Eildon

Coming in to bat

EILDON Peter Burtchell

The first day of winter brought below zero temperatures, heavy rain and a dusting of snow to the southern parts of Lake Eildon, creating a stunning backdrop of snow-laden mountains for those brave enough to fish through the very harsh conditions.

Staying dry and comfortable whilst angling through these unpredictable and arduous weather conditions used to be quite cumbersome with the amount of wet weather gear required. However, today our clothing options are better. I recommend Buck N’ Bass’s Iron Shell Dry clothing, which

Adele Costa-Rouw loves her Asakura Bull Head’s hit rate.

Micky Caufield helping Mal with the Lake Eildon Fishing Challenge presentations.

Relax and enjoy delicious food and warm hospitality.

Open for breakfast from 6am 7 days a week

(Closed Mother’s Day) Coffee Light meals Pastries Cakes Bread 10 Main St, Eildon Victoria 3713 03 5774 2362 0438 881 629

Mick Caufield on target as always.

will keep you bone dry, comfortable and warm, whether you’re crashing through waves or casting when you get there. With such a big lake, remaining highly mobile and dry

during these unpredictable weather events can make the difference between a mediocre fishing session and a great one. You want to be able to take advantage of the vast areas around the lake that will produce great angling action throughout the changing conditions.

One such area that fished very well with the mid-autumn rains was the Howqua inlet, as the running Goulburn, Big and Howqua rivers pushed an abundance of smelt into the inlet. Trout and redfin were caught in large numbers as they were taking advantage of the newly-created food source. The feeding frenzy continued into mid-May, enabling some of the Lake Eildon Fishing Challenge (LEFC) competitors to boat the distance in fine weather from the competition headquarters at Jerusalem Creek to put some early scores on the board in the trout category.

The LEFC, which started in 2017, is an annual fishing event that raises funds for Variety Australia, and this year’s event again grew with more fish caught, more event sponsors, more funds raised and more competitors enjoying the familyoriented competition. This year’s major sponsor was Megabass, and their representatives got amongst the action with

Ran landing the first bat caught during the competition. Ran and the Asakura Pro Fisher Caine took some time out from the competition for a quiet fish, and when Ran was flicking an MR-X Griffon the unluckiest bat ever managed to create a loop knot to entangle itself in his line.

It may have been the bat, the event atmosphere, fishing destination or all of these special events that provided Megabass with the inspiration to transform the Jerusalem Creek Bait and Tackle Foreshore Showroom into the third ever Megabass Elite Pro Store in the world. Alongside the showroom development, Megabass quickly provided local gun fisher Kate Norman with a Pro Fisher Contract after her early lead into the event, with two very nice Murray cod.

The brand has also committed to further develop Pro Fishing Tours at Jerusalem Creek to cater for the current national and soon to be international anglers looking to hook up with one of Australia’s sought-after native fish.

It must be noted that no bats were harmed during this Megabat episode.

The final results for

Caine Goward, Pro Fisher for Asakura Lures shows how it is done, flicking in the pondage.

Kate took out 2nd place in the Lake Eildon Fishing Challenge.

Hand Signals

SPEED UP

Thumbs up

SLOW DOWN

Thumbs down

TURN

Circling motion above head followed by pointing in the direction of the turn

BACK TO SHORE

Pat top of head CUT MOTOR

Slashing hand across throat

OK AFTER ALL

Hands clasped over the head

STOP

Hand raised with fingers outstretched

ALL OK

An ‘O’ made with the thumb and index finger

Enjoying watersports safely

The thrill of being towed behind a boat is, undeniably, enormous fun; it is an adrenaline rush for many who experience it. Towed watersports are exciting, but you do need to take additional precautions. Almost perfect weather conditions are required: no wind and waves. To make it an enjoyable and safe experience and you need to be conscious of the need for several checks for towing. Below are some safety tips to assist with a safe, fun day out on the water.

Weather and conditions: Ensure there are no strong winds or too many waves. Inland waters are popular for towing as there are fewer waves and it is generally more sheltered. The bays can deliver some unexpected changes in weather. Towed sports in windy weather spells disaster. On the inland waters, check the water level. Many of our inland lakes have low water levels exposing tree stumps and branches. Increased crowding increases the chances of collision and injuries. The past few years have seen a significant growth in the popularity of towed inflatables and wakeboarding; more boats are towing on the lakes and rivers. Always keep a good lookout.

Laws: In order to tow, the driver must hold an unrestricted licence as restricted licence holders cannot tow. You must also have an observer who is at least 12 years of age or older. The observer must always watch the skier, give the driver directions where needed to keep the water skier safe, and immediately inform the driver if the person being towed falls off into the water. The driver cannot focus on the skier as they need to look out for snags, floating branches, shoals, and be aware of cold water, fast currents, and riverbanks.

Lifejackets: All people who participate in towed sports must wear lifejackets. Level 50 or 50S jackets are recommended for water sports. Ensure they fit properly and are not damaged. Wearing a brightly coloured rashie under the jacket will assist with the person being seen if they raise their arm while in the water.

Tow rope: Theropeshouldbeaminimum of seven metres in length to keep the person being towed away from the stern of the boat and avoiding the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning or contact with the propeller. A shorter rope can be used with some boats, provided the propeller is forward of the stern, but you should be conscious of the risk of carbon monoxide if you reduce the length of the rope. Prior to towing do a few simple checks: • Ensure the rope is not frayed and is free of knots • Check that you are using a rope rated for the purpose – inflatables carrying multiple people can generate very high loads when swinging and require higher strength ropes • Check that the rope is attached to the approved attachment point on the boat; inflatables are usually attached to a point on the lower stern; ski, kneeboard and wakeboard ropes may be attached to a tower or pole • Ensure the tow rope does not go slack while towing, if the rope is slack, when the boat speeds up you will put an extreme load on the rope, the inflatable and the attachment point, risking a gear failure and possible injury to people in the water or on the boat. • Never wrap a tow rope around your hand or arm, as this can lead to serious injury.

Check your equipment: If using an inflatable, ensure the biscuit is inflated to the correct pressure and check after each use. If there is a change in inflatable pressure, check for leaks while it floats in the water and do not use until replaced or repaired.

Hand signals: The observer and people being towed need to know the correct hand signals. See chart to the left.

Looking after your passengers: Before taking off, clear all the slack out of the rope at the lowest speed and ensure the rope is clear of all obstructions. Do not hit the throttle until you hear or see the OK signal from the person out the back. If the person falls off, the observer must raise their arm at full length, and the driver will turn to collect the person from the driver’s side of the boat. The person in the water should also raise their hand to be seen by other boats. If the person in the water wishes to get back on board, kill the engine - do not leave it in neutral - the propeller can still be spinning.

Daytime only: Never tow at night. The person being towed cannot see the conditions or obstacles in the water and may be lost if they fall. The maximum number of people that can be towed is three, although we only recommend two, as with three the person in the middle is at risk of being squashed from either side and they have nowhere to move.

Keep a clear mind: Avoid alcohol and drugs; it impedes decision making.

Waterway rules: Get to know the waterway rules for each waterway you visit. These can be found on the signage on the shore, marked buoys, beacons in the water, or another great place to start is the interactive waterway map on the Maritime Safety Victoria website. It shows the vessels prohibited areas, speed limits, exclusive use and special-purpose areas, access lanes, number of boats permitted, no-wash, and travel direction. Generally, boats should travel in an anticlockwise direction on inland water ways, though there are some exceptions. Note that on the Murray River, all turns must be in an anticlockwise direction. Follow these tips to have a safe and fun time out on the water – so you can go and enjoy it all again! If you have any great pictures of being safe and having fun on the water, please send us a message on our Maritime Safety Victoria Facebook page so we can share them!