Haines Hunter 535 Sport Fish with 130hp Yamaha TESTED
• Muddy treasures: yakking for gummies
• Logan River kayaking
• Starlo: Keeping up with fashion
• Boat Test: Haines Hunter 535 with Yamaha 130hp
• Local area reports
Tom Wilson hunts through muddy waters for gummy sharks
Riptide Instinct™ QUEST with it’s unmatched torque and up to 100” Shaft will hold bigger boats than ever. The New Drift mode is set to revolutionise fishing and be even more popular than our famous Spot Lock. Network ready to Humminbird for full motor control and unlock Coastmaster mapping to follow a contour or return to your favourite fishing spot time after time. Remain at your helm thanks to the auto stow and deploy and power trim. Minn Kota Instinct is the most advanced Bow Mount Electric Motor ever produced and will revolutionise your offshore fishing.
Gives you point and shoot navigation for superior boat control in any direction, at any speed without the need of drift socks, kicker motors, or manual operation – even in the heaviest wind and current.
Out of the box, Minn Kota motors come standard with everything you need to connect to select Humminbird fish finders, unlocking more advanced navigation features without needing to remember additional adapters or complicated set-up procedures.
Saltwater trolling motors available in white or black.
Spot-Lock will hold you in place with unparalleled GPS accuracy. Spot-Lock gives you the power to stay right on top of any productive fishing spot, without touching your trolling motor. With the built-in heading sensor, you can use Jog to move your Spot-Lock location five feet in any direction.
Riptide Instinct comes with shaft lengths up to 100 inches to give saltwater anglers stability to control, manoeuvre and position even the biggest boats. Also available in 60”, 72”, and 87”.
LC / LC AGS
SALTIGA LC ‘Light Casting’ is a flagship series breaking new ground for Daiwa Australia, o ering never before seen actions and packed full of the latest and greatest technology.
SALTIGA LC rods are an addition to the SALTIGA family, designed and developed specifically for Australia based around feedback from keen inshore and o shore anglers spanning from Sydney to far-northern Queensland.
With 10 Models in the range,three of those being AGS models there is a SALTIGA Light Casting rod to suit your needs. Head into your local DAIWA Dealer and feel the di erence.
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SUNSHINE COAST
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CAVS MARINE & OUTDOOR
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NEW SOUTH WALES DEALERS
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COFFS HARBOUR
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SYDNEY MARINA BAYSIDE 1-13 Mangrove Lane, TAREN POINT Ph: 02 9524 0044 www.marinabayside.com.au
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SYDNEY WEST INDEPENDENT OUTBOARDS
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GEELONG
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MELBOURNE
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MELBOURNE DIPTECH PERFORMANCE
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MELBOURNE STREAKER MARINE
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MELBOURNE WEST PORT PHILLIP BOATING CENTRE Factory 2, 10 Wallace Avenue, POINT COOK Ph: 03 9369 0099 www.portphillipboatingcentre.com.au
MORNINGTON PENINSULA
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5 Jennings Court, ROSEBUD Ph: 03 5986 7788 www.rmmarine.com.au
SOUTH GIPPSLAND
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29-31 Bear Street, INVERLOCH Ph: 03 5674 1502 www.inverlochmarine.com.au
WESTERN AUSTRALIA DEALERS
BIBRA LAKE
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31 Port Kembla Drive, BIBRA LAKE Ph: 08 9434 1822 www.chiversmarine.com.au
BROOME
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DUNSBOROUGH
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GERALDTON
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ROCKINGHAM
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AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
As this issue goes to print, the AFTA Tackle Show is ready to open its doors at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. It’s the biggest show to date and by the time this hits the shelves, we expect a record crowd will have been to see what the industry has to offer.
Thanks to the Queensland Government, entry was free to all of the tackle junkies and the next issue will have all of the results of the Best of Show awards – both the industry-voted and the public-voted best products.
There is always a fair overlap between
the two groups, but it’s interesting to see what differences there are between the stores and retail customers’ perceptions of the new gear.
So next issue will be full of new stuff for anglers all across the country.
Thanks to all of the readers who reached out in empathy for the challenges that we are facing with the phenomenal Australia Post price rises. As an update, an average subscriber issue now costs $2.87 to mail out.
When I started worrying about the price increases they were under a
dollar a piece.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, remember that Fishing Monthly has an active YouTube channel where we primarily publish video boat tests of the rigs you read about in the magazines, but we also do same-day AFTA coverage, which is very popular. You’ll be able to see our 2024 videos there and if you sign up for notifications, it’ll let you know each time there’s new content to watch.
Just search for Fishing Monthly on YouTube and, until next month, tight lines.
endeavour that can be enjoyed in Western Port all year round.
MUDDY SHALLOWS
The expansive mud flats of Western Port Bay are loaded with hidden potential. At first glance it may be hard to fathom why so many kayakers flock to fish this featureless pocket in the northeastern quarter of the system. It is because beneath the murky surface is a thriving ecosystem that presents anglers with a special opportunity. Catching gummy sharks in very shallow water is a thrilling
When you arrive at a classic Western Port location, like Jam Jerrup or Grantville, it doesn’t feel like you are in the shark fishing zone. Kilometres of still brown water present a seemingly barren landscape that could easily deter the uninitiated. The shallow, muddy edges make for a tricky launch, which is why you’ll see many more kayaks in the area than larger vessels. Deep channels snake
their way through the flats pushing water in and draining it out of this fiercely tidal system. The channels do fish well at times, but it’s in the shallows that I like to target cruising sharks that are hunting crustaceans in the soft mud.
A vast range of catchable species frequent the mudflats, which always makes the fishing fun. The mediumsized gummy sharks that I target can be caught all year round along with small school sharks and banjo sharks that are less desirable. Snapper and elephant fish are seasonal visitors to the area, and they are both fun to target and
welcome as by-catch.
Full grown gummy sharks are not often seen on this side of the bay, which supports my theory that the area is a kind of shark nursery. While you’re not likely to haul in a record-breaking gummy in these parts, fish around 1m in length are plentiful. Many anglers would agree that fish this size are perfect for a feed of fresh flake.
TURBULENT WATERS
Kayak fishing for gummy sharks is a bait fishing game and to pull it off effectively, your tide management needs to be on point. The tidal shift in Western
Port Bay is huge and if you get the timing wrong, you could find yourself caught in a strong current or stranded in sticky mud. Fishing through a tide change is the best way to manage the current and the high tide has always been my preferred. If I launch my kayak two hours before the high tide, I can fish for four hours and retrieve my vessel comfortably before the water level drops too low. All species come up onto the mudflat to feed through the high tide, so it is a great time to target them in the shallows.
Anchoring a kayak in flowing water can be challenging but there are a few simple tricks to make the process easier. An anchor trolley is the pulley system connected to the side of a kayak that
allows you to send the connection point to the front or rear of the vessel. Being attached at the pointy end of a boat is essential for safe and comfortable fishing.
The big challenge in this particular environment is getting your anchor to hold in the soft mud. A friendly kayaker once gave me the tip that a metre of heavy chain attached to the anchor helps a lot. This will cause the anchor to drag horizontally, giving the protruding flukes a better angle to catch in the mud.
A 10m length of rope is adequate for fishing these shallow flats and you don’t want to be weighed down with more rope than you need. Letting out most of the length will help with the horizontal
lie of the anchor, giving you a better connection with the bottom. Once the anchor is set you will feel the nose of your kayak swing toward the direction of current or wind and you will be in position to send some baits!
BAIT AND TACKLE
Gummy sharks have an astonishing sense of smell. They will travel a great
The stomach contents of a gummy shark give away their feeding preferences.
distance to find a tactfully selected bait and, for the Western Port mudflats, I have two clear favourites: Large banana prawns and fresh squid.
The prawns may seem like
“ HEAVY HITTER ”
Adding to the lineup the Heavy Hitter is now available in a 3, 4 and 5.5inch model. With maximum action at all speeds the Heavy Hitter is the lure you send in when you need to get the job done!
“ THE JERK ”
The new 5inch and 7inch Jerk fills the niche for anglers craving a larger Jerk in the CrushCity range. Perfect for pelagic species right through to inshore predators like Flathead and Snapper.
At 4.5inches long the new Imposter is the perfect prawn imitation. Super versatile the new Imposter can be rigged on a standard jig head or skipped it into the structure on a weedless hook.
an odd choice for shark fishing but there is a method to the madness supported by undeniable results. The stomach contents of a gummy caught for the table is just about always full of crabs. Mantis shrimp are another crustacean that are known to be common in the area. I believe that these two species are exactly what foraging bottom feeders come up on the mud flats to hunt. The crustacean scent of a big banana prawn is proven to draw in cruising gummy sharks with great success.
Fresh squid is a classic bait because it gets the bites, and it outperforms all others in its ability to stay on the hook. When other baits are being annihilated by nibblers, you can have some confidence that a fresh squid tentacle is still attached and ready for the big fish to chomp.
I like to keep my rigs nice and simple. Anything too fancy will simply
hooks that are tied in line with each other roughly 50mm apart. This rig helps a lot with the presentation of large baits as well as adding some welcome hooking power.
I have no GPS locations pinpointing specific gummy spots, just a general
worsen the tangle when a frantic gummy is trying to cartwheel out of my yak! A single 4/0 hook with about 700mm of leader tied to a swivel is what I use, with a 2-3oz bomb sinker
clipped to the swivel. Sinker size may need to be adjusted to suit the current flow at different stages of the tide cycle. Generally, I run 20lb braid on a 4000 size spinning reel with a 30lb leader. In my experience gummy sharks aren’t too leader shy so it pays to have some extra stopping power when a big fish comes along.
One adjustment that I do sometimes make is the addition of an extra hook. A double-snell hook setup consists of two
idea of the zone and depth I like to fish in. The mudflats are consistently featureless, so the trick is to move around until you cross paths with active fish. I like to start within a few hundred metres of the main channel. It’s a fair hike from the shoreline in a kayak but I theorize that most fish move in and out of the deeper water throughout the tide cycle. When I reach this area and my sounder shows a depth of over 2m, I’m ready to go.
With a suitable location reached, I drop anchor and get lines in the water as quickly as possible. The more time my bait spends in the water, the sooner I will be hooked up to a gummy. I
tip starts to twitch, it is important to resist the urge to strike at it quickly. It is easy to get over excited and rip the bait right out of a shark’s mouth, especially during a slow session. Most bites in this scenario will result in a hook-up so be patient and wait for the fish to fully commit.
I love the feeling of nervous anticipation when the lines are first set. It’s important to maintain focus at this point because it’s not uncommon for an unsecured rod to be ripped clean out of the holder! Fighting gummy sharks in water this shallow is a whole
always fish with two rods because I find that it’s a manageable way to cover a large patch of water. Imagine a large scent ring emanating from the spot were a bait hits the water. Sending out big casts in opposite directions will minimise the overlap of the two scent rings and maximize the area in which my bait can be detected. When a rod
different ball game to fighting them deep because the run is all horizontal. Expect that a big fish could run laps around your kayak and is even likely to leap clear of the water during the struggle! When you have wrestled a gummy close to the kayak it can be landed in a large net or by grabbing a hold of its conveniently grippy tail.
Don’t celebrate too early, a landed gummy will launch into a maniacal death roll that must be halted before it causes chaos with your line. These fish are surprisingly strong so be careful that you don’t end up with a hook lodged in your thigh!
Catching gummies in a kayak is one of my favourite pastimes but I need to stress that these fish are completely accessible to boat and land-based anglers as well. If you’re in Melbourne and keen to hook into some hard fighting fish, this has to be one of the most consistent ways to get the reel screaming.
BRISBANE Troy Brown
Sometimes the least likely scenarios deliver some of our best fishing opportunities. When you own a kayak, the ease of maintenance and transportation means these moments can be discovered more frequently, as less time is spent maintaining and preparing your fishing vessel. You can easily dive to your local fishing spot, have a lazy hour or two chasing your favourite species, toss the kayak on the roof and beat the boss to work.
Despite having recently closed a business I’d been involved with for 30
years, I’ve struggled to get on the water and was aching for any opportunity to use my kayaks. As my dream job was to share my passion for fishing, I decided to combine my job hunt with a quick trip to the Logan River, launching my kayak at the Reidel Road boat ramp. My aim was to complete a short introduction video for a BCF role, quickly explore that section of the river without fishing, then return home.
Thanks to my unrehearsed story faltering frequently, as well as a number of boats moving past just as I reached the conclusion, my ‘1-minute’ of video required two hours to complete. Since I’d already gone well over the allotted time while trying to shoot my intro video, I decided I’d hang around for an hour of fishing. It was a good decision, as the river was in fine form, despite some initial frustration while I determined the best tactics for the
day. With plenty of activity boiling just below the surface, I cycled through a collection of lures, mostly soft plastics in the 70-110mm range. The moment I switched to a 50mm paddletail, my fortunes changed instantly and I was rewarded with my first catch.
From that point, the fish came onboard rapidly, with a selection of bream, flathead, small trevally and a couple of school mulloway in the mix.
School mulloway were in abundance, but sadly the author hooked and lost two larger fish.
I lost two larger fish, at least one of which came close enough to the kayak to be identified as a large mulloway. It was a revelation, as my attempts to match the hatch prior to then had been unsuccessful, as I’d struggled to see bait in the cloudy water. The clue I’d missed were the tiny prawns skipping away from predators on the banks,
as they were so small I’d failed to see them clearly. That alone should have been my guide in at least the lure size, but some days we fail to connect the dots and interpret the otherwise obvious hints.
It didn’t matter that my lure was a baitfish impersonation, rather than a prawn, as the fish were keyed into the size of the bait in the system, rather than the type. To test my theory, after catching several fish I switched to a slightly larger lure. Despite only a modest size increase, the bite ceased immediately. If I’d had a lure smaller than 50mm, I suspect it would have been immediately engulfed!
Another constant was the method needed to get the most strikes. If I ran the lure along the edge or drop-off for the entirety of the retrieve, it was ignored. Instead, landing the lure on the edge of the bank, then working it slowly into the deeper water resulted in consistent strikes. The moment my lure started dropping down the deep edge, it was struck by fish patrolling for errant bait. All species took the same lure, with the same tactic. It proves that changing your technique may be necessary when the bite is tough, but only a fool changes tactics when you’re already on a winner. More
on that later!
I’ve experienced plenty of days where I’ve struggled on the water, while watching others have more success while using similar tactics. Ignoring the inevitability of luck, this trip proved that often the smallest change can have an enormous impact on the outcome of a fishing expedition.
It’s a reminder how difficult our sport can be, with our ‘luck’ being limited only by our patience, persistence and
willingness to experiment. Ray, who recommended the location, joined me on the water a week after my initial foray, launching from the same boat ramp on Reidel Road. It was a slow start to the session, mostly due to the fact we’d launched mid-tide. As we worked our way towards the mouth of the river and got within a couple of hours before the tide change, the action suddenly increased. I started working the edges, using the same lure and technique as before. It seemed obvious that little had changed from my previous visit, as we both started to catch fish consistently.
As I’d already enjoyed some fun with the bread-and-butter species, I decided it was time for some experimentation. I’d spotted some large arches in the deep channel, which gave me hope of a large mulloway. Ignoring my previous experience and common sense, which would have reminded me that smaller lures were favoured, I switched to larger profile soft plastics. After wasting the best bite period in the middle of the river, all the time hearing Ray calling out his catches on the edges, I finally relented and decided it was time to return home.
Ray convinced me to finish how
and the battle would have been over. I got lucky, as the rod movement was enough to divert its path and once a jack is in open water, your odds of success on light gear increase exponentially.
Despite seeing the flash of colour, I knew I had now reached another dangerous point in the fight. This was a strong fish, pinned with a tiny size 4 hook and line suited to catching bream, which at that moment was rubbing over some razor-sharp teeth. As the amount of line got shorter, I reduced the drag pressure a little, knowing that the closer the fish got, the less I could use the rod as a shock absorber. Despite that, I also couldn’t afford to delay the fight, as the longer it went on, the more damage I envisioned on the leader.
It’s a fine balance and at that point, luck is nearly as important as skill. When the fish finally swam into my net, the fruitless hours I wasted were forgotten. Catching a solid mangrove jack in cooler weather is a memorable occasion, especially when using your own lure design and light gear.
we started, so I could leave with at least another fish or two before heading home. I’m glad he did, as shortly afterwards my humble 50mm soft plastic was monstered by a hardfighting fish, which I immediately knew wasn’t a bream. It was a heavy strike on a 1-2 kg rod, but luckily my drag was set perfectly for the 6lb line and leader, as the battle would otherwise have been immediately lost. It was only when the fight was close to the end, with a vivid red flash just below the surface of the water, that I realised how fortunate I’d been. If I hadn’t moved my rod to the side at the precise moment the fish struck, the 44cm mangrove jack would have continued a straight line into its snag
I really shouldn’t have been surprised, as I’ve enjoyed some exceptional experiences while kayaking the Logan River. Unlike the many times I fished the same water in my boat, each kayak launch site is a unique opportunity to explore. The ‘limitations’ of a kayak encourage you to fish from the moment you’re on the water, whereas in the boat I’d ignore vast stretches while motoring to another fishing location. If I’d had the wisdom I’ve gained from the kayak, I’d have been far more successful on the boat. In addition to the tranquility, it’s yet another reason I’d recommend all anglers diversify into kayak fishing. The Logan River is an exceptional hunting ground and a kayak unlocks the full potential of this underrated waterway.
Steve Starling
www.fishotopia.com
How much of new fishing gear technology is about fashions and fads, and how important is it to have the latest and greatest tackle?
Each year at the AFTA Fishing Tackle Show on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Australia’s tackle manufacturers, importers and wholesalers come together under one very large roof to showcase their latest ranges to both the trade (tackle retailers) and the general public. This show typically takes place in mid-August, right at the tail-end of winter, and it offers these companies an opportunity to unveil all of their new gear in time for the coming spring and summer seasons.
can be confusing.
It’s trendy these days to bemoan the fact that change has accelerated so rapidly, and to glamourise the so-called ‘good old days’, when life was simpler and consumer items were (supposedly) made to last. Those who push this line claim that today’s consumerism is all about inbuilt obsolescence, and that nothing is built to last any more. While there may be a grain of truth in this, it’s not quite that simple.
Think of cars as a case in point. When I was a kid, people tended to hang onto their cars longer than most of us do today. However, I’d argue that this was less to do with the superior durability of 1960s and ’70s automobiles, and more to do with economics, habits and social norms. Just think how prevalent rust was in
Lighter isn’t always better, but if a lighter reel balances nicely with a premium rod, the difference can be important.
These days, the “churn rate” of new or upgraded tackle is increasingly hard to keep up with, even for someone like myself who lives and breathes this stuff! For a more casual angler, and especially the occasional dangler, it can be all rather bewildering. What’s the best gear for your requirements? Do you really need the latest and greatest? How much should you spend? What are the advantages of Brand X over Brand Y? And why is this latest rod, reel, lure or spool of line better than the near-identical product that was on offer last year?
I’m on record as stating that fishing tackle consumers like you and me have never been better off in terms of the “bang” we get for our “buck” than we are right now, in 2024. Even the more “economical” or lower to mid-priced gear on the market these days (most of it, anyway) is significantly superior in its out-of-the-box performance to the equipment that was available when I was a young bloke, back in the previous century. Surprising as it may seem, this modern gear is also a lot more affordable now in “real” terms: in other words, how many hours we typically need to work to buy it. But the flip side is that there’s so much more choice today and that
mean the older ones aren’t still great!
much of our weekly pay packet was needed to buy one as well as the fact that, following such a significant investment, most savvy fishos did a lot more home maintenance to protect their investment than they do today
We had to!
the body panels of those older cars! I clearly remember helping my father cut out, rub back and ‘bog’ big areas of badly rusted metal in our family car. Today, this is much less common: and by that I mean both the occurrence of rust, and also our willingness to deal with it as a DIY project. Times have changed (and, happily, both metallurgy and the corrosion-proofing of auto parts have also improved dramatically).
It’s a bit the same with fishing gear. While some folks wax glowingly about how ‘indestructible’ older reels were, they tend to forgot just how
Sure, there’s more plastic and infused carbon fibre in today’s lighter, smoother fishing reels, but the quality of metals and other materials used in them not to mention the sophistication of the gearing, bearings and other componentry is light years ahead of a 1960s equivalent. Looked after, today’s models should actually last at least as long as their predecessors. Modern consumerism and so-called inbuilt obsolescence are often more about our own attitudes and habits than the actual buildquality of the items we so often discard after just a season or two.
As a practical example, Shimano (a company I have a long association with) made a big song and dance about the release of the latest iteration of their Vanford upper-mid-priced spinning reels at this year’s tackle show. I’ve used Vanfords extensively for a few years now and I love them. But is there really anything ‘new’ and ‘better’ about this latest FA series, apart from
flashier cosmetics? Well yes, actually there is! Shimano have managed to reduce the weight of these reels even further without sacrificing strength or rigidity, and they’ve incorporated a couple of features from their top-ofthe-line Stellas, such as an anti-twist fin under the bail roller and an upgraded gear train that’s even smoother than it was before plus they’ve added a diminutive 500 model to the line-up (something I’ve been waiting years for). So, the changes are definitely more than skin deep. And believe it or not, they’ve done all this at the same or even a slightly lower price than the previous model!
Does this mean that if you bought an earlier model Vanford a year or two ago, you should immediately get rid of it and upgrade to the latest FA? Absolutely not! I intend to keep right on using my older Vanfords. But if you’re considering buying a new reel in this price range, should you look at the new FAs? Definitely! However, something else to bear in mind is that just like cars many dealers will be offering “end of model run-outs” now on the previous range, often with significant savings. This can be an attractive option, too.
The bottom line is this: modern fishing gear is exceptionally good and offers amazing value for money. It’ll also serve you for years if you look after it. You don’t have to keep up with every new trend or feature, but it’s nice to know that when the time finally comes for a new purchase, the latest tackle is likely to be even better than the gear you bought a few years ago. For me, that’s a good news story!
NEW TO 2024 IS THE VANFORD FA SERIES, A REVOLUTIONARY ADVANCEMENT IN FINESSE FISHING.
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September provides great beach fishing on the Tweed Coast, as this is when the tailor are really in abundance and are mostly in great condition. They have been feasting on the large schools of frogmouth pillies and whitebait that have been along the beaches in recent weeks. All types of predators will be following these smorgasbords,
including mac tuna, longtail tuna, mulloway, whiting, dart and other mixed species.
When you’re out fishing, be sure to keep your eye on the birds, because they are quick to move to any part of the beach break that’s being worked by predators. This will provide you with an insight into where the action is, and where you should cast your lure or baits.
Some good gutters have formed along the beach behind the Kingscliff Bowls Club and looking north
along Wommin Bay. Tailor have been holding in these gutters most mornings and evenings. Hastings Beach through to Wooyung has also
been fishing well, with some good gutters Southside of Black Rocks. Finding the gutters or areas where the bait has gathered is where you’ll find the tailor. As long as the bait is
around, the tailor will feel comfortable feeding right throughout the day. The rock fishing has also been red hot of late on the Tweed, with many of the headlands showcasing rarelyseen deep reef/rock structure that’s usually covered by metres of sand. This newly uncovered ground has been holding plenty of bait seeking safety from the open beaches, but they still aren’t safe! Schools of mulloway will move in and hang in these areas. With the cover of the rock wash they feel concealed, and
comfortably feed on the bait schools.
Longtail tuna are also frequent visitors to these areas when the rocks are exposed, but they don’t hang around for long. They generally make an ambushing assault and move on as quickly as they came.
For a long time, tuna and mackerel have been unattainable for most land-based anglers, but that has all changed thanks to the up-andcoming technique of drone fishing.
Quality fishing drones can carry a payload of up to 2kg, allowing anglers to get their baits or lures beyond
the reach of traditional casting. Also, with a camera attached, the angler can see underwater terrain such as deep drop-offs, reef or weed beds. This feature alone gives you a big advantage, as you’re not wasting your time fishing in barren areas.
Even better, the drone gives you a bird’s eye view of free-swimming fish, so you can cut the waiting game and just drop your bait/lure right in front of the fish. This is exactly the technique used to capture the longtail tuna featured in this article.
Ryan Ziets and I had some leftover live yakkas after an unsuccessful mulloway trip the previous night, and before we went to bed that night, we decided to use the livies for a longtail the following morning. We hit the beach bright and early with the drone and rod in hand.
After 15 minutes of scouting the beach break, we found some surface action that we thought looked promising, so we put the drone up and sent it out over the breakers. Just like a gift from the gods, there was a solo tuna scouting the beach. We returned the drone to the beach, quickly attached our line to the drone (a Sea Ulcer Sky-Rigger), baited the hooks with one of the live yakkas, and gave it a flying send-off.
The thrill of knowing there’s a tuna just beyond the beach break
right in front of you, and knowing you’re moments away from lowering your bait right in front of it, is truly a thrill. It’s a feeling that every angler needs to experience.
You do need to keep your wits about you, though. Once you’ve re-located a tuna with your drone, you can’t just plop a bait nearby and be assured of success. The key is to judge which way the fish may be
travelling. You want the fish to either see your bait as it hits the water, or moments after. Tuna have incredible eyesight and can spot a baitfish from
a very good distance, but it has to be in front of them. If you make a mistake and drop the bait behind the tuna, it will usually go unnoticed. On our trip, the bait was right on the money, hitting the water right in front of the tuna. As soon as the livie hit the water it kicked off, and the tuna turned and lit up, signalling it was in feeding mode. You can see the result in the photos on this page.
JUMPINPIN
Bo Sawyer
Even though the fishing has continued to be excellent over the last several weeks, September couldn’t have come quick enough for me! It’s time for those
monster flathead to start making their way around the entrances. This month also marks the highly anticipated Gold Coast Flathead Classic with around 300 teams, 700 anglers and over $300k of prizes expected (including 3 boats up for grabs), it’s definitely a comp you don’t want to miss!
We’ve had some very cold mornings this winter and this has really influenced water temps and, of course, the fishing. I generally like water temps to stay regular but we’ve seen some big jumps week-to-week and even day-to-day. At
the time of writing, we’ve seen a few mornings get down in the 13oC mark, however as the day goes on and the incoming tide brings warmer water with it, they’ve creeped up to the 17 oC mark. For this reason, I’ve had some really hot bites on that incoming tide.
Bait wise, there’s still been plenty of whitebait, herring and large mullet running around and I’ve been changing my lures to suit whatever baits stacked in the areas I’m fishing.
I’ve heard mixed reports on the mud crabs with some anglers doing really well while others have found it
much tougher. The guys who have been getting them,
and, take
smelly bait will only make you smell bad and deter the crabs.
There are plenty of tailor running around at the moment with small plastics and spinners accounting for the most fish. The size is way down from last year but we’re still getting the odd cracker fish here and there. Look out for birds working around Crusoe, the bar, Millionaires and Kalinga. Bait fishos will do well on whitebait and pillies but don’t get too comfortable when anchoring as you will probably
need to chase the bust ups around.
There’s still a fair few bream getting around all the bait schools with some monsters in amongst the small ones. Keep your bait moving with the current when possible as this will make your presentation look more natural.
Try white bait, cut baits or small 2.5-3” plastics with slimmer profiles. You need to find the bait! Have a little scan with your sounder and keep an eye out for birds in the area.
The flathead bite has been a little
There are plenty of juvenile snapper around and they are great fun on light gear.
inconsistent but when you find them biting they are going off! We’ve been having some nice 40-60 fish captures on charters lately and although the average size is around that 40-50cm mark, we’ll see the bigger models start chewing this month. Most fish have been slowly following the bait around so, as always, find the bait and you’ll find the fish. Weed edges always work a treat, especially this time of year, and thankfully there’s no shortage of these in our beautiful system. Slimmer plastics in the 3-4” mark are doing the most damage for the lure fishos and
bait fishos will want to match the bait that’s working in your spot.
Be safe out on the water and tight lines.
• That’s it from me this month everyone. Don’t forget to see Brett at the Jacobs Well shop if you need any gear or fresh bait. We have availability this month on our charters and would love to have you out for a fish, just visit Capn’s Charters on Facebook and shoot us a message.
BRISBANE Gordon Macdonald
masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com
I always look forward to September as the days are getting warmer and the cold of the winter months is behind us. Pelagic activity throughout Moreton Bay begins to ramp up and there is also a lot of prime demersal species on offer.
The strong westerly winds are minimal and anglers are generally afforded decent weather, allowing them some great days on the water. The fishing options are healthy and varied during September so let’s look at what’s on offer.
During August, healthy numbers of school mackerel began entering Moreton Bay as they prepare for their breeding period. These initially enter through the northern end of the bay (NE, NW and Kianga Channel) or via the South Passage Bar. Obviously, all these channels will still have smaller numbers or fish filtering in throughout September however bay anglers will most likely do better whilst targeting them inside the bay during this period. The Rainbow Channel, Rous Channel, Small Ships Channel and most of the channels adjacent the major banks areas are all worth a look.
The schoolies will often congregate in these areas as they await the higher tidal stages so they can filter up onto the banks to feed. How long into the rising tide this happens will depend on water depth and
the banks or in areas holding decent bait congregations.
Historically, commercial mackerel fishers have trolled spoon lures in search of mackerel. They generally utilise paravanes or trolling boards to get these lures deeper in the water column and allow them to troll at speeds between 5-7knots. In the last decade or so this has become a popular and productive approach for the recreational sector as well. There are numerous trolling boards and paravanes on the market and all will work, although some need tuning.
Trolling boards will generally increase the action of the spoon due to their rolling action whilst the paravane will just run straight, affording it greater potential for speed increase. I prefer the trolling board, however both are very successful. Spoon lures such as #3 and #4 Halco Barra Drone, Macka Spoon, Halco Kimbereley Spoon and numerous others all spin in the water as they are trolled. For this reason, you require a ball-bearing swivel between the trolling apparatus and the spoon to prevent twisting.
If using a rod to troll your spoon, at least 15kg line is required due to the resistance exerted by the trolling board or paravane. Personally, I prefer to have mine rigged on a handline as this is easy to store and put into use whenever required. You are best to use around 50lb monofilament line and a glove to avoid line burns and cuts. School mackerel may even be caught around the shipping channel beacons and
clarity as the schoolies will not move out of the channels if they feel conspicuous on the flats. Working these channels whilst the mackerel are congregated in these areas will offer the best opportunity for anglers. Deploying gang hook rigged pilchards whilst drifting or at anchor is a popular technique and ideal when there are a several anglers aboard. Rigging the hooks down through the back of the pilchard and ensuring it is nice and straight, will enable it to waft in the current instead of spinning. This will greatly increase the strike rate, especially when the current is strong. Trolling is another great technique for catching mackerel of all species. Deep diving minnow lures to around 120mm can work well. Metallic and natural colours are generally preferred. These are trolled at 5-8 knots along the edges of
snapper are caught on frozen offerings of squid, pilchards, mullet fillets and other baits. Live baits of yakkas, slimey mackerel, pike, herring, mullet, squid and others offer the best opportunity however going to the effort to score such baits often deters many anglers. These live offerings can be fished from an anchored position or whilst drifting around the bay islands or artificial reefs. Simple rigging with fluorocarbon leaders, minimal sinker weight and super sharp hooks will heighten chances. Trolling lures will also work well and allow you to cover a broad area of ground. Lures that dive to depths between 5m and 10m are desirable. These can include Atomic Hardz Double Deep, Classic Dr. Evil, Nomad DTX, Killalure River Rats and many others. I have preference for golds, reds, browns and naturals however plenty of colours will produce. Mulloway, mackerel, trevally and numerous other species are serious possibilities whilst trolling lures in the bay.
Cast and retrieve offerings such as soft vibes and soft plastics work well whilst allowing you to cover a broad area of water and a good portion of the water column. Hits are often forthcoming as the lures sink, often very close to the surface. Around the bay islands, snapper will often lurk close to the surface, harassing baitfish such as hardiheads and gar. They can often be found well away from any decent structure, especially the larger specimens. Casting upcurrent or across current and then retrieving back with the current whilst imparting hops, pauses or slow rolling is the best approach. Dead-sticking (dragging a plastic behind the boat with the rod in the holder) can also work well and accounts for some quality fish at times.
MULLOWAY
score a mulloway on fly tackle as they are generally fishing fairly close to the surface. For the larger specimens, live baits offer the greatest chance of success and a more relaxed way of fishing, especially during the darkened hours. In the Brisbane River, anchoring along the edges of the decline into the main river basin, upcurrent from deeper holes and out from the main wharf and jetty structures will put you in prime territory. Deploy a live or fresh baitfish, squid or banana prawn close to the bottom and you are in with a great chance. The mulloway will often move through these zones periodically therefore several rods may get hit in unison. Obviously, anglers trolling or cast and retrieve lure fishing for snapper also encounter quite a few mulloway.
bay island margins during September however the channel areas are likely to be your best bet.
Now that the snapper and pearl perch closed season has ended for another year, anglers are again able to target quality snapper throughout Moreton Bay. The artificial reefs, wrecks, bay island surrounds and numerous ledge areas all hold baitfish and other food sources that attract snapper and other species to these zones. As we lead away from the colder months, I generally notice an increase in the average size of snapper with some of the best quality specimens of the year are encountered at this time. Quality fresh baits including whole baitfish, squid, banana prawns and fillet strips are highly desirable. However, plenty of quality
September is a prime month for anglers targeting mulloway throughout the bay and Brisbane River. Often the best quality specimens are caught during this period with plenty of metre-plus brutes on offer. The deeper holes and ledges around the artificial reefs, numerous wrecks, inner shipping channel beacons, bay island ledges, Brisbane River wharves and jetties and many other locations will hold quality bait schools that can attract and hold mulloway and others in these areas. Generally, I find the larger specimens are generally loners or in smaller numbers than the sub-metre specimens which are often in sizeable schools of 30 fish or more. The smallest isolated piece of structure can hold baitfish and often there is a mulloway lurking nearby.
Plenty of quality mulloway are also taken around the lighted areas of the Brisbane River at night. Anglers work these zones with lures whilst fishing via Shanks’ pony or from watercraft. Threadfin and tailor and also likely captures in these zones.
Shallow diving minnow lures, paddle tail shads, prawn profiles and numerous other offerings can be put to good use. This scenario offers you great opportunity to
September is always a prime month for flathead throughout Southern Queensland. The estuaries, rivers, canals and creeks all hold healthy numbers of dusky flathead and further out into the bay you will locate numbers of sand-bar flathead. The duskies grow to a much greater size than the sand-bar and are the most heavily targeted. During the last official month of winter and the first months of spring, dusky flathead numbers increase dramatically in inshore waters due to their annual breeding period. At this time, large females are often surrounded by numbers of smaller males. As such, a successful spot is often worth working over several times as multiple specimens will be congregated together. Flathead have a size slot between 40-75cm and a bag limit of five per person in Queensland waters. Larger specimens are best to be unhooked boatside and released to limit the possibility of them stressing and reabsorbing their eggs. That would mean they wouldn’t breed this season. Flathead are often opportunistic captures on bait by anglers targeting other species, however, specific targeting will greatly increase capture rates. Flathead move around periodically during the tidal stage, spending most of the time semiburied in mud or sand in ambush mode. Therefore, the more water you cover the greater your chance of success.
On the higher tidal stages, the best opportunity is up on the flats. As the tide falls the edges of these flats is where
flathead are likely lying and towards the lower tidal stages the deeper channels and holes are the best option. Obviously, this can vary slightly in different areas depending on water depth and terrain. A great option is to visit an area at low tide to familiarise yourself with the terrain and locate the lowest drainage point of flats areas and where the deeper holes are. You might even find some flathead lies where they have settled in ambush mode when the tide was higher. Re-visiting these areas when the tide has again flooded the flats will generally reward. Casting or trolling lures is a very successful ploy as this allows you to cover a good area.
The same can be said for drifting whilst dragging whole fish baits (pilchards, whitebait, hardiheads, gar, frogmouth pilchards, bluebait, juvenile diver whiting etc.) aft. Use a sinker about 30cm to 40cm in front of the bait to keep it close to the bottom and create some disturbance as it drags across the sand or mud. Flathead bed in the ocean floor up to their lateral line, which acts like an ear, therefore they will detect any disturbance nearby, getting their attention as they think it is a fish or crab foraging on the bottom. Some anglers fish these baits on a small set of ganged hooks although I prefer a snelled hook rig with the leading hook pinned centrally up through the head just in front of the bait’s eyes. This helps keep the mouth of the bait closed and also promotes a more natural look as the bait
will commonly waft instead of spinning.
CEPHALOPODS
Both squid and cuttlefish numbers will be healthy during the coming month. As we are towards the latter portion of the season, the quality is usually very good. Casting egi around the shallow waters that flow over reef, rock, rubble or weed is usually very successful for tiger squid and occasional arrows. The arrow squid are often in better numbers in the deeper channels at this time. Whilst they will respond to drifted or cast and retrieve egi, I generally find that a pilchard pinned on a squid skewer will give a more consistent results for arrow squid.
The Rous Channel, Rainbow Channel and Small Ships Channel all hold good
numbers of quality arrow squid. If cuttlefish are your target, try the junction of the Small Ships and Rous Channel and the deeper areas of the main channel that runs from Ormiston all the way down to Green Island. As cuttlefish lurk close to the bottom, you will need to present egi in this zone, utilising extra weight to keep it there as you drift. This can be done using a ball sinker on the leader loop attaching your egi or by setting up a paternoster style rig with a bomb sinker or small snapper lead. Both squid and cuttlefish are exceptional table fare or bait for a range of species.
With warming water temperatures, mangrove jack will be active. Casting
lures around the structures (rock walls, mangrove snags, bridge pylons, pontoons, jetties etc.) in rivers, canals, creeks and estuaries is likely to reward. The closer you get to the structure the better your chance of hookup with these ambush predators however this will also heighten chances getting busted off when the jack darts back into the snag. A broad array of minnow lures, soft plastics, topwater offerings and vibes can work on jacks, with the right approach. Live baits of herring, mullet, prawns and pike will also work well in many areas. Early in the season, jacks can be a little easier to tempt, especially in heavily fished areas. However, as the water temperatures rise so does their aggressiveness.
There is plenty on offer for anglers fishing the Moreton Bay area over the coming month. In addition to the aforementioned species, anglers are likely to encounter others such as longtail tuna, sweetlip, tuskfish, threadfin salmon, cod, bream, bonito, mac tuna, cobia, whiting and numerous others with the right approach. With varied areas such as artificial reefs, wrecks, shallow flats, channels, canals, harbours, creeks and rivers to fish anglers are spoil for opportunity. With a huge array of species on offer and air and water temperatures beginning to warm as we spring into September you would be crazy not to get out and wet a line. Good luck!
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BRISBANE Bob Thornton tackleworldlawnton@gmail.com
A wetter and windier winter than usual has laid a good foundation for our spring fishery. The sediment and nutrients stirred up by these conditions will be appreciated by fish species that have been in hibernation. As for the winter favourites, early spring can still offer good fishing as they slowly wind down their seasonal activity.
September is a month when it’s possible to catch all sorts of fish, but the weather and water conditions provide valuable information on what is worth targeting. With things being a little more dynamic and discoloured than usual, there
for
been finding a few solid fish trolling big lures in the bay.
Photo courtesy of Eamon O’Connor.
are some species you can almost rule out. Spring always offers plenty of excitement for adventurous anglers, and with the comfortable temperatures, low chance of storms and plethora of species on the bite, it’s a great time to try something new. September is usually the start of a hot run of fishing, which generally runs up to Christmas before the summer storms really pick up. With the erratic weather patterns that have become so normal though, it’s difficult to say what direction this spring will take.
Let’s see how the fishing’s been!
Early spring brings good news for offshore anglers. The lifting of the snapper and pearl perch closed season in mid-August means these two tasty species are absolutely on the cards. Other reef species like grass and spangled emperor, various cod species, tuskfish, Moses perch, hussar and others also get a bit of a rest during the closure, as locals tend to venture offshore less during this time.
The Hards, Gneerings and Barwon Banks are worth hitting if you’re chasing pearlies and snapper. Out on these deeper systems it’s worth running a bit of extra weight, as the currents will start to pick up again. Soft plastics in the 5-7” range,
60-100g jigs and baited paternoster rigs have been getting the job done on the wider grounds.
In a little closer the pearlies have shown up at times, however as the water starts to warm we can expect them to move back out to the 80-100m zone and leave snapper as the dominant reef predator. Local reef systems like Halls, Currimundi and Sunshine reefs, as well as Arkwright Shoal, will be worth floatlining with pillies and peppering with soft plastics. Some anglers like to maximise their fishing by casting a soft plastic with one rig and running a second out the back in a rod holder. On this second rig they either ‘dead stick’ with another plastic or floatline with a pilchard.
Another option for snapper and other reefies is to troll hardbodies around the edge of the reefs and other hard structures, with any hardbody around 80-120mm long that dives to the 8-10m mark ideal. Don’t worry if you’re lure is well off the bottom, as larger snapper like to feed mid-water. At this time of year, the risk of losing hardbodies to mackerel is low, though not impossible. Trolling slowly at around 2-3 knots will also reduce the risk of a snipping from the speedies.
GTs and the odd large resident Spanish mackerel have been reported in small but steady numbers, rewarding the anglers willing to put in lots of time casting big lures around big offshore reef systems like Hutchinson Shoal and Sevens Reef. Extra oversized models of both species have shown up through winter, and previous seasons indicate that GTs become the dominant species while the Spaniard numbers at their lowest. Spaniards and GTs have both been taken on large poppers, stickbaits (floating and sinking) and hybrid designs between 160-220mm. Specifically targeting one or the other is something only the very experienced tend to do, but as we’ve said before, it’s best to run trebles for Spanish and singles for GTs. The implosion style feeding of GTs means a single hook can easily find a solid hook-up in the GT’s hard jaw as it turns after eating the lure. Spanish on the other hand tend to slash at their prey with less accuracy, sometimes
Only a few centimetres off the metre mark, this local river mulloway from Caleb demonstrates that there are bigger fish among the school fish, but they aren’t a common catch in our estuaries.
of
throwing themselves and the lure several metres into the air. This means that a lot of fish are hooked on the outside their mouth. Running trebles increases the likelihood of a hook-up on these messy eaters, but even then, many still miss the hooks completely.
Pelagic activity will pick up as spring progresses, and by December we should hopefully have wahoo, black marlin, spotted mackerel and mahimahi in the mix as well.
Spring does come with baggage for offshore anglers. With the wind swinging around to a more northerly direction, sea conditions can become lumpy and offer fewer chances for trailer boats to get offshore. The best advice is to use whatever windows become available to you this month, because we all know how fleeting good boating conditions can be.
Those chasing big tailor on the beach usually do best in late winter and early spring, and early signs have been promising. The ocean beaches on Moreton (Mulgumpin) North Stradbroke (Minjerribah), South Stradbroke and K’Gari (Fraser Island) have been producing reasonable numbers of choppers all winter. With a few northerly blows, more gutters should form along the beaches. Additionally, the extra wash
While largely overlooked as a sportfish in Australia, there’s no doubt that these Eurasian imports can be a handful on light tackle. Carp have become a firm spring favourite for the author.
creates a better feeding environment for larger tailor as they fatten up for spawning. The big tailor showed up quite late last year – around October and November –but that doesn’t seem to be the case this year. A handful of customers who visited K’Gari in July and August reported a few hot ‘fish a cast’ sessions, with a good number of the fish between 50-60cm. Fish around 80cm are mark are caught along this famous beach every year. Moreton and the Straddies carry their own as big tailor fisheries as well, and are good holiday options if you want somewhere a bit quitter than K’Gari.
Things like weed and jellyfish can become a nuisance when the wind swing around north and northeasterly, however having a 4WD helps to cover lots of ground and find areas where these hinderances aren’t so thick.
The mainland beaches like Peregian, Coolumn and Teewah beaches, along with the Gold Coast Spit, have been producing chopper tailor sporadically, though not generally in the same numbers as on the islands, which tend to receive swell and wind more conducive for creating larger gutters.
The shallow low-tide gutters on the mainland beaches are holding good numbers of whiting, dart, bream and flathead, which often ramp up their feeding activity as spring arrives. Big dart have been the stars of the show on the mainland, with beaches all along the coast regularly harbouring schools of fish up to 40cm. Big dart are surprisingly good to eat, better than tailor in my books. My favourite way to prepare dart is ceviche, but they also work well crumbed, battered, baked or fried.
MORETON BAY
September can sometimes offer a lot in the bay, but what’s on offer will depend on the water clarity and temperature. The weather of the past month suggests slightly discoloured water and reasonably warm temperatures for September, but this is only my prediction.
If the northerlies come through
during September, we can expect
good snapper fishing in the shallows.
Decreased clarity coupled with warmer days is a great recipe for big snapper in skinny water. When the water warms up in spring, crabs, small fish and shellfish will forage on the micro-organisms that come to life with the sudden temperature rise. Accordingly, larger predators will spend a lot of time hunting the shallow margins in search of these critters. Chief among them are snapper, which revel in the murky waters that obscure them from anglers and other dangers.
Before the closure the snapper fishing was consistent around deeper marks like Harry Atkinson, Captain Nielsen and Paddock reefs, as well as the edges of the Pearl and Rous channels. Following windy spells, the margins of Mud, Peel and Green islands, as well as the reefy ground at Scarborough, really came to life. Big snapper up to 70cm were taking soft plastics and baits in as shallow as 2-3m following turbulent conditions, and September is likely to offer more of these conditions.
If the water stays cool and clear, squid fishing will be a better proposition in the shallows. Plenty of big tiger squid were
reported during winter when conditions suited, and September can sometimes still offer good squid fishing. Any tigers landed in spring tend to be on the big side, as these models are usually around a year old and nearing the end of their life.
Jigs around size 3.0-3.5 are the best way to get the attention of these senior specimens, which will happily snaffle prey nearly as long as themselves. No locations have stood out in particular this season, with Scarborough, Redcliffe, Woody Point, Manly, Wellington Point and Cleveland all producing good numbers for land-based squidders on their day. The boaters able to get to spots like Mud, Peel and Goat islands, as well as eastern bay locations such as Dunwich, Amity Point, Tangalooma and the Sandhills have also enjoyed quality squidding when the water has been clear.
Night squidding is another option, with this venture perfectly suited to landbased anglers. Cleveland, Manly and Redcliffe have produced reasonable night fishing this season, usually on the late night high tides. The trick is to walk along the bank and gaze into the water. Suitable spots can be rock walls, mangrove lines, flats dotted with rock, rubble or weed,
and sometimes even pontoon lights. Using a light, anglers will spot squid in the shallows, dim their light, and then present a slow-sinking jig to them. These nocturnal squid aren’t always easy to fool, but you should get at least a few shots on a night’s walkthrough good ground.
The bay’s pelagics are moving into a transitional stage, with schools of longtail tuna starting to scatter, leaving smaller schools of mostly larger fish. Don’t expect too many big bust-ups through September, as the remnant packs of fish won’t tend to feed in this way. Instead, look out for any isolated boils or splashes, low-flying birds or fleeing baitfish. Virtually anything that could indicate big tuna below is worth casting at. Don’t be afraid to throw something around the 150mm mark either, as packs of big longtails will be out looking for meal, not a snack.
The school mackerel have been available throughout winter around the shipping beacons and the shipping channel edges, and spotties should thicken up as we approach summer. If they’re a little scattered and not hanging around their usual haunts, trolling spoons behind a paravane is an effective way to cover ground and find where they’re hanging out.
The tailor fishing in the bay has been exceptional this year, with large schools of fish over 50cm showing up as early as March. Time will tell if they hang around through September, but even if some of them leave the bay there’s a good chance that plenty will stay and play. The reef edges around the islands, current lines, beacons, flats and any area holding bait has been receiving regular visits from big tailor. Most of my bay sessions this year have turned up at least a few legal tailor, even if I wasn’t targeting them. I like to keep a slug around 20-30g or a topwater lure 70-100mm long rigged up just in case a school shows up, and usually it’s just a matter of sending it into the melee and winding it through them at breakneck speed.
The creeks were in fine form through late winter, and while the odd rainfall came through, this is not likely to have
shaken anything up too much just yet.
Threadfin salmon finally started playing the game, with a couple of fisheries, namely the Brisbane and Caboolture rivers, reporting some of the best thready fishing in years. Hordes of 2-3-year-old
Land-based squidding is still an option in September, especially if the shallows on the western side of the bay stay clear.
fish around 50-60cm long seem to be the main cohort throughout the region, likely due to the high recruitment of fish following the massive flooding events. These fish still go hard for their size and will put any light estuary tackle through its paces.
Not all the fish are tiddlers though, with multiple metre-plus fish reported from the Caboolture, Brisbane and Logan systems in recent months. During drier times these fish mostly came from the middle and upper tidal sections of these rivers, however following rain the reports seemed to move downstream to where murky river water meets the cleaner bay water. Moving into summer we should see more fish moving toward the mouth section of these rivers as they prepare to spawn.
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Much like the threadies, barra will also start to move downstream as the summer storm season builds. For now though, most barra should be hanging out well and truly inside river and creek systems. A couple of known haunts include the Mooloolah, Caboolture and Logan rivers, as well as Bells, Coochin and Elimbah creeks. With that said, these magnificent fish, once thought to be rare in our region, are actually quite widespread and can show up in tidal water almost anywhere. The slight rise in temperature through early spring will prompt barra to increase their feeding, with lures such as soft vibes, 3-5” paddle-tail plastics, prawn imitations and deep-diving jerk baits all worth having in the box.
School mulloway were a real highlight this winter, and many successful sessions have been enjoyed in the Maroochy, Caboolture, Pine and Brisbane rivers this year. Most fish have been small, between 40-60cm, though there have been enough larger fish to make things really exciting.
Very few metre-plus fish have been caught in the estuaries this year, if any, but this isn’t unusual in our part of the world, where estuaries seem to act as nurseries for this species. I’ve tagged quite a few of mulloway in the Brisbane River over the years, and the few that have been recaptured over the metre mark have all been reported outside the river mouth, with one as far out as Shallow Tempest Reef off Cape Moreton!
As the mercury climbs, mangrove jack will enter the conversation again. With last year hailed as a bumper year for SEQ jacks, we can likely expect similar action this year. While it’s still a little cool in the mornings and afternoons, fishing a little smaller and slower with lures is often the key.
Live baiting can also be highly successful during spring, especially if the jacks are hesitant to hit lures. Mullet, herring, legal whiting, silver biddy, gar and prawns are all on the menu, so fishing any of these live, either with light weight or under a float near structure, is a good ploy. Last year early in the season I fished smaller systems with natural structure that are a bit harder to access. Once the summer storms moved in about January, I refocused on larger rivers and canals that could withstand a few heavy rainfalls and didn’t get washed out as easily. I reckon I’ll stick with that plan this year.
Spring is big flathead time, and with many ‘crocodiles’ already gracing our social media pages already, September should be a cracker. In recent years the big craze has been to throw large lures up to 11” long across shallow flats, with the idea being to grab the attention of the bigger flathead that are there to hunt whiting, gar, herring, squid and anything that fits in their massive mouths. Glidebaits, swimbaits, bent minnows, jerkbaits and soft plastics all imitate the slender prey that these monsters are chasing. The lower Maroochy, western side of Moreton Island, edges of Mud Island, the inside of Jumpinpin and throughout Pumicestone
Passage (slime weed permitting) are a handful of areas that have fired so far, but suitable flats can be found in most local estuaries.
Big flathead will also hang out in deep water; something that has perhaps been forgotten with the uptake of more exciting and visual shallow water techniques. The deeper channels in the Pine and Brisbane rivers have been teeming with fish between 60-80cm, according to the anglers chasing mulloway and threadies. Around the Port of Brisbane in particular, these fish have been a nuisance at times, fooling anglers into thinking they’ve hooked a decent mulloway or thready early in the fight.
To specifically target these fish, you want to look for shows of bait on the sounder. Big flathead (and other things) will often hang out beneath the mass of fish, and then it’s simply a matter of getting a lure down there. The Gold Coast Flathead Classic has been won multiple times using this technique, so it’s a timely reminder that throwing big baits in shallow water isn’t the only way to catch trophy flathead.
Spring is when our freshwater fisheries start to become more of a focus in our region. While winter can produce some exciting bass action, the warmer months are when we get to see the diversity available in SEQ.
Deep water techniques in the dams can still be very successful in September, and with late winter not living up to expectation this year, we might very well see a late rush in spring. Generally, the bass will be prone to eating moving baits as it warms up, and this means spoons, heavy chatterbaits and spinnerbaits, and soft plastics around 2-3” rigged on 1/4 or 3/8oz heads. Retrieving these lures through bass schools is a deadly technique in Somerset, Wivenhoe, Samsonvale, Kurwongbah and Borumba, with yellowbelly also likely to add to the fun as well.
Speaking of yellas, September is great month to specifically target them in the dams. Somerset, Samsonvale, Wivenhoe, Borumba and Maroon are our most viable yella fisheries, but they have been
stocked in other dams as well. In early spring these fish can often be found along rocky, weedy or woody banks soaking up the first rays of the day. At times you can spot the sluggish yellas as they try to warm up, and sight fishing is possible, though not easy. Small soft plastic grubs in black or brown colours rigged on light jigheads work well on these fish. The trick is to cast the lure past the fish so you don’t spook it on the cast, and gently swim it past it’s face in the hope that it’ll spend some precious energy to eat it.
As it warms up throughout the day, the yellas will gradually move deeper,
Carp are a spring favourite of mine and can be found in many urban and rural streams, lakes and ponds, along with Wyaralong Dam near Beaudesert, with the latter being a hot spot for big carp. In spring these fish like to mooch through shallow water, hoovering up whatever small critters they can find, and can be sight fished to with small soft plastics and flies. On fly tackle they can be as scrutinising of fly patterns as a spring creek trout, and once hooked can run like a bonefish.
Finally, the wild bass season opens on 1 September, and following last season’s epic run of fishing, my expectations are high again for this one. Scattered winter rainfalls have hopefully kept most local streams in a healthy state. Even if a system is looking a little dry, there will likely be bass holding in the tidal freshwater a little further downstream.
At this time of year, the fish will be quite hungry after several spawns over winter, but you might have to fish light and subtle to get a bite if the water’s clear. Weedless rigged soft plastics, suspending jerkbaits and small topwaters should cover your bases early in the season. Following the first major downfall we receive, the fish should be a little more energetic and willing to chase down faster moving topwaters, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and crankbaits.
Things are starting to warm up
It might still be a little cold in the mornings and evenings, but the bass don’t seem to mind. Wild creek fish will be looking to build condition after spawning through September.
and will respond better to spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, deep-diving crankbaits and vibes fished along rocky banks, drowned timber and weed edges.
Saratoga are another fish that emerge out of their wintery slumber in September, with Borumba, Kurwongbah, Hinze, Ewen Maddock and MacDonald the best dams to head for spring toga action. Most lures will get bit if they are cast near a toga, but you’ll need to identify where they’re likely to hang out. The sheltered water at the back of bays and inlets are always worth inspecting, especially areas with timber, brushes, lilypads or weed beds.
again, and I couldn’t be more excited for the action to come. Last spring offered a plethora of local bounty and it feels like this one will play out in a similar way. Here’s hoping!
• 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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weighted pilchards and squid floated out the back in 10m of water.
During the snapper and pearl perch spawning closure, many anglers switched their focus to targeting longtail tuna in the bay, using stickbaits up to 50g.
Anglers have also been catching tailor
Raper Shoal has been producing some grassy sweetlip in recent weeks. Some of the boys have done well using lightly-
In September, the snapper should be in full swing. My best bets would be hitting Murphys Reef and the Caloundra 12 Mile, and I’d be using soft plastics around the 7” size in the jerkshads. Nuclear chicken is one of the favourite colours.
The pearl perch should be firing at Caloundra wide this month, and it’s also worth having a look around the FADs for some mahimahi, throwing stickbaits.
Fishing up at The Hards can be very successful at this time of year, with good catches of snapper and pearl perch. On the western side, you can find some really nice tuskfish.
At Mudjimba Island and the inner Gneerings, we’re seeing plenty of squid getting caught on 3.5-size squid jigs.
There have been really good tailor (up to 55cm) caught along the stretches from Moffatts all the way to Kawana in the gutters. Stickbaits and chrome slugs up to 50g have been working well. A good outfit for this is a 10ft graphite rod loaded with 20lb braid and fluoro leader around 25lb.
There are still plenty of garfish in the river, taking peeled prawns fished under a balsa float.
In the river at Mooloolaba, anglers have reported good catches of flathead in the canal system using soft plastics. The bream have also started to come on along
La Balsa Park.
At the mouth of the Maroochy River, anglers have been getting tailor on pilchards fished on 3-gang hooks and fresh bonito. There are still flathead in the upper reaches of the Maroochy River, and a couple of the boys recently caught a few using swimbaits up in the shallows.
Ewen Maddock Dam has been producing some nice bass on 70mm minnows, with the Double Clutch being the standout. The bass normally hold a bit deeper in the colder months, and can be finicky, but as the water starts to warm up, the fishing will improve.
• 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.
September 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.
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BUNDABERG Luke Truant
It’s been three months of the best fishing I’ve ever experienced off Bundaberg, and we’ve consistently come home with full ice boxes. For example, on a recent trip in the last half hour (from around 2:15-2:45) every drop resulted in a massive trout or a massive Maori cod until the esky lid wouldn’t close – and that was a 210L esky, filled to the brim.
One of the bigger trout caught recently on my boat was a 75cm fish, caught by someone who wasn’t even meant to be on that charter. I was at the servo filling up at 5am when a
many trout.
In recent weeks, flesh baits have overtaken live baits for the larger fish; the bigger the bait, the better. If you want to catch a ‘photo on the wall’ trophy trout, I recommend whole hussar fillets or whole iodine bream fillets, which might be as big as 25cm+. Legal-size trevally and various other species can also make good flesh baits.
To rig your bait, just thread a single hook through twice at the fat end of the fillet, and you’re good to go. Some clients prefer to use gang hooks, which is fine, but I personally wouldn’t recommend it. There’s no difference in hookup rates (because the big fish engulf the whole bait) and
young guy on a motorbike asked if I ever get cancellations, because I get booked months in advance. I said, “You’re in luck; you can come out this arvo. See you 12 o’clock!”
He couldn’t believe his good luck, and he came out and had a great time, out-fishing everyone on the boat. His 75cm trout was his new PB by a long shot, and was caught on a big hussar fillet around 25cm long.
We’ve experienced red-hot fishing in many locations lately, although the best results have come from reef areas in 35-38m of water. In areas shallower than that, we haven’t caught as many fish, although they have tended to be very large (with very few small, hussar-size fish).
Most of the XOS trout have come from reefy areas and individual rocks. In these locations, be prepared to lose some rigs. It’s easy to get snagged up on the coral, and you can also get busted off when the trout get back into their holes.
Over the past month, most of our trout have been taken on single-hook paternosters with teardrop weights, with live baits or extra-large fillets. Remember that your paternoster loop should be longer than your live bait. It’s no good tying little 2” dropper loops – you won’t catch nearly as
weight can be another problem, as it feels unnaturally heavy to an inquiring fish, unlike a sliding sinker rig. That said, there’s no denying that it’s fun to fish with jigs, and they do catch their share of fish. They can be worth trying if you want to mix things up.
TUSKFISH AND SWEETLIP
So far this year, tuskfish and sweetlip have been less numerous than in previous years, but the average size has been bigger. We’ve been getting some big tuskfish on live baits, and the sweetlip have been eating really large flesh baits as well. Over the past month or so we’ve caught quality sweetlip up to 60cm and tuskies up to 65cm, which is huge, and most have come from depths of around 35-40m.
In shallower water, around 20m, the standout species by far is the red-throat emperor (red-throat sweetlip). We have been consistently catching red-throat up to around 4.5kg, which is enormous. Seeing these fish make a resurgence off our stretch of coastline is very satisfying, and they’re a welcome bycatch when targeting trout. The cool part about red-throat is that they pull all the way to the boat, unlike trout, which don’t fight for very long. And, of course, red-throat are fantastic on the plate.
WHITING AND FLATHEAD
no difference in how solidly the fish is hooked. The only difference is that you get more snags with multiple hooks. Another option is to use jigs, but bear in mind they can be expensive when fishing in snaggy country. You can easily lose four jigs in one day when chasing trout, costing roughly $15 per snag instead of the cost of a single hook. The cost might be worth it if jigs caught more trout, but they don’t. As far as the fish are concerned, a wellpresented bait looks more appetising than a lure with dangly plastic or feathers attached to it. The jig’s fixed
Some monster whiting are still being caught, with many taken over the shallow parts of the yabby banks –as shallow as just 10cm deep, in some places. Yabbies are the prime bait, and the best part is that feeding time is usually at the start of the incoming
tide, so you can get up the creek, pump your yabbies and use them straight away.
Diver whiting fishing out the front of Barubbra Island or Burnett Heads at this time of year is great family fun because it’s fast-paced. Using a 3-hook paternoster rig, you’ll sometimes hook three whiting at once, and the kids can catch lots of fish in a short time. Gathering yabbies is also fun for kids. The flathead run is kicking into gear, as they start moving out to
the river mouths in preparation for spawning. The ideal time to fish is an hour either side of the top/bottom of the tide, and you can get good results fishing the eddies on a sandbank right at the mouth. I prefer to use sprat with a single 2/0 live bait hook, and a tiny pea sinker running right down to the hook. Hook the sprat through the bottom and top lip like a live bait (the sprat doesn’t have to be live), and retrieve it with a super slow wind. If you feel pressure, stop winding and wait for the flathead to nail it before you set the hook. If you watch flathead in the shallows, you’ll see they only bite the bait halfway at first. Then they’ll take another gulp and take the rest. There can be a long pause between the first bite and the final gulp; sometimes as long as 10 seconds. I recommend using 10lb mono line for flatties, because mono has plenty of stretch. If you’re using braid and a flathead grabs the sprat, the lack of stretch can rip the bait out of its mouth.
When it comes to soft plastics for flathead, I prefer prawn imitations or curly-tails around 3-4” long, in bright colours such as green. Using scented plastics (or adding catch scent) helps with flathead because your retrieve is slow, with lots of pauses.
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Spring is finally here, and we can now look forward to longer days, warmer weather and plenty of fish to catch.
The water has been crystal clear in the creeks, even after some recent rainy weather, so there have been plenty of
easier for anglers to target king threadfin salmon and blue salmon on a variety of lures in some of the deeper holes in the creeks. Some of the best lures I have found at this time of year are vibes such as Jackall Transams, Samaki Vibelicous, or Zerek Fish Traps in 110mm down to the 65mm size. Changing lure sizes or altering the speed on the retrieve may
with a GT caught on a popper. Image courtesy of @blakeryanfishing.
Mitchell with a healthy sooty
Image courtesy of @jackmitche1l.
reports coming in. Bream and blue salmon have been making up plenty of the catches in the local creeks. Murray Creek, Constant Creek and Rocky Dam Creek are all worth a look. If you’re bait fishing, I recommend using fillets of ribbonfish or mullet; the predators can’t resist the soft, oily flesh. Use a 1/0-4/0 bait keeper style hook (it keeps the bait straight on the hook for better presentation) fished on a running sinker rig.
The cleaner water has made it a lot
at the mouth to Edmund Casy Bridge (Hospital Bridge) up the river.
If you don’t have a boat, try one of the fishing platforms along the river. There’s even the chance of catching a barra or mangrove jack at these spots, as the herring tend to school up near the structure.
get a bite. Soft prawn lures can also be very effective.
Queenfish have shown up in the Pioneer River in good numbers, and they are a fun fish for anyone in the family to catch. Using surface lures like Halco Roosta poppers or metal slices will have the schools of fish worked up. If you prefer to use bait, try a live herring. The herring can be caught a fair way up the river, from East Point
Flynn Dodds with a 62cm flatty caught on a ZMan paddletail at Cape Palmerston.
Anglers have been catching Spanish
A solid nannygai caught on a glassed-out day. Image courtesy of @embracethecourse.
mackerel in good numbers when the weather has allowed. Slade Rock and Round Top Island have been producing some great fish inshore.
Our spring run of grey, spotted, and school mackerel has begun along the coast. Trolling lures such as metal spoons, Halco Laser Pros 120mm or RMG Scorpions will locate the schools of fish if they’re not up feeding on the surface. Black-spot tuskfish, grassy sweetlip (grass emperor) and some
nice coral trout have been turning up for anglers using bait around the same areas.
Offshore, the fish have been on the chew during good weather windows. Quality coral trout and grassy lipper have been caught in good numbers around the islands. Prudhoe, St Bees, Baileys and Derwent islands are all good spots to chase a feed, and they all have rocks or pressure points where you can bulk up the catch with a Spanish mackerel as well.
Just remember, at the end of the month we have a Reef Fin Fish Closure (30 September to 4 October) and a Spanish mackerel closure (30 September to 21 October).
September is a good time to dust off the barra gear now that the weather is beginning to warm up. At Kinchant Dam, we should start to see the fish become a lot more active around the
edges and on top of the weed beds in the coming weeks. It’s always a good time to sight fish for the barra early in the morning, using unweighted soft plastics or even the fly rod. Great fun!
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Dave Hodge
To anglers living inland or down south, 7°C doesn’t sound ‘that’ cold, but phew, we felt it in Townsville! The mercury dived in July, forcing locals to sort through their wardrobes in search of jumpers and tracky dacks. It’s been a while since they were needed.
The upside to the cool weather is that it’s perfect for camping. Sitting around a campfire, minding a camp oven roast while watching a bait rod, is therapeutic, that’s for sure.
During the cooler months, target species in the rivers and creeks are pretty standard for North Queensland. You can encounter grunter, cod, jacks, bream, whiting and (on all but the coldest days) barra. If you want to catch barra, it’s best if you can coincide a low
Luke Neil has made a name for himself as a good fisherman, particularly for fingermark. This 85cm model was taken trolling an 8m Scorpion 125 in the bay.
Winter usually means using small lures, but if you’re having no luck it’s time to switch things up. In this case, a bigger 7” Halco Paddle Prawn rigged weedless did the job.
tide with the end of a warm day, when the water temperature can rise a couple of degrees.
It’s hard for any fish up here to resist a live prawn, and surprisingly, barra also love fresh mullet fillets. Every winter, we get surprised anglers at the Fishing Warehouse telling us how their livie sat there for hours without any interest, and as soon as they filleted it and cast in the same spot, hoping for a grunter, a barra smashed it. It’s definitely worth trying. I recommend rigging your mullet fillet (or a half pilly) on a 3/0 to 4/0 Octopus Suicide Gamakatsu hook. Leaders should be around that 15kg mark if you’re in an area that may give you a
The latest Fisheries research says that Spanish mackerel numbers are dangerously low, which is strange as many anglers are getting their bag limit in minutes. Trolled wolfies and gar rigged on wog heads are doing well, along with the old faithful Laser Pro 190, trolled at around six knots. As with every year, quite a few have been taken from the shipping channel before they even hit open waters.
Plenty of doggie mackerel are haunting the channel markers, and there have been quite a few big spotty mackerel mixed in with them. Trolled 4m Halco Scorpion 90mm lures have been very effective, and anglers are also getting good results casting slices and slugs at the channel markers. A standard casting and trolling outfit consists of a 20lb spin reel on a softish 6’ to 6’6” rod, to avoid pulling the hooks on these speedsters.
If it’s more reefy type species you’re after, try trolling an 8m Scorpion in 10-14m of water and see what comes up to eat it. This is not the time to use skinny line; 30lb braid outfits with 40-50lb leaders are about average. I use my Atomic Arrowz 16-25lb baitcaster rod with an old tough Abu Premier for this stuff, as it’s light in hand but ballsy enough to set a hook and put heaps of hurt on when I need it.
The species I’m after while doing this are mainly trout and fingermark. You can also expect to catch cod (you can’t avoid them) and other bottom species.
Our favourite way to fish these shoals and reef edges is casting soft plastics. Not
This big barra was taken stalling a Halco TB 80 around a sunken tree in brackish water. This colour scheme has been working a treat.
chance of a barra.
Whiting and bream are best targeted using a lighter ‘tippy’ outfit, with a 3-6kg leader and smaller hooks around the 4-6 size, with a peeled dead prawn or small live prawn.
only does this attract a wider range of species, but the bite and fight are very different from when you’re trolling. It’s more direct and brutal to catch them on the cast, and the adrenaline rush is much more satisfying.
Some nice grunter have been taken from the shoreline lately. The author caught this one on a fresh strip bait while sitting back and enjoying a warm winter’s day.
If you’re fishing a shallower reef or shoal, longer casts may be needed in the clear water. You don’t want to spook them with the shadow or silhouette of the boat, and the sound of waves hitting the hull. Stealth is important. Sometimes it takes several casts to a likely-looking
bommie to get the bite, while at other times, it’s just a smash-and-grab affair.
An electric motor with spot lock ability is a big advantage for this type of fishing. Outfits for this approach are between 20-30lb braid on a spin or baitcast reel, with 30lb to 40lb leaders.
For a number of years, the Ross River Dam in Townsville has been stocked with over 100,000 barra by the Townsville Barramundi Restocking Group. Some of these fish are reported to be nearly a metre long.
The Restocking Group has been working with Townsville City Council and Fisheries QLD to unlock this fishery. The group’s efforts have finally paid off, with the Council voting to fund the project.
The Townsville Barramundi Restocking Group made the following reply to the announcement by Fisheries:
“Thanks for the support, Fisheries QLD, for working with our Restocking Group and Townsville City
Council to unlock this great fishery and become the newest dam on the Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIP) scheme, giving something back to the community, even though it has taken quite a few years of red tape to navigate. We also appreciate the support of our local community (individuals, groups and businesses) in seeing this through.”
In Stage 1 of the plan, land-based fishing facilities will be constructed, estimated to be completed in 2025.
The next stage, scheduled to begin after Stage 1 is complete, is the construction of launching facilities for boatbased anglers.
To stay updated on the project, follow the Townsville Barramundi Restocking Group on Facebook. - FMG
And yes, fluorocarbon is best for this style of fishing.
Regardless of whether you’re fishing the rivers or offshore, there are plenty of fish getting around to keep anglers happy – even the most experienced, hard-to-please fishos. Shark predation is the only limiting factor in catch rates for offshore and salt river enthusiasts.
Not all shark species are an issue; it’s the bullies and bronzies that are decimating anglers’ catches. I don’t agree with any of the ‘scientific research’ regarding bull sharks and bronze whalers. And it’s not just anglers who are suffering – our fish populations are also getting hammered by these sharks.
It will be worth throwing some pots in the rivers and on the flats this month. Crabbing can take considerable effort, but it’s also very rewarding when there are good numbers of crabs about. Bag limits of 14 per boat have been common, and most of the legal-sized crabs have been heavy and full.
When you combine the good crabbing with plenty of squid, prawns and fish, it’s a seafood lover’s paradise.
ROSS RIVER DAM OPENS TO
For a long while the council didn’t seem the least bit interested in opening the Ross Dam for recreational boating, even though it has been stocked heavily with barra. The council did grant access to a piddly little piece of shoreline for anglers to sample, but most of the dam remained off-limits.
The Townsville Barramundi Restocking Group has been working tirelessly with the council and DPI to secure fishing access, and their efforts have finally paid off. The council put the issue to a vote, and the funding has been approved! We now have a fantastic new SIPs fishery right on our doorstep, which is great news for local anglers, holidaymakers and local businesses. There has been no real reason for this
process to have taken so long, and many of us are thinking to ourselves, “I hope they actually do as they’re saying they’ll do.” Time will tell.
The first stage of the project will be setting up land-based fishing facilities at the dam, scheduled to be finished in
Plenty of big whiting are haunting the beaches and creek mouths. The author recommends using a peeled prawn rigged on a #4 or #6 Gamakatsu Whiting Hook.
2025 (but hopefully sooner). The next stage will be installing a boat ramp, scheduled to be constructed within 12 months after the land-based facilities have been completed.
Until next month, all the best to you and I hope you get a chance to enjoy this incredible time of year.
HINCHINBROOK
Ian Moody
info@ianmoodyfishing.com
Hinchinbrook’s temperatures are now starting to slowly rise from one of the coldest winters experienced in many years. After weeks on end with sub-19 oC water temps, it made it one of the slowest winters I’ve seen inshore for a while.
Schools of big barramundi have been mostly sulking in the deeper stretches of the Hinchinbrook Channel by day, and then often using the large tide that occurs at night to come out for a feed. It has also shifted or thinned out bait schools in many areas which in turn often takes the predatory species with it.
A few good weather windows
have allowed a lot of anglers to get out to the reef and give the winter Spanish mackerel a shot before it warms right up. A few anglers I spoke to say the Spanish mackerel have been plentiful given there is a supposedly low biomass showing up in fisheries research.
Fingermark have been in good numbers in the channel during August, they’ve mostly been just smaller school sized ones with the odd 60cm thrown in – it’s great to see them coming back in numbers over the past year or two. There’s been plenty of small gold spot cod mixed in with them too, which can be pain if they decide to start taking live baits meant for fingermark.
On the barra front, charters have been fairly hard work. Bites have
been very finicky and fish have not really wanted to eat properly. They can become very difficult to hook when they behave like this – they don’t inhale their prey but pick up the
CAIRNS
Dan Kaggelis
dkaggelis@gmail.com
September is by far the best time of year to chase mangrove jack in the Trinity Net Free Zone. The moment the switch is flipped and the water warms up, by the even in the slightest, these red devils will come on the bite in a very big way.
My local creek in Half Moon Bay always fires up in September and it is my favourite part of the year to chase them. It always surprises me how a creek system can seem so dead over winter yet come alive in spring. Anglers can expect the same behaviour in the other rivers in the Trinity Net Free Zone and the jack fishing will also significantly improve. The Cairns Inlet will hold the bigger jacks and fish up to and over 50cm can be expected. The Barron River and Thematic Creek will also see some excellent jack fishing as well.
Those anglers who are into their bait fishing for jacks will find the most success using fresh herring and mullet. Whilst live baits will work, jacks tend to prefer a dead herring, or a dead mullet butterflied. Jacks will hit baits hard, so it pays to keep the rod in your hand at all times. Circle hooks are not a bad
idea as they hook themselves easily. If you don’t want to use circles, suicide hooks are also a great choice.
For those throwing lures it will be hard to go past a rolled paddle tail.
Biwaa Submissions and ZMan Diesel Minnows are perfect for this time of year. I prefer a very fast retrieve as
the fish are keen to chase lures down. They will often hit right as the lure hits the water so be prepared for that hard hitting strike. In terms of a hardbodies, Lucky Craft Points cranked down into snags will also get the bite. For deeper snags vibes will be your best bet. The new TT Quake Slim Vibes are certainly worth throwing at jacks this time of year. Since the floods, many of the rivers and creeks have settled down and there are many new submerged structure to cast at. It really does pay to spend some time scanning for these. I like to use the side scan on my Humminbird Helix to find these submerged structures and then use the down scan function to get a more detailed look. When I find evidence of a number of snags in an area I will use my 360 to get a big
bait in their lips and swim forward towards you. They don’t seem to be really interested in live bait this time of year and prefer that stimulating effect from plastics or hardbodies
Big jacks will be on offer so make sure you are ready for when they bite your lure or bait.
picture of the ground surrounding me. The 360 is perfect for not only finding the proximity to snags but also if fish are moving between them. This is my favourite method as when you pull a fish off one snag, the rest will move to the snag nearby. Rotating between submerged snags which are in close proximity allows you to not spook the fish and keep them biting.
Barra will also be on offer both on the beaches and in the rivers. The number of barra caught through the cooler months has really been a fantastic sign leading into the warmer months. They usually take a little while longer than jacks to come on strong, but they are still worth chasing them.
Next month will be one of the best times of year to fish in the Trinity Net Free Zone. All the target species will be firing so make sure that you get on the water as much as possible to make the most of it.
that are presented up close and personal to them. However, we have been getting quite a lot of rats on the flats and in among the timber in that 50-60cm range with an occasional 80-90cm thrown in.
Looking ahead into September should see things heat up, so to speak. As the water temp rises, the barra activity increases as well. Last year’s September and October months were pretty awesome for my charters as a lot of the larger barramundi start to show up in big numbers. The last few years they have done this without fail where sometime during these months they show up in numbers almost overnight at all the usual locations for barra to aggregate. They usually
increase the urge to feed more ahead of their spawning season, sometimes we catch them on headlands in as little
water’s edge on rocky headlands and mud banks. You would be surprised as to how shallow those big metre-plus models actually swim in and quite often when you land that lure in front of them they smash it on the surface in incredibly shallow water. I’ll be making the most of these months before the barra season closes. • I still have a handful of good barra dates left for this season. Gift vouchers can still be purchased if you’re looking for birthday gifts. You can email us at info@ianmoodysportfishing.com or phone us on 0402 339 459. Barra
as half a metre of water hugging the edge as they sometimes look for those popeye mullet cruising next to the
season closes midnight October 31st, so get in early to secure a booking for this year.
The Duo Fumble 230F will change your topwater game. Built tough and ready to dart and flash, the Fumble 230F will trigger bites from brutal bluewater species. The Fumble 230F is bad to the bone.
Length: 230mm
Weight: 65g
Type: Floating
Hook: Treble #4/0 - #5/0
Available in 5 colours
PORT DOUGLAS Lynton Heffer
www.fishingportdouglas.com.au
It’s time to start considering fishing in the Far North for the next couple of months as it promises to deliver big results, whether inshore or offshore on the Great Barrier.
Who would have predicted that in the middle of winter, our barramundi continued to plough along with outstanding results? Typically, you’d be lucky to get a peep out of barra at this time of year but instead they have been a steady highlight in the region. The water temperatures didn’t drop off sufficiently to force them into hibernation this year so it has kept them active. Lure fishing is not cutting the mustard, but live baiting is. Smart timing and a bit of patience
with a juicy morsel twitching in front of their nose has been the key to prompting a response. Once one engages, often the others around will quickly join in. They are schooling fish and can trigger each other into action in fear of missing out.
They haven’t been undersized or rat barra, which can be the case in the middle of winter, but instead bonafide rippers ranging between 65-85cm. The days and weeks ahead will see the water temperatures maintain current status and improve further. So, it is anticipated this run of barra will continue to thrive in what has been the best year we’ve seen for this species for a very long time. In saying all this, lure techniques will come back to the fore as we re-enter into warmer weather.
love the
Not to be dismissed has also been the great run of fingermark, which have appreciated the same conditions. Models in 45-65cm range have been a consistent feature in the main river systems. Other than this javelin fish, golden trevally and river trevally have filled in the gaps for calm water enthusiasts.
When you look back through the logbook the coldest months prove to be a frustrating period for offshore fishing, mainly in regards to the prevailing southeasterly winds that put pay to quite a few well laid plans. There was a lot of re-shuffling and at times the bad weather was too much for a trip. This, however, is due to change with a more stable weather pattern on the horizon for the remainder of the year. To date, fishing the outer reefs is where the better action is for bigger quality fish. As opposed to a month or so ago, where the fish were in suicidal mode, this time around they do require a bit more elbow grease to get the desired results.
Quality large-mouth nannygai and
COOKTOWN
Justin Coventry
The weather should see some fishing action increasing this month as the barra start be more active and the mackerel start to be a regular sight at the wharf as they start entering the river mouth. There is plenty of action to be had when the fish are on at the wharf, and there is little room to move on it with the locals looking to catch a nice feed for dinner.
The bait schools will be key to the whole process and if the herring schools turn up in numbers the fishing will turn on. The morning run tide usually brings some nice fish in and the action can be exciting with some large Spanish mackerel making an appearance.
I’ve seen some fishers spooled with a large mackerel peeling off line to escape their capture. With the rod and reels available these days the chances are better to land these bigger fish but by far the best method is in a boat. This allows the opportunity to chase the fish if needed and positioning the boat near the channel markers in the river mouth means you have first crack
at them as they enter the river mouth before getting to the wharf. Having a good live tank is key to holding the herring in good condition for the session. The wharf is usually crowded and makes for some interesting manoeuvring as fish do some blistering runs.
There can also be the resident groupers lurking under the wharf who make an unwanted appearance as they see a nice mackerel tired and floating in easy range to devour in one mighty mouthful. People are often on hand to help and some local have the much-needed gaff to secure the prize catch. The best method
I find is to throw your herring up stream of the tide and let it move along with the current until the fish hit this strange bait fish sitting out wide of the school trembling with fear. It usually doesn’t take long before line is peeling off the reel and the fish trying to escape. The key is also to make sure you have a short trace to stop the bite offs and make sure it is not too long to spook the fish. There is always the risk of the tail cut-through if using mono. Short traces seem to get more bites and the risk is minimal.
Lures can be productive, but I think nothing beats the real thing and lures can
spangled emperor fishing deeper water between 30-40m have been active on the change of the tides, and further up in the shallows there’s been classic plump coral trout for the taking. Spanish mackerel numbers are remaining consistent, and it pays to have a floating pilchard out the back of the boat when reef fishing the deeper columns of water. Trolling lures over the same territory holding big bait schools generally doesn’t disappoint. One space we are all interested in is the potential for a good run on the small black marlin this year in the next couple of months. Following a massive wet season it hopefully will convert into a bumper season, and I look forward to reporting on this soon.
We are on the cusp of a blue ribbon period on our fishing calendar so stop your dreamin’ and let your reel do the screamin’ and join us in tropical Far North Queensland.
Tash is all dressed in SunSmart gear to chase coral trout.
be running a direction differently than the flow of the tide. Lures that work well are ones that match the bait. The Live Target Herring lure are so life-like I’m keen to give them a go to see how they handle the attack, but they are expensive and might only last one strike with the teeth that mackerel have. I’ll give it a go but thinking it’s not going to end well.
There will be greater opportunity this month as the weather warms
CAPE YORK
Tim O’Reilly
wildrivercompany@gmail.com
As we break through the dull haze of August, created by fires and onshore dry season breezes, everyone is glad that September is here. With
spring weather.
Barramundi will be amongst the first to show a significant uptick in numbers, a renewed hunger driven by warmer temperatures. As a species, they tend to slow down their metabolism during the latter winter months of July and August. All of a sudden, when water
warmer water temperatures and the possibility of light breezes at some stage, September normally offers up at least one or two pockets of perfect
This mangrove jack couldn’t resist a soft plastic prawn imitation.
for some barra action. The warmer temps will no doubt fire up activity and the river systems are all well stocked with these awesome ambush predators.
The author’s son, Jono, with a decent bar cheek coral trout.
The snags and artificial structures allow for a nice area for barramundi to hide out of the current and wait for that unexpected bait fish to mill passed before getting nailed by their big bucket mouths. Luring should see some great action and allows the search area to widen. The rule is to always target areas
close, and the shallow sandy gutters can be a pleasure to fish, especially on calmer mornings with a high tide.
Some of the other estuary-dwellers also spring to life at this time of year.
Mangrove jack, fingermark (golden snapper), bream, cod, blue salmon and flathead, just to name a few, all liven up throughout spring. On some of the Cape’s east coast rivers, it can be surprising how many bartail flathead suddenly show up on the shallow banks. Where they all come from is anyone’s guess. On the neap outgoing tides, you have a real chance of experiencing one of those jack pack-attack sessions that many anglers can only dream of. Fingermark of large proportions might come in close to the rocks and shoals from September through until Christmas.
on the East coast will be rewarded with some earlier morning calms and fish ready to play the game. With the fishing getting a well-earned rest from June through until September, we can expect
temperatures hit some arbitrary level (which differs from place to place) the barra seem to appear out of nowhere to again start smashing lures. Of course, they still need to eat from time to time over winter, but their rate of activity and feeding behaviour takes a dramatic uptick as temperatures rise.
The beginning of spring also tends to boost the food webs that the fish and other marine life of Cape York rely on for sustenance. With the coastline now mostly clean and clear and the many creeks and river mouths pushing out only tidal water, things seem a little more fishy along the inner coastal margins. Bait schools move right in
where bait are moving and see those ambush areas that can hold your prize fish. River drains and structures close to river mouths seem to produce the goods.
I like the runout as the bait start to move out of the safety of the mangroves and do the dash along the river fronts and the rock walls at the waterfront in Cooktown.
There is some exciting fishing to be had this month!
The reef fishing should hopefully see some more weather windows open this month and will only get better as we enter October. There has been a recent opportunity in the last month to venture out and get some beautiful coral trout. They were so hungry and abundant. I managed to get out with my son and we easily got our quota. It was great to have some nice fresh fillets for dinner and some to go in the freezer for later. Cooktown is renowned for its winds, especially in the winter months, so this rare opportunity was not to be missed. I think most of the town took advantage of this unusual weather window. However, there should be more opportunities to venture out to the reefs over the next few months.
We are now well into the dry season, but bear in mind that this is following on from a very productive wet season across much of Cape York. The result is more fish in the creeks, rivers and bays, washed out with last year’s wet season.
These fish are now busily searching out prey items, to pack on weight. Taking advantage of productive conditions, the fishing should be red-hot as we head into the back end of the year.
Trailer boats wishing to get out wide
some good things when those decent weather windows present themselves.
Down around the Ribbon reefs, the giant black marlin fishery will be just getting underway, with some behemoth game boats shooting wide out of Lizard Island. Let’s hope this year brings these guys plenty of shots on granders and super-sized black marlin. This is a trolled bait fishery, where good crews with large gear do battle with some of the world’s largest fish.
Peter Jung
It almost seems like every month leading into September has been the build up to what should be one of the best months to fish our South East Queensland impoundments.
Kurwongbah is certainly one of the waterways that people in the local area are hoping fires up in September. Although the early signs at the start of August (time of writing) have been positive, this fishery continues to puzzle many anglers.
The fish have definitely settled into a schooling pattern on many of the creek
The bass in our larger/deeper waterways will be schooled up and looking for a feed while the fish in our smaller waters will start to show signs that they want to push to the warmer edges of their respective waterways, meaning you have many more options/areas to target them. This warming water trend will
Kurwongbah, choosing the right lures to explore these edges can be very important. Anything with treble hooks tends to find you spending more time removing weed from your lures that actually fishing, so I have found spinnerbaits to be an excellent searching tool or lipless crankbaits (I replace the trebles with inline singles) can also be very effective. They tend to get through the weed without hooking up and the commotion of the lure banging through the weed can lead to
Some of the author’s favourite searching lures for Lake Kurwongbah or for any lake really. From left to right, 1/2oz Obsession spinnerbaits, Live Target Sonic Shads in 1/2oz and 3/8oz and the Rapala 5cm V-Blade. Note the lipless crankbaits have been rigged with inline singles to improve their snag resistance.
bed drop offs around the lake, however getting them to eat a lure has been problematic. For most the best option has been a 3-4” paddle tail soft plastic or a 10-20g metal spoon sent to the bottom and slowly rolled back to you with the odd pause to let it sink back to the bottom. This method has produced fish, but not the bigger fish that we know are present in the lake.
So, what should change in September? One thing that won’t need to change is that an early start is not required until we get into the warmer months. Gentleman’s hours will suffice as this will allow time for the water around the edges of the lake to warm a little. This is important as, although the fish will still school in the zones mentioned, they will start to move to edges more often to feed. Meaning that any distinct weed edge in the lake has the potential to hold fish and because they are there to feed, better fishing.
Because of the amount of weed in
also see fish like golden perch and even saratoga become more active, while it is most probably the last month where our Murray cod lakes will fish really well, before these fish focus on things other than food. So, if there is one month that you should be out fishing one of our freshwater impoundments, it is this
one. I will see you out there. Until next month, see you later from PTP Fishing.
• 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.
can only hope that this means, some of the Kurwongbah monsters come to the party.
• 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
some explosive bites. I will put an image in the report to show you some of my favourite options.
Like all the other lakes, the school fish should also become more active and we
At the time of writing, Somerset Dam continues to tease anglers with some very hot and then some very cold fishing. Those fishing the deep water flats and drop offs have been able to find fish and get the odd fish or two to bite, but then have found the fish have scattered or have gone off the bite. This volatility in the bite windows (deep water) should reduce as September is recognised as one of the best months to fish Somerset and these deep schooling fish.
Two must have lures you will need to have to target them with are metal spoons and 3” paddle tail soft plastics.
20-40g spoons like the Hot Bite G2, Norries Wasabi or the Palms Slow Blatt are popular amongst anglers and will catch more than their fair share of fish.
As far as soft plastic options go, some of the newer plastics in the market like the Rapala Crush City The Suspect and the Noike 3” Wobble Shad are excellent options, while the original go to Slider soft plastics continue to catch to hold their own. Jighead weights tend to be either 1/2oz or 5/8oz to get your plastic to the bottom and to keep it there as you slow roll it back to you. The more active fish tend to be on the bottom.
If your bite slows, but you still have fish schooled under you, it can pay to have a small metal blade rigged. Sometimes hopping these blades just off the bottom amongst the schooled fish can just be too much for the to resist and once you get one there is every chance more will follow.
The fishing in the timbered zones of the lake should continue to be another good option to catch a few fish. The golden perch continue to be active and the odd good bass is mixed in with them. This should only improve
COOBY DAM
Warming weather patterns and increasing water temperatures should see the fishing in Cooby improve for all forms of fishing.
The goldens should be foraging around the edges providing good access to them for shore-based anglers. Baits of choice will always be saltwater yabbies or worms, while lipless crankbaits or
No matter the size, our freshwater fish are in great condition at this time of the year.
AWOONGA DAM
September at Awoonga will be the beginning of the best months to go and fish the lake. Days will begin to get longer and temperatures will slowly get warmer and the fish will become more active.
While this process is happening, your best options will still be the focus your efforts on the weed edges and the backs of bays. Any areas that the warmer maybe a few degrees warmer.
in September with medium running hardbody lures and 5-6cm lipless crankbaits fished through the timber or along any rocky shorelines being the deadly option. Spinnerbaits can work well in this situation as well. I know I will definitely be spending a few days at Somerset at some point during September.
• 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
spinnerbaits cast along rocky shorelines or to visible structure can also be very effective.
For those anglers able to get on the water, fishing small blades, vibes or baits around structure or depth changes can be very effective.
As water temperatures increase, trolling will become a very good option.
The key is use lures that run at the correct depths, ideally just above the bottom. Many people focus on areas with shallower water and structure. The area in the northern arm of the dam is a popular area for trollers. There are plenty of good lure options out there. Halco Poltergeists and the various depth Hide Up lures have been working well.
• 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
Reports out of Leslie dam continue
With that the better times to fish will also be later in the day and into the evening. The early evening fishing will only get better as the temperatures get warmer. Lures and plastics ranging in length from 5.5inches to 8 inches will be your best options.
Although many of the reports coming through are about metre-plus barra being caught, there are also plenty of smaller models finding their way into people’s landing nets. It is great to see these new year classes coming through. They are the future of the fishery.
and water
– 5:00pm Friday to Sunday. MOOGERAH DAM
Although still fishing well, the Moogerah fish are starting to show signs of fishing pressure. By this I mean you can certainly find concentrations of fish, but they are now a little harder to get to bite and bite periods tend to be shorter if you do get them to commit.
Paddle-tail plastics and small blades have been the undoing of plenty of Moogerah bass recently. The Rapala Crush City The Suspect has been popular amongst the anglers I spoke to. They
to be positive with many anglers now focusing on targeting the Murray cod in the waterway. A few goldens continue to caught by anglers using bait (saltwater yabbies or worms). If you are looking to target the golden perch at this time of the year, I would suggest fishing the afternoons, especially on a warmer day. They will be a bit more active if the sun warms the water a little bit.
As mentioned the focus for many has switched to the Murray cod in the waterway and all signs are that they are there, you just need to put in the time on the water. Surface lures have been working during the low light periods of the day, while spinnerbaits have been the best option during daylight hours. Trolling can also be an effective method to explore the waterway. Finding structure and trolling nearby is the key to this option.
Talking to John from Warwick Outdoors, it sounds like fishing the Condamine River in Warwick itself
ABT tournaments will be at the dam from the 16th to the 18th of the month. Lots of very experienced anglers fish these events and the reason they are there at this time of the year is because they expect the fishing to be on the improve.
• 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 great way to learn more about this lake and its fish.
also said that even though they come scented, that extra scent made a big difference on how the fish bit the lure. The other thing they mentioned was that the better fishing was generally from mid-morning onwards, so that is something to keep in mind if you are looking to give Moogerah a try.
Trolling can also be a good option find fish that are more active. The range of Hide Up lures have been popular amongst anglers. They come in a range of diving depths, so it is easy to find one to suit the area you wish to troll in.
is well worth doing. Plenty of golden perch are being caught on saltwater yabbies and worm baits.
• 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.
ROCKLEA
BRISBANE BOATING & LEISURE
1713 Ipswich Road Rocklea
P: (07) 3875 1600
E: sales@brisbaneboatingleisure.com.au
W: www. brisbaneboatingleisure.com.au
• Troll control with 10 RPM increments.
• Most tiller tilt angle adjustments.
• Most side to side angle adjustments.
• Only tiller in market with relocatable port or starboard shift lever.
• Integrated engine information display.
• Industry first heated grip (optional).
GOSFORD INSINC MARINE
20 Dell Road West Gosford
P: (02) 4324 4300
E: troy@insincmarine.com.au
W: www.insincmarine.com.au
GRAFTON DISCO MARINE
160 North Street Grafton
P: (02) 6643 1199
E: sales@discomarine.com.au
W: www.discomarine.com.au
PORT MACQUARIE HASTINGS MARINE
185 Hastings River Drive Port Macquarie
P: (02) 6583 5511
E: sales@hastingsmarine.com.au
W: www.hastingsmarine.com.au
COFFS HARBOUR
COFFS HARBOUR MARINE
311b Pacific Highway Coffs Harbour
P: (02) 6652 4722
E: info@coffsharbourmarine.com.au
W: www.coffsharbourmarine.com.au
McGRATHS HILL
TR MARINE WORLD
4 Curtis Road McGraths Hill
P: (02) 4577 3522
E: sales@trmarine.com.au
W: www.trmarine.com.au
MERIMBULA
MERIMBULA OUTBOARDS
382 Sapphire Coast Drive Tura Merimbula
P: (02) 6495 9634
E: info@merimbulaoutboard.com.au
W: www.merimbulaoutboard.com.au
KINGS PARK
WATERSPORTS MARINE
11 Binney Road Kings Park
P: (02) 9676 1400
E: info@watersportmarine.com.au
W: www.watersportsmarine.com.au
TAREE
MANNING RIVER MARINE
13 Victoria Street Taree
P: (02) 6552 2333
E: jim@manningrivermarine.com.au
W: www.mercurydealertaree.com
NORTHERN GOLD COAST
ONSHORE MARINE
Horizon Shores Marina Woongoolba
P: (07) 5546 2480
E: onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au
W: www.onshoremarine.com.au
EVERTON HILLS
HOLT MARINE
25 Queens Road Everton Hills
P: (07) 3353 1928
E: info@holtmarine.com.au
W: www.holtmarine.com.au
CAPALABA
MIKES MARINE
9 Smith Street Capalaba
P: (07) 3390 3418
E: sales@mikesmarine.com.au
W: www.mikesmarine.com.au
SLACKS CREEK
AUSTRALIAN MARINE CENTRE
3491 Pacific Highway Slacks Creek
P: (07) 3808 7333
E: sales@amcboats.com.au
W: www.amcboats.com.au
NORTH ROCKHAMPTON
RIFEN BOATS
6 Dooley Street North Rockhampton
P: (07) 4927 9150
E: rifen.boats@bigpond.com
W: www.rifenboats.com.au
AIRLIE BEACH
WHITSUNDAY OUTBOARD CENTRE
17 William Murray Drive Cannonvale
P: (07) 4946 7286
E: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au
W: www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au
KARUMBA
JONES MARINE
30 Yappar Street Karumba
P: (07) 4745 9159
E: jonglo@bigpond.com
W: www.jonesmarine.com.au
IPSWICH
IPSWICH MARINE
45 Huxham Street Raceview P: 07 3294 3944
E: enquiries@ipswichmarine.com.au
W: www.ipswichmarine.com.au
GOLD COAST
TR MARINE
167 Currumburra Road Ashmore
P: 07 5532 5812
E: shaun@trmarinegc.com.au
W: www.trmarinegoldcoast.com.au
BRISBANE
The Sheik of the Creek
Sometimes, actually I should say rarely, I like to get out just to get out.
And I’m not referring to my illustrious cricketing career. I’m talking about the boat and fishing. Obviously. If you’re new to this column, I tend to discuss fishing things – the clue is in the name of the magazine.
alternative vibe. And I have to say, it’s a good thing to do occasionally. I loved the feeling of the cold rain on my face. I didn’t fret when it took two hours to get two herring and a mullet. I didn’t throw my toys out of the cot when I stood on my tackle box. And that’s not a euphemism.
If you read this column you know that the usual result of our trips is ordinary. We catch less fish than a giant non fish catching thing. The irony is, when you take all the
Having said that, I have been known to detour into unrelated topics such as cars, driving, psychology and other things you don’t expect to read about. And I don’t expect to write about. I sit down and the words pour out like... well I won’t go there.
But back to last week’s trip with Skipper. It was Queensland cold. There were showers about. The tides were wrong. The seasons were wrong. Skipper and I like to target summer fish, our favourite being jack, threadies and barra, along with fingermark if possible. The wind was wrong. It was blowing a steady 400 knots from the southeast. So, our expectations were low.
Low expectations can sometimes be the key to an enjoyable and successful trip. There’s no drive to get out early, catch that tide, castnet those livies and set up on your honeyhole. Hopes are set as low as Tom Cruise’s jockstrap. We can poke along at our own pace, not the pace dictated by our desire to succeed.
The whole trip then turns into a more chilled out excursion, which is different to our normal full-on frenzy. Drop the boat off the trailer, park the car, wander down, reorganise everything on the deck, reorganise the reorganisation, check everything is where it should be, have time to go back to the car to get the things I’ve forgotten, like sounders, beers, outboards, rods, tackle, Skipper... It just makes for a completely
pressure off, that need to catch fish, you can change the outcome. The typical doughnut can sometimes give way to an absolute belter of a trip, with fish coming in right, left and centre...but that didn’t happen. We caught nothing.
What do you think this, a life lesson?
The Shimano Undulator lipless crankbait boasts a tight, vibratory swimming action that’s effective at all retrieve speeds, but truly shines when worked slowly. Its unique design allows it to be bumped into the bottom, particularly in rocky areas, and then paused to rise slowly, creating an undulating motion that drives fish wild.
The lure’s translucent body contains a foil mirror suspended on small, sensitive springs, enabling captivating flashes to be seen when the lure wobbles. Even when stationary in the strike-zone, the Flash Boost technology emits a continuous and enticing flash that increases visibility, particularly in bright conditions near the surface. This enhanced visibility and pulsing flash greatly improve strike rates.
Designed for use in and around underwater cover, the Undulator is built to withstand the toughest conditions, and its lipless design and top connection significantly reduces the risk of snagging on timber or rocks. www.fish.shimano.com
Mercury’s new 8hp and 9.9hp EFI
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These engines deliver up to 27% better fuel economy than earlier carbureted models in the same hp range, and provide an extra hour of runtime at 3,500rpm using a 12L tank. Pound for pound, these outboards produce more top-end hp than prior-generation carbureted engines, and weigh less than most EFI outboards in their class.
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The 9.9hp EFI ProKicker offers all these benefits plus a high-thrust, 4-blade prop for superior control. The new model is 5kg lighter than its predecessor, and has a heavy-duty Command Thrust gearcase and standard power tilt.
For more information and specs, visit the Mercury Marine website. www.mercurymarine.com.au
The Rapala X-Rap Saltwater has long been considered a go-to lure by many anglers. With its famous wounded baitfish action and amazing finishes, the Rapala X-Rap Saltwater can be used to target a host of Australian fish species.
It is hard to improve on a classic like the X-Rap Saltwater, but Rapala Australia has done just this by introducing four new Aussie colours to the X-Rap Saltwater 10 range. These colours are: gold alburnus, Halloween, chartreuse live roach, and purple prawn UV.
These new colours complement the current range and provide anglers a colour option to suit any fishing condition.
Price: SRP $25.95 www.rapala.com.au
Now available in 5000-18000 sizes, the 24 Certate SW is ready to rumble and tackle fresh and saltwater species across Australia.
Certate SW shares its Monocoque body (MQ) with the famous 20 Saltiga, houses the incredibly large G1 Duralumin drive gear, also shared with the 20 Equipped with Daiwa’s Zaion design, Certate SW is light and and delivers up to 40g of weight when compared to 20 Saltiga. The of Certate SW is incredibly light responsive.
Certate SW comes equipped Magsealed line roller and Magseal When combined with the MQ construction, this ensures the Certate SW is supremely well sealed to the elements.
The multi-layer carbon drag delivers times increased drag durability compared to 16 Catalina. The new washer combined with the aluminium drag knob, increases heat dissipation, improving drag performance under load.
High speed models (8000-18000) come equipped with a soft-touch, grip, egg-shaped knob that delivers and comfort for the sweeping motions working a surface lure. Slow speed have an EVA Power Round Knob for the up and down working of jigs. All 5000-6000 size models feature EVA Power Round Knob. www.daiwafishing.com.au
The Samaki Saltan rod range redefines what an offshore rod can be, for those who believe ‘weekend warrior’ is a title earned, not given.
Skillfully crafted with premium composite blanks, each Saltan model offers unparalleled action. Further reinforced with X-Weave carbon technology in the butt section and equipped with legendary Fuji components, this rod delivers both premium performance and rugged durability.
The Saltan is available in three specialized sub-series: Reef, Boat, and Jig, ensuring that no matter the challenge, you’re armed to the teeth. www.samaki.com.au
ZMan’s new Rattle-Snaker lets you insert a glass rattle into your soft plastic for added attraction and strike triggers. An ingenious hollow needle and pushrod design makes this insertion process quick and simple.
Simply push the needle into the soft plastic, remove the rear section of the tool, and drop the rattle point first into the front (needle section) of the tool that remains in the plastic. You can then reinsert the rear section of the tool, and the pushrod slides the rattle into place. Remove the RattleSnaker from the plastic, and you’re done.
A flip-top compartment in the rear section of the tool lets you store additional glass rattles, and the Rattle-Snaker comes ready to go with 10 glass rattles included. Replacement rattles are also available. A surgical tubing needle guard is fitted onto the stainless-steel needle for safe storage.
This exciting innovation is sure to be a game-changer, especially in low-light conditions, when the water is dirty, and when the bite is tough.
Price: Tool and 10 rattles: SRP $23.95, 10-pack replacement rattles: SRP $9.95 www.z-man.com.au
Alex Bellissimo
alex@bellissimocharters.com.au
The cool winds will continue this month, with the traditional westerly winds, sou’westers and cold northerlies keeping the temperatures down. Some days should be nice and balmy, though.
If you haven’t brushed the dust off your gear yet, now is the time to do it, as there are some good prospects available. Let’s look at what’s biting in September.
Rock blackfish (aka black drummer or pigs) are quite reliable
also encounter luderick, bream and groper (remember that all groper must be released). Other possible catches include leatherjackets (normally the 6-spine ones), bream and even trevally.
When you consider the huge variety of species you can catch off the rocks, it’s pretty impressive. Sometimes you’ll catch most of them in one day.
You can encounter two opposite sea conditions: really flat seas or massive swell, normally from the south (with the occasional large northeasterly swell).
When there’s a west or northwesterly wind, the seas are
in the cool waters at the moment. The best time to target rock blackfish is the half run-in to about two hours out in the tide.
Silver drummer are often caught alongside the pigs, as they inhabit similar terrain. You may typically flat or nearly flat. In these conditions, you can fish most spots off the rocks, but sometimes it’s so flat that the fishing is poor. On really glassed-out days, you need to be there when the light is low so the shy pigs aren’t reluctant to be on the chew.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, you can have seas over 2-2.5m – sometimes reaching as high as 4m. Most anglers won’t fish in these conditions, and rightly so. In many locations, large sea conditions are best left for advanced rock fishers. There are some safer options, though. One option is to fish the high ledges like Warriewood or South Curl Curl high ledges. They are around 7-9m above the ocean, so they can be fished in relative safety in up to about a 3.5m swell. Both can be fished in a southerly swell and south/south-west wind direction.
During flat conditions there is a smorgasbord of spots. One good location to try is Little Bluey at Manly, which has some great ledges. Weed baits for luderick and rock blackfish can be a great option, because pickers like toadfish and kelpfish can demolish prawns and cunjevoi baits. Weed baits are less likely to catch undesirable species, although the downside is you may get fewer bites on the outing. I recommend fishing your weed baits under a small bobby float, no. 1/0-2/0 double-strength hook, and fluorocarbon leader (I use 6-10kg J-Thread X-Link).
While fishing the high ledges, you’ll want to have a heavier outfit and heavier leader/braid, or straightthrough mono. Fish 12kg or slightly heavier, because you may need to wind up sizeable pigs. This cannot be done on lighter gear.
Trevally
Trevally are one of the main species still in the washes, mixed in with some snapper, bream, Aussie salmon and tarwhine. It’s not the peak season for trevally, but they’re still in good numbers. They prefer
John Halford with a well-earned bag of rock blackfish. He and the author had to move several times to catch them. During flat conditions fish can go off the bite quickly, especially when you drop a fish.
cooler water, and will usually hang around until December, depending on the water temperature.
Silver trevally are, without a doubt, one of the best sashimi fish of them all. They also make a great cooked fish, so long as they’re not too big. I recommend keeping the smaller ones between that legal 30cm size to about 40cm. When silver trevally get to about 1.3kg+ they can get the odd parasite, which can change the quality of the flesh. These bigger fish are still safe to eat but not as nice as the smaller ones.
Trevally like softer baits like pilchard, peeled prawns, pink nippers, and soft fish baits. They will also eat squid, cuttlefish, and even cut crab at times, but these firmer/ harder baits don’t work quite as well. Berley is important when targeting trevally. If you have seen these fish swimming around in schools, you will notice they swim around quite quickly, covering a lot of water. So, when the berley trail is cut off, they can be gone within minutes. To avoid this, keep a constant trail in the water, rather than berleying intermittently.
Like snapper, trevally prefer the deeper headlands, especially when you’re wash fishing. That said, the rock spots that only have 4m or slightly more are still OK at the right time of the day.
Little Bluey Manly, South and North Curl Curl, Dee Why, and Long Reef are a few spots that produce
Gary Brown
gbrown1@iprimus.com.au
Despite the chilly conditions and cold water, plenty of fish have been about for those keen to brave the elements.
The rocks have been firing for drummer, bream, trevally, luderick, salmon and tailor. It has just been a matter of picking a window when you can safely fish off the rocks. Try fishing the northeast side of Bare Island, the Kurnell Peninsula, Boat Harbour, Windy Point at Cronulla, Jibbon Point, Coalcliff and the southern end of Stanwell Park Beach.
If you prefer to fish the beaches for
from
dart, bream, whiting, tailor and salmon, you can try from where the sand meets the rocks at Boat Harbour and all the way down to South Cronulla.
I have been using TT Hard Core Plus metals in the 40-60g weights, and whole pilchards on a set of ganged hooks for the tailor and salmon. Live beach worms and pink nippers have been doing the job for the whiting, dart and bream. You could also try using half pilchards or whole whitebait.
Many anglers think that squid are
quality trevally fishing. BEACH FISHING
September isn’t the best time to fish for most of the beach species we normally encounter during the warmer months. Aussie salmon are king of the beach species in this cold-water period, along with short windows of tailor of different sizes. The crack of dawn is the best time to target them, but be aware that the run is generally short. Usually, you’ll get only a 15-20 minute run, then they’re gone.
Salmon and tailor respond well to whole fish baits, like a wellpresented blue pilchard, on a set
only a seasonal prospect, but you can actually catch them all year round. I have had several reports of squid being caught off the rocks, offshore and in the estuaries, so make sure you have a few squid jigs in your tackle bag. If you need a few more you could pop into the BCF store at Taren Point and I can show you our range.
Offshore, the bluefin and yellowfin are still on the chew; it’s just a matter of picking the right day with the right conditions. A few of my mates have told me you can go out one day and have it nearly to yourself, and the next day there are so many boats it’s like driving down Pitt Street. Some anglers have been losing a lot of fishing line to other boats that troll over the lines, getting it tangled around their props. One boat had to get towed in because they got so much line around their prop that it jammed up.
Botany Bay has started to pick up on the flathead, bream and trevally front. Try the oil wharf on the run-out tide, the end of the third runway on both the run-in and run-out tides, wide of Towra in around 4-5m depth, the end of the 1st runway, the entrance to Woolooware Bay and just off the spit at Dolls Point
State Park.
The bass have finished spawning and are moving back up into the freshwater. There may be a few left on the saltwater side of the weir on the Woronora River this month. I have found that spinnerbaits work well on the bass and you don’t tend to get caught on as many snags when using them. Green, red and purple are my preferred colours.
The Port Hacking will have started to warm up by now, and this will hopefully make the fish come on the chew. The last time I was on the water it was 15.1°C, and my sounder only reads to about 1m in depth. So, I can’t imagine
for those with a boat.
Luderick are in numbers off the north and south ends of the Captain Cook Bridge, the southwest side of the Tom Uglys Bridge, Bald Face Point, The northern side of the Como Bridge, the old ferry ramp at Lugarno, Soily Point, The Moons and the Georges River
West from Fergo’s Tackle World managed to find a bluelipped bream while chucking a Samaki Vibelicious Fork Tail soft vibe while walking Silver Beach at Kurnell.
of three 3/0 to 4/0 hooks. You can purchase gang hooks at just about any tackle shop. If you want to avoid using bait, just bring a few metal slugs/slices in your kit.
A good outfit for salmon and tailor is a 3-6kg line class reel (e.g. a Saltist MQ 4000 to 5000) with 10-12lb braid and 12-16lb fluorocarbon leader. Half a dozen metal slugs from 20-30g will suffice. Stock a carry bag with your scissors, cloth, lure box, and scissors, and you’re set to go. Walk from gutter to gutter, and when you find the salmon, you will have the time of your life. They’re super fun fish on light gear, especially when they get
to 60cm+.
Trevally are also an option on some beaches, and you may encounter some sizeable tarwhine, too. If you want to get a mix of tarwhine, trevally, and the odd whiting or bream, try using prawns (preferably peeled).
Beach worms are awesome baits as well, and yabbies are also effective. Tarwhine are seldom caught on fish baits; they prefer crustaceans and worm baits. Your whiting gear will be suitable for these smaller species.
September can vary from year to year; some years the snapper are quite good distance casting, and some years a cold water run of whiting
what it was down on the bottom.
Leatherjackets are still plentiful in the Port and are chewing up lots of soft plastics. When this starts to happen, many anglers switch to metal vibes and hardbody lures. You can also use tougher soft plastics, such as the ZMan range. The leatherjackets don’t tend to make a mess of those.
Until next month, don’t forget to keep those reports and pictures coming in to gbrown1@iprimus.com.au.
will turn up. Generally, however, you can expect the species I have mentioned above.
• 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.
BALLINA Anthony Melchior
With the strong westerlies that have been blowing during the day, and the swell a bit more predictable, don’t be afraid to get out deep this month. You can have a lot of fun chasing deepwater species like bar cod and blue-eye trevalla.
caught by anglers fishing in the deep holes in the river and off the north and south walls.
The flatties have been in great numbers too, downriver toward the mouth. Their movements haven’t changed much lately; they are still mooching around downriver. They will start to move upriver later in September.
There have been reports of good-sized kingfish getting around the King Pins. You can catch them on 100-200g knife jigs or by soaking baits.
When it comes to snapper, we haven’t had the usual winter/spring bite. They took a while to come in close and they haven’t been as big as previous years.
Most of the snapper have been pan-size fish up to 50cm, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any big ones getting around. Larger 80-90cm models are rarely in these same schools, but they do show up from time to time.
You definitely know when you hook one of these fellas.
Bream are in big numbers in the gutters on the beach, with the odd tailor still getting around in the gutters.
We’ve seen some big specimens caught over the past month, in the 55-70cm size range. You can catch them on baits like blue pilchards and slabs of bonito.
With warmer conditions becoming more consistent, whiting are starting to show up. These guys love eating blood and beach worms on a small 2/0 red baitholder hook.
Mulloway have been in good numbers in the river, and you can catch them on 5-7” soft plastics or use live mullet or yakkas. Some good fish up around 10-15kg are being
you the bites.
Some fish are still in that winter mode, and you’ll find them sitting on the deeper drop-offs. You can catch these guys on blades and smaller soft plastics.
The creeks up around Teven and the other side of Lismore later in
Something that passionate bass anglers look forward to every year is the open season for Australian bass. This year is ramping up to be a good season for these guys. Up around Coraki way, you can catch them on the edges early in the morning on surface lures such as weedless frogs. The Daiwa Kicker Curlys have been a prominent surface lure, and the ZMan FrogZ are also productive.
As the day gets on, the bass will come off the edges and move a bit deeper. I recommend throwing HideUp 150s at them in colour bone or AM. Using 15lb will be more than enough to stop these fellas. Bassman spinnerbaits in a 3/8-1/2oz in some natural baitfish colours will also get
September should start to fire as these bass start to move upstream, following their natural pattern during their spawning run.
Some good estuary perch are still getting caught. These fish start to fire up as temperatures rise, and they can be a really fun by-catch when chasing
bass and bream.
Whiting are starting to turn up in numbers on the sand flats around Pimlico and Wardell. Anglers have been reporting catching them on surface lures and small soft plastics flicked across the flats. If you prefer to fish with bait, you can catch them on bloodworm baits on the flats and the edge of the flat drop-offs.
With a couple of warmer days, the big boys in orange (mangrove jacks) are starting to show up along the rock walls around Ballina. There’s always the risk they will bust you off whilst chasing bream at this time of the year. It’s not fun when you’re using expensive lures on light line, but that’s fishing!
Until next time, tight lines.
your
NORTHERN GOLD COAST ONSHORE MARINE
Horizon Shores Marina, Woongoolba 4207
Phone: (07) 5546 2480
Email: onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au
Website: www.onshoremarine.com.au
BRISBANE HOLT MARINE
25 Queens Road, Everton Park 4053
Phone: (07) 3353 1928
Email: info@holtmarine.com.au
Website: www. holtmarine.com.au
AIRLIE BEACH WHITSUNDAY OUTBOARD CENTRE
17 William Murray Drive, Cannonvale 4802
Phone: (07) 4946 7286
Email: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au
Website: www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au
CENTRAL COAST INSINC MARINE
20 Dell Road WEST GOSFORD
Phone: (02) 4324 4300
Email: troy@insincmarine.com.au
Website: www.insincmarine.com.au
MID NORTH COAST DISCO MARINE
160 North Street GRAFTON
Phone: (02) 6643 1199
Email: sales@discomarine.com.au
Website: www.discomarine.com.au
SYDNEY NORTH WEST TR MARINE WORLD
4 Curtis Road McGRATHS HILL
Phone: (02) 4577 3522
Email: sales@trmarine.com.au
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GEELONG EDENCRAFT MARINE
22-30 BUCKLEY GROVE MOOLAP
Phone: (03) 5248 4520
Email: admin@edencraftmarine.com.au
Website: www.edencraftmarine.com.au
September is traditionally the start of the Coffs marlin fishing season, and we generally see solid numbers of striped marlin grace our shores throughout September and October.
The best way to find stripes off Coffs is to head out to the 100m line and start pulling lures. My favourite lure is the Fatboy Rogue in purple and black but honestly, any skirted lure in that 7-12” size range will attract a stripie. I often run a bird and daisy chain type teaser with two or three lures out, start fishing around the 100m line, and then begin a zig-zag pattern from 100m out to 150m. If the current is running south, I tend to start up north of South Solitary and troll south along the
Longtail are hanging around late this season, so expect to find these hard-fighting tuna inshore, chasing bait schools.
shelf line until I find fish.
I like water above 22°C, and the more blue the water is, the better. Spend your time searching for that good water, birds feeding and temperature breaks. Throughout September, you usually don’t have to troll for too long before you find some action.
CREEKS AND RIVERS
There have been some consistent reports of good catches in our local creeks and rivers of late.
Typical for this time of year, bream have been feeding in the lower reaches of most systems, and the creek mouths during a run-in tide are always reliable.
Fresh bait such as yabbies are deadly on bream at this time of year, and you can find good yabby beds in Boambee Creek to the south of Coffs, or Moonee and Red Rock creeks if you are up north of town. Other baits such as worms and pilchards also work well, as long as they are fresh.
If you like chasing bream on lures and fly, working the oyster leases in the Urunga and Nambucca rivers can be immense fun and it’s a very challenging
September is when the big reds come in close, like this thumping fish the writer caught from a kayak in 7m of water.
way to target bream.
September starts to see some big female flathead being caught as the weather warms up. Now is the time to get those big glidebaits out onto the flats and chase a big lizard. Live baits also work well. Remember, any big flathead is a vital part of the systems in which they live, so let them go – just make sure you get some pics before you do! Spending a day walking the flats in the Urunga and Nambucca systems will generally produce a solid fish or two.
The rock walls around the mouths of the bigger rivers generally hold good numbers of luderick throughout September, so gather some weed and give these tough little fighters a go. Bleed them on capture, remove
the black stomach lining, and you might be impressed at just how tasty luderick can be.
Off the beaches, tailor and mulloway are the primary targets this month, and most beaches will at least be holding tailor in the gutters. Driving along either Boambee or North Beach at low tide is the best way to locate likely-looking gutters, which can be fished as the tide fills them.
The beaches north of town,
Striped marlin are the first billfish to arrive each year, and September is the time to start chasing them.
including Hills, Sapphire and Moonee, are favourites for mulloway at night. Live tailor and yellowtails can produce a fish of a lifetime at these beaches. There are plenty of sharks and rays to keep you frustrated but persistence will pay off when that big mulloway shows up. It makes all those hours standing in the cold worthwhile when you see that big slab of silver flapping on the sand. The local headlands will still be producing drummer, luderick, tailor and bream, so look for areas of white water (but without sand mixed in) and pump some berley in to concentrate the fish. Baits such as prawns, crabs, pilchards and yellowtails strips are all gun offerings and the old rule ‘fresh
are the best way to find the tailor.
is best’ should be kept in mind when it comes to bait. Small to medium stickbaits and old-school metals will get you a feed of tailor, and the rocks around the quarry and Gallows
Vic Levett
We have had relatively warm water and slow offshore currents throughout the last few months. These conditions have allowed plenty of anglers to access the deeper waters off Trial Bay. Fishing has been quite good and not too many people have missed out on a feed.
Striped marlin and yellowfin tuna have been encountered out around the canyons and should continue to be a viable target throughout spring.
Along the coastline, from the Jail to the Lighthouse, anglers have been catching good quality tailor and all manner of trevallies. Try casting into washes with medium-sized metals or soft plastics. There have been plenty of small tuna species around as well. If you look for the
Winter is traditionally snapper time. However, while there have been some good fish taken, I wouldn’t say it’s been a great year for reds. Most fish have been holding up on the deeper reefs of 40m and deeper. Plenty of pearl perch, trag, nannygai and flathead are mixed in with the snapper. Most of the deeper reefs are holding large schools of big slimy mackerel, which make perfect slab baits for these species.
Fish Rock has had some good kings on offer but not large numbers yet. Hopefully, we’ll get some good currents to fire these fish up and get them actively hunting the baitfish being pushed in from up north. These types of conditions are perfect for targeting kingfish on topwater lures such as stickbaits and poppers.
can produce good catches of choppers.
As mentioned at the start of this article, September usually heralds the start of the striped marlin run, and with it, the beginning of a new game fishing season. The odd early mahimahi may show up at the wide fish traps if the water is warm enough, so it pays to keep an out for traps and give them a quick troll past.
Some bigger kings and sambos will start turning up around the islands and reefs out to 70m if you’re looking to get stretched. If the kings are up on the top, chasing them with large stickbaits is a pretty spectacular way to catch them. Use the right gear or you’re simply wasting your time.
The bottom fishing can really fire at this time of year, whether you’re deep dropping out past the 200m line
blue-eye trevalla. Ian Black scored some great fish to 15kg. September is a great month to target deeper water fish such as bar cod, gemfish and bass grouper.
Luderick are the main focus for most anglers in the Main River and Back Creek. Fishing the incoming tide with fresh weed is the go.
Bream are also on the chew. Mattys Flat and the Public Wharf are loaded with bream, and plenty of people are getting
feeding birds, you can encounter plenty of mac tuna, bonito and frigates.
Deep-dropping the waters from 200m and beyond has produced some quality
or chasing mega reds in 20m. There will be snapper, trag and pearlies feeding at most depths, so move around to cover different depths to locate the fish instead of staying in the same spot. Floatline sessions are particularly productive at this time of year as the current has backed off, and the snapper can’t resist a consistent berley trail.
Once you’ve caught a few, cooking tailor fresh on the beach as the sun goes down makes a session complete.
into them. Lightly-weighted baits are a good option to tempt the larger, wary fish.
Mulloway catches have been reasonable, with a few large fish over 120cm being landed. Dedication and persistence throughout the bitterly cold nights have paid dividends for hardy anglers. The break wall has seen small mulloway and flathead being landed regularly.
Lure fishers have been doing well on flathead and bream in recent weeks. At this time of year, it’s best to fish the last of the incoming tide when water temps are at their highest. This makes the fish feed more actively.
September is also a great time to target mud and blue swimmer crabs.
Drummer or rock blackfish have been on fire and should continue to bite well this month. There are so many spots to target them along the Mid-North Coast. Pick a spot that’s safe to fish with a decent amount of wash and plenty of food, such as cunje and weed, and the drummer won’t be too far away. Bream and small mulloway will also be in similar areas.
The key to this style of fishing is using
berley. Old bread and prawn heads mixed in a bucket of saltwater will get the fish feeding at your feet.
Big tailor are prime targets in spring. To target them, use garfish and pilchards cast out and retrieved slowly through the washes. Low light periods, such as dawn and dawn, are the prime times.
We have turned the corner and are now into some warmer weather, so get out and get amongst it. Be sure to drop into our local tackle shops and get the latest info on what’s biting.
• 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 kingfish, 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 www.Oceansportsfishing. com.au, Insta Ohsportfishing, Facebook Oceanhunter Sportsfishing. Email vic@ oceansportsfishing.com.au, or call 0414 906 569.
Kate Shelton
Spring has arrived, and with it a surge of heightened fishing activity along the Macquarie Coast. As the ocean warms and currents shift, we start to see some pelagic species head down the east coast of NSW.
September is a great time of year to head offshore around the Macquarie Coast. Baitfish schools, pushed south by prevailing currents, congregate in depths of 100-200m of water, creating a feeding frenzy that attracts yellowfin tuna and striped marlin. For those seeking a challenge, the prospect of landing one of these powerful game fish is an irresistible draw.
While the offshore action is undoubtedly enticing, the Hastings River offers a more relaxed fishing
experience. Although less active in the lower reaches, Luderick can still be found around the local break walls and wharves. Green weed and sea cabbage are proven bait choices for these bottom-dwelling fish. Bream enthusiasts are experiencing a resurgence in catches, and the local oyster farms are emerging as the most popular location. Yabbies and prawns have been particularly effective in enticing these hard-fighting fish.
Flathead remain consistent throughout the river, and both lures and live bait are producing good results. Anglers have also reported early sightings of mud crabs in deeper sections, signalling the start of a great crabbing season. For those who prefer rock fishing, Queens Head and under the lighthouse are delivering impressive catches of tailor. For easier access
Shelly Beach area has been a reliable spot for bream, especially during the dawn hours when these fish are most active.
holding good numbers of these prized fish, with a mix of smaller models and larger specimens. Soft plastics and berley have proven to be effective
Roods had a fishing adventure to remember,
with his mum and dad during the school
Heading south to the Camden Haven River, beach anglers are enjoying the return of salmon schools. These hard-fighting fish provide exhilarating action, and small metal lures are proving to be the best bet. Tailor are also present, although in smaller numbers, offering additional opportunities for anglers. Both North Haven and Diamond Head are producing consistent catches of bream and whiting, making them popular choices for families or those seeking a more leisurely fishing experience. Mulloway enthusiasts continue to find success in the Lake Cathie area, where these elusive predators can be found lurking in deeper channels. Offshore, the Camden Haven region is renowned for its snapper fishing. Most reefs are
techniques for targeting the bigger fish. For those who prefer exploring the underwater world, the Macquarie Coast offers exceptional diving opportunities. The past few months have been productive for lobster hunters, with many divers returning to shore with impressive catches. As the water temperature stays a little cooler inshore, September is expected to be another great month for lobster fishing.
Whether you’re an experienced angler or a novice, the Macquarie Coast has something to offer everyone this spring. With a diverse range of fishing opportunities, from the challenging thrill of offshore encounters to the relaxed enjoyment of river and rock fishing, there’s no better time to cast a line and come and visit the beautiful coastline we have to offer.
• 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, kingfish, and bass groper. For more info look up ‘Bay Explorer Marine Services’ on Facebook and Instagram, or find her store on eBay.
FORSTER Luke Austin
How awesome is spring! Anglers love this time of year, and for good reason – the fishing options are endless, and with improving conditions, things will continue to fire up over the next couple of months.
Flathead continue to improve down the bottom of Wallis Lake, and
Voorby with a cracking flathead.
they will only get better as things continue to warm up. We have seen some very big fish landed down on the rock walls and back near the Fish Co-op, all of which have fallen for live baits. Throwing big hardbodies in and around the sand flats has also been working well. September is often the month where you might not get a huge number of fish, but
nice fish starting to come from the shallow weed and sand areas in the southern half of the lake. Casting shallow crankbaits and small soft plastics is the easiest way to fool these fish. You will also get the odd one on surface lures now that the prawns have started to move about. If you are bait fishing, concentrate on the oyster leases, bridge pylons and rock walls. You can expect to run into plenty of solid fish in these locations, so be ready to go hard if you want to get them out away from the structure!
Whiting reports are yet to heat up.
I have heard of a few nice fish coming from the flats on worms and yabbies, but they are still fairly thin on the ground. With the prawns starting to move, the whiting will be hot on their heels, so they should fire up a bit more by the end of the month.
Their smaller relatives, the trumpeter or winter whiting, are slowly building up towards Green Point. While the numbers are a little on the low side, the size of the fish is very good!
This month is a special one on the fishing calendar because it’s when we get to experience some absolutely insane kingfish action. During the second half of September and all of October, we are lucky to have schools of big kings congregating in and around our amazing estuary system as they go through their annual spawning routine. While we have resident kingfish permanently sneaking about the estuary, this
are still plenty of bream hanging around the rock walls and jetties.
the ones you get will be very nice fish and worth every bit of effort. If you are chasing a feed of tasty flatty tails, heading a bit further up the river is still the best option; think about targeting areas such as Coomba Park, Regatta Island, The Cut and up the Wallamba River.
Bream have well and truly spread throughout the system, with some
on end. While we have seen the tailor numbers taper off a little, there are still some nice fish about, particularly for those anglers fishing baits into the evening. If you fail to find any tailor, the bream are almost a guarantee and you just never know when a mulloway might come along to surprise you!
It’s been good to see the first dart for the year turn up in numbers and it means that those tasty Summer whiting won’t be far behind them.
Our offshore waters are alive with activity and there is no shortage of fish out there waiting to be caught!
If you are lucky enough to come across a bait ball of pilchards, you can encounter a range of predators.
Hordes of bonito, tailor, mac tuna and even longtail tuna have been gorging themselves while they can!
On the demersal front, snapper are still fishing very well, particularly out in depths of 30-80m.
Unfortunately, the shallow grounds are still hit-and-miss; they
are holding fish and you will most likely manage to land one or two solid ones but that will be about it before they fully shut down at sun-up.
Besides snapper, the deeper reefs are holding some big trag, pearl perch and leatherjackets (so pack some wire).
A few boats have headed wide for a deep drop recently and while they all managed fish, most of them reported that all their marks were plagued by kingfish! It’s not a terrible problem to have but it makes getting to the pearl perch and bar cod very hard.
• 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 to go to land your next trophy fish while visiting the wonderful Great Lakes region! They are open 7 days in the main street of Tuncurry. Give them a call on (02) 6554 9541 or look them up on Facebook to see what they have been up to!
month there will be a noticeable increase in the number of fish in the shallows. It is time for anglers to dust off the heavy gear and have a crack at some of the best and toughest fishing you can do!
Local beach anglers have enjoyed an unbelievably good winter fishing season with an almost endless supply of solid tailor and bream for months
By the time this issue hits the stands snapper season will be underway here in South East Queensland. With this in mind I thought a nice snapper spin rod would be suitable for this months rod builders workshop. Frogleys Offshore have now expanded their range of Samurai blanks to include a range of new models. These are known as CG3 blanks and consist of 37 different models covering a wide variety of applications in both 1 and 2 piece blanks. These blanks have been specifically designed for Australian conditions and have all undergone rigorous testing in our local waters before being released to the market.
MY BLANK OF CHOICE
The model blank I have chosen for my snapper spin rod is the CG3-OS473.
This blank is 7’ long with a fast taper, line class rating of 14 – 30lb and will fish lures from 10-50g. The blank has a nice sensitive tip section and possesses power in the butt section to subdue a snapper’s early powerful runs. The sensitive tip section, not only aides in bite detection, but will also act as a shock absorber for the snapper’s characteristic early surges resulting in less pulled hooks.
REEL SEAT AND BUTT
Starting with the handle setup, I have used a Fuji rubber butt cap on my rod as it is not only practical, but very comfortable in use. If you wanted a gimbal, you can use the Fuji gimbal rubber butt cap which has the gimbal grooves incorporated into the rubber butt cap. This is a very good compromise as it covers
multiple uses. I prefer a full rear grip on this type of rod, so I have used a 12” Duralon grip. I don’t feel there are any disadvantages of the full rear grip and it allows the rod to sit better in the rod holder. A Fuji DPS reel seat matches in perfectly with the configuration I have used on this rod. As I have opted for a silver and gun metal colour combination on this rod, I used the “CC” reel seat which has frosted silver white hoods. An 8” Duralon foregrip is a comfortable and functional size. As this comes in a tube, I shaped it to what I wanted on my lathe. I have finished the handle with a silver winding check to fit in with the colour pattern. All of these components are glued with a 2 part slow cure epoxy glue. This is vital to provide the strength required for the strongest bond.
Although they are more expensive I like to use the Fuji Torzite guides on this type of rod. Having a titanium frame and the ability to drop a guide size for the full guide train as the internal diameter of the ring is larger than the guides with a silicon carbide ring. These Torzite guides reduce the weight of the rod and the smaller guide sizes increase the sensitivity of the rod. The titanium frames are very light weight and will not corrode. The other thing I like to do is combine the guide frame height options to assist in providing a smooth transition of the line from the reel spool through the reduction guides to the “choke” guide. The “choke” guide is the transition point
to the running guides on the rod. Combining guides in this fashion increases casting distance and rod sensitivity. It is a worthwhile exercise to tape a set of guides on the rod in this configuration and the tape a set of guides on the rod by starting with a larger stripper guide and reducing the guides one size at a time. The difference in the rods function is a dramatic result!
To add some visual appeal to this rod I have added a bit of marbling to match the binding colours. The guide binds are short only just extending beyond the guide foot. This also aides in producing a rod with excellent sensitivity. I always use size “A” thread on my rods. This provides the strongest thread attachment for the guides to the rod and also achieves the neatest cosmetic finish. Multiple thin coats of a 2 part epoxy finish rather than 1 or 2 thick coats will result in a pristine result that you will be proud to not only use, but show off to all your fishing mates! – Brad Job
Blank : Samurai CG3 – OS473
Butt Cap : Fuji BCBRC 19
Rear Grip : Duralon 12” x ½”
Reel Seat : Fuji DPSSD 18CC
Front Grip : Dualon 8” x 3/8” (I shaped this grip myself)
Winding Check : Speed A-C-WCF Chrome 12mm
Tip : Fuji TMNTT #5.5 / 2.2F
Guides : Fuji TKTTG 4 x #5.5, TKBTG 2 x #5.5, TKLTG 1 x #5.5M, 1 x #8H, 1 x #16H
Guide Spacing : Tip, 85, 95, 110, 120, 130, 135, 135, 162, 183mm (Guide spacings are from ring to ring)
The difference between fishing in late winter and early spring in Port Stephens can be dramatic, with a range of species springing into action as water temperatures rise.
In the estuary system, flathead will really come back to life as those warming water temps switch them into feeding mode. The best areas early in the season to target flathead are well upstream, with the Karuah River and
and clacking noises help the fish find the lure.
Luderick are still thick along the Nelson Bay and Anchorage rock walls, and the best bite window is an hour each side of a tide change. Make the most of the luderick fishing while you can, as they will begin to slow down next month.
Plenty of bream are also hanging around the rock walls of Nelson Bay and Anchorage marinas, and even a few estuary perch have been caught recently around the boats on the inside. Bait fishing is the preferred method for most
Plenty of bream have been hanging around.
Tilligerry Creek already producing some good catches. Water clarity up the system is typically pretty poor so you want your lure to stand out as much as possible. My favourite dirty water flatty lures are soft plastic paddle-tails around 100-130mm in pink, whites and motor oil colours, and I use plenty of scent too. Hardbodies like Daiwa Double Clutches will also work a treat in the dirty water on flatties because the rattle
anglers fishing around these areas, with unweighted prawns fished on the tide change always a winner. You can also opt to fish lures, like lightly weighted 2-3’’ plastics on 1/6oz-1/8oz jigheads, but you are better off lure fishing from a boat, working the structure and islands from Soldiers Point down to Pindimar.
Plenty of quality drummer are being caught from Boulder Bay through
to Rocky Point, as well as some nice bream and the odd squire. The typical way to fish for drummer is with 20lb line on a 9-10ft rod with a forgiving tip. You want the rod to be light enough to flick a prawn or piece of cunjevoi, yet quickly stiffen up to really put the breaks on the fish.
Drummer respond really well to bread berley so pack a couple of loaves and throw a handful around your bait every 10 minutes or so.
Flicking a 20-30g metal off the stones should yield some solid tailor this month, especially around the dawn and dusk periods off the deeper points and headlands.
Still on flicking metals, the same method can be used on the ocean beaches for good tailor. Box, Fingal Spit, Samurai and Birurbi beaches are all great areas.
Snapper have been red-hot if you don’t mind the big run up to Edith Breakers. The prime time is first
Some nice juvenile snapper have been turning up over the past month.
light, which means if you’re serious you need to be running up in the dark to catch this bite window, or fish late afternoon and come back in the night. Much of the area around Edith is a lure-only zone, so be sure to have your marine park map onboard.
Closer to home, good snapper have also been getting caught in 10-25m of water, from the Front of Fingal Island up Broughton.
The wider reefs have also been producing snapper. A few trag are starting to show up as well, along with some big sand flathead on the sand edges of the reefs.
If you have the boat range, Almark Mountain is well worth the run out, with good numbers of kings to 10kg as well as a smorgasbord of tasty bottom fishing options including longfin perch, gemfish, John Dory, snapper and morwong.
It’s been an exciting month for offshore anglers, as we have finally been treated to some good tuna catches. We’ve been fortunate to see bluefin in reasonably good numbers; about 15 bluefin that I know of were caught out of Swansea in early August, plus about a dozen yellowfin up to 64.5kg – and some even bigger ones were lost as well. The yellowfin have tended to be blind bites in deeper water, while the bluefin have been busting up through saruris. It’s very exciting stuff, and hopefully it will continue for a while longer.
We went out the just the other
day and were lucky enough to land a 64.5kg bluefin tuna caught by my son Patrick. Other boats were hooking up as well, with the best caught going 77kg. Some boats encountered both double and triple hook-ups.
We kept one of our bluefin, and I ate some of it as sashimi. It was delicious. The dipping sauce was a mixture of soy, sweet chilli sauce, half a lemon, and a few drops of Lancashire relish sauce (similar to Worcestershire but not as heavy). If you try it, you’ll love it.
In the coming weeks, we should see some nice squire-size snapper being caught from the shallow reefs.
Last month, there were plenty of squire caught between 35-45cm, with the odd 50cm+ fish in amongst them,
and this should continue in September In deeper water, the main targets will be snapper and kingfish. September-October is a great time to target kingfish because they’re gathering in pretty good numbers to spawn. Most are caught on live baits or jigging, and the main locations are the Southern Farm, Texas and the Perch Grounds.
The biggest challenge in September is typically the arrival of the nor’easters. After a session on the kings, it’s a 20-mile run back to Swansea, so you need to get home before the nor’easter ramps up. Nobody wants to be heading back in a 20-knot nor’easter right over the bow of the boat. It’s a long run home in those conditions.
Beach-wise, the fishing is a bit tough. In September, the tailor migrate to the estuary with the salmon, but there are still a few fish to be caught on the beaches on chrome lures or ganged pillies.
It’s a similar story off the rocks, with fewer tailor and salmon being caught. However, we’re seeing a really good run of rock drummer and luderick. September is a prime month for chasing these two species, but it’s important to be careful. Wear a lifejacket, and don’t fish when there’s a lot of swell around.
As the tide gets up, the drummer love to get into the shallow water over the rocks, and feed on the cabbage and cunje. High tide
Jamie Robley
As I type up this month’s column, those strong cold westerly winds are blowing. This is expected towards the end of winter and typically continues into September, so that’s my first prediction for the month.
Salmon have shown up in good numbers and will be a popular target around the rocks and beaches this month.
September is normally a dry month. I’ve been wrong before, but it’s more likely to be dry rather than wet. What does this mean for our local fishing?
is the best time to fish for them. During big high tides, you can get good fish in the kind of gutters you’d normally step over.
Using berley and peeled prawns, I’ve had some great sessions fishing for drummer at night off the rocks, getting smoking fish in only 2ft of water at times. In some places, you just put the prawn on the hook and let it swing like a pendulum before dropping it into the space – and you’re on.
The estuary fishing has been pretty good, and that should continue in the coming weeks, with plenty of salmon around. Although we’ve had salmon in Salts Bay, this season there have been more on the lake side of the bridge, in particular the western dropover known as the Air Force Channel. The run-in tide is the preferred time. Numerous salmon have been making their way right up to the boat ramp at Thomas Humphry Reserve, which is quite accessible.
The channel has been fishing well, with plenty of luderick spread
Well, dry weather makes for clearer water, and westerly winds make it even clearer. That translates to wary fish and tougher fishing. This tougher fishing will mainly affect those chasing bream or luderick in the lakes or Brisbane Waters; rock fishers targeting drummer, bream or luderick; and inshore fishing for snapper or trevally. To combat this, use lighter fluorocarbon leaders, try fishing a little deeper or wider, and concentrate more around sunrise or sunset instead of the middle of the day.
Westerlies also flatten out the surf and make for lousy or non-existent formations at the beach. We’ve had periods of big swell pounding the coast through winter and sure,
The author has been chasing yellow-eye mullet lately, with good results. These fish took a bread fly cast amongst some mashed-up bread berley from the rocks. If you’re not into fly fishing, try using small bread baits on a size 6 or 8 hook suspended under a float.
September isn’t the best month for bream but it’s still worth chasing them from the rocks, beaches or estuary. This one took a pilchard bait from a local rock ledge.
throughout the channel, taking cabbage and wire weed. September is peak spawn time, both on the seaward side and lake side of the bridge. If you’re fishing from a boat, the runout tide is the preferred time to fish at most spots.
The rock groynes and walls have also been producing good numbers of luderick up to 48cm.
In the lake, many flathead will start to move from deeper water back into shallow water this month. That transition is slow, however, and you can still find good numbers of flathead in deeper water around the bait schools in September. One highlight of fishing the bait schools in September is the tailor, as they have a last crack at the bait before moving out to the estuary.
September can also be a very good mulloway month, and you can catch them while trolling for tailor with deep divers like Halco Crazy Deeps or Tail Dancers.
In the coming weeks, we should also see an increase in catches of blue swimmer crabs, as they relocate from the deeper water into mid-depth water.
this can still occur this month, but you’d also have to expect a few dead flat days, with poor beach fishing conditions. What to do?
Personally, I go for the beach corners closer to rocks, or fish from the rocks instead of the beach. This way you’re fishing closer to some form of major structure, or possibly a bay where salmon like to move in overnight. So, if the beaches are looking hopeless, head towards the rocks. Once again, fishing more around sunrise or sunset will provide the best results.
As I mentioned last month, salmon have turned up in much better numbers this year than back in 2023. They’ll be the main target to chase from the beaches this month, and also from popular rock fishing venues like South Avoca, Norah Head and Snapper Point. Any small bays or coves adjacent to the major rock ledges can also attract salmon overnight.
A few tailor, bream, luderick, drummer and trevally complete the picture for rock fishing this month.
From the beaches, we can expect
a few tailor, bream, trevally and small flathead. I’ve also been scoring yellow-eye mullet on bread flies in some spots lately.
Normally, late summer and autumn is better for these mullet, but it’s not unusual to find them at any time of year. They prefer small, sheltered bays and are easy to attract with some mashed-up bread as berley. Mullet are fun to catch with light tackle and make firstclass bait. The larger ones are also excellent table fish when filleted and lightly pan-fried.
September isn’t a great month for mulloway but they are still worth considering if you’ve got some good bait and can fish a tide change after sunset or around sunrise. If you’ve found a decent gutter with some whitewash, you’ll certainly be in with a chance.
Offshore fishing options depend on the wind at this time of year. If strong westerlies are forecast, it’s better to concentrate in close and pick the calmer days to head wide. Some solid tuna have been caught this year so they’re at the top of the list for anglers with bigger boats. Kingfish, bonito and snapper are in the middle grounds, while snapper, trevally and salmon can be caught closer in. As you can see, there are some good options on offer if you can time your outings with the wind and sea conditions. (That’s easier said than done, I know!)
September tends to be a fairly reliable month to target flathead inside the lakes and Brisbane Waters. It’s not red-hot though, so don’t expect lots of action and the fish to climb all over your bait or lure. It takes a bit of thought and effort to succeed at this time of year. A few bream, luderick and silver trevally will also be poking around, but I’d mainly be chasing the flathead or luderick this month.
ILLAWARRA Greg Clarke
Overall, it gets pretty quiet over winter (with a few exceptions), but now that spring is here the fishing will keep getting better with every passing week. So, brush the cobwebs off the rods, add a few drops of oil to the squeaky bits on your reels, and load up with new line. Let’s get cracking!
First to get going are the inshore pelagics. Schools of salmon, trevally, kingfish, bonito, barracouta and even a few striped tuna are prowling all along the coast, looking for the swarms of tiny, clear, eel-like baitfish. When the pelagics find the baitfish it’s a free-for-all as the predators gorge themselves on the surface. This can be frustrating as they are so focused on this specific prey that they will ignore all other offerings. You have to be right on the money with a lure that closely resembles what they are eating. This generally means very small lures are needed, and long casts so as not to spook the school and put them down. To get any distance with a tiny lure, light line is required to make a cast long enough to get into the school of feeding fish. This means when you get a hook-up, you get maximum fun. You might lose a few but it’s better to lose a couple than use heavy line and not get any hook-ups at all.
The fish are easy to find – just look for the seagulls, terns and mutton birds on the feeding fish, or out-of-place ripples on the surface from travelling pelagics. Some of the regular producers are Bass Point, along the break walls at Port Kembla, between the islands at Port, Coalcliff and up around National Park.
If you want larger pelagics there are still rumours of yellowfin out
beyond the shelf, along with a few albacore, and they should become more abundant as the month goes on. There may even be the odd southern bluefin hanging about so it could be worth a run out wide if the weather permits. The bluefin made a welcome return to local waters this winter and were thick off the Illawarra during July, so there may be a stray or two still hanging about.
The fish have been quite wide so start at the canyons and work your way towards New Zealand – just remember that taking a small boat far from shore isn’t for the inexperienced. Pick your day and watch the weather. It’s a long, punishing trip home when the wind gets up, and conditions can get nasty very quickly. A 20-knot westerly can be deadly when you’re 40km out to sea.
If you like sharks, now is the time to start banging on the berley pot. The makos and blues really start to respond this month and will get better over the coming weeks.
you will get plenty of trevally in the berley trail. Scale down the hook and line size and move to pilchard pieces, and you can have a tonne of fun. The island around Port Kembla is a good place to start.
The bottom bouncers are still doing it tough but not for much longer, as the flathead will start to get going toward the end of the month. The leatherjackets are a problem but many anglers are targeting them now to try to thin them out a bit. They aren’t bad tucker, but when you are chasing something else they can be a nuisance.
Mowies are starting to pick up in numbers, and there seem to be enough small snapper coming in to keep most anglers happy. Throw in half a dozen pigfish and a few trevally each trip, and you have the makings
If things are slow, you can always drop a bait to the bottom for trevalla, gemfish or hapuka if you are around the Kiama Canyons. Just remember, what goes down must come up. A lot of winding is involved if you don’t have an electric reel.
Back closer to shore, the deeper reefs and the islands will start to play host to some solid kingfish. Live baits fished near the bottom are the way to go, particularly on Bandit and Wollongong reefs. While you are waiting for the livie to get eaten, try some high-speed jigging to get the kings worked up and in feeding mode. Although they are past their best there are still some nice snapper floating about over the reefs. You can find them in close among the washes and bommies, or out on the deeper reefs as they spread out after the main run of the spawning cuttlefish finishes. Cuttlefish is still the best bait as the reds scramble for the last remnants before moving on. Anchor up and berley for best results, and if you don’t get any snapper, odds are
of a decent catch.
The rocks fish well at this time of year as the seasons start to cross over. I recommend that you berley the washes with bread and pilchard pieces, but don’t use quality bait pillies for berley – just buy a can of cheap pilchard cat food and add it to the mix. Cat food works just fine as berley, and you can always keep a few cans handy when you need it in a hurry.
The berley will attract bream, trevally, drummer, salmon, snapper and a host of other species on the right day. Even larger predators like big kingfish can turn up, as they are attracted to the yellowtail and other baitfish that come to your berley.
Speaking of large kings, the deeper ledges have had some solid fish moving along them. However, you have to have your live slimy or squid in the water before daylight, as once the sun comes up, you might as well go home. Bombo, Kiama and Marsdens all hold good fish.
While you are waiting for
BAY Anthony Stokman
Well, winter didn’t seem to last long. It was quite mild, and we didn’t feel the pain of the cold so much. Fishwise, we had tuna, salmon, drummer, snapper and bream on the chew, and it was great fishing on those 20°C+ days in July and August. Temperatures like those make winter more bearable, and good fishing makes it even more bearable.
are typically found out along that longitudinal line every season, which is 90-120km east of Batemans Bay. We could also see that the fish were likely to swim along that line in current pushing north to Sydney, where it ended in an area of slack water before the hot water currents pushing down from the north to meet it. Two weeks after seeing this, Shellharbour, Kiama and Sydney fired up with schools of bluefin.
From then on, July into August saw bluefin getting caught from Batemans Bay to Sydney along or over the 151
Offshore, the tuna weren’t as thick as last year but we still had some action, and some other options also. The season ended up playing out as I predicted. The yellowfin didn’t quite show up like in previous years, and the saury schools they feed on were absent this year. It also seemed like the better water and ingredients were up southern Queensland way, so they got the better of the yellowfin tuna bite this year.
So, our attention turned to the bluefin, which showed up in great numbers over the 151 line, making it difficult for most boats. Bluefin
the big kings you can toss a few lures about for smaller kings, bonito, salmon and even the odd big mac tuna. Try the northern sides of the deeper headlands and break walls after a northeaster, as the bait seems to congregate there and the larger fish follow.
The estuaries are still slow but will pick up towards the end of the month. Bream will be the main target along the rocky shorelines and right up in the creeks. They won’t be great in numbers but the quality should be there.
A few flathead will start to appear at the end of the month in the lake and Minnamurra, but give it a few weeks before you start putting in a big effort.
slim. Still, let’s hope there is plenty of bait and favourable currents to see some yellowfin show up.
A lot of people have gotten into deep dropping with electric reels over the years. With the large distance to travel for bluefin, and the lack of yellowfin this winter, many boats opted for deep dropping just over the continental shelf. This style of fishing has been quite good, with lots of ling, ocean perch and
hot, and any bycatch is welcomed. The action slows in January, and after that we see the bonito, kingfish and other pelagics like longtail and mac tuna start to come on the chew.
On the ledges we’ll still be chasing drummer and luderick, with the possible chance of a snapper. Salmon and tailor will be caught off the ledges and beaches, and we’re expecting good numbers because they were quite thick
longitudinal line, with fish ranging from 40-140kg.
This bite could continue in September, with bluefin being found in the same areas and possibly some fish found in closer. Towards the end of the month, we can expect the bluefin migration to come to a close as they migrate back south.
The last few years we have seen yellowfin coming in close over September and October. However, with an ordinary yellowfin run this winter, and without big schools of sauries for a food source, the chances are looking
The sand on the beaches is still cold but the water is warming a bit, and there are some sizable tailor up to 3kg getting around. Windang Beach, Bombo, Coniston, East Corrimal and Coalcliff all have their fair share of big tailor, and a few little ones as well.
Salmon are the main catch off most beaches, along with a few big bream on the early morning high tides.
The past few months have been good for mulloway of all sizes, and catches should only improve over the coming months. Plastics in the right places and fresh big baits during the evening high tides have been doing the damage.
Until next month, good luck and bring on the warmer weather.
some blue-eye trevalla being caught. Weather windows have not been the best, though, which has limited offshore game fishing.
Inshore reef fishing has been quite good over the past few months. As we go into spring, the snapper, flathead and mowie catches should continue and even improve as we approach the spring snapper spawning period (which peaks in November). We have had a good run of gummy sharks of all sizes, and now is the time of the year when sharks of all kinds will be coming on.
September to December is a great time for snapper fishing before it gets too
throughout winter.
On some springs, the whiting have shown up early and have been eager enough to take a surface lure in our lakes. With the way the warmth has been, it wouldn’t surprise me if we got an early start this season. So, get your Sugapens and other surface lures, and hit the water.
• 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.
BERMAGUI
Darren Redman
djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com
This year, we’ve had an early start to the season, with water temperatures rising sooner than usual. Many fish species such as bream, luderick, trevally, flathead, and whiting are entering the estuaries on a regular basis. Whether you’re a bait or lure angler, there’s plenty on offer.
You will find a lot of these species congregating in the lower section of the estuaries, where you can target them
when the tide first starts to rise. You will often get bites for an hour or two before the fish disperse, moving further up the systems to feed in the shallower, warmer water. You can follow them to have a second crack before they go off the chew.
I recommend looking for fish in areas where you wouldn’t expect decent numbers – areas like Narira creeks, up the back of Wallaga Lake. Fish like bream can be seen with their tails protruding out of the water as they nose around in the gravel for crabs, worms and such, usually in the middle of the
creeks. September is a great time to target these fish with lures and polarized sunglasses, and it’s some of the best visual fishing you’ll ever experience on the South Coast. Small hardbody lures are my pick, although plastics can also be effective – and of course, bait fishing will be extremely productive.
Other species regularly encountered are luderick, flathead, mullet, and bass returning from spawning.
In the estuaries that are open to the ocean, you can enjoy some excellent bait fishing over those upper tidal flats
that are exposed at low tide, and then covered with a reasonable amount of water at high tide. These flats often pay host to large nipper and worm beds, with weedy areas that provide cover. A well-placed bait can attract a variety of grazing fish as they work the flats over. Use ultra-light line with very little drag and allow the fish to have its head when hooked. Bream are a popular target using this method, and some of the first runs can be sizzling.
Not all the fish in the estuaries will be encountered on the flats; drop-
TATHRA Darren Redman
djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com
Tathra has some of the best reef/ bottom fishing on offer along this section of coastline, and the fishing can be excellent at this time of year. There’s been good reef fishing both north and south, and also over the grounds straight out in front. Just be mindful of the wind direction when choosing where to fish so that you
can have a smoother, safer ride home.
Travelling some distance north to the last point you can see will put you off Goalen Head, which boasts some of the best reef fishing along the coast.
Slightly south, Goalen Head at Aragunnu is a scattered bottom of gravel and mud that continues down the coast out from Wapengo.
Closer to home, out from Nelsons Headland there’s some great reef structure that produces regularly. South of the ramp, out from Bournda
in around 50m of water, there’s some sandy, gravely bottom which is a good area to drift.
North of there, back towards the ramp, the White Rock area has some lovely reef structure that produces excellent bags regularly.
One area that’s often overlooked is straight out from the ramp. Here you’ll find a mixture of reef, gravel, sand and mud, which holds a variety of fish.
One species you can expect to encounter on the reefs this month is schools of morwong (both blue and jackass), with reasonable amounts of snapper, ocean perch, nannygai, wrasse and plenty more. Moving over the sand and gravel, flathead will be on the shortlist, both sandies and tigers. Gummy sharks will be found among the flatties, and some of the best red gurnard along the coast will also be mixed in.
Around the wharf, trevally are dominating catches, and should continue to do so right through to the school holidays, keeping the kids entertained. The ever-present schools of yellowtail will provide plenty of fun, with salmon regularly passing by to add a larger variety to target. Tailor are an option at night, and barracouta are also lurking around the pylons. Squid will be encountered here too, with night-
time producing the best results.
Anglers fishing off the rocks, between the wharf through to Kianinny Bay, have been getting good bags of drummer on cabbage weed and red crabs. Free-floating baits, fished with a small ball sinker, have been working the best. You can also get good catches using weed suspended under a float.
offs, weed beds and rocky outcrops will produce their fair share. As the tide falls, it carries the rich nutrients and warmer water coming off the flats and out of the mangrove swamps. Bait fishing is extremely good, and lure fishing will also produce the goods, particularly on large dusky flathead.
Moving further inland to the brackish and fresh water, now is the time to intercept bass as they return to the fresh after spawning. Hopefully, the spring rains and warmer water will allow the bass to migrate inland to their summer feeding grounds, and most of the eastern flowing streams will hold bass. Searching the deeper holes with lures like spinnerbaits, soft plastics and deep-diving hardbodies can produce surprisingly large fish.
Estuary perch may also be a regular catch while targeting bass, especially in the brackish margins. At this time of year, keep an eye out for those balmy days that will produce early insect hatches. This is the time to attack bass with a variety of surface lures.
Flathead will be on many anglers’ minds this month.
BRISBANE BOATING & LEISURE
1713 Ipswich Road Rocklea
Bass in Brogo Dam are also on the move, and the best time to chase them is during the evening after a warm spring day. You can catch them on surface and sub-surface lures, but bait works best. I find this time of year is a little early for the dam, though; if you wait another month, you’ll likely catch more fish.
to non-existent this month. With water temps around 14-15°C, you may encounter sharks or the odd bluefin tuna, but not much else.
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Game fishing will likely be poor
Schools of salmon are moving along the coast, providing anglers with some good beach fishing. Some of the best beaches are south at Bournda, the main beach adjacent to the river, and Gillards Beach north of Nelsons. Simple paternoster rigs fished on beach rods with pillies or cut baits will account for plenty of salmon. However, if you want more excitement and exercise, try walking
However, reef or bottom fishing can be good, with anglers targeting the 50-70m depth range for large tiger flathead. These fish are regular catches in spring, along with morwong, snapper and other assorted reef species. If you strike some calm seas, you can fish the deep water off the Twelve Mile Reef for even larger tiger flathead and maybe some Tassie trumpeter.
You are likely to encounter schools of bream lurking in the shallows warming in the midday sun. Lures or bait will work, and don’t be surprised if you encounter other species like flathead, tailor, whiting or estuary perch.
If you travel even further up to the sweetwater, you have an excellent chance of finding bass that are still concentrated in the area after spawning. Choose your time carefully, focussing
An example of what can be achieved when flicking nippers in shallow water.
the beach with a light spin rod and a handful of lures, casting in the deeper gutters. It’s lots of fun.
Now is the time to look up! Upstream, that is. As the water and land temps rise, it’s worth heading further up systems like the Bega River.
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on the warmer days, and if you find some insect activity at dusk, even better. Once you’ve caught one fish, you could encounter several more in the same area. They’re often very willing to attack a lure as they try to recondition after spawning.
Adam Townsend
As winter comes to an end, the Murray cod season has also finished for 2023/24, as the spawning period is now in place until midnight 30 November.
Most of the smaller creeks and rivers are also closed for the trout spawn (which coincides with the Murray cod closure), but there are still plenty of awesome spots to fish around the New England area. If you want to catch redfin, make sure you check that your chosen waterway isn’t a ‘Listed Trout Stream’. Targeting redfin in a Listed Trout Stream can get you in a fair bit of trouble, with fines and even getting your fishing gear confiscated. It’s just not worth it.
Lipless crankbaits are effective on perch species at this time of year, as they closely mimic the baitfish. Carp and baby perch colours can increase your chances.
You also have to be careful when targeting golden perch in waterways where Murray cod can be found. If your lure is over 70mm and some DPI officers turn up, it’s going to be pretty hard to convince them that you’re only chasing yellas. If you do catch a by-catch cod out of season, please look after it and get it back to its nest as soon as you can, to maximise the chances of a successful spawn. If everyone does the right thing, there will be some big, aggressive cod ready to be caught in a few months’ time
when the season opens.
There are still a few major impoundments where you can target Murray cod all year round. These are Glenlyon Dam just over the QLD border, Copeton Dam on the Tablelands, and Eildon Dam down south. I’ve been lucky enough to fish all of these beautiful dams for Murray cod, and they are definitely worth travelling for.
With some heavy showers in recent weeks, most of the impoundments received an influx of freshwater and some got up to near full capacity. This
is good to see, and it’s just in time for some epic action as we move into the warmer months. The baitfish and shrimp also become more abundant with the warmer temperatures.
good reason.
Small spinnerbaits and soft plastic lures around 1-2” are also good choices when fishing these waterways at this time of year, as the golden perch start schooling up.
My top 5 lures for spring fishing are (in no particular order): Harima
When the perch are aggressive, the takes can be pretty solid. This chunky river golden couldn’t resist this noisy crankbait.
* Year-round cod fishery
• Levels may fluctuate with recent rainfall events
Mazzy Vib 60mm in brown frog, Jackall TN50/60mm in spawning tiger, Megabass Vibration X Jr 1/2oz, Ecogear ZX Blade 35/40mm in dark knight, and Bungee Gruby 2.5” in blood worm.
The new moon will fall early this month, on the 3rd of September, with the full moon being above on the 18th.
Vibe lures and lipless crankbaits (e.g. ZX blades, Mazzy vibes, Megabass Rattles and Jackall TNs) all work very well on the natives. These lures have been very popular with New England anglers for years now, and with
With cod and trout off the table, now the perfect time of year to gain more fishing knowledge and have fun catching other species. Get out there and get stuck into them! Until next time, good luck and tight lines.
HUNTER VALLEY Nick Price
The fishing in Glenbawn and St Clair is really picking up. The water temperatures are rising and the fish are active, and you can catch them both on the edge and in deeper water.
that sinks (e.g. Sliders or Keitechs) when fishing like this. I change the shape, length and colour of the plastic until I find what the fish are after. I will always try a plastic that reflects ultraviolet light, as they work well in both Glenbawn and St Clair. The fish can also still be caught deep. Windless days are a good time to
Yellowbelly love swimbaits. These lures are an effective, subtle presentation for finicky fish.
When fishing the edge, plastics and jerkbaits are still the go-to lures. Bait fishers are also getting good results. Early mornings and late afternoons are the best times, as the low-light conditions give the fish confidence to move to the edge. A windy day when there are small waves or ripples is also a great time to fish. The ripples refract the light in the water, which also gives the fish confidence to move to the edge. The wind gives me confidence as well! We have finally had some winter rain in the catchment above the dam, resulting in an influx of water. This water has inundated thick vegetation, and the fish are in amongst it. Lake St Clare has fantastic weed edges that are easy to find. I like to fish weedless, and there’s a range of options to choose from, depending on what’s underneath the water. If the terrain is rocky, I go with a weedless ned head and fish something like a Daiwa Bait Junkie, which floats. I then hop the plastic down the rocky edge. The ned head and floating tail help the plastic to sit vertically, looking like a little feeding baitfish with its head in the mud. The bass love it.
I use a small tungsten weight in 1/8oz or 1/6oz and a worm hook when fishing timber and weed. Sometimes I peg the weight and sometimes I let it move freely. When fishing weed pockets, I don’t peg the weight because I want the plastic to flutter down after the weight more naturally. I use any plastic
well before the season closed, so here’s hoping that the wild bass in the river keep biting. I will discuss river fishing more as we move into the warmer months. In the meantime, small beetlespins with 2” and 3” plastics, TN50s and small cranks would be my pick for catching a few bass in the river. The trout season is still closed in September so there’s no need to venture into the Barrington looking for trout. Looking further ahead, October is the start of spinnerbait fishing. The bass get hungry as the water warms up, and the reaction bite slowly starts. More and more fish move to the edge and amongst the timber, so October is a great time to fish! Next month I will focus on using spinnerbaits in Glenbawn and St Clair.
If you’re heading up to the Barrington, Glenbawn, Hunter River or St Clair, please drop into the shop at the turnoff to Glenbawn in Aberdeen. Have a chat to myself or Cooper, and ask about the different techniques and
head deep, fishing with plastics, ice jigs, blades, or tail spinners. Find the fish on your sounder and then try different baits until you find what they are after. When looking for fish, go to deep water just off timber. The fish will often move out from the timber and sit in the shadow of the boat. Finding what they are biting on at that particular moment is the key!
The rivers open for bass fishing in September. The Hunter was fishing
Wayne Dubois
waynedubois@westnet.com.au
After another long winter, we finally have some bearable temperatures! These warmer conditions are a trigger for some fish species, and none more so than the golden perch.
In lakes like Blowering, Jounama and Burrinjuck, the goldens will move into the shallows to warm themselves after the long, cold winter, and take advantage of the new food about. Most
the wash, you are almost guaranteed there will be fish present and they’ll probably be active.
If this isn’t working for you, it can pay to head out even deeper and target the redfin with jigs, blades, plastics, tail spinners and ice jigs.
If you are bait fishing this month, hit the areas I just mentioned and try to keep your bait moving. If you are using small yabbies (which will be hard to beat this month), try to use them actively. Rig them on a hook with no sinker and cast into a likely-looking
bays that warm up quickly are ideal areas to target early-season golden perch.
of the lakes will be slightly on the rise, meaning there is a smorgasbord of food being swept into the freshlyflooded shallows.
Unfortunately, on those days when there’s not enough sun to warm the
area. Let it sink to the bottom and give it a short time to rest in case a fish saw it sink.
If you don’t get a bite, lift the yabby off the bottom a metre or so. This will give any fish in the area another chance
Pick the right place and lure, and catches like this are possible this month, even from the bank.
water, the goldens may not feed. This can make for frustrating times on the water, as you can see these giant football-shaped goldens sitting there but they just won’t open their mouths. I personally don’t mind, as seeing them is almost as much fun as catching them.
When they are in this mode I generally fish deeper areas or find a bank or point that is being swept by wind. The more windswept it is, the better. If there is a milk line created from
a fixed bait. Just make sure you use a paternoster rig to keep the yabby from burying itself and to keep it up kicking about in the fish’s faces.
JOUNAMA DAM
With all the creeks and rivers closed, anglers keen to get a trout fix have been restricted to the lakes, and what better lake to target big rainbows and browns than Jounama Dam? This picturesque little lake is a great place to take the
good-sized trout all year round.
The lake has fished reasonably well over the last couple of months, and this should continue in the coming weeks. Casting lures or flies from the bank is very productive and is my preferred way of fishing the lake. Bait fishing with PowerBait, grubs or worms is also a great way of hooking into a trout or two.
The lake also holds some trophysized redfin and golden perch so you
family for a fun-filled day beside the water. The big trout in Jounama fire right after the official close to the trout streams, which is perfect for trout addicts. You can successfully fish for
to notice it before it sinks. Also, if a fish was sitting on it from the initial cast, it will think the yabby is trying to flee and will smash it before it gets a chance to hit the bottom again.
Using this technique can work very well at this time of the year, and the key is to stay in contact with the yabby as it sinks; this is usually when the goldens will hit it.
If that sounds like too much hard work you can still have success with
never know what you will hook next.
If you’ve never been to Jounama, I recommend you plan a trip there, or stop by on your way to the snowfields or other dams.
Connor Heir
The change of season marks the end of yet another Murray cod season – and what a season it was! We saw really good, clear flows through most of the season, which was fantastic for fishing opportunities. Many great fish were caught around the region.
Now, however, it’s time to leave the cod alone for a few months, and concentrate on that big pond at our back doorstep: Lake Hume.
It’s no lie – Lake Hume is a premier golden perch fishery. The quality and size of Hume’s yellowbelly is up there with the very best in the country.
With the lake being a fair bit lower than what it was this time last year, it will most likely fish a bit differently.
The timber that held fish held last year may now be too shallow or completely exposed, and certain banks may not fire like they did last season.
That said, a water drop creates opportunities for new zones to fish. Standing trees throughout the lake are probably the first place to start looking
As you can see, Lake Hume has a lot to offer, and all three species –redfin, trout, and golden perch – get quite large in this waterway, and are in good condition. It’s a very healthy lake, and the fishing only seems to be getting better as the years progress, and better fishing practices are being respected.
If you really want to catch a cod this month, you can head to Lake Eildon or Blowering Dam. Both are year-round cod fisheries and are only a few hours’ drive from Albury.
No matter what species you’re targeting, spring is always a great time to be out on the water! The photos attached are some great fish caught during September last year. Fingers crossed this season will be just as good.
Tight lines!
for yellowbelly, and that 6-12m depth range is ideal for yellas. I’d expect them to start firing towards the end of September, depending on how warm the days get, and when they become consistent.
The key to catching yellowbelly is to move around and not get too caught up in staying in the same areas for too long. The fish really can be anywhere, but that timber in the 6-12m range always seems to produce a fish. And once you are onto one, there’s a good chance you will find a few others in the area.
As the season progresses, and temperatures rise, yellas really do fire. You can have some amazing days on Lake Hume when the conditions are right.
Reports of trout and redfin are becoming quite consistent. Most trout are being caught flat line trolling, and with downriggers. Many redfin have been caught in schooling areas, much like how you’d search for yellowbelly.
CANBERRA Toby Grundy
The end of the cold weather is in sight and now, as we move into spring, it is time to get excited for some light line fishing in the ACT.
The early September yellowbelly bite is challenging for boat and landbased anglers because it can be a guessing game about where the yellas are and what they are feeding on. I usually focus my attention on rocky
small fish. Small, wriggler-style plastics in black can be very effective. The mud marlin put up a great fight on light gear and are a good option if the redfin and yellas prove elusive on any given session.
Tuggeranong
Lake Tuggeranong is back to its enigmatic best. At one stage in winter the lake was firing on all cylinders, producing outstanding redfin, golden perch and cod fishing. However, at the time of writing, the lake has slowed up, with the reds and yellas proving quite
Dusk and dawn are the best times to seek out a good-sized yella.
drop-offs ranging from 2-4m deep, and I like to fish areas with a good mix of structures like a weed bed, a sunken tree or some half-submerged willows.
If I can’t find the yellas in these locations, I head to flats and work the areas directly behind the museum or at Gallipoli Reach at Lake Burley Griffin. The golden perch sometimes push into these areas very early in spring if the baitfish have also moved into this area. So, in short, I am glad to see the back of what was a freezing winter, and I can’t wait to see what spring brings. Even though I’ll miss the cod fishing, the big, golden footballs will keep me entertained until summer rolls around.
Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin is already starting to come to life. While the water is still cold, the redfin have kicked off early this year and are attacking lures and baits along Black Mountain Peninsula. Anglers with Livescope have regularly spotted huge schools of reds lurking a few metres off the edges of the peninsula. While these schools do not contain big fish, there are good-sized golden perch hanging around, and they’ll engulf a well-placed 2” grub worked using a ‘hop-andpause’ retrieve.
Now is a great time to target carp, as the larger specimens cruise the edges of areas like Nerang Pool looking for
Ginninderra are very similar to Lake Tuggeranong. The water is discoloured, and while there was a brief period of exciting fishing in winter, the early spring fishing has been slower. I often find that when Tuggeranong is firing, so is Lake G, so it could be a case of waiting for a run of warm days followed by a good hit of rain.
outstanding. It’s also a great little spot because it is possible to work the whole perimeter of the dam in a day, and the golden perch tend to bite throughout the afternoon.
difficult to catch.
That said, the lake could explode into life again, especially if we get some early spring rain and the lake clears. It will be a case of ‘watch this space’. Given the huge numbers of yellowbelly now reaching catchable size after five years of stocking, the spring fishing on Lake Tuggeranong should come good. If you’re after a yella, try the pylons underneath the bridge and cast small divers as close as you dare to the concrete, or work the spillway with Jackall TN50s at dawn and dusk.
Ginninderra
The fishing conditions at Lake
In the meantime, there are still some good-sized redfin about and they are hitting lures around the edges of the concrete walkway from the police jetty around to the College. There are also plenty of carp in this area that will hit a soft plastic fished slow.
As always, the old pontoons at Diddams Close are my pick of the spots on the lake. The weed is thick but there are clear pockets, and the golden perch sit in these areas looking for an easy feed.
Yerrabi Pond
Yerrabi Pond is my pick of the local areas this month. Early spring is a good time to throw everything at the pond because most of the weed has died off through winter. Before the weed grows again in the warmer weather, the fishing for a few weeks is simply
Plenty of cod have been caught at Googong Dam throughout the winter months, but our attention must now turn to the golden perch fishing – and at Googong it can be exceptional. Yellas of 70-72cm are not uncommon.
The hardest thing to grapple with at the moment is the ever-increasing
population of European carp, which have sadly begun to take over. The water where they’re most prevalent (up the back of the dam) is already becoming increasingly tannin in colour. Long gone are the days when an angler could walk the edges of the top of the dam and see 2-4m under the surface.
Obviously, there is no solution, and there is very little upside. The only positive is that fly anglers can now sight cast for some enormous mud marlin, and landing a fish of 90cm certainly would provide good practice for summer cod fishing.
Andrew Large
As we head into the first month of spring, Tasmanian anglers are making the most of settled weather. We’ve seen an explosive start to the 2024 brown trout season, and saltwater anglers around the state have been catching a variety of popular species, which have been biting a month earlier than usual.
Southern bluefin tuna continue to be caught in the southeast of the state, around Cape Pillar. It seemed a while back when SBT were stretching from the southernmost tip of Tasmania to Eden in NSW. Fish over 100kg seem to have lessened in Peninsula waters, with only the occasional report coming to light.
Meanwhile, catches of good fish to 15-21kg have picked up a little around Fortescue Bay. School fish continue to be caught in patchy numbers. Bluefin are now being caught from Mewstone in the south to St Helens.
Recently, albacore tuna were encountered well off the east coast near St Helens.
The annual run of southern calamari is currently underway, and the lower Derwent River and Channel are prime areas again this season. Further afield, good numbers are available from most coastal and sheltered water jetties and outcrops. Spring is a great time for this species, as the winter swells have generally subsided and spawning is getting underway. Remember that seasonal squid closures are in place in designated areas around the state.
Sand flathead are continuing to bite well on bait, lure and fly. The best spots for a feed include Storm Bay, Marion Bay, Fredrick Henry Bay and White Beach. Again, this species has come
online a good month earlier than usual in most areas.
Good-sized Australian salmon have returned. Alum Cliffs, near Kingston and South Arm, close to the CBD, are local hotspots, while anglers fishing Cremorne in the canal to Pipeclay Lagoon have been reporting fish to 1.3kg. Larger specimens are available along east coast surf beaches. If you want to catch salmon off the beach, try a red and white surf popper in conjunction with a bait on your paternoster rig.
Still nights are a flounder fisher’s best friend, with flounder moving well for the time being. A string of settled nights recently gave anglers a chance to chase these fish in mirror conditions. South Arm, Lewisham, Dunalley and Orford have been producing fish.
Deep waters have been producing tiger flathead off the east coast, wide of St Helens and Bicheno.
The striped trumpeter fishery is currently closed, as seasonal protection kicks in. This fishery will reopen in most areas early in November.
Escapee Atlantic salmon are beginning to reappear in anglers’ bags, with sizes up to 4kg. These fish have been caught from the Tasman Bridge to New Norfolk in the Derwent and Castle Forbes Bay in the Huon River to the mouth of Mountain River above Huonville.
Whitebait runs are about to start across the state, ramping up sea-run trout activity and providing 6-8 weeks of feeding frenzies in the shallows of tidal zones in estuary systems.
Feisty sea-run trout continue to be caught in the mid-reaches of the Derwent and Huon estuaries. These waters are open to angling to the Huonville and New Norfolk bridges for anglers holding a current freshwater angling licence. Spin, troll, soft plastic and fly have all been producing fish.
Next month, we will see Granton firing as the trout begin to chase whitebait.
Faltering a tad, black bream are still being caught in good numbers around Cornelian Bay, Store Point,
Bowen Bridge and Cadbury Point. Most have been caught on bait, bibbed lures and fly.
Tasmania’s new freshwater season kicked off on 1 August, with brown trout waters opening on 3 August. We saw a blinding start across all regions, with some later winter rain raising the lake levels just enough to be able to fish.
Great Lake, although open 12 months of the year, has been producing good fish and will continue to do so into October and November. Early in the season, picking a day conducive to good fishing and angler comfort at altitude is a fine art. We all look forward to more settled weather in the next month.
Other waters, such as Lake Pedder and Lake King William, have been fishing well. Easterly weather lately has seen these waters relatively calm and sheltered.
Lake Leake has kicked off to a blistering start, with both rainbows and browns well over 2kg being taken. Both troll and spin fishing have been working well. Because it’s relatively low in altitude on top of the eastern tiers, we will see dry fly activity within the next few weeks.
Closer to home, Craigbourne Dam has received multiple stocking of both brown and rainbow trout from Great Lake. These fish have settled in and gained weight, and seem to be around the 1kg mark with scrub worms working well. Rainbows to 2.7kg are being caught.
Fishing in September can be challenging, but as I’ve always said, “What’s good weather for us isn’t always good for the fish.” Rug up a little and take confidence in the fact that all fish – and trout in particular – tend to bite well on slightly wilder weather days!
A project led by the Great Southern Reef Foundation is shining a light on Tasmania’s giant kelp forests, showcasing the diverse fish and marine species they support.
Giant kelp forms seaweed that can grow over 35m long and up to 0.5m each day. Scientists estimate that giant kelp forests have declined over 95% in Tasmania since the 1940s.
The main culprit is the combination of high temperatures and low nutrients. Giant kelp is highly sensitive to temperature changes and requires lots of nutrients to sustain its rapid growth, particularly under warm conditions, and climate change is taking its toll. The East Australian
Giant kelp forests have declined by 95% since the 1940s. Image courtesy of the
Current (EAC) – a warm water, nutrient poor current – is flowing further south than it used to, displacing much of the cool, nutrientrich water typical of the East coast of Tasmania. During warm summers, giant kelp becomes particularly susceptible to diseases and mortality. Scientists are now working to identify which giant kelp strains are resistant to the changing conditions. Gathering spores from remaining 5% of remaining giant kelp, scientists are growing large quantities of kelp babies in a laboratory and seeding them onto twine, which is then attached to the sea floor. This innovative approach offers a promising avenue for the future of Tasmania’s giant kelp forests in a rapidly changing climate.
This twine has been seeded with young kelp, ready to be attached to the sea floor. Image courtesy of the Great Southern Reef Foundation.
For more information on the initiative, search for ‘Great Southern Reef’ on YouTube or visit greatsouthernreef.com. - FMG
Nigel Fisher
I can’t believe it’s spring already! Apart from the tuna, we have seen some great trips on the water, with good results over the last month.
The winter weather has been very different in Portland this year, with nicer days and lower seas than normal. This could be a big contributor to the lack of tuna this season. At the end of the day, however, I wouldn’t say they are gone because these fish can certainly turn back on after a big storm and swells. Here’s hoping that spring can give us some great weather conditions to get out to our favourite fishing spots.
In the last month, the Lee Breakwater has produced some ripper
Jon and Mohammed with a great mako and other tablefish.
salmon. Most have been caught on salmon lures, but some good fish were also taken on bait. Big salmon are always a lot of fun, especially if you’re using lighter gear.
We have also seen some good-size King George whiting and gummies off the breakwater. The breakwater should keep producing well as the spring weather improves.
North Shore reef lines are also on the cards. Chasing Bridgewater flathead and gummies is a must on those fine, spring days, with low swell to make the boat trip comfortable. It’s a great way to get a good feed at this time of year.
The deep water can produce some big fish such as makos, blue-eye, pink ling and gemfish, just to name a few.
Estuary and freshwater fishing is well worthwhile at this time of year, with bream, perch and mulloway in the
estuary systems, and redfin, yellowbelly and cod in the freshwater. All these fish can be found within a 2-hour trip from Portland.
Remember guys, if you are interested in this article and want the latest information on what’s biting and where, call into Portland Compleat Angler at 61 Bentinck Street or contact the shop on 03 5521 1844. We are open seven days from 7:30am to 6pm. Call in and say g’day, and we’ll get you onto the fish.
The landings are great spots to flick some soft plastics, and metal and hardbody lures.
The bay will start firing up this month, with better whiting numbers and good-size squid around the shallow reefs. Snapper and sharks over the
The town jetty and Trawlers Wharf are great options as well, and are very family-friendly. The main spring targets are King George whiting, squid, and salmon – and hopefully, we’ll start seeing some good-size pinkie snapper, too.
of
and
have
Now’s the perfect time to add a pop of colour to life with the Revelry MQ FC and Revelry MQ HD spin reel. Taking inspiration from the original Certate release, Revelry consists of two distinctive and very different models, built on two completely different frames and built with different styles of fishing in mind.
A lightweight FC ‘Finesse Custom’ series caters for the finesse angler, while the robust and durable HD ‘Heavy Duty’ model is tailor made for anglers that require the ultimate in strength and power.
Revelry MQ HD is the workhorse of the Revelry range and is built a sturdy aluminium Monocoque body (MQ). Revelry HD is strong and robust and is equipped with a high-end forged machine cut aluminium Tough Digigear to give unmatched rotation power and torque. Revelry MQ HD is available in four deep spooled sizes (2500D, 3000D-C, 4000D-CXH, 5000D-CXH)
Revelry MQ FC is the ‘Finesse Custom’ offering, crafted from a single piece Monocoque (MQ) Zaion frame making Revelry MQ one of the lightest spinning reels in the Daiwa line up. The
Zaion MQ body is equal parts strength and weightlessness while a fully forged machine-cut aluminium Tough Digigear drive delivers buttery smooth rotation and a long-lasting drivetrain. Revelry MQ FC is available in four shallow spooled sizes (2000S, 2500, 2500S, 3000).
For more information on the Revelry and other new models in the Daiwa range, visit www.daiwafishing.com.au. –Daiwa Australia
WARRNAMBOOL
Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com
The dry winter has continued in the southwest, with only a couple of blasts of really wet and windy weather.
The lack of rain has made for tougher times on the local trout. Good numbers of fish have been around but the traditional ‘big lure, big fish’ dirty water bite hasn’t occurred yet. Trout can easily get happy living in a remote, inaccessible area, growing large until a good flush inspires them to change their habits and move, putting them within reach of anglers.
In the clearer water I’ve been having success with the new Daiwa Bait Junkie 2.35 Prawns fished along the weed beds. The red herring colour, with its glowing orange eye, has been a successful pattern on the Merri River trout.
Some of the local smaller lakes, such as Gillear, Elingamite and Aringa, fish well at this time of year as the water levels are often at their best for the season. Trout and redfin are best targeted by cast or trolled lures from small boats or kayaks in these locations.
Lake Pertobe receives a stocking of rainbow trout annually, and these fish can also provide some fun for
young anglers at this time of year.
Bream fishing in the estuaries has been very much hit-and-miss, as is usually the case during the cold months. Occasionally, anglers will stumble across a school of big fish willing to bite, and get some exceptional captures, but most of the time, you are looking at massed schools on your sounder and wondering what you’re doing wrong.
September can bring on some warmer weather and bring fish back on the bite in the shallows, particularly towards the end of the month. Some years though, the river can still be running high, dirty and cold. In this scenario, fishing deep and slow is the only way to go.
Mulloway continue to be merely a myth.
In the past few months, there have been plenty of windows to access the local offshore grounds, more so than most winters. The main difficulty for offshore anglers has been the biting cold run out on those freezing mornings. For those braving the weather, the gummy and school shark fishing has remained consistent.
Anglers have been catching some decent snapper in 100m+ of water, and as we head into September, the reds might begin to move closer in as they prepare to run to the bays to spawn.
The new 2.35” Bait Junkie Prawns are proving effective on the local trout and estuary perch.
COBDEN Rod Shepherd
When the late wintry weather has allowed, saltwater enthusiasts have been working the inshore reefs and sandy/weedy bottom, with gummy shark primarily on their minds. Good gummies to 18kg have been taken in depths of 30-50m, but freshly-caught bait has made all the difference.
Barracouta, yakkas, slimy mackerel, wrasse etc. have been caught in close over weed beds, and have provided top baits for the shark when filleted. Placing a decent strip of fillet (with the skin left on) baited to a single tuna circle hook has been the bait to bounce just off the bottom. Let the swell bob the bait to attract a bite.
The bycatch has been rock flathead, leatherjackets, Sergeant bakers and the usual reef- and weed-dwelling ooglies.
Schools of salmon are starting to move in close to the shore breakers, with the main indicator being surf anglers catching some sizeable beasts off the main
beach at Peterborough. A rising tide has been best, and a bit of berley introduced into the wash hasn’t hurt either, delivering some good results.
Sea lice love to demolish a soft bait in minutes at this time of year. To
provide some insurance against the lice, you can cast metal slugs beyond the breakers, or use squid or eel on the bottom hook with the top hook holding a salmon surf popper.
The Hopkins River has seen the
mouth open and then close not long after, seemingly confusing the fish as to where they should go in search of food. The long and the short of it is that the fish are still holding deep. In this largely shallow waterway, this means just 2m+.
At this time of year, the bream and estuary perch are often found together. However, the bream fishing has been tough of late but there have been plenty of EPs in the middle reaches of the river. The section of water fronting Deacon University has been a hotspot for perch.
The prime time is right on dusk and the first hour of darkness, however fish are being taken throughout the daylight hours. Live minnow under a float has been effective, along with soft plastics worked along the surface.
Those bream that have been actively feeding have been taken off the bottom with fresh bait such as stripped fillets of mullet or juvenile salmon (skin on), or soft plastics worked very slow, along with sinking hardbodies twitched along the bottom.
GEELONG
Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com
The weather has been horrible over the last month, and only a few die-hard fishos have braved the cold and wind, or found some breaks in it to get amongst the fish.
We’ve had enough rain to discolour the water at a few freshwater locations, making lure fishing difficult. However, that didn’t deter 13-year-old Lachie Holden, who managed to tempt a 36cm redfin into biting his pink ZMan paddle-tail soft plastic! A top effort from a local waterway, given
Harvey has caught some eels, redfin and a few carp, including a 70cm whopper fishing in the Barwon River using worms as bait.
Australian salmon to 50cm have been turning up along the Geelong waterfront. Sometimes they are easily spotted as they attack baitfish on the surface, while at other times, it is best to work your lures slow and deep, or switch to fish baits like pilchard pieces. For boaties or kayakers, flick or troll lures from Limeburners rock wall to Griffins Gully and you should find some fish. The salmon have also turned up off Point Henry, North Shore rocks and beaches in past years,
Tailor turn up from time to time in the Barwon estuary. Image courtesy of
the colour of the water.
Speaking of keen young anglers, there aren’t many keener than 10-year-old Harvey Patterson. Harvey has been getting his grandfather Lindsay Oates up early to take him fishing, and also fishing after school.
the jetty.
The car park adjacent to the Swan Bay boat ramp was also in the midst of an upgrade at the time of writing. This car park has been gravel and not great in wet weather, so I’m keen to see what becomes of it. The ramp itself is really only for small boats and it’s difficult, if not impossible, to use at low tide.
Head to the Boating Vic app to check conditions at these ramps via the live webcams. This is a great service and an excellent way to view water conditions and check how busy it is. Head to www.betterboating.vic.
gov.au for more details.
Silver trevally have been biting well in the Barwon River estuary, and some have been up around 50cm. A few 60cm units were hauled in at this time last year. Soft plastics in single-
so keep moving.
Snapper are tough at this time of year, but anglers with suitable winter clothing have fished into the night to capture solid winter snapper around the 7kg mark. Western Beach and near Corio Quay have produced fish in the past – just keep an eye out for ships.
Jordan Meddings decided to have a crack for a gummy off St Leonards recently. Armed with prime salmon bait he’d caught the night before, he headed out to the 15m mark a few hours before the high tide. Nothing much was happening after an hour or so soaking some bait with a liberal berley trail. Jordan decided to move the bait a little, hoping to get the attention of something nearby. Almost immediately, he got a few bites and then the rod loaded up. He struck, and line peeling ensued! Jordan fought the beast for about 20 minutes until he had a nice gummy boat-side. Being by himself, wrestling the thrashing beastie into the boat was a challenge so he was super pumped to finally get it onboard!
St Leonards boat ramp has been closed as part of the Better Boating Vic upgrades, funded by boating registration and licence fees. The upgrades include a wave attenuator, better parking and an extension on
tail motor oil have been nabbing a few lately, as well as pipis, pilchard fillets and raw chicken. The incoming tide has been best as the fish prefer the clean saltwater. Chris Pitman from Drysdale Bait and Tackle has caught a few lately, along with the odd tailor, casting plastics about.
Silvers have also been biting in the Queenscliff Harbour. Slack tide has been best here, but they can be caught all tides if you can find a spot out of the tidal flow.
Logan Hunt and his dad Taylor were keen to chase a few calamari off Queenscliff but the water proved to be quite discoloured. They headed back to the Queenscliff Harbour to load up on some hot chips and dim sims. The next mission was back into the harbour to lay out a solid berley trail. This turned out to be a good idea as a few salmon and a solid 43cm silver trevally turned up, providing lots of excitement.
The offshore scene has been dead quiet – mostly because of the weather. Small windows of low swell and wind have seen a few boats get out, and the tuna have been obliging.
Ashley Hewson and Cody Carruthers had planned a trip to Apollo Bay to get Ashley a tuna, as there was a bit going on down there that week. Cody heard a whisper there might be tuna locally, so the boys changed their plans to save travel time, and have more time offshore fishing out off Barwon Heads.
The lads were on bait schools from morning to lunchtime without much sign of tuna. On the way back, the boys spotted some dolphins and decided to have a look. Sure enough,
a school of tuna was swimming about 20m below the dolphins! Cody put the first lure out and before getting the next lure in, they were hooked up!
Ashley said by this point, his heart was nearly jumping out of his chest! About 20 minutes into the fight, Cody realised the gaff wasn’t in the boat, which didn’t help Ashley’s nerves much. Ashley had the tuna boat-side
after around 45 minutes!
Cody managed to bleed the fish in the water, get a rope around it and lash it to the boat. It took three heaves but the lads managed to get the massive tuna into the boat. Ashley says the relief and excitement was next level as he had spent countless hours, travel, and money trying to catch a big tuna, and it had finally paid off. Ashley
Fuelled on chips ‘n’ dimmies, Logan subdued this 43cm silver.
was grateful to Cody Carruthers for the boat ride and fish wrangling, and Bobby Griffiths for using his gantry.
For the record, the big tuna pulled Bobby’s scales down to 107kg!
The Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club reports that the pier has been fishing very well. The club held their “winter fishing competition number 2”, and conditions were sunny but cold with a moderate easterly. It was pretty lumpy for the boats but the Staley boys braved it and caught a nice feed of flathead. The club had a
good number of competing anglers, and some nice fish were weighed in. Amazingly, all winners in this comp were anglers fishing from the pier, completely towelling up the boaties!
• Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterfish@gmail.com with “FMG” in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great.
Jordan Matthews
G’day folks! My name is Jordan Mathews and I will be covering the Western suburbs of Melbourne each month for Fishing Monthly readers. I am taking over from my good friend Alan Bonnici, who has been writing this section for the last seven years.
I’m originally a bluewater nut from Sydney but have been living in Melbourne since 2012, and sampling the great fishing that Melbourne and the state of Victoria provides. I hope that my reports will help you in planning your next fishing trip and achieve success.
Fishing in the colder months can be a little tough, as the action tends to slow down. Still, there’s a variety of options for anglers who are willing to brave the cold.
Princes Pier and Williamstown have been fishing well for those wishing to target fish close to the city, with plenty of pinkies on the bite. While there are a lot
of undersized fish around, better models in the 30-40cm range can be found, with the odd proper snapper mixed in amongst them. The tricky part is getting one of those bigger fish out of the structure before getting busted off. We’ve found that Berkley 4” Turtleback Worms and Munroe’s Curl-Tail Worms have
the surface chasing small baitfish. Any kind of small baitfish pattern lure will get you onto a few of these fish; just be mindful that there’s an active shipping lane nearby that you don’t want to get caught up in when a large container ship passes through!
The Warmies has seen the power station operating consistently over the last couple of months, with plenty of tailor being caught. Pilchards are the most consistent way to catch these toothy little critters. With so many tailor around and the pumps running consistently, there should be odd decent mulloway amongst the tailor schools, as tailor are one of the favourite prey for large mulloway.
been the best options for targeting these fish. For more information on how to fish Princes Pier for pinkies, you can visit my YouTube channel (Fishin With Jordy) and watch one of my latest uploads.
Only a few minutes’ boat ride from the Poles towards the shipping channel, large schools of decent-sized Australian salmon have been busting
Further to the west, around the Werribee South area, southern calamari have been a reliable target, along with the occasional nice flathead in the 50-60cm range. Local fisho Travis Smith has been consistently catching both species in 6-10m of water straight out from Werribee River and Wyndham Harbour. He advises that drifting
PHILLIP ISLAND
Craig Edmonds
With the arrival of September, we can finally say goodbye to winter for another year. We shouldn’t expect everything to be sunshine and daisies, though; we may need to wait another month or so to reap the benefits.
September is a busy month for Westernport Bay anglers. It’s the time when we take the covers off the boat, pull the kayak down from storage, and pull our fishing gear out from the corner of the shed.
Water temperatures are slowly rising, and many fish are becoming more active. It’s an exciting time, especially for those anglers who don’t fancy winter fishing. As a bonus, all the new products revealed at the AFTA tackle trade show are starting to hit the shelves, just in time for what will hopefully be a bountiful season.
Before you hit the water, be sure to check all your gear that was stored away during winter. If you own a boat, check your safety gear, making sure all expiry dates are correct on signalling equipment like flares, EPIRBs and lifejackets. Many people don’t know
will help you locate patches of both calamari and flathead, and recommends using white 3.0 jigs for the squid and strips of freshlycaught squid for the flathead.
While we’re still a fair way off from snapper season, there have been a number of resident fish caught in the southern areas of the bay for those willing to brave the cold and put in the hours in. Kevin Sun is one of those anglers putting in the hard yards, and has been rewarded with snapper up to 70cm at Portarlington. He has been catching most of his fish on pilchards, and has earned his nickname of ‘The Snapper Sultan’ by finding fish all year round.
In the freshwater, trout season has been in full swing in the stocked impoundments (it has been closed season in the flowing rivers and streams). Wurdiboluc Reservoir has been fishing very well, with great catches of rainbow trout, brown trout and redfin perch for those willing to put in the time. Robbie Tarnay has been scoring solid trout pushing 70cm and redfin over the magical 50cm mark, as well as plenty of smaller fish.
Closer to Melbourne there has been some great trout fishing at Pykes Creek Reservoir. Rylie Lefosh and his son Oakley have been doing exceptionally well, trolling and casting Tasmanian Devil lures and catching brown trout up to 50cm.
that inflatable PFDs have an expiry date – not just on the canaster but the entire jacket. These can vary depending on the manufacturer. If you still run the old foam PFDs, check the condition of the foam, and all the buckles and stitches.
For locals with expired flares, there’s a registered disposal point inside the Wonthaggi police station. Expired flares are no longer accepted elsewhere.
Another thing for boaties to do is to check all oil levels, the condition of the bungs, battery charge and exposed wires, making sure a rodent hasn’t made your wires a chew toy over winter.
For all other tackle, it’s important to check your rods and reels thoroughly. Inspect your line for signs of wear, and re-spool if needed. Check rods for broken or missing tips/guides as these repairs can take 1-2 weeks, and you want to be prepared for when the fish are on.
September in Westernport Bay is the official ‘season opener’. Many larger snapper begin their journey back to the bay, and the spring whiting come in larger numbers than the fatter, winter ones we have
been seeing. The whiting behaviour depends on the temperature, but from now and into summer those chasing whiting need to be on the water in the morning or evening. There is more activity during these times.
Once we get to the time of year when the sun is warmer and you are on the water early, try areas of the bay where there is shallow water.
Dickies Bay and Cleeland Bight tend to be good options, and I recommend fishing in less than 8m of water.
If you want to fish during the middle of the day, try areas with deeper water, such as Rhyll Hole or towards Corinella, in depths of 8m+.
A cocktail bait is still the best option for targeting Westernport Bay whiting. If you haven’t heard of a cocktail bait before, it means running different bait species on the same hook. Traditionally, this means a bit of pipi and a sliver of whiting, but you can switch it up and use some pilchard and squid or peeled prawn and squid.
We have been seeing a spike in action off Rhyll throughout the day and during the evening, in depths of around 8-10m. Flathead have been
Pink and gold/black coloured Tassies have been consistent options.
As water temperatures rise in the coming weeks, we can expect some excellent fishing.
In the freshwater, the yellowbelly will start becoming more active, and with cod closed season in our region only affecting the Yarra, we can expect impoundments like Melton Reservoir to produce more Murray cod. There is also the VFA’s ‘Stonkergeddon’ – an annual stocking of oversize rainbow trout along with the smaller, catchable size rainbow trout for the kids to target. This event should happen during the next school holidays.
In the saltwater, the renowned Melbourne snapper season is only weeks
caught in better numbers and sizes than we have seen for most of winter, although there are still plenty of tiny ones around.
Offshore, the flathead reports are very patchy. It’s the usual story of catching either a bag of 35cm+ flatties or a decent handful of 45cm+ fish. Remember, just because they were there yesterday doesn’t mean they’ll be there tomorrow.
Calamari catches have improved in recent weeks, with more consistent numbers being reported (although the larger calamari from winter are less common). You can target them in areas around Cleeland Bight sand dune from a boat, and the Cowes and San Remo jetties. The favourite jig colour is still white in the 3.5 size, followed by fluoro orange and fluoro pink. On a clear day, try using a solid black jig if there isn’t too much weed. Black is a very underrated colour for a squid jig but it can be very effective! With more fish coming on the bite and the snapper due to arrive soon, it’s time to get out and take advantage of fishing Westernport Bay in spring. It’s also the perfect time to get some smaller fish species, which make excellent bait.
away. There will be some excellent fish getting around in the shallow areas, providing great opportunities for land-based and kayak anglers to hook into a decent snapper.
As the water temperatures continue to rise over the coming months, we should also see more good-size flathead, whiting and gummy sharks start moving into shallower waters. This should provide some great fishing for anglers fishing from the shore.
No doubt I will be getting out to chase some of these fish, and I will bring you all the reports as they happen. If you see me out there, come and say g’day!
ALBERT
Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com
Long live the mighty estuary perch! They seem to relish an extra-cold Victorian winter, and have reappeared in numbers that are hard to believe. It looks like the spring months ahead could be in our favour.
Seeing big schools of estuary perch back across South Gippsland is a real joy. In my last report I raised concerns about their long vanishing act from the whole Port Albert and Welshpool area. I’ve spent over 25 years pursuing perch in Corner Inlet, and had never experienced seven trips in a row when I failed to see a single EP, let alone catch one, no matter the time of year. I’m used to them being mobile and moving a few kilometres at times, but after searching all of their regular haunts, I failed each time.
Four of my mates, who know perch really well, backed up my findings.
Super slow twitching Sprat 85 soft plastics will usually trick cranky perch.
In fact, for six whole months, we all documented a concerning, total absence over a large range of habitat.
The boom-and-bust nature of estuary perch numbers, and their regular travels out of one big estuary across open water to another far-off inlet, continues to bamboozle me – but that could be a good thing!
They’re back!
As if by magic, the estuary perch reappeared, seemingly back from the dead, when we least expected it. I only stumbled across them while I was on a squid-searching mission. After failing to find a single calamari all morning, I decided to use those last few hours to have one last look for the missing winter perch. I expected to go home
Even in the depths of winter, the wharf at Port Albert is stunning and can hold squid or salmon. The fish and chip shop is right on the jetty and has the best fresh seafood in Gippsland.
fishless once again.
Incredibly, by the time I left at 5:30pm I had stacked 59 EP, including some beautiful, healthy big models. Nearly all of them were just over 40cm, and there were six fish ranging from 45-46cm. I even discovered a few brand-new areas where I had never caught them before.
Seeing these fish alive and well was a relief and an absolute joy. They have seemingly moved back into the whole area, and you can now target them from the entrance at McLoughlins right through to Welshpool, The Prom and further.
Big numbers
I couldn’t wait to return, and two days later I was back and expecting big things!
The fish didn’t let me down. After seven hours of searching old and new areas, I end up returning 62 magnificent big perch, with two measuring 49cm.
I tried my best to leave them alone for a week, but four days later – after losing plenty of sleep and needing to fix my addiction – I was back. This time I found the real motherlode, and netted 86 superb South Gippy estuary perch. The best that day measured 49.5cm and weighed 1.94kg.
On this trip, I discovered a brand-new drop-off edge about 20m long, and caught over 60 perch stacked up there big time. It is so bizarre that I have passed over this deep estuary channel at least 100 times over the years, ignoring it to chase snapper, whiting and rock flathead.
I just checked my diary and over two weeks on six separate trips I released 303 perch. It’s up with some of the best perchin’ I’ve ever had, and I’m very happy and relieved.
Cranky and shut down
On one of those days I was able to get Ben Hotchkins to join me. We sounded up huge schools of large perch, but they were terribly shut down that day. It’s so frustrating seeing hundreds
of fish on the screen, knowing they are all cranky perch.
Despite the huge amount of fish around, I only managed to scratch up 15 of them. I had to try weird stuff to trick them, and work soft plastics super slow. I caught most of them on large 120mm soft plastics on heavy jigheads, painfully tweaked as slowly as I could to instigate a bite.
Ben had to employ the same tactics. He tricked four big perch to 46cm and lost 10 more due to soft and timid bites.
As soon as we pulled a single fish out of those huge schools, the remaining perch totally refused to eat a
lure. We had to move on to find ‘fresh’ schools of perch until we eventually ran out of time.
SQUID AND SALMON As for other species, it has been a little up and down for squid numbers. While most anglers have been finding them at Port Albert, they’ve barely found enough to bag out. Even at Welshpool, it’s been slow and hardly steady. Even salmon numbers have been slow to build, and I suspect the best fishing for both species will be in the weeks ahead.
Freshwater fishers can learn more about Victoria’s wild trout fisheries at a free one-day conference in Mansfield on Saturday 21 September, 2024.
Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA)
CEO Travis Dowling said the annual
Talk Wild Trout conference attracts anglers, scientists, guides and opinion leaders to share the latest in research, fisheries management, habitat improvements, and trout trends. “Make a weekend of it with
Flyfishing instructor and author Philip Weigall will be a keynote speaker at the Talk
conference.
GIPPSLAND LAKES
Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com
Once again, the Gippy Lakes fishery has proved that it’s home to the biggest black bream on the mainland. There’s so much to report on this month.
NEW PB CATCHES
Over the last few months I have been getting some great pictures and stories from anglers who have caught their new PB bream.
First up is James Russell, a local who really knows how to search out big bream, and this time he’s really outdone himself. He was giving the Tambo River a workover, casting a Hurricane Tomahawk Sprat 85 into the snaggy edges, when he hooked a colossal bream, After an epic brawl he finally lifted his net with trembling relief. The bream measured 49.5cm –the largest I’ve seen in a long time. He sent me a video of him holding up the bream with his hands still shaking!
After catching a 49.5cm/1.84kg bream, James Russell was one happy and very excited angler, but forgot to smile for the photo! With shaking hands he caught the monster bream on a Hurricane Sprat 85 soft plastic.
friends and family by fishing the High Country on Sunday after you’ve learnt lots the day before at the conference,” Mr Dowling said. “The event is jointly hosted by the VFA and Australian Trout Foundation, supported by fishing licence fees and the Victorian Government’s $96 million Go Fishing and Boating Plan.”
This year’s keynote address will be provided by flyfishing instructor, author and photojournalist Philip Weigall, who will explore the nuances of Victoria’s trout fishery over time. Philip has spent more than 35 years fly fishing for trout throughout south-eastern Australia and is widely respected as an authority on Victoria’s trout fisheries in rivers and lakes.
Terry George from the Australian Trout Foundation will explain how we can learn from the past and plan for the future, whilst Mountain Fly guide James Norney’s presentation will highlight how environmental restoration plays a vital part in a healthy fishery.
The wellbeing benefits of spending time outdoors will be a topic covered by The Fly Program’s Matt Tripet, who will reveal how his company’s flyfishing adventures
Visiting NSW angler Karen Van Bael was overjoyed when she caught a new PB bream at 43cm. Nikki Bryant was her guide for the day.
For the record, the digital scales found his new PB going 1.84kg. I’m sure that one day, James will go one better and find that 50cm unicorn.
are improving the mental health of men. Similarly impressive work will be shared by Mending Casts, which is a group helping Australians recover from cancer by connecting with nature through flyfishing.
Karen Brooks, who captained Australia’s first ever women’s fly fishing team in Norway two years ago, is passionate about encouraging more women to cast a line. She’ll propose ways we can all be more inclusive to boost female participation.
Dr Jarod Lyon from the Arthur Rylah Institute (DEECA) will outline how trout might be co-managed with native fish in a changing climate, while other talks will examine how agencies and anglers are working together to enhance streams, how the Women in Recreational Fishing and Boating (WIRFAB) network is leading the country to get more females fishing, and what secrets a decade of trout research has revealed.
Panel discussions will accompany sessions with questions from the audience.
The conference will be at the Mansfield Performing Arts Centre, between 9am and 4pm. Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided. Learn more and book a free conference seat at www.vfa. vic.gov.au/talktrout. – VFA
I got another great report from Billy Rowe. At 15 years old, Billy is the keenest young angler around and is passionate about the Gippy Lakes and loves his kayak fishing. He sent me a great report about his new PB bream, which looked over 40cm. His new trophy was caught in the Mitchell River on a Muss lure. He also reported big numbers of fish from 33-37cm out in Lake Victoria. I’m sure I’ll be hearing from Billy a lot more in the years ahead.
GUN BREAM ANGLERS
I want to congratulate a few trailblazers who catch the hell out of all species of fish in the Gippy Lakes. Over the years, Nikki Bryant has sent me more pics and reports than anyone I know, and this time she’s found some new mates to fish with. Passionate lure angler Karen Van Bael is from NSW, and Nikki invited her down to showcase our local Gippsland bream. Not only did Karen achieve her new PB bream at 43cm, but she watched her host land a 46cm truck. Both fish were caught on Hurricane 85cm Sprat soft plastics.
Another keen lure fisho, Ruth Beeby, explores our local waters more than just about any other angler. She searches far and wide and gets great rewards for her efforts. On one of her latest sorties, she landed a mixed bag of flathead, perch to 40cm, a heap of bream and a nice luderick.
TWIN RIVERS COMP
Jason Bolch has taken out the top spot in this year’s annual Twin Rivers event. Incredibly, this is his third win in a row!
This year, Jason’s biggest five bream were particularly large – I’m talking jaw-dropping sizes. If you go on tip length, they were all around 43-48cm.
His five official fork lengths were 43.5cm, 42.5cm, 42cm, and 2 x 41.5cm. In a Vic bream or ABT comp, if those five bream were weighed we would have seen a bag of at least 7.5kg!
The runner-up was Frank Aloisio, whose biggest five bream had a combined total fork length of 200cm (in tip length they would have averaged around 43cm each).
The junior winner of the Longest Bream was Lachie Peacock, who registered an impressive 42cm fork length fish (around 45cm tip length). If anyone is lucky enough to land a bream like that, you’ll find it will pull and fight as hard as any fish that swims in
the Gippy Lakes estuary. A big congrats to Lachie.
In total, there were 1308 bream caught in the comp, and so many were over 40cm that I haven’t enough room here to congratulate everyone. While it’s true that experienced anglers usually catch the biggest bream, the comp results show that any angler, young or old, has the chance to land trophy fish in the Gippy Lakes.
MALLACOOTA/EDEN
Kevin Gleed
captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com
During winter, tourism throughout Gippsland comes to a standstill, with empty boat ramps making life easier for anglers. At this time of year, it’s not uncommon to spend a day on the water and not see another boat, especially during the week. There are many BBQ
areas around the lake, which really add to a great day of fishing. Just make sure you rug up so you can stay comfortable on the water.
Fishing over the winter months in Mallacoota is all about the lake and rivers. Very few boats head offshore; the water is cold, and the weather makes things uncomfortable.
The lake is the main drawcard for anglers at the moment, and a day’s fishing
schools.
offers a variety of fish. All reports are saying that good numbers of fish are being caught. To give yourself the best chance of success, stick with the proven method of fishing around the baitfish schools.
The Bottom Lake is still fishing well, with a variety of fish being caught. Common catches include yellowfin bream, silver trevally, tailor, and flathead. There’s also the odd sand whiting
It’s always lovely in Marlo
MARLO/ORBOST
Marlo Ocean Views
As the title suggests, those of us who live in Marlo feel we’ve found our own little piece of paradise. Even with the cooler conditions we have been experiencing, there are plenty of things to do, including enjoying the local walks, exploring Cape Conron, Pearl Point and of course the Snowy and Brodribb rivers. Visitors are
always welcome, and we are sure that once you have been to Marlo, you’ll want to come back.
As far as the fishing goes, things haven’t changed too much from what we reported last month. The luderick and bream fishing continues to be excellent, and there’s no reason this shouldn’t continue in September.
For the luderick, worm baits continue to be your best option and the better fish have been coming off hard structure like
and luderick. Black bream can also be caught, but the majority are taken further upstream, towards Gypsy Point. Fishing with blades and soft plastic lures is effective, and hardbody lures fished around the margins of the lake will also get a few.
Flathead can still be caught in numbers at the moment, and the key is to fish the area slowly. Once you’ve found a fish, you can be sure there are more in the area. Try switching lures and colours to find what works best on the day. The rock walls and structure upstream are also good places to try for a black bream, and the whitebait schools upstream will see numbers of back bream in the same area, along with flathead.
For beach fishers, the main target this month is salmon. These fish are being caught on all the local beaches; just look for a good gutter and fish around the top of the tide.
All up, Mallacoota is definitely worth visiting during the cooler months, with good numbers of fish caught.
rock walls and road drainage. There are some quality fish being caught.
Throughout August, the black bream fishing really improved, and most anglers venturing out managed to catch a feed of fish. The best captures we’ve seen have been taken by anglers using worm baits, but lure anglers have also been catching their share. We’ve had the occasional report of good bream being caught on hardbody lures, particularly around First and Second islands. The structure and current lines in this area, and at the mouth of Lake Corringle, have always been great places to flick hardbody lures or soft plastics around.
The area around the mouth of the Snowy continues to have good numbers of tailor at first and last light, with the odd salmon mixed in. Targeting these fish is always a great way to spend a few hours.
The offshore grounds have slowed
Ashby Potter enjoys her fishing, and no wonder when you’re catching bream like this one.
The bream fishing has just got better and better. We expect this to continue into September, and we’re sure that Chad Heyne hopes so, too.
down a little; the cold water has affected the fishing for the usual suspects like gummy shark, sand flathead and the like. They are still there; you just need to work a little harder at this time of the year to bag a feed. There are enough snapper about to keep things interesting as well.
Like the offshore grounds our beach fishing has tapered off a little. Salmon, tailor and the odd shark can still be caught, however. Picking the better gutters before you start fishing is essential to improving your success if you’re looking to fish from our local beaches. That’s all for this month. Hopefully this report will inspire you to come and visit Marlo, and we look forward to welcoming you, when you do.
• Les and Kathy Heyne are the owners of the Marlo Ocean Views Caravan 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.
We’ve smashed our previous fish stocking record of 10 million by stocking more than 11.5 million fish in the 2023/24 season.
That’s more fish stocking than anywhere else in Australia and a whopping 29.5 million in the three years to July 2024. No other state comes close!
Eleven species in all: Murray cod, golden perch, Australian bass, silver perch, estuary perch, Macquarie perch, trout cod, dusky flathead, brown trout, rainbow trout, Chinook salmon.
It’s all thanks to your recreational fishing licence fees and the Victorian Government’s $96 million Go Fishing and Boating Plan.
Here are some highlights:
For a detailed breakdown of where the 11.5m fish were stocked, visit www.vfa.vic.gov.au/recordstocking
ROBINVALE
Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au
Early morning outings, with frozen fingers and chilled toes, regularly thawed into some amazing trips along the Murray River this winter.
Numerous giant cod have cracked and crunched a variety of lures, and taught us many new angling lessons. On one particular corner, which I hadn’t fished for around 15 years, I saw deepwater free swimmers snacking on schooling bait, just as they did back in the day. Armed with
There are plenty of good-sized goldens in the Murray all season, and they should go well when the spring flows start to warm.
new lures and techniques, I caught five solid cod over a metre on that outing. In years past, it was trolling that got the goods at that location.
This time, however, it was deepwater scope baits that brought these giant fish undone. In angling you are never too old to learn, and my
September is here and it’s time to get excited
WANGARATTA Robbie Alexander
When it comes to fishing in the Wangaratta area there are many things to look forward to in September. The fishing is starting to improve for many species, and the trout season opens on the first Saturday of the month.
MURRAY COD
Murray cod season is closed until midnight on 30 November, but recent changes to the regulations now allow us to target cod at select locations during the closed season. The closest springtime
Murray cod fishing to Wangaratta is Lake Nillahcootie, followed by Lake Eildon.
Further afield, Lake Eppalock and Cairn Curran Reservoir are now also open to Murray cod fishing all year round. These lakes are all stocked with Murray cod, and there is very little evidence of natural recruitment. This makes the whole purpose of the Murray cod closed season redundant.
I have never actually targeted Murray cod in these lakes in spring. I have, however, caught plenty of them in Lake Nillahcootie as a by-catch while targeting yellowbelly. The cod have
hunger for new techniques and technology has become insatiable. While this cod season is all but finished, I can’t wait for the next to start with the promise of so much more to learn.
As the saying goes, ‘when one door closes, another opens’, and that’s the case now as we look down the barrel of the spring run of golden perch. It was a great season last year, and the bite continued right through into late autumn at many locations along the Murray River. Robinvale, Wemen, Mildura and Wentworth all produced good catches of quality perch, in numbers not seen in a long time. Most of the perch were of a good size, with 50cm fish almost the norm.
It was a similar story down through lock 9-8 and into South Australia, where perch seemed to be an ever-present catch on both bait
Spring-run redfin are great fun to catch and excellent on the plate.
and lures. Let’s hope we see this kind of action again, as it’s great fun – and the odd perch for the table is a bonus that’s always welcome.
always been quite small, but that could be attributed to the smaller lures I use when yellowbelly fishing. Perhaps a larger lure might get a different result?
YELLOWBELLY
September is when we see the yellowbelly fishing start to ramp up. They become active each year as temperatures begin to rise.
My favourite place to target yellowbelly is Lake Nillahcootie. However, here in Wangaratta we are seeing more and more caught in the Ovens River each year thanks to the Victorian Fisheries stocking program.
I will be fishing in the Ovens River in Wangaratta in September, targeting yellowbelly. I will only be using bait, mostly worms, although I may also use a small yabby or a freshwater shrimp if I can find any.
Shrimp are a dynamite yellowbelly bait but can be hard to find early in spring.
REDFIN
September can be a tough
month to catch redfin in North East Victoria. Last year, I only caught a couple of small ones at Lake Sambell in Beechworth.
The two main redfin lakes in the area, Lake Buffalo and Lake William Hovell, tend to fish very slowly in the springtime.
Smaller waterways that heat up faster are more likely to fish well for redfin in September. Any small ponds or creeks that you know have redfin in them will be worth fishing as things warm up.
I won’t be actively targeting redfin in September, although I do expect to catch a few as a by-catch while targeting other species.
This is where the most exciting news is, with the opening of the trout season on 7 September.
As I type my report, the streams are lower than usual for the second half of winter, but they are flowing well and it’s currently raining, with more rain in the forecast. So, things are looking promising.
are some sizable golden perch in these lakes as well, so it’s a win-win situation all round.
Lake Merrin fished very well last spring, with good bags of quality redfin reported on a weekly basis.
Lake Charm is another local hot spot and always good for redfin and a few big perch. Kangaroo and Boga lakes are also worthy destinations as the warm spring weather rolls in.
LOOKING AHEAD
All up it’s been a very good Murray cod season, and I’m looking forward to the next. In the meantime, be sure to leave these iconic fish alone to get on with the job of breeding the next generation.
Spring also fires up our local redfin population, with the Kerang lakes producing good numbers. There
Any of your favourite trout streams will be worth fishing when the season opens. Some will fish better than others, and there’s no real way of telling which ones will fish the best until we can actually get out and wet a line.
I never decide exactly where I will go on trout opening until a day or two before the season opens, as it will depend on how much rain we
As the new season rolls in, let’s enjoy the warmth of spring and the big golden perch that run along the Murray River and surrounding waters at this time of the year.
If you are new to trout fishing and don’t know where to go, the Ovens River upstream of Porepunkah is a great starting point. It is easily accessible in many areas and has a healthy number of brown and rainbow trout.
OTHER SPECIES
It is worth noting that the Murray crayfish season closes on 31 August at midnight. It is only
get and where it falls.
Bait fishing with worms will be effective early in the season.
Lures such as bladed spinners, minnows and soft plastics should all work well.
You need to be a better fly fisher than I am to have fly fishing success early in the season. I know that some fly fishers catch trout at the start of the season and in all conditions, but I don’t. I am far from a fly fishing expert. I usually wait for the grasshoppers and bugs to start landing on the water before I wake my fly rods from hibernation each year.
open for the winter months, so it’s time to put your cray nets away until next season.
There will no doubt be plenty of carp biting in September. Lake Moodemere has been fishing very well for carp all winter, and I can’t see this changing in September.
If we get a few warm days, we might start seeing a few yabbies biting in September. October/November are usually better months, but some years I experience great yabbying in September. Usually, the warmer the weather, the earlier the yabbies become active.
YARRAWONGA
Tony
Bennett
I’m trying to write this report with one eye glued to the TV, watching local shooter James Willet compete in the Mens Double Trap final at the Olympics. He’s shooting off for a medal in the final group of six. For those of you who fish up the top of the lake, you will often hear ‘bang, bang, bang, bang’ in the distance. This is James practising at his shooting range ‘Shelford’, only a stone’s throw from Drain Lane.
I’ll continue with the report and let you know how he goes when I reach the end.
FISHING IN EUROPE
I’ve been lucky enough to travel and fish overseas this winter. I caught up with a couple of great anglers who I’d hosted while they were visiting Australia. First up was Matthew ‘Frenchie’ Tourneau, who took me out on Lake La Gal in Southern France, where we caught a couple of zander.
Then I went to the Netherlands and fished Hollands Diep with my
friend Hugo Hageman, who put me onto a 95cm pike – one of my ‘bucket list’ fish. I was then busted off boat-side by one estimated to be around 120cm, but their memories I’ll have forever.
WHAT’S
Whilst away we received a steady flow of reports and updates on what was happening back on Lake Mulwala. As usual, with a drawdown (albeit not a complete one this season), anglers flocked to town to try their luck on a slightly different looking waterway compared to when the lake’s full.
As usual, the cod played the game, with the ‘scopers’ landing many cod of great size. One of the best reports came in from Dale ‘The Dreadlock Chef’, who landed a PB down the river measuring 113cm. This was caught on one of his homemade chatterbaits.
Another angler to get amongst plenty of nice cod whilst bait fishing from the bank, both in the lake and river, was David Arzuhaldzic. Dave landed numerous fish in the 55-75cm bracket, with an 80cm being his best.
Cray season proved more productive than usual, with consistent reports of decent numbers being caught, especially by those craying downstream in the river.
Anglers must be aware that the 2023-24 cod season closes on September 1. Targeting Murray cod in Lake Mulwala from this time through to November 30 is illegal. Fishing
downstream in the river between Yarrawonga weir, through Cobram, and down to the traffic bridge at Tocumwal is closed to all forms of fishing during this time.
As the fishing slows down, preparations for the 2024-25 competition season are ramping up. If you are keen to get your name added to the Golden Dollars, Cod Classic, Dash 4 Cash, or His and Hers Partners Classic, shoot me an e-mail at codclassic@bigpond.com. The Cod Classic is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and promises to be huge once again. Online entries will open in mid-September.
Ok, back to James at the Olympics. After qualifying in equal first position for the final, shooting a remarkable 125 straight, he missed a couple in the pressure-cooker final and finished in 6th place. A remarkable effort and something all Yarrawonga/Mulwala locals and Australians alike should be proud of.
Until the next edition, happy fishing.
• 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 Yarrawonga/Mulwala’s Murray cod experts, specialising in all things ‘green’! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports give us a hoy on 03 5744 3133.
SHEPPARTON
Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com
This past winter has been one of the best for cray fishing in the Goulburn River, with a heap of reports either side of the river rise. Unfortunately, the winter cod fishing was not as good, with not many reports coming in over the cooler months.
With cod season drawing to a close, it’s time to shift our attention to yellowbelly. If the river stays steady, we should see some great spring fishing. Small spinnerbaits and TN60 Jackalls worked well last season, and these lures will be great again, but slow rolling black Gulps may be the best lure choice for yellowbelly.
In late winter I heard a few reports of yellowbelly being caught around freshly-fallen trees and reedy banks, with black Gulps working best. If the flow is steady you won’t need to go to heavy with your jighead, and you can get good results flicking your plastic close to
structure or up shallow.
Bait fishing in spring is very productive. If you can get your hands on some scrub worms, yabbies or shrimp, get them on your hook as the yellowbelly love an early spring feed of fresh bait.
SHEPPARTON LAKE
Cold mornings are perfect trout conditions, and late winter produced the goods at the Shepparton Lake. Some nice trout have been caught on small soft plastics around the grass hill, and small spinners around the boat ramps.
Anglers bait fishing with scrub worms under a float have been getting good catches near the art museum area. The trout have been hunting down the worms in weedless pockets, both shallow and deep.
Trolling Tassie Devils and TN60s in the rowing lanes has been a great way to target trout and redfin during winter, and that should continue this month.
As the water temps rise in the coming months, we will start to see more yellowbelly action. Upsizing your soft plastics to around 3”, or
casting TN60 Jackalls rigged with a single belly hook, will improve your chances of catching a yellowbelly over a smaller trout.
There have been some promising reports coming from the channels out towards Waranga Basin. You can expect to encounter some nice-size redfin there this month, especially if you can find some flow. Small spinnerbaits, ZX40 blades and square bills have all been working over towards the Basin.
The channels out at Shepparton east have produced some yellowbelly lately. Black Gulps have been working best, cast towards bridge pylons and slow rolled back to the bank.
Drifting scrub worms has worked well for those bait fishing with pan-sized redfin being caught in many different locations and some finding bait a little more productive.
The little lake, located next to Echuca Road, has started to produce some nice-sized redfin, along with the odd yellowbelly.
Small Bent Minnows, weedlessrigged soft plastics and Jackall Chubbys have always been great lures in the lake, and this spring I’d recommend using any of those. There is plenty of weed in the lake, but if you can run your lure just above it or in the weedless pockets, you will be in with a shot at a good redfin or yellowbelly.
Bait fishing has always been a great option at Craigmuir Lake, with worms and yabbies being the best baits when chasing redfin and yellowbelly.
The Arcadia fish-out pond is still producing fish, with 400 trout stocked in previous school holidays. Small spinners and curl-tail Strike Tiger soft plastics have been great lures for chasing these trout in the shallows. Floating PowerBait and worms around the trees has also been productive.
There are still plenty of yellowbelly in the pond, and if you’re keen to chase them, I recommend using square bills or small spinnerbaits around the edges.
BENDIGO Roger Miles
codhuntertours@bigpond.com
It feels like we had a particularly long, cold winter this year. Most areas have been fishing slow, but as temperatures rise, we should see an improvement in catch rates.
Lake Eppalock is currently at 90% of capacity, and water levels are relatively steady at the time of writing this report.
The Bendigo region often receives its heaviest rainfall in spring. The catchments for Lake Eppalock are currently wet but not fully saturated.
We need more significant rainfall events for the lake to receive good inflows. Given the already high water levels in Lake Eppalock, it would be great to get average or slightly below-average rainfall over the next few months. This would cause water levels to increase slowly, maintaining good water clarity. Hopefully, the lake will reach near capacity by early summer.
Only a small number of anglers have been fishing Eppalock, and most haven’t caught much. A few anglers, however, have produced some very good results on the redfin recently, catching quality fish to 40cm+. These anglers reported finding
Fisheries Officers patrolling the Riverina area, have intercepted two fishers involved in a series of offences involving the unlawful take and possession of Murray crayfish.
Two fishers were inspected by NSW DPIRD Fisheries Officers on the Murray River more than 20 km beyond the boundary of where Murray crayfish can be lawfully taken at Tocumwal River. The inspection uncovered 11 Murray crayfish in total, including three less than the prescribed minimum size of 10cm and two more than the prescribed maximum size of 12cm.
Not only did the fishers land themselves in hot water over taking Murray crayfish from closed waters,
but they were also reported for size limit, bag limit, and possession limit offences.
The fishers told our officers that they had taken their information from unofficial YouTube videos on fishing for Murray crayfish and were unaware that their fishing activities were unlawful. The pair were issued multiple penalty notices due to their unlawful fishing practices.
Information on correct fishing practices, bag and size limits and closures is available at dpi.nsw.gov. au/fishing.
Suspected illegal fishing activities can be reported to the Fishers Watch Phoneline on 1800 043 536 or via the online form on the NSW DPI website. – New South Wales DPI Fisheries
good schools in deep water, usually in depths of 10m+. Finding these concentrations of redfin is not easy, though; you’ll need to hunt around a lot to find them.
If you find a good concentration of redfin, try vertically jigging soft plastics and ice jigs. You can also get good results casting soft plastics and soft vibes.
There haven’t been many natives caught at Eppalock lately, but we should see more golden perch being caught by the end of September. Casting around the rocky shorelines and around the edges of grassy banks can produce quality golden perch during spring.
When targeting goldens, I like to use smaller profile lures at the start of spring. Silent lures (no rattles) tend to be more productive at this time.
Later in spring, when the water temperatures increase, the goldens become more aggressive. In that scenario, larger and/or noisy lures work better.
The water clarity in the Campaspe River isn’t too bad at the moment. If rainfall stays below the monthly average, the clarity will remain good.
September is a good time of the year to target the redfin population in the Campaspe River. The river doesn’t usually produce large numbers, but some quality fish can be caught. While the conditions remain good, it will be worth putting in some effort chasing large redfin.
I prefer to target the redfin along the edges of weed beds and the edges of cumbungi-lined banks. These areas are the favourite habitat of the redfin. Good lure options include bladed spinners, soft plastics and small hardbody lures.
I’ve heard very few reports of golden perch being caught in the river, but catches should improve in
the coming weeks. There is, however, a good chance we’ll get significant rainfall in spring, and the water clarity will deteriorate.
Cairn Curran is currently at 70%, and the clarity remains poor. Over the next few months, we should see an increase in water flows running into this reservoir. Hopefully, these inflows will be slow and steady, so the water rises slowly and the clarity can improve a bit, compared to the last couple of seasons when the water was dirty.
As the rising water covers fresh ground in the coming months, it will be a good time to target the resident trout and golden perch. With the poor water clarity, bait fishing is the way to go. Good bait options for the trout are worms, corn and gents. For the golden perch, the best baits are shrimp, small yabbies and worms.
The water clarity along most of the river is poor, and fishing reports have been few and far between.
The Loddon catchment usually receives its most significant rainfall in spring.
The long-range forecast for the next few months is for below-average rainfall, which would be good. If the water clarity is going to improve in the Loddon River this season, the catchment needs below-average rainfall, so inflows are slow and steady. With luck, we will see an improvement in the water clarity this season.
While catch rates are currently very low, by the end of September the water temperatures should increase, and the golden perch should start to feed more actively. In the meantime, I recommend getting your fishing equipment and lure selection ready to go. Before you know it, the fish will be on the chew again.
Shane Stevens
Despite the cold, anglers have been rewarded for their efforts over the past month. We’ve had some atrocious weather, with many days sitting well below 10°C, but this hasn’t deterred the die-hard anglers. These dedicated fishos have been happy to rug up and brave the elements, and have had some good sessions fishing around Ballarat.
flies in front of the fish and they will eat it, no worries at all,” Blake said. “If they miss eating it, pick your flies up and pop them straight down where they were, and the fish will eat them.”
Blake said he can’t wait for some insect activity and the fish to start feeding on them. It’s looking like it’s going to be a great season, if the water continues to rise. We all have our fingers crossed.
I have been hitting up Moorabool a lot this winter and I can’t believe how good the fishing has been, considering
those fisheries where I pull up at the carpark full of optimism, and walk down to the water with high hopes. With each cast, I know there’s a good chance of my fly being inhaled by a trout. There are some big fish mixed in with the smaller ones, including a few trophy 10lb+ specimens, which have eluded me so far.
We have had some rainfall, which has seen some of our fisheries’ water levels slowly start to rise – and I mean slowly. Hopefully, the rain will continue over the next couple of months. If not, it will be a struggle for many fisheries, not only around Ballarat but the rest of the state.
MOORABOOL
Moorabool Reservoir has seen plenty of angler activity over the past month, with quite a few reports filtering through. The water level has been gradually rising over the new grassy banks, and I have seen trout mooching around in the shallows, feeding on grubs, worms and blood worms. The trout don’t seem to be fazed by anglers as they search for food, which can be a bit scarce during winter.
Blake Herrick, a regular who is often seen walking the shorelines of Moorabool, has been catching some very nice rainbows and browns. Blake likes to be out at Moorabool just after first light, when trout can be seen feeding very close to the shore. On some recent trips, Blake has been using orange Woolly Bugger flies with excellent results.
“It’s just a matter of getting the
that the fish still have their minds focused on spawning. Last year, the winter and early spring fishing at Moorabool was unbelievable as well.
Judging by what’s happening at the moment, it’s going to be another awesome season out there this year.
Moorabool Reservoir is one of
On my numerous trips to Moorabool last month, I had only one day when I didn’t catch a trout – and on that day, I did have an opportunity to catch one. I’m amazed by the trout that are willing to chase and look at your flies at Moorabool, especially the orange Magoos/Woolly Buggers. On three productive days, I had five or six opportunities to catch fish each day. One day, I hooked four trout but only landed one, which turned out to be a lovely brown trout about 3.5lb.
I have had a mixture of rainbows and browns trying to eat my flies, which I have moved very quickly with a roly-poly retrieve (that’s when you tuck your rod under your arm and retrieve non-stop with both hands). The flies only sit in the top 5-6” of water. The trout will follow a fly all the way in, and try to grab the fly when you lift it out of the water to recast. The secret is to stop the flies, sit them in the surface film and hang them there. I have often caught fish right in front of me, hanging the flies. Days with rougher weather have worked better for me.
I have spoken to some other anglers who have been fishing Moorabool over the past month, casting lures or fishing baits. Some of these guys have been catching the odd fish, while others have struggled. Still, all have been optimistic that they are going to catch one.
At Lake Wendouree the fishing is improving, with quite a few reports coming through. Most reports have come from land-based anglers, which makes sense at the moment. The trout are still in spawning mode, looking for gravel banks where they can lay their eggs like they would normally do in a stream, if there was one running into the lake.
On a very ordinary Ballarat winter’s day, when it was freezing cold with showers of rain, one angler caught seven trout casting Bent Minnow surface lures from the shore. He said he never saw any other anglers that day.
Kim Smith, a keen local fly fisher, has been hitting Wendouree most days when not at work. She has been landing some nice-sized browns between 45-50cm land-
Rod Shepherd
Finally! Some half-decent rain has arrived in the southwest, hopefully putting paid to the green drought we were experiencing.
Unfortunately, some bitterly cold weather came with it, which curtailed many fishing outings. Although arriving late, this would be our first real Antarctic winter blast for several years. The thing is, it’s looking like the first half of spring will remain wintery. As they say in the classics, you can’t always have your cake and eat it, too.
Over at Warrnambool, the lower reaches of the Hopkins and Merri rivers have been producing some excellent brown trout averaging around 60cm in length. Bait anglers have been having success using live scrub worm and minnow baits under a bubble float. Lure fishers have been working medium diver lures around the bankside cover and any structure,
based. On one of her best sessions, Kim landed two trout and dropped another two off in galeforce, freezing, northerly winds. Unsurprisingly, she was the only one fishing that day.
Steve and Nathan Angee have been getting amongst the trout and redfin casting hardbody lures
hoping to entice a trout out of its hidey hole into striking.
Mount Emu Creek has seen some reasonable browns and rainbows to 800g taking metal spinners close to
measuring 46cm.
Steve caught all his trout on a Jackall Nagisa lure (a cross between a hardbody minnow and a soft plastic).
On your retrieve, you start and stop the lure, and Steve said the trout have been finding it irresistible.
My son Maxi and I recently ventured out on Wendouree for the
and soft plastics out of the boat on Wendouree. The fishing has been tough some days, with only the odd fish looking at their lures and plastics. On other days, however, it’s been game on, and the pair have been rewarded big time. In one session, Steve toweled Nathan up, landing seven trout up to 55cm while Nathan caught only a single redfin. Still, the redfin was a ripper,
first time in a few months. Our plan was to fly fish along the main weed beds and rowing channel, and then along the shorelines, where a lot of fish had been getting caught.
We started off fishing our regular haunts, using Woolly Buggers in orange/olive/pink and black. Maxi had the first look but no hook-up. Soon after, my flies were hit by a nice brown around 40cm, eating the orange
the surface in most pools, while redfin and tench have been taking worms off the bottom. Don’t leave a worm sitting in one spot for too long unless you fancy catching an eel; there are
plenty of them to go around.
Lake Purrumbete has been slow but it’s gradually improving, with plenty of redfin and Chinook salmon taking baits and jigging lures off the bottom in 15-20m of water. With some berley and patience, you should be able to take a few fish home for the table. Worm and minnow baits are working for those who prefer static fishing, while soft plastics, blades and ice jigs are doing the job for more active anglers. One redfin caught recently measured 41cm, which is a big fish for this lake, so they are there.
Bullen Merri has been producing some solid tiger trout, which have been taking lures and flies either trolled or cast not far from the shoreline. These feisty fish really do give a good account of themselves during a fight. Young Max Stevens did well recently when he visited the lake with his father, Shane. Casting an orange Magoo fly pattern, Max landed the beast you can see in the photo on this page.
Woolly Bugger/Magoo.
We went on to work a few different areas with no success, but then the wind increased, which seemed to fire the fish up a bit. My orange fly was eaten by another 40cm brown, then Maxi had another grab but no hook-up in the same area. A brown followed my orange fly up on the hang, missed eating that, then turned around and ate my olive Magoo and took off a rate of knots. After a very good tussle, I landed a well-conditioned 47cm brown trout, which I released after a couple of photos.
All up, it wasn’t a bad little session, landing three trout in ordinary weather conditions with rain and more rain.
Small wonder we were the only people out fishing.
HEPBURN AND NEWLYN
Hepburn Lagoon and Newlyn Reservoirs are still very low.
Hopefully, with some more good rain, we will see water levels rise. I haven’t fished either recently but over the next month I will hit them up. It’s a matter of finding clear pockets of water amongst the extensive amounts of weed due to the low water levels.
At Tullaroop Reservoir, I have had a couple of looks over the past month with no success. It looks very barren along the shorelines, which leads me to believe there is no reason for the trout to come in close. This could change, though. I have heard of a couple of anglers who have caught some trout up there, so I’m not giving up on it yet, especially given the clarity of the water. We are also moving into the best time of the year to fish Tullaroop.
EILDON Daniel Piazza
At the majestic Lake Eildon, all anglers can get some good captures at this time of year. September is when Lake Eildon comes alive for the common punter. A word of warning, though: if you aren’t experienced on Lake
reproduction. It’s when many fish run out of the lake before returning to feed up before it gets too hot, and then they spend the summer months in depths below 10m to keep cool. This is why the Howqua, Big River, and Goulburn arms always hold multiple big cod in a small area.
Recently, I found some giants a
Eildon, please check the weather as it can be a horrible place for surprise wind gusts. Research the boat ramp you’re planning to launch from, and check the direction of the wind and wind speed.
Springtime is the month of
couple of bends up the Goulburn Arm near the shed on the left-hand side. I had predicted that this day would be a peak bite time. The best times are two days before the new moon and after. I’ve found that the Eildon cod are more up and about on a rising moon.
WEST/SOUTH GIPPSLAND Martin Auldist
By the time this issue hits newsstands and mailboxes, the wait will be over for trout fishers around the state, including those here in West and South Gippsland.
After two months of cooling their jets during the closed season, anglers will once again be legally able to target trout in Victorian rivers and streams, with the opening of the season scheduled for Saturday, 7 September.
At the time of writing, freshwater anglers are still making do with lesser lights such as the native river blackfish and introduced species like redfin and carp. These last two species, in particular, are prevalent in just about every creek and dam in the region, including those in the lower-lying areas where the water flow is slow and trout less common.
Come 7 September, though, a host of trout fishing opportunities open up in this very scenic part of the world the main problem will be choosing which stream to target first! The closest recognised trout stream to my hometown of Warragul is the Tarago River. The gloss has gone off this great stream a little since they started diverting water to the Mornington Peninsula several years ago, but it still holds plenty of trout throughout the year (though I have found it more productive late in the season).
Moving further afield, the Latrobe is the major river in the region. It provides virtually endless trout fishing opportunities from the Hawthorn Creek junction all the way through Noojee and west out towards Powelltown. Access is easy and can be gained at several Parks Victoria picnic areas and campsite, road bridges, and several public areas in Noojee. From some
On this day, I noticed most of the cod were sitting in about 3m and were very alert. Murray cod can hear you from 35m+ away, so being super quiet is the only way to go undetected by them.
I searched around the main arm for eight hours and only saw two really big fish. They were sitting on a massive school of bait, so they were not motivated to eat an artificial bait when they had the real deal on the menu. The only quick reaction was on a white spinnerbait with a 170mm trailer plastic. I had to admit defeat, but I’ll be hitting the water again soon.
shallows. Remember to match the hatch.
Redfin will start turning up on the trees in 9-10m of water in the coming weeks, and I’m sure the population of yellowbelly are not safe with all the new Livescope technology. I will be targeting yellowbelly in September, and will report back on my results.
Let’s face it, in five years’ time, Lake Eildon is going to have a boom period as the cod get really big. I personally think Eildon is going to be the Mecca of impoundment cod fishing.
Until next month, readers, enjoy the mighty Lake Eildon. Just remember to plan your trip Eildon can get nasty in thunderstorm season, so plan your trip carefully. Tight lines!
The boys fishing the annual Lake Eildon Codfather Challenge had better results. They spent a great weekend away on a houseboat from Lake Eildon Houseboat hire, and boated six fish from 55-73cm. It was a great weekend with lots of laughs with a great bunch of blokes.
NORTHERN GOLD COAST
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beginner’s luck and nailed a nice 73cm cod.
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of these access points, the adventurous angler can bush-bash up and downstream pretty much as far into the surrounding forest as they dare. It’s a great way to get some water all to yourself. Expect trout of 25-35cm in length, with some larger ones amongst them.
Two of the main tributaries of the Latrobe River, the Loch and Toorongo rivers, would also be well worth considering for an earlyseason sojourn. They are much smaller waterways than the Latrobe, and the trout are correspondingly smaller, but there are plenty of fish to provide an action-packed day. Access to the Loch can be gained via roadside picnic areas, while the best access to the Toorongo is to park at the first road bridge. These creeks flow through a mix of open farmland and forest.
Other great West Gippy options
include the upper reaches of the Bunyip River to the west and Icy Creek the Twin Tanjils (East and West branches) further east. Be prepared for some bush bashing in these streams because they are surrounded by thick bush; the best way to travel is up the creek bed, but it can be tough going. South of Traralgon there is also the Traralgon Creek, which despite its name is quite a substantial waterway in places, holds better than average trout, and has easy access from the road alongside.
All the waterways in the region can be targeted using all the usual techniques, including bait fishing, casting bladed spinners and hardbodied lures, and fly fishing. The main influence on which technique is most appropriate is the weather, which can be quite volatile in September. Keep your fingers crossed for clear, fishable water!
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The unique mental health program run by Bayer Crop Science Australia has delivered a range of benefits to rural people. The program uses fishing to give participants and others the space and time to reflect, while enjoying nature and improving their mental and physical health.
to the power of the
It includes two parts: the Bayer Big Fish Challenge, which sees people team up and fish throughout the year. This competition raises money for the second part of the program: Bayer Retreats. These retreats allow rural people doing it tough to have an all-expenses paid trip to the NSW Snowy Mountains, where they practice mindfulness, while also fly fishing and reflecting in nature. The retreats are run by Australian registered charity The Fly Program.
In 2024, Bayer Crop Science is on track to donate $45,000 to The Fly Program to send community members to the Bayer Retreats. It takes Bayer’s contribution to The Fly Program charity to more than $250,000 since the partnership
“switch off”, reflect, and be grateful for all he has in life. The Fly Program led the group in fishing, hiking and opening up about the stress factors in their lives.
“They get us a bit vulnerable and get guys talking about things we might not otherwise and remind us to appreciate what we’ve got,” Bryan said.
He said the program taught them practical lessons they could use in their everyday lives.
Bryan’s wife Chloe went on a Bayer Retreat for women in March, and also found it helped greatly.
“The guides shared different ways to look at challenges in your life. For example, we were standing in the freezing cold river, and they asked us to look upstream and said, ‘Just how a leaf can flow past you and down the river, the same goes for negative thoughts; you can acknowledge them and then let them go’,” Chloe said.
Port Lincoln, SA, agronomist and Lincoln Rural managing director Marc Dickie participated in the same men’s retreat as Bryan. Marc was nominated to participate by one of Lincoln Rural’s agronomists who recognised that as a busy business owner, Marc didn’t get much time to himself.
“[The retreat] is so worthwhile,” Marc said. “It gives you the tools to help you manage anxiety and stress, and see things from different perspectives. It’s laid back, you go along and listen to people’s experiences, and contribute if you want.” His main takeaway is to schedule some downtime, away from everyday stressors.
The next Bayer Retreat will be held in October. Nominations are open through the Bayer Big Fish Challenge app or via the program website.
You can participate in the competition
began in 2018.
So far this year, The Fly Program has run two Bayer Retreats: one for men and one for women.
Queensland farmer and father of two, Bryan Aquilina took part in a recent retreat, appreciating the opportunity to
by downloading the Bayer Big Fish Challenge app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and enter a team. If you have any questions, contact your local Bayer Crop Science representative or email info@bayerbigfish.com. - FMG
ESPERANCE
Murray Johnson
Esperance has enjoyed plenty of good weather despite being in winter, with sunny days and light winds. Big tides have also created favourable conditions, with plenty of water movement producing better fishing.
Around town, anglers fishing Salmon Beach and Fourth Beach have been catching the occasional salmon, along with plenty of herring, smaller flathead, and small skippy.
Wiley Bay has really good channels and gutters, and has been producing smaller salmon, herring, bigger flathead, skippy around the 1kg mark, and the occasional gummy shark.
Heading west, Munglinup Beach has been producing some skippy around the 3kg mark, herring and the occasional salmon. The occasional bronze whaler has been getting caught at the Shark Holes.
Fishing west of town is also worth
having a go at this time of year. At Warranup, we’re seeing more salmon (although scattered), and lots of herring and gummies.
East of town, at Alexander Bay, anglers have reported good catches of salmon, skippy around the 2-3kg mark, plenty of herring and bronzies.
Israelite Bay is still producing plenty of small mulloway, gummy sharks, bronzies, the odd salmon and some good-size tailor.
For anglers chasing herring off the beaches, a stand-out lure has been the Bait Junkie Minnow 2.5” in the yuzu UV (lime green) colour. It has been producing really good numbers of herring. Instead of a slow, twitching retrieve, you should use a faster action to make the fish more excited.
Around town, anglers fishing off the jetty have been getting heaps of squid, with plenty of samples up to around 38cm tube length. A productive squid jig lately has been the Harimitsu 3.5 in pink bits and albino. There are also plenty
BUNBURY
Whiteys Tackle and Camping
An always welcome by-catch at this time of year are the mulloway and tailor that frequent our beaches and the last few weeks have been no exception with some horse tailor sessions being had on weightless mulies.
Squid have been around in great numbers as well as size. The winter
that take the time to target these delicious cephalopods and there are plenty of land-based spots to target them as well. Night sessions on the weed banks through Koombana Bay or from the local jetties will produce a feed.
Harvey Dam has been fishing well for redfin perch, look for rocky banks with plenty of structure as this is where the redfin hide out. The norm is generally spinners but don’t
Dam has been fishing well for redfin perch.
thumpers aren’t all gone yet. There is a common misconception that squidding is a waste of time in Bunbury waters, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Numbers are higher than ever for the boaties
of herring and a few garfish being caught at night.
Tailor Street Jetty and the groyne have been producing some decentsize King George whiting up to around 45cm, along with plenty of herring and squid.
The Bream Lakes are full because of the winter rains there are still plenty of fish around 30-35cm getting caught, with the occasional 40cm+ fish turning up. One lure that’s been working particularly well on the bream is the Chasebaits Flick Prawn in the 3.5g size in green prawn colour.
In the bay we’re seeing some goodsize sand whiting being caught, along with squid and bull herring. The local islands are also producing plenty of sweep, queen snapper, smaller nannygai and lots of breaksea cod.
Heading out wide, good numbers of nannygai are being caught over 65cm (3kg), along with smaller sambos up to 20kg. Anglers are also reporting plenty of breaksea, queen snapper, the occasional harlequin and the odd yellowtail kingfish.
THE MONTH AHEAD
With the changing water temps in September, the samsonfish move in closer, providing some good fishing opportunities around the close islands with samples up to 30kg on the cards. More nannygai will also be caught in close.
Beach fishing will continue to be a good option in the coming weeks, with more gummy sharks coming in. Thomas River and 14 Mile beaches are always favourites.
Squid will continue to be caught this month, there will also be plenty of sand whiting in the bay, and there’s a chance of the occasional bluefin tuna turning up.
• Established in 1986, Southern Sports and Tackle specializes in supplying and servicing fishing equipment. They have an extensive knowledge of the local area and provide all brands, whether you’re fishing from the beach, jetty or boat. Come and chat with the friendly staff at Shop 16, The Boulevard, Esperance or phone 08 9071 3022.
discount soft plastics. I rig a slightly heavier jighead (around the 1/8oz) to ensure my plastic is getting down where the fish are.
Drone fishers have been producing a good number of pink snapper off of
Squid have been around in great numbers as well as
some of our local beaches. Plenty of fish around that 60-80cm range and the occasional thumpers are being caught all along our coast. The bait of choice seems to be the old faithful whole herring on a snelled circle rig and a long rod is recommended to keep your line out of the weed this time of year.
The southern bluefin tuna run is almost upon us! Schools will soon be showing up in big numbers all throughout Geographe Bay and surrounding waters; however, these fish can sometimes be tricky to persuade into the boat. We recommend a relatively light combo and around a 20lb leader, the lighter leader ensures ample casting distance and provides
Fishing for species like samsonfish, skippy and squid from Esperance Jetty is likely to go to the next level with the potential installation of multiple artificial reef modules around the popular structure next year.
The Shire of Esperance is partnering with Recfishwest to explore the delivery of an artificial reef system, which will be the first large-scale artificial reef in WA that is accessible to land-based anglers and everyone in the community.
Recfishwest Programs Manager James Florisson told the ABC, “It could comprise of between 50-200 scientifically designed, purpose-built reef modules, which will increase the amount and diversity of habitat for marine organisms, in turn creating more fish and even better and more accessible fishing.
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“It will be important and iconic, because there’s not a large amount of
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He also helped install Esperance’s existing artificial reef ‘Cooper Reef’ in 2019, which comprises of 128 modules, 5km south-east of Bandy Creek in 30m of water which has helped enhance fishing for species such as nannygai, queen snapper and skippy. To see some of the great fish species now thriving around Cooper Reef, click here. The next step in the jetty artificial reef project will require attaining Commonwealth environmental
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ECHUCA
land-based fishing access like this around town for kids on bikes or anyone with two-wheel drive cars and you won’t need a boat or specialised gear to fish it.”
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James speaks from experience having grown up in Esperance cutting his angling teeth as a ‘jetty rat’ fishing on the old Esperance Tanker Jetty and having provided input into the design of the fishing features on the new jetty.
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a nice natural presentation of your bait/lure.
W: www.edencraftmarine.com.au
BRAESIDE
Keep in mind the bait these tuna are eating is only very small
JV MARINE WORLD
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approvals, which will take roughly 12 months to complete – the expectation is that installation of the reefs will take place following community and stakeholder consultation in late 2025.
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James and Recfishwest applauds the Shire of Esperance for their appreciation of the importance of fishing to the local community and their investment in it. - Recfishwest
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so keep your lures small too; 5-20g metal slices are an all-time favourite for these fish as well as 50-80mm stick baits, size matters!
W: triplemmarine.com.au
Jacob Crispe
As someone who loves their fishing, even I have to admit that the various closures and then opens with closures still in place, is very confusing. It has to be affecting recreational fishing
Bream anglers have been doing very well searching the deep with fresh baits, soft plastics or small metal blades. The zone between Blackwall Reach and Fremantle should be the area to focus on, and remember, even though the fish are trying to get away from the freshwater, bream still love structure. So, fishing structure in deeper water
in WA. To get as clear a picture as possible, the RecFishWest app is an essential tool to know what, when and where you are allowed to fish at any given time. Limit your confusion and get the app.
The focus for most anglers on the Swan River will be the deeper reaches of the waterway. With the rain we have had diluting the salinity of the surface water, many fish will retreat to the deep to get away from the freshwater, chasing the food that is doing the same thing.
Mulloway are the other option in the river. Fresh or live baits are definitely your better options in the colder months. Other things that may improve your success are to fish tide changes, use lighter leader (40-60lb), and if you are fishing live baits use light gauge hooks. Your live bait will stay more active and alive for longer if you use a finer gauge hook, and this can make a big difference to your fishing success.
ROCK WALLS AND BEACHES
Herring and skippy will be the focus for many of our rock wall anglers this month. They tend to be around in good numbers, and if you set up a
will produce better results.
Outside of the bream there should be plenty of trumpeter and yellowfin whiting about. These fish are a favourite target of anglers who enjoy fishing the various jetties on the river at this time of the year. Fishing late in the afternoon and into the evening is generally the best time if you want to give it a go.
The good tailor fishing should also continue. Early morning or late evening sessions will always be best. Good areas to try are the Narrows Bridge, Como or Applecross. Small metal lures, stickbaits and mulies will be your best options to target them with.
and Ayden are no strangers to catching squid from the beaches.
good berley trail, they will stay in your general location offering up some great fishing. Your berley does not need to be anything fancy. There are plenty of great premade mixes available through your local tackle store. Remember, a good berley trail equals better fishing.
Other targets from our rock walls will be King George whiting in areas with sand patches and weed within casting distance. Squid tend to hang in these areas too, so having a squid jig on hand is a must when fishing our rock walls. South and North Mole rock walls are popular options.
Tailor will also be a popular target, mainly in the evenings. The odd mulloway is caught around the tailor, so it can pay to have a rod rigged to target them.
Tailor will also be a popular option for our beach anglers. Most of our beaches will have tailor on them at this time of the year, and like the rock walls, the mulloway hang around with them. Popular beach fishing locations are Swanbourne, Trigg and Mullaloo. Although not at the top of most people’s list, Port Beach is also worth a try.
Herring and skippy can also be present on our beaches, and if your local beach has weed beds within casting distance, it is well worth fishing a squid over that weed. People catch plenty of squid from our beaches doing this.
The main targets on our inshore grounds will be King George whiting, sand whiting and squid. The Windmills area is popular for King George whiting anglers. Find some broken bottom, set up a berley trail and the KGW shouldn’t be too far away. If you have no joy, lift anchor and try again until you find an area where the fish are more active.
Middle ground is a popular area for
squid anglers. Drifting this area fishing with squid jigs should result in a feed of calamari and they are generally a good size in these cooler months.
For the sand whiting, your best option is to drift the areas around the shipping channel. When you find
MANDURAH Jesse Choy
September marks the end of winter, opening the door to the start of spring and taking us further away from the rain, which stops many people from going out in nature. Being a transitional month, we will start to see the odd warm water species turning up in the blue water or estuary, but you will also notice that the cooler water species will still be available and there for the taking.
The beautiful thing about fishing during September is that it can be a very rewarding time of the year to fish, and you will also find that it is productive and a relatively comfortable experience too.
Even though boat fishing for demersal finfish is prohibited until the 15th of the month, anglers will still be able to get their fix offshore by chasing pelagic species that frequent, as well as some of the small yet tasty species
concentrations of the whiting, just repeat that drift and you should end up with a lovely feed of fish.
Fishing around any inshore reefs is also a good option. Skippy,
like squid and King George whiting. Most anglers will be looking to save their petrol, opting instead to head out when the ban lifts in search of species like pink snapper, dhufish, baldies and breaksea cod.
When fishing this time of the year, fish tend to be well spread throughout depths of 5-50m and good quality fish can be found even further out if the weather permits travelling that far. Given that we are still likely to encounter some weather that is far from ideal, it can be a good option to fish shallower waters where the fish are still attempting to feed up and make the most of the easy pickings in areas where the volume of water works to their advantage.
If you would prefer a sheltered style of fishing, the rivers are a great option for all types of anglers that want to have a bit of fun without investing too much time and effort to see results. The river tends to produce in patches throughout, with top locations typically including structures like sand edges, jetties, submerged trees, rocks and boat hulls.
When fishing these structures with baits, you are much more likely to catch fish as they the typical river species are more than partial to an easy meal and will at times prefer to choose the easy option as it means they expend less energy filling up their stomachs. Fishing with lures can be just as productive on the right day, however a lot of the time it is more of a challenging experience which offers more of a sense of accomplishment to anglers fishing with artificials.
Regardless of how you intend to fish in the river, those wanting to get their lines tight will want to adapt to surroundings and pick up on
samsonfish and even the odd yellowtail kingfish love this structure. All are great fun to catch.
OFFSHORE
As mentioned in the intro, much
environmental changes to be successful. Quite often when fishing up the rivers, picking up on birds feeding, dolphins, bait or making small location changes can make all the difference on the day. Whilst you may not see immediate result upon spotting changes in your surroundings, it is always a good sign that the food chain is at work for example and that the fish will not be far behind.
Like river fishing, freshwater is a great option for those looking to soak in their surroundings whilst catching some beautiful looking fish. Although freshwater is not for everyone, those that enjoy doing it will always have a good time regardless of the number of fish caught. Our local dams are a great place to take a friend or some family for
of the confusion about when, where and what we can fish for relates to our offshore waters. You have a demersal closure that opens in the middle of this month, but still have snapper closures in place. As mentioned, the RecFishWest app is a must.
For those venturing out, there have been some good tuna about, and they should still be an option this month.
Trolling has been the best way to target them.
Outside of the demersal closure, there are some excellent fishing options, including chasing some of our deepdrop species. These fish are some of the best-eating species for our local waters; just remember, demersal closures do affect targeting these species.
I want to give a quick shout-out to the lads from Fend and Bend, who recently caught their second swordfish out of Fremantle. What a fantastic achievement.
I will catch you next month.
a daily trip, as you can have a barbeque at the water and simultaneously be catching fish if that is what tickles your fancy.
Our dams are best explored via canoe, kayak or boat (within the rules), as they offer a lot of mobility and the ability to locate fish wherever they may be located. Depending on a myriad of environmental factors, fish will often move between the shallows or deeper pockets of water where they feel most comfortable and that is why being mobile can dramatically increase your catch rate. Much like most other types of fishing, if you keep a watchful eye on the water you will start to see signs of life, whether it be fish rising to the surface or an increase of bug activity. Making sure to adapt to the consistencies that you see can make all the difference in catching and will often come up with results.
Whether you are fishing inshore or offshore during this month, it is likely that you will see results despite the form of fishing you intend to do. If anglers are planning to head offshore during the month, September can produce a lot of unreliable weather patterns and making sure to consider or pre plan trips around the upcoming weather is sensible and ensures you will not be caught off guard.
LANCELIN Peter Fullarton
After a mid-year hiatus when the beach fishing can slow through winter, September heralds spring and the start of some hot beach fishing. Beaches start to widen and become much easier to drive on
season to open on the 21st. There’s a lot of ways to go about landing a sambo, knife jigs on the lumps in the 20’s usually finds a lot of smaller fish 5-10kg range at this time of year, whereas live baits or trolling minnow lures inside or along the white bank can find much larger fish 25kg+. Even throwing XL poppers of the jetty at dawn is a good chance to
Spring is greenback tailor time in the gutters and reef breaks. Look for lures that rattle or splash to get their attention in the noisy surf.
allowing access to well-formed beach gutters. Swells may be up and down as the last of the season’s storms pass, the calmer spells between are longer and more frequent. Some magic weather for both the boaties and those who like to keep the sand between the toes.
Boats will be welcoming a short demersal season opening on 21 September until the 7 October. Lobster will be moving in close so perhaps a time to wet the pots and make the most of the short demersal season to stock the freezer with some quality seafood until the next season begins on the 16 December.
At the close of the last demersal season, we saw a lot more fish distributed throughout the depth ranges. With an uptick of breaksea cod and dhufish in the shallower depths, giving great access to these prized species for the smaller boats.
Pink snapper will be a good option for kayaks as a good berley trail near reef can produce some great fish even for the shore-based anglers. Skippy are also a sucker for the berley trail both species are ravenously hungry while they prepare for breeding season developing eggs.
Samson fish are also on the patrol around the inshore reefs or even the within the bay – they’e something to target while waiting for the demersal
hook one up!
Spring will bring big numbers of small bluefin tuna and bonito schools, larger yellowfin tuna will be shadowing the schools. Trolling larger lures or even a live bonito around the perimeter of the feeding tuna is well worth the effort to try find one of those yellowfin often in the 15-30kg range!
The bay has been very productive and the cooler months the water
More of those tasty demersals: a pair of dhufish. What better way to finish off the bag for the day!
is crystal clear. You can chase any number of target species and find success catching tarwhine, King George whiting, skippy, squid, flathead, garfish, herring, leather jackets or even blue swimmer crabs at this time of year. The main secret to success is to focus, concentrating on the right location with the right baits or lures and techniques for the target species. Fishers who just go to try catch ‘just any fish’ will have less chance of success. Obviously, you are not going to catch a feed of garfish casting weighted 2/0 hooks with a chunk of pilchard, trying to catch a skippy. Be prepared and adjust the plan throughout a session, be observant if you see some surface swirls out the back of the burly trail flick out a size 10 longshank hook under a pencil float with a small piece of prawn the session may become
Barry Taylor
This month’s report has been supplied by Murray.
Overall, the fishing has been good over the past month. We’ve been seeing good catches of marlin on the west side, including a run of larger black marlin. The blacks have been bigger than usual for this time of year, with models up to 300lb being reported.
Manta rays, which are making
by @indepthanglerjosh.
their annual migration, have arrived off our part of the coast, bringing cobia with them. Plenty of cobia up to 50lb have been caught on a range of artificials, with the most popular option being 4” soft plastics.
The Spanish mackerel have turned up, with plenty being caught on lures and trolled gar on the west side and north up around the islands.
Anglers have been catching good numbers of squid in the Gulf and west side in the lagoons in the shallows. A stand-out jig at the moment is the new Shimano Clinch in size 3-3.5.
Deep dropping in depths from around 150-350m has been quite productive lately for ruby snapper, 8-bar cod and gold-band snapper.
Most of the crews these days use big electric reels to bring the fish up quickly, thereby losing fewer fish to sharks.
In winter the red emperor come into shallow water to breed, and spearos have been getting good reds anywhere from 12-20m.
Whiting have been coming out of Wapet Creek, and the Learmonth jetty and Bundegi jetty have also been
fishing well for whiting, mangrove jacks, bream and queenfish.
• 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.tackle -
worldexmouth.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.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD)
Operation Crater Lake was conducted over 12 days in June targeted illegal fishing in the Ningaloo Marine Park.
As a result of the operation, three Exmouth men aged 35, 31 and 27
a fish a cast landing one garfish after another.
Beach casters have many species to consider as a target too. School size mulloway have been in the gutters, mostly 60-85cm range. Smaller baits like fillet strip baits or whiting work best on these smaller fish, suitably sized so the fish can engulf the whole bait in one bite. Mulloway don’t cut up the baits to bite size pieces like tailor, they are looking for something they can swallow whole! Whereas on the open beaches you’re more likely to encounter a shark or larger mulloway 1m plus so larger baits are the go whole herring or small mullet.
pleaded guilty to spearfishing from a recreational boat in the waters of Bundegi Sanctuary Area in the Ningaloo Marine Park and not holding a current recreational boat fishing licence. The trio were fined a combined total of $4715 and costs of $818 in Exmouth Magistrates Court. The court also ordered the forfeiture of fishing gear including three spearguns, a knife and esky.
In a statement to the court, DPIRD fisheries officers reported observing the men spearfishing in the waters of Bundegi Sanctuary Area. An inspection of the boat at Bundegi Boat Ramp revealed a catch of 10 demersal finfish and one tropical rock lobster. The offenders were locals, not
tourists, and the rock lobster catch was a repeat offence.
DPIRD Supervising Fisheries and Marine Officer Darren Schofield said Operation Crater Lake resulted in the detection of 37 recreational fishing
offences in total.
More information on fishing rules is available from www.fish.gov.au, and suspected illegal fishing activity can be reported to 1800 815 507 or via the DPIRD website. - DPIRD
Targeting tailor you will find the opposite, the larger fish will be in the gutters and smaller fish on the open beaches. Fishing the gutters I would use lures with a lot of splash and or rattle to attract the tailor in a noisy low visibility environment. On the open beaches smaller lures like the CID Spratt in 75mm or a gang of 4/0 hooks and pilchard bait will catch a mixed bag of herring and tailor.
Drone fishers will be able to fish on for demersals during the boat ban. Recent weeks has seen a spate of dhufish coming off drone drops along with the usual pink snapper, sharks and rays.
Troy Honey
In July and August in the Karratha region, one thing you can be sure of is that you’ll get some of the best weather conditions in the country. August has seen the Dampier Archipelago islands surrounded by waters that can only be described as a bed of blue silk. We’ve had next to no swell or wind for a vast period and a pleasurable 28°C average temperature.
Squid are still everywhere around the islands and coastline. Kody Bernard got stuck into a good patch last month with the family.
Our local waters were not only perfect to be out on, but with the scenic view of the islands in the background, you’d be hard-pressed to find a sweeter spot in WA in winter. Combine that with all the humpback whales, dolphins, manta rays and sea turtles, and you have a tourist’s dream destination.
Sailfish, marlin, wahoo, Spanish mackerel, mahimahi, queenfish, mac tuna and golden trevally were about in big numbers to keep the pelagic and sports fishermen busy. Sailfish are hitting almost anything in the water, from trolled lures and skirts to livies, garfish, small queenies and mac tuna. Finding the sails is relatively easy around the ship’s anchorage off Rosemary Island and southwest past Enderby and Eaglehawk. Depths range from as little as 4m to 40m past the ships.
If battling the bruising golden trevally is more enticing, look for the large schools on your sounder over
tall lumps in 10-20m of water behind Eaglehawk, Enderby and Rosemary Islands. You won’t miss them on the sounder, with the schools being generally 5-10m in height. From peak to slack tide, the trevally will hit just about any jig or soft plastic dropped into the school. If you are not hooking up, increase the speed and intensity of your jig action to stir a bit of life into them.
Heavier tackle, such as 800010000 size reels and PE 4-6 rods, is recommended here. Golden trevally fight hard all the way to the surface, and on clear days, you may see several of them following your hooked fish, which is great to watch.
Spanish mackerel numbers are starting to build, and over September and October, they’ll continue to increase in both numbers and sizes. You can expect to catch plenty of Spaniards for the rest of the year. These pelagic fish make for great esky-fillers once you have reached your demersal quota.
The demersal fishing scene in Karratha continues to impress, with huge numbers of the iconic red emperor being boated in waters off Dampier, Point Samson and 40 Mile. The waters are still cooler, which tends to bring the red emperor and rankin cod in closer to the archipelago, so you don’t have to travel very far to find good fish. With the wet season fast approaching, the water temperatures will begin to rise from October, pushing the larger demersals out wider into the 40-50m zone.
Coral trout, one of our most prized demersal species, are also being found in good numbers and sizes from the shoreline by land-based fishers and out to much deeper waters of 40m or more. Coral trout can be caught using a wide variety of methods, including dropping baits on paternoster rigs,
fishing soft plastics, trolling minnow lures and casting stickbaits over the reefs. September to December will be prime time for chasing these fish.
If you are using soft plastics or hardbody lures to target trout, I highly recommend selecting a fluoro green colour and/or white. I have had great success on trout with fluoro green. Often when I’ve been jigging and getting hit by the blueline emperor, I’ve switched to a fluoro green colour and hooked straight into a coral trout that had ignored jigs in other colours.
Mud crabbing has been of fire in recent weeks, with all the local creeks and mud flats producing plenty of big bucks. The larger tides are best when chasing muddies, and if you are looking for a late-season feed of blue swimmer crabs, neap tides are working best. Blue swimmer numbers are down but the average size is bigger; it’s just a matter
of putting a bit more time in to bring home a good feed.
The winds always increase as the land temperature rises. Land heats faster than water, and when the land warms up each day, it causes a rising convection, dragging the wind in from the sea and causing the dreaded westerly winds. As we head towards October and November, when the daytime temps really start to increase, the winds will increase as well, making it more difficult to fish the open waters. We need to make the most of the cooler weather in September and get out on the water as much as possible. A little secret to planning a trip is to not just look at the wind forecast, but look at the temperature forecast. If there are a couple of cooler days in the longer-term outlook, those days are more likely to provide good boating conditions.
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FRESHWATER
Peter Fragomeni
September is an exciting time of the year for freshwater anglers in WA as the weather warms up and clear blue skies are the norm. Trout move onto the newly flooded shallows in search of any critters that get caught in the rising water in our dams, making for some exceptional fishing at times.
The decision to stock brown trout into the Donnelly River by FFRG in conjunction with Fisheries WA has provided an opportunity for freshwater anglers. Blair Hutton was out chasing footage for his YouTube channel.
The cancellation of the closed season a number of years ago has taken the edge off this month as back then, we would look forward to this date with passion. Although, the dams and major rivers were open all year, it was the spawning streams that were closed until September. This offered protection to vulnerable trout that moved up from dams and rivers into accessible creeks and streams. I strongly believe the removal of this closure was the darkest time for trout fishing in this state as not only did it protect the smaller breeding class trout but also the trophy large trout that were less manoeuvrable in these small streams.
Big Brook Dam suffered from low water levels in mid-winter, however recent good rains have nearly filled it, securing water for the hatchery downstream for the coming summer.
The idea and mindset that trout don’t successfully breed in our waters was the reason behind this decision. This is not the case as we have a number of waters that haven’t been stocked for many decades and still have a healthy population of both brown and rainbow trout. I strongly believe with the increased angling pressure put on our Inland waters, and the increasing drying conditions we are experiencing, a return of the closed season and better management of our fishery will be imperative if we want to secure a bright future for our trout in WA.
Every other states have closed seasons so why should it not be the case here as our state needs more conservation with our less favourable conditions. Until this happens I urge our anglers to practice catch and release if they choose to target these vulnerable trout in our streams over the breeding season. After a dry period the rains finally started to fall in late winter so this stirred a bit of action throughout most of our waters with trout being more active.
Some good reports are still coming through of nice size redfin
Waroona Dam was a premier trout water in the 70s and early 80s until redfin found their way there by an illegal stocking. The author has fond memories of days when schools of rainbows would cruise the shallows up until midnight. Now it relies on stocked ex-brood trout but the memories never fade.
when it comes to trout fishing. The year was 1977 and back then this water was a prime trout fishing location that would run with some of the best in mainland Australia. Schools of rainbows would cruise the shallows of the evening and were met by a small group of dedicated fly-fishers wading in knee deep, grass covered crystal clear bays.
It became apparent that these fish weren’t interested in my metal, or balsa wood lures preferring a well tied fly presented in a manner that represented the natural food available at the time. This prompted me to buy my first fibreglass fly rod that was more alike to the jarrah power polls used to hold up power lines. With no help from videos, I was left to follow instructions from a book and a few words of encouragement from
Higginbottom was out and about chasing redfin in his local waters. He was nicely rewarded with this plump specimen.
being caught in our dams. This will slow down with the schools breaking up this time of the year. The rivers can be high until later in the month so keep an eye on water flow for the particular system you are fishing.
Unlike other states, the lack of government incentives to stock these species into WA has left us the poorest state in Australia when it comes to native freshwater species. I tried, along with a band of dedicated freshwater anglers to convince our authorities that these species, if properly managed, would not cause any more damage to the ecology than what redfin have already caused. A small push did come from our Recfishwest, however, even they seemed to have lost hope in this matter. Meanwhile past illegal stockings from a band of disgruntled individuals has resulted in a very limited fishery to be establish in a few well-guarded locations.
Waroona Dam
Some good rains have risen the water level in this dam and along with the recent stocking it seems a few trout are starting to show up in the small bays around the dam. This is the water I cut my teeth on,
South West WA
Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 38.5% at the end of July compared to 54.3% as of the same time last year. These figures are of concern because our rain season is coming to an end. Despite July being wetter than normal we are still well behind the yearly average. Glen Mervyn, Waroona, Harvey and Wellington dams are still very low. Thankfully Drakesbrook and Big Brook Dam have risen considerably with the good rains in July, however, these are small catchments.
experienced fly anglers that resulted in many hours of tangled leaders while big fat rainbows rose at my feet with grins on their faces.
When I did manage to finally master the technique, I was rewarded with some
of the best fly-fishing I have done anywhere in Australia. It wasn’t uncommon to land up to two dozen healthy fish until midnight in the spring fishing quiet shallow bays. The unfortunate illegal introduction of redfin by a local gentleman that had an issue with fly fishers put an end to this great fishery, and by the mid 80s it was all but over. This resulted in a great redfin fishery until they overrun themselves with many being very small as is the case today.
Drakesbrook Weir
A visit to this pretty little dam in late winter was a shock as the water was so low.
little resident fish showing up. Trolling with small slender shallow running lures and yellow winged Tassie Devils at a faster speed seems to be the go.
For the shore-based lure fisher, I recommend something that casts well like Tassies, spoons and the Pegron Tiger Minnow is a great choice. For fly anglers, any of the main patterns work well. I use a bead-head Woolly Bugger with a nymph tied on as a trailer about 30cm behind, then you cover two options. I tie to the shank of the hook on the front fly as it results in less tangles, then change the rear
Fortunately, it has risen considerably and local Jonah Chiera reports that a few trout are starting to move around the shores.
Redfin are being caught but not in considerable numbers. Troutfest will be held in early September, which although it generally clears up, could also result in unsettled weather this time of the year.
Logue Brook Dam
A few trout of both species have been caught recently. This dam needs to be protected with a closed season for the streams as it’s our only water that redfin haven’t taken hold of. They have been illegally stocked as the very occasional one seems to get caught, however, the general composition of the dam with its bare gravel banks prevent the redfin from successfully breeding as it seems they require fertile waters for their young to survive.
This was the case in Sampson and Stirling dams with their exposed banks, where as Harvey, Waroona and Drakesbrook Weir are a lot more fertile which seems to suit the redfin breeding cycle. I believe Wellington Dam sits in between these dams because you don’t generally find large amounts of redfin over the whole dam and as a result you tend to find a better concentration of larger fish. Whatever the reason, I strongly believe if stocking should cease then this dam would become a self-sustaining fishery, as is the case with a lot of the Watercorp dams.
Harvey Dam
Trout are starting to show up around most parts, and a few areas like Quarry Bay, The Olive Run, Wokalup Bay and around the main basin if you have a boat or kayak. The Sticks, Cattle Yards Flats and the Harvey Causeway seems to be the better areas for fly anglers. The trout are mainly stocked brood fish with very
Redfin perch are keenly pursued by WA freshwater anglers and are widespread throughout most southern waters. Declan Busher had a cracker of a session fishing one of his favourite waters. This was one of many caught casting soft plastics and hardbodied lures around structure.
better areas being around the back of the dam.
RIVERS Murray River
fly if nothing is happening.
The redfin fishing has slowed from all reports.
Wellington Dam
A few trout are showing up from last year’s stocking, which is a positive result compared to the dams further north. This water is going to require a huge stocking in the future to realise its full potential as it’s a large dam by WA standards. Hopefully it gets good rains as it’s still very low.
A boat or kayak with an electric motor is the best way to fish this water because you need to cover good distances for success. The redfin fishing normally slows down this time of the year but they are around if you move and keep an eye on the sounder to see where they are holding.
Glen Mervyn Dam
Still very low so I would give it a miss as most of the good fish would have been caught in the extremely low water levels.
Bigbrook Dam
This dam fished poorly over winter, however the recent stocking has improved the fishing. It’s a great fly water in the evenings with the
It fishes best later in the month but rewards haven’t really matched the effort when it comes to trout fishing. The deep pools are holding some smaller redfin that love soft plastics. Casting to any structure is the best method.
Northern Jarrah Streams
Most of the trout will move back to the main body of water later this month unless there has been decent rains. Please conserve stocks as many areas are self-sustaining wild trout and susceptible to over-fishing.
Collie River above Wellington Dam
Not many reports recently with the better fishing normally occurring in later spring around the town itself.
Preston River
I fished a small section of this river without any luck. It’s not known if the trout survived the harsh conditions we had over summer.
Blackwood River
A few reports of trout being caught were rumoured around Nannup so it inspired me to give this river a fair go. Despite the river looking very fishy, I only managed a follow by a decent rainbow.
Warren River
Water levels had risen recently so
trout were harder to find. The later part of this month should see perfect levels with the runs becoming easier to fish. The same applies to redfin with the difference being that they prefer the deeper pools.
Lefroy Brook
If there isn’t heavy rain this month the water levels will be perfect. This little stream holds a good head of both brown and rainbow trout which are a delight to catch on the fly-rod.
Casting small dries into the gentle current can be productive on warmer sunny days.
For lure anglers, small is the key with spinners and floating Rapala style lures being preferred. Soft plastics are also deadly and if you can find jigs with hooks that bend under pressure then you tend to lose less on snags. Some leg work is required to get to less pressured areas where the trout are less wary.
Donnelly River
A few trout have pushed up from the bottom section so any of the faster sections will be worth a visit. A good digital map is handy to get to some of the better areas well upstream. Big browns have been spotted in the sections well upstream.
That’s another wrap up on what’s available here in WA. Whilst it doesn’t compare to what’s on offer over in the East Coast it can provide a reasonable fishery at times.
Until next time, stay connected.
Q X S I N G L E M I N D E D R Y E T U C O N F I D E N T L Q E E
P B N L Z Z B O D D J O O L S K Y C P U J E T Q D S P G M U O P W O R D B N C F E T E O B F L O G N E S R T Y B I E D O R T U Y
N C P H I H K M R W E S A E T L I E A E S U I Q R C T E C R E L R R R E K S Y R O I E B I G X I E N E P T I Q I W Y R U N E A H V E D I V A U S K F M M G R H C I D C S Z S Z K H A I P M I P O
H E O H L T E Y O I N S B T P L S Q W E V I S N E H E R P P A D T R X V B C V O E J D U B F D P R U E F U L S D I S T R E S S Y
Z Y F D M A U E Y Y Y G L D G E L A R E O H O R T D U N K U H D U W E R N Y R E E I E I O L T I F A E L R D T S W G I S E C S D R R T U Q N N T N T L I G E E E E A O S H I U I I X P R N S E T E F M T Z W X N X J K P I E I A H F E U N A E G E E X R T K N L C X R D L R Y H S I F U I E G O D V F E A F K V X T M S C L T S X O R N S W E A T Y S C X L M I F N T M E M O R A B L E E Y Q X
THE RAPALA LOGO The Find the Rapala Trophy Hunters Logo prize winners for July are: 1st place J Routledge of Kepnock, 2nd place J Cook of Stuarts Point, 3rd place G Palmer of Fremantle. They each won a Crushcity/ Rapala prize pack. Prizes delivery can take up to eight weeks. – FMM
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.
Jamie McKeown proved yet again that he is a force to be reckoned with in BREAM Open events, winning the 2024 iteration of the ultimate Queensland BREAM event - The Samaki BREAM Queensland Open.
Fished over two days on a two part arena, anglers fished the Gold Coast waters on Day 1 followed by a day on Moreton Bay on Day 2. And like happens in so many ABT events, sponsor karma showed its hand, rewarding the Samaki-sponsored angler with a win.
McKeown has been taking it easy this year in his local weekend events and has been focussing on the larger targets.
His 2nd in. The Australian Open this year and this Queensland Open win tends to validate his choices.
For the win, he took home $5,000 and “Geoff”, the perpetual bronze bream trophy that will hold pride of place on the mantelpiece for the next 12 months.
Here’s how he did it.
1: 5/5, 3.567kg
2: 5/5, 3.805kg Total: 10/10, 7.372kg
Over the years, McKeown
has perfected a couple of techniques which tend to drag larger bream from the canals. He won his first Queensland Open on an OSP Bent Minnow nearly exclusively, but this time he employed a detuned ZipBait to catch the majority of his fish.
Jamie fished exclusively the ZipBait Khamsin Jr on day one in the far northern canals of the Gold Coast. He reported large numbers of fish, yet it was a final upgrade with seven minutes of fishing to go right near the start line that gave him an early lead.
Positioning the boat parallel to the front of the pontoons, Jamie would cast the bait past the structure and slow wind it back. The de-tuned bait would swim underneath the shade, which is when the bream would bite.
He fished the crankbaits on a Samaki C12 rod and X Braid upgrade line (PE 0.6, 14lb) and a 6lb fluorocarbon leader. He also upgraded the hooks on the ZipBait to stronger Decoys.
“The first day I caught so many fish, so I just went through the numbers to get the upgrades I needed,” Jamie said, but it was the strategy on Day two that ultimately got the job done.
On the Sunday, he noted the westerly winds and imagined that the direction would impede his plan to fish Amity Point channels with crabs. Instead he turned left at the channel junction and fished the Raby Bay canals within sight of the start line. It was here that he eventually landed a string of 30cm+ fish and accrued the biggest limit of the event on a combination of topwater baits and the same cranking technique as Day 1.
His topwater was an OSP
Bent Minnow that he fished on a 701 Samaki Zing Xtreme V3 rod and Daiwa Freams reel spooled with the same X Braid and leader that he fished the crankbait with.
“Each pontoon I’d throw the topwater first down behind the structure under the walkway and if that wasn’t successful, I’d follow it up with a crank along the front,” Jamie explained.
Ultimately, the one-two punch gave him more than enough quality fish to win the event by a kilogram and cemented the ‘sponsor karma’ folklore amongst the competing anglers.
SCHOFIELD SNARES
Harry Schofield (whose nickname is little ‘h’) posted his best ever ABT boater finish in his runner up placing at the Open. He weighed a couple of consistent, quality bags to top the rest of the anglers, who were all bunched up in a pack, a kilo behind McKeown.
And like McKeown,
Harry worked out a fast retrieve was the ticket to getting the bigger bream in the school to bite.
Scan
nothing earth-shattering until he landed a 35.5cm fork length fish on a plastic on the change of tide by soaking it on the
This is Harry’s best finish to date in an ABT BREAM event as a boater.
crankbaiting pontoons in canals with detuned crankbaits was Little h’s bread and butter.
Day 1: 5/5, 3.133kg
Day 2: 5/5, 3.235kg
Total: 10/10, 6.368kg
“I use the Duo Realis 52MR in any of the shiny colours and I fish it pretty fast. Sometimes you think it’s too fast, but the bream come up in packs and just belt it. Sometimes they hit it to stun it and then come back to eat it - it’s a fun way of fishing,” he said.
On the first day Schofield fished canal systems at Hollywell and Shearwater, theorising that the pre-spawn fish would be aggregating there before the breeding months.
And on Day 2, Harry picked the Raby Bay canals to ply his trade. His limit was
bottom for an agonisingly long time.
Harry fished his cranks on a 13 Fishing OMEN 6’6” light rod paired with a 2500 Daiwa reel, PE 0.4 Sufix Egi braid and an 8lb Sufix leader.
“That rod is a great all rounder, I use it for the plastics fishing I do as well, he continued.
“When it comes to de-tuning the crankbait, it’s all about tweaking the eyelet in the direction you want the lure to swim, Harry explained, “and I like it to blow out of the water in about 30cm if I wind it quickly. That’s how detuned it is.”
Winning $2,500 for the placing, Harry had already decided that the winnings would be invested in a new
lithium battery for his boat.
“Green Marine of course,” he concluded, trying to garner more ABT sponsor karma.
Luke Rogan’s been having quite the run of strong finishes in local BREAM events of late. His third placing at the Queensland Open precluded a win at a Gold Coast Hobie qualifier and more success at local teams level events.
His method for success? Would you believe a combination of cranking pontoons, Cranka crabs and topwater bent minnows? South-east Queensland cool water patterns really showed out in this event.
Day 1: 5/5, 3.192kg
Day 2: 5/5, 2.844kg
Total: 10/10, 6.036kg
Rogan fished Sovereign Island on the first day of the event with an Imakatsu Wasp bait and a Cranka crab - getting most bites on the jerkbait early and switching to the crab later in the session.
“It was an insane day
where I landed around 40 fish,” Rogan explained, “they were biting everything.”
Day two was a little less productive, but a lot closer to home for the Brisbane Bayside resident. He was another of the boats dissecting the Raby Bay canal system with Bent Minnows and crankbaits - this time for a dozen legal fish and a sub-3kg limit.
Rogan fished a variety of Edge rods that suited the techniques. For the Wasp it was a LMX DSR 7’6” version while the crab rod was an LMX DSR 7’10”. His Bent Minnow rod was a shorter 7’1” model with a softer action.
He paired these with Daiwa reels and Toray braid/ leader for the crabs and topwater while he fishes the Wasps on 6lb straight through Toray fluorocarbon.
“I don’t usually look at the scoreboard, but my observer let slip that Jamie had a great bag early and I knew I had a lot of work to do,” Luke explained, “unfortunately those big bites never came.”
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14 Nov Zerek BARRA Series R6
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Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au
Earlier in the year, we had the opportunity to test a couple of Port Phillip Boating Centre’s demo rigs, as well as Haines Hunter’s John Haber’s personal rig. We’ve run a couple of these in the magazine already, and now it’s the turn of a smaller model: the 535 Sport Fish. This sweet little entry-level fibreglass cabin boat is capable of serious inshore and select offshore work. It’s not the smallest in the Sport Fish range – that’s the 495 –however, the 535 can easily be towed on a single-axle trailer and with a standard family vehicle. As such, it’s right in the hitting zone for buyers
looking to transition up to their first fibreglass hull.
Phil and his team at PPBC have been both Haines Hunter and Yamaha dealers for over 20 years. Those sorts of relationships aren’t exactly common in the marine industry, so I found it easy to understand why Phil Petridis and his team were so passionate about the brands.
There
“When I started a boat dealership, there were only two brands that I wanted to be associated with,” Phil said, “Growing up down here as a young fella, we’d always had Haines Hunters and Yamahas in the family, and they never let us down.” He went on to say that his boat
driving them,” Phil continued, after explaining that they are eminently seaworthy and capable of chasing tuna well offshore on the right day. We believe these boats would be right at home in the bays and rivers of Australia, offering shade and comfort in sufficient quantity to get the family
Main: Haines Hunter’s 535 Sport Fish is ideal for anglers wanting to step up to a fibreglass boat while still having some creature comforts for the family.
Above: This hull has fairly high gunwales, allowing both inshore and light offshore use.
is based on the old Haines V17 hull, which is why the ride has stood the test of time.
The 535 definitely doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of some of the larger Haines Hunters, but you have to remember that those rigs are twice the price of the test boat.
“We see the 535s everywhere –they’re only limited by the person
out and about on dad’s fishing boat. Powered by a Yamaha F130 4-stroke outboard, the running costs are economical. In the cruising speed range, she offers 1.6-1.7km/L burned, and surprisingly, that figure doesn’t drop too much when it comes to running at wide open throttle. 130 is the maximum horsepower rated for this hull. The test day was a little
Top:
know when you’ll need it.
Above: The 21° transom
makes for a smoother ride in choppy water, sacrificing a little stability.
Above: Single-axle trailers can be easily manoeuvred in confined spaces, like garages.
sloppy, but at cruising speeds the ride was
The test rig was fitted with a bait board that’s removable when doing family activities, and the bunks in the cuddy are long enough to have a rest during the heat of the day or the cold of the night.
A bimini and clears offer plenty of shade, and the gunwales are high enough to keep the kids onboard.
There are a couple of simple seats in the corners of the transom in addition to the helm seating for the driver and passenger.
The hull features a 21° deadrise, which helps smooth the ride in rough waters. This is a vestige of the hull’s heritage and provides a good compromise between ride and stability.
As tested, this rig came in at $83,850, however boat/motor/trailer prices start at $70,690. Contact Phil and the team at Port Phillip Boating Centre on (03) 9369 0099 for more details.
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