 + $75 Merc Bonus $800 $700 $600

like a Bony Bream imitation to me’ said Cameron. Using some of his favourite tools in his Daiwa TD Zero 722MLXB matched to a Daiwa Tatula 100H, J-Braid Grand in 10lb and a Daiwa X-Link leader in 12lb. “The water had a bit more colour up there than in the main basin and with where I was fishing not to mention how hard the fish were hitting, there was no need to go light!” Hall said. Cameron showed emotion on stage after a week long of using a borrowed boat after his was out of action, you could truly see how much this win meant to him and his watching on family EZZY SECOND BY 20 GRAMS Shaun Ezzy from Brisbane may have only just started

BASS SERIES presented by boating in his brand new boat, but that doesn’t mean he struggles to find his way. Having placed well in previous ABT Bass electric events all over the country, Ezzy showed he has what it takes to mix it with the top guys. Day 1: 5/5, 7.310kg Day 2: 5/5, 6.380kg Total 10/10, 13.690kg Shaun travelled upstream for over 1 ½ hours before even picking up a rod. Fishing similar patterns to the winner Ezzy quickly put his fish in the boat, losing a handful of bites on a TN 60 in Matte Black rigged with a beetle spin blade. He fished this on a 12lb Leader which goes to show the size and power of the fish he was around. Weighing the biggest bag on day 1 Ezzy was excited to head out again. “I caught 20 odd fish today and lost some better ones, each fish I hooked had 4-5 mates with him to the boat trying to eat the TN out of its mouth,” Shaun said. After the painstaking run back to the top of the creek arm, Shaun picked up his lure of choice from Day 1 and went to work on Day 2. With 4 fish in the well by 9:30am Ezzy landed his 5th fish soon after, anchoring

BIG BASS PRIZE

The Maui Jim Big Bass for this event was caught by Ben Tootle, using a Palms 20g Slow Blatt spoon. This fish weighed 2.395kg. another high 6kg bag. “I knew I had close to the day before weight wise, but at the same time I didn’t have that 2kg kicker. They were all good fish but I really needed a kicker,” Ezzy explained. Shaun used some of his favourite gear over the couple of days including a Daiwa Tatula 762 crank rod matched with a Shimano Bantam Reel, His braid of choice was Sunline Almight in PE1 with a round Sponsor Karma leader for this round using X-Braid Olltolos in 12lb. Having only has his brand new boat for a handful of weeks, Shaun certainly feels right at home in the boater

ranks. As he has more seat time we are sure we will see his name on entry forms in the future, he is definitely one to watch when the bite is tough as he thinks outside the box and being very versatile. MAZ MASTERS THE ‘HOE Taree’s Paul Mazaroli knows how to get the job done

rock wall area in 15-30ft. His boater had found fish moving through on prefish and were happy to eat slow hopped blades, something Paul is very confident in doing. Using a combination of Ecogear ZX 43 in 416 colour and a Little Max blade ¼ oz in colour 119 and 209 he went to work. Working with his boater they managed a bag each very quickly and from there it was all about those important upgrades. The fishing then slowed down on this particular spot so his boater decided to still fish the same patch of fish just from a different angle and that’s where a key Day 1 fish came for Maz, ending up with one of the tournament’s biggest non boater bags. On Day 2, Paul found himself in a completely different half of the lake up the creek arm which was quickly known as ‘the carpark’, with 10-15 boats there at any one

By wearing his Rapala Jersey on each day of the tournament, Chris also secured a Rapala Cash Bonus with his win.

Ever consistent, Paul Mazaroli takes out another ABT win.

NON- BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Angler Paul Mazaroli Jake Hardie Hayden Woods Damien Winters John Siggs Paul Aldous Michael Thomas Barry Reynolds Matt Branthwaite Niki Sticklen

Fish 5/6 6/6 4/6 3/6 3/6 3/6 3/6 3/6 1/6 2/6

Weight(kg) 5.805kg 5.665kg 5.445kg 3.485kg 3.120kg 3.005kg 2.680kg 2.510kg 2.20kg 2.100kg

from the back of the boat. With previous Grand Final wins and consistent finishes throughout the year, Paul came into the last round at Wivenhoe with one main goal - to win. Day 1: 3/3, 3.915kg Day 2: 1/3, 1.890kg Total: 4/6, 5.805kg Fishing the lower half of the dam towards the dam wall, Paul found himself on a steep Full results at abt.org.au

Payout Rapala pack + $250 Rapala bonus Bassman pack + $125 Rapala bonus Keitech pack EJ Todds pack + $75 Rapala bonus Molix pack Duo pack Z Man pack Samaki pack Atomic pack Ecogear pack

Scan the QR code to watch the Non-Boater Winners Interview

time. Once again Maz fished to his strengths and was using blades, however in much deeper water being 50ft plus. It wasn’t until around the last few hours of the session Maz noticed fish sitting at the back of a another boat and yielded a solid 1.3kg fish. During the fight of this fish the school then moved underneath the boat he was in. He vertically dropped his blade to the fish and that’s where he got a second fish. He used a 13 Fishing Omen Black rod matched to a Daiwa Caldia 3000 reel, Daiwa J-braid Grand in 10lb with a 10lb Gama leader.

BASS SERIES presented by

Reinbott Smashes BASS Records at Somerset Mark Reinbott is certainly no stranger to how tough Somerset can be, especially come time for a tournament. Fish well over the magical 50cm mark are in numbers throughout this lake, getting them to bite is another challenge in itself. Magic happens when they bite in a tournament, and that they did on Day 1 of the Rapala Crush City round of the 13 Fishing BASS Pro series for winner, Mark Reinbott. Day 1: 5/5, 13.24kg Day 2: 2/5, 3.925 Total: 7/10, 17.17kg That’s not a typo - over 13kg for 5 bass is an ABT record bag and anchored a victory when he didn’t even need to fish on Day 2 to take the win. During the prefish day, Mark fished all over the dam, but the better looking fish on his sounders he found sitting the in the creek bed to the right around Pelican point and into Happy Clappers. Knowing those fish would come up to feed, he made his decision to target those fish as he hadn’t seen them shape up like that in years and was confident in his plan. Reinbott threw large spoons (between 20-40g) and this was key early in the session as the fish hadn’t felt the angling pressure. His main technique, however was long lining, using a deep diving

Mark Reinbott’s win is one for the ABT record books! Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winners Interview

crankbait on a Megabass p5 Destroyer Flissa matched to a Shimano Stella 4000 size reel. The braid he used was Tasline 8lb and 8lb leader. The size of reel may surprise anglers but there’s a method to the madness, with the 4000 size reel holding 300m of the tasline braid with ease for covering much more water than his competitors. This allowed Reinbott to fish his lure effectively over a larger

patch of fish he was seeing on his sounder. Between these 2 baits he weighed in his 5 bass for a new ABT record of 13.24kg. As you can imagine everyone watching was in shock!

landed another 3kg plus fish long lining which proved to be enough to seal Mark’s first ever ABT Boater win. “I thought if I got 5-6kg on day 2 I’d be happy, but I know the potential of Somerset,

No stranger to the pointy end of the leader board, Matt Langford tops up his winnings by being a Mercury owner.

The magic that happens when a plan comes together.

BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 120 NOVEMBER 2024

Angler Mark Reinbott Matt Langford Braden Schuch Simon Marchant Callum Munro Tommy Wood Shaun Falkenhagen Peter Phelps Steve Morgan Matt Johnson

Fish 7/10 9/10 10/10 10/10 8/10 10/10 7/10 6/10, 9/10 6/10

Mark said, ”you know you’re having a good day when you get a snag mid retrieve, go back over the top of it, pop the lure off and a close to 3kg fish eats it.” Mark’s Day 2 was tougher and after struggling on the flat, he ran straight to a snag in the back of a bay and caught a confidence boosting 1.4kg fish. He then went back to his Pelican Point spot and

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 17.165kg 11.250kg 10.870kg 10.510kg 10.370kg 9.885kg 9.690kg 9.475kg 8.185kg 7.940kg

Payout $2,800 + $250 Mercury bonus $1,600 + $125 Mercury bonus $1,100 + $75 Mercury bonus $1,000 $900 $750 $650

someone can catch 3 fish for 9kg” mark said. It was a truly incredible win on one of Australia’s best bass fisheries. LANGFORD A SOLID SECOND Day 1: 5/5, 5.965kg Day 2: 4/5, 5.285kg Total: 10/10, 11.250kg Kingaroy ’s Matthew Langford is a four-time, successive BASS Angler of the Year champion and a Somerset fishing guide. He’s how his tournament went: Langford decided to fish the top half of the lake mainly right up in the 6knt zone as that was where his bites came from in prefish. “The fish up there aren’t your school 3kg plus fish, but when the going gets tough on the flats I knew I could grind out fairly consistent bags up

BASS SERIES presented by there,” Matty said. The further he ventured up he found more brown colured water and from experience he threw a Bassman Shorty 1/2oz in Feider Shad as this is a great search bait in the conditions. Targeting submerged laydown timber in 10-12ft of water utilizing his Garmin Livescope to watch the fish belt the spinnerbait coming across the top of the structure, and with 99% of his fish nailing the main hook rather than the traditional stinger hook, Langford knew the fish were hungry. He was using his beloved Millerods Blade Freak matched to a 13 Fishing TX2 reel, Yamatoyo Resin Sheller braid in 22lb tied to Yamatoyo leader in 14lb He also had a spot that after prefish had completely been covered over with hyacinth weed. He adapted and used his landing net to scoop out small pockets of the weed which had laydowns underneath. Dropping an Ecogear ZX 40 in colour 416, Langford got smoked the first few drops but then landed a couple of key fish to his bag. “As much as it was a pain the scoop the weed, getting bit before the blade had even hit the bottom was so worth it” Matty said. For this he used a Millerods XFLC matched to a Daiwa TD Black 2500 reel, Yamatoyo 11lb braid and Yamatoyo leader in 14lb. On Day 2, Langford went

BIG BASS PRIZE

The Maui Jim Big Bass for the event went to Tasmania’s Peter Mazey with a new ABT record at 3.880kg, coming on the newly released Rapala Crushcity 3” Heavy Hitter!

straight back to his laydown and spinnerbait technique, Catching two handy fish early and losing another he was looking forward to pushing further along his banks. However due to the emergency on the dam, he was asked to leave that section of lake and ended up at the South end of Queen Street, another well known location. A handful of boats were already on this spot as he pulled up so he decided to longline as most seemed to be casting. Using an Imakatsu IK-800 he soon landed a 1.5kg fish. The next 2-3 hours were very quiet until the earlier finishers left the main target area and Langford capitalised by slowly making his way there where he landed a 2.5kg fish with half an hour to go, which really helped his bag, seeing as

he fell one fish short of a full limit on Day 2. AARON’S BONZA WIN D’A guilar’s Aaron Bonser has only just came across to the bass scene from bream and after having a handful of charters with Matthew Langford on Somerset, he decided to enter as a non boater and came up trumps. Day 1: 2/3, 3.015kg Day 2: 2/3, 2.600kg Total: 4/6, 5.615kg

the bottom-hugging bass. Big long casts with a slow 2 turn of the handle slow roll then letting the lure make contact with the bottom once again achieved his bites on Day 1. He used a Daiwa Infeet 762ULRS matched to a Daiwa Caldia in a 2000 size, his braid choice was Daiwa J-Braid Grand in 6lb with an FG knot to Daiwa X-link 6lb leader. Sitting in 6th after the first day, Bonser was paired with Brett Hyde from Ballina Bait & Tackle. A different location challenged Aaron to start the session, fishing up in the 6 knot zones targeting rocky, sloping edges. “The fish had been schooling up in deeper water then returning to the edges to feed so this was a great place to start,” Aaron said. Once again channeling sponsor karma, his first legal fish came on the budgie coloured Suspect. Not long after they were asked to leave the area due to an emergency in the top half of the lake which then found the pair

Aaron’s win earned him a spot in the BASS Pro Grand Final at Lake St Clair, NSW.

The Rapala CrushCity Suspect was Aaron’s weapon of choice.

NON- BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Angler Aaron Bonser Tony Delahaye Ryan Bollard Mark Saric Corey Goldie Peter Mazey Elyon Cloete Reece Winters Riley Hannemann Neil Tschutura

Fish 4/6 3/6 2/6 5/6 3/6 2/6 3/6 2/6 2/6 2/6

Weight(kg) 5.615kg 5.395kg 5.155kg 5.015kg 4.985kg 4.685kg 4.490kg 3.820kg 3.270kg 2.870kg

Fishing with Shaun Ezzy on Day 1, the pair headed to a popular tournament location known as Pelican Point. Bonser channeled some sponsor karma tying on a Rapala Crushcity 2.75” Suspect in Budgie colour with a combination of 3/8 and 1/2oz jigheads. The technique was fairly simple but proved effective for

Full results at abt.org.au

Payout Rapala pack + $250 Rapala bonus Bassman pack + $125 Rapala bonus Keitech pack + $75 Rapala bonus Molix pack Molix pack Duo pack TT Pack Samaki pack Atomic pack Ecogear pack

Scan the QR code to watch the Non-Boater Winners Interview

back to his similar day 1 spot on Pelican Point, but by this time it was more of a “carpark”. After trying plastics Aaron caught his second fish longlining as again the sounders had fish all around the boat, using an Imakatsu IK-800 in colour 261. “As a non boater its essential to be able to adapt on the go throughout the day and try to have one of everything to get the bite,” Bonser said. “The credit for my win I’d have to mostly hand it to my boaters, they put me on fish and from there its was up to me to catch them.” NOVEMBER 2024 121

New South Wales Tide Times

Victorian Tide Times

2021 2024 Times and Heights of High and Low Waters20212021 Local Times andLocal Heights of Time High and Low Waters LONG 151° 14ʼ E Times and Heights of High and Low38° Waters Time LAT 18ʼ S LONG 144° 37ʼ E SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES

SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALESPOINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA SYDNEY (FORTLONG DENISON) – NEW LAT 33° 51ʼ S 151° 14ʼ E SOUTH WALES LAT 38° 18ʼ S LONG 144° 37ʼ E T DENISON) – NEW SOUTH LONSDALE VICTORIA LATSOUTH 33° 51ʼ S POINT LONG 151° 14ʼ E SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – WALES NEW WALES POINT–LONSDALE – VICTORIA

T 33° 51ʼ S LAT 33° 51ʼ S LONG 151° 14ʼ E LAT 38° 18ʼ S LONG 144° 37ʼ E – NEW SOUTH WALES N) –Heights NEW SOUTH WALES MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA JUNE MAY and Heights of High and Low Waters Local Time Times and Heights of High and Low Waters and of HighTimes and Low Waters Local Time JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL Times and Heights of High and Low Waters 33° LONG 151° 14ʼ NG 151° 14ʼ E E Time m Time m Time m m JULY Time144° m 37ʼ Time m 14ʼ Time m LAT Time mm LONG 151° LAT Time 38° 51ʼ 18ʼmS S LONG EETime JUNE JULY MAY AUGUST m Time Time m JUNE MAY Time m Time m Time m Time m Time Time m Time m Time m Time m JUNE JULY AUGUST and Heights of High and Waters Local Time MAY JUNE h andand Low Waters Local Time High Waters Local Time Times and Heights High and Local Time Time m Low TimeTimes m Time m Time Time m Time m of Time m Low Time Time mm Time m JULY Time mLowWaters Time m m Time m

2024

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Time

Time m 0519 0.58 0633 0.53 00061.36 1.68 0145 1.34 0150 1.40 1.26 0554 0.36 0037 1.78 0057 1.60 0557 0034 0.51 0052 1.48 Time 02080452 1.63 1.41 0134 m1.71 0205 1.57 0046 0.69 01220623 1.60 0034 1.26 0113 1.39 0028 1.52 Time m1.30 Time m1.280037 Time m0.49 Time m Time m OCTOBER SEPTEMBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 1155 0740 0744 0.54 1117 1238 0646 0.43 0750 0.51 0807 0.62 Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m 0557 1.36 0046 0.69 0049 0.58 Time 0452 1.41 0623 1.40 0034 0.51 0006 1.68 0633 0.53 0.58 0145 1.34 0150 1.26 0.361.39 0519 1.78 0057 1.60 NOVEMBER DECEMBER R0554 NOVEMBER DECEMBER SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 1148 0.55 0735 1.30 1041 0.38 1158 0.58 0735 1.47 0821 0.65 0637 0.48 0835 0.56 0825 0.55 0923 0.65 0601 0.67 0706 0.68 0642 0.62 1148 0.55 0735 1.30 1.35 1041 0.38 1158 0.581446 1.47 0646 0.43 1238 1.30WE 1117 1.28 0750 0.51 0807 0.62 1155 1.39 0740 0.49 0744 0.54 1725 0.65 Time 1345 1.33 1358 1.38 1640 0.75 1804 0.76 1303 1.43 1430 1.59 1.43 SA SU TU TH FR SU MOm1245 Time m Time m Time m 1.54 Timem 0748 m1245 Time m Time m Time m Time m07350.80 0006 1.68 0633 0.53 0145 1.34 0150 1.26 0037 1.78 0057 1.60 1412 1.18 1257 1.79 1430 1.31 1416 1.22 1533 1.18 1225 1.62 1307 1.42 1238 1.37 e m Time m Time m m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time Time m Time m Time m Time 1900 1.50 1748 1.58 1904 0.75 TU TH FR FR SA MO MO TU FR SA MO TU WE 1900 1.50 1245 0.80 1257 0.87 0207 1748 1.58 1904 1.54 1245 0.75 05571.38 1.36FR FR 0.691.59 2114 0049 0.58 0452 1.41 0623 1.40 0.51 WE 1303 1.43 1804 0.76 1430 1.43 0046 0.651.88 SA1446 1848 MO S TU0034 TH TH 1358 TU 1345 1.33 1911 WE A 1725 SU 1640 0.75 SU MO 2314 1.71 0.66 2110 0.56 0.76 2359 0.79 1940 0.78 0740 0.49 0744 0.54 0.43 1238 1.300.39 0750 0.51 0807 0.62 1935 0.34 0.78 0735 1932 0.32 0646 2028 0.60 1949 0.712110 20421.44 0.88 1935 1910 0.79 0.51 1928 0.56 18350.58 0.59 1935 1922 1.42 0938 2319 0.74 1928 1.54 1848 0.66 2314 1.71 0.56 2114 0.76 2359 1911 1940 0.78 2319 0.74 1928 1.54 1.44 0039 0.27 0144 0.19 0233 0259 0.48 0220 0.54 0125 0117 0.40 0226 0.45 1148 0.55 0735 1.30 0748 1.35 1041 0.38 1158 1.47 40144 0.191.88 0259 0.48 0233 0220 0226 0.45 0.19 0259 0.48 02330.34 0.34 0220 0.54 0.54 0226 0.45 0145 0.45 0335 0.58 0031 1.59 0114 1.65 0108 1.49 0306 0.51 0356 0.64 0057 1.39 1345 1.33 1358 1.38 1303 1.43 1804 0.76 1430 1.59 1446 1.43 TH FR WE SU MO 0637 1.40 0754 1.67 0901 1.98 0935 1.99 0856 1.78 0720 1.31 0724 1.45 0850 1.67 40754 1.67 0935 1.99 0901 1.98 0856 1.78 1.67 0856 1.78 0850 1.67 1.670.43 0850 0935 1.99 0901 1.98 1038 1.37 1101 1.31 0638 0.76 0937 1.34 1100 1.35 0557 0.77 0635 0.840133 SA 0645 1900 1.50 1245 0.80 1257 1748 1.58 1904 0.75 0608 0.61 0030 1.68 0255 1.18 0301 1.25 0138 1.66 0148 1.47 1.58 0700 0534 1.38 00230100 0.74 0043 0.65 0135 0.68 0130 0.47 0.87 0.57 1427 SA MO FR TU WE TH 0030 1.68 1848 0700 0.43 0608 0.61 0138 1.66 0148 1.47 0100 1.58 0255 1.18 0301 1.25 0146 1.50 0307 1.60 0233 1.63 0225 1.58 1245 0317 1.520.87 0118 1.27 0158 1.41 01081.54 1.52 0.66 2110 0.56 2114 0.76 0.79FR FR 1940 0.78 1218 0.41 1358 0.28 1539 0.19 1624 1538 0.40 1256 0.52 1317 0.48 1514 0.43 0023 0.74 0135 0.68 0534 1.38 0043 0.65 0130 0.47 SU MO WE FR SA SU MO 81911 0.28 1624 0.24 1539 0.19 1538 0.40 0.43 1538 0.40 1514 0.43 1358 0.28 1624 0.24 1539 0.19 1541 0.92 1652 0.75 1237 1.30 1430 0.90 1627 0.64 1212 1.40 1235 1.380.24 1222 1.27 1121 0.42 0735 1.40 0849 1.50 0656 1.29 0842 1.32 0848 1.37 2057 MO SA SU SA SU SU MO TU WE FR SA SU MO 0724 0.52TU 1300 1.31 1207 1.25 0835 0.54 0828 0.58 0733 0.45 0858 0.65 0853 0.56 1207 1.25 0724 0.52 0858 0.65 0853 0.56 0835 0.54 0828 0.58 0733 0.45 1300 1.31 1514 2319 0.74 1928 1.54 1935 1.44 1922 1.42 0739 0.54 0955 0.62 0941 0.61 0938 0.65 1021 0.65 0648 0.71 0801 0.73 0733 0.67 1845 1.88 2010 1.79 2138 1.47 2221 1.33 2129 1.31 1921 1.72 1927 1.59 2108 1.41 1.790.74 2221 SA 1.33 2138 1.47 2129 2108 1.41 1836 1.52 MO 1256 0.68 0.85 0.17 1231 0.65 13361843 0.89 0.37 0.95 1.50 2129 1.31 2108 1.41 2010 1.790.74 2221 1.33 2138 1.47 0656 1.29 0842 1121 0.42 0735 0849 2104 1.26 2332 1.37 1815 0.22 1849 2205 1.26 2315 1.26 1847 0.46 SU SA SU1542 TU WE 1.40 TH 13451.32 FR 1347 1335 1.34 1.31 1825 1726 0.80 1447 1.35 1451 1.41 1359 1.49 1.47 1538 1.64 TH 1.47 U00138 WE FR TU 1726 0.80 1335 1.34 1542 1.47 1538 1.64 1447 1.35 1451 1.41 1359 1.49 1825 1350 1.62 1544 1.17 1534 1.13 1531 1.17 1636 1.24 1305 1.54 1353 1.31 1323 1.27 TH MO TU WE FR SA SU WE SA SU TU WE TU FR SA 0030 1.68 0255 1.18 1.66 MO MO 0148 0100 1.58 0301 1.25 1959 1.51 2019 1.40 2023 1.50 2009 1.38 1947 1.44 1906 1.38 0.77 2019 0.82 2045 0.81 1957 0.67 2227 0.72 0135 2230 0.501256 0130 1231 0.65 1336 0.89 1836 1.52 1345 0315 0.85 SU WE SA TU TH 0023 0.74 0.68 0.57 0534 0043 0.47 0120 0.17 0347 0.52 0225 0.18 0318 0.40 0257 0.56 0133 0157 0145 0.38 0255 0.48 1906 0.77 2227 0.72 2230 0.50 2019 0.82 2045 0.81 1957 0.67 2021 0.40 2126 0.68 2053 0.79 2052 0.81 0.68 2157 0.851.57 1948 2007 0.61 19130.65 0.66 0347 0.52 0257 0.56 0318 0.40 50835 0.180.18 0.48 03180.54 0.40 0257 0733 0.56 0347 0.52 0225 0255 0.48 0724 0.520.37 0858 0.65 0.54 0255 0828 0.58 0.45 0853 0.56 0302 0.48 0131 1.72 0149 0209 1.70 0502 0.62 0423 0.53 0510 0.63 0142 1.49 1947 1.440422 2019 1.40 1959 1.51 2023 1.50 0116 0.75 0230 0.65 0223 0.55 1043 0001 0.75 1.40 0144 0.59 0230 0.43 0722 1.53 1023 0839 1.80 0949 2.00 0849 0933 1.81 0755 0754 1.51 0922 1.71 0656 1.29 0842 1.32 0848 1.37 1121 0.42 0735 1.50 0100 0000 1.66 0239 1.56 0126 1.63 1359 0245 1.37 0200 1.48 0406 1.16 1.22 1023 1.96 0933 0949 2.00 91447 1.801.77 1.71 0949 2.00 0933 1.81 1023 1.96 0839 1.80 0922 1.71 1045 1.38 0702 0.74 0730 0.83 0733 0.781.96 1200 1.39 1142 1.39 1152 1.34 0725 0.74 1335 1.341.37 1542 1.47 1.35 0922 1451 1.41 1.49 1538 1.64 TH MO FR SA 1.81 TU 0628 1.34 0858 1.440406 09581.22 1.55 0808 1.26 0945 1.36 0949 1.40 0421 1.521.30 0206 1.29 0243 1.53 0248 1.42 0415 1.58 0156SA 1.50 0343 1.56 0342 1.59 1310 0.30 1713 0.28 1451 0.20 1633 0.20 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1.34 2200 2326 0.45 TH FR1.41 SA 1633 0444 MO TU 1254 1.43 1804 0.66 1838 0.55 0.66 1614 0.59 1622 1744 0.67 1656 0.61 1838 1.34 0315 1.52 0258 1.49 0343 1.46 0335 1.55 0209 1.59 0156 1.47 SU TH2004 SA R 1524 SASA MO TU WE 0512 0.45 0446 0.31 0446 0.29 0249 0.26 0338 0.49 0428 0.27 0357 0.41 0239 0.52 2318 1.51 2314 1.86 2229 1.79 2220 1.40 2246 1.34 2335 1.62 2308 1.80 2244 1.66 2321 0.38 2220 1.23 2227 1.31 1.22 2032 1.28 2154 2255 2056 1.83 2139 2.07 2254 1.78 21150809 1.85 0.19 22072319 1.901.76 2215 1.80 05070918 1.43 0.36 0437 1.441.52 00010.69 0.70 0622 1.46 0010 0.59 0.400018 0.37 1027 1919 2155 1.78 2246 2.01 2152 0.71 0.72 2217 0.64 2043 0.67 2033 0.78 0845 0.37 0939 0.47 2129 0918 0755 0.37 0.61 1130 1.46 1048 1.41 1055 1.48 0.64 0848 1.57 0932 1.23 1.33 1027 1.41 0953 1.34 0834 1.44 0021 50025 0.50 0.31 0031 0032 0038 0.53 0038 0.53 0032 0349 1.09 0536 0531 1.25 0025 0.50 0021 0.310.51 0031 0.42 1107 0.45 1023 0.43 0630 1.32 1151 0650 0318 1.35 0726 1.51 0.50 0021 0.31 00380.42 0.53 0031 0.42 0.42 0032 0.61 0310 0.84 0.920.61 0028 0.42 0148 0.59 0159 0.60 0251 0.79 0624 1.44 0027 0.38 0516 0.54 0605 0.46 0515 0.54 0353 0420 0.54 0530 0.33 0519 0.29 0500 1653 1625 1.74 1556 1.74 1633 1.66 1614 1.71 1517 1.87 1454 1.76 9 1.37 0640 1.65 0704 1.84 0714 1.66 0710 1.59 1730 0.58 1627 0.53 1644 0.47 1430 0.45 1500 0.66 1557 0.56 1523 0.58 1419 0.58 0041 1.46 0545 0.53 0007 1.74 0601 0.42 0013 1.50 0435 0.54 0542 0.34 0106 1.17 TU TH FR SA SU MO TU FR 0343 TU TH TH SA MO WE 1815 1.58 1731 1.64 0.701.59 1838 1.58 1212 0.79 1230 0.75 0446 0.29 0512 0.45 0338 0.49 04280912 0.270.71 0357 0446 0.31 0710 0714 1107 0.65 1102 0.63 0639 1.37 0640 1.65 0704 1.84 FR SA0911 MO 1200 WE TH 1.66 S 0639 1.37 0640 1.65 0710 1.59 0704SU 1.84 0714 1126 1.66 0951 1.26 0927 1.26 07570.41 1.37 0915 1.31 1.36 0926 1146 0.81 0747 1.40 0254 1.58 0400 1.49 0426 1.43 0236 1.48 1.56 1202 1.29TU 1.48 1112 1.301.38 1027 2.04 1047 1.75 1148 1.87 11300.71 1.72 1101 1.48 20932 0.63 1249 0.41 1345 0.36 1402 0.53 1338 0.56 0657 0.45 1146 1.29 0658 0.47 1048 1211 1.39 0645 0.52 1033 1.32 1143 1.38 0703 0.65 2336 0.71 2305 0.72 1857 1.49 1842 1.47 1900 1.52 2258 WEWE TH FR SA 2152 2129 0.72 0.64 2159 0.50 2043 2033 0.78 2332 1.39 2250 1.78 2300 1.72 2102 2.10 2133 1.83 2229 1.99 2154 1.84 2046 1.78 1338 0.56 2217 1402 1600 1.54 1732 1.57 1732 1.65 1232 0.63 1249 0.41 1345 0.36 1232 0.63 1249 0.41 1338 0.56 1345 0.36 1402 0.53 1055 1.48 1130 1.46 1.33 1027 1.41 0953 1.34 1.41 TH SA FR SA SU MO WE FR TH FR0.67 SA 1607 0.56 1554 0.450.53 1245 0.79 1431 0.74 1445 0.56 1531 0.33 1749 1.37 1300 0.78 TH SA0.40 SA MO WE FR1635 FR SU 1736 0.48 1727 0.71 0.71 1712 0.18 1721 0.41 1813 0.25 1737 0.34 1654 0.54 0856 0.21 1000 0.44 0929 1016 0.54 0830 0.36 1328 1.56 1710 0.73 1305 1.36 1749 0.64 1304 1.40 1600 1709 0.66 1346 1.42 1.470.71 1855 1.63 1938 1.40 1945 1.24 1923 1.34 WE SA SU SA SU TU WE TH SU TU WE TH FR A81838 SU MO 19231.30 1.34 1945 2303 1838 1.47 1855 1.63 1938 1.40 1.47 1855 1.63 1923 1.34 1938 1.40 1945 TH 1.24 1644 0.47 1730 1500 0.66 SU 1557 0.560.51 1523 2325 2327 1.361.24 19170.58 1.271.35 1.18 2203 1.34 2306 2359 0.39 1921 0.53 1.28 0526 1.42 0110 0.37 1.61 FR MO1.73 TU 1627 1948 0.57 1839 0.73 1859 0.72 2232 1.75 1.91 2030 0.701704 23522130 1.52 2314 1.75 2310 1.43 2321 23551.48 1.81 23160.58 1.67 1603 1.82 1.68 1634 1.71 1704 1532 1.75 TU FR SA1.49 SU WE 0544 0425 0.52 1.56 0528 0.38 0527 0426 0.33 03451.99 0.252339 0417 0.50 0519 0.32 0437 0.40 0316 0.51 23412229 0254 1.58 0400 0343 1.49 1.43 0236 1.48 1107 0.491.39 0832 1.50 0524 2332 2300 1.72 1.83 2154 1.84 2250 1.78 92133 0.480.48 0105 0.29 0121 0.44 0115 0.60 0.60 0112 0.53 0014 0.45 0059 0.48 0105 0.29 0112 0.53 0121 0.44 0115 0.60 0459 1.17 0016 0.35 0059 0105 0.29 0112 0.53 0121 0.44 0115 2127 0.67 2235 0.70 2212 0.66 2256 0.62 2110 0.76 1210 1006 1.45 1.40 1142 1.51 0945 1.50 1015 1.32 1120 1.39 1036 1.35 0913 1.41 0727 0427 0.89 0430 0.47 0.96 0720 1.38 0122 0.52 0115 0.43 0250 0.69 0313 0.71 0405 0642 0.42 0058 1.37 0213 1.10 0856 0.21 1000 0929 0.40 0.54 0830 0.36 18151133 1.59 SU FR 1324 0.84 1102 50715 1.46 1.79 0755 0755 1.73 0745 1.66 0024 1.65 0557 0.57 06160.44 0.36 0541 0004 1.76 1016 0610 0.580.86 0445 0458 0.56 0616 1.31 0715 1.46 0727 1.790.54 0745 1.66 0755 1.93 0.64 0755 1.73 1024 0.64 0623 1.38 1.460.62 1244 0727 1.79 07450.41 1.66 0755 1.93 1.93 0755 1.73 2351 0.69 1954 1.47 1724 1.34 0723 0.58 0800 0.70 1041 1.24 1023 1.23 1226 0.86 0900 1.31 0848 1.35 1012 1.27 1013 1.36 1028 1.36 1820 1715 0.59 1737 0.50 1521 0.51 1540 0.68 1649 0.61 1608 0.59 1450 1603 1.82 1704 1.68 1634 1.71 1704 1.61 1532 1.75 1652 1.68 SA WE FR FR SU MO TU TH 70417 0.57 1348 0.31 1442 0.28 1444 0.45 1419 0.50 0527 0.33 0544 0.52 0.50 0519 0.32 0437 0.40 0528 0.38 TU FR 0.57 SA SU 1.42 WE MO 1.49 WE 1.40 TH TH FR SA 0627 SU 0.40 1200 1.47 1221 TH 1.541348 1139 1.401448 07080446 0.55 1206 1.26 0430 1116 2.01 1120 1.69 1158 0.58 1317 0.31 1419 0.50 1442 0.28 1444 1702 1.66 1206 0.51 1317 0.571.79 1348 0.31 1419 0.50 1442 0.28 1444 TU 0.45 SU TU FR SA SU SA MO1.38 1807 0.73 1353 1.41 1.42 FR SA2035 SU 0338 1.55 0315 1.48 0510 SA TU 1707 0.50 1656 0.430.45 1835 1.32 1350 0.83 1354 0.78 1555 0.72 1600 0.46 1641 0.27 FR SA SU SA 2331 1.64 1.60 2154 2.08 2213 1.81 2318 1.87 2235 2119 71015 1.47 1.60 2030 1.27 1.33 2127 0.67 2235 0.70 2212 0.66 0.62 2110 0.76 0.43 2331 1142 1.51 1210 1.45 1.32 MO1950 1120 1.39 1036 1.35 1133 1.40 1238 1.69 0.53 1817TH 0.47 1724 0.60 1303 2347 1.20 2256 1725 2035 0.76 1.38SU22452030 1759 1751 0.44 MO 1815 1.59 1917 1.47 1950 1.60 2006 1.33 1.27 2354 0.39 1828 TH 1804 TH 1.81 FR SU MO SU2006 MO 1917 1.47 1950 1.60 20060.19 1.33 1.38 2030 1.27 2001 0.76 2148 0.68 2038 1.212035 WE 2032 1.73 1.25 2252 1.20 2324 1.45 0942 0.28 0906 0.37 1042 0.52 1014 0.46 1053 0.62 © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology 1737 0.50 1540 0.68 MO 1649 0.61 0145 1608 0.59 1855 0.59 0.360157 FR 23520.64 1.66 1818 0.80 2356 0210 1.37 SA 1820 TU 0.53 WE 1715 0.58 00130 0.45 0149 0.30 0.46 0015 1.28 0609 0.38 0500 0.51 0610 0.40 0518 0.41 0606 0.45 0355 0.52 0443 0.28 1647 1.75 1611 1.73 1743 1.61 1714 1.68 1735 1.56 WE TH SA 1.40 SU1.580.46 0519 MO 0145 0.53Tide 0157 0.58 0047 0.42 0101 0.26 0130 0.45 0149 0.30 0551 1.28 0210 0145 2235 0.53 0157 0.58 0.45 0149 0.30 0210 2331 0.46 0338 1.55 0315 1.48 1.55 0607 0446 1.42 0430 1.49 0510 1.40 Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical 2347 1.60 2213 1.81 2318 1.87 1.81 1.64 0233 0.60 0410 0.76 0436 0.77 0021 0023 1.42 0045 0.42 0217 0.51 0012 0835 1.80 1.80 0820 1.73 7Copyright 1.53 0814 1.91 0845 1.98 Commonwealth of1.43 Australia 2020, Bureau of Meteorology 0619 0.59 1232 1.54 1059 1.30 1213 1.37 1122 1.36 1218 1.40 0.46 0952 1044 2209 0.67 2146 0.75 2318 0.70 2257 0.61 2332when 0.60 0820 1.73 0835 1.80 0651 1.38 0709 1.53 0747 1.53 0814 1.91 1124 0.53 0845 1.98 time 08201.46 1.73 0835 0747 1.531.37 0814 1.91 0845 1.98 0100 1.65 or 0006 1.710.88 0000 0114 1.64 0043 1.77 0626 0.58 0537 0.59 0942 0.28 0906 0.37 1053 0.55 1141 1042 0.52 1014 1053 0.62 1002 1.29 1105 1.26 1113 1.37 0546 0.90 0546 0.96 0825 1.34 0956 1.33 0525 Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) daylight savings (UTC +11:00) in 1524 0.39 0.39 1459 0.44 91359 0.51 1445 0.23 1534 0.24 SA MO FR FR SU 1459 0.44 1524 1240 0.52 1302 0.39 1359 0.51 1445 0.23 1756 1.78 1534 0.24MO 1459 0.44 1524 1445 0.23 1534TU 0.24 1254 1.43 1838 0.55 1622 0.71 1744 0.67 1656 0.61 1804 0.66 1524 0.66 0.59 atum of0.51 Predictions is1614 Lowest Astronomical Tide 0816 0.62 1735 0713 0.59 0540 0.43 0727 0.48 0716FR 0.46 1221 1.32 1154 1.62 SA MO MO WE1.29 FR SU SU SA MO SU SU SA1.25 MO TU WE TH FR SA 0015 1.28 0.51 0610 0.40 0518 0.41 0606 0.45 0609 0.38 1525 0.82 1711 0.65 1712 0.34 1131 1125 1.230.39 1318 0.90 1504 0.74 1131 1.36 1647 1.75 1611 1.73 1730 1.63 1759 1743 1.61 1714 1.68 1.56 MO WE SA SU TU SU 2113 2047 1.32 50500 1.46 2044 1.54 2130 1.35 WE TH TU TH SA SU MO Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter 2047 1.32 2113 1.29 1853 1.60 1919 1.79 1955 1.46 2044 1.54 2130 1.35 2047 1.32 2113 1.29 1955 1.46 2044 1.54 2130 1.35 0421 1.50 0355 1.46 0534 1.37 0521 1.47 1919 2331 0.69 2254 1.78 2319 2155 2246 2.01 1.17 2332 1.240.21 1206+10:00) 1.93 1330 1.49 1315in 1.36 0.66 0.61 1821 0.47 savings MO 1416 TU 1310 MO TH2202 FR 1.76 SA 17570.59 TUor 2202 1.20 1758 0.43 1756 0.39 0.38 0558 1.37 1941 1.27 1.27 (UTC 1748 mes are1.30 in1.78 local standard time (UTC daylight time when effect 0619 1059 1213 1.37 1122 1.36 1218 1.40 1232 1.54 2209 0.67 2146 0.75 +11:00) 2318 0.70 2257 0.60 19241120 0.86 0.61 1827 0.80 1101 0.54 1845 0.24 1939 0.66 0.480239 SA 1900 SU 0.60 1254 1025 0.36 0943 Last 0.39 1131 0.70 8 0.45 0.55 1.43 1622 0.71Symbols 1744 0.67 1656 0.61 First 1804 1838Moon 0.55 TU WE TH New Moon Quarter Quarter oon Phase Full 0158 0.45 0239 0158 0.45 0239 0.55 0000 1.28 0115 1.490.55 0041 0558 1.46 1.37 0007 1.74 00130.69 1.50 1.47 0542 0.34 0545 0.53 0601 0.421.37 04351.78 0.54 0106 0620 1.17 92254 1.61 0916 1.85 1731 1.67 1650 1.69 1819 1.55 1754 1.63 1806 0006 1.51 TH FR SU MO TU 1919 2319 1.76 0421 1.50 0355 1.46 1.53 0534 0521 0819 1.61 0916 1.85 0819 1.61 0916 1.85 05331211 0.78 1.39 0649 0.91 0032 1.64 1.38 61436 0.46 1603 0.34 0.34 0657 0.45 0658TU0.47 0645 0.52 1143 1.38 1146 0033 1.29 1033 0703 0.56 0.65 2252 0.69 2225 0.74 2344 0.461.32 1603 1436 0.46 1603 0.34 1025 0.36 0943 0.39 1141 0.65 0658 1120 0.61 1101 0.54 1131 0.70 TU TH TU 11541749 1.27 0.64 1227 1.25 0717 0.62 0619 0.64 WE 1305 1.36 10545 1.45 2155TH 1.31 1.56 MO 1346TU1.42 1304 1.40 17091.74 0.66 17100.42 0.73 1600 0.71 SU SU 1328 1806 FR TU TH SA 0013 1.502155 0041 1.46 1.55 0.53 0007 0601 0106 1.17 2031 1.45 2031 1.45 2155 1731 1.67 1650 1.691.31 1.58 1819 1805 1848 0.331.31 FR 1220 TH FR WE 1813 SU0.56 MO TU 0.70 13101754 1.24 1229 1.53 SU WE 1948 0.57 1.51 0622 1839 0.73 1859 0.72 1.63 0001 23410.47 1.91 2339 1.73 22321.29 1.75 2030 0.70 0507 1.43 0437 1.44 1.46 0010 1836 0.59 0645 0.52 0657 0.45 1146 0658 1211 1.39 0703 0.65 2252 2225 0.74 18382344 0.73 0.56 1853 0.69 0.51 1107 1023 1.42 0.43 0630 1.32 1151 0.64 0650 1.35 1304 1.402023, 1328 0.45 1.56 1710of 0.73 1.36 eau Meteorology SU WE 1305 TH 1749 0.64 FR MO 1346 Bureau of Meteorology ©0642 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia Bureau of Meteorology 0.42 0058 1.37 0213 1.10 © Copyright Commonwealth Australia of Meteorology 0.722023, 1948 0001 0.57 2339 1.73 1839 0.73 1815 1.58 1731 0.70 1.64 1.46 1200 0.70 0.59 1.58 0.37 0.79 FRBureau SA 2030 TU 1838 0018 WE 1212 0045 0507 1.43of 1859 0437 1.44 0.70 1244 1.34 07230622 0.58 MO 1857 0010 0.70 de Datum ofof Predictions isisLowest Tide © Copyright Commonwealth ofAstronomical Australia 2023, Bureau of Meteorology Datum Predictions Lowest Astronomical Tide 2336 0.71 1.32 2305 0.72 1.49 1.35 0800 0726 1842 0753 1.47 1107 0.45 1023 0.43 0630 0650 1.51 1151 0.64 aylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect 1807 0.73 13531.10 1.41 +11:00) when in effect MO SA time TU 1448 1.42 0058 1.37 or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when effect Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight daylight savings (UTC 1815inis1.58 1731 1.64 1200 0.70 0213 1212 0.79 2148 1230 0.75 1304 1838 1.58 Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect Datum of Predictions Lowest Astronomical Tide FR SA MO WE TH SA TU 2001 0.76 0.68 0723 0.58 0800 First Quarter Last Quarter Full Moon 0526 0.70 1.42 Full Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Moon1842 1.47 Last Moon First Quarter Last Quarter 2336 0.71New 2305 0.72 1857Quarter 1.49 1900 1.52 1921 New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Moon Times are in local standard (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) whenFull inFull effect 1353 1.41 1448 1.42 SAtime TU 1107 0.49 2001 0.76 2148 0.68 Moonof Phase Symbols 2020,New Moon Moon First Quarter SU 1815Full1.59 Last Quarter 0526 of1.42 0110 0.37 © Copyright Commonwealth Australia Bureau Meteorology 2351 0.69 0.49 0832 1.50 Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide 1107 SU 1815 1.59 FR 1324 0.84 ustralia 2020, Bureau of Meteorology Times Tide arepredictions in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time Australian (UTC +11:00) in effect 2351 0.69 1954 is1.47 for Port Phillip Heads have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Bureau of when Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material supplied in

16 16 1 16 1611 1 16 1 11 1 16 16 1616 16 1 161 11 1 16 16 1 11 1616 16 1 1 1 16 16 16 1 1 16 16 1 1 1 1 161616 1 16 1 1 11 1616 16 11 11 16 16 16 1 16 2 172 17 17 2 1717 17 2 222 1717 17 2 2 2 17 1722 17 2 17 1717 17 2 22 2 17 17 2172 22 172217 17 172 2 17 17 17 2 2 3 2 2 2 17 2 17 2 17 2 22 17 1817 3 18 3 18 3 1717 18 18 33 3 18 3 18 18 3 3 3 18 333 18 18 18 3 18 1818 18 183 3 3 18 3 18 18 18 18 3 3 18 3 18 3 18 18 3 3 18 3 3 19 19 19 4 4 4 18 3 4 18319 3184 19 43 18 19 19 3 3 4 1818 3 3 19 4 4 1919 4 4 19 19 4 4 19 19 194 19 4 20 5 4 20 4 4 19 5 1919 204 5 19 419 544 20 519 19 20 20 4 44 19 19 4 54 419420 44 1944195 19 19 19 19 4 20 5 5 2020 5 5 4 20 20 19 5 5 5 20 20 20 6 21 6 5 21 5 20 6 20 215 6 655 21 620 20 21 21 21 55 55 6 20 20 20 5 5 55 20 20 5 20 20 5 20 5 20 5 20 20 20 20 7 6 22 20 521 5 5 7 5 21 6 21 21 6 6 22 7 7 22 7 22 7 22 7 22 22 6 6 6 21 21 21 21 66 66 21 216 6 6 66 2121 21 21 6 21 6 6 21 2121 21 66 21 6 6 21 68 21 21 8 7 23 8 23 2223 6 7 23 22 78 21 623 6 8 21 2322 6 22 7 22 21 23 87 8 22 22 7 7 72277 22 22 22 7 22 7 7 7 7 22 22 22 22 7 7 22 7 22 7 22 7 7 22 9 24 9 247 22 89 7 9 8 24 22 2422 9 8 7 24 9 23 24 9 8 24 23 23 23 7 8 82388 2323 23 8822 23 23 8 7 23 8 7 8 8 23 22 23 882322 23 2323 87 88 23 10 25 10 25 10 10 25 8 23 8 8 23 2523 10 25 10 8 25 10 25 23 23 8 9 24 24 99 999 24 2424 9 99 24 24 249 9 9 9 99 2424 24 9 24 8 8 23 8 232424 26 8 11 23 11 11 26 11 2624 9 24 9 24 9 24 11 26 11 26 11 26 26 9 24 9 24 9 24 24 9 10 25 25 109 25 10 10 25 1010 10 10 25 10 25 10 10 10 2525 25 10 25 25 12 10 25 10 25 25 10 12 27 12 27 27 9 12 12 10927 12 27 27 25 25 24 2524 10 9 12 2524 27 10 9 10 2826 10 10 1013 11 11 25 26 26 25 1111 2626 1111 11 10 11 26 2626 26 11 2611 11 11 25 28 13 13 26 2611 11 1111 25 13 2626 28 28 28 13 28 13 28 13 10 10 26 25 11 10 11 2625 1110 2625 26 14 12 12 29 14 14 1212 27 12 2712 12 2727 12 12 26 1214 27 2711 12 27 2712 12 1212 26 14 2727 29 26 27 2927 11 11 2927 11 14 29 2926 12 14 1127 29 11 13 2726 28 12 271526 27 28 12 1511 302726 15 12 11 30 30 11 15 13 28 13 28 3028 2813 28 13 28 30 13 1313 13 2828 13 12 28 13 27 1315 13 15 30 3013 27 12 27 1313 1528 12 12 28 27 28 12 312827 31 12 13 28 13 28 13 2814 2929 29 12 12 12 27 27 29 14 14 29 29 14 29 14 14 14 3114 14 31 31 14 29 14 2913 14 14 29 29 14 29 14 1329 29 2814 28 28 13 28 13 28 13 30 30 151529 15 2928 30 14 29 301413 15 30 14 13 1515 29 28 1515 30 30 1330 15 15 28 13 3030 15 15 30 15 30 15 15 15 30 29 14 29 14 29 14 29 14 29 14 31 31 31 31 31 15 14 15 3029 1514 3031 30 30 29 1431 29 14 15 30 15 30 30 15 30 15 30 15 31 31 31 15 30 15 30 15 30 15 31 31 31 31 31 16

© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology stronomical Tide New Moon First Last Quarter Moon Phase Full Moon good faithSymbols and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition thatQuarter no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) whenDatum in effectof Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian of Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss © Copyright Commonwealth Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology w Moon First Quarter Quarter Full Moon Times are inLast local standard purposes. time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (U or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions shouldAstronomical not be used for navigational Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to Datum of Predictions is Lowest Tide Moon Phase Symbols New Moon First Quarter include acceptance of the above conditions. Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effec Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter

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Whittley CR2180 with Mercury 150hp 4-stroke FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Whittley’s CR2180 is the second smallest cruiser in the range. It’s around 6.3m long and can run an outboard up to 150hp. It is an entry-level cruiser, suitable for weekends, watersports and a little bit of fishing. Alan Whittley explained the differences between their fishing (Sea Legend) and cruising hulls. “You may think that the Sea Legend and CR range are based on the same hull, but this is not true. The SLs have a deep V, 23° transom deadrise, while the cruisers have a 19° deadrise, which offers more stability at rest,” he explained. Whittley makes cruisers from just over 20 feet to their giant 28-footer. The 2180 is eminently suitable for a small family, looking to get on the water for more than

SPECIFICATIONS Length ............................................. 6.32m Beam ................................................ 2.35m Height on trailer ....................... 2.45m Transom Deadrise ........19 degrees Fuel .........................................................110L Water ......................................................40L Max HP...................................................150 Capacity.................................6 persons a day trip. Whittleys are also used a lot as off-water accommodation. Owners can park them at a caravan site and stay comfortably while on the road to their boating destinations. You’ll sometimes hear the term ‘Waterbago’ thrown around, describing their versatility. While the 2180 doesn’t have all the appointments of the largest boat in the range, it still has enough to keep you

comfortable on the water. The 1.8m long berths will sleep most couples while the kids can roll out a swag or blow-up mattress in the back deck. A shower, stove, BBQ and fridge are all included on the test boat, which we took for a ride on Queensland’s Broadwater. The boat has narrow, walk-around side decks and plenty of shade. Remember that the CR range is built mainly for cruising and comfort. If you’re after a more serious fishing-only boat, make sure you check out the Sea Legend Whittleys. Weighing around 2,000kg on the

with the detuned 135HP version of the 3.0L platform, but you’ll enjoy the extra power. At the most economical cruising speed, 3,500rpm propelled the boat to 41km/h and delivered 1.9km per litre of fuel burned. And as with nearly all outboards, drive at wide open throttle (WOT) and your economy nearly halves. At 5,300rpm you get 64km/h at a neat 1km per litre. Whittley have a network of their own dealerships around the country, where they can offer the turn-key boating experience, with boat, motor, trailer

Main: Whittley’s CR2180 is an ideal first-cruiser for a small family. It’s towable by a regular ute, and the outboard power is simple and effective. Above: The 2180 is the second-smallest CR (cruiser) in the Whittley range.

The drive on-off twin axle trailer is set up at the Whittley factory, meaning it’s perfectly matched and fitted to the hull. 124 NOVEMBER 2024

trailer, the rig is easily trailerable by most mid-sized family cars and utes. It’s easy to drive on and off, which is best done by a couple of people - one at the helm and one in the tow vehicle. On the water, Mercury’s 150HP is the right choice. You could get away

and options all factory fitted with full warranty. They also have mobile service teams available to keep your investment in top shape. As tested, the CR2180 was $139,000, and you can visit whittleyboats.com.au for more information.

FMM

BOATING TEST

Top: The CR range has a 19-degree transom deadrise for maximum stability at rest. Above: We like it when the battery isolators are all in one place and easily accessible.

The 3.0L Mercury 4-stroke is the maximum power this hull is rated to, and is an ideal match for this rig.

It is important to be able to get into and out of the boat easily – both on the trailer and in the water – and you can do it with this fold-out ladder.

Drop in the cockpit table for socialising on and off the water.

This model has no lockable door – just a sliding privacy curtain.

Top Left: A portable toilet sits out of the way when not in use. Top Right: Designed as an 80% cruising and 20% fishing boat, you need a good sound system. Bottom Left: The bunks are 1.8m long, which will sleep a couple of adults comfortably in most cases. Bottom Right: There isn’t a lot of space wasted in a Whittley; it’s always converted into clever storage.

Left: Helm seating is comfortable for the driver and the passenger. Top Right: Like all Whittleys, the dash holds all your electronics and flush-mounted gauges. Bottom Right: The 150 Mercury is a cable-shift outboard. NOVEMBER 2024 125

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