Fishing Monthly Magazine | January 2023 by Fishing Monthly

• SUMMER HOLIDAY FISHING TIPS • Technique Spotlight

Sean Thompson brings us ‘What’s luck got to do with it? ‘ QLD

NSW

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NEW FIND THE

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Features

What’s luck got to do with it? • Starlo: snapper on plastics • Kayaking Budds Beach •

Testing Booth: Tackle Tactics Boat Test: Edencraft 6m Offshore •

•

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CONTENTS

OUR COVER January 2023, Vol. 3 No.9 VIC

TAS

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

16 18 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 40 42 44 48

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

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

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

82 82 84 84 86 88 89 92 91 90 91 92 94 96 98 95 94 101 99 100

JANUARY 2023

From the Editor’s Desk...

Shane Banks with a stunning 115cm Mulwala Murray cod caught on a swimbait fished in 4m of water. A Steve Booth image. Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.

TASMANIA Hobart Offshore

103 102

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

110 111 110 112 113 114 115 117 116 118

REGULAR FEATURES What’s luck got to do with it? Starlo: snapper on plastics Kayak: Budds Beach Sheik of the Creek What’s New Fishing Testing Booth: Tackle Tactics Victorian Angler Diaries Fun page Tournaments Trades and Services/Tide page Boat Test: Edencraft 6m Offshore Subscription page

8 12 50 53 81 56 104 59 105 120 122 93

COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo

I am pretty sure you will have noticed that this issue has also been printed with a newsprint colour cover – not the regular gloss paper cover that we are used to. This should be the last month where this happens. Our printer at Yandina on the Sunshine Coast will hopefully be finished their upgrades in time for the February issue. As it happens, I think that we are more worried about this than most readers. Matthew Drinkall, our Production Manager, has set himself some very high standards for the last few decades. He has never missed a print deadline and never had an issue go to print without a gloss cover. I suppose it comes down to the fact that once you open the cover, the content is exactly the same. All of the other pages inside the magazine that contain our regular area, technique and testing reports are on news print.

12 38

FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE Published by:

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Advertising: Copy and materials should be sent direct to: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au Advertising Enquiries: Peter Jung: pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au Phone: 0410 662 927 Nicole Kelly: nkelly@fishingmonthly.com.au Phone: 0407 369 333 FREECALL: 1800 228 244

126 EDENCRAFT AND SUZUKI

Matthew, you can stop worrying now, our readers still love the magazine! Like many things in post-COVID times, you need to be able to roll with the punches. Supply chain issues, cost increases and, as it happens, printer repairs are all par of the course. GOOD AND BAD NEWS There has been mixed fisheries news this month. In Queensland, the strict black jewfish regulations have been rolled back following the improved stock assessment. It’s great to see the system works as it should. Management gets tweaked as stock assessments roll through. Western Australia however seems a little different. It definitely doesn’t pass the pub test where anglers are banned from fishing for some of their favourite species for half the year while commercial operators can still fish. Is this resource sharing done correctly? I’m sure most Western Australian anglers would disagree. COD RELEASE It was great to attend the release of a record number of the endangered Mary River cod in the Bremer River catchment (west of Brisbane) just before this magazine went to print. You can see the video on our social media channel, and I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of the hard-working volunteers that make projects like this happen.

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What’s luck got to do with it? BRISBANE

Sean Thompson

Well, it’s the holiday season. A time during which so many people go fishing as part of their once or twice a year fishing ritual. While it might be a little bit of fun with the kids or some mates winding down, unfortunately so many of these holiday anglers can’t understand why

the fish. They might laugh begrudgingly and consider this is pure luck. But is it? IS FISHING SUCCESS REALLY LUCK? I don’t subscribe to there being ‘luck’ in fishing. Never have. To me, there is always a reason for fishing success, at least consistent success over a fishing session, trip or season. There is always a reason or reasons why some anglers catch more fish consistently or on any particular day.

right row in Mastermind). Eventually you will line up all you’ve learnt and bingo, you’ve cracked the code of the fish you are targeting! Achieving this sort of success takes time though. The better anglers will invest time by keeping a fishing dairy or at least GPS timestamped locations of success. These anglers will begin to work out the right tide, time, moon, wind strength, water colour and more for success. Then of

do to change your results. We will go through a few hypothetical case studies in several areas of focus (such as tackle, location and having an awareness of your surroundings) to highlight the reasons why some anglers have more success. CASE STUDY 1: TACKLE SUCCESS AND FAILURE Choosing the right tackle for your target species can be very important. With some wily target species and techniques, this is even more so than others. First, let’s take the scenario where ‘Old Mate’ is heading out for his once-a-year fish down the beach over the holidays. Of course, when it’s time to pack he simply throws his cheap 9’ multi-purpose beach rod and reel in the car. He has pulled it out from its usual spot leaning up against the brick wall of the garage and he is happy it is still rigged up from last summer. Along with his rod and reel he throws in his assorted tackle box of odds

Avoid rust by washing hooks and swivels used in saltwater before returning them to your box. and ends which he hasn’t opened since last summer. This is where old mates perceived ‘luck’ or success starts to go astray. A closer inspection of his rod and reel would have revealed

that the line on his thick trace or rig is frayed from the last time he used it, his spool is only a third filled with heavy thick line (which he hasn’t replaced in 6-7 years) and the drag

Leave the servo freezer-burnt bait alone and catch your own live bait for more success. they are not getting the same results as their mates who go fishing much more regularly. But these holiday anglers aren’t on their own. Even some regular anglers subscribe to the myth that fishing success is like a wheel of fortune, a matter of luck rather than good management. For instance, a group of mates fishing side-by-side in a tailor picket line, off a charter boat, or off a busy jetty, might have one guy who is catching the majority of

Then of course there are reasons why you haven’t had success. These are the days I find most frustrating but also the ones I can learn the most from. Basically, it is a like the old Mastermind board game. During your session, you might try various baits, lures and tackle to try and land fish in a particular location. Some of these work and others don’t. The trick is to put it all together as you learn from your success and failure (like putting the right colour peg in the

course these anglers will know that when something isn’t working, what they should try instead. Consistent success can take time from trial and error, but can be expediated by more research. That is research from reliable sources such as this magazine or respected fishing social media or websites, or indeed your local tackle shop. But now let’s talk about some of the key areas where good anglers stand out from the pack and what you can

Bigger fish, like barramundi, will soon test out any weakness on old line or rigs.

Pre-made rigs mean more fish caught, as you’ll have your line in the water longer. 8

JANUARY 2023

on his reel is sticky and set way too tight. Likewise, a look at his cheap rod guides would have revealed his top guide has some nicks and cuts from resting the rod up at an angle on the brick wall. An inspection of his tackle box would have revealed a rusted mess. Those lures and hooks that he used last summer and put straight back into his tackle box without washing with freshwater first, have spread rust throughout his tackle box. In the meantime, his keen regular fishing mate ‘Jim’, who is joining him and his family on holiday, has taken a very different approach to his pending

fishing trip. Jim has given all his fishing gear a once over including checking his drag is set properly, he has tied on a new rig and made lots of spare rigs with thin fluorocarbon trace, topped up his reel with new thin diameter line to ensure maximum casting distance and even sharpened up some of the trebles and single hooks on his lures

did due to damage on his rod runners. Jim also didn’t lose any fish due to a tight and sticky drag and had his line in the water catching fish after fish during the 10 minutes that Old Mate took to tie on a new rig from scratch after it broke off. Old Mate also began to get frustrated as his heavier line swept to shore much quicker due to sweep.

Likewise, when they threw lures, even after Old Mate hooked up to a tailor close to shore, it quickly threw the trebles as they were rusty and blunt compared to Jim’s pinpoint sharp hooks. Even when Jim felt sorry for his mate and gave him some of his pre-made rigs and fresh bait he still struggled. As usual, Jim ensured that all unnatural

Avoid general purpose combos, use the right tackle for the species you are targeting.

Broken and missing rod guides should be replaced before they cause line damage. to cast for tailor. Jim is also taking a few different rod and reel combinations to cover all bases on the beach, including a long light and whippy 10’6 rod for whiting, a longer 13’6 fibreglass composite rod for tailor and the odd mulloway and a lighter 12’ graphite rod for spinning lure for lure. When it comes time to fish, as usual Jim cleans up while Old Mate looks on in disbelief and once again dismissing Jim’s results as pure luck. But it is much more than luck. If Old Mate had watched a little closer, he would have seen that Jim cast double his distance with the longer rod and thinner line. Jim’s line didn’t break on the third cast like Old Mate’s

smells on his hands where not transferred to his bait by using a bait scent on his hands and bait. By comparison, Old Mate’s

Successful anglers ensure even their lure trebles are sharp.

hands stank of cigarettes and sunscreen, which he unwittingly transferred to his bait, and watched in bamboozlement as the fish still wouldn’t touch his bait while Jim dragged in fish after fish. CASE STUDY II: RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME In another scenario, infrequent angler Jack had read lots of reports on social media that the flathead ‘were on’ in his local area. After asking a few questions on tackle and lures used, Jack went down to his nearest big fishing retail outlet to match up the rod, reel, line, lures and leader they were using. Considering he was a casual angler; he spent a bit of a fortune. Unfortunately though, what Jack didn’t ask, or receive, was local advice on the best time and type of location to target the fish. So off he went and flicked around some plastics on

his great new gear at high tide off the riverbank of a local river. Unfortunately, Jack caught diddly squat. Not a touch. Several hours later, Jack looks out the window to see his regular neighbour Jill returning home with her flathead rod attached to the side of the 4WD and then hop out carrying what looks like a shoulder bag heavy with fish. Jack thinks Jill is a lucky angler, and although she regularly catches fish, he has dismissed her success as luck. Hastily heading over to find out how she went and what she caught them on, Jack discovers that she had pretty much used the same tackle as him including many of the same lures. Once again, Jack considered this was just pure luck. What Jack didn’t ask though was where, when and how Jill caught the To page 10

JANUARY 2023

the spot. Off he goes and squeezes in next to the other boats asking if this is said ‘Knobbys Reef’. Begrudgingly a firm “Yes, but shut your bl**dy motor off,” comes back from a nearby angler. Bazza then anchor’s up around the crowd and even notices a bit of reef under his boat. Unfortunately

From page 9

fish. Unlike Jack, Jill went down to the same river, but 2hrs before the low tide to target the little drains and drop offs where the flathead were lying in wait to smash the baitfish fleeing the flats as the water drained out. Jill had been using this technique for many years after reading a number of fishing magazine articles, getting advice from her local tackle shop and keeping a diary of her catches. Luck had nothing to do with her success. CASE STUDY III: AWARENESS OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS Next, we have the

These open bay fish were caught by observing changes in depth on the sounder’s charts.

Keeping a fishing diary of marks and records results in better catches. case of two regular boat anglers, Bazza and Ben who have independently gone interstate on a fishing trip to target some reef fish in a wide-open bay area of their holiday location. As neither have been there before, they had no local knowledge or experience in the area. Bazza is pretty lackadaisical about it all though and simply asked the bloke at the local servo where the fish were biting when he fuelled up. Whilst he is at it, he grabs some freezer burnt bait from the bottom of the servo’s freezer. The guy at the servo doesn’t fish but he reckons his mate

‘cleans up’ on Knobbys Reef, a large natural reef a few kilometres from shore. That’s enough for Bazza who excitedly grabs a free copy of the bay’s fishing spots from amongst the tourist brochures and is happy as Larry to see Knobbys Reef roughly marked on the map. As it happens, Ben has done his own research and come to the same conclusion that Knobbys Reef was the place to go. He had added to the research he has learnt from articles and speaking to the local tackle shop by studying the area in detail online using the navigation chart app he subscribes to, which he has linked to his sounder/GPS via bluetooth.

JANUARY 2023

Ben studies the topography and depth contours and marks out half a dozen spots to go straight to in the morning and target. The next day conditions are perfect and Ben is off pre-dawn straight to his spots he has marked on the app and synced on his sounder before bed. Bazza crawls out of bed but an hour later and sets out in the general direction of where he thinks the reef is. While out on the water at the first of his marks, Ben sounds around and notices a lack of bait and fish on the bottom. He notices too that the reef structure is quite limited. Again and again, he sounds the next few spots he marked until finally he settles on a spot full of

Big beach rods and reels will reach fish that general purpose combos can’t.

Understand your species: different species can be targeted from this hole at low and high tide.

Understanding your sounder can also mean good catches of prawns in season. 10

pesky grinner. What Bazza didn’t realise though, was that the so called ‘luck’ Ben had was from doing his research and having an awareness of his surroundings. He carefully observed his sounder looking for bait, fish, subtle depth changes and noticed the direction and speed of the current

bait, fish and structure. He then takes the time to carefully observe the wind and current so his baits and berley will drift back into the target zone not away from it. In no time, he is on to his first of many fish. Bazza on the other hand is getting more and more frustrated as he searches around for the reef and wishes he had forked out for the navigation charts that he heard his good mate uses. Studying the mud map is virtually useless until he sees a number of boats anchored up in the distance and decides that must be

though, he has taken no notice of the current or wind and unbeknown to him his freezer burnt pilchard baits and berley are landing on barren sand well away from the reef. Back at the ramp a couple of hours later, Bazza spots Ben who is pulling his boat in at the same time and asked him how he went. Bazza is gobsmacked to hear of Ben’s success but even more so when he heard he fished the same reef as him. “Half your luck,” Bazza declares as he recounts the fact that all he caught where a few

by drifting first before anchoring. Ben’s results were not luck and nor were Bazza’s. Both got the results they deserved for their efforts. WHAT’S LUCK GOT TO DO WITH IT? VERY LITTLE… So, there you have it. Just a few reasons and scenarios that separate the success of the experienced successful angler from the less regular or casual angler. Apart from the case studies, there are plenty more reasons why ‘luck’ has very little to do with the success of experienced anglers. Knowing the best time of day and seasons for their target species along with the effects of other natural effects (e.g. wind, moon phase, water conditions) and artificial (e.g. number of boats on the water or commercial fishing pressure) can mean successful anglers target their species at the right time and place. Finally, the best anglers will always take the time to make sure that they don’t take shortcuts on their rigs and knots as this is the most critical part of the connection between you and the fish. This preparation, awareness and knowledge means that ‘luck’ has very little to do with fishing success.

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Catch snapper on soft plastics NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Who doesn’t love a fullbodied red? We mean snapper, of course! Catching them on soft plastics isn’t hard, and it’s also great fun. Snapper are one of Australia’s favourite saltwater fish, with a huge geographic range that takes them all the way around the southern half of the continent: from the seas off Mackay

everyday occurrence for most anglers. Then came what I like to refer to as the ‘third wave’ of the soft plastics’ revolution in Australia: a wave that I’m quietly proud to say my mate Bushy and I helped to spearhead with the Squidgies lures we designed and promoted for Shimano Australia. Within a couple of season, catching snapper on lures went from rare to commonplace. Boats full of keen anglers even began heading offshore in search of reds, squire, knobbies or

Medium-weight spin tackle is perfect for targeting snapper on plastics. curly grubs, T-tailed swim baits and various prawn imitations, but they often aren’t too fussy. Plastics from 70-150mm in length are ideal, and all manner of colours work, with many anglers favouring bright,

Catching a decent bag of reds on rubber might not be quite as easy as it was a decade ago, but it’s still very achievable. column, greatly increasing the strike rate. This could mean using a jig weighing 7g or less in shallower water, up to perhaps 30-40g out on the deeper marks.

First light is a great time to catch snapper on plastics, but they’ll respond to these lures all day, especially in deeper water. in Queensland to Exmouth in WA. They’re even found in Tasmanian waters, where their prevalence has been steadily increasing over the past decade or so as average water temperatures rise. Twenty-odd years ago, catching a snapper on a lure was still something of a novelty for many of us. Sure, it happened, but it wasn’t an

pinkies (regional names for snapper of various sizes) without a skerrick of bait on board — something that would’ve been unimaginable in earlier times. As so often happens with any “new” fishery like this, the snapper-onplastics “thing” enjoyed a couple of red hot years with crazy catches before slowly

A decent depth sounder/GPS plotter combo is really handy for finding snapper and returning to productive marks.

tapering off, settling down and plateauing. Perhaps a lot of the ‘dumber’ snapper, or those that were particularly susceptible to the charm of soft plastics, got caught in those 10 years or so between about 2005 and 2015. Certainly, it’s not quite as easy today as it was then to head out and easily score a bag with softies, especially in hard-fished places like Coffs Harbour or Port Phillip Bay. But snapper are still eminently catchable on soft lures, and this remains a wonderful way to target them. There’s nothing especially tricky about fooling reds on rubber. Simply get yourself over some likely snapper ground in anything from a few metres to as much as 60-70m of water and start fishing! (In deeper water, metal offerings such as slow-pitch and octostyle jigs tend to be a better choice than plastics.) Best tails for snapper include straight flukes,

free-spooling again. Soon you’ll be over the top of the lure, so retrieve it at a medium pace for the first few metres, then race it back to the surface and repeat the whole process. You can even use two outfits as once, as I demonstrate in the short how-to video you can watch by scanning the QR code hereabouts or going to my “Starlo Gets Reel” channel on YouTube. If you’re fishing at anchor, or holding position with an electric motor, cast well up-current to help the jig sink as it comes back past the boat. If the current is running really hard, you may need to increase your jig head weight, or go to a heavier metal lure. Catching snapper on plastics is great fun, highly QR CODE

Experiment with jighead weights until you start getting crunched. contrasting combinations of green or chartreuse combined with various reds or pinks. However, natural tones and all-white tails can also be super productive at times, so experiment. Adding some scent can also be highly beneficial. For me, the more important element of lure selection is jighead choice. You want something with a sturdy, sharp hook in the 2/0 to 5/0 size range, but there’s a lot to be said for choosing the lightest jig weight you can get away with under the prevailing conditions. This gives the lure a longer ‘hang time’ as it sinks through the water

I prefer to drift rather than anchor when fishing plastics offshore, but both strategies work. If drifting, cast down-drift: well ahead of the moving boat. Feed out some extra line and allow the plastic to swim its way

Scan this QR code or go to the Starlo Gets Reel channel on YouTube to watch a short how-to video about catching snapper on soft plastics.

This handsome snapper really crunched the soft plastic!

Bright coloured plastics like this one are a favourite with many snapper chasers. 12

JANUARY 2023

to the sea bed. Expect a hit at any time. Once the lure reaches the bottom, jig it up and down, or retrieve a few metres of line before

active and very productive. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing out on a truly wonderful style of fishing. Give it a go.

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Southern

OLD

Running of the bulls THE TWEED

Leon McClymont

The weather has turned it on here on the Tweed Coast with some extremely good fishing conditions with plenty of bait running. The schools of pilchards and shoals of whitebait migrating through our

mackerel haven’t been on my target list just yet. Most seasoned anglers will target other species until it’s worth putting the time into chasing them as it can be a slow day trolling round or soaking baits when they simply just aren’t there. So with the mackerel still on the shy side, the FADs have been where all

the current has been running north some days and I have found many boats struggling to find/figure the fish out. Many seem to be getting frustrated and creeping closer and closer to the FAD thinking this will get the bite thereafter. After another unsuccessful deployed bait I soon realised that the fish were sitting on the other side into the current and much wider, at least 50-100m off the FAD, as there were a few boats around and the current had some pace.

The author with a huge tea leaf trevally. They don’t get much bigger than that. narrow it down a bit more to where the fish may be hanging. Once sounding the fish, just be patient and keep bypassing/circling the fish to entice them hit your lures, or even better switch baiting can ensure a definite eat. Back to the inshore speedsters, by the time this article goes to print I hope the mackerel are in full swing. I have seen small numbers of spotties being caught as they tend to be the first arrivals showing up that little bit earlier than the Spanish each year. Floating pilchards back in a berley trail is the ticket to the show or small spinners are also a great piece of artillery for casting whilst

6-8 usually does the trick. There are also plenty of GT and other trevally species around as they move down from the Coral Sea. Cobia are also starting to show up on the inshore reefs, such as Fidos and the Mud Hole. Having a bait on the bottom and one on the top will cover both bases for a cobia, as they are bottom feeders and top feeders, so you just never know which one will get the bite. A berley trail is also a very good technique to use as they are a scavenger eater and a berley trail will often lead a fish right up to the boat where a bait or livie strategically deployed on its head will

Steve Dale with a quality mangrove jack extracted from a rock bar. waters has the fish gorging themselves whilst the food is plentiful. With the current playing tricks lately and running north and the water temp jumping up and down,

the attention has been. They have been firing with good numbers of large mahimahi and some extremely large bulls getting caught, which is great to see. As mentioned before,

Kristen Frey with his PB bull mahimahi going 110cm.

Timmy Parrott with a nice GT on the troll. 16

JANUARY 2023

Rather than drifting through the organised chaos we just simply sat a good distance off the FAD in gear and drifted our livies/baits back. I found that the fish reacted well to berley. Ensure to cast your livie away from the boat with a decent cast to keep the bait from returning to the boat for cover. Mahimahi have extremely good eyesight and can follow a lure or bait flying through the air. We hooked up almost instantly! We had two double hook ups and that was enough mahimahi for us and the family, so we left for a different destination with a different species on the target list. We should see a good run of pelagics this season. During a La Niña year, the trade winds are particularly

strong and will push the warmer waters in closer and bring the big fish with it. Plenty of black marlin are being caught, most of the captures have been juvenile blacks in close range, 30-60m depth, with the larger specimens being caught much wider around the shelf and beyond. There is some good water around this time of year for fishing wide off the shelf with plenty of quality sized blue marlin also being caught as of late. Big yellowfin tuna are still on the cards. Finding the upwellings and zero current lines beyond the shelf can be the best place to start looking for big blues and big yellowfin. Once you’ve found good water then locating birds and bait can

The author with a brightly coloured specimen that took a liking to a Tweed Bait pilchard. waiting for the bite. Nine Mile has been the most lively I’ve seen it in a long time with an astonishing amount of kingfish getting about. In particularly, there have been some very large kings with many captures going over 20kg and some even pushing the magic 30kg mark. Slow trolling livies on a downrigger is the best technique for these beasts. If you don’t have a downrigger, as most anglers don’t, a ball sinker above your swivel size

work 60% of the time. Moving into the rivers and estuaries, the jacks have been on the chew. Casting lures into snags, structure or under pontoons is the ticket to the show but if casting lures isn’t your thing, soaking livies and cut baits is one of my favourite styles of fishing for them. The warm nights make for good drinking and relaxing weather, and soaking a bait waiting for the reel to scream off, what more could you ask for?

Southern

OLD

Game on for the Goldie GOLD COAST

David Green

January is one of the best months for game fishing off the Gold Coast. The East Australian current moves in close to the coast and brings large numbers of pelagic fish inshore. Target species this month include black marlin, mahimahi, wahoo and mackerel on the inshore grounds and there should be plenty of blue marlin wide of the continental shelf. Bait schools should move in close to the coast. There have been plenty of juvenile black marlin inside Fraser Island and these fish should arrive in numbers off the Gold Coast this month. Trolling skirted lures is a good option this month on the grounds inside of the 80m line. Skirted lures between 15-30cm are a great way to

catch a mix of fish. Mahimahi are probably the commonest species encountered this month and generally average around 6-10kg on the close grounds. They love pink and purple lures. There have been plenty of mahimahi around the FADs in 36 and 50 fathoms. Hopefully this year we will see an increase in wahoo numbers, as they have been fairly scarce in recent seasons. Good areas to troll include Sullies and the Cotton Reef east of Jumpinpin, the Gravel Patch east of Burleigh Heads, the Tweed Nine Mile reef and the 40m line east of South Stradbroke. Always keep an eye out for bait and if you find it stay in the area. A lot of the marlin strikes occur in the hour around a tide change. If the water is blue and warm and you have bait in the vicinity it shouldn’t take too long to get a strike.

Current lines are another good place to troll and these brown lines of plankton debris that move south with the East Australian Current often hold bait and are a great area to try for mahimahi. Out wide beyond the continental shelf there should be blue marlin in the 200-400m line. These fish are one of the most exciting things to chase. Their spectacular take off and grey hounding leaps make them one of the hardest fish in the ocean to control. A spread of large skirted lures on 37kg tackle is the best way to get hooked up. There can be a lot of fishless hours but when you get a hook-up it makes all the effort worthwhile. These fish average around 140kg in Gold Coast waters. Local boat Maverick, skippered by Bob Jones, recently caught a big one estimated at 800lb, caught by his wife Lorraine. On the inshore grounds

Stuart Grice with a mahimahi.

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The author with a small black marlin. there should be good numbers of spotted mackerel at Palm Beach Reef with a few Spanish mackerel as well. Mermaid Reef generally fishes better later in the month. This area also holds schools of bonito and mackerel tuna. Anchoring and berleying and fishing with pilchards or spinning is a good way to fish these areas. Spotted mackerel are always a major fishing attraction in the school holidays. Remember the bag limit on Spanish mackerel is now only one per angler and a maximum of two per boat. Bottom fishing can be difficult in January due to strong current. There are still a few pearl perch, snapper, rosy job fish and parrot fish to be caught when the current is slow. In closer to shore the 18 and 24 fathom reefs off Southport can produce the odd snapper, mulloway and cobia on live baits. There are still a few mulloway to be caught at night in this area. RIVERS AND ESTUARIES January is a good month to chase whiting, mangrove jacks, trevally, mulloway and both sand and mud crabs. The estuary is very busy at this time and it pays to get up early before the boat traffic increases. There will still be

a few good flathead around on the early morning high tides. These respond well to cast plastic stick baits and hardbodied lures. Mangrove jack will be active this month and it is a good time to chase them on surface lures. Work around canal mouths and floating pontoons early in the morning. If you see bait flicking the jacks won’t be too far away. G Splash poppers and Storm Chug Bugs work well on jacks, but it also pays to have a shallow running minnow rigged on another rod in case the jacks are following the other popper but not striking. There have been plenty of really big mangrove jack around 60cm long this season and these big monsters should be increasingly active this month. Whiting are active on the flats throughout January and are also in good numbers in the Nerang River at night. Casting unweighted yabbies to schooling fish is a great way to target them. They also respond well to small stick baits, such as the Bassday Sugapen. Lures work best when the whiting are chasing shrimp and prawns. A fast non-stop retrieve is generally the best method. A few big whiting over 40cm often turn up on surface lures. In the

Nerang River yabbies, worms and small soldier crabs are all effective and most of the best fishing takes place at night when it cools down. There should be a few mulloway in the entrances around Jumpinpin and the Seaway this month. Live pike are generally the most effective bait although soft plastics also catch their share of fish. A lot of the mulloway in summer are smaller fish around 70-80cm long, with the odd bigger specimen. The last hour of the run-in tide is generally the most productive time to chase mulloway, especially when it occurs around dawn and dusk. As well as mulloway, the entrances will also produce a few big flathead, giant trevally and tailor. Mud crabs should be active in the Pimpama River, Coombabah Creek and the north arm of the Coomera River. Chicken frames are an excellent bait to use in mud crab pots. There should also be quite a few sand crabs in the central Broadwater. Use fish bait in your pots and set them close to weed beds in a depth of 4-6m of water. Overall, January is a great month to fish the Gold Coast with plenty of good options. Stay safe and be careful on the water.

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Southern

OLD

Lively action from the Logan JUMPINPIN

Bo Sawyer

Happy New Year everyone! Let’s hope this year brings us much better weather conditions and some great fishing.

get another down pour, so who knows what this month will bring? The high tide out in the Pin area has been fishing well for multiple species, further up the system has been a little more challenging for me on the lures but I’ve been

when using bigger baits as it tends to give you a better hook up rate. Around the tide changes are always the go, but I have done okay on outgoing tides if I’m fishing in an area where the dirty water line comes through. Big plastics with heavy 7/0 jigheads are a great option if you’re flicking lures along with 110mm vibes. I see a lot of people working their vibes

option on a lightly weighted rig. Fish any areas around yabby banks but also Gold Bank, western side of Kalinga, the banks south of the powerlines and around the Logan River mouth. I’m going to give them a try on surface lures this year so I’ll let you know how I go with that. Plenty of mid-sized flatties are still getting around with a few big ones

Jarryd with a solid flatty from Kalinga Bank.

Chopper tailor have been everywhere this year, and there are some big ones amongst them too! We ’ v e been experiencing a fair bit of wind. The mornings have definitely been the pick before it starts blowing up. I’ve been setting my alarm clock for the dreadful time

seeing some great reports coming out of the Logan, which is always good to see. Let’s get stuck into it. Some great catches of mulloway are still coming through, in particular from There are plenty of 40-60cm flatties still getting around. thrown in the mix. Gold Bank, the lagoons, Pin bar, Kalinga Bank, Pandanus and the Tipplers area have been fishing well. Drifting with pillies or prawns will yield good results for the bait fishos. Using 3-4” plastics and working edges of weed beds, drop offs and drains will give you far better numbers than using bait.

Ryan from Capn’s Charters with a nice trevally.

The Ellis brothers have been catching some cracking mulloway. of 2.30-3am, whacking a quick coffee and heading out bright and early for a morning session. It’s tough getting out of bed that early but you’ll miss the boat ramp rush and be treated to a great dawn bite period. The water has been clearing up nicely but every time I say that we 22

JANUARY 2023

the Pin bar and up in the Logan River. The warmer water hasn’t fazed them and there are still some decent sized ones getting around. Big livies, such as mullet, pike, legal tailor and definitely yakkas if you can get your hands on them will get the fish licking their lips. I prefer a snell rig

very aggressively but I’ve done better on every species when I’m working the vibe slower and allowing it to do its magic. I’d be interested in hearing other people’s thoughts on this. Whiting have been firing and are always fun to target. Live yabbies and worms are the preferred

You never know what you might catch in the Pin.

Tailor are still busting up most days, especially on the last of the incoming tide around deeper areas of the Pin. Bream have also been following a lot of bait balls around the same deeper areas. Some nice catches of muddies and sandies are all through the system as well, so throw your pots out at the start of the session. That’s it from me this month guys. Hope you have a fantastic month out on the water. • Don’t forget to see Jacobs Well Bait and Tackle to stock up before heading out. Capn’s Charters also has some availability this month if you’d like to learn how to use lures and catch plenty of fish.

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Southern

OLD

Summer flatties galore SOUTHERN BAY

Nick Whyte

Hot weather is here, and the fishing is heating up as well. Mangrove jack are in full swing and terrorising baitfish up

for some nice fish for lure anglers. All bridges, pontoons, snag piles and rock bars will be holding fish at certain parts of the tides. Look for areas with a lot of tidal run in the middle of the flow and then target

nights when live baiting. Coomera River, Aquatic Paradise and Raby Bay Canals have been giving up some good numbers of late. Threadfin salmon are still around but are slow in the Brisbane River of late. The fish haven’t schooled up in big numbers yet but during January is when those congregations of fish really come together. Put the effort in with your sounder and spend the time searching to find the areas holding the larger numbers. Best techniques are live baiting or using soft vibe lures to get their attention. My favourites are the Zerek Fish Trap in the 95mm size. There have also been a few good mulloway getting around the Port. Live baits and larger paddle tail plastics will get

Billy with a cracker Brisbane River thready. the Logan River and sand banks close to the Pin bar. Worms and soldier crabs have been the best bait. Up in the super shallow water you can target these big fish using long skinny poppers. This is an awesome visual technique that really gets the heart pumping and these little guys punch above their weight. It’s great to hop out of the boat and walk the bank and fish that shallow water near the top part of the tide on the last of the run in over

quality usually lifts. You want to try and target these bigger fish in the deeper sections of 10m+. Places worth having a look are the Harry Atkinson artificial reefs, the Peel Island artificials, the spit beacon at Peel and the western side of Mud Island. You don’t need to use massive plastics or baits for these fish as small 4” McArthy paddle tails and Zerek Flash Wrigglys will match the hatch with what they feed on. Using your sounder to

There are still a few nice flatties around the Pin. Lochy nailed this one on a 5” McArthy paddle tail. and down the coast. Live baiting has been the most consistent technique, but prawn imitations fished slow have accounted

these areas as the tide slows. Low light conditions early morning are my favourite for lure fishing and late into the hot balmy

The author with a decent 86cm Jumpinpin flathead.

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their attention. Flathead are littered up on the flats at the moment. There are plenty of pan size fish getting caught around all the islands. The flats around the back of Garden Island and the area around the ‘W’s has been fishing well. The bigger models have been a little harder to tempt of late. If trying to target big fish in the shallows, then throw big baits. Big hardbody lures designed for barramundi are a great starting point. One of my favourites is the Duo Realis jerk baits. Fishing these bigger lures slow in shallow clear waters makes for some insane visuals. On the other end of the scale trolling the ever faithful 50mm Tango Shad will account for plenty of numbers. Summer whiting are in great numbers throughout

David Hall with a flatty on a 4” McArthy paddle tail. the yabby banks. There has been a lot of sharks down towards the mouth and some large models have been caught. If you enjoy catching sharks now’s the time to be out there. Summer is my favourite for big bay snapper with not as many numbers, but the

locate these fish is the key. You may need to be patient but you won’t find them if you don’t go looking. • If you have a great capture from the southern bay you would like to share email them through to nick@ techfishing.com.au Till next month Tech-it-easy

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Southern

OLD

Plenty of species to revel in BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

It has been a great summer of fishing so far with healthy numbers of pelagic and demersal species, plus crabs and prawns on offer. Weather has been sporadic at times with regular bouts of wind mixed in with storms, hot temperatures and fluctuating barometric pressure. Anglers have enjoyed targeting mackerel, longtail tuna, snapper, mangrove jack, estuary cod, threadfin salmon, mulloway, crabs, prawns and numerous other species over recent months. With many still on annual holidays, waterways will be a little busier than usual however there are plenty of quality species on offer for all. Let’s check out a few of your options. THREADFIN SALMON Always a popular target at this time of the year, threadfin salmon numbers are usually healthy in most of the larger river systems. The Brisbane River is probably one of the better places to try your luck with threadfin available right along its length. In the warmer months the lower reaches often hold the better numbers due to the schools of prawns which

around the International Cruise Ship Terminal, and the oil pipeline are all worth checking out. You should be easily able to locate threadies on your marine electronics as they have large air bladders and show up prominently. Soft vibes, numerous plastics, blades and even micro jigs can be used to target threadies in the deeper waters. Threadfin can often be located close to the surface around lighted areas at night. This gives anglers great opportunity whilst casting shallow diving minnow lures, lightly weighted plastics (especially paddle tail shads and crustacean profiles) and sub-surface stickbaits. Fly anglers also have a great chance at scoring a threadfin or two. Floating or intermediate lines are ideal for presenting patterns such as polarfibre minnows, deceivers, bendbacks, game-changers and a host of other baitfish derivatives. Live-baiting with herring, mullet, banana prawns, biddies, pike and gar can work exceptionally well. Anglers commonly anchor along the declines into the main river basin, out from the jetties and submerged ledges then deploy several lines. Baits should be presented close

quality is often surprising with specimens over 110cm often caught. Anglers can also target mulloway well out into the bay with the artificial reefs, wrecks and shipping channel beacons often holding fish. Anglers sometimes score them whilst targeting snapper around the bay islands margins, especially at Mud. The beacons out from the mouth of the Brisbane River can be worked over with live baits or by casting and retrieving paddle-tail shads and large soft vibes. I prefer the period close to the top of the tide for working these structures but have scored results on all phases. Schools of mulloway can sometimes be found roaming the artificial reefs with larger structures such as the Tiwi Pearl being worth checking out. However, during the warmer months sharks can often be a problem and will engulf any decent fish hooked. CRABS Blueswimmer, sand and mud crabs are definitely on the menu over the next few months. Many have scored excellent results whilst setting a few pots out in the bay and have returned home with double figures of sand and blueswimmer crabs. It often pays to sets pots in different depths

Casting lures or presenting baits around structure in the rivers, creeks, canals and estuaries is likely to result in a mangrove jack or estuary cod. make their way down river at this time. This is often accentuated by decent rains as salinity levels are lowered further upriver. Threadfin are often located in quite large schools during the warmer months. Areas adjacent the shipping terminals at the mouth are usually reliable. The swing zone, dredge holes at the mouth, area 26

JANUARY 2023

to the bottom yet as lightly weighted as possible. Circle hooks, kahle or suicide pattern hooks are best for live baiting, offering great hookup potential. MULLOWAY Whilst targeting threadfin salmon you are highly likely to score a few mulloway. The numbers are usually less than during the colder months but the

initially to determine what depths are the most productive. Taking note of the depths the commercial crabbers have their pots set at will also give you good insight. However, do not set yours in the same area – find a similar location some distance away. Safety pots are best baited with mullet, fish frames and heads, chicken carcasses

or similar baits. Ensure all your crabbing apparatus meets current regulations in relation to size and labelling and that you have a legal crab measuring device aboard. Mud crabbing can be excellent in January, especially when we have decent rains which lowers salinity higher up in the systems and forces the mud crabs further down the rivers and into more open areas of the estuary. This makes muddies easier to access as they are no longer deep in the mangrove expanses where you can’t get into to set a pot. Additionally, they are moving around a lot more as they look for new places to hole up or try and make their way back upriver as salinity improves. The same pots will work for muddies that you use for sandies and blueswimmers, however both species possess differing sizes, ways of measuring and bag limits. Decent early year rains are expected therefore mud crabbing is likely to be excellent over the coming months. PRAWNS Rainfall will also affect the prawning options. If we get a decent amount of rain in the upper reaches of the estuaries then the prawning will be good in the lower reaches which will still have decent salinity. However, if we get enough rain to lower the salinity around the mouths of the rivers, especially the Brisbane, Pine and Caboolture, then the prawning will not be good. The deeper holes in these systems are the places to try. The period around the tide change is when the best action will often happen. As the tidal flow slows, the prawn will lift out of the mud and silt, making them easier to access. A 12ft drop, top-pocket only net is ideal for chasing prawns. It offers the largest legal-size net therefore will cover the maximum amount of water. Most of these nets have chain bottoms yet no bottom pockets. This net type will maximise your prawning opportunity as you won’t be regularly stopping to clean shell grit, rocks, mud, jelly balls and other debris out of the bottom pocket. The prawns will flick into the top of the net and be held there in the pocket. Once the net is retrieved the top of the net can be opened and the prawns easily tipped out into a bucket. Whilst any net can be used for prawning, a 12ft top-pocket only net is the best option and will

Big mulloway are still a serious proposition for Brisbane River and Moreton Bay anglers during January. maximise your efforts. These nets are easy to cast from a boat using the American Shrimpers method but there are several ways to cast them. There is no size limit on prawns yet prawners are limited to a 10L bucket of prawns per person with no more than 20L per boat (with minimum 2 people on board). The best prawning is yet to come, especially in relation to size but you should be able to score a few during January, especially in the Pine and Caboolture rivers. SNAPPER Snapper are a year round option in Moreton Bay and January is as good a month as most others. The margins of the bay islands, artificial reefs, wrecks and coffee rock areas will all produce snapper on an array of baits and lures. Early mornings and late afternoons are preferred by most however I just like to fish when there are a minimum of anglers and boat traffic. I find most areas will produce when the waterways are quiet, regardless of tidal phase. I have caught some of my best snapper in the middle of the day once most anglers have headed home. Having a little courtesy around such areas by skirting well wide when re-positioning and not driving around over ground where others are close by. An electric motor is a great asset but not a necessity for quality fishing. Bait fishers get good results by using quality baits and presenting them lightly weighted with hooks well buried in the bait and on fluorocarbon leaders. Drifting can work well in some areas whilst employing a paternoster

style rig. Commonly however, a running ball sinker rig is used. From an anchored position cast well upcurrent and allow baits to drift back down the current. You can even freespool baits some distance back behind the boat before allowing them to settle on the bottom for a while. Repeat this process whilst the tide is running hard however just allow baits to settle on the bottom around the tidal changes. Lures work best when the tide is running hard. Commonly a soft plastic or soft vibe is cast up current and worked back to the boat with a series of slow hops and pauses, a slow roll or an erratic stop and start retrieve. Commonly you will want the lure working in the lower quarter of the water column in most areas of the bay. Often the strikes will come as the lure is sinking or on the pauses. For vertical presentations, especially when fish are sounding directly below the boat, a slow pitch micro jig is ideal. Trolling the artificial reefs or outer margins of the bay islands will produce snapper on deep diving minnow lures. The shallow reef areas can also be worked over with weighted flies such as a clouser presented on fast sinking lines. MACKEREL Hopefully we will have some healthy numbers of spotted mackerel available within the bay over the coming month. Reports were looking promising at the time of writing with good baitfish population in the bay and spotties being caught on both the Gold and Sunshine coasts. Spotted mackerel are often visible from quite some distance away as

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they will push baitfish to the surface and birds will often be in attendance. Spotted mackerel attack in an almost orchestrated manner with slashing spurts of water clearing the surface. School mackerel feed in a more erratic and less organised manner. Both will respond to the same high-speed retrieves with chromed slugs and slices and occasional other offerings. Vertically jigging beacons with chromed slugs and slices or drifting down pilchards will also work well. The Measured Mile is often a popular spot at this time of the year and boats will commonly anchor, deploy gang-hook rigged pilchard baits and berley with pilchard slices. When a school of mackerel come through it can be total chaos with almost every bait getting engulfed, resulting in bending rods and screaming drags. Trolling the edges of prominent banks and ledges with spoons trolled behind paravanes or deep diving minnow lures will also reward, mainly for school mackerel. Whenever you are fishing around the fringes of the bay islands or the artificial reefs it pays to have a pilchard floating out in the current as scoring a

mackerel or two is a high possibility. A few mackerel fillets on the BBQ at the end of the day is a great way to finish your day on the water. TUNA With good baitfish presence in the bay, tuna are very likely to be abundant. All anglers strive to catch longtails due to their eating quality, size and fighting abilities however mac tuna can also provide a bit of fun and are a great way to teach less experienced anglers the techniques of fighting a tough adversary. Tuna species can be very profile orientated and

will only eat exact profile replicas of the bait on which they are feeding. Therefore, it pays to have chromed slugs and slices or other lures of different sizes in your arsenal. Often it’s rewarding to switch it up, especially with longtails. If you can’t find something close in profile to the bait on which they are feeding to present, try something much larger and slower moving such as a stickbait or pencil popper. Sometimes it works and sometimes not, but it doesn’t hurt to try when all else fails. If you’re proficient

with a fly rod, try casting a small baitfish profile fly such as a surf candy, bay bait, polar fibre minnow, cotton candy or silverside and just letting it sink through the feeding fish. Live baiting around the shipping channel beacons will often produce large longtails and mac tuna. You may even score a cobia with that approach. JACKS AND COD The creeks, rivers and canal systems are well worthwhile destinations for those targeting estuary cod and mangrove jacks, especially on those hot January days when the

barometer is rising. Both these species, and many others, get rather aggressive when the barometric pressure is over 1010hpa and rising. Casting minnow lures, vibes, baitfish profiled flies, topwater offerings and small stickbaits or swimbaits adjacent prominent structure is likely to reward. Rock walls, bridge pylons, jetties, pontoons, moored boats, mangrove snags and all manner of other structure are likely holding spots for jacks and cod, which hunt by ambush. Live baits can also

Hopefully we will see decent numbers of spotted mackerel in Moreton Bay during January, although they have been scarce in recent years.

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be fished in these zones, especially banana prawns, herring and mullet. Night sessions around lighted areas can be especially rewarding. Whilst the rock walls at the mouth of the Brisbane River and eastern side of Mud rarely produce jacks, they are ideal locations for cod. Trevally, flathead, bream and mulloway are often encountered by jack anglers. CONCLUSION The conditions are going to be rather hot during January, however the fishing on offer is a good reason to slip, slop, slap and slurp to allow you to safely brave the elements. Moreton Bay and the filtering waterways should fish exceptionally well if we do not get a major flood. The Brisbane River is a productive and promising location, especially for those who don’t have time for a full day on the water. Pelagic action throughout the bay dictates that you should always have a casting rod ready rigged with a chromed slug. The bay islands and artificial reefs are likely to receive a bit more fishing pressure than usual but there will still be some great catches to be made. Hope to see you out on the water.

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Sweet summer fishing NORTHERN BAY

Tackle World Lawnton

A very happy New Year goes out to all of our readers! From the Tackle World Lawnton team we hope you’ve had a relaxing and fish filled Christmas break. We look forward to what will hopefully be a far more normal year to come for 2023. We’ve seen many of our local anglers take advantage of the break and get into some cracking catches. Great reports have been coming in of summer whiting, bream and flathead in the estuaries whilst the bay has been producing good numbers of school and spotted mackerel.

RIVERS It appears we have had a fantastic run on the mangrove jack this season thus far, and you would expect it to continue improving as we see continued warm days through January with those usual afternoon storms mixed in to fire them up. As always, jack fishing is a heavily structure-based activity with these fish loving anywhere in our river systems that’s going to have an abundance of structure for them to ambush from. Some key systems to target would be the Caboolture and Pine rivers. These rivers both have an abundance of structured areas ranging from mangrove edges, rock walls, fallen timber, rock bars and more. When targeting a snag,

generally the leading edge to the current will be a key ambush point for a jack when they are fired up. They can often also be tempted in less productive bite times sitting a bit deeper off their structure. Suspending hardbodied lures and 4-5” paddle tail soft plastics are generally a go-to presentation for lure fishos. This is the perfect time of year to be taking advantage of jacks’ heightened aggression, so try a surface lure for a more exiting experience. Bait fishers are also well within a chance of crossing paths with jacks by fishing the same areas with a different technique. A wellpresented flesh bait or a live bait are two very effective options. Once again fishing close to structure is key. A

Who doesn’t love catching jacks. Mitch with a couple nice specimens.

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Shaun Ezzy picked up a nice late spring longtail tuna. great starting point is 30lb mainline and leader as these fish don’t play nice and will most certainly have you back in the snag in a blink of an eye at any lapse of concentration. We expect to see threadfin salmon increasing in numbers at the Port of Brisbane this month. These are an impressive sport fish that happen to be quite good on the table. They provide a change of scenery for most anglers with deeper water, large ships and loading docks providing a favoured habitat for these fish. Threadfin generally take quite well to a soft vibe from the 90-110mm size hopped off the bottom. You can expect to find these fish at the Port ranging from 7-15m of water, generally moving along drop offs of the channels and rock ledges. You’re best to spend a bit of time sounding around to find larger schools as fishing groups of 2-3 fish generally won’t yield a result and it’s very hard to put a lure on a fish’s head in 15m of water. BAY Long tail tuna will be in the sights of most bay fishers this month. Some good numbers are expected to come though considering the great start to the season we’ve seen though late November and December last year. Whilst you will find them throughout

most of the bay, the northern bay generally produces better numbers. Spotting the school and the direction it’s heading, and placing your boat in their direction, will put you in for a much better chance than simply driving up on the school. By the time they come into the bay they are usually quite wary of boats after having being targeted all the way down the coast. Spotted mackerel will make an appearance along with the already arrived school mackerel in the bay this month. Deep trolling the shipping channel with trolling boards or targeting the navigational beacons will be the two favoured techniques. When fishing the beacons, a metal slug 20-40g is a tried and tested lure. Move along the channel sounding the beacons until you find one with some bait or even mackerel showing. Sink your slug to the bottom and wind up as fast as you can. Do this while drifting past it a couple of times. If no result occurs, continue onto the next productive beacon. When shut down, these fish can often be tempted by a pilchard on a gang with a running sinker. Wire is not preferred for spotted mackerel as it can often put them off but if you aren’t running wire you can expect to donate a few

rigs or lures as these fish have razor sharp teeth. FRESHWATER Both Kurwongbah and Lake Samsonvale are expected to fish well this month after both not releasing water for a short period of time now. Targeting bass up on the edges will be effective early morning and late afternoon whilst the water is cooler. Surface lures 50-60mm, spinnerbaits, chatterbots and lipless crankbaits are all fantastic lures to roll off the weed on the edges. Once the sun is up and the water warms, expect these fish to move off the edges looking for more oxygenated water through the day often schooling in 5-10m of water before returning to the edges late afternoon. Lipless crankbaits, metal blades and 3’ paddle tails are preferred lures of choice, matching the bait fish these fish are targeting quite well. • For more up to date information on fishing in and around Brisbane call into the guys at Tackle World Lawnton and they can point you in the right direction. The friendly staff at Tackle World Lawnton cater to all levels of experience and offer the widest range of brands at the best prices. They are located at 640 Gympie Road Lawnton (07) 3205 7475 or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

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A great year for fishing! NOOSA

Peter Wells

We are seeing plenty of anglers landing some fantastic fish over the last month in the creeks and rivers, with the low light periods proving to be the perfect time to plan a fishing adventure. The highly prized mangrove jack are really making their presence felt. Some nice fish have been taken around Tin Can Bay and the Noosa River, especially between the lakes and the upper reaches of the Maroochy. With the water temperatures right up there and some humid condition, these fish are feeding hard. A live bait around structure will pretty much guarantee a fish but for lure anglers you will have to work that bit harder. Still, plenty of

fish have been taken on soft plastics, hardbodies and even one on a jig. For plastic anglers, the 3” ZMan MinnowZ have been very effective. If you are an early riser then try targeting the fish on surface using a slow popping action, you will have to get those lures right up into the structure. The mouth of the Noosa River and up towards the sandbags on the dog beach has been producing good numbers of whiting with worms and yabbies’ the top baits. Poppers and surface lures have also worked well in the right conditions, the Bassday Sugapens worked on a slow walk the dog retrieve has been effective. If you are trying to target whiting on surface, make sure you work the lure consistently all the way back to your feet – if you stop, the fish tend to spook.

The Noosa and Maroochy rivers have again provided anglers with some brilliant trevally catches in the early mornings. These fish love rounding up schools of baitfish brought in on the tide. Areas to check out are Woods Bay and outside the Coast guard Station in the Noosa and the Sandbags and Twin Waters weir in the Maroochy. Small jigs and slugs have been very effective, give the Gomoku Trick Metals and the Jigpara micro jigs a go. Flathead numbers have been very strong this year with more and more oversized fish being hooked and released. This must be a great indication that the current size limits are working. If you do get a big female make sure that you support their body weight well while taking your photo, try not to use lip grips

Jeff Morris got this nice cod from the southern end of Fraser.

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Todd Marshall picked up this amazing baby black marlin fishing around Rooneys. to lift them, use a landing net. Make sure your brag mat is wet and not too hot when measuring the fish. All these things will help with the health of the fish upon its return. Offshore has been a bit tough for the smaller boats with wind conditions making a trip outside a little uncomfortable, most reports coming from the larger craft. Reef dwellers, such as snapper, sweetlip and pearl perch, are still in good numbers, especially from the deeper reefs. Doing the big steam up to the grounds off Double Island has been worth it with some nice nannygai, amberjack, cobia, mulloway, snapper, cod, tusk fish and Mauri cod reported. There is also plenty of mackerel and tuna mid water. Again, the sharks continue to be a problem with a lot of heads coming to the surface. For those in smaller craft, doing the ‘fish and run’ as soon as the winds start to pick up has been effective. Sunshine Reef off Noosa is always popular and with plenty of coral trout on offer it is no wonder. If you are looking for trout, fish hard to the reef and try and use live baits. The pelagic action is also improving in Laguna Bay with good numbers of mackerel and tuna starting to make an appearance, a great technique that has been working well is trolling several different depth and size lures to see what level of water the fish are sitting at and what they are happy to take. Having a good mix of slugs and jigs is also important as these fish are also feeding on large bait schools. Smaller profiles seem to be more effective with the bait they are feeding on being quite small. Keep a close eye on the bird activity for an indication as to where the bait is. It is always best to cast to the edges of the schools as the fish tend to circle as they feed.

This is the time of the year when we see the winds blow from the west, which makes perfect conditions for beach anglers. There are still some good tailor around and this is the time of year when we see the bigger green back rogue fish at the back of the breakers. You will have to upsize your leaders as these fish will get through a standard mono leader. Make sure you switch to a fluorocarbon leader around the 20-30lb mark. Most of the bigger fish have come from the top end of the Noosa North Shore near Double Island. Salted bonito, mullet strip baits and pilchards have nailed the big fish. With the kids on holidays

there are plenty of small dart and summer whiting in the closer gutters so the kids can get a cast to them. The added bonus is if you can teach the kids to pull worms or collect pipis it is a fairly inexpensive day out. Look for those close gutters or holes and fish the top two hours of the tide. • Don’t forget to check in to www.fishingnoosa.com.au for all the latest up to date info on fishing and bar crossings. The knowledgeable teams at Tackle World Noosa, Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola our new store The Tackle Shop in Gympie can provide you with the right equipment, bait and advice to ensure success!

Connor Morris with a solid tusk fish.

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January fishing: happy days! BUNDABERG

Luke Truant

Spanish mackerel are the stars of the show at the moment, making up for the lower than average numbers of bottom fish being caught. Yes, there are still some nice red emperor and coral trout showing up, but there are

our local waters the fish have always had roe in December. At least, this is what I have observed in all the years that I have fished here. Perhaps DPI Fisheries should review the finish closure dates. Regardless, by the time you read this, the fish should hopefully have spawned and the bottom fishing will be picking up.

bait school from different angles. Sometimes you’ll only catch them trolling in one direction. If you want to troll livies, I recommend using a stinger rig. First, insert a single hook under the livie’s chin and up through its mouth, pinning the mouth closed (if the mouth is allowed to gape open, the livie won’t live as long).

Crazy Deep model (XDD), and one of the 2m divers (DD). I prefer pilchard-style colours, but I don’t think it matters too much. I’ll troll at between 6-7 knots; I definitely find that when you troll too slowly you get fewer bites. It’s well known that bigger mackerel can easily bend hooks. You may be tempted to ‘fix’ the bent treble with pliers, but this is not a good idea – you will make the metal soft by moving it, and then it will straighten even more easily next time. You don’t want to lose the fish of a lifetime due to a bent treble. Instead, replace the hooks when they straighten. If you invest in some good split-ring pliers, this process is quick and easy. I suggest using strong 3/0 trebles such as VMC 3x hooks. Also, keep an eye on the barbs to make sure they haven’t been flattened, either by the fish’s jawline or by your pliers while you’re dehooking. As with trolling livies, I use 69lb mono wire trace when trolling lures for Spanish. It’s very thin wire,

We can expect some good catches of red emperor this month. include the odd yellowfin tuna, mac tuna, and occasionally a cobia. While trolling in deep water you may even encounter the odd coral trout. I’ll occasionally catch trout off the top while trolling in 25-30m of water. The most common Spanish by-catch, however, is shark mackerel. Sharkies might not be as big as Spanish mackerel, but they are still a fun sportfish and they’re good on the plate as well. To ensure the best quality fillets, bleed the fish and get it straight into a slurry. Before you cook

Spanish mackerel are taking bait and lures with gusto. fewer of them than usual at this time of year. We can’t be 100% sure as to the reason for lower catches of trout and red emperor, but the main suspect is the spawning season. Officially, the spawning season is meant to coincide with the finfish closures in October and November. However, in

SPANISH MACKEREL The Spanish have been pretty easy to catch of late. You can troll dead baits, live baits or just keep it simple and troll lures. Look for bait, because if you can find bait you’re more likely to find the predators. If you find some bait and troll over it with no luck, try approaching the

Next, run a second set of trebles down the back of the fish, using 69lb mono stainless wire to withstand the mackerel’s razor-sharp teeth. You’ll want to troll the livie as fast as it can swim, up to 3 knots or so. If I’m trolling lures for Spanish mackerel, I always swim them a long way behind the boat, i.e. around 80m back rather than 20-30m. I get far more hook-ups this way. If you have a lure at each corner,

January is a good time to chase trout in the shallows.

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Spanish mackerel can save a slow day. make sure one of the lines is around 20m or so shorter than the other, so that you can turn without the lures getting tangled. When it comes to lure choice for Spanish mackerel, I love using Halco Laser Pro 190s. I’ll run one

so the fish aren’t put off by it. I like to run a fairly long trace, around 18” long. Trace is cheap but losing fish and losing lures isn’t! When you’re trolling for Spanish mackerel you can encounter a mixture of by-catch species. These can

it, you’ll want to skin it, and then remove any of the strong-flavoured red flesh. I use a brain spike as well, with the goal of minimising stress to the fish and keeping its flesh in top condition. BOTTOM FISHING We should be able to enjoy some good reef fishing in January. The fish will have spawned, and will be hungry and ready to eat. At this time of year you can get good catches of red emperor in around 36-50m of water. Fishing little rubble patches away from reef areas will help you to avoid the sharks somewhat. If you’re fishing for trout, it’s good to go quite shallow, even in as little as 10m of water, to keep away from the sharks or at least give yourself a better chance of getting your fish in. Just remember to use light sinkers in the shallows and try not to move your

bait too much. In fact, you shouldn’t move your baits for any bottom fish in our waters. Just let the bait waft naturally in the water. Also, you may have heard that you should wind your bait up a metre or two after hitting the bottom. That may have made sense in the old days when the fish were really thick, but these days you will catch fewer fish if you’re not right on the bottom. Yes, you may lose more sinkers, but it’s worth it. ESTUARY FISHING At the time of writing this report, the crabs are really firing. A friend of mine recently got 14 full crabs in one lift, including some really big bucks. The crabs should still be active in January. If there’s a crazy amount of fresh you could try around the river mouths. If not, just head to the normal areas, making sure you’re in a nice, muddy area of the creek. Right now we’re experiencing a great run of big grunter, and they have been annihilating the sprat (herring). They have been up in the shallow mud bars, and you can catch them fishing with a pea sinker and half a sprat or a whole live sprat on a 2/0 hook. The average size of the grunter is around 50-55cm, with a few stonkers up to 75cm in the mix. • Truansea Charters specialise in 10-hour day trips chasing prized reef targets such as coral trout and red emperor, as well as arm-stretching pelagics like Spanish mackerel. The maximum number of anglers is 6, so you’ll never feel crowded. The price is $350pp (or $330pp if you book the whole boat), which includes all gear, fuel, bait, ice, chilled water/soft drinks and laughs! You’re welcome to bring your own reef fishing gear if you prefer. Other charter options include half-day reef trips, half day river trips and private guiding. To find out more visit www.truansea. com.au, or you can Like them on Facebook or call Luke on 0423 015 490.

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Long term gain ahead MACKAY

Cameron Christian

It’s been a big year and 2023 will provide plenty of great fishing opportunities. January should be stinking hot with plenty of rain and storms. The rain may be temporarily inconvenient for the creeks and bad news for Teemburra but long term should boost baitfish stocks and may even give new stocked fingerings a better chance of survival having cleared some of those monsters lurking in the dams. Heavy rain leading up to January should see plenty of prawn and mud

Keeping an eye on your pots is usually important in Mackay systems due to large tidal runs, creeks that dry out, and pot robbers, including crocs. When the rain is intermittent and the creeks get a bit of a chance to clear the typical creek species will be around for a chew. Bream, flathead, king threadfin, blue salmon, queenfish, cod and golden snapper are all fair game in the creeks. If there is a good prawn run, some of the best spots will be where the prawns hang out. Particularly where prawns are left vulnerable, such as when they are flushed from gullies and gutters with the outgoing tide or

when they are exposed in the small bays. Plenty of jacks should be caught while mimicking prawn draining from the mangroves as they usually like to hide in tight cover to the sides of gullies or gutters and ambush their prey. Using live or fresh prawn baits or weedless prawn imitations should work well as long as they are worked close to the structure. In turn, using the current to drift baits or lures past the structure is a popular and reliable technique. Grunter will also be about and the large tides are usually best for chasing them, if prawn or other bait are seen on the flats or Mick knows a lot about mangrove jack fishing.

Marc Edmonds, from Team The BFB’s, had no trouble catching plenty of quality barra despite high water temps during the Teemburra day comp. crab catches throughout the creeks around Mackay and of course a big prawn run means a great start to the barra open season starting 1 February. If the influxes of rain are small there are usually small and sparse prawn runs, which can be a case of being lucky and having a cast net at hand if attempting to get a feed or just a bit of top quality bait. A good cast net and electric motor are best used to chase prawn that are usually targeted around small side gullies just tucked away from the current, under overhanging mangroves and in small bays. The concentration of small jelly prawn seen jumping through the net is a good indication of whether to stay on them or move on and come back after they have grown a bit. Heavy rain usually also sees mud crab flushed from the upstream areas toward the mouths of the creeks or gullies. Fish frames are a convenient bait but oily pilchards or mac tuna flesh secured with plastic mesh like gutter guard can yield great results. 34

JANUARY 2023

around the rubble patches then the grunter are likely close by. Baits like prawn, strip baits or yabbies or lures like prawn imitations and small swimbaits should work well in these areas. The mackerel and tuna typically move further south with the bait schools this time of year and become harder to get. Some stragglers usually hang around the southern systems like those around Sarina however and can make having a metal slug or popper rig ready to go well worth it. Further offshore there have been great reports of nannygai and red emperor catches and these

A freshly hatched sooty grunter from MAFSA’s hatchery.

should continue through the summer months. The shipping channel is a popular spot for these deep water species, however shark activity can really ruin efforts. Speaking with local tackle stores will be best for targeting the offshore species and dodging the taxman. The dams should be on fire with plenty of stinking hot weather and afternoon storms around however impoundment fish don’t like rapid changes in conditions and large influxes of rainwater will typically shut the fish down. The fish will usually feed well during the downpours or well after the dam has had a chance to stabilise however, hence there will always be a chance to get into some nice dam barra. A recent comp at Teemburra saw how the warm weather can really get the barra chewing. In stark contrast to the previous months comp, also at Teemburra, which fished miserably under some inconsistent conditions. Expectations were low due to many anglers reporting poor pre-fishing experiences and, most importantly, due to the unfamiliar day comp format rather than the usual nighttime session. Nevertheless, the dam fished very well with most teams getting the 3 fish bag and many reporting catching plenty more. Successful teams kept to tradition by fishing wind blown points around the basin. But they did adapt for the high water temp and extremely lethargic barra by sitting further off deeper points and very slowly working the thermoclines using suspending divers, like Jackall Squirrels or soft vibes like Transams. As the day progressed to

night and the water temp dropped, anglers were able to observe the barra pushing closer to the weed edges to feed and shifting the boat in with them kept the bites coming throughout the comp. MAFSA Hatchery has been busy lately with the sooty breeding season in full swing. Members recently produced a couple hundred fertilised eggs, however a poor hatch rate means members will be continuing the broodstock collection and egg production process. This process will continue right through the warmer months until the tanks are filled with viable fry destined for Mackay dams. MAFSA’s breeding efforts, barra stocking programs and associated fundraising events will be more important than ever if the dams overflow, as many of the larger fish will take the opportunity to jump the dam walls to try to head to the salt and breed. Continued support is essential for these efforts and MAFSA will require more members, funds and sponsors. Individuals can support the stocking group simply by providing valuable catch data using the catch survey app (see MAFSA’s Facebook page for more details), donating containers (C 1 0 1 7 0 2 5 1) or by becoming a member. Businesses can also play a huge part in MAFSA’s efforts and the group are always eager for more promotion and sponsorship. Any additional funds raised outside those provided by the SIP scheme can be used for activities such as fish monitoring programs including fish tagging. Tinaroo has over 20 years of fish tagging data and it would be great to see such valuable data coming from Mackay dams.

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OLD

Species on the January hit list TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

The lead up to the festive season changed nothing for anglers, and tides typically dominate our thoughts when there are some holidays on the cards. Of course, the weather at this time of year will be the determining factor of what types of fishing will be done, but there’s always

something to catch up here. With the recent coral finfish closure, combined with the Spanish mackerel closure plus closed season on barra, anglers have been thinking of what to do during this time. For us, it was a matter of finding something out of the normal, so queenfish, trevally, fingermark, grunter and jacks were way up there on the hit list. Of course, jacks are mostly what we chase,

but it did get us thinking about what other anglers might do if they don’t have lure casting tackle, an electric motor and all the necessary gear to do this type of angling. Tides play a big part in narrowing a species list down to a couple of specific targets, and queenies never disappoint. For table fish, fingermark (golden snapper/ chopper) are our favourites, and the fight is as brutal

Since the soft plastics revolution began, the good old hardbodies have been largely forgotten. Lures like this 125 Halco Scorpion have accounted for many great barra captures over the years, and that will continue.

as anything out there. Unfortunately, the sharks have just been too hard to beat to the boat lately. The day before I wrote this piece I thought I’d go and have a look for some choppers in the bay out the front of Townsville, and I hooked several big fingermark casting soft plastics in 5-7m of water. I never landed one of the buggers. I got a couple of bust-offs, and the rest were eaten by sharks not long after the hook-up. I moved several times but it didn’t help. The sharks were so quick that I had no chance of getting a fish past them. I set off to the channel markers to see what was poking around, and the queenies didn’t disappoint. Even though there were a couple of close calls with the sharks, none got eaten. Sadly, the sporting tactics of old – when you could fish light and actually land your fish – seem to be a thing of the past. These days there are so many sharks that the only way to land a percentage of your hooked fish is to bring it in as quickly as possible. Tactics for luring fish in this area are quite straightforward, and the way you rig your lures will

Hopping softies through the reef can be a bit snaggy, but with fish like this on the cards, who cares about the odd lure loss? directly depend on where you’re fishing. J-style jigheads are the best for reef and shoal type scenarios, and weedless rigs are the go for the snags and weed beds. At the time of writing this report, the beginning of the wet season looking like it’s about to hit. Things could change, but if you’re still hell-bent on bending a rod you can always fish impoundments like Peter

Faust and weirs in our local Ross River. You will need a Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIP), which is $50 a year, with funds going to future stocking. That $50 permit is great value when you consider the sheer amount of fun you can have doing this type of big barra hunting. Pretty much all of your normal barra lures will catch you big fish in the

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impoundments and weirs. Things like the Halco Scorpion with the 3m bib are bloody hard to go past for diving down beside weed beds, and tapping against and then rising off sunken timber and tree branches in drowned river beds. The type of barra bite

strikes are also regular occurrences. In these dams and weirs, you have to strike at even the most gentle of subsurface bites. One typical bite that confuses some anglers is that gentle ‘tick’ felt through the braid, and then nothing. It’s as if your lure is gone for

in its mouth before realising its mistake and ejecting it. Often you can look at your leader and see scuff marks which are a hand span up the line from the lure, and this is a dead set giveaway as to what has just happened. Armed with that knowledge, if we feel that ‘tick’ we will strike, or if necessary, wind in quickly until weight is felt, and then strike. It has to be done quickly. It really does pay to be on the ball and treat every enquiry as a big fish. It will surprise you how many of these bites convert if you’ve never experienced it before. One thing that needs extra attention is the hook points. If they’re not sticky

sharp, the fish can spit out the lure without the hooks penetrating the mouth on the way out. I know that this may be stating the obvious, but you’d be surprised how many fish are missed if you have a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. By contrast, if you use the right gear and keep on the ball, you’ll be rewarded with more consistent catches. TROLLING SPECIFICS Obviously with barra off the hotlist, other species in the creeks are the main focus for shore-based anglers and smaller boats. Smaller lures can be the go at this time of year, and one lure that has a wide species list is the 8m, 50mm Halco

Poltergeist. For such a small lure to be able to reach these sorts of depths is very useful, because it can attract a good range of species, including fingermark, grunter, bream, jacks, and whatever else is available. We rarely troll, but when we do with these little lures it’s usually with 15-20lb braid and 25lb leader to ensure they get down where we want them to be. Yes, you’re more than likely to hit barra as well, but just release them as quickly as possible and continue on. EARLY MORNING SURFACE If you’re anything like us we like to be on the water as early as possible, and most times before the sun rises.

In dirtier water, bright colours are better accepted by deeper dwelling jacks. you’ll get on a hardbody can vary. The biggest of fish can sometimes make the most gentle of taps on the line as they suck it in on the way towards the angler. In contrast, some arm-jarring

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a few seconds, then all of a sudden it starts to swim again, or comes back tangled up. This is typical of a big fish that has bum-rushed the lure and then cruised towards the angler with the lure still

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There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, we want to get that early morning surface bite, and secondly, we want to be able to spend the whole day on the water, not just a few hours. If you have an area that has a flooding tide with about 30-50cm of water over it, this is perfect and you have to reach the jacks before they chase the bait way back into the mangroves. Once this small window of opportunity is gone we tend to look for steeper banks with laying down timber, or those 90 degree mangrove roots where the jacks hunt around as the tide rises, but can’t escape to the back blocks. Searching for these varying types of structure and scenarios can make all the difference between catching a swag of fish, or just the odd one, and timing is everything. There are a number of lures that will work in this scenario, but we personally like the 60mm Halco Roosta popper, Atomic K9s, Bassday Sugapens and several others. Being on the smaller side, they should be cast on lighter tackle that’s no heavier than 20lb. It’s great fun and extremely exciting when they’re on the chew. So, if you’re after something to do while the barra are off the cards, give it a go. Cheers and good luck.

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Tackling a feisty La Nina HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

Happy fish year 2023! Can’t believe how time flies with now only one month to go until the barra season kicks off. Quite a few anglers have been making the journey to stocked impoundment dams, like Tinaroo or Peter Faust, to get their barra fix and quite a lot of big ones have been caught too. Captures of 120cm or bigger are quite common and we’re seeing a fast growing interest towards impoundment fishing. It’s also the time of year that, depending on how big a La Nina we get, it will see quite a few of these large fish in the dams head over the spillway and into the salt reaches below. It will

be interesting to see if most of the heavy rain stays down south this year or come back up here to Hinchinbrook and give this place a good flush out. It sure does get quite hot out there on those calm days with no wind around. For those who fish the daylight hours during the heatwaves I would suggest concentrating on your best bite times, which for most inshore species is generally 3 hours before the bottom of the tide and then 2 hours into the incoming tide. Being in the quiet period with charters I have only heard a handful of reports from inshore that have been patchy. While a lot of us have been targeting the golden snapper (fingermark), threadfin salmon and mangrove jack inshore recently, it has been hard keeping the barra away from

the hooks as they are often much more active and step it up a gear in these wet season periods. It is best if you can to just dehook them in the water and let them swim free as soon as possible minimising disruption to them during the closure. However, with the everincreasing shark presence, it may be safer to quickly place them on a cool wet floor or towel, dehook, and then quickly back into the water. Once the Hinchinbrook Channel waters get an inundation of freshwater, it will see a lot of whaler species of sharks move in a lot closer and will be a massive pest this time of year. Areas like Hecate Point should be an area to avoid at those times because even if you hook a decent fish, it’s most likely to get taken by sharks. Nighttime is the go if you’re chasing fingermark in the channel or around areas like Eva or Gould islands,

Mangrove jack are a summer staple for anglers. Missionary Bay or down near the Lucinda Sugar Jetty. Setting yourself up a good squid light and snaring a decent supply of live squid, either using a squid jig or a drawstring castnet, you’re bound to come across some really good sessions! They just can’t resist those live squid. Hooking the bell of the squid onto a 7/0 Kahle

hook and send down on a dropper rig is one of my favourite methods. With only another month to go for the barramundi season to reopen, anglers should now be dusting off their gear and servicing reels and stocking up on lures in readiness for the opening of the season. Especially if the weather

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Brian Ellis with a decent fingermark.

is not that great, then it’s a good time to visit your local tackle shop. The only thing that could make it a slow start to the barra season in February is if we get a lot of rain causing floodwaters, which will make them go quiet for a few weeks until it settles. I think we should be in for a decent wet season as we are really overdue for one. Only time will tell I guess. Also be wary of those afternoon storms that can develop out of nowhere. Some of them can be very intense and aren’t much fun for small boats. Particularly the ones that develop on land and head out to sea. Keeping a close eye on the BOM weather radar is a must if you’re in phone range when seeing those thunderheads develop on the horizon. • If you’re looking to do a barra charter with us for this year’s open 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 bassco boats 0402339459.

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Seeking the solace of the shade CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

January can be a tricky one to fish in the Trinity Net Free Zone. The one factor you can count on is the heat and humidity, which will be at its highest, especially if we have on and off down pours or thunderstorms. Combine this with consistent northerly winds and you have a recipe for extremely warm water in the creeks. Whilst warm air and water temps are preferred over colder temperatures they can get too hot at times, which can affect where you find the fish. During this time, shade is your friend and concentrating your lures into areas such as overhanging mangroves or banks is a really good idea. Different times of the day will determine where the shade is so if you can combine this with where the best banks are, then you will be in the game. Jacks in particular love this time of year and will be found in good numbers in the shaded areas. This is where weedless plastics are a good option as you can skip them under the overhangs and into the strike zone. The lighter your plastic the better chance you have to skip it under the mangroves so don’t go too heavy. Another popular option is to fish frogs. Weedless rigged frogs are perfect for

Soft plastics are a great way to catch golden snapper.

Casting to the shade is the best place to find jacks. skipping under mangroves. Spin reels tend to improve skip casting opportunities, however make sure you get that bail arm quickly as jacks love to smash these the moment they hit the water. It’s also a very good idea to move them as fast as possible on the retrieve as jacks love to hunt them down when swum with vigour. The best time to fish in the Net Free Zone this time of year is sunrise and sundown as this is when it is the coolest.

Also chasing jacks in the deeper water by locating off the bank structure is also a very good idea. These deeper water snags can be located using side imaging and down imaging sounders and then it’s just a matter of matching your jighead weight to the depth of water. Another target this time of year in the Trinity Net Free Zone is the golden snapper. These fish love the warm water and are best targeted over the neaper tides when you can fish the deeper holes and snags.

There are several rubble patches in the Trinity Inlet, which hold these fish and once again using your side imaging and down imaging sounder locate them will be the best technique. Being in deeper water I prefer to use jigheads with a flash or lures that give off a rattle or vibration. Next month usually sees the monsoon in full swing, and run off fishing will be the order of the day. It’s also the start of the barramundi season, which is always something we all look forward to.

Sounding up rock bars with the Helix 12 certainly makes finding golden snapper easier in the NFZ.

Another chapter begins for the Tropical North PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

As we approach New Year a lot has happened towards the latter end of 2022. With weather patterns all over the place Australia wide all we can do is go on past experiences to predict what may occur moving forward. In Tropical Far North Queensland our heavy tackle marlin season ended with a bang with the 4-day Port Douglas Marlin Challenge recording an official 25 tagged black marlin with twice as many lost opportunities as well. Statistically, approximately only one third of big black marlin get to the tag pole with the others lost during the fight for a variety of reasons. It’s formula 40

JANUARY 2023

one fishing, which offers up a lot of variables. Based on these figures a lot of activity was experienced in what is the only dedicated heavy tackle tournament currently conducted in the

southern hemisphere. This format of fishing is due to end quite soon but there’s plenty still out on the continental shelf in the coming weeks. If you are prepared to travel

wide there’s still blue marlin to encounter trolling big skirted lures with the possibility of some big yellowfin up to 40kg, if you get lucky. For lighter game gear even along the

The reef fishing may have slowed down but the quality of the fish is still there.

edge of the shelf there’s still the opportunity to target mahimahi, sailfish, wahoo and yellowfin tuna. All this travel though is subject to some pretty calm conditions. Back on the reef the fishing has slowed down a touch but there’s probably a bit more quality about the fish at times. 10kg red emperor, 8kg largemouth nannygai and 6kg coral trout are still obtainable fishing in excess of 35m in the deeper water. There’s always a smattering of other fish to be caught, including gold spot trevally, Moses perch, small mouth nannygai, cobia and some big rogue Spanish mackerel that tend to roam the reef individually. Nighttime fishing can see more numbers of red fish caught but one has to absolutely be certain there’s no land storms brewing from the west, these are notoriously

dangerous conditions. Our main rivers and estuaries understandably have become slow to fish during the heat of the day and a proper dose of rain is required to flush them out and rejuvenate new life and bring down the water temperatures. Again night fishing or low light fishing does tend to produce better results for the likes of fingermark, tarpon and barra (which must be released until 1 Feb). Along the coastline there’s been a few mac tuna, queenfish and school mackerel to find, with trolling smaller lures a good option to cover a bit more ground. It’s been another stinking hot summer up here and we’ll see what is around the corner in an unpredictable time of the year. However, there’s always something to angle for in our seaside village of Port Douglas.

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Glass out conditions COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

The weather has been great with some amazingly calm days and lots of opportunity to head out further to discover new

nannygai there waiting for an easy feed. That first drop and the sudden take as the reel goes ballistic and reel screams its head off as the fish does its initial run. The way they fight you think you have hooked a shark until the fight starts

ends up attacking your bait at some stage that produces a fight to remember. Once landed it has not much strength left in it and will take some time to revive before letting go. Also, the swim bladder will need deflating – it can be done easily enough through the side of the fish with either a thin knife and a twist to let air out or a large needle if you have one. Pushing down on the stomach as you do so helps push air out of the hole as well. Cod are hardy creatures and will swim away and hopefully survive the experience. The position of entry on the side is crossover from 4 spine on top fin and in line with the dorsal fin. You will know when you reach it as you will hear the release of air. There is a theory that the big cod help to keep the wonky hole open and clean so releasing it is a good idea and, although small gold spot are nice eating, large ones are best released. Finding new spots is

Jen with a decent sized coral trout. such a fast rate that it’s going to make any structure out on the reef hard to escape anglers. The fishing regulations are also increasing, along with the pressure increasing on our fish stocks. Hopefully they manage it well as the fish are running out of places to

hide apart from protected areas. Anyway, great to see more options available but we still need to always be aware of our actions so we don’t over fish a resource. I often wonder at the size of the large mouth nannies on some wonkies and think it might be that they breed there, or is it

Sam Ryder’s mangrove jack he caught from the wharf. ground. There’s nothing better than to find a new spot and pull some large fish up from the bottom. My favourite would be finding a new wonky hole with bait all over it. You know there is going to be a hungry largemouth

to wain and then you see the 10kg shiny red coming up to the surface. Such a nice fish and so nice to eat. Most of these areas have a resident bar check trout, which does nicely for the esky, but it’s the big gold spot cod that often Dan is certainly pleased with this largemouth nannygai.

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getting easier with the electronics available these days and the mapping. The ocean’s secrets areas are getting smaller and with side imaging covering a large scan area and searching for new spots has become so much easier. I still remember using a paper sounder to find the edge of a reef, mind you we did catch plenty of fish then too. Then came the GPS and once you found a good spot you had it for life, so no problems revisiting it to catch more. Now with electric motors with spot lock GPS the little bumps in deep water are easy to check and doesn’t have the same issues skippers had when they had to try to anchor on these spots. The technology in fishing is advancing at

just the fact they have been hidden for such a long time? Fish travel and sometimes fish school at a spot, so I’m unsure. More research is needed. So not over fishing a spot allows it to produce for further trips and replenishment. The local wharf has seen some big days with large schools of herrings shadowing the waters. Lots of predators coming in and out with the tide. There have been some nice mackerel and trevally around with some decent mangrove jack caught recently. Large schools of barramundi are still present and often caught on people using vibes around the wharf. Releasing them careful back into the water is a must. I’m looking forward to next month when the season opens. The wet season should see some more flow and dirty water around the wharf but conditions will see lots of calm weather for reef fishing and some great opportunities to search around for some new spots.

Morgan with a nice trevally from Cooktown Wharf.

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Winning in the wet CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

So many locals of Cape York proclaim that ‘The Wet’ is their favourite time. The beginning of

levels are to be maintained. Generally, the good wet season corresponds with good fishing later. F is h in g o p tio n s available for local residents in January consist mostly of offshore jaunts. Calm windless mornings on the

stacked below down in around 25-45m is a great way to put a feed on the table. Using metal jigs which flutter down the water column, attracting fish both on the drop and the way back up again. A little strip bait or squid

This queenie took a trolled popper. red emperor. A host of other species can sit mid water including giant trevally, golden trevally, chinaman

fish, red bass, diamond trevally and others. The sounder should reveal what depth predators are

stationed and baits can be wound back up off the bottom to match. Productive trolling can

GTs caught on a jig will fight hard! tentacles on the assist hook can dramatically increase your success rate. Some of the heavier vibes and soft plastics rigged with large jigheads can fish this deeper water and in the right hands are very affective. Working out sink rates and understanding the lures contact with the bottom is crucial in catching fish and preventing snags. Winding back in with a bit of speed will dramatically increase your hook ups on pelagic fish and speedsters. Dropping down baits and live bait slowly through the water column can produce anything from nannygai to coral trout and

A common sized trout taken off the surface.

Double chinaman fish trouble for these anglers. the year is the beginning of new life along the vast coastline of Cape York. Thunder rolls and the lightning strikes. The next two months likely the wettest of the year barring cyclone activity. The creeks are beginning their annual flow and the huge expanse of Cape York wetlands are starting to sponge up. January and February are crucial months if ground water and surface water 44

JANUARY 2023

water with the constant threat of rain. On the Barrier Reef side of the Cape, the offshore reefs represent a sparkling jewel in an endless sea. Water quality this time of year can be spectacular. The water is warm and clear without the constants trade winds mid-year. Some of the deeper patches, shoals and rocks will fish very well this time of year. Finding bait schools with predators

A great shoal trio of fish on jigs.

be found on some of the wide ground, especially around high points, shoals, pinnacles, fringing reefs and bommies. It can be a lottery of different species that might hit lures trolled at a range of depths. From skirted lures through to stick baits and suspending minnows, bibbed divers and trolled baits round out the options for trolling. Right out in the deeper sections off the reef edge, a few salty sea dogs will be out deep dropping depths from around 80m down to 200m. A range of staggeringly large fish can be pulled from the depths, usually not surviving the barotrauma. Luckily most of them taste great and fill an esky pretty quick. Only take what you need for a feed then give them a rest.

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Back in

black

Anglers can soon fish for an old favourite after new research confirmed a healthy stock level of black jewfish. Fishing for black jewfish in Queensland has been limited since 2019 after escalating catches and an increase in black marketing raised concerns over its sustainability. While precautionary management measures were put in place, a research project commenced to understand the biology of the species and collect important data on the fishery. This information was used to inform a stock assessment on the species and shed light on future management options. Researchers carried out genetic work to identify how many populations existed and used acoustic tagging to track the species’ movements. They also performed dissections to understand the spawning period and population structure of the black jewfish.

Key findings of the research showed that spawning happens throughout Central Queensland waters from November to February each year, females produce on average around 4.5 million eggs each spawning season, and a large proportion of old fish are still present within the population. The research also confirmed that black jewfish populations on the east coast were in a healthy state with an estimated average of 79% overall biomass. Following this good news, Fisheries Queensland is increasing the total allowable catch for black jewfish from early 2023, and recreational fishers will now be able to fish throughout the year. Keep an eye out for future consultation on additional management changes such as the implementation of a seasonal closure to align with the spawning season. For more information – download the QLD Fishing 2.0 app

Have you got your SIPS guides? Five new Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme Trail Guides have been developed covering Central Queensland, North Queensland, Wide Bay Burnett, South East Queensland and the Murray Darling Basin. Fisheries Queensland worked with Freshwater Fishing and Stocking Association of Queensland Inc. and local stocking groups to develop these new guides to help anglers traveling around Queensland. Each guide contains maps, information about the SIPS impoundments and what makes each dam unique. Queensland has more than 60 dams and weirs currently under the scheme — stocked with native fish specifically for recreational fishing. The scheme provides a sustainable fishing option that reduces the fishing pressure on wild fish stocks. To get your copy contact your local stocking group.

Download the free ‘Qld Fishing 2.0’ app from the App Store or Google Play DAF11855

12/2022

How do you count the fish in the ocean? Have you ever wondered where catch or size limits come from? Decisions like these are informed by stock assessments. Stock assessments are models of the fish population that combine our understanding of ecology, biology, environment, and fishing behaviours, to give an indication of the health of fish stocks. These assessments are done by fisheries scientists who have skills in mathematical modelling, biological research, statistical analysis and computer science. For more than 20 years stock assessment scientists at Fisheries Queensland have helped determine if a fish stock is sustainably fished, overfished or somewhere in between.

These might make the catch rates go up — but that doesn’t always mean there are more fish in the ocean! We also include data about harvest history, biological information and abundance patterns to ensure we are getting a full understanding of the fishery. Given we can’t dive down and count every single fish, stock assessments are a powerful tool to provide insight into the status of fish stocks and help us sustainably manage fisheries for future generations. More information go to daf.qld.gov.au and search for ‘stock assessment program’.

Freshwater fishing is one of Ursula’s favourite types of recreational fishing. Impoundment Barramundi are the most frustrating yet most rewarding fish to catch. Many hours and many casts go into working these fish out — with water temperatures and wind directions all playing a vital role.

Barramundi CLOSED East coast Qld 1 November 2022 to 31 January 2023 Gulf of Carpentaria 7 October 2022 to 31 January 2023

Spanish mackerel CLOSED East coast south of latitude 22˚S 1 February 2023 to 21 February 2023 1 March 2023 to 21 March 2023 For more info go to the Qld Fishing 2.0 app

Stock assessments are hungry for data, and the more data we can feed them, the better outcomes they produce. We look at catch rates — the most commonly used indication of fish numbers — and interpret these to understand changes in fish abundance. For example, over time, fishing boats and gear have improved.

Women hooked on recreational fishing

What you need to know

Ursula is one of the 10 Leaders of Women in Recreational Fishing Network Queensland. The network encourages women to participate in recreational fishing. They share knowledge, stories, tips, and promote events to develop female role models within the recreational fishing community. Search Facebook for ‘Women in Recreational Fishing Network Qld’ to join the group.

fisheries.qld.gov.au 13 25 23 FisheriesQueensland FisheriesQld DAFQld

Women in recreational fishing network

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Watching it all unfold TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

It will be interesting to see how things unfold in freshwater locations this year. For the last 12 months, it has been up and down due to continuous rain events and resulting inflows that have made the fishing more difficult. The good news is the lakes and waterways are now topped up and set to produce some exceptional fishing over the coming years. If it continues to rain, we will see more of what last year delivered. The biggest negative is some of the barra lakes are full and fish could escape over the summer months if spillways go over. If big rains hold off, expect some exceptional fishing this year. Summer is a great time for trolling and topwater fishing. The warmer water in the lakes sees

the fish scatter more to find comfortable levels in the water column to suspend in. This makes them easier targets for trolled offerings. When we think trolling, it doesn’t need to be based around convention hard bodied lures. Barra are suckers for trolled soft plastics, bass love a trolled tail spinner or Spectre Vibration Jig, and Murray cod love big spinnerbaits. If you are prepared to experiment, you will find you can troll a range of offerings and the more thought and effort you put in, the more you will be rewarded. Some presentations work best trolled from a rod holder while others perform better with a bit of rod work. Bass are very keen on drop backs so don’t be afraid to free spool to the bottom and then wind in some line before repeating this while the boat moves along slowly. Topwater fishing seems to work in some locations better than others. Surface

lures come into their own in low light periods and will be most effective when the fish are prepared to rise to the top. Early mornings until the sun rises and late afternoons once it sets are the prime times to try your luck. Bass fishers will find success in the rivers and creeks and on lakes like Hinze, Maroon, Borumba and Isis Balancing Storage. While it is closed season in the salt, our impoundment barra are keen on surface presentations too and given the right conditions they will eat off the top during the day as well. Kinchant and Teemburra are great surface lakes in the Mackay region. The southern lakes are a lot tougher on surface and this is most likely due to the abundant bait supply and such big fat healthy fish not needing to expend too much energy to chase a feed. Awoonga is probably the choice of them for surface luring and you will pick up the occasional barra on topwater early in the day, at night or on

Topwater cod are great targets this month before the sun is high in the sky. Rivers will be best but you’ll get a short window at first light in the lakes. weedless plastics during the daylight hours. Murray cod will be feeling the heat and the window for surface fishing will be in the cooler morning hours between darkness and first light. In the creeks and

rivers this bite will extend and you can use shade lines and structure to your advantage and stretch out the morning and afternoon bite times. It’s been flat out in my world. Between lure

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST The Cressbrook bass have been very hard to find and tempt. The warmer water temperature should see them move out into more open water and suspend. These fish may hold around the lake’s edges in 5-9m of water or venture out into deeper areas in the middle of the dam and find a comfortable spot to hold up. Either way, trolling will be a good option to cover heaps of water and try to find a hungry fish. Medium to deep diving hardbodies are perfect for Cressbrook fish and you will need to mix it up to find where they are sitting and what they prefer. Lure casters should be able to tempt a few fish by casting spinnerbaits

and Spectre Vibration Jigs around the lake’s edges. These lures can be used to explore a lot of water when you keep moving along the shoreline on the electric motor. The best depth to present these in will be 4-8m of water. Any schooling fish in deeper water can be fooled with a spoon or a soft plastic presentation. Golden perch numbers have been surprisingly good. You will score a few of these while targeting bass but some anglers have chosen to work ZX40 blades vertically for them with good success. The main lake points and up the backs of the creeks are always good spots to try your luck when chasing goldens. Redclaw crayfish numbers should be pretty good for those wanting

Somerset has started to produce some quality bass around Pelican Point flats. The Spectre Vibration Jig in 5/8oz and darker colours seem to perform best. a feed. Traps dropped in 6-10m of water should draw them in. • Fish’n’Bits in Toowoomba has all the gear and tips on how to chase the Cressy

Gary’s Marine Centre

3201 6232

217 Pine Mountain Road, BRASSALL 48

JANUARY 2023

fish. They are an excellent store specialising in all freshwater lures and tackle. The access gates to the ramp and day use area will be open from 6am to 8pm. SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY Somerset Dam has started to return to its old self. A gap in heavy rain has allowed the water to clear up enough for the fish to move out into schools on the flats. These numbers will only increase with the extra heat pushing them off of the edges. The quality of these fish has been exceptional with plenty of big 50cm long models mixed in with the smaller ones. The Pelican Point area has been one of the main fish holding locations with bunches of fish moving around on the southern side.

You will also find scattering of fish around the Kirkleigh flats and wide of Queen Street on the flats and humps. Last month, the fish were still a bit fussy about lure presentations. Spectre vibration jigs seem to work best on most days. The fish are often close to the bottom and these lures can be fished to suit by casting, wind drifting or trolling. If they lift off the bottom or suspend out in deeper water, trolling hard bodies and tail spinners will sort them out. Spoons were still accounting for a few last month but they might get a bit tougher on them as it heats up more. It’s hard to be sure though as conditions are not the same as they were over the previous drier years from which I gauge my assumption. There’s only one real way to tell and that’s to give it a go.

making, filling orders, setting up a new boat and work it’s hard to find a time to wet a line. I’m sure I’ll be making up for this very soon. Until next time, buckled rods from the Colonel. MAROON CLOSEST TOWNS: BOONAH, RATHDOWNEY Very early mornings and late afternoons into the night will be the times to try surface lures on the lake’s bass. These fish will be up feeding around the weed beds during the low light periods. Smaller topwater offerings from 55-75mm will get the bites. The best spots to try are usually out of the wind where the fish can hone in on the subtle movements of the lure. If there is surface wind disturbance, you can let then fish know your lure is there with a slightly noisier, splashier retrieve. Most of the weedy edges should hold fish. The better numbers will be found on raised humps and points just outside the weed during the day. These fish will be keen on reaction style lures. Spinnerbaits and Spectre Vibration Jigs are perfect at this time of year. When fishing into the weed earlier in the day, I’d also consider using a beetle spin rigged soft plastic. My choice is a 3” Slider Grub on a 3/8oz jighead and beetle spin frame with a small silver blade. These lures are great for ripping out of weed beds and triggering strikes as they pull free. • The lads at Charltons Fishing at Redbank are all over the fish activity at Maroon and Moogerah. Call in and grab your supplies and hit them up for tips on where the fish are biting.

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DARLING DOWNS AND GRANITE BELT COOBY CLOSEST TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA It’s a great time to chase Cooby Dam’s golden perch. The fish step it up a level in the middle of summer and chase all kinds of lures. You can jig them up vertically with small blades’ which is a technique that works for most of the year. It is a good time to play around though as they will eat an assortment of offerings. Lipless crankbaits, like the ever popular TN60 Jackall, are great for trolling and casting around the weed bed edges. Don’t be afraid to let them sink all the way to the bottom in the spots with less weed present. If you spot numbers of fish on your sounder, pull up and have a few casts. Slow winding lipless crankbaits and dropping them back to

bottom is a good way to get drilled. Golden perch strikes are quite violent followed by a series of thumping head shakes. They can be poor sport over the cooler parts of the year but put on a show in the warmer months. Another method worth trying is jerkbaits and small hardbodies fished off of the weed edges on just before dark. You only need lures that dive to a metre or two to give this a go. Boat positioning is critical and you will need to pick your location well before it is time to start. Clear water over the edges of the weed bed should be present so you can rip the lure down and then slowly work it back almost tickling the tops of the weed. LESLIE CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK Leslie Dam golden

perch have really fired up for lure fishers over the past month. Jigging ZX40 and ZX45 blades was doing a lot of the damage last

month but you can expect to catch them trolling and casting as well. The fish seem to be favouring the edges of the old creek bed

develop a run of these you can hop between them and check them for fish every so often. Soft plastics rigged on jigheads or ready to go swimbaits will both be effective. The Molix Shad 140 is good for deeper areas where you want the lure to run over 3m deep. If they are holding a bit shallower, you could try the new Molix 120 or the old faithful 5.5” Zerek Live Mullet. Paddletail plastics are just as effective but you need to rig them yourself with jig head weights and treble stingers to suit the areas you are fishing. • Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing (0429 223 550) and Lake Awoonga Barra Charters (0404 151 844) run guided trips on the lake. Both cater to the needs of the angler and can do fly or conventional tackle trips to target the lake’s barramundi. It is hard to beat time on the water and a guided trip is a great way to learn more about this lake and its fish.

• Mark from Awoonga Gateway Lodge always has a few productive secret spots to share. The Gateway lodge is on the way in to the dam after turning off at Benaraby. The accommodation is great with plenty of boat parking space right beside the comfortable air conditioned, self-contained cabins each with its own veranda. To book in a stay give Mark or Lyn a call on (07) 49750033. CALLIDE CLOSEST TOWN: BILOELA It has been a lot slower at Callide this year but some quality barra over 1m are still being caught. The action seems hot and cold based on the weather and as a result unseasonal cooler water temperatures. Even at the beginning of December water temperature were struggling to stay above 26ºC. Surely the core temperature will have risen enough over this summer period to produce more consistent results by now. Barra have been pretty easy to find around the edges

of the lake. The level has remained quite constant over the last year and some weed beds have formed around most parts of the lake. This weed is quite thick and comes out near the surface before it drops away in a solid wall. The barra can be easily seen outside this weed edge on either side image or live sonar. Best results seem to be coming from wind-blown banks and points. This is unlike the Callide barra in years past when they were very unpredictable beasts. They may return to their open water, wandering habits if the water temperature lifts enough to push them deeper and away from the lake’s edge. Standout lures over the last month have been dark ale and ayu coloured 5.5” Zerek Live Mullets. Stick with these this month and add trolling them to the book of tricks if the barra push out into the open water

CAPRICORN REGION AWOONGA CLOSEST TOWNS: BENARABY, GLADSTONE Awoonga Dam has been a bit tougher lately. The weed beds look sensational and conditions seem right but the barra are playing hard to get. It is the late afternoon into night sessions that seem to produce for most anglers. Perching yourself on a likely windblown point and waiting for the fish to arrive works time and time again. This can be the difficult part. The dam is seeing a lot more action and finding a spot for yourself is hard work unless you are prepared to head out early and stake one out and wait for the fish to arrive. While the main basin points between the ramp and Dingo Island see most of the action, there are plenty of other areas worth investigating that see way less boat traffic. Not all will hold fish but if you

Golden perch are out in numbers around most of the lakes. They get a lot more active and willing to pounce on all lures over the hot months. and deeper water. Let your sounder help you pick the lure to target them. If they are only a few metres deep, you will get away with

a shallow diver or lipless crankbaits. When they are deeper, pick a hardbody lure to suit. It pays to have 3-8m divers in your box when visiting this lake to ensure you have all bases covered. Cod fishers might find a few cruising shallow on the flats at first light but they will quickly retreat to deeper water as the sunrises. To target them during the day try trolling 1oz spinnerbaits along drop offs to the old creek bed or over structure. If you find areas where the creek bed comes out onto 4-5m deep flats, you’ll be in with a good shot. • The local blokes at Warwick Outdoor and Sport in Palmerin Street can point in you in the right direction and hook you up with the good gear and bait to catch the fish at Leslie.

Nighttime barra sessions will produce well on Lake Awoonga. and suspend. • You can stay close to the dam at Lake Callide Retreat. The park has basic camping, powered sites for camping and vans and also selfcontained cabins. There is a well-equipped camp kitchen

AWOONGA GATEWAY LODGE

“ Right on Awoonga’s doorstep. All set up for fishos, with tranquil surroundings. “

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.

k pin a a rr ch Cat ed Ba 00! g tag in $20 to w

• Minimum 3 night stay • BBQ areas • Saltwater pool Barra love to move and feed as the light fades. Soft plastic swimbaits are a great way to score one of these cruising fish.

www.awongagatewaylodge.com awoongagateway@bigpond.com JANUARY 2023

Kayaking

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Budds Beach was a blast BRISBANE

Troy Brown

It’s tough to say goodbye, but luckily for myself and fellow members of the Qld Hobie Crew, our penultimate meet and greet for the year was

a multitude of parking places along the waterfront in the morning. Once parked, you can haul your kayak to the single boat ramp, or simply wheel your kayak straight over the sand. Even at low tide, provided you’re not pulling a massively overloaded kayak,

flats. Still, exceptional kayak anglers often spend more time moving than fishing, narrowing their window of opportunity while seeking the best fishing grounds. As I had a sleepless night and needed to be onshore early to set up our presentation

my drive well and another overboard, so I didn’t worry about amassing points for our friendly competition. Others were faring better, but despite numerous catch reports over the UHF radio, I wasn’t hearing anyone reporting larger fish being boated. As we were fishing a multi-species event, with the three largest legal fish being tallied for a total catch length, I expected anglers to target flathead and larger species. Early reports of only a few smaller flathead and trevally, mostly bi-catch for those chasing bream for fun on the pontoons,

Tim ‘The Don’ Donselaar with one of the many bream caught on MMD soft prawns.

The most effective weapon for fishing tight spaces in any waterway, the Hobie Outback. They are amazing kayaks, but nearly any kayak will broaden your fishing horizons. merely a perfect transition into 2023. With many of us having never fished the area around

the haul over the short section of beach is simple and will avoid queuing behind the boat trailers.

barbecue, I fished within a few hundred metres of our launch site. My catches were modest; I managed to drop one through

Monica Crichton had a large haul of various species and negotiated this bridge more elegantly than the author. [Note from author: lower the Power Pole BEFORE passing under low bridges, as getting stuck is somewhat embarrassing!]

Taken late in the day and missing some participants, but this crew is surely the friendliest on the water. Budds Beach at the Gold Coast, it was bound to be a challenging day. Combine a new location with a strong wind warning, an enormous volume of weekend water traffic, then add hundreds of jetskiers dressed as Santa for a charity record attempt. When you’re fishing with a bunch of great people, the inevitable result was a lot of fun, some fish and heap of laughs. The launch from Budds Beach, is an easy task in a kayak. Finding street-side parking is possibly the biggest issue, as spots fill up fast with families claiming picnic spots on the waterside. The solution is to arrive early, as there are 50

JANUARY 2023

Once in the water, there are a multitude of options. What a kayak lacks in speed, it makes up tenfold in manoeuvrability and stealth. The kayaks in our group disappeared in all directions, with some choosing not to stray far from our launch, others covering a much wider area in search of a winning catch. Given the strong wind, I was slightly surprised to hear a couple of members had gone as far as the open sections of the Broadwater, but kayakers are a determined bunch! While lacking the potential to travel long distances, kayak fishing provides superb access to the rear of pontoons, narrow creeks and shallow

confirmed my suspicion that group members were focussed on the social gathering, rather than the fishing! Despite the size of most catches being modest, the variety was impressive. Our bream experts, including our overall 2022 series winner Lex Irwin, seem to be magnets for these fish. Logic dictated they should chase larger species, but when you’re a bream specialist, it seems the passion over-rides everything else. Despite chasing bream,

Lucas won the day with a reasonable catch of flathead.

Lucas Mulligan won the day with a good bag of larger fish. This flathead was caught while trolling an Atomic Double Deep lure.

Lex still managed a top-three finish, which reflected both the average size of other species caught, but mostly the impressive length of his bream haul. Tactics from our winners varied considerably. As a sponsored Frogleys Offshore angler, it was no surprise that Lex caught most of his fish cranking small Atomic Bream Shads along the edges of the pontoons. Lex offered some great advice after the event, sharing his technique for bending the tow point, so his lure tracked along each side of the pontoon. It’s a simple means of controlling the lure that I’d used multiple times

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when trolling a lure behind my boat, but never considered when casting lures alongside pontoons from a kayak. I mostly gave up on hardbodied lures beside pontoons, as the precision required seemed like too much effort. With Lex’ tip, you can easily position your kayak to improve your casting angle and distance yourself from shy fish, while still running your lure parallel to the structure. It was a tip so simple, yet so useful, that made my day even more worthwhile. Added to that gem, Lex also suggested that only a small alteration to the tow point was needed, while cranking just fast enough to find the perfect action of each lure. Winding too quickly can cause the lure to “blow out” in the water, forcing it to drag uselessly on the surface.

of catching them. Event organiser Ray Hawes, who seems to always find a variety of fish species, unsurprisingly managed his usual result at Budds Beach. Ray worked lightly weighted plastics around the structure, gently winding and lifting the lure in the strike zone. He was another having success with

Kayaking

favoured a simple slow roll, proving that in different currents, water depths and for different species, we often need to use a multitude of techniques. Budds Beach provided some great variety, despite the unfavourable fishing conditions. I’m surprised to find yet another area of

One of many fringefin trevally caught on the day. They are a beautiful fish and there were lots around. Lex also had success working the rear of pontoons in deeper water with Gulp Crabbies and hidden-weight

jigheads, as well as the reliable Cranka Crab. I draw the line at using anything that smells worse than bait, so despite its effectiveness, one of those lures will never appear on my kayak! Crew founder Tim Donselaar, discovered on the day that certain lure juices and auto carpet are a poor combination! Despite his unfortunate accident, Tim caught a number of fish for the day, but hilariously they You’re going to love your new Savage. oldest caught The while casting MMD You’rename goingintoAustralian love your new Savage. The how oldest soft prawns downcurrent on boating, knows to build namestrong, in Australian knows buildout thetoedges of pontoons, rock reliableboating, units that are a how workhorse on strong, reliable units that are a workhorse outand on pylons, rather than walls the water. They’re built tough to get you where the where stinky stuff that attacked the water. They’re built tough to get you you want to go and then get back to where his carpet. you want to go and then get back to where you need to is be. With a great day’sLucas fishing Another capture fromyou Lex Irwin, the bream Mulligan won the need to who be. With a great day’s fishing in between. version of The Terminator –and thisfun man is unstoppable! day with some solid flathead and fun in between.

and a mulloway combining to give the longest overall catch length. Lucas has a simple method that fares well in most areas, trolling lures, such as the Atomic Double Deep along the edges of drop-offs. Using an electric motor on his kayak to cover more ground, it’s an effective technique and can yield great results. Trolling can be prolific on some days, but also risky when fish are tight into structure. Knowing when to change depths, lure type, speed and, importantly, when to start casting the edges, requires a solid strategy and good technique. With many anglers and many species, we also saw many different methods

The crew’s ‘Mr Consistent’ and the organiser of the meet and greets, Ray Hawes. MMD prawns, hopping and twitching the lure to simulate distressed movement, while using more erratic retrieves in the faster moving water for aggressively feeding trevally. Anglers such as Tony Riley

the Gold Coast I want to revisit, as the list seems to be endless. Each spot makes me want more; more visits, more time and more of the great company we enjoy in this amazing sport.

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Plenty of NEW things from Tackle Tactics As you read this, most likely you have had some time to relax and enjoy everything that the Christmas/New Year period has to offer. It certainly feels like some form of normality has returned, so I hope you have had a great Christmas and New Year. For me it certainly felt like Christmas had come early when I went and picked up an array of products for this testing booth from the team at Tackle Tactics. They have certainly come a long way from the small shed, office space and the specialty range of jigheads and lures they had, when I met them many years ago. Their portfolio of brands has expanded well beyond the name Tackle Tactics (TT’s as we all know it) and includes brands we all know like ZMan, Platypus, Okuma, Pro Cure, Toadfish and a number of others. So, as you can imagine they had plenty of new product hitting the shelves in late 2022 and early 2023. You will find an image within this testing booth that shows you the products that I picked up to be used and tested. The one thing missing is the Okuma Ceymar HD spin reel. It has arrived now, but I will test it individually, as I want a bit more time to put it through its paces. Let the testing begin.

them correctly. I tend to keep them in their original packaging, which keeps them out of harms way. They do react with other plastics and if left out the sun can change shape, so store them correctly and you will have plastics that last longer than most in the market. TT BLACK MAMBA FISHING RODS Tackle Tactics recently added a rod range into its portfolio of products. There are three ranges within this portfolio ranging from the entry level Copperhead series,

Just a few of the new releases from Tackle Tactics in 2023. FYI the Okuma ITX reels are an old favorite. The new Okuma Ceymar HD reels will be tested in a future issue of the magazine.

This Enoggera Reservoir bass couldn’t resist a ST GrubZ slow rolled through the lily pads in the image. ZMAN ST GRUBZ AND ZMAN PRAWNZ SOFT PLASTICS Two new shapes have been added to the extensive range of ZMan soft plastics in the form of the 2.5” ST GrubZ and 2.5” PrawnZ. They are available in 12 and 15 colours respectively, including some two-

This small mulloway didn’t read the script. It ate a ST GrubZ meant for a bream. 56

JANUARY 2023

tone laminate options and a number of new colour releases for the new season like Dirty Oil, Laguna Shrimp, Slam Shady and Blood Oil which has a great story behind it. Motor Oil and Blood Worm have always been some of the most popular colours within the ZMan range and within that group of anglers, there were many that liked to place the two colours together in a tackle tray to let the two colours leach together forming a hybrid colour. Tackle Tactics have saved anglers that effort with the Blood Oil colour as it is the combination of the Bloodworm and Motor Oil colours. These two soft plastics are at the finesse end of the scale, when it comes to soft plastics, but that is where their similarities end. The PrawnZ requires the angler to impart the majority of the action (it does have a nice little tail flip) while the ST GrubZ with its split tail design and body micro ribbing offers maximum action with minimal movement of the lure. In simple terms an angler new to fishing with soft plastics will find the ST GrubZ a little easier to use. As far as rigging each of them, the TT Lures HeadlockZ range is your best option. The design of this jighead assists the plastic to hold position if you are getting tentative bites, minimising the plastic from being pulled from the grub keeper. Having said that I have always loved rigging a prawn style plastic in

a slightly different way using the TT tournament series HWS (Hidden Weight System) jigheads, which makes the lure sink in a horizontal position and offers a weedless presentation, perfect if your fishing areas that are structure orientated. There will be a picture within this test showing this rigging option. Although there are many species you can target and will catch with either of these two lures, I believe bream anglers will love them. The colour options are spot on and the different presentation and retrieve options will excite many anglers. Scent is another component that many anglers like to use, so the ribbing on the ST GrubZ may tip a few people towards it, as the ribs hold plenty of scent to add a bit more attraction to your lure. A small warning with these plastics and ZMan plastics in general is to store

Most fish love eating prawns, so the new ZMan 2.5” PrawnZ will be a good option for any number of species. medium price point Red Belly range and then finally the Black Mamba range. All have spin and baitcast options. I was given a couple of the Black Mamba spin rods to try (the 7’ 1-3kg and 2-4kg rods). I matched them with a couple of the Okuma ITX reels (a 1000 on the 1-3kg rod and a 2500 on the 2-4kg rod) and them with 6lb Platypus Pulse X8 braid and 8lb Platypus Bionic X9 braid. In my mind great set ups for our saltwater bread and butter species, bream and flathead. As already

The three rigging options the author used with the 2.5” PrawnZ. A weedless presentation using a TT HWS jighead (top), a standard TT HWS jighead presentation (middle) and a TT HeadlockZ finesse jighead (bottom).

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PRODUCT GUIDE mentioned I had planned to use the Ceymar HD reels, but they hadn’t arrived at this point in time. The Black Mamba range is at the top end price point of the three ranges, but are still what I would consider great value for money as they retail from $179.00. Each of the set ups mentioned would cost approximately $400 as a well balanced outfit. Both the reel and the rods have plenty of features that belie their price

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These two lines are part of the new stable of lines that tackle tactics introduced when they took over the brand, the other two to look out for are Pulse 4 carrier braid and Bionic 8 carrier braid (this is the current version of the original Bionic braid with the addition of 6lb, 8lb, 10lb,12lb and 15lb breaking strain options). Getting back to the two lines mentioned, both offer the increased strength that higher carrier braids provide as well as the

At around $400 rrp, each of these outfits are well worth a look in the authors opinion. A great combination of products from Tackle Tactics.

The author believes bream anglers will love the two new plastic options from ZMan. This one ate a PrawnZ first cast at the Logan River. point. With the rods in particular you have full Fuji components which include the reel seat and Tangle Free Alconite guides built on a 36/40T Toray premium carbon fibre 1 piece blank, While the reels have 7+1 high performance bearings, significant drag for reels of this size (3kg and 8kg) and all housed in a lightweight carbon fibre body. In summary a lightweight outfit that will suit those that are tournament fishing orientated or those that enjoy the benefits that a quality graphite outfit offers. PLATYPUS PULSE 8 CARRIER BRAID AND PLATYPUS BIONIC 9 CARRIER BRAID The iconic Australian fishing line brand Platypus has continued to thrive since being purchased by Tackle Tactics. Eight additional machines have been added to the line up so production can increase and so that lines like the much loved Bionic braid can be produced in smaller breaking strains. Although the above lines have been around for a little while, they were new to me, so I was keen to see what they offer.

A better quality flathead from the Logan River that the author caught using the 2-4kg TT Black Mamba outfit.

I have said numerous times in these testing booths that the reason you use braid fishing line, a fluorocarbon leader (Platypus Stealth fluorocarbon in this case) and a graphite rod is so that you can feel what is happening at the end of

Since purchasing Platypus, Tackle Tactics has added extra machines so they can produce new products like their Pulse and Bionic (9 carrier) braids. finer diameters anglers now expect, even as the line breaking strains increase. As mentioned, I spooled the lighter outfit with 6lb Pulse (8 carrier) and the heavier outfit with 8lb Bionic (9 carrier) braids. My key target species being bream, flathead and Australian bass, however these are just a few of the species these outfits would be suitable for. PUTTING ALL THESE THINGS TO GOOD USE I have always found that first impressions are one of the most important things when doing these testing booths. Although over time things can grow on you, when you have gone out, purchased an outfit and then don’t like something straight away, it is almost like the fish know it and they bite on your mates line rather yours. Maybe that’s just me, but that hasn’t been the case during the short time I have been using the products in this testing booth. First and foremost, I have really been impressed by the feel/sensitivity this combination of products has provided.

your line. The things that improve this feel or sensitivity are the quality of the material the rod is made of, the components used and the type of line you fish with (I find that the higher carrier braids provide more feedback through the rod and reel). I would be happy to recommend this outfit just on this feature alone. Also, for light line fishing the taper of the rod is important, I have always loved a fast taper rods and the Black Mamba is that. The tip of the rod does a lot of the work whether it be allowing you to cast lightweight lures or to absorb the lunges the fish you have hooked, while the butt section provides the power to bring the fish to the net. The reel obviously plays a big part, with a smooth drag being important to avoid line breakages. I have always been a set and forget type of person when it comes to the drag. I don’t like playing with it when fighting a fish, so the smooth drag the Okuma ITX reels have was another tick for me. As far as the two new plastics go, I am sure they will quickly find their way into many peoples tackle bags. As mentioned storing them correctly is important and I also found taking the time to rig them

straight on your jighead was a must (especially the PrawnZ). You will find a guide to the correct hook sizes and jigheads on the Tackle Tactics website to assist with this. Once you have this right they are pretty deadly. The new colours are bound to be a hit. Like many people I love the Motor Oil colour and the new version thereof are a good variation of that theme. The blood oil was the stand out for me as well as the Laguna Shrimp colour, but I think everyone will find a favourite within the colours available. Last but certainly not least is the Platypus braids. They are a good contrast depending on what you are looking for in a braid. The Bionic (like its predecessors) is a slightly thicker more robust line, while the Pulse is a little more refined or finesse orientated. Which one you like will depend on your personal preference. For me I was drawn to the Pulse braid, however my regular fishing companion Nicholas, instantly preferred the Bionic, so only you will know where you sit. As far as knot tying, knot strength and castability they were very similar (very good) so ultimately, I would be happy to use either. CONCLUSION The new products from Tackle Tactics are well worth checking out at your local tackle outlet or online at www. tackletactics.com.au. They also have newsletter that you can subscribe to, that has plenty of information about their products and how to use them. I know I have enjoyed my introduction to their new lines for 2023 and look forward to using them some more with the Okuma Ceymar HD reels attached.

Flathead often are found in the same areas as bream. The lighter 1-3kg Black Mamba outfit doing the job.

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au JANUARY 2023

Sydney

NSW

Waiting for weather windows to open up PITTWATER

Chris Leslie

In recent weeks we’ve had some unfavourable weather that has stifled fishing. There are certainly fish around, it’s just that we have had cold water, strong winds, big swells… everything we shouldn’t be getting. In my 50-odd years of fishing I’ve never seen weather like this. I fish nearly every day and it’s just annoying! Anyway, with luck, things will be better by the time this magazine hits the shelves. The reports from Sydney harbour have been a bit thin on the ground because people haven’t been fishing much. However, those anglers who have gotten out have been catching kingfish in the harbour around the Opera House, Pier One etc. A few salmon and a few tailor have been mixed in with the kingfish. When it comes to catching kingies, live baiting with live squid is ideal but

the squid seem to be absent at the moment. Normally I’d be selling truckloads of squid jigs at this time of year, but things are definitely quiet on that front, at least for now. The reason for the lack of squid may be all the rain we have had, because squid don’t like dirty water. Fortunately, live yellowtail and live slimy mackerel also work well. Live garfish are excellent too, and even the dead ones that you buy can work well. You can put them on ganged hooks or a double sliding rig (i.e. one fixed hook inserted through the jaw, and another sliding hook inserted underneath the tail). You can float them out in the current, slow troll them or cast and retrieve. Micro jigs also work well in the harbour, as do stickbaits or poppers if the kings are feeding on the surface. You might have to go through a bunch of jigs to find what colour they’re taking, so bring a range of jigs and colours with you to see what works on the day.

Moving to the Pittwater area, kingfish have been showing up at the usual places like Clareville Wreck, Scotland Island, Stokes Point, and so forth. Anglers have also been getting some good bream and flathead up around the northern end of Pittwater, Mackerel Beach and the back of Palm Beach. Berley is always the secret to success, especially for bream. If you’re prepared to put the time and effort into pumping yabbies, you’ve got one of the best baits there is. It’s a great holiday activity for kids as well. If you’re not keen on yabbying, other good baits include pilchards, peeled prawns, strips of squid and mullet strips, which will all catch bream and flathead. Chicken breast baits are also catching their share. Bream in particular love chicken breast, especially when it is coated in parmesan cheese, which has a strong smell that seems to attract the bream from afar. First light and last light

are the best times, especially in the harbour and Pittwater. If you can combine this with a tide change, so much the better. As the old saying goes, ‘no run, no fun’. Narrabeen Lakes are fishing quite well for flathead and bream, and this should continue. The beaches have been fairly quiet lately because the water is cold; at the time of writing it’s only 18°C, when it should be 21°C. By the time you read this, the water temperature should hopefully have increased to normal levels for this time of year. Anglers fishing the beaches have been getting a few whiting, and there are plenty of salmon around too. The odd bream and flathead has also been popping up here and there. I haven’t heard of any mulloway being caught lately, but that could be due to the poor conditions on the rocks and beaches. Speaking of rock fishing, you probably heard about the poor angler who drowned at the start of December. He

was washed off the rocks at Turimetta Headland, and sadly couldn’t be resuscitated. Another angler was washed off at Mona Vale, and fortunately he survived but was battered by the rocks. These accidents didn’t have to happen – the conditions at the time were too rough for anybody to safely fish at those locations. You should always have a plan B and C to fall back on if a spot looks a bit dicey. Remember, no fish is worth your life. Anglers fishing offshore have been getting some nice snapper on Long Reef wide, Dee Why, Reggies and Boltons. However, the snapper have been very erratic, and there haven’t been many good weather windows. There are kingfish being jigged up on the deeper grounds like Texas and the Peak, and you can still catch a feed of flathead on the drift off the coastline around that 40-60m mark. FISHING IN JANUARY January is one of the

better months for catching kingfish, bream, whiting, flathead, mulloway and snapper. As for the weather, who knows what we will get – not even the Bureau of Meteorology seems to be able to predict it. We will just have to hope for the best! • If you need fishing gear, quality bait or a chat about what’s biting, head to Narrabeen Bait and Tackle. Owner Mark, his son Marc and long-time staff member Chris have been local fishermen for 30 years – so there’s not much they don’t know about Pittwater or Northern Beaches fishing, and they are happy to answer any questions you may have. The store stocks an extensive range of tackle, and their live and fresh bait range is renowned as one of the best in Sydney. It is sourced locally and includes live beach worms and nippers. Drop on and see them at 1469 Pittwater Rd, North Narrabeen or phone (02) 9970 6204.

Lots to look forward to with changing conditions SYDNEY NTH

Steve Winser

With the water temperatures slowly rising and a possibility of this La Niña cycle finally ending (yay!), there’s a slow but sure changing of the conditions inshore and in the harbour. We are seeing catches of cold water species, such as the wash fishing species like blue groper, black and silver drummer. Also, the shallower water species inside the harbour, such as bream and blackfish, are still fishing exceptionally well considering the time of year. It’s a testament to how long this season has been drawn out. We have been catching groper and drummer on 8ft casting outfits loaded with 15kg braid and 15kg mono leaders. Crabs gathered

A solid king caught on a guided trip with Craig McGill of Fishabout Sydney Harbour. from the rock ledges are the ticket for the groper. Bread and prawns have been taking the big drummer, with some stonking big silver drummer also showing up in the mix. Floating bread baits, or baits fished shallow under bobby corks, will easily find you a feed of bream, blackfish and trevally on pretty much all of the shallow water rock

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ledges in the harbour just now. Ideally, you want to fish a rising tide if you can manage it. The bigger kingfish in the harbour have been sporadic. Yes, there have been some crackers caught, but also plenty of tough days mixed in. However, this should change as summer progresses, and we are all looking forward to the coming weeks when

we should see the big fish appear back in the harbour with some consistency. Again, fresh or live squid fished at about 2/3rds depth around the lower harbour structure will have you in with a chance. The squidding has improved noticeably, with good numbers of arrow squid on the ribbon grass beds in the lower harbour areas. We have been catching them on smaller jigs in the 2-2.5 size range. Next month should see an improvement in the king fishing in the harbour and inshore, and also the return of a few summer favourites like flathead and whiting over the sand flats. Tight lines! • Fishing Sydney Tours takes pride in tailoring every trip to the customer’s preferred species, style of angling, and level of expertise, all within a friendly and relaxed atmosphere at competitive

rates. There are some excellent fishing spots that can be accessed straight off Sydney, and we will show you where. We offer harbour, wash and offshore fishing for species ranging from kingfish

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Dennis Noffke caught this barra at Lake Monduran using a paddle tail soft plastic.

Eric with a solid silver.

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Tagging Tales

Suntag is a world leading citizen science volunteer fish tagging program that is part of an Australian program that has tagged over 1,000,000 fish and was the first volunteer program in the world to reach that milestone.

of coastal estuaries and inland impoundments. Thanks to the fish, we can provide you with some interesting stories that they tell. SOME SERIOUS MOVEMENT AND EFFORT This golden perch

Data collected through the program is used to improve our knowledge base of recreational fishing by providing near real time information on the status

tagged by Ecology Australia was in a hurry to get away from its tagging location and it seems it just didn’t want to stop. Tagged in Mullaroo Creek near the South

FIND-A-WORD WINNER The Find-a-Word winner for November’s issue is W Gossow of Crows nest, who won a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prizes delivery can take up to 8 weeks. – FMM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE WINNER

The subscriber prize winner for November is D Croe of Virginia, who won a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses valued at $319 RRP. Prizes delivery can take up to 8 weeks. – FMM

FIND THE 13 FISHING LOGO The Find the 13 Fishing Logo prize winners for November were: 1st J Gowan of Gramere; 2nd L Brown of Avenell Heights; and 3rd C Rowe of Loganholme. Prizes delivery can take up to 8 weeks. – FMM

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The answers to November’s Find the Logo were: 8, 12, 22, 30, 37, 44, 53, 56, 66, 73, 79, 80, 91, 98, 107. – FMM

Brought to you by Australian border it travelled over 670km in 204 days to be recaptured just below the Medindie Weir – that is upstream all the way! It averaged 3.3km per day to get to its recapture point. Not only that, it also had to get over 5 weirs during its travels. Amazing! WHAT TO DO IF YOU CATCH A TAGGED FISH The information you will need to report your recapture is the length of the fish and the location it was captured. Get a photo if possible. To report the details of your recapture you have two options: Call 1800 077001 or go to crystalbowl.infofishaustralia. com.au/suntag/recaptures/ recapture_form_1.htmland fill in the form. In return you will receive a certificate providing the details of the tagging and recapture of your fish, as a thank you for providing the information. JANUARY 2023

Sydney

NSW

Ripper fish from the rocks SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

The Christmas holiday period can present a real challenge when it comes to finding time to fish at this amazing time of year. Juggling family events, holidays at non-fishing destinations, and work are just some of the reasons why it can be difficult to find time for a serious fishing trip. Preparing yourself is the key to being more successful. One way is to read fishing reports from a variety of writers, as this will enrich your knowledge and answer questions that you may have found perplexing in the past. I hope I play a small part to assisting you with what the predictions and what biting lately, a few tips to

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help to catch that target species. If I was to give you one quick tip now, it’s to target a specific species rather than just ‘winging it’ and hoping to catch any species. ROCK FISHING We have been seing a run of quality kings and as usual a lot of ‘rats’ (rat kings are generally small fish ranging from undersize to a little over legal size). These smaller fish, ranging up to about 70cm, are a lot of fun.

1/4oz to 1oz is a reasonably good weight range to have. The evergreen X/L sea gar is a great bait for kings. Line up a set of 6/0 7766D tarpons with 79kg Sesame swivels between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd hook, and you have a serious heavy-duty set of gangs. You will need a pair of ‘ganging’ pliers to pry open and shut the eyer of the hooks to make up the set of gangs. What I like about these is that they are tarpon hooks, which can minimise the gar spinning.

in the shallower boulders of Little Bluey at Manly, end of Bower Street, Long Reef, Collaroy and Barrenjoey Headland. BEACH FISHING The whiting are on! Anglers have been catching fish to 40cm+, with bream and the odd flathead picking up the odd worm bait. For the flathead, I recommend the Bait Junkie range of grubs and minnows with a 1/4oz to 1/2oz jighead in a 2/0-3/0

A great 98cm king caught spinning whole gars. It was released after a few photos. The ledges that are producing some good fish are Bluefish and North Whale platforms.

Chris Andonenas with his largest groper. At 72cm it’s a great blue. He released it and kept a 62cm brown groper for a feed. Groper can be caught all year round. Catching them on lighter gear is great. A 6-10kg outfit is fine until you hook a brute! However, that is a risk worth taking as you may be using that outfit for small pelagics like bonito, salmon, tailor and the smaller kings as your main target size fish. It’s really exciting and challenging to land a solid king on the lighter gear, but don’t expect a largish king to take it easy with you. This is where the heavy gear comes into play. I like the Daiwa Heavy Rock Special S46 PE 4-6 290cm coupled with a 10000 BG MQ, 50-80lb J-Braid grand and 80-100lb Saltiga leader or J-Thread FC. Throw on a Saltiga Dive Star 220cm and you have a serious hardbody stickbait for the larger run of kings. For the run-of-the-mill kings, the Bait Junkie 7” Jerkshad works well with a 5/0 size hook on your jighead. The weight of your jigheads can vary, but take into account that you need to be able to cast it some distance so the weight is necessary. I recommend a minimum of

Preferably the gar is used as a spinnerbait meaning it is cast and jig/retrieved like a lure. The deeper water headlands are also good for luderick, bream and groper. The king outfit I mentioned earlier on is also great for groper. G ood-s iz e roc k blackfish are being caught on peeled large prawns like endeavour, banana and king prawns. I like to peel the prawns, because the pigs seem to prefer it. Cut crab (also called segment of crab) work great for this species. You may even catch groper on the outing, bream and some snapper if the water depth is deep enough. January is a great month for snapper, either distance or wash fishing the deeper headlands. I like to use a robust bait like salted slimy mackerel, striped tuna and of course fresh squid never got astray. Spots to fish are bluefish eastern front, North Curl Curl and North Whale headlands for the kings, groper, luderick, bream and snapper. The rock blackfish

size. You could have two rods set up, one for spinning light metals or plastics and one with a paternoster rig for whiting.

Mark George with a nice size whiting off the beach. Some of the beaches are producing quality fish – even the super crowded Manly Beach has good bream and whiting on it.

There is a hive of activity on the beaches at the moment, especially this month, with lots of revellers there. There are surfers dotted out in the surf, walkers, swimmers and of course, quite a lot of anglers. The best times to fish are in the lower light periods, i.e. from around dawn to about 8am, and 5:30pm to dark. Alternatively, you can start just before dark and fish into the evening, as the whiting fishing can be quite good after dark. Generally though, the majority of whiting anglers fish up until sunset and go home. As usual, live worms like beach worms are the go-to bait, with pink nippers being close or even at least as good on some days. Also, a lot of the tackle shops supply tube worms, which work well too. If you plan to go for a fish for whiting and you need to get live bait from a reputable bait supplier, contact them the day before and place an order. Also check what time they open as you don’t want to get there too early. Generally during the holiday period it’s in their best interest to open up 5am or earlier, which then suits you. You can expect to pay

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a premium for live bait, so you should check to make sure it’s top quality. Make sure when you are going to purchase your worms that

they look active, wriggling around quite a lot. If there are no live worms left, there are substitutes like preserved worms in

A late-season trevally caught by Ken Wong. At 53cm it’s a good size for Sydney harbour, and was fun to catch on 3.6kg line.

the freezer. You will find the whiting won’t be shy to venture really close to the shore and right into the shallows, and they won’t be put off by the large volume of people during the day. In saying that, there are patches of beach during the day that have far fewer people on them during this crazy time of the year, which can make the experience a bit more pleasurable. To get away from the crowds most of the time I suggest the centre of the beaches. Because there are surf clubs on the north and southern ends of the vast majority of Sydney beaches, that is where the majority of people will be. The middle of Dee Why beach, Narrabeen and Palm Beach are fishing quite well and have a lot less people during the day. Moving on to other species, tailor numbers are increasing, ranging from chopper size up to larger fish. In my opinion, tailor ranging from 30-38cm are one of the most delicious fish to eat. I understand why jewfish love them so much! A great bait for jewfish is a slab of tailor, or a just legal or slightly larger fish to use as live bait. Dusky whaler sharks

Sydney

Monique with one of the rock blackfish she caught on a recent outing. The conditions were windy, with moderate swell, but still produced the goods. This residential species can be caught at any time of year. are quite prolific, so bring spare hooks and heavy leader as you will got through a few rigs at this time of the year when chasing jewfish after dark off the beach. This is just some of

what is happening this month. There will also be good opportunities in the estuary, but I have used up all the space in my report! Happy New Year to all, and have a safe January. • 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.

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Sydney

NSW

Good kingy catches on livies SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

By the time you read this, there should have been an increase in the number of catches kingfish in the Port Hacking River and Botany Bay, as well as offshore and off the rocks. Even though it has been hard to get live bait at times, it’s worth persisting because live has been working much better than dead, if reports are any indication. In Botany Bay there are a number of places that you can try for live bait when fishing out of a boat. Try the northwest corner of Yarra Bay for squid and yellowtail, Watts Reef for squid, the eastern side of Bare Island for yellowtail, slimy mackerel and squid, the end of the third runway, the break wall at the Foreshore boat ramp and the western side of the retaining wall at near the gas storage area.

sand from Lilly Pilly to the entrance to Gunnamatta Bay for squid, the weed beds upstream of Maianbar for river pike and garfish, and

JANUARY 2023

off Maroubra and drift out until you work out what depth they are at. Half pilchards, squid, mullet and salted slimy

Kingfish numbers have increased in both the Port Hacking and Botany Bay. You will need to find the live bait to increase your chances of tangling with a kingy.

If you want to keep some trevally for a feed, be sure to bleed them first and keep them on ice or the flesh will go soft. You could also try the weed beds that stretch from the oil wharf to Towra Point for squid and river pike and garfish. As for the Port Hacking River, you could try drifting the main channel over the

are boats mooring on swing moorings. Pick a spot and start berleying with chicken pellets mixed in with pilchards.

Yowie Bay, Dolans Bay and Water Street ramps for yellowtail. You can also fish the inside of Jibbon Point, Bundeena and Maianbar, Salmon Haul Bay and any of the deep bays where there

Another live bait I’ve used when chasing kingfish in the Port Hacking River are pink nippers. Yes, pink nippers! Just get three large nippers with their claws still attached and put them onto a 4/0 hook and suspend them under a bobby cork and set it out the back of your boat in the berley trail. If there is a kingfish about, they can’t seem to resist them. If you are after a feed of bream and trevally, they should be moving about freely in the bay at all the usual places. I find that when fishing deep water places like Trevally Alley, the only way to go is to anchor up, berley and fish with a very small running ball sinker down onto the bait. When fishing places like the end of the third runway, I will usually have a no. 2 or no. 3 ball or bean sinker running down onto the swivel and a leader of at least a metre. At both of these places I will use either peeled prawns, half pilchards, strips of mullet or slimy mackerel. Tailor and salmon should be chasing the baitfish throughout the bay, so keep your eye out for feeding birds or splashes from feeding fish. While keeping an eye out you could also try trolling some metals or diving lures out the back. If you are not sure what types to use, you can always pop and see me at the BCF store at Taren Point, and I will show you. If you venturing offshore to the Peak of 12-Mile Reef you could try for kingfish, snapper, morwong, trevally and leatherjackets. If you prefer to drift for sand flathead, try starting in 30m

mackerel are worth a shot this month. You could also try using soft plastics such as ZMan 4” and 5” Curl TailZ on 3/4oz and 1oz jigheads. Maroubra and Coogee beaches on the northern side of the bay will be worth a shot for bream, whiting and dart throughout the day. Beach worms would be your best bait. You could also try half pilchard for the bream. In Bate Bay, anywhere from South Cronulla to Greenhills will be worth a shot for bream, whiting and

Fish as light as the conditions will allow when fishing for trevally in deep bays. dart. It will be just a matter of finding out which gutter they are feeding in. I have found that over the years the early morning and late afternoon sessions have been the best, as you can avoid the crowds, swimmers

Fresh and live bait is the best, followed by peeled prawns, half pilchards, a fillet of pilchard or a small piece of chicken breast.

and surfers. If you are into fishing at night you could try for sharks, tailor, salmon and mulloway. I have also found that you don’t necessarily have to use live baits; whole and stripped squid, yellowtail and pilchards do just fine. The Port Hacking River will be worth a shot for bream, trevally, whiting and flathead. It will be just a matter of finding a quite spot and anchoring up, laying out a berley trail and waiting for them to come. If you are looking for a few places to try for trevally in the Port Hacking River, I would suggest that you anchor up in any one of the deep bays that can be found here, start a small and steady berley trail, and fish with a very small running ball sink onto the bait. If they don’t show up after about 20 minutes, try another spot. You could also try anchoring up in the main channel – just remember to keep close to the side of the channel. Here I would use a running sinker down onto the swivel, with at least a metre of leader. Use either peeled prawns, nippers, worms, half pilchards, fillet of pilchard or a small piece of chicken breast. Don’t forget to keep those pictures and reports coming into gbrown1@iprimus.com. au, and trust me – I won’t give away your favourite spots.

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NSW

Surface snacks for bass BALLINA

Joe Allan

Happy New year to all readers. I hope everyone’s holidays have been great and you got to spend time with some family members. The lower reaches of the Richmond have produced some great catches of bream of late. Try casting noisy crankbaits at the walls early in the mornings while the tide is running. Fluorocarbon line straight through is best suited

but for good numbers, try the upper reaches around Lismore and Casino. If you’re out early or late and the cicadas are deafening, remember to tie on your surface lures to imitate these tasty snacks for bass. The trick with these lures is to not to do too much. Just shake your rod tip slightly every now and again exactly like a cicada that’s fallen out of a tree. The Atomic Hardz Cicadas are producing some great catches. Small crankbaits up to about 50mm have been pulling in some great fish once

producing good catches of whiting and flathead. Look for the main gutters around South Ballina, along Patches Beach and Boundary Creek. Fresh bait is always better. Try digging a few pipis or getting a few beach worms (that’s a skill I have not yet mastered). Offshore has been patchy, with the best results on the dolphinfish (mahimahi) coming from around the FADs. Make sure you get a long drift on these. Live yakkas have been working the best, with almost no weight. If you’re

Serena Sullivan with a nice bream caught around Evans Head.

Anthony Melchior with a late arvo bass caught on surface in the Coraki town stretch of river. for this. A good lure to try that surface bite has finished. for this is the Atomic Crank Crabs have turned up in 38 Deep. I use dark colours patches around the middle for low light, solid and bright reaches from Pimlico to colours for dirty water, and Broadwater, and even higher more translucent and natural up around Woodburn. There finishes for bright sun and have been reports of plenty of clearer water. blue swimmers still around. The whiting fishing has The muddies, while a little been going well of late. The patchy, have shown up but shallow sand flats in North you might have to do some Creek and out the front of searching for them. Hopefully the RSL have been producing we will get a bit of rain to stir some solid fish on Bassday them up a bit more. Give the Sugapens. pots plenty of time to settle Bass have been around and let the crabs find the bait. Coraki wn Bladbut The best baits are definitely PraWoodburn a and mbalso es”blackfish frames, if you can well and truly moved “Yahave upstream and spread right out. get your hands on some. You may find them in patches The beaches have been

getting bites but not hooking up, try putting a treble hook as a stinger hooked into the fish’s tail. This has helped a few local boys turn those bites into fish. There have been some juvenile kingfish off the FADs as well, and these guys can be pretty fun on light tackle. Mackerel traditionally come in towards the end of December, and they should be really thick through January. There were good reports around the Gold and Tweed coasts in late November and early December, and as the water warms up these beauties will come along with it.

Serena with a stonker flatty caught in North Creek in Ballina.

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Kobi Sanderson is a keen fisho from Lancefield in Victoria who never misses an opportunity to go fishing. He caught this nice cod while fishing a comp at Mulwala with his Dad.

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Red-hot fishing is continuing COFFS COAST

Rob Taylor

It would seem that a bumper start to 2023 is upon us! With ocean currents licking our shores

smashing bait schools in the Kalang and Bellinger systems, making for great fun on light tackle and lures. Big jacks have also been hunting the snags, rock walls and bridge pylons, and some really epic-sized fish have

been caught of late. The bass also continue to fire in both big and small water, and with cod season now open it’s been a year to remember in the sweetwater. This red-hot fishing should continue throughout January,

Brad Bye with a good-sized bass from the Orara River.

AVOID THE DELAY

species in the creeks this month will be big lizards. The big girls and attendant males will be all over the

ILAB

FINAN AI

local systems, and not much beats a hot summer afternoon drifting the flats for flatties. Again, baits and lures also work on flathead. When I’m targeting these fish, I generally prefer to use lures because, well, it’s just more fun! ROCKS AND BEACHES January marks the start of our local land-based game season off the Coast Coast, with longtails, Spanish mackerel and the odd king being the main targets. Longtails should be arriving in numbers, and floating out a live yakka will do the trick. Use gar or big dead baits like bonito if you want to try for a big Spanish. Many of the local headlands and walls can be good LBG spots, depending on the conditions at the time. Given the warm water, tailor and drummer numbers will be down but there should

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Lachy Sullivan with a thumping red dog. It’s now prime time for jacks on the Coffs coast.

Striped marlin are patrolling the 100m line this month.

and cicadas in the trees, it’s set to be a fun new year on a host of species, from bass to mackerel. The EAC well and truly kicked in early this year, and with it came mackerel, both spotted and Spanish, longtail tuna, small black marlin, wahoo and mahimahi (dolphinfish). It really is a smorgasbord out there at the moment. And don’t discount bottom fishing (if you can get out of the current) as there’s still the odd snapper and trag around for those floatlining or drifting with baits. All of the creeks and rivers have been fishing well too, with flathead, GTs, mangrove jack and whiting throughout all of the systems. GTs in particular have been

so make sure you wet a line this month as it will be worth it. Let’s take a look at what’s in store this month. CREEKS, RIVERS AND ESTUARIES As mentioned, a plethora of summer targets are on offer in the local creeks and rivers at the moment. We’ve been having a ball on the local GT population, with fish up to 75cm being taken. They’re not GBR monsters by any stretch, but target them on the right tackle and you’ll have a ball. Use light gear and troll or cast crankbaits or surface lures around the Kalang River, and the GTs will find you. Big mangrove jacks will be a prime target this month, and I’d be looking at rock walls, snags, bridge pylons and the local marina if you want to pull a big red dog onto the bank. Lures and live baits work well, with live baits being the choice if you want to be sure of finding fish. The other main target

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be plenty of bream about in the washes, and school mulloway should continue their bumper season into January too. Dart and summer whiting will also be thick in the beach gutters. It’s a great time to be on the rocks or beaches with a bait out. OFFSHORE If you enjoy your pelagic fishing, now is the time to get excited. Warm currents pushing south have brought all sorts of goodies with them, and from this month onwards we can expect spotted and

Spanish mackerel, marlin, tuna, wahoo, mahimahi and plenty of other tropical oddballs to grace our waters. Mackerel fever will see most fishos targeting the razor gang, and I’d be pulling hardbody lures around the islands or trolling dead or live baits around the inshore reefs if you want to find mackerel. Anchoring up with live baits under floats is a surefire way to find Spaniards in shallow water of 30m or less. You’ll be able to find slimy mackerel and yakkas at either McCauleys Wide

or the Wide Bait Ground. The gaggle of boats there every morning will help you to locate these spots if you don’t have the marks. Out wider, marlin are on the cards and this month all three species will be off the coast with blacks in close, stripies on the 100m line and big blues out over the edge. There will be dollies on the FAD and traps, and no doubt wahoo lurking in the wings. If warm water sportfishing is your thing, then this is your month to get amongst it!

FISHING NEWS

Drone spots illegal fishing Operation Riddler’ is the name of an Unmanned Aerial Ve h i c l e ( U AV ) apprehension of illegal rock lobster fishing. This well-executed operation resulted in the first successful prosecution with the use of a UAV within fisheries compliance. The t a rg e t e d operation was conducted over numerous days in a remote stretch of coastline in harsh conditions, where officers used an array of modern technology and surveillance techniques to capture the evidence of the illegal fishing practices. With the use of a

hi-tech drone, Fisheries officers could maintain an eye in the sky and capture and relay crucial evidence to ground and boat crew with ease. The use of such new and evolving technology

Adrian McIntyre with a slab of a cod taken on an Imakatsu Battle Bait in the Mann River.

is just another modern step forward for NSW Fisheries officers to combat and deter illegal fishing practices. The offender was prosecuted and convicted on eight separate charges, and ordered to pay $2700 in fines. For more information on fisheries compliance, visit www.dpi.nsw. gov.au and search for ‘compliance’. To report illegal fishing, call the Fishers Watch phone line 1800 043 536 or report online at www.dpi.nsw.gov. au/fishing. – NSW DPI Fisheries

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JANUARY 2023

NSW

Savouring the summer days FORSTER

Luke Austin

How amazing are summer days in the beautiful Great Lakes area! Calm, hot mornings followed by lovely cooling afternoon sea breezes… absolute perfection! Our waterways have seen loads of activity of late, with locals and visitors making the most of the clear, warm waters. Thankfully, the increase in boat traffic seems to have little effect on the quality of the fishing in general, and there have been plenty

of fish hitting the decks! Flathead continue to charge along very nicely in Wallis Lake, with loads of fish being caught by anglers all over the place. If you cover ground throwing soft plastics or soft vibes, you’re bound to run into plenty of fish. Alternatively, you can do well drifting the drop-offs with whitebait, pilchards or mullet strips. If you are keen to try something different and love to throw lures, get yourself a 90-150mm (or bigger) surface lure or Bent Minnow and get up into the shallows on a nice high tide. Seeing

There are some cracking bream about over the summer months.

a big flathead materialise out of the sandy bottom to engulf your surface lure is amazing to watch, and very addictive! Sand whiting are about in really good numbers throughout the bottom of the estuary (towards the mouth). Drifting the shallows with yabbies or worms should see you bagging a lot of fish, even the sand flat directly across from the Tuncurry boat ramp has produced some red-hot action lately. Hitting the shallow areas over a high tide with small poppers and stickbaits is also a very productive option, and if you can find the right area, you will have half a dozen hungry whiting fighting over your lure every cast! Trumpeter whiting are definitely still about, however you may find yourself having to move about and try different areas before you find the schools of fish. While fishing for flathead recently, we accidentally found loads of them in an area that was nowhere near where anglers would normally target them! Bream have to be the unsung heroes of summer! While the whiting and flathead take centre stage, the good old bream just plods along. There have been some cracking fish sitting down around The Paddock and along the rock walls where they have been providing loads of fun for anglers of all ages and skill levels. If you are bait fishing, don’t be afraid to either anchor up next to (or sit on the outside of) an oyster lease and float baits in towards the structure. This is an incredibly deadly technique and will see your

rods buckled over to the reel seats in no time at all as you struggle to rip the fish out. The rivers and weed beds are still producing plenty of fish as well, however most fish are between 20-35cm. The better-quality fish seem to be east of Wallis Island. Things have been a little on the quiet side lately as far as the beach and rock fishing reports go. The rocks down south are producing some cracking tailor, with some fish getting up around the 3kg mark. Normally this would be great news but these fish are an absolute headache for anglers hoping to run into an early season pelagic or kingfish! Most beaches are fishing well for whiting and dart now, with the odd nice bream mixed in. The beaches to the south seem to be producing the betterquality fish. Heading offshore can be incredibly productive in January, providing the sea behaves itself. The clean, warm water that hits our coast at this time of the year also brings with it plenty of fish, and we have already seen some great marlin landed recently. Mahimahi (dolphinfish) are about in great numbers out around the FAD, and there have been a handful of bigger fish mixed in which is good to see. Hopefully we will continue to see the average size of these fun sportfish increase a little as the water improves over the next month or so. The shallow reefs up north have been producing some great snapper. The bite times are definitely centred around dawn and dusk, but there have been loads of fish there so it’s

Get out on the water and enjoy some family time! possible to catch them at other times. The deeper reefs out off Cape Hawke are producing plenty of fish for those wishing to drop baits down, with some nice mixed bags of pan-sized snapper, trag and pearl perch coming in. While you’re out drifting around it may also pay to have a heavier outfit ready to go, or set with a live bait out the back as you just never know when a cobia

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

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JANUARY 2023

There’s a good chance of bumping into a cobia this month.

NSW

Monster flatties on the move this January

Some good-size mulloway have been taking live baits lately.

BEACHES Whiting love this time of year on the ocean beaches, and a pipi or a live worm on a long-shank double paternoster rig is a deadly way to get stuck into them. All the beaches will hold whiting but the best ones would be Stockton, Samurai, Fingal and Box. Pick out a deeper looking gutter and start fishing about an hour before the high tide and you’ll do pretty well. While fishing this way you may also pick up some bonus bream or dart. Even a school-sized mulloway is not out of the question. OFFSHORE There have been a few mulloway showing on the reefs, with Looking Glass

ROCKS The wash zone around the ocean rocks will produce a mix bag of bream, squire and the odd late-season drummer. Use a small 0-00 sinker running straight to a large peeled prawn rigged on a 1/0 hook and cast into the foamy white water. Then let it slowly waft down to the bottom and then wind up and repeat. If you want to catch tailor you are in with a good chance from the ocean rocks. Try to find a point that sticks out a little and fish in late afternoon or early morning with a metal spinner around 40g, or alternatively a ganged pilchard or garfish.

We will see some good flathead catches this month.

PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

Despite January being by far the busiest time to be on the waterways in Port Stephens, there’s still some quality fishing to be had. In the estuary, big summer whiting have taken up residence in the clear shallow waters along Nelson Bay, Shoal Bay and Jimmys beaches. Whiting are one fish that don’t mind the school holiday activity, and they can be caught amongst the crowds of busy beaches. The most important thing is to use live worms, light leaders and to fish on the high tide. There are some great whiting to be caught on surface lures too, but for that style of fishing you’ll want to push more up the rivers around shallow intertidal flats. Areas like North Arm Cove, Taylors Beach and Tahlee are good spots to try. There are good numbers of bream around the Anchorage and Nelson Bay rock walls, and the rock bars and oyster racks from Soldiers Point to Tea Gardens. Bream are much more sensitive to the holiday activity and will shut down easily. This is why, if you target bream this time of year, you want to be doing so at first light before the holiday crowds hit the waterway. Flathead are a great

option at this time of year. The bottom ends of Tilligerry Creek and the Karuah River down to the mouth of the system hold monsters up to 1m in length. Soft plastic, hardbodies and vibes will all catch flathead but you need to be constantly on the move covering ground to give yourself the best chance of success. Remember the new laws if you happen to land a big flathead – any flatty over 70cm now has to be released. Squid have been a little tough this season but there have been quite a few arrow squid around the weed beds off Jimmys Beach and Shoal Bay, with smaller jigs in the 2-2.5 size range working best.

and Sandbos reporting fish to 12kg taken on live baits. Trag have been in good numbers over the Vee and Gibber reefs, as well as a few snapper on the bottom. The marlin bite on the shelf has been starting to fire, with boats getting several bites a day. Most of the fish are being taken by boats marking them around bait schools and bombing live baits into them, however it’s always a good idea to try cover some ground when things are slow by trolling some skip or swim baits. There is nothing to report on the inshore marlin as of yet, but they should start any day now so they will be worth a crack if good water pushes in close.

FISHING NEWS

Can’t hide from the law: illegal mud crabs Illegal fishing under the cover of darkness won’t save you! Fisheries Officers from the Statewide Operations and Investigations Group and the Far North Coast Zone, with support from the local Clarence Region Boating Safety Officer of NSW Roads and Maritime, recently staged an operation to monitor illegal mud crab fishing activity taking place in the Toumbaal Creek at

Sandon, NSW. Toumbaal Creek is a tributary of the Sandon River and is within the Sandon River Sanctuary Zone of the Solitary Islands Marine Park. In the early hours of the morning on Tuesday 8 November 2022, Fisheries Officers apprehended a 46 year old man and 39 year old man, both from Brooms Head, after they had concluded their secretive night time fishing escapades in Toumbaal Creek. It is alleged that the two

men were in possession of a total of nine mud crabs, including two of which were of a prohibited size (less than 8.5cm carapace length). The crabs had been taken from within the sanctuary zone. Officers seized the catch along with two unmarked crab traps and two scoop nets. Both men have each been issued penalty notices totalling $1,000, for the alleged offences of, taking mud crab from within a sanctuary zone and the unlawful use of a net or trap. Both men also received caution notices for possession of prohibited size mud crabs and for lighting of a fire upon emergent (inter-tidal) land within the Marine Park. The Toumbaal Creek estuary is an important sanctuary area for a multitude of aquatic plants and animals as well as migratory shorebirds. The estuary comprises high quality remnant mangrove and salt marsh vegetation communities, and due to its headwaters being preserved entirely within National Park Estate, the conservation values

of the area are significant. Fisheries Officers work hard alongside National Parks and Wildlife Service Officers to protect this small estuary for the benefit of current and future generations. To report illegal fishing, call the Fishers Watch phone line 1800 043 536 or report online at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au. – NSW DPI Fisheries

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JANUARY 2023

NSW

Summer bread and butter CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

Welcome to another new year, and hopefully it will a bit drier one than the previous few. There’s an old saying that goes, “be careful what you wish for”, meaning that sometimes our

Lake Macquarie, and like many of my biggest bream in recent years, it fell to a black Ecogear ZX30. Aside from vibe lures, I would mainly be recommending surface lures this month, fished early in the morning or later in the afternoon, towards sunset. If you prefer to sit back and

has always been a popular prawning area through summer, but a warning to those who may haven’t been to the area for a few years, or who are new to scooping for prawns: the current here is much stronger now than it has been for possibly a few decades. So when wading out into the shallows, be super

It’s a great time of year for local estuary fishing. The author has been catching bream all over the place in recent weeks. wishes can backfire on us in a way. So, let’s hope it’s just a bit drier this year, not too dry! Our lakes and Brisbane Waters fished quite well in the closing stages of last year, which is normally the case when things warm up. I’ve been finding numbers of smaller bream in the Tuggerah system, with less numbers and bigger sizes around Gosford, Woy Woy and the southern end of Lake Macquarie. Like most of my bream these days, they mainly fall victim to small vibes and surface lures. My best of the year was a 47cm fork length bream from

relax with a bait out, try it more so around sunrise, sunset or at night. Don’t cast baits way out into deeper water, because during the height of summer bream much prefer the shallows, and by that I mean depths around 30-60cm. By using fresh bait at night and dropping baits in the shallow water close to shore you’re definitely in with an excellent chance of good bream, flathead and whiting. Fishing at night is also a good idea to avoid holiday crowds at this time of year. Prawns and crabs are other good options worth doing this month. The Entrance

careful not to wade too far into the deeper sections or you could be swept away with the current. On the bigger tides it’s been really ripping through here, especially down towards the mouth. Beach fishing has been stable in recent weeks, with a mixed lot of species. A few salmon have lingered around and could still be possible this month. Normally though, we see numbers of small to medium size tailor during January. A few decent jewfish have also been caught on the bigger beaches here recently, so if you’re heading here for a holiday bring the heavier tackle and try to track down some good fresh squid, mullet or tailor for bait. If you’re fishing at night and catch a few tailor, don’t waste their heads. A fresh tailor head is a first-rate mulloway bait at the beach! Through the daylight hours, expect whiting, bream and the occasional flathead this month. Bream will take a wide variety of baits, but fresh is always best. Whiting much prefer beach worms, but will also fall for peel prawns, pipi or blood worm baits. If you’re

The author’s best bream for 2022 was this 47cm fork length specimen from the southern end of Lake Macquarie. It was released after a photo.

Beach fishing can be productive during January. Tailor are the main target, but bream, whiting, flathead and mulloway are all liable to turn up. planning to do a bit of daytime beach fishing, I would highly recommend doing it in the morning, not the afternoon. Simple reason is because the middle of summer here also means strong northeasterly winds and they commonly pick up strength after midday. The same advice goes out to anyone planning some rock fishing or heading out offshore. ‘Early’ is the keyword this month. A strong north-easterly wind makes launching and retrieving very difficult at Norah Head, although it’s not so bad at Terrigal. However, no matter where you’re launching from this month, good weather

means there will also be plenty of other boats heading out. The earlier you launch, the easier things will be – and the fishing is better early too. January is one of our best months for fishing, but at the same time, it can be a bit problematic because of the wind and crowds. My biggest and best advice for all anglers is to fish early or at night, and try to find your own little spot away from the masses. This month fish can be very widespread around our local waterways, so just because you don’t see anyone fishing at a particular spot doesn’t mean there aren’t any fish there!

Stocking

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JANUARY 2023

NSW

Great time of year SWANSEA

Jason Nunn

The December prawn run is over, and there were plenty of them, although the average size was down a bit. Fishing over the past month or so has improved dramatically, with a lot of bream and whiting throughout our estuary systems. The prawn run has definitely fired them a bit. It’s good timing because it gives both locals and holidaymakers a great opportunity to enjoy productive fishing through early January. If you’re fishing with family or friends and want some seafood for the table, now is the ideal time to do it. With summer getting into full swing through January, flathead in particular will be in really good numbers. During January, most of our dusky flathead in the estuary systems are in spawning mode. This means that you

During the spawning period, I recommend using circle hooks. Circles nearly always lip-hook fish, rather than deep-hooking them, so you’ll minimise damage to any oversize females who are looking to breed. And of course, because it’s easier to remove hooks from lip-hooked fish, you can get your line back in the water more quickly. January is when our lake squid really start to build up in numbers, and the prawn run has really kicked them into gear. Now is a great time to get a few squid, either for a feed or to use as live bait. Areas like the dropover and down towards Murrays Beach will no doubt become very popular through January and into early autumn, with the spawning period falling in February/March. If you’re targeting lake squid, smaller jigs are the go, such as Yamashitas and YoZuris in sizes from 1.5 to 2.2. The most popular

all you need to do is lift it up and down. Downrigging live squid is a good technique for kingfish in the lake. The waterway is busy at this time of year, and downrigging allows you to cover more area and get away from the crowds somewhat. Live squid are also productive on mulloway. Over the past month or so we’ve had a good run of blue swimmer crabs, but it’s unclear as to whether that will continue this month. Still, this spring was one of the better seasons we’ve had for blue swimmers, so hopefully that will continue all through summer. Remember that you must release any females carrying eggs, and also bear in mind that some crabs will have lost condition due to spawning, and be useless to eat. If you catch a crab that feels light and a bit spongy, you’ll know it’s no good for the plate – it’s flesh will be far too shrunken and watery. Later in the season, after the

A nice flatty caught at this time last year. It fell to a Squidgy Fish in red rum, coated with Sax Scent. Image courtesy of hook__in. tend to see large females moving into the channel areas, shallowed by smaller males. Around a single female, you can find up to 10 of these hopeful, milted-up males hovering close by, so there’s some good fishing to be had. Please remember that the regulations for dusky flathead have changed – there’s a bag limit of five fish, and you can’t keep any fish over 70cm. This is the first year where all fish over 70cm will have the opportunity to breed. Hopefully it will result in many flathead throughout the systems, with lots of trophy fish on offer in the coming years.

approach is to just cast out your jig, sometimes with a small weight on the nose of the jig, and let it slowly sink through the water column (you’ll be fishing in 5-8m predominantly). That slow sink enables you to do a bit of a jig flick and roll, and work your way through the water column. However, when summer really kicks into gear and we start to see the squid numbers further increase, a lot of guys will put down a paternoster rig and suspend the squid jig off a side loop. Then they’ll slowly jig it off the bottom and try to entice the squid off the bottom while drifting. It’s good for the kids because it’s easier than casting around –

crab has put on condition, it will be perfect for the pot. BEACHES At the beginning of December, water temperatures on the coastal strips started to increase to around 19°C, and the fish started to turn up in better numbers. Dart hadn’t been on the beach for months, and then suddenly they turned up, accompanied by a lot of whiting. The whiting and dart should continue to be plentiful throughout January, and I reckon quite a few bream will show up as well. Mulloway will also be on this cards this month, and the build-up to the moon will really come into its own for these fish.

It’s a great feeling to watch fish like this swim away. Image courtesy of hook__in. All in all, January is a great time for anglers and their families to soak up the summer sun on our beaches, and have a bit of a surf and a fish. OFFSHORE Over the last few months or more, our coastal fishing has been starting to kick into gear, with a lot of snapper on the inshore reefs and a big increase in trag (teraglin) on most of our offshore reefs. Trag are a beautiful eating fish and a very good fighting fish. It’s a good sign when we see trag showing up early – this year it was as early as late October – and sure enough, there are now plenty of trag around, which is great. One species that is conspicuous by its absence is bonito. Some years they can turn up in December and some years they can turn up in January, so hopefully by the time you read this the switch has flicked on, and they are in full force. After the bonito you start to see a few mac tuna turning up as well, with some kingfish mixed in, and tailor as well. It’s still a little bit early for dolphinfish (mahimahi) at the FAD, but they should start to pick up in the coming weeks. The best time for dollies is generally late January through to March. At the time of writing, the water temperature along the coast is 20°C and blue. We recently fished the shelf and the best temp we got was 21.5°C, which is the warmest it’s been for a while, and that’s where the fish were. We caught a striped marlin, the first marlin caught off our coast this season, to start off the game season. The amount of baitfish that was out off the shelf was staggering – there were shoals of slimy mackerel everywhere. If you drove 3-4 miles in one direction you’d go over dozens of schools of baitfish,

including cowanyoung, sauries and slimies. Further north, there have been reports of a few yellowfin, and this month there should be plenty of reports of these fish, along with marlin and dollies, being off our part of the coast. The current at the moment is very slow, which is a good thing because it doesn’t disrupt the build-up of bait we’re seeing out in the deeper water. This month, providing the current doesn’t pick up, we could be in for an absolute cracking game season. • Fisherman’s Warehouse Tackle World has a large

range fresh and frozen bait as well as a huge range of rods, reels, lures and accessories. They also sell and service outboard motors, and have a competitively-priced selection of new and second-hand boats. The friendly staff are all experienced local anglers, and they’re always happy to share their knowledge, whether you’re a novice or experienced angler. Drop in for a chat at 804 Pacific Highway, Marks Point, or give them a call on (02) 4945 2152. You can also find them on Facebook, or check out their website at www. fishermanswarehouse.com.au.

Scott Thomas was trawling for flatties with a Lively Lure in Central Qld when he hooked an incredible double catch! A mangrove jack and a rock cod on each treble. JANUARY 2023

NSW

Good warm water surprises ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

Every day is a good day in January. It’s holiday time for lots of people, the weather is hot, the water is hot and the fishing is great regardless of what you chase. Does it get any better? You bet, because it won’t look like slowing down for the next four months. Offshore the pace will get hotter with each passing day as the EAC (East Australian Current) pours down the coast bringing with it all sorts of warm water species. Marlin are the target for many sport and game anglers, and with a bit of luck it will be a better season than last year. Blacks between 40-150kg are the

trace of about 100kg will do the job. Stick an 8/0 to 10/0 solid circle hook on the end and you are in business. Now all you need is a few live slimy mackerel or yellowtail (preferably large ones) and feed them out over one of the local reefs. Alternatively, you can just have one out while you are drifting around for flathead or snapper, or when you are anchored over your favourite reef fishing for snapper. Australia Day is usually the guaranteed kick-off day for the billies, but they can show up any time from Christmas onwards in earnest. Of course, marlin are not the only fish in the sea, and when the water temps start rising all manner of creatures show up. One example is the anticipated run of dolphinfish

There are some nice snapper around this month, and some days they come in two at a time. most common captures, but striped and blue marlin are always on the cards, particularly if you fish a bit wider out around the shelf. A grand slam of all three in one day is not out of the question. Contrary to popular belief, marlin are not the domain of millionaires. The truth is, you can catch marlin without traveling to the horizon in a huge boat. Places like Bandit Reef, Wollongong Reef, the southeast grounds even just out the back of the islands will produce fish. Water temperature plays a key role. Although you will find marlin in cooler water, generally when the water hits 23°C that is when to start chasing in earnest. A decent game outfit loaded with 15-24kg line and a few metres of heavier mono 72

JANUARY 2023

(mahimahi). These fish have been the saviour of sportfishing as they can be relied upon during summer to produce some action. The size can change from day to day, so expect anything from little undersized rats to big bulls of 20kg and better. You don’t have to be Einstein to find or catch them, just head out to the FAD and throw in a bait. As usual live baits are best, but a pilchard will do the job. Some days the dollies will be thick and grab anything that hits the water, while on other days they can be finicky. Usually the harder the current is pushing down the coast, the better they bite. If you like dragging plastic around the ocean and chewing up fuel then there are the marlin and dollies plus the added chance of

yellowfin tuna, striped tuna and even the odd wahoo so it is a good time to be chasing the gamefish. Closer to shore there are some solid yellowtail kings around the usual haunts, along with heaps of undersized fish. Live slimies and yellowtail will catch the better fish, or if the frigate mackerel have turned up, a live frigate will always attract the attention of any monster hoodlums in the area. The ever-present salmon seem to be all along the coast, mixed in with small kings, bonito and a few mac tuna. Tossing small lures around the schools feeding on the surface is always a fun way to spend the morning. Keep the tackle light to maximise the fun and the hook-ups. Over the inshore reefs there have been a few snapper coming in, with plenty of decent fish among them. The deeper reefs in 30-50m have been holding most fish, but there are plenty in around the shallows too for the ‘pick and berley’ guys. It’s been a good few months for snapper so far. Then there are other species mixed in with them to keep you busy, with samsonfish, teraglin and various trevally species, with other exotics like rainbow runners and even spotty or Spanish mackerel showing up later in the month. Bottom bouncers are well catered for this month, with heaps of flathead over all the sand patches. The northern areas around Stanwell Park and Coalcliff have been standouts, but down around Kiama way there are plenty as well. Drifting over the reefs you’ll find a smorgasbord of fish species, with snapper (in all sizes), trevally, mowies, kingfish, teraglin, sweep, pigfish, samsonfish, small mulloway, tailor and leatherjackets by the dozens. You should be kept busy. Beach fishing is rolling along quite nicely too, and with the kids on holidays you can get out and have some fun with the whole family. Whiting are the main target, and they are on all the beaches this month. Just grab a few beach worms and walk along casting into the likelylooking runs and gutters until you find a school. Along the way you will probably find a few bream, flathead, salmon, small jewies (mulloway), and even a few dart and trevally. Then, if you really want to get serious, you can head down to one of the deeper gutters during the evening with some fresh tailor or mackerel fillets, and chase a big jewie. Most of the guys putting in the time have been getting quite a few school size jew

up to 10kg, with a sprinkling of fish to 18kg. As of yet, I haven’t heard of any fish breaking the 20kg barrier, but that’s not to say they haven’t been caught. The secret society of mulloway anglers like to keep their cards close to their chest! The big tides early in the month are a great time to target these fish. The rock scene is much the same, with most species on the bite. The deeper ledges have been producing salmon, bonito and small kingfish on pilchards and lures, while larger kings have been picked up on live baits. We don’t get a lot of marlin off the rocks in the Illawarra, but the next few weeks are your best chance for the year. The blowhole point at Kiama, Marsdens a little further south, Bombo and to a lesser extent the south side of Bass Point and Hill 60 are all worth a shot with large live baits. Some seasons produce more than others, but there are always a couple hooked each year so if you have a bait out you are in with a chance. Blackfish are about, taking cabbage and green weed off the rocks and early morning in the quiet harbours like Port Kembla and Wollongong. Pretty much the only species that’s not firing is the drummer, as they seem to slow down a bit with the appearance of the warm water. A few bream and trevally can be enticed with a bit of berley off most of the popular ledges, with early mornings being the best time.

A black marlin about 80kg being towed to keep it strong before release. The lake and Minnamurra are right on song at the moment, with flathead everywhere. Softies, live poddies and live prawns will take good fish every day. There are nice bream in the deeper holes and around the bridges, and whiting

over all the sand flats if you have squirt worms or nippers for bait. Still in the lake there are a few prawns to be had during the dark, so grab a light and a scoop net and head to the shallows for some after-dark fun, and maybe a feed. They also make great bait.

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NSW

Finding the sweet spot BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

My survival tip for 2023 is to fish more! We should have a reasonable run of fish this January, and

in full swing and loading bait up on the shelf. The FAD is in, and bait will be trying to hang on to it as predators like dolphinfish, kings and marlin come to pick them off. I’m hoping for a better season than last year as it was a bit

marlin and if it’s a bit quiet and the current is favourable then get out the electrics and fish the bottom. If there is too much current out wide, you can come in for a micro jig for snapper. The world is your oyster. In closer, the fishing has been quite good with the snapper run continuing, and some good-size kingfish swimming along our ledges. Casting stickbaits, metals or large plastics from places like Snapper Point and Pretty Point could get you a big king, and as the season goes on hopefully we will see some bonito, mac tuna and maybe some longtail later in

the season. I’m expecting a reasonable run of pelagics like last year, and after all this rain and with some more balance coming in the weather, we should see a couple of good years ahead. Salmon and tailor are a regular by-catch from the ledges, and with the amount of tailor that have been around you can expect plenty of them on our beaches. They can be a bit of a problem when you’re whiting fishing as they will destroy light rigs, but that still doesn’t make me resort to wire rigs. I know a lot of people go there, but I can’t do it – fluorocarbon leader

Ollie has been on top of the flatties lately.

Peter White with an early season bass. although there has been a lot of rain, we have had plenty of breaks in the weather on the south coast for things to flourish. Fishing offshore this January you can expect to cross paths with marlin, dolphinfish, possibly kingfish and a slight chance of tuna. The Eastern Australian Current should be

slow and very hit-and-miss, and this year is starting very similar, but let’s hope all this rain has made some impact. Boat owners have nearly everything covered these days, from trolling lures, live baits, electric reels, jigs and more. So, check the weather and make a game plan. Get out early, hit up the FAD, try out the shelf for a

Jordan White with a nice 86cm South Coast flathead.

From page 72

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for me. The whiting fishing will pick up this month, and fishing light will always be the most successful. For many years, people have been using the same old ways to catching whiting, with beach worms, nippers or pipis on a paternoster rig, and later on, catching them on surface lures. However, over the last few years, anglers have been trying artificial worms, which go very well with bait on paternoster rigs. This is great for convenience, because you’ll have your bait sealed and handy, with no need to refrigerate or spend the time and/or money sourcing live worms. I recommend that you check out Marukyu Worms and the new Gulp Worms. They will work well on other species like bream and bass also. Speaking of bream, they have been one of the most consistent species over the last few months during the dirty water, and now they are in primetime: summer. The estuary has been pumped with rainwater, and the colour has shown it, but the bream doesn’t mind the dirty water and we could get a bite out of them. Now that the weather has given us some relief and summer is here, it’s the bream’s time to shine, and we can expect good numbers. Another species that’s happy in the discoloured water is the mulloway. Although they have generally been small over the last few years, there have been

plenty of them. Over the last few months we have been seeing some larger ones, and I expect to see some good fish getting caught this summer. Freshly-caught squid and live mullet are still the best baits. Squid love clean, clear water so they have been hard to find lately, so live mullet and yakkas are probably your best bet. However, casting 4-5” shads and paddletail lures is the most exciting way to target mulloway, and there is a massive range of lures that do the job these days. The estuary will be good for crabs this season, and if some of the lakes close up, we might see a good end-of-season run of prawns. Further upstream the influx of water has made the bass fishing tough, but this could improve in the coming weeks if the rain can hold off a bit to let things balance out. It seems the further you go out to sea or further inland is a bit touch-and-go, and the sweet spot is in the middle. The estuaries to inshore reefs will be hot this January, and hopefully the rest will get cracking as the season progresses. Happy New Year everyone. • For more up-to-the-minute 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). JANUARY 2023

NSW

Getting right into the mix BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Summer is a beautiful time of year to fish along the far south coast, with a mix of fish species to angle for, along with many different locations

to pursue them. Yes, it is gamefish season, with marlin at the top of the list. These fish are returning to our waters, following the many baitfish schools that have been channelled here by the warm currents coming closer to shore. Talking of close

proximity, the Continental Shelf 100 fathom drop-off is only 10.5 miles offshore from Bermagui, and then it’s only another 4 miles to the 1000 fathom line. Upwelling currents bring all the nutrients that the baitfish need to survive, and in turn bring with them the predators. Not only are

A 1-year-old bass finds a new home.

the marlin feeding on these baitfish, so too are a few species of tuna, dolphinfish (mahimahi), sharks and kingfish. Trolling is the best way to encounter them, either with lures or baits, and because the gamefish grounds are so close to Bermagui it’s a very safe area for trailer boat fishos should the weather blow up. For those wishing to bag some table fish offshore, there are plenty of flathead to be found close to shore within easy reach of the smaller boats along with the shallower water reefs mixing it up with a variety of species at hand like snapper, morwong, kingfish, ocean perch or those tasty, pesky leatherjackets. This season the beaches have never looked so good with a mix of species on offer. Australian salmon are always top of the list for entertainment value, throw in a few tailor, the odd jewfish or gummy shark for interest and then you have those small tasty species like bream, whiting or mullet only too happy to To page 75

Quality fish for the kids right next to Wallaga Bridge.

Family fun in the sun for the school holidays TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

The far south coast of NSW is a great place for families to visit, especially in summer, with one of the better places being the Tathra area. Here there are so

many activities on offer, with fishing being at the top of the list. The Bega River is a good starting place for family fishing activities, whether you fish from a boat or from the shore. For the land-based anglers, fishing around the bridge or from the sandy banks near the entrance can be

quite productive for bait fishos. Nippers, prawns and cut fish baits are the most productive for species like bream, trevally, flathead, or tailor. For those anglers who have boats, this waterway has plenty of areas to explore. As you move up the system there are lots of rocky areas harbouring

Summer holiday fishing just doesn’t get any better.

There are plenty of beaches to explore, with many good fish. 74

JANUARY 2023

estuary perch, luderick and bream. These spots are good for lure fishing or chasing luderick on weed under a float. Drifting the sandy flats where they drop into the deeper channels can be productive for flathead, either on lures or live mullet. These spots are also good areas for whiting that will take a liking to worms or nippers.

A lot further up the river, which is quite accessible following the floods, you can move into the sweetwater where bass become an option. Due to all that rain these fish have been able to move throughout the system freely, where their numbers are on the increase. Beaches are a popular venue in summer for families, with Tathra

having some of the best beaches in the country. A lot of these beaches are relatively secluded, and it is quite possible to have one all to yourself. Lots of these beaches are ideal family fishing areas, with schools of salmon on offer. These tough fighting sportfish can provide hours of entertainment when found To page 75

NSW

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

From page 74 (Bermagui)

eat a well-presented beach worm. Here you can fish through the day or through the night where you may encounter some surprises. All the estuaries and lakes within the area are firing after a couple of good years flushing following the large rain falls or floods. A mix of species are on offer with your usual summer fish to be found. Flathead are in good numbers along with bream plenty of whiting can e sighted over the flats along with some large mullet. Luderick can be found by using weed or nippers along the weed beds or rocky areas, while in the deep sections of the rivers or lakes trevally, tailor along with the odd jewfish may mix in. With Brogo Dam only a short 40-minute drive from Bermagui, there’s no reason why you can’t mix in a few bass or estuary perch while visiting this area. The dam is at 100%, and it has been heavily stocked with both species. There are more to come in the future following another 15,000 recently released back in late November ensuring a healthy fishery in years to come. From page 74 (Tathra)

along a beach, and if the kids do get bored, they can always have a swim. The most popular fishing spot is undoubtedly the Tathra Wharf, where families often visit. There are plenty of different species on offer here, with mackerel, trevally and yellowtail being at the top of the list. Here it’s

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venture out to sea, often in pursuit of flathead. The oceans surrounding Tathra have some of the largest populations of tiger and eastern blue-spot flathead on offer, and you only have to travel a few miles to find them. Not only are flathead great on the table, but they are also one of the best fish in the ocean that families can chase together.

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There are some big luderick around in the Bega River. JANUARY 2023

NSW

A return to normal conditions ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

Will 2023 bring back our normal river conditions? I can confidently say that every angler in the region has a New Year’s wish for our local rivers and creeks to return back to regular clear flows. It’s been quite some time now since we’ve seen this, and while La Niña is supposed to clear this summer, it still does take some time for our local rivers and creeks to settle down with regard to flow, height and clarity. I touched in my last article that after a wet season the fishing tends to be better, so while this wait definitely does

On hot days, it’s a good idea to keep any netted fish in the water while you get organised with pliers, gloves and camera equipment. addressed, is that some areas downstream on the Murray River in the Echuca area and below have suffered some fish kills. This isn’t a subject I’m fully up to date on, with regard to exact locations and numbers of fish, but I have been hearing reports of many native fishing and other aquatic life going belly-up due to high water levels causing poor water quality in certain areas. I’m sure that other writers in this magazine will cover this in more detail. However, a positive for our region is that we have seen

Rhys Wilson and his son Isaac with a cracking 69cm golden perch from Lake Hume. from the negatives and back to some things to look forward to. Lake Hume is still fishing well for redfin, as it has been for the past few years, and good numbers of golden perch are still being caught by anglers

Hume, it’s definitely worth the effort as there are some absolute donkeys in there that are trophy worthy! As for cod fishing at the moment, with the rivers and creeks not quite up to scratch as I write this, Lake Mulwala is the place

Small water cod are very cool fish to target, especially because of the spots you pull fish from! seem like forever, what’s to come should be worth the wait. Remembering back to 2016, we saw a wet season and into the

summer of 2017 once the waterways returned back to their regular conditions, the fishing was really good especially in the smaller

creeks around the region. So as mentioned, the wait is worth waiting for! A topic that is unfortunate, but must be

A common catch size over the warmer months. Small fish are a good sign for the future of the fishery.

This photo of the author’s hand on a golden perch shows the scale of the girth on some of the fish from Lake Hume. 76

JANUARY 2023

very little numbers of fish kills locally. I did hear of a few at Lake Mulwala, but nothing like what has been reported further downstream. This is such an unfortunate situation, and as passionate anglers we can all understand the devastation of any unprecedented fish kills. Now let’s move away

who are out there searching for them. The spring run on the yellas was fantastic. In fact, it was one of the best seasons I’ve ever seen personally. It’s great to see fish from that lake always being in such good condition – the girth on the yellas in there is crazy. If you have never chased golden perch in Lake

that grabs my attention to want to go fish. During the warmer months, targeting numbers of fish in that lake should be no issue. If you persist, the rewards will come like always. Finally, continue to be patient, because once the conditions return to normal we should be on for some epic fishing!

NSW

Going deep in the heat HUNTER VALLEY

Nick Price

January is a month where the fish are still hitting surface and reaction lures, but as the water heats up the fish go deep and the deep gulp bite comes into its own. This month I will

and often larger than the school fish found out deep. When fishing for these darker weed-dwelling fish, I like to fish a weedless plastic that can be thrown into the weed and worked slowly. When rigged properly, fishing weedless is all but snag-proof. Use a soft plastic that is easily squashed such

the fish are in the cover and shadow of the weed they are often near the surface and not worried about the sunlight. Surface can be fished all day! I like to use a Soft Shell Cicada. I find the subtle fall of the Soft Shell spooks fewer fish during the day. A dry fly does the same job. After a slow start, we

A brace of deep bass.

A typical Barrington rainbow. discuss deep fishing over the summer. Lake St Clair has been fishing consistently well. As the water warms up the fish go deep, but with all the freshwater weed in Lake St Clair the bass can still be found on the edge in amongst the abundant weed. These fish are great fun to catch

as a Keitech. This type of plastic will improve the hook-up rate because the bass are less likely to foul the plastic on the hook. If you’re unsure how to rig weedless, drop into the shop and I can show you how. Fishing surface also works when you’re targeting the shallow fish. Because

are now having hot days and warm nights, which has seen more consistent fishing in Glenbawn. The abundant weed that is found at Lake St Clair is not found at Glenbawn and, other than early mornings and night time, the fish are found deep. When locating deep fish, a decent sounder is

a must. Start looking for fish off points and around timber edges. Stop near these locations and generally fish will move under the boat, being attracted to the shadow. Once located, slowly roll a Gulp through the school, remembering not to strike if a fish takes an interest. Next month I will go into detail about this technique and a few tricks as well! With all the rain and cool temperatures the trout fishing has been very good over the last couple of months. However, with the onset of the school holidays there have been more anglers than fish, and the fishing has

started to slow considerably. Those fish remaining have been lure shy and flighty. To be successful on the educated trout I suggest a stealthy approach when moving upstream. Watch your shadow and silhouette, and begin to ‘hunt’ the trout. The fish found in the more remote areas of the Barrington Tops see less pressure and are less educated, so for the enthusiastic it is worth the walk. There are plenty of maps and Google Earth to help with this. The insects are in full swing in January, and fly fishing at this time of

year is great fun and very productive. Both dries and wets have been catching their share of Barrington trout. February is a month where the water is hot and the fish go deep, and the deep gulp bite comes into its own. Next month I will continue to discuss deep fishing over the summer. R e m e m b e r, if you’re heading up to the Barrington, Glenbawn or St Clair, 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.

Ryan Lungu said he was thrilled when the volunteers discovered the first Sydney Rock Oyster recruit on the reef at the training day. “Shellfish reefs are one of Australia’s most imperiled ecosystems, so it’s great to see the oysters taking to the reef so quickly,” Mr Lungu said. DPI researchers have also started carrying out more detailed monitoring of the intertidal reef for the first time since its construction.

“Our team are counting the species, number and size of fish and invertebrates using the new reef with visual census, baited underwater video, and collecting sediment cores of invertebrates,” Mr Sloan said. “WILS is showcasing how nature-based solutions to coastal management can deliver multiple benefits including protecting foreshores, enhancing passive recreational

opportunities, integrating cultural values, engaging coastal communities, and building habitat resilience.” The WILS project is a collaboration between Eurobodalla Shire Council, NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) through the Marine Estate Management Strategy (MEMS), The Nature Conservancy Australia, and the Australian Government through its Reef Builder initiative. – NSW DPI

FISHING NEWS

Citizen science in action An innovative citizen science monitoring project for Wagonga Inlet Living Shorelines (WILS) has been launched, to help determine how well the restored reef is improving marine biodiversity. NSW DPI Fisheries Deputy Director General Sean Sloan said the recently constructed intertidal Sydney Rock Oyster Reef on Wagonga Inlet’s sandflats in Narooma has been the focus of monitoring efforts by both local citizen scientists and DPI researchers. “The local community in Narooma is playing a critical role in helping us understand and monitor the changes the new reef will create,” Mr Sloan said. “The citizen scientists are assisting DPI researchers with monitoring the growth and recruitment of oysters to the new intertidal reef. “We had 21 keen Narooma locals take part in

the training day this month and the first citizen science monitoring event for the project, which shows how interested the community are in this work.” This part of the WILS project is delivered by Nature Coast Marine Group (NCMG) and OzFish Unlimited, with funding from DPI. Nature Coast Marine Group (NCMG) Vice President, James Caffery

said residents of Narooma have been great supporters of this project. “The local citizen scientists are playing a critical role in helping us understand and monitor the ecological improvements the new reefs will create, as well as helping to record the shorebirds which are already using the restored reef as habitat,” Mr Caffery said. OzFish Program Manager for the NSW Coast,

JANUARY 2023

NSW

Hot weather fishing strategies BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

The middle of summer can be a challenging time on the water for some anglers. For starters, the heat in the middle of the day can be unbearable at times, not just for anglers but for fish. And with so many people on holidays at this time of the year, the extra boat traffic can also be a nightmare for both anglers and fish. That being said, the small creeks and rivers are great at this time of year, not just for the fact that the trout are very active and are almost always willing to hit stuff off the top, but the fact that the big lakes will be getting hammered by fishos and skiers. The major rivers can be very busy during the summer holidays as well. When fishing a river I try to get to some private property, or head way up or downstream of any reserves or major access points. By doing the hard yards and putting in that extra bit of time, it’s still possible to get some great water to yourself at this time of the year. As the old saying goes, ‘do the miles, get the smiles’. BLOWERING DAM Blowering is always super popular over the holiday period, and there can be thousands of water users on and around the lake at any one time. This can make it difficult at times, with water skiers and fishos whizzing past almost constantly. However, if you look hard enough you should still be able to find a bank or bay that isn’t too busy, and it’s in these areas that the best fishing is to be had. Quite often during January the natives can become very hard to catch due to the crazy amount of boat and fishing activity.

However, like I said, if you can find an area that isn’t getting too much boat activity the fishing can still be good. Alternatively, you can leave your fishing until after dark where the fish become more at ease, and the temperature is much more comfortable for anglers as well. REDFIN Redfin should be your target fish during the day as these guys don’t let a bit of boat traffic affect their feeding too much. Jigging is always good at Blowering

the fish stop biting. Small hardbodies, lipless crankbaits and blades are your best lures to troll. That’s right, I just said blades. These lures are typically known to be casting lures, but so too were lipless crankbaits not so long ago, and now lipless cranks are one of the most successful and popular trolling lures you can use. GOLDEN PERCH The golden perch fishing during early spring this year was not so good thanks to abnormally cold weather,

of the year. The other productive technique during the summer months is bait fishing around shaly banks, rocky points and submerged trees. At Blowering if you can’t catch any shrimp, the best bait is medium-sized yabbies for golden perch, and it’s best to rig them on a paternoster rig to keep them from burying themselves into the bottom. Alternatively, use a yabby like you would a soft plastic – just rig the yabby on a hook and add a small running

The small streams in the area will be your best bet at seeing more fish than anglers this month.

As you can see, on top of the sensational trout fishing the Tumut River and its backdrops are next level. Dam – just find a school by sounding or trolling, and then hook into them with some jigs, blades, vibes or soft plastics. Trolling for redfin can be sensational during January. The schools will be spread out but once you find them you may just end up with multiple hook-ups. Once you find a patch I’d suggest pulling up and casting lures like lipless crankbaits or blades. If you’re not into casting, simply turn back around and troll back through the school, then continue to do this until

Tantangara and Eucumbene will be busier than usual, but still certainly be worth a visit this month. There will be far fewer anglers to contend with up there than at Blowering Dam, that’s for sure, and the trout fishing can be sensational (particularly at sunset and after dark). Trolling and casting lures in the middle of the day can yield a few fish, but concentrating your efforts

the day you are far better off casting lures to try to entice a reaction strike from the trout. The best lures I find up here are slender minnowstyle paddle-tail soft plastics, such as the Ecogear Grass Minnows. Natural colours are best, particularly the rainbow trout imitation colour. Other great casting lures up here are the lipless crankbaits, rubber vibes, sinking minnow-style

which unfortunately persisted until the end of spring. Now that the weather has finally started warming up, so too has the golden perch fishing. Trolling or casting with smallish lures like #3 Prism Murrins, TN50 or TN60 Jackalls, 60mm Slap Walkers, Storm Hot ‘n’ Tots, Troll Craft Double Downers, Balista Dynos, Balista Trances, small StumpJumpers or any of the smaller Viking lures is a good way to target the golden perch at this time

Blowering Dam can be very popular in January, and when the redfin are on it’s pretty easy to see where they are biting.

The Tumut River can get busy over the holiday period, but there are plenty of trout to go around. 78

JANUARY 2023

sinker, but only if needed to get down. Then simply cast the yabby out and allow it to flutter to the bottom. Once it hits the bottom, give the rod a slow and gentle lift of around a metre or so, then allow the yabby to fall back to the bottom. Repeat this all the way back to your feet. Fishing this way is far more fun and far more rewarding than the ’chuck it out, sit and wait’ style of bait fishing. TROUT LAKES The trout lakes like

to the last hour and a half of daylight and through the night will increase your catch rate considerably. Bait anglers will have to wait until late afternoon to get some fish, because most trout will not feed much during the hot days. That’s why you can still get the odd one to strike a lure out of aggression during the day, but if the fish isn’t hungry or doesn’t feel like eating it’s not going to hit your bait. For this reason, if you fish during the middle of

hardbodies and blades. I like to use conventional blades up here, but I also do quite well on the Ecogear ZX range. The ZX is a bit different from your conventional blades in that it’s a different shape, which looks very much like a shrimp or yabby. They also have long feelers and swinging hooks off the back, which makes them look very much like the real thing. Given that a lot of the big brown trout in these lakes are To page 79

ACT

Canberra

New England New Year NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

As we say good-bye to 2022 and the crazy weather events we received throughout the year, we can only hope that January, as well as the rest of 2023, proves to be another awesome season to be out on the water, with the dams sitting at full capacity and rivers running steadily. With many hotter and longer days still yet to come, not only is this time of year good for fishing opportunities, it is also a very good time for outdoor activities and boating in general. There have been many families taking advantage of the holidays and weekends, and spending their time outdoors during the break. Many of the dams around the New England Tablelands are all filled to capacity and have been fishing really well of late with some quality fish being caught all around the area. Copeton Dam always seems to be the most popular around this time of year, and with the number of big fish that get caught around January and with such a huge amount of water to venture around, it’s not hard to see why. At full capacity it can take a fair while to explore this waterway and see what it really has to offer. One thing you will notice in the summer months with the warmer weather, is the amount of wildlife around the dam, especially types that Murray cod will eat. Lizards, such JAN DAM LEVELS Copeton Dam 2023 – 99% 2022 – 100% 2021 – 16% Pindari Dam 2023 – 100% 2022 – 101% 2021 – 15% From page 78

predominately crustacean eaters, it makes sense to use a lure that imitates one

Paddling the rivers and casting for Murray cod from a kayak is definitely recommended as it can make for some really exciting fishing. Especially when the aggressive cod eat the lure right next to the kayak.

Well-conditioned rainbows are still active and plentiful in many creeks and streams around the New England area. This healthy fish ate a beaded nymph while using the 4wt fly rod in one of the smaller creeks. as bearded water dragons, are very abundant, and we all know how much Murray cod love eating surface lures. I find it best to target the bigger Murray cod early in the morning and late in the afternoon while the weather is a lot cooler, especially when fishing the major, more pressured waterways. That said, there have been many XL Murray cod caught fishing down deeper over the years during some of January’s hottest days too. Swimbaits, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits all work well for both the Murray cod and golden perch all year round. A few of these lure options, if not all of them, should be a staple in your tacklebox as they can be methodically worked at any water level, right down to the river bed. of their main food sources. TROUT STREAMS Like I said earlier, the trout stream fishing

I would also recommend having a release weight of some type to get the cod back to the cooler temperatures down below if you intend to target them while it’s hot. Big natives do suffer from barotrauma in the hotter

periods easily, especially when surface temperatures are particularly high. Pindari Dam remained open for targeting perch during the spawn period, however, with the Murray cod season only opening back up last month, I’d say there are a still a fair few fish who are yet to see a single lure or bait this year. There is a lot of rocky structure to cover, with bulk amounts of standing timber

the edges during the early morning and late afternoon, slow-winding plastics through the trees or even trolling lipless crankbaits are all productive choices, and all catch their fair share of fish in the warmer months. The full moon will be above on the 7th of this month, with the new moon falling on the 22nd. The fishing options are endless at this time of year, and it’s not only the natives

One definite sign that natives are on the bite! Warm weather and very active Murray cod can make for an awesome combination. can be sensational at this time of the year. There are so many creeks around the area that are worth

A great example of the trout on offer in our local streams. What they lack in size they more than make up for with numbers.

exploring with a trout rod in hand, including Nimbo Creek, Stinking Creek, Gilmore Creek, Adelong Creek, Yaven Creek, Tumbarumba Creek, Mannus Creek, Jounama Creek, Buddong Creek, Paddys River, Goobarragandra River, Goodradigbee River and the top end of the Eucumbene and Murrumbidgee rivers. At this time of the year, these waterways can also offer some sensation dry fly action. All this gives you a heap of fishing options to choose from, so slap on a heap of sunscreen and insect repellent, and go get amongst them. Until next article, good luck, and tight lines.

Topwater lures are a favourite for natives at this time of year. This chunky Murray cod couldn’t resist a wakebait-style lure. in between for the fish to take cover and hide in. Like most places, Pindari can be pretty touch-and-go when it comes to actually getting fish to bite, and changing up your techniques can play huge dividends. The best thing about this waterway is the number of different ways you can catch quality fish when they are willing to play the game. Casting lures up shallow on

and the impoundments that have been fishing well. Many rivers and creeks around the New England area are holding solid numbers of fish also, such as yellowbelly, redfin perch, rainbow trout, carp and eel-tailed catfish, and bass are just a short drive over the range. Good luck to everyone getting out on the water this month. Tight lines and Happy New Year! JANUARY 2023

Canberra

ACT

Impoundment fish on the chew CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

I am happy to report that the fishing in Canberra seems to be on the improve. After long wet weather periods and several cold snaps, things have started to settle (a little, anyway)

parallel to the concrete dropoffs. If you’re chasing golden perch, head to the isolated willows on Bowen Drive and flick small, naturallycoloured paddle-tail plastics under the overhanging willow branches and allow the lure to sink before twitching the lure on the spot. This is a great way to connect with one of

fished or the lures used, but I had no idea that the lake fished so well at night. If night fishing is not an option, the ever-present carp are worth a look as these fish are hitting paddle-tail plastics through the day, especially around the drain near the scout building. Lake Ginninderra is

dawn near the dam wall. I like to fish the lake when there is a bit of wind on the water. The fish seem far more active and more likely to hit lures. Gordon Pond is a great place to cast for golden perch. There have been many fish caught here in recent weeks, with most fish caught sitting around the 45cm mark. I caught several fish using a Jackall TN60 in black king gill, and by focusing my efforts along the rock wall. There have also been plenty of reddies and carp caught by anglers fishing with bait, with the fish preferring scrub worms fished on a running sinker rig with around 30cm of leader right around the pond. The Murrumbidgee River is still high and dirty but the

Fishing through the rain is paying off for some anglers.

Lake Ginninderra is starting to fish well. and the fish have come on the bite across a number of ACT impoundments. The solid fishing action may not last, so now really is the time to get amongst it and target all of Canberra’s three lure-chasing species – redfin, golden perch and Murray cod.

the larger resident yellas. There have been a few good cod caught by anglers casting large plastics around the old wharves which still haven’t been ripped out by the ACT Government after the foreshore renovations. Lake Tuggeranong is still a bit hit-and-miss, but

really picking up. The golden perch are now active and are hitting lures around the edges of the large weed beds, which can be found in a variety of locations around the lake. These fish are responsive to a range of different lures and techniques. However, I have found that a small diver in a chrome finish fished slowly adjacent to the weed near the police jetty to be the most effective method. There are also plenty of redfin hitting lures, and there have also been a couple of cod caught by anglers fishing paddler-style surface lures at

The author with a solid specimen. fishing actually hasn’t been too bad. I have caught a few fish using smaller, paddler style surface lures at dawn and dusk but all these fish came from slow back water as opposed to the faster flowing sections. Anglers

have also had success using spinnerbaits fished slow and close to the bank, and there have also been a few goodsized yellas caught in these areas which were fooled by fishos using larger blades and vibes. I do want to make

The cod are hitting surface lures. LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin is fishing reasonably well. There are large populations of redfin holding along the edges of the concrete walls which lead up to Commonwealth Avenue Bridge. The fish are feeding on small baitfish, so it’s a case of matching the hatch and slow rolling either a small, brightly coloured vibe, or 80mm wriggle-style plastic coupled with a 1/8oz jighead 80

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that being said, there have also been some exceptional captures there of late by a few anglers who keep a low profile. I was lucky enough to accompany a small group of dedicated anglers who fish the lake at night on one of their expeditions. Among the multitude of redfin caught, I witnessed an angler catch a big golden perch and a medium-sized Murray cod. I won’t give away the spots

Redfin are feeding in numbers along the concrete drop-offs at LBG.

mention of the increased numbers of snakes along the ‘Bidgee. I have been fishing the river for 20 years and have never seen so many snakes. Make sure if you do decide to fish the river, wear gators, fish with a friend and carry a beacon. SURROUNDS Googong Dam is steadily on the improve. The roving packs of reddies are back and pushing bait to the surface. Small poppers cast out past the last line of trees and worked back to the bank is a good way to catch a surface reddie, as is using a Jackall Micro Pompadour. The golden perch are also starting to come on the bite and can be targeted in a variety of locations and by using lots of different techniques. These can range from twitching wriggler-style plastics along the bottom through to slow rolling medium-sized swimbaits along the middle of the water column. There have also been several large cod caught by boat anglers fishing large spinnerbaits and plastics along the steeper edges at the southern end of the dam.

PRODUCT GUIDE

XBRAID CASTMAN ABSORBER

YGK is world renowned for innovation, technology and quality. Manufactured in Japan for the past 70 years, YGK now brings you their own unique range for anglers, one that offers a model to suit every style of fishing in Australian waters: XBraid. With the introduction of XBraid to the Australian fishing line and leader market, we now dive deeper into the product range, starting with XBraid Shock Leader. Castman Absorber is a supple nylon copolymer made in Japan, bringing you the highest level of product. It’s built for repeated lure casting that allows your lure to work with perfection, and great knot strength which in turn offers protection from mainline breakages. The Castman Absorber range includes 30lb, 40lb, 50lb, 60lb, 70lb, 80lb, 100lb, 130lb, 170lb and 200lb line classes, ensuring there is a size for every angler and application. For more information on the XBraid range, check them out on social media @xbraid australia, or visit the XBraid Australia website. www.xbraidygk.com.au

RAPALA SHAD RAP ELITE

The Shad Rap Elite 75 builds on the tournament proven qualities of the original Shad Rap, with added features taking the Shad Rap to the Elite level. Modern construction techniques combined with perfectly positioned weights have created maximum durability without compromising on action, stability, casting distance or accuracy. The Shad Rap Elite is a highly versatile lure that blends a traditional crankbait with a jerk bait seamlessly. With the ability to perform at a wide range of speeds and techniques, the Shad Rap Elite is ideal for a multitude of species and applications. The colour patterns combine metallic plating, HD printing and totally new designs, which are proven to catch fish. Price: SRP $29.95 www.rapala.com.au

ZMAN 6” HERCULEZ

The much-anticipated ZMan 6” HerculeZ 10X Tough ElaZtech pre-rigged swimbait has arrived, joining the AFTA Trade Show released 4” and 5” models. This larger model was developed based on requests from anglers chasing larger predatory species, including barramundi, Murray cod and mulloway. The detailed body shape is 10X Tough to stand up to brutal strikes and aggressive fights, featuring fins, scale pattern and 3D eyes for added realism, while a unique under hooked, aggressive tail creates the signature swimming action and body roll that has proven effective in the smaller models. Built on a brutally strong, Mustad black nickel, chemically sharpened hook, to handle big fish, the HerculeZ also features a belly mounted, stainless steel attachment point for attaching a stinger hook or blade for flash and vibration, all moulded into a zinc internal weight for strength and integrity, maintaining balance and action. Available in eight popular ZMan colours, including light, natural colours, darker silhouette, and fluoro colours, the HerculeZ is built to get the bite whether it’s impoundment barramundi and Murray cod, break wall mulloway or bluewater beasts on your target list. Price: SRP $16.95 www.z-man.com.au

MERCURY V10 VERADO

Mercury Marine has introduced the industry’s first ever V10 outboard with the launch of its 5.7L 350 and 400hp Verado outboards. These engines are the quietest and smoothest in their class, running 45% quieter than a leading competitor at cruise. In addition to noise vibration harshness (NVH), the new Verados are compatible with the latest Mercury SmartCraft technologies. The V10 Verado outboards leverage many of the same market-leading features and technologies boaters love about the company’s popular V12, V8 and V6 platforms. The new V10 includes premium refinements and versatility for a wide range of applications, from large saltwater centre consoles to single-engine freshwater fishing boats to pontoons and smaller centre consoles. Weighing only 316kg and with the same industry-leading 26” mount spacing as the V8 outboards, the V10 engines maximise compatibility with current boat designs. Mercury Australia will introduce the new V10 Verado from April 2023. www.MercuryMarine.com.au

DAIWA 22 INFEET X

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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The arrival of Daiwa’s new Infeet X spin reel continues the tradition for finesse angling design and performance excellence. Featuring Daiwa’s carbon composite Zaion V body, the Infeet X is strong and sturdy while remaining incredibly lightweight and saltwater proof. Two shallow spool models feature in the Infeet X range, with the 2000SP featuring a 4.8:1 retrieve ratio and the 2500S a 5.3:1 ratio, with both the shallow spool and retrieve ratios selected with the wants of Aussie light tackle anglers in mind. Daiwa’s next generation ATD Type-L drag is installed for the first time outside the 22 Exist. The benchmark in light line drag performance, ATD Type-L lowers the startup inertia of the drag system even more than previous ATD systems, meaning even the lightest of lines are protected from fish strikes and sudden lunges during the fight. Finesse saltwater performance and longevity is further enhanced courtesy of CRBB corrosion-resistant bearings, Magseal, and Daiwa’s Tough Digigear gearing system. www.daiwafishing.com.au

LUMICA ROD LIGHTS

Lumica Japan are the developers and inventors of the chemical light stick, and have now released two new colours in their popular range of LED rod lights. The LED Rod Tip Lights are perfect for anglers fishing at night, and simply clip onto your rod tip. They are also quite small, so they don’t weigh down or affect the tip action of your rod. The lights are available in four colours: sunset red, sea green, white and pink. They are available in two sizes, so they will fit most rods on the market. Lumica LED Rod Lights require a Lithium BR/CR 425 battery. These lights are super bright and re-useable, and are just the best thing for anglers fishing at night-time. For more information on the Lumica range, visit the Juro website. www.jurofishing.com

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

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JANUARY 2023

VIC

A great season lies ahead PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

The Fisher crew at Portland Compleat Angler would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and we hope you are all enjoying the holiday period. Let’s hope we can all get through this year with some more success – especially all our inland

friends and family, and our customers who have been fighting floodwaters. OK, now to the future! We have had a ripper season on our big snapper off the lee breakwater. Throughout November and December these big reds have been pretty consistent, and fishos from far and wide have made the trip for some action. We have seen some trophy fish to 90cm,

Jesse with a nice gummy off the breakwater.

although fish in the 65-75cm size range are more common. In January, the snapper tend to downsize somewhat, but there is still the chance of catching a bigger fish. Good size whiting and a few rat kingfish have been getting caught off the wall. Hopefully by the time you read this report, the kingfish will have fired up more, and some bigger models will be caught. Remember that the town jetty, Trawlers Wharf and other nearby areas are great options for kids. Whiting around the bay have started to be caught more consistently, and in good sizes. Pinkie snapper, squid and flathead are also good fun to catch in the bay. Hopefully, this month the kingfish will fire up around the North Shore in the warmer shallow waters, along with snapper, sharks etc. around the reef line in that area. By now we should also start on our summer school tuna, which are generally found around the anchorage and North Shore area. These fish can get up to 30kg, but are more often 10-15kg. These smaller fish still provide a lot of fun on light set-ups. These guys can be in shallow water with the kingfish out to 30m+

of water, and are accessible from smaller boats. For kings, fresh or live baits are ideal, especially under floats. You can also try trolling livies, squid strips, or hardbody lures. Casting stickbaits and soft plastics into schools can produce the goods as well. Stickbaits and plastics will also be good on tuna schools, as will small hardbody or skirted lures on the troll. Deep water fishing is

Young Riley with a nice breakwater snapper.

Jolene with a solid breakwater snapper. always on the hit list over summer. You can chase large snapper, sharks, flathead and more from behind Lawrences Rock to Bridgewater Bay. On

the really good days you can head to the shelf to try for blue-eye, pink ling, gemfish and anything else that prowls these depths.

There are some great estuary opportunities in the Surry and Fitzroy outlets, and not too far away, the Glenelg River system. Bream, EP and mulloway are the main targets. Bridgewater Lakes are a good freshwater option for redfin, and we are not too far from some great freshwater lakes and rivers. The surf beaches should start firing, with snapper and whiting around Snapper Point, plus salmon and gummies around Bridgwater and Discovery Bay. For all your fishing and bait needs, call into Portland Compleat Angler at 61 Bentinck Street, next to the Gordon Hotel. You can also contact us on 03 5521 1844 for fishing reports, or follow us on Facebook.

Holiday angling options WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

With the constant rain, winds and the dirty, hardflowing rivers, things have been pretty dismal on the local fishing front. So, let’s look forward to hopefully a good start to the New Year. It’s peak holiday time here in the southwest, with plenty of angling options for everyone, from holiday

novices to keen sports fishers. Let’s look at a few easy options where you should be able to get onto a fish or two. All the local estuaries can provide plenty of fun at this time of year, with bream, mullet and small salmon being the main targets. Unweighted or lightly weighted baits of glassies or peeled prawns are a good way for holidaymakers to target the bream in these rivers at this time of the year off the banks, jetties or bridges. The Hopkins Bridge is an often-overlooked option

that produces some quality catches, with good structure and shade available to the fish. The landings near the Port Fairy boat ramp, whilst seemingly not as productive as when the cleaning tables were right on the water, can still provide some fun on mullet, small salmon and trevally. Fishing the change of tide here produces the best results. Killarney Beach is a shallow, sheltered area often popular with novice swimmers, but warm, January evenings are great times to target King

Bluefin tuna can be encountered offshore during summer. 82

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George whiting here. These tasty and hard-fighting fish can be caught on clickers and spew worms that can be pumped on location, and frozen cockles can also produce the goods. Don’t be afraid to fish in water as shallow as 2m during the prime dawn and dusk times. Good numbers of squid can also be targeted around the shallow areas with a mixture of reef and sand. The Warrnambool breakwater is a popular spot for tourist anglers. The best fishing during daylight hours is usually off the back wall, where heavier surf casting gear is usually required to lift fish up the wall itself. Pinkie snapper, salmon and the odd King George whiting are the main targets. On the inside of the wall the waters are shallow, but recent dredging this year could provide some more depth, attracting some more species. After dark can produce good fishing for squid and yellowtail scad. If you have access to a boat you only have to travel a few 100m off the breakwater or a similar distance out the mouth of the Moyne River at Port Fairy to be amongst the fish. Lightly weighed baits and a bit of berley usually sees a constant stream of pinkie snapper, trevally, small salmon, whiting and the like to keep the crew entertained. Lake Pertobe is more

Matt Bennie with a nice bream. Plenty of holiday fun can be had on the bream near the mouths of the local estuaries in January. renowned for its playground and picnic areas, but the lake does receive a stocking of rainbows each year. The past 12 months have seen the heaviest stockings compared to previous years, so it should be well worth a look this month. Using shallow running hardbodied lures is the best way to target the rainbows in this shallow lake. For the more serious and

well-equipped angler, the highlight at this time of the year is the run of the summer pelagic species. Schools of kingfish, southern bluefin tuna and large salmon can all be encountered offshore during summer. Wait for those flat days when the schools can be spotted on the surface by a well-trained eye, and then cast at them for some exciting fishing action.

Your fishing licence fees at work Your recreational fishing licence fees are funding 14 projects, worth more than $1.4 million, to further improve fishing opportunities across Victoria. » $110,000 to create more fish habitat in the Gippsland Lakes by installing more snags » $216,200 to research the residency and movement of yellowtail kingfish » $110,000 to construct a floating fishing platform at Ouyen Lake » $85,000 to develop report cards on key native fisheries » $81,100 to deliver the Victorian Wild Trout Fisheries Management Program » $80,000 to increase fish habitat in Lake Eppalock » $79,500 to extend the Kalimna Jetty at Metung » $70,000 to upgrade the boat ramp and jetty at Kangaroo Lake » $58,900 to trial new methods of assessing fish stocks by sampling the presence of environmental DNA » $26,000 to increase fish habitat for blackfish between Newlyn and Tullaroop reservoirs » $51,800 to build an all-abilities fishing platform on Painkalac Creek, Aireys Inlet » $38,400 to improve trout habitat by installing instream boulders and log jams into the Ovens River near Bright » $139,000 to undertake catch and effort surveys with fishers in Port Phillip, Western Port, Corner Inlet, the Gippsland Lakes and off Lakes Entrance to inform sustainable management of stocks » $257,400 for educational products that make it easy to understand catch limits including the Recreational Fishing Guide, rulers and measures.

Your licence fees also contribute to extra Fisheries Officers, fish production at our Snobs Creek hatchery, VRFish, Fishcare, the Small and Intermediate Grants Programs, and support the State Government’s $35 million Go Fishing Victoria plan to get more people fishing, more often.

vfa.vic.gov.au/feesatwork

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Summertime has so many fishing choices COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

It looks like the summer run of southern bluefin tuna has begun, with schools of fish averaging between 12-15kg being fought, lost and landed off Port Fairy and Warrnambool. Some larger specimens estimated at 50-60kg have also been spotted cruising close to the surface. Currently the tuna are finicky at best, and they are easily spooked, especially if a boat trolls lures near or through the surface school. Your best bet is to hang back and cast lures towards the school, just bear in mind that the action can be sporadic, as the fish are currently in summer feeding mode, therefore feeding on the smaller baitfish that are currently available. The best results have been coming on smaller lures such as metal chrome slices and weighted stickbaits no bigger than

A nice South West King George whiting taken off Warrnambool on squid strips. 100mm. White soft plastics that are no longer than 130mm rigged on a 1oz jighead have also resulted in

some hook-ups. The bonus here with finicky tuna is that yellowtail kingfish are following the

schools, no doubt looking for scraps from a feeding frenzy. It might pay when casting to initially allow

the lure to sink under the surface-feeding tuna before retrieval just in case. No doubt the kingfish season will also go into full swing in the coming weeks. Moving offshore, locally some excellent calamari squid have been taken on jigs. Besides presenting a delicious option for the table, they also provide excellent fresh bait for a wide variety of species. Close inshore over depths rarely exceeding 10m, some excellent flathead including ‘yanks’ to 1.6kg have been taken by boaters targeting King George whiting. Again, using fresh squid strips which can outlast the pickers. West of Boat Bay towards Warrnambool, some excellent flathead and whiting grounds exist, and this is where many anglers are cleaning up. However, small pinkies are also about, many undersize, so remember the minimum size limit.

In saying that, some good snapper to 60cm have been caught in depths from 20-40m over broken ground. Fish to 4kg have been caught but 1.5kg/ 40-45cm fish are more common. Fresh squid, either whole or in strips, is the gun bait. The whiting, when found on the chew, are averaging around 40cm and are responding to squid strips baited up on either small suicide hooks for pinkie snapper, or baitholder hooks, with size 1 being a favourite. A tad further offshore, gummies to 20kg are being taken off the bottom on large squid baits along with snapper to 2.5kg. Broken rubble or reefy ground fished on the edge depending on whether the tide is coming in or out is the go. Some juicy nannygai are also about, and although smaller, these outbid snapper fillets by a country mile as far as I’m concerned, even though I love snapper.

Local fishing success stories GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

I hope everyone is enjoying a break as we bring in 2023. If you’re holidaying on the Bellarine or Surf Coast, the good news is

McGarrigle! Axel fished the Barwon with this dad Eddie recently where he caught his biggest fish – a carp of 53cm using corn for bait! Super pumped! Adam van der Lugt from Treyy’s fished Wurdee Buloc Reservoir near Moriac where

VFM in 2004, I’d say this year has been one of the best for numbers of snapper, but not so many big fish over 7kg have been reported. Have said that, Steve Parker did land a ripper – read below for that story. Whiting have definitely been better over the last few years and there are more flathead over 50cm in my reports than (say) five

years ago – inside Corio Bay at least. Whopper tiger flatties to 3kg were more common off Barwon Heads in 2004 and 2005 than they are now, but some reports have them off Lorne recently. Here’s hoping they show up off Barwon Heads again. The first reports I received of big southern bluefin tuna were around

Dave Reynolds has caught a few gummies drifting out in 50m of water off Barwon Heads lately. Adam had a day out at Wurdee recently catching a few trout and reddies. that the fish have been waiting for you. Freshwater fishing has been a little quiet in the Geelong stretch of the Barwon due to all the brown water – apart from the carp fishing. Just ask 6-year-old Axel 84

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he caught a bunch of redfin and a fair trout around 1kg casting lures. It can be a tough lake to fish, but Adam says it wasn’t too dirty so lures are fine. CHANGING SEASCAPE Since my first reports for

Sue caught this snapper fishing from the break wall at St Helens.

2005 near Portland. They slowly moved east, closer to Port Phillip Bay and the Surf Coast around 2015, to expand one of the most exciting fisheries in Australia: the Bass Strait southern bluefin tuna fishery. Kingfish are the real success story. They were pretty much non-existent in Victoria around 2003, but now we have 80cm models

showing up inside Corio Bay – over the St Helens artificial reefs installed by VFA, no less! Snapper have been the story of the last few months by biting their heads off in the region. Soft plastic enthusiasts are having a ball on pinkie snapper either side of the 50cm mark. Cast your To page 85

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always caught a couple over the weed beds there. Out off Barwon Heads and Surf Coast, there have been snapper to 4kg being caught by anglers drifting in 30-50m of water. The beauty

From page 84

lures around the structure or hold them deep over weed beds to get the reds. Good numbers of snapper have been reported at Point Wilson, Kirk Point, along the shipping channel, Geelong waterfront and Point Henry, so there are plenty of options there. Over 160 competitors participated in the Portside Marine Bellarine Snapper Classic in November, hosted by Leopold Angling and Aquatic Club. Steve Parker took home the first prize of a MotorGuide electric motor with a ripping snapper

Xavier with a Corio Bay elephantfish he caught with his dad David.

Steve with the Bellarine Snapper Classic winning fish of 90cm and 9.7kg. of 89cm and 9.7kg. Steve caught his winning fish at 6:20am off Portarlington using a 2-hook running sinker rig baited with a whole silver whiting. Land-based snapper

caught out off Lorne as well. The Lorne pier has been fishing very well, with some snapper around the 4kg mark being caught. Silver trevally and the odd snotty trevally are still around in

fishos have done particularly well from St Leonards and Portarlington piers as well as North Shore rocks and St Helens break wall. All locations have quiet times without bites, but it’s that

one big bite that makes the waiting worth it – just ask Sue Kim! Wayne and Sue Kim have enjoyed the landbased fishing in the region and prefer the comforts of a deck chair due to a couple of sore knees. On one particular trip, they started at Portarlington pier with fish and chips, but soon moved into St Helens seeking shelter from the winds. Not long after lobbing a bait out, Sue’s rod took off and she called it for a skate. It wasn’t long before they realised there was a decent fish on the end due to the powerful fight. Sue remained completely calm until she saw the large snapper she’d battled come to the surface near the rocks, and offered plenty of advice to Wayne on how to land it. The big snapper eventually measured in at 70cm. Rod Beer fishes the Bellarine Peninsula piers all hours and in some terrible conditions, but has been rewarded with quality snapper over 6kg on more than one occasion this season. Fadi Alnajar has also been fishing the St Leonards pier after dark with a few mates, and has been catching quality snapper. Fadi says they’ve done best on the incoming tide using pilchards. You don’t see a lot of elephantfish around these days. Catching one from the Barwon River estuary

around March after dark was always worth an each-way bet. Catching one in Corio Bay is a bit of a surprise, but catching FIVE in a session inside Corio Bay is right up there! David Wilson recently bagged a quinella of solid elephantfish and a few small gummy sharks with his 9-year-old son Xavier. The father-son team were using pilchards and squid strips, and David says one nearly pulled Xavier out of the boat! Exciting stuff. Whiting enthusiasts have been blessed over the last few months, with solid fish around the 40cm mark biting from Clifton Springs to Queenscliff. The shallows have been thick with baitstealing undersized whiting, with the best fish biting right on dusk. The trick with the whiting is to keep moving until you find a hungry school. They have been caught on all popular baits, and in depths

Rod Beer fished some tough conditions in late November to bag some quality snapper. of this depth range is that you never know what you’ll get – gummy or school sharks, flathead, snapper and even kingfish. Squid baits hang on the best, but you’ll also get

numbers, along with salmon, mullet, flathead and whiting plus the odd gummy and calamari also being landed from the pier. • Catch a few around

Adam has done well using plastics in Corio Bay.

Fadi and his mates have done well on St Leonards Pier using pilchards on the incoming tide.

from 2-6m and deeper. At around 5m, it gets harder to see the bottom so you’re flicking baits around looking for weed vs sand areas. Fresh squid, pipis and mussels will always get you a feed. Calamari have been a little scattered recently but there are always a few around to provide bait and a feed. I’ve fished with my lad Max a few times out off Clifton Springs and have

fish with pilchards, wrasse and other fish baits. Commodore of Lorne Aquatic Club, Keith Miller, says the flathead are biting well offshore with a few big ones amongst them too. Snapper and whiting have been patchy, but once you find a school, you can normally get a feed. Fair numbers of solid gummy sharks plus the odd school shark have been

Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterfish@gmail. com with “FMG” in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1MB (file size). JANUARY 2023

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Great fishing reports coming in PORT PHILLIP

Gerry Morsman

What a season it has been so far! It seems the majority of boats and land-based anglers are all getting their piece of the action, which is really great to see. Obviously, the weather has been very average, but this can actually have its advantages when it comes to fishing. You just have to .report will help. There have been some great fishing reports coming through for all of our popular species down here in Melbourne. SNAPPER I’m going to start off with the land-based fishing as it has been quite an incredible season to say the least, especially around the Mornington area. The key spot has definitely been the Mornington pier. It’s not uncommon to walk down there, especially on a nice day, and see upward of 100 rods in the water. With the size of the pier, believe it or not there is still room to catch fish as the whole pier has access to very fishy areas. The key time to fish Mornington Pier is with winds around 20 knots coming from the north or west. Snapper love the shallow dirty water, which provides a lot of food pushed in from the incoming waves. The best baits have been either squid or fresh chunk baits like

water, especially after a big blow when the water is quite murky. The more popular baits have been silver whiting and fresh squid if you can get it, otherwise frozen packet squid is fine. KING GEORGE WHITING Again, the land-based anglers have been getting amongst the action and doing well. King George whiting love to come in close to

a strip of squid on after, to hold your pipi on. Fishies Beach Mornington has been fishing well, especially late in the evening. Anthonys Nose in Dromana has been fishing exceptionally well at night. You will catch fish all the way through to sunlight, and then they will usually disperse. The boats are reporting that Rye is going very well on squid strips and mussels.

all the way from Black Rock down to Mornington due to how much rain we have had. The water has been super dirty, making it very hard as the majority of the squid have moved a little further south in search of the cleaner water. As you get to Mount Martha it gets a little better, and there have been some OK reports of the smaller squid that people like for baits or food. The key is to use darker jigs in the

Daniel Borno and his son Benji were all smiles after a good session off Mt Martha.

Blue-spot flathead are always a welcome by-catch when fishing for King George whiting. murky water, as darker jigs give off a better silhouette, making it easier for the squid to see them. As you get down to Rye where there is a bit more tide, the water really clears up and this is why we have been seeing so many good reports. These big squid are being caught on larger sized 3.5 jigs.

Using brighter colours during the brighter days helps the squid to see your jig from a far distance, and I believe the brighter colours fire them up a bit more when they are being finicky. Sorrento in around 4m of water is fishing well along the broken ground, and Portsea pier has been going off when you are allowed on it. GUMMY SHARK Sorrento through to Portsea has been fishing very well first thing in the morning through the south channel using fresh fish baits

Matt Anderson was fishing in close at Mt Eliza with his dad John and had a very good session using silver whiting as bait. salmon or cuda, if you can get it. The best times have been early in the morning, late in the evening or the tide change. Boat-based anglers have been getting a lot of fish from Frankston through to Mornington. The typical areas around Ansetts and the hospital have been holding good numbers, but don’t be scared to go in shallow. I’m talking like 6m of 86

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feed during the night, early in the morning and late in the evening. The technique is pretty much the same along all the hotspots that have been fishing well lately. A nice long rod with a 2-3oz sinker on a paternoster rig will get the job done. Tougher baits like squid are the key so you don’t lose your bait on the cast. If you are going to use a pipi be sure to put the pipi on first and put

They key around these southern areas is to not berley too hard. This will keep all the small leatherjackets away that ruin good sessions. Sorrento and Portsea around the boat moorings are producing good fish as they always do, and just near the pier at Portsea is seeing some great reports on the run-in tide. SOUTHERN CALAMARI It has been quite tough

Amy Day has been getting amongst the snapper action this month. These were hooked on fresh cuda she caught earlier.

like salmon or silver trevally. These are very oily baits, and with the heavy tidal flow through this area it will carry the scent a long way, allowing the gummy sharks to hunt your bait out. When heading offshore it’s hard to know where to start with these, as there aren’t many places offshore where you don’t have a chance of catching one. There are so many techniques and areas but by all the reports I have received, the most effective are as follows. Barwon Heads in around 45m of water over reef has been a huge stand out in recent weeks. As usual, the best technique has been anchoring up. When anchoring offshore make sure you let plenty of rope out, especially when it is a bit choppy or there is a large rolling swell. This will give you the best chance at holding anchor, and therefore landing more fish. The stand-out bait has been freshly caught parrotfish during the day or freshly caught squid during the night. The reason squid works best at night is because that’s when the pickers (e.g. parrotfish, barbers perch) get in their caves to hide from hungry predators, mainly sharks, which love to feed of a night. Other areas that have been fishing very well for big gummy sharks have been Cape Schanck in around 30m, and Flinders in around the same depth. Drifting along the sandy ground out the front of Woolamai has proven to be quite successful also.

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Memorable snapper sessions amazing fish. Recently I’ve fished many various types and styles, from land-based on local piers and jetties,

PPB WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

Happy New Year to all Fishing Monthly readers. What a crazy season 2022 was! The last couple of months have been the most challenging and yet the most rewarding fishing I can recall. Winter and spring were quite challenging for most anglers in Port Phillip Bay, as we battled inconsistent weather patterns and consecutive La Niña conditions. However, since then the bay has awoken, and rewarded local anglers with some amazing fishing. I’ve caught more snapper this past month than any other month I can recall. I’ve travelled far and wide and put in some serious hours in my relentless pursuit of catching these

out on the kayak, out on the boat and even out on the jet ski. I have been mixing up ways of targeting these fish

with soft plastics, lures and baits, and feeling a sense of pride every time I catch one at a new location or

This snapper couldn’t resist a strip bait presented on a Snapper Snatcher.

A tasty trio destined for the pan.

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new technique. I never tire of catching these amazing fish, and neither do the hundreds of people that flock to the boat ramps of Port Phillip Bay at crazy hours to get into the action. I’ve caught countless snapper between 2-4kg and had some very memorable sessions on the water catching bags of snapper over 6kg. In my last session, I launched at Altona and ventured up to P2, a popular snapper fishing spot. I stayed away from the crowds and spent some time staring at the sounder looking for arches holding in the bottom third of the water column. After 15 minutes I

saw something that looked worth a shot. I carefully anchored, ensuring I was within close proximity of the waypoint I created. I quickly threw out some berley and a spread of rods, and that was when things went crazy. Three rods bucked at the same time, and we were juggling rods and tangled lines. As I pulled in the first snapper, the 4th rod also bucked over. It was 10 minutes of pure adrenaline and chaos. As I pulled in the last rod I looked at the deck to see four magnificent snapper ranging from 4-7kg, with the smallest going 54cm and the biggest 78cm. These are those moments that reward you for the countless hours on the water and super early starts. On this day we headed out

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Snapper are biting on both baits and soft plastics.

at 10:30 and were back at the boat ramp by 11:45, stopping on the way back to catch a few salmon that was busting up near the cardinal. The following day we launched again from Altona and ventured across the bay, heading straight to Black Rock and Ricketts Point – aging notorious snapper grounds that are very popular with local anglers. This time we didn’t bring any bait and decided to fish in shallower waters using only using soft plastics. This included 7” Turtleback Worms in nuclear chicken colour and Munroe’s 3.75” paddle-tails in filthy pilchard colour. We reached our grounds and dedicated time to staring at the sounder to ensure we were fishing where the fish are. This time it took a good 35 minutes but eventually, we found something worthy. Carefully anchoring close to our waypoint, we launched our soft plastics in the water and the action was frantic. Our first casts were annihilated by angry snapper. Me and a good mate landed six snapper in as many casts, with the snapper ranging between 3-6kg. Catching big fish on soft plastics with light spinning gear is my favourite form of fishing – particularly when the target is snapper. Not forcing battles but letting snapper go on runs and just controlling them with light gear is the heart-pumping stuff that I live for. If you haven’t caught snapper on soft plastics I’d encourage you to give it a go, it’s such a different form of fishing that is so rewarding. The bay will fish exceptionally well over the To page 89

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Taking the time to lend a hand PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

I don’t think it matters where you live in on the east coast of Australia, the first thing on your Christmas wish list would have been for a New Year with better weather conditions. Hopefully we will get favourable weather extending well into the autumn to make up for the poor end to the year. When the weather has allowed, the bay has been so healthy this season so far that keen anglers couldn’t help but catch something (although

good-size yakkas, mackerel, salmon over the 1kg mark, and flathead worth taking home. All these and other species have been reported in good numbers. We will now start to see a bit of a change, with smaller sizes of all species starting to show up. With them will come the kingfish and mulloway reports, and that’s just in the bay. Offshore will also start to fire up, and with a handful of school tuna already being caught, maybe we are in for another excellent season. The kingfish will increase in numbers in the coming weeks, and of course the flathead,

water who are new to fishing and boating. The novices are going to be slow at the ramps, taking what seems like forever to get ready or launch their boats, get in your way and maybe even stick to speed limits and correct waterway rules because they have just got their licence and remember the rules. Then they are going to pull up on your spot because of course, it’s your spot you have fished for years, or drag their anchor back into your boat. All in all, they will probably act and behave exactly the same as you did when you started off. They will likely be out

Anglers doing night sessions have been rewarded with some quality snapper. not all the fish caught were the target species). We’ve had very few reports of anglers spending a day on the water and not losing a bait, which is very different from normal years. Apart from the gummies, anglers are catching school shark, snapper, whiting and calamari, From page 88

next month and holiday period and our bays will be busy so make sure you show some patience and respect to fellow anglers. Over the holidays our piers will be crowded, our beaches will be crowded and so will our boat ramps. There is plenty of good fishing to be had from snapper, whiting, squid, flathead, salmon, snook, and gummy sharks and our lakes will also fire with redfin, estuary perch, yellow belly and more. It’s an enjoyable period and I will no doubt be enjoying the water with family and friends throughout. Remember it’s the 1%s that can be all the difference to a productive day’s fishing. I’ll leave you with some last tips to keep in mind when

one of the better table fish, will be bigger and more plentiful. Don’t forget, we can handle all your rigging and respooling needs at the store if you are heading out chasing the tuna or kingfish. January is also the time of the year where we see plenty of people hitting the

fishing again the next time you are, so a good idea would be to give them a shout at the ramp, “hey mate, can I give you a hand”. Have a talk to them about boating, fishing etiquette and generally help them out. It will probably work out a lot better for you (and them) rather than yelling

you’re fishing this holiday period. Marine electronics can play a massive role in finding fish and anchoring close to them. Fresh baits will always outfit packet baits so if you have time do a bait run of squid, salmon, yakka’s, snook etc. Experiment at different locations and with different techniques, this includes trying soft plastics and even trolling lures if you have never done this before. Most importantly enjoy yourself a quiet day on the water beats a busy day at work any day. If you need extra help then visit FishingMad Members website which has local reports to get you onto a few fish as well as workshops, tackle talks, tips, and rigging guides. Until next time, good fishing everyone. Feel free to contact me directly

to share your fishing experiences, photos 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 reports, workshops, podcasts, and exciting monthly giveaways. Also, don’t forget to follow my fishing adventures on the FishingMad YouTube channel www.youtube. com/c/fishingmad and 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 9:30 pm and Saturday afternoons.

and screaming at them to get out of the way. The same will happen at the jetties and beaches, where all those new Christmas presents will be put to use. Most people will have no idea what they are doing – they’re just trying to get out and have a go. Many will be kids with not a parent in sight; somehow jetties act as a baby-sitting service, which is not the kids’ fault. Just like at the boat ramp, if you spend 10 minutes helping them it could make a huge difference to them, and also make it easier for you next time. There are enough kids stuck indoors these days, and we don’t need to add to that number by making them not want to be outdoors doing something. There are plenty of studies around that show the benefits for kids when engaging in outdoor activities like fishing, and learning new skills. Plenty of people have been starting to make their way to beaches and jetties. We have been seeing good reports of calamari still, and the size is holding as well. Those anglers who are now bagging out with calamari are doing so because the smaller ones have shown up. Artificial jigs are now taking over from baited jigs in the warmer and cleaner water. If you are fishing from a boat though I would still put out a baited jig under a float while you are fishing for something else. That goes for wherever you are in the bay, because we see calamari caught in every corner of the bay now. The jetties have been a little quiet for calamari, and seem to be going through in waves. You must be set up

Jacko was very happy with this quality whiting. and ready to go when they show up to take advantage. Snapper are almost an all-year-round fishery now, and although the numbers and sizes change, we still see them caught every month. It’s obvious that they come and go from the bay each season, but we are starting to see more and more stay. This probably reflects just how healthy the bay is. As the months change, so must you with your fishing approach. That is very obvious when we get reports, as they change throughout the year. Once we get hot, sunny weather and clear water, almost all of our reports come from the change of light or after dark,

It’s great to see kids out fishing. Gareth loves taking Ollie out in the boat.

and generally shallow. During the winter almost every report we get comes from one hour before or after the tide change, and normally in the deeper water. Pinkies you can catch anywhere or anytime during the summer, but most are undersize. The beauty with Westernport Bay though is that you just don’t know what you will get or when you will catch it. Don’t ever think that something is impossible. You never know what might turn up on the end of your line, and that was proven this season with the amount of whiting caught on snapper gear that almost everyone called as a pinkie or salmon. The whiting have been exceptional for the last few years, and 40cm is expected now, not a surprise. The fishing for them has developed over the years as well. It wasn’t that long ago when there was about four spots you targeted them, and if you told someone you were going to water deeper than 3m, people would say you were crazy. Offshore, the flathead have been good size and you can get a bag with an average of 45cm and a mixture of types once you find them. Finding them is the trick though, and it can take a few kilometres and drifts to do so. The most successful anglers have been telling me to pick a depth, and do three or four drifts 100m apart of about 1km each. Then, if you have no luck, move to another depth. Don’t forget to change sinkers as you change depth, and if you are going to fish two rods, make one a gummy type of setup with a much bigger bait. Don’t try to fish two rods for flathead, as you will lose far more than you catch. JANUARY 2023

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Get on your bike La Niña! GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

Righto! That’s enough, La Niña. On your way. I’m sick of talking about our flooded lakes and rivers, but fortunately we are at last hearing predictions

cleaner salty water pushes back in and the rivers slow down, the whiting will travel further west. Places like Raymond Island and maybe even Loch Sport will see them return. As for bait, try live shrimp, fresh mussel or a pipi with a strip of squid will make a perfect

disappeared. In reality, they have just shut down, and then all of a sudden they will fire up and quite often you’re so busy you’ll get a bite as soon as your bait hits the bottom. If you go more than 30 minutes without a bite, it’s time to move. Some keen anglers say that even 15 minutes is long enough to warrant a shift. Another thing to remember is that whiting often have bite windows, and go flat out for 40 minutes or maybe an hour and a half, and then nothing. So always have rigs made up ready to go if you need to quickly change, and use just one rod when the bite is hot. Keep that rod in your hands and don’t put it down! Whiting can strip bait from a hook in a nanosecond, so be super quick to strike, and constantly check your baits.

DUSKY FLATHEAD AND BREAM It has been nice to see the duskies return in good numbers this summer, and there have been some big girls caught for about three months now. From the Kalimna and Metung area right up to Paynesville I’ve been sent pics and reports of flathead to 80cm, although most have been between 40-60cm. It’s rather amazing that flooded fresh water has not deterred them this summer. I hardly finish a report these days without mentioning Brayden or Justin Kohte. Not only have they been brawling with thumping flathead from the jetties, but once again the B-Double Brothers have stacked up some cracking bream. By using soft plastics and hardbodies around 80mm you can target both species,

Rhys Smith has been releasing 15-30 handsome trout a session from the creeks feeding the Gippy Lakes.

Justin Kohte has the Gippy Lakes bream on tap lately, and shows off a truck about 45cm. of dry weather in the foreseeable future. KING GEORGE WHITING Probably the biggest highlight over the last three wet years has been the never-ending run of whiting. It’s such a big win for the holidays too, with most of them about 38-43cm. The best areas from Metung to Kalimna will be the main focus, but I’m tipping as the

cocktail. For those willing to try whiting on lures, your best bet is to try Hurricane Sting blades and work them with long pauses. Scented Gulp worms also work on whiting, and you should jag a bycatch of snapper, bream and mullet. The trick with targeting whiting is to fish running water. When the tide slows on the changes you might think that the fish have

Tony Pettie has been catching heaps of EP, even in dirty water.

and you may also bump into pinkie snapper, trevally or tailor. If you’re mainly chasing bream, try the lower reaches of the Tambo and especially the Mitchell River and out into Lake King. RIVER TROUT All the streams of the Gippy Lakes have been constantly flooded for years on end, and this has resulted in a boom in trout numbers. These fish have grown bigger, which is obviously a sign of more food being available. Rhys Smith has been sending countless pictures and videos of walking beautiful small creeks, and from all reports the trout are thicker than

ever. I’m tipping this summer and autumn will provide some of the best river trout fishing in years, and the bass will also be fat and healthy. LOOKING AHEAD We can only hope the rainy weather comes to a halt and our streams and lakes clean up in the coming weeks. This should result in some of the best fishing any of us have had in the last 18 months. It could be a big summer for dusky flathead, and just maybe the kingfish will move back up the lake towards Metung around late February and March. Make sure you keep an eye on the local fishing reports and don’t miss out.

FISHING NEWS

Early bird registrations are being encouraged for the 10th World Recreational Fishing Conference (WRFC10), which is coming to Melbourne, Australia, from 20-22 February 2023. Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) CEO, Travis Dowling, said the conference program had been announced and everyone ‘down under’ was looking forward to welcoming the brightest minds to the world’s preeminent and biggest international recreational fishing conference this summer. “We’re encouraging recreational fishing enthusiasts, industry trail90

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blazers and professionals in the field from all corners of the globe to make the trip and book a spot now that

registrations are open.” “The VFA and International Scientific Board have secured an incredible line

up of speakers and workshops to focus on the conference’s headline theme of ‘Keeping Pace in a Dynamic and Challenging World with Changing Fisheries’. “Steven Moyer from Trout Unlimited will talk about how anglers and science are making a difference, while Dr Beth Nyboer from Canada explores climate change and recreational fisheries. “How to build a bridge to enhance knowledge exchange will be presented by Sascha Clark-Danylchuk and Stan Lui from the Torres Strait will delve into First Nations People and recreational fisheries. “These four keynote addresses are a small sample of what’s on offer and are sure

to generate exciting dialogue between peers, colleagues and experts in recreational fisheries management and science. “Get set for riveting presentations, topical discussions, exciting research and a chance to forge new professional networks.” Mr Dowling said Melbourne is also home to incredible recreational fishing opportunities for those considering wetting a line or taking a dive while here. “February is the height of our summer so it’s a great time to enjoy our beaches, explore nature-based tourism and wildlife parks, cast a lure for iconic Murray cod or explore the amazing underwater world in Port Phillip Bay, right on

Melbourne’s doorstep.” Registrations are now open and early bird tickets can be secured at discounted prices until 15 December 2022 at www.wrfc10.com/ registrations. To learn more about the World Recreational Fishing Conference visit www. wrfc10.com or catch the latest on our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. – Victoria Fisheries

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East Coast

Pinkies, sharks and flathead PORT ALBERT

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

It’s a happy fishy New Year to one and all. With fingers crossed, let’s hope this warmer weather signals an

lot of fish. On one occasion recently over two days they caught about 30 gummies and school sharks combined. A lot of the sharks were undersized but they released plenty of big keepers too. The pair kept only one school shark each, around 4ft long.

Other anglers casting surf rods are reporting a heap of schoolies, although most of them have been undersized. This is a great sign for the next few years though, and the bigger gummy captures can turn up on any cast.

The pinkies aren’t all big, but Jason Deenan knows the best eating models are between 32-40cm. end to the last three years of crazy floods, rain and wind. The signs are good, with plenty of reports to get into. SURF AND OFFSHORE I’d have to say the 90 Mile Beach shark fishing is going from incredible to mind-boggling. And yes, drone fishing is well established now and producing amazing sharks up to 10ft long, including bronze whalers, seven gills, and even the odd hammerhead. For this report though, I want to concentrate on the good old style of casting surf rods. Lucas Smith and Steve Pryke have mastered the drone fishing, but they also do a lot of casting. When the big baits out wide are slow, they grab the surf rods and start casting and catch a

Flathead are also a feature on the surf now, and there are plenty of them to 45cm. Another guru of the 90 Mile Beach is Andrew Simmonds, and he launches his tinny from the surf a few times a week. He tells me quite simply that the gummies are going great guns, and he is releasing cricket scores. He doesn’t talk or brag much about his conquests, and rarely overstates things, so this means the gummies must be flat out! WHITING AND FLATHEAD At Port Albert and Welshpool the rock flatties are still firing, and most of them are between 30-45cm. Despite popular belief, rockies readily take lures, just like all species of flathead. I find they really respond to slightly smaller lures, such as 70mm soft plastics, and blades around 40-50mm. I always use blades because I get such a varied bycatch like flounder, pinkies and estuary perch. Much bigger flatties eat small lures too. In fact, on a recent trip to Port Albert I finally caught a run of bigger

A proud Steven Pryke just before releasing a 10ft bronzie.

Nev Hayes is a YouTube sensation and is fast becoming an estuary perch guru as well. yank flatties close to 60cm, all on small lures. Blades also get King George whiting, and speaking of them I’m glad to report that although it was slow to get going it’s been another good spring and early summer of whiting. The sizes were down a bit on the last few years, but it’s been rare to get them under 28cm, and even better, nearly all of them were 38 or 39cm. SNAPPER AND SQUID Although the snapper were slow to get going they have now moved into the estuaries big time. Most of them are around 32-40cm and are taking all sorts of baits and lures. Port Albert is one of the hotspots in the main channel and the deeper water around Sunday Island. I expect the snapper numbers and sizes to rise sharply in January and into February. There are still fair numbers of squid at Welshpool, but unfortunately Port Albert

basically missed out on a good squid run this season. ESTUARY PERCH On the perch front I’d have to say it’s been the most disappointing in years. In fact, it’s been downright dismal compared to the last five years, where I’d caught amazing numbers of up to 50 big EP a session, from 40-55cm. In all those same areas over the last few months, I’ve caught maybe one or two only, but more often not a single perch has turned up. At least in the areas around Welshpool there have been a few better results, but numbers are still way down. I fished with Nev Hayes recently and we managed about a dozen nice perch to 48cm, but it was very slow going. It was fantastic to finally meet up with Nev, and I suggest you check him out on YouTube under Nev’s Fishing. He’s an amazing angler who is the master of huge squid and thumping big snapper.

Tasty targets cruising around BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

As always, at this time of the year the Bemm is humming with holidaymakers and anglers, and the fishing has not disappointed. Some of the best quality bream have been abundant throughout the estuary. At the time of writing the entrance remains open, and the tailor and salmon are still cruising around. Both of

these sportfish are a great by-catch on bream gear. Regular visitors, Dave Russell, Graeme Black and Rob Leonard experienced challenging conditions during their last visit, as the weather was quite unpredictable and fluctuating. However, they persevered and it certainly paid off, with the boys being rewarded with quality fish. Hopefully Rob will purchase some wet weather clothing prior to his next visit! The river is producing quality bream and perch for

anglers who can access the shallow water in a quiet manner. The most popular bait has been frozen prawn, and lures have also been catching their share. At the mouth of the channel, as the water warms, we can expect to have a good run of flathead. The surf beaches continue to fish well for a number of species, including trevally, salmon, tailor, gummies and mullet. Finally, a warning to all land-based anglers: the recent significant rainfall has created thick

undergrowth around the edges of the riverbank and lake, so please be mindful of snakes. And of course, don’t forget to check your gear, i.e. flares, lifejackets and wheel bearings. • 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.

January is a great time to hit the water. JANUARY 2023

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Mallacoota flatties on the chew MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

In late 2022 we received some more rain for the area, which should be great for the fishing over the coming months. At the time of writing, the inshore water

temperature is 17.2°C, with warmer water to be found out wide. With the water temperature slowly rising, this will be great for the offshore fishing. Flathead, both tigers and sandies, are being caught, with the sandies on the inshore grounds and the tigers caught out wider. The fishing in the Mallacoota

area can be as good as it gets for both of these species, with nearly all boats that venture offshore coming home with a bag limit of tasty fish once the fishing comes to life. The past few seasons have seen some great fishing for gummy shark, and I think this year will be no exception. When

With the recent rain dirtying up the water, finding the black bream has been tricky.

more people start heading out offshore fishing, the gummies will become a regular catch. This month you can expect to come across a few gummy shark off the beach, especially if you fish into the night, with Quarry Beach being your best bet to catch a gummy. The past month has seen the fishing in the lake start to fire up. After the first big drop of rain and the lake turning a muddy brown colour, many anglers reported the fishing was pretty tough, but now with the water clearing up and getting warmer, the fishing has definitely started to improve. Dusky flathead have come on the bite, with plenty of good fish (around the 80cm mark) being caught. Anglers flicking soft plastic lures have been having plenty of success. Along with the bigger fish, good numbers of eating-size fish are also being caught. A few good jewfish (mulloway) have also been reported, and over the next four months there will be more fish caught. The Easter period in particular is a great time to target jewfish. Yellowfin bream have

A good feed of eating-size dusky flathead. been caught around the entrance area, and as the water clears these fish will spread out through the bottom lake and will feature in many anglers’ catches. Black bream are also being caught, but they take a little more effort to locate. Sand whiting are a great fish to catch over the summer months, with

a good entrance allowing fish to move freely in and out of the lake. Some of the best fishing for this species can be had in the entrance area, particularly if you’re fishing at night. The recent rains have been keeping the local rivers and creeks flowing, and this will be great for those who like to flick a lure for bass over the summer months.

Super summer fishing season MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

The weather is starting to clear up, allowing the rivers to subside into a normal flowing pattern, allowing the fish to move up the streams and throughout the whole estuary. This, in turn, has allowed anglers to get amongst them. Local Orbost Sports & Game fishing member Josh Newstead is in the news again. This time Josh bagged a huge 29.5kg gummy shark on 10kg line class, with an Australian junior record pending.

Offshore anglers have been anticipating the opening of the Cape Conran boat ramp.

MARLO

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The construction of the Cape Conran boat ramp is nearing completion in time for the summer fishing season. When the ramp opens, all the offshore anglers will sigh with relief at being able to fish in the ocean again taking on all the big fish Bass Strait can throw at them. Out wide, the swordfish are in good numbers, marlin should be there also, and kingfish hopefully will come this year and give sportfishing anglers plenty of action. And of course, the bait fishing anglers will be able to access the usual staples of flathead, gurnard, squid, barracoota, salmon, pinkie snapper, morwong, wrasse, octopus and gummy shark. The estuary is also firing up, with plenty of bream being taken from the entrance up both rivers and into the lakes. Schools of mullet have moved into the estuary and are following the bream throughout the system, and luderick have also arrived in good numbers and are schooling along the rock groynes surrounding the islands and river banks. Salmon and tailor can be found in good numbers down towards the entrance arriving on the incoming tide, and big estuary flathead are

Josh Newstead with a 29.5kg gummy shark. schooling along the sand flats, waiting for the prawns to begin their run to the ocean. The surf beaches are

always good, and at the present time they are firing with plenty of salmon and tailor. Gummy shark are also on the bite.

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VIC

Cod open all but closed ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

Well, where do you start? We continue to run a big river into the open of the Murray cold season, and a boat ban to recreational and commercial watercraft has put a stop to any on-water activities. Let’s be honest: for a large stretch of the Murray River the native fish have been smashed by blackwater once again, and in our local waters it looks like being a hard season, full stop. It’s pretty annoying when you consider we were just starting to recover from the last one, where good-

The aftermath of the Blackwater is counted in dead fish as it tracks its way down the Murray River.

The Menindee Weir flowing hard and pushing down a flooded Darling River. chance again. And that’s so long as we don’t have another flood in between that time. According to the Catchment Management Authority, it’s normal to have blackwater and see all the fish die during

these events. I have to wonder where all the giant cod that once inhabited these waters came from before 2010-11. If memory serves me right, before that date floods

bought an explosion of life and great breeding events of native fishes. It seems we are looking to replicate such recruitment through hatchery stocked fish. I don’t get it, and I certainly don’t understand the absence of fishing identities other than those linked by the buck. Hard times lie ahead, and it’s too late to raise your hand then. On a brighter note, the Darling River in full flood is in opposition to the Murray, booming and full of life and

The Darling River has exploded with life as it floods and the boom time begins. Catching a feed of yabbies is as simple as baiting the nets. sized Murray cod were just starting to be angled. From what I witnessed floating down the river, I’m not holding my breath on a vibrant fishery once the

water drops and we see the true extent of what’s left. Personally, big fish wise I believe we are staring down the barrel of another decade or more before we have a

On a quick-fire session on the Darling River, Clinton Hann caught 30 goldens on shrimp and prawns. He even managed a couple on lures.

looking magnificent. It’s hard to think that just a few short years back the Menindee Lakes were drained dry in just under 18 months, leaving the bottom half of the Darling River and its fishes in a desperate state. It was indeed a catastrophe, where huge amounts of native fish died in the dwindling pools of water as they waited for this very rain event. For many fish, the rain came too late, but those that survived this flood have been given the optimum breeding opportunity. We are all looking forward to the future of this waterway. Golden perch numbers have already exploded, with heaps of small fish becoming almost an annoyance on bait. Big perch too are in the mix, and bait fishing has been full-on in the turbid flows. Fresh river shrimp are the pick of the baits, but store-bought prawns cut into small pieces are also tempting the bite. On the yabby scene, you almost need to bait your nets behind a tree as they have exploded forth in numbers not seen since the last flood. What a great destination for a scenic tour and some great angling fun! I hope my next report paints a better picture of the Murray and its fishing, but for now the Darling River is the choice destination.

Better conditions ahead SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

Just one of four Menindee Lakes that resemble inland seas. It begs the question, how might you drain away four of these in 18 months, leaving the fish all but high and dry? 94

JANUARY 2023

The Goulburn and Broken rivers are slowly receding, but access is still very limited. I have been getting some reports of yellowbelly being caught on worms in the backwater pockets. Lure fishing has been a little tough, but I did receive reports of a few yellowbelly caught on small square bills in the shallows. Square bills are a great lure for the shallow edges, and can roll over structure well. Hopefully as the water comes down, we will get some better fishing conditions in the summer months. If the rivers are still high you will be able

to target cod in the shallow, flooded banks on surface lures. Target the flooded banks close to the main river arm because the fish may look to push up to feed from the main river. KIALLA LAKES There has been plenty of action at Kialla Lakes lately, with big mosquitoes and big yellowbelly being active. Casting Codgers around the willow tree edges has worked well, and so have spinnerbaits in black and red. Bait fishing has also been a good method lately, catching redfin up to 36cm caught off the sand bar near the playground, and yellowbelly also caught along the rocky banks. Worms and shrimp have been the stand-out baits, with most fish being caught about 8-10ft from the bank

near the drop-off. WARANGA BASIN The basin is starting to come right on, with many reports of good numbers of redfin being caught in late spring and early summer. Casting vibes or soft plastics around the shallows has worked well, and so has trolling the very popular RMG Poltergeist lures in both the standard big and crazy deep big models, depending on the depths you’re fishing. There have been some reports of yellowbelly now being caught around the boat club and rock walls, with trolling Codgers being the best way to chase them. Bait fishing has been another option to target To page 95

VIC

Bait fishing comes to the fore WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Who would want to be a fishing journalist in a La Niña year? Seriously, trying to forecast what the fishing will be like is hard. Even with close to 50 years of fishing experience here in North East Victoria, a decent downpour could turn my fishing forecast upside down. Regardless, here is what I anticipate the fishing will be like in the Wangaratta area in January 2023, based on above average rainfall and the fact that many rivers are still flooded at the start of cod season. MURRAY COD I think this season is going to be more popular

I am wrong. Where do I suggest you go? Well, that is hard to predict, with many areas

to Lake Buffalo, which is stocked with Murray cod, or Lake Mulwala, or further afield to Lake Eppalock, or

If the water starts to feel a bit warm in the trout streams, try heading upstream into the headwaters.

Redfin can turn up anywhere, and January is a great time to target them. Lakes Buffalo and William Hovell should both start fishing okay this month. with bait anglers than it is with those who only want to cast lures. Right about now I am thankful for my love of bait fishing as there is a real chance that the water will be very hard to fish with lures for quite a while yet. I hope that

lot during periods of high flow. In lakes and dams they will often head to where the freshwater is

likely to still be locked or closed due to the widespread flooding. Basically, anywhere that you can get onto the Ovens and King rivers will be worth a try. If the rivers are flooded again, then you will need to head

running in. In the Ovens River the yellowbelly will be quite hit and miss. There are no real hotspots other than to say that anywhere from Wangaratta downstream to Bundalong should produce a few yellowbelly. For a more consistent chance of catching yellowbelly, head to Lake Nillahcootie. It’s not really in my readership, but is in the next major valley over on the Broken River. REDFIN As most of the redfin fishing here in North East Victoria is in lakes, any

Given the prolonged and widespread flooding, bait fishing for Murray cod should be quite popular this season. readership, Lake Hume has been firing on all cylinders for a good two or three years now as a redfin fishery. The reddies have been going crazy up there, and I am sure they will still be on the bite in January. TROUT I have a long-held belief that wet years generally lead to better

Lake Eildon. Fingers crossed the rain stops and we can access the rivers at all of our favourite places. YELLOWBELLY Yellowbelly respond very well to flooding, and will often move around a

From page 94

redfin lately, with shrimp and worms working both from the bank or in a boat, but sticking to the shallows predominantly. IRRIGATION CHANNELS The water isn’t the cleanest in the channels around Shepparton, but this hasn’t turned off some Shepparton locals who have managed to land a couple of yellowbelly over the last month. Dark lures seem to be the go-to, with a base colour of black working best on both lipless crankbaits and also small divers. Around three to four cranks and a long pause has been the best retrieval method. Bait fishing along the edges has also been successful, with small yabbies and night-crawlers working around Pine Lodge.

January is expected to be quite a good month to go trout fishing this year, with higher than normal stream flows.

Locals have been getting some good catches of yellowbelly.

excess rainfall and flooding won’t really affect them too much. The two main lakes, Lake William Hovell and Lake Buffalo, both start to fish OK for redfin in January most years. Being a cool, damp year, they could fish a little bit slower than usual, but will still both be well worth a try. As I type this report, the water in Lake Buffalo is really dirty, which is unusual. Almost as unusual is the amount of rainfall that made it that way. However, I’m sure that it will be clear by January and well worth fishing. Once again out of my

fishing for trout and redfin, while dry years seem to be better for native fish. With that in mind, I am expecting the trout fishing to be much better this January than it usually is. Decent water flows should keep the trout fired up throughout summer. Excessive heat may warm the water and slow them down, but stream flow shouldn’t be a problem. If this does happen, head further upstream into the headwaters as trout will almost always start heading upstream looking for cooler water when things get hot. The Ovens River from Bright upstream is always worth fishing, and holds a decent number of trout. So too does the Buckland River. After such a wet spring I would expect growth rates of trout to be very good. In other words, there should be some pretty big trout in the rivers this January.

January is a great time to catch yellowbelly in North East Victoria. Sadly, the waterway where this one was caught (Broken Creek) experienced widespread fish deaths during the recent flooding. JANUARY 2023

VIC

Thank cod the season is now finally open! YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

When you read my articles, I’m sure you’re looking for an up-to-date report on what’s firing, where, when and how, along with who has caught what in the new season. That’s something I can usually provide, but unfortunately this particular report was put together just before the new cod season opened! I can guarantee next edition’s report will be full of fishing tales, both true and close to it! One thing that we have on our side here at ‘The Home of the Murray Cod’, Lake Mulwala, is that it is still very fishable and is not subject to flooding, unlike the majority of river, both upstream and downstream. Looking at the new season, it’s going to be

interesting to see how the Murray cod act, as they have seen plenty of water push through Lake Mulwala over the past few months which has dirtied things up a tad. Along with a lake that is currently devoid of weed, fishing conditions will be vastly different from this time 12 months ago. I’m predicting that the bait brigade will see plenty of fish, whilst the lure fishos may do it a bit tougher early in the season. For those who prefer to use lures, larger spinnerbaits with a good-size Colorado blade, mumblers/ chatterbaits or a lure that emits plenty of noise will be your best option. When it comes to fishing below the weir, it’s very hard to predict what will be going on here because it’s currently in flood and could remain so for some time. Looking back, November’s yellowbelly action was hit-and-miss

Ian and Matt Rogers with a brace of lovely early season Murray cod, measuring 64 and 69cm.

compared to previous years. Again, it was great to see many local kids with rod in hand, out on their bikes in search of a yella or two. As I’ve always said, while the kids are out fishing, they are not causing any trouble. I welcome all anglers visiting Yarrawonga/ Mulwala over the holiday period to pop in and say hello at Lake Mulwala Fish Camp Ski. You can find us at two locations, opposite Mulwala Post Office (the shop has a big Green cod out the front) or at our Yarrawonga store located between Rivers and One Zac in the main street. We are your local tackle specialists and specialise in all things ‘green’. I’m sure we can put you onto fish or two and make your visit to the region a rewarding and memorable one. I wish everybody all the best for the upcoming season. May all your fish be big and green!

Great angling opportunities at Bendigo BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

The Bendigo region has experienced some extreme weather conditions over the last few months. While there is still a chance the region may receive more of this extreme weather, I am hopeful that the worst of it is behind us. The good news is the region has finally started to see some warm weather again. Rising water temperatures associated with improving water clarity and more stable water levels should see anglers experience some exceptional angling opportunities over the next few months. LAKE EPPALOCK The water levels continue to remain high at this location. It is unusual to see the water catchments still holding good volumes of moisture at this time of the year. With the current conditions continuing, any significant rainfall is still producing run-off into river systems. The water clarity has finally started to improve in Lake Eppalock. The water clarity is still quite tannin, but has been improving. The amount of anglers fishing this location has been very high during the weekends, but not too bad if you’re able to fish during the week. The numbers of golden perch being caught have been increasing over recent weeks. The golden perch fishing in Lake Eppalock was disappointing over the 96

JANUARY 2023

spring months, but this was due to extreme conditions with floods, poor water clarity and cold water temperatures. Now that things have finally started to settle down, we should a good consistent golden perch fishery for the rest of summer and the start of the autumn months. Productive lure options for the golden perch have been lipless crankbaits, small hardbody lures, soft grubs, blades and spinnerbaits. Bait fishing for the golden perch remains a productive option. The productivity in the redfin fishing has been slowly improving over the last few weeks. By the time you are reading this report the redfin fishing will be BOOMING. So if you enjoy your redfin fishing get out there and have a go while the great angling last.

With the current conditions the best concentrations of redfin will continue to be caught in shallower water with the depth range between two and five metres often being the most productive. My advice to anglers is be prepared to move around until you find better size redfin. If you are fishing in an area and you are only catching small redfin don’t stay there to long, keep moving around until you find an area where better quality fish are holding. With the current water conditions, bright fluro colours such as pink, chartreuse and orange can be great colour selections. Good lure options are small hardbody lures, soft plastics, soft lipless crankbaits, and blades. A good tactic if you are catching smaller sized redfin is to up size the profile of the lure you are fishing

and this might be the trick to catching that thumper redfin. CAMPASPE RIVER There has been some very good fishing in the Campaspe River over recent weeks. The most productive fishing has been in the sections of river directly below the weirs along the Campaspe River. Unfortunately access to the spillway below Lake Eppalock has been limited due to road closures after the flooding. Fishing below the weirs has produced great numbers of golden perch, small numbers of Murray cod and redfin. These locations should remain productive for a while, but when water flows reduce and water levels return to normal the fish will disperse and catch rates will reduce in these areas. At the present time the most productive fishing has been

Large numbers of redfin will be caught at Lake Eppalock and Cairn Curran over the next few months. This redfin was caught on a Jackall soft vibe, which is the author’s favourite lure when targeting redfin.

in the shallower sections of the river. Anglers walking the banks are having a great time and are being rewarded with some good numbers of fish. A wide range of lures have been working well. Spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and hardbody lures are good options. Now the Murray cod season is in full swing increased numbers of Murray cod will be caught on the mentioned lures as well as swimbaits and surface lures added into the lure angler’s arsenal. The numbers of anglers fishing the boat able sections of the Campaspe at Elmore and Rochester has been low. With the conditions now improving in these areas these deeper sections of the river should also fish well over the next few months. CAIRN CURRAN The numbers of anglers fishing the lake has been low over the past month and the productivity of the fishing has not been great. This will undoubtedly change this month. With many people enjoying the holiday period, there will be a lot of anglers and other recreational users again on the water at Cairn Curran. Water clarity has been poor, but in recent weeks the water clarity has started to improve. Bait fishing off the bank continues to be a good tactic for anglers fishing this location. Trolling the edges of the lake with hardbody lures has been a good option and will only improve as the water clarity improves. Casting the edges with lipless crankbaits and blades have been good options for the golden perch. Casting soft plastics and soft vibes has been a preferred technique for those anglers

chasing a good feed of redfin. While the productivity of the redfin fishing has not been great yet, we should see a dramatic improvement in the redfin fishing during this month as rising water temperatures will push the redfin into a feeding frenzy as they try and make the most of the abundant food which is currently present in the system. LODDON RIVER There has been some very good fishing in the Loddon River over the last couple of months. The most productive fishing has been in the sections of river below the weirs, with the most productive areas being below Cairn Curran and Laanecoorie weirs. In these areas it has been common for anglers to catch cricket scores of fish. The highest catch rates have been of golden perch, followed by redfin and Murray cod. The productivity in these areas will reduce as water flows decrease and the rivers return to their normal summer flows. The sections of the river where you can fish out of a boat at Bridgewater and Serpentine should be productive once the river settles down and the water clarity improves. A word of warning: if you are fishing these sections of the Loddon River out of a boat, do so with caution. There is a lot of new structure in the system due to the floods, and much of the old structure will have been moved around a lot. Take your time and proceed with caution as there will be new boating hazards in the river system.

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VIC

Wendouree trout are biting BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

The fishing around Ballarat and district has been a bit hit-and-miss over the past month, with inconsistent reports filtering through. This is likely due to the weather, in particular the persistent rainfall due to the La Niña weather pattern affecting the southern hemisphere. Our lakes and reservoirs are continually filling and overflowing. This has affected the water clarity in reservoirs, including Tullaroop Reservoir, which has been my favourite and most productive fishery throughout 2022. I am hoping when the reservoir stops overflowing, the water will clear up and the trout will start snooping around the shorelines once again. For those anglers who chase a feed of redfin and yellowbelly, the water clarity will not worry you guys. When the warmer weather sets in, we should see both species on the bite once again. Lake Wendouree has been the standout fishery around the district over the past month; all the extra rain hasn’t affected the lake at all. The water is crystal clear, and water temps in general are lower than other years at the same time, and the trout are on the bite. Anyone can basically pull up anywhere around the lake at any time of the day and see a trout bouncing around feeding on whatever insects are around. A big

pat on the back must go to the Victorian Fishing Authority for the stocking program that is in place for Wendouree. Lake Wendouree is a destination point for anglers from far and wide. It’s amazing to see the number of anglers fishing around the 6km of available shoreline, and the three boat ramps that are generally full of empty boat

shoreline, with excellent results. Tom generally starts his fishing days off mid-morning through to the mid-afternoon. He likes to start off his sessions using nymph fly patterns, then varies his flies and retrieves depending on what flies he is using. Tom has been landing some magnificent brown and rainbow trout, mainly on nymphs with a slow figure-8 retrieve. He

plenty of time in fishing Wendouree, resulting in excellent catches of brown and rainbow trout. Vern has fished Wendouree for nearly 50 years, and he said he’s never seen the lake so alive. There are fish jumping everywhere. Admittedly, there are a lot of little stocky rainbows bouncing around, but it’s awesome to see, and they are eager to eat your fly

Wendouree has been producing some ripper brown and rainbow trout, like this one caught by Vern Barby, whilst fly fishing from a boat. Image courtesy of Vern Barby.

Tom Jarman with a beautifully marked brown trout from Lake Wendouree. Image courtesy of Tom Jarman. trailers parked. It’s a real testament to our fishery. Tom Jarman, one of Australia’s premier fly fishers, has been fishing Wendouree religiously over the past few months, from both the boat and the

very nice-sized brown trout, and I have witnessed this myself recently. Dennis was fishing around midday, on an overcast day – excellent conditions

couldn’t believe how good the fishing has been on Wendouree. Wendouree will continue to fish well, especially when the

commented that the browns we have in Wendouree are some of the most colourful ones he has come across whilst fishing Australia and through the world. Vern Barby, another gun fly fisher, has been spending

Tyler Ridgwell with a mid 40s brown trout from Moorabool Reservoir, which was caught on a small hardbodied lure. Image courtesy of Tyler Ridgwell.

Igor Krasnowsky landed a fish of a lifetime whilst fly fishing at Moorabool Reservoir, estimated to weigh between 8-10lb. Image courtesy of Igor Krasnowsky. 98

JANUARY 2023

as well. All sits well for us moving forward and they grow up. Dennis Fawkner is another fly fisher who is regularly found around the shores of Wendouree. He has been catching some

for Wendouree – when he landed a nice brown trout around the 50cm mark, then a smaller rainbow, and lost a bigger one at his feet, all on a subsurface Tom Jones/Emerger type pattern. Dennis said he

mudeyes really start to move around. They have been a bit later this year than normal, possibly due to the cooler weather. Mudeyes are a staple diet for both the trout To page 99

VIC

Hunt for trophy trout CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

It looks like the La Niña weather pattern is diminishing, as finally more and more warm weather occurs in the south west. Water temperatures in our larger crater lakes have yet to substantially increase, so our trout fishery is still going great guns without the need to downrig for fish. Lake Purrumbete remains the go-to lake, especially for anglers looking to nail a trophy Chinook salmon, brown or tiger trout. That said, these fish are not being caught in large numbers, and nor should they be. This is partially due to the inclement weather keeping many boaters off the lake, but also because these trout do not get to this size without being a tad crafty. From page 98

and redfin that live in Wendouree, and can be found in the weeds or under rocks as

First and last light are the prime times to be on the water. The shallow, weedy bay between the boat ramp channel exit and Horan’s point remains the top spot to wet a line, but don’t discount the water from Horan’s Point around to the quarry. Fishing several metres out from the shore-hugging weed growth is a great area to concentrate your efforts. There are still plenty of mainly small redfin out there ready and willing to steal a bait or three set out for trout. Don’t throw these nuisance fish back alive. Instead, dispatch them quickly before disposing of them in the lake where they will very quickly form part of the food chain. Throwing dead fish into a rubbish bin only creates bad odours, plus it’s a definite health hazard. Of course, if they are big enough to fillet, please do so. Lake Bullen Merri is abuzz with tiger trout to

5lb, plus Chinook salmon in varying sizes and weights up to and beyond the tigers. The occasional rainbow and brown to 5lb are also being caught. Flat line trolling medium diving minnow lures around the lake’s fringes is doing it for many boaters, and static bait fishing with pilchards near drop-offs from 4-10kg is accounting for many Chinooks. Lake Elingamite’s level is good, and some sizeable brown and rainbows to just over 2kg are taking trolled or cast lures close to the weed growth around the edges. So too are redfin to 1.4kg. The Mount Emu Creek is flowing hard and dirty into the Hopkins, but a couple of local intrepid anglers have scored the odd brown trout to 800g taken on surface lures cast from the bank and worked across the larger pools where the flow is markedly decreased.

fishers will use mudeye fly patterns, both subsurface and surface patterns, such as Craig’s Night Time (subsurface) and Muddler

with baits. The fishing in general has been a bit on the slow side, in contrast to previous years, which I cannot explain? The high water levels have made it difficult to fish in some areas, depending on the method you use. It’s OK for the anglers who fish lures and baits, but for the fly fishers it’s pretty hard, as there are plenty of trees and bush that will happily catch your flies on your back cast. Trust me, I know. The lure of a trophy fish continues to draw many anglers to fish at Moorabool. Igor Krasnowsky is one such angler who made the drive

A nice Elingamite brown taken on the troll on a medium diver. up to Moorabool and was rewarded for his efforts, landing a fish of a lifetime: a magnificent 69cm brown trout estimated to weigh between 8-10lb. Igor was fishing a Woolly Bugger fly in one of the many bays at Moorabool, when a beast decided to inhale his fly. “The fish just grabbed my fly and took off like a rocket, peeling my fly line off the reel,” Igor said. “I saw the backing on my fly reel for the first time in a long while.” A tug of war ensued for a period of time before he eventually landed a magnificent brown trout. Igor had some photos taken prior to releasing

this big guy, and upon release he said it was a fish of a lifetime, and that he felt very lucky to have caught it. Tyler Ridgwell has also been out fishing Moorabool, casting small hardbodied lures. Tyler has been catching plenty of redfin, which are excellent for a feed. On a recent trip he was fishing an area which has produced plenty of redfin and the odd trout over the past couple of months. Tyler said he had just landed a redfin (which travel in schools) and was expecting to catch another when his lure was slammed by a trout that immediately launched out

Ezra Dowling has been rewarded for his persistence fly fishing at Hepburn Lagoon, landing this 3lb rainbow trout on a Magoo fly pattern. Image courtesy of Ezra Dowling. they migrate to hatch into dragonflies. The migration/hatch generally starts in the evenings just on dark, potentially going all night. The trout and redfin will venture into the shallows or around the lake edges to feed on them. These fish cannot resist a feed of mudeyes. As anglers, we need to adapt our tactics to match the hatch to give us the best opportunity to catch a fish. The fly

Minnow (surface pattern). For those anglers who like to fish baits, there is nothing like using the real thing – a bug/spider or a couta mudeye fished under a bubble float. At Wendouree, I generally fish my mudeyes about 3-4ft under a float, depending whether I am fishing from the shore or a boat. Moorabool Reservoir continues to draw lots of anglers, fishing flies, casting lures or fishing

Dennis Faukner has been landing some excellent-sized brown trout whilst fly fishing Lake Wendouree.

of the water trying to throw the hooks. The trout was unsuccessful in its endeavours, after a good scrap Tyler landed an excellent sized brown trout of 45cm. After a couple of photos it was released. Hepburn Lagoon has been flying under the radar, with not many reports filtering through. I have been out there a couple of times myself, and I’ve seen fish but unfortunately I’ve been unsuccessful at catching one so far. This has not been the case for Ezra Dowling, however, He has made the trip up from Melbourne to fish Hepburn on numerous occasions, landing some excellent-sized rainbow trout around the 3-4lb mark. Ezra has been fly fishing using a variety of patterns, with the Magoo being a favourite for the Hepburn lagoon rainbows. The water level at Hepburn, like everywhere, is higher than it has been for a long time during our summer months. This is a win for us anglers. For those who know Hepburn, weed is a massive problem, especially during the warmer months when the water is drawn down for irrigation purposes. At these times it becomes very difficult to fish. My advice at the moment is to make the most of the high water levels and get out there and get amongst them, as Hepburn produces some seriously big rainbow and brown trout, and a few good sized redfin as well. JANUARY 2023

VIC

Ditching school to go fishing EILDON

Peter Burtchell

With La Niña continuing, alongside the unusually strong ‘polar vortex’ holding on later than normal in Antarctica, we can expect to see some wet and wild conditions for most of January, if not beyond. The running rivers will provide some great fishing as yellowbelly and redfin congregate at the head waters, feeding on anything that flows downstream. In deeper parts of the rivers, Murray cod will also be very active, increasing your chances of some great catches.

Murasame 722M Tournament Spin, matched with Murasame X8 PE 10lb braid and Sasame 10lb superfine fluorocarbon leader attached to an Asakura S Hornet. His dad used a Murasame Tournament Spin 702ul matched with Murasame 15lb braid and again Sasame 12lb superfine fluorocarbon. The duo managed to find a lot of redfin schools that were flanked by smaller schools of feeding yellowbelly. Casting alongside and hopping off the rock ledges and into the flooded tree lines proved very successful, as did trolling along the banks along the Delatite Arm. As always, some nice Murray cod were also landed and released. Lake Eildon is now

Nelson with a nice spring Murray cod by-catch. that he was very impressed with both the tour of the hatchery and time on the water. Highlights of the tour were that he got to hold some of the juvenile fish, saw up to 80,000 fingerlings in one tank, and fed some of the larger rainbow and brown trout. During the same period, another young man, Tyson, was able to get amongst the trout as they remained very active late into spring due to the lower than normal lake temperatures. Flatlining proved to be the

Tylor used a brown trout patterned Tassie Devil to entice his prey. easiest method used by Tyson for smaller-sized trout, whilst others chased larger trophy sized trout at depth. Until next month,

here’s to a happy, safe and prosperous New Year. • For more information on fishing Lake Eildon you can contact the Jerusalem Creek

Mr Rouw with a yellowbelly caught rock hopping the rocky banks. This year the yellowbelly and redfin runs were later than normal as the lakes water temperature remained low. As the lakes water temperature began to rise, Nelson Rouw and his father prepared well and were soon amongst the action with some great catches. Nelson armed himself with the

arguably Victoria’s best big Murray cod water. It’s open year-round too; the 3-month long closed season for the species does not apply here. Trolling, bait fishing and casting are all popular and effective fishing methods, offering something for everyone 12 months

Relax and enjoy delicious food and warm hospitality.

of the year. Fishing and learning about Lake Eildon can be a great experience for young people. To this end, the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s Snobs Creek Hatchery, in conjunction with the Eildon Harbour, hosted 48 students from the local Eildon Primary School in late November. This tour provided the students with an overview of the fish breeding and stocking program. I caught up with young Levi Campbell who said

Eildon Primary hit the lake to learn about the ecosystem and fish stocking program.

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

Coffee Light meals Pastries Cakes Bread 10 Main St, Eildon Victoria 3713 03 5774 2362 0438 881 629 100

JANUARY 2023

Casting into the flooded tree lines is always an option when chasing redfin.

Marina & Holiday Park, a friendly, family-orientated annuals cabin park and Houseboat Marina, that makes the perfect home away from home. If visiting Lake Eildon you can opt to stay in one of the floating apartments (Boatels), hire a houseboat or fishing vessel, visit the Megabass Elite Pro Store, or book a Megabass Elite Pro Fishing Tour with one of the many leading Australian Fishing guides operating from Jerusalem Creek. For more information on all of the activities and attractions that Lake Eildon has to offer, visit jerusalemcreek.com. au, give them a call on (03) 5774 2585 or email info@ jerusalemcreek.com.au.

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

An exciting time INTUITIVE CONTROL

VIC

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

INTUITIVE CONTROL

WEST/SOUTH GIPPSLAND

Billy Auldist

The weather has taken longer than usual to come good this year. The constant rain during the last few months of 2022 made fishing in our region tricky but not impossible. The rivers and creeks were high and dirty, and lakes full to the brim, which generally made bait fishing more successful. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel and the weather will turn for the best, and surrounding waterways will clear up, finally giving us fishos optimal conditions. Noojee has had a lot of ROCKLEAattention over the break, with anglers coming from BRISBANE BOATING & LEISURE all over the state to fish 1713 Ipswich Road Toorongo Rocklea and the Loch, P: (07) 3875 1600 rivers. Much LaTrobe the same as the last few : sales@kareemarine.com.au months, the rivers in W: www.kareemarine.com.au Noojee’s surrounds have remained high and dirty NORTHERN GOLD COAST for a long period of time, ONSHORE MARINE but anglers are making Horizon their Shores Woongoolba wayMarina around this. The most 2480 successful anglers P: (07) 5546 have been drifting a worm : onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au through the backwater. In W: www.onshoremarine.com.au the stretches of river with a higher flow you will need VERTONa HILLS small sinker or splitshot HOLT MARINE to keep the bait in the zone for longer. 25 Queens Road Everton Hills P: (07) 3353Fishers 1928 who prefer to use lures have still been : info@holtmarine.com.au getting rewarded, just not W: www.holtmarine.com.au in the numbers that Noojee usually produces. BrighterCAPALABA coloured spinners, soft plastics and hardbodies MIKES MARINE been the go-to. 9 Smithhave Street Capalaba As per usual for this P: (07) 3390 time 3418 of the year, the trout : sales@mikesmarine.com.au have had a few months of W: www.mikesmarine.com.au

QLD MERCURY DEALERS NORTH ROCKHAMPTON RIFEN BOATS 6 Dooley Street North Rockhampton P: (07) 4927 9150 E: rifen.boats@bigpond.com W: www.rifenboats.com.au The author caught this by-catch blackfish on a spinner while targeting trout in a local stream. AIRLIE BEACH WHITSUNDAY OUTBOARD as Noojee waters; both CENTRE for local anglers lately, 17 William Murray Drive Cannonvale have had a high and dirty producing good numbers flow P:for an extended of bass, redfin and trout. (07) 4946 7286 amount of time. Drifting Soft plastics, hardbodies E: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au a bait has been working and spinners will catch all W: www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au the most effectively, with of these species, however a few anglers catching the bigger bass are being trout KARUMBA on soft plastics too. caught on surface lures JONES MARINE Higher sections of both and spinnerbaits at the of these rivers Street have been moment. Carp are being 30 Yappar Karumba the targeted areas, as the readily caught from the P: (07) 4745 9159 lower reaches are often bank on bait, along with all jonglo@bigpond.com easilyE:affected by even the the same fish listed above. W: www.jonesmarine.com.au slightest rainfall. Worms are the preferred Lowland creeks and bait in the lake. riversIPSWICH such as the Hazel Heading into January and Little Moe will soon and the New Year, anglers IPSWICH MARINE enough their levels have a lot to look forward 45 lower Huxham Street Raceview and offer a good fishing to when considering fishing 3944 who in South West Gippsland. optionP: 07 for3294 people enquiries@ipswichmarine.com.au don’t E:want to head too far The weather will no doubt W: www.ipswichmarine.com.au

SLACKS CREEK AUSTRALIAN MARINE CENTRE 3491 Pacific Highway Slacks Creek P: (07) 3808 7333 : sales@amcboats.com.au W: www.amcboats.com.au

GOLD COAST TR MARINE 167 Currumburra Road Ashmore P: 07 5532 5812 E: shaun@trmarinegc.com.au W: www.trmarinegoldcoast.com.au

NOOSAVILLE SUNSHINE COAST MARINE 122 Eumundi Road Noosaville P: (07) 5449 7633 : sales@sunshinecoastmarine.com.au W: www.sunshinecoastmarine.com.au

A healthy brown trout that took a lure on a recent trip. fishing pressure on them and it will soon be about fishing remote stretches rather than your usual spot. It’s a great excuse to get out and discover some new water. The Tarago and Bunyip rivers have been much of the same story

into the bush. I find that using a running sinker rig with a bunch of worms is more than capable of catching a carp or redfin in either of these rivers, and it provides some good fun close to home. Blue Rock Reservoir has been turning it on

turn, and the region’s waterways will ripen. The fish have had a few extra months of rain and food, so they should be nice and plump, ready to be caught by anglers who are willing to work for them. It’s a great time to be a fisher in our region.

VIC MERCURY DEALERS ALBERTON ALBERTON MARINE 39 Johnson Street Alberton P: (03) 5183 2344 F: (03) 5183 2219 W: albertonmarine.com.au BENDIGO BENDIGO MARINE & OUTDOORS 160 Midland Highway Epsom P: (03) 5448 3988 W: bendigomarine.com.au MELBOURNE BL MARINE 612- 614 Plenty Road Preston P: (03) 9478 1420 F: (03) 9470 4638 W: blmarine.com.au SHEPPARTON BOATS AND MORE 207 Numurkah Road Shepparton P: (03) 5822 2108 F: (03) 5821 2908 W: boatsandmore.com.au MORWELL CRAWFORD MARINE 71-77 Chickerell Street Morwell P: (03) 5134 6522 F: (03) 5134 6455 W: crawfordmarine.com.au ECHUCA EADES XTREME MARINE 24 Sturt Street Echuca P: (03) 5482 2333 F: (03) 5482 2133 W: xtrememarine.net.au

MELBOURNE MELBOURNE MARINE CENTRE 393-399 South Gippsland Hwy Dandenong South P: (03) 9703 2003 E: info@melbournemarine.com.au 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 MELBOURNE TRIPLE M MARINE 117 Northgate Drive Thomastown P: (03) 9465 8787 F: (03) 9466 1418 W: triplemmarine.com.au

BRAESIDE JV MARINE WORLD 878 Springvale Road Braeside P: (03) 9798 8883 F: (03) 9798 7554 W: jvmarine.com.au

JANUARY 2023

101

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Many species are on the chew OFFSHORE

Kelly Hunt

The sun is finally out and that is great news, as there are leave days to be taken. Tasmania comes alive in January, and so too does the fishing.

very keen anglers made. There were some nice fish seen and a few caught in Carters Lagoon and Second Lagoon. A great outcome of all the rain is that all lakes are up, and the area is going to fish well for the summer. We just need some stable weather and a bit less wind, and the fly

Good eating-size mako sharks often pop up when deep dropping. All species are starting to love the rising water temperature, and are feeding hard. This is not only true of the estuary fish and saltwater species, but also the trout, which are looking up and feeding on all manner of winged morsels. The offshore species will start to see some action targeted to them as family groups and mates plan some fishing trips. Good weather and a few days off make for some great days on the water. Days where you can reset and forget the worries of the past year, and fill the esky with some tasty fish. TUTTA TRUTTA The rivers and lakes have been full from the unseasonal late rains of November and December, and there is a great deal of food about. Andrew Homann and his friends Charlie and Joanne fished the highlands area recently, and had a splendid time. They did not have it all their own way though, as they suffered some atrocious conditions, including 60kph winds and sideways rain. This made the fishing very tough going, but also very rewarding when fish were found. Arthur’s Lake has had some tailers in the grassy bays late in the evening, and this will continue as the water level remains high for this time of year. Penstock Lagoon has been showing some early season dun feeders, although the trout are not into them properly yet and the duns have been scarce. There were a lot of small fish around the edges of Little Pine, which will be good for the ongoing season. The gate from Augusta, being open into the western lakes, will remove the early season long walks that the 102

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minutes, panic sets in, doubt is raised and the plan changes three or four times in quick succession. Take blue-eye, for example. If these fish were holding in a spot on a previous trip, they will still be there this time. It can just take a few different drifts and a change of position to hit the spot just right. On your previous trip, I hate to say it, you just may have fluked running the baits down, and having them drop right in front of schooling fish. Once the water gets over 100m in depth (and at times we are fishing up to 500m) it’s quite a skill to land the sinker and baits right on a ‘spot’. There are so many factors in play – surface current, mid current, wind and tide, to mention a few. In short, it’s good to persevere, stick to the plan and really tough it out. You never know, when tide and current come to you, it can

cut some up and lay them on the bait board under a damp towel. That way, if you lose bait or catch a good fish, you can bait up swiftly and drop down into the hot zone quickly. Have a spare sinker and rig ready to go. If there is a hot bite on, you don’t want to lose 10 minutes looking for where the sinkers and rigs are. The usual summer areas will start to fish well our wide and out to the shelf. St Helens and its offshore spots are well known, and fish well. If you are so inclined there is also a lot of shelf area that can be explored, looking for new ground. A really good sounder and some confidence in using it will go well here. I am always saying the sounders of today are one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal, but if we don’t learn to use their significant technical advantage it’s a huge waste. Bicheno holds some really good numbers of

January is about taking a break with mates and family. fishing fraternity will have a super season. OUT WIDE Time off from work coinciding with good weather is what we all hope for. Having success when going wide to the shelf and targeting deep water species demands some level of planning. Otherwise, a promising day of good fishing can just turn into a boat ride. Making sure you have some good fresh baits, and a few different varieties, is a good idea. You should also have some spare rigs made up in case you lose a few to snags and sharks. It’s a long way to go burning expensive fuel to not have the gear to make the day a successful one. My biggest advice out wide is to stick to your guns and try a few different drifts. I see quite often crews heading out to a spot or concentrating on a mark that fished well last time. If that spot does not produce in the first 10

all happen in a hurry. The fish come on the bite, and you must make the most of it. Have baits ready to go,

deep-sea fish that are very good to eat. Blue-eye trevalla are the main prize, but the by-catch of gemfish and

Frost fish are good eating and make exceptional broadbill swordfish baits. blue grenadier are also quite welcome. A little further down the culinary ladder are pink ling, and they are quite prolific out wide of the little seaside town of Bicheno. We venture to Bicheno during January most years, and have even found the odd hapuku (hapuka). These are exceptional eating fish, so there’s cause to celebrate when one is caught. Hapuku are grey in colour when they mature, with silvery white underbellies. Juveniles are generally a little bluer in colour. Hapuku can grow to be very large, but are more often found around the 20-30kg mark. These fish live to a ripe old age, and a monster over 80kg can be as old as 60 years. They have a dorsal fin full of spines that should be respected, a rounded anal fin and rounded pectoral fins. A hapuka has a large, powerful, squareshaped tail and puts up a

An exceptional blue-eye caught by Jared Lewis and Lachy Barnes as skipper.

good fight once hooked. Its other distinguishing feature, which helps in identifying it, is that its lower jaw protrudes from the top a little bit. Like all deep-sea species, hapuku have very large, googly eyes for hunting and mooching about in low-light conditions. The fishing grounds off the southeast are also firing at this time of year out wide, and offer a few options to the daily plan. You can plan a nice, early deep drop session, and then come home with the lures out should the wind freshen as the sun heats up the land. The sea breeze inevitably picks up at this time of year in the afternoon, and it pays to keep this in mind. I mentioned having some spare rigs on hand because at this time of year the mako sharks like to play havoc. Yes, it sounds like a nice problem to have as an angler looking for some flesh for the esky, but although a 100kg mako is an awesome freezer filler it’s a pain when its chomping through your blue-eye rigs. Have a wire trace on hand and a rod and reel you can switch to should the shark come up. If you’re keen to catch a mako, it can pay to bleed the fish you have been catching off the bottom, and keep some of the blood handy. It’s one thing to attract a mako to the boat on the commotion of deep drop rigs going up and down, but another to keep it interested long enough to hook. The blood in the water will do just that. Not only does the blood in the water help keep the shark interested, it also can turn a timid fish that is holding off, into an aggressive, baiteating machine. So have a great break, enjoy your time off and let’s have a most wonderful 2023.

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Tassie summer is settling in HOBART

Andrew Large

Finally, the roaring 40s have cooled off a little, allowing anglers to head out over the Christmas break in pursuit of some of their favourite summertime species. Although reasonably settled, saltwater anglers have

first thing in the morning, and then again later in the evening in 60-80m of water. Sand flathead, on the other hand, have been biting well on all but the bottom of the tide on both bait and soft plastics, and trolled and spun lures. Close to Hobart, anglers have been enjoying good success in Frederick Henry Bay towards Slopen Main.

ranged from 15-38kg, with rumours of jumbo fish seen and lost by some. Early kingfish rumours were rewarded, with anglers taking kingfish at both Lewisham and Fortescue Bay near Port Arthur. Australian salmon have not slowed in many spots since their arrival in late October. Cremorne at Pipeclay Lagoon, Marion Bay at The Narrows and Swansea all have good runs of solid fish happening now. At the time of writing, there have been no reports of albacore tuna. Southern rock lobster

anglers have experienced mixed results on our eastern rock lobster rebuilding zone since the introduction of the new size limits in December. Persistence is the key, and also knowing that in 2 years’ time the overall biomass will reach this new increased size limit and we will be back to what we know with this species. For now, obtaining a sized fish might be hard, but this won’t last forever. Tasmania’s highland lakes are enjoying a cool January and plenty of water, with the majority having higher water capacities than normal for this time of the

Morwong perch have been biting well off the Tasman Peninsula and other East Coast areas.

The rock lobster season started well, and ‘Christmas crays’ were on the menu for many. faced challenges in relation to weather on the coast, of significance easterly weather patterns that at times have made getting offshore a little harder than it needed to be. For the moment, however, we have good reports of sand flathead and tiger flathead biting well off the east and southeast coasts. Tiger flathead have been biting well around Bicheno on the turn of the high tide

Betsy Island has seen its fair share of snapper being caught already, and anglers are anchoring up and berleying for best results. Fish have ranged in size from just legal to 600mm. These fish will continue to bite well into late summer and autumn. Tasman Island saw numerous SBT caught over Christmas, with a smattering of fish caught at The Hippolytes as well. The size

Arthurs Lake is now producing quality trout and is on the comeback after years of uncertain fishing.

year. As a result, the fish are highly active. One water that has been fishing well is Arthurs Lake. This troubled water took a steep decline around 2012, caused largely by increases in water levels affecting the status quo of well-established weed beds and feeding zones. Around 2019 this water began to produce fish again, and this year seems to be back to its old self, producing great daily bags of healthy browns to 2.3kg on bait, spin and troll and fly. The tight fishing amongst the drowned timber has to be seen to be believed. Great Lake continues to

produce both healthy brown and rainbow trout to 1.8kg. Evenings seem to be fishing a little better than early mornings. Reports indicate rainbows are late spawning this year, many having just returned. Penstock Lagoon is yielding well-conditioned browns to fly anglers who fish there. The majority of the fishing seems to be concentrated around the edges on smaller wet patterns. Anglers are experiencing some dry fly action as our summer kicks into gear. Until next month, good luck everybody.

next to the dorsal fin that read ‘WINNER’. Liam realised he had been lucky enough to catch one of this year’s promotional $2000 tagged fish. He then reminded his mate Jarvis that it wasn’t the quantity of fish caught that was important. It is all

about quality! This trout was one of the five fish released into Lake Rosebery this season. There are also still plenty of tagged trout in waters around the state to be caught as part of the Tasmanian Tagged Trout Promotion. - IFS

FISHING NEWS

Tassie Inland Fisheries Service news In November, anglers from around the country descended on Lake Burbury and Bronte Lagoon for two fishing competitions organised by the Queenstown and New Norfolk Angling Clubs respectively. On the West Coast at Lake Burbury, 173 entrants weighed in a total of 561 fish at the annual comp run by the Queenstown Anglers Club. Both brown and rainbow trout in good numbers were being caught near inflowing rivers spinning hardbody lures. A 1.2kg (cleaned) rainbow was the heaviest for the event. 50 entrants also

made their way to Bronte Lagoon in the Central Highlands, where the New Norfolk Licensed Anglers Association hosted the Southern Tasmania Licensed Anglers Association’s annual Interclub Challenge. Overall there were 93 trout weighed in, with a total weight of 67.1kg and an average weight of 0.7kg. A 65cm brown

weighing 2.2kg (cleaned) won the event. Both events saw challenging weather conditions from late Saturday afternoon as a vigorous cold front crossed the State, but this didn’t deter the enthusiasm of all competitors who braved the conditions, camped out and tried their luck.

TAGGED TROUT WINNER Liam McKenna of Devonport and his mate Jarvis had a trip down to Lake Rosebery they won’t soon forget. Arriving down at the water from the north west coast at around 10am on 19 November, they spent the day casting and retrieving soft plastics from the shore. Throughout the day Jarvis had caught 10 fish to Liam’s two. According to Liam, Jarvis was starting to remind him several times about the day’s catch score board. This all changed at about 6pm. Liam had a good hit on his soft plastic and brought in a good fish. Upon having a good look at the fish in the net they noticed an orange tag

JANUARY 2023

103

Changing times for Vic Angler Diary programs MELBOURNE

Ross Winstanley

Victoria’s angler diary programs are being revived and refocused on high priority fisheries, making way for the GoFishVic app that’s attracting young anglers wanting to report and track their catches across Victoria. While their importance for fisheries assessments continues, the diary programs have taken a back seat as the Victorian Fisheries Authority concentrated on developing the app. Now, there’s a clear purpose and opportunity for both programs. BACKGROUND Since 2000, the closure of most of Victoria’s bay and inlet commercial fisheries has ended the century-long data series that underpinned the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s fishery assessment programs. Over much the same period, the VFA developed its ‘Reel Angler’ volunteer angler diary programs to provide the vital continuous time series of reliable data needed to support these assessments. However, the volunteer Angler Diary and Research Angler programs are no longer getting the level of support that they used to, particularly since the VFA turned their attention to developing the GoFishVic app in 2015. Vital support, feedback and engagement of volunteers have mainly ceased, and volunteers have been excluded from assessments that are based on diary data. This has resulted in the numbers of active volunteers in the Angler Diary Program (ADP) falling from over 300 to below 50. Spread across fisheries from Mallacoota to the Glenelg River, plus some inland waters, this is inadequate for meaningful statistical coverage. Similarly, the numbers of the more specialised Research Angler volunteers, recording more structured data from the two bays, have fallen from over 60 to 23. THE PROGRAM’S PROUD HISTORY At their height, in 2011 the Angler Diary and Research Angler programs received prestigious awards: a United Nations Association award for excellence in Marine and Coastal Management, and a Victorian Coastal Council Award for Excellence. At the time, Victorian anglers’ involvement in fisheries research and management was recognised as a national benchmark for ‘Citizen Science’ in fisheries. The birth of the ADP stemmed from VFA researchers’ encounter with 104

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Diary volunteers have assisted in tagging and collection of fish otoliths. a remarkable Melbournebased angler, John Kirk, who kept meticulous records of every black bream he caught in twice-yearly trips to the Bemm River, East Gippsland. Recorded for his own interest over decades, and measured across the full size range of hookable bream, the data traced the highs, lows and recoveries of the population in the Bemm. After well-defined downturns in the fishery, the emergence of 10-12cm ‘cohorts’ or year-classes indicated recent highly successful spawning. Sure enough, John tracked their progress over the following years until they entered the stock of legal-sized fish. John Kirk’s records demonstrated the power of an individual’s dedicated record-keeping of all trips, fishing much the same way in the same waters, over many years. While this is not for everybody, the sorts of anglers suited to it need little more encouragement than to be given regular feedback and the chance to be involved in periodic assessment of ‘their’ fisheries. A MODEL FOR OTHER STATES The simplicity of Victoria’s volunteer diary programs, and the value to fisheries research and management, have been picked up in other states. WA’s Research Angler Program started in 2005, focusing on popular, but ‘data-poor’ inshore and estuary fisheries. However, as in Victoria, WA’s diary program has declined as the research focus and resources have shifted towards app development. In contrast, the NSW Research Angler Program

began in 2013 and has been well resourced, funded from the recreational fishing licence trust ($193,000 in 2021). As well as ‘Keen Angler Diarists’ who record details of their fishing trips in fisheries of high interest, the more ‘general’ program volunteers tag mulloway, dusky flathead and snapper. They also donate frames of mulloway, snapper and several other species being studied by fisheries researchers. Every year, three or four very detailed 20-plus page newsletters are posted, reporting research progress, giving feedback and inviting further volunteer involvement. VICTORIAN DIARISTS REMAIN VITAL Despite its declining support for volunteers, the VFA continues to rely on diary data. The 2016 report on Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL) funded project, titled ‘Recreational fishing assessment 2016 – small eastern estuaries’, described how assessments for the three key target species examined across five estuaries relied entirely on volunteers’ diary data. The report stated that, “The collection of information needed to support management decisions that promote sustainable use of key recreational fisheries is not possible without the volunteer angler participation in the [ADP]”. Posted in 2012, the VFA’s Reel Scientists website still acknowledges that the diary programs continue to provide the only time series of data for the small-scale recreational fisheries. As commercial fisheries between Western Port Bay and Mallacoota

Inlet closed, a century of continuous detailed catch reporting ceased. Since about 2000, while the RFL funded buyouts of commercial fishing licences, volunteer diarists stepped up, encouraged by the VFA. In the national Status of Australian Fish Stocks 2020 report, the nationwide assessments of black bream stocks make several references to their dependence on data from Victoria’s angler diary volunteers in the State’s eastern and western estuaries. However, the report also warned that the diary program decline has thrown doubts on the reliability of diary catch rate data. It concludes that this has reached the point where it is insufficient to “confidently classify the status” of some fish stocks. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GOFISHVIC APP At the VFA’s June 2015 ‘Roundtable’ forum, recreational fishers were told “Fisheries are developing options” for the ADP. At the March 2016 forum, members learned of progress towards “expanding the angler diary program” to boost volunteer numbers and species coverage, and to “improve engagement with recreational fishing stakeholders”. In fact, the opposite has occurred; the ADP and the app are treated and resourced very differently, and engagement with diary volunteers has halted. Today, the VFA’s GoFishVic app has been well resourced and implemented as a key part of the Government’s ‘Go Fishing Victoria’ program

supported by $2.1 million of licence funding. WILL IT BE THE ‘APP’ TO THE RESCUE? If the original intention was to transition 300 or so ‘current’ diary volunteers across to the app, that horse has bolted. We’re now down to fewer than 50 volunteers, spread thinly across several species and several fisheries. As a 25-year diary veteran, I for one will continue with the simple paper diaries. That said, the app is certainly a good addition to the program. Since the diary programs began in 1997, new generations of anglers have made up the bulk of the fishing population. It is realistic to look at contemporary technology to attract young anglers and improve the efficiency of reporting catch details. Victoria is not alone in the quest to develop apps as a contemporary means of engaging with recreational fishers, and collecting useful catch data. The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation has funded a $1 million 4-year multi-state study comparing the relative merits of smart-phone applications and traditional phone-diary and on-site (e.g. creel) surveys. Apps are also being used successfully for mandatory reporting of catches in strictly managed recreational fisheries (eg rock lobster) and reporting tag recaptures. However, nowhere in Australia is a voluntary app able to underpin fishery monitoring and stock assessments in the way Victoria’s ADP has done. A recent review of apps used in Australian recreational fisheries stated,

NSW Research Angler volunteers receive 3-4 newsletters annually.

“Citizen science projects thrive when information and conversations flow both ways.” App support fails when fishers are not given the opportunity to review their own data, including regular summaries. It seems unwise to continue neglecting the volunteer diary program – at least until the GoFishVic app has been shown to be capable of seamlessly replacing the diary programs, and has developed adequate volunteer numbers and a solid time series of credible data. The program should also offer reciprocal benefits to dedicated volunteers who choose to continue providing ‘hard copy’ diaries. INVESTED THROUGH THE RFL Over the past 20 years, recreational fishers have invested more than $1 million directly in Angler Diary projects and, probably, as much again in related assessment and management advice. What have they got for their money? Quite a lot: • Whole fisheries and individual stock assessments demonstrating the effectiveness of management changes, and the sustainability of their fishing, • Predictions of surges in fish numbers from successful spawning events, and • Understanding of catch downturns after periods of low spawning success, and more. Diary volunteers, themselves, are hugely invested in these diary programs. The only return they seek is a level of involvement in and communication on how the data are used. That has unfortunately ceased in recent years. WHERE NOW? Wi t h COVID restrictions eased and Victoria’s fisheries in good shape, there’s an opportunity to develop the traditional diary and app approaches in tandem. VFA researchers can focus traditional diary volunteers on the stocks and fisheries of key management concern: snapper and whiting in the bays, bream and dusky flathead in the eastern inlets, and the recreational fishing responses to the closure of net fisheries in Port Phillip Bay and the Gippsland Lakes. At least for now, the GoFishVic app seems best suited to more broadscale application, providing anglers with a log of their own catches while contributing catch and related data for marine and inland fisheries across the State.

Wyaralong Dam Carp and Tilapia Eradication It was a fantastic day at the Wyaralong Dam Carp and Tilapia Eradication competition. There were

the lucky door prizes. A massive shout out to all our sponsors support and volunteers that helped out on

RESULTS ENTRANTS JUNIOR TEEN SENIOR (inc FLY) TOTAL FISH CAUGHT CARP TILAPIA TOTAL JUNIOR Most carp

280 competitors with a large number of families and kids. It is great to see so many kids getting amongst the action by fishing, catching and learning about pest fish. There were a huge number of fish caught with 1,174 noxious fish being removed; 244 carp and 930 tilapia. The biggest tilapia weighing 2.855kg, and the carp went 4.305kg. It was great to have Tim Lucas from Fisheries

Queensland Freshwater division do a presentation on noxious fish and teaching everyone easy ways to identify pest fish. Charlie from FFSAQ was also there with the education live fish trailer, and Fisheries patrol officers Paul and Bob talked to people about freshwater fishing rules. The Greenbank scouts group came out for a fish, which helped them towards their sustainability badge. They also gave assistance with drawing

Biggest carp Most tilapia Biggest tilapia TEEN Most carp Biggest carp Most tilapia Biggest tilapia FLY Most carp Biggest carp Most tilapia Biggest tilapia SENIOR Most carp Biggest carp Most tilapia Biggest tilapia

76 22 182 280 244 930 1,174 Maxim Baruksopulo Cooper Jackson Archie Cook Aston Holland Joshua Buys

2-TIE

Cooper Rennick Kayos Hapeta-Williams Kayos Hapeta-Williams Garrett Stanton

4 3.29kg 39 2.855kg

Peter Herbst Peter Herbst NIL NIL

6 2.065kg

Tiger Zhang Ji Chunhud Jason Williams Jason Terelinck

58 4.305kg 118 2.66kg

the day, without this help the competition can’t be run. All profits raised go back into purchasing native fingerlings to re-stock Mary River cod and Australian bass

2.935kg 42 2.15kg

fingerlings in Wyaralong Dam and Logan and Albert catchments. Here is to a successful competition in 2023. – John Cumberland

Charlton’s Springfield Lakes Pest Classic 2022 After a successful return, all be it with reduced numbers in 2021, it was no surprise that the Charlton’s Fishing Springfield Lakes Pest Fishing Classic took less than a week to fill its quota of 200 anglers. The event offers anglers of all ages the opportunity to fish an urban waterway, which is normally closed to fishing, for a day in an effort to reduce the number of evasive species in the waterway and then through donations, stock the waterway with native fish. In 2022 it was Mary River cod that were stocked, however in the past it has been a mix of them and Australian bass.

The day is a great mix of education (children and adults alike learning what our evasive species are and look like),

family fun and a showcase of what our urban waterways could/can offer. It was great to see anglers finding their little

grunter (not endemic to SE Queensland) and a single European carp. Another positive was the tagging by the Brisbane Valley Anglers Stocking Group (BVA) and Suntag of 220 Australian bass (all 20cm or bigger). This will assist with data over the years to show growth rates and survival of the native fished stocked in the lake. There are many groups, people and businesses that made this day possible and we

Anglers arrived early to secure their little piece of water to fish and to enjoy everything the Charlton’s Pest Fishing Classic offers

Aaron Czerner and Kobie Hill had a ball and said they will definitely be back next year.

Councillor Nicole Jonic being shown the tagging process by Barry Oxford and Peter Jung on an Australian bass she had just caught. Once tagged she happily released it back into the waterway.

piece of water to fish and then everybody jumping in to help whether it was to net a larger fish, offer a little advice if the fish weren’t cooperating or at the end of the day jumping in and cleaning up to ensure the area was left cleaner than they found it. It is a great community event, with many hoping that more can be organised. The end result of the day was plenty of anglers leaving the waterway with a prize for their efforts, and the prize for the waterway was that 160kg+ plus of evasive species had been removed from it. This was a mix of tilapia, barred

All of the QLD fisheries freshwater team fished the classic. Christelle Legrand who is part of that team, ended up winning the Overall Total Length of Tilapia category on the day.

would like to say thank you. They are Charlton’s Fishing, Shrimplovers, Ipswich City Council, Lend Lease, 2 Bent Rods (for running the day), Springfield Scout group, Ipswich cadets parent support group, BVA, Fishing Monthly, Camprite, Wilson Fishing, Rapala Australia and Tackle Tactics. We would also like to thank Charis Mullen MP, Nicole Jonic – Ipswich City Council and Russell Milligan – Ipswich City Council for supporting and attending on the day. The Charlton’s Fishing Springfield Lakes Pest Fishing Classic will be back again next year, with another one of the lakes open for fishing, so put the first Sunday in December into your diaries to attend the 2023 event. – Peter Jung (BVA) JANUARY 2023

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Striking with Venom

Kicking off the back half of the season at the Mackay impoundments, the ABT travelled to Teemburra Dam in the Mackay hinterland for the third stop of the tour, brought to you by Sufix lines. Having the whole top end of the dam virtually to themselves, Adam Meredith and Troy Dixon of team Venom had the luxury of being able to fish their way around likely areas before dark without encroaching on other teams’ spots and vice versa. “We only saw one other boat all night and that

started to fire up on the larger flat shads. The fish came into the boat consistently until about 10pm when the bite window closed. Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview

The flat shads they used were tricked up with a custom-made jighead built on an 8/0 Mustad or 10/0 SL12 hook from Dan Stead at Pimp My Lure – an upgrade jighead that has been very popular

3 Venom braid and Wilson fluorocarbon leader. All up, they finished with around 10 fish in total for the night and enough upgrades to edge ahead of Anita Barra/ Humminbird by just over 2kg. THE KINGS OF CONSISTENCY In second place, falling an agonising 1.8kg shy of 3/3 wins to start the season was the always consistent team of Liam Robinson and James Wilson, aka Team Anita Barra/Humminbird. It doesn’t seem to matter which impoundment they are on, the pair will always sniff out a ZEREK Fish Trap bite.

Troy Dixon with one of the Teemburra barra that anchored their winning limit. “I know it probably seems a bit boring that we do the same thing a lot but there’s a reason we do, it just flat out works,” said Robinson. And the proof is in the pudding, the pair caught over a dozen barra for the session with three of their biggest models all measuring a cracking 103cm. They got their fish by positioning the boat in 10ft of water and casting into a little drop off to about 15ft. Two sharp double hops got the fish fired up. The best part? They

Always consistent, Anita Barra / Humminbird took another podium finish at Teemburra. was right at the very end, we couldn’t believe it!” said Dixon. Teemburra Dam is lined with lily pads that grow into thick clumps, forming islands around the dam. It was on one of these islands that the team found the action heated up. “Once the sun started to set, we found the bigger fish would move out off the lily pad island into deeper water and we could see them on our Live Sonar sitting in the gaps in the weed,” explained Dixon. Crowd favourites, the ZEREK Live Mullet in dark ale, as well as the GS1 coloured 7” flat shad, were the most productive lures for Team Venom. The Live Mullet accounted for their first few fish until the sun began to set, after which the bigger fish

for other anglers on the tour, such as Steve Morgan. The 3/4oz model was the head of choice although they did go as heavy as 1oz when the area required it. The jigheads come standard with an eyelet on the bottom for the option to add a stinger hook; which Adam and Troy opted for, using a size 1 Mustad Saltism treble. Their Flat Shad technique was to throw their baits up onto the very top of the weed and roll them quickly back to the boat, dropping them into the gaps or channels in the weed where they could see where the big fish were sitting. The rods and reels were a quality combination of WILSON products including a 7’ 30-60lb Blade n’ Tails baitcast rod paired with an ATC Combat V2 reel spooled with soon-to-be-released PE

RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 106

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Team Venom Anita Barra/Humminbird Bass Masters Samaki Aberdeen fishing & Outdoors Southern Fried Millerods/Lowrance About Town Bait & Tackle Imakatsu/Dobyns Rods Wilson Fishing

got to do it fishing their very own ‘Anita’ coloured Fish Trap model, which has been so productive already this season. “At about 9:30 we got one of the hottest bites I’ve ever had with 5 fish in 5 casts, it was awesome!” said Robinson. He adding their lures often, “Wouldn’t even make it to the bottom” before getting eaten. Second place together with their two wins puts them well out in front in TOY points and makes them the team to beat this year.

With their win at Teemburra Team Venom consolidated their TOY lead. Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers Dixon/Meredith Robinson/Wilson Gustafson/Jocumsen Lowry/Wood Ford/Price Latham/Lewis Beattie/McNamara Detenton/Mulcahy Maclean/Slade Kornelius/Luckus

Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5 5/5 2/5

Weight (kg) 65.01 63.20 53.49 47.05 44.85 44.11 43.57 39.73 35.33 32.96

Payout $2000 $900 $800 $700 $600 $500 $500

BARRA Series presented by

Fishing Monthly wins Kinchant in the Open Team Fishing Monthly (Steve Morgan and Nicholle Smith) raised a few eyebrows when they boxed the winning limit of the Mustad round of the Zerek Barra Tour at Kinchant Dam. In the Open. Before dark. In fact, the top two teams were the only ones that abandoned Kinchant’s usually productive edge bite to chase pelagic fish on finesse jerkbaits and Garmin LiveScope. Team Samaki also landed most of their fish before dark on the identical technique. Fishing Monthly livestreamed the daylight hours and landed nine barra before the sun set, at which point they swapped from a horizontal to a vertical presentation and landed more, albeit smaller fish using Zerek Fish Traps in Anita colour on weed edges. Morgan said, “It’s been a few years since I started seeing plenty of barra in the open water using my Garmin LiveScope Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview

in Perspective mode, but the lightbulb moment was when I interviewed Tommy Wood about fishing Samaki Redic jerk baits last year. Redics and Perspective mode just works and we’ve gone from ordinary barra anglers to successful ones in about 18 months. Morgan explained how it’s done. “We literally start in the middle of the lake – in over 30ft of water. Drifting with the wind, we see scattered fish on the LiveScope. The transducer is fitted to the trolling motor shaft and can be controlled with the foot pedal. The drift is slowed down with my PowerPoles fitted with drift paddles. “With the scope of the live sonar, these fish are all less than 15ft deep. Knowing which direction these fish are, we cast past the barra and slow wind a Samaki Redic (DS80 in whitebait

or pink lady) and watch the lure get close to the fish. When the fish shows interest, we stop the lure and let the barramundi approach. Twitch it at the wrong time and the fish spooks. If the fish turns around and starts swimming away, a sharp twitch can often turn them around.” “It’s awesome fun and it works better in daytime than after dark,” he continued. Morgan fished the baits on a Millerods OneFreak rod with 40lb Sufix 832 braid and 50lb Wilsons fluorocarbon leader. He said that the key to the technique is finesse. You’ll spook rather than trigger a bite by working the lure aggressively and the feedback from the forward-facing sonar helped accelerate that learning curve. After dark, the action moved to the weed edge in 20ft of water. Smith explained that part of the equation. “It was awesome watching the barra eat the Zerek Fish Traps on the Garmin’s down image. We had the latest colour addition to the Zerek line-up – Anita – and it worked a treat. We had tried straight on in pre-fish with limited success, but after talking to Liam Robinson (a Fish Trap expert and co-creator of the Anita) we found that using a

Mustad Fastach clip was key to giving the Fish Trap the needed action to get the bite. Letting the Fish Trap sit on the bottom with some small sharp jerks was all that was needed to get them biting.” You can see the full rundown of the technique in the QR code hereby. TEAM SAMAKI SLIP INTO SECOND In a changing of the guard, the barra on LiveScope master Tommy Wood (who says he

taught Morgo everything he knows!) along with teammate Josh Lowry fishing as team Samaki had to resign to a respectable second place behind Team Fishing Monthly by just 3kg fishing the same open water LiveScope technique. The plan was to fish the new bad bitty and ghost shad colours in the Samaki Redic DS80 jerk bait, targeting those isolated fish in the middle of the dam before dark.

Tommy Wood for team Samaki used the open water LiveScope technique to target big fish in the middle of the lake.

Team Fishing Monthly Samaki Millerods/Lowrance Imakatsu/Dobyns Rods Garmin Bass Masters Fish With Me Bream W@nk@z EJ Todd/Tackleworld Bundy Smak Wild

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Steve Morgan live-streamed the opening hours of the tournament for team Fishing Monthly taking viewers along for an awesome jerk bait session.

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

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Scan the QR code to see Steve Morgan’s Kinchant Livescope Barramundi

They Fished 7’ 10-17lb Samaki C12 rods paired with Shimano Tranx baitcast reels spooled with 50lb Upgrade Pentagram X-Braid. As the Redic’s need action imparted on them, a light leader was crucial so as not to hinder the action. For this they used 55lb X-braid Slim & Stronger fluorocarbon leader. Later in the night they used a prototype Samaki soft plastic swimbait that they fished on the same setups, however with an 80lb fluorcarbon leader. The swimbaits impart their own action, which is not affected by heavier breaking strain. “We would have had over 15 missed bites for the night and dropped a couple of crackers that could have got us across the line but that’s just the way it goes with barra,” said the everoptimistic Tommy. One half of the reigning Team of the Year, Tommy Wood is no stranger to the top of the leaderboard and this year is going to be no different. No doubt that good ‘who shares wins’ karma will catch up with team Samaki before the tour ends!

Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers Morgan/Smith Lowry/Wood Beattie/McNamara Maclean/Slade M. Mott/D. Mott Gustafson/Jocumsen Edmonds/Zikos Heath/McKeown Stoddart/Sutton 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) 51.01 48.05 41.74 41.57 41.26 40.63 40.37 39.73 35.99 34.94

Payout $2100 $900 $800 $700 $600 $550 $500

JANUARY 2023

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Local knowledge wins at Faust

Ask any angler on the barra tour what the most mentally and physically gruelling session is and without a doubt they’ll all agree it’s the massive 16-hour all-nighters. The 5th round of the tour sponsored by Humminbird at Peter Faust Dam was the last all-nighter for the year and by far the most brutal, with relentless southeasterly winds sending white caps over the bow of most boats all night. Hot Favourites, Peter Laine and Ben Williams (Team T.B.C), reminded everyone just how deadly they are on their favourite dam taking the win over a very in-form Team Anita Barra/Humminbird. They have now won at least one of the two Faust events for the past three years in a row and we suspect they know all the fish in there by name. Although not favourable conditions for most barra anglers, Laine and Williams have found success previously at Faust when the southerly change blows in. “We’ve actually done quite well at Faust on a sou’easter in the past, so we didn’t mind the direction, it

was just rough and it didn’t stop all night – that was the worst part,” explained Williams. Laine laughed, and added that they thought, “We Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview

were either going to snap the tree in half, snap the rope or pull the cleat out of the boat!” Fortunately, that didn’t happen and they were able to hold on their spot in the timber (near ‘the 45’ area of the dam) where they found the fish sitting just off the weed in the 8-10ft range. They used the Garmin LiveScope with the new LVS34 transducer to follow the fish around and credit a lot of their success to the technology. “You had to hit them before they got in the weed so the LiveScope was a must for making sure you kept a bait in front of them,” said Williams. The fish were sluggish and the technique reflected that, with the boys ‘dredging’ their large soft

Ben Williams endured conditions on the northern side of the lake to help put together a winning bag. plastic swimbaits across the shallow flat. The two winning baits were a 7” Zerek Flat Shad rigged on an upgraded 1oz TT SL12 jighead with a size 1 treble hook rigged as a stinger and a 50g Thready Buster swimbait. They both prefer spin outfits for this technique as the rate of retrieve can be controlled far better than baitcast. They also get line to the reel quicker meaning they could get the fish in the boat faster, something important when you’re tied up and can’t chase the fish. Ben used an ACM custom Northfork X-Ray in the 701A model while Pete used an Edge rods Black Widow 708 model. Both were paired with identical Shimano Stella 4000 SG SWC reels spooled with SUFIX 832 braid and either 80 or 100lb Sunline FC 100 fluorocarbon leader. THE UNSTOPPABLES They’ve had themselves a year for the record books already and Team Anita Barra/Humminbird pretty well iced the Team Of the Year trophy with another second-place finish. They boxed away another cracking limit

Scan the QR code to see the Team of the Year interview

Anita Barra / Humminbird used their Humminbird 360 to great effect to secure second place at this round.

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Team T.B.C Anita Barra/Humminbird Southern Fried Mullet Mayhem Fishing Monthly Atomic Mustard Swamp Dogs Samaki Lads From the South Garmin

Anglers Laine/Williams Robinson/Wilson Latham/Lewis Keegan Hayden Morgan/Smith Martin/Starkey Clark/Walker Lowry/Wood Goward/Parks M. Mott/D. Mott

courtesy of the mighty Zerek Fish Traps in their namesake colour ‘Anita’. They cruised around the weed beds south of the boat ramp (heading towards Faust Point) on the electric using the Humminbird Mega 360 to locate schools of fish hanging around the edges of the weed. Once they found the fish they would pull up and drop their fish traps on the fish’s head giving them a short sharp hop off the bottom to aggravate a bite. They moved around throughout the night and caught fish in various parts of the dam, including the timber and along the dam wall. This technique continues to prove itself on all barra impoundments across the country and, given the chance, team Anita Barra/ Humminbird continue to towel up the competition on it. With two wins and two second places for the year, the boys were far enough ahead in points to be crowned the Team Of the Year and you can find the details of how they did it in their interview with Steve Morgan by scanning the QR code attached.

Full results at abt.org.au

Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5

Weight (kg) 66.23 62.00 61.22 57.61 57.16 55.56 55.16 51.14 50.00 47.47

Payout $2000 $800 $700 $600 $600 $500 $500

BARRA Series presented by

Good old sponsorship karma Sponsor karma came in strong for the final round of the tour at the 2-night event on Peter Faust Dam sponsored by Samaki. And, you guessed it, Team Samaki took out the event using a whole stack of new and proven Samaki products. In pre-fish they located a large flat about a kilometre off the bank on the heavily timbered northeastern corner of the dam. Using the quick draw contouring on his Garmin sounder, Tommy found a flat amongst the trees that came up to about 9ft deep where he quickly

a tree out in front of them to use as a reference point on the screen and waited for the barra to roll through. Tommy wood divulged their technique; “We were mainly throwing the DS80 and new DS90 Redics, however, when the fish came through on the screen fast, we found they were feeding on big baits, so we picked up the 140 Molix in tropical mullet and burned it right past their nose to get a reaction bite.” As they discovered, the lure had to be within a foot of the fish’s nose or they wouldn’t eat it, meaning casting accuracy was

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Josh Lowry demonstrated that he catches barra just as well as he designs lures in the final round of the Series.

You can tell from this image just how rough the water was that Team Samaki fished. discovered the barra were coming up on to feed. “I knew this spot would fish good on a southerly and when the wind swung around to the south/ southeast for the start of the 2-nighter I knew it would be on,” explained Tommy. There’s no doubt about the effectiveness of LiveScope on the barra tour and the guys that have it mastered are at a definite advantage to the field. Tommy Wood is one of those guys. They used the new LVS34 transducer, which is fast gaining a reputation for perfect clarity at distances as far as 100 feet. They lined the beam (in perspective mode) up with

Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

crucial. Channelling that sponsor Karma, they used a fleet of Samaki C12 baitcast rods in the 7ft medium heavy range, changing between specific models depending on the bait. In contrast to the fish on the shallow edges, they also found good numbers sitting 15-20ft below the surface in the tops of the trees in 65ft of water. These fish were feeding on small shrimp and the perfect imitation they found was the soon to be released Samaki Hardlicious hybrid soft/hard vibe. It features a hardbody with a soft plastic forked tail that sinks at a much slower rate than the vibelicious, which meant they could tease the fish up to the surface by flicking it up and down without the lure

It seems as though Ben’s team mate Peter was a little shy in front of the camera.

RESULTS Team Samaki T.B.C Fishing Monthly Anita Barra/Humminbird Atomic Bass Masters Barra Bandits Fish With Me Lured Obsession Millerods/Lowrance

BARRA SERIES 2022

sinking past the following barramundi too fast. “You had to keep drawing the lure up and the fish would follow it, you’d probably get a bite off 1 in every 10 fish,” explained Tommy. A lot of skill and a bit of luck got them over the line with a fair share of battles won that would normally be lost (including a metre fish getting wrapped up in the anchor rope and still being Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview

landed). But, like Tommy expressed, “When these things go your way, you win comps,” and that’s exactly how it went! QUINELLA AT FAUST FOR TEAM T.B.C After their success in the all-nighter, Ben Williams and Peter Laine of Team T.B.C were never going to be far off the money in the following 2-night event. They employed the same tactics as they did in the all-night session over the 2-night event and the fish they were on held up for the duration. The exception was that they found the fish bit better during the daylight hours. They used the same Thready Busters and 1oz 7” Flat Shads as the all-nighter, dredging the big baits along the bottom in 8-10ft to put away their 9/10 limit for 110.74kg.

Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers Wood/Lowry Laine/Williams Morgan/Smith Robinson/Wilson Martin/Starkey Jocumsen/Gustafson Khan/Smith Edmonds/Zikos Booby/Murley Beattie/McNamara

Fish 10/10 9/10 10/10 10/10 8/10 10/10 7/10 7/10 6/10 5/10

Weight (kg) 124.32 110.74 102.32 85.82 81.17 74.94 56.78 55.98 51.24 48.19

Payout $2000 $800 $700 $600 $600 $500 $500

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South Coast

Winning in the warmer waters of Esperance ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

Esperance has finally experienced the start of summer, and the warmer waters have continued to yield an abundance of salmon. Plenty of fish are being caught around the town beaches, as well as further out, heading both east and west. Local beaches to try are Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach, 11 Mile, Roses and Stockyards. Salmon up to around 6kg are being caught, with plenty of double headers. The standard way to catch them is with a paternoster rig with a star sinker, using pilchards on a gang, and often a second single hook with a bit of squid on it. You can also catch them on chrome slices, such as a Halco Twisty or Sure Catch Knight. Heading further out of town, plenty of salmon are being caught at Alexander Bay, Thomas River and Poison Creek. Mixed in

with these have been the occasional tailor, gummy shark and flathead, and there are plenty of herring around too. Smaller mulloway are also being caught around town at 14 Mile, and also Thomas River and Israelite Bay. At this time of year, with the change in the tides and the weather, we typically experience a north-easterly in the morning. That’s the best time to fish, ideally from around first light (around 3-3:30am). In the afternoon, there’s generally a south-easterly see breeze that’s quite strong, which drops off again at night. When the southeasterly is blowing, there are plenty of spots to fish to provide some protection, with choice areas being Salmon Beach in town, or West Beach. Further, out places like Warton Beach and Duke of Orleans are good options. When fishing in town, Bandy Creek boat harbour is a great spot as you can fish either side depending on the wind, and have the

wind behind you. We are seeing plenty of smaller King George whiting and bigger herring, flathead and smaller skippy being caught here. The bream lakes are slowly starting to dry up, but there are still plenty of fish being caught, including some sizable samples over 40cm. If you want to target them, your best bet is to find out where the deeper water sits, and fish those deeper channels and gutter in the lake. That deeper water tends to be in the middle of the lake, rather than around the snags. It may seem counterintuitive to fish in the middle rather than the snags, but the fish definitely prefer that deeper, cooler water in the heat of summer. In this scenario, bait fishing is normally the easiest way to catch them. All you need is a standard whiting/paternoster rig with prawn baits. Moving to jetty fishing in town, we are still seeing squid being caught off the tanker jetty and Tailor

Street jetty. There are also plenty of herring, including bigger bull herring. The best times are normally early in the morning or just before dark and into the night. Anglers are also catching garfish around the lights after dark. Some smaller sharks are cruising around as well, mainly bronze whalers. The 3-4ft bronzies are good eating. If you head out towards Israelite bay and the cliffs, you can get some good catches of small bronzies, with a few larger models in the mix. Plenty of big flathead are being caught, with samples going 65-70, along with smaller mulloway and some big tailor as well. It’s a good spot to target big King George whiting, fishing out of a tinny. You can get them to a couple of kilo there, around 60-70cm fish. If you’re fishing around town from a boat, preferably in the morning, you can encounter plenty of herring and snook. More bluefin tuna are coming through in the system, too. Most snook

are caught on trolled lures, and these fish love anything gold. Good options include the Bomber Long, Halco Twisty or pretty much any gold, shallow-diving barra lure. The tuna are also taking skirts and jet heads, such as Black Magic Jet Setters. Moving further out, we are seeing plenty of big samsonfish to 30kg+, along with decent size nannygai up to the 65cm mark, and a mixture of breaksea, queen snapper, smaller harlequin, and plenty of sea sweep. There are some bigger schools of tuna out wide at the moment, with some football field-size schools cruising around. You can blind troll for them or, if you see them working, drift up to them and throw chrome lures at the melee. Also out wide we are starting to see a few leather jackets, which can make for expensive fishing. To minimise bite-offs you can use black swivels rather than brass, or you can just move to a different spot. If you have never kept a leatherjacket for the table,

they are good eating. Just should tear the skin off rather than filleting them. FISHING IN JANUARY This month the tuna numbers and sizes will keep increasing, so they will be a great target. The kingies should still be hanging around too. You can catch them around the bommies on trolled topwater lures or cast stickbaits in natural colours. The kingies are feeding on herring, so you ideally want a colour that’s similar to that. Finally, working with the winds is the trick at this time of year. If you’re fishing from a boat, plan your trip so that you’ll head home with the wind at your back. • Established in 1986, Southern Sports and Tackle specializes in the supply and servicing of fishing equipment. They have an extensive knowledge of the local area and provide all brands, whether you’re fishing from beach, jetty or boat. Come and chat to the friendly staff at Shop 16, The Boulevard, Esperance or phone 08 9071 3022.

Warm water fires up the fishing BUNBURY

Whiteys Tackle and Camping

The warmer weather, especially the warmer water, has certainly fired things up! The local Leschenault estuary is full of yellowfin whiting, these magnificent fish can be targeted with bait (usually bloodworms) rigged with a simple long shank hook and small running sinker or with lures. Targeting whiting on lures is a great option as they hit a variety of lures from vibes and plastics to surface lures and flies. The local beaches are producing plenty of

Diving for crabs.

This elusive mulloway was caught on plastic in the Collie River. 110

JANUARY 2023

chopper tailor to around 35cm. Using a mulie on a set of ganged hooks or casting a metal slice on sunset is a sure-fire way to get amongst them. We have had some cracking reports of mulloway around the 10-15kg mark. If you’re wanting to target these elusive fish you’ll need a nice gutter to cast into, a well presented bait (fresh is best) and lastly…patience! The local divers have been getting their fair share of crays. The guys who are a little keener diving the 25-30m patches have been getting great bags of jumbo crays. There are plenty of smaller crays in the shallower regions, along with some

These tasty whiting were caught on surface lures. King George whiting. The blue manna crabs have been on fire with the catch being split fairly evenly between the scoopers and crew dropping nets out of the tinnies. On the slower days, the shallow waters right on the drop offs seem to hold more and better size crabs so don’t be scared to get your nets into the 0.5-1m depths to see results. Last year the people willing to get their feet wet and wander around the flats

were getting exceptional results with numbers easy to come by, especially in the afternoons when coinciding with the high tides. When selecting your bait options, keep in mind the dolphins and stingrays will show preference to fish-type bait. When dropping pots shallow, try mullet or mulies, and when setting deeper, spleen seems to keep the To page 115

South Coast

Whiting are warming up AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

Before we knew it spring had come and gone with the first glimpses of summer showing through with a succession of distinctly warmer days. It reminded us that the Christmas

the jetties or down on the beaches. They love glass shrimps and cockles, but the most exciting way to catch them in my opinion is by surface popping small lures on light lines using polarised lens sunglasses during the bright summer days. After the rains of spring dry up and the river levels

species. It is not unusual to observe schools of hundreds of fish swimming furiously through deep narrow channels and out onto the sand flats that are only covered by 20cm deep water. This is where the excitement of sight fishing really takes hold. Any fish that whacks the lure is an adrenalin rush

advantage of the generous bag limits. On multiple occasions people have been witnessed not only taking a full allocation but taking their catch to their home before bagging out again in contravention of the regulations. These greedy behaviours are from a previous generation of fishing and have no place in this day and age. Don’t be afraid to report illegal actions to the Department of Fisheries as we all lose if bag limits are reduced further or as with demersal fishing, massive closures are proposed. With a demersal fishing ban in place of an indeterminate length it has meant that ocean fishing has consisted mainly of sand whiting chasing across the sandy bottom of Flinders and Hamelin Bays with only a

The author bagged a nice catch of King George whiting in the Hardy Inlet in a kayak.

The old Town Jetty is a prime yellowfin whiting spot, day or night, and a pretty good view as well. holidays were imminent and with that the sudden influx of holiday-makers that keep the town alive. The warmer weather also signals the run of yellowfin whiting as they travel down the Hardy Inlet and out into Flinders Bay feeding ravenously along the way. It is not unusual to bag out on them while fishing at From page 114

undesirables at bay. Even though their numbers are through the roof, remember to stick to bag and size limits and only take what you need to ensure the crab population for the future.

drop it creates some excellent shallow flats throughout the system where it is possible to target the schools of passing whiting from small watercraft or walking the shallow flats. Anywhere from The Sticks through the Deadwater and out of the cut at Colourpatch, provides the perfect environment for targeting this delicious • Get out there and enjoy the sunshine and if you’re having any issues with your gear or techniques or just need some advice come in and see the boys at Whiteys Tackle and Camping they have a wealth of local knowledge that they are always happy to share.

but with plenty of 30cm+ whiting around the action can be absolutely hectic. If you are more into sedate fishing experiences; jetty fishing at night is probably more up your alley. Yellowfin whiting are just as active during the night as they are during the day but the technique is a bit simpler. Most people will use a small scoop net to catch glass shrimps around the rocks and reeds feeding a few of them on a small

Early morning at the Turner Street Jetty bodes well for a great day fishing in the Hardy Inlet.

Rock fishing for late spring skippy often results in a feed of fish around this size.

Grant Teede knows how to tempt a whiting.

sized long shank hook. These wriggling critters are cast out and the line slowly retrieved to be smashed by a frenzy of fish fighting over who will win out. Unfortunately, the fact that they are in such good numbers has created the situation where people take

few other boaties out chasing yellowtail kingfish or samsonfish by trolling lures around the rocky outcrops, reef and the islands. Catch reports have been scarce with most people using the time to do boat maintenance or land-based fishing. Black bream are again

on the move showing up right down the inlet into the Deadwater, Ellis Street Jetty and East Augusta. Plenty of legal sized fish can be found mooching around the shallows from town all the way up to the brackish water of Alexandra Bridge. They are not too fussy with what they eat either with fish caught on soft plastics, hard bodied lures, prawns and chicken pieces. It pays to move around if boat fishing as some areas seem to be inundated with small juveniles that become annoying bait thieves. Beach fishers had some really good weather to wet a line, especially after a few days of rough seas where the fish seem to become hungrier. Plenty of sand whiting have been caught on all the beaches with large herring and skippy also making an appearance. Best baits have been squid strips, river prawns and cockles. Rock fishing suffered from having lots of rain and wind around but when the

calm days arrived there was no shortage of fish to be had. Herring, skippy and King George whiting continued to make their presence felt. Horseshoe leatherjackets continue to steal baits but if you work them out and catch a couple, they make an excellent meal. Berley the fish for a while and it will pay off in a much better catch. • Rock fishing is dangerous at times and careful consideration of where and when you fish must be done. 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 in the centre of town. JANUARY 2023

111

West Coast

The FADs add great action METRO

Jacob Crispe

With the holidays well and truly in full swing, many people fishing in our local waterways will

a line in the Swan River. As mentioned in the last couple of reports, flathead will be one of the key target species, with the various flats of the Swan River holding plenty of this very popular target species. All manner of

Daniel Pardini’s smile says it all after producing this lovely beach mulloway. This capture really shows that perseverance pays off. Photo courtesy of Nolan Unwin. grunter, which can be caught in the river. They are not an overly large fish but are very aggressive and hunt in packs. They can be caught using small poppers and stickbaits and are a great option for both the big and little kids in the household to go and target. Schools of these fish resemble a dark cloud in shallow water areas of the river. They can change the fortune of your fishing session at times and I am happy to admit that I am one of those big kids that loves fishing for them. ROCK WALLS AND BEACHES During the holidays our rock walls can see a lot more angling activity, so be mindful

Max Samson and Lleyton Palmer with a pair of hapuka that couldn’t resist the Ocean’s Legacy jigs! of other anglers fishing in the same location. Like the river, you have a smorgasbord of fishing target species on

When it comes to picking the biggest fish from the pack, Max Samson never misses. Here he is with an absolute trophy mahimahi. be families enjoying some time in, on or around the water. It is a great time of the year and a great time to be fishing around the Perth metro area.

Madeline Close with a lovely pink snapper she caught while out fishing with her dad James.

methods and lures will work, the key is to fish each area thoroughly, as they are likely to be anywhere on any given shallow piece of water. Giant herring have become

Our beaches will also be popular locations, although fishing may not be the main appeal. Low light periods will offer the best fishing, as beach activities will be lower and anglers will be able to focus on the most productive gutters and likely locations where the fish will be feeding. Whiting, tailor and mulloway will be your main target species with the occasional dart being caught. Dart are not a regular capture in our waters (they tend to be caught south of Perth), but it is not unusual to get the odd one during January and February. INSHORE The snapper closure in Cockburn Sound remains in place so snapper fishing in the sound remains off limits, but there are still plenty of other options that come into play. King George whiting, squid,

Is there anything this young gun Max Samson can’t do? Here’s an excellent example of a Swan River mulloway caught using live baits.

James Close is no stranger when it comes to catching excellent dhufish. He caught this one from 30m of water using strip baits of fresh squid. SWAN RIVER The fishing throughout the Swan system has been excellent. There are fishing options available from the top to the bottom of the water column. Your key target species will be bream, flathead, mulloway, tailor, yellowfin whiting, giant herring, and blue manor crabs. Yes, it is a long list, but as I have said it is a great time of the year to wet 112

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the other species hitting the fishing headlines. Once a hush-hush subject (much like the mulloway when I started writing these reports), more regular captures have resulted in a bit more information getting out there. They are a crazy good sports fish and well worth the effort to find and figure out in the Swan. Something I don’t believe I have ever mentioned in this report is the yellowtail

Peter Zahradkas has been getting into plenty of flounder in the flats!

The ZMan strikes again! Peter Zahradka with an absolutely beast of a Swan River flathead caught casting hardbodies on the flats.

offer from tailor, King George whiting and skippy to the abundant herring and squid that are around in January. I always talk about the importance of berley when fishing our rock walls, well when the fishing pressure is higher it becomes even more important!

crabs and tailor just to name a few. Areas like Windmills and Five Fathom Bank are always worth a look and consistently produce good fishing. One of the most popular pastimes at this time of the year is trolling for tailor. This To page 117

West Coast

New Year potential MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

This month we welcome a new year, with many new possibilities and memories to make too. Who knows where the year will take us, though you can be assured that this month will be a cracker for those out casting a line in hopes of landing a few fish.

Small cubes of pilchard will work well, although tailor tend to prefer a full pilchard rigged on a 3 way swivel with a spoon or star sinker and gang hook setup. The estuary is currently teeming with life, with crabs, whiting, tailor and herring all being the best option for the light estuary anglers. If using lightly weighted baits, the channel edges or drop offs

There’s nothing like a thud when fishing soft plastics. Ben Paull from Mandurah Fishing Community knows this all too well with a beautiful pink snapper falling victim on soft plastic. Mandurah generally has some great warm water fishing, whether it’s up one of the river systems, from the boat, beach or rocks, which ultimately means there is something for everyone when it comes to fishing in January. Fishing from the rocks or from one of the surrounding platforms is a great option if you have children with you or are just after some consistent fun with breadand-butter species. If you are lucky or persistent in fishing these areas, you will also come across some great sized skipjack trevally as by-catch, with tailor and resident salmon trout likely to be around too.

are ideal and will produce a mixed variety of fish. If you are an angler that likes to use lures such as metals, diving minnows or surface lures, you will generally want to target the flats. An ideal option when flat fishing is to find smaller channels or some sandy bottom with weed beds nearby and you will generally find that the bait seek refuge here with larger more predatory fish close by. Up in the river systems there are reports coming through that bait schools are surfacing throughout, making both rivers viable fishing territory from top to bottom. Fishing schooling bait will generally yield results, although most river anglers will have stories of finding good results in fishing less obvious, secluded areas and quite often landing better quality fish. Mulloway, bream, grunter and tarwhine are all likely catches when fishing the timber or surrounding areas. Summer is a great time to be out on the boat letting the

surrounding water cut through the heat. Although you will find heading out to fish at first or last light will be a

mackerel, mahinahi and the odd tuna also ready to be trolled up or cast to. Warm water generally inspires local

Skippy on micro jig? Corey is definitely a machine when it comes to targeting fish in unorthodox ways.

River mulloway are abundant in this smaller size. However, you will come across bigger models that make quick work of light line in and around the timber.

From page 116

can be done using lures or ganged mullies. The key is to find areas of broken water/white water and troll slowly beside them. If the tailor are there, the action can come fast and hot. The odd kingfish can be around these schools of tailor too, which can be a nice surprize. The red rush will also continue through January. Many anglers will be taking the opportunity to get out and catch a few lobsters. Success comes from

Metals are a great way of covering ground and presenting moving enticement to hungry predators, like tailor. Check out @Tidal_blues on Instagram to see more of what these local legends get up to.

better option, when faced with some of the hottest days we will experience all year. Anglers will find that there is a great variety on offer, with crayfish still on the menu, pelagic finfish. like Spanish

fishers to target some of the more elusive pelagic fish as they are only about for a limited amount of time, but there are still great numbers of the usual demersal species around and there for

our tuna species. Live baits are by far the best option to target these fish. Getting a live well full

While heading out always keep your eyes peeled for any signs of birds. Most likely they will be letting you know

A great swag of blue manna crabs caught in the Swan by Ian Moyle and company.

A great photo of a Swan River tailor that took a metal lure cast by Dom Magoo.

knowing the depths the run is occurring. Your local tackle store can be a great source of information regarding this. OFFSHORE With the FADS now in place, many of our offshore anglers will focus on fishing around them. This is no real surprize as their presence attracts all manner of species, like mahimahi (dolphin fish), Spanish mackerel, trophy sized wahoo and all three of

Ayden Zahradkas is stepping up to the plate and providing his house with some lovely calamari. of fresh baits from the bait grounds before heading out wide means an early start is almost a must.

that tuna are present in the area. If you do see signs of tuna being present, trolling can be a great option to

the taking. Beach fishing is well worth the crack during the summer, as we are typically free from unfishable amounts of seaweed and the larger swells that the colder months are known for. Tailor are the number one pick for anglers fishing from the beach, with an abundance of fish passing through just about every stretch along our town around first or last light. Although fishing in the middle of the day will definitely yield results, fishing a light change will be most pleasurable for anglers whilst also allowing you to put your bait in the face of fish when they are most hungry. Aside from tailor, anglers will find plenty of herring, whiting and tarwhine getting around if you are purely after some fun. For the more serious angler, there are some truly cracking mulloway, so be sure to spend some time fishing fresh baits around different gutters and also take note of the conditions you are fishing in. catch them. It can be super frustrating too, as fish that are present one minute can disappear the next. The best skippers have a great knack of sneaking up on these fish, skirting the edge of the schools, almost keeping the fish in the dark until they see your lure. It takes a bit of practice, but the results make it all worthwhile. A quick tip, trolling through the middle of a school is unlikely to catch you a fish. As ever, good deep drop fishing is available. Settled weather patterns can be few and far between but when they do occur, fishing our deep water (300-500m) offers a great return of some of the best eating fish in our waters. Overall January is another bumper month of fishing in our Perth metro waters. I hope everyone enjoys some time, in, on or around the water in January and I will catch you next month. JANUARY 2023

113

West Coast

Plenty of beach encounters LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

January can be a difficult time to catch a decent sized fish off the beach. My recommendation would be to roll out the wire trace. It is a sharky time of year and there is usually plenty of small whalers at perfect eating size around a metre or so in length. Most of the sharks are accidentally caught by beach casters around sunset to early evening taking baits intended for tailor. Use of berley increases the chance of a shark encounter and having a wire trace will certainly reduce the number of bite offs. With the summer run tailor in full swing, the size of the fish is down, although numbers will be up along with plenty of

Sambos are on the lumps out from the 25m depths, this one fell to the Black Magic knife jig in pilchard.

Chris recently caught several great eater size whalers in a session at Didie Bay. potential by-catch herring, flathead and dart. Fishing smaller pilchards on 3/0 gang hooks helps gather a good mixed bag. It’s time for that typical ‘fish a cast’ hot tailor bite. The secret to get the bite on and keep it going is momentum. Fish with two or three mates and keep the casts of fresh pilchards going in to keep the fish in a frenzy. If you stop casting for a break, the fish are likely to move on down the beach to the next group of fishers. Not a lot of people specifically target flathead around Lancelin, although on the right day some great sessions can be had. Flathead are a superb eating fish and a great sport fish aggressively taking artificial presentations. They can be caught well offshore to only a few centimetres of water, and 114

JANUARY 2023

the techniques must be varied to suit location. The bays’ shallows offer the best environment to chase flathead on artificial lures. I can’t think of too many lure types that don’t work on flathead, although vibes or soft plastic jigs are the easiest to keep in the strike zone near the bottom. Work lures around broken ground, weed or reef to sand edges and drop offs. January also sees some good size fish on the whiting grounds 18-23m, the bonus being you can lazy drift flathead baits in the rod holder while filling a bucket with tasty sandies. Rig the small live sand whiting above a suitable size ball sinker keeping the bait in contact with the bottom, just leave the rod in the holder until a fish hits. Mackerel numbers

Deklan Seitz, one of Lancelin’s young gun anglers, landed this cracker 15kg yellowfin – a great catch out of the tinny.

Pink snapper off the beach, when will we be able to do it again? Jason hooked up on this one during the ban and snapped a quick picture between removing the hook and putting the fish back in the sea.

Dr Hook Long Tom lures cast a mile and are well suited to getting out to those near shore reef breaks to find the larger tailor.

increase this month, it’s a little early in the season as the water needs to warm a bit more for them to be aggressively feeding. It’s best to concentrate any trolling around the peak

times of first and last light of the day around the new moon. Otherwise look for places the mackerel will be looking for an easy meal. Schools of small To page 119

West Coast

Beaches will produce KALBARRI

Stephen Wiseman

The winds are well and truly in but there are plenty of fish to be found up river and off the beaches around town. In the bay at the back of Oyster Reef is a good place to pick up a feed of whiting. With the low tides, wait until the rise and fish the full tide with plenty of clear water flowing in. Bream have been active all around the Pens but the bigger fish are further up river around the snag areas. Old trees and reed areas are a good start and can turn up fish to

1kg. My last session only produced a juvenile but shows the upper reaches are holding good numbers of small fry. Occasional mulloway are still to be found of the Sand Spit but you have to put in the hours for the rewards, try strips of mullet salted as it will stay on the hooks a lot longer. Beach anglers are having some fun with the tailor run really starting to crank with fish to 700mm+ to be found off Oyster, Chinamans and around to Back Beach. Tailor and mulloway are bitting well at Wittecarra with good catches most mornings for the anglers getting an

early start. The odd catches of skippy and dart have turned up around the beaches and close in shore for those in boats. Boat fishos have had a struggle to find pelagics but reports of yellowfin tuna out from Natural Bridge have got a few excited, including yours truly! Now I’ve got to get rid of the redbacks. Those setting pots out the front of the river are getting a feed of nice sized crays, but no whites have shown up. With warmer waters, the macks won’t be far away and I hope to have one before next issue.

The upper reaches of the river are holding good numbers of small bream.

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tuna or bonito will often be shadowed by mackerel looking to pick off strays. Dead slow troll or drift one as a live bait around the outskirts of the school is probably the best way to entice an early season mack. Tuna season has been a cracker with fish lot bigger than we usually expect to see locally. The schools can be found more densely at certain depth ranges where current lines hold bait schools of small sardines or whitebait. Look for the weed that indicates where these current lines converge. Sometimes the schools will be in close behind the white bank, also often this time of year the tuna become more prolific

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out from the 30m depth. Skippy and samsonfish school on the heavy ground and lumps in the 25-30m depth ranges. To target them while avoiding demersal species (if the ban is still in place?), firstly pinpoint the schools on the fish finder. Sambos can be discerned as they nearly always curiously swim up towards the boat, send a knife jig or live bait towards the school as they rise. On a good sounder you can watch the lure or bait until it reaches the same depth as the fish before starting to jig. Skippy won’t rise but the school will be obviously seen off the bottom, micro blade jigs sink quickly to get into the school before the boats drifts off and

work the lure a few metres off the bottom. Blue swimmer crabs can be caught drop netting the bays’ shallows. While it’s better to move the lobster pots out wide now the white crays are finishing up, dropping pots for 2-3 day pulls in 20-35m can score some good catches of big male jumbos. Marron season opens 12 noon on 8 January and closes 12 noon on 5 February. Spending a relaxing day or evening on the banks of the Moore River catching a feed a great change of pace from the ocean fishing. Just be sure of the rules they catch people out every year with the complexity of gear restrictions.

Processed properly, by bleeding, gutting, thoroughly washing skin slime off and quickly placing shark trunks on ice will result in top quality fillets.

JANUARY 2023

115

North Coast

Barra, threadfin and mud crabs on the menu DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

Another year of great Pilbara fishing behind us and looking forward to an even better year ahead. Wet season is setting up nicely for 2023 with barra and threadies being caught in many of the

creeks along the coast. Fewer and smaller tropical storms are forecasted for the remainder of the season, which will flush the creek systems and set the region up nicely for plenty of enjoyable camping and fishing throughout the year. Looking back first, the annual Estuary Challenge by King Bay Fishing Club

Local angler Josh Mullen headed out to a local creek working the tides, which resulted in Josh landing two solid barra.

Top and above: Ricky Mclean continues to prove his knowledge of barra fishing in Karratha by landing more healthy specimens.

was held late November with 231 fish caught during the comp from 21 teams and 58 anglers. A total of 12 barra, 111 jacks, 38 salmon, 32 queenies, 3 tripletail and 35 fingermark. The longest barra went 890mm and longest threadie went 980mm. The water temp was still quite cool for the comp, hence the low numbers of barra but still highlights the quality of the fishery in the Karratha region with such a diverse range of species. Most notable information to come out of the comp was the presence of a 2-3m saltwater crocodile in Airport Creek in Nickol Bay that was spotted by various competitors, with one even managing to get a side scan image of it. Crocs very occasionally

visit the waters around Karratha, they have been seen further south with a few confirmed reports over the years, in the Ashburton River for example, further south below Onslow. It is a timely reminder to always be vigilant when around the creek systems and coastline, especially in murky waters or dawn, dusk, or night-time. Airport Creek is only a stone’s throw from the popular swimming beach of Hearsons Cove, where many families head for a swim. A croc of this size could easily be a problem for smaller children. The water temp in the creeks and further offshore has risen considerably since the comp and we are above the prime temp of 29ºC for barra to fire up, and the many catches

that are coming in during December are confirmation of that. Both lures and live baits are working well with the former being the preferred option by most anglers and either trolled or cast have been successful. Threadies have been the predominate species caught when trolling lures throughout the creek systems in Karratha with anglers fishing the larger spring tides having no problem achieving their bag limit of healthy size salmon. Mud crabs have been caught in good numbers and size over the last month with the full moon period being the most productive. Muddies use the moonlight to hunt at night and also the bigger tides soak the mangroves, indicating to muddies it’s time to hunt and use the stronger tidal

movement to travel in easier in search for food. Offshore there is plenty of action to look forward to during January. Spanish mackerel are still being caught and there are some very large GTs pushing anglers beyond their limits. All of the shoals and shallow ledges are holding mackies, queenies and GTs. Bluebone continue to be the dominate demersal species being caught around coastal and island waters off Dampier, Cleaverville and Point Samson, with coral trout not far behind them. Both species have very healthy populations but need to be preserved as there have been both visitors and locals taking undersize fish, which can severely impact the required breeding stocks. Other species such To page 117 (Karratha)

Striking gold over the flats EXMOUTH

Barry Taylor

This month’s report has been supplied by Josh Cheong The fishing in late November/early December was a bit slow. I’m not sure whether it was to do with the tides or weather, but regardless, everything from inshore to offshore was a bit more quiet than usual for that time of year. However, we are now starting to hear more reports of blue marlin after a slow start to the season. We had seen the odd blue and sail being caught earlier in the season, but there were a lot of hours between fish – until now. Inshore there are still a few mackerel around, ranging from approx. 10-20kg, being taken 116

JANUARY 2023

on stickbaits and trolling. Choice lures include bigger floating stickbaits like the Riptide 200 or, if you’re

trolling, shallow or deep diving lures in the 190mm size, such as the Laser Pro or Samaki Pacemaker.

Anglers are still picking up the odd sailfish in the Gulf. We haven’t seen red-hot fishing or

Giant herring have a distinctive scale pattern. @indepthangler_josh.

An idyllic summer’s day. Image courtesy of @indepthangler_josh.

big numbers, but the guys chasing them are coming across a few fish. The sails do seem to be pushing a bit further down into the gulf,

so we should start seeing more coming down to the King Reef area and Cooper Shoal soon. To page 117 (Exmouth)

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as chinaman fish will start to come into the play as we head towards March when they really fire up. Hard to believe we are only 3 months away from the annual blue swimmer crab run. But for those in the know, and those prepared to search around, sized blue swimmer crabs can be found now and the secret is finding deep holes with cooler water at the bottom. Besides a feed of crabs, there are also plenty of oysters growing on the rocks all along the Karratha coastline. Hunt for them on the spring low tides either walking around or even diving for them and pry them off with a large screwdriver. Nothing beats fresh oysters straight from the saltwater. Failing oysters or crabs, try your luck searching the rock pools at low tide for octopus. 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Cnr test Nepean Highway & P: (03)in5448 3988 Ponderosa Place Dromana W: bendigomarine.com.au From page 116 (Exmouth) the more satisfying when as the weather warms up. P: (03) 5987 0900 Hopefully this will have you do land one. A small, Fly fishers have been MELBOURNE happened by the time you lightly-weighed W: softmymarine.com.au plastic catching a few permit lately, BL MARINE read this. is a good option, because and this should continue MORNINGTON 612614 has Plenty Road Prestonthe lack of weight There been some makes PENINSULA through summer. Some GTs quite queenfish it harder for the fish MARINE to are also showing up for the NAUTICAL P: (03) good 9478 1420 action around the throw the hook. 141 Hotham Road guys putting the hours in F: (03) 9470 4638 shorelines. We have been Some nice golden chasing those on the flats. 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JANUARY 2023

117

A month of marron mayhem FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

The unseasonably cool conditions that persisted through spring resulted in trout being active throughout our South West, with some nice size trout coming out of a number of our waters. If these conditions continue then hopefully some good trout fishing will be available in January, which is normally a month that is better suited to redfin in this state. The Pemberton Trout Festival was a success with a large crowd turning up to enjoy the carnival

Silver perch are widespread throughout the South West. This one was caught in a small dam near Perth. a good number of silver perch free swimming near the surface. Trying to fish these locations may draw unwanted attention so tread with caution as (although not stated) I would imagine the local councils wouldn’t approve of fishing, as priority is given to bird wildlife in these areas. MARRON This is the month that this large freshwater crayfish becomes available, as a short season that normally runs from 8

A nice little brown from Harvey Dam. Unfortunately, this water is not fishing as well as previous years. Jesse Higginbottom is the happy angler though! however, redfin have been caught using a variety of methods. This dam is a reasonable marron water but unfortunately the ski

boats can muddy the water to the extent that visibility is an issue. Drakesbrook Weir A few trout have

Wellington Dam has fished well for redfin this year. Lachlan King landed this one while trolling with his dad. atmosphere on the banks of Big Brook Dam. Redfin have also been active with some of the better locations turning up

large specimens. AUSSIE NATIVES Not a lot of reports have come through recently, which is not to say these

iconic species are not being caught. I checked a few metro lakes out on a recent visit to Perth and was surprised to see

One of the many dams that are open to marron fishing in summer. As the sun sets, it’s time to place chicken pellet bait along the shore around 20m apart and then checking them throughout the night.

Australian bass are rarely caught in WA waters, however they are around if you know where to look. 118

JANUARY 2023

January to 8 February is imposed. Most of our irrigation dams and lots of our rivers throughout the South West are home to this tasty critter. You need a marron licence if you choose to participate in this great outdoor activity and strict rules apply, as well as heavy patrols through the short season. DAMS Waroona Dam Not much in the way of trout recently,

PREDICTED DAM LEVELS FOR SW WA Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 72% as of the end of November, which is well down from 81% as of the same time last year. Although they are down from last year, there is enough water to cater for anglers and irrigation needs throughout the hot summer conditions. WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM

70% 87% 79% 85% 74% 83% 98%

been caught in the cool conditions we experienced prior to Christmas. Redfin have been prolific out in the deeper sections of the dam. Logue Brook Dam Heavy ski boat activity would make fishing difficult this time of the year. This water was heavily

open to marron fishing. Wellington Dam A few good reports have come through of some nice trout being caught up around the Hamilton River Junction. Redfin fishing has been constant with some nice size specimens being taken throughout the whole dam.

larger pools. Collie River above Wellington Dam Some nice redfin have been constantly landed around the town of Collie. Collie River below Wellington Dam By far our best cold water fishing, this section holds some nice trout in

A beautiful section of the Collie River below Wellington Dam that offers reasonable summer trout fishing due to cool irrigation water being let out.

Blaine Simpson with a superb brown trout he landed on a recent trip to Bigbrook Dam. stocked with marron so it may be worth a go if you are heading that way. Harvey Dam Not many reports have come through recently, which is sad considering this was our premier freshwater fishing location close to Perth. On the positive side if you are chasing a feed of marron then this is the place to be. Remember this is a snare-only water so no nets of any description are allowed, as is the case on any of the dams that are

Big Brook Dam By far the best water in the state this season. Reports of nice size rainbows and XL class browns being caught on all methods, which is the result of the huge stocking this water received this season. If you want a trout then this is the place to be. RIVERS Murray River No reports coming through with redfin being the only option through summer. This water can produce marron in the

the faster runs. It fishes better in medium flow as it can be too high in peak irrigation conditions. Blackwood River Finally some good reports have come in of some nice size trout being caught in the mid-section between Balingup and Nannup. Warren River Trout are still showing up in the faster sections of the river, however, hooking them can be challenging at times. Redfin have dominated the catches with

nice big plump fish turning up in the pools. This river is a prime marron water so get in early if you want to secure a spot. Lefroy Brook January sees some good dry fly activity on this little stream that meanders its way along a valley next to Pemberton. Stealthy approach is required as the water is low and the fish are easily spooked. Look for less accessible areas away from the heavier fished areas. Donnelly River A few trout have been reported through the midsection and a nice size brown was caught just down from the highway bridge. It may be an idea to pay a visit to Boat Landing if you can get on the water. Although January is not the best time to chase trout in the West it offers a couple more options like redfin and marron fishing. Be aware of snakes around water and a total fire ban applies in most areas. Happy holidays and until next time keep those lines tight!

WA is fortunate to have a healthy population of large freshwater crayfish called marron. There is a short 4-week season and it’s strictly controlled by Fisheries patrols all through the year.

FISHING NEWS

Remembering 50 years of trout stocking Imagine starting a school project which leaves a decades-long legacy benefitting generations of fishers! This is exactly what happened to avid fisher and Pemberton School Headmaster Cyril Allerton Glew. In 1927 Headmaster Glew built a trial hatchery

on the school’s back veranda, filled it with 10,000 trout eggs and later released mature trout into Pemberton’s streams. The hard work of Glew and many other local anglers laid the foundations for the Pemberton Freshwater Research Centre, which is celebrating 50 years of scientific innovation this year. If you have ever caught a rainbow or brown trout in WA’s southwest, chances are your catch started out as a young, healthy fry at the Pemberton Freshwater Research Centre. The centre now produces 200,000 trout for stocking into southwest rivers and dams annually, boosting tourism in the southwest by an estimated $20 million. Today, the largest

freshwater hatchery and research facility in Western Australia is home to a dedicated scientific and technical team. The hatchery focuses on trout production and stocking for recreational fishing in the southwest, as well as supplying trout fingerlings for commercial aquaculture ventures. To find out more about the Centre’s interesting history, check out the new

e-book titled ‘A brief history of the Pemberton Trout Hatchery’, which can be found at www.fish.wa.gov.

au. You can also see a video of the hatchery in action on the Fisheries WA Facebook page. – Fisheries WA JANUARY 2023

119

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Fishing Monthly Magazine | January 2023

Articles inside

Boat Test: Edencraft 6m Offshore

Freshwater

Exmouth

Karratha

Mandurah

Lancelin

Kalbarri

Metro

Augusta

Tournaments

Victorian Angler Diaries

Hobart

Offshore

Eildon

Crater Lakes

Ballarat

Bendigo

Wangaratta

Gippsland Lakes

Phillip Island

Port Phillip East

Port Phillip West

New England Rivers

Canberra

Hunter Valley

Batlow

Albany/Wodonga

Batemans Bay

Illawarra

Central Coast

Port Stephens

Swansea

Coffs Coast

Forster

Sydney South

Testing Booth: Tackle Tactics

Freshwater

Cape York

Mackay

Cooktown

Kayak: Budds Beach

Sheik of the Creek

Bundaberg

Noosa

Southern Bay

REGULAR FEATURES What’s luck got to do with it?

Jumpinpin

Starlo: snapper on plastics

QUEENSLAND The Tweed

Brisbane

Northern Bay