New South Wales Fishing Monthly - March 2014 by Fishing Monthly

COFFS HARBOUR IN THE SPOTLIGHT

NEW!

Features

Find the

Sydney Trailerboat and Outdoor Leisure Show • Coffs Harbour – from Bass to Billfish •

hook competition

Tournaments

Tried and Tested

BARRA Tour Reports • Pirtek Challenge Species and Tips •

DIY

Whittley’s SL22/Volvo Penta • The new Procraft Range • Hot Shotz Pre-Rigs •

Tie Your Own Assist Rigs • Make a Kayak Loading Arm •

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PO Box 7379, Warringah Mall, NSW 2100 www.daiwafishing.com.au facebook.com/daiwaaustralia

Dayne Bassett landed this 37cm king george whiting while fishing in Port Philip Bay, VIC. Dayne used a Black Magic KL 1/0 hook to catch his fish.

A Black Magic Flea lure and Black Magic 15kg IGFA Hi Viz line were used by Shaun Scarfe to take this striped marlin. Shaun took just under an hour to bring his fish in and released the marlin after a photo. Shaun was fishing out from St Helens, Tasmania.

CATCHING THE

DREAM!

Nine year old Morgan Hayes landed this 58cm flathead while fishing in Lake Macquarie, NSW. Morgan used a Black Magic KL 1/0 hook and Black Magic 8lb Fluorocarbon tippet.

Bill Raptopolous landed this rainbow trout using Black Magic 6lb Fluorocarbon tippet.

A Black Magic Squid Snatcher 3.0 ‘chameleon’ and Black Magic 8kg Rainbow Braid were used by Diego Gadea to catch this impressive squid. Diego was fishing on the East Coast of Tasmania.

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March 2014, Vol. 19 No. 7

Contents BYRON COAST The Tweed 18 Ballina 20 The Clarence 22 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour Coffs Game South West Rocks

15 16 17

MACQUARIE COAST Port Macquarie 24 Manning Valley 26 Forster 28 HUNTER COAST Hunter Coast 30 Port Stephens 32 Swansea 35 Central Coast 34 SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 36 Sydney North 38 Pittwater 40 Sydney Harbour 42 Sydney South 46 Sydney Rocks 44 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 47 Nowra 48 BATEMANS COAST Narooma 52 Merimbula 53 Bermagui 54

From the Editor’s Desk... One of the best things about the fishery in New South Wales is its diversity. Apart from the inshore variety, each year we see the warm currents streaming down the coastline and bringing with it the bounty of pelagics that trailerboat anglers so look forward to. And you don’t need a big boat to get stuck into ‘em. Just look at the cover of this issue – with a kayak, some safety gear and a sense of adventure, anything is possible. Thomas Strydom describes the marlin-onkayak catch…. “On the 10/01/2014 Myself and Paul Pallet launched from Diggers Beach and headed east. We were approximately 6km offshore when we came across a bait ball. I caught three little bonito and sent one out as a live bait.”,

Thomas said. “Almost immediately I started to lose some line. At first I thought ‘hammerhead’ as just the week prior every bait was smashed by them,” he continued. “I picked up my rod and engaged the drag and approximately 4m from my kayak jump a marlin. It did a few more spectacular jumps - some very close to my kayak - and after 90 minutes we had the marlin yak-side. My mate Paul Pallet took some pictures and then towed us allowing the tired marlin to recuperate. It was released.” IT’S PIRTEK CHALLENGE TIME Also illustrating this diversity is the fact that in the Pirtek Challenge (held mid-March this year), there are more species to target than any other state. Four coastal species and three Murray-Darling targets

are on the cards. You can read all about them in this issue, with a feature on the species, where they are and some tips on how to catch them. Probably the epicentre of piscatorial diversity in NSW is Coffs Harbour. Where the temperate and tropical waters meet, there’s a host of fishing opportunities available – from the shelf to the mountains. We cover them all in the expansive feature in this issue. SEE US AT THE SYDNEY TRAILERBOAT SHOW It’ll be great to get to the big smoke in Sydney and mix with readers and showgoers. We get a lot of our feedback for improvements in coverage and new ideas from our readers, so make sure you drop in and have a chat if you get to the event. Previously called the Rosehill Boat Show (and

previously held at the Rosehill Race Course), the venue may have changed to Homebush, but entry is still free. Add that to our great subscriber offer (a free Wilson Blue Steel travel rod for all 2-year subscriptions purchased) and there’s no reason to come and say hello to me, Michael Fox and Ryan Limpus. MORE HOW-TO We’ve listened to a lot of comments recently and are increasing the amount of how-to articles in the magazine. There’s a couple of pieces this month – making your own assist rigs and knocking up a kayak loader for your car. Want a DIY concept covered? Let us know! Either at the show, on the Fishing Monthly Magazines Facebook page or by email (nsweditor@ fishingmonthly.com.au).

EDEN COAST Tathra 55 Eden 56 Mallacoota 56

Sub-Editors: Jacqui Thomas, Nicole Penfold

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A Paul Pallet image.

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Thomas Strydom landed this marlin from his kayak, 6km offshore from Coffs Harbour.

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MARCH 2014

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SPECIAL FEATURES Coffs Harbour Sydney Trailerboat Show DIY Assist rigs

REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 75 Boating 82 Dam Levels 72 Fun Page 43 Kayak 62 Tides 97 Trade Directory 94 Tournaments 76 What’s New Fishing 58 What’s New Boating 82

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ING TRADE

Spotlight: Coffs Harbour

Coffs offshore snapshot COFFS GAME

Glen Booth

Coffs Harbour’s offshore fishing is rarely dull. With an amazing year-round blend of tropical and cooler water species, coupled with periodic visitors streaming down from the north in summer, you never know what will jump on your line next. The game fishing is legendary, with all three marlin species, sailfish, swordfish, tuna, kingfish, mackerel, wahoo, and any number of sharks present

— either year-round or seasonally. There are more then eight sets of canyons along the 100 fathom line off Coffs, spread over a 60nm area, and all can produce on any given day. The trick is working out where to be at the right time. If you’re unsure, the 100 fathom line is as good as any a place to start, but the inshore reefs also hold plenty of bait and attendant pelagics. Black marlin, from barely hatched 15kg fish to serious models over 120kg are on the cards in summer, and this inshore bite is what a lot of people sweat on every year. The quality is dictated

Chunky blue marlin are the Coffs Harbour billfish angler’s major prize, and a lot of hours and sea miles are expended on each hook-up.

by a healthy recruitment in Far North Queensland waters the previous spring. Some years the blacks don’t show here, yet they magically appear at Port Stephens, and heavy rain can really put the kybosh on the bite. This has occurred with unerring regularity in recent years. Just when all the planets align, the heavens open up… Blue marlin are the big drawcard in the spring and summer months though, and are the most sought-after billfish species. Ranging in size from 90-180kg, with the occasional larger model, the most successful way to catch them is to troll a spread of three or four lures 20-36cm in length. The majority of blues are catchable on 24kg tackle, although 37kg ensures a faster catch, a healthier release, and no lost lures. Acrobatic green and gold mahi mahi start to appear in spring, with some absolute honkers riding the first warm currents south. Most are bycatch on marlin lures, but spinning, jigging and live baiting around the FAD, wave recorder buoy and various fish trap floats will winkle out the better specimens. A cube trail with diced pillies can be used to draw them away,

Big mahi mahi help while away the time between marlin strikes. and a whole pillie on a light trace is rarely refused. Out wider, find a rogue trap float, a piece of timber or other debris floating about in warm, blue water and you’re in for a fun time. The summer/autumn run of spotted and narrow-

barred Spanish mackerel (known locally as ‘bar-ees’), is big news on the mid north coast, with hundreds of anglers suddenly contracting mackerel fever once reports start trickling in. The quality of the mackerel season is largely dependent on plenty

BLUE WATER Mako recommends a grey lens base with a blue mirror with a high definition filter. This lens colour is very relaxing for the eye and is the most common for offshore fishing. When blue water fishing, there is rarely a lack of light and the grey lens cuts down the most light and gives a very natural colour balance. The high definition filter is added to the lens to filter our yellow and orange wavelengths increasing contrast and clarity.

of bait and clean water (it doesn’t necessarily have to be blue). Head-hooked live slimy mackerel (and to a lesser extent yellowtail) rigged on light single-strand wire and a stinger hook in the tail region are the first choice baits. However, when the mackerel are really on it can be extremely difficult to catch live bait. Then it’s time to try dead baits like garfish and – the big bar-ee specialty – chin-weighted whole dead bonito or frigate mackerel. Seriola species such as yellowtail kings, samsonfish and to a lesser extent amberjack, lurk on high peaks inshore and on the deep reefs. The top end of South Solitary

Solitary Islands Marine Park There’s plenty to see and do!

The Solitary Islands Marine Park is renowned for its excellent fishing, diving, snorkelling, surfing and many other family activities. Spanning 75km of coastline from Muttonbird Island at Coffs Harbour to Plover Island at Sandon, the Marine Park is over 71,000 hectares in size. The five Solitary Islands and surrounding reefs are a key feature of the Park.

Prior to visiting the Park pick up a Zoning Summary and User Guide from the local marine park office at 32 Marina Drive, Coffs Harbour Jetty or visit:

www.mpa.nsw.gov.au For further information call 02 6691 0600.

MARCH 2014

Brett Verco Image

David Harasti Image

Brett Verco Image

The mixing of warm tropical waters travelling down from the north on the East Australian Current with cooler nutrient rich waters from the south creates an area where tropical, sub-tropical and temperate species co-exist. In the Solitary Islands Marine Park there is over 550 species of reef fish, 100 species of coral and 600 species of mollusc. Marine parks are multiple use and a zoning plan is in place to manage this natural asset.

Spotlight: Coffs Harbour is kingie heaven when the current is pumping from the north, and they’ll happily eat jigs and live baits. An early start is usually best, being in

position by sunrise. While of a different family, cobia are apt to turn up wherever the bait is thickest and grab livies being drifted and trolled

Colourful striped marlin can turn up at any time, but generally prefer the cooler water of autumn, winter and spring.

for mackerel and marlin. The Wide Bait Ground is the go-to spot when they’re on. The game fishing does go relatively quiet over winter, and those sou’westers, while fairly benign inshore, can really pipe up over the shelf. Striped marlin are on the cards inside the shelf line if the baitfish (sauries, pilchards and slimy mackerel) aggregate there, and yellowfin tuna well wide. Very few people drift and cube for tuna these days but it has to be worth a shot if conditions are suitable. TABLE FISH Winter is snapper time though, with big knobbies and plenty of smaller fish moving inshore to spawn. Anchoring and berleying with fish scraps, prawn shells and then fishing lightly-weighted pilchards down the trail is the highly successful, timehonoured approach. However, soft plastics and Lucanus jigs are a more active alternative — hunting the fish down rather than waiting for them to come to you. Rushing out at the crack of dawn can be a mistake though, as the sou’westers usually pump pretty hard until 9am. If you anchor up to allow for the wind, the boat will simply swing off the mark when the breeze abates. Besides which, any earlier than this and it’s too bloody cold!

Around the full and to a lesser extent the dark of the moon, the teraglin come out to play. Loitering over peaks in 15 to 35 fathoms until after dark can really pay off with these sweet-eating fish. The bite is fast and furious, doubleheaders commonplace, and it is sometimes hard to stop at the five per person bag limit. Trag can also be caught in deeper water throughout the day. Sometimes it’s hard to avoid them, which is a pity as they don’t release well. Other table species of note are pearl perch and tuskfish, both of which can be taken at anchor or on the drift with paternoster rigs using Continued page 10

Big reds like this 88cm beaut are a winter staple at Coffs, and can be caught anywhere from just off the many headlands out to 50 fathoms.

Like everywhere in NSW these days, yellowfin tuna can be extremely hit and miss, but where there’s one, a whole school is usually close behind.

MARCH 2014

Spotlight: Coffs Harbour From page 9

flesh baits like salted tuna, fresh slimy mackerel strips and pilchards. Pearl perch and tuskfish are two of the best eating fish in NSW waters, so you should promptly brain-spike them, bleed them and get them into a salty ice slurry. This is good practice for any table fish really. Outside 60 fathoms and inside the continental shelf, bar cod are attracting increased attention these days. Hardly a great sporting fish,

there’s still plenty of exercise to be had winding them up out of these depths. The lazier anglers among us use electric reels, which also opens up some deep dropping options for blueye, hapuka and bass groper in the various canyon features if the current isn’t flowing too hard. Actually, a few deepwater drops can help enliven an otherwise marlin-less day. The poor old sand flathead, which is uber trendy in fish shops and restaurants

outside 30 fathoms. Unfortunately, the Coffs ramp is an absolute shocker so watch the surge, even on seemingly calm days. The alternative to launching and retrieving each day is to grab a pen at the marina, but proposed parking changes means there are likely to be very few all-day spots

available, and parking times will be enforced. Hardly a sensible, enlightened move for a tourist town, is it? Finally, bear in mind that north of the harbour is marine park country with a lot of no-fishing zones, so obtain the necessary map (or download the smartphone app) before hitting the water.

The legendary pearl perch — definitely not a neighbour’s fish!

Left: Now that’s a tasty box of tuskies, arguably the best chewing fish in NSW waters. Right: Around the full moon is traditionally teraglin time, but on some days they can be hard to avoid when drifting the deeper reefs.

these days, flies under the radar of most locals. That’s understandable though when there are so many other high profile sporting and table fish around. The flatties do move about, and inside the Patches is a known spot where double headers of 60cm fish are reasonably commonplace. Obviously these fish won’t show on a sounder, but any scattered bait sitting just above the bottom usually has a carpet of tasty frogs camped underneath. If the hooks and sinker mysteriously go AWOL, move away quick smart; the dreaded Chinaman leatherjackets also mill about over the sand at times. Tasty enough to eat, they can chew through a mountain of terminal gear in the winter months, but are at their destructive worst

Baby black marlin traditionally lob around Christmas and stay until April, or the first flooding deluge of summer rain.

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Spotlight: Coffs Harbour

30° South: the best of both worlds COFFS HARBOUR

Stephen Worley worleybirdfilms@hotmail.com

Coffs Harbour, lying on the fabled 30° South Latitude line, has been labelled by the CSIRO as having the best climate in Australia. It has also been internationally awarded as the most liveable city in the world. Not too hot, but not

too cold. Not too crowded, but plenty of services and amenities. Coffs Harbour has a lot to offer both the permanent resident and the first-time visitor, and when comes to fishing the region more than lives up to the claim of having ‘the best of both worlds’. It lies at the perfect latitude where you can fish for tropical and temperate water fish. Offshore this is

especially true, and Glen Booth covers this in the offshore portion of this Coffs Harbour feature. On land the Coffs region still holds true to that notion of perfect mix of hot and cold. In this article I will shine a spotlight only on fishing the harbour itself and its immediate surroundings, but this small area still accurately illustrates what the Coffs region is like as a whole. The

The harbour is the gateway to the offshore grounds of the Coffs Coast, and the northern corner of Jetty Beach can be a great launching spot for kayakers. The boat ramp is unfortunately the only option for boaties who don’t want to beach launch or risk a river bar crossing.

best word to describe this area is ‘diverse’, with lots of options for every form of fishing. Coffs Harbour has a place and target species for anyone, whether you like fishing from beaches, rock walls, estuaries or rocky headlands. For visitors and locals wanting to get out and wet a line, here is a rundown of the main options you have around Coffs Harbour. THE JETTY To our eyes the jetty is the most prominent feature of the harbour itself and is an iconic landmark for the city. Although it tends to be one of the most obvious fishing locations visitors gravitate towards, it is often not the best option. The jetty does have a small lower deck closer to the water but it isn’t very large and offers little protection from the wind in any direction. There can be good bream, trevally and whiting around the pylons but they can be hard to extract from the barnacle and worm-encrusted structure. At night anglers do catch the odd kingfish and mulloway but they can be very hard to land with the height of the jetty. The area surrounding the jetty is flat and sandy without

Excellent bream call the Coffs Marina home. This one was caught on a prawn by Nezzie Gaden. much structure at all. This means that somewhere like the marina, with its ample structure, tends to attract more marine life. MARINA When the rivers are muddy brown with rain and the seas way too rough for rock fishing, the marina can be one of the only options. It can be a surprisingly rewarding place to fish though, even on fair weather days. The marina is on the northern side of the harbour and almost anything is hookable, but with the pontoons, boats and rock walls providing so much structure not everything will

be landable. Fishing from the wharf beside the fishing co-op is an easy spot for the family. You can park the car right there, and there’s good access to the waterfront. This is a great spot for the kids to chase bream, whiting, flathead, trevally and tailor on bait like prawns or pilchards. Some of the trevally in the marina can get quite large so landing some of these fish may be troublesome, but it’s still a very fun activity for the family. Those who prefer lures can throw soft plastics, hardbodies or even flies chasing the fish hanging out

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National Park To Brisbane approx. 340kms

Sherwood National Reserve

Spotlight: Coffs Harbour THE COFFS COAST

Dirt Creek

Corindi

Red Rock

River

Corindi Beach

Digger Head

COFFS HARBOUR

ARRAWARRA BEACH HOLIDAY PARK (SPOT X) Arrawarra

Glenreagh Macauleys Headland

Wedding Bells

Mullaway

Conglomerate State Forest Park Beach Little Mutton Bird Island

n ni

Sandy Beach

Nana Glen

st ore

WOOLGOOLGA LAKESIDE HOLIDAY PARK Woolgoola WOOLGOOLGA BEACH HOLIDAY PARK

Lower Bucca

Botanical Gardens

Emerald Beach

Lower Bucca State Forest Mutton Bird Island

Moonee Beach Nature Reserve

Corambirra Point

Karanga Sealy Lookout

Boat Ramp Railway Station

Briggsvale Coffs Harbour Airport

Korora FISHING TACKLE AUSTRALIA (MO TACKLE)

Upper Orara

Bindarri National Park

Megan

Mid Sapphire Beach

Mt Coramba Lookout

Mileton

Cascade

Moonee Beach

Coramba

Historic Jetty

PARK BEACH HOLIDAY PARK

JETTY BOATING

COFFS HARBOUR

Boambee State Forest

Cascade National Park Dangar Falls Dorrigo

Boambee

Orara West State Forest

Dorrigo National Park

Boambee Beach

Bonville International Golf Couse

Never Never

Toormina

BETTER THAN VEGAS GAME FISHING TOURS COFFS COAST SPORT FISHING

Boambee Head Sawtell SAWTELL BEACH HOLIDAY PARK

Bonville

Sherrard Falls Newell Falls Pine Creek State Forest Hydes Creek

Belinger National Park

Bongil Bongil National Park Bundagen Head

Repton

Valery Bellingen

Mylestom

Gladstone State Forest

Urunga Brierfield Hungry Head 4WD Beach Access

Jaaningga National Reserve

Wenonah Head

Newry State Forest KEY

National Park / State Forest Trainline Major Highway Boat Ramp Golf Course Hotel Caravan Park Tackle Shop Hiking Trail Visitor Information Airport Camping Boat Yards Sanctuary Zone, No Fishing

MARCH 2014

Valla Beach Valla

Viewmount State Forest

Bowraville

Wimimbi Macksville

Nambucca State Forest

Nambucca Heads

PELICAN CARAVAN PARK

To Sydney approx. 540kms

Not to scale 1km

4km

8km

Spotlight: Coffs Harbour around the structure. There are plenty of spots to poke a lure into but be aware that not all areas of the marina are open to public access. One of the great aspects of fishing in the Coffs Harbour Marina is that you never know what you will get. One day it will be flathead and whiting, the next fingermark and sweetlip. One of my first experiences with the Marina was walking along one of the boardwalks and watching a pack of 1m+ cobia patrolling around the docked boats. Big kingies, good size jacks and giant trevally won’t show up on every trip, but these big fish certainly can be targeted and landed in the marina. NORTH WALL The north wall connects Muttonbird Island to the mainland and runs along the ocean side of the marina. The north wall has easy access and parking and there are several good platforms for fishing. The better fishing is found once you’re out past the ‘north wall reef’, a permanently exposed bommie around halfway along the wall. Good schools of luderick can be seen out towards the Muttonbird Island end, and tailor and salmon schools are common in the middle of the year. The north wall can be sheltered in southerly conditions but be aware that waves do break over the entire wall and into the marina in large seas. SOUTH WALL The first thing you will notice about the south wall if you visit in the next few months is that there is a giant resident crane and huge trucks lugging enormous concrete blocks back and forth on the wall. The south wall is currently being upgraded and so is inaccessible by the public for several months, but I’ll still give you a rundown of south wall fishing for those wanting to visit in the future. Obviously the fishing spots and platforms will be different after the upgrade, so before you set up please assess carefully whether it is safe to fish your intended spot. The harbour side of the wall is shallow and sandy and the fishing there usually

isn’t great, although it can hold good whiting. The ocean side of the wall is much deeper than the north wall with more structure on the bottom and nearby reef. The south wall can attract very good fish and you can expect to regularly catch tailor, mulloway, kingfish, trevally and snapper. The north wall has some of the best ocean luderick spots in the area and the end of the wall is a well known spot for land-based mackerel and tuna. Although the upgrade may make it safer, remember that waves can break over the entire wall in rough seas and more than a few people have been injured when washed off the south wall. JETTY BEACH Inside the harbour is a very protected beach that doesn’t get a lot of large wave action. Jetty Beach can be a great relaxing beach fishing location by yourself or for the whole family. Rips, sand banks and gutter formations are usually not

Left: Jacks are at the top of many anglers’ lists when it comes to fishing the Coffs Harbour region. Right: A unique feature of sub-tropical Coffs Harbour is that it’s only an hour’s drive to trout country and potential freezing temperatures. Jetty Beach also provides a great sheltered beach worming spot, and with fresh worm baits you can get great bream and whiting as well

Muttonbird Island has some good fishing platforms when the weather and seas prevent safe fishing out the front. Be wary of large sets rolling into the harbour in rough weather though. There is good structure under the washes and tailor, mulloway, trevally and large bream are regular catches. It is a fair hike up over the hill to the front side of the island but the fishing can be VERY rewarding. Here the rock platform drops very

steeply and provides great land-based access to deep water with a good tide line usually heading from the wash out to sea. This forms part of the regular patrol route for many offshore predators. Drifting a live bait off the front of Muttonbird could net you good kingfish, cobia, mackerel, longtail tuna and has even accounted for the odd marlin. Snapper, mulloway, trevally and jumbo tailor are also common catches on both

bait and lures. The northern side of the island has a fair bit of reef but is shallower than the front side. Lots of kelp can make it hard to fish bottom baits as you get closer to the marina end. In a southerly wind and swell this can be a very protected part of the coast and so can become one of the only options for rock fishing. These kelp beds are one of the few spots locally that you can really target squid Continued page 14

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There is an endless supply of quality bass waters on the Coffs Coast. Awesome fish and awesome locations. very pronounced, other than two permanent rips at either end of the beach next to the walls. Even without this structure the jetty beach can hold good fish.

as the odd mulloway. Jetty Beach also provides calmer water access to salmon schools in the winter. MUTTONBIRD ISLAND The harbour side of

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One of the plentiful luderick around the harbour. The rock platform out the front of Muttonbird Island can be seen in the background.

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Spotlight: Coffs Harbour

Quality whiting are a feature of the Jetty Beach, the Marina and lower estuaries. Surface lures are definitely the best way to target larger specimens in the estuaries. From page 13

although success is still far from guaranteed. COFFS CREEK Entering the ocean at the northern end of North Wall Beach, Coffs Creek is an often underestimated estuary conveniently located in the middle of town. The lower

estuary fishes well for bream, flathead and whiting and is dominated by channels, weed beds and sand banks. The upper estuary is dominated by a mangrove lined channel with plenty of snags that hold good trevally, mangrove jack and mulloway. There is a boardwalk/

track that runs around the entire estuary providing super easy access to many points around the creek. There is the possibility of bass higher upstream but there are many better options in the region which I’ll mention later on. SOUTH HEADLAND The south wall joins onto Corambirra Point but most locals refer to the ocean side of this headland as Gallows, the local name for the adjoining beach before the start of Boambee Beach. Access may be restricted slightly during the wall upgrade but you can walk over the top of the headland and around the quarry to access the front of the headland, which has fishing similar to the south wall. The southern side of the headland provides good mulloway and tailor as well as salmon in the winter. Gallows can be very rough in a southerly swell but it’s a good spot out of the wind in the prevailing summer nor’easters. BOAMBEE BEACH Boambee Beach is accessed from the southern end of the harbour by driving around the front of the deep sea fishing club. No permit is needed to drive onto the beach but be aware that there can be deep sand at the entry of the beach. Boambee beach is a

great worming beach and with gutters and sand bank structures along the entire beach there is plenty of space to fish away from others. Mulloway, bream, whiting, salmon and tailor are all potential targets and common catches.

destinations. The Orara river to the west of Coffs is unique in that it’s one of the only rivers east of the divide that starts closer to the coast than where it finishes. The head waters of the Orara are just behind Coffs Harbour and only a few kilometers from

If you head a little further west from these bass creeks and up the hill towards Dorrigo and Ebor, you will find semi-alpine trout streams stocked with brown, rainbow and the odd brook trout. Trout can be caught anywhere from only 45 minutes out of

School jew this size are very common on Coffs beaches but there’s always the chance of that 20kg+ model that keeps mulloway anglers fishing into the night. OTHER LOCAL OPTIONS As I mentioned at the start of this article, the harbour area is just a glimpse at the overall diversity of the entire region. There are many other options

the ocean. The river empties into the Clarence river around 100km upstream from where the Clarence meets the Pacific Ocean. A unique feature it shares with the Clarence River is that it is home to the eastern freshwater cod (or Clarence River cod). Native only to the Clarence catchment, these fish were fished very heavily in the past and are now totally protected – not even targeted catch and release is permitted. Clarence cod are a common bycatch though when bass fishing in the catchment. If you accidently catch one while bass fishing, please release it in the healthiest condition possible.

Coffs Harbour. Almost any river or creek past Dorrigo will hold trout and there’s some unbelievably awesome country to throw a fly or lure around. Pretty much whatever fish you prefer to chase, Coffs Harbour is well worth the visit. There are not many places in the country or even the world where you could potentially catch a mackerel, snapper, mangrove jack, bass and a rainbow trout in the same day. It would be a mega effort in a day but consider it the 30° South challenge! If you’re going to give it a crack, make sure you let me know. It would be an adventure well worth filming, that’s for sure.

Left: Flathead are a great target for soft plastic fishing in the estuaries but even the sheltered harbour can offer some fun for the lure angler. Right: Upstream in some of the smaller coastal creeks you can target both bream and bass on cicada lures.

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in the area if you want to get out of town and explore the Coffs Coast. Bonville and Boambee Creeks to the south have good access to land-based, kayak and boat fishing. All local estuaries fish well for the standard bream, whiting and flathead as well as holding good populations of trevally, mangrove jacks and school jew. All rivers and creeks in the area have healthy populations of bass in the freshwater stretches. Some areas are difficult to access but they’re worth it if you can find your way in. Others such as the Bellingen and Orara rivers have many access points and are renowned as prolific bass

Significant numbers of nice size GTs inhabit the upper estuaries and there is even odd capture of 5-10kg models, especially in the Coffs Harbour marina.

Spotlight: Coffs Harbour

Summer is height of the pelagic season Pe l i c a n Pa r k COFFS HARBOUR

Stephen Worley

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For local offshore anglers, March signifies the height of the summer pelagic season. Water is usually at its warmest and the summer mackerel, wahoo, mahi mahi, tuna and marlin are all in full swing. There will be plenty of snapper and mulloway around as well, especially in under the bait schools that are being harassed by the mackerel. However, it’s the topwater fish that are the main attraction this time of year. Spotted and Spanish mackerel have been marauding the inshore reefs for bait, of which there has been plenty. January and the start of February saw a lot of bait milling around the onshore

notable catches that got some attention in January including Tommie Strydom’s capture of a 70kg marlin from his kayak out wide of Diggers Beach. There have been several other hook-ups and captures of inshore marlin in small boats and kayaks over the last month so with a live bait on you never know what you’ll get at this time of year. Trolling hardbodies will also be a useful approach offshore when the bait gets harder to find. Lures can be trolled faster and so cover more ground, and lures are much easier to find than live bait. Out in wider ground there has been a host of micro mahi mahi hanging around in the hundreds but there are also some bigger specimens around. Now is a great time to use the mahi mahi (or ‘dollie’) coloured lures as the larger fish will be readily feeding on the

There are plenty of mackerel around the inshore reefs making them perfect targets for kayak anglers like Ryan Thomson. reefs, dreading the arrival of mackerel. This month it may get a little harder to track down the bait schools but they will be a useful commodity once you’ve found them. Drifting or slow trolling a live bait around the inshore reefs and islands could attract the attention of anything from mackerel to marlin this month. Along with the arrival of the warm water at the end of January there has been a steady flow of black marlin down the coast. It seems that last year’s crop of baby black marlin (20-40kg) have all grown up into 50-70kg specimens. There were a few

baby dolphinfish when they are around. March is also a great time for a bit of land-based fishing. Mackerel, longtail tuna, cobia and even marlin are all a chance for a well drifted live bait on some of the deeper headlands and rock walls in the area. Muttonbird and the south wall are probably the most popular spots, but most headlands north of Coffs offer great platforms in the right conditions. The estuaries have been fairly consistent over the last month, although the odd rain event has slowed them down for a few days with dirty water.

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The snapper aren’t restricted to just the inshore reefs. Some great snapper have been caught in deep water like this great fish caught by Brad Arnott. There are fantastic whiting being caught on surface lures in the lower estuaries and it’s probably the most efficient way of catching a good feed. The humble yabby will always get results but you can often be plagued by small bream. Fast and straight retrieves around the weed beds with a surface popper will usually result in a few good size whiting, even if you catch the odd small one as well. The bream have still been active on the surface throughout most estuaries with cicada lures being the most effective. The very slow/no retrieve technique seems to be working the best and a soft shell cicada is probably the weapon of choice, although other small cicada imitations have been working too. The cicada lure will just keep on working no matter how far up the rivers you go, as the bass have been eager to take them as well. They will start to slow after this month as the warm weather fades, so now is the time to get some cicada imitations on the water before they’re packed away for next summer. At this time of year I often find it very hard to decide what and where to fish as everything seems to be firing. I reckon the two best bets this month are offshore for mackerel and fishing for whiting on poppers in the estuary. No matter what you choose I hope you get some cracking fish and enjoy the height of summer this autumn.

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Spotlight: Coffs Harbour

Get that Grand Slam COFFS GAME

Glen Booth

With 25 to 27 degree water flowing past Coffs Harbour at present, it’s been a cornucopia of game fishing targets here in early summer. All three marlin species are figuring in offshore reports, along with mahi mahi, wahoo and yellowfin tuna. Really, the only species yet to call in is sailfish, and you can bet on a couple of them materialising around South Solitary later in the season. Last year, the little blacks were well inshore; this year, there appear to be greater numbers in the 40-75 fathom

area, which is also where the water is better and the greatest amount of bait is holding. There’s a greater size range this time too – cheeky 20kg rats that are full of grand ideas (like attempting to eat 14” blue marlin lures), to chunky teens of 50-80kg all mixed in together. To compound things, blue marlin have been conducting raids into water as shallow as 70 fathoms, resulting in some epic battles on light tackle, some won, some lost. The blues are definitely on in good numbers and, after a slow previous summer, it’s great to have them back. It’s certainly worth putting time in around the shelf and beyond with the big guns out,

This is the trouble with big blues on 24kg tackle — they just won’t be led!

as one fish that tailed across charter boat Black and Blue’s wake and missed the lure was estimated at 4m in length, which puts it way up there. The rest are 90-180kg in size, and are going hard. Surprisingly, there has been a good smattering of yellowfin tuna along the shelf line as well. These aren’t the 5kg rats found up at the light at this time of year, but 15-25kg fish. Not everybody’s catching them, but there have been enough double and even triple hook-ups to make it worthwhile running one lure smaller than the usual blue marlin fare in the spread — either a deep diver, or a jethead off the shotty. Over the years, countless boats have had two legs of the much sought-after game fishing Grand Slam (black, blue and striped all in one day), but the third has usually proven elusive. While not unheard of at this time of year (or in such warm water), a few striped marlin are still lingering inside the shelf line, infuriating anglers with their fussy eating habits. This frustration is compounded when you’ve caught your black and blue, and just need that striped! The inshore fish traps, the FAD and the wave recorder

Matt English shakes bills with his first marlin, caught from his dad’s boat Better Than Vegas. have been holding plenty of mahi mahi — mostly small, but the early birds with a tank full of live slimies score the better models before boat traffic and divers shut them down. Out wide they’re a little more hit and miss, but the quality is excellent, with fish ranging in size from 10-20kg. Black and Blue even sat’ tagged a 1.3m female back in January, so we wait with interest to see where ‘Gertrude’ has travelled once the tag detaches. There is the odd wahoo to 24kg about too, although

they’re harder to specifically target. Still, they are always welcome bycatch — unless they’ve given that favoured skirted lure a buzz cut. While only early in the season, the rest of the razor gang have been pulling their usual tricks, biting today and not tomorrow, but some cracker spotties to 8kg continue to be landed. Bait is pretty easy to come by, although it does require some perseverance to find slimies rather than yellowtail. And if the mackerel don’t find those bridled live baits, there’s any number of hammerheads

about. Just bear in mind that unless you’re extra certain of the actual species, don’t be tempted to keep one for hammer and chips, okay? It’s been an exceptionally dry six months here on the Coffs coast, which has contributed to the spectacular game fishing of late. For better or for worse, we’re well overdue for a big dump of rain, so let’s just hope it doesn’t arrive all in one day. That does nobody any good and sends those bluewater pelagics we love chasing off to bluer pastures. More next month!

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Adam Allaway with his first blue marlin about to be released, caught from the charter boat Better Than Vegas in 650 fathoms off Coffs Harbour.

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If you enjoy catching and eating mud crabs, you will not get a better opportunity than now! The Macleay valley is in the middle of one of the best runs of crabs in recent memory. Due to the lack of rain in our area the crabs have pushed up the highest reaches of just about every creek and waterway. Reports of crabs have come in from as far upstream as Frederickton on the Macleay. Blue swimmer crabs have also been in abundance along the channels in Clybucca Creek. If the weather stays dry there should still be a couple of months left of this crab season for everyone to enjoy. Another feature of the estuary at the moment is whiting on surface lures. Bassday Sugar Pens have been by far the most popular lure this season. Long casts using ultra-light lines are essential for this form of fishing whether land based or from a boat. If fishing from a boat, an electric motor can be used to make your set-up more stealthy. It can also hold your boat in position, giving you more casts over your selected sand bars. It pays to move on after a couple of hook-ups because unless the fishing is red hot, the fish tend to shut down fairly quickly. It is always worth having a few areas in mind when you set out as it takes a few of these fish if you are after a feed. OFFSHORE Offshore, things are pretty well firing now. Wahoo are making their presence felt from the gaol grounds right through to Hat Head. There have

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Larger Spanish mackerel will become more common during March. been countless reports of people getting absolutely blown away by these northern speedsters. The better fish have been caught trolling bonito or big slimy mackerel, although skirts and bibbed minnows trolled

at higher speeds are getting good results also. The early run of mackerel consisted of spotties and Spanish, all around the 6kg mark, with the spotted mackerel numbers far outweighing the

Marty Nicholls with a wahoo trolled up wide of the gaol.

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Spanish catches. The tables are turning now, however, with the size and numbers of Spanish mackerel rapidly improving from day to day. Cobia numbers are increasing around the area also, mostly concentrated around the bait and inshore reefs. These fish have been fickle at times with a lot more fish being seen than caught. The odd cobia has been taken while fishing the deeper reefs for snapper. BEACHES The beaches have been fishing really well at the moment with blue spotted flathead being the standout species. Whiting, bream, tailor and small mulloway are around in reasonable numbers also. Gathering bait such as worms and pipis is relatively easy at the moment, giving the angler an opportunity to enjoy a day out fishing with the family at a fairly low cost. Teaching your kids to catch worms at a young age is a great way to keep them interested and outside enjoying the great outdoors. Another plus is that their worm gathering increases your time fishing, and can even save you time and money when they start catching more worms than you!

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Bream and bycatch THE TWEED

David Solano

It’s funny, more and more on the Tweed I see folks lure fishing. Even the local tackle shop stopped selling bait. Interestingly, as a young fellow Dad would take us down to the Snowy chasing rainbow trout off plain homemade lead lures. Back in those days I even had a Stirling 22 automatic gun strapped to my back for rabbits, I would regularly outfish the folks but the rabbits were safe as houses as I couldn’t hit a barn with that 22. When we’d get back to the Coast the lures would get put away and out would come the bait gear. I often wondered why this happened and now I realise my Dad only liked to fish the fresh and I didn’t have the forward thinking brain that said, “Hey, lures should work in salt too.” Luring on the Tweed

started for me around 10 years ago and I haven’t looked back. It’s all about having fun and learning different stuff. It’s not really like fishing anymore for me, it’s hunting. One of the hardest fish to target on the Tweed would have to be bream. It’s a pretty hard place to get any over 30cm long. I have to be honest – it took me close to a year to land my first legal bream on lures and of all things I was trolling. (Since then I’ve fished in a few comps where trolling is considered cheating!) I remember reading one of Starlo’s books where he said, “if you can consistently catch bream on lures, you can just about catch anything.” Starlo was right on the money there. I never fish in one place. I prefer to keep moving, whether it be walking the shoreline, by boat or in my kayak. Yakking is my favourite method as I can take up to six rods with me, from a

really light Nordic Stage rod teamed with a Stella 1000FE, right up to a tournament T-Curve with 4000 Biomaster for trevally, but mainly it’s the jack rod. The key for me is to be ready for anything, because fishing don’t always go according to plan. I’ll give you an example: I was casting a Gulp Shrimp into some really shallow water as I could see some nice size bream on their sides munching away. In I cast with 4lb leader, and crunch. Wow, what was that? A monster screamed out into the middle of the river. The cold sweat started. This was no bream, and after a massive fight I landed and let go a 97cm lizard. A fish like that was intended for my flathead rod, not my lightest bream gear, but it’s a testament to the quality of gear you can buy these days. That’s what keeps me

Dave with his PB bream, a solid fish measuring 33cm. got it right next to the boat then zip! Gone. “Did you see that Dick?” I said to my mate. “Yeah mate, sharked!” It was all too quick for me, but yes – a bloody bull shark ate my poor little trev.

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Here’s a jacklet (a miniature jack caught from racks).

My mate Pete Kyvetos with freshly caught flathead, filleted for lunch.

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breaming. The bycatch is amazing in the canals near PKG’s Seafood. On a recent trip I found it hard to get to the bream as all these little queenfish and giant trevally kept nailing my lure before it could reach any structure. Then of all things I found myself fighting a little GT,

MARCH 2014

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Dave with another nice bream.

with at least 5 ball bearings. You’ll notice I haven’t mentioned rod and reel brands. That’s because it’s not really important. They’re all pretty similar, particularly the top two. So where do you get the fish? I’ve fished a few ABT comps on the Tweed with some really good pro anglers. It’s funny, most boats sit out in the Seaway, but the real gun fishos have a little more knowledge. One mate headed up Mur-Bah way (a tip-off from Steve Morgan I believe), saying something about a “big house before you get to Tumbulgum Bridge”. My boater headed straight to the oyster leases near Seagulls. I hadn’t fished them before and quickly busted off my three rods. Babs, on the other hand, had me scratching my head as he skull-dragged legal bream after legal bream into the net. I learnt a lot that day, and he went on to win the tournament. Trust me when I say there are some really big bream around. Last week I found myself looking at a 40cm horse, but I was at The Ivory Tavern and this particular fish wasn’t hungry for a lure – he was waiting for another hot chip.

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Warm water, rain and mackerel BALLINA

Tristan Sloan

For years now you could almost toss a coin on the bet that this time of year would either be a total washout with torrential rains and flooring, or it would stay dry enough to keep that warm water in close and the pelagics with it. It never used to bother me as I would just grab my heavy spin gear and head to the walls for some great lure sessions on daytime mulloway. However, now that my old man is finally retired all we have been talking about lately is the chance of getting the boat offshore and catching a feed of mackerel for the BBQ. Due to the constant southerly wind and big swell these last few weeks we haven’t had much luck on the mackerel, with the

boat gathering dust in the garage, so I have been entertaining myself spinning up school mulloway off the walls instead. Nevertheless, the schools of small slimy mackerel and sea gar should turn up well and truly by the time this article goes to print, and the mackerel with them.

Productive spots include the reefs at Lennox Point, Black Head and North and South Riodans Shoals. Always remember while having a live bait in the water on first light is often your best bet, don’t discount putting the bait deeper in the water column as the sun rises. Often

Keith Sloan with an average mahi mahi from the Ballina FAD.

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mackerel will display a burst of feeding activity on the top of the tide even during the middle of the day, especially those big beachcomber Spainards chasing chopper tailor and mullet. While there has been plenty of snapper and pearl perch on the deeper reefs when we did manage to get outside in the last month we have been firmly focused on billfish. Unfortunately we haven’t yet been able to keep a hook stuck in one; they leave us with only some badly scuffed up trace and a hefty fuel bill to show for our efforts. Mahi mahi have been as thick as thieves with our boat catching up to a dozen every day on the troll, it’s amazing the size of lure these voracious predators will hit. One thing I have noticed is the sheer amount of boats trying to catch these great little sportfish around the FAD and various fish traps, often up to six boats, will be in attendance. The trick here is to stop at one of the shallow reefs on the way out

and stock up on yellowtail or slimy mackerel. Mahi mahi become very well educated as the season progresses and will ignore almost everything you throw at them, however an unweighted live bait pitched next to the float on a 30lb fluorocarbon trace and 5/0 circle hook is rarely refused. On a light 6kg snapper rod these fish are fantastic fun. The reason I use circle hooks is that they rarely miss a secure hold in the corner of the mouth and it makes it easy to release these great sportfish once we have a couple for a feed with no gut hooked fish and less thrown hooks. IN THE RIVER Whiting have once again been the mainstay for the crowds of holiday anglers that have just departed Ballina in droves. They caught plenty of big fat fish and the occasional flathead on the bigger morning tides on the sand flats of North Creek and Shaws Bay. I saw some absolutely gigantic whiting close to

The author struggles to hold a bigger that average bull shark. crabs being threaded 4 at a time onto a size 6 longshank and drifted behind the boat on the tide. In regards to my success on the mud crabs, it’s a rare night that I don’t return home without at least a couple of big bucks to show for my efforts. The reason I go out at night is that, like most people, I am sick and tired of unscrupulous low-life’s stealing the crabs out

Gus Nowell with a typical school mulloway from South Wall. 40cm being caught below Prospect Bridge while yarning to a salty old fisherman on my way back from pulling in some mud crab traps. These fish were caught on a combination of yabby and solider crab baits with the

of my traps or even the traps themselves! Unfortunately this has become a common practise, especially in North Creek behind Lennox Head. Often the only option during the day is to anchor up where you can watch your traps

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and catch a feed of flathead and whiting while you wait for them to fill up or do as I do and drop them off at night and spend a few hours flicking structure for GT and mangrove jack before picking them up on the top of the tide. One of my favourite summer activities of grabbing a flick stick and chasing some bass has been a bit of a hit and miss affair lately. There’s been a lot of small fish present but tough going to find anything above 30cm; most likely due to the low water levels. In saying that, a few anglers I have been talking to have had a reasonable amount of success at night throwing soft shell cicada imitations and slowly walking them across the surface. As well as the low water levels, I have also noticed a huge amount of bull sharks prevalent in the upper reaches of the Richmond, the average size of these sharks is 4’ and there are quite a few considerably bigger. I have had a fair bit of fun catching a few of these lately in the brackish sections as they round up schools of freshwater mullet and even carp. As there is rarely much current or tidal movement in these brackish sections, a live mullet or a fresh slab bait on a pair of 7/0s with some nylon-coated wire to prevent bite offs on a 10-15kg outfit provides some fun on a summer evening. I normally fish these baits using a couple of bait runner reels with berley and often it is just a case of sitting back with a cold beer and waiting for the sharks to find you before a rod howls off. While some people eat these sharks, I don’t really see the reason to kill them, especially as some sort of juvenile trophy to be dumped later. Just use a big barra style net and a pair of wire cutters to safely release them to fight another day. A word of warning, these sharks can easily inflict a nasty bite requiring multiple stiches so please handle them with appropriate care. Until next month, tight lines and may the fishing gods smile on you.

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fish, there are two ways to get the big one: lures and live bait. If you go the lure route, the best ones are Halco laser Pros and Rapala X-Raps. The trolling speed for these lures is around 6-8 knots. If you go the bait route, live baits are best but you can also rig dead baits to swim. Any of the larger baitfish make great baits – mullet, gar, pike, yakkas, slimies, bonito and tailor all work well. You need to slow troll these, just idling along. Places like One Man, Black Rocks and Woody Head are the best places to start hunting trophy fish like Spanish mackerel, cobia and the various tuna species. A handy hint is to keep trolling for another 10 seconds or so after you

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A good-size cobia. You never know what you might hook when you throw a livie out the back. usual plastics and blades have been working a treat, with colours like white and chartreuse doing well. On the upside, that very same dry weather that has made the river fishing a little hard has also made the fishing outside great (the last few seasons were a washout). This time of year is when we start to see better quality pelagics so it’s time to pull out and dust off the big gear. It’s important to make sure everything is working smoothly, especially your drags. If you want to get out and among some sizeable

hook up and you may end up with a double hook-up. That good, clean water will also hopefully give us a good crack at a great land-based game fishing season. The past four seasons weren’t the greatest, with rain playing a major factor in the poor fishing, so hopefully the dry weather will bring on a great LBG season for us. Again, it’s important to make sure your gear is in good working order. As an angler you want everything to run in your favour as much as possible, especially in LBG where you only get so many shots.

James Mash with a quality Clarence mulloway.

MARCH 2014

The fun factor PORT MACQUARIE

David Poulton pmbc@drsm.com.au

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that occurred last year. Let’s cross our fingers and hope that we get only enough rain to help conditions, rather than a deluge that will hamper them. With great water conditions the whiting should continue to be a primary target of many fishers this month. With Lake Cathie really starting to fire in recent weeks it will be a hive of prawn and whiting activity the first week of March, with the new moon coming on the first day of the month. Many whiting will of course be taken on prawns and worms, but the fun factor is surface luring for them. Pencil and popper style lures are the

Whiting like these beauties make great eating, and are a whole lot of fun caught on surface lures. best option for getting a few lure-crunching whiting. Other locations to target whiting this month will be the flats at the mouth of the Maria River and Googleys Lagoon on the Camden Haven River. The last half of the run-out tide is a prime time to walk the flats at Googleys and fish for whiting. And with by catches of bream and flathead being on the cards, it’s a top location and an excellent option this month. At this time of year bream

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are still through out the system, however they become a more viable option for those who like to target them in deeper water. The rock walls are a top place to bait fish late in the day and into the night, and salted prawns and slab baits are the optimum baits to target bigger bream after dark. Fishing as light as possible is the key in these deep water presentations, as bream are cunning predators and can be hard to fool at times.

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These bream would make anyone smile, especially as they were caught on a cicada surface lure.

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of tagged sharks being monitored in ocean waters. The study will be led by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) shark scientists, Dr Vic Peddemors, and Dr Paul Butcher. “The Shark Futures: sustainable management of the NSW whaler shark fishery project is taking a deeper look at the ecology, population, movements and distribution of Sandbar and Dusky Whaler sharks and how best to manage whaler shark stocks in NSW waters,” Dr Butcher said. “The two-year project, based out of Coffs Harbour in NSW, also aims to develop a fishing technique that will decrease mortality of unwanted species, particularly threatened and protected species and to minimise the environmental impact of the fishery. “So far, we have been able to obtain an extensive set of samples to evaluate,

with 50 sandbar and dusky whaler sharks tagged with acoustic transmitters and 16 sharks fitted with satellite tags. A further 11 species of sharks have been tagged with external dart tags. “The use of acoustic and satellite telemetry will assist in the development of potential spatial management options.” The project builds on ongoing research investigating the biology of the shark species targeted by NSW commercial fisheries and aims to enhance the sustainability of the fishery to ensure ongoing livelihoods. Dr Vic Peddemors said the study will also try to determine whether sandbar and dusky whaler sharks found in NSW are part of the same stock that occur in Queensland and whether an effective population size can be calculated using modern genetic techniques.

“This information will help in determining whether these sharks should be managed separately by each state or collaboratively and whether independent estimates of biomass can be made,” Dr Peddemors said. “It is the last piece in the puzzle to help manage on-going, long-term sustainable shark fishing in NSW waters.” The project is set to be completed later this year. Funding for the ‘Shark Futures: sustainable management of the NSW whaler shark’ fishery project is provided by NSW DPI and the Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC) on behalf of the Australian government, with support from the University of Queensland and the Australian Animal Tagging & Monitoring System. - DPI

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Bulk baitfish bring predators HARRINGTON

Kris Hickson

March around the Manning region sees the water temp in both the estuaries and ocean start to peak and all the warm water species really hit their straps. Pelagics like longtail tuna, marlin and cobia are more of a realistic target rather than just an off chance, and

closer in reefs. Most of the good catches of demersals have been in depths from 30m-50m, and the patches of reef off both Oldbar and North around Diamond Head seem to have had the best results. There have been some photos of marlin up to 150kg wide off Crowdy by those anglers willing to do the miles and put the time in. Unfortunately, one of these marlin was

still looking up for a feed at least into next month. The best catches at present seem to be concentrated on the banks with the most cicada noise. The din is like a shining light to the bream, drawing them towards these areas of activity. There have also been some good catches of bream and flathead around the gravel and mussel beds in the upper reaches of the river. With the lack of rain

A healthy fly-caught Manning bass. mahi mahi (dolphinfish) will be hanging on anything that is floating on the surface. OFFSHORE A large patch of cool water hanging around the coast is keeping the pelagics out fairly wide. The upside to this is that fish like snapper and pearl perch have kept on the chew fairly well on the

recently found at the Taree Estate boat ramp. Killing and dumping a billfish like this paints a poor picture for those partaking in this kind of fishing, and it also draws in the masses of sharks hunting in the river at present. ESTUARY The cicadas are starting fade off day by day but the bream will definitely be

we get some colour back in the river we should start to see all the estuary species chew a little better. For those looking for a feed of whiting, there have been some good fish showing up around the sand flats at Mud Bishops and Farquhar Island. Live yabbies are the pick of the baits, but those anglers who like to be a little more active will get their fair share casting surface lures over the expanses of sand at high tide. FRESHWATER Water levels in the Manning haven’t been this low for a very long time. A lot of the farmers are adamant that it is as low as they have ever seen it. One regular around the Wingham area even reported of being up at Abotts Falls recently and seeing the river all but stop until the salt pushed up and over it at high tide! Aside from this the bass have been more than willing to take lures by those anglers energetic enough to either walk or drag their canoes and kayaks over the dry rocks that are all too abundant with the low water. The best results have come during late afternoon and into the night and early morning. The low, clear water combined with the daytime heat means these

This flathead couldn’t resist a Daiwa Double Clutch IZM.

the salt has well and truly pushed upstream along with bulk amounts of baitfish, which are in turn attracting predatory fish. The great run of mulloway in the river has slowed to a trickle. There are still a few smaller fish to be had but the better specimens over 60cm are much less prevalent. Once the water cools a little and

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While it’s possible to catch bass during the day it’s been hard work of late. The most consistent results come when you fish low-light periods.

fish are more comfortable feeding in the cool of the lower light. The stand-out lures by far this season have been any kind of cicada imitation, which is be expected with the season we’ve had. If you do want to fish during the day, you’re best off deploying something that either stirs the fish right up or can be presented deep into the shade where the fish have retreated to. BEACH AND ROCK The beach has been relatively quiet of late but those anglers who have persisted have been getting reasonable catches of whiting on the masses of live worms along most of the beaches. Keep moving gutters until you find the bulk of the fish. Small tailor are turning up, but some days they can disappear just as suddenly as they appeared. It’s not surprising as they’re chasing the whitebait in the river, and once the bait pushes back on the beach the tailor should follow. Not a lot of action has been reported from the headlands but a live bait under a balloon on the deeper ledges at this time of year will put you in with a chance of connecting to one of the pelagics on patrol.

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Cicadas and bulls FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

No one can deny that 2013/14 has been the best surface bite on bream in a decade. The most dominant factor in the hot bream bite is the deafening resonance of the shoreline cicadas. The lack of rain has helped drive

intensity of the bite wanes, most of the fish will say up the rivers until the water cools down. Another thing to be careful of is the numbers of small bull sharks in the rivers. At around a metre it isn’t uncommon to have a one of these frisky sharks nail a hooked fish and, like the taxman, reduce your take home.

channels choked with small tinnies last month, and there should be a few still around leading into March. Sand whiting have been patchy with some good fish coming from the Tuncurry channel on yabbies and worm. They seem far more receptive to baits at night and at the change of tide under and around the bridge. Grub-tailed plastics

Cicadas are the gun lure. If you haven’t got any, good luck finding some! Everything from Kokoda Bats to Tiemco Bass Tunes are working.

LOWER LAKE In the lower lake there’s plenty of action from a variety of species, including sand mullet and garfish. Bream are holding around the racks, and flathead are scattered around the shallower weed patches of the flats. There have been a few reports of 1m+ flathead and two I know of from the Breckenridge Channel around the new moon period. Whether the big fish are drawn to the channel by the incredibly good prawn run the lake is producing this season or anglers are getting lucky, it must be said there are some quality fish around at the moment. A run of trumpeter whiting had the deeper

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bait, whether it’s prawns to be frozen down or mullet and garfish for the coming tailor season. Prawning is best in early March, while a high tide over weed patches and a little bread berley will sort out the mullet and garfish. When you’re selecting a weedy area for a berley trail make sure there is a drop-off or a bit of depth over the weed. If not, the small bream will drive you crazy. Fishing offshore has been a hit-and-miss affair, not just with the fish but with the weather as well. Northeasters have been making days at sea patchy or uncomfortable but some good snapper have been hitting the cleaning tables. The flathead have been in acceptable numbers as well, and grounds off Blackhead have been a favoured area. There have been some big mahi mahi (dolphinfish) off the FAD with one of 16kg I know about. Cobia have been quiet and are perhaps gearing up for a late season run. In all, March is a great time to fish the lake and even the rivers. The rocks are going through a bit of a season change and spinning for pelagic species is probably the most productive form of fishing.

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the bream up the rivers en masse with higher salinity and prawn/shrimp growth also contributing to draw the fishes’ attention. The bulk of the cicada species are active from November through to April, and with some luck the hot bream bite will continue for just as long. It isn’t just the lure anglers who are getting amongst the bream in the rivers. Anglers using baits of prawns and mullet are bagging some good bream and flathead, with the average fish being in the 30cm and 50cm ranges respectively. The bream will hold up the rivers, along with the mullet, until just after Easter, so make the most of it. Even if the

holiday break. Regardless, your single trap needs to be marked as per advice from the DPI website. Blue swimmers are my favourite, and with a string of five hoop nets out during the day your chances of snaring a few blue swimmers is high. Leaving the nets out overnight is not advised, however. Stingrays and cobbler catfish can trash your nets or even relocate them for you. PLANNING For those who have a plan for the winter months, now is the time to collect

Fishing the rocks at Burgess Beach is a good way to kill some time and catch fish like pigs, bream, tailor and salmon. It will fish even better by the end of this month.

like the Gulp Minnow Grubs are ideal lures to sneak across the bottom and encourage the whiting to bite. The odd larger bream is also getting involved in the evening bite around the bridge and nearby leases so consider a leader size around 4.5 kg (10lb). CRABS The Pipers Bay, Forster Keys and the rivers seem to be producing heaps of mud crabs. Talking to Brad at Tuncurry Tackle and Camping it is no wonder, considering the number of traps he sold over the

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News FISHING FILL-ITS

FISHING FILL-ITS

Dumped abalone shells in Port Stephens Funding for fish habitat projects The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is appealing to the public for information regarding abalone shell dumps around Port Stephens’ Fingal Bay, which are strong indicators of illegal fishing activity in the area. DPI Senior Investigator, Tony Chen, said recent bushfires in the area had uncovered a large number of dumped abalone shells which were previously hidden by scrub. “We have received numerous reports from concerned local fishers regarding abalone shell dumps around Fingal Bay which contained indictable quantities of abalone, many of which were also undersized,” Mr Chen said. “We believe whoever is doing this is taking the abalone from nearby waters, shucking them in what was scrub before the fires, then leaving the shells behind. “We suspect a local diver or divers are possibly responsible and… we are appealing to anyone with information to come forward. There are rewards of up to $1000 for information relating to illegal abalone fishing that

Thick scrub concealed these dumped shells until the bushfires passed through. result in a conviction.” Mr Chen said rules in relation to taking abalone have been strictly enforced over many years. “We have seen abalone stocks recovering due to an increase in size limits to a minimum prescribed length of 11.7cm, a reduction in possession limits to two per person and a fishing closure between Port Stephens and Jervis Bay,” he said. “In NSW, an indictable quantity of abalone is 50 or more, and fishers caught illegally taking, in possession of, or selling more than this could get up to 10 years imprisonment.

Courts can also impose a monetary penalty of up to 10 times the value of the fish. “The shucking of abalone or the possession of shucked abalone in, on, or adjacent to waters is also an offence and can attract fines of up to $5500. “Abalone theft threatens the sustainability of the abalone fishery for future generations and the public play a vital role in the fight against this kind of illegal fishing.” Information concerning illegal fishing can be reported to the Fisher’s Watch Phone Line on 1800 043 536 or at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au. – DPI

NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, and Member for Londonderry, Bart Bassett, have announced the allocation of $570,000 in grants to angling clubs, community groups, landholders and local councils for 30 fish habitat projects. Ms Hodgkinson said the 30 habitat rehabilitation projects cover many popular coastal and inland fishing spots in NSW, with nearly $1.1 million committed as in-kind support from the successful applicants. “This is great news for 30 areas across NSW which will see major improvements to local creeks, riverbanks, wetlands and better access for fish, which will improve

fish habitats and ultimately produce more fish,” Ms Hodgkinson said. “Successful projects which have received funding are located near cities and towns including Bathurst, Berry, Bilambil, Blayney, Bodalla, Bredbo, Cambewarra, Coffs Harbour, Dora Creek, Dubbo, East Ryde, Fernleigh, Forbes, Guyra, Harrington, Inverell, Lansdowne, Lismore, Lindfield, Monkerai, Nambucca Heads, Port Macquarie, South West Rocks, Ramsgate, Richmond, Taree, Taylors Arm and Upper Horton. “These grants are funded through the Recreational Fishing Trusts and are a terrific example of how monies raised through sale of the NSW Recreational

Fishing Fee are being spent on improving recreational fishing in NSW and supporting the improvement of fish populations.” In total, the 30 projects will: • Improve 672 hectares of wetland habitat, • Control 155 hectares of invasive riverbank weeds, • Implement 1.34km of bank erosion control, • Revegetate 14.15km of riparian zone, • Provide 51km of enhanced access for fish, • Erect 17.10km of stock management fencing; and • Install 40 snags/instream woody habitat. A full list of successful projects can be found at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/ hag. - DPI

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Masses of baitfish HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

In recent weeks we’ve had a mass influx of shark sightings and beach closures, but from an angler’s point of view this is actually pretty exciting. You know the sharks’ presence means that masses of bait have arrived, and that also means great fishing as the

sharks aren’t the only ones feasting on them. Kingfish, cobia, mulloway, snapper, teraglin, tailor, bonito, striped tuna and salmon on the inside reefs and close grounds have been in good numbers following pilchards, yellowtail, slimy mackerel, whitebait and sprats. All this adds up to great fishing in my book, and because it’s happening in the months when the warmest of currents are off our shores…

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well, let’s just say you can expect some hot fishing this month! Further offshore, marlin, mahi mahi, XOS kingfish, tuna and masses of dolphins have been seen off Newcastle wide with all the bait out there also. There has been some great fishing already had and I bet there’s more to come. The annual bream run is due to start in late March to early April, and the bream currently fattening up and taking baits and lures in a pretty intensive way for their run up the coast. Some of the best spots are around the first beaches of the headlands near the estuaries from which the fish emerge. They school out and scan the first of

A shark plague has hit our shores. This hammerhead took a live trolled yellowtail meant for a dolphinfish, and it put up a great fight. As well as bream, the beaches are holding good numbers of whiting, flathead and tailor at dawn and dusk. Some of the wild weather we had a while ago created some nice holes and channels

the beaches for bream, whiting in close and tailor schools working the bait. Watch for terns and seagulls they should land you close to that action. On the inshore reefs,

squire and snapper as well as school jewfish and the odd kingfish should still be around. And if you can get out wider trolling, you can pick up marlin, bull mahi mahi and tuna.

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the sand for worms, pipis and suchlike, and are easy pickings. You can get some quality fish at this time, as most fish that leave first are the really big specimens, then the smaller ones follow.

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along Stockton Beach, and the easiest way to find them is drive up on the low tide. In the Hunter River, bass, bream and small mulloway (school jew) are still being taken. Add the last of the prawn run and the blue swimmer crabs and I can see a lot of good fishing being done this month. Up around Sandgate, Fullerton Cove and Tomago are the places to be in the deeper holes and drop-overs. The flathead and tailor that have entered the river have been up around the harbour mouth a little more, and don’t be surprised if you bump into some nice mulloway as they have been in good numbers off both break walls. Stockton has been the best, with all fish caught being around 10-12kg. There are enough yellowtail, squid and slimy mackerel on the Adolf Wreck side to keep all anglers happy. The North Reef buoy has been busy lately with boats returning with just legal size kingfish and the odd mahi mahi that has roamed in close to shore. Tailor and bonito have been sitting over the reef as well, and squid are there if you want to drop deep jigs. THE MONTH AHEAD This month I recommend looking along

Chris Jelfs got these two flatties on Gulps over sand and short weed beds. Flathead have been around in big numbers in recent weeks.

Will Francisco landed this 64cm kingfish in Pittwater on a downrigged live squid. Not bad for a 13 year old!

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STUARTS POINT HOLIDAY PARK is nestled on the banks of the magnificent Macleay River, between vast golden beaches and the forests and rich pastures of the Macleay Valley; Stuarts Point Holiday Park is a secluded and serene riverside hideaway. Offering a boat ramp and mooring and fish cleaning tables, anglers have an almost unlimited choice of beach, river and blue water fishing spots! There is plenty of fresh whitebait, yabbies and worms for the fisherman who wishes to collect his own bait. There is no shortage of bream, whiting, flathead and blackfish for the successful fisherman. Like all of the Macleay Valley Coastal Holiday Parks, Stuarts Point Holiday Park offers clean, well-equipped facilities and a playground for the kids. The park is situated close to local shops, the Tavern and the Workers Club. The river is a great place to enjoy your canoe or windsailing board. Stroll across the river’s footbridge, along the shady walking track through sand dunes and collect shells before swimming, surfing or doing a bit of beach fishing. Bushwalk along the riverbank through peaceful unspoilt native bushland until you reach Grassy Head. There are tennis courts next door if you wish to indulge in a social game or two. Take a short drive to The Pines picnic area and Yarrahapinni Lookout. Go swimming, fishing, surfing and bushwalking or just settle in, relax and unwind in this tranquil riverside setting.

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Surrounded by the unspoilt grandeur of national park, Hat Head Holiday Park is in a cosy coastal village almost mid-way between Brisbane and Sydney. The tranquil village is 459km north of Sydney and 511km south of Brisbane and offers the ultimate seaside escape for nature lovers and angling fanatics. The area is a paradise for fishers, with sensational beach fishing north to Smoky Cape and one of the State’s leading land-based game platforms on the headland itself. Bird Rock and Spinning Ledge are great for land-based game fishing but you’ll need all the regular kit and take every safety precaution, as you would at any rock platform. Right now longtail tuna and cobia should be whipping the water to a frenzy. The offshore fishing is every bit as brilliant, with great snapper, mulloway, Spanish and spotted mackerel, cobia, pearl perch, marlin and kingfish. The creek itself yields good catches of luderick, bream, flathead, mangrove jacks and bass, whiting and mud crabs. There are fish cleaning tables at the boat ramp and a camp kitchen and barbecue area at the holiday park to cook your catch. Delight in strolling through the bush or swimming with the children in the safety of the serene beach. Go snorkelling in the pristine waters of Korogoro Creek and see the fish, occasional sea turtle and other aquatic creatures. The holiday park’s well-equipped playground and lots of open space to ride the bikes will also keep children entertained. For a day out or more extensive supplies, Kempsey and South West Rocks are less than 30 minutes’ drive away.

Hidden amid the lush coastal rainforest of Way Way State Forest and bordered by kilometres of pristine golden beaches, Grassy Head Holiday Park offers an abundance of fishing opportunities. The park itself is accommodating to the recreational angler with plenty of room for the boat and the car. There’s plenty to see and do to keep non-fisher members of the family busy while anglers are reeling in a feed. Guests can choose from passive recreational activities such as walks through the rainforest or along the beach, more active pursuits like swimming or surfing in some great places, or fishing in the river, from the rocks or along the beaches.

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At the end of Millington Avenue is the Macleay River, famous for very good fishing. Some of the fish caught at Grassy Heads include bream, drummer, flathead, luderick, mulloway, rock blackfish, tailor, trevally and whiting. In one of the unspoilt gems of the Mid North Coast, nature lovers will delight at the wildlife and the beautiful bushland surrounds. The popular River Walk follows the old entrance of the Macleay from Grassy Head to Stuarts Point, closed off after a flood a century ago. Grassy Head Holiday Park is the perfect location for those who enjoy what nature has to offer. The seaside village is also only to 10 minutes’ drive from Stuarts Point village, 45km from Kempsey CBD or 19km from Macksville CBD.

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Hot targets in warm water PORT STEPHENS

Billy Gillon

March is easily my favourite time of year to fish Port because it’s when the warm currents become more consistent, bringing a whole new host of tropical species. Longtail tuna, mackerel and inshore black marlin are just a few of the tropical fish which ride the currents down here at this time of year. Also our resident snapper, mulloway and flathead thrive in these warmer temperatures

and can always provide a reliable target. OFFSHORE The warm currents are in full swing now and we should start to see our run of longtail tuna. From now until mid-May is what I would call longtail season. Garfish are a favourite bait for these top sportfish but most live baits should work if they are around. Put your bait under a float or balloon so it is sitting about 2-3m below the surface, and remember that it’s worth chucking around a plastic or surface popper while you wait.

The Fisheries FAD has plenty of mahi mahi (dolphinfish) on it but most are only rats; your best chance of hooking into a big bull is to find a fish trap buoy. If you want to fish the FAD you need to get there before the other boats do, as heavy boat traffic often puts the fish down and off the bite. So for these fish sadly an early morning start is needed. Cast surface poppers, soft plastics or troll. Dolphinfish will hit all sorts of lures if someone hasn’t gotten to them first. The marlin fishing out wide has been excellent so

FISHING FILL-ITS

Stolen boat recovered thanks to NMR Club Marine, together with Police and Australia’s leading theft deterrent system, DataDot Technology Australia, is encouraged by the early success of the National Marine Register (NMR) as it achieves first results in combating boat theft. More than $11 million worth of boats and personal watercraft (PWCs) are stolen in Australia each year, with fishing and ski boats the most targeted. Many are sold interstate where they’re rebirthed, leaving the unsuspecting buyer without the boat or their money, if and when the craft is identified as stolen and returned to the original owner or insurance company. The heartache of this experience was recently spared a NSW man who was hoping to buy a boat but was doubtful of the integrity of the seller. After unsuccessfully trying to verify the identity of the boat, a Whittley Cruiser valued at $70,000, with Maroubra Police and NSW Maritime, he conducted an internet search and found the NMR’s website. Together with the NMR team, it was quickly established he had located a stolen boat and the

This stolen boat was recovered when the potential buyer smelled a rat and got the police’s help to check the National Marine Database. claim had already been paid by Club Marine Insurance. Club Marine, together with Mark Hutchings’ Marine Area Command (law enforcement team), recovered the boat on the same day. Launched in May 2013, the NMR is the only national database in which marine dealers, law enforcement officers, and boat/PWC owners Australia-wide can register a boat or personal watercraft (PWC).The NMR stores important identifying information such as the hull identification number (HIN), trailer identification number (VIN), boat registration number, and photographs to improve visual recognition of vessels. It’s also a register of stolen craft for anyone wanting to verify a vessel before purchase.

Club Marine CEO Simon McLean said: “Boat theft is an -resent issue in our community and the National Marine Register is an important initiative to prevent boat theft. We encourage all boaties to take 5 minutes to register their boat or PWC on the National Marine Register database, no matter where they are insured or what type of vessel they own.” Club Marine members can book their boat or PWC for a service with a Club Marine Platinum Partner and have their vessel fitted with the DataDot Theft Deterrent System. As a bonus they won’t have to pay the theft excess, valued at up to $1000, if the vessel is stolen (conditions apply). More information is available at www.clubmarine. com.au. – CM

far this season and hopefully the baby blacks should start making their way in very close again soon,. The Car Park has definitely earned its name lately as it has been literally packed with boats trolling in every direction. The trick with fishing this spot is the same as every spot: find the bait and you will find the fish. BAY Flathead are a great target this time of year. A good starting point is to drift with whitebait or cast 5” soft plastics around Shoal Bay and Corlette. The bay break wall is producing rat kingies, and hopefully some bigger ones will arrive soon. On the rougher days when the swell is up it is definitely worth hitting Little Beach Jetty and the break wall for snapper. I have seen photos of some thumpers lately around the 7kg mark. Fish whole squid or bonito fillet and definitely expect to put a few hours in, as they are not the sort of fish you should expect to catch every day. BEACH Stockton Beach has had very good numbers of

The marlin fishing out wide has been excellent so far this season. whiting on it during the day. Fish an hour either side of high tide in a nice gutter with live or fresh beachworms and you’re in with a very good chance of going home with a bucketful. Most of the mulloway on the beach are only

undersize soapies and are taking beachworms. Remember the new size limit for mulloway is 70cm. Anna Bay and Fingal Beach have been holding good numbers of whiting, just remember to fish around high tide with beachworms.

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Wild Harris Creek smoked trout pate with toast COOKING

Jamison Godfrey

Nicole and I took the kids fishing today with the intention of catching some red cod or some Tassie flathead, which I was planning on smoking and doing something with, but

to our surprise Nic ended up catching 1lb trout! This creek meets the beach with very deep channels and a trout was not what we were targeting, but we’ll take it just the same! The fish was caught in the creek mouth, which is pretty much the sea, so unlucky trout I say, it smoked up beautifully!

METHOD Once the trout is filleted, remove as many bones as possible leaving the skin on. To smoke, I place some paperbark (which is available at selected spice shops or online) in a baking tray, then place a wire rack on the top of the tray, and place the trout fillets on top. Sprinkle

INGREDIENTS 1 x 450g sea trout cleaned and filleted with skin on Handful of paperbark for smoking Brown sugar and salt 250g cream cheese 100ml pouring cream A few sprigs of dill chopped Juice and zest of 1 lemon Freshly milled black pepper and salt to taste Turkish bread to toast the fillets with a little brown sugar and salt, cover with foil, place over a low heat on the stove and hot smoke for

about 10 minutes, depending on the size of your fish. When smoking fish, most people brine the fillets; this

is a cheat’s way that also gets this caramelised effect on the fillets, which adds fantastic sweet flavour! Place the cream cheese, cream, chopped dill and juice and zest of the lemon and pulse in the food processor until smooth. Flake the trout fillets in and pulse again being careful not to blitz too much, check the seasoning and you’re done! Slice some Turkish bread, toast and serve.

A surprize catch at Wild Harris Creek – a 1lb trout!

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Enjoy it while it lasts CENTRAL COAST

Glenn Ellis-Helmers

March is one of my favourite months to get out on the water, regardless of what type of

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fishing I’m doing. The results are normally pretty good and the weather is easier to deal with than midsummer or midwinter. It’s simply a great time of year. Throwing around topwater lures for bream and whiting should be high on your list of things to do this month. Many of my biggest bream and whiting were caught in the earlier stages of autumn. The air may be starting to cool off but the water is still nice and warm, and the fish are enjoying it while it lasts. Surface lures of all shapes and sizes will interest bream and whiting, but I have had some truly memorable sessions when casting oversized lures around 100-120mm. Yes this is big, but even average size fish will have a go and some real beasts will crunch it as well. Some of them come up and belt it so hard you would think a kingfish was having a go rather than a bream. These bigger lures work best when the wind puts some decent chop on the water.

Rock platforms like this at Norah Head are well worth fishing this month, especially for bonito and kingfish. A number of mulloway were caught in Brisbane Waters, Broken Bay and Lake Macquarie over the summer months. The good news is that autumn is just as good if not better for these prized fish. Some people just get lucky and catch a few jewfish while chasing bream or flathead, but most anglers will have to

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BEACHES Beach fishing should remain very much the same as last month. We did have endless days of strong northeasterlies that made it difficult to fish the afternoons and evenings, but these onshore winds normally ease off in March. It should now be easier to target mulloway, tailor or salmon from the beaches. During the day the calmer conditions will also make it easier to cast light baits into the gutters closer to shore for whiting or dart. While most dart that show up on the central coast are only bait-stealing pests, a few of them are big enough to enjoy catching, and the whiting can be a very good class of fish. You really shouldn’t have much trouble catching whichever species you chase this month. And even if they aren’t biting, it’s still great to be out there and enjoying some nice autumn weather.

Plenty of bream can be caught at this time of year on a variety of baits and lures, but this is one of the better months if you like casting topwaters. put in the hours with quality baits or suitable lures at the prime times. Most of the time that means right on the tide changes early in the morning or at night. Also in our estuaries this month will be the usual flathead, blackfish and so on. Some prawns and blue swimmer crabs should be there for a while yet, too. PELAGICS Of course the big talk at this time of year is marlin and other smaller pelagic fish that come with the warm currents. Marlin were caught on the wider grounds last month, mainly small blacks and stripes, and they will still be out there this month. The occasional small black has

also turned up much closer to shore, mainly off Terrigal and Avoca, but most anglers only just see them near the boat or get busted off on their snapper gear. Hopefully a few close encounters will happen this month and you’ll be prepared! ROCKS The keen central coast rock anglers are out and about with their spinning tackle right now, as this is one of the better months for bonito and frigate mackerel. Live baiting with a yakkas, garfish or squid off the rocks will hopefully result in kingfish now as well. Most of our deeper rock spots are worth live baiting, but South Avoca, Wybung Head and Frazer Park are amongst the better ones for kings. Other fish like bream and tailor are well worth chasing from the rocks if you prefer a more laidback approach. Blackfish are also available year round so if you can’t catch much else, try for them on the weedy ledges.

Braydon Jamieson extracted these two bass from the Hawkesbury River – on spinnerbaits and surface lures over the Christmas break. Thanks Santa!

Get into fantastic fishing SWANSEA

Jason Scerri jayro@hotmail.com.au

Sometimes you need to pinch yourself to make sure it’s real and that often happens when you live here at Lake Macquarie. I never get tired of seeing the gorgeous water colours along Swansea channel, and the great thing is that the fishing isn’t too bad either. To be honest, lately the fishing has been fantastic and so has the weather. It’s all happening here at the moment with a good kingfish run for another season, plenty of bream on the flats, whiting schools hammering surface lures and the marlin bite in full swing. And that’s just the start of it! The good news is that the fishing should stay this way for a little while still. OFFSHORE Offshore fishing is HOT at the moment for our local anglers. I generally start off my report with the lake action but this month it’s all about the offshore scene and those stick-face fish (marlin) we love to

Water temps are now well up over the mid 20s. Baitfish such as slimy mackerel are plentiful and so are gamefish such as marlin, sharks and mahi mahi. The Fisheries FADs have plenty of mahi mahi action although the fish are mainly undersize. Still, they are great fun on bream gear, and there’s always the chance of a bigger fish. A drifted live yakka will often do the trick. For those wanting marlin you basically have two options. You can troll a spread of skirted gamefishing lures or you can slow troll live slimy macks on a circle hook around the bait balls. The Car Park off port Stephens is a prime place for this method but be warned it’s called the Car Park for a good reason. Most anglers chasing marlin these days are happy to take a quick few photos and send these fish back on their way to fight another day. If you’re new to the sport the idea of putting in all this effort and money to catch one fish only to let it go may sound a bit crazy, but once you experience the thrill of fighting one of these beasts you will find

Kingfish are running well this season. catch during the warmer months off our East Coast. At this time of year they can be found feeding on bait balls, sometimes in shallow waters only 20-30 fathoms. This makes for some great fishing for the trailerboat anglers who can’t reach the wide grounds of the Shelf and Canyons. In saying that, it is still very important to keep an eye on the weather and put safety first, even when the bite is not far offshore. The bite at the moment has seen action for our fleet of boats as far south as Terrigal and as far north as Port Stephens and everywhere in between.

it much more satisfying to swim them and see them off for next time when you’re on the big blue. LAKE The Lake is fishing equally as hot as our offshore waters. Some fantastic kingfish are being taken from the Swansea bridge area and also within the lake itself. Remember that kingfish love structure so things like bridges, channel markers and so forth are their thing, and this is where you will have the best chance of getting into a few. There are plenty of rats in the mix but also no shortage of quality kings to 85cm being landed

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w w w. d i z z ys c e n t . c o m . a u My wife Caroline with a fat 34cm bream that fell for a new Pro Lure S36. on drifted live squid. Some anglers are also seeing great results trolling live squid off a downrigger. Those anglers looking for a nice feed of fresh fish will love to know that the whiting are going crazy over surface lures. This action should continue as long as this hot weather and a warm water lasts. Damiki Umpa poppers are working well, and clear colours in all brands are again proving very popular. Whiting to 40cm are being taken, and on light gear in 1-2ft of water this makes for some very exciting fishing. There are also good numbers of bream in the shallows with 30-36cm fish very common, and some real thumpers to the magical 40cm mark also being encountered. Straight through fluoro line is very effective for this style of fishing as the waters are very clear. The transparent fluoro line makes the lure appear very natural, and the fish are less likely to be spooked. Shallow running hardbody lures are the go for this style of fishing, with the new Pro Lure S36 doing well for us on our recent trips. Bait anglers have been hooking into plenty of bream as well. Drifting through shallow areas with your bait suspended under a float just above the weed is producing the goods and it’s not much trouble to get a quick bag of solid bream doing so. Some great flathead have been landed as well, and I’ve had more than a few nail my shallow running hardbody lures while I’ve been chasing bream on the

flats. Bait anglers have found some nice flathead in the deep hole of Pulbar Island and also drifting through Belmont Bay. Just remember that if your bait is not on the bottom you’re wasting your time. You need just enough lead to be sure it’s bouncing along the seabed and you will see some great flatties. Squid action in the lake has been pretty crazy this past month and I expect it to continue. They are abundant throughout the lake with great numbers from the Swansea channel and even well into the lake. I usually drift one out the back while I’m lure fishing. If you do this you’ll get a tasty feed of salt and pepper squid in no time at all. Just a reminder that we have opened our new tackle shop at Unit 1/396 Pacific Hwy, Belmont. For trading hours and updates check out our website at www. jayrotackle.com.au.

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Pelagics terrorising baitfish THE HAWKSBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

This time of year has to be my favourite on the Hawkesbury, with big bluenose bream usually making an appearance in the lower reaches as the

though, and the dry season we have experienced has seen a few decent specimens caught in the upper tidal reaches between lower Portland and Ebenezer on lures and live prawns. A lot of the big 40cm+ bream we encounter are bycatch when targeting flathead and mulloway

The smaller creeks and tributaries are still fishing well with cicada-style surface lures for bass. days get shorter and the water temps start to cool off. Bream in general have been noticeably absent throughout summer though, and this is rumoured to be from the lack of oysters being farmed and grown naturally due to diseases killing off these fragile bivalves. It’s hard to put the bream’s absence down to one factor

on lures and baits from Wisemans Ferry down to Broken Bay at this time of year. The best places to try for these stud bream are on the abundant natural rock walls and broken reef like Bar Point, Pumpkin Point and the mouth of Marramarra Creek in Berowra. Soft plastics are my favourite for searching an

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area quickly, and over the years I’ve found that 2”, 3” and 4” minnows and grubs in natural colours fished on 2-7g jigheads have proven themselves. Tight casts to the back edge of isolated boulders or anything that breaks the current and forms eddies (such as bridge pylons and marker poles) are prime locations for bream to ambush from. If you are after that trophy fish I would suggest keeping your leader strength around 6- 8lb and regularly check for any nicks and abrasion from the rocks and barnacles. It’s these little bits of attention to detail that will help you land that big one when it finally bites. FLATHEAD Flathead have been consistent over the summer months with lure fishing being the most productive approach. Whether it be casting or trolling, you are covering water and presenting your offering to new fish constantly. Sitting at anchor can bring some reasonable catches with fresh bait and a steady berley trail but a slow drift with lightly weighted baits can be dynamite, especially on those days where the wind is against the tide and anchoring is near impossible. As it gets later in the season I have found it pays to think outside the square a little. On a recent flathead foray the fish were not where I expected them to be, such as on the drop offs and creek mouths on the run out tide. We had cast soft plastics on a drift across a substantial drop-off for only the one keeper and continued along a nearby rock wall where a further 10 keeper flathead were boated in just a few hundred meters as the lures were hopped off the harder substrate and onto the sand at the base of the wall. Snags were commonplace but necessary as we had to get those lures onto the bottom where the flatties were waiting in ambush.

PELAGICS Kingfish, bonito, frigate mackerel and mac tuna have been terrorising baitfish around Cowan, Pittwater and Broken Bay of late. Small metal slices and clear soft plastic minnows wound as fast as possible will get you a bite when the frigates and macs are being fussy. I like to troll live baits for the bigger kingfish and bonito but plenty of guys are doing well trolling a spread of small skirts and bibbed minnows around the headlands. Live yellowtail are my pick of the baits as you can secure a tankful in around an hour when they are cooperative. Nose hooked or bridled with a strong, small, non-offset hook and rubber band will have them behaving seductively on the downrigger or flat line.

Broken Bay and Pittwater have produced some good kingfish like this 85cm specimen caught by Sam and Lauren. Live baits are still easy to obtain and are a great proposition when the tide is running as you can still keep an offering in their face. However, you may find it more productive to drift and cast soft plastics when the tide slows down. Paddle-tail shads and stickbaits from 3-7” on 3-14g

jigheads will cover the many scenarios the Hawkesbury has to offer. The key is to select the right plastic/jig combination for the area being fished. As a general rule, 1g of jig weight per 1m of water being fished should give you a steady sink rate without plummeting to the bottom.

School jew are highly sought after and take a lot of patience to work out. Focus your efforts around the tide changes for best results. MULLOWAY Jewfish are back on the hit list and some respectable fish have fallen to live baits and lures recently. The fish are back in the estuary and looking to put on some condition before the chill of winter sets in.

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EPs will begin to school up toward the end of the month from Windsor to Wisemans ferry. Use soft plastics and small vibes worked deep on the rock walls.

Michael Abel recently landed this 24kg jew – a fish of a lifetime for most anglers.

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Soft plastic bite kicks off SYDNEY NORTH

Darren Thomas

With the temperatures cooling off this month we will begin to see some interaction of warm and cool water species. Some trevally will move into our estuarine waters and the late run of bonito will continue. Local angler Jim Hudson has been

months as they have done in previous years. These fish can be targeted right up the back of our systems during the colder months with lures, plastics and live baits with reasonable success. This month is very popular with the mulloway brigade, who are hitting their species with soft plastics in the Harbour and Pittwater. These fish are a year-round option with

A hefty bull mahi mahi caught by Dave Rothwell. catching some cracker sized bonnies lately. Kingfish populations will soon begin to thin out but some larger models will stay throughout the colder

baits and lures, but this month seems to really kick off the soft plastic bite. In my experience, plastics from 3” to 7” in all brands are successful in and around

the new moon. The bite is hottest right now, with some guys finding anything that floats to get out to their favourite spot. The offshore scene is still providing plenty of reports after the Port Stephens Interclub, with small blacks still on the chew off Sydney. Steve Metz fished with Dan Hill to land a small black of around 45kg. The guys dropped a blue marlin as well as catching some small mahi mahi (dolphinfish) and striped tuna. It was quite a successful trip, and all were taken on small skirts in 70 fathoms off Broken Bay. There will still be plenty of mahi mahi around this month while the warm waters are about. Mainly smaller fish have been recorded lately, but they’re in very good numbers which is a great sign for years to come. One exception to the rule was Dave Rothwell’s fish (see photo hereabouts). For the land-based rock angler, some good fish are around this month. The bonnies are still on and there are some good tailor and salmon to be spun up. Wash fishermen

are berleying hard in the clear water, catching plenty of luderick and snapper. Jason Wiles was doing the unweighted pilly tail thing and landed a 5kg mulloway off North Curly in the suds. Not the species you’d expect to come from the wash but a sweet bycatch anyway. Our inshore estuaries are still hitting their straps as the seasons change. Clontarf, Chinamans Beach, Quarantine and Roseville have good flathead and bream on the chew and once again plastics appear to be the common denominator. Davey Wells drifts around on his kayak casting at structure for bream, and he generally has a ‘loose sleeper’ out the back which accounts for most of his flathead.

Steve Metz with a small Sydney black marlin.

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Jim Hudson with a good sized bonito.

Some good whiting can be had off the flats this month. As the water temperatures decrease so will number of fish, but the sizes do increase so be sure to keep fishing topwater lures and bait for these fish. We’re getting some absolute elbow-slappers coming in on poppers, stickbaits and beachworms. Our kayak brigade is continuing to succeed in catching fish: a 70cm flathead from Narrabeen Lake, a 90cm kingfish from Pittwater and 1m+ jews from the Harbour are some of the species caught recently. One of our ever popular spots, The Spit, is currently undergoing a fair size expansion. The extra boat traffic through the Bridge is being heavily monitored so be very aware of the 4 knot signs and save yourself some dosh. It just might by you some nice new kit.

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Adam Caruana landed these two bream in Budgewoi Channel on 2 inch Z-Man grubs on his trusty Starlo Stix combo. At night!

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It’s Kingfish Central PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Over the last month we once again saw a lot of kingfish caught on

Pittwater and along our coast. Unfortunately most have been small but there is still the odd good fish around to keep you on your toes. The better way to catch a kingfish on Pittwater has

Rizzo with a wonderful kingfish that ate a live squid along The Kingfish Highway.

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been to catch a few fresh squid and downrig the various structures along the river. Once the kingies have been found it’s a matter of dropping a jig, soft plastic or squid strip to hook up a few of his mates. Most fish are undersized but they are great fighters, especially on the lighter tackle. The areas to catch them have varied from day to day but downrigging live squid amongst the moorings should see you tangle with a fish or two. The bigger fish still seem to be hanging around the Careel Bay through to Mackerel Beach area. Barrenjoey Head and West Head are also seeing a fair bit of activity. Schools of slimy mackerel and yellowtail have been showing on the surface periodically, and under or around them have been kingfish and samsonfish as well as the odd trevally. Flathead have been pouncing on soft plastics when fishing the shallows on a dropping tide. As the tide decreases and with flathead moving back into the deeper water, a wellplaced cast into the shallows will often see an enquiry from off the drop-off. If you want to dangle a bait and drift, The Hill has been working well (The Hill is the drift from Towlers Bay entrance to Taylors Point). For those who stop off and buy some live bloodworms or nippers there are decent whiting on the sand at Palm Beach, Lovett Bay and Towlers Bay. Drift the deeper water at Towlers Bay for best results, but be prepared to lose a heap of nippers to undersized pickers.

This samsonfish ate a downrigged live squid that was placed 1 metre from the bottom. Squid are scattered throughout Pittwater at the moment and most areas have one or two to play with. The better colour at the moment seems to be the flashy jigs in the 2-2.5g sizes. Areas to try are at

it’s absolute heaven. Once again this year there are varying currents and eddies along our coast and there have been captures of mahi mahi (dolphinfish) in 30m of water off Barrenjoey Headland, free jumping

Tamika joined her dad to catch her first kingfish. Towlers Bay, Morning Bay, Portuguese Beach, The Basin, Mackerel Beach and Palm Beach weed beds. It’s well worth the effort, trust me. REEF AND OFFSHORE Offshore the seas have been rather rough on most days but on those good days

marlin off Warriewood and some big flying fish for them all to chase. If you get out on the right day you can be snapper fishing in 30m of water and be in with a real chance of a dollie or billfish hitting your live bait under a balloon.

The reef fishing on the bottom has been a tricky affair. The surface currents have been very warm but the water on the deeper water reefs has still been cold. I am sure it will change soon but at the moment we are catching big morwong at the Trap Grounds off Broken Bay instead of snapper and pearl perch. The deeper water grounds as mentioned are producing big morwong, small reef flathead, nannygai and there is still the odd patch of teraglin about. The better baits have been pilchards or fresh squid. Take out extra sinkers with you as the leatherjackets are starting to show up again. I hope this report sees you getting out on the water to enjoy the company of friends and family. • Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www.estuaryfishingcharters. com.au

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n o e b o t t n Wa f o r e v o C the ? y l h t n o M Fishing

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Do you love your monthly issue of Fishing Monthly? Do you think it’s about time you were on the cover of it? Well, we think that too and are offering readers the chance to do just that. The June, July and August issues of Queensland, NSW and Victoria/Tasmania FMs will all feature readers’ pics on the front covers. And there’s no reason why it can’t be you... Entry is simple. Email us your cover-worthy pic. Remember, though, that it needs to be the right composition and resolution to work. After that, it just needs to get through the Grumpy Old Men committee (of Steve Booth and Steve Morgan) and then BOOM, you’re the latest cover model.

Be creative - we like images that aren’t just ‘person holding fish’. • • • • • •

Other parameters of which you need to take note: Portrait format (turn camera on its side). Leave enough room for a magazine masthead at the top of the image. Shoot in the highest resolution your camera can take. Use fill-in flash to help remove any shadows under caps or biminis. Live fish look way better than dead ones. Any fish must be legally captured (within season/size limits).

Head not too high in the shot to allow for Masthead Portrait format showing focus area

And then email your image to: frontcovercomp@fishingmonthly.com.au with a description of the what/when/where/how of the capture. Be sure to include your details, too, because we’ll post out a framed copy of the winning covers to the entrant.

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For full terms and conditions, please refer to www.fishingmonthly.com.au/frontcovercomp MARCH 2014

A season of PBs SYDNEY HARBOUR

Craig McGill craig@fishabouttours.com.au

Sydney Harbour kingfish are getting bigger and bigger every year. Recently we cracked our two biggest fish in Fishabout’s 22 years of guiding: an 18kg fish followed the next day by a 22kg monster. THE FISH THAT RUINED CHRISTMAS One of the downsides of big kings is that they tend to be more prone to infection by the kudoa parasite. It’s not common in the Sydney region (I’ve only ever experienced two amongst literally thousands of fish) and it seems to be virtually nonexistent in smaller fish of 10kg and under. Still, there are some large fish that do carry it, and both my customer and I found that out the hard way when we served up portions of the bigger fish at Christmas dinner. When the kudoa parasite dies it releases

an enzyme that reacts to the heat of cooking. Once cooked, a fish infected with kudoa turns into a hideous mush, with the consistency of mashed potato and the flavor of barbecued dog poo. It’s a truly horrible experience. As I said, it’s a very rare occurrence from Sydney and further south but becomes more common as you move north, to the point where it becomes so common in the Gold Coast region that kingfish are no longer on the menu. Fortunately the parasite is completely harmless to humans. Naturally, if we had known the fish was infected we would have happily released it. Unfortunately there were absolutely no warning signs. The fish fought long and hard and looked to be in top condition. The flesh of the fillets appeared perfectly normal to the point where my customer reported that it made great sashimi. Fish of this size are becoming more common

in Sydney Harbour, so any anglers persevering with tackle from the ‘rat king’ era of the 1990s and early 2000s are going to find themselves horribly under-gunned. During the period from the mid-1980s to early 2000, fish in the 60cm bracket were in plague proportions. There didn’t seem to be much under that size and if you caught a couple of fish over 80cm in a season you’d be pretty chuffed. Then, within a decade of the removal of commercial kingfish traps, I started to notice that a couple of things were changing. Firstly, I was filleting more and more fish on the deck of my boat as my filleting board seemed to be getting smaller. My filleting knife was getting shorter every year and no longer able to span the width of the average kingfish fillet. My icebox was getting

Fish of this size are becoming more common in Sydney Harbour, fishing. They are great rod holders but are only rated to about 8kg. I learnt the hard way after seeing six of my best outfits heading for the bottom with the rod holder still attached. I must point out that it was my fault as I was pushing them way beyond

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With fish like this around, you need to ensure your gear is up to the task. smaller and my plastic rod holders perishing and being regularly torn from the gunwale. The average kingfish was getting rapidly bigger by the year. ROD HOLDERS The Gillies/Roberts style plastic rail-mount rod holders are no good for king

their abilities. The problem first emerged when we went up to braid. Heavier braking strain and no stretch was more than the holders’ stem could take. Flush-mount stainless steel holders will do the job strength-wise but they are not ideal as they are

primarily designed for trolling. When you are fishing straight down below the boat a vicious strike will pull a severe angle into the rod. Strong glass rods with solid clear tip might handle this but you can say goodbye to your high modulus graphite. My rod holders are custom made and very simple. They consist of an aluminum tube slightly larger than the rod, welded to the coaming or rail at an inclination just above horizontal. There is a T-shaped slot cut along the top front that the stem of an eggbeater reel keys into, effectively locking the outfit in place. These holders lock the rod in securely, and it’s easy to remove the rod and also to set it at the right angle to absorb hard strikes. Best of all, I haven’t lost a rod since having them installed. REELS Eggbeaters are my first choice and you can’t go past a big Fin-Nor Offshore 6500 to 8500. They are indestructible and will fish alongside the likes of Stella and Saltiga. Eggbeaters work for straight down bait fishing, casting unweighted live

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If you want to maximize your hook-up rate, use a lighter trace – 40lb for smaller fish and 60-80lb for bigger fish.

squid at structure or heavy lure fishing the likes of a 9” Slug-go, and heavy metal casting and jigging. With modern braids, capacity is no issue and they have a drag range to get the best out of any line class from 20-30kg. I’ve got one Offshore 6500 which is now in its third season of charter fishing with virtually no maintenance other than a wash down and occasional spray with WD40. It’s running as good as the day it came out of the box which is truly remarkable. RODS A 6’6” rod will give you a bit extra push for casting, and enough reach to keep the line off the boat/motor when your king inevitably takes a lunge under. I’m running both the Fin-Nor Offshore jig sticks in both 50lb and 80lb and the new Garry Howard Offshore Extreme rods, both of which match up well with the above mentioned reels. LINE Braid is the way to go overall, despite the tangles and the occasional pulled hook on short lines. Spool up with 50lb or 80lb. My theory is you don’t have to use it all but it offers greater abrasion resistance and you can crank it up if you need to. As I said earlier, capacity is not an issue anymore. I use Sufix Performance braid in this line class. TRACE Your leader is inevitably going to get dragged over rough surfaces so fluorocarbon is the obvious choice. I would use 60-80lb for bigger kings (depending on terrain) and 40lb for smaller fish. The compromise with trace weights is in hook-ups, and experience has shown that you will definitely get more hook-ups when using lighter trace. • If you are interested in doing a guided fishing trip on Sydney harbour with Craig McGill please call 0412 918 127 or email craig@fishabout.com.au.

HAWK FISHING • FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION

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FINS SCALES & TAILS by A. Both

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winner for January was J Strawns of Dubbo, who won a Contour Roam2 plus Outdoor Mounts. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND THE BLACK MAGIC C-POINT WINNERS BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The Find the Black Magic C-Point Hook prize winners for January were B Johnson of Blaxland, B Mannering of Leumeah, J Stranner of Rose Bay, G Foster of Evatt, G Minett of Taree, L Nipperess of Umina Beach, S Roweth of Millthorpe, S Mulcahy of Taree, W Olsen of Sans Souci, A Grcic of Raymond Terrace, G Sanson of Boronia Park, C Carter of Richmond, R Allen of Dungog, D Jones of Bathurst, I Dando of Tuggerawong, I Berzins of Bateau Bay, C Wheatland of Wentworthville, S Horan of Orange, V Dimento of Punchbowl, G Tasker of Belfield, C De Boer of Valentine, C West of Dapto, M Kelly of Waratah West, D Simpson of Nambucca Heads, K Durham of Erskine Park, S Grove of Wauchope, D Keen of Minnamurra, G Waugh of Greystanes, C Leggett of Stanford Merthyr, B Templeton of Sawyers Gully , J Neilson of Rochester, M Harris of Moorebank, G Stanfield of Dural, P Burrell of Peakurst, N Moody of Sans Souci, J Smith of Kelso, D Worthington of Tenambit , R Webster of Booral, T Kennedy of Summerland Point, T Jones of Ngunnawal , N Webster of Kurrajong Heights, L Lawson of Kingswood, J Thompson of Ermington, C Ramage of Davistown, L Wicks of Forbes, P Sealey of Abbotsford, S Davis of Emu Plains, J Neven of Bombala, D Craig of Goulburn, B Cooke of Nabiac, who each won a packet of Black Magic C-Point Hooks valued at $5.95! Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND THE C-POINT JANUARY LOCATIONS G & N by Michael Hardy

The answers to Find the Black Magic C-Point Hook for January were: 9, 14, 19, 26, 32, 38, 46, 48, 59, 60, 62, 66, 76, 79, 87 – NSWFM

FIND-A-WORD WINNER Congratulations to W. J. Keeley of Glen Davis, who was last month’s winner of the Hawk Tournament Find-a-Word Competition! Monthly winners receive Hawk Tournament Tested Bayer Perlon IGFA line, assorted Panther Martin lures, Youvella hooks and a keyring. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – NSWFM 2

• DECEMBER 2010

MARCH 2014

Getting stuck into whiting SYDNEY ROCKS

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com

March signifies the start of migrational movements for some species. By the end of the month you’ll see surface schools of mullet and bream, along with increased numbers of whiting and bigger tailor on the beaches. The mulloway and kingfish will be following these species that are schooling up for their spawning run. The king season off the

thrown in. They were up to 2kg, which isn’t huge but it’s a great size for the table. Peeled prawns (tiger, blue-tail or banana) work a treat. My clients that day caught 11 good luderick to near 1kg. Most of the fish were caught on the shallow water high tide flats of Long Reef, 10 on hair weed and just one on cabbage weed. On the shallows, fish 30-60cm under the float. A few nice catches of bream have been coming from the shallow headlands like Long Reef and Little Blue in Manly. Deeper headlands

aerodynamic casting. For the washes, larger baits certainly work better. Half to full pilchards, fresh slimy mackerel fillets, unsalted striped tuna and squid strips all work well. Berley can be important to entice the fish, and you can expect a bycatch of salmon, bream, small kings and more. When you’re snapper fishing try taking two outfits, one for the washes and the other for distance casting. For the washes, take a 6-10kg rod (I recommend a 12-13’, 6-8kg Live Fibre from Wilsons), and

setup as well. For more comprehensive information on snapper outfits – but more importantly the locations, techniques and conditions to fish – send me an email for a guiding trip. That includes any of the species mentioned, and more. BEACHES The beaches have been productive for anglers fishing the right tides and times. The whiting are in good numbers with catches of up to 20 fish from just over the legal 27cm mark to 41cm. I saw one angler with a whiting that may have gone 45cm; it looked to be at least 850g. The best location appears to be the North Narrabeen area, with all beaches producing whiting in variable numbers. It is worth getting there extra early – say, one hour before sunrise – with a high tide around sunrise to a few hours after. Have you ever gone down to the beach and flicked a bait in only 30-60cm of water just before dawn and got stuck into the whiting? It’s a great experience! Hooking a 35cm+ fish on 2-4kg line and a light rod is just magic!

A few nice catches of bream have been coming from the shallow headlands. When chasing whiting it’s not uncommon to encounter salmon, trevally, flathead, bream and the occasional school or sizable mulloway. All of these fish will pick up a live beachworm, tubeworm or bloodworm. Other beaches worth investigating include mid to north Palm Beach, Bungan,

Middle Head areas as you would an ocean rock spot: with caution! There are whiting coming from the back sand flats at North Harbour at night. Clontarf dog beach has some at night as well, and in the early hours. Use smaller worms for the best results. Bloodworms are the preferred bait but

From left to right: 5yo Andrew, Vince, 7yo Masssimo, myself, Mat, and 10yo Sam. rocks has been pretty ordinary. You’ll get the odd day when the kings seem to be prolific but the next day you’re back to getting only undersized fish. All you can do is keep trying! If you focus solely on kingfish, and put in a consistent effort, you will maximise your chances of catching them. The rock blackfish are in good numbers, with trevally and silver drummer thrown in. I had some clients out for a luderick fish and there were a few anglers getting into the pigs in good numbers close by. The clients caught 12-15 fish with some silver drummer

like Bluefish and Flat Rock at South Curl Curl are producing some good bream bags towards and after dark. Snapper are still around in reasonable numbers. There are no large fish to report, but reasonable specimens around 900g-1kg are being caught in the washes and distance casting. Bluefish and Bangally Head (the North Avalon side especially) have some good reds. When distance casting you should use a robust bait. Squid strips, cuttlefish strips, and salted striped and slimy mackerel fillet are good for

a reel that suits the medium mount rod, such as an Excella 4000 with 8kg mono like Platypus, Superflex or Tortue. These lines can handle the abrasion a little better than the softer monos. Alternatively you can use an Alvey with the low reel mount. A 600 to 650 will suit. For a good distance casting outfit, throwing weights up to 150g, I recommend using a 13’ Live Fibre 8-12kg rod matched to a Windcast 5500 or Emblem 5500. Line-wise, a good option is 30lb TD Sensor braid or 10-12kg mono. This is a great beach jewfish

The author with a 6.250kg black rock cod from Long Reef. The fish was released soon after the photo.

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MARCH 2014

Collaroy, Long Reef/Dee Why and Manly. Manly also has some good tailor activity after dark. The flathead fishing from Manly, Curl Curl and Dee Why has been producing of late with some decent fish to 55cm. The soft plastic prawns from Zerek called Live Cherabin have been catching a few flathead. Live poddy mullet and ganged whitebait are also getting a few fish. HARBOUR In the harbour there are good numbers of luderick. The Spit Bridge is producing on the northern side of the bridge, Middle Head is doing well and Dobroyd Head in North Harbour is producing quite a few also. Just remember to take in your own weed as it is prohibited to take any from this estuary system. And even though you’re in the harbour make sure you have your spike boots and treat Dobroyd and

tubeworms are good as well. Off the gas works at night there have been a few tailor caught in the early hours of the morning on ganged pillies. One of my clients, fishing independently, caught an 80cm king there on a whole fresh squid. Like the ocean rocks, there are a few undersized fish there as well. My tip is this – if you are travelling a distance and your ocean beach or rock spot is not fishable, give the harbour a go. Take a light outfit and leave the beach/rock outfits in the car. Have plan A-B-C and put in the research first. Otherwise give me a call and I’ll help you make the right decisions with skill and coordination. For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www. bellissimocharters.com, email alex@bellissimocharters.com or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

Spearfisher convicted for killing blue groper Spearing NSW’s official state fish has resulted in fines and professional costs of $3660 plus additional court costs after a man was convicted for killing six blue groper on the NSW north coast. Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Director of Fisheries Compliance, Glenn Tritton, said the blue groper was made the official state fish emblem of NSW in 1998. “It is extremely disappointing to see this type of blatant disregard for the rules, especially when blue groper have been protected from spear fishing for nearly 45 years,” Mr Tritton said. “Our Fisheries officers regularly patrol all areas of coastal NSW targeting illegal fishing of the blue groper, which has been protected from spear fishing since 1969, and

commercial fishing since 1980 in NSW. “It is protected from spear fishing because it is so tame and inquisitive, so it is highly vulnerable to this method of fishing.” The incident took place in April 2013 at Chaos Reef offshore of Evans Head. When approached by Fisheries officers the 59-year-old man from Noosaville, Queensland was found in possession of six blue groper. Further investigations by Fisheries officers revealed the man was an experienced spearfishermen and held an Australian spear fishing record in 1972. “The man pleaded guilty to two charges including taking blue groper by means other than a rod and line; possessing six blue groper when the limit is two; and possessing two blue groper

over 60cm when only one blue groper can exceed this size,” Mr Tritton said. “Blue Groper can be only fished by using a rod and line or a handline and there is a bag limit of two blue groper per day, only one of which can be longer than 60cm.” The blue groper grows to a large size and is found near inshore reefs along the NSW coast. It changes sex from female to male during its lifecycle and the largest specimens are predominantly males that are coloured bright blue from which it takes its name. Anyone witnessing any illegal fishing activity is urged to contact their local Fisheries office immediately or to call Fishers Watch on 1800 043 536 or report online at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/ fisheries. - DPI

FISHING FILL-ITS

Landbased Guide: Sydney area Well-known fishing writer Gary Brown has written a new book for the AFN Landbased series: the Landbased Fishing Guide: Sydney Area. This comprehensive, easyto-read book covers all the top landbased fishing locations – 60 in total. These include Bondi Beach, Curl Curl Beach, Manly, Middle Harbour, Lane Cover River, Watsons Bay and many more. There are detailed location guides and lots of great photos to get you started fishing a new location. The book also covers knots, rigs, bait presentation and a fish ID guide, to give you all the information you need to get out there and start fishing from beaches, piers, jetties, rivers or estuaries. It’s available now from tackle stores and online, with a RRP of $9.99. For more information visit www.afn.com.au. – Australian Fishing Network

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Berleying up a storm SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Over the past few years Botany Bay has undergone a number of changes. One of these was the extension of Port Botany, which has taken away many great fishing spots. In the northern section of the bay in this area you could get out of those northerly winds and drift for flathead while using baits or lures. It was a place that you could troll for tailor salmon and kingfish.

trevally, snapper, tailor, salmon and kingfish. Another thing you’ll need to take note of when fishing Botany Bay is that the Open Waters area starts from a line drawn from the starboard marker on Bare Island and over to Inscription Point at Kurnell. There are many great fishing spots just outside of the Open Waters area for the boating angler, and you need to remember that NSW Maritime laws are different when you venture into Open Waters. If you are not sure what you should have on board, I suggest you visit www.maritime.

This angler caught a nice tarwhine while fishing off the rocks at Cronulla. The Port Authority has also closed off another great area to boating – the area on the southeastern side of the entrance to Port Botany. It was a great place to target leatherjackets, luderick and squid, and you could also troll in close to the entrance and break walls for salmon, tailor and kingfish. To find out the details of these closures you can go to www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/ docs/maps/botanybay_front. pdf and see where you can and can’t go in a boat. The suspended fish cages adjacent to the hot water outlet and the oil wharf are also gone. These cages acted as a great fish attractant; the feeding of the caged fish brought in bream,

nsw.gov.au/sbh and click on Safety Equipment. Some of the items you need (but not all) are 2L of fresh drinking water per person, a compass and a map or chart of the area. I have heard a couple of complaints from anglers who were fined for not having these items so take five minutes and go and have a look. For those of you who fish the Port Hacking area, you too will need to have a look at the NSW Maritime maps of the Port Hacking as you may not be familiar of where the Open Waters area starts. The line is drawn between Port Hacking Point in the south and across to the southern side of the baths at Oak Park Cronulla. Check

out www.maritime.nsw.gov. au/docs/maps/porthack_ front.pdf to view the map. AUTUMN FISHING As the weather starts to cool down a bit many anglers will start to think about packing up the gear and putting it away until the start of spring. It is also a time of fewer crowds on the water due to the fact that many parents are taking their kids to soccer, footy and netball. However, for many of us this is a time when we put away the summer fishing gear and start getting the gear out to chase drummer, bream, luderick and trevally off the rocks and in the estuaries. I can’t stress enough that when you go bait fishing you will need to have some kind of berley trail going, whether you are fishing from a boat or off the shore. It could be something as simple as a small bucket of chicken layer pellets that you have brought from a produce or pet store. I buy a 40kg bag of chicken layer pellets but only take out enough for each session. If you prefer, you could mix in chopped-up pilchards or prawn heads while adding tuna oil. It all works, but

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on the run-out or run-in tides. I tend to prefer the run-out tides. Hopefully there should be a few kingfish taking live baits in these areas as well. Squid, yellowtail, garfish and slimies will do the job. If you can’t catch any of these try using an Alvey bait trap to catch yourself a few poddy mullet. Kurnell Point and Bare Island would be worth targeting luderick and drummer on a rising tide. You will just need to keep an eye on the swell while fishing off here. Luderick will have started to show up in the Port Hacking. You don’t have to

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just use green weed to be successful on the luderick – try going out to the rocks at Cronulla and getting some green cabbage. Most of the time it works just as well. The beaches from Cronulla to Greenhills will be worth a shot either early in the morning or a couple of hours before sunset for bream, trevally, salmon, tailor and whiting. I have found the best three baits are pink nippers, beachworms and bloodworms. If you would like more information on where to go in the southern areas of Sydney, send me an email to gbrown1@iprimus.com.au and I will try to help you out.

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I tend to keep it simple. If the current is moving a fair bit I just throw a handful in every five minutes, but if the current is slow I add water to the bucket and then throw out a handful of the now mixed up chicken pellets. The bream and silver trevally should start to congregate in certain areas of Botany Bay this month. Places worth a shot include the oil wharf, Bare Island, Monoliex Point, the end of the third runway, Silver Beach, Dolls Point Beach, Taren Point, the Cooks River break wall, and Captain Cook and Tom Uglys bridges. All of these spots will produce fish

Left: The northern side of Botany Bay has plenty of land-based spots that will produce fish. Right: You don’t need beach gear to catch bream off the beach at Cronulla. This bream took a liking to a 6” Gulp Sandworm.

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Mystery mix in March ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

March is the best fishing month of the year. The weather is great, the ocean is warm and it is swarming with fish. There’s no better time to take the kids out fishing because you can almost guarantee a heap of fun. The harbours are the best spots for land-based anglers, with bream and flatties in the mornings and afternoons when the crowds are fewer and the fish bite better. Bait is always productive but you can introduce the kids to the world of high-speed tuna off the rocks in the form of those feisty little frigate mackerel that buzz the harbours at this time of year. High tide is generally the best because they like that greater water depth. Combine this with a light spinning outfit with 3kg line and a very small shiny/ chrome lure (it’s one of the

are even better here as there are salmon, bonito and kings in the mix as well. Kiama Harbour fires too and you are higher up so you can see them coming from a long way off. OFF THE ROCKS For the bigger boys the rocks are firing all along the coast, particularly the deeper ledges around the Kiama area with live baits scoring mac tuna to 8kg and some solid kingfish if you can stay in contact. Live frigates are the main bait to bring the kings undone while yakkas and slimies work for the mac tuna. The tough part is all the salmon that steal the livies first. The big extra at this time of the year are the longtail tuna that come though. They are always over 20kg so keep that live bait out at all times as they can come through at any time of the day and they really go. If you set your sights a little lower, there are heaps of salmon and bonito all along the coast grabbing lures and pillies, and a few nice snapper

Every year a few stray cobia find their way down the coast. They usually mix in with the yellowtail kings but sometimes can be found cruising around with a few mates. few times plastics are not the best) and you are in business. More often than not you will see them come in schools, so just cast ahead of the school and wind like crazy. When they are in the mood, hook-ups will come regularly. Frigates take off like rockets and really give the kids a workout as they peel off quite a bit of light line, something flatties and bream just can’t do in the same manner. They also fight all the way back. After a successful session, you can use your fresh frigate to catch bream, flatties and who knows what else. Bellambi Harbour can be standing room only when they are on because the mulloway anglers like them for bait as well. Wollongong is always good and less crowded, Port Harbour along the break walls and even in at the ramp and Shellharbour has them too on the little break wall. And over at Beaky Bay near the gravel loader you can find them churning in the thousands, particularly if you get a southerly through after a northeaster. The benefits

and pan-sized reddies in the evenings on pillies and fresh mackerel fillets. A few drummer are showing up in the washes and the blackfish will be travelling all along the coast towards the end of the month. Cabbage weed is the key at this time. The usual bream and trevally in the washes are always partial to small pieces of tuna. BEACHES The beaches are firing as well with just about anything on the cards. Whiting are at their peak in numbers and size but beachworms are a must for a serious attempt. Salmon are on all the beaches, you just have to pick a good gutter, throw in a pilchard and they will come. Tailor are on the bite with some solid fish on the northern beaches. The hour after sundown is as always the best time for them because as the sky gets darker the bigger predators move in, and they like tailor too. Mulloway are about, although there hasn’t been much news of big fish lately. The schoolies are biting but

you will have to put in the time for regular results, while that stray is always on the cards when chasing the other fish. Sharks are a bit of a problem at this time of the year so take plenty of extra hooks for when the whalers move in. Bream are gathering along the rocks at the ends of the beaches and there have been quite a few dart about of late just to make you think you have a big bream. LAKE AND RIVER Bream are picking up in the lake as well, and forget about your lures if you really want to catch some big ones. Grab a tuna or bonito, cut the firm flesh into 2cm cubes and keep the rest for berley. You’ll want to find a spot with a bit of cover and depth, preferably out of the main current in the main channel. Along the edges of the weed beds is always a good option. Put the anchor down and deploy your berley in a small but constant stream. Don’t even think about putting a bait in the water for at least half an hour. Finally, put on one of the cubes and cast it just out in the berley stream and leave the bail arm open. I didn’t mention a sinker because you don’t use any weight at all. Now enjoy the fun! A few live prawns go well too at the end of the session to get the fish that get a bit cagey. Live prawns work well over the entrance sand flats for whiting and flathead too but plastics cover a lot more area for the flatties. Some big fish have come in of late and they have been coming from all over the lake. Minnamurra is the same with some very nice bream in the deeper holes and around the bridges, with flatties along the whole river and whiting on the flats around the bridges and down around the entrance. OFSHORE Offshore it is humming along with all manner of species to choose from. The bottom bouncers are getting heaps of flatties all along the coast; as long as you are over sand you will pretty much catch flatties, but the recognised spots are producing the most. Over the reefs there are plenty of small to medium snapper on both bait and plastics, with plenty of morwong, pigfish, trevally, samsonfish, the odd teraglin and even a couple of stray pearl perch. On the surface there are heaps of bonito, salmon, frigate mackerel and small kings giving the baitfish a hiding all along the coast. Casting lures is fun but there are bigger fish to fry with some descent kings frequenting all the local haunts. Bellambi Bommie, The Islands, Bass Point and Rangoon are all producing

Little yellowfin like this will be mixing it with the stripies this month, and there’s always the possibility of a bigger fish. with live slimies and yellowtail doing most of the damage. If you can spin or troll up a frigate and get it out alive, the big boys will come out to play. These days the bigger fish are well educated and for the most part will clean you up pretty quickly but I like the challenge. You can get them, but using 100lb braid is like shooting your neighbour’s chooks in the pen and calling yourself a hunter. Anglers fish for the fun of it, and just pulling a big fish on heavy line is poor sport. Further offshore there are any number of sport and gamefish available with all three marlin species taking lures and livies from the close-in reefs to the shelf and beyond. The big blues will be the target for those heading wide while the blacks can be right in on the close reefs over the coming weeks before leaving us. More striped marlin should arrive at the end of the month. Sailfish, wahoo and spearfish are still a distinct possibility this month with the warm water hanging about, and there are still plenty of mahi mahi around the FADs grabbing live baits and lures. Small yellowfin tuna can show up almost anywhere, even mixing it with the striped tuna. With luck we might get

a few better fish in the mix; in the not-so-distant past, March was a top tuna time on places like Bandit and Wollongong reef, with heaps of fish to 60kg leaping out of the water smashing sauries. In close don’t be too surprised if a cobia grabs a

kingie live bait or you get a few snip-offs from spotted or Spanish mackerel. You might also pick up some of the warm water trevally like big eyes or GTs. Throw in the odd rainbow runner and amberjack, and you just don’t know what you will come up with.

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Basin shallows on fire BOMADERRY

Wes Murphy wesmurphy@bigpond.com

In the past couple of months there have been over 50 marlin taken off the tubes in Jervis Bay, with fish ranging from 38kg to 200kg+. While

Tracey Wright caught this healthy red from JB on a plastic.

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this is a great achievement for all those anglers putting in the hard yards and time out on the ledges, many of these fish have been killed for the ‘glory’! There was one report of a 100kg fish being dumped in the creek at Currarong, just to rot. If these people don’t start practicing catch and release we’ll end up with rock ledges being closed off up and down the coast. In and around the bay the winds have finally subsided, with February being one of the windiest months we’ve had in years. Squid are making a re-appearance around Murrays and Plantation, with smaller jigs being your best option. There have been decent numbers of kingfish caught in and around the northeastern corner of the Banks, but you’ll have to get the fish up quickly to avoid the sharks. The noahs are hanging around in plague proportions at the moment and are more then willing to take your catch away from you. There have been reports of good snapper south of Jervis Bay from St George Head to Green Island. Congratulations to Ulladulla Game Fishing Club, who put on a well-received tournament last month with good showings of marlin and a

Up on the shallows the whiting have been on fire, taking almost anything you throw at them. If it’s continuously moving and makes a splash, you should be in with a chance. We have finally got some of the rain we have greatly needed, and this should get the bass stirred up in the Shoalhaven River and its tributaries. A couple of keen bass guys were up past Gradys on one of the hot afternoons and reported limited numbers of smaller fish. They suspected there was too much natural food around, with the surface coming alive with baitfish just on dusk. Mulloway seem to

loitering around the river mouth at the moment with both bait and soft plastics doing the damage. Mid week seems to be the better time to find these elusive fish, as the decrease in boat traffic has them coming out actively hunting for food on the change of the tide. Over the past few months I’ve seen numerous photos, comments and videos on Facebook of how well Lake Conjola has been fishing. Sessions of up to 40 bream have been reported multiple times. The afternoon sessions look to be dominating the early morning starts, so relax and enjoy a sleep in! That’s it for another month, good times and tight lines!

$16 million for recreational fishing projects Recreational anglers are in line to hook close to $16 million worth of projects which will improve recreational fishing opportunities across NSW. The Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, made the announcement at Shark Point in Sydney with the Member for Coogee, Bruce NotleySmith, where they revealed that the funding includes $98,000 for the NSW branch of the Australian National Sportfishing Association (ANSA) to continue the successful Angel Rings Project.

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great turn out of 60 boats. Still on the tournament scene, the first round of the Southern Bream Series has been run and won with team Breamski (Steve Nedeski and Jarrod Lye) weighing in a hefty St Georges Basin bag of 4.07kg on day one and 4.22kg on day two, well ahead of second place by 1.33kg for the two-day event. In the kayak section Gladiator Tackle’s Carl Dubois took out first place with a total bag for the weekend of 4.010kg. While we’re talking about the Basin, fishing in the deep has been producing averagesized bream and good-sized flathead on slow rolled blades in the 40mm range.

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Wal Balzan with a big Basin flathead. These fish are suckers for slow rolled blades in the 40mm range.

The Angel Rings Project places life-saving buoys at popular rock fishing spots along the east coast. Ms Hodgkinson said the $16 million in funding is from the NSW Recreational Fishing Saltwater Trust and the NSW Recreational Fishing Freshwater Trust, and includes: $11.3 million for new and ongoing saltwater projects in 2013-14; and $4.5 million for freshwater programs, including $400,000 for new projects. “The announcement of $16 million worth of funding to be spent on projects that enhance recreational fishing opportunities is terrific news for the State’s one million recreational fishers,” Ms Hodgkinson said. “Projects funded from the Trusts this year include a number of fish cleaning tables and accessible fishing platforms for disabled persons, the extension of the Angel Ring project as well as a host of monitoring and research projects across the State. “These projects are directly funded by the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee, so anglers can rest assured that the fees they pay to enjoy their sport are reinvested back into worthwhile recreational fishing projects. “From the north to the south of the State, and in inland areas in between, fishing is

NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, Angel Rings Project coordinator, Stan Konstantaras, Member for Coogee, Bruce NotleySmith, and NSW Fisheries manager recreational fisheries programs, Bryan van der Walt. one of NSW’s greatest past times, and these new projects will build on a number of world-class facilities already available throughout NSW. “Since 2001, the Recreational Fishing Trusts have funded more than $130 million worth of projects to improve recreational fishing opportunities in NSW.” Mr Notley-Smith said the Angel Rings Project has grown substantially since its inception in 1994, with buoys now found in 121 locations along the coast, including in the Coogee electorate. “The angel rings are located in popular fishing spots and ANSA reports that they have assisted in 55 confirmed rescues since 1994,” Mr Notley-Smith said.

“The angel ring program is just one of the initiatives which form part of the NSW Government’s water safety measures.” Angel Rings Project coordinator Stan Konstantaras welcomed the additional funding. “This funding will allow us to maintain and expand this life-saving project that ANSA has been driving since 1994,” Mr Konstantaras said. “This will allow us to roll out more angel rings up and down the east coast and increase numbers of trackers to combat theft and vandalism.” To view the list of projects which have been allocated funding, visit www.dpi.nsw. gov.au/fisheries. - DPI

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Sussex Inlet Great white shark killer fined $18,000 A man who killed a juvenile great white shark by deliberately striking it with his boat at Sussex Inlet has been fined more than $18,000 including court costs.

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Director of Fisheries Compliance, Glenn Tritton, said the 40-year-old man from Glenbrook was found guilty of harming a

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fines serve as a warning for persons engaged in this type of behaviour. “This conviction sends a strong message that harming of our threatened species will not be tolerated – everyone needs to know the rules and ignorance is no excuse,” he said. “As apex predators at the top of the food chain, great white sharks play an important role in marine ecosystems. The low population numbers following historical exploitation, plus their low reproductive rate, long gestation and late age at sexual maturity lead to slow recovery of the great white shark population and demonstrate the need for its protection.” Information concerning illegal fishing can be reported to the Fisher’s Watch Phone Line on 1800 043 536 or at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au. - DPI

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Tide change the key NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The Narooma region has returned to some sort of normality after the school holidays. With the decrease in boat traffic the estuaries have really fired up with Wagonga Inlet and Tuross fishing excellently of late. Both systems are producing bream, mulloway, whiting and blackfish. With the water temperature around the 25°C mark, all species are having a chew, although tide times have played a significant part in getting consistent results. We’ve experienced some very big tides of late, especially around the new moon period, so fishing the tide changes has been the key.

Tuross has seen a significant increase in mulloway numbers, which is awesome news. The majority of fish are only soapies between 60-75cm but, caught on the right tackle, they’re still a whole lot of fun. Remember that mulloway sizes have increased to 70cm minimum, I’ve talked to a few anglers that have caught the smaller fish and have not realised the size increase. These fish have fallen victim to soft plastics and bait, and it’s possible to get multiple fish during a session. We managed 3 fish and lost another 2 one morning, so there’s good numbers available. Those after a feed of flatties are finding it a bit tough; you have to work through the smaller fish, you get 5 small fish to 1 legal, which can become

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frustrating. You will get a feed but you will work for it. If you’re after some sport the Tuross River is good for estuary perch and a few bream. There’s some cracking perch around 45cm to be caught, it’s just finding the right snag to fish. Smaller deeper running hardbodies and plastics fished hard against the structure is the go. In Wagonga the main basin is firing for flatties with some over 85cm being captured recently. I’ve heard of at least 8 fish over this size, which looks good for the upcoming flattie competition at the end of February, hopefully those anglers fishing the competition can get amongst them. Up stream around the racks, bream have responded well to surface lures, with smaller poppers around 40mm being ideal. You can expect a few whiting with the chance at a decent frog too. Offshore sport fishers are having a field day with marlin the main species. Black, striped and blue have been caught with striped marlin the most predominant species a present. Trolling skirted pushers anywhere from the 70 fathom line to the second drop has been the place to fish. Marlin upwards of 120kg are possible, although most are averaging 80kg which are still solid fish for this neck of the woods. Some crews have had multiple strikes per day, local game skipper Pete Davies had 5 shots at marlin in a day, which is excellent fishing. With the water around 24°C expect this marlin action to remain consistent

This is the sort of kingfish available at Montague Island at the minute. for a few weeks yet. They are getting plenty of fish north of us so all looks good. There’s also been sporadic catches of yellowfin tuna to 30kg plus a few albacore. At Montague Island the kingfish have finally woken up with some solid models being captured. Young Nick from PlayStation has got his clients onto many solid fish, mainly on live bait. These have been caught around the western side and northeast corner of Montagu Island. The place is still loaded with undersize kingfish but it’s good to see a few legal fish coming aboard most boats. I expect the kings to fire up even more this month, especially with the current pushing south, which is perfect for this fine sports fish. The better kings have responded to live slimy mackerel, which are easily available along the shoreline near the Golf Course rocks at Narooma. Jigs are getting

a few fish but the majority are undersized. There’s been a few bonito mixed in with the kings and smaller yellowfin tuna to 15kg just east of the island. I know of a few small yellowfin caught on jigs on the northeast side of the island so there’s a few there to be caught. If the kings aren’t for you then the bottom fishing has been excellent. Snapper numbers are on the increase with most switched on boats getting at least a dozen fish per session. The reds are averaging 2kg, which are solid fish and great on the plate. The fish are on most reefs although the deeper water around 50-60m off Tuross has been the pick. I’d be concentrating where the hard ground meets the gravel/sand either anchoring up or doing short drifts over it. Technique will depend on what the current and tides are doing. On the beaches the fishing is still good with bream, whiting and the occasional salmon falling

victim to the bait brigade. Whiting numbers aren’t quite as good as last month but the size seems to be increasing with a smattering of fish around 40cm mark, which are solid models for the beach. I expect the numbers to increase as the month passes on, especially around the estuary entrances like Tuross, Dalmeny and Tilba Lake. There’s a great chance at a mulloway mid-month with a cracking moon phase and tide that looks ideal for this enigmatic species. Look at either Blackfellows or Tilba beaches for your best chance. The ocean rocks have been quiet, there’s the odd salmon, bonito and smaller kingfish to be caught but you really have to work for them. I’m not too sure why it’s tough, it should be awesome, hopefully it will pick up over the next few weeks. Better ledges to try are Mystery Bay to the south and Dalmeny headland to the north.

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Cracking snapper like this 4kg fish have been readily available on most local reefs.

Pambula out punches the rest MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The local estuaries around Merimbula are firing on all cylinders with Pambula Lake just to the south being a standout. This skinny bit of water is only a puddle but, gee, it fishes well. All species are having a chew with flathead, whiting, blackfish, bream, and tailor in great numbers. The flattie fishing is the best I’ve seen for years, it’s not

better in the shallows. Once you locate them you’re in for some serious fun. The only time they have been hard to entice is when it’s calm so wait for the afternoon sea breezes. For bait anglers, live nippers fished around Shark hole will see plenty of bream and whiting. Anchoring up and using a little berley should see some solid results. Offshore the blue water scene is awesome to say the least. With the very warm water, marlin numbers are on the increase with some crews getting 5-6 shots a day. Most

Every March is the same, we get a smattering of tuna so let’s hope this season is the same. Closer to shore the kingfish have been non-existent. There’s been the odd rat caught but nothing to talk about. I don’t know why they’re not here but let’s hope it changes real soon. The bottom fishing is still good for snapper, morwong and the flattie species. Off the rocks the spin die-hards are doing pretty good on bonito and striped tuna. They are responding well to chromed slices around 30g wound flat chat. These pelagic

species like speed, so the faster you can wind generally the better. I haven’t heard of any kingfish of late but this month usually sees a few hoodlums turn up, particularly at Tura Head. If one of these is for you then live bait would be the best way to tempt one. Off the beaches it’s very slow on the pelagic front with salmon and tailor very hard to find. It may be due to the warm water in close but nearly every beach angler I have talked to is complaining about no fish. This will change in the long term but if I was fishing the beach I’d be getting some live beach worms and fresh pipi

Curtis Armour with his best flattie to date – a 82cm specimen. This fish was released after the photo. and start donging the bream and whiting that have been around for months. It’s the best whiting run seen for a long time so grab the

Andy Kolber with the type of whiting Pambula Lake is producing at the minute. They can be caught on blades, plastics and surface presentations. uncommon to get your bag in a few hours, although thankfully most anglers are only taking a feed and letting the rest go. There’s some solid fish to 70cm amongst them, but most are averaging 45cm, which are still good fish and great for the plate. When guiding there recently we’ve been averaging 30 odd legal flatties, which is nice fishing in anyone’s book. Smaller soft plastics is certainly the key to better results, bigger plastics will only catch you a handful of fish. Concentrate along the ribbon weed edges in 3-4m for best results. Those who like throwing surface lures will have plenty of fun too. The many sand flats that Pambula possesses are loaded with flathead at present; also the windier the

fish have come from the 40-fathom line and further east giving the smaller boats a real possibility of cracking a beakie. Trolling has been the most productive with a spread of skirted pushers the go, although switch baiting live mackerel has also been very effective. This method needs an organized crew for it to work but once you have it down pat watch your catch rates soar. Most of the marlin captured are stripes around 70kg with the odd better black over 100kg. I expect this marlin action to continue for quite a few weeks yet as the water north of us is exceptional. Later this month we should see a few decent yellowfin tuna to 50kg succumbing to trolled pushers.

light gear and give it a go you won’t be disappointed. Better beaches to try include North Tura (northern end), Tura main and Haycock.

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The best of the south BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsestuaryfishing@bigpond.com

The beginning of autumn is undoubtedly the best month of the year to fish the south coast, especially at Bermagui. Estuaries are firing, bass are on the chew in Brogo, Reefs are good, so are the beaches and rocks plus the game scene is fantastic. The marlin fishing is what Bermagui is famous for, and now is prime time. Calm autumn weather, good water temps and plenty of baitfish have the billfish feeding in earnest, putting on body fat for the cooler months ahead. Schools of mackerel and cowanyoung are concentrated on the Twelve

Mile Reef, attracting the predators in the form of both fish and anglers. This reef system is only 8 or so miles slightly southeast of Bermagui, making it a safe close option in which to hunt for marlin. All three species congregate here in the form of striped, black and blue, plus the lesser encountered spearfish and mahi mahi, the occasional yellowfin tuna and a host of shark species only too willing to feast on the smorgasbord on offer. Most techniques will work on marlin at this time of year so it pays to be versatile. Live baits may work one day whereas lures will produce better the next. My favourite method is switch baiting because it adds more excitement to the hunt.

For those not wrapped up in chasing gamefish there are other fun options available. Kingfish are providing plenty of activity around Montague Island with some lovely bonito mixed in with them. Like the marlin, you may have to try a few methods to find the flavour of the day. These include jigging, using live bait or strips of squid or mackerel. If catching fish for the table is your thing, the reef action is excellent. Most of the popular Four, Six and Twelve Mile Reef systems are producing a

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All season there have been good dusky flathead around Bermagui like this 65cm fish.

through to jigging plastics in varying water depths. Jigging plastics is good fun and is gaining in popularity. Along our coast there are many suitable rock platforms accessible for those who wish to chase the many smaller (and not so small) pelagics that visit our coastline. Small tuna may be encountered in the form of frigates, bonito and mac tuna, with the occasional larger yellowfin. High-speed lures from the stones is becoming more popular, putting you in with a chance at all those species plus your more common salmon, tailor and kingfish. Live baiting will also produce, usually on a larger scale, with marlin, sharks and tuna all being possible. While you’re waiting for the big bite, try some bait fishing down deeper. A host of hard-pulling rock dwellers will be only too willing to eat your bait. So you like prawning! Well, Wallaga Lake just north of Bermagui has good stock of very large prawns at the moment. With the first week in March being the lead up to the dark, things could not be better. As a result of the prawns in the estuaries, fish are all fired up as they look to condition for the cooler months ahead. Most of our systems are producing some excellent bream and flathead with most forms of angling working well. Not to be outdone, most other species are also on the chew with some very nice whiting, plenty of blackfish for the traditionalist plus many more. Now to the sweetwater of Brogo Dam. Black crickets are the flavour at the moment, providing very exciting surface activity. Whether you use them for bait or prefer artificial flies and lures, now a great time to use them. The best action comes early in the morning or (even better) late in the evening when the barometer is up.

Fish feeding in earnest TATHRA

Darren Redman djsestuaryfishing@bigpond.com

Known for its table fish, Tathra has more to offer in the form of small pelagic and light tackle gamefishing than you might expect. There’s a host of small sportfish hugging the coastline, all in reach of small boats or shore-based anglers,

salmon and tailor often making their presence felt as well. Underneath these you may find mid-water fish in the form of snapper or trevally, which are only too willing to pounce on an artificial jigged down deep. If you are shore based, the Wharf is a good starting point (just get there early to avoid the crowds). Both lures and live baits producing the goods at the Wharf. Between there and

Wapengo Lake produces exceptional bream most of the season. with large gamefish only a short distance further out to sea. It is quite possible to rack up several different species by hugging the coastline or doing some rock hopping. Species on offer include small tuna such as stripies and bonito, along with mac tuna and frigate mackerel. Kingfish,

Kianinny Bay boat ramp you’ll find many a good rock platform in which to use simular methods, with the predators regularly patrolling the fringes in search of small baitfish. If surface action is quiet there is also bait fishing to be done from the rocks, with the area being famous for its drummer and

groper fishing. Having a boat gives you more scope to go further afield. Once you leave Kianinny there are many rocky headlands to target, with the best way being to troll. Trolling allows you to cover more water to find where fish are concentrated, which is often around bait schools. Once you’ve located the fish you have several options at your disposal in the form of whether to stay on the troll or fish with jigs, lures or bait. Having a boat also allows you to go further afield if things are quiet in close. Autumn is a great time for billfish, with the warm currents bringing black and striped marlin in very close to shore as they follow the bait schools. Keep an eye out for showing schools of this bait, as this often means there is a predator in the area. You then can match the hatch, fishing with bait or lures. Either approach should produce some action. Away from the sportfishing, there’s table fare on offer for anyone wishing to target bottomdwelling species. Snapper have been in good numbers up off Goalen Head and south to White Rock, with some mid-range kingfish mixed in. Flathead are also on the chew. There are plenty of sandies out from most beaches while the tigers are out in the deeper water, where there are also some nice gummy sharks to be found. Back on shore, the Wharf has plenty to offer the kids with mackerel schools regularly showing up to keep them entertained.

We’ve had an exceptional season for whiting, both on the beaches and in the estuaries. Beaches are also worth a look as there are plenty of salmon, whiting, bream and the odd mulloway to be targeted on most of the popular beaches. Moving into the

estuaries, most of the systems in the area are firing particularly well, as fish look to feed in earnest to fatten up for the cooler months ahead. This is a great time for anglers to

Flounder are great fun for kids. There are plenty of these fish around in the warmer months.

cash in with whichever style of fishing they like best. The Bega River is fishing particularly well for both lure and bait anglers with some excellent bream and dusky flathead being taken throughout the tidal reaches. Up in the brackish to fresh sections, bass and estuary perch are making their presence felt. To the north, Wapengo Lake is having a great season with most estuarine species being encountered. In the lake drifting with baits or casting some plastics will produce plenty of flathead with the odd flounder thrown in. Over the flats bream are on the prowl, while in the channels on the low tides most species will get into the act. Berleying using striped tuna is a favoured way of finding fish. Down towards the entrance have a look at high tide as salmon schools often take shelter here, providing good sport. If you like oysters try purchasing some from the farmers at Wapengo as I can assure you they’re the best in the country.

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CENTRAL WEST MARINE & MECHANICAL PARKES 3/52 Clarinda St Parkes NSW 2870 Phone: 02 6863 5481

DOUGLAS MARINE NORTHERN BEACHES Workshop 12 RPAYC 16 Mitala St Newport 2016 Phone: 02 9997 2616

LIGHTHOUSE MOWER AND BOAT SERVICE Cnr Small St & Uralla Rd Port Macquarie 2444 Phone: 02 6581 5002

MOBY MARINE MORTDALE SYDNEY 44 Barry Ave Mortdale Sydney 2223 Phone: 02 9153 6506

DEALER ENQUIRIES WELCOME MARCH 2014

Up and at it early MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Another holiday season has been and gone, and this year the town didn’t feel as busy as it has in years past. Weather-wise, the wind has been really blowing by midday, so if you want to go fishing you should to be up and at it early. That way you will be off the water before you get blown off it, and you’ll also avoid the heat of the day (it’s no fun being on the water when it’s 40ºC). Those anglers heading offshore have had some great fun recently on the kingfish. Specimens between 80cm and 1m have featured in catches, but these fish were obviously

just passing by as the kingfish action has been nothing over the past few weeks. They will show up again as they pass by on their return trip north. Some great gummy sharks are being caught, with most boats returning home with a feed of fish. The best area has been out around Gabo Island. Sand flathead and tiger flathead have been biting well, with some great catches of good size fish being reported. Once again the holiday period saw a couple of boats come unstuck on the bar, but luckily no one was hurt. The end of the month will see the work on the boat ramp recommence so it won’t be long before ocean access will get a lot easier. Fishing the local beaches has been popular, with anglers

wetting a line getting amongst some good sized salmon. These fish have been caught on both bait and lures, and the coming months will see more variety with sand whiting and bream turning up in the warmer water. The fishing in the estuary has been good lately. Some weeks back there was some great fishing for dusky flathead, with numbers of good fish being caught. They are still there but you need to work a lot harder to get them. Soft plastics have worked well, and a lot of fish have fallen for blades and vibes as well. The entrance area has fished well for sand whiting, with anglers having the most success using fresh prawn, nippers or worms.

Ellie with a bream caught on a lure. Mallacoota has no shortage of fish like this.

Getting the timing right EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The busy time of year has been and gone with plenty of tourists here for the Christmas break. Plenty of the visitors are here to go fishing but those heading offshore have really had to pick the right days. The ocean waves haven’t been an issue, the problem has been the wind which has been blowing relentlessly. An early start is needed if you want to catch a few fish. Kingfish have been caught of late, with the best fishing coming REVA G.T

L LY . S N A P P E R

. EST

PE R RY

. WH AD

anywhere from South Head down to Green Cape. The fish have been on the move so you’ll need to rely on your sounder to get amongst them. These fish have been caught using all methods – trolling, jigging and live baiting – with catches of big specimens over the 1m mark. Flathead fishing has been good with some great fishing had down at Disaster Bay. It’s a long way from Eden but that’s the reason the fishing is so good. On the reef fishing front, anglers are catching snapper, morwong and leatherjackets, with an early start needed for the best fishing. Fishing for gamefish

out around the shelf has seen striped marlin and yellowfin tuna caught when the weather has allowed the boats to get out there and have a go. Salmon are plentiful on all the local beaches, with big patches of fish visible from the shore at times. Bream and whiting are also being caught from the gutters along the beach, with the rising tide near dawn and dusk the best time to wet a line. The local estuaries have been fishing well with plenty of flathead caught, and soft plastics have been working well. Keep trying different coloured lures until you find what they want to eat. After that they can be easy to catch.

FISH WITH A LOCAL AT

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• COST $ * PER PERSON *BASED ON 3 ANGLERS. • PACKAGES ALSO AVAILABLE FOR THE BEMM RIVER AND TAMBOON INLET.

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Bass have been on the go with the evenings the best time for a big fish. Sand whiting are also on the bite with the best fishing coming from the front sections of the estuaries. Live bait and fresh bait are the go. Yellowfin bream and

black bream are being caught from all the local estuaries with the best fishing being near the mouths of the rivers for the yellowfin bream. With the rivers and

creeks still flowing the bass fishing has been great. Some big fish have been caught in recent weeks, and it’s great to see these fish let go by those successful anglers.

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MARCH 2014

What’s new fishing Powered by

MUSTAD KVD KNIVES

MEGABASS BLADING X

Mustad KVD titanium coated knives are ergonomically designed to provide the ultimate in comfort and ease of use. All are precision forged from a single blank of highcarbon German stainless steel, then skilfully honed to hold a razor sharp edge cut after cut. These chef grade knives have an attractive rainbow titanium coating over German stainless steel, with an ergonomic soft rubber handle to provide firm grip even when wet. All in all, the KVD (Kevin Van Dam) fillet knife from Mustad makes filleting fish a breeze. The sharp edge, flexible blade and comfortable handle make getting that perfect fillet easy and safe. They’re currently available in 2 sizes: 6” (#KVDBSJ6T) and 7” (#KVDBSJ7T). Price: from RRP $29.95 www.wilsonfishing.com

The Megabass Blading X is a 45mm metal blade style lure, perfect for estuary and offshore use, with multiple weights available. There are three sizes – 1/4oz, 3/8oz and 1/2oz – which cover everything from bream and bass to flathead and snapper, and everything in between. The Blading X casts like a bullet and can be used to get well ahead of the boat when the fish are easily spooked. It is a great option when fish are not actively feeding. Available in six colours, this bottomweighted blade has a unique wobble that’s slightly wider than other blade style lures. This action encourages shutdown fish into a reaction bite as the lure is worked past them. It can be cast ahead and hopped across the bottom or used in a straight up and down fashion or even with a slow wind. Price: RRP $34.95 www.megabass.com.au

QUANTUM CABO SALTWATER SPIN

Saltwater anglers targeting serious fish will appreciate the extreme build quality of the new Quantum Cabo series. These reels have a modernistic lightweight frame and more metal inside and out than the competition. The body and side cover are built from the new SCR alloy for the ultimate in strength and corrosion resistance. A SaltGuard 2.0 coating is also applied to the alloy prior to the painting process. The machined aluminium handle and ported aluminium spool add to the metal count, as does the huge centre shaft, which is complemented by stronger threads. The super-sized water-tight drag includes a stack of ceramic, carbon fibre and stainless steel washers above the spool, with massive ceramic and carbon fibre washers under the spool. These reels have 7 polymer-stainless hybrid PT bearings plus 1 sealed anti-reverse bearing. Other features include a nickel-titanium bail and magnetic bail trip mechanism that is guaranteed for life. There are 4 models in the range. Sizes 40 and 50 have 5.3:1 gear ratios and the 60 and 80 sizes have a 4.9:1 design. Line capacities range from 270yd of 30lb braid on the 40, up to 380yd of 65lb braid on the Cabo 80. All come lubricated with premium Hot Sauce grease and oil. Price: RRP $199 quantumfishing.com.au

POLARISED SUNGLASSES

LUNKERHUNT BENTO

Gold Coast based polarised eyewear manufacturer Barz Optics will release their unique Cabo floating sunglass model later this month. The Cabo is available with 6 lens options: PC Polarised, PC Polarised Bifocal, PC Photochromic, PC Non Polarised, PC Polarised to fit Asian faces and the industry first Polycarbonate Polarised Photochromic Bifocal. The frame comes in 3 colours (gloss carbon fibre with black trim, matt black with light grey trim and matt white with blue trim) and it floats in both fresh- and saltwater. Barz exports to 26 countries and is the only company in the fishing market offering Polycarbonate Polarised Photochromic Bi Focal lens. The photochromic lenses darken in about 30 seconds of full sunshine and take about 2 minutes to fully lighten. They are available in +1.50, +2.00 and +2.50 powers. Price: from $130 (non polarised) to $300 (polarised photochromic bifocal) www.barzoptics.com

EJ Todd are the Australian distributors for LunkerHunt, a company that is dedicated to providing innovative, high quality fishing products for anglers of all skill levels. Winning the ICAST Best Soft Lure Award 2 years in a row, their plastics and hollow body frogs are very impressive. Designed to perfection, the Lunkerhunt Bento and Swim Bento are some of the most realistic baitfish imitations on the market. The Swim Bento features a lively keeled paddle tail while the Bento features a split tail design. Both feature a holographic mylar core and biologically correct detailing. All of these elements are incorporated into a soft yet durable body construction that enables the Bento and Swim Bento to come to life with the slightest movement. The Bento is currently available in 3” and 4.5” sizes, and the Swim Bento comes in 3”, 4.5” and 5.5” models. Price: from RRP $18 www.ejtodd.com.au

SAVAGE GEAR 3D MANIC SHRIMP

Just about every fish will eat a shrimp and the 3D Manic Shrimp profile closely mimics the common saltwater prawn found throughout Australia. From the lifelike detail in the head, right through to the flexible legs and feelers to the tubular, fanned tail, the 3D Manic Shrimp screams ‘eat me!’ Each packet of 3D Manic Shrimp comes salted and scented and its profile lends itself to a range of different rigging techniques. The legs and feelers of these lures are designed to mimic the natural escape pattern of a prawn so reverse rigging a jighead through the tail is by far the most effective way of fishing them. Savage Gear 3D Manic Shrimp are available in 2” (6 per pack), 2.5” (6 per pack) and 4” (4 per pack). These slow sinking soft baits are targeted at bream, flathead, snapper, mulloway (jewfish), barramundi, mangrove jacks, golden snapper (fingermark) and pearl perch. Look for them at your nearest BCF store. Price: RRP $9.99 www.bcf.com.au

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129

What’s new fishing Powered by

The flashing red LED in the tail of the new Balista Hunchback sets the scene for amazing visuals as large Murray cod belt the lure off the surface. The LED is water activated. Simply cast the lure into the water and the LED will turn on, and when the lure leaves the water it will turn itself off. The 90mm Hunchback is an all-rounder, big enough and tough enough to handle large surface feeding cod and barra, but not so big that you sacrifice numbers of fish caught. It’s one thing to get surface strikes and quite another thing to actually hook up. The good news is that the tail of this lure hunches around and down to allow the rear point of the lure to sit below the surface, delivering excellent hook-up rates. The Balista team has also fitted it out with large 3X Mustad 1/0 trebles for ultimate strength and hook penetration. The Hunchback also has a clip-off bib for easy storage. Price: RRP $22.95 www.balista.com.au

FLASHING BALISTA HUNCHBACK

Bait Buttons are a simple, safe and effective way of securing a stinger hook on spinnerbaits, maximizing hook exposure when fishing soft plastics or locking a soft plastic in place on a worm hook, TT Lures SWS or Snake Head jighead. You can add a Bait Button to your spinnerbait hook, slide on your stinger hook and then add another Bait Button; use a Bait Button to keep your soft plastic in place for maximum hook exposure; or use the Bait Button under the chin of your plastic when using a worm hook to stop it sliding down. Now Bait Buttons are available in a larger size called Bait Buttons Big Game, suitable for hook sizes up to 10/0. The Big Game dispenser pack includes a dispenser unit for easy application of the Bait Button, along with 25 Big Game Bait Buttons. Refill packs of 25 Big Game Bait Buttons are also available. Refill Packs are $9.95 for a pack of 25. Price: SRP $16.95 www.ttlures.com.au

BAIT BUTTONS – BIG GAME

OKUMA SIGNATURE REEL

The Okuma Signature is an extremely versatile reel that has been designed specifically for Australian anglers and the species they love to target. A lightweight graphite frame and rotor, along with the carbon fibre handle arm (size 30 and 40 only) with a Soft Touch EVA knob maximises the angler’s comfort and control whilst fishing for extended periods of time. This is complemented further by an eye-catching black and gold colour scheme, which is sure to please many keen anglers who love their tackle. Internally, the Signature Reel series features 7+1 stainless steel ball bearings, multi-disc Japanese oiled felt drag washers and precision cut machine brass pinion gears. This combination of high quality components enables the reel to perform effortlessly in both saltwater and freshwater environments. As with all Okuma reels, the Signature comes complete with a Lifetime Guarantee. Price: RRP $159.95 www.okuma.com.au

NEW COLOURS MEGABASS

There’s nothing quite like throwing a Megabass surface lure. You can just tell it’s going to catch fish and the Pop X is one of those lures. Already available in a healthy range of colours, this 64mm surface lure features an internal structure like no other. Internal supports create hollows for Moving Balancers that create the erratic action fish can’t resist. The latest colours – orochi, burst sand snake and white python – are created by a unique paint job which is used to give the most lifelike look. Each lure receives numerous coats of paint that blend to make the colour perfect, and different colours blend and fade into each other. The Pop X is perfect for bass, bream and most surface feeding fish. Price: SRP $34.95 www.megabass.com.au

FISHING DOWNUNDER

PENN/BRAID PRODUCTS

Fishing DownUnder #34 is in a new format, and now features 7 fishing stories – that’s over 2.5 hours of action packed stories Australia wide. It’s a bumper issue! The features Volume #34 are: Mangrove Jacks And Mongrels; Estuary Luderick; Warrnambool Bream and Trout; Soft Plastic Snapper Tips; Weipa Offshore; Tweed Wild Bass; and Clyde River Gets Turned On. Fishing DownUnder #34 is available now from tackle shops and online at www. fishingdownunder.tv, or you can place an order over the phone (07 5485 1188). Price: $14.95 www.fishingdownunder.tv

Braid Products are a perfect addition to the Penn Australia stable with harnesses, fighting belts and lures included in the range. Braid harnesses are used across the globe, and make full use of the angler’s body weight, spreading out opposing forces at the pivotal point and using all elements of rod, reel and manpower to the fullest advantage. Braid fighting belts are the GT angler’s best friend, combining versatility, comfort and durability. There’s also an array of new jigs from 7g through to 330g in a range of styles. Braid’s range of Tantrum poppers and stickbaits feature realistic colours and a highly reflective holographic finish. They have heavy-duty trebles and through body wire construction. Australian born Dennis Braid has fished Central America, the Bahamas, Bermuda, even testing giant bluefin tuna off the coast of Italy. A trained racing car builder, he became an expert in developing ideas into prototypes. Today he is renowned for his more than 20 years as the leader in big game fishing equipment. Price: Varies www.pennfishing.com.au

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129

What’s new fishing Powered by

QUANTUM EXO SPIN 40 & 50

Inshore and estuary anglers now have access to a larger version of the revolutionary lightweight Quantum EXO spin reels. EXO Spin 40 and 50 have been added to the range, which also includes sizes 15, 25 and 30. An ultra-rigid aluminium alloy in loadbearing areas has been combined with a lightweight composite that reduces weight by 50% in non-critical locations. This delivers the lightest possible frame with zero sacrifice in strength. It’s 38% stronger than magnesium and 6 times stronger than a graphite composite. EXO Spin 40 and 50 sizes use the Quantum C4LF carbon fibre rotor and the saltwater-specialist SCR base alloy. It also has 10 high-grade stainless bearings fitted in a polymer cage for added sensitivity and corrosion protection. Other features include the Quantum line management system, to keep your line packed neat and tight; extra-hard PT gears; a tough-yetlightweight machined aluminium crank handle with EVA knob; and continuous anti-reverse. The sealed CSC drag uses a mix of stacked ceramic, stainless and carbon-fibre to provide great drag power—the EXO 40 up to 20lb; and EXO 50 up to 25lb. And all EXO spin reels come lubricated with Hot Sauce grease and oil. Price: from RRP $199 quantumfishing.com.au

STARLO’S STIX

Not one to put his name to a product that he’s not 100% happy with, Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling says he’s more than pleased with his new Jungle StiX rods! These relatively high-modulus graphite rods are designed to put a tournament-standard rod with near custom-built specifications into the hands of every Australian angler, yet at an affordable price. Notwithstanding the catchy ‘camo’ grips and a military theme, Starlo StiX also feature Sea Guides with zirconium inserts, and custom reel seats. Rod options cover everything from light to medium and heavy spin, and a couple of handy baitcasters suitable for bass to barra. Steve says, “These are the rods I use in my day-to-day fishing: whether shooting DVD and TV segments, competing in tournaments, researching magazine stories or fishing with friends and family.” Starlo has provided his own analysis of the rods and their best applications at www. starlofishing.me/whats-new/starlo-stix-rods. Price: from approx. $70 www.shimanofish.com.au

LUNKERHUNT FROG

LunkerHunt, a company that has won the ICAST Best Soft Lure award for two years running, has released a frog imitation which is like no other hollow bodied frog on the market. The designers have taken a seemingly standard hollow body frog and replaced the traditional skirted legs with functional ‘swimming’ rubber legs. These legs extend during the retrieve and retract on the pause in a lifelike swimming motion. At rest, the body of the lure drops down a little into the water, perfectly replicating

MARCH 2014

the action of a frog and resulting in higher hook-up percentages. It’s another reason why the Lunkerhunt Frog is considered to be the most lifelike frog currently available. There are two sizes: the original Swimming Frog and the Pocket Frog. The Pocket Frog is 40mm (1/4oz) and will extend to 63mm on the retrieve, and the larger frog at rest is 55mm (1/2oz) and will extend to 100mm on the retrieve. Price: from RRP $18 www.ejtodd.com.au

HEAVY DUTY HEADZ

Impact Tackle has released the much anticipated Heavy Duty Headz range. Manufactured using a very strong chemically sharpened hook, these jigheads provide the next level in performance when it comes to combining strength with hook point penetration. With the combination of a correctly set hook point angle in relation to the eye of the hook, and a unique hook shape that increases strength through design, the end result is a stronger hook with the penetration performance of a finer wire hook. It’s currently available in 10 weight/hook size combinations that suit a wide range of inshore and offshore applications. Price: RRP $8.50 www.impacttackle.com

SURECATCH MONO RIGGING

The SureCatch Professional Rigging Pack has been designed to save you time and money. This great all-round kit provides enough variety to the angler to make many different mono leader rigs without having to buy the pieces individually. The Professional Rigging Pack (#307RK1) includes a variety of sized aluminium sleeves, oval lumo beads, lumo and aluminium thimbles and rigging springs, all packed and sorted in a double sided worm-proof tackle box. It delivers everything you need in an organised fashion, so you can stop hunting for bits and pieces and just get down to the business of rigging. Price: from RRP $29.95 www.wilsonfishing.com

BUGGA YABBIE PUMPS

Bugga Yabbie pumps are made entirely from components that will not rust. This is a godsend for those like me who may not be the best at maintenance. Having said that though, a quick washout with freshwater after use will always make these pumps work better. These pumps are also light. At around 600g for the simplest pump, right up to just under 1kg for the full blown pump, these pumps are easy to use all day – and they also float. Unlike traditional yabby and worm pumps, the Bugga Yabbie makes use of PVC and nylon with a nylon shaft and nylon M10 thread top and bottom. Suction is provided by washers and a nylon wing nut so there’s no chance of losing suction as the wing nut won’t come undone. There are large and small pumps as standard, or you can order a custom one. For example, if you’re a kayaker you can have a shortened shaft, or if you reckon you’re a strong man you can have a shaft with a bigger diameter. Look for Bugga Yabbie pumps on Facebook or email orders@buggayabbie.com.au. Price: from $55.95 orders@buggayabbie.com.au

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129

What’s new fishing Powered by

FEATURE PRODUCT Alvey Auto Retract Cord Holder This is something I really like, a retracting cord holder for your tackle retriever. And why do I like this? Simple, it keeps everything neat and there are no more annoying tangles waiting to cause you trouble. Alvey’s Auto Retract Cord Holder allows you to recover lures with ease when you use it in conjunction with your favourite lure retriever. Operation is simple. First, attach your lure retriever to the cordlocking device via a simple loop. Your lure retriever will not go anywhere now. Then let out enough cord to reach the depth your lure is at and press in the black Hold button. The next step is the most important. With the large black hold button pressed in, click in the small black button to secure the cord. You can now clip the unit to your belt or pop it on the boat deck and connect the lure retriever to your fishing line and send the retriever down to

save your lure. When the lure is free, simply release the small black button and the Alvey Auto Retract Cord Holder will wind in the cord, the lure retriever and the lure, leaving you to simply wind up the slack line onto your reel. If you pop the unit on your belt, it works brilliantly hands free. For a native lure caster and occasional troller, this unit is a godsend. Historically our lure retrievers have been stored on handcasters and inevitably the cord would twist up, unravel and create a giant mess in the bottom of the boat or tackle box. This product solves that problem absolutely. Made with stainless steel metal components and built with Alvey’s attention to toughness, the Alvey Auto Retract Cord Holder has a cord breaking strain of 40kg and 7.5m of cord stored inside. This device will save you time and money and it has now become a permanent fixture in my boat. Selling for around $29.95, it’s available from Alvey stockists or you can check it out on the web at www.alvey.com.au. – Stephen Booth

FEATURE PRODUCT Saltiga Expedition Saltiga introduced ground-breaking technology to the world, with Digigear II, Magseal and Zaion Air Rotor setting the standard in high performance design and innovation. In 2014, Daiwa has taken it even further with the introduction of Magsealed bearings into the new Saltiga Expedition range. The Saltiga heralded a giant leap forward in design, revolving around magnetic fluid. This revolutionary innovation was introduced to the fishing industry in the 2010 Saltiga. So strong is this magnetic liquid that if placed in a container with a magnetic surface it would retain its shape even if the bottom were removed. Being magnetized, this lubrication system avoids any friction and prevents dust intrusion, improving reel life expectancy. And Daiwa was able to take this technology one step further. Innovative design in the rotor/anti-reverse system has combined new CRBB bearings with a magnetic oil membrane to make water intrusion a thing of the past. The new Expedition series introduces an all-new revolution in ultra-smooth rotation and water sealing. Magsealed bearings are placed in key points in the reel to prevent water intrusion, increase rotation smoothness and increase part longevity. Unlike the Magseal used in the rotor system the new bearings are a fully contained Magsealed bearing. T The Expedition series reels also feature a new body design. The new drag system called UTD Hyper Tune uses an all new carbon and metal washer system combined with a specifically designed grease

that provides ultra-smooth performance. Zaion Air Rotor is a super strong, light rotor that performs flawlessly. This design disperses pressure to the entire lower section of the rotor. Working in conjunction with the Mag Seal, the Air Rotor has been hollowed out to create airflow through the whole rotor system. This prevents foreign material such as water, salt, sand and dust collecting inside the reel. The added air flow also eliminates moisture build-up in the reel, preventing corrosion issues. With other designs innovations like Real Four, Hyper Digigear, Airbail and CRBB also used, the new Saltiga Expedition sets the standard as the best heavy-duty reel available. It is available in two sizes, the SA EX 5500H (15kg drag pressure) and the SA EX 8000H (30kg drag pressure). - Daiwa

TESTED: Hot Shotz Pre-Rigs Although most of my fishing during the year revolves around casting lures and soft plastics around the waterways of South East Queensland, I always look forward to visiting our family in South Australia and enjoying the bread and butter fishing this holiday and South Australia provides. By bread and butter fishing I mean targeting species like King George whiting, snapper, Australian salmon, tommy ruff and garfish using paternoster rigs and bait.

With my knowledge of tying these types of rigs not up to scratch, I felt it was best to purchase pre-rigs to meet my needs. A simple task I thought, but there are a lot of different brands and options out there, so I needed to refine my requirements. I ended up with two criteria, hand tied and under $15.00 per rig. After a Google search I came across specialtyfishing.com.au and Hot Shotz tackle pre-rigs. Hot Shotz rigs are hand made in New Zealand using quality terminal tackle. The

range of rigs available from the Specialty Fishing site provided me with ample choice to target the species I wanted to, without confusing this simple Queenslander. Snapper fishing was covered with 7 styles of rigs using heavy duty circle style hooks. The flash on the hooks comes in a number of forms and colours to provide an additional attractant, to bring the fish to your bait. The Snappariza also proved to be a great alternative, to use in the surf, chasing Australian salmon. The flash keeping the fish interested, when little or no bait was left on the hook. I love catching King George whiting and the hybrid whiting rigs are a winner. These are hand tied rigs made especially for Specialty Fishing using long shank red hooks with either a blue or yellow flash. The long shank hooks made it easier to bait the hooks and remove the hooks from hooked fish, especially when the kids were fishing with me. If you prefer a circle style hook there is also a rig called a Jig a Bugz. They use a Senshi recurve hook, which ensure a corner of the mouth hook up on most occasions. I also found these rigs to be ideal fished under a float, to target tommy ruff and garfish (I removed most of the flash when chasing the garfish). It would be remiss of me not to mention

the Naked Patty rigs also sold on the site. As the name suggests, these rigs are a hand tied paternoster rig, with no terminal tackle attached. They are available in 3 breaking strains (10lb, 20lb and 30lb) and have twisted droppers. Add your favorite terminal tackle and you are ready to fish. Pricing for the rigs ranged from $8 through to $11.95 and at the time of writing there was free postage. The delivery of my order was prompt and the quality of the rigs was fantastic. Check out Hot Shotz pre-rigs at www.specialtyfishing.com.au today. – Peter Jung

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129

MARCH 2014

Make your own loading arm However, getting the kayak from the ground to the cradle still required a fair bit of a struggle single-handed and I ran the risk of damaging my vehicle, my kayak or myself. I really needed a gadget to help. I had seen a number of loading bars or arms in magazines and on websites and decided to build my own from whatever scraps I had lying around the shed. At this stage I must point out that you’ll need a fairly robust set of roof bars to use the loading arm I’m about to describe. The bars will have to match the weight of your kayak, which will be multiplied many times by the leveraging effect of the loading arm. Lightweight bars may be distorted by the extra weight concentrated in a small area by this leveraging effect. My Rhino Bars proved to be an

AYR

Steve Farmer

One of the advantages of kayak fishing is that it can be a solitary pastime. Provided you have a single-person kayak, you won’t have to chase up crew whenever you feel like slipping out for a few hours fishing. Of course, one of the downsides of is that you really do have to be independent and able to handle all tasks alone. Probably the trickiest part of a day’s paddling and fishing is loading and unloading your kayak from the roof bars of your vehicle. Last month I told you about the kayak carry cradle I made. That simple project made it so much easier, faster and safer for me to load and strap down my Prowler 13.

excellent investment and have so far handled the concentrated pressures of the loading arm. For the design I had in mind I needed a loading arm with a similar cross-sectional width as the roof bars. A 40mm Unistrut suited my roof bars well, but box section or even a solid piece of hardwood would have done the job just as well, as long as it was the same width. After measuring the beam of my kayak I decided 950mm was a good length for my loading arm. The ideal length for your loading arm may vary, depending on your kayak, roof bars and vehicle. The next step was to cut two 90mm lengths of 25x5 flat steel and drill a 9mm hole, 10mm from the end of each piece. This hole was for a length of 8mm round rod that would lock the loading arm

onto the roof bars. These two pieces of flat were then welded either side of the Unistrut and flush with the end and positioned so that the 8mm pin could be passed through one hole, under the roof bar (with just 1mm clearance) and through the other hole, effectively locking the arm onto the bar. To stop the bar twisting horizontally, two more short pieces of flat steel were cut and welded about 100mm from the end so that they protruded 30mm below the bottom edge of the Unistrut and fitted snugly over the roof bar. I made the attaching pin from a long 8mm bolt, hacksawing it off at around 95mm. I made the pin 40mm longer than it needed to be to minimise the chance of it working its way free and detaching from the roof bar

Attach the loading arm.

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while I was loading the kayak. I also welded a short length of keeper chain to the bolt and the Unistrut to ensure it was always at hand when needed. I used this ‘Mark 1’ loading arm for quite a while. The loading procedure was to fit the arm and position the kayak parallel with the vehicle and below the arm. The stern section of the kayak was then lifted onto the arm. I then moved forward and lifted the bow, pushing it across into the forward cradle. The stern

getting easier, but there was still one problem that, at times, had me struggling. When the stern was lifted onto the loading arm the kayak could, depending on the type of ground surface the bow was resting on, slide forward and off the loading arm. One solution I’ve been trying lately is to tie the bow rope (which is used to attach the kayak to the bulbar when on the road) onto the base of the loading arm. This prevents the bow from sliding away

Position the kayak beside the vehicle and below the loading arm.

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The loading arm ‘Mark 2’ with the cradle that prevents the kayak from sliding about.

was then lifted from the arm and placed in the rear cradle. Finally, I would remove the loading arm and tie or strap down the kayak and cradle. Unloading was simply the reverse of the loading procedure. The only problem was that the plastic kayak hull slid easily on the steel loading arm. This meant that at times I barely had control of the operation, with the kayak sliding over against the vehicle and scratching the gutter or threatening to slide off the end of the loading arm and crash to the ground. Some sort of non-slip, rubber type coating on the loading arm would have improved the procedure, but I eventually solved the problem by cutting a cradle from 20mm plywood, similar to those on the rooftop cradle. This was then lined with carpet and bolted to the loading arm. The neatly fitting cradle meant that the stern of the kayak could no longer slide about and possibly fall off the arm. Loading the kayak was

when the stern is lifted onto the loading arm and maintains more control over the kayak as you lift it onto the roof bars. The rope is then untied from the arm and used to secure the kayak to the front of the vehicle for travelling. Of course, tie-down straps or ropes also attach the kayak and the cradle to the roof bars. The most essential step in the loading procedure is to make sure you’ve removed the loading arm before you drive off. Forgetting to do this could be hazardous to your own vehicle and to other vehicles and pedestrians. The loading arm complements the roof top cradle nicely, considerably reducing the risks and effort needed to load my kayak single-handed. The design outlined above suits my personal needs, but may not be suitable for your kayak, roof bars, vehicle or physical abilities. If necessary adapt the design to suit your own situation and requirements and, most importantly, ensure it is safe and suitable for your needs.

Lift the bow of the kayak.

Lift the stern of the kayak onto the loading arm.

Place the bow section in the forward cradle.

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Lift the stern of the kayak across into the roof cradle. Remove the loading arm and strap or tie down the kayak and cradle

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Tech Tricks

Micro-jig assist rig BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Although some anglers have been into micro-jigging for many years, a recent surge in the popularity of this technique has created an increased demand for jigs, specific rods and rigging. Many of the jigs currently available have light grade hooks and some do not come rigged at all. Obviously, anglers will occasionally need to replace the hook rigs on their jigs due to abrasion or the effects of the razor gang, who will often sever the light cord attaching the hooks to the jig. This month I will show you how to make double hook rigs, sometimes referred to as butterfly rigs, which you will need when micro-jigging. THE GEAR For making your own hook rigs, you will need a fairly simple list of materials. There are several good hooks around for this application with the most readily available being the Mustad Hoodlum, generally in a 1/0 size. These are exceptionally strong and sharp and you should have no trouble setting them into the mouth of common micro-

jigging targets such as snapper, mulloway, king threadfin salmon, trevally and the like. This rigging will work with many hooks and I am sure you will find a favoured pattern before long. Hooks are generally inline patterns (no offset), although I do know some anglers who prefer and have successfully used offset patterns. Locating cord for this micro-jig rigging may be a little difficult for some. I commonly use heavy braid such as Sunline Monster Battle 100lb and 130lb as well as Daiwa Tournament Braid 100lb and 150lb. While these are relatively easy to find at a good tackle store, you will generally need to purchase a large length, probably 300m minimum, which can be rather expensive. You could split a spool with a friend, or you may know someone who has some leftover heavy braid or have a mate who is willing to take a few metres off their reel for you. Any colour will do and you can use various brands between 80lb and 200lb, depending on thickness. There are some purpose specific micro-jigging cords available but these can be a little hard to find on the local scene as yet. Brands of these include Varivas, YGK and

Owner if you want to hunt some down. For this project you will also need some small solid rings and some quality split rings. I have opted for Owner #5 solid rings and Owner #4 Hyper Wire split rings. You will also need some good scissors and a split ring plier or pincette as well as some flexible glue (e.g. vinyl cement, flex-cement, Storm Sure or Zap-A-Gap). Once you have all of this stuff ready, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to get started. CONCLUSION Micro jigs are yet another method that can be employed to target quality fish species, both demersal and pelagic. It is a great method when fishing faster currents as you can sink the jig into the exact strike zone easily. However, it is just one more technique that can be employed on any given day. Having the correct rigging, rods, reels, jigs and braid can definitely improve your success. It can be tried at a basic, cruder level with many different outfits, but fine tuning your tackle, rigs and techniques will definitely increase your fishing pleasure and results. Get a few jigs, rig them up and then get a little jiggy on your next angling outing.

Pass the cord through the eye of the hook and then make a loop as shown. NOTE: The knot we are going to use is a uni knot (snell version) which will attach the cord securely to the hook shank. You do not have to put the cord through the eye if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to, however I prefer to.

Do between 5 and 10 wraps around the hook shank and through the loop (more wraps in thinner cord and fewer in thicker cord) and then hold the tag end while you tension the cord, exiting the hook eye to tighten the knot around the shank.

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Pass the tag end of the cord around the hook shank and through the loop several times.

Once the knot is secure, pull the main portion of cord extremely hard to bed down the knot tightly against the hook eye. Trim the tag end short and then apply a little vinyl cement to the knot to make it more durable.

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Pass the opposite end of your cord through your second hook and again form a loop. How much distance you have between the hook eyes and how large the loop is will depend on how long the completed rig becomes. After you have made a couple you will work out how long you need for your particular jigs.

Do 6 to 8 wraps with your tag end through the loop and around the hook shank, the same as previously.

Pull the rig taught to tighten the uni knot on the second hook. I often put each hook over a bar or something similar so I can apply maximum pressure to get the knots tight without risking injury. Add a little vinyl cement to the second knot.

Do a basic clove hitch around the solid ring as shown. Generally you will want one side shorter than the other so that one hook will sit higher than the other when the rig is completed. However, some anglers like each hook at the same length, similar to a classic butterfly rig.

9 Pull your clove tight around the solid ring. If the longer side of your rig is a little long for your liking then you can do another half hitch around the ring, as shown, to shorten it.

With the knotting of your rig now completed, it is time to attach the new rig to the micro-jig. You will need a small pair of split ring pliers or pincettes to make the task easier. It is advisable to use a decent quality split ring although this is only used to attach the rig to the lure and won’t bear much tension.

With the solid ring and hook rig now attached to the jig via the split ring and your main line attached to the solid ring, your jig is ready to be put into action. Attaching the main line to the solid ring and not the jig eyelet will increase the fluttering action of the jig and eliminate a possible weak spot (the split ring) from coming into play. It also creates a more direct pull on the hooked fish.

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Fish after dark if you want cod CANBERRA

Bryan Pratt

ACT and district anglers have taken to the relatively new sport of surface luring for Murray cod at night in spectacular fashion. There have been numerous good catches in the urban and regional lakes and rivers in recent weeks. The technique involves casting and retrieving surface lures in the normal manner, but interspersed with pauses and twitches to give the fish time to size up and strike at the lure. The results have been quite spectacular. The strikes usually are huge, with air and water exploding in a massive upheaval that really gets the adrenalin going. Mostly the strikes are heavy and noisy but sometimes they go off like a pistol shot. Either way it has commonly

reduced even experienced anglers to a trembling state of apprehension. Just recently an angler heard a cod strike-and-smash so huge he thought his brother had fallen in the water. He actually ran up in the dark to check that he really was okay, but found him just shaking after the strike. Another angler fishing in the same area got a massive strike from a 90cm fish just 1m from his rod tip. He said it was so close, so noisy and so immense that “I nearly **** myself!” So if you thought surface lure fishing for mangrove jacks, barramundi or bass was heart pumping, wait until you hit a big Murray cod on a dark night. The technique works on moonlit nights, pitch dark nights and even on overcast days. It sometimes works also during the brighter parts of the day if the area has not been

unduly disturbed by boats or anglers tossing out lures such as spinnerbaits or deep divers. Experience to date suggests the best fishing is from about 11pm onwards, but fish have been taken at other times. The beauty of this technique is that you can fish bodies of water that are too weed-infested to fish in the standard manner with lures such as spinnerbaits and deep divers during the day. The idea is that the fish are often there during the day but you just cannot get to them. The technique has proven to be perfect in Canberra’s five urban lakes because they are shallow and nutrient-rich and thus full of weeds. It’s also perfect for anglers who can’t get away for a fish during the day

companies make surface lures suitable for cod. The best of them to date have been from Australian companies such as Halco, Taylor Made, Koolabung, Kingfisher, Honey Hole and Boomerang. They are built to be tough, with big splashy bibs and strong hooks, and have to date landed night fish to 92cm. Anglers are also experimenting with smaller lures aimed at golden perch. The results at night to date look encouraging but we have a lot more testing to do to declare it a success. We’ll report on that in due course. OTHER OPTIONS For those not spending all their time night fishing for cod there have been plenty of other options. The urban lakes are full of small redfin which take

Plenty of golden perch have shown amongst the flooded trees in Burrinjuck Reservoir. fishing, especially for kids, and the larger ones are superb to eat. Golden perch also

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because of work or family commitments. Another advantage is where you fish a waterway that is infested with redfin. During the day lure fishing is difficult because you constantly have an unwanted tiny redfin hanging onto the lure, spoiling its effectiveness. At night redfin won’t touch the lure and it’s left clean and ready for a cod to take it. You can fish from a boat or walk the bank and both techniques have their place. Just recently a boat angler had nine strikes for three hook-ups while an angler walking the bank in the same waterway had seven fish up and two landed. The bank angler had one big fish boof the lure in just 50cm of water, indicating that the fish can be foraging and feeding just about anywhere at night. Numerous tackle

hard bodied lures and soft plastics with gusto. Worm baits are also quickly scoffed down. Redfin provide a lot of easy, fun

have been active in the urban lakes and especially Burrinjuck Reservoir. Some have been taken on the troll but the best

of them have come from around the flooded trees where anglers can bob with bibless minnows, shrimps, yabbies, scrubworms or green saltwater prawns. The best locations in the reservoir have been well upstream in the Yass and Murrumbidgee Arms but the fish move around a lot. One angler recently had a good day, scoring 19 fish bobbing in some trees. He tried again the next day but never scored a fish. That’s fishing. Plenty of cod also have been taken, including a surprising number over the magic metre mark. Mick Maher is still smiling about his 115cm fish that won the Yamaha Tournament at Mulwala, and Canberra tackle shop worker Sam landed a 108cm fish at Wyangala. Other outsize specimens have come from the Main Basin at Burrinjuck. So all is well with the natives at the moment, but if you really want the thrill of a lifetime, slip out one night and chuck a big surface lure in your local waterway. You might be surprised!

Mick Maher pipped the field to win the Yamaha Cod Classic at Mulwala Reservoir with this 115cm cod.

Blowering Dam is the talk of the town slow roll will do the trick but often to get the school fired up it pays to use a burn-and-kill retrieve. Simply wind flat out for a couple of seconds then stop or really slow down your retrieve, then wind fast again and stop or slow down. Repeat this all the way back to you. It will often trigger a reaction

BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

Blowering Dam is the talk of the freshwater fishing scene this year thanks to the high number of 1m+ Murray cod that have been caught there since the season opened in December. If you are on social media at all you’d know that there haven’t been many days where there haven’t been pictures of massive Murray cod caught at Blowering Dam. Most fish are getting caught at night which is almost always the case with the big fish at Blowering Dam. The main technique has been trolling large lures but there have also been a few caught on the cast by educated anglers. There have also been plenty of big fish caught whilst using yabbies from the bank. One particular angler borrowed a couple of yabbies from a mate recently and then came back up to borrow more a couple of hours later, because his first two yabbies had been eaten by two big Murray cod – an 80cm version and

nting u H , g n i t a o FISHING, b cialist. e p s g n i p m a and c Hauls of redfin like this are getting harder and harder at Blowering Dam. However, because this is due to the massive increase of Murray cod in the lake, it isn’t a bad thing. This proves that in the right environment Murray cod will happily coexist. REDFIN There has been a lot of talk about redfin numbers being down at Blowering Dam over the last couple of years, and speculation as to

last few seasons. This has meant the Murray cod eggs deposited from spawning (or attempting to spawn) fish each spring didn’t get left high and dry like they normally would. Instead, they likely survived and hatched.

There have been more big Murray cod caught at Blowering Dam this season then anywhere else in the country. Concentrate your efforts after dark to maximise your chances. a 112cm specimen. He then went on to land another Murray cod around 70cm shortly after. All were caught in the same place and all using his ‘borrowed’ yabbies. My mate tells me that his trick was to swim his bait out into the centre of the bay and drop it down beside a just submerged tree. The three fish were caught within hours of each other all off that same tree.

strike from the fish and once you hook one it will often send the rest of the school into a frenzy. Then they can be caught quite easily until they eventually shut down or you catch them all. The best colours for redfin are easily red, black, white and gold, and a combination of any or all of these is even better.

why that is. I believe the drop in numbers is mainly due to the massively increased numbers of Murray cod in the dam. These fish gorge on the redfin schools and now appear to have knocked a massive dint in the population. The increase in cod numbers is party due to stocking but also due to the fact that Blowering Dam has stayed full or nearly full for the

If authorities kept Murray cod lakes full, or at least prevented levels from dropping during spring, they wouldn’t have to worry about stocking these lakes. The Murray cod would self sustain, just like they do in most farm dams – or at least those dams that have some sort of structure for the fish to lay their eggs around. But I digress. In spite of the increased redfin

predation by cod, there are still plenty of redfin schools in the lake that are worth targeting. And we are seeing more and more when you are onto a good patch of redfin a bycatch of Murray cod isn’t far away. Through the summer months the smaller redfin schools were plentiful around the lake’s margins and were caught in all manners. Bait fishing or spinning from the bank has been very good, as has drifting and casting to the edges from a boat. Bait anglers are doing best on garden worms and small whole yabbies or big yabby tails. Redfin will hit most lures when they’re in an aggressive mood but it is hard to beat small blades like the Ecogear VX and the ZX range. Other good casting lures are lipless crankbaits less than 65mm, and spinners like Rooster Tails, Celtas and Mepps Bugs. Soft plastics continue to be reliable fish catchers. It doesn’t seem to matter what type of plastic you use when targeting redfin but it pays to keep it small. About 25-50mm is ideal around the edges where the fish are mostly small, but if you want to get a bigger fish you’ll want to upsize to a 75mm plastic. You will catch fewer fish with this size plastic but you will have an increased chance of catching the bigger fish from the school. It will also put you in with a chance at catching a golden perch or Murray cod. When casting and retrieving lures for redfin it pays to mix up your retrieve. On most days a

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Edge fishing improving JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

What was a cold start to summer ended up a very hot end for all of us down south. However, now that we are heading into the first month of autumn, the water on Lake Jindabyne should start to cool quickly, and with a return to the cooler water temperatures we should see an improvement the edge fishing around the lake for the shore based anglers. For the last month

or so the downrigging was very good and made it easy to catch a fish as long as you had all the gear to deep troll. With the summer heat over, the streams will also start to fish better and if we get a little rain this may spurt the trout into a lastminute feed up before the spawning run, which could start at any time in the next couple of months. At the moment, only fly anglers are doing well on the rivers and streams. Things will pick up for the lure anglers only after we get rain.

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The best river for spinning lures has been the Thredbo River, and the size and the condition of the trout caught has been quite good. These trout have been caught using Rapalas of the sinking variety (these are better in the faster water) and Celtas or other bladed spinners in the shallow water. Other lures to try on the rivers have been Gillies Bendbacks and Feathertails, the Vibrax Blue Fox, Blue Fox Super Minnows and you can even try some smaller soft plastics for smaller runs. On the lake, working the same sort of lures around the edges of the shallow bays in about 4m of water will be the best way to pick up a bigger fish, but it must be early morning or else you might have to wait until dark. If it is windy – and windy days are quite often good days in summer – try some of the heavier Tasmanian Devils in green and gold or even yellow. Throw them out into the wind in deeper water and retrieve them slowly. The best colour lures for the lake have been in either natural brown trout and rainbow trout patterns and gold. Bays like Creel, Hatchery and the Snowy Arm all fish well. As the sun rises, change to a Tassie and cast further out over drop-offs, letting the lure sink before you retrieve with a slow wind. For boat owners, the best way to start off the day’s trolling this month will be to try surface lines with lures to about 2m at first light, maybe with a lead core line at two colours to take the lures to 4m as a backup. If you have been out a while and there are no bites, don’t persist. Instead, get out your downriggers and starting at 35ft with a lure dropback of 4m, you should start to see some fish. As the day brightens further, maybe go to 45ft by mid morning for the best fishing. On cloudy or rainy days you can surface fish until about 9am before

Glenn Cahill and Bec Hontaxis with a nice rainbow caught on a Steve Williamson black and gold Tasmanian Devil. Summer mornings can be cool in this neck of the woods. going deeper. The Tasmanian Devil number 111 Willy’s Special or Steve Williamson’s Lime Green Yellow Wing are the best deep lures at the moment, with Tasmanian Devil number 36 Yellow Wing doing OK on the surface and off leadcore lines early. Some of the better trolling areas this

harder to collect once again due to the dry weather. The best bait fishing areas are Creel Bay, Hatchery Bay and Curiosity Rocks in the deeper water. For lake fly anglers at the moment the best fishing has been in the early morning. There have been a few wind lanes about that if you see the ducks and

Lucy Sacco from Sydney with a brown caught on a Willy’s Special Tasmanian Devil. month will be deep water off Lion and Cub islands or the deeper water off Hatchery Bay and Hayshed Bay. Sid’s Bay through to Rushes Bay will fish well early in the day for big brown trout but the first hour of light will be the time to be there. Over this month the best lake bait fishing will be early and late in the day. Mudeyes under a bubble float will be the best bait before changing to scrubworms off the bottom teamed up with some artificial bait maybe as the sun gets higher. Worms under a float is another alternative if you can’t get any mudeyes, which are slowly getting

seagulls on the water this is a telltale sign they are eating insects that are on the surface. Some of the best lake flyfishing is during the coming months as the water cools ,and this year with so much weed around the edges of the lake we should see some big fish caught. Try any of the streamer patterns such as black Woolley Buggers and Williamson’s Gold Fish. Olive green nymphs and shrimp patterns are also worth a try. The South Arm, Creel Bay and especially Sid’s Bay are all great. On the rivers the best flyfishing is in the evenings and there should still be plenty of evening rises and

fantastic dry flyfishing for a few weeks yet. The Alpine streams are still looking good and plenty of small fish are being caught on dry fly also. Fly selection isn’t too important in these streams but placement is critical or else you’ll just scare all the fish. Try a small hopper pattern, Royal Wulff or Royal Humpy. A caddis moth fly is also not a bad option. Well worth a look is the lower Mowambah near the weir on the Dalgety Road. MARCH ROUNDUP Here is your March round-up – the best of the best! • Best method: lake trolling leadlines early then downriggers at 35ft. • Best depth: 2m early to 35ft. • Best lake lure: Tasmanian Devil yellow wing Freddo or Steve Williamson’s Lime Green Yellowwing. • Best lake area: Deepwater off Lion and Cub Islands. • Best fly method: dry fly – hopper patterns and Yellow Humpies. • Best river: Thredbo River NEWS My next weekend Beginners Fly Fishing Course is being held on 22-23 March, 2014. Call my shop on 02 6456 1551 and we will send you the details. Sydney’s Family Fishing Show is also on in Parramatta on the 5th and 6th April (www. familyfishingshow.com.au) and I will be on stage with a couple of presentations. I would love to catch up with you and have a chat about trout fishing in the Snowy Mountains. Hope to see you there! If you want to know more about the latest in fishing conditions, check out our latest reports on Facebook at www. facebook.com/LJTFA or visit my website at www. swtroutfishing.com.au. Until next month, hope you catch the big one.

Brighter future for endangered Macquarie perch The e n d a n g e re d Macquarie perch are facing a better future with breeding success achieved at the Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) Narrandera Fisheries Centre.

In late 2013 a total of 10,000 Macquarie perch fingerlings were released into remote locations of the Abercrombie River in the Central West. Hatchery Manager of DPI Narrandera Fisheries

Fisheries staff sampling a small Macquarie perch.

Centre, Matt McLellan, said Macquarie perch were once widespread across upland and midland areas of the Murray-Darling Basin but the species has been in rapid decline since the mid-1900s. “Habitat degradation, riverbank erosion, the introduction of foreign fish species such as redfin, and dam construction have combined to push the species to the brink of extinction, leaving just 6 small, isolated populations across NSW,” Mr McLellan said. “Over the last 20 years DPI and others have made several attempts to breed Macquarie perch but they have met with little success until now. “A concerted effort by DPI’s expert staff at Narrandera has led to high numbers of fingerlings being produced in recent years. “I am pleased to say 10,000 ‘Macca’ fingerlings are being released into... the Abercrombie River. This follows the release of about 7500 Macquarie perch fingerlings in the same area 2 years ago. Another 2000 Macquarie perch fingerlings

Fisheries staff sampling a possible stocking site. have been stocked in recent weeks, and all were been bred at DPI’s Narrandera Fisheries Centre. The breeding program involves keeping the parent fish in ponds where aspects of the Macquarie perch’s natural environment have been carefully recreated. “The parents of these

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fingerlings are being held at Narrandera Fisheries Centre for safekeeping because of fears that the noxious and invasive redfin perch, recently found in the upper Lachlan River catchment, could devastate Macquarie perch populations in that area,” Mr McLellan said. “Redfin compete for

food and probably eat young Macquarie perch, as well as potentially carrying a fatal virus.” The DPI thanks the the Lachlan Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and the NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts for their financial support. - DPI

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MARCH 2014

Zeroing in on the bass MAITLAND

Dave McLean djfmclean@bigpond.com

This month we should see the weather become a lot more enjoyable for fishing and, because this is the beginning of autumn, the bass can change their eating habits as both the water and air temperatures start to fall. During this time of the season the fish can stay on the bite for longer, which can account for a greater number of fish being caught.

also been producing some good numbers of bass, both up from Clarencetown and down to the no-go zone before the weir. Small hardbodies are a good option in this system as the bass are not big fish but are present in good numbers. Betts Spins and 1/8-1/4oz spinnerbaits are very handy in close to the reeds and in the deeper holes. Another option I’m trying at the moment is the new 40mm Jackall Chubby Vibration. It really suits the size of the fish at present and it also has a slow sink rate. This is a really good time

and St Clair fell considerably during summer and this has made for some very tough fishing. There is not much weed at all around the edges in either dam and some of the previous good spots to fish the banks are now non existent. With the fall in water temps this month (it usually drops to around 24°C), the bass will be on the move looking for food and the correct conditions in the water column. It is during early autumn that complete stratification of the dam’s water column appears. This means that the top layer, down to around 10m, contains reasonable oxygen levels. The next level below is the thermocline, down to 15-20m, which also contains reasonable levels of oxygen. The bottom layer, the hypolimnion, contains little to no oxygen which makes it unappealing to fish and bait. ST CLAIR The fishing at St Clair

Mark Taylor with nice bass caught at Glenbawn using cut-down plastics. This shows the importance of using good electronics. bait. These bait schools appear on the sounder as large, dark clouds, and are often seen holding off points or changes in the bottom contours. If you have the benefit of using Lowrance’s Insight Genesis you can easily find these areas. There hasn’t been a good

down from the upper parts of the arms to the deeper areas around Redhead Corner, Fenwick and Wood bays in the Falbrook reach. Up the Carrowbrook they have moved down to around Walker Bay, Perkins Point along Thunderbolts Run and

Greg Eslick and son Jasper at St Clair with a brace of bass. The lower sections of the Hunter and Paterson rivers have been fishing really well with bass up at the top of the tidal zone and bream and flathead down in the zone. The bass have been taking surface lures during the low light times and hardbodies just before dark and after sunrise, especially around the tide changes. Two good lures worth a try are the locally made Marz Bot-Fly and the Jackall Chubby. Further up these rivers, good fish have been coming in the deeper sections using small hardbodies, blades and live bait. The Williams River has

to fish the lower sections of the rivers as in some recent years, with the correct conditions, the bass have started to migrate downstream to begin their spawning phases. I have not heard any reports coming from up the Tops but normally this month and leading up to Easter the trout action is pretty good. Lostock has been fishing pretty well and should do so over next couple of weeks, with the bass taking lures on the troll and spinnerbaits and crankbaits off the banks. Live shrimp will also account for plenty of nice bass in the deeper areas. Water levels at Glenbawn

Bass holding up tight onto a windblown steep rocky wall. has been fairly ordinary over recent weeks. The majority of the bass have been coming from 6-10m where they have been feeding on big schools of

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surface bite this summer, due to falling levels. However, a strong change coming through with rain and wind could bring the fish back onto the edges. This scenario is ideal for jerkbaits and poppers along with plastics on very light jigs. With the lower water levels and cooling temps, the bass and goldens have moved

around Gindigah Point. Around the main Broadwater they tend to like around Swannys Bay, Jeannie Miller Bay and Connells Inlet. The deeper area off Moore Bay along the edge of the river is also another good holding spot. You can target these deep fish with plastics, blades,

trolling deep lures or longlining small deep diving lures. Over the years I’ve found that the bass can easily dissipate if you catch too many on blades. I prefer to use blades only to find the fish, then I switch to other methods such as plastics or lures. Baitfishing can now be a bit hard off the banks. However, using live shrimp or worms around the deep timber up both arms will get you a feed, especially catties. GLENBAWN This is the prime part of the season to target some of the other species that are present in this dam, namely golden perch and silver perch. Both of these species are excellent fun to catch on both bait and lures. Yabbies are the prime bait for the goldens and worms are best for silvers. Silvers can also be caught using small minnow-style lures and are an excellent fish for kids to target. You need to locate trees in around 10m, and there needs to be a good covering of fine green weed on the branches. Trees that are out by themselves seem to hold more fish. A good berley to use is just small handfuls of dirt. Some areas worth a try are around the Boat Harbour entrance, New House bay, The Narrows and the northeastern side of the main basin. Trollers can have a run up around the back of the dam from One Tree up to Continued page 71

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MARCH 2014

A nice golden from Glenbawn that fell to a trolled Wilson lure.

In need of a drop LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

By the time you read this we will hopefully have had some rain. It’s been so dry and hot that not even the weeds have been growing! Just the other day my son and I fished a small local waterway for cod and goldens on one of those exceptionally quiet afternoons with not a breath of wind. The

bush was so dry we could hear little skinks scurrying about in the leaves 30m away, but unfortunately the fish were a lot more quiet than the skinks. Not the best time to fish. We’ve had a lot of time with a low barometer for some reason, so if you have the luxury of timing your run to suit a high barometer the fishing has and should be pretty good – especially for native fish. HEAPS ON THE WATER Water traffic has been

Decreased boat traffic should make the bass fishing in Lake Lyell a little more comfortable at least….The fish have been very frustrating, super clear water makes it tough. From page 70

the Ruins using deep lures in dark patterns. There are plenty to choose from in the AC Invaders, Feralcatts and Oar Gee ranges. Those targeting bass can do it a little hard this month. With the falling water level and drop in water temp the bass are on the move. IT is this month that instinct, local knowledge and good sounder work and covering plenty of water will help get results. With the level at present the better areas to try have been up around the Dogleg, Narrows, Castle Rock and around the main basin if they are letting water out. The bass like to suspend

in the 10-14m part of the water column, just around the thermocline, where the water temperature is around 20°C and in their comfort zone. The actual water depth can vary, often up to 30m. A good sounder can pick up the suspended bass, especially if you’re using a function like Lowrance Downscan and you set the depth on manual. Using vertical presentations such as blades, ice jigs and plastics is the best way to target these fish. Trolling very deep lures is another option if the bass are not too deep. At this depth very dark colours are the right choice, even with the help of some UV paint. I find that autumn is the

insane this summer season. Everybody must have gotten a boat for Christmas. It’s best to steer clear of the main basins of the more popular dams; Wyangala in particular has been like a washing machine at times. I recommend avoiding it during the warmer times of the day in favour of hitting it really early in the morning before anyone else is up and about. Alternatively, you can go out late and stay until after dark. Just make sure your boat is set up for that style of fishing and that you are familiar with the area. The other option is to go small and light. If you can access some skinny water high up in the system and launch off the bank, so much the better. That way you will at least be able to fish in peace and quiet – something myself and quite a few mates have been doing the last couple of seasons. Water clarity can also be affected in the main basin of some dams by the increase in traffic. Quite often it’s only the top 3-4ft that is affected, so keep this in mind. Lake Lyell is another busy waterway, but usually by the start of March things start to slow down

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and the lake reverts back to some form of normality. The bass fishing has been frustrating again… there are just enough fish to keep you interested but not enough to write home about. The water is very clear but using lighter breaking strains in amongst the black wattle isn’t an option. It’s better to wait until after dark and surprise them that way. Small paddlers in the 40mm to 50mm range cast and retrieved after dark might get you some action just on dark or a bit before. Small inline spinners could

also be worth a try; my son and nephew have been making some and they work a treat on the trout in the clear water. I don’t see why they wouldn’t work on the bass as well. WINDAMERE CATFISH Been getting some good reports about plenty of catfish at Windamere on lures as well as bait, the catties build a nest in loose gravel usually in three or four feet of water close to the edge sometimes you can see them going about their business on the nest moving rocks and the like,

Using a Lowrance sounder to locate deep bass at Glenbawn amongst timber.

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Catfish can be very aggressive towards lures when nesting, keep this in mind if you see a little circle of cleared rocks and sand about the diameter of a large pizza in three or four feet of water. this is when they are most aggressive I have actually heard of swimmers getting hit on the legs from time to time, I have also watched them chase bigger fish away. Lures that land on or near the nest are usually dealt with sharpish… they are great scrappers and more often than not return straight back to the nest when released. They learn very quickly thou even hours later they are very cautious. Hope to see you on the water soon until then tight lines most enjoyable season for fishing in our dams as we get consistent good weather patterns and quite often the fish are accommodating. When you locate the fish in autumn, you’ll often find they’ll hold there until spring. At the end of January the DPI boys from Narrandera Hatchery did the annual golden perch stockings into both Glenbawn (70,000) and St Clair (30,000). Finally, I have been testing a new power pack product from Lusty Industries called a Go Puck. This product is as small as the palm of your hand and it can power your GoPros, iPhones, iPads and suchlike all day long. It only costs around $110, which was surprising.

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Green and gold rush TAMWORTH

Adam Mears adam.mears@hotmail.com

If you haven’t heard the deafening screech of the cicadas by now you might need a hearing check. For some people the sound drives them crazy but for we anglers its music to our ears because it normally means one thing: surface fishing! Watching these green fish belt surface lures is number one on the fun scale and it’s as easy as casting out and slowly retrieving. All the likely areas still come into play – fallen trees, large boulders and undercut banks are prime locations to start your hunt. Stick to early mornings and late afternoons as these will be the prime times. Most fish won’t be monsters, with the average size being 50-60cm, but that doesn’t matter; surface fishing is all about the heart-racing hits.

LAKE KEEPIT With the holiday season over and things returning to normal around these parts, the fishing should continue to be good. Golden perch are willing to hit trolled lures in the main basin, and again the 4m mark seems to be the sweet spot. Feral Catts and Oar-Gee Plows are two of the best producers. For those who like casting lures, fishing these areas with lipless crankbaits like the Jackall, Viva and Balista ranges should see the undoing of many of these great sportfish. The catfish have been thick, resulting in good catches for anglers fishing the trees and gravel bottoms in the lake. Worms are the gun bait. Just be careful when handling catties as their spines can cause a nasty sting if you’re unlucky enough to get stabbed by them. The Murray cod in the

dam will still be active throughout March, with many anglers targeting them at night trolling the old river bed and deeper rock walls around the first and second inlet. One lucky angler recently reported a fish of more than 30kg taken using this method. Carp are a pest for bait fishers after sun up at the moment, with most anglers getting on the water early to try to avoid these brutes. Even if the carp weren’t a problem, it’s a good idea to avoid fishing in the middle of the day in hot weather. As the sun gets up it’s good to pull the boat up on the bank and have a quick dip to cool down. Nothing ruins a trip quicker than sunstroke! Remember to bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as well. RIVERS The Namoi has stopped flowing and is in desperate need of some rain! The fishing is still good though

Jamilla Hile with her very first cod caught on a lure taken near Uralla.

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with many cod being caught on a variety of techniques. Spinnerbaits and chatterbaits are go-to style for many anglers, and it can pay to downsize your lures at this time of year. Both golden perch and Murray cod are actively hunting the same areas around dawn and dusk, and we have been using the Balista 65mm Juggernaut and similar lures to search new ground. We’ve had good results on most outings. Hot, balmy nights can also be a good time to get out for a fish. Shrimp and bardi grubs are the pick of the baits for cod and goldens. And remember

The author caught this cod in the Peel River after a recent water release from Chaffey Dam at 2am on a Codseeker surface lure. that the fish won’t stop hitting lures just because the sun has gone down. The new technique for chasing big cod in the dams is trolling at night, but most people forget about the rivers. Surface lures and nights go together like a pie and sauce, but you shouldn’t forget other methods like spinnerbaits and big hardbody lures. They move a lot of water and the sound of the blades or rattles will grab the attention of the resident Murray cod and draw them in from a distance. With the European carp still thick in the rivers it can be great to take the kids down to the river with baits of bread, worms, corn or hot chips. It can turn an afternoon of boredom into a fun-filled family activity that everyone can enjoy. If you’re looking for more of a challenge, try sight fishing for these brutes using small soft plastics or unweighted baits of bread or corn. It’s great fun to actively walk the banks of the river looking for the tell-tale signs of feeding

fish. As they feed they stir up the mud, causing it to rise and give away their location. Putting a cast

within a metre of them will typically see some bent rods, screaming drags and some very happy anglers.

James Sinclair of Tamworth with a solid Murray cod caught at Lake Keepit on a vibe.

DAM LEVELS

Dam

% Full

Dam

% Full

Blowering................................

Glennies Creek....................... 90

Brogo.................................. 87

Hume.................................. 55

Burrendong........................... 18

Jindabyne............................. 82

Burrinjuck............................. 45

Keepit.................................. 25

Carcoar................................ 37

Lostock................................ 83

Chaffey................................ 51

Oberon................................. 70

Clarrie Hall........................... 61

Pindari................................. 20

Copeton............................... 37

Split Rock............................. 21

Dartmouth............................. 93

Tantangara............................ 29

Eucumbene........................... 41

Toonumbar............................ 92

Glenbawn............................. 93

Windamere........................... 50

Glenlyon............................... 43

Wyangala............................. 47

(All levels correct at time of going to press. Dam levels can change at any time, so please check with local authorities to ensure safe boating and fishing.)

Local lures produce the goods WAGGA WAGGA

Scott McAuliffe

March is a great month for chasing natives in the local area. It’s generally the last month before the water temps drop below a level that is comfortable for golden perch. We will

your small 50-60mm hardbodies and small single-blade spinnerbaits. Purple is a very hard colour to go past for golden perch or, if that doesn’t produce, bright green has worked quite well for a couple of local anglers lately. March is also when

months there have been quite a few fish around the 90cm mark coming out of the Murrumbidgee, so if things go to plan we should see some real monsters between now and the start of winter. Cast spinnerbaits and trolled hardbodies seem to be equally as effective

Michael Kanck from Wagga picked up this cod slow rolling a Mudguts spinnerbait across a man-made rock wall in a local canal. almost certainly see a decline in the number of these fish caught between now and the next report, so if you like chasing goldens you need to make the most of this month and get out there with

we start to see some real trophy fish come out of our local rivers. As the water temperature begins to drop it sparks those bigger fish into feeding heavily before the depths of winter hit. Throughout the summer

at this time of the year. AC Invaders and Custom Crafted lures cover all the bases from a hardbody perspective, and darker colours work best. While there are many good quality spinnerbaits on the market,

I find it hard to go past local brands like the Mudguts range. The colours are designed to suit our local systems and they have the big cod results on the board to prove their worth. EUCUMBENE Where have all the rainbows gone? For a while now many of Eucumbene’s regular anglers have been waiting for the rainbows to fire but it just hasn’t happened. While we are still seeing quite a few come out, there just haven’t been those regular cricket score catches that Eucumbene is famous for. Admittedly we have been spoiled over the past five or so years with the amount of rainbows that came out of this place. Late afternoons seem to be the best time to target rainbow trout. The best results come from the hour before and after the sun goes down. Vibes and 5cm Rapalas in dark colours have been working very well for the trolling community, while Powerbait is the pick of the baits. Those casting from shore have encountered the toughest fishing for these rainbows. There is one upside to the lack of rainbows:

Settled water brings rewards ECHUCA

Ian Page

As our weather and water levels have settled down into a more regular pattern, so have our fish. I regard the next three months as the best time to fish. It’s time to get out the deep diving lures, the big Oar-Gees, Custom Crafted, Stumpies and the like. Now is the time I try my brighter lure colours as the water clarity is better. Don’t be afraid to try a lure that’s been in the collection for sometime and perhaps been a little forgotten. After establishing the depth from your sounder, choose the lure that will get down to where the fish will be with the bib bouncing on the bottom every now and then and knocking over the timber. Invest in a lure retriever, as this is not nice country. When you have saved two or three lures the lure retriever will have paid for itself. I generally establish an area that looks like good trolling water and work it up and down a few times, changing lures every 20 minutes if I get no results. If casting from the boat

Fishing from the bank with lures or bait can cost you a bit in tackle, but you have to be in it to win it. March is as good a time as any to get yourself a cod or golden from the bank. and working fallen trees, be prepared to have multiple casts at the snag, as often the cod will not be enticed on the first or second attempt. It pays to annoy them until they strike or you believe it’s time to move on. I see a lot of people trolling with rods in rod holders. This leads to more lures getting snagged than if you hold the rods because a hand-held rod will telegraph what the lure is running over. If it feels like a snag, you can drop the rod tip back and allow the lure to float over the structure – most times. You can also feel any hits better and that’s all part of the fun. Some areas that have been fishing well from reports flowing into the shop

are around Torrumbarry and Gunbower Creek, which are seeing some good golden perch as well as cod on both bait and lures. The deeper holes in the Campaspe between Echuca and Elmore have been great for anglers casting lures. The Goulburn has been hot and cold as the water managers have been adjusting the height continually. This can change the results accordingly but bait anglers have had some top catches in recent times. The Narrows around Barmah have been very consistent all season with some big fish and the Edwards River, although very snaggy, has been worth the effort. Just take care in boats. The best baits remain scrub

worms, grubs and yabbies and with the river having plenty of shrimp invest in a shrimp net and be prepared to put a few on your hook at one time and they will work very well. So the good weather will be with us for quite a while, yet it’s a good time to get out amongst them, good luck. • For the latest fishing and boating information in the Echuca/Moama region, drop into Boats and More’s Echuca store at 76 Northern Hwy or give them a call on (03) 5482 1992.

The spawn run is only just around the corner. Provided we get good autumn rains we’ll start to see fish heading upriver from mid-April onwards. Put in for holidays now to avoid the weekend crowds. the number of browns being caught by shorebased anglers has been outstanding. Most of the browns seem to still be gorging on yabbies, so the best method to catch a decent brown is to make sure you fish your lure or fly on the lake bed. A subtle hop ‘n’ drop style retrieve works extremely well, with the emphasis on the word ‘subtle’. Only very small

twitches are required. Mornings and (even better) evenings have been the standout fishing times throughout February, but we can expect this to change through March as the weather starts to cool off. Many locals believe March is the best month to fish the lake, and with school holidays well and truly over it’s a great time for a trip.

Les Rava from Narrandera with a Murray cod he caught on cheese while bait fishing in the Murrumbidgee.

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Too hot for native fish ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

You know it’s hot when you bounce out of the ute barefoot and you can feel the tar move beneath your feet. Dressed in nature’s finest boots, black globs of sticky goo tear at the skin as you literally hot foot it for the nearest shade. Funny for onlookers but you’d reckon after two decades a bloke would have more sense than to brave the barefoot in summer. I don’t mind the heat but can you seriously imagine fishing in these sorts of

conditions? Actually, imagine is all I do at this time of the year when it comes to chasing native fish along the Murray River. Those anglers unperturbed about keeping their catch have little to lose other than a lot of sweat. If you are into catch and release however the odds of losing your catch run very high during the peak of summer. Large Murray cod are a real challenge to release and the bigger the fish the more likely it will die, regardless of your best efforts. I see it every season and no longer risk angling these fish during the hottest months. There is so much about catch and release angling

that is unknown to a broader audience, especially the impact heat plays on summer caught cod. I would rate the loss of larger fish, say a 1m+, at around 30%. This could possibly be higher if you include the following days, as they later succumb to the stress of capture and handling. I have no stomach for the death of these iconic giants and for these reasons refuse to fish for cod in the heat. In saying that I am none the wiser on how the cod have been biting this past month but I do know most who have suffered the heat are turning up a few golden perch and a mountain of carp on bait. While I don’t cod fish

Gus Storer with an average size mulloway, but it’s the elusive giant of the species we desperately seek.

Fish and chips – a couple of surf caught bronze whaler shark destined for the plate. at this time of the year the angler in me demands a challenge and I choose to vent my angling frustration on the surf. Mulloway, shark and snapper are all on the cards and you can never be

sure as the rod loads and the drag screams to life. Most of our fishing takes place along the back of the Coorong and the challenge of a giant mulloway taunts us every trip in a similar vein

The temperature, not to mention the scenery, make the surf a great place to fish during the summer months.

that Murray cod do for some river anglers. Perhaps it is just me but they seemingly make big cod look stupid; only the freshest baits, only the right tides, only the right this, only the right that. Then some idiot comes along chucks in a frozen pilchard lands a 70lb model on a K-Mart special and has the cheek to ask you what it is – should have bludgeoned him to death with his bloody rod! For me the want to catch such a giant never wains and only grows in stature with every close encounter. We have several more trips planned before the heat starts to drop away and we return to the river and our beloved green fish. Until then we will continue to track down the silver-sided giant that so far remains an elusive catch.

Quality cod off the surface YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

Lake Mulwala, the ‘Murray cod Mecca’, is the only place to be if you want to give yourself a better than average chance of catching a cod at this time of year. January to May generally considered to be the best time of year to fish this region but February to April tends to produce the best numbers of cod. There are options aplenty at the moment, with beautiful warm days, dead calm nights and postcard perfect mornings giving anglers plenty of choice throughout a day’s fishing. If I had a choice (and the energy!) at the moment, I’d split my day up as follows: 5am-7am: Surface fishing the edges of the lake based around the Kyffin’s area casting Koolabung surface paddlers, Bassman Buzzbaits and 74

MARCH 2014

Moose’s poppers. 7am-10am: Once the sun gets up a bit I’d head out to the water in the 3-5m depth range and cast spinnerbaits, 5/8-1oz, double Colorado with stinger hook and bulked up with a soft plastic added. The other critical weapon to have in my arsenal would be a selection of 5/8oz and 1oz chatterbaits (known locally as Mumblers). 10am-afternoon: Time to pull the pin and head home to re-arm. Brunch with a quick midday siesta would see me back on the lake around 2pm rigged up with some bigger hardbody lures (90mm+). Trolling the edges of the many lagoons that litter the lake in search of a big fella in 5m+ of water would be the go. Late: As the afternoon wears on I’d switch back to the spinnerbaits and then get myself set for a night of surface fishing. During the afternoon I recommend familiarising yourself with some ground you want to fish once dusk arrives. Keep an eye on the weather forecast for wind speed

and direction. A northerly should see you fishing the north side of the lake and vice versa for southerly winds. You will always find some pockets of still water even if there is a bit of breeze up. Looking back, the past month has been very productive with many fish reported on the Australia Day long weekend. Spida and Painter Rogers took to the canoes for a great afternoon’s fishing, landing seven cod with the best measuring 77cm. Mulwala locals Brad Pepper and Jamie Stewart were a couple of other anglers who also managed some great returns, with cod measuring well into the 80cm bracket. The lovely wife Vanessa had a great time fishing the surface, landing an 83cm prize. These are just a few of the cod that have been taken off the surface in recent weeks. Fishing below the weir continues to be impressive, especially for those casting smaller lures (such as

Jackalls) and spinnerbaits in search of golden perch. I spent a few hours in the company of a few fishing tragics casting the aforementioned lures for an impressive return of seven yellas and three cod. The best fish was a yella bagged by Thommo that stretched the tape out to 52cm. The competition season is upon us and there are a couple more coming up in the next two months. The next is the His & Hers Partners Classic on 1 March, and it’s a great day for couples to share time together in the boat. Rounding out the comp season is the Cod Nationals from 27 April to 2 May. It’s five days of serious tournament fishing for the dedicated greenfish angler. It’s guaranteed that once you have fished a Cod Nationals you will never miss it again. If you are visiting town I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski (opposite the Post Office) in Mulwala and say g’day. We

Matt ‘Spida’ Rogers was happy with this 75cm cod. are your largest cod-specific shop in Yarrawonga/ Mulwala and specialise in all things “green”! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports give us a hoy on 03 5744 3133. If you are visiting town I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski

(Opposite the Post Office) in Mulwala and say G’Day. We are your largest Murray cod specific shop in Yarrawonga/ Mulwala and specialise in all things ‘Green’! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports give us a hoy on 03 5744 3133.

Reel Love is important NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.me

Over the next few issues, I plan to look at the basic care and maintenance of your fishing gear, starting this month with those most important, complex and costly items of tackle: your reels. With the possible exception of those tough, simple, Aussie-made Alvey sidecasts, most modern fishing reels generally require a bit more maintenance than rods. That’s because reels have a more complex assembly, with various moving parts,

them from time to time, as well as having all reels serviced professionally once every year or so by a qualified technician. Let me explain: After a fishing trip, you can wash your reels while they’re still attached to the rods, or (better still) remove them first. However, if you use a hose or tap to wash gear, be extra careful not to direct a high pressure jet of water onto the reel. This risks forcing water, salt, sand and dirt into the internal workings of the reel. Instead, use a very fine, soft spray or a trickle of slow-flowing water to rinse off the outside of your reels. Better still, fill a

off any excess droplets. Following every third or fourth outing, I recommend that you apply a drop or two of fine grade machine oil to all of the reel’s external moving parts, including the handle knobs, bail arm assembly, bail roller, any level-wind device and so on. Sewing machine oil is fine for this purpose, although specialist reel lubes are also available. An occasional light squirt of the reel’s exterior with an aerosol lubricant is also a good idea. However, try not to spray too much of this stuff onto the spool or the fishing line itself as the chemicals in some lubricants may degrade This rod and reel outfit may be a little beyond the help of basic maintenance! Its only hope of continued life is a complete rebuild. you’re at it, make a note of the make, model and any serial numbers of all your reels and add these details to your household contents’ insurance policy, in case of theft or fire. Every year or two, or any time your reel begins to make funny grinding noises or seems stiff and lumpy to turn, take it to a reputable

Beach fishing can be particularly hard on reels with its harsh combination of salt, sand and sun. Note the PVC tube rod holders being used in the background to keep outfits up out of the sand. both internal and external. One of the best way to look after your fishing reels is to remove them from your rods whenever an outfit isn’t in use (including time spent travelling) and store them separately. I also recommend that you wash your reels after use (especially if fishing in saltwater) and lubricate

basin or bucket with warm, soapy water and use a soft cloth dipped in this water to gently wipe over your reels, paying particular attention to any nooks and crannies where nasties may gather. After rinsing the reels in this way, wipe the remaining water off with a dry cloth and spin the handle a few times to throw

nylon fishing lines (and many people believe that the smell of chemicals on your line can put some fish off biting). For this reason, it’s usually best to spray the aerosol lubricant onto a cloth then wipe the reel with this cloth. Store your reels in a cool, dry place, well away from direct sunlight. While

tackle shop and have it fully serviced by an expert. You can certainly do this job yourself at home if you have even a modest level of mechanical aptitude, but in this age of specialisation and out-sourcing, why bother? Unless you’re the sort of person who changes the oil in your own car and can rebuild a cranky lawn

mower, I recommend you avoid the headaches and pitfalls of reel servicing and pay an expert to handle the job. The more expensive and complex the reel, the more the use of such an expert makes sense. Next month we’ll examine basic maintenance procedures for your rods and other items of tackle.

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Get ready for the Pirtek Challenge 2014 The Pirtek Challenge is on again and the team at Fishing Monthly thought we’d give you all a bit of a heads up on how to go about catching one of the species involved in the competition. This competition donates a lot of money to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and that is worth getting behind. You can win part of the $155,000 in prizes and even have the opportunity to fish with Guesty and ET. But apart from all of that, this competition gives you the opportunity to hit the water with friends and family and have a great day

in the outdoors doing what we all love the best - fishing! So let’s check out some tactics to help you win and get you organised to make the most of the 2014 Pirtek Challenge, Australia’s biggest fishing competition.. COMP TACTICS • Get to know your target species and make sure you have them worked out before the competition starts • Your angler number will be emailed to you after 6pm the night before the competition starts • Fish as early as you can to make the most of the limited fishing time (6am till 6pm) • Always look after yourself by wearing the right clothes, drinking and eating the right

foods and being careful of the sun while fishing • You are only allowed to measure in one fish per angler so choose carefully. Most measure in the largest of a given species • Remember there are mystery length prizes so even a relatively small fish can win you a great prize • Photograph your fish correctly after you have numbered your competition brag mat with your angler number. Make sure that your camera is charged! GET OUT THERE So sign up, join in and have a great day on the water knowing you’re helping a great cause, all with the chance to win some great prizes.

This map gives you a rough guide on where you can find the target species. They are all abundant and found in many areas throughout the state.

NSW Bass Flathead Tailor Whiting

Murray Darling Basin

To enter the Pirtek Challenge on 28 March 2014 visit pirtekfishingchallenge.com.au. Cost is $20 and pre-entry is mandatory. 76

MARCH 2014

BASS

COASTAL

Size range: up to 60cm, commonly 30-50cm Tactics: Bass can be caught in rivers througout their natural range or in stocked impoundments. Bass behave quite differently in both environments. In rivers, bass use current to their advantage and locate themselves in snags to ambush bait that swims or floats past. In lakes, bass commonly school - either in structure or in open water - and don’t have the advantage of current to bring the food to them. Rigs: Bait: Live shrimps under a float (rivers) or lightly weighted (lakes) are irrestable to bass. Make sure you use a circle-hook to minimise deep-hooking of fish that will be released. Lures: In rivers, small hard bodies lures - both diving and topwater - are very effective, as are spinnerbaits through the snaggy structure.

TAILOR

FLATHEAD

Size range: up to 1.1m, commonly 30-65cm Tactics: Flathead are classic ambush predators that us camouflage to their advantage. Drop offs, weed edges, hard rock and mud edges are all favourites haunts of flathead. Lures, flies and baits all work equally well on flathead. Lures such as soft plastics, vibes, lipless crankabits and hard bodies all take flathead and the variety of baits that work on the species is endless – they really will take most things. Cast towards structure with baits and lures, drift over the same areas with bait or troll over these areas with lures to take advantage of these ambush predators. Rigs Bait: Running sinker rig, 6lb braided main line with 15lb leader Lures: 6lb braided main line with 15lb leader, attach lures with a loop knot where possible.

Size range: up to 1m. Commonly 20-50cm Tactics: On surf beaches and headlands, tailor love a bit of foamy water for cover. Although they’re often the hunter, if a big mulloway turns up, they become the hunted. Low light periods around the washes are prime times with metal lures or lightly weighted fish baits like pilchards or gar. Tailor really like a slow moving bait or a fast moving lure. In coastal lakes, tailor can grow large and trolling big minnow lures can bring them undone - as can a live bait. Rigs: Bait: Pilchards or gar on a ganged hook rig with a heavy mono or light wire trace. Lures: Metal slugs or spinners in the ocean washes. Bibbed minnows in coastal lakes and rivers. Cast or trolled at a faster-than-idle speed.

WHITING

Size range: up to 50cm, commonly 15-40cm Tactics: Whiting love clear and shallow water where they grub around for worms and other tasty tidbits. While lure fishing with surface offerings does catch plenty of whiting, your best bet is to get some live marine worms (squirt/pod/beach/mud) and fish them on light line over a sand flat as the tide rises, changing to the channel edges as the tide drops. Rigs Bait: Running sinker rig with long light leader 4lb mono main line, 2-4lb leader

CARP

MURRAY DARLING BASIN Size range: up to 1m, commonly 30-60cm. Tactics: Carp feed by smell and taste and are therefore attracted to smelly baits. This makes all sorts of baits and surprisingly, occasionally lures, very effective on carp. Baits as varied as scrubworms, corn, bread, dough, shrimp and grubs are all attractive to carp and the use of berley will increase your success rate dramatically. Look for slow flowing areas in rivers, such as back eddies and deeper bends and in lakes look to weedy shallows for the best results. Rigs Running sinker rig, Paternoster rig, Float rig 6-20lb main line, 10-20lb leader, lighter in clear water free of snags.

REDFIN

GOLDEN PERCH

Size range: up to 75cm, commonly 25-50cm. Tactics: Golden perch are predators that like a moving target. This makes lures and live baits popular, however they also love to hunt down worms and grubs set on the bottom. Lures like Australian-made hardbodies, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits cast around fallen timber in rivers and standing timber in lakes are all successful, especially around first and last light. Bait fished on a running sinker rig or paternoster-style rig are favourites. If you can impart some movement to the bait, your success rate will increase. Cast baits towards and into structure for the best results. Rigs Bait: Running sinker rig, Paternoster rig 20lb braided main line to 20lb leader Lures: 20lb braided main line to 20lb leader, attach lures with loop know where possible. Size range: up to 60cm, commonly 10-40cm. Tactics: Redfin are an aggressive predator that will attack anything alive that the fish thinks it will fit inside its mouth. They love to hang around structure such as timber and rocks, however schools of fish can also be found in relatively clear water, suspended mid-water with no structure nearby. Lures such as diving minnows, winged lures, soft plastics, ice jigs, lipless crankbaits and flies work very well on redfin. Cast towards located schools of fish, redfin will happily accept just about any lure offering you can think of. Baits fished around structure like steep rock walls and standing timber are best. If you can move the bait, all the better as the inquisitive and aggressive redfin loves movement. Rigs Bait: Running sinker rig, Paternoster rig, 10lb braided main line to 15lb leader Lures: 10lb braided main line to 15lb leader, attach lures with a loop knot where possible.

$155,000

in cash and prizes MARCH 2014

Southern Bream Series Rd 1 Basin Lure and Fly Angler Inc successfully ran their Round 1 event over 2 days on St Georges Basin. The event attracted 55 boating teams and 24 kayak anglers involved. The final winner in the Boating section was Team Breamski with Steve Nedeski and Jarrod Lye with a 10/10 bag totalling 8.290kg. Second place went to Team Stealth Blades (Peter and Phil Cook) with a 10/10 bag totalling 6.96kg, and third

went to Team Up The Creek (Tom McLean and Trevor Gabriel) with a 10/10, 6.950kg bag. Fourth went to Team Compleat Angler Batemans Bay/Shimano (Jason Mayberry and Terry Parmenter) with a 10/10 bag totalling 6.620kg and fifth was a draw with Team VISDEK (Julian Viselli and Allan Dekker) and Team Tonic Eyewear/FG Blades (Damien Skeen and Matt Star) both getting a 10/10 bag totalling 6.61kg. The end tally for the

Boating section was 451 fish for a combined weight of 252.41kg over the two days for 110 anglers. The Hobie Big Bream prize was taken out by Bob Josevski with a great 1.85kg fish in his first ever bream tournament. The Kayak section was won by Team Gladiator Tackle – Carl Dubois with a bag of 6/6 totalling 4.010kg. Second went to Andrew Death with a 6/6, 3.56kg bag and third went to Simon Morley with a

6/6, 3.535kg bag. In total, the 24 competitors in the Kayak section amassed 87 fish for a combined weight of 46.695kg over the 2 days. The organisers would like to thank the following sponsors: Fishing World, Shimano, Lowrance, Searing Tackle/Damiki, Tonic Eyewear, Custom Lure Art, Skeeter Boats/ Power Pole, Hobie Fishing, Compleat Angler Nowra, BCF, Lox Rods and STG Graphics. - BLFA

Bob Josevski with his 1.850kg Big Bream – not bad for his first ever bream tournament.

Summerland Sporties Bream and Flathead Classic The Bream and Flathead Classic is now in its sixth year, running

from 11-13 April 2014 and sponsored by Summerland Sporties. made to fit your fugly head From $39.95 + p&h

www.fuglies.com.au

...and they float! PO Box 235 Yorkeys Knob Qld 4878 Ph: 07 4055 8472 Fax: 07 4055 8471

The competition has grown from 30 anglers when first hosted to over 200 anglers in 2013. Last year a total of 58m of bream and 115m of flathead were caught and released back into Lake Macquarie. The Department of Fisheries have used this catch and release competition to conduct research to determine the health of the artificial reefs in Lake Macquarie. Researchers said they were able to obtain a full year of information over the three

days of the competition. This event is geared towards family participation, with the main priority being to provide a safe and happy competition. The prize pool is worth over $12,000, with prizes for the Largest Bream and Largest Flathead for both junior and senior anglers. The tournament also supports Ronald McDonald House. Last year the comp organisers were able to give RMH a cheque for $5000, and this year they hope to give even more. Competitors will meet on Friday 11 April at 6:00pm at the Summerland Sporties for registration and 7:00pm for briefing. Show bags will be given to the kids and brag mats and boat flags given to the skippers.

On Saturday morning everyone will meet at Sandy Beach at 5:30am and have a complimentary bacon and egg roll. There are two sessions, one in the morning and one after lunch. Fishcare volunteers will be on hand at the official live weigh-in, or you can elect to take photos and download them at the end of each session. Lunch is available for a small charge and during this break the organisers will also be handing out giveaways. Then at 1:00pm the competitors will head out to the second and final session for the day, finishing at 4:00pm with further giveaways. On Sunday morning everybody will meet at Sandy Beach again and be treated to the same tasty breakfast. On this

day there will be only one session and the competition will close at noon. Then everybody will return back to Summerland Sporties for the presentation and the kayak draw. The entry fee is $40 for adults and $15 for juniors. Shirts are also available at a cost of $30 each. Online registrations are open at www. sportiesfishingclassic. com.au, and you can also visit the tournament’s community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ Breamandflatheadclassic. We’re looking forward to seeing you all there. - Bream & Flathead Classic Committee GET INVOVLED See advertisement opposite for full details.

Bale/Brundson take Port Mac GTS Event

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CONTACT BRANT 0409 838 601

MARCH 2014

Team Hastings Bream and Bass Club, consisting of local anglers Wayne Bale and Jeff Brundson, had what was needed to rise to the top of this very talented field at the Atomic Port Macquarie GTS Event in February. Using years of local knowledge, the pair travelled up the Maria River to just below Telegraph Point. Fishing the mangrove edges and in particular targeting the shady side of snags with a broad range of techniques including plastics, surface lures and diving hardbodies they were able to slowly but surely put together a bag of five fish. Taking out the honours for the Kayakers was Luke Kay who decided to make the trek up from Sydney to have at crack at the event. With only one fish weighing in at 1.26kgs it was not only enough to win but was the biggest fish in both the Boat and Kayak division. – GTS

The Hastings Bream and Bass Club team took the honours on the Hastings River. RESULTS BOATER DIVISION Place/Team Bag Weight 1 Bale/Brundson.................... 5/5............2.68kg 2 Fahey/Babekuhl.................. 5/5............2.40kg 3 Hughes/Greentree.............. 5/5............2.27kg KAYAK DIVISION Place/Angler Bag Weight 1 Luke Kay............................. 1/3............1.26kg 2 Nathan Annen..................... 2/3............0.69kg 3 Eric Wood............................ 1/3............0.48kg Full results on www.fishingcomps.com.au

BETS Hawkesbury Results A total of 90 breamin’ teams had a shot at the first BETS event for 2014 on the Hawkesbury River. Team Duo Lures/ Costa Sunglasses (Gavin Joyce and Nick Geogiadis) slow rolled hard baits off the sloppier edges of Cowan Creek and found quality fish hanging close to edge willing to follow the lure out and give it a crack. Despite fishing just 4lb leader in the rocky territory the pair only lost two fish during the session and were able to present five slab-sided specimens for weighing.

Looking impressive in the weigh bag, the fish were even more impressive on the scales; they weighed in at 4.83kg, amongst them a 1.29kg corker that did no harm to the cause.

This awesome bag of fish earned Gavin and Nick the opening first place of the Series and a cheque for $4200. Full results on www.betsbream.com. au - BETS.

RESULTS Place/Anglers 1 Joyce/Georgiadis 2 Staunton/McInness 3 Jay Rook/Brendon McNeil 4 Parson/Jones 5 Grace/Cefai 6 Vikers Grant Ground 7 King/King 8 Gebhard/Brewster

Bag Weight Prize 5/5 4.83kg $4,200 5/5 3.98kg $3,000 5/5 3.94kg $2,000 5/5 3.80kg $800 5/5 3.76kg $600 5/5 3.70kg $400 5/5 3.68kg $250 5/5 3.67kg $125

Gavin and Nick put together an outstanding bag in the first BETS round of the season.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2014 MARCH

APRIL

MAY

March 2 Bluefin Boats BASS Electric Series Clarrie Hall Dam

ABT - (07) 3387 0888 www.australianbass.com.au

March 2

Brisbane Waters fishingcomps.com.au/gts

Gamakatsu TS Rd 1 South GTS - 0459 401 612

March 7-9 Bidgee Classic Fishing Competition Gogeldrie Weir Park

Adam Ryan - 0402 310 167 www.visitnsw.com/events

March 8-9 Toray BASS Pro Series Lake Glenbawn

ABT - (07) 3387 0888 www.australianbass.com.au

March 8-9

Tuross Head Flathead & Bream Comp Tuross Head

THCC - 0458 485 800 www.turossheadfishingclub.org

March 15-16

ABT 13 BREAM Series Sydney Harbour

ABT - (07) 3387 0888 www.bream.com.au

March 23

Gamakatsu TS Rd 1 North Clarence (Iluka)

GTS - 0459 401 612 fishingcomps.com.au/gts

March 29-30

Bluefin Boats BASS Electric Series Toonumbar Dam

ABT - (07) 3387 0888 www.australianbass.com.au

March 29-30

Jackall Yellowbelly Championships Series Copeton

Bruce Anderson - 0419 011 333 www.yellowbellychampionships.com

March 30

BETS Bream Round 3 St Georges Basin

Chris Gates - 0413 795 382 www.betsbream.com.au

March TBA

Riverina Classic Fishing Competition Darlington Point

RCFC - 0459 909 443 www.riverinaclassic.com

April 4-6

Club Marine Trailer Boat Fishing Tournament Nelson Bay

Tony Poole – (02) 9029 6554 www.tbft.com.au

April 8-9

Daiwa-Hobie Kayak BREAM Series Forster

ABT (07) 3387 0888 www.bream.com.au

April 13

Bluefin Boats BASS Electric Series Lostock Dam

ABT (07) 3387 0888 www.australianbass.com.au

April 13 Gamakatsu TS Rd 2 Mid Taree

0459 401 612 GTS - 0459 401 612 fishingcomps.com.au/gts

April 26-27

Jackall Yellowbelly Championships Series Burrendong

Bruce Anderson - 0419 011 333 www.yellowbellychampionships.com

May 4

BETS Bream Round 4 Forster

Chris Gates - 0413 795 382 www.betsbream.com.au

For listings please email sbooth@fishingmonthly.com.au MARCH 2014

20 1

ARRA T O 4B

Power Charges To Victory Team Power (Trent Power/ Donovan Power) took out the first event of the 2013 BARRA Tour, the Peter Faust Evening Event. Team Power’s tournament limit of 9/10 for a total of 925cm saw them secure a comfortable victory and provide the perfect start to their 2013 ABT tournament season. During the prefish day Team Power fished a number of proven locations, sounding good numbers of barramundi. “The fish were there and responding to a Stiffy Bony Bream lure,” Trent said. In the first session Team Power travelled to a clearing near the old powerlines where

The team’s session one total of 5/5, 503cm had them sitting in second place and poised to challenge the leader. On day two Team Power returned to the same section of bank but were unable to find any fish. They moved to a nearby location, Pandanus Bay, which had two branching arms with a flat in between. The team moved further up the creek for no fish before moving back to the flats. Then there was a quiet spell, and they were just about to move when they caught and landed their first fish of the session. They opted to stay, and their decision was rewarded with two more fish coming before sunset.

WINNING WAYS “We took the opportunities when they presented themselves, and we were confident in the locations we chose. Understanding why areas were holding fish and knowing enough locations with similar characteristics made the difference. We could identify areas that weren’t as heavily pressured and the fish would respond accordingly. This all came about due to time and experience on the water. “Also having a smaller boat (3.75m/25hp) proved useful around trees and small creek areas. Being manoeuvrable can sometimes be the difference between catching and losing fish.” they fished a point next to a gully. “We targeted a section of bank around 50m long, casting to a lily edge in 2-4m of water,” Trent explained. “We had a concentrated bite window between 2.30pm and 4.30pm when we caught three of our fish. We then checked out the adjacent weedy flats and the old creek line before returning to our key area.”

In a final throw of the dice the team headed to fish the main basin. “We were fishing around 250m from the buoy line with plenty of other boats,” Donovan said. “We were marking plenty of baitfish and barramundi in the area. The soundings indicated that the bait was holding in 20-30ft with active barra sitting underneath. Surface activity

WINNING TACKLE Rod: 6’6” 6-8kg Shimano Raider rods Reel: 4000 size Daiwa Certate/Shimano Symetre Line: 30lb Fins braid Leader: 60lb YGK fluorocarbon and 80lb SureCatch leader indicated that the fish were active. I was casting out and slow rolling the lure when I got a hit with 20 minutes to go. The barra went 117cm and was our final fish for the session.” The team’s most productive lures were a 130mm Squidgy Slick Rig in black/gold and white, both rigged on Area 51 jigheads. During the day the team used the black/gold and at night switched to the white. Trent said the key areas were small in size with adjacent rivulets nearby. “While we sounded fish in the deep they weren’t feeding,” he said. “The majority of the fish we caught were barra sitting tight to the edges.” NOMAD TACKLE/ HYDROWAVE SECURE SECOND PLACE Team Nomad Tackle/ HydroWave caught 8/10, 781cm to finish in second place. Leading after day one, the pair found the fishing harder on day two and were overtaken by a fast-finishing Team Power. “We had a good prefish where we caught fish and identified our key locations,” Elliot explained. “We found four areas we could focus on depending on the wind direction and amount of traffic in the area.” On day one the team headed to a shallow bank near

the existing powerlines. The bank had an adjacent deep channel, providing the team with multiple options. They employed their HydroWave to activate the baitfish in the vicinity. “The HydroWave is an electronic sound device that emits the natural sounds of both baitfish and predatory fish feeding on them,” Reichard explained. “Together the sounds produce an instinctive response in nearby predatory fish. The predatory fish can hear the sounds and feel the vibrations of the sound waves in the water. “We used the Australian freshwater edition and toggled between bony bream passive, freshwater shrimp and redclaw/ yabby. We set the HydroWave on a 30 second sound loop on a 50% volume setting.” The barramundi were active, moving through in groups of two and three. Between 3pm and 4pm a distinct bite window occurred, with the team capitalizing and landing four fish. “We constantly mixed up the presentations, with one team member using a different lure from the other,” Reichard explained. “This was either a hardbody or larger lure.” The key lure for the session was a 130mm Squidgy Slick Rig in black/

Team Power, consisting of Trent Power and Donovan Power, were the clear winners in the tournament. gold rigged on a 1/2oz Area 51 jighead. The retrieve was a slow roll punctuated with hops, and hook-ups were solid with the fish hitting the lure aggressively. Team Nomad Tackle/ HydroWave led the field after the first session with 5/5, 521cm. With an average fish size of 104.2cm the team were confident they were in the right area and anticipated a good day two session. On day two the wind direction changed, but despite this challenge the team decided to stick with their successful day one plan. Even though there were fewer bites, the team cottoned onto an important bite trigger, as Elliot explained. “Occasionally surface activity would erupt around the boat,” he said. “The key was to quickly cast to those activity areas to get a bite. It was about being in tune with what was happening around you.” The team finished with 3/5, 260cm which secured

them overall second place and valuable Team of the Year (TOY) points. The outfits of Team Nomad Tackle/HydroWave consisted of a 7’, 8-14kg 13 Omen black rod teamed with Daiwa Certate 3000/Shimano Sustain 4000 reels spooled with 20lb Powerpro braid and 80lb Black Magic tough trace. BIG BARRA The event Big Barra (118cm) was caught in session two by Geoff Newby (Team MTA Blue). “The fish was caught at 2.10pm from below the existing powerlines,” Newby explained. “We were anchored in 6ft casting back to a lily edge in 2ft of water. I used a medium paced retrieve when the fish hit the lure [130mm Squidgy Slick Rig in black/gold]. The fish gave some fight, breaching a couple of times before coming to the boat. Fortunately my stinger hook was effective as it was hooked in the lip. It was very exciting to catch a fish like that during a tournament.”

Kinchant Shines For Night Championship Kinchant Dam hosted the second event of the 2013 BARRA Tour, the Kinchant Night Championship. This was the first time Kinchant Dam had been used for an ABT BARRA event. Add to this that Kinchant Dam was recently used for series 10 of the Australian Fishing Championships (AFC) BARRA rounds and all anglers were excited about what lay in store. The Night Championship format tests anglers’ skill and stamina in equal measure. Teams fish one session from 4pm through to 7am the next morning. This maximises the opportunity to catch barramundi during the prime twilight and early morning periods. Unfortunately, the weather decided to play its part during the tournament and teams had to battle the elements in addition to trying to catch the barramundi on offer. Let’s take a look at the teams that reigned supreme. 80

MARCH 2014

TEAM BTD LURES/ MCARTHUR CUSTOM RODS (BENN DURKIN/ MATT MCARTHUR) 5/5, 513CM Team BTD Lures/ McArthur Custom Rods decided not to prefish for the event. Benn Durkin said they felt they had enough experience from social fishing on the dam. “Also, we were concerned how the extra traffic would affect what is essentially a small dam,” he said. “We had decided on our location prior to the event. It was a rock bar located at the entrance to a feeder creek. We sat in around 25 feet of water and cast up onto a weed flat around 10ft deep. Our location gave us access to both deep and shallow water without needing to move the boat.” At the start of the tournament the team went straight to their chosen location. Using Humminbird Side Imaging the anglers noted that there was good fish traffic moving through the area and used Jackall Transams and

A happy Matt McArthur from winning team BTD Lures/McArthur Custom Rods. 130mm Squidgy Slick Rigs in black/gold to entice any bites on offer. Durkin dissects the location, “There was a V-shaped channel through the weed that was like a natural highway for the fish. Barramundi continuously moved through this channel.” The team experienced an initial flurry of activity once they arrived, boating five fish in a hectic 45 minutes. This was followed by a quiet patch until 12pm when two fish were caught near the high

tide window. The weather throughout the session was challenging for all the anglers. Although the storm that hit during the briefing quickly dissipated, rainstorms and high wind continued throughout the night. Team BTD Lures/McArthur Custom Rods attempted to Spot-Lock with their electric motor, but in the end the conditions decreed that they required the anchor. At 3am another storm hit, albeit for a short time. The team hadn’t had a bite since 12am

but, as the sun slowly began to light the morning, another bite window opened. A change in lure colour (130mm Squidgy slick Rig in pilly colour) prompted bites and saw the team land a further two fish before finishing the session. Durkin discusses the team’s key technique, “We made long casts then we let the lure sink to the bottom. Using vicious rips of the rod we lifted the lure off the bottom before letting it sink back with a few turns of the reel. This was repeated back to the boat. Most of the bites came as the lure was sitting on the bottom.” The team made special mention of the fellow anglers competing at the event, “It was great to see so many young, keen anglers attend the BARRA Tour this year. These are anglers

who quickly cotton on to what is happening and perform well across all the events. It pushes everyone to become better and has made the tour dynamic and competitive, whilst still retaining the great social element that is the BARRA Tour.” DOBYNS/RAPALA STREET TEAM TAKE SECOND AND BIG BARRA Team Dobyns/Rapala Street Team (Karin De Ridder/Luke Katsaros) caught 5/5, 495cm to finish in second place. Their limit was anchored by the event Big Barra, a whopping 122cm fish. “Leading up to the event and the day before we prefished the dam, we had one location in the deep with Continued page 81

WINNING TACKLE Rod: 7’ McArthur Custom rods (built on a G. Loomis 4 weight IMX 12-20lb blank) Reel: 3000 Daiwa Branzino/3000 Daiwa Sol reels Line: 20lb/30lb PE Leader: 50lb/80lb

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WINNING WAYS “We had experience on the water and had confidence in the locations we were fishing. The bigger fish were coming from deeper water so we focused on those areas and found the fish we needed.”

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an adjacent weed edge,” Karim De Ridder said. “The barramundi were showing on the sidescan unit and we were confident of finding some fish.” Team Dobyns/Rapala Street Team fished the back of a bay not far from where the winning team found their fish. The depth was around 14-15ft with an adjacent weed edge shallowing out into 2ft of water. A channel through the weed was a key transitional area for the barramundi in

the location. “We had some early nudges when we arrived at the location,” De Ridder said. “At round 4.45pm we had our first fish via a double hook-up, and the bites continued through to twilight.” The team’s key lures were a 130mm Squidgy Slick Rig

in black/gold colour, a Jackall Transam and a custom white 7” swimbait rigged on a 3/8oz TT’s jighead. Bites continued to come through the session, and after a rain squall came through the team hooked a fish that was to be the event Big Barra. “It was a good fish,” De

Ridder said. “When we finally landed it we attempted to move it from the back of the boat to the front. In the process the spine of the fish hit Luke’s leg and after the fish was photographed and released we realised the spine had broken off in the contact and was embedded in his knee.” A trip to Mackay hospital ensued with the anglers then returning to Kinchant Dam around 2am. Fishing was slow until the daylight brought the fish on the bite. A further two fish were caught before the session ended a long night

for the team. The team used Dobyns/ ACM rods paired with quality baitcaster and spin reels spooled with 10-20lb braid and 40-60lb Sunline FC 100 leader. “The key for us was the location,” De Ridder explained. “The number and size of the fish demanded we stay in the area. “Keeping the lure in the zone near the edge of the weed was also important. We changed our jighead weights (3/8oz-3/4oz) depending on the depth of the area we were fishing. The technique was to

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cast to the edge, hop the lure out of the weed and have it swimming into deeper water. This attracted both deeper barra and those willing to follow the lure out from the weed edge.” While the wild and woolly weather made things uncomfortable for the anglers, the fishing fired with 70 fish being caught and released. A total of 19 teams boated fish during the tournament, with an average size of 89cm. If these figures are anything to go by, Kinchant Dam is set to go for BARRA 2014.

EJ Todd go hard and soft for Teemburra win Team EJ Todd (Craig Griffiths and Trent Short) 10/10, 623cm claimed victory in the final round of the 2013 BARRA Tour at Teemburra Dam using a combination of hardbody lures and soft plastics. Fishing points and the backs of bays, the pair focused much of their attention at the mouth of Teemburra Creek. “We’d fish Teemburra Creek before sunset, then we’d move to Middle Creek,” explained Griffiths. “The thick, lush, bright green weed was the key. The fish seemed to really home in on this.” Griffith threw a Lucky Craft DD Pointer 100 most of the time and Short used a 5” Castaic swimbait. The retrieve for Griffith using the Lucky Craft involved casting the Pointer tight to the edge then slowing twitching and pausing it out from the edge. Once the lure was 2m out from the edge

he cranked the lure back and repeated the process. For Short the retrieve was slower and more direct – he cast the lure into the weed edge then slowly drew it through the weed so it didn’t get hung up. The tandem approach paid dividends with the pair catching five fish on day one and another six on day two. The only team to catch their full limit for the event, they said their switch bait approach was the key to their success. “If I got a bite on my hardbody, Trent threw his soft plastic straight in there, and vice versa,” Griffiths explained. “As long as we didn’t throw the same lure, in most cases we’d catch the fish.” It was a calculated approach that delivered not only the Teemburra event win but the 2013 BARRA Tour Team of the Year (TOY) crown. “I was a little disappointed with my barra tour last year, so

Team EJ Todd (Craig Griffiths and Trent Short) with the Team of the Year trophy. to do well this year and to win the title fishing with Trent was very satisfying,” Griffiths said. “I couldn’t have done it without the support of Trent and the guys at EJ Todd.” TEAM NOMAD CLAIM SECOND PLACE Willem Reichard and Ken Elliot from Team Nomad Tackle/Hydrowave (9/10, 496cm) finished second at Teemburra with the pair fishing a lily point near the mouth of Teemburra Creek to catch the majority of their fish. “We caught some fish in other areas, but it was definitely the point that gave us most of our fish,” explained Elliot. Anchored up in 5m of water and a cast length out from the point, the pair cast their lorikeet colour Squidgy Slick Rig 110 and 130 to the edge, then flicked it and ripped it out of the lilies to

get the attention of any barra. Day one was the standout day for this approach, with the pair catching seven fish for the session. This included a 30-minute bite period when the fish were really active. “They really bit their heads

off just on dark,” Elliot said. Day two proved to be a lot tougher during the daylight hours, but an increase in activity just on dark got things moving. “They bit once again as it got dark,” Elliot said. “Five minutes before the end of the session we lost a 75cm fish that would have given us our full limit for the tournament.” Falling one fish shy of their full bag, the pair finished in second place, their second runner-up position for the 2013 BARRA Tour. Their consistency saw them finish in third place in the Team of the Year points race for the year.

One of the most consistent teams on the BARRA Tour in 2013, Reichard and Elliot will definitely be a team to watch in 2014. BIG BARRA Team Swamp Donkey claimed the Big Barra Prize at Teemburra with a 97cm fish caught on a bright yellow coloured Squidgy Slick Rig 130mm at 4:30pm on day two of competition. Caught from a lily-lined weed point 700m from the boat ramp, it was the standout fish on the team’s catch card, which also included a 94cm fish from the same weed point.

TOP 7 2013 BARRA TEAM OF THE YEAR RESULTS Place/Team Anglers Total Points 1 EJ Todd .................................. Craig Griffiths,Trent Short .....................295 2 Power ..................................... Trent Power, Donovan Power ................289 3 Nomad Tackle/Hydrowave ...... Willem Reichard, Ken Elliot ...................282 4 Rapala ................................... Dan Grech, Jon Millard .........................280 5 Dobyns/Rapala Street Team ... Karim De Ridder, Luke Katsaros ...........279 6 Dobyns/ Lucky Craft Lures ..... Colin Brett, Steve Lill .............................278 7 Triton ...................................... Rick Napier, Dustin Sippel ....................278 8 Snap-Dog ............................... Aaron Dial, Cameron Johnson ..............277 9 BTD Lures/ McArthur Custom Rods .......... Benn Durkin, Mat McArthur .................275 10 EnS ........................................ Shane Sanderson,Elaine Sanderson ....273