Fishing Monthly Magazine | February 2022 (includes ABT Tournament Angler Guide)

• FREE 2022 TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE INSIDE •

FIND THE

QLD

NSW

VIC

TAS

LOGO COMPETITION

WA

Understanding barra visibility • Introduction to swimbaits • Kayaking: Lake Manchester • Flounder: Masters of camouflage • Yaks, jacks and failure to launch • How sustainable are deepwater stocks?

• Boat Review: Stessl 520 Apache Pro •

INSIDE

Species Spotlight

Brett Geddes teaches us all about Flounder

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CONTENTS

OUR COVER February 2022, Vol. 2 No.10 VIC

TAS

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

16 20 24 28 30 32 36 38 40 41 44 46 47 46 48 49 50

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

58 61 60 62 64 66 68 69 70 70 71 72 73 74 74 76 76 78 79 77 80

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

86 87 87 86 88 90 91 92 92 94 95 94 95 96 96 98 97 99 101 100 101 99

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FEBRUARY 2022

From the Editor’s Desk...

WA

Dale with a couple of nice Melbourne metro bream.

A Pier Mafia 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

82 83

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

115 116 117 118 119 121 121 120 122 123 122 124

REGULAR FEATURES Flounder: Masters of camouflage Understanding barra visibility Starlo’s back to basics Sheik of the Creek Kayaking: Lake Manchester Yaks, jacks and failure to launch Sustainable deep water stocks What’s new fishing Tournaments Tournament Calendar Trades and Services/Tide page Boat test: Stessl 520 Apache Pro

8 12 14 23 52 54 56 26 102 83 126 128

COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo Fun page/Sub page

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59 NSW DPI

Although this is the February issue, we make it after we come back from a short Christmas shutdown. And what a difference a month makes. We went from being COVID free to COVID riddled in a few weeks. I think that there’s nobody now that believes it’s all a big conspiracy theory.

If someone asked you now if you know someone that has it, everyone would nod.

Whole tackle companies have been temporarily shut down with high infection rates. Hopefully, it seems like it will be a short-term problem. Most seem to have minor symptoms and can get back to work quickly.

So maybe 2022 will be the year that we don’t have major disruption? It’s not looking a sure thing at the moment.

We have been busy, though, despite the COVID hurdles. You’ll notice the 2022

16 32

ABT Tournament Angler Guide inserted inside this issue. And if someone’s nicked it before you got to read the magazine, you can read it for free in our issuu. com channel.

It’s over 20 years old now and it’s been launching the ABT BREAM, BASS and BARRA tournament season for that long.

Although the magazine hasn’t missed an issue, that side of the company has had some reasonably significant disruptions with the border closures of 2020 and 2021.

Luckily we got to sneak in a couple of Grand Final events for BREAM and BASS over the weekend before Christmas, as well as the full calendar of BARRA events. You’ll read all about them in this issue as well.

Even if you aren’t a fan of tournament fishing, you’ll likely benefit from the tackle and techniques that it develops.

And you can read about all of the state of play from the 2021 events this month.

Also, thank you for the avalanche of entries in our Find the Logo and Find the Word competitions. Coming back after the break we needed a huge box to carry them all in. In an age of everything being digital, it’s great to use a pen again.

We’ll make sure that there are plenty of prizes available again in 2022.

Finally, thank you to all the writers for keeping the information coming during this busy time. It helps keep the wheels turning.

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Flounder: masters of camouflage GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

I look at flounder as a stunning example of how a species of fish has adapted and evolved to perfectly suit its environment.

Their camouflage is impeccable and exquisite with countless different colours, spots and patterns to no doubt fool

prawns and small fish.

Larval flounder are born with one eye on each side of their head, just like a typical fish. Then in early development the tiny larva settles on the bottom and the right eye migrates to the left side of its head.

In some species it’s the left eye that moves and in others it can be either one.

During this metamorphosis other changes occur to the head bones, nerves and

that matter. They perfectly match their surroundings so well that often the first time you notice them is when they take off from under your feet.

The whole flatfish family have been quoted as dramatic examples of evolutionary adaptation and fossils date way back to 50 million years ago. They’ve been at camouflage and survival for an awfully long time, so no wonder

way around to Hervey Bay in Queensland. There are no size regulations in Queensland but there is a bag limit of 20.

Various species inhabit NSW waters, including the large toothed and smalltoothed flounder, as well as long snouted and greenback flounder found in southern NSW, adults range from 34-55cm. The NSW regs are 25cm minimum length and a bag of 20.

In Victoria and SA, the greenback flounder is the common species with a daily bag limit of 20 in both states. Vic has a minimum legal size limit of 23cm but in S.A. there is no size restrictions.

There are two common species taken in Tasmania, the greenback and the long snout flounder. The bag

A by-catch juvenile flounder caught on a lure during a hot pinkie snapper bite at Metung in the Gippy Lakes.

Be sure to quickly net flounder if caught on a lure because they have a tiny mouth and hooks tend to pull out easily. hungry predators. In fact, their supreme trickery is so successful there are more than 700 different species of flatfish the world over.

The group includes flounder, halibut, sole, plaice, turbot and more.

Australia has several species that inhabit various areas of the entire coastline so no matter where you live, flounder could be a viable target. Just in case you don’t know they are also regarded as one of the finest table fish on the planet, and in the northern hemisphere flatfish grow to extraordinary proportions.

The Atlantic halibut is the world’s largest, growing over 200kg and 2.5m long.

We have an Aussie halibut measuring a modest 64cm but it has a large mouth with nasty canine teeth.

From a recreational aspect, I’ll concentrate on our flounder varieties that are usually 28-45cm. But firstly, to know how and where to target flounder you need to understand more about their habits and biology.

CAMOUFLAGE EXPERTS Flounder feed on all sorts of small creatures found mostly on the bottom of shallow sea waters or tidal estuaries, including worms, small crabs, shrimp, 8

FEBRUARY 2022

muscles until the fish can lie flat on one side of its body on the bottom but with both eyes now looking upwards. See what I mean, flounder are an amazing work of nature.

The underside of the fish is usually white but the topside is where their astonishing deception is found. They can be drab and dark to fit in with a muddy bottom or a very light colour to suit open sandy areas. They have even developed exquisite spots, dots, circles and rings to match the exact features of their habitat of stones, silt, rocks, or any sort of territory for

they are such a prolific and successful fish.

WHERE THEY LIVE AND REGULATIONS Nearly all flounder targeted by rec anglers are found in sheltered bays or inshore coastal estuarine waters. They are able to tolerate a range of salinities and can sometimes even be found in the upper reaches of rivers. Often thought of as a very shallow water species they do also live in offshore depths to 100m here in Australia.

In the northern part of the country, there are live bigtooth twinspot flounder from Onslow in Western Australia all the

A beautiful big 38cm flounder caught on a rod and reel during the middle of the day while hooking a nice haul of whiting. Even the family pup Zeeky was impressed!

Big sea garfish well over 40cm will be attracted and dazzled by your flounder light and will almost swim right into your net.

limit is 15 and a possession limit of 30 per person, and they must be at least 25cm in length.

Finally in WA the smalltoothed flounder grow up to 55cm long and there is a bag limit of 8, 25cm minimum length. Of course before taking any species of fish you should always check your local regs for changes and updates.

HUNTING FLOUNDER AND GEAR REQUIRED Flounder are a rare catch with rod and reel in my Victorian waters, unlike their counterparts in the northern states, especially in NSW that seem to take baits and even

lures quite readily. Over the years though, I have now caught around 15 flounder in Gippsland on soft plastics and especially blade lures with stinger hooks. I predict that in the years ahead chasing flounder country wide with micro lures will eventually gather momentum. But for now they always turn up as a by-catch for me and I never treat them as a target species on lure.

The recognised way to obtain a good feed of flounder is spearing them at night with the aid of a waterproof under water light and a hand held spear. Check on the current regulations in your area about the use of a handheld spear. For instance, in Victoria there are no barbs allowed on the prongs and in some inlets spears are banned altogether.

Some of the best underwater lights now available in tackle shops are light plastic and run on D size batteries, but for longer life or stronger beamed lights use a small car or motorbike battery.

New lithium batteries are now all the go and because they are so much lighter than heavy lead options, are well worth the extra dollars.

Historically walking the shallows at night in a pair of vinyl or PVC chest high waders was all the go but newer neoprene waders not only keep you dry but also warmer to beat the chilly nights and cold water. Leg or hip waders are also fine to use because more often than not you will find flounder in water below knee height.

During summer or warmer climates it’s nice to ditch waders altogether but some sort of footwear should be worn to protect you from

sharp unseen objects on the bottom or a sting from a small nasty fish called a cobbler or fortesque.

While wading you can tow a small purpose built punt along behind you, a floating tub or maybe even a kayak to hold your battery and store captured fish.

Over the last ten years I’ve been chasing flounder in

until a couple of hours after the full water. I’ve also found that just before dawn, flounder have one last flurry of hunting in the shallowest of water before they retreat to the depths at sunrise. At these times, the flounder can be found right up close to the water’s edge sometimes in only centimetres of water.

Three flounder caught on the same night. Their camouflage varies with the depth of water, depending if they live on a light sandy bottom or one made of darker silt or mud.

What a feed! Two grilled flounder whith a side dish of sweet yellow tomato salad and a bowl of steamed new potatoes with a splash of sour cream. my hands-free Hobie kayak and I can pedal over very shallow water with a spear in one hand and my light in the other. This enables me to cover vast areas, increase my catch rates and also spear in much deeper water, even down to 2m.

PRIME TIMES Dark cloudy nights or during the new moon period is generally thought to be the best time to look for flounder. I’ve challenged this theory and had plenty of success on the brightest full moon cycles, so now I base my trips around the calmest nights possible and ignore the moon cycle.

Wind is your greatest enemy because it becomes near impossible to see the flounder, even with just a rippled surface let alone small waves. With a calm flat surface you will observe greater detail on the bottom, see much further ahead of you and penetrate deeper water.

Often you can pick up their body shape from many metres away on calm nights. Tricky flounder will often bury themselves under the sand and have just their two beady eyes sticking out as they sit motionless in the shallow water to avoid predators and ambush prey.

Prime times are a few hours before high tide

fish that inhabit the exact same areas as the flounder.

Usually all you will see is a big cloud of stirred up silt or sand as a flatty powers away and spooks well before your approach.

You will probably also see another flatfish called a sole and they are easily distinguished by the lack of a defined tail or head and are a much rounder oval shape. And take it from me, they taste just as good.

All sorts of other creatures come out at night in our estuaries from eels, crabs, seahorses, small sharks, miles of mullet and, in my area, surprises like schools of bream or big estuary perch. Strangely, I’ve never once surprised an elusive squid at night in areas, where I’ve caught plenty of them during the day? Skates and rays are also often seen in the

find the weather ideal and so much calmer in autumn and early winter.

WHERE TO GO Most larger Victorian estuaries have flounder and I’m guessing the same applies to the entire coastal waters of Tasmania and the Aussie mainland. Look for large sandy areas or places with a firm mud or silt bottom which the flounder seem to like best.

Occasionally the fish will be found over a broken bottom punctuated with

Some believe the full moon is the worst time to search for flounder but the author has proved otherwise. He now bases his trips around calm weather and forgets about the moon cycle. habitat for flounder.

They can sometimes settle on very short weed stubble but they will totally avoid areas with longer thick or strappy weed and, obviously, I’ve never seen them over areas with big rocks or boulders.

BY-CATCH Don’t forget to take

a prawn net and it’s also very handy when those big yellow-eye mullet or sea garfish start swimming close around your light. Let me tell you, those big sea gars get close to 50cm long and two of them will fill the biggest belly of any angler!

Flathead are another night bottom dwelling

A Hobie kayak makes an excellent tool for chasing flounder so you can cover vast areas of both shallow or deep water quickly. You will also have both hands free for a spear and light. Small light weight batteries are perfect for a common prawn light.

Contrary to belief, I’ve found as many flounder during winter as the warmer months and I believe the only reason more are caught in summer is due to the creature comforts of the human hunter! In fact, I

large weed patches, and at other times they seem to congregate over vast shallow sandy areas. Sometimes they gather on sand flats near river mouths but generally the lower areas of an estuary nearer tidal flow are preferred

In Victoria, flounder are a fairly rare bycatch on rod and reel. But small blade lures are very popular with bream anglers, so they turn up more often these days.

shallows and all these critters are interesting to look at and provide plenty of amusement if the flounder are hard to find.

PREPARING THE CATCH Grilling the whole flounder is very popular and most people have seen them served up in pubs and restaurants like this presented on a huge plate. Pan-fried in a little butter is also a treat and the oil makes the skin nice and crispy.

Another neat trick is to cook flounder after you fillet them and, although it’s a little fiddly to extract the four pockets of flesh from their flat frame, it’s a delight to eat the succulent meat without any bones.

The whole fish placed on the BBQ is also okay but be cautious to never over cook them and dry the fish out.

So good luck with your night floundering and you’ll be amazed at all the other life swimming around under the cover of dark.

FEBRUARY 2022

9

Easy tips on how to fillet and cook flounder GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

The flesh of flounder is sweet and moist when cooked right and there is plenty of meat on every fish. If you really enjoy eating flounder but find sitting down to a whole ugly fish on the plate a

little repulsive then let me share with you a very different way to prepare these tasty fish.

I put it to you that flounder are easy to fillet just like any other fish.

They are one of those fish that most people really love to eat and talk about them with passion. For me, they remain one of my top five seafood favourites along

1 Find the lateral line on the fish and make a long neat cut along its length.

3

Repeat step 2 for the opposite side of the backbone.

5

Flatten the knife out along the bones and leave no flesh behind.

10

FEBRUARY 2022

with scallops, whiting, squid and gummy shark.

FILLET A FLOUNDER? Many years ago I was faced with a real problem but luckily a very tasty one.

I had just spent a night floundering with a mate and it was an incredible session. The flounder were so thick they were covering the sandy bottom almost like stepping stones! We

got so consumed with spearing the bigger ones that we lost all sense of time and I failed to notice the ever-growing haul filling the bottom of our tinny. Just as well this was before the current bag limit of 20 fish per person.

After about four hours my mate stopped and shone the torch in my face and said, “I think we have

2 Angle your knife in and under the fillet and push the knife away from the backbone and trim the fillet free along the fin line.

4

6

enough”. I was shocked as he turned the light onto the biggest pile of flounder I’ve ever seen.

Later on I stared at a pile of over 30 flounder each and wondered how in the hell I was going to squeeze them into my little freezer.

I was certainly not going to give them away and I decided the only answer was to fillet them. I’d never heard of this being done before and not even sure it would be a success but it was worth a try. By about my third flounder I found it surprisingly easy and I was getting quicker with every fish, and now about 20 years on I find it a breeze.

PROS AND CONS I agree that cooking flounder as a whole fish will always be a great mouth watering option but I’ve discovered a few terrific benefits to cooking them as fillets. First of all, as I’ve explained, they take up so much less room when freezing.

The fillets become very easy to prepare for the plate because you can quickly pan fry them, coat them in crumbs, grill or steam them. I’ve even deepfried them and they came up a treat.

It is always nice to sit down to a whole cooked flounder but they need a huge plate, can be difficult to flip when one side is eaten and leave a big mess of bones. By serving fillets alone, there are no bones, no messy frame to dispose of and you will also appease those that find a whole fish on their plate a little squeamish.

HOW TO FILLET THEM You need an extra sharp knife for doing flounder, and the blade may even need touching up while you fillet. The best knife to source is one with a long

thin flexible blade.

First of all locate the visible line that runs the length of both sides on a flounder, like the lateral lines on a normal fish.

Cutting along this line will reveal the ‘backbone’ and after making the cut you will see where each side of the fillet divides away.

The tricky part is to gently and slowly work the knife along the bones that fan out towards the extremities of the fish, all the while keeping the removed part of the fillet slightly raised so as not to re-cut it. When you get towards the very edge of the fish, flatten you knife right out and try to make a neat cut right along the edge of the fin. Simply repeat for the opposing side of the backbone and then flip the fish over and start again.

You end up with four fillets from each flounder and you will be left with an almost see through skeleton. If you have had years of filleting other fish I’m sure you will adapt very quickly to this method.

Over time it will be easy and you will end up with perfectly neat, bone free juicy fillets.

COOKING My preferred option for cooking flounder fillets is a quick no mess pan fry method. Place the fillets in a pan with a little olive oil, chopped garlic and cracked pepper. They will cook through very quickly so be vigilant and take them off the heat the very second they are done and on to a cold plate.

I can’t stress enough that flounder are spoilt by over cooking and are at their best when just slightly ‘under-cooked’.

I then garnish my meal with a generous squeeze of lemon, fresh coriander and chopped garlic leaves.

Turn the fish over and repeat steps 1 to 3.

Pan fry with olive oil, chopped garlic and cracked pepper, don’t over-cook.

7

Garnish with lemon, fresh coriander and cut garlic leaves.

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Barramundi fishing visibility QUEENSLAND

Ron Jenkins

Ever wondered about how deep to run lures? The deeper the better seems to be the consensus. However, that’s not necessarily the

of their available sensors simultaneously to find food – vision, lateral line, hearing etc. We are simply dealing with their vision sensor here. The eyes. Remember the previous articles about barramundi ‘party-trick’ eyes? Here’s a reminder.

low light vision and can also see colour to greater depths than humans. Never under-estimate the vision of a barramundi. It’s much more sophisticated than human vision.

The tapetum lucidum arrangement is pink in

Fig. 2a (left) is a view from the top and the right (Fig. 2b) is a view from underwater. case. The depth at which we run lures should be at the maximum lure exposure to maximum number of barramundi, which gives the lure the best chance of being seen by most fish.

Let’s have a look at how we can best work out what that ideal depth might be.

Real or true visibility in water is a lot different to what a lot of us think.

Running lure depths to the apparent visibility depth is not better.

The most important thing to be aware of is that barramundi use ALL

Barramundi eyes are very similar to human eyes with three colour receptors.

Most other fish (including a lot of popularly sought ones) have only two colour receptors meaning that colour blindness becomes part of the mix and complicating matters.

Barramundi also possess ‘party-trick’ eyes due to an arrangement called a tapetum lucidum, which processes incoming light twice before sending it on to the brain. Meaning that barramundi can effectively see a lot more light than humans. They have excellent

Fig. 5a

Fig. 5b

12

FEBRUARY 2022

following inflows.

Looking at Fig. 2a, many estuary anglers would describe the water as ‘crystal clear’, but many impoundment anglers may not agree. Fig. 2b is the same water but viewed from under the surface. So, how clear is it? Crystal? Just how far into that green ‘murk’ on the right can we actually see? What we are really searching for of course is water visibility and how can we estimate easily and quickly what that visibility is.

Put a brightly coloured lure on your rod and wind it up until the lure touches the tip. I’ve used a red and white lure (see Fig. 3). Then push the lure vertically down into the water with the rod until it just disappears (Fig. 4).

Note where the water level is on the rod. In this case the level is the 7th guide on the

Fig. 3 A brightly coloured lure wound up until it touches the tip.

Fig.1.

Humans don’t possess such an arrangement but crocodiles, cats, owls, spiders, do to enable hunting in low light conditions.

Ditto for barramundi. Few other fish have it apart from mulloway.

This visibility principle (total path length) applies to ALL water (not just impoundments). There’s no need for fancy or expensive equipment to understand because none of it is rocket science.

So how does this affect best lure depth? Surely deeper is better isn’t it? Read on.

WATER AND VISIBILITY

Let’s look at impoundments, as conditions are more static and predictable there.

Being an impoundment of freshwater, there is little water movement and the water clarity can therefore be much better than in estuarine water as sediment brought in by intermittent run-off inflows settles.

That suspended solid sediment is responsible for murkiness (turbidity) and can take several weeks or even months to settle out

Fig.1 Barramundi ‘party trick’ eyes. angles underwater like barramundi. What we’ve actually done is shown in Fig. 5b (but it’s still simple and practical).

The light has to reach down into the water for 1m, be reflected by the lure and then come back 1m to the eye to be seen. That means we can see the lure 1m down in the water even though the total path length is 2m. The light down is called incident light and the light back is called reflected light. The

Fig. 4 Push the lure vertically down until it just disappears.

rod and that’s approximately 1m from the tip.

So, is this what we’ve done? Estimated the colour visibility at 1m? Sounds simple. Well, not quite.

For starters, visibility doesn’t work the way that most fishers think it works, which is like in Fig. 5a. 1m is the apparent visibility but not the real (true) visibility and that’s important when we look at lures from odd

true visibility is actually 2m. (= 2 x apparent visibility).

Therefore, the total light path length = 2m and that’s simple when looked at like Fig.5b.

However, the total path length from any angle that determines if your lure can be seen (or not) by a barramundi. If there was a barramundi sitting within 1m of that lure in Fig.5b, then that fish would see the

lure because the total colour light path length (incident light + reflected light) didn’t exceed 2m. 1m from the surface to the lure where the light is reflected and then to the barramundi 1m away.

If that barra was 1.5m away from the lure, it wouldn’t see the coloured lure because the total path length is now 2.5m (1m + 1.5m = 2.5m) which is too far away.

Let’s have a look at some examples.

In Fig. 6 we have four lures in the water at different depths and four barramundi also in the water.

So how does this true visibility (total path length) determine which barramundi can see which lure and what lures can’t these barra see?

Let’s look at lure one (see Fig. 6a). Lure one can be seen by all four fish because none of the total light path lengths exceed the 2m true visibility. Lure two can only be seen by three of the barramundi (see Fig. 6b); lure three is seen by two fish (see Fig. 6c); and lure four is invisible to all but one fish (see Fig. 6d).

So what’s gone wrong?

Well, we’re using up most of our total path length (2m/200cm) just getting down to depth so any path length left can’t be reflected far. So barramundi have to be much closer to our lure the deeper we run it.

What these diagrams do show us is that to give maximum lure exposure to maximum number of fish is not to run the lures deep.

To do so, simply wastes the

Fig. 6 Four lures in the water at different depths, with four barramundi.

advantage of the barramundi’s excellent ‘party trick’ eyes.

And what is the best rule of thumb depth to run them at?

One quarter (1/4) of the

Fig. 6a Lure one visibility.

Fig. 6b Lure two visibility.

Fig. 6c Lure three visibility.

Fig. 6d Lure four visibility.

true visibility of the water. Half of the lure depth on the rod tip. Some fishers may have twigged to that already. They may know that it works but

probably not why it works.

Now you do as well as them.

Look at the images. This ain’t rocket science. It’s simple Pythagoras trigonometry

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Perhaps we can now see why some of the popular shallow diving lures still

prove so effective eg. Reidy’s B52s and Bombers even in moderately deeper water.

Maximum exposure to maximum number of fish

due to the shallow running depth therefore not wasting visibility path length getting deeper seems to be the ‘secret’ of their longevity.

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FEBRUARY 2022

13

Getting in the swim NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

The use of so-called ‘swim baits’ has been one of the fastest-growing trends in Australian lure fishing over the past few years. So, what exactly are swim baits, are they any good and, if so, how (and where) is it best to use them?

Modern fishing terminology can be a tad confusing at times, with accepted definitions frequently blurring at the edges, especially when labels are borrowed from other countries that have slightly different fisheries to our own. As a result, one anglers blade’ is another’s ‘vibe’, ‘wake baits’ and ‘stick baits’ can be very similar, and a ‘chatterbait’ (which is actually a proprietary brand name) can easily become a ‘mumbler’ or a ‘bladed jig’, depending on who you’re talking to. This is also very much the case with the broad, fuzzy grouping of lures increasingly being

broad category!

For the sake of this column, lets focus primarily on the segmented, soft- and hard-bodied swim baits that have become such a massive hit across the past four or five years among switched-on Aussie anglers chasing everything from Murray cod,

importantly, big fish also tend to get cranky when smaller fish invade their ‘space’, and will often violently attack these interlopers. So both responses — hunger and territoriality — can easily result in hook-ups.

To provoke either or both of these aggressive responses, it’s often best to present swim

Starlo with a modest 75cm Murray cod taken on a slowly-rolled Jackall Gentarel. Big swim baits don’t only appeal to monster fish. retrieve that simply mimics a small fish calmly going about its business. Mix it up and try both approaches until the predators tell you which one they prefer.

A lot of the popular swim

baits now in widespread use locally are quite a bit larger than the more ‘traditional’ lures used in our waters to target specific fish species.

Just like ‘down-sizing’ at the opposite end of the spectrum,

It’s wrong to think that only big fish will hit large swim baits. This trio of 40-50cm flatties intended for the Starling table had no hesitation in slamming this 170mm Grow Design Works Flag soft swim bait. baits in a way that makes them stand out from healthy, activelyswimming fish. Typically, that means employing a stop/ start or burn-and-kill style retrieve, punctuated with frequent and very deliberate pauses that allow the swim bait to suddenly glide off to one side or the other, flashing a vulnerable flank or belly in the process. It’s this ‘shot duck’ action that tends to trigger the biggest hits, but it’s also worth experimenting with a steady, slow to medium ‘roll’ type of

The Japanese-made Grow Design Works Flag 170 is an outrageously expensive and hardto-find soft swim bait… but when most savvy anglers see its action in the water, their immediate reaction is ‘shut up and take my money’! this deliberate ‘up-sizing’ can sometimes produce results when the more accepted and normal approaches are drawing a blank. But don’t get locked into thinking that swim baits need to be enormous

buttons of larger-than-average fish, even in hard-hit, heavilyfished waterways. This resulted in some phenomenal catches and dramatic tournament wins, especially in the early days of the swim bait boom.

As with most lure fishing ‘revolutions’, the magical edge soon wore off the swimbait phenomenon as more and more fish got to see these lures on a regular basis and harder-hit populations began ‘wising up’ a little to them. The same thing is happening here in Oz, but only slowly, and it certainly doesn’t mean that swim baits will suddenly stop producing fish: it simply implies that they will gradually slip from being an almost-freakishly successful ‘phenomenon’ and eventually become just another string in the savvy angler’s bow, rather like soft plastics, lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and a dozen other styles before them.

In the meantime, however, some red-letter fishing remains to be explored by those fishers willing to give swim baits a decent run — and it won’t be confined to the obvious, heavyweight contenders such as Murray cod, jewies, flathead and barra. Already, innovative lure casters and trollers are using swim baits of various sizes and patterns to target

Jo Starling with a metre-plus of Copeton Dam cod that was sucked in by the superproductive Jackall Gantarel hard swim bait. referred to these days as ‘swim baits’.

Let’s cut to the chase and accept that a swim bait is basically a fish-shaped lure that achieves its sinuous, lifelike action without the use of a bib or diving lip. Beyond that very general description, there are both soft and hard swim baits (as well as hybrids of the two), jointed, multi-piece, articulated and one-piece swim baits, line-through models, sinking and suspending swim baits, weed-less versions… and so on. Like I said, it’s a 14

FEBRUARY 2022

mulloway and big flathead down south to barra in the north. These are the ones that seem to be generating the greatest interest at present, and with very good reason… They catch a lot of fish!

Swim baits clearly represent small (and not-sosmall) fish, and this deception works on several levels.

Firstly, smaller fish are one of the most regularly-consumed meals of bigger fish, so a lure that accurately imitates a small fish is easily perceived as a potential meal. But, just as

The Jackall company has carved itself a niche as one of the greatest modern lure makers, and its Gantarel is up there with the finest of hardbodied swim baits.

Big, soft swim baits are absolutely deadly on oversized dusky flathead, especially in the shallows.

to work. Little swim baits definitely have a place in your arsenal, too.

The Yanks who first popularized the current generation of swim baits primarily used them to target largemouth bass. What they quickly learnt was the fact that these lures could press the

the likes of trout (yes, trout!), redfin perch, yellowbelly, sooty grunter, saratoga, Australian bass, tailor, snapper, kingies and far too many other species to list.

If you don’t already have a couple of swim baits in your kit, it might be time to add a few!

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Southern

OLD

A mighty mulloway quest THE TWEED

Leon McClymont

Big seas, heavy rain and cyclonic winds for the Tweed have left limited options for local anglers.

In between the rain events, (La Niña) and offshore Cyclone Seth, some have braved the big swell and heavy rains and welcomed the dirty water.

With this combination, the reward of a trophy-sized mulloway is what all the talk is about. On the Tweed it is one of the pinnacles of fishing to land one of these, which sometimes seem mythological creatures from the rocks or beach.

There are plenty of addicted land-based fishers in the area that spend many sleepless nights, early mornings and thousands of hours haunting the rock walls, headlands and beaches where mulloway can be found. Just when you think you’re going crazy over the

countless hours casting, lost sleep, or when you least expect it, is generally when this beast shows its face.

Then after all that time, it has finally come to this moment

hand after different cyclonic events on the East Coast in the past several years. When able to get a boat offshore, it’s a sure bet the pelagics will be on fire with all the bait readily available that has been pushed out of the safety of the reefs by the big seas.

Don’t count out the bottom fishing either. On previous trips fishing in close on the shallower reefs around Fidos and South Reef and similar reefs, post-big seas have produced trophy sized snapper and other larger reef fish that have moved in for an easy feed after the huge seas have pummelled the reefs.

The rivers and estuaries have had a good flush out, a bit of fresh but not too much is good. They should recover very quick with the higher tides and strong currents this

Jesse Baker with a solid mulloway taken off the beach on a Tweed Bait pilchard.

Jacob Howell with a great looking mangrove jack.

Matt Williams with a nice mulloway off the rocks.

oat B d e r u t a Fe

when your drag starts screaming and rod thumping with headshakes! It’s time to compose and think of your strategy or game plan to finish the job.

As most of these battles take place when the seas are huge and rough, it tends to be very difficult trying to land these fish. It can also be very dangerous for the angler and the gaff man, as most incidents will require a secondary angler to land such a large fish, so it is crucial to have a strategy in place before you get to this point. With countless lost fish to barnacle-covered rocks and devastated anglers left holding their heads in sorrow as they watch their dreams of a trophy fish wash away in the suds.

With all this stir up in the sea it could also be a blessing in disguise, as it’s said to be some of the best fishing after a huge weather event.

I have witnessed this first

The author with a pup size jack taken on a Rapala Bomber. time of year. You’ll find real dirty water that you wouldn’t even swim in, then an hour or two later on the same spot it’ll be crystal clear blue

water. This is what a lot of the estuary species such as whiting, bream, flathead and even mulloway will follow and feed between.

For February, we have a new moon on the 1st, which should have the fish feeding hard around this moon phase in that current week. The full moon will be on the 17th, if you’re after a mulloway off the beach I’d suggest focusing your time around the incoming 3/4 tides leading into the full moon, the three days before or the three days after the full moon. If you can coincide this tide with the rising or fall of the moon you will have a peak bite period that should give the angler the upper hand in hooking up.

Off the rock walls I’ve found the tide changes to be the best bet for consistent hook ups. Headlands are good on low tides but each spot is different and the fish come and go so it is no sure bet. However, it will give some guideline to those that are starting out on their quest for the almighty mulloway.

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Southern

OLD

Game on for pelagics GOLD COAST

David Green

February is a great month to chase pelagic game fish off the Gold Coast. So far the season has been very hot and cold, with quite a few black marlin and mahimahi turning up in early December until a very strong current of over 3 knots moved in and a lot of the fish moved south.

When the current was strong there were a lot of fishless days and the bait all moved deep. Hopefully

in February the current will slow to a trickle and the fish will return. There have also been quite a few wahoo on the 36 and 50 fathom line.

A few blue marlin have been hooked on the wider grounds but the bites have generally been only one or two per day.

If you are interested in chasing blue marlin from a trailer boat, pick a day where the forecast is good and make sure you have plenty of fuel. February is one of the best months of the year to chase blue marlin off the Gold Coast. We usually put the lures in on the edge

Jacquie Taylor Fox with a blue marlin.

February is one of the best months of the year to chase them off the Gold Coast.

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of the continental shelf in about 100m of water and head east. The depth drops off quickly, and in less than half an hour at troll speed you will be in 300-400m of water. I troll a spread of five lures, but depending on your crew, a couple of outfits as a minimum can be just as effective. Use a minimum of 24kg tackle and work current lines, bait or dolphin schools and be on a constant lookout for birds. The bites will come if you are patient and persistent, and seeing a blue marlin smash a lure is one of the most exciting things in fishing you will ever see. If you survive the initial take off and the first 5-10 minutes the fish will generally go deep and you are in with a good chance.

February should see plenty of mackerel on the inshore grounds once the water cleans up a bit. In the early part of the season a few smaller Spanish mackerel and spotted mackerel turned up on Palm Beach Reef. The inshore reefs from 12 fathoms south out to the Gravel Patch off Burleigh Heads should all hold Spanish mackerel this month. Slow trolling live baits from a downrigger is probably the deadliest method, particularly when you can see the fish on the sounder.

Bottom fishing has been surprisingly good through the early part of summer, and when the marlin fishing was shut down a lot of the local charter boats did well fishing the bottom despite the current. In February there will still be a few parrot fish, pearl perch, teraglin and pig fish on the 36 and 50 fathom lines but it is usually a very slow time for the bottom fisher. Micro jigging is another option at this time of year and is also effective on

A nice wahoo caught by Kane Barclay.

There have been quite a few on the 36 and 50 fathom line. mackerel, kingfish and tuna.

BROADWATER AND RIVERS February sees the estuaries quieten down a bit as boat traffic decreases.

When the big tides push into the Seaway and Jumpinpin entrances this month big schools of frog mouthed pilchards move into the estuaries and there can be some great spinning using metal lures and plastics for trevally, tarpon, tailor and smaller tuna species. There are also often small schools of queenfish in the Seaway entrance in February. These make fantastic teaser baits for small marlin. In recent

months sharks have been a major problem in the Seaway eating a lot of hooked fish. They particularly like mulloway.

Whiting are a major target species in February and in the hot conditions the best fishing is often at night. The Nerang River near the council chambers is a particularly productive area at night. Fish with a long 2-3kg nylon trace and use worms, yabbies or small shrimp. The run-in tide is generally the most productive. If you like chasing whiting on poppers, there are plenty of spots to try this month. I like the

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The author with a whiting. Look for shallow sand flats with plenty of holes, as the whiting start to move onto the flats as the tide floods.

flats around Crab Island, the mouth of the Pimpama River and the lagoon area near the Jumpinpin Bar. Look for shallow sand flats with plenty of holes. The whiting start to move onto the flats as the tide floods, and if the day has 15-20 knots of breeze the fish seem much more savage on surface lures.

Casting unweighted yabbies is another deadly method and recently a lot of whiting over 40cm long have been caught around Wave Break Island.

There should still be plenty of mangrove jack around this month and they are often very active on the surface in February, with the period around dawn often the most productive. There have been quite a few mangrove jack over 60cm caught this season already. Working floating pontoons using 3-4” paddle-tail plastics on 3/8-1/2oz jigheads is particularly effective. At night, jacks move away from cover and are often caught on small live baits and strip baits at this time. Whole dead slimy mackerel are also very effective.

Flathead fishing is generally pretty quiet this month although there may still be a few big fish up on the flats on early morning high tides. There are also a few mulloway in the entrances on both live baits and lures. Most of the mulloway in the Seaway have been around 85cm long and live yellowtail have been the best bait.

Sharks have been a problem at times.

Crabbing is generally very productive for mud crabs this month in the creeks and local rivers on the big run in tides. Make sure you have your pots and floats well marked. Overall, February is an interesting month to fish the Gold Coast. Hopefully life will start to return to normal this year despite the thousands of Omicron cases on the Gold Coast. Good fishing and tight lines!

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I was coming back from Tin Can, ‘bout eleven in the morn, I’d been to see the Northern Queen and get a box of prawn, I was tired, it was thirty, arms and hands and face were fried, I got stuck behind a cruiser

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He’s only doing eighty five to ninety through the hills, But it’s ok, no need to try to pass on corners blind, That overtaking lane is coming after double lines.

You cross that little creek you know there’s just one hill to go, The cruiser is just cruising and it’s fine to poke on slow, Cause even though there’s four cars between you and old mates truck, The overtaking lane is just ahead and you’re in luck?

climbed the hill ahead, The cruiser shuddered doing 105 my speedo said, I could see the dickhead hunched across his wheel like Harry White, And with four cars in between us, I swore hard and stopped the fight.

You know the situation, all he had to do was wait, Take his foot off, take a breather, let the followers overtake, But no, this f#$@n knobworth cranked his turbo up to ten, And once he’d hit the corners

hit his brakes hard once again.

Now you know the situation, but I’ll tell it anyway, Now you’re a canny reader, Just to cancel the confusion and you’ve sure been so it’s all as clear as day, here before, Back again to eighty-five and So we all know where we’re You don’t really need me eighty up the slope, standing, so we see what’s commentary to know the We trundled into Gympie and I going down,ALBERTON final score, did my best to cope, MELBOURNE And we all agree how But I’ll shake my head and tell He turned off after deep creek MARINE this stupid story to the end,MELBOURNE ‘furiating ALBERTON to be stuck

bridgeMARINE and CENTRE I’m not 39 Johnson Street Alberton 92 Hallam South Road behind a clown.

Even though the memory proud to say, Hallam P: (03) 5183 2344 angers me and sends me P: (03)I gave 9703 him 2003quite a send off as It’s fine F: (03) I 5183 thought we both went on our way.

2219 round the bend.

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bloody big deal, P: (03) 5448 3988 P: (03) 5987 0900 overtake with very little pain. began the long steep climb, Take your ego off the speedo W: bendigomarine.com.au He was doing close W: on mymarine.com.au don’t be such a rectal pain, There’s four cars stacked maximum revs and over A n d let the MORNINGTON PENINSULA overtake

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FEBRUARY 2022

23

Southern

OLD

Challenging in murky water JUMPINPIN

Bo Sawyer

There’s been some nice fish caught around the Pin area recently. At the time of writing we’ve been experiencing some pretty windy conditions along with dirty water around the low tide. This has made the fishing a little more challenging but they are still biting and it’s definitely been better towards the mouth where the cleaner water is.

Best times to fish are the two hours either side of high tide, and try to find protection

line on the sand banks south of the Powerlines while chasing fish.

There’s been a few mulloway making their way around the deeper water off Swan Bay, the Pin mouth and Kalinga Bank. Just be prepared to lose a lot of livies and rigs to sharks, I had a live bait session along Kalinga recently and we just couldn’t get past them. This has been consistent with the reports I’ve been hearing from other anglers as well.

The flathead fishing hasn’t been as good recently but that’s to be expected with the strong winds. They really shut down in these conditions

Nath’s been catching some nice whiting using the live bloodworms from Jacobs Well Bait and Tackle. sand banks south of North Straddie and the banks south of the Powerlines.

Well recently I said the tailor size had been slowly decreasing and they’ve gone and made a complete liar out of me, as I’ve seen some

Sean with a stonker whiting he caught in the Jacobs Well area.

Nathan and Marty caught a nice feed of banana prawns. Get those cast nets ready! The photo bomb master in the background.

Rebecca with a nice school mulloway caught on a soft plastic. away from the wind behind any suitable islands.

Crabbing is a great option at the moment with all the rain we’ve had, there’s been plenty of nice muddies caught. Creek mouths and snake drains have been the pick anywhere around the Logan River, Eden Island and the Jacobs Well area.

There’s been reports of good sand crabs around Tipplers Channel and I’ve been getting a few on my 24

FEBRUARY 2022

and I’ve had to work really hard to hit double figures.

There has, however, been some very nice sized ones being caught, which makes up for the numbers. Try the pilchards Brett sells at Jacobs Well Bait and Tackle or flicking 3.5-4” plastics.

Crusoe Island, Gold Bank, Tipplers, Pandanus Island and Kalinga Bank are your best options until the system starts clearing up.

The whiting haven’t skipped a beat with this rain and there’s been plenty of good catches coming in. Live bloodworms or yabbies are definitely the choice bait.

There have been some nice ones caught in the lagoons on South Straddie, Kalinga Bank, Gold Bank, the

Grant with a nice flatty he caught in the Pin.

when feeding hard but you can’t go past small metal spinners. Just a warning though, they have not been showing up consistently so it’s a matter of right place at the right time for now.

The fishing this month will be heavily dependent on the weather we have, along with the amount of freshwater in the system.

Harder fishing conditions make better anglers out of us though so get out there and fine-tune your approach. If you haven’t done so already try spending a bit of time sounding around the areas you regularly fish, you will be surprised how much it can teach you about the ground you fish as well as bait and/or fish movements.

Until next month

A decent flathead the author caught while flicking ZMan plastics out in the deep.

George and Bill caught this great feed of tasty muddies.

stonkers flying around. I got bitten off by one just recently that would have easily beaten my PB. I’ve also seen plenty of decent

sized ones busting up along Kalinga Bank and the area between Crusoe and South Straddie. They’ll hit just about anything

tight lines.

• To see more of my fishing adventures on Instagram, follow The Bobo Boat (@ thebobo_boat)

1588

01/2022

fishing

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Getting out on the water just got easier with the new Face and Neck shields by Samaki, which have been designed and developed in Australia for Australian anglers.

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A machined aluminium 2-tone anodised spool is surrounded by Okuma’s Cyclonic Flow Rotor system, designed to increases airflow through the ported rotor, minimising moisture retention throughout the reel. Housed in the spool is a slick multi-disc carbon fibre drag system, with hydro-block gasket to prevent water intrusion for consistent drag performance.

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The Gadget Z range of waterproof tackle boxes has been expanded with the addition of two new foam-lined boxes.

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STORM HIT SHAD

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The Bushranger Sonar Spinner is a trout spinner that emits an audible sound through body vibration in its bell body. The Sonar Spinner is available in seven proven colours and weighs 4g.

The entire Bushranger spinner range is deadly on all trout species as well as Australian bass, redfin and golden perch. www.jurofishing.com

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FEBRUARY 2022

1

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The big dog of the litter, the new Daiwa Slippery Dog 97F, is graced with the performance and pedigree of its predecessors. It also features tungsten tuned weighting to improve the posture of the lure in the water and significantly enhance lure’s responsiveness when retrieved.

A topwater walk-the-dog lure, Daiwa’s Slippery Dog 97F is the perfect prawn and baitfish imitation, with its TG tune design featuring two small rattle beads placed in the head of each lure, emulating the clicking sound of fleeing prawns on the surface.

Measuring 97mm, the Slipper Dog 97F is the ideal length for Australian estuary and inshore anglers, whether it’s casting at mangrove jack in the north, kingfish in the east, or salmon in the south.

Each Slippery Dog comes fitted with strong rings and BKK Fangs treble hooks, making it robust and ready to fish straight out of the box. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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When it comes to versatility, the Storm Hit Shad is pretty hard to beat. Straight out of the box, this shad profile lure has a slow body roll and exaggerated tail swing, but by cutting or removing the ‘tail tendon’ at the paddle end, you can create a wider tail action.

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visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

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Southern

OLD

Searching for the salt BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

With numerous bouts of rain in November and December, inshore waters were somewhat dirtier than usual. It was often

rather fresh in the upper reaches, which really stirred up the prawns and crabs in the rivers and estuaries, pushing them down the system where higher salinity prevailed.

Many fish species also followed this route.

Out in Moreton Bay,

Mark with a respectable longtail around 14kg and 108cm taken casting a jighead rigged soft plastic.

the higher nutrient levels have been a boost for many demersal species.

Conversely, most baitfish species were pushed further eastwards which also dispersed many pelagics, such as mackerel and tuna, to the zones with cleaner, higher salinity water.

However, most anglers have still managed to score some quality fish, prawns and crabs with specific targeting.

THREADFIN Freshwater stirred up the prawns, pushing schools towards the mouth of the Logan and Brisbane Rivers.

Threadfin are highly reliant on prawns as a food source and naturally larger numbers of threadies have been found in the lower reaches of these two systems and others.

Plenty of specimens over the magic-metre have been caught with reports of 120cm+ fish also coming in. Some of these have been scored on lures and others on live baits. Soft vibes, micro jigs, numerous plastics, minnow lures and even baitfish or crustacean profiled flies can be successful.

Once threadies are found using your marine electronics, such offerings can be hopped or slowly rolled throughout the zone.

Sometimes strikes are received immediately and at other times several lure changes may be required to get their interest, if at all. When they are being exceptionally stubborn, resorting to live baits will often save the day and your sanity. Live prawns,

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James hadn’t fished for many months but scored on his first trip out. He landed a solid 109cm threadfin in the Brisbane River on a live bait. mullet, herring and pike can all achieve positive results, however a large banana prawn would always be my first choice. These baits are generally presented close to the bottom utilising a minimum of lead and a 20-40lb fluorocarbon leader.

This is commonly done from an anchored vessel however drifting is also worthwhile in some areas, especially when larger numbers of threadies are dispersed throughout an area.

Lighted areas attract baitfish during the darkened hours and this in turn will lure threadfin to the zone. Casting lures such as soft plastics, suspending minnows, topwater offerings and even flies in these lighted zones can provide some exciting fishing, even for those venturing out via Shank’s pony.

MACKEREL With dirtier water inshore, the better mackerel action has been further out in the bay around the Sandhills, shipping channel beacons, Middle Bank, NW Channel and Kianga Channel. Even then, the action can be sporadic at times- most have had to work a bit harder and smarter than usual to get results. There have been good concentrations of bait schools in areas but these have not always held mackerel or other pelagics.

At the time of writing, the action had been slow for most but this can change any day so it definitely pays to have a look around when you are out on the water. Jigging the beacons with chromed slugs and slices is probably one of the easiest ways to score a few mackerel when you can’t find them smashing bait schools on the surface.

Simply move close to the beacon, cast out the slug, then allow it to sink all the way to the bottom. Rear weighted lures are better than centre weighted ones as they plummet straight to the bottom without fluttering. Once the lure has

hit the bottom, engage the reel and crank as fast as you can until the lure comes into sight. Be careful not to wind the lure into the rod tip or you might smash the eyelet out. This is an exciting way to catch a few mackerel, the better action usually coming during the faster moving tidal stages and not the slack.

Drifting pilchards in these same zones can also be productive. If you are fortunate enough to locate surface smashing schools, casting and retrieving chromed slugs is a very reliable way to get your drag buzzing. Cast to the side of the melee and retrieve as fast as possible – it’s that simple! If you are having mackerel following, yet not striking, then you are not winding fast enough.

Reels with higher ratios that can retrieve at least a metre of line per turn of the handle are ideal for this pursuit. Rods between 2.1m and 2.4m (preferably graphite) will allow you to cast exceptionally well.

Line classes between 6kg and 15kg can be used, with braid allowing you to cast farther distances, especially in windy conditions. When, or even if, the spotted mackerel show up is yet to be determined, however there will be school mackerel around regardless over the coming months.

PRAWNS With so much unseasonal rain in November and December the usual prawn run was altered somewhat.

There was too much fresh during December for the usual run to be consistent although some did find a few prawns in the deeper holes, which were less affected by the fresh.

Prawns were still bedding there and lifting around the slack tide.

I didn’t hear much from the Caboolture River but the Highway Bridge hole and Deepwater Bend hole both produced for some prawners who were there on the ebbing tides just before

Christmas. The deeper holes are usually the best option but are even more so when there is a bit of fresh water around. The fresh will usually flow on the top whilst salt water is still present down deep, except when systems are in full flood. A bit of searching around will usually produce a few prawns in the deeper holes however achieving your 10l bucket limit can require a good degree of effort at times. At the time of writing, it is uncertain how much rain we will get in the coming weeks, however predictions are that it will be a fair bit. This is likely to push the prawns out into the bay shallows around Deception Bay, off Nudgee and down around the bay islands in areas such as Jackson’s Hole, the Saltworks, Giants Grave, Powerlines and the eastern end of the channel between Lamb and Karragarra, just to note a few. Hopefully it will be a good season during the latter part of summer and into the cooler months.

CRABS

With so much freshwater around, many have been crabbing over the last month or so in the creeks and rivers with muddies on their mind.

Some solid mud crabs have been taken at times with most creeks and rivers producing the goods as well as some of the residential canal areas. Setting pots at the mouths of the creeks, drains and gutters leading out of the mangrove expanse will generally see good results, especially on a falling tide. Freshwater will force the crabs out of their usual hiding spots and out into more open waters where they are easier to access. Setting safety pots with baits such as fish frames and heads, large mullet, chicken carcasses or even a mesh bag stuffed with fish offcuts or chicken necks will generally put you in with a great chance of luring a few muddies into your pot.

Southern

OLD

Lately the sand crabs have been in a little deeper water with the 7-15m zone often producing the best results although this can depend on location. The fringes of the bay islands, channels between the major banks systems and deep edges and ledges are good places to try. The same pots and baits that you use for muddies will still apply. Ensure that your pots comply with current regulations and are labelled correctly.

Do not use bottles for floats because these are illegal and can result in you losing your pot if a boat were to collide with your pot and pierce the bottle. Additionally, your pot will now be a ghost pot, which can kill a lot of different forms of marine life for a long time to come.

Use a solid float such as a Styrofoam ball and ensure to label it correctly. There are still quite a few months of quality crabbing ahead of us so get out and set a few pots soon.

LONGTAIL TUNA It is around this time of the year that we often see a few better longtail tuna knocking around Moreton Bay. Whilst the numbers are often limited, the quality is present. Specimens to over 20kg can be found,

however getting them to bite can be somewhat difficult, especially when the majority of the baitfish are small.

It pays to try different profiles as they will often be affixed on eating only small food items yet at other times they may chase down and engulf larger ones. Everything from small and sparse baitfish profiled flies to 150mm poppers and stickbaits are worth a try. I commonly start with 30-40g chromed slugs and slices and then try jighead rigged jerkshad plastic (ZMan 5” Jerkshads in bubble gum are a favourite), then a 100mm stickbait and then a pencil popper. If this all fails then I will get out the fly rod and try a 2/0 surf candy style fly. You just need to continue cycling through your offerings until you can find one that they like, if at all.

The northern and eastern areas of the bay around the edges of the shipping channels, Pearl Channel, NE channel, NW channel, Middle Bank, Kianga Channel, Lucinda Bay, Shark Spit and near the western entrance to the Rous Channel are all worth trying. However, longtails are where you find them and can pop up anywhere at

any time, therefore it pays to have a rod ready-rigged whilst transiting through Moreton Bay. WHITING A forever-reliable

species to catch in Moreton Bay is whiting.

This time of the year sees better numbers of summer whiting (aka yellowfin or sand whiting) throughout

With good rains early in summer, there should hopefully be some solid prawn schools around bayside locations over the coming months.

the banks and shallow channel areas out from the Sandhills, Rous Channel, Small Ships Channel and many other areas. These are relatively easy to catch and a great species for younger or less experience anglers.

You only need basic tackle of simple soft tipped rod with light line or even a rigged hand-caster to catch them. Small hooks such as #4 or #6 longshanks and just enough sinker weight to keep your bait near the bottom is all the tackle needed.

Many will use a twin hook paternoster style rig however a simple running ball sinker rig will suffice.

Drifting increases your chances of encountering whiting which roam these flats and channels areas searching for food. Sand worms, blood worms and Cribb Island (mud) worms are the prime baits however decent results can be forthcoming on thin strips of squid. These are best tenderised by placing them on a cutting board and banging them with the flat side of your knife blade.

This makes them softer and easier for the whiting to mouth. Various combined bag limits and size limits apply for both the summer and winter (trumpeter) whiting which you will

encounter in these areas so check out the regulations before venturing out.

CONCLUSION There will be a lot of other serious targets for anglers throughout the Moreton Bay area during February. Mangrove jack, estuary cod, mulloway, snapper, sweetlip, tuskfish, bonito, flathead, bream and a host of others will be on offer. For success on any particular species, it pays to do your research on where to target them, the best baits or lures and tidal stage to increase chances.

Additionally, your success may be increased or hindered by the weather or amount of fresh due to recent rains.

The warmer conditions during the summer months will generally increase water temperatures, which in turns heightens metabolism making many species hungrier and more aggressive. Baitfish and crustacean presence is also heightened during the warmer months.

These factors all combine to create some excellent opportunity for anglers. February is an awesome month to get out amongst the action that Moreton Bay and its filtering waterways has on offer so get out there.

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Southern

OLD

Rain produced mixed results NORTHERN BAY

Tackle World Lawnton

Fishing has been hot and cold leading up to February this year.

Even though there were

RIVERS Late December and early January the rain events helped those who were keen to chase some muddies through Caboolture and Pine River systems. If the crabbing is

chasing crabs to make sure your pots are tagged correctly and using the correct floats. I’d also suggest checking in on the location of your pots if you’re out and about fishing while they soak.

Unfortunately, there are always a few people around who feel they have a right to others pots. Not cool!

At the time of this report being put together we have finally seen some numbers of prawn being caught.

Although the numbers are only patchy and scattered at the moment, I’d expect catches will improve throughout February.

many different baits, which makes them an easy target at times. This time of year, with the prawns on the move it’s always worth throwing some prawn imitation lures around to match what they will be predominantly feeding on. The MMD soft prawn is a small finesse prawn imitation lure that has been working well doing just this. And the same goes for other fish in the system – they are all suckers for a well presented prawn.

NORTHERN BAY February is a month that gives the angler options in the bay. Snapper and grassy

Grassies on plastics is great summer fun. morning before the sun has risen is the best time. Both species also take plastics on the regular so it’s worth having some plastic rods rigged and ready if they are on the bite.

Mackerel will still be scattered throughout the bay or by the beacons.

If you can find the bait

Brandon Smith has been getting good numbers of bream on topwater using MMD Splash Prawns. plenty of fish hitting the nets over Christmas and early January, the rain mixed it up a bit with plenty flowing in the dams and giving the river systems a big flush resulting in dirty water for extended periods. But don’t let the rain stop you from getting out and having a crack!

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slow, then a good downpour can be a godsend for the keen crabber. It often gets the crabs on the move and flushed out of the shallow mangroves. There’s been some good catches reported in both systems, which is good to see, and I’d expect this to continue through into February as well.

Don’t forget when

some good sizes bass have been caught on spinnerbaits and chatterbaits, as well as deep diving hardbodies.

There have also been reports of some good catches of redclaw, which should continue. The redclaw are more active in the hotter months so February is the perfect time

Good catches of bream will continue through February.

Good catches of flathead and bream should continue throughout February in the regular spots. Flathead have taken

sweetlip with be available in good numbers around the inshore reefs. Snapper and grassys are both suckers for a floating pilly and early

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Mud crab catches have started to improve.

Prawn numbers are starting to heat up.

you will find the macks!

Also keep an eye out for birds flocking near the water. They are chasing the baitfish from above and you can be guaranteed the pelagic fish are chasing them from below. Have a metal lure ready to be cast into them as they can disperse as quick as they arrive. It’s also worth trolling a deep diver while in the area. It’s not uncommon to pick up a fish outside of bait school.

DAMS The dams continue to fish well even with the rain changing the dynamic a little. For those that persist,

to throw out an opera house net and get a good feed.

Rockmelon and par boiled potatoes and excellent bait, but even some old fish frames will do the job.

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31

Southern

OLD

Warmer currents get the pelagics feeding NOOSA

Peter Wells

With the warmer waters off the coast at the moment the pelagic activity has been manic. Large numbers of mackerel, tuna and even wahoo and mahimahi have all been taken.

The mackerel are feeding on small frog-mouthed pilchards, hardiheads and small rain bait, which can make slug selection a little difficult. It is a good idea to have plenty of size, weight and colour selection when it comes to slugs. The Halco Twisty is always a great option and is probable the

love to feed on those bait schools and will drive these fish to the surface as a way to corral the bait making feeding easier. The key to fishing those bait schools is to approach quietly and cast to the edges of the schools. Tuna will circle the bait, whereas mackerel will tend to hold that bit deeper picking off injured or stray baitfish. So, if you are looking for tuna it is better to start winding soon after the slug hits the water, if you are more interested in mackerel then waiting a five count after the slug hits the water will get that lure a little deeper and more in front of their face.

Anthony Thoma with a lovely river jack.

Jayden with a cracking cod from the local estuary. most popular. Another option from TT is the Hardcore slugs, these have a smaller profile and come in some great colours.

Tuna and mackerel

Another thing to keep in mind is with all the run off we have been having, the waters are that bit dirtier and these fish tend to like the cleaner water so you

may have to run wide to find them.

Offshore, the main weather windows have been in the mornings with most anglers heading out at dawn and making the run for home as soon as the winds start to increase. I would certainly recommend heading for Sunshine Reef if you are fishing out of Noosa with some great coral trout coming from this reef. These fish tend to feed that bit harder after rain, so fishing live yakkas on a running sinker rig works well as this will put the bait right in the strike zone. To the south, the Gneerings, and Murphys Reef have also seen some nice coral trout come over the side.

Currimundi and Coolum reefs are also worth a try for snapper, sweetlip and pearlies. These reefs are a great place to get the jigging

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rod out; slow fall jigs around 20-40g and a PE 2-4 rod in an overhead is the ideal setup. We have plenty of anglers that regularly outfish bait anglers with this style of setup.

Another great jigging option is the reefs off Double Island. Big amberjacks have been on the chew and those that know where to hunt found some monster fish. Jigging outfits were stretched to the limits with some monster fish to 30kg loading them up. Bigger jigs in the 150-200g size were working well.

On the beaches there has been a bit of swell around and we are seeing an increase in the number of gutters along the open beaches. Areas around Peregian and Marcus beaches have been good for whiting with most fish taken on the run out tide. Worms and peeled prawns have shown the better response.

Dart are appearing in numbers with the top of the tide producing the better fish. Pipis, yabbies and worms have been the better baits on the bait keeper style hook, these hooks give the bait longevity while being washed around.

Tailor continue to be taken around the Teewah to Double Island area. Fishing the night high tide seems to be the more productive time. Good quality pilchards or fresh mullet have been the favoured baits.

Mulloway numbers have also been good from the beach and anglers that are prepared to put in the hours on those new moon tides are seeing some quality fish. Best baits have been fresh tailor fillet, local squid and clumps of freshly pulled beach worms.

The river has changed as we see plenty of freshwater

coming into the system. With the fresh in the system the bigger whiting tend to head towards the lower parts of the river in search of more saline waters. Good areas to target are the shallow sand bars where the fish can hunt for yabbies and soldier crabs. Areas to target these fish in the Noosa system include the dog beach, the river mouth and the Frying Pan on the northern side, in the Maroochy the front of Chambers Island, back of Goat Island and Picnic Point.

Perfect baits include live yabbies, soldier crabs, and worms. Make sure you use a light fluorocarbon leader as this has less light refraction and will present the bait in a more natural fashion.

Reports of mud crabs are starting to really pick up now

with anglers reporting the main river and the tributaries all producing some good crabs, unfortunately there are a fair few jennies in the pots with legal bucks a little harder to find. Don’t forget to mark your pots with an ID tag, and your float should be no smaller than 150mm.

In the creeks and rivers, it has been all about the jacks. With the recent storm activity these fish are feeding hard! If you just want to put fish in the boat then live bait is the way to go, but for the anglers that love the challenge of getting them on lures now is a great time to target them.

The great thing about jacks is there is many styles of lures to target them with.

Plastics are very popular and rigged weedless you can really pitch them right into the mangroves without them snagging up too much.

Another great option is to be out for sunrise and cast surface lures around those same mangroves. Surface lures a little darker in colour seem to work better as the fish sees the shadow of the lure on the surface.

Trevally numbers have been very good, especially around the river mouths on the run-in tide. Micro jigs in the 7-10g size have been working very well. Give the Jigpara jigs a go they have a great range of sizes and colours.

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OLD

Spanish going crazy BUNDABERG

Luke Truant

Prior to the cyclone, the Spanish mackerel really went crazy. If there was anywhere you could go that had clear water, you could troll and catch Spanish pretty much every time.

Most were smaller ones up to 10kg, with the average size being 5kg.

In recent weeks, targeting the Spanish has been a bit tricky due to the run-off; the Burnett River has been flooding for a while and left plumes of dirty water that have spread out as far as 20 miles. You had to make sure that wherever you stopped to catch Spanish it was clear enough to troll, because in the dirty water they just don’t bite. However, by the time you read this, things should have improved (provided we don’t get more big rain events).

Hardbodied lures are still working well, and I personally prefer lures that dive from 2-6m in pilchard patterns (blue/silver). A standout on recent trips has been the Halco Laser Pro

190 in pilchard colour. It has been out-fishing other lures 3-1. Still, you can get other days where the macks prefer X-Raps over Laser Pros, so it’s best to bring both lures.

Interestingly, the X-Rap recently caught a 4.5kg trout

The groom-to-be with a nice Spanish taken on the troll.

Nathan caught this 4.5kg trout on a Rapala X-Rap in 22m of water while trolling for Spanish mackerel.

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in 22m of water – nowhere near a reef edge – trolled at nearly 7 knots. You just never know what you might catch next!

The standout species over the last month have been coral trout and Spanish

mackerel. Although we are still hooking red emperor, we have rarely been able to get them to the top through the sharks. You’ll rock up at a mark and there’ll be three sharks there before you get your first fish. It can still be worth having a quick drop though, because occasionally the sharks are slow to arrive, or even mysteriously absent. On one trip recently we boated good trout to 79cm, which we would never have landed a week prior; maybe the sharks were having a holiday? It was a couple of days after the new moon. Sharks are definitely worse around full moon than new moon.

Another fish I believe is very underrated, and which fights like a red emperor, is the painted sweetlip (slatey bream). Most people assume it’s no good to eat, but it’s actually excellent – if you prepare it right. You need to brain spike it and put it in slurry right away. When you knock off the fillets, you’ll notice there’s red meat on the shoulder, plus a bloodline down the spine, similar to a mackerel. If you cut out the red shoulder and bloodline, and you’ll find that the remaining flesh tastes every bit as good as any grassy sweetlip you’ve ever had.

Painted sweetlip also freezes well, provided you cut the red bits off before you freeze it.

The best bait for bottom fish at the moment is still hussar, which has been catching quality trout, sweetlip and red emperor.

Hussar numbers have been very consistent lately, so it’s easy to catch some for bait (or for the plate).

Mullet strips work well for catching hussar.

You can get four baits out of one regular size hussar. Knock each fillet off (leaving the tail on), then the wings, and then cut the head off an inch behind the head, leaving a little bit of backbone attached to it. If it’s a big hussar you can get six baits by cutting the fillets in half lengthways.

When baiting hussar fillets, make sure you put the hook through the thickest part of the fillet. Definitely don’t pin the hook through the middle of the fillet, or through the tail section, or you’ll make your bait look less appealing to the fish. You want the thinner tail section to be able to waft naturally in the water. Additionally, the fish like to bite the thickest part of the fillet, so that’s where you want your hook to be.

FEBRUARY FISHING All the normal reef fish will bite this month, but it’s always a tough month to fish because of the unreliable weather. The Spanish will get very thick, and if you’re going to go out you should look for the clear water.

We’re using hardbodies currently, but trolling a pike is very effective too. You can catch pike around the rocky

reef areas at the river mouth.

It’s the most fun you can have catching bait, because the pike jump like crazy.

Live pike work much better than dead ones, and you can rig your livie with a single hook in the mouth, inserted under the chin and exiting through the top of the mouth. You’ll need to use mono wire leader, with an extra length of wire running down to a pair of no. 2 size trebles, one located near the dorsal fin and the other at the tail. Make sure the trebles don’t pull the pike into a banana shape or it will just swim around in circles. It has to be straight.

The trolling speed should be around 2 knots.

If you’re using a dead pike, I recommend rigging it on a chin rig/bait keel rig, which you can buy at most tackle shops. This rig is basically a set of ganged hooks with a weight attached to the front (a bit like a jighead, but with a gang instead of a single hook).

It saves you the trouble of having to do the setup yourself. The weight has two spikes sticking out of the bottom, to pin the head of your bait. Use a rubber band or bait thread to keep the head on the spikes, and make sure the body of the pike is supple on the hooks. You want it to be able to swim freely and not curve to one

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side. To check whether it’s swimming properly, put it in the water next to the boat and watch how it swims. It should swim like a live garfish, i.e. the body is still and only the tail is moving. If the head is moving back and forth, it means your hooks aren’t moving freely and the body is too rigid. Pull the bait out and move the body around to make the hooks move more freely – almost as though they’re about to fall out.

For more information and step-by-step photos, Google ‘Tech Tricks mackerel rigs’ to see a good article by Gordon Macdonald.

Another fish that might start to bite this month is the grassy emperor. You can catch them on inshore reefs, typically within the first 20 miles from the shore.

Scattered reef seems to be better than hard reef edges.

Look for the scattered stuff out in deeper water around 30-40m. Fresh squid is the standout for grassies, if you can get it. Otherwise, you can catch them on hussar heads and big fillet baits.

Grassies seem to be one of those species where lighter leader makes a difference, so go as light as you can with leader. If you normally fish 80lb go to 50lb, or if you fish 50lb go to 40lb.

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Central

OLD

Expectations high for barra MACKAY

Cameron Christian

Anglers at last get to chase a saltwater barra again after 1 February but results will depend on whether we have an early wet season

netted (along with herring and mullet) on the sand and mud flats near the boat ramp.

The barra hole near the mouth of Constant Creek and twin gullies in Murray Creek are great barra spots and hone angler’s techniques as they provide structure, bait and

outgoing tide. Gutters and run offs can then be fished toward the bottom the tide with shallow divers like B52s. Larger tides can be used to fish the flats around Seaforth, focusing efforts on shallow areas less than 2m deep using shallow divers or

Dams Grand Final took place at Peter Faust dam on the 11 December between 4.30pm and 12.30pm. The dam hadn’t seen much rain leading up to the comp but received a deluge late in the afternoon the day of the comp and a good storm through the middle of the session.

Stormy conditions, highly variable winds and less than desirable fish activity (as projected by the Anglers Almanac) perhaps lead to the dam not fishing as well as hoped with five teams not managing fish, five teams producing one fish and only the top three teams making the five fish bag.

Team TBC followed up their ABT success winning the comp and nailing the biggest barra with a 496cm bag and 108cm fish. The team worked weed bank

James Wilson from second placing Team Anita Barra with more chrome caught on a Fish Trap.

Also maintaining their ABT consistency, Team Anita Barra (Liam Robinson and James Wilson) took second place with a 442cm

article ‘Fish-Trappin 101’ (available for free on the ABT website).

King of the Dams all-stars Darcy and Isaac McFarlane

Darcy and Isaac McFarlane aren’t limited to fresh barra with this pair of Mackay salty barra. or not. Mackay normally gets first heavy rains late February early March, but after the flooding in December we could have heaps of rain before the opening with lots of dirty freshwater in the creeks and estuaries. This may provide poor results at the opening of the season but will flush out the creeks and lead to a good prawn run with heaps of fat barra to follow.

Barra haunts at the Pioneer River include the river bridges and the vee, which both fish well with live bait. Live prawns are barra lollies and can be

water movement. Techniques learnt can be applied to structure such as rock bars, gullies, fallen mangroves and gutters prevalent in these systems. Hardbody divers, such as Reidy’s Lucifers and Taipans are a versatile option for fishing structure like this for barra throughout systems in Mackay.

High rainfall will clear the Seaforth creeks quickly but will reward with big barra bounties later in the season.

The creeks can be worked on neap tides keeping the run less than 3-3.2m, using the top of the tide at the far reaches of the creeks and working down with the

lightly weighted soft plastics.

Offshore fishing around Mackay may be limited during February with extended rainfall as the freshwater plume can extend well offshore and shut down fish activity. Similarly, impoundment fishing could also prove difficult as cold rainwater running into the dams may shut down barra activity until temperatures stabilise. With patience, warm weather should be taken full advantage of at Eungulla Dam as barra activity can noticeably increase when conditions are right.

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Fish stocker Keith Day loves to mix it up bashing lures in systems like Constant Creek for salty barra like this. edges using Slick Rigs and Rapala X Raps, mentioning their biggest fish was caught during the heavy storm and managed to take them for a ride through the sticks.

bag and the biggest going 98cm. The team attributes their consistency to the use of Zerek Fish Traps as described in their 2021 ABT Tournament Angler Guide

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OLD

Windy woes for Whitsundays WHITSUNDAYS

Mick Underwood

As I write this, the wet season is well and truly underway with the whole country having copped a pretty good dowsing.

Here in the Whitsundays everything is lush and green. The mosquitoes are the size of golf balls and the cane toad chorus in the evenings is enough to make your windows rattle.

The recent rains have given the creeks a good start to their annual flush and this has put smiles on dials amongst the local mud crabbing fraternity. Currently, the prawns haven’t showed up but they can’t be too far away, I am already salivating at the thought of a fresh prawn sandwich, they take some beating.

Out around the islands the bite for most species has been intermittent. The

nannygai and grunter. As a nice surprise we’ve regularly been setting hooks into cobia.

They are not a species that we

Although it has been pretty wet of late we have still been lucky enough to get some long runs of nice

beyond to the outer reef. On the deeper shoal country in the shipping lanes it’s large mouth nannygai and red

The giant trevally hanging around at the moment haven’t been huge, but on light line they’re still lots of fun.

Coral trout have been a tough target but astute anglers have still been able to get a few. emperor that are keeping people entertained and at the outer reef it’s all about coral trout and red throat emperor.

That’s enough of the past, let’s get into February now.

This is going to be a tough one to forecast and it always is weather wise, Feb is the most unstable month of the year here in the Whitsundays.

It’s peak cyclone time and the heavens will more than likely open up on us as well.

As with anywhere in this arid country we call Australia, rain brings life and in the Whitsundays that life begins in the estuaries. Crabbers are already enjoying some good

rocky mainland headlands and occasionally along the beaches.

Any beaches that have seasonal creeks running out of them can be little beauties.

Most of these creeks only run for a few weeks of the year and when they do is when the barramundi will be there.

Around any inshore islands there will also be some barramundi loitering and this can open up doors for some good sight fishing for these fish. Here at Hydeaway Bay

A decent cod plucked from the depths. fishing for most pelagic species has been the toughest but this is fairly typical for this period of the year when the water temperatures are at their annual highest.

On ‘Reel Addiction’ we’ve managed to muscle in the odd giant trevally and a few grey mackerel but that has been about it.

Around the islands it’s been the reef fish that have been holding the show up.

And mostly from the deeper water too, the shallow fishing has been a tough deal. A few good coral trout have been caught off the shallow fringing reefs but the bite has been intermittent and hard to pick. Out on any of the deeper fern and rubble patches around the outer edges of the islands has been where most of the better fish have been coming from. In amongst the culprits to be found out, there has been some hefty gold spot cod mixed in with the odd 40

FEBRUARY 2022

normally catch a lot of here at Hydeaway Bay so I have been enjoying the recent bite that we have had with these guys.

calm days, which has seen a lot of anglers concentrating their efforts out wide in the shipping lanes and further

Cobia are not a common catch at Hydeaway Bay but anglers have been enjoying a nice bite on them the last few weeks.

Sean Gillham was stoked to catch his first ever decent red emperor.

hauls of mud crabs and the way things are going this should continue through to March. I think the big talk in the creeks this month will be about prawns. As yet they haven’t arrived, but they can’t be far away. I for one have got an itchy trigger finger on my cast net, I can’t wait to catch a feed or two of these tasty morsels. There should also be some nice barramundi getting caught this month as they are pretty much now at their most active for the year. If we get any decent deluges of rain then the estuaries themselves can be hard work if there is too much freshwater around.

There will be plenty of fish up on the flood plains but for most anglers they are too hard to get at. Where they will be obtainable is around any

anywhere along the shoreline of Gloucester Island and, in particular, the inshore end of the island should provide some nice sight fishing opportunities. If you intend on having a crack at this, make sure you use stealth in your approach as these fish will be hyper aware of everything that is going on in their immediate environment.

Moving onto the reef fishing now and I hope that the damn trout will get off their backsides and start to have a decent go. For a fish that is usually pretty stupid and easy to fool, they have been quite a challenge the last couple of weeks. I have been concentrating my reef fishing efforts mostly in the deeper water recently and I To page 41

OLD

Hitting it old school style BURDEKIN RIVER

Cameron McPherson

February will be an exciting time all over the Burdekin area with the opening of the barra season to recreation and commercial sectors.

Unfortunately the big rains have not arrived at time of writing so there will be a lot of pressure on the area from both sectors.

As local fishers, we have the chance to let fish go and thrive for another day but this is an option that is up to the individual. I have a rule that a barra over 80cm goes back as these are breeding females and the smaller fish are much better on the table. Barramundi have an excellent yield and a 58-79cm fish provide a lot of fillets.

It’s hot and humid at Groper Creek in the Burdekin. When you get tired of chasing the barra, how about going ‘old school’ and making an educated guess for species that are not as easy to spot on the sounder? We have wonderful red devils and awesome creek fingermark From page 40

am thinking that is probably not going to change much over the coming weeks. I am hoping that fingermark will start to appear more, February is prime time to get into those guys.

in abundance in this area.

Sure you can see these fish on the sounder if you scour every bend and snag in the creek but how about taking another option. Use the knowledge you have about a certain creek and fish it as if you had no sounder on the boat. This happened recently, one morning I had a 3-hour winder in one of my local creeks. A creek that sees a lot of boat traffic by fishos that use it to go to other spots or to the reef on those calm days.

I was there on the low tide early in the morning and decided to do something that local guide John Campbell from Burdekin Barra Lodge had got me into a few years ago. It is pretty simple, electric motor on at speed slow enough to flick mangrove edges and laydowns thoroughly.

When a bite is received, hit spotlock and work it over a bit.

Now this may sound very basic but let me tell you it is a very rewarding way to fish. For a start you are not staring at your sounder and wondering if that little mark deep in the

timber is a fish, what you are doing is looking at the creek, pure and simple.

My first bend was a series of vertical mangrove roots in about 1.5m of water with the run-in tide hitting them at 45º creating small little eddies on the bank. I was able to get my little 3” Diezel Minnow deep into the area and was monstered by the first jack of the morning. I was slightly bricked but managed to get the fish out from the bank and into the landing net – a nice jack at 42cm. Once released, I spotlocked the area and was hit again. I moved to a lovely little lay down next to a small creek and attached the Zerek Flat Shad pro in 3.5” and cast as deep as I could. I love the feeling of a paddle-tail plastic slowly rolling over a lay down snag and with nice soft hands fluttering it down into the strike zone. Then, a nasty red jack smashed it!

Those moments are make or break with jack and being alert will often result in just enough time to get it out and in the open. The red beauty went 48cm on the brag mat before being released.

The Burdekin area has

soft plastics is usually what’s in my arsenal when I head out to target these guys. Out on the same country that the fingermark can be found, there is also quite often some black jew around and they will eagerly eat the same lures

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an abundant population of mangrove jack but are usually smaller than the size you would expect further south in areas like the Gold Coast and Sunny Coast. A jack over 50cm is a unicorn here and should really be released, but that is up to you.

During this short session I was able to land four jacks, four cod and a couple of fingermark about 38cm. The fingermark are almost never caught in the same snag as a jack so they offer a top variety for this type of fishing. Barra are always a possibility and being closed season I like to release them beside the boat still in the Environet so as not to damage these beautiful fish.

As the incoming tide began to jump above the mangrove roots and decided to head home. I had not used the sounder, I had spent a lot of time fishing, not scanning the screen, but most importantly I got to know the creek a lot better.

Maybe you have a creek that is somewhat overlooked in your area and a bit of ‘old school’ may be just what you need.

Groper Creek jetty is a wonderful place to teach the next generation to fish.

Sean with a nice cobia.

Gold spot have been turning up everywhere recently, this one was plucked from the mouth of an estuary.

During the day I find that lures generally out fish bait on a daily basis and, not only do they get more fish, they single out the better specimens. You never know what they are going to want on any particular day so it’s important to take a variety of jigs with you and be prepared to mix things up until you hone in on what they want.

Micro jigs, chatter baits, soft vibes and a variety of

that the fingermark will. As I write this, they are still on the take list but it won’t be long before they are off limits again for the rest of the year so now is prime time to get after a feed of jewies.

There we go that’s it for me for another month and as always I wish you all the best with your fishing efforts over the coming weeks, hopefully the whirly winds stay away and allow us all some quality time on the water.

drive north of Airlie Beach.

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When they get to this size, gold spot cod provide a healthy challenge, especially out of 40m of water.

FEBRUARY 2022

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Ready and raring to go TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

Regardless of the weather leading up to the barramundi season opening, we barra die-hards will be ready for the first cast. Typically, the

prime time for lure chuckers.

The obvious and traditional stand-out locations, such as run-off colour changes will hold fish for certain, but I really love those drains that have clearer water streaming in to a main river in the salt.

We often catch good numbers

more expensive lures just don’t float if you upgrade the trebles, so buy smart.

Personally, I’m a fan of the Roosta popper in the 80mm size. A short, sharp jab of the rod tip delivers a deeper sounding ‘bloop’ and gets the attention of decent fish.

This is also the time when small to medium hardbodied diving lures really produce some big fish. That’s because small baitfish in the form of tarpon, grunter, gudgeons and of course baby barra are all trying to run the gauntlet through the minefield of feeding barra. Paddletail plastics can be rigged effectively on either J-styled

There’s something special about chasing jungle perch. Maybe it’s the environment you explore during the search. on any given day. More shy type days and the Sugapen 70mm is best, but on those days when the fish need a bit of waking up, the Roosta Popper wins out.

My favourite little JP stick is the 6’ long, 2-6lb Atomic Skinny Water. If you’re interested in them, you can find out more on YouTube

Small Atomic Semi Hardz work well in the deeper holes for species like grunter. The 60mm version is also good in run-off situations for barra. barra have actually been hard to avoid over the last couple of months, and even though I fish the snags instead of the holes and ledges where the big girls hang out, I still got touched up by some bigger fish.

I’m guessing by now the rivers will all be flowing quite hard and the waters will have cleared a little, after the initial fresh has settled, and this is

of fish from these locations during the wet.

In these warmer periods, fishing with surface lures is an adrenaline-rushing option, and I believe it’s the ultimate way to catch a barra, full stop. Poppers for barra range between 60-105mm, and ensuring the hooks are up to a big old bucket mouth is important. Strangely enough, many of the smaller,

The texture and flavour of coral trout is perfect for sashimi. Just skin and bone the fillet, wrap it in clingwrap and put it in the freezer for an hour or so.

Once it’s firm, use a sharp knife to thinly slice it. Mix soy sauce and chilli in a dipping bowl, and go for it.

44

FEBRUARY 2022

if you search ‘Hodgie the Barefoot Fisherman’.

As the fresh increases, I usually head out a bit further for the grunter and fingermark (choppers), and areas in the rivers that generally hold them are usually stacked with barra, who don’t care how much fresh is running. That 6-10m mark out from the

You can expect plenty of fish like this barra during the runoff. All creek-dwelling species need this fresh to thrive. jigheads or weedless hooks, but the ‘J’s are best reserved for the faster water where the depth of the lure can be more easily judged and mended according to the amount of current and depth. I generally use a 1/3-1/2oz head in the faster water when I’m using paddletails, but the hook has to be strong enough to handle solid fish. I use the Atomic head in the mentioned weights with 4/0 or 5/0 hooks.

Another technique that has served us well is to throw Tilsan Barras and the 90mm Scorpion 4m across the current and work them back to our position. They’re the right size and depth bib for this style of fishing.

The 60mm Atomic Semi Hard vibes in ayu and crab colours are our go-to in the really fast water. The last time the weirs ran properly here in Townsville we brained the barra by casting across the fast water, letting a bit of line out so they could be worked back just under the frothing top water. I do end up upgrading the hooks after a few fish if they’ve been straightened while extracting the lure. When choosing a hook, the wire gauge and strength should be determined by your line size, and the size of the fish available at your location.

Jungle perch are a great

little sportfish, and they’ve been very active in the lead up to the wet, and as the waters clear they’ll be sure to provide some more entertainment. My two favourite lures for these aggressive little buggers are the Bassday Sugapen in the smaller sizes and the 45mm Roosta Popper. They both cast well, but the main difference is totally dependent on the aggression levels of the fish

If you can’t find a river suitable for a barra stint, try a quick reef trip. This trout was taken on a 4” Atomic Prong.

Mozzies hate smoke, and an old washing machine tub makes a great diffuser for camping trips. A bit of old cowpat thrown in every now and then is even better.

river mouths is where we like to focus our efforts. Here the fresh can sit on top while the salt is just the same as normal down deeper, and the bait is usually thick which is why the fingermark head there.

Soft vibes and soft plastics are usually the go for this style of fishing, but don’t forget to troll deep divers if you’re after the monster fingermark.

Lures like the 125mm and 150mm Scorpion with the 8m bib will work in up to 10-12m of water, and trolling speeds are just a little quicker than for barra. I usually use 40lb fluoro leader of around 2m in length, and 20-30lb mainline.

Unpredictability is a problem at this time of year, but if you pick your weather windows, you’ll be safe and still catch a fair few fish if you think outside the square a bit.

As always, watch the crocs, especially during the wet.

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OLD

Feb’s fab for silver slabs HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

Here we go! Off and racing for another new season on those silver slabs that love to jump, fight and at times

retrieve works well to find out what they like. I keep an eye out for baitfish working in dirty water. I usually at least pin 40 casts into an area before moving on. It pays to keep a look out for those barra feeding off the surface with those

closer to the surface and prefer lures.

If you get one taken by a shark during a hookup, please move on. As it’s pretty much assured you will get many more taken from the same spot.

Also, for fish that are to be

Lewis Ramsay loves 101cm of Hinchy barra.

Dave Morris broke the magic-metre mark with this chrome beauty of 100cm. get off your hooks. The next three months is the best time to chase those larger models of barra at Hinchinbrook. I learned a few new things during last season that I’m eager to try this year on the right tides.

Last year I thought outside the square to try a few different areas and it really paid off. Finding areas they travel in is the key. One experiment resulted in a barra of 124cm for a client who had many times said to me that I’d never be able to help him beat his 121cm personal best. That made for a funny conversation afterwards!

Being the most anticipated month of the year, no doubt there will be a tonne of anglers hitting the waterways and to some it can be a bit daunting where to start targeting these fish. The building tides up to the moons are the more productive periods. I load my tacklebox full with shallow or medium range diving hardbody lures around the 80-120mm in length and work them with a slow retrieve. My brother Ryan has started selling a personal favourite lure, which he has tweaked to his standards. It’s the Scale Blazer 125, a design that’s worked incredibly well for both him and myself over many years.

For chasing the larger barra on incoming tides, I prefer to look for backwaters that are thrown off points, rock walls, and creek mouths, etc. Usually casting into these areas with a slow retrieve works best and playing around with a different style of 46

FEBRUARY 2022

released, don’t hold them up by the jaw. Either net them or cradle lift into the boat. Lay them on a wet cool floor or alternatively a wet towel. When releasing, gently lower them into the water and hold them upright by the knuckle of the tail and facing them into

Brian Ruddock with his PB of 124cm. boof-like popping noises, you either may hear or see them in the distance.

However, if surface activity is slow or non-existent on the day, I would switch to live bait instead of casting lures.

Alternatively place one live bait out while your mate cast lures to see if that is the technique barramundi prefer on the day. Pinning a live mullet or larger sized herring in through the mouth and out through where the membrane is between the eyes is a good method where there is a bit of current running. And I will often pin them through the tail for smaller sized baits or if fished in deeper water. It pays to be versatile when fishing the area, as some days they will hug the bottom and ignore lures and want baits or slow rolled plastics, and some days they move around and rise

the current. Generally, in no time they will kick free and release solidly.

February can be tricky with the likelihood of heavier downpours from storms and cyclones. If the Herbert River area catchment receives a lot of rain, the flow will extend right through the channel and right up to the northern end near Cardwell. The initial flooding events can be a bit of short-term pain, but definitely long-term gain when things settle.

The mouths of rivers and creeks can still be flowing fresh out of them on the surface but still hold some salinity towards the sea bottom. Often, I find way out the front on the sand gutters can hold a lot of various size oceanic barra on the outgoing tides.

Catching them on lures can be quite fun if you can find the spots, they like to ambush bait species leaving the river mouths during the runout tides.

Barramundi will be the bigger focus heading into March as this is one

of my favourite months chasing them. Making the most of the stable weather periods in between bad weather spells will be the best. I wish everyone the best during the opening of the barra season and hope Mother Nature gives us a few chances to get out.

Also, later this year, my 8m offshore charter vessel will be ready for operation and I’ll be giving one of two chances for clients to win one of two free charters out to the reef for three people. All they have to do is book, pay and complete a 3-person barra charter for this year to be in the running. Plus, also share my Facebook post about this prize giveaway.

• If you’re looking to do a barra charter with us for this year’s barra season, bookings are filling up quick so now is a good time to get in and get your name down on some good dates. For bookings, please email us at info@ ianmoodysportfishing.com or phone myself directly on 0402 339 459.

It is a tricky time of year PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

A crystal ball would be very handy as to what we can expect in the fishing world as the official wet season period in the tropics begins. It all comes down to how much rainfall, pure and simple.

Recent years have seen it swing both ways for the coming month, so buckle in and see what presents.

There’s going to be some calm days amongst it and if we’ve experienced quite a bit of rain, then the river mouths and along the coast not far from these outlets can be very productive. Bait is around To page 47

With a good dose of rain it pays to lay a few crab pots out the front along the mangroves of creeks and estuaries.

OLD

Christmas has come once again this February play them out for a long period of time, they will die. It’s best to get them in as quick as possible and if not needed release them boat side for the best chance of survival.

The other fish that will be chewing, will be the mighty mangrove jack. Jacks love the shade this time of year so skipping lures under the mangroves or lure fishing shaded banks is a very good option. I love fishing surface for jacks this time of year

CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

The 1 February is like Christmas Day for Trinity Net Free Zone anglers as it spells the start of the barramundi season.

These iconic fish have had an uninterrupted three-month holiday where hopefully they have spawned the barramundi stocks for the future.

Whilst there will be plenty of barra for the catching, the big factor will be the amount of rain we have or haven’t had.

If the monsoon is upon us it’s going to be hard to find some clean water in the NFZ, especially up the creeks. This will make lure fishing tough so live baiters will have the best success. Lure fishers should target areas of clean water, often towards the mouth, especially around dirty water lines where these fish love to hunt in these condition. If we

Big barra are back on the target list.

Jacks on surface – who could want anything more?

haven’t had any rain, such as we have had so far, water temperatures will be well above 30ºC. This will impact the bite and so it’s best to fish early morning or late afternoon.

The middle of the day will see the fish begin to sulk and go deep to find the cooler water making them hard to target.

The other species, which will be in numbers, will be the blue and king salmon. This time of year usually sees the ‘salmon run’ out the front and in the creeks of the NFZ and populations of these fish have sky rocketed since the nets have been removed.

The trick to catching these fish is to follow the blue salmon and if you can find big schools of blue salmon, the threadies aren’t usually that far away. Vibe lures are a good option but please remember that if you go too light on these fish and

pays to lay a few crab pots out the front along the mangroves of creeks and estuaries. They’ll scurry from deep within the mangroves systems out to the flats desperately trying to source some salinity in the water.

Out on the reef, it is traditionally a tough time of year, however work the tide changes in particular and be prepared to keep moving around, then there’s still some good value out there. Expect a mixed bag of fish from coral trout, spangled emperor, stripies and sweetlip.

Tuna schools can

good patch of water with life around just be patient.

As each day passes by, look out the window early morning and you’ll soon work out whether it’s worth hooking up the boat and heading offshore.

We’re expecting a bit more trade than normal up in the Far North this coming month with people taking advantage of the increased freedom of movement. Fishing with an experienced guide or charter is an excellent idea at this time of year with the challenges that can present.

Check us out at www. fishingportdouglas.com.au.

From page 46

inviting a variety of fish, including blue salmon and trevally species, at the mouths, plus long tail and mac tuna a bit further offshore. Coastal bar cheek trout on the inshore reefs can spark up as well, with the bonus food supply on offer.

Don’t dismiss fishing the beaches, with a few days of calm weather on offer. Queenfish, trevally, tarpon, barramundi and even giant herring can take advantage of smorgasbord of fresh bait on tap. If we do receive a good dose of rain it also

and, whilst frogs are a popular lure, it’s hard to go past a hardbody popper for a cracking strike. My absolute favourite for this time of year is the Lucky Craft Sammy or the Lucky Craft G Splash. Both lures offer plenty of top water attraction and really get the fish fired up.

Next month usually sees the bulk of the rain, and creeks will be swollen and dirty so it will be a matter of finding the small pockets of bait and clean water to fish.

frequent as well and you’ll often find them following a current line on the surface.

Look for the bird activity and casting and retrieving 25-30g metal slugs at high speed can provide a lot of fun. Tuna fishing can be frustrating as they move constantly at high speed. Pick a general area of activity and just drift waiting for them to bob up not far from the boat. I find this more productive as opposed to chasing them down at full tilt with a roaring engine, which normally results in them running deep and moving on. If you get a

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Seafood Smorgasbord COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

It’s a great time of year with temperatures soaring and rains falling, the fishing has been next level.

who needs to travel?

The freshwater in the creeks have sent the mud crabs searching for saltier waters and therefore setting pots along heavy traffic areas can produce amazing results. My best so far have

your mouth starts to water in expectation – so many delicious meals to be had.

The calm conditions have provided amble opportunities to venture out to the reef, however mornings are usually flat

Barramundi are back on the hit list! caught. Something that he delights in pointing out, but it was me that put him on the spot to catch it so I’m sure the skipper can take some of the credit!

Mackerel have also been in numbers and there was a visitor that said that he lost a lot of stick baits to the toothy

critters on a resent trip. I did feel a little sorry for him as throwing $50 lures at them and seeing them lost does make for a very expensive trip. However, he seemed ecstatic about the experience.

The adrenaline rush is what most fishers live for and

it can be an expensive habit. Nevertheless, it’s much better than most habits humans have and getting out into the glorious environment around us does so much to warm the soul, but adrenaline rushes from striking fish can be

The author’s daughter Mary adding to the family record book with her first large mouth nannygai.

The northerly winds and calm days make for some great reef fishing trips.

Creeks are rising and the mud crabs are moving.

Barramundi are back on the menu and that ‘boof, boof’ sound is music to the ears as your lure swims in fear across the top of the water.

Who would want to live anywhere else? The options are endless at this time of the year. Seafood becomes a staple and it’s Christmas all over again. The only down side is the roads north are usually flooded and heading anywhere camping and fishing is limited but with so much on offer locally,

48

FEBRUARY 2022

been seven legal crabs in one pot, but the pot contained 17 crabs in total.

The weight of the pot was crazy and a bit of a mission to separate out the legal crabs. Having a nelly bin and slowly emptying the pot is the key and having a crab hook makes life easier.

The reef fishing trips at this time of the year provide so much fresh crab bait.

Fresh bait is the key and changing it regularly. With the abundance of crabs around then your mind lingers with thoughts of meals of chill mud crab, crab and corn soup, crab omelettes for breakfast and

but the afternoons are when the large thunderclouds start to appear, so be careful. An approaching storm can whip up the seas and it can go from glass out in the morning to some of the roughest seas in the afternoon. Heading out early and returning early is the key.

The fishing has been firing with good reports of coral trout and some very large mouth nannygai about. I managed to get my PB large mouth nannygai, which weighed 11.7kg but unfortunately it didn’t take the family record of 12kg that my son Joshua has

With all the rain, along come the muddies!

To page 49

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Draining the deluge CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

Cape York is a truly diverse beast, with a maze of waterways and diverse topographies. It is impossible to summarise the Cape in any brief

well offshore, to the multitudes of mullet that thrive in the sediment-rich inshore waters. On the East Coast, the mountainous strip just inland provides short run-off into smaller waterways that spill out onto the Great Barrier Reef.

A much more complex set of ecological balance exists

here, yet fresh water run-off still heavily impacts the fisheries.

For starters, the first serious rain of the year often sparks the food webs required to make prawns come together in huge congregations to spawn.

Washed back in with the monsoonal winds of the

A GT caught off the beach, ready for release.

This nice jack was taken on a popper from a creek mouth. format, but needless to say the land is a giant sponge.

Squeezed by the wet season, the soaking land and heightening water tables begin to dribble into waterways.

The size and magnitude of the wet season and associated run-off will go on to affect the fishing across Cape York for the remainder of the calendar year. As February is largely an unfished month across much of the Cape, let’s take a look at how this influx of fresh water each year impacts the various fisheries.

Seasonal rains have a huge impact on the fishing, everything from the mackerel, tuna and trevallies that ride the Gulf of Carpentaria currents From page 48

addictive.

Barramundi have been seen down at the waterfront in large numbers over the summer and hopefully

Gulf, tiny prawns find themselves in the turbid shallow waters close to shore and amongst vast mangrove forests. These tiny prawns fuel a food web which feeds many of the larger predators that we anglers chase.

Each year, many of the west coast rivers swell with fresh water, partly due

A GT caught from a picturesque creek mouth. they have spawned the next generation and started the process of restocking our river systems. As the rivers are flooding and the fish are migrating through the

The author with his PB nannygai of 11.7kg!

system feeding furiously as they move, then it’s a great opportunity to do battle with these great sport fish.

The first flush out of lagoons and trapped waterholes can see some very aggressive fish feeding as they move to escape and new fish move up into the system. Many a flooded causeway get the once over and can produce exciting fishing if timed right.

Caution must be taken as crocodiles are on the move too and active due to the conditions as well. So be wary and it’s sometimes a good idea to stand on the back of a vehicle when casting off causeways.

Mindful that creeks rise quickly and vehicles have a habit of floating down stream when waters rise enough, so don’t take any unnecessary risks. Live to fish another day.

to their shallow drainage systems. The fresh water takes a long time to dispel from the creeks and rivers and make it into the Gulf of Carpentaria. This allows lilies and other aquatic plants, which thrive in fresh, nutrient-rich waters, to begin filling many of the upstream and brackish waters. They provide an abundance of food and shelter to smaller organisms.

One noticeable exclusion from many of the shallow rocky areas of the Gulf will be oyster beds close to the larger waterways. Oyster beds are confined to the coastline a little away from river mouths and mangrove roots in shallow bays.

Mud-mussels do very well in both fresh and salt water, whilst fresh water mussels filter silt in most of the waterways, lagoons and

You can get some good catches from the beach, like this feisty queenie caught by Nick. billabongs. These mussels, along with other bivalves, all play a role in the shifting nutrient webs of the Cape.

The deposition of mud, sand and silt forms a constant flux in the nutrient cycle, linking every piece of water throughout Cape York. With erosion caused mainly by hooved animals, this process of deposition has had a huge effect on the waterways. Many are now shallower than they were historically, and large rain events simply push more sediment into the downstream reaches.

Regardless, this transfer of nutrients is crucial in

stimulating many of the Cape’s tiny life cycles.

We have only touched on a few food sources above, but the concept remains the same for almost every living creature in the Cape, be it on land or in the waterways. Fresh water falling from the sky is the lifeblood of most food chains, or at least impacts them in fundamental ways.

A long, consistent wet season year after year is probably the best case scenario for fisheries, however we all know Australia is anything but consistent when it comes to rainfall!

FEBRUARY 2022

49

OLD

Not too late to search for summer success TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

The last month of summer will be a great time to get out and have a fish.

Unfortunately I can’t cover

all the lakes in Queensland and leave out plenty of great locations in my reports.

A bit of a search of the Internet or social media may help you find new and reliable fishing holes.

The dams are good but the rivers and creeks are also

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST Cressbrook Dam is open to fishing at the time of writing. The water is looking good and the lake has had only a small rise in level. The weed beds around the edges are flourishing and in some areas come all the way out into 5m of water.

Cressy can be a tough fishery over the summer months due to scattered fish. This summer, the fish have been scattered but are still holding in little schools all over the

lake. The healthy weed edges and points are prime fish holding country. Bass can be seen on the sounder just outside the weed edges and out into 8m of water.

There is also the occasional suspended fish out in the open water. Some of these look pretty big on the sounder but they are very spread out. Trolling would be the most effective way of targeting them.

Around the edges the bass can be caught by casting reaction baits. The Spectre has dominated catches with multiple fish over 50cm. This clear

going to be worth a look as they settle down from the rain and flooding over the past few months. Google Maps and the Internet are your friends, so use them to find access via reserves or roadway launch sites. It doesn’t hurt to do a bit of

detective work each time you visit a new area. You never know who you might bump into on the side of the road or working out in a paddock. Striking up a conversation with a local farmer could give you the contacts needed to access

some private property and good launch sites.

February is a good month for most species. It can be hot and water temperatures will reflect this. Fishing deeper or basing sessions early and late in the day can pay off. Bite windows tend

to be a bit shorter at this time of year. Some species and locations may fish well all day but as a general rule, dodge the middle of the day period and rest yourself somewhere in the cool.

Until next month, buckled rods from The Colonel.

bladed chatterbait seems to perform a little better than the standard metal bladed ones. Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits will also be effective when cast into the schools. There are plenty of smaller bass mixed in with the big ones. Undersized bass are common and pretty suicidal and if you are lucky, you may come across a few solid golden perch as well.

Lure trollers can also get in to the action with the bass around the weed edges. Trolling using an electric motor would be the preferred option in the shallower water. Lures which dive 3-5m will easily

Niki Sticklen loves to target big bass on Spectre Vibration Jigs at this time of year.

Pelican Point at Somerset Dam has been holding plenty of quality bass like this thumper caught by Luke Sticklen.

DARLING DOWNS AND GRANITE BELT COOBY CLOSEST TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA Cooby reopened just before Christmas last year. It has been annoying how quickly the local council is to shut the lake down to high algae levels. A few locals have banded together and are questioning the council’s regulations and procedures around these closures and looks like there will be a review later this year. It is frustrating considering 50

FEBRUARY 2022

the Toowoomba lakes are closed so often compared to every other lake in QLD and NSW. The constant closures take away a good, close fishing spot we are paying to stock and access through our SIP permits.

What this does mean is you’ll need to check the Toowoomba Council website before heading to the dam to ensure it is open to fishing.

While it is open, the golden perch fishing should be pretty good over the next month. Fishing the edges of

the weed and the deeper water will produce golden perch and the occasional Murray cod. Bait fishers should try a mixture of live shrimps and frozen saltwater yabbies. Drop these bait straight over the side of the boat in 4-6m of water. Lures will also produce and you can troll, cast and jig.

Trolling can be annoying due to the amount of floating weed dictating where you can drag a lure through successfully. The water birds rip it up and it floats around with the wind. Smaller divers like

reach the fish.

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

They are an excellent store specialising in all freshwater lures and tackle. If you want an early or late session, don’t forget the longer open hours are to 6am to 8pm.

SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY The big bass are really playing this summer.

Angler‘s trolling hard bodies and fishing chatterbaits and spinnerbaits are catching plenty of fish. Another alternative is to long line deep diving hard bodies.

This involves casting the lure out and driving over a school of fish while letting a whole lot of line out.

When you reach the other side of the school, snap the reel back in to gear and the Halco Poltergeist 3m or StumpJumper are ideal.

You’ll also find plenty of locally made timber hardbodies at Fish’n’Bits suited to the task. When trolling try to follow the weed contours keeping as close to the weed edge as possible. With a bit of colour in the water the action should be good right through the day.

Casters will do well on lipless crankbaits.

The TN60 Jackall is one of the best and easiest to get your hands on. When casting to golden perch I like to find good numbers

start cranking. Some lures will easily plough into the bottom so work these with a stop start motion created by sweeping the rod back and forth and taking in the slack line. Shallow lures can just be cranked back with a bit of action imparted. It’s a labour intensive way to catch fish but if they are positioned over a particular area, it works.

A lot of schools can be found around the Pelican Point area. There are also a few either side of Kirkleigh on the flats near the old creek bed. This year has been a bit different so far.

Often the fish will be very focused on a particular depth on the drop off and you need to be spot on with lure presentation.

This year they seem more willing to explore different depths. They can be found of fish around the weed beds or out in the open.

Watch the sounder closely and if possible split your screen into normal sonar and down image. Golden perch don’t show as good as bass on sonar but down image is a good way to locate them and separate the fish from the weed they can be so close to. The same approach can be used to find fish to jig to. The ZX40 blades are still the number one seller for this dam and there’s a good reason for that. Hopping them around the boat or even vertically will get

out in the deeper water over 12m where they will suspend or up on the flats in as little as 6m. Sounding to find the good concentrations is the key. I have noticed a lot of bass holding over structure either in the form of rocks or timber laydowns. I have been busting to try skirted jigs on these fish but haven’t yet had the chance.

• 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. the bites.

Murray cod will be encountered and you could up the size of your lures if you want to target them.

Smaller fish will take lures intended for golden perch and you are always the chance of hooking a bigger one. The big fellas aren’t all that common but there are some giants in this lake.

• Fish’nBits in Toowoomba will have you covered for all the gear you need and any updates on the fishing and dam status. The store is in Alderley Street and has one of the best ranges of freshwater tackle around.

OLD

CAPRICORN REGION AWOONGA CLOSEST TOWNS: BENARABY, GLADSTONE The barra fishing has been a bit inconsistent with fish spread out around the lake and holding a little deeper. The deeper edges and open water around the old creek and riverbeds is where I’d start my search.

Bigger or heavier swimbaits will be the go when casting for these fish. Knowing their position will help to find nearby areas they are likely to move into to feed.

This can happen during the day or at night so you will need to spend the time on the water and work out the most productive periods.

Weedy points and humps near the old riverbed will be worth sounding to see if the fish are there.

The rise in water level last year has made it difficult to find the fish in the basin on the usual weed points and bays. In this area very few fish are showing on the sounder. They may have either moved or just buried themselves deeper in the flooded weed beds where they are very hard to see.

Once this weed pushes its way back to the surface and thickens up, the fish should move outside it on a more

regular basis.

Trolling will be a great way to target the deeper, open water fish.

Hardbodies, which dive 3-5m are ideal and you can pull them with the electric or the outboard. Another alternative is to troll plastics. The key to success here is to travel at the right speed and weight the lure to reach the depth the fish are sitting.

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

He caters to the needs of the angler and can do fly or conventional tackle trips to target the lake’s barramundi. He successfully guides clients onto fish right through the year and has a good understanding of fish 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

Barra can be frustrating fish so make the most of it if you find them biting. 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.

CALLIDE CLOSEST TOWN: BILOELA Big barra are still on the prowl out at Callide Dam. The dam rise last

PRODUCT NEWS

Shore Spartan and Slippery Dog

year hasn’t stopped the fish chewing. It takes quite a bit of effort to get them to bite but the size of the fish makes it all worthwhile.

The biggest beast of a fish caught last year went 126cm in length with a

ridiculous girth.

Fishing the main basin points and the deep water near the dam wall buoy line will give you a chance of hooking some of the biggest barra on offer in southern Queensland

waters. Casting swimbaits like the Molix Shad 140 or Zerek Live Mullet is always a good option but there are many other paddle-tail plastics out there that can be rigged to do the same job. When trolling I have a real soft spot for the Zerek Live Mullet 5.5” pulled at 2.5-3km/h.

Further up the lake, the water rise saw an increase in fish caught. The timber lined drop offs are probably the most reliable areas to find the numbers of fish. Again plastics can draw the bites but don’t discount the effectiveness of a suspending hard body. The Jackall Squirrel, Samaki Redic and Lucky Craft Pointer are some of the better known models.

You can stay close to the dam at Lake Callide Retreat. The park has basic camping, powered sites for camping and vans and also self-contained cabins.

There is a well-equipped camp kitchen and toilets and showers up in the main part of the park near the office. Make sure you bring all of your fishing tackle. The kiosk has a limited amount of fishing gear but it is well suited to the lake.

Gary’s Marine Centre

Shore Spartan The Daiwa Slippery Dog TG Tune features tungsten weighting, improving the posture of the lure in the water and drastically improving the lures responsiveness when retrieved. With the addition of the 80mm size to the range, this is now the ultimate estuary topwater.

A walk-the-dog lure, Slippery Dog is the perfect prawn imitation. The TG tune models also feature two small plastic rattle beads placed in the head of each lure, emulating the clicking sound of fleeing prawns on the surface.

The two sizes (65mm and 80mm) perfectly cover all estuarine and freshwater environments encountered by keen light-tackle anglers across Australia, with the 80mm size ideal for when fish are feeding aggressively, or when casting distance is paramount.

Each Slippery Dog now comes fitted with BKK Striker Assist hooks on the rear eyelet, a feature that many keen whiting anglers can attest to increasing hook-up rates. The freeswinging hooks sit below the lure when paused and can freely swing across to secure a hook-up during the strike.

The Break Through is the

to be retrieved faster than comparable baits without breaking the water’s surface – a key trait for targeting high-speed pelagics.

The Break Through also features an incredibly low centre of gravity, with all the lure’s weight being placed as low as possible in the extra thick 1.8mm ABS body.

Available in both a

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120mm and 140mm size, the Break Through comes rigged with either #2 or #2/0 HD treble hooks so they are ready to fish straight out of the pack.

For more information on these and other lure releases from Daiwa, visit www.daiwafishing. com.au. - FMG

• Minimum 3 night stay • BBQ areas • Saltwater pool www.awongagatewaylodge.com awoongagateway@bigpond.com FEBRUARY 2022

51

Lake Manchester: an urban kayaking fishery THE FISHING For me I would consider the fishing at Lake Manchester to be boom or bust. Although not a large waterway, it is big enough for the fish (bass) to seemingly disappear during the cooler months of the year. However, as the weather and water

QUEENSLAND

Peter Jung

Lake Manchester is situated on the western outskirts of Brisbane (25km from the CBD) and is on some people’s radar as an urban fishery.

I have to say that I thought long and hard about writing this feature because it has one big downfall, difficult access to the water’s edge! It is a significant walk either from the Lake Manchester day use area (1.8km) or from the gate leading to the SEQ Water rangers hut (much shorter, but significantly downhill). To get a kayak to the water’s edge from either is a commitment in

have provided the best results. Small hardbody lures that dive quickly to 6-10ft or 4-5cm lipless crankbaits are a must have at Manchester. Blades that are a similar size (3-4cm) can also be deadly.

The edges (beyond the weed and lily pads) are generally quite deep,

To get to the launch point from the gate leading to the SEQ Water rangers hut is easy. Going back up the hill after paddling for several hours is the challenge. bass that have become the main target species.

You do not at this stage require a Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIPS) to fish Lake Manchester, so anyone can fish there. Although the Brisbane Valley Anglers Stocking Group would love to see the waterway become part of the SIPS program (the best option for the waterway to reach its full potential as a fishery), they have managed to raise funds to at least ensure some fish

A light baitcast or spin outfit is perfect to slow roll lures like the Rippin Rap over the weed beds that extend from the lilies you see in the background.

The Rapala Rippin Rap in the smelt colour is a must-have at Lake Manchester. itself. Having said that, the second option mentioned is doable (but a good trolley for your kayak is a must) and as a fishery Lake Manchester has huge potential. So hopefully highlighting this waterway will reward the efforts of the stocking group putting

fish into it and maybe prompt the powers that be, to look at more realistic access to the water so more people have the option of enjoying this beautiful lake.

FACTS ABOUT THE FISHERY Lake Manchester has been stocked with Mary

River cod and Australian bass since 2014. Although stocking numbers are not high, the fish have thrived in the waterway with bass being caught in the 45-50cm tip range. The occasional Mary River cod capture has also been reported, but it has been the

The fish in Manchester go hard. Matt Osley into a solid fish.

The author’s first fish at Lake Manchester convinced him that the effort was worthwhile.

52

FEBRUARY 2022

have been stocked each year since 2014.

Fishing from the shore is permitted, while fishing on the water is restricted to paddle craft only.

The lake is also home of some of the biggest spangled perch I have ever seen, as well as a few other native fish like catfish and welsh’s grunter.

Unfortunately, there is also a large population of tilapia in the lake, which in time you would hope something could be done about.

warms, the food source the abundant lily pads in the lake hide, soon lures the predators to the edges, making the fish a little easier to find and catch.

Many anglers troll 10-15ft diving lures searching for fish (in the cooler months 15-20ft diving lures). Once found they either target them with blades, spoons or soft plastics. However, for me the attraction is the edge bite. I have found that smaller profile lures

with weed tapering out from it. Manchester fish love sitting in this weed, ambushing food as it swims past. So slow rolling the above-mentioned lure types over this weed is a deadly method to catch a bass or a spangled perch or one of the grunter species in the lake.

There are many, many options as far as lures go, but I have had the most success using Rapala Rippin Raps, Rapala Fat Jacks and Rapala Jack Deep

lures. The smelt colour has been the standout. In fact, I would go as far as saying a Rippin Rap in the smelt colour is a must if you intend to fish Lake Manchester with lures.

There are a number of edges that are much deeper and have structure in the form of fallen timber and rock that hold fish. As the Mary River cod grow these will be likely areas to catch them. In fact, the two cod

caught that I have been made aware of, were both caught by anglers trolling deep divers along these deep edges. Spinnerbaits and mumblers cast parallel to these edges can also come up trumps.

IN SUMMARY Lake Manchester is an emerging fishery and well worth a look. Keep in mind the commitment required to get to the water with a kayak in tow is not easy. I

tip my cap to anyone that does the 1.8km hike from the day use area! Many have done it once and are unlikely to return.

The fish in the lake are great condition and definitely put up a good account for themselves. They hit and fight so hard for their size.

My first fish there made the trek in worthwhile.

Support the Brisbane Valley Anglers Stocking Group (BVA). Without their

Lake Manchester

It is always nice when the first fish of the day is caught within sight of the launch point in the background.

Lake Manchester Dam Wall

Lake Manchester Day Use Area 1

2 To scale

Lake Man

chester R

d

All paddle craft users would love better access to Lake Manchester.

Here are your two options to get to the watercraft launch points.

Where else would you want to be?

efforts this fishery would not exist. Donations can be made via the GoFundMe link on their Facebook page or contact them directly there as well.

As anglers, we can let the decision-makers know that we would like to see one of our urban/community waterways available to more people. I think they would be surprised by how many paddle craft users would love a safe option to go to so close to the CBD. Why not go and check it out for yourself?

SMALL PACK AGE

BIG BITE

Nothing gets you closer to the water than a micro skiff, jon boat or kayak and nothing anchors those smaller craft better than a Power-Pole Micro. To learn more or to find a dealer, please visit Power-Pole.com.au

FEBRUARY 2022

53

Ningi Creek: Yaks, jacks and a failure to launch madness strikes, it’s nearly impossible to shake.

Sadly, my trips to Ningi Creek were doomed, with some of the damage done before my Hobie

BRISBANE

Troy Brown

Writing articles about kayak fishing locations is both enjoyable and rewarding, but at times also frustrating. Typically, I bounce from one fishing spot to another, in an endless search to cover new ground and share the spoils with you, the reader. Regardless of where I’m researching, I always have a clear goal for the area, which typically means I’ll be targeting a species that I feel promotes and defines the waterway.

In some places, that may be the humble bream, or perhaps monster flathead, whereas in waters such as

plastic making bench, or more if I’m making a new prototype. After all of the preparations are complete, I’ve usually got 2 hours of sleep before I need to leave,

The author isn’t normally disappointed when catching bream, but he was hoping for something in a red colour! the first time, but also a little daunting, especially when you have an expectation of delivering a pre-defined result. It would be simpler to have no target, throw random lures and accept the unplanned result.

That method may be less frustrating, however my own desire to win, even when I’m only

Lee loves surface fishing, with even the humble bream providing exceptional surface strikes on lures such as the MMD Splash Prawn.

Nirmal with a typical Ningi flathead. Moments later, he fell victim to a rampaging mangrove jack, which apparently decided to keep his expensive lure.

Ningi Creek it is the mighty mangrove jack. This creek is perfect for a kayak, as the shallows, rocky bars and hidden inlets are often unnavigable in a boat.

Best accessed from the Moffatt Esplanade boat ramp at Toorbul, Ningi Creek is less than an hour drive from the Brisbane CBD, although that can easily double when traffic chaos ensues.

Eagle-eyed kayakers will spot a potential roadside launch point prior to the ramp, which will save some paddling time, but also adds some difficulty to the launch. The ramp is a simpler alternative, so if you’re prepared to brave the mud of a mid-creek launch, I’d recommend you have friends to assist with deployment and recovery.

With the goal of a monster mangrove jack in mind, I attacked Ningi over the course of a few trips, bearing hope and apprehension in equal measure. It’s exciting to explore a new fishery for 54

FEBRUARY 2022

Lee rarely misses when chasing jacks at Ningi Creek.

Lee proves he’s not just a jack expert, with frequent catches of more common species.

competing with myself, is what compels me to always have a goal.

I know people who’ve fished for years, without a single mangrove jack being caught. Some anglers seem to be blessed with an innate ability to regularly catch the red dogs, although I suspect many hours are invested to hone their craft. My first foray into chasing jacks was only a couple of years ago, with four fish caught in two sessions. Catching jacks seemed so easy… I often enjoy the opportunity to deliberately chase a mixed bag, but when that jack

was loaded onto the car.

Physically and mentally drained by long working hours, the comedy routine commenced the moment I started packing my gear.

Turning a 10 minute job into a late night marathon is my specialty, as I agonise over which rods, reels and tackle will accompany me.

Ultimately, indecision wins and a mountain of excess gear is loaded into my car, to be stuffed into every crevice of my kayak prior to launch. Before leaving, I typically discover that I’m low on a certain type of lure, so another 2-3 hours are spent at my soft

so any chance of making intelligent decisions on the water is lost. Why make it simple, when you can make it so damned difficult?

Ultimately, my focus on jacks dominated my tackle, with larger paddletail lures, some hardbodies, which never get used, bait casting rods and heavy leader in abundance. As a concession to reality, my favourite 1-2kg rods were loaded, along with some tiny plastics and suitably sized jigheads.

My intention was to chase some ‘bread and butter’ species, once I’d bagged out on jacks. The thought

I knew I could rely on some quality information on Ningi Creek. Lee shared some exceptional information on how to fish Ningi Creek, which

structure. This means that these creeks can be a challenge to navigate, but also means the fish are often moving depending on the tide. Some fishing

The secret ‘Spot X’ launch site. It’s hidden in plain view, but don’t park close to the edge if you want to keep your car dry. is so ludicrous now, that I wonder whether it was just sleep affecting my judgment. Surely, my wife must be slipping something extra into my coffee? My only sensible inclusion was the light rods, as they were my donut savers and ultimately, my confidence restorers.

In an effort to reduce the tale of woe to a few sentences, Ningi Creek chewed me up, then spat me out again. Conditions were terrible, with lots of freshwater, big tides and consistently high winds.

Any sane person would have selected an area less affected by the influx of freshwater, chosen a more protected area, or a spot closer to home. Sadly, that drive to achieve often over-rides my limited common sense. My only consolation was the endless

jacks, cast after cast went unrewarded, until the fish suddenly sensed my weakest moment and struck

The grunter was this big!

There are many small creeks accessible only with a kayak on high tide. Most of these cannot be entered in a boat and provide shelter from winds in the main channel.

Sam Meadowcroft with his first catch from a kayak. This Ningi Creek flathead was a nice start and proved to be one of many. procession of boaters, who seem to become great communicators when they’re having a tough day.

The chats were predictable, with everyone telling us they were struggling to catch their first fish of the day. One gentleman told us he’d travelled over 90km in his boat for a fishless day, however I suspect the distance may have been ‘slightly’ exaggerated.

You feel a little smug, knowing that despite your average catch, you’ve not done as poorly as those ‘other guys’. As for the

my lure. Each time, I’d been lulled into inactivity due to frustration, so when the strikes came, I was

holding structures might be completely concealed during the high tide and bone dry on the low. Don’t be fooled though, large predatory fish frequent even the shallowest areas when stalking prey. I have even seen dolphins sneaking back out of the creek on a summer sunrise.”

Lee’s words mirror my limited experience at Ningi Creek, as in those moments where I removed my focus on chasing mangrove jack, I encountered numerous species in some unexpected places. The most frustrating moments occurred when I spooked large jacks in the shallows, while casting lures at the edges for bream!

abundance of bread-andbutter species, but if you’re chasing large species, don’t be afraid upsize your bait or lure. I’ve fished everything from small plastics to large swimbaits with success, depending on the target species. As most areas are shallow, surfaces lures are an excellent option. Prawn imitations like the MMD Splash Prawn or Nomad Dartwing, have accounted for a lot of topwater fish in this area. However, the real key to success is working the right structures on the right tides. Try to time your fishing to coincide with the flooding tide, opening new feeding opportunities in a particular area. For example, when the tide is high enough, bream gain access to bait hiding in the mangrove roots. It takes time and effort to work out these systems, but there are plenty of trophy fish lurking in these waters if you persist.”

If I’d had the option of visiting Ningi Creek when the freshwater had flushed from the system, the wind was lower and at better periods of the tide, I’m confident the results would have differed. Despite the tough conditions, I finished with a solid collection of fish, which included bream, flathead, flounder, mulloway, whiting and more. It’s hardly a failure, but it’s easy to get caught up in what we haven’t caught, rather than what we have.

I enjoyed the company of some good people, helped two newcomers catch their first fish with a lure from a kayak, while relaxing after

hopelessly slow to respond.

My reel screamed a few times, with my lure racing into the nearest snag.

Lesson 1: never let your guard down when fishing for mangrove jack.

As my jack mission was a bust, my only solution was to seek reliable local knowledge. With failure knocking at my door, my pride was tossed aside and I reached out to founder of The Lure Project, Lee Major. Lee has been a trusted guide for many of my northside pursuits, so

Mangrove jack have an amazing ability to change colour, shifting from a deep red to a silver hue. In this instance, the jack is clearly trying to camouflage itself against Adrian’s beard!

This mulloway was caught using the author’s patented ‘lazy fisho’ technique – it involves casting your lure overboard, then eating a sandwich, rigging another rod and generally not paying attention!

may have been more useful before I hit the water.

“Most creeks that feed into the passage are quite shallow and leaden with natural and artificial

Lee suggests you mix up your lure offering, to match the diversity of species and varying landscape of the creek, “The creek can hold an

long days at work. By any measure, Ningi Creek has been a success. The lure of mangrove jack is still strong, so I’ll be back to tick that box later.

FEBRUARY 2022

55

Sustainability of popular deepwater fish stocks MELBOURNE

Ross Winstanley

Among the species covered in the Status of Australian Fish Stocks 2020 report were fish taken by commercial and recreational fishers in two or more states. These included assessments of some popular deepwater line-fishing species: • Blue-eye trevalla, Hyperoglyphe antarctica • Gemfish, Rexea solandri • Hapuku, Polyprion oxygeneios • Pink ling, Genypterus blacodes • Striped trumpeter, Latris lineata In terms of recreational fishing, compared to inshore, estuary and coastal pelagic species, the pursuit of these offshore species is a niche or specialist activity. Targeting

One of the most delicious fish in the sea, a blueeye trevalla. Photo courtesy of Sean Tracey.

Another delicious deepwater fish, pink ling. Photo courtesy of Al McGlashan. fish close to the bottom, from the outer continental shelf and upper slope, at depths of 80 to 200 m, is demanding in terms of the boats, electronics and fishing tackle used.

While most state recreational fishing surveys show few, if any, catches of these outer shelf/slope species, two Tasmanian surveys indicate a rising interest. Compared with the 2011/12 survey, the 2018/19 study indicated that daysfished targeting these fish had increased by 69%. As a result, catches of blue-eye, blue grenadier, gemfish and pink ling have all increased, some by as much as 40%.

There is an element of ‘pot luck’ in this deepwater recreational fishery, with incidental catches of species like hapuku, sharks and dogfish occurring at levels 56

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that don’t register in surveys.

BLUE-EYE TREVALLA While differences in its biology suggest there are four regional subpopulations, blue-eye trevalla were assessed as a single stock, occurring from southern Queensland, around the south coast, and north to Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia. It’s status has been assessed under two management units: Eastern Australian and Western Australian.

Eastern Australian blue-eye Reflecting its specialised niche status, little is known of catches by recreational fishers, from Queensland to South Australia. The main exception is Tasmania where surveys of offshore recreational fishing have estimated total catches of 1961 fish, estimated at

12.5 tonnes, in 2011/12, and 2519 fish in 2018/19.

Fishing charter logbooks have shown small numbers of fish taken off NSW and Tasmania in recent years.

Commercial catches of blue-eye are taken by trawl, line and gillnet fisheries managed by the Commonwealth, Queensland and New South Wales governments.

Historically, 85-95% of the catch has been taken by boats operating in the Commonwealth-managed Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery.

In Queensland, blue-eye have dwindled from a “key species” to being merely an incidental catch species, and there is no record of recreational catches. Since peaking at 120 tonnes in 1999, the NSW commercial catch has declined to

15 tonnes in 2019. Shark and seal predation on linecaught fish, and fishing area closures, are suspected to have constrained fishing behaviour and catch rates.

An upper limit of 439 tonnes of blue-eye was set in 2018/19 for all catches on the continental slope, of which a total of 405 tonnes were landed from commercial fisheries.

On the basis of the available information, blue-eye trevalla in the Eastern Australian management unit are classified as a “sustainable stock”.

Western Australian blue-eye With commercial catches from WA’s deepwater bottom fishery for blue-eye recording catches of 1-10 tonnes since 2010, the fishery is not affecting the age structure of the stock, or depleting or harming its spawning

capability. A WA survey of boat-based recreational fishing reported that the West Coast Demersal Scalefish Fishery landed 76 blue-eye, with a combined weight of one tonne. A SA survey estimated that recreational fishers took 5844 blue-eye in 2013/14.

Based on the available evidence, blue-eye trevalla in the Western Australian management unit are classified as a “sustainable stock”.

GEMFISH Genetic studies indicate that there are two separate stocks of gemfish, with the western end of Bass Strait recognised as a boundary.

Eastern gemfish stock Recreational fishing and social media reports, including photos, show that gemfish are targeted by anglers, from NSW to Tasmania. However, this is not reflected in state recreational catch and charter fishing surveys, where gemfish catches either do not appear or are categorised as “negligible”.

None were recorded in NSW in 2013/14 and 2017/18 surveys.

Tasmania’s 2018/19 survey recorded 1534 gemfish.

In 1992, when quotabased management was introduced to the Commonwealth-managed offshore trawl fishery, annual catches from the eastern stock had already suffered a dramatic fall, from 5000 tonnes around 1980, to less than 500 tonnes. In a bid to support stock recovery, quotas have been set at low levels: in 2019, 52 tonnes of gemfish were landed. In the NSW-managed fishery, commercial gemfish catches have fallen from 21 tonnes in 2009/2010 to three tonnes in 2018/19 The decline in the spawning stock has resulted

Striped trumpeter are popular with anglers all round southern Australia. Photo courtesy of Marty Ellul.

in depressed recruitment, and there is no sign that the stock will recover under current low catch limits.

All the available information points to the classification of the Eastern gemfish as a “depleted stock”.

Western gemfish stock S A’s 2013/14 recreational fishing survey reflected targeted fishing, with a total catch of 12,291 gemfish reported. In WA, the combined annual recreational and commercial catches of gemfish have not exceeded one tonne over the past decade.

Combined catches from Commonwealth-managed trawl and line fishing off western Victoria, SA and the Great Australian Bight totalled 96 tonnes in 2019/20, well below the specified catch limit of 423 tonnes.

From all indications of the stock size and its spawning capacity, Western gemfish are classified as a “sustainable stock”.

HAPUKU With commercial catches totalling about 100 tonnes annually, and recreational catches occurring, but “unknown,” from Queensland, around the southern coasts to WA, the SAFS 2020 report states: The stock structure of Hapuku in Australian waters is unknown. Hapuku stock status at the jurisdictional level is sustainable in WA, negligible in QLD and SA, and undefined in NSW and Commonwealth waters.”

Commercial landings come from Commonwealthmanaged bottom longlining and trawling in the Great Australian Bight and South East fisheries, and fishing in the southern Indian and south Pacific oceans adjacent to Australia (overall total 42 tonnes in 2019).

Only WA (57 tonnes), NSW (2 tonnes) and Queensland (591kg) have recorded recent commercial landings.

PINK LING As with blue-eye, gemfish and hapuku, pink ling form part of anglers’ ‘pot luck’ catches by line drops on the upper continental slope. SA (2013/14) and NSW (2013/14 and 2017/18) recreational and charter fishing surveys (2017/18) all indicate negligible catches.

Tasmania’s 2017/18 offshore fishing survey reported 338 pink ling caught.

Based on their biological differences, two stocks of pink ling are recognised and assessed as occurring east and west of Tasmania.

Eastern stock In 2019/29, the commercial catch of pink ling in the Commonwealthmanaged trawl and hook

fisheries was 346 tonnes; the NSW-managed fisheries took 57 tonnes in 2018/19.

At the start of 2018, the stock size was estimated to be at 30% of the original unfished stock size. At current total catch levels, the stock is expected to rebuild to the target of 48% of the original size “within a reasonable timeframe”.

Western stock The Commonwealthmanaged trawl and hook fisheries landed 415 tonnes of pink ling in 2019/20. At the start of 2018, the stock size was estimated to be at 84% of the unfished level All the available points to the classification of both

the Eastern and Western pink ling as “sustainable stocks”.

STRIPED TRUMPETER Striped trumpeter occur as a single stock, from southern NSW to southern WA. They figure prominently as a recreational target species in two states.

Estimated at 6360 fish, weighing 29 tonnes, Tasmania’s recreational catch exceeded the commercial catch in 2017/18. SA’s retained catch was 220,898 fish in 2013/14.

After exceeding 100 tonnes during the 1990s, annual commercial catches fell to below 20 tonnes by 2007/08. Catches in Commonwealth-managed

fisheries have averaged 4.2 tonnes in the past 10 years – the same as the Tasmanianmanaged commercial catch in 2018/19.

Stock recruitment is “low and sporadic”, with the most recent significant event occurring in 2009/10.

Responding to clear indications that the stock is depleted and ‘recruitment impaired’, the Tasmanian Government has imposed tighter restrictions on commercial and recreational fishing. However, the legal minimum length, 55cm, is still below the size at which striped trumpeter reach maturity. Despite low catches in Commonwealth,

Victorian and SA fisheries, total fishing pressure is believed to be too high to allow the stock to recover.

With the adult numbers depleted, and spawning capacity depressed, the striped trumpeter is classified as a “depleted stock”.

Note: The unrelated sea trumpeter Pelsartia humeralis and striped trumpeter Pelates octolineatus are taken by anglers and commercial fishers in inshore waters of SA and WA. NATIONAL REPORTING The Status of Australian Fish Stock Reports are a series of assessments of

FIG.1 Current daily specific recreational catch limits for deepwater species. Note 1: additional fishing restrictions apply in some states.

STATE SIZE LIMIT DAILY BAG LIMIT NSW Bass groper, bar cod, blue-eye – 5 in combined total Gemfish, hapuku – 2 gemfish Pink ling – 20 VICTORIA Blue-eye, gemfish, hapuku, striped trumpeter – 5 each Pink ling 30cm 5 TASMANIA Blue-eye trevalla – 5 Hapuku, pink ling – 5 each Striped trumpeter 55cm 4 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Gemfish – 3 Blue-eye trevalla – South Coast – 3 Blue-eye – West Coast – 2 Hapuku, Bass groper – South Coast – 3 Hapuku, Bass groper – West Coast – 2

Gemfish is another beautiful deepwater fish. Photo courtesy of Sean Tracey. the biological sustainability of a broad range of wildcaught fish stocks against a nationally agreed reporting framework. The two-yearly reports examine whether the abundance of fish and the level of harvest from each stock is

sustainable. Definitions of “sustainability” and quoted passages in this article are taken from the SAFS 2020 Reports.

More details about the status of Australian fish stocks are available at – www.fish.gov.au/reports.

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February fishing fun ahead PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

What a strange New Year we’ve had here on Pittwater. One day we had cold water from run-off at Warragamba Dam and the very next morning we had warm water pushing in from along the coast.

Goodness knows what’s next, and the poor fish along Pittwater would be wondering what’s going on as well.

For those of you who are wanting a feed of fish along the coast, our close-in reefs seem to be the areas to go to. There are some nice flathead being caught in Broken Bay, and the high tide early in the morning is also seeing a few jewfish being caught.

Along Pittwater, kingfish are still a target that can be caught by anyone – you just have to be lucky enough to be at the right spot at the right time. There are schools of surfacefeeding kingfish on those days when the warmer water makes its presence known.

These are the days when we get to target them with lures, and surface lures are the favourite approach. Surface fishing always excites anglers, whether they are new to the sport or crusty old fishermen like myself.

The better surface lures to use are either small poppers or 6” white soft plastics such as Slug-Gos. The action that these lures create in the water drives kingfish nuts, and the surface strikes always seems to get a great reaction from anglers too.

If there’s no surface activity, you still have a couple of options: catch squid and down rig, or target bottom dwelling species instead.

Unfortunately, yellowtail don’t seem to be working too well at the moment, but live squid seem to be working a treat once the fish of been found.

The better areas to target kingfish seem to be at West Head, along the western foreshore between Longnose Point and Sinclair Point, whilst the usual areas of the supermarket and the Kingfish Highway will also see a few being caught.

Squid can be caught in most of the bays where there are seagrass beds in the shallows. These bays include Mackerel Beach, Palm Beach weed beds as well as Careel Bay. The better jigs seem to be the 2.5 fluoro coloured jigs, with orange or pink being their favourite. As usual, an aggressive technique will see more squid being caught than if you are trying to hide

seen some great fish being caught, so vary the baits until you find out what the fish want to eat.

On the rising tide, especially if the high tide is around sunrise or sunset, jewfish have been getting caught at Flint and Steel as well as the pressure wave that is between Juno Point and Eleonoras Bluff. Both areas are very easy to find, especially on a weekend

Catching inkers is a great way to spend a morning on Pittwater.

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Blue-spot flathead are always a great way to get a feed offshore. from them by winding it slowly and silently.

Please be aware that there has been a recent development of anglers and people being kept away from Barrenjoey Headland due to the increasing seal colony.

I’m not sure how far away you have to be from the headland, and I don’t know whether the authorities have placed boundaries in as yet.

My suggestion is to contact Parks and Wildlife and/ or Fisheries to get a more defined boundary so that you won’t get in trouble when fishing this popular area.

As previously mentioned, there have been some good flathead being caught along Broken Bay, and the drift between Patonga and Lion Island has been a gem. For those who use a smaller boat, please be aware this area can become dangerous when the tide and wind go against each other, especially on a bigger tide.

We have been catching some great flathead whilst dragging a paternoster rig on the bottom with varying baits. Pilchards, squid strips and prawns have all

when there seems to be the whole population of Sydney’s vessels camped at both areas. When targeting jewfish, fresh baits are always recommended, but don’t be surprised if you catch a few fish on pilchards or frozen squid. You can also catch a few using micro jigs around the schools of baitfish. Both these areas will see benefits if you use a weighted berley bucket and

Pittwater kings can be a lot of fun to target.

try to attract baitfish to your berley trail.

For those of you wanting to go offshore, there are decent captures of bluespot flathead being caught between 50-70m, and once again these fish can be found over the sand whilst using pilchards as bait.

The reef patches in water depths of 60m will see some snapper and a host of other reef fish being caught, once the sun is high in the sky. There are some snapper being caught in water depths of around 30m early in the morning as well as later in the afternoon before the sun goes down. These shallower areas all seem to have kelp beds or weedy areas.

So, as you can see, there’s a lot of fun that can be had over the coming month. It just takes a little bit of planning and luck to hook up to that dream fish.

If you would like to learn more about Pittwater and fishing along our part of the coast, as well as Broken Bay, give me a call on 0410 633 351 and I will share with you some of the knowledge I have accumulated over the last 20 years of charter operations, and 52 years of fishing.

I hope this report sees you excited and keen to learn a lot more about your favourite area in a short period of time.

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

Recreational Fishing Update Calling All Bait Fishers Whether you like to soak a worm on our inland rivers, drift a pilchard for snapper or troll skip baits for marlin offshore, your fishing may benefit from using a unique hook design known as a circle hook.

Circles not only can give you a better hook up rate, but also allow for easier catch and release fishing with increased survival of your targeted species – this is because the design of these hooks results in a greater proportion of fish being hooked in the mouth (rather than deep in the throat).

However, to be successful you need to make some minor changes to your normal fishing practices. These include ensuring that your hook point is well exposed (rather than buried) in your bait and remembering not to strike when you get a bite!

To find out more about these unique hooks, check out the DPI webpage and search ‘circle hooks’, there are some hot tips on how to effectively use these hooks to improve your fishing.

2000 Rainbow Trout Tagged & Released

The Gaden Hatchery team were hard at work just before Christmas tagging about 2000 rainbow trout to be released in Burrinjuck and Blowering dams as well as 200 brown trout that have been released in Khancoban Pondage.

These fish measured between 160mm–230mm at the time of tagging. These tagged trout form part of an ongoing redfin predation study to help understand trout survival and growth rates in a number of impoundments.

Recently DPI received great reports of tagged trout recaptures and we’re keen to hear of any others.

Tagged trout can be easily reported online by searching “tagged trout” at the NSW DPI website. If you catch and report a tagged trout, we’ll happily send a lure as a reward for your help. This tagged trout study is another great example of your fishing fees at work!

Download DPI’s Free FishSmart NSW App This Summer!

Thousands Of Cod Stocked, Plenty More To Come!

Did you know DPI has a free app that provides recreational fishers with 24/7 access to essential info you need to know to fish in NSW, such as a picture guide of common recreational species, bag & size limits, closed seasons and fishing gear rules!

We have also recently enhanced our real-time maps to locate your nearest FADs (Fish Aggregation Devices), artificial reefs, spearfishing info, recreational fishing havens and marine park zones.

You can also quickly find your local weather, tide, moon phase and barometric pressure to help choose the best time to fish and record your fish your very own catch log plus more.

Download the latest version of the FishSmart NSW app from Google Play or the iTunes app store by searching “Fishsmart”.

Recently about 177,000 Murray cod fingerlings were harvested by hatchery staff at DPI’s Narrandera Fisheries Centre (NFC).

These fish have been stocked in a range of popular impoundment fisheries across central NSW including Burrendong Dam, Lake Windamere, Ben Chifley Dam and Oberon Dam. These are just a few of the impoundments that have received Murray cod fingerlings this season. Thousands of juvenile Murray cod have also been stocked into the lower Darling-Baaka River as part of the Government’s commitment to recover native fish stocks after the last drought.

Stay tuned to the DPI Facebook page for more details on the NFC team’s work harvesting and stocking thousands more Murray cod in the last few months. This vital fisheries enhancement work is yet another great example of your license fees at work!

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

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Fishing in bath water SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

I am loving the hot water that is running along the Sydney coastline at the moment. It’s nearly like bath water compared to the cooler 21-22°C temps we are more used to at this time of the year. Recently it hit 24°C+ which is out of the norm.

I am expecting some unusual tropical species to turn up this month. Last year I caught four juvenile dolphinfish off Sydney rocks while spinning for mac tuna and frigates, and two years ago I caught a queenfish off the Sydney rocks. It’s super unusual for dolphinfish to be caught from the shore and very unusual for a queenfish to be caught in Sydney.

The fishing overall has been good in recent weeks, with the regular species being caught from the rocks, beach and estuary.

ROCK FISHING It seems that virtually all the headlands have plate-size and larger snapper in the washes and distance casting. These hard-fighting and beautiful fish are more prolific than what most anglers give them credit for. I have guided several anglers to their best snapper off the rocks compared to what they have caught out of a boat. Don’t get me wrong – if you fish for snapper out of a boat, your overall results will be better than a rock fisher’s. However,

you’d be surprised at the quality of the fish you can catch off the stones.

One of the key things with snapper fishing is the time you fish for them. They can be a shy

fish when the sun is up, choosing to head out into to the deeper water. Sunset and the crack of dawn certainly produce better results. Distance casting can at times produce well

A 78cm king from the harbour rocks. Sydney Harbour shore fishing is pretty good at this time of the year.

This nice bag was caught by John Halford and the author, and several snapper were released after this photo. Distance casting and wash fishing produced the goods. Note the big red rock cod – they’re great on the plate.

Ryan Brown with a big blue groper caught on a whole reef crab. Blues can be caught all through the day.

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in the higher light period because you are casting out in to the deeper water compared to wash fishing for snapper.

Fishing at Bluefish east front is as dangerous as any rock headland can be. This is because this headland is further east than the vast majority of headlands in the northern suburbs of Sydney. This must be taken into consideration when attempting to fish this rock headland. Also, big cliffs involve vertical climbs.

The one at Bluefish is about 5-6m but you are still 15-17m above the water line. I also recommend that you take your own rope; a length about 8-9m will suffice.

The Northern Beaches and Randwick councils require rock anglers to have a life jacket. A PFD 50+ from Hobie is my choice. Steel spike boots or stretch-on spikes also a must. A hi-vis rain coat is way better than a dark rain coat just in case you need to be found.

Back to the snapper and where they’re being caught. Bluefish’s eastern front, Queenscliff headland near the swimming pool, North Curl Curl, North Narrabeen headland near the swimming pool and front of Mona Vale pool ledge are all good locations for distance casting and wash fishing for snapper. I recommend using 25-30lb line (I like 30lb J-Thread mono and J-Braid Grand braid) as you may run into some kings or a sizeable red, or you may need to lift up a fish when fishing from a higher ledge. Salted slimy mackerel, squid strips and squid heads suitable for a 3/0 2X strong hook will

Fishing the white water in close produced these snapper to 50cm for Martin Grey. Moving to several spots at the rock headland was a must. Fishing the low light period will generally give better results. suit any fish of 32cm+, no problems. Avoid using much smaller hooks as you will have issues with deep hooking undersized snapper. The survival rate of reddies isn’t good if they’re hooked down too deep.

On the king front, there have been lots of undersized fish off the ocean rocks of late. Keep your hook size up so you will have fewer

undersized kings hooked too deep (65cm is legal length for NSW). Some larger fish up to 87cm have been reported lately.

A good bait for kingfish is an XL sea gar ganged up with 4 x 5/0 to7/0 7766D Mustad Tarpons with minimum 65kg swivels in between the first three hooks. A live yellowtail To page 60

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Sydney

Fooling well-fed fish is the key to success SYDNEY NTH

Steve Winser

We appear to have gotten off to a reasonable start to the year despite the arrival of the ‘new and improved’ COVID... at least we have seen no lockdowns here so far (touch wood).

Wi t h water temperatures on the rise and the persistence of the La Niña cycle and the associated wild weather swings, we have seen some interesting conditions for fishing this month. As predicted, the kingfish From page 61

suspended 2-8m under a float (depending on the depth) also works well.

You can use a sinker around 2-3 ball size above the swivel with a length of 1.5m of 80lb fluorocarbon leader, and a 6/0 to 8/0 Mustad Big Gun hook suitable for an average live yellowtail. Having a minimum of 24kg gear is a better choice compared to lighter gear. You may encounter a bigger fish, and you will be thanking yourself when that day comes.

Bonito have been surprisingly absent this season; they’re turning up really late (and if you want to buy some, they’re very expensive). The mac tuna should be showing up this month, as well as the frigates. They are top bait and are excellent fished live for stud kings.

If you’re after some kings, bonito and more pelagics, try the evergreen Bluefish Point and The Hat, both in Manly. Little Bluey is not fished as much but it can be a good producer for kings. One problem is that it’s a very popular spear fishing spot.

Big kings are speared from here and Bluefish every year, but they’re becoming less frequent.

North Curl Curl is also a popular spot for kings and pelagics, and North and South Whale Rocks are old favourites.

BEACH FISHING The whiting are in good numbers, and they are suckers for a live beach worm, or alternatively a pink nipper if you cannot catch or buy live worms.

There are some big stud whiting in the mix, and my wife and I recently ate a whole whiting of 44cm which was enough for a meal with some side dishes. Normally when you have a feed of whiting you need more than one fish if you’re feeding two people.

in the harbour came on early to the middle of last month, with numbers of fish in the lower reaches in the 70-90cm range, with the odd metre-plus fish amongst them. They are very well-fed fish, which means that they have been picky. Primo squid baits are your ticket to success.

The odd fish has been coming on live baits, but you really want squid for your best chance.

Squidding has been sporadic, and a concerted effort is needed some days.

The ribbon weed beds have been doing best for us, with smaller jigs in the 2.0 to 3.0

range in orange or green being our go-to.

The squid headed offshore to do their spawning thing later in the month, and this month should fish well for them in the lower reaches. We are hoping to see the return of the larger breeders.

The surface fish (salmon, tailor and bonito) have been present in the upper and lower reaches also. These fish have been locked onto very small baitfish, so small metals (in the 7-10g range) and 2-3” plastics will do it. Fly fishers have been doing well on them as well, and

Bream are still being caught off the beaches, albeit in lesser numbers, and there are some sizable dart around, with fish up to 38cm. Dart go hard on the whiting gear, and I think they’re pretty good on the plate, particularly as sashimi.

Tailor are around in good numbers, with the average size being 32-40cm – my favourite eating size. The traditional way to catch them is with a set of three 3/0 to 4/0 ganged hooks. I like to have swivels in between the first two hooks, because this makes it much easier to bait up a whole pilchard. If you have three or more anglers fishing the same gutter you can hold a school of tailor for longer period, especially if the anglers are fairly quick at un-hooking a tailor, baiting up and getting a bait back out there. The berley trail from a chomped-up pilchard bait can berley up other species like bream and flathead as well.

Some jewfish have been caught as well. A client recently went out on his own and caught a 98cm jewfish, which would be around 9kg or so – a good fish. A report of a 90cm fish was caught on the same moon phase, a full moon. Some jewfish anglers swear by a new moon (a no moon period), while other anglers swear by a full moon. I like to fish either one; the important thing is that the tides are at the right time for an evening fish suitable for jewfish.

When it comes to locations for jewfish, tailor and whiting, Palm Beach, Avalon, Newport, Narrabeen, Dee Why and Manly beaches are all producing. Manly Beach is of course the most crowded location, but it generally has good quality gutters and there are patches of beach with fewer swimmers

and surfers. If you’re still not convinced, try it after dark, especially after 10pm when the lights from the swimming pool and the beach volley ball courts have been switched off.

ESTUARY I recently caught a nice king of 78cm from the rocks at Dobroyd, spun upon a ganged sea gar (check out the hook sizes in the rock fishing section above). The great thing about this headland is that there’s a couple of hundred metres of ledge to fish. The downside is that it’s quite exposed to an easterly or south-easterly swell. It is a good producer for luderick and bream as well. Remember that in the harbour it’s illegal to harvest weed (or cunjevoi, crabs etc.), so you’ll need to gather your weed from another area if you want to fish for luderick in the harbour.

Dobroyd is good spot to live bait as well. You can catch live yellowtail from here, preferably at the crack of dawn.

Another spot worth trying for a king in the harbour is Little Manly Point below the big, round block of flats. Some nice bream and plate-size reddies are caught here, too.

Unfortunately, on 1 January there was a fatality off the rocks at Turimetta Head between Warriewood and Narrabeen Head. A really bad way to start the year. Please make the effort to get the right advice regarding rock fishing safety. If you don’t know any rock fishing experts, I’m happy to help – I’m a full-time fishing instructor and specialise in rock fishing.

• 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.

Daniel with a nice kingfish from the lower reaches. a live bait tossed into them has proven effective also.

The old reliable summer flathead have finally woken from their winter slumber, and are taking 3-5” plastics. Curly tails in pink, orange or naturals have been working for us. You can catch flatties from the edges and dropoffs, particularly running off shallow banks on the dropping tide.

Next month should

see an improvement across all the aforementioned species, and fingers are crossed that the weather will give us a bit of a break.

Tight lines!

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Chaos before a storm SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

The action is really hotting up in all areas. Bream and whiting are on the chew off the beaches, in the bays, rivers and creeks of Southern Sydney.

can get your prawn net and light, out go and get yourself some. If you can’t get your own prawns, I would give Mac’s Bait Bar a call on (02) 9546 1341 and see if they have received freshly-caught Hawkesbury River prawns form the trawlers.

Luderick can still be caught this month, both in

the river and off the rocks.

The only problem you may have is getting fresh weed.

Cabbage works just as well most of the time.

Salmon, tailor, bonito and slimy mackerel have been feeding in a variety of areas in Botany Bay. All you need to do is keep an eye out for the birds. The

Andrew Humphries with an 85cm mulloway taken on a squid head on a trip with the author. They were slow trolling by going just in gear and then taking the motor out of gear.

After a few photos and a quick measure, the mulloway was released to fight another day.

Beaches that are worth a look are Turramurra, Bondi and Coogee in the north, and Boat Harbour through to South Cronulla, as well as Garie and Stanwell Park beaches. The best baits by far are beachworms, tubeworms and nippers for both the bream and whiting. If you’re targeting just bream I would suggest half pilchards and garfish, bluebait, whitebait and strips of mullet or tuna.

Dusky flathead will be cruising around looking for a feed or a mate, so make sure those hooks on your lures are sharp or, if you are using baits, that they are either live or as fresh as you can get. At this time of year the prawns will be running, so if you

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FIBREGLASS FISHING BOATS BUILT TOUGH ON THE NSW CENTRAL COAST

FEBRUARY 2022

They just weren’t in a feeding mood.

After trolling for another hour and a half, and losing four of the squid to leatherjackets and yellowtail, Andrew suggested that we try trolling just the two heads we had left. Well blow me down if that didn’t work. Not only did Andrew manage a 70cm kingfish, he also trolled up an 85cm mulloway. This all happened within 30 minutes just before a massive storm hit, and we hightailed it back to the ramp. To give you an idea of the chaos we went through just before the storm hit, head to YouTube and search for ‘Gary Brown kingfish’ to see a video of the session.

Offshore, Lucas Pratt and his son have been getting amongst a few tuna, dolphinfish and marlin while

trolling and casting lures and baits around the FADs. Leatherjackets will be back in plague proportions, both in the Port Hacking River and offshore, so be ready to lose a few rigs.

When targeting them offshore what I do is lower a metal berley pot down on a similar wire that you may have on your decking rail. I then raise it back up to where I can see them feeding on the bait (this will depend on how clean the water is at the time). Once I have achieved this, I will lower down my baited paternoster rig until it reaches the horde of leatherjackets and then give a couple of quick jigs. This usually results in catching a couple of leatherjackets each time and not losing my rigs.

Don’t forget to keep those photos coming in to gbrown1@iprimus.com.au.

This 70cm kingfish was made into a number of different dishes by Andrew for his family.

REMORA 490 • RATED TO 115HP

62

fish will mainly be feeding on very small baits, so make sure that you have a number of very small profile metals in the 5g, 10g and 15g size range. Very small soft plastics (e.g. ZMan 2.5” MinnowZ in pearl and opening night) on lightlyweighted jigheads would be a great choice.

You could also try trolling small skirted lures like the 5” Pryml Predator Radico Bullet. As well as enticing salmon and tailor, small skirts like these can be great for bonito, tuna, dolphinfish (mahimahi) and even small marlin.

The next time you’re in the Taren Point area, come over to the BCF store at 119-121 Parraweena Road, Taren Point and have a look at the great range of skirted and other lures that we have in the store. I am there on Wednesday and Thursday, so come in and say hi.

Just the other week I took my son-in-law out to chase a couple of kingfish in the Port Hacking River.

I only had about five hours to get Andrew onto his first ever legal kingy. It took us two hours to get just six live squid, even though there were plenty around.

Terra Grima has been at it again chasing bass on surface lures at one of his favourite secret spots in the Nepean.

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NSW

Flooding has stirred up the bait and predators BALLINA

Joe Allan

Since the mini flood before Christmas, the Richmond River has actually been fishing very well. Plenty of bait has been stirred up, and in turn there are plenty of predators around to eat them.

The freshwater stretches have been on fire with good sizes and numbers of bass being reported. When the drains were flowing it was

cricket scores all round.

Funnily enough though, small crankbaits were the best producing, which is not normal. Normally it’s big spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and large noisy lipless crankbaits that will get the bites. It’s reflective of the size of the bait around upriver I think.

Early mornings and late afternoons can still produce good numbers of fish in surface. Cicada imitations like the Atomic Hardz Cicada 35 are really good at getting bites. You often don’t

is too. Well done to all the competitors.

By the time this magazine goes to print there should be plenty of marlin getting around offshore. In early January we saw only the odd one coming through, but these should get more prevalent as the fish come down from the north. There have been plenty caught

north of the Tweed already, with reports of some boats going double digits on the blacks.

The mackerel have also been coming in from the north as well as some spotties a little further south from Evans Head. When these fish go crazy make sure you’re at the ramp early, as the number of people at the

Fin Kelly with a 67cm flatty caught on an Atomic Prong 3” in carolina pumpkin holograph.

ba Prawn Bla e a solid run-off bass s” “Yam Vinnie Bleakley dwith coming from a drain around Lismore caught on an Atomic Hardz Vib 60.

have to do too much with them, just jiggle the rod to make the lure shake on the surface, exactly like a cicada that’s fallen from a tree.

It was interesting to see the ABT Bass Grand Final being held at Coraki in December, and it bought a lot of anglers in from out of the area. From all reports and video streams there were bass caught as far down as Broadwater and as far up as Lismore, Tatham and about half an hour up Bungawalbin Creek. That’s a pretty spread out field! There were reports of fish being caught on all different types of baits,

from buzzbaits, cicadas and frogs on the surface to small cranks, spinnerbaits and even jigs on the final day. Nothing really out of the ordinary, but it does show how healthy the system is, and how large it

Ethan Clark with a solid mullet and Archie Swanson with a bream from around Woodburn.

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Vinnie Bleakley with a nice Aussie bass from the brackish section of the river on a Hide-Up Crank HU150 bait.

local boat ramps rival Pacific Fair’s car park on Christmas Eve. There have also been a few dolphinfish (mahimahi) around, and these can be really fun on light gear so get stuck into them.

In recent weeks there have been good numbers of crabs around on the big tides; the dirty water has certainly bought the crabs on. Any stinky baits you can get your hands on will do the trick in the dirty water. Keep your mackerel frames as these go pretty well as bait for crabs.

The river itself has been fishing really well with good sizes and numbers of whiting on the flats in the town stretch of the river. Good lures for them are the Bassday Sugapen 70 and the new size Bassday Crystal Pop 70.

There have been good numbers of bream around the ferry and just slightly upriver. The rock walls have been holding fish well and can produce the odd jack as well. If you hook into one of these, good luck on bream gear – they can be hard to get in.

Until next issue, tight lines.

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Prime fishing in Feb COFFS COAST

Rob Taylor

If you were to ask me what my favourite time of year is for fishing on the Coffs coast, I’d say, “right now!”. February and March are the peak months for local fishos due to the sheer number and variety of fish on offer. Now is the time to be out on the water chasing pelagics or, if bottom dropping is more to your liking, then jigging or bait fishing on the deeper reefs will still

produce good numbers of table fish.

As I write, the warm water brigade has started to arrive off our shores, with some thumping mahimahi being encountered at the FAD and wave recorder buoy, along with a few small black marlin and even some larger blues out past the 200m line. The first confirmed Spanish mackerel have arrived, with a local spear fisherman taking a reasonable fish at Split Solitary over Christmas.

The creeks and rivers have also been firing,

ROCKS

particularly for flathead, small GTs and jacks.

Apart from the occasional reports of jewfish falling to lures and bait, the local rocks and beaches have been relatively quiet.

However, this will all have changed by the time you read this, with the arrival of the gar schools heralding the start of the longtail/mac tuna/Spanish LBG season. It’s once again standing room only at known hotspots such as Muttonbird Island and the North Wall.

So let’s take a look at what prime time fishing on the Coffs coast has to offer.

FRESHWATER Australian bass will have pushed up into the

Cooper Bye made the long run up to Station Creek with his dad and uncle, and out-fished them both with this nice red.

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higher reaches of most of the local freshwater systems, and with cicadas emitting their deafening summer shrill, now is the time to be chasing bass with topwater presentations. I love old-school lures like Jitterbugs and Crazy Crawlers, along with more modern offerings such as D-Style Reserves.

Concentrate your efforts around prime morning and evening bite windows and you won’t be disappointed.

As always, the Bellinger and Clarence will be firing but don’t overlook the smaller creeks as these also fish well for bass at this time of year. The Nymboida and Mann rivers are worth the effort getting to, with both stud bass and eastern cod on offer.

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and these masters of ambush will be available throughout all the saltwater creeks and rivers throughout February.

Look to the snags in the upper reaches, rock walls near the mouths of the bigger systems and, as always, don’t overlook the local marina at night with live bait.

Flatties and summer whiting will also be worthwhile targets, and I’d be concentrating my efforts with lures on incoming tides over sandflat areas. The same applies to those looking for some fun with the kids, but maybe switch to casting and drifting lightly-weighted yabbies over those very same flats and you’ll have a ball.

ROCKS AND BEACHES One thing I know I’ll be doing this month is dusting off the LBG gear, as this is the time all sorts of pelagics will

ramp each morning! This should be more interesting as the local ramp is undergoing much-needed development which includes the opening of two additional lanes and surge reduction works.

If you’re not too fixated on the Spanish, then this time is also great for marlin, both blue and

black, plus mahimahi, wahoo and jellybean yellowfin.

Longtail tuna will be patrolling the inshore reefs, and stud cobia will pop up anywhere.

It really is the best time of year to be out fishing off the Coffs coast so good luck, get out there and enjoy!

Now is the time to get out and enjoy the inshore black marlin run.

Joel McCabe took this fine mulloway on a Rapala X-Rap and released the fish to fight another day.

be smashing live baits off the stones. Float out either a live yellowtail, garfish or slimies under a bobby cork and you’re guaranteed to pique the interest of a passing longtail or mackerel.

Some good fish will be taken from the rocks this month. Jewfish and tailor will still be about, but not in the same numbers they were over winter.

Night fishing the beaches will produce the occasional solid mulloway and the ever-present sharks and rays. The beach gutters will also be a good spot to prospect for flathead and whiting.

OFFSHORE February is mackerel fever time here in Coffs, and it’s always easy to tell the mackerel run is in full swing when you witness the bedlam at the boat

Brendan and his daughter Zoe caught this lovely flathead in the Passage on the Sunshine Coast. They used pilchards as bait and the fish was released after a few quick photos.

FEBRUARY 2022

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NSW

Fishing pressure eases up THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

Well hopefully we all got through the holiday season and managed to refresh with some fishing before

on surface lures. Whiting have been good on most days, with Pelican island and Limeburners Creek flats giving up some good fish. In the Camden, Watsons Taylor Lake and Queens have whiting and are also worth targeting. Provided Lake

Cathies water is reasonable, it will produce also.

Flathead have been as good as ever in most parts of the Hastings, and soft plastics have been reliable most days. It’s a fun way to spend a few hours. Bream will be spread upriver if we haven’t

Whiting fishing on the sand flats has been great, as Maryanne and Michael discovered. getting back into our work routines. The good news for regular anglers is the water traffic and associated pressure on fish should ease this month, and the fishing should be good.

Beach fishing for whiting and bream has been worth putting the effort in using fresh beachworms for bait. Both of these species have played the game, with Lighthouse Beach and Camden Haven Beach producing. There are quite a few little beaches in the Hastings region that are worth a look at as well. The beaches have been fishing OK for flathead as well, with some fishos using soft plastics and jerkbaits to get some good results.

The Hastings has been fishing well, and February is still a top time to chase whiting, bream and flathead

had any heavier falls of rain, and you can have some good sport casting surface lures around the edges. You don’t necessarily have to find the tree-lined banks, although they can be good. Don’t overlook some of the clay banks upriver either, in the Hastings itself or the Maria River arm. These clay banks turn up some good fish, and casting your Splash Prawn or Sugapen right on the edge can draw them up – plus you won’t have to go in to retrieve your lures as much!

I haven’t been doing a lot of mulloway fishing lately in the river but there is plenty of bait upriver at this time of year. Provided no heavy falls of rain come, you certainly could tangle with a few in the upper sections this month. Be persistent and mix up your session by using a few styles of lure.

If you’re fishing with a mate, try different methods – one of you can use a soft vibe and the other can use a plastic. This way, you can work out what is happening on the day.

Most importantly, if you’re fishing from a boat you should use your electronics to find the depth

Brendan and Brodie getting into the bream on surface lures.

Young Callum with a good whiting on his first day lure fishing.

Callum with a 52cm flatty.

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A nice bag of whiting destined for the table. Yum!

and drop-offs. Then, if you find bait as well, you are in with a great chance. Fish the tide changes, and if you are in a boat you can follow the tide upriver, giving yourself more time and chances.

Mud crabbing has been consistent and hopefully should stay that way this month, so it’s worth putting in your traps. Familiarise yourself with the Fisheries rules when crabbing so you won’t get yourself into any trouble.

Hopefully next report I will have the results for you from the Golden Lure, Port Macquarie’s game fishing tournament.

NSW

EAC escalates action FORSTER

Luke Austin

I absolutely love fishing at this time of the year – the next 2-3 months have to be my favourite by a mile! Anything is possible from now on. The warm EAC that is raging not far off our coast has kicked everything into gear and there’s loads of fish activity and plenty of ‘random’ captures cruising about, as

chasing down and hitting his 190mm bent lure that was intended for flathead!

Targeting these tasty little guys is very easy, all you need to do is fish one of the numerous sand flats that are littered throughout the estuary on the top of the tide using baits of beachworm, yabby, prawn or pipi, and you are almost guaranteed a few fish. Alternatively, you can target the same areas with small (up to 120mm) stickbaits or poppers that

in the southern half of the system are still holding great numbers of cracking bream, which have been belting just about any lure offering with gusto. Drifting baits through The Cut and over The Step has also been an effective way of nailing the odd bream, as has floating unweighted baits into just about any of the oyster leases up around Wallis Island. This year’s winter bream season is really shaping up to be a cracker; we have had loads of big bream hanging about the rock walls and bridge pylons over the warmer months, and the number of these big brutes should really start increasing toward the end of this month.

Our beaches are still cruising along very nicely.

There have been some nice tailor hunting in the corners early and late in the day, with the better fish getting up to about 65cm. It’s great to

Hard to beat Glenn’s mega flatty on surface! see a few of these fish about, and with a bit of luck we will see a great tailor season again this winter! Fishing the

Muz with a nice tuna. It’s definitely pelagic time! well as the usual pelagics.

In the estuary things are firing, with fish being caught all over the place. Flathead continue to fish very well and seem to have spread out a little now, which is great news for those anglers fishing a little further upstream. The bigger fish are definitely still hanging about down around The Paddock, the bridge, Breckenridge Channel and the rock walls, but I have had some great reports coming in from anglers as far upstream as Coolongolook and well up into the Wallamba River.

As is always the case with these fish, unless you’re using live bait you are best off targeting them with artificial offerings such as 3-4” soft plastics and vibe type lures. If you do prefer to chase these fish on bait, there are huge numbers of herring schooled up in the system now, and jigging a handful of these little guys is a sure-fire way of scoring some great flathead (and quite possibly a mulloway or kingfish).

Sand whiting are loving the warm water that we have had lately, and are super active up on the sand flats.

One angler even had them

imitate a fleeing prawn.

Once you start to focus your efforts on these shallow sand flat areas you will be surprised by just how much activity there can be in kneedeep water!

The weed bed areas

Matty with a cracking weed bed bream.

gutters on the top of the tide with baits of beachworm or pipi should land you some nice whiting and bream, with 9 Mile producing some good flathead as well.

The local stones are starting to heat up now, with the odd report of tuna starting to filter through. You know things have hit another level once anglers start catching things like Watson’s leaping bonito and lesser queenfish, both species that are synonymous with mackerel and tuna action! For anglers casting lures, there are good numbers of tailor mixed in with the warm water species as well, which is great to see.

Offshore water temps are holding nice and steady, with most areas sitting between about 23-25°C. This kind of temperature gets the mind wandering when planning the next trip out… should I chase snapper or switch it up and have a crack for a pelagic? On the right day you can definitely do both!

For the demersal anglers,

things are on the improve with a lot more fish hitting the cleaning tables of late.

Snapper and trag have been great out a bit wider (50m+) with the 65-70m mark producing some particularly nice fish up to about 70cm.

Unfortunately, the same deep grounds are also getting hammered with current, which can make it tricky and somewhat frustrating to fish.

There have been a few fish in shallow but you will have to work hard to find them; hitting the shallow stuff off Red Head and Old Bar will give you your best shot.

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NSW

Excellent estuary outcomes PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

In the estuary there’s plenty going on starting with fantastic numbers of whiting on all of the estuarine beaches from Corlette to Shoal Bay, to the northern side of the bay along Jimmys Beach to the boulders.

High tides are when whiting move into the shallows to feed and the best bait you can use for them are live worms followed by live nippers. The water is typically very clean along the beaches, which can make them quite leader shy so use no more then 6lb for best results. Surface lures still working well on the whiting too around Taylor’s Beach through to the western side of Soldiers Point.

Flathead remain in terrific numbers down the system all the way from Kangaroo Point to Shoal Bay. Early morning or late afternoons spent flicking soft plastics or hard bodies around these parts will produce lizards up to an impressive 90cm.

If you’re after a feed of squid or for bait you can’t go past the shoal bay moorings that are by far the most

consistent squid producer in Port Stephens. Other areas that also worth a shot will be the weed beds along Jimmy’s Beach.

Blue Swimmer crabs have come on with good reports all coming from Tilligerry, North Arm Cove, and Karuah.

OCEAN BEACHES Whiting are on fire

Get yourself some live worms or pipis find a good-looking gutter on high tide and you should be in business. I like to run a double dropper rig when I beach fish for whiting with two long shank hooks about 1m apart which you can by premade from most tackle stores.

The ocean beaches

you can ideally something live like mullet, whiting or a tailor.

ROCKS Some good squid around in those protected bays and coves from Fingal through to Boulder Bay with 3.0 size jigs the best for ocean rocks.

Some smaller pelagics starting to show with bonito from Tomaree and Fingal

It’s always good for squid in the Shoal Bay moorings. headlands and it won’t be long before a few mac tuna show up followed by long tails.

OFFSHORE February in Port Stephens offshore is all about marlin with both the Garmin Billfish Shoot Out and NSW Interclub Tournaments taking place this month.

Mac tuna should not be far away. along Fingal, Samurai and Stockton beaches with a few solid bream getting around too.

will be worth targeting a mulloway, especially if you make the effort to get yourself the freshest bait

Warm water visitors SWANSEA

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There are plenty of whiting on the chew.

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It’s shaping up to be some great fishing in those comps with good numbers of stripes and blues on the shelf and plenty of little black marlin in close too.

Elsewhere offshore snapper around Edith Breakers through to Broughton Island and a few trag on the Gibber, 21 and Vee reefs.

The water offshore has really kicked into gear.

We’re seeing some really nice blue water, with temps up to 24.5°C or so. As a result, we are already starting to see pelagics start to move in, and February will of course be the peak time for those pelagics.

Striped marlin and a lot of black marlin have started to appear, along with some really nice dolphinfish (mahimahi). I get a lot of questions about where the dollies are. On the FADs the dollies aren’t big, but if you’re trolling skirted lures in the general vicinity of the FAD or further afield, you can get good specimens up to 20kg, particularly on the troll between The Farm and the shelf, out in that really balmy blue water. 8” and 10” skirts, such as JB Lures cut faces or Zak Attacks, are good choices. Bear in mind that black marlin will aggressively swoop on these lures as well.

Lure colour comes down to personal preference, but lumo/green is popular, and purples too. Troll them at around 8 knots, and if you don’t have outriggers you can put the rods in the corners. Be prepared to wait a while between bites. Yes, some days are

blinders, but at other times it’s very quiet. You have to put in the time on the water to get the results you’re after.

On our reefs we’ve seen an increase in water temperatures, so a lot of trag are being caught, along with some very nice snapper. Both species can be caught very early in the morning and late in the day.

There are a few mulloway offshore too, and they’re always a welcome bycatch.

Snapper in particular like floating bait. You can catch them by anchoring on top of the reef and fishing the edge of the reef, floating out your bait in an unbroken berley trail.

Good bait choices include pillies, fresh slimy strips or squid, with a ball sinker running straight to the hook. Baitrunners are the reel of choice when floating out baits for snapper.

Trag like taking whole pillies fished on the bottom, and these predators have a tell-tale bite. They tend to suck on the bait and swim up with it a bit, so when you get the interest from a trag, just lift the rod tip and watch the tip start to load before you strike.

Surface-wise, we’re only started to see a few bonito at the start of January; they were quite late this year. You can catch them trolling little white or pink feather 3-4” skirts, or

trolling 5” deep diving lures. Lures like Rapalas, YoZuris and Redics will do the job, because they get down to that 2-3m depth. Sometimes you’ll get really good size bonito (2-3kg) down deeper, with the smaller fish holding higher up.

Surprisingly, there are a few summer tailor mixed in. If the water temperatures continue to remain high this month, we may see some of the northern species show up, such as Spanish mackerel or spotted mackerel. Who knows? When the water is as warm as it is now, it’s exciting because you never know what will turn up next.

The good beach fishing has continued, with good numbers of whiting, a lot of dart, a few bream and now a sprinkling of tailor.

Tailor numbers should increase around the end of February.

The best rig to fish off the beaches for whiting is a 2-hook paternoster, and worm is the best bait by far, either tube worms or beach worms. For tailor, a full pillie on a gang hook on a running sinker is the go. When the tailor really start to come through, a 65g metal slice off the beaches is sufficient. A 10-12ft rod is preferred, To page 71

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Peak fishing month CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

As crowds start thinning out and we begin to notice a touch of coolness to the morning air, local fishing can really step up a notch at this time of year. In fact, I would personally regard February as one of our peak fishing months, regardless of which species or angling arena one may favour.

do. Although it’s certainly not uncommon to cop some bad weather or even flooding in February, the latter stages of summer are generally more stable and predictable than earlier in the season.

Chasing the annual run of small inshore pelagics like bonito, kingfish and mac tuna is pretty much a tradition for many local rock hoppers and inshore boaties. I’ve certainly done more than my share of this

into these hard-fighting speedsters.

Of course, we can’t forget, it’s not only the smaller predators that swim along the coast at this time of year. Many keen locals like to head to Port Stephens, Port Macquarie or South West Rocks in search of marlin, mackerel, cobia and mahimahi.

Having fished a lot off South West Rocks in the past, I know it can really turn on some fireworks

There won’t be a problem rounding up a few flathead in the coming weeks. While catch and release is very common these days, flathead are good on the plate, especially fish around 50cm.

Small pelagics are on the prowl this month. Bonito are probably the most common customer, although striped tuna, mac tuna and kingfish are also quite possible around the headlands and inshore reef systems.

Aside from only a small handful of species such as salmon, trevally and luderick, the next six weeks or so is when pretty much everything fires up, from our small creeks through to the wider offshore stuff. So, deciding what to chase this month is largely a matter of personal choice and what the weather allows us to From page 70

matched to a threadline reel because it’s easier to cast and retrieve.

When it comes to estuary fishing, particularly the channel and the lake, we’ve been seeing increased numbers of squid. They should increase further in the coming weeks at their regular local haunts, particularly Murrays Beach.

The other thing is we’ll see this month is the continuation of whiting, bream and flathead.

We’ve had a cracking whiting season through January for whiting, but in February we’ll see those whiting numbers slowly drop off (and bream numbers increase to take their place). In spite of that, it’s still a very good time of year to fish. Blink and February is over, so make the most of it! There’s just so much

sort of fishing over the years, and will be the first to admit it’s quite addictive and productive. Some anglers may just want to score a feed of fresh fish, while others like to catch small pelagics to save as snapper or bream bait.

Whatever the end result, there’s no denying the fun factor when hooking

in February. However, it can still be windy, a bit crowded and there’s an element of luck involved with the fishing.

If you’re not able to get up that way, bear in mind that marlin, mahimahi and even the odd cobia are also quite possible on our home patch. It’s not that uncommon either

happening on all fronts.

Flathead are still around in very good numbers, and soft plastic lures have been working very well in the shallower water. I recommend using a 1/4-1/3oz jighead with a 3/0 hook, depending on size of plastics. At this of year I prefer paddle tails and grub tails, because you’ll be casting up into the shallow backs and working the plastic back with a slow retrieve. I prefer a 4” tail in black/gold or green, but high-contrast colours such as white go very well too, because they’re easy for the flathead to spot. I like the Squidgy Fish in black/ gold, Gulp Jiggin Grub in nuclear chicken, and the new 100mm Squidgy Prawn Wriggler in the bloodworm colour. Whichever option you choose, you want a tail that works well during a slow retrieve.

Towards the end of February we will see

the flathead finish their spawning and start to move seaward. They will move off the coast for a couple of months to have a rest and recover, before moving back in around May. • Fisherman’s Warehouse Tackle World has a large range fresh and frozen bait as well as a huge range of rods, reels, lures and accessories. They also sell and service outboard motors, and have a competitivelypriced selection of new and second-hand boats.

The friendly staff are all experienced local anglers, and they’re always happy to share their knowledge, whether you’re a novice or experienced angler. Drop in for a chat at 804 Pacific Highway, Marks Point, or give them a call on (02) 4945 2152. You can also find them on Facebook, or check out their website at www.fishermanswarehouse .com.au.

for such fish to show up only a short run from the ramps at Swansea, Norah or Terrigal.

ROCK AND BEACH While quite a few anglers may be more focused on casting lures for bonito or kings, this is still a good month to chase up bream, whiting, tailor and jewies. In fact, it may well be our best month for beach whiting, and while chasing these tasty fish we should expect bream, tailor and the occasional flathead to get in on the act.

Also to be expected

I’ve had some crazy battles with big eagles over the years and, frustratingly, it’s impossible to tell them apart from a decent jewie in the first 5-10 minutes.

They can really get your hopes up!

Then some nights the small to medium size whaler sharks move in.

Again, they fight hard and run fast, but they also come with an additional problem: teeth. Sometimes a whaler may get hooked somewhere outside of its mouth, but if they take the bait properly you’ll most likely be bitten

the creeks. However, bream inhabit the entire Tuggerah Lakes system and through the warmer months most of the better bream fishing with lures can be enjoyed wherever it’s shallow, with a mixture of weed and sandy patches. Suitable spots can be found near Elizabeth Bay, Budgewoi, Buff Point, Toukley, Tuggerawong and Long Jetty.

Don’t be too put off by the weed, as it’s an important part of the ecosystem and it’s why there are plenty of fish in the lakes in the first place. The weed provides

Bream have been out in full force over summer. February is another first-class month for them, especially if you’re into lure casting. along our beaches this month are sharks and rays.

Some years these can quite abundant and can be seen as a pest, depending on your outlook. Eagle rays for example, are often hooked after sunset while chasing jewfish. At any size, eagle rays fight very hard for their size and make for great sport, but the larger eagle rays can really go ballistic and strip all the line from your spool within a few minutes.

off in the blink of an eye.

For that reason, you should pack some extra hooks and be prepared for some interesting encounters when beach fishing this month.

LAKES ALIVE With plenty of rain last November and December, it primed the lakes for a ripper bream season. The more popular places to chase bream are around The Entrance and over at Tacoma or Chittaway, up

natural food and shelter from predators for prawns, crabs and juvenile fish.

When bream are the target though, also look for clearer sandy patches adjacent to weed, rather than trying to fish lures right into the thickest areas of weed.

Once you get the hang of finding such bream spots around the lakes, you may be quite surprised at the sheer numbers of fish that call these lakes home!

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Peace at last for locals ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

Now we’re talking! There’s none of this wondering where to fish and what you might catch business, because it doesn’t matter – there are fish everywhere, so grab your gear and get out there.

The lake is firing on all cylinders, with flathead and whiting the main targets.

With many of the holiday crowd now gone, there is a bit more room and quiet, so the fish stay on the bite for longer and you have the choice of a few more spots that aren’t crowded.

The flats from the drop-off down to the entrance are the place to chase the whiting. Squirt worms are the number one bait, but small live prawns are a pretty close second.

Early mornings and late

evenings on the falling tides are a good time to break out the poppers for a bit of fun.

Flathead are everywhere all over the lake and you will even pick up a few while chasing whiting. The ever-popular drop-off is the place for best results, but anywhere in the main channel or the rest of the lake will produce a few fish. Live poddy mullet and plastics, as usual, are the go-to baits.

There are also tailor, bream in the evenings

On the rocks it is a free-for-all some days, with bonito, salmon, tailor, frigates, trevally and small to large kings smashing baitfish on the deeper ledges like Hill 60, Bass Point, Kiama, Coalcliff, the harbour break walls and areas in between. Shiny metal lures that cast a good distance are scoring well, although it doesn’t happen every day. Still, even on the off days there are still plenty of takers if you keep casting – you just don’t get

You never know what might turn up this month. scraps and injured baitfish under the feeding pelagics, so all is good off the stones this month.

The beaches are not going to be left out, with every one of the Illawarra’s 17 beaches holding species of one type or another.

Whiting are on all of them.

Beachworms are the bait of choice, and fished on the edge of the gutters on the falling tide you pretty much can’t miss. A few dart have been in the mix along with some nice bream.

A few salmon have been grabbing worms and they

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always go hard.

For a shot at a big jewie, try fishing the evenings on the top of the tide on any of the beaches with a deeper gutter. There are fair numbers of smaller jewies about so you may have to work your way up the size chain. Salmon and some solid tailor are on the beaches in the evenings too, along with the odd good flathead, so you shouldn’t get bored. Throw in the ever-present rays and those rotten whaler sharks and you may even be kept busy.

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FEBRUARY 2022

There are lots of good flathead like these in the lake at the moment. around the bridge, some big mullet in the feeder streams, salmon down at the entrance and even the odd jewie showing in the usual spots. However, with so many flats and whiting on offer, the other fish seem to be getting a rest.

The prawns will be about on the dark but they are mostly bait size as they run to sea regularly and don’t grow as big now that the entrance is open permanently. Still, a bit of fun in the evening equates to fantastic results on the fish when they are used live for bait.

There are still plenty of blue swimmers in the lake too, so there’s plenty of variety on offer for the table.

a strike every cast as soon as you start turning the handle on these days.

The land-based live bait crew have their best fishing this month, with most eyes on the big prize of marlin off the rocks. Kiama and Bass Point south side are the ledges that will be the most likely to produce. Live slimies and frigates are the baits of choice, but big yakkas do well too.

Big kings are about, picking up the livies, particularly pre-sunrise.

There’s also the odd big mac tuna and even a few longtails late in the month, and hammerhead sharks will be a nuisance too.

Bream and trevally, and even a stray snapper or two, will be around picking up

There are plenty of kings in all the usual spots.

along with just about anything you want to chase.

The hot water came through early this year, with the black marlin arriving right on New Years, so we’ve had a heap of fun already.

The inshore reefs and wider have all held fish in recent weeks, and should keep on providing this month as well. Striped marlin and big blues are out wider, but why waste all that fuel if the blacks are in close?

I suppose the chance of dolphinfish, wahoo, yellowfin tuna and sailfish as by-catch could be a good incentive to fish wider, but the closer reefs will have some quality kingfish with the chance of northern visitors like Spanish mackerel and cobia for the lucky few who cross their paths. The anglers fishing for kings are more likely to find the cobia, while the snapper fishos using whole pilchards could get a hot run from a mackerel – or just lose their hooks and not feel a thing.

The FADs are holding plenty of dolphinfish, with the size mostly dictated by the current. When it runs hard from the north the fish are usually bigger.

There are some nice reds over the reefs taking lures and bait,s with the odd pearl perch and even a stray spangled emperor showing up. Samsonfish are in good numbers, and although they’re not overly large they still pull hard.

A few teraglin, trevally and mowies are rounding out the bags.

The flathead are on the chew on every piece of sand along the coast, and they are a good size again this year.

There are a few flounder and gurnard in the mix as well so get out there, and good luck.

NSW

Marlin to whiting: summer is on!

BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

Marlin came to town at the end of December. The bite was down on the last couple of years, but it was still good to see some around as we usually expect them in January onwards. A December showing is always a good start.

We have had some great Januarys in the past, but it’s February and March when you can get crazy double figure days. We

fish, and skip baits and live baits catch fish. Lures have added more interesting colours to the skirts, and if your skills are up to it, there are lighter and more prickly hooks available, which will increase hook-up rates. Still, with too much pressure you will straighten the hooks. You want to straighten these hooks when you pop off the marlin boat-side after tagging the fish. BKK, VMC and Gamakatsu specialize in such hooks.

A good combination of a skilled boat driver and

Teasers have reduced the number of rods needed; running three teasers and two rods has been my game plan over the years.

The importance of raising fish has been paramount over dragging six rigged lures around.

When a fish is raised without warning, a skip bait is presented behind the teasers for its liking.

If a fish is noticed on the sounder or coming in, then livies are deployed, and not much has changed in this department either. I reckon you can’t go past NEO fluorocarbon, which is strong, thin, hard and reliable. When the bite is tough, then going down to 80lb NEO is the move to make. You can’t go too light to get the bite.

Popular hooks are circle in the way of Eagle Claw, Owner Tournament Mutu, Black Magic KLT and BKK. The FAD is out, and at the time of writing I’m getting reports of small dolphinfish on the Ulladulla FAD. As you read this, expect dollies to be in full swing on most FADs. Nothing beats scoring the best table fish on the planet. On some days you can catch them on absolutely anything, from trolled skirts to live baits, from expensive hardbodies to cheap metals, while on other days they can be fussy about what you throw at them. Generally, however, they are easy to catch if they are in numbers. Other spectators at the FAD are usually kingies and the odd visiting marlin.

Inshore reef fishing has been quite consistent

over the last few years at this time of the year. Let’s hope this continues and the snapper are in numbers for years to come. Everyone is absolutely loving micro jigs these days, and these lures are often bought in combination with bait. My last inshore sessions on micro jigs had me catching 10-20 species each time – absolutely everything hits them. Look out for the upcoming Fishing Australia episode hosted

by Rob Paxevanos and myself catching snapper off the coast of Batemans Bay. Off the stones let’s hope we see a good presence of kingfish this season. We had some 15kg kings passing our ledges during January, and hope this builds and stays into early autumn.

Last summer bonito and mac tuna were in massive numbers, with more of them up north and only a small amount down the south coast. Let’s hope they push more south this year, which I’m feeling they will as it’s coming around to seven or so years since we have seen them in massive proportions. With the La Niña weather pattern here, I’m feeling lucky.

The beaches are alive with whiting at this time of the year, and nothing works better than worms and nippers on these guys.

Pipis are also a good option.

In the estuary the same applies, and if you don’t have these baits a constant moving surface lure can do the trick. Fishing the beaches in summer is all about whiting and salmon, tailor, bream and flathead coming in second. Night

Rick Grimsmell and crew on Happy Ending getting into the beakies. fishing the beaches is becoming more popular for chasing sharks these days, and it can also lead to a mulloway capture.

The estuaries are on fire, and more people each year are adding hardbodies and plastics to their bait purchase at tackle stores.

Bream, flathead, whiting are the main targets, but

Craig Bindon with a cracking red. have a good bait source of slimy mackerel stacked out there, and that is the main ingredient for a good season. Slimies are in great numbers from inshore to offshore. The South Coast is looking forward to a good season as it attracts a lot of anglers to visit the area and inject some money into the economy.

Plus, it’s great sharing the vibe and connecting with past friends made from the sport. The Tollgate Classic in Batemans Bay is one event in mid-January that attracts people and makes friendships for life.

Catching marlin hasn’t changed much over the years. What has changed is that leaders have become lighter, and skip baiting and live baiting have become more popular than lures, because lures drop

angler will keep the lighter gauged hook set, and once you have that combo right you won’t use any other hook style again for lures.

One edition to the lure lovers is the new Nomad Flying Fish. This is more of a hardbody that represents a rigged flying fish. The set-up reminds me of the Bluewater livies, just hard instead of soft, and it skims along the surface like a flying fish.

Live baits and skip baits are still the most successful way to catch marlin.

Raising fish these days is typically with the aid of more elaborate teasers in the way of dredges with holographic fish strips representing a bait ball, plus maybe a surface teaser of brightly coloured squid and maybe a third teaser being a large Mold Craft.

Coops and Dylan got onto some summer kings.

plenty of trevally, estuary perch, tailor and so on are common visitors, and the most welcomed bycatch is the mulloway.

We are still seeing plenty of juveniles in the system (60cm and under) with the odd 80-100cm model getting captured.

Quite often mulloway are targeted at the night tide changes, and most are caught then.

Upstream I haven’t heard of much bass action lately, but that’s due to fewer anglers targeting them. The bass could well be on the chew. The echoing sound of cicadas will lure more anglers upstream to get on the bass action, which will be in full swing this February.

As you can see, it’s the time of the year when there is action aplenty, from upstream to out the front to inshore reefs and beyond to the offshore waters. It’s a red-hot time of the year for fishing, so come to the South Coast and get some of the action.

• 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).

FEBRUARY 2022

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It is a late season BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

From late winter, through spring and right into summer, all these seasons have been late, resulting in the fishing season being late. However, now it’s starting to fire and it’s time to go make the most of it.

Offshore game fishing is at its best right now, with large numbers of marlin,

tuna, sharks and dolphinfish patrolling the vast baitfish schools that come with the warm summer water. The edge of the Continental Shelf, Twelve, Six and even as in close as the Four Mile reefs will all hold their share of baitfish, and along with them will be the predators.

For the marlin every season is different, as the tides, moon phases and current dictate where the fish will be holding.

A well-set lure pattern

trolled behind boats will undoubtedly produce fish, and not only marlin but other species as well. If water temps are up, start trolling close to shore and work your way out to find where the fish are holding.

Once found, work the areas over, whether it be with baits or staying on the lures.

Sharks are best targeted with berley, and for best results use plenty of tuna in it. Out over the Shelf will be the better areas, with makos, blues, hammerheads and

The Judd family from Shepparton enjoying shallow water bream fishing.

You can’t get a much prettier fish than the red gurnard, and they are also pretty good eating.

tigers all in the warm water.

Berleying the Twelve Mile will also produce sharks, with the added bonus of being able to bottom fish.

Speaking of bottom fishing, it’s also tops at present, with most species being encountered.

Montague Island has good numbers of kingfish surrounding it, along with most other reef-dwellers.

From there, the step out from Tilba back towards Bermagui has good numbers of sand flathead, red gurnard and the odd gummy shark. Closer again to shore out from Camel

Rock, plenty of small to mid-range sand flathead are being caught.

South of Bermagui, the reefs through to Goalen Head and as far out as the Twelve Mile are producing large amounts of quality bottom-dwellers. Snapper, morwong, tiger flathead, kingies and a host of others are all to be encountered in surprisingly increasing numbers. This may be due to the reduction of commercial fishing activities within the area due to the government buyback scheme. Bermagui no longer has a permanent long line fleet and is

reduced to two trawlers and a few bait and drop line boats. This is good news for the recreational fishos.

The warm water pushing right into the shoreline is giving beach and especially rock anglers the chance of some good pelagic action.

The deeper rock platforms around Bermagui Headland, Mystery Bay to the north and Bunga to the south, are seeing a host of different surface-feeding fish come within range of the landbased fisher.

Those anglers wishing to target these species from To page 75 (Bermagui)

The best time of year TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Now the holidays are finished and most of the tourists are gone it is time for the more serious anglers to cash in on the best time of year: late summer.

Whether you are a landbased angler, boater or game fisho, there’s some good fishing on offer – it’s just up to you to go and find it.

Tathra wharf is well worth a visit now that the crowds have departed. A whole host of species are available, from pelagics in the form of tuna, kingfish and sharks to the lessor bonito, frigates, salmon and tailor.

Live baits or lures will both perform for these speedsters.

Mackerel and trevally are playing havoc around the pylons, while there are sand flathead on the bottom plus luderick and garfish closer to the rocks.

Lots of these species can be caught from the adjacent rock platforms, especially the game fish.

Live baiting is by far the best way to catch them, 74

FEBRUARY 2022

drifted out under a float or a balloon. Time can be spent chasing groper, drummer, leatherjacket and wrasse while waiting for that big bite, or you

can cast lures to passing schools of salmon.

Out to sea, warm water has provided the right conditions for both bottom and gamefish

These young anglers love chasing bream, and there are plenty to be found in and around Tathra.

Now the crowds have gone it’s easy to fish for five different species within minutes of Kianinny Bay boat ramp.

alike. Small tuna schools and baitfish are attracting large predators like marlin, sharks and large tuna in very close to shore. Using live striped tuna has been accounting for some large hammerhead sharks plus the odd marlin, particularly blacks. For better results, go to lures to cover the water more effectively, which will also target a greater range of species.

Blue marlin are more likely to be captured using large skirted pushers.

Around the reef complexes bottom fishing is also excellent, with a variety of species gracing anglers’ bags. Flathead are most highly prized table fare here, with grounds both north and south producing both sand and tigers, with the odd red gurnard thrown in. North to Goalen Head, this complex system is providing anglers with plenty of fun with nice snapper, morwong and some excellent kingfish. Be prepared here as gamefish

like marlin will come close to shore.

A must on a visit to Tathra is a day trip to Brogo Dam chasing Australian bass. Evenings are providing good surface action for both fly and lure anglers, and casting to snags or weed beds will produce as well. Or, if you wish, just lay back, soak a worm and enjoy its beauty.

In the Bega River, all throughout, the system is To page 75 (Tathra)

NSW

From page 74 (Bermagui)

the stones (which might include kingfish, tunas, sharks, the occasional marlin and to the lesser scale salmon and bonito) may do so using a variety of techniques. Lure fishing has gained popularity again with the introduction of large plastics to the scene.

The old high-speed retrieve with a large metal lure is

as do frigate mackerel, slimies, tailor, bonito, yakkas and squid, and when one of these gets eaten, you’d better be prepared to hang on.

Estuary fishing couldn’t be better, with warm water throughout the systems making for good fishing.

The tidal flats will produce whiting, bream, blackfish and a host of other species

on squirt worms or nippers with the rising tide. Small lures and flies will work too, and if you haven’t got a boat the weather should be warm enough to wade as the tide recedes.

The places that are fishing the best in the Bermagui River are around any form of structure,

whether it be at high or low tide. These areas give fish cover and a safety zone, and may come in the form of weed beds, rock and oyster bars, drop-offs, or manmade structure like bridge pylons and boat jetties.

Unlike what you’ve seen on TV, you don’t have to throw baits and lures right into the structured areas. Try holding out from these areas and bring the fish to you, where they can be fought out in clear water, reducing the chance of break-offs. To do this, consider using berley; it’s surprising how far fish (especially bream) will travel from their safety zone when enticed by a scent.

Other lakes and estuaries surrounding Bermagui that are closed to the ocean may require a different approach. In these systems, fish have to travel regularly to feed, and this is good news for those anglers wishing to use lures or flies. Polaroid fish in shallow areas to see what patterns they are forming.

If fish are moving in a stopstart routine, pausing often, this generally means they are looking to feed, and should be targeted. When the fish are grouped and holding in snags (bream especially) they tend to be resting, although they still might be enticed by a wellplaced lure.

through to the entrance of the river is holding most estuary species only too willing to feed. Lures will do the job on most species like flathead and bream, although for best results fresh live mullet, nippers and prawns will attract the most attention.

Speaking of prawns, the river is holding good stocks for those who wish to go chasing them, and with the dark being in early Feb, go and enjoy.

Beaches around the area are also fishing well, with the highlight being whiting on beach worms adjacent to the Bega River.

These fish are of a good size and there are plenty of them. Mixed in are some sizeable southern yellowfin bream and big sand mullet. Salmon and tailor are prolific on most of the beaches in the area, being taken on strip baits, pilchards or lures either side of the high tide.

Hopefully this is what end of summer will be all about – calm seas and hooked up to a marlin. not forgotten either, and is producing a variety of different speedsters. Live baiting is still the favoured way of producing large fish from the rocks, and some of the baits used are pretty exciting too. Salmon in the 1-2kg bracket often find themselves under a balloon with a hook in their back, From page 74 (Tathra)

firing. The upper reaches towards and into the fresh is producing good bass as well as estuary perch.

Some days just about every lure placed to a snag will get smashed, while on other days when the barometer is down, exercising that casting arm may be your only reward, so when chasing these fish, choose your day carefully.

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Brogo Dam is full, beautiful and producing plenty of bass.

FEBRUARY 2022

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NSW

Targeting the fish highways NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

As we head into autumn the fishing opportunities should continue to stay productive, with water temperatures

and other birds – all of which are abundant of late.

The local impoundments, Copeton and Pindari, continued to fish well through the holiday period, with good reports of yellowbelly and Murray cod being caught

of year, and are definitely recommended to have in your tacklebox. I would even suggest having a mixed variety of bigger and smaller hardbodies as well to cover most situations you are dealt with, from deep to shallow. Trolling

fish in the impoundments.

There is no substitute for time on water, and sometimes it might only take one little factor such as extra time or the moon rise or fall to help trigger that one big bite. The new moon is happening around the start of this month (1st) with the full moon being around the 17th.

At the time of writing, Copeton Dam is currently sitting at around 98% with Pindari Dam sitting at full capacity (100%).

Good luck to all getting out and about this month, and tight lines!

Murray cod are in a healthy condition at this time of year. This chunky river cod could not resist a modified spinnerbait style lure.

The rivers are in beautiful condition after good rain events. Fingers crossed for an awesome year ahead for the natives. still relatively warm for several more weeks.

Although more rain is forecast for the near future, the weather should start to stabilise, leading to fewer bigger rain events. This, in theory, should make the river

on both lures and bait fairly consistently. Both dams are right up around full capacity, which has created lots of structure and ambush points for the fish to live and feed around, as there’s nowhere near as much exposed banks left

hardbodies down in the depths can prove to be very fruitful when the fishing tends to go a bit slow.

The moon is also worth a mention, because that is when you want to spend more time on the water, especially when trying to outsmart the bigger, older

Having deep and shallow hardbodies can really increase fishing opportunities depending on the style of water you are fishing, from rivers to impoundments.

Aim for deep bass this summer HUNTER VALLEY

Nick Price

This month I will focus on the deep bite using Gulps and a sounder.

Traditionally, when the water temperature is ‘summer hot’, the fish go below the thermocline into water that is a more comfortable temperature.

These fish can be caught using curly tail grubs and a good quality sounder.

Water clarity determines whether curly or paddle tail plastics are used. Paddle tail plastics give off more vibration, while the curly tails are more of a visual stimulus. Always add scent or use a plastic that comes with scent, and you’ll now have three stimuli to entice the bass to react. It’s just a matter of working out how aggressive the bass are and if they need the vibration of a paddle tail or the visual cue of a curly tail.

When fishing the main basin at Glenbawn the water is generally very clear so I prefer to use curly tail grubs.

Working the grubs slowly can entice a reluctant bass to bite. Watch the grub on your sounder and drop it into a school of bass, or even an individual bass. Wind the grub up slowly past the bass. The trick is to have a very slow, light rod. I have a specific grubbing rod, but a small stream trout rod has the right action. Once a bass

A healthy Murray cod caught from the river on a subtle swimbait bite while fishing the backwater (edges of current), where the water wasn’t flowing as hard as the main riverbed. flows and impoundment levels more manageable for fishing.

Water clarity also seems to get better and clear up a lot more at this time of year, creating awesome fishing opportunities for lures in both the rivers and impoundments. With more consistent temperatures during autumn, with the crisper mornings and mild days, the natives can be found actively cruising the shallower sections at all hours of the day looking for a meal of baitfish, yabbies, reptiles or even baby ducks 76

FEBRUARY 2022

now compared to previous seasons gone by. Look for inlets where there is water flowing in with some thick structure like trees and rocky points, as well as open bank not far away.

These are perfect spots to be spending time casting or soaking a bait, as these places can act like fish highways, leading straight to baitlife and shelter.

Diving hardbodied lures, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and even swimbaits are all perfect lure choices at this time

Glenbawn bass are fat and fighting hard.

starts to bite, do not stop winding. Keep winding slowly and let the rod do the work. The rod will load up and the bass will be on.

Skirted jigs are another proven fish catcher at this time. Fish the jigs deep with your favourite trailer. The trick with skirted jigs at this time is a shake followed by a long pause. Patience is the key. Again, you should fish in 30-60ft of water around timber or other structure.

Use your sounder to find out which depth the fish are comfortable in and are holding, and then fish at this depth. Fish the jig on the bottom and don’t forget the long pause.

The bass can also be aggressive down deep so always try a blade and ice jig. Again, use your sounder to locate fish. Drop the blade or ice jig in front of the fish or in the school, and bounce it up and down. If the bass are not interested they will let you know, and you will see them disperse on the sounder. Don’t worry, they usually come back!

When finding deep bass, look off points or off deep timber. If you sit your boat just off the timber, often the bass will move under your To page 77

NSW

Savouring summer fishing LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

Summer temperatures finally got a kick along during the month of January. This should continue well into February, and will keep surface water

temperatures well above the 20°C mark in all the lakes. Trout in lake Lyell, TCD Thompsons Creek Dam, and Oberon Dam will generally be found a little deeper where water temperatures are cooler.

The main basin of lake Lyell offers some good depths to target these fish, it’s just the extra summer

traffic that can be a little hard to deal with. In fact, at times you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in a washing machine. An early morning session midweek is a good way to avoid the mayhem.

Lake Oberon and TCD are both good options if avoiding the masses ticks your boxes. Limited access and time restrictions need

to be considered with these waterways.

Steeper banks quite often are a dead giveaway to deeper water close by.

Casting and counting down spoons and soft plastics can be a deadly technique with trout on such banks.

Night-time options, especially at Oberon Dam, could well be on the cards.

Back in the day it was nothing to see a dozen or more keen anglers targeting mudeye feeding trout. I bet with the water levels and weed growth, the mudeye migration to the bank after dark will be well and truly on.

THE LATE EVENING RISE Our creeks and rivers get a little warm for trout during the height of summer during the middle parts of most days. You will find them tucked up under willow trees, undercut grassy banks and the like.

Extracting them can be a little tough. As light levels drop, they get a little more

Deeper water and somewhere to hide is a great place for trout during the height of summer. feeling is that a lot of fish perished during the drought of two years ago, and it will take some time for the rivers and creeks to recover.

It’s great to see the caring attitude of regular anglers in these parts; it bodes well for future opportunities.

The lakes are mostly full to the brim, and are

and slime, and these are the fish that are best targeted in such circumstances.

Small soft plastic grubs on a light jighead (4-8g) fished midwater near weed beds can be very effective.

Ditto a suspending jerkbait.

Both lures can be worked quite erratically to draw the attention of any active

A few early season walks chasing Murray cod revealed very little for the author. Hopefully reduced flows will reveal a little more.

From page 76

boat to take advantage of the boat’s shadow, which supplies cover during the day. This is a good trick to so you are not sticking your lures in to a tree, thereby reducing snagging.

There has been steady inflow this year of cool water from the feeder streams of the Barrington Tops, and this has meant that the edge bite has continued for longer than normal. I always fish surface early and late, because when the cicadas are out the bass find these an easy feed. Surface is a great way to catch big bass.

With this good steady inflow of water, you should keep an eye on water temperature. If you find an area around 23°C, always throw reaction bait such as a spinnerbait or chatterbait.

Bass and yellowbelly will still be caught on bait during February. Find a tree in the appropriate depth and drop your worm or yabby down. The trick is to move regularly. If you have not caught a fish in 20 minutes, move trees.

February is the start of the fishing competitions.

It looks like there will be plenty of competitions to be involved in, both at Glenbawn and St Clair.

ABT is holding their Glenbawn and St Clair

tournaments in March.

The tournaments have a non-boater section where the non-boater is matched to a pro. Both anglers fish together on the pro’s boat and fish as a team. This is a great way to learn new techniques and meet great people who love fishing.

this year. After many tournaments being cancelled due to COVID over the last two years I am praying they are back, as I am looking forward to the mateship and laughs that happen at these tournaments.

Next month I will continue with hints for

Catching a Murray cod on fly is no easy task. The odds are stacked against you, which makes success all the sweeter.

A nice Glenbawn golden.

Family Bassin kicks off in February. These are also very friendly competitions where all involved meet regularly for a fish and a laugh. Again, I highly recommend these competitions.

AYC has been including Glenbawn in their circuit and TEAMS Fishing Australia is holding tournaments

fishing deep, particularly when the bass just won’t bite and need to be enticed.

Remember, if you’re heading to Glenbawn or St Clair, please drop into the shop at the turn-off to Glenbawn in Aberdeen and ask about the different techniques and what they are biting on. We stock all the quality tackle that you need.

active, cruising about in the late evening or early morning. It’s a visual hunting style of fishing that is very hard to beat. The fish are not big but gee whiz, it’s fun fishing. Most can be tempted with a small dry fly or a softly landed floating minnow.

Drift nymphing or casting small Celtas on spin gear is also worth a try during the day, especially if it’s cloudy and cool.

TIME TO RECOVER Some early season walks chasing cod proved to be a little difficult, but things may have improved recently with reduced flows. My

offering anglers some great fishing. Wyangala has been very busy, but it continues to produce the goods.

I’ve had a few reports of anglers pulling baited rods out of the water due to the business of rebaiting and de-hooking cutting into drinking time.

Windamere water conditions have been frustrating plenty of anglers, mostly due to slime and weed, but there are ways of minimizing contact. Active feeding golden perch are very pelagic in nature and are quite often found cruising well away from the weed

golden perch.

Standing drowned trees will still hold a lot of golden perch at this time of year, and grubbing soft plastics or bobbing small yabbies can be deadly next to the limbs, keeping in mind the growth of slime is paramount to each presentation. Quite often the slime will only extend down to a certain depth. It’s better to pick a hole next to a limb and only drop your bait or lure the once, then keep it below the slime tide mark.

Hope to see you all on the water soon. Until then, tight lines.

FEBRUARY 2022

77

NSW

Good evening catches BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

This month (the hottest month of the year) no matter what your target species is, the best fishing will be had very early

to this, with redfin not feeling the effects of hot days as much as our natives or trout do. Redfin can still be caught all day long on hot days, and are your best target if you just have to fish during the day. At this time of the year redfin can be found anywhere from the

casting and retrieving or trolling with small lipless crankbaits and plastics will be your best bet.

MURRAY COD AND GOLDEN PERCH Your best chances of hooking into some of Blowering Dam’s resident natives will come after

Murray cod will be best targeted at night this month, but can still be tempted during the day, especially while repeat casting to likely holding areas with lures like this weedless frog.

There are some good-sized redfin schools patrolling the edges of Blowering Dam at the moment, and they are great targets for land-based anglers. and very late in the day, and particularly at night.

Avoiding the middle of the day in summer is not just something humans do – fish also feel uncomfortable in the middle of very hot days, and they will seek deep water or hide on, in or under the shady side of any structure. This often makes them hard to entice.

REDFIN There is one exception

surface all the way down to about 40ft deep, so it pays to have a good sounder, which will make locating them that much easier.

The best techniques depend on the depth of the located school, but if they’re holding deep and holding tight to the bottom it’s hard to beat jigging with ice-jigs, blades or Mask Vibes. If the fish are in quite shallow water or holding mid-water, then

dark this month. The temperature drops at night to a more comfortable zone, and the natives feel much more at ease because of the cooler temperatures. Add to this the fact that night is a form of cover for them, and you can see why it pays to fish or concentrate your efforts after dark.

When targeting Murray cod at Blowering Dam, trolling is still by far

the most popular technique, and the ever-reliable spinnerbait has been one of the most consistent fish takers. There have been some nice fish caught trolling hardbodies as well, but nowhere near as many as those caught with spinnerbaits. I suspect this is mainly due to the fact that most people use spinnerbaits, therefore more fish going to get caught on those lures.

from other creeks in the area have also been very positive, with good numbers finally back again after a fairly slow opening to the season.

I’ve been having all of my luck on the fly of late, with plenty of trout willing to rise for a dry.

It seems the bigger the fly the better, thanks to the plentiful grasshoppers around this year. Fish that haven’t been keen enough

also been getting great numbers of fish. The trout in the creeks that have been low and clear have all responded well to small naturally coloured hardbodies like the Rapala CD3, IMA Sukari, Insanity Tackle Sso Mino and Asari Matsuta.

The Tumut River has also fished well, which is no surprise as it is one of the most consistent trout fisheries in the country

The trout fishing in our streams and rivers has been sensational thanks to plentiful and regular rain. Most creeks have good numbers and are worth exploring.

When the redfin are up in the shallows, all that’s needed for a day of fun is a spin rod and a few feather-tailed spinners like the Bling spin.

78

FEBRUARY 2022

TROUT STREAMS The real drawcard in the area at the moment is the insane small stream trout fishing. I have fished and guided at several small creeks over the last couple of months, and all but one of them are fishing really well, with good to great numbers present. Reports

to stick their noses out for a dry have happily taken a weighted nymph suspended below the dry fly. My favourite and most proven nymphs are the red copper john gold bead nymphs, but natural blacks, browns and olives will also fool plenty of trout.

Lure anglers have

thanks to the super cold discharges from the bottom of Blowering Dam. The best techniques have been bait fishing with grubs or PowerBait because the river has been super high all season, and this makes it very difficult for lure and particularly fly anglers.

NSW

Honey holes changing ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

The past couple of months of the Murray cod season have provided plenty of highs and lows. The season thus far has proven how

completely unpredictable.

The consistent rainfall over the past few months has given some of the smaller bodies of water some fantastic flushes.

During these flushes, water levels were very high and exceptionally fast flowing,

for fishing, and in particular catching Murray cod? Well, it gives areas a huge change and opens up doors for new opportunities to catch these amazing fish. During the high flows fish can move upstream into new areas, which means that areas you previously have

This cod was caught from a stretch that used to be quite barren and shallow, but has now changed to have some good structure and depth.

This means that new feeding zones may now be opened up, and catching fish in these zones is a huge opportunity.

With this in mind, if you have previously skipped certain stretches in the past knowing

six years of lure fishing just about every weekend, after school and then after work.

Finally, I recently landed not only a metre plus fish from the river, but a genuine river 120cm+ fish. After losing

thud of a yellowbelly eating my spinnerbait. Myself and my best friend could not believe it – a fish on a lure!

After that I started to put the puzzle together, and the numbers of fish started to

Say cheers with the river beast! This fish was caught on a Kuttafurra Mudhoney. good cod fishing can be, but has also proven how tough it can be. Some areas have fished much more consistently then others, while some areas have been on and off like a light switch, and been

which has changed parts of the rivers considerably.

Holes that used to be deep may be much more shallow now, and there may be holes that used to be shallow that are now much deeper.

So what does this mean

fished may hold numbers of new resident fish. While research has found that many fish will stay in the same area, big flushes also change the flow of holes by moving structure around, or by changing the flow itself.

A brag mat shot of the author’s new personal best.

A solid 85cm model from the current caught on a Kuttafurra Mudhoney.

what the water is like in these areas, it may be worth giving some of them another look after the flows and rainfall we have had in previous months, especially in smaller bodies of water. So far this season I’ve caught stacks of cod in areas I used to skip before conditions changed.

FISH OF A LIFETIME As cod anglers, we can spend years searching for that one giant Murray cod, and get the chance to hold it and admire its beauty and the achievement of how hard it was to catch. That experience recently happened for me, and was the culmination of

a few in recent times that would have been over the magic metre mark, landing this 120cm+ fish was really special to me.

Like many anglers, my fishing journey started with bait fishing with my Dad. I loved it, catching carp mainly and the odd native fish here and there. In my teenage years, I began fishing by myself and with mates, where lures started to catch my attention. At first, I felt like I was never going to catch a fish on a lure. Cast after cast, snag after snag, losing lures and getting tangled… and finally, the

rack up. I got out for a cast every chance I could, which I’ll add has not changed one bit. As years went by, I started fishing more areas and growing my knowledge, to the point where I landed my 120cm cod.

My point is that, sooner or later, your day will definitely come.

Thank you to everyone for the support and following me on my journey. It means a lot to me and I hope everyone reading over the years has learnt from what I write, and I hope you all continue to enjoy what I produce! Tight lines, and keep casting!

FEBRUARY 2022

79

Canberra

ACT

Good catches of natives CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

While the rain has continued for much of the last few months, I can report that the fishing action has picked up a bit. This could be due to a number of factors, ranging from more anglers fishing in summer to fish changing behaviour and

producing plenty of fish for the few anglers that hit the lake regularly. I fish the lake weekly but I rarely see large numbers of anglers on the water.

This is in stark contrast to Lake Burley Griffin or Lake Tuggeranong. Lake G has always had weed issues, and this could be the reason why so few fishos cast a line on the lake through summer. However,

There are also plenty of golden perch coming to the net around the same area, but these fish have been more responsive to lures like plastics fished slowly near or along the bottom.

The surface bite has also been quite good, with redfin willing to hit small poppers throughout the day near the jetties behind the college. I like getting in my kayak and fishing parallel to the half-submerged reeds during this time of year.

It is possible to pick up all three major lure targets (reddies, yellas and cod) in the same session and with the same lure when fishing the reeds. The Jackall TN60 in black king gill is perfect

Golden perch are eating everything and anything thrown in their direction.

Spinnerbaits are the go-to lure. feeding preferences as the water continues to warm.

Whatever the reason, let’s hope that the next round of rain doesn’t shut everything down again.

LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin is fishing reasonably well at present. There have been plenty of small redfin caught by land-based anglers fishing the edges of the concrete walls behind The National Gallery. The fish have been hitting small soft plastics on the drop, with creature baits working the best. This area of the lake is also a great place to target golden perch at both dawn and dusk. The yellas can’t say no to a small vibe or blade fished tight against the rock wall, and cod will also fall for this technique.

The area directly behind the yacht club is also a great spot to fish for natives, with golden perch particularly prolific in this area due to the abundance of bait which sit in the shallow rocky crevices just metres out from the bank.

If you’re fishing from a kayak or boat, try the old wharves, which are situated in a variety of locations across the lake. The bigger natives are drawn to these areas as there are plenty of ambush points. Upsize your lure if you’re fishing an old wharf. Big spinnerbaits and swimbaits are the best lures to use if you’re chasing a large cod.

Lake Ginninderra is 80

FEBRUARY 2022

by fishing creature baits attached to a ned rig, it is possible to fish through the heavy weed with ease and pick up plenty of quality native fish. I like to hit the hundred metre stretch from Diddams Close up to the dam wall, as this is where I catch the better fish. However, there are

There have been plenty of small cod caught across the ACT. must be incredibly hungry at present because they hit my large spinnerbaits and surface offerings with abandon. Anglers were shifting their focus away from the slower pools and towards the fast stuff

but, if the fish start to shut down again, head to the quieter pools and cast spinnerbaits close to the bank and retrieve slowly.

A lot of good-sized cod sit tight against the bank when the river is at its peak and

The trout fishing has been excellent. also plenty of reddies, yellas and cod holding a few metres out from the rock wall behind John Knight Park.

Lake Tuggeranong is a bait angler’s paradise at present. It’s almost a daily occurrence now to hear or see (on social media) a cod well over the 80cm mark which nailed a yabby or scrub worm fished underneath the main bridge.

for this scenario.

The Murrumbidgee is starting to fish quite well again, but it remains to be seen as to whether the good fishing will continue, with heavy rain forecast over the next few weeks.

That said, I hit the river a few times over the past month and caught plenty of cod and surprisingly, a large number of golden perch. The golden perch

Cloudy days are the best.

flowing fast.

Googong Dam is always worth a look. The reddies are well and truly on the bite, with many anglers running up cricket scores of redfin while trying to catch yellas on blades and vibes. There have also been some really big cod caught in the middle of the dam by those using larger vibes and plastics. I have been walking the bank from the carpark to Shannons Inlet recently and have caught plenty of yellas and reds using a paddle tail plastic and jig spin fished fast in amongst all the sunken shrubs.

I don’t often write about trout but I headed to Eucumbene Dam a few times over the holidays and caught plenty of small to medium trout using light spin gear. I fished a lot of rocky areas where there were drop-offs as opposed to the flats. The trout smashed ZX blades, plastics and small divers but were particularly fond of ZX blades hopped along the rocky shorelines.

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Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Fun with DIY teasers OFFSHORE

Kelly Hunt

What a year we have had fishing-wise so far! The bottom dropping has been epic and the mako shark fishing has been fantastic as well. The weather has kept us

occupy the same water at this time of year here in Tasmania.

My suggestion will be to rig for marlin while trolling out wide, and you will be set for anything that comes along.

When I say ‘rig for marlin’, there are a few things you can do differently to increase the chances of a marlin strike

skirt to give the lure as much chance as you can to have a clear gape and pin the fish in the mouth. This rigging is also prime for getting a high ratio of tuna hook-ups. Not only blues and albacore, but the elusive yellowfin as well.

Another huge tip for trying to find marlin and yellowfin tuna in February is to use some teasers. Those wild 2-tier and 3-tier bar teasers with the silver reflective gars are awesome and work amazing. They are expensive though, and having a mako shark get the teaser tangled in its teeth, and then swim away with it, can hurt the wallet. We have had great success while experimenting with some old music CDs and movie DVDs. String these on a few meters of para cord and connect to a big swivel, and they reflect heaps of light. I like to then attach a massive, skirted lure to keep it running in the water straight. You can have half of the disks in the water and the other half twittering along the surface.

Another favourite teaser I like to make with the kids is the albacore or striped tuna silhouette teaser. You cut

Jonah Yick again heads to the shelf and finds a very nice blue-eye trevalla. them together with some 600lb leader. These look like three baitfish swimming along wildly, flapping along the surface, and having some interest in your lure spread.

A couple of hours in the shed and all of a sudden you have a homemade teaser ready to flick the switch on in the marlin’s brain. The primitive survival instinct of ‘eat it first!’

At this time of year we like to run bigger 8” lures

the teasers to bring a fish up and into the spread. Zacatak Lures are our go-to, and we tend to go for a few brighter colours in February. We go away from our normal redbait and saury colours and look for the warmer water baitfish imitations. Yellows and greens come into the skirt colours to try to mimic bait species like dolphinfish, yellowtail scad and mackerel.

We have already seen the

In Tasmania this is the gold to be found under the rainbow. on our toes with some strange weather patterns, with quite a few big thunderstorms and easterly weather. That has meant for some solid easterly current flows, and that brings excitement. I don’t like to make too many bold predictions and create any hype, but… I think we are going to have a good year here in Tasmania for sickles and beaks.

February for me is about yellowfin tuna and marlin. You have to work it though and not just do what you always do.

Rolling around the oceans with the same tired old lures rigged for school bluefin and albacore may help you if you have the luck of the Irish, but overall, it’s best to make your own luck. When an opportunity presents, grab it with both hands with everything in your favour. It doesn’t hurt to give the basics a once-over the night before a trip. Run some line off your reels, and as you check the drags, feel the line through your fingers. You are looking for any scuffs or nicks in the main line. Do the same for leaders and wind-ons if you use them. Lure leaders and lure rigging needs attention at this time of year if you want to target yellowfin and marlin.

I say these two species in the same sentence because they 82

FEBRUARY 2022

sticking. It’s not too far removed from what you might do for our bluefin, and comes down to hook selection and position in the skirt. Find a strong, fine wire hook such as Owner Jobu or a Mustad 7691S, and rig some of your bigger pusher skirts. This is all about getting a solid hook-up in a fish’s mouth that is hard and oddly-shaped. Marlin hook-ups on lures are tricky because of this, and the way they swat at the bait with their bills before eating. You should set the hook back in the lure

Yellows and greens are good in February. out three tuna silhouettes (as viewed from underneath, not side on) from some conveyor belt rubber. Press some holes on the tip of the nose and the tail section, and string

water combining with the warmer bait-filled stream we are looking to find.

This natural occurrence can be found of all our eastern coastal towns, and you just have to be on the ball to find where the bite is. Keep your eyes peeled for any Facebook pages indicating where the marlin are along the southern NSW and Northern Victorian coasts. When the marlin bite is on in Bermagui, and a few weeks later off Eden and Mallacoota, you should start to watch the weather. St Helens will be the first point of interest, and the areas on and around the continental shelf, the Bicheno and the grounds and currents off Schouten Island. When the currents are strong from the north like last year, yellowfin tuna will be as far south as Eagle hawk Neck. That very same water holds both marlin and solid yellowfin, you just have to find them.

If you find yourself out near the shelf and the weather is favorable, a bottom drop for blue-eye trevalla is always on the cards. The blue-eye fishing has been really good so far

with bigger heads. This enables us to put a spread out that makes quite the surface impression. These big, short, cup-faced lures push lots of water about and combine with

Making your own teaser is satisfying and fun.

Nathan with a cracking blue-eye trevalla.

warmer water coming down in January, bringing with it man-o-war jellyfish and yellowtail kingfish. As we go into February, the water (holding large amounts of bait) pushes down the shelf. The East Australia Current meets the cooler southern current off our Tasmanian East Coast, and it’s an arm wrestle. The currents heading in different directions fight and merge, and it’s this nutrient-rich southern

this year. There have been a number of very good weather days that have allowed fishos to get out and bring some treasure from the deep. At bare minimum, take out at least one electric and some nice squid baits and sinkers. We don’t go anywhere offshore now without the Daiwa Seaborg.

When the conditions allow, she comes out and punishes the bottom and helps us fill the eskies.

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Peak summer fishing HOBART

Andrew Large

Anglers have been making the most of settled weather over the last month, with a variety of popular species biting well.

Island and further north to Bicheno. Meanwhile, good fish from 35-70kg 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

Great Lake continues to produce quality rainbow trout.

These two were both over 1.6kg and took a large Tasmanian Devil spoon in colour no. 7 spotted dog.

SALTWATER Southern bluefin tuna continue to be caught in the southeast of the state around Cape Pillar. Jumbos or fish over 100kg seemed to have lessened off in Peninsula waters, and are now being encountered east of Maria

to St Helens.

Having arrived Christmas week, albacore tuna have been enjoying the multitude of bait species along Tasmania’s east coast of late, and are running well off Bicheno, St Helens and Eaglehawk Neck.

Big numbers of arrow

squid are being caught in deeper waters wide of the above townships as well.

Most have been encountered in 60m+ of water, although good schools have been encountered in less that this as well.

Southern calamari started off small at the start of summer, but size has picked up in recent weeks and they’re available in the lower Derwent River and Channel areas. Further afield, good numbers are available.

February is a great time for this species.

Sand flathead are continuing to bite well, with bait, lure and fly taking fish recently. 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.

Greenback flounder are now moving well, and we have had 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 areas have all been producing fish.

Anglers are continuing to take tiger flathead off the east coast, out wide in 55m+ of water. An extended summer run is underway off Fortescue and Storm Bays.

A good-sized southern calamari taken on a Shimano Sephia Deep Jig recently.

Good striped trumpeter are now biting well on the west, south and east coasts.

Settled weather has finally allowed anglers to venture out. Fish size has varied, but fish to 9kg have been taken.

Southern rock lobster continue to pot well in most locations.

What a run of small to medium sized yellowtail kingfish we’ve been having this year! Fish to 700mm have been taken, maybe a smidge bigger on the northwest coast around Stanley, while along the east and southeast coasts fish to 650mm have been the norm. Hobart CBD has seen multiple captures.

ESTUARY Atlantic salmon are beginning to reappear in anglers’ bags, and the size has been up to 4kg. These fish have been caught from the Tasman Bridge to New Norfolk in the Derwent and Castle Forbes Bay in the

Huon to Huonville.

For the moment, sea-tun 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 producing fish.

Great summer fishing continues for black bream, which are still being caught in good numbers around Cornellian Bay, Store Point, Bowen Bridge and Cadbury Point. The use of bait has been effective, along with fly and bibbed lures.

FRESHWATER Dry fly action is hitting its peak for the season, and anglers are making the most of this.

For the moment Great Lake is still producing fish and will continue to do so into March and April picking

the right day at this time of the year conducive to good fishing at altitude is the key.

Enjoy the settled weather over the next week or so.

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. Most fish seem to be around the 1kg mark, with scrub worms working well.

Picking a good day to fish is a challenge at the moment in the highlands, with heat stifling the middle part of the day. On the upside, dawn and dusk fishing has been action packed for the first and last 3-4 hours.

Enjoy our peak summer fishing because it doesn’t get much better for Tasmania at this time of the year!

Tournament Calendar 2022 Date Tournament FEBRUARY 2-3 Feb BREAM Gippsland Lakes 5-6 Feb BASS Pro Blue Rock Dam 8-9 Feb BASS Pro Glenmaggie Dam 19-20 Feb BKK BASS Electric Grand Final MARCH 1-3 Mar Daiwa BREAM Australian Open 6 Mar East Coast Bream Series R1 12-13 Mar BASS Pro Lake St Clair 15-16 Mar BASS Pro Lake Glenbawn 18-19 Mar BREAM Derwent River 22-23 Mar BREAM St Helens 27 Mar BASS Electric Coldstream River APRIL 10 Apr East Coast Bream Series R1 23-24 Apr BASS Pro Clarence River 23-24 April BASS Electric Toonumbar Dam 30 Apr-May 1 BREAM Mandurah

Location

Contact

Metung Willow Grove Glenmaggie Lake Macdonald

www.abt.org.au www.abt.org.au www.abt.org.au www.abt.org.au

Sydney Sydney Harbour Singleton Aberdeen Hobart St Helens Grafton

www.abt.org.au wsbreambass@gmail.com www.abt.org.au www.abt.org.au www.abt.org.au www.abt.org.au www.abt.org.au

Lake Macquarie Grafton Kyogle Mandurah

wsbreambass@gmail.com www.abt.org.au www.abt.org.au www.abt.org.au

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.

FEBRUARY 2022

83

www.vrfish.com.au #makefishingbetter

VRFish Advocacy Update – It’s what we do!

VRFish advocates for the sustainable development of Victoria’s fisheries by creating policies in consultation with our members and the recreational fishing community that protect both the resource and fishing as a recreation. Victoria has incredible fisheries resources, and ensuring recreational fishing is duly recognised as significant economically, culturally and socially is, in part, how we ensure the sustainability.

As the peak body representing an economic contribution worth nearly $3 Billion annually and a recreational activity like no other, VRFish calls on the expertise and experience of our membership and engages with the recreational fishing community to provide responses to government that represent the views of Victorian recreational fishers.

Practice and Promotion of Recreational Fishing keep us busy. Over the Christmas – New Year break there were decisions made to will impact where and whether you go fishing in the future. It doesn’t matter to VRFish if it’s a locked gate on a creek somewhere or the irresponsibility of our current Water legislation.

Current examples include, recreational Whiting Fishers in Corner Inlet being negatively impacted by the draft Corner Inlet Fishery Management Plan, released on December 27th. I was still in a food coma but there it was.

This is a plan that removed harvest strategy guidance and trigger points from plan draft v3.0, defers the actual management of uncapped commercial take to some distant “management committee” stacked with commercial fishers and further, refuses to acknowledge the impacts current levels of commercial activity is having on recreational fishery quality. Is this a decision VRFish should step up to the table on?

In 2019, VRFish wrote to the then Minister for Fishing and Boating expressing concerns that recreational fishers

Recreational fishers have a common interest, shared needs and objectives. As a community of over one million recreational fishers, it is essential that our voice is included in decision making processes of Government.

This does not just mean decisions by fisheries managers at State and Commonwealth levels. There are many decisions made across local, State and Federal governments that impact on recreational fishing. Not all these decisions have your best interest in mind and not all decisions are made to benefit recreational fishing. Too often it’s the opposite.

VRFish presents a united voice in contributing to setting the policy agendas that affect recreational fishers and the ongoing sustainability of recreational fisheries, now and in the future.

VRFish also works to raise the profile of fishing as a recreation and contributes to initiatives that promote fishing as a recreation with significant social, cultural and economic benefits. We work on policy areas that impact upon recreational fishing and provide an independent, non-party political voice.

Our priority work areas of Access, Water, Habitat, Best

www.vrfish.com.au/snappersurvival

PO Box 4574, Geelong, VIC 3220, AUSTRALIA

were reporting significant catch reductions, especially of King George Whiting, and that management of the fishery needed tightening to ensure sustainability.

Here’s what the draft fishery management plan has to say “Total annual commercial catch peaked in the 2018-19 financial year at 446 tonnes, followed by 438 tonnes in 2019/20. These unusually high catch years were influenced by both a natural period of high King George whiting abundance, but also a recent increase in commercial fishing effort”.

Melton Reservoir is perhaps the perfect, but micro, example of what VRFish deals with under our “Access” workload. Recreational fishers pay to stock the reservoir, yet everyone from the water minister down, is unable to do anything about providing better access for recreational fishers. Then a New Year’s Eve gift

P 03 5221 1104 E info@vrfish.com.au

for recreational fishers was the closure of the only public access road into the reservoir. VRFish has been actively engaged with decision makers from across the government spectrum for over a year on this issue but it doesn’t stop the lock outs. Should VRFish step up on this issue on behalf of recreational fishers?

As we head into 2022 the workload for VRFish across the advocacy spectrum will only increase. Not only do we have a public land management legislation review being a prime chance for the Environment department to further lock recreational fishers out (look up the term Nature Conservation zone) but there is an election in November. I hope there’s another 200 ramp lanes, 2000 extra car trailer parks and hundreds of free riverbank camp sites by then.

Ben Scullin - Executive Officer

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

ACCESS

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

HABITAT

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

WATER

Keeping our rivers flowing and defending recreational and environmental water allocations

PROMOTE

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

BEST PRACTICE

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

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

VIC

Golden days and balmy nights WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

The good news locally is that once again schools of summer tuna and kingfish have shown up along the coast to complement the quality bottom fishing for gummy sharks and pinkie

species. The early part of summer has been plagued by consistently strong winds, even though we have had very little rain. I suppose it’s one thing that keeps many of these local fisheries being productive as they are, as there are many days where you simply just can’t get out.

Fish you find in an area one

Hydras, Jack Fin Stylos and Slug-Go soft plastics as well as live baits such as yakkas and squid. Keep an eye out for some warm, flat seas in February, because that’s the time to get out looking for a king.

The summer tuna have once again showed up to provide another top class summer sportfishing

This 94cm mulloway was taken on a Daiwa Bait Junkie 4.2” minnow. snapper, and the crays being taken by hoop netters and divers.

However, the age-old problem has been securing the small windows of decent weather to be able to target these

day might have moved on before you can access the area again.

Some good kingfish to over a metre have been taken recently. The fish have been taken on surface lures such DUO

option, along with the kingfish.

The size range has been amazing, with some tiny jellybeans that would be lucky to be 4kg, to more impressive school fish approaching 20kg. There

have also been some schools of big salmon cruising around; a little disappointing if you were hoping for tuna or kings, but good fun nonetheless.

King George whiting and squid have been biting well on all the local inshore locations recently. They will still be a great option on those warm, summer evenings, which we’ll hopefully get lots of during February. A warm night on the beach is always a great option at this time of year. Beaches west of Point Fairy like Yambuk, Fitzroy and Narrawong are always worth the bit of extra effort if you’re after a decent gummy or school shark.

The local estuaries usually take a back seat to offshore angling at this time of year, but they’re always a good option if the weather is bad. Bream have been patchy in the Hopkins the past month or so, with some of the smaller systems like the Fitzroy and Yambuk lake being more consistent.

February can be a great time to chase estuary perch in both the fresh and saltwater sections of the Hopkins River. A warm, calm evening can produce some exciting surface action whether you’re using lure, fly or floated cricket baits.

The attraction of this style of fishing has a new incentive, with the possibility of tangling with a bass. Bass have never been officially stocked in the Hopkins and don’t occur naturally, but a number of fish in the 40cm size range have been turning up in the past couple of seasons.

Nick Alexeyeff with 12kg of kingfish.

If the holiday crowds in the estuaries get too much, I recommend putting in a canoe or kayak and doing

some exploring in the freshwater sections, with the goal of tangling with bream, EP, trout and bass.

Fresh bait works best through the summer APOLLO BAY

Craig Rippon

We’ve been enjoying some good weather in Apollo Bay, and the fishing has been fantastic of late. Gummy shark and snapper are both biting well, and we’ve had some days of late where everybody at the ramp had their bag of both species.

The gummies have been caught right along our coast. I like to anchor on the tide change, but if you don’t know the area, drift until you catch one then mark it.

Snapper have been on all our local reefs, and the fish have ranged from 30cm to around 5kg. The change of tide and the slack water helps to get 86

FEBRUARY 2022

Cory Hargreaves with an awesome gummy from Apollo Bay.

bait down. If you want to maximise your catch rates, make sure your bait is fresh.

There have been some lovely sweep about in good numbers. You normally get these in close. They are a lovely eating fish.

I recently had a look for the kingfish; there is a ton of bait in the usual areas, and they are getting them all around us. Kingfish are one of my favourite fish to chase, and I am expecting any day the kings will be here. They can be very frustrating some days but, pound for pound, they are the best fighting fish you can catch around this area.

You need good gear to land a good king because they will try to take you to the bottom to bust you off.

There are several ways to catch these fish.

The first way is to troll

squid strips, the slower the better. Watch your sounder and let the squid drift down in to the school.

Casting stickbaits and poppers is another great way to target kings.

These fish particularly love Slug-Gos. I love catching kings on the surface – seeing the bite is unbelievable, but they can sometimes be very frustrating, too.

Flathead are in good numbers, with fish consistently over 40cm. Whiting are a bit touch-and-go, although admittedly I haven’t targeted them much of late. I will do so soon, and should have a better report next month.

The local creeks are producing mullet and bream, so they’re well worth a go.

VIC

Super sessions in salt COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Finally, the sun has come out, and the saltwater scene is really beginning to take off.

Some serious King George whiting are beginning to be hooked, along with the odd squid.

This should continue to improve as the weeks tick by. Squid strips with maybe a pipi meat top off is working for the whiting, and depths around 10m near any reef but working a sandy/weedy bottom has been the go.

Pellet-based berley lowered in a berley bucket and hung off the boat’s nose just off the bottom will help.

Shark, snapper, nannygai and morwong are inhabiting reefs a bit further out, and

squid is the go-to bait.

Schools of barracouta have also begun to show themselves, and when filleted properly and deboned and cooked fresh, they aren’t that bad on the tooth. Old timers used to call them the chicken of the sea. During World War II the ‘couta boats would go out offshore as often as they could and catch heaps of barracouta to keep the fish ‘n’ chip shops open.

This helped feed a hungry population that was living with severe food rationing.

Our estuaries are slowly clearing up but the fishing has been slow. The Hopkins has seen the fish being very finicky and biting in an irregular fashion. They are hanging deep, still trying to spawn, so use smelly baits with berley or scented soft plastics very slowly. Dark

colours reign supreme at present, and don’t forget the bladed lures (use black).

The Curdies has seen bream just outside the river mouth in the lake, and if they’re feeding, try either side of the outgoing flow of water. Berley and patience will help. Try cut mullet or salmon flesh with the skin left on if you catch one, or peeled prawn fished unweighted.

Unfortunately, the lake and lower reaches of the river are showing signs of nutrient pollution in the form of blue- green algae. You can still fish, but seriously forget about taking home a feed.

Heavy rainfall and a good flush-out is what’s needed to clear this up, and going on past years, we may have to wait until May for that to happen.

The author caught this bream on a soft plastic shrimp from the Curdies estuary just prior to the algal outbreak. The fish was released to fight another day.

Portland turns it on PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

February fishing in Portland can really fire up due to the water temperature generally being at its highest. This can be a great month for kingfish and school tuna. North Shore is generally the best place for these fish, but we also

see kingfish caught inside the harbour and around the Town Reef. We also see them caught land-based off the lee breakwater. The tuna are also around the anchorage, especially if there are a few ships out there waiting for their turn to be brought into the harbour for loading.

The kingfish are taking an assortment of baits and lures.

Livies are always up there

School tuna around the anchorage and North Shore are always on the cards at this time of year.

when it comes to the best baits – live squid, mackerel, salmon and so forth. Trolled small skirts, squid strips and slugs are also doing damage.

Tuna have been taking small skirts, smaller divers like X-Raps, Samaki and Nomad lures, plus 10g slugs skipping along the top. Teasers and daisy chains are also helping.

Other great species to target in February are King George whiting and pan-size snapper. Whiting are great to catch, and put up a very good fight when hooked. Some of the best places are the North Shore, Black Nose Point and golf course area, plus in front of the water tower. We have also seen good whiting catches off the breakwater, Town Jetty, Trawlers Wharf and Snapper Point, just to name a few.

Pan-size snapper along the North Shore reefs are generally in good numbers in February. The best times are

Young Lewis with a nice mixed bag from a recent trip. early in the morning and late in the evening into the night, and baits like squid, pilchards and yakkas etc. will do the job. Also, 4”-5” soft plastics are great fun on the snapper.

Try minnows, curly tails and shads on the nice February sunny days with light swells and winds. The trip to Bridgewater Bay is always on the list for some great-size

A couple of nice kingfish caught from the North Shore area.

flathead and gummies, and if you strike the jackpot you can also head back towards Lawrences Rock for a feed of snapper, sharks, nannygai and so on.

On a good day in February, a trip to the shelf or anywhere in between can produce blue-eye, gemfish, knifejaw and pink ling. Around 80-140m is a popular depth range for sharks, snapper and even trumpeter, plus other good table fish.

February in Portland can certainly turn it on, and don’t underestimate our river systems either as they’re great for bream, estuary perch and mulloway in most areas.

Happy fishing!

• For all your bait and fishing needs call in and say g’day to the Fisher crew.

You will find them at 61 Bentinck Street, Portland next to the Gordon Hotel.

You can also contact them on 03 5521 1844 or via Facebook Messenger.

FEBRUARY 2022

87

VIC

Local species biting well calamari without luck on the lee side due to the stiff breeze blowing, and as the wind dropped, they headed to Alcoa pier about 13:00.

Fishing with 3” White ZMan Slim SwimZ with 3/8oz jigheads in amongst the pylons, the lads picked

GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

There’s a lot going on in the region at the moment, with plenty of popular species willing to leap into your boat.

seen small salmon, pinkie snapper, pike, flathead and snotty trevally caught on both bait and lures. The best times have been dawn and dusk, although salmon have been showing up during the day.

Clifton Springs has been fishing well for whiting and calamari.

Mario and his son Rocco have been getting plenty of whiting and calamari and having a ball. Rocco said, “I love going on fishing trips to Clifton Springs with Dad. The water is so clear and we always catch lots of King George

whiting and squid. Our last session down there was fun. We struggled to find the whiting but ended up with a nice bag of squid.

The favourite jig was the white Shimano 3.0, and pipis were the best for the whiting.” Good one, Rocco!

St Leonards Pier has been the hotspot for landbased snapper action.

Bianca Meulblok shouted herself a new rod and reel and thought she’d head down the pier to give it a go. They had only an hour before they had commitments to get to, so didn’t expect a lot. As Ryder was super pumped with his first snapper.

stacer.com.au

luck would have it, a solid snapper jumped on about five minutes in. Bianca has only been fishing for a month so it was quite exciting! Not a bad way to start the fishing career!

Many fishos are convinced that when the water is stirred up, the snapper fed in close to the piers. David Lee fished St Leonards pier in a howling easterly (he estimated it was blowing 40km/h), and in these awful conditions he

stacer.com.au

Matt and his mates have done well on pinkies out off Point Henry.

Matt Curry recently jumped in his yak and fished off Point Henry with a mate. They fished for

up Australian salmon, pinkies and snook in the deeper sections.

Geelong waterfront has

John has boated a few tuna in Bass Strait lately.

locked onto a solid snapper and managed to land it.

David said there have been plenty of quality snapper caught from 40-80cm, and pilchards have been the best bait. He said squid captures have been OK but not great; just a few solid models here and there. However, the fishing will get better as the water gets clearer. Size 3.0-3.5 jigs have been working best, and the incoming tide appears to be more

stacer.com.au

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and gold or bright orange have produced for David.

He also mentioned that whiting are on the chew, and the best fishing has been after dark with clear water. Fresh squid strips on a size 6 long-shank hook will do the trick. Pipis also dominate – that’s if you can find a packet at the servo or local tackle store.

Snapper have been biting well right across the region. James Mulhearn took his son Ryder out off Portarlington where he caught his first snapper using squid as bait. James says the little man couldn’t be happier!

St Leonards has seen a fairly consistent whiting bite, with fish caught on both tides and on a wide variety of baits. If nothing is happening, just keep ROCKLEA moving until you find a BRISBANE BOATING & LEISURE hungry school.

The best fish have been around 1713 Ipswich Road Rocklea 44cm,1600 so it’s well worth P: (07) 3875 scouting for them.

E: sales@kareemarine.com.au Calamari are always W: www.kareemarine.com.au

respond well to poppers, jigs and love a live squid if you can get them. Those anglers keen on targeting

website and click ‘tidal streams’ for the Rip. This gives you max flow and slack water.

NORTH ROCKHAMPTON RIFEN BOATS 6 Dooley Street North Rockhampton P: (07) 4927 9150 Bianca has only been fishing a E: rifen.boats@bigpond.com month and pulls this fish!

W: www.rifenboats.com.au Sometimes tuna and NORTHERN GOLD COAST AIRLIE BEACH kings in Bass Strait are on the surface and you ONSHORE MARINE WHITSUNDAY OUTBOARD not CENTRE to drag a few lures Horizon Shores Marina Woongoolba 17 William Murray Driveneed Cannonvale around to find them holding P: (07) 5546 2480 P: (07) 4946 7286 at depth. They will come up E: onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au E: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au a long way to strike a lure, so cover plenty of water W: www.onshoremarine.com.au W: www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au and keep a variety of lures out the back.

EVERTON HILLS CAIRNS Salmon also bite well HOLT MARINE AUSSIE MARINE offshore at this time of year 25 Queens Road Everton Hills 5 Hannam Street Bungalow and can regularly be caught P: (07) 3353 1928 P: (07) 4033 8800 out off Barwon Heads, where some big schools can E: info@holtmarine.com.au E: sales@aussiemarine.com.au gather. So, if the kings and W: www.holtmarine.com.au W: www. aussiemarine.com.au tuna are not playing the game, you can still have CAPALABA KARUMBA some fun if the salmon MIKES MARINE JONES MARINE are around.

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Fish HARD – Die Happy!

P: (07) 3390 3418 P: (07) 4745 9159 E: sales@mikesmarine.com.au E: jonglo@bigpond.com • Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine W: www.mikesmarine.com.au W: www.jonesmarine.com.au Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send SLACKS CREEK IPSWICH in a report to slaterfish@ AUSTRALIAN MARINE CENTRE IPSWICH MARINE gmail.com with ‘FMG’ in the subject field or give 3491 Pacific Highway Slacks Creek 45 Huxham Street Raceview me a call on 0408 997348.

P: (07) 3808 7333 P: 07 3294 3944 Please include where E: sales@amcboats.com.au E: enquiries@ipswichmarine.com.au David has been fishing St Leonards in terrible (without giving away your W: www.amcboats.com.au W: been www.ipswichmarine.com.au conditions, but the rewards have worth it. secret spot!), when, what on, and who caught the fish.

NOOSAVILLE COAST around and make great kings GOLD in the Rip should Pictures are always great, baitCOAST for whiting, water using live but please make sure they SUNSHINE MARINEas well as fish slack TR MARINE being aRoad nice side dish to go squid 167 or Currumburra jigs. Check Road the are at least 1MB (file size).

122 Eumundi Noosaville Ashmore with the whiting for dinner.

P: (07) 5449 7633 P: 07 5532 5812 Southern bluefin tuna E: sales@sunshinecoastmarine.com.au E: shaun@trmarinegc.com.au have been caught out off W: www.sunshinecoastmarine.com.au W: www.trmarinegoldcoast.com.au Barwon Heads and down the Surf Coast. Most have been under 10kg but they are great fun and better eating also. John Joubert got stuck into a few using a pearl coloured 3” Uzi trolling around the dirty water. John says they went 4/4/2, and the other fish they kept went 5kg. John says they dropped two, and one was another good fish as well.

Yellowtail kingfish have been caught with Pike have been biting well, with many taken some consistency out off on soft plastics worked deep over weed. the Rip, Barwon Heads and Matt caught this thumper off Point Henry.

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MELBOURNE MELBOURNE MARINE CENTRE 92 Hallam South Road Hallam P: (03) 9703 2003 W: melbournemarine.com.au MORNINGTON PENINSULA MY MARINE Cnr Nepean Highway & Ponderosa Place Dromana P: (03) 5987 0900 W: mymarine.com.au MORNINGTON PENINSULA NAUTICAL MARINE 141 Hotham Road Sorrento P: (03) 5984 1666 E: info@nauticalmarine.com.au W: nauticalmarine.com.au TOORADIN P&J MARINE SERVICE CENTRE P/L 101 Tooradin Station Road Tooradin P: (03) 5998 3107 E: pjmarine_services@bigpond.com

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FEBRUARY 2022

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VIC

Time to shine in peak season PPB WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

This is my favourite time of year for fishing around Melbourne and Victoria.

It’s peak fishing for many of our highly regarded

species. Snapper are still being caught in good numbers, the kingfish are coming on strong, and bread and butter species like whiting, flathead, squid, redfin and estuary perch are on fire.

This is usually the most productive time of year for

fishing, with waters rising to prime temperatures. This gives countless opportunities to target a whole variety of species around Melbourne.

Let’s cover in detail some of the species and systems that I’d highly recommend focusing your energies on over the coming month.

Big sized whiting are around this month.

Port Phillip will continue to fish extremely well. The weather towards the end of 2021 was well below yearly averages and then we had a spike to 40ºC days, which made the water temperature rise much quicker than normal. But the fishing will remain strong and you’re in with a very good chance to at least take home a bag of squid, whiting and flathead.

Locally Wedge Spit is fishing well for whiting and squid in the shallow weedy grounds around 4m deep. Squid are fishing well opposite the Point Cook marine sanctuary and areas around St Leonards.

Whiting are being caught in big numbers and sizes in Corio, Mornington and Clifton Springs.

Flathead are fishing well just about everywhere and, in most of my travels, flicking soft plastics along the sandy flats between 6-12m has counted for many flathead.

Stand out soft plastic choices for flathead have been the

Steve Vessey had fun kayaking for yellowbelly.

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Rob Wortho with an average Campbells Cove flathead.

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Berkley 3” paddle shad in black and gold, the 4” Turtleback worm in pumpkin seed and the Savage Gear 8.4cm fat curl tail. That being said most 3-4” soft plastics do well, either grubs, minnows, jerk shads and worm imitations.

Snapper on the other hand have been inconsistent and I put much of this to erratic changes to water temperature. Those on the water regularly with high end sounders and transducers have been able to find them consistently by putting in the hours staring at the screen.

While the vast majority of anglers have struggled to catch snapper. Currently, the most frequent and consistent catches of snapper have been out deep in Carrum, Mt Martha, Beaumaris and Mornington. I suspect we will continue to see catches in the colder deeper reaches of Port Phillip Bay around the spoil grounds and shipping channels. Just

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FEBRUARY 2022

Jordan with a Werribee River bass.

To page 91

VIC

Enjoy the longer, warmer weather of summer

great fishing for bigger 3-5kg fish as well. Many anglers turn their attention to other species at the end of summer, but this trend of good local snapper fishing has kept many of them busy for longer. The continuing great snapper fishing over the last month has also given visiting anglers and holidaymakers a taste of snapper action as well.

The greater area out wide from Mount Martha right through to Mount Eliza has continued to be the most consistent producer of snapper for many boating anglers over the past month, and while the average size of the fish is a little smaller than some of those being caught in other areas of the bay, some better-quality fish have also been taken by those

putting in the extra effort. At this time of year, Mornington wide is typically a great area to cash in as the snapper tend to group up in this area to feed, before they head south, and this has certainly been the zone where the better fish have come from of late.

In the coming couple of months up until Easter, the extensive mud bank areas out from Mount Martha and Safety beach are likely to be the most reliable areas for snapper. Also, the deeper channel areas in the middle of the bay, and right down south as well.

Much like last year, some of the regular and traditional species have been strangely scarce, but with the changing food chain and bait species in many areas, anglers have been looking in different locations with good success.

Many anglers have reported big numbers of slimeys and yakkas in the bay, and in many cases, a wide variety of fish have been feeding on them higher in the water column, including snapper.

Last season, big schools of salmon were around the Mornington area for a long time, but they have been rarely sighted this year, and most of the action has been further south or in the north of the bay. Those fish that have been around have been in the 1-2kg size but are in much smaller numbers and schools than last year.

Barwon River, Albert Park or Maribyrnong River. Working cicadas, bents and micro tappys slowly on the surface waiting for those boofs that always seem to catch you by surprise no matter how many fish you catch on surface is amazing. The Werribee River has been fishing well for bass and estuary perch on the evening, but I must stress, watch out for snakes that are very active at the moment. I’ve had a few close encounters that freaks me out every time.

A good mate of mine Jordan Matthews has been fishing the Werribee River regularly and covering this on his channel, Fishin with Jordy. He has been spending his time solely fishing surface lures, slow rolling cicadas along the structure.

He has had some very memorable catches but none better than a 46cm bass that hit the surface lure like a freight train. A few nervous moments but finally landed a silver nugget and memory of a lifetime.

The Maribyrnong River continues to grow from strength to strength. We’re finally starting to see the benefits that estuary perch stocking has had in this system so a big kudos to the VFA for their continual

efforts here. I have had some very productive evenings flicking blades, soft plastics and shallow diving hardbody lures on both estuary perch and bream. Walking along the

banks you can see many big bream holding the edges and estuary perch seem to smash lures and plastics as soon as they hit the water. It’s a system that can shut on and off very quickly with quiet

PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

Longer periods of warmer and settled weather have been enjoyed by all the anglers in the bay over the past month. Local anglers and visitors alike have all seen some great fishing and boating conditions for the bulk of the time.

Recently, extended periods of rain have also juiced up the food chain on the inshore reefs and in the local rivers and creeks.

It’s been great to be on the water over the past month seeing plenty of holiday anglers and locals alike enjoying the spoils of PPB and experiencing some great fishing variety. And with the expectation of a couple of warm months ahead, things are looking good for the rest of the summer and into the autumn months as well.

Snapper reports traditionally taper off late in the summer, and with many other species on offer, it is no wonder. But after a slower start to the season this year for many of us, some solid reports and captures of some quality snapper have continued. In previous years, school sized snapper tend to congregate in the wider areas and this has certainly been the case this year, but the feature has been the continuing From page 90

ensure you don’t anchor or fish in a restricted zone but during peak summertime, snapper will reside where the water is its coolest, so that’s your best bet.

This time of year is a kayak angler’s dream as the fishing is quite exceptional in close. Your bread and butter species such as whiting, flathead and squid are being caught in big numbers in the shallows. It means that those with a kayak or Hobie like myself can reach productive grounds without too much effort and go home with a great feed for the family. Multiple techniques are working well either picking a spot, anchoring and putting out some berley and spread of rods, which has been working well for gummies and pups. Or staying on the drift and flicking lures and plastics, which is my preferred method just because it’s more fun and very effective.

The estuaries and lakes are also fishing exceptionally well. It’s one of my favourite times of year to rip out the surface lures and head to places such as the Werribee River, Melton Reservoir,

There are still some larger school snapper in close to keep the lure fishers keen, especially early and late in the day.

Local whiting reports have been very encouraging of late with good numbers of fish coming from the Frankston and Mount Eliza areas, and further north in the bay as well. The general size has been smaller than those in Western Port, but the action is generally closer to shore, so is also well within reach for land-based anglers as well. Concentrate your efforts around times of low light, and even into the night for best success. At times,

starting to really thicken up along our local inshore reefs, but they have still been a bit hit and miss at times. Much like a lot of the normal seasonal action, things seem to be a bit later this year, so expect the squid fishing to improve a lot over the next few months as the water really warms up.

Kingfish captures have started to filter through from the heads and further into the bay itself, so it won’t be long until they

the land-based anglers can do the best of all fishing a rising tide after dusk and into the night, so the local piers and jetties are also a great option.

Squid numbers are also

show up in our local areas as well. Mornington and Black Rock are two of the usual haunts, but who knows where they’ll pop up this time with the amount of food on offer.

sessions dead quiet, and good sessions are chaotic.

That’s fishing, and you’ve got to put in the hours and be ready at the right time.

The same can be said for Melton Reservoir, which

continues to fish very well.

Many redfin continues to be caught on soft plastics, vibes, lures and bait, whilst we’re also seeing good catches of silver perch, estuary perch, bass, yellow belly and cod.

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.

Please consider becoming a FishingMad member at w w w. f i s h i n g m a d . c o m . au/member for fishing workshops, detailed reports and exciting monthly giveaways. Also, don’t forget to follow my fishing adventures on the FishingMad YouTube channel www. youtube.com/c/fishingmad and on social media on Facebook page www. facebook.com/fishingmad. com.au, Instagram page www.instagram. com/fishingmad.com. au and on Channel 31 Tuesday evenings at 9.30pm and Saturday afternoons 3.00pm.

Some good bags of squid have been taken from the local inshore reefs over the past month.

The author with a decent redfin.

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New year, new location PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

February for Jim’s Bait and Tackle will be huge, because after almost 30 years in the same building we are on the move. The landlord informed us just before Christmas that he

Remo, next door to the library. It is a less congested up that end of town, and access to the shop will be easier, saving you having to battle through the traffic.

There is good boat parking along Back Beach Road with an easy loop of the block back onto the main road.

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and all your gear is at home – that’s just the season we are having.

You could also check the weather 100 times before you pulled out of the driveway, and then have the weather change 100 times before you arrived. Of course, there are days where everything lines up and you can go wherever you want and chase whatever you want. However, getting the fish to play the game is another story. The snapper disappeared just as the season should have really started, but showed up again a few days before Christmas, while the whiting and calamari just seemed to get better and better.

As we head into the late summer and autumn months, the focus for many anglers will turn to offshore. With plenty of sightings of tuna already, and even schools of kingfish around the bay, it might be a good season,

weather permitting. The kingfish have been seen around the Newhaven jetty, the main channel and the channel off Cowes, with one customer telling us that he had a good-size whiting stolen by a kingfish in Dickies Bay. Kingfish have been forgotten a bit over the last couple of years, with so many anglers focused on catching tuna, but I think a bit of the tuna novelty will wear off and more anglers will head out chasing the kings this year, if our customers are any indication.

We do see the odd king caught in the bay, but the majority are from offshore.

Not that you need to go far – just outside the entrance around the headland and pinnacle. Pick up your live baits on the way out (calamari in Cleeland Bight and yakkas/mackerel in the small bay just outside the entrance). There are plenty

Worth the trip for a summer red. was going to re-develop the site we are on, which left us without a long-term home.

Anybody who has been down our way recently would know there is very little available in the way of rentals, and when one became available, we decided to grab it before it was gone. We are still finalising some of the fit-out and organising the best time to close the current store to move all the stock, but we hope to be up and running in the new store around the end of February, most probably moving the preceding week. The new shop is twice the size of the old one and we have lots of plans for expanding all our current lines, but are more excited to have the space to introduce some new ones and some new ideas.

We will slowly increase our stock variety, and as we get into next spring and the new season, it should be a very different store than the one we had.

The new shop is located in Back Beach Road San

keep up with the changes and the watch our stock levels grow as we expand our range.

We would also like to thank everyone that has been so supportive of our business when we were told the news, and the messages of support we received.

La Niña is certainly having an effect on the weather, and ‘typical’ just doesn’t seem to count anymore. It has been almost impossible to predict the weather for the next day, let alone for the next week, so trying to plan a fishing trip has been very difficult.

Flexibility has been the key, especially in our area where you can usually find somewhere to fish, but if you are travelling from out of town you need to be organised. Don’t make the mistake of leaving home with only one plan, and gear that’s only suitable for that one plan. You might want to go and chase snapper but when you get here you might find the only sheltered place to go is whiting or calamari spots,

A quality bag of flathead from in the bay.

of other spots for kingfish along the island but always check on your way out. It’s pointless driving over fish to get to a place where there might not be any.

It looks like we are going to be pestered with the piranha pinkies again this season. On the upside though, customers are reporting the pinkies are actually bigger than last year, and some even better than legal size. The bigger ones are also hanging around but the smaller ones are so quick you need to be lucky to hook something better. Try fishing very early in the morning or late in the evening, because customers are telling us the smaller ones seem to disappear then. Big baits, little baits, big hooks or even small hooks don’t seem to help with the pinkies getting the bait off before a bigger one comes along.

The way the season has panned out so far, it’s anybody’s guess as to the best spot; it’s been deep when it should be shallow and shallow when it should

MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

With the estuary in pristine condition, the fishing is excellent. The bream are here in big numbers, with anglers catching them throughout the entire system. Estuary perch are holding on structures and

OCEAN VIEWS

snags throughout the system, with the best results coming on lures and live prawn.

Luderick are schooling along the mud banks and the rock groynes that surround the islands and riverbanks.

Yellow-eye mullet are in big schools and are being caught from the entrance all the way up both the Snowy and Brodribb rivers. Salmon and tailor are coming into

the system on the incoming tide and giving anglers a lot of action either trolling or casting lures from the Marlo jetty down towards the entrance. Big dusky flathead are schooling in big numbers along the sand flats that run from the Marlo jetty all the way down to French Narrows.

The surf beaches are fishing well with a lot of reports of salmon and tailor

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FEBRUARY 2022

be deep, or both at once.

As autumn sets in, the best spot for the bigger snapper will be offshore on the reef around Kilcunda.

Flathead are a fish chased by many anglers, being one of the best eating fish around. When we get reports of flatties in the bay, it opens the fishery up to anglers who have smaller boats, or who lack the confidence to head offshore. While offshore is still the best place for good numbers of flathead, we are seeing more and more eskies coming back from in the bay, with good-size flathead being caught, mostly across the flats of the corals off Rhyll. Most people haven’t been specifically targeting flathead; the flatties are generally a by-catch while looking for snapper or whiting. We do have a couple of customers who have now started drifting across these areas just around the tide changes, fishing with a heavy enough jighead to get to the bottom, and they have been getting good catches of flathead.

Fishery in prime condition

MARLO

CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

The ladies charters are becoming more popular.

Carly Martin with a 10’6” bronze whaler.

on the chew, with decent size gummy sharks being caught in the evening.

The shore-based game fishing fraternity are in full swing. David Kelsey and Carly Martin arrived back home from Melbourne, came into the shop to pick up a TLD 50 RSA they’d had serviced, went down to the beach and landed two big bronze whalers. David’s measured 9.5ft and Carly’s 10.6ft, both released. David and Carly and other friends went on to land several more sharks, including some big hammerheads, all released.

Offshore the fishing has really fired up, with gummy shark galore, big flathead, gurnard, barracoota, salmon, pinkie snapper, squid, octopus and wrasse.

And breaking news: finally the kingfish have decided to start biting, with the best results coming from trolling, jigging, or casting lures as well as live baiting.

Pumping up your bass and perch fisheries We’ve just stocked more than 809,000 Australian bass and estuary perch into 27 waterways as part of our bold plan to stock a record 10 million fish by April 2022. That’s a lot of fish!

Aussie bass:

Estuary perch:

Avon River

15,000 Maribyrnong River

120,000

Blue Rock Lake

50,000 Gippsland Lakes

105,000

Bullen Merri Lake

10,000 Barwon River

113,700

Cann River

41,000 Lake Tyers

25,000

Cowwar Weir

2,000 Bemm River

5,000

Ferntree Gully Quarry

1,000 Snowy River

5,000

Guthridge Lake

5,000 Aura Vale Lake

5,000

Glenmaggie Lake

50,000

Hyland Lake

1,000

Latrobe River

20,000

Macalister River

23,000

Mitchell River

The effort includes a record number of nearly 379,000 estuary perch fingerlings, some of which were stocked into Aura Vale Lake, near Emerald, for the first time ever!

They’re all thanks to your recreational fishing licence fees and the State Government’s $35 million Go Fishing Victoria plan to get more people fishing, more often.

100,000

Narracan Lake

5,000

Rainbow Creek

1,000

Snowy River

80,000

Tambo River

10,000

Thomson River

5,000

Timbarra River

20,000

Tyers River

2,000

Valencia Creek

1,000

Learn more at www.vfa.vic.gov.au/stock10million

Go Fishing Victoria More people fishing, more often

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

FEBRUARY 2022

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East Coast

VIC

Rivers slow, catch rates grow GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

Things are slowly getting back to normal here in the Gippy Lakes, with the rain stopping nearly long enough for our rivers to clear, and even the lakes look better.

Holiday makers are now returning home; it’s been

so busy here after two years of tourists basically being absent. The roads and waterways seem to have been chock-a-block for weeks on end. Great for tourism but I must say it doesn’t improve the fishing!

ALGAE WARNINGS First up, a word of advice. I saw the early signs way back in November last year and sure enough, as

we expected, significant algae blooms showed up, just like they normally do after big floods. It’s always a benefit to the food chain in the end, but check for warnings about shellfish in the area not fit for human consumption. Early on there were a few dead flathead washing up around the lakes, and shellfish like mussels dying.

Algae levels are

Brilliant summer fishing BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

Bemm River’s fishing never ceases to amaze, and the Christmas New Year period proved that.

Locals, holidaymakers and families all enjoyed brilliant fishing. The warm weather was ideal for boating, swimming and generally being out and about enjoying your freedom after two years of lockdowns.

Bream remain the dominant fish, although there have been excellent catches of flathead too (a lot had to be released due to them being over 55cm).

A few perch and luderick have been caught in addition to the occasional plate-size sole.

The Phillips family from Sassafras enjoyed

their recent holiday (Kaitlyn pictured), getting stuck into the bream.

The surf beaches have been continually producing good runs of salmon, tailor, mullet and sandy flathead.

Anglers venturing out off Cape Conran have been rewarded with impressive catches of flathead, gummies and more.

Just a pointer for the angler – don’t leave your keeper net over the side of your boat whilst fishing.

Our resident seal will not take no for an answer when he spots it, and you will find your keeper net empty!

As the mercury rises between 30-40°C, we are starting to see a lot of the growth drying off around our beaches and foreshores, so please be mindful of fire prevention.

It doesn’t take long for this undergrowth to become

tinder dry and become a fire hazard.

At this time of year the snakes are more active, so be mindful along riverbanks, surf beach tracks and so on. Please also ensure your safety gear is in order for your boat, and your fishing licence and boat licence is current. Fisheries officers visit often and check these details in order to maintain safety on our waterways.

That’s it for this month.

Feel free to 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.

currently low, however it can grow quickly in the right conditions.

As a general rule it is recommended not to swim or come into contact with water that has surface scum or looks murky. We are heading into the months when the water will be at its warmest, so be very careful and seek the latest updates from DELWP. BITING BREAM Historically the month of February is when I start to really focus back on my bream fishing. It’s about now when I find they are really eager to attack lures again after they have been busy breeding. Because we’ve had so much rainfall, I’m quite sure the bream have had at least two spawning events these last four months or so.

I’m tipping big bream will be out in Lakes Wellington and Victoria hunting in the shallows.

This is very good news for bait anglers, and frozen prawn is your best bait by far this time of year. Already I’ve had more reports from Hollands Landing about

A fat Gippsland river bass ready for release. It was one of three caught in the same rocky pool.

DUSKY FLATHEAD It will be very interesting to see if dusky flathead captures rise significantly after their stocking a year ago. 42,000 were released near Metung and yes, they will have spread far and

really firing by now. There will be loads of smaller feisty models around 25-32cm, but be ready for older bass around 40-45cm and possibly better.

The stocking of this river could almost be called

Another cracking 45cm lake bream falls to the soft plastic Hybrid Sprat 85 in the sickle pattern.

Kaitlyn caught this bream on a freshly-caught sandworm.

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some standout captures of bream around 40cm.

Usually when that starts you can bet the lakes are going to fire as well.

The lower Tambo around the snags at the river mouth will be a go-to area, especially for slow twitched hardbody lures, and the same goes for the timber at The Cut down at the mouth of the Mitchell River. Those who know the Nicho River will already be looking for bream well upstream from the railway bridge to the backwater.

As per usual, the rock walls and bigger snags will be holding some very big bream.

wide but I hope they show up so that future stocking can be granted. Now these stocked duskies may still be small, but tag recaptures years ago have seen growth rates of 15-20cm a year when they are young. It’s interesting that the last four years have been very slow for big flathead here in the Gippy Lakes, and I really can’t think of a reason why, particularly after commercial netting has now ceased for the second year.

BASS The Mitchell River from just upstream at Bairnsdale and up to Glenaladale should be

relentless! Apart from another 100,000 bass set free a few months ago, I’m guessing since 2010 there must be over half a million released by now? Probably more! Bass are even caught way upstream in places like Dargo and Wonnangatta.

The Mitchell has a massive catchment, and the stocked bass have moved a long way up from their release points.

You can be assured this river will challenge almost any bass stream in Victoria, except for maybe the Snowy River. You should add the upper Tambo River to your ‘must fish’ bass streams because it’s very underrated and a bit of a hidden gem.

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East Coast

Fun this February LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

The first month of 2022 has been extremely warm throughout the Gippsland region, with our local waterways warming up

fast. It has made for some great surface fishing and prawning at night. After the massive amount of rain we received late last year the lake has been a little dirty, but the system has slowly cleared over time. This dirty water

A solid 9ft bronzie caught off Lake Tyers Beach.

has made it a bit tricky to find the weed beds while targeting whiting.

LAKES ENTRANCE With the busy summer period here, Lakes Entrance, like many other coastal towns, has been extremely busy with local businesses trying to make most of the opportunity. With our local waterways getting better and better since the removal of commercial fishing, a lot of anglers are finally making their way back to Lakes Entrance when in previous years people would simply not bother.

The King George whiting fishing has gone from strength to strength in Lakes, with anglers consistently bagging out on 35-40cm whiting. Areas such Rigby and Fraser Island area ideal spots to start your search. The edges of the weed beds have been highly productive, especially in the 2-2.5m mark. Fresh baits such as pipis and mussels are extremely productive.

Australian salmon have made their presence known in the lake, with massive schools seen smashing baitfish off the top, especially early and late in the day. Small topwater lures like Atomic K9 walkers have been extremely productive, and it’s great fun watching these aggressive hunters smash your little topwater

Luderick have begun to show up in strong numbers, with the north arm rock walls producing well. off the surface.

The local shark scene has been very busy, with good numbers of bronze whalers making their way down our local beaches.

This year has been very interesting, with anglers also encountering good numbers of hammerheads.

LAKE TYERS The lake has been a bit hit-and-miss lately, but in general there have been some quality bream and flathead caught. The lower lake has been the place to be lately; since all the rain we received, the higher reaches of the lake have

been slow and still a bit muddy. The island in the Nowa Nowa arm is a good area to start your search for bream. Shallow flats are good locations for cranking hardbodies into the mud in search of bream and flathead. Pushing up super shallow in the morning or late in the day can offer up great results for anglers who enjoy the rush of catching bream on surface. Small prawn patterns such as the Bassday Sugapen are good options to tempt these very intelligent fish.

The many weed beds in the lower lake have offered

an ideal area to target big flathead. Anglers have had great success wading these shallow flats. Glidebaits and swimbaits are becoming more and more common locally, and for good reason: these big baits produce the monster flathead that the lake is known for.

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

Bread-and-butter on the bite MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Summer weather has finally settled in, and people can finally get out and enjoy swimming and fishing along, with all the other popular outdoor activities. The caravan parks and accommodation houses are all busy and let’s hope it stays that way for a while before COVID takes away the freedoms once again.

All the fishing options are covered at this time of year, with people fishing offshore along the beaches and in the lakes and rivers.

The offshore fishing has been good, with catches of flathead, both tigers and sandies, coming from out around the Ariels and down around Gabo Island. Chasing the tigers, you just need to fish out a bit wider and deeper, with the sandies coming from the shallower water in closer.

Gummy shark fishing has been good, with the

past 12 months seeing some good-size fish caught out around Gabo Island, and the fishing hasn’t

slowed up. Kingfish are also about, but as usual, you have to be there when they’re on the bite. At other

Yellowfin bream and dusky flathead come alive over the summer months.

times, they can be near impossible to catch.

Some good snapper have also been caught.

They are a bit more elusive, but those anglers who have put in the time to find the spots have come home with a feed regularly.

At this time of year, a pleasant and productive day relies on getting out there early and being back before the wind makes things unpleasant. Salmon are still being caught along all the local beaches, and the variety of fish to be caught will only increase over the coming months, with the warmest water still to come.

Fishing the beaches at night for a variety of shark is also a popular and productive option over the summer months. The lakes and rivers have been fishing well, with all the regular species coming on the bite over the summer months. Dusky flathead are on the bite, with plenty of good fish being caught, and keeping a feed of good size eating fish is the norm.

Yellowfin bream and black bream are also being caught, with fish spread

A couple of great bream caught on lures in Bottom Lake. throughout the Top and Bottom Lake. Trevally and tailor are also being caught, along with yellowfin whiting. The Bottom Lake out around Goodwin Sands has been fishing well – find the bait and the bigger fish won’t be far behind.

The rain over the past 12 months has been great for all the local rivers and creeks, and with summer here it’s a great time to chase bass. Those hot days before a southerly change are when you can expect the best fishing.

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A ripping season opener ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

In my time fishing for Murray cod I have seen many bizarre catches, some of which could only be described as hard to believe. On a recent trip to

one very savage fish. A look of confusion was quickly brushed aside as yet another ripper cod was bought to the boat. Two big cod in as many minutes from the exact same rod, one from wide in the river and the other from directly beside the boat in a couple of feet of water. Talk about your ripping yarns, and

producing plenty of Murray cod to 104cm on bait and lures. It’s great to see so many smaller fish about, and the odd big one to get the heart pumping when you set the hook. Cheese has been a popular bait in the Wemen area, and the cod are champing at the bit to scoff it down.

landed using this method.

Local tackle proprietor Kym Sykes says it’s been an excellent start to the cod season, with plenty of fish to keep a smile on the faces of most anglers. Sykes expects the cod bite to continue over the coming weeks, which will be good for local and visiting anglers alike.

Downstream of the Mildura weir through to Wentworth is also fishing well for both Murray cod and golden perch. Once again, anglers trolling lures are getting amongst the action, and the bait fishos are catching their share as well.

Bait has been working well in the dirty flows, and the Mustad 8/0 Circle hook gives a great hook set that allows for easy removal.

Some good-sized golden perch are biting in the flow on both bait and lures. a favourite haunt, we were fishing for Murray cod on bait. The sun had just slipped below the horizon and one of the bite lights set on the end of the rod flashed a violent red as the rod was nearly ripped from the holder.

Loaded to the cork, my offsider struggled to wind in a sizable cod that had inhaled the chunk of chicken that was used as bait. Into the landing net, and the fish was swung aboard and readied

a great memory for future fishing boasts.

What a great start to the Murray cod season, with plenty of good-sized Murray cod landed in our local waters. The Murray River at Swan Hill produced cod up to 106cm on bait. Several other cod over the 90cm mark were also caught on a mix of different baits, with yabbies proving best. The Wakool River at Kyalite was also a popular spot for cod fishos, with several good-

Clinton Hann with a double header of Murray cod. for a photo. With the hook and bait removed from the corner of the cod’s mouth, the rod was placed back in the holder and the hook dropped directly over the side so as not to get underfoot.

The flash had hardly gone off for the first photo and the rod once again snapped down hard, with the light flashing under the weight of 96

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sized fish landed up to 93cm on bait. The best baits in this area have been yabbies, scrub worms and grubs. A few perch have also been caught in the mix, providing plenty of angling action.

Anglers fishing below the Robinvale weir are still catching good numbers of perch and cod on bait and lures. Wemen is also

The Murray River at Mildura has fished very well for cod since the open, with some good fish landed up to 108cm. Trolling hardbodied lures seems to be working well, with numerous fish

The author with a season opener, this one scoffing a hunk of chicken after dark.

As I write this report, the Darling River is about to receive a significant rise that will see big flows track its course downstream into the Murray River at Wentworth.

With the amount of juvenile perch coming down with the flows, our local waters will boom over the next few seasons.

All up, it was a pretty good start to the Murray cod season considering the clarity of our local rivers.

I am sure as the weeks go by more reports of quality cod captures will roll in as more and more anglers wet a line locally.

Feeling the Bendigo heat BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

We are now in the hottest period for the Bendigo region. In recent weeks the region has experienced plenty of hot and windy days, which has led to the ground drying out very quickly.

At the time of writing this report, rainfall has been limited, causing a drop in water levels in our local impoundments.

The chances of our impoundments reaching very high levels this season are now very low, unless we get large volumes of rainfall. Inflows have reduced into the local river systems, and in turn we are now seeing a steady improvement in water clarity in these river systems.

LAKE EPPALOCK Water levels have continued to drop over recent weeks. At the time of writing this report, Lake Eppalock was at 55% of capacity. The fishing in the lake has been producing mixed results.

There continues to be small numbers of golden perch being caught. Those anglers bait fishing off the

Cod Hunter Flathead lures have been productive in both the Loddon and Campaspe rivers recently. This 50cm golden perch was caught on the new chrome colour. banks early in the morning or late in the evening are still catching some good golden perch amongst some European carp and small redfin.

For those anglers chasing golden perch on lures, a few methods are working. Trolling in 4-5m of water with small to medium sized hardbody lures has been working.

Casting lipless crankbaits

and blades around the rocky shorelines and around the standing timber is also a good option.

If you are chasing golden perch at the moment, be prepared to put the time in. They are not coming to the party easily. Hard work and good technique is what’s needed at the present time.

The productivity in the redfin fishing has slowly

improved over recent weeks. The majority of anglers are only managing to catch small redfin, with just a limited number of anglers landing some better quality redfin measuring up to 40cm+. Most of the better-quality redfin are still being caught in the deep water. The most productive depth To page 97

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Great fishing for all species WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Summer started with a bang in the Wangaratta region – at least from a fishing perspective. The fishing has been amazing

and the nights start to get longer, the cod fishing may start to become a bit more inconsistent.

Don’t get me wrong, lures will still work, but from my personal experience I find lure fishing for Murray cod starts to get a bit more

A nice Murray cod caught on the outskirts of Wangaratta on a hardbody lure. for all species, the best that I can remember.

MURRAY COD The Murray cod fishing has been amazing so far this summer. I have caught a number of legal-sized Murray cod as well as a stack of smaller cod. I was privileged to witness my mate Brett Corker catch a 102cm Murray cod in the Ovens River at the end of December.

As we head into February I am anticipating that the Murray cod fishing will still be OK. It will likely have slowed a little as it does each year, but if the current pattern continues it should be better than most other Februarys.

February is the third best month of the year to target Murray cod in the Wangaratta area (after January and December). All known techniques should work throughout February, although as we get towards the end of the month, From page 96

is around 10m. Trolling deep diving hardbody lures has been working, along with casting and jigging soft plastics and ice jigs.

It has been very pleasing to hear about some very good native fish stockings that have been released into Lake Eppalock over the last couple of months by Victorian Fisheries.

This will be great for fishing opportunities in the future.

CAMPASPE RIVER Water flows have reduced in the Campaspe River over the last month or so. We have seen a slow but steady improvement in the water clarity in this system in recent weeks. The

are on the rise in the Ovens River system thanks to the Victorian Fisheries Authority releasing 50,000 per year into the river.

Most yellowbelly are caught on bait by anglers fishing with small baits such as worms and shrimp, however a few larger yellowbelly are now starting to turn up on lures, usually as a by-catch for those targeting Murray cod.

If you are coming to the Wangaratta area and hoping to catch a yellowbelly in the Ovens River, try using baits of either worms or shrimp.

The river is teeming with shrimp at the moment, and they are easy to catch in shrimp nets.

The tail end of summer can be a great time to catch yellowbelly anywhere, so hopefully the Ovens River can also produce some late

Buffalo. Lake William Hovell seems to have the number whilst Lake Buffalo seems to have the size. Lake Buffalo redfin are fewer, but bigger, whereas Lake William Hovell is a great place to take the kids in February to ensure they have the greatest chance of just catching a redfin.

Baits of small yabbies and worms always work well in Lake William Hovell when the redfin are biting, as do all other known redfin fishing techniques. Soft plastics, small minnows,

Most redfin are small at Lake William Hovell, but combining swimming and fishing for small redfin makes it the ideal place to take the family in February.

The author bought himself a new 2wt fly rod for Christmas and christened it with this lovely little rainbow.

inconsistent later in February, whereas bait fishing remains quite consistent.

Baits of cheese, bardi grubs and worms will all be worth trying, and large yabbies are a great bait for the big cod.

YELLOWBELLY Yellowbelly numbers

summer yellowbelly this February.

REDFIN I am looking forward to doing some redfin fishing this February. February is the time of year where I usually start to catch a few redfin in both Lake William Hovell and Lake

spinners etc. will all be worth trying in Lake William Hovell this month.

TROUT The trout fishing can go either way in February.

At the time of writing this report in January, we have had a very mild and damp start to summer, which has led to excellent stream flows right across the region.

The heat has finally arrived, which will slow the trout down, however with the nights just starting to cool a little bit, and get longer, the water temperatures should start

productivity in the fishing was off to a slow start due to poor water clarity and cold water temperatures over spring. However, now that the water temperatures have increased nicely and the water clarity has improved, good numbers of native fish are now being caught in this system again.

Golden perch measuring up to 55cm have been caught lately. Casting lipless crankbaits and small profile spinnerbaits has been working well. Casting along the weed bed edges with hardbody lures has also been a productive option on the golden perch.

Murray cod measuring up to 90cm have also been landed by anglers.

The best catch rates of the Murray cod have been by those anglers walking

the banks and fishing the shallower sections of the system. During periods of reduced light, surface lures and swimbaits have been producing some nice fish. Casting medium size hardbody lures and large lipless crankbaits has also worked well.

CAIRN CURRAN The water levels have continued to slowly decline over the last month. At the time of writing this report they were at 65% of capacity. The productivity in the fishing has remained fairly consistent, with the majority of anglers targeting the resident native population. As the water temperatures increased over the last month, greater concentrations of fish moved into shallower water. At the present time,

good numbers of both Murray cod and golden perch are being caught by anglers trolling the edges of the Reservoir. The most productive depth has been around 4m of water.

Small profile hardbody lures have been working best. Anglers have been getting good results trolling in the bays and concentrating their efforts on the inner edges of weed beds. Casting these same areas with lipless crankbaits and suspending hardbody lures has been producing some Murray cod and golden perch as well.

The majority of redfin caught lately have come from slightly deeper water, generally around 5-6m.

Most of them aren’t large but they are in very good condition for their size.

Brett Corker caught this 102cm Murray cod on cheese in the Ovens River between Christmas and New Year.

to cool off slightly late in February. This usually sees the trout start to become more active.

The Ovens River upstream of Bright will fish well this month, and so too will the upper Buffalo River upstream of Abbeyard and the Buckland River.

The King River upstream of Lake William Hovell is another fantastic option, with a very healthy number of trout. The further upstream you can go, the better. The far upper reaches of the King River around Pineapple Flat are accessible by 4WD and offer fantastic trout fishing.

A small Murray cod caught in Wangaratta just before Christmas.

LODDON RIVER There has been a steady improvement in anglers’ catch rates in the Loddon River system over the last month. Water clarity is still patchy, depending on what section of the Loddon River you are planning to fish.

The water clarity is only average below Laanecoorie to Newbridge section of the river. The section where the water clarity is currently the best is the first 5km of water upstream of Bridgewater.

The water clarity is also good downstream of Bridgewater to halfway between Bridgewater and the Fernihurst weir.

Golden perch are making up the majority of anglers’ captures. Good lure options for the golden perch have been small

hardbody lures, small spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits.

Good numbers of Murray cod have also been caught in the system. It has been encouraging to see the numbers of smaller Murray cod being caught in the system so far this season.

The average size of the cod being caught has been between 40-60cm, which is a great sign for the future.

On another positive note, there have been a few isolated captures of large Murray cod measuring from 80cm to over the magical metre mark. It has been great to see some anglers catch a fish of a lifetime in a local river system.

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Timing is everything BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Anglers around the Ballarat and district have been catching some magnificent trout and redfin from our local waters over the past month. One of keys to

first light. During the day, they retreat back to the cooler deeper pockets of water. We anglers need to adapt our fishing times to give us the best chance of catching a fish; there’s no sense in sitting on the side of one of our fisheries in the scorching heat, in the middle of the day waiting for

disappointed with all three children landing some feisty brown and rainbow trout on local bug/spider mudeyes suspended under floats. Mick said the trout were biting thick and fast for a period of time – the kids couldn’t keep a rod in the water, and loved every minute. Young Josie hooked into a magnificent brown trout that jumped out of the water everywhere, and after some very nervous moments they managed to land it. It measured 54cm, and Mick said Josie still hasn’t stopped talking about it!

Damien Kierl has been getting amongst the fish on Wendouree, whilst they are on the bite. Damien has landed some lovely trout and also some magnificent sized redfin, including a 40cm and

Young Josie Taylor landed this magnificent 54cm brown trout whilst fishing on Lake Wendouree. Image courtesy of Mick Taylor.

Damien Keirl has been landing some ripper redfin at Lake Wendouree on mudeyes suspended under a float. Image courtesy of Damien Kierl. their success has been the times of the day they have been heading out fishing, especially during the summer months.

In general, most of our fisheries around Ballarat are very shallow, with one exception being Tullaroop Reservoir. The shallow nature of our waters means that the water temperatures rise very quickly, which is not ideal, especially for trout because they like cooler temperatures.

Trout change their feeding habits/patterns to feed at the cooler times of the day, being just on evening and after dark, sometimes all night and at

a fish to bite. Instead, head out for the evening or get out of bed early to bring the odds back in your favour.

Lake Wendouree has been the standout fishery over the past month, with the trout and redfin feasting on the local mudeyes, which are hatching in big numbers during the evening and throughout the night.

Mick Taylor, who had been visiting Ballarat with his family over Christmas/New Year, took his three young children Jonathan, Josie and Elsie fishing on Wendouree, to see if they could catch a trout. They were certainly not

Jo Howes has landed some magnificent brown and rainbow trout from Tullaroop Reservoir on mudeyes over the past few months. Image courtesy of Jo Howes.

48cm fish in one session.

Damien has been catching the trout and redfin on mudeyes suspended under a

The author has been getting amongst the mudeye-feeding trout on Wendouree, including this ripper 62cm brown trout.

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bubble float.

I have fished Wendouree up a few times myself over the past month myself recording some excellent results as well, including a magnificent brown trout of 62cm. I have been fishing from a boat, anchoring along the edge of the weed beds, fishing into clear open water with mudeyes. The trout have definitely been on the chew, and during one session I lost count of how many I caught. They are definitely tuned in to feeding on bug mudeyes at the moment, and hopefully this will conditnue.

I do believe it will quieten down a little as the water temperatures rise, however if we chose the right times I’m sure the results will be there.

At Tullaroop Reservoir the fishing reports have been a little on the slow side. Jo Howes, however, persevered and was rewarded for her efforts, landing some excellent sized brown and rainbow trout. Jo heads up to Tullaroop and fishes with the wind at her back, and this allows her

get a bite, then other days I can catch a couple. They are just great fish to catch up here.”

On one of Jo’s most recent trips she managed to land a ripping brown trout just over 2kg. Jo said it went like the clappers, and she just took her time and finally landed it.

She added that her best results have been early in the morning before it gets too warm.

At Newlyn Reservoir and Hepburn Lagoon the reports have been pretty light on over the past month. Both waters are holding excellent water levels at the moment, although they will start to drop soon as irrigation requirements kick in. For the time being, anglers should make the most of the high water levels and accessible water. The trout and redfin, like other waters in the area, will be feeding on mudeyes. Early mornings and evenings are best for the fly fishers using mudeye

Mudeyes are the larval stage of the dragonfly.

This newly-hatched dragonfly is drying its wings in readiness to fly away. mudeyes suspended under floats to cover plenty of water.

“I’m just patient,” Jo said.

“Some days I might not even

imitation fly patterns, and for the guys who like to fish bait, the local bug/spider mudeyes will do the job.

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Solid Murray cod on the chew SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

It’s been a great start to the new year for fishing in the Goulburn, with plenty of cod being caught in our region.

Bait fishing has been a great method, with good reports of manly legalsized cod upstream around Murchison and Toolamba as well as downstream of Shepparton around Undera way. Worms, chicken and cheese have been the standouts for those chasing cod, and yabbies have been best for yellowbelly.

Trolling StumpJumpers and Old Mates has worked well for chasing cod, with Pirate Vibration Bladed Spinnerbaits working well also.

February can also produce plenty of great fishing in the Goulburn, predominantly in the mornings or evenings.

In years gone by the river in behind Aqua Moves has fished really well in February.

BROKEN RIVER I have been getting plenty of reports of great fishing in the Broken River. Walking the

banks or in a kayak, it doesn’t matter – the fish are active and hitting all sorts of lures. Zerek Fish Traps with single hooks

working well on a slow retrieve or just a simple shake of the rod to just get the wings vibrating on the top. This can

Mitch Reeves with a solid 1m+ cod caught on chicken in the Goulburn River. have accounted for plenty of fish, as have Bassman Codman Spinnerbaits.

The surface bite is still on, with Jackal Pompadours

be a great method if you’re trying to imitate a big moth stuck on the surface, and it can sometimes draw a strike when a slow retrieve can’t.

WARANGA BASIN Trolling has been running red hot for the redfin lately, with some good reports of high numbers of fish being caught. There have been a few key areas lately – along the main rock wall, up and down Harrimans Road and also near the caravan park.

Standard diving lures such as the RMG, Old Mates or Codgers have worked well, with or without a soft plastic trailer, and also trolling TN60 Jackalls.

Bait fishing around the edges continues to be a great way to get good numbers of redfin. They’re not very big, but they’re still a blast to catch.

Worms or shrimp under a float or lightly weighted yabbies have worked well this week.

IRRIGATION CHANNELS There have been plenty of fish been caught in the channel systems around Shepparton over the summer months.

Anglers fishing lures reported that lipless crankbaits and ZX40 blades were the standouts. Slow rolling both kinds of lures is effective, or you can pause, followed by a flick

Kaleb Oxley with a nice-sized Broken River cod caught off the top. of the rod tip to make the lure jump off the bottom, followed again by a pause.

Cod, yellowbelly and redfin are being reported also on bait, with scrub worms or small yabbies bobbing around bridge pylons working well.

GREENS LAKE Over the Christmas period there were a few reports of some decent sized redfin and yellowbelly being caught on

bait and spinners, with some monster carp as well, all being caught off the bank.

There is a proposed plan for Greens Lake to return more to a natural waterway and not reliant on irrigation. If you regularly fish Greens Lake it would be worth jumping onto engage.vic.gov.au/draftgreens-lake-action-plan and have your say about the future of the waterway.

Waterways are beckoning WEST/SOUTH GIPPSLAND

Billy Auldist

The summer heat has certainly set in, and the local rivers and streams are running clean and are beckoning. For anglers in the region, this time of year is as exciting as it gets. The water is warm so the fish are

have accounted for plenty of fish across this season.

If you are looking for a challenge, try using a small cicada or surface popper in the fading light after a hot day. It is quite the display watching a trout hit the top.

The Loch, Toorongo and La Trobe rivers received a lot of pressure over the Christmas break, but will continue to produce into February. As

make sure you don’t make too much commotion on the bank. Like almost every other river in the area, it has also been smashed over the break, but the Tarago is more susceptible to fishing pressure, so having a remote stretch that hasn’t been touched is key. The Bunyip hasn’t had a whole lot of angling pressure lately so it should be considered when looking for an unpressured spot. A small soft plastic on a light jighead or an unweighted cricket or worm will work in both of these

rivers, and of course spinners and hardbodies will land fish as normal.

Blue Rock Reservoir has really started to fire, with bass starting to turn up in good numbers. Success is being found on cicadas and poppers in the twilight periods, and soft plastics, spinnerbaits and hardbodies throughout the day. There are also numbers of redfin being caught in the lake with the same methods, but usually not with a whole heap of size. You may still turn up a trout or two, but they tend to

Jack Logan with a nice local brown trout caught drifting an unweighted worm downstream.

Dylan Powis shows off an impressive brown trout from Blue Rock that measured over 65cm! It was caught on a spinnerbait while targeting bass. actively feeding in all of our waterways, and the results are showing for many fishos.

Noojee and its surrounding rivers are still producing good numbers of trout for many fishers. The same old story as usual is doing the trick – spinners and hardbodies never seem to fail the lure fishers, and

for bait, a worm will usually do the trick. At this time of year the grasshoppers and crickets are out and about, so if you can get your hands on a few of them, even better.

The Tarago River has dropped a little since before Christmas but it’s still running clear. All this means for anglers is that the trout will spook easier, so

Wayne Sederlan with a monster 47.5cm Blue Rock bass that took a liking to a 3” minnow styled plastic.

slow down a bit in the heat.

In Warragul, Hazel Creek and the Little Moe River have been fishing well. They mainly hold carp, which can be a bit of fun, but they also hold redfin which can be targeted on small soft plastics. Most sections don’t get a lot of attention because most people write off these waters, but the fishing can be quite successful on a good day.

The river blackfish season has now opened, which is more good news for anglers. Most rivers in our region will hold them and they are worthy of some attention. An

unweighted worm is ideal but if the current is too strong, a small sinker or splitshot may be required.

Other baits like yabbies and shrimp cast next to a snag will also give you a chance. Blackfish are very slow growing fish so it is important to release them when possible.

Heading into February we should be expecting more of the same to come.

There shouldn’t too much changing on the fishing front, and many of the same techniques will work. The fishing pressure will start to slow and the fish will still be biting.

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Multiple metre-plus fish EILDON

Peter Burtchell

Lake Eildon may be famous for its trophy-sized trout and yellowbelly, but a lake that can produce multiple metre-plus fish in a morning’s fishing session by a single angler is what makes it all the more special.

The target area was high up in the headwaters of the Jamieson River where large Murray cod wait in ambush within the deep holes that pockmark the early stages of the river for unsuspecting prey that are quickly consumed.

Tom thought it was all

Tom Beasley with a 130cm behemoth. and was a pretty special moment for all on board.

The quantity and quality of Lake Eildon fish being caught on a regular basis is a testament to the dedication of the Victorian

Dobbo hits the 117cm mark.

You can’t help smiling with a catch like this. over after he landed and released a 103cm Murray cod only to them be hit by a 130cm monster.

Another group of anglers (Cooper, Dobbo and partners) fished Lake Eildon, with Cooper landing

four Murray cod flicking spinnerbaits during the first day’s fishing. The largest of Cooper’s fish measured in at 95cm. The following day, accompanied by their girlfriends, Cooper and Dobbo were more touring

Relax and enjoy delicious food and warm hospitality.

the lake than fishing when Dobbo sighted a nice looking snag during their mid-afternoon cruise.

Dobbo flicked a 10” soft plastic at the structure and next thing he’s almost pulled overboard. The fish put up an enormous fight, with Dobbo proper thumbing the spool trying to stop its run. The girls and Cooper cleaned the deck space while Dobbo and Cooper landed her safely for a photo and then back to the depths with her. The fish went 117cm

Blake Portbury was smashed by a beauty whilst surface fishing in the Jerusalem Creek Marina.

Fisheries Authority’s hatcheries teams. Their breeding and stocking program saw the first run of their Snobs Creek Hatcheries Murray cod for

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

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FEBRUARY 2022

Cooper with one of his four catches for the day.

2022 released into the lake on New Year’s Day. The production teams worked hard during the months leading up to the release, with the support of fishing licence fees to grow the little beauties, 30,000 of which went into Lake Eildon. Those fish and many, many more are to be produced at Snobs in the coming months, and are among the record 10 million fish scheduled to be released before April 2022.

The mammoth stocking effort is part of the Victorian Government’s $35 million Go Fishing Victoria plan to get more people fishing more often. Added to the tremendous Murray cod stocking, yellowbelly, brown and rainbow trout are regularly stocked,

providing a multitude of fishing options for anglers.

Hopefully with pandemic restrictions behind us, 2022 is shaping up to be a return to many fishing competitions that are held on the lake.

The Lake Eildon Fishing Challenge will take place from 13-15 May, followed up by the Lake Eildon Cod Masters which is scheduled to run from 25-28 May. Later in the year, the Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series pro series will be held from 11-13f November. Be sure to lock in the dates in order to join some fantastic angling competitions.

February will see many a trophy-sized yellowbelly being landed as the temperature and food availability remain high.

Small trout will still fish well in the headwaters, and as always Murray cod will be prevalent. May we suggest for both yellowbelly and Murray cod, you try to get your hands on the lure that has won hands-down when competing against other lures whilst trolling over the New Year period.

The Old Mate new number 17 in the 15ft hardbody has picked up seven out of seven Murray cod on the last three guided tours on the Lake. Competing against two other coloured Old Mate lures on each tour, the no. 17 colour accounted for all of the catches no matter which side of the vessel it was fished from.

Was it a coincidence, luck or just maybe a colour that our Australian natives are attracted to? We may never know, however what we do know is that the To page 101

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Murray cod prime time YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

We are now entering prime time for fishing in Lake Mulwala. February through to May is the pick, with many great days on offer at the home of the Murray cod.

This is the time of year where reward for effort should see you in with a great chance of landing a Mulwala monster… if you put in the time. Over the past couple of years, bigger offerings in the way of swimbaits, glidebaits and big plastics have accounted for many quality cod, but your standard sized hardbody, spinnerbait or chatterbait will see you in with a good chance.

Undoubtedly the stand-out performer, and probably the easiest way to fish, is surface fishing. Cast out your lure, commence a nice gentle retrieve, and wait for the BOOF. Sounds pretty easy hey! Again, over the last decade or so since surface fishing has come into its own, this is by far

the most exciting and often productive method going around. A quick tip for those who haven’t or don’t fish Mulwala on a regular basis: if you’re going to do a morning or night session, make sure you know where you are going to fish and you know how you are going to get there. It all gets a lot more difficult when it gets dark, and can become dangerous.

For those choosing to baitfish, cheese and chicken have become the go-to baits, and are consistently producing good cod. If you can get hold of the good old bardi grub, they are a great option. Yabbies have accounted for their fair share of quality fish this season, while a well-placed scrub worm will also do the trick. Interestingly, cheese accounted for the most legal sized cod (139) caught in the 2021 Cod Classic, followed by chicken (56) with bardis (43) being a distant third.

Looking back, the 2021 Yamaha Cod Classic was another great success with 1615 anglers descending on Yarrawonga/Mulwala

to celebrate the opening to another new cod season.

Due to COVID and other goings on at the time, only 700-1000 participants were expected. 1615 was a great result and showed that anglers were looking to get back on the water after lockdown. Conditions were more conducive to flying a kite, but the diehards prevailed in the conditions and landed some great fish.

A monster stretching the tape out to 123cm, caught

by Kev Gillies on a worm/ yabby, got the chocolates for the adult section while junior Jack Dominick got a beauty measuring 115cm on chicken to claim bragging rights in his division.

Post Cod Classic, the holiday period was hectic with plenty of quality reports coming in. Numerous cod surpassing the magical metre mark were reported, with a couple measuring around 125cm being the pick of the bunch. Below the weir the fishing has been exceptional, with many reports of smaller cod being caught on a very regular basis. Along with the cod, plenty of quality yellas

Oscar Choate with a 115cm monster taken off the surface. have been appearing.

The competition season is upon us, with a few events coming up over the next couple of months. The first is the ever-popular Humminbird Da$h 4 Cash (19-20 February), followed by the His & Hers Partners Classic (5 March). To round out the comp season

is the Cod Nationals (16-19 March), four days of serious tournament fishing for the dedicated greenfish angler.

If you are visiting town, I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski and say g’day. It’s the shop with the big green cod out the front (opposite the Post

Office) in Mulwala or located between Rivers and One Zac in the main street, Yarrawonga.

We’re Yarrawonga/Mulwala’s fishing specialists and specialize in all things green!

For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports, give us a hoy on 03 5744 3133.

Catching bigger fish CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

Finally, midsummer has arrived. It’s a shame that holiday makers have gone back to work, but it’s great news for locals, who are now able to fish less crowded waters.

Lake Purrumbete has been fishing well, with browns, rainbows, tiger, chinook and redfin all taking hardbodied lures cast around the lake’s fringes, right at the edge of the weed beds. The eastern shoreline has been good for sizeable redfin taken jigging soft plastics, metal blades and

ice jigs – and also the bait brigade using live minnow suspended just off the bottom. Depths of 15-18m have seen fish activity show up on the boat’s sounder.

At this depth the bottom looks clean and clear on the sounder, so any fuzzy weed looking ‘growth’ is probably redfin. Don’t forget to send

A few nice redfin, including a 900g specimen taken on the troll in Lake Elingamite.

Dylan got in on the action over the holidays.

From page 100

supplier is in a mad rush to order more, as no. 17 has become the leading colour in the Old Mate range by popular demand.

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down some dry berley pellets to fire up the fish and keep them on the bite.

At the time of writing it seems that a thermocline layer has yet to form, as fish are still displaying the same habits, such as feeding exactly the same as they did in the cooler months. With that in mind, we don’t need to dust off the downriggers yet, but that all could change in the coming weeks.

Bullen Merri once again is showing signs of an algal bloom. To try to control this, scientific boffins have been trying out some new apparatus in the lake that controls the bacteria by emitting frequency waves which fracture the algae.

Apparently, several units are currently being tested and if successful, more are to

be installed. This method is meant to be a replacement of sorts for the aerator that once existed here.

The aerator was installed to oxygenate the water to prevent any stagnation occurring, especially in the warmer months.

Two massive Australian bass were recently caught here, and this has caused quite a stir amongst the angling community as both fish were huge, to say the least. Because bass have not been stocked here for quite a few years, it’s certainly a surprise to find that some are still alive and kicking. I don’t have the weights and sizes at hand, but I believe one fish went at least 3kg.

When the bass were stocked the fish came from NSW, and because NSW has a

warmer environment than we have, the fish tended to switch off and go into a torpor during our winter. This meant that the growth rates of the bass was considerable slowed down. That is possibly the reason why they are still in the lake.

Lake Elingamite’s levels are still OK for tinnies under 4m to enter and exit the lake. Good redfin to over 1kg are coming out, along with some solid brown and rainbows approaching 2kg.

Fly and lure casting around the weed beds is working, along with trolling medium diving minnow lures. A mudeye suspended under a float and fished adjacent to the weed is the best method for bait anglers to date.

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Morgan and Williams snatch win at Tinaroo

We often harp on about sponsor karma and its mystical powers at our events, but what about owner karma? Well, it must count for something because after 16 years of fishing the BARRA tour he created, Steve Morgan

catching spots into different sections to target the fish at different stages of the session was key to nutting out the few bites they could get.

During the first session, sporadic storms were rolling through the dam and the

fired just 24 hours prior had dried up, so the move to a spot they’d found in pre-fish in the main basin proved just the trick. Replacing the shallow running Bombers with heavy swimbaits for the deeper edges of the main basin was the adjustment

Liam Robinson from Anita Barra nailed the Big Barra for the event on Day 2 which went 26kg (120cm) …. Not surprisingly on a FishTrap.

Steve Morgan’s 113cm Barron arm barramundi anchored their team’s Day 1 bag, which went over 50kg for 4/5 fish.

– along with lifelong friend and teammate Joseph Williams – has finally won a BARRA event, taking 1st place in the first round of the 2021 Zerek Barra tour on Lake Tinaroo sponsored

by Wilson fishing.

With 7/10 fish for 81.77kg, the pair leaned heavily on Joseph’s 17+ years of local knowledge on the arena to bring it all together in the crunch.

Anglers had two night sessions to try and find 10 of Tinaroo’s biggest barramundi and versatility was very important.

Breaking their key fish

pair found that the fish were quite fired up in a shallow section of the Barrine River arm of the lake. In a move away from the traditional ripping and darting jerk bait technique, the duo slow-rolled bomber Long-As over the shallow weed flats to get the bites, resulting in a cracking 4/5 fish for 50.40kg for their first session.

Often in tournament fishing, the fish can play hard-to-get, and come day two it’s time to go looking.

That being said, Team Fishing Monthly found the Barron River arm that had

Place Team 1 Fishing Monthly 2 Anita Barra 3 SC Marine Doctor 4 T.B.C 5 On the cast 6 About town bait & tackle 7 Venom 8 Duck nose 9 Wilson Fishing 10 Smak Wild 102

FEBRUARY 2022

and standard treble hook are upgraded to two #1 sized decoy YS81 trebles with heavy-duty split rings as well. Joseph launched this heavy bait with a Dobyns Sierra 7’ 10-20lb baitcast rod paired with a Daiwa Zillion, braided line and monofilament leader.

A FISH TRAP CLINIC FOR ANITA BARRA Team Anita Barra, Liam Robinson and James Wilson, were nipping at the heels of Scan the QR code to watch the Winners Interview.

Joseph Williams and Steve Morgan (Fishing Monthly) recorded their first ever BARRA event win at Lake Tinaroo.

Joseph Williams has landed an estimated 1,000, metre-plus barra in Tinaroo. Here’s another one for the tally.

RESULTS

they needed.

Williams said, “It was an island in the middle of the dam that is hit and miss when the dam levels fluctuate, however Steve whacked them there in pre-fish so we headed there

on the second session.”

Although the quantity was lacking, the quality was exactly what they were after and after being overtaken on the leaderboard by Team Anita Barra, the pair needed one more kicker fish to take back the top spot.

After side-scanning a sizeable fish, Williams made three casts at it with his Molix Shad 140 in perch colour, before hooking up with a 104cm 14.15kg fish, snatching back the lead from Anita Barra with just under an hour to go.

As far as lure pimping goes, the Colorado blade

Team Fishing Monthly the whole event and finished in second place, only 370g behind them in a nailbiting finish.

The pair were able to put 9/10 fish for 81.40kg on the board, using a Zerek Fish Trap technique they have down to a fine art.

Using ultra light – almost bass sized – spin outfits, what they give up in fighting power they made up for in presentation. Aiming for a reaction bite while the sun was high, sharp twitching their Zerek Fish Traps vertical over the top of fish was how they secured the bites. Clearly a deadly technique for these Tinaroo barramundi as the team also secured the event’s Big Barra, a 26kg, 120cm giant – at 2:30 in the afternoon mind you!

Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers Morgan/Williams Robinson/Wilson Wood/Wood Laine/Williams Sam Brown Detenton/Mulcahy Dixon/Meredith Goodhew/Ruth Cornelius/Luckus Herbohn/Turner

Fish 7/10 9/10 7/10 8/10 4/10 5/10 5/10 6/10 5/10 4/10

Weight(kg) Payout 81.77 $1300 81.40 $750 80.26 $500 68.29 EJ Todd prize pack 57.58 BaitJunkie Prize Pack 54.14 Prize pack 47.82 Tackle Tactics Prize pack 41.17 Zerek Prize pack 35.12 ProLure prize pack 33.63 Keitech prize pack

A Fish Trap Masterclass by Anita Barra Just in case anglers weren’t already running on empty from the last two sessions on Lake Tinaroo, we like to throw in an all-night event to test the mental and physical limits of the anglers, and the organisers!

The MOLIX sponsored round ran between 3pm Sunday afternoon and finished at 7am Monday morning, a gruelling 16 hour session with the intention of giving anglers a larger opportunity to fish as many bite windows as they can find.

Liam Robinson and James Wilson of Team Anita Barra exacted revenge on Team Fishing Monthly who just pipped them in the first round, by taking first place in the second round with an enormous 5/5 limit for 89.62kg. Closely followed in second place by About Town Bait and Tackle,

spot – a shallow point in 12-8ft of water, more typical of a barra spot – things started to really take off, in what turned out to be a session most barra anglers dream of.

The next few hours would be as Robinson described, “The best couple of hours fishing I think I’ve ever experienced. The fish were absolutely mental, and huge!”

The next 5 fish went 109, 102, 110, 116 and 109cm, upgrading their entire bag to metre-fish, and all before midnight!

BIG BAGS THE THEME FOR FIRST AND SECOND Both first and second teams were more than 10kg clear of the rest of the field with cracking fish well in excess of the metre mark.

Team About Town Bait and Tackle fell only just shy in the end, however they can take solace in the fact Michael Detenton took Big Barra for the event with a monster 29kg, 123cm fish. Fish of this calibre are rare enough as it is so to catch one alone is special, to catch one in a tournament is outstanding.

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James Wilson contributed heavily to what ended up being the heaviest bag registered in 2021 ABT Barra events.

Forsaking the extra heavy baitcasting or spin outfits typically used, the boys opted for a far

with some deeper edges in the 15-20ft range during the daylight hours, the pair managed to get four

Michael Detenon’s 29kg (123cm) Barra win a Blade n Tails rod and eventually a $1,500 Buck-n-Bass rainsuit for the Tour’s Buck-n-Big-Barra!

Team Anita Barra started the 2021 Tour where they finished the previous year when they won the Team of the Year title.

Michael Detenton and Luke Mulcahy, with 5/5 for 87.07kg. Both teams were over 10kg clear of third place.

Between the two of them, they have their Zerek Fish Trap technique dialled in so much so that it’s the only lure they fish with for the whole event in black jack, red devil and sunset colours exclusively.

lighter 4000 sized Shimano Vanford spooled with 30lb FINS braid and 50lb Sunline FC 100 on a Shimano Zodias spin rod. Quick, sharp hops vertically off the bottom is the technique and the lighter outfits they feel maximises the erratic action of the vibe where a heavy outfit does not.

Starting in the Barron River arm on a long bank

fish before moving to their second spot just before their bite time.

“We pretty much had three key spots on the dam that we identified as holding fish and we just bounced between them all session long to stay on active fish,” Robinson said of their spots.

At around 8pm when the boys hit their second

RESULTS Place Team 1 Anita barra 2 About town bait & tackle 3 Wilson fishing 4 T.B.C 5 Duck Nose 6 Venom 7 Fishing Monthly 8 Pete & Karim 9 SC Marine doctor 10 Mclaren engineering

James and Liam reckon that Tinaroo is the best barra lake in Australia.

Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers Robinson/Wilson Detenton/Mulcahy Cornelius/Luckus Laine/Williams Goodhew/Ruth Dixon/Meredith Morgan/Williams Cherritt/De Rider Wood/Wood Cohu/Mclaren

Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5

Weight(kg) Payout 89.62 $1300 87.07 $750 77.27 $500 73.66 EJ Todd prize pack 71.20 BaitJunkie Prize Pack 63.12 Prize pack 61.68 Tackle Tactics Prize pack 60.43 Zerek Prize pack 58.78 ProLure prize pack 56.67 Keitech prize pack FEBRUARY 2022

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10 Kegs Clear At Lake Teemburra

Moving the tour back down the coastline, the picturesque surrounds of Lake Teemburra was the battleground for the 3rd round of the tour, sponsored by DAIWA. A dam renowned for throwing out BIG barra.

Only being one session (4pm-12am), teams could throw everything they had at the venue to try and crack the biggest five fish limit they

The team had it down to two key spots in their pre-fish. Heading to their most likely spot to start the session, they were only able to jump off a good-sized fish.

After an uneventful move to spot two, the pair moved back to spot one where it all started to kick off.

“We thought, if we’re going to catch nothing, we may as well go and do it where we think a big one will

Ben Wilcox has missed a few Tours recently but hit the ground running in 2021. slowly and the fish would push up on top of it. The trick was to cast their soft plastics on top of the weed and just let it brush the tops of the weed towers, controlling the running depth with the winding speed of the reel.

For Mick, the lure of choice was the old faithful Black Gold Slick Rig, with just a few slight modifications.

Boiling the lure in hot water to soften the bait and make

Mick Slade was dubbed the “Prefish Princess” for landing a 124cm fish in practice. Lucky they didn’t peak too early … and the tutu was a good luck charm. could manage.

Team Dobyns Rods, Michael Slade and Ben Wilcox, were victors in the end, bringing in a 5/5 limit for 64.30kg; followed in second place by team Imakatsu, Quintin Maclean and Colin Brett, who had a

wide gap – in his own jighead mould with a stinger treble attached through the body underneath the bait.

Outfit of choice for Mick was a Dobyns Fury 765 12-25lb paired with an Abu Garcia Revo Beast baitcast reel with 30lb Suffix braid and 80lb leader.

Giving the fish something different to look at, Ben opted for the incredibly popular Molix Shad 140, however opting only to upgrade the front treble to a BKK Viper and leave the Colorado Blade

at the back, instead of adding a treble as most do.

“We just feel like they damage the lures too much with that extra treble and we don’t seem to miss too many fish even with less hook points,” Ben said of his choice to forsake the extra treble.

Mick’s outfit for the event was another Dobyns Fury 765 12-25lb, only this time in a spin configuration with a 4000 Shimano Stella, 30lb Suffix and 80lb fluorocarbon leader.

BIG BARRA

Scan the QR code to watch the Winners Interview.

5 barra limit for 54.68kg.

Pre-fish was cause for excitement for the boys as Mick, pre-fishing alone as Ben was in transit, landed a 124cm giant that would have weighed a whopping 30.27kg if caught in tournament hours.

Fortunately for them, they didn’t peak too early!

There’s some solid barramundi talent on the podium for the Teemburra round. roll through. Luckily they just happened to roll through in the end!” Catching nine fish for the night, the team made plenty of upgrades on top of an already fruitful bag.

The spot was at a point where the weed tapered off

it more flexible. Mike then singes the tail a few times with a soldering iron to thin it out and give it that big body roll barra love. Mick also makes his own jigheads out of a 6/0 Owner Beast weedless hook – for the extra

RESULTS Place Team 1 Dobyns Rods 2 Imakatsu 3 Anita Barra 4 Wison Fishing 5 T.B.C 6 Fishing Monthly 7 Mike carney group/ Tackle Tactics 8 Part-time Hookers 9 Lowrance 10 ACM Dogtooth 104

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Anglers Slade/Wilcox Brett/Maclean Robinson/Wilson Cornelius/Luckus Laine/Williams Morgan/Smith Versfeld/Wilton Beck/Brady Price/Thomas Crofts/Crofts

There were two, 23.20kg barra landed during the event, but Daniel Maddick’s bit first and earned him a Blade-n-Tails rod. Daniel of Team Fish With Me caught the biggest barra for the night, a Teemburra beauty at 117cm and 23.20kg.

Full results at abt.org.au

Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5

5/5 2/5 5/5

Weight(kg) Payout 64.30 $1700 54.68 $900 52.66 $750 48.53 $600 46.38 $500 45.94 EJ Todd prize pack

BaitJunkie Prize Pack 33.75 Prize pack 33.33 Tackle Tactics Prize pack 32.78 Zerek Prize pack

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A Wilson fish fest at Lake Kinchant If quality and quantity are what you’re looking for, it’s hard to go past destination number four on the BARRA tour. The Lake Kinchant round, sponsored by Mustad, was won in typical sponsor karma fashion

by Team Wilson Fishing, Kord Lucas and Jeremy Cornelius, with a 5/5 limit for 57.93kg.

Followed closely by a couple of southerners that are quite well known to the bream scene: Blake Scan the QR code to watch the Winners Interview.

Matthew Mott from Team Garmin landed the event’s Big Barra

Yeeeeehawwww! One of our personal favourites from the tour, Liam Robinson and one of his Barra that was kind enough to model an Akubra for a photo.

them of the results.

Pre-fish was a success with the two narrowing their selection down to just two key lures: one to fill their bag and one to upgrade it. Respectively, these lures were a Zerek Flat Shad X in the jighead configuration and a Zerek Affinity swimbait with the attached weight taken off to achieve a shallow, sub-surface presentation across the expansive weed flats.

Drawing the second place keytag gave the boys a headstart to their spots over the competition, a big advantage which got them to their top spot ahead of other like-minded teams.

“It was definitely a race and we had the slower boat,

O’Grady and Jamie Mckeown of Team Bream Hooligans flexed years of tournament knowledge in front of their BARRA counterparts and cracked a solid pattern to finish in a close second with 5/5 for 55.79kg.

Admitting they didn’t check the live scoreboard the whole session, the Wilson Fishing boys had no idea they’d won, which certainly made for some excitement at the boat ramp when Fishing Monthly’s Steve Morgan informed Jeremy Cornelius wasn’t watching the live scoreboard - the first Wilson Fishing knew they won was at the end of the session.

Kord’s kicker barra ate this giant Zerek Affinity swimbait. Big lure, big fish.

Despite the pose, Kord was much happier than this when the productive Kinchant fired for them with their new Flad Shad X baits.

RESULTS Place Team 1 Wilson Fishing 2 Bream Hooligans 3 Team Garmin 4 Lowrance 5 Smak Wild 6 Imakatsu 7 Anita Barra 8 ACM Dogtooth 9 Fitzroy River Barra Bash 10 Venom 106

FEBRUARY 2022

Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers Cornelius/Luckus Mckeown/O’grady Griffiths/Mott Price/Thomas Herbohn/Turner Brett/Maclean Robinson/Wilson Crofts/Crofts Conrad/Lill Dixon/Meredith

Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5

Weight(kg) Payout $1,500 57.93 55.79 $850 54.81 $700 53.61 $600 51.67 $500 50.45 EJ Todd prize pack 49.81 BaitJunkie Prize Pack 47.82 Prize pack 47.63 Tackle Tactics Prize pack 47.31 Zerek Prize pack

BARRA Series presented by so leaving in second was a definite advantage,” Kord remarked in his winner’s interview.

Using a swag of Wilson fishing gear, including Venom rods in the 7’

6kg baitcast model with a combat 200 plus reel, 30lb Wilson XL braid and Wilson fluorocarbon leader, the pair went straight to work throwing the new 140mm Zerek Flat

BARRA SERIES

abt

Kord Lucas and Jeremy Cornelius of team Wilson with 1500 Reasons to smile. Riding that sponsor karma wave like so many others before them, they landed 5/5 Barra for 57.93 Kg.

Bream Hooligan Jamie McKeown worked out a solid presentation that fired them into second place after dark.

Shad X in min min colour to fill their bag quickly before switching to the big baits.

Rolling the Flat Shad X through the towers of weed and just brushing past the sides of the towers was the technique for getting the all-important bag-filling bites.

On the other hand, the

bigger baits were fished on a dead slow roll over the top of the weed as a sub-surface presentation.

This technique accounted for the majority of their big fish, including their kicker at 103cm and 13.63kg, just 10mm shy of the Big Barra prize, which went to Tom Griffiths of Team Garmin with his 104cm barra.

NOT BAD FOR A FEW BREAM HOOLIGANS Evidently, barra are just the bigger, jumpier cousin of bream as Team Bream Hooligans, Blake O’Grady and Jamie Mckeown had no trouble putting the smackdown on a few big fish to land in 2nd place.

Only fishing for the

second time together on the tour, the pair worked out a solid bite at the Saffa point area of the dam. The pair caught the majority of their fish on a mix of swimbaits (pictured below) including 6” Berkley swim shads, Molix shad 140’s, Squidgie Slick Rigs and a Zerek Fish Trap for a slower option.

With their bag going 95, 98, 100, 101 and 102cm the boys had plenty to smile about. Not a bad effort for a few bream blokes! We look forward to having the boys back on tour next year.

Flat Shad X Jighead

Top stinger attachment

TPE body

Big boot tail

Kevlar webbed tail

170mm 74g

Patented body slits

145mm 52g

Pre-rigged with treble

11 colours Unlimited rigging options

130mm 28g

For more information please visit

Bottom hook eyelet

90mm 8g

Ultra-slow to burning retrieve

WWW.WILSONFISHING.COM FEBRUARY 2022

107

BARRA Series presented by

BARRA SERIES

abt

First win for father and son super-team

The second of the two marathon 16-hour all-nighters for the tour was won comfortably by father and son duo Rob and Tommy Wood of Team SC Marine doctor.

The family duo from the Sunshine Coast have been in fantastic form this year, placing second by the narrowest of margins in a nail-biting second in the Australian Open only a few

The team have built a reputation for being absolutely lethal with their Samaki Redic jerk baits on every barramundi impoundment they visit and Faust was no exception.

They have the technique down to a fine art, which includes changing between monofilament and fluorocarbon to alter the rate and depth at which the lure suspends and swims, to get

Tommy Wood broke through for his first ever BARRA event win at the Faust all-nighter, fishing a variety of jerkbaits and swimbaits. landing a stonking 106cm 15.27kg barra to kickstart the bag early. Moving to spot two towards their key bite time, the hydrowave came on and it attracted a big school of bony bream to the back of the boat where they used the Livescope

it tracking in front of fish.

For those wanting to know more (and because it’s too good not to share again!), click on the QR code on this page that will link the ‘howto’ video Tommy Wood did with Fishing Monthly’s Steve Morgan.

The night was off to a great start with Tommy

perspective mode on their Garmin units to see feeding fish and drop swimbaits and Samaki Redics on their heads.

For the swimbait bite, the pair used an array of plastics, including black and gold Squidgie Slick Rigs and Molix shad

Scan the QR code to watch the Winners Interview.

the event’s Big Barra, a 17.78kg (110cm) fish caught

by Rob Wood.

Coming in second place was Team Mike Carney Group/Tackle Tactics, Vinnie Versfeld and Jeff Wilton with another cracking limit of 5/5 fish for 67.27kg.

There’s a few father-and-son teams that compete in the BARRA events. Rob and Tommy Wood fish together fantastically.

RESULTS Place Team 1 SC Marine doctor 2 Mike Carney Group/ Tackle Tactics 3 Dobyns Rods 4 Wagon Wheel 5 Mustard Swamp Dogs 6 Anita Barra 7 Fishing Monthly 8 Not For Sale 9 T.B.C 10 Smak Wild 108

FEBRUARY 2022

on Livescope was crucial to getting bites as Tommy could see exactly how the fish were reacting with his bait as well as being able to see them follow it up out of

Scan the QR code to watch how to fish Samaki Redic jerkbaits with Tommy Wood

Vinnie and Jeff (Mike Carney/TT) headed to the top of the river to compile a bag that was nearly enough to win the event. months prior, and with a 3rd at Tinaroo amongst a few other top ten finishes, the team seemed poised to take a win at any moment.

The opportunity finally came at round 5 of the tour at Peter Faust Dam, sponsored by Lowrance, where the family team put an impressive 5 fish limit on the board for 72.10kg, securing their first win on tour. Their limit included

140s, both tricked up with upgraded Shout treble hooks from their friends at Barra Jacks. Throwing these big baits was a 7’ Samaki Zing Extreme

Rob Wood’s 17.78kg (110cm) Big Barra anchored the winning bag of just over 72kg.

12-25lb, 300 size baitcast reel, 50lb Suffix braid, 70lb Samaki fluorocarbon leader.

While rob stuck it out with the Slick Rig, Tommy remained throwing his pink Samaki Redic and watching it intently on his Garmin Livescope unit. Tommy fished his Redic at Faust on a super long cast with a fluorocarbon leader to get the lure sinking down to his desired depth – about the 12ft mark.

From there, the technique is incredibly slow, with Rob commenting, “To put it in perspective, I was getting 15 casts with a Slick Rig before Tommy had finished one with a Samaki.”

Being able to watch the fish

the weed before committing.

Ultimately the points earned from winning at Faust together with their other outstanding results on tour would be enough for Scan the QR code to watch an interview of the Barra Team of the Year

Rob and Tommy to write their name in the history books as the 2021 BARRA team of the year – and by only one point too! It doesn’t get much closer than that. A credit to their commitment and skill, well done on a stellar year Rob and Tommy.

Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers Wood/Wood Versfeld/Wilton Slade/Wilcox Gaw/Gilley Clark/Walker Robinson/Wilson Morgan/Smith Ferraro/Williams Laine/Williams Herbohn/Turner

Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5

Weight(kg) Payout $1,700 72.10 67.27 $900 65.01 $750 62.12 $600 57.85 $500 51.50 EJ Todd prize pack 47.18 BaitJunkie Prize Pack 43.96 Prize pack 41.68 Tackle Tactics Prize pack 40.56 Zerek Prize pack

BARRA Series presented by

TBC take home final barra tournament The sixth and final round of the 2021 BARRA tour took us again to Peter Faust Dam in the Proserpine region of Queensland, the second of two events on the dam and the second of the two, two-night events on the tour. This round was proudly sponsored by Samaki and anglers were treated to an array of Samaki products in prizes, and even a few freebies.

Mackay locals Peter Laine and Ben Williams of Team T.B.C were leading after day one and ultimately took out the event with a Scan the QR code to watch the Winners Interview.

Team TBC’s Peter Laine will work out the name of his team one year.

In the meantime they have a habit of winning events at Faust. fish spotted on the sidescan while Peter fished a shallow jerk bait across the weed.

Ben’s soft plastic of

10/10 limit for 117.28kg, while Team Lowrance, Peter Price and Greg Thomas, finished in second with a full 10/10 limit for 109.57kg.

Team T.B.C had to adapt to changing weather conditions over the two days as the wind did a full 180º from a southeaster on the first night to a northeaster on the second, shutting the fish down. Barra are renowned to hate sudden changes in wind direction. The boys were able to adjust accordingly by making a few slight tweaks to their lures and how they presented them to keep getting the bites The boys took a one two approach with Ben throwing a soft plastic presentation at

casted off the sounder you need something that sinks fast, swims fast and runs straight. That’s why Ben has a lot of luck on his plastic,” said Peter.

With Ben adding “We couldn’t get away with running the exposed hooks last night when the fish shut

Ben Williams is a gun on shallow water barra.

He held this one the right way up for once. down because they pushed right up into the weed, so the weedless hook was crucial while the flashy blade underneath stirred up a reaction bite.”

Peter leaned on a personal confidence bait in the form of a silver Rapala X-Rap 12,

Peter Price (pictured) and Greg Thomas snuck up into second place for the final event with fish like this.

RESULTS Place Team 1 T.B.C 2 Lowrance 3 Team Garmin 4 Fishing Monthly 5 Mustard Swamp Dogs 6 About Town Bait & Tackle 7 Wilson Fishing 8 Dobyns Rods 9 Anita Barra 10 Scared Fishless

abt

choice was a 6” white Berkley Hollowbelly rigged on a weedless 10/0 Owner Flashy thrown with a Northfork 736 X-Ray baitcast rod paired with an Abu Garcia Revo Premier with 30lb braid and 80lb fluorocarbon.

“For the fish sightScan the QR code to watch Steve Morgan’s 114cm barra on Livescope

Fishing Monthly’s Steve Morgan caught a 20.7kg (114) cm fish on a jerkbait to take the Big Barra award for the event.

one of his favourite lures for this venue. On the tackle side of things, Peter uses a G.Loomis Edge Rods Silver Widow 736 baitcast rod with a Shimano Calcutta conquest 200 spooled with suffix 832 40lb and 100lb mono, due to mono’s ability to float, keeping his lure from bombing down into the weed.

Taking a leaf out of Steve Morgan and Tommy Wood’s book, Peter was only moving his lure on the tiniest possible twitches on slack line as the bite shutdown and the fish became more finicky. This technique brought unstuck their kicker fish at 105cm.

BARRA SERIES

When the fish shut down on the second night the pair knew they had to adapt accordingly. “We quickly figured out that we had to change our casting angle from on top of the weed to casting along the weed face on the second night to get our bites,” Peter explained.

HE’S A BARRA GUY NOW Showing us all that he’s not just a bream guy, Steve Morgan went out and had himself a field day at this year’s BARRA Tour with 4 top tens and a first place out of 6 events.

Just to finish off with a bang in the final round, he took out the events Big Barra with an 114cm 20.70kg beast that he watched eat his Samaki Redic on his Garmin Livescope.

Scan the QR code hereabout to watch the screen recording of the bite from his sounder, we promise it’s pretty cool! He takes home a Wilson Blade n’ Tails rod, thanks to Wilson fishing.

Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers Laine/Williams Price/Thomas Griffiths/Mott Morgan/Smith Clark/Walker Detenton/Mulcahy Cornelius/Luckus Slade/Willcox Robinson/Wilson Reay/Svendson

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

Weight(kg) Payout $1,800 117.28 109.57 $950 99.37 $750 97.80 $600 77.34 $500 76.69 EJ Todd prize pack 69.36 BaitJunkie Prize Pack 66.97 Prize pack 63.26 Tackle Tactics Prize pack 55.44 Zerek Prize pack FEBRUARY 2022

109

BREAM SERIES GF presented by

Victorians take ABT double at the BREAM GF Victorians, Mario Vukic and Jessie Rotin, made it a Victorian double at the ABT BREAM Grand Final held on the Clarence River just before Christmas. The pair who travelled together to the venue in the same vehicle ended up taking both trophies back down home south of the border.

Additionally, Vukic took a brand new Alloycraft boat powered by a Mercury motor with him, worth nearly $50,000.

The Grand Final event was held somewhat hurriedly in the weekend before Christmas.

Queensland border openings allowed a small window for the event to run, and ABT ran it in conjunction with the BASS Pro Grand Final an hour up the road on the Richmond River.

And in what has been a COVID affected year, 61 of

His crab rod was a Daiwa Battler Water Zombie matched with a current Daiwa Exist and the same braid/leader setup.

“They are definitely my confidence lure and they have caught me plenty of room all over the country,” Mario concluded.

Mario also said that his first boat when he got into lure fishing was a BlueFin, and it was a great end to the story to finally win the Alloycraft boat (made by BlueFin) at this event.

It’s a great problem to have at the conclusion of a BREAM Grand Final: how the heck do I get a second boat home? Well done, Mario! the field tight and the results close.

VUKIC A POPULAR WINNER Commonly known as one of the nicer guys on the BREAM circuit, Mario

deep diving black crankbait (a custom colour by fishin. com.au) along the shallow rock on the seawalls with the dirty water on the low tide. He would then move deeper as the water cleared

I followed his lead and ended up catching my bag on the hardbodies.”

On Day 2, the shallow crankbait pattern yielded one good fish, but petered out as the sun hit the water.

“That was when I switched to the Cranka Crabs,” Mario continued, “I assume that the fish had just moved a little deeper off the rock wall and the crab allowed me to present them down there.”

Mario fished his crankbait off an old-style G Loomis S842-2 rod and an older Daiwa Exist with braid and leader. He said that he wanted the extra give in the rod to account for the harder, earlier fight of the yellowfin bream.

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

ROTIN COMPLETES VICTORIAN DOUBLE Fellow Victorian Jesse Rotin has made a name for himself both at the front and the back of the boat in ABT events. He travelled up to the Clarence River Grand Final with Mario Vukic, and never in their wildest dreams did they believe they would both be taking home the winner’s trophies.

Rotin finished with Brett Crowe on Day 1 and another Victorian, Darryl Baird on Day 2. On each day they started on the Middle Wall in the lower river.

“I struggled early each day on Middle Wall,” Jesse said, “I would get snagged a lot and didn’t put any

Mario increased his Day 2 weight by over a kilogram on his Day 1 bag to jump into first place and stay there until the end of the weigh-in.

Australia’s best breamers gathered to fish for the $49,000 boat and the prestigious trophies. Held out of the showgrounds at Maclean, the event featured individual weights and a new, three-fish limit for non-boaters. It kept Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winner Interview

saved his best for last.

His Day 2 bag weighed over a kilogram heavier than his first day efforts and this jumped him from 10th place up into first.

And although the cream of Australia’s BREAM anglers weighed after him, none of them could catch his final weight.

Mario used a two-pronged approach to target bream along the Iluka Harbour seawall in the lower part of the river. He would start out throwing a

on the incoming tide and fish a Cranka Crab from the edge of the wall down to around 20ft in depth.

Lots of his larger fish came from this deeper presentation and he upgraded steadily all day to end up with his tournamentbest 3.75kg bag.

“I am always learning off my non-boaters,” said Mario, “I was fishing with Allan Lavell on Day 1 and he caught a few nice fish on Hurricane Deep Diving hardbody crankbait.

BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Mario Vukic 2 Mark Healey 3 Tom Slater 4 Tristan Taylor 5 Michael Corbett 6 Steve Duff 7 Mark Saric 8 Sam Peck 9 Wade Walker 10 Luke Rogan 110

FEBRUARY 2022

Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

See all that tackle on the board behind him?

Victorian Jesse Rotin won all of that on the back of a great Day 2, 3/3 limit of bream.

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) Payout 6.370kg $49,000 boat 6.060kg 5.620kg 5.600kg 5.545kg 5.530kg 5.520kg 5.285kg 5.265kg Millerod for big bream 5.120kg

BREAM SERIES GF presented by keeper fish in my bags there on either of the days.”

On the first day he and Bret then moved to the Iluka side of the river where Jessie caught his bag in the last two hours of competition.

Scan the QR code to watch the Day 1 Highlights

Day 2 followed a similar pattern, but Browns Rocks was the place where Jessie and Darryl filled and then upgraded their bags.

“I get relieved when I have my limit in the boat,

the Cranka Crab – again in olive colour and a heavy version. He finished this on a pair of Daiwa outfits. He is a Daiwa sponsored angler.

His lighter rig was a TD702LS rod coupled with a 2500 Kix LT reel. He’s spooled it with 8lb Daiwa J-Braid Grand and finished it with a 4lb Daiwa J-thread fluorocarbon leader.

His heavier outfit was a Daiwa Rebellion 681MLFS rod coupled with a Freams 2500 LT reel. He used the same leader and braid combo on both rigs. He said the heavier rod was handy for a couple of bigger fish that he had to steer off the rocky structure close Day 2 is moving day in the Grand Final and that’s when fish like this one help you move on up.

Another Victorian, Steve Duff, led the event after Day 1 and had the chance to become the first two-time winner of the BREAM Grand Final. Nobody has done it to date. no matter how big it is,” Jesse said.

He then said that he could concentrate on upgrading and trying to find kicker fish.

Jessie’s main bait was

to the bank.

When asked if he likes fishing more at the front or the back of the boat, he replied that both have their advantages.

“It’s good when the

boater is in control of the boat drift and you can just fish,” Jesse said, “but is definitely an advantage fishing out of the front.”

He said that fishing from the back is a more rewarding learning experience, but he just loves being on the water.

AOY’S CROWNED ABT also took the opportunity to crown our boater and non-boater AOY winners.

Queensland’s Jamie McKeown took the title for 2021 from the front of the boat, while Stuart Walker won his sixth title from the back seat. Both took home a fantastic Joey Urquhart wooden trophies.

MILLERODS FOR BIG BREAM Queenslanders Cain Waller and Wade Walker each won a Millerod for

Wade Walker weighed the biggest bream in the boater division and also took home a Millerod for his efforts.

NON- BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Jesse Rotin 2 Allan Lavell 3 Bobby Sproule 4 Michael Thompson 5 Cain Waller 6 Justin Reeves 7 Lee Miller 8 Clay Ling 9 Stuart Walker 10 Rod O’Sullivan

Fish 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 5/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6

Scan the QR code to watch the Day 2 Highlights

the biggest bream in their respective divisions.

While not quite cracking the 1kg mark both anglers got really close and these kicker fish not only added to their bags, but gave them a great fishing tool for next season.

Non boater rookie

of the year, Jake Aitken, won himself a full quiver of four Duffrods for being the highest place Rookie throughout the 2021 season.

Great rewards for his first year on tour.

2022 LAUNCHED The 2022 calendar for BREAM, BASS and BARRA has been launched on ABT’s website – www. abt.org.au. Entry forms have been released and with any luck we will have an uninterrupted season this year with plenty of amazing prizes at the conclusion.

MILLERODS BIG BREAM

Cain Waller earned himself a Millerod for the biggest bream from the back of the boat.

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) Payout 3.290kg Epic prize pack 3.245kg Prize pack 3.015kg Prize pack 3.010kg Prize pack 3.000kg Millerod for big bream plus prize pack 2.920kg Prize pack 2.875kg Prize pack 2.870kg Prize pack 2.810kg Prize pack 2.770kg Prize pack FEBRUARY 2022

111

BASS SERIES GRAND FINAL presented by

Pryce goes back to back in close BASS Final Central Coast Basser and encumbent Grand Final Champion, Dany Pryce, proved that he was more than an impoundment specialist when he snatched the 13 Fishing BASS Pro Grand Final on the Richmond River with a last-minute upgrade, relegating the 2021 Angler of the Year, Matthew Langford to second place.

In an epic comeback, Dane ascended to the top of the leaderboard after a pedestrian Day one finish at 12th. Dayne’s Day Two bag was anchored by a 1.91kg (46 cm) brute that

For his efforts, Dane took home a fully loaded Alloycraft (by BlueFin) 498 BASS Pro boat, Mercury Pro-XS 115 hp outboard, Power Pole, Green Marine lithium batteries, Lowrance Live 12 sounder, Garmin force electric motor and a Hydrowave. All carried on a Precision Marine Trailer.

The package was worth over $60,000.

Dane has made a name for himself as a master of the shirted jig. It has now won him a BASS Pro Grand Final on a river and on a lake.

He used a purple Vex Performance Swim Jig with

Now that’s a decent reward for winning a 13 Fishing BASS Pro Grand Final - over $60,000 worth of boat/motor/trailer with all of the fruit. Well done Dane Pryce.

This was the moment where Matthew Langford realised that he was knocked off the top of the leaderboard in the last few minutes of competition.

Dane’s ascendancy from 12th to 1st was helped a lot by a 1.9+kg bass (46cm) that he landed on a jig midway through the final session. was by far the biggest bass caught for the weekend.

He caught that kicker fish mid way through the session, but it was not the most important fish in his bag. His last minute 38cm Scan the QR code to watch the Day 1 Highlights

bass was the one that got him over the line.

Neither Price nor Matt Langford knew the final result until the final calculations were completed. Eventually, 90g separated the pair.

1/2 of a Z-Man lizard as a trailer. He fished it on a Millerods SwitchFreakUL rod, Daiwa baitcast reel and braid and a Sunline 10lb leader.

“I really enjoy jig fishing and picking a piece of structure apart,” Dane said, “the big bass came from a bridge up the Richmond River. It was after about 6 or 7 casts to the structure and it was an epic fight, I’m sure that they could hear me celebrating back in Coraki when it finally got into the net. It was only lightly hooked in the corner of the mouth.”

Indeed, if that fish didn’t meet the net, Pryce

BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Dane Pryce 2 Matthew Langford 3 Nicholas Brunyee 4 Jonno Bale 5 Jake Schwerin 6 Mike Nelson 7 Brad Wickson 8 Trent Blake 9 Steve Morgan 10 Graham Ford 112

FEBRUARY 2022

Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10

would have been over $60,000 worse off.

“There was talk that the river was going to fish hard this event with the flood that came through, but it fished amazing - I landed plenty of fish each day,” said Pryce.

He didn’t know that that last 38cm fish, though, 20 minutes before the end of the session, was the one that would seal the deal.

“When I came back, people were congratulating me for a second place, so I didn’t think that I had enough,” Dane finished.

In fact, ABT left the final score update until seconds before the final presentation, where the whole field learned the eventual winner at once.

The revelation brought Kingaroy’s Matty Langford

to his knees.

LANGFORD’S LAST MINUTE SECOND Langford, a freshwater fishing guide based in southern Queensland, found fish well downstream Scan the QR code to watch the Day 2 Highlights

on the event base at Coraki.

Each morning, Langford made the long run down to the Broadwater sugar mill, where he’d put a few key fish in the boat.

His strategy was to start at the Mill each day and work his way upstream back to Woodburn, hitting less pressured banks on his way up.

Here are your 2021 BASS Pro Anglers of the Year - Matthew Langford (boater) and Kelvin Hatton (non-boater).

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 8.547kg 8.458kg 7.710kg 7.198kg 7.131kg 6.971kg 6.600kg 6.427kg 5.831kg 5.693kg

Payout Boat + Millerod

BASS SERIES GRAND FINAL presented by Langford relied on five, key baits to ‘junk fish’ his way up. He threw an Ecogear Grass Minnow on a spin outfit at the Mill and also a Rapala BX Brat 6 on his 13-Fishing/ Millerods combo. Other baits included a Nories chatterbait and a Bassman spinnerbait (shorty in white and blue).

His upgrade bait, however, that yielded him some key upgrades in the second half of the session was a Z-Man frog fished on a VMC Mystique weedless hook.

“I’d skip this way up into the darkest pockets and roll it back through the shade,” he said.

The pattern yielded him a 38, 35 and 31cm fish at the end of Day 2.

“Maybe I should have thrown it a little earlier,” he lamented.

All of the anglers’ friends and fans could follow the live action on the ABT website throughout the event. In fact the live scoreboard for this event (run on the ABT Tournament Series app) received more attention than and event throughout the year.

presentation Paul showed us his favourite outfit - a Daiwa TD Zero baitcaster with Tatula reel loaded with a Bassman spinnerbait.

AOY TROPHIES AWARDED Both the Boater and non-boater Angler of the Year (AOY) trophies were awarded at the conclusion of the Grand Final. In the non-boater division Kelvin

For Kelvin it was a great end to a first year of competition and for Langford it was the second trophy in a row.

Usually decided before the Grand Final, COVIDcancellations meant that the season’s ultimate event had to be used to get to the minimum number of events and decide the titles.

Now THAT’S a spread of prizes for the winning nonboater. Including three 13 Fishing Reels, a Lew’s reel and a mountain of baits and accessories, Mazaroli enjoyed packing it all into a box to take home.

And he did it in the very first event that featured individual weight, three fish bags for non boaters.

It has been a change from the previous shared weight format which bass tournaments have used for Scan the QR code to watch the Dane Pryce Interview

important.

Mazaroli drew his travelling partner, Mike Nelson on day one. They had pre-fished together and found a school of fish at the mouth of Bungawalbyn Creek. On that first day he had his bag in around 15 minutes. He and Mike caught around 35 fish from that school on day one.

The second day couldn’t be more different.

He landed his final fish 10 minutes from the

Mitchell Cone led the Grand Final after Day 1, but mechanical problems took him out on the final day.

Hatton had the title locked up before the event even started but in the Boater division it took another high-place finished by Matthew Langford to seal the title.

Scan the QR code to watch the Paul Mazaroli Interview

Paul Mazaroli only landed three legal fish on Day 2 - but it was enough.

MAZAROLI BEST BROM THE BACK Harrington’s Paul Mazaroli has won the non boater Angler of the Year title before, but a Grand Final win had eluded him until this event.

the last few years.

The three fish bag acknowledges that is more difficult to catch fish from the back of the boat than the front. It also keeps the leaderboards very tight. A kicker fish becomes very

finish of the session. He finished with Open winner Steve Kanowski.

“Whenever I started to get nervous I slow down and I started catching fish again,” said Mazaroli.

After the final

NON- BOATER RESULTS

There may have been storms coming in on the briefing night on the Grand Final, but it didn’t detract from the fishing, where over 350 bass were recorded in the ABT Tournament Series app by competitors.

Full results at abt.org.au

Place Angler

Fish

Weight(kg)

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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

4.687kg 3.989kg 3.615kg 2.894kg 2.867kg 2.704kg 2.163kg 1.881kg 1.647kg 1.418kg

Ultimate $4,000 tackle pack Prize pack Prize pack Prize pack Prize pack Prize pack Prize pack Prize pack Prize pack Prize pack

Paul Mazaroli Bridgett Curry Jason Sheehan Mat Cameron Beau Eveleigh Adam Wilson Greg Rigby Nick Brown Shane Richards Kelvin Hatton

FEBRUARY 2022

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South Coast

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

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That’s a good size fish for our waters. There are still plenty of samsonfish and yellowtail kingfish around the islands and Esperance has still been their whitewater, and plenty of enjoying the typical summer queen snapper and sweep too. pattern, which involves Out wide, nannygai offshore winds early in the have been in good numbers morning with a change to and good sizes with plenty of a strong south-easterly models over 60cm, also still onshore, so the best time seeing plenty of queen snapper to fish is always early in out wide, breaksea, and bigger the morning or late in the samsonfish over 30kg. afternoon when the winds For deep sea fishing, most drop off. This weather guys have been using bait, but pattern should continue a new lure that’s been working until autumn. is the Nomad Vertrex soft vibe, The water temperatures in a 150 size or 130 size in are also increasing, creating pilchard or coral trout colour opportunities for summer (this pattern looks similar to a species to be caught as they baby harlequin or nannygai). come around the point into the It’s a fast vibrating soft tail southern waters. Local fishing vibe, very successful catching nannygai, and also attracting MELBOURNE yellowtails and sambos. One ALBERTON MELBOURNE MARINE ALBERTON MARINE way to CENTRE work it is like a soft plastic let it sink to the 39 Johnson Street Alberton 92 Hallam South Road –Hallam bottom, wind up slightly so you P: (03) 5183 2344 P: (03) 9703 2003 don’t snag, then impart small F: (03) 5183 2219 W: melbournemarine.com.au movements until it’s about 10m W: albertonmarine.com.au off the bottom before you let it MORNINGTON PENINSULA sink again. You want it to look MY MARINE like a small fish that’s panicking BENDIGO and trying&to run away.

Cnr Nepean Highway BENDIGO MARINE & OUTDOORS We are also seeing pink Ponderosa Place Dromana 160 Midland Highway Epsom snapper turn up, in both the P: (03) 5448 3988 P: (03) 5987 0900 bay and out wide, with the best W: bendigomarine.com.au W: mymarine.com.au areas still being west of town The result of a quick evening session down towards Banes Reef, or south MORNINGTON PENINSULA MELBOURNE the local. Image courtesy of @lachy_warren. towards Humilaria. These areas have also have been producing NAUTICAL MARINE BL MARINE from the614 tanker jettyRoad is seeing baited with a piece squid. Road some good dhufish, with a 141ofHotham 612Plenty Preston plenty of decent bull herring This gives you the chance of recent sample going 85cm+.

P: (03)along 9478 1420 caught, with small attracting smallerSorrento salmon or FISHING IN FEBRUARY F: (03) 9470 4638 P: (03) 5984 1666 skippy, the occasional small other smaller species.

This month we’ll see the bronze whaler, and bluefin Lure fishing E: forinfo@nauticalmarine.com.au salmon winds slowly start to decline, W: blmarine.com.au tuna venturing in close to the fishing is also W: great, with along with continued warming nauticalmarine.com.au shoreline. the favourite being Halco of waters and continuing SHEPPARTON BOATS We areAND alsoMORE still seeing Twisties ranging from 20-70g, numbers of salmon as they TOORADIN the occasional squid and small depending on the outfit used. school up before heading up the P&J MARINE CENTRE P/Lalso be more 207 Numurkah Shepparton samsonfish beingRoad caught.

Ocean’s Legacy’s new Keeling SERVICE coast. There will P: (03) 5822 2108 101 Tooradin Station Road Tooradin Taylor Street Jetty has been stickbait in pilchard or red head bronzies shadowing the salmon, similar, is 2908 also yielding is also productive.P: It’s tailor in better numbers, and F: (03)and 5821 (03)heavy 5998 3107 some King George whiting enough to cast outE: thepjmarine_services@bigpond.com required plenty of big herring from both W: boatsandmore.com.au and sweep. distance, and you can draw jetty and beach.

MORWELL The local beaches have the fish in closer with its fast- • Established in 1986, Southern seen the return of the salmon moving action. MELBOURNE Sports and Tackle specializes MARINE MARINE in CRAWFORD good numbers, with big The standoutTHE outfit for SHOP in the supply and servicing 71-77frequenting Chickerell the Street Morwell schools whole salmon is a 12ft6 beach fishing equipment. They Hollandrod Driveof Melton coast.

The5134 best 6522 spots locally (e.g. Daiwa Sensor have an extensive knowledge P: (03) P: (03)Wave, 9747 0588 have been5134 Salmon of the local area and provide F: (03) 6455 Beach, Penn Ally) with a reasonable (03) SSM) 9747 3999 Fourth Beach, 11 Mile and size reel (e.g. 850F:Penn all brands, whether you’re W: crawfordmarine.com.au themarineshop.com.au Wylie Bay. Along with the spooled with 30lb W: nylon. fishing from beach, jetty or salmon, anglers are also Boaters fishing in the bay boat. Come and chat to the ECHUCA plenty of herring, have been encountering MELBOURNE encountering bluefin friendly staff at Shop 16, The XTREME theEADES occasional decentMARINE flathead, tuna in good numbers, withMthe Boulevard, Esperance or phone TRIPLE MARINE and24 small occasional sample117 going 20kg. Drive 08 9071 3022.

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Echuca Northgate Thomastown P:Night-time (03) 5482 fishing 2333 is also P: (03) 9465 8787 producing the occasional F: (03) 5482 2133 F: (03) 9466 1418 mulloway, with the odd W: specimen xtrememarine.net.au larger going 20kg+.

W: triplemmarine.com.au The best beaches to target BRAESIDE mulloway are still 14 Mile, Rossiters and Thomas JV MARINE WORLD River.

Anglers using live baits 878 Springvale Road Braeside such as live herring have P: (03) 9798 8883 been having better success, F: (03) 7554rig using rigged on 9798 a sliding W: jvmarine.com.au light drag. To maximise your chances of landing a mulloway, use nylon rather than braid. This will provide a bit more stretch when you’re trying to bring a big mulloway through the waves.

Further out of town, Mitch Johnson got out of the wind one afternoon heading towards Israelite and had a hot bite of bronzies on 120lb mono with Bay we’ve seen plenty of no steel trace. He’s not sure how they weren’t bronzies, decent size tailor, getting bitten off! Image courtesy of @gawn_fishn.

ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

the occasional gummy shark and mulloway. There’s also the occasional big flatty up to 85cm. There are still plenty of herring out there, and there’s the chance that a pink snapper will come close to the shore there as well.

Closer to town, Thomas River has always been a good spot to fish out of the wind, with seven bays and headlands to hide behind.

Again, it is producing plenty of mixed bags.

If you want to target salmon, you can try the standard paternoster rig with a whole pilchard on a gang hook, weighted with a star sinker so it doesn’t roll in the surf.

You can run a single 3/0-5/0 circle hook below the gang,

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FEBRUARY 2022

115

South Coast

WA

Summer pattern kicks in AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

We spend months bemoaning the cold weather occasionally praying to the weather gods to bring back the heat, only for it to suddenly happen. We then spend the next period of time wishing it was cooler!

And so this is how the summer took off for Augusta, with the highest temperatures reached in over 50 years teaching us a lesson by giving us what we had wished for.

Unfortunately it also created the ideal conditions to allow fires to ravage some of our pristine Karri forest areas due to people’s bad decisionmaking while camping. We managed to dodge a bullet on a couple of occasions thanks to the efforts of our diligent volunteer firefighters.

The usual summer weather pattern for Augusta consists of calm early mornings followed by southeasterly winds picking up to unfishable by lunchtime.

Luckily summer 2021/22 will be remembered for producing some exceptional fishing days. Light northerly winds provided plenty of calm water to allow small vessels to motor down the coastline without fear of the weather blowing up. While the larger boats took the opportunity to head out wide as they are not

and better with them making up a much larger proportion of recent catches than previously. Having observed spawning aggregations in close proximity to the marina in early December they appear to be flourishing. The fact that they appear to release much more successfully than dhufish, maybe it is time to swap our targets for a while. That being said, both species are slow growing and recovery is taking longer than expected. This is possibly partly due to COVID border closures adding pressure on the resource with a marked increase in people fishing the area. As borders open and people go back to travelling overseas it is hoped that recovery should get back on track and further restrictions won’t be required.

Pink snapper can be located close to shore so it’s not necessary to make long trips from the Augusta boat harbour to find a feed.

Bessies Reef in less than 12m of water will produce snapper of surprising size as will any lumps and bumps that you find on the sounder.

It doesn’t need a mountain either with many fish taken on 1m bottom variations.

Vexed bottom meat jigs with an octopus tentacle or whole mulie are absolute winners when it comes to pink snapper and the design allows it to be used passively when floated

ensure that if you do fish near pots to make sure you stay clear of the ropes and floats.

Should you lose a rig on a rope ensure you tie a large loop knot in it to indicate there could be hook and sinker danger when being retrieved. The best option is to just mark the spot for future investigation when the pot has been moved.

Exploring for new spots in Flinders and Hamelin bays may mean that you have more

then move area and try again.

Bouncing your sinker off the bottom will also produce puffs of sand that often stir up flathead as well.

With school holidays bursting Augusta at the seams, it was standing room only on the jetties as we saw the year out. The summer heat provided the perfect excuse for the kids to persuade their parents to allow them to stay up late for a night fish. The Ellis Street Jetty was the

Blake Gillam with a perfect meal-sized pink snapper taken on a whole squid in Flinders Bay.

Jason Morgan takes a day off the tools to add to his monster King George tally at Spot X. Taken on squid, the fight of a fish this size would have been worth the trip out on its own.

Another solid dhufish caught using bait hits the deck on a trip with Leeuwin Marine Charters often able to do so.

Dhufish numbers are again looking very good, however, the average size of those landed does appear to be in the 50-60cm range, which is definitely less than in previous seasons. Whereas the numbers of smaller fish is encouraging, the reduction in size may well be a concerning sign.

Pink snapper however, just seem to be getting bigger 116

FEBRUARY 2022

in the water column or jigged near the bottom. Just adjust the jig weight to match the conditions.

Fishing on top of cray pots is frowned upon, however, you can guarantee that there will be some form of structure being targeted by the potter. The pots provide a source of berley with the bait contained in them as well as giving a large hint to the location of the structure. Just

travel time than fishing time, this, however, can pay off with some of the best catches being unexpected. The bottom in both bays is loaded with reef, broken ground, weed beds and sand areas and if you persevere slow and steady wins the race.

There are King George and sand whiting everywhere at the moment and some of the sizes caught need to be seen to be believed.

When you can catch them on dhufish rigs, you know it’s going to be a personal best. When targeting King George you will often find them in sand holes in the weed beds or along side the weed beds so a drift over these areas with a large strip of squid or a small squid head just above the bottom will soon tell you if they are there or not. If nothing takes an interest in your bait

perfect spot to not only seek some relief from the humid night but to see just how alive the Hardy Inlet currently is.

The lights provide excellent visibility and attract fish of all varieties. There were herring zipping about like they were possessed, tailor smashing baits and lures on the edge of the light and yellowfin whiting taking baits from the bottom. This is pretty standard action for this time of the year and it doesn’t take much to satisfy the fishing itch. Small flashy lures cast out into the channel in front of the jetty will soon get a hit from a tailor whereas unweighted baits floated down through the water column will often get picked off by a thumper herring,

skippy or tarwhine. Yellowfin whiting and cobbler will pick up bloodworms, glass shrimps or squid wound in slowly just off the bottom.

Colourpatch channel has been the Mecca for yellowfin and King George whiting for several months now and there has been no sign of it slowing up. Targeting the turn of the tide, early morning and early evening have produced bag limits of fish. Baits of bloodworms, cockles and prawn pieces have all worked very well.

There are a number of beaches with easy access for the average family car within a short drive from the centre of town and they

Better than a premiership picture, this trio of demersals on a charter trip in Augusta is a worthy photo to hang on the wall.

To page 117

WA

West Coast

Perfect time of year BUNBURY

Whiteys Tackle and Camping

At this time of year there is nothing better than heading down the beach after work and relaxing with the sand between your toes, the waves lapping at your feet whilst enjoying the afternoon sea breeze!

These conditions

the weight determined by what your rod is capable of casting (if you’re unsure look for a gram rating on the rod blank). If flat out non-stop spinning is not your style, try a bibbed minnow. Twitching and pausing the lure whilst on the retrieve will imitate an injured baitfish sounding the dinner bell to any tailor nearby.

When the tailor are

leader. This technique requires a more hands on approach – make sure you include a few pauses amongst your retrieve as this can convert fussy feeders into hook-ups.

Belvedere and Buffalo beaches are a popular option, but a little bit further north towards Myalup and Preston can turn on some red hot fishing at times.

Salmon are on their way!

These prolific sportfish are approaching and each year they seem to be arriving earlier and earlier. The salmon give the shore-based angler a consistent sport fishing target and depending on water temperatures, and if it has dropped enough, we should start seeing an increase in numbers over the next month.

If I was planning on chasing a salmon, I would

Lucas Billett got this pink snapper boat side. leave the bait at home and flick a lure at the schooled up fish. Schools from the beach will look just like a

Strobie with a pink snapper. The demersal fishing has been on fire lately.

weed bed, only it moves!

Just tie on a lure and cast away with little to no fuss.

My favourite lure is a pre-rigged soft plastic in the 5-7” range, this will allow you to fish the whole water column as it sinks down to the depths where the salmon are holding.

When a school of salmon is coming your way don’t cast directly into the middle, try to get your lure landing 5-10m in front of the leading fish and watch as the fish that lead the pack peel off and attack your offering. Ideally a 6-10kg graphite rod in the 9’ range (in the boat a 7-footer is perfect) will suit this style of fishing perfectly. These types of rods are strong enough to cast large lures and put some real grunt on the fish, without taking all the fun out of it.

A commonly forgotten target from the beach during this time of year is the almighty shark. There are quite a few anglers in the area that target sharks that are following the

Campbell Muir would have needed to eat his Weeties in order to land his thumper of a samsonfish that took a whole squid in Flinders Bay.

another small area of south facing beach that is easy to get to and produces plenty of herring, skippy and whiting.

There are rocky outcrops and plenty of weed beds and sand patches to target.

A good berley oil and some pollard is key to bringing the fish in to you.

Rock fishing locations are abound in Augusta, and there are a range of fish commonly caught here all year round. Herring, skippy, tarwhine, garfish and leatherjackets are a reasonably common catch with sharks, kingfish and demersals also a possibility.

Berley is key and a good trail will bring them from all around and concentrate them in your area.

Rock fishing can be very productive in Augusta but it can also be deadly. Choose a spot that allows you the

There are plenty of options for all anglers this February. usually get the tailor hungry and aggressive, becoming a great target for throwing hardbodied or even soft plastic lures. Look for a likely gutter and starting casting in the ever-reliable metal slugs for some high speed spinning. Use metal slugs in 10-70g range with

being fussy (whether it be from angler pressures or from an overabundance of baitfish) my go-to technique is a mulie/ pilchard on a 3/0 or 4/0 chemically sharpened gang with little or no weight, tied on to the mainline with some 20lb fluorocarbon

From page 116

all hold fish. Take a drive towards the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and just pick a spot that looks fishy and you will probably be correct. There are a number of small beach areas that also have close in reef and weed beds that attract fish. The beach at Dead Finish produces very well all year round and at this time of the year you can catch all the whiting varieties, skippy, herring and various shark species. Depending on what you want to target just use a paternoster rig or running sinker rig of an appropriate size.

There are plenty of large rays around as well so if you are using large dead baits be prepared to occasionally get smoked.

Skippy Rock Beach is

schools of salmon. Quite often the salmon are being sent back with a nice new nose ring intended to be the dinner for our friends in the grey coats. This can definitely be a heart pumping experience!

The demersal fishing has been as hot as the weather with some cracking dhuies, pinkies and baldchin being caught. The artificial options keep producing with the flutter jigs in the 100-200g weights seeming to get good results. The bigger fish have been showing a preference for larger offerings like the 8-9” plastics proving their worth.

Whatever your preference, get out there and give it a go!

• The friendly staff down at Whiteys Tackle and Camping in Treendale live local and fish locally so if you have any questions on what you have read, or to just want to pop in and say hi, the crew will always be happy to chat. chance to seek refuge from any king waves and don’t let calm conditions fool you into thinking you are safe. Rogue waves are just that and can quickly result in being thrown into the water. People have died here after being washed off by king waves.

• Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta -the local tackle shop and font of all local fishing knowledge. Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the BP Service Station.

FEBRUARY 2022

117

West Coast

WA

Super fishing forecast for Feb METRO

Jacob Crispe

February tends to be one of the best months to fish the Perth Metro waterways and 2022 looks like being a bumper year.

A wet winter has now well and truly succumbed to hot dry conditions and the fishing has improved with the weather.

SWAN RIVER Anglers targeting flathead have had one of their best seasons ever. The fish seem to be everywhere, from ankle to waist deep

Marco Orifici with a lovely Rotto dhufish. of the feeding activity of the tailor are giant herring.

This is the time of the year that they are present in the Swan and although anglers targeting them tend to keep the information very close

of crab could be yours.

BEACHES AND ROCK WALLS The main target species along our beaches in February will be blue spot flathead, small sharks, tailor and the ever present herring. Cottesloe, Floriet Drain and Port beach will all be worth a look.

Beach mulloway anglers will also be out in force. The mulloway tend to hang around with the tailor schools and if they are around can be targeted using fresh tailor or sand whiting for bait.

There is also a seasonal run of Spanish mackerel at this point in the year. It is not unusual to see anglers spinning or ballooning for them off Woodman Point if they are around.

Like the river our rock walls will be good places to

Jack Wilson knew he’d hit gold when he saw these big crays in his pot. is essential to keep the fish around and fresh baits are always best. During the warmer months early morning and late evening are the best times to fish, as the puffer fish will drive you mad as soon as the sun gets a little higher in the sky.

Squid numbers should also be up. They tend to be

on the smaller side size wise in February, so smaller jig sizes will work better. They hang around in the weed, so focus on areas with weed for a feed of squid.

INSHORE GROUNDS The annual Spanish mackerel run has begun and there will be plenty of anglers focusing on catching one this month.

Sarah Wilson getting amongst our prized southern calamari whilst on a day out with Caribou Charters. water. The usual methods will work, but a few sneaky anglers have taken to micro jigging the drop offs of the Swan River flats and racking up some impressive numbers. Their results suggest it is worth getting a few micro jigs from your

and tailor are also in abundance. They can be found in similar areas to the flathead. The whiting tend to sit up on the flats while the tailor hunt in packs wherever there is deep water nearby. They are also popular with Young gun Tayte Smith with a lovely new Swan River PB caught while casting lures with his Uncle Peter on the flats.

Looks like fish head soup tonight! Taxman paid in full. local tackle store. If you enjoy targeting flathead, Point Walter, Crawley and Applecross are just a few hotspots to try.

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jetty anglers, with tailor regularly terrorising the baitfish that hang around these structures.

Another species that is a by-product or by-catch

to their chest, these fish are well known to sit in and around the feeding tailor schools. Many a tailor angler has got the shock of their life when a giant herring has taken a liking to their cast Halco Twisty.

Of all the species in the Swan River the two that will spread the furthest up the system are bream and mulloway. They will follow the bait that pushes up the system with the salt water.

It is not unusual to hear of good captures up as far as Guildford.

There are plenty of blue swimmer crabs to be found as well. With the hot weather they like to sit in the deeper holes in the river. Find these holes in the stretch of water between the Canning Bridge and Heirisson Island and a feed

have a fish. Herring, skippy and King George whiting will be popular targets.

Look for broken ground to fish in and around. Burley

Ayden Zahradka (3yo) is all smiles showing off his catch of blue swimmer crabs.

Han Yeoh mixing it up showing how versatile flathead fishing can really be. He struck gold while micro jigging for flathead on the drop-offs.

Most will troll baits like garfish or herring for them or look for signs of bait and cast lures in these areas. Both can be very effective, however if you do find them and want a spectacular way to catch them. Tie on a floating stickbait and cast it to the fish. Having two or three Spaniards chasing your stickbait back to the boat is a pretty special thing to see and experience.

The usual bread and butter species will also be on offer. King George whiting and squid will be in good numbers if you To page119

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Plenty for a February feed MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

If you are looking at heading to the beach for a spot of fishing, February will not let you down.

the crowd who are fishing in such a way. Catch possibilities are endless along most of our shoreline, with pink snapper, gummy shark, dhufish and the odd reef species all willing to have a look if you are putting

crabs will come from, but are not limited to, areas that host an abundance of seaweed.

Stay versatile and try areas that have good drop offs or channels running through them and be sure not to discount fairly plain looking

hardbody lures this time of the year too, but it is also well worth trying your luck with soft plastics as it is much less expensive and will produce equally as well when chasing bream.

Offshore fishing for pink snapper is producing well, with fish coming from waters as shallow as 10m and out to depths of around 60m. Dhufish are producing well in similar depths to pink snapper, although it is

Some good quality black bream make their way around our rivers, they just sometimes require a bit of ground coverage.

Nice warm sunsets make the beach fishing that much more enjoyable.

Whether you are after some tailor for a feed, or bait for mulloway, or perhaps you are after some fun with herring and whiting, the weather makes this sort of fishing quite a pleasure.

Fishing the change of light is always a favourite of avid beach fishers, and you will sometimes find success both sides of it.

Anglers hoping to get stuck into a mixed bag find it hard to look past using squid or mulies, although fresh mullet fillets will entice some of the larger fish into biting.

Droning is always a good option if you are lucky enough to be part of From page 118

fish broken ground in 6-12m of water. Areas like Windmills, Middle Ground and the Northern side of North Mole are

your bait close enough to some structure or contour.

Whiting season is in full swing, with some good quality fish with plenty of numbers, they are fun for bait as well as lure fishers.

Trying your luck with squid, or bloodworms is ideal and top water or sub-surface vibrating lures if you’re chasing fish on artificials.

Blue swimmer crab quality appears to be improving, with locals that are scooping and drop netting reporting that it is a bit easier to catch a good feed compared to previous months where the blues were marginally undersized. Some

sand flats as the crabs will often move dependent on conditions.

If you are looking at heading to the rivers, options are endless with the fish well spread throughout the lower to upper reaches. Fishing shade is important when you are going out on a warm day, as is fishing tight to the structure. Although you are bound to lure gear, the fish tend to want cover from the sun, as it offers a great sense of security and temporary relief from the heat. If you are opting to use bait, river prawns and mullet on a simple running rig is ideal.

Fish will happily smash

worth starting that bit deeper, around James Service or Five Fathom Bank. Lucky anglers have been coming across a few blue groper, as well as the odd bald chin when targeting dhufish around good reef structure.

If berley fishing with the

There are also some big sand whiting present on the edge of the shipping channel. Drifting fresh baits is your best option to target them.

them. This can be highly effective, but is only one of many options to target these hard fighting speedsters.

Everything from deep jigs to surface lures will also work, so no wonder they people love chasing them.

Samsonfish, dhufish, Breaksea cod and pink

snapper are also in good numbers all over our offshore grounds. Squid or octopus strip baits have produced the best results and don’t be surprised when a bait sent down for a pinky or a dhuey ends up resulting a in a big King George whiting. Some

Kasey is no stranger to demersal fishing, taking this beautiful fish whilst out on a mission with his mate Jacob.

OFFSHORE Yellowtail kingfish continue to be what everybody is talking about.

The West end of Rottnest Island has been the hotspot.

Many anglers are creating a burley trail and floating baits back into the trail to target

birds working or fish tailing, you should be able to find some nice tuna to keep you and the family entertained.

Trolling skirts, smaller diving minnows and casting into schools with lures to around 70mm will produce the best results.

Marija Holmes with a lovely double header of silver trevally on board Caribou Charters.

Matt Petrillo from Anglers Fishing World showing off a magnificent pink snapper caught while out on charter. always good areas to start your day.

Skippy and tailor will continue to be present in the reefy areas like Stragglers and Fish Rocks. Baits and lures will both work well for these species.

anchor down is your type of fishing, there is definitely some great sized King George available. Make sure to target an area where weed is patchy and that there is some clean nice sand patches around. Keeping an eye out for bait schools, signs of

A lovely double header of fat sand whiting by Laura Butlin.

50cm+ whiting have been regular captures from our offshore waters.

Deep drop anglers are reporting plenty of good fishing is on offer in 150-450m of water. Lots of fish to be found, you just need to find a little bit of structure and the right

weather to let you go out and do it.

So, as you can see the fishing in February is looking red hot (a bit like the weather). Get out, wet a line and don’t forget to support your local tackle store and I will catch you next month.

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Quality demersals in numbers LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

Offshore most boats have been targeting the quality table demersal species.

Most of the catch has been made up of dhufish,

at all to finish off the limit with some superb quality baldy fillets.

Smaller boats haven’t been missing out on a feed of the quality ‘A list’ fish either. Lumps and heavy reef areas inside and along the white bank have

it’s a good plan to tow a few lures behind the boat between fishing spots or have a floating pilchard bait out the back while drifting. To target them, head out the back of the white bank at dawn or dusk and tow a spread of

The herring have been turning up at Lancelin Jetty under the lights each night in big numbers, though not everyone is able to entice them to bite. Some nights fishers can be struggling to land a fish while the person next to them casting scented plastics like the Gulp jerk shad in lime tiger have been getting smashed every cast ‘hint’. Trolling lures over the weed beds has been getting plenty of snook.

The King George whiting have been very hit or miss, some fishers have scored some good catches very early in the morning, well before the sun comes over the horizon. The recent Johnny Bray Junior Classic was held during a hot spell

Mitchell Mciver smashed out some nice tailor casting pilchards inside the bay early one morning.

John fishing a glamour summer evening, what tailor fishing is all about! breaksea cod, pink snapper, with baldchin groper making the bulk of the landings. The most consistent catches have

produced dhufish, pink snapper and breaksea cod in less than 15m of water.

Setting up a berley trail and floating whole or half

diving and shallow lures.

Red Head Halco Laser Pro 190 seems to be the lure in the spread that on most days gets hit first. There is still some schools of tuna about they have been encountered anywhere from just behind Lancelin Island out to direction bank. Inshore some schools have turned out to be small yellow tail kingfish in the 50-60cm range.

BAY FISHING South where the fresh clean water flushes through Edwards Island passage has been very productive for herring and tailor. Size and condition of the herring has been sensational, so only a few herring can make a decent meal and the tailor have at times bitten throughout the day.

There have been plenty of jumbo crays in the pots this year. with 99 young anglers fishing the bay, some great flathead were landed from the warm shallows.

BEACHES Surf casters have been finding this a productive season for chopper tailor, much improved on last

year. Once the sun goes down, small whaler sharks have been the main catch along with a few mulloway mostly schoolies. There has been a lot of fishers reporting ‘unstoppable fish’ during evening sessions.

On lighter gear these could

Steve rounded out a classic tailor session with a mulloway bite just at last light.

Not a monster, but broke his duck. been coming from outside 35m depths.

The better dhufish spots are on the heavy reef, lumps and coral patches.

Dhufish are one of the species that Fisheries WA have indicated are in need of a reduction in fishing pressure to enabling the brood level to increase.

This month female dhufish are developing their eggs.

So therefore, it is a great idea to move off the heavy grounds after catching the ‘boat limit’ of two fish. There are plenty of baldies on the flats so it usually doesn’t take long 120

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pilchards down the trail has been a productive way to fish for the pinkies and you never quite know what else may pick up a bait in the process.

PELAGICS Usually sometime late in February or early March, the water temperature will be 24ºC. This seems to be the magic temperature each year to bring numbers of Spanish mackerel down the coast. The warmer water means they are more likely to be actively feeding too.

Mackerel are in any depth from the beach out to direction bank, so

A nice pinky out of the berley trail, early mornings have been very productive.

be some XOX guitar fish as there has been increasing numbers of these being caught, perhaps large tiger sharks as well?

The northern gutters through the bombing range and north of Wedge Island have been where some larger tailor, dart and school mulloway have been caught fishing the high tide.

DRONE Drone fishing has really taken off in the past few years, to the point the majority of fishers are using drones at some level in their fishing off the beach. When the weather is suitable, droners can far outnumber the beach casters. With it being relatively ‘new thing’ a lot of us are still trying to nut out exactly how the fishing season progresses.

What has been clear in the pattern the past few seasons is the pink snapper should be in good numbers early in the year in the sweet spot 2-300m from shore.

Whereas the latter half of the year, location becomes much more important with only a handful of spots reliably producing the snapper.

The drone is a great tool to get some live baits out too. Previously baits had to be a castable size or slide baited. Slide baiting tailor live can present a problem in that the fish damage the main line with their teeth on the way out. I found the drone a safe way to send out a good size live tailor, able to target sharks and mulloway. Now the waters are warming, it’s also going to be a chance for Spanish mackerel. The rig we are running is a 3m long 150lb leader with a stopper at each end allowing a tailor bridled onto a wire trace and circle hook to swim freely up and down the leader.

The mild scratches from tailor teeth don’t affect the heavy mono leader.

WA

West Coast

A season to remember GERALDTON

Graham Maunder & Michael Triantopoulos

It’s been quite a few years since the Mid-West of Western Australia has had a tailor season like this one.

In fact, I can’t remember any season like this one for at least 20 years.

Early season tailor were in prime condition and the majority were over 40cm, with quite a few well over 50cm.

Even though we are well into

sinker rig with peeled coral prawn, squid or sand worm for bait. While these methods are producing some excellent catches, we are seeing increasing numbers of whiting caught on lures as anglers look for different ways to increase their skill level. While lure fishing for whiting is certainly not new, the Mid-West of WA has been a bit slow to change its thinking. During the last few months quite a few of our younger anglers have

them along the bottom, have had very good results with yellowfin whiting over 35cm, plus flathead, dart and herring.

Late afternoon through to after sunset is producing some excellent mixed catches of large tailor, mulloway, pink snapper, white spotted and eagle rays, and some unstoppables as well. Summer is normally the time for plenty of small whaler sharks from our local beaches, but so far, most of the sharks have been larger than we can legally keep, and certainly too big to be good eating.

Pages Beach to Explosives, fishing from the seaweed banks of an afternoon with the southwest breeze behind you, has been working well in the late afternoon into the evening for tailor, pike, herring, dart and skippy. The tailor have varied in size, with some of the fish not legal (30cm) and some of the fish have been around the 50-55cm mark. It’s great fun on light tackle bait casting a pilchard or a small sinking

Russell Dowden caught this magnificent pink snapper south of town, and his son Karnnen Dowden is holding dad’s fish. stickbait or popper.

BOAT What magnificent summer weather we’ve had so far – warm weather, low winds and low swells!

Spanish mackerel numbers have still been a little patchy. Those anglers who have been out at first light trolling baits have

Barry Fisher caught this massive WA dhufish south of town. The fish was over 1m long and weighed 21kg. the summer – a time when our tailor are traditionally smaller and thinner – the average size is still 40cm+ and there are still plenty of tailor over 60cm. Recently a 92cm fish was landed.

Yellowfin whiting fishing in the Mid-West is traditionally done with bait on a paternoster or running

been doing really well with small topwater lures such as poppers and stickbaits, and small blades from 3-5g. The topwater lures such as poppers and stickbaits need quieter, more protected shallower water. Anglers who have been fishing the Ecogear ZX 30 and 35 and Pro Lure V35 blades in the deeper water, working

A nice bag of tailor and a pink snapper caught north of town.

usually been the ones landing good fish to 15kg. Smaller models seem to be caught on bibbed lures. The seaweed has made life a little tricky, but persistence is the key.

Schools of striped tuna have kept fishers busy. When the fish are working on the surface, it makes locating the school much easier.

Getting upwind of the fish and casting small profiled lures that are heavy enough to cast at them is certainly the preferred method to target these fussy tuna.

Demersal fishing has been harder going for most, with the Leeuwin current ripping through. The fishing closer to town has been OK, with pink snapper, WA dhufish, baldachin grouper to 70cm, coral trout, sweetlip and gold-spotted estuary cod all within 5-10nm from the Batavia Marina.

Clear water and low swells have allowed anglers to troll deep running minnows along

Coronation to Drummonds along the top of Pensioners Bank, Light House passage, Southgates to Greenough with some great captures of coral trout and, for some lucky anglers, the odd WA dhufish.

From Pages Beach to Separation Point, fishing for smaller species such as herring, pike, whiting and squid has been a bit of fun for the kids whilst on holidays.

Blue swimmer crabs in the Greenough River have been plentiful; the crabs have been widespread from around the mouth to upstream. Be mindful of daily bag limits, boat limits and sizes.

• Geraldton Sports Centre is the Mid Wests 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 9921 3664.

Time to get moving KALBARRI

Stephen Wiseman

With the change in weather and warm water on the move down from the north, the hope of a good Spanish mackerel run is increasing. Some nice fat fish have been taken in recent weeks by the Sand Patch in 20-30m of water.

The best results have come on deep divers, and Frank Zanatta’s recent fish was a nice one for the box at 5:15am, followed very soon afterwards by its twin caught by myself, also put in the esky.

The refitting of the floating jetty has relieved the boat launching pressure put on the top ramp, and has helped with the frustration issue. Please be patient at both ramps because large numbers of boats does mean you may

have to wait a while.

Yellowfin tuna frames have shown up in the bin at the launch ramp by Anchorage caravan park, so the stories of them showing offshore have been proven.

Word is the tuna are in the 30m depths, but I have not caught one myself just yet.

Some lucky visitors to town on a charter sunset cruise were treated to a yellowfin tuna taster plate.

The charter boats are doing well with plenty of pink snapper, dhufish and baldchins being taken to the north and out west. However, it’s a bit of a trip to the offshore reefs and you want to pick your day. Watch the southerly.

The beach action has been good with the quad bike boys crossing the river taking some nice mulloway up near the sand patch in recent weeks. There have been reports of good size tailor and pink snapper from

shore being in the mix.

Wagoe has not fired for the mackerel run as yet but should be about to fire up, Ted and Jenny are still rebuilding after Cyclone Seroja so the place still looks a bit different to say the least.

Wittecarra Creek and Red Bluff have been turning on the tailor action, with good-size keepers around in numbers. The best bait is the old faithful mulie.

The word is out that mud crabs are around, so I’m going to get the nets out and give a few spots upriver a go to check if they are on the move. No reports of blue manna as yet but there’s still time for them to start moving.

The river has been producing some nice black bream, mostly around the pens and up along the tracks around to the BBQ area.

Happy fishing and stay safe.

The author with a decent Spaniard.

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Warm water catches improve EXMOUTH

Barry Taylor

Report supplied by Josh Cheong The blue marlin action has been pretty good in recent weeks. One keen spearo speared one that went 180kg, and the charter guys have been getting stuck into quite a few too. There have been a few blacks and stripes mixed in as well.

It’s mostly the bigger boats that have been getting out there, because the weather hasn’t been good for smaller boat anglers.

There has been some good fishing in the gulf. We have received reports of quality golden trevally, as well as broad bar mackerel, caught around the shoals in 10-15m of water. These fish have been caught on a variety of tactics, but soft plastics seem to be the go at the moment. I have been using the 5” Bait Junkie Jerk Shads, and I find pearl white seems to work the best.

There has been some quite good fishing on the west side too, with anglers fishing inside

the lagoon picking up some solid spangled emperor as well as the odd GT and Chinaman.

The GTs and Chinamen have been catching a few anglers by surprise, and blowing them away on light gear, so it doesn’t hurt to use gear that’s a bit heavier when you’re chasing

spangos, just in case.

I have heard of a few tuskfish (bluebone) being caught as well, mainly by anglers fishing fly using small crab patterns. Of course, you can also collect crabs and turn those into some nice tuskfish.

There are still plenty of

This GT put up an epic fight on the Daiwa Saltist MQ 6000, and was caught dodging bommies in 3m of water! Image courtesy of @primal_instinct_fishing.

whiting being caught down the gulf as well, with the odd flathead mixed in. Whiting are taking the usual poppers and prawn baits on a long shank hook. If you want to target flathead, upsize everything.

I haven’t heard all that much on the mackerel front around the islands, but that could be just because the weather hasn’t been that favourable.

We had a crew we sold a bunch of Strada Pro Tracka 160mm Deep Purple lures to who brained it on Spanish mackerel near the Muiron islands recently. They were so stoked with the lures that they brought some fillets in for the boys to say thanks for the hot tips.

FEBRUARY FISHING The gulf should continue to fish well this month with that warm water hanging around. The marlin action should continue in the coming weeks, and we should still see plenty of land-based fishing options for a range of species – anything from queenfish to whiting.

• For all the latest news on what’s biting and where, drop

Bec sight cast this golden cruising the flats in only a metre of water. It took a Bait Junkie 4.5” minnow. Image courtesy of @indepthangler_josh. 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.

Barra, bluebone and octopus BROOME

Troy Honey

It’s been a dry start to the wet season in Broome, but that hasn’t stopped everyone from getting amongst the barra.

However, it has meant that

barra, including quite a few over the metre mark, are being caught in the Fitzroy River, which has plenty of water due to rains further east in the Kimberley.

There are still barra to be caught around Broome, with Dampier and Willie creek producing the odd larger fish.

the windy side in Broome, which has limited days and size of boats able to get out offshore, or even cross the bay for that matter. If the good days don’t line up with days off work, then fishing from a boat can be very limited in Broome as there is little shelter such as islands to use for protection.

With that being said, fishing in close to the coastline from Entrance Point right up the full length of the Peninsula, there are many areas with good ground that hold popular species. These include barra, trevally, queenfish, golden snapper, Spanish flag, coral trout, mackerel and, for the best tasting demersal in sizes that can feed the whole family (plus put on a fight to challenge all mentioned), the mighty bluebone.

A small tinny is all that

is needed to fish the grounds that spread nearshore from Entrance point around to Gantheaume Point, just north of Barred Creek and various reefs up to and around James Price Point. If you are fishing these grounds for the likes of coral trout, bluebone, Spanish flag, golden snapper etc, the best bait to use is either fresh caught rock crabs or octopus.

I have covered catching rock crabs in Broome many times so here is the scoop on the octopus.

The first thing you need is spring tides, then head out for a walk at low tide anywhere from the Broome jetty to Gantheaume Beach. With the tide out, there are many formed rock pools, and, in these pools, there are hundreds of octopus. While they live here all year round, they are

Nathan Southern landed this 107cm queenfish while jigging soft plastics mid-water in Broome. much more prevalent during the wet season, and so are the stonefish, so make sure you wear some solid soled boots when walking around here. I can’t count the number of stonefish I have seen buried

A stunning bluebone of 62cm caught while bouncing soft plastics just offshore from Broome. those anglers in search of larger specimens are having to travel further than the likes of Crab, Dampier, and Willie creeks. Some of the creeks towards the top of the Dampier Peninsula are holding plenty of good barra right now, and the newly-sealed main road has made access far less risky. The majority of 122

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Crab Creek is holding mostly rats to 60cm but there are ample threadfin salmon here, which makes the trip over the bay all worthwhile – not to mention northern jewfish and tripletail that can be targeted on the way over. January has seen quite a few of both being caught around the buoys and in the deeper holes in between them.

January has been a bit on

Nathan with a 73cm barra from a small creek off the Fitzroy River east of Broome.

in the mud during low tide.

They can live for many hours like this, seemingly waiting for someone to step on them.

With the right tide and boots on, I take a bucket with a couple of frozen ice packs in the bottom, and a gidgee (spear) with a 1m pole. I used to use a knife for spearing the occy but found they slip off it as the knife has no hook and the occy are very quick at burying themselves deep in their holes. You can also simply pick them up with your hands, but they can be slippery and escape quickly that way too. I have found the success rate with a gidgee is by far the highest and easiest.

Back to the ice packs.

They are simply to assist in keeping the occy cool, because at this time of year the bucket can get pretty hot.

The heat isn’t a drama if you To page 123

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Wet season Pilbara style DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

January in Karratha has seen some exceptional fishing, especially on the pelagic front with quite a few monster giant trevally landed, as well as queenies of various sizes in plague proportions. The warmer water certainly has the pelagics and barra fired up this year, and the rest of

that were being targeted before the hook-up of a queenie. They fight hard, are extremely aerobatic, will take baits, lures, flies and cook up fantastically as a fresh fillet or even better as sashimi or numus. What more could you want? And the best bit is that right now in Karratha, they are prolific.

You can target queenies in the shallows at low tide and in the deeper channels at high tide. We have been

The larger fish are being caught in the deeper section but fish to 80cm are still being caught on lures and baits cast from any of the beaches on the islands. In the same areas we are also encountering coral trout, Spanish flag, Moses perch, and gold and blackspotted rock cod.

The islands of the Dampier Archipelago are a true angler’s and adventurer’s paradise. There are literally hundreds of reefs, shoals, sandy beaches, deep trenches, and flats. Throughout the holiday period there were many people camping over at the islands and exploring all these systems.

One of the delicacies that’s caught all throughout the year is the tropical crayfish and there have been quite a few pulled out of the archipelago’s shallow reefs in recent weeks. They can

be found in as little as a foot of water and can even be picked up in rock pools that have formed at low tide.

They are easy to spot because their feelers are white and stand out amongst the coral bommie backdrops. All you need is your snorkelling gear and a good set of gloves or ideally a snare to get deep into the crevices the crayfish like to bury themselves in.

These crayfish are not as sweet as their western rock lobster counterparts, found in the southern parts of Western Australia, but they certainly still offer fine table fare, and they often present in very good sizes. When cooked up fresh on a gas BBQ on one of the island beaches or on the back of the boat, they are pretty hard to beat.

Heading back into the creeks, we have seen the barramundi start to fire up

The barramundi being caught this wet season in Port Hedland are all looking very healthy. getting amongst the barra action in creeks such as Airport and Nickol and then further north at Balla Balla and right up the creeks to

Port Hedland offers some of the best tidal flat fishing in WA, and Muss Bilton knows how to work them. the wet season is looking to finish strongly in Karratha.

Right through the deeper channels that cut their way around the many islands of the archipelago are hordes of queenfish chasing anything that moves. Queenies are one of the most underrated fish in terms of both sport and table quality. They are commonly caught as a bycatch, but I would say they are a better catch than many of the fish From page 122

are using the occy for bait, but if you plan on eating a few (they are an absolute delicacy cooked up on the BBQ fresh), you’ll want to keep the occy cool until you get back to the esky in the car.

Just keep walking around the rock pools and you will find many. They like to change colour and camouflage

seeing queenies chase up our bluebone and trout when fishing out at the islands.

This is when it is handy to have another rod rigged with a small jig or lure and cast in behind your current catch and retrieve the lure or give the jig a few fast jigs.

Queenies love speed so don’t hold back.

Elsewhere around the islands there are good numbers of golden trevally. themselves, but once you see one doing it, you will quickly learn what to look for.

Now you are armed with a big bag of fresh Broome occy.

After throwing a few on the barbie coated in your favourite seasoning and enjoyed with a cold beverage while packing the tinny with your nearshore fishing gear, you are set for some wind-escaping demersal

This monster 71cm coral trout was caught on a soft plastic on a picture-perfect Broome day.

North of Karratha is the iconic town of Port Hedland, well known for both its iron ore and its barra fishing. Muss Bilton is a local icon known for his ability to find where the barra are biting, whether he’s fishing from land or boat. fishing. The demersals that come in close to shore such as coral trout and bluebone are prized fish, and they simply cannot resist the temptation of fresh local occy being drift by them.

The Broome occy caught in the rock pools are mostly small, with an average leg span of 300-500mm. These are perfect to use whole on a paternoster rig, either with a handline or rod dropped from the tinny and drifted over the reef around Broome town.

You can easily launch your tinny, small boat, or even a kayak from Entrance Point or Gantheaume Beach and be in prime coral trout and bluebone country in less than two minutes. My recommendation is to head down to catch your occy on the low tide, and then fish the following high tide.

Tides around the 2-3m low and 7-8m high are perfect to catch both the occy and fish comfortably, with a good amount of drift to get the occy moving. It’s a great way to escape the wind on the less favourable days and enjoy fishing for trophy species.

from Karratha all the way up to Port Hedland. It has been a bit slow this year for barra in Karratha as the water temperature rise was a bit later than usual, but things are really starting to heat up now with many anglers

the south of Port Hedland.

Quite a few threadies are being caught by the barra anglers, and these are a welcome esky filler. Stocks of threadies are very healthy in the Pilbara and appear to be growing by the year, even

with the added pressure of more local holiday makers due to COVID and boarder restrictions.

At the start of January, we went for a land-based fish at Fortescue River to the south of Broome. The target species were mangrove jack and threadfin salmon.

We caught many fish on the day; we fished the rising tide on a spring tide and the runs we experienced were solid.

While no jacks or threadies were caught we did catch a great feed. All fish caught were sharks around 700mm long. We filleted a few on the banks of the river and put them straight into sealed bags in the ice slurry and I have to say it was all worth every bit of effort as the fillets were sensational and arguably better than both jacks and threadies. Sharks are often thrown back but they really are a 5-star table fish, and the population has certainly expanded to the point where the ecological balance has become far from ideal. Next time you land a shark or two I highly recommended taking advantage of it and serve up a few battered fillets, all the while helping put the balance back into the ocean ecology.

Muss Bilton with a barramundi taken in a local Port Hedland Creek.

FEBRUARY 2022

123

WA

Summer temps soaring FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

The South West region of WA experienced temperatures in the low 40s for several days in late December, with

This will have a longterm effect on our cold water species like trout. It’s a shame, especially after a record wet season and cool spring, plus the increased stocking of our waters compared to previous years. This will drive home

It seems the fishing has been reasonable down south in the Pemberton region, judging by the reports coming in recently.

Redfin have been active, with some good catches in most locations throughout our South West.

Another fine rainbow out of the Warren River near Pemberton. Blaine Simpson regularly fishes this area and is lucky to live close by. can say the Fisheries Department would be concerned because the cod are obviously from illegal stocking, which has become the norm. The

be widespread throughout our inland waters if things continue at this pace.

Silver perch have been active in private locations in these hot conditions,

A sad sight of rainbow trout perishing in low water at the base of Bigbrook Dam. Authorities need to pay attention to water releases to avoid this situation in the future.

Christmas Day reaching 42.8ºC in Perth, making it the hottest Christmas Day ever recorded in a capital city in Australia.

a message that better suited freshwater species need to be considered if we are to secure a long-term fishery here in WA.

AUSSIE NATIVES Reports of Murray cod coming out of a popular irrigation dam have some anglers excited, but I

Jon Brunini with a nice brown trout he caught fly fishing Waroona Dam. His father, the late Dino Brunini, was a well-known fly fisher.

Silver perch are widespread in WA and survive extreme heat, like we experienced around Christmas. This one took a small hardbody worked very slow.

124

FEBRUARY 2022

capture of the same species in a popular summer trout river that’s fed by irrigation water is a confirmation that stocking is occurring in other areas. I believe in time these species will

and I must say the fishing has been outstanding throughout the western wheat-belt. A couple of small dams I visited turned up some brute specimens recently on both

fly and lure.

DAMS Waroona Dam The boat traffic has made this dam hard to fish, with the water cloudy from wave action on the shoreline. A few redfin are getting caught by those who have put the effort in.

Drakesbrook Weir Jonah Chiera, a local, has reported that the fishing has been tough of late, with some days being productive and others being poor. Target redfin from a boat or kayak for best results.

Logue Brook Dam With the dam being packed with skiers and jetskis I would give it a miss unless you are there for a camping trip. Trout go deep and there are no redfin, so long days go unrewarded.

Harvey Dam The recent heat has caused a reduction in trout activity, so wait for a spell of cool days if you are targeting this species.

Some good numbers of redfin have been caught out deep casting plastics around structure.

Wellington Dam The decision to possibly close the ski area has boat fishers concerned that they will ban all petrol-powered vessels on this water. The concern is the ski boats are causing erosion along the banks, but in my opinion it is only an area of around 1km, and seeing as the dam is around 20km long, this is not a justifiable concern.

Redfin are still being caught around the mouth

WA

of Hamilton River and The Island as well as South Leg. Trout have not been spotted recently.

Big Brook Dam This is by far the best summer fishery, with both rainbow and brown trout turning it on for those in the know. Some anglers are

with a few showing up as well. Redfin are still being caught but the average size is on the small side.

Northern Jarrah streams Hopefully the heat hasn’t affected these small streams. Some are spring fed so they should offer a cool water supply.

fishery, this river is fed by cool water let out of Wellington Dam for irrigation. Good fishing is available only in moderate flows; if it’s flowing too hard you will have trouble getting your offering down to where the trout sit. Fish heavy and keep

Freshwater anglers dream of landing a brown of this calibre. If we all practised catch and release, there would be a better chance of the dream becoming a reality.

Brown trout seem to like feeding on newly-stocked rainbow yearlings.

Should we consider this when stocking our waters in the future? concerned with the amount of brown trout being killed as this is a small fishery and prone to over fishing.

RIVERS Murray River A few nice little rainbows showed up in the rapids before the heat set in during late December.

It’s encouraging to see the browns are doing well,

Collie River above Wellington Dam Some nice redfin are being caught in the south branch as well as the area around the small weir wall.

The trusty soft plastics has been popular with red being the best colour.

Collie River below Wellington Dam By far our best summer

the effort in.

Blackwood River Not many reports however anglers normally keep quiet about this river, best section is from

good map and explore all likely-looking areas, with the running water being prime locations for trout and deep pools turning on some impressive redfin.

at the base of Bigbrook Dam recently. This could be avoided if the authorities would simply open the valve before the water stops spilling over the wall so

moving until you succeed is the trick in this water.

Be warned that the rocks next to the water are very slippery, and many good rods have been snapped and limbs bruised here over the years.

Capel River Some nice redfin are being caught around the winery by those who put

The author with a hard-fighting silver perch caught fly fishing at night using a large marabou fly.

Bridgetown down to just below Nannup, if the water is above 24ºC then you are best to give it a miss.

Warren River It’s good to see the amount of good fish coming out of the whole river. I’m not surprised because it receives a huge stocking of both browns and rainbows. Best to get a

Lefroy Brook A delight to fish with fly this time of the year however small lures and plastics work well in the shallow runs.

Simon Holland is an expert in the region however his mate Daniel Simpson is hot on his tail on occasions. It was sad to see a number of rainbows that perished

PREDICTED DAM LEVELS Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 75.6% as of end of December 2021, compared to 43.2% at the same time last year. The very hot spell at the end of December and early January resulted in an increase in water usage by our irrigators.

Callum Madden is no stranger to landing trout on fly in the Pemberton region.

WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM

72% 84% 80% 79% 81% 86% 98%

cool water continues to flow down this small section.

Donnelly River The water flow has subsided recently, making fishing harder in the top sections. A few trout are coming from further down where a few brooks flow in. A good brown was lost in this section around Christmas.

Summer is a time when some anglers put their freshwater gear away, preferring to target the great saltwater species we have on the west coast. I know because I am one of them. Until we introduce better suited species, our dams will remain a winter spring fishery. If you persist there are still good trout to be had, but remember total fire bans are in place and snakes are active, especially around water.

FEBRUARY 2022

125

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Directory

New South Wales Tide Times

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POINT LONSDALE – VICT SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES 38° 18’ S LONG 144° 3 LAT 33° 51’ S LONG 151° 14’ E –LAT POINT LONSDALE VICTORIA SYDNEY DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES PROVEN(FORT WORLD LEADING SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA

2

MARINE ACCESSORIES

20212021 2022

Times –and Heights of WALES High and Low LONSDALE Waters Times and Heights of High and Low POINT POINT LONSDALE VICTORIA VICTORIA (FORT NEW SOUTH LAT 18’ S LONG 144° –– 37’ ELONG 144° 37’ E LAT 33° SYDNEY 51’ S LONGDENISON) 151° 14’ LAT 33° 51’E S LONG 151°38° 14’ E LAT 38° 18’ S JULY JUNE MAY AU MAY JUNE LAT LAT 38° 38° 18’ 18’ S S LONG LONG 144° 144° 37’ 37’ EE LAT 33° 51’ S LONG 151° 14’ E Times and Heights of HighTimes and Low Waters Times Heights of High andLocal Low Time Waters and Heights of High and and Low Waters Local Times and Heights of High and Time Low Waters Time Time m Time m Time m Time m Power Times Time m Time Time mWaters Time mTime mTimes Times and andm Heights Heights of ofTime High High and and Low Low Waters m Time m and Heights of High and Low Waters Local The SARCA EXCEL and SUPER SARCA are certified type approved Super High Holding JULY JUNE MAY JUNE AUGUST MAY JUNE JULY JULY JUNE AUGUST MAY MAY JULY MARCH JANUARY FEBRUARY 0037 1.78 JANUARY APRIL1.60 0006 1.68 0519 0.58 0633 0.53 0150 1.

0554 0.36 0057 MARCH MARCH JANUARY FEBRUARY FEBRUARY

ANCHOR DESIGNS

JANUARY FEBRUARY APRIL 0623 1.40 0557 1.36 0046 0.69 0452MARCH 1.41 Time m1.30 Time m0.43 m0.49 16 Time m0.54 Time m1 Time 10.55 16Time 1Time 1Time Time Time m 0735 1 0646 16 1117mm1.28 1238 0807 m 0.1 1155 m1.39 16 0740 0744m 16 1 1.30 1148 Time 1041 Time 0.38 1158 0.58 1303 1.43 1640 0.75 1804 0.76 1446 1.

17251.78 0.65 1345 1.33 1358 1.38 16 1 1 16 1 16 1 16 16 0452 1 16 1 1SA0037 16 TH FR SU TU WE SU 0006 1.68 0633 0.53 0519 0.58 0145 1.34 0150 1.26 0.36 0057 1.60 1245 0.80 1900 1.50 1748 1.58 1904 1.54 SA MO FR TU 0557 1.36 0046 0.69 0049 0.58 1.41 0623 1.40 0034 0.51 1848 0.66 2359 1.88 1911 0.79 1940 0.78 2314 1.71 2114 1 16 1 16 16 1 16 16 1 16 16 16 1 1 1 0646 0.43 16 1238 0.38 1.3016 1148 1117 1.28 0750 0807 1.30 0.62 1.39 0740 0.49 1 1041 07440.55 0.54 16 11 0.51 16 0.58 16 16 1 23191 1158 1 0735 110.W 1.44 1.35 0.74 1 16 0748 0735 1.47 1935 1303 1.54 1.43 1804 1.58 0.76 1.59 1446 0.80 1.43 MO 0.65 SU 1640 0.75 1.33 FR 13581.50 1.38 MO FR 1904 TU 1345 SU1245 1900 1748 1245 0.75 TU WE1430 TH 1257 00300.66 1.68 0608 0.61SATH 0255 0.87 1.

01380.78 1.66 01480.76 1.470043 01000.56 1.580135 07000.79 0.43 WE 0023 0.74 0.68 0534 1.38 0.65 1848 2110 1.88 1911 1940 2314 1.71 2114 1935 1.44 1922 1.42 2319 0.74 1928 1.54 17 2 2 0835 2 17 17 17 17 2 2 2 0724 0.52 0858 0.2 0828 0.58 0733 0.45 17 20.54 17 17 1207 1.25 2 2 17 2 17 22 1300 1.31 2 0735SA0301 1121 0.42 17 0656 1.29 1.40 17 0842 1.32 1335 1.34 17261.68 0.80 1542 1447 1.35 1451 1.41 1359 1.49 18251.66 0.74 MO TH MO WE FR SU 0608 0.61 0030 0255 1.18 0138 0148 1.47 0100 1.58 1.25 0.43 POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA 1336 0.89 0.57 12312 0135 0.65 0.68 1.52 1256 0130 0.68 17 17 17 17 0133 20.82 21836 17TU 22 0.56 21.0.T 17 170534 1720023 21.38 SU WE SA 0.74 0043 0.47 19060.65 0.77 2 2227 2 2019 204517 0.8117 0853 1957 0.672022 2 22 0835 0.54 17 0724 0.52 0858 0.65 0828 0.58 0733 0.45 1.31 17 1207 1.25 1.40 1.37 LAT 38°2 18’0735 S LONG 144° 37’0842 E 1.44 1.51 1.50 2019 17 17 0848 2 1121 0.42 17FR065614511.29 21538 1.32 1959 1.40 1947 0849 1542 1.47 1.35 TH 1335 1.34 1.41andSA 1359 1.49 1.64 Local Time 0.74 MO 1726 0.80 MOWaters WE 1447 TU Times Heights of High and Low 18 18 18 3 3 3 1336 0.89 1347 1231 0.65 1836 1.52 1256 0.68 1345 0.85 0000 1.66 0406 0.95 1.

0239 1.56 0245 1.37 0200 1.48 0100 1.77 0126 1.63 WE FR 0.65 SA 1906 0.77 TU 1957 TH2230 3 18 18 3 SU 1947 3 1.51 182019 332019 18 2227 0.72 0144 0.8218 2045 0.810001 0.67 0116 0.50 0.75 0.75 0.59 0230 3 18 3 1.40 2009 1.38 1.4430.57 1959 2023 1.50 0953 0.3 0925 0911 0.61 0825 0.47 0809 0.49 18 0702 0.62 0815 0.50 MARCH JANUARY FEBRUARY APRIL 3 181.41080833 SA1.26 18 3 SU0422 1.34 1.44 1.36 3 31.40 30628 18 18 18 3 3 18 18 3MO0239 181.28 TU0126 3 1.631.24 18 TH0245 1303 1.

15441.37 154318 1.460858 1458 1.570945 14141.56 14331.48 TU 1637 3 FR 0000 1.66 0406 1.16 1.22 0200 1.77 1209 0.48 0.78 132130230 0.75 0.96 MO SU0.81 WE TH 1438 0223 0116 0.75 0.65 0001 0.75 0144 0230 0.43 1822 0.83 3 2330 0.55 0.F 2129 2155 0.791402 21140.57 0.64 19340.57 0.8018 20150.59 0.75 18 3 18 0953 0.66 1001 0925 0911 0.61 0825 0.47 0.49 18 0702 0.62 0815 0.50 19 19 19 4 4 1930 1.47 2058 1.48 2036 1.384 1.36 2108 1.37 1.40 16 1 1 16 1 16 1 16 18 18 18 3 3 3 0628 1.34 0858 1.44 0958 1.55 0808 1.26 0945 0949 19 4 19 4 4 19 4 19 MARINE MECHANICS 1.52 WE 1645 1.72 1.40 FR 1433 1.41 1.46 SU 1458 1.57 1.28 TU 1303 1.24 TU 1637 TH 1544 SA 1543 0056 1.62 0513 1.01 1.

0339 1.49WE 1402 0344 1.31 FR2341 03100.41 1.41 SA 1449 02090.81 1.68 02280.78 1.59 TH 0.48 1453 0.92 0.75 1438 0.96 MO 1321 SU 1209 1822 0.83 2330 0.65 2129 2155 0.79 2114 0.64 0.80 2015 0.75 0220 0.75 0.61 0052 0.74 0.51 19 4 4 4 19 4 19 1046 1.35 0.

0.59 0954 0.620252 0919 0.490329 0.53 19300800 09051.48 0.48 4 19 19 4 4 4 4 19 19 4 4 4 19 19 1.470.61 1920361009 2058 2124 1.47 1.384 2108 1.37 2102 4TU 0914 19 4 19 19 4 0735 SA 1.33 1014 1.53 0922 SU 1.27 1.42 1407 1.26 17 FR 1728 1.4 16331.31 1.47 16321.17 1.52 1558 1.661044 15251.49 1.30 WE 1530 1.52 WE MO 0056 1.62 0513 0534 1.25 0339 0228 1.59 0344 0310 1.41 1.68 17 2 2 2 17 2 17 20S 519 0252 5 0.61 5 0320 1307 0.57 0.85 1422 0.83 1.00 0.53 2234 0.78 2300 0.741517 22300.54 0.56 1929 0.84 20500.59 0.82 2128 0.70 TU FR 1550 MO TH 5 201106 20 5 4 20 5 20 20 20190052 0220 0.75 0329 0.74 0.51 0338 0.39 4 19 45 1009 1046 0.66 0905 0.48 0954 0.62 0919 0.49 0.53 19 0800 0.61 2031 1.44 2200 1.48 2126 1.35 2200 1.36 19 19 19 4 4 4 0735 1103 1.80 1.61 0922 1044 1050 1.46 1728 1.42 1.58 1746 1.47 SA 1530 1.33 1.52 16321.27 1.52 MO 1014 1558 1.53 1.66 1.30 WE 1407 1.26 FR 1633 SU 0020 1.02 0.

0433 1.45 03330.85 1.56 WE 0442 1.28 TH 1608 0422 1.36 20 03200.78 1.62 1307 0158 1.61 20 0.57 1517 0.94 0.83 1550 1.00 1600 5 52234 20 5 2300 0.74 2230 0.56 1929 0.84 2128 0.70 0.82 5 5 5 5 20 20 5 5 20 20 5 5 20 TU 1422 FR SU MO20 TH SA 5 5 20 5 20 0330 0.71 0426 0.56 0157 0.70 0402 0.43 0607 1.

0.59 0956 0.46 1038 0.62 1016 0.50 1012 0.55 20310858 18 3 18 31.440.58 1821261049 3 3 18 2200 21 1.48 2229 20 1.46 6 1.355 6 22006 1.365 2203 1.34 1136 21 0.5 1718 1.54 1626 1.64 17170.57 1.591122 16580.32 1.771137TH1.51 16261.45 1.36 15121.56 1.33 1030 1.32 0900 SU 1.35 1.64 6 21 6 6 20 21MO 21 6 0433 21 21 TH0333 SA TU WE 0020 0039 1.62 0442 1.28 0422 1.36 0158 1.61 2331 22400.43 0.61 2357 0.681636 23421.31 0.46 22030.59 0.7920 1814 0.48 1.S 2043 0.81 5 153950426 0.89 1418 0.66 0.88 1.00 20 5 1049 20 WE SA 1701 0422 TU0.73 FR 0607 1.20 0633 0.55 20 0858 0.58 0956 0.46 1038 0.62 1016 0.50 0330 0.71 0.56 0157 0.70 0402 0445 0.36 2215 1.35 2137 1.43 2300 1.50 2255 1.37 20 20 20 5 5 5 1136 0.63 1206 0.49 1.36 1718 1.54 1626 1.64 1717 1.59 1658 1.77 1030 1.32 0900 1.35 1122 1.64 1137 1.51 1147 1.52 1205 1.67 TH FR SA SU MO TU TH 1512 1.33 21 21 660.

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1127 1046 0.44 1121 0.620507 1115 22 0.490516 0.55 0950 0.52 7 76 11000.73 7 22 7 22 22 0432 0.64 0313 0.62 0.34 0.50 22151758 1.3561.61 1.431.44 2300 1.50 2255 1.37 2308 2331 1.47 1221 1.35 0.6 1719 1.78 1800 1.65 17550.25 1.871225FR 17161.42 1.44 2137 1609 21 6 21 SU WE TH FR 1129 TU 1.40 1025MO 1.44 1224 1.74 1.59 0102 0.49 0129 0522 0536 1.27 0531 1.35 0438 1.54 1.59 0304 1.62 1856 1.

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0607 11360.86 0626 1.280604 0635 0.87 1.370601 1039 0.45TH 1656 0522 0.57 0428 0.49 0.28 0.44 MINN REPAIRS & SERVICING 2240 1.46 2304 1.36 2359 1.52 2349 1.39 21 6 21 6 21 6 6 21 1303 0.7 1759 1.52 1202 0.59 1812 1.90 1202 0.62 1212 0.48 1700 1.57 FR MO TH SA 0141 0.42 0021 0.67 0540 1.52 0043 0.60 0044 0.35 1218 WE 1.57 0407 1.65 0213 7 7 22 1.50 1320 1.81 0.22 1310SA1.66 1138 TU 1.57 22 18351.28 1840 1.711844 1850 1.96 23 2259 0.63 23 1935 24 789 0607 1.40 70522 22electric 22 922 0604 9 0.44 240810 9 0010 24 881.T 23 23SU 81.68 81703 23 23 88 1.42 23 8870601 2324220428 80.49 0732 1.29 0626 0635 1.37 0.54• All 1039motor 0.45 brands 1136 0.44 0.89 0.82 0.92 0.73 FR 1755 TH MO 1844 0.57 0.28 0030 1.49 1.39 9 9 24 24 9 24 1303 0.54 1202 0.59 1202 0.62 1212 0.48 1.52• Australia 1.57 1812 1.90 1349 0.40 SA MO TU WE TH SA 1700 SU 2350 1.38 2339 1.50 22221218 wide freight 1.50 0.61 7 1320 1.66 0639 0104 0124 0.54 72017 01391.90 0.27 22 0611 00001.68 0.687 11380505 00471.81 0.3922 1310 1.67 0216 0.38 0.

1935 1.79 1.71 1850 1.96 2259 0.63 22 7 0.31 22 81329 71.57 7 SU 22 81840 8 23 81835 1755 0.89 1844 0.92 17031125 0.730.40FR 1353 1.75 0649 1.39 0711 1.29 23 0732 1.39 WE 0601 1.55 06410.82 1.50 MO71844 0811 1.65 1.

• Quick turn around TH23 TU 0533 0.37 0053 1915 1.55 0040 1856 1.43 0603 0.50 1.38 1.50 0.81 1237 0.59 124224 0.61 1306 0.4610 12170.61 0.53 2339 1228 0.44 1748 1.72 242350 1344 0.85 0.8 10 10 25 25 25 TU TH FR SA WE SU SU 0104 0124 0.54 0139 0.27 0047 0.39 0.68• Authorised 0505 Minn 1.67Kota/Watersnake 0254 0.22 0216 0.37 repairer 9 24 9 8 8 23 23 9 9 24 24 9 9 24 24 9 9 24 9 9 1242 1.71 0657 0.25 1300 1.60 1910 1.74 19191.33 1.77 19441.45 2.010644 0.40 18361.39 1.59 19031.39 2.01 2015 1.

10 25230533 25 10 10 25 10 25 8 0649 8 23 23 8 0711 1.29 0732 0641 1.50 1.55 23 1125 0.40 0852 0811 0.72 1411 0123 1.84 1.72 1.44 0.86 1.43 FR81813 0053 MO TU 1352 W SA 1840 80040 1.55 1.50 0603 0.50 23 8 0.39 23 23 23 0105 1237 0.59 WE 122880.37 0.61 1306 0.46 0.44 0.53 SU 1748Minn 1.72 1435 0.50 TU TH 1242 FR MO SU 1344 Repairs & Servicing 1934 0.78 1926 0.87 8 23 8 23 8 23 0144 0.56 0202 0.48 0145 0.30 0045 0.63 0000 0.51 0230 0.22 0253 0.35 0.

1242 1.71 0657 0.25 0644 0.40 0729 0.33 0659 1300 1.60 1910 1.74 1919 1.77 1944 2.01 1903 2.01 1.59 2100 1.85 2015 1.84 9 0730 91.4211 241411 24 0752 1.31 WE 0740 1.48 TU 1352 0642 1.53 0826 1.75 1.4111TH9 0849 1.70 1.

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11 11 26 11 26 11 26 26 WE FR TH SU MO SA MO 1934 0.78 1926 0.87 2005 0.75 1942 0.76 0144 0.56 0145 0.30 0202 0.48 0.63 0000 minnrepairsservicing 0.51 0331 0.25 0253 0.32 0230 0.22 91.79 9 0746 24 24 0.26 0.26 06429 9 1.48 9 0.44 24 90629 24 9 1.47 24 0.37 19451.31 19571.37 1.81 1956 2.07 19111.38 1.6624 0740 1836 1.86 24 2033 2.020724 2053 1.9 9 9 24 24 0730 0752 1.53 24 0600 1.68 0933 0849 0826 1.41 1.84 0.41 1.75 1.49 1.81 1.56 1.68 TU 1459 WE 1434 0157 T SA 1338 SU 1339 0213 1.50 0032 0033 E: minnrepairs@gmail.com 0.60 TH 1319 1.54 0.45 13221.42 0.60 0.53 MO 1210 0.37 1519 1425 1.46 0.46 1359 0.45 WE 1311 FR TU MO0128 SA 0144 12 12 27 27 27 01251.79 0.589 0629 0057 0.40 03181.76 0.2212 0330 0.34 0.

0221 0.52 0241 0.24 0241 0.442022 1919 0.83 0.75 2007 0.82 1908 0.70 9 24 9 24 24 0746 0.26 0724 0.37 0815 0.36 0745 0.26 0642 0.44 1945 1956 2.07 1957 1.81 1.66 1836 1.86 2141 2053 1.86 2033 2.02 10 0719 261.51 25 0656 10 092911 251459 10 25 1.67SU 0915 27 1.42 26 1.36 TU 08371.84 1.46 WE 0832 1.32 11 11 111.0.

11 11 26 26 26 26 11 11 2625 27 12 27 12 12 27 111.8112 11 2610 1434 1.75 1.73 1.73 13390812 1.68 TH 1522 FR 1456 SA 133810 25 10 25 10 25 10 0230 1.55 0214 1.48 0123 1.58 0115 1.45 1320 0.54 1256 0.37 1449 0.45 1509 0.67 1345 0.62 1411 0.48 1401 0.59 MO TU SU TU TH FR SA 0.58 0057 0.40 0330 0.82 0.29 0407 0.31 0318 0.75 0.22 0221 0.52 0241 0.70 0.24 02410.83 0.44 1919 2022 2007 2052 0.71 2027 1908 10 25 10 25 19431.36 1.7125 0837 19241.46 1.98 10 0832 21211.47 1.980804 0.36 2133 10 1.

2019 1.82 2047 2.09 20351.41 1.840833 0.30 0720 0.20 0718 10 0.39 25281013 25 0915 10 0812 1.51 25 0656 1.67 WANTED 0929 1.42 1.32 BOATS 13 28 28 13 13 1544 1.80 1515 1.76 1430 1.87 1416 1.73 WE WE 1602 TH F SU MO 0.54 1509 1.48 0.45 1449 1.55 0.45 0.62 FR 1411 1.58 0.48 14011.45 0.59 0230 0214 0259 0.46 1.49 0246 1.53 0123 0115 TU 1256 0.37 TU SU TH 1345 SA 02021.82 0.55 040712 0.

0259 0.50 03341.98 0.23 031827 0.42 0403 0.252047 0153 0.31 28 13 13 28 13 28 13 28 11 11 1.65 26 11 26 26 11 26 2107 0.72 0.77 1957 0.68 1957 0.80 10 25 10 25 10 25 12 12 27 27 12 12 27 12 12 27 27 12 1.71 1924 1.98 2133 1.85 2218 2121 2047 2.09 2035 1.84 12 12 27 27 0833 0.30 0804 0.36 0859 0.41 0831 0.35 0720 0.20 0718 0.39 112019 11 11 26 11 26 26 0757 1.48 1011 1.

0852 1.35 0932 1.44 0912 1.33 1002 1.42 0751 1.63 1515 1.76 1600 1.70 1535 14301343 1.870.40 1.73 0.64WE 1544 TH SU FR SA SU WE MO 1416 13490.50 0.56 1554 1.73 0.

1422 15031.80 0.51 1442 0.580315 15390.38 0.480258 TU WE FR SA MO 1.52 1.49 0209 1.59 0156 1.47 0.55 0441 0407 0.28 0153 0.31 0259 0334 0.23 0318 0.42 0403 0.25 2107 0.72 2047 0.77 2136 0.67 2113 1957 0.68 1957 0.80 14 29 14 29 14 29 20151.35 1.7626 0932 2215 0.58 1.

2056 1.83 2139 2.07 21151.45 1.850918 22071.47 1.900845 0.37 20131.44 2.06 11 0912 11 26 11 11 26 26 11 26 0.36 0809 0.19 0755 0.37 1.48 26 0751 1.63 11 0852 1051 1011 1.33 1002 1.42 121517 27 0335 121.59 27 27 1.52 120258 27 12 0.52 29 14 29 14 29 14 29 14 0.56 WE 1343 0.40 1645 1554 1.49 0.45 0.64 1503 0.51 1442 0.58 1539 0.48 1625 1.74 1556 1.74 13 1.87 1454 1.76 TH WE FR 1422 SA SU MO TH FR MO TU 0209 0315 0343 1.46 1.55 0156 1.47 13 13 13 13 28 28 28 28 13 13 28 28 13 13 28 13 28 04461.52 0.312129 0.72 0446 0.S 03381.85 0.49 04281.90 0.27 03571.80 0.412152 2255 02391.83 0.52 02492.07 0.26 1.76 2215 2013 2.06 2139 2115 2207 0.71 2043 0.67 2033 0.78 11 11 26 11 26 26 0809 0.19 0918 0.36 0845 0.37 0939 0.47 0918 0755 0.37 12 12 27 12 27 122056 27 1048 1.41 1055 0.40 1.

0932 1.33 1027 1.41 0953 1.34 0834 1.44 0848 1.57 15 30 30 15 30 15 1517 1.870.45TU 1454 1625 1.74 1556 1.74 1633 1.66 1614 1.76 0.66 MO TH FR SA SU 1627 0.53 1644 1.71 0.

1500 1557 0.56 1523 0.58 1419 0.58 1430 TU TH SA SU MO WE TH 0512 0.45 0343 0446 0.29 0338 0.49 0428 0.27 0357 0.41 0446 0.31 0236 0.52 0249 0.26 13 28 13 28 28 13 28 13 0254 1.58 0400 1.48 1.49 1.48 2043 0.67 2152 0.71 2129 0.72 2217 0.64 2159 0.50 2033 0.78 2250 1.78 2300 1.

2133 1.83 2229 1.99 2154 1.84 20461.33 1.78 2102 2.10 12 30 30 15 30 15 15 15 30 12 27 27 27 1130 1.46 1055 1.48 0932 1027 1.41 0953 1.34 1048 1.41 1.44 27 0848 1.57 12 12 27 12 12 27 0856 0.21 1000 0.44 0929 0.40 14 0830 0.36 14 0.56 MO0236 29 14 29 0254 14 29 14 14 14 14 29 14 14 29 29 1730 0.58 1644 0.47 0.66 SU 1557 1.58 15231.48 0.58 1627 0.53 0.58 FR TH SA 1500 TU TH 1430 0.45 1603 1.82 1704 1.68 1634 1.71 1532 1.75 TU0.50 FR SA WE 0343 1.49 0426 1.43 0425 0527 1.56 0.S 04171.84 05191.48 0.32 0437 0.40 05281.39 0.38 03451.99 0.25 03161.83 0.51 2332 2300 1.72 2229 2154 2250 1.78 1.78 2102 2.10 31 31 2127 0.67 0.70 0.66 2110 0.76 12280400 271413 12 1228 272913 27 13 28 132133 1000 0929 0.40 1016 0856 0.211.50 0830 0.3614 1006 1142 0.47 1.

1015 1.32 11200.44 1.39 1036 1.352235 1133 1.402212 0945 0913 1.41 29 14 29 14 0.54 1704 1634 1.71 1704 1.61 1.82 1.75 1652 1737 1.68 0.

1540 0.68 FRMO 16491.68 0.61 SA 1608 0.59 SU 17150.52 0.59 MOFR 1521 0.51 14500.50 0.62 TU 1603 WE 1532 31 31TU 31 SU WE FR TH 0544 0527 0.33 0417 0519 0.32 0437 0.40 0528 0.38 0.51 0345 0.25 0338 1.55 0315 1.48 0446 1.42 0430 1.49 2235 0.70 2212 0.66 2256 0.62 2110 0.76 2245 0.43 2347 1.

2213 1.81 2318 1.87 2235 1.81 2331 1.64 2154 2.08 13 21191.32 28 13 28 15 15 15 15 15 15 30 30 15 15 30 30 150.67 30 15 1015 301.79282127 1210 1.45 1142 1.51 1120 1.39 1036 1.35 1133 1.40 1.41 28 0945 1.50 13 13150942 0.28 28 0906 0.37 13 1042 0.52 28 1014 0.46 13 1820 0.64 1737 0.50 0.68 MO 1649 0.61 1608 0.59 1715 0.59 0.62 © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology SA FR SU 1540 TU WE FR 1521 0.51 15 30 15 30 15 30 1647 0446 1.75 1611 0430 1.73 1.61 1.68 WE TH SA SU 1714 0519 M 0606 1.40 0.45 0609 1.55 0.

0443 0.28 0500 0.51 06101.42 0.40 0518 0.411743 0510 03551.81 0.52 0338 1.55 0315 1.48 1.49 2347 1.60 2213 2318 1.87 2235 1.81 2331 1.64 1.79 2154 2.08 Datum of 1213 Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide 14 29 29 14 29 14 14 2209 0.67 2146 0.75 0.70 0.61 13 28 13 28 13 28 1218 0.62 1.402257 1232 0.55 1.

1059 1.30 1.37 1122 1.362318 0952 1.37 09421044 0.28 0906 0.37 1053 1042 0.52 1014 0.46 1053 © Copyright Commonwealth of1.43 Australia 2020, Bureau of Meteorology TimesTU are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savingsSA (UTC 1804 0.66 1838 0.+ 0.59 1622 0.71 1744 0.67 1656 0.61 1524 0.66 1.75 1.73 1730 1.63 1.61 1714 1.68 1735 1.56 TH SA MO FR 0015 1.28 0609 0.38 0500 0610 0.40 0518 0.41 0606 0.45 0.52 0443 0.28 WE 1647 TH 1611 TU time SA 1743 SUWE MO Datum of 0.51 Predictions is1614 Lowest Astronomical Tide 31 31 31 31 31 0421 1.50 0355 1.46 0534 1.37 0521 1.47 New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols 2246 2.01 14 2254 1.7829 2318 2319 1.7629 0619 21551.30 1.7829 14+11:00) 2209 0.67 0.75 2331 0.39 0.70 2257 0.61 2332 0.59 0.60 312146 31 1232 1.54 1059 1213 1.37 1122 1.36 1218 29 1.40 1.37 29 1044 1.43 14 Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight time 0943 (UTC when in effect 14 14 29 1025 savings 0.36 0.66 0.39 1120 0.61 1.43 1101 0.54 14 1254 1838 0.55 1622 0.71 1744 0.67 1656 0.61 1804 0.66 SU SA MO TU WE TH SA 1614 0.59 First0534 Quarter Last Quarter Moon0435 Phase0.54 Symbols Full Moon 0041 1.53 1.T 0013 1.50 0.34 Moon 0545 00071.37 1.74 0601 0.421819 1919 1731 1.67 1650 0521 1.69 1.55 1754 0620 1.63 TH0.53 FR SU MO 04210542 1.50New 0355 1.46 1.47 0558 1.37 0.69 2254 1.78 2319 1.76 1.78 2246 2.01 15 30 30 15 30 15 15 0657 0.65 0.

0645 0.70 0.522344 1143 1.38 1146 1.29 06580.61 0.47 1211 1.3914 1033 1.32 2252 0.69 2225 0.74 0.56 14 29 29 14 29 1025 0.36 0943 0.39 1141 1120 1101 0.54 1131 © SA Copyright Commonwealth of©Australia 2021, Bureau of Meteorology ©© Copyright Copyright Commonwealth Commonwealth of of Australia Australia 2021, 2021, Bureau Bureau of of Meteorology Meteorology Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2021, Bureau of Meteorology 1328 1.58 1.

13041.17 1.40 WESU 1709 0.66 1710 0.73 1305 1.36 1749 0.64 16000.53 0.71 FR SU TU WE TH 0041 1.46 0545 0007 1.74 0601 0.42 0013 1.50 0.54 0542 0.34 0106 1.67 1.69 1813 1819 1.55 1754 1.63 1806 1.51 TH 1731 FR 1650 SU MO TU 0507 1.43 0437 1.44 0.70 Datum of Predictions is2252 Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide0.52 1948 0.

18590.65 0.720622 1.46 2341 1.91 2339 1.73 1839 2232 1.7530 Datum Datum of of Predictions Predictions isis0.73 Lowest Lowest Astronomical Astronomical Tide Tide 0001 15 15 30 30 0657 0.56 0.45 1146 1.29 0658 0.47 1211 1.39 0645 1.32 30 1143 1.38 15 0703 0.69 2225 0.74 2344 30 15oror+11:00) 15 30 1107 0.45 1023 0.43 0630 1.32 1151 0.64 Times are in local time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC in effect 1328 1.56 1710 1.36 1749 15 0.64 1304 1.40 0.71 SU 1709 0.66 1346 1.42 Times Times are are in in local local standard standard time time (UTC +10:00) +10:00) daylight daylight savings savings time time (UTC (UTC +11:00) +11:00) when when in in ee Times are in0.73 local standard time (UTC +10:00) orstandard daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in(UTC effect SU TU WE 1305 TH FR MO when 0642 0.42 00580.70 1.37 1815 1.58 1731 1.64 1200 0.70 1838 1.58 New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon FR SA MO TU W 0507 1.43 0437 1.44 0001 0.70 0010 0.59 0018 0.37 0622 1.46 1948 0.57 2339 1.73 1839 0.73 1859 0.72 1.75 2341 1.91 2030 New New Moon Moon Last Quarter31 First First Quarter Quarter Moon Moon Phase Phase Symbols Symbols Full Full Moon Moon New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols31 1244 Full Moon 1.34 0723 0.58 0.71 1.32 2305 0.72 0.64 1857 1.49 1.35 30 0726 1.51 15 15 30 15 1107 0.45 30 1023 0.43 2336 0630 0650 1151 0.73 13531.10 1.41 MO 1807 SA 0.42 0058 1.37 by TU 0213 1.58 1731 1.64 HeadsMO 0.70 1212 0.79 1838 Tidal 1.58Centre, WE FR 1815 Tide SA for TH 1230 0.75 predictions Port Phillip have1200 been formatted the National Australian Bureau of Meteorology, 2001 0.76 31 0642 31 31 0526 1.42 1244 1.34 0723 0.58 0800 0.70 2336 Copyright 0.71 reserved.

2305 0.72is supplied in1857 1.49 1842 1.47 1.52 All material good faith and is believed to be correct.

It is supplied on the condition that1900 no 1107 for0.49 1353 31 1.41 1.42 and that the MO 1807 0.73 warranty is given in relation thereto, thatSA no responsibility or liability errors or omissions TU is, or1448 will be, accepted 1815 1.59 2001 0.76 2148 or0.68 SU of 0.37 0526 recipient will holdof MHLAustralia and 1.42 the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility liability and from0110 all © Copyright Commonwealth 2020, Bureau Meteorology 2351 0.69 should not be used for navigational purposes.

31 31 0832 1.50 1107as 0.49 loss or damage incurred a consequence of any error or omission.

Predictions Use Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide m Sarca Excel

Time

Time Time mSuper Sarca m Time 0554 m0.36 Time 0519 1117 1155 1.39 0135 0.60 0736 1.91 1725 0.65 SU 1640 SA1421 1.70 23590.27 1.88 0811 2314 Stick with convex 2015 1.41 SU 1458 0.45 design and leave SA 1.27 0700 0.43 2048 0608

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0007 10330.63 1.32 16001.59 0.71 SA0647 22320.58 1.75SA FR 1338 1922 1.20

0052 0730 SA 1420 2008

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m

Time

Time

m

m Time

Time m 0633Time Time mm 0452 0.53 1.78 1041 1238 1.30 0.49 0330 0330 0.85 0.85 0238 0.52 01401748 0.47 0.761.34 1.33 WE 18040953 FR 0953 1.34 0906 1.78 08102319 1.91 0.79 1600 0.28 1451 0.28 0.24 SA TU 1600 TU 1556 0.16 WE 1543 0.36 SA 2343 1.50 1.50 0534 2138 1.39 00302343 2049 1.48 0.61 2153 1.45 1.68 0138 1.66 1121 1207 1.25 0724 0.52 0835 0.54 0447 0.89 0.89 1836 0215 0.58 0.80 0330WE 0.38 0316 0.48 0232 0.40 SA 1.34 1447 1.35 MO 1726 TH 13350447 1059 1.33 0849 1.75 1002 2.02 0943 1.81 19061059 0859 1.93 0.771.33 2019 0.82 0.58 Time m0037 1.28 0239 0.40 0740 0.75 1345 TU 0913 2.02 1.71 1556 0.16 1911

m m Time Time

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0023 1.38 0148 2035 1.43 1.47 0.42 0828 0656 0.58 0043 0043 1.40 1.52 1231 0218 0.51 SU1.40 1.41 FR 1451 1947 0559 0559 0.90 0837 0.90 1.76 2045 0.81

1147 1.21 1712 0.22 MO 1533 0.41 WE 1642 0.17 TH 1615 0.33 SU 1506 1.21 0.36 1533 0.22 TH 1147 WE MO SU 1712 0116 0001 0.75 0245 0239 1.56 1.63 1.37 1816 0.38 2126 0000 1.29 1.66 2240 1.48 2109 0.38 1.51 2213 1.43 0126 2133 1.54 1.34 1816 0628 0702 0.62 0925 0.57 0815 0.50 0911 0808 0.61 1209 0.48 1321 MO1.45 SU 1544 1.40 1.411.59 1.46 0049 1.59 0131 0131 1.45 0356 0.45 0254 0.55 1.24 0421TH 0.38 0320 0.37 1.47 0258 0.45 TU 1303 FR 14330049 SA 1543 1930 2036 0.750.86 2155 0.79 0604 0.86 0700 0700 0.85 Time m 20150604 m2129 0.81 Time m Time 0.85 m 1019 1.81 0927 1822 1.78 0.83 Time 1049 1.96 0944 1.90 0915 1.79 1538 0.32 1608 0.38 1725 0.85 0.22 FR 0445 1647 0.32 1613 0.24 1210 1210 1.35 1.35 1245 1245 1.23 1.23 MO MO TU TU 0220 0052 0.74 TH TH FR 0.91 0330 0028 1.48 0052 1.34 0339 1.49 0344 1.31 0228 1822 1.590.16 2144 1.59 2201 0056 1.31 1.62 2325 1.48 2249 1.48 2215 1.58 0.16 1908 1908 0.35 0735 0922 1048 1.21 09051822 0536 0.86 1.33 0954 0623 0.35 0.87 0800 0.61 0953 1.34 1009 0.59 0.62 0.48

WE 1407 0332 0.54 1004 1929 1.80 1644 0158 0.37 2238 0858 1.33

1717 0.28 SU 1.47 SA 1600 FR 1.26 1633 0510 1.50 0.42 0437 2343 0.84 1133 1.84 2234 0.78 1057

1307 0.41 1530 1150 1.31 0.57 1212 1.18 TU 1422 WE1632 TUMO 1.52 1.52 SU 0407 0.37 0340 0.40 0149 0149 1.66 1.66 0215 0215 1.50 1808 0.24 1.44 1838 1.50 0.43 2031 2126

SA 0.44 1.78 1.40 0.33 0.90 1.52 1.21

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1.24 0854 0854 1.32 1.32 0629 1.67 1213 0.50 1804 0.66 1838 TH 1957 1.39 SA 1.47 2014 1513 0.43 1507 0.32 1247 0.43 1823 0.43 1.440001 SU SU 1513 MO MO TH 1507 WE 1.44 0.70 0.32 2247 2247 1.29 2253 1.37 1902 1.66 0.43 0630 2253 1.32 01171.29 0.74 01241.37 0.75 0013 1.50 1.31 0741 0041 1.36 1.64 0724 1200 0.70 MO TU 0343 0.90 0.90 0009 0.62 0657 0645 0.52 1337 0.40 1348 0.52 0.35 0.72 1857 1.49 SU0343 MO0110 2046 1.33 2121 1.40 0950 1.19 1.19 1328 1304 1.40 0713 0620 1.68 SU 1.62 FR0950 1.42 1948 1859 0.72 1322 0.45 1616 0.46 0.46 1247 0.43 MO MO TH 1616 0200 0.81 FR 0220 0.79 0.49 2351 2351 1.30 1.30 1940 1.73 1859 1.55 0808 1.25 0850 1.30 1.59 0058 1.37 0.46 1452 0.45 MO 1419 0.69 07230.92 0.58 TU0154 0500 0500 0053 0.53 21450.92 1.28 2231 0.49 1.37 1353 1.41 0754 1.57 SA1100 1100 1.16 1.16 0701 1.72 2001 0.76SA 1354 0251 0.87 0339 0.48 0.80 1731 0.46 0.46 1322 0.38 FR 1731

0945 0.66 1.36 1001 0958 0.57 1.55 0.92 SA0 1438 0.96 FR 1453 1.52 1645 1.72 0056 0110 0110 1.45 1.45 0056 1.34 1.34 WE 1.47 2108 1.37 2341 2124 0.65 0.41 0 0652 0644 0644 0.71m 0652 0.76 Time0.76 m Time0.71 1 1255 1.25 1302 1302 1.35 1.35 1255 1.25 SU SU TH TH FR FR 0329 0.61 0338 0.39 0448 0.70 0041 1.41 1.17 0534 1900 1.25 1 0.54 1910 1910 0.35 0.35 1900 0.54 1103 1.61 1044 1.42 1133 1.34 0632 0.62 0.66 1106 0.54 1608 1550 1.00 1.40 1710 0.94 0.71 SU SASA FR 1302 1.58 1746 1.80 TH 0 0143 1.41 0206 0206 1.51 1.51 0143 1.41 2352 1.46 1.39 2229 2200 1857 1.36 0.55

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0134 1.47 05451.37 0.56 0426 0.56 0.36 1354 1408 1.44 1.44 1354 1.37 FR FR 1408 SA SA 0445 0.57 0039 0.32 0730 0.50 1234 1.67 1.49 1205 1137 1.51 1950 0.51 2008 2008 0.35 0.35 1950 0.51 1.20 0633 1.31 1405 1.51 1816 0.70 SA 1.00 1720 0.92 1701 SUSU 0.63 1206 0.49 1954 0.54 FR 2331 1.47 22550254 1.37 1.57 0224 1.47 1.47 1.650254 1.57 1842 0224 1.87 02200.45 1.51 00380.51 1.45 0817 0843 0817 0.51 05160843 0.500.45 0545 0.33 0630 0.43 0716 0.39 0.49 0129 0.25 1445 1506 1.52 1.52 1445 1.49 1.49 SA SA 1506 SU SU 1301 1225 1.59 1.72 1327 1.63 1359 1.60 SU MO 1.24 0724 1.37 2033 0.50 2058 2058 0.36 0.36 2033 0.50 1758 0.96 1822 0.87 1906 0.67 0.54MO 0.59 1940 SA 1300 0.43 2349 1.39 1.72 1931 0302 1.91 0335 0335 1.59 0302 1.52 01591.59 1.53 01221.52 1.50 06010928 0.44 0030 1.49 0854 0928 0.35 0.35 0854 0.39 0756 0.32 07140.39 0.31 0.42 0213 0.22 1310 1.66 0639 0.31 1444 1.66MO 14151.59 1.74 MO 1531 1558 1558 1.58 1.58 1531 1.59 SU SU MOTU 1.29 0810 1.42 18442141 0.92 1.75 2019 0.56TU 1353 19500.50 0.66 2114 2141 0.40 0.40 2114 0.50 0.54 SU 1349 1915 0.40 0.81 0233 1.53 0203 1.53 1.79 2017 1.90 0338 0412 0412 1.59 1.59 0338 1.55 07571.55 0.23 0040 0832 1.43 0.28 0123 1.50 0931 1008 1008 0.29 0.29 0931 0.29 1522 1.69 15000.29 1.80 TU 0.37 0254 WE 0.22 0644 0.40 0729 0.33 2055 0.58 2032 0.65 1615 1.67 1644 1644 1.60 1.60 1615 1.67 MO MO TU TU 1440 1.33 1.72 0852 1.45 1.75 1352 WE 2154 0.52 2219 2219 0.45 0.45 2154 0.52 0.50 0305 1435 2005 0.39 1926 0.87 0.75 MO 1.51 0244 1.55 1.84 0907 0.27 2100 1.85 0841 0.18 0414 1.56 0444 1.57 1.57 0414 1.56 01280444 1.46 0213 1.50 WE 1557 1.68 TH 1545 1.81 0724 0.37 0815 0.36 1010 1044 1044 0.26 0.26 1010 0.22 0331 0.25 0.32 21150.22 0.66 2129 0.60 1434 1.75 1.73 0933 1.47 1.37 TH 1658 1725 1.59 1.59 1658 1.70 1.70 TU TU 1725 WE WE 1522 2007 0.82 2052 0.71 0336 1.49 0324 1.55 1519 0.41 0.46 2234 2255 2255TU 0.50 0.50 2234 0.54 0.54 0927 0.18 2141 1.76 1.86 0942 0.29 0214 1.48 0259 1.49 16301.55 1.77 1629 1.64 FR TH 0449 0514 0514 1.53 1.53 0449 1.55 0804 0.36 0.63 2157 0.41 0.67 2202 0407 0859 0.31 0.29 1050 0.18 1118 1118 0.25 0.25 1050 0.18 1515 1.76 1013 1.70 FR 1600 1.47 1.41 1742 1.68 1802 1802 1.56 1.56 1742 1.68 0407 1.47 0405 1.53 WE WE TH TH 2047 0.77 0.67 1602 2136 0.46 0.45 WE 1015 0.31 10120.58 0.22 2315 2330 2330 0.56 0.56 2315 0.58 2218 1.65 1.85 1715 1.46 1.69 FR 1700 0258 1.49 1.60 SA 0343 2236 0.66 2240 0.69 0525 0544 0544 1.48 1.48 0525 1.52 1.52 0845 0.37 0.47 0441 0939 0.38 0.28 1556 1.74 1633 1.66 1131 0.18 1151 1151 0.27 0.27 1131 0.18 SA 0450 1.49 1051 1.47 1.45 0440 1.43 2129 0.72 0.64 1827 1838 1.51 1.51 1827 1.63 TH TH 1838 FR FR 2217 10581.63 0.28 1048 0.35 1645 0.52 0.45 TH 2356 2356 0.63 18060.63 1.60 1735 1.53 SA 1.49 2255 SU 1.52 1.80 0343 0426 1.43 2325 0.71 2311 0.71 0929 0.40 1016 0.54 0004 0004 0.61 0.61 0604 1.48 1.48 0.29 0512 0604 0.45 16340615 1.71 1.61 05410.21 1.43 0515 1.38SU 1704 1.43 1.43 1214 0.21 1.480615 1130 1214 1.46 1145 0.62 0.38 2212 1122 0.66 0.40 2256 0.47 1730 0.58 1916 1.55 1225 1225 0.31 0.31 1916 1.55 FR FR FRSU 1815 1.47 SA SA MO 1902 1.52 1.72 2332 1.39 1915 1915 1.45 1.45 0430 2346 1.49 0.76 0510 1.40 1014 0.46 1053 0.62 0544 0.52 0.33 0552 1.32 00150.69 0.74 0040 0040 0.68 0.68 0038 0.69 0038 1714 1.68 1.56 MO 1735 1210 1.45 1.51 1156 0.45 06421.43 1.36 0647 0647 1.37 1.37 0648 1.43 0648 2257 0.61 2332 0.60 1900 1.40 1238 0.49 1820 TU 0.64 0.50 MO SA 1300 1300 0.35 0.35 1259 0.27 1259 0.27 SA SA SU SU 2004 1.45 1.60 0521 1.47 0558 1.37 1957 1957 1.39 1.39 2014 1.47 1.47 2014 1101 0024 0.54 0.81 1131 0.70 0117 0.75 1.28 0.38 1.63 0015 1754 1.51 TU 1806 0117 0117 0.74 0124 0.75 08030.75 1.31 06370.74 1.26 0619 0124 0.59 1.54 2344 0.56 13411.36 0.60 1234 0.52 TU WE 0741 0724 0724SU 1.31 1.31 0741 1.36 1254 1.43 0.55 2106 1.41 1954 1.34 1348 1337 0.40 0.40 1348 0.35 0.35 SU SU 1337 MO MO 0010 0622 1.46 0.59 1919 0.69 2121 2046 1.33 1.33 2121 1.40 11512046 0.64 0650 1.35 02391.40 0.73 0110 0.84 1.46 0735 0106 1.17 0932 0.79 1.32 1838 1.58 1.21 WE 1212 0220 0200 0200 0.81 0220 0.79 0.45 0703 TH 0.65 14580.79 0.69 13220.81 0.59 1842 1.47 WE 22061.30 1.40 2056 1.31 0808 0808 1.25 1.25 0850 1.30 1.56 1346 0850 1.42 MO 0.57 2030 0.70 1419 1419 0.46 0.46 1452 0.45 0.45 MO MO TU TU 1452

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Stessl 520 Apache Pro with 115hp Yamaha

- SC

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO

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Main: ‘The Animal 6’ isn’t the first rig that Stessl have built for The Mad Hueys, but it is certainly one of the most versatile.

Above: The 115hp is greater than the usual rated maximum for this hull – the factory have strengthened the hull to take this motor in this rig. and tell you that usually, this hull is rated to only 90hp.

Scott James and his team at the factory have built in extra structure to enable this increase in rating.

From the bow back, let’s take a look at this rig.

We liked the anchor well with a lid that you can stand on; this adds height to a main front casting deck that seems a little lower than average.

Possibly more friendly when out on waters with a bit of

DE FOR EX

There are a couple of brands that Aussies – particularly southern Queenslanders – will know all about. One is Stessl boats and the other is The Mad Hueys, both specialising in tinnies. “The Animal 6” is the sixth incarnation of the Mad Hueys’ rig, and Stessl’s Scott James took Fishing Monthly for a ride in it just before delivery.

It’s the third Stessl to wear the Mad Hueys livery.

Specifically, the boat is a Stessl Apache Pro 5.2,

at 63km/h. A comfortable cruising speed of 4000rpm gave you 42km/h. You’re not going to get left behind.

And like all tinnies of this build, if you quarter a decent-sized wind and chop, you’re going to get a little wet. The speed is just not there to outrun the spray.

As tested, this rig costs $53,700.

Boat, motor and trailer packages start from $42,500 with a 90hp outboard. Check out your local Stessl dealer for local pricing and stock availability. And make sure you wave g’day to this boat if the Mad Hueys go roaring past you, partying on and catching fish.

SPECIFICATIONS Length overall .... 5.4m Length bow to transom .......... 5.2m Beam................... 2.2m Depth .................. 1.2m Bottom ................ 3mm Sides ................... 3mm Hull weight ....... 505kg Max hp .................... 90 Capacity ..... 5 persons

Comfortable cruising speed was 42km/h at 4,000rpm.

There was no fuel metering available. with a 2.2m beam and with the sides and bottom made out of 3mm thick aluminium sheet. And it’s powered by Yamaha’s F115 4-stroke outboard. The whole rig is cradled on a single-axle Dunbier trailer and it’s also fitted with a side console with Stessl’s new design.

“This Apache is based 128

FEBRUARY 2022

on Stessl’s Delta hull, which incorporates a reverse chine and ample beam,” explained Stessl boss, Scott James. “They’re one of our most popular boats for this hybrid set-up.”

We have tested several rigs so far with the distinctive shaped helm that’s common between all of the Stessl

console-models now, from the Coastrunners down to the Apaches. It looks great and is functional – being able to flush-mount large display screens right there when you need them.

If you’re into the specifications and are researching this hull for your own use, we’ll be up front

CO

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

swell. This hull is offshore capable on the calmer days.

There’s Stessl’s unique TracLoader extrusion which allows rod holders, electric motor supports and other trays to be mounted without drilling holes around the inside of your gunwales.

They have used this at the bow to secure the head of the Minn Kota.

Like all front casting decks, there is plenty of room underneath to store tackle, ice boxes and other safety equipment. Remember that, like most aluminium boats, this area is not fully waterproof.

Dropping back down to the main cockpit area, you’ll see the starboard-mounted console, and a variety of seat mounting options. Seats are mounted via a pole and spigot mount. As with all side consoles of this ilk, visibility is great.

This boat offers a fullheight transom that includes a live bait tank built-in. There is also some generous storage area – albeit not dry – under the transom.

And although there was no fuel metering in this boat, full throttle yielded 6200rpm

R

Steve Morgan

Q

RA

CON

AN THE

FMG

At wide open throttle, the rig pulled 63km/h and handled comfortably in a small chop.

Top: Yamaha’s 115hp 4-stroke is a proven performer for boats in this size class.

They come with a 4-year warranty.

Above: We liked that you could close the anchor well and stand on top of it to gain more height for your sight fishing.

From the transom, there is plenty of fishing space in The Animal 6.

Wide gunwales allow you climb in and out of the boat easily when it’s beached. There’s also a lot of swag room there if you need it.

There are plenty of fans of Stessl’s new console design out there today.

It holds massive electronics and the grab rail is quite functional.

You can see a decent area under the transom where you can store a little bit of extra gear.

Left: Here’s an interesting way to use the TracLoader extrusions on the Stessl. Stop your electric motor head from bouncing around in rough seas.

Top Right: Note that the front casting deck isn’t level with the gunwale – or even close to it. This gives you a little more stability when the seas are rough.

Bottom Right: Both sides of the transom have welded-in handles that will last a lifetime.

Left: At the helm there is plenty of space for your engine gauges and your flash new fishfinder. There is also a neat, dry area underneath.

Top Right: The transom-mounted live bait tank drains out through the hull. Bottom Right: It’s like this small compartment was built especially for holding the electric motor battery.

FEBRUARY 2022

129

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FEBRUARY 2022

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Tournament

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FREE GUIDEBOOK

Guide

22

22

abt

Australian Bass Tournaments

ABT Tournaments

www abt.org.au

• Slide Magnetic Cast Control System • CZB corrosion free bearing technology • HI-TECH Cast Iron Carbon Frame and Side-Plates • 20lbs Advanced Polymer fish stopping drag • Alert drag clicker • Beetle wing rapid access side plate • Generation II Hard Anodised worm shaft

• HI-TECH Cast Iron Carbon Frame and Side-Plates • Boss H.A.M. Japanese cut drive gear • 20lbs Advanced Polymer fish stopping drag • 10 bearings including 2 CZB zero corrosion spool bearings & 7 Black Seal Anti-corrosion ball bearings • Low friction 6-way breaking system • Beetle wing rapid access side plate

• HI-TECH Cast Iron Carbon Frame and Side-Plates • Hi-Spin Spool System • Ti-Armour Aluminium Hamai cut drive gear • 25lb Bull Dog Drag • 9 Ball Bearings including 2 Hi-Spin Corrosion resistant spool bearings • KeepR Integrated Hook Keeper • Beetle wing rapid access side plate • Low friction 6-way breaking system

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calendar of events 2022abt

ALL ENTRY/MEMBERSHIP FORMS AND EVENT DETAILS AVAILABLE AT WWW.ABT.ORG.AU

Tournament Angler Guide

4

TAG 2022 abt

Daiwa BREAM Series Qualifier Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9 Grand Final Australian Open Queensland Open

Date 29-30 January 2-3 February 18-19 March 22-23 March 30 Apr - 1 May 4-5 May 21-22 May 18-19 June 17-18 September 25-27 November 1-3 March 16-17 July

13 Fishing BASS Pro Series Qualifier Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Grand Final BASS Australian Open

Date 5-6 February 8-9 February 12-13 March 15-16 March 23-24 April 4-5 June 22-23 October 27-28 August

BKK Hooks BASS Electric Series

Qualifier Date Round 1 27 March Round 2 23-24 April Round 3 12 June Round 4 10 September Grand Final 15-16 October BASS Electric Australian Open 9-10 July

Zerek BARRA Series

abt.org.au

State VIC VIC TAS TAS WA WA NSW NSW QLD VIC NSW QLD

Location Mallacoota

Gippsland Lakes Derwent River St Helens Mandurah Perth Hawkesbury River Tweed River Gladstone Mallacoota Sydney Harbour-Hawkesbury River Gold Coast / Moreton Bay

State VIC VIC NSW NSW NSW QLD NSW QLD

Location Lake Blue Rock Glenmaggie Dam Lake St Clair Glenbawn Dam Clarence River Cania Dam Clarence River Somerset Dam

State NSW NSW QLD QLD QLD QLD

Location Coldstream River Toonumbar Dam Lake Macdonald Wyaralong Dam Wivenhoe Dam Hinze Dam

Event Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6

Date 3-4 October 5 October 4 November 5 November 7 November 9-10 November

State QLD QLD QLD QLD QLD QLD

Location Lake Tinaroo Lake Tinaroo Teemburra Dam Kinchant Dam Peter Faust Dam Peter Faust Dam

BARRA Australian Open

9-11 September

QLD

Awoonga Dam

2022 West Australian Bream Classics Event Boat Round 1 Boat Round 2 Boat Round 3 Kayak Round 1 Kayak Round 2 Kayak Round 3 Kayak Grand Final Boat Grand Final

2022 Vic Bream Classics Event Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Grand Final

Date 2-3 April 5 June 23 October 20 February 21-22 May 23 October 19-20 November 3-4 December

Facebook: WA Bream Classics

Location Albany Mandurah Swan River Moore River Blackwood River Swan River Albany Blackwood River

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au Date 26-27 March 30 Apr - 1 May 18-19 June 20-21 August 8-9 October 19-20 November

Location Metung Mallacoota Nelson Marlo Warrnambool Metung

abt.org.au

Tournament Angler Guide

abt

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

Will we be back to normal in 2022?

ABT

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

While it was great to get the BREAM and the BASS Grand Finals out of the way in 2021, wow it has been busy ever since.

We are halfway through January and have sold a whole year’s worth of sponsorship, taken the first tranch of entries and also completed the Tournament Angler Guide in a two week window. We normally take a couple of months to get all of that done.

But that seems to be the way of things nowadays.

Run the events when you can, do the work when you can – be it from home, in the field or at the office. If you hesitate you may miss an opportunity.

Congratulations to all of our winners last year.

From our BARRA Team of the Year through to our Victorians who came up and dominated the BREAM Grand Final, you are all champions. And also a big thank you to the non-boaters who have willingly accepted the trial changes that we are going to roll out 2022.

We trialed individual weights and three fish limits in both the BREAM and the BASS Grand Finals last year. It kept the fields really tight and ultra competitive, 6

TAG 2022 abt

and the anglers took it all in their stride. At any stage most anglers were only ever a kicker fish or two away from glory.

And although the boaters took home some magnificent Alloycraft/Mercury boats, we were fairly proud of the prize packs that we got together for the nonnies. $3000 to $4000 worth of gear spread out on a carpeted board looks amazing. And I’m sure that Jesse Rotin and Paul Mazaroli can attest to the fact that fattens up your kit up quite substantially.

We have heard on the grapevine that some anglers aren’t particularly fond of running tournaments on an app, as opposed to a standard weigh-in event. My advice in this area is; please try it before you decide. There are several reasons we run an app based tournament, anything from legislative requirements through to being able to run an event with a five fish limit.

BARRA guys have been doing it for years and have no problems with the process.

The silver lining is that an app based event gets way more eyeballs than a standard, weigh-in event.

Your fans, family and loved ones can follow your progress throughout the day on a live scoreboard. This engages an audience for hours rather than a 30 minute window at the weigh-in.

If you’re worried about there being no surprises at the end of the day’s fishing, don’t worry. Just watch the final reveal of the BASS Grand Final weigh- in to see what elation and disappointment is all about. A final fish in the final throes of the session swung a $60,000 boat from one angler to another. That gets the heart going.

Well done Dane and sorry Matt Langford.

Additionally, the data that is collected during an ABT App event gets pooled and is submitted to Fisheries scientists or stocking groups in their respective

states. What you are doing by fishing an event is participating in community monitoring of the resource.

And you are doing it by catch-and-release fishing.

You may not know, but most monitoring of the fisheries you love to enjoy is done by autopsy. Creel surveys of commercial fishing catches and boat ramps generally involve dead fish to get an estimate of how many live fish are in the waterway. We can help to collect that data and the fish don’t die at the end of it.

What we are arming ourselves with are tools that

we can you use to refute the argument that what we do is cruel. We all love catch-andrelease fishing, but recording your results and having them contribute towards community monitoring gives us the moral high ground.

And that will help us for decades to come.

If you think that this is not a threat for Australian anglers, think again. There are places in Europe you are not allowed to release a fish once you’ve caught it. Think about that.

But enough being negative, we are back to a full

spread of events in BREAM, BASS and BARRA in 2022.

There are Angler of the Year trophies to win, events to win, Grand Finals to win, boats to win and tackle to win.

Oh yeah, and there’s also cash to win. ABT has literally given away millions of dollars over the years and we think the 2022 could be our return to normality.

If you are an ABT veteran, welcome back. If you are a newangler to ABT, welcome! We would love to see you at your first event.

We do not apologise for the addiction which follows.

ABT TOURNAMENT SERIES APP Practice makes perfect when using the ABT Tournament Series App. The app is available to download through both the Google Play and Apple stores.

A practice event has been set up for you to enter and get yourself familiar with the app functions and features.

Main: The agony and the ecstasy. App tournaments come right down to the wire. Anything can happen in the final hour - like in the BASS Pro Grand Final. A final upgrade can swing the pendulum by $60,000 - give or take. Above: Non boaters took home epic prize packs made up of product from a broad spectrum of ABT sponsors. Without these supporters, we’re fishing for a trophy.

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SLATER ROD ED 2022: Year of the bream jerkbait ABT

Tom Slater

Talk about a red-hot start to the season – the Daiwa BREAM Series will open in 2022 with the ‘Viccy Tour’ double-header in Mallacoota and Gippsland Lakes, as well as a return to Tasmania on the Derwent River and at St Helens (Georges Bay).

I love chasing black bream, in fact, I don’t think anyone who enjoys casting lures to fish in shallow water would turn their nose up at a session at one of these four venues. Even those who don’t fancy themselves bream anglers would have a hard time not falling in love with the sight of a huge black stalking your lure in the shallows.

My love affair with black bream stems from many summers spent holidaying with my family in Bridport on the north coast of Tasmania. Bridport isn’t famous for bream fishing like some spots in Tassie, but there’s ample access to fantastic bream fisheries only a stone’s throw away.

I spent many days with my father walking the banks of estuary systems throughout 8

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Tassie targeting black bream wherever we could get to the water – it’s those experiences that shaped my love of targeting black bream on hardbody lures.

When ABT announced the schedule would include a Victorian double-header followed by Tasmania within the first few months of the year, my mind instantly went into overdrive, mentally organising the assortment of hardbody lures that I would pack for the trip.

The purpose of this piece is not to pigeonhole the southern fisheries into hardbody-only venues. There are plenty of results that prove a well-presented crab or soft plastic can shine down south, however, nobody can deny the adrenaline that flows when a fish belts a hardbody on the pause. My preparation for these events will consist of packing a couple of trays full of my favourite hardbody lures, my go-to rods for jerkbaiting and crankbaiting, and spooling my reels with the correct line to match up.

Over the past few years, myself and Taka Kawasaki at Daiwa have been quietly going about our business, developing a range of new lures that you’re either

already aware of or will be soon enough.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a return to Tasmania pencilled into my planner for several new lure projects we have on the table right now. This includes the recent addition to the Double Clutch range, the bite-sized 48.

I firmly believe the best trial for any new product is under the time pressure of a tournament situation. I am an ultra-competitive person and want to contest at every tournament I attend. That means I will use whatever is necessary to catch what I think are the tournament winning calibre of fish.

When it comes to crunch time and I reach for one of our lures, that says to me we’ve created something worthy of the Daiwa name.

Likewise, it’s a great source of inspiration when the lure I’m reaching for is something we don’t have or that doesn’t exist at all.

That to me is the lure of the ABT tournaments and why I continue to come back year after year, and why DAIWA is headlining this year’s season as naming rights sponsor again.

Let’s start with the lures, we will cover the necessary

setups for each lure as we go and explore some of my go-to colours at the end. Breaking down a lifetime collection of hardbody lures might be difficult, but these three main lure types have stood the test of time down south, and the records don’t lie.

The first is your traditional Tassie weapons, the ultra slim long profile jerkbait.

The second is the newer deep diving ‘shad shape crank’ style lures, which shot to fame with the ‘dredging’ technique Stephen Parker used to win the Gippsland Lakes BREAM Grand Final back in 2014. Lastly, there’s fat-bodied crankbaits. A

staple for yellowfin bream anglers, these have slowly been gaining popularity down in Tassie on the flats of St Helens but have been a go-to lure at Mallacoota for many years.

SLIM JERKBAITS Arguably the poster child of hardbody fishing for black bream, the slim profile jerkbait is the lure I think we all wish to get bit on every time we travel south.

A lure type that dominates the tackle boxes of black bream experts, a slim profile jerkbait is designed to be fished with a stopstart retrieve method, your textbook ‘jerkbait’ technique.

Black bream in particular love to hit a hardbody on the pause, one that suspends in front of their face and erratically darts from side to side when twitched.

The Double Clutch is one lure that has propelled into mainstream use in Tasmania. Sure, there are plenty of other baits that work, but there’s few that can match the pedigree of the Double Clutch.

I would classify the Double Clutch as a ‘medium’ running jerkbait, not super shallow to fish over the flats of St Helens, but a perfect choice to run along To page 10

Main: Big black bream like this just love to eat jerkbaits and that’s what gets Tom Slater all fired up when the ABT Daiwa BREAM Series heads south. Above: The three smallest members of the Double Clutch family should get a spot in the tackle box for southern bream.

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Tournament Angler Guide

From page 8

the Bedlam Walls in the Derwent or to throw around the Tambo River. The 75 size is the go-to, but I personally love the smaller 60 and new 48 sizes and will have all three tied on during the southern swing.

When it comes to fishing the rock-strewn flats at the mouth of the Mitchell River, the shallow predominantly sandy flats of Georges Bay or the exposed rock bars in the Derwent River, the tournament proven Presso Minnow 60F is a big-game player. The Presso has accounted for plenty of giants over the years at each of these venues. There’s also a couple of lures that we’re working on currently. These prototypes fill some gaps that I see in our range, and I look forward to throwing them around in the New Year. Early testing is looking positive, and the southern rounds will hopefully be the final tick of approval in the testing phase prior to release.

When it comes to this stop-start jerkbait fishing, I favour a braid and leader setup over straight through fluorocarbon. I love to fish jerkbaits slowly, especially the smaller 60 and 48 Double Clutches, using very small and delicate rod movements.

A braid and leader setup is far more effective for this technique than straight through fluorocarbon.

When it comes time to rig up, increase the length of your leader to build some shock absorption into your setup. This method was shown to me by good friends and ABT stalwarts Cameron Whittam and Warren Carter. This ‘hybrid feel and presentation’ as Cam calls it is the perfect mix of the sensitivity needed to fish a delicate jerkbait and

The 44mm Daiwa Spike - in both the medium and extra deep configurations - will fill some gaps in the Daiwa hardbait range. the stretch provided to keep hooks pinned into that kicker fish. How long you might ask? Whittam and Carter both use a very long leader of 5-7m, which means your knots need to be on-point.

A well tied FG knot is undoubtedly the best choice, but if that is too much work for you, I’m a huge fan of an improved slim beauty knot.

The ‘improvement’ comes where you finish the knot in the same fashion as the FG with alternating half hitches over the tag end and then braided mainline to form a ‘ramp’ up to the thickest part of the knot where the figure eight is tightened down.

The purpose of this very long leader is to act as a shock absorber. Small thin wire treble hooks are great at taking hold, but delicate hook sets outside the mouth are prone to pulling as fish get close to the boat and there’s no give in the system.

This is where the long leader and a softer rod can help. A fast action rod aids with lure presentation, but too heavy and you risk pulling hooks.

I have two go-to rods for jerkbait fishing, both are part of the INFEET range. For the smaller DC 48 and 60, I love the INFEET Z 681LFS, it’s a shorter 6’8” fast action rod which isn’t overly stiff, perfect for the small hooks on the smaller Double Clutches.

The shorter length is great for a ‘tip-down’ retrieve so your rod tip isn’t constantly hitting the water.

For the larger 75 Double Clutch and for the Presso Minnow where distance is not the number one priority, I like the INFEET 6101LFS, part of the more affordable range of INFEET rods, it’s a great option to have in the quiver. If I find myself searching for more distance on the flats, I’ll reach for a longer rod. Recently, I’ve been testing several prototypes and there’s one I’m fishing right now which will debut later this year in the INFEET range which is the perfect match for when distance with a jerkbait is important.

DEEP SHAD SHAPE CRANKBAIT Forever a staple in the kits of BREAMers, the

popularity of the deeper diving shad shape crank has now escalated over the past five years. They are super versatile, lending themselves well to tournament situations where you need to chop and change quickly, especially early on while identifying the dominant pattern.

These characteristics make them my go-to confidence bait the first time I hit the water in search of fish on a new system.

Shads ride the line perfectly between the slimmer jerkbaits mentioned above and fatter crankbaits that we will cover later. The shads’ hybrid profile makes for a versatile offering which invariably elevates them to my number one choice when rigging up at almost any estuary in the country.

If this was written a few years ago, there would have been a couple other lures I would mention. But these days, when I unlatch my tray full of shad shape cranks there’s one lure which reigns supreme, the INFEET Spike.

One of the first projects I began when I started

Tom prefers a braid/long leader hybrid for throwing jerkbaits for bream.

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abt.org.au working for Daiwa was developing a smaller version of the Spike 53. The Spike 53 lure has been around forever, and has proven to be a big fish magnet down south, just as I found out on the pre-fish day of the Gippsland Lakes BREAM Qualifier this year. I love the larger 53mm version, but I always felt a smaller option would be great.

The development of the smaller INFEET Spike 44 has made most of my old lures obsolete, moved to the backup boxes and stored in the garage. These days, my shad box has room only for Spikes both big and small, and one sneaky new sample

able to crankbait some key fish which lead to a top five finish.

When fishing these baits, you can adapt your technique to alter the way that they fish. For example, you can fish them like you would a Double Clutch, you’ll find the ‘darting’ action won’t be quite as sharp or responsive due to the more rounded bib shape, but they can be deadly nonetheless. They can also just be slow rolled and fished like a crankbait on straight through fluorocarbon.

One method, which I affectionately call ‘dredging’ was popularised at the Gippsland Lakes ABT Grand Final in 2014. Stephen Parker

Yellowfin are especially fond of the more natural colours.

Ask seven anglers their favourite colour and you’ll get 7 different answers. which you might even see officially launched at one of these events in the next few months.

The smaller Spike has become a real confidence bait for me. Especially after the 2021 Gippsland Lakes BREAM Qualifier, catching 5.71kg on one of the first samples of the Spike 44 MR. When we made the INFEET Spike 44, I wanted to make two depths. If I could find any fault with the original INFEET Spike 53, it’s that there’s not an extra deep running model. When developing the INFEET Spike 44, we opted to create a MR (medium running) model which dives to 6ft, and an EXDR (extra deep running) version which can reach depths of up to 12ft under the right conditions.

That extra depth can prove crucial – the last time we fished Mallacoota the fish were hanging off the back of Goodwin Sands, a deeper flat of 10-14ft and I was

deployed this Victorian method en route to an emphatic victory. He found a school of fish at the mouth of the Tambo River that responded incredibly well to a deep diver being smashed into the silty bottom, which stirred up silt and mud. He converted fish that most could see swimming around but not catch, into fish in the livewell and a Grand Final title.

I fished only 100m away from Steve in that tournament, it was my first trip to Gippsland Lakes and I could only watch as he dished out a black bream lesson. In retrospect, I had one fatal flaw in my setup which was the difference between Steve and the rest of us. He was fishing his lure on a braid and leader setup, while I was using the far stretchier straight through fluorocarbon. The stretch of the fluorocarbon line prevented my lure from digging up silt when it hit the

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bottom, the line would simply stretch, and my lure wouldn’t cause enough disturbance to attract the attention of the fish. Steve’s use of braided line however, meant that his lures were creating large plumes of silt as they ripped through the bottom, the key to his victory.

This is where it pays to have a few setups with you, ready to make some adjustments. There is no doubt a braid leader setup was the right choice during

Tournament Angler Guide be prepared for anything.

I could go on forever about these lures as I simply love fishing them, but if you take the hints from the slim jerkbait section and the fat crankbait section, you can apply those same techniques to the shad shape cranks and be very effective.

FAT-BODIED CRANKBAIT Anyone who’s competed at an ABT event will know – fat bodied crankbaits flat-out catch fish. A staple in boxes of yellowfin specialists, a

Remember that deep, shallow and fat crankbaits have their place down south. that tournament. But in other trips down to Gippsland since then, slow rolling crankbaits on straight through fluorocarbon at the mouth of the Mitchell River has been a successful technique. You never quite know what the conditions will call for and thus need to

crankbait is a deadly tool for covering water. A simple steady retrieve is all you need to find fish, whether it’s a shallow cockle weed flat in St Georges Basin or the rock walls of the Clarence River. When taking your fat profile lures down to black bream country, there’s a few

tricks I’ve learnt over the years which are worthy of keeping in mind.

Now to be fair, if I had to rank these three styles of lures in order of when they’d get tied on my rods down south, the fat-bodied crank would be third on the list. But that’s not to say they can’t be effective and at times downright excellent at catching fish in the southern states.

The tour is returning to Mallacoota next year where a fat crankbait will be the go-to for anglers targeting black bream mooching on the edges. They are also very effective on shallow sand flats like Goodwin Sands.

Across the Bass Strait, when I last fished the ‘Tassie Tour’ back in 2009, I saw fat-bodied crankbaits catch plenty of fish in the hands of Tristan Taylor.

Black bream love a lure that hangs in their face but there are relatively few fat-bodied crankbaits which will suspend perfectly straight out of the packet.

Since most companies make these lures to fish over lots of rubble and rock, the ability of the lure to float up and out of snags is key to their success.

When it comes time to deploy the crankbaits down south, make sure to pack some kind of sticky weight or

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lead tape to weight your lures to suspend. That way you can turn your favourite floating crankbait for yellowfin, into a deadly suspending option without the need to buy more lures. I personally use lead tape to alter my lures, it’s available from most golf or tennis shops and comes in rolls which are much more economical than the adhesive dots. A 1m roll of lead tape is all you’ll need for at least a few years’ worth of crankbait modifications and a sharp pair of braid scissors cuts it clean and makes for a neat installation.

Once you’ve made your cranks suspend, it’s time to put them to work. I’ve seen the slow roll work in Tassie, but for me the ‘draw and pause’ has been far more successful. I like to think of this technique as a more subtle jerkbait retrieve, if you’ve tried the Double Clutch or the Presso to no effect, the draw and pause of a small crankbait can be deadly. I like to use small crankbaits in this scenario – I’ll often reach for this in a tough bite. A small lure fished slow and suspended in the face of the fish has proven to be the best method of turning a tough day around.

The technique is straight forward, rather than a constant turn of your reel handle, a smooth, slow draw of the rod tip is used to move the lure 1-3ft across the bottom before pausing to take up the slack. Winding up the slack line and re-positioning the rod tip for another go. The length of the pause will be dictated by the mood of the fish, sometimes it can be as short as the time it takes to wind up the slack, but at times a long pause approaching 10 seconds has been best. Therefore weighting your crankbaits to suspend is very important.

If they float, the long pause will force the lure float out of the strike zone and lead to missed opportunities.

For lure selection, the INFEET Rollin’ Crank is my go-to. A relatively diminutive option at only 32mm it’s the perfect bite sized snack for a hungry St Helens bream, which will crawl and dig across the shallows if you’re in less than 5ft of water.

If you need to fish above weed, you’ll need to find a shallower option. There’s also the DR version if you need to get down deep, which has an excellent ability to crawl over even very shallow rocky cover thanks to the bib shape.

Whether you’re slow rolling or employing the draw and pause, my rod and line selection does not change. A long slow tapered crankbait specific rod and straight through fluorocarbon is a necessity.

My preference depends on the structure I’m fishing –

abt.org.au if it’s open and I’m using very light 3lb straight through, I’ll lean to the INFEET Z 742ULRS a 7’4” ultra-light rod, which is my absolute favourite crank rod. If I find myself in nasty structure, I’ll up the line size to 4 or even 5lb fluorocarbon and change the rod to the INFEET EX 722LRS which is another slow tapered rod but this time one step more powerful (Light vs Ultra Light).

When it comes to reel selection, I like to avoid reels with an H or XH gear ratio, as often the slower you go the better when it comes to cranking.

COLOUR SELECTION Now that we’ve covered the types of lures, it’s time to talk colours. I’m a firm believer that you’re better off having any lure in the water regardless of colour, as opposed to constantly chopping and changing hoping to find that magic colour to make the fish bite.

In general, you can sort colours into a few categories which I keep ready to go and alter depending on the lure type.

When it comes to jerkbaits, shiny and reflective colours have a history of success especially in Tasmania. I reach for colours that employ some kind of foil finish, whether

in 2021. Suji Berry, one of our new colours is a dark translucent shrimp pattern with hints of red and green.

For a baitfish pattern, I love the old school Wakasagi, I find it the perfect blend of reflection and subtlety that works incredibly well on black bream.

My crankbait colour selection is straight forward – translucent patterns suitable for shallow clear water are stand outs. Colours like Moebi and Blue Suji Prawn are stand outs. Plenty of anglers rely on solid colours like Matte Black but given it’s not a colour I’ve had huge success on, I tend to stick to more natural translucent options.

Again, whatever colours you prefer, it is more important to simply have a lure in the water. My advice would be to have a few options and gain confidence in each one, learn when to use bright versus dark colours or translucent versus reflective – once you’ve identified your chosen baits stick with them.

The 2022 DAIWA BREAM Series will no doubt start with a bang! Four tournaments in the space of two months in the big bream capitals of East Gippsland and Tasmania will be a terrific start to the season.

The Daiwa Infeet Rollin’ Crank came of age in 2021. it’s a full foil like Lazer Ayu, or a more subtle flash option ‘half-mirror’ foil which I have become a huge fan of in the last few years. You’ll find these lures labelled as ‘Sheer’ finish in the Daiwa range. These foils appear solid when viewed directly side on, but when viewed at an angle or with a light source behind, appear slightly transparent.

For the shad shape crankbaits, I like to keep it a little more subtle, opting for more transparent shrimp or baitfish patterns. Your typical colours like Brown Suji are hard to go past but I’m a huge fan of a colour that served me well in Gippsland

Big bags and big bream will be on the cards for anglers who sign up to the back-toback double headers.

I’ll be spending January preparing the gear, getting my boat ready and rods rigged to take advantage of some of the best hard-body fishing the country has to offer. If that sounds like it will be up your alley, then you still have time to sign up.

You can enter as a non-boater and I guarantee you’ll learn a thing or two. You may also get paired up with me, and at least if we don’t catch many fish, you might get a sneak peek at some upcoming Daiwa prototypes!

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Member Tackle Stores Support stores that support Tournament Fishing in Australia.

When ABT visits an area, there’s usually a friendly local tackle store that makes life easy for us. Sometimes it’s local contacts, sometimes it’s a briefing venue and sometimes they jusy have everything that the anglers need when you’re on the water.

After all - nobody knows the local baits as well as the locals.

There is a network of ABT-friendly tackle stores across a lot of ABT venues. The shops listed below support

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the sport that you love and are happy to help ABT anglers get on (or back on) the water.

Make sure you drop in and say g’day to these stores when you’re in the area. They think tournament fishing is as awesome as you do.

These guys are the Tablelends’ only Humminbird/ Minn Kota pro store and stock a full range of boating accessories if you’re fishing Tinaroo Dam.

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LJs Compleat Angler 613 Bryan Jordan Dr Gladstone Marina QLD 4680 P: (07) 4972 7283

Don’t be fooled that LJ is located at the home of reef trip departures, it’s full of Awoonga barra gear and the advice to go with it.

Bass to Barra Fishing 10/119 Youngman St Kingaroy QLD 4610 P: (07) 4162 7555

This is where the “little shop in the middle of nowhere” actually is. Australia’s biggest Garmin dealer and pretty handy setting you up for the local impoundments for bass or barra.

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The Tackle Warehouse 436 Old Cleveland Road Camp Hill QLD 4152 P: (07) 3398 6500

Brisbane’s best stocked tackle store with knowledgable staff - including BARRA champ, Adam Meredith.

Sporty’s Fishing 32 Strathaird Rd Bundall QLD 4217 P: (07) 5531 6511

Tony and the team specialise in local gear for bream and bass, but have all local options covered with tackle and advice.

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Ballina Bait and Tackle Shop 19, Ballina West Shopping Centre River St; Ballina NSW 2478 P: (02) 6686 2527

You’ll find it hard to find a better selection of upmarket bream and bass gear. It’s like Brett’s secret treasure trove of hard-to-find stuff.

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Casino Outdoors and Disposals 171 Centre St Casino NSW 2470 P: (02) 6662 4848

Joey Urquhart is the man to see about all local bass fishing options - places and baits. Handy selection of saltwater gear and camping as well.

Manning River Marine 13 Victoria St Taree NSW 2430 P: (02) 6552 2333

The Hicksons have you covered for Mercury motor repowers and servicing, as well as Savage boats and a tackle assortment curated by the best in the business.

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Aberdeen Fishing & Outdoors 69 New England Hwy Aberdeen NSW 2336 P: 02 6543 7111

Everything you need to fish Glenbawn and St Clair. Nick’s got the shop stocked with all of the favourites and lot of left of centre stuff.

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Tolga Traders 10 Albrecht St Atherton QLD 4883 P: (07) 4095 4296

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Are barra on skirted jigs a viable option?

ABT

Jason Crofts

With the modern Tournament angler always on the look out for the next best thing, I’m starting to believe we often overlook proven methods or fail to spend the time to refine existing techniques. While jig fishing is about as far from new as one can get.

The use of football, swim jigs and the like is an under-utilised technique on barramundi.

About 13 years ago I had a short-lived play with jigs while sight casting for barramundi on the weed flats at Peter Faust Dam. I quickly learnt that the jigs available in those days where certainly not up to the task of handling metre-plus fish. Over the best part of two years, I was hooked on sight fishing the Faust weed flats. Over this time one thing became very clear, at certain times of the year, barra become fixated on eating crustaceans. To the point where large fish would happily allow small schools of bony bream, spangled perch and banded grunter swim around with them.

As the barra swam through the weed beds the perch would nail any small shrimp or baitfish that left the cover of the weeds. The barra would show no interest in the fish shadowing their 16

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every move - only coming to life when a large shrimp or more importantly a red claw would flee its cover, causing the barra to explode off and take chase.

Picking up on this rather quickly, I sourced any shrimp/crayfish profiled lures I could get my hands on. While catching fish on many of these lures, I quickly learned that not all were up to the task of handling big fish in shallow, tight country.

Fast forward 10 years and pitching skirted jigs for bass had fast become one of my favourite ways to target them.

During a jig session at Cania dam the bells rang why am I not fishing these for barra?

After a quick web search, I again found that there was not much available locally in the way of barramundicalibre jigs on the market.

Not long after a few social media posts started popping up where guys were getting special orders of jig made up through Bassman Spinnerbaits and the others from an American company.

Asking around my circle of mates I found out a couple of the boys were also making their own jigs - mostly for use in the salt. These jigs where pretty bloody good and about as tough as you could get at the time. Getting my hands on a few these home-made jigs as well as

sourcing a couple from the US, it was time to put them to the test.

After a couple of hours casting to tailing fish without success, I changed my game plan focusing on large laydowns in 2-3 metres of water. It didn’t take long, nailing a 108cm fish in the first 100 metres of bank.

The take, like most jig bites, was subtle but the strike was hard. Going hard

on the fish to keep it clear of the large laydown it came from, the fight was over quickly. The jig had held up and I had my first jig caught barra and a proper rig at that.

I boiled and missed a couple more fish on the jigs that day and was really happy with the results.

While still a very long way from being a barra jig expert, there are a few important points I have

picked up over the past couple of years. Firstly, jigs do not make the greatest search tools due to the slow nature in which they are fished. I wasted a lot of fishing time just pitching them around in the wrong scenarios in the hope of getting a bite. Like many other Barra techniques jigs have a time and place, thus must be considered as another “string in your bow”, so to speak.

While I have caught fish at night on jigs, my best results have come during daylight hours. The finesse way in which jigs are fished is aided by the extra visibility, as I believe most strikes are often seen rather than felt. In saying that I have had some good success on dirty water banks, where the jigs are fished a little more aggressively. In the past 12 months with the

Main: Believe it or not, flats fishing for barra existed before YouTube and that’s where the author got the bug for barramundi on skirted offerings. Above: Don’t be afraid to use big jigs with strong hooks. The barramundi’s mouth can accommodate.

aid of live sonar I have been using jigs more and more to target shut down fish during nonproductive bite times.

Due to the very nature of which jigs are designed to be fished. It made perfect sense to target these shut down fish often holding tight in heavy structure. When you can see the fish on your sounder, laying hard up in the back of a log jam. A slow dragged jig can be too much resist and will often get the bite when fished in front of their noses, where a different lure fished a metre or two away is often ignored.

One of my favourite areas to target barra with jigs is along rocky banks and outcrops, with broken weed beds dropping away into 3-4 metres of water. Rather than randomly casting along the bank I prefer to concentrate my casts around pockets in the weed edges or around rocky clusters, timber, jetties or other structure barra tend to hold up or stage on.

With the use of a good sounder or live sonar, you can target barra holding hard to the bottom. Once located these fish can be accurately cast to. I’ve found casting in front and just past them, allowing the fish to intercept the jig works best in this scenario.

I used this technique with good success at the 2021 ABT Faust all nighter.

Early in the afternoon we located fish sitting hard on the bottom a few metres off a broken weed bed along a rocky bank. These fish showed no interest in vibes or slow rolled plastics.

I grabbed my jig rod and

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You will soon work out whether you are targeting structure dwelling edge fish or barra sitting a little wider on the flats. made a short pitch to a small rocky outcrop sitting just in front of the weed bed. It did not take long, second cast and I had a 99cm Barra on the brag mat.

10 minutes later I had it handed to me as I was smoked through the weeds and around a submerged stump. In the next half hour, I missed 2 more good fish before they moved off the flat for deeper water.

Next morning with 30 minutes to go we decided to fish the pontoons. Seeing a couple of good fish on the livescope hard up in there, my jig was pitched into action. With in a handful of

There’s not much more exciting in fishing than turning a timid tick on the line into a metre of rampaging barramundi.

Although you can catch barramundi on skirted jigs at night, daytime allows you to more accurately target structure where a shut-down fish will hold.

casts we had a solid 103cm onto the mat. With 10 mins left I pulled the hooks on another good fish then it was time to call it.

While far from having all the kinks worked out for this style of fishing. I have leant a few things through trial and error regarding the gear and equipment you’ll need.

My current jig combo consists of an ACM Custom rod built on a 7’6” Revelation blank. Rated at 10-25lb, 3/8 to 1 1/4oz. this rod is crazy sensitive yet has the power to stop big barra in their tracks. I have matched it with a Daiwa Ryoga 1520H, 40lb Sufix 832 braid and 60lb fluorocarbon leader.

For me this setup has the perfect balance of power and sensitivity and with the SV spool on the Ryoga it pitches/ casts jigs extremely well.

Any rods 7’-7’6”, up to 25lb in a moderate-fast action are a good starting point. Just like your bass jig combos these beefed-up rigs need to consist of rods with a soft sensitive tip to allow you to fell every movement of your jigs and the lightest of takes. Yet need plenty of backbone to help in hook setting, then slug it out in close quarter battles.

Most modern baitcaster reels are more than up to the task of handling this style of fishing. Although a 6.3:1 or higher ratios and a solid drag go a long way in recovering line and the white-knuckle battles that follows while putting the brakes on angry fish. Unlike my bass jig combos, I do prefer to run 30-40lb braid rather them straight through fluorocarbon. Solely due to the shear size of the fish you’re targeting. I have found that once you go over 40lb you do start to lose sensitivity, critical to knowing what your

jig is doing.

As barra jigs are still few and far between, look for the strongest with a 5/0-7/0 hook that you can get your hands on. Weights ranging from 3/8 to 1oz will pretty much cover any scenario you will find yourself fishing. As for trailers there are literally 1000’s of crayfish/creature baits on the market. I tend to

go for more natural colours in the 4-5” size range. Match them with natural-coloured skirts and you’re ready to go.

With barra jig fishing still in its early stages, I am excited to see what the future hold for this style of fishing. Jig fishing for bass is an extremely effective, addictive technique and often catches better fish. The

same can be said for barra on jigs often producing better fish in shut down conditions.

The more time I put in to refining this style the more I see its potential for tournament barramundi fishing. As gear and jigs evolve, I do believe we will be seeing more jigs on the decks of barra anglers boats and the fish that they catch.

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A highlight of events run on the ABT Tournament Series app is seeing how creative anglers can get when sending through their glory photos - especially when awesome prizes are on offer as incentive.

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Tackle box must haves for 2022

We have a saying at ABT. It’s two words ... “sponsor karma”. It describes the disproportionately large number of times an event sponsor’s angler or product leads or wins an ABT event.

It happend all the time.

If you want to partake in some Sponsor Karma yourself, simply buy ABT sponsor products! They represent the top shelf of BREAM, BASS and BARRA gear.

Maui Jim - Byron Bay MSRP $299.00 Lowrance Ghost Trolling Motor from MSRP $5219 13 Fishing Z2 SLD MSRP $459.00

Here’s a selection.

VMC 7548 BD Bladed Treble #2 MSRP $14.95

bass

Garmin GPSMAP 8412xsv MSRP $4999

Pro Lure 80mm Live Cray Soft Bait MSRP $10.95/pk7

Rapala DT20 MSRP $25.95

BKK Striker + Assist from MSRP $9.99

Zman 2.5” Slim Swimz MSRP $12.95/pk with TT Demonz Jighead MSRP $11.95/pk

Maui Jim - Local Kine MSRP $319.00

Versus Meiho Bucket Mouth

Palms Slow Blatt Cast 20-40g from MSRP $12.95 Ecogear ZX40/43 416 - Dark Knight MSRP $20.99

Humminbird Transducer Mega 360 Imaging T/S Ultrex 22

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Sunline X Plasma Asegai PEx8 MSRP $49.00

Bait Junkie 2.5” Minnow MSRP $11.99/pk

Shadow Rap Jack Deep 07 MSRP $26.95

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Maui Jim - World Cup MSRP $299.00 BKK Viper-41 Trebles from MSRP $14.99 XBraid Full Drag

Rapala Hooded Jersey MSRP $89.95 Double Clutch 115 - Barramundi Tune from MSRP $29.99

Zerek Flat Shad X MSRP from $15.99

Combat V2 200 MSRP $300.00

Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging

Keitech Swing Imact Fat MSRP $17.99

Westin Ricky the Roach 14cm RNR pre-rigged - Spangled Perch MSRP $17.99

Garmin Panoptix Livescope System from MSRP $1999

Mustad MT 117 MSRP $49.95 Samaki Redic DS100 - Whitebait MSRP $26.95

Molix Shad 140 MSRP $15.95

Rapala X-Rap Peto XRPT14 Live Roach (ROL) MSRP $32.95

Zerek Fish Trap from MSRP $17.95 Maui Jim - Southern Cross MSRP $319.00

Zman 5” Herculez MSRP $11.95

Sufix 832 150yd 30lb Coastal Camo MSRP $39.95

Zerek Live Mullet MSRP $22.95

Lowrance Active Target Live Sonar System from MSRP $2299 abt

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Liquid Mayhem Shrimp Scent MSRP $19.95

Mastervolt DC-DC Converter Mac Plus

Infeet Spike 44MR/44EXDR MSRP $22.99

Pro Lure Clone Prawn 62mm/92mm - Green Tiger MSRP $11.95/pk6

Ecogear Bream Prawn AU-03 - Salty n Pepper MSRP $14.99

Zman 2.5” Grubz MSRP $12.95/pk with TT HWS Jighead MSRP $11.95/pk

Garmin Force Trolling Motor MSRP 50” $4999 / 57” $5099

XBraid Shangrilla Buck’n Bass Rain Suit MSRP $1454

Atomic Metalz from MSRP $17.95

Keitech Mad Wag Mini 3.5” MSRP $12.99

Maui Jim - Peahi MSRP $299.00

BaitJunkie 2.5” Grub MSRP $11.95 Pro-Cure Super Gel Scent (MSRP $24.95) & Pure UV Liquid (MSRP $32.95)

Rapala Shadow Rap Fat Jack MSRP $26.95

Pro Lure S36 Crank MSRP $16.96

Lowrance Elite Fishing System from MSRP $1699

BKK Spear-21 SS Trebles MSRP $10.99

Shadow Rap Solid Shad MSRP $26.95 24

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Sufix Invisiline Leader from MSRP $16.95

Maui Jim - Kanio Coast MSRP $349.00

Atomic Hardz Crank 38 MSRP $21.95

Pro Lure ST72 Minnow Wakasagi MSRP $19.95

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Tournament Angler Guide

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Tournament Angler Guide

Deep cranking bass is where it’s at RAPLAL VMC AUS.

Mitch Petty

Some were surprised when the first day of the Rapala BASS Queensland Open was led by a big bag of Somerset fish on deep crankbaits. Some weren’t.

They’re becoming a musthave piece of kit in any tournament bassers box.

When it comes to crankbaits particularly deep crank baits, there are several variables that need to be considered when starting out, reaching new depths with a different technique specific bait is often key to success.

To target deep water bass, anglers typically would use a sinking lure like lipless vibes, blades, soft plastics or spoons. However crankbaiting has gained a lot of momentum over the past few years in both tournaments and recreational fishing particularly for Australian bass and yellowbelly. This style of fishing has been seriously effective for not only catching fish in very tough conditions but also accounting for better quality bass as well.

Crankbaits are one of the oldest styles of lures and have been traditionally made from carving timber. These timber lures are still one of the most successful cranks in the bass scene particularly in the United States and 26

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consistently win countless tournaments for anglers.

Balsa wood is one of the most popular timbers used due to many of its properties leading to specific traits in the crankbait itself. Balsa is a very light and soft wood that displays an unusually high degree of buoyancy that allows for an effective tight wobbling action. This tight wobbling makes it a great choice especially in cold water to trigger those lethargic fish to strike.

A particular brand that has specialised in balsa baits for more than 80 years and is respected as one of the best baits out there is Rapala.

One of the most popular and effective balsa deep crankbait that Rapala makes that has suited the Aussie Bass market extremely well is the Rapala DT (Dives To) series.

The DT crankbaits come in a range of different models that dive to a particular depth dictated by their model number. A DT20 will dive to 20ft where as a DT16 will dive to 16ft on the cast which is incredibly helpful if you need to target suspending fish or structure at a particular depth. They all, however, dive exceptionally fast, having an ultra-thin polycarbonate lip that allows them stay in the strike zone longer - meaning more time the bait stays in front of the fish.

Main: Rapala’s balsa DT series lets you know how deep they dive - it’s embedded in the name of the bait. Above: Big, tournament winning bass like this can be very receptive to the deep crankbaiting and longlining techniques.

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From page 22

Made from balsa wood combined with carefully placed internal weights and a slender tail design creates the ultimate swimming action.

The slight internal rattle is tuned perfectly for maximum sound performance that bass have no trouble honing in on.

All DT’s come with premium VMC black nickel hooks that are extra sharp, which is vital when fishing crankbaits.

When it comes to using crankbaits, tackle is undoubtably one of the most important factors that needs to be considered.

Firstly, not all rods on the market are suitable for throwing and retrieving deep crankbaits effectively.

A deep cranking rod should have relatively slow action but still have adequate power as there is plenty of resistance when retrieving

big, bibbed crank. You want a rod that has somewhat of a slower action will help cast baits further helping cover more water and absorbs any sudden erratic movements during the fight.

Traditionally crankbait rods were made using fibreglass blanks, however the advances in different carbon and resin mixtures have allowed companies to create lighter blanks with the same properties as the glass blanks.

The benefit of using a medium action rod is that it gives bass more capacity to inhale the bait reducing the chance of premature hookset.

When fishing out in open water there is no obstructions anywhere close by making it perfect for using a long rod.

Typically, a rod of at least 7 foot but close to 8 foot length with a rating of 10-20lb

When things go right, double hookups are commonplace.

seems to be most beneficial to obtain maximum distance when casting.

Reels are little less critical for effective cranking however a lower gear ratio is usually preferred like a 5:6 or 6.8 will perform exceptionally. Baitcasters are usually preferred but if spin is all you have or you feel more confident with it, it will work. Make sure any reel that you chose has ample line capacity at least 100m since you will be making long casts or when longlining, a technique I will explain later.

Finally, what attaches the bait to the reel is of course the line. There are two options that are typically used when cranking, braid to leader and straight through fluorocarbon. Both have got pros and cons either way but for first timers I would suggest braid to fluorocarbon leader. Braid is a lot more sensitive than straight through meaning that you can feel the lure swimming and deflecting off structure.

Also, braid is lot smaller in diameter than fluorocarbon and this is beneficial for two main reasons.

Firstly, you can fit more braid on the spool than fluorocarbon of the same weight. Secondly, it passes through the water with less resistance allowing the lure to reach its diving depth quicker. One downside to braid is the lack of stretch and this can be one cause of hooks pulling or short strikes from bass. When running braid to leader I recommend 8lb Sufix 832 braid with 12lb Sufix Fluorocarbon Invisiline leader.

Straight through fluorocarbon also has pros, it does sink which can help obtain maximum diving depth from your lure particularly during long lining when you let the line settle. It also becomes a

Lots of bass tournament anglers now have a great selection of deep diving crankbaits in their box. If you don’t you may be missing out. shock absorber having more stretch than braid. This can help when fighting fish to soften the load of headshakes or sudden burst runs that big bass are renowned for.

In some circumstances bass can be very line shy and spook from seeing braid go past. Having line that is nearly invisible can make the difference between an average day to an awesome day.

One downside is the drag through the water when retrieving the lure. To try get around this issue it is best to go as light as possible. This normally means a thinner diameter line to cut through the water with ease. My personal preference I prefer to run is 10lb Sufix Advance Fluro straight through which is 100% fluorocarbon and virtually invisible.

So now that equipment has been taken care of, we now need to focus our attention on how to deep crank and where it shines the most. Firstly, we need to find the schools in order to

If there’s any wind, I like to cast with it. On calm days, use your long rod to get as much distance as possible.

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then start fishing for them.

Great places to start scanning around with your electronics and mapping units are main river channels, long tapered points, deep water ledges or open flats.

All our freshwater impoundments that run down the east coast of Australia will have at least a few of the following features previously mentioned.

In selected dams bass tend to be near the main river channel running through a lake as they use it to move up and down the dam. Different times of the year bass will set up in different sections of the river channel using it like a highway to go from one spot to another.

You will find that some schools will roam around on open flats away from the river certain times of the year. But eventually they will retreat to the river to do their migration up or down depending on the season.

Once a good concentration of fish has been located then it’s a matter of how to approach them. I like to fish up wind of schools because it is very helpful when casting with the wind if there is any.

Position your boat with the fish location in mind to increase the number of bass you will cross paths with. While talking about angles don’t be afraid to try different angles on the same patch of fish. Sometimes they will strike a lure when it’s travelling in a certain direction. So, moving the boat around and casting at them at different angles can be what triggers those tightlipped bass to fire up.

With crankbaits, fishing structure and banging along the bottom is essential as the deflection from the bait hitting a rock, stump, or any other structure is where many bites occur. Whether it is a big loud crankbait with lots of rattles or a subtle timber bait that sneaks up on fish, deep cranking is one

of the best ways to locate schools of active fish.

One technique that has had some serious success over the years when targeting Australian bass on deep crankbaits has been long lining. Long lining is when an angler locates a school of bass on the sonar unit, turns around and makes a cast. Then drives back over the top of bass with the reel disengaged. Once you have either reached the end of the bass school or run out of line you can stop the boat and begin retrieving the crankbait.

This technique allows the angler to work the crankbait through the entire school or cover maximum ground.

This is by far one of the most productive ways to use deep crankbaits particularly when it gets tough.

The benefit of long lining is that more line out means more time in the strike zone and in fact will go deeper than on the cast. For instance, long lining the Rapala DT 20 will obtain depths of over 26 feet with 10lb straight through fluorocarbon.

With bass they seem to want to follow the boat when you sit on top of them or close to them and then sulk under the vessel most of the time. The beauty of long lining is that it prevents that from happening and can keep bass actively feeding once they are in the mood to eat.

As soon as you start catching deep water bass on crankbaits you will get an understanding on how fun and effective these lures can be. One downside to deep cranking is that it can become very addictive and will result in you buying copious amounts of different styles, colours, and depths.

Crankbaits can catch fish just about all year. So next time you are out fishing for natives in the impoundments - or you’re trying to win a tournament make sure to have some deep crankbaits in your tackle box.

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Flat Shad X - Designed to be modified WILSON FISHING

Stephen Booth

That’s a pretty big heading saying a lure is designed to be modified, but having lived through the almost three years of development of the Flat Shad X, I have no problems letting every angler know that this lure is deliberately made to be modified.

Many ask why Zerek would make a lure that requires work after sale and the answer is as simple as talking to any barra angler – something the designers did a lot over the three years of development. Without exception, they all wanted something slightly different in their barra plastic.

Some wanted heavier for plundering deep fish, some wanted lighter for shallow water work, some wanted the running depth to mimic other brand lures. Some anglers wanted weedless for fishing in the weed and timber, some wanted hook points everywhere to give the maximum chance of a hook up and yet others simply wanted a single jighead hook point. Some wanted a small lure, some wanted a one size fits all lure and yet others wanted a lure big enough to 30

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only tempt big fish.

All of these requests are impossible to meet in the one lure, so the designers made 6 barra-sized lures that could be highly modified by the end user yet retain a brilliant action at low speed, moderate speed and even at fast speeds!

The Flat Shad X will be available in three barra sized jighead rigged versions (130mm, 145mm and 170mm) and three weedless rigged versions (130mm, 145mm and 170mm). That gives anglers 6 options out of the packet, but let’s look at the individual models and their specific features and talk about how anglers have been modifying these lures.

FLAT SHAD X JIGHEAD RIGGED 170 The 170 Jighead Rigged Flat Shad X is the big boy of the pack. It’s the heaviest out of the packet at 74g and comes pre-rigged with a bottom stinger treble. There is also an extra stinger eyelet just behind the tow point for the addition of another treble if that’s what the angler wants.

Most anglers are fishing the 170 straight out of the pack with a tiny dot of super glue behind each eye to secure everything for fishing. Straight out of the

packet, the 170 will retrieve at around the 4.5m mark on a slow roll, a depth that gets right in the face of those barra sitting off the weeds on deeper snags or features.

It also makes this lure an option for trolling, with the 12-15 foot depth being a popular trolling depth.

At Teemburra fishing the weed edges, anglers fished this lure with a lighter

jighead that was either rigged internally or rigged out the front. Interestingly, just like the original Flat Shad, the 170 when rigged with a jighead out the front had an increased body roll!

Anglers fished weights from 21g up to 56g to give the 170 a slower fall and a shallower running depth and it was fantastic to see anglers changing it up to suit their

needs – exactly as we hoped they would.

FLAT SHAD X JIGHEAD RIGGED 145 The 145 is the workhorse of the Jighead rigged versions. Like the 170 it too comes with a bottom rigged stinger and an extra stinger eyelet on top of the lure.

At 52g, most anglers have been fishing this lure straight out of the packet

with a dot of glue behind the eyes. The 52g head weight supplied allows this lure to run at about 10-12 feet on a simple cast and retrieve, a depth that many anglers are happy fishing.

However, when the boys were fishing Faust, the barra were in very skinny water so they changed out the 52g head weight and rigged

Main: Stephen Booth covered the tour and watched various anglers modify the lure to catch fish. Above: There’s a way to rig the Flat Shad X that suits the fishing style you prefer in the place you want to throw it.

To page 32

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1&2. Start with the baits from the tackle store, some rings, trebles and split ring pliers. 3. Add the belly ring and glue the plastic into place on the jighead. 4. Add the stinger treble. 5. Send them into the depths to get attacked by a barramundi.

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Tournament Angler Guide From page 30

up a 28g internal jighead.

They spent time rigging up a stinger set up to the jighead with the stinger on the bottom. The lure was cast and retrieved at pace in water as shallow as 1m and the barra were all over it!

It was at Kinchant though where the 145 really shone. Team Wilson (Kord and Jezza) won the Kinchant round fishing unmodified 145 Flat Shad X Jighead rigged lures. Their method was to cast the lure out and simply wind it in at a consistent slow roll. The barra couldn’t help themselves following the lure before belting it as it started an upward trajectory towards the boat.

Our other team, Team Venom (Dicko and Adam) fished the same lure, unmodified in a completely different way. Team Venom cast the Flat Shad X out, ripped it over the top of the weed (there was about 2-4 feet of clear water above the weed) and when the lure hit the weed edge, they would free fall it to the bottom. It was during this free fall that the barra sitting in the weed columns would burst out and nail the lure on the drop.

It was great to see the same lure, set up exactly the same working in two completely different retrieves showing just how versatile these lures are in the field without any modification.

God only knows how many more places these lures will go with angler modifications.

FLAT SHAD X JIGHEAD RIGGED 130 The 130 is the smallest of the barra sized lures and weighs in an easy to cast 28g (1oz) making it perfect for casting on almost any tackle, but, unlike its bigger brothers, does not have a ready-rigged treble on the jighead stinger attachment.

For me this is great as it means you can fish this lure through timber more easily, you can fish it through weed beds easier or you can fit a treble of your liking for a bit of extra hooking ability.

I chose to fish it with a treble attached underneath as I was fishing in Kinchant near weed beds but not through the weed beds. I was fishing with Rob Payne and we were targeting the gaps between weed towers, so the extra hook points were important to us.

The method I used was to cast out in 10-18 feet of water, let the lure sink to the bottom and then slow roll the lure for 10-15 winds. I’d then let the lure sink again and repeat the process for the entire retrieve. This retrieve kept the lure within a metre or so of the bottom and with a slow retrieve speed the tail pulsed beautifully.

In two hours of mayhem we landed 8 barra between 73cm and 98cm and I was

totally sold on how good the Flat Shad X 130 was for chasing barra.

FLAT SHAD X WEEDLESS RIGGED At the time of writing the only weedless version of the Flat Shad X in hand is the 130mm, however all the weedless Flat Shad X lures come rigged with a weighted and weedless worm hook only. The worm hook has a stinger attachment secured in the lead weight that anglers can attach a treble stinger or a flashy blade. There is also a stinger hook attachment above the eye on the top of the lure so anglers can add a stinger on top when fishing in weedy or snaggy areas, yet they still want some exposed hook points.

The weedless versions of the Flat Shad X are much lighter than their jighead

abt.org.au name would suggest), heavy weights that punched the lure deep into the weed were seen as detrimental so the lighter weights were used.

Like all the other Flat Shad X lures, the weedless version can have the worm hook changed out for a heavier or lighter version

weedless version has an almost unlimited ability to be modified by the angler to meet their needs.

With the recent rains, most of our barra impoundments have had a sharp rise and there is a magical 2-4 foot layer of water over the top of the

There’s no doubt that the barramundi like eating an ‘X.

FLAT SHAD X RIGGING TIPS • • • • •

Regardless of the rigging set up, a drop or two of glue behind the eyes or on the jighead collar will provide a secure hook/jighead placement Rigging a jighead internally leads to a beautiful tail action and slight body roll Rigging an exposed jighead will increase body roll All similar length bodies are transferable to supplied jigheads or worm hooks These lures are made to be modified, so set them up for your fishing needs.

rigged counterparts with the 130 weighing 24g, the 145 weighing 30g and the 170 coming in at 44g. As these lures were designed to be fished through weed (as the

depending on the terrain you are fishing. The body of the weedless lure can also be rigged on any jighead you like as well, so like all the other Flat Shad X lures, the

Top: Kord Luckus used the X as an essential tool in his BARRA Tour kit. Middle: Troy Dixon loves seing the benefits of his years of research.

Bottom: The Flat Shad X is destined to become a tournamen and social angler favourite.

weed beds and this is exactly where the weedless version shines.

Switched on anglers are casting out the weedless lure, letting it drift to the top of the weed, ripping it up and slow rolling the lure over the weed. If the lure hits weed during the retrieve, they are ripping the rod up to rip through the weed and then recommencing the slow roll – it’s an old tactic that these new lures are exceptionally good at performing, so keep that in mind when you’re next on the barra lakes.

GO GET THOSE BARRA With 11 colours, 3 sizes and 6 different weights, along with two entirely different pre-rigged options, the Flat Shad X gives you an amazing array of lures to choose from straight out of the packet.

But, almost all barra anglers are crazy tinkerers with their own specific ideas on what is needed and the designers have tried to allow them to be as creative as they want to be.

They’re definitely not a one trick pony and the early success in the barra impoundments has surprised and delighted.

These lures are in shops now and will add a brilliant slow retrieve tool to your tackle kit, but this lure can also be retrieved with a fast burn if that’s what is required to get the bites.

The size variations, colours and different weights, plus the ability to alter just about everything on the lure apart from the tail, mean the Flat Shad X is going to catch a truck load of barra in the coming months and years.

Exciting times ahead.

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

4.5”

5.5”

65mm

95mm

110mm

160mm

23g

35g

10g

23g

30g

78g

22 Colours

13 Colours

90mm

130mm

145mm

170mm

8g

28g

52g

74g

31 Colours

3.5”

4.5”

5”

7”

9”

10g

17g

23g

61g

111g

28 Colours

11 Colours

For more information please visit

10 Colours

WWW.WILSONFISHING.COM

14 Colours 11 Colours

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

2021 AOY and TOY for barra, bass and bream

ABT anglers of the year – congratulations!

Many anglers regard the Angler of theYear (AOY) title as the ultimate trophy on the ABT tour. Sure, win a Grand Final and you take home a great payday, but it doesn’t reflect the consistency across the season and across all of the arenas that ABT fish.

In case you don’t know, the Angler of the Year point score is made up of a minimum number of events.

You may fish more events than this, but your worst events are dropped. This means that you can win an

AOY trophy by fishing the minimum number of events, but you can upgrade your worst event by fishing more than that.

And that’s exactly whet anglers chasing this trophy often do.

Whether you are fishing for the BARRA Team of the Year or the BASS Electric Angler of the year, competition is fierce no matter what species you are chasing. Nobody has won an AOY title through luck.

It’s a combination of skill, perseverance, good decisions and maybe a little bit of luck

at the end of it.

You can check out 2021 Angler of the Year points tables right here.

Congratulations to the winners and to the anglers who finished consistently throughout this whole, disjointed season.

What prizes do the winners get for the AOY award? Basically nothing.

They get a take-home trophy. Some of them get a perennial trophy as well that they have to give back the following year. It’s all about the achievement and the recognition of your peers.

Matthew Langford (L) and Kelvon Hatton (R) took out the 13 Fishing BASS Pro Anglers of the Year.

Rob and Tommy Wood narrowly pipped their rivals to claim the BARRA Team of the Year trophy.

1

Jamie McKeown

2

Steve Morgan

Jamie McKeown picked up his firat AOY accolades, while Stuart Walker added a 6th trophy to his bulging mantelpiece

3

Tristan Taylor

4

5

Mark Crompton

2021 BREAM AOY NON BOATER

2021 BREAM BOATER RANK Current Rank

First Name

Surname

Points

1

Jamie

McKeown

393

2

Steve

Morgan

377

Current

First Name

Surname

Points

1

Stuart

Walker

397

2

Jake

Aiken

328

Colin

Wilson

323

3

Tristan

Taylor

361

3

4

Darren

Borg

349

4

Bernard

Kong

323

Joel

McKenzie

312

5

Mark

Crompton

344

5

6

Kris

Hickson

339

6

Gordon

Pullin

301

Chris

Curtis

271

7

Blake

O’Grady

326

7

8

Paul

Langley

320

8

Sam

Peck

259

John

Parkinson

256

9

Peter

Breukel

283

9

10

Mark

Saric

281

10

Justin

Reeves

249

Kurt

Thomson

244

11

Andrew

Moore

278

11

12

Charlie

Saykao

273

12

Glen

Sturrock

243

Neil

Kelly

242

13

Luke

Rogan

270

13

14

Scott

Wilson

270

14

Tani

Konsul

236

Simon

Martin

197

15

Alan

Lister

261

15

16

Mathew

Fatafehi

256

16

Chris

Lonne

196

Dallas

Blatchford

192

17

Tom

Slater

256

17

18

Craig

Templar

252

18

Andrew

Williams

190

19

Cameron

Hall

187

20

Steven

Dee

186

19 20 34

Darren Borg

TAG 2021 2022 abt

Travis Jason

Ryan Mayberry

230 220

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

www.bassmanspinnerbaits.com

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TAG 2022

35

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

1

Matthew Langford

2

Mike Nelson

3

Kris Banks

4

Graham Ford

5

Brad Wickson

2021 BASS AOY NON BOATER

2021 BASS BOATER AOY Current

First Name

Surname

Points

1

Kelvin

Hatton

365

370

2

Beau

Eveleigh

337

352

3

Paul

Mazaroli

330

Ford

347

4

Shane

Richards

323

Wickson

343

5

Bridgett

Currey

322

Dylan

Walsh

337

6

Jason

Sheehan

268

Bill

Latimer

328

7

Tony

Neal

267

8

Trent

Blake

320

8

Nick

Brown

264

9

John

Ciancio

320

9

Aiden

Bichel

263

10

Gregory

Burke

317

10

Troy

Lowe

255

11

Mark

Lennox

310

11

Giacomo

Pippo

252

12

Keeghan

Painter

307

12

Greg

Rigby

243

13

Ian

Wratten

306

13

Mathew

Cameron

239

14

Bill

Rose

287

14

Barry

Reynolds

239

15

Mitchell

Cone

276

15

Allan

Price

219

16

Philip

Nix

273

16

Rodney

Thorpe

218

17

Dane

Pryce

269

17

Adam

Wilson

189

18

Simon

Marchant

266

18

James

Browning

189

19 20

Corey Tim

Goldie Oakley

250 246

19

Michael

Goodwin

178

20

Heath

Kimber

169

Current Rank

First Name

Surname

Points

1

Matthew

Langford

381

2

Mike

Nelson

3

Kris

Banks

4

Graham

5

Brad

6 7

SC Marine Doctor

1

Anita Barra

2

1

Mathew Flynn

Charles West

2

2021 BASS ELECTRIC AOY

2021 BARRA TOY Current Rank

Team

1

SC Marine Doctor (Rob Wood/Tommy Wood)

520

2

Anita Barra (Liam Robinson/James Wilson)

519

Current

First Name

Surname

Points

1

Mathew

Flynn

296

2

Charles

West

295

Peter

Bostock

295

Points

3

Dobyns Rods (Mick Slade/Ben Willcox)

519

3

4

T.B.C (Peter Laine/Ben Williams)

515

4

Chesley

Lennon

284

Tom

Reynolds

284

5

Wilson Fishing (Jeremy Cornelius/Kord Luckus)

510

5

6

Venom (Troy Dixon/Adam Meredith)

500

6

Peter

Woods

281

Stephen

McLean

280

7

Fishing Monthly (Steve Morgan/Nicholle Smith)

498

7

8

About Town Bait & Tackle (Michael Detenon/Luke Mulcahy) 488

8

Shaun

Ezzy

272

Kane

Rowswell

196

9

Imakatsu (Colin Brett/Quintin Maclean)

488

9

10

Smak Wild (Thomas Herbohn/Brett Turner)

481

10

Sam

Lauritzen

195

Mark

McKay

193

11

Wagon Wheel (Gavin Gaw/Chalan Gilley)

456

11

12

Tolga Traders (Cameron Browning/Liam Sohier)

426

12

Will

Kleinschafer

191

Brian

Rudledge

190

13

Barra Bandits (Moz Khan/Glen Smith)

426

13

14

Lowrance (Peter Price/Greg Thomas)

398

14

Luke

Atkinson

189

Glen

Swanson

187

15

Garmin (Matt Mott/Tom Griffiths)

394

15

16

Mustad Swap Dogs (Jono Clark/Adam Walker)

380

16

Rod

Shorten

186

Cristian

Manolea

182

17

Part-Time Hookers (Aaron Beck/Jamie Brady)

366

17

18

ACM Dogtooth (Jason Crofts/Trevor Crofts)

264

18

Jake

Schwerin

100

19

Nathan

D’arcy

100

20

Tim

Morgan

99

19 20 36

abt.org.au

TAG 2022 abt

Barra Drama (Keegan Hayden/Geoff Newby) Fitzroy River Barra Bash (Ricky Conrad/Dean Lill)

250 246

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

ALL THE TOURNAMENT WINNING LURES IN ONE PLACE BUILT ON HOOKS

CRANK 38 MID AND DEEP

BREAM CRANK

PRONG STANDARD WIRE

WEIGHTED EWG SKINNY GRUB

SHINER 45

POP 50

SHAD 40 & 50

METALZ 35 AND 40

JERK MINNOW 65

HIDDEN WEIGHT

as used by ABT Grand Final Champion

K9 WALKER, PUP AND BULLDOG

Atomic have a huge range of tournament proven lures and jig heads. The Crank 38 is a must have with several ABT wins to its credit.

The brand developed out of the tournament scene to become one of the most popular tackle brands on the market.

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SOFT POP 50

FAT GRUB

PADDLE TAIL

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MINNOW 40 & 55

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www.millerods.com.au abt

TAG 2022

37

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

Do you really want to win tournaments?

Then you really need ZMan. Innovative. Reliable. Proven.

The new Molix Glide Bait 18 s a 3oz slow sinking jointed glidebait designed in collaboration with Carl Jocumsen. Ideal for tempting big cod, barra and flathead. Available in 5 colours.

Explore the full ZMan Lures range:

Distributed by EJ Todd & Son For the full Sunline range please visit

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Sunline Xplasma Asegai Following four years of development, Sunline have recenty launched Asegai braid featuring patented Xplasma technology that dramaticaly improves slickness, abrasion resistance, and water repellence.

Slickness and smoothness are improved 370% and 260% respectively over our conventional braided lines.

The Xplasma process also improves hydrophobic capabilities of Asegai over 240% over our standard braided lines allowing for longer casts.

Some of the best anglers in the world contributed to the development. Asegai is a premium eight streand Japanese braied made PE with a tightly woven surface for ultimate performance.

Available in light green for higher visibility.

150m (165yd) 6lb (PE0.6) to 50lb (PE5) 300m (330yd) 6lb (PE0.6) to 50ob (PE5)

MADE IN JAPAN

38

TAG 2022 abt

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

MEGA

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