Fishing Monthly Magazine | January 2024

• JACKS, COD AND SO MUCH MORE • TACKLE SPOTLIGHT

Sean Thompson brings us Weighing it all up: Matching tackle to targets QLD

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TAS

WA

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Features

Weighing it all up • Starlo: Bream refresher • A beginner’s guide to NQ jacks • Testing Booth: Maui Jim range •

January, 2024

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Our Cover

Contents

From the Editor’s Desk...

Firstly, I’d like to stick my hand up and say that this month’s magazine had very little help from me – it was the team back in Brisbane that got the job done. Between representing AFTA at Parliament House in Queensland through to the running of the 2023 BARRA Tour, there’s been very few days in the air-conditioned office for me.

Thank you for getting everything done so professionally, team!

And the news from the home of public servants? Gill nets are nearly gone from the Great Barrier Reef marine park as you’re reading this. It’s

barra closed season at the moment, and by the time it opens nearly all of the N symbols that allow gill netting will have been bought back.

A few may have transitioned to a short term transition licence, but even those will be gone by 2027.

At the time of printing, every impoundment barra fisho in Australia is watching what happens with a cyclone off the Queensland coast. If it makes some of the barra lakes overrun, there will be losses of trophy fish over the dam walls.

While terrible news for the lakes, at least the surviving fish won’t be

encountering the walls of death when they enter the estuaries. Hopefully, there’ll be no repeat of the ‘black tailed barra’ glut of Gladstone that happened after the 2013 lake overspill.

Time will tell.

And BARRA Tour 2023? Record numbers of teams from as far away as Canada competed and caught the heck out of the fish. Nearly 1,500 bed nights were added to the local economies and all fish were released to catch another day!

Wherever you are in Australia, stay safe and enjoy your summer break.

INSIDE This Issue

QLD NSW

VIC

TAS

WA

FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE Published by:

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Qld Fishing Monthly Pty Ltd ABN 72-010-542-195

The Tweed

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Hunter Valley

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Esperance

98

Gold Coast

20

Batlow

74

Brisbane

24

Albury/Wodonga

73

Northern Bay

26

Canberra

76

Noosa

30

Bundaberg

34

VICTORIA

Mackay

36

Townsville

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Portland

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Hinchinbrook

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Warrnambool

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43

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98 99 100 101 102 103 105 104 106

Cairns

Cobden

Bunbury Augusta Metro Mandurah Lancelin Kalberri Exmouth Karratha Freshwater

Port Douglas

42

Apollo Bay

78

Cooktown

44

Geelong

80

Freshwater

48

Port Phillip

82

Starlo: Bream refresher

14

Phillip Island

83

Beginners guide to jacks

16

Gippsland Lakes

84

Sheik of the Creek

47

Port Albert

85

Marlo

86

Mallacoota

86

Robinvale

88

NEW SOUTH WALES Sydney Rock

54

Sydney South

56

REGULAR FEATURES Weighing it all up

8

Testing Booth: Maui Jim range

50

What’s New Fishing

53

Fun page

69

Tournaments

108

Tagging Tales

110

Trades and Services

114 115

Ballina

58

Coffs Coast

60

South West Rocks

62

Bendigo

89

Hasting

63

Yarrawonga

88

Port Macquarie

64

Wangaratta

90

Central Coast

65

Shepparton

91

Tide page

Port Stephens

66

Eildon

92

Boat test:

Swansea

66

Ballarat

94

Surtees Game Fisher 700 122

Illawarra

67

Crater Lakes

95

Batemans Bay

68

Gippsland Freshwater

97

Bermagui

70

Tathra

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TASMANIA Hobart

77

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FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED JANUARY 2024

New England Rivers

ISSUE: VOLUME 4 NO. 9

QUEENSLAND

6 JANUARY 2024

Peter Jung with a nice feed of blue swimmer crabs after a family crabbing expedition.

A Peter Jung image.

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FEATURE

Techniques

FMM

Weighing it all up: Matching tackle to targets QUEENSLAND

Sean Thompson

The summer holidays are here again!

This time of year can mean different things to different anglers. This can range from a new cohort of young kids excitedly picking up their first rod and reel to use, casual anglers having their once-a-year fish, or experienced anglers taking a long-awaited fishing trip during their summer break.

Regardless of the experience of the angler, there are several factors which play a part in the success of a fishing session or trip. These factors apply not only over the summer holidays but also any time of year.

I’ve been over a few factors in previous articles in this magazine which

can influence anglers’ success. These include ‘What’s luck got to do with it’ and ‘Best fishing times, tides and moons’.

However, in this article the sole focus is improving your catch rates by making

experience progresses, it pays to have a few different tackle set ups to cover different species and techniques (for targeting those species). This helps you specialise on a range of different species and allows you to have a few set ups on hand (as local fishing regulations allow) for a plan B or C, if plan A fails. However, if you are just starting out, my recommendation is to choose a rod and reel set up that best matches where and how you plan to chase your main target species.

So, let’s get started on how to choose a matching and balanced outfit for your

matched outfit from rod to hooks but as part of that outfit you want a ‘balanced’ rod and reel. A balanced rod and reel is one where you can hold the rod and reel perfectly balanced, or parallel to the ground with just your index finger supporting the weight at an equilibrium point. This point is about an inch or so above the top of the rod grip. The term for this is weighted neutral, which simply means that when casting and retrieving your line on this outfit you are not fighting gravity, which you would be if your reel was too heavy, or vice versa your rod too

Bait casting outfits are a great option to throw lures into tight spots.

Combos are an easy and cost effective way to buy a balanced outfit.

8 JANUARY 2024

sure the ‘weight rating’ of your tackle aligns with the species you are targeting as well as your technique for doing so.

WEIGHT RATINGS By ‘weight rating’, I’m talking about the capacity of your tackle to manage fish of a certain size. This can include everything from the rating (in kilograms) of your rod; the size of your reel; your line rating; sinker weights; swivel and hook sizes or the size and weight of your lures.

When you put these all together, they should be consistently matched.

Over time and as your fishing

Above: This test is an easy way to determine if your rod and reel is ‘balanced’. Main photo: A perfect match of spin reel, long graphite rod, braid and lure landed this tailor. required target species and the locations you aim for fish it.

SELECTING THE RIGHT RODS AND REELS Firstly, you not only want a completely

heavy for your reel.

So how do you go about achieving this right balance then?

For beginners and casual anglers, the rod and reel combo off the shelf can be a

Techniques FEATURE

FMM The first step in choosing a rod is the type of fishing you plan to do. That is, will you be using a spinning reel and if so will it be bait or lure fishing? As a general rule of thumb, bait fishing is best suited to monofilament line and a more flexible tipped fibreglass rod. For lure fishing with a spinning reel, you are better off using braided line (for reasons outlined further below) and thus a graphite rod for more sensitivity.

On the other hand, if you are a more experienced angler you might choose a baitcasting or overhead rod to match with a similar reel. Baitcasting outfits are great for throwing lures into tight spots with accuracy, while bigger overhead reels are designed for either trolling for pelagics, jigging lures or bait fishing deep water for big, hard fighting fish.

Another variation to rod choice is how far up the rod the reel seat is

Trolling deep diving lures on thin diameter braid will get lures down deeper to fish like this bass caught in 26 feet of water. good option. A number of manufacturers offer rod and reel combinations in which they’ve done all the hard work for you.

These are usually well balanced and also priced at a discount over purchasing the two items separately.

The alternative is selecting your rod and reel individually and balancing them up. To do this you should first select the right rod then match it up with a suitably sized reel. Over time, you will

learn what size reels match with what size rods, though be aware reel manufacturers keep using lighter yet stronger components so keep that in mind when balancing your outfit.

SELECTING A ROD Fishing rods are classified according to fishing style (i.e. the type of reel used with them), what material they are made with, their length, casting weight and line rating.

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FEATURE

Techniques

FMM FIG.1 TABLE OF MATCHED OUTFITS AND TARGET SPECIES

Target Tailor Tailor Whiting Winter whiting Flathead Flathead Bass School Mackerel Snapper Snapper

Fishing Style Surf bait Surf spinning Light surf/estuary Moreton Bay Bait Flats lure Deep water jigging Trolling hardbody Trolling 3” spoons Bait fishing Trolling hardbody

lake, with 10’+ rods more suitable off the beach.

In addition, rods are rated in terms of the most suitable line and weights (lures or sinkers/baits) they can cast. The line weight ratings give an indication of the ideal line weight to use to use on that rod, with smaller ratings (e.g. 2-4kg) for smaller fish like whiting and bream, while heavier line rate weightings are meant for bigger fish e.g. 24kg rods for light game

Kids combos are a great introduction to fishing with lots of bright colours and options.

10 JANUARY 2024

Rod 13”6 fibreglass, 6-10kg 12” graphite, 6-10kg 10”6 fibreglass, 2-4kg 7”6 fibreglass, 2-4kg 7-7’6 graphite 2-4kg 6’6-7’ graphite, 5-7kg 7’ graphite, 2-4kg 6’6-7’ fibreglass, 15kg 7-7”6 graphite 5-10kg 7-7”6 graphite 5-10kg

Reel Alvey 65S or Rockhopper 65 5000 spin Alvey 55 or 2500-3000 spin Alvey 50 series or 2000 spin 1000-2500 spin 3000-4000 spin 2000-2500 spin TR200 or Speedmaster 12 4000-5000 baitrunner 4000-5000 spin

Look closely at the reel box to check if it will be suitable for the rod, line and fish (drag in kgs) you are chasing. fishing or big reef fish. Casting weight on the other hand gives an indication of the weight of the sinkers or lures you can cast.

You need to make sure that with the size of the bait or lures you intend to throw, that the rod you choose is capable of throwing that weight effectively. More on this later.

SELECTING A REEL Reels on the other hand are generally rated in the ‘thousands’ for spinning reels starting at 1000 size reels for finesse fishing for bream and whiting up to around 20-30,000 for huge, hard fighting fish like kingfish, amberjack and so on.

However, making things more confusing most baitcasting reels come in sizes ranging from 100-400 while some manufacturers give their sizes between 10 and 40. Overhead reel sizes are more confusing again with about 3 different size ratings.

Basically though, the smaller the first number in the size rating the smaller the

Main Line 20lb mono 20lb mono 6lb mono 6lb mono 6lb braid 10lb braid 6lb 30lb mono 15lb 15lb braid

reel. All reel boxes and spools will also have some recommended line size and capacity as well. But if you are in any doubt at all speak to a tackle salesperson.

To make things a little bit easier I’ve put together a table of my rod, reel and line weight and size choices for a small selection of my target species (see Fig.1).

LINE WEIGHTS AND CHOICES Once you have chosen your rod and reel, your line weight rating should be much simpler. I will get to line size shortly, but first, let’s consider your choices in line type i.e. whether you use braid, monofilament line or fluorocarbon line.

Monofilament line is generally a clear nylon line that is best suited to bait fishing

Fluorocarbon leader 30lb 20lb 6lb 8lb double dropper rig 10-12lb 16-20lb 8lb 40lb 20lb 20lb due to the fact it stretches more than braid. This gives the fish the ability to pick up a bait and ‘run’ before feeling the resistance of the rod. It can also result in fewer pulled hooks. Another advantage is it is very buoyant, which is great for float fishing or top water lures.

Braid on the other hand comes into its own where you want sensitivity and distance. With braid you get a much thinner diameter line meaning you can fit more on the spool, and have improved casting distance. The best feature though is its lack of stretch, which is great for lure fishing – to feel subtle bites transferred up through the rod or even see the impact of the smallest strand of weed dulling

Alvey reels are better suited to long rods with short butts.

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FEATURE

Techniques

FMM

the movement on your rod tip when you are trolling lures. Braid also is good for deep water fishing, making it much easier to feel bites compared to the stretch and greater impact of current on monofilament lines.

Fluorocarbon lines on the other hand provide other advantages to the angler and are regularly used as a trace in

Slide baiting for bigger toothy critters requires a specialised rod and reel outfit.

A 7’ light 2-4kg whiting rod, approx 2000 size reel and 6lb line accounted for these winter whiting. conjunction with either monofilament or braided lines. Fluorocarbon line has nearly an identical refractive index (the degree at which light bends as it passes through a substance) as water which makes it more difficult for fish to see. Other advantages are it is made of denser material and so sinks more making it a good option for fishing the bottom. It is also more abrasion resistant than mono an advantage in rough terrain.

Once you’ve established your best type of line to use, you need to consider the weight rating of your line. As noted above this line strength should match up to the rod and reel you are choosing with line ratings marked on both rods and reels (in terms of line capacity of usual line).

Be aware though that not all lines are of equal quality and hence you will see price differences. For example, I tend to avoid cheap monofilament lines that retain memory (leading to knots) and that have a much thicker diameter than lines of an equal size.

Quality thin yet strong lines have huge advantages in casting distance, less susceptibility to current and sweep, you can fit more on a spool and they will let your lure dive deeper when trolling or casting hardbodies.

Take a look at the diameter of the line you are buying vs alternatives before you buy it.

About the only situation where I will choose abrasion resistance over thinner diameter in the same weight range is in rough environments like the rocks, where high abrasion resistance is required.

12 JANUARY 2024

SINKER, SWIVEL AND HOOK CHOICES Sinkers Obviously when it comes to choosing tackle weights, your choice of sinker (if bait fishing) is critical at the business end of your line. Too heavy and your bait will look unnaturally anchored and the fish will feel a lot of resistance when they pick up your bait. However, too light in a fast current and your bait won’t get to the bottom when you want it too.

Once again, it’s a case of horses for courses. There is no one correct weight for all your fishing. You need a bunch of sinker sizes if you plan to fish a variety of environments and to allow for changes in current or sweep speed particularly during the middle stages of the tide.

Probably the most important rule though is go with the smallest, lightest sinker you can get away with. And in some cases, eg. off a jetty at a change of tide or if float-lining for snapper around a tide change – no sinker at all can be a very productive option!

Swivels Swivel sizes are another area where anglers can make mistakes when it comes to sizing. Swivels are a key part of most rigs to avoid line twist and to separate the sinker from the hook. You basically want to match up your line weight rating with your swivel size. Common sizes

Match light braid (4-10lb) with light or thin gauge jigheads for better hook ups in the shallows.

generally range from size 14 (suitable for monofilament line of 8lb or lighter) to size 1/0 (suited to monofilament line of 100-110lb) but they do go up to around size 12/0 for sharks.

fish require extra strength or thicker gauge hooks, while for smaller fish like summer whiting in the shallows, go for thin gauge hooks to keep the weight of the hook as light as possible in your bait.

LURE WEIGHTS These days lures come in a variety of types, shapes and sizes. As noted earlier, rods have an ideal weight rating in terms of the sinker and bait or lure weight they can ideally cast. Light rods won’t have the power to throw your lure very far while too heavy of a rod is also ineffective, as it won’t load properly and your cast will come up short. Pay attention to the weight rating on the rod and use lures that fall into the approved range.

The final consideration is the size and gauge of your hooks. Fortunately, most hardbody lures come with reasonable quality hooks of a suitable size these days with the only consideration maybe replacing trebles for single hooks when lure casting for fish that like to jump skyward to try and throw your hooks,

Line packaging shows the amount of line, weight rating and diameter of the line.

One word of warning though. Avoid silver swivels and go for black swivels, particularly when fishing for sharped teeth critters like tailor or mackerel as they are known to bite silver swivels off due to their enticingly flash.

Hooks Hooks sizes are another area where it is important to choose the right size to match up to the other tackle you are using, and of course the bait size.

Common hook sizing, like swivel sizing, goes in reverse number order as the size of the hook increases up to size 1. That is tiny bait hooks start from around size 14 (or even smaller for fly hooks) to size 1. From there, they go up in size but add a slash (/o) after their number. For instance from size 1/0 to 20/0.

There are all sorts of different hooks for different baits and that topic is too broad to cover here. But basically you want a hook relative in size to the line you are using and species you are targeting. That is, don’t use big hooks to target small fish.

One other thing to consider in hook selection is the thickness of the gauge of the hook. Hooks of similar sizes can have different gauge thicknesses or strengths – usually based on the fish you are chasing. Tough, hard fighting

e.g. tailor and salmon. Just like bait hooks though, jigheads for soft plastics should also be matched up to the type of fish and line you are using. Use light gauge jigheads with light braid for fish like flathead and bream, but heavy gauge

The author’s Alvey reel whiting rigs with light fluorocarbon trace, light sinkers and thin gauge hooks. hooks for bigger, tougher adversaries like snapper and mangrove jack.

So that’s it. A summary for beginners to intermediate anglers about how you can have more success with your fishing by matching and balancing up your tackle from the rods and reels right down to your hooks. Until next time, and for more tips and reports, please feel free to follow me on my Facebook and other social media pages, Ontour Fishing Australia.

FMM

BACK TO BASICS

A bream-on-lures refresher course NSW SOUTH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Catching bream on lures is incredibly popular, but many fishers still struggle to do it with any consistency. However, if you follow these five simple tips, you’ll fast track your honours degree in bream-ology!

They don’t grow to the size of a tuna, jump like a barra, taste as delectable as

freshwater at times. Chasing them with lures has become one of the fastest growing sectors of our sport, spawning vibrant tournament circuits and driving hot-house developments in tackle, techniques, boats and electronics. Part of the reason for all this interest is the fact that bream are rarely push-overs.

Catching them consistently on lures can be challenging, and demands the application of some artistry and cunning on the part of anglers. Here are five key steps that are

Consistently catching bream on lures is no pushover. Master it and most other styles of lure fishing will seem so much easier – although don’t expect every bream you catch to be this big! a whiting, nor look as spectacular as a freshly caught mahi-mahi, but there’s just something special about the “humble” bream. Few other species have accounted for as much effort, inventiveness, innovation or sheer frustration on the part of keen Aussie anglers across the past couple of decades, especially since the

almost guaranteed to increase your strike rate on these wily fish.

DOWNSIZE While everyone who’s ever wet a line has a story about a crazed zombie bream smacking a massive lure or bait intended for a big flathead or a mulloway, the simple fact is that you’ll catch a lot more bream on hardware over the long run if you’re ‘small minded’ about it! Whether they’re hard or soft, lures that measure between about 40-60mm in overall length tend to have much more appeal to the average bream than even slightly bigger models So, think small!

USE FINESSE To effectively cast and work these small, lightweight lures, you’ll obviously

need to use light, sensitive, ‘finesse’ tackle.

Small spinning or threadline reels are the way to go, spooled with fine lines (braided or monofilament) that carry rated strengths of 1-3kg. Match these reels to light spin rods measuring between 2-2.2m in length. If braided lines are chosen, leaders of fine, clear nylon or fluorocarbon at least as long as rod should be carefully knotted to the braid. Remember: bream are a species that respond particularly well to the application of a little finesse.

BE SNEAKY Few other fish are as flighty and “situation aware” as bream, especially in shallow, clear water. They can put more hallowed species like trout, bonefish and permit to shame in terms of their wariness and propensity to quickly flee in fear at any sudden movement, shadow or sound. Minimise your presence, stay as far from the fish as possible and avoid excessive noise such as rattling anchor chains or tackle boxes dropped on boat floors.

Vary your retrieves: While bream (especially yellowfin and pikeys) will often hit a steadily retrieved lure moving at a medium pace, the black bream of our southern waters is far more likely to respond to a slower, more erratic retrieve with lots of deliberate pauses. Regardless of which species you target, mix up your presentations to find out what’s working best on the day.

14 JANUARY 2024

FISH WHERE THEY LIVE The best lures and finesse tackle and the most cautious and careful approaches won’t hook you any bream if they’re not there to be caught. While prolific in many waters, these fish do move around quite a lot, and they have specific habitat preferences. They love ‘structure’ of almost any sort, and have a particular penchant for oyster leases, pylons, breakwaters, wharves, jetties, boat moorings, fallen trees, boulders and rocky reefs. Seek them in these locations, especially when

Soft plastics revolutionised bream luring, but they are just one weapon in the bream fisher’s arsenal.

Using balanced ‘finesse’ tackle really helps. targeting of these prolific fish with artificial lures became such a popular pursuit.

There are actually half a dozen different species of bream found in our waters, with the yellowfin, southern black and pikey being the most common and widespread varieties. Between them, this trio occupy almost every kilometre of our coastline and near-shore waters, as well as extending well upstream into estuaries and coastal rivers, even entering

Catching bream from a kayak is a tonne of fun!

Small hardbodied lures are spot-on for bream.

these hard structures are licked by some current and have obvious concentrations of food nearby in the form of shellfish, crustaceans and small fish. But always be prepared to move to find fish.

The late Vic McCristal — acknowledged elder statesman and doyen of Australian fishing journalism — once wrote that an angler who could regularly score bream on lures wouldn’t have too much trouble working out any other species. Vic was, as usual, right on the money. Catching bream on lures represents a masters’ degree from university of ultra-finesse fishing.

Once you graduate with honours from this course, everything else may seem almost too easy!

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A beginner’s guide to jacks in North Queensland NORTH QUEENSLAND

Joe Nugent

Renowned for being hard hitters and dirty fighters, mangrove jack are one of the most targeted fish in Australia.

Responding to lures and baits, and inhabiting both salt and freshwater, they have earned their place amongst the Australian fishing community as both a popular sports fish and excellent eating.

mangrove jack are primarily sight feeders and will often use an ambush method, hiding amongst the structure and underwater vegetation in order to hunt their quarry. As such, barramundi, cod and bream are all common by-catch when targeting jacks, particularly in Northern Australia.

There is no open/closed season for mangrove jack in Australia, however it is widely accepted that the summer months are optimal as the warmer

A quality catch from a small creek.

An example of complex natural structure. This area has a combination of fallen timber and mangrove roots in a small isolated creek.

In ideal conditions, they can live up to 40 years and grow to a maximum length of approximately 1.2m, weighing in at over 15kg. However, in most cases a typical jack will be 20-50cm, with fish over 50cm being considered relatively large.

Mangrove jack can be found primarily throughout the Indo-Pacific region and the northern half of Australia. They are a versatile species when it comes to habitat, which may include but is not limited to, mangrove lined creeks and river mouths, artificial canals systems inclusive of rock walls, bridges and pylons, tropical islands and reefs.

They are considered an aggressive predatory fish and feed mainly on other fish and crustations. Unlike other fish that use vibrations to locate prey, 16 JANUARY 2024

water generally increases fish activity.

LAND-BASED FISHING NORTH QUEENSLAND In North Queensland, fishing is a

the summer, the warmer temperatures in the tropics allow this species to be targeted all year round with relatively good results. When targeting jacks in the north several factors must be considered, with location, tides and bait choice being the most crucial.

LOCATIONS AND TIDES Tides play a big part in controlling where fish are and what they are doing.

In the case of fishing for jacks from the shore, they will also dictate where you can access and for how long. The high tide will restrict where you can access, typically leaving you with the options of rock walls, river mouths and mangrove creeks. When fishing the high tide in these areas, near enough might not always be good enough as it is essential to work the lure or bait as close as possible to the

popular hobby as it is home to such a variety of environments that can support a huge range of fish species. Mangrove jack are one of the most abundant and best eating fish for land-based anglers to target. However, likely due to the increased population of jacks in the north, average fish size is significantly smaller than other areas of the state, such as the Sunshine and Gold Coast, with jacks over 50cm very rare.

Unlike other areas of Australia that observe an increase in activity throughout

A little jack prior to release.

Artificial structure, like this rock bar and bridge, provide suitable habitat for mangrove jack.

structure. It is particularly important in this situation, as mangrove jack will sit far back, almost inside the structure waiting for bait to pass.

The low tide is generally where fishing land-based comes at an advantage as you have the ability to walk into areas otherwise inaccessible by boat. Trekking through the mangroves or the now dry creek beds in order to access isolated

Species FEATURE

FMM pockets of water and extremely small creeks will often pay off as during the low tide fish are concentrated in the areas which still contain water. These areas are generally tight and full of snags, mangrove jack along with other ambush predators will be hiding in these pieces of complex

In my experience, fishing more open hard structure, such as rock walls, bridges and pylons tend to necessitate using 60-90mm deep diving jerk baits worked aggressively against the structure. I use 3-4” soft plastics around more complex softer structure like mangrove roots and submerged branches. When rigged weedless they are easier to cast deep into the structure without risk of becoming snagged.

When it comes to using bait, most anglers find success live baiting with mullet or prawns in deep drop offs around river mouths and mangrove creeks.

However, a special concoction of raw chicken marinated overnight in oyster sauce has proven to be highly successful in this situation too.

AFTER THE CATCH Once you have been lucky enough to catch a legal size jack (30-35cm depending on state), it is time to prepare it for the

Barramundi are a common by-catch when targeting mangrove jack.

This tiny creek is full of natural structure and only accessible during the low tide and on foot.

It’s ideal for land-based anglers. structure or in the remaining deep holes waiting for prey.

TRIGGERING A BITE When targeting mangrove jack an angler must decide which lure/bait combination will best suit the situation.

A few of the author’s favourite lures for chasing jacks: soft plastics (left) and an assortment of jerkbaits (right).

table. Like many other species of tropical snapper, mangrove jack have mild flavoured, firm white meat with minimal bones. As such, they are a very versatile table fish and can be prepared using a variety of different methods, including grilling, frying, baking or steaming. Given their size, they are also a popular fish to serve whole, often flavoured with lemon, garlic, assorted herbs and chilli. I prefer to keep it simple with mangrove jack by slicing the fillets into long strips, crumbing and shallow frying for fish tacos/wraps.

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January is a jumble of species THE TWEED

Leon McClymont

Happy New Year, welcome 2024! I hope this year will bring tight lines and full eskies for all fishos.

January provides plenty of fish of all species from kingfish, snapper, Spanish, to flathead and summer whiting, but the rage is all about the summer species of mackerel and other pelagic fish that have moved

Yellowtail kingfish are a great addition to the esky. in and taken residence in the Tweed and surrounding waters for the next 4-5 months.

There are a few techniques to target mackerel.

Slow trolling baits, like bonito, slimy mackerel, garfish or skirted pilchards, are a great way to target them, and using chin weight rigs are a necessity. When slow trolling baits, pre-swimming your bait and adjusting your speed until your bait is moving effectively is the key to success. The last thing you want to be doing is towing a bait that isn’t swimming properly this will waste your time and not ideal for the angler.

Fast trolling hardbodies is another great way to target mackerel and, on some days, it can be more productive than bait. Each lure has its own optimal tow speed but generally 12-16knots is a good speed for most hardbody lures. Anchoring up and setting out baits amongst a berley trail is also a great way to target them. This is a more relaxing way until all hell breaks loose when the reel suddenly starts screaming off.

This technique is optimal for chasing spotted mackerel as well.

Kingfish and cobia are still hanging around the inshore reefs.

They have been mostly taken as 18 JANUARY 2024

by-catch whilst targeting mackerel and snapper.

The last full moon has seen a great snapper and trag bite for the bottom bashers with some bite periods lasting all day. Anglers have been finding the reefies from 30m out to the 80m depth. The FADs have been producing plenty of taco fillers and some big bulls in amongst the mix as of late.

Wahoo, yellowfin and marlin are also at hand on the better days when the water temp is up and is that lovely purple colour. Trolling skirts and hardbodies has been the ticket to the show. The current has been roaring most days so deep dropping out the shelf is not optimal at this time of year. Some anglers have been lucky enough to get the days when the current is chill and allows them to target the deep dwellers of the shelf.

With the soaring price of living, more people are turning to the fishing rod to put food on the table. Most of them aren’t experienced anglers or possibly have never fished before.

So, remember this when fishing our waters and be kind and courteous to other anglers – it can be quite rewarding taking your time to chat to fellow anglers and provide them some helpful tips, or they may even give you some!

If you’re chasing an easy feed that won’t break the wallet, catching your own bait can really make a difference and save some big bucks. Bait is readily available and easy to target in most areas, if you know what you’re looking for.

Pumping yabbies on the sand flats is a great bit of fun, especially for the kiddies. Jigging herring or other small baitfish are another great option, and are also readily available in most zones. Whether you use them live or dead they store well in snap lock or vac seal bags in the freezer.

Beach worms take a little more experience to catch but once you have honed the technique it will get easier

and easier. These little beach worms can produce quite large fish, such as 20kg mulloway. It’s well known that mulloway are a sucker for a beach worm. Just about every species that can be caught from land will eat a beach worm so they are a very versatile bait. Either catching your beach worms and storing them in dry sand for use later that day/night is generally the go. They can live for a couple days in sand but will tend to die after 24-48hrs. For long term preservation soaking your worms in mentholated spirits for a few minutes then allow them to air dry on newspaper for a minute or so then store them in clip lock bags in the freezer. This will preserve the worm and makes them a bit tougher, which is a lot easier to thread over the hook.

The summer whiting are also thick in the Tweed River and surrounding systems this time of year. Yabbies, beach worms or pipies make great

Jake Cleland managed to stick the hooks in this Spanish mackerel on topwater. fish captured. It’s great to see more and more anglers practicing catch and release these days. Artificial structures, such as bridge pylons and jetties drains, are a common place to find them. If you like the natural

The author with a nice tailor taken on a soft plastic in the Tweed River. bait for whiting. Fishing the shallow banks and yabbies flats on high tide can be the most productive.

Mangrove jack have been on fire with great reports of solid

Summer whiting have been plentiful. Kristen Frey got a good haul out of the Tweed River.

habitat, rock bars, drop offs, and snags are the go too, as all these zones will inhabit jacks. Diving lures, plastics and surface lures are a fun way to target them in these zones, and getting your lure right up against the structures or snags will be the most productive casts, as the lure will imitate a fleeing fish heading for protective cover. Live baits are a very common way to target them, but just about any bait (and even steak and chicken) have claimed jacks as they are aggressive feeders and are opportunist scavengers.

Flathead have been plentiful right throughout the Tweed River and surrounds. The numbers of flathead seem to be increasing with most anglers practising catch and release with this species as well. The new max size limit of 70cm will also play in this, as the big breeders are being released now to keep the next gen of little flatties going.

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Game on this January GOLD COAST

David Green

January is generally a good month to chase pelagic gamefish. So far, the season has been slow, with very few marlin encountered and a lot of days are being spent trolling with minimal return. By January, the water should have warmed up and the current should be flowing hard to the south.

There have been plenty of mahimahi up around the FADS in both 36 and 50 fathom reefs. A lot of boats have been chasing them and these areas are commonly crowded. The best way to fish the FADs is to drift with live slimy mackerel on a light leader.

When the fishing pressure is heavy the fish rapidly become quite shy and

The small black marlin season has had a slow start this year.

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difficult to catch. At times mahimahi respond to a berley trail of chopped pilchards. While most of the mahimahi encountered around the FADs are small fish around 3kg, the odd bigger fish up to 15kg commonly turns up in January.

A few wahoo should also start to turn up this month. They are common around the FADs and respond to trolling high speed jet head lures.

I don’t think this season will be a good one for juvenile black marlin.

Few fish were caught off the Central Queensland coast in spring, and the southbound current does not appear to be carrying many marlin. It is still too early to tell, but this is always a very variable fishery. Hopefully, the slightly wider grounds will produce more of the 60-100kg fish that we expect each season.

Out past the continental shelf there should be blue marlin around in numbers this month. There have been plenty of bait and a lot of striped tuna on the wider grounds in recent weeks so the big predators should not be far away. These fish respond to trolled skirted lures and need strong tackle to control. I fish 37kg stand up when using lures. The average blue marlin we encounter is around 140kg and from my 6m boat takes about an hour to get in. The take off after the initial bite from these fish is quite spectacular and they can empty a reel in under a minute if you do not follow them.

There will also be a few striped marlin around in January. These fish can be difficult to hook on lures and switch baiting is the preferred method.

They can be found in closer than blue marlin and both the 36 and 50 fathom line can produce striped marlin.

In closer to shore, both spotted and Spanish mackerel will start to show this month. Berleying with chopped pilchards is an effective way to start

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This pretty mahimahi was caught while trolling. fishing, and both Palm Beach and Mermaid Reef should produce plenty of mackerel in the lead up to the moon.

There will also be a few cobia on the inshore grounds. Live baits and big soft plastics are both effective.

Bottom fishing in January can be tough and is often restricted by current.

Despite this, there have been excellent catches of snapper right through to December, and it is hard to predict whether this will continue into the New Year. I hope we see a turnaround in our offshore fishing as we come into the New Year, as so far it has failed to fire.

ESTUARIES The Gold Coast estuaries in January are generally very noisy and the best fishing tends to be around dawn and into the night when the boat and jet ski traffic is at a minimum.

Flathead numbers tend to drop off this month although it is still possible to target big flathead on the top of the flats at high tide, especially when the tide change is before 9am. There will still be a few decent flathead in the deep channels around the Jumpinpin Bar and the Seaway entrance on the run-in tide. Fishing these areas drifting live baits or large soft plastic jerk shads can be productive for both mulloway, trevally and flathead and, even in the heat of summer, a big tide sees a lot of fish movement into the estuary and there is often a lot of bait in this area.

Mangrove jack should be very common this month. Casting 3-4” paddle-tail plastics along the edges of floating pontoons is a great method, and deep diving hardbodies also work very well. Lucky Craft Pointers are very effective for this type of work. Live baiting around bridges and pontoons works well on a run out tide at night, and some of the mangrove jacks encountered will be close to 60cm in length. Late afternoon storms trigger the jacks into biting well. On the Gold Coast mangrove jack are one species that get more common every year.

Whiting will be biting well this month. With boat traffic and hot days,

the best time to fish is on a run-in tide at night. Blood worms, small soldier crabs and beach worms are all very effective baits. If you prefer to catch whiting on lures, try the floating prawn imitations like the Splash Prawn or Sugapen. Work these lures with a quick retrieve across the shallow flats. A bit of wind that ruffles the surface seems to help. Clear lures work best. When small jelly prawns are around the fish respond well to lures. You will never catch as many as you will on bait, but it is a fun way to fish.

Both mud and sand crabs should be around in numbers this month. It has been an excellent season for sand crabs so far and they are in numbers throughout the Broadwater extending up into the canals. Mullet and whiting frames are effective baits for both sand and mud crabs. Overall, January is a good month to fish the Gold Coast, and hopefully by this month the pelagic season will be in full swing.

This big whiting was caught on a Sugapen.

QLD Southern

FMM

Big bounties in the bay BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

With a New Year upon us, anglers will be keen to get out and get some quality fish under their belt. With the warm weather and higher water temperatures, many species will be on the chew.

Pelagics, such as longtail tuna, school mackerel, cobia, spotted mackerel, mac tuna, bullet tuna and bonito are high possibilities throughout the bay. A broad array of demersal species will be on offer throughout the estuaries, Brisbane River and Moreton Bay. Add to this the high possibility of banana prawns in the Pine and Caboolture Rivers, mud crabs in the rivers and estuaries plus sand crabs (blueswimmer crabs) throughout the bay and you definitely have the ability to locally source a seafood feast.

Let’s look closer at a few of the prime options.

LONGTAIL TUNA With warmer weather comes higher water temperatures and increased baitfish prevalence. This promotes heightened activity from longtail tuna which are often found harassing baitfish on the surface at various locales throughout the bay. Good places to search for longtails and other pelagics include the shipping channel, Middle Bank, Sand Hills, Kianga Channel, Pearl Channel, Rous Channel, Rainbow Channel, Lucinda Bay and the northern side of Peel. However, pelagics can pop up anywhere throughout the bay at any time so keep a look out for surface commotion or birds wheeling overhead.

Longtails can often be rather skittish and you may need to stalk them for some

One spotted mackerel can produce a quality feed, especially specimens over 70cm, which were average for Moreton Bay last year.

24 JANUARY 2024

time before you can get within range for a cast. Observing the manner in which they are traveling then getting ahead of them and cutting the motor may result in them popping up close enough for your cast to reach the mayhem. On occasion, longtails may be easy to approach, often the case when the baitfish schools are denser and they are feeding ravenously. Imitate the bait (especially in profile) and you have a good chance at success. Small chromed slugs and slices offer the heaviest weight for the smallest profile so are often the first choice, especially when they are feeding on very small bait.

Sometimes longtails gorge on miniscule bait and you won be able to find a lure small enough to cast the required distance. In this scenario, the fly fishers often have the upper hand. With fly fishing, you are using the weight of the fly line to load the rod, not the fly attached to the end. Therefore, miniscule flies can be presented a reasonable distance.

A good fly fisher can cast 40m or more which still requires some stalking to get into position.

Another benefit in fly casting is that the fly can just be allowed to slowly sink like a wounded baitfish, with a strip strike used to set the hook after a take. A small baitfish profiled fly (bay bait, surf candy, polar fibre minnow, glassy minnow, silverside and many others) can be retrieved in a flat stick manner by tucking the rod under your arm and using a rapid double-handed strip.

Once a hookup is achieved the fly line is tensioned through your hand until all the spare line on the deck is ripped out and you can now fight the fish off the reel. It’s a really exciting and challenging way to catch longtails and a method which often works when other fail.

Lures that can be tried for longtails include pencil poppers, stickbaits (the Oceans Legacy Keeling 105H #5 is a favourite of mine) and jighead rigged jerkshad plastics (especially ZMan 5” in bubblegum) just to name a few. Often it is just a case of cycling through a few different offerings until you can get a result. Live baiting around beacons, along current lines and around areas where baitfish congregate will often be rewarding. Live baits should be fished in the upper third of the water column, preferably rigged on a twin hook snelled rig.

MACKEREL Hopefully some spotties will have turned up by now, however they were rather late last year and didn’t show in any numbers until almost February. The average size was over 70cm last season with fish eclipsing the 90cm mark making the day on several occasions.

Spotties are often a lot easier to locate than school mackerel and will regularly cruise just under the surface as they hunt for baitfish. On the glass-out days you will see the V-shaped wake they leave which makes it easy to get into position for a cast. Always cast past them and several metres ahead of them and begin cranking on the reel handle

A good haul of sand crabs secured in safety pots. January can offer great crabbing opportunity for all species of crabs in the bay, rivers, creeks and estuaries. as soon as the lure lands. You cannot wind too fast – if they are following and not striking then the retrieve is too slow.

Spotted mackerel slash at their prey, often producing a telltale jet of water.

This makes them easier to identify than many other pelagics as you approach some surface chaos. Common lures for targeting spotted mackerel include chromed slugs and slices in the 30-50g range. These cast far and can be retrieved quickly without breaking the water surface.

However, spotted mackerel will also take offerings such as gang hook rigged drifted pilchards and live or dead baits such as yakkas, gar, herring and slimy mackerel.

School mackerel may also be found smashing bait on the surface, however, more commonly these will be feeding a lot deeper. Common areas to search are around the shipping channel beacons and along the edge of the various channels such as the Rous, Small Ships, Rainbow and Pearl. Anywhere you can find reasonable baitfish conglomerations there is likely to be a mackerel nearby.

Trolling spoons is a productive way to cover ground in your search, however drifting jighead rigged pilchards and trolling deep diving minnow lures will also reward.

It is well worthwhile drifting a pilchard in areas surrounding the bay islands, sand hills and many other locations in the bay whilst fishing for other species as mackerel are also likely to be around.

The Measured Mile remains a popular and productive spot to drift pilchards or small live baits. A steady stream of finely cut pilchard slices will increase productivity and a flurry of bites is often forthcoming once a school of spotted or school mackerel enters the precinct.

BAY DEMERSALS Species such as snapper, tuskfish, sweetlip, morwong and cod will be regular captures for anglers fishing baits and lures around the artificial reefs and bay islands.

Snapper are usually the most common capture and anglers still catch trophy specimens to over 80cm during the warmer months. However, it is the smaller specimens in the 45-60cm range which present best to the tastebuds. The artificial reefs, bay island surrounds and numerous wrecks throughout the bay all hold healthy numbers of snapper and other species such as morwong, sweetlip, tuskfish, cod and

mulloway. Whilst these zones get fished heavily they still produce at a decent rate.

Snapper can also be caught within the Brisbane River around the various jetties, ledges, rock walls and other structure including the retaining wall at the mouth. Quality fresh baits and thoughtful rigging with minimal leader size (preferably fluorocarbon), sharp hooks, appropriate sinker and hooks well hidden in the bait with just the points exposed will go a long way to good results on snapper and other species.

Snapper will respond exceptionally well to a broad array of artificials including soft vibes, jighead rigged plastics, blades, micro jigs and even minnow lures.

Casting upcurrent and then working the lure in with a series of hops, winds and pauses will generally work for vibes and plastics. Minnow lures are commonly trolled, especially around the artificial reefs and bay island margins to tempt snapper and other species. For snapper sounded vertically beneath the boat, anglers can try jigging soft vibes and blades or dancing micro jigs, commonly in the 20-60g range. The new smaller sizes of the Nomad Squidtrex have been getting a lot of attention from anglers and fish alike.

Sweetlip will attack some artificials but are more reliably caught on quality baits. Grass sweetlip are the most commonly caught bay species but several others show from time to time. Fillet baits from pike, herring, gar, slimey mackerel, tuna and bonito make good offerings however easily sourced frozen pilchards and squid can still produce. Salting softer baits, such as tuna and bonito, can make them hardier and also condenses the natural oils, making them awesome bait.

Early mornings offer prime opportunity for those chasing sweetlip.

Being anchored with baits deployed an hour or so before sunrise is ideal. Often a flurry of bites will be received just on dawn with the bulk of the action tapering off within the next hour. The eastern side of Green and around the reef edges at Peel offer prime ground however sweetlip can be caught around most of the bay islands and across rubbly and sandy bottoms.

Whilst the aforementioned baits will tempt the occasional smaller tuskfish and parrotfish, those wanting to target trophy

Southern QLD

FMM specimens, such as big bluebone (blackspot) tuskies are best to use crustacean baits. Any small whole crabs will work well (adhere to regulations on some species) and some even use whole legal sized sandies (preferably live) to tempt the XOS specimens over 10kg. Even half or a quarter crab can be used to tempt tuskies although you will get bycatch such as estuary cod, carpet sharks, cobia and shovelnose rays on these baits at times. Tuskfish are tough fighters which head straight for structure when hooked and you will regularly need rather heavy tackle to subdue them.

CRABS Crabbing is usually very productive during January. Sand crabs are commonly caught throughout Moreton Bay, especially around the fringes of the bay islands, in the channels and the gutters leading from the sand flats. They can roam a lot at times and you may need to initially set pots in varying depths to ascertain which zone is most productive. Safety pots are the most commonly used apparatus, however pickup dillies (not witches hat style) can also work well when checked regularly. Pots are best baited with chicken carcasses, fish heads and frames, whole or half mullet or any other oily or flavoursome bait. Even fish offcuts, a handful of pilchards or a few chicken necks in a mesh envelope will suffice.

Mud crabs will also be caught in the aforementioned pots yet they are more

commonly found in the creeks, rivers and estuaries. They will often be deep in the mangrove expanse except after serious rainfall when they will be pushed further out into the main estuary system or around the river mouth due to the lowered salinity. Set your pots around the drains and gutters leading out from the mangrove expanse, along fallen mangrove banks, in deep holes and at the mouths of creeks. Whilst you can use the same crabbing apparatus for sand and mud crabs, they each have differing size limits and bag limits so ensure to check before venturing out. It’s wise to have a proper crab measuring device at your disposal

so you can accurately measure each crab.

PRAWNS Rainfall will also have a bearing on the prawning action during January.

Commonly the prawns first show in the deeper holes along rivers north of Brisbane, such as the Pine and Caboolture.

A bit of rainfall will be good but too much will push them well out into the bay where they are harder to locate and more likely to get harvested by the trawlers.

Out from the Clontarf boat ramp and the Deception Bay area are all worthwhile checking out during January, especially around the tidal change. This is when the prawns commonly lift from the mud

to feed and move. They will commonly show across the bottom of your sounder as a green or blue haze (depending on your colour palette). Occasionally you might find a really thick patch which can go all the way from the bottom to the surface. Prawns flickering on the surface will be your first indicator of these thick schools. Prawns will mainly be small to mediums at this time of the year however they can grow rapidly over the coming months. A quality 12ft top pocket only cast net is ideal for prawning. There is a 10L bucket limit per person for prawns with a maximum of two 10L buckets per boat when there are two or more persons aboard.

CONCLUSION January offers a lot of options for those venturing out on the water. From the fastpaced action of chasing pelagics to the relaxed approach of soaking a few baited pots for crabs, there is something to suit everyone’s ability and mood. In addition to the species highlighted so far there are also mangrove jack, threadfin salmon, trevally, mulloway, flathead, bream, whiting, cobia, sharks and a host of others on offer.

Although conditions can be scorching during January, this is a bonus for fishers as the warmer waters create heightened metabolism and aggressiveness from many species. Remember your slip, slop, slap and slurp routine to avoid the effects of the elements and get out and score some of SEQs tasty seafood.

All manner of pelagics can be caught during the warmer months due to an increase of baitfish prevalence in the bay. Longtail tuna are possibly the most prized, however other tuna, mackerel and bonito should be consistent.

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Anticipation is high for the New Year BRISBANE

Bob Thornton tackleworldlawnton@gmail.com

As the calendar year ticks over, it’s hard not to get excited about the fishing prospects that lay ahead. The end of 2023 gave us a teaser for what to expect, so anticipation is already high. I’ve already set myself a few fishing goals for this year and I hope you have too.

hard, and the best captures have come from anglers who are able to head out on short notice. The weather is the number one factor for success offshore at the moment, and from all reports the action out on the bluewater has been fantastic for anyone able to get there.

The juvenile black marlin run hasn’t quite lived up to expectation this season, however Spanish mackerel and wahoo have made up for this deficit. Good numbers of these razor-

This fish was Josh’s PB Spaniard, going 19kg. These fish have now returned to our waters and, no doubt, Josh is keen to see if he can break his PB again before they move on.

Photo courtesy of Josh Dow.

It’s difficult to make predictions for any month, but January is particularly hard to plan for given the variability of weather patterns year-to-year.

Some years see colossal downpours and widespread flooding, while others feature bone dry periods and daytime temperatures exceeding 40oC. The weather leading up to now has indicated a bit of a mixed bag. There have been some hot and humid days, but in between we’ve seen days with milder temperatures, erratic wind patterns and a few much-needed rainfalls to keep the ecosystems healthy.

So far the rain we’ve received hasn’t been enough to give our systems a decent flush, but I’m still hopeful that January/February will be wet enough to at least balance out the dry heat.

The end of last year provided some stunning conditions in the creeks and rivers, with enough windows of stable weather to keep the bay and offshore crews happy as well. Additionally, many dams have dropped enough to quell the worry of any more fish escaping over spillways – for now anyway.

Overall, 2024 looks like it’s starting on good footing, but it will pay to be flexible and ready to adapt if things change quickly, which they absolutely can in January!

BAY AND OFFSHORE The weather through the end of 2023 made planning trips outside 26 JANUARY 2024

faced bandits have filtered into our region and begun harassing bait around wrecks, pinnacles, reefs and headlands.

Better sized fish have been taken from areas out a bit wider like Hutchinson Shoal, Sevens Reef and The Hards, particularly if targeting wahoo. In closer, trolling hardbodies and dead baits around Sunshine, Chardons and Caloundra Mile reefs is a good way to collect a feed of Spanish.

Mahimahi are still active out on the FADs and wave recorder buoys and by now some of the larger male fish, known as ‘bulls’, are showing up in bags too. Live baits cast near these structures are a proven way to get the attention of the larger fish in the area, and quite often these dominant fish will push smaller fish out of the way and eat first. For the smaller fish between 50-80cm, which make excellent eating, an unweighted pilchard or similar sized flesh bait is all you need.

Lure anglers can enjoy some awesome action on mahimahi, with soft plastics, metal slugs, smallmedium stickbaits and even 80-120mm hardbodies great for casting at FADs and buoys. The effort to arrive at these spots early is well worth it, as these fish can shut down with too much angling pressure.

The reefies haven’t slowed down over summer and provided you can get your baits or lures near the bottom you shouldn’t be disappointed. Strong currents and marauding mackerel have made getting things to the bottom difficult at times, so make sure your jigs, jigheads and sinkers are heavy enough for the job. Snapper, pearlies, tuskfish and Maori cod have been the main targets, however hussar, Moses perch and grass emperor have made welcome additions to the ice box. Kingies, cobia and mackerel have occasionally caused havoc for the bottom fishers, snipping off rigs or wrapping them up on the reef.

A good way to hedge your bets while bottom fishing is to floatline a pilchard or strip bait on a separate rig.

Doing this will open up the possibility of landing a roaming speedster, but also draw them away from your bottom rigs.

The bay fishing has been a bit

Suspending jerkbaits are perfect for twitching around sunken timber and rock bars, and this Caboolture River jack just couldn’t say no to the new extra deep-running Steez Current Master 93 from Daiwa.

Photo courtesy of Mitch Townsend.

Many anglers in SEQ have a special reverence for these fish, and even when caught and subdued they still look ready to kill! hot and cold, with anglers reporting that it can be heaven on Earth one day and almost completely devoid of life the next. The good news is that bottom species like snapper, estuary cod, tuskfish and grassies have been active in shallow water early and late in the day, so there’s no need to cross the whole bay in search of action.

Close to the mainland, Scarborough, Woody Point, the Port of Brisbane and Mud Island have all produced good fish over the past month, especially in areas with reef edges and rubble patches. Areas between 3-5m are holding fish when the sun is low, and whether you’re drifting baits or casting lures, getting there as the sun is rising or setting is key. Drifting baits like pilchard, squid or flesh baits, and casting 3-5” soft plastics or suspending hardbodies has been productive. In the shallows it’s important not to use too much weight, as you want your presentations spending most of their time just off the bottom. This means using little or no weight on your bait rigs, and the lightest jigheads possible (1/12-1/8oz) on your soft plastics.

The bay pelagics were a little slow to start, but we’re starting to see better numbers of longtails popping up, mostly on the eastern side of the bay. School and spotted mackerel are also showing up in areas like the Measured Mile and Four Beacons, but you may need to troll around or hit a few different beacons to find locations with active fish.

Any significant rain through January should take the bay fishery up a notch, as the influx of bait and slightly discoloured water will switch the predators into feeding mode.

Without rain, clear water will likely mean less bait and predators wary about venturing into shallow water. In the latter event, smaller lures and baits,

Southern QLD

FMM lighter lines and plenty of searching will be needed to find fish.

RIVERS AND ESTUARIES Up the creeks we saw plenty of action leading up to Christmas, and January should provide lots of thrills as well. Anglers tailoring their approach to suit the conditions have fared best, so keep an eye on the weather, tides and which bait species have been most active.

If we don’t get much in the way of rain, it’s likely that most predators will be feeding on mullet, herring, gar and other small fish species. With a few downpours, however, we should see prawns filtering through the systems as they make their mad dash toward the bay. Wherever prawns are present in a system, species like mangrove jack, estuary cod, bream, flathead and whiting become fixated on these tasty morsels.

Prawns are so tasty in fact that humans also take advantage of this annual migration, and January usually marks the beginning of the ‘prawning season’ in SEQ. During this time from late January to about March or April, hordes of boats gather around river mouths and the inner parts of the bay to capitalise on this natural phenomenon. Banana prawns make top tucker, but are also a second-tonone live bait in the estuaries. We sell specialised prawning cast nets, so

make sure you come and check them out if you’re chasing a feed or the best bait going around.

Mangrove jack will be out in force and looking for their next kill regardless of what bait is available, however determination and being observant are still necessary if you want to catch them. Late 2023 saw a lot of jack captures up toward the tidal limit of rivers and creeks. We

heard many stories of jack sessions turning into bass sessions and viceversa, though with a bit of rain the jacks will likely head downstream, and bass will use the extra flow to push upstream into the pure freshwater.

Successful jack lures have been 3-5” paddle-tails, weedless frog imitations and 80-100mm suspending jerkbaits, however soft plastic and topwater prawn imitations will become a factor

The author caught this trevally and a few others right up the top of a small tidal system while chasing bass. Drier periods will often see estuary species like jacks, estuary cod, queenfish, flathead and trevally pushing up to the tidal limits in search of food.

once the rain arrives.

The story is similar in artificial systems such as the Pacific Harbour canal network on Bribie and Newport Waterway, although given they are not attached to a natural river system, prawns may not feature as heavily in the diet of the canal jacks.

Live baiting has accounted for a few very big jacks this season already, with live mullet, herring, gar, silver biddy, whiting, and large banana prawns top jack baits. Soaking your livey along any deep bends of a river or creek, rock bars, large fallen trees, bridges, pylons, prominent pontoons and retaining walls works a treat, especially at night. You may have to let your baits soak for a little while, but if there are any jacks nearby they should find your offering eventually. Just make sure you’re running relatively heavy gear, with a 3/0-5/0 hook and at least 40lb trace.

January is also a great time to chase bream in our estuaries and canals, and just like their larger and redder friends, they too will become fixated on prawns. High tide is when soft plastic and topwater prawn imitations work well on feeding bream, with mangrove forests, rock walls, pontoons, underneath walkways and around bridges good places to throw them. Lures between 2-3” are the ideal size, and retro-fitting your

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JANUARY 2024 27

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topwater lures with small assist hooks will help pin these fish as they tentatively try to slurp it down.

If you’re getting plenty of interest in your lures but not a lot of hook-ups, try slowing your retrieve down, or if using a topwater lure, give it some long pauses. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen big, wary bream finally

feed in zones that will be high and dry again within a few hours. Presenting a lightly-weighted yabby, beachworm or bloodworm over these flats or in any little holes adjacent to these flats is a deadly technique. Fishing this way is relaxing, productive and a great way to get kids involved.

Lures also get flats dwelling

Josh has been cleaning up on jacks this summer and shows no signs of slowing up through January!

Photo courtesy of Josh Spence.

commit to eating a topwater lure after watching the lure sit motionless on the surface for over 10 seconds. These bigger fish didn’t get big by making mistakes, so sometimes a more delicate approach can bring them unstuck.

The beginning of the year marks the best time to be chasing big summer whiting in SEQ, and although reports have been a bit patchy of late we’ve seen some promising signs. The best reports so far have come from the mouth areas of smaller systems such as Coochin and Elimbah creeks, as well as Hays Inlet. Higher stages of the tide are when these fish become active in shallow water, making the most of the short time they have to

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a regular part of their diet during summer. During the late afternoon and evening, cicadas can be added to that menu. The cacophonous ringing of these critters during summer is a sure sign that bass will be looking up when the light is low, so make sure you have a few lures to suit during January!

Following any major rain events creek bass can suddenly become active, and this is when larger, faster and flashier lures come into play.

Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, crankbaits, buzzbaits, frogs and fizzers are great for grabbing their attention when there is more flow and the water is a little murky. If the water is particularly discoloured you may need to use bright colours like chartreuse, white or orange to help your lure stand out, however most of the time I still prefer using dull shades like brown, grey, olive green and purple. I stick to the general rule of the clearer the water, the more natural the presentation needs to be.

WRAP-UP With a new year on our doorstep it’s an exciting time for anglers across the region. The next couple of years are set to throw up different challenges from the last few we’ve had, but being

summeries excited, and with the explosion of jelly prawns we usually get in the lower estuaries at this time, lures that imitate them will work best.

Bent minnows, walking stickbaits and poppers between 50-80mm replicate the frantic skipping and splashing of a fleeing prawn. Unlike the bream though, pausing your lure will only allow the keen-eyed whiting to take a look at your lure and lose interest.

Whiting tend to prefer a moving lure, and I’ve found that if I’m getting interest but no hook-ups the best thing to do is speed my retrieve up! Long graphite rods between 7-8ft with a whippy tip in the 1-3 or 2-4kg range are ideal for this style of fishing, and light

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FRESHWATER In the fresh we’ve seen some incredible fishing, with local streams and dams turning it on for anglers chasing bass, saratoga, yellowbelly and various pest species as well. Saratoga have become a regular capture in our area, with toga at Kurwongbah, Samsonvale, Somerset, Wivenhoe, Ewen Maddock and Borumba loving the warm mornings and afternoons.

Any shallow banks with timber, weed, lilies or a combination of these things will hold toga. Spinnerbaits in the 1/4-3/8oz range are top baits for searching an area, with bass and yellowbelly equally happy to snaffle these same lures. Topwater presentations are highly effective when the fish can be seen actively feeding. Poppers, fizzers, frog and cicada imitations, buzzbaits, walking stickbaits and bent minnows will all get crunched by toga and bass. Any warm mornings or afternoons are good times to be out, but if you can get an afternoon just before a storm rolls through, even better.

The freshwater streams have been

January is cicada time, and most local freshwater streams have come alive with these noisy invertebrates as they look to find a mate. Anytime cicadas can be heard overhead is a good time to tie on a cicada lure.

Photo courtesy of Leigh English.

a bit up and down (literally), however a few bouts of rain here and there have kept the wild bass fishing steady.

Without any major rainfalls before January fish will likely retreat to the deeper holes, preferring smaller and slower-moving prey. Small soft plastic shrimp and prawn imitations rigged weedless are dynamite during these times, especially if there is any weed starting to grow. Twitching these lures amongst the snags and weed growth is a great daytime technique. Skirted jigs are another useful tool in these conditions, and dragging them slowly across the bottom will imitate crayfish;

able to adapt and read the conditions will allow you to continue catching quality fish. I really hope you can tick off some fishing goals this year.

The remainder of January can still see a lot of traffic on the water, so please be courteous of others and offer a hand if someone’s in trouble.

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A New Year of fishing!

NOOSA

Peter Wells

With the new year upon us, there are plenty of opportunities for anglers to get out and experience all that the Sunshine Coast has to offer.

On the offshore scene, the reefs off Double Island have been firing with reports always seeming to improve with the full moon period. Amberjack, red emperor, cobia, tuna and mackerel were on the chew for those that knew where to go. Jigging remains a popular approach and with sounder screens lighting up it did not take long to get hooked up. Bigger jigs in the 150-200g size were working well with many options in the knife category, which get down fast.

For the anglers that love chasing the pelagics, there was plenty of action, especially around the dirty water lines.

Large schools of bait were around with

lots of tuna and mackerel driving the fish to the surface. Slugs are super popular here with the 30-40g in the Halco Twisty the most used. Spotty mackerel are starting to show up with numbers now arriving in Laguna Bay. Anglers have had success chasing these using shad style plastics on 1/2oz jigheads. If slugs aren’t working, then be sure to give this a try.

Sunshine Reef seems to be the Spanish hot spot with most anglers trolling live or dead baits rigged with squid skirts or tinsel heads. Deep diving hardbodies set in a good spread with different colour and trolled along pressure edges has also worked well.

There has also been some good coral trout on Sunshine Reef mainly on the run-in tide, you just have to get your bait past the mackerel. Live yakkas and large pillies are still the best bait for these tasty morsels.

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Kev picked up this nice Spanish on the troll off Double Island. He was trolling the good old Halco Laser Pro in the classic Qantas colours.

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The Noosa River has been alive with flathead. This fish was caught on Noosa River Fishing Safaris and it was returned after the photo. and the Gneerings have been popular with anglers leaving out of Mooloolaba.

Good catches of sweetlip, juvenile snapper, mauri cod and some bigger cobia have been reported.

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

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

Plastics are very popular and, when rigged weedless, you can really pitch them right into the mangroves without them snagging up too much. Paddletails are best when the waters are dirty as the vibration is picked up on the fish’s lateral line making it easier for them to find the lure. Another great option is to be out for sunrise and cast surface lures around those same mangroves. Surface lures a little darker in colour seem to work better as the fish sees the shadow of the lure on the surface.

Trevally numbers have been very good, especially around the creek mouths on the run-in tide. Micro jigs in the 7–10g size have been working very well. Give the Majorcraft Jigpara jigs a go as they have a great range of sizes and colours sure to tempt even the fussy fish.

There are still some nice flathead been taken upriver from the Yacht Club in the Noosa River. Try flicking prawn imitation plastics around the mouth of Petrie and Eudlo creeks in the Maroochy, or any little drains as the tide recedes. The new smaller sized Flick Prawn from Chasebaits are ideal.

Prawns, hardiheads and white bait have been the better of the frozen baits, while herring and poddy mullet have been the perfect live baits.

The combination of hot weather and large tides has certainly given the number of mud crab captures a big boost. The area’s most sought after having been Petrie and Eudlo creeks and upriver from the Bli Bli Bridge in the Maroochy and around Makepeace Island in the Noosa. A good tip when

crabbing is to place your pots at different depths, not just parallel to the shoreline. Don’t be afraid to add scent to your crab bait by soaking it in tuna oil and finally try and keep your pots in for a full tide cycle.

The trusty whiting are in good numbers around the Dog Beach and the Frying Pan in the Noosa River with worms and live yabbies the pick of baits. Best tip is to be there early before the crowds as the fish do spook easily.

On the beach, surf anglers have seen plenty of whiting on the beaches with the area from Double Island to the Noosa River mouth on the Noosa North Shore showing good fish. Most fish are taken at the start of the outgoing tides. Using the specially designed Whiting Wacker rigs from Black Magic can greatly increase your catch rate as they are designed with flashers and fluorocarbon leader.

Some good-sized tailor have also been taken on the southern side of Double Island. These fish are usually bigger and seem to hang around the area and not move that far south. You will also pick up GT in these schools and maybe a school mackerel or spotty mackerel. Try to fish around the tides with the last of the high tide a popular time to chase pelagic and predatory fish from the rocks. To the south the Maroochy Northshore has had plague proportions of small dart, which is great for the kids. If you are looking for a bigger one, fish around the high tide and cast to the back of the gutters.

Peregian Beach has produced quality whiting on worms and peeled prawns in the lower water gutters. The tailor have been on the chew around the river mouths and the rocks, use pilchards and flesh baits and fishing the night tide seems to produce the better sized fish.

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QLD Central

FMM

Sharks ravaging some species but not others BUNDABERG

Luke Truant

When it comes to reef fishing, the good news is that the fish are biting super well. The bad news is we can’t get them past the sharks.

Over the years there have always been sharks along the hard reef edges.

However, their numbers have grown to the point where they’ve moved to more

The big ones also love live baits, but there aren’t any livies around at the moment (they’ll return in autumn). The tuskfish don’t seem to mind whether the prawns are raw or cooked, but I’ve noticed they do like big prawns better than smaller ones.

When chasing tuskfish, and other medium-size species like grass emperor, we tend to use 6/0 circle hooks. 7/0 hooks are fine, too, but if you go any

A lot of tuskfish have been making it past the sharks. remote structures as well. On some of my more remote marks, there can be a single bommie about the size of a car, and no other structure for a mile in any direction.

Those spots used to have minimal sharks, but now you drop down and there’s suddenly a sharknado under the boat.

Until the shark numbers decrease in autumn, your best bet is to move around and fish as shallow as you can for trout. If you hook a trout in 8m of water, you have a better chance of landing it than if you’re fishing in 30m.

Also, fish as heavy as you can. You’ll get fewer bites, but you’ll get the fish up faster. There’s no point in getting more bites if you lose them all to sharks.

On the upside, sharks like the taste of some fish better than others. The Venus tuskfish is one species the sharks are less interested in (although they’ll still take a percentage of them). We’ve had a run of really good tuskfish lately, and that will hopefully continue in the coming weeks.

Tuskies love eating prawns and squid.

smaller than 6/0 and you hook a big fish, the hook will probably straighten.

Another species that usually makes it past the sharks is hussar. Hussar (Lutjanus adetii) are superb tablefish, like all

A beautifully marked spangled emperor.

34 JANUARY 2024

lutjanids (red emperor, mangrove jack, fingermark, etc). A bag of big 45-50cm hussar makes for a first-class feed of fish, and we’ve been getting plenty of those.

Hussar will eat pretty much any bait, but the easiest is a small flesh bait like a strip of mullet fillet. You don’t need much; even a 2cm piece of fillet can catch a nice big hussar.

Most hussar can be found over solid reef structure, and you’ll see them on the sounder as a big ball, like a school of baitfish. They’re most often caught in around 20-40m of water.

Tuskies, on the other hand, prefer the red fern areas and the outlying edges of the reef. You can often find them right up on the edge, where it drops off onto the sand.

The Spanish mackerel fishing has been slow lately, at least off our part of the coast (the far north has been seeing good numbers). Hopefully, they’ll be out in force by the time you read this. When the Spanish are plentiful, I’ll troll lures like Laser Pros or X-Raps, as long as the water is clear. If I encounter water that’s a bit dirtier in summer, I’ll rig up some sauries or grinner. If you spend the time to rig them correctly, they get more strikes than lures do.

ESTUARY FISHING The estuary fishing fires up during our wet summers. When it’s hot, and a storm is building, it’s good to fish up the top of the creeks. Push up as far as you

Brad with a nice red emperor. can and get to the really secluded snags.

Then, you can pepper them with soft plastic paddle-tails or prawn imitations for jacks and other species. Alternatively, if you put in the time to catch some live bait, such as sprat, poddy mullet or prawns, you’ll find that works an absolute treat.

After a decent rain event, the fish tend to do one of two things: push down to the salt or stay and feed in the creeks with runoff. Jack, cod and most river species tend to stay in the salty margins, or at least, they bite better there. We’ve had great success with small 50mm soft vibes on all species around the heavy structure

Ian was happy to catch this solid grassy. down towards the mouth.

I recommend an outfit with 6-10lb line max when fishing those small vibes.

You’ll still catch jacks and good trevally, bream, flathead – practically everything.

To maximise your catch rates, cast your lure close to the structure. It’s the danger zone for getting snagged, but that’s where the fish are. Work the vibe right down on the bottom with single or double hops. Be sure to cast upcurrent and work your lure back with the current. If you cast downcurrent, your lure won’t get back to the bottom without you having to freespool.

Due to all the rain, we had unseasonably awesome crabbing at the start of December, particularly on the building tides on the full and new moon.

There were a lot of very large crabs caught, and the crabbing should be even better in January, as we usually have a good run just after Christmas. Lately, quite a few of the crabs have been empty, but they should improve in a month or so. If you’re unsure how to tell if a crab is empty, hop on YouTube and search for “how to tell if a crab is full”.

It’s still closed season for barra (until 1 February), but you can’t really avoid hooking them because they live in the same country as jacks do. Remember that spawning fish have low muscle condition because their body’s energy has been diverted to reproduction. If a big girl spends five minutes out of the water being handled for photos, she’ll take longer to recover and will likely miss the spawn. If you release her quickly and carefully, however, she’ll be in great shape to lay her eggs – 6 million of them.

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QLD Central

FMM

Local anglers spoilt for choice in the creeks MACKAY

Clinton Hassan

In spite of the northwesterlies, there are heaps of schoolies, spotties and grey mackerel getting around at the moment.

The harbour wall fishos have been catching plenty of mackerel lately, along with northern bluefin (longtail) tuna and mac tuna. Metal slices/slugs have been working well, such as the Arma Anchovy in ghost colour in 25g and 30g. Alternatively, you can use a hardbody like a 115 Zerek Zappelin or 120 Rapala Long Cast.

Night sessions along the wall using live baits (e.g. squid and herring) have been producing black jew, fingermark and big grunter. On the dark moons with low wind, plenty of squid have also been caught.

The Spanish have been coming in close, with a lot being caught around the harbour break walls, and in between 4 Mile and 6 Mile patches, within reach of the smaller tinnies.

On the local beaches, the bigger tides on the full and new moon have been fishing well for all golden trevally, snubnosed dart (oyster crackers/permit) and swallowtail dart. The northern beaches such as Eimeo, Bucasia and Blacks have been producing good mackerel catches on metal slices such as the Arma Radico in 60-80g.

Live baiters have been doing well on threadfin salmon, fingermark, and mangrove jack in the creeks. The best baits have been live mullet, herring, and gar. You can also float live prawns for king salmon around the mud flats on the high tide.

If you prefer to cast lures, one lure that’s been working a treat on estuary species is the Nomad Squidtrex in the 65 size. Slow rolling a Samaki Live Shrimp or Chasebaits Flick Prawn can also be effective on king salmon and other species.

Good creeks to try this month are Constant, Murray and Mathers.

Brad Hocking with an impoundment barra. Fishing the dams is a good way to get your barra fix during the closed season.

Barra season is closed this month, but it’s hard to avoid them sometimes.

If you catch a big girl, please don’t keep her out of the water too long, or she might get too stressed to lay her eggs.

Catching barra during the spawning closure can be frustrating, but we only have a few weeks to wait until the season reopens on February 1.

If you’re chasing a feed of prawns, there have been good quality prawns in a lot of the creeks after the rains.

They haven’t been in huge numbers, but they’ve been in good sizes. Work the bigger tides in gutters and drains around the new and full moon, and you’ll find the better-quality prawns.

Rocky Dam Creek, Boundary Creek and Armstrongs Beach have been the most productive areas.

The mud crabs started to move after the rains in November, and the upper reaches of the creeks around the rock bars have been producing the better crabs. Use big, oily baits such as mullet heads or chicken frames, and check your baits regularly. If you’re floating your pots in the middle of a creek, I highly recommend running a second float so your pot doesn’t get washed away during the big tides. Some

Zac Barnes with a quality red emperor.

36 JANUARY 2024

people think their pot has been stolen when it has actually just been washed downstream.

Offshore, the fishing has been great. The shipping channel has been really productive, with good catches of nannygai, red emperor and grassy sweetlip (grass emperor). Your normal paternoster rig with 8/0 or 9/0 hooks baited with squid, cuttlefish heads or strip baits will do the job. While you’re

One of the stand-out lures for them has been the Squidtrex vibe in 130 and 150 sizes, along with assorted jigs such as the Nomad Ridgeback and Samaki Choona.

If you want to target GTs, try working the pressure edges around Stevens, Credlin and Warland reefs with big stickbaits and poppers. This approach has been producing good quality GTs in recent weeks, with a few going 20kg+.

IMPOUNDMENT FISHING The dams have been fishing extremely well, and we saw some good catches in the ABT BARRA rounds. At Kinchant, Teemburra and Peter Faust, there have been plenty of 80-90cm barra being caught. An effective method at the moment is using big, weedless-rigged plastics like the Zerek Flat Shad, Molix Shad, or Irukandji Sicario, slow rolled through the weed beds. Alternatively, you can work the weed edges with vibes like the Zerek Fish Trap or Samaki Vibelicious.

Anglers targeting sooties have been catching them working the timber in Pinnacle and Middle Creek using reaction baits. Some good options lately include Bassman Compact spinnerbaits, Rapala V Rap blades, and

Fabio had fun landing this king threadfin salmon. at it, try floating a live bait out the back for a Spanish mackerel.

If you’re after a feed of coral trout this month, try pushing up in the shallows and fish in 10-30m of water.

A whole pillie on a light running-sinker rig is ideal and will also pick up other species like red-throat emperor.

If you want to try flicking plastics, I recommend using a prawn imitation like the Zerek Live Shrimp, rigged on a Nitro Saltwater Pro hook. Cast your plastic towards the reef edges and slow-roll it back, and you should catch a trout.

In recent weeks, we’ve seen good red emperor and nannygai coming from deeper water in around 30-50m.

small frogs such as Chasebaits Flexi Frogs in the 40mm size. The sooties aren’t small fish, with specimens in the high 50s, so you can have a lot of fun on them this month.

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QLD Tropical North

FMM

Great news for rec anglers in Townsville TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

Recreational fishing in QLD has opened a new chapter, with a ban on commercial netting of any estuary draining into the GBRMP. At least, that was the initial statement given by government departments a few months ago. While it’s never nice to see anyone lose their source of income, it is pretty exciting to imagine what will happen in the rivers and creeks around here.

Of course, barra are the big drawcard

to pay huge prices. Either that, or learn how to fish themselves!

More will come on this topic in the coming months, so we should probably wait for the final outcome before we get too excited.

The Spanish mackerel closures, coral reef fin fish closures, and barra season closure have combined with limited weather windows to restrict angling opportunities in recent months.

Working at the Fishing Warehouse in Townsville, a story we hear all the time is from the FIFO guys and girls. These poor buggers fly home to be greeted by 15-25 knot winds, and the day they fly back out, it’s 5-10 knots! As they say, the biggest protector of reef species is the weather.

For us, the fingermark, jacks and grunter have been on the menu since barra season closed, and we haven’t gone without a feed. Plenty of fish have been getting around for all who put in the effort. Even though you get the odd

release them as soon as you can.

Small stickbaits like the Atomic K9 or Bassday Sugapen work well when the water is clear, and when the water has a bit of colour in it, we opt for a popper like the Halco 60mm Roosta and the Bassday Splash or Backfire. Noisy poppers are easier for the fish to find in dirty water in low-light conditions. Bills Bug 70mm fizzers are another must-have lure if you want to make the best of the surface bite.

Another technique that works very well on the jacks is to rig a buoyant soft

When barra season opens again, you’d best be ready with a few hardbodies. This one was caught on a TBarra 80 in the tickled pink colour.

It’s a great time of year to throw surface lures for jacks. This fish took a 60mm Halco Roosta popper.

Weedless plastics can be fished way back in the snags where the jacks are at high tide. for tourism in the north, but plenty of other species such as grunter, fingermark etc will also benefit from the closures. It was apparently a decision made by the U.N., who basically told the Australian Government that the nets had to go on the GBRMP tributaries or we’d lose our World Heritage listing.

When the news hit the public, the sheer excitement shown by locals showed just how passionate rec anglers are in the north. It truly is huge news, and the previous netting closures in other areas are proof of how the fishing will improve.

The author has used 30lb FC leader to pin this plastic through the eye of the hook, stopping it slipping down during the cast.

Some commercial fishers will be able to target barra with a line, but the overall commercial catch will be greatly reduced. In future, anyone wanting to eat wild-caught barra will probably have 40 JANUARY 2024

Big jacks often fall for tiny lures. It’s a good option to have when things are tough. fingermark and grunter in the snags, they are best targeted down a bit deeper with blades, soft plastics, vibes etc. Two options we use regularly are the Atomic Semi Hardz Vibes and the Atomic Metalz blades. While you don’t seem to get the bigger models in the creeks, many are up around that 50cm+ mark and are prime tucker.

The jacks can be targeted down deep or up shallow, but we prefer to catch them on the surface or in shallow snags or shallow flats. Here, they wait to get back into the structure, where you can see the bite happen. It’s just a matter of getting them out, and that’s where the excitement starts. Fights aren’t drawn-out battles; they’re shorter and more intense, and are usually won or lost in the first few seconds.

We like to be on the water as the sun comes up, more for our enjoyment than anything else. If this coincides with a low tide, that’s even better and gives us the perfect opportunity to throw surface presentations at the jacks. Remember, though, you’re going to accidentally catch some barra doing this, so please

plastic on an unweighted worm hook (e.g. EWG Gamakatsu Superline) and work your plastic across the surface like a soft fizzer. Paddle-tails work the best for this approach; the sound their tail makes is spot-on for enticing jacks and other predators. Our two favourites for this type of surface presentation are the 4” Halco Paddle prawn rigged on a 1/0 EWG, and the 5” Paddle prawn rigged on the 2/0 or 3/0 Gammy EWG. They’re a lighter gauge hook, which makes it possible to float them.

If you’d like to see them in action, have a look at our YouTube channel (Hodgie The Barefoot Fisherman), and it will show you exactly how to rig and use them effectively.

The introduction of the Halco TB80, which we’ve been trialling, has inspired us to do a lot more hardbody stuff than

Swapping from a white plastic to an orange one resulted in much better hook-ups amongst the bubbles.

White against a white background was getting a lot of missed bites.

usual. With the advent of weedless plastics, we almost forgot about the good old hardbody for NQ lure casting.

There’s no denying that a good hardbody is an important tool for casting snags and deeper drains in the north.

A hardbody with a slow float rate is ideal for probing the snags, rocks, ledges and drains, and can be worked easily at a variety of depths just by changing the angle of the rod tip. Twitching downwards will get the lure diving to its maximum, while a slow twitch upwards will walk it through the gnarliest timber.

The TB80 and Bassday Sugar Deep 90mm are our favourites.

Some more exciting news for the Townsville fishers is the likely opening of the Ross River Dam, which has been stocked with over 130,000 barra over the last five years. The Townsville Fish Stocking Group has been conducting surveys on the dam, and it looks like we’ll have a first-rate barra impoundment right on our doorstep very soon. This will be a big drawcard for travelling anglers who normally pass through Townsville on their way to impoundments such as Peter Faust. For local anglers, the Ross River Dam should provide some great barra fishing, regardless of the weather and time of year. The dam will also provide a safe environment for people who are worried about crocs.

For a local council to see the light and show support for this incredible opportunity is amazing, and it’s all thanks to the hard work of a handful of passionate anglers. Hats off to Terry McGeckin, Bobby Holman and Reece Bullymore, among others, for not giving up the fight, and for raising money to stock barra into the dam. Some of these stocked fish are touching the magical metre mark now.

As you can see, it’s all happening up here, so be sure to hit the water when you get the time. Stay safe!

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QLD Tropical North

FMM

New gill net ban is a win for local anglers HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

I hope you all have had an awesome start to the New Year and made all those New Year’s resolutions while contemplating how you’re going to work off all that extra padding you have put on!

Unfortunately for me I have had a rather quiet charter period during December after being struck down with

going into double digit numbers.

Casting frogs well up into the mangrove fringes on the high tides have been doing well but be prepared to lose a bit of gear when playing them in close range to snags!

So far, the heatwaves haven’t been so bad compared to previous years, but it still gets 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,

It’s hoped that the recent Gill Net Ban legislation will help the thready population as well as the barra.

Richard Korda loves his jack fishing. a severe case of the flu, changing for the better now thankfully!

We will see some interesting changes over the course of this year, and years to come, with recent Gill Net Ban legislation being passed by Qld Fisheries. Not only with barramundi but we may see a big increase in threadfin salmon numbers returning once again to Hinchinbrook, like they were around post cyclone Yasi.

Mangrove jack have been at their usual best this last month and no doubt into this month as well. They usually go nuts during these hotter months and I have heard many reports of sessions

which for most inshore species is generally three hours before the bottom of the tide and then two hours into the incoming tide.

This month will see many anglers prepping for the upcoming barra season. A good time to dust off the rods and reels and give everything a good service. Having a sticky drag or faulty reel will often cause problems right at the moment when you hook that big one! Check over your lures

A decent 79cm threadfin salmon from Hinchinbrook. and replace any dull or rusted trebles to ensure you get every opportunity to stay hooked up. However, if you want to scratch that barra itch before the season opening, you can still drive to a stocked impoundment like Tinaroo

Dam on the Tablelands and cast lures for them in there with a purchased stocked impoundment permit. Also in recent good news, the Ross River Dam, just two hours’ drive south of Cardwell, has been given the green light from Townsville City Council to open to land-based fishing in June 2024 and recreational/ charter from boats from June 2025. I have been a part of the stocking society there since 2017 and that dam is now full of very large barramundi to just over a 1m in length.

The only thing that could make it a slow start to the barra season in February is if we get a lot of decent rain causing floodwaters, which will make them go quiet for a few weeks until it settles. I think we may be in for a weak wet season with the El Nino forecast but I guess time will tell. Storms can be a lot more intense during the dry 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 0402 339 459.

Matt Stevens was pretty happy with this double header of jacks.

42 JANUARY 2024

Tropical North QLD

FMM

Threadfin on the move in the NFZ CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

If there is one fish species on the move in January in the Trinity Net Free Zone, then it would have to be the king threadfin salmon. Since the introduction of the NFZ, populations

Using your sounder to find the fish is an important key to success. of these fish have risen significantly especially on the open beaches between the Cairns Inlet to the southern end of Kewarra Beach.

The first sign of these fish turning up is the presence of big numbers of blue salmon. The blue salmon tend to come into the area first ,which usually coincides with a bit of rain and an explosion of small prawns along the coast. The threadfin will then turn up a few weeks later. The first run of these

fish are usually the bigger models and fish up to 1.30m is pretty common. As the month progresses fish closer to the 1m mark become more common.

The best way to target these fish is by sounding up a school and then chasing it around using a combination of vibes and prawn style lures. I prefer the run-out tide when chasing these fish as they tend to come off the shallow areas into deeper water where they can be easily targeted. For this type of fishing, I love using my Hummingbird 360 as it makes it very easy to not only find the fish but also see how they are travelling. Sometimes they will just mull around whilst on other occasions they will move back and forth up and down the beach.

Some important things to remember when chasing these fish.

Try to limit your barra bycatch. There will be some big female barras also amongst all this action so if you do hook one, please don’t take it out of the water and release it boat side. No matter how well you look after them – if you put a metre-plus barramundi in your boat after a fight then the chances of it surviving are minimal. The same can be said about the big threadfin. If you are going to release your thready then do it boat side or keep it in the water until you are ready to get your pics done. Minimise the time out of the water as much as possible. Finally try

not to play the threadies out over a long period of time or on light gear. Not only will you burn them out, but they will very quickly become a target for the bull sharks which also follow these schools of fish and will always chase up an easy feed.

Next month the barra season will be open for 2024 which will see plenty of keen barra anglers chasing them down. This time of year, I prefer to target the bigger fish out on the open beaches. The Trinity Inlet is also a great place to chase up a few barra as well. On a different note, the Cairns Area Fish Stocking Group has been loading up the NFZ with plenty of healthy barramundi so keep an eye

When the 360 lights up like this you know the threadies are around in big numbers. out for any tagged fish which are caught. If you do come across a tagged barramundi, please contacted Suntag or hit us up on the Cairns Area Fishing Facebook Page.

When the blue salmon show up the threadies aren’t too far away.

It’s the size that matters!

PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

There’s always something going on in the angling world in tropical Far North Queensland. It’s all about the size of the fish that are on the table at this time of year.

Firstly, we must highlight the 2023 Port Douglas Marlin Challenge held in the latter half of November. Overall, the black marlin season was one of the best we’ve had, starting at the top of the Ribbon Reefs in October extending down to the famous Linden Bank and Opal Ridge during November. The Port Douglas Marlin Challenge over 4 days was at the forefront of this success.

Nine of the country’s best marlin fishing boats and crews competed for the coveted Leon

Thomas and Brett Thomas Memorial Trophies for tagging the most black marlin. As Club President, I can say we had a combination of sensational weather and, with the billfish on the bite, it surpassed all previous tournaments. This year 35 black marlin were tagged and released eclipsing the previous best of 26 tags. It put Port Douglas well and truly on the world map as the best marlin fishery in the world once again.

There were plenty of tournament highlights but the standout moments included the Iluka game boat tagging a 900lb black marlin, Gorilla game boat with a double hook-up resulting in a 750lb black marlin and the Weapon vessel catching a 700lb black marlin on 80lb stand up gear, which took 3 hours to complete the tag. The tournament hosted competitors from Switzerland, Germany, New Zealand and from all over Australia, with the

TOURNAMENT RESULTS Champion Team 1st Place 2nd Place

Iluka game boat Gorilla game boat

8 tag 7 tag

Champion Angler Ben Atkins

Weapon vessel

5 tag

furthest vessel coming from Sydney.

We also had a strong contingency of local vessels and crew from the Port Douglas and Cairns region. This was the absolute Formula 1 of fishing, basically the Grand Prix of angling in the world and locally we produced it in spades.

As we move deeper into the summer, if the black marlin dry up just off the shelf then you need to head wider to where the blue marlin will be still playing the game. Running big skirted lures, as opposed to big skip baits, will allow you to travel quicker covering the necessary ground.

The light tackle season particularly off the shelf in similar grounds has been conducive to a good supply of yellowfin tuna, wahoo and hopefully a few more mahimahi to turn up and provide some spectacular shenanigans.

On the outer reef itself, it’s all about quanlity and not necessarily quantity. Huge red emperor and large mouth nannygai in excess of 10kg are more common, giant trevally fishing has been awesome with the aid of calmer seas. Other usual suspects to tip the scales have been oversized coral trout, small mouth nannygai, golden trevally and the odd big rogue

There was plenty of action during the 2023 Port Douglas Marlin Challenge.

Spanish mackerel. Fishing at night time for the reds is very viable, avoiding any thunderstorm activity.

It’s been fun and games in 2023, we thank all our loyal local punters and clients that visit our amazing fishery in paradise. Take care over the festive period.

JANUARY 2024 43

QLD Tropical North

FMM

Rapture on the reefs COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

The water has been beautiful with calm day after calm day. The clarity of the water and the deep that can be seen out at the reef makes the most pleasant of days. However, the humidity and the soaring temperatures makes it not so pleasant if you are in a open boat.

Shade is needed or taking a swim in the water around lunch can provide

and become valuable property when they get vacated. For such a targeted fish species, coral trout do extremely well despite the fishing pressure. They say that trout can change sex to adapt to decreases in one sex in population group, probably why they seem to do so well.

Barramundi have also been able to survive. This is more to do with managing size limits and closed seasons for breeding that has helped the population be stable, and even

David Kamholtz with a hefty red emperor.

The author with a huge coral trout. some relief. The fishing also can be a little frustrating when it’s so calm. I don’t like fishing when I can see the bottom and on clear days you need to be over 20m to have that. I don’t know if it’s just I can see there are no fish around my bait or it’s missing the expectation of getting smashed by a fish when relying on sensation through your rod or fishing line, but I just don’t like seeing the bottom.

Lure fishing on the other hand is so exciting when you can see the action unfold. Sometimes the strike out ways the fight. Anyway, just putting it out here. I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way.

Coral trout have been on the chew and there seems to be plenty around with some large specimens being caught. The key is always finding the bait schools and fishing up current. The trout are so aggressive and will usually bite quickly and, if you are in a current line, then more will come. However, if you start catching other species, it’s probably worth moving along to find another bait school on a pressure point of the reef.

Coral trout are simply the best eating and it usually doesn’t take much to get a good feed of them along the reef edges. The bigger trout also eat little ones, so removing the big ones will allow smaller ones to move in and old spots that used to fire will do again – these places are fish holding areas 44 JANUARY 2024

improve numbers in some areas. The wet season sees some heighten activity as breeding starts. The fish mill around the headlands and river mouths and then the floods drive them to swim upstream or downstream if they have been trapped up river. The effort makes them hungry and so they are eager to smash anything that resembles a bait fish. Before the closure, there have been some great sessions for the young lads here in Cooktown down at the waterfront as the action fires, and they catch and release them. Multiple hookups are common and most of them

catch a few fish, and it’s great to see them returning fish as well. The closure will finish at 12 noon on the 1 February and everyone will be able to catch one to eat.

Saltwater barra are by far the best to eat and the chrome colour is the best indicator of a good eating fish.

The freshwater fish who have been trapped in waterholes will still be dark and more golden and, in my option not so good to eat, will be making their way downstream, so best just to release them. Some great sessions to be had next month but the best is yet to come as access to areas will still be hard. Once the roads dry out and the favourite spots are able to be reached then things will really heat up.

Heat is also the key as the access in the Cape gets better later in the middle of the year the winter chills start to shut down their bite. So, getting in early is the key to success and some mind-blowing barramundi fishing – I can’t wait!

The local wharf is still producing some nice fish with the bait schools thick. Grouper are still stealing fish from anglers so get your fish in quick.

The action is sometimes frantic on the wharf as when the fish are caught, the fight isn’t over as your catch can become bait for the resident grouper lurking under the wharf looking for an easy meal.

The rock walls are also a good place to throw a few lures looking for trevally and queenfish as they move through.

Also this time of the year there will be plenty of barramundi smashing bait in little back eddies along the rocks, and can be fun to catch. Landing one on the

A tidy jack from the wharf.

Josh’s decent large mouth nannygai from a wonky hole.

rocks can be tricky, so be careful and look for somewhere safe.

The next few months are my favourite time to fish here with so much on offer. Fish are hungry and the weather is more often good than bad.

Making the most of every opportunity as the winds won’t be down for long and the dreaded SE winds will be back to deter any fishing trips out to the reef.

Get out there and get amongst them.

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It was just fish after fish for an hour or so, and we enjoyed it even more because we cracked the pattern ourselves; spinnerbaits over a shelf of weed running horizontally about 10ft under the surface.

Our plan paid fruit, or fish at least, and we were secure that our knowledge and expertise had unlocked the pattern.

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After finally coming to terms with the fact that it was a dudd hole, we moved on, this time after jack and fingermark.

Same pattern. Or again, lack of pattern.

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ytil Lennox Ferguson, age 9, caught this PB 84cm queenfish in Exmouth WA off the jetty. He also landed a smaller 65cm, both on his new Penn Battle 3 5000 and Daiwa rod.

ru ua

JANUARY 2024 47

QLD Freshwater

FMM

Summer morning fishing with surface lures TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

Freshwater reporter Jason Ehrlich is away this month, so this report has been written by Peter Jung.

At the time of writing some reasonable rain has fallen in many of the catchments we discuss in this report, offering a small reprieve in the falling water levels many of our lakes are experiencing. These reprieves are good news for anglers as it often can fire up the fishing at your local waterway. The fish can be a little easier to locate as they push into areas seeking an easy feed, or move to their favourite piece of structure has a little more water around it to make them comfortable.

If forecasters are correct, these reprieves will become less frequent as the summer progresses, so take advantage of any that may occur.

The take away from that is as our daytime temperatures rise you will need to focus your fishing around the low light periods (first and last light) or even after dark (were possible) to improve your chances. Cooler ambient temperatures will bring our native fish into shallower water for short periods of time to feed before they retreat back to the depths as the sun gets higher in the sky.

Lures that are based around a reaction strike are often your best options when fishing these periods. Mumblers, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and surface lures provide the angler the ability to search the zones they wish to fish in the hope to elicit a reaction strike, while more finesse options will come into their own once the fish head into deeper water. Small vibes, metal spoons and soft plastics slowly hopped or rolled along deeper drop offs can be deadly.

Remember to slow your retrieve down.

If you think you are retrieving slowly, go slower again. It is almost like you are trying to tease these fish to bite your lure.

I wish everyone a happy new year and I hope you enjoy your fishing in 2024.

LESLIE DAM The fishing in Leslie Dam has continued to be excellent. Anglers chasing golden perch with lures or with bait have been having plenty of success. Most of the better fishing has come from the areas that drop into the old riverbed. You may need to wade through the smaller fish to find the better sized fish, but it is always nice to have a bend the in the fishing rod and things certainly are looking up for this fishery.

For those anglers casting lures, lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits have been the most reliable options in the morning and afternoons while hopping blades or plastics on or around deeper structure has been better during the heat of the day.

Although the cod fishing seems to have slowed, anglers trolling oversized deep diving lures along the deep drop offs have had some success. There is no question patience is the key to picking up a Murray cod at the moment. Trolling a heavier spinnerbait (1oz) in the same zones can sometimes change your fortunes. If you can troll slow enough to just get those blades ticking over, it can be a deadly on the cod.

MOOGERAH DAM Moogerah has really been fishing well and finding a fish there doesn’t seem to be an issue. As always, the question seems to be how do you get them bite?

The best fishing has tended to in and around the timber, with the fish moving from shallower water into deeper water as the day progresses. These fish can be in large schools and as mentioned, finding the key to unlocking what they will eat can be as frustrating as fishing gets. If the fish are in shallower water (under 20 feet) reaction style lures can come to the fore. Lipless crankbaits like Rapala V-Blades (5cm and 6cm), Jackall TN50’s or 60’s and DUO Nitro 65’s are all good options or even changing it up with a spinnerbait or mumbler (chatterbait) for a slower presentation can all work.

Once the fish move into deeper water (20 feet plus) using smaller lures and working them slowly seems to be the best option. Small blades like the ZX35 and

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3201 6232

217 Pine Mountain Road, BRASSALL 48 JANUARY 2024

Although many of the Leslie golden perch are small, there are some bigger models being caught.

40 are many peoples go to option. The small, very sticky assist hooks, seem to improve catches. Some anglers even add a second set of assist hooks to further improve hook up rates. Paddle tail plastics are another great option in this situation. Options like the Rapala Crush City “The Suspect” or the DUO Boostar Wake are a great profile and have plenty of tail movement, which seems to be ones of the keys to success. Try adding a jig spinner for a bit more flash, if the fish are only nipping at the tail of the plastic.

The addition of a fishing scent always helps to turn a timid bite into something more substantial.

MAROON DAM The summer months are always exciting at Maroon for those anglers that enjoying fishing surface lures. The early morning and late afternoon/evening surface bite at Maroon can be excellent.

Lures like the D-Style reserve and cicada imitations like the DUO Shinmushi can be deadly. There is nothing better than seeing a bass smash your surface offering.

Once the surface bite concludes, the fish tend to head to the deeper weed beds in the lake. Nursery Bay and Bass bay tend to always hold a few fish. Chatterbaits (mumblers) have been a popular option to target these fish with aa well as soft plastics.

There are also a couple of deeper rocky edges at either end of the lake that are also worth checking out mid-morning or later in the afternoon using lipless crankbaits or spinnerbaits.

These rocky zones can hold some of Maroon’s bigger bass and also offer the chance of picking up a golden perch.

BRISBANE – LAKE KURWONGBAH This popular kayak fishing location located in the northern suburbs of Brisbane has been fishing well and should continue to do so.

Kurwongbah has a significant amount of weed and lily pads around its margins and this is a haven for the fish

that inhabit it. With the warm weather expected in January the better fishing will be in the mornings and the afternoons.

Being a kayak fishery, the best fishing will generally be when any wind there is, isn’t too strong and allows you to fish effectively.

Having a sounder on your kayak is helpful at Kurwongbah due to the amount of weed, but this doesn’t mean you kind find fish without one. Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits (particularly if you rig them with inline singles) can be predominantly weed proof and are great searching tools. When you find the zone where the weed drops into deeper water, pepper it, as there is no doubt there will be hungry bass waiting to ambush it. Rapala 5cm V-Blades and Obsessions Spinnerbait 1/2oz bass series spinnerbaits are popular options.

During the heat of the day the fish will tend to school up in the deeper water off the various points in the lake. Most anglers target them using blades, spoons or even mumblers slowly worked just above the bottom of the lake where the active fish tend to sit.

Saratoga are often a bycatch at this time of the year at Kurwongbah. Most are caught early or late in the day. They tend to hold above the weed beds or along the lily pad line. Surface lures, jig spinner rigged plastics or anything that can be fished in these zones gives you a chance of picking up a toga.

Although a kayak only fishery, please be aware that ski boats frequent this waterway and zones are in place. Take care and be aware when the ski boats are around.

ENOGGERA RESERVOIR Another small kayak only fishery less than 20km from Brisbane CBD, Enoggera Reservoir is an emerging fishery in the Brisbane area. Australian bass and Mary River cod have been stocked into it in small numbers over the last 6 years. Access is via the Walkabout Creek carpark, with a 150-200m walk to

Freshwater QLD

FMM get to the launching site (it seems longer on the way out).

It is a beautiful waterway with trees and national park bordering its shoreline. The bass caught in it tend to be small with the occasional surprise mixed in. The outer border of the lily pad edge that extends from the shoreline tends to be where most fish are caught from. Casting lures along this edge gives you the best chance of success. Although most lure options seem to work (keeping in mind the fish are on the smaller side) lures in the 5cm size range seem to work best. Small lipless crankbaits like the Rapala 5cm V-Blade, Live Target Sonic shads, Jackall TN50’s have been standout lures, while small diving lures have also proved to be effective.

It is good to see some new fishing options starting to emerge. – Peter Jung CRESSBROOK Cressbrook has been fishing well in recent weeks, with good catches of yellowbelly and bass off the edges. Most people have been fishing flat, grassy banks with no structure with reaction baits like spinnerbaits and Jackalls. Late afternoon has usually been the best bite time.

Although most of the action has been on the edges, there have been some schooling fish out deep, mainly yellowbelly, taking ZX blades.

SOMERSET At Somerset, there’s been some good fishing for schooled fish at Pelican Point, The Spit and Bay 13. Heavy chatterbaits, such as Hot Bite Spectra Vibes, have been very effective. Spinnerbaits, spoons and soft plastics have also been catching their share.

A lot of the fish have been suspended, so trolling has been working quite well.

The fish have been taken on small deep divers, such as Poltergeist Extra Double Deeps, in dark colours like blacks and purples.

There are still some saratoga being caught up the back in the timber and up past the powerlines in the back of the creek, taking suspending jerkbaits like 67mm Squirrels.

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

They are an excellent store, specialising in all freshwater lures and tackle. The access gates to the ramp and day-use area will be open from 6am to 8pm.

AWOONGA The fish have sometimes been a bit hard to catch over the past month or so, but on the full moon we’ve been getting a few big barra on Squidgy Slick Rigs in black and gold. They have been biting on the western side of the lake, and rumour has it there’s a heap of fish being caught in New Zealand gully. I’ve also heard good reports from anglers fishing Flutter Creek.

When chasing barra at this time of year, I like to anchor in about 25ft of water off a weed bed and cast in towards the weed. I like to get there at about 6pm, before the sun goes down. When you’re fishing around weed beds, be sure to check for weed each cast. If you’re

never getting weed, that means you’re not getting close enough.

One of the stand-out lures lately has been the Molix Shad in ghost bass. I recommend adding a rattle, and you can do this by using a hot screwdriver to poke a hole in the shad, and push the rattle inside. The plastic will seal the hole behind the rattle as it cools.

I also use 13cm X-Raps in the same areas, with a dead slow retrieve with long pauses. During the day, I’ll use a bright colour like green and white, while in low-light conditions I’ll use purple and white, and in the dark I like black and gold. It’s good to keep a range of colours

sinking flies down to them. Flies like the DK Dancer, Beast flies, and Bendbacks work well fished around the weed towers.

You can also catch them on surface flies like big Dahlbergs and Double Barrel Popper Heads.

At Eungella Dam, try hitting the water early or late and target sooties on topwater.

A surface walker like the Ziggy SD 90 and small poppers around the trees can get good results.

Remember that it can get hot and crowded on the dams at this time of year, so try hitting the water early to beat the heat, and then come back late and fish into the night.

Hayden and Lionel Woods with a couple of Somerset saratoga caught on Jackall 67 Squirrels. on hand to see what works on the day.

In the weeks ahead, the fishing will depend on the weather. The fishing can be really good if you’re game enough to sit on the bank just after a storm.

• Mark from Awoonga Gateway Lodge always has a few productive secret spots to share. The Gateway Lodge is on the way 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 a stay, call Mark or Lyn on (07) 4975 0033.

KINCHANT, TEEMBURRA, EUNGELLA Plenty of barra have been caught on topwater at Teemburra and Kinchant in recent weeks, over the tops of the weed beds. Topwater usually goes well in the early morning and late afternoon into the night, and a couple of stand-out lures lately have been the Lively Lures Ziggy SD 110 or 140, the Zerek Skittish Dog and Rapala Skitter V. Anglers have also been getting good results finding schools of bait and then twitching hardbodies like 80mm Samaki Redics.

If the weather gets particularly hot, the fish may head deeper, and you can target them with soft plastics like Zerek Flat Shads or Pro lure XL shads with a 1/2oz jighead. You can also try vibes like Zerek Fish Traps and Samaki Vibelicious hopped off the bottom.

I have been catching a few barra

A final tip this month is to tie up to a tree or use the anchor, instead of running the electric when it’s windy. Anchoring is stealthier than having the electric running, and you’ll find you can you can get more bites.

• Mackay Fly & Sportfishing offers personalised full-day fishing adventures in salt and freshwater for a variety of great sportfish. MFSF specialises in fly and lure fishing, and is the only guided sportfishing operation of this style in the Mackay Region. For more information, visit www.

mackaysportfishing.com.au, email info@ mackaysportfishing.com.au or phone 0407 674 350.

TINAROO AND KOOMBOOLOMBA Plenty of good-size barra have been caught at Tinaroo over the past month. The bite in Tinaroo varies; one week it will fish best in the morning, and the following week it will be more of a nighttime bite. However, the most consistent time in summer is the ‘hour of power – 4:30-5:30am.

Kayak anglers have been doing pretty well slow trolling soft plastic paddletails, like Molix Swimbaits or the Berkley Shimma Pro-Rigs, around 2m behind the yak. It’s a good approach at this time of year, as the fish tend to feed more on the surface. The motion of the paddle in the water imitates the sound of feeding fish, so hungry barra will often come up to investigate. When they see the back of the kayak, they turn around to head back to the bottom, notice the lure and often eat it.

You can also get good results casting and slow-rolling plastics off the banks.

Bait fishers live baiting with mouth almighties have been doing quite well early in the morning and at night.

The action should continue in January, and the summer storms will fire up the fish. When the pressure drops, it initially puts them off the bite, but during the storm they switch on, and it’s even better (and safer) right after a storm.

At Koombooloomba, the water is crystal clear, with some big sooty grunter being caught. The best places to catch them are under overhanging trees and around the mud islands with deep timber. The stand-out lures have been Jackall Mask Vibes and Samaki Vibelicious. – Jai Irwin • The modern and fully stocked Cairns Tackle World caters for all styles of fishing.

The friendly, experienced staff love testing new and innovative tackle, and give the best possible advice and the right gear for you to catch your fish of a lifetime. Drop in and see them at 172 Aumuller St, Bungalow or phone 07 4031 4040.

AWOONGA GATEWAY LODGE

“ Right on Awoonga’s doorstep.

All set up for fishos, with tranquil surroundings. “

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

JANUARY 2024 49

TESTING BOOTH

Maui Jim adds to their offerings in 2024 FISHING MONTHLY

Peter Jung It feels like longer than 12 months ago that I reviewed a few options from the massive Maui Jim range of polarized sunglasses. It was an insight into lengths that Maui Jim will go to ensure every pair of glasses in their range offers the end user the ultimate in UV protection, vision clarity and colour, no matter what style you choose.

This quality extends into prescription

lenses as well. Maui Jim is globally recognised as one of the best prescription sun lens brands, with multiple awards coming their way. The thing I recognised with the prescription side of things is that it is not just a few styles within the range, it is a large majority of the range, therefore you can rest assure that you are spoilt for choice whether you need prescription lenses of not.

A few of 2024’s new offerings There is no doubt I feel very spoilt being offered the opportunity to try out five of the new Maui Jim styles for 2024.

Main: These are five of the new offerings from Maui Jim for 2024. These just add to the amazing number of options in frame style that they offer.

Above: Maui Jim The Flats model.

Although the author liked all the new styles, his two favourites were the Mangrove (right) and Ho’ okipa XL (left) models.

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY JANUARY 2024 2023 50 1 NOVEMBER

My last Testing Booth focused on the frame colour options, lens colours that are available in the Southern Cross and Relaxation Mode models (you can check that out in the December 2022 issue of Fishing Monthly).Here is what I was sent to test: Maui Jim – The Flats The version I received had a brown/ mint frame with a MAUIGreen ® super thin glass lens. There are five standard frame and lens combinations available in this model.

The Flats are quite a traditional shape with a playful twist having a two-tone colour palette in the frame. The frame

set up is also flatter or doesn’t wrap around your face as much, which is not something I have tried previously. From my prospective, these offer a slightly more out there look. I was instantly drawn to them when the sunglasses arrived. It’s definitely a model for those of us that base our sunglass choice on practicality than fashion, but secretly enjoy wanting to be fashionable as well – not something I ever thought I would write!

Maui Jim – Nuu Landing The style tested had a gloss black frame and a neutral grey super thin glass lens.

There are four standard frame and lens

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

TESTING BOOTH with the Maui Jim trademark HCL Bronze lens in the Maui Pure ® lens material.

This is a very lightweight and stylish option that I admit would be something this older angler would be unlikely to choose if I was out shopping for sunglasses. The semi rimless design would not be my first choice; however, these glasses have ®

changed my way of thinking. Although I would suggest a little less robust, fishing with sunglasses on that are featherlight and still (amazingly) remove the majority of glare from all directions (despite the lack of frame) really is a pleasure. It really is sun protection without knowing it is there. It definitely

Maui Jim Nuu Landing. colour combinations available in this model.

This frame is the more standard wraparound option I would look for, minimising light invasion from the side of the frames. I have to say a model (frame) that I would instantly go for and then select the lens colour best suited to my fishing needs. Lens customisation is always an option with any Maui Jim sunglasses. Maybe a white frame with a Hawaii Lava™ lens may be your go to option?

Maui Jim – Amberjack For this test I was supplied with a model that had a matte dark navy frame with black rubber along the base of the arms. It had a Blue Hawaii™ super thin glass lens. There are three standard frame and lens combinations available.

Remember all frames offer customised lens colour options with eight lens colours to choose from.

As anglers most of us tend to be pretty tough on our eyewear. I know I certainly fit into that category. From a sense of ‘this-is-going-to-handle-

anything-I-throw-at-it’ (within reason), I think the Amberjack model looks tough and practical. A wrap around style with a thicker frame offers maximum reduction of glare no matter the angle it comes from. A really good combination of rugged and practical.

Maui Jim – Mangroves The model option I received in the Mangroves frame option was the black

Maui Jim’s Amberjack model is a tough practical option in a wraparound style. It has been a bit of a lucky charm for the author as he managed to catch a couple of PB bass while wearing them on his home waterway Enoggera Reservoir.

Maui Jim Amberjack in Blue Hawaii™.

When the five models first arrived at the office, the author instantly took the Mangroves model. Whether it was the Hawaii Lava™ lens colour or stylish wraparound frame, he felt it would be popular amongst anglers.

matte frame colour and the Hawaii Lava™ super thin glass lens colour.

There are four standard lens and frame combinations available.

Like The Flats frame this model instantly caught my attention. More than likely because of the Hawaii Lava™ lens colour. It is an amazing looking lens. I think it also offered me what I would most likely buy if I was in the market for a pair of sunglasses. Wrap around design, thin stylish arms/frame and a lens colour that offers something for the individual. This is a model that would appeal to most anglers out there.

Maui Jim – Ho’ okipa XL The Ho’ okipa is very different to all the other models provided. It is a semi rimless design that comes in five standard lens and frame combinations. The version sent to me was the tortoise frame matched

shows that a fashionable frame option can be more than practical on the water.

What I have learnt while on the water First and foremost, the big thing I have confirmed is no matter the frame or the lens colour you purchase within the Maui Jim range you are getting a high quality pair of sunglasses that will offer you all the sun protection, glare reduction and vision clarity to suit any of your fishing needs. On top of that, Maui Jim offer such a comprehensive range of styles, I am pretty confident you will find a frame to suit you personally, whether it is fashion orientated, practically orientated or you simply have a face that you struggle to find suitable frames for. The five styles in this Testing Booth are all slightly different in their own right and yet I felt comfortable in all of them.

The big question was always

The Flats model is just a little different. A dual tone frame and a flat look rather than a wraparound frame offers a very stylish and fashionable look.

JANUARY 2024 NOVEMBER 2023 512

TESTING BOOTH

Above: Any day on the water is a special one and protecting your eyes while doing so is very important. Maui Jim sunglasses offer maximum sun protection, with magnificent optical clarity. Go and check them out for yourself.

Inset: Mangroves model in the Hawaii Lava™ lens colour. going to be which one I preferred, and as you can see from my remarks while explaining each model, I liked them all! As much as I would like to sit on the fence

take advantage of the flexibility that Maui Jim offers and customise the matte black frame with Maui Rose ® lens (a great full light to low light lens that was my favourite

Everything about this pair of Nuu Landing glasses says fishing to the author.

Maximum glare reduction from all angles and a no-nonsense style that will suit most anglers. A great offering and not a bad fish either. them. I wear them everywhere. I have a birthday coming up soon, so maybe a matte black frame with a Maui HT™ lens might be on my wish list.

So, there you have it, these five new options from in the Maui Jim sunglass range are well worth considering. Maui

Jim has a huge retail base that you can go and check them out personally or if you want to do a little research their website www.mauijim.com is an excellent source of information. It certainly explains all your options and should cover any questions you may have. Go and check them out.

MAUI JIM SUNGLASSES

The true surprise for the author was the Ho’opika XL. Not a style he would have selected prior to doing this Testing Booth. However, its featherlight construction and excellent glare reduction have changed his way of thinking.

He wears them everywhere. His daughters think there may be hope yet? with this one, it came down to two models, the Mangroves and the Ho’ okipa XL. As I said previously, the Mangroves frame will appeal to many anglers and I would

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY JANUARY 2024 2023 352NOVEMBER

from the previous Testing Booth).

Having said that, the pair I have worn the most has been the Ho’ okipa XL. They are so comfortable it is hard to go past

• Every model (male or female) and lens offer comprehensive UV protection for your eyes.

PolarisedPlus* is used by Maui Jim to provide complete UVA and UVB protection for the wearer. True peace of mind when you are out in the harsh Australian sun.

• All Maui Jim sunglasses are produced in either Italy or Japan, while the prescription laboratories are based in the USA and Germany (both have won major awards in their field).

• There are no polycarbonate lens used by Maui Jim. A lot of sunglass manufacturers offer polycarbonate lenses to reduce price points at the expense of lens longevity. Maui Jim offers two lens types, an Italian made super thin glass lens and a Japanese made proprietary synthetic lens (MauiBrilliant*). Both offer great

scratch/wear and tear resistance.

• Hidden reader option. As we age, many of us need glasses to assist reading or, in the case of many anglers, threading line through hook eyes or tying knots (particularly in low light periods). Maui Jim has a solution that can assist in this situation. A reader material in three add power options (+1.5, +2.0 and +2.5) is available on some models and the film is on the inside of the lens (only visible to the wearer).

• The eight lens colour options available are: Blue Hawaii, MauiGreen™, Neutral Grey, HCL* Bronze, Maui HT™, Maui Rose™, Maui Sunrise and Hawaii Lava™ • Don’t forget the website www. mauijim.com. It offers a great source of information as well as all your nearest stockists.

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

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

DAIWA 23 LEGALIS

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Strengthening Legalis’ reputation for reliability, performance, and bang-forbuck value, the 23 Legalis is primed to become a hit with Aussie anglers.

The latest Legalis welcomes Daiwa’s new Airdrive Design, a leap forward in spin reel design, form and function. It also features a redesigned Airdrive Rotor and Bail Arm, which reduces the weight of each part and greatly reduces start-up inertia. The result is that sought-after, buttery-smooth rotation that anglers all crave.

The Zaion V composite body is impervious to the harsh saltwater elements, and produces a rigid and sturdy frame that houses Daiwa’s famous Tough Digigear drive system. ATD drag, Infinite Anti-Reverse, Twistbuster II, and an ABS Longcast Spool combine to enhance the 23 Legalis’ performance and strength.

The Daiwa 23 Legalis is available now in sizes 2000D-6000D. www.daiwafishing.com.au

WILLIAMSON SOLID CARBON SJ ROD

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The new Williamson Solid Carbon SJ (Slow-Jig) rods are built using a solid carbon blank. This solid blank provides additional durability, responsiveness, and power in a lightweight package.

This rod’s parabolic action is perfect for slow-jig presentations and allows the rod to impart additional action to the jig.

The Solid Carbon SJ is available in three models, and each model comes in both spin and overhead configurations. It’s finished off with premium Fuji reel seats and components to aid with sensitivity, even when jigging the depths. www.rapala.com.au

SEPHIA CLINCH LONG APPEAL

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Shimano’s Sephia Clinch Long Appeal is a new and revolutionary squid jig.

Traditional shallow-type jigs have long struggled with limited cast distances and fast sinking rates. However, Shimano’s Sephia Clinch Long Appeal defies these limitations by incorporating a Jet Boost mechanism and a centre of gravity movement system. This innovative design enables anglers to achieve an average flight distance of 52m, surpassing all expectations.

One of the key advantages of this jig is its slow fall capability. With a sinking speed of approximately 7.4 seconds/m, this egi offers a slower fall rate than general shallow-type jigs. This feature is particularly effective when targeting wary squid, allowing anglers to present the jig with a tantalisingly slow descent.

The Sephia Clinch Long Appeal slow fall also enables land-based anglers to explore shallow weed beds with ease. It allows you to meticulously present the jig to large squid, even when the tide flow is slow.

Furthermore, the Sephia Clinch Long Appeal boasts exceptional action response.

It retains the superior performance of the Clinch series, allowing for precise actions of the rod and supporting a variety of actions, including continuous wind with wiggles and high jumps with sharp vertical jerks.

As well as a Jet Boost mechanism, this jig also has a Flash Boost mechanism. Coupled with a reflector suspended by a spring, the Flash Boost mechanism enhances the jig’s visual appeal. Whether during a darting action or on the fall, the built-in reflector sways and sparkles, captivating the attention of squid and maximising strike rates. www.shimanofish.com.au

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY

MAUI JIM MANGROVES

Mangrove trees and shrubs create an ideal shelter for marine life, and this unique fishing environment was the inspiration behind Maui Jim’s new Mangroves model.

This style combines the sleek coverage of a wrap silhouette with PolarizedPlus2 technology, allowing you to effortlessly navigate variable conditions with superior protection and enhanced visibility. The SuperThin Glass lenses inset in this nylon framework offer crisp views of the water, making Mangroves the perfect companion for fishing the estuaries and beyond.

The frames come in four options – black gloss, matte dark, tortoise and black matte. Each model features SuperThin Glass, which is 32% thinner and lighter than standard glass while providing superior scratch resistance.

There are four lens options: neutral grey with a bi-gradient front lens treatment, neutral grey with green mirror, HCL bronze with bi-gradient, and HCL bronze with red mirror. www.mauijim.com

ZEREK SLICK BACK

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The Wilson Slick Back has been a staple for native fish anglers for years, and this classic lure has now undergone a transformation into the Zerek Slick Back.

Maintaining the beautiful lines and dramatic action of its predecessor, the Slick Back is set to take on native fish like no other hardbody.

There are three floating models in the range – a 100mm, 90mm and 55mm – and each size comes with loud rattles that attract fish from afar. These deep diving lures will plumb the depths, searching out your next cod, golden perch or Australian bass.

Available in nine colours that include amazing natural and attractor patterns, the Slick Back lures are set to rule the scene again!

Price: SRP $17.99-$19.99 www.wilsonfishing.com

TT QUAKE POWER VIBE

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The new TT Quake Power Vibe is here, in three versatile sizes and 22 unique colours .

A thorough R&D process has resulted in a new generation of soft vibe, with a sleek and realistic baitfish profile, forked tail and fins, complete with UV-reactive eyes that provide a solid strike target. A holographic finish on the internal weight of transparent models adds realism, while the unique colours include natural baitfish imitations through to vibrant offerings loaded with UV-reactive highlights.

Built on a strong and durable stainlesssteel internal frame, that intensifies the vibing action, the Quake Power Vibe comes fitted with heavy-duty split rings and 4X strong Japanese trebles, ready to take on all comers straight out of the packet.

From bass to barramundi, flathead to threadfin salmon, and mulloway to snapper, the 75, 95, and 110mm sizes have you covered, from the freshwater impoundments to bluewater beasts.

Price: SRP $17.95-$21.95 www.ttfishing.com

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Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au NOVEMBER JANUARY 2024 202353 2

NSW

Sydney

FMM

Catching great-tasting fish off the beaches SYDNEY ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

January is a great time to get out for a fish because almost everything is biting. Here is my beach and rock fishing report for this month, which should rev you up and steer you in the right direction.

ROCK FISHING There are kings, bonito, some salmon and tailor on offer, especially in the period from dawn to just after sunrise. The tailor are in deeper water and further out to sea, and because the headlands you’re fishing allow you to access this deeper water, the tailor are often more reliable, compared to the beaches.

A few nice kings have been taken off the stones this past month.

This one was caught on an XL sea gar. There have been some larger fish landed as well.

One of the best ways to fish for tailor is with a pilly on a gang of 3 x 4/0 hooks. You can add a small ball sinker that slides straight to the eye of the

Three snapper from 38-64cm off the stones. One was caught on a 3/4 pilchard, and the others took large peeled king prawns. hook, or even fish unweighted.

If you start fishing in the dark, you need to have plenty of clearance in front of you; otherwise you could hook up on the ledge. If you want to lose fewer rigs, try adding a float and a glowstick. The glowstick can be either embedded in the float or on the line by using the float stopper. Set the length of line between 1-2m up the line, and when you cast out, the float will slide up to the float stopper. It’s great to see your float shoot down when a tailor takes the bait, and the time to strike is when you feel the tip load up and the shaking tailor on the other end.

Tailor are a great table fish when eaten fresh. They don’t freeze very well, so please take only what you need, and avoid smashing them too hard.

Just before dawn and well after sunrise, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter bonito as well. There’s also the chance of a kingfish or salmon. You may even get stuck into a decent snapper if you’re fishing a ganged pilchard rig without a float. I recommend 30lb line; it’s on the heavier side but gives you a better chance of landing a decent king.

If you’re specifically targeting

kings, I recommend 24kg (50lb) to 37kg (80lb) line and rod/reel set-up.

Even on heavy gear, a big king can absolutely hammer you.

Topwater fishing with big 200-220mm stickbaits is another way to target kingfish. It’s fun and hasslefree – you just pack your gear, rig up and cast. You don’t have to worry about catching squid.

Most deep-water rock fishing spots produce yellowtail and slimy mackerel at times. If you want to catch yellowtail for live bait, the standard approach is to use a sabiki rig (i.e. a mini paternoster rig with at least 10 hooks and a small fly on each hook). Fish your sabiki in a

Plastics like the Bait Junkie 7” Jerk Shad, with a jighead up to 3/4oz, enable you to cast out a reasonable distance on heavy gear. You can also get good results on the 160mm Saltiga Rough Ride topwater stickbait. For the smaller pelagics (tailor, salmon and bonito), the go-to metal is the OT Jig in the 30-40g size. You can go up to 60g, but 30g is better for those oftenfussy bonito. The early frigate mackerel and mac tuna tend to prefer the lighter metals, too.

For the mixed wash fishing for snapper, bream, salmon, some kings, bonito and so on, your best bet is to use squid strips, half pilchards and peeled king prawn baits. You’ll want to deploy a bread and pilchard mushy, wet berley mix to concentrate the fish. You can pick up snapper from 35-60cm, bream from 28-38cm, bonito, kings to 72cm, and late season trevally as well. I like to use 2/0 to 3/0 size hooks because these enable you to still hook trevally, bream and smaller snapper between 32-35cm.

I use 20lb J-Braid Expedition line in the smash orange colour, and 20lb J-Thread X Link fluorocarbon leader.

Distance casting for snapper is a popular pastime as well. I generally use 3-5oz snapper sinkers. Using an aerodynamic bait is good when distance casting because it enables you to cast out further and reduces twisted rigs.

Salted slimy mackerel, narrow squid strips, fresh bonito strips, and other oily fish baits are good. Remember that when distance casting, you need to get

COHOE MARINE PRODUCTS Wash fishing off the rocky headlands is a great way to catch kings, trevally, bream, bonito and more. Jim Orchard caught this beautiful plate-size snapper on his 625B Alvey.

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9519 3575

cohoemarine@bigpond.com

54 JANUARY 2024

bread/pilchard berley trail. If you have no luck, try adding a small piece of pilchard or prawn on the hooks.

An extra-large sea gar on a set of gangs works well on the kings. They cost around $20 a kilo, and you get about 10-12 garfish per kilo, depending on the size.

out past the nasty submerged boulders, cracks and weedy ledges. Your goal is to get well past the rock/reef by about 8-10m, landing your bait out in the sand/gravel areas.

For all of these species, your best bet is to fish the deeper water rock fishing spots. You can fish some of the

Sydney NSW

FMM shallower rock spots up to 4m deep, but rock spots that are 6m+ deep will fish better for the pelagics, snapper and trevally. The bream can be caught in very shallow water. I recommend North Whale Headland’s southeast point area, Bangalley Headland, South Avalon, Mona Vale basin rocks where the swimming pool is, and Bluefish’s eastern front.

BEACH FISHING Some of the beaches have been producing as many bream as whiting.

Some people don’t like bream much, especially if they’re used to catching them in the harbour, or from a discoloured river. However, bream caught from a surf beach are different. They’re generally cleanerlooking fish, and can taste better than other bream.

Dart are another good catch from the beach. Again, some people

don’t like catching them, but they’re actually good eating. The next time you catch a 35cm+ dart, take it home for a feed. You’ll ideally want to catch a few because they’re skinny and don’t yield big fillets. You will be surprised at their eating quality – both fried and as sashimi.

And, of course, no one disputes the quality of yellowfin whiting, which are a superb eating fish.

When beach fishing, you’ll have a better time if you travel light. That way, you can move from one beach gutter to another (which could be several hundred metres away) without too much effort. Fishing different gutters can give you a better chance of finding and catching more fish.

Beach worms, pipis and small sand crabs are the natural prey of whiting, bream and dart on the beaches. However, for the bream and

dart, you can get away with using peeled river prawns or fillets of mullet, tailor or mackerel cut into strips to suit a no. 1 to 1/0 hook. The prawns will catch a few whiting as well.

The salmon and tailor are on the beaches this month, with more numbers of tailor on the chew. Some of the tailor have been undersize, but most have been legal fish. Tailor are

gang pilchard rig with sinker weights up to 3oz with relative ease.

The beaches I suggest are Palm Beach, Avalon, Newport, Warriewood, North Narrabeen to Collaroy, Long Reef to Dee Why and Manly Beach.

If you’re fishing busy beaches like Manly and Dee Why, you might enjoy it better at night, when there can be fewer people.

Jen Sung shouted her partner Joshua a birthday beach fishing trip. They both had a great time catching some quality fish, including these nice whiting.

Beach fishing on a summer weekend is super busy, but you can still get good results. Ahmad Awad caught a number of fish, including this 41cm whiting, while fishing amongst surfers, swimmers, and surf lifesaving drills.

one of my favourite eating fish when they’re small (32-40cm). If you’re camping, a lightly fried tailor fillet with veggies or a salad on the side is very nice.

A good way to catch these fish is with metal lures like the 30g OT Jig, fished on a light outfit. I use the Daiwa Over There 109MH rod coupled with Daiwa 5000 BG MQ, and 15-20lb J-Braid Expedition line in the smash orange colour, with 20lb J-Thread X Link FC. An outfit like this also couples as a good medium bait outfit for tailor and salmon, casting a

To all, have a great January and enjoy the great fishing this month!

• Alex Bellissimo is an experienced rock fishing guide with proven teaching formulas. If you’re an experienced angler, he will bring your abilities to new heights. And if you’re new to rock fishing, Alex will teach you all the fundamentals so you can consistently catch fish -- and stay safe at the same time. All tackle and bait is supplied. To find out more, visit www.bellissimocharters.com.au, email alex@bellissimocharters.com.au, or call Alex on 0408 283 616.

FISHING NEWS

Stolen baskets for secret oyster farm A man has been caught in possession of 45 commercial aquaculture oyster baskets growing thousands of live Sydney rock oysters in the Tweed River in far northern NSW. During a routine patrol, NSW DPI Fisheries Officers detected oyster cultivation on a property situated immediately adjacent to the waters of the Tweed River.

A man was apprehended and found to have built an unauthorised oyster aquaculture facility in waters at the rear of his canal property. The oyster baskets used for the grow-out of the oysters were held within the unauthorised aquaculture structure, and it’s alleged that the baskets were stolen from several lawful leases on the Tweed River.

The man was found to be in possession of a total of 2176 live Sydney rock oysters, which were

likely destined for the black market. 1188 live Sydney rock oysters were returned live to the water, while the remaining 23 oyster baskets were seized. The matter is still under investigation, and the man is

facing several alleged offences under the Fisheries Management Act. DPI Fisheries states that illegal oyster farming is both a food safety and a biosecurity risk, because illegal farmers don’t comply with food safety and other regulations that licenced operators adhere to. NSW DPI Fisheries, NSW Police Rural Crime Prevention Team and the NSW Food Authority have joined forces in a bid to tackle oyster theft and address the growing black market.

The maximum penalty for undertaking aquaculture without a permit in NSW is $11,000. The maximum penalty for unlawfully removing oysters from an aquaculture lease is $5,500, and separate offences under the Crimes Act may also apply.

To report any suspected oyster theft or the illegal sale of seafood, call Fishers Watch on 1800 043 536 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. – NSW DPI Fisheries

JANUARY 2024 55

NSW

Sydney

FMM

Good spots for land-based and boat anglers SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Now that the Christmas rush is over and many of you start to settle into that relaxing holiday period, your thoughts may turn to good locations for catching a feed, or practising some catch and release.

January is a time when you can tangle with whiting, bream, dart and flathead off the beach; bream, trevally, drummer, luderick, salmon and tailor off the rocks; and bream, whiting, trevally, dusky flathead, luderick, tailor, salmon, kingfish, and mulloway in the bays and rivers.

There are so many options where you should go for a fish in January, regardless of whether you’re fishing off the shore or out of a boat.

Personally, I don’t mind whether I’m fishing land-based or from a boat, as long as I am fishing!

Here are my suggestions to give you a head start on where to go during January.

Terry Grima caught this mulloway while fishing for bass from his kayak near Norton Lakes in the Georges River. Not a bad fish on light gear. and leatherjackets.

ESTUARY BOAT 1. Trevally Alley on the northern side of Botany Bay for kingfish, bream, whiting, paned size snapper, bonito, dusky flathead and, of course, trevally.

2. The southern side drop-off on the Bare Island bombora for kingfish, bream, whiting, paned size snapper, bonito, dusky flathead, bonito, tailor, salmon and trevally.

3. Bonnet Bay in the Woronora River for bream, whiting and dusky flathead.

OFFSHORE BOAT 1. Jibbon Bombora for kingfish, snapper, trevally, bream, tarwhine, bonito, tailor and salmon.

2. Osborne Shoals kingfish, snapper, trevally, bream, tarwhine, bonito, tailor and salmon.

3. The Hump off Stanwell Park for snapper, morwong, trevally and the odd sand flathead around the edges.

ROCKS 1. North Bondi Rock for bream, trevally, luderick, tailor and salmon.

2. Kurnell Peninsular for luderick,

Carl with one of many bass caught on a redfin hardbodied lure that he had repainted. trevally, bream, tarwhine, snapper, tailor and salmon.

3. Jibbon Point for luderick, trevally, bream, tarwhine, snapper, tailor and salmon.

Try mixing up the colours of your jigheads and soft plastics to get better results.

ESTUARY LAND-BASED 1. Brighton Le Sands to Dolls Point would be worth a shot using pink nippers, blood worms, strips of mullet or tuna and half pilchards for bream, flathead, flounder and whiting.

2. The Cooks River break wall for tailor, trevally, bream, flathead, whiting and luderick.

3. The Silver Beach groynes at Kurnell for tailor, bream, whiting, trevally 56 JANUARY 2024

BEACH 1. South Cronulla to Greenhill’s Beach for bream, whiting, tailor, salmon and dart.

2. Jibbon Beach for bream, whiting and the odd dusky flathead and tailor.

3. Maroubra Beach for bream and whiting.

There you have it – 15 places to chuck a line in this month.

FACT 11 Here is the 11th fact in my monthly series of fishing tips.

I used to think that bait fishers who didn’t use berley were a bit crazy.

However, that all changed when I started to teach other anglers how to fish. Most of the people I taught in my classes simply didn’t know how/ when to use berley, so they didn’t bother with it.

Fortunately, it’s not hard to use

Bass have been on the chew in the saltwater section just below the Liverpool Weir and above it. Surface and diving lures have been working well.

berley effectively. The key to success is to have the correct combination of ingredients, and release the berley just a little bit at a time, rather than tossing in large amounts all at once (you want to attract the fish, not feed them). You should also use the flow/current of the water to your advantage, to keep the fish close to you. You’ll soon get the hang of knowing how often you should throw in more berley.

Over the years, I have used many techniques to attract a variety of fish to where I’m fishing, and it doesn’t matter whether you are working a gutter, sand spit or rip – using berley will attract fish to your baits. Some of the ingredients and combinations in my berley are bread, chicken layer pellets, dog or cat food (larger pellets), pilchards, prawn heads and shells, fish frames, wheat, bread crumbs, tuna oil and bran.

That’s it for this month. Don’t forget to keep those reports and photos coming to gbrown1@iprimus.com.au.

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Byron Coast

FMM

Bread-and-butter species are on the chew BALLINA

Joe Allan

Happy New year to all readers. I hope the Christmas festivities were great for all your families.

Crabs have turned up in patches around the middle reaches from Pimlico to Broadwater, and even higher

crankbaits at the walls early in the morning while the tide is running.

Fluorocarbon line straight through is best suited for this. A good lure to try is the Atomic Crank 38 Deep, and the best colour depends on the clarity. It’s good to use dark colours in low light conditions, solid and bright colours for dirty water, and more translucent and natural finishes for bright sun

Harrison Clements with a 90cm flatty caught in Shaw’s Bay.

Damon Andrews with a bass from the upper reaches of the Wilson River. up around Woodburn. There have been reports of plenty of blue swimmers still around. The muddies, while a little patchy, have shown up but you might have to do some searching for them.

Hopefully we’ll get some rain to stir them up a bit more. Give your pots plenty of time to settle and let the crabs find the bait. The best baits are definitely blackfish frames if you can get your hands on some. A few old timers also swear by using forktail catfish as crab bait. It’s worth a shot if you happen to catch a catfish.

The lower reaches of the Richmond have produced some great catches of bream of late. Try casting noisy

Bass have been around Coraki and Woodburn, but have also well and truly moved up stream and spread right out.

You may find them in patches but for good numbers, try the upper reaches around Lismore and Casino. If you’re out early or late and the cicadas are

new Fur Finish models accounting for some really good numbers and sizes.

Offshore has been patchy. The best option lately has been to target mahimahi around the FADs. Make sure you get a long drift on these, and live yakkas have been best with almost no

and clearer water.

The whiting fishing has been going well in recent weeks. The shallow sand flats in North Creek and out the front of the RSL have been producing some solid fish on Bassday Sugapens and the new Sugapen Splash.

The beaches have been 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 (a skill I have not yet mastered). Remember if you get some pipis, you’re not allowed to take them off the beach to use elsewhere.

Flatties are on the chew. This one took an Atomic Crank 38 Deep in muddy prawn colour.

The new Bassday SugaPen Splash is fast becoming a popular whiting lure.

58 JANUARY 2024

deafening, remember to tie on your surface lures to imitate these tasty snacks for bass. The trick with these is 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 have been producing some great catches, with the

weight. If you’re 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.

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Coffs Coast

FMM

A whole host of hot fishing opportunities COFFS COAST

Rob Taylor

Welcome to a new year, and hopefully it will be full of screaming drags and some PBs on the deck. January usually marks the transition from spring to full-on summer fishing, and we all love this time of year due to the array of species on offer. You can catch anything from bass in the creeks to big flatties and jacks in the rivers, to lots of pelagics offshore.

We’ve had a good run into January, with warm temperatures and warm currents creating a veritable bonanza of fishing opportunities for locals and visitors alike. Despite the general lack of rain, there’s been some good bass

The author with a perennial summer favourite, mahimahi.

Cameron Hall with a proper North Coast lizard.

Now is the time to be out croc hunting.

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fishing up in the hills. More than a few 50cm+ fish have been falling to topwater and diving lures, such as crankbaits and chatterbaits. The bigger systems such as the Mann, Nymboida and Clarence rivers are the places to be if you want a solid bass. They’re also well known for holding Eastern cod; just be sure to handle these iconic fish carefully and release them as soon as possible. The additional benefit of these systems is they are simply magnificent areas to fish, and the scenery is second to none.

Bass are the focus this month, as it is the peak time to chase these green Aussie battlers. My advice would be to target the upper reaches and be prepared to cover ground whether you’re on foot or in a kayak/canoe. As I said, the country is breathtaking, so you’ll enjoy the experience even if the fish are hard to come by.

There’s plenty of other great fishing

on offer around the Coffs coast this month, so let’s jump right in and take a look.

CREEKS AND RIVERS Summer marks the peak of the fishing in our local creeks and rivers for species such as flathead, whiting and mangrove jacks. The big flatties will be on the weed edges, flats and dropoffs and will fall to a variety of bait and artificial presentations. Using large glidebaits and soft plastics is a sure-fire way to find large females, but don’t discount shallow-running crankbaits and even surface lures. Another way to catch a feed of flathead is to drift along the flats on an incoming tide with live poddy mullet; a well-presented livie is hard to pass up.

Whiting will also be up on the flats, and fishing a run-in tide with fresh yabbies or worms is an easy way to bag these culinary delights. The Urunga and Nambucca rivers are favourites for whiting, as are Bonville, Boambee and Moonee creeks.

If you want a big mangrove jack, January is the best time to get one. Try the river rock walls, rock bars, snags in the upper reaches and bridge pylons at night for the red devils. Live mullet or yellowtail are gun baits, but the jacks will also readily take lures. Just be sure to fish with the right size gear or you’ll be laughed at.

ROCKS AND BEACHES If we’re lucky and the current arrives on time, we should see the first longtails and Spanish mackerel caught off the rocks at the end of this month.

There are always a few early pelagics in January, so keep an eye on water temp.

If it’s warm enough in close, hit the local ledges with live baits or lures.

Tailor tend to thin out through

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FMM January, but the odd fish will make an appearance right on sunrise or sunset if you like chasing choppers on lures.

The usual headlands will hold breadand-butter fish such as bream and dart.

There’s also the occasional drummer, but these tend to be much harder to find at this time of year.

It’s a fun time of year to be fishing off the beaches as the gutters will be holding flathead, bream, dart and whiting, with the occasional tailor and

late-run salmon. You can have a ball off the Coffs beaches during January if you’re looking for some fun with the kids and a fridge full of tasty fish.

Boambee Beach is a great place to prospect gutters, and the beauty of this beach is you can drive your 4WD along the sand until you find a good spot. Otherwise, try North Beach, a bit further to the south.

OFFSHORE We should start to see the offshore

Trout in shorts? Yep, our region has it all this month, just ask local gun Troy Boulton.

Cameron Hall rarely has time for sleep as he’s usually fishing. One of his favourite summer species is bass.

pelagic action begin to hot up this month, and there’ll be everything from mackerel (spotted and Spanish) to wahoo, marlin (stripes, blacks and blues) and yellowfin all starting to arrive as the warm water moves down the coast.

The most reliable places to find fish will be any of the Solitary Islands.

I always like to pull hardbody lures

around the islands at this time of year, as it’s a sure way to locate the fish. The fish will be at whichever end of an island the current is hitting. Watch for birds, bait and activity on your sounders, and you’ll soon have rods bending over.

2023 went by so fast, and it’s a reminder that life is short, so enjoy the water and the many options January has to offer.

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JANUARY 2024 61

NSW

Coffs Coast

FMM

South West Rocks is all about pelagics SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Vic Levett

Holiday season is upon us, and hopefully there is plenty of great fishing in store for us. At Oceanhunter we hope you all had an awesome Christmas and are enjoying a wellearned break.

The biggest hurdle of late has been the weather. Fresh to frightening north-easterly winds have been a real bugbear for anyone wanting to venture offshore. Fingers crossed January will have some more settled weather

Trial Bay will see a lot of activity this month. The 11 Fathom reef, the Jail Grounds and Jims Hole will see a lot of people slow trolling live Slimies in the hope of encountering marlin, cobia and mackerel. The reefs around Grassy heads will also be a hot spot for boats targeting both spotted and Spanish mackerel and cobia. Snapper should also fire up on the inshore reefs this month, and a bit of berley and lightly-weighted baits drifted through the trail should do the trick.

As usual, fresh is best. It’s not hard to get at the moment, with lots of slimies, yellowtail and more on tap.

Big mahimahi are always a welcome catch on board Oceanhunter Sportfishing Charters.

This mackerel was taken on an Untamed Stickbait by Zane Levett. patterns, allowing us to enjoy our time on the water.

December saw plenty of mahimahi (dolphinfish) on the DPI FADs, with water temperatures hovering around 23°C. Small live baits and soft plastics have been getting plenty of attention from these fast-growing fish. Keeping your livies as healthy and lively as possible will entice more bites, especially when the mahi are finicky, which they sometimes can be. Leaders of around 40lb and smaller 4/0 hooks can also be helpful when they are in a cautious mood.

Mahimahi are one fish that needs to be chilled in an ice slurry as soon as possible to ensure their excellent eating qualities. Brain spiking and bleeding them is also a good way of getting the best out of these fish.

Kingfish have been around for the past few months, and there have been some very large fish amongst them.

Both Jack and Zane have been getting into some good fish over 130cm. Fish Rock has been the centre of activity for the kings, and there are plenty of 70-90cm school fish kicking around.

Unfortunately, the sharks will only get worse from now on, so keep your fight times down to a minimum by fishing heavy tackle. That’s about the only way to get your king to the boat in one piece.

62 JAN/UARY 2024

ESTUARY School mulloway have made a great return since the floods, which provided just the right conditions for them to spawn. There are lots of undersized fish kicking around, and releasing them in the best condition possible will ensure plenty of larger models in the years ahead. Soft plastics and herring jigged up around Martys Flats wharfs are the go.

Flathead have been biting well for the lure guys. The mangroves around Stuarts Point have been holding good numbers of fish, with plenty of larger models in the mix. A live herring

flicked around the drop-offs is a fun way to target them.

Bream, whiting and luderick have all been prevalent around the break walls of the river and Back Creek.

Fish as light as possible, and make sure your bait is as fresh as possible to maximise success.

ROCK AND BEACH January can see some great catches off the rocks. Hat Head is a great spot to encounter all manner of fish, from mackerel to marlin. Fishing a live bait under a float or casting lures can score you some really large fish.

Mulloway are also in the cards, when conditions allow. In January the northeasterlies can be relentless at times, but occasionally you’ll can get a small window to chase these much sought-after species. Mullet or tailor slabs, soft plastics and hardbodies will work.

That’s it for this month. Remember, as the saying goes, ‘if in doubt, don’t go out’. This applies for the ocean, crossing the river bars and for fishing off the rocks. Stay safe and enjoy all that South West Rocks has to offer.

As always, make sure you drop into

our local tackle shops to get the most up-to-date intel on what’s biting and where.

• Vic Levett and his son Zane run Oceanhunter Sportfishing charters out of the beautiful South West Rocks. They target all manner of sports fish from

Hopefully January will see good numbers of marlin that South West Rocks is famous for.

The Macleay River should fire for big flatties throughout summer.

king fish, mackerel, cobia and all way through to the famous black marlin of Trial Bay. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced angler, the boys will put you onto the best fish available. To find out more visit www.Oceansportsfishing. com.au, Insta Ohsportfishing, Facebook Oceanhunter Sportsfishing. Email vic@oceansportsfishing.com.au, or call 0414 906 569.

Macquarie Coast NSW

FMM

Visitors enjoy the beautiful Macquarie Coast THE HASTINGS

Kate Shelton

Whiting numbers have picked up noticeably in the local systems, with Limeburners and Lake Cathie well worth a look. School prawns remain the bait of choice; however those anglers who prefer to throw surface lures have also again enjoyed success.

The flathead fishing remains excellent, with the Hastings River

Camden Haven.

Moving to the offshore scene, the Port Macquarie Game Fishing Club’s 40th Golden Lure is the talk of the Macquarie Coast at present. It will run from 5-13 January, and hopefully, there will be favourable conditions and plenty of pelagic fish caught throughout the week of fishing. Good luck to all competitors.

Further south, off the Camden Haven there have been catches of snapper, teraglin and pearl perch on the reefs in around 60m of water, with pilchards and squid being the baits of choice. All the local FADs are now holding mahimahi. Most of them are smaller-sized fish, but there are a few larger specimens hanging around.

With school holidays in full swing now, we will start to see the local boat ramp car parks full, and a steady stream of boats crossing the bar in the early hours of the morning. It is a timely reminder that the boat ramps are packed at this time of the year, so please be respectful and patient with other boaties.

Bream and whiting numbers remain consistent off the beaches, with both North Shore Beach and Lighthouse Beach in Port Macquarie worth a look. Some quality tailor have also been active at both dawn and dusk.

Off the rocks, a few tailor and bonito are showing up as the water begins to clear. Small metals have been the go. Luderick are also a viable proposition during the day, whilst those fishing the evenings

Port Macquarie father and daughter duo, Rick and Freya Adorini (3yo). Freya caught this great flathead in Lake Cathie.

She loves going fishing with her mum and dad. have encountered a steady stream of pan-sized bream.

Land-based game fishing anglers, it is time to dust off your gear, with the start of the warm water off our coast. Some early reports have come in from South West Rocks, Hat Head and Crescent Head of black marlin, cobia and kingfish caught off our local headlands.

• Kate Shelton is the proud owner of Bay Explorer Marine Services and specialises in making deep-drop fishing rigs for blue-eye trevalla, bar cod, king fish and bass groper. For more info, look up ‘Bay Explorer Marine Services’ on Facebook and Instagram, or find her store on eBay.

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John Henderson with a 30kg mulloway he speared locally off the rocks. producing great results on both whitebait and lures. On the bream front, your best bet is in the Camden Haven River off the break walls using mullet fillets, mullet gut or brined prawns.

For bream in the Hastings River, lures are again proving effective, with those anglers fishing around the Wauchope area also scoring a few solid bass.

On the mulloway front, the break walls are just producing the occasional school-sized fish. 26-28 January will be the best time to target them, and an early evening session could be well worth a look for a larger model. Live baits or large lures will both be worth a try.

For crabbing enthusiasts, mud crabs have been terrific in the Hastings and Macleay rivers, along with some nice blue swimmers in the

The author’s father, Geoff Shelton, with a snapper he recently caught off Port Macquarie.

JANUARY 2024 63

NSW

Macquarie Coast

FMM

Perfect conditions for beach and estuary fishing FORSTER

Luke Austin

Happy New Year! The beautiful towns of Forster and Tuncurry have been buzzing with activity over the festive period, with loads of holidaymakers flocking to the area to enjoy one of the most beautiful regions in Australia! Our beaches and waterways have been absolutely perfect, and the weather has been relatively wellbehaved so far.

On the fishing front, despite being insanely busy, the estuary remains the most productive option. At the top of the list is the mighty flathead, which can be caught throughout most of the lake.

By far the most successful method of chasing a few flatties is to cover a bit of ground throwing some lures about. Try to target areas of broken ground such as oyster leases, patchy weed beds, rock walls, etc., and if you can fish the run-out

If you get upriver you will find some cracking bream.

Alan with a nice flathead. tide, you will find a lot more action than the run-in tide.

Lure choice is not overly important; the fish will happily take all sorts of different things in the 3-6” range. That said, white-coloured lures seem to be working particularly well for most anglers.

Those big trophy fish that we all love to chase have been hard to tempt of late. However, those anglers who have persisted with throwing the larger presentations have managed to land one or two fish each session.

If you prefer the relaxed approach of soaking a bait, try drifting the same areas with baits of whitebait, mullet or bonito strips, prawns or pilchards. This should see you land a decent mixed bag of flathead and bream along with the odd whiting, leatherjacket and flounder.

Trumpeter whiting continue to fish extremely well, with some great catches coming from the usual spots as well as the main channels much closer to the mouth of the estuary. The larger sand whiting continue to be a bit funny, with some

anglers reporting some amazing action, while others struggle to find any at all! The better sand whiting reports seem to be coming from up the system a bit, so if you struggle to find many fish down around the bridge, don’t be afraid to move up and try areas like Lanis, Dago Island, Regatta Island, Jonnel Park etc.

Bream reports have been mixed.

The lower reaches of the system have been fishing really well for anglers fishing bait, and the rock walls and oyster leases

The local beaches have finally started to produce a few decent fish! Hitting any of the bigger beaches with a handful of beach worms or pipis should see you landing plenty of dart and solid bream, along with the odd whiting and flathead.

If you are up nice and early and feel like covering a bit of ground throwing metal lures, there is still the odd tailor about.

Most of the tailor are around the 30-40cm mark, which is a good size for this time of the year.

As of yet, there is very little to report from the stones. However, we are finally starting to see a bit of bait getting about in close, so with a bit of luck, the predators won’t be far behind.

Offshore fishing has been very good lately. Demersal species have been spread all over the place, with plenty of trag and snapper hitting the decks from the reefs out in 40-80m. The shallow grounds up north have also been producing some great snapper action, with plenty of fish up to about 5kg being landed.

On the pelagic front, things have really hit another gear with black marlin starting to cruise about in close.

Finding bait is incredibly difficult out there, but those boats that have put the work in and found the bait have had no dramas converting baits into fish! Unfortunately, the FAD is still only producing the odd legal mahimahi, with

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around The Paddock have been holding some huge fish. They are great fun on light gear!

Unfortunately, reports from anglers chasing bream further up the system have been lacklustre. The weed beds and flats have been holding a few fish but nowhere near the numbers we would normally expect in January. The upper reaches of the tributaries are fishing a little better, with some really nice fish falling for surface lures and small plastics. With a bit of luck, the surface activity should increase in the coming weeks.

the majority of fish well undersized.

Still, it’s worth checking out if you are out that way because you never know what might turn up!

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

Hunter Coast NSW

FMM

Seek out hot spots away from holiday crowds CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

Welcome to another year and what will hopefully be a good one for everyone. January is typically our hottest month, and a huge stream of warm ocean water has been pushing down the coast, so over the next few weeks both ocean and land temperatures should be peaking.

Most years we get our warmest currents in February and March. No two years are exactly the same though, so I suspect the main period of warm

of the most crowded fishing spots along the entire Central Coast region. The more bonito, kings and other pelagics show up here, the more the anglers will also show up!

As much as I love the place, it can be testing when it’s lined up shoulder-to-shoulder, casting.

My advice is to either turn up there super early, around an hour before sunrise, or head to other rock ledges that may not be so crowded. Terrigal, Norah Head and the northern stretch from Wybung to Catherine Hill Bay can also turn on great fishing, and get crowded at

You should find plenty of flathead willing to pounce on baits or lures throughout Brisbane Waters, the lower Hawkesbury, the southern end of Lake Macquarie and The Entrance this month.

There are plenty of bream around Brisbane Waters and the lakes right now. The author caught this one near Woy Woy on a small metal vibe. You can also get good catches on surface lures. water could be more prolonged.

Hopefully it will encourage fish like Spanish and spotted mackerel, cobia, rainbow runner and wahoo to feature amongst hook-ups over the coming weeks.

An average January often has some cooler bits of water still hanging around close to shore, especially when the northeasterlies are blowing hard. That could still be the case this month, although I’d be prepared with whatever tackle you’ve got for your chosen warm water target species. While I’ve always liked lure casting from the rocks for bonito, other anglers may have marlin or inshore kingfish on their minds. So, stock up on lures or bait jigs and be prepared to get into some action, either locally or further up the coast.

Speaking of rock fishing, you’ll see a photo here of the big South Avoca platform devoid of people.

I took that photo a few weeks before the holidays started. Over the coming few months this big, productive rock ledge will be one

this time of year, so before heading to any of our main rock spots, take moment to plan ahead and consider your options. As always, wear a legal

life vest when rock fishing here, and only fish when weather and sea conditions are calm.

Some of our beaches also get crowded during the holidays period, which is no surprise. However, the good news is that fish like whiting, bream, tailor and flathead can be caught from spots without all the people. A slight detour in the car or walking a bit further along the beach is normally all it takes to find a nice, fishy gutter all to yourself.

Of course, the earlier you’re on the beach the better, at this time of year.

Take a look at the tides and try to fish early in the morning when the tide is rising. Easier said than done, I know, but if you get the chance it’s worth doing.

The same general theme applies when fishing our enclosed

The large South Avoca rock platform. The fishing should be red hot here in the coming weeks, but unfortunately it will be crowded. You’ll want to get there well before sunrise or try less popular rock fishing spots.

waterways. There are typically crowded spots dotted around the area, but there’s plenty of fishing around the Hawkesbury, Brisbane Waters and the lakes where fewer people go, and the results can be good. The Entrance, Budgewoi, Woy Woy, Gosford and Mannering Park are some places to avoid during the peak holiday period. I recommend taking a look at Google Maps to find launching spots or jetties adjacent to bays, channels and feeder creeks.

Here you can enjoy some good fishing, without being too bothered by noisy boats or jet skis.

Bream, flathead and whiting have been going well in all of our waterways lately, and this will continue in the coming weeks. A fun summer activity is to take a scoop net and strong light to the shallower, sandy bays around the lakes, and round up some prawns at night. They’re probably the best bait you could use right now.

Locally gathered or purchased pink nippers, blood worms, beach worms and pipis are also top-notch summertime baits.

Like many keen anglers though, lures are often my weapons of choice when chasing bream, flathead and whiting. Soft plastics in the 80-120mm range are excellent for flathead, while 45-65mm surface poppers or stickbaits will get the bream and whiting fired up when cast over the shallower flats.

All in all, January is an excellent month for fishing here, if you avoid the crowds.

Those anglers who are prepared to get out of bed super early, or venture a bit further away from the main towns or popular spots, should be rewarded.

JANUARY 2024 65

NSW

Hunter Coast

FMM

Rewards for anglers who hit the water early PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

The summer school holidays are by far the busiest time to be fishing in Port Stephens, but despite the crowds it’s a great time of year to have a line in the water.

Inside the estuary system, the key to success this month is to fish early in the morning before all the commotion starts and the fish shut down.

One of the best species to target is the dusky flathead. They’re being found in good numbers from the mouths of Tilligerry Creek and Karuah River all the way up the entrance of the Port. On the high tide, fish the intertidal flats areas with either soft Plastics or hardbodied lures. There are plenty of big girls around too, with fish well into the 90s not uncommon at this time of year.

Remember that it’s now law for any dusky flathead over 70cm to be returned to the water. Be sure to

There are plenty of hungry flathead around at the moment. handle these bigger fish with care, and support the belly for a quick photo before sending them off to do what they do best.

Big, tasty sand whiting are patrolling the shallow, clear waters

around Shoal Bay, Nelson Bay and Jimmys beaches. These fish are suckers for a live worm presented on a #4 long shank hook with a light 4lb leader. If you can’t get your hands on live worms, try pumping some nippers around Corlette or Taylors Beach on the low tide. They are the next best bait for whiting.

The moorings around Shoal Bay are probably the best option for catching squid inside the Port.

Drifting whilst casting a size 2.5 squid jig is an excellent way to get a few of them for bait or for the table.

BEACHES At this time of year there’s a real opportunity to catch that fish of a lifetime that every surf angler dreams of, as big mulloway come out to play.

By far the best way to get connected to one of these silver ghosts is to use a live bait such as a mullet, tailor, or whiting, and pick a nice, deep gutter to fish along any of the local surf beaches.

ROCKS There’s plenty of fun to be had off

the rocks, with good numbers of tailor and bonito to be spun up around Box Beach, Fingal and Tommaree Heads.

Using light metals around 20g on a 20lb outfit is perfect for this type of fishing.

OFFSHORE There have been consistent numbers of stripes on the shelf, and we should see a few black marlin turn up on the inshore grounds this month.

Last year was an exceptional year for inshore marlin, perhaps the best ever. While another season like that is doubtful, even if it’s half as good this year it will make for some fantastic fishing. If you’ve never targeted marlin before and want to tick one off your bucket list this year, the best way to do it is by slow trolling or drifting live baits through bait schools around the inshore reefs. Water temperatures over 21°C are preferable, so it’s a good idea to get yourself a sea surface temperatures app, and time your trips when you see that nice, warm water pushing in close to the coast.

Prawn run gives a boost to the estuary fishing SWANSEA

Jason Nunn

As we usher in the new year, there’s plenty of great fishing to enjoy along our part of the coastline.

The water temperature coastally has been building throughout December, and the temperatures out wide on the shelf are around 23.5°C and increasing.

The mahimahi have turned up on the shelf, and there are good numbers of baitfish around. Striped marlin and the odd blue marlin have been reported around the 70-150 fathom line. As January progresses, we can expect the fishing to improve even more with the arrival of the small black marlin population.

Around the Farm area, the Swansea FAD is now holding reasonable numbers of mahimahi, although a lot of them have been small. The larger fish have been around the fish traps, from Redhead down through to Norah Head, in around 90-100m.

Good snapper, kingfish and trag have also been caught; however, current remains a problem as the EAC is still travelling down.

The inshore reefs have been fishing really well for snapper, with most of them coming from around 20-35m of water. Floating baits or soft plastics on these reefs is an effective approach.

Any 5” plastic like Gulp Jerk Shads or ZMan Jerk ShadZ will do. Normally, when fishing the inshore reefs you’ll want head weights from around 1/4oz to 1/3oz, depending on current and 66 JAN/UARY 2024

wind drift. Wait for your plastic to fall to the bottom, then give it a couple of vertical jigs, a slow roll, a pause, a couple more vertical jigs, and then retrieve it back to the boat. Don’t let it sit on the bottom for too long, because you want to avoid the sergeant baker and other undesirables.

When you’re on the drift, always cast forward of the boat. As the lure gets level with the boat, give the plastic a couple of jigs and bring it back in.

Another option over the inshore reefs is to have a bait on a running sinker rig suspended in the middle of the water column (or a suspended jig). This can be effective for pelagics such as bonito, tailor, and the odd snapper or kingfish.

Trag numbers have been strong on the inshore reefs. The best results have come from fishing the high tide or very early in the morning and late in the evening.

Pilchards and live baits have been working the best. A J hook is better than a circle hook for trag because these fish will suck on the bait and swim upwards. You’ll feel a tap as the fish sucks on the bait. Don’t strike yet; just lift the rod tip slowly, and you’ll see it start to load. That’s when you should strike – and hold on. They are great fighting fish and are very good eating, too.

At the time of compiling this report, we haven’t seen a whole lot of bonito coastally, but this should improve as January progresses. The area between Moon Island and Mawson Wall is a good place to try for them. You can catch them by trolling surface lures like feathers, Smiths jigs or deep-diving lures such as Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows, or spin them

up with chrome slugs. For bait fishos, the standard approach is to float pilchards down a berley trail.

On the beaches, the water temp is around 20-21°C, and there are plenty of whiting, dart, and bream being caught.

The standout bait has been tube worms.

Mulloway are a good target on the beaches in the evenings. The best way to catch them is with squid or fresh tailor slabs – if you can get them. There aren’t many tailor along the beaches at the moment, but we can expect their numbers to build in February and March.

The January prawn run falls on the 6th, and this will boost squid numbers, not only in Swansea Channel but throughout the lake. It’s a good time to catch squid in the channel to use as live bait for kingfish off the bridge. We can expect increased boat traffic over the holiday period, and it can be an uphill battle trying to fish the pylons while boats and jet skis are zooming around. The fish don’t like the traffic either and tend to move away from the bridge to areas like Marks Point dropover, so that’s a better option if you want to catch a kingfish. You can also try downrigging squid around the yacht turning makers, which could tempt a big mulloway.

Smaller squid jigs have been best, from 1.5-2.5 in size. A standout has been the Yamashita Egi Sutte R, which comes in a diverse range of colours and small sizes.

Whiting and bream have been strong all December, but the January prawn run will up the ante on fish numbers.

Flathead will be more plentiful as well,

just remember that it’s illegal to keep a dusky flathead over 70cm, and there’s a bag limit of five fish between 36-70cm.

If you catch a big girl, please handle her with care and release her as soon as possible. That way, she’ll be in good shape to spawn.

Blue swimmer crabs have had a great season so far, but in January many of the males will be empty after mating. You can tell if they’re empty by how light they are, and their shell will also be a bit soft. There’s no point keeping them until they put more condition on.

If you’re planning to head out in the boat this month, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Ungula Rd/Blacksmiths ramp has reopened.

Finally, if you’re a visitor to the area, please be advised that fishing off Swansea Bridge is illegal. The authorities will be patrolling these areas during the holiday period to ensure everyone is doing the right thing.

• Fisherman’s Warehouse Tackle World has a large range of 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 call them on (02) 4945 2152. You can also find them on Facebook or check out their website at www.fishermanswarehouse.com.au.

Illawarra Coast NSW

FMM

Enjoy some heart-pumping action over the reefs ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

This is what we have all been waiting for: hot weather, hot water, hot fishing and holidays. It doesn’t get much better. Now it’s time to try that new fishing gear that Santa brought, and there’s no shortage of places around the Illawarra to score a few fish.

The beaches are popular, and with so many to choose from you can always find a spot to yourself. Still, the crowds will be where the fish are, and whiting will be the main target this month.

Warilla and Windang are always popular, as is MM Beach, but you will find whiting on just about every piece of sand along the coast. Live beach worms are the top bait if you are serious, and can catch them. If not, you’ll find the odd tackle shop that has them for sale, or you can get your hands on some tube worms or pump a few nippers.

Flathead don’t mind worms either (nor do salmon), but you can get just as many or more by casting 75mm soft plastics into the gutters on any beach.

During the evenings, you can soak a bit of fresh slimy mackerel fillet in the gutters for flathead, salmon, tailor, bream, trevally and school jewies.

You should upgrade your bait size and tackle for larger jewies after dark, particularly on the northern beaches and the deep gutters down south on Bombo Beach on a high tide.

The estuaries are at their peak, with small fish and prawns everywhere being hunted down by everything bigger than them.

Flathead are all along the main channel in the lake and around the

Mahimahi are a summer favourite, and they will be gathering around the FADs and floating objects as the water warms.

drop-off, with the deeper parts of Minnamurra holding some nice flatties as well. Prawn pattern plastics work really well at this time of year, but most plastics will score fish. The ever-reliable live poddy mullet is also deadly.

Bream can be found around the rocky outcrops and islands and around the bridge pylons. Live prawns fished into the pylons with little or no weight on a rising tide should keep you busy, and you might pick up a few flathead as well.

Get some prawns scooping the flats just about anywhere in the lake at night, and keep them alive for bait the next day. Put a few centimetres of ribbon weed in a bucket, then your prawns, then a few more centimetres of ribbon weed on top, and keep them in a cool place. This should see them stay alive for a few days without needing aerators and water changes every few hours.

Whiting are around the entrance sand flats if you can get a spot among the crowd. Squirt worms are the main bait, but small poppers have taken some nice fish over the shallow flats around the lake foreshores. You usually don’t get as many there, but they are usually larger fish, and the hook-up is spectacular.

Another option this month is to catch some blackfish with a bit of green weed along the edges of the ribbon weed beds, or berley up a school of garfish and big mullet with some bread, and have some fun with light line and floats. The kids love it.

The rocks have been fishing well, with the hot water stirring up the pelagic action. Schools of salmon, bonito, small kingfish, tailor, frigate mackerel and the odd striped and mac tuna will be moving along the headlands in the coming weeks, hunting baitfish.

The next couple of months are when the keen land-based game guys go into frenzy mode. These anglers spend as much time as possible on the deep ledges, feeding out live yellowtail and slimy mackerel or, if they can spin some up, live frigates.

The rewards are there for anglers who put in the hard work, with regular hook-ups on big kings, hammerheads and whaler sharks. If you’re lucky, you might even get a marlin. Kiama Blowhole, Marsdens, Bombo, Bass Point, Hill 60 and even Coalcliff ledges can all produce, with the southern ledges being the stand-outs at this time of year.

If you’re not keen on land-based game fishing, there are some nice bream in the washes and even the odd snapper off the deeper ledges.

They like to follow the berley that the LBG boys pump in.

Solid kings will be around the islands and deeper reefs over the coming months. Live baits are the key to success.

OFFSHORE The offshore gamefish action will be firing on all cylinders this month, getting the heart pumping!

If we start in close, there are good kings around the islands and over the deeper reefs. Knife jigs have been getting a few, but live baits set deep are the best way to score consistent results. Most kings have been around 3-7kg, with some bigger fish up to 10kg+ mixed in.

Don’t set all your baits deep, because the same reefs are a good starting point if you’re looking for marlin. Bandit and Wollongong Reef are always popular. Still, any inshore reef in 30m+ of water that holds bait (particularly slimy mackerel) will attract marlin once the water gets to 23°C and above.

You can burn fuel and drag plastic skirts around the place and get lucky for the odd strike, or you can slow troll live mackerel or large yellowtail or anchor and drift the livies out behind the boat for greater results.

There are a few striped marlin out wide already, and there’s even the chance of big blues as the water pushes down the coast.

Mahimahi Now we come to the flavour of the month: mahimahi, which seem to grow in popularity every year. A few small dollies have been spasmodically showing up since late November, but they will increase in numbers and sizes until late April.

Why are they so popular? Simple, because they are dead easy to catch!

All you need to do is catch a few live yellowtail or slimies in close, take them out to the FAD, use a single hook and light trace on 6kg spinning gear, cast the bait near the FAD and leave the bail arm open. When your line tears off the reel at 100 klicks per hour, flick the bail arm over and you have your dolly. Now you just have to get it back

to the boat, simple.

The only problem is there is only one FAD off the ‘Gong and a swarm of boats fishing it. A couple more FADS wouldn’t go astray; the locals don’t get much else for their licence money in this neck of the woods.

Out wider, there are still striped tuna about, taking small lures. They make great live baits for marlin, and if they aren’t eaten by something big, they make great snapper bait over the close reefs.

In the coming weeks the small, summer yellowfin will make appearances out wide, and if the hot water keeps pouring down we could see a few wahoo, spearfish or even the odd sailfish later this month. Isn’t summer great!

Back in close, if you are looking for a feed, the summer snapper are about. We’ve been seeing nice fish up to 5kg moving around the reefs, with the average size being about a kilo. Anchor up and put out a berley trail using striped tuna pieces or fillets of frigate or slimy mackerel for bait, and you are in business. You may also encounter a few samsonfish, mowies, pigfish, trevally, small kings, tailor, bonito and the odd trag.

To throw a spanner into the works, summer also means sharks. Your berley will attract a few small hammerheads and whalers, but they just add to the fun.

After you’ve chased snapper for a while, do a drift over the sand for some nice flatties to round off the bag – that is, if you can avoid those pesky leatherjackets.

Just think – if they stick a whole lot of windmills out there, you won’t be able to chase most of these offshore species because you won’t be allowed access to the best areas. It’s even more reason to enjoy it while we can.

In the meantime, it’s all looking great, and just think – next month will be even better!

JANUARY 2024 67

NSW

Batemans Coast

FMM

Happy New Year! What’s in store for 2024? you may have to go further afield.

The estuaries have been seeing larger mulloway the last six months, mixed in with plenty of soapy-size fish.

Since the La Niña rains, the estuaries have been loaded with baby jewies and now we are seeing bigger fish coming on. Freshly-caught squid strips or live mullet are usually the best options, but you can also get good results using fresh garfish and mullet strips.

Some yakkas have been pushing into the river and getting caught from the

BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

January marks the start of amazing weather and even better fishing, as we welcome in the New Year. If there was one species of fish I could wish for in 2024, it would be the kingfish. It’s exciting to catch, pulls like a freight train, fights dirty and is excellent on the plate. There are many great recipes for kingfish, and they’re also good as sashimi.

Some anglers love kingfish so much they travel to New Zealand, where the kings can grow to over 40kg.

Hopefully, this year we’ll get a good run here and won’t need a ticket to NZ. With the way 2023 ended it is looking the best it has looked for some time.

The currents throughout 2023 kept pushing downhill, bringing warm water all year. This probably favoured the run of pelagic fish, setting up an exciting season and bringing good kings down our way. Usually, we get a mass of rat kings, and generally Jervis Bay to the north, and Merimbula and Eden to the south, get most of the better fish. Montague Island off Narooma is our best close location, and even last season it was very slow. But this year could be different, with nice 1-1.2m kings swimming by our coast.

Some solid models have been getting speared by divers near Batemans and The Banks just north of us.

It could be well worth putting some live baits out off Snapper Point or Pretty Point throughout January.

The big kings will nearly always fall to a well-presented live slimy, and the smaller ones love chasing lures and plastics. The number one plastic

Jack Martin loves his snapper, and lucky for him the snapper run is the gift that keeps on giving. for big kings is still the Slug-Go. It’s been around since the beginning of the plastics craze in Australia, 20 years ago, when American soft plastics first reached our shores. Originally designed as a bass lure, the Slug-Go has now become one of the best flathead and kingfish lures around, especially the big white models. I highly recommend you get a packet of big Slug-Gos the next time you see them in a store.

As the season goes on, other pelagics like bonito, mac tuna, frigates and long tail tuna will join the party.

Usually, they come on from then end of February to April, but this year could be different, with whispers of bonito not too far away already. I’m expecting a great pelagic run this year, but 2025 probably won’t be as good.

Sheri Middleton with a cracking red.

68 JAN/UARY 2024

The season usually waxes and wanes in a roughly 7-year cycle, and it’s been at its peak as of last year.

The pelagics are not only targeted from the ledges and headlands, but from boats also. Bonito are very easy to catch with a trolled medium-sized skirt or hardbody, and it’s a good day when kings take your trolled lures. It’s a great way to start your day before you go out chasing snapper.

Game boats will also troll inshore to get a piece of the action before heading offshore to fish the FAD and the continental shelf for more serious pelagics like marlin and dolphinfish.

With the way the currents are, I’m expecting dollies to be all over the FADs this January, and there should be plenty of marlin inside the shelf. This is when the larger skirts come out. If you want to increase your catch rate, a properly rigged livie with a circle hook is a must.

As well as the marlin, mahimahi and kingfish action offshore, January is famous for great whiting fishing along our beaches. There are plenty of bream and flathead in our estuaries, as well, and bass upstream.

Whiting were a bit hit-and-miss last season, but 2023 ended with some good whiting getting around so I expect them to improve this year.

The new PowerBait Sandworms in the bloodworm and cappuccino colours look incredibly real, and I’m keen to try them on the whiting this summer.

Bream and flathead were a bit hard going into spring last year, but our lakes and estuaries on the south coast are fishing very well now, and this should continue all season. There’s plenty of bait and prawns to keep them fee, but if you want a feed of prawns yourself, it’s a little different this year with lakes being closed early. There is a bit of action, but if you want more

Georgia Poyner has been finding some early season kings. wharfs, and they have been working well, too.

Upstream there is plenty of water and plenty of bass. Last year, with all the rain, many anglers were using frog plastics with lightly weighted or unweighed weedless hooks. So far this season, they seem to be working just as well.

Bass have been taking lures off the surface since last spring, even though there hasn’t been much bug, insect or cicada action yet. Still, we all love any kind of surface action, so no one’s complaining. There are plenty of surface lures available, from the old jitterbugs to the Tiemco Soft Shell Cicadas. I really like the cheaper Strike Pro Bass Beetle and the more expensive Atomic Bug, which have both been doing very well.

All in all, we are spoilt for choice in January on the south coast, and I hope you enjoy every second of your time on the water.

• Anthony Stokman is the owner of Compleat Angler Batemans Bay, your one-stop shop for tackle, bait and valuable advice on how to catch more fish. The crew are always happy to chat about what’s been biting and where, so drop in and say hi. You can find them at 17 Clyde Street, Batemans Bay, or give them a call on (02) 4472 2559.

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS BAD THINGS TO STEP ON IN THE BOAT

ANCHOR WELL BARDIGRUB BEE BERLEY CATFISH CRAYFISH FISHPUKE GANG

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Eden Coast

FMM

Summertime visitors getting in on the action BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Summer is the prime time for visitors along our coastline, and not just human visitors. A vast variety of fish species are now migrating back to our area, whether it is in the estuaries, along our shorelines like the beaches or rocky areas right through to the offshore with one species in particular

being most sought-after by us anglers and that being the mighty marlin.

At this time of year, three species of marlin – stripes, black and blue – will regularly visit our waters, as warm ocean currents deliver rich nutrients that the food chain depends on. Baitfish like slimy mackerel, cowanyoung or small tuna concentrate in vast schools, often staying in one area for weeks, attracting the predators.

Striped marlin are the most prolific

“Hey Dad, that was fun – let’s get another one!”

Bass and estuary perch are thriving in Brogo Dam, providing plenty of fun.

marlin species along our coastline.

Trolling lures in the early part of the season will account for many hook-ups, and even more importantly, it will reveal where the fish are concentrated.

One you know where the fish are, you can target them with other methods like live or switch baiting.

Blue marlin are also a regular visitor to our waters in January, and are often found wide in the deeper canyons. Lures are by far the best way to locate this species, and you can pick up a range of bycatch species such

as albacore, yellowfin, striped tuna, mahimahi (dolphinfish) or possibly even a short-billed spearfish.

The bait schools that make the fishing so productive in this area may consist of slimy mackerel, pilchards, yellowtail, whitebait or small striped or mac tuna, and frigate mackerel. This bait attracts smaller predators in the form of kingfish and bonito, which are present up at Montague Island or along the coastline. Here they are joined by schools of salmon, with some nice tailor thrown in.

EP are making a welcome appearance TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

For some time now, DPI Fisheries and the Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association have not only been stocking bass into Brogo Dam but have also been trialling stocking EPs into the system.

Estuary perch used to be quite elusive, but this season, they are starting to make an appearance, and in good numbers. Once found, anglers will often capture many EPs in one area before they shy off. These fish are averaging around 28cm, which is encouraging due to the amount of time they have been at liberty. The bass are also on the chew.

Bream are always a favourite during the holidays.

70 JAN/UARY 2024

The future is looking bright, with around 20,000 perch and 15,000 bass recently released.

In summer, an assortment of fish species congregate around Tathra Wharf, offering a variety of choices for anglers. One target is slimy mackerel, which are very popular, especially with the kids. These fish usually hit in large schools, creating mayhem for anglers while the feeding lasts.

Some gamefish will follow these schools; if you have a well set-up outfit, you may just cash in on a passing kingfish or tuna. All in all, there is plenty of action to be had during the day and at night.

Passing schools of salmon will provide plenty of entertainment from the stones adjacent to the wharf, right around to Kianinny Bay. Lures are probably the most fun option when targeting salmon, and some of the larger predators like tuna, kingfish or bonito also taking a liking to lures. If you’re after bigger fish, try using live baits fished under a balloon. While you wait, throw some berley in the suds where bream or trevally will keep you amused.

Kianinny also allows anglers access to the offshore fishery, with a wellconstructed boat ramp and safe access

Flathead are a very popular catch in the warmer months. to the ocean. Out from here, anglers have been encountering gamefish in the form of marlin, tuna and sharks, as they harass the bait schools. Trolling lures accounts for most hook-ups and allows you to cover more

Eden Coast NSW

FMM Baitfish don’t always stay on the surface, and when they go deep they come within reach of bottom dwelling species. Tiger flathead will often have yellowtail or mackerel inside them, and it’s surprising just how big a baitfish they can swallow. Find the bait, and you can be sure the flathead aren’t far behind.

Most other forms of reef fishing are reasonable at present. The southern complexes have been producing good snapper, plenty of morwong, some gummy sharks and the odd kingfish,

This summer most bluewater anglers will be chasing billfish.

mixed in with an assortment of less desirable species.

On shore activity is fairly hectic too, with the beaches and estuaries primed and fishing well. Along the coast, schools of salmon are providing plenty of entertainment for kids on holidays, with these hard-fighting fish frequenting most beaches. A simple paternoster rig with the humble pilchard will account for most salmon, while lures may provide faster and more energetic action.

Not to be outdone, schools of bream, whiting and mullet are also around, providing fun and dinner on a lighter scale.

Now for the place the kids can really have some fun: the estuaries.

The waters are warm, which have the fish fired up, and anglers are finding it pretty easy going. Most of your common species are available, with most lakes and rivers producing. Why the estuaries are so good this season is a result of the amount of prawns around at present.

Nearly all the systems have their share, so if you are visiting the area this season, get geared up to take the kids prawning.

You won’t be disappointed.

Brogo Dam is fishing well at the moment, with both Australian bass and estuary perch on the chew. These fish are only too willing to pounce on a wellpresented lure or fly, particularly early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and well into the night.

ground to find where the fish are concentrated. Once you have located them, work the area over thoroughly until the fish go off the chew, then move onto other grounds or try live baiting. Live mackerel are the best, but a striped tuna is still likely to entice a good marlin or hammerhead shark.

The bottom fishing is excellent, with flathead leading the way. In close

been making up for this. Try soft plastics on the inshore reefs, especially after heavy seas; this often accounts for large snapper, or quite a few of those heavier pelagics patrolling the coast.

As a result of a good prawn season (there will be good prawning in the last two weeks of January), the estuaries are in terrific form. This season has seen many large flathead

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Bass (top) and estuary perch (bottom) are thriving in Brogo Dam. out from most beaches, sand flathead of mixed sizes are plentiful, while out in the deeper water (around 50m), tigers are prolific. The odd gummy shark is being taken there, too.

The reefs, both north and south, have been producing plenty of action on the snapper front. They haven’t been large, but their numbers have

come out of the Bega River on both bait and lures.

Not to be outdone, most other species have also been on the chew, with some lovely bream and estuary perch being taken on lures. Baits have been catching just about everything in all the estuaries surrounding Tathra, including some exceptional whiting.

JANUARY 2024 71

NSW

Freshwater

FMM

Topwater lures creating new opportunities NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

2023 turned out to be a pretty eventful year for anglers, and we can only hope this year is just as productive amongst the New England Northern Tablelands.

re-opened, the natives got fired up and on the bite.

As we enter the middle of summer, the early hours of the morning and the golden hour just on dusk are the most comfortable times to be on the water. However, with so much baitlife about and predatory fish willing to eat at any time, just being out

It’s hard to beat New England sunsets on golden hour. on the water puts you in with a solid chance, even if it is the middle of the day.

Lures that create a lot of attention can be productive at finding active fish at this time of year, as the temperatures are higher. Actions

create reactions, and these types of lures can definitely stir something up and create opportunities out of nowhere. Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and diving crankbaits all work well, and topwater lures such as big rats and lizards are also effective. Lizards,

This Murray cod was caught on a custom chatterbait with a 17cm Gotcha Shad trailer. Any lure that creates noise and vibration will work well in flooded conditions.

IMPOUNDMENT LEVELS Here are the January impoundment levels for the last few years: COPETON DAM 2024 81% 2023 99% 2022 100% 2021 16% 2020 7% PINDARI DAM 2024 70% 2023 100% 2022 101% 2021 15% 2020 4%

Swimbaits, such as this Megabass Vatalion 115mm, are good options at this time of year. Matching the hatch is key.

Surface lures, such as this Bidgee Mouse, work well in summer. The outfit is a Murasame Wake-Bait Rod 751 Medium matched to an Abu Garcia Max Toro 50, spooled with 40lb Daiwa J Braid and 40lb Jinkai leader.

There were some much needed rainfalls at the end of spring and start of summer that helped the country out a lot. Water levels are still down on previous seasons, but they are looking much better than they did compared to a few years back now, especially 2020.

The local impoundments have dropped a few percent between reports, however with a fresh spike of water hitting the systems just as the 2023/2024 Murray cod season 72 JAN/UARY 2024

This golden perch ate a 7.5m diving crankbait intended for a big impoundment cod. The lure is a Megabass BigM 7.5m GLX Galaxy Gill.

ducks, rats and mice have been abundant of late, and are a main food staple for the Murray cod and also golden perch. I definitely recommend having these lures somewhere in your fishing kit.

Lure sizes shouldn’t really matter, however anything around 100-150mm is a good size to start, depending on the depth and width of the water you are fishing. The new moon will fall on the 11th of this month, and the full moon on Australia Day, so make sure you mark that one down because it should be another cracker.

Good luck to all getting out on the water this month. Enjoy the rest of the holiday period and I hope you all have an awesome start to the New year. Between the mozzies and the muzzas, it should be awesome.

Freshwater NSW

FMM

Starting the New Year by fishing in new places ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

As we roll into 2024, the fishing continues to improve across the whole freshwater scene as the funds from our recreational fishing licenses are used to create more healthy and sustainable

water within our region. Compared to recent years, this year’s season start has seen much better flows and clarity. Both of these factors drastically influence results for lure fishing.

On my small water trips, I bring only a handful of lures. This is because when you’re trekking for long distances you want to keep your backpack as light as possible, and kayak space can be limited.

People often ask me what kind of lures I use for small water fishing. There are four lure types I like to carry: surface lures, spinnerbaits, swimbaits/plastics, and hardbodies. I’ve found that having a selection of all lures is a good plan of attack. Some days, cod will happily

A healthy small water cod caught amongst the willow trees.

A few of the lure styles the author uses for small water fishing. fisheries. With help from stricter fishing regulations, it’s only going to get better as time moves on.

We are so spoiled for choice within our region, with many rivers, creeks, streams, and lakes to fish. In summertime, I love to fish the smaller water systems, walking the banks and kayaking for Murray cod. You can expect to catch great numbers of cod at this time of year; a typical small water hike should see you snagging at least a couple of fish, on just about any body of

The early bird gets the worm! Fishing surface lures is effective in low light conditions. come up and belt topwater all day, along the shade pockets and cover, while on other days, they might need lures presented deeper and slower. That’s when a spinnerbait or weedless plastic can come in really handy, especially in the willow

trees. Don’t be afraid to really punch casts into heavily-covered areas, because the fish will probably be there during the heat of the day.

Another question I get asked a lot is how much time I spend fishing a good

hole/snag. Most of the time, I fish quite fast. At this time of year, fish tend to be very responsive to lures, and I may put 10 casts into a good hole or cover before moving on. If I do fish a good stretch with no luck, I will revisit it on my way back, and fish it with surface lures. Just because you don’t catch a fish in an area straight away, doesn’t mean there are no fish there. If a spot doesn’t produce for you, but you have a good feeling about it, come back later and have another crack.

Another tip I will give for the small water is this: don’t dismiss any water that looks even half fishy. You’d be amazed at the kind of areas you can pull a cod from.

Sometimes the cod don’t need much structure or cover at all, and these are the fish that you truly remember.

And of course, don’t get too caught up on one spot. Keep moving and looking for those active fish.

The best time of year to walk the banks is right now, so make the most of it and enjoy it! Do some Google mapping, ask on local fishing pages about some good places to fish, and take it from there.

FISHING NEWS

Phone videos lead to arrest of illegal fisherman An illegal fisher was recently sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order* with an additional fine of $500 in Belmont Local Court.

NSW Fisheries Officers received a report via the Fishers Watch Hotline from a member of the public regarding illegal fishing activity at Moonee Beach, near Catherine Hill Bay, NSW. NSW Fisheries Officers investigated the report, and four witnesses provided ample video and photographic evidence. Witnesses reported that they saw a man exit the water with a spear gun, place what appeared to be a large blue groper into a duffle bag, retrieve a pillowcase full of abalone from amongst the rocks, and place

it into the duffle bag.

As a result, the man was identified to be a person who has a previous record with NSW Fisheries for possessing more than the bag limit of abalone and taking groper by means of spearing.

The man refused to be interviewed by NSW Fisheries Officers and failed to appear in court. He was subsequently arrested under warrant by NSW Police for these and other unrelated charges.

The man was found guilty of exceeding the possession limit of abalone (2 per person) after the evidence provided clearly showed 52 abalone contained within the duffle bag. He was also found guilty of taking a groper by means other than using a rod or handline.

Anglers are reminded that abalone are a high-value commercial species

with a recreational bag and possession limit of 2 per person per day. Only 2 groper can be taken per person per

When witnesses saw a man illegally fishing, they took videos and gave them to Fisheries Officers. The offender was later arrested.

day by line fishing, with a minimum size of 30cm, and only 1 groper can exceed 60cm.

If you see suspected illegal fishing activities, please report it to the Fishers Watch Hotline on 1800 043 536, or online at the NSW DPI Fisheries website. *Courts use the Community Correction Order (CCO) to punish offenders for crimes that do not warrant imprisonment, or an Intensive Corrections Order, but are too serious for a lower-level penalty.

The court tailors CCOs to reflect the nature of the offender and the offence, with measures such as supervision

by Community Corrections Officers, community service work, and curfews, to deter offenders from reoffending. – NSW DPI JANUARY 2024 73

NSW

Freshwater

FMM

So many places to wet a line this month!

BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

When I think about January I instantly think about long, hot days, camping and holidays. It can be a great time of year to be in the outdoors, and what better way to enjoy the outdoors then by fishing and camping?

Blowering Dam has free-form camping around the lake, which is why it’s so popular at this time of the year. There’s heaps of camping room around most of this massive lake, so even if there are lots of people you’ll still be able to find yourself a nice little area away from the crowds.

The fishing can be fantastic in the lake in January. However, early or late starts are required if you want to catch fish regularly, and not get roasted in the process.

Concentrate on the natives at night and if you want to fish in the middle of the day either target the redfin or hit the most wind swept area you can find as often even on

Murray cod are always great fun to catch, no matter the size.

Angel Dubois appreciates every Murray cod encounter.

The Murray cod season is now in full swing. Grab the family and go and hit your favourite fishery. super-hot days natives can be found in these well oxygenated areas feeding heavily on all of the disorientated bait fish, insects and dislodged yabbies, shrimp and crays.

TROUT WATERS The Tumut River has been mostly up and running fast all season, but when it has been down it has fished sensationally with very good numbers. High flow rates and the odd heavy rain event made it almost unfishable at times, but those anglers who put in the hard yards still managed to catch a few nice fish.

Big grasshopper pattern flies have worked well recently, and should continue to produce this month. If you can’t get one to come up to your dry fly, I’d suggest tying on a black, brown or red copper john weighted nymph dropper to get consistent results. If you find you’re only getting them on the nymphs, get rid of the dry fly and chuck on an indicator and add another nymph. Fishing this way isn’t quite as much fun as

The Tumut River trout are beautiful, fit and plentiful, making them a desirable target for anglers, especially fly fishos. getting them to rise to the dry, but once you’ve mastered this technique it can yield fish when nothing else is working.

Spinning with Rooster Tails, Bling Spins, Rapala CDs, IMA Sukaris or soft plastics almost guarantees you a fish in the Tumut River. All of these lures have brought many big fish

The smaller trout streams have fished sensationally this season, and that should only get better as more insect life hits the water.

74 JAN/UARY 2024

undone lately.

The smaller creeks in the area have been producing more consistent catches than the Tumut River has.

The creek fish are smaller but they are much easier to catch, and there are plenty of them. If you feel the river is too high, go and explore one of the many small streams in the area.

MURRUMBIDGEE RIVER The time has finally come to head to your favourite stretch of river in hope of that Murray cod of a lifetime.

The ‘Bidgee has had plenty of water flushed down to suit irrigator and electricity demands, and the higher water level has made most of the river accessible to most boats.

Anglers have been blessed with a great start to the season, with lots of Murray cod, golden perch, trout cod and even the odd silver perch being landed.

Bait fishing in the deeper holes has been very successful. Shrimp (if you can find them) are easily the

best bait to use in the river but juicy grubs – preferably bardies – are the gun bait for targeting Murray cod.

Fishing with big scrub worms can be productive as well, as pretty much anything will eat a worm. If you find the carp are taking your worms too often, try using medium-sized yabbies and you should start to see more natives then carp on the end of your line.

During higher flows, it can be hard to present a lure properly.

However, if you stick to backwaters behind large logs, in back eddies, flooded creek mouths and on the inside of river bends, you’ll find it’s much easier to present your lures well. During high flows, the native fish seek out the slower moving water in these areas, giving you a great chance of hooking a few.

As you can see, there are heaps of fishing options in the area this month.

Until next month, good luck and tight lines.

Freshwater NSW

FMM

Targeting bass down deep on soft plastics HUNTER VALLEY

Nick Price

During the heat of January, the bass start to go deep, and to target them effectively you need a good sounder. You want to be able to watch both your lure and the bass, and all modern sounders do this effortlessly.

Schools of bass can be found off

Gulp, and the rod will hook the bass – and you can watch all this on your sounder screen. If you’re not sure of the rod type or technique, come into the shop and ask us. It’s a fun way to fish, although it can be frustrating if the fish on your sounder won’t bite!

CARP There are some huge carp in Glenbawn. When you’re fishing for carp, a running sinker with garden worms or

to be Woolly Buggers and a few specialty carp flies designed locally.

The Glenbawn Family Carp Muster will be held on February 24, so mark it in your diary and come and catch a few.

There are lots of prizes up for grabs from some generous sponsors.

TROUT The trout fishing in the Barrington is still going strong. At the time of writing, the lower reaches are struggling, and we desperately need rain to keep the streams flowing and the water temps down to an acceptable level.

The trout are long after a few years of good seasons, but they are skinny and suffering from the lack of rain. There are still larger trout around in the 4lb range,

Aberdeen Fishing and Outdoors team member Cooper with a nice trout.

A big, fat Glenbawn bass. points, off timber and sometimes out in the open. Drive around and look at your sounder until you find a school.

When fishing out in the open, use light leader – as light as you are comfortable with. As you get closer to structure, upgrade your leader. Generally, leaders break at the knots, so take your time when tying your knots, and make sure they are perfect.

Black Gulps are the go-to lure when fishing for deep bass. Work them very slowly through the school. A very light rod is needed for the bite. If you feel the bass sucking the lure, just keep winding slowly.

Do not strike. The bass will suck in the

corn will out-fish most other methods. If you make up a berley mixture of bread and fresh worm soil, the carp will hang around and find you.

The carp have been very aggressive, taking plastics and hardbodies when chasing bass. Although this isn’t a typical way to chase carp, it’s lots of fun. Sight fishing for carp is definitely a ball of laughs.

Fly fishing is my favourite way of chasing carp. It’s also great practice for sight fishing for trout. The carp are big, require accurate casts and can be fussy, and when hooked they go like a freight train. Using a 5wt or 6wt, these carp are a real challenge. Their favourite flies seem

A Glenbawn golden perch caught on a plastic. but if we get some decent, consistent rain they will be fatter and healthier.

The big tip for trout fishing is stealth, because the trout are very spooky. The anglers who are sneaking up on the trout, watching their silhouette, and only wading when necessary, are catching the most fish.

Next month, I will focus on catching

bass down deep using techniques other than Gulps.

• If you’re heading up to the Barrington, Glenbawn, Hunter River or St Clair, drop into the shop at the turnoff to Glenbawn in Aberdeen and ask about the different techniques and what they are biting on. At Aberdeen Fishing and Outdoors we stock all the quality tackle that you need.

FISHING NEWS

Garmin LiveScope XR full of fishing features With excellent image sharpness at both close and long ranges simultaneously, The LiveScope XR delivers real-time images of fish and structure up to 150m in front of or below the boat.

The Reverse Range feature allows anglers to use more of the screen to display fish and structure. To see detail closer to the boat, the Compress Range feature displays a live look in sharp detail up close, while allowing the angler to keep an eye on targets further away at the same time.

With seven colour palettes to choose from, anglers can see fish and structure in vivid contrast and clarity.

LiveScope XR has additional sensors that constantly adjust the sonar beams to compensate for boat motion,

providing a steady sonar image in rough conditions, even at an extended range.

The XR delivers three vantage points with one mount, which can be easily

adjusted with no tools required. Simply turn the transducer forward for a live look at what’s in front of the boat; point it down to see directly beneath the boat;

or turn it sideways with the included Perspective Mode Mount. Select the LiveScope mode that best fits that spot, and the view will automatically change on a compatible Garmin chartplotter2 screen.

The LiveScope XR System includes a compact GLS 10 black box with a LiveScope XR LVS62 transducer, a trolling motor barrel and shaft mounting kit, perspective mount bracket and a plug-and-play Garmin Marine Network connector.

With a free software update, the LVS62 transducer (sold separately) can be added to an existing LiveScope System black box for customers who want to upgrade. The price for the GLS 10 and LVS62 transducer is SRP $5399. – Garmin JANUARY 2024 75

ACT

Canberra

FMM

Screaming reels and sponsorship deals in recent weeks and has caught plenty of golden perch to 58cm by targeting the points using ZX blades. There have also been some nice cod caught by anglers fishing surface up near the islands at Greenway. However, the golden perch that were so prevalent in the shallows through the middle of spring have moved to deeper, making the shore

CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

I’ve been planning to write about sponsorship for a while now, and I figure what better time than the January issue, when the fishing is great, and many anglers start thinking, “I should get a sponsorship deal.”

Many profiles on social media have headings like “seeking sponsorship”.

I also see comments underneath fishing photos saying, “You should be sponsored, mate”. For those who feel they should be sponsored, the first

The summer bass bite continues to improve.

Windamere is a great option for ACT anglers wanting to fish further afield. question is, why do you want this?

The most common answer is: “I want free gear”.

I can burst that bubble right now. The vast majority of sponsor agreements don’t involve piles of free gear. Let me explain.

Plenty of redfin are hunting along the shallows.

Fishing is unique because tackle companies are willing to consider both semi-professional anglers (i.e. successful tournament competitors) and amateur anglers for sponsorship. There aren’t many sports where a semi-pro can get sponsored, much less an amateur.

That said, an angler seeking sponsorship has to fulfil at least two of the following three requirements to 76 JAN/UARY 2024

be considered.

1. Perform well in tournaments.

2. Have a significant social media following on YouTube/Instagram.

3. Write about fishing.

Just catching big fish isn’t enough.

Lots of anglers catch big fish. Also, some fishos seem to think that hashtagging all their gear will get their foot in the door, but why would a company pick them up when they’re already pushing the product?

When an amateur angler does get sponsored, the experience might not be what they expected. There isn’t a local, national, or international company that will tee up free gear for an unknown. It starts with a discount here and there, and the angler is given a few assignments to complete. The products provided are usually base models; it can be years before a sponsored angler gets access to top-tier stuff. Tackle companies don’t need an angler to plug the top-of-therange gear because it usually sells itself.

It is the base models that require extra advertising through social media.

Ultimately, unless you are a tournament competitor, social media influencer or fishing journo, you’ll find that sponsorship won’t benefit you much. You’re better off being free from all responsibilities and just enjoying yourself on the water!

LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin is fishing really well. I have caught golden perch and good-sized redfin right around the concrete ledges from The Boat House Restaurant to the entrance of the Molonglo River. I’ve been fishing plastics for the most part, with grubtail plastics in bloodworm proving to be the best option, especially if slow rolled along the middle of the water column. I also got busted off by a nice cod in the same area which, once again, proves that the larger fish follow the reddies around the lake and pick off the stranglers one by one.

If you’re fishing from a boat, head out into the middle of the rowing lanes in the middle of the day and look for the submerged trees in this area. The cod and yellas sit just off the timber and will smash a Jackall Doozer jigged close to the bottom.

I do want to make mention of Nerang Pool. This neat little pond, which connects to LBG near Gallipoli Reach, is riddled with carp, and because the water level is quite low, they are stuck in the pool. These fish will readily hit an unweighted plastic fished close to the surface, or a small blade like an Ecogear ZX blade hopped along the middle of the water column.

Lake Tuggeranong is a bit hit-andmiss at present. Local gun Sam Hancox has been hitting the lake from his boat

A lot of yellas were landed through December. fishing much more of a challenge. The carp fishing has more than made up for the lack of golden perch action in close, with the mud marlin feeding up right around the shallower sections of the lake. These fish can be caught using a variety of techniques, but the fly fishos have been doing the best lately. The carp have been smashing Woolly Buggers with abandon in the bay behind the skatepark.

Lake Ginninderra continues to be a challenging fishery, but the rewards far outweigh all the hard work required to land a good fish. I use the word ‘challenging’ because weed continues to be a problem. However, this issue can be circumvented by using creature-style plastics fished on a ned rig. Paddle-tail or wrigglerstyle plastics rigged weedless are also a good option if you’re fishing the police jetty where the weed is

Careful handling is essential.

Hobart TAS

FMM

Favourable conditions for anglers around Tas HOBART

Andrew Large

Tasmania’s fantastic Christmas fishing looks set to continue in the new year, with some great fish available on the coast and further inland on our rivers, lakes, and streams.

Our run of kingfish continues, with most spots experiencing great fishing from the northwest coast at Stanley to Hobart in the southeast. Soft plastics have been catching most of the fish, with white and lumo colours being particularly successful.

Northwest Bay, close to Hobart, holds kingfish to 3kg and 700mm.

Interestingly, early morning captures seem to be the norm, with the kings responding enthusiastically to pre-sunrise flickbaits and stickbaits.

Sand flathead have fished well since early November, and everyone seems to be embracing the new bag and size limits state-wide. The flatties have been plentiful, especially on the rising tide at twilight.

Further offshore, tiger flathead (which haven’t been affected by size and bag limit changes) continue their strong spring run into the summer season.

Fortescue Bay seems to be the pick of locations to target a ‘king flathead’. Deepdrifted soft plastics and fresh squid have been getting results.

After arriving with big pilchard schools in late October, Australian salmon are still thick in most places. You can target the salmon at Cremorne in the southeast, the Prosser River in the east, and pretty much anywhere along the Tasmanian coastline. The old Halco 30g slice is as good as any live bait imitation for these aggressive fish.

Salmon to 3kg have been caught in

Pelagics are hitting lures at the moment. particularly prevalent. Lake Ginninderra is home to some truly enormous golden perch and huge Murray cod, so if you do manage to hook a fish, it is often a good one.

Peninsula waters and at Beaumaris Beach in the east.

Anglers experienced good results over Christmas with southern rock lobster, and are coming to terms with the new catch report requirements. All reports must be made within 100m of the boat ramp, even if your catch for the day was zero. If you’re unfamiliar with the app, you can call 03 6165 3233 and they’ll give you an alternative reporting option.

Good runs of southern rock lobster have continued in nearly all regions, with inshore sub-40m and offshore fisheries both providing good catches.

Please remember a Sea Fishing Licence is required for this species.

Albacore tuna were reported as early as mid-November off Fluted Cape in southeast Tasmania, and temperatures have hovered at just under 18°C since then. Reports of captures wide of St Helens have filtered through in recent weeks.

Bass Strait barrel SBT are still available, but the action has slowed since

Morwong perch have been biting well.

The Murrumbidgee River has been fishing well. We haven’t had much rain of late, so the river has settled and because the water is clear, the surface fishing has been good. On the downside, the fish are skittish in the clear water. Unless a likely spot is approached with stealth, the cod will quickly move off and ignore the lure. If you’re after a trophy fish, be prepared to walk a long way because many anglers try their luck for cod through January, and the easily accessible pools cop an absolute flogging.

SURROUNDS Don’t forget about the outstanding pelagic fishing on offer down the South Coast from now right through to May. There are plenty of salmon about, and also bonito and kingies for those anglers willing to get out onto a ledge and cast jerkbaits at roving schools of pelagics.

Be sure to check the weather first, and take every precaution if you’re fishing off the rocks.

the beginning of December. Bait schools are there, however, and a troll could still be worthwhile, especially if you’re out chasing makos.

In other areas of the state, southern bluefin tuna continue to please anglers, with sizes ranging from 12-27kg. These fish are holing up on the edge of the warm water event/mass sitting east of Maria Island on Tasmania’s southeast coastline. Halco Laser Pro and Meridian Tackle Lures have been taking fish. The Peninsula continues to be a hotspot for most.

Makos are available from Storm Bay in the south to Ulverstone in the north. The size has varied across the state, from 20kg to a tad over 180kg.

Fresh squid bait has been working well.

Again, Eaglehawk Neck seems to be the go-to spot for these fish.

Arrow squid have inundated coastal areas and some of the larger deepwater estuaries, such as the River Derwent.

Good bags have been taken state-wide in 40m+ of water.

Freshwater anglers were hit with heat early this summer, and have been feeling the effects in recent weeks. The trout action has been a little quiet during the middle of the day, but it’s better first thing in the morning and at last light. This is when the trout are at their most active, feeding around the lake edges and higher up in the water column.

Arthurs Lake has been fishing well, particularly for those anglers choosing to spin the sticks, with many good trout boated. The best times seem to be just before a west or southwest front passing over the state and on the windy shore where food seems to be gathering.

Both rainbow and brown trout have been biting well in Great Lake. One rainbow caught recently nudged 2.9kg – a fantastic trout for this water. Flatline

trolling has been effective, but those choosing to fish with 3+ colours of lead line have fared better. Daphnia-feeding rainbows have been caught this way while they target these microscopic prey items deep in the water column.

Woods Lake has been producing an abundance of smaller fish, with some better ones amongst them. Fly anglers should do well throughout January as dun hatches have been noteworthy, with plenty of fish up on top feeding on these on the right day. Trolling anglers have also experienced good captures, with the weed in the shallow water not being too much of an issue.

All in all, the start of 2024 has been a great one for anglers. The weather has been kind, and there’s been enough action in nearly all areas to provide anglers with good fishing opportunities to start the year. Good luck in 2024, everyone.

The bass fishing has also been good, and it’s well worth checking out if the weather turns foul down the coast.

If you’re looking for something

a bit further afield, the summer yella fishing at Windamere has to be experienced to be believed – and it’s only five hours or so from Canberra.

Spinning the shorelines of Arthurs Lake has produced results for many anglers.

The cod fishing has been superb.

JANUARY 2024 77

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West Coast

FMM

More great land-based snapper fishing on offer PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

G’day everybody! All of us at Compleat Angler wish you a Happy New Year. Let’s hope there’s a great year of fishing ahead for us all.

Breakwater and Northern Beaches using fresh baits or lures. Boaties can either troll or anchor up using the same methods. Livies and teasers can also increase your chances.

Along the North Shore, we generally see school tuna in the shallower waters. These tuna can sometimes be a bit more finicky, so you’ll need to be patient. Smaller skirts and hardbodies can help.

Around the bay, along with kings and tuna, you will find whiting, pinkie snapper, trevally and sharks, which always make for a great feed.

The land-based snapper fishing off the breakwater over November and December was awesome, and we could certainly see some good

sizes in January mixed in with some gummies. Whiting, squid and, of course, kingfish will be on offer in January.

The harbour is always a great, family-friendly area to catch a few fish, with the Town Jetty, Trawlers Wharf and T-Landing near our Information Centre. At this time of year, we generally see good-size whiting, squid and pinkie snapper caught off these landings. These

Isaac with his first ever snapper. Not a bad start.

Aaron with a ripper gummy off the breakwater.

January is always a huge month in Portland, with a massive influx of holidaymakers looking for all the fishing action. The first thing that’s on most anglers’ minds in January is kingfish. Hopefully, by the time you read this, our kingfish season will be up and running, big time.

We generally don’t need to go too far for the kingfish because they like to stay shallow around our bay in the warm waters. Land-based fishos can catch these great fish off the Lee

A couple of kingfish caught last January, just to get you excited!

Michael with a great breakwater snapper.

locations are also good areas to gather fresh bait, such as slimies and yakkas.

Another great area for little ones is the canal, which has a good-size fishing platform and nice grassy areas to pull up and fish. Most jetties and

landings provide wheelchair access, and you’re only a short distance from local shops, which can provide most of your needs.

Januar y can produce some awesome weather off the Portland coastline. There will be more than enough options when the seas play the game, from the harbour to Bridgewater Bay out to the shelf. This opens you up to a huge variety of fish, depending on your area of choice.

If you are a local or planning a holiday trip to Portland, you are welcome to call in and see the team at Portland Compleat Angler. We’ll give you the latest information on what’s going on. You can also contact us on 03 5521 1844 or on Facebook (search for Portland Compleat Angler).

Have a great holiday season and happy fishing.

Anglers and fish enjoy the warmer conditions APOLLO BAY

Craig Rippon

With the warmer weather settling in and some nice weather conditions, the fishing has been good for all species.

Snapper have been biting well this season, and all the reefs have produced plenty of good-sized fish.

As always, fresh bait is best, with salmon and squid being the pick of the baits. Most of the bigger snapper have come from the Otway Reefs off the lighthouse in 45-60m of water.

In amongst the snapper, there have been some really nice nannygai, gummy shark and school shark. Fishing on a tide change has been best, and fresh bait is key to consistent catches. I have been anchoring of late, and it seems to be working better than fishing on the drift. Plenty of nice flathead have 78 JAN/UARY 2024

been showing up as well.

I haven’t seen a tuna for a bit now, but the school fish should start getting about soon. It was around this time last year that we started to see a few about.

The kingfish have been a bit tough the last couple of years down here.

However, anglers in SA have been

Some nice whiting caught locally on fresh squid.

getting some nice fish, so hopefully this year will be better for them. Kings like higher water temperatures and prefer to hold around structure. They can be finicky, but when you hook one, you’ll find they are one of the best fighting fish in the area. A common way to catch kings is with bait on a downrigger slowly trolled. Jigging for them is fun, but it can be hard work. They can also be caught on surface poppers, stickbaits and Slug-Gos. Cray season has opened, but the weather hasn’t been kind yet; we’ve been waiting for those warm, northerly winds and no swell days. Please check the new laws to make sure you’re doing the right thing.

There have been a few whiting about lately. They’re not in big numbers yet, but the fish caught have been over 40cm. The best baits have been pipi and squid, and the best time to fish is during the outgoing tide.

There haven’t been many salmon about lately; just a few caught here and there.

Anglers have been picking up some nice-size garfish, which are fun to catch and really good to eat.

Squid have been a bit hit-andmiss, but those anglers putting in the time have been rewarded with a feed and some fresh bait for their efforts.

We have only two boat ramps, so it can get really busy at this time of year. Please be patient and have your boat ready to launch. Make sure all your safety gear is up to date because there’s a fair chance you’ll get checked at the ramp.

Finally, please check all weather conditions before you go boating in Apollo Bay. Things can change quickly here, and we want everybody to be safe and enjoy their fishing this summer.

See you on the water.

West Coast

FMM

VIC

Get your arms stretched on some big pelagics WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Not too long ago, school-sized summer tuna were an unexpected novelty. Now, however, it’s a regular occurrence that many anglers look forward to at this time of year.

Chasing schools of these, at times flighty, fish not too far out to sea on a warm summer’s day is great fun.

We’ve seen other changes, too.

Who’d have thought that the barrel tuna season and kingfish season would cross over, but that seems to be a new opportunity, too. My son Luke

landed his first king of the season recently, a quality 121cm fish, then landed a 110kg tuna the next day. Now that’s a good weekend. You wouldn’t normally expect to get a big barrel-size tuna in January, but who knows what could happen if you’re out looking for summer schoolies.

If chasing tuna and kingfish isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other things to do on a nice summer’s day.

Diving or hoop-netting the local southern rock lobster is super-popular on days when the swell and wind are down. Please remember there’s been a changeover from plastic tags to using the new Go-fish Vic RL

Luke Gercovich with a 121cm kingfish.

app to digitally track captures. The program is free and you must create your account before fishing for rock lobster. You have to report your catch within seven days. The mandatory reporting details for each rock lobster include: the sex, the size and record sizes to the nearest decimal cm. You don’t need to get digital tags; these are automatically assigned.

This month, there should also be plenty of other tasty critters like King George whiting, pinky snapper and squid along all the inshore reef areas.

On the estuary scene, there’s some good news for bait anglers – there’s been a resurgence of the pod worm beds in the lower Hopkins.

Last season’s floods pretty much eliminated any opportunities to pump bait on the flats last summer.

This year, however, it’s much easier to get your bait. Not only is the area a good place to get bait, you can turn around and start fishing there straight away. The disturbance of the sand from the pumping can often attract fish to the area. It’s a great spot to take the kids and have some fun on a nice summer’s day, with bream, mullet, small salmon and trevally all eager to munch on some freshly-pumped worms.

For lure anglers, summer is all about surface fishing and casting lures, like Daiwa Slippery Dogs and OSP Bent Minnows, as well as

This 110kg tuna highlights the excellent offshore species that can turn up in our waters. lightly-weighted soft plastics. When lure fishing, you can get into some thrilling action when conditions are suitable.

Finding solitude when fishing at night COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

We’ve had some strange weather lately, but the fishing has been exceptional for many anglers. We’ve had hot, humid days followed by thunderstorms, forcing anglers to do two things at once – reel in lots of fish while keeping a watchful eye on the dark clouds.

Ocean temperatures have climbed a tad, bringing species such as snapper closer inshore – not only to spawn but to feed on the calamari squid, which are plentiful at the moment.

The rock lobster season has opened, and many divers and boaters dropping nets have scored well, with some red monsters topping 2.8kg.

These were taken very close inshore; probably too close for comfort for the professionals to get hold of.

Our surf beaches have been good for Australian salmon, with some thumpers weighing close to 2kg being taken on chrome slices cast out just beyond the breakers.

Just offshore amongst the weedy/

sandy bottom in 4-10m of water, good squid, King George whiting, and salmon have been caught. Drifting to find the fish, then dropping anchor and distributing berley has been the key. Whiting, in particular, are coming in quite close to shore in some areas, especially on dusk or the first

two hours of darkness – but only on a rising tide. Some of these fish have been exceeding 40cm and have been taking a cocktail of squid strips topped off with pipi meat.

Some gummy and school shark have been taken bottom bouncing in depths ranging from 20-40m.

A nice Curdies bream caught near the river mouth.

There seems to be plenty of small pinkie snapper about, with many measuring under the legal limit. If the small pinkies or wrasse start stealing your baits, it’s definitely time to up anchor and move.

The southern bluefin tuna season seems to be never ending, with fish being taken right throughout the year. School fish are currently being caught from Lorne in the east to Port MacDonnell in the west. Lately, some barrels to 120kg have been taken on trolled skirted lures in waters off Port Fairy to Portland.

The big fish have been taken in depths of around 200m, whilst the schoolies are a lot closer inshore, making them a viable target for boaters who don’t own boats big enough to risk venturing 20 miles plus offshore.

The bream in the Hopkins and Curdies rivers have quietened down, probably due to the high traffic of summertime watercraft zinging around all over the place. If you’re a local, and bream and perch are your thing, I’d fish at night when the tourists are off the water and too busy socialising around the BBQ. JANUARY 2024 79

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Central

FMM

Solid snapper are a standout species in summer Kingfish can turn up anywhere in Bass Strait, from the inshore reef areas to randomly cruising the surface in the middle of nowhere. I’ve picked them up after spotting a surface disturbance on a glass-out day, and trolling past what I thought was a school of salmon. I’ve also seen them caught on a bait on the bottom while drifting for flatties in 55m.

Offshore fishos should start in the 5-10m

GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

Happy New Year, and welcome to all holidaymakers in Geelong, around the Bellarine and down the surf Coast! The good news is the fish are always biting around here. Well, nearly always!

Snapper have been the focus lately, and with good reason. Solid fish either side of 4kg have been turning up for soft plastic enthusiasts and bait fishers alike.

Whiting have been very consistent, with plenty of fish available in the 35-42cm range from Point Henry in Corio Bay to Queenscliff. The better fish have been caught from Swan Bay to Point Lonsdale and along the surf Coast. The bank from Clifton Springs to Point Henry still has the odd 40cm fish, but there can be schools of bait-stealing undersized whiting there. For whiting quantity, you can’t beat St Leonards, with

Michael works hard for his Otways browns.

Gear up for kingfish this January! good numbers of fish. Just remember to give other boats plenty of room.

Chris Pitman from Drysdale Bait and Tackle reports that anglers casting soft plastics have caught some solid blue-spot flathead in the shallows off St Leonards.

Some big flathead can also be caught wading the shallows at dawn and dusk from Clifton Springs to Portarlington.

There are some decent patches of weed/ sand and rubble there that seem to attract quality flathead within wading distance.

Calamari lovers will be happy to know the squid haven’t moved anywhere.

Plenty of medium-sized jig grabbers have been caught in and around the shallow weed beds around the Bellarine. bass Strait has seen a few arrow squid caught in the 30-50m mark.

They’re a little harder to target until one grabs your bait meant for a flattie, but they do make excellent bait when the opportunity arises.

January is when yellowtail kingfish really kick into gear. As past years have shown, the kings can turn up almost

anywhere unannounced. We’ve had 80cm fish caught from the rock wall at St Helens inside Corio Bay by land-based fishos, so pack the heavy tackle when bream fishing around here. I believe the St Helens fish can directly be credited to the artificial reefs installed 60m off the rocks here by VFA. For more info on Corio Bay’s artificial reefs, visit vfa.vic.

How pumped does Lauren look with her Portarlington Pier snapper?

Rod was pretty happy with his PB ling!

Chris from Drysdale Bait and Tackle with two quality snapper from Clifton Springs.

80 JANUARY 2024

gov.au and search for ‘Corio Bay Reefs’.

Kingfish can congregate in the Rip, and you can catch them on live baits such as squid or small, legal length salmon.

Heavy jigs also work a treat if you can’t get live bait. Just make sure your gear is ready for them because some fish over 15kg have been caught (and lost) here over the years. I know of a few very expensive rod and reel combos that went over the side after hooking XXL kingfish in the Rip and offshore, so keep a lanyard on them where possible. Remember, the Rip can see a heck of a lot of boat traffic during the January holiday period, so make sure you give everyone plenty of room on the water and at boat ramps.

line from the Rip through to Black Rock as there are plenty of reef areas here – just be aware of the marine parks in the Rip and at Barwon Bluff, plus the no-go zone around the yellow buoys off Ocean Grove.

There are some jigging options in deeper water near Point Lonsdale and along that stretch to the Barwon Bluff, so keep an eye out for structure and fish on the sounder.

VFA installed a cluster of artificial reefs in 25m of water off Torquay in 2015, plus a seasonal FAD in this area.

I’ve visited the artificial reefs a few times and have seen clusters of fish holding on them, so hopefully the kings will

Central

FMM

A POWERFUL PACKAGE congregate around these this year. You can check them out at vfa.vic.gov.au by searching for ‘Torquay offshore reef’.

Southern bluefin tuna can be 40-60HP FOURSTROKE hit-and-miss, but they have turned PERFORMANCE up in previous years in January off Barwon Heads and the Surf Coast.

Most of these tuna max out at 25kg but they’re still well worth the effort.

Trolling with skirts, teasers and divers will all catch fish – just take a variety.

Chris Pitman from Drysdale Bait and Tackle reports snapper have been caught along the edge of the shipping channel. Just remember to keep clear of ships and do not anchor in the channel.

The Point Wilson Spit and Bird Rock have been producing snapper averaging 3-4kg on both baits and plastics.

The Curlewis Bank is well worth

VIC

snapper an hour before the peak of the incoming tide.

Chris has had reports of quality Australian salmon to 2kg inside Swan Bay. The best fishing has been during the run-in tide, where they have been scoffing baits and lures.

Chris notes that garfish have been caught by anglers fishing the Swan Bay jetty. These fish are awesome eating and make great bait, so it’s worth a look here.

Queenscliff has seen quality calamari taken around the shallow weed bed areas, and some large silver trevally and medium-size Australian salmon have been caught inside the harbour.

Snapper and gummy sharks have been caught by anglers fishing after dark from the beaches at Ocean Grove and Bancoora.

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Tuna show up along the Surf Coast in January.

APALABA IPSWICH a shot at a solid snapper on a soft The rock platforms along the Great MIKES MARINE IPSWICH MARINE

plastic lure. The fish here school up and Ocean Road and the Lorne Pier have 45 Huxham Street Raceview move around, so drifting and casting is been fishing well for King George (07) 3390 3418 P: 07 3294 3944 your best bet. whiting, salmon and the odd pinkie sales@mikesmarine.com.au enquiries@ipswichmarine.com.au Chris notes that King GeorgeE:whiting snapper. Pilchard has been the go-to : www.mikesmarine.com.au www.ipswichmarine.com.au have also been available here, butW:anglers bait here. should make a few moves as they have Chris reports that Wurdee Boluc is LACKS CREEK GOLD COAST been difficult to find on occasions. the place for redfin on dusk, with fish USTRALIANLand-based MARINE CENTRE MARINEto 45cm taken on soft plastics worked anglers haveTR been 491 Pacific Highwaysnapper Slacks Creek 167 Currumburra Road Ashmore enjoying captures from St slowly on the bottom. Neighbour Hugh (07) 3808 7333 North Shore, Geelong waterfront, P: 07 5532 5812 Helens, Hanson has also caught a few smaller Portarlington, and St Leonards reddies fishing Stoney Creek Reservoir sales@amcboats.com.au E: piers. shaun@trmarinegc.com.au Dawn and dusk are the best times, and near Ballan. : www.amcboats.com.au W: www.trmarinegoldcoast.com.au the fish have been up around 4kg, which My work colleague Michael Helwig makes for some excitement. works very hard to catch a trout and has Rod Beer fishes all weather at the hiked in to various isolated spots along Bellarine piers and catches plenty of the Surf Coast in search of lightly-fished snapper. One night he was surprised to creeks. He’s been rewarded with some catch a whopper rock ling, which are beautifully marked brown trout to 35cm. epic eating.

• Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Lauren Moolman managed to Peninsula or surf Coast to Lorne boat a ripper 70cm snapper from the recently? Send in a report to slaterfish@ Portarlington Pier recently. Lauren says gmail.com with “FMG” in the subject the fish put up an excellent fight on her field or give me a call on 0408 997348.

Abu Veritas 3-7kg rod paired with her Please include where (without giving Max X 4000 reel. Lauren used pilchard away your secret spot!), when, what as bait on a paternoster rig with 3/0 on and who caught the fish. Photos are hooks. Lauren had tuna oil and tuna always great, but please make sure they nuts to berley up the area, and caught the are at least 1MB ( file size).

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It’s fun breaking new ground to catch more fish PORT PHILLIP BAY WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.aua

Happy New Year to all our readers.

I hope 2024 is a great year for you and your family, both on and off the water.

In 2023 I got to meet and fish with so many wonderful people. I travelled tens of thousands of kilometres, fishing many different systems, and got some truly memorable catches.

FishingMad grew significantly in many areas, and it rated so well on TV, so thank you very much for the ongoing support.

Right now, we are in peak fishing time, and you should expect some great catches. The water took a long time to warm up towards the end of 2023, but now it has risen and our local species like snapper, king George whiting, squid and flathead are fishing very well. It’s hard to

While there’s nothing wrong with soaking a bait, it’s usually more fun fishing with soft plastics.

This snapper was caught on a 5” Nemesis soft plastic.

believe that soon the water temp will be too high, and the snapper will go off the bite for a short period before coming on strong once again.

December was a crazy month for me. I was on the water day and night, obsessively chasing snapper. There was no shortage of amazing big reds.

I love snapper season but it can be frustrating, with long hours on the water and generally small bursts of activity.

Over December I spent a lot of time targeting snapper with soft plastics – my favourite form of fishing. Targeting snapper between 40-70cm (2-6kg) on a light to medium spin combo is brilliant. It can be challenging at times but it’s so rewarding when it all comes together.

I have done this heavily around Altona, Williamstown, Werribee,

Port Melbourne, Geelong, Point Wilson, and some occasional trips across the bay to black Rock and Ricketts Point.

My go-to setup for this form of fishing is a 7ft 2-5kg spin rod paired with a 3000-size reel spooled with 12lb line and one rod length of 12lb fluorocarbon leader. I tie on a jighead between 1/8 oz to 1/4oz, depending on the depth and the strength of the current. The size of the hook gauge is 2/0, 3/0, or 4/0, depending on the size of the soft plastic.

Recently I have been fishing bigger plastics such as 4” and 5” paddle-tails, grubs, flick baits and jerk shads. During my last session around Geelong, I scoured the shallow reefs using tools like Navionics and C-maps. When I find productive grounds, I’ll spend some time sounding around for isolated arches or packed-up fish in the bottom third of the water column.

I then set a drift line and, if it’s chopping, throw out a drift chute.

That day I caught eight snapper between 45-65cm, and I kept two for a Christmas feed.

Another great thing about this technique is that it allows you to fish much lighter with less gear, and find your own spots away from the crowds. It’s a far cry from traditional methods, when you have many boats anchored up in the same areas with a spread of rods, bait and berley.

With water temps increasing, the King George whiting have come on strong, and so have the squid and flathead. From this side of Port Phillip Bay, I frequently make trips up to the Bellarine Peninsula, fishing areas such as Indented Heads, St Leonards, Queenscliff and Clifton Springs. That entire Curl Lewis bank is a great area in the shallows

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FMM for these species. The ground is full of shallow reefs and sand holes, which create an amazing ecosystem for these species to flourish. Flying a drone is a good way to scour these grounds for good fishing spots, or you can motor around on the boat or yak without fishing, just prospecting.

In these areas, when it’s on it’s on. I’ve had some crazy sessions, going home with a bag of whiting, flathead and squid. There are also huge numbers of Australian salmon and big snook. I generally target these species with one light spin rod combo, which allows me to be nimble and move from spot to spot when the bite is quiet.

That’s it for this month. I think 2024 will be a great year, and I recommend that you break out of your old routine, and try new

There are many pan-size pinkies around at the moment.

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techniques now and then. It can be a lot of fun, and can open up new possibilities.

Until next time, good fishing everyone. Feel free to contact me to share your fishing catches and photos around Melbourne, Port Phillip Bay and beyond, which we can feature in next month’s article. You can contact me at alan@fishingmad.com. au. Consider becoming a FishingMad member at www.fishingmad.com. au/member for fishing reports, workshops, podcasts, and monthly giveaways. You can follow my fishing adventures on YouTube (www.youtube. com/c/fishingmad), Facebook (www. facebook .com/fishingmad.com.au), Instagram (www.instagram.com/ fishingmad.com.au) and on Channel 31 Tuesday evenings at 8.30pm and Saturday afternoons.

A fishing rollercoaster of highs and lows PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

It’s been a stressful year with the increasing cost of living; we can only hope things will slowly get a little better in 2024. Many small businesses have been struggling, but with our support, they can survive these tough times. You might think all tackle is cheaper at the big chain stores, but that’s

usually get a feed.

We haven’t seen a lot of big snapper this season, with very few 20lb ones showing up. However, the upside this season has been the amount of 35-50cm ones being caught. They will be the breeding stock in the years to come. There were also many very small, undersized ones showing up towards the end of the season.

In recent years, we’ve seen more anglers practising catch-and-release, which is great to see. Often, people will take one big snapper, return any other big ones, and then keep the smaller, pan-size fish.

Lately, there have been fewer big snapper being caught, with many people complaining about undersized pinkies steeling their baits. In the coming weeks, there will still be bigger fish around, but it’s harder for them to get to the baits with the pinkies being so fast. There’s not much you can do other than use big baits with big hooks. Try using big fillets of fish

Heath came into the store with his dad to buy a new rod and wasted no time putting it to good use. not true – a lot of tackle is actually cheaper at smaller stores, particularly terminal tackle. If you do your homework, you can save money and support a small business at the same time.

Now, let’s look at what’s been biting.

It has been a rollercoaster of a season, with reports of many highs and lows for all species (except calamari, which haven’t fired at all). Snapper and whiting are always there, and although they have their good and bad days during the various seasons, you can

There have been plenty of goodsize snapper around this year.

or large strips of squid, and let the pinkies rattle away at it. It will take the pickers longer to demolish the large bait, and hopefully a bigger snapper will come along before it’s all eaten.

Something else you could try is to use live baits. The tiny pinkies won’t worry about a live bait, but the bigger snapper or gummies will take it without any problem at all.

Around 10 years ago, catching a 40cm whiting was unusual; low 30cm fish were the norm. Nowadays, however, when someone reports getting 10 whiting over 40cm, the response is, “That’s good”, rather than the front-page news it would have been not too long ago.

This season, we’ve had fewer people telling us they bagged out, but these anglers were still happy with their bag of a dozen nice whiting.

The whiting this season have been in all depths and areas. Many catches have been reported from anglers fishing the deeper channels for snapper and catching the whiting on their snapper rigs.

During the warmer months, we see a pattern develop with the whiting – deep water during the heat of the day and shallow during the early morning or evening. Baits have been varied as well. Some customers tell me they caught good whiting while snapper fishing with pilchard or squid baits, but when these guys go to the whiting areas, they only use pipis!

The truth is, some days a squid bait might catch more fish than a pipi, so it’s worth bringing a variety of baits to see what the whiting prefer on the day.

The calamari have been disappointing this season, with very low numbers. Why? Well, that’s the million-dollar question that no one seems to have an answer to. There have been some patches of good sizes and numbers,

but nowhere near what we’d expect to see, either land-based or from a boat.

We are well into the season now, and normally at this time you’d expect artificial jigs to come into

Logan and Thomas recently managed to catch a few pinkies on a short afternoon fish. their own, but the reports are just as good on the baited jigs. With such a slow season it’s impossible to get a read on the best colours of jigs, which could be why people are still using a lot of baited jigs. As we keep saying though, just keep trying different colours to see what works best. What works today won’t necessarily work tomorrow.

In January, patience is the most important item to pack in your fishing kit – and not just when you have a line in the water. There are lots of tourists who are new to fishing, so there will be tangles on the jetties, boats dragging anchors, and long waits and walks at the ramps.

Take a few deep breaths and accept the reality that these people are still learning. You can make your life easier by helping them so they know what to do (and what not to do). It’s so much better than just standing there feeling annoyed!

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Bass are well-conditioned and on the boil including the Latrobe, Thomson and Mitchell rivers. Bait anglers have been especially successful at catching plenty of bass on each trip.

Mick Gned from Traralgon landed just over 40 bass in one busy session, with at least 10 fish between 40-45cm and one stand-out thumper at 52cm.

He used plain old garden worms and also scored a few nice trout and a handful of small redfin.

Mick sent me directions to go and fish the same river a few days later, and sure enough, the bass were

GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

It’s hard to believe, but Victoria’s whole bass stocking program has risen to another level. This month’s report is dominated by some epic results, and I’ll look into the bass fishing ahead as summer really heats up.

FAT BASS The stand-out feature with nearly all the bass turning up recently has

Kevin Beams found some nice fish right in the town of Sale like this fat bass caught on lure.

Even in dirty water some ripper bass are turning up and taking lures like this 48cm model. still there. I used metal blades in the murky water and landed 11 bass, with my best three going 36cm, 47cm and 48cm. The rest were little squeakers around 25cm.

I also caught a heap of small, stunted reddies and some huge eels on lures. I wrestled in three whopping long-finned eels, all

been their impressive condition. Any fish over 40cm has been built like a truck. Their powerful bodies and small heads prove they are healthy and super-fast growing. These bass are just as impressive as the ones you’ll find in any other eastern state.

All the Gippy Lakes streams are holding impressive numbers of fish,

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around a metre long, and I bought one home for the smoker that went 97cm and weighed about 4kg. After being soaked in brine overnight and slow smoked the next day, it was magnificent eating.

Kevin Beams fished his local waters and had a quick look in the Sale Canal, and caught a ripper redfin and a chunky 38cm bass.

Then Micky Dee rang me and said we should go for a look in our local stream, and he pulled in a cracking 46cm bass that weighed just under 1.8kg.

The upper Latrobe River is full of bass from the last two years of stocking. Most have been around the 35cm mark, but there have also been some trophy fish around 50cm.

Over the next month, I expect the bass captures to get even better, and using surface lures will provide some excellent sport. The hotspots for that action will be the upper Avon River around Stratford and the Mitchell River downstream of Glenaladale.

ESTUARY PERCH While chasing bass, we have also bumped into cricket scores of estuary perch in the same areas I mentioned above. I released 20 perch on a recent trip, and on the next trip, I released 27. The EPs have all been around 30-34cm and would have originated either from a spawning event 3-4 years back or from restocking. They have been stacked in many areas of those rivers and have been taking small soft plastics and hardbody lures. It’s a joy

to see them come bouncing back after years of being fairly absent from most local waterways. The only strange thing is we can’t find a single perch over 38cm.

DUSKY FLATHEAD Just a quick word on the lake flathead, and I have excellent news here, too. The big girls are starting to show up in the eastern areas like Metung to Nungurner. Already, I’ve seen a few ripper fish released around 60-70cm. If the duskies are as good as last year, we can expect the numbers and sizes of flathead to rise dramatically.

Mick Dee with a ripper 46cm bass close to 1.8kg.

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Pinkie snapper, squid and flathead on the menu PORT ALBERT

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

What a fishy new year! Here’s the list of species that are now featuring in my area: snapper, gummy, bronze whaler and school shark, rock and yank flathead, squid, whiting, garfish and even flounder. As you can imagine, I’ve got plenty to report on, and we can all look forward to some excellent fishing in the weeks and months ahead.

SQUID So far, it’s been a fairly busy squid season for Port Albert, and the numbers have been well up on the last two years. On pretty much any squidding trip you’ll come home with a good feed.

Recently my buddy Andrew ‘Frog’ Simmons took the family out and launched the boat at the Port Albert ramp. Mum, dad and the two kids, Lexie and Lachie, went searching for a feed of calamari. First, however, there was bait fishing to be done, and a picnic on Sunday Island. They had

The author loves catching big rock flathead. This 54cm fish was one of eight cracker rockies caught during a recent session. only a couple of hours left to actually catch squid, but after getting the kids on the squid jigs, they were able to drive home with about 10 squid, and left them biting. Frog said the kids had a great laugh with squid ink all over the place.

I heard another success story from Brad Stokell and Dean Shingles,

Lexie and Lachie having a fun family day out on the squid. who were mainly after a feed of flathead but had a quick look for the squid. They ended up landing a great bag of squid, and a few cuttlefish as well. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard of cuttlefish being caught down there, and I have it on good authority that they are extremely good eating.

They should stick around until February or March.

PULLIN’ PLENTY OF PINKIES In November the pinkie ‘switch’ was suddenly flipped on, and they turned up everywhere – McLoughlins, Manns, Karneys, Port Albert and Welshpool. I thought last year was a stellar pinkie season, but this year is a whole other level. There have been more bigger fish this summer than we’ve seen in the last 10 years.

The best part is the pinkies have been enthusiastically attacking lures; while blading for flathead I’ve been hooking plenty of 35-45cm snapper.

Soft plastics have been working even better, and every so often a big truck will pick up my lure and smoke me, or pull the hooks. This indicates there are a few 60-80cm thumpers around.

Lately, some of us have been getting between 10-20 solid pinkies every trip, and if we tried bait maybe those numbers could double.

FLATHEAD We’ve been treated to another ripper flattie season! Lately, I’ve been landing multiple big rock flathead to 55cm and endless squeaky yank flathead. Most of the yanks have been around 25-30cm, but there have also been plenty of bigger yanks from 40-58cm. I’m always able to get a good feed for home along with a few

squid, pinkies and the odd big 40cm whiting caught on lures as well.

BEACH BRONZIES When it comes to land-based game fishing, you can have some truly memorable experiences and tales to tell – and this is one of the best I’ve heard.

Brandon Scott and his mate Nick decided to spend a morning fishing

at Golden Beach recently. They sent out their baits with drones and in no time, Brandon hooked up and landed a ripper PB 9’6” male bronze whaler shark. Soon after, Nick was on the game rod, fighting another shark that was even bigger.

Here comes the crazy part of the story. While Nick was in that epic battle, the other two baited rods also hooked up. Suddenly there were three thumping sharks to do battle with, but only two anglers! In desperation, the boys called out to a passer-by, a mum having a nice, sunny stroll down the beach with her young child.

They frantically asked her if she’d like to catch her first ever shark. To their surprise, she said yes and seemed excited to get this once-in-a-lifetime chance. Before long, her relaxing morning walk turned into chaos!

Halfway through the fight, the boys’ new angling partner started to get fatigued, but she didn’t give up.

Eventually, although exhausted, she got the job done. With hardly any help she landed a big male, the same length as the one caught earlier – over 9ft long. Nick landed his fish, a 10’4” female, and an even bigger shark was lost in the shallow surf. The three landed sharks were tagged and released for the NSW DPI tagging program. Not a bad for just four hours of fishing. Before the boys went home they also watched a few whales breaching close into the beach, topping off a memorable morning.

This Hurricane Sting blade accounted for 10 pinkie snapper on this day.

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Consistent fishing continues in the lake system MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The holidays are always a busy time of year, with visitors enjoying the area right through until after Easter.

It’s a great time to savour the summer weather and the great fishing that the area has to offer.

The ocean water temperature is a little below average at present, sitting at around 16°C, but by the time you read this, the water temperature will be great for swimming.

Over the past few months, the area

has received little rainfall. Although there has been enough to keep the creeks and rivers flowing, it would be great to see a bit more rain this summer because it really fires up the fishing.

With plenty of good gutters on the local beaches, the summer months can offer a little more variety for beach fishers.

Winter sees salmon and tailor along all the local beaches, whereas the summer months produce yellowfin bream and sand whiting alongside the salmon and tailor. At Quarry Beach, you can catch gummy shark, with the best times being early in the morning or during the evening.

A bream in top condition from the deeper water in the Top Lake.

Offshore, the higher water temperatures have resulted in some excellent fishing. There have been consistent catches of tiger flathead, sand flathead and some gummy shark.

Yellowtail kingfish will also be around this month, and depending on the amount of baitfish, they can stay in the area for some time. It’s hard to predict how good the fishing will be, though, because it changes from year to year.

The lake system provides consistent fishing over the summer months. With so many nooks and crannies, it’s always possible to find somewhere to fish out of even the strongest winds and catch a feed.

Good numbers of dusky flathead are being caught throughout the system, both upstream and also out into the bottom lake. At this time of year, we see good numbers of fish caught from the channel markers out to the John Bull marker. It can be a hard area to fish because it’s very exposed to the wind, so it’s best to have an early start before the wind starts blowing.

The Bottom Lake has been fishing well for bream, with reports from anglers chasing bream in the Top Lake and around the rock walls. Palmers Bank has been producing plenty of flathead, but it

Greg McEachren with a great bream caught in the Bottom Lake. hasn’t been as easy to catch bream. The Bottom Lake and out behind Goodwin Sands have been more reliable spots for bream. As usual, the 4m depth has been fishing well. Use your sounder to find the bait, and don’t be surprised if you catch a mulloway from the same area.

Timely rain should fire things up this summer MARLO/ORBOST

Marlo Ocean Views

As I put this report together, the heavens have opened in the region, and a dry looking Marlo has now received 120-150mm of rain, and the river is in flood. Thankfully, things have settled, and this event should clear and let people enjoy the area and in particular the fishing in it.

When fine weather allows, the fishing offshore from Marlo has been producing excellent flathead fishing and gummy shark anglers have been pretty happy too. The mouth of the Snowy has been passable (although narrow), while many offshore anglers have taken advantage of the new launching facilities at Cap Conran

while based in Marlo.

With the system currently getting a good flush, you would expect both the Brodribb and the Snowy rivers to

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lures around. Another area always worth trying with those same lures is the foreshore of the Snowy all the way up to Frenches Narrows. It consistently produces good fishing.

Our local beaches can also provide some good fishing. Salmon, tailor, and sharks are the most popular targets.

• There will be plenty of people enjoying what Marlo has to offer and starting 2024 in this lovely place. Why not come and enjoy it with us? – Les and Kathy Heyne – Marlo Ocean Views Caravan and Camping Park

Marg Turner loves a feed of gummy shark, and she was pretty happy with this one she caught out from Marlo.

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fire up as the saltwater pushes back up each of the waterways. Species like bream, estuary perch and luderick will undoubtedly follow the bait up the

system, and they should be well and truly catchable. Fresh baits are always best, with sandworm and crabs being popular options.

There are plenty of land-based fishing locations along the river, as well as the Marlo jetty. The jetty also offers excellent launching facilities for boats of all sizes and is a great area to get a kayak in the water.

The lower section also provides plenty of good fishing. The tailor always seem to be there, while the flats always seem to have good flathead and bream fishing for anglers who like throwing soft plastics or hardbody

Lee Balcom with a lovely bream caught on fresh sandworm. We should see plenty of quality bream in the system this month.

Little Anglers getting hooked on fishing Your recreational fishing licence fees have helped put 95,000 Little Angler Kits into the hands of Victorian primary school children, ensuring the next generation gets hooked on fishing!

Each kit includes a fishing rod, reel with line, carry bag and a tackle box containing hooks, swivels, sinkers and a lure.

Children also receive a Little Anglers’ Guide to Fishing booklet that explains the basics - knots, rigs, casting and commonly encountered fish species. There’s even a YouTube playlist of instructional videos to show the kids all they need to know to wet a line.

Distribution of kits is now complete and delivers on a State Government commitment as part of its $96 million investment to further improve fishing, boating, piers and aquaculture.

We look forward to seeing plenty of photographs on social media this summer of smiling kids proudly showing off their first fish!

Learn more at www.vfa.vic.gov.au/littleanglerkit

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It’s finally here – thank cod for the open!

ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

Wow, it didn’t take long for another cod open to roll around, ready for business! The local Murray dropped down just in time, and the water clarity had many die-hard fishos scrambling through their tackle boxes in search of the best lures. It was good to see the water clear up enough to cast a lure or two.

In the lead up to the open, the golden perch bite was hot, with some chunky fish on the chew. The Murray River at Swan Hill has seen some good-sized perch to 57cm landed upstream of the bridge on bait and lures. A few small cod to 55cm have also been on the chew, mostly on bait, with scrub worms working best.

In the local lakes, redfin have continued to bite in good numbers, with the odd thumping perch muscling in at times. Lakes Charm,

for those searching for a big bite. The same can be said around Mildura, Wentworth and downstream to Fort Courage and beyond. Everyone has their favourite destination or run, and these spots will be hammered hard over the coming weeks and months.

While you are up the river chasing a few fish, you could do worse than drop a few yabby nets in and catch yourself a feed. Some goodsized yabbies are getting caught along the Murray at all these locations, and while the numbers are not huge, the yabbies are. Fresh-caught carp is great bait, and turning a pest fish into a great feed is a win in my book.

With the cod season open, many of us will be spending more time out on the water. Don’t forget the bug spray and the sunscreen, to ensure a more enjoyable trip.

Good luck to everyone over the coming month and may you finally catch that one you’ve been looking for.

If you’re looking for a good cod lure this season, it’s hard to look past the StumpJumper. They have been catching sizeable Murray cod for decades.

Carp numbers are at an all-time high in most local waters, so take plenty of bait to last the session.

Of course, there are still plenty of anglers out there digging grubs and worms set to tempt a cod on bait.

Regardless of your preferred method, it’s always great to feel the take of the first cod for the season.

A ripper Murray cod caught in one of the Kerang Lakes on a Bassman DT spinnerbait.

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Meran and Kangaroo have all been producing fish on bait and lures.

The Wakool River at Kyalite has been producing good numbers of golden perch and Murray cod to 80cm on bait and lures, and it’s a similar story at Stony Crossing.

The Murray River below the Euston weir has continued to produce a great run of golden perch, with good sizes and numbers. Small hardbodied lures and compact spinnerbaits have been the pick, and when the fish are on it’s not unusual to hook several solid perch in as many casts. The bait anglers have also been catching a few, with yabbies, shrimp and worms all on the menu. A couple of smaller cod showed up as bycatch in the lead-up to the open, indicating it would be worth trying some of the bigger snags downstream after the open.

Carp continue to be a problem for bait anglers, as they scoff most baits within seconds of reaching the bottom. When fishing this month, you should take more bait than you normally would, because you’ll need it. It’s a similar story right the way along the Murray to Mildura, Wentworth and beyond – heaps of golden perch amongst a mountain of carp.

On the Murray cod scene, Red Cliffs produced some solid cod last season, and will be a popular location

The perch have been running hot in the Murray River in the lead up to the cod open. This one took a Bassman Compact spinnerbait below the Euston weir.

Sweltering summer YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett

Recently I had a look over the January reports for the last few years, and they have been pretty consistent.

Traditionally lure fishing tends to turn up bigger cod, while the bait fishos will be rewarded with numbers.

For the trollers, 70-120mm lures are always a great choice. However, spinnerbaits shouldn’t be discounted because they have produced many fish on the troll in the past few years.

Anglers who prefer casting can get good catches on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and diving lures. The boys on the ‘scope’ will be using their usual swimbaits, and bigger plastics

are always popular, too. The bait crew should be looking towards bardi grubs, yabbies, and the ever-popular scrub worm.

Fishing below the weir early in the season generally produces plenty of undersize Murray cod, along with the protected trout cod, and the fun to catch silver perch. Throw in numerous carp and good numbers of yellowbelly, and the Murray is often a better option for the family if you want to put the kids onto a fish for a bit of fun.

Looking back , November produced minimal action as the yellas slowed from their early spring run. Most of the anglers

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The holiday fishing season is now in full swing The warm weather is well and truly here, and increasing numbers of anglers are heading out on the water.

The fishing conditions over the last few months were often not great, with many windy days. Hopefully, we’ll get fewer windy days this month, and we can all get out on the water more regularly.

LAKE EPPALOCK The water levels in Lake Eppalock have been decreasing over the last couple of months, dropping to 92% of capacity at the time of writing this report. The water clarity has been slowly improving.

Lake Eppalock gets very busy over the holiday period, and the most popular areas (Kimbolton Pool and Derrinal Pool) will become extremely busy with boat and jet ski traffic.

If you are planning to fish these areas, try to fish them either early in the morning or late in the afternoon when there’s less boat traffic.

Trying to fish these areas in the middle of the day can be very frustrating.

If you want to fish during the middle of the day, the best options are up the Campaspe Reach or Twin Rivers sections of the lake. These sections are more heavily timbered, so fewer boats go there.

Redfin continue to make up most of the catches. Over the last month or so, the better concentrations of redfin have been in deeper water, and the 6-8m depth range has been the most productive.

Trolling deep-diving hardbody lures has become more effective in recent weeks. Some good lure choices for this are Custom Crafted Basshunters, Australian Crafted Invaders and Halco Poltergeist Crazy Deeps.

If you’re having a productive session trolling up schooled redfin, and you notice the sizes/numbers dropping off after a while, try changing your lure colour. Simply presenting a new colour to the redfin school can sometimes revive your catch rates.

Golden perch numbers at Eppalock have been slowly improving in recent weeks, helped by the increasing water temperatures.

With the dropping water levels, the shoreline hasn’t been as productive as it used to be. Instead, increasing numbers

who did get out reported surprisingly good numbers of cod attacking smaller lures with vigour.

Many people remarked on the great condition the fish were in.

If you’re visiting Yarrawonga/ Mulwala over the holiday period, to pop in and say g’day at Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski (opposite the Post Office) 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 a fish or two, and make your visit to the region a rewarding one.

I wish everybody a happy and safe New Year. May all your fish be big and green!

BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

Dylan McCallum with a nice 65cm cod caught casting a Zerek Slick Back lure. Any cod of this size would be a nice early season reward.

of golden perch are now being caught off the standing timber. Good lure options have been lipless crankbaits, soft plastics and spinnerbaits.

CAMPASPE RIVER The fishing in the Campaspe River has improved over the past month or so, mainly due to improved water clarity. However, the clarity is still only average at best, and there’s room for improvement.

A good mixture of Murray cod and golden perch have been caught in recent weeks, mostly by anglers walking the banks and fishing the skinny water.

Good lure choices have been spinnerbaits and medium-sized hardbodies. Fluoro colours have been working best on most days in both the spinnerbaits and hardbody lures. If the

Bait fishing around the standing timbers has been producing golden perch and redfin. Good bait options have been worms, small yabbies and shrimp.

If you are prepared to put in the work, you can pick up some reasonable numbers of fish on lures despite the poor water clarity.

Trolling medium-sized hardbodies around the edges of the rocky shoreline has been producing some reasonable numbers.

The best lure colours have been fluoro colours like pink, orange and chartreuse. Most of the golden perch have been around 28-40cm.

A few Murray cod have also been caught, but most have been small fish under 60cm.

Trolling deep-diving hardbodies has been productive at Lake Eppalock.

This redfin was caught on a trolled Custom Crafted Basshunter. fishing is slow, try changing your lure colour to a dark silhouette, such as black or purple. This can sometimes get you a fish or two on those tough days.

Now that the Murray cod season is open, fishing during low-light periods with swimbaits and surface lures is a great option.

The boat-able sections of the Campaspe River at Elmore and Rochester haven’t been fishing very well due to the reduced water clarity in those areas.

However, the clarity should continue to improve slowly, and we should see these areas fish well later in the season.

CAIRN CURRAN The water levels have continued to recede in Cairn Curran, dropping to 86% of capacity at the time of writing.

The water clarity is poor, so bait fishing is the best option at the moment.

Anglers fishing bait off the shoreline have been getting some reasonable catches, mostly small golden perch, redfin and European carp.

LODDON RIVER The fishing in the Loddon River has been disappointing this season (aside from some good fishing below some of the weirs in spring). The main culprit is the poor water clarity.

The good news is the clarity is improving; the bad news is it’s taking a very long time.

Given the poor water clarity in the impoundments that feed the Loddon River, it will probably be a long while before it is clear again.

That said, there are still some terrific fish to be caught if you’re prepared to put in the hard work.

When you’re fishing in dirty water, it’s good to spend extra time on likely structure. More casts are often required to entice a fish into striking, and a slower retrieve speed can also get more interest.

Be prepared to change your lures, to see what the fish prefer on the day.

When it comes to colours, bright fluoro colours and dark silhouettes usually work best in dirty water.

JANUARY 2024 89

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More consistent catches at sunrise and sunset WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Hot, hot, hot. January is the hottest month of the year here in North East Victoria.

The fishing can be a bit hit-and-miss for some species, depending on how hot and dry it is.

MURRAY COD January is usually a great month to

steep banks might entice a cod to come out. Look for areas of current and high flow – spots where the current delivers fresh water to the cod as they lie in wait to ambush their prey.

If you know of any spots where the water becomes broken, such as cascades or spillways, these can be great places to fish because that cascading water usually has higher levels of dissolved oxygen.

Any of the known Murray cod rivers

Scott Richards with a lovely Ovens River Murray cod caught on a yabby.

Lake William Hovell and Lake Buffalo, are both worth fishing for redfin in the middle of summer. Both lakes also have really clear water and great swimming as well, if you’re feeling the heat.

The average size of the redfin I catch

be difficult in January, I do have a few tips for you.

Early mornings are best, after the streams have had all night to call down a bit. Head up high into the headwaters of faster-flowing streams. The upper

Casting lures while wet wading at Lake Buffalo is an effective way to catch redfin, and also a great way to beat the heat. catch Murray cod in North East Victoria; I rate it as the second-best month of the year for cod fishing, second only to December. With the last two years being cooler and wetter than usual, the January Murray cod fishing was fantastic. If we get a really, hot dry summer (as is forecast), the extreme heat could slow the cod fishing right down.

On a typical year, the rivers drop to very low levels during January. The water warms right up and becomes quite dark and tannin stained as the hot northerlies

A nice Ovens River yellowbelly caught using worms as bait. blow lots of gum leaves into the rivers.

This dark, stained water is not to be confused with hypoxic water, known as ‘blackwater’. When the rivers get low and dark, the fish don’t die like they do in hypoxic blackwater, but they can slow right down and become harder to catch.

During these times the Ovens River usually comes to life with freshwater shrimp, and even swimming in the river is not very refreshing.

When cod fishing in these conditions, I find that sunrise and sunset are the best times, with sunrise being my favourite.

Casting lures at large submerged logs or 90 JANUARY 2024

will be worth trying during January, but how well the fish are biting will depend on how hot and dry the summer is.

YELLOWBELLY Yellowbelly in the rivers are also affected by hot, dry summers. However, yellowbelly tend to have a higher tolerance for warm mid-summer water than Murray cod do, and I suspect a few yellas will be caught right across North East Victoria during January.

One good thing about yellowbelly is that they’re also found in many lakes.

Lake Nillahcootie and Lake Hume are both stocked with yellowbelly, and there are several smaller, family-friendly urban fisheries (e.g. Lake Sambell and Allans Flat Waterhole) which are also stocked with yellowbelly. In these lakes and small ponds, the fish can generally move deeper during the heat, to find respite in the cooler water.

REDFIN January can be a pretty reliable time of the year to catch redfin in North East Victoria. My two favourite redfin lakes,

January is a great time of year to catch a feed of yabbies in the Wangaratta area. in the middle of summer is much smaller, but they are usually plentiful and great fun to catch – and the larger ones must be there somewhere! Wet wading and casting soft plastics or spinners will work on both lakes, and also any other waterways containing redfin during January.

TROUT This is where things start to get messy.

Trout are a cool water species and tend to really struggle during the heat of summer.

When the water is low and warm, the trout will often lay low, sitting down deep in the shaded sections of pools, waiting for conditions to improve. During these times they can be very hard to catch.

Even though trout fishing can

Trout fishing can be tough in the heat of summer. Sunrise can be a good time of day to target them.

Buckland, Ovens and Buffalo rivers will be good places to try, and so is the upper King River, way up high around King River Hut and Pineapple Flat if you have a 4WD. Where the water flow is high enough, trout will often swim upstream in search of cooler water as the water temperatures start to rise. After a summer storm or rain event can also be a good time to try trout fishing in January. If we get a good thunderstorm, a healthy flow of fresh, cooler water can often get the trout moving and feeding, even if it is only for a few days until the water settles back down again.

Very importantly, if you are planning on releasing your trout, it is critical to minimise the time they spend out of the water. In spring we can take photos of our trout easily, but in the heat of summer you really only have a few seconds. If you keep the trout out of the water for any longer than that they will probably die.

OTHER SPECIES January is a great time to go yabbying.

There will be yabbies biting in any waterways that has yabbies in them.

The small, seldom targeted Freshwater blackfish, sometimes called greasies will also bite well in the streams too. Look for deep pools with lots of snags and fish with worms at sunset.

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More yellowbelly and redfin at Shepparton Lake SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

The Goulburn River had a few spring rises and this really fired up the fish late in spring. It then settled just in time for cod opening, which meant we got some decent fishing conditions in.

In late spring there were plenty of fish caught. Anglers casting singlebladed spinnerbaits like the Old Mates and TN70 Jackalls have been doing well, with plenty of yellowbelly taking a liking to a slightly bigger profiled lure.

The river behind the Shepparton has been producing good numbers of yellowbelly, with some cracking fish being caught around the rock bank, sand bars and also near the junction.

Cod fishing was more baitdominated, with a heap of fish caught early in the season on cheese and chicken, along with a few reports from anglers using weird baits, such as dim sims.

With all these flows we should see a bumper cod season in the Goulburn. All we need are some settled water levels.

GREENS LAKE Over the last couple of months, I have been getting the odd report about Greens Lake producing good-sized redfin, and these reports are now getting more frequent, so I can’t ignore the success any longer. One report was from a local who caught over 30 redfin in a session, with the average size being 28-40cm. That’s a great catch of eating-size redfin.

A lot of the cod and yellowbelly were taken from the lake when Fisheries electrofished the lake and relocated the fish. With so many natives gone, there’s a lot of feed for the redfin to grow and prosper.

Trolling shallow divers or TN60 Jackalls has been a great way to chase these redfin. No particular area or colour has been standing out.

Bait fishing with night crawlers or small yabbies has worked well from both the bank and the boat.

Casting lightly-weighted soft plastics rigged with a beetle spin has also been reported as a great way to catch these quality-sized redfin.

SHEPPARTON LAKE There have been some good reports lately from the Shepparton Lake, with

more yellowbelly and redfin being caught compared to previous springs and early summer. I think it’s due to more locals working out ways to fish more weedless. Shallow-running jerkbaits, such as the XR4/6s, Bent Minnows or the Jackall Piku Pikus all can run just under the surface, allowing the redfin and yellowbelly to ambush from the weed without swimming too far from safety.

Another lure that’s been working well in the weed is the TN50/60 rigged with a single belly hook instead of trebles.

Those who love soft plastics in the Shepp lake have been rigging soft plastics with a weedless jighead, or a jighead with a weed guard. With this set-up, you can almost pitch the plastic on the weed edge or let it sink in the weed, and just shake it out. The fish smash the plastics hard in the weed, and in the small, clear water pockets.

Bait fishing with floats is another way to fish the weed. By making the odd adjustment of the hook depth, you can almost drift the baits just above the submerged weed lines. Live shrimp and worms have been the best baits for float

fishing lately, with both boat ramps and the grass hill producing fish.

IRRIGATION CHANNELS The local channels around Shepparton have fired right up, with yellowbelly, redfin and cod all reported.

Square-bills or small crankbaits fished around bridges has been a great way to target yellowbelly. The fish tend to hit the lure on the pause or right at your toes, so stay alert, and assume a fish is following your lure at all times.

Those anglers chasing cod have also been targeting the bridges, mostly using Bassman Compact Spinnerbaits or the Old Mate single-bladed spinnerbaits.

Many cod have been taking lures on the drop so make sure you track your lure as it sinks, so you don’t miss the bite.

Bait fishing around any form of weed or rock bank has been another successful method. Scrub worms and small yabbies have been working best.

There has been the odd report from anglers fishing the drop bars. Vertically fishing a black blade on the top side with less flow has accounted for a handful of fish. Redfin are the most frequently caught species on the top side.

FISHING NEWS

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to midship, while the Switchback model with Trifold bench features a portside switchback lounger with a navigator helm.

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helm to key functions, ensuring that phone charging, radio control, vessel monitoring, and vessel switching are accessible and intuitive. The 3-in-1 Trifold bench provides a seamless transition between a bench, table, and open space, so you can entertain with ease or just enjoy more leg room whenever you want.

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their passion to create a high-quality, attainable pontoon boat.”

For more information on the range and the options available, visit www.manitoupontoonboats. com. - BRP JANUARY 2024 91

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FMM

Quick sessions – a race against the clock If you see one, keep your distance and let it move on.

Up high in the Eildon Forest, there is a great feeder stream that I love, and let me tell you, this is God’s country. The water is cold and gin-clear. It’s a big day trip, and an overnighter is recommended. You’ll find accommodation in the surrounding

EILDON

Daniel Piazza

As we usher in the New Year, I hope everyone is enjoying their downtime at the best pond on the planet.

I spent many days at Eildon in November and December, testing electronics. I spent most of my time at four of my GPS marks, which have been my go-to spots on tough days over the years. I like to do a quick side scan of the points/banks and then fish each spot for about an hour.

The author’s boat, ready for the day. It’s good to get an early start before the heat sets in.

Tom Pretenjaca caught this cod on a tandem Colorado spinnerbait.

trout can often be found slurping up insect life early in the morning before shutting down as temperatures rise.

On those really stinking hot days, you’ll have only around two hours to catch them. Windy days can be better, with lots of food in the wind lane.

The best place to target trout (if you don’t want to travel too far) will be at the Pondage in Eildon. An effective way to catch them is with worms. Use a long leader and cast your worm just on the edge of the darker part or where the drop-off is. A big, juicy worm waving in the current is like a dinner bell for these trout.

Anywhere along Bourke Street is fine, but move around. The top end is also good around the cemetery road.

The rivers will produce good trout all day, and there are plenty of easily accessible land-based options.

The Goulburn River trout have lots of energy, so flicking around hardbody and spinner-blade lures can be effective.

Having long walks along the river sand creeks is very enjoyable – just be sure to get there early with all your research done before you arrive. And be careful of snakes! They’re everywhere.

away from the crowds. From there, you can access the Ford Inlet, which holds plenty of yellowbelly, redfin and lots of mud marlins.

I like to search around the 6m mark for yellowbelly, looking at the sounder constantly. When I see my first mark on the sounder, I’ll throw my RMG Poltergeist 20m or so back. The bib on the hardbody lure dives quickly, which is perfect.

Trolling for yellas is fun, and you will often be greeted by other species.

If I’m trolling during the hotter part of the day, I run two 6m diving hardbodies and sit back, relax, and take it all in.

By the way, I get all my lures and gear from Summit Outfitters, and I highly recommend them.

TROUT On the hottest days of summer, the

The trusty old Poltergeist still catches plenty of fish at Eildon.

trolling up 2-5 fish in a few hours while enjoying the scenery.

If you’re on the Mansfield side, you can drop your boat in at Paps boat ramp. It’s usually not that busy because it’s a dirt ramp, but if you have a 4WD it’s a great option to get

Ben with a healthy yellowbelly caught land-based at Eildon.

Live Sonar has taught me a few new ways to interrupt these crazy green fish.

I’ve noticed that when a fish is on the bottom around bait, it doesn’t want to know your lure, but when they’re off the bottom in the middle of the water column, they’ve come to party.

As well as using a sounder, I like to do blind casting and use different retrieves at different depths, glancing at the screen when a fish follows.

You’d be surprised how many times a fish will follow your lure from 10m.

The fish will slowly sneak up on it and sometimes whack it at the very last second. I can almost imagine the cod thinking, “That baitfish is running out of water, and once it’s on the surface, I’ll get it”. Then the cod sees the boat, gives the lure a quick whack to see if it’s edible, and after that, well it’s either going to be the cod’s lucky day, or the angler’s!

Remember, to effectively and efficiently fish Lake Eildon, you need a bow-mount electric motor, ideally with spot lock and a north button, or directional straight hands-free cruising while you’re bombing a thousand casts. Undistracted casting is vital in impoundments.

This month, you’ll want to concentrate on fishing the main arm, because most of the fish are back in there at the moment. The yellowbelly were very late to the party last year, and only a handful of anglers had some cricket score days. Still, there were heaps of reports of anglers 92 JANUARY 2024

Julian Piazza with one of the 10 million redfin at Lake Eildon, caught on a tiny 40mm paddle-tail plastic. towns of Thornton or Eildon, and it’s about a 1-hour drive up a windy road.

The Taponga River is only 15km long, but it holds some trophy brown trout.

A 6ft, medium-action rod with a 2500 reel spooled with 8lb braid and 8lb FC leader is good enough to get you started. Many people run super light set-ups, and I also do, but remember – you have to stop that big fish in a matter of seconds or have lots of water to fight it.

Use your sounder to locate the redfin, which are in plague proportions.

Hop from tree to tree to find the bigger ones, which are great tablefish. If you’re bank fishing, use small berley cages stuffed with breadcrumbs, maggots and a bit of catch scent, and you have a great few hours of fishing. You can also catch plenty on small soft plastics, vibes, spinners, etc.

That’s all for this month. I’m off work until 30 January, but I’ll be fishing the lake, so if you see the Primal Boat, come and say hi.

• Daniel Piazza is the creator of Primal Spinbaits – quality handcrafted, Australian-made spinnerbaits with a wide range of coloured heads and skirts.

These spinnerbaits feature heavy-duty wires and high-quality finishes, and are proven effective on our native fish.

Google ‘Primal Spinbaits’ to see where you can buy them.

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MAIL ENTRIES TO:

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Mudeyes are back on the menu for redfin BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

The warmer weather has hit us, as predicted by the El Niño forecast, with extended periods of warmer weather.

Hopefully, this is only short-lived, as I believe our fisheries have fully recovered to what they were before the last El Niño weather pattern. It took quite a few years to achieve, and, along with the fish stocking programs from the Victorian Fisheries Authority, we got there. Our fisheries are in the best shape I can remember from over 40 years of fishing.

Mudeyes, which are the larvae stage of a dragonfly, are on top of the menu for both trout and redfin in most of the waters around Ballarat. The trout and redfin find them irresistible, which is

Donny Rogers has been chasing redfin with soft plastics, and nailed this ripper from Talbot Reservoir. It took an Ambush Lures Rhubarb paddle-tail soft plastic. Image courtesy of Donny Rogers. flexible rod around 9ft long, 4-6lb line, an oval-shaped bubble float, a small piece of foam with a slit in it, a small split shot, size 12 hook and, the most important ingredient, mucilin (line grease/floatant).

Here’s how this all works.

• I use the bubble float as a casting aid and put little or no water in it. If a float

is full of water, it lands on the surface with a lot of force, causing the mudeye to hit the water hard. This force can kill it, and I want my mudeye to be as lifelike as possible. A live mudeye is more enticing for a feeding fish than one that’s floating around motionless.

Another benefit of the float is that you can see your foam as it sits near the float.

• The foam should be as small as possible so it’s more natural when a fish eats it. If you use a big piece of foam, a fish can sense something’s not right and swim away. The foam is used as my depth indicator to set whatever depth I want the bait to be fished at. You can do this by wrapping your line three times through the little slit that’s cut into it.

Once you strike or set the hook when the fish has eaten your bait, the foam generally breaks, which allows the float to slide down the line to the split shot.

It is very important, especially when fishing from a boat and fishing down deep, as this allows you to net your fish easily. If the foam doesn’t break, you have a hell of a time trying to net the fish.

• The split shot is only for weight to help get the mudeye down to the desired depth (sometimes mudeyes

Mudeye fishing equipment: a bubble float, foam, split shot, hooks and mucilin. great for anglers, particularly bait and fly fishers.

There are two types of mudeyes – the smaller bug mudeyes and larger couta mudeyes. The bugs are the dominant ones in our lakes and reservoir.

The lifecycle of a dragonfly is straightforward. On the rivers, lakes, dams and reservoirs, the mature dragonflies lay their eggs on the water’s surface. Each egg sinks to the bottom, and after a couple of weeks, a mudeye emerges.

When the air and water temperatures increase, the mudeyes get the urge to metamorphose into mature dragonflies.

The mudeyes leave the safety of the depths and crawl up onto land, seeking out sticks, reeds and trees so they can hatch into dragonflies. This is when trout and redfin feed on them, usually in the evening and after dark – and sometimes all night. The biggest hatches occur in December, January, February, and March.

We anglers need to make the most of mudeye hatches and feeding frenzy. It’s important to ‘match the hatch’ by using 94 JANUARY 2024

either live or imitation mudeyes.

Once the trout and redfin get a taste for mudeyes, they will feed on them not just during low-light periods but also during the day, giving anglers a chance to catch them around the clock.

GETTING GEARED UP The set-up I use is as follows: a

Fly patterns that imitate mudeyes: Craigs Nighttime, Mrs Simpson, Cordulid Mudeye and Muddler Minnow.

Craig Howlett found some trout jumping out of the water at Moorabool Reservoir, eating dragonflies. After many casts, a 57cm brown finally ate his Mepps Aglia Inline spinner. Image courtesy of Craig Howlett.

don’t sink). I only use a small split shot because I don’t want my foam to sink to the bottom.

• I use a size 12 hook and pin the mudeye through the wing case.

• I grease my monofilament line with mucilin (line floatant), which allows it to float. If you don’t grease your line, it will sink and stay in one spot.

This isn’t ideal because you want to cover as much water as possible to give you the best chance of encountering feeding fish.

Lake Wendouree continues to fish well, whether you are casting flies, hardbodies, soft plastics, or baits, especially mudeyes. The amount of anglers lining the shorelines around Wendouree, morning, noon and

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Quality fish caught on the troll We have seen a few good fish taken out of Lake Bullen Merri recently, although many anglers have said it’s been hit and miss.

One visiting angler from Skipton tried his luck bank fishing using PowerBait, and was rewarded with two solid fish – a rainbow measuring 48cm and a Chinook measuring 54cm.

Another visitor from Colac caught a fat 51cm Chinook from his tinny, while another boater from Ararat downrigging landed a sizeable brown that looked around 50cm.

I have heard on the grapevine that tiger trout over 3kg are still being taken, although not in huge numbers. I’d say the fickle weather we’ve had lately

has had something to do with it. The barometer has been up and down like a yoyo, with plenty of thunderstorms to boot. Many anglers believe that during the build-up to a storm, the trout bite can go ballistic – and I agree. I have caught enough fish over the years to be convinced of it. The one problem is being caught out in the open when lightening is about. More than once I’ve had the hairs on my arm straighten due to static electricity in the atmosphere.

When that happens, it’s definitely time to go.

Over at Purrumbete some lovely browns in excess of 3.5kg along with similar sized tigers and Chinooks have been taken by anglers trolling lures in depths of around 10m. Lofty’s Cobra style lures in pink and silver have worked for some people, while other anglers have been doing well with deep

diving minnows in trout patterns.

Bags of sizeable redfin have been taken at depth by anglers jigging soft plastics and bladed lures. 3” shads and paddle tails in dark colours have been working for me, along with blades in black colours. Anywhere from 15-20m has been holding fish, and any bulge coming off the bottom on the sounder screen is likely to be a school of reddies.

If you see this on your sounder, hold station over the school and use berley to keep the fish there and on the bite.

The upper reaches of the Hopkins and Merri rivers have seen some excellent trout to 60cm taken on minnow lures cast along the bank, or at any protruding snag or weed bed. Many of these fish are holding under cover in quite shallow water, waiting for some sort of prey to swim past. Hopefully that’s your lure.

A solid Chinook taken on the troll on Bullen Merri in 8m of water off the north shore cliff faces.

night, is great to see. I’m sure Fisheries will be chuffed to see this as well, as it shows the fish stocking program in place is working a treat.

Those anglers who fish Wendouree in the evening will have noticed it’s a lot brighter since the 250 lights were turned on. I’m not sure what, if any, impact this will have on the aquatic/insect life, especially the mudeyes, which are a massive part of Wendouree’s food chain. We’ll have to wait and see.

Alan Ralph, a mate of mine visiting from Tasmania, recently fished Wendouree during the evening, and he couldn’t get over the number of fish that were rising, eating all sorts of insects. He didn’t think this was possible in the middle of town. Alan started off using nymphs, as there were some mayflies hatching, but had no success. He then changed over to a fur fly, and it didn’t take long before a nice brown trout, in the mid-40cm range, ate his fly. I had often told Alan what an awesome fishery we have

here in Ballarat, and after he finally visited, he said, “Now I know what you’re talking about!”

Newlyn Reservoir has been fishing quite well for both trout and redfin.

My colleague Steve Angee has been getting amongst some nice-sized redfin on hard-bodied lures and soft plastics.

Steve said it pays to have a few different lures in your tackle bag. “I couldn’t get a touch the other day,” he said, “then I swapped over to a hardbody, and it was game on! Then, on the next trip, they wouldn’t have a bar of that hardbody.”

Craig Howlett has also been out at Newlyn getting amongst the redfin, some up around 40cm. Craig said the Mepps Aglia inline spinner has been doing the damage.

At Moorabool Reservoir, the water level is still dropping. I’m not sure why that’s happening at this time of the year, but I’m sure there’s a good reason.

The dropping levels have made it very muddy around the edges, so be sure to wear gumboots or waders.

The bright, sunny weather and

dropping water levels haven’t deterred the anglers or the fish. There have been some excellent reports of both redfin and trout being caught on flies, lures and soft plastics. Josh Corcoran, Tim Vincent and Nathan Bean have been chasing the redfin at Moorabool

two. Ralph said if you are patient, the browns cruise right into the shallows to feed. They can be fussy at times, but on other days they are willing to eat small dry flies like a parachute dun.

Donny Rogers, Hayden Wilson

CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

Visiting Tasmanian angler Alan Ralph was impressed by Lake Wendouree, catching a lovely brown trout on a fur fly.

Bug/spider mudeyes are a massive part of the trout and redfin’s diet, especially during the warmer months.

on soft plastics. The boys cleaned up in one session, catching 30-odd redfin up to 35cm.

Craig Howlett and son Mitch have been hitting up Moorabool on the fly and with lures. Craig said the trout have been jumping out of the water everywhere, chasing dragonflies. It’s great to watch but very frustrating as they are hard to catch. Craig has persisted though, catching some nice browns and rainbows, including a 57cm brown on a Mepps Aglia Inline spinner size 3.

Norm Moller and Ralph Janke have been fly fishing Moorabool every weekend, catching the odd one or

and Mick Fanning are back out chasing the redfin again. The boys have been having a ball over the past few months, catching some nice-sized browns from our local streams, which was great to see. It’s worth trying them at some stage.

Donny, Mick and Hayden target a lot of our smaller waters for redfin around Ballarat, generally with excellent results. Recently, they hit up Talbot Reservoir and scooped the pool, catching some rippers bouncing Ambush Lures Rhubarb paddle-tail soft plastics. The boys put in the hard yards and reaped the rewards for their efforts.

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Big bass from Blue Rock Reservoir have headlined the freshwater fishing in Gippsland this past month. According to Will Thomson from Allways Angling in Traralgon, these voracious lure-takers have been going crazy on the surface of an evening, with cicada surface lures being very productive. It’s not unheard of for anglers to catch and release 30 or more fish in a session.

During the day when the fish are deeper, try bibbed hard-bodied lures in the 50-55mm size range or small, lightly-weighted soft plastics.

The fish are a good size, too, with several specimens of over 50cm

For best results, use as little weight as possible.

In terms of locations, the rivers around Noojee almost always give up good numbers of trout for persistent anglers. Also, being surrounded by lush eucalypt forest, it’s a pleasant region to escape the summer heat.

The Latrobe River, in particular, has good numbers of brown trout that are slightly larger than last season, with fish to 35cm being captured regularly. Mobile anglers could spend hours, or even days, exploring this waterway, which is very long and has many public access points at road bridges and reserves. A pair of waders will be an advantage because walking the banks is tricky in places due to overhanging tree branches.

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Warragul-based Dylan Powis landed this thumping bass at Blue Rock Reservoir. It took a soft plastic cast from the shore. coming to the net for both shore and boat-based anglers. The reservoir is nearly full, with lots of vegetation along the banks, so it should provide great opportunities for bass and trout anglers well into summer.

The warmer months are usually a great time for trout anglers in Gippsland. However, the start of summer has seen some horrendous weather, with widespread heavy rains and strong winds bringing a temporary halt to proceedings. Once the high and dirty water returns to normal levels, anglers should once again find any number of streams filled with willing trout to tempt.

There have already been a few termite falls, and before the rain the trout were just starting to bite on small dry flies. Size 14 beadhead nymphs can be fished on a short leader beneath a dry fly, while larger terrestrial flies will come into their own as summer progresses.

Lure anglers will find success prospecting with small, hard-bodied lures and bladed spinners, while bait fishers won’t go wrong soaking an earthworm in likely pools and runs.

relaxed approach, there are spots in the town of Noojee itself where trout can be caught while the family enjoys a picnic or meal at the pub.

The two most well-known tributaries of the Latrobe, the Loch and Toorongo, usually fish similarly well during summer for anglers using the same techniques. The fish tend to be slightly smaller, but they’re no less voracious.

Even closer to Melbourne, the upper reaches of the Bunyip River would be worth a look, while over in the east, the Traralgon Creek was fishing well before the rain.

Don’t forget the closed season for river blackfish ends after December 31, and many of the waterways mentioned above contain good numbers of these endearing natives.

River blackfish are something of a novelty to catch and grow to a good size south of the Great Dividing Way, but please be kind to them and release them after a quick photo.

• Our usual columnist, Billy Auldist, was at Schoolies on the Gold Coast at the time of writing, so this report has been supplied by his father Martin.

JANUARY 2024 97

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South Coast

FMM

Anglers hit the water early to beat the wind ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

With summer in full swing, we are getting those typical northeasterly winds swinging to southeasterlies. Fishing this month usually requires early starts, so you can return to the ramp before the winds come up around lunchtime. Late in the afternoon, the winds generally swing back to a northeasterly, so you can fish during the evening and after dark as well.

Certain beaches always fish better at this time of year because of the prevailing winds. These include Poison Creek, Alexander Bay, Dunns, 14 Mile and Roses. The local areas that fish well in January include Fourth Beach, 11 Mile and Stockyard Creek.

The salmon have started to school

Lachy Warren with a solid samsonfish.

Image courtesy of @lachy_warren

again, with small patches cruising around the coastline, and you can catch them on pretty much all the beaches mentioned above.

Along with the salmon, we are still seeing plenty of good-size herring, smaller skippy, and reasonable size flathead. Beaches like Roses and Poison have also been producing plenty of tailor. Thomas River and Alexander have also been producing smaller mulloway and gummy sharks.

The choice local beach at the moment is probably Stockyards. Anglers fishing there have been catching salmon, reasonable size skippy up to 1kg, flathead up to 50cm, and small soapy mulloway.

Stockyards is a great beach that’s close to town, with easy 4WD access.

Bandy Creek has still been producing plenty of King George whiting, herring, flathead and flounder. At the Town Jetty, there have been plenty of big bull herring, smaller skippy, snook, and the occasional bonito.

There’s good bream fishing at the local lakes, with Quallilup Lake out of town also producing good numbers and sizes of bream, with fish up to 40cm. We’ve had good results recently on the Daiwa 60 Infeet Sazanami in ghost wakasagi and brown suji UV. If you want to fish in the bay this month, you’ll need to get out early and be home well before lunch. It’s worth

A combination of fresh bait and light leader has been effective on the mulloway. Image courtesy of @lachy_warren it though, with bluefin tuna starting to turn up, along with herring, snook and sand whiting. If you fish the small sand patches in the bay, you can also encounter King George, whiting up to around 60cm or half a kilo.

Anglers fishing the close-in islands have been getting good catches of queen snapper, sweep, breaksea cod and smaller nannygai.

Out wide, we’re seeing good numbers of nannygai up to 65cm, and fishing early in the morning on a rising tide produces the best results. You can have fun flicking soft plastics here, such as Daiwa Bait Junkie 6.2 Minnows in white or blue wakasagi, with heavy jigheads.

After the plastic hits the bottom, flick it up to around the 10m mark, and let it flutter back down. You’ll notice it usually gets hit

on the drop. Avoid bringing your plastic too high off the bottom because most fish don’t want to swim up that far (unless they’re really hungry).

As well as nannygai, you can catch harlequin fish, queen snapper, breaksea cod and even groper this way. You don’t need an overly expensive outfit; most guys use eggbeaters on a PE 2-4 jig rod, 10,000-14,000 size reel, 50lb braid, and 60-80lb wind on leader.

Out wide, we’re also seeing plenty of bluefin tuna in bigger schools. Most fish have been around the 4-8kg mark, with the occasional bigger model in the mix. There are also good numbers of queenies, breaksea, samsonfish and smaller yellowtails.

In the coming weeks, we can expect the winds to persist (this usually continues right through until autumn). More tuna will rock up, and more salmon will be schooling along the beaches. The herring start to get thicker and bigger in January, and bream tend to fire more with the warm water, too. All in all, there are lots of options and plenty to look forward to.

• 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.

Good captures all round BUNBURY

Whiteys Tackle and Camping

The warmer weather, and the warmer water, has certainly fired things up on the fishing front!

The local Leschenault estuary is full of yellowfin whiting, these magnificent fish are able to be targeted with bait (usually bloodworms) rigged with a simple long shank hook and small

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 the elusive mulloway 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 have been plenty of smaller crays in the shallower regions as well.

The local blue manna crab fishery opens back up on 1 December and if it anything like the last couple of years it should be a cracker! After two months

There are plenty of crabs in the Leschenault estuary. 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 chopper tailor to around 35cm. Using a mulie on a set of ganged 98 JANUARY 2024

Whiting are on fire this time of year!

The Collie River is producing some lovely captures of mulloway. of letting the crabs get down to business, the onslaught of boaties and scoopers will trying their luck for these tasty morsels.

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 generally coinciding with the high tides. The boat anglers were getting their fair share as well but worth moving around if the numbers aren’t great. Another little tip that worked for me last year don’t be scared to get your pots right on the drop off, you may only be setting the pots in half to 1m of water but it seemed to be the hotspot on a lot of days.

When selecting your bait options

keep in mind the dolphins and stingrays will show preference to fish type bait so when dropping pots shallow try mullet or mulies and when setting deeper spleen seems to keep the undesirables at bay. Even though the 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 future generations.

• 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.

South Coast

FMM

WA

Playing with your new toys AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

Christmas comes around so quickly these days it seems like you are just getting over the overindulging in everything when you are back

The tides have also been pretty big lately and as with previous months this has meant that the Hardy Inlet continues to change in shape and depth almost daily. An incredible amount of sand has been moved from Jay’s Beach through the cut and deposited all the way up to East Augusta. It is incredibly important

Alexandra Bridge has plenty of black bream, this juvenile caught on a river prawn went back to grow up. planning the next one. The good thing is that generally you have plenty of new toys to try out in your favourite fishing spot courtesy of the family or good old Santa.

It has been extremely windy for the last few weeks with a couple of high pressure systems sitting well below WA causing the south easterlies to be strong and consistent. Not fun for fishing or anything other than

Rock fishing with a good berley trail often results in a mixed bag just like this. kite surfing unfortunately but at least the temperatures have climbed into the mid 30s.

The long range forecast is that the summer is to be long and hot so a there will be something to look forward to well into the new year. That coupled with the return of demersal fishing means the opportunity to catch a few feeds and hopefully put some more in the freezer to help fill the void created during the 6-month ban.

to pay attention when navigating the river as there are plenty of extremely shallow stretches outside of the marked channels.

At low water it is obvious to see the extent of the sandbars throughout the river which also has the advantage to showing you the likely places where you can target your favourite species.

Currently the river is producing large numbers of whiting especially King George and yellowfin with the latter making a good showing of late. The King George have been dominant during the day but those fishing predawn and late at night have been locating some solid yellowfin especially from the Ellis Street Jetty and The Sticks. Squid and cockles by far were best for King George with prawn pieces and glass shrimps a yellowfin favourite.

Black bream have also been located right throughout the system with plenty of smaller fish hunting in small groups especially around snags and rocky areas.

Some smart fishers have been fishing predawn on the Ellis Street Jetty where under the large bright jetty lights the black bream can be observed sitting on the bottom amongst the rocks and weed growth waiting for something to come along. Small soft plastic grubs jigged in front of them has been very effective as has baits of prawn pieces. Many are just below legal size with the occasional fish getting into the low 30s. Regardless of size, they give a great fight although somewhat dirty especially when they have a favourite snag nearby.

Further up the river black bream have been active near Molloy Island and Alexandra Bridge where plenty of fish in the high 30s were landed in the Molloy Hideaway Holiday Park Bream Competition. Plenty caught from snags around the river banks and some stonkers near the area of the Molloy Island ferry. The island residents are

pretty protective of the fish near the ferry so be warned, you could cop a mouthful from some of them if you fish too close.

Prawns, soft plastic grubs and small hard bodies lures fished along the snags and right on the bottom will produce fish.

If you want to keep black bream to eat, these are the ones as they live in brackish or salt water and don’t have any of the muddy flavours that can sometimes affect freshwater bream.

Like a Christmas present for locals and holiday makers, the power that be have graciously allowed rec fishers to fish demersals for a short period over the Christmas holiday period from 15 December until 1 February in the new year. Hopefully the southeast winds will play nice and give a couple of good fishing days during that time period.

As there has been no fishing pressure on them, it should be easy to locate the fish especially in the deeper waters around 50m where the larger dhufish generally hang out. For those fishing in smaller boats the shallower reef in the 12-15m depth range will also produce plenty of dhufish and pink snapper, especially areas where the rock lobster pots have been set. If you are lucky enough to be following behind a boat that has been resetting baits you are guaranteed that there will be plenty of fish feeding off the old bait. Don’t drift over the pot lines though as snagged hooks are a disaster waiting to happen for unsuspecting crew retrieving pots. If you do snap off on a line, tie something around it as a warning.

Try along the coast towards White point drifting over any likely reef spots and you will likely locate harlequin, pink snapper, breaksea cod and dhufish as well as large skippy and gummy shark.

Whole mulies, butterflied herring or mullet and whole squid drifted close to the bottom will be great baits and large

A nice addition to the bag, squid are voracious feeders and can’t help hitting prawn style jigs.

Beach fishing near the marina is better than working, even during a southeasterly blow. soft plastics or hybrid jigs such as Vexed Bottom meat are always very successful.

With strong winds prevailing over the month there was not a great deal of beach fishing opportunities on the Augusta side of the coast, however there were some chances to fish on the western side beaches with Deepdene and Boranup having some success. There were reports of mulloway being located at these spots with live herring and whole squid apparently working best. As usual most of those fishing for mulloway are pretty secretive about their setup and location but night fishing and patience seems to be the key.

Not much rock fishing due to miserable conditions, but when there was a drop in the wind it looks like the skippy and herring have remained in good numbers. Berley is the best way to bring the fish in.

The rock-walls at the marina were getting pounded on the eastern side and practically unfishable but the smaller wall near the ramps was protected from the wind so give you a chance at a solid session on smaller species when you need a fishing fix. It is also a good place to keep the kids entertained catching zebra fish or trumpeters especially near the ramps.

• I always conclude by saying that 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, boat hire 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 2024 99

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West Coast

FMM

All options are on the table METRO

Jacob Crispe

It seems like a very long time since I have been able to take you through all the great fishing options that the Perth metro area offers. With demersal fishing open for the school holidays, everything from crayfish to crabs, to the many fish species that inhabit our waters, are on the table.

places to try will be Point Walter, Alfred Cove and the area around the Como Jetty along the South Perth foreshore.

The blue swimmer crab fishing is

offer from our rock walls. King George whiting and skippy will be about but in smaller numbers. Squid are always an option, with first and last light offering more consistent fishing for them. The star and a great family fishing target are the herring that frequent all of our rock walls.

They can be targeted using baits or lures, with a burley trail the key to bringing the fish to you and keeping them there. The Fremantle Sailing Club rock walls are always a good place to start.

January also offers the opportunity to target Spanish mackerel and bonito. Live baits tend to be you best option to tempt them, with the ends of the North and South Mole rock walls and the Woodman Point jetty are good locations to find them.

Young Maddy with an absolute thumping squid, caught working a jig while drifting over broken ground.

Young ‘H’ has been doing some early morning sessions with Nolan Unwin and coming up with the goods. This skippy was caught using soft plastics on 8lb braid.

also in full swing during these summer months. There are three main ways anglers target these tasty crustaceans, snorkelling for them or using drop nets, either land based or from a boat. Popular baits are mullet, tuna heads or just the fish frames from your last outing. They seem

A massive Swan River flathead caught

by Edmund Liu coming in over 60cm. This fish was caught on knee deep water while wading the flats.

SWAN RIVER There is no question that the Swan offers great fishing through our warmer months. The mix of species is pretty broad as well. Tailor, bream, giant herring, mulloway, yellowfin whiting, flathead, flounder and blue swimmer crabs are all on offer. You could almost just write a report on the river at this time of the year.

Flathead and flounder continue to

Chris Webster with a true trophy mulloway caught casting fresh baits into a close gutter. an option. First and last light are your best times to target them.

The key attraction during January on our inshore grounds (Cockburn Sound) will be Spanish mackerel. They are around in good numbers and it seems a little stealth will improve you chance of tangling with one (kayak anglers seem to doing really well). Trolling garfish is a great way to find them and once you have, casting lures can also be effective.

Be aware of the new rules regarding the use of wire trace. Regardless of how silly it is, ignorance is no excuse if you are caught using it.

OFFSHORE With our offshore ground being open

Sunny just can’t get enough when it comes to getting a line wet and the sound of a screaming drag with this solid samsonfish! to be spread throughout the system with popular places to try being the E-Sheds, Fremantle Boat Harbour, Picton Baths and up to the Narrows. The various jetties offer good land-based crabbing, pick one and give it a try.

ROCK WALLS AND BEACHES All the usual suspects will be on

Dom Magoo, aka The Fish Tucker Man, with some 5 star treats from the Swan! dominate the socials when it comes to the Swan. Plenty of anglers are taking the opportunity to get out and fish the shallow water sections of the river. Small bibbed minnows, feathered jigs and vibes seem to be the go to options and quality of the fish being caught seems to be on the larger side this season (plenty of 40-50cm flathead being reported). This good fishing should continue into January and beyond. Good 100 JANUARY 2024

Troy Slaven with a cracker dhufish caught bouncing the ever so popular Squidtrex down deep.

All of our beaches should continue to fish well for tailor, mulloway and small shark. Just be mindful of other users, take the time to pick out the better gutters on your selected beach and know that first and last light will produce more consistent fishing.

INSHORE While many will take the opportunity to head further afield with our demersal species on offer for the first time in too long, our inshore grounds will continue to offer good fishing. Herring, skippy, King George whiting, tailor and squid will be most people’s targets. With angler numbers being up, you will need to be prepared to move around a bit until you find a concentration of your target species.

Middle Ground is always popular to drift for squid, while the area around Windmills offers a similar option to drift for King George whiting using fresh squid or coral prawns for bait. Snapper are also

Luka is no stranger to flathead.

He caught this specimen while wading the Swan River flats with his granddad Ian. for business since 15 December, anglers and tackle stores will be breathing a sigh of relief. Normality at least for a little while.

The 30-50m zone with be a focus for most anglers, with species like dhufish, baldchin groper, breaksea cod and pink snapper the main targets. Surprisingly (not to everybody), some very large King George whiting are also caught in this zone. It is also well worth trolling lures (skirted lures or Halco Max’s are popular) when moving locations as it is not

West Coast

FMM

WA

New Year, new opportunities MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

As we welcome in the New Year, we can expect the waters to give us new opportunities when it comes to fishing in and around our local waters.

licensing, catch methods, size and bag limits to ensure longevity of this wellloved tradition in future years.

River fishing will produce during the month, though you may need to try a couple of different things before you find any consistency in how the fish are behaving or what they are taking

feeding or aggressive fish.

Flats fishing for bream in the rivers or canals will work quite well, but anglers can find it quite difficult if they are not fishing the right phase in the tide and when bait or lure presentations are not finesse too. Flats fishing up the rivers offers many opportunities, but when you pair constant sunlight with a decrease of winter conditions, it makes the water clear in a lot of cases and fish tend to become very wary as a result. Clear water can mean that the fish will be able to locate your presentation much more easily, though they will quite often not chew as they also become hyper aware of their

If you are persistent you will get hooked up to a mulloway like Matty J was here!

With inconsistent weather patterns throughout each previous year, we can expect this New Year to be just as unpredictable with regards to conditions and the possibilities related to them.

Most notably, locals will be excited to kick off January with a new marron season and the opportunity to catch this beautiful species that not only takes you to beautiful places but also taste amazing too. If you are undergoing a spot of marron fishing, it is extremely important to familiarise yourself with the unusual to pick up samsonfish, yellowtail kingfish, tuna, mackerel and even the odd wahoo between spots.

It is certainly a rich zone at this time of the year.

The northern side of Rottnest is one of my favourite locations. Big strip baits, large plastics or feathered jigs dropped into the depths have a chance of coming up trumps.

The crayfish run is also in full swing.

It is very difficult for me to predict the depth they will be at. Your local tackle store will always have their finger on the pulse with what the crays are up to, so stop in and see them before heading out.

The FAD’s are always a get option in our offshore grounds. Mahimahi, wahoo, tuna and mackerel will hang

Sunny and his Dad James with a pair of southern bluefin tuna caught on light line, what a cracking photo!

preference to. Though you will find fish scattered throughout both systems, sections of river that have good shade from the sun are always a good spot to cast when chasing fish up the river, as fish tend to shy away from the full effect of the sun and warmth. Deeper pockets of water can also be a great option when fishing during this time of the year, as the warmth penetrates the water column less the deeper the fish go allowing them to find some form of comfort whilst also giving you a refined area to locate

Nolan Unwin with an absolutely beautiful tailor caught just on first light on the day. around them. Fishing live baits around them or even casting stickbaits around the FAD zones can produce some amazing fishing.

Last but not least, is our deep drop species. They have been no go during the demersal closure and are some of our favourite and best eating fish species on offer. If you get a weather window, head out to that 150-550m zone and fish like eight bar cod, greyband, harpuka, bass grouper and blue-eye trevalla are all options (plenty of others as well).

So, as you can see you are spoilt for choice as far your fishing options go this January. Enjoy it while you can, have a great new year and I will catch you next month.

Dark river bream are always good to look at, with their blue lips ever present. surroundings and predation from above.

Casting from the sand can be quite the pleasurable experience during January, particularly if you are fishing first or last light and the few hours either side.

Though you will catch fish like herring or tailor mid-day, avoiding the brunt of the heat will be at the forefront of many beach anglers’ minds as it can make a casting session unpleasant and will make putting in a good effort difficult. Opting to fish during peak feeding times instead, will allow you to fish more comfortably and will likely result in more fish being caught while they are feeding up.

If you are fishing last light or into the night, it will be beneficial to reach your spot ahead of time to identify good gutters and contour that the fish are likely to move around or through. Surveying the stretch of beach you plan to target will not only give you the best chance at placing your bait or lure in the sweet spot, but it will also give you much more confidence when light disappears that you are not fishing in a baron wasteland the fish are unlikely to pass through. If opting to soak baits for mulloway or tailor in the dark, a good method of enhancing your odds is to take note of the power you put into your casts to reach the sweet spot prior to the sun going down and replicating this when the light fades away to ensure you are maintaining good placement of your presentation.

Boat anglers will be looking to make the most of time on the water, as it is a full month where you are permitted to go out and target demersal species. Though there is so much more on offer like squid or King George, most locals will generally take the route of targeting bottom dwelling species

How is this dhuie? Ken from Angry Oceanz got stuck into them. while the opportunity is present and the weather is conducive to boating. Heading out from Dawesville or town, finding the fish may happen with relative ease or it may take a bit more effort to locate depths and structures that the fish take preference to on the day. Having a sounder is not necessary in shallower waters, though it is exceptionally handy when fishing deeper waters where you can not visibly see what lies below with the naked eye and will lead you to catching many more fish once you understand the information they put out.

Larger boats will find themselves heading out wider to avoid the abundance of boats, though many anglers will be spending their time in shallow waters around 5m and out to depths of 50m.

When it comes to finding demersal finfish, it is a good idea to have a game plan that considers what your preferred species to chase is and then target the type of area or structure they are known to frequent. If you are chasing dhufish, you

If you are lucky like Andy, you will get stuck into a beast like this during the season! are not bound to but are generally better off targeting rocky structures like raises regardless of their size, caves and often a solid flat bottom with notable structure in the vicinity. Contrarily to dhufish, pink snapper often take much more preference in structure or contours like drop offs, weedy mounds and patches in between weed beds.

As always, be sure to ensure that you are familiar with the regulations of the type of fishing you plan to undertake during the month, as they change quite often and may have been updated since your last outing. Regardless of what you are targeting or where, be sure to keep hydrated and lathered up especially when you are out in the sun for extended periods of time.

JANUARY 2024 101

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West Coast

FMM

Great summer session catches from the FADs LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

A highlight for January will be the warming of the waters bringing some of the more tropical species our way like Spanish mackerel. For the first time this year we have FADs 20-30nm out from Lancelin to hold some of the passing pelagic species.

We can expect to see some great catches of mackerel, tuna, wahoo, mahimahi and even marlin over the

telltale birds will be above the areas the kings are holding waiting for a fish to smash a bait school.

The demersal season is open at least for the school holidays, season ending 1 February. January is generally quiet on the middle fishing grounds, best catches come from depths greater than 35m.

Alternatively staying inside the white bank can be good for dhufish and pink snapper. The snapper being very active along the nearshore, especially early mornings where drone fishers

Nathan with a nice snapper from the kayak only a few hundred metres from shore. can take a few moves until you have gathered a decent feed. Some flathead can be caught here too using a larger flasher hook above two smaller

whiting hooks a good compromise to have a chance at both species.

The bay is a great spot when the east winds are up as we would expect

Josh with a typical summer chopper caught casting the deadly CID Shiverstick in pink. coming months! The locations for the two Lancelin FADS are; FAD11 - 31-15.132 S, 115-01.548 E (78m depth) and FAD12 - 31-03.947 S, 114-52.463 E (190m depth).

The FADs are a long way offshore, so checking the weather and having a suitable seaworthy boat is essential.

You certainly don’t want to be caught out there with a weather change in a 4m tinny. Smaller boats can get among the pelagic species a safe distance from shore. Mackerel species, shark, spotted and Spanish can be expected to reach our waters this month.

Trolling along the white bank and out to 20m contour is the most reliable area to find them keep an eye out for bait schools and concentrate the efforts around them. Tuna are just a little further out usually from the 20-30m depths schools of striped, yellowfin and bluefin can be found by looking for the birds that hover above the schools.

Large samsonfish will be schooled up on the offshore lumps out to 80m, although there also lots of medium size fish on heavy grounds in relatively shallow water out from 25-30m depths, where you can also find schools of skippy. While yellowtail kingfish have been right up tight on the bays fringing reefs by casting lures to the wash, often the 102 JANUARY 2024

or kayakers can do very well.

Sharks can be a pain in the berley trail they are well conditioned to follow boats with all the lobster fishers throwing old cray bait out during the white run and hammerheads will be coming down on the warm currents.

The 20m depth is always good for sand whiting, though the northwest blowfish have moved back in and will usually find you chopping whiting in half or snipping off hooks. So, it

The school mulloway just keep on coming this season. Craig with a typical specimen we have been finding along the gutters for months.

The warm water brings back the guitarfish, and Coen recently found out just how hard these beasts can pull.

most mornings this time of year. A great mix of species can be caught in varying areas throughout the bay.

Herring have been prolific, they are a very aggressive feeder and respond very well to lures. Trolling the bays southern shallows can find large schools. Whereas the deeper weed beds hold squid, snook, pike and skippy. After a few slow seasons on the King George whiting this year’s been producing better numbers, they can be caught from the sand holes in the weed beds.

Beach casters have been getting plenty of tailor, but the size has dropped to the usual summer choppers. I always downsize hooks to 3-4/0 ganged tarpon hooks once the sun comes up on the morning sessions and the bycatch increases markedly with herring, skippy,

West Coast

FMM

WA

Rock and beach anglers are reaping rewards KALBARRI

Stephen Wiseman

Rewards are plentiful for beach and rock anglers all along the coast from Chinamans down to Wagoe.

The best spots have been Pot Alley and the very end of the cliffs at Bluff Point producing some nice fat emperors. The best bait has been rock crabs and the easiest way to catch them is with a piece of bait in the

like piranhas at the moment.

Fishing the cliffs is not for the elderly and requires some good gear along with a decent cliff gaff, so that you don’t loose your catch to Sammy the seal who is known to hang around for his share.

The warming water has enticed boaties out to try for the first of the macks that will be around chasing the large schools of bait fish just offshore.

A reported hookup left one local angler with high hopes but didn’t

Local Rob with a snapper he caught down at the cliffs.

Bluff Point is producing some nice fat emperors. bottom of an ice cream tub wedged in the rocks and wait for the crabs to climb in.

Along with the emperors are big baldchin around the 5kg mark, and there are plenty of snapper that are tarwhine, dart and flathead.

While the evenings it is best to stay with the big hooks after sunset there are plenty of guitarfish and sharks mainly good eating size whalers around the metre mark.

Being able to cast a bait with a short length of wire often makes the difference to landing a few good tailor or one of the small whaler sharks. The recent wire ban for metro fishers was very disappointing to see how little understanding minister Don Punch has, ignoring advise from Recfishwest to limit the wire length to 30cm. His decision impacts all fishers to ineffectively stop a handful of trophy shark hunters. The legislation was touted in the media as a ban on shark fishing, however, in fact as written does not ban fishing for sharks nor even mention the word shark it is a simple ban on using wire and

result in a catch, the adrenaline rush from a screaming reel was a good start to the day. Flying fish are thick, so take a butterfly net as these critters have been hitting the side of one local boat not too far west in the cobalt

blue waters that are clean as to 20m.

The river has been rewarding for whiting anglers all along the flats, with the best of the catch being taken on small pieces of prawn. The best areas are the shallow flats in front of the IGA and along in front of the boat hire, try the rising tide for best results.

The mulloway have been patchy but very rewarding for the persistent few with catches of 1m+ not uncommon. Good bait is the secret and live bait is king for the big fish.

These big fish have been cruising the river well up stream with a nice fin wave through the water being a dead giveaway of a decent fish on the prowl.

Mud crabs are still around

The author often enjoys a morning session casting lures to the reef breaks and gutters.

for drop netters with best catches coming from around the pens and the moorings, but be sure to check your catch for size as there are plenty just under that need to go straight back.

Tailor have shown up in fair quantities with some nice fish at the back of Oyster Reef and Chinamans just on first light and again at sundown just as the light fades.

Rigged gars have hooked the big fish out to 900mm but there are plenty around the top 500mm and they just smash whatever you throw at them at the moment.

If you are using your boat then check that all your gear is in date before you head out, as you may get checked and that will ruin your plans from the day, stay safe. trophy shark fishing is still perfectly legal on metro swimming beaches?

During the last demersal ban period Lancelin Angling club held their inaugural ‘Squid Shootout’.

Anglers fished a morning session returning to the clubrooms for a squid cook up. It was a very well received event and sure to grow in years to come. Very good to see a successful event held during a ban period as the loss of access to demersal species for extended periods has greatly reduced participation in club events.

The recreational marron fishing will open early January, at the time of writing Fisheries had not published the dates. Local compliance officers have been very active in targeting out of season poachers this year. Fingers-crossed we will see some good catches as a result.

JANUARY 2024 103

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South Coast

FMM

Looking outside the box in Karratha DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

If there is one thing about fishing we have to remember – it is to never think that fishing never changes! Ideas like you only catch a species at certain times of the year, or in certain places, on certain tides, moons, weather patterns etc. is not set in stone. If you have a hunch, follow it.

Korie Bowen of Nauti Addictions knows how to find the fish, such as this solid rankin cod caught on light tackle.

Every time I have gone outside the box I have either been rewarded and learnt something new or felt satisfaction for giving it a try. A lot of my writing is what to catch at different

times of the year and so forth, but I love it when I see something that goes against everything I write.

One thing was last month when one of the Karratha locals took his kids out to the Dampier Archipelago and fished their favourite squid spot. Everyone, including myself thought they are long gone by this time of year, although I have seen the very odd one cruise past in the wet season while sitting on rocks chasing bluebone. Well, his hunch and effort paid off and they came home with a healthy bag of fresh squid.

Majority of the time, the different species are still around, you just have to tweak or change up your methods. One species being demersals, emperors, rankin cods and saddletails for example prefer the cooler water and it is just a matter of heading out to deeper water in the wet season months to around the 60m mark or more and you will find plenty. As these areas are less fished throughout the year there is also a tendency for shark numbers to lower as they haven’t learnt to congregate for an easy feed from recreational fishers.

During the few short spates of gaps in the wind the last month, fishers who did punch out wide chasing demersals were well rewarded with plenty of reds and rankins. Those who fished the sunsets and nights tended to catch more reds, especially around the full moon, and those who fished the days found it tough getting through the schools

of rankins.

On a trip out in December northwest of Legendre Island, it was great to see plenty of schools of mac tuna with a few longtail amongst them.

These are a great way to spend a few hours during the wet season fighting them on light to medium gear. They pulled like trains and make for great sashimi and the longtail are well worth taking home for healthy omega pasta bologneses or lasagnas.

Spanish mackerel have been plentiful throughout the archipelago with even the tinny brigade picking up some great size mackies in December less than ten minutes from Dampier and Point Samson boat ramps. January will still be good to chase mackies as well as the tuna mentioned above and there are always loads of horse sized GTs about if the areas you are trolling are close to shoals or reef, especially if there is a bit of whitewash you are casting into or trolling along.

We are right in the middle of barra and threadie season here in Karratha and the catch reports are coming through thick and fast from the anglers with boat and tinnies up all the creeks. Airport and Nickol creeks have been consistent with barra in the 60-80cm range with the creeks north, such as Balla Balla, producing larger fish averaging 90cm.

Land-based anglers are also doing well. Threadfin have been caught at Back Beach and Cossack and those

If fishing for red emperors or rankins in the wet season, working the cooler deeper waters from 50m is recommended. The author with a solid 650mm red emperor caught on the second drop of the morning. fishing the nights at the Point Samson Harbour have been getting the odd barra and plenty of queenies and jacks.

There are some very big green mud crabs being caught with those dropping nets from tinnies up the creeks

Good options for land-based anglers ahead EXMOUTH

Barry Taylor

This month’s report has been supplied by Callan Gaunt.

Over the past month or so, there’s been some really good fishing out wide for anglers chasing blue marlin. These guys have also been picking up the odd striped marlin and wahoo.

In closer to the reef, quite a lot of Spanish mackerel have been caught in

recent weeks. Anglers have also picked up the odd bycatch spango, cobia, etc.

The mackerel have been falling to trolled, weighted garfish and trolling diving lures, such as Halco Laser Pros. If you’re trolling lures, it’s good to have more than one colour in your spread, such as pink, red-head and gold. If you’re trolling garfish on a gang rig, you can boost its appeal with a pink skirt over the nose.

In shallower waters, around 10-30m, anglers have been getting good catches on

well for species like blueline emperor, Spanish flag and coral trout. There have also been Moses perch and darktail snapper out there for guys flicking soft plastics, trolling lures or jumping in the water for a spear. A couple of longtails have been caught in the Gulf, but not many.

In recent weeks, there have been a few queenfish around Bundegi, as well as smaller GTs. There’s the odd mud crab down the bottom of the Gulf in the

Callan Gaunt with a coral trout and black snapper caught on the outskirts of Exmouth Reef.

Image courtesy of @bigredfisho.

A GT caught recently off Learmonth. Image courtesy of @bigredfisho.

104 JANUARY 2024

Nomad Squidtex soft vibes. These lures have been catching all manner of fish, including bluebone, spangled emperor, coral trout and black snapper. In the Gulf, the Squidtrex has also been catching blueline emperor and coral trout around the shoals.

The outskirts of areas like Exmouth Reef in the Gulf have been fishing quite

A queenfish caught over the Bundegi Flats. Image courtesy of @bigredfisho.

FMM

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JANUARY 2024 105

WA

Freshwater

FMM

Marron are on the move FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

Extreme weather conditions have continued into November making this the hottest spring for some time. It has shut down most of the trout fishing in the northern area and this has added to an exceptional frustrating year.

Irrigation needs have been high and dams are receding at an alarming rate due to accelerated draw down. The southern region has fared better with some great trout turning up in heavily stocked locations. Rivers are extremely low so this has put trout in easy access to most anglers, which has resulted in over fishing in some locations. This would be a great time to practice your catch and release skills, however, high water temperatures may result in mortality so care would be advisable in some waters.

REDFIN PERCH There is no doubt that these fish are more adapted to our conditions here in the west, with some good catches being recorded throughout the South West recently. The general rule has been the better sizes have come from the rivers with larger numbers of smaller fish coming out of our dams.

MARRON WA is home to the second biggest freshwater crayfish in Australia next to the Tasmanian cray. They offer a truly unique opportunity to get out and explore our Inland waters and are enjoyed by around 10,000 West Australians every year. They can grow to large sizes with some in the 16-18” mark being recorded in the

on most days. It’s not uncommon to see them turning up at your campsite well after midnight on many occasions, so make sure you have a licence and obey their rules as fines are high and many possessions have been confiscated from those small numbers that do the wrong thing.

There are a few methods used to catch marron from poll snares, crab scoop nets and purpose-built drop nets that have a steel base made up of rectangle rods of certain sizes, these are available from most outlets in southern WA. Some locations have different legal methods and sizes so be very careful as only pole snares are aloud at our dams and you can’t have any other marron gear

Marron can grow to over 40cm but any over 30cm are considered a trophy these days. They are now found in other states and have thrived at Kangaroo Island SA. on you if you are near the water.

Some rivers you can drop up to 6 marron drop nets per licenced angler off the edges or use a crab scoop net as well,

Tyson Groom is a regular contributor to this magazine and loves his redfin fishing. This is a great innovative shot of two quality redfin he caught in his favourite South West river. any soft mesh landing net is illegal or even having one of these landing nets next to any designated marron water is illegal, unless you are fishing for trout or redfin.

That net must not have a handle longer than 500mm, which I find unacceptable.

I have tried to get this changed as landing a decent trout or redfin from a larger boat is very difficult on occasions.

Marron will be attracted to most baits with chicken pellets and meat being the most popular. If you choose to fish the dams then get there early and stake out a section of bank that is reasonably fare with the number of people around. Large dams like Wellington you could go up to 150m either side of your campsite but other waters 50m is acceptable, although, there are no laws on this just ethical unwritten rules.

As dark descends, place a handful of pellets about a 1m off the bank at about 10m intervals and then wait until the marron come to your baits. This may take time, especially if there is a moon around. Using a good light and pole snare made of thin wood with a wire noose (white plastic-coated wire is the best to use on your snare) walk up to your pellets and see if any marron are

around. I find approaching from behind, if they are facing the bank as is the norm, then placing the noose over the tail a better method, however, it may not be possible if the water is deep. This can be so much fun and skill is required to get the noose around the tail of a skittish marron. I’ve seen many people go belly

A prime section of river where marron can be found. The South West offers many rivers that are home to these tasty crustaceans.

Silver perch have tiny mouths so are great to target with small flies on light leaders. They would impose a small risk to our marron stocks and do well as they are an omnivore that feed on weed as well. past. That’s 400-450mm, however, any above 300mm are considered a trophy these days.

There is a short season that starts on the 8 January and runs for only one month until 8 February. It’s a well policed fishery with WA Fisheries compliance officers patrolling our waters 106 JANUARY 2024

Photo courtesy of Kurt Blanksby.

Marron have tight rules to protect stocks. They are one of the main reasons introducing East Coast native sportfish to this state gets blocked. It’s clear that redfin already damage stocks as can be seen in this photo.

up on the slippery wet clay banks and end up on top of their prey, so be careful or you will have your mates in stitches of laughter.

Some of the rivers can be fished by drop netting off the bank in late afternoon and night time. A piece of stocking filled with chicken pellets or a clump of meat wired onto the base of the net can be effective if the water hasn’t been heavily fished. Walk the bank and drop your nets next to structure making sure they sit flat on the bottom. Check

Freshwater

FMM them every half hour. Dangling the same baits on a string is another technique that is used as well. Slowly pulling the marron to the surface and scooping or pole snaring them can be fun and productive

Marron season starts in January and runs for 4 weeks. Around 10,000 licences are sold each year with many families taking part in this unique experience. for the whole family. Minimum sizes of 80-90mm carapace (head) applies in certain waters and maximum bag limits apply as well. This is only a guide to the rules so please study any water you want to fish carefully from the Fisheries WA website. I will share locations further in the reports.

AUSSIE NATIVES There is no doubt these species are loving the hot conditions we are

Silver perch are very active in a few locations both in private and public lakes around the metro area and beyond. No reports of bass recently although they are well guarded these days.

Waroona Dam No trout showing with a fare few small redfin turning up. This is a marron water with a minimum of 90mm carapace length and a 5 bag limit. Ski boats can muddy the water up making spotting them difficult.

Drakesbrook Weir This water was closed off for works on the car park in November. Not many trout around although a few redfin are still getting caught. Not a lot of marron around so I would give it a miss.

Logue Brook Dam Very heavy traffic on this water making fishing hazardous. This dam received a huge marron stocking but returns have been low.

Harvey Dam Trout fishing was terrible this year and after this hot spell it is unlikely any trout will be active. The same can’t be said about the redfin as they are being caught in numbers all over the dam. This is a great marron water that shares the same rules as Waroona. Fisheries patrol heavily so make sure you comply.

Wellington Dam I spent a few days here in November and hit it hard from the boat and bank without seeing a single trout. Apart from strong winds it was perfect with water temperatures around 21oC. Not sure what is happening as lots of trout have been stocked over the last couple of years.

Even the redfin fishing was slow with the only decent one hitting the deck

want a good size trout. Both browns and rainbows have been taken on a range of techniques so it’s not too important what you use.

There is a good head of marron in this water so it’s worth a go if you happen to be down that way.

RIVERS The rivers are very low so I will only list a few that would be worth fishing for redfin, marron and trout as a by-catch.

Murray River It gets very busy over the summer holidays so if you chase the marron I would head well upstream from Dwellingup. The long deep pools hold a limited number of marron and some good redfin at times.

Collie River below Wellington Dam Fisheries WA monitor marron stocks with tagging programs. This one was caught in Harvey Dam and released after details were recorded.

Marron are native to the South West corner of WA. Their natural range was south of Collie but it is believed they were introduced in waters north of Perth and beyond around the early 1900s.

Wellington Dam is home to a healthy population of marron. The only method that can be used is a pole snare and it must not be self-tightening.

A landing net can be carried if it has a handle not longer than 50cm and you have a separate Inland Freshwater Licence with fishing rods on you. experiencing here recently. I watched a huge cod follow my lure all the way to my feet only to turn away at the last second on a recent trip. This cod was over a metre long and in prime condition. It’s a great shame there aren’t more around for others to enjoy. Maybe one day it will happen but until then, we have to accept things the way they are.

going 36cm. This is a great marron water with plenty of space for everyone. The water is extremely low so find a rocky shoreline or you will be slipping and sliding on the muddy banks.

Big Brook Dam Lots of trout were stocked in this little water for the Pemberton Trout Festival so it’s the go to trout destination if you

WA

The whole section holds trout, redfin and marron, however, it gets very busy so get in early if you want a spot. Fisheries patrol heavily in this section.

Collie River above Wellington Dam Good redfin are getting caught and some sections hold good marron. This area gets heavily poached and is only a fraction of its former glory.

Capel River Very good numbers of redfin are being caught from both bank and kayak.

I’m not sure how the marron fishing has been so worth a try if you are in the area.

Blackwood River Not renowned for good numbers of marron but some good catches occur occasionally.

Warren River A few good redfin are still being caught with some trout showing up as well. This water is a prime marroning water with good numbers coming from the whole system.

Lefroy Brook The best trout stream in summer, however heavy foot traffic makes the fish very wary. A few good marron are caught in the heavily timbered sections.

Donnelly River Very low upstream so the best trout are in the section below the highway.

A few good marron are also caught in this water.

Other rivers There are a number of rivers that flow into the ocean from Pemberton to Albany that hold good marron and some even hold trout in limited numbers. The Shannon is a no go zone and has cameras set up to protect the stocks with heavy patrolling by Fisheries.

As can be seen we have a unique DAM LEVELS South West WA Overall storage in the dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently at 55.2% at the end of November compared to 71.3% as of the same time last year. The very dry spring and well above average temperatures continued throughout November with daytime averages around 4C warmer than normal. Irrigation is in full swing with dams dropping fast. Drakesbrook Weir, Harvey, Logues and Big Brook dams are up on others that are struggling.

WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM

61% 89% 71% 75% 52%.

48% 5%

freshwater crayfish fishery in WA. The season is short and heavily policed.

Obey the rules and enjoy these tasty crustaceans. Total fire bans are in place over summer and beware of snakes, especially around water Till next time, Stay Connected JANUARY 2024 107

BARRA Series presented by

BARRA SERIES 2023

Compleat domination at Teemburra The Compleat Angler Cairns boys - Harry Bez and Ron Bruggemann - caught ‘em good at the Tinaroo events earlier in the year. A couple of top 10 finishes had then looking good in the Team of the Year standings, but the question was if their Tinaroo skills at 4.2m boat would translate into good finishes a day’s drive south of their home lakes.

The answer was a resounding ‘yes’, with the pair taking out the first (and third) events of the BARRA Tour. The Atomic sponsored Teemburra round they won by nearly 20kg and they enjoyed a bonus $1,000 for the win by having the supplied Atomic sticker applied to their boat.

After a shaky early start to the session where they jumped off a lot of smaller fish on topwater and jerkbait presentations, the Cairns boys pivoted and decided to do what they normally do, and head out into the main basin of the lake using their live sonar to find pelagic fish and try to drop lures on their noses.

It worked a treat, with three metre-plus fish anchoring their 5/5, 54.22kg bag. Those fish measuring 107cm (15.86kg),

Compleat Angler Cairns kicked off their first BARRA Tour with a win that included some bonus dollars added in by round sponsor Atomic.

104cm (14.15kg) and 101cm (12.63kg).

The team both fish from the front of their 4.2m Quintrex Explorer that’s rigged with Active Target on a big Simrad head unit.

Ron casts soft plastic swimbaits at the wider fish (like Molix 140s and Zerek Live Mullets), while Harry tries to tempt the closer fish with glidebaits and jerkbaits.

“We find that no matter what the depth of water, the

BIG BARRA PRIZE

Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview

barra always seem to stack up on features relating to the bottom whether it’s in 20 feet or 100 feet of water,” Harry said when asked about breaking down a new lake.

“The bigger fish that we got to eat were a little deeper than normal - 4 to 5 metres of water seemed to be the depth that the fish were that we could get to eat,” Ron added.

The margin could have been a lot larger if a 120cm class had remained pinned rather than

Compleat Angler Cairns also took the event’s Blade n Tails Big Barra with the 107cm kicker that ate the Molix. It earned Ron a Blade n Tails barra rod to add to the booty plus $500 Venom Target Dollars.

RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 108 JANUARY 2024

Team Compleat Angler Cairns EJ Todd/Tackle World Bundy Swamp Dogs Fishing Monthly Halco Fitzroy River Barra Bash Bermagui Bait & Tackle Fish With Me Mudskippa Slockmasters Garmin

throwing the lure at the back of the boat.

Ron’s rig consisted of a Dobyns Kaden 744 rod paired with a Daiwa HRF 8.1:1 baitcast reel and 80 to 100lb fluorocarbon leader.

“I like the high speed to catch up to the fish quickly. We believe that the quicker they’re in the net, the less chance we have of losing it,” Ron continued.

It sure made up for some brutally brief encounters.

“The fish in this lake are psycho,” Ron finished, “I would have loved more time to work them out.”

We reckon that he did a pretty good job in the time he had.

Harry with one of the 1m + barra that anchored their bag and scored him $500 Venom Target Dollars Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers (Bruggemann/Bezuidenhout)

(Stoddart/Sutton) (Clark/Walker) (Morgan/Smith) (Carter/Ehrlich) (Conrand/Lill) (Pascall/Pentin) (Edmonds/Dow) (Hocking/Rutherford) (Mott/Mott)

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

Weight (kg) 54.22kg 35.94kg 30.15kg 20.60kg 28.36kg 29.60kg 26.32kg 24.59kg 25.57kg 24.03kg

Payout $3,000 + Big Barra $900 $800 $700 $650 $600 $550 $500 $500 Rapala pack

Dobyns Rods by 80g at Kinchant Dam

The Venom Rods round of the Zerek BARRA Series on Kinchant dam is always an exciting affair. Packing 45 boats onto the heavily stocked lake with full live coverage always results in close competition both on the scoreboards and on the lake itself.

True to form, though, Kinchant delivered big numbers of barra and team Dobyns Rods (Mick Slade and Ben Wilcox) rose to the top with the help of a 106cm Kinchant barra. That fish also gave them extra payouts in the form of $1000 Venom Target Dollars for catching a 101cm+ barra and wearing the supplied Venom cap in the glory pics.

Slade said that an early key-tag draw helped their cause,

BARRA Series presented by

BARRA SERIES 2023

A giant salami taking home the big cheque was an ABT first - but bound to happen eventually when presentation lands on Barra Tour party night. matched with a Tatula reel spooled with Sunline Assegai Xplasma 30lb braid and a Sunline 50lb fluorocarbon System Shock Leader with a Fastach clip. Ben’s was a 704 Dobyns Fury model with a Chronarch reel, 30lb Sufix 832 and a 80lb FC100 leader.

Mackay’s dams have been

a happy hunting ground for the pair, with a win in 2022 at Teemburra followed by this victory at Kinchant Dam. Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview

BIG BARRA PRIZE The team’s patience paid off with bigger models like this coming through their spot later in the session - the size class needed for the win. as they had chosen a dead-end channel in one of Kinchant’s numerous weed beds to sit and wait for the bigger barra to play.

“It was pretty hard to sit and watch the teams around us catching plenty of fish before we landed our first keeper, but we thought our fish would come in late, and that’s exactly what they did,” said Slade.

The pair didn’t catch their first fish until 7.45pm and then landed 10 barra (while losing another 10) between then and midnight.

“All of our fish were close to

the bottom,” Ben said, “we’d cast, let the lure sink to the bottom and then wind it really slowly.

Each 5 or 6 turns of the handle, we’d stop and let it sink to the bottom again.”

That lure was a customised black and gold, 130mmm Squidgy Slick Rig retro-fitted with Mick’s own custom jighead with an Owner 6/0 hook. The size and shape is based on the original internal jighead that came with the lure.

As expected, the pair used Dobyns rods to deliver the baits - Mick’s was a 705

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

Team Dobyns Rods Garmin Halco Atomic Samaki Rapala CrushCity Compleat Angler Cairns Lowrance Breram Wankaz Castaic

Ben Wilcox added a Blade n Tails rod AND an additional $1000 in Wilsons gear to the payout with a 106cm Kinchant giant that he landed late in the session.

Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers (Slade/Wilcox) (Mott/Mott) (Carter/Ehrlich) (Starkey/Martin) (Wood/Lowry) (Morgan/Horn) (Bruggemann/Bezuidenhout)

(Price/Thomas) (McKeown/Heath) (Guest/Maclean)

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

Weight (kg) 49.81kg 49.73kg 43.78kg 42.86kg 41.64kg 40.17kg 39.75kg 36.85kg 36.82kg 36.67kg

Payout $2,000 + Big Barra $900 $800 $700 $650 $600 $550 $500 $500 Rapala pack JANUARY 2024 109

FMM

TOURNAMENT NEWS

Bemm River Angling Club’s Lake Tyers comp The sun came out for us at Bemm River Angling Club’s annual Lake Tyers fishing trip, where over 50 members joined us for a great weekend fishing and catching up and have a refreshment or two.

Even though the fishing was a little hard with the wind, some nice fish were caught, and the kids had so much fun. Young Abbey Garland caught a nice 600g bream, and Darcy Vukovic caught a 755g salmon off the surf, winning the salmon division and also a 40cm flathead.

The bream took a bit of looking for and were hard to tempt, but Mark Purvis found the winning 1.080kg

bream, and took home the prize of an Aussie Disposals cooler bag and an East Gippy Knife Sharpening voucher. The runner up was Andy Loizou, whose 1.025kg fish won him an On The Edge mixed lure pack and a waterproof backpack. Andy was the most consistent angler for the weekend, catching several nice bream between 850g-1kg. There were many more bream weighed in, but they were under 1kg.

John Roberts caught the biggest flathead over the weekend, with a 54cm dusky caught and released after a quick photo. John’s prize was an On The Edge mixed lure pack and a

At the Bemm River Angling Club’s annual Lake Tyers fishing trip, over 50 members enjoyed a fun weekend of fishing.

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.

Data collected through the program is used to improve our knowledge base of recreational fishing by providing near real time information on the status of coastal estuaries and inland impoundments.

Thanks to the fish, we can provide you with some interesting stories that they tell.

110 JANUARY 2024

Beach Caravan Park for hosting us and allowing us to use their awesome kitchen and dining areas for the weekend.

John Roberts was the winner of the flathead division.

Acom shoulder bag.

A few members walked around the sand flats opposite the Tavern to try to catch a dusky flathead on plastics, but after many lure changes and colours the flatties couldn’t be found. I’m sure they will turn up when the water warms up.

Bemm River Angling Club put on breakfast, lunch and a BBQ dinner Saturday, which saw almost $2000 raised for the club through auctions, raffles and membership renewals.

At night the kids were out and about looking for possums, wombats, rabbits and bandicoots with their torches, bringing memories they will never forget.

A big thankyou to Lake Tyers

Darcy Vukovic with a 755g salmon.

Thanks to all who helped out during the weekend and to those who cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner! Also, a big thankyou to our great sponsors for donating prizes and supporting our great club: Bemm River Holiday Accommodation, Bemm River Hotel, Hooked on the Bemm, Cosy Nook Accommodation, Aussie Disposals, Acom International, East Gippy Knife Sharpening, On The Edge lures, and Real McCoy Fishing Tours. - Tony Vukovic

Brought to you by

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT FLATHEAD TRAVEL THIS FAR? In recent times we have become used to tales of fish travelling considerable distances. Generally, it has been Australian bass, barramundi or some of our species that migrate to reefs after doing their initial growing in our inshore systems.

However, over the years we have also discovered that our estuary species like to travel too. A prime example of this, is this flathead that was initially tagged in the mouth of the Pine River on the north side of Brisbane, then recaptured a little over 12 months later on the northern

tip of Moreton Island. Who knows what path this fish took, but in a direct line via water it is at least 45km it has travelled.

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 077 001 or go to http:// crystalbowl.infofishaustralia.com. au/suntag /recaptures/recapture_ form_1.html and 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.

FMM

TOURNAMENT NEWS

Zerek BARRA Tour: On Target with the Live Mullet The 2023 Zerek BARRA tour has concluded and there were some very interesting highlights to come out of the events.

The acceptance and use of many of our products across the venues (Kinchant, Teemburra and Faust) gave us a real insight into how anglers are using our gear and getting amazing results.

At Kinchant the new to town Duo

help themselves. The ideal rod for casting these lightly weighted plastics was the Venom Target 1 rod, a 10-30lb braid rated rod that has a softer tip to allow the barra to inhale the lure, yet a good amount of power in the lower third to manage even big barra. This rod was also used by the top basin scopers who threw small, suspending hardbodied lures and racked up plenty of barra during the daylight hours.

Teemburra was a very interesting venue with all the old favourites taking fish. Lures like the 5” and 7” Flat Shads and the ultra-reliable Fish Traps all took fish, but it was the Live Mullet 5.5” that stepped up a gear, both around the points and weeds as well as the deep water in the main basin. Teemburra barra are well

BooStar Wake 5” was outstanding in the weeds, as well as around the weed drop off and weed towers. Rigged on a weedless, weighted worm hook with a flashy spinner underneath, Kinchant’s barra could not

known to be a little crankier than their Kinchant counterparts, so anglers stepped up the rods to the Target 2 (20-40lb braid rated) and the ever-reliable Blade N Tails 7’ 30-60lb baitcaster.

Faust provided many highlights on tour with two events finishing off the Series.

The All Night event saw the basin scopers having a blast with the Live Mullet 5.5” coming out in force and taking a ridiculous number of fish. This was thrown on either the Target 1 rod for the more sporting, or the Target 2 rod, that can dictate terms a little better to metreplus barra.

Moving onto the Two Night Event, the Target 1 rod got a serious amount

BIG BARRA, FAUST 2 NIGHTER

of barra to angler’s boats as the main basin was the action hot spot. A mix of suspending hardbodied lures and Live Mullet 5.5” were used and anglers were having a great time. In fact, the runner up team (Fishing Monthly) used the Target 1 rods to throw small hardbodies and the big barra on Day Two was caught on a Live Mullet 5.5” cast on the Target 2 rod

by Luke Mulcahy!

The Zerek BARRA tour is like all other ABT comps – the anglers are happy to help other anglers and make sure they get some fish and have some fun. It’s easy to become addicted to barra fishing when the lures and techniques are developing so fast and anglers are having a great time discovering it all. – Wilson Fishing

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JANUARY 2024 111

BARRA Series presented by

BARRA SERIES 2023

Cairns Compleats second tour win Team Compleat Angler Cairns (Ron Bruggemann/Harry Bezuidenhout) backed up for their second BARRA Tour win in three events, narrowly beating Team Samaki (Tommy Wood/Josh Lowry) in the 16 hour BARRA marathon, sponsored by Humminbird at Peter Faust Dam. The overnight event takes its toll on anglers, especially in 2023 when showers throughout the night hindered any chance of getting much sleep on the water, but the competition is tight, with less than 2kg separating the top three teams.

CA Cairns showed their open water live sonar ability at Teemburra, taking the win there by nearly 20kg, but plenty of the field were switched on to the open water Faust bite for this event, with plenty of 85-95cm class fish congregating around the lower basin area.

Where a lot of teams chose to spot-lock and let the fish come to them, Bruggemann and Bez opted to move around constantly, and were rewarded with 17

Racking up a second win for the season, the boys from Compleat Angler Cairns prove they are more than Tinaroo specialists. barramundi landed for the session.

“For us, most of the fish we landed were before midnight, after that the other teams seemed to catch then and it slowed up for us,” said Ron. Quickly at Faust, Bruggemann found out that

BIG BARRA PRIZE

the lighter coloured Zerek Live Mullets trumped his darker Red Devil colour that’s his favourite in his home lake Tinaroo. This bait tempted most of their fish for the session.

Harry specialises in fish closer to the boat and he added an important 95cm fish on a Jackall Dowswimmer glidebait.

He delivered it on an Okuma Komodo 802XH rod paired with a Shimano Tranx reel.

“When the bite slows down, I’m the one that cycles through baits to see what they’ve decided is better to eat,” he explained, “and you’ve got to understand - nearly every barra you cast at

John Schwerin from Schwerin Concreting landed the biggest barra of the event (and of the BARRA Tour) with a 112cm fish catapulting them into a top 10 finish.

It ate a Delande GT Shad plastic that was 22cm long!

RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 112 JANUARY 2024

Team Compleat Angler Cairns Samaki Dobyns Rods TBC Redfern Halco Atomic Schwerin Concreting Rapala CrushCity Fishing Monthly

Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview

doesn’t even acknowledge that your lure is there. You just need to keep casting at fish to find the one that wants to eat a lure. You do literally thousands of casts in a 16 hour session for 30 bites and 17 fish, so it’s a numbers game.”

With the win, CA Cairns made the BARRA Team of the Year trophy points race very interesting indeed... If Team Samaki slip up and CA Cairns do well, anything could happen.

A weary Harry with a bag fish that he landed at 4:45am on a glide bait.

Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers (Bruggemann/Bezuidenhout)

(Wood/Lowry) (Slade/Wilcox) (Laine/Williams) (Turner/Munro) (Carter/Ehrlich) (Starkey/Martin) (Schwerin/Schwerin) (Morgan/Horn) (Morgan/Smith)

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

Weight (kg) 58.38kg 57.89kg 56.70kg 51.49kg 51.49kg 50.50kg 48.99kg 47.81kg 47.78kg 46.63kg

Payout $2,000 $900 $800 $700 $650 $600 $550 $500 + Big Barra $500 Rapala pack

Samaki bag Faust 2D & Team of the Year Repeating 2022’s final event result, Team Samaki rose to the top in the naming-sponsor event to take the win and seal their 2023 BARRA Team of the Year title in the Samaki 2-day round of the Zerek BARRA Series.

In addition to the cash prizes, the team donated the generous product component of their prizes to teams struggling at the other end of the leaderboard.

It was a case of Who Wins Shares.

Taking advantage of large numbers of barramundi positioned within a kilometre of the buoyline near the dam wall, Wood and Lowry amassed the biggest bag of the event on Day 1 to lead by 4kg and then extended that lead to 6kg by the end of the event.

Day 1: 5/5, 62.88kg Day 2: 5/5, 52.27kg

pattern effort in 2022 with the latest success, “I think the barra spawning instincts came into play

with the rainy weather and the there was a huge congregation of fish near the dam wall.”

“We chased the fish around with the Garmin Perspective mode on the LiveScope and mainly got bit from the solitary fish. Barra that were roaming around in pairs or packs were much more difficult to get to bite,” he continued.

The pair fished the whitebait coloured DS80 Redic on a prototype Samaki ‘Redic rod’, a 6’11” stick that’s soft in the tip and with a more forgiving action

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

BARRA SERIES 2023

A consistent season secured Team Samaki the title of 2023 BARRA Team of the Year. to keep the hooks in. They used baitcast reels spooled with 50lb X Braid and 52lb Slim n Strong fluorocarbon leader.

“That leader really doesn’t interfere with the lure’s action and it helped us get a few more bites over the course of the event,” Tommy continued.

When the barra swum a little deeper and faster, the pair would switch to the Dr Shads, aiming to drag the moving bait past the noses of the suspending fish.

Team Samaki Fishing Monthly Venom Ward Brothers Wilson Fishing Compleat Angler Cairns Cast Fishing Co. Halco Gladstone Fly & Sportsfishing Hooked on Exploring

Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview

“It’s got a custom made heavy duty, wide gape hook in it and it comes out of the box ready to fish,” explained Josh, while talking about the bait that was revealed at AFTA 2023.

They’ll land and be in stores in early 2024.”

BIG BARRA PRIZE

Embracing his nickname ‘Barra Barbie’, Tommy got pretty in pink and Josh borrowed some props from home for a bit of fun during the second session of the event.

There’s no secret that Tommy Wood is the master of converting barramundi that he finds on his Garmin livescope into hookups.

In this case it was using two of his sponsors’ lures - the Samaki DS80 Redic and a soon-to-bereleased (Jan 2024) Fishcraft Dr Shad swimbait. The team would swap presentations depending on the moods of the fish that they saw on the live sonar.

“It was a totally different situation from last year’s win,” said Wood, after contrasting the shallow water, back-of-the-lake

BARRA Series presented by

Wilsons gave away a Blade n Tails rod each day for the Big BARRA prize. On Day 1, this was a 108cm fish landed by the Ward Brothers (pictured) and on Day 2, a 107cm fish landed by Wilson Fishing. Both of the fish ate Zerek Live Mullets, proving once again that sponsor karma is a thing.

Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers Fish (Lowry/Wood) 10/10 (Morgan/Smith) 10/10 (Dixon/Meredith) 10/10 (Ward/Ward) 10/10 (Cornelius/Mulcahy) 10/10 (Buuggemann/Bezuidenhout) 10/10 (Jones/Williamson) 10/10 (Carter/Ehrlich) 10/10 (Gooch/Hansen) 10/10 (Calvert/Calvert) 8/10

Weight (kg) 115.15kg 109.01kg 107.88kg 107.76kg 99.44kg 98.57kg 95.38kg 90.41kg 85.90kg 77.55kg

Payout $2,000 $900 $800 $700 + Big Barra $650 $600 $550 $500 $500 Rapala pack JANUARY 2024 113

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New South Wales Tide Times

Victorian Tide Times

2021 2024 Times and Heights of High and Low Waters20212021 Local Times andLocal Heights of Time High and Low Waters T 33° 51ʼ S LONG 151° 14ʼ E Times SOUTH and HeightsWALES of High and Low38° Waters Time LAT 18ʼ S LONG 144° 37ʼ E SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW POINT POINT LONSDALE LONSDALE –– VICTORIA VICTORIA

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

LONG 151° 14ʼ E

2024

LAT 38° 18ʼ S

LONG 144° 37ʼ E

MAY JULY AUGUST JUNE and Heights of HighJUNE and Low Waters Time Times and Heights of High and Low Waters and Heights of HighTimes and Low Local Time JANUARY MARCH APRIL Times andMAY Heights ofLocal High and Waters LAT Waters 33° 33° 51ʼ 51ʼ SS LONG LONG 151° 151° 14ʼ 14ʼ EE FEBRUARY LAT LATLow 38° 38°Time 18ʼ 18ʼ SS m LONG LONG144° 144°Time 37ʼ 37ʼEE m Time m LAT Time m Time m Time m Time MAY m Time m JUNE JULY AUGUST Time m m JULY Time m Time m JUNE MAY Time Time m Time m Time Time m Time m 2024Time m Time m Time m 2024 m JUNETime JULY AUGUST Times Times andmHeights Heights of of High High m and and Low Low Waters Waters Local Local Time Time Times Times and HeightsTime ofofHigh Highm and and Low LowWaters Waters MAY JUNE JULY Time Time m Time m Timeand Time m Time m Time mm Time Timem m Time and mHeights Time m

Time

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1051 262121 261957 0757 1.48 26 0751 1.63 11 1011 0859 1.45 0.41 1.47 0852 1.35 0932 1.44 11 0912 1.330.30 10020804 1.42 11 10 1624 1430 1.87 1544 1.80 1515 1.76 1600 1.70 1535 1.73 1416 1.73 MO SU WE TH FR SA MO 13490.50 0.56 WE 1554 0.45 1645 1.49 0.52 29 0343 1.46 14220.42 0.64 1503 0.51 0438 14421.59 0.58 0.48 0.40 0301 FR 0.51 05050315 0.37 0429 0.51 0.45 0344 0.54 SA 0436 0.25 0.31 042529 0.26 0.49 TU TH14 SU MO 0441 0.38 0259 0334 0.23 0318 0403 0407 0.28 14 14 14 12 292136 1.52 0258 0209 0156 1.47 12 12WE 27 12 12 2113 270.58 12 122225 12 12 27 270421 1957 0.68 2107 0.72 2047 0.67 1957 0.80 271.33 12 271343 12 2711 12 27 12 271539 1212 27 10530809 1.64 11060918 1.41 27 102526 1.36 0845 0938 2.01 1014 1.78 1100 1.99 104126 1.8727 10261.47 1.56 2255 1.52 27 201512 1.7626 0932 2215 1.80 2056 1.83 2139 2.07 2115 1.85 2207 1.90 0.77 20131.44 2.06 11 11 26 1051 1.35 0912 1002 1.42 1011 1.45 11 11 0.36 0.37 0939 0.47 0.19 0755 0.37 14 29 14 29 14 29 4 0852 29 0.44 0.59 SA 1554 0.66 1650 0.40 MO 1730 0.48 0.17 TU 1709 1554 0.24 1645 0.49 FR 16431625 SA0.58 TU 1656 TH WE 16260.52 1422 0.64 SA 1503 0.51 FR 1624 14420209 0.45 SU 0.20 MO 1539 WE 1.74 1.74 1.66 1.87 1454 1.76 TH FR 1556 SA 1633 0444 MO TU 0315 0258 1.59 0156 1.47 0512 0335 0.45 1.55 0446 0.31 1.49 0.29 02492.07 0.26 2220 03381.85 0.49 0428 0.27 0357 0.41 02391.83 0.52 23181517 1.51 2314 0446 1.86 0343 2229 1.46 1.79 1.40 2246 1.34 2207 2335 1.62 23081.52 1.80 2255 22441.52 1.66 2056 2139 2115 1.90 2215 1.80 2152 0.71 2129 0.72 2217 0.64 2043 0.67 2033 0.78 11 11 26 11 26 11 26 12 27 27 27 2 0834 1.44 27 0848 1.57 0353120.420932 1027 0918 0.36 0845 0.37 0939 0.47 0918 0.40 08091.33 0.19 0755 0.3712 1130 1.46 1048 1.41 1055 1.48 1027 1.41 0953 1.34 150.54TH 30 15 1.740605 1644 301633 15 30 15 0516 0.46 0515 0.54 0420 0.54 0530 0.33 0519 0.29 0500 0.51 1653 1625 1.74 1556 1.66 1614 1.71 1517 1.87 1454 1.76 1730 0.58 1627 0.53 0.47 1430 0.45 1500 0.66 1557 0.56 1523 0.58 1419 0.58 TU FR SA SU MO TU 13 131202 28 13 13 2159 28 280.50 042613 132258 13 13 28 2811010.45 FR 0343 TU TH0400 28 TH SA SU MO WE 28 13 28 13 28 13 28 0446 0.29 0512 0.49 0428 0.271313 0357 0.41 0446 0.31 28 13 28 13 13 28 0254 1.58 1.48 1.49 1.43 0236 1.48 1126 1.56 1.29 1112 1.30 1027 2.04 1047 1.75 1148 1.87 1130 1.72 1.48 30 15 30 15 30 15 5 0338 30 2152 0.71 2129 0.72 2217 0.64 2043 0.67 2033 0.78 2332 1.39 2250 1.78 2300 1.72 2102 2.10 2133 1.83 2229 1.99 2154 1.84 2046 1.78 12 1055 1.48 27 113016541.46 0932 1.33 27 1027 1.41 12 0953 1.34 27 1048 1.41 12 12 12 1016 0.54 17360856 0.48 0.21 0.71 0.44 0.71 0929 0.40 0.54 0.36 SA 17271000 SU 163527 SA 1712 0.18 SU 1721 0.41 TU 1813 0.25 WE WE 1737 0.34 0830 TH 1644 0.47 1500 0.66 SU 1557 0.56 1523 0.58 1627 0.53 TH FR MO 1.43 TU 2352 1.52 2314 1.43 1.75 2310 2321 1.35 23551.48 1.81 1730 23160.58 1.67 1603 1.82 1.68 1.71 1.61 1532 1.75 TU FR 1704 SA 1634 SU 1704 0524 WE 0544 0425 0.52 1.56 0528 0.38 1.49 0527 0426 0.33 0345 0.25 0417 0.50 0519 0.32 0437 0.40 0316 0.51 0254 1.58 2250 0236 0343 1.48 2300 0400 31 31 2332 1.39 1.72 2133 1.83 2229 1.99 2154 1.84 1.78 13 28 13 28 13 28 3 0913141.41 28 2127 0.67 2235 0.70 2212 0.66 2256 0.62 2110 0.76 12 27 12 12 27 27 12 1210 1.45 1133 1.40 1142 1.51 0945 1.50 0445 1015 1.32 1120 1.39 1036 1.35 0856 0.21 1000 0.44 0929 0.40 1016 0.54 0830 0.36 1006 0.47 1102 0024 1.65 2931 0557 0.57 14 14 0616 0.3629 29 054131 0.54 0004 1.76 29 0610 0.58 14 0458 0.56 14 14 29 14 29 29 14 14 14 29 141116 SU0.41 29 14 2915210.320.51 31 FR0519 1820 0.64 1715 0.59 1737 0.50 1540 0.68 1649 0.61 1608 0.59 14500.50 0.62 1603 1.82 1704 1.68 1634 1.71 1704 1.61 1532 1.75 1652 1.68 1724 SA WE FR MO TU TH 0527 0.33 0544 0.52 0417 0437 0.40 0528 0.38 14 29 14 29 14 29 14 29 TU FR 1.55 SA SU 1.42 WE MO 1.49 WE 1.40 0627 0.40 12000338 1.47 1221 1.54 0315 11391.48 1.40 07080446 0.55 1206 1.26 0430 2.01 1120 1.69 0510 2331 1.64 0.66 2347 1.60 21541.39 2.08 2213 1.81 2318 1.87 2235 21191.32 1.7928 1120 28 WE 13 2127 0.67 2235 0.70 2212 0.62 2110 0.76 2245 0.43 2331 1.51 1015 1036 1.35 1133 1.40 1238 1.69 1804 1142 0.53 181728 0.47 1210 17241.45 0.60 1.20 2256 172528 0.76 1759 0.19 1751 0.44 TH TH 1.81 FR SU 13031042 MO SU 13 MO 13 28 13 13 0942 0.28 0906 0.37 0.52 1014 0.46 1053 0.62 © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology 1737 0.50 1540 0.68 MO 1649 0.61 0.59 1855 0.59 0.36 23520.64 1.66 1818 0.80 2356 1.37 FR 1647 SA 1820 TU 1608 WE 1715 0015 1.28 0609 0.38 0500 0.51 0610 0.40 0518 0.41 0606 0.45 0355 0.52 0443 0.28 1.75 1611 1.73 1743 1.61 1714 1.68 1735 1.56 WE 2347 TH SA SU MO 0338 1.55 2331 0315 1.48 0519 1.55 0607 1.42 0430 Astronomical 1.49 0510 1.40 Datum0446 of Predictions is Lowest Tide 1.60 2213 1.81 2318 1.87 2235 1.81 1.64 29 29 14 29301044 of1.43 14 29 4Copyright Commonwealth Australia 2020, Bureau Meteorology 15 15 15 15 300.55+11:00) 15 151141 15 15 30 3006261014 0619 0.59 30 1232 1.54 1059 1.30 1213 1.37 1122 1.36 1218 1.40 0.46 0952151.37 15 15 30 15 30 2209 0.67 2146 0.75 2318 0.70 2257 0.61 2332 0.60 0100 1.65 or 0006 0.62 1.71savings 0000 1.46 0114 1.64 0043 1.77 0.58 0537 0.59of 13 28 13 28 13 28 13 0942 0.28 0906 0.3714 1053 1042 0.52 1053 Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) daylight time (UTC when in 15Moon 15 30 15 15 301804 1.43 1.63 0.55 1622 0.71 1744 0.67 1656 0.61 0.66 1.68 1524 0.66 0.59 atum of 0.51 Predictions is1614 Lowest Astronomical Tide 0816 0.62 30 0713 1.56 0.59 0540MO 0.43 0727 0.48 07161.61 0.46TH 12211.28 1.32 1154 1.62 TU SU 1254 SA 1838 FR SA 0015 0500 0610 0.40 0518 0.41 0606 0.45 0609 0.38 1647 1.75 1611 1.73 WE 1730 1759 1743 1714 1735 WE TH TU TH SA SU MO Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New First Quarter 0421 1.50 0355 1.46 1.37 1.47 1919 2331 0.69 0.39 0558 1.37 2254 1.78 2319 2155 22461.37 2.01 1.17 2332 1.24 0521 1206+10:00) 1.93 1.49 (UTC 131529 1.36 0.66 0.61 1821 0.47 14+11:00) 29standard 14 29savings MO 14160534 TU 1310 0.60 MO TH 1330 FR 1.76 SA 17570.59 TUor mes are1.30 in1.78 local time (UTC daylight time when in effect 0619 1059 1213 1122 1.36 1218 1.40 1232 1.54 2209 0.67 2146 0.75 2318 0.70 2257 14 14 1131 0.70 19241120 0.86 0.61 182729 0.80 1101 0.54 1845 0.24 1939 0.66 0.48 14 190029 0.60 1254 1025 0.36 0943 Last 0.39 1.43 1622 0.71Symbols 1744 0.67 1656 0.61 First 1804 1838Moon 0.55 SU TU WE TH SA New Moon Quarter Quarter oon Phase Full 0041 0558 1.46 1.37 0007 1.74 0013 1.50 1.47 0542 0.34 0545 0.53 0601 0.421.37 04351.78 0.54 0106 0620 1.17 31 1731 1.67 1650 1.69 1819 1.55 1754 1.63 1.51 31 31 31 TH FR SU MO TU 1806 0006 1919 0.69 2254 2319 1.76 0421 1.50 0355 1.46 1.53 0534 0521 31 31 0032 1.64 1.3830 0658 0.47 15 5 1033 1.32 30 1143 1.38 15 0657 0.45 30 2344 0645 0.52 15 14 1146 0033 1.29 12110.69 1.39 30 0703 0.65 2252 2225 0.74 0.56 14 29 14 29 29 14 1025 0.36 0943 0.39 1141 0.65 0658 1120 0.61 1101 0.54 1131 0.70 31 31 0717 0.62 0619 0.64 WE 1305 1.36 1.56 MO 1346 1.42 1304 1.40 17091.74 0.66 17100.42 0.73 17491.46 0.64 FR 16000.53 0.71 SU SU 1328 1806 TU SA 0013 1.50 1.69 TH 0041 0545 0007 0601 1.17 1731 1.67 1650 1.55 0106 TH FR WE 1813 FR 1220 SU 1819 MO TU 0.70 13101754 1.24 1229 1.53 SU WE 1948 0.57 1.51 0622 1839 0.73 15 0507 1859 0.72 1.63 0001 23410.47 1.91 15 1211 2339 1.73 22321.29 1.7530 0658 2030 0.70 1.58 0010 30 30 1.43 0437 1.44 1.46 0.59 0645 0.52 0657 0.45 1146 1.39 0703 0.65 2252 2225 0.74 1836 2344 0.56 1838 0.73 1853 0.69 0.51 30 30Meteorology 1023 0.43 15 06302023, 1.32 1151 0.64 15 0650 1.35 1328 0.45 1.56 1710 0.73 WE 1305 1.36 0.64 FR 1304 1.40 15 1.42 SU 1107 TH 1749 MO 1346 ©©Copyright Copyright Commonwealth Commonwealth ofofAustralia Australia 2023, Bureau BureauofofMeteorology © © Copyright Copyright Commonwealth Commonwealth of of Australia Australia 2023, 2023, Bureau Bureau of of Meteorology Meteorology 0642 0.42 0058 1.37 0213 1.10 0.72 1.44 1948 0001 0.57 0.70 2339 1.73 1839 0.73 2030 1.58 1731 0.70 1.64 1.46 0.70 0.59 1.58 0.37 0.79 FR 1815 SA MO 1200 0010 TU 1838 WE 1212 0045 0507 1.43 1859 0437 31 31 1244is 1.34 07230622 0.58 0800 0018 0.70 Datum ofofPredictions Predictions isisLowest Lowest Astronomical Astronomical Tide Tide 1.35 Datum Datum of of31 Predictions Predictions is Lowest Lowest Astronomical Astronomical Tide Tide 0.45 of © Copyright Commonwealth Australia 2023, Bureau of Meteorology 2336 0.71Datum 2305 0.72 1857 1.49 1842 1.47 15 30 15 30 15 30 15 1107 1023 0.43 0630 1.32 0650 0726 1.51 0753 1151 0.64 1807 0.73 1.41 time 1448time 1.42 SA TUsavings 0058 time 1.37 0213 1.10 Times Times are are inin1353 local localstandard standard time(UTC (UTCWE +10:00) +10:00) orordaylight daylight time (UTC (UTC0.75 +11:00) +11:00)when when inin1304 effec effec Times Times are areMO inin local local standard standardDatum time time (UTC (UTC +10:00) +10:00) or or daylight daylight savings savings time (UTC (UTC +11:00) +11:00)MO when when1200 inin effect effect 1815 1731 1.64 0.70 1212 0.79savings 1230 1838 1.58 of FR Predictions is1.58 Lowest Astronomical Tide SA TH SA TU 2001 0.76 2148 0.68 31 31 0723 0.58 0800 0.70 0526 1.42 Moon Moon Phase Phase Symbols Symbols Full Full Moon Moon New New Moon Moon First First Quarter Quarter 2336 0.71 2305 0.72 1857 1.49 1842 1.47 1900 1.52 1921 New New Moon Moon First First Quarter Quarter Last Last Quarter Quarter Moon Moon Phase Phase Symbols Symbols Full Full Moon Moon Times are in local standard (UTC1.41 +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect 1353 1448 1.42 31 SAtime TU 1107 0.49 2001Moon 0.76 1.42 1815 1.59 Moonof Phase Symbols 2020,New Full0.68 Moon First Quarter SU 2148 Last Quarter 0526 0.37 © Copyright Commonwealth Australia Bureau of Meteorology 2351 0.69 31 31 0110 0832 1.50 Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide 1107 0.49

0554 1155 A 1725 2359

0519 0.36 1.39 Time Time 1117 m m 0.65 SU 1640 2314 1.88 0034 0034 1.26 1.26

0601 0601 0.67 0.67

0633 0.53 0.58 0037 1.78 1238 1.28 0.49 m Time Time 1.30 m m Time Time m m 0740 Time Time m 0.75 TU 1345 1.33 WE 1804 0.76 1.71 0.791.39 0208 0208 1.63 1.63 0052 0052 1.48 1.48 1911 0113 0113 1.39

0637 0637 0.48 0.48

0835 0835 0.56 0.56

0706 0706 0.68 0.68

0030 0700 0.43 1225 0608 0.61 1.661.42 1430 1430 1.68 1.31 1.31 1257 1257 1.79 1.79 0138 1.62 TU 1307 1.42 FR FR TH TH 1307 MO MO 1225 1.62 0724 0.52 1300 1.31 1207 TU 1.25 0835 0.54 1910 1910 0.51 0.51 1928 0.56 1335 2028 2028 1.34 0.60 0.60 1932 1932 0.32 0.32 1447 1928 1.350.56 TH U 1825 0.74 MO 1726 0.80 WE 1906 0.77 2019 0.82

0057 1.60 0744 m Time Time m0.54 TH 1358 1.38 19401.52 0.78 0028 0028 1.52

0557 1.26 1.36 0046 0.69 0452 06231.34 1.40 0006 1.681.41 0145 0150 1148 0.55 11580.51 0.58 mm 0735 0.430.38 0750 0.62 Time Time 0646 m m1041 Time m m mm Time TimeTime m m0807 Time Time Time Time1.30 mm Time Time Time mm Time 1900 1.50 1748 1.58 1904 1.54 1303 1.43 1430 1.59 SA1446 1.43 MOMO TU 1245 0.80 FR FR SU 2319 0.660.74 2110 0.56 2114 0.76 0134 0134 1848 1.71 1.71 02050432 1.57 1.57 1.70 0122 01220436 1.60 1.60 0432 1.70 0524 05241.44 1.65 1.65 0436 1.61 1.61 0205 0505 0505 1.55 1.55 1935

FR

SA

0825 0825 0.55 0.55 0923 0.65 0.65 0.47 0821 08211015 0.65 0.65 0.61 0642 0642 0.62 0.62 1010 1010 0.47 0043 1108 1127 11270.68 0.15 0.15 1015 0.61 0923 1108 0.44 0.44 0135 0534 0023 1.18 0.74 0.65 01481.37 1.47 1416 0100 1.581.38 0255 0301 1.25 1.22 1.22 1533 1.18 1.18 1.51 1412 1412 1.18 1.18 1238 1.37 1629 1.51 18131.32 1.63 1.63 1615 1.36 1.36 1720 1720 1.41 FR FR FR 1238 SA 1416 0733 MO MO0.42 TU TU 1533 TU TU1629 TH TH FR1813 MO MO1615 1121 0735 1.40 1.41 0656 1.29 0842 0828 0.58SA 0.45 0858 0.65 0853 0.56 1935 19352215 0.78 0.78 1835 1835 0.59 1949 SA 0.71 0.71 2042 0.88 0.88 0.26 2218 2218 0.26 2338 23380.89 0.49 0.49 2215 0.35 0.35 2042 2306 2306 0.50 1836 12561.64 0.68 0.50 1231 0.65 SU1542 TU WE 1336 14510.59 1.41 1949 1359 1.491.52 1.47 1538 2045 0.81

1957 0.67

MO

1947 0.72 1.44 2227

TU

19590.50 1.51 2230

2019 1.40

20580.41 1.48 2341

2108 1.37

0146 0146 1.50 1.50 0118 0118 1.27 1.27 0158 0158 1.41 1.41 0307 0307 1.60 1.60 0739 0739 0.54 0.54 0239 0801 0648 0.71 0.71 1.66 0801 0.73 0126 0955 0955 1.63 0.62 0.62 0100 1.77 0648 0000 1.560.73 1350 1350 1.62 1.62 0925 1305 1.54 1.54 WE 1353 1.31 SA 1544 1544 0.50 1.17 1.17 0809 0.49 0702 0.62 0.571.31 0815 WE TU TU 1305 FR FR 1353 SA 1303 1.400.61 2021 2021 0.40 0.40 1948 0.54 1.24 2007 0.61FR 1433 2126 2126 1.41 0.68 0.68 O 1414 1.28 1948 TU 0.54 TH 1544 2007

03170512 1.52 1.52 1.68 0108 0108 1.52 1.52 0233 0233 1.63 1.63 0225 02250506 1.58 1.58 1.58 0512 1.68 0506 1.58 0317 0532 0532 1.53 1.53 0601 0601 1.60 1.60 0116 0.75 0001 01441.22 0.59 0.40 1021 0.65 0.65 0.37 0733 0733 0.67 0941 0200 0.61 0.61 0938 09381053 0.65 0.65 1058 1058 0.37 1053 0.58 0.58 1021 1139 1139 0.40 0230 1209 12090.65 0.14 0.14 02450.67 1.37 0941 1.480.75 0406 1.16 0422 0628 1.34 0858 1.44 0808 1.26 0945 1.36 1722 1.52 1655 1.34 1.34 1800 1800 1.41 1.41 SA 1905 1.58 1.58 1636 1.24 1.24 1.52 1323 1.27 1534 0825 1.13 1.13 0.47 1531 1.17 1.17 09111.27 0.61SU 0953 0.66 1001 FR 0.57 WE WE1722 TU TU1655 FR SA1905 WE WE 1636 SA SA 1323 SU 1534 TU TU 1531 1209 0.48 1402 0.78 1321 0.75 1438 0.96 MO TH SU WE 15430.66 1.46 2053 1637 1.52 1645 1.72 2306 0.35 2250 0.42 0.42 2157 2341 2341 0.57 0.57 21572306 0.85 0.85 1913 0.66 2053 0.79 0.79 1.57 2052 20522250 0.81 0.81 SA1913 SU 1458 TU WE0.35

0206 0206 1.29 1.29 0243 0243 1.53 1.53 0248 0248 1.42 1.42 0415 0415 1.58 1.58 0056 1.490.75 1.68 0742 0742 0.75 0.75 1.62 0847 0847 0.60 0.60 0339 0908 0908 0.75 0228 1119 1119 1.59 0.62 0.62 0800 0.61 1009 0.59 0905 0.48 0.53 1349 1.45 TH 1450 1450 1.45 1.45 SA 1451 1.22 1.22 SU 1712 1712 1.12 1.12 WE WE 1349 1.45 SA 1451 1407 TH 1.26 1633 1.47 SASU 1530 1.52 1.30 WE FR 2030 0.57 0.57 0.84 2111 2111 0.49 0.49 2234 2055 2055 0.66 2128 2235 2235 0.70 0.73 0.73 1929 0.780.66 0.82 2030

0535 1.55 0421 0550 0550 1.65 0252 0601 0601 1.49 0329 0019 00190.61 0.58 0.58 0156 0156 1.50 1.50 0343 0343 1.56 1.56 0342 03420535 1.59 1.59 1.55 0421 1.52 1.52 1.65 0220 0.75 0052 0.51 1.49 03440.70 1.31 1100 1.410.74 0513 1.17 0534 1.25 1130 0.54 0.54 1109 1145 1145 0.30 1209 1209 0.37 1044 0640 06401.42 1.53 1.53 0836 0836 0.70 1100 0310 0.64 0.64 1053 10531130 0.59 0.59 1109 0.63 0.63 0.30 0922 1.27 0735 1.33 10140.54 1.53 0.37 0954 0.62 0919 0.49 1046 0.66 1106 1735 1.32 1.32 1819 1.51 1841 1841 1.41 12521.00 0.18 0.18 1421 1.18 1.18 MO 1705MO 1.13 1.13 1656 1656 1.22 1.22 1723 1.32 1.32 1.51 1422 0.83 1550 1307 1517 0.85 1.41 WE WE1735 TH TH1819 SA SA SU1252 SU SU 1421 MO 1705 WE WE0.57 TH TH 1723 TU1728 FR SU TH 1632 1.52 1558 1.66 1.58 1746 1.80 SU2002 MO WE TH 2324 0.49 2259 2352 2352 0.45 2200 1.48 2000 20001.36 1.51 1.51 2031 1.44 2126 1.35 2200 2002 0.72 2213 2230 0.82 0.82 22192324 0.77 0.77 0.49 2259 0.79 0.79 0.45 23000.72 0.74 2213 0.56 2219

1934 0.80

0209 0914 U 1525 2050

1822 0.83

2129 0.81

2015 0.75

1930 2114 0.641.47

2155 0.79

2036 0.65 1.38 2330

0034 0.51 0735 Time Time m1.47 m WE 1245 0.75 1928 1.54 0432 0432 1.52 1.52

Time

m

0049 0.58 0748 Time Time mm 1.35 Time Time S TH 1257 0.87 1922 0454 0454 1.62 1.62 1.42 0501 0501

1100 1100 0.11 0.11 1105 1105 1038 1038 0.35 0.35 0130 0.47 0133 0.57 1756 1.72 1.72 1.37 1755 1702 1.53 1.53 FR FR1702 SA1756 MO MO1755 0849 1.50 SA 0848 2317 2317 0.56 0.56 0.95 2332 2332 2248 0.55 0.55 1345 0.85 FR 1347 SU TH 2248 2023 1.50

2009 1.38

2124 1.47

2102 1.35

0500 0500 1.51 1.51 0532 0532 1.57 1.57 0534 0534 0223 0230 0.43 1108 1108 0.32 0.32 1142 1142 0.15 0.15 0.55 1136 1136 0958 1.55 0949 1.40 1738 1.53 1.53 SU 1843 1.64 1.64 TU 1836 SA SA1738 SU1843 TU1836 1453 0.92 1449 1.01 SA MO FR 2321 2321 0.59 0.59 2358 2358 0.61 0.61

0530 0530 1.48 1.48 0612 0612 1.51 1.51 0.53 0006 0006 0320 0338 0.39 1137 1137 0.31 0.31 1223 1223 0.22 0.22 1.46 0609 0609 1050 1103 1.61 1816 1.52 1.52 1930 1930 1.54 1.54 1.02 1211 1600 1608 0.94MO SU SU1816 MOSU WE WE1211 SA TU 2355 2355 0.65 0.65 1922 2229 1.46 2203 1.34 1922

0320 1012 E 1626 2203

0524 0524 1.56 1.59 1.59 0258 1.32 1.32 1.61 0343 0343 1.56 1.56 0433 0345 0345 1.46 0333 1.451.46 1.62 0258 0158 1234 1234 0.46 0.59 0.59 0844 0.78 0.78 0.58 1004 1004 0.63 0.63 1049 1027 1027 0.74 0956 0.590.74 0.55 0844 0858 1830 1830 1.64 1.15 1.15 1441 1.36 FR 1559 1559 1.30 1.30 1606 1.16SUMO 1.541.16 1626 1.36 1512 1.33 MO TH TH 1441 FR SU SU 1606 SA 1718 TH 1.36 0.730.69 0.79 2115 2043 2345 2345 0.61 0.72 0.72 2115 0.59 0.59 0.81 2204 2204 0.56 0.56 2331 2155 2155 0.69 2240

0330 0.71 0157 0.70 0402 0016 0.43 0.64 0629 0629 1.60 0016 0.64 0426 0101 01010.56 0.67 0.67 0604 1.51 1.51 0513 0513 1.54 1.54 1.60 0458 0422 1.54 1.54 0458 04580604 1.66 1.66 0256 0256 1.50 04421.50 1.28 0458 1.361.35 0020 0.57 0039 1030 1.32 0900 11220.32 1.64 1.45 1231 1231 0.25 0632 0632 1.45 1137 0721 07211.51 1.45 1.45 1204 0.52 0.52 1147 1147 0.59 0.59 0.25 1208 1016 0.62 0.62 1155 11551204 0.49 0.49 0956 0956 0.70 10380.70 0.62 1208 0.50 0607 1.20 0633 1.31 1539 0.89 1701 1.00 1418 0.66 1818 1636 1241 0.88 0.35 WE SA TU FR 1921 1921 1.49 1.49 1241 0.35 1334 1334 0.25 0.25 1818 1.31 1.31 1801 1.41 1815 1.18 1.18 1801 1801 1.33 1.33 1541 1.13 17171.13 1.59TU 1.77 1136 0.63 0.49 FR FR 1.41 SU SU MO MO TH THTH FR FR 1801 TU 1815 TH TH1.43 MO MO MO1541 TU 1658 FR 1206 2215 1.35 2255 1.37 2137 2300 1.50 1928 1928 1.39 1.39 2055 2055 1.44 1.44 23570.76 0.68 2329 1814 2349 1.65 2349 0.72 0.72 1842 1.87 2329 2342 0.79 0.79 0.46 2333 2333 0.67 0.67 2113 2113 0.76

0423 1100 H 1716 2307

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2202 2202 0.60 0.60

2300 2300 0.61 0.61

2252 2252 0.61 0.61

2359 2359 0.62 0.62

2303 2303 0.68 0.68

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0000 0601 A 1217 1836

0045 0642 U 1249 1911

0125 0719 O 1320 1943

2006 2006 1.27 1.27

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SU SU

2342 0.60 0.60 0.63 2342 0000 1.53 0600 0625 0625 1.63 1.63 0.53 MO 1210 1314 0.56 0.56 1.66 1314 1836

MO MO

TH TH

WE WE

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0.58 0057 1.51 0656 0.54 0031 1256 0031 0.58 TU 0.58 1.71 0713 1924 0713 1.74 1.74

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0202 0757 U 1349 2015

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0239 0834 E 1419 2046

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1012 1012 2.05 2.05

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1021 1021 1.70 1.70

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0520 0.43

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1957 21070.46 0.72 0.95 1957 0.80 1602 0.450.68 1509 0.45 0425 0425 0.90 0444 0444 0.95 2047 0309 0.93 0.93 0227 0110 01100.77 1.36 1.36 0234 0234 0.55 0.55 0221 02210309 0.28 0.28 0227 0.51 0.51 WE0.90 SU 1449 TU 2218 1.65 1.98 0831 2133 1.85 0638 06381.49 0.83 0.83 1041 1041 1.27 1050 1.23 0258 0920 1.28 1.28 0823 0846 0846 2121 1.66 1.66 08310920 1.80 1.80 0823 1.51 1.51 1.27 0209 1.59 0315 1050 1.52 1.23 0156 1.47 12370.37 1.20 1.20 1705 1705 0.36 0918 1706 1706 0.33 SA 1532 0.39 0.39 1508 0403 0.45 0.45 1452 0.19 1440 1440 0.29 0.29 1415 0.54 0.54 0.36 WE WE FR TU TU1532 SA1237 SU 1508 SA SA 1452 TU TU0.19 WE WE 1415 0.36 0.33 0845 0809 0755 0.37 0441 FR 0.38 03180.19 0.42SU 0.25 0407 0.28 1852 18521.74 0.46 0.46 2317 1.39 1.39 2040 2115MO 1.53 1.53 2052 2052 1.58 2056 20562317 1.92 1.92 2040 1.76 TH 16251.47 1.74 FR 1556 1517 1454 1.761.76 TU1011 1051 09121.58 1.33 2115 1002 1.421.87 1.45 21520.52 0.71 1645

2033 0.45 0.78 1554

2129 0.72

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TU 1627 0.53

TH 1644 0.47

FR 1730 0.58

TU

WE

FR

SA

FR 1600 1.70 2136 0.67 0404 0404 0.88 0.88

SA 1535 1.73 MO 2113 0027 0027 1.30 1.30 0.58 0524 0524

1218 0616 0616 0.79 0.79 1.55 1218 1034 1034 1.24 1.24 0343 1.46 0335 1759 1228 1.21 1.21 0.40 1634 0.42 0.42 SU1228 SA SA1634 TU TU1759 0939 0.47 SU 0918 1829 1829 0.62 0.62 1.71 1614 TU SA 1633 1.66 SU 2217 0.64

2159 0.50

0019 0019 1.39 1.39 0116 0116 1.34 1.34 0030 0030 0426 1.43 0425 0532 0532 0.79 0.79 0715 0715 0.69 0.69 1.56 0622 0622 1006 0.47 1016 0.54 1209 1.30 1.30 MO1331 1331 1.29 1.29 WE 1320 SU SU1209 WE1320 1652 1.68 1704 1.61MO SU 1801 MO W 1801 0.42 0.42 1927 1927 0.61 0.61 0.43 1858 1858 2245 2256 0.62

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00010.69 0.70 1919

0622 1.46

0620 0558 1.37 0209 0209 1.54 1.54 0228 0228 1.43 1.43 1.53 0201 0201 1141 0.65 1131 0.70 0752 0752 0.46 0.46 0830 0830 0.49 0.49 1.58 0800 0800 1813 1806 1.51 WE FR TU 1430 1.57 WE 1500 1.49 1.49 FR 1503 TU TU 1430 1.57 WE1500 FR1503 2016 2016 0.41 0.41 2047 2047 0.60 0.60 2032 2032 0010 0.59

0018 0.37

0326 1.64 1151 0338 03380.64 1.51 1.51 0254 0254 1.60 1.60 0257 0257 1.46 1.46 1.51 0244 0244 0216 1.60 0515 0308 0308 1.54 0630 0326 1107 0.45 1023 0.43 1.32 1.64 0650 1.35 0726 0519 0519 0.29 0.29 0500 0500 0.51 0.51 0605 06050216 0.46 0.46 1.60 0515 0.54 0.54 1.54 1.46 06011.72 0.42 1101 0013 1.501.58 0106 1815 1731 1.64 12001.17 0.70 0.45 1212 0.79 TH 1230 0907 0907 0.45 0938 09381.58 0.46 0.46 WE 0844 0844 0.30 0.30 0901 0901 0.41 0.41 0.75 0846 0846 0742 0.81 0.81 1112 0845 0845 0.69 SA0041 MO TU 1838 S 1130 1130 1.72 1101 FR 1.48 1.48 1202 12020742 1.29 1.29 1112 1.30 1.30 0.69 0657 0.45 1211 1.39 0645 0.52 0703 0.65 2336 0.71 2305 0.72 1857 1.49 1842 1.47 1900 1.52 1532 1532 1.56 1.56 WE 1553 1.45 1.45 WE 1527 1.69 1.69 TH 1535 1.57 1.57 SA 1549 1345 1.35 1438 1.31 TU 1737 0.34 0.34 TH 1654 1654 0.54 0.54 SA 1727 0.71 0.71 1.35 1635 0.71 0.71 1.31 TU WE1553 WE1527 TH1535 SA1549 SA SA1345 SU SU1438 WE WE 1737 SA 1727 SU SU 1635 1328 1.56 1749 0.64TH 1304 1.40 1346 1.42 SU TH2355 FR MO 2121 2121 0.28 0.28 2144 2144 0.48 0.48 2107 2107 0.43 0.43 2121 2121 0.60 0.60 0.37 2114 2114 1946 1946 0.20 0.20 2314 2045 2045 0.33 2355 1.81 1.81 2316 2316 1.67 1.67 2314 1.75 1.75 0.33 0526 1.42 0110

0445 0445 0.41 0.41 0.42 0458 0458 0.56 0.56 0642 1116 1116 2.01 2.01 1.34 1120 1120 1.69 1.69 1244 1759 0.19 MO 1751 1751 0.44 0.44 1807 0.73 SU SU 1759 MO MO 0.19 2356 2356 1.37 1.37

0024 0024 1.65 1.65 0557 0557 0.57 0.57 0627 0627 0.40 0.40 1200 1200 1.47 1.47 1238 1.69 1.69 TH 1804 0.53 0.53 WE WE 1238 TH 1804 1855 1855 0.36 0.36

0616 0616 0.36 0.36 0541 0541 0058 0.54 0.54 1221 1221 1.54 1.54 1139 1139 0723 1.40 1.40 1817 0.47 0.47 FR 1724 0.60 0.60 TH TH 1817 FR 1724 SA 1353 2352 2352 2001 1.66 1.66

1948 0.57 2030 0.70 1107 0.49 0407 0407 1.67 1.67 0405 0405 1.52 1.52 0305 1.65 1.65 0610 0343 0343 1.56 00040305 1.76 1.76 0.58 0.58 1.56 1.37 0004 0213 1.10 1.59 SU 1815 0610 0956 0956 0.31 0.31 1009 1009 0.40 0.40 0832 0.70 1206 0926 0926 0.61 07080832 0.55 0.55 0.70 1206 1.26 1.26 0.61 2351 0.69 0.58 0708 0800 0.70 1627 1627 1.62 1.62 TH 1629 1.50 1.50 1443 1.41 1523 1.35 1303 1.20 1.20 1.41 1725 0.76 0.76 WE TH1629 SU SU1443 MO MO1523 1.41 1448WE 1.42 SU SU 1303 MO MO 1725 TU1.35 2209 2209 0.33 0.33 2215 2215 0.51 0.51 2039 0.18 2124 2124 0.36 0.36 0.76 1818 2148 0.68 18182039 0.80 0.80 0.18

0000 0000 1.46 1.46 0537 0537 0.59 0.59 0540 0540 0.43 0.43 1154 1154 1.62 1.62 1206 1.93 1.93 TU 1821 0.47 0.47 MO MO 1206 TU 1821 1845 1845 0.24 0.24

0114 0114 1.64 1.64 0727 0727 0.48 0.48 1330 1.49 1.49 TH TH 1330 1939 1939 0.48 0.48

0043 0043 1.77 1.77 0626 0626 0.58 0.58 0716 0716 0.46 0.46 1221 1221 1.32 1.32 1315 1.36 1.36 SA 1757 0.66 0.66 FR FR 1315 SA 1757 1900 1900 0.60 0.60

0350 1.69 0006 0412 1.56 0100 01000350 1.65 1.65 1.69 00060412 1.71 1.71 1.56 0922 0.59 0713 1003 0.54 0816 08160922 0.62 0.62 0.59 07131003 0.59 0.59 0.54 1536 1536 1.47 1.47 1604 1604 1.37 1416 1.17 TU 1310 1.24 1.37 MO MO 1.17 TU TU 1.24 MO MO 1416 TU 1310 2130 2130 0.21 0.21 2200 2200 0.39 1924 1924 0.86 0.86 1827 1827 0.80 0.80 0.39

0032 0032 1.64 1.64 0717 0717 0.62 0.62 1310 1.24 1.24 SU SU 1310 1838 1838 0.73 0.73

0439 0439 1.56 1.56 1037 1037 0.49 0.49 1643 1.39 1.39 WE WE1643 2233 2233 0.45 0.45

0033 0033 1.38 1.38 0619 0619 0.64 0.64 1229 1.53 1.53 WE WE 1229 1853 1853 0.51 0.51

0422 0445 0.36 0037 0037 0.68 0.68 0.48 0043 0043 0601 0601 1.45 1.45 1147 1205 1.67 0653 0653 1.43 1.43 1.52 0649 0649 1207 1207 0.30 0.30 1709 0.99 1252 1720 0.92 MO W SU 1859 1304 1304 0.31 0.31 1859 1.48 1.48 TU 2308 1.35 TH TH 1252 MO MO 2331 1.47 TU 2021 2021 1.44 1.44 2016 2016

1859 0.72

0446 0446 1.67 1.67 1042 1042 0.21 0.21 1720 1720 1.65 1.65 TH TH 2254 2254 0.41 0.41

0832 1.50

0336 0336 1.63 1.63 0327 0327 1.48 1.48 0324 0324 FR 1324 0.84 0930 0930 0.18 0.18 0932 0932 0.36 0.36 1.47 0930 0930 1954 1619 1.75 1.75 FR 1609 1.62 1.62 SU 1633 TH TH1619 FR1609 SU1633 2153 2153 0.46 0.46 2153 2153 0.61 0.61 2154 2154 0415 0415 1.64 1.64 0358 0358 1.49 1.49 1016 1016 0.12 0.12 1003 1003 0.32 0.32 1708 1708 1.76 1.76 1642 1642 1.65 1.65 FR FR SA SA 2236 2236 0.51 0.51 2226 2226 0.63 0.63

0404 0404 1014 1014 1717 MO MO 1717 2234 2234

0430 0430 1.49 1.49 1034 1034 0.31 0.31 1717 1.65 1.65 SU SU1717 2259 2259 0.66 0.66

SU 1815 1.59 FR 1324 0.84 ustralia 2020, Bureau of Meteorology Times Tide arepredictions in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time Australian (UTC +11:00) in effect 2351 0.69 1954 is1.47 Tidal Centre, Bureau of when Meteorology, Copyright reserved.

All material supplied in © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology stronomical Tide for Port Phillip Heads have been formatted by the National New Moon First Last Quarter Moon Phase Full Moon good faithSymbols and is believed to be correct.

It is supplied on the condition thatQuarter no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) whenDatum in effectof Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian of Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss © Copyright Commonwealth Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology w Moon First Quarter Quarter Full Moon Times are inLast local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (U or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission.

Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes.

Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Moon Phase Symbols New Moon First Quarter include acceptance of the above conditions.

Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effec Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter

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Surtees Game Fisher 700 with Yamaha 250hp V6 trailers, removing the risk to customers of importing themselves.

They also add local outboards that have full local warranties. In this case it was Yamaha is 250hp, DES 4-stroke that came fitted on the rig. This is the maximum horsepower for this hull.

As tested, this boat came in at around $220,000, and at that price, you would expect everything to be spot on.

Climbing up the rear step and into the boat, you can see how well appointed and well finished everything is. This

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

There is one thing for certain when we test high quality and larger New Zealand built aluminum boats – they always stop people at the boat ramp and get them talking. This was again the case at Clontarf on the Redcliffe Peninsula when Northside Marine turned up with this 7m Surtees Game Fisher.

And it’s not just the cool colour.

New Zealand boats are typically very well-made and have all of the additions that a serious boatie and angler would want. Northside Marine import these hulls and then add them to locally built

Main: There’s no doubt that the Surtees 700 Game Fisher is a great looking rig. Above: It is fitted with Yamaha’s Digital Electric Steering (DES) 250hp outboard, which is plug and play with Yamaha’s Helm Master joystick and auto pilot system.

Above: All of the fishing space is in the cockpit and it’s definitely built to handle water nastier than this. Inset: This is the first boat I’ve seen gunwale mounted boxes in. Brilliant for tackle storage that you need close to hand.

116 JANUARY 2024

SPECIFICATIONS Length ................................................. 7.0m Beam ..............................................2.375m Sides ....................................................3mm Bottom................................................6mm Fuel ....................................................... 325L Max HP............................................250hp Capacity................................. 7 persons Transom Deadrise .........................20° Tow weight................................. 2140kg is a pilot house variation hull, which means that the rear doors can either be left open or pulled shut when the weather demands.

At first glance, you would think that this may not be suitable for Queensland’s hot weather, but careful thought about ventilation in this boat, including large, sliding side-windows and ceiling mounted vents make circulation not an issue.

And southern boaties will definitely appreciate the enclosed cabin when things get cold and nasty.

All of the workable fishing space in this boat is in the main cockpit and this is fully rubber lined – from the gunwales to the floor.

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Top: Surtees treatment of the boarding step problem is sturdy, simple and convenient.

Above: Plenty of room in here for the windlass.

Yamaha’s DES models have ultra-simple rigging and are available in blue or white.

Top: We love the room for big, flush mounted MFDs at the helm. The Surtees helm is custom built to hold everything you’ll want to fit – including the rest of the Helm Master options if you want them.

Above: Big windows that open from the front help air circulation massively.

The pilothouse doors can be held open or locked shut, depending on the weather conditions.

Now there’s some cockpit space. Can you imagine fishing from this beast? Plenty of rubber decking and Nyalic coating where it’s unpainted aluminium.

Top and Bottom Left: There’s ample cabin space for overnighters, and a chemical toilet under the infill.

Top and Bottom Right: Standard access hatches allow you to access all plumbing.

Top Left:The bait board has space for four rods and a lip to keep everything in. Top Right: The side pockets are quite high off the cockpit floor and check out the additional rod storage. Bottom Left: Here’s the entry to the Water Ballast System at the transom. The flap can be lowered to optionally keep it in when travelling in rougher water. Bottom Right: A sink helps keep everything civilised.

JANUARY 2024 117

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Surtees has a knack of maximising the available storage.

Gunwale mounted tackle boxes and clever side pockets allow the most efficient use of space. As a Queenslander, I also loved the extra shade offered by the canvas canopy extension.

There is also ample rod storage, PERFORMANCE RPM Speed

(km/h)

Economy

(km/L)

Idle ............................ 4 ........................2.0 1000 .......................... 8 .........................1.5 2000 ........................13 .........................1.2 3000 .......................22 .......................... 1.1 3500 .......................34 .........................1.4 3700 .......................43 .........................1.6 4000 .......................49 .........................1.4 5000 .......................60 .........................1.0 6000 ....................... 77 ........................0.8 both in the rocket launchers, next to the side pockets and at the bait station.

For’ard of the cabin doors, the luxury continues. There is a sizeable cabin, which will allow multiple anglers to enjoy an overnighter,

Top: Peak efficiency for this rig is at 3,700rpm where it delivers 1.6km/L at 43km/h. Punch the throttle and you get only 0.8km/L at 6,000rpm and 77km/h. Above: The Surtees Game Fisher 700 is beautifully balanced at rest. complete with chemical toilet. The helm is spacious, and the dash will hold any of the multifunction displays that you want to fit. And, there is room for Yamaha’s HelmMaster system, which is seamlessly compatible with this model outboard.

Performance wise, it really gets

up and goes with the 250hp on the back. At wide open throttle and 6000rpm, this boat travels 77km/h while delivering 0.8km/L burned. To maximise efficiency, drop that throttle to 3700rpm and you’ll get twice that distance per litre – 1.6km.

With a 325L fuel tank, you’ll be

scaring a 500km theoretical range if you’re not driving like a mad kiwi.

At the helm, you’ll notice that the hull is quite weight sensitive and you’ll be spending a bit of time on the trim tabs getting it all level. That’s not unusual on a hull like this, but be aware it will need to become part of your driving procedure.

And if you are looking to tow this rig with a standard, twin cab ute, you are in luck. Just over 2,000kg on the trailer when unloaded and, even loaded for a trip, you should be able to pull it with most models on the market.

The Redco trailer is built locally, is twin axle and has electric/hydraulic brakes standard.

Like what you see? The man to talk to at Northside Marine is Jason Comino who can quote you the Surtees package that will suit YOUR type of fishing. Just quietly, he’s pretty handy on a rod, so it might be nice to deal with a fellow angler when putting your rig together.

Visit www.northsidemarine.com.au.

Left: You can see the spray chines doing their thing and deflecting water down and away from the hull.

Right: Talk to Jason Comino at Northside Marine in Brisbane for more details about this beast of a rig.

118 JANUARY 2024

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