Fishing Monthly Magazine | August 2021

• FREE MAGAZINE INSIDE: 2021 FISHING TACKLE EXTRA • Species Spotlight

Lachlan Hickey targets weed munchers QLD

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Fly fishing for luderick • Leaders: the final link • DIY Tackle Centre • Haines Signature new models • Local area reports •

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August, 2021

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CONTENTS

OUR COVER August 2021, Vol. 2 No.4 VIC

TAS

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

14 16 18 20 22 23 24 28 30 34 36 36 37 38 40 42

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

50 51 52 54 56 58 60 61 64 64 65 66 67 68 68 70 71 72 72 73 74

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

80 80 81 81 82 84 85 86 88 89 89 90 90 92 92 95 94 96 96 97

6

AUGUST 2021

From the Editor’s Desk...

WA

A beautiful 49cm bass caught at Somerset Dam

by Peter Jung on a 1/2oz Obsession Spinnerbait.

A Peter Jung image.

Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.

TASMANIA Offshore Hobart WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance Augusta Bunbury Mandurah Metro Lancelin Geraldton Exmouth Broome Karratha

Like most people in the tackle industry, we got caught out with the latest round of COVID lockdowns. It was pretty terrible timing as far as the industry was concerned – a couple of months earlier and it would have been a great AFTA show… and I assume a couple of months later would have had the same outcome.

Of course, it all happened a day or two after we went to press with the magazine and the trade magazine (which we also publish). So, apologies about getting y’all excited about nothing in last month’s editorial.

Unfortunately, it’s not a short delay.

The AFTA Show is now re-booked for August 2022. There better be some bloody good gear to see then! It’ll still be on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

Luckily, we have managed to round

22

76 77 103 104 405 107 106 108 109 110 110 111

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Freshwater 112 REGULAR FEATURES Fly fishing for luderick 8 Starlo’s back to basics 12 Sheik of the Creek 27 Tech Tricks 46 WIRF 98 Recfishwest 102 Tournaments 101 Tournament Calendar 100 Trades and Services 114 Boat Test: Haines Signature 118 Tide page 122 COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo Fun page/Sub page

up some of the new product that was to be released at the show and put it into the 2021 Tackle Extra magazine that you get for free in this issue of Fishing Monthly.

As well as all of the new products, there’s a comprehensive test that we have completed on all of the 20lb fluorocarbon leaders that we could get our hands on. We know that there’s a big choice out there of leader material, so giving you some results that help you pick the best for your application was important for us.

Unlike the 20lb braid tests we did last year, we could measure diameter a lot easier on these round lines and, as such, were able to give you some real results.

Which one was the best? You’ll need to check out the review, but there are recommendations for several scenarios – rough country, strong-and-thin and tough for its strength.

We publish the raw numbers as well, so you can make your own conclusions if you don’t like the way we ran them.

Make sure you also check out the video on the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube channel – it’s all there for you to watch. You can get to it by scanning the QR code in the article or by just searching for us on YouTube. There’s also plenty of boat tests and tackle stuff on there.

Until next month, stay safe and fingerscrossed that these are the last lockdowns!

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Have fun throwing loops for weed munchers BRISBANE

Lachlan Hickey

Luderick (or blackfish) have to be one of the most underrated and under targeted fish on fly gear.

anglers who choose to chase them with centrepin reels, long rods, pencil style floats and weed baits – a technique almost as old as European influence in Australia. This traditional form of fishing may seem completely alien to most

wanting a new challenge, the good news is that luderick can be taken on fly tackle!

Even better, the setup is pretty straightforward as far as flyfishing goes!

BASIC IS BEST There is no need for

Tom is a trout angler and took to fly fishing for luderick like a duck to water.

Luderick Rig Flyline

Leader knot

Tapered leader

Indicator

specially designed glass rods upward of a thousand bucks, or flies that are so small and complicated they need to be studied under a microscope before they can be tossed into the water.

Given that you will be fishing in a saltwater environment, sometimes in areas where your rod and reel will cop a bit of spray, an outfit you don’t mind getting dirty or even damaged is a good idea – at least in the beginning. Anything between a 3-8wt is fine for rods, with an 8wt occasionally becoming

necessary when these dirty fighters approach 50cm.

There’s no need to spend more than $300 on a rod.

Basic fly reels can be very cheap, and for a technique that only requires the reel to hold the flyline, there’s probably no need to fork out any more than $150. The equipment I use regularly gets a run on other species, so by my own standards I have a fairly fancy blackfish rig, but it’s definitely not necessary.

For 95% of your fishing, a floating line is all you need.

Luderick regularly feed in shallow water, and they can also be easily brought into your area with berley, and I usually find myself fishing in 10ft of water or less.

It’s easy to get into arguments about leaders, but my preference is a tapered leader around 8-9ft long – about as long as the rod blank – made up of fluorocarbon and finishing up with a 6-10lb tippet section. I like a tapered leader because it allows the fly to turn over, and prevents it from falling in a heap and tangling.

Flies aren’t as important as you might think. In turbulent washy areas or in a well-constructed berley trail, anything green is on the menu if the luderick are hungry.

Small green weed patterns between size 4 and size 10 are fine. They’re easy to tie, and are even available from certain tackle shops and online retailers! The colour of your fly should match whatever is growing in the area, or whatever is in your berley if you’re berleying, but quite often it isn’t vital to success.

The weighting of your fly is important, and getting it down to where the fish are can be the difference between success and failure. While you

can use a weighted fly, I prefer to use a small split shot just above my fly, about six inches or so. This helps to get the fly down to where the fish are, and not having it directly above the fly means it will waft naturally in the current, rendering the piece of green fluff all the more appetising.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE There is more than one way to fly fish for luderick.

Where I fish in Southern Queensland, I like to anchor

Keeping a good bend in the rod is the key to staying connected with such small hooks.

6lb tippet

Splitshot

Unweighted fly

This is the author’s preferred rig when fly fishing for luderick.

Readily available from about Hervey Bay in Queensland and down to most of Victoria’s coastline, vast populations of these wily little omnivores go about their days unbothered as anglers fixate on other species.

There is, of course, the community of mostly older 8

AUGUST 2021

lure and fly anglers, but there is considerable overlap.

Its similarity to flyfishing is undeniable, and in places where trout are only a short drive away, luderick fanatics will divide their time between these two cult favourites.

But if traditional methods of blackfish angling aren’t for you, or you’re a fluff swinger

the boat in a channel, get a berley of chopped weed and wet sand going, and drift a weed fly under a large indicator perpendicular to the boat.

However, you don’t necessarily need a boat, or berley for that matter. What you will need though is an area where luderick are gathering in good numbers either to feed or to spawn.

Breakwalls, retaining walls, collapsed mangrove banks and weedy sand

The author with a typical estuary luderick, which ate an unusually bright coloured green fly.

channels are classic haunts for blackfish chasers in the estuaries and bays, and in the cooler months these fish will gather in the channels that these structures create.

A bit of current in these channels is always a good thing.

The lower ledges on the ocean rocks are a great place to target larger fish, which are usually there specifically to feed. It goes without saying that this is a potentially dangerous activity, and shouldn’t be done alone, or without local knowledge.

As far as extreme sports go, wobbling around on slippery rocks fighting a 2kg fish on a noodle as a wave rushes past your thighs is up there with bull riding, boxing and gymnastics. And yes, I’ve seen old people doing this. With that said though, fly fishing in the wash is an awesome challenge, and it’s well worth doing if you are set up to fish the ocean rocks.

my rod rather than by stripping because there is often a belly in the line created by the current, and stripping to gain tension with a 6lb tippet probably isn’t going to end well.

I choose to use bright, highly buoyant indicators because my skills in this area are basic at best, however smaller and less conspicuous indicators are fine if you are practised enough to fish with them. I have one friend who’s honed their skills on trout so

well that they can outfish me by just watching their leader knot!

The drop underneath your indicator will vary depending where you fish, but as a rule I like to start with around 1m of drop and make adjustments throughout the session based on what’s happening. To be honest, most of the time it doesn’t matter too much, just as long it’s below the surface.

When fishing across the current, mending your line

becomes a valuable skill.

Mending is using the rod to rearrange the line so that it doesn’t drag the fly around unnaturally. This is always easier done with a floating line.

You’re trying to keep the line between you and the indicator as straight as possible. A belly will start to form, and this is unavoidable, but keeping it to a minimum means there’s less slack between you and the fish when it comes time to To page 10

It may be hard to believe, but luderick really love weed imitation flies, and they’re not hard to tie yourself!

INDICATOR OR NO INDICATOR? An indicator is any object designed to sit above the fly somewhere on the leader and ‘indicate’ when the fly has been eaten, much like a float! In trout fishing, anglers will often use a piece of wool or something similar. I like to use a product called The Thingamabobber, which resembles a small buoy about

an inch wide and is speciallydesigned for fishing larger flies in the turbulent salmon streams in the US. I’ll either loop it through, or jam a piece of a toothpick in the hole to stop it from sliding. You can use any kind of indicator, as long as it’s buoyant enough not to get dragged under by the fly or current. I have even used cheap bubble floats when I couldn’t find anything else!

When fishing with indicators, you’re not necessarily looking for the indicator to get pulled under like a float. While this is often what happens, well-practised anglers will learn to notice any change in the indicator’s trajectory. It might slow down, stop, speed up, move sideways – any movement that doesn’t seem natural should be struck at with the rod. I strike with

Bright, buoyant indicators and small green flies are the two secrets to success.

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From page 9

strike. I try to mend only when it’s necessary, as I don’t like to disturb the fly too often.

You don’t have to be Lefty Kreh to fly fish without an indicator for luderick, in fact, in certain scenarios no indicator is preferred. On the ocean rocks is a good example.

The wave action would make keeping track of a small indicator frustrating at the very least, so a good trick to fishing the wash zones is to slowly retrieve the fly, just fast enough to stay in contact with it. It can be as slow as a foot every five seconds.

If and when a peckish blackfish eats the fly, you should notice the bite

nothing is better than missing out on a fish. You can always false cast and drop it back in the zone in a matter of seconds. It’s one of the benefits of fly fishing!

On the topic of rigging, I have even heard of inventive fluff chuckers fishing a troutstyle dropper rig – that is, a dry fly with a smaller wet fly suspended underneath about a foot or so. A luderick eating a dry fly really completes all the trout comparisons that these unassuming little fish get.

With fishing two flies in tandem obviously not off the table, I have watched friends fish with two under an indicator at once. If you end up having to fight a pair

aren’t schooling up or you just can’t find them in any other way. Berley is a great way to bring the fish to you and keep them there.

Creating a good berley mix is a little extra effort, but well worth it if you’re going to be fishing in calmer areas; the foamy wash areas tend to create their own berley trail as waves crash over the rocks and drag in small pieces of weed and cabbage as the water recedes.

I like to get a bucket and throw in a few handfuls of finely chopped sea cabbage or green weed, and then mix in a few scoops of semi-wet sand. The ratio doesn’t matter too much – about half-and-half

Larger fish like this may require a 7-8wt rig to extract from structure, and heavier fly rods may become necessary if fishing from the ocean rocks.

It has been said that Doug likes the taste of his fly rod, but he definitely prefers the taste of fly rod caught blackfish! instantly and either strip strike instinctively (be careful not to pull too hard and break the leader), or have enough warning to swiftly ‘trout’ strike.

Whether or not you’re using an indicator, it’s worth remembering that hook-sets are free. If you notice any hesitation in the system at all as you drift your fly, striking at

10

AUGUST 2021

of these things simultaneously on a trout-rated rod, you’ll know about it.

BERLEYING This is something that other writers have covered, however the how-tos and benefits can bare retelling.

With berley, it’s all about the weed, man. Sometimes berley is necessary if the fish

should be fine.

The trick is to mould golf ball-sized bombs in your hands with the mixture and lob them into the drink. As it plops into the water, the sand should see the naturallyfloating weed falling slowly through the water column and drifting along the channel.

You might be surprised

how quickly this can bring luderick and other weed eaters like mullet, bream, sicklefish, drummer and butterfish to your area.

Tales of old hands using lawn trimmings and frozen peas in their berley mix are not unfounded, as I have discovered myself. If you find yourself unable to procure fresh weed, this may get you out of a rut.

BENDING Once you are hooked up to one of these little pocket rockets, you’re in for a real treat. Their hard runs for cover and tendency to roll around when hooked makes each fight enjoyable. It’s important to play them out, especially if using light gear. Old timers will use their long, soft rods to tire them out, making sure the small hooks stay in, and using the fly rod follows very much the same principle.

With a fly setup, you have a long shock absorbing rod paired with line that has a lot of stretch, so it’s important to

keep a good bend in the rod as you play them. Try not to point the rod at the fish, because if they go for one of their ‘out of nowhere’ lunges for cover, you’ll risk breaking your tippet. Remember, you’ve only got 4-8lb fluorocarbon on the business end and it won’t take much to break it!

HUNTING AND GATHERING Whether you want to take a few for a feed or not is up to you. I don’t buy into the whole business of not eating something because I caught it on a fly rod. Luderick taste great, and I’m a hungry boy, so usually I’ll take 3-4 for myself and let the rest go.

There is plenty of luderick to go around, believe me!

As with most estuary fish, bleeding them immediately before letting them firm up for an hour or two in an ice slurry is the best way to look after your catch. I don’t bother brain spiking them, but many anglers swear that this improves the quality of the meat.

YOUR NEXT FLY CHALLENGE Any fly fishers looking for their next challenge, or any blackfish anglers wanting to add a twist to their seasonal harvest should definitely add this to their list.

A trout fishing friend of mine told me it was as good as nymphing for trout, and posed a similar challenge. There might have been speedboats instead of tractors, rock walls instead of tussocks, and sunburnt billionaires instead of farmers, but I could see what he was getting at.

The cooler months are favoured for this pursuit, however in many areas, particularly those toward the southern limit of their range, they will bite all year, making them the perfect before or after work option.

There’s still a few months left of prime time to get stuck into these great estuary battlers, so go and check it out for yourself!

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Leaders: the vital link NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Since the advent of braided lines, leader selection and construction has become an increasingly important consideration for anglers.

In the pull-out Tackle

channel on YouTube explaining exactly how this detailed comparison test was conducted.)

But this in-depth shoot-out begs an obvious question: why is there so much interest in leader materials?

Today, a majority of keen Aussie anglers choose to use braided or fused gel-spun

There are a couple of very good reasons why it’s almost mandatory to use a monofilament leader made of either nylon or fluorocarbon when running braided main lines: Firstly, while braided GSP line is very durable and hard wearing when dealing with smooth surfaces like reel spools, rod runners, bail rollers and clean boat hulls, it abrades quickly when it comes into contact with rougher surfaces, especially under pressure.

Because of the way they’re constructed – using thousands of very fine fibres known as ‘angel hairs’ – multi-strand lines quickly lose strength and fail when abraded.

Tying braid straight to your hook or lure exposes the last metre or two of line to

Leader selection is especially critical when targeting species such as barramundi, which are notoriously harsh on the business end of any rig. Note that when using heavy, thick leader materials, lure action will be greatly enhanced by the use of a loop knot.

This is where tough, hard-wearing leader material really pays off – when a big barra absolutely inhales your lure!

Extra of this issue of Fishing Monthly, Steve Morgan and his wonderful team present the findings of an exhaustive shoot-out or comparison test that they recently conducted on a bunch of popular brands of fluorocarbon leader materials, all with rated strengths of 20lb breaking strain. The results are fascinating, and well worth a close look. (There’s also a terrific video clip on the Fishing Monthly Magazines

polyethylene (GSP) main lines for at least some of their fishing. They do so because these thin-for-strength and low-stretch multifilament lines offer distinct advantages in terms of casting ability, bite detection, hook-setting power and fish fighting muscle. Braid has a lot going for it. However, one of the downsides of GSP or braid is the fact that its use practically demands the addition of a leader.

No matter what brand of mono (nylon or fluorocarbon) you choose, it’s likely to fail if it comes into contacts with the razor sharp teeth of a decent tailor under load. The lure is a newly-released Shimano Bantam Pavlo Minnow.

Luderick or blackfish specialists tend to run mono leaders of a lighter breaking strain than their main lines. This increases bites and also reduces the incidence of lost floats.

12

AUGUST 2021

all sorts of damaging contacts with rocks, oysters, snags, pylons and so on, and that’s before a fish ever gets involved in the equation. Fine, sharp fish teeth such as those found in flathead or Murray cod are kryptonite to braided lines, especially when the fish that owns them begins violently shaking its heads. The same goes for species with rockhard, sandpaper jaws, like barra, queenfish and threadfin salmon, to name a few.

But there are more reasons beyond abrasion resistance for always using a leader with braided lines. As thin as braids are for their strength, most are also opaque. In other words, light doesn’t pass through them. This can potentially make these lines more visible to fish. Adding a leader of nylon or fluorocarbon, is the best way to separate these solid, visible, multi-strand lines from your bait, lure or fly.

The best leader materials are generally clear and not too glossy. Their clarity allows light to pass through, reducing visibility and the creation of shadows, while a low gloss

finish minimises the incidence of flashing in bright sunlight.

As a bonus, fluorocarbon leaders like the ones recently tested by the Fishing Monthly crew have a “refractive index” quite close to that of water,

which means they are even harder to see beneath the surface. This is a bonus.

A third and final reason for always using a mono leader (nylon or fluorocarbon) when running braid is related to the very low stretch of gel-spun lines. In many cases, it can actually be an advantage to incorporate a small amount of stretch into your rig, and using a monofilament leader is the easiest way to do that.

Having a slight ‘cushion’ or ‘spring’ in the form of a few metres of relatively stretchy leader material at the business end of your rig can be a real bonus, especially in the closing stages of a fight, when there’s only a short length of line between angler and fish.

So, we need to use leaders when fishing with braid, but we also need to be choosy about the leader material we select, as it represents a vital link between us and any hooked fish. For this reason, I’d urge you to carefully study the leader shoot-out in this issue and watch that great YouTube clip that accompanies it… It’s illuminating!

Choosing a thin, hard-to-see leader can greatly boost your strike rate on sharp-eyed, cautious customers such as bream, especially in clear water. Minnow is a timber-bodied RTBroughton Lures’ Shimmey.

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Southern

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Chilly water brings options GOLD COAST

David Green

August usually sees westerly winds and the waters cool down considerably, dropping to less than 20ºC on the inshore grounds and to around 17ºC in the estuaries. The closed season for snapper and pearl

perch runs until the 15th of the month and this means offshore anglers need to focus on other species while the ban is in effect.

It is a good month to chase mulloway on the close reefs and kings, amberjack and samsonfish on the wider grounds. There may also be a few striped marlin around this month and the 36 fathom

reef is a good place to look for them. Out wider beyond the 600m line there may be good numbers of yellowfin tuna, but you need to be very careful travelling well offshore if even moderate westerlies are forecast.

The 36 fathom line reef is probably the most reliable area to target snapper after the snapper ban is lifted. Low

Susan Sullivan with an unusual catch on a micro mullet – a big luderick.

AUGUST 2021

This huge mulloway was caught from the Jumpinpin bar on a live bait.

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tide changes around dawn and dusk generally provide the best fishing, and in August quite a few big snapper over 6kg are caught. By this time, most of the snapper have spawned and feed hungrily as they put back on condition. Fish as light as you can, with only as much lead as you need to get down to the lower part of the water column. As well as snapper, expect a few parrotfish, teraglin and tailor. For big snapper try a more picker-resistant bait, like mullet heads or tailor frames.

These often account for the biggest fish. Jigging with soft plastics and Octa style jigs is also effective.

There should be some good mulloway around on the inshore reefs and also on the artificial reefs in 23m located north east of the Seaway.

These fish are at their best just on dark, and live tailor, slimy mackerel and yellowtail are all effective. If you catch any pike they are deadly. Circle style hooks work well on mulloway.

Fish your live baits close to the bottom and leave the reel in gear. In general the fish will hook themselves.

Out on the 50 fathom line there should be amberjack and kingfish this month. Jigging and deep live baits are quite effective and the addition of

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a small piece of lumo tube can increase the effectiveness of the rig when fishing with bait. Be careful if the wind blows up from the northwest.

It can be a long slow wet ride home if you get caught in a big westerly. Deep dropping in depths up to 400m is another productive method that is increasingly popular targeting bar cod, trevalla and flame snapper. A lot of local anglers are investing in electric reels with good results.

For game fishers, August can produce yellowfin tuna out wide past 600m as well as striped marlin from the 36 fathom reef out to around 300m. The winter marlin fishing off the Gold Coast can be very good at times and there is always the chance of a blue marlin as well. Trolling slightly smaller lures is a good tactic in August as both tuna and striped marlin prefer something slightly smaller than is usually used for bigger blue marlin. A lot of marlin are hooked when they eat bottom fish being wound in on the 36 fathom reef.

RIVERS AND ESTUARIES Gold Coast estuaries are fishing very well at the moment, and August is a great month to target bream, flathead, mulloway, luderick and squid. A lot of anglers are already out there targeting flathead in preparation for the upcoming Flathead Classic in late September. It’s all about trying new spots, new lures and refining your techniques in preparation for the big event.

So far this season the flathead

fishing has been excellent; on our last 3 trips we caught over 30 fish each time. This season I’ve done very well on the Zerek Absolute Shrimp in 3 and 3.5” in the fat betty colour.

In August big flathead move into the deeper estuary entrances in preparation for spawning. Deep jigging using soft vibes and big soft plastics is worth trying this month and the numbers of fish in

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the deep increases throughout late August into September. At high tide a lot of these big fish move up onto the shallow flats and provide great fishing on surface lures, shallow running minnows and big soft plastics.

Squid are another option this month. At present there have been thousands of arrow squid in the southern half of the Broadwater but they are mostly small. To target

Brittany Horner with a flathead. The bigger flathead will move into the deeper estuary entrances in preparation for spawning this month.

Jared Denny caught this beautiful big girl in the Logan River in South East Queensland. He used a 4” split tail plastic and cast it close to shore, and slow rolled and hopped it back.

them fish areas over the top of weed beds on the top of the tide. Calm still days tend to fish the best. Drifting over weed patches working a good quality squid jig is generally quite productive and a feed of squid is always welcome. In general more natural coloured squid jigs in browns and green with a hint of orange are very effective. As well as arrow squid there should be quite a few bigger northern calamari (tiger squid) around this month.

Mulloway are quite active in August and fishing live mullet on tide changes can produce big fish over 120cm throughout this month. These fish actively feed on the masses of tiger mullet that school up along the seaway walls and the mouth of Swan Bay at Jumpinpin. Live pike are another deadly bait. If you are fishing the seaway area just float out your mullet without weight on the change of a high tide and be patient.

It may take a while to get a run but the size of the fish makes it very worthwhile.

Deep fished soft plastics are a good option for mulloway in daylight hours.

August is a good month in the estuaries and there are plenty of offshore options as well. Just be careful of fishing offshore if strong westerly winds are forecast.

AUGUST 2021

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A few of my favourite things JUMPINPIN

Bo Sawyer

There has been some great fishing around the Pin last month.

My favourite thing to do this time of year is to chase flathead on soft plastics between 1-2m of water or off any nice drop-offs and drains. Sessions with 20+ flathead aren’t uncommon this time of year if you fish the right spots and use the right techniques.

Flathead will take almost any lure if it swims past them but for anyone starting out, some great ones are ZMan Trick SwimZ, Gulp Shrimp and Gulp Minnows. Colour is probably the most important part of choosing a plastic and I quite often try several colours

The author with a flathead caught on a ZMan Trick SwimZ in green lantern colour.

I’ll generally use 1/4oz and 3/8oz depending on the depth and run.

The important thing to

remember is to use the lightest weight possible that will still keep your lure on the bottom. If fishing closer to the Pin mouth with a stronger current, 1/2oz weights are usually a good choice. There are a lot of smaller flatties around at the moment but a few bigger models are still being caught.

Try fishing for flathead along Crusoe Island, Kalinga Bank, Whalleys Gutter, Eden Island and any nice drop-offs you drive past. Put in the time trying different dropoffs, banks and drains as some may perform better than others.

Tailor have also been on the chew with all the bait that has moved in. My sounder screen has been getting littered with big bait balls in the cleaner water. Northern Stradbroke Island and along Crusoe Island are great choices to search for them as well as Kalinga Bank. Small Halco Ryan with a nice flathead he caught while fishing with soft plastics. any deep holes you scan look barren, move on. Use live mullet, garfish or pike.

Sometimes it’s also worth having a dead bait out as well, as a few times I’ve had livies out and one dead bait and the jewies have taken the dead bait instead.

There’s still some nice bream about and are being caught along Kalinga Bank and Crusoe Island.

They will also be around most sand flats as well smashing yabbies.

• Have a great August everyone and I hope you all catch some amazing fish! If you would like your photos featured in my reports please send them though to my Facebook account ‘theboboboat’ or Instagram account ‘thebobo_boat’.

Tight lines.

Tracey with her PB whiting that measured 35cm. throughout a session if the clarity of the water changes with the tides. When I’m fishing cleaner water I will use more natural looking

colours, and when the water is a bit dirty, I opt for bright pink or chartreuse green.

Jigheads are also an important factor and

Darcy with a big muddy, however the crabs have been a bit quieter this month.

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AUGUST 2021

Spinner or light weighted pillies will definitely get their interest once you’ve located some fish busting up on the surface.

Some nice whiting are still being caught on live worms and yabbies. Try Gold Bank, the sand banks between Cabbage Tree boat ramp and the powerlines, Crusoe Island and the lagoons on the northern side of South Straddie. As I’ve mentioned before, use a very light trace about a 1m long, 4lb is the heaviest leader you’ll need.

I haven’t heard too many reports of mulloway, but if you’re keen to catch these beautiful fish I would have a go in the deeper water off Swan Bay, the Pin mouth and any deep holes.

Just sound the holes, if there’s bait holding on the bottom with some nice arcs around, that’s dynamite! If

Benno with a solid flathead.

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Grab a winter feed SOUTHERN BAY

Nick Whyte

August is a bit of a breadand-butter species month in the southern bay area.

Bream, tailor, winter whiting, squid and snapper are all plentiful and great targets this month.

miss. Around the Amity Rock wall is also worth a look this time of year. Remember to limit your catch, don’t catch your limit.

Squid started off a bit small last month but are in full swing now. Any weed bed or broken rock areas are worth a cast. Light leaders down to 4lb will make a

live baits the rewards can be great, but you can also spend a lot of frustrating fruitless hours in waiting. Drifting the bar entrances with big paddle-tail plastics like the 6” McArthy paddle-tails can be very productive when the fish are present. Concentrate your efforts around the near tides or the tide changes

A nice Moreton Bay tuskfish caught on a Zerek Fish Trap. poppers. I find cup-faced poppers in the 100-140mm range will attract the larger fish. Working the edges and flats of the shallow reefs are the best starting points.

South West Rocks, hole in the wall and the spit beacon at Peel are all worth a look.

Snapper have been in reasonable numbers of late. Smaller presentations

have been doing the most damage. The 3-4” lures seem to account for more than their share of big fish and I think matching the bait size they are feeding

Seb with a decent southern bay mulloway.

Bream are scattered throughout the Pin region.

Any deeper hard running water areas in sight of the bar are producing a lot of fish. There’s a lot of small fish mixed in but probably 1:1 ratio of legal versus undersized. Lure fishing with small vibes or small prawn imitations close to the bottom have been doing the job, or bait wise go pump a few yabbies and you can’t

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big difference to your catch rates. Weedy area’s in the Rous and Rainbow channels as well as the Pelican Banks and rocky headland areas are all great places to start.

Once you catch one or two, work the area over for a little while.

Big mulloway will be patrolling our bar entrances this month with all the tailor and mullet running.

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There are still plenty of tailor getting around with loys of choppers inside the Pin bar, especially on the top of the tide with the cleaner water pushing in it brings all the bait along with it.

Small slugs like the 20-30g Mustad Mezashi casting jigs and larger stick baits, like the Zerek 115mm sinking Zappelins and topwater lures have been doing the job as well. And don’t forget about the trusty old floating pilly.

There have been some better quality around the central bay islands and are a great target on larger topwaters

Hairtail are a common by-catch this time of year.

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A pretty tailor caught from the Pin.

is more important. Working along the edges of the reefs early mornings and late afternoons in the low light periods should see the best results. Make sure you adhere to the closed snapper and pearl perch season from July 15 through 15 August.

Those keen on a feed of winter whiting need to be having a look around the western entrance area of the Rous. There seem to be a few good reports coming from there. Try and drift to find the fish, and once found throw the pick and work the area over. Once the bite goes quiet, repeat again. Worms and squid strips have been getting the best results.

If you have a great capture from the southern bay you would like to share email them through to nick@techfishing. com.au. Till next month, Tech-it-easy.

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Cold temps taper off BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

As the winter months taper off, anglers may notice a slight rise in temperatures however the wind chill can cut through you like a knife. August is often a fairly blustery month with cold westerly winds a regular feature. This

often creates unsavoury conditions far from shore, however in close it can still be very fishable. Do not take any risks though, as no fish is worth gambling your life for.

Westerly winds create crystal clear water conditions that can make fishing the shallows quite difficult.

Squid love clear water and the land-based squidding fraternity are general out

Chris with a good bay flathead. These fish will be on the increase over the following month or two.

in full force most nights.

Increased numbers of flathead are often in abundance during August.

Additionally there will still be good numbers of snapper, sweetlip, mulloway, tailor, luderick and others.

The clear water conditions of August will often result in many species being more wary and less likely to be in the shallows.

Downgrading leader size and using fluorocarbon instead of monofilament will help considerably. Lure fishers employing more naturally coloured lures can also achieve greater results. Keep hooks well embedded in baits with just the points proud and also minimise sinker weights to offer a more realistic presentation, regardless of species targeted.

FLATHEAD August usually heralds the start of the flathead breading run with large female dusky flathead coming inshore to breed.

These are regularly followed by hordes of smaller males all intent on being the chosen one. August anglers often encounter very large flathead with some eclipsing 80cm and even the occasional 90cm+ model is taken. With the size slot for flathead being between 40cm and 75cm, all these larger fish must be returned to the water by law. This makes great sense because one large female flathead can produce in excess of 30,000 eggs every year.

Large fish should be unhooked quickly (preferably without removing them from the water) and released

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The pre-dawn period is a great time to target bay snapper on baits and lures, if you can brave the cold. promptly. Undue stress can result in them re-absorbing their eggs and not producing any offspring that season.

At this time of the year, one single large female is often surrounded by more that a dozen males, which are the ones to catch if you are after a feed. Subsequent passes over one successful spot will often result in even more captures. The mouths of the estuaries and rivers is often your best bet at this time of the year. The deeper channels, flats and gutters are all worth probing at various stages of the tide.

On the lower tidal stages, the flathead will most likely be in the deeper parts of the channels but as the tide rises they will move to the edges of the sand banks waiting for the water to get deep enough on these banks for them to re-enter this zone. They will then lie in ambush on tops of the flats, often in any little recess or drain, as they hunt baitfish and crustaceans. As the tide begins to fall they will again move to the edges of these banks and ambush the food sources flushed from the banks with the receding tide.

Often the largest specimens will take up the best ambush positions. This is usually where the most water or last of the water leaves the banks.

Anglers will target flathead by trolling or casting lures or deploying baits. As flathead spend a lot of the time lying semi-submerged in the sand, a moving bait is much more likely to intercept them. Drifting the channels on the low tide or on tops of the flats on the higher stages with a small blue pilchard, diver whiting, frogmouth pilchard or whitebait dragging aft will often produce surprising numbers of flatties. On the falling tide, anglers commonly troll small minnow lures along the edges of the channels

adjacent the banks. Brightly coloured lures that bang and rattle across the bottom are your best bet. Lively Lure Micro Mullet, Rapala Jack Deep, Samaki Redic DS60, Atomic Shiner 45mm and 60mm Deep and many other will get the job done.

Generally, if you can put a lure close to a flathead chances are high that it will get a hit. Flathead numbers will increase in the coming months but August is a great time to get a head start on targeting them.

SNAPPER It has been a decent season for snapper, however with a closure on the taking of this species (as well as pearl perch) from July 15-August 15 most have avoided targeting this species. Mid-month they will be back on the hit list for many anglers and hopefully the closure has been timed well and most of them have already bred which helps guarantee future stocks.

When they are back on the hit list, anglers will be targeting them at most of the usual locales such as the artificial reefs, bay island surrounds, wrecks and submerged ledges. This time of the year also sees a lot of juvenile snapper being caught, especially on baits. These fish need to be handled with care and released quickly to increase the chances of them making it to knobby status one day.

Quality fresh baits are always best for snapper, however plenty of trophy class fish are taken on store bought baits such as pilchards, squid and mullet fillet. Present baits well with hooks well imbedded and just the points exposed, minimum sinker weights and as light a fluorocarbon leader as you dare and you should be well on your way to success. With westerly winds creating fairly clear

water conditions at this time of the year, fishing in a more finesse fashion will entice more bites, especially from the more wary, larger specimens. Berleying can also help somewhat but should only be done when current flow is slower. All manner of leftover bait, fish frames, crustacean shells and the like can be used in your berley. The feeding activity of smaller fish in the berley trail will often entice larger specimens to the area. Drifting baits back along your berley trail can be a very successful method.

Structured areas, such as the surrounds of the bay islands, artificial reefs and wrecks can be probed with all manner of cast and retrieve or jigged lures. Jighead rigged soft plastics, blades, soft vibes and micro jigs are just some of the productive lures that can be utilised in these areas. Larger snapper will often lurk further from the structure than the smaller ones, sometimes even being right on the surface chasing gar, hardiheads and other prey fish. Drifting quietly through these areas while you cast and retrieve offerings is the best ploy. Often your lure will get smashed on the drop so be ready to engage your reel.

MULLOWAY It has been a good season for mulloway so far and plenty of anglers have been concentrating on them during the snapper closure. They are often taken as by-catch by those targeting other species, however specific targeting can dramatically increase your chances of success.

Larger live baits are best for anglers who like the more casual approach of sitting back and waiting for the bite.

Mullet, pike herring, banana prawns, gar, yakkas, slimy mackerel, squid and many others can be utilised. These are commonly fished right

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constant contact with the water such as pontoons, bridge supports, jetty pylons, floating buoys and rock walls. Often you can gather the weed in the same areas that you target the luderick. This is generally suspended beneath a float and the leader commonly has split shots added until just the stem of the float is proud of the water. The float is stopped from sliding up the line by a small float stopper (soft plastic bead).

This allows the depth of the bait to be altered until you find out what depth the luderick are feeding at.

When your float dips or rises in the water, it is likely that a luderick is mouthing the bait. An abrupt lift of the rod will set the small (#6 to #12) hook into the ludericks mouth and the rod will buckle until the power of a nuggety fish.

Keep fish alive until just before filleting and remove the black gut lining to prevent it tainting the

Casting lures around lighted areas at night is just one way to target Brisbane River mulloway, and can often be done via shank’s pony.

tasty white flesh. I like to bleed my luderick just before filleting and then soak the fillets in a little sea water for half an hour or so. Luderick are a lot of fun to target and well up on my list of quality table fish.

SQUID August often sees a lot of westerly winds in Southern Queensland and this will increase water clarity considerably in inshore waters. This is ideal for squid fishing as they love crystal clear water and are more common in the shallows as they come inshore to reproduce. Most squid species only live for around 16 months so the squid you catch this year were most likely spawned some time during the cooler months last season.

Tiger squid are most common around shallow waters flowing over reef, rock, rubble and weed, which makes them accessible for anglers via shank’s pony.

Patrolling the foreshores at Wynnum, Manly, Scarborough, Victoria Point, Sandgate and Wellington Point will generally allow you to locate a few squid, especially at night when they are closest to shore. Many use high-powered head torches to firstly spot the squid before an egi (prawn profiled jig) is cast in the general direction. Sometimes the squid will pounce on the jig immediately and at others times several egi changes are made before a strike is forthcoming.

In deeper water work the egi using abrupt upward lifts of the rod to get it hopping through the water column. In the shallows a slow wind and pause is a good retrieve although you can add in a few small hops if depth permits. Out in Moreton Bay, areas such as the shallows of the bay islands (Mud, Peel, Green, Bird, Goat) and the weed

bed areas along Moreton and Stradbroke offer good options. Weed beds and discoloured bottom in the Rous Channel, Rainbow Channel, Black’s Gutter and Small Ship’s Channel will all hold tiger and arrow squid. Drifting the tops of the sand flats with an egi or baited skewer dragging

the use of finer fluorocarbon leaders, more finesse rigging and better bait presentation to ensure bites. However, there is a great range of species on offer throughout the bay, rivers and estuaries. Flathead numbers will be increasing dramatically with plenty of big females coming inshore to breed, closely following

Crystal clear water and squid go hand-inhand. August is a great time to score some tasty cephalopods in Moreton Bay when westerly winds create clear conditions. aft is also successful and often employed by anglers chasing whiting. We should still have a couple of months of quality squid fishing ahead but August is a prime month to get amongst them.

CONCLUSION August often sees very clean water around the foreshores and throughout the bay. This will often dictate

by hordes of smaller males.

Bream numbers will also be increasing with big stud bream being caught alongboats the bassco beaches and in the estuarine systems. Add into the equation plenty of snapper, squid, mulloway, tailor, luderick, threadfin, tarwhine, whiting and numerous others and you have some quality fishing on offer.

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natural structure around Mud and Peel Islands are also well worth trying with both baits and lures. Many anglers score quality mulloway as by-catch while targeting snapper and numerous other species.

LUDERICK August is usually a great month for luderick with captures taken from Boat Passage, The Sunken Wall in the Brisbane River, along the rocks walls at the mouths of canal developments and also in the harbours. Targeting these correctly is a bit of an art with specialised tackle and weed baits employed.

Long, slow actioned rods, centrepin reels, floating line, sneck hooks, fluorocarbon leaders and floats weighted to just above neutral buoyancy will greatly increase chances.

Weed baits such as cabbage, string and black or purple weed can be used however the cabbage is the easiest to locate. This can generally be found on anything that is in almost

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on the bottom along ledges, adjacent structures such as wrecks, bridge pylons, wharves and also in deeper holes. Around the changes of the tide often sees the bite rate increase.

Lures such as soft vibes, paddle-tail shads, crustacean profiles and minnow lures will also attract attention from mulloway. Fishing around lighted areas of the Brisbane River at night can often produce some action, with all areas from up around St. Lucia to the river’s mouth being productive. Often you need to move around a bit to find which areas are holding the best bait as this is where your chances are greatest.

Threadfin salmon and tailor are also regular captures in these zones, many of which can be fished from a land-based position.

Out in Moreton Bay, the best chances come around the artificial reefs, such as the Harry Atkinson, Bill Turner, Coochie and Peel artificials. However, the

Southern

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Warm fishing coming soon NORTHERN BAY

Steve Nash

The cool weather is still with us but it’s slowly warming up, which means the fishing should start to heat up as well. The westerly winds keep the bay flat and the water clear, which is good for chasing some species but can make it a lot harder to chase those more finicky fish.

Over the last month, fishing in the northern bay has been steady with quality fish being caught.

There are large numbers of winter whiting around, and tailor are schooling and feeding up in Deception Bay. There are also plenty of juvenile snapper and squid along the peninsula.

The start of July saw some cracker snapper having being caught in the bay and along Scarborough local reefs, we are now in the closed season but this will open up again very soon on 16 August.

This will hopefully result in a good restart for the season. As this date comes effective, it will no doubt be very busy on the better snapper grounds as people taking full advantage

of targeting them before they move out to deeper water again.

RIVERS After a relatively dry winter so far, a lot of baitfish have pushed up the top ends of our local creeks and the predators

freshwater hits or creeks.

Another gangster that can be found this time of the year hunting the upper reaches are the line burning trevally. Watching these guys bust up the schools of baitfish in shallow water can be a heart raising

Wayne Lister getting amongst North Pine bass.

mixing up your retrieves to see what is working on the day – quick burns, slow rolls, small hops – all will work, just mix it up until you hook up.

BAY This year’s squid season has been very good, with a dry winter and super clean calm waters. Great numbers of squid have been caught all throughout the bay. While numbers will start to drop off soon, it is still worth having a flick early morning or throughout the night. There have been a lot of arrow squid landed along the Redcliffe Peninsula and the occasional large tiger are amongst them. The weed beds along Moreton have been red hot during the mornings with most boats getting a good feed.

While snapper are off limits for the first half of this month, they will still be around for a bit longer.

Scarborough rocky out crops have been fishing

Marty and Ronnie with a pair of shallow water snapper from the bay.

will follow. Good catches of soap sized mulloway and large flathead are being caught in the upper reaches of the North and South Pine rivers as well as the Caboolture River. This can change if a good amount of

Lee Major with a nice size flathead from the upper reaches of a local creek.

Dave Hudy with an explosive trevally.

position. While these fish are nowhere the size of the open reef sized fish, on light line in less than a metre of water these things can pull some serious string. Small paddletail plastics with lightly weighted jigheads will give you maximum hang time in the water column. Then,

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AUGUST 2021

well, with the better fish being landed late afternoons and nights. Plenty are falling for trolled diving lures, and live baits are producing the better fish on lightly weighted rigs.

DAMS Some days when the conditions have been perfect, the bass have been

on the chew, kayakers and permit holders of the PRFMA at Lake Samsonvale have been getting cricket score bass numbers from the deep sitting on massive schools using spoon jigs, metal vibes and live shrimp.

Forgan Cove kayak area has been very hard

to fish as it’s getting a lot of pressure over the last month. The large schools seem to be avoiding the area and the schools that are there shut down pretty quick after landing a few fish. If you do find a school and land a fish, it does help if you paddle away from the school and release it, as releasing them straight back into the school will definitely shut them down fast. Thinking outside the box is also helping, try throwing unusual lures, like small plastics or trout spinners, as it can make a difference as these fish are so heavily fished.

Remember if you want to fish our local dams, you will require a stock impoundment permit (SIPS) to fish if you are over the age of 18. These can be purchased online or your local post office.

While writing this, SE Queensland is just out of another lockdown so please make sure you abide by the COVID restrictions set down and if venturing on to the water, be safe.

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Winter weather is perfect for beach anglers!

NOOSA

Peter Wells

On the beaches, the Noosa North Shore has been firing when it comes to tailor.

These fish are making their annual migration up to Frasier Island to spawn.

Big schools seem to make their way up the coast of Moreton and Stradbroke Island and then head across to the Teewah, Double

the Powerbait Nemesis in the 4” size on a 1/4oz jighead has been effective on bream, dart, trevally and flathead with one angler even reporting catching a whiting on one. Fishing the rips where the water flows in and out of the gutter depending on the tide is a great place to start.

Mulloway have been on the bite after dark with the new moon fishing best, big strips of bonito of mullet flesh on a snelled rig cast right out the

Pater May with a couple of quality snapper from Caloundra Wide.

Island area before making their way up to Fraser. This makes the northern part of the Noosa North Shore ideal hunting ground for those big greenbacks.

A simple trick to improve your luck with tailor is to add a teaser style attractant onto their gangs. Neptune Tackle Tinsel Heads are worth a go. They come in a pack of five and are 130mm long, perfect to fit over a set of 4/0 gangs.

With the winter winds predominately blowing offshore now is the ideal time if you love to walk and cast.

With these offshore winds, anglers have been down the beach with their 7’ flick sticks walking the beaches casting into the deeper gutters and around the coffee rock, which has started to reappear after the bigger swell earlier in the year.

Casting soft plastics like

back can see you hook up to one of these incredible fish.

Those fishing around the mouth of the river have reported some good tailor action on the northern side of the Noosa River. Some of

these fish are touching the 2kg mark, so it can be a bit challenging on light gear. Most have been taken on pilchards or strip baits but a few were taken on fast moving slugs and soft plastics.

Trevally have also been in the mix with some bigger GTs around the mouth, Woods Bays and around the back of the sound. Most fish have been taken first thing in the morning on the incoming tide.

Prawn profile soft plastics have worked well but the most exciting action is on the surface. Popper and surface walkers have been getting smashed so upsize your leader as there is also tailor amongst them. For the bait anglers you can’t go past on live herring around the top of the tide.

Flathead are in great numbers in the Noosa System.

Good fish have come from around Makepeace Islands and the Tewantin Ski Run. Again, plastics have been a great way to target these fish with pink and chartreuse the popular colours. Most fish have been taken just on a slow retrieve. Anglers have also had success trolling deeper diving hardbody lures like the Samaki Redic Lure. The trick is to get the trolling speed right so they just bump along the bottom right in front of the flathead’s nose.

Bigger bream breeders are making their way into the system to spawn. These bigger fish are quite crafty and can seem to tell the difference between a bait with a hook and a bait without. Best way to attract a large bream is to fish

Luke Beecroft with a blue-eyed trevalla he caught from the deep.

Greg Findlay with a 75cm mulloway taken off the beach at Yaroomba. After a quick photo, the fish was returned. around structure like pontoons or moored boats and cast to the shadow line, try and fish your baits weightless and use quality fluorocarbon leaders.

School mulloway have been taken around the deeper holes up towards Lake Cooroibah. Live baits of poddy mullet or herring have worked well. If you are a lure angler then the 20g Transam from Jackall have been one of the better lures. Fish the start of the hole on the run in tide for the best results.

With some fantastic winter conditions over the last month the boat ramps were full as anglers headed over the bar in search of a great feed of reef fish. Anglers were delighted with results as the ground off Double Island produced with plenty of red emperor on offer.

Along with the reds, cobia numbers have also swelled.

These fish always seem to be more prevalent with the whale migration and there are some big units amongst them.

Mulloway are another great fish that are plentiful at the moment with some quality fish landed. Snapper numbers have slowed a little but the fish that have been caught have been of good quality with fish over 70cm not uncommon.

Down on North Reef the snapper run has been in full swing with plenty of bigger snapper on offer. Fishing jigs and plastics seems to be very effective with the dawn and

dusk periods the prime times.

Another great option is to run a paternoster rig with a bait and a plastic, this keeps you in the game when the little pickers destroy your baits before the bigger fish get to it.

Sunshine Reef anglers have been catching a mixed bag of reef fish, including snapper, cobia, sweetlip,

when on anchor to run a steady berley trail and have light gang hooked pilchards drifting down the trail. This should consist of a berley log and pellets or cubed pilchards thrown over the side every minute or so. Be sure to keep the trail consistent and free from big cubes as you don’t want to feed the fish.

Shawn Andrews picked up this 19kg bar cod while fishing wide in over 250m of water. estuary and Maori cod, Venus tusk fish, pearl perch and longtail tuna. Soft plastics in the 5-7” size working very well, especially jerk shad style that allows for fast descent when drifting. Have a look at the Gulp 5” and 7” jerk shads on 5/0-6/0 jigheads and 30-40lb leaders. Be sure

• Don’t forget to check in to www.fishingnoosa.com.au for all the latest up to date info on fishing and bar crossings.

The knowledgeable teams at Tackle World Noosa and Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola can provide you with the right equipment, bait and advice to ensure success!

2294 Sandgate Road, Boondall 4034 QLD 07 3265 8000|info@nsmarine.com.au

www.northsidemarine.com.au AUGUST 2021

23

Central

OLD

Trout turn up the heat BUNDABERG

Luke Truant

We haven’t had many good weather windows over the past month, but when we could get out the fishing was spectacular.

The poor weather meant we couldn’t get to the red emperor spots, but nobody cared because the trout

were on fire.

I have talked before about the winter run of yellowtail scad, which makes for some awesome live baiting action on extra-large reds and trout, but his year the run has been different. It started much later than usual, and the yellowtail have been harder to find and the average size has been much smaller. Smaller baits may not be quite as effective

on XOS fish as larger baits are, but you should still load up your tank with these smaller specimens when you find them. The first couple of months after the yellowtail arrive, the predators go nuts over them; last August we did extremely well on live baits. At times like this, every time you drop your livie to the bottom, it gets eaten.

When rigging your livie,

Plenty of big trout have been coming aboard over the past month.

Anglers have been catching some huge sweetlip in recent weeks.

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insert the hook under the jaw and bring it up through the mouth and out the nose, and rig it on a one-hook paternoster. The best results come when you use a longer paternoster loop – at least a foot long. The predators always eat the live bait head first so you need the loop to be long enough to for the fish to suck it down properly and get firmly hooked. Another benefit of a long loop is that it allows the live or dead bait to move around more naturally. I guarantee you’ll get more bites this way.

Of course, dead baits are still effective too. Even if you have livies on hand, it’s good to send down at least one dead bait because it releases scent to attract predators, and creates a natural berley.

The grass sweetlip have been ginormous lately, just like we forecast. Plenty of fish coming over the side

have been up around 5kg.

The only real downside is that we’re still having problems with sharks, unlike last winter. It could be because we haven’t had the water temperature drop like it normally does.

Interestingly, the shallows are totally devoid of sharks at the moment while the deep areas – where we wouldn’t usually see sharks at this time of year – are teeming with them, and almost unfishable. We’ll have to see what happens this month.

We were catching numerous snapper before the season closed on 15 July.

We didn’t catch any large ones, but there were plenty of smaller models around 40cm (particularly within the first 15nm), and that smaller size class is a good sign of healthy recruitment. The season opens again on 16 August, and if last year is anything to go by, we can expect to catch plenty of big snapper on float lines in the first week after the season opens.

We are still catching the normal amount of large hussar, but tuskfish catches have been almost non-existent; last year we were catching heaps of them at this time. 2021 is certainly a different year.

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AUGUST 2021

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The smaller Spanish mackerel have gone north for the winter, with just the larger models remaining behind. The result is fewer fish overall, but the ones you do catch are extra large.

If you want to go for a mackerel fish now, use as big a bait as you possibly can, live or dead. Wolf herring and legal school mackerel are particularly

August traditionally yields some big snapper when the season opens.

good, and swim beautifully as dead baits. With these big baits you’ll obviously need to upsize your hooks, and add more hooks to the gang.

Once you have put the hooks in, you should bend the bait in every direction to loosen the hooks. If the hooks are clinging too closely to the flesh, the bait won’t bend naturally in the water.

That’s it for this month.

August is traditionally the

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Super sneaky spot INTUITIVE CONTROL don’t give away fishing have come about through spots except in situations blood, sweat and beers. like a zombie uprising or Putting both brain cells into an All Blacks loss. A little action and identifying what I had a bloke ask me loss of motivation is not characteristics make up a about one of my fishing the situation that demands honey-hole for jack, barra, spots the other day. a giveaway. bream, flathead, whatever...

My work has changed Part of the reason that And when that plan comes and I’m not able to get up spots are guarded closer together and you get a there as often as I would than something that’s very result, it’s a great feeling. like. I’m also bone lazy, close, is that in most cases That’s part of the reason which doesn’t help; once the finding of a fishing why I hesitate getting a there was a time I would hole demands many hours, guide to take me out, or move heaven and NSW to if not days and in some getting a charter. The joy take the boat out but those cases years, of on-the- of fishing for me is not just days are gone. ground research to identify catching fish, but catching So old mate thought them. There are occasions them using the tools I have that since I wouldn’t be where I’ve read of a spot at my disposal – blunt, dropping onto the spot, I somewhere and dropped rusty and worn out though wouldn’t mind giving him onto it, or watched a video they may be. the drum. and managed to run it in And I’m not about Well, I would give super slow-mo in order to to give them up for him the drum, but only identify the spot old mate nothing. Perhaps a box of over his fat head. It’s an is attempting to hide, but Milton mangoes, but not ALBERTON MELBOURNE unwritten rule that you in general all my spots for nothing.

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Jamison Hughes caught this impressive 82cm flathead on a 2.5” ZMan Grub using 8lb J braid and 1/12oz jighead. He was fishing Biggera Creek and released the lizard to fight another day.

AUGUST 2021

27

Central

OLD

Winter bites still put up a fight MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

August brings the last of winter weather, and the fishing will hot up as well.

Freshwater, inshore and offshore fishing during August sees the start of the changeover of species coming into the hotter months.

Spanish mackerel will stay

in islands of the NFZ will get plenty of action, but watch the green zones.

Reef species will be on the chew, but with the distances involved, the bottom bashing is very weather dependant and is mainly used by larger trailer boats. On a really good day the shipping channel can be accessed with even a 4.5m boat, but those super good days aren’t common.

During August the

the go and by-catch is likely to include bream, grunter and flathead. Other spots include the mouth of Bakers Creek (McEwans Beach), Sandy/ Alligator creeks, Sarina Inlet and to the north around Shoal Point and in the NFZ. All these are readily accessible even without a boat.

Barra, king threadfin, pikey bream, golden snapper, flathead, grunter and estuary cod will all bite during August.

Snapper time is almost done, but Les Barber was lucky enough to score this ripper 89cm fish just off Hay Point. on the chew as our best months are during the winter. But as long as the small hardiheads and herring continue to congregate around the harbour, pike, ribbonfish, small macks, queenies and tuna all get into the action and they attract the big Spanish mackerel. The next 20kg+ Spanish caught off the rock wall won’t be the first.

The live baiters have the system down pat fishing from the south wall. First get live pike or ribbon fish using a small ‘shiney’ or vibe, then rig it on a heavier outfit and drift it out to get smashed by a Spanish. I suggest calling into Tackleworld and have a yarn to the guys there, for tips on rigging live baits.

Other species likely to be caught either on lures, pilchards or live herring include school and spotted mackerel (watch the legal sizes) and queenfish. Various trevally species as well as mac tuna and longtails also work in close to the wall and within casting distance of a medium spin stick and a 4000 size reel.

The best time to work the wall is early morning with light northerlies and a tide change.

But these species are not restricted to the harbour walls.

Other easily reached hotspots include the run through on Slade Island near the harbour and both islands off the river mouth. All these are in easy reach of a 4m tinny on a good day, which will see the best action. The islands around Sarina, Prudhoe, St Bees/ Keswick, and further north around the Goldsmith Group should all produce. The close 28

AUGUST 2021

species available include red throat, large and small mouth nannies, red emperor, coral trout and various types of cod. Often bottom fishers will be plagued by schools of trevally, which are not as welcome as the reefies. A live bait will often score a Spanish mackerel or cobia.

Close in islands will yield grass sweetlip, trout, cod and blueys in August. Strip baits, squid and prawns will be the best baits in the shallower inshore waters around the islands.

In the creeks and rivers, the fighting whiting are still biting! The Pioneer River is the most reliable spot to score a good feed of whiting, with yabbies, worms and squid strips being popular baits.

Drifting up with the tide is

The pikeys should be still schooling up to finish off their spawning run, so take a few and leave them to get busy providing for future catches.

Barra will be moving about more as the weather and water warms up and will be in the usual haunts. Places like the sand bars at high tide and the deeper holes at low tide will have plenty of barra around. Look for these types of spots in Reliance, Constant, and Murray Creek systems as well as the smaller creeks in the NFZ. To the south Sandy creek, Sarina inlet, and Rocky Dam creek will also yield plenty of barra. Live baiting with prawns, mullet or whiting will score on barra.

For the lure angler, plastic vibes like the Zereks, Threadybusters and similar

will all work as will the large paddle tail plastics. For barra use the big 150-200mm paddle-tails and work them as slow as possible. Take your pick of brands but check the tail has plenty of action and the body should get up a nice roll at super slow speeds.

The big threadies will often be found mixed with the barra at low tide in the deeper holes and venturing up into the shallows as the tide builds. Soft vibes have been the popular lure over the last few years for kingies but when feeding on very small prawns a different approach is often needed. One trick is the shortened body on a 3” curly tail grub, rigged on a light jighead and worked in the shallows. The hook needs to be strong as a big threadie in shallow water can spend time in the air, powering off and changing direction seemingly all at once with thrown and twisted hooks common.

In the freshwater, sooties will be willing to mix it with the anglers in the river and in our three dams. Sooties are one of my very favourite fish and chasing them anywhere with lures or small flies is great fun. The fact that they will hit a variety of lures and

Flathead are a welcome catch anywhere!

Bill McGarry got this nice one luring along the sand bank in the background. flies adds to the attraction.

I recommend topwaters, spinnerbaits, small minnows (to 80mm), vibes, and plastic grubs (white is a favourite) for the lure angler.

Fly fishers can tangle

been good during the colder months but in Eungella have had lockjaw. Use very large (200mm)paddle tails (or big swim baits), rigged on light jigheads, and worked super slow around the points

Charlotte Clark, 9yo, sure knows her way around a fishing rod, landing this beaut bluey on a light whiting rod.

Saltwater barra like this yellow tailed beauty horsed out of the mangrove roots, will always put a smile on any angler’s face.

with sooties using poppers, small deceivers, clousers, and shrimp/prawn imitations.

Use floating or sinking lines depending on water depth.

I love creek fishing with a 6 weight floating line, long leader and lightly weighted minnow/deceiver fly or a popper.

Sooties show up well on modern electronics in the deep dam waters and individual fish can be targeted. As anglers get better with these electronics, I am sure the results will be reflected in the MAFSA annual World Sooty Championship event.

Barra in the dams are now ‘out and about’ and more active. In Kinchant and Teemburra dams they have

and weed beds of the main dam basin.

The same lures will work in the shallower timbered areas, or alternatively switch to a hardbody or a surface lure, early or late in the day.

The huge barra the region is famous for are mainly caught in the open areas, there are 1m+ fish in Teemburra dams timber. Getting them to the landing net is a huge problem as there are bulk standing and laydown timber, submerged fence lines and weed and lily beds to contend with – heart stopping stuff to be sure!

August is warming up and it is an ideal time to explore the Mackay region, which always has a diverse range of fishing activities.

See you at the ramp.

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AUGUST 2021

29

OLD

Pelagics in plague proportions WHITSUNDAYS

Mick Underwood

Winter in the Whitsundays means pelagics, and piles of them at that! The Whitsundays are heaven on earth most of the year round, but through the cooler months when the big shiny speedsters show up there is definitely no other place on this planet that I’d rather be.

Going out on the water each day I get to choose whether I want to tangle with a giant trevally casting poppers, witness the blinding speed of a Spanish mackerel, admire the athletic ability of metreplus queenfish, endure the never ending power of a

On any stormy days you can still enjoy some good fishing close to home. The GT fishing in particular has been pretty good.

Queenfish are thick at the moment and clients just can’t catch one under a metre in length. has also started early, and we’ve been lucky enough to encounter a few while targeting mackerel with skip baits. Any heavy weather days haven’t been met with too much doom and gloom as there has been plenty of pelagics to get after on the inshore grounds as well.

A nice trout comes aboard Reel Addiction for Jake.

Reef with a nice large mouth nannygai pulled up off a deep rubble patch. head and shoulder thumping golden trevally or revel at the electric neon colours of a little black marlin dancing

that have allowed for some good offshore days targeting a variety of fish.

Out on the deeper rubble

haven’t persisted too much with the reefies, I have put most of my effort into the pelagics as that has been the most consistently vibrant bite on offer. We had a good early start to the Spanish season this year and it is just getting better as time goes on.

Out in the same areas the run of juvenile black marlin coming up the coast

Jye with a decent gold spot cod pulled up off a deep patch.

John and had great fun catching this trevally. next to the boat. Throw in a few humpback whales and manta rays, which are currently enjoying a nice winter holiday in the Whitsundays, and this place really is an oceanic winter wonderland.

As to be expected for this time of the year, the southeast trade breezes have been pumping away but there have been some good spells in between the blows 30

AUGUST 2021

patches it has been red fish that most anglers have been after and there have been some nice red emperor and nannygai getting caught.

One fish that I haven’t seen too much out of the deep so far this winter is grunter, and it’s a bit of a mystery to me at the moment as to where they are.

On the days where I have had the chance to get out on my wide grounds I

So far it has been a cracker mackerel season, here’s Mick with a nice specimen.

The golden trevally and queenfish have appeared right on cue. It is usual for Hydeaway Bay that each encountered fish has been a monster for their particular species. I’ve been that spoilt recently with the pelagics that I haven’t even had to put the boat on the plane leaving Cape Gloucester Resort to get after a giant trevally.

I’ve been able to actively target 20kg+ fish within sight of guests enjoying cocktails and lazing around the resort pool.

Getting into August and I don’t think too much will change for me with regards to target species, it’s going to be pelagics, pelagics and some more pelagics. August is normally where we see

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the numbers of Spanish mackerel at their peak and it is also quite often when the biggest fish of the year are caught.

Rattray Island is an age-old favourite hunting ground for big mackerel, but on calm days if you have the ability to get there, why not get out to Holbourne Island and Nares Rock. When the fish are hanging there they are quite often in crazy numbers and bag limits can be met with ease. Another prime location for big mackerel is the coal loading terminal

of reef, rock and rubble.

Large mouth nannygai will be the most common fish encountered out in these areas but it can be a bit of a lucky dip as there are plenty of other desirable species out in the deep. Golden snapper, grunter and reef jacks to name just a few.

Back inshore around the islands the shallow reef fishing is generally a little quiet in August, there will be the odd nice trout or two caught but they won’t exactly be leaping in the boat. The inshore fishing this month will be mostly

about the pelagics.

On any really blustery days when it’s a bit too adventurous to get offshore and you’re busting to wet a line, why not give the beaches a bit of attention?

OLD

shadows. The shorelines will be home to plenty of chunky sized flathead and sight casting a feed of tiger squid is also a plausible option. Around the top portions of the tide why

Dometic Single EPS

Jarrod with a big goldy. This is a perfect time of year to catch one.

Anita is happy with her coral trout. at Abbott Point. It is just a bit out of my range from here at Hydeaway Bay, but for Bowen anglers it’s just up the road for you guys.

When the fish are in this area they are quite often holding together down deep somewhere hard up against the structure of the coal wharf, which opens up doors for jigging enthusiasts. If you intend on making the trip to Abbott Point for a session please remember to take care and stay clear during any shipping movements. It will only take a close call or two before the authorities ban recreational fishing in this area and that would be a real shame for all.

For those after a feed of reef fish during August I suggest you wait for the calmer days and get out wide onto any deeper patches

Not only are our beaches in the Cape Gloucester Region pristine and beautiful they can hold a lot of fish as well, and August is prime time to get after them.

Whiting will be moving around in schools so dense they look like cloud

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Coral trout haven’t been that easy to come by in recent weeks but there has still been the odd good model getting caught.

to you again soon.

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33

OLD

Prawn lures for barra TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

It’s always exciting to see what a new season will deliver in the North, and the shift from the humid, hot days to cool nights and perfect daytime temps has made being on the water a pleasure.

The offshore fishing has not showed signs of slowing in the slightest, and everything from fingermark and grunter to mackerel, tuna and marlin have been caught in good numbers by anglers knowing

that they swim well, practice makes perfect, and sometimes it’s better to have them rigged at home ready to clip or tie on instead of trying to do it on the water.

The current controversy over the Spanish mackerel biomass is another example of anglers being railroaded into complying with someone else’s biased opinion of stock levels. Reality doesn’t seem to come into the equation anymore, with the government all but ignoring the input of fishers. The low biomass estimate presented by advocates of closures fly in the

serious action as well. It’s very much a specialist pursuit though, and if you haven’t done it before, I recommend becoming a member of the Townsville Game Fishing Club or other body made up of knowledgeable fishers. That way, you’ll be able to access some incredibly useful tips by those who know a lot more about the billfish sportfishing scene than myself.

CREEKS AND RIVERS It’s often believed that barra aren’t a viable option to target during the cooler months, but this isn’t always the case. Yes, they can be

Every legal-sized barra landed in winter is a fish to be happy with.

Fish of this size are still catchable with the right approach. go, I recommend using a soft plastic prawn imitation. I often opt for the 3-4” Atomic Prongs, and while there may only be a 1” difference in length, the actual size and bulk of them is significantly reduced. So too are the hooks and head weights required to fish them effectively.

The other soft plastic we

use a lot is the 4” Halco Paddle Prawn. It’s a slim profiled lure that can be fished deep in relatively light line, but still catch seemingly oversized fish for the profile at this time of year. The colour totally depends on water clarity; the bright orange and pink are great when there’s a bigger tidal flow and the waters are

warm up is when we usually target the shallower areas with a surface presentation.

90mm Bassday Sugapen are a perfect lure for this and their subtle little water spit as you walk them at the correct speed is a subtlety that produces results when the fish are a little shy. When they’re in the mood for something a little

On this day the water was quite turbid, and a standout colour was needed to get the fish’s attention. The Radioactive Rooster and Protec’d Head are a great combination for this scenario. where and what to look for.

Bait schools are the main ingredient in a plan coming together. However, it’s also important to have a quality sounder as well as knowing how to read and tune it to the environment, to ensure that no opportunities go unnoticed.

Birds are our eyes in the skies, and are another indicator that should never be ignored. If bait is being pushed to the surface, it’s obvious that something is doing that.

Reacting quickly to this often brief phenomenon will help you to capitalise on the most opportunities possible.

Dropping 60-80g Halco Twisties and Outcasts has accounted for many Spanish in recent weeks, as the schools have often been picked up deep on the sounder. A piece of wire is recommended if you’re to keep lure losses to a minimum. Wire doesn’t have to be too long, with just 150mm usually being enough.

Around 86-105lb wire is generally enough for the standard types of tackle used for the Spanish, but if you’re trying to beat the sharks and going hard on the heaviest of gear then you’re going to need to up the wire, swivels and hook class to make the best of every hook-up.

Trolled gar and wolf herring are the go-to for bait fishing specialists, and even though some people find it hard to rig these baits so 34

AUGUST 2021

face of other recent Spanish mackerel studies (these earlier studies found that the fishery was sustainable). One of the decision-makers for the proposed closure to Spanish mackerel fishing is high up in the WWF, which seems like a conflict of interest, given the WWF’s agenda.

Back to the fishing. Small billfish have been showing up in recent weeks, and (apart from trolling small skirted lures) the best option is to troll small baits like gar or even small mullet. Obviously if you’re competent at rigging small live baits on circle hooks, that is going to get you some

harder to find and tempt into taking a lure or bait, but they’re still catchable, that’s for sure. Downsizing lures to a tiny 3” will get you more action with old bucket mouth – just remember that your tackle needs to be downsized too so you can cast and fish the lures properly. 10-15lb mainline braid and 20-25lb leaders are often needed to get the required results though, and while this can end with the odd ‘rub off’ you’ll land more than enough to keep you happy if you take your time and try not to bully them.

As far as soft plastics

A quality leader is needed to withstand the winter lockjaw fight tactics that are common in the cooler months. As you can tell, an inferior leader would have had no chance of landing this barra.

Catching barra on the surface is the ultimate goal for creek walkers. The Bills Bug Fizzer is a very effective lure, and has a unique sound that drives barra wild.

more turbid, while the raw prawn and white pattern is usually a clearer water option.

As always, the jighead or lead weight on the weedless hooks we use is treated with powder paint to add UV highlights to the presentation.

TIMES AND TIDES Tides that only have a metre or so of variation between them are my favourites, and this is when the waters clear and fish travel further to intercept a lure. One particular characteristic of winter jacks and barra is that they will often sit a bit deeper, and instead of waiting, say, three seconds for the lure to sink you often have to double that to get the bite.

Afternoon low tides that have had the whole day to

more noisy, the Halco Roosta Popper 60mm is as good as little poppers get. Multiple 2-3 second pauses are often required to allow a fish to gain the confidence in clear water to finish off a perceived injured baitfish. However, there are times when a fastmoving pop, pop, pop gets better results depending on the fish’s aggression levels.

You have to mix it up on the day to find out which is working best.

Apart from that, things are going as expected in the north. With a longer, drawn-out rainy season this year it’s probably just delayed some of the normal seasonal phenomena, but it will all come back into line again, that’s for sure.

AUGUST 2021

35

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Inconsistent times HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

With the weather the way it’s been and the recent Covid lockdown, I don’t have a great deal to

far has made me venture to deeper water where I found quite a few large schools of winter golden snapper in the channel. Hugging shallow to deep drop-offs, a few schools at around 50-80 fish in size have taken up residence on a few

in that area. That becomes a real pain when you’re trying to target golden snapper in around 7-9m in depth. I am avoiding areas any deeper as their chance of survival is low.

I also don’t bring them on board, I de-hook them in

A winter school golden snapper. They are patchy at the moment but there are still a few schools around.

Mark with a 75cm barra. The barra fishing will improve over the next few months as the water temperature warms up. report from charters this last month. It certainly is testing times for anyone in the tourism industry.

The trips I have managed to get out on, have been quite challenging to say the least. I’m finding aggregating fish are moving on from spots very

old GPS marks of mine.

After boating five fish to around 50cm recently on live mud herring, we had a number of accidently caught large black jewfish around 120cm move in.

This became an issue for chasing golden snapper as the black jewfish fishery

the water if I can, as they release much better by doing this. Golden snapper don’t release very well over 10m in depth so once we have enough for a feed we usually move on to do something else.

Large threadfin salmon and barra have been very

I have seen a few anglers catching some good mangrove jack around the boat passage/deluge area of late, mostly being caught on snagless plastics casted deep up into overhanging mangrove lines!

During this month you will notice quite a few of those early afternoon low tides getting down to 30cm,

which will trap you in certain parts of the Hinchinbrook Channel, so be wary and prepare for that unless you wish to be trapped in an area for hours, which sometimes is not a bad thing! It also presents a problem for the Port Hinchinbrook Marina boat ramp in which you need a minimum of 1.2m to get out for a flat bottom boat

and even up to 1.5m for the bigger boats.

• There are still quite a few good dates for August, September, October so get in quick to get the best tides left. 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.

Mild winter, good fish CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

It’s been a mild winter in Far North Queensland, which has been great news for those fishing in the Net Free Zone. With water temps staying relatively warm for this time of year the fishing has still been very good.

One of the keys to finding fishing success this time of year in the Net Free Zone creeks is to fish the skinny or shallow waters. The water

over the flats is usually warmer than the deeper areas and will also be holding the most bait. This is where the active fish will be and so this is where you need to get your lures.

I was fishing a spot in the Cairns Inlet the other day and found a great spot running out from three or four large drains onto a shallow flat. The water wouldn’t have been more than a few feet deep but there was plenty of action on the running out tide. Usually I would fish the drop-off to the deeper water in this spot,

but the barra were right up in the shallow water feeding. What resulted was a great little session in some super shallow water.

When fishing these areas, I like to use shallow running hardbody lures or small plastics with little weight.

As the tide receded the fish moved eventually into the deeper ledge where they were much harder to get to feed.

With the big tides at night the Inlet will also provide some excellent run out fishing if you are

This black jewie was accidently caught while targeting golden snapper. It was quickly released. quickly during the tide and are very finicky with their bites. It probably has a lot to do with weather changes and high barometer movements.

However, with the smaller neap tides that I have had to work with so 36

AUGUST 2021

has been closed for the remainder of this year after reaching its commercial quota early on.

I would have liked to fish in areas further into the channel but I’m avoiding them due to marking a large number of black jewfish

patchy too with smaller bite windows around the last two hours of tide being the best time. Over the next few months as it starts to heat up and larger tide cycles start to build we should see much better barra fishing.

Mud crabs are running hot, so don’t forget to drop in some pots.

To page 37

OLD

Extraordinary period PORT DOUGLAS PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Lynton Heffer Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

With the onset of our winter pattern, the fishing has taken a bizarre twist in our neck of the woods but it is all positive.

We’ll start with the outer reef fishing, which has had some serious action packed days! We normally see this type of transition in the early stages of winter but it has gone to a new level.

We’ve had our traditional target species really kicking in, including coral trout, emperor and small and large mouth nannygai. They have rolled out nicely on most days.

What we’ve also seen recently is some of our more exotic species play a big role and a few oddball surprises.

The exotic category has included regular barramundi cod (released), baldy bream, reef mangrove jack, speckle scaled sea perch and a good rounding up of cattle dog cod, which are normally elusive.

Now for the odd balls: we’ve seen some coastal fish venture way outside of their parameters, some 20+ miles to the outer reef, including big golden snapper and dusky flathead. What inspired them to make such a journey has us all guessing.

On the pelagic scene, Spanish mackerel have turned it on in a big, big way. Whether trolling lures or floating a pilchard, they have been sensational.

Whether it’s been our reef bottom fishing charter or game charter, they have been a regular feature. In more recent times they have grown from the average 7-8kg range to 12-20kg in a short period.

In my opinion, they are right up there when it comes to pure sportfishing, adrenalin fuelling for the angler and a whole heap of fun. Taking home a slab of fillets to feed a family of 12+ people is the cream on top.

Now closer to home, we have had some very interesting fishing in our calmer waters for this time of year. The Daintree River

has remained very strong for the likes of big queenfish, trevally, golden snapper and grunter, along with some interesting species including sickle fish and feather bream.

Locally, the Dickson Inlet has fished really well for this time of year for mangrove jack, and some barra have also shown interest. The surprise captures to turn up have included legitimate sized slatey bream and spangled emperor, of all things. These are offshore fish without question. As like the reef, the inshore fishing has experienced surprises and it is a like a cross-species scenario. Again, something must be in the water to encourage this type of behaviour between two vastly different environments.

In the Far North, there is always something to raise an eyebrow and the fishing will settle in beautifully for the next few months. Outside of dealing with frustrating Covid restrictions, we sincerely hope as many of you can get here to see what we are talking about.

This barramundi cod was a surprise capture. It was quickly released after the photo.

From page 36

game enough to fish in the dark. The other benefit of fishing this time of day is you have the many lit up beacons and artificial light sources, which are found throughout the Cairns Inlet. These always hold good fish and can turn up some monsters.

The rubble patches and small wrecks littered throughout the Inlet have also been producing some excellent finger-mark and mangrove jack for bait and lure fishers on the neaper tides. I found a small wreck the other day on my Humminbird GN4 Helix 12 and it has been a real honey-hole hot spot for fish over the colder months.

The Cairns Inlet has also been throwing up some unusual catches and there have been several Spanish mackerel landed up to 10kg closer to the mouth. Not a bad catch when chasing a jack or barra!

In the creeks to the

Jacks are also on the chew but will require a few more accurate casts. north, the fishing has also been stable with good catches of jacks coming from Thomatis and Moon Creek.

Being smaller creeks, it pays to have a bit more patience

Barra are still able to be caught through winter and the shallows are a good start.

fishing these systems and putting in multiple casts to get the bite. Also, it pays to scan up the hidden timber on the bottom as opposed to hitting all the side bank structure.

Finally, if there is one thing moving this month it will be the mud crabs. They have been running crazy the last month or so and it hasn’t been hard to get a feed. For those thinking of taking a trip to our wonderful part of the world and thinking of doing a bit of fishing, shoot me an email on dkaggelis@gmail. com if you want some up to date information on what’s happening. Alternatively, if you are thinking about booking a charter make sure you ring up early as many are already very busy so don’t miss out.

Finding those wrecks and rubble patches in the Inlet will get you on the fish.

Some barra sitting on a shallow water drop-off. Good spot to find them on a dropping tide.

AUGUST 2021

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Winter fever takes hold COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

The weather has cleared and the opportunity to head out and go exploring new ground has gripped many anglers. The roads throughout the Cape are full of 4WDs, caravans and people camping (and escaping the news of Covid)

the Cape, not many places haven’t been visited already – it can be frustrating knowing you’re not the first person to throw a lure into an isolated spot. But persistence will pay off and with cool conditions starting to ease, the fish might just start feeding more aggressively as the water temperature rises.

Changing your lures and size can have a big impact on

home for the barramundi in the area. I was wondering why the new structure was so favoured over the old snags and it might be that the leaves and small branches are still there and provide more structure, which also provides great areas for baitfish to hide in. A new snag is always a winner in big waterholes and running a lure past it presents an easy meal to the awaiting predator below.

The winds have been battering Cooktown and there will be little opportunity to head offshore to chase any reef species but if a window does open, then the whole town will probably shut down and go fishing. Red

The barra fishing has produced excellent catches this month.

Mud crab catches have been impressive recently, which is surprising during the dry season. to relax with family and friends out in our beautiful backyard of Cape York and surrounds.

Dry conditions and access to many places opening up, there can be an overwhelming number of options to look for new fishing grounds and opportunities. However, with so much traffic traversing

your success. As I mentioned last article, going smaller in size can produce more response when barramundi are being slow or shut down.

The fishing has been great so far and a recent trip had several large barramundi landed from a single snag.

The snag was a large tree that had fallen in the last flood and it was obviously a prized

There are plenty of tasty fishing options in August, like this redclaw.

fishing in winter can be very productive and targeting the wonky holes can produce some nice nannygai as there will be still be some freshwater pumping through them. It’s just a case of waiting and being ready to go when the wind drops, which will be rare at this time of the year but you have to hope as it can’t last forever!

The mud crabbing has been productive over the last month – it surprised me as usually the best time is around the wet season. We did have some decent rain in late May, which might of stirred them up a bit.

We had a visiting family and decided to throw a few pots in, we were rewarded with some nice size bucks and some of the biggest crabs I have seen for a while. It made for some great mud crab cracking on the front veranda (as you don’t want to do this inside)

with the extended family and a welcomed surprise that we caught so many at this time of the year.

Anyway, changing up your fishing and expectations can produce results.

The local wharf should start seeing some action by the end of the month as the mackerel will start to make their presence known and locals will be keen to throw out a live herring to the waiting toothy predators.

When on the boil, there’s not much room on the wharf and it’s entertaining seeing how many make it past the resident groupers. Lots of small fish usually make it in, but the large ones fight longer and are more prone to be swallowed by the black hole of a mouth that appears from under the wharf.

I’m looking forward to the months ahead as the weather heats up and so does the fishing.

FISHING NEWS

Authorities send poaching warning for boaters Fishers are advised to know their zones before they get out on the water this winter, with those who are unfamiliar with the Reef reminded that fishing in Marine National Park no-take green zones is illegal.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) Field Management Director Dr Mark Read said compliance officers had recently detected offenders from the Brisbane area illegally fishing in no-take zones at the Reef’s southern reaches.

“Normally, offenders are local to the area where they launch from; however, in the case of zones out from the town of 1770, most offenders are from South East Queensland,” Dr Read said. “For example, recently a 48-year-old man from Brisbane was fined for fishing in a no-take zone in

38

AUGUST 2021

the Capricorn Bunker group.

“We’re finding that some fishers from South East Queensland are launching their boats at their nearest access point to the Southern Great Barrier Reef, without doing their homework on marine

park zoning.

“Ignorance is no excuse.

If you’re caught poaching in a no-take green zone you can expect a $2220 fine.”

Director of the Great Barrier Reef and Marine Parks Region, Queensland Parks

and Wildlife Service, Tina Alderson, said recreational fishers should plan their trip in advance using zoning maps that are available online, in paper form or via the Eye on the Reef zoning app.

“Once downloaded, the

Compliance officers are conducting patrols to ensure anglers are doing the right thing. Image courtesy of GBRMPA, photographer: Victor Huertas.

Eye on the Reef app contains a mapping feature that works outside of mobile range to pinpoint the user’s location and shows what zone they’re in and what activities, including fishing, are permitted there,” Ms Alderson explained. “If fishers are navigating with aid of a chart \plotter it is their responsibility to understand how zoning is displayed on their plotter.”

The Reef Joint Field Management Program has made this easier for anglers by producing short YouTube videos to familiarise anglers with popular units – such as Lowrance Elite, Garmin or Raymarine – and how they display Great Barrier Reef Marine Park zoning.

“While most fishers do the right thing, even a small amount of illegal fishing can have serious impacts on fish stocks and Reef health,” Ms Alderson said. “The Authority and Queensland Parks and

Wildlife Service is committed to protecting the World Heritage Area from illegal activities, and we have a zero-tolerance approach to poaching in marine national park zones.”

Zoning maps are available from bait and tackle shops, visitor information centres, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and by contacting the Authority on 1800 990 177. Members of the public can report poaching and other suspected illegal activity anonymously via the Authority’s 24-hour hotline: 1800 380 048 or online at www.gbrmpa.gov. au/report-an-incident.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service are partners in the Reef Joint Field Management Program: a 40-year program dedicated to protecting the Great Barrier Reef. – GBRMPA

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OLD

Warm days follow cool brisk winter mornings CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

Following a fantastic year for fishing in the Cape, August will be a mixed bag depending on which side of

months as the metabolic rate of these veracious predators slows. However, some of the more experienced barra fishos will switch their focus from numbers to quality during this period.

Some big hungry girls will be starting to stir in

fish holding in deeper water adjacent to structure. Live baits will get those fussier fish to take a bite.

On some of the more remote northern reaches of the west coast, sport fishers will be having a ball with incredible inshore sight

There has been some great crabbing this season, following good rains. up around tide changes and transition points.

Spanish mackerel should be packing on pounds on both sides of the Cape.

Some of the more isolated rocks and shoals of the west coast can see droves of these

toothy critters and a garfishwoghead combination will be deadly, even trolled up short behind the boat.

On the East Coast following a decent wet season it has been interesting to see some of

the ramifications of boosted food webs. Blue salmon of great size and numbers have been recorded around creek and river mouths right up the coast. Threadfin salmon have also been active and should fire up even more as

Threadies have shown up in good numbers. the Cape you find yourself on. Cool brisk mornings and warm days will be the norm as we near the tail end of winter.

Barramundi fishing tends to be slower during the cooler

August and a combination of warmer water, moon and tide will bring about short sharp bite periods that can see some long silver slabs hit the deck. The secret will be finding small pockets of

fishing. The flats and creek mouths will be abuzz with small queenfish and trevally, as well as the iconic fly species golden trevally and permit. Add to that manta rays cruising the shallows and the odd cobia tagging on behind.

Rivers will be as clear as they are going to be prior to any on-shore winds commencing on the West Coast. Upstream from any of the larger bays and inlets, expect fish to be a little shy but sight casting in clear water will be a highlight.

Try and avoid dead neap tides this time of year to give the fish a chance to fire

Queenies will be chasing bait inshore.

Paula Nino from Colombia with her first Queensland bream. She was fishing Budds Beach on the Gold Coast using bait.

Great numbers of blue salmon are around the creek mouths.

40

AUGUST 2021

we move towards spring.

August will be a strong travel period throughout the Cape, as long as Covid doesn’t rear its ugly head in Northern Queensland.

Record numbers from both inter and intra state are likely to descend on all the usual haunts. The difference this year seems to be how many convoys of travelling companions are converging on the tip.

Fishing pressure will be a little higher in key locations, such as Weipa and Seisia and most of the charter operations are near capacity when travel allows. It all bodes well for a few strong years for the recreational fishing industry in Australia, as long as interstate boarders remain open. Locals will be heading farther and farther afield to escape the masses and track down their truly wild quarry.

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OLD

Better than expected TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

Winter is my least favourite time to fish the freshwater. It’s not the cold but the extra effort involved in getting fish to chew. Despite the frosts, the grass at home is still greenish. Maybe it’s not as cold as I think it is and I am just getting softer in my old age. This would help explain the reasonable fishing this year. If it does get a lot colder, the fishing is likely to get tougher but in the meantime make the most of the wintertime action.

Winter has been pretty

kind and the fish are still willing to have a bit of a go. The early mornings and late afternoons are my favourite times to fish but the peak in fish activity can vary from lake to lake and the species being chased.

The middle of the day is quite productive on some waterways. It’s a case of needing to experiment to see when they want to feed and are most active on the waterway you choose. As a general rule, fish like bass and cod like the lower light periods but you can have a sleep in when targeting winter barra. They can be tough early and wake up more as the day wears on and heats up.

Big bass are just around

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST Cressy has really surprised me this year. It is usually a hard winter fishery but this year it hasn’t failed to impress. There are still the days where things are tough but those in the know are managing good hauls of bass.

Then edges are producing a few fish on spinnerbaits and suspending jerk baits. This is more of a morning activity and don’t expect big numbers of fish.

Bass of mixed sizes and even the occasional golden perch will be caught early in the day before the action dies off.

Schooling fish will produce the best action but you will need to spend time searching for them. The fish tend to hang in the same areas so once you have done your homework, you can find them a lot faster on return trips. Attacking the schools that have seen little fishing pressure is most rewarding. As soon as boats sit on them for a while they get tough.

I’ve seen it time and time again where we can nail a bass a cast and then all

of a sudden the action stops and they aren’t interested in anything you show them.

When this happens, it’s time to rest them and move on.

The good thing this year has been the amount of locations holding fish. Often there are only a few spots around the lake but this year there have

the corner. August can start off slowly but by the end of the month, they should be chewing well. Somerset is still the home to the giant fish where big numbers of fish over 2kg can be caught. The fatter roed up bass can weigh over 3kg and the giants over 4kg.

Across the other bass lakes, we will see better quality well-conditioned fish too.

Late August and early September is my favourite time to chase these big bass. I did it a bit tough last year so hopefully there are plenty of 3kg models or even one or two over 4kg this year.

Until next month, buckled rods from The Colonel. been smaller schools in bays and on ledges and points all over the dam. Maybe they will bunch up more as they feel the breeding urge.

Straight out from the ramp and to the left along the first points below the campground is a good place to start your search. There are still a few bass schooling past the Eagles Nest rock

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wall but more seem to be holding in the first half of that Cressbrook Creek arm. Up into the Beams (Bull) Creek arm, the bass will start on the first points on the western banks. As you venture into the upper part of the arm, the old creek bed loses depth and the fish scatter across the flats and on the drop off ledges.

Spoons and soft plastics

Niki Sticklen was getting in some practice for the big fat bass at Somerset last month. The fish were already in good condition and will be even bigger now.

Gary’s Marine Centre

42

If the fish fire up later this month, try working bigger profile jigs through them. The 30g Raptor Slow Fall Jig fooled this Cressbrook fatty.

are hard to beat at this time of year. The average sized fish will be quick to pounce on a Gang Banger spoon or something similar weighing around 20g. These lures are very popular with the locals at Cressbrook. Bigger profile offerings like Palms Slow Blatts and Raptor Jigs will fool the bigger specimens.

These lures are great for hopping across the flats and down drop off ledges where bass are holding. If you are working soft plastics, try 3”paddle tails rigged on 1/2 or 5/8oz jigheads.

The fish will move from the flats in 8m right out into very deep water. We use this

to our advantage and position the boat in the deep water and cast back up onto the shallower areas holding the fish. The fish will work their way out to the boat and we can then pluck the good ones from the shallows and catch heaps of smaller ones almost vertically around the boat.

• Fish’n’Bits in Toowoomba has all the gear and tips on how to chase the Cressy fish.

They are an excellent store specialising in all freshwater lures and tackle. The dam hours are 7am to 6pm over the winter months.

SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY The fishing has been a bit hit-and-miss this winter but still better than a lot of previous years. A few bass and goldens have been caught around the edges on suspending jerk baits but these fish should start to return to the schools as breeding season kick in.

Some of the better schools will be found just outside the main river channel. This opens up a lot of areas and locating them can take time if you have no idea where to start. In past years, locations near Red Rock, Happy Clappers, Bay of Plenty and Kirkleigh have held plenty of fish but each year is a bit different so be prepared to spend time looking.

The isothermic water allows fish to hold quite deep.

It isn’t uncommon to find schooling fish at 14m deep and they will spend shorter periods in even deeper water.

This habit is probably more the case towards the end of the month. If you are catching fish from these depths, they should be quickly released so they can power back down.

When they are to be kept in a live well, the other option is to release the build-up of gasses by venting the swim bladder with a needle and equalising the air pressure.

At the start of August, I’d be throwing smaller spoons

and jigs, 20 and 30g lures are great provided they have a small profile. As the action steps up a notch, I switch to the 30g Raptor Jigs or Slow Blatts, which have a bigger profile. These lures are great on the bigger fish (which tend to like shallower water) if you can find where they are holding. Other lures worth considering are soft plastics, tail spinners and smaller blade baits.

• Somerset Fishing has their store based at the area above the day use boat ramp. The store is open over holidays and otherwise from Thursday to Sunday.

Orders can also be made online via the website www. somersetfishing.com.au .

They have an excellent range of gear suited to fishing for bass and golden perch.

WIVENHOE CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, LOWOOD The schooling bass take a lot of time to find as they have spread out into other areas of the lake. Trolling hard body lures will allow you to cover heaps of water while searching and allow you to stumble upon them.

Try deep diving lures that reach at least 10m as the lack of thermoclines allows the fish to push a bit deeper.

The open water flats outside the main river channel in the Billies Bay area would be the best bet. Try out from the point at Billies and down towards the buoyed off no boating area. If schools are found, they should eat metal jigs and spoons, soft plastics, blades and tail spinners.

There are boating restrictions in place. If you are petrol powered, you need to have a 4-stroke or low emissions outboard and travel at 6 knots when on this lake. The only boat ramp in play is the one at Logan’s Inlet so there is quite a bit of travelling involved. It’s a huge expanse of water so keep a close eye on the weather.

OLD

DARLING DOWNS AND GRANITE BELT COOBY CLOSEST TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA The fishing has been pretty slow. The occasional golden perch and cod are taking lures or bait. Don’t expect the goldens to pick up until mid-spring. You never know when a big Murray cod is going to turn up though. Most of the cod being caught are smaller models but the lake holds some giants.

LESLIE DAM CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK The water is still a bit coloured making luring slower. This should however be a prime cod month just before breeding season is in full swing. Big swimbaits, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits will get the bites but there will be a lot of work involved.

The edges around the dam wall end of the lake will cop a fair flogging as they are known to hold a lot of fish. Anglers can even try their luck from the shore here and it is within easy reach of a kayak. Boats can explore some of the areas further up the lake.

Look for flats outside the main riverbed and if you have the luxury of a side imaging sounder, see if the

fish are there. Long casts with big swimbaits will be the way to start the day.

When the fish retreat from

water when doing this.

• Warwick Outdoor and Sport in Palmerin Street has all your fishing needs covered. They can set you up and point you in the

Days of hundreds of casts paid off for Brett Trueman. This metre-plus Glenlyon cod gave him bragging rights over the boys. It was caught on a chatterbait.

CAPRICORN REGION AWOONGA CLOSEST TOWNS: BENARABY, GLADSTONE The barra have chewed most of their way through winter. The deeper fish have thinned out a bit and more are now being found in the windy bays or weed edges and right up in the shallows.

Weedless rigged soft plastics and stealth will

the shallower flats, switch it up and work the drop off edges with spinnerbaits and chatterbaits. Trolling on an electric motor is a good way to cover heaps of

be needed to fool the fish in very shallow water. Long casts over the warmer pockets of water should produce some of the bigger fish this month. The fish can take a bit of finding in the shallow water so keep all your senses alert.

Look for tails, fins, bow waves and less obvious signs of water movement.

If you aren’t seeing fish, you can still cast lures over

the shallow weedy areas in case they are waiting in ambush.

Numbers of fish will also be found in bays and weed edges around the dam. A degree rise in water temperature can make all the difference to fish numbers and mood. The weather has been all over the place and wind will also play a factor.

The oxygen charged banks and discoloured edges can hold good numbers of

fish. Suspending lures like the Jackall Super Squirrel are perfect for these barra as they will be reluctant to spend too much energy chasing their prey. Long pauses are key.

Fishing from lunch time until dark is a good time to be on the water in winter. The barra have the chance to warm up and often feed better during this period.

• Justin Nye from Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing runs fishing charters on

right direction.

COOLMUNDA CLOSEST TOWNS: INGLEWOOD, TEXAS The dam is still dirty with some cleaner water up the top of the river and creeks. Reports of cod have been few and far between but as soon as the water clears more, it will be on my radar.

GLENLYON CLOSEST TOWNS; STANTHORPE, TEXAS Some monster cod are being caught at Glenlyon again this year.

It is a lot slower than last year but still one of the best if not the best place to try for a giant Queensland cod.

There are a few things making it more difficult this year.

After the rise several months ago, the water is still a stained colour in the main basin. This has reduced visibility when using swimbaits and topwater offerings but it continues to improve every month.

The main obstacle has been the floating weed that washed down when the dam rose. The stuff is floating everywhere and you are at the mercy of the wind as to where you can fish.

The thick weed is too dense to fish and even the

bait doesn’t seem to like hanging around in the dark water under it. Hopefully the cold kills it off and the waterway is soon free of it.

The upper parts of the lake did have clearer water and were producing the best action. A downpour of rain last month saw a bit of water come down and dirty up the top end again. I think it will settle fairly quickly but I’d be looking for the clearer water for luring.

It’s going to be a case of finding the ideal conditions but then matching them with the right type of areas. The big cod will be cruising the flats and hunting the bony bream and smaller fish early in the morning.

Big swimbaits, topwater and chatterbaits have all caught metre plus fish.

Don’t expect it to be easy but the fish are there to be caught. If you want big Murray cod, they rarely come easy.

• The Glenlyon Tourist Park is a great place to stay. You can opt for a campsite or stay in the warmth of one of the cabins. Brian and Debbie are very passionate about Murray cod and their kiosk has a good range of lures for sale to target them.

You can make bookings by calling (02) 6737 5266.

the lake. He caters to the needs of the angler and can do fly or conventional tackle trips to target the lake’s barramundi. He successfully guides clients onto fish right through the year and has a good understanding of fish movements. It is hard to beat time on the water and this is a great way to learn more about this lake and its fish. You can contact him on 0429 223 550 or visit the website gladstoneflyandsportfishing.

com.au.

• Mark from Awoonga Gateway Lodge always has a few productive secret spots to share. The Gateway lodge is on the way in to the dam after turning off at Benaraby.

The accommodation is great with plenty of boat parking space right beside the comfortable air conditioned, self-contained cabins each with its own veranda. To book in a stay give Mark or Lyn a call on (07) 4975 0033.

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• Pet friendly • BBQ areas • Saltwater pool Winter barra have continued to bite at Awoonga Dam. Justin Nye who runs Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing has had the lake to himself on plenty of occasions.

www.awongagatewaylodge.com awoongagateway@bigpond.com AUGUST 2021

43

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45

Tech Tricks

DIY: How to build your own tackle centre BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Storing your tackle at home can often be difficult, especially if you do not have a shed or other designated area.

When storing tackle inside in an office, rumpus

room or other common area, partners often dictate that it needs to be presentable and tidy.

There are few functional options available commercially and while you might be able to find a decent rod holder, storing other tackle items can be more difficult.

You may have to store your items in several different areas of the house, which is annoying.

While I have plenty of shed space to store my tackle, I know others are less fortunate, especially those who live in units, townhouses or rented properties where space is limited or there’s

restrictions on what you can do.

In recent months I have noticed the huge amount of filing cabinets for sale or even offered for free collection when you browse selling sites like Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace.

With there being less hard copies of documents

2

1

I scored this particular filing cabinet from Facebook marketplace for $20. I chose a timber filing cabinet as timber is easier to work with than metal, but both types can be made very functional with some additions. Even a decent set of shelves will suffice and will allow your tackle to be on display yet organised. Most add-ons can be attached with screws if you start with a timber cabinet but you will need nuts and bolts or pop rivets when pimping a metal cabinet.

The first thing I decided to do was add some 40mm caster wheels to the bottom so it can easily be moved around if necessary. Make sure you get some wheels with a decent load rating to avoid future problems of them breaking once you load the cabinet with tackle. You will need 4 casters, a drill, 16 timber screws and a drill bit a little thinner than the screws so you can pre-drill the holes (highly recommended in soft timber like pine to prevent splitting). The four casters cost $7.20 at Bunnings.

4 As the tackle centre was to be mobile, I needed to add a shelf close to the base on both sides so that the butts of the rods and other items were not sitting on the ground. Otherwise, the rods would have to all be taken off to shift the cabinet.

Additionally, the rubber butts of some rods get soft with age and may mark the flooring over time. This mini shelf was made by cutting a piece of 69x15mm merbau (which was a close colour match for the cabinet that was already stained when I bought it). This 2.7m piece (I used less than half of it) cost $12.75 at Bunnings but you may even be able to find some suitable timber for free.

46

AUGUST 2021

and general paperwork these days thanks to the electronic era, fewer people have need for these storage cabinets and they want to get rid of them.

Both metal and timber filing cabinets and similar office shelving systems are now numerous and cheap.

Luckily for us anglers, we can re-purpose these

3

For this filing cabinet I needed to add some timber chocks in two of the corners to screw the wheels onto. These were cut from a pine stud I had lying around. So long as you can get at least three corners of the caster base affixed then this should be sturdy enough.

6

5

Using two 50x50mm right angle brackets ($3.50 at Bunnings) affix the shelf to the side (close to the base) with some timber screws. The screws should no be so long that they go too far through the cabinet or you may not be able to open the draws. Additionally you don’t want them to protrude out the top of the shelf. I used 12mm screws in this instance. I affixed a shelf on both sides of the cabinet near the base.

to store our tackle.

How you set up these storage systems can vary depending on your tackle requirements, which is dictated by the type of fishing you do.

To show some of the options, I have created this tackle centre to demonstrate some storage ideas.

There are several options when it comes to racking to hold the rods near the top of the cabinet. Rubber rod racking comes in several styles for as little as $6 per strip. Berkley make some great twist lock, horizontal and vertical rod racks that come in several sizes. Which you use will depend on your requirements and the cabinet you are pimping. If you are storing heavier outfits with the reels attached to the rod, then you will need a better quality rack. I only wanted to store spare rods, mostly without reels so opted for the cheaper rubber racks with placements close together which maximised the number of rods.

Tech Tricks

8

7

Pre-drill holes in the racking to accommodate the thickness of the screws. I opted to use 8g x 15mm button-head screws as they sit fairly flush. I pre-drilled holes between each rod placement so there was minimal movement in the rubber racking whilst removing rods.

Position the racking where you want it and mark the position of the hole on one end. Pre-drill this (with a drill bit just smaller than the 8g screw) and then insert the screw. Go from one side to the next completing each one before drilling the next.

Do not over tighten the screws as you will flatten and distort the rubber. They just need to be firm enough to hold the rubber racking flat to the timber.

9

For storage of short rod tubes (common with fly and multi-piece rods) you can make a specific holder. This is made by using a hole saw (a simple one that attaches to a drill will work) to cut some circles out of the same merbau we used for the lower shelves.

Make sure to leave enough space between holes to attach at least two of the same 50mm x 50mm brackets we used earlier. I used a 58mm hole saw that is large enough for most fly rod tubes, yabby pumps and other items like gaffs and landing nets.

12

11

10

I decided to bling up this cabinet by making a couple of new handles that looked like poppers. These are a simple design and similar to ones I made when I was young by cutting bits off the broom and rake handles. I turned these up on a lathe but you can easily make them using a basic sander. An easier option would be to use some hessian rope and driftwood or possibly make handles out of an old lure or two. New handles are not a necessity but they look better than the old handles and goes with the theme.

The poppers were set out from the drawers by using some 2cm pieces of aluminium tube which the screws passed through as shown.

I pre-drilled small holes in the side of the popper so the tips of the screws entered the hardwood true and the handles would be parallel without the screw splitting the timber.

Work out a decent height to mount this three-holed bracket and check by putting your items in and out to ensure it all works accordingly.

Affix the 50x50mm bracket to the bottom of the shelf and the side of the cabinet (I used 10g x 12mm countersunk screws) after pre-drilling slightly smaller holes as previous.

15

13 One attractive thing about filing cabinets for anglers is that the drawers are just wider than a 3700 sized stowaway box, which are very popular and supplied by virtually every major tackle company. They can be stored on their spine like this in the drawers and you can label them for easy identification of contents.

14

On one side of my cabinet I opted for all single rod storage (17 rods in fact). How many you can fit will depend on the size of the cabinet you acquire and whether your rods have reels affixed or not. What you store in each drawer can vary but all manner of small tackle trays, tools, reels and other tackle will fit in the ample drawers.

On the other size I had my rack to store a rod tube, yabby pump and multipiece rod as well as storage for another 7 single rods. You could even store a landing net, tag pole, gaff or similar items here. There is room on the top for a tackle bag, larger tackle box or other items. You may even want to put an angling trophy or your favourite framed fishing photo here. The options on how you set out your cabinet and what you store on and in it are up to you. This whole project cost me around $50 although I did have a few of the screws and ancillary items at hand already. There are plenty of filing cabinets being given away or very cheap and how much you adapt it is up to you. Hopefully this has given you some ideas to design your own tackle centre.

AUGUST 2021

47

Recreational Fishing Update Tagged Lake Macquarie Bream Recaptured Nine Years Later!

About a decade ago, DPI Fisheries scientists were researching how recreational fish species were using the Lake Macquarie artificial reef.

Part of this work involved 39 yellowfin bream being implanted with internal acoustic tags and external T-bar tags. Some nine years later, keen angler Ken Peterson of the Teralba Lakesiders Fishing Club has recaptured one of these tagged bream. Ken found the small, battery-like transmitter when he cleaned the fish and reported his find to DPI. Records indicated the fish was 23cm long when it was tagged on 14 May 2012 on the southern side of the Wangi Peninsula. At recapture an amazing nine years and eight days later, it had grown to 36cm. Based on its size, it’s possible that the bream was over 15 years old.

Long-term tag recaptures are comparatively rare for species such as yellowfin bream, and the fact that this fish was recaptured about 7.5km from the location where it was originally tagged almost 10 years ago, demonstrates the site fidelity that this species can display.

Maybe the great habitat in Lake Macquarie made it just too good to leave?

DPI’s RAP Program Needs Your Frames!

research program by donating your frames, you receive an entry into a monthly draw for each frame donated along with a certificate with your fish’s age. If you’re interested in learning more, including the location of your closest drop-off points, go to DPI’s website and search “NSW Research Angler drop off locations”.

Your Chance To Catch A Tiger Trout!

Huge Jindabyne Brownie!

If you are taking snapper home this winter, why not drop the filleted frames to your local participating tackle store for DPI’s Research Angler Program?

Along with reds, there are seven other eligible RAP frame donation species, including mulloway, kingfish, dusky flathead, blue spot flathead, pearl perch, Spanish mackerel and spotted mackerel.

You don’t need to donate the frame from a trophy-sized specimen - any legal sized fish from the above list can provide researchers with valuable data. As well as playing a key role in a cool fisheries

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AUGUST 2021

With trout fishing in rivers and streams now closed for the annual spawn run, the dedicated team at DPI’s Gaden Trout Hatchery are currently flat out collecting brown trout broodstock to ensure good supplies of fingerlings for stocking in rivers and dams next season.

A specially designed trap is used to collect the fish as they move up the Thredbo River from Lake Jindabyne.

Most of the fish caught are average sized specimens but occasionally solid 50cm+ models are caught. Recently a massive 76cm female weighing in at 5.5kg (12.2lb in the old scale) is one of the biggest fish the hatchery has ever collected from the river.

As with the other trout collected as broodstock each season, the big old trophy brown was assessed for egg viability before being released back into the river.

Great to see such impressive specimens in the fishery!

Recreational fishing opportunities at Lake Lyell, near Lithgow to the west of Sydney, have been given a major boost via the recent release of 1000 tiger trout, some more than 250mm in length!

Part of a three-year trial with nearby Thompsons Creek Dam which was stocked earlier this year to investigate the potential of tiger trout as new sportfish in NSW along with their abilities to compete with, and possibility eat redfin perch.

The juvenile tiger trout have been produced by the dedicated team at DPI’s Gaden Trout Hatchery at Jindabyne in southern NSW. The keen volunteers from the Wallerawang CAS have also lent a very appreciative hand during the stocking events.

If you’re fishing at Lake Lyell or Thompsons Creek Dam over the next few months and catch one of these spectacular-looking sportfish, please send the details (and hopefully a pic or two) to fisheries.info@dpi.nsw.gov. au.

You never know, you could be the first person ever to catch a tiger trout in NSW!

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Sydney

NSW

Looking forward to the warmer weather PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

With only a month to go before winter disappears, we can all look forward to the approaching spring season. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not trying to wish my life away – but jeez I hate the cold weather.

Along Pittwater this year we’ve been pretty lucky that the water temperature has been pretty warm for what we’d normally expect during winter. When we haven’t been locked down due to COVID there have been kingfish to catch as well as tailor and trevally. Even bonito were there to play with for a while.

There has been a smattering of fish to catch along the bottom as well as flathead, bream and (depending on the location) winter jewfish as well as hairtail.

For those of you who do love the colder weather, Cowan Creek has some great fishing at the moment. You don’t have to fish at night to catch hairtail – they can be

A beautiful, calm winter’s day with no one else around. caught during the day, and there are a couple of better tides and moon phases to choose from. I have found that we can catch hairtail on the tides approaching the full moon, and high tide seems to be better than low tide. The usual baits are pilchard strips, pieces or live yellowtail that are placed in the berley trail. The berley trail is there to attract the

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baitfish to your boat, and this in turn will attract the predators such as hairtail.

It is important to try to use only enough weight to see your boat floating down the berley trail, and once your bait hits the bottom you are less likely to catch hairtail than when your bait is mid water.

We have also encountered a few hairtail over the years along Pittwater as well. Soldiers Point and Sinclair Point have been two areas where I have caught them on more than one occasion over the last 45 years fishing Pittwater.

At the moment catching squid seems easy as most

bays seem still have a few around. There are also a few to be caught on the ocean side of Barrenjoey Head, and at this time of year most squid that are encountered are large and will be destined for the table to feed kids and adults alike.

The natural colours seem to be working best at the moment when using 2.5 size squid jigs, and don’t forget to put a smear of scent down towards the business end of the jigs. An aggressive retrieve seems to be the best way to go, and by ‘aggressive’ I mean make the line thud. The idea is not to move the jig very far but to make it look as though it’s a

dying baitfish or prawn. The pauses after the aggressive movement is where the jig will sink and look like a baitfish dying, thus giving the large squid a chance to attack.

Broken Bay has been where most of the surface activity has been occurring, and most of this has been around the change of the tides. You can zoom out there first thing in the morning to see if there is any bird activity, but the change of the tide seems to be when it all happens.

The lures to use at the moment for tailor and the other pelagic species are metal 10-15g lures. Of course, if you wish you can use soft plastics but it becomes expensive when you hit a school of tailor as

weight in gold if you can catch them. Downrigging cuttlefish is a very effective way of tempting some of these larger kingfish because you can drop the baits with the downrigger at the correct depth to try wake these fish up for a feed.

You can also try using garfish, and sometimes (although it seems very rare at this time of the year) yellowtail can work as well.

The last month has seen quite a few blue swimmer crabs being caught, which is very strange for this time of the year as they are normally in hibernation. When you arrive you can set out some crab pots and traps, but make sure you check them every couple of hours and release any small or unwanted crabs and fish. Please be aware

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Big squid like this one are hanging around Barrenjoey Head.

they shred the plastics in no time at all.

Around the schools of active surface feeders, on the bottom is where we have seen most of our captures of flathead and flounder.

Using pilchard, squid bits or even prawns should see you hooked up if there are any around.

Back along Pittwater there are still kingfish to be caught, and most of the fish that are encountered are around the 80cm+ mark. There’s not a great abundance of them and the water is a lot colder down deep so if you do find large arches towards the bottom these are normally kingfish that are resting.

The colder water at the bottom means these fish do not have to feed as often and unfortunately it requires more patience by those trying to catch them.

At the moment the better bait seems to be small live cuttlefish, and these little ink machines are worth their

you are not supposed to be using crab traps or pots amongst the moorings or in the channels of Pittwater. A great area to try is the Palm Beach weed beds as well as Careel Bay. Offshore there seems to be quite a few fish to be caught along the reefs in water depths of around 70m. As always, try to find baitfish before deploying your lines.

Along the 50m mark over the sand there are still some snapper as well as the odd flathead. Remember to have your plotting trail turned on so if you do find some fish whilst drifting it’s easy to go back and pick up some more.

I hope this report has made you excited and wanting to join us for a day out on the water along Pittwater or offshore.

• Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www. estuaryfishingcharters.com.au

NSW

Sydney

Winter wash fishing SYDNEY NTH

Steve Winser

Kingfish are still around in decent numbers in the upper reaches of the harbour, however with the low water temperatures they are not feeding as hard as they were. Primo baits are a necessity if you want to be in with a

chance, so you’ll want to source fresh squid or at least slimy mackerel. Squid are in good numbers, as is usual at this time of year, with some large models to be had.

The spawning run of bream and blackfish around the lower harbour shallow areas is going strong. Fish over a kilo are commonplace, and both of these species are

taking bread baits in a bread berley trail in the shallow water. Some big bream are being taken on soft plastics as well in the same areas.

The winter wash fishing for drummer and groper is on fire at the moment, with some arm-stretching sized fish in there. We target them with bread and prawns fished under a bobby cork in a bread berley trail, and

Kingfish are harder to catch at the moment, but if you use top quality baits you still have a shot at them.

Young Max going hard in the washes!

have been getting some great bags. There have been some real quality fish amongst them, with excellent, consistent fishing.

High tide in the afternoon has been producing the best results for us.

AUGUST FISHING With the water temperatures staying low, the kings will be present in the upper reaches but will continue to be picky. Quality baits will be a necessity.

The washes and the shallow harbour areas will only get better thanks to the influence of this cold, clear water. The good catches of drummer, groper, bream and blackfish will continue and we will see some quality fishing.

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Sydney

NSW

Cold water winter species are still on the bite SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

This month we are heading towards spring, but as far as the more temperate fish species are concerned, winter is nowhere near over.

The average water temperature is a frigid 17°C, so it’s still a long way off warming up. That

fun, especially if you’re using the right gear. For example, catching Aussie salmon off the beach on 10kg heavier beach gear is great but if you want to get the full fight out of this great sportfish, try 2-4kg gear, lighter outfits and you will appreciate the sporting side way more.

This can also apply for rock blackfish. The majority of ‘pig’ fishos use 12-15kg gear, but if

drummer. They are the ‘true’ drummer, and are a migratory species caught along the East Coast.

They are often caught as a bycatch by anglers fishing for rock blackfish (also known as ‘black drummer’, or ‘pigs’).

Silver drummer like rock structure, ledges which are strewn with sea tulips, kelp, cunjevoi and the several species of weeds and invertebrates found

substantially larger than the average rock blackfish, they will take line in sharp burst and potentially rub you off on a submerged ledge or rock corner as they try to escape. They also have sharp, short teeth that can sever your line.

Silver drummer, like pigs, are a grazing species, eating an array of weeds.

However, they mostly prefer kelp, which is in very large volume. In the stomach contents of a silver drummer, you’ll see that 90% is kelp, although they don’t mind a large peeled prawn or cunjevoi bait.

I think the eating quality of a silver drummer is OK although many anglers would disagree. I only eat smaller drummer that are less than 2kg, and release the larger ones. The flavour of larger fish is a bit too strong.

The rock blackfish numbers have been good of late. Fish up to 57cm have been caught, with a lot of fish around that 40-45cm size. Bream and groper are fairly consistently caught with pigs on most outings.

Large prawns are a good bait to bring on your outing (20-30 prawns per half kilo). You can use king, endeavour (blue-tail prawn) or banana prawns, which

Some snapper are still around distance casting or wash fishing (fishing the sudsy white water off the deeper ledges). Last month I caught a nice snapper of 46cm on a Bait Junkie 5” Jerkshad in the pilchard glow. A few trevally were also caught on the outing on this plastic.

Some snapper, trevally and Aussie salmon have also been falling for half to three quarter pilchard baits. It definitely helps to cube up your pilchards and mix it through with bread mush. You should berley consistently and use a variety of ball sinkers, ranging from size 00-2, depending on how much current and wash there is.

When it comes to hook sizes, I recommend 1/0 for trevally and 2/0-3/0 for snapper.

August is a good month for luderick and groper. With the flatter seas thanks to the westerly winds, you can fish rock spots that you would not normally fish. It also allows the groper to feed in areas that they would not otherwise feed in.

Crabs are the bait, with red crabs being the best for this species. I recommend heavy gear of at least 15kg, with 24kg being the norm.

Shelly Headland also in Manly for luderick, rock blackfish, trevally and groper. North Curl Curl and South Curl Curl are good for distance casting for snapper and wash fishing also for luderick, trevally, rock blackfish and more.

Further north, South Whale and North Whale rock platforms are good for luderick, groper, some snapper, trevally and rock blackfish, preferably the boulder areas.

BEACH FISHING It seems the great run of tailor is continuing as they migrate up the coast. This will not continue much longer though because it’s getting towards the end of their run north, that is, in the Sydney region. Last month we saw a great run of tailor up to 2kg+, with the average size being around 45-48cm.

Big salmon are becoming more dominant and this month will see an increase in this species.

Walking along the beach with a light 2-4kg spin reel with a 3m rod and a handful of metals is a fun way to spend a morning or afternoon. Alternatively, you can use the more traditional 3/0 to 5/0 gang hooks, with a bean or star sinker ranging from

Mark George with a stud rock blackfish of at least 3.5kg. It was released to breed.

Pigs of this size are old, possibly over 40 years old, according to Fisheries. will not happen until late October at least, although a southeast swell may boost up the temp slightly.

This doesn’t particularly bother me as I switch to whatever is biting at the time – and in any case, these coldwater species are a lot of

you reduce that to 9kg or even a 7kg outfit you will experience some excellent sportfishing. Additionally, you will get more bites with the lighter line.

ROCK FISHING This month will see more of another winter species arriving: the silver

locally. These fish prefer white water cover, in depths of around 2-6m. When hooked, rock blackfish like to head for a ledge or cave to escape, potentially damaging or severing your line, but silver drummer rarely do this. However, because silver drummer are

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A 55cm tailor caught by David Morgan in the evening on a bright moon.

They bite more freely in the dark and will continue biting all night. you should preferably peel when fishing. White bread for bait is also good, preferably sliced so you can more easily use a half slice without the crust moulded on your hook.

To complement the bread baits and prawn baits, soak bread in some water and consistently trickle mushy bread into your whitewater wash.

With groper you can fish the deeper ledges or even the shallower locations as these fish will venture into the shallower ledges and boulder areas in search of a red or scotchie crab.

The best spots to fish are North Head Manly, a spot called ‘The Hat’, for luderick, groper, trevally, salmon and rock blackfish.

Try Little Bluey near

1-4oz in moderate swell conditions. I like the Daiwa 5000BGMW with 20lb braid and 20-30lb leader, or Alvey 60S Stealth reel with 10kg mono and a rod of 3.6m or more that can handle weights up to about 150g will suffice.

Whole pilchards have been used for decades, and work really well for tailor and salmon.

NSW

Fish the larger gutters on the beach and most importantly fish the low light periods, preferably at night. High tides periods (two hours before to one hour out) are not absolutely necessary unless there is a moderate swell. In flatter

you’re matching the size of your hook. When you buy a bag of pilchards, the pillies can vary in size; some are 150mm and some are up to 180mm. The larger fish are good for ganging up for tailor and salmon, while the smaller pillies can be

Sydney

NSW

Sydney

– it moves with the current much more freely.

Now let’s look at locations to fish off the beaches. I recommend starting at Manly for salmon and some tailor, preferably after dark (it’s a very crowded surfing beach

It’s so much fun catching snapper off the rocks on plastics! This 46cm red was caught on a Bait Junkie 5” jerk shad in pilchard glow off the rocks. Several trevally were caught on the outing as well. swell conditions (under a metre) you can even fish the low tide periods with surprisingly good results.

Some of the beaches are also producing some nice trevally. A fish fillet of mullet cut in a slim strip, approximately 2cm wide by 8-10cm long, will make a deadly bait for a trevally or bream.

My preferred way to catch trevally, however, is to use single 1/0 or 2/0 hook and half a pilchard (or slightly less), and ensure that

cut in half and baited up on a 1/0 or 2/0 hook. It is a common mistake for anglers to put on a bait that is too big and/or bulky for the size hook that they’re using, which can reduce the hook-up rate.

A frequently asked question is do you berley up on a beach? Yes, you sure can but it’s about being practical. Like rock fishing, berley works a treat but if the current is too fast it’s pointless. Remember the berley is not like your rig

during the day). Curl Curl, Dee Why, Collaroy near the pipe when the swell is a bit larger from the south, Warriewood and mid Palm Beach are producing for salmon, tailor and at times trevally.

• For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www. bellissimocharters. com.au, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com.au or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

Sebastian Tanase with a 55cm tailor. This was a morning fish into the daylight. They will go off the bite soon after sunrise.

AUGUST 2021

53

Sydney

NSW

Plenty of species about SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

We have gone through another cold period, and there don’t seem to be as many anglers getting out there and braving the chill to get amongst the variety of fish species on offer during the colder months.

Trevally are still about in great numbers in Botany

Bay, the Cooks and Georges rivers, right up as far as Alfords Bridge in the Georges and Tempe Train station in the Cooks. The trevally don’t seem to mind what bait you use, whether it’s peeled prawns, half pillies, strips of chicken, worms or strips of fresh squid. They are also taking hardbodied lures and soft plastics.

Even the close-in reefs off the entrance to the Port Hacking and Botany Bay

have been producing good numbers of trevally, along with pan-sized snapper, bream, tarwhine and many other reef species. When I’m fishing while at anchor and using bait, I always have a small and steady berley trail going out the back of the boat. If I’m fishing in water that is 10m or more, I lower my berley pot down to about a couple of metres off the bottom.

The only problem that

The walkway down at Lugarno is always worth a shot for bream and flathead. Try using half pilchards, strips of mullet and chicken.

David Anderson caught this 43cm whiting while using soft plastics over the flats at the entrance to Gunnamatta Bay on a falling tide.

T S A O C T EAS 1 2 0 2 S E SERI g

M nsistin A o E c R s e i B Bream ser d Final

can occur is a shark eating your berley pot, which happened to me one day.

To overcome this, I put dry berley ingredients into a paper bag and tie on a heavy snapper sinker, which is attached to a long piece of blind cord, and then lower it to near the bottom. Then give it a big tug and the bag will break, leaving the berley to do its job. You will find that when you bring it back up the broken bag will still be there. It’s just a matter of taking off the broken one, throwing it into the rubbish and putting on a new one.

The main rig that I use is a running ball sinker down onto the bait. Sometimes I will also have a paternoster rig, which I lower down to

rocks. Bream, tarwhine, trevally and slimy mackerel are also about there.

The southeastern side of Bare Island has also been producing luderick and the odd drummer. Berley and either fresh green weed or cabbage is the go.

In the bay, the usual places like Trevally Alley, the end of the third runway, The Sticks, the oil wharf, Sutherland Point, the oil drums and the drift from Brighton to Dolls Point will produce a few bream, flathead, tailor, whiting, flounder and the odd trevally or two. Try using strips of chicken, mullet, slimy mackerel and freshly caught squid.

The break at the entrance

The Moons, Soily Point, the rock wall near the Alfords Point Bridge, Picnic Point and Cattle Duffers. A few places to try in the Woronora River are the old road bridge, Bonnet Bay, Prince Edward Park and upstream of the car park at the landing.

The amount of rain we get through August will determine how clear it is.

At the time of writing you can easily see the bottom in about 5m of water. If so, and you are bait fishing, you will need to berley to get the fish active. Chicken pellets soaked in tuna oil and bread would be a great combination to start with, and remember to scoop it out with a ladle and only do it about every 5-10 minutes.

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The author caught this 63cm dusky flathead while working the boats in Woolooware Bay with ZMan soft plastics. about a metre off the bottom and stick in the rod holder.

One hook will have a plastic on it, while the other one will have a squid jig. All it takes is the movement of the boat to make them move about.

Inside the bay at Bare Island there have been a number of good-sized snapper caught both at the Starboard marker on a run-out tide and off the

to the Cooks River and the groynes along Dolls Point and Kurnell will be worth a shot for luderick on a rising tide. It’s just a matter of finding which ones they are feeding at. Green weed or cabbage will do the job, but you could try berleying with bread and then using it as bait.

Luderick will be starting to school up at Lugarno,

Squid will be about in numbers along most of the rocky shoreline in south- and northwest arms. I have found that you will need a variety of colours and weights in your jigs to find out which one they will prefer on the day.

Please keep those photos coming into gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au and you too may find yourself in the magazine.

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AUGUST 2021

55

NSW

Clear conditions in the river BALLINA

Joe Allan

The Richmond River and surrounds have been fishing well of late.

The water clarity in the river has been beautiful from Wardell to the river mouth.

The beaches of South Ballina and Seven Mile at Lennox Head have seen plenty of tailor being taken on blue pilchards and metal slugs. When the westerly winds flatten the winter swell it’s also worth walking the gutters with 1/4oz to 1/2oz blades targeting flathead. You will get the odd bit of by-catch also, consisting of some big snowy bream. These things pull hard on light spin tackle.

There is plenty of bait if you’re out for some fun with the kids catching pipis.

These then turn into some great fun bait fishing, as the winter bream and whiting will take a liking to them.

Offshore fishing around Ballina has been fishing

Anthony Melchior with a couple of nice tailor from Patches Beach to put on the smoker.

Harrison ‘The Hitman’ Clements is making a name for himself as a regular catcher of quality jewies.

ba Prawn Blade s” “Yam Damon Andrews with a nice flatty from the upper reaches of the Richmond River.

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AUGUST 2021

consistently over the last month. This should continue, with all signs pointing towards a bumper snapper season. Areas around Riordans Reef, Black Head, Lennox Point and the close reefs around the Ballina beaches are all holding quality numbers and size of snapper up to 90cm. There are some big girls out there now around the Evans Head region too.

The best baits to throw are horse mackerel, fresh squid and bonito floating or very lightly weighted, depending on the current.

Soft plastics are accounting for the bigger fish though.

Try big plastics around the 6” size, like Atomic Jerk Minnows in ghost pearl, white or ghost orange or electric chicken. Use as light a jig as you possibly can. This will definitely help your catch rate. At this time of year, the big girls are here to breed – that’s why there are so many in such good numbers. Only keep what you are going to eat and let those trophy ones go to breed.

Further offshore on the wider reefs, along the 42 fathom line, there are pearl perch, amberjack and kingfish. There have been a lot of great fish caught on Lucanus Jigs and knife jigs.

Using the big knife jigs is a really physical way to fish, so don’t worry about going to the gym that day. Try to get in early before the wind gets up and it becomes too hard to hold onto the fish.

Surface fishing for bream in Emigrant and

North creeks will be worth a shot. It may not produce huge numbers, but you will most likely come across some thumper winter whiting. The Atomic Pop 50 in yellow chartreuse or rock crab is the go for this technique.

The river mouth has been producing some great size and numbers of bream and blackfish. Try getting there on the top of the tide as it starts to run out for the

best numbers of blackfish.

As always, green weed or weed flies are always best. In my experience, the Gamakatsu Pan Fish Green hooks are best for this technique.

For great numbers of bream, try cut baits along the south wall on light weights. Also the Bream Hole in behind the police station is worth a shot.

Until next issue, tight lines.

Andy Queck with a beautiful brook trout caught casting small hardbody lures from the shore at Lake Jindabyne.

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AUGUST 2021

57

NSW

Land-based winter delights COFFS HARBOUR

Dayne Taylor

August is the best time to fish on the Coffs Coast, with weather that’s typically amazing for some offshore adventures. The mornings and evenings are still cool and brisk, but during the day it really heats up, just like the fishing.

OFFSHORE Kingfish are usually here this month and ready to run rampant. Larger models seem to prefer an early morning bite period around places such as the lighthouse (South Solitary Island) and the plethora of pinnacles in adjacent deeper water. Deep dropping live yakkas or slimy mackerel baits to marked fish is very effective, or alternatively you can try tempting them on

Archy Taylor with a flathead caught in the Bellinger River.

Adam Sorensen caught this huge pearl perch on a Berkley Gulp soft plastic.

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The author with a Bellinger River bream.

a knife jig or big soft plastic.

If you see them harassing a bait school on the surface, don’t hesitate to throw a topwater lure around; they love a slow sinking stickbait around 220mm in length.

If snapper are your preferred target, your best chance at a trophy-size red will come from shallow water reefs around the many headlands along the coast, or even a good kelp bed early in the mornings and late in the evenings. You will not necessarily get a lot of big fish from the one spot, so don’t be afraid to move around a bit after you land a couple.

If it’s numbers you are after, rather than quality, try a little deeper around that 20-50m range. Slow pitch metal jigs, octo/squid style jigs and of course strip baits dropped in these depths will all provide great numbers

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of snapper, along with a plethora of other mixed reef species schooled up together. Some great pearl perch along with Venus tuskfish and trag are a welcome by-catch whilst fishing these same depths and techniques. A quality GPS/sounder makes it much easier to find and stay on these deeper water fish.

ESTUARIES AND BEACHES The crabs are by no means thick and prolific, but they are still on offer if you are willing to put in the time and effort to chase them. Mix up the trap locations between deep and shallow water until you work out a pattern, and then stick with it until they disappear again. From now until summer the numbers will increase, and they will be out and about more as the daytime temps increase.

Bream and luderick are continuing to be popular targets on our man-made rock walls in the Bellinger, Nambucca and Macleay

water around the front of the estuaries, 80mm and 100mm soft vibes have been working well on species such as bream, flathead and some school mulloway.

If you make long casts to cover plenty of water, and give a mix of small, sharp hops or double hops, it’s sure to draw a bite.

On the beaches and around headlands, we have had a good run of tailor. Both metal slugs and ganged pilchards have been doing the trick in the deeper holes with plenty of white-water cover. If you have not tried a tailor on the table, I suggest you give it a go. Bleed and ice them quickly, then cook the scaled fillets in a pan

ROCKS Marine

Ellie and Sam Heisner visiting from Qld with a nice Coffs snapper.

Jasper Fagan (9yo) had a great day fishing at Speers Point Wharf on Lake Macquarie. He caught 22 fish in a few hours with prawns and bread – 13 bream, 6 tailor, and 3 herring. The biggest was a 25cm tailor! At Jasper’s request, all the fish were released.

rivers as both species are making their last-ditch effort to spawn. Both bait and lure fishos are getting good results fishing prawn and crab-style baits and lures. The hardcore luderick anglers are doing particularly well, with quality bags of 1kg+ fish not uncommon.

The shallow sand flats and edges are still holding good numbers of flathead and whiting also. Paddletail soft plastics around 3” long fished from the shallow sand out into the deep water over the drop-offs is a great way to collect a feed of flathead. Small hardbodied crankbaits like the Zerek Tango Shad or Daiwa Double Clutch are also extremely effective in these same areas on the run-out tide.

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We have a new moon around 8 August and a high tide just after dark, so a beach fishing mission might be on the cards to target a mulloway. A live mullet makes a great bait, and catching the bait adds to the fun. Fresh beach worms or fresh strip baits also work a treat. An overnight camping trip on the sand with a fire provides the perfect opportunity to soak a few baits, with the chance of a big beach mulloway just a bonus.

Until next month, cast like there is no tomorrow and retrieve like you have all the time in the world.

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AUGUST 2021

59

NSW

Catch a winter feed THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

The winter season has continued to produce the goods, with offshore, rivers and beaches all providing anglers with good sport and some tasty feeds of fresh fish.

BEACHES Beach fishing from North Beach Port has had great catches of tailor, bream and school

mulloway. Tailor have been responsive to metal lures, and casting these around dusk or dawn is a top way to start or end your day. Pilchards and garfish on ganged hooks will work also.

Some solid bream have been caught on strip baits of fish, and the rocky headlands at the ends of beaches have been prime spots. The last year has seen a growing number of anglers casting soft plastics, hardbodied lures and soft

vibes off the sand, and the results are impressive with some big numbers of dusky flathead being caught as well as most other species, including mulloway. This style of fishing can be very entertaining, and if you are a keen lure fisher it is another option to add to your fishing.

Beaches that are near the river mouths are places to target but you will get fish on other beaches as well. The thing I like about this style of fishing is you only need a small backpack with a handful of lures, and you can do a bit of walking and prospecting in different scenarios on your local beach.

RIVER The Hastings has been fishing well with bream, flathead, luderick and some

Paul, Ryan and Tony enjoying the deep water breaming on the Hastings.

Terry with a healthy 45cm luderick taken on the Camden Haven.

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common, which is a good sign for future numbers.

Fishing with soft vibes for bream has seen a fair few little mulloway hooked, so careful handling and quick release is important.

Bream numbers have been consistent, with The Walls producing regular bags of fish. Casting soft plastics or using soft vibes and blades has been fun, with some real horses getting into the action.

Flathead fishing has also remained good, with plenty of fish in the legal to 50cm size range plus the odd big girl thrown in to keep you on your toes. Soft plastics worked slowly have been producing for me, and in the deeper water we have had a few fall victim to Samaki Vibelicious in the whitebait pattern.

Luderick anglers fishing the coal wall, south wall and Settlement Point Road

decent schools of tailor.

Mulloway fishing has been interesting, with downriver at the walls giving up a few bigger fish on bait and lures, however upriver it seems the juveniles are more

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AUGUST 2021

Some of the bream caught lately have been top quality.

To page 61

NSW

Flatties hammering plastics FORSTER

Luke Austin

August is a very underrated month for fishing in the wonderful Forster Tuncurry region.

Despite the average weather conditions there is actually a smorgasbord of piscatorial wonders waiting to be caught!

We have had consistent rainfall all winter which has made for very good fishing in Wallis Lake. Luderick are fishing particularly well at the moment and can be found all over the place. The bigger schools of ocean-run fish seem to be holding on the southern rock wall, down around the bridge pylons, and throughout the oyster leases you can see from the bridge known as ‘The Paddock’.

The fish are feeding very well at the moment and will happily take string weed and weed flies, however cabbage weed seems to be their favourite.

The local bream fishers have been enjoying some red-hot winter fishing

over the past month or so.

The fish have spread out now and there have been some great fish landed from all over the estuary system. For size, it’s still

From page 60

more than enough good fish for a feed.

August is one of the prime months for ‘bread and butter’ type fishing on the local stones. Tossing a

Leroy with a typical August kingfish.

Tommy Freeman with a lovely winter red.

There are some cracking flathead about this month, like this one Roberta snagged while bream fishing. have been doing well, as have the anglers fishing the Camden Haven walls.

August can be painful with the westerly winds, and can really clear the water, especially down the front of the system, so if you have a boat some good luderick fishing can be found in Limeburners Creek on the Hastings.

In other news, Lake Cathie after some heavy

very hard to beat the hard structure situated in the lower section of the estuary, areas like the rock walls, bridge and oyster leases are still holding

seas has remained open and at time of writing has a good opening. This will be beneficial and should make the fishing good over coming months. It would be great to see a good run of prawns and whiting this summer.

OFFSHORE Offshore anglers have had some top snapper fishing in recent times, with plenty of 1-3kg fish present and the odd bigger

loads of huge fish which are only too willing to take a lightly weighted bait or soft plastic. The weed beds and flats further up into the system are starting to produce great numbers of fish, but most fish are on the small side still.

The one thing that the weed beds and sand flats around Coomba Park and Wallis Island are producing loads of are good sized flathead!

These areas and the flats and drop-offs down toward Pacific Palms are holding great numbers of flathead up to 65cm, and they are hammering plastics and hardbodied lures. I have also had some great reports from the Jonnel Park area, The Paddock and even as far down as the back of the Rockpool net. These winter fish down near the mouth of the river are absolute suckers for small soft and hard vibes and 3”-4” soft plastics, and while you may not experience a red-hot 50 fish session you should manage to snag fish. The local charter boats have been bringing in good catches of squire, pearl perch and flathead plus the odd mulloway, so if you don’t have a boat it’s worth checking them out for your offshore fishing. For those heading out boating, both northern and southern grounds are worth trying as there seems to be fish on most spots. Enjoy the last cold month, rug up and get fishing!

peeled prawn, crab or bit of cunje into a likely looking wash is awesome fun and a sure-fire way of landing a tasty mixed bag of black drummer, bream, luderick and groper. Make sure you throw a few metal lures in the kit as well because there can be some explosive tailor fishing to be had at times this month, and you just never know what other predators may be about…

The local beaches have been very hot and cold of late but most anglers are managing to find the odd fish. Tailor and salmon are being taken regularly off most beaches but are

definitely fishing better on baits just after dark. Bream are still plentiful along 9 Mile Beach and there has been the odd nice whiting and dart starting to turn up.

Offshore fishing has been awesome lately.

Snapper have been caught all over the place and in fairly good numbers. The shallow water fishery (10-20m) has been fairly consistent; while there haven’t been huge numbers of fish caught, the fish that are holding in the shallows are of a good size. There have been quite a few fish up over the 70cm mark caught on plastics recently, and plenty that couldn’t be stopped! Those boats fishing out a little further in 25-70m have had the most

success. It hasn’t really mattered whether you go north or south, and those fishing baits have had the most success. Along with a handful of perfect tablesized snapper, anglers have filled the icebox with some cracking pearl perch, trag and big flathead.

• Luke is the owner of Great Lakes Tackle - your ‘local’ bait and tackle store. They only sell the best brands and offer sound, friendly advice on where you can go to land your next trophy fish while visiting the wonderful Great Lakes region! They are open 7 days in the main street of Tuncurry, ph: 02 6554 9541, or find them on Facebook to see what they have been up to!

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NSW

Chilly days and nights deliver PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

Even in the core of winter Port Stephens still has many options for anglers, regardless of whether you’re land-based from a jetty or beach or heading 40 miles offshore.

The weather, however, can be a problem. It’s often pretty scrappy during this time of year so be sure to take full advantage of those good days.

Inside the estuary, luderick are on the chew with Nelson Bay rock wall the most popular spot. In fact, it’s probably the best spot on the east coast to chase them.

While cabbage can be sourced off the ocean rocks from low tide on a calm day, weed is a bit trickier to come across. Regardless of what you use though, it must be fresh or you will be wasting your time. Weed flies can be bought at the local tackle

Winda Woppa rock wall.

Big winter bream are spread through the bottom of the port, from Soldiers Point through to the Boulders at the end of Jimmys Beach. Nighttime fishing with a bit of berley and unweighted baits such as live nippers or peeled prawns should yield some

Port Stephens Estuary Charters

Fingal, Little, Broughton Island or Edith breakers casting 1/4-3/8oz, 5-7” plastics ahead of your drift, and really focus on areas holding a lot of bait.

Bait fishing for reds in the shallows is best done during dawn and dusk periods when anchored up

Dean Overall with a cracking calamari.

The author with a couple of solid winter snapper.

Big winter bream are spread through the bottom of the port. stores, and on some days they work extremely well, especially on a double hook rig where one is rigged with weed and the other the artificial fly. For best results, fish around the last hour of the run-up though to about two hours of the run-out.

Other areas in the bay that produce luderick are the Little Beach Jetty, The Anchorage wall, Torpedo Tubes as well as on the other side of the bay around

place to escape a howling westerly wind that turns the estuary to white water and writes off most offshore fishing too.

The biggest mistake people make when fishing off the rocks is trying to cast out too far with big sinkers that result in

great catches of bream at this time of year. Daytime fishing can also be very productive, especially if you can find a nice, quiet corner.

The moorings in Shoal Bay and weed beds along Jimmys Beach are holding plenty of squid and the odd cuttlefish too, with 2.5 jigs in pinks, oranges and greens working best.

ROCKS Winter is prime rock fishing month and a great

constant snags and if you do catch something chances are it will be some kind of vermin launch as wirrahs, cale or rockcod.

Fishing with unweighted or suspended under a float baits such as a peeled prawn or a chunk of cunjevoi is by far the best method to use off the rocks.

This results in far fewer snags and usually a lucky dip of welcome species such as drummer, bream, leatherjackets, squire and grouper. The only thing you might miss out on fishing this way is a few tailor and salmon, which is why you should also carry a metal spinner or two in the 20-30g range to have a few casts with.

OFFSHORE Snapper remain the prime target outside the heads, with plastics and unweighted baits the most effective method to catch them when fishing in 20m or less of water.

If you’re plastic fishing, try the around

and casting your baits down a berley trail. Broughton Island is one of the most popular places to do this,

Snapper at sunset SWANSEA

Jason Nunn

August is always an interesting month, with some good options on offer.

In recent weeks there’s been an increase in the tailor numbers in the lake, and there have also been salmon mixed in with the tailor so we’ve seen some good surface action. Pulbah Island, Crangan Bay, Sunshine are some of the areas holding baitfish and a lot of surface activity. Quite a few silver trevally are also in the lake, moving with the salmon and tailor.

All of these species are eating whitebait at the moment, and they are really mowing through the schools.

It’s great when the whitebait and/or in such big numbers, because it allows most anglers to get in on the great action.

A good approach is to deep jig 5-7” soft plastics and vibes vertically through the bait schools that are getting worked over by the predators.

White and black patterns work well, as do UV patterns, but many other colours will work too – it comes down to what you’ve got confidence in. The most important thing is to be in the zone.

Anglers have been enjoying some pretty good sessions on the lake lately, and one of our local gurus, Steve Norris, has been doing well on the flathead. In recent weeks he has tagged plenty of flatties over 70cm around the bait schools.

Mulloway are also being caught, with sizes ranging from 60cm up to 1m in length. I like to see that range of sizes, because it indicates there are different age groups coming through – sign of a

ens estuary system the beautiful Port Steph signed g charter that can be de with a calm water fishin to family bait fishing to suit your needs from hing anglers. hardcore lure and fly fis

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64

AUGUST 2021

but you’ll also have good success off Fingal down to Fshermans Bay doing the same thing.

The late afternoon/evening is a great time to target snapper. Image courtesy of @sandybottomboatcharter.

healthy fishery.

This month, a lot of the fish that have been in the southern end of the lake will start to move north. Already we’ve started to see a lot more action start to fire up in the northern part of the lake, in locations such as Valentine, Toronto, and up as far as Warners Bay. Some big tailor schools now starting to work through there, gorging themselves on whitebait. In low light conditions they blow up on the surface, and in the middle of the day they head for the depths.

A good way to catch these deep fish is to use a deep diver that can get down to 1m above the bottom, or use a 50lb headline with a big sinker down to a hook baited with a pilchard or garfish.

Some anglers are using downriggers to get down to where the fish are.

Luderick numbers have been steadily increasing throughout the Swansea channel area and on the rocks. Some really nice fish are getting caught areas like Lucys Wall, Swansea Bridge, Spur Wall and even up towards Pelican. In the coming weeks they will continue to build in numbers, and the best thing is that it’s land-based so you don’t need a boat.

Moving offshore, the water temperature is around 18°C, and anglers have been picking up some kingfish on bait and jigs in recent weeks.

There are also quite a few big salmon schools off our coast at the moment. Moon Island has been a great location for To page 65

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Focus on reliable species CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

Let’s not beat around the bush – we’ve now landed on what is typically the toughest month for fishing in our part

the ocean is at its coldest right now and there’s a good chance of plenty of wind this month.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. By keeping a close eye on weather forecasts and choosing the right species to

The author has been catching plenty of drummer in recent weeks, although they’ve mainly been smaller fish just under the 30cm size limit. of the country. Despite a bit more sunlight creeping into the days and a hint of warmth here and there, From page 64

these fish, and some of them are moving into Salts Bay and down as far as Swansea Bridge during the high tide.

They’re big salmon too, up to 3.5kg.

Fishing in a bit of current seems to produce more bites, perhaps because it carries the scent of your bait. In the deeper water we’re seeing some really good fishing, with some nice snapper, long-fin perch, and quite a few kingfish south of Swansea down towards Norah Head. Most are caught on a paternoster rig baited with pillies and squid in 90-100m of water. I use squid on one hook and a pilly on the other, because the soft pilly creates a natural berley while the squid stays on the hook better.

Some fish are caught during the day, but a lot more snapper are caught late in the afternoon, from around 4pm onwards. It’s a similar story in the shallows.

Yes, you can do well fishing early in the morning, but the sun rises quickly so the bite window is shorter.

Some of the deepwater areas such as the Farm have yielded some nice snapper, but leatherjackets can be a problem. These pests will become more numerous this month, so you’ll have to move around to get away from them.

Another unwelcome species that’s started to arrive off our coast is the dreaded barracouta, which are getting caught in both shallow and deep water. The only good thing about them is that they make good strip baits due to their oily flesh.

They will head back down the coast when the water

chase, it’s still quite possible to enjoy some decent fishing and even score a feed to bring home. So let’s take a look warms, usually in September.

Fishing along the beaches has been yielding plenty of salmon, tailor and a few bream.

In the coming weeks the salmon numbers will increase along our beaches as the westerly winds kick into gear.

Rock fishing along our coastline in August is generally good because of the prevailing westerlies. This month anglers will enjoy some good black drummer fishing, along with luderick and bream, and the action will continue in September. Drummer fishing is very exciting, because these great sportfish are very determined, dirty fighters that like nothing better than burying you in the rocks. The best eating size drummer is around 45-50cm; the big 3kg models are fun to catch but they aren’t very good on the plate.

Black drummer need a bit of white water and a bit of swell (just make sure the conditions are safe). You have to berley quite hard, with bread or laying pellets. My favourite bait is white bread, followed by peeled prawns. I use a small ball sinker direct to a double strength 1-1/0 hook, such as a Mustad Big Gun. If you use hooks that aren’t double strength, they will be straightened by bigger drummer.

White bread kneads well around the hook, and prawns really suit that style of hook too. Prawns can produce a bycatch of bream and trevally and even luderick at times.

You don’t have to cast far to catch drummer; you just lob your bait into the wash, and let the water push it around. You do lose a bit of year, but that’s par for the course in a snaggy location like this. Some anglers fish with floats, but a sinker straight on the hook is my

at some of the more logical options to pursue in the coming weeks.

Rock fishing may not be for everyone, however it’s certainly one of the more reliable options at this time of year for simply catching a feed. Bream have been around in pretty decent numbers for a few months now.

While August isn’t normally considered a great month for bream, the local rock ledges are quite likely to yield a few over the coming weeks. The better rock spots for bream along our stretch of coastline are the lower, more broken reef and boulders adjacent to a beach. The beach could be one of the main long ones or just a smaller beach between headlands. Whatever the case, bream definitely prefer to be close to a sandy bottom, rather than kelp or gravel. Shallow, more sudsy water is also generally preferred over the deeper spots.

Drummer are another traditional winter rock fishing

species here. I’ve seen lots of smaller to mid-sized drummer this year, with no shortage of fish just under the legal size of 30cm. Despite them being a bit too small to take home to eat, they still go hard for their size and provide a bit of entertainment between bigger fish. Drummer also like the churned-up water and aren’t afraid of the shallows.

The third of the trio is the luderick. They can be found in exactly the same spots as bream and drummer and it’s certainly quite common to catch all three species in the same place, using the same techniques. However, luderick are often targeted separately by using green cabbage or weed baits.

Drummer will quickly devour a green cabbage bait and the very occasional bream on cabbage does happen, but smaller pest fish like toads are far less likely to take the bait.

So if you’re finding the pickers and pests a bit too annoying when using baits like prawns,

A nice catch for the dinner table. Although August can be a very tough month for fishing in this part of the country, it’s still possible to bring home a feed from the local rock ledges. cunje or bread, tie on a smaller hook and swap over to the green stuff. It can often be a way of turning an average session into a good one.

At this time of year other fish that may show up around our rock ledges are tailor, silver trevally, snapper, groper and of course salmon. However, to give yourself the best chance of just catching something decent to eat, I’d strongly advise sticking to bream, drummer and luderick as the main target and fishing the shallow, washy spots, without trying anything too advanced or challenging.

BEACH SALMON If you’ve got a pair of waders (or your nervous system isn’t connected to your feet), I’d also be inclined to head to the beach and chase salmon this month. A simple formula of whole pilchards pinned to a set of ganged

more adventurous may prefer to cast lures from the sand.

While pillies are normally the best bet overall, lures are certainly more convenient, less messy and can be highly effective at times.

At this time of year, our beaches can either be pretty dead or the sambos can move into the gutters in good numbers. I have also run into jewfish, bream, trevally and some quite solid tailor during August in years gone by. For that reason, if you’re not a great fan of salmon, don’t neglect the beaches altogether.

Perhaps the two toughest arenas this month are offshore and within the estuaries. Each year is different and hopefully this August isn’t too bad, but I’ve certainly seen the entire month be wiped out with strong westerly winds.

My overall tips this month are to keep things simple,

A nice kingfish caught out wide on a trip with Sandy Bottom Boat Charter. Image courtesy of @sandybottomboatcharter.

preferred away to go. It means a lot less rigging, and it lays naturally, freely washing in and out of the shallows and wash.

When it comes to timing, my pick is the high tide, where you tend to get a bit more water pushing up in the gutters. If you can time that with late afternoon, so much the better.

We’ve also done well fishing for them off the rocks at night, but I don’t recommend that unless you’re an experienced rock fisher.

ILLEGAL FISHER CAUGHT Last month, multiple anglers contacted DPI Fisheries to report a man catching huge quantities of tailor. He was illegally anchored on the seaward size of the bridge, poling in piles of tailor over several nights. Fisheries watched him, and then waited for him at the ramp. He was caught with 67 tailor, and will have to front court and face a hefty fine.

Some anglers think there’s no point in reporting suspected

illegal fishing, assuming that Fisheries officers won’t respond. However, it’s always worth reporting what you see, because the offender may well be caught. Reporting is anonymous and doesn’t take long. You can either call the hotline on 1800 043 536 or Google ‘NSW illegal fishing’ to fill out an online form.

• Fisherman’s Warehouse Tackle World has a large range fresh and frozen bait as well as a huge range of rods, reels, lures and accessories.

They also sell and service outboard motors, and have a competitively-priced selection of new and second-hand boats. The friendly staff are all experienced local anglers, and they’re always happy to share their knowledge, whether you’re a novice or experienced angler. Drop in for a chat at 804 Pacific Highway, Marks Point, or give them a call on (02) 4945 2152. You can also find them on Facebook, or check out their website at www. fishermanswarehouse.com.au.

Rock fishing is generally a reliable way of scoring a few fish this month. The main problem is timing your outing with the right weather and sea conditions. Persistent westerlies can make the seas too flat and calm one week, and then huge ground swell may flog the coast the next. hooks is the most reliable form of attack, particularly early in the morning or later in the afternoon while the tide is rising. Of course, the

fish early or late in the day with good bait and target the more abundant species like bream, drummer, luderick and salmon.

• Installation, Radios, Sounders & all Electrical • Outboard Service, Repairs & Sales • Trailer Repairs, Service & Sales • New Aluminium Boats & Trailers

Ph: (02) 4325 1011 7 Yandina Road, West Gosford www.advancedmarine.com.au AUGUST 2021

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Watching out for seagulls ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

As I look out to sea from work, the white patches of seagulls hovering over the ocean tell me that the salmon have arrived. Flocks of gulls covering large areas, sometimes as large as

football fields, are picking up the tiny, clear, eel-like baitfish as they are forced to the surface by the schools of hungry salmon.

The area around the islands off Port Kembla up off National Park and down around Bass Point and Kiama are the pick of the spots at the moment, but a school can

turn up just about anywhere at any time.

Mid-morning and late afternoon seem to be when they are most active, although they tend to be single-minded in what they will eat. If it isn’t the tiniest of lures, you can forget it. Just after daybreak when the schools are still scattered is the best time

Not all the snapper are big, and they are often outnumbered by hordes of barracouta.

FISHING NEWS

Murray cray crackdown The Murray crayfish season is now underway, and NSW DPI Fisheries Officers are reminding the public to abide by strict size and bag limits after a Queen’s Birthday long weekend blitz.

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Acting Director Fisheries Compliance, Tony Chen said that leading up to and over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, Fisheries Officers from across Southwest NSW inspected 448 fishers, where 53 offences were detected.

“Some of these offences were detected thanks to information provided by the public to the NSW Fishers Hotline, with a number of people apprehended in closed waters before the season had started,” Mr Chen said.

“The operation focused on two areas: the Murray River from Albury downstream to Strathmerton; and the Murrumbidgee River from Gundagai downstream to Berembed Weir.

“While most fishers were abiding by the rules and regulations, Fisheries Officers detected several offences relating to size and bag limits.

“This included two fishermen who were found in possession of 16 Murray crayfish including seven of a prohibited size and carrying ova externally. This offence saw both fishermen receive

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multiple penalty notices totalling $1400 each.”

The operation also found another 11 people in possession of prohibited size Murray crayfish, and a further six people were also apprehended for possessing Murray crayfish carrying ova.

A total of 22 Murray crayfish and nine unprescribed traps were seized by Fisheries Officers.

Mr Chen has urged fishers to familiarise themselves with the rules and regulations surrounding the capture of Murray crayfish.

“During the open season of June, July and August, Murray crayfish can only be taken from prescribed areas of the Murray and Murrumbidgee

rivers, and it is an offence to take Murray crayfish using any form of trap.

“Murray crayfish have a minimum size of 10cm and a maximum size of 12cm carapace length, with a daily take limit of two and a total possession limit of four.

“The species must be measured correctly from the rear of the eye socket to the centre rear of the carapace, or head shell excluding any attached hairs.

“Any crayfish carrying ova (eggs) must be returned to the water immediately with the least possible harm.”

The public are encouraged to report illegal fishing activity to the NSW Fishers Hotline on 1800 043 536. – NSW DPI

Any berried crayfish must be returned to the water immediately. Image courtesy of NSW DPI.

to catch them because they haven’t yet settled in to eating only the tiny baitfish.

This is where the tiniest of metal lures, particularly those that imitate very small baitfish, do their damage. For casting these tiny lures you will need very light mono or the thinnest of braids, generally no heavier than 3kg, with 2kg even better.

This means you will have to use some amount of skill to land your prize before posting it on Facebook rather than just dragging it in as quickly as possible. Salmon are arguably the toughest and hardest pulling fish for their size in the land of Oz, and will test the skills of any angler on light tackle. They are very hardy too, and even after a long battle they still swim away well when released.

Tussles with big sambos are great fun. They leap clear of the water with shaking heads, then dive deep and lug near the bottom, resisting every centimetre of line the angler gains, only to charge to the surface and blast out of the water before heading for the bottom again. If they played dirty like yellowtail kings and headed for the nearest rocks or ledges you would be lucky to get them out of the water on sporting tackle.

They aren’t all schooling up and gulping down tiny baitfish, with quite a few being picked up by the pilly tossers working the washes. Trolling at this time of the year produces a few fish, but it generally just puts the fish down deep and off the bite, much to the dismay of those working the schools casting lures and flies. So, for a bit of fun keep an eye out for the seagulls.

Cuttlefish are still popping to the surface around Bellambi and Austinmer, and the snapper don’t seem to mind one bit.

They should still be about for the next few weeks before moving on when the cuttlefish finish spawning. This year’s run has been good and bad, depending on who you ask.

Most anglers chasing reds have done well, although the size has been down a bit on previous years, with the average good fish being around the 3-4kg mark. There are still plenty of pan-sized fish but everyone likes at least one skite fish of over 6kg each cuttlefish season.

Leatherjacket are still thick over the reefs, as are the sweep. Mowies are on the improve, with most boats drifting getting a couple around the kilo mark, but they should improve over the next couple of months. The flatties are slow with no numbers coming in yet, and you can throw in a few pigfish and heaps of barracouta seemingly everywhere.

You will get plenty of silver trevally in the berley too, usually way outnumbering the

This is the average size for this time of the year, but much bigger snapper are out there. snapper. However, the snapper generally get what they want when they are about, and the trevally move out of the way.

Towards the end of this month the game fishos will start to get the spring itch, and it won’t be an allergic reaction to pollen because there aren’t many trees 40km offshore, out around the shelf.

The end of August usually sees the arrival of the big blue and mako sharks, and they shouldn’t be far away as the little inshore makos have been pestering the snapper fishers for about a month now.

There have been a few striped tuna and the odd schools of yellowfin tuna and albacore and there may even be a stray bluefin still hanging about.

On the closer reefs a few kings should be about, with knife jigs and live baits set near the bottom good options.

Back closer to shore it’s drummer and groper time off the rocks. Due to the prevailing westerly winds the sea gets very calm, so many usually inaccessible spots are now able to be fished in relative safety, which usually results in better catches. Just remember the sea can come back at any time and catch the unwary.

Virtually any white sudsy water will hold a few drummer, with berley being the key to good catches. A little bread goes a long way to making the difference between a fair session and a good one.

The use of peeled prawns fished with little or no lead, or under a bobby cork among the berley, should really move things along.

Groper seem to get a bit more attention when the westerlies blow around this time of the year. The rock hoppers can try the deeper

ledges around Kiama, Bombo, Bass Point and the break walls at Port Kembla. Out in the boat, almost any piece of reef has its resident population of groper.

The hardest part of catching groper is catching the bait in the form of crabs. You could go in for a swim around the rocks with the mask and grab a few red crabs, but the water can be freezing at this time of the year. The other option is to chase them around the water’s edge after dark, but you really need to know what you are doing because being at the water’s edge on the rocks at night can be very dangerous.

A few sea urchins for berley will help too but you will have to swim for those as there aren’t any left where you can easily reach them.

Quite a few nationalities love harvesting them for a feed, leading to very few urchins in water you can stand up in.

The beaches are pretty quiet at this time of the year with a few salmon, bream and tailor being caught by the dedicated beach fisho. There are some jewies about but a lot of cold hours will go into each fish.

Things are a bit quiet in the estuaries too, although the feeder streams of Lake Illawarra still have some good bream moving around the snags and deeper holes.

Prawns have been the pick of the baits, while calm nights with little or no moon the time to fish. There will be the odd big flathead about but they seem to be roed up at this time of year and should be left alone.

That’s it from the Illawarra for August. Pretty quiet, but things will be better next month.

NSW

Catching the winter blues BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

Some people may think having the ‘winter blues’ is a feeling of sadness, but not here on the south coast of NSW. It means bluefin season!

Having said that, you

down from Mallacoota to Lakes Entrance has become a bit of a sword capital for anglers in NSW and Victoria.

During the cooler months there is a good presence of swords in those southern canyons, and anglers are migrating there to try and learn the tricks of the trade.

Then, if you do have success

Rohan Griffin has been on a roll lately. Another nice yellowfin. could be excused for feeling a little over winter if winter is not your thing, and August is a good month to take a vacation and come back as spring starts. But to be honest, the south coast is a pretty amazing place all year round, and our winters are pretty mild. Just don’t go up the mountain to Canberra – they can keep that weather. Plus, there’s no tuna in Canberra.

August can have some fantastic days on bluefin tuna. In July and August the bluefin take the stage as the yellowfin take a back seat. There are still some good yellows getting caught at times and there can be some good numbers of albacore over these months also, but it’s bluefin that are on everyone’s mind. They can run quite well through August and then can start to taper off by the end of August, with some catches into September. At this stage, Sydney can get some good numbers and fire up the city slickers before they migrate back south.

What has been generating a lot of interest over the years is sword fishing. Just south of here

or get more confidence in sword-rich areas, you can bring that experience to your home grounds and have a go, like a lot of fishos have.

Another style of fishing that has blown up over the years is deep dropping with electric reels. It seems pretty much everyone around here who owns a boat now owns an electric reel. The cooler months are the best time because the currents are more favourable. Most deep dropping is done in depths of around 300-600m, which can also be sword country. Some anglers like to put a sword rig out when they are deep dropping to keep their options open, and it’s also good for practice, especially if you are at the learning stage.

The next evolution of electric reel fishing is a smaller size electric that is used in depths from 50-150m. These reels are great for the elderly, people with arthritis or other issues that hinder your winding, and it’s also great for kids that can’t wind in greater depths. You can have it in the rod holder or you can pick it up and use it manually if you wish. These electric reels are smaller and lighter. You can expect to catch flathead, snapper, bar cod, John Dory and nannygai to name a few off the south coast. There’s a massive amount of species in those depths, so you can expect the unexpected also. I like the Shimano Plays 4000 matched to a 6ft Shimano

The author with one of many bluefin that were caught and released on that day.

Aqua Tip, but there are other options that will do the job too.

Closer inshore the snapper fishing continues to be quite consistent from the boats. Alternatively, if you get the approach spot-on (i.e. fresh bait, the right rig and good timing) then land-based snapper can be caught all year round.

The most productive fish from the stones at this cooler time of the year will always be the drummer, which have been in good numbers this winter up and down the coast. The most common bycatch species are bream, trevally and grouper, according to what I’ve been hearing in the tackle shop.

There has been plenty of weed around in ocean rock pools which makes great bait for luderick. I have been seeing a lot of people coming through the shop getting luderick set-ups and seeking advice, and this sudden interest is due to word getting around of good numbers being caught. I have been selling out of imitation weed flies also to anglers who want to hone their skills or have some back-up when the bait runs out.

Beach fishing has been going strong all year and has continued throughout winter, with some good winter whiting at a few key places.

This makes beach fishing worthwhile, especially when big bream are also very present up and down the coast. Salmon and tailor can be expected, and there have been quite a few trevally along our beaches and in estuaries also. Beachworms have been the best bait on the beach all year. If you can’t find worms, the good old pilly or spinning metals will get the job done.

It’s the quietest time of the year for estuaries,

Zoe O’Connor with the love of her life, and Billy. but some of my customers have been seeing that as a challenge. One customer has persevered with chasing flathead at Durras Lake and has been cracking a few good flatties, one around the 90cm mark. The rivers and lakes have had the odd flathead, and bream are still being caught in reasonable numbers along the break wall, racks, holes and oceanic bays and beaches. Estuary fishing can be tougher and cold in winter but the reports coming through have been relatively positive, especially for bream and trevally.

Squid fishing has been on and off as we have had some good rainfall throughout autumn into winter. After a good rain event it takes a couple of weeks for the water to settle and clear up, and then we start seeing some

squid again (at least until the next downpour). There have been a few good windows, and going through July and into August there looks to be some squid opportunities.

Also, usually the first places to clear up after rain for squid is Durras and north to Bawley Point.

From bluefin offshore, snapper from the boat and the stones, beaches on fire, plenty of bream and calamari rings for dinner, there are plenty of things to keep you warm this end of winter.

• For more up-to-theminute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff.

They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).

Mathew Dwyer with a beautiful 7kg snapper he caught at Yamba. It put up a hell of a fight!

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Just around the corner BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Sadly, August is the worst month of the year to fish around Bermagui, with some of the coldest westerly winds blowing straight from the Snowy Mountains to the coast.

Thankfully, spring is just around the corner, where better fishing is ahead. Until then, what should anglers do to fill in the wait?

Well, you can use this time to explore areas you may not spend a lot of time at. The rock platforms within the area are often protected at this time of year, where the seas will often be quite calm. Passing schools of salmon can be a lot of fun for lure casters, while for those who like to soak a bait there are plenty of black or silver drummer to be found along with wrasse, groper and some leatherjackets.

For a lot of fun, try running a berley trail. Using any oily fish like pilchards or mackerel will encourage fish like trevally, bream, mackerel and – my favourite winter special – garfish.

These tasty little gems can be caught easily under a float and small hook baited with a small piece of prawn. Then

you just roll them out, crumb them, cook and enjoy.

Moving onto the beaches, anglers will encounter plenty of salmon. With westerly winds at your back, lure casting from the sand is never easier. Use outfits that can

hold plenty of light line and lures to match. Long, raking casts with fast retrieves will produce results as you walk along the beach exploring the gutters. Quite often at this time of year, shore break is at a minimum so soft plastics

Morwong are a winter special out from Bermagui.

Red rock cod may be hard to handle but are very tasty. Check out the winter weather conditions in the background.

and flies also become an option. A handy tip if you are having trouble with fish jumping and throwing the lure is to offset your hooks and use two split rings joined together, to give a chain-like effect for better results.

Other fish likely to be encountered off the beach at this time of year are tailor, bream, mullet and gummy sharks. Of course, bait fishing is very good and best used in conjunction with berley.

Blackfish are moving into the estuary systems in anticipation of the water warming and to feed over

the weed flats. Conventional float rigs with green and cabbage weed for bait will see anglers have little trouble in obtaining a feed. Using nippers or worms on the flats as the tide rises will also produce results, however, to obtain the best fishing, gear right down to ultra-light gear and terminal tackle. I find a 6-7ft rod and 1-2kg line works just fine with a short 9lb leader.

Wallaga Lake is holding some very big tailor, and when these fish decide to feed, the fishing can be spectacular. You will find these fish on the eastern

side of the bridge feeding on schools of mullet, and that is the time to hit them with a popper. Fast retrieves with plenty of splash will see some pretty exciting strikes.

Further up the lake in the creeks, some very nice bream are being taken on hardbodied lures. Fish around some of the snags and rocky outcrops.

However, for best results polaroid the shallow, gravelly areas, quite often in the centre of the river, where the bream fossick for small crustaceans.

Venturing out to sea, anglers can try a variety of different fishing techniques To page 69 (top)

Easy access to the ocean TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Kianinny Bay boat ramp at Tathra is one of the easiest boat launching access points to the

Pacific Ocean along the south coast of Australia, and now is the time to use it to take advantage of the wonderful offshore angling available here.

Once you leave the ramp and enter the ocean, Tathra has some of the best

reef or bottom fishing on offer. If it is flathead you want there are plenty to be found, down south out from Wallagoot Lake or Bournda Island in 30-60m of water, where you will find plenty of tiger or sand flatties.

Throw in the odd gummy

Throwing berley from the rocks will result in a mixed bag.

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shark or red gurnard and you have yourself a nice bag of tasty fish. Go north out from Nelsons Beach or Middle Beach and you will also find similar fishing, so check weather conditions as to which way you go.

The cooler water of winter brings snapper to the reefs around Tathra at this time of year. Drifting these reefs with a paternoster rig will produce snapper along with many other species like morwong, nannygai, ocean perch or pigfish.

One last little tip: try placing a squid jig above the top hook on your rig. You may be surprised at just how big the squid are down deep.

For the game fishos, warmer than usual water temps has seen a late run of tuna. Yellowfin have been particularly good this season, as have albacore, and it would not be surprising to see schools of bluefin pushing up along the coast as the water cools.

There are no rules with this species as they are likely to pop up anywhere, from close to shore to wide of the canyons. A good spread of lures trolled will be effective, and hang on when you find them.

In the Bega River with

By adding a squid jig to your bottom fishing rig, large squid or cuttlefish become an option. the entrance now constantly open to the ocean, large schools of luderick are entering and congregating around the bridge pylons through to the rock wall adjacent to the boat ramp.

Cabbage weed will account for most of them, with squirt

worms and nippers also taking their share.

Along with blackfish there have been some very nice schools of trevally and tailor also entering the system. The tailor are being taken on lures, either To page 68

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From page68 (top)

to satisfy their needs. Jigging is popular whether you’re fishing in close, around headlands, on the reefs or beyond the shelf.

In close, when using soft plastics, anglers can expect to catch species like snapper, flathead, morwong, salmon and rock cod just to name a few. On the wider reefs while using metal jigs or plastics, kingfish, John Dory, big tiger flathead and many other oddballs are encountered.

For the real weird stuff try out over the shelf with big jigs on heavy braid and see what wonders live in the deep,

then go to the books and start identifying them.

Reef fishing in general is quite good, with most favourable species fishing well. At this time of year large tiger flathead are returning to our waters, and the deeper reefs will produce the better fish. Jackass and blue morwong will feature in bags, as will some very nice snapper. For the best results on snapper, anchor and berley in various depths.

Game fishing is probably at its worst now, with those westerly winds and very cold water not encouraging predator fish to our area.

Berleying may see you encounter either blue or mako sharks, with the 12 Mile Reef and over the shelf being the better areas. The benefit of berleying over the reefs is that you can fish the bottom while waiting for the sharks.

Those anglers wishing to brave the conditions and venture far to sea may encounter bluefin tuna. These fish hang around in the cooler water and are sometimes more than an incidental catch.

With the big run of bluefin in southern waters this year, anglers could be expected to encounter these fish more regularly on the east coast.

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

INTUITIVE CONTROL

NSW MERCURY DEALERS

Some of our winter days are so calm and warm you can take advantage in more ways than one.

From page 68

trolled upstream from the bridge or cast from the rocky shoreline near the boat ramp. Trevally are being captured on a variety of baits in similar areas.

Speaking of trevally, now is the time to visit the local wharf as there are plenty of these fish to keep both kids and adults busy.

Salmon are making passing visits here too, and can be targeted by casting lures.

There are also resident schools of yellowtail to be

found, while of an evening tailor and barracouta may come on the chew, providing heaps of fun.

There have been some terrific gutters created along the beaches near Tathra, which are fishing well for salmon, bream and tailor.

The bream can be targeted with worms, pipis or fish strips such as striped tuna, used in conjunction with berley. The other species will respond well to both lures and baits.

Following the winter

storms the rock fishing has been excellent. Drummer have been in very good numbers, and are regularly being taken from the wharf through to Kianinny Bay on ab gut, cunjevoi and green weed. Mixed in are silver drummer, groper, plenty of trevally and luderick, which are responding well to the weed. There are some good platforms here which are favourable for lure casters in which to target the passing schools of salmon that occur at this time of year.

R K 1 P E: W

GOSFORD INSINC MARINE 20 Dell Road West Gosford P: (02) 4324 4300 E: troy@insincmarine.com.au W: www.insincmarine.com.au

McGRATHS HILL TR MARINE WORLD 44 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

GRAFTON DISCO MARINE 160 North Street Grafton P: (02) 6643 1199 E: sales@discomarine.com.au W: www.discomarine.com.au

TAREE MANNING RIVER MARINE 13 Victoria Street Taree P: (02) 6552 2333 E: jim@manningrivermarine.com.au W: www.mercurydealertaree.com

PORT MACQUARIE HASTINGS MARINE 185 Hastings River Drive Port Macquarie P: (02) 6583 5511 E: sales@hastingsmarine.com.au W: www.hastingsmarine.com.au

MARKS POINT FISHERMAN’S WAREHOUSE TACKLE WORLD 804 Pacific Highway Marks Point P: (02) 4945 2152 E: enquiries@fishermanswarehouse.com.au W: www.fishermanswarehouse.com.au

HORNSBY SHANNON OUTBOARDS 3/41 Leighton Place Hornsby P: (02) 9482 2638 E: sales@shannonoutboards.com.au W: www.shannonoutboards.com.au

PORT STEPHENS BAY BOAT SALES 332 Soldiers Road Salamander Bay P: (02) 4982 7899 E: bayboatsales@hotmail.com W: www.bayboatsales.com.au

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Garfish can be found in winter in the rivers and lakes, or off the rocks and Tathra Wharf.

AUGUST 2021

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NSW

Days are getting longer NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

As we head into August for 2021, the rivers are flowing nicely from recent rainfalls and the impoundments are slowly filling up, seeing the country in awesome condition as we head into the last month of the Murray cod season.

August is a good time of year to be out and about with the cooler, lengthening days, however it also leaves us with only four weeks left of targeting Murray cod before the official spawning closure period which starts 1 September

One of the best yellowbelly lures to be throwing at this time of year: the Mazzy Vib in brown frog colour.

It’s the last month to fish the rivers for Murray cod. lures of late. With the stable weather patterns around, topwater lures have been raising some good-sized fish as well, however the

hook-up rates never seem to be as good as a swimbait that can sit in front of a cod’s face a lot longer. Just be confident in the gear

most productive methods of late. Most lure types will still catch fish in their right conditions; however, I think with the cold-water

A chunky yellowbelly caught during the last Murray cod spawning period. Fishing the right sized lures limits Murray cod by-catch. (and finishes 1 December).

If you want to get out and catch a cod, this is the time to be on the water making the most of it.

Copeton Dam is still one of the more popular waterways for activities at this time of year, with plenty of water about for the families and kids as well as good-sized fish still being caught on both lures and bait. With another change of season fast approaching, it will not be too long before the golden perch start to fire back up again in good numbers, which keeps things interesting; there is always something happening at Copeton. It is pretty hard to beat targeting Murray cod at sunrise and then soaking in some warm sun while chasing yellowbelly only a short time after or even just relaxing in good weather.

For the golden perch, it is difficult to go past the Mazzy Vibs at this time of year right through to the 70

AUGUST 2021

end of spring, as they match the hatch perfectly and replicate the baitfish well, which will become more

abundant in weeks to come.

For the Murray cod, swimbaits and chatterbaits have still been the stand-out

A big bucket mouth Copeton Dam Murray cod that was caught on a slowly worked swimbait.

Golden perch in dams can be a lot of fun when the cod are quiet and the rivers are closed for the spawning period. you are throwing and fish it slow. Copeton Dam is currently sitting at just under the 49% mark.

Pindari Dam has also been producing some quality fish this winter between the Murray cod and other perch species.

With all the rain we were receiving in winter in 2019, the dam was sitting at over full capacity.

However, at the moment it’s around the 58% mark (as it was last year), so there are a lot of exposed banks, which also means there’s lots of structure to actively target fish around.

The Severn River has been fishing well in recent weeks despite the colder weather and windy conditions.

Working lures across the deeper sections of the pools, and the tops and bottoms of weed beds, seem to be

temperatures, slower retrieves are definitely the key. This is where the more natural presentations really pay off at this time of year, such as frog-style lures and/or wakebaits (waterdragon style lures).

The Beardy River is fully closed for trout breeding season (local DPI Fisheries have been present, making sure people are doing the right thing). There are also several other rivers around the New England Tablelands including parts of major river systems such as the Severn, Macintyre and Gwydir rivers etc which are closed or partly closed. Check the DPI website for more information if needed.

Good luck for the last month of cod season. Tight lines and I will see you on the water somewhere.

NSW

Hunting down active fish HUNTER VALLEY

Nick Price

The fishing in both Glenbawn and St Clair has been hot and cold. At times the fish have been very hungry, and at other times they have been shut down. I have been moving consistently, looking for those active fish that will take a bait.

The ice jig bite has been the best for a few years.

The bass in Glenbawn have schooled up and in some spots are thick on the sounder. Ice jig fishing is fun, and anyone can do it.

It requires finding a school of fish and dropping the ice jig vertically into the fish.

Often the fish are sitting in trees in deep water. If you park your boat next to the tree, the bass will

Pull up next to trees and the bass will generally move out from the trees and under the boat. Then you can target them vertically with fewer snags.

Anglers from Fresh Hope catching a few on ice jigs during a weekend away at Glenbawn.

FISHING NEWS

Fine over illegal artificial reef A subset of offshore anglers around Australia like to deploy their own makeshift fish aggregation devices (FADs), ranging from a simple weight with a float through to piles of washing machines.

This practice is illegal under the Commonwealth Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act, and also contravenes many local littering laws, but that

has agreed to pay $8,400 for disposing of a boat into Gulf St Vincent – an offence under section 22 of the Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act 2016. Blackley was also required to pay $7,500 to a commercial salvage operator in an attempt to recover the vessel.

The penalty is the outcome of an investigation led by the EPA, with support from the Department of

abandoned at Largs North.

EPA officers subsequently searched a Largs North address, locating and seizing a fishing vessel and other items suspected of being used in the operation.

Forensic analysis identified a GPS location where the other vessel was thought to have been sunk. On 17 December 2018, the EPA and SAPOL Water Operations officers went to the GPS

Commercial fishers say that illegal artificial reefs are posing a danger to crew safety and equipment. Image courtesy of EPA SA. didn’t deter one angler in SA from scuttling an old boat to create his own personal FAD. The former commercial fisherman agreed to pay a civil penalty after the vessel was sunk off O’Sullivan Beach, SA in November 2018, to create an artificial reef.

David Alex Blackley has been penalised by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), and

Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), South Australian Police (SAPOL) and the Onkaparinga City Council.

Evidence obtained by the EPA includes CCTV footage of Blackley launching a vessel at O’Sullivan Beach boat ramp on 18 November 2018. The footage also records another boat arriving at the ramp to tow the vessel into Gulf St Vincent. The trailer used was later found

location and commenced a grid search using advanced sonar capability. They identified a vessel on the sea floor, nearly 15km off O’Sullivan Beach, at a depth of approximately 30m.

A commercial dive team surveyed and took video footage of the sunken vessel. The footage revealed the sunken vessel had characteristics consistent with the vessel seen on CCTV being towed at O’Sullivan

Beach. EPA officers also matched the sunken vessel to an 8m vessel sold through a Facebook advertisement.

EPA Investigations Manager Stephen Barry said the EPA is aware that some anglers disposed of items at sea to create illegal artificial reefs for their own purposes.

“This practice may have occurred over many years, however in 2016 the Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act introduced penalties for anyone caught doing this,” he said. “The act also has provisions requiring offenders to pay to recover such items. We have heard of scrap metal, whitegoods, shopping trolleys and vessels being towed out and dumped in waters around the state.

“Sunken items can contain pollutants such as oils, greases and chemicals, and pose a risk to navigation and a hazard to commercial fishing equipment. They also undermine authorised actions by government to create artificial reefs for habitat restoration and public recreation.”

Neil MacDonald from the Saint Vincent Gulf Prawn Boat Owner’s Association said that privately deployed artificial reefs were a threat to commercial fishing safety.

“The prawn industry has grave concerns at the growing proliferation of illegal reefs or FADs and the risks they pose to the safety of prawn boats and their crew,” he said.

“We operate in a high-risk environment at sea fishing at night. Regardless of the skill of our skippers and crew there are real risks to the lives of crew members and the safety of fishing equipment and boats.” – FM

usually move under the boat, viewing the boat as a protective structure, and wanting to get in its shadow. Then you just move the jig up and down with short, sharp hops. If you’re unsure, or want to buy some jigs, drop in and see us at the shop in Aberdeen.

These deep fish can also be caught on paddletail plastics. You can either fish the plastics vertically with a slow wind, or

can be used when fishing weedless, and again if you drop into the shop we can show you the different ways to rig weedless.

Some plastics also work better than others when fished weedless.

Suspending jerkbaits target big fish throughout winter and are great fun to fish. There are many varieties on the market, with varying sizes and depths. The basic technique is to cast next to some type

Winter is a great time to take the family out and catch school bass. horizontally. Again, colour matters when doing this. It is worth fishing a variety of colours until you find what the fish are after. I recommend fishing both natural colours to trying to match the hatch, and UV colours such as lime chartreuse.

By far my favourite type of winter fishing is the edge plastic and jerkbait bite. Lake St Clair has many weed beds, and fishing these is great fun with lots of fish on offer to be caught. When fishing plastics on the edge I like fishing weedless, I hate getting snagged and fishing weedless reduces snags considerably. There are a few different rigs that

of fish-holding structure such as weed or timber.

Wind the lure down and let it sit. Give the lure a series of jerks and let it sit again.

The lure will suspend in the water column. Vary the time the lure suspends, from a short few seconds to a long minute! Usually the fish hit the lure on the pause but sometimes they will also hit them on the jerk.

Next month I will focus on fishing the edge using weedless plastics and look at some of the different techniques and plastics to use.

In the meantime, if you’re heading to Glenbawn or St Clair, feel free to drop in and ask about the different techniques.

AUGUST 2021

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Great action continues BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

Winter fishing at Blowering Dam has been great so far, with some very good-sized Murray cod being caught in

day and just the odd fish, so it certainly pays to put a bit of effort in.

Bait fishing for Murray cod at Blowering Dam however can be a bit of a hit and miss affair at this time of year. Anglers who understand this prefer to take advantage of the

to resist.

GOLDEN PERCH Blowering Dam’s golden perch usually start sunning themselves in the shallow weed beds towards the end of this month, and on the right days are well worth targeting, especially if you get into polaroiding

Murray cod will be on top of many anglers’ lists with the season coming to a close at the end of the month, other than Blowering Dam which is open to cod fishing year-round.

Start your redfin search in around 40ft of water this month and take advantage of your last chance of catching good numbers of quality redfin before they start to disperse into smaller schools. amongst the countless redfin. This consistent action should continue this month, and with the water level at or near capacity this action could even get better.

MURRAY COD Other than Blowering Dam, which is open to cod fishing year-round, the Murray cod season closes at the end of August. That means this month is your last chance to head out and target them in your favourite creek, river or dam before the season closes.

Bait fishing for Murray

Murray cod’s territorial side, and try to get the fish to strike out of aggression rather than hunger. They do this by trolling or casting with large oversized lures that trigger this aggressive response from the territorial fish.

Lures need to be at least 90mm in length to really have any chance of making a big Murray cod strike out of territorial aggression, and there is no such thing as too big when it comes to lure choice.

Big profiled spinnerbaits with a thumping action are

Big piles of redfin will be the reward for those willing to put the cod rods down for a few hours. cod in particular can be very productive in the Murrumbidgee River at this time of year, especially if we’ve had recent rain making the water murky and flushing in a smorgasbord of food. In this situation it’s very hard to beat a big juicy bait like a big bardi grub or big chunk of chicken.

A small amount of berley used regularly can be the difference between fish all 72

AUGUST 2021

ideal for both casting and trolling, but there are many other even better options when it comes to lure choice these days. Large soft plastics, glidebaits, wakebaits, chatterbaits and swimbaits are much more realistic presentations, and some of these lure creations are so realistic in both profile and swimming action that it’s very hard for a big territorial native

fish in the shallows.

As the water temperature is still fairly cool the best time to target the golden perch is around lunch time through to late afternoon. This is when the water temperature is at its warmest and the fish will be at their most active. If the fish are in an active mood they will literally hit anything cast or trolled past them, but when they are not quite switched on or are constantly following but not hitting, then small soft plastics might see you get in on some action.

There are many types of plastics on the market these days that do the job well, but in general I would stick to the 2-4” range of plastics in natural colours.

These types of plastics have regularly helped snare a few golden perch when all usual offerings have been refused.

Another gun lure to try when the goldens are not quite switched on are 40-70mm shallow running suspending lures. These lures can be worked much slower than most other lure styles and can be kept in the fish’s faces for longer, giving you a better chance of getting them to strike.

Again, there are quite a few on the market these days and most will do the job, so it’s up to personal preference as to which model you use. Just remember to stick to natural colours when picking your lures, as the water is almost always crystal clear at Blowering Dam, and unnatural colours will scare more fish than they catch.

REDFIN As is usually the case in winter, redfin have been the main target species for most anglers. Although that will change this month, there will still be plenty of redfin still on offer for those who are willing to target them.

Generally, at this time of the year the redfin will still be in large post-spawn schools and will be found mostly in the deeper parts of the lake. The aid of a good sounder can make it so much easier when targeting schooled fish, but going off the years of data I have accumulated from fishing at Blowering Dam at this time of the year, the majority of these schools will be sitting in water around 40ft deep. Some days the fish will be a little shallower or a little deeper, so it pays to look around each day, but 40ft is a very good starting point when trying to seek out large redfin schools.

Lures of choice for targeting these fish are the weird looking ice jigs that have an amazing action when jigged. The action they create when jigged is very similar to a shrimp or yabby trying to flee, which is why they work so well. If the

ice jigs aren’t working well you generally only need to change to either a rubber vibe, blade or soft plastic to get them fired up.

I hope that helps with the fishing and until next month good luck, good fishing and tight lines.

Golden perch will start popping up around the flooded shallow margins of the lake towards the end of the month.

Final call for cod ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

August marks our last chance to get onto a winter Murray cod. Soon it will be spring, and September

1 marks the official first day of the 3-month cod season closure.

I like to think of August as our time to make it count, to make the absolute most of any opportunity to get out on the water to try and

A Kuttafurra Nose-Tow Reddie down the hatch of a winter cod. This is why it’s crucial to carry a pair of long-nose pliers and a decent pair of wire cutters.

catch a cod. The beauty of chasing Murray cod is that there’s so many different ways you can target them, for some it’s involving the use of new technologies, or by casting import lures the fish may have never seen, or it can just be as simple as bobbing a yabby out of the tinnie or sitting in a camp chair with a rod in hand while gathered around a warm fire.

It has been a bit confusing with all the COVID restrictions of the past few months/weeks coming back into effect.

However, as I am writing this, we people who live within the border zones can still move around within our areas, so we are fortunate enough to still get out and enjoy the water.

There have been plenty of photos popping up from Lake Mulwala of big cod being captured, as well as some beautiful river cod. Over the past To page 73

NSW

Lingering cold persists LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

No use in sugar coating it, cold is cold, and by August most of us have had enough. The thought of another two months

seasons and calendars don’t necessarily line up round these parts. The short distance travelled and the altitude gained even from Wallerawang to Thompsons Creek Dam (TCD) can be game changing in terms of weather.

myself to take too much notice but occasionally I’ll take the time to observe what I call ‘TCD shock and awe’, which is much more evident in newbies from lower, warmer altitudes.

The first few steps out of the car usually involves a yawn, a stretch and a

ut Hatcher o r T n e d y Ga

Gaden Trout Hatchery Gaden Trout Hatchery

Colder temperatures can mean adjustments are needed. Spawning aggression can dictate larger lure sizes for better bites.

dive straight back into their such a spot. mode of travel in search of Lure anglers can be a jacket, a beanie, or both. onto this bite a little earlier.

The false spawn by Good options include small resident rainbow trout on spoons, blades or a jigheadrocky exposed main and rigged soft plastic, all cast Open 10 am–4 pm daily. leaping fish pretty 4 species secondary points in the well into the wind.

Closed Anzac, Christmas, Boxing day. aquaria, breeding ponds, AV show lake will have had their fair AUGUST share of attention over thepicnic–BBQ YELLAS AND COD beautiful area Guided tours 10 am and 2 pm. recent weeks from anglers. Things can be a little smoked trouthit-and-miss for sale on this front; Self-guided tours on selected days. at this Sometimes time of year you may be better weather conditions can find out about kids fishing workshops.

Small admission fee. off targeting less visible affect pre-spawn behaviour feeding fish that have in both species. Mother finished this annual attempt nature rarely puts all her eggs in one basket so you Gaden Rd (off Kosciuszko at Rd)spawning.

Cod fishing can be a little hit and miss in the impoundments during August.

Wind drift lines that can nearly always find a Jindabyne. 02 6451 3400 end in bays can accumulate few fish that want to bite. www.dpi.nsw.gov.au of winter to go makes The car park at TCD is look around. Next you’ll trout food like nobody’s When it comes to it even harder. Yes, a funny place if you’re a see them folding their business. Sometimes they golden perch, those first officially winter finishes people watcher. I’m often arms tightly or diving can be difficult to fish due few fish that push to the at the end of August, but too busy getting sorted their hands into their jeans to wind speed but take banks will find it hard to pockets. It’s a sure sign that notes, a forecast wind drop refuse a bottom contact things are starting to add later in the day can see style lure. I have a soft spot up! The smart ones then me almost running back to for using skirted jigs at this

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time of year, but a slowly worked jighead-rigged soft plastic or lipless crank can be used as well.

The standing tree bite in Windamere, Wyangala or Burrendong for golden perch is pretty hard to beat for consistency though.

Bigger cod in such waters can sometimes go off the chew. Bite periods and locations that were relatively consistent in weeks previous can suddenly go cold. It’s only a theory, but I think searching for a mate becomes a little higher on the agenda? Cod season closes on 1 September in most waters, but in the meantime it’s still worth plugging away with the weeks that are left.

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From page 72

few months some anglers have been having some really good success on Lake Hume, still on redfin but also solid Hume trout, so if that’s something that interests you it’s probably not a bad idea to get out there and have a crack at the moment!

Being the last month of cod season, I will most definitely be putting majority of my attention

on cod. It’s been a decent season for myself, and many other anglers around the area have said it’s been a good season for them too.

We have been having some nice downpours of rain giving some local fisheries around the area plenty of high flows, and while they are difficult to fish while high and dirty, it’s definitely a good thing for the systems.

Best of luck for the end of cod season, tight lines!

Open 10 am–4 pm daily.

Closed Anzac, Christmas, Boxing day.

Guided tours 10 am and 2 pm.

Self-guided tours on selected days.

Small admission fee.

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

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A beautifully coloured small daytime topwater muncher. Don’t be afraid to run a surface lure if it feels right.

PLEASE CALL TO BOOK

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

73

Canberra

ACT

Lakes are settling CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

The fishing through late July has been slow here in the ACT. The rivers stayed in an almost perpetual state of flood for weeks at a time, and the lakes filled close to capacity which meant that a lot of anglers looked further afield for their angling fix.

However, the lockdowns limited the options available outside Canberra.

as possible, so the fish can find the lure and hopefully when they do, they will be willing to strike as the fish build up bulk in readiness for breeding season.

LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin (as mentioned above) is starting to settle. The lake has been a bit of a mess in recent weeks, with constant rain causing a lot of debris to run into LBG and muddy the water. The fishing has been tough because of this, as the fish have fed up around

lanes, including a metre fish landed on a ZX blade by an angler targeting redfin.

Lake Ginninderra is hit and miss. There have been a few very nice captures, including several large golden perch and the odd medium-size redfin, but on the whole, this winter hasn’t yielded the same quality of fish as in the past. Those anglers who have caught fish consistently have been using jigs coupled with creaturestyle plastics fished slow along the edges of submerged weed near the carpark at Diddams Close. There have also been cod caught by anglers using spinnerbaits in the middle of the lake. Hopefully, like LBG, the water will continue

Fishing parallel to the reeds on LBG is a great way to connect with a golden perch.

Sam Hancox with a plasticmunching Googong goodoo.

Though things have been quiet here of late, there is light at the end of tunnel because the river is starting to slow a little and the local lakes are settling. This means we could be in for a bumper end to the cod season, provided the fish are still hungry after enjoying the bait bonanza, which really exploded after all the flooding.

I know I’ll be casting big surface lures to round out the

the edges on a variety of forage and so don’t need to feed as often now. It’s also hard for them to see a lure.

That said, some anglers have found success by using beetlespins attached to paddletail plastics and working these lures slowly along the edges of the concrete wall behind the yacht club. There are some big weed beds a few metres out from this location, and the

Late August will be the time to try for a cod on surface. to settle and we’ll get some bumper golden perch action this coming spring, as Lake Ginninderra holds some of the biggest yellas in Canberra.

Lake Tuggeranong is my

photos of their captures off social media so as not to tip off every local angler about the red-hot bite. I was speaking to one angler a week or so ago who very kindly showed me a few pics from a recent session on Lake Tuggeranong where he landed three fish to 90cm. All were caught using swimbaits. I’ll focus my attention on the flats at dawn and dusk for cod but I’ll also try below the spillway as the golden perch tend to push up into this area and feed in turbid water, and will readily hit a Jackall TN50.

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AUGUST 2021

fish sit in the weed looking out towards the open area before the concrete ledge. There have been some decent redfin caught and a few medium size golden perch. A couple of really nice cod have also been caught by anglers using Livescope or jigging out deep in the rowing

pick of the local spots this month. I will fish the dam weekly throughout August because the constant rain has really fired up the native fish population. There have been so many big cod caught in the lake recently, with most anglers in the know keeping

So whether you’re bu Cabin we’ve got wha Without any of the ex

You’re going to Everything we’ve learn Yerrabi is producing some solid name reds. in Austra You can feel it the mom strong, u don’t get too much more reliable rain, the cod will hit lures at back the water. They end of this month, especially big, loud surface offerings castto go you want around new snags formed after you need to be the flood.

Googong and is highfun and the in betw water is murky but the fishing

Swimbaits and surface lures will account for a lot of cod through late August.

2020-2021 cod season. The Jackall Mega Pompadour and big Mudeye paddlers, along with the Kingfisher Mantis, will form the backbone of my tackle arsenal during the final weeks of August. The trick will be to use a lure which will move as much water

Yerrabi Pond is fishing inconsistently to say the least, but I want to mention this unique waterway because there have been some good captures of late. The big yellas which form the staple for anglers through winter haven’t shown up in their usual numbers this winter, but there have been plenty of big reds caught by anglers using small spinnerbaits and blades.

The whole pond can be fished in a few hours so try as many locations as possible, but ‘Blue Chair’ is where there is often a fair bit of action.

The Murrumbidgee River is starting to slow down but still resembles chocolate milk in appearance. The next few weeks will be critical in terms of whether or not the river fires before season close. If we

has been pretty good.proven Again, desig Time we haven’t seen the same andcod safety numbers of big caughtat pric compared to last year, but there have still been some great captures, including several fish over the metre mark.

The redfin have also been on the bite, with many anglers cleaning up by focusing on the shallow banks and casting near the sunken shrubs which now line most of the dam.

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75

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Tuna grounds turn it on OFFSHORE

Kelly Hunt

We are in the grip of winter now here in Tasmania, and while August is when trout season mania hits our island, we offshore anglers look further out to sea. Offshore fishing is still very rewarding for the brave and suitably attired. The weather has been cold but favourable in the last couple of months for some offshore trips to be planned and to be successful, and this month we can expect more of the same.

Should you watch the weather and find a window to get out and do some fishing, you will be rewarded if you plan well and stick to your guns.

The guns we like to pack at this time of year are our trusty Penn overhead reels

Power for your GOPRO or VIRB from your navigation light socket

Anglers have been enjoying some great sessions on blueeye trevalla and gemfish over the past month.

Skipper Todd Bakes placed the crew in the right spot off Middle Ground.

and our Daiwa Seaborg 1200 electric outfit. When we go offshore, this outfit always sits up the front on the sleeper bunk. Then, if we are out trolling lures and we have conditions come to us or even ‘glass out’, she is ready for deployment.

The tuna are still around in good numbers, and the idea of a narrow season for these fish in Tasmania has been debunked for several years now. If you have some thermals and a set of gloves and a good beanie, get out there!

The southern tuna grounds have been holding

good fish of school and barrel size, and the odd jumbo is still being caught so pack your 37kg outfits as well as your 24kg gear. The school fish are everywhere and are great fun jigging and casting to on spinning gear. Look for them in close and the merge of currents off headland points like The Lanterns and The Pillar down towards Tasman Island. Tasman Island and the reefs to the eastsoutheast are productive tuna zones.

The area off St Helens has been fishing much better than it has in previous

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The tuna have been turning up at a variety of locations.

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AUGUST 2021

years, and should not be discounted. Middle Ground and Pulfers Bank hold a heap of bait and you know what eats the bait: the tuna!

For this reason, you’ll want a lure that mimics the bait.

Lure choice comes down to personal preference, and I currently use Zacatak Lures. This Australian lure manufacturer does a range of lures that mimic the bait here, and the models I use are the Redbait, Super Redbait and Sacred Saury.

I recommend running a Halco Laser Pro XDD out on long corner and a Halco To page 77

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Brown trout season kicking off HOBART

Andrew Large

As we head into the final month of winter, Tasmanian anglers are making the most of settled weather, gearing up for the 2021 brown trout season, which kicks off on Saturday 7 August. A variety of popular species are biting well too.

SALTWATER Southern bluefin tuna continue to be caught in the southeast of the state around Cape Pillar. It seemed a while back that SBT were stretching from the Southernmost tip of Tasmania to Eden in NSW. Fish over 100kg seemed to have lessened off in Peninsula waters, with only the occasional report coming to light.

Meanwhile, good fish to 15-21kg have picked up a little in recent days around Fortescue Bay. School fish continue to be caught in good numbers. Bluefin are now being caught from Mewstone in the south to St Helens.

Albacore tuna were encountered off Bicheno recently; these were single strikes but a surprise this late into winter.

We’re seeing a frenzy for southern calamari at the moment as they are still available in the

lower Derwent River and Channel areas. Further afield good numbers are available. Winter is a great time for this species.

Did sand flathead hibernate this year?

Definitely not. They are continuing to bite well on bait, lure and fly, and the best spots for a feed include Storm Bay, Marion Bay, Fredrick Henry Bay and White Beach.

Good-sized Australian salmon have returned, as they did last year. Alum Cliffs, near Kingston and South Arm, close to the CBD, seem to be local hotspots, while anglers fishing Cremorne in the canal to Pipeclay Lagoon have been reporting fish to 1kg. Larger specimens are available along east coast surf beaches.

Still nights are a

A Halco Laser Pro 190 XDD in colour R19, having a rest recently in the mouth of Fortescue Bay, while others on the boat battle a 21kg SBT.

A healthy brown trout caught on the wet fly from the shore at Arthurs Lake.

These trout were feeding in 300mm of water, the angler taking five fish this day.

From page 76

Max at short corner, and rubber band them both down to as low as you can.

Grab the line from the rod tip and secure the rubber band to the line, and pull down to a point low on the transom of your boat.

Make sure that the line does not foul on anything if you turn from port to starboard. This allows the lures to swim as deep as they can at troll speed and behave themselves.

The biggest news in Tasmania over the last couple of months is the brand new and developing tuna fishery off Devonport on the Northwest Coast.

This has been amazing to watch unfold and get involved in. Glen Saltmarsh from Seamaster Marine Devonport has been the catalyst for this astounding revelation, and the reaction has been fantastic. Get into their store at 37 Elizabeth Street Devonport if you need all the info on how to catch one of these big tuna. The key to success is keen eyes and a steady resolve to find birds and dolphins, and once you do find them, stick on them and don’t lose discipline. You may not get a bite in the

flounder fisher’s best friend, with fish moving well for the time being.

A string of settled nights recently giving anglers a chance to chase these fish in mirror conditions of a night. South Arm, Lewisham, Dunalley and Orford area reported to be producing fish.

Deep waters have produced tiger flathead, which have been taken off

Harry Murfet from Seamaster Devonport with his prized Bass Strait barrel.

first half hour or even the first hour, but the fish will pop up to feed a couple of times a day and you must be in the vicinity to catch them.

I mentioned glass-outs and deep drop reels earlier in the article, and I can report that there have been some very good days out wide fishing for blue-eye trevalla and gemfish. There is no limit to what you may bring up from the deep at this time of year, and good rigs and good baits will have you on the money.

One of the best things about a good electric reel is the ability to blind drop.

You may have a sounder that is not quite up to the job at 300m+, so the ability to drop down and come up on a battery is gold. We have had a few trips where there has been little showing on the sounder but the rewards have been fantastic, with big blue-eye trevalla coming up to huge cheers and high fives. Even if the sonar side of your electronics is not helping you here, make sure you place a waypoint if you have a good drop. That way you can see your track, work out your drift and recreate the same conditions for hopefully the same result.

Until next month, rug up and tight lines.

the east coast wide of St Helens and Bicheno.

Limited time remains for striped trumpeter, which have been biting well on the west, south and east coasts. Settled weather has finally allowed anglers to venture out. Remember that the striped trumpeter season will close on 1 September.

ESTUARY Escapee Atlantic salmon to 4kg are beginning to reappear in anglers’ bags. 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.

Feisty sea-run trout continue to be caught in the mid reaches of the Derwent and Huon estuaries. Both these waters are open to angling to the Huonville and New Norfolk bridges by anglers holding a current freshwater angling licence. Spin, troll, soft plastic and fly are producing fish. Next month will see Granton firing as trout begin to chase whitebait.

Faltering a tad, black bream are still being caught in good numbers around Cornellian Bay, Store Point, Bowen Bridge and Cadbury Point. The use of bait has been effective. So too has the fly and bibbed lures.

FRESHWATER Tasmania’s new freshwater season kicks off on 1 August, with brown trout water opening occurring on 7 August. A blinding start is predicted.

For the moment Great Lake, although open 12 months of the year, is producing good fish and will continue to do so into September and October.

Picking the right day early season that is conducive to good fishing at altitude is the key. Anglers are looking forward to more settled weather in the coming month.

Other waters such as Lake Pedder and Lake King William are fishing well. Easterly weather lately has seen these waters relatively calm and sheltered.

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 August can always present a challenge but as I’ve always said, “what’s good weather for us isn’t always good for the fish,” so rug up a little and take confidence in the fact that all fish – trout in particular – tend to bite well through our slightly wilder and short winter’s days. Enjoy!

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www.vrfish.com.au #makefishingbetter

VRFish Update There has been a fair amount of change in VRFish operations recently. Some of it forced, some of it unfortunate. Staying relevant amongst the many challenges so that recreational fishers have an independent voice has been the most important driver. A solid foundation for VRFish representation over the next two years has commenced with the new funding agreement finally negotiated and signed off with the Minister.

Holly leaves the VRFish communications position to focus on bringing a new recreational fisher into this world. We wish Holly and the new baby the best of health. Unfortunately, it means I’ll be in charge of Facebook and our website communications for the immediate future, so anything is likely to go out especially if I manage to escape the office and smack a fish. No pics no proof, right?

Recently VRFish welcomed new Board member Rita Caulfield. Rita is a talented lure fisho with a penchant for fish over a meter. Show and tell before VRFish Board How do you fish?

meetings will be interesting. Other notable goings on has been the formation of a formal VRFish Law and Ethics committee who will tackle the legislative issues of the day, many of which are directly impacting recreational fisher access across the State.

Finally, with end of year reporting underway, planning for our AGM and the continuing challenge of a pandemic, VRFish will turn to some of our most urgent and important issues facing recreational fishers.

VRFish Diver Fishery Reference Group Our DFRG has been busy lately with the switch from plastic tags to digital reporting, the new management planning process kicking off and an Eastern Zone rock lobster biomass in decline. This group of super keen rock lobster fishers is amazing. Understanding the data and science, developing options for recreational catch

management (before we are told what we get) and ultimately defending a common position across free and scuba diving segments couldn’t be achieved without the remarkable members of this group.

Corner Inlet Fishery Management Plan The Corner Inlet Fishery Management Plan process continues to gather pace. Finding the best balance between commercial fisho’s earning a crust and recreational fishers catching nothing on consecutive trips is a real challenge. The biggest question is whether the current commercial fishery regulation is providing that balance. The total commercial catch data suggests the regulations are not (see Fig 1 and Fig 2). Added to this is the Commonwealth trawl fishery currently smashing the King George Whiting that venture out of the inlet.

VFA have written to AFMA proposing a trip limit but have only received lip service. Time for a stoush.

VRFish Advocacy Survey

Generally, how satisfied are you with the quality of recreational fishing in Victoria?

The VRFish Advocacy Priorities Survey was recently completed and turned up some surprising results. Not surprising was the reporting by the majority of fishers surveyed that they were better than average fishos, they were mostly satisfied with recreational fishing opportunities in Victoria or that aquatic and riparian habitat regeneration was the number one advocacy issue. The most surprising issue for me was that Redfin are more popular than Murray Cod. Impossible I hear you say. I’ll let Jarrod Tyler argue the toss on that one. King George Whiting came out on top across all fish species.

VRFish State Habitat Policy

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VRFish recently renewed our MOU with OZFish Unlimited which will see our organisations working closely to deliver improved habitat outcomes that directly benefit recreational fishers. We will also be kicking off a new State-wide Habitat Strategy and investment prospectus. Recreational fisher input AUGUST 2021

into this process will be required.

What are the Current Major Issues?

Crown Land - Unused Road Closures With the Camping on waterfront Crown land issue awaiting regulations before we can finally put it to bed, there is now an emerging issue that I believe is one of the greatest threats to recreational fishing ever. EVER! Put simply, there is now an increasing frequency of unused road closures that restrict access to rivers and lakes across the State. Waterfront crown land grazing licences have a statutory requirement to provide recreational fisher access, unused road licences do not. Now that unused road licence holders know that they can block an unused road leading to waterfront crown land with impunity, well you get the picture. Imagine a government election commitment to improve waterfront crown land access

Top Targeted Fish by Species

PO Box 4574, Geelong,

P 03 5221 1104 E info@vrfish.com.au

VIC 3220, AUSTRALIA

resulting in a massive loss of recreational fishing access.

This will end up being an election issue for next years State Government election.

Water Recreational fishing is getting shafted on the waterfront.

The recent Goulburn River water trade decision to go with a flow regime that wipes out the Murray Cod and Trout Cod populations, Greens Lake Corop water levels are still falling despite the biggest Cod surveyed recently going 1.3m and the 11 recreational lakes connected to the

Wimmera Mallee pipeline suddenly discovering that the high security water they were promised was not a core DELWP promise. Recreational fishers will need a strong voice if we want to get a better outcome in this area.

Boating The much-promised Maribyrnong River boat ramp was recently scuttled thanks to some political ‘argy bargy’ and many local rec fishers blindsided by the sudden change of heart by the Andrews State government. Five years of solid work by a very large group of rec fishos and project

Your priorities to make recreational fishing better in Victoria

supporter base has been rewarded with a government line of ‘lack of community support’. Words fail me.

The State-wide recreational boating strategy is taking shape and the Better Boating promise got a supercharge on July 1st with the deposit of all recreational vessel egiatrati9on and marine licence fees. Keeping too many fingers out of this pie and the focus on delivering improved facilities and boater satisfaction will be a key job for the Ministerial rec boating roundtable.

Ben Scullin - Executive Officer

TOP 5: Your priorities to make recreational fishing better in Victoria

VICTORIA'S RECREATIONAL FISHING PEAK BODY

HABITAT

WATER

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

ACCESS

BEST PRACTICE PROMOTE

#makefishingbetter AUGUST 2021

79

VIC

Hunting for big trout WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

August may not be the prime month on the local angling calendar, but the keen angler can always find something worthwhile to brave the cold for.

On the offshore scene there have been plenty of quality bottom fish taken when conditions have been right. Dan Hoey of Salty Dog Charters has been putting his clients onto some quality bags of fine table fish, mainly featuring gummy shark and snapper.

Finding windows of good weather to do this sort of fishing can be difficult in August, but the fish are there if you can get out. The inshore late autumn-winter run of has continued to be disappointing though.

Boats putting the effort into getting well offshore to the shelf region have been managing their bags easily. The addition of a few albacore amongst these tuna schools has at least caused some interest. Albacore have been a bit scarce in the past few seasons, but perhaps it was because fewer people were fishing the shelf regions with the number of SBT closer to shore. The larger

tuna in the 60-120kg range that were being encountered last month have moved even further east and are now closer to Apollo Bay. August is definitely getting towards

the end of tuna season but some Augusts/Septembers have seen some big fish taken, so who knows what might happen this year.

Although the rivers

Big trout can be found in nearby lakes if the rivers become unfishable.

Fishing lures like the Daiwa Steez vibe is a productive way of targeting bream at this time of year.

aren’t at the really heavy, dirty flow stage, there have been some decent rain events to get them flowing and fire the trout up. Whilst there have been good fish to over 2kg being taken, they do take time, dedication and persistence to catch.

Larger minnow-style hardbodies in the 9-11cm range come into their own once the rivers get really dirty. Golds and slivers are two good base colours that stand out well in the stained water. Remember the main local trout fishing rivers (Merri, Hopkins, Moyne and Mt Emu Creek) are all open during the traditional winter closed season.

If the rivers blow out completely and get too high/ dirty to even fish, there are

always good trout to be had in the nearby lakes like Purrumbete, Bullen Merri and Elingamite. These are all trophy trout locations and can produce fish up to 4kg, making braving the winter elements well and truly worthwhile. Often the best times to fish these lakes are when the weather has just improved just enough to make you think it’s safe to leave the house.

The estuary scene in August should see anglers targeting bream and perch populations in the deeper sections of the river. A lot of keen bream lure anglers aren’t big fans of vibing in the deep water in winter, and for sure it doesn’t compare to a summer surface bite. It can also be frustrating when

the sounder is lit up with schooled up fish that refuse to bite. However, it can be a very effective way of catching fish at this time of the year. With many other angling options also out of action with the weather, a leisurely session drifting up the centre of a local estuary and throwing some blades, soft plastics and vibes can be a lot of fun.

It’s also a good time to take anglers who may not have the proficiency of rod work to cope with a warm month edge bite, out for a lure session… if they can handle the cold!

Another good thing is that the fish can be targeted all day as opposed to those early morning starts often required in the warmer months.

It’s time for albacore galore PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

What a season we have seen so far, especially the quality albacore. Many fish caught lately have been consistently around 20kg+. Locals and charter operators haven’t seen such good size albacore for at least five or six years.

The only downside is the travelling that has been required to get tuna and

Paul scored these nice gummies from the North Shore.

Anglers have been getting into some good size albacore.

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albacore – anywhere between 300m to 2000m. This requires many hours on the water.

The deepwater fishing, other than tuna, has also been good, with quality blue-eye trevalla, gemfish, pink ling and blue grenadier, to name just a few. Plus, if you come back to the 120-140m mark, there have also been snapper, school and gummy sharks, flathead and the odd trumpeter, among others.

The bay has been fishing reasonably well, also with gummies and schoolies along the North Shore. There’s the odd winter whiting and big schools of salmon, plus snook and couta on the troll around the Rock and the Town Reef.

Shark and salmon are being caught off most local beaches.

Cody with a decent feed of flathead.

An update on the restricted area: things are now more at ease with regular testing on our abalone. We have all information at the shop, and updates on our Facebook page.

August can sometimes be a tricky time to fish due to constant weather changes.

However, if we get windows of good weather it can fish very well for most of the species that we traditionally catch in June and July. We also generally see some bigger flathead closer to Lawrence Rock and Bay, which most fishos are able to access.

Remember that we have access to some good river

fishing also, with bream in the Surry and bream, mulloway and perch in the Fitzroy and Glenelg. Lures and live baits seem to work very well at this time of year.

So let’s hope the fishing gods are on our side in the coming weeks, and August delivers the goods. Stay safe everyone, and happy fishing.

• For all the latest updates and news, and all your bait and tackle needs, call in and see the crew at Portland Compleat Angler – Braden, Emily, Fiona and Nigel. You can also contact them on 03 5521 1844 or look them up on Facebook.

VIC

Consistent tuna catches APOLLO BAY

Craig Rippon

With great fishing and great weather, Apollo Bay has been the go-to place for big bluefin tuna.

The weather has been great, with a spell of light northerly breeze allowing boats to travel distances required to catch a fish of a lifetime.

This has been the best month I can remember for consistent catches of large SBT, with fish ranging from 6kg to 138kg. There have been plenty of fish in the 70-80kg range.

There was a stage where the SBT were only going on pilchards floated down amongst the bait ball, but lately they have been taking a range of skirts and hardbody lures too.

While out recently we saw some guys spearfishing, and they managed to get two fish around the 80kg mark.

It was good to watch them do it but they can have that pastime to themselves – I’ll be staying in the boat!

There has been a lot of boat pressure on the fish, and if you can find an area with not a lot of boats your hook-up rate is way better.

It’s been hard for

Scott Loving from Geelong with a nice tuna around 78kg.

anglers to travel with all the lockdowns and border closures. However, when rules have allowed, most of the anglers who travelled long distances to catch big fish haven’t been disappointed. The main area is a place commonly known as Big Reef, about 1hr 45min from the harbour, then out to the gas rig (there is an exclusion zone around the rig that clearly shows on your mapping, so please be mindful of that). This location has been really popular, as nearly all the fish appear to be around here.

A few have been sighted closer in but they aren’t consistent yet.

Red bait lures and skirts have been on the money, as well as lumo greens.

Remember to always check your weather as it can get rough quickly out there.

There have still been some good snapper caught on the tide change as well as some nice-sized nannygai.

I recently had a fish for some whiting. Normally at this time of year the numbers are big, and if you get fish they are of good size. I like to try different things all the time to try to work these fish out because they are one of my favourite fish to catch on light gear and are amazing to eat. I recently managed a nice feed with fish over 40cm, taken on pipi and squid baits.

Fishing the change of tide is a must because the whiting love the first run of the tide change. I do like berleying heavily at the start to get them going, and when they start biting I take it out. I

A great 115kg tuna taken off Apollo Bay. have found that if you leave the berley in, the trevally can move in and you may never get another whiting.

With the northerly winds we’ve had lately, there have been some nice gummies

caught off the beach as well as plenty of nice salmon caught along the coast. A mate also got some nice garfish off the rocks recently.

This is a good time of year for them as well.

Head for the lower estuaries this August COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Most of our estuaries are open with discoloured ‘fresh’ water running out to meet the salty sea.

Concentrate your efforts in the lower reaches where the clear, salty water is pushing up and meeting the dirty water.

Bait and lures treated with an added scent have helped a few land a bream, especially in the Hopkins.

The ski run has been the go but fish in towards the cliff face in the murky shallows using a smelly bait, such as packet prawn fished on a lightly weighted running sinker rig, as this area is snag alley. For land-based fishos right in front of Lyndoch aged care facility and literally cast at your feet. The fish are holding very close to the bank.

In the Curdies, the bream are currently holding

Murky water doesn’t stop the Curdies bream from biting. It’s just a matter of finding what works on a given day.

tight to the bank in the lower reaches, so from Dances Road downstream to the lake, the bream are feeding as much out of the main current as possible. Boat anglers cast along the bank, not out into open water.

The bream and perch are taking diving minnow lures fished right along the weed edge; metal blades, such as the Damiki Vault in black worked in close off the bottom has been successful.

Soft plastic aficionados should be employing a slightly heavier jig head than the norm. The fish are currently biting with gusto rather than timid nibbling, which normally occurs in clear water. Reports are of fat bream coming into the cleaning tables and no sign yet of spawn or egg growth but that will change in the very near future.

Offshore has been good with calmer weather allowing bigger boats offshore. In depths of 70m+

some nice knifejaw, blue grenadier, morwong and school shark, along with the odd pinkie, have been caught using bottom bouncing gear weighed down with 8oz sinkers with the boat using a drogue (sea anchor) to counteract any current drift. Braided lines are a must here as they stay straighter and they cut through the water on the drift, whereas monofilament or fluorocarbon lines bow with horizontal movement lifting the bait off the bottom. A 20lb breaking strength is enough to control most fish.

The tuna are really starting to come on with plenty of small school fish weighing in around a few kilos up to bigger specimens of 30kg and over. They are working the surface and not that far out either. Reports of feeding schools as little as 8kg from shore are common.

AUGUST 2021

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VIC

Expect bigger and better fishing this winter GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

August is a cold son of a month around Geelong and the Bellarine. In years gone by, August meant packing everything in the shed until the snapper and whiting came back. I can’t say whether there are more fish around, more people fishing or both, but our winters seem to be getting better and better.

We had some decent rains so the Barwon in Geelong went all coffee on us so your freshwater options are Wurdee Buloc or Stoney Creek Reservoir. Stoney is the pick for clear, sheltered water but big smelting trout can rip through baitfish in the murky shallows of Wurdee on a calm day so keep an eye on the weather. Calm, head to Wurdee, breezy, give Stoney Creek a go.

Going back over my records, there are definitely more pinkie snapper, whiting and larger flathead coming over the desk as fishing reports. Techniques have definitely improved and knowledge sharing over social media and the internet has seen skill levels and fish captures increase on a much sharper gradient than the pre-internet days of the early 90s. More anglers are fishing the same way for whiting in winter as the do in summer and reaping the rewards.

Torquay fishermen have fished for whiting through winter for as long as I can remember. Geelong people called this ‘the winter run off Torquay’ – well, maybe they just didn’t stop? There are definitely ebbs and flows with numbers and sizes of whiting but more and more anglers are consistently catching them throughout winter – and there’s no secret method other than putting on

Alex had a ball catching salmon and estuary perch on the Surf Coast. a beanie and going.

This time last year, whiting were flat stick off Curlewis in 6m of water. I’m sure they’ll be there again as there are no nets allowed to round them up. They were mostly in six meters but friends were getting them towards Portarlington in less than three metres on glassy sunny days so there goes my theory about dirty water and overcast days bringing them on the bite. It can be hard to pick a bottom with sand and weed combo in six meters unless the sun is high on clear water. I was just anchoring and casting around the boat until the rig came back without weed. If you landed in the weed, there were hordes of mini leatherjackets and small wrasse that would make short work of your bait.

Berley worked on the whiting of course but also got those bait stealers excited.

Geelong waterfront has been going off its head with plenty of pinkies, snotty

trevally, salmon and flatties jumping on baits and lures.

The wave attenuator, Wangim Walk is super popular with fishos targeting the mini pinkies and salmon with both baits and plastics.

Note that it does close off to the public after dark and when the northerlies make it hazardous so plan your trip.

There has been a lot of undersized snapper pinching baits and lures around the Geelong waterfront with a few legal length fish maxing out around 35cm to keep people happy.

The salmon have been sporadic and showing up unannounced crashing baitfish parties all over Corio Bay. Predicting where and when is the tricky bit. Calm conditions has been best for spotting them and keep an eye out for birds diving.

Salmon have also been on the wrong end of the food chain copping a bit of the same treatment from the local dolphin population ripping

Some solid winter reds have been caught by those prepared to put in the long hours.

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when the weather is best. So, if you’re in the region, hit Rod up for a boat ride, grab a pie from a local milk bar and drop in for a pot ‘n parmi at the local once the fish are cleaned up. Small coastal towns rely in the tourist dollar so toss ‘em a few next time you’re in town.

Queenscliff has seen some ripping silver trevally biting in the cut and boat harbour with some pushing 50cm. Motor oil coloured soft plastics have always done well here so pack a few of them. Time your assault with the slack water (no tidal flow) and you’ll be in with a good shot.

Tibby Flora has been fishing for whiting out off St Leonards with good success.

Interestingly, he has found them biting best right on 4pm when most others that have been fishing all day have given up. He notes that the bite did not happen until the flood tide whereas they will

on a recent trip. Alex had never fished the river before so credit to him for dragging a few residents out. Alex fished the deeper, shaded areas with high flow and slowed down his lure retrieve, which saw him grab plenty of salmon and perch around the low 30cm mark. Standout lures were the Daiwa Tournament Spike 53P in lazer ayu being slow rolled along deeper drop-offs while the ZMan Slim Swimz 2.5 in motor oil claiming a majority of the larger fish for the day.

August can see some solid salmon patrol in closer along the Surf Coast Beaches and rock platforms. Past reports tell me to expect the best fish to nudge 3kg but these are most common from rock platforms.

While beach fishos can expect more fish, just less than 3kg.

Surf Coast rock platforms are best fished with lures while those fishing the beach can opt for a leisurely bait soak

Tibby Flora has done very well on the whiting at St Leonards using a squid/pilchard combo as bait. into them here and there. The whole food chain thing is pretty cool to watch when it’s putting on a show.

The Bellarine Piers have been producing whiting and calamari with the best time being dawn and dusk. Clifton Springs jetty in particular has seen solid captures of calamari for a few lucky anglers while Portarlington and St Leonards piers have been more consistent for those targeting squid and whiting.

Rod Ludlow from Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head says squid have been the main game at Indented Head with good numbers and mixed sizes. They seem very widespread from Governors Reef right around to Grassy Point of Portarlington.

Flathead have also been plentiful for anglers drifting in about 8-12m of water with bluebait, pilchard fillets and whitebait.

Rod says things have been pretty slow with lock downs and all, which seem to be

often feed on the ebb tide.

Tibby also uses a pilchard/ squid cocktail bait and says it has been out fishing both those baits when presented by themselves. Tibby says most of the fish have been small at around 30-35cm with the odd fish around 40cm. Tibby also has a great YouTube channel and website called The Happy Fisherman. There is some great underwater footage that shows you what goes on when you’re whiting fishing.

The Barwon River estuary has also been on fire with silver trevally, topping 45cm, grabbing baits on the incoming tide. Bait fishos should try pilchard fillets or raw chicken as bait tied onto a paternoster or if the tide will allow, a lightly weighted paternoster rig.

Alex McCormick had a great session down the Surf Coast recently. Alex says he found estuary perch and salmon in good numbers throughout the Aire River along the West Campground

in a gutter or walk the beach piffing lures at every likely gutter, hole and current.

Those fishing out off Lorne have enjoyed a run of flathead to 50cm+.

Typically, these are best caught around summer and in 50m+ but have been found in around 25m – nobody is complaining though!

There has been some XOS tuna around the 120kg mark caught down near Apollo Bay – let’s hope they drop by the Surf Coast again this year.

FISH HARD – DIE HAPPY! Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterfish@gmail.com with “FMG” in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish.

Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1mb (file size).

Tracking makos on the move Your recreational fishing licence fees are funding a two-year project that’s revealing amazing secrets about the movement of shortfin mako sharks in Victoria and beyond!

A 1.95 metre female mako we nicknamed Susie, in honour of a great Australian swimmer, was tagged by our science team off Port Fairy. Her satellite tag tracked her southeast to King Island, then all the way around Tasmania’s southern tip, coming back across Bass Strait to surface near Eden on the NSW south coast. That’s a journey of 1,800 km in four weeks or 60km per day on average! She’s since headed further north past Sydney to Newcastle, racking up nearly 2,200km since first being tagged.

That’s one marathon swim!

Another mako nicknamed Bruce is a 2.2 metre male, also tagged off Port Fairy. He went west upon release, all the way to the SA-WA border, along the edge of the Continental Shelf. Bruce then settled in for several weeks, hanging out below Nullabor in the Great Australian Bight.

We’ll be tagging more makos this summer.

Follow them, Susie and Bruce’s most excellent adventure on our real-time interactive map at www.vfa.vic.gov.au/makotagging

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

VIC

Back to basics: bread and butter species PPB WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

The water temperature has plummeted over the last month and many of the fish species that we generally catch in good numbers have gone quiet. But don’t fret, as there is still some great fishing to be had if you can brave the cold conditions. So get out the beanie and some thermals and set your sights on some fun winter’s fishing.

Winter is a great time of year to target some back to basic bread and butter species. Garfish, or as we call them the humble mini marlin, will have piers packed far and wide around Melbourne. Some great spots to target them span across the Mornington Peninsula including Frankston Pier, Mordialloc Pier and

Michael Smith caught this garfish off a local jetty.

Beaumaris Pier. Closer in Melbourne near Princess Pier and Kerferd Pier and heading out towards the Bellarine

Peninsula in Geelong and St Leonards. These fish are so much fun to target on light spinning gear. They also taste great and make a great source of bait for gummy sharks and other local species. Garfish are easily accessible from many piers, jetties, and rock walls, whilst being a great species for kids and beginners to target.

To catch garfish, grab an ultralight spin rod with a sensitive tip. Ideally one with a slow action so you don’t pool hooks as gars have very small mouths. Pair the rod with a 1000 or 2000 spin reel and 4-6lb line. Float rigs are the best way to catch garfish and to get your baits in the optimal strike zone.

A typical float rig for Gars will consists of 2-rod lengths worth of 6lb fluorocarbon leader joined to your main line using a simple double uni knot. Attach a pencil float to the leader about 50cm up followed by several split shots spread evenly and finished with either a size 12 long shank hook or a size 12 fly hook depending on

the bait that you’re using.

Good baits include silverfish or live maggots, you can use small pieces of flesh baits like small pieces of pilchard and squid.

Berley is the key to catching garfish. This is very important regardless of whether your fishing landbased on a pier or jetty or out in the sea on your boat or kayak. Continually add berley into an isolated area every 5-10 minutes to keep them coming in and active.

You can buy premade berley or you can make your own buy using ingredients such as aniseed oil, breadcrumbs and a splash of saltwater.

The key here is getting the berley to a soft sandy mixture that can be thrown a few metres from where you are standing. That sandy consistency will ensure that you are bringing the garfish in from far and wide and not just feeding them.

I have used the setup above and had many successful gar outings this past month around port

Winter is a good time to target bream.

Berley is the key to catching garfish.

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VIC

Weather conditions are very cold but calm PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

The distinct and unmistakeable winter calm that traditionally happens this time of year is in full swing. Sadly, this month is often the coldest for Western Port bay but generally the wind is often at its least.

A lot of anglers have long put away the boat as the cold days are too much to handle, but trust me, they are missing out.

As we head into spring, we have the beginning of the ‘official season’ if we are to go off of previous years the larger snapper are due to arrive in good numbers any time soon.

This winter has been a good one with plenty of good consistent reports, there was only a few weeks From page 84

Melbourne, Frankston and Corio. There is something simple yet special about this style of fishing.

Waiting for the float to disappear into the water as a mini marlin takes the bait is exciting for all anglers regardless of their ability.

An hour each side of peak high tide seems to be the best time as this encourages the gars to come well into the shallows in accessible areas. There is a video on the FishingMad YouTube Channel, which shows how to rig up and create berley to catch garfish, which we highly recommend checking out.

This is also a good

where there weren’t many reports and that was held mainly due to either being in lockdown or some freak storm that made the water that dirty the fish couldn’t even see the bottom.

The main species throughout this winter has continued to be whiting, the main reports have been coming from the nice areas with the big sandy bottoms. Even the rough days where the water clarity hasn’t offered the most favourable conditions the whiting have certainly still been hungry.

As a lot of people are beginning to discover, pipis are becoming very hard to find. South Australia has tightened up a lot of the focus around conservation and therefore resulting in us having a shortened season where we are able to stock

them. Unfortunately from what we hear, there are no collections again until October 2021. While this may seem like the end of the world to some of our whiting fishers, it is not.

There is always more than one species of bait for each species of fish, after all, if the fish is hungry it will eat.

The absence of pipis doesn’t mean you cannot chase whiting, instead try using nice thin strips of squid, thread it on the hook once or twice, make it look like a worm. It’s the presentation off the bait that makes the fish want to eat it more than the flavour.

Another local secret to try is to try pilchard. What a lot of the locals actually do is fillet the pilchard, as you would a big fish not different and use just that, they will love it.

Offshore flathead have still been rewarding those dedicating time out of the bay. The flathead have been scattered, some finding them at 40m whilst others finding them nice and close to the shore in 15-20m. Majority of these have been a by-catch from those who still continue to chase the tuna.

The beaches fired up in patches this week and some quality salmon were caught with the bigger fish all caught on lures. The best of the beaches was Kilcunda near the bridge and then up towards the Powlett.

There was plenty reported but for those standing on the beach most of the day all they caught was smaller ones every now and again, then a school would come through and if you were very quick at changing baits or had lures all the

salmon in the school were 1.5kg or better and up to almost 3kg models. The beach at Woolamai was a little more consistent with regular catches but there were not the schools going through like at Kilcunda.

The salmon at Woolamai were a bit smaller as well and again we had several reports at Anzacs to the right, lures only cast over the shallower water.

Calamari reports were good when the weather allowed and seem to be much bigger, and not too many exceedingly small ones.

It was difficult at times with the weed and dirty water, especially for the cast and retrieve with artificial lures. Some good reports from the beach at Woolamai but only from a short period each day, a couple of hours over

the high tide change. Boat reports we got were all from those casting artificial lures with a variety of colour working, we also had several reports from the jetties of the calamari swimming up to the jigs to have a look but not taking them and it did not seem to matter what colour you were using.

Overall, there has been some great catches and a lot of bad in-between, but still consistently varied. We get a lot of phone calls asking if it’s worth going fishing or bringing the boat down, the simple answer is yes.

If you bring it down, there is no guarantees that you will catch a fish but if you do not and you miss out on the nice weather then you simply missed out.

A bad day’s fishing is always better than a good day mowing the lawns.

time of year to be targeting bream. Whether this is along the Maribrynong or Yarra River using baits or flicking shallow diving hardbody lures and soft plastics whilst walking the banks or fishing from your kayak or boat.

This is where ultra light fishing gear comes into its own and quite possible my favourite form of fishing. A 1-3kg rod paired with a 1000 or 2000 spin reel spooled with 4-6lb line is a fun way of fishing. I like to target bream with soft plastics mainly 2.5” paddle-tails and 2.5” grubs. Using a 1/12 all the way through to 1/28 HWS jighead depending on the depth that your fishing and volume of weed and

debris in the water. I find this time of year bream are sitting deeper and working your plastic slowly with some scent smeared on the tail is a great way to encourage bites. I also find that this is the time of year where you land bigger size bream. The volume of catches might be down but the quality is high and well worth the effort even in cold conditions.

And of course, always remember at this time of year that salmon are very active. They frequently congregate in their masses in the shallows around Corio, Geelong, Werribee, Altona and Port Melbourne. You just need a little luck t be in the right place at the right time

and I have really enjoyed some amazing sessions both land based and out on the boat or kayak catching salmon after salmon and working my way through some big schools of feisty sambos. Pound-for-pound Australian salmon are one of the best fighting fish and I generally always have a rod rigged and ready to throw a plastic or surface lure at a passing swarm of salmon.

Tangling with these fish with light spinning gear is an absolutely thrill so always been on the lookout for surface action, like bubbling water and active bird life, which are a great indicator to an amazing day out on the water.

Until next time, good fishing everyone. Please feel free to reach out to me directly to share your fishing experiences and catches around Melbourne, Port Phillip Bay and beyond which we can feature in next month’s article. You

can contact me by email at alan@fishingmad.com.au.

Also don’t forget to follow my fishing adventures through my website www. fishingmad.com.au, and to subscribe to the FishingMad YouTube channel www.

youtube.com/c/fishingmad.

We can also follow us on social media on Facebook page www. facebook.com/fishingmad. com.au, Instagram page w w w. i n s t a g r a m . c o m / fishingmad.com.au.

The ever-reliable grub is great for bream.

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550 TROJAN AUGUST 2021

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Challenging conditions for dedicated anglers PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

The cold, wet and windy winter weather has continued for the past month on the bay, and unlike the same time last year, we have had long periods of substantial rainfall and extended periods of strong winds.

Some crisp morning frosts on the calmer days have also made early starts a bit of challenge for the dedicated anglers.

During any normal Melbourne winter, local anglers like to think of all kinds of excuses not to go fishing on the bay, and are normally looking for other fishing options further

afield. During the clear calm days, this is always a bit of a head scratcher, but if you’re one of the dedicated ones that sticks around the bay over winter, there’s plenty of fishing options available for all anglers.

The start of the annual spawning migration of snapper into the bay is only a month or two away from starting in earnest, and already many snapper diehards are talking about getting ready for the upcoming season. For some time, many experts have been predicting that the upcoming season will be the best and most prolific we have experienced in a long time. Consequently, many of the bay’s snapper diehards are already digging in, and getting everything ready for

Big schools of salmon busting up on the surface have been a feature this month.

the upcoming season.

For anglers keen to try their luck for a snapper over the coming month from a boat or from the rocks and piers, there are still plenty of resident reds in PPB if you’re willing to put in the hours. Bite windows are normally short lived during the colder months of the year, but the quality of the snapper at times can more than make up the difference.

Much like last year, we have enjoyed a good run of winter snapper out from the wider marks around Mornington and Mount Martha and also further south. This is normally a feature around the changes of seasons in late autumn.

Smaller pinkie snapper and school-sized fish have also been reported by those anglers fishing the inshore areas and reefs, both at anchor with baits, and fishing lures from a drifting boat. As always, be prepared to endure some undersized fish, and they can be very annoying at times, but it’s worth taking the time to return these juveniles back to the water unharmed.

Those angler ’s concentrating their efforts around the deeper snapper marks have also been rewarded by some reliable fishing for gummy sharks, especially in our local areas, and also further south. In fact, more and more anglers are specifically targeting this great fish in PPB this winter, not just next door in Western Port. Anglers have been reporting that fillet baits of salmon and slimy mackerel have been best, and fresh trevally is also a great gummy bait.

Be prepared to put up with a fair bit of by-catch, but the rewards are worth it when it all comes together.

The wider marks in 18-21m out from Mornington to Safety Beach have been very reliable, as well as a variety of marks further south as well.

Some big gummy sharks, like this one caught offshore by Gerry Morsman, have also been showing up in PPB of late.

The squid fishing, both land-based and from the boat, has been very consistent over the last month, both locally and further south, after a slower start than normal earlier in the year. Periods of rain and wind tend to concentrate the calamari in areas of cleaner and calmer water, so keep an eye out for more protected areas during these times. Some bigger models have been turning up more consistently, especially further south in the bay, but the Mornington area has produced plenty of larger than average calamari over the past month.

Another feature over the last month has been very reliable and productive

bread-and-butter fishing, especially from the local piers and jetties, and within the rivers and estuaries as well. Salmon have been very reliable along the inshore areas, and good numbers of mullet are keeping anglers busy, especially in the Patterson River. Numerous reports have been coming in of some ripper garfish being taken over the last month as well.

This current run of gars is in line with similar fishing at the same time last year and is certainly keeping anglers busy on the clear and calm winter days, with big bags of fish up to 40cm on offer. The use of berley is crucial to keep the fish on the chew, and it

doesn’t hurt to keep a larger bait or lure in the area at the same time, with some big salmon hanging around the gars, especially from the larger piers.

Lastly, the bait and lure fishing for bream in Patterson Lakes has been excellent of late. Lure fishers have been doing very well from kayaks and boats throughout the canal system, mostly on soft plastics fished slowly on the bottom. Lure fishers have also been cashing in on some great estuary perch action at night as well in the canals. Bait fishers have been doing very nicely as well in the main river system with baits of scrubworms, yabbies and others.

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East Coast

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Storms and floods won’t stop keen anglers GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

Is there any more that nature can throw at us.

First the drought and fires of 2019 and ’20 followed up by that pesky pandemic

the next month or two.

FISHING AFTER THE FLOODS I will get to the fishing reports soon and I’ve got some great news, but I have to expand on just how devastating this winter storm has been. Gale force winds around 100kmh are the worst

came the floods. Rainfall totals in some areas were between 200 to 300mm in just over 24 hrs. Some creeks and rivers rose quicker than anyone had seen in living memory and a few of those feed straight into the Gippy Lakes. I’d say I’ve seen higher flood levels in recent

Just after the Gippy Lakes floods, the bream lure fishing was red hot some days, with most bream over 40cm. However, other days produced donuts! still hanging around and now the latest onslaught.

The deluge and wind storms of June 2021 will be remembered as probably Victoria’s worst.

The Gippy Lakes area was one of the hardest hit. But don’t worry the fishing has already bounced back and hopefully continues into

many have ever seen and so many huge fallen trees shut countless roads and destroyed too many homes.

Thousands of homes were left without power for up to 3 weeks or more and that’s unheard of in my books.

Watching the news reports was like seeing the wreckage of a Victorian cyclone. Then

years like 2007 and ’12 so from a fishing perspective I knew what to expect. A lot of us know that high stream flows can really fire up fish feeding behaviour and I’ve learnt how to tackle dirty floodwaters like many other anglers. Sometimes the results can be stunning and this flood event delivered the

goods yet again.

BREAM AND PERCH After about a week or so as the rivers gradually dropped and slowed down a few of us started to explore the area. The Nicholson River was one of the first to produce and huge numbers of bream from the entrance right up to the railway bridge had schooled up. It’s one thing to sound up thousands of bream but a real challenge to get them biting. Some cracked the code and the stand out lures were soft plastic grubs worked extra slow and deep producing bream to 40cm and even the odd estuary perch around the bridge pylons. As the Mitchell R dropped a few reports came in from the Silt Jetties and bream mostly 30 to 38cm were taking prawn baits and blade lures. Closer to town there was a big log jam on the Bairnsdale highway bridge and that gives you some indication of how much water came steaming down from the huge Mitchell catchment. I predict this river will be the hotspot into the next month or two as the bream spawning season ramps up. I joined a good mate for our first post flood look at Hollands Landing and we didn’t know what to expect. I pictured a muddy flow of chocolate water but although it was very high to our amazement rather clean. It took a little while to work out where the fish were but I knew working blade lures deep and slow was our best bet and over the next five hours the results were stunning. Between us we released 28 cracking bream with only about 10 of them under 40cm! Our best six fish measured around 43 and 45cm and I weighed one fat model at 1.49kg. We also found two EP at 36 and

38cm. It proved yet again that floods are the lifeblood of all estuaries and if you want to catch lots of big fish, just add water! A day later another mate Mickey Dee went to try his luck on these big fish and absolutely smashed them.

He used his own home-made blades to return an amazing 13 bream to 42cm and 12 estuary perch to 45cm. He said one massive perch he dropped at the net would have been 50cm.

In a cruel twist, the three of us returned to Hollands Landing just a few days later and couldn’t wait to do battle with these treasured big fish, but it wasn’t to be. To prove that no two days fishing are ever the same, we worked for hours and hours without so much as a bump! We didn’t land a single bream, and just when we expected a grand

haul of trophy fish, the bream decided to teach us a lesson.

The only joy was me finally finding two perch and my mates getting one each, all around 38cm.

LOOKING AHEAD With all this fresh water around, the bream spawning run will be a cracker. They won’t have to push into the very upper river reaches like in drought years. With that in mind, I expect the Tambo River to fish well a couple of kilometres either side of the boat ramp and up around the highway bridge. I’ve already mentioned the Mitchell River and expect the Nicho to keep holding massive schools of bream in its lower reaches.

As for Hollands Landing, well good luck with that because I can’t work the joint out! Great one day – devastation the next.

Double hook-ups have been common when the bream have been feeding hard in the recent fast-flowing freshwater. These two bream, measuring 40cm and 42cm, took blade lures.

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AUGUST 2021

rod fire starter). Together they create a portable, easy to use solution for safe and efficient campfire cooking.

All the components of Campfire Trio are lightweight and extremely portable. Grill M1 and Fire Safe are both made of

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The Grill M1 has a foldable frame and rollable grill surface, weighs approx. 1kg, and fits easily in a backpack. Unlike other portable grills, it has a 2-part assembly: a frame that you spread open and a cooking surface that you unroll and secure in place.

Want to adjust the height of your grill? No problem, just move the stainless steel stoppers to your desired height mode: 8” Mode (the highest position for cooking over a wood fire), 6” Mode (for charcoal BBQ or lower burning flames), and Stay-Flat Mode (use objects as props to cook as

high or as low as you want.

When you’re ready to transport it, simply fold the frame, roll the cooking surface into it then zip it away into the included premium carrying case.

Using a clever directional airflow design, The Fire Safe is an extremely lightweight, portable and ultra-efficient solution to clean-burning wood and charcoal whilst out in the field. Its patentpending design features two parts – a frame that unfolds and sits flat on the ground, and an insert that unfolds and clicks into place within the frame. The Fire Safe insert has a segmented corrugated design so you can add fuel to separate

sections at a time, depending on how much food you need to cook.

Once your coals have cooled, just lift up the Fire Safe insert and safely dispose of the ashes. The whole system packs down into a case that’s less than 1” thick and weighs less than 1kg.

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These products are also available separately. For more information visit www.wolfandgrizzly.com or look up their videos on YouTube. – W&F

VIC

East Coast

Smelly baits in dirty water LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

The Gippsland lakes is an ever-changing fishery, with heavy rains dramatically changing the fishing over the past month. Here’s

what’s been happening.

LAKES ENTRANCE The heavy rains throughout the Gippsland region really changed up the fishery, with dirty floodwater washing throughout the lake system. The dirty water slick could be seen pushing way

out into the ocean.

The typical crystal-clear weed beds that our local King George whiting call home have become extremely dirty, and visibility has been limited to 15-20cm deep.

This has made local sandy patches around the weed bed

Catching trevally on metals is always fun.

very difficult to fish, forcing anglers to make the most of good sounders, and use fresh bait with plenty of smell. In my experience, local fresh mussel is the go and produces great results.

Lure anglers have been doing well using camo Gulp Sandworms worked along the bottom. Jigheads around the 1/8oz mark have made it to bottom in the heavy current flow.

Australian salmon have been widespread throughout the lake but have been highly common around the lower sections. The dirty water line created by the fresh water meeting the clean ocean water from the high tide has made an ideal area for salmon to ambush small baitfish. Small soft plastics have a deadly approach, and flickbait or jerkbait style minnows have been the go.

LAKE TYERS Peaking at 2.1m above normal levels, the lake opened to the ocean, causing the water level to drop rapidly. The smell from all the flooded vegetation around the lake edges is rather unpleasant, but this hasn’t stopped anglers from getting out and exploring the lake and finding where the fish have moved to after such a massive change.

Local fresh mussel is the author’s preferred bait for King George whiting.

The main lake basin has been producing large tailor, with anglers having good success trolling large metal lures around the many points, especially early and late in the day.

The Nowa Nowa arm has been a good producer of bream. The deep holes and drop-offs have been yielding good catches, and metal vibes

are extremely productive and are very good for locating feeding fish.

HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for fish lately and have a great pic please send it to stevenprykefishing@gmail. com with short description, and you could be featured in the edition of Fishing Monthly.

Plenty of fun in the sun BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

Through the middle of winter, the keen anglers have been braving the elements and being rewarded with amazing catches of bream, luderick and tailor in the estuary. We have seen some frosty mornings followed by beautiful sunny days with no wind, which has made the fishing very enjoyable for the winter angler. At the time of writing the entrance is still open.

The Happy Hooker Angling Club, who are a catch-and-release group, have had some outstanding catches in recent weeks, including big bream to 47.5cm.

These fish are caught, measured on the angler’s brag mat, photographed and immediately released back into the system. This is great to see, as some of these big fish can be up to 50 years old, and many are valuable breeders.

There have also been good catches of perch around the weed beds and around the edges, with a couple of these fish

measuring 48cm.

The surf continues to produce great fishing.

A couple of our regular

anglers have been fishing every day, and have been catching up to 15 fish in a session, with the main

Anglers have been enjoying some beautiful sunny days.

Some quality bream have been caught and released in recent weeks.

species being salmon, tailor and sand flathead.

No reports on the river because we are still experiencing heavy flows and discoloration of the water. On the plus side, this does help to keep the entrance open and allows plenty of ocean water entering the system on the rising tides.

We are expecting August/September to be extremely busy months, so if you are planning a trip to Bemm, get your phone out and organize your accommodation so you won’t be disappointed – because Bemm won’t disappoint you.

Give me a call on 0427 584 233 – the phone is

always in my pocket!

• For on the spot and up to date fishing reports check out Robyn’s website: www. bemmaccommodation. com.au or ‘like’ us on Facebook – Bemm River Holiday Accommodation Phone: (03) 5158 4233/ Mob. 0427 584 233 Email: bemmaccomm@ bigpond.com.

AUGUST 2021

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Cold, wet, but blissfully quiet MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

It’s that time of year – cold and wet. Over the past month more rain has fallen in Gippsland

and the far south coast of New South Wales. These are the quiet months for Mallacoota with all the visitors to the area gone, returning once again as the temperature warms.

With all the rain, the smaller rivers and creeks

Jesse Rotin with a cracker of a whiting caught on a lure on the Bottom Lake.

are all flowing well with nearly all of them open to the ocean. The entrance to Mallacoota Lake is a lot deeper and wider than it’s been for a long time, which is great to see. The water is discoloured and will take a while to clear.

Overall a good flushing is great for the fishing in the coming years.

It’s good to see that once again you are able to launch your boat inside the lake and head out to sea.

When crossing the bar, you just need to pick the right day when ocean conditions allow. The launching ramp at Bastion Point has been silting up. Once again, the changing conditions and currents are bringing the sand in or taking it away; at present it’s filling up.

Offshore there had been some great fishing to report prior to the bad weather, with some big broadbill caught out of Mallacoota by those

heading out wide. Reports of kingfish in the area were still coming in, along with good catches of sand flathead and dusky flathead. However, prior to writing the report, very few boats had ventured offshore to get an update on the fishing due to the bad sea conditions.

Winter is the time for salmon fishing on the local beaches. With plenty of rough seas over the past few months, there are plenty of good gutters on all the beaches.

The real fishing action has been in the lake, as winter is bream fishing time! All keen bream anglers look forward to winter bream fishing.

There has been good fishing for yellowfin bream with the Bottom Lake around Harrisons Channel, a good area to fish with both lure and bait fishers getting their share of fish.

Kate Callow with a good bream caught on a soft plastic lure in Bakers Bight.

The fishing has been good for black bream, and the recent rain has kept the action at the bottom end of the system with plenty of fish caught.

As the water settles, the fish will make their way through the Top Lake and

up towards Gypsy Point.

For bream fishing, there will be plenty of good size fish on offer and they are always challenging.

Make sure you are prepared for the cold, as a day on the water at this time of year is really chilly.

Swords and kings will reign MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

With all the rain here, there has been truly little to report when it comes to fishing.

The rivers have been full and running a banker all month. However, when they finally recede the fishing should be great, with the estuary having a good flush out and allowing plenty of new fish into the system.

Offshore, well out into Bass Strait, the swordfish are still in big numbers, with several reports of anglers landing some great captures.

KINGFISH TOURNAMENT SUCCESS When the cold, rainy, short days of winter arrive, it always makes me happy because it’s the time of year when I go on my annual trip to fish the yellowtail kingfish tournament in

Cody Gillard caught this swordfish off Cape Conran.

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21 Marine Parade MARLO VIC

Russell, NZ. However, as you’ve probably guessed, the COVID outbreak meant we weren’t welcome in NZ this time around.

Fortunately, there was a tournament in Bermagui, and a bubble exists to allow anglers from Orbost to fish the tournament. On the other hand, we have fished the Russell International Yellowtail tournament for so many years without missing, some of the Kiwi residents banded together to take the trouble to join our club, so Aussie can have a representative team fishing the comp.

The Orbost Anglers team consisted of the skipper of the Diomedea, David Franks, and wife Jeanette, plus another local Tonya McKay and two lucky Aussies, Jeff Whyte and Michael Hamilton who just happened to be there.

On the first day fishing Jeff landed the biggest fish for the day, a beautiful kingfish weighing 23kg on 6kg line class on a very rough day. The next day was a lay day, and on the Tuesday Tonya landed two excellent kings, both over 15kg, and Jeff caught and released one estimated to be about 9kg.

Our usual game boat Target with skipper Ross Taylor with a no show from us had taken out Whakatane Junior Fishing Team and with good results, landing a 14.95kg king using 6kg line.

Day three was a real team effort. Jeff and Tonya caught one each and Mick caught his first kingfish, all to be weighed in later that

Jeff Whyte with a 23kg kingfish caught on 6kg line. day. The day’s weights were 13.5kg, 10.1kg and 8.4kg.

On day four Tonya bagged another two, one 12.9kg and other 15.1kg, taking her total to five kingfish for the tournament.

(Picture left to right Michael Hamilton, Tonya McKay, Jeff Whyte, Jeanette Franks, David Franks Skipper not in shot team Orbost Sports Game Fishing Club attached with Tonya’s last two kings) The tournament ended with our Orbost team

finishing fourth at the 51st International Yellowtail Tournament at Russell NZ, and our team members finishing with the biggest and second biggest kingfish by an overseas team.

Congratulations to the Orbost team, the Swordfish Club and all the other participating teams.

Next year I will have my own team there, hoping to either repeat the previous year’s success or improve upon it.

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Don’t miss out on the cold water cod action ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

A distinct lack of boat traffic along the river is sign enough that the fairweathered fishos have all but downed tools.

Content to hibernate in front of the wood heater, they prepare for

lands near the hungry fish.

A few cod have also been taken on trolled lures in the clear flows.

Perch have remained very elusive since the temperature drop, with just the odd one showing on bait. It’s a similar story downstream around the Boundary Bend area, with a few legal cod on bait and lures and just a few

honking cod on lures.

Much of the rock bar near the small island was sticking out in the clear flows, and several dozen pelicans were working the front where the flow drops back into the main river a good spot for big Murray cod as the schooling bony bream cluster here en masse. If you are up that way and the conditions

A solid Murray cod taken on bait. Chicken was this fish’s weakness.

Some of the biggest cod have been caught on spinnerbaits this season.

This one was caught by Clinton Hann on a Bassman DT spinnerbait. the coming warmth of spring and the annual run of golden perch that accompanies it.

Those of us inflicted with green fish fever continue the slog that is winter cod fishing, and this season seems particularly cold. Not only has it been cold but consistently wet, making river side launches out bush all but impossible.

In saying that, there have been a few good fish landed this past month on both bait and lures for those prepared to do the yards. Many of these fish have been suburban catches where town side concrete ramps offer boat access after the rain.

The Murray River at Swan Hill continues to produce some quality Murray cod on surface lures. While the bite has slowed a little, those fish boofing the top have most often been over the metre mark. Koolabung Wake Walkers and Bassman Aussie Crawlers have been the pick of the surface lures. The best colour is the one that 92

AUGUST 2021

goldens on bait.

The Murray River at Robinvale looks great but with few reports to go on it’s hard to say what’s happening. I stopped for a roadside look at the cut the other day where in past seasons I had boated some

are the same, it will be a great starting point for a chance at a cod.

Wemen continues to produce a few smaller cod on bait and lures, and a few more goldens than most other local sections of the Murray. Mostly

shallow and riddled with snags and rock bars, this section of river has always fished well for perch and is a favourite Sunday arvo bankside haunt when I am chasing a feed. It’s not too often that you’ll go home disappointed.

The best cod catches in the cold continue to come from between Mildura and Wentworth in the Murray River. Good numbers of Murray cod in the high 80cm range are being trolled on diving lures wide of the bank.

A few bigger fish to 114cm are being caught on cast spinnerbaits around the visible shorebased snags.

There are some very respectable golden perch in these areas which have

A ripper cod on the deck caught on a StumpJumper lure.

Cold morning starts are just part of fishing for winter cod.

also been hitting both the hardbodied lures and spinnerbaits. Some of the perch have measured in at 55cm so they are ripper fish.

With river variations dependant on rainfall

it’s hard to predict too far down the track, but if conditions don’t change too much the fishing should get better as the bigger cod begin to come back on as they acclimatise to the cool water.

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by anglers bait fishing around destination targeting redfin, the trees.

I would concentrate my CAMPASPE RIVER efforts in depths greater than The water clarity is 10m of water. Casting soft codhuntertours@bigpond.com currently good at most plastics and jigging ice jigs The water catchments in locations along the Campaspe are always good options at the Bendigo region are now River. Always be mindful this time of the year. Trolling getting saturated due to over the next few months as large hardbody lures or consistent rainfall events. water clarity can change very casting swimbaits and large Our local impoundments quickly after any significant lipless crankbaits are good have seen small rises in rainfall event which produces options if you are targeting a water levels, which is good inflows into the system. Murray cod at this location. encouraging.

Hopefully Anglers have been LODDON RIVER there will be some more catching small numbers The water clarity is good rainfall over the of golden perch and the currently very good at most next few months and our occasional Murray cod. The locations in the Loddon River impoundments can reach most productive lures for at the present time. There high water levels again. the golden perch have been haven’t been big numbers of I am predicting above suspending hardbody lures fish caught, but the occasional average rainfall and and lipless crankbaits. Good quality fish is being landed by potentially some associated lure options for the Murray dedicated anglers who have flooding this spring. This cod have been swimbaits, been putting in the effort. I prediction is not based on large spinnerbaits and large have had a couple of reports of any weather modelling or lipless crankbaits.

1m+ Murray cod which have ROCKLEA NORTH ROCKHAMPTON science – just the current The number of redfin been caught in the Loddon KAREE MARINE weather patterns. being RIFEN caughtBOATS in this system River in recent weeks.

LAKE has been low, but thisNorth will Rockhampton If you are targeting 1776 Ipswich RoadEPPALOCK Rocklea 6 Dooley Street Water The4927 next couple P: (07) 3875 1600levels are slowly improve.

P: (07) 9150 of Murray cod at this time of rising at this location, and months is often my favourite the year, always try to slow E: sales@kareemarine.com.au E: rifen.boats@bigpond.com the water clarity is still good time of the year to target your retrieve speed down.

W: www.kareemarine.com.au www.rifenboats.com.au around the majority of the some W:quality redfin. My Swimbaits, large spinnerbaits, lake. The water clarity is at favourite areas to target the lipless crankbaits and NORTHERN GOLD COAST BEACH River medium to large hardbody its poorest in the Twin Rivers redfin AIRLIE in the Campaspe section of the lake due to is along the edges OUTBOARD of weed CENTRE lures are good options. If ONSHORE MARINE WHITSUNDAY inflows. andWilliam cumbungi-lined are fishing the shallower Horizonrecent Shores Marina Woongoolba beds 17 Murray Drive you Cannonvale Redfin are making up the banks. Spinners, soft plastics sections of the Loddon, try P: (07) 5546 2480 P: (07) 4946 7286 majority of anglers’ captures and small hardbody lures are to concentrate your fishing E: onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au E: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au at this destination, although all good options. efforts in the deeper holes.

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VIC

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BENDIGO

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Weed beds are often productive areas at any time of the season.

NOOSAVILLE GOLD COAST SUNSHINE COASTa good MARINE TR MARINE locating concentration CAIRN CURRAN In the Loddon River at this of redfin has Noosaville not been easy. Water levels have been time of the year the deeper 122 Eumundi Road 167 Currumburra Road Ashmore Some of the redfin caught slowly rising in Cairn Curran. water will hold the best P: (07) 5449 7633 P: 07 5532 5812 lately have been up around If this trend continues, we concentrations of baitfish, E: sales@sunshinecoastmarine.com.au jason@trmarinegc.com.au 1-1.2kg, but most have shouldE:start to see the resident and in turn larger fish as well.

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Wetting a line in the sun WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

I really like August. It’s the last month of winter and spring is so close that you can feel it in the air.

Quite often late in August we start to see an

cod in the Ovens River in August and finding more success than we expected.

We did not catch any cod on lures, nor did we try overly hard. Most of our fishing was bait fishing. For me it was two baited lines, one with worms and one with cheese, and I managed

still closed in August, the trout fishing is restricted to lakes and dams. Lake William Hovell is the main trout fishing lake in the Ovens River system.

It is already full now and will still be full in August, that is one thing that I can guarantee.

This little yellowbelly was caught last August in the middle of Wangaratta. stocked in time for the winter school holidays each year. These include Merriwa Park Lake in Wangaratta, Glenrowan Recreation Reserve, Tronoh Dredge at Harrietville, Lake Sambell at Beechworth, Alans Flat waterhole at Yackandandah to name a few. All are stocked with yearling rainbow trout in

A stocking filled with dry dogfood is a cost effective and convenient cray fishing bait. increase in fish activity as the days are getting longer and the sun is just starting to feel that little bit warmer.

MURRAY COD August is a time of the year that many dedicated ‘big cod’ specialists really like. It’s a time for those guys to cast their huge lures into the well-known big cod waters like Lake Eildon, the Murray River etc. For me, it’s a time to throw a couple of baited lines in and wait patiently for a hungry Murray cod to swim past.

Last August a couple of mates and I managed to catch quite a few Murray cod. The 2020 COVID

to catch cod on both.

The key to Murray cod fishing success in August, as I found out last year, was to practice the ‘three Ps’: patience, persistence and perseverance. I worked out that if I sat there for long enough, eventually I had a half decent chance of catching an August Murray cod. This year I will be doing the exact same thing, subject to river conditions of course.

If you’re heading to Wangaratta this August and want to wet a line, just find yourself a nice spot to sit in the winter sun, drown some bait and relax. If you’re

Catching trout cod in a crayfish net using dog food in a stocking for bait is the author’s special skill.

2020 Victorian lockdowns forced us to learn to fish our local waterways better.

Brett Corker caught this nice Murray cod on cheese in the middle of Wangaratta. lockdown here in Victoria meant that we were forced to fish close to home, which saw us fishing for Murray 94

AUGUST 2021

lucky, a hungry Murray cod might just find your bait.

TROUT As the trout streams are

YELLOWBELLY August is a time of the year when a few yellowbelly may start to move. I expect the yellowbelly fishing to be a bit slow, however I will not be at all surprised if I pick one up while angling in the Ovens River. Last year I caught one on worms while angling in the middle of Wangaratta during August.

Aside from Lake William Hovell, we have many family-friendly trout fishing waterways that are

time for the winter school holidays, and will all still be worth fishing in August.

REDFIN August is a terrible time of the year to target redfin in this area – possibly the worst time of the year. Any redfin that I have caught in August has been a fluke, and usually a by-catch while targeting other species.

If there is redfin in the waterway that you are fishing then you may pick one up, however I personally will not be heading out anywhere to specifically target redfin in August.

I will be going to Lake William Hovell at some point, fishing with bait targeting whatever comes my way. I often catch trout there, and occasionally I fluke a redfin or two during August, however I would never head there in August to intentionally target redfin because it is usually quite slow.

If I was going to set out after yellowbelly during August, I would probably go a bit further away and try Lake Nillahcootie, focussing on the shallow water and in the sun.

I do know that during August the yellowbelly fishing can really fire up in the western part of Victoria, particularly around the

Mildura area, however it is much colder here than it is there, and the yellowbelly usually start to really bite about a month later.

CARP Carp are a great fishing option at any time of the year. They generally slow down quite a bit during winter, however they still bite well enough to make them a viable target species.

Lake Moodemere is my favourite carp fishing spot in the cooler months, however last year there was a definite surge in carp numbers in the Ovens River during August and September, which provided me with a lot of bait fishing fun.

CRAYFISH August is the last month of the year when the catching of Murray crayfish is allowed. Cray fishing season closes at midnight on 31 August.

Where to go craying is largely dependent on the river conditions. Finding nice calm backwaters can be a struggle when the river is really high. If all else fails, the top end of Lake Mulwala from Majors Creek to Bundalong is always worth a try. There are a lot of little crayfish in that area, and some large females.

Finding a large male can be a challenge because it is such a popular cray fishing area. And just a reminder, that area is NSW, so NSW rules and regulations apply.

The author with a monster Murray crayfish caught in the Ovens River in June this year. It measured 135mm from its eye to its tail. Well over the maximum size and with eggs, this beauty went back.

VIC

Trout biting around Ballarat BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

The winter chill has definitely hit home now, with many of our lakes and reservoirs being deserted.

Only the die-hard fishos are out and about. For those anglers who have rugged up

order of the day, and it takes a bit of luck to know which direction they are chasing the smelt, to get your fly or lure in front of the feeding trout.

The trout generally target the schools of smelt in most of our waters during the winter months as it’s generally the only food source that they have to feed on, due to the

his Bent Minnow. Then, on the very next cast a massive bow wave started chasing his Bent, and all of a sudden it was engulfed. Steve said the trout took off like a freight train, and certainly pulled some string, and after a good battle he landed a very nice male brown trout estimated between 5-6lb. After a few

cast lures at, although there was enough action to get me interested in another trip.

Ezra Dowling has been targeting the smelters at Tullaroop over the past few months fly fishing. They are frustrating to catch, especially in glassed out conditions. For whatever reason, the calmer the conditions, the more they feed on smelt at Tullaroop, which is opposite to what you would think. Ezra has persisted and been rewarded for his efforts, catching some lovely brown trout to around 4lb. The most successful fly pattern he has used over the past few months has been an olive damsel fly pattern, generally stripped pretty quick. If you can get that fly in front of them quick enough, they have been happy to eat it.

Tullaroop will continue to fish well, that’s my prediction right through to

Ben Young landed a ripping male brown trout from Lake Wendouree casting an Ecogear Powershad. Image courtesy of Ben Young.

Wayne Rigg trolled up this lovely 46cm rainbow trout using a Daiwa Double Clutch. Image courtesy of Wayne Rigg. and put on their thermals, the rewards have been there for them, with some magnificent trout being caught around the district.

Tullaroop Reservoir has

colder temperatures stopping any insect hatches.

Steve Angee heard that the trout were on the chew at Tullaroop, so he thought he’d better venture up for a look.

happy snaps, he was released to fight another day.

Wayne Rigg and Trev Holmes thought they’d try their luck trolling lures at Tullaroop recently. The boys launched the boat at the dam wall and trolled their way down around the Galloways area, landing some very small redfin on deep diving hardbodied lures. The trout were proving to be a bit elusive until Rigzy decided to try a Double Clutch lure which was hammered straight away by a 45cm rainbow trout that went like the clappers. After a few photos it was released. The boys said there were a lot of trout chasing smelt but not consistent enough for them to

Steve Angee landed this ripper brown trout from Tullaroop Reservoir on a Bent Minnow. Image courtesy of Steve Angee. the start of summer. Fingers crossed we get some very good rains and the water levels will rise over new ground for the trout to move into the shallows to feed. I am so much looking forward to this, especially after the fishing we had last spring.

Lake Wendouree has really slowed down, with

Igor Krasnowsky landed this magnificent 2kg chunk of a rainbow trout from Moorabool Reservoir on a Red Buzzer fly suspended under an indicator. Image courtesy of Igor Krasnowsky. been the top fishery over the late autumn/early winter months, with anglers catching some quality rainbow and brown trout. The excellent fishing will continue for those anglers who are prepared to hit the water in August. The trout are mainly feeding on small bait fish/ smelt. The ‘smelters’, as they are referred to, can be very frustrating to catch but at the same time very rewarding.

Quick, accurate casts are the

Steve’s method of choice was casting hardbodied lures from the shore. He went to one of his favoured areas to fish only to find the wind was blowing into that area, so it was time for plan B. He headed up near the dam wall and started casting a Bent Minnow along the shoreline. Steve said he’d covered a lot of water with no joy, then his luck changed – a rainbow trout nearly beached itself trying to eat

Ezra Dowling landed this golden coloured 4lb brown trout on an olive damsel fly pattern at Tullaroop Reservoir. Image courtesy of Ezra Dowling.

not many fishers and few reports filtering through. Ben Young certainly knows how to catch them at Wendouree though, catching some lovely browns from when other anglers are struggling to get a bite. During the winter months Ben likes to target Wendouree mostly from the shore, casting soft plastics, he picks the shores where the wind has been blowing into, generally early mornings on his way to work. Ben then prospects with plastics, his favourite being an Ecogear Powershad. One recent early morning session Ben worked one particular area, got one follow then he worked back over the same area on his way back to his car when a magnificent brown trout of around 60cm nailed his plastic. Ben said the brown put up a great fight before being landed, and it was released to fight another day. Lake Wendouree will continue to be tough for the next month or so before we start to see a few insect hatches occur and the fishing improve.

At Moorabool Reservoir the water level is slowly on the rise. The fish are still

in spawning mode with the odd one moving into the shallows chasing smelt.

The weed beds, which have hindered our fishing for the past few months, are now just under the surface. For those anglers who haven’t been fishing Moorabool for a while when the water level was low, it’s an optical illusion at the moment. A lot of flies and lures will get fouled up on the weed until the water rises a lot more, unless you are using surface lures or stripping files really quick. For those who have fished Moorabool recently, the areas that are clear of weed are reportedly the areas to target.

Igor Krasnowsky, who regularly fly fishes Moorabool, has landed some lovely rainbow trout up to 2kg. Igor has been using a different type of set-up when fly fishing Moorabool. He has been fishing a Red Buzzer fly pattern under an indicator, a method that works extremely well in very weedy lakes is New Zealand. You look for pockets of clear water in amongst the weed and cast your fly into the pockets, and the indicator holds the fly up over the weed. The cruising trout then come along and eat the fly. I haven’t used this method myself, but I do know it is deadly overseas.

It’s something other fly fishers could to think about with some of our other weedy lakes in the district.

At Moorabool Reservoir the fishing will improve, like all other waters in the district over the coming months as water levels rise, exposing new ground for the fish to feed on. The newly flooded ground will flush out food sources like worms and grubs that trout love to feed on.

Exciting times ahead for us anglers.

AUGUST 2021

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VIC

Great fishing at Shepparton Lake SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

It’s not normally a starting piece of my articles, but how can we look past how great the Shepparton Lake

of lures. Soft plastics and small hardbodies have been standouts but there are reports of small chatterbaits, flies and also spinners working well.

Mornings and afternoons seem to be the most productive times for the lake but if there is a little ripple

of productivity so give them all a go, and if you’re not getting bites move or change lures regularly.

KIALLA LAKES The lake can be real tough this time of year and nothing much has really changed. There is still the odd fisho at the lake but the reports are very hot and cold.

Bait fishing around the rocky banks or casting spinnerbaits while the sun is still out would be my option in August.

This time last year Kialla got a nice stocking of mature sized fish with some good sized yellowbelly and also some cod so I would expect these fish to start

getting more active towards the end of August.

Worms and corn for carp is always a great option all year round at Kialla and, if you’re using light gear, can be a blast.

WARANGA BASIN The basin has been producing a lot of smaller fish from both the bank and boat, with many finding trolling or floating worms the best method.

You will have to pick through the smaller fish but there is still some reports of 40cm redfin being caught on the edges of the school fish.

You may need to upsize your lures or baits or try to drift off a school and hope to pick one up on the edge.

Josh and son Blake with a pretty little rainbow trout from Shepparton Lake. has been fishing over the past couple of months.

This is all thanks to the Fisheries stocking program, and to the sustainable fishing practises of catch and release by so many local anglers.

There have been daily reports of redfin and trout being caught on a huge range

from wind or overcast day you will find the bite period extends through the day.

Those bait fishing have been reporting fish being caught under a float or lightly weighted with Powerbaits and worms doing the damage.

Both boat ramps and the grass hill seem to be the areas

Nelson Rouw is Shepparton’s best carp fisherman, but this day he was targeting rainbow trout.

Tom Hanning and son Roy caught this redfin from Shepparton Lake.

LOCAL CHANNELS The channels have fished very slowly this winter with many locals leaning towards other waterways. There have been the odd report of redfin being caught around the bridges but you have had to work extremely hard for these fish.

Once the channels fill back up you will find the numbers of redfin will increase so keep an eye on levels and once there is flows, make sure you get out for a fish.

GOULBURN AND BROKEN RIVERS The fishing has been super slow in our region lately with next to no reports coming in, the only reports I am getting is crayfish being caught on bait while chasing cod or yellowbelly.

There have been reports of many locals filling their allocated amounts of crays, mostly down stream of Shepparton. The pleasing thing is a lot of these reports are stating heaps of crays with eggs and a lot of smaller ones, so hopefully that sets up for a bumper cray season in years to come.

The Broken will most likely stay quiet until the weather warms up, but if we do get some early spring rain I would give it a crack it always seems to fish well on a rise.

Just remember August is the last month for cod season and restrictions will kick in on 1 September, jump online or into a local tackle store if you’re unsure of where you can and can’t fish during these times.

Eventful evening outings CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

Trophy brown trout and school redfin continue to come out of Lake Purrumbete. The prime time to chase either the trout or reddies is at dusk and dawn, when these fish seem to fire up and the boater can still somewhat

see what he or she is doing.

The best time to concentrate on the browns is from 5pm onwards until complete darkness envelops the lake. Casting and trolling minnow lures close to the weedy surrounds that envelop the lake’s edge puts you in position to snare a 6-9lb+ brown. Chinook salmon to 5lb are taking cast minnow lures in and around the weed

beds as well as off the bottom when jigging/live baiting for school redfin.

The odd rainbow, brook, cheetah and tiger trout are also taking lures at this time.

Mornings are good, but the thought of crawling out of a warm bed and heading to a lake in near total darkness only to see the lake shrouded in fog at dawn can put many boaters off. The evenings are

Some boaters still prefer to work deep, downrigging lures to wherever the fish are showing at depth in numbers worth targeting.

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AUGUST 2021

definitely the go - just rug up.

Bullen Merri is still producing Chinook salmon and the odd rainbow to 55cm simply by flat line trolling around the lake’s edges or by wetting a line from the shore. Bait anglers have experienced success using PowerBait in pink/red and live minnow, either unweighted or suspended under a float.

Around 6m depth has been the productive area in which to work.

Back at Purrumbete, schools of redfin continue to be found just off the bottom in 12-16m depth. Use your sounder to locate a school and send some dried berley to the bottom to keep them interested in taking bait. You can use live minnow or worm, or weighted artificials such as Fish Arrow shads and paddle tails in 2”, 3” and 4”, or metal blades such as Damiki Vaults (especially in black) or ice jigs.

Lake Elingamite has some redfin in excess of 1kg in weight along with brown and rainbow trout taking lures cast or trolled in depths around 3m, and not far from

Plenty of school redfin are about, taking plastics jigged just off the bottom. This fish fell to a Fish Arrow 3’’ Flash-J Shad. the weed edge that surrounds the lake. The trout are mostly browns, and the feisty fish are coming in at two distinct sizes and weights. Some are around 800g and measuring in the mid to high 40s; these are the fish that have been in the lake for nearly a year. The others are closing in on 1.8kg and measuring almost 60cm.

Medium diving minnow lures are doing the job, but a few fly anglers have had success using a sinking line

and a BMS Special fly designed by a local legend no longer with us. Worked amongst the weedy gutters, the fly is allowed to sink almost to the bottom before a standard retrieval. It tends to draw out the larger predatory redfin that hold in the weed, waiting for a morsel to swim by. By and large the reddies are beating the browns to the fly, so it pays to work the same spot more than once.

VIC

Busy winter at Lake Eildon EILDON

Peter Burtchell

As always, fishing Lake Eildon during winter is a busy affair. Larger Murray cod remain active as they put on weight preparing

Bait fishing, trolling, sight casting and surface fishing are all great ways to land that special fish during winter.

August will see some great catches of monster fish as this year higher than normal lake levels will bring the feeding cod to the newly

angler will stalk Murray cod along the spawning routes along the Big, Delatite and Goulburn rivers while others will concentrate on the Murray cod that stick with the bait fish along the many low banks of the lake. Dieter the fishing Guru from Mansfield chose the Big River Arm to bag many redfin and a nice 70cm brown trout trolling.

Murray cray will be abundant during late July and August as the water temperature decreases.

Craying is become more

experienced operators and look forward to refreshing the business providing a great service to the holiday park occupants, tourists and the local community. Snobs Creek Holiday Park has been serving holidaymakers and the community for many years and the new owners are focused on bringing this tremendous facility back to life. Refurbishment of the Snobs Creek Lodge over winter and early spring will provide much needed bulk accommodation for the many

Rhys Proudlock with a nice winter’s cod. the needs of holidaymakers, tourists and servicing the local community just as Brookes did 161 years ago.

We welcome the new owners Bruce and Toni Vance and look forward to watching them rebuild and refresh the once iconic Snobs Creek Holiday Park. You can check them out on Facebook at Snobs Creek Holiday Park.

• Jerusalem Creek Marina & Holiday Park is a friendly, family-orientated caravan

Chris Galea targeting some solid fish. for mating and spawning, Murray crays are over their hibernation period, and trout rise from the depths of the lake to traverse the rivers on their spawning runs. Many anglers grit and bear the cold to take advantage of the abundant fishing opportunities in all parts of the lake and pondage.

inundated grass beds as the lake continues to rise. The lake is sitting at 10% higher levels than last year and the increased inflows should be maintained through to spring.

The winter rains and rising rivers upstream of the Lake entice brown trout and rainbow trout to begin their spawning runs. It is time to get creative as many an

Phil Krealey on the deck of his Boatel.

Chris Galea who regularly fishes Lake Eildon braved the wind, rain and cold conditions using Active Target to land his lure above a very fat winter Murray cod 20m from his boat. Phil Krealey on the other hand, chose to bait fish from the comfort of his on water accommodation using a chicken carcass. He was well rewarded with a major strike and hook up.

Young Rhys Proudlock who holidays at the Jerusalem Creek Marina and Holiday Park in his parent’s onsite cabin is a regular in our reports and is pictured with a nice healthy Murray cod enticed by Rhy’s spinnerbait.

park, and makes the perfect home away from home.

While there you can opt to hire one of their Boatel floating apartments, hire a boat or book a fishing guide at competitive prices.

For more information on all of these services and other attractions in the area, visit jerusalemcreek. com.au, or give them a call on (03) 5774 2585 or email info@jerusalemcreek. com.au.

John Bradey with a decent Murray cray. popular at Lake Eildon as the crays have been steadily increasing in numbers and size.

Victorian Fisheries Authority has also stocked 54,630 brown trout into the lake from their Snobs Creek Hatchery during July to improve your winter freshwater fishing experiences.

There was more good news for visiting anglers from Snobs Creek as the newly named Snobs Creek Holiday Park changed owners. The new owners and managers are

fishing and adventure clubs that frequent Lake Eildon.

Snobs Creek was originally named Cataract Creek. In 1860, a West Indian shoemaker named Black Brooks resided at Cataract Creek servicing the needs of the local community repairing essential footwear, a well-regarded gentleman, Brooks passed away in 1880 leaving a legacy behind him of integrity, craftmanship and dedication to his community. The creek was to be forever named after Brooks most important tool – the snob or anvil used to shape the toe end of the boot. Now the new owners won’t be repairing footwear, but like Brooks the main focus will be on servicing

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Dieter trying his luck up Big River.

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AUGUST 2021

97

WIRF celebrates top member numbers joining WIRF

Cara Cummings

WIRF celebrates its network reaching an amazing 3,000 members.

That’s 3,000 female anglers from all walks of life and backgrounds.

Some have never fished but are eager to learn and others are making waves in the fishing industry. Wherever our members lay on the spectrum, they are all

BREAM CLASSIC CHAMPION WIRF member Kate Callow has broken a 15-year drought and is the first female angler (along with her partner) to take out this year’s Vic Bream Classic Tournament in Mallacoota.

The Vic Bream Classic Series is a catch and release bream fishing tournament circuit where anglers compete in qualifying events to get to Grand Final. Each round is run

What a cute little catch this was for Leanne. valued and have so much support and advice for each other. It is a wonderful platform to share knowledge, fishing adventures, photos and even the mishaps!

at different venues all over Victoria with the Grand Final, rotated each year between the qualifying venues.

Kate very kindly agreed to an interview and shares

her story below: Kate, you are now living history! Being the first female angler to win a Vic Bream Classic tournament in its 15-year history. This is such a momentous moment!

Tell us what was going through your head when you realised you had taken out the title?

Disbelief. I knew that we had done well, but to win was a surprise. We were up against some great anglers and came into the second weigh in happy to have caught 5/5 for the day and hoped to stay in the top 10. We didn’t find out until later that I was the first female to be part of a team that had won.

I was a little bit chuffed to have that achievement but more proud of how both my partner and I had approached the weekend and stuck to our guns.

Tell us a little about yourself, where you are from and what you do?

I grew up in Newborough, a small town in the Latrobe Valley in Gippsland. I moved to Melbourne during my time at uni and have been living up here ever since.

I currently work as an Instrument Chemist testing soil and water samples for the presence of different compounds. I’ve always been an avid sportsperson, playing basketball for over 18 years and giving any sport a try.

How long have you been fishing? What was your defining fishing moment?

I’ve been fishing on and off since I was a child.

I grew up fishing off jetties

with my Mum or Dad and more recently took up lure fishing when I met my partner Jesse in 2017. This is when I got more into fishing and began to enjoy the challenge and active nature of lure fishing. My defining fishing moment would have to be as a child fishing a lake near Tathra in NSW over Easter with my Mum and brother and catching a big bream that bent my small plastic rod so much that the red plastic was stretched white during the fight to bring it in.

We need to talk about your newly received crown, tell us about this competition? Have you entered before?

As mentioned, the Vic Bream Classic has been around for 15 years. They hold rounds throughout the year across all of Victoria, from Nelson in the far west, to Mallacoota in the far east. The aim is to try and catch a bag of five bream each day (Saturday and Sunday) and whoever weighs the most over the weekend, wins.

Bill Hartshorne runs a great comp, and I would invite anyone to give it a go. This is my first year competing after my partner invited me to join him this year, and so far, it’s definitely been enjoyable.

Is it safe to assume that bream are your favourite target species? What else do you enjoy fishing for?

I enjoy fishing for any species as each fish come with their set of own challenges. Bream are definitely a favourite as you often need to work hard to convince one to

Champion Kate Callow with some of her catches.

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AUGUST 2021

Maria with her tuna. take your lure and the pride you feel when you pull that off is satisfying. I really enjoy fishing for Australian bass, particularly top water fishing. The aggressive nature of the bass means you need to stay focussed the entire time, not only to ensure you hook up but to keep them out of any snag they try to run to. The anticipation of waiting for them to hit a surface lure when you get the cast just right is what excites me the most about them.

How and when did you discover WIRF and what do you love about

the network?

I was added to the Facebook page by a family friend a couple of years back and love the engagement between all the members on there, plus the support everyone shows for each other.

For up-and-coming young fisher girls who now will look up to you as a mentor, what is your advice to them?

Don’t be discouraged, there’ll be days where the fish won’t bite and you can leave pretty disheartened.

But keep trying and most importantly keep

learning, there are so many good YouTube videos, magazines and books that can help you improve your fishing. Focus on what you do, don’t worry about what others think or do, the more you try the better you’ll get and always have confidence in yourself.

Any other fun facts or info you would like to share?

I enjoy both wildlife and astro photography and try to get out and do that as much as possible. I always take my camera with me when going out fishing.

SEAHORSE SNAG Leanne Ngo shared her one in a million ‘seahorse’ snag!

“Whilst doing my thing with the egi rod at Rye Pier, I had felt the slightest, slightest, slightest ever

tug. My jig had snagged a single tiny piece of seaweed. I was about to pull off the seaweed and recast the rod until, to my amazement and with closer inspection, was the cutest tiny baby seahorse with its tail tightly coiled around the seaweed!

“The piece of seaweed with the little drifter was released back into the water soon after and it was in no way harmed nor hooked on to the jig.”

Please remember that seahorses are protected species in Victoria. Do not take, nor attempt to take.

MEMBERS BRAG MAT Fishing off Port Fairy, Maria Dougiakis reports, “We all enjoyed catching a feed of southern bluefin tuna and albacore. Fishing

between 1100-1500m depth out on the southern ocean shelf, mostly around high tide. Not many birds, but those out there were helpful to find bait balls. 18 over the day to the boat, and the fish taking all coloured lures available, bag limit was reached quickly with multiple hook ups, reels screaming, and plenty returned to grow.”

• To stay up to date and see what else has been happening within the network and for upcoming events, please head to our Facebook group www. f a c e b o o k . c o m / g ro u p s / womenrecfishing/or via the VFA website/Facebook page. Are you a WIRF member? If not, we’d love to have you on board! Join us on FB today.

RECIPES THAT ARE ‘WIRF’ IT

Baked fetta spaghetti marinara INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)

2-3 punnets cherry tomatoes 500g marinara mix Salt and pepper 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 tsp dried oregano 1 Spanish onion - sliced 1 tbsp Olive oil 1 block fetta 1 packet spaghetti

METHOD 1. Into a deep baking tray, place the tomatoes, onion, herbs and olive oil, stir until well coated.

2. Clear a space in the centre of the tray for the fetta, cover with a sprinkle of oregano and olive oil.

3. Place into a preheated oven, 180

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degrees for 25-30 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and discard the thyme. Evenly distribute the marinara mix onto the top of the roasted tomatoes and return to the oven for 12 minutes.

5. Whilst the marinara mix is cooking, follow the cooking directions on your pasta packet and time it so that the spaghetti will be ready when the sauce is cooked.

6. Remove the marinara mix from the oven and gently stir through starting with the softened fetta to form a sauce.

7. Fold through the spaghetti and serve immediately.

VARIATIONS/TIPS

Prawn linguini is fabulous using the above method. Swap the marinara mix for raw prawns and follow the same cooking times. Rather than spaghetti, opt for linguini or fettuccini.

AUGUST 2021

99

Tournament Calendar 2021 DATE

Tournament

Location

State

Contact

7-8 Aug

2021 13Fishing BASS Pro R5

Somerset Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

11-12 Aug

BREAM Queensland Open

Moreton Bay

QLD

abt.org.au

14-15 Aug

2021 Daiwa BREAM R5

Gold Coast

QLD

abt.org.au

14-15 Aug

East Coast Sport Fishing Flathead Pro GF Nambucca River

NSW

Kris Banks 0407 996 135

15 Aug

East Coast Bream Series R4

Botany Bay

NSW

www.wsbb.com.au

21-22 Aug

2021 BKK Hooks BASS Electric R6

Borumba Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

21-22 Aug

Atomic East Gippsland Bream Classic

Marlo

VIC

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

11-12 Sept

R9 Hobie Fishing Worlds

Georges River

NSW

hobiefishing.com.au

11-12 Sept

2021 Daiwa BREAM R6

Gladstone

QLD

abt.org.au

12 Sept

East Coast Bream Series R5

Sydney Harbour

NSW

www.wsbb.com.au

13-17 Sept

Venom BARRA Australian Open

Awoonga/Monduran QLD

abt.org.au

18-19 Sept

2021 BKK Hooks BASS Electric GF

Lake Lenthalls

QLD

abt.org.au

2-3 Oct

Humminbird BASS Electric Aus Open

Wyaralong Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

9-10 Oct

R10 Hobie Fishing Worlds

Burrill Lake

NSW

hobiefishing.com.au

9-10 Oct

Club Marine East Gippsland Bream Classic Metung

VIC

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

15-16 Oct

2021 Zerek BARRA R1

Lake Tinaroo

QLD

abt.org.au

17 Oct

2021 Zerek BARRA R2

Lake Tinaroo

QLD

abt.org.au

17 Oct

East Coast Bream Series GF

Hawkesbury River

NSW

www.wsbb.com.au

26-27 Oct

Rapala BASS Australian Open

Clarence River

NSW

abt.org.au

30-31 Oct

2021 13Fishing BASS Pro GF

Richmond River

NSW

abt.org.au

15 Nov

2021 Zerek BARRA R3

Teemburra Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

16 Nov

2021 Zerek BARRA R4

Kinchant Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

18 Nov

2021 Zerek BARRA R5

Peter Faust Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

20-21 Nov

2021 Zerek BARRA R6

Peter Faust Dam

QLD

abt.org.au

27-28 Nov

NS Rods Sunline Bream Classic GF

Marlo

VIC

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

2021 Daiwa BREAM GF

Port Stephens

NSW

abt.org.au

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER 3-5 Dec

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au Just supply a date, venue, tournament name, telephone number and contact name.

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AUGUST 2021

East Coast Bream Series: RD 1 We have now completed the first round of our series this year held at the beautiful St Georges Basin.

Unfortunately, we had to move this round due to clashes with other bream events.

We thank all teams for their understanding and continued support of the East Coast Bream Series.

There were a total of 30 teams contesting this event and overall it was a very tough day on the water. Plenty of wind made the pre-fish difficult but fortunately it was much lighter on the day.

FIRST PLACE First place position went to the McBarron Construction team, consisting of Jarryd McBarron and Brenton Spinks. They won $1800 for their bag of 5 fish that weighed 3.49kg.

McBarron Construction recounts their day: After the pre-fish outlined that the bite was going to be extremely tough in 12ºC water, we only found active fish in the one area. However, after a lot of sounding and thoroughly fishing the area, we had

Jarryd McBarron and Brenton Spinks holding up part of their winning catch, including the 1.06kg Big Bream. half a plan.

Starting fourth, we headed off. We pulled up at our first spot of the day on the eastern side of the basin in 15-20ft of water.

Opting for a plastic and a blade, we got to work. After about half a dozen casts, the first fish was hooked on a plastic on a 1/8oz jighead. After a nervous few moments the first fish

was in the net – a nice one going 36cm to the fork. The relief of being able to head to weigh-in had us feeling

happy with the bag that we had, but thought we needed more.

After that first drift it

First Place Jarryd McBarron and Brenton Spinks took home $1,800 for the win.

Liam Carruthers and Arthur Aimes with part of their catch.

Third place team, Flickn4five, Mark Thompson and Zac Stojanovski at the weigh in tent.

pretty happy so early on.

Another three hours passed with only small flathead, tarwhine, snapper and whiting all coming over the side. Despite all the bait on the sounder, we made the call to move to a few of our favourite spots to see what we could find.

Pulling up on the first choice in 15-20ft, we marked fish that looked active. We deployed the drift chute and got stuck in, both throwing blades. In the space of 20 minutes, we had a flurry of five bream hit the net, what a relief.

We were incredibly

went quiet, moving again this time a bit deeper in around 25ft. After two exceptionally large trevally were hooked and landed, and a very nice fish was lost, we got a decent 32cm fork upgrade.

With an hour to go we headed back to our first spot to try for another bigger fish, but it did not come.

Arriving back at the beach, happy with our bag, we did not think we had enough to win. However, it hit the scales at 3.49kg, that took the win by a mere 10g!

Our first bream of the day weighed 1.05kg, which

RESULTS TEAM Anglers Fish kg McBarron Construction Jarryd McBarron, Brendon Spinks, 5 3.49 Stealth’n’Sherman Craig Snudden, Mick Snell 5 3.48 Flickin4Five Mark Thompson, Zac Stojanovski, Dane Thompson 5 3.30 Breamski Steve Nedeski, Jarrod Lye, Jason Harlock 5 3.20 Millerods/Cranka/Makoeyewear/Lowrance Liam Carruthers, Artiur Amies, Leah Reel 5 2.94 Compleat Angler Batemans Bay/Shimano Jason Mayberry, Terry Permenter 5 2.93 Snagged Grant Oliver, Luke Hodger, Mitch Maddison 5 2.89 Compleat Angler Gregory Hills/Garmin Dane Tomaszewski, Dane Tribbia 5 2.85 Nulook Floors Zac O’Sullivan, Nathan Medland, Rodney O’Sullivan 5 2.81 Savage Gear Adam Hughes, Matt Green 5 2.69 Full results go to www.wsbb.com.au

was also enough to claim the Big Bream .

SECOND PLACE Second place position went to the

Stealth’n’Sherman team, consisting of Craig Snudden and Mick Snell. They won $800 for their bag of 5 fish that weighed 3.48kg.

Stealth’n’Sherman recounts their day: We do not have the high-tech sounders to find fish in the deep, so we caught all our fish in less than 2m of water. If the water was clear, we moved on until we found some dirtier water.

We fished with Pro Lure S36 cranks over weed beds and found the edge of cockle beds the most productive.

The weed beds not far from the start fished well, and our first fish came on board at 7.16am.

A slow roll seemed to be the best technique with the darker colours - brown and black catching all the fish. – ECBS

Second place Craig Snudden and Mick Snell missed out on a $1,000 by a mere 10g.

AUGUST 2021

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recfishwest Reviewing the statewide FADs trial program

A large fibreglass buoy in 350m of water. Its distinct yellow colour shines bright like a beacon, attracting fishers and spearfishers from far and wide.

Below the surface, a chain dangles to-and-fro with schools of baitfish aggregating around in turn attracting the main event – hungry pelagics ready to predate.

UNLOCKING SPORTFISHING EXPERIENCES There’s just one year left in the three-year statewide fish aggregating devices (FADs) trial program, which has unlocked new sportfishing opportunities across WA from Broome to Albany.

Funded by licence fees through the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund (RFIF), the trial began in late 2019 and has provided a popular new addition to the fishing landscape for thousands of fishers and spearfishers.

Although the trial has produced plenty of awesome fishing, its first two years have not been without hurdles – including FAD breakaways – and has proven to be an ongoing learning experience.

In the opening 12 months, the FADs off Cape Naturaliste and Albany broke free on multiple occasions.

As both of these locations were previously untested, Recfishwest originally opted to trial a cost-effective FAD design currently used in New South Wales.

While this design proved to aggregate fish and provide the fishing experiences that fishers were seeking, it was clear a more robust design was required.

As a result, Recfishwest opted to change designs and use the Perth Game Fishing Club’s (PGFC) proven FAD model in these locations and

Tom Corrie showing off one of the bigger bull mahimahi caught at the metro FADs. off Perth.

“The PGFC design has a heavier rigging set up making it more robust and capable of withstanding rough seas, big swells and storm events,” Recfishwest Operations Officer Mike Minutillo said.

“This was borne out by breakaways being halved in the second season, with just one FAD break away off Cape Naturaliste and two in Albany.”

Mike noted there were 16 breakaways in the trial’s first season but only five in the second year after the design change.

And, in each instance of a FAD breakaway, the devices were recovered quickly.

A FISHING EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER For metropolitan-based sportfisher Joel Borgers, nothing beats the thrill of a big mahimahi (dolphinfish) smashing his stickbait while casting at the FADs off Perth.

The anticipation. The visual surface strike. The thrill of line peeling from the reel. FADs fishing is actionpacked fishing, Joel says.

“I’m a passionate topwater angler, so to be

able to catch mahimahi in the metro is unreal,” Joel told Recfishwest.

“They are a very visual fish, are super energetic and taste good – it’s the perfect combo if you ask me.”

SCINTILLATING SPORTFISHING This season also broke new territory as FADs were deployed off Geraldton, behind the Abrolhos Islands, and off Rockingham – in partnership with Mangles Bay Fishing Club – for the first time.

It came as FADs were redeployed off Perth, Cape Naturaliste and Albany.

The latest season in the southern half of the State produced many memorable catches.

Mike said the recent La Niña weather event resulted in an awesome summer of sportfishing at the Geraldton, metro, Rockingham, Cape Naturaliste and Albany locations.

“The La Niña strengthened the Leeuwin Current and led to more mahimahi, wahoo and marlin following the warmer water temperatures,” Mike said.

“There were so many good-sized mahimahi caught

Spearo Toby Dight was buzzing with this FADs catch of wahoo.

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at the southern FADs this season, particularly at the metro devices, including a few prized bull mahimahi measuring up to 135cm.

“It was great to see that some of these big bulls were caught not long after the FADs were deployed, too

super-wide off Perth to see if it held any bigger bulls and more pelagics, such as marlin, wahoo and bigger yellowfin tuna.”

DUCKING BENEATH THE SURFACE Spearfisher Jack Gillis is among fishers keen to put a snorkel and mask on and spear at the FADs, saying the trial provided scope to target quality species off Perth.

“I love spearing at the FADs because it enables you to target fast growing pelagics in metro waters,” he said.

“I speared a couple of mahimahi this season but by far my most memorable was the wahoo I took.

“The wahoo was just over 12kg and fed a lot of people.

We had most of sashimi and smoked some too.

“I’d love to see more FADs up and down the coast.

I think it’s a great program.”

WHAT WE’VE LEARNT FROM THE TRIAL THUS FAR Before the program got

first two years, including: • Contractors willing and able to deploy and retrieve FADs are thin on the ground in some locations; • Finding vessels capable of rescuing a FAD on the loose before they drift out of range; and, • There continues to be a need for more photographic and video evidence from fishers showing what they caught at the FADs to help secure future-funding.

A big plus for the program has been the fantastic support from the community when problems like FAD-breakaways have arisen with many people eager and willing to assist in FAD retrieval operations.

FADS FOR THE FUTURE Mike said the quality of fish caught and speared at the FADs was great to see.

He said it was further proof positive of how funds generated from WA fishers’ recfishing licence fees can

Photographic evidence of fish caught at the FADs, like this photo of Joel Borgers, are important in evaluating the trial.

– Joel Borgers caught one only a matter of weeks after the metro FADs were put in the drink.

“And, it wasn’t just line fishers making the most of the FADs, there were plenty of spearfishers who speared 15kg-plus wahoo too.”

BIG BULLS – NO BULL Joel, who has fished the metro FADs regularly the past two season, found the size of the mahimahi he was catching increased this year compared to the previous.

“There seemed to be a lot more bigger fish caught than the trial’s first season,” Joel said.

“The most memorable catch of mine at the FADs would be the 129cm bull I got on topwater earlier this year. It was on a Jackfin 240 Stylo lure – it was simply incredible.

“It would be interesting to see another FAD out

underway, it was unknown if FADs deployed as far south as Albany and Cape Naturaliste would hold fish.

“But now we know they definitely do – plenty of mahimahi aggregate around the FADs off these two locations,” Mike said.

“Another major learning is that FADs don’t necessarily have to be based in deep water – the shallowest FAD deployed off Broome is only in 10m of water and produces species like cobia.

“In terms of the manufacturing, stainless steel shackles cannot withstand a season, so we moved to steel shackles for the second year.

“Also, if you arrive at the coordinates and can’t find the FAD, be sure to have a look around because the swing radius can be significant.”

Mike also noted there had been multiple obstacles over the course of the project’s

and should be spent to unlock exciting new fishing opportunities.

“But, unfortunately, all good things must come to an end – this is a threeyear trial with the program concluding 12 months,” Mike said.

“We are exploring options and different funding models in a bid to keep providing the network of FADs across WA. “And, for this we need fishers’ help in supplying us with photos and videos showing the quality of their fishing experiences on the FADs. “From what many FADs fishers tell us and from what we’ve seen on social media, the popularity of the program certainly shows there is a healthy appetite for sportfishing opportunities off our coast provided by this innovative program.”

WA

South Coast

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

Cold water favourites INTUITIVE CONTROL ESPERANCE

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

INTUITIVE CONTROL

Murray Johnson

Esperance has continued to remain in a winter weather pattern, with the occasional day of sunshine, and plenty of opportunities to go fishing.

The colder water temperatures that we see at this time of year have continued to bring some of our favourites, with fishing for species such as squid, salmon, and whiting being highly successful.

Jetty fishing in town at the moment has seen squid going to 45cm tubes, with the best times still being early morning or just late afternoon into the evening. Some of the best results have been achieved with squid jags baited with Lachy Warren has been getting into some ALBERTON MELBOURNE herring on a float, and also good size squid. Image courtesy of @lachy_warren ALBERTON MARINE MELBOURNE MARINE CENTRE squid jigs in 3.5 size. Two of are also Boat fishing in the bay has the39 most effective squid jigs Most beaches Johnson Street Alberton 92 Hallam South Road Hallam been very successful when the lately have5183 been2344 the Yo-Zuri providing plentyP: of P: (03) (03)herring 9703 2003 Aurie Q Finace in black/ and flathead. weather has permitted, with F: (03) 2219 melbournemarine.com.au silver and5183 the Yamashita Egi Bandy CreekW: Boat harbour anglers regularly getting their albertonmarine.com.au OhW: Live Search 490 Glow in is still yielding plenty of small limit of squid. Sand whiting 3.5 in gold. herring, skippyMORNINGTON and King PENINSULA and herring are also in the mix.

MY You MARINE can Those anglers willing BENDIGO Along with the squid there George whiting. withNepean a 2WD, Highway to travel areBENDIGO still plentyMARINE of herring, and access the beach Cnr & a bit further are & OUTDOORS for kids. Place encountering plenty of good of garfishEpsom at and it’s a great spot Ponderosa Dromana 160numbers Midland Highway night. We are still seeing the The bream lakes in town nannygai at 50cm+, breaksea P: (03) 5448 P: (03) 5987of0900 plenty cod up to 3kg, and plenty occasional small3988 samsonfish are currently holding W: bendigomarine.com.au W: mymarine.com.au water, which means you have of small samsonfish and cruising around as well.

Beach fishing in town has to search a bit more to find the yellowtail kings.

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The same beaches have also seen some good skippy catches. The average size is around the 1-1.5kg mark, with Oli Stevensonn with a quality squid. the occasional fish over 5kg.

Image courtesy of @olistevensonn

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AUGUST 2021

103

South Coast

WA

Lots of winter choices AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

Winter is in full tilt and didn’t the West know all about it! Massive wind and rain storms buffeting the state over the space

this was a good choice for the intrepid few who donned rain gear and tried their luck.

Plenty of King George and yellowfin whiting have been located throughout the inlet and along the coast. It just relied on being able to safely get out for a fish.

jetties and also out along the beaches of East Augusta and Jays Beach. They love glass shrimps, which live in abundance throughout the area, and a couple rigged on a small hook will soon elicit a bite. Cast out into a channel and slowly retrieve the line for the best results.

Quite often there will be King George whiting and herring in the same location so a mixed bag often results.

River prawns, squid strips and cockles will also result in a bag of fish.

As the nights get to single digit temperatures it is the perfect time to rug up and head down to the Town and Ellis Street Jetties chasing yellowfin whiting under the bright lights. It seems that the colder it is the better they bite. Throwing a metal slice lure out into the dark and winding it into the highly lit areas will likely

A group effort resulted in this lovely specimen of WA dhufish while bottom bouncing in Flinders Bay. Bay and Deepdene always provide a feed but there is nothing stopping you going for a wander along any of the other numerous beaches in the area as all will produce if you look for gutters, holes or channels. Areas of reef will also provide tarwhine and flathead if you drop a bait as close to the edge as possible.

Fishing off the rocks continues to be one of the most productive pursuits for land-based fishers,

How about this for a thumping samsonfish? It was successfully released after an arm stretching fight. of several weeks made fishing a rare activity. But there are rainbows to be seen even among the worst weather and the lucky few who had a chance made sure they got in a quick fish with some good results.

When the weather is a bit rough, quite often the only place to throw a line is in a sheltered bay along the coast or up the river. Lately

The large amounts of rain recently have washed dirty water right through the river and out into Flinders Bay. This resulted in discolouration of the water of Hardy Inlet, until the change of the tide allows the saltwater to turn it clear and blue again. The positive result in this is that the yellowfin whiting have made their way down to the

Sean was very happy with this beautifully coloured queen snapper landed on bait while fishing on a trip with Leeuwin Marine Charters.

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can also be deadly. Choose a spot that allows you the chance to seek refuge from any king waves and don’t let calm conditions fool you into thinking you are safe. Rogue waves are just that and can quickly result in being thrown into the water. People have died here after being washed off by king waves.

• Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and

Bernice Gillam with a Kraken sized cuttlefish taken as by-catch off the rocks when fishing for skippy. result in hits from chopper tailor that have been attracted to the area. If you are lucky some in the 50cm range will zone in for a heap of fun. Although they are not the best eating fish, fresh for breakfast is always a great start to the day.

The whale season has really taken off with dozens of humpbacks and southern right whales migrating through the bays and providing a welcome distraction on the days when it was not possible to wet a line. Their acrobatic displays are a sight to behold and their ease of movement never fails to amaze. If you get the chance to go on a whale watching cruise then take it, you will remember it for the rest of your life.

When the weather did ease off it was only for the odd day or two but plenty of bigger boats hit the ramps and headed out to the deeper waters chasing demersals

and pelagics. Smaller boats played it safe and hit the close in reef or sand patches looking for some of the fat sand whiting that Augusta is known for. It paid off in spades for many with dhufish and pink snapper seemingly everywhere. There are large numbers of juvenile snapper around 40cm at the moment so care needs to be taken when bringing them up from the deeper waters to prevent barotrauma and allowing for a greater success rate for the survival of released fish.

Baits of squid or octopus have been well received, as have mulies, mullet and herring. Soft plastics in the 7” range and Vexxed bottom meat jigs with herring fillets as usual score some great fish.

The beach fishing scene during winter can be nasty but on the calm days there are plenty of herring, skippy and whiting around. Places like Cosy Corner, Foul

A trip to Black Point resulted in a nice sized pink snapper for this young angler who will be hooked on fishing for life now. especially for bread and butter species. Winter skippy and herring are everywhere and are of a great size. To work them into a feeding frenzy introduce a small but frequent berley mix of pollard, fish oil and mashed up mulie. Try the rocks at Ringbolt, Dead Finish or Skippy Rock or the rockwalls at the marina.

Rock fishing can be very productive in Augusta but it

slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta -the local tackle shop and font of all local fishing knowledge.

Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the BP Service Station.

WA

South Coast

Options are still there for determined anglers BUNBURY

Whiteys Tackle and Camping

Although we are getting to the end of winter there is still a bit of average weather rolling through,

which can make some of the regular types of fishing difficult.

Beaches can be washed away and, combined with the dirty water and weed, makes it nearly impossible to fish. Boaties will get the

advantage of fish being in closer to shore but if it’s blowing 20 knots+, well you’re staying at home.

Most passionate fishers start getting itchy casting arm (including myself!) when kept off the water

There have been some large squid in the bay.

Despite the winter weather, Mark found a couple of reasons to keep fishing.

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for an extended amount of time so start looking into options to get out there.

In my books, the humble black bream is the ideal target to fill in these rainy days, and you can find them in all the estuary and river systems throughout the South West. When the rains are flowing and the river is pushing fresh hard, target the downstream spots and if there has been torrential rain don’t be surprised if they get pushed completely out of the river. Locally when we get a bunch of cold fronts that bring big M&M-sized rain there is constantly reports of black bream being landed around The Cut, which is basically in the ocean.

As you would expect the water becomes super dirty this time of year and you need something to get their attention. A small sinker to hold ground and a small circle hook loaded with a nice chunk of mullet (the fresher the better) will give off the required stink to get them over and commit to a nibble. You can even do this type of fishing without the rods and reels by using the humble handline loaded with 12lb mono and chucked on a stick embedded into the bank.

For the more adventurous, give the lures a crack but remember there is no point fishing the top part of the water column because the bream will be sulking in the brackish water that sits below the freshwater on top. Better results will come by using deep diving bibbed

type of plastic that has a lot of built in scent. The water is dark and murky this time of year and you need every advantage you can take, so as well as vibration and sound adding the scent in will trigger the bream.

Beach goers can expect to find some good numbers of tailor patrolling the beach and the odd mulloway in between cruising the gutters. Like all beach fishing you don’t always need to cast the furthest to find a fish, quite often a metre long mulloway can be in behind the wash on the drop off with in just a stone’s throw. Berley up for your herring and keep a few for dinner and the rest presented butterflied or a live bait can be presented as irresistible bites for the mulloway. Worst case you have a tussle with some rays or banjos but it’s all good fun!

This time of year also brings large squid into the bay to spawn. These guys are normally very

Sam with a beautiful coloured squid. hardbodies, including OSP Dunks and Daiwa Spikes but I prefer the sinking variety of lures at this time year. I find getting a lure slowly bumping slowly along the bottom with lots of pauses will get the bream interested enough to pick it up and hopefully that super sticky treble or jighead will find its mark.

Plastics are probably the most commonly used lure this time of year but there are a couple of extra tips to help you get better results. Make sure you use scent on your plastics or a

aggressive and willing to attack most jigs. My favourite jig would be a red foil jig that seems to get a lot of attention in the discoloured water or don’t forget about the old favourite in the glow colours that can really standout in the low light conditions that winter delivers.

• As always call in to Whiteys Tackle and Camping at 1/143 Grand Entrance in Treendale for the latest advice and for what’s being caught around the place to get your line tight and drag screaming!

AUGUST 2021

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West Coast

WA

The fish hard to find, but are worth the effort Club areas are good places to start. As always, remember berley will improve your herring captures threefold.

Your other rock wall targets are squid and King George whiting. Both species prefer clean water, so it is best to target them when there has been some settled weather. Both species can be caught in similar locations, with the Fremantle Sailing Club rock walls and North and South Mole being good

METRO

Jacob Crispe

Heavy rains have continued, which means our piscatorial friends are a little harder to find at the moment. However, keep two things in mind: One, the benefits of this rain down the track outweigh any challenges they produce now; and two, the challenge to find these fish is one of the reasons we love fishing.

SWAN RIVER The ever-present bream

David Beale is happy with his Rottnest snapper.

Jazz Charters deckhand, Max Sampson, with a Rottnest snapper caught on a ZMan soft plastic. of the Swan River have been pushed to the lower reaches of the system by the rain. Until the river settles your best option to catch a few bream will be around the bridge pylons and the marinas of the lower Swan. Mussels are a bream’s favourite meal at this time of the year and you will find them fossicking for them in these areas. Lightly weighted baits fished around likely looking spots will be the way to go, and for lure anglers small vibe lures will be the most productive.

Other options in the Swan will be a little harder to find. Flathead are still

about in smaller numbers.

Most fish will be found in the deeper water through the winter months.

Mulloway numbers/ captures have really dropped away, with any reported captures coming from the harbour area and the lower reaches. Our friends the mulloway have once again become the silver ghosts of the river.

Crabs are still an option during these cooler months.

The key to them is to find deeper water (areas like Mosman Park and Blackwall Reach) and to use oily baits like mullet or tuna heads.

AUGUST 2021

BEACHES AND ROCK WALLS Tailor will be the main target for beach anglers in August. The northern beaches such as Floreat, Scarborough and Cottesloe will be some of the best options this month. Fishing from our beaches at this time of the year can be frustrating as they can be weeded out, making them very hard to fish. If and when you find a fishable piece of water the key is to place a berley bag into the shore wash and use either fresh oily baits or 90-120mm stick baits or poppers. If there are fish in the area, the berley should drag them to you, and a

Ayaz caught this huge squid in 8m of water out from Fremantle. places to start.

INSHORE FISHING Like the rock walls, your fishing targets in our inshore waters will depend on water clarity. Squid are

so have a heavier outfit handy if they turn up.

King George whiting captures should continue to be consistent throughout August. Broken ground in

Jason Webb with a nice Fremantle mulloway.

Anton Pope caught this metro tailor on a stickbait.

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hold a squid or three.

The inshore reefs will continue to hold good numbers of silver trevally.

Anchoring and using berley trail over broken ground in 5-15m of water will soon get the skippy in your area excited. Drifting lightly weighted baits or small soft plastics down the berley trail is a very effective method to catch a few. Keep in mind that samsonfish like to hang with the schools of trevally,

fun session on the tailor could be had.

The storms that come with the rain have a twofold effect. Dirty water attracts snapper and schools of herring closer to the shore, making them more accessible for rock wall anglers. Woodmans Point, Coogee Marina and North and South Moles rock walls are great locations to try and get your pink snapper fix.

Fresh mullet, octopus and fresh herring will be your best bait options.

Herring numbers are good at this time of the year. They are good fun to catch (they can keep the kids amused for hours) and can provide a nice meal or fresh bait for snapper. South Beach and the Fremantle Sailing

Dylan Simmons with a shallow water samsonfish caught on a soft plastic. always a popular target in our shallower waters (4-10m), but prefer clean water. Find that and most weed beds will

10-25m of water is the key to finding good numbers of King George whiting. Keep To page 107

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West Coast

Good snapper in close MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

It’s not quite tailor time yet, but you can still enjoy good fishing for breadand-butter species down at Dawesville Cut, and other locations around town. At this time of year, it’s a bit easier to get out and target those fish,

given that there’ll be a lot of seaweed around in other locations, especially if you’re fishing off the beach.

It’s also a good time to target pink snapper from the rocks, especially after stormy conditions. The swell dislodges crabs and other morsels, attracting predators in search of an easy feed.

OFFSHORE If you want to target pink snapper this month you shouldn’t need to go as far as you usually would. These fish can be encountered anywhere from the 3m mark all the way out to 60m+. If your target is dhufish, you’ll need to go a bit deeper, around the 20-60m mark.

Both species can be caught on a standard

Rocks and weed beds are your nemesis when you drop out a long way.

It can all go wrong quickly, but sometimes it can work in your favour.

This fish bricked the author and ran him through the weed beds, providing a harsh, memorable fight all the way to the shore.

Rods bent over all night, drones flying, tunes playing and great company.

From page 106

an open mind and keep moving around until you find a patch of them.

A feed of sand whiting is always an option at this time of the year. Drifting the shipping channel and Windmills using a feathered bait jig with the hooks baited will a little piece of either squid or prawn is the best way to go.

During and just after rough weather the pink snapper will venture to our shallower reef systems.

Anchoring near these and berleying up a storm can produce some amazing fishing, particularly early and late in the day. Garden Island and Straggler reefs will be good starting points for those looking to get their snapper fix.

OFFSHORE AND BEYOND The offshore fishing at this point of time is quite hard to predict. Poor weather has hindered the ability for anglers to get out and this trend looks like it may continue.

Should there be a window of opportunity you can expect dhufish, pink snapper, breaksea cod and samsonfish to be on the menu.

Deep drop and pelagic fishing will also be quite limited. On the pelagic scene there have still been striped and blue tuna hanging around the back edge of the 5 Fathom Bank and Rottnest Island. Keep

an eye for birds working if you are in this area, as more than likely you have stumbled upon some tuna in the area.

As far as deep dropping goes, try for eight bar cod in 150-300m or had deeper into the Rottnest Trench (300-

500m) and try for harpuka or blue eye trevalla.

Fishing always offers some opportunities, we just need to grab them and run with them. Enjoy your fishing in August and I will catch you next month.

Alex Carter from Perth Fishing Safaris with a nice beach mulloway.

paternoster rig baited with some squid or octopus. You can also catch them on 3-5” plastics in white or nuclear chicken colours. If you are going deeper, try a larger 7” profile. Paddle tails work well in most conditions, however if there’s a fast current and you want to get your lure down fast, a shad tail is best because it creates less resistance in the water.

Slow pitch jigs are another option, with varying weights depending on the depth and drift.

When you’re chasing snapper and dhuies, you can also pick up skippy and samsonfish. You may also encounter a few King George whiting, particularly if you’re fishing in weedy areas that have a sand patch nearby and a bit of contour.

KGW can be caught in a wide range of depths, from around 5m out to 30m.

Kingfish and samsonfish are another possible bycatch, especially if you’re fishing artificials or live bait.

RIVERS The rivers will be a good option this month, particularly in poor weather, because there’s a bit of protection from the elements. There’s a good mix of species, including black bream and mulloway, in both the Murray and Serpentine rivers. You’re better off focussing your efforts around mid to low stream, and as the weather fines up I recommend going a bit further up. This is because the bream and mulloway will be trying to get away from the competition, so they can have the baitfish schools to themselves.

If you’re using bait, I’d be using mullet cubes or prawns on a simple running

sinker rig. If you’re using plastics I’d be rigging to the conditions; anywhere from 1/20oz up to 1/16oz is good.

The best plastics are 2.5” grubs and 3” paddle tails that mimic local baitfish.

Good colours include bloodworm and baitfish patterns with a bit of flash.

If you want to target mulloway specifically, you can use the same small plastics and hardbodies that you would for bream, you just need to go a bit heavier and deeper. This is because mulloway like to sit in holes in the deeper sections of the river.

FRESHWATER Fishing at the local dams will start to get better as the month progresses, aided by an increase in insect action as temperatures start rise.

Most of the redfin and trout caught lately have been taken by anglers fishing from a kayak or boat (on those waterways that allow boats). Fishing off the bank

is usually less productive, because you are restricted to casting out from one location, whereas a boat or kayak lets you be mobile and track down the fish.

I suggest trolling as a good option, using a 3m diver such as an RMG Poltergeist.

You ideally want to cover a depth of around 4m and keep the lure just above the weed. It’s a pretty handy and straightforward way to catch both redfin and trout.

Alternatively, you might use your electronics to find a school, and drop a plastic or retrieve a lure through the fish.

Waroona Dam and Harvey Dam are good options, as they’re quite large dams and allow you to fish in a variety of ways. Both have a lot of structure, along with some open banks that hold fish if you want to fish less snaggy areas and lose less gear. These waterways are also good places to spend a day with the family.

Sometimes the best tasting prawns are the ones you have caught yourself.

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West Coast

WA

Skippy are top scrappers LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

August is the prime time to target skippy.

These fish can be found schooling on the inshore grounds, including within the bay. If you are after an entertaining day on the water, then it is hard

before starting a lift and drop retrieve or use lightly weighed baits down near the bottom third of the water column. The beach is the best spot to try along the foreshore near Grace Darling Park or the point at Edwards Island, get a good cast out to the edge of the weed banks. Soft plastics work well here

reefs. Literally you only need to get outside the fringing reefs to find some of these big bruisers.

Berley is your friend, skippy are suckers for a good berley trail. You can use some pellet style in a basket or just keep a steady trail of chopped pilchards going over the side. Set up the berley in a likely

It pays to run a lure out the back between spots. This southern bluefin tuna recently fell to a Halco Max at 12 knots. pink snapper are likely to turn up to the party. A larger bait, whole squid or pilchard, cast to the back of the trail and allowed to slowly sink down will likely find the pinky.

Lures are best selected for the depth you are

easy to do out on the boat for a little snack during the day. They are very suitable for smoking or pickling that can preserve the meat well.

King George whiting have been picking up in numbers around the bay again after a slow period.

are usually in bulk along with skippy, snook, tailor and tarwhine. Drop nets have been scoring some monster blue swimmer crabs. Eating quality of these ocean caught crabs is sensational compared to those found in rivers or

You don’t need to leave the bay to find some solid skippy. to go past a good session chasing some of these tough little scrapers.

Pound-for-pound they pull harder than any other fish in the sea, on well matched gear they’ll be some reel screaming, line crossing, chaotic action.

Land-based anglers would have the best chance of encountering skippy

and you are highly likely to score a few flathead or tarwhine in the process as well. Small metals cast and retrieved in 10g range can score a few fish too, a good alternative if blowfish are eating plastic lures.

Skippy have been widespread throughout the bay, so if you have access to a kayak or dinghy it is

spot: inside the bay look for structure like a deeper hole or drop off combined with some reef or weed banks; outside they are more likely to be near some lumps. Floating pilchard cubes down the berley trail with size #1 circle hooks on a light leader is a deadly combination to tempt skippy.

Skippy are great little scrappers on light line.

Pinkies have been prolific in the shallows. from the jetty at night, they are down a bit deeper than the herring, cast small soft plastics allowing them to sink near the bottom 108

AUGUST 2021

going to be hard to miss out this time of year. Outside the bay, larger fish up to 60cm have formed breeding aggregations on the inshore

Inside the bay expect snook, herring or King George whiting to also come in to the berley, and outside the bay some

targeting the fish, deeper waters jigging can be an effective method. I like using slow pitch flutter jigs, soft plastics, and small versions of inchiku or kabura style jigs. In shallow water some lighter soft plastics, blades or vibes can be worked effectively without snagging the bottom.

Skippy don’t freeze particularly well for long.

Keeping a few for some fresh meals is best and choosing a recipe that suits the flesh will provide some delicious meals. Try some skippy sashimi, very simple to serve with a little soy, pickled ginger and wasabi

Trumpeter, butterfish, wrasse and blowfish can be an issue, so keep the berley in the boat when chasing these tasty fish.

Squid numbers and size has been up there, we have been finding the deeper waters just outside the bay to the north have been regularly producing larger specimens over a kilogram in weight. Lancelin Jetty has been good for plenty of squid too – the trick has been long casts to cover the area around the jetty well.

Fishing has been very good at the jetty. There have been plenty of sand whiting if you cast towards the shore. At night, herring

estuaries.

Beach fishing for chopper tailor shut down early this year, only a few small sized choppers have been bitting at sunset and rise. When conditions permit larger green backs have been caught on stick baits, poppers or baits cast to well-formed gutters and reef breaks. As we move late winter to spring the greenback activity will increase significantly.

Mulloway have been in good numbers this winter season, most fish coming around the new moon early evening and the average size has been well To page 109

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Marauding mulloway GERALDTON

Graham Maunder & Michael Triantopoulos

Mid to late winter has seen a large number off mulloway captured from our local surf beaches,

despite conditions making it less than ideal with large winter swells and sea weed.

The beaches to the south of town from Southgate Dunes to West Bank have had good

numbers off mulloway to 17kg, tailor to 1.5kg and school sharks. Southgate Dunes in particular have been reliably producing mulloway most evenings, weather permitting, measuring 1-1.3m and

Visiting angler, Pen, caught this 1.05m mulloway on a recent trip to Geraldton.

There have been good numbers of pink snapper caught from both north and south of town.

From page 108

over a metre.

It has not been difficult to gather a feed from the sand. Targeting sand whiting quickly finds some good size specimens at most locations, a little berley is likely to also attract some herring.

Offshore the fishing has been good for boats

chasing demersal species.

The bulk of the catch has been made of dhufish, breaksea cod and baldchin groper.

Fishers have been regularly finding some cracking dhufish in the 10-15kg range at direction bank.

Small boats have not been missing out, there have been plenty of pink

snapper and dhufish inside the White Bank. Early morning or after sunset has been the best time to target snapper, berley being a key ingredient to success.

Dhufish have been on the heavier reef areas, and small lumps quite often can be seen on the fish finder before dropping a bait or lure to the fish.

Locals call it the ‘Lano life’ – living in a small town by the sea where you can pull fish like these minutes from home. There are lots of holiday rental houses in town where you can get a slice of the Lano life yourself.

9-17kg. Most fish have been taken on fillet baits, such as mullet, pike and tailor fillets. The stingrays have been a nuisance some nights, along with the seaweed.

The beaches to the north of town from Sunset Beach north to Coronation Beach have had reports of mulloway to 15kg, tailor, pike, herring and yellowfin whiting.

The better of the fishing has been of an evening. The seaweed has been a drama at times so getting down there early and checking out a spot is advised.

Low afternoon tides have given anglers the opportunity to fish them.

Pont Moore around to Explosives has had some good sized tailor to 60cm, skippy to 500g, herring and squid.

The northern side of the Batavia Marina of the Handicap Platform, squid numbers have still been

consistent although the water has been dirty and stirred up, which usually shuts the squid down.

Tailor to 450mm, pike and the occasional herring have been reported from late afternoon/evening.

BOAT Winter fronts have been consistent giving anglers very little opportunity to get out, however some anglers have made the most of the good weather we’ve had.

Spanish mackerel have still been around with some better sized fish to 18kg captured from African Reef around to the back of the Light House/Point Moore.

The fishing south of town from African Reef through to Dongara reports of WA dhufish, pink snapper, coral trout, bald chin groper and samsonfish being present. The South West bank area had been consistent with reports of WA dhufish, pink snapper

to 5kg, coral trout, bald chin grouper, sweet lip and mulloway.

West to north west of town, anglers are reporting on pink snapper, WA dhufish, coral trout, sweetlip and estuary cod, the north tide has made fishing hard work on days, shutting fish down.

The fishing inside Point Moore/Lighthouse has had really good numbers of skippy, pike, herring, squid and good sized garfish with the occasional samsonfish and smaller yellowtail kingfish playing havoc on the light tackle at times.

• Geraldton Sports Centre is the Mid West’s specialist Fishing tackle store.

Drop in and see the friendly professional staff for local advise and knowledge and browse the extensive range of Fishing equipment on show at 204-208 Marine Terrace Geraldton WA, Phone: 08 992 13664.

Steve Nield with a 14kg dhufish caught off Dongara on a Snapper Live Fibre rod and 6500 Shimano Bait runner reel in 30m of water. The dhufish put up a decent fight on light gear, especially as Steve was trying to bring up slowly to avoid barometric trauma on release.

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Tough times dodging the wind EXMOUTH

Barry Taylor

Report supplied by Josh Cheong Over the past month we have had a few good weather windows, allowing anglers

you may be able to pick up the better yellowfin on deeper divers. Anything in that 6-8m range is ideal, such as a Halco Laser Pro Crazy Deep or Samaki Pacemaker.

If you want to catch the smaller striped tuna, try casting small metals or soft

Squid have been around in quite large schools on the west side and in the gulf, and good numbers have been caught in recent weeks. If you want to target the squid specifically, a good approach is to troll jigs in 2-5m of water until you hook one, and then you can pull up and start casting for them.

There are a few whiting in the gulf being caught off the beaches. The standard method is fishing prawn baits on a no. 8 long shank hook on a running sinker rig. If

you want to give lure fishing a go, a small popper can work well too.

A few people have been getting some blue manna crabs down the bottom of the gulf with drop nets.

As always, gold-spot and golden trevally are prowling the shoals in the gulf, taken mainly by jigging or dropping soft plastics down to them. Alternatively, if you find them actively feeding around bait balls you could try casting stickbaits.

Sails should start

John Palermo with a quality red emperor.

Image courtesy of @john.a.palermo.

Golden trevally are providing great sport on jigs and soft plastics. Image courtesy of @indepthangler_josh. to have some good sessions.

There have been plenty of tuna in close, including big schools of stripy and mac tuna, and further out we’ve been seeing some better size yellowfin around the 5-10kg mark.

If you troll around the outside of a surface school, where the smaller tuna are busting up on the surface,

plastics into the school. Try to work out which way the tuna are feeding and cast in front of them, and crank your metal or plastic back fast.

Quite a few mackerel are being caught by anglers trolling along the back of the reef off Tantabiddi. There was a 21kg wahoo speared there recently, so we know there are a few of those around as well.

There have been some good size yellowfin tuna getting around. Image courtesy of @indepthangler_josh.

pushing up in the gulf at the end of this month, and usually at that time the rankin and red emperor come on the chew around the 50m mark. The mackerel fishing should also be pretty good this month.

• For all the latest news on what’s biting and where, drop into Tackle World Exmouth at 3 Maley St, Exmouth or give them a call on (08) 9949 1315. You can also view the range at www. tackleworldexmouth.com. au, and see the latest catch photos on their Facebook page. This family business stocks a large range of tackle, from light spin to big game. The staff have a wealth of local knowledge and expertise, and are always happy to help.

They’ll be sails by the hundreds BROOME

Troy Honey

The Broome Billfish Classic was held the first weekend of July and the event further stamped Broome as being the iconic Australian location for sailfish with numbers caught in the high hundreds. Quite a few marlin were also caught during the comp.

It is not uncommon to have six or more raised sails at the back of a boat trolling teasers during June, July and August in Broome.

Chasing sails is not just for the pros with vast amounts of expensive gear and boats.

Many anglers in Broome have caught them in tinnies on not so expensive tackle.

Sailfish fishing is something the whole family can enjoy, and a successful day is one remembered for a lifetime.

Aside from the Billfish Classic, Broome has been a busy place this dry season with hordes of tourists flocking to the coastal Kimberley town to enjoy the warm weather. The rise in tourist numbers is the result of closed international borders and this has been great for Broome with lots of spending.

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Broome provides a magnificent platform for holiday-makers to catch a fish so please give a bit back by supporting the town and buy some of your tackle from the local shops or book a charter with the local operators. The charters operators in Broome are always helpful and even if you are a seasoned fisher, they will give you lots of local knowledge and teach you about how they look after the fish stocks so future generations can also enjoy this pristine angler’s environment.

To the southeast of Broome is Roebuck Bay, which offers some of the best fishing in Western Australia.

Roebuck Bay has been firing in June and July with endless threadfin salmon reports, most have which have been over the metre mark. Both tripletail and northern jewfish fire up in Roebuck Bay in the wet season but there has been a few of each caught over the last month, so it is worth a try.

Tripletail can be found around the buoys or under floating debris and the northern mulloway, which are commonly called black jewfish in Western Australia, congregate in the deep holes that litter the bay. You will really need your sounder skills here to find the holes

that are holding fish, once found, use your tools such as electric motor anchor mode to position the boat above the holes and drop live or fresh fish baits down.

Further east in the bay around Crab Creek and the Fingers and right down the coast is where you will find plenty of threadfin and blue salmon. The build up to high tides on the springs is best for chasing the salmon, as they move in with the shallow water engulfing the mud that possesses millions of small crustaceans, which are the preferred food of the salmon.

The key is to study and work the tides as they build and keep a close watch on your routes and depths so you know when to get a move on out of there. Plenty of anglers have been caught out trying to get that one last cast in only to find themselves have a very long wait sitting on the mud with the sandflies until the tide comes back many hours later.

A couple of reports of Spanish mackerel caught from shore off Gantheaume Point have come through from local balloon fishers skipping fresh caught garfish during the easterly winds. This method of fishing can entice the soughtafter pelagic right up the Dampier Peninsula during the

dry season with James Price Point being one of the more popular locations.

Further offshore the red emperor fishing is in full flight.

Great size red emperors and saddletail seaperch are being caught in very good numbers, especially by those venturing out past the 40m depths. Cobia have been a common by-catch among them which is always welcomed. Cobia fight hard and are often mistaken for sharks when hooked up as the sharks are the more common fish to hook when chasing reds off Broome.

Bluebone fishing has been surprisingly good, even though the water is cooler at this time of year. They tend to be more plentiful during the warmer months, but that is the beauty of Broome compared to further south in the Pilbara where the water is a few degrees cooler.

Anglers who have been putting in the hard work have been rewarded with barramundi although the numbers are down, which is common for this time of year.

Work snags and drains right on the edge where the running tidal water meets the still; this is where you will find the barra as it is easier for them to hold up in the still water and strike at passing bait fish in the running water. Try sitting

Broome is well known for its wide variety of trophy fish species on offer throughout the year and arguably the pick of the bunch is the stunning and hard fighting red emperor. Mark Lanigan is one angler who puts the effort in to chase these iconic fish and his efforts paid off recently with this perfect example of a red emperor. downstream of the area they are holding and cast up past them and then allow your bait to flow down with the running water. This method creates the most natural appearance to the barra who tend to strategically pick their moment to use the least amount of energy.

The creeks are fishing well for cod on both deeper diving lures and baits along the banks. Gold spotted and black spotted cod are found in Broome all through the creeks,

Roebuck Bay and offshore reefs. They are generally not fussy and can put up a good fight. My table preference is definitely the black spotted over the gold, so if you are lucky enough to catch a good size black spotted I highly recommend making up a nice stuffing for it, roll the fish in alfoil after lining with some lemon slices and throw him in the weber. Great way to finish off a warm and sunny day’s fishing in Broome.

WA

North Coast

Are the cold starts worth it?

DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

I can hear you laughing already, cold in the Pilbara? Yes, it actually can become very cold in the mornings and nights with 2021 certainly feeling a lot colder than previous years.

For the southerners visiting the region of Karratha I am sure it is very enjoyable weather, especially with the idyllic 28ºC it reaches during for the majority of sunlight hours but for the hot weather conditioned locals, it is freezing.

Well, are the colds starts worth it? Yes, they are.

Getting an early start in the cold and dark mornings is certainly a benefit towards making the most of the daylight hours, but what I am referring to is more the wind.

June and July in Karratha has seen cold windy mornings being the more common conditions, but we have had ample afternoons and evenings where the wind has dropped off, balmy temperatures and silky smooth oceans. What this provides are opportunities to target demersal species, such as red emperor, in the dark during tide changes. Any fishing in the dark obviously has risk associated with it so it goes without saying that all safety precautions should be in place to avoid disaster.

Once set up, fishing for demersals in the dark can be a very rewarding one, in fact, the best catches of red emperor, saddletail and rankin cod I have seen have come from sunset or night time fishing. Baits are the go to option here as well as many of the glow in the dark jigs and soft plastics. It still gets cold here in Karratha

at night, but early starts for the day aren’t the only way to go.

Demersals, such as red emperor and saddletail, as well as rankin cod, blueline and spangled emperor have all been firing during July and this will continue throughout the next months of August and September.

Head out past the 40m mark behind the island for your best chance to get amongst

fighters if that is what you are chasing.

Bluebone fishing has been hit and miss around the archipelago as can be expected in the cooler months, but they are still there, but you just need to work a bit harder for them.

Using their natural diet of rock crabs or fresh caught octopus will put you at the forefront of success, as well as fishing the spring tides

The blue swimmer crabs are really starting to thin out in numbers in the bays, but the king prawns, which are plentiful right now, can be found from Nichol Bay right around past Cossack. During the calm nights that we are experiencing during this dry season, you will find the prawns feeding in the moving tides, with Nickol Bay being a great place to start. Using a bright night light to light

The author nearly lost a good sized Spanish flag during a recent session to the hungry gold spotted cod that chased the flag all the way to the surface before taking a bite and finding himself a part of a double hook up.

A hard fighting chinamanfish caught on PE2 tackle by the author in 15m of water behind the islands. them. The low tide change has been working better than the high tide change but both changes are the most productive time, especially when lined up with a sunrise or sunset. Cobia, chinaman fish and trevally are also being caught by the demersal fishers and all three are great

who are out there working the region hard.

Threadfin salmon are being caught in the bays and creeks in surprisingly good numbers and size for this time of year, with the spring tides again being the best time to target them. One thing you find in the northwest

with masses of tourists camped out and searching for every hungry mud crab they can find. The mud crab population in the Pilbara is a very healthy one although I do have some reservations with the extra pressure it is receiving due to Covid. Fingers-crossed

during the last couple of hours before the high tide change through to an hour afterwards. Fish close to the shore, over rocks and bommies from very shallow to deep waters of around 10m. This is where the bluebone will be feeding during this time.

While generally not as prized as the iconic red emperor, blueline emperor are still a 5-star table fish that make you work for it all the way to the surface.

Fishing in the Pilbara does not have to be all about big demersals or pelagics.

The aggressive fighter and top-rated table fish, the Spanish flag can be found all around the coastline and take just about any bait or small rig setup.

up the water and a prawn dab net, try either motoring slowly along or anchor up and dap for the prawns as they pass the boat under the light. They are attracted to the light so it is more of a case of the prawns will find you over you finding the prawns. The king prawns are big and sweet, but you will have to battle the trawlers

of Western Australia is that the larger tides are generally the most production times to fish. It is often more ideal conditions for a day on the water during the neap tides, but the larger tides carry a lot more food and this is what stirs the fish up to feed more.

No run, no fun, as they say.

The local creeks are all getting a great workout

the international borders are opened as soon as possible to get thing back to normal and find a good balance between anglers and fish stocks. Although, my fingers are really crossed for swift and strong action on the massive shark problem that threatens the fish populations more than any other factor currently.

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WA

Forgotten history revealed FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

Winter has been colder than normal in WA. This has resulted in some anglers refraining from venturing inland, but those who braved the cold got into some reasonable trout and redfin. The northern dams have been a bit quiet, with the better catches coming from the lower regions around Pemberton. This should change soon, with late August normally turning on some warmer weather, resulting in more activity on most of our waters.

One area I don’t report on is the hundreds of little private farm dams scattered throughout our South West. They are stocked by individuals, mostly with trout; however, some dams have a large population of redfin perch of varying sizes. Redfin dams don’t fish well for trout but do produce large specimens on occasions. The Western Australian Trout and Freshwater Angling

mention the vast history of trout acclimatisation that dates back to the early 1900s. Trout were imported from Tasmania and originally hatched in ponds at Albany. Later

Clue built a set of ponds on a creek not far from where the current hatchery is today. Trout were hatched in these ponds and distributed throughout the local streams. It wasn’t

Big Murray cod continue to show up in undisclosed locations. This one fell to a surface lure worked slowly at night. Cody Willis is the lucky angler.

the new hatchery was built on the banks of the Lefroy Brook and were lost to the forest and its ability to regrow back to its native state. Well, a few local anglers that form the Southern Forrest Freshwater Angling Club, along with the Pemberton Visitors Centre and the Pemberton Heritage and History Group, decided to locate these ponds and spent countless hours clearing the area in order to create a tourist attraction. It’s a great project and I’m sure it will draw lots of tourists when it’s completed. Thanks go to Simon Holland for providing the information and reports on the area.

AUSSIE NATIVES Not a lot of reports have been coming through, with just a couple of large winter cod being caught by those anglers willing to put the time in. The promise of providing a sport fishery

A dedicated team put some hard work in at Pemberton, which had been hidden for over half a century, and the water flows once again. but a lot of hours are put in for the result. A good stocking of trout will make the fishing interesting this spring, with water

on, around 1940, the Trout and Game Acclimatisation Society headed by a local school teacher Cyril ‘Sticky’

A classic photo of the first trout ponds in Pemberton, installed in 1941. Photo courtesy of Simon Holland.

Although not a recent photo, this well-conditioned rainbow was caught at the end of summer. For some reason they are doing better this year, maybe due to a reduction in redfin numbers resulting in more available food. Ben Kelly trolled this up after releasing a similar rainbow in the previous pass.

Association (WATFAA) have a number of these dams stocked with both rainbow and brown trout.

You must be a member to access these waters, and strict rules apply in order to retain access from the landowners that use the water for irrigation and livestock. The club has an impressive accommodation setup in the town, with around six rooms and central kitchen, all fairly new. Fly fishing can be excellent on these small dams, which range from only a few acres to some that are quite large. Lures are also allowed, but bait fishing is prohibited on these dams. If you are interested, contact the club for more details.

While we are in the area it would be appropriate to 112

AUGUST 2021

until a large trout over 10lb was caught that the true success and potential of the area was realised.

These original ponds were abandoned when

the weir of an evening and has been getting into a few redfin, although the average size has been on the small side. He has been fishing most of the shoreline but better success has been coming from those who fish deep from boats or kayaks.

Trout have been slow, but things will pick up later in the month when stocking should commence, making fishing the shoreline more productive.

LOGUE BROOK DAM I fished this water recently with mixed results. It seems one day the trout were willing to hit any lure or fly yet the next day they refused to play the game. I had some success casting larger flies at night in between the drowned bushes at the

for the general public has unfortunately not gained much traction of late.

WAROONA DAM A few trout are still making their way to the net,

Big brown trout like this one stocked by Fisheries WA seem to be surviving in our redfin dams. It is believed they are feeding on small redfin and reducing the perch numbers in recent years. This is why we should release the trout, as redfin don’t have a natural aquatic predator in our waters.

Occasionally, a well-conditioned, wild looking rainbow will turn up in amongst the hatchery stocked ex-brood fish. These can be identified by the perfect full tails, opposed to the rounded tails of pond-grown trout.

temperatures starting to rise in the later part of August. Redfin numbers have dropped off but a few decent models are still being caught on minnowstyle lures and soft plastics fished both from boat and shore.

DRAKESBROOK WEIR Local angler Jonah Chiera has been hitting

rear end of the dam, but they lacked the size of the previous year. It will be interesting to see how the 400 brown yearlings do in this rainbow water.

HARVEY DAM Possibility our heaviest fished location, it’s hard to find a freshwater angler who hasn’t thrown a line across this water. The

WA

increase in angling pressure has seen a reduction in large 40cm+ redfin captures of late. Some argue it’s the extremely low water levels of the past couple of years, but whatever the reason it’s definitely not producing the large redfin it once did.

I can remember pulling up as many as 50 fish using the dropshotting technique a few years ago, with a few good size fish in the mix. Still, a number are still getting caught by those keen anglers fishing from the shore. As with other waters, those using boats or kayaks and covering more water are generally getting better results.

Trout fishing has been slow, but August sees the stocking of ex-brood hatchery fish that offer reasonable sport until the hot weather sets in around November.

The annual Harvey Dam Bash will be held in early October. This year it has a new major sponsor, Harvey Water, which leases all the irrigation dams from Watercorp. It’s great to see such a highprofile organization getting behind a fishing event.

I’ve found that we anglers have not been given the credit that we deserve here in Western Australia, and not recognized as being an asset to the local economy like perhaps the skiers are.

This year’s event is bigger than the previous one, with even a coffee van, food van and a live band as well. Prizes for tagged fish are planned so it should be a huge success, with 100 anglers doing battle over the Saturday and Sunday.

WELLINGTON DAM This would have to be one of the most underutilised waters in Australia, with a huge shoreline that stretches tens of kilometres back towards the town of Collie. Wellington Dam sees very little fishing pressure. Up until this year

it was home to a scattered population of redfin with the very occasional trout that possibly made its way down from farmland nearby. Thanks to the persistence of the stocking committee there are now 10,000 rainbow trout yearlings being stocked this year. Time will tell just how well they will do, but my feeling is they would have a good chance as the redfin numbers are lower and scattered compared to other dams further north.

GLEN MERVYN DAM This was one of my

cruise the edge looking for any available food that’s on offer. I fish this drop-off with a sinking fly line and fairly large nymphs, but be warned - any slip-up and you will find yourself in very deep water. This area was mined for tin before it was flooded so extreme care needs to be taken when fishing this dam. Although trout are annually stocked, redfin are also available.

BIG BROOK DAM Some good trout have been reported here so it’s definitely worth a look if you are down in the area.

the area has put the redfin down but some locals are getting a few down around the weir below the road bridge on lures.

Capel River Still produces a few good redfin in around the Winery. High water flow has hindered fishers lately.

Blackwood River Very high and dirty so won’t fish until water subsides in late spring.

Warren River This river is still producing some quality redfin with some impressive catches being The historic trout ponds are marked with this sign upstream of the town swimming pool on a small stream.

Wendy Jane onto a nice rainbow from a club farm dam near Pemberton.

Dams like this offer great fishing and untapped potential in the area. favourite dams back in the 90s but when the redfin turned up it changed everything. These days not many anglers fish it, especially this year as it’s so low. Still, good redfin are getting caught and a few trout are showing up in anglers’ creels.

NORILUP DAM This small water near Greenbushes is often overlooked by the average angler, but it can be quite productive if fished the right way. There is a large drop-off on one side of the dam and it’s this deep water that you must concentrate on as the fish

RIVERS Murray River Running high and discoloured so give it a miss until late August.

Northern Jarrah streams A few keen freshwater anglers have been chasing the spawn runners that run upstream from the numerous dams dotted along the scarp.

Collie River below Wellington Dam Although there is limited flow some trout have shown up in the lower reaches in the deeper pools.

Collie River above Wellington Dam A fair bit of rain in

Fly fishing has become so popular in recent years. There was a time back in the early 80s when it was rare to see anybody waving a fly rod in WA.

of the hatchery recently and were rewarded with some medium rainbows in the fast water. The trick was to get their heavily-weighted flies deep to where the trout were stationed. This month could see high rainfall, potentially causing this brook to run a banker, making fishing very difficult.

Donnelly River The Southern Forrest Irrigation Scheme has reached a climax with the outcome of a recent independent review ordered by the government.

this scheme, with one of their arguments being that the flows have reduced in recent years and the model used was out of date.

They also wanted the area preserved, as the site was close to a particularly huge old karri tree that even I didn’t know existed.

The outcome of the CSIRO report quoted the scheme as not fit for purpose. The report found holes in the Department of Water’s modelling and suggested that new gauging stations should be built to assess current water flows.

The recent decision by FFRG (stocking committee) to stock Waroona Dam with large ex-brood trout has resulted in a reasonable fishery. This rainbow was caught on a weighted brown nymph fished on a floating line. taken throughout the whole system. It was once thought that as numbers increased due to overpopulation, the average size would decrease, as has occurred in other waters. However, this particular river has bucked the trend. I would wait until the levels drop but redfin are still being caught in the slow, deep pools on lures and soft plastics cast around the structure close to the bank.

Brown trout numbers have been impressive this year so spring fishing should be interesting this season.

Lefroy Brook A couple of WATFAA members fly fished the upper reaches well upstream

For those of you who aren’t aware, it simply involved a dam the size of Waroona Dam to be built on a tributary of the Donnelly known as Record Brook. Water would then be pumped up from the Donnelly to fill the dam in times of high flow. It would then be fed through a series of pipes to irrigate up to 100 properties around Manjimup and Pemberton.

Opposition quickly grew to this scheme, as not only would it destroy some beautiful karri country but it was debateable whether enough water would be available to fill this storage. Save the Donnelly Group fought hard to block

In effect, the scheme is dead for the foreseeable future. In a way I was of the opinion that if an environmental flow was factored into the scheme then that much-needed water would have benefited the Donnelly through summer when it dries up in the upper reaches.

Late August is an exciting time to fish our inland waters, and with all the stocking going on it won’t be hard to find a fish or two. Remember an inland freshwater licence is required if you are over 16 years old, but concessions apply. Stay warm and safe, take only what you need and leave only footprints. Tight lines.

AUGUST 2021

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Haines Signature bridges SF gap with 640SF - SC

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Steve Morgan

Length overall:............................................6.62m

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Whenever John Haines stages a media launch for a new boat, he’s always got this attitude… it’s like, “Check out what WE built.

It’s bloody cool, isn’t it?”

Yes. It usually is.

We last saw it at the launch of the sister boat to these hulls, the 640F. A cabin boat with the fittings of a Ferrari but the heritage of an SUV. The 788, launched a few boat shows ago, was the bucket-list boat of anyone who’s grown up dreaming CC

Q

RA

CON

AN THE

FMG

Beam:...........................................................2.43m Deadrise:.................................................... 21-33° Fuel:...............................................................300L Maximum hp:..............................................225hp Minimum hp:...............................................150hp Maximum.outboard weight:.......................290kg Hull weight:..............................................1,272kg Loaded tow weight:.................................2,399kg BMT Length (trimmed in):.......................... 7.54m Boat/Motor/Trailer Height:.................2.46m.(CC) Boat/Motor/Trailer Width:..........................2.45m Capacity:...............................................8.persons Maximum load:........................................1,100kg

Main: Don’t.stress,.this.is.a.digitally.manipulated. image..It.shows.the.two.boats.we.had.access.to. on.the.media.day.–.the.Haines.Signature.640SF. in.centre.console.and.side.console.models..They. are.not.about.to.crash..Above:.Signatures.come. fairly.loaded.with.features.that.are.options.in. lots.of.boats,.such.as.the.JL.Audio.system..

SC

Here’s.the.main.difference.in.layouts..The.centre.console.is.fitted.with.a.wide.console.with. grab.rails,.a.fold.out.console.shroud.that.fits.massive.electronics.and.a.custom-made.helm. seat.that’s.the.right.height..The.side.console.model.features.just.that,.a.side.console.with.

19”.electronics.capacity.and.hydraulic.steering.and.a.gunwale.mounted.throttle.

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Both.rigs.feature.a.rear.casting.platform,.which.is.broad.enough.to.stand. and.deliver.but.by.no.means.huge.in.bass-boat.terms.

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wield a rod.

Their 543SF is an established workhorse of a rig, especially among the crowd that love filming themselves fishing as much as they love fishing.

Maybe more.

And the newly released 640SF is what happens when you mate the 543 with the 640F. You get a boat with the fishability of the 543 combined with the offshore capabilities of a much bigger rig.

Like most media launched, you don’t get a lot of time to get up close and personal with this boat.

You get to ride in it a little,

This.semi-hatch.folds.down.when.you.want. to.cast.from.the.back.deck.and.lifts.when.you. need.to.trim.the.outboard.all.the.way.up. of throwing lures that are too big at fish that are too big in places you shouldn’t be able to get to. It’s a dead-set weapon of a rig but out of the price range and towing abilities of most that

film it a little, chat to the designers a little and annoy people with your drone.

If you want to see these boats in action – yes, there were two versions on the test day – make sure you

There’s.a.factory-made.option.for.mounting. your.trolling.motor.and.it.stows.not. occluding.the.front.casting.deck.

The.640SF.shared.a.hull.with.the.640F.that.was.released.in.2020..If.you’re.more.an.inshore.guy,.pick.the. side.console;.if.you’re.more.an.offshore.angler,.the.centre.console.may.be.for.you.

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The.lean.post.is.an.option.that.fits.just.as.easily.in.either.of.the.boat’s.front. deck..Both.have.massive.amounts.of.storage.under.there. scan the QR code hereby.

It’ll take you straight to the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube Channel. We have COVID to thank for everyone being able to scan

to examine the similarities and differences in the layout of these rigs. Let’s have a look at them.

BROAD DIFFERENCES It’s stating the obvious,

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grab bars, is more suitable for those wishing to push the limits offshore.

That’s our opinion, but there’s absolutely no problem reversing the roles. If that’s what you’re comfortable doing.

The centre console is definitely the little brother of the 788. It features the swing-open design from that boat and the 640F, which lets you unclip the top and open the console up to access the internal wiring with ease.

There’s ample room to mount a 19” MFD – or a couple of 12” units side-by-

side and the rest of the helm holds the gauges, throttle and everything else switching a rig of this calibre needs.

It also has a custom-built seat with a height that suits.

“Most off-the-shelf solutions have a seat that’s too high, so we had to build one that fitted,” said John Haines at the briefing.

Alternatively, the centre console’s helm is a lot simpler and out of the way – opening up more real estate in the boat. It will still handle a massive display as well as the engine gauges, To page ###

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There’s.a.bit.of.gear.stowed.in.the.front.kill.tank,.but.we’d.be.using.it.as.just.that,.a. wet.storage.area..Other.hatches.are.more.protected.from.the.elements.

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Although.you.don’t.want.your.heaviest. gear.up.here,.the.most.for’ard.hatches. will.swallow.a.large.volume.of.gear. stuff now, I suppose.

The two builds on show were a side console version, powered by a Suzuki 200hp 4-stroke and a centre console version propelled by Mercury’s V6 225hp. In the time we had, we did get

but the base builds of these two models are very similar, apart from the console and seating placement. Broadly, the side console boat is more suitable for calmer, inshore waters. The centre console boat with its wrap around

There’s.room.up.here.for.all.your.ground.gear.below,.but.the.anchor.lid.is.definitely. designed.to.be.walked.on.and.cast.from.when.the.situation.arises.

We.didn’t.cover.this.in.the.boat.test.video,.but.these.clever.cleat.replacements.are.worth.a.look..With. a.very.small.footprint,.tie.your.fenders.to.them.and.you’re.docking.in.style.

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It wasn’t really a fair comparison between motors. The centre console’s Mercury 225 seemed punchier than the 200hp Suzuki, but there was an extra 25hp there. A 225 is the maximum for these hulls.

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from. It’s helped by a section of deck that bridges the sides of the engine well, giving an even width from gunwale to gunwale.

Under it, there’s inbuilt live bait storage and for’ard on it, there’s some vertical rod storage. We assume that’s for the rods that are in immediate use, because that deck would get pretty small if you’re fishing beside

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There’s also a neat product used on the gunwales – Phender Pro. Standard in these boats and also available at the SCB Store, they’re a one-click solution to rope and fender attachment and do it in a way that there’s nothing to catch a line on when the fenders and ropes are stowed.

There’s plenty of boaties that’ll love this piece of kit.

Google it.

You can see that the front casting deck is lower than in a boat designed for calmer waters. It’s at just the right height for the areas you’ll be fishing. And of course you can add a lean-post if you want that extra stability.

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There’s no wasted space in either of the Haines Signature iterations.

The centre console is a cut down version of the one you’ll find in the 788. It unclips and folds back for easy access and will hold massive electronics. The side console mirrors the one found in the 543, yet still will hold a 19” unit flush mounted. but its low profile is much more reminiscent of the smaller 543.

Now ignoring the different models, let’s look

at some of the other features of the 640SF. TRANSOM AND GUNWALES “Feedback from our

anglers in the field prompted us to make the back deck section more fishable,” said John, “There’s enough width there now to stand up and on

without having to feel your way with your feet.”

Indeed, there’s an elevated, if a little narrow, back deck to get up and fish

your quiver.

Luckily, there’s some horizontal rod storage in the side pockets, with tubes running far enough for’ard to hold the longest casting rods you’re likely to use. This is where you will need to store your rigs if you want to use that back deck effectively.

In the engine well, there is access to your pumps and stopcocks.

No doubt that these rigs will see plenty more exotic waters than the Gold Coast Broadwater. Aussie boat builders are slowly catching the Yanks when it comes to pimped offshore capable lurecasting craft of this size.

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FLOORS AND STORAGE Haines Signature have definitely taken advantage of the storage options that raised casting decks bring.

And the advantage of having glass hatches is that you can keep them pretty dry most of the time. There aren’t many aluminium boats on the market with carpeted lids that can achieve this, and it’s something I like in a

to provide some figures for the Yamaha powered boat (that was absent on the test day).

An F225 cruised most efficiently at 3,500rpm at a speed of 47km/h and an efficiency of 1.65km/L. Match that to the 300L of underfloor fuel (which turned into 318L at the pump, but calculate on 300 for safety) and there’s a theoretical range of just under 500km at cruising speeds.

Sound like you can get to the reef and back on that? Yep!

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There’s nothing ground breaking about the side console – apart from its size and ability to swallow a big screen.

No, this isn’t a toilet. It’s a fully plumbed, recirculating live bait tank with a clear front to check on the condition of your livies at a glance. boat – the ability to keep your tackle/clothing/gear dry and rust-free when needed.

Most of the storage is up front and there’s plenty of it.

At the widest part of the deck, there’s a semi-dry area that’d work better as a kill box or an esky that has no seals, but the rest you can fill with the gear that will extend your adventure.

The floors are covered with custom cut X-Deck, SCB’s version of the EVA

flooring that’s virtually mandatory on high end glass rigs nowadays. It looks good, feels good underfloor and cleans well. We haven’t heard many negatives about it either, regardless of the brand as uptake has increased.

FRONT DECKS From an angler’s perspective, there’s nothing like plenty of real estate up front. The front casting deck isn’t gunwale height, but it is raised from the rest of the

Haines Signature’s X-Deck is rife throughout these boats. It’s a lovely way to finish a very fancy layout.

cockpit floor. You need the room to swing a rod up there and these boats definitely deliver this.

To help with the inevitable instability up there in less than perfect conditions, the optional lean post anchors not only through the deck, but down onto the sub deck underneath it. It means that you don’t need to be gentle with it. It’s a well-made and practical piece of hit that’s probably necessary enough to be a must-have on a boat like this.

There’s also a lid on the anchor well that acts as a further elevated option to cast from. Probably only on the smooth days or in calm water, but the options is there. Height is your friend while trying to spot fish.

There’s a dedicated electric motor pad, too, which deletes the need to bolt through the top deck. I can’t see many of these boats being rigged without one – regardless of the version.

PERFORMANCE We didn’t get the opportunity to measure the performance figures for this rig, but assuming that the rigs are broadly comparable, the Yamaha guys were able

Ultimately, the side console is a great two-man rig, while the centre console may be better for a bigger crew.

Top speed is around 80km/h at around a litre per kilometre.

SUMMARY In the short time we had to get to know these boats, it was a bit of information

overload and it’s hard to come up with specific things that I’d like to investigate further. Does it ride beautifully and turn heads on the water? Most definitely!

Do the hatches leak?

Don’t know.

Does the price tag scare some off? Probably.

Packages start from circa $97,000. For more information, go to www. hainessignature.com.au.

Are you a Merc or a Suzuki guy? Not that long ago, Suzuki were all white and Mercury were all black. Times are a-changing.

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New South Wales Tide Times

Victorian Tide Times

2021 POINT LO 2021 202 LAT 33° 51’ S LONG 151° 14’ E LAT 38° 1 Local Time of High and Low Waters Times and Heights POINT –Times VICTORIA TimesLocal and JUNE Heights Time of High and LowLONSDALE WatersJULY MAY and Heights of Local High and Time Low Waters and HT AUGUST JUNE JULY Times Local 2021 LAT 38° 18’ S LONG 144° 37’ E JULY AUGUST JUNE SEPTEMBER OCTOBER AUGUST NOVEMBER SEPTEMBER DECEMBE O

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA DNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES ES POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA NEW SOUTH WALES LAT 38°–18’ S LONG 144° 37’ E LAT 33° 51’ S LONG 151° 14’ E SYDNEY (FORT DENISON)

2021 LAT 38° 18’ S LONG 144°Waters 37’ E Times and Heights of High and Low

Time MAY

m m Time m Time Time m Time m m Time m Time m Time mTime mTime m m Time Time Time m me m Time m Time m Time Time m Waters Time m Time m Time 1.40 Time m0145 m Time mTime m Time mof m Time m0623 Time 0.69 m Local m 0519 m 0452 Time m Time Time m 0034m 0.51 Times and0057 Heights High0006 and Low 1.68 0.58 Time 0633 0.53 1.34 0150 1.26 0037 1.78Time 1.60 0557 1.36 Time 0046 0049m Time 0.58 1.41 1238 1.30 1.28 1.47 0750 1.57 0.51 0807 0.62 07400339 0.490145 0.54 1148 0.551.12 0735 1.30 0748 1.35 0.380646 1158 0735 06 1.68 0228 0319 1.45 0335 0744 0348 0.43 1.48 0419 0055 0.441.47 1.19 0010 0.58 0.39 0515 0651 1.50 0150 1.26 0545 1.45 0621 1.610628 60 1117 1.56 1.34 1.08 04191041 1.500430 0003 0.43 0628 1.42 FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL JANUARY 1804 0.76 0.75 0.38 1430 TU 1.59 1446 1.43 13450943 1.330750 1.38 TH 1358 FR 1303 SU TU 0.62 WE0.51 SU0.74 MO 1900 1.50 1245 0.801153 WE 1257 0.87 1.58 1904 1.54 1245 0.75 46 0.43 0831 0909 0.44 0910 0929 0.47 0942 0714 1.55 0.62 0617 1.32 1048 0.61 1202 0.73 0807 1109 0.66 1234 0.491158 15 1640 0.32 0.72 1013 0.470957 0616 1.38 0.76 FRm1748 SA 1.43 MO TH Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time Time m Time m 1848 1.71 1.73 2110 1.58 0.56 2114 1.54 0.76 19111653 0.791.76 1.59 1615 1.70 1554 1940 0.78 1.441801 1922 1.42 0.74 1928 03 1.43 1629 0.66 1.68 1329 0.531.54 1713 1819WE 1.42 1741 1834 1.54 87 2314 17142319 1.691637 1204 WE 0.59 SU 1522 SU 1446 1.43 TU MO 1430 WE TH1.45 FR1.66 MO 1935 TU 1.39 TH WE TH FR 1614SU1.47 SA 1158 MO0.59 TH FR 1806 04150100 1.59 1.58 0230 1.45 1.48 0319 1.67 0309 1.62 1.51 0315 1.60 1.59 02382215 1.602110 0337 1.62 02270.52 1.52 0.49 48 0.66 2105 2152 0.77 2257 2213 0.61 2309 1925 0.38 1820 2317 0.33 2114 0.76 2345 65 0608 0.69 0.56 0.62 2254 0.622332 1816 0030 1.68 0.61 0.75 0255 1.18 0138 1.66 0148 1.47 0301 1.25 0.74 0.59 0135 0133 0.57 0534 1.38 0043 0130 1007 0.42 0023 0808 0832 0.340.47 0850 0.62 09010.65 0.43 0906 0.68 0.22 0818 0.75 0917 0.56 0724 0.52 1.25 1.47 0858 1.42 0.65 0835 0.540301 0828 0.58 0733 0.45 0853 0.56 0129 0.44 0255FR1.18 0635 0042 0.340009 00 1.58 0303 0515 1.45 0533 0434 1.48 0057 0.36 0610 0030 0.33 59 1207 0450 0514 0044 0015FR0.44 1.291.20 1.32 0848 1.37 1121 0.42 0735 0849 16241.26 1.46 0656 1516 1.671.50 14570400 1.43 1.44MO 15301.40 1.50 1.54 1600 0.35 1.76 14130430 1.331.51 15301.11 1.43 1430 1.43 TU TU MO TH0842 SA1.25 1335 1.34 1726 0.80 1542 1.47 1447 1.35 1451 1.41 1359 1.49 1538 1.64 O 0.45 0905 0.39 MO0.66 WE 0.65 FR SA 0.56 TU 0751 1.62 0858 1147 0.74 0708 1.750721 33 0.41TH0.56 1056 0.571105 1012 0.54 1044 0703 1.41 1133 0.691336 0757 1.43 16 0659 0716 TH 1.37 2211 0.38 2058 0.640.85 21000942 0.21 0.47 1015 2115 0.46 WE 2134 1.51 0.51 20161030 0.260853 21190.69 0.27 2019 0.36TU 1231 0.65 0.89 1347 0.95 1836 1.52 1256 0.68 1345 SU 0.67 FR SA 1906 0.77 2227 0.72 2019 0.82 2045 0.81 1957 2230 0.50 1412 0.481.50 1542 1.47 1812 SU 1.48 1332 0.37 59 1.69 1.64 1753 FR 1.631738SA1.72 1703 1947 1.64 1255TU1.51 0.52 1753 1.54 1253 TH 0.79 82 1.49 1258 0.47 1.44 1.401233 2009 1.38 1959 2023 TH 1651 1.67 WE 0.83 FR MO 1557 MO 1.71 MO1.55 WE 1740 TU 1538 FR TH 1654FR1.51 SA 1709 TU 2019 TH SA 1239 04042228 1.67 0.74 2350 1.57 0.55 2352 0340 1.63 1.52 0356 1.65 1.60 0300 1.42 1.481919 1.35 03182305 1.642230 04150.54 1.64 0.60 0446 2252 03090.43 1.58 2005 2227 0.72 1930 1.541857 57 0.67 2139 0.69 0.50 2340 1910 66 0000 1905 1842 1.34 1.66 0.75 0406 1.16 0422 1.22 0239 1.56 0126 1.63 0245 1.37 0200 1.48 0940 0.55 1043 0.37 0116 0852 09360.59 0.37 0952 0.65 0.15 0905 0.330.43 0858 0.69 0959 0.46 0.45 0.75 0953 0230 0223 0.55 0001 0.75 0144 0230 0925 0.57 0815 0.50 0911 0.61 0.62 1.45 0.66 1001 0.32 0.57 1546 1.43 17040825 1.46 0.47 16081.44 1.54 1647 0.29 1.79 1547 1.671.55 14580524 1.370422 1617 1.48 1522 1.54 0.49 0200 0.46 0406SA1.16 0022 0127 0.330053 00 1.48 0340 1.44 0615 1.41 0024 0.32 0524 1.48 0136 0.34 0001 0130 0.40 57 0702 0443 1.42TU 0545 1.17 0657 1.30 0123 0056SA0.47 SU1.22 WE WE FR0945 TU 0808 1.26 1.36 0949 1.40 0628 1.34 0858 0958 1544 1.40 1433 1.41 1543 1.46 1458 1.57 1303 1.24 1637 1.52 1645 1.72 TU TU WE TH FR SA SU 21461020 0.25 0.52 1113 22461.34 0.43 21500.78 0.49 TH 2219 1.65 0.53 2130 0.650.92 20541117 0.251001 22020.64 0.30 2106 0.35WE 0825 1.68 0953 0.66 0726 1.39 0756 1.890923 25 0.52 0.57 1137 0.670624 1058 0.62 1235 0744 1.50 0710 1.511438 0906 1.38 22 0.47 0936 0.41 0740 0813 FR 1.34 1321 0.750.57 0.96 1449 1.01 1209 0.48 1402 1453 MO 0.64 SA SU 2129 0.81 2015 0.75 2155 0.79 2114 1822 0.83 2330 0.65 2341 0.41 1451 0.451.47 1637 1.52 1228 MO 0.82 1428 0.261430 58 1.61 1.72 18301930 1.561202 1740 2036 1.60 1343 0.46 1220 0.78 1359 FR 0.83 74 1.57 1348 0.36 1319 TH 0.89 SA TU 1633 TU 1.67 TU1.64 TH 1827 WE 1645 SA SU0.49 WE1.48 SA FR 1728 1.63 FR 1745SA1.59 SU 1856 WE 2108 FR SU 1.38 1.37 2102 1.35 1.47 2058 2124 0444 1.65 0514 1.54 0408 1.51 0435 1.60 0332 1.47 0357 1.66 0451 1.64 0348 1.61 14 0.64 2213 2357 2341 0.68 0.41 1.76 2335 1.41 0.49 1953 1.62 1838 67 0056 2306 0.70 1953 1.671931 1.28 2044 1.392037 1.30 2330 0.65 1847 1.42 2025 1.522102 1.62 0.76 0534 1.48 1.25 0339 0228 1.59 03440.37 1.31 1830 11150310 0.34 1037 0.12 0938 0.34 1025 0.49 0936 1.49 0.63 1039 0935 0513 0.33 1.171009 0.33 0220 1611 0.75 1046 0329 0.61 0320 0.53 0052 0252 0.51 0338 0.39 1106 0.54 1009 0.59 0905 1.42 0.48 09541.51 0.62TH 0.74 0800 0.61 0.66 17410919 1.45 0.49 1735 0.25 1.76 1619 0.48 1.650245 0.47 1634 1643 0.34 1.56 15420630 1.390534 1704 1.61 0.51 MO1.25 TH SA1044 WE 0513SU1.17 0.28 0101 0211 0050 0.33 10 1.38 00230735 0.590108 0621 1.48 51 1.41 0417 1.42 0531 1.41WE 0032 0.45 0130 0.34 0203 0144SU0.51 0230 0213 0.340250 0922 1.27 1.42 1050 1.46 1.33 1014 1.53 1103 1.61 1746 1.80 1633 1.47 1530 1.52 1632 1.52 1558 1.66 1407 1.26 1728 1.58 WE WE TH FR SA SU MO 23201.42 0.49 0.71 0735 2302 0.56 2204 1.72 0.671015 1.38 22281104 0.31 0.59 0629 2223 1.56 0.52 1.47 0822 21311202 0.251106 22451.24 0.35 1.380707 2151 0818 0.38 1.380821 1046 0.66 0816 19 0.63 0.54 0718 1145 31 0.49 1007 0.44 1.32 0858 0845 1.991030 1422 0.831.40 1550 1.78 1.000915 SA 1600 1.02 1307 1517 0.85 1608 0.94 2234 0.78 2128 0.70 2300 0.74 0.572230 0.56 1929 0.84 TU FR SU MO TH 1711 1.63 1728 1.58 1746 1.80 1253 0.42 1313 0.90 1426 0.42 1313 0.86 1528 0.81 58 1913 1.54 1219 0.77 1819 1.56 65 1.66 1807 1.59 1200 0.57 1322 0.46 1439 0.26 1416 0.94 1528 0.42 1523 0.18 1539 WE WE SU 1.44 WE 1.62 TU2200 TH1.48 SU FR TH SU 1.61 MO 1.50 2126 SA 1.61 SA MO 0426 TH 2200 SA FR 0406 SA MO 1.34 SU 1.35 1.36 2203 2031 2229 0542 1.451.46 0519 0436 1.50 1.43 0435 1.66 0527 0416 1.66 1.57 0.77 1915 1.77 1929 1.37 2031 1.58 1933 2202 1.30 30 0.56 2246 1906 1.49 2348 0.65 1829 1.68 1938 1.72 2042 2034 1.24 2222 69 0158 2121 1.36 2120 1.49 0433 04420.29 1.28 11470422 0039 0.321023 0.15 0333 0.45 1.56 1.61 1015 1.45 0.57 1121 0.23 0.571041 0.31 0.33 1.36 1018 0020 1009 0.36 1106 0607 1.20 1049 0.59 10381.52 0.62FR 0.70 0633 1.31 0956 1.40 0.46 TH 1753 0858 0.58 0330 0.710.27 0.56 0422 0.48 0157 0402 0445 16250050 1.400039 1659 1.65 0.52 1723 0.26 1.69 18171016 1.43 0.50 1655 1.610.36 1719 17150.43 1.57 TU0.32 FR MO0.57 TH SU0426 0020 0147 0.26 0242 0.36 0147 0411 0.49 22 1.36 0457 0.68 0630 1.41 0110 1717 0.37 01071.59 0.590146 0020 0.44 0206 0245MO0.53 44 1512 0244 0300 0.51 0301 0.370402 1136 0.63 1718 1.54 1658 1.77 1206 0.36 0.49 1626 1.64 1.33 1.39 1030 1.32 1137 1.51 1147 1.52 0900 1.35 1122 1.64 1205 1.67 TH SA MO TU FR SU TH 2210 0.28 2330 0.43 2235 0.42 2245 0.61 2355 0.56 2237 0.70 2306 0.39 2256 0.55 0607 1.20 0914 1.37 1.48 0856 1.61 0927 1.46 16 0.50 1040 1.35 1.31 1154 0.68 0707 2357 1.32 08170.68 1.380747 2342 0727 0.46 1.49 0813 1.52 42 2043 0906 1.891022 1.33 0930 1.741118 1.41 0934 2.051134 1814FR 1.65 23310744 0.730633 1842 SA 1.87 2240 0.61 0.81 0.48 0.890.37 1701 1.001530 SU 1709 0.99 0.660.38 1636 0.88 1720 0.92 WE 1539 MO TU 1418 1136 0.63 1406 0.97 1206 0.49 1338 1505 0.40 1415 0.91 1655 0.73 58 1250 0.74 1850 1.55 1244 0.49 1305 0.86 1237 0.81 1407 0.94 1700 56 1.77 1530 0.19 1604 0.41 1618 0.14 TH 1.58 TH FR MO WE FR MO SA SU SU MO TU TU SU TU TH 1751 FR SA SU MO 0550 1.56 05051.50 1.48 0512 1.64 1.61 0459 1.37 1.52 0602 1.58 0611 1.46 2215 0502 0441 1.411.47 1.351.77 2255 2308 1.35 2137 1.43 2300 2331 0.77 2133 1.61 2200 1.33 2217 1.45 1814 1.65 2018 1.32 1842 1.87 1957 1.75 2109 1.53 2042 1.38 2318 1.34 42 0304 0.46 2322 1959 1.48 1909 1.76 1945 1.44 1905 1.52 2021 2147 1.23 2344 0522 05360.24 1.27 12190531 0129 0.251107 0.21 0438 0.42 1.54 1.62 1145 1053 1.42 0.52 0.17 0.491112 0.31 1203 0.33 1.35 1101 0102 1039 0.38 0652 1.24 1127 0.59 11211.50 0.62SA 0.62 0724 MO 1.37 1046 1.37 0.44 FR 1845 0950 0.52 1804 17460.34 1.55 17090147 1.410129 1746 1.65 0.53 1814 0.29 1.60 18561115 1.41 0.49 1733 1.560.33 0432 0.640.22 0507 0516 0.50 0545 0520 0.43 WE0.25 SA FR 0102TU0.49 0242 0300 31 1.35 0542 0.68 01540313 0.590221 0111 0.40 71 1609 0037 0.59 0145 1800 0.30 0358TU0.53 0332 0.54 0352 0.410524 0.27 0243 0311 0.39 0327 0524 0.48 1221 0.59 1758 1.61 1.65 1755 1.87 1300 0.39 0.43 1719 1.78 1.44 1.36 2344 0.47 2330 0.60 2251 0.33 2319 0.48 2329 0.66 2311 0.741.72 FR SU TU WE SA MO FR 1129 1.40 1025 1.44 1224 1.74 1225 1.59 1301 1240 1.59 0652 1.24 0724 1.37 1012 1.39 1036 1.47 15 0.49 1119 0852 1.35 0915 1.39 0836 1.51 36 2154 0740 1.43 0744 1.40 1124 1.38 1004 1.75 1027 2.06 0.53 0825 1.53 0852 1.63 0929 1.65 0952 1.96 1215 1.46 1230 1856SA1.72 1931SU 1.91 2346 0.50 0.74 1656 0.90 1541 0.72 1746 0.86 1758 0.961653 1822 0.87 1807 0.93 TH WE MO TU 1221 0.59 1300 0.43 1512 1.01 1537 0.92 55 1344 0.84 1358 0.95 1333 0.90 53 1.87 1251 0.78 1326 0.41 0.88 1642 0.41 1714 0.15 1420 0.37 1453 0.29 1544 0.40 1625 0.17 1801 0.62 1812 FR 1.53 SA FR SA SU TU WE MO MO MO SU MO TU FR 1835 TU WE TH SA TU WE 05361.52 1.45 0545 1.39 1.45 0547 1.61 0620 1.51 0015 0.52 0030 0.63 2304 0539 1.58 0516 1.37 1.36 2240 1.46 2359 2349 1931 1.91 2117 1.29 2201 1.36 2045 1.42 2028 1.39 1959 1.48 48 0407 1.65 1856 1.72 1939 1.51 1949 1.82 2302 1.27 2238 1.29 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TH1838 SA0.70 MO 1445 TU TH FR SA 1.37 WE 1244 1.34 0.58 0800 0.702025 0.63 2132 0.33 2013 0.661.47 2011 0.19 1953 0.29 2035 19591.49 0.51 1900 1.52 2336 0.710723 2305 0.72 0.45 1857 1842 58 1.37 0250 0213 1.10 0457 1.41 1.48 0531 TU 1.26 0545 0.73 1.59 1448 1.46 1.42 O 1807 SA 1353 23 0.58 0853 0.24 0800 0.70 1030 0.57 1107 0.69 1115 0.69 2001 0.76 2148 0.68 0257 1.58 0233 1.55 0526 1.42 0110 0.37 53 1.41 1.60 0.49 1727 MO 1605 1.83 TU 1448 1.42 SA 1710 1107 SU 1725 TU1.53 FR 0836 0.67 0819 0.34 1.45 0832 1.50 01 0.76 2127 0.71 2148 2309 1815 0.49 1.59 1443 1.37 1.68 0.41 SU0.68 WE 1510 2339 1324 0.84 SU FR ommonwealth of Australia 2020, Bureau 2037 0.27of Meteorology 2048 0.50 2351 0.69 1954 1.47

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ctions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Bureau © ght Commonwealth of Australia 2020, ofCopyright Meteorology Commonwealth of Australia 2020, Bureau of Meteorology© Copyright Commonwealth of Austral © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2020, Bureau of Meteorology cal standard time (UTC +10:00) daylightDatum savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect Predictions is Lowest AstronomicalorTide of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide of Predictions is Lowest Astrono © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, BureauDatum of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter ymbols Full Moon 1:00) in local when standard in effect time (UTC +10:00) or daylight Times savings areDatum intime local(UTC standard +11:00) time when (UTC in +10:00) effect or daylight savings time Times (UTC are +11:00) in local when standard in effect time (UTC of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect New Last Moon Quarter First Quarter New Moon time (UTC Last +10:00) Quarter First Quarter NewLast Moo ase ull Moon Symbols Moon Phase Symbols Moon Moonsavings Phase Full Moon Symbols Times are in Full local standard or daylight time (UTC +11:00) whQ New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon Tide predictions for Port Phillip Heads have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions.

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We Test 20lb Fluorocarbon Leaders

By Steve Morgan Last year, we took on the massive task of testing all of the 20lb class, branded braided lines on the market. We got 24 different varieties to run through a series of tests - strength, diameter, abrasion resistance and costs.

We learned a lot doing these.

The main thing we learned was that manufacturers are all over the place when it comes to braid labelling, both with diameter and breaking strength. As such a lot of the abrasion resistance tests that we did were not really relevant. I mean, how can you compare a line which is twice as thick for abrasion resistance?

We got a lot of flak for this but scientifically it was the right thing to do.

We only published the fair comparisons like breaking strength and price per metre.

Leaders, however, are a whole different story. Because fluorocarbon leader is a universal, circular shape

we can measure their diameter quite accurately. As such we know that we are comparing apples for apples when it comes to both the strength and the resistance tests.

So we went back to the market and have requested samples of each of the brands’ 20 pound labelled fluorocarbon leader materials.

Before we give you the test results, let’s backtrack a little and have a look at what fluorocarbon leader is and why we use it?

WHY USE FLUOROCARBON? The reasons to use fluorocarbon are well marketed and established in Australia. When it first hit the market it was sold as a product that featured less stretch than standard monofilament nylon fishing lines (around 10% instead of up to 25%), but its real selling point was that it featured a similar refractive index to water.

Theoretically, this meant that it was less visible than nylon fishing lines and leaders and most definitely less visible than braid (or in those days Fireline or Dacron) when tying to a bait or lure.

>

Sunline FC Rock Saltwater Special

> Waiting for the line abrasion testing machine to complete its cycle by breaking the line.

Aussies have been pretty quick on the uptake for using braided or GSP lines, so a fluorocarbon leader has always been a part of the fishing landscape for the past couple of decades. However, this is the first time we’ve rounded up all of the likely candidates and put them head-to-head.

METHODS In this test, we were able to accurately measure several variables - price per metre, breaking strength, diameter and abrasion resistance. I wasn’t clever

enough to devise an index of visibility under the water and didn’t have the machines to measure this anyway.

We were, however, able to get our hands on the line testing machines from Platypus in Brisbane, so a big thanks to Gareth Williams and the team from Tackle Tactics for letting us loose with their expensive gear. Especially since the last time we tested the 20lb braids we managed to take out the power to the building. Twice.

>

$ Price/m - 50 cents

$ Price/m - 26 cents

>

Daiwa J-Thread FC

$ Price/m - 28 cents

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Shimano Ocea Leader EX

>

Sunline FC100 System Leader

$ Price/m - 80 cents

Apart from a sensitive set of Vernier callipers to measure diameter, we used their breaking strength testing machine (and tested every line three times, using the average as the nominated measurement) and their abrasion testing machine to see how the lines fared when tested to destruction - either through force or abrasion.

And to put it into context, we compared the test between braid 20lb and 20lb fluorocarbon to just make sure that putting a leader on the end of the braid was the best thing to do.

There was plenty of good news to come out of the benchmarking.

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> FISHING TACKLE

> NEW 2021 PRODUCTS Firstly, we quickly found out that the fluorocarbon WAS overall much more abrasion resistant than braid. On the same settings (and 800 grit sandpaper, the first sample went for 437 revolutions before it parted. The best braid just cleared 100, but most braids let go at anywhere between 5 and 50 turns.

So we decided to use a more abrasive sandpaper to get the job done quicker. And we found that 240 grit paper would wear through in less than 100 revolutions. Otherwise Gareth would be kicking us out at closing time with the work only half done.

But also (and importantly) we

> There’s only one way to do this testing … one line sample at a time, with multiple repeats over multiple line types.

>

The line strength testing machine at Platypus is an oldie, but a goodie.

>

Black Magic Tough Fluorocarbon

validated that we should be using fresh sandpaper (or at least a fresh section of it) for every test.

Braid tended to clog up the paper with its coatings and testing the same braid on the same sandpaper would blow out the results. If you see this happening on other tests, the results will be way out and the braids will test better the later they are tested.

There was an effect of using the same track every test with fluorocarbon, but it only ended up being about being 30% less effective, where braid would be hundreds of percent less effective by the end of several tests. So we still

changed the sandpaper every time.

Observing the abrasion process, fluorocarbon tended to discard a dust of particles that would fall away from the sandpaper, where the braid coating would usually adhere to it.

So, we started the testing, and immediately noticed several things.

The breaking strengths were very precise between tests - usually within 1lb breaking strain between tests.

Abrasion tests were very precise between tests - with results varying by around 5% per test. This was a lot less variable than the braid.

Breaking strengths were a lot

>

$ Price/m - 32 cents

>

Sunline Siglon FC

$ Price/m - 44 cents

Sunline V Hard

$ Price/m - 66 cents

>

Platypus Stealth FC

$ Price/m - 25 cents

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> FISHING TACKLE

closer to the stated strengths than they were in the braid testing, though most still broke over the stated 20lb line class.

Diameter testing was overall very close to stated diameters. If anything, most of the packaging was a little understated compared to our results, but overall, it was pretty accurate.

Let’s get into the detail.

“WE COMPARED THE TEST BETWEEN 20LB BRAID AND 20LB FLUOROCARBON TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT PUTTING A LEADER ON THE END OF THE BRAID WAS THE BEST THING TO DO” PRICE One of the easiest variables to look at is the relative price of the leader types.

We were supplied the Suggested Retail Price (SRP) for each spool of material and divided it by the length of leader supplied to give price per metre.

This information was supplied by the manufacturers directly and sometimes you’ll be able to buy it cheaper than the SRP. We didn’t go searching for the cheapest price we could find. Most stores sold pretty close to the SRP for the ones we checked.

> NEW 2021 PRODUCTS Surprisingly, there’s quite a broad range of pricing with fluorocarbon, with the dearest leader (Sunline FC100 at 80c/metre) being 4 times more expensive than the cheapest (Sufix Super21FC at 20c/metre).

The average price for a leader is in the 40c/metre range and when it comes down to it, maybe it doesn’t matter if your leader costs $3 for two rod lengths or 40c for the same amount, it’s all minimal in cost compared to the cost of the lure on the end of the line or, indeed, the fish at the end of it in the heat of battle.

You can see the full results in the table, but it gets more interesting when it comes to performance of the cheaper lines versus the dearer lines, and there will be more about that later in this article.

DIAMETER TESTING This was a pretty easy test to do. Using a very accurate set of vernier callipers,

and a mess of numbers.

we made multiple measurements per sample of leader. We were working under the assumption that the leaders were all close enough to cylindrical in shape. The small variance in measurements (usually by only 0.01mm) tends to support that argument.

What we found was that there was actually a significant difference between the thinnest line and the thickest line (0.30mm to 0.48mm). That’s over 50% greater diameter and that equates to over 2.5 times cross sectional area of the line (remember your high school maths for area of a circle?).

We will come back to this later on, but it’s a fair assumption to think that the thicker a line is, the stronger it is and the more abrasion resistant it is.

has done over the years.

>

Schneider Super Crystal

$ Price/m - 39 cents

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line diameter measurements.

> What seems like a fun job soon turns into work …

> We shudder to think how many rotations this machine

6

> Accurate vernier callipers gave remarkably consistent We will deal with this in a while, but for the moment, here’s the thicknesses of the lines in the table. Sufix Super21 FC is the thinnest (0.30mm) and Berkley Vanish is the thickest (0.48mm).

STRENGTH TESTING We needed to strength test the leaders, because there is a positive correlation between diameter and strength. Also, it’s just good to know what your favourite leader tests at. For some people, abrasion resistance isn’t the number one thing that they’re chasing in a leader.

Maybe it’s the strongest for its diameter that will get the job done for them.

Think fish with a smooth mouth that are fussy, open water feeders. This is where a thin, strong leader may be effective.

Compare this to a sooty grunter angler who may encounter a barra. In this case, abrasion resistance may well come into play, as they want the best chance of landing the rough-mouthed barra if they encounter one.

As well as the table hereby, we can also now do some correlations between leader strength and leader diameter.

That graph is also published here.

If you’re looking for a strong, thin line, you want ones that are below the line in this graph. Below the line gives you the leaders that are stronger and thinner than the rest.

Strong, thin leaders include Sufix Super21, Shimano Ocea, Schneider, Sufix 100%, Sunline V-Hard and Asari.

ABRASION TESTING This is always the category that generates the most debate. There was a fair bit of butthurt coming from some people about how we did the braid

>

Berkley Vanish

$ Price/m - 56 cents

testing and more from others when we couldn’t find a way to standardise the results and present a fair test.

And that’s probably the first time I’ve used that modern term (butthurt) in an article!

Platypus’ line abrasion testing machine is a pretty cool piece of kit. You rig it with some sandpaper, tie a small loop in each end of the line sample and run it scross the sandpaper. We add two weights to add a constant force to the line and also to activate the rotation counter that is built into the machine.

And by using a fresh track (or a new piece of sandpaper) for each test, we end up with a testing regime that’s as close as we can find to standard.

Of course, there is no international standard we could find for testing abrasion resistance in fishing lines and companies

EXTRA

>

Leader Pricing

Leader Price/m Sufix Super21 FC $0.20 Platypus Stealth FC $0.25 Sunline FC Rock $0.26 Daiwa J-Thread $0.28 Black Magic Tough FC $0.32 Schneider Crystal Clear $0.39 Sunline Siglon FC $0.44 Wilson FC Shock Leader $0.46 Sufix 100% Fluorocarbon $0.48 Shimano Ocea Leader $0.50 Berkley Vanish $0.56 Sunline V-Hard $0.66 Asari Fluorocarbon $0.67 Sunline FC100 $0.80

>

Leader Diameter

>

2021

> FISHING TACKLE

> NEW 2021 PRODUCTS

Leader Strength

Leader Diameter Sufix Super21 FC 0.30mm Shimano Ocea Leader 0.34mm Sunline Siglon FC 0.36mm Sunline V-Hard 0.36mm Sufix 100% Fluorocarbon 0.37mm Schneider Crystal Clear 0.38mm Asari Fluorocarbon 0.38mm Sunline FC Rock 0.38mm Black Magic Tough FC 0.39mm Platypus Stealth FC 0.40mm Daiwa J-Thread 0.40mm Sunline FC100 0.42mm Wilson FC Shock Leader 0.46mm Berkley Vanish 0.48mm

Leader Strength Sunline FC Rock 16.7lb Sufix Super21 FC 18.4lb Sunline Siglon FC 19.5lb Shimano Ocea Leader 19.7lb Platypus Stealth FC 20.4lb Daiwa J-Thread 21.3lb Schneider Crystal Clear 22.2lb Sunline FC100 22.4lb Black Magic Tough FC 22.6lb Sufix 100% Fluorocarbon 22.8lb Sunline V-Hard 22.9lb Asari Fluorocarbon 24.5lb Wilson FC Shock Leader 26.7lb Berkley Vanish 29.1lb

the line is thinner with better abrasion for its diameter.

If you’re chasing a leader that better than average abrasion resistance for its strength, try Wilson FC, Schneider, Asari, Sunline FC 100, Shimano Ocea, Platypus Stealth or Sunline FC Rock. These are above the line. Above means Better abrasion for its tested strength.

ABRASION TAKEN FURTHER We did this one as a mathematical

exercise. We decided to plot abrasion resistance versus cross sectional area of the leader, because as diameter goes up, area goes up exponentially.

This might help to level the playing field for lines that deliberately overrate their leader.

Berkley Vanish, for instance is much closer to being a 30lb leader than a 20lb leader when you look at the strength results.

> Fluorocarbon leader leaves a powdery residue that tends to dust off rather than clog the sandpaper.

>

Abrasion Results

Leader Turns Sunline V-Hard 52 turns Sufix Super21 FC 56 turns Sunline FC Rock 59 turns Daiwa J-Thread 62 turns Sunline Siglon FC 63 turns Black Magic Tough FC 67 turns Platypus Stealth FC 68 turns Shimano Ocea Leader 69 turns Sufix 100% Fluorocarbon 76 turns Sunline FC100 81 turns Berkley Vanish 82 turns Asari Fluorocarbon 84 turns Schneider Crystal Clear 96 turns Wilson FC Shock Leader 112 turns

all have their own ways of doing it. That’s maybe why you never see on a box of leader that states that it’s nothing but excellent at everything.

But here’s the raw results from our abrasion testing.

But we need to put these into context, and with the data that we have, we can plot abrasion resistance versus strength and versus diameter. In this way, we can recommend to you the most abrasive resistant for their strength and most abrasive resistant for their diameter.

Note that there’s a fair difference between the two and this should help you choose a leader to suit your situation.

If you’re chasing a thin, abrasion resistant line, look at Sufix Super 21, Shimano Ocea, Sunline Siglon, Sufix 100%, Asari or Schneider. These are the ones below the line in the graph. Below

>

Sufix InvisiLine

$ Price/m - 48 cents

>

Asari Fluorocarbon

$ Price/m - 67 cents

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> FISHING TACKLE

This might be able to be used as an indicator of “most abrasive material” a leader is made from, assuming that the structure of the line is uniform throughout.

Anyway … we ran the numbers and the graph is here.

From this analysis it looks like the most abrasion resistant materials are found in Wilson FC, Schneider, Asari, Sunline FC100, Sufix 100%, Shimano Ocea and Sufix Super21.

AN OVERALL BEST? It’s pretty subjective when it gets to this part of the report. How do you crown a winner? Without getting involved in the complex equations that would ascribe a value to a line’s performance in each test, we thought we’d just see which lines popped up on the right side of the trendlines in each of the three basic graphs.

These are Asari, Shimano Ocea, Schneider, Sufix 100%.

And how do we separate these

leaders that are all amazing? Price of course.

So the best value 20lb Fluorocarbon leader out there may just be Schneider Crystal Clear at 39c per metre - narrowly pipping the Sufix 100% and Shimano Ocea which are around the 50c/m mark.

Asari is the most expensive at 67c/m.

We hope that this gets you thinking about the leaders you use. There are definitely horses for courses and one angler’s leader may not be suitable for another angler’s purpose. Feel free to take the raw numbers and work them however you want to do your own analysis. We have published all of the raw numbers here.

We know that we haven’t included the difficult to measure things, like suppleness, stretch, visibility and knot strength. That’s what you need to take note of when finding the right fluorocarbon leader for you.

FURTHER WATCHING

Scan the QR code to watch how we tested BRAID lines.

Scan the QR code to watch how we tested these leaders.

>

Wilson FC Shock Leader

$ Price/m - 46 cents

8

FISHING TACKLE

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>

Sufix Super 21 FC

$ Price/m - 20 cents

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Slammer IV

SHIMANO

SHIMANO

PENN

The 2021 Shimano Sustain is one of the strongest in the Magnumlite range. Reengineered from top to bottom, the new Sustain features a new range of upgrades to improve its finesse and on water performance.

This model incorporates MGL rotor to create light a start-up which allows the angler to wind faster and set the hooks quicker. Combining the MGL Rotor with the Hagane body produces a light, yet strong reel that can handle big saltwater battles.

It is lighter than its predecessor and the Sustain now features a Long Stroke Spool to provide anglers with improved casting distance.

MicroModule II gearing is combined with Shimano’s cold forged Hagane Gear and Silent Drive technologies — for smoother reeling performance. The matte black finish with gold trim and 8+1 ball bearings is sure to impress.

RRP: from $449

The 2021 Nasci series sets the benchmark for affordable and quality spinning reels, now incorporating a range of upgrades at a great price, which means you can step up your fishing game and gear quality for less.

The cold-forged Hagane Gear technology provides unparalleled gear durability and Silent Drive which is the same technology found in Shimano’s Stella range now features in the Nasci. This makes it smoother due to finer gear tolerances, reduces vibration and improves the longevity of the reel.

Suitable in both freshwater and inshore saltwater environments, Nasci spinning reels feature CoreProtect water repellent technology which increase durability and water resistance without creating a heavy winding feeling.

The ball bearing count has been also increased to 5+1 and a new screw in handle design has been adopted to compliment the new stunning silver cosmetics.

RRP: from $169

Designed for anglers who target the hardest fighting sportfish, PENN’s new Slammer IV spinning range takes the ultimate workhorse reel to another level.

Building off a proven platform of an IPX6 sealed body and spool from the Slammer III range, PENN has redesigned the Dura-Drag system in the Slammer IV to not only be better sealed, but also offer a wider range of usable drag, all while being bearing supported for extra smoothness.

HT-100 drag technology is packed into the small, but tough, 2500 size, a new and highly sought-after addition to the Slammer family.

For dependability, PENN has added their all-brass CNC gear technology, 8+1 stainless steel bearing system and a hydrophobic line roller bearing across the range.

Available from 2500 to 10500 sizes, with high speed variants in 2500, 4500, 6500 and 8500 size, Slammer IV is hitting Australian stores in October this year. Let the battle begin.

RRP: $369.99 - $549.99

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ITX Carbon Spinning Reels 4

OKUMA

Lightweight, durable, powerful and smooth, with Okuma you get more reel for your money and the new ITX Carbon is no exception. Built solid on C-40X carbon body, side plates and rotor, this long strand carbon fibre, combed with the (TCA) Torsion Control Armour double arm design, ensures durability and rigidity, resisting flex under heavy pressure and keeping the internals perfectly aligned for super smooth performance.

The high quality continues throughout the build, with multi-disc carbon fibre drag with Hydro Block gasket, 7HPB+1RB High Performance grease packed bearings, machined aluminium screw in handle with (TGT) Traction Grip Technology, (CFR) Cyclonic Flow Rotor and plenty more high end features, without the blown out price tag.

Available in standard (5.0:1) and High Speed (6.0:1) models.

Standard – ITX-1000 / ITX-2500 / ITX-4000 High Speed – ITX-2500H / ITX-3000H / ITX-4000H Make sure you check out the new generation of Okuma reels, offering anglers more.

SRP: from $189.90 W

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okuma.com.au Okuma Australia @okumaaustralia

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Concept TX2

13 Fishing

Pushing the edge of design, engineering and materials to the limit is what the Concept TX2 is all about.

The Concept TX2 features the new patented Cast-Iron Carbon chassis housing the BOSS H.A.M. Hardened brass precision cut main and pinion gear.

Fitted out with Black Seal Hyper Corrosion resistant ball bearing in conjunction with Zero Corrosion HighSpeed CZB Composite spool bearings.

This allows the angler to use the reel in the harshest of environments without the fear of it failing.

The Concept TX2 punches well above its weight of only 174g with its new Advanced Polymer Drag system. This drag system delivers a massive 20lb of fish stopping drag and features an alert drag click because, why should the spin guys have all the fun!

Perfect for both fresh and salt water the TX2 sets the bar for other baitcasters on the market and is a must for all anglers.

Each 13 Fishing Concept TX2 comes with a matching teal coloured 13 Fishing Skull Cap reel protector included in the box.

SRP: $499 W

13fishing.com 13FishingAustralia 13fishingaus

Fishing Knife Package - GLOW Handles 2

SICUT

There’s now angler-specific SICUT knives and knife packages with glow-inthe-dark handles.

SICUT (Spencer Innovative Cutlery) was established in1994. It is now trading in the third generation of the Spencer family with a goal to supply a stain-free, high carbon bladeware at affordable prices and with 100% emphasis on function.

All Sicut Knives are manufactured with an ergonomic, textured, slipresistant, easy-to-clean polypropylene injected handle, which withstands both high and low temperatures. They have an impervious blade-to-handle seal that provides the utmost in sanitary qualification.

Made with a stain-free, high-carbon steel blade that achieves a 55 Rockwell Hardness, and an individually ground and honed edge at a 25 degrees, they are easy to sharpen, which makes them perfectly suited to any recreational or commercial use.

All SICUT Canvas wraps are manufactured in the Australian Aussie Outback Supplies, AOS Swags & Bags Factory with our 14oz heavy duty poly/ cotton grey Rip Stop canvas and heavy duty clear PVC front to easily identify blade shapes.

Keep your knives organised, clean and easy to find.

SRP $135 W

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Speedmaster Game

4

TCurve Premium

SHIMANO

SHIMANO

The new Speedmaster Game series utilises Shimano’s strong and lightweight TC4 blank technology to deliver a dependable tournament game fishing and deep drop line-up.

Quality Fuji SiC guides with an AFTCO Roller Tip provides control and preserves the performance of your line during the fight and ensures you keep the upper hand against whatever you may hook. To guarantee your favourite Shimano game reel fits perfectly to the rod, an aluminium Pac Bay reel seat and channel lock butt is used for the ultimate in strength and durability. This is especially important as the strength and rigidity of your outfit will be upheld when under fighting load.

Tested on some of Australia’s hardest fighting game fish, the Speedmaster Game series covers 5 models across 15-, 24- and 37kg line classes for trolling and livebaiting, including a dedicated 7’ 24kg land based game (LBG) rod and a 5’6” PE 8-10 deep drop rod.

RRP: from $449 - $749

Building on the success of the redesigned TCurve series, the new 2021 TCurve Premium range is designed for the discerning Australian tournament and lure angler.

Utilising Shimano’s X5 Blank Construction, the TCurve Premium range boasts exceptional blank response and achieves significant weight reductions compared to the standard TCurve line-up.

This is achieved by fitting a lightweight split carbon butt design for increased sensitivity and feel. Additionally, the TCurve Premium range is upgraded with quality Fuji SiC K guides for improved casting performance and pinpoint lure placement.

The TCurve Premium range includes 12 specialised models in a slick cosmetic to cover a range of Australian fishing styles and techniques.

RRP: from $499

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aussieoutbacksupplies.com.au Aussie Outback Supplies @aussieoutbacksupplies FISHING TACKLE

2021

11

BY Life Jacket Solutions Est. 2021

Neoprene Watersports

Foam Inflatables

Kayak Jackets

Dog Jackets

Next Generation, Australian Made, Soft Plastic Lures.

ljss.com.au

Made with Passion. Made for Anglers.

J.M.Gillies are proud distributors of the new RESPONSE range of PFDs.

www.jigginglures.com.au

jmgillies.com.au

FEEL. EVERY. HIT. The new Pulse range of braids from Platypus deliver total confidence in a performance fishing line. Improved techniques, materials and coatings add up to a range of braids created for Aussie fishing conditions in two distinct products.

PULSE X4 is an angler friendly all-purpose braid that excels in tough environments, fishing structure and extracting snag dwellers.

TOUGH AND RESILIENT

PULSE X8 is thin, super-slick and supple for long accurate casts, without sacrificing strength and reliability.

SMOOTH ROUND FINISH

FIND PLATYPUS ON

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FISHING TACKLE

Receive the free 2021

fishing newsletter: tackletactics.com.au/Subscribe

DARWIN HOME TO REIDY’S FISHING LURES AND SCHNEIDER LINE

OUR REPUTATION IS ON THE LINE

STRENGTH, QUALITY AND RELIABILITY - ONLY THE SCHNEIDER WAY

Merv Hughes using a Reidys Goulburn Jack and Schneider line on the Daly river.

REIDY’S LURES PTY LTD

CONTACT COLIN, KAREN AND STAFF 5 ANDREWS ST BERRIMAH NT 0821

TRADING AS: REIDY’S LURES

info@reidyslures.com www.reidyslures.com

TRADING AS: SCHNEIDER FISHING LINES

info@schneiderfishinglines.com.au 08 89884760 www.schneiderfishinglines.com.au

FISHING TACKLE

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PowerBait 4” Buzz N Speed Toad

Nemesis Prawn Paddle Tail 3”, 4” & 5”

The PowerBait Buzz n Speed Toad adds a whole new dimension to the PowerBait family of baits with its unique serrated leg design.

There’s nothing better than heart stopping surface explosions from a well-positioned Buzz n Speed Toad. The Buzz n Speed Toads serrated feet cut the water surface creating strike provoking water disturbance.

When fish strike and get a taste of the PowerBait formula you know they’re going to hang on!

RRP $9.99

The Gulp! Nemesis Paddle Prawn is designed for targeting both fresh and saltwater species. This cool looking creature has a prawn style head adorned with a heavy set of spikes and a faceted body that tapers to a finely tuned paddle tail. Our Berkley engineers spent a lot of time to ensure this bait will swim super slow on a wide variety of jig head weights. The Nemesis Prawn Paddle Tail is available in three sizes and six colours to cover a wide variety of environments and rigging options. Match all of this with the Gulp! formula and you’re bound to catch more fish!

RRP $11.99

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PowerBait 5” Jerkshad

BERKLEY

Berkley have totally reengineered the 5” PowerBait Jerk Shad for 2021. It’s now slimmer across both axises and perfectly imitates the highly erratic action of a destressed bait fish. It can be fished shallow or deep rigged with a wide range of weights and hook sizes to target a variety of salt and freshwater species, it really is a true allrounder. We’ve added six great colours into the range that are sure to perform in the tournament winning Powerbait formula.

RRP $9.99

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PowerBait 3.5” Fork Tail Minnow 4

BERKLEY

The new 3.5” PowerBait Forktail Minnow perfectly impersonates a small bait fish.

Rigged on a light jig head it has an erratic darting action that fish can’t resist. It features a natural fork tail outline and a V-shaped body cross section making it easy to rig and swim like its alive.

In testing the PowerBait Fork Tail Minnow has proven deadly on species such as bream, bass, and flathead. The Forktail Minnow works exceptionally well when it’s left to sink seductively through the water column close to structure. Predators see it as a wounded baitfish and don’t hesitate to attack.

When it’s PowerBait you just know that fish will bite and hang on 18 times longer!

RRP $9.99

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Bluewater Minnow

2

JM Gillies

The team at JM Gillies are excited to launch the new Bluewater Minnow at AFTA 2021. This lure has been in the range for well over a decade and has kept evolving as technology has become available.

Version 3.0 comes with an integrated bib and the Ghost Mould body allowing for finishes and colours that have never been seen in this type of pelagic lure.

The team will present a standard model and a Pro series model at the show. The standard model will replicate existing colour range bought to life by the LIVEGLO Fluorescent Technology in Version 2. The addition of the Ghost Mould will allow these colour ranges to be further enhanced.

The new addition to the range is the Pro Series that replicates the shell patterns only previously seen in resinbased lures.

“These new finishes in the Pro Series are a result of sourcing new materials and a new technique to offer colours never seen before in plastic moulded lures. These colours have been extremely effective in our Bullet Bait range and the early testing in the Minnow has been exceptional,” said Billy Parsons.

The new lure will come in a single dive depth of 3-4 meters in sizes 160 and 200mm. The dive depth is the optimum depth for both high speed and low drag with the lures and is an ideal depth for fast moving pelagics.

The lures will come fitted with 3X VMC Hooks.

Stock will arrive just in time for the AFTA 2021 Show and Gillies will have display stand available for Bluewater Pro Stores to showcase the full range.

RRP: from $29.99 to $39.95 W

jmgillies.com.au JM Gillies jm.gillies

Slidog 85 and 105 Heavy

3

Zing Gen 3

HALCO

SAMAKI

Following on from the release of the Slidog 105 in 2020, there is a new heavy version of the 105 due to for release very soon. The original 105 weighed in at 28g and while perfect for shallower waters, there was also a market for a heavier, wind busting version as well. The Slidog 105 Heavy weighs in at an impressive 40g and retains the trademark side to side flutter as if falls through the depths, making it ideal to fish deeper through the water column or from shore into a strong headwind situation.

Additionally the range has been boosted with a smaller version again in the Slidog 85. The 85mm version could best be described as “bite size” and retains the highly enticing flutter action on the drop that the whole Slidog range is known for.

The new model weighs 15g and comes in an impressive range of colours to keep everyone happy.

Other additions to the line-up include several new colours including the R17 Mustard Grunter (prominent in the Sorcerer and Slidog models) and the H91 Silver Shadow (through a wide selection of Halco models) both featuring Halco’s new Invisi Glo technology.

Other news includes new Halco Stub Traces for species with sharp teeth.

These single strand wire traces are ultra-short at 12cm to keep bite offs to a minimum and produced in 27lb, 44lb and 58lb breaking strains complete with the new Halco Zip Clip attachment for fast changing of lures.

The all new Samaki Zing Gen 3 rod series has hit our shores. Our largest range of rods ever to be released, Zing Gen 3 has grown to a whopping 47 models.

The Zing favourites that you have all grown to love over the last 12 years have come back with a vengeance, as well as the all new technical models that cater to our ever-evolving fisheries. Slow Pitch for inshore reefs, Swimbait specific models for dams and rivers, Egi Technical for the squid lovers and an upgraded Surf series for big casts off the beach, the Zing Gen 3 range has models to cover a huge variety of applications.

Not only have the Samaki team added additional blanks but they have also upgraded components. Zing Gen 3 sports the new Fuji CC (Corrosion Control) guides, Fuji DPS and Custom 3D Reel Seats on spin and cast models.

HyperKinetic graphite blanks are Samaki’s secret weapon, blending weight and performance to offer the best value for money range we have ever seen.

With so many models to choose from, you’ll need to pop into your local to get the whole Samaki experience.

SRP: from $139.95

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halcotackle.com Halco Tackle halcotackle FISHING TACKLE

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X-Rap Magnum HD Colours

X-Rap Magnum Stick 17

New for 2021/2022 the massively popular Rapala X-Rap Magnum has been revamped with 10 new HD colours being added to the range.

• HDBSRD – HD Blue Sardine • HDBTO – HD Bonito • HDD – HD Dorado • HDFFU – HD Flying Fish UV • HDLLU – HD Lime Light UV • HDRHU – HD Red Head UV • HDRRB – HD Real Red Bait • HDSBM – HD Silver Blue Mackerel • HDSFU – HD Sailfish UV • HDWHU – HD Wahoo UV MSRP: $32.95

The X-Rap Magnum Stick 17 is a 17cm slow sinking stickbait that weighs 88g and comes in 14 fish catching colours.

The Magnum Stick 17 has been designed to maximize casting distance whilst maintaining the action of the lure.

Featuring heavy duty construction and a wire-through design the X-Rap Magnum Stick 17 has been developed to withstand the punishment from targeting savage blue water predators.

Designed for fast aggressive retrieves, the Magnum Stick 17 swims with a seductive S shaped motion on a constant wind however, will flutter like an injured baitfish on the pause.

The ability to work this lure at a wide range of speeds and varying retrieves is a major draw card for anglers and allows you to target a wider range of species.

MSRP: $49.95

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Tassie Devil Goes Lead Free 3

JM Gillies

As international demand grows for lead free products, the team at Tassie devil have been working on a core that can replicate and perform to the current lead specifications.

The little Tasmanian lure appears from quick observation to be the most basic of lures. In reality it’s one of the most complicated lures made and the tech and the manufacturing is far from simple.

When demand and laws changed in Europe, it triggered the R&D team to get to work to try and provide and alternative to lead. More than 3 years later, the pursuit for an optimal core replacement is ready for production and international interest has been strong. Countries like Denmark have not been able to use or purchase Tassie Devil’s now for a number of years so it will be possible to export to these markets again.

Although in Australia we have no requirement currently for a lead substitute, it will be our great pleasure to launch this product at the 2021 AFTA show and enter it into the prestigious John Dunphy innovation award. The lure will look, feel, and perform exactly like the original but in terms of development and innovation the process and manufacture could not be further from the original.

In time, the investment into this new technology will most likely replace the current lead core in Australia as we move towards a more green and environmentally responsible country.

Owner of Tassie Devil Pat Levy said there is an expectation when exporting and manufacturing lures from a pristine environment like Tasmania to the rest of the world that we evolve and deliver on more environmentally friendly products.

RRP: $8.95

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3”, 4” & 5” Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail 1

BERKLEY

The Gulp! Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail is designed for targeting both fresh and saltwater species. This beast has a prawn style head and body that features a finely tuned curled tail that works at super slow retrieve speeds with a wide variety of jig head weights. In testing this curly tail creature has been a fish catching machine with its heavily spiked head and faceted body that creates maximum turbulence and scent dispersion of the proven Gulp! formula.

RRP: $11.99

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5” Nemesis

BERKLEY

The New Berkley Gulp! 5” Nemesis was a special request from our Berkley Pro Team and could just be the perfect size bait for targeting big fish. A new size in the proven Nemesis lineup, its slender body gets down fast and the Nemesis tail is always working when it’s moving forward in the water column. Whether your chasing monster flathead or big reds offshore, the Gulp! 5” Nemesis is up to the task.

RRP: $11.99

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PowerBait 2”, 3” & 4” Shrimp

PowerBait 4” & 5” Grubs

The Berkley PowerBait Shrimp was born out of findings from Berkley’s Fish Research Labs in Spirit Lake, USA. The R&D team tested many shrimp profile variations and discovered that fish attacked offerings with no legs far more than those that had legs. Hence, the new Powerbait Shrimp has no legs for a good reason – fish prefer it that way.

Forward facing antennas help stabilise the bait for a natural shrimp action, which when combined with a range of six great colours, 2”, 3” and 4” sizes as well as the winning PowerBait scent formula leads to catching more fish on the water.

RRP: $9.99

PowerBait Grubs have been favorites amongst Australian anglers for a long time, for good reason, they catch fish!

When ever they are moving forward in the water the PowerBait Grubs tail is working overtime. This makes them easy to use for novice lure anglers and deadly for experts.

Berkley have redesigned the 4” and 5” Grub to make it better suited to Australian species with a new range of favorite colours. It’s slimmer, has more tail action and is has the PowerBait sent package built in to help you catch more fish!

RRP: $9.99

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1 Swel New Products

PowerBait 3.9” Beat N Paddle Frog

Swel Solutions

New tackle wholesaler, Swel Solutions, is the brainchild of Stanthorpe ABT angler, Michael Thompson. Proficient across bream, bass and barra arenas, he’s turned his hand to distributing baits and tackle that he likes using himself.

He’s the Australian importer of Lew’s reels, which are now firmly established amongst retailers looking for better margins. He also does Rod Glove protective equipment, which include reel covers.

Australians may have heard of X-Zone soft plastic baits from Canada - mainly through their sponsorship of Aussie Bassmaster Elite Series pro, Carl Jocumsen. Michael carries the X-Zone baits that are suitable for Australian conditions.

6” Grub New Colours

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His latest acquisition, though, is the rights for Elitelure. Originating out of Singapore, Elitelure’s designer has worked for many top-name brands over the yers before starting his own gig.

There’s a real focus on finesse baits including spft plastic baits, hard bodied minnows, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits as well as lipless crankbaits.

There’s even a range of fluorocarbon line called Snow Leopard with the dubious slogan “Set Your Fucking Claw”.

Unsure if that will help or hinder sales.

SRP: from $14.95 W

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BERKLEY

The Beat n Paddle Frog features paddle tail style feet that beet the water and make a sound and turbulence that fish just want to crush. A super realistic outline presents a lifelike silhouette that produces explosive surface strikes.

Our Berkley Pro Team have fallen in love with this bait and have had huge success on everything from Bass to Barra. Add the scientifically developed PowerBait formula into the body and you have the potential to put some serious fish in the boat.

RRP: $9.99 W

berkley-fishing.com.au BerkleyFishingAU

The 6” Gulp! Grub is now available in three new colours that complement its action and scent dispersion characteristics of the Gulp formula.

America, Black Bling and Black Chartreuse Fuze are the new additions to the lineup.

Don’t be seen on the snapper ground this year without a pack!

RRP: $11.99 W

berkley-fishing.com.au BerkleyFishingAU berkleyfishing_aus

berkleyfishing_aus

FG KNOT MADE EASY

Ties the perfect FG knot

FG Wizz keeps even tension when wrapping Makes a smooth, strong and reliable join Means longer leaders, longer casts A MUST HAVE for your boat or tackle box

EVERY TIME

Watch the video Order online www.fgwizz.com.au

DROP A HINT FOR FATHERS DAY - $44 including delivery Aust Wide! - Express Post additional .

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SUITS ALL SIZE BRAIDS AND LEADERS

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GOAT Soft Plastic Range

Shadow Rap Jack Deep 07

ZMan’s new GOAT family of 10X Tough, ElaZtech soft plastics is already being labelled by many anglers as the most versatile profile in their plastics kit.

Available in three sizes, the 3” Baby GOAT, 3.75” GOAT and 4.25” Billy GOAT, this unique plastic features a flattened grub body and two paddle feet that create a subtle and realistic swimming action.

Although ZMan stress that this is not just a topwater presentation, the GOAT is in fact a dynamite topwater presentation, with good weight and bulk for casting, it skips well, presents less aggressively than a frog and it rides well thanks to the flattened body that also allows it to clear the hook easily for a solid hookset. Subsurface the GOAT family has already accounted for a stack of species, from bream and flathead, to snapper, mangrove jack, barramundi and mixed reef species.

We have a feeling that the GOAT is going to live up to its name!

SRP: $15.30

Introducing Jack Deep 05’s bigger brother the Jack Deep 07. At 7cm long and weighing 10g this lure packs a lot of punch for its size.

Designed and developed in Australia for Australian conditions and fish the Jack Deep 07 is built tough.

With a full wire construction and fitted with sticky sharp 3X Strong VMC hooks this lure is ready to go straight out of the packet.

Diving to 4m on the cast the Jack Deep 07 will get into the strike-zone quickly and stay there longer than other lures on the market. With its tight action and super slow rise on the pause this lure is deadly on any piscatorial predator.

Each lure is finished off in typical Rapala style and is available in 21 fish catching colours.

The Shadow Rap Jack Deep 07 is the true ‘Jack of all trades’ when it comes to target species and its hitlist is growing daily.

MSRP: $26.95

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Snake EyeZ Jigheads

TT LURES

The AFTA Award Winning TT Lures SnakelockZ jighead has just been pimped with the release of the TT Lures Snake EyeZ Series. The interchangeable head now features a durable, hand-painted finish, in a selection of colours designed to complement or contrast your favourite plastics, along with oversized 3D eyes, designed to add realism and act as a strike trigger.

A solid stainless steel, through wire locking loop is built into the head, allowing head weights and hook sizes to be interchanged to suit your fishing requirements. Hooks are tested and proven, extra heavy duty Mustad black

nickel, chemically sharpened, featuring a ‘chin lock’ keeper to lock your soft plastic in place, ideally suited to the range of ZMan 10X Tough, ElaZtech soft plastics.

Initially available in 1/6oz, 1/4oz and 3/8oz weights, in hook sizes 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, 6/0 and 5 colours – Black, Pearl, Chartreuse, Pink and Gold.

SRP: $13.95

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2007 SKEETER ICLASS 20iMERCURY 250 PRO XS TWIN CONSOLE

$65,000 2008 SKEETER 20i – YAMAHA VMAX 250HP

$54,000

BOATS FOR SALE

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2021

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R oadie 24 Hard Cooler

V-Series Hard Cooler

1

YETI

YETI

The Roadie 24 Hard Cooler is a fresh take on a tried-and-true YETI favourite.

It’s 10% lighter, holds 20% more, and performs 30% better thermally than its legendary predecessor.

With no drain plug, you can ditch excess water or ice with a quick flip.

The all-new design accommodates an upright bottle of wine, allowing you to instantly up your picnic game. Plus, its slim design means it’ll slide behind the front seat of the car, giving you quick access to ice-cold drinks no matter how long the journey.

Please note: The Dry Goods Basket is sold separately.

MSRP: $299.95

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au.yeti.com YETI yeti_au

There’s only one way to say it: this cooler offers the best thermal performance that science allows.

Using vacuum insulation with the support of our proprietary PermaFrost Insulation, The YETI V Series Hard Cooler is a testament to firstof-its-kind innovation and offers unprecedented ice retention.

Stylistically, it’s an homage to the past, but built with downright futuristic technology RRP: $1,199.95

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Pulse Mono

3

Pulse Braid

PLATYPUS

PLATYPUS

Proudly Australian made, Platypus Pulse Premium Monofilament fishing line draws on decades of monofilament development from Australia’s most experienced fishing line technicians.

Utilising world class materials and techniques that have been refined to get that signature Platypus performance and feel, Pulse Premium Mono boasts a high strength / diameter ratio, exceptional abrasion resistance and excellent knot strength. Combine this with a slick and supple feel and balanced stretch for shock absorption and sensitivity, and you have a line that perfectly meets the demands of modern fishing techniques.

The ‘Ghost Clear’ finish on this line is designed to take on the tint of the water and mirror its surroundings, much like a fish, ‘disappearing’ into its environment.

Platypus has a long history as a pioneer and leader in the development of monofilament fishing lines, with Pulse Premium Mono sure to cement this position and claim its place in the arsenal of experienced anglers.

Available in 300m spool lengths in 4lb – 50lb breaking strains.

SRP: from $20.95

Proudly Australian made and born from developments in materials, machinery and line coatings, Platypus introduces the new Pulse X4 and Pulse X8 braided lines. Advanced Armour-X coatings increase abrasion resistance, while over 120 years of fishing line development and manufacturing experience delivers the excellent knot strength, feel and performance that anglers have come to expect from Platypus Fishing Lines.

Pulse X4 is a 4-carrier braid designed to be a no-nonsense workhorse that is angler friendly, tough and resilient for harsh environments.

The high-vis Aussie Gold colour provides excellent visibility, which is especially important when fishing structure, while also enhancing bite detection.

Pulse X8 is an 8-carrier, super smooth, slick and supple braid, that is perfect for long accurate casts. A round profile, thin diameter and zero stretch increases distance and feel, making Pulse X8 a premium performance casting braid. Finished with hi-vis Aussie Green Armour-X coatings for increased abrasion resistance.

Available in 150m and 300m spool lengths, in 6lb – 80lb.

SRP: from $24.90

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SFX 4x & 8x

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Grappler PE Braid

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Ocea F Leader

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SmartGrip Technology

SUFIX

SHIMANO

SHIMANO

TOADFISH OUTFITTERS

Sufix SFX braid is made utilizing 100% Japanese UHMPE fibres. SFX braid is available as either an eight or four carrier braid allowing you to choose a braid to suit your fishing style.

Available in breaking strains from 6lb to 65lb and spool sizes from 150yds to bulk spools there is a perfect length for everyone.

Sufix SFX braid offers a super smooth braid that allows further casting distance with reduced friction through even the smallest of rod guides.

With a high knot strength and low elasticity Sufix SFX provides better sensitivity and hooksets leading to more fish in the boat.

MSRP: SFX 4x 150yd spool $19.95 MSRP: SFX 8x 150yd spool $25.95

The Grappler name has become synonymous with quality and strength and the new Grappler PE 8 carrier braid is no different.

Sparing no cost, this multi colour PE Braid is made from 8 high-end IZANAS fibres and incorporates the Shimano exclusive Heat Sink technology that disperses heat across the coating, reducing damage to the line in those long, hard fights.

The VT Construction Method enables the fine braid fibres to be woven evenly at all angles, under high tension. This results in a smoother finish and reduced diameter, which aids in all aspects of casting and jigging across PE 0.8 to PE 8.0.

RRP: $74.99

Ocea fluorocarbon has been long standing as one of the highest quality Japanese made fluorocarbons on the market.

The new Ocea F Leader series has a unique soft fluorocarbon core for added knot strength, a hard outer shell for abrasion resistance, and a fluorine coating to provide a smooth surface yet supple finish.

Available in 50m dispenser spools with a line retainer across a range of poundages, the Ocea F series is perfect for light lure fishing through to live baiting for marlin.

RRP: from $18.99 to $69.99

Toadfish Outfitters have created a comprehensive range of quality, innovative kitchen, leisure and outdoor products, including a selection fitted with the head turning SmartGrip Technology. This gravitydefying technology secures items to any smooth surface, making them hard to tip but easy to lift. The range includes NonTipping Can Coolers, Rocks and Wine Tumblers, Dog Bowls and The Anchor Non-Tipping Cup Holder that accepts all popular 16oz – 32oz tumblers, along with most insulated water canteens.

A lack of cup holders on a rocking boat, wagging dog tails and the usual collection of drink spilling party mishaps that occur are all a thing of the past, along with the classic dog bowl flip that calls in the clean up crew. Other features include high grade stainless steel construction, double wall vacuum insulation to keep drinks cold or warm and a spill resistant lid on your dog bowl to safely transport food and water for your furry friends.

Compliment your love of adventure and the outdoors.

SRP: from $39.90

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Schneider Super Smooth 8 Braid 1

REIDY’S LURES AUSTRALIA Schneider Super Smooth 8 Braid in hot pink colour comes in 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 and 50lb breaking strains with the possibility of more being added.

The braid is available in 150 and 300 yards.

The Super Smooth Braid is manufactured for Schneider in the USA. A recent test conducted by Steve Morgan at the Fishing Monthly Group pitting all major braid brands in 20lb strength saw Schneider Super Smooth Braid come out on top as far as strength was concerned. You can read all about the test in this issue of Tackle Extra.

It is strong enough to fish structure but is super smooth for handling, delivering longer casting distance and no stretch. Along with increased abrasion resistance, all this makes Schneider Super Smooth Braid sensitive and durable.

It is recommended to use Schneider Braid compatible leader material in colours green, clear, multi and pink, or the popular Schneider Crystal Clear Fluorocarbon leader.

Schneider Fishing Lines was founded and formed in Sydney over 70 years ago and now its home is in Darwin, NT. As with all Schneider and Reidy’s products contact your local tackle store.

SRP: $44.95-$85.25 W

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Fish Snakz

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B52 Lures

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Schneider Leader

REIDY’S LURES AUSTRALIA

REIDY’S LURES AUSTRALIA

REIDY’S LURES AUSTRALIA

The team at Reidy’s were asked many times to produce a soft vibe, and so after extensive research and customer feedback, the Fish Snakz was born.

The team spoke to lots of recreational fishers, guides and charter operators to find out what issues they found with current soft vibes on the market. The main four points raised were: majority of soft vibes react to other lures and leave a big mess of melted rubber/plastic; the wire crimps would let go and you could lose fish; the hooks needed to be upgraded; and finally, pricing.

The team at Reidy’s took all this information on board and came up with a soft vibe that could alleviate some, or all, of their concerns.

First step was to use the same compound rubber as in the popular Reidy’s Rubbers range, as it has had no problems with messy melting reactions. The second step was to create a solid wire system so that there was no fear of being crimped lightly and thus pulling wire from the crimps and losing hooks and fish.

The third point in regards to weak hooks and rings. As with all Reidy’s lures, they are fitted with extra strong hardware. They were careful not to go too heavy with the hooks so it wouldn’t compromise the action of the lure.

Reidy’s firmly believe that the pricing for this quality product is well received in the market. The Reidy’s suggested retail pricing is as follows, 65mm $14.95, 95mm $15.95, 110mm $19.95, 150mm $24.95 and they have a 95mm 5-pack at an incredible SRP of $39.95.

SRP: $14.95-$39.95

The B52 has been around for many years and is renowned as a strong hardbodied lure with excellent hardware.

These days the B52 range have five varieties, all born from the original standard 125mm.

The range includes the Junior B52, which is a smaller version of the standard B52 coming in at 100mm length and fitted with HD rings and VMC 3x strong #2 trebles.

There is also the Standard B52 that is known as a great casting lure and has many big barra in its achievements. It is fitted with HD rings and VMC #1 3x strong trebles.

The Big B52 is a 150mm lure fitted with VMC 3x strong 31/0 trebles and can be used as a casting or trolling lure.

The Big Ass B52 is a 170mm lure fitted with HD rings and VMC 3x strong #2/0 trebles. This lure can be used for casting but is a very good trolling lure for many species.

Last, but not least, is the Big Ass B52 200mm for those big fish chasing big bait! It comes fitted with HD rings and VMC 3x strong #2/0 trebles and is predominately used for trolling, which can be slow or fast.

All these lures come in great colours.

SRP: $15.50-$22.95

There are many things that can go wrong when fishing so make sure your gear is up to tackling any fish, especially the chance of a trophy fish! Chasing big fish can be hard on your gear but there are things you can do to minimise losing the big catch.

Obviously rod and reel selection is important, as well as a strong quality lure. However, good quality braid and leader line are also critical, and this is where Schneider fishing lines has an enviable reputation for having quality leader material.

From the good old standard Schneider braid compatible leader line in colours, white (clear), green, multi-colour and a new pink leader, you will find this leader will not let you down. Schneider line has been around in Australia for over 70 years and their experience over this time has proved invaluable.

Up in the Top End, the majority of charter operators use Schneider leader line for chasing barramundi due to the good abrasion resistance and the suppleness for connecting braid to the leader line. Offshore charter operators all over Australia trust Schneider lines.

SRP: $9.45-$35.80

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D.Y.F.C Australia Is Coming! We’re almost ready to launch the Daiwa Young Fishing Club (D.Y.F.C) in Australia!

A program to support the next generation of anglers and perfect for getting the family outside and enjoying nature.

Jigging Lures Australian Made, Made with Passion and Made for Anglers 1

JIGGING LURES

Jigging Lures are new to the lure making scene and launched their new range only last September. Based on the Gold Coast, this Australian company manufacture a wide range of soft plastics, including curl tails, paddle-tails and flick tails.

Their vision is to deliver the next generation of soft plastics, and offer a range of styles and colours to match the varying conditions for Aussie anglers.

Their passion to make soft plastics grew out of curiosity and intrigue and, once hooked, they realised that what they had created was too good not to share!

Their online store now offers 10 styles in 20 different colours, whilst continuing to develop and research more colours and styles.

Jigging Lures are made with passion and made for anglers.

SRP: from $10

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Bait Junkie Minnow and New Colours 2

DAIWA AUSTRALIA

The Bait Junkie range welcomes two new models and a selection of colours for 2021. The newest releases in Bait Junkie range are the 4.2” and 6.2” minnows, which have adopted a new shape and a slightly different material to produce an epic action that is deadly in salt- and freshwater.

The deeper body enables flexibility for rigging options and helps promote the rolling action that makes this bait so successful. The big boot tail produces a heavy thump to call in nearby predators and will work at low and high-speed, making it incredibly versatile.

The 4.2” minnow is the ‘estuary powerhouse’ of the Bait Junkie range and is destined for plenty of mangrove jack in the snags or canals, and big flathead in the estuaries, while the 6.2” minnow is the perfect large swimbait for barramundi, mulloway and Murray cod.

The 4.2” minnow is available in 18 colours and comes with five pieces per pack, and the 6.2” minnow is available in 15 colours and comes with three pieces per pack.

With a total of 12 new colours also added to the existing Bait Junkie range, anglers are spoilt for choice when it comes to soft plastic selection.

SRP: $11.99

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Insulated Fish Bag

DAIWA AUSTRALIA

Keep your catch safe and secure and in tip-top condition with our new Insulated Fish Bag. Designed for ease of use, robust construction and for optimum insulating performance, the new Daiwa Insulated Fish Bag is a must-have for all keen catch-n-cook anglers.

Heavily insulated and made from ultra-strong PVC material, the Insulated Fish Bag has been constructed to handle the heaviest of catches, even when loaded with ice, and features a zippered and Velcro strapped opening on the top for ease of access.

An external mesh pocket on the end of the bag provides storage options, while a lower drainage bung allows you to drain unwanted water from the bag. A ruler on the outside of the bag allows you to measure your catch ensuring your prized capture doesn’t go unmeasured.

Available in three sizes (70cm, 100cm and 150cm) the new Insulated Fish Bag is the bag you don’t want to leave home without on your next fishing adventure.

SRP: $159-$239 W

daiwafishing.com.au Daiwa Australia daiwaaustraila

Tokuryo Line Lab Casting Pro 8 Braid 4

JURO OZPRO TACKLE

Tokuryo Line Lab has been established in Taiwan since 1983 and weaving their history for over 30 years, and they are committed to producing high end fishing lines.

Tokuryo Line Lab Casting Pro 8 Braid is made from 100% Japanese UHMWPE raw material and is a premium 8 carrier PE Braid. Casting Pro features a Special Dual Braiding Technic and construction that offers outstanding casting distance, accuracy and fewer line troubles. Its ultra thin diameter also attributes to casting distance, as well as its special SICoated Surface Treatment. This SICoated treatment also helps to produce a super smooth surface that creates far less guide friction noise than common braids.

Casting Pro PE is a low stretch, high sensitivity line that offers superb bite detection.

Tokuryo Line Lab Casting Pro 8 is available in both 150m and 300m spools in 10-25lb. Its blue colour offers excellent visibility in most light conditions. This line is ideal for finesse fishing situations, including using small hardbodied lures and soft plastics, as well as EGI fishing with squid jigs where ultra fine braids and casting distance are required.

SRP: $46.99-$99.99 W

www.jurofishing.com Tokuryo Line Lab Southeast ASIA tokuryosoutheastasia FISHING TACKLE

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PERFORMANCE AND VALUE

SPOOL UP WITH

NEW COLOUR .. WHITE ..

THE 2021 NASCI SERIES SETS THE BENCHMARK FOR AFFORDABLE AND QUALITY SPINNING REELS. NOW INCORPORATING A RANGE OF UPGRADES AT A GREAT PRICE MEANS YOU CAN STEP UP YOUR FISHING GAME AND GEAR QUALITY FOR LESS. NASCI 1000 FC | NASCI 2500 HGFC | NASCI COMPACT 3000 HGFC NASCI 4000 XGFC | NASCI COMPACT 5000 XGFC

POWER PRO PACKS EASILY ONTO ANY REEL, RETAINS LESS WATER AND HAS UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH TO DIAMETER RATIO. (AVAILABLE IN 4LB TO 100LB)

169 Check your local Shimano Stockists today.

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Shimano.Fish

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