Fishing Monthly Magazine | January 2022

• FINDING FLATTIES IN THE SHALLOWS • BOATING SAFETY GUIDE •

FIND THE

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Features

Fishing shallow for flathead • Safety on the water • Waving twig-weights • Part II: How sustainable are whiting stocks?

•

Tested

Testing Booth: Power Pole Micro anchor • Boat Review: Stacer 539 Crossfire with Mercury 115 ProXS • Tech Tricks: Boat first aid kit •

QLD

Safety Spotlight

Gary Brown discusses tips for water safety

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CONTENTS

OUR COVER January 2022, Vol. 2 No.9 VIC

TAS

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

24 26 28 30 32 34 38 40 42 44 46 50 51 52 52 53 53 54

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

60 63 62 64 66 68 70 71 72 72 73 74 74 76 76 78 78 80 81 79 82

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

88 88 89 89 96 90 92 94 94 98 99 98 99 100 100 102 101 103 105 104 105 102

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JANUARY 2022

From the Editor’s Desk...

WA

Peter Zahradka, aka ‘ZMan” strikes Swan River gold whilst stalking the flats on a dawn river raid.

A Jacob Crispe image.

I must admit, looking at the January issue of Fishing Monthly Magazine, I am pretty proud of what we produce.

Each month we have a massive number of contributions from all over Australia to show you what your fellow anglers have been catching out on the water. And in this time of domestic tourism – rather than international travel – we hope it gives you plenty of ideas for ‘bucket list’ species to catch.

We may not be a coffee table publication, but we sure as hell nail local content. At this time of year I always like to thank our huge number of contributors, our hard-working staff and our loyal readers and advertisers. We have seen an upswing at the end of 2021 and hope this continues throughout 2022. There were

20

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

TASMANIA Offshore Hobart

84 85

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

115 114 116 118 116 117 119 120 122 123 122 124

REGULAR FEATURES Fishing shallow for flathead Safety on the water Tech Tricks: Boat first aid kit Starlo’s back to basics Sheik of the Creek Part II: sustainable whiting stocks Catching barra on fly What’s new fishing Testing Booth: Power Pole Micro Tournaments WIRF Recfishwest Trades and Services/Tide page Boat test: Stacer 539 Crossfire

8 12 16 20 23 56 57 58 59 106 112 113 127 128

COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo Fun page/Sub page

77 121

a few lean months during the COVID lockdowns.

As we go to print, Queensland seems to be reopening for tourism and business.

We get to run some fishing events that are out of state and then we will be testing boats all over the country again in 2022.

There have also been a few changes.

We are excited to welcome Dallas D’Silva to Queensland into a new role in Queensland Fisheries. We have been working with Dallas through the magazine for several years, helping to communicate the positive impacts the Victorian Fisheries Authority is having on angling opportunities. We hope he is going to have the same positive impact on fisheries management communication in Queensland. Our state is one of the few that does not have a saltwater fishing license. Let’s hope we can make the best of what funds we have to improve the fishery.

Also at the time of print, it seems like our dams are filling right across the country. La Nina has delivered what was promised, lots of rainfall. Let’s hope this drought-proofs lots of our freshwater fisheries for many years to come – from barramundi in the north, to trout in the south.

Have a feel of this issue. Each month it seems as though we are printing the biggest magazine possible. We hope you enjoy it.

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When shallow just isn’t shallow enough! skinny water.

POT HOLING AND CHANNEL BASHING As in the property market, this tactic is all about location, location, location.

There are kilometres of flats to fish in the Classic’s arena, and truth be told, there are probably flathead on all of them, however this tactic required a few simple pieces to come together.

On any given flat there will be areas where the weed clumps and is not

BRISBANE

Steven Booth

I’m lucky that I get to hang around really good anglers most of the time and this gives me the opportunity to learn new ways of doing old things and that is exciting.

Last month I got a late call up to fish the Gold Coast Flathead Classic with gun flatty anglers Troy and Darren Dixon. To say I was keen to hit the local waters I’d fished for years with such talent was an understatement.

I know Dicko (Troy) does things vastly different from how I fish my local waters for flatties and that had me excited! His brother Darren also fishes similarly to Troy and seeing two good anglers go about their work, both fishing the same areas made it even better.

8

JANUARY 2022

3/8oz (10g) jighead and whipping the rod hard. To see how Dicko and Darren shook and jiggled their lightly weighted paddletailed plastics was a real eye-opener. Sure we’d used paddle-tails plenty of times, but there is nothing quite like seeing it first hand to work out where you’re deficiencies are.

To achieve the results in amongst the weed that was often littered with snot weed, the boys fish very light jigheads. 7g was

Elephants eat peanuts. The Fat Betty coloured 3.5” Flat Shad tempted this beautiful 79cm flathead from 60cm of weedy water.

Bright colours have always been willingly chomped by flathead and the chocolate rose coloured Flat Shad was Darren’s best lure for the comp.

The fact we were fishing a competition meant little to me at the time, I was just pumped to be fishing with some really talented anglers knowing I would be doing things I’d never done before!

SHALLOW We’ve all fished shallow for flathead over the years. Angler guns, like David Green, have preached about big fish in less than a metre of water for years and the swim/ glidebait and surface luring for mega-flathead has taken shallow to a new level, often as shallow as 0.5m.

The difference with the tactics I’m going to discuss is that we were working on the elephants eat peanuts theory, where you are finesse fishing to 2-7kg fish with lightly weighted

The other advantage of clump weed is that it tends to create draining channels.

Now these channels are not like the amazing snake drains you see in tropical barra creeks, they are simply slightly deeper (often as little as 10cm) sandy runs between the weed clumps.

If the weed is particularly vibrant, and depending on wind and current, the weed can literally overhang the deeper channel creating a perfect undercut that any

paddle-tailed plastics!

Over the course of the competition, we fished in water from 30cm out to a maximum of 1.6m and landed 85 flathead in the three days. We didn’t troll a single metre as it’s challenging to troll with a 200hp outboard and 21ft bass boat, and spent the entire competition casting various soft plastic lures into skinny water filled with weed and fish!

Looking back on the statistics from our three days, more than 90% of our fish came from less than a metre of water, with the three biggest fish (and another two beasts we dropped) all hooked in less than 70cm of water. That’s getting really skinny, in fact so skinny that we were locked in over the low tide on the final day and had no choice but to catch oversized fish in ultra-

The snot weed on the leader speaks volumes about how careful you need to be fishing the shallows. If this is all over your lure, you’re not fishing! Light head weights and a meticulous approach are needed to minimise snot weed interfering with your catch rates. simply a vast weedy flat or a featureless sand flat. This clumpy weed is the areas you are looking for as it provides a range of targets to cast at from the one boat position. By definition, the clumpy weed means there will be patchy sand and mud areas, and these cleaner areas provide the perfect casting target and the perfect ambush areas for big flathead.

good trout angler would recognise as a hot spot!

In my mind I can see a flatty with its nose and eyes sitting out of the weed

the heaviest we fished all comp, but the majority of the time we fished 5g and 3g jigheads on either 3.5” Zerek Flat Shads

GEAR FOR THE JOB Lures Zerek 3.5” Flat Shad 4” McArthy Paddle Tail PML Flathead Jigheads 5g, 7g 3.5g jigheads Rods Blade N Tails 6’10” 6-12lb spin RLFBT18 Blade N Tails 6’10” 4-8lb spin RLFBT17 Reels ATC Virtuous Carbon Fibre 2000 ATC Virtuous Carbon Fibre 800 Line 6-8lb braid 10lb, 12lb, 14lb Wilson FC leader

On the last day, the ‘unskilled labour’ (the author) fished a Bone Focus 130 glidebait in the same areas with great results. As in everything, there is always more than one way to skin a cat!

clump, or buried beside the weed edge just waiting for a baitfish or crustacean to come too close. By the time the bait realises the danger, it’s way too late. If you can make your lure be that unsuspecting bait, well it’s game on!

LIGHTEN UP OLD MATE The biggest lesson for me was the entire finesse approach. I’m more familiar fishing a jerkbait-style plastic on a

or 4” McArthy paddle tail plastics.

The beauty of the lighter jighead is that the plastic doesn’t plummet into the weed or the mud. It’s not really a slow fall either, but the lighter jighead certainly allows you to manage your lure around the weed with ultimate confidence.

A typical cast would see the angler targeting a sandy patch or a channel at full casting distance and really concentrating on where

the lure was in relation to the weed. The lure is jiggled and coaxed toward the weed edge or along the channel, with the lure allowed to settle in prime positions. This is where the Zerek Flat Shad is brilliant as it sits tail up at rest because of the high

floating TPE plastic it’s constructed from.

If there’s no action, the lure would be worked over the weed edge, jiggling and shaking the lure to keep it above the weed until the lure reached the next weed edge. The lure was then allowed to drift

lure simply disappears into fish’s mouth without much fuss. With the lures being small at 3-4”, the need for the flatties to really belt the lure just wasn’t there.

Add in the fact the lure is moving relatively slowly and the fish are generally

This is where the ‘feel’ for the way you are fishing comes into it. It is also the area of most concern for me being new to the tactic. Troy and Darren had the ‘feel’ and would strike hard and into fish, whereas I would more feel

Darren’s 78cm flathead hit the lure hard in 50cm of water and ran fast across the flat. It exploded out of a weed patch with intent!

At 5g, this PML Flathead jighead is ideal for fishing in 50-100cm of water with the 3.5” Zerek Flat Shad.

to the bottom again. This process was used for the entire retrieve, meaning a cast could last for a minute or two, with the lure in harm’s way pretty much the entire retrieve!

SETTING THE HOOK One thing that stood out like the proverbial was

the need to really strike hard. With the slower and more deliberate retrieve, the flathead do not always eat the plastic like they do a quickly whipped jerk bait plastic. The classic line tick does happen, but more often the take is far more subtle as the

The McArthy 4” paddle-tail was a very reliable fish catcher in water from 50-100cm deep. Having a herring-style body was a great point of difference and the Gold Coast flathead loved them. unwilling to chase these lures down and it all equals bites that take a bit of getting use to.

a weight before striking – sometimes it was weed, sometimes it was a fish!

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9

From page 9

It took the best part of my three days fishing to start to distinguish the bites from the weed with any real confidence.

If you give this tactic a try, just strike hard at everything at first. The worst that can happen if you strike is that you hook into some weed or snot weed. The best thing that can happen is an oversized flatty comes to the net!

SPOT ON As much as the casting and retrieving is a very deliberate approach, so to is the positioning of the boat.

Troy was very particular about ensuring the boat was sitting in the right spot and to achieve this he used a mix of Spot Lock on the electric and also trimming the main motor down into the soft sand to act as a rear anchor. A Power Pole or Raptor would be a great option here if you’ve got one on the boat.

When the boat was settled, we’d fish the immediate area for about 15 minutes or so. Usually we would get some interest in the first 10 or so casts and the interest would slowly wane. After 15 minutes, we’d move the boat, sometimes as little as 10m, so we were targeting new weed clumps and new

fish. Sure enough the fish would hit in the first few casts and we’d be putting points on the scores again.

This is a very deliberate tactic and one that is

foreign to me. I am used to moving along a bank, fishing far more quickly through an area. This method saw us fish for about 6 hours straight in

The biggest fish of the comp measured 80cm and came out of less than 30cm of water.

They actually saw it moving off the flat as the tide dropped and Dicko did the rest.

less than a kilometre on the last day and the last day was easily our best scoring day for points with 16 legal fish coming over the side including an 80 and 79cm model for Troy.

It really did open up my eyes to an entirely different way to target these fish and I am hooked!

A LOT MORE TO LEARN The entire competition left me excited to learn more about this approach and to see if I could master some of the skills the Dixon boys had on display.

The skill difference was clearly evident on the final day when I fished a Bone Focus 130 glidebait while Troy and Darren continued to fish shallow with peanuts. The Dixons stuck 10 legal fish in the bag including a 69, 79 and 80cm fish while the Focus put four fish on the score sheet from 40-62cm. It was a great plan to have the two best shallow anglers doing their thing while I tried to hit the trophy fish with the big lure! And it worked an absolute treat, if only the donkey that ate the Focus had stayed hooked… if only!

This method takes some dedication, but the rewards are clear. Big fish do eat peanuts and

Two big fish in an hour for Troy on the final day of the comp nailed home the effectiveness of carefully and methodically fishing the ultra-shallow water the right way. we had 5 fish over 70 eat small plastics during the comp and get landed with another genuinely big fish hooked and lost. Add in

that even the 35cm fish eat the small plastics and you really are giving yourself a chance of catching fish all session long.

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The water safety minefield SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Over the past two years, boat, jet ski and kayak sales have soared to the point that if you are after a new vessel, you may be up for a 9-month wait to get on the water.

Many areas have seen a big increase in waterway users, not only during the weekend, but also during the week. As well as boaters, there are more PWCs, yachts, kayaks, canoes, wind surfers and stand-up paddle boarders. Due to this increase, many of us have noticed a number of watercraft users engaged in unsafe activities, because they don’t know the regulations.

Even experienced boaters can sometimes overlook certain requirements/ recommendations, especially when holidaying in a different state.

In this feature I will outline which boating licence you need and the safety equipment that is required

requirement if you’re driving any vessel for recreational purposes at 10 knots (approximately 18.5 km/h) or more, on NSW waters. From the age of

To operate a personal watercraft, you must have a recreational marine licence and a personal watercraft licence.

To get a Queensland

recreational vessel. Holders of a restricted marine licence may act as master of a recreational vessel only if: • operating during daylight hours between sunrise and sunset; • operating at speeds of less than 10 knots; and • not operating a vessel that is towing a person, another vessel or object.

You cannot get a PWC endorsement on a restricted licence. Once a restricted master turns 16 years old, the restricted marine licence automatically becomes a marine licence.

Western Australia A person driving a boat powered by an engine with more than 6hp must have a recreational skipper’s ticket.

This is the same for a PWC. The minimum age to obtain a recreational skipper’s ticket (RST) is 14 years old.

These safety bailer kits from BCF have most of the safety equipment that you will need in your craft. marine licence, you must be at least 16 years old, pass a BoatSafe course or have a recognised and valid interstate marine licence.

Victoria Anyone operating a powered recreational vessel on Victorian waters requires a marine licence.

This includes sailing boats and paddle craft fitted with a motor – though some low-powered kayaks and canoes are exempt.

Jet ski riders require a marine licence with personal watercraft (PWC) endorsement.

A restricted licence is required for 13-15 year olds who are operating a powered

This Adult Kayak Paddler PFD 50 is lightweight and compact, making it perfect for kayaking or canoeing, as well as other smooth water-based activities.

Each boat should have a piece of emergency equipment to sound a large noise to attract passers-by. when in NSW, Qld, Victoria, WA and Tasmania. I will also include information on different types of life jackets, how to maintain boat ramp etiquette, and provide couple of suggested boat set-ups.

Bear in mind that this article is a guide only; you still need to visit your state government website to check the latest regulations (links provided below).

BOATING LICENCES NSW A general boat driving licence is a minimum 12

JANUARY 2022

Remember to not have any trip hazards or open holes behind your back when fishing.

This is how accidents can easily happen.

12 you can hold an NSW boating licence.

To obtain a PWC driving licence you must hold a general boat driving licence and have successfully undertaken the PWC licence knowledge test.

Queensland You must have a marine licence to operate a boat that has an engine power greater than 4.5kW. You don’t need to carry your licence with you on the water, but you must have proof of identity with you.

Inflatable lifejackets can be self-serviced by following the manufacturer’s instructions and making sure the recharge kit matches your lifejacket.

Tasmania A motor boat licence is required to operate a vessel of 4hp or more (except for a hire and drive vessel).

To be eligible for this licence you must: • be at least 17 years old, and • have passed a BoatSafe practical tuition course.

To obtain a PWC endorsement you must also complete a PWC practical course with Surf Life Saving Tasmania.

You can apply for a provisional licence if you are aged between 12 and 17 years old and have passed a Boatsafe practical tuition course. Provisional licence conditions include: • must be accompanied by a responsible adult, • cannot operate a vessel at night, • cannot go faster than 20 knots, and • cannot tow a skier.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT NSW In NSW you have two classifications of waterways: ‘enclosed’ (including alpine waters) and ‘open waters’.

In enclosed waters you’ll need a lifejacket per person, anchor and chain, bailer or bucket with a lanyard, bilge pump for vessels with covered bilge or closed underfloor compartments, fire extinguisher for boats with electric start, electric engines, battery, gas installation or fuel stoves, paddles or oars and rowlocks for boats up to 6m long (unless they have a second means of propulsion), sound signal, air horn, whistle or bell, waterproof torch (floating and working) and a green safety label.

In open waters you’ll need what is listed above, plus: a chart (map) for area of operation (printed or digital), a fluid-filled magnetic compass, distress flares (two orange smoke and two red hand-held, not expired), drinking water (2L per person), EPIRB (406 MHz and must be registered with AMSA and not expired) if 2nm or more from the shore, and a minimum 1.8m x 1.2m V sheet.

For more information, head to www.nsw.gov.au and search for ‘safety checklists’.

Queensland In Queensland there are three waterway classifications: ‘smooth waters’, ‘partially smooth waters’, and ‘beyond partially smooth waters’.

In smooth waters, boaters must carry: firefighting equipment, a signalling device if you’re out between sunset and sunrise (e.g. torch, glow stick), and a lifejacket level 50, 100, 150, 275 or level 50 special purpose.

In partially smooth waters you must carry: flares

(two red hand-held and two orange smoke), firefighting equipment, signalling device between sunset and sunrise, V sheet, lifejacket level 100, 150, 275 or level 50.

For beyond partially smooth waters, you must carry: EPIRB or PLB, flares (two red hand-held and two orange smoke), firefighting equipment, signalling device between sunset and sunrise, V sheet, lifejacket level 100, 150, 275.

All PWC users must carry a lifejacket level 50 (there’s the option of 50 special purpose in smooth waters) and a signalling device at night. PWC users in partially smooth/beyond partially smooth waters must also bring a V sheet, flares (two red hand-held and two orange smoke), and an EPIRB/PLB. Marine Safety Qld

also recommends that boaters and jet skiers carry an anchor (with cable appropriate for the vessel’s size), drinking water, oars/ paddles (for boats under 6m) and pumping/bailing equipment for all waterways.

In partially smooth and offshore waters, MSQ also recommends bringing a chart and compass, or a handheld navigation device. You can find out more at www.msq. qld.gov.au.

Victoria In Victoria, the waterway categories are ‘coastal offshore’ (>2nm from coast), ‘coastal inshore’ (<2nm from coast), ‘enclosed’ (bays and estuaries’ and ‘inland’ (rivers, lakes and dams).

The safety gear required in Victorian waters can vary a lot, depending on whether you’re using a powerboat, PWC, yacht, or paddle craft.

Western Australia Wherever you take your boat you’ll be required to have a bilge pump (vessels <7m can carry a bailer instead), and a fire extinguisher. In protected waters that’s all you’re

If you’re 2-5nm out you’ll also need to carry an EPIRB, and if you’re more than 5nm out you’ll also have to carry two parachute flares and a marine radio.

Regulations differ for PWCs and paddle craft,

Waist belts are lightweight and comfortable to wear, and don’t compromise movement.

If you’re fishing from a trailer boat, regardless of the waterway, you need to carry a waterproof floating torch, electric or manual bilge pumping system or bailer, bucket with lanyard (can double as a bailer), oars with rowlocks or paddles (for vessels less than 4.9m), an

A throw bag can be useful when someone goes overboard.

approved fire extinguisher, and lifejackets (type 1, 2 or 3 PFDs for inland, and type-1 PFDs for everywhere else).

In coastal offshore waters, you’ll also need: anchor and chain/line, flares (two orange and two red), a lifebuoy for boats more than 8m but less than 12m, compass, marine radio, red star parachute distress rocket, and registered EPIRB. In coastal inshore and enclosed waters you’ll need: anchor and chain/ line, two orange and two red flares, and a lifebuoy for vessels greater than 8m and less than 12m.

For more information, including rules for PWCs and kayaks, head to t r a n s p o r t s a f e t y. v i c . g o v. au and search for ‘safety equipment’.

The Challenger PFD 100 Child’s Life Jacket is designed to keep your kid safe if any problems come up. legally required to bring, but on all other waters you’ll need an anchor and line, lifejacket ≥ 100, and two red and two orange flares.

and you can find out more by visiting www.transport. wa.gov.au and searching for ‘boating safety equipment’.

To page 14

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13

From page 13

Tasmania In Tasmania you have three classifications of waterways: ‘smooth waters’ (inland lakes and rivers), ‘sheltered waters’ (all waters not exceeding 2nm to seaward of land on the North and East coasts unless specified in the MAST

LIFE JACKETS Lifejackets are the most important safety equipment on any recreational vessel.

Wearing a lifejacket can save your life and it’s recommended that you wear one at all times, even if you legally don’t have to.

Vessels must carry enough approved lifejackets

to a face-up position. They are mainly used in enclosed waters, intended for people who can swim and are close to the bank/shore or have help close by. These PFDs are made in high-visibility colours to make it easier to see you in the water and increase your chance of rescue.

When you are fishing during the cooler months and you have a lot of warm clothing on, you should either wear a PFD or have one close by.

‘Limits of Operational Areas’) and ‘coastal waters’ (those beyond sheltered waters as well as waters on the South and West Coasts between South East Cape and Cape Grim).

In smooth waters you must carry an anchor, rope and chain, bailer or bilge pump, a life jacket for each person on board, fire extinguisher and oars or an auxiliary propulsion for

that could prevent lesser lifejackets from turning you to a face-up position.

How to maintain an inflatable life jacket In multiple states, inflatable lifejackets are legally required to be serviced once a year, or after self-activation, or in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. If you’re buying a new inflatable lifejacket, you need to have it serviced within a year of the date of purchase. Some manufacturers request that your lifejacket is serviced by them or an authorised agent.

Inflatable lifejackets can be self-serviced by following the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, and making sure the recharge kit matches your lifejacket.

Firstly, check over all the straps and stitching to make sure that all are intact. Secondly check the bladder for abrasions or faulty stitching. Next, check that the reflective tape is not missing, and the oral inflater and whistle are working.

Then check the cylinder is not corroded or damaged.

for everyone on board at all times, even when they don’t have to be worn, and they need to be stored somewhere that’s easy to get to.

There are a number of rules for when you must wear a lifejacket and what type. These rules depend on: • your age (there are special rules for children) • the level of risk • the type of vessel you’re in • the type of waterway you

A Standard Level 100 PFD. Whether you’re a confident swimmer or not, this life jacket is here to keep you safe if a problem comes up.

The neoprene outer layer of this PFD retains body heat well, but it can be a bit heavy and hot after a while. boats under 6m.

For sheltered waters you’ll need what’s listed above plus two orange and red flares.

For coastal waters you will also need two red, two orange and two parachute flares, plus a HF radio, heaving line, lifebuoy, EPIRB, radar reflector and a first-aid kit and water.

To keep up-to-date with equipment requirements, visit mast.tas.gov.au/ safe-boating.

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JANUARY 2022

are in, for example, enclosed waters, alpine waters, open waters or crossing coastal bars.

• what time of day you’re on the water.

Lifejackets are grouped into safety levels – level 50, 50S, 100, 150 and 275 – based on their buoyancy, performance and what they’re intended to be used for.

Level 50 lifejackets will support you in the water but won’t automatically turn you

Level 50S lifejackets are basically the same as Level 50, but come in a wider range of colours and styles.

They’re popular for activities such as wakeboarding and water skiing.

Level 100 lifejackets have higher levels of buoyancy and help turn you to a face-up position. They are intended for use when the shore is in sight, and are not intended for rough conditions.

Level 150 lifejackets are intended for offshore and rough weather and help turn you to a face-up position when unconscious.

Level 275 lifejackets provide maximum buoyancy.

They are intended for offshore and rough weather when you’re wearing clothes that could trap air – a situation

that the firing clip works.

Remove the cylinder before you check that it goes from green to red.

Before attaching the

Regular maintenance of your trailer bearings is a must, or your next trip could be interrupted by having to replace them. cylinder back into the jacket, you will need to weigh it. If it’s more than 2g under the gross weight you will need to replace it.

Once the life jacket has passed all the tests you need to indicate this on the inside of the jacket. If this is not available, create your own paper record and keep a copy of it onboard your vessel.

Maritime Safety Victoria has made a good video on lifejacket maintenance, and I recommend checking it out.

Go to YouTube and search for ‘looking after your lifejacket’.

BOAT RAMPS Over the years I have used boat ramps all over Australia.

Some are very good – they are not too steep, there is plenty of parking, they have nearby toilet facilities, cleaning tables, floating pontoons, washdown bays, garbage bins and are well looked after. On the other hand, there are plenty of ramps with none of the above, and which have just enough room for you to get your boat down to the water.

Before I travel to a new area, I like to do a bit of research on what to expect when I get to the ramp. If this is not possible, I will check it out before using it. Things I like to know include what it’s

This is what can happen when you forget to tie a rope to the front of your boat when launching it. You may have to go for a swim.

Blow up the bladder using the oral inflater and then leave for 24 hours to make sure it hasn’t gone down.

Next you need to check

to break the information down into four parts: what to do at home, arriving at the ramp, launching and retrieving.

like at low tide, how much room I have to turn around, and what the parking is like.

ETIQUETTE For this section I’m going

At home Check that the battery is fully charged, all the safety gear is onboard, the trailer is connected properly to the car, and there is enough fuel.

Try starting the engine if you haven’t been out in it for a long period of time. If you haven’t launched a boat before I would strongly suggest that you practice reversing the boat.

On a number of occasions, I have offered (in a nice way) to back someone’s boat down to the ramp for them.

Arriving at the ramp Do not, I stress DO NOT back your boat down to the ramp and then proceed to take everything you need to go into the boat. Not only does this take up time, it can infuriate other ramp users to the point where ramp rage occurs.

Instead, get yourself inline, load everything into the boat, turn on the battery switch if you have one, prime the petrol tank, take off the tie-down straps, raise the engine and take off the lock, make sure you have the keys, attach your bow rope ready and don’t forget the bungs.

Launching When it’s your turn, back the back down close to the water’s edge, remove the safety chain, push the boat off and then move it to a secure place like a pontoon, jetty or beach. Don’t leave it at the ramp or tie it up to the pontoon where it’s in the way of other ramp users.

Retrieving Before moving your vehicle, always check to ensure the trailer hasn’t been tampered with and that it is properly secured to your vehicle. Ensure the winch rope is played out sufficiently to reach the vessel winch eye, and have the winch handle close by. Don’t forget to attach the safety chain.

Move the rig away from the ramp to a safe area, ensuring you don’t impede the traffic flow. Resecure the tie-down straps and all safety equipment, raise the motor and apply the tow lock or leg support and then turn off any master switch and/or radios.

Tech Tricks

First Aid kit: Never leave home without one BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Venturing out on the water is a lot of fun for the whole family.

Whether you are simply taking a short trip to favourite swimming spot, heading further offshore with the aim of putting some seafood on the table or just doing some sport fishing, boats open up a whole new horizon of

opportunity.

However, even with the best laid plans and preparation, accidents still happen. Cuts can be received from knives, fish teeth or scutes, piercings from hooks, gaff point and fish spines. An entire array of things can go wrong in the marine environment, as there are lots of sharp things in a boat and in the water. As such, it definitely pays to have a first aid kit aboard for when things go wrong

or when you are met with discomfort due to some unforeseen factor.

Even simple things like a headache, sore throat or skin irritation can quickly spoil the day. Having some basic first aid supplies at hand can make all the difference. Whilst many first aid kits have the basics for scratches, scrapes and bumps, a fisher’s first aid kit can easily benefit from a few additions. Having some basic supplies at hand will not only improve

1 Basic cuts and scrapes are probably one of the most common occurrences aboard any craft. These can occur from fish teeth, knives, gill rakers and many obstacles on the boat. Having a few self-adhesive dressings, especially waterproof ones, will allow you to quickly seal off the exposed area.

This will minimise infections that can eventually turn into blood poisoning in some cases.

3 A compression bandage can further apply pressure to the wound area to reduce blood loss. It can be wrapped on firmly to apply pressure to a large area either side of the main wound. Additionally, a compression bandage can be used to minimise movement of a joint in case of a dislocation or sprain.

They can also be used in conjunction with a stick or rod to create a splint to secure a break in a bone and prevent any further damage. It is advisable to have a few narrower ones for fingers, toes etc. and a few wider ones for arms, legs etc.

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JANUARY 2022

your comfort if a medical instance occurs but it could actually save your life. I am definitely not a medical authority or have any proper experience in that field.

From experience I have put together a basic first aid kit to cover many of the scenarios I can envisage happening to a boatie on their daily fishing trip to either the saltwater or freshwater environs. Obviously for a long-range trip on a large

vessel you would need a lot more in your kit.

This boatie first aid kit is mainly aimed at smaller boat owners mainly doing day trips.

In addition to the items mentioned you may even want to consider a pair of latex gloves, antihistamine tablets for mild allergies, an epipen for severe allergies, a triangular sling bandage, a shock blanket and an instant cold pack. The contents of this boaties first aid kit can

alleviate mild discomfort and help with even some more severe injuries until you can get proper medical help. Please note that I have absolutely no medical training and the information in this article is just my personal opinion.

We all hope that our days on the water are trouble free but it is comforting to know that there is some relief immediately at hand if things don’t go to plan. Safe boating and fishing to you.

2 For more serious wounds, a dressing strip is the best bet. These are especially good when there is a lot of blood as they are fairly absorbent.

Some sticking plaster can be used to keep them in place and it also means they are attached firmly, which can minimise blood loss.

4 Injury to eyes can be extremely painful and very hard to ignore. It may be as simple as getting some sunscreen in your eye or you may cop some foreign matter in it. Having saline solution to flush it out of the eye can provide quick relief and avoid any long-term damage to the retina from scratching as you blink. Eye drops are also very good for reliving dry or irritated eyes caused by high UV, salt and strong winds. A simple eye irritation is enough to end the enjoyment of your day on the water so having these items is highly recommended.

Tech Tricks

7

5

This may seem like a strange one however tampons are a highly recommended part of a boaties first aid kit. They could even save your life if you were to get a deep stab wound from a knife, marlin bill or gaff point. These can be pushed into the pierced area to stem blood flow until you get some more professional help. Definitely not the usual way a medic would probably treat such a wound but if you are fishing solo, they are very easy to apply with one hand unlike many other wound dressings.

6 Your kit should also have some scissors for cutting dressings, tape and bandages, a pair of tweezers for extracting splinters and some safety pins for securing the ends of large bandages. A scalpel blade is also a handy addition that you may need in extreme cases.

Antiseptic cream should be immediately applied to cuts and grazes to minimise infection. A small tube is all you will need and there are many different types available. Cuts will get infected quickly when you are out to sea so this can be a godsend. Nicks in your hands from braided line, gill rakers, teeth and fish spines can become infected quickly. Your hands will swell within a few days, which is not fun when you’re on a longer trip. Antiseptic cream can minimise infection and discomfort and can initially neutralise any toxic matter on a wound.

9 8

Having paracetamol at hand can alleviate the headaches caused from sore necks, heat stress and other irritations that can quickly ruin your day on the water and limit your ability to concentrate on your fishing.

Stronger pain such as joint and muscle pain are best treated with ibrufen or similar medications. You will need to regularly check that these are both still in date.

11

10

Antiseptic throat lozengers are also advised to relieve a sore or dry throat that can be caused by dry air, cold air or even fuel vapours.

Whilst this discomfort is definitely not a lifethreatening event, the lozengers can allow you to still enjoy your day on the water. They may also minimise the possibility of a long term throat irritation or infection.

Itch cream can be used to relieve the irritation caused by sandfly bites, duck lice, minor allergies and other insects. Smaller children are often a lot more affected by sandflies than adults. If in the mangrove environment, it is highly advisable to put on some suitable repellent as prevention is better than a cure. I have several times been bitten by duck lice in the freshwater whilst launching the boat and my legs itched for quite some time. Many insects and other factors can cause discomfort. Whilst adults can tolerate the itching, smaller children can’t and become irritable and whingy. A bit of anti itch cream can save the day.

I highly doubt any medical professional would recommend these, however I have always carried a few already looped zippy ties in case of a serious injury. In my mind they could be used to cut off blood flow and have the benefit that they can be tightened with one hand. If you were to have a hand severed or serious cut to your leg then they might just save your life and prevent you bleeding out. A looped zippy tie can also be used to pull a hook out if you had to do it yourself. Definitely not medic recommended but they may be useful.

12 As this kit is for a boat, it is highly recommended that the storage container is waterproof. Many tackle box companies such as Versus and Plano make waterproof boxes and tackle trays which are ideal for the purpose. You may even find some at a hardware store to fit the bill. Pre-made first aid kits offer a decent start for a boatie however you will need to add several items then transfer the contents into a waterproof housing, especially for those in open craft.

JANUARY 2022

17

Waving twig-weights NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Fly fishing with tiny ‘twigweight’ fly rods is heaps of fun, whether you chase trout in the sweet water,

pursuit. But in more recent years, I’ve achieved at least as much satisfaction from downsizing everything and going after much more modest fish on lighter and lighter gear in smaller and smaller waters.

In fly fishing, the

ridiculously light zeroweight twigs up to beefy 15 or 16-weight elephant guns intended for full-blooded saltwater game fishing.

For a lot of years, it was very rare to see a fly rod lighter than a 4-weight on offer in an

Jo hooked up on her twig-weight split cane fly rod. salmon, tailor, bonito and flathead. Beyond that, 9- to 12-weight rods sold in reasonable numbers to

dominated the market.

Some twigs are as short as six feet (1.8m), while most are somewhere around the

A twig-caught wild brown trout safely in the net. or a range of smaller saltwater customers in our tidal estuaries.

Fly fishing certainly isn’t for everyone. I get that. But for those bitten deeply by the bug, it can become an abiding passion. Beyond the basics there’s always an urge to explore and experiment with something ‘new’ in fly. Some lean towards targeting big, powerful saltwater fish on fur and feathers, while others move in the opposite direction: to lighter and lighter gear and often smaller waters and more diminutive fish. Both extremes – though very different – clearly have their appeal.

I’ve chased marlin,

‘weight’ of your tackle is measured not so much by line or leader strength as by the rating of the rod and the fly line it’s best matched to, using a system established long ago by the

Australian tackle store or on-line catalogue. Five and 6-weights were long considered the standard choice for trout fishing (and 5-weights remain the world’s biggest selling fly Jo’s ‘Henry’s Fork’ is a one-off, hand-crafted split cane fly rod made by Aussie craftsman, Derek Crosdale.

A beautiful little rainbow trout taken on a ‘twig’. rods today), while 7- and 8-weights were generally favoured by those chasing bass and small to middling saltwater species like

They’re also not much good at repeatedly punching out long lengths of fly line.

But if you do most of your fishing at ranges out to about the 15 m mark and with flies tied on hooks smaller than a No. 8 or 10, they are – quite literally – heaven on a stick!

While most of these ‘twigs’ are used to target trout in our smaller streams, they can also be used to chase redfin perch, bass, carp and a range of other freshwater species, as well as the likes of mullet, bream, whiting, garfish, chopper tailor and so on in the salt.

Catching a halfway decent fish of any sort on a ‘twig-weight’ fly rod is more fun than I can explain, or than you can possibly imagine, and is

adventurous fly anglers pursuing barra, Murray cod and larger, more demanding saltwater species.

Today, a lot has changed, and many companies now offer rods in the zero to 3-weight range, with fly lines to match. These are what some fly fishers refer to as ‘twigs’. Made from graphite, composite materials, fiberglass or even old-fashioned, traditional split cane (bamboo), these featherweight wands are often shorter than the more conventional nine foot 5and 6-weights that once

Jo Starling casting her split cane ‘twig weight’ fly rod on a small trout stream in northern Tasmania.

Split cane fly rods and sweet, simple little reels make for some very rewarding fishing experiences. sailfish, tuna and heavyweight trevally on fly, and very much enjoyed that adrenalin-pumping 20

JANUARY 2022

American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers’ Association (AFTMA). On the AFTMA scale, fly rods range from

Check out the amazing markings and colouration on this little rainbow!

seven foot (2.2m) mark.

Fly fishing with these diminutive little toothpicks is an absolute blast, so long as you’re well aware of their inherent limitations.

Those limitations include an inability to deal with strong winds or large, heavy and bulky flies.

almost guaranteed to leave a smile on your dial for days afterwards! If you’re into fly fishing — or even if you only dabble with it occasionally — seriously consider getting your hands on a ‘twig’. I doubt you’ll be disappointed with the experience.

HANDS

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We’ll sort it outCONTROL later INTUITIVE BRISBANE

The Sheik of the Creek

Well here we are rolling around to another January, and if you’re lucky enough to live in the north, another jack, barra and threadfin season.

Not that I target barra, they’re just a by-catch. A

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The Tweed is back to form THE TWEED

Leon McClymont

With the water warming up, the Tweed River has been full of bait and it was in full swing.

Jacks were on the chew

Whiting have also been plentiful. I’ve heard many reports of anglers bagging out on repeated sessions, which is good to hear.

Some good size flathead are being caught, with local angler Kristen Frey catching several nice size lizards in

with a couple of nice size GTs in the river on light gear, but they could be coming to an end with all this rain we are getting.

To the offshore scene, as I’m writing this the mackerel haven’t arrived yet but could be here any day. The La Niña seems to put a damper on things with all the dirty water running out. The local systems water temperatures have been down and that

keeps the mackerel wide, which keeps us out of the water with rough seas, plenty of logs and other flood debris scattered throughout the ocean.

Beware if you’re out on the water, it might look blue out there but it still may have a random log floating around at present.

There have been the odd report of mahimahi being caught lately, but they are

The author with a nice 47cm jack that ate a strip of Tweed Bait mullet.

Kristen Frey with a couple of solid flathead. and the punters have been getting amongst it with plenty being caught in the Tweed River and surrounding areas.

the shallows on lures.

Another local angler, Jaren Broughton, has been showing his skills wrestling

Jaren Boughton with a decent sized river GT.

also a little late this season.

However, we had no luck when we went offshore the other week – the water temp was down 19ºC in close, and 20ºC at the FAD with no current and no mahimahi!

By the beginning of January, I’m hoping the rain has ceased and the water temps up and we are all enjoying a good summer on the water.

If the rain continues, the target species may differ with the mulloway moving in and out to the river entrances. They should be in larger numbers with the fresh pushing out. Mud crabs will also be pushed out the upper reaches of the river so be sure to get your pots out once the water settles a bit and score your-self a feed.

Charlton’s Pest fishing competition a total success

On December the 5th the third instalment of the Charlton’s Tackle Springfield Lakes Pest fishing competition was held.

The concept of the competition from its inception was pretty simple, through the support of developers, local council and the local community, have a competition that involves removing pest species like tilapia, carp from the Springfield Lakes waterway by anglers and replacing them by stocking native fish

Charlton’s Tackle and the team from 2 Bent Rods ensured that there were some great prizes for competitors to win and that the day ran smoothly.

Ipswich deputy mayor Nicole Jonic is a big supporter of the event. She was on hand to hand out a few prizes and to see how successful the day was.

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endemic to the area (Australian bass and Mary River cod).

Only time will tell, if this project will work.

Certainly, the first two competitions held showed that there were large numbers of the feral species present in the waterway! The third instalment however has shown that the tide is turning with large numbers of Australian bass being caught and the numbers of pest fish caught reducing in both size and quantity. I am sure the 12,000 bass released on the day by the Brisbane Valley Anglers Fish Stocking Association (BVA) will only continue this positive trend.

The waterway isn’t the only beneficiary either. Local families and community members get to fish a body

of water that is normally closed to fishing. Entries were capped at 200 and sold out very quickly – it was great to see so many families finding a piece of bank to have a fish from. It was especially great to see kids of all ages wetting a line. These same families and community members are also shown the difference between our native fish and the pest species. Also benefiting were community groups like the Springfield scouts, Goodna/Redbank girl guides, the Springfield Lakes Nature Care Group and the BVA as it provided a much needed opportunity to raise funds for their organisations.

It was also great to see representatives of all the local groups involved present to

The ultimate result. After spending the morning removing pest species from the waterway, junior anglers then released 12,000 Australian bass into the system.

Hunter Woolgar was just one of the many local kids fishing the event. He was loving being able to fish a waterway that is only 2 minutes from home.

see how successful the day was, to catch a few pest fish and then to help (with ample assistance from the many kids fishing on the day) release more Australian bass into the system at the end of the competition.

Well done to Lendlease, the Ipswich City Council, QLD Fisheries, the Brisbane Valley Anglers Fish Stocking Association, Charlton’s Tackle and to 2 Bent Rods for running the day. I am sure all involved are looking forward to the fourth instalment in 2022. - Peter Jung

TO FIND YOUR LOCAL DEALER VISIT WWW.ANGLAPRO.COM.AU JANUARY 2022

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Time to troll for gamefish GOLD COAST

David Green

January is one of the best months of the year to troll for pelagic gamefish off the Gold Coast. While black marlin are generally the main target species, mackerel, mahimahi, wahoo and tuna are all about in numbers.

This season will be a La Nina year, meaning the weather will quite probably

be wet and wild for much of the time. Despite this, the easiest and most exciting way to fish is to troll small to medium sized skirted lures. The gravel patch off Burleigh Heads, the 24 and 36 fathom line and the gravel patches to the north of the seaway should all be quite productive. Further north, the Cotton Reef and Sullies should produce plenty of fish and hold good amounts of bait.

I like to use 8-10kg

tackle when the marlin are small, between 15-30kg, and troll a spread of five lures.

If the wahoo are thick it can cost a few lures, but it is a good idea to troll a Halco Laser Pro in the long corner position when they are about.

This tends to keep their teeth away from your expensive skirts and they generally prefer to eat the minnow.

Good skirted lures to try include small Meridians, Fat Boys, and Black Snacks.

Because of their hard bony

Releasing a black marlin back into the ocean.

bills, black marlin can be notoriously hard to hook. I use Gamakatsu SL12 hooks with good success. These fine sharp hooks have excellent penetration. Sizes 8/0 to 10/0 are the right size for most small skirts. A short length of cable running to the back hook offers protection from wahoo teeth. I’ve tried quite a few new trolling hooks over the years but always seem to go back to the Gamakatsu patterns for light tackle.

If you are specifically targeting mahimahi, work the edges of current lines and pay particular attention to floating objects. Mahimahi like brightly coloured lures.

Blue, gold and yellow, lumo green and purple and pink are all very effective.

The FADs are now well established and hold plenty of mahimahi. Small live baits cast around the FADs can be deadly. They are a crazy fish to handle when you get them in the boat, but make great eating. I like to clean them quickly and get them on ice within a few minutes of capture.

Both Spanish and spotted mackerel should start to show in numbers in January around Palm

A nice catch of mackerel from Palm Beach.

Beach and Mermaid Reefs.

Trolling pilchards under a squid skirt, spinning with metal lures or anchoring up and berleying are all very

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effective. At this time of year, most of the Spanish mackerel will be between 6-10kg. Trolling small live baits from a downrigger is

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another deadly method.

Out on the wider grounds beyond the continental shelf, the blue marlin should be biting but the season has been slow so far. In January, the 200-300m line is often quite productive, and this area is only about a 25nm

run from the seaway. When targeting blue marlin this month concentrate your efforts around the schools of striped tuna that turn up in quite big schools.

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A mahimahi hits the deck. They can be hard to handle when you get them in the boat, but make great eating.

in mid-December there will be a massive move of holidaymakers to the Gold Coast. As the blue water moves in close to the coast a lot of baitfish move into the estuaries. A lot of small frogmouth pilchards school up in the Seaway and Jumpinpin entrances this month and these attract a wide range of predators.

Mulloway, generally small fish between 60-90cm, are usually in numbers in the seaway and around the mouth of Swan Bay in January. Small live baits and deeply fished soft plastics account for a lot of fish. It is often difficult to catch a legal mulloway over 75cm this month.

Whiting should be in good numbers on the flats and respond to baits such as yabbies, blood worms, beach worms and soldier crabs.

Small poppers and stick baits are also very effective. Good numbers can be caught by wading the sand flats and sight casting to schools as the fish move up onto the flats on a rising tide. Unweighted yabbies are deadly. The flats at the back of Wave Break Island are well worth a look.

Flathead fishing slows down this month but there are still opportunities on the flats at high tides, particularly on cloudy days. The big flathead still hunt the flats, and casting

There will be plenty of decent muddies around with all the wet weather. swim baits, large soft plastics and stick baits can still be effective. The small and medium fish have thinned out a lot as the water warms but it is still generally possible to get a feed by trolling or casting soft plastics in the area between Crab Island and Tippler’s Passage.

Mangrove jack will be around in good numbers this month. Casting paddletail soft plastics along the edges of floating pontoons can be quite effective, as are

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hardbodied lures like the medium Zerek Tango Shad.

Some big jacks over 60cm have already been caught this season.

With the forecast wet conditions there should be plenty of mud crabs. January is often the best month of the year to chase mud crabs.

Try to find isolated creeks and work your pots on big run in tides. Chicken frames work very well for mud crabs particularly after a fresh.

There should also be plenty

of sand crabs around in the main part of the Broadwater.

Try around Crab Island in 4-6m of water adjacent to weed beds. Calm conditions and a run in tide are generally the most productive January is a great month to fish the Gold Coast with an emphasis on chasing pelagics. Both the offshore grounds and the Broadwater should be quite productive, and hopefully we are going to have a good season for small black marlin.

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Paving the way for crustaceans JUMPINPIN

Bo Sawyer

Happy New Year everyone!

Hopefully you got out there over the holiday break and caught some cracker fish. It’s been a pretty wet summer so far, and this has

cow spleens, and I’ve vowed to never touch another cow spleen ever again!) The recent rain should really start stirring them up and the crabbing should only get better over the next few months.

The whiting are still firing, and there’s been plenty of great catches coming in from

and the SW corner of North Stradbroke Island. You will get your better quality fish out deep during the day, and I’ve caught nearly all my 40cm+ ones in 20-50cm of water at night. Live worms and yabbies on a long shank hook with a fluorocarbon leader (around a metre) will get them biting.

Great catches of flathead are still being caught. The bigger girls are no longer stacking up out deep as they have in the past couple of months. Try fishing for them

in the Pin bar on the tide changes, I’ll either tea bag vibes along the drop offs or flick plastics right up against the trees. With all this rain and dirty water they are a bit more challenging to catch further up the system but you can still do well fishing drains, weed patches or drop offs.

Try Kalinga Bank and the NE tip of Crusoe Island with plastics, vibes or pilchards when the water is really dirty.

The bedrooms, Gold Bank, Tipplers, and Eden Island are

Shaun with a very nice flatty caught along Kalinga Bank. another species. Pilchards and small metal slugs are the way to go.

That’s it from me this month everyone. Don’t forget to jump into Jacobs Well Bait

Mud crabs aren’t the only thing getting into the pots.

Andy got this great feed of sandies using fresh mullet. made water quality pretty average at best. However some great fish are still coming in and it’s paving the way for a fantastic prawn and crab season.

January’s best bite times are going to fall on the 1-4, 17-19 and the 31st. Great bite times don’t always mean great fishing, however overall I’ve found them to be pretty accurate.

This month try and line up your fishing sessions with the tide changes coinciding with dawn and dusk whenever possible.

These times/ tides have definitely been performing better.

Let’s get into the fishing.

Plenty of crabs are being caught around the Jacobs Well area. Also try Eden Island and the Logan River. As mentioned in my last report, place your pots near drains that are along mangrove edges.

I’ve always found fresh bait is way better than old stinky bait (I’ve tried everything from fresh mullet to 3-day old

at o B d e r u t Fea

all around the Jumpinpin area.

They are a good species to target mid-tide if you like fishing for other species on the low or high. It’s a great option if you want to keep the fish ticking over on a long session, with the added challenge/ benefit of chasing multiple species in a single trip.

Spots to fish are Gold Bank, Kalinga Bank, the northern and southern side of Crusoe

and Tackle for your bait and fishing gear. If you’d like your photo to be in my report please message me on either Facebook or Instagram at ‘the bobo boat’.

Benno with a 60cm flathead caught on a soft plastic.

Parks caught this cracker whiting on a live bloodworm in the Jacobs Well area.

other great spots to try, and they also regularly produce great results.

With all this rain, mulloway will be hanging out in the deeper holes and river mouths. Whole pilchards, live mullet between 6-7” or soft vibes will do the trick. Fish the lightest sinker possible and when the tide slackens adjust your sinker size to suit.

Plenty of tailor are still terrorising bait schools out in the Pin. The size hasn’t been great but I did see a school of real quality sized ones just recently while targeting

The author with a nice 60cm+ model caught off Crusoe Island.

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Good flush will keep fish moving SOUTHERN BAY

Nick Whyte

With all the rain that’s been around, our river systems are all going to have had a good flush.

This means the top of the creeks and rivers are going to be quite dirty and a lot of the fish will move towards the lower reaches to escape the fresh.

Summer whiting are in great numbers throughout the Logan River and sand banks close to the Pin bar.

Worms and soldier crabs have been the best bait. Up in the super shallow water you can target these big fish using long skinny poppers.

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This is an awesome visual technique that really gets the heart pumping and these little guys punch above their weight. It’s great to hop out of the boat and walk the bank and fish the shallow water near the top part of the tide on the last of the run in over the yabby banks.

There have been a lot of sharks down towards the mouth and some large models have been caught.

If you enjoy catching sharks now’s the time to be out there.

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

coast. Live baiting has been the most consistent technique but prawn imitations fished slow have accounted for some nice fish for the lure angler’s.

All bridges, pontoons, snag piles and rock bars will be holding fish at certain parts of the tides. Look for areas with a lot of tidal run in the

Put the effort in with your sounder and spend the time searching will help put multiple fish in the boat.

Best techniques are live baiting, or using soft vibe lures to get their attention.

My favourites are the Zerek Fish Trap in the 95mm size.

There has also been a few good mulloway getting

Sam ‘the flatty slayer’ with a nice Jumpinpin flatty.

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sounder to locate these fish is the key. You may need to be patient but you won’t find them if you don’t go looking.

Flathead are littered up on the flats at the moment.

There are plenty of pan size fish getting caught around all the Islands. The

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January is the best month for threadfin salmon. middle of the flow and then target these areas as the tide slows. Low light conditions early morning are my favourite for lure fishing and late into the hot balmy nights when live baiting.

Coomera River, Aquatic Paradise and Raby Bay canals have been giving up some good numbers of late.

Threadfin salmon have been patchy in the Brisbane River of late. The fish haven’t been schooled up in big numbers as of yet but during January is when those congregations of fish really come together.

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around the Port and the odd little whisper of barra being boated as well, so try to fish that little bit heavier leader to keep you connected to the bigger fish. A 30lb is the minimum I use when targeting threadies.

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

Tiaki Lawson with a decent mangrove jack from Raby Bay.

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flats around the back of Garden Island and the area around the Ws has been fishing well. The bigger models have been a little harder to tempt of late. If trying to target big fish in the shallows throw big baits. Big hardbody lures designed for barramundi are

Summer has plenty on offer, like this pretty Moreton Bay spangled emperor.

a great starting point. I love fishing large swimbaits for them though. Fishing these big lures slow in shallow clear waters makes for some insane visuals. Don’t be scared to try big lures as I’ve had great success on the Zerek Affinity, which measures in at 220mm long.

When fishing these types of lures, fishing slow with lots of stalls and pauses will entice the bite.

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

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Rains bring consistent catches BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

With regular rains over the last two months, the inshore fishery has been fairly consistent. Rain brings forth nutrients into the waterways and also forces prawns, crabs and other food sources further down the systems.

Moreton Bay anglers have been treated to quality fishing and crabbing in addition to numerous demersal and pelagic species. With so many returning to work soon after their annual holidays and school resuming towards the end of the month, plenty of anglers and their families will be out on the water in the coming weeks. Let’s look at a few of your options.

MACKEREL School mackerel have

been fairly prominent all year and we have even seen a few spotties caught in recent months. The spotties have been fairly limited in numbers over recent seasons however this year there has been a few schools to get both the water surface and anglers frothing.

The spotties are generally in lesser numbers than the school mackerel but they are well-orchestrated assassins.

Usually they have bait corralled tight on the surface with individual fish make slashing strikes through the tightly packed bait balls. This sees sprays of water pushed skyward, a dead giveaway that they are spotties and not school mackerel. Cast offerings to the side and well past the bait ball, beginning your retrieve just before your lure lands or immediately after. You cannot wind too fast for a mackerel to catch your lure. If they follow

but don’t strike then you aren’t winding fast enough. Chromed slugs and slices between 30-60gm can be used, as well as numerous others. The chromed slugs get the bites, are very aerodynamic and cast a good distance, plus they hold into the water well at high speeds. Additionally, they are very cost effective. However, there are numerous other lures that will tempt spotted mackerel including stickbaits, jighead rigged jerkshads, baitfish profiled flies, minnow lures, vibes and blades.

School mackerel will also respond to the same offerings.

Many are located and caught by trolling when they are not actively surface feeding.

Trolling can allow you to cover a sizable area of water in your search.

Deep diving minnow lures and spoons trolled behind paravanes are the two

Estuary cod are one of the more under-rated species despite the fact that they can fight well and are exceptionally tasty. Another victim of the Samaki Thumpertail, this Mud Island gold spot was invited home for dinner.

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most popular and productive approaches. Working these offerings along the edges of prominent banks on the falling tide will often reward. The school mackerel can move around a lot therefore trolling is a good way to search for them.

Usually at this time of the year there are a lot of school mackerel around the various shipping channel beacons.

The Measured Mile and all beacons east and north of here are worth a try. The common approach is to cast a chrome slice or slug adjacent the beacon and allow it to sink all the way to the bottom. Engage the reel retrieve back to the boat as fast as you can, taking care not to smash the lure into the rod tip at the end of the retrieve.

Vertical spinning is best attempted with rear weighted metal lures as these will plummet straight down and not flutter. This reduces the likelihood of getting bitten off when a mackerel engulfs the fluttering lure. Some try using a short length of wire in front of their lure but this will greatly reduce and at times totally halt the strike rate.

The next month or two should still see spotted mackerel caught within the bay and you will be able to score school mackerel most of the year with the correct approach. How prevalent each will be, will vary but I am hoping we see a lot more spotted mackerel in the bay than we did last year.

THREADFIN SALMON With the numerous storms and other serious downpours over the last few months, threadfin activity has increased greatly due to the prevalence of prawns throughout the major river systems. The Brisbane River has been producing a lot of threadfin, especially in the lower reaches from the Gateway Bridge to the tripod beacons at the mouth.

At times they have been schooling in good numbers around the swing zone, out from the new International Cruise Terminal, near the Oil Pipeline and the dredge holes out from the retaining wall at the mouth. The fronts of the major jetties and wharves are always worth a side scan as baitfish often hold in these zones resulting in threadfin, mulloway, snapper, cod, flathead and others lurking.

Sometimes large schools of threadfin are located with the sounder yet all lures get ignored. A live banana prawn, herring or mullet dropped to the bottom will work when other offerings are fruitless.

Anchoring along the drop-offs into the main riverbed and deploying such baits can be a productive and relaxing way to spend an early morning, night or late afternoon session.

Use a minimum of lead so

With good early summer rains, it promises to be another bumper prawn season. Drew with a double limit of large Moreton Bay banana prawns that he and a mate scored last season. your baits are just kept close to the bottom.

Threadfin can often be caught around lighted areas at night with most opting to use lures to tempt a few bites. Many of these spots can be worked from a landbased location around the city reaches, South Bank and Dockside areas. Plenty of quality by-catch will also be taken whilst chasing threadies.

PRAWNS Prawning should be good throughout January, especially in the Caboolture and Pine rivers. Most of the deeper holes should produce, especially around the change of the tide when the prawns lift and move. Usually if the prawns are on the chew you will see multiple boats in an area all casting nets. Ideally a 12ft top pocket only net is the best option however a 10ft one is still very handy if the 12ft is too heavy for you.

There are several different ways to throw a cast net and I employ the American shrimpers method which is easy and low impact on the body. I have been using a Pro Throw 12ft top pocket net for several seasons now and it is excellent. The mesh is quite a bit stronger than most others and it is a nice net to cast. You can use a conventional net for prawning however you will spend a lot of time removing shell grit, sticks, mud clumps and other debris out of the bottom pockets.

The Kedron Brook Floodway, Tingalpa Creek, Brisbane River, Logan River and most other systems are worth a look at this time of the year if prawns are on your agenda. A nice feed of prawns and few beverages is a great way to spend Australia Day. CRABS The rains have also stirred up the crabs over the last few months, especially the

muddies. Lowering salinity forces them from high up in the river systems or deep in the mangrove expanse and out into the main system where they are easier to catch. Safety pots baited with mullet, fish frames and heads, chicken carcasses or even a mesh bag filled with pilchards or fish offcuts, will work a treat. Pot placement can make a big different to the number of crabs caught. On the higher stages of the tide, pots are best set in the mouths of small creeks and drains leading from the mangrove expanse. As the water lowers, the crabs will move down these channels and encounter your baited pots. Deep holes and submerged ledges are also great places to deploy pots in the creeks, rivers and estuaries.

Out in Moreton Bay, sand and blueswimmer crabs will also be on offer for those setting safety pots in the channels, along ledges and the fringes of the bay islands.

The best depths for them can vary. If you take note of the depths and areas where the commercial sector are setting their pots then this will give you a good idea where to set yours.

However, I would advise against setting them in the same area – go and find a similar area well away from the commercial apparatus.

Alternatively, set pots in different depths and check every hour or so. Continually shift unproductive pots until you get results. Remember that there are rules relating to the type of pot that is legal, the labelling of it and the types and sizes of floats that can be used. You will be able to find all the information you require to be legal plus the size and bag limits for the different crab species on the Qld Fisheries website.

SHARKS Plenty of anglers like to

OLD

get out and catch a shark or two, either for fun or food.

Many like a good fillet of shark and to be honest, it is better to eat it than basa and other cheap imported fish that comes from highly polluted areas. If filleted soon after dispatch, ‘flake’ is pretty good chewing.

In the Brisbane River, sharks can be caught right along the length from the mouth to Mount Crosby. Areas with less boat traffic above the city reaches will generally produce best, although after decent rains the action may slow.

Deploying any form of bait will put you in with a chance, however a live bait will heighten your chances considerably. Mullet, herring, catfish, pike, biddies and several others are ideal. These will also work when dead with the addition of fillet baits and eel. The vibrations emitted from a struggling live bait will attract sharks from some distance away.

Catfish are regular prey for sharks in the river so it makes sense to use these for bait. They can be caught using a small piece of fish flesh and then fished right on the bottom or suspended beneath a float. A snelled hook rig with one hook just behind the dorsal spine and a second near the tail will work well. The shark will generally sever the

tail of the catfish and leave the hard head and all three spines. When suspended beneath a float, a catfish will struggle a lot as it is a bottom dweller. This will increase your chances of attracting a Brissie River shark, which is most often a bull shark or spinner shark, both of which are whaler species.

Moreton Bay holds a wide variety of shark species.

Drifting along with a bait aft can produce almost anywhere, however I recommend the spoil grounds and outskirts of Mud Island. Adding a

berley slick using tuna oil or mashed fish frames will greatly increase your chances.

Have one bait about 3-5m under a float and about 50m behind the boat and another unweighted bait about 20m aft. Early mornings, nights and late afternoons are the best times.

BAY DEMERSALS Snapper, tuskfish, sweetlip, morwong, cod, mulloway and many other species will be caught over the coming months. Usual spots around the bay islands, artificial reefs and wrecks

are worth trying. If tuskfish are high on your hit list then use crabs for bait (legal sizes must be adhered to). Fish these baits around the artificial reefs, areas of coffee rock and submerged wrecks. You will need at least 50lb line to secure any of the better specimens.

Snapper and few mulloway are likely around any of the artificial reefs throughout the bay, these can be caught on quality fresh and live baits plus lures such as vibes jighead rigged plastics and micro jigs. The fringes of the bay islands where reef and

When the first pot comes up with several legal crabs, you know you are in for a succulent feast.

rubble peters out and the sand/ mud bottom begins are great spots to try for grass sweetlip with fillet baits, squid strips and small whole fish such as whitebait and hardiheads.

Cod can be caught randomly anywhere there is structure, such as the artificial reefs and bay island surrounds, however specific targeting by working lures at the rock walls such as at the mouth of the Brisbane River, harbours, canals and on the eastern and southern sides of mud island will greatly improve results.

Lures that are hopped or rattled across the rocks are most likely to get attention.

These can include vibes, jighead rigged plastics, Cranka Crabs and diving minnow lures. When the strike comes, you will need a good degree of drag pressure and a bit of luck to avoid the cod burying back amongst the rocks. Estuary cod, both gold-spot and black spot can be a lot of fun and are great eating.

TUNA Both longtail tuna and mac tuna will be around throughout Moreton Bay in the coming months. Longtails can be located almost anywhere and will often be seen feeding along the edges of any mackerel schools. Schools can range from a handful of fish to over fifty with sizes ranging from 5-25kg. Chromed slugs, pencil poppers, jighead rigged

Southern

jerkshads, stickbaits, casting minnows, baitfish profiled flies and many other offerings can work, some days you just need to continually try different styles and profiles until you meet with success, if at all.

Sharks are a worsening problem when trying to fight larger fish – sometimes it is nearly impossible to get a fish to the boat. Mac tuna can be equally as fussy but will mainly take smaller profiles to around 80mm in size. Whilst not a good table fish, they can provide a lot of fun and the fillets can make exceptional bait when used fresh or salted and frozen for later use.

CONCLUSION Hopefully by now you will be keen to get out on the water to sample some of the varied fishing, prawning and crabbing opportunities that Moreton Bay and the feeding waterways have on offer for you throughout January.

There is opportunity to score a real seafood smorgasbord on any given day.

With the hot sun beating down, a little slip, slop, slap and slurp will be required and a stop off for a swim at some stage may be desired.

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Southern

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Key summer species are active NORTHERN BAY

Tackle World Lawnton

Happy New Year to all our readers! We hope you’ve had a relaxing break over the festive season and are recharged for what will hopefully be a year of getting back to normality.

RIVERS This is an exiting time of year for our estuary fishos with a lot of our key summer species reaching full activity. January is the perfect time to target the

jack from its lair. Don’t forget to hold on, as these fish love hitting on their way back to structure making for a very quick and exhilarating strike.

If you’re an old school bait fisher don’t feel like you’re are missing out as there are still some excellent opportunities for you to target jacks. A well presented flesh bait or a live bait are two very effective options. Once again, fishing close to structure, with some key haunts being rock walls, bridges and rock bars.

It’s not just the summer

an assist hook to imitate a prawns antennas. It makes a big difference with enticing unconvinced fish!

Whiting as we all know can’t resist a well-presented bait! Try to match your bait to the natural source in the area you are fishing but you usually can’t go wrong with a bloodworm or beach worm on a longshank hook. Squid strips are also a popular bait choice with fresh yabbies likely being the pick of the bunch in our local estuary.

You may all be sick of

the eastern side of Bribie. We should also start to see spotties showing up in the same areas. Keep hopping between the markers looking for bait and signs of mackerel on the sounder. If you don’t see much life, keep moving. Metal lures, like the old faithful Silver Halco Twisty in the 20-40g sizes, are a fantastic match the hatch lure option and often entice a bite. Sink your lure to the bottom beside the marker, burn it up as fast as you can, rinse and repeat.

DAMS If there was a time to target the elusive saratoga in our dams, it would be now! A lot like jacks, these acrobatic fish love hot humid days with overcast afternoons and a touch of rain. Kurwongbah and Lake Samsonvale are both stocked with an abundance of toga but if you’re after that explosive surface bite these fish are known for, then it’s hard to look past Kurwongbah.

The abundance of lily pads and weeded areas provide

Prawns are on the menu in January. the perfect hunting ground for these fish. Fishing early morning and late afternoon are going to provide a higher chance of a strike.

Lures like the Lucky

Saratoga will be a great target at this time of year in the dams. forever sought-after mangrove jack, with hot humid days and the usual afternoon storms making for some fantastic bite windows. The key with these red devils is to target structure – if you’re not snagging, you’re not bragging!

For lure fishos, you can’t go wrong with a well presented 4-5” paddle-tail plastic rolled along rock walls or man artificial structure. Suspending jerk baits, like the Lucky Craft Pointer, are another fantastic lure style, as they can be twitched and suspended right in the strike zone to entice a

34

JANUARY 2022

of jack, summer whiting have been chewing well over Christmas and will continue to through this month with some fantastic numbers and sizes being caught. The yabby and weed flats through the Bribie Passage are always a safe bet for a good feed of whiting along with the flats through Beachmere and the mouth of the Pine.

Small surface walkers and poppers are a very effective and visual way to target whiting, with a few key tips. Don’t stop/ pause the lure, and consider swapping the back treble to

eating prawns after the Christmas break but if you’re not, now is the time to dust the cast net off and get into them. The deeper holes in our local rivers and creeks are your best bet at a good feed of prawns with now generally being the time you start to find the bigger models. Find the crowd of boats, find the prawns!

BAY School mackerel had a slow start but there are better numbers now being caught on the shipping channel markers throughout the bay and up

Josh Spence with a couple of nice jacks.

Craft Sammy 65 or Chasebaits Flick Prawn worked slowly with many pauses around the lilies are deadly presentations!

Alternatively, once that sun comes up try lures along the lines of a spinnerbait or chatterbait over the weeds for those fish less inclined to eat off the top. Be sure to treat these beautiful fish with care, as they are mouthbreeders and don’t respond well to lip grips or being held up by the jaw.

The beauty of chasing toga is the bass won’t be far behind as a by-catch, as they also frequent the same areas in low light periods.

• For more up to date information on fishing in and around Brisbane call into the guys at Tackle World Lawnton and they can point you in the right direction. The friendly staff at Tackle World Lawnton cater to all levels of experience and offer the widest range of brands at the best prices. They are located at 640 Gympie Road Lawnton (07) 3205 7475 or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Jacks are firing in the rivers!

NOOSA

Peter Wells

The top reaches of the Maroochy River has been the place to be if you are chasing jacks. Fishing upriver from Coolum Creek has been the most productive with the low light periods also helping.

For bait anglers, live bait has been your best bet but if you have none of those then mullet strips or bonito strips lightly weighted.

In the Noosa area, the back of the Noosa Sound and Noosa Waters have been producing some monster jack with fish over 50cm not uncommon. Most fish are taken around the bridges on plastics and lures that contain red colour. We have the Berkley Pro-Tech Twitcher’s in the 60mm size in stock at the moment with the candy apple the perfect colour. For the plastics angler, the red shad and calico candy in the ZMans are also very good.

Mulloway have been responding well to soft vibe lures, like the Samaki Thumper Tails slowly worked across the bottom.

The deeper holes are usually where you will find them so

areas like the code hole in the Maroochy or the deeper sections of the Noosa around the ferry have been popular.

Trolling deep diving hardbody lures close to the bottom along Bli Bli Islands in the Maroochy can pay off with some thumper flathead reported. Pinks, reds, and others vibrant colours are on their menu. In Noosa, the area just up from the Tewantin boat ramp has been a prime

area. Soft plastics come into their own here with some anglers reporting big females over the 80cm mark. Best tip is to fish the run-out tide and cast upstream and work the lure back with the tide.

The same principles are applicable for bait anglers, small fish baits are ideal with baby blue pilchards, hardiheads and white bait on small, ganged hooks all working well.

Levi picked up this billfish while fishing the bottom with a 5” plastic off Noosa.

Around the river mouths it has been good for whiting, queenfish, tailor and trevally.

If it is whiting you are after, worms, live yabbies and the trusty soldier crab have been ideal baits. A good tip when fishing these shallow areas for whiting is to use a berley. There are plenty of pre-made berley on offer and dropping a handful or two into the wash can really help to bring the fish on. Plenty of large bait schools have been around the mouths and this in turn brings in those predatory fish within casting distance.

Queenfish, trevally and tailor will all be attracted to these schools and work themselves into a feeding frenzy making it easy to target them with slugs and smaller stick baits.

Mud crabs are still moving around through the system with good bucks up Petrie and Eudlo creeks in the Maroochy system. In Noosa, setting your pots up between the lakes and around mangroves has seen some nice bucks. Quality baits of mullet and a tide change has been the key to potting some nice crabs. A good tip is to soak your mullet in tuna oil, this will increase the scent trail giving you better results.

On the beaches, dart have been in plague proportions along the majority of gutters from Noosa Northshore beaches all the way down to Marcoola. Whiting have also been in good numbers with the best bite coming from the start of the run-out tide. Red tubing is great for beach fishing as it makes the piece of worm look longer than what it is. The hot spot has been Peregian and Markus beaches with the average size being caught between 28-32cm. Best bait for these tasty morsels has been beach worms, pipis and

Craig got this very nice 8.5kg trout from the Caloundra 12 mile on a live bait. peeled prawns.

For night anglers, the new moon has been the time to target mulloway. These big predatory fish will come into those closer on those darker nights in search of mullet, whiting and tailor to feed on, they also like to feed on worms and squid. The key is no light on these nights so make sure your head lamp or torch does not flash across the water or you will spook the fish. The key to catching mulloway is to wait until the fish picks up the bait and starts to run, these fish will tend to mouth the baits and an over exuberant angler will often pull the bait free when striking too quickly.

The reefs off Double Island had plenty to offer for those in bigger craft able to cope with the conditions if the wind picks up. There were plenty of options for anglers to target. From the

Dean landed this mulloway from the upper reaches of the Maroochy River on live bait.

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JANUARY 2022

bottom, snapper, sweetlip, mulloway, red emperor, scarlet sea perch, tusk fish, and gold spot cod were all landed. There was still plenty of run but anglers were able to get to the bottom. On the pelagics side of things, wahoo and mahimahi accompanied plenty of mackerel and tuna onto the decks.

Noosa’s Bar has been pretty good over the last month with minimal swell with the breezes picking up in the afternoons. Sunshine was a hotspot with lots of quality Spanish mackerel landed. Cobia were also amongst the catch with most anglers having a floating bait out the back. Off the bottom the trout were also on the chew with some good-sized fish landed.

Mackerel and tuna numbers have been good over most reefs with plenty of Spanish and longtail on offer. This is the time of the year that the bait that they are feeding on gets that bit bigger making it a lot easier to match the hatch. Hardiheads and frogged-mouthed pilchards are more prevalent at this time of the year so slugs up to 60g can be used. When targeting pelagic feeding on a bait school I tend to use a jig rather that a slug. I like to cast to the edges of the school, letting the jig sink through the school, the action of the jig tends to look more like a dying baitfish and an easy meal for a hungry tuna or mackerel, also these bigger fish tend to hold deeper picking off these easy meals.

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39

Central

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Getting a ‘head’ of the game BUNDABERG

Luke Truant

The secret to success over the past month has been hussar heads – they’re a superb bait if you’re after big bottom

species. Ever since the livies moved on, hussar heads have accounted for around 75% of our good fish. If we hadn’t used that bait, we would have had a tough month – at least when it comes to catching big fish.

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I have slightly modified the way I present hussar heads. I first take a fillet off each side, cut the wings out, then cut the backbone off about an inch behind the head, and put the hook from the bottom jaw up through the top lip so the mouth is pinned shut and the entire hook is exposed.

On a tough bait like this, it’s imperative to have the entire hook exposed.

Interestingly, the fish don’t need to be large to eat the heads, that’s how greedy they are! When you bring up your catch, some of the time you’ll find that the hook hasn’t even penetrated the fish’s mouth; it’s just the hussar head wedged squarely in their throat that has been the greedy fish’s undoing.

When you drop the head down, you’ll soon know whether the fish are interested or not. If you don’t get a hit within 30 seconds, pull up the head and put on a different

head so quickly that the shark doesn’t have a chance.

Good backup baits are wings or fillets. The problem with wings is that undersize hussar and other pickers will pick at them. If they try nibbling at the heads, however, that’s actually a good thing because will create a little berley without demolishing the bait.

We catch hussar on same size hooks, 7/0-8/0, and the bait to use is pretty much anything and you can catch them just about anywhere over the reef. We only catch the really big hussar (45cm+) on scattered deeper reefs, around 35-40m. Smaller ones are in more often in the shallows.

Lately we have been catching sizable red emperor, coral trout, spangled and grassy emperor (sweetlip), Maori cod, and more. Spangled emperor aren’t great eating when fried, but they are the best fish in the ocean for ceviche. Hop on the internet and look up some

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Out of several hundred drops, I’ve never had a shark take a hussar head straight away.

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PRAWNS AND CRABS At the time of writing, the river is pumping huge amounts of freshwater out into the ocean. Once it stops pouring out, it will lead to amazing prawning along the coast. All you need to catch these big banana prawns is a cast net, and if you’re not sure where to go, just keep an eye out for other boats. A little tip – don’t get so close that your boat touches other boats while they’re casting! I once saw a numpty get so close to a stranger’s boat that his dog decided to hop in the boat and

This grassy emperor couldn’t resist a well-presented hussar head. start nosing around.

The best time to go prawning is at high or low tide on the neap tides (after the fresh stops flowing). You’ll rarely catch them in good numbers on a spring tide.

Crabbing is going off at the moment, you just need to get your pots into the back eddy area where the fresh isn’t flowing. The good crabbing should continue in the coming weeks.

FISHING IN JANUARY The fish will hopefully have spawned by the time you read this, because at the time of writing they are full of roe/milt, and aren’t biting as enthusiastically as they otherwise would. After spawning, the fish typically start feeding voraciously, presumably because they want to put on condition after the rigours of reproducing.

The fishing action out from Bundaberg traditionally ramps up from Christmas onwards, and I believe it’s because of the late spawning in this part of the world.

The Spanish mackerel are out in force, which is awesome, and they are picking up hardbodies readily. Before I start bottom fishing, I like to stop and get 5-6 Spanish in half an hour before setting off to my bottom marks. I’ve been catching the Spanish trolling over rubble patches in 30m+ of water. They have been taking a wide range of lures, from

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Spanish mackerel are taking a range of lures and baits.

shallow diving Laser Pros and X-Raps to old school bibless minnows, in any colour.

In January there will be thousands of smaller Spanish around. However, there will be larger specimens in the mix, so don’t get discouraged if you’re catching numbers of undersize fish – just persist and you should pick up a 10kg+ specimen. To maximise your chance of attracting a bigger Spanish, you should run bigger lures (e.g. Laser Pro 190) or bigger baits. I use 69lb wire, because you’ll lose too many fish with mono leader.

January is also a really good month for trout and red emperor. You should put down big baits on your first drop so you can attract a bigger class of fish up before the sharks come. Even catching just 2-3 fish will be long enough to get the sharks up. As soon as you lose one fish to a shark, move at least half a mile to a new spot, and repeat.

The heat is fierce at this time of year, so wear a good broad-brimmed/legionnaire hat, a sun shirt, and bring lots of water. Having a hard-top or soft-top on your boat is strongly recommended too – just make sure the posts aren’t too close to the gunwales, or they’ll impede your fishing.

Catch you next month.

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Success dependant on the rain MACKAY

Cameron Christian

I would like to wish all readers of Fishing Monthly a happy New Year and a fishfilled 2022! I am a Mackay local and a keen angler and member of MAFSA since my early teens. I want to thank Keith Day for his reports on

They are great fun to catch, as usually the first sign of one is a blistering run and singing reel drag. By-catch while fishing the flats often includes golden trevally and queenfish, which are also a ton of fun to catch.

On really hot, humid days, anglers will be working the rock bars and the gnarliest areas of mangroves for jacks.

The jacks will come out for

close inshore. Out further, trout, red throat, red emperor and nannygai are on the cards, and well offshore Spanish mackerel are always a chance.

To quote Keith Day, “Mackay always has plenty of fishing opportunities for anglers”. One such opportunity is the wealth of dams ripe for awesome tournament events.

Tournaments provide a fast-

mid-December. All teams must have current MTA membership and a portion of the entry fee is donated to MAFSA to assist with their stocking programs.

Winners of round 1 at Kinchant late September, Team Living the Life (brothers 13yo Darcy and 11yo Isaac McFarlane) boated five for a 292cm, three barra bag, including the 105cm largest barra of the round caught by Isaac.

Runners up, Team Bit Hard (Chris Ballard and Mitch James) had a 102cm fish in their bag of 290cm.

Close behind in 3rd was Team Zerek (father and son, Bill and Liam Robinson) with four for a bag of 287cm, including a 103cm fish.

The results identified three distinct bite periods, 7:30pm, 9:30pm and midnight, with 49 barra

Summer is jack time and Peter Friis loves to tangle with them among the snags on either live baits or lures.

Anglers are waiting for the rain and prawn runs in January, so salty barra like this beauty will be around in good numbers when the season opens next month.

Mackay for about 25 years, which he has handed over to me to continue to provide reliable up to date info on fishing around Mackay.

January fishing

live baits, but a sure fire way to get them is to drift a large live prawn down onto a rocky spot or into a snag. Lure fishers can score with either plastics, rigged weedless, or hardbodies

Dwyght Ryan with the 124cm monster from the Teemburra round. opportunities will depend on rainfall as always during the wet season. If we get a deluge, this will mean a big prawn run, which will be great for the start of the barra season on 1 February. Heavy rain will also see the muddies flushed out of the upstream areas, and they will be found down towards the front of the creeks and estuaries.

The bigger tides (6m or over) will be the time to chase grunter despite the run, which they don’t seem to mind.

Grunter can usually be found around gravel areas, but on really big tides they will forage right on top of the mudflats.

Using prawns, yabbies and strip baits will all score fish.

42

JANUARY 2022

cast into the snaggy areas.

Mackay creeks have plenty of jacks, but you must fish hard into the cover for them.

Other mangrove creek species worth chasing in January include pikey bream, estuary cod, juvenile trevally, and fingermark.

Over the sandy areas, whiting and flathead are easily caught year round with fresh baits like yabbies. If there is heaps of flooding rain however, both of them will be off the menu. Visitors can get the latest information from the guys at Tackleworld.

Offshore fishing again will depend on the weather, but January usually sees the end of the mackerel and tuna

tracked route for beginner impoundment anglers to learn the techniques of our dams.

MAFSA has done two releases of barra in Teemburra Dam this summer totalling 10,600 fingerlings up to about 150mm. During January, at least 10,000 barra will be released in Kinchant dam, and 40,000 sooty grunter are ordered for Eungella Dam. So the freshwater scene is looking good for 2022 and the future.

Evidence of this are the results from Mackay Tournament Anglers (MTA) King of the Dams Team Championship, a series of barra comps in Kinchant, Teemburra and Faust dams with the top five qualifiers from each round and five wildcard teams competing in the Grand Finale at Faust

Mud crabs like this good haul are always a welcome catch in the boat and in the pan. landed in total, noting that the low tide was at about 7:30pm and high tide at 1am.

Many Anglers focused on weedy points, coves and laneways while some also took to the fish attracting structures introduced by MAFSA. Successful teams used a variety of lures, including Jackall Squirell, glide baits and soft vibes.

Soft vibes, such as Zerek

Fish Traps, were popped out of weeds in the shallower section of water toward the bank, worked along the tapered weed bank until finding the weed edge, letting the lure sink down its face and then bounced along the bottom of the open water.

Round two at Teemburra mid-October saw 16 teams compete with 47 barra boated.

With warming conditions

Isaac Mcfarlane with the biggest barra of the Kinchant round.

leading up to the comp, anglers predicted big barra in big numbers. Catches were slow initially but accelerated on the build up to the top of the tide before slowing again after a wind change later in the night.

Winners, Team Scale Raisers (Aaron Williams and Dwyght Ryan) took the event with three boated for a 332cm total and the largest at 124cm. Pond Pounders (Jason and Trevor Crofts) took second place with six barra and a bag of 308cm, with their largest at 110cm.

The Barra Whisperers (veteran Phil Lyons and Andrew Murley) boated five fish for a bag of 295cm including a best of 111cm.

Top placing teams fished prominent points around the main basins of the dam.

Successful techniques, included slow rolling swimbaits, such as Molix 140s and slick rigs along the bottom, working weed banks using soft vibes in the same style used at the Kinchant round and being able to readily change lures.

The final qualifying round at Faust Dam in mid-November saw 19 teams nominate for the event and only 11 boating fish with the largest, a 106cm model, caught by Colby Dobe from Team Wingnit.

Winners Peter Laine and Ben Williams of Team TBC scored a bag of 285cm with their biggest, a neat dollar.

Runners up Team Anita Barra, included a 97cm fish in their bag of 277cm.

Finally, third placed Team Knows Beers had a total of 267cm including their largest at 102cm.

The Grand Finale will be held at Faust mid-December, results will be analysed in a February issue for an update on how anglers are smashing our local dams.

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Bright start to New Year WHITSUNDAYS

Mick Underwood

Happy New Year everyone.

I hope you all got lots of nice goodies for Christmas and you are enjoying the festive season.

they taste pretty good.

Still on the inshore grounds and there has been some large shoals of bait fish, mostly smaller whitebait congregating right in on the beaches the last couple of weeks. This has attracted lots of spotty mackerel, queenfish

a few people coming home from a big trip way out wide with very few fish onboard and their tails between their legs.

It goes to show that even in angling paradise the fish don’t always play the game.

Let’s get into January now and the beginning of

We’re right on the tail end of tuna season now but if we get some flat days there should still be a few around.

This nice cod fell victim to a chunky sweetlip rigged live and sent down to the bottom with a 10/0 hook through its back.

It’s been another sensational month on the water in the Whitsundays, the sun shining, flat seas and plenty of fish biting. It sure is nice when things align. Just after the last full moon period was particularly good, especially here around Hydeaway Bay and the general northern Whitsunday region.

Up in the estuaries those who have been able to endure the heat and the bugs have been rewarded with some nice catches of mangrove jack. A few mud crabs are getting caught again too. I wouldn’t say that they are leaping into pots as yet but it is nice to see that there are some getting around.

Out around the islands I wouldn’t rate the fishing at the scintillating level but it hasn’t been too far off it.

Coral trout have been eating whatever has been thrown at them, everywhere from right up on the reef flats in a metre of water out wider to some of the lumps and bumps in 30m of water. Mixed in with the trout are quite a few sweetlip, which have been coming to hand as well. They are not exactly the biggest fish that we have available to us but damn

and giant trevally to get into the shallows to be able to enjoy the available feast. Normally you would think that the fishing around activity like this would be easy but it isn’t the case at the moment. There is just so much bait around that the hardest part is trying to sift through all the bait shoals to find which ones have any predatory activity on them.

Out a little wider around the outer edges of the islands on the deeper reef and rubble patches the angling activity is on the rise with species such as fingermark beginning to become more prevalent. This is nice to see as a lot of this country for reasons unknown to me was unusually quiet during the cooler months.

Out between the islands and the out reef on the shoally country the fishing has been fairly consistent. Anglers have been enjoying bringing home some good bags of large mouth nannygai and, as a bonus, some nice red emperor are coming aboard as well.

Out at the outer reef, as always it is all about coral trout and red throat emperor.

There have been some nice catches coming home from out there but I have also seen

Get up in the shallows this month and indulge in some sight fishing. Fish, such as giant herring, will be just one of many species on offer.

44

JANUARY 2022

another year. I’ll start up in the estuaries. The wet season has begun in full swing early this summer and it’s up in the creeks where we should

in and wreck the show for the afternoons. This style of fishing is not everyone’s cup of tea but a lot of people who I see turn their nose at sight fishing simply haven’t tried it before. I admit that sight fishing is not about filling the kill bin up. It’s all about the hunt, locating your prey and then stalking it to move in for the kill. If you haven’t tried this style of fishing before why not have a go, it is very addictive.

fish shallow for your trout this month.

Out around the outer islands in the deeper water as I have previously mentioned the piscatorial activity is on the rise. The bite patterns out in these deeper areas are so fickle and hard to predict but January is typically a good month to get into the depths during the day with a few jigs or fresh strip baits. If fishing this country at night time then nothing beats a live squid, especially for elusive species such as fingermark.

The pelagic activity during January can be a tough deal but you never know, we’ll just have to wait and see what bait activity is around. If there is decent bait activity about, then there will be some toothy speedsters lurking somewhere.

If there is going to be any decent pelagic activity this month I quite often find that it is grey mackerel that are the most predominant species available to us. As always with the pelagics, find the bait first and the fish won’t be too far away.

One thing I have noticed here when fishing for grey

swim straight up to the boat and ask to get in. Because of this they are a prime species to bust out some super light gear and enjoy a bit of light tackle fun with. Also as the old saying goes ‘go light to get the bite’. These are one fish that I find to be very leader shy so keep your leaders down to 40lb or less and leave the wire at home. You may dust up a lure or two but it is just what you have to do to get regular bites from these fish.

There we go, that’s all I have room for here this month.

I wish you all the best for the coming weeks, enjoy the holiday season and make sure that you get as much quality time on the water as you can.

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Golden trevally aren’t the most common fish to be found here in the summer but there are no complaints when one does show up. This one is being held up by Bryan Roberts. see the biggest and earliest effects from the monsoon. The mud crab population should be stirred up and on the move around the show and if we’re lucky the prawns might make an appearance as well. January is sometimes a little early for the prawns but you never know, with the early rains there might be some early prawns too.

Barramundi are still obviously off limits but mangrove jack, that’s a different story. They should be biting at close to their best for the year and here in the northern Whitsundays we are not short of prime turf to go chase them on.

January is prime time to get into a bit of sight fishing, especially in the mornings before the nor-easters come

Out on the fringing reefs around the islands now and it is going to be the ever popular coral trout that anglers will be ripping over the gunnels this month. This is prime time for those of us with smaller tinnies and kayaks, etc to get out and enjoy some productive time on the water. Make sure you give the shallow reefs plenty of attention, this is the time of the year when the trout get right up on top of the reef flats.

Just a few days ago my son nailed a reasonable one on a stick bait in less than a metre of water, so they are already in the shallows.

Apart from heavy rain periods where there is a lot of fresh water run off entering the ocean I don’t really see the situation changing too much for a month or two so

It’s time to get into the fingermark, local lad Cameron Stevenson was rapt to get his first one. mackerel in our region is that they love to feed right up in the top layers of the water column.

Nearly all the fish caught on Reel Addiction fall to mediumsized poppers, stick baits or shallow divers. I find that these fish for their size don’t have a lot of stamina, in fact some

or email mick@reeladdiction. com.au. Resort enquiries can be directed to Julie Houston on (07) 4945 7242 or at info@ capeg.com.au. To stay in touch with what’s biting, check out the Reel Addiction Sport Fishing Whitsundays page on Facebook.

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Watching the weather TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

Sitting on the back veranda at home writing this, I’m looking at a typical wet season build up scenario.

There are big, black clouds on the horizon, humidity you could almost photograph, and a forecast of more storms tomorrow.

down deep during the retrieve can be a trip-saving technique when things get tough. Small models are the go, and 1/4oz Atomic Hardz blades and 50-60mm Atomic Semi Hard vibes are our pick. They are very productive lures to throw into holes and backwaters.

Gar, mullet and other strip baits will often get smashed by big grunter on the top of the tide and the first of the

of your time to Faust over a few days, I’d say your best bet would be to hire Lindsay Dobe from Lake Proserpine Fishing Charters and get him to show you exactly what to throw, where to throw it and when to put in the time. Lindsay also owns Barra World opposite the surf on the Highway, and stocks everything you’ll need for your Faust assault. His knowledge and expertise is a valuable tool. We’ve all seen it so many times, where someone is expecting to have a hectic fish-filled trip after reading all the articles, and watching all of the videos, but get a bit lost when they’re actually on the water. If you’re there for a few days, I’d commit at least one of them to going out with Lindsay to show you the ropes.

REEF FISHING With a big upswing in popularity over the last few

This 98cm model gave the young fella heaps on his lighter setup. It was taken on an Atomic Prong 4” bumped over some snags on a weedless EWG Atomic 6/0 hook in 1/4oz weight. unknown spots by keeping an eye on that sounder when you’re travelling, and if you see a glimpse of a bottom show, take the time to turn around and check it out.

These are often lesser known marks that can hold massive numbers of fish, and more importantly, have

Don’t forget the Tilsans if you go for a wander in the scrub. Oh yeah, and the Aeroguard too.

At this time of year there are unpredictable weather fluctuations, so boaters need to keep checking the daily revised forecasts put out by the myriad of weather apps.

Yes, consistency between them is quite varied, and while some may say that it’s going to be 5-10s, others are saying 15-20s, so it’s your call on the risk factor, depending on your boat size. For some bigger vessel owners, a stuffed-up forecast may mean it’s going to be a little uncomfortable, but for the smaller craft, it can be downright dangerous. Keeping an eye out in all directions while you’re on the water may help you to avoid the storms which seem to pop up out of nowhere, and often come from the land toward the sea, cutting off your return track.

Lightning is also a consideration. Whatever you do, don’t risk getting stuck in an electrical storm, and if you do, don’t be tempted to pick up that graphite lightning conductor.

The amount of rain we’ve had by the time you read this will determine what the impoundments will be doing this month. I’m thinking it will be a pretty wet time leading up to that, so don’t forget the freshwater stuff if the weather makes it hard to go offshore.

Other specials that will be on your radar during the rains are grunter, fingermark, jacks and so on. Small vibes and blades work extremely well on these species when they’re down deeper, and remembering that freshwater sits on top of salt is a big consideration. This means that species that aren’t all that keen on hanging around in the fresh runoff can still sit down deep in the holes and feed in a high salt environment. Holding 48

JANUARY 2022

runout, and a 4/0 circle hook in the Gamakatsu brand is a perfect hook for the bigger models if you’re a ‘rod in the holder’ angler. Running sinker rigs that have a swivel around 50cm from the hook are great for the grunter, and the line from swivel to hook should be in the 20-30lb breaking strains.

There are a few variations on lures during the wet that are worth having on hand. Those hardbodies that often sit in the box when the water’s clear

With all the new lures available these days it’s easy to forget some of the old favourites. The new lumo colour scheme on the Roosta Popper is really producing. way less sharks. There’s no doubt that the electric reels are a game changer in landing a higher percentage of your

fish before they get eaten, but you’ll still lose a few if they’re thick. It’s the over 30m mark that most people are enjoying the success of the electric reel phenomenon, but you have to understand that this isn’t about sports fishing. This is totally about coming home with a feed of fish, given that you can’t beat the sharks any other way.

A trend that’s becoming more popular is the hand-held use of electrics as opposed to the ‘in the gunnel’ option. It’s a fair option too, as people don’t want to completely lose the actual fishing theme, and like to feel the fight in their hands.

This is where straight butt rods instead of bent butts come into play, and with the use of a gimbal, the fight style is the same as with conventional overhead gear (apart from the winding, of course). If you decide to have a crack at the hand-held option remember a few things. First of all, the drag in these things is insane, and the winding power ridiculous, so always have a tether connected to the outfit in case it gets wrenched from your grip. Second is to do some

The new Halco 8” Inhale Tail is turning barra’s heads, literally. This fluoro orange colour did the trick, and it was eaten on the fourth cast after a couple of other old faithfuls missed out in the same area. should be dragged out and trebles checked as they can be a very effective lure when the discolouration in the water sometimes makes plastics too subtle a presentation.

Famous impoundments such as Peter Faust really turn it on for stealthy anglers decked out with electric motors, and stalking the drains and runoff areas of the dams is a great way to intercept some big stocked barra. If you are intending on committing some

years, jigging and soft plastics have finally been given the credibility they deserve amongst anglers who have taken the time to experiment and become competent.

There’s no doubt that when the sharks are thick (which is always), the cost of losing lure after lure will make it an unviable proposition.

However, if you’re lucky enough to find a patch which allows even a brief jig session, you’ll have a ball. Look for

Rigged weedless, the Atomic Prong 4” can be skipped way up into the back blocks and still be worked out over structure. Hooksets need to be instant, and short pump-and-wind tactics employed if you’re to get most of them out.

immediate tests on your body weight versus drag setting, and ensure a good foothold before you go hard on the things.

They really are that powerful.

With its quicker line recovery, and a little more manageable drag capacity, the Shimano Plays 4000 is a fast reel, with 33lb of drag pressure, which may not be as much as the Forcemaster or Beastmaster, but more than enough for the hand-held option.

If you’re a Daiwa fan, I recommend the Tanacom 500. It’s a smaller model with similar specs, but unfortunately it seems near impossible to get hold of these days.

If the sharks are still giving you trouble, and getting a few of your fish, try lightening up your leader to 60lb so you can pop them off if they do get hooked. 80lb and 100lb can really take some busting, and nobody wants to have to fight a big shark all the way to the boat.

I recently took my son to Lucinda to fish from the famous Lucinda Jetty to see if we could get a feed of grunter, fingermark, or maybe something different. A couple of casts with the drawstring cast net got us enough herring for the session, but every bait that hit the water got sharked.

Not only that, but a couple of pesky reef sharks were determined to eat the live bait bucket we had suspended below us. We stayed for a while but it was pointless trying to beat them. At one stage a huge shark came up and either ate, or tried to eat a big fish on the surface. The water it moved was insane, and while it was exciting to see, it was a reinforcement that we were wasting our time on this particular day. As you’re probably aware, I don’t subscribe to the ‘sharks are endangered’ theory, and the more time that goes on, the more it becomes obvious to all who spend any time on the water.

This coming weekend I’m off to hunt some jacks and cast some surface lures early in the morning, and then skip a few plastics up into the thick stuff. I’ll be doing a lot of this during the closed barra season, and will report back next month. Until then, good luck and stay safe.

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New normal begins at Hinchy LUCINDA

Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com

I wish everyone a happy New Year and fingerscrossed we can start to see a little normality in our day-to-day lives. What will 2022 bring in the terms of fishing? Well it is safe to say that it will be a great year here in Lucinda NQ. We are lucky, as even a slow day here normally still means a few fish have been caught, add to that picture perfect scenery and it is a magic place to make a cast.

The weather has ben stinking hot of late and pretty dry and it really feels like something big is going to brew up this year when the wet season really cranks up. Normally we have very little visitors at this time of year due to the weather so boat traffic is made up of mostly locals, which is a welcome change.

For those that don’t know, the ramp at Dungeness is now a 4 lane, double pontoon, double wash down and massive car park. And on a weekend with light winds, we need every bit of those facilities as it gets ridiculously busy. With the

Palm Islands only 20km offshore and reachable by small vessels and our closest reef systems 35km it is easy to see why Lucinda is so popular.

HINCHINBROOK ISLAND Prepare to battle the elements during these summer months, it is quite common to go from dripping with sweat to saturated by rain in a matter of minutes.

Braving the weather can be a bit of a lottery but normally it should pay off with some red-hot fishing to be had.

Barra are still off limits, but no matter as there are plenty of exciting species to target in the meantime.

Mangrove jack are top of the list for most for the simple reason that they fight hard and taste great. Jacks are suckers for lures and soft plastics so quietly working along mangrove-lined creeks throwing your favourite lures into snags and mangrove overhangs should see you getting bent.

The channel is also home to species such as fingermark and grunter, both of which

The Palm Islands are the perfect place to chill out.

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are fabulous eating. Both these fish can be caught in the same spots and using the same techniques, which is handy. Probably the only change would be to fish live baits, such as herring or squid for fingermark and baits like prawns or fresh cut baits for grunter. Targeting these fish early morning or later evening on smaller tides will help, and the trophy fish seem to be caught during the night time hours.

JETTY, ISLANDS AND REEF As always, fingers will be crossed that the weather is friendly and those light winds are forecast regularly.

There aren’t many better things to do on a hot summers day then to head out early for a swim and a snorkel on the reef or the nearby islands. Be very cautious of the marine stingers that frequent the water in the tropics, these can cause a lot of pain and in some situations death if stung in the wrong areas with no help nearby. Make sure you always carry a few litres of vinegar with you at all times, as this can actually be the deciding factor between life and death. Even if you’re not planning on swimming it is always good to have vinegar on hand for fishing as you never know when you may accidently tangle something in your line.

The jetty is worth a stop anytime you’re going out or coming in from the reef or islands. It always has fish hanging around it and I can’t help but stop and throw a popper several times at different pylons just to warm the arms up.

A number of times this means you end up in an arm wrestle with a rampaging GT, and half an hour later you can get back on your way. Anchoring up at night

A golden trevally plucked off a jetty pylon. putting a squid light over the side and catching your self some live baits and a feed is worth the effort.

Plenty of big fingermark get caught from the jetty every year with fish pushing that metre mark. These fish take some serious stopping so make sure you’re prepared with some good gear.

Fishing around the islands is tough, especially during summer. Hopefully the big schools of longtail tuna have moved in on the bait schools, providing a very frustrating but, once hooked up, fun fighting fish.

Longtail if bled and prepared correctly also are great eating with sashimi grade meat or cut up into steaks, marinated and fried up on the BBQ. The best way to get hooked up to these longtails is to use your eyes to find fish busting up on the surface then trying to get close enough to make a cast into them. Small jerk shad soft plastics, like ZMan StreakZ are perfect

or the good old metal slug should get eaten. Longtails can be very annoying and will move at the blink of an eye, this will mean you fly over for a cast and they disappear, just to come up where you just were.

Once hooked up prepare for a long battle with these fish taking long runs then circling under the boat over and over. The need for a good spin rod that can make long casts but offers enough backbone to turn their head towards the boat will make life easier.

The reef should be fishing great as usual, and the best idea is to look a little deeper when chasing trout on the reef tops as the warm water normally has them sitting deeper.

Cobia will still be about.

These big powerful fish can be rather a nuisance when they turn up in a pack often taking every bait or lure and really stretching the arms of anglers. Bled well and put on ice, cobia offer plenty of fish feeds.

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JANUARY 2022

Impoundments are the go if you need a barra fix.

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Black jew re-opens HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

Happy New Year! I hope this one shapes up better than the last few years of turmoil of living and running a guiding business through this pandemic.

During our wet season it looks like it’s shaping up to be one of the better ones we have had for a while. All the better for our barramundi breeding season in which they should have started the hanky panky last month. I had an excellent last four weeks of last year’s season in October where I don’t recall landing one under 74cm, so really hoping for a big wet to continue to help the next generation of barramundi to come through.

1 January, 2022, marks the reopening of the black jewfish fishery on the East Coast of Queensland. It remains open until the total annual allowable commercial catch is reached. And that usually is reached within approximately a month. I

1 January marks the reopening of the black jewfish fishery on the East Coast of Queensland. period with charters I have only heard a few handfuls of reports from inshore that have been patchy. I guess a lot of us have been targeting the golden snapper inshore here lately during the neaper tides, most are around the 40cm mark. While they are a very slow growing fish it is great to see recruitment in large numbers on the way.

My best during a charter a few years back was a 95cm model that was caught with a vibe on a ledge in the middle of the Hinchinbrook Channel itself. Don’t see many that

This 122cm black jew put up a heck of a fight! think this rule will change sometime in the near future.

So now would be a good time to get in and target them before they are a no take species for the remainder of the year. I’ve found they aren’t a very fussy specie.

No real method, lure or bait, stands out more than the other. I’ve often heard some people say they love to take chicken as a bait! One thing for sure is once they get over that 110cm range they are one heck of a fight. I remember the first ever real big one I caught I mistook it for a large shark. Up at Hinchy, the best place to look for them is out in the deeper parts of the main channel.

Any ledge or depression is where they will reside during the smaller run periods of tides in between moons, or even around a structure like a wreck where they will forage just wide of it. They also have a minimum size of 75cm and a one per person bag limit with a two per boat limit if there are more than two anglers onboard a vessel.

Being in the quieter

on my inshore spin rods, but am now changing them up to Quantum Cabo 40 PTS. They are a fantastic reel with a very smooth waterproof drag system and very enjoyable to use.

This year I am also excited to announce I am adding an additional 7m vessel for offshore charters to the Barrier Reef where I can put clients onto some quality large mouth nannygai, emperors, trout, Spanish mackerel, and many more. It’s the change I’ve been wanting to do for ages, so head on over to my Facebook page to keep tuned for updates on its construction.

Looking forward to kicking off barra charters next month. Might be a little harder this year if this La Nina weather pattern really kicks in. However, if we get a week or two of stable weather in between rain periods then the barra fishing could really go off its head. In February, focus on those runoff areas out the mouths of rivers and creeks

MIGHTY Mick Beil with a huge 127cm jewie. We only have until the total annual allowable commercial catch is reached before they go back on the no-take list. size in the channel these days but here’s hoping to a good return in numbers soon.

With only another month to go for the barramundi season to reopen, anglers should now be dusting off their gear and servicing reels and stocking up on lures in readiness for the opening of the season. If the weather is not that great, then it’s a good time to visit your local tackle shop. I for many years have been running Finn-Nor lethal 40s

or even along the Cardwell Beachfront can be a good spot to try.

• If you’re looking to do a barra charter with us for the 2022 barra season, or a reef charter after September 2022, 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.

power-pole.com.au (02) 4441 8400

hobieasiapacific

info@power-pole.com.au

Distributed by Hobie Asia Pacific JANUARY 2022

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January jacks and threadies CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

January is one of those special months in the Net Free Zone. The build up to the monsoon has all the fish species feeding hard. It’s one of those times of the year when it’s not uncommon to be up the creek and the

this time of year and when you connect with one these red tractors you certainly know you have a fish on.

Across all the Trinity NFZ creeks the jacks will be eating either prawn or mullet baits. If you are lure fishing both of these imitations are definitely worth tying on your leader. If the rain hasn’t been too consistent and the water hasn’t had too much

then the Lucky Craft Bevy Shad or the Molix 95 drs are two outstanding fish takers for big jacks. Both offer a great rolling action and the Molix is a fantastic suspending lure, which is perfect for twitching around snags. Just make sure you have your thumb close to the spool because when a big jack jumps on board it will be pulling plenty of drag.

The other fish you will get as by-catch fishing for jacks are golden snapper, which are just as happy to jump on your lure as a mangrove jack.

Whilst they may be small

compared to the size they can grow to, even a 40cm snapper can pull string. Unfortunately there will be bulk numbers of estuary cod around as well and it’s just a case of making your way through these fish.

The other fish, which will be around in big numbers, are the king threadfin salmon, especially if we have a good flush of rain and the prawns run along the open beaches.

Last year these fish were in huge numbers between the Trinity Inlet and the Barron River mouth. These fish were not small either with the

Estuary cod will be in big numbers luring in the creeks unfortunately.

Chasing jack in January is awesome and the Live Target Slow Roll is a top lure choice this time of the year. fish are chomping bait fish everywhere. This is always a great sign as it’s clear the fish are active and not hesitant to an attack a lure or bait.

The other awesome trait of fishing the NFZ in January is the size and quality of the fish.

This is particularly the case with mangrove jack. These highly sought-after fish have been feeding up hard over the past months and many have put on some serious bulk. It’s not uncommon to do battle with fish up and beyond 50cm

of a flush, then paddle-tail fish profiles are the way to go. Soft plastics are a good choice but don’t sell your self short and thread on a smaller lure. You need to capitalise on the conditions and fish 4-4.5” sized plastics. One of my favourites this time of year is the RT 4.5” Shad or the Live Target Slow Roll Mullet in 4-5”. Both these softies offer the perfect size and action for enticing big jacks. Colours such as chartreus and gold are ideal in dirty or clean water.

If hardbodies are your thing

When you find a good patch of golden snapper in January they are usually very hungry and multiple fish captures are easily achieved.

average size being around the 1.2m mark.

One way to tell if threadies have come in is by the presence of the smaller blue salmon. Blueys tend to come in earlier then the bigger threadies and this is the best indicator to use here. If you do get onto a patch then vibe lures or suspending hardbodies are a very good option. It makes it a lot easier if you have a quality side imaging or 360 imaging sounder to catch these fish and my Humminbird Helix 12GN4 is probably the most important piece of fishing gear I have when it comes to chasing these fish. Unfortunately, there are some big barra amongst these salmon schools so if you do hook one it’s best to get it in quickly and release it boat side. Bringing these

bigger fish into the boat will more or less kill them or cause a premature spawn, which is what needs to be avoided at all cost.

The beauty about this fishery is that it is accessible for land-based anglers as well. These salmon come right up to the shallows to feed and fishing the Machan Beach rock wall with live prawns or mullet will give you a good chance of nailing one of these trophy fish.

Finally, the Cairns Fish Stocking Group has been busy stocking barramundi into the NFZ. We have recently released around 2,000 18cm long barramundi in the Inlet. We have also secured $30,000 funding over three years from the Cairns Regional Council for further stocking.

On the road to recovery PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

It’s been a long time coming with a lot of heartache for many businesses for quite a few months, but the re-opening of the borders will relieve a bit of that pain. Bookings for the festive period have been steady but there’s still a bit of trepidation for many interstate travellers.

Hopefully the transition remains smooth so we can get back to some normality and, importantly, a much needed recovery.

We started to see a bit of spasmodic wet season rain by mid November and this will likely increase into the New Year. That’s all fine and is required to rejuvenate our waters having gone through some fairly hot and calm conditions.

The real positive is that 52

JANUARY 2022

we have had some idyllic boating conditions and if past experiences are anything to go by, we should see a continued run for the immediate future.

We’ll start with a bit of a wrap of the big black marlin season thus far, which typically sizzles out by mid to late December. As per normal there’s been massive highlights and hard luck stories. The consistent northerly winds this year have been a bit of an issue no matter how light they have often been. Any easterly or southeasterly breezes have seen the better tales. There’s been a good run of fish between 700-900lb with only a handful of reports to call out better.

There’s been a heap of small models between 200-350lb and have been the bread and butter encounter on most occasions this season. The sightings and strikes have been right up there, but for some reason the hook up conversion this time around has been just under par. Every year puts out

a different result but at least we know the population is as healthy as ever.

There’s been a lot of schools of yellowfin tuna out from the shelf ranging from 10-15kg with the odd one going bigger. This will continue to provide some light tackle fun for weeks to come. We’ve still yet to see a run of consistent wahoo and mahimahi and they may prove to be a late bloomer this year. Other than this, there’s still plenty of time for larger boats with the long range fuel to venture further into the Coral Sea where the blue marlin tend to bite quite well into the first month of the New Year.

On the reef the fishing has become a bit scratchier with coral trout, nannygai and emperor providing some action but not a lot compared to recent months. The big mover has been the gold spot trevally, which have taken over the deeper ‘red’ haunts and have been plentiful. They are still

quite a handful on the end of the line and eaten fresh they are superb. Other than that, there’s been a smattering of Spanish mackerel and cobia working the various levels of the water column. With calm weather, the GT fishing on stick baits and poppers has been right up there at times with some good 20kg specimens tipping the scales.

Our rivers and creeks are desperately requiring a good dose of rain to stir the pot and even catching live bait has become a challenge.

Best performing fish of late have been fingermark along structured banks and some quality javelin fish across the flats on a rising tide. This scene however is asking for a kick up the backside requiring some decent rain. As I say, be careful what you ask for because it may come and may never stop making things even tougher.

Looking forward to seeing some much needed tourists up here in FNQ and hitting the road to recovery.

There have been some epic tales of woes and triumphs this marlin season.

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Big nannygai are everywhere COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

It’s been crazy fishing at the moment with large specimens of nannygai showing up regularly on fishing trips. The reef has

idea. Sometimes it’s hard to do but better for future catches and, unless you are giving it away to friends, putting large amounts in the freezer can be wasteful. Fresh nannygai even the big ones are just amazing and melts in your mouth.

So if we want to continue

James was delighted he caught the biggest nannygai on the family outing. been firing with these big beautiful fighters and quality eating fish.

The size of these nannies have been impressive and they put up such a great fight. They aren’t a fish that can be easily released, and I’m unsure if after a epic battle from the deep that many would survive – so taking a few and moving on leaving the spot for another time is a good

to enjoy this experience for many generations to come, taking fish to eat fresh is the way to go.

My son Jonathan recently caught a nice barramundi cod and, although a great capture and was a successful release, I still think how nice they tasted when you could eat them. I know it’s about conservation and I’m very keen on making sure fish stocks stay high

but I think there is always a sustainable level of fishing that can be done.

I do see the benefits to the barramundi cod species, as on numerous occasions spearfishing you see them quite regularly now and the same goes for the hump headed Maori wrasse, which seems to have increased in numbers as well. Look, it might be that I was fortunate enough to have eaten these fish when you could that I remember how nice they were and I just have to accept it as a distant memory! However I always feel fishing is under threat of over regulation. Regulation is needed to ensure that over fishing doesn’t occur and I even feel some fish species are under regulated or should have further limits imposed, but a total ban?

Unless a species has become endangered, is not valid.

Enough of the fishing policy rant, but I thought some of you may feel the same anguish of releasing a fish that potentially is not going to survive but is quality eating and totally protected.

The wharf has seen some nice surface fish being caught.

Bait is still in large numbers but people are waiting for barramundi season to open again on the 1 February.

With the way the fishing was in October, there should

be some nice fish around as the season opens. Hopefully the females have spawned a next generation of these great fighting fish and the rains and floods have provided fish highways for fish to travel far and wide and restock upper reaches of our river systems.

As they move around the river system, still hungry chasing something to eat and warmer waters, then this is the time to chase them while they are still very active.

As always, saltwater barramundi tastes the best and although catching freshwater specimens is fun, it’s best to let them be free to fight another day or have the chance to make their way done to the salt. Roads will be wet and trying to access some areas

This barramundi cod was caught by Jonathan, the author’s son. Despite the great capture, he doesn’t look too happy as it spiked him on the hand!

The fish was released and recovered quickly. here in the Cape will not only be impossible but also likely closed for the wet season.

Chasing barra on the mangrove flats can be productive at this

The reef has been on fire with cracking sized nannygai.

time of the year.

However, more than likely the weather will be down and there is no better place to be fishing than out at the reef.

Be careful of afternoon storms and be prepared to head home early. When the weather here blows from the north, the winds will usually ease at night and the next morning will have another glass out so you can go out again. I love this time of the year and you have to make the most of it as in a few months time the SE winds will return and there will only be little windows of calm weather.

Get out there and enjoy this time of the year, as it’s a great time to be boating, fishing and diving.

Hoping for a solid wet season CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

In Nov/Dec, NSW and some of the south and western regions of Queensland have experienced some hefty rain with the

systems across the Top End. From the Kimberley to the Cape, everyone will be hoping for a solid wet, full of rain and free of destructive cyclones.

Fishing will almost come to a standstill throughout most of the Cape. With the exception of those fishing out of Cooktown, Weipa and the

and shoal areas are well worth trying for fingermark and bar-cheek coral trout.

Pressure points and fingers of reef with tide pushing across will prove a good set up.

Over on the west coast of the Cape, listless mornings will offer the best fishing.

All too often those stifling mornings are replaced with breezy afternoons as the land heats up and monsoon winds kick in from the nor’west.

Look for an incoming tide onto beaches and fringing reef early morning for the best chances.

Over on the east coast, nor’easterlies will be doing the same thing. Early mornings are by far the best

time to get amongst it, and being back in by 11am is highly recommended. As much for self-preservation from the heat as for the wind.

With generally warm water temps, the usual estuarine species should all be firing in the lower reaches of the bigger systems. Mangrove jack and fingermark will be feeding up, threadfin salmon will be active, as will barramundi during their closed season.

The larger the freshwater flush, the better the barra season to be expected following the wet.

Black jew will be another fish putting on girth throughout the next few

Fingermark have taken over the shallow reef. strengthening La Nina system. Cape York can expect the usual wet season patterns to develop in January.

Besides some sweltering, stifling, muggy weather throughout the Cape, a casual look at the chart will most likely see gathering low pressure

Northern Peninsula, who will take advantage of plentiful calm weather. Both the inner and outer reef areas might be accessible, all be it between rainstorms and squalls.

With warm water temperatures in the creeks, river and bays, fishers should seek out areas of good flow.

Headlands and shallow reef

A flats caught tealeaf trevally slides into view.

The outer reef should sparkle throughout January. months, feeding heavily on prawns and other crustaceans. A closed season on the East Coast existed in 2021, so let’s hope sanity prevails and the commercial catch of these species declines and their swim bladders are given $0 price in the marketplace. Queensland has a great sustainable recreational fishery for black jew and they are worth plenty more alive than dead.

The minimum size on the West Coast could easily be bumped from 60cm up to 75cm as well.

In the coastal bays, expect things to be a little quieter this time of year.

Tuna, mackerel, trevally and bigger queenfish are all

likely out a little wider and a little tricky to track down in smaller craft. There will be exceptions around the mid west coast and Weipa area, where smaller pelagics can be caught right throughout the wet season months.

All in all, January is a difficult month for fishing, however keen local anglers will still get amongst it. If we have a wet January, it augurs well for the following 2-3 months regarding rainfall. A poor Jan might be a reflection of a dud La Nina extending up into Cape York and the far northern regions of Australia. My bet is on a moist Australia Day! JANUARY 2022

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Trolling time for freshwater fish TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

With a bit of rain around, it makes it tough to predict what to expect on the fishing scene. Smaller rises in water levels can really fire things up in the lakes. A big influx will turn some lakes filthy for months while others seem to handle a big rises and clear up quite well.

It’s worth keeping an eye on water levels as a flowing creek or river feeding into a dam can be a trigger for fish activity. It isn’t always the case but certainly worth investigating. Big rises

tend to close lakes down for a while these days in the interest of public safety so once again check out if you are allowed on the water or can even access the place.

Freshly flooded banks provide abundant food from both the land and water.

Worms, bugs, and baitfish will swarm into the flooded areas and the predators follow. A running creek, gully or waterfall can also bring in predators by attracting bait and also delivering all manner of food washed in from the land. A dirty water line is the ideal spot for big fish to hunt.

Now I’ve talked up the rain and possible dam rises, it probably won’t eventuate.

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST It can be a bit tough at Cressbrook during the summer months. For some reason, the fish went

nuts on Spectre Vibration Jigs cast and trolled around the weed edges last month.

Casting to the weed edges along the medium and steep banks produced heaps of bass and the occasional golden

Anyone would think Jack Truman was happy to land this 50cm+ bass at Cressbrook Dam. It fell to a Hot Bite Spectre not far from the boat ramp.

January is pretty good all-round month for fishing on the freshwater. It’s a bit busier due to extended Christmas and New Year’s holiday-makers but you’ll generally get fish of all types this month. Fishing a bit smarter can pay off. The busier waterways and hotter days are good enough reason to try your luck early and late in the day. The middle of the day can be too hot and too hard to be bothered with.

Bass are suckers for trolled lures at this time of year.

Golden perch fire right up and will also take a trolled lure. Barramundi will move a bit deeper as the thermoclines dictate the comfortable depth to chill out. This can also

lead them out into the bait rich open water where they too are keen to munch a trolled offering. Murray cod are a bit tougher this month but love a bit of fresh water or approaching storm and this could be a trigger to get them chewing. These the main species I cover but all the others like catties, sooties, silvers and saratoga get pretty active early and late in the day.

If you know your target species doesn’t mind venturing right up into the shallows in the lake you’re fishing, summer is a prime time for topwater lures. You can’t beat surface action!

Until next month, buckled rods from The Colonel.

perch. There’s a fair chance this action will continue.

Working lures around the main arm near the ramps and up towards The Eagles Nest should score you plenty of fish. The 5/8 and 1/2 models in rhoids and hot and spicy colours were the standouts for a couple of locals I know.

If those fish are keen on the Spectres, they should eat other chatterbaits, spinnerbaits and maybe lipless crankbaits as well.

While most days last month they were willing to play, it was the days leading up to an afternoon storm that the fish went nuts. When it was at its best, at times it was a fish a cast.

A few schooling fish will also be found out from the major points. They may be suspended around the thermocline so keep this in mind when sounding for them. While reaction and vibrating style lures are effective, it pays to have a soft plastic and a spoon also rigged up and ready to cast at those schooling fish. They are smart like usual and you will only get a handful of chances before they either move off or just refuse to bite.

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

They are an excellent store

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

SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY The bass are quite scattered through the lake this year with schools all the way from The Spit to Kirkleigh. I haven’t been fishing the dam much but have a feeling I’ll make the correct prediction for this month. The fish from Queen Street up past Kirkleigh can be caught on trolled lures, which dive to around 8m.

Following the ledges to the old riverbed should help you locate some good schools of fish. Once these are found keep working them and trying to get that lure right in front of their face. Trolling and winding Spectres while dropping them back to the bottom is deadly in the afternoons on these fish.

In the middle reaches

Golden perch (aka yellowbelly) fire right up over the summer months. They’ll happily take jigged blades or trolled crankbaits. around Bay 13 and Pelican Point the bass will be mobile throughout the day, Keeping track of their movements will ensure you boat fish all day long. These fish can hold a lot deeper so you’ll need to troll divers that can reach 10m or slow troll 5/8oz Spectre Vibration Jigs or 5/8oz spinnerbaits. If you are slow trolling sinking lures, aim to move 1.5-2km/h and wind the lure for a few turns before dropping back. The trick is to keep it well away from the boat and not make another cast until you turn around or hook a fish. The afternoons will see these fish fire up more and when the breeze kicks in, lures can be wind drifted through the best areas.

Fish were still holding around Pelican Point and at times Bay of Plenty and Beams Creek last month.

These fish move around a lot and can venture out into quite deep water and suspend around the thermocline. If

Gary’s Marine Centre

3201 6232

217 Pine Mountain Road, BRASSALL 54

JANUARY 2022

Rhys Branson caught this 52cm Somerset giant on a Spectre Vibration Jig. Similar chatterbaits, spinnerbaits or long lined deep cranks will produce well.

you are motoring up this section of the dam it doesn’t hurt to slow down and have a sound through any of the more likely spots. If you do see suspended fish, you can try trolling the right depth hard body or even tail spinners and soft plastics. If there are good numbers, try casting soft plastics and tail spinners. It doesn’t hurt to add a bit of speed to the presentation if you know there are good numbers there. It can kick that competitive instinct into gear or even trigger a reaction strike. Chances are these fish will thin out and bunch up with the other fish in the better known summer locations.

Golden perch numbers will be on the rise this month. Quite a few goldens are taken while trolling and casting for bass, If you were keen to target them, try fishing with live shrimp or small blades like the ZX40. Locating sunken logs and trees around the Pelican Point and Queen Street area will put you in with a good shot. I like to run my side image over a wide section of water and mark any potential spots and then position the boat right next to them. Spot lock electrics have made this task much easier. You can put the boat over or right next to good snags.

If you know exactly where you are in relation to them you won’t lose too much tackle. If you strike the right school of goldens at this time of year, you can catch ridiculous numbers.

• Somerset Fishing has their store based at the area above the day use boat ramp. The store is open over holidays and otherwise from Thursday to Sunday. Orders can also be made online via the website www.somersetfishing.com. au. They have an excellent range of gear suited to fishing for bass and golden perch.

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and being small is well suited to kayaks. Keep an eye on the Toowoomba City Council website or Fish’n’Bits Facebook page to see if the lake has reopened.

LESLIE CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK Leslie had a good

inflow back in November and with the creek and catchment so wet it is set for more rises if the rain hits the right spot. Provided there isn’t a big amount of rain and subsequent rise, lure fishing should still be an option.

Golden perch fishing has been steady but quite a few smaller cod were being caught. The

rises in level should see everything fire up.

Fishing over the flooded banks in shallower water around 3-4m deep with live shrimp and saltwater yabbies will get fish early and late in the day. Even worms could produce a few if there has been any further rises in lake level.

If it water looks clear enough for luring, try

trolling hardbodies and lipless crankbaits in 3-6m of water. Mix it up to see if you can work out where most of the action is happening. Trolling bigger spinnerbaits around the rock piles and drop offs to the old creek bed is a good way to target the lake’s cod. If the water is running in up the top of the dam, there could be a

few more active big fish in the area willing to eat a big swim bait.

• The local blokes at Warwick Outdoor and Sport in Palmerin Street can point in you in the right direction and hook you up with the good gear and bait to catch the fish at Leslie. Check in with them to see how the dam has been fishing.

had a good rise. You’ll need to check in with Sunwater website to see if any more water ran in (at the time of writing it was around 36%).

Boondooma fills with dirty water and this will affect the lure fishing. Looking down the wall end of the lake will be your best bet and the fish should now be suspended around the thermocline. Lure

trollers will be able to get into the action provided the water remains clear. Trolling 6-8m divers will put you in the zone.

If good numbers of fish are found schooling, try tail spinners, soft plastics and

spoons. It will probably be necessary to count them down to the fish as they suspend well off the bottom in deep water.

Around the edges of the lake, the action will be slower but bait fishermen using live

shrimp will get a mixed bag of golden perch and bass when working around 6-7m of water. Lure casters could try working the rocky structure with skirted jigs and blade baits.

troll soft plastics or even cast to the fish. These open water barra can be very mobile and it is a huge paddock. For success you need to be sure they are in the area before casting your arm off. If you are not seeing them, keep moving or trolling to locate them.

The weed edges are looking very healthy with some well-defined near the surface and others extending well out into the dam below the surface.

As a general rule, these hidden beds are my favourite. On normal sonar they will show as weed extending halfway to the surface in 3-4m of water.

At this depth the barra can swim through the weed tops and ambush any food, which travels over the top of them. At times they will produce during the day but it is at night they

this edge casting up on top of the sunken weed mat. This approach allows you to work new areas even in the dark.

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

He caters to the needs of the angler and can do fly or conventional tackle trips to target the lake’s barramundi.

He successfully guides clients onto fish right through the year and has a good understanding of fish movements. It is hard to beat time on the water and this is a great way to learn more about this lake and its fish.

You can contact him on 0429 223 550 or visit the website gladstoneflyandsportfishing .com.au.

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

DARLING DOWNS AND GRANITE BELT COOBY CLOSEST TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA Cooby is still closed at the time of writing.

If algae levels drop to what is deemed to be a safe level, the lake will reopen to boating. Cooby is an electric only lake BURNETT REGION BOONDOOMA CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSTON, KINGAROY With the rain at the end of last year, Boondooma CAPRICORN REGION AWOONGA CLOSEST TOWNS: BENARABY, GLADSTONE With lower levels than the lake has seen for around a decade, the dam is ready if there are any rain events to dump water into it. As it reaches excellent fishing status with plenty of metre-plus barramundi, they last thing we want is for it to flood and allow the fish to escape.

The barra are being found all over the lake. Some fish are holding in the weed beds and weed edges while others are happily patrolling deeper areas. I’ll be spending quite a bit of time on the lake this month and here’s what I think I’ll be doing.

Mid-morning is a good time to explore the deeper

Dodging storms, Blake Ehrlich fooled this barra from a submerged weed bed in Awoonga Dam’s main basin. He used the ever-faithful 5.5” Zerek Live Mullet. up near the buoy line at the dam wall are a great option for this time of year. Trolling 5.5” Zerek Live mullets at around 3km/h will see you in with a very good chance. When good numbers are found you can pull up and cast the same lures. Fish movements play a big part in the success rate so you’ll need to be on your game and keep finding good numbers of fish to target.

Late in the afternoon and into the night, the bite can be slow until you find where the fish are moving to.

Perching up in a windy bay or out from a point down the wall end of the lake will see you in with a good chance.

Lures like the Zerek Live Mullet and 140mm Molix Swim Shad are ideal. You can also keep it simple and opt for 5-7” paddle tail soft plastics rigged on jigheads to suit the depth you are fishing. Treble stinger hooks under the belly of the plastic are a good idea if you go down the jighead path and will help convert more bites. If you manage to find the right spot when the fish are

AWOONGA GATEWAY LODGE Another morning barra hits the deck at Callide Dam. Good numbers make their way to the deep water around the buoy line and usually chew from first light until mid-morning. parts of the lake. Searching the edges of the old creek and riverbed drop offs way out in the middle of the dam should reveal reasonable numbers of fish. Out in front of the dam wall and the mouth of Iveragh Creek was always a popular spot to find these fish but you should also see them around the wider flats up near Dingo Island. Trolling diving lures that get down 3-5m while searching will put you in with a good chance. If a good concentration of fish is found, I like to switch it up and slow

are most likely to bring in the fish. These submerged beds aren’t always on the points, which seem very popular with the night fishers. Windblown points shouldn’t be discounted at this time of year but these weed beds offering acres of ambush country can be fished successfully as well. In calmer waters you can work along the edges of them casting up over the submerged weed instead of spot locking with the electric motor. I like to run side image to find the defined edge of the weed and follow

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

CALLIDE CLOSEST TOWN: BILOELA While not producing record numbers, Callide continues to produce some monster barramundi. Morning sessions out in the deep water

“ Right on Awoonga’s doorstep.

All set up for fishos, with tranquil surroundings. “

chewing, night sessions can be awesome with good numbers of barra caught.

You can stay close to the dam at Lake Callide Retreat.

The park has basic camping, powered sites for camping and vans and also self-contained cabins. There is a wellequipped camp kitchen and toilets and showers up in the main part of the park near the office. Make sure you bring all of your fishing tackle. The kiosk has a limited amount of fishing gear but it is well suited to the lake.

ink a p rra h c Cat ed Ba 00! g tag in $20 to w

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

55

Part II: How sustainable are whiting stocks?

MELBOURNE

Ross Winstanley

Part one of this article described the sustainability status of eastern school or silver whiting, and King George whiting in Australia, as determined by fisheries scientists in 2019 and reported in the Status of Australian Fish Stocks 2020 report.

This second part describes the status of the following four whiting species: • sand whiting Sillago ciliata • stout or robust whiting Sillago robusta • trumpeter or winter whiting Sillago maculata • yellowfin whiting Sillago schomburgkii.

SAND WHITING While sand whiting occur in eastern coastal waters and inlets, from northern Queensland to Tasmania, the SASF 2020 assessment was confined to where they are most abundant, off Queensland and New South Wales. Combined state catches have trended down from 470 to 220 tonnes since 2010, and most of the catch comes from Queensland.

Recent estimates of recreational catches were 78

Sand or winter whiting are popular inshore species for northern estuary anglers. Photo courtesy of Mark Saxon. tonnes from Queensland and 34 tonnes from NSW. In the absence of clear genetic or tagging evidence on stock structure, assessments were conducted separately at the jurisdictional level.

QUEENSLAND While sand whiting is targeted by commercial and recreational fishers in the South East, monitoring indicates a stable population

The warmer-water whiting species are suckers for lures. Photo courtesy of Mark Saxon.

SPECIFICATIONS

and regular recruitment.

Recent commercial catches are below the long-term average and recreational catches have trended downwards – to 78 tonnes in 2019/20 – in spite of catch rates being ‘steady’ in recent years. At the current reduced commercial and recreational catch levels, the stock is expected to rebuild, aided by the recreational possession limit of 30/day, introduced in 2009.

Based on the available evidence, sand whiting in Queensland is classified as a ‘sustainable stock’.

NEW SOUTH WALES After decades of stability, above 130 tonnes, since 2007/08 annual commercial catches gradually decreased to 75 tonnes in 2018/19. As this decline matched falls in net-fishing effort, the catch rates and whiting size composition remained quite stable. The introduction of 31 recreational fishing havens, and commercial licence buy-outs, have both contributed to the fall in commercial fishing pressure.

In 2013/14, recreational

fishers took 46% of the total NSW sand whiting catch and in 2017/18 the estimated recreational catch was 34 tonnes.

On the basis of the available evidence sand whiting in NSW is classified as a ‘sustainable stock’.

STOUT WHITING Stout or robust whiting occur off southern Queensland and northern NSW, and were assessed as a single East Coast biological stock. As about 80% of the commercial catch comes from Queensland waters, the assessment was based on information from that fishery. Recent commercial catches have ranged from about 700 to 1100 tonnes. Both states manage their commercial fisheries under Total Allowable Commercial Catches (TACC); the NSW TACC is set for stout whiting and school whiting combined. Recreational catches of stout whiting are reported as “negligible” in Queensland, and 1.5 tonnes, combined with school whiting, in NSW. With commercial fisheries effectively managed under catch limits, catch rates increasing, and the NSW trawl fishery subject to ‘structural reforms’, the Eastern Australian biological stock of stout whiting is classified as a ‘sustainable stock’.

TRUMPETER WHITING Trumpeter or winter whiting occur in waters from northern Queensland to southern NSW, and are most abundant off southern Queensland.

Separate stock assessments were conducted for each state.

Queensland Trumpeter whiting are popular with recreational fishers, and were once a prawn trawl by-catch species.

Commercial

Current daily recreational catch limits for whiting species around Australia.

Note: additional fishing restrictions, apply in some states.

State Queensland Sand/summer, goldline and northern whiting NSW Sand whiting Other whiting species Victoria King George whiting Other whiting species Tasmania King George whiting School whiting South Australia King George whiting – East of 136o East, including gulfs – West of 136o East Yellowfin whiting Silver whiting Western Australia King George whiting Other whiting species 56

JANUARY 2022

Size limit/slot

Daily bag limit

23cm

30 combined

27 cm no limit

20 combined

27cm no minimum

20 20 combined

35 cm no minimum

5 15

32cm 30cm 24cm no minimum

10 10 20 no limit

28cm no minimum

12 30

catches peaked at more than 500 tonnes in the late 1980s, but the post2000 ban on trawlers retaining whiting species has resulted in annual catches being reduced to less than one tonne. Since 2000, recreational catches have declined by more than 50%, reaching 28 tonnes in 2019/20. There is no bag limit or legal minimum size.

While there are no sustainability concerns, the lack of adequate information has resulted in the trumpeter whiting management unit in Queensland waters being classified as an ‘undefined stock’.

New South Wales Recent estimates put

reaching 38 tonnes in 2018.

The recreational catch was estimated to be 45 tonnes in 2013/14.

With commercial catch rates, “relatively stable throughout the 2000s”, the Gulf St. Vincent and Spencer Gulf biological stocks are both classified as ‘sustainable stocks’.

Western Australia Separate northern and southern stocks of yellowfin whiting are recognised in WA. State wide estimates show the recent commercial catch as106 tonnes; the recreational catch in 2013/14 was seven tonnes.

Southern stock Recent assessments of the adult spawning stock size and the level of fishing

Today, most whiting species give anglers a lot of fun using lures on light gear. Photo courtesy of Pete Berlinski. annual commercial net and prawn trawl catches over the past five years at 13-23 tonnes, down from a peak of 78 tonnes during the 1990s.

Over this period, fishing effort has decreased as the combined result of estuary closures and reduced numbers of commercial operators. Estimates in 2013/14 and 2017/18 have suggested recreational catches of 27 and seven tonnes, respectively.

With decreased commercial fishing effort, no historic change in mean sizes, and catch rates continuing to be ‘consistent’, the NSW trumpeter whiting management unit is classified as ‘sustainable’.

YELLOWFIN WHITING Yellowfin whiting occur in shallow coastal waters between the South Australian gulfs and Western Australia’s Exmouth Gulf.

Across this range, while evidence is scant, it is believed that populations in different regions, “may constitute separate stocks”.

South Australia Compared to the King George whiting, this is SA’s ‘minor’ whiting species.

Most of the commercial catch comes from northern Spencer Gulf. Following a long-term decline in fishing effort, in 2017 catches, effort and catch rates rose, with the commercial catch

pressure both support the classification of the Southern WA yellowfin whiting as a ‘sustainable stock’.

Northern stock Most of the commercial and recreational catches from northern WA come from Shark Bay. After a long period of stability, commercial catches have declined recently, along with fishing effort. Catch rates have increased, possibly resulting from strong recruitment. Measures of the age structure and spawning potential are positive indications of the stock size and recruitment capacity.

All the evidence points to the classification of Northern WA yellowfin whiting as a ‘sustainable stock’.

NATIONAL REPORTING The Status of Australian Fish Stock Reports are a series of assessments of the biological sustainability of a broad range of wildcaught fish stocks against a nationally agreed reporting framework. The two-yearly reports examine whether the abundance of fish and the level of harvest from each stock is sustainable. Definitions of ‘sustainability’ and quoted passages in this article are taken from the SAFS 2020 Reports.

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

The challenge of catching barramundi on fly BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Just to think of barramundi surely reminds Queensland anglers how blessed we are with so many opportunities when it comes to catching these magnificent fish, which are a major attraction of coastal fishing in northern Queensland. And yet, it’s arguably our stocked barra impoundments that can deliver that Holy Grail of metre-long barramundi with any consistency.

So the question is why?

Firstly, it’s a numbers game that tips the scales in our favour. For years thousands of barra have been stocked in Queenland’s dams and these critters grow so big a metrefish is a given.

Secondly, the fish are always there. There’s work involved in finding them but modern sounders give us a huge advantage. And of course, there’s also the fact they cannot leave the system with the next tide.

RECKON YOU ARE UP TO IT? If you are a potential, or keen, fly angler and like to move up a few notches in capture sizes plus the chance to hone skill sets on some powerful fish, why not try flyfishing for barra for a change? I know, I know…I hear the same retort, ‘But why make something that’s hard, even harder?

I admit impoundment barra are tough going all round, and yes, it’s more involved than tying on the latest go-to lure, but it’s not all that hard if we go about it the right way. Plus, who doesn’t love a challenge?

It’s important to understand that you are not going to catch more barra

on a fly than your pal using lures set up on heavy braid and even heavier leaders.

Flies just cannot impart the same action as a lure, or be cast as far as a lure. Fly tackle lacks the stopping power (in those very tight corners) that lure tackle has. But, for reasons known

timber and try to find a shallow section in which to cast. Just remember to not allow a fly hooked barra to get into timber!

HONING THE BARRA BRAIN Limiting fishing areas is certainly one major factor to consider but it’s a huge buzz

These anglers are spot on with their boat positioning, being off the end of a point and with timber nearby. only to the fish, flies will sometimes out-fish lures.

TIMBER TACTICS Acknowledging that fly tackle has the aforesaid ‘stopping there’ limitations around both weed beds and timber, the clue is to think before the cast is made.

Avoiding woody woes boils down to fly fishing where barra cannot readily dive into the stuff. Even though barra live in the timber, they also move around freely from one area to another (maintaining their own discreet agendas). The key is to fish fairly close to the timber but still far enough away to exert control over a fish once hooked. There’s no definition of that ‘ideal distance’ so it comes down to the practical experience of the angler in estimating just the right place to fish.

I always look for any clear area with adjacent heavy

The author and wife Denise with a pair of barra just taken on fly in Monduran Dam. Why do they call this place Lake Misery?

along which fish can travel, they are well worth the fly fishing effort.

Park the boat against the edge weed and simply cast the fly out and retrieve it slowly but steadily, either casting directly away from the boat or retrieving the fly along the face of the weed bed.

Being in the vicinity of a visible channel in the weed is perfect for this action, as well as working weed found on a cleared point. Be aware though, that if the chosen locality involves fishing in big clumps of weed, a hooked fish may well dive straight into one and likely stay there! Getting it out will end up being part of the challenge.

Weed beds rate so highly as fish attractors that if fish are not seen on the side scan within 30 minutes it’s time to move elsewhere. Maybe try a different tactic, such as tying

Weed beds are great fish attractors. On this lily bank, park the boat on the edge and cast along the edge. outfit needs to be strong, as it deals with powerful fish in excess of a metre in length.

So while a 6wt fly outfit suits trout admirably, a 10wt set up is the right one for impoundment barra where trouble is never far away from the rod tip once a fish is hooked.

You can use an 8wt outfit, it’s a far easier set up to cast than a 10wt, but when a big fish grabs that fly and is heading for something unseen under the water the shortcomings of the lighter outfit will soon surface.

LINE AND LEADER I use a floating fly line when it’s likely I’ll be

rod’s length to avoid issues with the fly line to leader knot at all times.

A typical barra leader might consist of a metre of 80lb line, a metre of 60, around 45cm of 30lb, and a half metre of 40lb, the latter being FC100 to avoid chafing through from gill rakers. Why that bit of 30lb?

If the fish gets into timber and retrieval is impossible it’s a far better option to break the leader rather than the fly line.

REEL Your barra reel needs a powerful drag plus capacity to hold an entire fly line plus at least 100m of backing.

Barra on the side scan is always great motivation to keep those casts going. when the ‘barra brain’ gets it right and a fish connects. The first run of a metre-plus fish will immediately show why a bit of cleared area to work in becomes so vitally important.

An ideal place for fly fishing would be any open area within easy sight of standing timber. Such areas are not always readily found but well worth seeking out, try finding a small bay near timber, or an open point nearby that looks fishable.

Shallow water (less than 3m deep) is where I have had most fly success.

Interestingly, I have found that when only a couple of fish are marking up on the Carbon 12’s side scan, a hit seems to be more likely than when I’m seeing large numbers. Big numbers of fish are great to look at but they don’t seem to elicit many bites.

WEED THEM OUT! I enjoy weed bed work.

I’m not referring to those huge, virtual weed meadows, like at Faust Point in Lake Proserpine where spadelike tails at daylight, are safely sticking up 50m away in 40cm deep channels throughout. I like weed beds of a continuous nature where they have formed a wall

up or anchoring, and casting towards a weed bed while still maintaining that slow but steady casting retrieval system. If you are not getting snagged occasionally, I suspect the retrieve might be too rapid. Remember barra are not tuna: a very slow retrieval is key. Also, keep as quiet as possible as barra react to bumps and thumps in their environment with wariness and/or retreat.

TACKLE TALK Rod Fly tackle for barra needs to be well balanced because there may be a lot of casts between hook ups. A barra

When an impoundment has reduced levels, as we see here, barra are going to be easier to find. surface fishing, notably at first hint of light or on and after dusk. For all other times, I use an intermediate sink rate line, so I can get the fly down but not so fast as to require fast strips to avoid snagging. Leader length needs to be just short of the

Barra will be in there but heed the creed – allowing a fly hooked barra to get into timber is to invite trouble into your life!

The right barra reel can also be used for tuna and mackerel in the salt with the additional backing.

FLIES These days most decent tackle stores will have barra flies on hand and the inimitable Black and Gold Bomber, Brush fly, and Deadly Deceiver are excellent starting points for anglers upgrading both skills and tackle. These flies are available in sizes up to 6/0 but I would stay with those on 4/0 size hooks as barra don’t always demand big tucker and they are easier to cast on 4/0 hooks.

UP THE ANTE Fly fishing for barra is going to be an enjoyable challenge if you haven’t yet tried it. You may have taken plenty of barra on lures, which is an immense advantage to start with, so why not move up to the task and take a barra on fly?

JANUARY 2022

57

WHAT’S NEW FISHCRAFT AUSTRALIA

1

PRODUCT GUIDE

PLATYPUS PULSE MONO

4

The brains behind FishCraft have been itching to let you in on the secret weapons they have been working on, and finally they’re here!

With a long development process, every one of these lures has been tried and tested for action, hook-up rates, and superior appeal to a variety of target species. FishCraft brings you 27 fresh new lure shapes, eight proven colours and a comprehensive range to suit Aussie species.

First off there’s the trusty 38mm B-Cranky crank in medium and shallow for estuary or rock fishing, and then there’s the supreme glidebait Dr Glide in 76mm and 127mm for those keen to get into the swimbaiting for flathead or big dam species. The new Skatter Prop provides some extra fizz on the topwater, and there’s also an offshore 150mm diver for those guys wanting to chase snapper and other bottom species in deeper waters.

Watch this space as we drop you fresh details on each lure in upcoming issues. For more information check out @FishCraftFishing on Instagram and Facebook. www.facebook.com/fishcraftfishing

Pulse Premium Monofilament sets a new standard for performance and quality in a monofilament line.

Platypus continues its 120+ years of line development with this new generation mono, engineered from the ground up using the latest raw materials and refined processes to produce a line that exceeds the expectations of today’s serious angler.

Proudly made in Australia, Pulse Premium boasts fine diameters and excellent abrasion resistance, offering anglers the best of both worlds, along with a smooth and slick finish that casts long and knots extremely well. The Ghost Clear colour is designed to reflect its environment, much like the scales of a fish, allowing it to blend effectively into a wide range of environments.

Platypus Pulse Premium is initially available in 300m spools and breaking strains from 4-50lb.

Price: SRP $20.95-$39.95 www.fishplatypus.com.au

MERCURY DUAL-HANDLE DTS

JURO FLEX-X RODS

2

Mercury’s Next Gen Dual-Handle Digital Throttle & Shift (DTS) system marks a major step in the product’s evolution, while still retaining all the best attributes of the DTS system.

The new ERC line-up offers solutions for multi-engine configurations. Boaters can choose between the standard dualhandle consolemount controls or the Premier dualhandle model, which includes a digital display in the control base. The display provides a broad variety of contextsensitive information to help the boater stay fully connected with the propulsion system through all phases of boat operation.

Additional enhancements include a built-in Command Module in the controls, Active Trim quick access buttons and in a neutral gear display on the handle.

Other features include a green neutral indicator light on the throttle handle(s) that quickly confirms gear position, a convenient throttle-only feature for starting and warming the engine(s), a large start/stop button and an oversized trim switch. Multi-engine controls have a start/stop-all button for all engines, and buttons for starting and stopping individual engines, as well as the ability to trim all or individual engines. www.mercurymarine.com.au

NEW BAIT JUNKIE MODELS

3

The Bait Junkie range welcomes two new models: Risky Critter and Kikker Curly.

The 76.2mm Risky Critter is ultra-realistic in profile, with meticulously designed and positioned appendages delivering natural, subtle movement both at rest and on the move.

Designed to be fished either full length or cutdown, the Risky Critter is equally at home fished lightly weighted and pitched next to a pontoon for bream or dropped deep into a laydown as a trailer on a skirted jig for bass.

The Kikker Curly surface frog is sure to make its mark over the coming months. Made from Elastomax material, this 83mm/3.2” floating frog features twin curled legs that deliver a seductive leg beat on the retrieve.

Sized to perfectly fit a 1/0 offset worm hook, the Kikker Curly is absolute surface candy when twitched ‘n’ paused, or burned across the top, with bass and toga destined to become obsessed with the Kikker Curly this summer.

The Risky Critter is available in 12 colours and comes in a pack of six, while the Kikker Curly is available in four colours and comes in a pack of three. www.daiwafishing.com.au

58

JANUARY 2022

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

1 2

3

5

Juro Ozpro Tackle has released six new models in its popular and affordable range of Flex-X rods.

The new models will complement the current range and now offer 16 models to cover most forms of fishing. The Juro Flex-X rods are built with the latest technology using Multiflex Fibres, giving superior strength, power and durability. These rods have awesome actions with soft tips and powerful butt sections.

Flex-X Series rods are also extremely sensitive as well as durable – this is a range of rods that is built to last. They feature green and gold metallic butt wraps and are under- and overbound, with deluxe stainless-steel hooded reel seats.

Other features include shaped EVA grips, aluminium oxide guides, rubber butt caps and integrated solid glass tips. www.jurofishing.com

ATC VIGILANCE 16000

4

6

Built for the demands of heavy tackle sportfishing, the ATC Vigilance 16000’s body and rotor are constructed from high grade, corrosion-resistant aluminium to ensure the reel is built from a foundation of strength.

12+1 stainless steel bearings that allow this reel to operate under extreme pressure that sees 30kg of drag pressure able to be applied. The ported aluminium is cut from a single piece of aluminium, ensuring that under these extreme loads, nothing will fail.

ATC’s dual drag system incorporates drag washers both above and below the spool. This reduces the spool wobble associated with single-drag reels and delivers superior performance, with low start inertia and smooth performance throughout the drag range.

A waterproof seal on the rotor and the body frame ensures no saltwater gets into the vital moving parts. This gives ATC the confidence to give the reels a 5-year warranty against manufacturing faults.

There are two models, the 16000 and 16000H. The 16000 has a retrieve rate of 5:1, while the 16000H has a faster retrieve at 5.7:1. Each reel weighs under 700g and takes 430m of PE5 line, making them ideal for lure casting for species such as mackerel, GT, tuna and wahoo. www.wilsonfishing.com

5

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

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PRODUCT GUIDE

TESTING BOOTH

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Power Pole Micro Anchor System – Consider one for your small tinnie A couple of issues back, I took you through the Micro Power Pole anchor system and the options you have to install it on a small tinnie. You can check that article out online or you can go to Fishing Monthly’s YouTube channel, where Steve Morgan also takes you through the options.

In that article I explained that you can either hard wire the Micro Power Pole to your boat or use the clamp bracket and

Everything you need to install and connect your Micro Power Pole Anchor is provided. You just need to drill four holes to fit it, if you want to permanently attached it to your boat. associated lithium battery accessories that are available. This system provides more flexibility as far as where you place it on your boat and the ability to transfer it from boat to boat if you desire.

In the end the flexible option has won the day for me. To be able to remove the Power Pole when I know the fishing I will be doing doesn’t require its use, just means less things to clutter and/or worry

about. All the benefits, but only when you need them.

What does the hard install process require?

Please note the word install in that sentence. What I mean by this is physically attaching the Micro Power Pole unit to the boat. It is a three step process. Firstly, decide where you want the unit to sit, mark where you need to drill fours holes to bolt the unit to the hull and drill those holes. The second step is to attach the unit to the hull. All the bolts, lug nuts, washers and the Allen key to tighten them, are provided.

The final step is to attach the power harness to your battery system. This can either connect to your starter battery or a separate battery source. I have wired in the harness, so I can use it and/or the lithium battery set up, if I am going on extended trips and charging batteries is out of the equation. Again, inline fuses, connectors, the capped power harness and screws are all provided.

What the Power Pole Micro Anchor System offers you on the water The question I get asked most by people who have seen the Micro Power Pole system on my boat is what is it and what do I use it for? The easiest answer for me is to explain that a big part of the fishing that I enjoy is fishing shallow water in our estuaries and lakes for fish species like bream, flathead, whiting and Australian bass, just to name a few.

On many occasions my boat is sitting in less than 6 foot of water and I am casting into channels of deeper water, across large expanses of shallow water or along weed edges and points. Stealth is a big component of this type of fishing and the Power Pole provides an additional tool in minimising noise in this situation. Once in position I can Power Pole down, hold position, and effectively fish the area I am in. No noise from electric motors and I can even turn sounders off to reduce my noise footprint even more. I have seen a definite improvement in my success in this situation since installing the Micro Power Pole to my boat.

Other questions answered The one thing that I can definitely tell you is since having the Micro Power Pole on my boat is lots of questions from curious anglers. The main two I have covered, but I thought people considering purchasing a system for their tinnie would be interested in my observations.

How long does the battery last?

I am yet to flatten the lithium battery (standalone set up) while fishing. It lasted a three day trip with normal use without needing to be charged. The beauty of a lithium battery is they have no charging memory, so you can maintain a full charge when not in use, no matter how much or how little it has been used.

How deep will the Micro Power Pole allow you to anchor in?

This obviously depends on the type of boat you install it on and where you mount it, but on my Quintrex 435 Hornet Trophy it will hold in up to 6 feet of water.

A soft muddy bottom and lots of current can change this, but otherwise you hold perfectly in this depth.

Do you travel with the Power Pole up between locations?

I store the 8 foot pole if I am going at speed between locations. I have travelled

Flathead are a prime target species in shallow water. The author caught this fish while Power Poled down at the mouth of a drain coming out of the mangroves in the background. has been hit by a deluge of rain (as has much of the East coast), which has limited my opportunities to get on the water.

There is no doubt that this flush of our waterways will result in some great fishing throughout the summer months and I am looking forward to taking advantage of it.

The author has neatly wired the power harness to his cranking battery as a backup should he need it on extended trips.

By using the Mount Bracket to install the Micro Power Pole Anchor to his boat, the author not only has the flexibility to remove it or transfer it between boats, he can also use either the Micro Anchor lithium battery pak (left) or the power harness (attached to his cranking battery) to power it.

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

on the plane with it up and folded at a 45 degree angle and had no issues, but I find it easier to remove it (hold the up button on and take the pole out of the unit) and store it out of the way. Then put it back into the unit as required.

If I am slowly moving spots or on the electric motor I leave it up and in place.

How hard is it to use?

The simplest method to operate the Power Pole is press the down button twice and the unit does all the work for you. It finds the bottom, locks you in place with a couple of add pushes and off you go fishing. Two presses of the up button and the pole comes up and hold in a position where it is safe to travel. This can be done on the unit itself or the toggle and boat mount that is provided.

This is what I have used predominantly, however if you are looking to anchor at that maximum depth range and have a softer bottom, it pays to use it manually.

This way the unit doesn’t continue to look for a solid footing.

I am looking forward to more shallow water fishing At the time of writing SE Queensland

I can see my Micro Power Pole system getting plenty of use in the very near future.

To find out more for yourself go to www.power-pole.com.au. You will find a full list of stockists and more information on the full range of products available. Peter Jung

To find out where your local stockist is, go to www.power-pole.com.au.

JANUARY 2022

59

Sydney

NSW

Fishing in perfect Pittwater day. It is a matter of getting out on the water and observing the surface, and recognising schools of baitfish being

PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Once again, this past month we have been able to enjoy a truly magnificent river, which is of course Pittwater.

The stunning, sunny days and windless mornings have made it a pleasure to be on the water, with clean water and schools of surface feeding fish. They are truly the days that us charter operators and keen fishos often dream of.

Over the past month we have been catching some great kingfish as well as flathead, squid, tailor and the odd flounder as well. We are looking forward to tangling with more of these species as well as some jewfish.

At the moment, as previously mentioned, kingfish are being seen on the surface so there is no one area to target them from day to

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JANUARY 2022

fluoro colours working well.

The best colour at the moment seems to be anything that has orange on it. We have been

Even bream can put a smile on kids’ faces.

This 80cm kingfish put up a great fight.

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pushed towards the surface by the predators. This can be made easier by looking out for seagulls and other

seabirds that are diving and getting amongst the action on the surface.

These schools of kingfish can be targeted in a few ways, and one of my favourites is to use poppers or surface soft plastics such as Slug-Gos. These lures, when worked across the surface, will often entice a great strike or at least get the fish following back to the boat. Whilst drifting and casting to these working schools, it is also a good idea to have a live bait such as a yellowtail pinned down just out of sight, and make sure your rod is in a sturdy rod holder.

Remember to respect other anglers already fishing the bust-up. Give room, don’t run over the school and if you can, keep the boat noise to a minimum. The fish aren’t on the surface for long so be prepared for long casts and let the fish come to you instead of chasing them all over the river.

If you happen to get on the water and there is no evidence of any surface activity, downrigging becomes a great way to find some fish. Downrigging along the western side of Pittwater has been a great way to find some fish whilst using live squid.

There has also been some activity amongst the moorings on the eastern side of Pittwater, so keep your eyes peeled.

Other areas to try for kingfish are Barrenjoey Head, Lion Island and around Scotland Island as well as the surrounding bays.

Squid are getting easier to find with each week that passes, and some of the better areas are Morning Bay, Palm Beach weed beds, West Head and the fringes of Barrenjoey Head.

The better size jigs to use seem to be 2.0 sizes, with the

using an aggressive retrieve with lots of long pauses to great effect.

For those wanting to tangle with a few flathead, the usual Pittwater drifts are working well, with the best being the drop-off that goes between Palm Beach and Mackerel Beach.

There have also been some decent size flathead being caught near West Head. My favourite area though, when the current and winds allow, is to drift from Patonga to West head. This area is our go-to drift when all else fails, and more often than not it produces a good feed of fish.

For those of you who want to anchor and berley up, you can try Flint and Steel, Juno Point, Eleonoras Bluff, The Pressure Wave (halfway between Juno Point and Eleonoras Bluff) as well as Walker Point.

This list of areas will give you some spots to try that work both on a rising or dropping tide.

Before deploying your anchor, scan the area with your sounder to make sure there are some baitfish around.

If you’re fishing Flint and Steel and you want to keep your anchor, move upcurrent of the reef before deploying. You want to anchor upcurrent of the reef and berley back towards the reef for your best chance at flathead, jewfish, bream and other passing species.

Offshore along our coast we’re finding kingfish in close in most areas of rocky headlands. Newport Reef right through to and including Long Reef have seen a lot of kingfish being caught. Most of these fish are small but a lot of fun can be had when using light tackle. If you keep on moving, eventually you will find a decent fish to take home.

Another decent flathead from the Patonga drifting grounds.

Further off the coasts there are some good captures of flathead over the sand in 50m of water, and there is the odd snapper as well. There are also some good reef fish being caught around the reefs in 60-80m of water.

So, as you can see, it is an

exciting time to go fishing, so give me a call – we can take you out on the water to enjoy a wonderful day.

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

Jake and Bodhi caught this beautiful mulloway (113cm) in Ballina, Richmond River using live yakkas they caught off the bridge.

Recreational Fishing Update Research Angler Program Wants Your Frames!

As water temps start to warm, anglers along the NSW coast will hopefully start to see pelagic species like kingfish entering their local waters.

Along with being fantastic sportfish, kingies are also great on the plate. If you do keep one for the table, you can donate the frame to the Research Angler Program (RAP) to get the most out of your capture.

Pictured here is one of our regular RAP donators with an impressive NSW North Coast king measuring 109cm. The frame from this fish led to it being estimated at six years old.

Along with kingies, the RAP is also looking for frames from mulloway, snapper, dusky flathead, bluespotted sand flathead, pearl perch, Spanish mackerel and spotted mackerel.

The frame from any legal sized fish from the above list will provide our researchers with valuable data, so don’t think your frames need to be of large size in order to provide valuable insight into these species.

As well as playing a key role in a cool fisheries research program, you receive an entry into our monthly prize draw for each frame you donate.

Natives Breeding in Lower DarlingBaaka River

impoundments for giant Murray cod. With so much on offer, it’s no wonder that for many of us, fishing is more than just catching a fish – it’s a way of life.

This is why safeguarding our waterways is so important – by preserving and enhancing fish stocks and protecting the places we love to fish, we can ensure a positive future for our sport, the next generation of fishos and the environment.

Fish For Life is a new campaign initiative of NSW DPI and the Recreational Fishing NSW Advisory Council which promotes the sustainable growth of recreational fishing in

If you are interested in learning more about the RAP, as well as finding out where your local fish frame donation location points are, check out the DPI website and search ‘Research Angler Program’.

The RAP is another great example of your license fees at work!

If You Live For Fishing, Then Fish For Life!

NSW offers a range of incredible recreational fishing experiences, from offshore gamefishing for rampaging marlin and metre-plus kingfish to soaking a bait in a tranquil estuary for bread & butter species like bream and whiting to casting big swimbaits in western

NSW plus raises awareness of the positive social benefits associated with our great sport. As well as highlighting all the fantastic things about fishing, Fish For Life also encourages passionate fishers just like you to get involved in helping build a healthy fishing future in NSW. Learn more by visiting the DPI website and search ‘Fish For Life’.

This new initiative is being run using funding from the Recreational Fishing Trusts.

Book Your 2022 Eco Fishing Hut Holiday!

NSW Fisheries is working closely with water managers at DPIE Environment, Energy & Science, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and WaterNSW to deliver water (including environmental water) to support and improve native fish recovery in the Lower Darling-Baaka.

Good rainfall flows in 2021 supported by environmental water helped inundate nesting sites for Murray cod, geared golden perch adults up to spawn and helped juvenile goldens disperse from the Menindee Lakes throughout the Darling-Baaka.

Did you know a single adult female golden perch can produce up to half a million eggs a year? Or that a female Murray Cod can produce up to 60,000 eggs per year?

The collaboration between DPI Fisheries and other agencies is future proofing native fish stocks by enhancing breeding conditions and providing fish passage with healthy rivers flows in the lower Darling-Baaka River.

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Great news for NSW recreational fishing licence holders (or those holding a valid exemption) – you can now book your next Eco Fishing Hut adventure!

This is a great chance to book one of the 21 amazing locations in NSW National Parks, ranging from coastal beach stays to rustic huts perched below snow-capped mountains.

Another good reason to book is you can get a 33% discount across the full range of Eco Fishing Huts, thanks to contributing funding from the Recreational Fishing Trusts.

Make sure you keep an eye on the DPI Fisheries Facebook page for new and exciting fishy getaways being added to the list as they become available.

When you make a booking, make sure to enter the code “ECOHUTS” and include your recreational licence number or your fishing fee exemption details in the comments section.

To find out more go to the DPI website and search ‘Ecohuts’.

The Eco Fishing Hut initiative is a great example of your fishing fees at work!

JANUARY 2022

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Sydney

NSW

Time to sharpen your skills SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

Welcome to 2022! Make this one a bigger and better year than ever.

Be ambitious, and push yourself to achieve new goals. If you target scenarios/approaches that you’re not so good at, you’ll become a more consistent angler. Testing your skills is a bit like

3/0 or 4/0 set of gangs and whole pilchard rig, I’ll add a Wilson surf popper.

I normally chop off the rig and tie on approx. 20-30cm of 40-50lb fluorocarbon leader and tie it to the top swivel. Below that swivel is approx. 45-60cm of leader and the ganged pilchard rig.

Often the strike you get will be on the surf popper rather than the ganged pilchard. The surf popper bobs/bloops up and down

pink nippers aren’t cheap, and you don’t want to see your bait supply evaporate too quickly. The next gutter you move to could produce far better. If you have the time to catch your own beach worms, so much the better. I teach beach worming as well as all beach, rock and the majority of estuary species.

Jew fishing off the beaches has been sporadic this season. They’re in late this season, with only a few being caught by the very dedicated. You might pull it off on the first outing or on the 20th outing this season.

You have to be patient when targeting this species.

Big beach worms, fish fillets like mullet, chopper tailor and yellowtail work well. Butterflied mullet and yellowtail, squid strips and whole squid are the

When using a stem float, it works best when it is well weighted. The means that the top of the stem does not completely disappear when a wave peaks. The wave and white foam and flotsam you may encounter off the ocean rocks can make it very difficult for you to see your float, especially when your float has drifted away from you 20m+. That is the reason to not have an overly weighted float that has been near ‘neutral’ weighted (i.e. the top of the stem disappears when a wave passes). Bear in mind this is only a basic rule of thumb, and doesn’t suit every scenario.

Catching snapper off the rocks is one of my favourite types of fishing. They are great fighting fish, look amazing, and you learn to Josh Wood’s first salmon – an impressive 70cm cracker of a fish! You may encounter fish like this and sizeable tailor off the ocean beaches this month, usually in low light periods and at night. on crustaceans, molluscs and small fish. Fish the sudsy white water for better results. The strike is normally a solid ‘bam’.

When hooked up, the ‘donk donk bounce’ signature tail-beat of a snapper will indicate you’re onto a reddie.

For the more traditional method, berley up with pilchard cubes, bread mush and prawn heads, and fish with peeled king, tiger, banana or endeavour prawns or half pilchards.

Squid strips work a treat as well.

Byron Kwok and family with a 42cm whiting caught off the beach, taken on a live beach worm. It’s best to keep moving until you find a productive gutter. science. Break it down to smaller components, test your skills/techniques in all weather conditions (provided it’s safe), and use the process of elimination to determine which approaches work best in different situations.

BEACH FISHING Big, fat Aussie salmon and sizeable tailor are prowling the beach gutters, hunting for any small fish that get in their way. The only escape for small fish is the shallows, white water and churned-up sand to escape these aggressive predators.

Salmon and tailor like the deep gutters but don’t mind doing reconnaissance missions in search for food in the shallows, especially in flatter sea conditions.

At the end of the day the predators will go where the baitfish are.

Salmon to 70cm and tailor to 58cm are being caught on several of the northern beaches in Sydney. When fishing for tailor/salmon with a 3-hook 62

JANUARY 2022

each time a wave goes past, giving the surf popper the action to predators that are close by. The occasional flathead is also nailed using this method. And there are times you will have a double hook-up – very exciting!

The whiting are on virtually all of the beaches, but some locations have better numbers than others, depending on the day. The size of the whiting are varying from just-legal 27cm fish to stud 42-43cm specimens. On my YouTube channel you can check out my Alex Bellissimo 2-hook paternoster rig.

Alternatively, you can fish with a single hook rig.

You can get a bycatch of quality bream, dart and more species on the surf beaches when targeting whiting, but undersized fish are outnumbering the bigger fish. If you are getting multiple bites from undersized dart and whiting, and hardly any decent fish, I recommend moving to another gutter.

Live beach worms and

Distance casting for snapper has been producing great results as well. I like to use more robust baits when distance casting to withstand both the big cast and the impact of the bait hitting the water. You can use a stretchy white string called Bait Mate which you can bind on your baits – something that’s normally used for softer baits.

Cotton works quite well also, and is better for the environment.

When it comes to sinkers, I have been using To page 63

This snapper was caught distance casting with the lightweight Stealth 65S. When distance casting, use tough baits such as squid strips, cuttlefish strips or salted slimy mackerel. preferred baits.

For all of these beach species try mid to north Palm Beach, North Avalon, Newport, North and South Narrabeen, Dee Why and Curl Curl.

ROCK FISHING Luderick are normally targeted in the winter months, possibly because most rock fishers get summer species fever and ignore everything else.

However, luderick are well worth targeting at the moment, as they are in good numbers at some of the headlands. Cabbage weed and hair weed baits may vary depending on what the luderick prefer at the location and on the day.

fish the sudsy white water for not just snapper but multiple species.

Catching snapper on plastics adds another dimension to catching this wonderful species. Lately I have been catching some reasonable snapper on the Bait Junkie 3.2” Minnow in oil flash, the 4” Grub in creaming soda, and the 5” Jerkshad in pilchard glo.

When you cast out your plastic, know what the sink rate is and count. Expect to lose some plastics and jigheads as you’re getting right in amongst nasty territory where the snapper live. The fish are generally close to the bottom or close in to a deep wall, feeding

This snapper fell for a Bait Junkie 3.2” Minnow. Fishing the deeper rock heads with plastics is a great way to fish for them.

NSW

Sydney

Kingfish catches improving SYDNEY NTH

Steve Winser

With very ordinary weather conditions recently (especially the weekends!) and a lot of rain thanks to our La Niña cycle, it’s been a mixed bag over the past month.

Water temperatures are slowly picking up, although they are still pretty low

for this time of year. As a result, the winter staples of bream, blackfish, drummer and groper are still on offer, provided the weather conditions allow access to the washes.

Quality black drummer and blue groper are still being caught. A high tide with bread and prawns in a bread berley trail fishing 15-24kg gear will get you onto these. The same set-up scaled down to 3kg is

working for the bream and blackfish.

The kingfish are making their expected appearance in the lower harbour, with good average size fish to be had around the 75-95 mark. There are a few bigger fish amongst them. Again, they are picky, with fresh squid and cuttlefish being the choice if you want to maximise your chances. The markers, bottom structure and points

Ben with a wet weather king.

From page 62

the new Enviro Friends Lead-Free Sinkers from NAF. You can use weights from 2-6oz.

Kingfish, some bonito, tailor and salmon are on the chew. Live yellowtail, 7” Bait Junkie Jerkshads, and ganged sea gars have been producing some fish.

When using live yellowtail, the preferred method when fishing over a rocky bottom is suspending the yellowtail under a foam float like a torpedo float. Use a float stopper and you can vary the depth you need to fish. You may have the float stopper set at 2m or much more depending on the depth of the location you’re fishing.

For the smaller pelagics, a metal ranging from 25-65g will be best.

A quick tip: when using a 25g or even lighter metals, preferably use under 8kg braid and leader or under 8kg mono to maximise your casting distance. If you have a sizeable fish for this gear, the fish will have to be washed out if it’s too heavy to lift.

A good location to try is Manly’s Bluefish’s eastern front ledges.

Preferably fish this location in a swell less than 1.2m. When checking the weather/ swell forecast, use

common sense! When the swell prediction you see on the weather/surf sites indicate a specific swell size, it does not mean that that is the ‘real’ swell size. Fishing the easterly exposed headlands, the swell size can be substantially larger.

Bluefish, North Curl Curl, south and north Whale headlands are exposed to ocean swells and can have a larger swell size compared to the more tucked in headlands. Just an example of some very exposed rock spots.

All in all, it’s set to be a cracker of a month!

I mentioned at the beginning of the column to test your skills, but that doesn’t mean you should do anything foolish.

When it comes to ocean rock fishing, some anglers are in the L plate category while others are in the black diamond category.

If you’re still learning, you must be particularly cautious. Take rock fishing SERIOUSLY and seek the right advice! I am happy to assist you.

Be safe and have a great month.

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

on the run-in tide have been working the best for us.

Squidding has been good lately, with success being had over both the ribbon weed and kelp areas. Jigs between 2.0 to 3.5 are our choice, with orange/pinks or blue/greens doing best.

Next month should see a continuation of a rise in water temperatures, and the kingfish should further improve – although the weather could play a big part on how much fishing can actually be done. Time will tell.

Tight lines everyone.

• Fishing Sydney Tours takes pride in tailoring every trip to the customer’s preferred species, style of angling, and level of expertise, all within a friendly and relaxed atmosphere at competitive rates. There are some excellent fishing spots that can be accessed straight off Sydney, and we will show you where. We offer harbour, wash and offshore fishing for species ranging from kingfish and mulloway through to snapper and mahimahi. For more info go to www.fishingsydneytours. com.au, call 0481 120 600 or look up ‘Fishing Sydney Tours’ on Facebook.

Albert with his first black drummer.

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NSW

Summer scavenger hunt SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Many of you will still be enjoying your holidays when this issue of Fishing Monthly hits the stands. As for me, I will spend the time checking out many of the local shore-

plastics for flathead and then, when the tide is just about all the way out, I will switch to using blades.

The best baits by far for the bream, flathead, flounder and whiting would be blood worms and pink nippers. You could also use pilly tails, strips of mullet and tuna. Chicken breast also goes well here.

you have a small but steady stream of berley. Green weed or cabbage mixed up with semi-moist sand is the best for berley.

Take two rods so that you can set one rig out wide, while using the other with a lightly weighted bait as you wait for the other to get a bite. To help you land the fish you will need to have a long-handled net. The best position here for bream, trevally and tailor is at the ends of both walls.

You can use a variety of 3-6” soft plastics on 1/4-1/6oz jigheads for the flathead, salmon and tailor (I use ZMan plastics rigged on TT

Yellowfin bream can be real scavengers at times and will eat everything from mullet strips to crabs, nippers, chicken, cunje, cheese and even bread.

Scotty Lyons caught a few nice luderick off this pontoon. based fishing spots in my area. Plus, I will also be getting out in my boat to do a fair bit of surface fishing for bream, flathead and whiting with lures and soft plastics.

To help you out a bit I am going to list four land-based places that you can try with both baits and lures.

First up, there is a small break wall and a rocky point situated east of the Yarra Bay sailing club that is worth a shot for bream, flathead, whiting and squid. Salmon and tailor can also be caught from here. It’s a great place to fish in a northerly wind.

This would have to be one of my favourite squid spots at the top of the tide. Once the tide has gone halfway out, I will change over the using soft

Early morning and late afternoon seem to produce the better catches. If it is overcast you can fish right through the day. Night-time fishing from the break wall can be brilliant at times – you just have to keep an eye out for the water rats, as they can steal your baits.

There is a small break wall on either side of the entrance to the Cooks River that can be easily accessed. As you sit here having a fish you can watch the planes at the Mascot airport come and go.

Bream, dusky flathead, flounder, luderick, sand whiting, salmon, silver trevally, squid and tailor are the main targets.

If you are after luderick you will need to fish the run-out tide with a stemmed float and make sure that

Walking the shoreline at low tide in the estuaries can be very productive when using either bait or lures. This pair were caught while flicking out unweighted peeled prawns.

Tournament jigheads). TT Switchblades would be great for the flathead, as well as bream, whiting and trevally.

Make sure you put in a couple of squid jigs, too.

On the southern side of Botany Bay, you could try Sutherland Point-Botany Bay National Park. Just about anything can be caught while

fishing from here. If the swell is up, I’d suggest fishing inside the point where the white water ends.

Part of Sutherland Point is an IPA, and the collecting of seashore animals is strictly prohibited in these closures.

This includes crabs, snails, cunjevoi, octopus, sea urchins, anemones, pipis, cockles, mussels, oysters, and nippers.

The area extends from the mean high-water mark to 10m seaward from the mean low water mark. Fishing is permitted in these areas, but bait collection is not allowed, although you may bring bait

with you up to the quantity allowed by NSW Fisheries.

Peeled prawns, half pillies, strips of mullet and tuna are good choices, and you could also try using cunje and bread for bait. Remember to berley.

Cast out into the deeper water with 40-60g metal slices for tailor and salmon. Don’t forget to take along a few squid jigs for the big squid that feed here during the cooler months of the year.

A couple of hours either side of the top of the tide is the best time to fish. If you would prefer to fish during the lower tides, I’d suggest using a

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JANUARY 2022

A nice feed of bream and flathead caught while fishing the Woronora River using strips of mullet for bait. Remember to keep only what you need for a couple of feeds.

10-12ft rod and a double-hook paternoster.

Kelso Beach Reserve is a small beach on the bend of the river that can be very productive at times for bream, whiting and flathead. Just downstream from here is a set of rocks that can be fished on an outgoing tide for bream, flathead, whiting and luderick.

At certain times of the year, you can find green weed in the creek on the opposite side of the main road.

Make sure that you bring along a rod holder so that you can set your outfits up out of the sand while waiting for that next bite. It’s a great place to try out those new soft plastics and lures because there are very few snags.

Try using pink nippers or blood worms here. If not, I would try squirt or tube worms for whiting, bream and flathead. It’s a great place to have a go with soft plastics and blades as you can cast out wide into deep water. Remember to work them back to where you are standing in small, slow hops.

Fishing both the run-in and run-out tides will produce fish here. On the weekends the boat traffic can get a bit hectic at times; late afternoon and early mornings seem to be the quietest.

For those of you who like getting the sand between your toes, I would try Maroubra, Coogee, Wanda, Garie and Stanwell Park beaches for whiting, bream and dart during the day, and salmon and tailor in the early hours of the morning or just before the sun sets.

The Kurnell Peninsula can produce bream and trevally right throughout the day in the right conditions. Don’t forget to berley to keep the fish on the chew.

Botany Bay will have bream, whiting, flathead, flounder and crabs on the chew. Try Towra wide, the sticks, the oil wharf, Yarra Bay and Trevally Alley.

Don’t forget to keep those reports and photos coming in to gbrown1@iprimus.com. au. I won’t give away your secret spots!

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NSW

Summer surface luring action BALLINA

Joe Allan

Crabs have turned up in patches around the middle reaches from Pimlico to Broadwater, and even higher up around Woodburn. There have been reports of plenty of blue swimmers still around and the muddies, while a little patchy, have shown up but you might have to do some searching for them. Give the 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.

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 deafening, remember to tie on your surface lures to imitate these tasty snacks for bass.

The trick with these lures 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 are producing some great catches. Small crankbaits up to about 50mm have been pulling in some great fish once that surface bite has finished.

The lower reaches of the Richmond have produced some great catches of bream of late. Try casting noisy crankbaits at the walls early in the mornings while the tide is running. Fluorocarbon line straight through is best suited for this. A good lure to try is the Atomic Crank 38 Deep, and the water clarity will determine the colour I’d pick. I like dark colours for low light, solid and bright colours for dirty water, and

more translucent and natural finishes for bright sun and clearer water.

The whiting fishing has

been going well of late. The shallow sand flats in North Creek and out the front of the RSL are producing

Maron Bleakley with his first bass and it came on surface. An Atomic Cicada did the damage for the young angler.

Damon Andrews with a really nice bass taken from walking the banks at Coopers Creek. some solid fish on Bassday Sugapens.

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 (that’s a skill I have not yet mastered).

Offshore has been patchy, with the best results on the dolphinfish coming from around the FADs. Make sure you get a long drift on these. Live yakkas have been working the best, fished with almost no 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 caught off the FADs as well, and these

ba Prawn Blade s” “Yam

guys can be pretty fun on light tackle.

Mackerel will come in towards the end of December and should be really thick through January. There were

some good reports around the Gold and Sunshine Coast early in December, so as the water warms up these beauties will come along with it.

Damon Andrews with a solid bream caught around Wardell.

Christian Booker with a tasty pearl perch taken off Ballina on a Majorcraft JigPara.

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Michael Starkey with a thumping snapper from Riordans Reef south of Ballina.

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NSW

Fishing the flush out COFFS COAST

Rob Taylor

As usual, the end of year period from late November and through December has been relatively hard going for most anglers in the area. Sure, there have still been some classic catches, but this time of year marks the winding down of winter species and the drawn-out wait for the first licks of warm east coast current to hit our shores, bringing with it its summer bounty of pelagic speedsters.

Offshore has been rather hit and miss, with snapper making up the majority of captures. Those anglers prepared to push out wide have enjoyed some good days on striped marlin, and there were even reports of the first black for the season falling to a trolled skirt in 100m. Water out wide at the time of writing was 24°C and blue.

The creeks, rivers and beaches were all fishing well until a spate of downpours made it hard to find a fish in the soup.

Mulloway were one of the few beneficiaries of the

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dirty water, and some solid silver ghosts hit the rocks and sand as a result of the rain. Big flatties, bass and some belligerent GTs were the main river targets, with jacks starting to turn up in good numbers at all their usual haunts.

In the first month of 2022 (subject to the whims of Miss La Niña) we should see this part of the world starting to fire.

Let’s break it down as to what you can expect when fishing the Coffs coast in January.

CREEKS AND RIVERS Now that the creeks and rivers have benefitted from a good flushing, they should all now be offering some hot action for flathead, whiting, GTs, jacks and the odd bream (so long as the rain backs off). Fishing the flats in the lower reaches with either baits or lures

The author with a solid red that took a 6” Gulp Jerk Shad, posed for a pic and then went back in the water.

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will produce flathead and whiting. Jacks will either be upstream around likelylooking snags or patrolling the rock walls at the mouths of the bigger systems. GTs stay on the move and can pop up anywhere, but will generally be found in the same water as the jacks.

Bass and cod are now hitting their prime month so get out there either on foot or in yaks and canoes, and enjoy what our freshwater scene has to offer. No matter how many times you experience it, a topwater bass strike (and then a cod trying to eat that very bass) will keep you coming back for more.

ROCKS AND BEACHES While jewfish, tailor and salmon will still be taken off the rocks and beaches, their numbers will dwindle as the water

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warms. In their place we’ll see whiting, dart and flathead on offer from the sand.

The rocks will really get exciting as pelagics become viable targets at the end of the month. There will still be blackfish and the odd drummer about, and they can generally be targeted in the wash zones on any of the local headlands.

The LBG brigade will be dusting off their gear and awaiting the first reports of longtails being taken from the stones. There are any number of good ledges in the Coffs area to either live bait or spin from, to entice one of the regular pods of tuna which streak past them from now until around August. The odd Spanish

mackerel and cobia will also swim within casting distance of the shoreline.

Mac tuna, as always, will be everywhere and stealing precious live baits.

OFFSHORE January is the month when many a dormant angler awakens to meet the seasonal run of mackerel which arrive with the warmer water. It can only be described as the crazy season as they’re a muchvaunted fish around these parts, elevated to an almost mythical status by some fishos. The good thing is they’re pretty easy to catch and are a lot of fun on light gear. Handle them properly and they’ll provide several nice meals.

Both spotted and

Spanish mackerel visit our waters, and will fall to the usual methods of trolling or floating live baits or the new ‘cool’ trend of topwater spinning and stickbaiting. While lure fishing may be a more glamorous and photogenic way to target the razors, nothing beats a downrigged slow trolled livie.

Support actors such as wahoo, longtails, the marlin trifecta of blues, blacks and stipes, and plenty of other pelagics make this a great time of year to be offshore. Like everyone else, I’m hoping the rain and nor’east wind patterns don’t shut it all down before it begins, and allow the current to do its thing and bring us the fish.

Shane Duncan with a healthy mulloway taken from one of the offshore reefs.

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NSW

New Year’s bucket list THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

Welcome to the new year guys, let’s hope we all have a great 2022! My idea for a good year is to do more fishing, and maybe set a few goals on things I would like to achieve with my fishing.

Trust me, this list is long and helps keep the keenness in my

around the edges and the weed beds. Flathead are suckers for a 3” plastic. Match that up to a 1/6oz jighead and you are in business. Walking the banks or casting into the banks will get you fish, the trick is to be mobile, and keep moving until you find them.

Bream are throughout the system, and although plastics catch more than their share, at this time of year surface fishing is fun and rewarding.

or bass for that matter when they are about. Those days when the cicadas are deafening with their song are the best, just remember the ear plugs.

Whiting should be all over the sand flats, and again, skipping a surface lure across the top is a great way to get connected to a few. Lake Cathie, Pelican island and Limeburners Creek are great places to get a feed.

The beaches will be popular this month, with whiting, bream, flatties and mulloway on the target list.

Beach worms will be prime bait and will catch all the above-mentioned species. In years past I have found getting on the water early or going

Eathan with his first mulloway caught upriver. and heading back later; you will be surprised that a spot that had surfers and swimmers in daylight holds a fair number of fish when it quietens down.

Beaches to try will be Lighthouse, North beach,

Grants and Camden Haven, which all can be consistent.

There are a lot of smaller beaches between these that are also well worth exploring.

Get out there and enjoy the new year.

Carolyn with her biggest flatty. fishing. If there is a species of fish or technique you haven’t done yet, or maybe even competing in a bream or bass tournament, set yourself a goal of achieving it and do the research. And by putting in the time on the water, you will get the reward of knowing you did the hard yards to get the results. Each new year holds so much promise, so get to it!

January in Port Macquarie is a month when on-water activity is at a peak, with lots of holiday anglers out and about. Even though it gets a bit crowded the fishing options are still good, and with a bit of luck the rain won’t flood us like last year and we can fish in clean water.

Hastings River, Camden Haven River and Lake Cathie will be excellent places to get into some flathead, bream and whiting. All three waterways have been fishing well, with plenty of flathead hanging

Depending on the conditions, you can use prawn imitations like Sugapens, Splash Prawns or little poppers, and by casting into and around structure you can have good action.

The other scenario is the cicadas show up and then it really is game on. A cicada lure cannot be resisted by a bream

Andrew with a nice whiting. These fish should be a great target this month. for a late evening fish is the most successful, as obviously there’s a fair bit of daytime activity going on. Heading out to fish a tide change at 9pm can often see a few whiting, bream and school mulloway caught. I recommend checking the beaches out in the daytime

Flathead and bream are a mainstay in the rivers over January.

Not the result Patrick wanted when he hooked this mangrove jack and the taxman struck!

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JANUARY 2022

Andrew Death with a 94cm beast caught fishing the shallows.

NSW

Fish are scoffing lures FORSTER

Luke Austin

Happy New Year! Forster Tuncurry is bursting at the seams with visitors at the moment, and while the weather has been a little touch-and-go, there are still plenty of people out enjoying the local environment and the fishing has been fantastic!

Flathead have really

producing some amazing fish. I’m not sure I have ever seen so many 90cm+ fish caught in a season!

Bream have been great on the weed beds south of Green Point. These areas have a lot of fish on them and there are some really nice fish in the mix. There are also loads of big fish lining the shore around Coomba Park, drawn to the deafening chorus of the cicadas. The bream lie in wait for an

and poppers through the shallows, and you will be amazed at the quality and number of fish you can pull from ankle-deep water. You will also likely find more than the odd large flathead and bream up there waiting to scoff down your lure!

The beaches are fishing well when the weather permits. Whiting, bream and flathead are all coming from the gutters and there isn’t really any beach that

There are regular reports of mulloway being caught. there have been a couple of positive reports coming from the shallow stuff. You may have to travel a little further than usual, but if you

well and truly kicked off now. Offshore water temps are creeping up and the water quality is fantastic so it’s no surprise that there are plenty

offer sound, friendly advice on where you can go to land your next trophy fish while visiting the wonderful Great Lakes region! They are open

Jack with a cracking bream from the southern section of Wallis Lake. turned it on over the past month or so. The rain has pushed them down to the front of the system where they have settled in huge numbers around the bridge, in The Paddock, along the break walls and up Breckenridge Channel.

Drifting with baits of whitebait, herring, pilchard, small slimy mackerel and

easy feed as freshly-hatched insects often find themselves falling into and flailing on the surface of the water. The rivers that feed into the main basin are slowly returning to normal, with a few reports coming in of some decent bags of fish, but the weed beds and flats are still fishing much better. There is the odd nice fish down on the break

Flathead on plastics and family fun go hand-in-hand! prawns will all work great, but soft plastics and soft vibes will outperform just about everything else. Working the shallow sand flats and broken ground in between oyster leases with large hardbodied lures has been

walls which is great news for the land-based anglers.

Sand whiting continue to fish very well up on the sand flats on the top of the tide. The big tides that we have this month are perfect for working those stickbaits

is fishing better than any others. For the more serious angler, mulloway reports have been nice and regular, with fish coming from 7 Mile, 9 Mile and Cellito beaches. However, you will have to put the time in if you are going to succeed in tricking one of these beautiful fish.

Reports from the stones have been few and far between. There are still a few active drummer about if you can find a bit of wash but unfortunately the tailor that were in there with them seem to have disappeared.

The ledges to the south are holding good numbers of kingfish. Most are only small rats but there are more than a few hoodlums mixed in to keep you on your toes!

There is a buzz of anticipation about the local ledges as the LBG season seems to be shaping up very nicely. Once the inshore water settles and clears a little, anything is possible!

There have been a few dedicated fishos testing the water early and there are a few mac tuna about. The good old cobia can’t be far off now!

Offshore has been fishing well, with a huge range of species on offer at the moment. Demersal reef species are still fishing better out on the deeper reefs, with most ground in 40-80m holding nice snapper, teraglin and pearl perch.

I’m happy to report that

Big whiting love a surface lure! fish nice and early in the day you should find plenty of nice snapper waiting to smash your lightly-weighted soft plastics.

The pelagic season has

of small black marlin and mahi mahi getting about.

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NSW

It’s all about timing PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

These school holidays are set to be the busiest on record, but there will still be some great fishing to be had, especially if you know what to target and the time to do it.

In the estuary, the trick this time of year is get out early before the holiday crowds get on the water and shut down the fish. There are some really

morning is a big part of being successful.

If you’re not getting any action on the surface, try slow rolling hardbodied cranks or go to a lightly-weighted 1/16-1/24oz jighead with a 2” plastic.

Whiting will be another good option at this time of year and probably the least affected species by waterway activity. Surface fishing will work well for these guys on the run-out tide around the

There have been a few striped and blue marlin out at the shelf, and there should also be quite a few inshore blacks caught this month. good flathead to be caught, even on the most heavily crowded beaches like Shoal Bay, Little Beach, and Nelson Bay – you just need to be there before anyone else.

Walking along these areas on first light casting either soft plastics or hardbodied lures around the 80-120mm mark should produce some quality lizards, with fish to 90cm not out of the question.

If you have a boat, you will get a much longer window of prime fishing time before the hustle and bustle, especially in the back bays like North Arm Cove, Number One Cove through to Pindimar Bay. There is quality surface fishing to be had for bream around the structure and rock bars, islands, points and oyster racks from Tahlee through to Tea Gardens. Again, early

Port Stephens Estuary Charters

intertidal zones, especially the ones adjacent to creeks and river systems.

If you want to use bait, get yourself some live worms and fish the high tides along Shoal Bay through to Corlette, or the adjacent beaches across the bay from Jimmys through to the Short Cut. There are some good crabbing opportunities at the moment, with quality mud crabs to 2kg in the feeder creeks of the Karuah and Tilligerry systems, while numbers of blue swimmers will come from the open Water around Taylors Beach through to North Arm Cove Down to Pindimar.

Early squid sessions should produce a feed through the moorings around Shoal Bay or through the weed beds opposite Jimmys Beach with smaller 2.5 size jigs working the best.

BEACHES If you can’t catch a heap of whiting off the ocean beaches at this time of year you’re doing something wrong, and most likely that will be not using live worms. The only other alternative baits worth using for whiting are dead worms or pipis, but even they come a far placed second to live.

High tide tends to be the

Some fantastic surface bream can be caught early in the morning around structure. best time to hit the ocean beaches, and Fingal, Samurai and Stockton are the most popular areas.

Some nice tailor are around on first and last light along Fingal spit, with spinning metal lures or ganged pillies or garfish the best ways to get into them.

January is also a good month to target mulloway from the beaches, with after dark sessions using live tailor, mullet or whiting often getting the results.

ROCKS The ocean rocks do slow down a bit over the summer

months, but you still should be able to pull some nice bream out of the wash zone using unweighted peeled prawns or cunjevoi.

Smaller pelagic fish such as bonito and tailor will provide some good fun spinning with light gear around Fingal Box Beach and Sunny Corner.

OFFSHORE Charter boats are reporting good numbers of trag and squire on 21, Vee and Gibber reefs as well as good catches of sand flathead around the edges where the reef meets sand.

It’s all about prawns SWANSEA

Jason Nunn

We’ve seen a great prawn run along the whole coast, and although we’re nearing the end of the run, anglers can still get some good catches. Prawning is a great activity for families, and it’s good to see holidaymakers enjoying catching these tasty crustaceans, either for food or as prime bait. All you need to get into them is a little prawn scoop and a light.

The average size of the prawns in January is a bit smaller than those caught in October-December. Most January prawns are small kings around 75-100mm, with a few better-quality ones amongst them. You may also be lucky enough to pick up a few big 20cm+ tiger prawns, if they’re running late. Some guys have been able to scoop the odd squid and flounder too, along with some blue swimmer crabs (remember that berried crabs must not be taken). Ultimately, at this time

Owen Coer, 8yo, with a cracking beach mulloway.

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JANUARY 2022

While there have been a few striped and blue marlin on and over the edge of the shelf, we should also see quite a few inshore blacks turning up this month. The best areas to target will depend on the where the best water is, which could be anywhere from a few miles off the heads right up to Seal Rocks. Keep an eye on the sea surface charts to get an idea where that good water is going to be, then home in on that.

Slow trolling live baits will be by far the most effective way to catch them, and you should concentrate your efforts around bait activity.

Kai was happy with this nice flatty.

of year you need to expect the unexpected!

The time to go prawning is on the run-out tide. The tide in Swansea turns three hours after the top of the high tide, and when it first turns you might get 45 minutes of slow run out, then it runs faster and you’ll start to see the prawns coming down. The prawns like to cling to weed or sticks, trying to hide from bream, whiting and squid. A single strand of weed might hold 4-5 prawns.

JANUARY FISHING Some people say the fishing is tough at this time of year, but those people are making the mistake of fishing when the holiday boat traffic is shutting down the fish.

Most holidaymakers will hit the water around 8:30am or so, and have a swim and a bit of a fish before heading home around 4pm. For that reason, if you’re serious about fishing, you need to hit the water pre-dawn or after 4:30pm. You will get a better class of fish at night, as they become more active as the traffic backs off.

The prawn run gives a welcome boost to the squid action. This month we’ll start to see squid numbers increase, building to a peak around March. Areas such as the dropover or Murrays To page 73

NSW

Early bird gets the fish CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

Welcome to the start of a new year, and I’m very sure we could all do with a better one than the previous year. With fingers crossed, let’s take a look at what should be on offer around our local fishing scene over the next few weeks.

Obviously, crowds can be an issue in some places, and beaches during the height of the summer

holidays are one arena where more people are likely to be. Another great aspect of this time of year though is the potential for some excellent surf fishing.

I would put surf fishing into two different categories this month. The lighter side of things comes in an easygoing daylight mission for bream or whiting. This is a great option for parents to introduce kids to the world of beach fishing, as it’s relatively simple and the majority of fish can be found very close in, just

A solid bream caught at Soldiers Beach. January is a good month for beach fishing, with bream, whiting and tailor being the dominant species.

beyond the shoreline where waves are crashing onto the sand. Short casts with light tackle will well and truly put you in the running for a few fish.

For this option, I would recommend concentrating closer to the ends of a beach, near any adjacent rocky point or outcrop.

This is because the rocks provide extra food and shelter for fish, and chances are there may be some protection from larger or more powerful waves, therefore making fishing just that bit easier than casting in the middle of a big, open beach. However, if the ocean is quite calm and you’re at a beach without too many people, I would also recommend casting baits around any more obvious looking gutter, particularly along the edge of a gutter, where deeper water meets shallow sudsy water.

The other form of beach fishing on offer is the more heavy-duty sort of stuff, either around sunrise, sunset or through the night.

Mulloway are the big prize for those anglers who put in the effort after sunset, but average size tailor are very common in the middle of

The ramp at Terrigal just before the holidays. Unfortunately, there will be a lot more boats launching this month, so get out of bed super early and be at the ramp well before sunrise. summer along our beaches, so be prepared to hook tailor more than anything else. Other species likely to take baits are bream, salmon, the occasional flathead and a variety of small sharks and rays.

Regardless of which approach you use, light or heavy, daytime or at night, it’s important to use top quality bait and fish a rising tide. I personally always try to time my beach fishing with the last two hours of a rising tide, and I often hook fish right

From page 72

Beach are good, but the squid can be found throughout the lake system. The squid like a sandy, gritty bottom as it’s easy to adhere their egg sacs to, and most are caught in around 5-8m of water. You’ll find them in the same areas as flathead, so if you’re targeting flatties it’s good to drop in a squid jig just in case.

Don’t go too big with your squid jigs; we use anywhere from 1.8 to 2.5, and no bigger. There’s no one brand that works best – we do well on Yamashitas, Yo-Zuri and Shimano Sephias.

I catch most of my squid on vibrant colours such as pinks and oranges, but I also recommend keeping a couple of natural patterns in your box, such as a brown prawn or pilchard pattern. The natural ones work better on some days, so it pays to have both bright and natural jigs down there for an each-way bet. You can add a little ball sinker above the jig if you want to adjust the sink rate.

With that increase in numbers if squid, we’ll start to see a few jewfish (mulloway) around, and you can also do some downrigging for yellowtail kings. If you’re after a jewfish, fishing just on dark or at night is best, at either low or high tide.

The best baits are definitely fresh squid or live yellowtail, if you can get them. Even frozen squid is OK as long

Alex holds up a quality land-based flathead. as it’s good quality. If you’re using a dead bait, you should add just a small weight above your snelled rig, because you don’t want it to sink straight to the bottom. If you let it sit on the bottom the bream and pike will pick it apart.

We’ve had a tremendous spring for mulloway on the lake, partly due to the rain, and partly due to the catch limit of one. More and more anglers are tagging and releasing their mulloway, which is great to see. We’ve been seeing a range of sizes being caught lately, from just legal up to 1m+.

At the time of writing, offshore is still looking pretty miserable; the water temps are still fluctuating around

18°C, and no bonito have turned up yet. There are still a few trag and a few snapper around, but we really need that warmer water around Coffs to make its way down here.

Then we’ll see an increase in popular species such as trag, mulloway, snapper and flathead, along with surface fish like bonito. Hopefully this will have happened by the time you read this.

The beaches are fishing quite well, with plenty of whiting and a bit of a run of tailor up to 50cm. It’s very enjoyable to chase whiting during those warm summer days, and then switch to tailor and mulloway at night by the campfire.

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on high tide, so be sure to have a bait in the water at that time!

Rock fishing can also be quite good this month, although it is still a transition period, meaning that the soughtafter summer pelagics like bonito, kings and small tuna may or may not be close in around the rocks just yet. Each season is different and it depends on prevailing weather conditions and the east coast current. My advice would be to mainly target bream, luderick, drummer or tailor at first, but keep an eye out for what other anglers may catch or what’s starting to show up around social media. In other words, I wouldn’t be heading to the rocks with lure casting tackle for the pelagic speedsters unless you’re quite sure they’re around. Perhaps a better idea is to target other species with bait around the washes, but bring another spinning outfit along, just in case those predators do suddenly show up.

Offshore anglers are more likely to encounter the small pelagic fish this month, because they’re able to move around a lot more and be out wider, if that better water hasn’t quite started lapping the rocks just yet. Once again, each year is different, and

offshore fishing in January is the same as rock fishing in the sense that it’s largely about weather conditions and ocean currents.

Unfortunately, January is often a bad month for strong north-easterly wind. Throw in the extra people launching boats at this time of year and this can become problematic around the ramps. To avoid problems, set that alarm ridiculously early and get to the ramp well before sunrise and plan to head in before the wind picks up too much. Launching at 5am and getting back in around 11am gives you plenty of time on the water, while hopefully avoiding crowds and the wind.

Brisbane Waters and Tuggerah Lakes start to peak in temperature this month, just as it heats up on land. This generally translates into bream, whiting and flathead being extra active, with the local prawn population being their number one menu item. Once again, the earlier you get out of bed and on the water, the better your chances of getting into fish without any issues.

Fishing at night can also be quite productive for bream and flathead. Prawning is also a nocturnal activity, which should yield a feed or at least some fresh bait this month.

Regardless of where you’re fishing at this time of year, early starts mean fewer people, less wind and more fish.

JANUARY 2022

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It’s time to get serious ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

At time of year there are plenty of angling options on all fronts. We aren’t limited to odd seasonal species – just about everything is available, and it just gets better over the coming months. Even better, we are allowed out of the house to pursue our favourite pastime.

of a big dolly. You need to be prepared for anything.

Small yellowfin, ranging from little jellybeans to schoolies around 30kg+, should come through as well.

However, they will be on and off until the water temp starts to really settle down and not fluctuate later in the month.

This is when we could start to see the first of the wahoo and even a sailfish if the water comes down hot. It’s rare to see cobia or Spanish

Plenty of these will be on the beaches this month.

Offshore kickstarts into action this month as the warm water from the north really starts to run hard down the coast, bringing with it all the bait and the bigger fish in pursuit. Marlin, mainly blacks, will be the focal point for all the sport and game fishos as January is when they get cracking on the inshore reefs all the way along the coast. Grab a bait tank full of slimy mackerel, head to your favourite spot and slow troll them around until a billy finds you.

There may be a few stripes about and the blues should be out wide as well so there are plenty of options available to keep you busy.

The dolphinfish will be around the FADs in good numbers, it’s just a matter of getting your baits past the hordes of rats to find a bigger fish. A larger live bait slow trolled or drifted slightly further away from the FAD and the noise of all the boats jockeying for positions is always a good way to find the bigger fish. Just bear in mind that marlin like bigger baits too, and love hanging around with the dollies and eating them, so your bait might just find a billy instead 74

JANUARY 2022

past as big kings just can’t swim past them. These baits are particularly good around the islands. The hardest part is often finding and catching your frigates.

Snapper will be over all the reefs, from close in around the bommies to out in 50m+ of water. Anchoring and berleying in the evenings works in close, while drifting plastics is the go in the deeper water if the current isn’t running too hard.

Always remember to have a live bait of some type out while drifting for reds. You might as well cover more than one base.

There are plenty of small baitfish around in close, and the salmon, tailor, bonito, trevally, frigates and rat kings are giving them a hard time. Good fun on light line although most of the kings are undersized; they take time to land only to go straight back in, so they chew up a fair bit of fishing time when they’re about in numbers. A few striped tuna may find their way in too and should be a bit more prevalent out wider, but they are nothing like they used to be last century. Sounds like a long time ago, but it isn’t.

For the drifters the flatties are on the bite all along the coast and most of them are quality fish.

Leatherjackets haven’t been too ferocious so far, which is a bad thing if you like jackets, but for most it is a blessing. Mowies are on the gravel with some small

There are a few bream on the beaches mixed with the whiting. any time, but one or two may even pop up late in the month as well (but more likely February and March).

Closer to shore, when the current pushes hard on the inshore reefs the kings will really start to bite. The islands and Bass Point will fish well for them. At places like Wollongong Reef and Bandit, most anglers will be targeting marlin but a few big kings will show up as well.

Live squid and slimies are the top baits, but if you want a really big fish, a live frigate mackerel is hard to go

to decent snapper. Throw in a few samsonfish and even the odd pearl perch or a few teraglin if you are lucky, now the water temp is on the rise.

The rocks are hitting their straps too, particularly for those who chase the big fish, with the next two months being the standout time for a chance at a marlin off the stones. The deeper water ledges around the Kiama area are the main places to chase them, and each season a few are hooked and occasionally landed. Big kings will be around, and

They are not all big but they are all fun. A quick pic before he goes back. live frigates will be the bait of choice for both marlin and kings. Hammerheads love them too, and you will score plenty of these in your quest for a big king or billy.

Plenty of salmon, bonito, tailor and trevally will keep you busy while waiting for the big run, with metal lures and pilchards both scoring fish. Bream and a few drummer are in the washes, and a few blackfish are in the wash if you like watching the floats all day.

The beaches are now easy work, and with a bunch of beachworms you have plenty of whiting, bream, salmon,

even a few dart lining up to have a crack. Pick any beach as they all seem to have fish on them. Flicking plastics into the gutters and drop-offs makes for a nice walk along the beach, and will score a few flathead and maybe a jewie into the bargain.

If you want to be more consistent on the jewies, late evening on the high tide is the best time. Again, any beach will hold fish if it has a good gutter or two. Salmon, tailor and bream will be prevalent in the evenings too.

Try Coniston and Stanwell Park for consistent results.

The estuaries are now as

good as it gets, with plenty of flathead and whiting in both the lake and Minnamurra.

All the usual methods will get a feed, with poppers even picking up some bigger whiting in the early calm mornings.

Mullet, bream, tailor and a few trevally will get in on the action too, and there should be a few prawns about on the dark. While not like they used to be when the lake was closed for periods, as now they run to sea when they are small, there will still be plenty around to scoop for bait and on a good night you might get a feed.

Super summer species BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

As the marlin turn on in January, we look back on another sensational tuna run. Spring delivered the goods, with big fish in close and then ending with the smaller schoolsize fish that we expect in November, and going right up until December.

La Niña weather patterns in the past have seen solid runs of albacore on the shelf, but this time around we had a very healthy mix of both albacore and small bluefin, which was great to see. This dies down in December and January, when the cobalt blue Eastern Australian Current pushes down and brings with it loads of bait and marlin chasing it.

With the fish activity offshore being on a high, we expect that will continue for the marlin season, which seems to run like clockwork more than the unpredictable tuna. Tuna can be found anywhere and travel everywhere. Marlin are a pelagic fish, but they really concentrate along or just inside the shelf, gorging on all of the bait in that vicinity.

It’s not uncommon for marlin to be found in close or big blues out wide. They will

Louis with a nice salmon. They are a reliable target along our beaches in summer. travel great distances, but fortunately you don’t have to, as the continental shelf will hold plenty this summer.

Dolphinfish (mahimahi)

are always a welcomed by-catch when chasing marlin, and are usually in great numbers throughout To page 75

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LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

From page 74

summer. Some summers are better than others when it comes to catching dollies (and that goes for marlin as well). In the last 12 years there was one year where the dollies were light on.

It’s always well worth checking the FADs (fish aggregating devices) on your way to the shelf where they often congregate. Once you’re on the shelf, keep an eye out for any sign of debris or anything floating on the surface, whether it be fish traps, seaweed, a log, or even a plastic bottle. All items are worth dragging lures past.

For flighty fish it’s always more successful sneaking up and dropping down livies.

The best approach to a FAD is to check the current, which typically at this time of the year is travelling downhill, north to south. I recommend parking north of the FAD, engines off and livies down as you drift past the FAD. This stealthy approach is 99% successful if fish are there.

Once you drift past and away, engines on and drive back to your starting point, giving the FAD a wide berth so you don’t disturb the fish or push them down. There are times when you drift past and hook up as the fish can follow and come away from the FAD. Just go with the flow and keep livies down to keep the action continuing.

Inshore reefs, headlands, ledges and islands will have kings visiting. What they could also be visiting this year is a very new structure: our new artificial reef.

That’s right, after putting up a fight over the last few years we won our reef for our area. Being in a Marine Park, our Minister for Primary Industries initially didn’t allow it. However, thanks to Adam Martin with the support of Andrew Constance, local member and then the support of former premier Gladys Berejiklian, we got it over the line. Being such a great effort by Adam

INTUITIVE CONTROL

NSW MERCURY DEALERS Georgia Poyner loves catching kingies. it would be fitting to name it Martin Reef.

I had my opinion on the reef location and would have liked to see it in between major boat ramps for fairness, and then in a depth of 60m in an area that guarantees pelagic fish. However, apparently this structure can only be deployed in no more than 45m. That site will be off Broulee east of Bengello Beach at location 35 53.283 S, 150 12.356 E. Something to check out this January.

What’s also worth checking out this January is our other big drawcard, our wonderful estuaries and lakes. We have bream, flatties, whiting, estuary perch and mulloway, just to name the main ones fishos target at this time of year.

We are seeing reasonable numbers of these species and expect a good summer.

There are still plenty of smaller school mulloway getting around, as they have been for the last couple of years. They seem to be more common now up to the 60cm mark compared to this time last year, when

Mahimahi are a great summer fish. Harry Young enjoys getting amongst them.

there were tonnes of 20-30cm fish. There is still the odd good fish around 80cm, and we can expect fishos to be chasing them with livies on the later tide change at night.

Prawns started off well over spring into summer, and let’s hope that continues without too much hindrance from La Niña rains. It’s the time of the year for whiting and they will be on our beaches, in our lakes and estuaries. They love a fresh worm and nipper. Lure fishers love targeting them with surface lures, using the constant retrieve approach.

Upstream the bass are now in full swing, and with plenty of rain lately there is plenty of water. These fellas love a surface lure or a small suspending hardbody, as well as spinnerbaits that create noise and flash which get the attention of an aggressive bass.

Mud crabs can be found upstream and along the rivers around mangroves, and in summer the blue swimmer crabs move in and are around the front of the estuaries. A lot of rain can disrupt them during their reproduction, so we’re all hoping La Niña is kind to us. Balance is important for everything.

So, as you can see, summer has it all – everything from spinning lures off ledges for kings, to surface lures for whiting in lakes and estuaries and going bush for bass, to getting on a boat for offshore dollies and marlin, to prawning and crabbing and much more. Just pack your spray jacket thanks to La Niña.

• For more up-to-the-minute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff. They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).

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JANUARY 2022

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Rivers are flushed for success TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

It has been a long time since I have seen the Bega River stay open to the ocean for the duration it has at present.

Flushed with consistent rains keeping the entrance open to the ocean, the river is primed

more salty margins of the river. These fish come to feed on the vast array of abundant life, from prawns and nippers through to worms, shrimp, crabs and shellfish. Anglers will have success by using these creatures for bait, although the fish will also respond to lures.

The river is also full of big black bream that especially take a liking to lures all the way

Another thing this waterway is famous for is its large dusky flathead population. Since the closure of commercial fishing here several years ago, metre plus flathead have been a regular catch for anglers wishing to boast about that trophy fish.

There are many other species also on offer frequenting the river from the ocean, including whiting, trevally, tailor, and luderick. Don’t be surprised to encounter the odd decent jewfish either. A lot of these species also patrol the adjacent beach, providing some interesting angling. Beach worms will account for most

of them, and if you add some berley to the mix (using either cut fish baits or pilchards) you will often tempt salmon or small sharks like gummies or whalers.

Without a doubt the most popular venue in the holiday period is Tathra Wharf. There is a good variety of species available here, so anglers can target what they wish. If you are into larger pelagic fish, drifting out baits under floats can often produce the odd kingfish, tuna, small sharks and just maybe the possible hook-up of passing marlin.

For those wishing to chase ‘mini marlin’, garfish are a

There are plenty of flathead in the Bega River, many of which are larger than this one.

The Bega River is famous for bream, and plenty of them. for some exciting summer angling and it is just up to you to go take advantage of it.

This river is famous for the amount of bream that inhabit this waterway. Southern yellowfin bream migrate into this system when it is open to the ocean, frequenting the

from the entrance right up and into the sweet water. As you move further up the system while targeting bream you are also likely to encounter estuary perch or bass. You are able to travel further up the river at the moment due to the high water levels.

Trevally are a popular sportfish around Tathra and can be found in estuaries, from the rocks and at the Wharf.

popular jetty fish, with large sea gars often frequenting these waters. For the kids or us adults, slimy mackerel and yellowtail are the most entertaining of all smaller fish.

When a school of mackerel comes through, mayhem breaks out with just about everyone hooking up on these small speedsters, resulting crossed lines, and you can guess what comes next.

For those anglers who like

the vast blue ocean, there is a mixture of bottom or reef angling along with venturing out for the gamefish. Those tasty flathead are at the top of the list for the bottom bashers, while the reef fishos like targeting snapper, morwong or perch. Moving further afield, marlin are the main target for game anglers out over the Continental Shelf, where it is looking like being a very good season.

Fantastic Bermagui shines BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

The summer holiday period in Bermagui is a fantastic time of year.

Even though it is holiday time, Bermagui is a place along the southern coast of NSW where you don’t get the crowds that flood the surrounding seaside towns. That is great news for anglers – there is always somewhere in our area where you can have a little corner to yourself, whether it is on a beach, up a creek, in an estuary or out at sea.

A lot of anglers come to Bermagui for its game fishing, and January can produce big time. Marlin are the most sought-after species, with stripes, blacks and blues all on offer. Stripes or blacks will more often concentrate around the Continental Shelf or inside it, where most of the boats chasing marlin will be.

Blue marlin are another story, often being found in the deeper water out beyond the 1000 fathom line. Here you can often have this space to yourself. The action might not be as enticing as it is closer to shore, but when you encounter 76

JANUARY 2022

a blue marlin, more often than not it is going to be a big fish. This time of year in particular is renowned

often only be the size of a car, but although small they harbour many different species. You may only fish

Big blue marlin follow the schools of small tuna. for big fish.

Although there are plenty of boats on the water at this time of year, there are many options for reef anglers to wonder off and find some ground to yourself. South of Bermagui, Goalen Head is one such area, with reefy ground ranging from adjacent to the shore right out to the southern end of the Twelve Mile Reef.

With the aid of modern electronics, from sounders that can home in on minor details through to electric reels, anglers can now access areas away from the crowds. These grounds may

this type of structure for a short time and then move on to search for another.

It’s an interesting form of angling.

We are so lucky to have the fantastic coastline that surrounds Bermagui – there are so many remote beaches in the area along with some rocky shoreline. Again, south of Bermagui is the prime area to get some space for yourself. Have a look at the Cuttagee area, which has little nooks and crannies that all harbour fish. There are small beaches adjacent to rocks that are worth a look, where you can find some smaller species like bream, whiting

There are so many remote little beaches around Bermi in which to catch a fish. or mullet from the sands. If you move to the adjacent rocky platforms, fish like drummer, wrasse, trevally

Canoeing or kayaking is one way to have small remote estuaries to yourself.

or passing schools of salmon and tailor are accessible.

Now for the estuaries.

Following recent rains, a lot of the smaller estuaries are open to the ocean and worth exploring. Cuttagee Lake, Murrah River or Wapengo Lake (all south of Bermagui) are interesting waterways that don’t cop a lot of fishing pressure. Here you will find the usual species like flathead, bream, whiting, luderick and many others.

And by using berley, all these waters can yield one of my favourite eating fish: garfish. These little jewels, once berleyed up, are quite easy to catch and can provide plenty of entertainment for the whole family.

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Reaction lures produce the goods NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

The long-term weather forecast predicted it was going to be a very wet summer for 2022, and so far this season, it has definitely been the case.

Massive storms have already belted the New England Tablelands area as well as most of the rest of the country, leading to widespread flash flooding in most parts. The New England area has felt it a lot, with many of the creeks and bigger river systems reaching the tops of the banks. We are also seeing the local impoundments at full capacity for the first time in many years now.

Pindari Dam was a sight to see late November/early December, with the water levels reaching over the main spillway for only the 5th time in the dam’s history since being extended back

precautions when moving spots or travelling up the river end.

Reaction-style lures such as lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits always fish

JANUARY DAM LEVELS Pindari Dam 2022 101%* 2021 15% 2020 4% 2019 39% 2018 99% Copeton Dam 2022 100% 2021 16% 2020 7% 2019 19% 2018 49%

Casting your lure into the back eddies or slow flowing areas can be very productive when targeting natives like Murray cod and golden perch.

JANUARY 2022

styled lures.

Copeton Dam stayed busy over the holiday period, with many campers getting out enjoying the school holidays and what the dam has to offer. Even better, the fishing has also been productive of late, with plenty of quality fish being caught. The golden perch can still be found schooling up at this time of year, and the bigger Copeton cod are never too far behind. Silver perch can also be caught abundantly at this time of year, where

or swimbaits, as the cod generally move quickly and cover lots of ground when they are active and on the prowl.

Impoundment Murray

cod are notorious for the moon bites so I would also suggest putting in the time during the full moon, which is on the 17th of this month, and the new moon on the 31st.

As mentioned earlier in this report, with most creeks and rivers being in flood, it may make fishing opportunities a bit harder, but not every river system will be affected. I would

water is found flowing into the dam.

Auburn Vale, Copes and Poison creeks are all well-known fishing spots for finding all three species mentioned above, and just like Pindari Dam, it is usually the smaller reaction style lures like the Mazzy Vibes, Jackall TNs and the ZX blades that continuously find the majority of the bites. If you’re targeting

recommend doing some research on the waterway you are interested in fishing, especially if you are not local to that system, and with so much water about, I would recommend having a good variety of lures in the tackle box to cover most situations you are dealt with.

Good luck to all getting out on the water this month, and tight lines!

More interesting fishing HUNTER VALLEY

Nick Price

When you combine regular rain and a rising dam with water temperatures that are cooler than normal, the fishing becomes more interesting! Usually in summer the fish go deep, and next month I will focus on the deep bite using

Gulps and your sounder.

However, at the moment the fish can still be caught on the edge, particularly on the surface early and late.

You should never discount fishing surface all day; when the fish are up in the submerged vegetation, they will take a small cicada or mouse imitation at any time of the day. The fish can hide in the shadows in

Fishing the floodwaters can be very productive once the right lure is tied on. This healthy Murray cod took a crankbait in flowing water.

*2022 level current at time of writing

78

the big Murray cod that Copeton Dam is known for, I would recommend fishing the more open banks on the main side of the dam in the lower light periods with either topwater style lures

Lure colours don’t always matter, but lure choice can play a big part. If you have confidence in your gear, so much the better.

Chatterbaits are a cod favourite in flowing water. in the early ‘90s. With so much water flowing both in and out of the dam, it could take a little while for the fish to settle down again and start to fire, so to speak. However, with the good numbers of fish that Pindari seems to hold, and with all the new debris and insect life around the dam now, it is definitely worth heading out for a look to soak a bait, or even throw some lures around.

On that same note, with so much floating timber and newly-submerged structure plentiful around the dam also, I would suggest taking extra

well at this time of year when temperatures start to warm up. They are a good option for chasing the natives while water is still settling as you can cover ground easily with these

There are lots of large carp in Glenbawn that are great fun on the fly.

shallow water even when the sun is bright, and the bass are eager to take an easy meal off the top.

My all-time favourite is the Soft Shell Cicada, but sometimes the bass prefer noisy lures.

When subsurface fishing the edges at this time of year, search out appropriate water temperatures and fish the corresponding lures. Water temperatures around 24°C are perfect for the reaction bite, using rattling lipless crankbaits and chatterbaits.

When the water temperature is slightly less or more, the bass are still active but not as cranky, and I like to use spinnerbaits or small swimbaits. I find not many people use small swimbaits, but they’re worth a try. They are something the bass are not used to, and they’re more subtle than a rattling lipless crankbait and are often more productive. Never discount small divers such as little square bills or Jackall Chubbies. Again, fish near the edge of the submerged vegetation, letting the lure bounce off structure. I fish 20lb braid and 20lb leader when fishing for these aggressive bass, anything less and I lose too many lures.

To page 79

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Back-to-back La Niña events LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

Official confirmation from scientific bodies back in November wasn’t really needed; anybody with just the slightest interest in weather had it pegged: La Niña. Rain gear and gumboot sales must be through the roof across rural parts of NSW. Back-to-back La Niña events after such a torrid drought has meant a time of replenishment across the board. Local acclimatization or trout stocking groups have shown great foresight by stocking streams as soon as conditions began to turn around. We owe a great debt of gratitude to these volunteers, along with Fisheries NSW for supplying the fingerlings.

I’ve not seen trout fishing in the local streams better than what it currently is. Bigger fish are hard to find but with ongoing rain and cooler temperatures tipping over into next season, the best could still be to come.

FULL TO THE BRIM Most of the local trout From page 78

Tying to a tree and fishing worms, yabbies and shrimp in 25-60ft of water will also catch many

lakes such as Lake Lyell, Lake Wallace, Lake Oberon are full to overflowing, with solid weed growth around most edges. The food available to fish in such a salad bowl is mind blowing. Shrimp, snails, yabbies, gudgeon it’s all on the menu, is it any wonder fishing around, over and through this weed is so good.

Some adjustments are needed though the first being a mindset

guess work out of where to throw your lure of fly next. Sometimes in low light that little inside edge of the weed line nearest the bank can be a red-hot feeding lane.

Surface fishing small fly’s and lures above the weed beds can also be great way to avoid some weed bed frustrations. It’s not a bad way to target those bigger Bass in Lake Lyell too just quietly.

Mud eye or dragon fly larvae will be swimming (jet propulsion) in their thousands towards the bank each and every night in all three Dams. Brown trout in particular set up for this nightly feast. With dam levels and weed growth I’m predicting a cracker season for those willing to burn the midnight oil on this

Boat ramps can be busy during the summer months. Being organized before you get on the ramp helps for a quick offload.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen local streams and rivers fish as well for trout as they are right now. decide to give the trout on the Barrington Tops a rest, head to Glenbawn and give the carp a go. I have been spending a good amount of

A typical Glenbawn bass. fish at this time of year.

The trick with bait fishing is to keep moving. If no fish are caught in the first 20 minutes, move trees.

Fish caught deep over the hotter months need special care when being released. They also will probably need to be needled or vented. Drop in and see us at Aberdeen Tackle if you need needles or advice on how to needle the fish to let out the air in their swim bladder.

There are many large carp in Glenbawn, and these fish go hard. If you enjoy fly fishing and

adjustment…

Yes, you are going to foul up hooks and lures in weed sometimes to the point of frustration, but it’s all very worthwhile when you start catching fish.

Shorter more targeted casts where you can see little gaps or edges can be a good adjustment. Most trout feel quite protected by a soft green wall around them and don’t spook quiet as easily. Feeding trout will patrol edges taking the

time fly fishing this season and catching carp as a by-catch when targeting bass in Glenbawn. There are some very big carp in Glenbawn.

The trout fishing is still the best it has been for many years on the Barrington Tops, and from all reports this is the same in the whole state. Please only take what you need as these trout will be even bigger, harder fighting fish if left to grow over another winter. I can’t wait.

Remember if you’re heading to Glenbawn or St Clair, please drop into the shop at the turnoff to Glenbawn in Aberdeen and ask about the different techniques and what the fish are biting on. We stock all the quality tackle that you need.

A typical Barrington rainbow trout.

Wet or dry? Fly fishing the local streams brings things back to some simple equations. feeding frenzy.

THE NATIVES ARE RESTLESS With so much water around local boat sales have gone through the roof, seems like everybody wants a piece of the action… great for business and the tourist dollar.

Keep in mind though that not everybody is a seasoned veteran of our waters. Patience especially at boat ramps over the holiday period will be necessary, a helping hand is always greatly appreciated especially on those all to frequent evenings when the storm from hell is just about to break loose…J Murray cod will be on most everybody’s lips with all the water around they could have quite a spread on them in waterways such as Wyangala and Burrendong. Trolling for

them makes a lot of sense especially as they go a little deeper over summer.

Generally speaking, most trolling lures for cod have a bigger bib and a higher float rate to allow them to first avoid getting stuck, then back out of a snag when given the slack line necessary.

In the hands of a seasoned campaigner the most wicked of snags can be worked through quiet easily. Keep in mind though that sometimes the need for snag bashing with deep divers while trolling can be counterproductive.

Understanding running depths and drop backs can allow you to just tickle the tops of snags occasionally.

Both methods have merits on the right day I will generally mix it up to find what’s working best.

Hope to see you on the water soon until then tight lines.

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79

NSW

Feasting fish on the bite BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

Like most dams in the state, the dams in the greater Batlow area, including Blowering Dam, have been at or near capacity for the last few months. These steady water levels have given fish a good chance

and will be attacked out of territorial anger, whether the fish is hungry or not. This gives you a better chance of catching a fish on a lure, in contrast to using bait, which will only be eaten if the fish is hungry.

NATIVES Spinnerbaits, swim baits, glide baits, rattlers and even surface lures are the pick of the casting lures

Trolling spinnerbaits is becoming more popular every year, especially now with lure manufacturers like Outlaw and Bassman producing spinnerbaits specifically designed for trolling in weights ranging from 1-4oz. These things really do run deep if need be, and are much less prone to snagging than most conventional lures.

REDFIN Redfin really start to fire in our impoundments this month and can be caught easily from the bank or boat on worms or small yabbies, or by casting with spinners, vibes, blades, small rattlers or 1-2” soft

Another beautiful Murray cod taken from a mid-river snag. Fish on these snags receive less pressure and are generally easier to catch, so it pays to keep an eye out for these honey spots.

When the days are hot and the sun is high, hit the shade pockets and hit them hard. to access plenty of tucker – gorging themselves in some cases – and really settle in and call their chosen locations home.

This is a really good thing for lure fishos, especially those targeting the natives. Natives are often very territorial and they will attack any intruders of

this month, and don’t be afraid to go big. In fact, the bigger the better, especially when targeting Murray cod, which should be very active this month.

Trolling medium to large hardbodied lures is another good way of targeting the natives, and I also recommend trolling

Golden perch will mostly be by-catches whilst targeting cod this month, but anglers who specifically target them can be rewarded with record scores at times.

Talismans. If you add a small soft plastic to your line around a metre above your hardbodied lure, you will get even better results.

MURRUMBIDGEE RIVER It’s time to head to your favourite stretch of river in hope of that giant Murray cod of a lifetime. The ‘Bidgee has had plenty of water being flushed down it thanks to Blowering and Burrinjuck dams both being chockers full, and not being able to hold as much water as they would like back.

This has been pleasing for those anglers who like to fish from a boat, as the higher water level makes a lot of the river accessible to these vessels. These anglers have been blessed with a great start to the season, with lots of cod being landed. It is only the canoeists/kayakers that are unhappy at the moment; the river is simply flowing too fast for them to get out there and get amongst the fish without having to work extremely hard for their prize.

Bait fishing in the deeper holes and back waters has been very successful. These days a lot of anglers look at bait fishing as boring, but it can still be a very exciting form of fishing, especially when actively fishing bait in the ‘Bidgee. When you’re bait fishing in the deeper holes you just never know

what is going to eat your bait next. It could be a Murray cod or a yella, maybe a redfin or a carp, or it could even be one of the hard-fighting trout cod. That is what helps to make it so exciting. Shrimp, if you can find them, are easily the best bait to use in the river. However, juicy grubs, preferably bardis, are the gun bait for targeting the cod.

Casting lures has been a bit patchy, mainly due to the flow making it difficult to present your lure properly and the water often being much too dirty to lure fish.

However, trolling (especially repeat trolling) has been very rewarding. Submerged mid-river snags are prime targets. These snags can be found either with your sounder or by using a GPS in the low flow to mark them. Repeat runs over these types of snags will almost always produce good results, as these fish are the least pressured fish in the system.

Changing lure colour every second or third trolling run is a good way of luring out the hard-to-tempt fish. No particular colour is working better than any other at the moment, so it pays to change lure colours fairly regularly until you see what is working best on the day.

The Murrumbidgee River is home to the largest population of trout cod in the country, and they regularly pop up on the end of anglers’ lines.

These fish are fully protected and must be released unharmed. their lair, especially repeat intruders, i.e. several lure retrieves over the same area.

A well-presented lure will be interpreted as a threat 80

JANUARY 2022

with large lipless crankbaits or swim baits. More often than not on really tough fishing days, these lures on the troll have saved the day.

plastics. The redfin can also be caught trolling with small hardbodied lures like AC Slim Invaders, size 3 StumpJumpers, and Viking

Redfin are always a welcome by-catch in the Murrumbidgee, and are the target species in most of our lakes through summer.

They’re plentiful, easy to catch and are great eating.

NSW

New year, new goals!

ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

2022 has begun, and we anglers are back into the swing of chasing our most prized freshwater fish: Murray cod.

no matter what fish species anglers were targeting.

High rainfall can lead to systems being a bit murky, varying from system to system. Some waterways will get so dirty that you can’t see a few centimetres under the water, while for

flow is the best for catching cod. It may take few weeks for systems to clear up after rainfall to be running at a normal height and restore clarity. At this time, the fish become more settled, and this makes fishing somewhat easier.

If you get a chance to fish before the lead-up to a storm or any changing weather pattern, this can be a very efficient time to fish.

A lot of the time, especially before storms, fish activity increases and they tend to bite much more. This is something that has always amazed me with cod fishing. You can fish for days for not even a hit and then, like a light switch,

Healthy conditioned smaller fish are more frequent during the summertime.

Sometimes you have to tough it through the scrub to get to the good holes.

Our local waterways are all looking healthy, with nice constant flows thanks to the rainfall from the past few months. In comparison to other seasons, the lead up and start into the month has been significantly wetter than average, thanks to a La Niña weather pattern that is occurring in Australia. In a nutshell, this means that we can expect increased rainfall across Northern and Eastern Australia. With this being the case, we are likely to see our creeks and rivers running higher than usual, and have more frequent flushes. The last time we had similar weather patterns was back in 2016, and it was a quite good season for fishing in general,

others the water quality may just appear to be a bit off, or darker than usual.

So how does this affect us as anglers? Having water dirtier than usual can make fishing tougher, but it’s not impossible to catch fish.

You always have a chance, and changing your tactics can make all the difference.

This is often as simple as changing from a silent lure to a lure that has a rattle, or which is a little bit more visible. Remember that fish don’t rely solely on sight as a way to hunt food – they rely on their lateral lines just as much.

BEST FLOWS FOR COD? Most cod anglers would agree that a constant, steady

A beautiful river cod in perfect condition.

The author likes to use fluoro lures in murky water.

something turns them on and they go mad. This sometimes occurs for no noticeable reason, but more often it happens before the change of a weather pattern.

Regardless of whether conditions are perfect or terrible, it’s always possible to catch a fish. Recent years have proven that the stocking efforts of Fisheries and other organisations have made a huge difference to the fishing, as well as introduced laws on fishing. It’s amazing how many older anglers you talk to who say that as little as 10 years ago, fishing was not this good.

With all that said, all that’s left to do is grab your gear, and get out there and just enjoy it!

Tight lines!

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81

Canberra

ACT

Solution to angling woes CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

Canberra has copped a lot of rain. I know this is stating the obvious but the huge amount of water which has flooded our rivers and filled our dams will remain incredibly problematic for those who want to wet a line through the summer holidays within the ACT. Even the best and most seasoned anglers in Canberra will struggle over the coming weeks and months, with the river and several of the local lakes being almost unfishable. For me, the answer to our collective angling woes lies further afield, with plenty of good options on offer for those willing to travel an hour or two down to the coast or towards Burrinjuck Dam. I’ll be focusing on the South Coast through January with Lake Durras and the Clyde River my picks as the weather warms and the water clears (a little). The Clyde River is only 1.5 hours from Canberra, and it is here that I have caught so many big EP, bream, flathead

from a boat or kayak.

That said, while the fishing has been tricky, a few anglers have caught some big reddies by

be worked with blades and vibes. The cod are proving elusive, as is to be expected given the conditions, but try a spinnerbait near the

Scott Goodman with a nice estuary perch.

on a rainy day when the wind is up (which is almost every day at present!).

The natives tend to push up to the spillway under these conditions and can bite well. Most other parts of the lake just aren’t producing fish, with the points and shallow runs up near Greenway being very quiet when traditionally, at this time of year, it is usually possible to sight cast to hundreds of feeding carp. If you’re fishing from a boat with access to ‘live’ tech, head to the middle of the lake and try for a cod using a swimbait.

Lake Ginninderra, of all the local fisheries, is producing the better fish with some regularity. I have landed a few decent yellas recently by focusing my attention on the rock wall

The bass are biting at the moment.

targeting concrete rock walls behind Lennox Gardens at both dawn and dusk. These fish have been fooled by beetle spins attached to paddle-tail plastics fished slow and parallel to the walls. Golden perch are also holding around this area and at Regatta Point, where the runoff from Nerang Pool meets the main lake. This is a shallow area but can

the whole, the river is a mess and the fish are either shut down or on the move, making them particularly hard to catch. The small amount of fish landed were caught by those using spinnerbaits and swimbaits, while the bites came from slack water and big pools.

The river might not fish well again until March so we are all in for a long wait.

Googong Dam is full, which makes fishing from the bank difficult but certainly not impossible.

Cluey anglers have been walking the banks in waders and fishing the sunken shrubs which now sit 5-10m from shore.

These areas hold big cod and these fish can’t resist a

The rivers are running high and dirty.

A quick drive to the coast is the cure for the ACT angling blues. and bass using all manner of lures, from surface offerings to soft plastics.

Lake Durras is a similar distance from Canberra and also provides superb fishing in summer. Running up a cricket score of bread-andbutter salt species might be the only antidote to the current fishing situation in the nation’s capital, as the weather forecast is for more rain which will make things even tougher.

LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin is dirty and there is a lot of debris floating along the shorelines, with some big logs floating near the middle of the lake. This has made casting from the shore difficult in certain spots, and the conditions are dangerous if fishing 82

JANUARY 2022

Governor Generals Wharf.

This deep section of the lake holds some very big cod.

Lake Tuggeranong is much like LBG, being both discoloured and filled with floating debris. The trick with Lake Tuggeranong at the moment is to fish it

near the old police jetty.

Though the lake is also filthy, the fish are biting in this area due to abundance of bait and the warmth created by the sun hitting the rocks in the afternoon.

Vibes, blades and plastics all work well here, but I

It is still possible to coax a cod into hitting a lure.

The conditions have been tricky for kayak fishos.

have found that hopping a ZX 43 in metallic gold has produced the better fish.

The Murrumbidgee River is in flood and will be for some time. Anglers braved the flood during cod open and a couple of nice fish were caught but on

slow rolled Jackall Gantia or Westin Ricky Roach. If the cod aren’t playing the game, switch to the light gear and cast plastics at the same shrubs and sunken timber. Golden perch and reddies also hold in these areas.

Quintrex leads the fleet for driving new boaties to market

Advertorial

Thousands of Aussies are stepping away from dry land and shifting their ventures to their local waterways in an effort to sidestep the cabin fever of closed borders and redefine the meaning of a holiday from home. As the country sees an all-time spike in spending locally and the investment in local leisure products, the marine industry has seen record highs with unseen numbers of new entrants fleeting to the boating lifestyle.

Boating Industry Australia (BIA) records that in the last 12 months, the number of Australian boat license holders has climbed by more than 60,000 people, bringing statistics to a total of more than 2.5 million boaties.

The boating capital of Australia, Queensland, has seen the most drastic incline statistically – during both the 2019 and 2020 financial year, BIA recorded a consistent increase of boat license holders by 3% respectively year on year. Today Queensland can lay claim to the largest number of boat license holders, with 956,000 people certified.

The rest of the country however has also been privy to the boating boom, with Western Australia seeing an increase of 31,000 captains to the market from 2018 to 2021, Victoria 24,000, South Australia 14,000, New South Wales 13,000, and Tasmania 4,000.

Of the newly qualified Queensland skippers during the 2019 and 2020 financial year combined, 24% (11,801) were female, a statistic that continues to be on the rise with the number of women license holders increasing by 8% from 2018, as opposed to a 5% increase for men.

“For decades we have been invested towards nurturing the market by promoting the succession of new entrants into boating, so recent statistics released by the BIA are really exciting as it shows that our actions as an industry are working,” Sam Heyes, Quintrex General Manager said.

“Whilst we are a market leader in boating, we do not simply just make boats, we make the lifestyle and experiences behind each product, so part of our role is to encourage new entrants into the market by showcasing the Quintrex difference of Boating Made Easy.”

BIA Director and Queensland Chair.

Andrew Fielding, said boating had proven itself a standout choice of leisure through the pandemic, “Having a boat is a bit like having your own island. You choose where you go and when, and who goes with you, while enjoying the boating lifestyle on some of the best waterways in the world.”

Quintrex, Australia’s leading aluminium boat manufacturer, recently released a carefully structured Boat Bundle initiative, designed to simplify boat buying and allow for more a simplistic decision-making process for consumers when building their perfect vessel.

Identifying consideration as one of the biggest hurdles in the customer experience funnel, with many potential buyers dropping out due to confusion or lack of understanding when selecting what boat and option configuration would best suit their lifestyle, Quintrex says it sought out to achieve an easier to navigate experience for green boaters looking to buy their first boat.

“Following thorough market research derived from both Quintrex customer survey data and our network of Australia’s best dealers, we were able to pinpoint an opportunity in the market to simplify boat buying, which resulted in the creation of a customer centric approach whereby offering five clean-cut boat packages that are built to serve a customer’s lifestyle and budget needs,” Madeline Bishop, Quintrex Marketing and Communications Manager said.

“With a history of Boating Made Easy, this step in our 76-years of production made sense to continue setting the standard as

Australia’s most sought-after boat brand and meet the needs of all consumers – both new and old.”

Boasting a line-up of nearly 100 boats and a portfolio of more than 50 dealers scattered throughout the country, Quintrex proudly advertises its success in offering a vessel suited to every boating lifestyle together with accessibility right across Australia.

The Boat Bundles make their debut on five

Quintrex also knows a thing about the typical aluminium boatie allowing the brand to build three bundles comprising a range of carefully selected options catered to the typical onwater lifestyles; namely the Comfort, Fishing and Captain’s Bundles.

“Whilst striving to meet the needs of new boaties and simplify boat buying, our Boat Bundles have also been designed to further nurture the growth of the market to continue

“Having a boat is a bit like having your own island. You choose where you go and when, and who goes with you” of Quintrex’s most popular model ranges, alongside a plethora of design upgrades in conjunction with the 2021 model release, to continue enhancing the overall customer experience – on and off the water.

From the most affordable option that only features the essentials for clean-cut boating with the Cruiseabout, Fishabout, Hornet, Top Ender and Ocean Spirit, to the Pro version for a more lavish experience with premium Jasmine fittings and fishiness, Quintrex makes fitting into anyone’s budget easy.

76-years in the game and over 350 passionate employees under its belt,

seeing the fruition of new entrants into boating and share the incredible lifestyle that we have to offer with more Australians,” Madeline said.

“Quintrex proudly holds a strong percentage of market share with aluminium vessels accounting for the vast majority of trailerable boats and with its sight set on continued innovation, it’s only up from here.”

Quintrex is a proudly Australian built brand and owned by BRP; a global leader in the world of powersports.

To find out more about the Quintrex range and Boat Bundles visit www.quintrex.com.au/ or contact your local dealer today.

JANUARY 2022

83

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Colour the world blue OFFSHORE

Kelly Hunt

In January the weather is great and we are good to go for colouring the world blue. Blue-eye trevalla and blue mako sharks are what it is all about.

At this time of year there is a great deal of bait activity, and nature rings the dinner bell and livens up the waters off the continental shelf. The schools of blue-eye trevalla and other great eating fish are down deep smashing the bait, and this brings in alpha predators to get into the action. Deep dropping with big Alvey reels or electric set-ups is fantastic fun in your January holidays, so get involved.

those marks on the sounder and are they going to bite?

Baits I love dangly squid baits for this early work. There is not much that won’t have a bite at a nice bit of squid on a hook. Make sure the baits are big enough to attract attention, but not on the hook in such a way that the flesh blocks the gape. Once you have found some fish you can mix up the baits you have on board and see if the fish are keener on something else. Other killer baits I like are fresh or salted Australian salmon and striped tuna.

The blood and oil content of striped tuna is a real winner.

MAKOS The activity of bringing nice big blue-eye up from the depths can create some interest from Mr Mako.

or the tide has slowed the bottom action you can try to berley one up.

January is a great time to think about the gear and equipment needed to a mako, which are one of the most exciting fish Tasmanian anglers could hope to catch.

Screaming runs leaving the ratchets singing, and athletic and powerful jumps that quite often turn into big cartwheels are all part of mako fishing.

The tackle does not necessarily need to be a traditional overhead game fishing reel. Bigger wellmade spinning reels are up to the job with mako sharks under the 120kg range. I like the Penn Slammer III 8000, whose full metal body allows it to maintain precision gear alignment

Jonah Yick with a quality blue-eye trevalla.

BLUE-EYE The chance to get on the water over the summer break is far too good a proposition to miss. Daylight savings time gives us plenty of time to plan, pack and execute a mission to the shelf. The target is to fill the freezer with some of the best eating fish on the planet.

Electronics Good sounders are invaluable in having a good day transform into an amazing day (we use Simrad). Having the ability to find and stay on the schools of fish 400m and deeper is crucial.

Once you have fond the fish it is best to have a couple of trial drifts while the gear is being readied.

The skipper can pull up and get an idea of what direction the boat is going to travel while the crew cut baits and get the rigs ready. Motor back up and do this two or three times. Once the crew is ready the skipper can motor back to the start position and let go the command to drop. Now you’re on a factfinding mission. What are 84

JANUARY 2022

Quite often after a few drops and some good retrieves with fish on hooks you will have a mako turn up. You need to be prepared for this and take advantage of the opportunity. Conversely, if you have caught your bag

under severe punishment. It will handle 15kg of drag, which is more than enough to tire mako and angler.

Berley The key ingredient here is berley, and lots of it.

Berley needs to be plentiful

Jonah and Tom Srodzinski managed to find a few blue-eye. and frozen down in a manner that makes it easy to get from the esky into the water column. There are a number of ways to get this done. If you purchase your berley in the popular log form, get to a tackle store and buy a few inexpensive green cord net refills. These are awesome to slide the logs in and have two out at all times.

If you have two berley pots out at one time, make sure you stagger them and have them in different states of defrost. It’s a little thing, but changing both berley supplies at once can lead to a break in the berley trail.

You don’t want that.

Cubes Cubes are another feather in the cap of the keen mako shark fisher. If you are in shallow water then you can ease up on the cubes; a couple of ‘plops’ every few minutes will suffice. If you are on the shelf with a massive amount of water column to penetrate, you can increase the amount

This mako turned up looking for trouble, and found some!

and speed you dribble them away. It is important to remember that cubes are to be used sparingly to draw the hungry mako to the boat and baits.

Baits If you were to have a few Australian salmon, squid and mullet ready to go, you won’t go far wrong. I have also seen some whole bonito available in tackle stores that look the business as well.

When rigging up your baits, don’t be scared to have the hook point showing to allow good hook-up rates. Little cable ties are gold to help secure baits to big hooks, and allow plenty of hook gape and point to be free.

There are a couple of different trains of thought around putting balloons out the back of the boat with baits suspended, or keeping your powder dry and summing up the shark size to see what you put out. Both ideas have their pros and cons. In a competition sense, it sometimes pays to see

what you are dealing with and make some decisions on the go as to whether you are going to tag or weigh a fish on a certain line class. If you are looking to just put some quality eating flesh in the freezer, having two balloons out at varying depths and one unweighted down deep can be very exciting. I would say the choice is up to you.

Be careful Never fight a mako from a dead boat. Always fire up the engines and move slowly away as you set the hook.

Makos love to do cartwheels, and if they had hands they’d be doing handstands too.

What you don’t want is 80kg or more of disgruntled muscle and teeth in the same vicinity as your feet, legs and groin! If you are taking a mako for the table, play the shark extensively and tire them out. If you try to harvest the shark too early while the shark is still green, you will a fight have on your hands, a good old-fashioned Hollywood Western bar room brawl. The only difference is, no one will be yelling “CUT” when you have had enough.

ICE SLURRY These two species are too hard to find and catch to waste any flesh. The best way to have them in the best possible condition for eating is an ice slurry. Take in an esky two bags of ice out to sea. When you catch your fish, bleed them well, and then in your kill tank (or in a big plastic tub) put some saltwater in and combine half a bag of ice. Place your fish in this and chill them down nicely. This will make sure that the fish you have spent considerable money and time catching will be absolutely fabulous when it comes time to cook.

Have a great January, be safe and tight lines.

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Fleeting summer fishing HOBART

Andrew Large

Anglers have been battling bouts of bad weather but seem to be getting out and catching good bags of both fresh and saltwater species.

SALTWATER The occasional SBT has been caught around the Tasman Peninsula, but fishing for this species seems to still be better further south around Pedra Blanca at the moment.

Early albacore have been caught at Eaglehawk Neck but they are still very patchy and out wide. Anglers have been faring better further up the east coast around Bicheno and St Helens.

Makos are now biting well from the very northeast tip in Bass Strait to the very far south regions of Bruny Island. These fish arrived in early December and have just become better and better.

Tiger flathead arrived a little later than usual this spring, and are now running into January around our local coastlines. Good spots include Marion Bay, lower Mercury Passage and Storm Bay. Good bags of sand flathead are being experienced in most areas this month, and

again they were a little slow to get started this year due the large amounts of residual freshwater. Lewisham area is producing good-sized fish in close to soft plastics.

Adventure and Storm bays, Pirates, Norfolk and Blackman bays have been giving anglers access to quality fishing over recent weeks.

The mighty Australian salmon are now running well from Dover to Bicheno, with schools being encountered up to 2.7kg. Many schools around Cremorne and Carlton are averaging about 1kg.

Morwong perch are now plentiful and biting in 70m of water over rocky bottom.

Fortescue Bay seems to be holding healthy numbers of these fish, while Boomer and South Maria in 60m of water do the same. Fresh squid bait is the best.

Sand whiting are in big numbers around the shallower sandy bays, indicating the summer run has begun.

Large calamari are available in small numbers around the coast and various offshore bays. Local jetties such as Dru Point, South Arm, Triabunna and Southport Boaters are experiencing better results than they were last month now that the fresh

has cleared.

Storm Bay in the south is providing consistent fishing for snapper, especially around Betsy Island.

Anglers on the east coast have experienced good rock lobster fishing, with crays running well in most regions right off the bat in December.

Occasional reports of kingfish are filtering through in the south. Water temperatures are on the rise and it won’t be long before these fish are in the Derwent estuary around the Hobart CBD. A very early catch was seen in late November from Smithton in Tasmania’s northwest, and further captures have been noted throughout the east coast, especially Maria Island in the south.

ESTUARY Sea trout are slowing after an extended run this year – a run seeing them bite well into late December. Fish are still available but mainly upriver.

Whitebait is still dominating the feeding patterns. Fishing, however, is on borrowed time for this species as before long they will drop back down into the lower estuary and become much harder to target, with other more aggressive species such as tailor, salmon and flathead beating these trout to

anglers’ offerings.

Bream are arriving in the mid reaches of the Derwent and Huon estuaries. These fish are taking bait, lure and fly. Browns River is seeing fish move in over the beach and beginning to gather inside the river. A fresh prawn bait works well.

FRESHWATER Anglers fishing for trout in our lakes and rivers have experienced a mixed bag in recent weeks, but quality fishing has still been had.

The ill-fated Arthurs Lake shows glimmers of hope and is now fishing well, with some anglers finding good patches of fish. Reasonable dry fly fishing has been had, especially on duns, while troll anglers have picked up their share of fish as well. Tasmanian Devil No 110 has been working well.

Our larger Great Lake is now the highest it’s been in many years, and trout have moved in over newly-flooded ground. Up until recently, this area had been too cold, but in recent days it has warmed significantly, allowing fish to forage effectively in these zones. Quality fly and spin fishing is being had, with many good rainbow trout to 2kg gracing anglers’ bags.

Bronte Lagoon has started

Good bags of sand flathead are being reported from most areas. Image courtesy of Force 10 Fishing Charters. to drop, and the tailing action that had been constant has now slowed. Trollers and spin fishers have experienced good bags and fish to 2kg.

Trout in Penstock Lagoon are now taking the dry fly on the right day. Duns have been popping up for weeks now. This water is probably the most consistent for the dry fly angler in the state presently.

Woods Lake is firing, with

all methods working well.

As I always say, Tasmania’s summer fishing is always too short compared to other states, with species sometimes only arriving and staying for a matter of weeks, and very dependent on high water temperatures.

It’s pleasing to note this exact scenario is happening now, so get out and enjoy our new year fishing at its best!

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Early starts will pay off WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Midsummer is here and there is plenty of action to keep both holidaymakers and keen anglers happy.

Whatever species you are chasing, early starts are often beneficial to beat both the crowds and the persistent afternoon sea breezes.

On the offshore scene, January is a great time to target the local pelagic species of kingfish and tuna. The summer tuna run had definitely become a regular feature on the angling calendar now, with good-sized school fish from 15-25kg being the norm.

There has seemingly been a slight increase in size each season, with the odd 30-40kg fish taken, so hopefully we might see more of this size fish

this season.

Most fish are usually caught in 25-30m of water along the coast between Warrnambool and Narrawong, it’s just a matter of keeping a keen eye out as you cruise along. Big winter-style bust-ups with heaps of birds are the exception, and it’s often just a single bird or two (or just sighting the school itself) that puts you onto the fish. Cast stickbaits or tiny skirts are the

January is kingfish time if the weather is right.

way to go on these spooky summer fish.

Kingfish are also keen to mow down stickbaits, with DUO Hydras and Jack Fin Stylos working well, along with the ever reliable 9” and 12” Slug-Go plastics. January is a reliable time to target these fish, as long as the conditions are right. No other species requires such a specific set of conditions for success. Warm, calm, clear waters are essential for catching kingfish, and some summers just don’t have enough of these days.

For those anglers not keen to chase the summer pelagics, there are usually plenty of table fish around. King George whiting and squid are popular inshore targets for the smaller boat brigade, with these species common in the sand holes amongst the shallow reef areas just offshore from any local ramp. Pinkie snapper, morwong, nannygai and gummy shark are the most popular bottom fishing targets offshore in the 40-50m range.

If fishing the offshore areas isn’t possible due to the weather, there is usually

Allister Bourke with a 101cm mulloway from the Hopkins River. some good fishing to be had in the local estuaries at this time of year. There are always plenty of mediumsized bream, small salmon and trevally around to keep holiday anglers entertained in the lower reaches of all the estuaries. Light line, fresh bait and a little berley can see plenty of action in these systems. Keener anglers will be targeting the bream and estuary perch populations on surface lures in calm, low light conditions.

Mulloway can be a little elusive with the holiday crowds, but you never know when one might turn up. After telling my son to take the boat out with some mates on Hopkins River recently, so I could do some trailer maintenance, one of them managed to land a fairly impressive mulloway.

Allister’s fish was 101cm long and took over an hour on light bream gear before it was successfully tagged and released.

Portland is the place to be PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

Happy New Year to all the fishos out there, and let’s hope 2022 is a great year for us all. The last

read this, probably kingfish.

The bay by now is generally fired up on whiting, pinkies, squid and flathead being the most favourite.

These guys are normally around Blacknose Point, Water Tower and North Shore area.

Some good quality King George whiting from the bay.

Ryan with another cracking snapper off the breakwater.

18 months have certainly tested us out! Anyway, let’s get down to fishing.

We have still seen some great snapper off the lee breakwater in recent weeks, plus gummies and schoolies.

The main baits have been squid, yakkas, tommies, pilchards and of course, fresh baits like salmon and couta. The breakwater is also producing whiting, squid, salmon and, by the time you 88

JANUARY 2022

The best baits are pipis, squid and bluebait pilchards.

The main target area in January is the Anchorage and North Shore reef area for the fishos chasing the mighty kingfish and school tuna. Trolling with smaller hardbodies and skirts is the main method for the tuna, or you can throw stickbaits or soft plastics into schools.

Kingfish also like trolled lures or baits plus fresh baits under

floats, as well as stickbaits and soft plastics. When these guys fire up it’s amazing how well they fight.

When the weather has been right and anglers have been able to make the trek to Bridgewater, we have seen some very good results.

Anglers have been picking up quality flathead, gummy sharks and latchets. Most fishos have their own favourite baits and rigs fishing this area.

January should still be right to get some great table fish in this area. Coming back closer to Lawrences Rock in the deeper water the chances of good size snapper, flathead, gummies and schoolies are on the cards. Inside the harbour, the jetty, Trawlers Wharf and other small landings are always a great option for land-based whiting, squid, and pinkies, just to name a few. Good baits for these areas vary from pipis, squid, salted bluebait or pilchards. These areas are fantastic for kids and families. Other great land-

based areas close handy are Dutton Way, Snapper Point, and Bridgewater Bay. Most of these areas can produce some great table fish like whiting, snapper, sharks and a few surprises now and then.

These areas also give you the opportunity to fish as light or as heavy as you like. There are other land-based areas

Nick with a very nice quality landbased snapper off the breakwater. also that may suit the more adventurous angler. River fishos that like to case bream and mulloway and estuary perch have the option of

A great deep water mixed bag.

the Fitzroy River and Surrey River close to Portland or a short trip to the Glenelg River.

These areas attract many anglers who love fishing lures and soft plastics and are always looking at trying new products that hit our stores. Live baits and trolling are also options.

So let’s hope January brings on the weather and some great fish.

• For all the latest fishing information, call into Portland Compleat Angler and say g’day to the Fisher crew. They have all your bait and fishing needs, boat accessories, bikes and kayaks. Fishing licences are also available. You will find them at 61 Bentinck Street, next to the Gordon Hotel.

You can also contact them on 03 5521 1844, or look up ‘Portland Compleat Angler’ on Facebook.

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

Unseasonal weather INTUITIVE CONTROL

VIC

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

INTUITIVE CONTROL

COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Spring has certainly sprung with windy days interspersed with showers, which can make it a pain in the backside at times.

However, it can sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to actually making an effort and getting out there amongst the elements.

Although we have entered summer maybe someone should speak to the unseasonal weather, apparently to La Nina.

This Gellibrand River black bream ate a The saltwater scene is Damiki Saemi 70 medium diver worked along going great guns, especially the bank side reeds below the bridge. in the shark department.

Plenty of school and hopped along the bottom The Gellibrand River at ROCKLEA gummy shark to well over in the NORTH channelROCKHAMPTON and minnow Princetown has seen plenty BRISBANE BOATING & LEISURE RIFENstyle BOATS 20kg are being taken from and prawn soft plastics of tannin stained to dirty boat and the Rocklea shore. Bottom fished 6a Dooley little quicker over Rockhampton water pushing downstream 1713 Ipswich Road Street North bouncing P: (07) 3875 1600fresh baits, such the mud P: (07)flats.

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P: (07) 5449 7633 P: 07 5532 5812 fish on them, and either Again, there are many places Squid has also been good.

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JANUARY 2022

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Summer snapper galore GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

Well, hello holidays!

January typically does very well for game sharks such as mako, blue and threshers plus yellowtail kingfish throughout the Rip, Bass Strait and the

Surf Coast. Big schools of salmon can also be found milling about the surface out off Barwon Heads and inside the Rip on occasions.

This time last year, we were also enjoying a fair run of southern bluefin tuna offshore. Most of these tuna were between 10 and 15kg however, there

were some absolute belters over 120kg caught in Bass Strait late last year so pack some heavy tackle just in case. Trolling skirted lures is a good way to locate tuna holding deep and always keep an eye out for birds diving on bait being harassed by tuna, kingfish or salmon.

The weather at the time

Tony and his mates had a great day fishing the Great Ocean Road rock platforms.

of writing had limited those wanting to fish Bass Strait so a lot of fishos have been fishing sheltered waters and targeting snapper.

The water has taken a little longer to warm up so the influx of snapper wasn’t really in full swing until November where in past years, October has been on fire.

Inside Port Phillip and Corio bays, snapper seem to be everywhere from Geelong waterfront to Torquay and beyond.

Larger fish over 5kg have been caught dawn, dusk and into the night while smaller fish from 70cm and down have been caught during the day by both boaties and land-based anglers.

For bait fishos, fishing an hour or so either side of a tide change has produced the most consistent results while plenty of smaller pinky snapper have kept anglers entertained throughout the day.

Maher Elmir took his wife and two eldest sons down to Cunningham Pier to dangle a line for a family outing. His eldest, 12yo ‘Special K’, managed to land a snapper of 51cm using squid for

Colleen just started flipping snags when this 8kg beast scoffed her bait off Portarlington.

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bait around midday. Maher says there were plenty of people fishing but it was reasonably quiet.

Michael Crawford boated a 60cm snapper flicking soft plastics along the waterfront and says he

a few snags on the BBQ. They were 10 minutes in when Colleen’s rod took off – both called it for a banjo at first until they saw it was a big snapper. That was about when it went nuts, screaming off for another

John’s big KGW almost cracked 3lb in the old scale. lost one around 5kg that spat the hook boat side as he leant down to welcome it aboard.

Clifton Springs and Portarlington always feature in snapper reports because they are such consistent producers.

Either side of the shipping channel offers deep water access to larger schooling fish.

Colleen Howard fished with Ray Robertson out off Portarlington recently.

They sounded up a couple of fish, dropped the pick and Colleen proceed to flip

run. Colleen’s big snapper weighed in at 7.96kg and measured in at 90cm!

The Portside Marine Centre Snapper Classic was held last November. Darcy Scott took out the longest snapper at 77cm and as if that wasn’t enough, he also followed that up with a 73 and 72cm snapper to take out the aggregate! Around 40 juniors were registered and my son Max was super pumped when only three snapper were recorded the junior section. He has his eye on the Xbox first prize but since a) we could only

fish Sunday, and b) I had to set fire to his bed to get him up, we were struggling to hit the score board. SEVEN minutes left in the comp and Max hooks a solid fish on a Munroe’s paddle-tail near the Geelong waterfront. I had time to get my line in, walk to the pointy end of the boat and grab the net before I heard “oh no!” as the fish spat the hook.

I helped his anguish by noting, “You just dropped an Xbox!” But I was the only one laughing, poor lad was gutted. That was until he took out the major prize in the junior raffle – four tickets to Adventure Park Geelong!

Zander Ribcak took out longest snapper for the juniors at 43cm, Logan Hall was runner up with 42cm and Isabel Scicluna third with 41cm so it was neck and neck for the juniors!

The regions land-based anglers have done well on snapper this season.

The Geelong waterfront continues to produce fish on both baits and lures.

Olivia Batten fished from Wangim Walk recently where she caught a beaut snapper of 72cm using pilchards for bait, which is a solid land based effort.

St Helens rock wall and the fishing platforms around North Shore have also produced quality snapper to 60cm, flathead and the odd pike.

Avalon to Point Wilson has produced quality king George whiting to 42cm for those fishing around 4-5m using regular baits such as pippies and squid.

St Leonards and Portarlington Piers have been producing quality snapper to 5kg as well – it’s all happening!

Rodney Beer knows his stuff around the Bellarine Peninsula piers and says you need a stiff onshore wind to stir the water up which seems to bring the

Olivia showing the lads how it’s done on Wangim Walk. snapper in.

Rodney has caught some quality fish already this season and fishes in

John Joubert has fished the area for many years taking some great fish but managed to boat his best

Maher’s eldest, ‘Special K’ with a 51cm snapper from Cunningham Pier.

Rod has been catching some quality snapper from the Bellarine Peninsula piers.

some terrible weather but still gets the fish!

Calamari and whiting have been a little hit and miss around St Leonards and Indented Head but this can change quickly. Bag limits can only be a few metres away so the key is to keep moving.

The Queenscliff Boat Harbour has been producing the usual suspects – silver trevally, pinky snapper and small salmon on bait and soft plastics while the Coles Channel and Lonsdale Bight have been producing solid whiting.

whiting in the Lonsdale bight recently that measured in at a staggering 54cm and weighed 1.25kg!

The Great Ocean Road rock platforms have also seen some quality pinkie snapper and salmon landed.

Just make sure you avoid big swell days, let people know where you’re going and when you’ll be back and stay safe on the rocks.

Tony Barkachi went for a drive down the Great Ocean Road with a few rods in the car. Spinning from the Lorne Pier, he hooked a salmon around

40cm first cast but it got off when he tried to haul it up.

Tony sent a bit of berley out and caught plenty of yellow tailed scad while other anglers were catching barracouta and grass whiting. They left around 1am and did see a gummy shark around the metre mark landed from the pier as they were leaving. They decided to head to Artillery Rocks for a sunrise session the next day. Arriving on the rocks early, they lobbed out a squid head and only had to wait 10 minutes before Tony’s surf rod buckled over and the reel started screaming. It wasn’t long before Tony saw a red head poke out of the waves and he started to scream, “It’s a snapper!”

Tony’s snapper measured in at 72cm and 4.7kg and this was Tony’s first decent land based snapper for the season. Tony said they were also paid a visit

by Fisheries Officers who also mentioned that an 82cm snapper was caught a couple of days ago at Wye River. Great landbased fish!

Tony says while they were there, other anglers managed to land snapper around 40cm and another looked about 60cm.

Tony also managed three small silver trevally and four small salmon, which is a pretty good day on the rocks!

FISH HARD – DIE HAPPY! Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterfish@gmail.com with “FMG” in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish.

Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1mb (file size).

JANUARY 2022

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Getting back to bread and butter fishing PPB WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

I look back at 2021 with mixed emotions. The year that was heavily disrupted with tough lockdown restrictions for most around Melbourne.

Many were unable to work, see family or friends. Life at times was tough and so was the fishing too. Slowly order was restored, and we were once again allowed to venture out, go about our daily lives and roam the many great fishing systems that Melbourne

and Victoria has to offer.

The e xpe rie nc e did make me stop and re -e va lua te w ha t’s important in life and gain a whole new appreciation for bread and butter fishing around Melbourne with my friends and family.

It wasn’t just Covid restrictions to deal with, as

There are plenty of squid around.

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the weather patterns were also very strange last year.

The outdoor temperatures and water temperatures averages for November were more aligned with averages that we generally see around August or September, which means the fishing was also really inconsistent.

But let’s move forward with a sense of positivity as I expect January to be the most productive month for fishing that we have had for some time. The weather is now at its peak temperature for snapper and other species like whiting, flathead and squid around Port Phillip Bay. We’re going to start seeing consistent catches and in good volumes. I’ll be out and about as often as I can fishing and filming for my YouTube channel and new TV series on channel 31, which airs on Tuesday evenings at 9.30pm and Saturday afternoons at 3pm.

I’ve been putting in some serious hours lately on the water by boat and kayak. The bite has been inconsistent despite marking up a lot of fish.

Some days have taken many moves or waiting for a tide change or sunrise or sunset for the action to commence.

It’s been challenging and chatting with many other local boat and kayakers they have expressed similar challenges out on the water.

Around Melbourne, you can catch snapper without a boat or kayak if you are prepared to put in the hours and dedicate. I love a good story about persistence and reward. Isaac has been fishing around the Port Melbourne passing many

Anthony and Frank at Sorrento with a pair of squid. hours land based fishing of Lagoon Pier. He was delighted to finally land his first land-based snapper. A beautiful red that took a half pilchard using a 5/0 circle hook and 40lb leader to a running sinker. It’s great to see such passion and dedication from someone as young as Isaac, so a big well done.

I’ve managed some great snapper catches but the action has been very hit and miss. Often marking up massive schools anchoring within 15m of them and waiting very patiently for something to happen. I’ve

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caught quite a few snapper this year drifting whilst flicking soft plastics. I like this style of fishing using your sounder to identify reef edges and drifting along them. Constantly doing something as opposed to sitting and waiting is my style of fishing. Berkley Gulp 5” jerk shads, 7” Turtleback Worm in camo and nuclear chicken and ZMan 4” diesel minnows have been outstanding choices.

For me, this season so far has been very different to others and I’m hoping the late start to the warmer

VIC

conditions may have something to do with it.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the volume of salmon wandering our waters for this time of year. I have bumped into massive schools on multiple occasions and the action has been hectic.

Hitting the water to chase snapper than spending hours battling salmon after salmon on ultra-light spin gear. No complaints from me as I do love a salmon bust-up. That frantic action and the sheer power of a 50-70cm salmon is almost unparalleled in our local waters. I’ve captured some pretty amazing footage of these sessions, which you can check out on my channel. It does highlight that it pays to be prepared for anything when out on the water. I always carry a range of outfits, soft plastics, lures and jigs with me at all times, having much of it pre-rigged and ready for whatever the day may bring.

My good mate Mick always says the best thing about snapper fishing is the squid and whiting. It makes me laugh every time but there is much truth to this statement as this is the time of year that you get epic days on the water targeting squid

and whiting. Both species love the same habitat and in Port Phillip Bay that’s generally shallow grounds full of thick ribbon weed, which they reside in. I find on calm days with clear waters the squid fishing is epic and on the not so clam days and murky water the whiting fishing is epic so it means you can always

target one or the other depending on what mother nature has served up.

Anthony and his cousin Frank have had some epic recent squid fishing sessions from Sorrento pier. Using size 3 squid jigs with red foils the two young guns have accounted for many squid and some really sizable ones too

working the jigs along the edges of the visible weed beds along the shallows of the pier. Well, done boys they are great catches and inspiring to see.

Until next time, good fishing everyone. Please feel free to reach out to me directly to share your fishing experiences and catches around Melbourne,

Isaac was delighted with his Lagoon Pier snapper.

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Port Phillip Bay and beyond which we can feature in next month’s article.

You can contact me by email at alan@ fishingmad.com.au.

Please consider becoming a FishingMad member at w w w. f i s h i n g m a d . c o m . au/member for fishing workshops, detailed reports and exciting monthly giveaways. Also,

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There have been massive schools of salmon for this time of year.

don’t forget to follow my fishing adventures on the FishingMad YouTube channel www.youtube. com/c/fishingmad and on social media on Facebook page www.facebook. com/fishingmad.com. au, Instagram page www. instagram.com/fishingmad. com.au and on Channel 31 Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons.

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Fresh start for the New Year PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

Many Victorians were keen to draw a line through 2021, and start again in 2022, especially those living in metropolitan Melbourne and the surrounding areas who were worst affected by the Covid-19 restrictions throughout the year.

Although the fishing pressure on the bay has once again been less than normal in the lead up to the summer months, an unusually mild and wet spring this year has

as well. As we settle into the peak of summer during January and the continuing warmer months ahead, the bay’s anglers should expect the action on the bay to return to a more traditional summer pattern.

Just like this time last year, snapper reports have been well and truly centred around changes in barometric pressure, especially before, during and after recent storms, and changes of light, especially in the afternoons.

In fact, the snapper bite over the past month has been much like the traditional spring behaviour from years

with jigs and other artificial offerings.

Mount Eliza, Frankston, Mornington and Seaford have all been productive for anglers fishing in close, nearby to reefs and structure.

Alternatively, out wide Mornington and Mount Martha have been the best.

The ever-reliable pilchard has accounted for more than its fair share of snapper so far this year and is still the go-to bait for many of the bay’s anglers.

The bigger fish that have been taken however, seem to be responding to more specific baits like fresh squid and salmon, and also to those anglers willing to put in a little extra time fishing outside the box. The strong and growing population of slimeys and yakkas in the bay have also made fresh bait gathering worthwhile, and these baits have already accounted for several large snapper already this season, especially those anglers fishing in close before first light. The use of ‘flasher’ style pre-tied rigs has also grown massively in popularity.

Normally, the bay’s

anglers’ focus has moved away from the snapper by Christmas, but in the last few seasons, the best fishing of the whole season was in January and February, especially from the traditional wider marks out from Carrum to Safety Beach. Traditionally, these wider marks, and those closer to the shipping channel will fish well, especially out from Mornington, Mount Martha and Safety Beach.

The time to fish in closer, and from the piers and rocks is during and after onshore winds. So there’s plenty of snapper options for anglers of all persuasions over the Christmas break and into January and February as well.

Over the New Year period and beyond, expect the reds to move into more of a grazing pattern as they will look to put on condition.

They will move into the wider and deeper marks, and therefore finding fish on the sounder before dropping the pick and setting the rods becomes more important, as well as the use of berley.

The lure fishing for smaller school sized snapper, and the odd big fish as well, has been very reliable recently,

Eoin Keaveny with his PB snapper of 54.5cm caught off Mt Eliza. especially around larger areas of reef, particularly those close to deeper water. These areas, like the land-based platforms tend to fish best after a blow, so best success will come from concentrating around these events. Spend time looking at your sounder too, just like in the deep as recently the school-sized snapper have been heavily feeding on bait in mid water

and closer to the surface.

Expect many of the bay’s other most popular species to really fire over the coming months as the water temperatures continue to rise.

Local whiting and calamari numbers should explode, and I’m also looking forward to the kingfish showing up in our local areas again this season, stay tuned for reports next month.

Baitfish bring the pelagics MARLO

Big squid have been taken in good numbers in the south of the bay for the past couple of months.

As water temperatures increase over the summer months, local activity will increase as well. made many of the current trends seem like early season fishing.

Once again this year, we have experienced a slower than usual start to the fishing season, and this has also brought a vast array of changing weather and fishing conditions for anglers on the bay. And while the normal peak snapper action and other species activity seemed to be running a little later this year again, in line with the slowly rising water temperatures, the frequently changing weather also brought some peak periods of great fishing

ago. The major change from then to now has been the massive amount of bait and other natural food sources available, and the frequently changing water temperatures at times.

Some quality snapper have landed in our local areas in recent weeks, with most anglers choosing to fish either in close and around 8m, or going to the other extreme and concentrating on the far wider deeper areas around the shipping channel.

Artificial reef areas, and ‘dump sites’ have also been very popular, particularly for those anglers fishing

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

With summer in full swing, it’s the time of year for all of us anglers to venture out to enjoy our favourite fishing spots. The rivers have had a good flushing out with all the rain we’ve received, and the whole estuary is in pristine condition and should again be a fishing paradise when all the elements line up.

The prawns have begun to move out of the mangroves and reed beds on maturity, and move down onto the sand flats that run from the Marlo Jetty all the way down to Frenchs Narrows as they wait for the right tide to make their run to the ocean on their annual cycle. The same sand flats that house the gathering prawns

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also attract the predators, including big dusky flathead that lie in wait for their annual feast of migrating prawns – not to mention all the anglers and non-anglers who also like eating the succulent local prawns.

The best of the lot is the big schools of fish that also come into the estuary to join the smorgasbord for their Christmas feast. Salmon and tailor in big numbers move into the estuary with the tide, giving anglers plenty of action either trolling or spinning with metal lures.

The surf beaches are

Kingfish are a good target at this time of year.

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Kirk with a quality kingfish.

fishing well, with large schools of salmon and tailor moving up and down the beaches looking for schools of small fish to eat. As well as the salmon and tailor, anglers are getting flathead, mullet, bream, gummy shark, and big bronze whaler shark.

Offshore the fishing has been particularly good. With the baitfish turning up, so will the pelagic species including kingfish and stripy tuna – the type of fish that stretch your arms. The prized kingfish can be elusive sometimes, but they’re still worth targeting at this time of year.

For the anglers who prefer to bottom fish, there have been many reports of flathead, gurnard, barracoota, pinkie snapper, morwong, squid, and gummy shark on the chew.

Tracking Murray cod in the upper Goulburn River Ever wondered whether Murray cod move between Lake Eildon and its tributaries like the upper Goulburn River? Well, so have we!

That’s why we’re commencing exciting new research this summer to track Eildon cod and learn more about their movement patterns.

After all, your fishing licence fees have helped stock nearly three million cod fingerlings into Lake Eildon over the last 30 years and there are more on the way!

The two-year study will determine if cod in the upper Goulburn River are an active part of the Lake Eildon population or a distinct one of their own.

The project involves tagging 20 cod over the minimum size of 55cm with acoustic transmitters, which emit a regular ‘ping’.

Listening stations positioned in the Goulburn Arm and up the river will detect these ‘pings’ and record individual fish movement, depth and speed every time a tagged cod comes within range.

Freshwater fishers are participating in this innovative project too by helping monitor tagged cod movement, ensuring strong engagement with those people most passionate about wetting a line for this iconic species.

The project is a great example of applied research to unlock secrets and bust myths about cod and the findings will give lure casters and bait fishers alike valuable insights. That fish of a lifetime could be closer than you think!

For more information visit www.vfa.vic.gov.au/codtracking

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

VIC

Take care of your local shops PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

I am sick of hearing the phrase ‘new normal’ and wish they would stop with all the politics, excuses and justifications and just get on with it and do what is needed to be done for everyone to remain open and the state to remain working.

To say the last 12 months has been challenging is an understatement and it has been the indecision or the constant raft of excuses that has been the most difficult for retail. New normal number 10 is neither new or normal but at least when writing this we are all open again and enjoying the Christmas trade.

It will take a long time for businesses to get back to some type of security but I know we have been

very grateful to all the local support that has allowed us to get to this point. This has been echoed through many businesses here and around the state that I speak to but, it is the going forward that is now the most important.

I have noticed the mental strain on many that I speak with and while you might not think you could help them, some of the mental strain has come through their financial situation and that is where you can help. Next time before you push purchase on that item from some far-off country no one has ever heard of, could you possibly

has changed everything, which is still continuing. The fish are there, both in the bay and offshore it is just taking a bit of looking to find them.

Snapper were probably affected the most and they started moving down into the shallows in and around the corals that spell of weather and inconsistent since has pushed them back into deeper water with them only showing in the shallows in the evenings after a perfect day. We are now seeing 100s of those very small pinkies again like we have seen over the last two or three years and you will find

Power for your GOPRO or VIRB from your navigation light socket

This season in one spot in one session you could finish up with whiting from 20cm to 48cm and everything in between. It’s good to see the smaller ones as they have been missing a bit over the last few years but between them and the pinkies that show up in the same area it can be a challenging session.

The reports we have been getting are coming from most of the usual areas and times, with the area at the top of the bay from Reef Island to Coronet Bay. Calamari started the season very slowly but have improved as the season went on and if you really want them you can find them with not too much effort. It has been different as well, with baited jigs the best of the methods for much longer than normal and even now one of the better ways to ensure you catch a couple.

This has probably been because of the bad weather also making the bay a very dark shade of mud for most of the time.

If you are out fishing and the bay is a bit dirty use the same theory of the baited jig and let your artificial jig sink down below the dirty layer to about the same depth the baited jig sits at instead of skimming it along the surface.

Calamari reports have literally come from everywhere in and around the bay. All the jetties and the

Steve headed out for a late afternoon fish before a storm moved in. He managed some quality pinkies for the dinner table before being forced to go home by the weather.

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Kevin managed a great bag of whiting with a couple of trevally as a bonus. help out your local store, be guaranteed of getting it, have somewhere to take it back if it breaks or someone to speak with if you can’t get it to work, aren’t all these things worth the maybe extra 10% you have to pay locally.

The other problem of late has been the weather and now we have a fancy name, La Nina, for that as well, which I think is just gets used as an excuse for getting it wrong. Whatever the weather will be coming up the weather for the season so far has been anything but favourable. Thankfully, there has been enough good patches for those able to just fish at anytime and we have seen some very good catches.

The inconsistent weather has had an effect on the fishing and, while it started ok with some very good early spring fish, into Cup weekend with everything tracking as it should the 10 days or so of bad weather just after that

them everywhere. There is a positive though, those very small ones from three years ago are now bigger size and better. So although they can be a nuisance, you will find keepers.

There are not as many of the bigger snapper around now but that is nothing too surprising as it’s the same every year. We will still see the odd 5-6kg one caught, but just not as many. If you want to chase the bigger fish, deep early, shallow late is probably your best chance as we see very few of the big ones during the day.

Whiting survived the changing weather a little better and the reports have been regular all season but that doesn’t mean they have been normal. When you are whiting fishing, generally the first fish you catch will determine the size of all the fish you catch in that spot and it’s unusual for them to vary by more than a cm or two.

Pinkies are everywhere at the moment.

those smart enough to drop a jig everywhere they stop have managed plenty, especially across the corals where we have actually seen some of the biggest calamari for the season. It will cost you very little, just a paternoster rig, two jigs and a very heavy sinker and any old rod. Drop it directly under the boat until it hits the bottom a couple of winds and move it out the way somewhere to bob up and down while you fish for other things.

As I write this, offshore has been patchy, weather mostly, with some signs of promise for those chasing all species. The barrel tuna have left and the school fish haven’t shown yet but the schools of baitfish have shown so they shouldn’t be far away.

A couple of mako sharks are already here, the reefs have produced plenty of gummies of average size for offshore, and some good snapper have appeared as they head home.

Flathead are another one that has been difficult.

From those who have been successful, you will need to build arm muscles, with the best reports from 60m of water or deeper. In close has produced, but I think with the very rough weather and only a very small handful of opportunities, the flathead headed deep away from the rough water. Hopefully this will change as we get to February where the seas should settle.

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New beginnings in 2022 GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

We are almost surfing on the back of the biggest floods here in Gippsland for 30 years. To say it has turned fishing on its head is the understatement of the decade!

The total rainfall for 2021 is about 30-40% up on an average year after four significant floods during the last calendar year. Driving about 200km from Traralgon all the way to Marlo, some parts feel like you’re crossing an inland sea. For that reason, my report is a little light on success but as usual, the die-hards have been out searching. Due to rain and muddy ground, farmers have been unable to cut paddocks for hay and the grass is that long. All you see is the white backs of sheep with their heads buried deep in pasture. However, as the floods recede you can bet your last dollar that the fishing will eventually end up on fire. In some parts that has already started.

DIRTY WATER TACTICS After the big rains we all have to adapt and rise to the challenge of chasing our quarry in muddy water.

It’s hard to believe but when rivers run dirty, bream and perch will sometimes bite more freely – especially on bait. Even lure anglers can have great success, as proven by results in recent weeks.

On a recent visit to Hollands Landing, a few bait

anglers contacted me and said the bream were there in fairly good numbers despite the flooded water. These guys landed a good haul of bream from 33-42cm over two days, so I called on a good mate and said we’d better go test our skills and see if those same bream will take lures.

Now the results were OK but it took a change in many tactics to get them to bite, and in the end we had to fish deep and very slow. It proves that dedication and perseverance

will be rewarded. We put a modest tally of 16 fish on the scoreboard, and although it took most of the day, sometimes a small tally means so much during tough conditions.

My biggest tip for dirty water lure success is to fish slower than you are ever used to, and don’t be scared of tying on brightly coloured lures in pink or chartreuse.

We used blade lures tea-bagged in water about 3-4m deep, and interestingly the fish we caught didn’t

Estuary perch come alive when freshwater hits the salty reaches, and this Hollands Landing EP proves that point.

show up on our sounders.

Amazingly, the water was cold and looked like dam water, but still we caught perch and bream.

Bait offerings should be as smelly as you can make them, and I know old swampy anglers who use prawn, chicken meat and mussel baits in pure fresh water to trick really big bream. I’ve also watched switched-on anglers soak big scrub worms during flood events and catch some of the biggest bream that live in the Gippy Lakes. It pays to experiment.

PAYNESVILLE TO METUNG It’s been a real shock to see muddy water push so far down into the Gippy Lakes, but as each week passes you can expect to have greater success as tidal sea water pushes up towards Metung and Newlands Arm. Keep in mind that big dusky flathead always migrate to those areas over the peak of summer, and on any given trip you should gear up to chase these trophy fish.

Whiting will be high on the agenda, and I’m tipping this summer will see the biggest bags of King George specimens caught in over 10 years. The last reports of whiting caught in the area were during the depths of winter, and there were even fish to 40cm+ taken home.

Pinkie snapper should also show up once again, and the trend over the last few years has been for these fish to measure 38-45cm – good sport in anyone’s language.

Catching bream in dirty water requires lures being worked as slowly as possible.

Other hot spots during the summer holidays will include the North Arm and Kalimna. Keep an eye out for kingfish because they could show up any day.

MITCHELL RIVER Just after the last major floods I couldn’t believe how quickly the Mitchell River cleaned up, and it now looks a million dollars! At the Eagle Point boat ramp, I could see at least 60cm into the water and I watched bait anglers returning plenty of small bream around 20-24cm. On that score, I reckon that if anglers went searching up and downstream, I’m quite

sure bigger fish will be found. Keep in mind that the bream breeding season is now over and big fish will be willing and hungry. The real trick will be where to find them, because often they will spread far and wide into very shallow lake water at this time of year. I’m hearing whispers that the lower Tambo is very slow but a few big bream have taken prawn baits and live shrimp.

My message is to be patient this summer, because the fishing will take a little time to recover from some of the biggest flood events I’ve ever seen.

The fishing comes alive MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Summer has been a long time coming.

November saw big rains right across Gippsland, with the Mallacoota area not hit as hard as the rest of Gippsland.

We haven’t missed out

on the unusually cold weather that has been seen throughout the area, and as we head into January, fingers crossed the summer weather is here to stay.

Visitors have come to the area, and the Christmas period was busy as people got out and about, enjoying a taste of freedom in this changing world. Those who are here for the fishing will

There is no shortage of eating-size flathead, with fish being caught in the Bottom Lake while tossing lures for yellowfin bream.

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not be disappointed this month, as the fishing in the lake and offshore has really come alive. The offshore fishing has seen the sand flathead and tiger flathead come on the bite, and in the coming months the warmest water will arrive, and this will really see the fishing fire up. To get amongst the fish, keep on the move until fish are located. Once found, spend your time drifting in the area and it won’t take long for you to get a feed of fish.

For some time now, plenty of good size gummy sharks have been caught, and by all reports these fish are still on the bite which is great news for all anglers who like chasing a feed of gummy shark. Once again, it pays to get an early start when heading offshore in the summer months. Get out there early, catch your fish and be back before the wind gets too strong.

Fishing the local beaches has seen plenty of salmon

being caught, with the odd tailor about as well. As we move into summer, the warming water will see more variety in the fishing, with yellowfin bream and whiting featuring in the catch.

Great fishing has been had in the lake, with the flathead being on the bite over the past month. Plenty of fish are being caught in the lake, both Top and Bottom, with fish also being caught up above Gypsy Point. Whether you’re fishing with soft plastic lures, blades or bait, keep on the move until fish are found, and then concentrate in that area. That should see you get a bag of fish.

Harrisons Channel around to the markers and out to John Bull marker is a reliable area to catch fish over the summer months.

Plenty of yellowfin bream are also being caught in the entrance area to the lake, with Goodwin Sands being another reliable area to catch some quality fish.

A great yellowfin bream caught on a hardbody lure in the Bottom Lake.

Soft plastic lures, hardbody lures and blades have all been working well, along with fresh local prawn.

The black bream are about too, with the Top Lake and along the rock walls heading towards Gypsy Point being the places to try. Once again, the fish along these areas are patchy.

Once a fish is caught or you get a bite, concentrate your

efforts in these areas.

Some great silver trevally are also being caught out in the Bottom Lake. If you hook onto a good one, be patient as these fish really put up a great fight.

Sand whiting are also in the lake, and their numbers will only increase in the coming months as the water warms.

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Lakes continue to impress with big numbers LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

The warm weather is offering plenty of opportunities to explore our local waterways.

During the end of 2021 we had massive storms and very heavy rain causing flooding throughout, and these floodwaters ruined the fishing in the shortterm. However, in the long run it will improve our lakes and rivers.

The main lake has

continued to impress, with whiting being a massive stand-out with many anglers.

King George whiting have been seen consistently throughout the lake, especially in areas such as Barrier Landing, Rigby and Fraser Island. The same old whiting techniques have done the trick – targeting the weed edges with fresh baits such as pipi and mussel.

Commonly these whiting have averaged 35cm. The better-quality specimens have been a little harder to locate, but 40-45cm whiting

have been caught recently.

The health of our lake system has rapidly improved since the removal of commercial fishing from within the lake system.

Species such as snapper have become more and more common, and the size is slowly improving, with legalsize snapper being caught around the deeper margins in places such as Metung harbour and Nungurner.

LAKE TYERS Anglers are reaping the benefits of the warm summer heat and all the rain

Natural prawn colours are highly productive, especially when the prawns are on the move.

Lucas Smith with a 9ft bronze whaler caught off a local surf beach.

throughout the past year which has cleaned out the lake system. The lake is in prime health and offering up some plenty opportunities for keen anglers.

The many weed flats in the main lake have been an ideal area to target a variety of fish, but flathead and bream are most common catch. Chubbystyle hardbodies are a great approach in the lake and will produce year-round.

They are ideal for searching and covering water in search of hungry predators.

The highest reaches of the lake system have been

ideal areas to target bream, and anglers have had good success using surface lures early and late in the day on shallow mud flats or around the many snags. Natural baitfish colours have been a great option to start with, but mixing it up always helps you to find what the fish want on the day. Personally, the HF19 Bassday Sugapen is my favourite as the natural translucent colour is awesome on bream, especially if prawns are about.

Lake Tyers is known by many anglers as the place to go if you want to target

trophy-size dusky flathead.

The many mud flats, weed beds and drop-offs offer ideal areas for these monsters to lie in wait for their next meal. Glidebaits are an awesome way to target the monsters in the lake, as the big lures really get the big flatties’ attention.

HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for fish lately and have a great pic, feel free to send it to stevenprykefishing@gmail. com with a short description and you could be featured in an upcoming edition of Fishing Monthly.

Quality bream are on offer BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

Following significant rainfall and minor flooding, 2021 came to an end. With COVID

restrictions now lifted, we have seen an influx of anglers with some incredible catches. The entrance remains open at the time of writing, and has been open since June 2021. Bream have

made up the majority of catches, with reports of fish up to 47cm.

I have spoken to anglers in recent weeks who have finally been able to get back to Bemm, and they have had amazing catches of flathead,

Bream have been making up the majority of catches.

tailor and salmon. The tailor and salmon have mainly been taken on the turn of the tide in the channel.

The perch are still around the edges of the lake in their normal hiding spots.

There haven’t been many reports for the river due to the amount of freshwater and the discoloration of the water following the intense rainfall. The streams are still holding a lot of water and flowing strongly.

When the weather has permitted, the beaches have produced some good catches of salmon, tailor, mullet and gummy shark.

The holidays are now upon us and temperatures are rising, which will no doubt see the appearance of snakes, so be mindful along riverbanks, surf beach tracks etc. Please also ensure your safety gear is in order for your boat and your fishing licence and boat licence is current, as Fisheries

Clive Mitchell from the Malden Angling Club with a bream that weighed 1.5kg and broke his rod! visit often and check these details in order to maintain safety on our waterways.

• For on the spot and up to date fishing reports check out Robyn’s website: www. bemmaccommodation.

com.au or ‘like’ us on Facebook – Bemm River Holiday Accommodation Phone: (03) 5158 4233/ Mob. 0427 584 233 Email: bemmaccomm@ bigpond.com.

JANUARY 2022

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Murky start to the cod season ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

With the Murray cod season underway and COVID restrictions easing, anglers will travel far and

little to excite me. In fact, I begin puffing and break into a sweat each time I look at the shovel. But it’s honest work, and few if any baits are as good for Murray cod as a large, fat bardi grub.

Other early season baits will include large scrub-worms,

Bardi grubs are hard digging but they’re the best bait going for Murray cod. wide to connect to a solid green fish. This season’s big rains have ensured a healthy, vibrant flush in many of our local rivers that has provided the optimum conditions for our native fish stocks to breed. During the 3-month closure, high rivers and turbid flows have changed the face of many waters, and no doubt shuffled and shifted resident fish.

With this in mind, bait will be a major player early in the season as some waters will continue to run high and dirty. The prospect of chipping a few grubs from beneath the topsoil of the giant red river gums does

yabbies’ and kitchen baits like cheese and chicken.

Perch will also bite well early season on bait, so you are in for an each-way bet, especially when fishing worms, smaller yabbies and shrimp. In truth, Murray cod will eat almost anything when they are in the mood.

And on the flip side, nothing when they are not.

When targeting Murray cod on bait, look for areas in the flow that hold numerous snags. Positioning your baits on the upstream side of the snags will allow the water flow to carry the fresh scent of an easy meal down through the fish’s hide. If there is a hungry cod in close proximity it won’t take long to find its way onto the end of your line.

While bait fishing is a very effective way to target Murray cod, many anglers prefer to use lures. Even though the current water

clarity is not great, Murray cod have an uncanny knack of locking onto a moving target in dirty water. You can improve your chances by presenting rattling lures, or those that exhibit wide, strong body actions that create enough sound and water displacement to alert fish to their presence. This will provide any hungry Murray cod the chance to intercept the oncoming lure just before it arrives.

As for lure colour, I have found that fluorescent colours generally produce the best results when water clarity is poor. Bright orange with high contrasting stripes as well as pink and green

This ripper was caught on the cast near Mildura using a Bassman 4x4 spinnerbait.

Every angler hopes to land a giant Murray cod like this one caught on chicken by Clinton Hann last season.

A clean hook set on the Mustad circle hook provides little damage to cod destined for release.

would be my choice.

Locations to target Murray cod are many, but based on last year’s captures it’s hard to look past the Murray River at both Swan Hill and Mildura as local big fish producers. Some ripper

catches of giant cod were landed in these waters last season, and it should be the same again.

Remember before you head out on the water this cod season, make sure you have a current fishing

license and be aware of all regulations pertaining to bag and size limits. The NSW Fishing Guide booklets hold all this information, and are available in tackle stores free of charge.

Good luck and tight lines.

From trickle to flood BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

The productivity in the fishing over the spring months was significantly lower than anticipated.

The numbers of fish being caught were best described as a trickle rather than a flood.

The main reason for the lacklustre catch rates has been the unseasonably cool weather.

Water temperatures are currently significantly lower than normal for this time of year, and this is directly affecting the activity in the fish.

The good news is that a lot of ingredients are still good – water levels, water clarity etc. In the coming weeks if we receive consist days of warm weather to heat up the water, we should see a significant improvement in anglers’ catch rates.

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The Bureau of Meteorology has declared that we are now in an official La Niña event, and they are forecasting above average rainfall for the next few months. Our local impoundments have not at this stage reached the high water levels that a lot of anglers were hoping for, but with the current trend in the weather patterns, the chances of some good inflows over summer is still high.

LAKE EPPALOCK Water levels have slowly continued to rise at this destination, and Lake Eppalock is currently at 58% of capacity. Water clarity is currently good at most locations around the lake. Catches are mainly consisting of small numbers of golden perch and redfin.

The golden perch are being caught with a number of techniques. Trolling small to medium sized hardbody lures in the 4-5m depth

range has been working.

For those anglers casting for the golden perch, the best options have been silent lipless crankbaits and bladed lures. Good structures to target for the golden perch have been the submerged weed beds, standing timber and, to a lesser extent, rocky shorelines.

The redfin fishing has been disappointing for the majority of anglers targeting this species. Small numbers of redfin have been caught recently in very shallow water around the edges of the freshly-covered vegetation.

Small numbers of redfin are also being caught off the edges of the submerged weed beds. The best numbers of redfin have been caught by only a limited number of anglers who have been fishing in deep water, mainly with bait. The most productive bait has been worms, although shrimp and small yabbies have also been

This beautiful Murray cod was caught in the Loddon River on a Jackall spinnerbait. working on some days.

There are currently large numbers of redfin fry holding high in the water column. In the coming weeks as the water temperatures increase, we should see a good improvement as the larger redfin move in to make the most of the juvenile redfin and the food source they provide.

The numbers of Murray cod being caught has been low, but with the opening

of the cod season we should start to see a few more of these fish being caught as more anglers start to target them again.

CAMPASPE RIVER The productivity of the fishing in the Campaspe River has also been lower than anticipated. Again, the below average fishing has been mainly due to the unseasonably cold water temperatures.

For those anglers who

have been skilful enough to land a few fish, the majority of those fish have been golden perch. Casting lipless crankbaits and suspending hardbody lures has been producing the best results. Although the numbers of golden perch being caught has been low, the average size has been good – around 45-50cm.

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A wave of change WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

December is the hottest month of the year in Wangaratta, followed by February, but this year is different. Much different.

to be better suited to bait fishers.

This January will definitely be worth fishing for Murray cod in the Ovens River catchment, however if you are planning a trip to the area make sure you keep an eye on the weather

lures, Codgers etc... as well as the ever popular spinnerbaits.

Surface fishing is always popular in the Ovens River with any of the many surface lures now on the market worth trying.

My preferred system is to fish surface lures at dusk and dawn, and diving or sinking lures during the day.

If bait fishing, it is hard to go past bardi grubs if you can find them. Cheese is also a great bait for Murray cod, so too is sliced

Swimming and fishing are both popular in Lake William Hovell in January.

Combining both is a perfect way to beat the summer heat.

Kayak fishing for redfin is very popular in Lake William Hovell and Lake Buffalo in January.

At the time of writing this report we are at the end of possibly the coolest spring that I can remember.

It has been very cool, and quite damp. As a result the waterways are much higher and cooler than normal for this time of the year, leading to fantastic trout fishing.

Based on current La Nina weather patterns, the best I can do is give a forecast of how I predict January will unfold in terms of fishing.

MURRAY COD The Murray cod fishing is usually quite consistent in the Wangaratta area.

Some years are better than others, but every year there are plenty of cod to be caught.

Drier years tend to be better suited to lure fishers with low, clear water providing great conditions, while wetter years seem From page 100

slowly improving in recent weeks. The numbers of Murray cod being caught should improve this month as anglers again start fishing with their favourite cod lollies.

CAIRN CURRAN Water levels have continued a very slow increase at this destination, and the water clarity is slowly improving.

In recent weeks the productivity in the fishing at Cairn Curran has been pretty good. Reasonable numbers of golden perch are being caught at this location. A number of techniques are working on the golden perch. Casting lipless crankbaits, blades and soft vibe lures have all been working. Trolling small to medium sized hardbody lures has also been a good option. Bait

and rainfall. The Bureau Of Meteorology website is a fantastic resource to monitor rainfall and river level information.

For those wanting to target Murray cod on lures, all of the usual Murray cod lures should work. No.1 StumpJumpers, Old Mate

A nice brown trout from the Ovens River near Harrietville. That section of the river is a great place to target trout during summer. chicken breast.

Last season I watched my friend Tim Galley catch a Murray cod on a KFC chicken nugget with sweet and sour sauce on it. A waste of a good chicken nugget if you ask me.

YELLOWBELLY The Wangaratta area

mostly worms, although as they continue to grow I am expecting to see a few start to turn up on lures, more so as a by-catch to those targeting Murray cod.

Other places to try for yellowbelly in the Ovens River catchment are Tronoh Dredge at Harrietville, Lake Sambell in Beechworth and Lake Anderson in Chiltern.

REDFIN January can be a great time of the year to target redfin in the Ovens River catchment.

It is usually the first month that I start to catch redfin in Lake Buffalo and Lake William Hovell.

Both lakes usually start to produce a few reddies in January, then a few more in February, peaking in March and April before starting to slow down again in May and June.

In January I love heading to Lake William Hovell on a hot day to have

redfin baits. Live shrimp are dynamite on the redfin if you can get hold of them, and keep them alive.

I prefer Lake William Hovell over Lake Buffalo, it seems to have more redfin in it to catch however I keep more larger fish for the plate from Lake Buffalo than I do Lake William Hovell.

TROUT January isn’t the best month of the year to target trout in the Ovens River catchment as it is the hottest and driest month.

This January may be a bit different though and I am predicting that there could be better water conditions than usual thanks to our cool and wet spring.

In January the best places to head are always the headwaters of the larger, cooler rivers. The Ovens River upstream of Bright always fishes well in December. The Upper Buckland River will

A nice Murray cod caught in the Ovens River near Wangaratta last season. fishing off the bank with worms and yabbies has been a productive method as well.

A lot of the golden perch being caught have been small but this is a good sign for angling opportunities at this destination over the next few years.

It has also been encouraging to see the numbers of Murray cod being caught at this location. While the numbers of Murray cod being caught has not been high there has been some quality Murray cod measuring over 70cm that have been caught by some lucky anglers.

LODDON RIVER Anglers’ catch rates have been well below what is normally expected for the Loddon River at this time of year. The water clarity has been poor but has started to improve nicely in recent weeks. Water temperatures in this system are also well

below what you would normally see at this time of the year. Like all the other destinations in this report, all we need is a consistent run of hot weather to fire the fish up. As long as we don’t receive a very large rain event to dirty up the river again, we should see a good improvement over the next month.

During holiday periods it’s worth mentioning for anglers to think long and hard about where they choose to fish. Always remember that smaller river systems like the Loddon River and Campaspe River are adversely affected by boat traffic. Too many boats going up and down the system will quickly shut the fish down. For that reason, it’s a good idea to try to fish an area that receives a reduced amount of fishing pressure over the holiday period.

Brett Corker with a typically small Murray cod caught in Wangaratta. is not known for its great yellowbelly fishing. It is more known for its great Murray cod fishing.

In saying that, there are a few yellowbelly options, and the Ovens River itself is improving as a yellowbelly fishery thanks to some fantastic stocking by the Victorian Fisheries Authority.

Most yellowbelly in the Ovens are caught on bait,

a swim, a wet wade and cast lures from the bank for redfin.

Small soft plastics, bladed spinners and diving minnows are all worth trying. So too are 7g blades, which will cast further than anything else and get you out a bit deeper.

Bait is always a great option when redfin fishing with worms and small yabbies both being great

also be worth fishing.

The upper Buffalo River fishes better some years than others, but with the La Nina weather conditions I dare say that this January could be one of those better years.

All of the known trout techniques should work. Bait, lure and fly. I like a small black soft plastic such as a Strike Tiger Nymph in black and gold colour in the height of summer.

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Mudeyes on the menu BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

If you are going to chase trout or redfin in the majority of our fisheries over the coming months around Ballarat, you will

weeds. Mudeyes can also be purchased at a variety of tackle shops.

A mudeye’s life cycle starts with dragonflies buzzing around on the surface of our waters mating, before laying their eggs in the water. The eggs

float is basically irresistible to a trout and redfin at this time of year. Morning and evenings are best, but if you get an overcast day that can be very productive, too.

Moorabool Reservoir continues to fish well. Plenty of newly-released rainbow and brown trout (which are growing at a rate of knots) are being caught. The bigger brown trout, which have featured in catches over the past couple of months, seem to have moved out into the deeper water. I have had many trips out to Moorabool over the past month searching

The author’s new Australian PB brown trout on fly (7.5lb) from Moorabool Reservoir.

Bug (spider) mudeyes are deadly trout and redfin food. need to have mudeyes at the top of your list, or very close to it. I would suggest that you use them as bait or use flies that imitate mudeyes, as these creatures are a staple diet to trout and redfin during the warmer months.

then hatch into mudeyes (nymphs), which then live in mud and weeds until they are big enough to moult and emerge as dragonflies. The mature mudeyes move from the weed/mud generally on evening and after dark towards the shore, and crawl

Tullaroop Reservoir produces some excellent sized brown and rainbow trout, which feed on mudeyes throughout the evening into the early mornings.

For those anglers who don’t know, mudeyes are the larval stage of the dragonflies you see buzzing around lakes, rivers and dams. There are a couple of different types of mudeyes: the larger couta variety and the smaller bug/spider variety. All live in the mud and weeds in all of our lakes, rivers and dams. You can collect them by just lifting up rocks and gathering from the underside of the rocks, or you can grab a net and scoop it through 102

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out of the water to hatch into dragon flies. It’s at this stage when the trout and redfin feed on them. There is no given time they will start their migration at night, but as soon as they do, the fish are generally onto them.

The fish can get so fixated on them they will not eat much else.

Anglers need to adapt to what the fish are feeding on to get rewards for their efforts, and a mudeye suspended under a bubble

Lake Wendouree produced the goods for Rodney McNeight, who caught some lovely sized brown trout on brown nymphs fished very slowly with a figure-8 retrieve. Image courtesy of Rodney McNeight. for one of the big guys. I was lucky enough to snag my new PB here in Australia on fly, a magnificently conditioned brown trout of 7.5lb, which ate my small brown nymph that was slowly being retrieved to imitate a nymph hatching into a mayfly. After a few happy snaps, she was released to grow bigger.

I predict that the trout over the next few months will change their feeding habits and focus on mudeyes.

As I have previously stated, Moorabool has a massive population of mudeyes, so I’m predicting some excellent fishing should occur, especially during the evenings, after dark and early in the morning. Exciting times ahead for all.

Tullaroop Reservoir was disappointing throughout the spring this year compared to last year, for those anglers who chase trout. Yes, the fishing was good, but not to the lofty standards set last year. I’m hoping that will change over the coming month, before the weather gets too hot and the water levels start to drop.

I will be planning some very early morning fishing sessions in the coming weeks, hoping to catch the trout that have been feeding on the migrating mudeyes from the previous night. My plan is to get up very early

The mayfly hatches on Wendouree during spring were very good, and once again like Moorabool there were lots of small fish very willing to eat mayfly. I think

at 3am, make the 40-minute trip up and fly fish with mudeye imitation fly patterns like Craig’s Night Time, Mrs Simpson or a Muddler Minnow until daylight. After that I will switch to black nymphs for the midge feeders until the sun comes up on the water and the trout retreat to the depths. This plan was very successful for me last year, catching some ripping rainbow and brown trout.

If fly fishing is not your method of fishing, you could still head up to Tullaroop and fish a mudeye suspended under a float. This is a deadly set up destined to produce the goods, and the other good thing about it is you can sleep in for another hour or so.

Lake Wendouree has been relatively quiet, by its high standards, and this could due to a variety of reasons.

I don’t think we have really had the numbers of anglers fishing Wendouree over the spring as in previous years.

over the coming month or so we will see some reports of excellent fishing filtering by the fly fishers, and also the anglers who like to fish bait.

Rod McNeight made the most of his opportunities when the midday mayfly hatches started to peter out, catching some excellent sized brown trout on brown nymphs fished very slowly with a figure-8 retrieve. I expect to see fly fishers lining the shores of Wendouree during the evenings, casting Craig’s Night Time, Mrs Simpson, Muddler Minnow and Cordulid mudeye fly patterns, trying to tempt the mudeye-feeding trout and redfin. Similarly, anglers who fish bait will be using mudeyes to tempt the trout.

Wendouree does fish very well early in the morning and throughout the day during the warmer weather, but patience is the key – and I would not suggest sitting out on the lake on a 30°C day.

Fortune favours all WEST/SOUTH GIPPSLAND

Billy Auldist

The warmer weather has turned it on and the conditions couldn’t be better. If you are looking to get out for a fish, everything is currently in your favour.

The rivers and streams are running clear and the fish are waiting. Anglers have been finding bountiful success across the district and the action won’t be stopping yet.

The ever faithful Noojee rivers have been producing once again. The La Trobe, Toorongo and Loch rivers have all been worthwhile for anglers. As per usual, lures like spinners and hardbodies have been doing the majority of the damage, but bait has had its place as well. There has also been quite a good run of rainbow trout throughout the system lately, which has been a welcomed surprise to anglers. As we all know, the trout around Noojee are not fussy eaters so it shouldn’t be

Stanley Haughton shows off a chunky 4kg carp he caught on corn. hard to find a few fish.

The Tarago and Bunyip rivers are looking prime and we are starting to see some big fish pulled from their waters.

If you find an unfished stretch of river on either of these streams you are certainly in the equation for a big session.

The grasshoppers are out and about now so if you are bait fishing it pays off big time to put some more effort in and catch your own bait, not many trout can resist an unweighted grasshopper drifted through their hole.

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Good catches in the channels SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

Just like that, another year has gone by, and we are well into summer. At the time of writing this article, the long-term weather outlook was for cooler and wetter conditions. Let’s hope this is the case and

we see a few natural rises in the river and also some cooler conditions for those of us on the river bank or in the boat.

LOCAL CHANNELS The local irrigation channels around Shepparton East and Waranga Basin have fished well in recent weeks.

TN60 Jackalls, Bassman Shortys and Keitech 3” Easy Shiners in green pumpkin

chartreuse have been stand-out lure options.

Drop Bars have been very productive too, especially on spinnerbaits and Jackalls.

Soft plastics have worked well in open water and around weeds. Some anglers have been rigging their plastics with a beetle spin, while other just use a standard jighead like a 7g Bassman.

Gary Gerada with a nice cod caught in the Broken River.

From page 102

These two rivers have also been seeing success on spinners and hardbodies too, but winged lures like Tassie Devils definitely have their place.

Local angler Matt Bow reports catching multiple large brown trout in the Tarago River, he used a variety of methods, which all came to sucess.

Spinners, Tassie Devils and an unweighted worm caught him some exceptional fish over a few sessions. This goes to show that there is big fish in the area, you just need to work for them.

The Aussie bass in Blue Rock Reservoir have started hitting the surface consistently in the low light periods either side of the day.

There is some bass starting to reach a quality size here and it is exciting for the fishery. Redfin and trout are also feasible options in the lake and can be targeted on a variety of methods from

Local angler Matt Bow with an exceptional trout for the district, it was caught on a Tassie Devil retrieved through a deeper section of river and measured over 60cm long! soft plastics to trolling. Carp can also be caught from the bank whilst bait fishing and are mostly quite large, which can prove a bit of fun.

Closer to Warragul, Hazel Creek and the Little Moe River have been seeing good numbers of carp and redfin.

An unweighted worm is the best way to go about fishing either of these rivers and is

A healthy brown trout that took a liking to a spinner retrieved downstream.

sure to provide some fun.

There are also a small number of trout in these two streams if you are lucky enough to cross paths with one.

Moving forward into January we should still be looking at some exceptional fishing. We expect the fishing pressure across the region to increase over the holiday season, so having a couple of lesser known spots up your sleeve will come in handy.

As mentioned above, the grasshoppers will become more and more abundant and are a deadly bait for almost anything in our area.

The river blackfish season will open up on the 31 December and it’s a great time to target them. Many of our rivers hold quality blackfish and they are definitely worth targeting, a small running sinker rig with a worm or yabbie cast closely to a snag will surely prove successful.

There have been a few locals reporting getting tailtapped by redfin. Cutting your plastic down a little or running a tiny assist hook can be the answer, but also can get a little more snaggy.

Bait fishing with yabbies and scrub worms in the wash around 20m from a drop bar has been a great method recently, with both yellowbelly and redfin being reported using this method.

GOULBURN RIVER In early December there were plenty of cod being caught on both lures and bait. Many anglers targeting yellowbelly with smaller lures like the Bassman Shortys and Jackall TN60s were catching cod before the opening, so don’t discount a smaller profile lure this summer. I would start big, but if your larger swimbaits or spinnerbaits aren’t working, switch to something smaller.

It may just draw some bites.

Scrub worms and Trelly secret chicken have been the standout baits so far this cod season, with plenty of cod being caught in the heart of Shepparton behind the lake or down towards the cemetery.

Some positive news was announced late in 2021 – the Victorian Fishing Authority in conjunction with the Goulburn Broken CMA have announced a fish habitat upgrade for the Goulburn River. The Goulburn Broken CMA will be installing 80 large logs and stumps with root balls at five sites along the river near Wyuna, northwest of Shepparton. The structures will provide shelter, food and breeding sites for native fish… and casting targets for freshwater fishers.

The project is one of three the Goulburn Broken CMA has received funding for from the latest round of the Recreational Fishing Grants Program.

WARANGA BASIN There is plenty of water in the basin, and this has pushed a lot of smaller fish up into the shallows. These fish are feeding on the grass almost all day long, and also in low light periods off the top. Small cicada lures like the Micro Pompadour or the Megabass Siglett.

Lightly weighted soft plastics like the 2” Easy Shiner or the Trelly’s Curl Tail Grubs have worked well in the shallows.

Some anglers fishing from a boat (when the wind has permitted) have been trolling white and orange Halcos along the rock wall at the Tatura end or out the front of the boat club. Bigger yellowbelly and redfin have been caught this way, mostly in the mornings in these spots. Much lower numbers

Aaron Lines with a solid yellowbelly from a local irrigation channel. have been caught deep but they have been a better quality of fish.

Bait fishing from the bank is accounting for plenty of carp but also redfin, especially for those anglers floating or lightly weighting a bunch of worms.

BROKEN RIVER The unofficial walking tracks are back down the Broken, with many locals now frequently fishing the river. Surface fishing or singled placed Old Mate Spinnerbaits have worked well so far this season.

There has not been any stand-out area of the river recently, with reports coming in from Benalla to the junction in Shepparton.

The topwater bite should continue to improve in coming months, as well as bait fishing. There is a plethora of shrimp in the river at the moment so make sure you’re using fresh bait if your chasing both cod and yellowbelly.

SHEPPARTON LAKE Redfin and yellowbelly have been caught in recent weeks, predominantly at the caravan park end boat ramp.

2” Keitech Soft plastics

rigged on a VMC flasher rig have worked well and are a great set-up for fishing the weed in the lake.

Bait fishing has slowed down, with the odd trout and redfin being caught on worms under a float around the jetties at the caravan park end.

There are plenty of cod in the lake stocked from the local channels, so if you’re looking for something different I would try topwater or big baits in the weed this summer.

KIALLA LAKES There are still reports coming in, with yellowbelly being caught in two of the three lakes in Kialla. These are the two bigger lakes, and bait has been the stand-out.

Floating worms around the drop-offs has paid off for those fishing that way.

Having your baits a little off the bottom limits your carp catches, and maximises the chance of both yellowbelly or redfin catches.

Lure fishing has slowed up a little but the reports I received were those using small spinnerbaits in purple and black or slow rolling ZX40 blades in black or gold.

Josh Dohnt caught this yellowbelly on a lipless crankbait at a drop bar.

JANUARY 2022

103

VIC

Fishing action set to change EILDON

Peter Burtchell

A happy, safe and prosperous New Year to all, in what has been predicted to be a wetter than average January. More frequent thunderstorms and heavy winds may be par for the course this summer, which will change the fishing action somewhat.

Overcast days, high loads of nitrogen spread by lightning, running rivers and wind over promontory points will all play a part in the decision making process of where, when and how to successfully fish Lake Eildon and surrounds.

This summer the Victorian Fisheries Authority will begin to make those key angling decisions a little bit easier for any keen angler visiting Lake Eildon as a two-year research project begins with the tracking of a

Bailey using his new found skills. their chances of landing that fish of a lifetime!

Murray cod anglers can participate in the project too by helping monitor tagged cod movement, ensuring strong engagement with the people most passionate about wetting a line for the species.

The two-year project will be a great example of applied research to unlock secrets and bust furphies about Murray cod, their habits and their movements.

That’s terrific news for die-hard cod fishers, for weekend fishers visiting with families, and for regional businesses that depend on fishing tourism

Elaine Mark caught this little redfin on a Black Got8 Grub in Collier Bay. following a challenging 18 months.

November, the Lake fished well for Murray COD with local John Keys again using Active Target in a one evenings session on the opposite side of woolshed inlet flicking Gigantarels along the shallow banks and landed two. On the second night, he landed three with sizes ranging from 87, 90, 100, 110 and a 115 was the biggest. The largest of his catches was unnoticeable

Jordan with his first ever Eildon cod after learning the ropes with Jack Harder.

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selection of the often elusive Murray cod.

The project involves the catching of 20 Murray cod over the minimum size of 55cm that will be tagged with acoustic transmitters that emit a regular ‘ping’ as the fish swims. Listening stations in the Goulburn Arm of the lake and up the Goulburn River will detect these ‘pings’, recording individual fish movement, depth and speed every time a tagged cod comes within range of a station. The study will determine if Murray cod in the upper Goulburn River are an active part of the lake population or a distinct one of their own. A secondary benefit that will be obtained from the research is that the findings will give lure casters and bait fishers alike valuable insights into how best to target the lake’s cod population and increase

A Delatite massacre as the yellowbelly go on the chew for Blake Portbury.

on the screen up until it moved towards its prey, proving just how good these ambush predators blend in with their watery abyss environment. As the water temperature increased, so did the yellowbelly and small Murray cod action in all parts of the lake.

Jordan and Baily who featured in September’s Lake Eildon article returned to Eildon in early November to participate in a guided fishing tour with Jack Harder Guided Fishing Tours. November is one of the most comfortable times of year weather wise and also coincides with the large Murray cod leaving their nests in order to gain weight in preparation for next year’s breeding season.

Jordan and Bailey were both amongst the action and are looking forward to their next trip to Eildon where their new found skills can be put to the test amongst some of the largest freshwater fish in the world.

• Jerusalem Creek Marina & Holiday Park is a friendly, family-orientated caravan park, and makes the perfect home away from home. While there you can opt to hire one of their Boatel floating apartments, hire a boat or book a fishing guide at competitive prices.

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VIC

New season, new tactics YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

Before you get too excited about what’s biting where, when, and how, keep in mind that we fishing journos have to use some guesswork as to what’s going to happen in future. Yes, we do have the benefit of experience on our side, but this time of year is particularly tough, because my report deadline is just before the Murray cod season opening.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see how the Murray cod will act this season, as they received minimal fishing pressure over the past 18 months thanks to COVID. The main problem we are going to run into at ‘The Home of the Murray Cod’, Lake Mulwala, is the increasing amount of weed

that’s slowly taking over the shallower sections of the lake. Your traditional shallow water fishing skills (1-3m) will have to be re-honed on methods that target the deeper, less weeded up sections.

Swimbaits, plastics or (my personal favourite) the Mumbler/chatterbait are good sinking options to target cod in deeper water. Hardbodies will go well trolled in the deeper sections, while the good old spinnerbait is always a top option regardless of water depth.

Fishing over the top of weed beds with any type of surface lure comes into its own at this time of year.

This is by far the most exciting way to tempt a cod or two, and should be high on your to-do list if you have not attempted it before. Low light periods, morning or evening are your prime times. Do not discount throwing around

topwater lures if you get some decent cloud cover also.

Fishing below the weir early in the season generally produces plenty of undersize Murray cod, the protected trout cod and the fun to catch silver perch. Throw in numerous carp and good numbers of yellas, and the Murray tends to be a better option for the family if you’re looking to put the kids onto a fish or two.

Looking back, November provided a bit of action, mainly for the local kids fishing at the Train Bridge and around the mouth of the Mulwala Canal. Lake Mulwala Fish Camp Ski star employee Ryan McMaster had an unlikely experience while fishing the Mul Canal for yellowbelly. He was using a 1-2kg spin rod spooled with 8lb line, and upon hooking a 45cm+ yella on a ZX40 blade, his

fish was devoured by a monster Murray cod. After a 20-minute battle Ryan landed both fish.

A quick measurement of the cod stretched the tape out to a mighty 113cm. Unable to pry the yella from its mouth, it was released along with his lure inside the yella’s gob!

I welcome all anglers visiting Yarrawonga/ Mulwala over the holiday period to pop in and say hello at Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski (opposite Mul Post Office) and located between Rivers and One Zac in the main street, Yarrawonga. 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 and memorable one.

I wish everybody all the best for the 2022.

May all your fish be big and green!

Ryan McMaster with a 113cm cod that ate his golden perch!

Turning up the heat CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

Summer? What summer?

The start of December finally saw some decent weather that pushed the temperatures to 30°C but prior it has been cool, wet and windy. Hopefully during the summer holidays that will change.

Otherwise, there is no shortage of water to fish.

All lakes and rivers are full, which will be good over the following months.

Colac angler Declan Betts came up trumps in the bass department at Lake Bullen Merri recently, landing two trophy bass

that measured 50cm and 45cm respectively. The larger fish’s weight was fast approaching 3kg. If we get a warm summer and the algae leaves the lake alone, more bass of this calibre could be landed by anglers specifically targeting them.

These bass were stocked over a period of several years quite some time ago, and have been finicky at best to catch. Adding to that, their growth rates were extremely slow and this was put down to the fact that these fish were from NSW stock, not Victorian as has been the case for quite some time now. The colder water of Bullen Merri compared to NSW waters apparently slowed down

their growth rate, and in the colder months the bass went into some kind of torpor and basically shut down.

Meanwhile, Lake Purrumbete has been pretty good. Gun anglers like Daniel Kent (who resides in Apollo Bay but visits Purrumbete on an annual basis) have come up trumps recently. Daniel caught another trophy brown from the lake by simply moving around under electric power, casting a variety of lures towards the weed beds that separate the clear water from the bank. Many lure enthusiasts do this on a regular basis, concentrating on any clear lanes between weed banks.

The Mount Emu Creek

Sunny Martins has been enjoying the excellent fishing that Lake Eildon has been offering.

An Elingamite hen rainbow that took a Damiki Saemi in red on the troll. that runs right through our district has been hot for brown trout. Specimens to 600g have been taking spinners and lures worked over the deeper pools between the runs. Don’t disregard the runs either, as some even bigger trout have come out of this shallower, faster flowing water. Look for deeper, shadier areas adjacent to any flow and if its shaded by an overhanging branch or tree; all the better.

Lake Elingamite has plenty of brown and rainbow trout that were released over a year ago taking lures, flies and soft plastics either trolled or cast in and around the weed growth. Some reasonable redfin are also taking the same lures. Bait anglers are doing well fishing mudeye under a float. Water levels are currently good for this waterway, and launching a tinny shouldn’t be a problem.

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East Coast Bream are back!

After last year being cut short and again this year also being cut short with Covid restrictions, we wanted to at least give those that could an opportunity to get a final event in for 2021.

Brayden Curren from Team Traces Current took out top spot with 5 fish for 3.68kg.

Aaron said, “Tough day out battling the rain on the harbour, but it brought big bream for myself

This handful of bream contributed to getting Team Fishin.com.au second place.

We decided to pool all entry fees collected in as prize money and were very happy to accept a prize pack from Daniel Bonaccorso at Kegga Stinger Hooks as a prize.

The weather forecast was rainfall all day and we certainly got that in bucket loads. Fortunately, the wind was not too severe for most of the day. So apart from the non-stop rain, the day was not too bad. Unless you could not get them to bite.

There were 26 teams registered for the event and the start was pretty quick as boats motored out of Hen and Chicken Bay. With all teams happy to be back on the water and tournament fishing again.

FIRST PLACE $2000 Team Traces Current Aaron Treacey and

and Brayden”.

The duo caught their bag by throwing black Berkley 3D hardbodies around bridges and pontoons. The TT Lures Black Mamba rod from Tackle Addiction was the perfect set up to turn the bigger fish away from structure.

“For a team that’s literally built around a boat created on the side of the road, we are stoked at how today went for us and look forward to competing in the future,” concluded Aaron.

SECOND PLACE $1000.00 Fishin.com.au Jason Graham and Cristian Bermudez from Team Fishin.com.au came in second place with 5 fish for 3.65kg.

They pre-fished the event two weeks prior and found good fish in the Lane Cove River. They decided that’s where they were going to start for this ECBS round, as they knew the spot would work on the

Fishin4fun don’t look too disappointed having to share the fourth spot.

Location

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VIC abt.org.au

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Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au

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JANUARY 2022

First place winners, Aaron Treacey and Brayden Curren, from Traces Current.

Flying solo didn’t hinder third place Daniel Bonaccorso.

Tournament Calendar 2022 DATE Tournament

run-in tide.

They had five small fish by 8:30am but were struggling to find the bigger ones. Cristian decided to try and fish out wider and immediately hooked bigger bream. They fished that same spot until around 11am slowly upgrading their bag. All the bigger fish came out wide, 9-10ft of water.

They headed back to Hen and Chicken Bay looking for an upgrade but found no fish. They then decided to move to some deep-water jetties near Birchgrove. This gave them an upgrade of one bigger bream.

All their fish came on Jackall Chubbies Deep,

heavily scented with S Factor and the fish from under the jetties came in on heavy Cranka Crabs, using 4lb leaders. We managed a bag of five fish weighing 3.65kg, and also took out the big bream weighing in at 1.1kg.

THIRD PLACE Kegga Lures Daniel Bonaccorso from Team Kegga Lures took out third place with 5 fish for 3.53kg.

He started the morning fishing artificial structure upriver, primarily poles, down deep using 2” Kegga Krabs in the vampire and king krab colours – these colours were a great contrast to the discoloured water from the weeks of

rain the river has received.

He caught a 33cm and 32cm (fork length) fish on his first two casts and filled the bag pretty quickly.

He would work the lure pretty aggressively to get the lure’s front claws throbbing followed by short pauses. He said, “Although we were peppered with wind and rain all day, the river was fishing well. The bite was steady and I continually added small upgrades to my bag, landing over 30 fish for the session.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any kickers. The fish were very well conditioned and fought very well for their size. Thanks to East Coast Bream Series for

RESULTS Team Anglers Traces Current Aaron Treacey, Brayden Curren Fishin.com.au Jason Graham, Cristian Bermudez Kegga Lures Daniel Bonaccorso Fishn4fun Alan Newton, Phil Nix Flickin4Five Mark Thompson, Zac Stojanovski DIY Kitchen Graeme Lalor, Paul Jenson Anybassinhere Greg Beatie, Toufick Hachem MHF Mitch Hines Keeping it Reel Ben Beckinridge, Mitch Lewis TBC Matt Morris, Blake Gauci For complete list of results go to www.wsbb.com.au

putting on an amazing event at the best venue in Australia.”

SHARED FOURTH PLACE Mark Thompson and Zac Stojanovski from Team Flickin4Five, and Phil Nix and Alan Newton from Team Fishin4fun shared the fourth spot with equal bags of 5 fish for 3.16kg.

Flickin4Five The team planned to go east of the Harbour Bridge, however conditions were not favourable so they fished west of the bridge (mainly Lane Cove) and found fish in various locations, on flats, in the shallows and some out wider on a variety of grubs, Vex Blades and Gulp Shrimps.

Mark stated, “The fish seem to be coming through in patches and it was a game of hit them in a short space of time or you miss them, thanks Vex Blades and Kegga Stinger Hooks they helped us on the day with great support from Gordon’s Bait n Tackle.”

Fishin4fun They started the day fishing the boat hulls around Birkenhead with four fish on board early.

They moved to fish the jetties and bridges and managed to bag out early.

They got upgrades for four fish before the tide turned.

All fish were caught on camo Crabby soft plastics with 1/16 or 1/12oz jighead depending on the depth of water fished. – ECBS Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5

Weight (kg) 3.68 3.65 3.53 3.16 3.16 2.86 2.69 2.66 2.62 2.60

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BASS SERIES presented by

Queensland’s finest go toe-to-toe for the Open With Covid throwing spanners in the works for our NSW competitors once again, the Rapala BASS Australia Open scheduled to be held on the Clarence River in October was instead re-structured to become the Rapala BASS Queensland Open held over two days at Lake Somerset and Lake Wivenhoe.

Scan the QR code to watch the winners interview

edging out 2nd place Mick Johnson with 6/10 fish for 9.099kg. In 3rd place with 5/10 fish for 8.097kg was Kingaroy local and guide Matthew Langford.

Hear how the three went about fishing the dam in their own unique ways.

KILLIN’ THE COMPETITION Steve ‘Killer’ Kanowski knows bass better than anyone, so it was no surprise to see him take that big $5,000 1st place cheque home to add to his collection.

Killer spent the first day on Somerset targeting the fish sitting deep around the

Champion boater Steve ‘Killer’ Kanowski cracked the lock jaw Wivenhoe bass on day two to take a come-from-behind win over Mick Johnson. burn and kill technique.

“Nearly every time they would hit it on the pause as I stopped the fast burn off the bottom”.

The second technique was a method for targeting the suspended fish off the drop off in 80-90ft+ of Scan the QR code to watch the Day 1 Highlights

Long lining a crankbait in deep water at Somerset was the go-to technique for 2nd place Mick Johnson.

The 12 anglers competing in the event were the first BASS anglers to ever compete in a BASS comp run entirely on the ABT tournament series app.

Although the dams are so close in proximity, the fishing was like chalk and cheese. On day two, many anglers struggled at Wivenhoe battling gale force winds, as opposed to day one on Somerset where the big fish came out to play.

Steve ‘Killer’ Kanowski is a through and through veteran of the ABT BASS circuit and taking out 1st place in this event only adds to his legacy as one of the all-time greats of Australian BASS fishing. Killer brought in 10/10 fish for 9.550kg,

spit with soft plastics and had caught his whole bag before 8:30am. Catching his bag in record time didn’t go unnoticed, as fellow angler Matt Langford put it, “I went to log my first fish and Killer had just logged his fifth!”

The go-to soft plastics for Somerset consisted of a plum chartreuse Slider Grub and a Noike Firetiger on 5/8oz, and a Berkley Dam Deep jighead in black and gold. Starting a stone’s throw from take-off, Killer fished the north side of the Spit mixing between the two plastics with two different techniques. The first technique was to throw along or parallel to the drop off in 30-40ft of water, letting the lure sink to the bottom and employing a

RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 108

JANUARY 2022

Angler Steve Kanowski Mick Johnson Matt Langford Jake Schwerin Paul Aldous Barry Reynolds Steve Morgan Mitchell Petty Shaun Ezzy Blake O’grady

water. This involved casting out and counting down from 10 before rolling it back through the schools of suspended fish, keeping it level with or slightly above the fish suspended in 25-30ft.

The outfit of choice

for fishing plastics was a 7’ Lews rod with a 1000 sized Lews threadline reel, 8lb Berkley X9 braid and 8lb Toray fluorocarbon leader.

Wivenhoe was a completely different beast to Somerset as anglers had to battle gale-force winds while also trying to fish effectively. Killer’s plan was just to try and get his 5 fish limit, no matter the size.

The bite was different to the previous day at Somerset and with the added wind factor, Killer opted to go with two Nories Wasabi spoons in bronze and chartreuse as opposed to his plastic the day before. The extra weight of the spoons helped Killer to keep in contact with the lure in the strong winds.

Fishing a slight slope/ breakline that drops from 20ft down to 30ft with a

Rapala sponsored angler Matthew Langford rounded at the podium in 3rd place.

Full results at abt.org.au

Fish 10/10 6/10 5/10 10/10 5/10 5/10 6/10 5/10 2/10 2/10

Weight(kg) Payout 9.550 $5000 9.099 $1000 8.097 7.977 7.909 6.717 3.158 2.657 2.607 2.051

tree on it that the fish were hanging off, a steady, slow roll of the spoons all the way back to the boat was all it took to bring the Wivenhoe bass unstuck.

Although his entire day two limit wasn’t even as big as his smallest Somerset fish, it was still one of only three full bags weighed on a tough day two and it was more than enough to cinch the win in the end.

BASS SERIES presented by JOHNSON PUTS ON A CRANKBAIT MASTERCLASS Mick Johnson was leading this event after day one and came dangerously close to taking it out with only a few 100g separating him and 1st place.

The majority of the fish that Mick found were spread anywhere from the Spit to Pelican Point, however he targeted a select few patches with a particular technique to get the big bites.

With the fishing slow in his first location at Beans Creek, Mick shot back to Bay of Plenty where he knew there were fish sitting on a few humps that come up from 45ft to 35ft.

Where many anglers were using soft plastics,

Blatt brought the last fish in the biggest day one bag of the whole field.

On day two, Wivenhoe proved to be a cruel mistress.

Persisting with long lining his crankbait, Mick was only Scan the QR code to watch the Day 2 Highlights

able to tempt one fish to bite, however it was better than most and enough for him to claim second place ahead of Matt Langford.

LANGFORD TAKES BRONZE Local guide Matt Langford was always going

Steve Kanowski bagged early at Somerset and was within striking distance of Day 2 . wouldn’t even make a cast.

It’s just such a good way of making sure your lure is definitely coming past fish.”

Unlike Killer who had the bite die off after the first few hours, Langford had his bag by 9am and continued

to catch fish and make upgrades right throughout the session, just working the same patch of fish out the front of Beans Creek.

One of his crucial fish on day one, and the big bass for the whole event, was a 51cm

Mick Johnson wouldn’t veer from his long lining pattern and fell agonisingly short after a long day at Wivenhoe.

Mick chose to ‘long line’ an Imakatsu ik800 crankbait in colour 200. Long lining involves casting your crankbait out over fish and driving away from the lure before retrieving it, maximising the running depth of the crankbait keeping it in front of the fish.

“I actually laid awake the night before the event trying to think of a way to get the crankbait to hit the bottom in 30ft,” Mick said of his crankbait technique.

What he came up with was to clip a 1/4oz chin weight onto his bait to get it track along the bottom in 30ft or more, noting the bait had to be hitting the bottom for the fish to bite. To get such a sizeable crankbait to get down to depth, Mick uses a Samurai 8’9” swimbait rod and a 200 sized Lews speed spool with 12lb straight through Sunline FC Sniper.

This technique accounted for micks first three fish before the move was made to a rock wall in 100 feet of water between the bay of plenty and the spit, where the fish were suspended in 25-30ft.

Rolling a John Deere Slider Grub on a 1/2oz jighead accounted for the fourth fish in his bag while a 30g Slow

to give this event a nudge and that he did, coming 2nd after day one and finishing the event in 3rd place, as is his consistent nature.

Being a local guide has its perks as Langford gets to spend a lot of quality time on Somerset Dam, so the majority of his pre-fish was focused on Wivenhoe.

Knowing his way around Somerset, Langford knew there was good fish sitting at the mouth of Beans Creek on a small rise that comes up from 45ft to about 38ft, about the size of a house block.

On top of this rise there were fish suspended, which he was able to tempt into biting a John Deere Slider Grub on a 1/2oz TT jighead, catching three before moving to a 5/8oz. A 90mm Storm Biscay minnow in glow sand eel colour tempted some bigger bites.

The addition of Livescope to Langfords boat helped him immensely for the weekend, using it to find the active fish hanging around the bait schools, noting “If I couldn’t see two or three fish on the Livescope to cast at, I

Matt had a great pre-fish in Wivenhoe but it didn’t translate to a great day on the final day of the Open.

Steve Morgan caught the only two bass bigger than 30cm on Day 2 at Wivenhoe.

fork 2.668kg Somerset giant that fell victim to his Biscay Minnow rigged on his combo of a Millerod Finesse freak, 1000 size Daiwa TD black reel with 9lb Yamatoyo Resin Sheller leader and 10lb Yamatoyo leader.

“Fishing Somerset I would have moved around a lot more but the app said I was leading so why would I move off winning fish,” he said of the app-based event.

Unfortunately, day two at Wivenhoe wasn’t meant to be however, his stonking 5/5 fish for 8.097kg day one limit was enough to keep him on the podium for this event, a place we’re sure he feels right at home by now!

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BREAM SERIES presented by

Good things come in twos for Taylor The Gladstone round of the DAIWA BREAM series sponsored by Maui Jim marked the last qualifying round of the year before the anglers will face off for top honours in the Grand Final.

Gladstone is a diverse fishery offering vast natural and artificial structure making for interesting fishing as it is the only venue where anglers can target the stockier pikey bream, as well as yellowfin, in the one system and with an abundance of by-catch as well.

Sliding into his second win of the year, Tristan Taylor took first place for the event with a respectable 10/10 fish limit for 4.711kg. Meanwhile, Jamie Mckeown decided to continue his rich vein of form by taking out 2nd place with 10/10 fish for 4.498kg and in the

“I started out throwing a 1/12oz jighead on the low tide but as the big tide pushed up, I slowly worked my way through the sizes until by the top of the tide I was throwing a 1/6oz. just to get it through the current and down to that 15-30ft water depth.”

Making this adjustment was critical to keeping his ZMan Grub in contact with the bottom and amongst the fish. Small hops along the bottom all the way to the boat was the simple and effective technique to get the bites. Going up in

Champion boater Tristan Taylor makes this his second win for the year and his second win at this venue. to pinch a bit of cash in the form of the $500 YoloTek Big BREAM prize.

TAYLOR MAKES IT TWO FOR THE YEAR One of the longest standing BREAM anglers

daunting for Taylor, he still had a difficult pre-fish with only four fish hitting the deck, however it was two fish in particular that handed him the keys to victory.

on a low tide meant things began slowly. However, as the big tides associated with being so near to the equator began their big run in, the fishing heated up.

Putting faith in his trusty motor oil ZMan Grub again, Taylor made some key adjustments on the terminal end as the day progressed so he could keep his lure in the strike zone.

Scan the QR code to watch the Non- Boater Winner Interview

weight size was critical to consistently catching fish and making small upgrades all the way to the top of the tide.

Taylor has recently re-spooled all his reels with new Majorcraft Dangan braid x8 in 16lb from Frogleys Offshore and, on

In the non-boater division, Wade Walker claimed first place and also took home some cash for his efforts in the form of the $500 YoloTek Big BREAM prize. process securing him-self the prestigious Angler Of the Year trophy – a little souvenir to remember his remarkable season by.

From the back of the boat, Wade Walker took out first place in the non-boater division and also managed Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winner Interview

on the ABT circuit, Tristan Taylor is no stranger to winning. For the second time this year, he’s reminded us he can, and will, continue to rack up the top podium spots by adding another to his already illustrious career.

Call it déjà vu, but the same as the Ballina comp earlier in the year, Taylor has also won at Gladstone in the past, so the venue certainly wasn’t as intimidating this time around. Even though not

“Two of the fish I caught off a point were milking so I knew there were a few spawning fish in the area. This usually means that there are good numbers about and you can catch quite a few in the one spot”.

Going in to bat on day one, Taylor headed straight to the two points in the southwest corner of Curtis Island where he’d found the milking fish on pre-fish and made the decision to stick to them all day. Starting

BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Tristan Taylor 2 Jamie McKeown 3 Blake O’Grady 4 Steve Morgan 5 Mark Saric 6 Michael Slade 7 Sam Peck 8 Michael Thompson 9 Darren Borg 10 Stephen Wilson 110

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Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 8/10 10/10 8/10

Some anglers could even use the arms of their Maui Jim’s as a measuring stick.

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) Payout 4.711 $1625 4.498 $1250 inc 1st Mercury 4.143 $875 inc 2nd Mercury 4.137 $75 3rd Mercury 3.876 3.817 3.683 3.666 3.590 3.048

BREAM SERIES presented by the leader end, 6lb Unitika Aorika was the go-to. Once again using his favourite 7’ 2-6lb Samurai Reaction 201 he trusts for all his breaming from Gippsland to Gladstone.

The technique and location stood the test of time as the fish still came Scan the QR code to watch the Day 2 Highlights

thick and fast on day two.

“I probably caught 50 fish for the whole weekend,” Taylor said of his winning spots.

On Sunday, once the tide reached its peak and the bites slowed up, Taylor had to adjust accordingly to get the last few upgrades to his bag. An Atomic Crank 38 in ghost gill brown colour brought unstuck two yellowfin bream that helped bump the bag weight up and ultimately claim victory.

MCKEOWN MAGIC ONCE AGAIN Jamie Mckeown has been in white hot form this year and the Gladstone round was no exception.

Bringing in 10/10 fish for 4.498kg was enough to cinch second place and ultimately the AOY trophy he has been working so hard for.

McKeown’s prefish was a long one, taking the whole

day to figure out the full spectrum of the tides and rocking up to briefing at 5pm straight off the water.

“Because the tides are so big, they can change a few metres from day to day, so I really wanted to get an idea of what they were doing,” McKeown said.

Over the two days, McKeown found his fish consistently on a small reef that he’d located during the pre-fish, only a stone’s throw from winner Tristan Taylor.

However, unlike Taylor who targeted an edge in deeper water, McKeown didn’t fish any deeper than 3-4ft with his crankbait for the entire two sessions. He used a Samaki C12 Gen 3 paired with a Daiwa Silver Creek threadline reel, 14lb X braid and 8lb Samaki Shock leader to deliver it to the right spots.

“I began throwing brown Suji Jackall Chubbies and ghost gill brown Atomics but after the first day I’d lost everything I had, so it just became any deep crankbait I could find in my box. As long as it [the lure] got down deep enough to bang into the rocks, it was catching fish.”

The only small tweak was to upgrade the trebles to Decoy Y-S25 size 12 trebles to help any tentative bites stick.

The trick was targeting 2-3 key areas with the fastest flowing current, holding the boat in slack water behind

As this event was run on the ABT tournament app, anglers were tasked with coming up with the best selfie to win a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses. So of course the Rex Hunt special had to come out! the big bommies as the tide really started to rip, and casting towards points and rocks with lots of current, similar to how someone would fish a bridge pylon.

The current slowed down for day two and subsequently the fishing did too, however McKeown still managed to convert enough of the right bites to finish in second place for the weekend.

McKeown will be looking to carry the form that earned him the AOY trophy into the Grand Final in December as

Tristan Taylor posing with a pikey bream caught on his trusty motor oil ZMan Grub.

NON- BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Wade Walker 2 Bernard Kong 3 Mick Torley 4 Chris Anderson 5 John Noble 6 Sean Bicknell 7 Andrew Lovell 8 Joel McKenzie 9 Kurt Hutchby 10 Steven Dee

Fish 9/10 10/10 7/10 8/10 9/10 5/10 5/10 8/10 8/10 4/10

anglers compete for the highest honours.

WADE WALKS INTO FIRST PLACE In only his second attempt at the venue – finishing 3rd here in 2020 – Wade Walker cinched first place in the non-boater division with 9/10 fish Scan the QR code to watch the Day 1 Highlights

for 3.128kg fishing with boaters Darren Borg and Chris Greensill.

Being paired with Darren Borg on day one, the day started off slow with only a few small fish coming off a reef at the front of the system before the move to Calliope River kicked things off.

Fishing the rocks with their respective techniques, the pair continued to upgrade their bags as the day proceeded.

Walkers rod selection was certainly quality over quantity, using a Samurai premium custom 2-4lb, built by Pure Custom rods paired with a 1000 size Daiwa Revros, 10lb WFT Gliss braid and 8lb Yo-Zuri leader. He used this to put his GULP! Crabby paired with a Sickle jighead from Sharp Point Jigheads in

front of the fish.

“I throw it out and let it sink to the bottom, wait 20 seconds and if I don’t get a bite I just give it a few of the smallest hops I can. If I still don’t get a bite, I wind it in and start again.”

Walker was lucky enough to score himself a brand new pair of Maui Jim sunglasses by uploading the best ‘selfies’ to the ABT tournament app. His advice for a good selfie? “…just try and something new every time.” Who knew it was as easy as that?

And as if the best selfie wasn’t enough, Walker also had to go and take out the YoloTek Big BREAM prize for the event, poling a 35.5cm fork bream out of the snags and skipping it across the surface all the way to the boat.

The only question now is will he be back?

“I’m really looking forward to coming back here for more events in the future, I’ll definitely be back if the ABT continues to come back.” I think that means we’ll be seeing Walker returning to defend his title in the future!

BIG BREAM Non-boater winner Wade Walker took out the YoloTek Big BREAM prize with his 35.5cm, 0.977kg bream he caught on day one, deep out of a snag in the Calliope River with boater Darren Borg.

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) Payout 3.128 Daiwa Prize pack + Yolotek Big Bream 2.826 Daiwa Pack 2.542 Daiwa Pack 2.246 Pro Lure Pack 2.228 Cranka Lures Pack 1.956 TT Lures Pack 1.824 EJ Todd Pack 1.601 Ecogear Pack 1.468 Keitech Pack 1.093 Samaki Pack JANUARY 2022

111

Time to relax and recharge WIRF

Cara Cummings

Summer holidays, that time of year we get to sit back, take a breath, relax and recharge. Enjoying the summer weather and being out on the water is what we all need after the year that was 2021.

Our WIRF girls have been out and about sharing some wonderful catches, and I’ve got a feeling that 2022 is going

decided to organise Ladies Fishing Charters, as I thought it would be fun to fish and socialise with other ladies. I also felt confident they would feel as comfortable on board with Craig and Terry as I did.

You couldn’t get two more friendly helpful guys; no question is ever a silly one!

It is no surprise they have been chosen by several mental health groups and school groups to host charters.

“I started with family and friends and then they

start of the season. In July 2021, I became a WIRF leader where I have been mentored to inspire and assist other ladies.

It has certainly stimulated my passion to get more ladies fishing!

“It has been a joy for me to witness some of the ladies catch their first ever fish, and just as great to see them return for another charter having become ‘hooked’! On one memorable charter, Lauren, a nurse from Ballarat, caught her first ever gummy and it was a beauty!

“On each charter we usually target King George whiting in Westernport Bay so all the ladies can go home with a feed as the catch is shared.

We then also target gummies and or snapper, usually in conjunction with a tide change.

Lots of other edible bycatch is caught too, including flathead, trevally and salmon.

“I assist Terry in filleting the catch in front of the ladies back at the jetty, and we discuss recipes and cooking

with the desire for the magic metre fish reaching fever pitch. Whether you’re a devout worshipper at the church of cod, or new to the scene, summer is the ideal time to hit the water in pursuit of your next personal best. With waterways seeing extra pressure in early summer, success is more likely to favour the prepared angler.

While our natural instinct is to hit the river as soon as the calendar flips to December, taking the time to plan your attack before heading out may prove the difference between the dreaded donut and your best day yet.”

Choose your location carefully With the wet winter and spring, we’ve seen in most inland areas, water levels and clarity are likely to be variable.

The access points you might have used before could now be underwater, and likewise, your favourite snags may now be completely submerged.

While a boon for spawning and natural recruitment, areas

Lauren with a nice gummy shark. to be a record breaking one!

WIRF NEWS WIRFinars – these are informative interactive online zoom chats where guest speakers and WIRF leaders share their tips and knowledge with the greater WIRF community. If you have missed them, you can catch up via the Facebook group.

Our most recent WIRFinars covered a beginner trout session, intermediate trout session and Murray cod talk.

Launch of WIRF locals took place late last year, which are groups based around various regions in Victoria, hosted by Leaders which allow women to meet, learn, share skills and partake in fishing activities.

LEADERS TO CELEBRATE WIRF leader Amanda Keilar shares her success on running Ladies Fishing Charters.

“My partner Terry and I live in San Remo, Vic and we both love fishing. A friend of ours, Craig, owns a magnificent fully restored 51-year-old boat called the Sharon Lee II. Craig uses the 11m timber boat to run his Island Offshore charter business out of San Remo and also to commercially fish for wrasse. My partner Terry is his main deckhand for the charters, and both of us work from time to time ‘wrassing’ with him out in Bass Strait.

“In November 2020 I 112

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came back with neighbours and sisters-in-law and other friends. Soon I was organising charters with ladies I didn’t know. Then I discovered the Women in Recreational Fishing Network, a wonderful Facebook community of ladies sharing their passion for fishing. I decided I’d plug my charters on there and the response was fantastic!

“I had ladies travelling from as far away as Ballarat, Bendigo and Daylesford and from suburbs all over Melbourne. With no other ladies’ charters in Victoria I came to realise what had started off as a fun idea was actually an offer that was really well received and wanted amongst women.

“Just like the WIRF network, the ladies charters are not a feminist platform by any means but rather a space for women of all backgrounds, ages and skill levels to come together.

Friendships are formed, new skills are learnt, and the setting is one of encouragement and empowerment.

“14 charters in and having hosted over 120 women, I’m thoroughly enjoying it! I have lots more charters organised.

I have a waiting list of ladies wanting to venture out in the ocean. I would have loved to have run more charters during 2021, but COVID lockdowns halted them as well as bad weather at the

A successful haul from a Ladies Fishing Charters trip. methods as well as the value of their catch. Sometimes ladies even send me pictures of the dishes they have created.

“All rods and bait are supplied on the charters, and I organise lucky angler prizes which are sponsored from local businesses. Each lady also goes home with a show bag full of fishing and boating information.

“Finger food is supplied including some home-made nibbles. I have a playlist of tunes to sing along to, and most importantly for us ladies there is a full-size private toilet on board.”

For bookings, please contact Amanda on 0403 902 354, socials @fishing_nanna, Facebook page: Ladies Fishing Charters San Remo.

GET YOUR COD ON WIRF leader Caitlin Berecry takes us through how to have summer success with her tips to open your 2022 account!

“Recent times have seen popularity soar for our most iconic freshwater species,

Caitlin with one of many cod caught from her kayak. that were once reliable feeding grounds have likely changed completely. Search for new ground, taking particular note of areas where flow might be better regulated through the likes of natural bottlenecks, weirs or dams. Google Earth and Maps will be the best tools in your kit for finding new honey holes, and it’s likely that if you put the miles in, you’ll come across water less frequented by casual anglers.

Prepare your gear It’s almost inevitable that at some point in your angling career, your gear will fail on a good fish and the pain will be comparable to certain death. The good news is that those who choose not to bring a knife to a gunfight with a Murray cod are likely to avoid this feeling. Spend the time upgrading your hooks and split rings, get your knots down pat, service your reels regularly and inspect your eyelets for kinks after every use.

Spend your time on the water wisely A large part of

consistently catching Murray cod, albeit very frustrating, is actually persistence. If you’re doing the right things, in the right places, at the right times then it’s only a matter of casts until you’re going to encounter your target. If you’ve got limited hours in which to fish, maximise your chances by fronting up on warmer, more humid days, where the barometer might be unstable. Target your morning and evening bite periods and if you can line up the moon phase to allow for better visibility into the evenings, you may just unlock the fish hiding from the daytime traffic.”

• To stay up to date and see what else has been happening within the network and for upcoming events, please head to our Facebook group www.facebook.com/ groups/womenrecfishing/, @wirfnetwork Instagram page or via the VFA website/ Facebook page. Are you a WIRF member? If not, we’d love to have you on board!

Join us on FB today.

RECIPES THAT ARE ‘WIRF’ IT

Sardine bruschetta INGREDIENTS

(SERVES 4) Ingredients Sourdough/Vienna loaf or baguette 6 sardine fillets ½ punnet cherry tomatoes ½ avocado ½ red onion ¼ cup fetta/ goat’s cheese Basil leaves Lemon ¼ cup corn flour Vegetable oil Olive oil

METHOD

1. Cut each sardine fillet in to 4 long strips and coat in cornflour.

2. Heat the vegetable oil and when hot, add the

sardine strips. Cook for a minute each side until golden and crisp. Allow to cool on paper towel.

3. To prep the bruschetta mix, dice the tomatoes, avocado and onion, place in a small bowl and crumble the fetta over the top. Squeeze juice of ½ a lemon over the mix, add a splash of olive oil and toss through.

4. Slice your bread into 3cm pieces, rub olive oil on both sides of the bread and brown on a hot dry pan until lovely and crunchy.

5. Layer the bruschetta starting with the bread and add a generous spoon of the mix on top.

Finish by topping off with the sardines and fresh basil leaves.

Get the most out of your catches with Recfishwest’s great ‘how-to’ filleting videos An elite WA fish filleter has teamed up with Recfishwest to produce three ‘how to’ fillet videos on YouTube to help you to get meatier fillets off your fish and better use out of what’s left over.

Cutting down on waste and getting more out of your fish is both good for your dinner plate and for making the most of our valuable fish resources.

Konway Challis, a professional filleter and co-founder of filleting website Fillet Fish Australia, shared his knowledge and skills for our members and supporters through three informative videos.

In the opening video, see Konway in action showing how to best fillet a red emperor while minimising the amount of flesh on the fish’s frame.

Konway also shows how to remove the fish’s wings – a tasty part of the

and be watching more of Konway’s videos, that’s for sure, there’s always ways to improve your filleting to increase the fillet recovery of your catch.”

Watch all three videos on Recfishwest’s YouTube channel.

Separately, renowned WA fisher Ian Sewell was bestowed Life Membership at Recfishwest’s 2021

it’s for kids or adults, the clinics are amazing.”

A FISHING FANATIC From black bream along the south coast, to marlin off Exmouth, brown trout in the South West or barramundi in the North West, Ian is an avid fisher with a wealth of knowledge.

“Sewelly was involved in advocating for the interests of WA recfishers

from 2010 to 2015.

Although he left the Recfishwest Board in 2015, Ian has continued to represent fishers’ interests through his role as Chair of the Recfishwest Freshwater Fishing Reference Group reflecting his love of fly-fishing – he has represented WA at a national fly fishing tournament level.

For Sewelly, nothing beats teaching youngsters the basics of fishing and correct fish handling at a clinic. about seven years ago.

The online portal boasts more than 100 videos of Konway filleting various Australian fish species to help recfishers maximise yields when filleting a fish.

“We wanted to show fishers good clear fish

little nicks,” Zach said.

“Also, a mistake I used to make was rushing – but Konway encourages people to slow down and maintain a good technique while filleting to make sure you get the most from a fish’s frame.

Well-known WA fisher Ian Sewell is Recfishwest’s latest Life Member.

Pro filleter Konway Challis’ shows fishers how to get the most flesh off a fish’s frame. fish which is often left on the frame – and also the fish’s head in the second video, which can then be used to make flavoursome fish stock, or recycled for cray or crab bait.

While in the third video, Konway discusses with Recfishwest communications officer Zach Relph a very important point – the knife point(!) – keeping it sharp and the rest of the blade, as well as some other useful tips to help you get the most out of the fish you catch.

FILLETING WITH THE PROS Konway — who owns Red Gill Fish, which sells premium Australian fish fillets – founded Fillet Fish Australia with his brother-in-law Rick Knight

filleting footage and that’s how Fillet Fish Australia was born,” Konway explained.

“It is a free website with a fairly comprehensive library of easy-to-follow filleting tutorials.

“There’s a video for almost all WA recreational species, giving insight to fishers on how to best fillet their catch, as well as lessons on skinning and pin-boning.”

After spending an hour with Konway at the filleting table, Zach confessed he still has a lot to learn before he’ll be able to fillet like a pro!

He did however learn heaps from the filleting guru.

“Konway really stressed the importance of making each cut count because one long slice is faster and more effective compared to many

“Although I’ve been filleting fish practically since I started fishing, there’s always much more to learn and different nuances to pick-up when filleting different species.

“I’ll keep practising

Annual General Meeting.

“Sewelly’s commitment, leadership and terrific passion for fishing, and also Recfishwest, make him an excellent choice for Life Membership,” Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said.

“I’d like to say, on behalf of everyone at Recfishwest – congratulations, Sewelly.”

Speaking with Recfishwest, Ian said he was humbled to be awarded Recfishwest Life Membership.

“I was very moved when Andrew told me, I was shocked – I didn’t think I’d ever be awarded something like this,” Sewelly said.

“One of the real joys of being involved with Recfishwest is hosting the fishing clinics… whether

right from the start – in fact even before then – as a member of the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee when he was 19 years old, prior to the establishment of Recfishwest,” Dr Rowland said.

Ian first joined the Recfishwest Board in 1999 and has since held multiple positions across four different terms as a Director.

He also served as a member of numerous Recfishwest Board sub-committees including the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, the Communications Committee, the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and was the Deputy Chair of Recfishwest

Watch the videos and see Konway’s awesome filleting technique.

A MAN WITH MANY HATS Ian has always been a champion of the Recfishwest cause of representing the rights and interests of fishers and protecting our fisheries in many of his different roles within the WA fishing community including being the co-founder and editor of the highly regarded Western Australian Fishing Magazine.

He was later the WA Fishing Monthly editor before the magazine was consolidated into one nationwide edition.

Ian can also take credit for being instrumental in bringing and establishing the bream tournament fishing scene to WA from when it had previously been the exclusive preserve of the Eastern States.

However, his face might be most recognisably to fishers – especially young fishers and their parents – for the countless fishing clinics he’s helped host over the years.

As one of Recfishwest’s senior fishing clinic instructors, Ian is still teaching the next generation of fishers at clinics where he models safe fishing practices and promotes Recfishwest safety messages.

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South Coast

WA

Shielding from the wet AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

So with the late year visitation of La Niña throughout Australia, making things much wetter over East than normal for this time of the year, we in the southwest of WA were not as affected with plenty of excellent fishing and camping weather.

The warmer weather not

The constant leaching effect added a vast amount of silt and nutrients into the system and it is pleasant to once again be able to see through the water column to the bottom.

Currently there are good numbers of black bream all the way through the system down to West Bay and they are hungry! Many of the bigger fish are taking whole river prawns and there have even been the odd 40cm fish

Skinny Kim stoned a perfect sized yellowtail kingfish on a dive in Flinders Bay. only has a positive effect on the people you meet but also seems to transfer to all things nature related as well. Even the fish were happy to get out and about with plenty of catches in the river and ocean.

As 2021 closed off, the cut that allows fresh sea water into the Hardy Inlet also steadily closed with low tides leaving little more than a skinny channel surrounded by sand flats and sand bars. Many believe that this is a bad thing to happen as it does not allow the river to flush clean. It does have the advantage however, of creating a captive piscatorial audience. Prior to the cut being created in 2013 the numbers of blue swimmer crabs in the river were in plague proportions and the various whiting species were also extremely prolific.

These rapidly dwindled as soon as the built up freshwater was released into the ocean flushing many of them out into the wild blue yonder. Although the numbers have slowly increased since that time, it is expected that if allowed to close over fully once again these numbers will rise again to the plague proportions of the past. It is one of those Catch-22 situations where river health needs to be managed for the greater good.

The Blackwood River is nice and clean once again with the upper reaches finally draining the last of the runoff created by a year where every month had rainfall.

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caught right down the inlet near the town jetties. If you can find some overhanging branches or timber snags it is always worthwhile dropping an unweighted prawn or jigging a soft plastic as close to them as you can. It always surprises me how big fish can be hidden away in less than a metre of water.

When it comes to whiting fishing, there is no better place in Augusta for constant numbers than from the area between Point Ellis and The Deadwater. Not only are you able to catch yellowfin whiting and King George whiting consistently you can catch them from shore, jetty or water craft within 5 minutes of the CBD. Fishing with sand worms, cockles or glass shrimp in any of the channels will soon

produce results. If you locate a spot with small fish then just move on a little further and sooner or later you will locate the schools of bigger fish.

The Colour Patch channel is a consistently producing spot, especially in early mornings and late afternoon.

Jetty fishing is good during the day as well as at night with early morning and late night very productive.

Herring and tailor are the most active during these times and it is not unusual to have them chasing bait fish in the shallows. Tailor are especially aggressive and schools of fish around 50cm are common and can be seen smashing bait fish spectacularly. Whenever you see this type of activity it is as simple as casting out a metal slice lure in the general area of action and wind it back in.

Herring and tailor find them irresistible and a short sharp session often results. Tailor are the type of fish suited to filleting off while fresh and shallow frying in a coating of flour or a simple batter.

While the demersal closure was on there was a change to chasing the hard fighting yellowtail kingfish and samsonfish that congregate during summer for spawning.

If you want to catch and

Blake Gillam with a shore-based samsonfish that took a butterflied herring off the rocks at Cosy Corner. release samson and kingfish it is important to handle them as little as possible. They do suffer from being held by the gills or stomach and you should if possible leave them in the water for the best chance for them surviving. They will take whole herring or whiting, soft plastics, trolled lures or jigs.

If you decide to keep one for a meal, kingfish are definitely the better of the Seriola genus to eat but if bled and cooled quickly then samsonfish also make a good meal. Both do sometimes suffer from mushy flesh when cooked which is the result of a parasite enzyme, it is pretty rare in Augusta waters, however, it always

a small squid on a circle hook dropped to the bottom will just about guarantee a solid hit, as will Vexed bottom meat jigs with a similar attachment.

White or lumo soft plastics in the 6-7” size jigged just off the bottom will also elicit a response. Just keep a watch

abound in Augusta and there are a range of fish commonly caught there all year round.

Herring, skippy, tarwhine, garfish and leather jackets are a reasonably common catch with sharks, kingfish and demersals also a possibility.

Berley is key and a good

Charter fishing with Leeuwin Marine Charters resulted in a top class eating fish with a very nice sized bight redfish going home with Kevin.

Happy husband and wife with a brace of dhufish taken on a trip with Leeuwin Marine Charters.

These sandbars at the Colour Patch are underwater during high tide, which results in perfect channels for chasing large King George whiting.

pays to cook a small piece of flesh to check prior to possibly wasting your time.

With the seasonal closure done and dusted, the dhufish, pink snapper and smaller demersal fish are back on the agenda. If the spawning masses of pink snapper that have shown up close in are anything to go by then the season is setting up to be an absolute beauty. As any of the divers in the area will attest, there are fish everywhere on the reef areas at then moment and it is just a matter of dangling something in front of them to entice a bite. Whole mulies stuffed up the tube of

out for wrasse and leather jackets who can sometimes be in enough numbers to destroy soft plastics in no time. If they are wrecking your jigging plastics then try moving to a different spot or it can become very expensive.

During summer the easily accessible beaches such as Hamelin Bay, Storm Bay and Cosy Corner become packed with families and are perfect for the long days of summer.

While these beaches are pretty safe, Boranup and Deepdene can become a bit of a four wheel drive highway and it is important to keep an eye on your smaller family members to ensure they remain safe.

While you may be paying attention to your lines out in the surf you must also keep one eye on toddlers who may be playing in the sand and difficult for vehicle drivers to see. There are plenty of small sharks, the odd mulloway, flathead and the ever present herring to be caught.

Paternoster rigged baits of a size suitable for what you want to catch are generally all you need to get a feed. A good beach rod sitting in a large rod holder will look after itself until something comes along leaving you to enjoy the day.

Rock fishing locations are

trail will bring them from all around and concentrate them in your area. Bottom rigs are often snagged on the reef and lost so I prefer an unweighted line if possible or if needed, the smallest weight that will do the job. Soft plastics jigging grubs and chrome metal lures are also very effective with most common species.

Rock fishing can be very productive in Augusta but it can also be deadly. Choose a spot that allows you the chance to seek refuge from any king waves and don’t let calm conditions fool you into thinking you are safe. Rogue waves are just that and can quickly result in being thrown into the water. People have died here after being washed off by king waves.

• Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster.

Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid.

You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta -the local tackle shop and font of all local fishing knowledge. Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the BP Service Station.

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

Big schools on the way INTUITIVE CONTROL

WA

South Coast

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

INTUITIVE CONTROL

ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

Summer is bringing better weather to Esperance and the south coast, providing more opportunities to get out fishing. Anglers have had plenty of success lately, both inshore and offshore.

Land-based fishing has seen plenty of herring being caught, both jetty and shore based, along with skippy, flathead, sand whiting and already the occasional salmon.

Taylor Street Jetty in town has still seen the occasional squid being caught. The best time is at first light, around 3-4am at this time of year, so you have to be keen. Still, it can be well worth the effort, MELBOURNE withALBERTON specimens around the 1kg Rob Holten was happy with this quality mulloway.

MELBOURNE MARINE CENTRE MARINE markALBERTON on offer. Mixed in with River, and yellowtail king and them39are plentyStreet of herring, Johnson Alberton Beach, Thomas 92 Hallam Southoccasional Road Hallam seeing samsonfish hanging around averaging 30cm, small Poison Creek are P: P: (03)around 5183 2344 (03) more 9703 2003 skippy around the 0.5kg mark, salmon turning up. There are in close, with sambos up to 5183 2219 W: melbournemarine.com.au and F: the(03) occasional sea sweep still plenty of skippy, bigger 30kg not uncommon. Bottom W: albertonmarine.com.au is coming in closer, hanging bull herring, and the occasional fishers are catching plenty MORNINGTON around the structure. bronze whaler. Gummy sharks PENINSULA of queen snapper, sweep MY MARINE are also and smaller nannygai, with BENDIGO Bottom fishing is still and small mulloway producing occasional being caught at Thomas River Highway breaksea &cod and harlequin Cnr Nepean BENDIGOthe MARINE & OUTDOORS King160George with the Place in close.

Heading wide west Ponderosa Dromana Midlandwhiting, Highwaywith Epsomand Israelite Bay, the average size being around occasional tailor mixed in. of town has also been seeing P: (03) 5448 3988 P: (03) 5987 0900 samsonfish up to 30kg, W: bendigomarine.com.au W: mymarine.com.au nannygai going 60cm+, plenty of queen snapper up to around MORNINGTON PENINSULA MELBOURNE 8kg, and even the occasional rare dhufish. My son Mitch NAUTICAL MARINE BL MARINE Johnson went out with me the 141 Hotham Road 612- 614 Plenty Road Preston other day and got a dhuie over Sorrento P: (03) 9478 1420 10kg, and one of the nannies F: (03) 9470 4638 P: (03) 5984 1666 we got was 67cm.

W: blmarine.com.au E: info@nauticalmarine.com.au Bluefin tuna have been spotted, and from now on W: nauticalmarine.com.au we can expect to see bigger SHEPPARTON schools, with plenty of fish BOATS AND MORE TOORADIN around the 4-6kg mark being P&J MARINE SERVICE CENTRE P/L 207 Numurkah Road Shepparton caught. The tuna will tend P: (03) 5822 2108 101 Tooradin Station Road to head in Tooradin closer to town, F: (03) 5821 2908 P: (03) 5998 3107 so there will be plenty of opportunities for guys in W: boatsandmore.com.au E: pjmarine_services@bigpond.com This 10kg+ dhufish was a welcome smaller boats to have some fun, especially on light gear. A MORWELL catch for Mitch Johnson.

MELBOURNE few of the younger crew plan CRAWFORD MARINE THE MARINE 30cm. Bandy Creek Boat Anglers are also picking up the SHOP on concentrating on casting at 71-77isChickerell Street Morwell Harbour yielding plenty of odd reasonable size 6 mulloway.

Holland Drive schools Melton rather than trolling, P: herring, (03) 5134good 6522numbers West of town small has 9747 seen 0588 using smaller stickbaits on P: (03) of King George caught, light gear, to maximise the fun.

F: (03) 5134whiting, 6455 plenty more mulloway being F: (03) 9747 3999 of flathead and flounder. with 14 Mile and Warrenup The Ocean’s Legacy Keeling W: crawfordmarine.com.au W: themarineshop.com.au On our local beaches being the better choices.

You stickbaits are a popular choice we are starting to see the can also catch bigger skippy at the moment.

ECHUCA build-up of the salmon run. up to 2kg at WhaleMELBOURNE Beach and We’ll also see bigger XTREME MARINE Roses. Skippy tend MostEADES of them are averaging to hand schools of salmon as they TRIPLE M MARINE 24 Sturt Echuca around 4kg, Street with fish around around structure,117 so Northgate fishing Drive build Thomastown up to their migration up the P: 5-6kg or reef the coast. January is a really (03) mark 5482 being 2333 caught near rocky headlands P: (03) 9465 8787 on occasions.

At2133 the time of outcrops is your best bet. good time to target good-size F: (03) 5482 F: (03)fishing 9466 1418 writing, they are still in smaller Boat-based anglers salmon as the bigger schools W: xtrememarine.net.au W: triplemmarine.com.au schools, but we anticipate in the bay are still catching come close to the shoreline. them becoming bigger in the the occasional squid and The salmon, in turn, attract BRAESIDE coming weeks. there’s also the opportunity lots of bronze whaler sharks, MARINE WORLD JV Both bait and lures are for trolling for bluefin tuna, so if you want to target them working fine. TheRoad standard 878 Springvale Braesidewith the occasional sighting they’re a lot of fun. Summer approach for bait fishers is a to date. We anticipate bigger is also when the bigger bull P: (03) 9798 8883 paternoster rig with a pilchard schools and numbers in the herring come through.

(03)and 9798 7554of squid near future. on aF:gang a piece • Established in 1986, Southern jvmarine.com.au on W: a single hook, usually Traditional shallow- Sports and Tackle specializes with a star sinker because of running lures such as the in the supply and servicing the current. You can also get Halco Laser Pro are working of fishing equipment. They good results using chrome well, with popular colours have an extensive knowledge slices like Halco Twisties and including pilchard, chrome of the local area and provide the CID Iron Candy in 45g. pink, red head and the new all brands, whether you’re Running a single hook rather silver shadow colour. Also fishing from beach, jetty or than a treble is becoming popular is the Black Magic boat. Come and chat to the increasingly popular.

Jet Setters in burple or friendly staff at Shop 16, The Moving east, beaches pilchard colour.

Boulevard, Esperance or such as Alexander Bay, Dunns There is still the phone 08 9071 3022.

VIC MERCURY DEALERS

WA MERCURY DEALERS BUNBURY BLUEWATER MARINE 18 Hawkins Street BUNBURY P: (08) 9791 1499 F: (08) 9791 1497 E: bluwater@bigpond.net.au W: bluewatermarine.com.au EXMOUTH EXMOUTH AUTOMOTIVE & BOATING 5 Griffiths Way EXMOUTH P: (08) 9949 2795 F: (08) 9949 4795 E: exautomotive@bigpond.com W: exmouthautoandboating.com.au MANDURAH MANDURAH OUTBOARDS 53 Gordon Road MANDURAH P: (08) 9581 7224 F: (08) 9581 6305 E: james@mandurahoutboards.com.au W: mandurahoutboards.com.au ALBANY RUSTY’S MARINE U2/205 Chesterpass Road ALBANY P: (08) 9842 1022 E: rustysmarine@bigpond.com W: www.rustysmarine.com.au WANGARA HI TECH MARINE 12 Uppill Place WANGARA P: (08) 9309 2888 F: (08) 9309 2397 E: sales@hitechmarine.com.au W: hitechmarine.com.au

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Deep dropping pays dividends BUNBURY

Whiteys Tackle and Camping

With the recent lift of the demersal ban, the keen boaters among us have been getting into some deep drop action. The anglers who have been putting in the long miles and time have been rewarded with catches of big bass grouper, blue eye and hapuka.

Fish in depths of 160-500m on ledges or plateaus when targeting the deep water delights. Fresh whole fish baits on large 15/0-17/0 stainless circle hooks with 400lb mono leader has accounted for many fish hitting the deck.

There has been some great numbers of dhufish and snapper captures being reported and even more reports of divers seeing some monster dhus in close that have followed the walking crays. Cray divers, as usual, are picking up great numbers with plenty of jumbos to help fill the bag. Whilst the guys and girls dropping pots from the boat that were in a bit earlier have been rewarded for their efforts, as the crays made the beginning of their

up the cray pots.

Squid have been around in great numbers as well as size. The winter thumpers aren’t all gone yet. Numbers are higher than ever for the

all the fun, black bream are firing in the Collie River along with some late night mulloway and bull shark captures, especially by the weedy snaggy banks of

Zane caught his first bag of whiting on an Ecogear ZX35 lure. our beautiful yet relentless Collie River system. The most productive way to target these guys at night is

to present a nice live mullet on a light setup, as mulloway can be fussy eaters. A good few throws with a cast net in the estuary should gather you enough baits for a night.

Keep them in a bucket with an aerator and you will find they are still alive at the end of the expedition.

Beach goers can expect to find some good numbers of tailor patrolling the beach and the odd mulloway in between cruising the gutters.

Like all beach fishing you don’t always need to cast the furthest to find a fish, quite often a metre long mulloway can be in behind the wash on the drop off within just a stone’s throw.

Berley up for your herring and keep a few for dinner, or as a live bait it will be irresistible for mulloway.

Worst case you have a tussle with some rays or banjos but it’s all good fun!

After the local crabbing ban finished in December, the crabs have moved into the estuary in full force, the easiest and most enjoyable way to get your quota has got to be scooping. Scooping truly is great fun whether done alone or as a family during a BBQ by the water, it’s great interactive fun for the kids. Look for nice patchy weed beds on a high tide where the crabs will be burying themselves alongside

The crays made an earlier than expected appearance this year, as Chad Hogan found out with a pair of jumbo crayfish. the weeds waiting for a passing meal. I recommend an old pair of sneakers or reef boots for this job as they can be sneaky critters and when you step on one most of the time it’s just a fright, but if they manage to snag a toe it can put a dampener on the trip. Remember if you think you’re walking in a colder area, not only is it

unpleasant for you but also the crabs, so pick up and try a new location as the chances of crabs deciding to feed there are low.

• Call into the shop at 1/143 Grand Entrance, Australind for the latest fishing reports and what’s biting, or simply to have a yarn. Until next time, tight lines and screaming drags!

Plenty of fun in the sun MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

As we welcome the New Year, we also welcome a new year of fishing around our great town. Whether you

are targeting some light fun, or something a bit heavier offshore, January offers fun wherever you may want to go and is a great time of the year to give fishing a crack in the sun!

With the demersal ban

The author with a nice hapuka. There have been excellent reports from anglers putting in the effort. walk earlier than what was expected. Between spot changes or cruising in or out of the jetty be sure to have a trolling lure or bullet out the back as the chances of a school of tuna or bonito is common this time of year and can be really tasty, or even fresh bait for the next trip. Alternatively they can make a nice oiley bait to top 116

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boaties that take the time to target these delicious cephalopods and there are plenty of land-based spots to target them as well. With the water cleaning up the season is only going to get better Night sessions on the weed banks through Koombana Bay or from the local jetties will produce a feed.

Boaties aren’t having

Some good fish are around, with a great variety coming aboard for anglers like Jacob Geerssen.

Good quality bream are abundant throughout both systems, with a range of lures like the Cranka Crab proving effective.

now off, anglers can shift their focus slightly off crayfish and back onto the crowd favourite dhufish and pink snapper.

There is plenty of fish in close, with shallow waters producing

good numbers of pink snapper on soft plastics and lightly weighted bait setups.

On the inner grounds, there is also plenty of skippy for the To page 117

WA

West Coast

Time to get up early GERALDTON

Graham Maunder & Michael Triantopoulos

Summer weather in the mid-west is notorious for its south to southwesterly afternoon sea breezes (15-25 knots) but also has some east/ south-easterly winds, low swells and plenty of fish

to be caught.

Early mornings are not for everyone, but the reef and beach fishing is producing some good tailor, whiting, a few herring, striped sea pike, dart and mulloway. The mulloway have been mostly school-sized fish in the 70-100cm range.

Large yellowfin whiting

There are good numbers of yellowfin whiting around, and the Ecogear ZX35 has been the stand-out lure.

From page 116

taking, with some of your weedy sand patches holding some great sized King George whiting and calamari too. If you are looking to target some fish in a deeper area, checking out grounds to around 60m is ideal and will produce the odd bald chin and some big dhuies.

Jumping onto the beach, the tailor bite is in full swing on a change of light. With the warmer weather, tailors are very much abundant, proving willing to chase lures and well presented baits.

A metal slice to suit your fishing outfit will suffice; alternatively, a simple fixed rig with a pilchard will be ideal and produce great numbers of fish too.

If you are experiencing a few fish breaking off, it is worth running a 3/0 ganged hook and a small wire trace to prevent teeth rubbing through.

If tailor fishing is not your type of activity, there

will be some great sized silver ghosts not too far behind. If your true goal is to catch one of these difficult specimens, it can prove very effective to drop the gang hook setup, replacing it with a snell setup and a fresh fillet of fish. When it comes to bait choice, you will generally want to fish to what is abundant in the area and keep it well presented to give yourself a good chance at hooking a mulloway.

Catches are indicating that the yellowfin are well and truly on the chew throughout the estuary. If the fish are not partial to your surface offering such as a Sugapen, you may want to try sub surface and throw out a lure like the everproducing ZX Vibe from Ecogear. Some great fish are there for the taking, but remaining open minded when things get tough will allow you to fish to conditions more effectively and for better results.

Plenty of blue swimmers are getting about in the

(up to 40cm) have been in much better numbers than usual. Coral prawns, sandworms and bloodworm on a standard paternoster or running sinker rig are always effective, and with the gentle morning weather, anglers using small lures have also been doing well.

There are many styles that work well, including floating stickbaits and poppers in the 50-70mm size range. Anglers have been using an Ocean’s Legacy micro assist of the tail for increased bites and hooks-ups.

Recently small vibes such as the Ecogear ZX35 and 40s in the natural prawn/shrimp patterns have been doing very well too. The vibes require a different technique than a surface lure does; working them off the bottom with small hops with a very slight pause has been very successful.

Morning fishing is certainly easier than the windy evenings, but even if the afternoons are a lot more of a challenge the

Travelling drone angler Garry Sweeney with his first WA land-based pink snapper. fish are still there, and cleaning the fine sand out of your fishing tackle, hair and everywhere else is still worth the effort for some of us.

Mackerel season has not really arrived as yet.

Although school mackerel and spotted mackerel have made a few runs off some of the local reefs and beaches, the sizes and

quantities are not reliable.

School mackerel are excellent eating and are exciting and challenging to catch on light tackle meant for herring, tailor and striped sea pike.

BOAT Summer weather is well and truly upon us, and boating has been extremely difficult due to the strong south/south-westerly breezes (sea breeze).

Pelagics are starting to show up in reasonable numbers. Spanish mackerel numbers have been hit and miss, with the anglers putting the time in to rig and troll baits such as garfish, pike and mullet having the most success.

Seaweed has made trolling lures difficult.

Max, or casting stickbaits such as the Ocean’s Legacy Keeling 105.

Northwest of the Batavia marina in 30-40m, anglers are reporting mixed bags of species such as dhufish, baldchin groper, coral trout, red-throat and estuary cod.

The lumps north of Buller River to Coronation have been producing consistent numbers of Spanish mackerel, cobia and a mix of demersal species such as pink snapper, spangled emperor, coral trout and samsonfish.

Herring, whiting, tailor, pike, the occasional squid and school mackerel have been around in good numbers from Pages to Separation Point.

Beaches can be extremely busy at this time of the year, so having a good gap between anglers is good practice and will allow you to land your fish. estuary, with some decent sized specimens making their way around. Although there are plenty of just-undersized crabs, if you move around you should be able to find a good enough feed to fill a few stomachs. Drop netting or scooping will come down to your ability to access a

Although numbers have thinned out, there are still a few crays around if you put your pot in the right place.

vessel, although both methods are very effective and produce well. Remember to measure your catch prior to dropping it into your storage space, to make sure our population is treated with respect and any undersized ones healthily make it back to grow legal some time soon.

Anglers are reporting that black bream are well spread throughout the Murray and Serpentine systems. With the reduction in rain, these fish seek refuge further upstream where competition for food greatly reduces and they are able to comfortably thrive.

Fish in the rivers can be quite aggressive come summer time, as their metabolism increases and the need for food does too. Although it can be difficult to tempt fish during summer conditions, you will find rewards in remaining persistent and changing up your presentations to suit the day.

Quality yellowfin whiting have been in much better numbers than usual.

Schools of striped tuna are about working bait balls, and early morning and mid to later afternoon seems to be when they have been more active.

Unfortunately, the weather doesn’t always allow you to get out in the afternoons.

You can get good results trolling small skirted lures 3-4”, bibless lures such as the Mack Bait and Halco

Until next month, tight lines and screaming drags!

• Geraldton Sports Centre is the Mid West’s specialist fishing tackle store. Drop in and see the friendly professional staff for local advice and knowledge, and browse the extensive range of fishing equipment on show at 204-208 Marine Terrace Geraldton WA, ph: 08 9921 3664.

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A new year of fishing riches METRO

Jacob Crispe

We all start our year with good intentions and big plans. The question on everybody’s lips is what will the new year bring?

Hopefully good health, some dreams fulfilled and of course a bent fishing rod or two. For Perth metro anglers, it should be a good start to the year.

SWAN RIVER The saltwater is now pushing much further up the system, and with that the fishing opportunities grow. Species like bream and tailor will push right up the waterway and offer anglers plenty of location options to target them.

The focus for bream anglers will be fishing shallower water, with many anglers walking the flats casting small hardbodies and plastics around for them. South Perth and the area between the Canning bridge and the Narrows has some great flats that are

You don’t need a boat to catch trophy fish.

Maddie and her dad successfully caught and released this big bronze whaler shark.

Madeline Close with a stunning breaksea cod.

James Close is no stranger when it comes to putting solid dhuies on the deck!

James says fresh bait is best, and prefers to use a strip baiting technique. well worth a look.

The better tailor fishing will be during the low light periods (first and last light).

Tailor are being caught everywhere, however if you find areas where bait is concentrated, the chances of hooking one increase.

A good starting point are areas like Blackwall Reach and East Fremantle.

Mulloway captures are also widespread. Anglers are being rewarded for their efforts, with live baits the best option to use. Some great fish have been caught on swimbaits, however patience is the key with these lures. The mulloway may not be climbing all over them, but those anglers using them 118

JANUARY 2022

ROCK WALLS AND BEACHES The usual suspects will on offer from our rock walls and beaches. Herring, skippy, King George whiting and tailor will be keeping our rock wall anglers happy.

Most rock walls are

many anglers have attached to their baits when targeting tailor at night. Popular tailor spots are Cottesloe, City Beach, Woodman Point and North Mole.

Squid anglers are also out and about in January. You need to be a little bit more

are catching some very big fish. For me, Mosman Bay would be my first port of call, with the E-Sheds not too far behind.

As mentioned in the December report, now is prime time for those anglers who like to fish for flathead. Fish up to 60cm are being reported and this should continue in January.

Hardbody lures are the lure of choice at this time of the year, as the numbers of puffer fish in the system seem to increase and they can make short work of your soft plastic offerings, before a flathead even has a chance to grab them.

There will also be plenty of blue manna crabs about. A popular stretch of the river to target them is the area between the Old Brewery and Heirisson Island.

This nice little skippy was caught while drifting along some patchy reef areas.

Dom from Dom’s Fishing Adventures always knows how to entice the big sand whiting! Fresh squid never fails.

worth a try. South Fremantle has an abundance of options, and the Sailing Club rock wall always produces. Remember berley is the key to bringing fish like herring, skippy and whiting to you, and fresh baits are always best.

Tailor anglers will tend to focus on after dark activities. Onlookers will be amused as they see little green lights being cast out into the water. These lights are the glow sticks that

active when targeting squid at this time of the year. I am not sure if it’s because the squid swim around in groups and you need to fish more locations until you find them, or there are just more people targeting them and the squid are looking for safety in numbers. Whatever the reason, be prepared to cover a bit more water than usual and maybe cast a little further than the person To page 119

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Kalbarri kicks into gear KALBARRI

Stephen Wiseman

The waters around Kalbarri are starting to warm and the first big bite off has happened just inside the three mile patch to the west of the river mouth.

A Laser Pro was taken in a clean bite, wire was clean cut with just a short zip of the ratchet. A further half an hour around the same area produced no more bites but yellowfin tuna came to the surface and were in the order of 8kg.

Across the river and up the coast has been the spot for quad-bikers chasing mulloway, with one fish measuring 1350mm, what a silver slab that was. With the demersal ban in place until 16 December all the pink snapper that were hammering the baits had to go back, most with tags so the info will go into the WESTAG data system, the National system under Suntag is getting close to the 1 million items of data, what From page118

fishing next to you.

Keep an eye out for when there are larger swells. These swells bring the snapper closer to the rock walls and some great fish are caught when this happens.

Beach anglers will

an achievement.

The river has started to produce some nice whiting along the shallow flats

around bird rock and the sand spit but the juvenile bream are having a good chew on all baits being offered, some

Rob Tang with his large 90cm tailor.

Snapper fishing is back on the wishlist now the demersal ban has lifted.

INSHORE Our inshore grounds will be popular places during the holidays, and once again bread and butter species like King George whiting, skippy, herring and squid will be the main focus of these anglers.

Fishing pressure can cause these fish to be a little

don’t forget to have a squid jig ready to go.

Tailor will hold in good numbers around shallow reefs. Cast a small stickbait, metal lure or pilchard into a likely looking area and you will know pretty quickly if they are there. If they are, enjoy, as the fishing can be ridiculous.

Pink snapper will be many anglers’ focus in January. Concentrate your efforts on areas that have between 7-15m of water.

When you find a likely looking area, anchor and berley. Many snapper anglers will focus on the low light periods and after dark. A little trick when fishing after dark is to add a glow-in-the-dark squid to your bait rig. They can be the difference between

crabs have also turned up around the same area.

Red Bluff and Whitticara have been fishing well for mulloway and tailor but the tailor are making very short appearances then disappearing as quick as they arrive, some big fish have been caught and

released with a few smaller fish making it to the pan.

Rob Tang released a nice fish at close to 900mm early in the week.

Dredge work is still on the go in the river so the outgoing tide is taking silt around oyster reef and out to sea bringing mulloway in

around Chinamans Beach area and round the sand spit, best bait that stays on for a while is mullet strip, slip it in a piece of stocking and secure with rubber band, it stops the little pickers but doesn’t deter bigger fish.

Happy fishing and stay safe this festive season.

getting the odd bite, or getting lots of bites. Give then a try!

Stragglers, 5-Fathom and 3-Mile will be good options to catch a few snapper.

OFFSHORE The species on everybody’s lips at the moment is kingfish. There are plenty around in our offshore grounds at present, and this will continue for a few more months yet. The hotspot seems to be the Western end of Rottnest, with most lures (jigs and soft plastics) and baits working.

The occasional BIG dhufish is being caught amongst them, with large strip baits seemingly the trigger for these captures.

Other key targets in our offshore grounds will be snapper, dhufish and

Madeline is all smiles with a lovely pink snapper.

This girl needs no introduction when it comes to catching quality fish in our metro waters, with another 5-star King George whiting. mainly be focused on tailor, yellowfin whiting and small sharks. There can be the odd surprise though, with a few flathead being caught and the occasional mulloway grabbing a bait intended for a tailor.

harder to find, so drifting areas of broken ground will be your best option to seek them out. Once you have, anchor up and berley the area to keep them around you. Any activity will get the squid in the area curious, so

A day on the Swan River with Stewart Schneider proving how effective hardbody lures are with a slow roll retrieve.

samsonfish. These species all hang around in similar areas – generally, reefy bottom in 25-40m of water. If I was going to pick an area to start, I would head to the North side of Rotto, as I hear there have been some bigger fish caught there.

As always, those anglers set up with deep drop gear are always looking for weather windows to head out wide. These windows can be less frequent in January, but the reward (eating quality

wise) makes the effort well worthwhile.

Eight-bar cod, greyband snapper and hapuka are just a few of the shallower species (200-400m), while blue-eye trevalla are the reward for those anglers heading beyond those depths.

I hope everybody has the opportunity to wet a line to start the new year and that some of those dreams and plans for 2022 come true.

Happy New Year and I will catch you next month.

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Enjoying the good life LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

During January school holidays, Lancelin is a hive of activity with many enjoying the classic ‘Lano life’. It goes something like fishing, swimming, surfing, soaking in a sunset,

activities to do while on the water, rather than continuing to catch and release demersal species, with the risk of post release mortalities. Along the white bank and the lumps 25-28m, you can usually pick up some schools of skippy on the sounder this time of year. Try dropping

productive and anywhere there is bait, reef break or a good drop off can have a few fish holding up. There have also been pretty good numbers of Queensland school mackerel in these shallow areas. Try berleying up on these shallow grounds and floating or casting pilchards down the trail,

Marthinus Kemp recently had a great surf session scoring a bunch of tailor and hooking numerous sharks.

The GT Ice Cream lure has been a handy tool when long casts are required to reach distant reef breaks. enjoying the seafood bounty and occasional beverage or three with friends or family.

The white crayfish will be moving further offshore and good numbers of jumbo crayfish can be

micro jigs to these schools on some lighter gear for a bit of fun after filling the demersal limits.

It’s been a bumper tuna season with plenty of bonito, southern bluefin, skipjack and yellowfin tuna. So much

fishing for pink snapper/ mackerel. It can make for an interesting session!

Rigs need to be made so as not to shy off the snapper, yet be able to handle the razor sharp mackerel teeth.

A gang of 3-4 tarpon hooks adding a short length of light gauge wire to a small swivel is what I use, depending on depth and current add a little lead as well.

Yellowtail kingfish have been in the bays’ reef breaks occasionally venturing out into the open water in front of Lancelin Island.

Birds will usually indicate which of the reef breaks are holding some fish.

Whiting grounds in 18-22m are always a reliable spot to pull up and gather a

feed of these small, tasty fish. Recently, there has been lots of blue mackerel here as well so it’s been a good spot to pull up and top up the live bait well before heading offshore. Northwest blowfish can be a problem, once they move in under the boat, will steal fish off the hooks or bite the baits removing the hook from the line. Once they have turned up, best to move off several hundred meters to a new location.

The shallow flats down near Edwards Island, have been productive for the smaller boats and kayaks.

Trolling small lures has been effective to land snook, pike and herring. Bouncing plastics along the bottom has been finding blue spot flathead and tarwhine, while bait fishers have been more successful at the King George whiting.

In deeper areas of the bay, there are plenty of big snook and squid over the seagrass beds. King George whiting have been much easier to catch on the sand holes now that the plague

of nuisance blowfish that’s been around for a year has finally eased.

Along the surf beaches we’ve been seeing lots of herring and tailor mainly in the chopper sizes, although the gutters in the bombing range have been producing some bigger size tailor.

Release mats, like this one from Big Fat Snapper, can help look after a fish for a safe release by supporting the body of the fish while lifting to get a weight. It also keeps the fish clean of sand for a nice picture. The fish can be swum while still in the sling between pictures.

Wade Wingfield used the GT Ice Cream to punch into a southerly breeze. caught at 25-35m. Best bet for reliable hauls is to bait the pots heavily and pull every 2-3 days. Small boat fishers have been picking up dhufish, snapper and breaksea cod from the reef systems inside the white bank. Baldies dominate the catch drifting the flats out from 30-35m, although there’s still ample chance of picking up a dhu in the process. Jigging the lumps with large plastics or slow pitch metals out 35-45m has been a productive way to separate out some larger dhufish.

With looming new restrictions to reduce the recreational impact on demersal stocks, it is important to find other 120

JANUARY 2022

pelagic action is bound to attract the attention of mackerel. Peak mackerel season used to be considered March-April, nowadays it’s worth a go from January through to June. Keep your wits about you while on the water looking for indicators that provide opportunity to increase the odds of getting onto the fish. Mackerel will often shadow the smaller tuna or, if you find where the bait schools are holding up, far more likely of finding a fish if not several.

Not a lot of people put the effort into chasing mackerel inside the white bank, but there can be pretty good numbers in water as little as 5-6m at times. Back of the bay’s reefs can be

Larger baits have been finding guitarfish and the occasional mulloway. Once the sun goes down, the sharks have been quite abundant and active, which can be quite costly on lost gear.

There’s a large variation in sizes. Some fishers have deployed some heavy gear at

Bruce Cooper opened his beach mulloway account with a lovely 16kg, 117cm fish, great to see it safely released after a few quick pictures.

times and still had difficulty trying to stop some monster size tigers.

One activity not normally associated this far north would be fishing the marron season. Probably not very well known is that there are healthy stocks of marron in the Moore River.

Reagans Ford out on the Brand Highway is a popular spot with a series of deep pools. Cowalla Road Bridge provides another access point. If you’re lucky enough to know any local land owners there’s lots of private river frontage properties. Open season is from 12 noon on 8 January to 12 noon on 5 February (inclusive) each year. A licence is required to fish for marron and there are gear restrictions, so be aware of the rules if you want to give it a crack this year.

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121

North Coast

WA

More room to fish EXMOUTH

Barry Taylor

Report supplied by Josh Cheong In recent weeks we have been seeing a fair few marlin caught out wide.

Blue marlin are the dominant species being caught, with a few blacks and stripes mixed in.

Inshore there are still plenty of sails in the gulf, and charter operators have been getting double figures each time they go out. You can catch them sight casting to the bait balls with live baits. You don’t need a big boat to get into them; I got one the other day 3km outside the marina in 4m tinny. It took a dead yakka skipped along the surface.

Sailfish catches traditionally start to taper off in January, but if the bait stays there’s no reason why they shouldn’t hang around. Look for the birds and find the bait balls, then drive up and throw a live bait in. They average around 25kg, so they’re not huge fish, but they’re a lot of fun and quite manageable solo.

Inshore there have been a few mackerel getting caught lately. We have been getting into a few on the back of the reef, and there are plenty of queenies around too.

Currently there are

heaps of whiting on the gulf beaches. The trick with whiting is to keep moving until you find the better-size fish, because whiting schools tend to be made up of fish that all are pretty much the same size. You can catch them using a small popper or pencil-style lure (around 40-60mm) skipped across

the surface. The Jackson PY Poppers and Ebi Panic range are some of the staff favourites. If bait fishing is more your preference try a no. 8-10 long-shank hook and a small sliding ball sinker with a bit of prawn or a tiny squid tentacle.

There are plenty of spangled emperor inside the

Josh Cheong brings presents a gorgeous sail for a photo op. Image courtesy of @primal_instinct_fishing.

This GT couldn’t resist a Bait Junkie 7” Jerk Shad. Image courtesy of @indepthangler_josh.

reef being taken on stickbaits and plastics. One of our biggest selling lures for this is The Nomad Madscad 95 in gold or green. I was out in the gulf just the other day and saw acres of bait out there – really small 15-20mm fish, almost like a whitebait.

Plenty of tuna were out there feasting on them, and fortunately the tuna didn’t seem to be fussy about what they were eating. I was using a 7” Bait Junkie Jerk Shad and they hit that with

no hesitation, and my mate did well using an 85mm Halco Slidog. The fish were feeding aggressively on the surface so it was a matter of retrieving as fast as possible.

This month the flats fishing should improve as the water warms up, and the blue marlin action should continue. Overall, January is a great time to be on the water, because it’s less crowded and you’ll have more room to fish – provided you can handle the heat!

• For all the latest news on what’s biting and where, drop into Tackle World Exmouth at 3 Maley St, Exmouth or give them a call on (08) 9949 1315.

You can also view the range at www.tackleworldexmouth. com.au, and see the latest catch photos on their Facebook page. This family business stocks a large range of tackle, from light spin to big game. The staff have a wealth of local knowledge and expertise, and are always happy to help.

Wet season triple treat BROOME

Troy Honey

Fishing the northern half is vastly different from fishing the southern half of WA, and when you push further north into the Kimberley, the difference is exacerbated even more by the climate.

The northwest has

two seasons, wet and dry, vs the southwest having four seasons. The two seasons of the northwest start coming into effect from around Karratha, but here in Broome it is far more exacerbated. The dry season is characterised by clear blue skies, easterly winds, and balmy days with some chilly nights.

The wet season, however, is a different story. During

the wet season, the Broome region becomes hot and humid, with lots of rain and sometimes violent storm events such as cyclones. Above all, it’s unpredictable.

With such big weather changes between the seasons, fishing is impacted enormously. Gaining a thorough understanding of how the two seasons affect fishing in Broome is the

Brett Redman with a fantastic Broome tripletail caught on fly in Roebuck Bay.

Matt Maguire from Willie Creek Pearls has a life many can only dream of – working in paradise and catching epic Broome wet season barra.

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JANUARY 2022

first step towards mastering this amazing fishery.

When it comes to wet season in Broome, most people immediately think about barra, plus threadies and northern jewfish to a lesser extent. One of the most overlooked species, which should be a top contender on a lot of bucket lists, is the tripletail. Broome is a great location to target triple as the large tides tend to pick up and carry a lot of debris, as well as Roebuck Bay containing many buoys,

both of which are the perfect features tripletail can be found under.

Catching a tripletail can be an artform that takes a long time to master, but it doesn’t have to be.

Visibility is key because catching tripletail is, for many people, a sightfishing experience. At times, you can actually see the fish floating on its side.

Or you can cast at where you think it will be, under or beside a structure such as weed, wood or a buoy.

Tripletail also like high

salinity water, so after heavy rains or floods (which do occur in the Broome region), fishing for tripletail won’t be as productive.

So, you have the timing and likely location right, you are within casting distance of a potential hiding spot for a tripletail or even better, you have sighted one floating on its side, now what do you throw at it. Tripletail are a very relaxed fish known for To page123

WA

North Coast

Nearshore and pelagic frenzies this summer DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

The holiday season is in full swing in Karratha, and so is the brutal heat.

Joining the heat is broad range of pelagic species that really fire up in the creeks, near shore and offshore at this time of year, and fishing for them is the perfect way to spend a few days on holiday.

Pelagics here in Karratha consist of mackerel (which can be Spanish, grey, school, spotted or shark), mac tuna, northern longtail tuna and yellowfin tuna, the amazing wahoo and the dreaded barracuda, cobia, mahimahi (dolphinfish), sailfish and marlin. Then we have the tough fishing nearshore wet season species, such as queenfish, various trevally (giant, golden, gold-spot, brassy, bigeye, bludger, pennantfish and diamond), common and snub-nose dart, diamond-scale mullet, tripletail, black jewfish, threadfin salmon, barramundi, javelin and even the very tasty goldenline whiting. Who says you need demersals to have a good day of fishing?

As you can see, From page 122

being so lazy that unless a feed swims by them, they will go hungry rather than make the effort to search for food.

If you are using a lure, cast past them and slowly work the lure beside the fish. If you’re using bait, cast upcurrent and let it drift past the fish.

If you’re fishing with plastics, use as light a jighead as possible. You want the bait close to the surface; if it sinks too far and goes out of sight, the fish won’t chase it.

One method that we rarely see being used in Australia is a bait such as a prawn on a hook about 30cm under a float. Generally, we use unweighted baits but, in the USA, the float method is very popular. I haven’t tried this myself but with tripletail being a wet season target, I am going to focus on the float method this season and see how it goes.

One more thing about tripletail fishing – using an electric motor will significantly increase your catch rate. Being able to anchor lock the boat with the electric motor in the ideal position when fishing fixed buoys will give the solo angler the ability to concentrate on bait

whether it is a tough fight, a strategic challenge, or a great tasting dinner you are after, Karratha has it all and then some for any angler in the holiday season. And I haven’t included any of the estuarine species or even the abundance of bluebone and coral trout that are always in good numbers, and can be caught from shore or boat.

Throughout November and December in the Karratha region we had to endure many days of windy conditions, which prevented many anglers on their days off from getting the boat out for offshore fishing. Land-based fishing in the region has been at the forefront, and so to has fishing the creeks, where boaters have been able to escape the wind and avoid the rough seas.

While the conditions have not been the ideal photo opportunity of glassed off, crystal clear waters, that’s OK because rougher conditions often produce the best fishing, especially when we are talking pelagic and nearshore species. Mackerel, trevally, queenfish, threadfin and tuna like to hunt in these turbulent waters, as it gives them the edge over

their prey by not being as visible when charging in for the strike. When fishing for these species on days when conditions are windy, you will need to alter your fishing method accordingly such as making sure your baits and lures are more visible and matching the tougher conditions with your action in the water, such as trying to create a lot more whitewash and bubbles if you are using lures.

As we head into the new year, the weather conditions in Karratha become very hot but the strong and consistent winds taper away. Unless there is a cyclone, we start to enjoy some of the country’s best fishing weather at this time of year. The creeks started to fire up from the rise in water temperature during the last three weeks before Christmas. Water temperature around and above 29°C is when the barra and queenies are most active, and we are well into that zone now. The creeks in Nickol Bay have been good for the barra fishers, with quite a few good catches of fish around the 70-80cm mark. Further north around Wickham and Point Samson the numbers

of barra coming from the creeks has been lower, but there have been a couple of fish over the metre mark.

Whiting catches all around Dampier, Point Samson and Cossack have been very good, both in size and numbers, with many reports of schools of goldenline whiting over the sandy areas. This will also improve greatly in January and February, along with flathead fishing. There are quite a few beaches to the north and south of Karratha that hold whiting and flathead, and most of these beaches experience very little fishing pressure which produces a great experience, especially if you are camping and hunting for a meal.

We should start to see a few tripletail being caught now as well, both from the creeks and from the buoys south of West Lewis and Enderby islands. Karratha tripletail have long eluded me, and landing one is my goal for this wet season.

My focus will be around the buoys, and I will be using all methods – fly, bait and lure.

Big GTs are making themselves known over the shoals and reefs surrounding many islands

placement and not drift away too quickly in the tidal water movement.

Failing that, you need a good skipper who knows how to read the fish and position the boat carefully and quietly before the hook-up, and then act fast when the fish is hooked to place the angler in the ideal position without risk of interaction with the buoy or debris.

Tripletail fishing is no

different from other forms of fishing in that it can be an artform if you make it, or simply a great day of fun for the whole family to enjoy.

While tripletail are more of a wet season targeted fish, causing anglers to experience challenging weather conditions, they are one of the only fish in the northwest that aren’t highly respondent to tidal changes. This means you can target them at any time

of day, which can’t be said for many of the other species in the region.

Elsewhere in Broome, the barra are firing on all fronts. Multiple catches are coming from the local creeks, with the fingers and even a couple of good-size barra coming from 80-Mile Beach to the south of Broome. Barra fishing has been exceptionally good in the creeks around the top of Cape Leveque, and there

in the archipelago. These islands are fast becoming the big GT mecca of WA, and it will be over the next few months of January to April when we will see some of the toughest fish in WA being caught here. The go-to method is casting poppers into the whitewash on the tide changes using quality tackle in the PE6 to PE10 range. A boat with a good casting deck is best because the elevated height and overhead clearance makes for easy casting as well as when you’re fighting the fish.

Fly fishers have been working the region of Karratha on the better fishing days of December, and have been rewarded with some great catches of blue bastards, dart and even some nice-sized spangled emperor coming in from over the flats in the archipelago. Snub-nose dart (permit) can be found along the beaches and flats all around Karratha, and often hunt for food in the gutters during a rising tide.

These dart are a trophy fish for fly fishers, and they’re another fish best targeted during the warmer months of the wet season, when they are more prevalent.

They fight hard and are not to be underestimated. They are smart fish and spook easily, have small mouths and can be very fussy, which makes the challenge of catching one even more thrilling.

Mud crabs are everywhere at the moment, and even a few early season big blues have been turning up, with a few unsuspecting people stepping on them in the sand along the beaches of Cleaverville and Point Samson.

The biggest challenge when fishing the wet season in Karratha is still the sharks, as they are extremely feisty and active in the warmer waters. In the creeks, beaches and offshore, the numbers of sharks create a big headache for anglers and divers. Personally, I don’t dive at this time of year due the numbers of bull sharks I see in then creeks, and the large tigers that swim close to the coastline hunting in the shallows.

All in all, there’s a huge variety on offer during a Karratha wet season, and you don’t even need a boat to enjoy it. Fingers crossed for another good season of lots of rain and little to no cyclones.

When Matt is not fishing the peninsula, he is working the Fitzroy River where he caught this good-sized barra on a trip last month.

Besides barra, the Dampier Peninsula is host to an abundance of fish species such as threadfin, jacks, fingermark, and bluenose. Matt Maguire got stuck into all these species while fishing many of the creek systems last month.

are also plenty of goodsize trevally and queenfish being caught from both shore and boats.

In Roebuck Bay the northern jewfish have been showing up at times in the deeper holes south of the buoys. The fishing for jewfish in Broome is expected to pick up significantly over the balance of the wet season, and targeting jewfish as well as tripletail on the same day in Broome makes sense, as the areas in which they are found are in close proximity.

The scores of threadfin salmon being caught

continues to the point of almost becoming ridiculous in Broome. The fishery has come back so strong since the commercial fishing was stopped in 2014, and highlights the impact that commercial fishing can have on a region vs recreational fishing, if not managed correctly.

It’s hot, humid, plenty of bugs about and we love it. Broome is having a tremendous wet season of fishing and it’s not too late to book your trip, especially with the cheaper accommodation available at this time of year.

JANUARY 2022

123

WA

Good winter rains signal good summer trout FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

The success of trout in this state relies heavily on good winter rains and high water levels in our dams and rivers to pull them through our long hot summers. This year has been exceptionally good with higher dam levels and good stream flows in most of our rivers.

This was confirmed by an email sent to me by Fisheries WA Pemberton showing stream flow in a number of locations over the last few decades. It was interesting to see some standout high flow years being 1981, 1996 and 1999, of which all were higher than we experienced this year. The high year of 1996 produced three trout over 3kg of which one was my own state record rainbow of just over 3.5kg. Although a few trout around 2.5kg were caught in 1999, none were recorded close to 3kg.

I can remember back in 1981 down in

Darrell Higginbottom with his son Jesse caught this rainbow while trolling Harvey Dam.

A late season brown trout caught by the author on a very warm day. A lot of freshwater anglers put their gear away this time of year, but good fishing can still be had in the Pemberton region.

Pemberton at the annual Troutfest being held by WATFAA (Trout Club), we were all struggling with exceptionally high water levels in October of that year. At the weigh-in, a number of fish in the 3kg size range came in late on the final day. There was one particular brown trout weighed in that was over 80cm in length, although it was a slender specimen and past its prime it was estimated to have weighed over 5kg when it was in its prime condition – the photo is still on the wall of the club house to this day. So, can we conclude that high rainfall bring high weights! So far this year the Pemberton Trout

Hatchery has been the only place to produce any large trout with a couple nudging the 4kg mark this year. If you are thinking of heading down to chase trout then I would suggest driving further south than our northern dams. Redfin are of course different as they are active all through the summer period.

AUSSIE NATIVES Very active at the moment with plenty of silver perch being caught in private dams in the south. Other species are still getting caught with possible bass accounting for a bigger portion than cod.

Yellowbelly are rarely seen in this state even in private locations.

MARRON This year’s marron season starts at 12 noon on the 8 January and runs up to 12 noon on the 5 February.

There was a big stocking program over the last few years so hopefully numbers will be up this year.

The season is closely monitored by Fisheries and they step up patrols with heavy penalties for those not playing the game. This

A nice hard fighting silver perch caught by Ethan Look.

This species does so well in WA waters, however those caught are only from private stockings.

Mark Kestrel never tires of fly-fishing and is happy with this well-conditioned rainbow caught and released from the Pemberton region.

Paula Holland, secretary of Southern Forest Freshwater Angling Club, took out first place (female division) of their event held in Pemberton with this superb brown trout. Other club and event organisers should follow suit with their catch and release policy to conserve precious stocks.

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JANUARY 2022

is the time we unfortunately see lots of campfires around, however a total fire ban is in place in most locations and authorities coming down hard on those breaking this rule.

DAMS Waroona Dam A few trout were caught over late spring but the yearlings were still small, showing very little growth since stocking mid winter.

Redfin are still being caught but numbers have been low for some reason.

Ski boats and jet-skis are active so be careful if you are on the water fishing.

The reduction in the size of the 5 knot zone at the back of the dam is disappointing as those in kayaks and

families with kids are at risk of being swamped by waves these boats put out, not to mention the speed that some of the jet skis can approach.

Drakesbrook Weir I spent a few very windy days fishing this location recently with one night resulting in my boat being swamped by waves crashing over the transom when it was pulled up on the bank. Frantic baling and running the bilge pump had it floating once again. Wet tackle boxes and even a submerged generator made for an unpleasant day with the fishing being difficult as well. Lots of yearlings are around but still small.

Redfin are showing up in small numbers with anything over 32cm a rarity.

Logue Brook Dam I fished here recently and surprisingly had the whole place to myself midweek. Although a few fish showed up on the sounder they were reluctant

Predicted Dam Levels for South West WA Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 81.1% as at end of November 2021, compared to 48.8% at the same time last year. With good late spring rain it has resulted in very little irrigation so all dams are looking good as we head into summer.

WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM

88% 82% 85% 90% 91% 97% 98%

WA

to hit any of the lures we offered them.

Harvey Dam The big talking subject has been the closure of a number of access tracks around this dam. Blame and finger pointing has mainly been directed to a few highly modified four wheel drive vehicles that love to cut up the muddy edges of the dam. I have witnessed this myself on a number of occasions and also was saddened to see a few driving through the water trying to clean the underbodies off. This act undertaken by the authorities is a typical example of shutting locations instead of policing the situation.

The fishing has been fair with a few good trout being caught in locations like Quarry Bay, Browns Bay, Summer Brook Bay, Cattle Yards as well as the far back of the dam. It seems the best method is trolling hardbodied lures of various patterns however a few are getting caught off

year. The true success of this stocking will be realised next autumn. Redfin have been slow but many hours

Steve Roberts fly fishing a section of the Donnelly River in our South West.

A short well-policed marron season ensures stocks are maintained in our southern waters. Gabby Attenborough holding a nice specimen she caught on a snare at night.

Damian Gansekoele with a superb rainbow he caught trolling lures from his kayak. the bank as well.

A number of trout were tagged for research purposes by WA Fisheries, if you happen to catch one take a photo and send tag number to Fisheries. It is best to release them back to the water as data will be more beneficial next autumn when survival and growth can be determined more accurately. Redfin are harder to locate but hopefully things should pick up over summer.

The Harvey Redfin Bash has been postponed until early next year so I’ll report on a date when it’s announced.

Wellington Dam Reports coming in of fish jumping could only be trout stocked early this

put in has turned up big specimens.

Big Brook Dam This little dam shaded

by majestic karri trees in our deep south has been the standout of trout fishing in this state.

The Southern Forest Freshwater Angling Club had its first official competition recently with great success coming to the 15 anglers that competed.

Around 30 trout were caught and what really excites me about this club is the fact that it’s strictly a catch and release club when it comes to trout; there are plenty of great tasting redfin in the area if one wants a feed.

It’s my view, along with plenty of others, that we adopt this policy on a few selected waters to conserve our delicate trout stocks in a marginal freshwater fishing state.

RIVERS Murray River No reports but redfin are always active in the slower pools.

Northern Jarrah Streams A couple of wellconditioned rainbows are turning up in the spring-fed streams along our scarp.

Anglers are keeping tight lipped about locations.

Collie River above Wellington Dam Good redfin catches are becoming more frequent in the vicinity of the town itself.

Collie River below Wellington Dam This is the time of the year when trout take up station in the numerous fast runs caused by cold irrigation water being let out of the dam. Be very careful of the slippery rocks with a slip resulting in injury or a broken rod.

Fish heavy to get down in the fast current.

Blackwood River A couple of anglers fished the section between Balingup Brook and Nannup and spotted a number of trout in the faster runs. Although a few were hooked none were actually landed. This river receives a huge stocking and very little angling pressure so

it’s worth a look.

Warren River It’s great to see the number of browns showing up in this river with no doubt a result of the increased stocking in recent years. Redfin are the star attraction with this water arguably our best redfin

better using a fly rod with small dries and nymphs fished on fine leaders.

Donnelly River A close mate, Steve Roberts, fished this river and had a ball catching small rainbows and a few browns. He prefers to fly fish and loves his 4wt rod

Andrew Matthews is well known in the marron cycle and is no stranger to large trophy size specimens, like this one. The head measured a whopping 156mm and its overall length was bigger than the 45cm carton of beer.

This graph shows three high streamflow years of 1981, 1996 and 1999 on the Lefroy Brook in Pemberton. All these years produced big trout over 3kg.

water in this state. Best results have come by those using kayaks to get to the better pools. Tackle choice is not important as long as you are getting close to structure.

Lefroy Brook Simon Holland reported there were a few good fish still turning up in all the likely areas, however heavy foot traffic has them very wary. This is the time of year where you would do

for the streams down there.

The fish were active all day with small nymphs being preferred to other patterns.

Summer can be hard going but good fish are still available for those who put the effort in. Just remember snakes are very active, especially around water and fire is a real risk with total bans being in place all summer.

Have a safe holiday season and tight lines.

JANUARY 2022

125

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POINT LONSDALE – VICT SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES 38° 18’ S LONG 144° 3 LAT 33° 51’ S LONG 151° 14’ E –LAT POINT LONSDALE VICTORIA SYDNEY DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES PROVEN(FORT WORLD LEADING SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA

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Times and Heights of High––and Low Waters Times andPOINT Heights of High and Low SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) WALES LONSDALE – VICTO SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) NEW SOUTH WALES LAT 18’NEW S SOUTH LONG 144° 37’ ELONG LAT 33° 51’ S LONG LAT 151° 14’ 33° 51’E S LONG 151°38° 14’ E LAT 38° 18’ S 144° 37’ E JULY LAT MAY AU JUNE LAT 33° 51’and SS MAY LONG 14’ EE 38° 18’Time S LONG 144° 37’ E LATJUNE 33° LONG 151° 151°of 14’High Times and Heights of HighTimes and Low Waters Times Heights andLocal Low Time Waters and Heights of High and51’ Low Waters Local Times and Heights of High and Low Waters Time m Time m Time mTime Time m Time Time m Time m Power Time m Times and Heights of High and Low Waters Local Time m Time m m Time m Times and Heights of High and Low Wa Times and Heights of High and Low Waters Local Time The SARCA EXCEL and SUPER SARCA are certified type approved Super High Holding JULY JUNE JULY MAY JUNE AUGUST MAY JUNE JULY JUNE AUGUST MAY MAY JULY 2022 MARCH1.60 JANUARY 2022 APRIL 20220150 1.

0006 FEBRUARY 1.68 0519 0.58 06332022 0.53 0554 0.36 0037 1.78 FEBRUARY 0057 JANUARY

ANCHOR DESIGNS

MARCH 0623 1.40 JANUARY FEBRUARY APRIL 0557 1.36 0046 0.69 0452 1.41 Time m1.30 Time m0.43 m0.49 16 Time m0.54 Time m1 Time 10.55 16Time 1Time 1Time Time Time m 0735 1 0646 16 1117mm1.28 1238 0807 m 0.1 1155 m1.39 16 0740 0744m 16 1 1.30 1148 Time 1041 Time 0.38 1158 0.58 1303 1.43 1640 0.75 1804 0.76 1446 1.

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01380.78 1.66 01480.76 1.470043 01000.56 1.580135 07000.79 0.43 WE 0023 0.74 0.68 0534 1.38 0.65 1848 2110 1.88 1911 1940 2314 1.71 2114 1935 1.44 1922 1.42 2319 0.74 1928 1.54 17 2 2 0835 2 17 17 17 17 2 2 2 0724 0.52 0858 0.2 0828 0.58 0733 0.45 17 20.54 17 17 1207 1.25 2 2 17 2 17 22 1300 1.31 2 0735SA0301 1121 0.42 17 0656 1.29 1.40 17 0842 1.32 1335 1.34 17261.68 0.80 1542 1.

1447 1.35 1451 1.41 1359 1.49 18251.66 0.74 MO TH MO WE FR SU 0608 0.61 0030 0255 1.18 0138 0148 1.47 0100 1.58 1.25 0.43 POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA 1336 0.89 0.57 1231 0135 0.65 0.68 1836 0043 1.52 1256 0130 0.68 17 17 20.82 17 17 17 222 0.56 17 1720023 17 17 17 21.38 2 SU WE SA TU 0.74 0133 0534 2 0.47 19060.65 0.77 22 2227 20.T 2019 2045 0.8117 0853 1957 0.672022 2 2 0835 0.54 17 17 0724 0.52 0858 0.65 0828 0.58 0733 0.45 1.31 17 1207 1.25 1.40 1.37 LAT 38°2 18’0735 S LONG 144° 37’0842 E 1.44 1.51 1.50 2019 17 17 0848 2 1121 0.42 17FR065614511.29 21538 1.32 1959 1.40 1947 0849 1542 1.47 1.35 TH 1335 1.34 1.41andSA 1359 1.49 1.64 Local Time 0.74 MO 1726 0.80 MOWaters WE 1447 TU Times Heights of High and Low 18 18 18 3 3 3 1336 0.89 1347 1231 0.65 1836 1.52 1256 0.68 1345 0.85 0000 1.66 0406 0.95 1.

0239 1.56 0245 1.37 0200 1.48 0100 1.77 0126 1.63 WE FR 0.65 SA 1906 0.77 TU 1957 TH2230 3 18 18 3 SU 1947 3 1.51 182019 332019 18 2227 0.72 0144 0.8218 2045 0.810001 0.67 0116 0.50 0.75 0.75 0.59 0230 3 18 3 1.40 2009 1.38 1.4430.57 1959 2023 1.50 0953 0.3 0925 0911 0.61 0825 0.47 0809 0.49 18 0702 0.62 0815 0.50 MARCH JANUARY FEBRUARY APRIL 3 181.41080833 SA1.26 18 3 SU0422 0628 1.34 1.44 0945 1.36 3 33 1.631.24 18 31.40 18 18 18 18 3 3 18 TH0245 3 18 18 18 1303 15441.37 1543 1.460858 1458 1.5718 14141.56 1.28 14331.48 TU TU 1637 31.

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0607 11360.86 0626 1.280604 0635 0.87 1.370601 1039 0.45TH 1656 0522 0.57 0428 0.49 0.28 0.44 MINN REPAIRS & SERVICING 2240 1.46 2304 1.36 2359 1.52 2349 1.39 21 6 21 6 21 6 6 21 1303 0.7 1759 1.52 1202 0.59 1812 1.90 1202 0.62 1212 0.48 1700 1.57 FR MO TH SA 0141 0.42 0021 0.67 0540 1.52 0043 0.60 0044 0.35 1218 WE 1.57 0407 1.65 0213 7 7 22 1.50 1320 1.81 0.22 1310SA1.66 1138 TU 1.57 22 18351.28 1840 1.711844 1850 1.961844 2259 0.63 23 1935 24 79 0607 1.4024220428 22electric 22 23 880.49 23 81.68 23 922 0604 9 0.44 240810 9 0010 24 8870601 23 81.T 888 1.42 2370522 23 23SU 81703 23 0732 1.29 0626 0635 1.37 0.54• All 1039motor 0.45 brands 1136 0.44 0.89 0.82 0.92 0.73 FR 1755 TH MO 23 0.57 0.28 0030 1.49 1.39 9 9 24 24 9 24 1303 0.54 1202 0.59 1202 0.62 1212 0.48 1.52• Australia 1.57 1812 1.90 1349 0.40 SA MO TU WE TH SA 1700 SU 2350 1.38 2339 1.50 22221218 wide freight 1.50 0.61 7 1320 1.66 0639 0104 0124 0.54 72017 01391.90 0.27 22 0611 00001.68 0.687 11380505 00471.81 0.3922 1310 1.67 0216 0.38 0.

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• Quick turn around TH23 TU 0533 0.37 0053 1915 1.55 0040 1856 1.43 0603 0.50 1.38 1.50 0.81 1237 0.59 1242 0.61 1306 0.4610 12170.61 0.53 2339 1228 0.44 1748 1.72 242350 1344 0.85 0.8 10 10 25 25 25 TU TH FR SA WE SU SU 0104 0124 0.54 0139 0.27 0047 0.39 0.68• Authorised 0505 Minn 1.67Kota/Watersnake 0254 0.22 0216 0.37 repairer 9 24 9 24 24 9 8 8 23 23 9 24 9 9 24 9 10 248 0711 98 1.60 241.77 91242 24 0.40 24 9 1.45 1.71 0657 0.25 1300 1910 1.74 19191.33 1944 2.010644 18361.39 1.59 19031.39 2.01 2015 1.

10 25230533 25 10 25 10 25 8 0649 23 23 1.29 0732 0641 1.50 1.55 23 1125 0.40 0852 0811 0.72 1411 0123 1.84 1.72 1.44 0.86 1.43 FR81813 0053 MO TU 1352 W SA 1840 80040 1.55 1.50 0603 0.50 23 8 0.39 23 23 23 0105 1237 0.59 WE 122880.37 0.61 1306 0.46 0.44 0.53 SU 1748Minn 1.72 1435 0.50 TU TH 1242 FR MO SU 1344 Repairs & Servicing 1934 0.78 1926 0.87 8 23 8 23 8 23 0144 0.56 0202 0.48 0145 0.30 0045 0.63 0000 0.51 0230 0.22 0253 0.35 0.

1242 1.71 0657 0.25 0644 0.40 0729 0.33 0659 1300 1.60 1910 1.74 1919 1.77 1944 2.01 1903 2.01 1.59 2100 1.85 2015 1.84 9 0730 91.4211 241411 24 0752 1.31 WE 0740 1.48 TU 1352 0642 1.53 0826 1.75 1.4111TH9 0849 1.70 1.

11 261440 26 26 18130600 0.721.68SA 1840 1.84 1.72 1414 0.86 1.38 Call Troy 0412 605 080 – W:9 minnrepairs.com FR24 MO 10 25 10 25 25 25 10 0144 1.56 0128 1.46 0032 1.54 0033 10 10 25 10 25 10 25 10 25 10 25 1311 0.60 1322 0.60 1319 0.45 1249 0.53 1210 0.37 1359 0.4525 142510 0.

11 11 26 11 26 11 26 26 WE FR TH SU MO SA MO 1934 0.78 1926 0.87 2005 0.75 1942 0.76 0144 0.56 0145 0.30 0202 0.48 0.63 0000 minnrepairsservicing 0.51 0331 0.25 0253 0.32 0230 0.22 91.79 9 0746 24 24 0.26 0.26 06429 9 1.48 9 0.44 24 90629 24 9 1.47 24 0.37 19451.31 19571.37 1.81 1956 2.07 19111.38 1.6624 0740 1836 1.86 24 2033 2.020724 2053 1.9 9 9 24 24 0730 0752 1.53 24 0600 1.68 0933 0849 0826 1.41 1.84 0.41 1.75 1.49 1.81 1.56 1.68 TU 1459 WE 1434 0157 T SA 1338 SU 1339 0213 1.50 0032 0033 E: minnrepairs@gmail.com 0.60 TH 1319 1.54 0.45 13221.42 0.60 0.53 MO 1210 0.37 1519 1425 1.46 0.46 1359 0.45 WE 1311 FR TU MO0128 SA 0144 12 12 27 27 27 01251.79 0.589 0629 0057 0.40 03181.76 0.2212 0330 0.34 0.

0221 0.52 0241 0.24 0241 0.442022 1919 0.83 0.75 2007 0.82 1908 0.70 9 24 9 24 24 0746 0.26 0724 0.37 0815 0.36 0745 0.26 0642 0.44 1945 1956 2.07 1957 1.81 1.66 1836 1.86 2141 2053 1.86 2033 2.02 10 0719 1.51 25 10 10 0929111.73 10 251459 10 25 0656 1.67SU 0915 27 1.4226 1.

1.36 TU 08371.84 1.46 WE 0832 1.32 11 26 11 26 26 26 11 11 26 27 12 27 12 12 27 11 2625 111.8112 26 26 11 26 11 1434 1.75 1.73 13390812 1.68 TH 1522 FR 1456 SA 133811 25 10 25 10 25 10 0230 1.55 0214 1.48 0123 1.58 0115 1.45 1320 0.54 1256 0.37 1449 0.45 1509 0.67 0.

1345 0.62 1411 0.48 1401 0.59 MO TU SU TU TH FR SA 0.58 0057 0.40 0330 0.82 0.29 0407 0.31 0318 0.75 0.22 0221 0.52 0241 0.70 0.24 02410.83 0.44 1919 2022 2007 2052 0.71 2027 1908 10 25 10 25 19431.36 1.7125 0837 19241.46 1.98 10 0832 21211.47 1.980804 0.36 2133 10 1.

2019 1.82 2047 2.09 20351.41 1.840833 0.30 0720 0.20 0718 0.39 10 25 25 10 1.51 25 0656 1.67 0929 1013 0915 1.42 0812 1.32 BOATS WANTED 28 13 0.45 281602 1.80 0.46 1515 0246 1.76 1.53 1430 1.87 28 1.73 WE 1544 TH 13 F SU13 MO 1416 0.54 1509 1.48 1449 0.45 0.62 FR 1411 1.58 0.48 14011.45 0.59 0230 1.55 0214 0259 1.49 0123 0115 TU 1256 0.37 TU WE SU TH 1345 SA 02021.82 0.55 0407120.

0259 0.50 03341.98 0.23 0318 0.42 0403 0.2527 0153 0.31 28 13 13 28 13 28 13 28 11 11 1.65 26 11 2611 26 11 26 2107 0.72 2047 0.77 1957 0.68 1957 0.80 12 27 12 27 27 27 12 10 25 10 25 10 25 12 27 12 1.71 1924 1.98 2133 1.85 2218 2121 2047 2.09 2035 1.84 12 27 12 27 27 12 27 12 0833 0.30 0804 0.36 0859 0.41 0831 0.35 0720 0.20 0718 0.39 112019 11 26 11 26 26 0757 1.48 1011 1.

0852 1.35 0932 1.44 0912 1.33 1002 1.42 0751 1.63 1515 1.76 1600 1.70 1535 14301343 1.870.40 1.73 0.64WE 1544 TH SU FR SA SU WE MO 1416 13490.50 0.56 1554 1.73 0.

1422 15031.80 0.51 1442 0.580315 15390.38 0.480258 TU WE FR SA MO 1.52 1.49 0209 1.59 0156 1.47 0.55 0441 0407 0.28 0153 0.31 0259 0334 0.23 0318 0.42 0403 0.25 2107 0.72 2047 0.77 2136 0.67 2113 1957 0.68 1957 0.80 14 29 14 29 14 29 20151.35 1.7626 0932 2215 0.58 1.

2056 1.83 2139 2.07 21151.45 1.850918 22071.47 1.900845 0.37 20131.44 2.06 11 0912 11 26 11 11 26 26 11 26 0.36 0809 0.19 0755 0.37 1.48 26 0751 1.63 11 0852 1051 1011 1.33 1002 1.42 121517 27 0335 121.59 27 27 1.52 120258 27 12 0.52 29 14 14 29 14 29 14 0.56 WE 1343 0.40 1645 1554 1.49 0.45 0.6429SA 1503 0.51 1442 0.58 1539 0.48 1625 1.74 1556 1.74 13 1.87 1454 1.76 TH WE FR 1422 SU MO TH FR MO TU 0209 0315 0343 1.46 1.55 0156 1.47 13 28 13 28 28 28 13 13 13 28 28 13 28 13 28 13 28 13 28 04461.52 0.312129 0.72 0446 0.S 03381.85 0.49 04281.90 0.27 03571.80 0.412152 2255 02391.83 0.52 02492.07 0.26 1.76 2215 2013 2.06 2139 2115 2207 0.71 2043 0.67 2033 0.78 11 11 26 11 26 26 0809 0.19 0918 0.36 0845 0.37 0939 0.47 0918 0755 0.37 12 12 27 12 27 122056 27 1048 1.41 1055 0.40 1.

0932 1.33 1027 1.41 0953 1.34 0834 1.44 0848 1.57 15 30 30 15 30 15 1517 1.870.45TU 1454 1625 1.74 1556 1.74 1633 1.66 1614 1.76 0.66 MO TH FR SA SU 1627 0.53 1644 1.71 0.

1500 1557 0.56 1523 0.58 1419 0.58 1430 TU TH SA SU MO WE TH 0512 0.45 0343 0446 0.29 0338 0.49 0428 0.27 0357 0.41 0446 0.31 0236 0.52 0249 0.26 13 28 13 28 28 13 28 13 0254 1.58 0400 1.48 1.49 1.48 0.67 2152 0.71 2129 0.72 2217 0.64 2159 0.50 2033 0.78 2250 1.78 2300 2133 1.83 2229 1.99 2154 1.84 20461.33 1.78 2102 2.10 12 30 30 15 30272043 15 15 15 0932 30 12 27 27 1130 1.46 1055 1.48 1027 1.41 0953 1.34 1048 1.41 1.44 27 0848 1.57 12 12 27 12 12 27 0856 0.21 1000 14 0.44 0929 0.40 141.

0830 0.36 29 14 29 14 29 14 29 14 14 14 29 14 29 14 29 1730 0.58 1644 0.47 0.66 SU 1557 0.56 1523 0.58 1627 0.53 0.58 FR TH SA 1500 MO TU TH 1430 0.45 1603 1.82 1704 1.68 1634 1.71 1532 1.75 TU0.50 FR SA WE 0400 0343 1.49 0426 1.43 1.580.25 02360417 1.48 0425 0527 1.56 0.S 05191.48 0.32 0437 0.40 05281.39 0.38 0345 03161.83 0.51 0254 2332 2300 1.72 2229 1.9927 13 21540.36 1.84 2250 1.78 1.78 2102 2.10 31 31 2127 0.67 2235 0.70 2212 2110 0.76 12 27 12 12 27 13 28 132133 28 28 13 1000 0.44 0929 0.40 1016 0.54 0856 0.21 0830 1006 1142 0.47 1.

1015 14 1.32 1120 1.39 14 1036 29 1.35 1133 0945 1.50 29 0913 1.41 14 14 1.40 29 0.66 1704 1634 1.71 1704 1.61 1.82 1.75 1652 1737 1.68 0.

1540 0.68 FRMO 16491.68 0.61 SA 1608 0.59 SU 17150.52 0.59 MOFR 1521 0.51 14500.50 0.62 TU 1603 WE 1532 31 31TU 31 SU WE FR TH 0544 0527 0.33 0417 0519 0.32 0437 0.40 0528 0.38 0.51 0345 0.25 0338 1.55 0315 1.48 0446 1.42 0430 1.49 2235 0.70 2212 0.66 2256 0.62 2127 0.76 2245 0.43 2347 1.

2213 1.81 2318 1.87 2235 1.81 2331 1.64 2154 2.08 30 21191.32 1.7928 15 15 30 15 30 28 13 13 28 15 15 30 15 15 30 150.67 302110 15 30 15 1210 1.45 1142 1.51 1120 1.39 1036 1.35 1133 1.40 1.41 28 0945 1.50 13 1015 13150942 0.28 28 0906 0.37 13 1042 0.52 28 1014 0.46 13 1820 0.64 1737 0.50 0.68 MO 1649 0.61 1608 0.59 1715 0.59 0.62 © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology SA FR SU 1540 TU WE FR 1521 0.51 15 30 15 30 15 30 1647 0446 1.75 1611 0430 1.73 1.61 1.68 WE TH SA SU 1714 0519 M 0606 1.40 0.45 0609 1.55 0.

0443 0.28 0500 0.51 06101.42 0.40 0518 0.411743 0510 03551.81 0.52 0338 1.55 0315 1.48 1.49 2347 1.60 2213 2318 1.87 2235 1.81 2331 1.64 1.79 2154 2.08 Datum of 1213 Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide 14 29 29 14 29 14 14 2209 0.67 2146 0.75 0.70 0.61 13 28 13 28 13 28 1218 0.62 1.402257 1232 0.55 1.

1059 1.30 1.37 1122 1.362318 0952 1.37 09421044 0.28 0906 0.37 1053 1042 0.52 1014 0.46 1053 © Copyright Commonwealth of1.43 Australia 2020, Bureau of Meteorology TimesTU are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savingsSA (UTC 1804 0.66 1838 0.+ 0.59 1622 0.71 1744 0.67 1656 0.61 1524 0.66 1.75 1611 1.73 1730 1.63 1.61 1714 1.68 1735 1.56 TH SA MO FR 0015 1.28 0609 0.38 0500 0610 0.40 0518 0.41 0606 0.45 0.52 0443 0.28 WE 1647 TH TU time SA 1743 SUWE MO Datum of 0.51 Predictions is1614 Lowest Astronomical Tide 31 31 31 31 31 0421 1.50 0355 1.46 0534 1.37 0521 1.47 New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols 2246 2.01 14 2254 1.7829 2318 2319 1.7629 0619 21551.30 1.7829 14+11:00) 2209 0.67 0.75 2331 0.39 0.70 2257 0.61 2332 0.59 0.60 312146 31 1232 1.54 1059 1213 1.37 1122 1.36 1218 29 1.40 1.37 29 1044 1.43 14 Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight time 0943 (UTC when in effect 14 14 29 1025 savings 0.36 0.66 0.39 1120 0.61 1.43 1101 0.54 14 1254 1838 0.55 1622 0.71 1744 0.67 1656 0.61 1804 0.66 SU SA MO TU WE TH SA 1614 0.59 First0534 Quarter Last Quarter Moon0435 Phase0.54 Symbols Full Moon 0041 1.53 1.T 0013 1.50 0.34 Moon 0545 00071.37 1.74 0601 0.421819 1919 1731 1.67 1650 0521 1.69 1.55 1754 0620 1.63 TH0.53 FR SU MO 04210542 1.50New 0355 1.46 1.47 0558 1.37 0.69 2254 1.78 2319 1.76 1.78 2246 2.01 15 30 30 15 30 15 15 0657 0.65 0.

0645 0.70 0.522344 1.38 1146 1.29 06580.61 0.47 1211 1.3914 1033 1.32 2252 0.69 2225 0.74 0.56 14 29 29 14 29 10251143 0.36 0943 0.39 1141 1120 1101 0.54 1131 © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2021, Bureau of © Copyright Commonwealth of1304 Australia 2021, Bureau of Meteoro ©1.67 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2021, Bureau ofofMeteorology Meteorology © Copyright Commonwealth of0.73 Australia 2021, Bureau Meteorology 1328 1.

1.40 1709 0.66FR 1710 1305 1.36 1749 0.64 TU 16000.53 0.71 SU FR SU TU WE TH SA 0041 1.46 0545 0007 1.74 0601 0.42 0013 1.50 0.54 0542 0.34 0106 1.17 1650 1.69 1813 1.58 1819 1.55 1754 1.63 1806 1.51 TH 1731 WE SU MO 0507 1.43 0437 1.44 0.70 Datum of isis2339 Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions Predictions Lowest Astronomical Tide0.52 1948 0.

1859 0.720622 2341 1.91 1.73 1839 0.73 22321.29 1.7530 Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide 1.46 Datum Lowest Astronomical Tide 15 15 30 30 0657 0.45 0001 0658 0.47 1211 1.39 0645 1.32 30 1143 1.38 15 1146 0703 0.65 2252 0.69 2225 0.74 2344 0.56 15 15 30 1107 0.45or 1023 0630 1.32 1151 0.64savings Times are local standard time(UTC (UTC +10:00) daylight savings timein (UTC +11:00) when in effect Times are time +10:00) daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when inin(UTC effect 1328 1.56 1.36 1749 15 0.64 1304 1.40 0.71 SU 1709 0.66 1346 1.42 Times are local standard time +10:00) or daylight Times are inin in local local standard time (UTC +10:00) oror30 daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when effect SU 0.43 TU 1710 0.73 WE 1305 THstandard FR MO 0642 0.42 0058 1.37 1815 1.58 1731 1.64 1200 0.70 1838 1.58 New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon FR SA MO TU W 0507 1.43 0437 1.44 0001 0.70 0010 0.59 0018 0.37 0622 1.46 1948 0.57 2339 1.73 1839 0.73 1859 0.72 1.75 2341 1.91 2030 0.70 New First Last Moon Full Moon New Moon Quart Moon Phase Symbols New Moon Moon 0.71 First Quarter Quarter Last Quarter QuarterFirst Quarte Moon Phase Phase Symbols Symbols Moon 31 310650 0723 0.58 0.72 0.64 Full 1857 1.49 15 30 15 30 15 30 11071244 0.451.34 1023 0.43 2336 0630 1.32 2305 1.35 0726 1.51 1151 0.73 13531.10 1.41 MO 1807 SA 0.42 0058 1.37 by TU 0213 1.58 1731 1.64 HeadsMO 0.70 1212 0.79 1838 Tidal 1.58Centre, WE FR 1815 Tide SA for TH 1230 0.75 predictions Port Phillip have1200 been formatted the National Australian Bureau of Meteorology, 2001 0.76 31 0642 31 31 0526 1.42 1244 1.34 0723 0.58 0800 0.70 2336 Copyright 0.71 reserved.

2305 0.72is supplied in1857 1.49 1842 1.47 1.52 All material good faith and is believed to be correct.

It is supplied on the condition that1900 no 1107 for0.49 1353 31 1.41 1.42 and that the MO 1807 0.73 warranty is given in relation thereto, thatSA no responsibility or liability errors or omissions TU is, or1448 will be, accepted 1815 1.59 2001 0.76 2148 or0.68 SU of 0.37 0526 recipient will holdof MHLAustralia and 1.42 the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility liability and from0110 all © Copyright Commonwealth 2020, Bureau Meteorology 2351 0.69 should not be used for navigational purposes.

31 31 0832 1.50 1107as 0.49 loss or damage incurred a consequence of any error or omission.

Predictions Use Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide m Sarca Excel

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0015 0.74 TU 0019 0.50 0615 1.57 1.53 0519WE 0054 0.67 1.73 0004 0.61 06040.57 1.48 0615 1.53 0449 1.55 1.69 0429 1.45 0456 1.67 0153 0.77 0.75 0100 0.61 0 0615 1.53 0541 1.69 0511 1.47 1.47 0417 1.57 0615 1.75 0429 1.45 0456 1.67 0449 1.55 1647 1611 1743 0021 1.61 1.68 1735 1.56 TH1.75 SA SU 1714 MO 0541 1210 1.45 1142 1.51 0945 1.501145 1015 1050 1.32 1.39 1036 1.35 1133 1.40 1156 0.45 0705 1.51 1211 0.60 0.34 11201314 0705 0.39 1.44 0.75 0615 1.43 12141.49 0.21 2257 0728 1.37 0.67 1311 0642 1.36 0.60 1134 0.57 1209 0.44 1138 0.69 1156 0.47 0805 1.30 0753 1.38 0741 1.44 0 2209 2146 2318 0650 0.70 0.61 2332 0.60 1314 0.60 1209 0.44 1145 0.72 0.72 1050 0.60 1311 0.39 1138 0.69 1156 0.47 1134 0.57 19001.34 1.40 1301SU 0.38 1852 1.43 1315 1.31 0.22 1225 0.31 1916 1.55 0.50 1341 0.35 TU 1238 0.49 1820 0.64 1737 1540 0.68 0.611.18 1608 0.59 1715 0.59 FR1906 MO TU TU 1727 WE 1642 SA1910 FR SA FR0.29 FR 1521 0.51 MO 1649 WE 1745 1822 1.58 1742 1.13 1803 1.29 1422 0.39 1405 0.26 1344 0.39 1251 1 1906 1.18 1822 1.58 1727 1.19 1.19 1642 1.28 1.28 1910 1.31 1742 1.13 1803 1.29 1745SA 1.34 SA SU TU WE WE TH SA SU SA SU WE TH SA SA WE WE TH SU SA SU TU 1955 1.35 2030 1.44 1915 1.45 2054 1.33 2004 1.45 2347 0521 1.60 2154 2.082319 0.632213 2239 1.81 0.54 2318 1.87 1.81 1.46 2331 0421 1.50 2235 0355 0534 1948 1.371.42 1.47 0558 1.39 1.37 2322 0.72 2300 0.80 2332 0.68 2147 1.30 2138 2053 1.33 1 2319 0.63 2239 0.54 2300 0.801.64 2332 0.68 2322 0.72 1025 0.36 0943 0.39 1120 0.61 1101 0.54 1131 0.70 0.77 0140 0.41 0.75 0117 0.75 0021 0.57 0610 0153 0040 0.68 0038 0609 0.69 0.38 0024 0.81 0015 1.28 0606 0.45 0443 0.28 0100 0.61 0500 0.51 0.40 0518 1731 1.67 1650 1.69 1819 1.55 1754 1.63 1806 1.51 TH FR SU MO TU WE 0030 0.68 0022 0.57 0601 1.53 0522 1.67 0042 0.55 0537 1.49 0605 1.73 0537 1.62 0242 0.85 0235 0.82 0145 0.72 0108 0.67 0 0805 1.30 08030.57 1.31 0753 0.55 1.38 06371.62 1.26 0650 1.67 1.49 1213 0030 0647 1.37 0648 1.73 1.43 1.54 0.68 0022 0601 1.44 1.53 0522 0042 0537 0537 0619 0.59 12181.49 1.40 0605 1232 1044 1.43 0741 1059 1.30 1.37 1122 1.36 2252 2225 0.56 1422 0.39 0.69 1341 0.60 1405 1.84 0.26 0.74 1234 0.52 WE 1344 0.39 1251 0.51 0.29 13001.36 0.35 SU 12591.44 0.27 2344 1.59 0629 1.67 0.65 1238 0.62 1254 0.41 1213 0.50 SA0705 SU0715 TU WE 1248 TH 1209 SA 0851 1.24 0854 1.32 0819 0730 0 0705 1.59 0629 1.67 1248 0.65 1209 0.51 0715 1.84 1238 0.62 1254 0.41 1213 0.50 1254 1.43 1804 0.66 1838 0.55 1614 0.59 1622 0.71 1744 0.67 1656 0.61 SU 1.34 TH 1957 1.39 SA 1.47 SA MO TU 2147 0.53 1.30 WE 2106 1.41 2138 0.30 1.39 SU 1954 2053 1.33 1948 1.28 1.42 2014 1247 0.43 1842 1.20 1900 1.39 1823 1.44 0.43 0.32 1358 0.53 1247 0.43 1829 1.18 1.18 1800 1.28 1404 0.30 1842 0.41 1.200001 1900 1.39 0622 1823 1.44 SU TH TH FR MO MO WE SU MO FR SU 1358 TH1507 TH 1829 FR 1800 MO 1404 SU1428 MO1335 WE1513 0507 1.43 0437 1.44 0.700.26 1.46 0010 0.59 SU 1 1919 0.69 2246 2.01 2254 1.78 2319 1.76 TH 1951 1.23 1902 1.66 2344 2247 1.290.84 2253 1.37 2151 2 1951 1.23 1902 1.66 2344 0.53 2002 1.40 1107 1023 0630 2052 1.32 0.64 0650 1.35 0242 0.85 0.45 2002 0239 0.73 0145 0.72 0108 0.53 0.67 0235 1.40 0.82 0.43 01171.32 0.74 01241.42 0.75 1151 0110 1.46 0735 1.74 0013 1.50 0542 0.34 0819 1.36 0545 0.53 0.42 0106 1.17 0851 1.24 1.58 0601 0932 0.79 1.32 TH 0730 1.44 0007FR 0854 1.32 1.64 0724 1.31 0741 0041 1.36 1815 1200 0.70 1.58 1.21 SA 1731 MO TU 1838 WE 1212 0.63 0004 0.75 0038 0.59 0009 0.62 0110 0.52 0343 0.90 0234 0.81 0200 0 0117 0.63 0110 0.52 0007 0.63 0.63 0625 1.77 0004 0.75 0038 0.59 0009 0.62 0657 0.47 0645 0.52 1143 1.38 1146 1.29 1.39 0703 TH 0.65 1513 0.43 0.71 1458 0.69 1428 0.41 1335 1.77 0.26 0658 1507 2305 0.32 0.72 1337 0.40 13480.76 0.35 0.45 1322 0.59 2336 1857 1.49 1842 1.47 SU0117 TH 0007 FR 0625 MO1211 SU MO WE 1.59 0633 1.56 0702 1.78 0620 1.68 1.62 2247 1.29 TH 1749 2206 1.40 2151 1.32 2052 0.39 1.42 2253 0.64 1.37 2046 1.33 2121 1.40 1.56 2056 1.31 0950 1.19 0901 1.30 0 1328 1.361.66 1304 1.40 0817 1710 1317 0.73 1346 0713 1.42 0749 1.66 0713 1.62 0647 TU 1.59 1317 0.39 0633 1.56 0702 1.78 0620 1.68 SU1.39 WE 13050749 FR SU 1709 0.660647 MO 0526 MO 1.42 1323 0.55 1343 0.35 1247 0.43 0.45 1948 MO 0.57 0.730.46 1859 0.72 2341 1.91 2339 1.73 2030 0.70 0.46 1516 0.42 0.25 1435 0.46 1322 0.45 1338 0.58 0.58 1910 1.31 1.31 1839 1323 0.55 1343 0.35 1247 0.43 FR MO TU TH FR SA 1910 FR SA MO 1 MO 1435 FR 1322 FR 1338 MO TU1427 TH1616 0343 0.90 0400 0.66 0234 0.81 SA 0200 0.76 0200 0.81 0220 0.79 0211 0.85 1107 0.49 2030 1922 1925 1.27 1946 1.49 1859 1.55 1940 1.73 2351 1.30 2249 1.33 2202 2 2030 1.29 1940 1.73 1922 1.20 1.20 1925 1.27 1946 1.49 1859 1.55 0950 1.29 1.19 1049 1.38 0817 1.39 0808 08501.42 1.30 0852 1.19 0642 0.42 0901 1.30 0058 1.25 1.37 0213 1.10 FR SU 1815 1.59 1419 1616 0.46 1620 0.74 1516 0.42 1427 0.25 0.46 1452 0.45 1424 0.66 MO FR FR SA MO TU TH 2351 0.69 1244 1.340052 0723 0.58 0259 0800 0154 0.70 0200 0053 0.53 0.49 0045 0055 0.67 0133 0.51 0500 0.92 0333 0 0052 0.62 0.62 0045 0.50 0200 0.58 0055 0.67 0133 0.51 0053 0.53 0154 0.49 2351 0.58 1.30 2303 1.42 2249 1.33 2202 0.50 1.42 21450.88 1.28 22310.85 1.37 2200 1.31 1353 1448 0754 1.42 MO 1807 0.730730 SA 0829 0701 1.72 0724 0718 1.64 0753 1.81 1100 1.16 0951 1.24 0 0730 1.65 1.65 0724 1.88 1.88 0829 1.73 1.73 0718 1.641.41 0915 0753 1.34 1.81 0701TU 1.72 0754 1.57 1.57 2001 0.76 2148 0.68 0500 0.41 0.92 0507 0.56 0333 0.88 0259 0.28 0.85 0251 0.87 03390.26 0.80 FR 1731 0327 0.80 1322 0.38 0.48 1400 0.48 1424 0.33 0.46 0.43 1 1420 0.51 0.51 SU 1415 1415 0.28 1510 0.41 1400 0.48 1424 0.33 1322 0.38 1354 0.48 TU 1510 SA 1354 SA 1420 TU 1615 WE 1530

SA

0951 1.24 2008 2008 1.24 1.24 SA 1615 0.43 2347 1.36

SU 0915 1.34 2010 1.36 2010 1530 1.36 0.26 SU

2316 0144 0144 0820 0413 0820 1028 1508 MO MO 1508 1647 MO 2103 2103

1.43 0.45 0.45 1.97 0.89 1.97 1.31 0.20 0.20 0.26 1.42 1.42

TU 1100 1.16 2104 1.34 2104 1731 1.34 0.46 TU

SA TU 0906 1.19 SU WE 1021 1.27 TU FR 1017 1.23 SA 1156 1.49 TU 1934 1.67 2015 1.77 2001 1.35 2029 1.57 2347 1.36 2316 1.43 2 2001 2029 1934 2015 17341.77 0.75 1513 1.35 0.52 1616 1.57 0.52 15421.67 0.71 TU

2253 1.27

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FR

2300 1.34

SA

2355 1.44

1815 will1.59 of theseoftide predictions be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions.

FR 1324 0.84 SU pyright Commonwealth of Australia 2020, Bureau Meteorology 1.47 2351(UTC 0.69+10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in1954 Times are in local standard time effect © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau JANUARY 2022 of 127 Met m of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter of Predictions iseffect Lowest Astronomical Tide s are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings timeDatum (UTC +11:00) when in

Stacer 539 Crossfire with Mercury 115 ProXS

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Length............... 5.59m Beam................. 2.30m Max.HP ............. 140hp Capacity. .... 6 persons Fuel.Tank .............. 95 L Boat.Weight ...... 580kg Motor.Weight.... 206kg Top.Sides ............ 3mm Bottom.Sides ..... 4mm Transom.Material 4mm Precision Marine NT and is called the ‘NT Pack’. We took it for a spin on Darwin Harbour during a gap in the COVID closures in 2021.

Dan Hayes is Precision Marine’s Sales Manager, and he ran through the reasons the boat was set up like it is.

“We love our massive casting platforms, and to get 128

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SPECIFICATIONS

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s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

We have tested plenty of Stacer Crossfire rigs over the years. Some of them have been pretty much straight out of the showroom, while others have been pimped to the eyeballs – like Hodor, the most tricked-up crossfire we’ve ever seen (Google ‘Crossfire Boat Test 509’ to see what we mean and watch that video). We’ve also tested the same Crossfire hulls with two different deck layouts (Crossfire 519).

This 539 in the biggest Crossfire we have tested, although the hulls are manufactured up to the 589 size. This version has been put together specifically for the Northern Territory by Mick, Dan and the team at

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Although you can order this boat on a single or twin axle trailer, the team have fitted this one on the heaviest single axle aluminium I-beam that fits it. Made in the same factory on Queensland’s Gold Coast, a single axle allows you to manoeuvre in tight spaces.

Steve Morgan

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Owners often like these when trying to fit them into the garage.

As tested, this rig comes in at $59,990, although package prices start from $54,990.

See the team at Precision Marine Northern Territory for more details.

PERFORMANCE

Main: The Stacer Crossfire 539 has been customised into a ‘NT Pack’ by the team at Precision Marine in the Territory, and matched with a Mercury 115 ProXS outboard.

Above: Although rated to a larger maximum horsepower, the 115 ProXS delivered excellent performance and economy. the esky under the floor to maximise room in the cockpit is essential up here,” he explained.

Serious Territory anglers often use two eskies – one for the food and drinks, and one for the fish. Not only does getting the eskies under the casting deck save space, it also insulates them a little better.

“We have also placed three seats across the back,” Dan said.

“Long river runs in comfort is part of the Territory experience, and the back of the boat is the most comfortable place to sit while we are doing these.”

Smaller things make a difference as well. For instance, lots of parts which are usually plastic in a boat like this are made of metal. Rod holders, for example, tend not to last long in Territory conditions when they are made of plastic.

Precision Marine owner, Mick Denny, talked about

the reason the dealership fitted this rig with the 115hp Pro-XS Mercury. Remember, this is over 20hp less than the maximum allowed on this hull.

“For us, it’s all about the power-to-weight ratio,” Mick explained. “This 2.1L 115 hp Mercury has the CT gearbox, and being able to run the larger propellers gives it an amazing amount of torque.”

Not only that, the 115 is 40kg lighter and a fair bit cheaper as a package.

Talking about performance, this rig really gets along at wide open throttle. Drop the hammers and you get 73km/h at 6000rpm at an economy of 1.7km/L. Drop back to cruising speed of 42km/h at 4000rpm, and that economy rises to 2.5km/L. Combine this with a 95L fuel tank and your range is greater than 200 km.

RPM.............Speed.(km/h).... Economy.(km/L) 1000 ................................ 5 ......................... 2.3 2000.............................. 10 ......................... 1.5 3000.............................. 21 ......................... 1.8 3500 .............................. 34 ......................... 2.4 4000.............................. 42 ......................... 2.5 4500 .............................. 48 ......................... 2.0 5000.............................. 55 ......................... 2.0 5500 .............................. 62 ......................... 1.6 6000.............................. 73 ......................... 1.7 *Running a Mercury Enertia, 3 blade, 19” S/S propeller

The three-seats lined across the transom is a fairly standard NT configuration. The theory is to do the long runs while sitting in the most comfortable part of the boat. High gunwales, wide side decks and a clear front casting deck are all desirable in the Territory.

A 3-step boarding ladder makes getting into the boat while it’s in the trailer much easier.

High sided tinnies are a struggle without this.

Top: Nothing fancy here, although the I-beam trailer easily drives on and off.

Above: The CT gearbox on the ProXS allows you to use a bigger diameter propeller.

Folded up, the ladder sits up and out of the way.

There’s plenty of scope for flush-mounting large electronics in the side console.

The Stacer uses a side-console setup with a grab-rail. The bimini can be deployed to provide some shade while seated.

The best economy for the rig was at 32km/h at 4,000rpm, where it delivered 2.5km per litre burned. That makes the theoretical range at this speed and load over 200km.

Top Left: There’s a live bait tank built into the port side of the transom.

Top Right: We really like boats with a hidden anchor well – it frees up the space that usually chews into the casting deck.

Bottom: There are options for a single-axle (as tested) or dual-axle. Singles are preferred by anglers wanting to manoeuvre the rig around in a garage.

Rigged and ready to go as tested, the NT Pack Stacer 539 Crossfire will set you back $59,990.

JANUARY 2022

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MAKING MEMORIES SINCE 1953

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Build your ultimate Whittley boat on-line!

FF 1950

Boat, motor, trailer package from $78,990* GOLD COAST F 8/9, 1 Boatworks Drive, Coomera, QLD, 4209 Laurie Jackson 0409 830 078 laurie@whittley.com.au

SYDNEY U 2, 2 Waterways Court, Rozelle, NSW, 2039 Brock Cohen 0478 834 753 brock@whittley.com.au

NEWCASTLE U 4, 1 Kullara Close Beresfield, Newcastle, NSW, 2322 John Cohen 0421 922 650 johnc@whittley.com.au

MELBOURNE 12 & 14 Somerton Park Drive, Campbellfield, VIC, 3061 Alan Whittley 0421 170 192 alan@whittley.com.au

PERTH U 2, 1 Carbonate Road, Wangara, WA, 6065 Matthew Hudson 0411 914 249 matthew@whittley.com.au

*The MRRP (Manufacturers Recommended Retail Price) is the estimated drive away price for private Australian customers only, for the standard base Whittley BMT package. The estimated drive away price includes all local taxes, minimal dealer pre delivery costs, freight from the Whittley Factory Melbourne to the closest capital city in each state (except Darwin), basic marine safety equipment and 12 months registration costs on the Trailer and Boat. Images may show options fitted which aren’t included as standard.

A POWERFUL PACKAGE 40-60HP FOURSTROKE PERFORMANCE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

• SmartCraft Technology – Keeps you informed about your engine’s performance • The Most Intuitive Tiller – Feature packed for unmatched comfort and usability • Troll Control – Dial in precise troll control speeds on all Tiller models in 10RPM increments

PROVEN RELIABILITY

• EFI Reliable Turnkey Starting – Starts first time and every time • 3 + 3 = 6 Year Warranty – For real peace of mind • 18 amp Alternator – Built to handle the demands of marine electronics

POWERFUL PERFORMANCE

• High Displacement – For power and efficiency • Command Thrust Gearcase – For improved acceleration and maneuverability The Mercury 40-60hp FourStroke range ticks all the boxes, so see your nearest Mercury dealer to find out more. www.mercurymarine.com.au