New South Wales Fishing Monthly - April 2016

AUTUMN FISHING AT ITS BEST

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Tips for the novice boater • Fish handling III • Building a ceiling rod storage rack •

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Luderick learning curve • Build your bream tacklebox •

April, 2016 Fishing Monthly G R O U P

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Black Magic Magic caughtBlack caught 80lb80lb Tough Couper Tough Couper SaraSara Trace Trace of NSW, was was of NSW, usedused District District

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Toner his crew a successful in NZ the Game NZ Game Fishing Nationals last month fishing SamSam Toner and and his crew had had a successful timetime in the Fishing Nationals last month fishing out from Waihau Bay. They caught a 70.1kg yellowfin tuna on a Black Magic Pursuit Jellybean Lure, out from Waihau Bay. They caught a 70.1kg yellowfin tuna on a Black Magic Pursuit Jellybean Lure, Toner his crew a successful in NZ the Game NZ Game Fishing Nationals last month fishing SamSam Toner and and his crew had had a successful timetime in the Fishing Nationals last month fishing and tagged an estimated 110kg striped marlin caught on a Black Magic Freedom Grand Slammer and tagged an estimated 110kg striped marlin caught on a Black Magic Freedom Grand Slammer out from Waihau caught a 70.1kg yellowfin a Black Magic Pursuit Jellybean out from Waihau Bay. Bay. TheyThey caught a 70.1kg yellowfin tunatuna on aon Black Magic Pursuit Jellybean Lure,Lure, Sam says, “the Jellybean and Grand Slammer are permanent fixtures in spread”. our spread”.

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April 2016, Vol. 21 No. 9

Contents 08

BYRON COAST The Tweed 24 Iluka 27 COFFS COAST Ballina 25 Coffs Harbour 28 Coffs Game 30 South West Rocks 31 MACQUARIE COAST The Hastings 32 Forster 34 Manning River 34 HUNTER COAST Port Stephens 38 Hunter Coast 35 Swansea 39 Central Coast 40 SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 14 Pittwater 15 Sydney North 16 Sydney Harbour 18 Sydney rock and beach 19 Botany Bay 20 Sydney South 22 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 44 Nowra 45 BATEMANS COAST Batemans Bay 46 Narooma 47

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From the Editor’s Desk...

I never cease to be amazed at how the fishing community gets together to help each other out.

Actually, that’s not right.

I’ve seen it enough times in my lifetime to not be amazed, but grateful that when difficult situations arise, the community pulls together to get things done.

You’ll see the image here – before and after – of one of our Fishing Monthly vehicles that we made the mistake of parking in a hotel parking lot at Singleton, NSW. We’d loaned it to Fishing Monthly’s sister company, ABT, who were running a bass tournament at nearby Lake St Clair in the Hunter Valley.

During the night, some low-lifes decided that breaking into the car, stealing it, stealing all of the tournament prizes and gear and finally torching it at a local river crossing was an

acceptable form of behaviour.

Thieves exist, I get that, but it was the response of the fishing community that blew us away. Within three hours

of posting a heads-up to our readers (which was shared over 500 times), I was getting calls about where the car was.

One good Samaritan even sent

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me images of the wreckage.

We’ve had offers of costprice vehicles to replace the car, vehicle wrapping and endless offers of help with the logistics of getting the remaining equipment and staff back to home base.

We thank you all for this help.

As a side note, if you’re offered any cheap fishing tackle, Canon camera gear, Engel generators or top-end Daiwa reels in the Hunter Valley area, give us a call.

We’re sure that they didn’t steal the gear because they wanted to run fishing events. Not even thieves are that stupid!

We’ve had some pretty bad luck over the last few years. As a company, I officially request whoever is in charge of karma needs to re-boot the system.

I’m eagerly awaiting a break.

Or a 130cm threadfin salmon on fly. I’m good with either.

EDEN COAST Bermagui 49 Merimbula 48 Tathra 50 Eden 50 Mallacoota 51

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Glen Stewart with a quality bass. To read the story behind this capture, check out his article on page 59.

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Looking for luderick NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Luderick or blackfish are widespread and prolific.

They occur in good

wily, hard-fighting and tasty saltwater fish, which seems a little odd.

Luderick or blackfish range right around our southeastern seaboard, from about the bottom end of Fraser Island in Queensland

and skinned within a few hours of capture). However, surprisingly few fishers regularly chase luderick or blackfish, especially in waters outside of NSW. Even in the Premier State, blackfishing is nowadays

Luderick or blackfish tick all the boxes necessary to qualify as a top notch angling target: they’re attractive, hard-fighting, readily available, good to eat and require just enough specialisation and skill to make the entire process of catching them extremely satisfying – and highly addictive!

Once hooked, blackfish or luderick fight hard, all the way to the landing net. Fine leaders and small hooks are the go. numbers close to many major population centres.

Yet, relatively few anglers specifically target these VIDEO

My advice on catching a few luderick from the ocean rocks.

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APRIL 2016

to the eastern and northern coasts of Tasmania. Most commonly encountered in tidal estuaries, bays and harbours, they’ll also push upstream into near-fresh water at times, as well as frequenting the wash zones adjacent to ocean headlands, or even further out, around inshore islands.

Luderick commonly run from 400g-1kg+, and very occasionally reach twice that weight. They are handsome, hard-fighting fish that cook up beautifully if properly processed (bled, filleted

seen as rather ‘old school’ and seems to have lost favour among the younger generation of sport fishers.

To my mind, this is a shame, as they’re truly great fish!

Luderick are classed as ‘omnivores’, and will eat a wide variety of both animal and vegetable matter. A large part of their diet typically consists of various marine algae or weeds, especially the long, filamentous varieties known to anglers simply as “green weed”, as well as the shorter, crinkled stuff that grows in little

A hooked blackfish doggedly resists capture.

bunches or rosettes in the inter-tidal zone along ocean rock ledges – commonly referred to as ‘cabbage weed’ or ‘sea lettuce’.

In addition to marine algae, blackfish will happily consume worms, small crustaceans and even tiny fish at times. Perhaps that’s why we occasionally catch them on both hard and soft lures intended for bream, flathead or estuary perch. There are also areas and times of the year that produce excellent bags of blackfish on baits such as squirt worms, bass yabbies (nippers), cunjevoi, bread and even peeled prawn tails.

However, to consistently score luderick across the calendar and throughout their range, it’s necessary to offer them their favourite food – weed!

Weed baits are best presented on small (No. 10- No. 6) hooks tied to fine (2–4kg) mono leaders and suspended beneath light floats. Traditional blackfish specialists often use long (3–4m), soft or slow-tapered rods and simple centrepin reels for this task, although spinning reels and light sidecasts will certainly do the job. Floats (whether of the stemmed variety or bobby corks) should be weighted or ballasted so that the softest bite easily

pulls them underwater. Baits are usually set to hang in mid-water or deeper, often several metres beneath the surface, and floats may be rigged either fixed to the main line or running freely below a stopper of some sort. There are almost as many ways to rig up for blackfish as there are luderick specialists!

There are plenty of great video clips on YouTube and

getting into your blood and dominating your daydreams. These fish offer just the right mix of challenge, willingness and availability, and will quickly become a favourite target with many anglers if given half a chance.

They’re certainly well up on my personal list.

If you haven’t given the humble luderick a try, you really should!

Johni Flood caught this mulloway at Middle Island, Port Stephens, on a Gulp Nemesis in nuclear chicken.

Fish for the future and carefully put the little ones back to do some more growing.

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elsewhere that detail highly effective rigging, baiting and berleying techniques to catch luderick. If you’re interested in exploring this topic further, seek out a few of these clips. The QR code will take you directly to one that I presented a few years ago about catching blackfish from the ocean rocks, but there are also plenty of others on offer.

However, be warned: blackfishing has a way of

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Learn the way of the luderick this autumn SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Some anglers I’ve known over the years argue against catching luderick.

They say, ‘it’s boring to

watch a float for hours on end,’ or, ‘they taste terrible,’ and worst of all – ‘you only go luderick fishing when you get old!’

How wrong they are!

I was late to come to the luderick chasing party. I was fourteen years old when I

had my first ever experience chasing luderick off the rocks at a place called Black Rock at Gerroa. My passion for chasing luderick has grown to a point where every opportunity I get to test my patience out against a few luderick I jump at.

Targeting luderick will bring a smile to your face after a successful outing.

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No matter where I target them – off the rocks, in the estuary, from a boat or offshore – where there are luderick, you will find me. A few years ago I even fished for them in a concrete open storm water drain in Sydney Harbour.

Pound for pound, luderick would have to be one of the greatest scrappers around. They will turn you and your tackle inside out with deep lunges and never give up the fight.

This is why you need to have quality tackle to help you get a few of these delicious tasting fish into your keeper net.

THE TACKLE LOWDOWN I have a number of outfits that I use when targeting luderick and they differ depending on where I am fishing. To help you out I have listed four of the outfits that I use and where.

The Bruce Alvey Special, 3-5kg, 3.6m mounted with an Alvey Beach Classic 625B side cast reel spooled with 6kg Sunline Fine Float mainline and 6kg Berkley Trilene fluorocarbon leader.

This outfit is used for fishing off the rocks when I need a bit more muscle to get them out.

The Shakespeare Sling Shot, 10-6”, 2-5kg, mounted with a Pflueger Salt P5040 threadline spooled with 6kg Sunline Fine Float mainline and 3-5kg Berkley Trilene fluorocarbon leader. This outfit is used to fish off the rocks where I can use the wash to help me land the fish. This setup also works out of a boat in the estuary and when fishing from the shore in the estuary when you need that bit of extra length in the rod.

The Shakespeare Catera 9ft, 1-4kg rod mounted with a Shakespeare centrepin

Top: When you gather your weed or cabbage remember to take only enough for your bait and berley. Middle: It’s handy to have a couple of 20L buckets to mix up your berley. Bottom: You need to have berley balls when targeting luderick.

Luderick are a striking looking fish out of the water.

reel and spooled with 4kg Sunline Fine Float mainline and 2-4kg Berkley Trilene fluorocarbon leader. This outfit is used to fish either out of a boat in the estuary or off a wharf or rock wall.

Snyder Glas Mag Bream 136, mounted with an Alvey 56B side cast reel spooled with 6kg Sunline Fine Float mainline and 2-4kg Berkley Trilene fluorocarbon leader.

This outfit is used off the rocks when I can wash the fish out, and off the shore in the estuary when I need extra length in the rod.

When trying to work out where the luderick are you should look for cabbage and cunjevoi off the rocks.

Model No.

475CP

When it comes to the terminal tackle, all I have is a small plastic box that has small split shots, 000, 00, 0 ball sinkers, small plastic beads, small swivels, short shanked 8 size 8-12 hooks, plastic float stopper beads, small brass rings, scissors and a few small bobby corks.

I have a rubber spool that has a prevision for 8 pre-rigged sets of terminal tackle. I also have a variety of stemmed floats for off the rocks and in the estuary.

Now that you have an idea of what tackle you need, you will need a few simple but extremely effective techniques that will make your next luderick outing a successful and enjoyable one.

THE NITTY GRITTY Luderick feed in a grazing manner on green weed and cabbage in both the estuaries and off the rocks – much like a cow. But they have also been known to eat squirt worms and pink nippers in the estuaries, beach worms and peeled prawns in gutters that are adjacent to the rocks, and cunjevoi, peeled prawns and bread off the rocks.

I cannot stress enough that when targeting luderick, you need to have a small but steady stream of berley not only to attract fish, but to keep them in the area you are fishing. To make berley for the estuary all you need is a

Alveys are popular products to find luderick.

This angler has his long handled net at the ready while patiently watching for his float to go down.

20kg bucket of dry to moist sand, four to five handfuls of finely chopped up green weed, and a loaf of white sliced bread.

Fill half the bucket with sand and then add half the green weed and half the white bread and some water To page 12

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SEE FULL RANGE OF BLACKFISH REELS www.alvey.com.au APRIL 2016

11

From page 11

and mix. Once this is done, add the rest of the sand, weed and bread and a little bit of water so that when you hold a ball of berley in your hand

where your float is. This will allow the berley to break up and float down with your float. Then it’s just a matter of dropping in a ball about every five minutes.

up 8-10 that have a swivel, a metre of fluorocarbon leader in 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6kg of about a metre in length with a hook attached and evenly spaced spit shots. Then if I

spots to go I found plenty of information on the NSW Museum website that identifies where in Australia to target luderick, their feeding habits and how they school. Scan the QR code to check it out or visit http:// australianmuseum.net.au/ luderick-girella-tricuspidata.

LOOK AFTER YOUR CATCH! Last, but by no means least, if you don’t look after your luderick after you have put all that effort into catching one you will find that the taste of the fish will be terrible. Quite often I see bags of luderick in keeper nets over the sides of boats or crowded into a bucket while still alive.

This stresses the fish out.

My suggestion is that once you have caught a luderick and you are going to eat it you need to quickly kill it, put it into your net or bucket

Scotty Lyons from Southern Sydney Fishing Tours holds luderick classes on the Port Hacking during winter. and keep it out of the sun.

Once I have caught enough for a feed I will either scale and fillet them or just fillet and skin them. Lightly cooked on the BBQ or in a shallow pan, the luderick would have to be one of the

sweetest fish you will eat.

Well, there you have it! A few tips on how to make your next luderick outing a successful one and remember – patience is a virtue when it comes to fishing for luderick.

Check out those magnificent stripes and little smile on this luderick. it’s not sloppy and running through your fingers.

When you are in position and you have yourself ready, it’s just a matter of throwing in a couple of balls of berley

Another good trick to save you time when targeting luderick is to pre-make a few leaders at home and store them on a rubber spool. I usually make

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do get snagged or break off due to losing a big luderick it’s just a matter of tying on a new one.

If you have never targeted luderick before, one of the hardest things to get correct is when to strike.

Should you strike too early you might miss the fish and if you leave it too long the luderick will have eaten the weed or cabbage and once again you’ll have missed the fish. My golden rule when it comes to striking once the float tip has gone under the water, is to slowly count to three and then strike with a slow, but steady lift of the rod. Most of the time this will connect you to the fish.

Now that you have enough information on how to get among a few luderick you’ll want to know where to find them! Rather than give you a whole list of

Make sure that when you fish off the rocks you have someone with you – and don’t forget the correct foot wear.

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Tech Tricks

Convenient cost-effective ceiling rod storage BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Over the years an angler can amass a huge array of rods and reels, especially if they are into a broad range of fishing techniques. While first string or favourite rods are often stored in the boat, other second and third string rods, the kid’s rods or rods for different types of fishing are commonly left without a permanent home. While stashing

these in a spare corner is a common practice, it’s not an ideal way to store them for longer periods and can lead to damage.

If lent up in a corner, hot weather can create a slight bend in your rod.

Additionally, reels drain a lot better if they are left horizontal instead of vertical after washing. Water drains out of the drag wells and other drainage points more effectively, taking any salt residue with it. Many anglers use floor standing or wall mounted rod holders and racks, however, these require

quite a bit of vacant space.

One area that usually isn’t used for storage in sheds, garages or spare rooms is the ceiling. Generally, there are large expanses of spare space on the ceiling ,which you can put to good use for storing your rods.

After moving to a new residence, I needed to store a few spare rods and my kid’s rods so that they were out of the way, yet at hand when required. I have made rod racks for horizontal ceiling storage before, so I decided to whip another one up and show you how in

the process. These racks are relatively cheap to make, can store a decent amount of rods and reels and if you shift they are easy to remove and take with you.

The main two pine studs on which the mounting hardware is attached can be screwed to the bearers or studs in your ceiling, or in my case, attached to the underside of a small hanging storage loft suspended from the roof in one of my sheds.

You will probably only need two or three self-tapping 50mm+ screws to attach them to the ceiling, but make

1

For this project you will need two pine studs (I used 2.4m ones), 40mm powder-coated metal saddles (20x) (used to hold piping in place), 50mm PVC coated cup hooks (20x), size 8-15x20mm needle point button screws (or similar) (40x), a 5/32” drill bit, a No.2 Phillips screw bit and drill (preferably battery powered). You can get by without the drill, Phillips bit and drill bit and simply use a Phillips screwdriver and extra muscle power to get the job done. If you need to paint the stud to make it blend in with the ceiling then do this first before starting the task.

sure you know where any electrical wiring is located beforehand and ensure that you screw into the timber studs and bearers and not just the ceiling sheeting.

You can make them any distance apart that you wish, however for most of my 1.6-2.4m baitcaster, spinning and overhead game rods, I generally space the two pine studs around 1.3m apart. If you make racking for surf rods then this space needs to be greater.

The rods must remain straight when on the racks, even with reels on them,

to avoid them adopting a permanent curve. When tip-to-butting your rods, I find that spacing each rod about 11cm apart is ample, however if you had large overhead reels then you may want to increase this slightly.

However, the reels could be staggered a bit so that they are not sitting directly in line with each other. This spacing can be a lot smaller if you are only storing rods without the reels attached.

The holder I made here will hold twenty rods and reels and costs around $55 to make in materials.

3

2

Mark your first pine stud at 11cm intervals (or your chosen distance apart for each holder). On my 2.4m stud I was able to fit 20 holders with an extra 10cm at each end for affixing to the ceiling.

At every second mark (every 22cm), centre a saddle and affix it to the pine stud with two screws using your drill and No.2 Phillips bit.

I used button head screws, (which were already painted) but you can use whatever you have. It all depends on how neat you want it to look. If you don’t have a drill, just use a screwdriver and a little extra effort to get the job done.

6

4

Once finished, your first side should look like this with ten saddles in total, all positioned centrally at every second mark. Next lay your second pine stud evenly next to the first and copy the spacing for each holder that you made previously.

5 Screw a saddle centrally at each alternate mark to the first side that you made. The spacings of your saddles do not have to be exact to the millimetre as this won’t affect the final product. Centred approximately over the mark and central on the width of the timber stud is sufficient.

With all ten alternatively spaced saddles on the second length of timber, it is now time to affix the cup hooks. Drill a hole around a centimetre deep centrally on the pine stud at every second (vacant) spot.

9

7

Screw a cup hook into each hole, leaving the open sides of each hook facing the same way once screwed all the way in. If you don’t have a drill then just use extra downward pressure to get the thread started. I have used PVC coated cup hooks as they don’t rust or mark your rods.

8

When all the cup hooks are in place, your two racks should look like this. This allows tip-tobutt spacing for your rods, which means more rods can be stored in a given area.

Attaching the two sides of your rod rack to the ceiling will vary depending on where you are going to put it. Generally a couple of large screws or coach bolts will do the job. Ensure you affix it to load bearing materials and not just the ceiling sheets. Check for any concealed electrical wiring before you start screwing it on. If you decide to shift or move it then you only have a couple of holes to gap fill. Hope you enjoy your new storage racks.

And if you have any vacant spots left on your rack then now is a great opportunity to head down to the tackle shop and buy yourself another outfit.

APRIL 2016

13

Mulling over a mulloway trip THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

I hope you all had a great Easter break with plenty of opportunities to get out and wet a line with friends and family. The return to normal Eastern Standard

Time from daylight savings is the start of the mulloway season on my boat and we have already had some great school mulloway action.

Fresh and live baits fished an hour either side of the tide change will put anglers in contention for mulloway. Focus your efforts

towards the bottom end of the system around Brooklyn, Berowra and Cowan if there is still a lot of fresh in the system. If it remains dry, head up past Spencer and towards Wisemans Ferry and put yourself in the thick of the action.

Alternatively, throwing soft plastics around the tide

There are still a few nice bream to be had on the flats before the water temperatures start to fall later this month.

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changes is also effective.

Sounding out drop-offs, reefs and deep rock walls will get you away from the crowds.

If that sounds like too much work, head straight to the road and rail bridges and thoroughly work each pylon on the tide change. Heavy jigheads of 7-21g with large curl tail grubs, paddle-tails and jerk shads are the most effective.

Flathead have stayed consistent and are a reliable standby if the mulloway don’t want to play. They can be found drifting off Patonga and the middle ground off Juno or near broken reef, drop-offs and on the flats at high tide further up the system. Fresh baits of prawns, salted pilchards and whitebait plus strips of mullet work well. Live poddy mullet, herring and yakka are the standout live baits, but be sure to rig them on a twin hook rig to maximise your chances. If you’re drifting with baits, try casting a soft plastic around. The key is to make regular contact with the bottom; this will help you to cover more ground.

Colour is not as important as action when chasing flatties.

Grub and paddle-tails have the most inbuilt action and are the most effective for this style of fishing.

The bream will build in numbers and size as we head closer to winter.

Falling water temperatures will trigger them to feed ravenously on most morsels that come their way. The rock walls in the lower reaches have been the stage for some great performances and a few curtain closers too! Curl-tail grubs and prawn imitations around 2-3” are the way to fool a few, just make sure to select the right jighead to get the tail working and a seductive drift action. The oyster leases and shallow flats will still house some great bream. Try Berowra, Marramarra, Mooney

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Mooney and Mullet creeks with shallow crankbaits, surface poppers and lightly weighted soft plastics.

The kingfish, bonito and salmon have been going strong around Barrenjoey, Pittwater and Box Head.

Slow trolling yakka and squid on the flat line or downrigger has been the gun technique for the kings. Shallow running minnows around 12-15cm and Christmas tree skirts trolled at a reasonable pace should help you find the salmon and bonito. Troll as close to the washes as is safe to find the better concentrations of fish. They will be using the washes as cover to ambush their prey so it makes sense to run your spread in this zone.

In the upper tidal reaches, the estuary perch and bass will start to school up for their annual spawning run. They will gather on

the abundant rock walls and deep weed edges in the tidal sections from Windsor to Lower Portland. Casting small soft plastic grubs and minnows tight to structure and waiting for that telltale tick in the line between twitches is great fun and very rewarding when you happen on a school.

Fishing the sweet water has been great with fish well into the headwaters this season. Discovering new creeks using Google satellite maps is always helpful and can get you into some untouched, out of the way places! Surface lures have been getting smashed on touchdown, which doesn’t leave much hope if you cast over a tree branch or snag!

All in all, it’s been a great start to autumn and it should continue to improve this month on the Hawkesbury.

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Some nice flathead have been found while targeting mulloway in the brackish reaches using lures and live baits.

Kingfish have been biting well into autumn the last few seasons. Micro-jigs work great when you can find a good concentration on your sounder.

Cut that motor - get my drift?

PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

With all of the warm water that has been travelling along the coast, the bottom fishing has been amazing.

Along Pittwater there have been brief periods of surface activity, mostly in the early morning. If you are lucky enough to see some working seagulls, head over to the activity with 4-6” soft plastics and have a ball with some light gear.

The kings aren’t massive and the average capture is just under legal. There are bigger kings to play with, but they seem to prefer the deeper water. The deeper areas to try are The Supermarket, Careel Bay Channel and The Basin. These areas will see some changes in the coming months, but at the moment they prefer to munch

are areas where squid live.

The more effective coloured jigs to use at the moment seem to be those with a splash of orange on them or the flashy hardbodied pilchard colours. Size of jig doesn’t really seem to matter at the moment as the bite is quite aggressive.

Fishing Pittwater and Broken Bay on the bottom turns up a great catch. The better way to catch a mixed bag of fish seems to be drifting the drop-offs and deep water structure along Pittwater. By drifting and using a simple paternoster rig we have caught big flathead, small mulloway (unfortunately lost a couple of bigger models though), flounder, decent tailor and the odd kingfish as well. The better baits at the moment seem to be fresh fish baits such as pilchards or whitebait. Whitebait is a very underrated baitfish, and at this time of the year they are

This very fat healthy 86cm flathead was released after a few happy snaps.

This young fella loved the look of a tasty flounder! donk sound. This method has caught mulloway, kings, flathead, trevally, tailor and bream. I use 90-120g micro jigs and have had many happy customers using these lures. If you want to try to anchor and berley somewhere, Sinclair

Point is a great place to start – especially on the incoming tide. Along our coast some big kings have shown up and once again it’s all about covering ground to find them. There are quite a lot of baitfish at most headlands and reefs to 30m,

so trust your sounder and find the patches of balled up bait as the predators won’t be far away. Some of the areas to try are Barrenjoey Headland, Newport Reef, Mona Vale bommies and Narrabeen Wrecks just to name a few. Downrigging seems to be the best option. Reef fishing is hot at the moment in water between depths of 40-60m. Once again drifting with fish baits has caught a variety of fish.

The odd decent snapper is caught in 60m, and on the

closer reefs there are snapper, flathead, trevally and the odd kingfish as well. With all of the warmer water I am surprised that we have not caught any pearl perch off ‘the pearly grounds’ out of Broken Bay. I hope this report sees you grabbing the family, a few rods and hitting our wonderful part of the coast.

• 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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“Pimped” Floating down unweighted freshly caught dead yellowtail is a wicked combination when used with this rig, especially for snapper or mulloway. on small live yellowtail or very fresh small squid heads.

Other areas to try are West Head, Barrenjoey Head and Lion Island on the last of the run-out tide. These areas seem to be best in the morning – place a yakka out on a heavier rod while you are collecting yellowtail at West Head. We have had kings come up our berley trail while collecting baitfish and squid from this area. Other areas to catch squid are most bays along Pittwater, with some ribbon weed along the shallows.

The Basin, Palm Beach weed beds, Careel Bay, Sand Point and Portuguese Beach

certainly worth trapping or buying from the tackle shop.

Areas to drift include from Stokes Point to Portuguese Beach, the hole near Sinclair Point, the entrance to The Basin and the drop-off between Palm Beach and Mackerel Beach.

When drifting the dropoffs with the current, check that your sinker bounces along the bottom when going from shallower water into deeper.

While you drift these areas try a microjig either just above the bottom or make it thud into the bottom and lift the tip of your rod violently so that your braid makes a

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Playing the gamefish SYDNEY NORTH

Darren Thomas

Terrific fishing has been had out off Sydney’s north, with more mahimahi and plenty of marlin landed from inshore and offshore locations. Some fish have been sighted very close

trailer boat fishermen with huge success. Not to be left out, the kingfish fishing is still right up there with many anglers confronted by some brute fish. Landbased fishers have also been getting right into the action.

The guys over at Oceanhunter Sportsfishing have recently landed four

Hooked and Hunted’s Andy Young ventured out in his 5m inflatable to a local FAD targeting mahimahi.

Upon arrival he started to cast surface lures around on his 15kg outfit and it didn’t take long before he hooked a ripper mahimahi that once boated measured in at 1.37m. These fish are the

Brennan Webster with a beautiful black marlin.

Mike Brown and Scooter Kerstens hold up more than a handful of marlin! to Sydney Harbour with a list of great reports coming in.

Sydney is in the midst of one of the best marlin seasons I can remember – small blacks are being sighted and targeted by

marlin from as many trips, with plenty of mahimahi as well and some fish up over the magic metre. This outfit has been very successful lately and certainly worth a call if you looking at popping that marlin cherry.

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fastest growing in the ocean and can go aerial during the fight. Pretty good effort out of an inflatable. Some of these fish are in pretty close and certainly worth chasing while the East Coast Current is local.

Scooter Kerstens fished aboard Murrifin with Rod Findlay and Mike Brown chasing marlin at the 100 fathoms mark off Terrigal, and it didn’t take too long before the young angler was onto a 40kg striped marlin on a 10kg outfit.

With the fish subdued, it was brought aboard, and after a quick tag and a photo or two it was released. This fish fell to a small skirted lure on the troll, however live-baiting slimy mackerel has also proved very successful this season. If you’re heading out to chase the bigger fish a couple of slimies in the tank will go a

long way to ensure a better hook-up rate. Out of the harbour, these baitfish have been holding at The Spit, Balmoral and The Artificial just outside of South Head.

Deliberately targeting marlin out of a trailer boat is an attitude that has been adopted by lots of anglers on the north side currently. With the fish so close it doesn’t take long to get in the zone. Brennan Webster is one angler who has been right in the thick of it. Brennan went out to

chase smaller black marlin, and it didn’t take too long to land a beauty. Trolling a small skirted lure on a 24kg outfit in 300 fathoms turned out to be a good recipe for action with a 50kg fish soon hooking up.

Once landed, the fish was quickly photographed and returned to the sea in a healthy state.

Reports of small marlin hook-ups are coming in frequently, and plenty of anglers use spin outfits like Shimano Deep Jig rods

Rob Haslam with a 44cm whiting that took a lure intended for mulloway.

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matched up with Saragosa reels and corresponding braid. You don’t always need a heavy trolling outfit, but it does make the fight easier on bigger fish.

Working in a big tackle store, customers often remark that they aren’t after big fish, but we don’t get to choose what size fish takes our bait and the old analogy of ‘elephants eat peanuts too’ is a classic example with plenty of guys hooking a billfish while chasing mahimahi at the FADs.

Andy Young with a ripping mahimahi.

The Harbour is firing at the moment with kingfish, mulloway and some good bread and butter species on the chew. Rob Haslam and I headed out on the yaks to chase kings recently and had a cracker day on the rats, but also landed some good-sized fish. Rob hooked a decent whiting of 44cm, which of all things took a lure intended for a mulloway. We also caught snapper to 35cm and trevally to 46cm. With excessively warm currents around, now is the time to get out there. Any local captures that you’d like to see in the mag can be sent to darren@fishing.net.au.

Tight lines until next month!

Fishing Fill-its

Zerek Fish Trap review There are so many fantastic lures in the Wilson Zerek range that it’s hard to predict what’s going to be next! Some time back I became enthused about the Zerek Live Shrimp and Live Shrimp Hot Legs. I just could not believe how efficiently these snagless lures managed to trick barra and jacks up north, then proved so good on flatties at Jumpinpin, as well as snapper around the Bay reef areas. The new Zerek Fish Trap is the latest lure from the Zerek range and will hopefully echo the versatility of its brethren – it’s certainly doing the job for the Kampe fishing team.

The Fish Trap is a very well made lipless crankbait (soft vibe) with a very lifelike appearance and a single curly tail that seems to have a life of its own. The slightest movement and that tail starts to wriggle!

The Fish Trap comes with extra strong split rings, ultra sharp Mustad 4x Saltism trebles and in 15 colours for virtually every application from fresh to saltwater and areas in between. With an impressive three size range (65, 95 and 110mm), there seems to be a Fish Trap for all sorts of applications, from straight out casting and retrieving through to trolling.

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The Zerek Fish Trap brought this trevally undone near South Queensland’s Amity Beach.

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the vibe flutters briefly into life then subsides in action.

In fact, it’s often on the way

back down from a small lift – when used directly under the boat, or in between small lifts of the rod tip on a slow retrieve back to the rod – that the vibe tends to get hit. The clue is to keep all slack out of the equation and watch the line. A sudden movement equates to a fish.

Our success so far with the Zerek Fish Trap has been diverse. From threadies in the Brisbane River, to a mulloway at the Pin, a decent trevally for Denise over in the Rainbow Channel near Amity, with Scott the lad scoring some excellent fish up north as well. With the weather cooling I’m looking forward to a whole lot more fun with the Zerek Fish Trap during autumn and into winter.

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Ultra sharp Mustad trebles are a feature of these great vibes.

Scott Kampe with a Dunk Island trevally taken on a Fish Trap.

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Unfortunately, that sort of action is not the one that’s going to attract a fish.

The clue with vibes is to work them subtly, so that

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How to turn a gar into a king well aerated (preferably circulating) bait tank.

One of the most successful and spectacular ways to fish the live gar is to swim them out under a bobby cork with no lead.

You can get huge surface strikes this way! The rig is simple and consists of a 1m mono trace with a bobby fixed at the point where the

SYDNEY HARBOUR

Craig McGill craig@fishabouttours.com.au

We have been getting some spectacular king fishing of late, and hopefully with the late start to the season we will get a late finish, taking the warm water and kings right through to May. This is the time of year for bigger than average kings so you need to expand your tactics. While I’m generally a strong proponent of fresh squid for bait, big kings do develop a hankering for garfish at this time of year. This is not surprising given that we get a good run of gar in the harbour about now.

You will find gar in places like Quarantine and Watsons Bay, and around Sow and Pigs reef. A bit of bread or pellet berley mixed with tuna oil will get them in behind the boat in no time.

My favourite gar bait is pilchard gut on a short shank no 12 or 14 hook under a light quill float. I suspend the bait about 30cm under the float with no lead, with the lightest line possible.

To keep your garfish alive you will need a good sized,

Mulloway should be at their best now. trace meets the main line.

No lead is used so the gar, pinned on a 6/0 octopus style hook, swims on the surface.

Pin the gar under the lateral line just behind the anal fin.

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underside you naturally keel the bait. A gar hooked above the lateral line will have to constantly fight the hook and tire more quickly. When it does tire the hook weight will pull the gar upside down and it will die.

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with the disadvantage of not always knowing where your bait is and resultant tangles.

If you are going to use this method, you will need to keep a constant check on your bait’s position.

While gar is great bait at this time of year don’t write off the squid. A big, whole, live squid fished deep will take its share of big kings and still rates as the number one bait with the advantage of picking up a stray mulloway.

MULLOWAY Thanks to a wet summer, April through to July should be a bumper for lure throwers in the upper reaches.

Mulloway follow the mullet run back upstream at this time of year and don’t seem to mind the cooling water.

Bridges at night are top mulloway spots. These fish are an open water ambush predator, using dirty or dark water to hide in (quite different from structureoriented predators like flatties, who bury in the sand, or bass who hide in a snag or weed bed).

Lights on a road bridge throw light onto the water next to the bridge and cast a shadow of the bridge under

it. This sets up three ideal situations for mulloway to feed. First of all, the light water attracts bait like squid and mullet. Secondly, the shadow gives the mulloway a place to hide and mount their attack, and thirdly the pylons create a pressure wave for the mulloway to rest in while they aren’t attacking.

The scenario is like this.

Bait swarms in the light water. Mulloway hide in the dark water and every now and then burst into the light water to grab a feed. Mulloway and the bait will always face into the current and the bait at night is generally on the surface. From all this we can see that the best way to catch mulloway around a bridge at night is with surface lures/ poppers, on the side of the bridge that the current is flowing onto and right along the line where the bridge casts a shadow on the water.

MUD CRABS To the surprise of many, Sydney supports a healthy mud crab population. Any estuary with a few mangroves will hold crabs including Parra River (check dietary advice), Georges River, Middle Harbour and most of the Hawkesbury tributaries.

I’ve even seen them taken from spots as obscure as golf course ponds. I’ve caught some good-sized ones from Berowra Creek over the years but nothing could have prepared me for the freak that my mate Jack Hannan

Freya with a huge Sydney mud crab. turned up with at a recent BBQ. It was truly massive and equal in size to any I’ve seen in the tropical north.

Methods of capture include wading at night with a light and traditional traps.

You will do much better with fresh bait in your trap rather than stinky baits, despite the myth. Good baits include mullet and mahimahi frames, and any other oily type fish.

Getting your traps stolen or run over can be a problem in Sydney so place them wisely. It’s not a problem unique to Sydney either. On

a recent family holiday to South West Rocks, ratbag locals stole seven of our family’s eight traps. When I reported it to local Fisheries they assured me that the locals don’t specifically target tourists – they rip each other off too. However, in the same week that mine went missing, the locals’ traps in the same vicinity never got touched.

• 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.

Big kings take a liking to gar at this time of year.

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APRIL 2016

Pelagics parade past SYDNEY ROCKS

Tom Bamforth

Sydney’s rock and beach anglers have a plethora of piscatorial options available to them this month. Strong, inshore sweeping of the East Australian Current has brought water that is at times in excess of 25°C. This has brought small and mid-sized pelagic species

out on 24kg class tackle to entice a larger predator such as hoodlum kings, sharks (both hammerhead and whaler), plus the odd black marlin.

These species have all been hooked from Sydney’s deeper rock ledges for those with the inclination and dedication.

Another species that often turns up for Sydney rock anglers in early autumn is snapper. A species that moves around a lot, snapper will

a decent run of school mulloway this past month and April always seems to fish well for them. Northern beaches regular Charlie ‘Gav’ Male and his angling partner Edward Wheeler have taken 5-9kg fish regularly. He reports that of all the baits frequently toted as top mulloway baits, fresh mullet fillets have been ultimately responsible for the hook-ups. A low tide a few hours after dark has been the

A beautiful snapper taken on a fresh frigate mackerel bait cast out wide onto the sand early in the morning. such as frigate mackerel, Watson’s leaping bonito and mackerel tuna (kawa-kawa) within reach of the landbased spin fisher.

Casting and briskly retrieving 20-50g metal slugs from some of the more prominent headlands will provide pelagic action. Try and combine a rising tide early in the morning for best results. Some of the spots that have produced lately are Curl Curl Headlands, North Whale and Old Man’s Hat at North Head. As these little speedsters are pelagic, many other ledges in Sydney both north and south will offer opportunities for the keen spin fisher. Mixed in with the small tuna and bonito species are many rat class kingfish, salmon, and even the odd pod of aggressive long tom, so a morning or afternoon lure-casting session may turn up all sorts. For those with dreams of larger quarry, send a live frigate or bonito back

often shadow the bait schools that are common at this time of year. Fresh frigate mackerel strips work well, either fished in closer through the wash or cast out wider onto the sand patches between the hard reef. They often bite better on a running tide around this part of the coast than a tide change. In the deeper washes like Bangalley, Dee Why and no doubt plenty on the south side, an effective technique is to berley the wash and cast lightly weighted strip baits or soft plastics through it. Try a 5-7” jerkshad or wriggler tail on a 3.5-10g head, depending on wash and depth. This is a really fun way to fish, as you will get attention not only from snapper but kingfish, salmon, tailor, trevally and more.

As we head further into April and the water cools, the drummer chasers will start to spin their Alveys and prepare to probe the suds for one of our premier rock brawlers.

The beaches have seen

most productive phase, and moving around the beach or even from beach to beach has been the key to success.

As most of this fishing takes place at night, small whaler sharks and rays can become a frequent by-catch. I’m sure I needn’t preach to NSWFM readers, but please return these creatures to the surf unharmed.

An early morning beach fish at this time of year is a pleasure, and casting fresh beachworm baits into the close-in banks and gutters at dawn on light tackle will produce some great whiting and bream action. For the more active angler, spinning 40g metal lures or 4-6” soft plastics will yield flathead, tailor and salmon.

Tom Bamforth crafts custom rods under the TBC Rod Co. label, specialising in land-based game, rock and bluewater builds. He can be contacted via Facebook or at tbcrodco@hotmail.com.

Close up of a freshly caught frigate mackerel. They are fun to catch and make great bait for many species.

APRIL 2016

19

Botany Bay bonanza Unfortunately Gabe Quercigrosse has been unable to write his report this month, but some very helpful staff in two local tackle stores have given us the lowdown on what’s happening in and around Botany Bay. Here are their reports.

COMPLEAT ANGLER SYDNEY In Botany Bay the kingfish action has been really good this year, and there are still quite a few in there. The best lures for us have been the 9” and 12” pre-rigged Sluggos.

They’re fantastic surface lures, and are very effective when cast at structure or at fish on the surface. For the baitfishers, the best bait is still live squid.

Kingfish are being caught around all sorts of structure.

All the runways, marker

channels and all the headlands off Sydney at the moment are holding fish pretty regularly.

In recent weeks there wouldn’t be a day you would go out there and not catch one.

The size hasn’t been too bad. You still have to work to get a legal fish, but 65-75cm specimens are reasonably common; you’d get one or two a day. The average size seems to get better each year.

There is the odd big fish mixed in, busting anglers off. To give yourself a better chance, I recommend fishing a bit heavier. I like to fish 20-30lb braid and a good 40-50lb leader. Otherwise, if you come across a bigger fish you’ve got no chance!

There are lots of small bonito around giving anglers lots of fun. They are being caught from the mouth of

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the Cooks River all through Botany Bay. They’re taking Halco Twisties and other small 10-15g metals.

Early in the morning out the front you can get into some good mac tuna. Targeting these speedsters off the rocks is a fun way to spend a morning.

The bream and flathead fishing has been good as well, and the flathead in particular have been awesome. There are some really big ones around – one of our customers got a 99cm one in Botany Bay recently. Along Brighton Le Sands in the shallows is a good spot. To give yourself the best chance of snaring a big one, go big with the soft plastics. We’ve found that 4-6” ones work best.

• For all the latest info on what’s biting, drop into Compleat Angler Sydney at Level 3, 428 George St, Sydney or give them a call on (02) 9241 2080. You can also find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ Compleat.Angler.Sydney.

– Adam Kearns

Compleat Angler customer Mike Madrid from San Diego, USA was happy with this king caught off Sydney.

BOTANY BAY BAIT & TACKLE The fishing has been fantastic, with everything from bream and whiting to trevally and kingfish.

Anglers walking the

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APRIL 2016

anything that moves past their face. They’re being caught from the Cooks River outlet all the way to Dolls Point.

They’re even being caught under the bridge as a bycatch when fishing for mulloway.

You can get good flatties just walking the beaches or drifting the bay. It’s the best fishing I can remember for many years.

When it comes to mulloway, you can get them from around most of the bridges and the runways.

There have been reports of them being caught on squid, live worms and even Hawkesbury prawns over the last moon phase.

We’re seeing heaps of nice big whiting and bream being caught on live yabbies and live blood worms. Boatbased anglers are getting bream off the runways in the middle of the bay in the shallows. When it comes to

chasing bream and whiting, be prepared to berley and fish in the trail for the best results. You should also fish really light – 4-6lb – with a fluoro trace. The water is very clear at the moment and the fish see everything, so fluoro leader will give you the best chance.

Whiting are hitting poppers as well, and one of the stand-outs has been the Halco Roosta 45. When you’re fishing in knee-deep water for whiting, there’s also the chance that a flathead will snap up your popper.

There are plenty of kingfish around. Most of the boys are getting them around the headlands, but they’re also coming in to places like Molineaux Point off the runways. Experienced anglers always get fish there, and even people who never catch fish are doing well!

The just legal specimens aren’t fussy, and are happy to take a California squid.

The bigger kings are taking live squid. Knife jigs catching a few, with the Wilsons and Black Magic jigs doing particularly well.

Guys throwing big poppers in harbour are also getting big kingies.

There are plenty of kingfish offshore as well, and Belambi has also been serving up some snapper. The current has been very strong though, so there have been limited opportunities to fish the bottom.

There are a lot of marlin around – you don’t have to go out wide to be in with a chance. There are plenty of marlin in closer enjoying the nice, warm water and plentiful bait.

• To get the latest news on what’s biting, and to browse a great range of tackle and bait, drop in to Botany Bay Bait & Tackle at 1a Jacobson Ave, Kyeemagh, or phone (02) 9556 1451. You can also find them on Facebook.

–Steven Lengyel

Fishing Fill-its

Burning fat and saving coral rather than the more remote ones that receive less fishing pressure.

Eva Maire and her colleagues from the University of Montpellier in France divided all the world’s coral reefs into 1km2 blocks.

They then calculated how long it would take people to travel from the nearest population centre to the reef.

The research team found that 58% of the blocks were located less than half an hour away from the nearest human settlement. Most of those reefs were in the Caribbean, the Coral Triangle off Southeast Asia, the Western Indian Ocean and around Pacific islands. Other reefs, such as those in the Coral Sea, were much more difficult for people to get to, requiring 12 hours or more to reach.

Naturally, when a reef is close to people it is more heavily fished. Researchers also found that how close a reef sat to a seafood market made a difference to fish populations. Reefs closer to a market had lower amounts of fish.

Next, the group looked at which reefs were protected.

They found that those reefs most likely to be in a protected area were those that were far from people.

An isolated coral reef was more than twice as likely to be protected. This pattern of protection is due to pressure on governments from fishing stakeholders to permit fishing on close-in reefs.

Maire and her colleagues claim that this means we’re protecting reefs that don’t need protecting. There is a strong counter-argument, however. It is this: if you’re going to lock up reefs it may well be smarter to protect the pristine ones rather than locking up established fishing areas, particularly given the stresses on coral from climate change and increasing ocean acidity.

In other news, UNSW Australia researchers have found that carbon dioxide in seawater could reach levels high enough to make fish lost and disoriented many decades earlier than previously predicted.

“Our results… have massive implications for global fisheries and marine ecosystems across the planet,” said lead author Dr Ben McNeil. “High concentrations of CO2 cause fish to become intoxicated.

Essentially, the fish become lost at sea. The carbon dioxide affects their brains and they lose their sense of direction and ability to find their way home. They don’t even know where their predators are.

“We’ve shown that if atmospheric carbon dioxide pollution continues to

rise, fish and other marine creatures in CO2 hotpots in the Southern, Pacific and North Atlantic oceans will experience episodes of hypercapnia by the middle of this century -- much sooner than had been predicted, and with more damaging effects than thought.

“By 2100, creatures in up to half the world’s surface oceans are expected to be affected by hypercapnia.”

The UNSW scientists utilised a global database of seawater carbon dioxide concentrations collected during the past 30 years

as part of a variety of oceanographic programs.

“We then devised a numerical method to work out the natural monthly peaks and troughs in carbon dioxide concentrations during the year across the surface of the world’s oceans, based on these observations,” says Dr Sasse. “This allowed us to predict that these natural oscillations will be amplified by up to tenfold in some regions of the ocean by the end of the century, if atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations continue to rise.” – FM

Rising ocean CO2 levels will eventually effect the brains of fish, causing them to become disoriented, lost, and not recognize dangers from predators.

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Scientists have discovered that fish oil turns fat-storage cells into fat-burning cells. This discovery may pave the way to reducing the dreaded ‘middle age spread’.

In Scientific Reports, the research team explained that the fish oil turns on receptors in the digestive system, stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, and causes storage cells to metabolise stored fat.

Not all fat tissue is the same; they actually don’t all store fat. The ‘white’ cells are the undesirable ones that store fat to give the body a back-up source of energy.

The ‘brown’ cells are better – they break down fat to maintain a stable body temperature. Infants have a lot of brown cells, but they decrease as we age.

There’s also a third type of fat cell, called ‘beige’ cells, which are a more recent discovery. Beige cells have been demonstrated to function in a similar manner to brown cells. Beige cells, like brown cells, are less common in middle-aged people. Without these fat-burning cells, the stored fat builds up over the years without being used.

What the scientists wanted to know was this: how can we increase the number of these beige cells?

Can we do it by eating certain types of foods?

Senior researcher Teruo Kawada said they knew from previous research that fish oil had tremendous health benefits, including the prevention of fat accumulation.

“We tested whether fish oil and an increase in beige cells could be related,” he said.

The team gave two groups of mice different diets. The first group was fed fatty food, while the second group was fed both fatty food and fish oil. The group that ate fatty food with fish oil gained 5-10% less weight and 15-25% less fat compared to the other group.

The researchers also discovered that beige cells formed from white fat cells when the sympathetic nervous system was stimulated. This meant that cells that were previously hanging onto fat had acquired the ability to burn it instead.

“People have long said that food from Japan and the Mediterranean contribute to longevity, but why these cuisines are beneficial was up for debate,” Kawada said.

“Now we have better insight into why that may be.”

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28/10/2015 2:07 pm

Dusting off the luderick outfit SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

By now the luderick will have started to increase in numbers, both in the estuaries and off the rocks. That means it’s time to start dusting off that luderick outfit, checking the guides on your favourite floats, and restocking your tackle box with sinkers, swivels, hooks, beads and so on.

And most of all, you should be on the look-out for some of that quality green weed and cabbage.

Just of late I have been out chasing a feed of bream, whiting and flathead and I’m always on the lookout for luderick. Even though they are there year round, I have found that over the years the numbers start to increase from the end of March and start to die down around September.

If you are looking for somewhere to try shorebased fishing for luderick you could try the Cook River breakwall, Bare Island, the groynes at Kurnell, the north and south sides of the Taren

In the Port Hacking River, you could try Gymea Bay, Lilly Pilly and Gunnamatta Bay baths, Old Wallys wharf and the boat ramp in Yowie Bay. Swallow Rock Drive is also worth a shot.

For the boat angler, all you need to do is look for a stretch of shoreline that has a bank (it can be rock or mud), weed bed and sand on the outside. To start with, I recommend taking a walk

a bit of an idea of what to look for.

If you are going to fish off the rocks, I would firstly make sure that you have god footwear and the conditions are only slight. Just enough wash is enough. Too much wash and it gets dangerous.

Whether you are fishing off the shore in the estuary, out of a boat or off the rocks you will need to make sure that you have berley. Sure

Andrew Humphries with a couple of dusky flathead that were destined for the pan.

Bare Island in Botany Bay is not a bad place to target a few luderick on the falling tide.

You don’t need a lot of gear to target luderick.

Point bridge, the entrance to Oyster Bay, Bonnet Bay in the Woronora River, Soily Point and Picnic Point in the Georges River.

chopped up green weed, sand and about six slices of white bread for my berley.

Dusky flathead are still in good numbers in Botany Bay around the end of the third runway, Yarra Bay, Silver Beach at Kurnell, Dolls Point to Brighton, Woolooware Bay and upstream from the Como Bridge to the bridge at Alfords Point. At this time of the year I find that small

along the foreshore at Dolls Point or the southern side of the Georges River at Lugarno. If you check these places out it will give you

you can catch them without berley, but if you want to keep the bite going you will need to have at least a 20L bucket of berley. I mix

whitebait, strips of fresh mullet or tuna and poddy mullet are the go.

If you are after a few big dusky flathead in the Port Hacking I would try the entrance to South and Northwest arm, Gymea and Yowie Bay and the run-out off the eastern side of the sand spit at Maianbar.

Tailor and Australian salmon have been feeding on large schools of whitebait downstream of the Captain Cook Bridge and out into the bay towards Yarra Bay. Small metal slicers, poppers and 5-6” plastics are the go.

When in the Port Hacking I would keep an eye on the diving birds as they usually means that the baitfish have been driven up to the surface by the feeding salmon and tailor. If you don’t get a bite straight away I would suggest that you allow the lure to sink and then start your retrieve.

Offshore there have been large numbers of sand flathead from the 40-50m mark from Coogee to Jibbon

Bombora. Try using half pilchards, strip of slimy mackerel or soft plastics. The reefs off the back of Kurnell Point have been producing snapper, morwong, sweep, pigfish and silver trevally.

Remember to anchor up and berley.

If you are after a few whiting I would try working the beaches from Bondi and down to Gare, as most of them are holding whiting. The best bait by far is the beachworm, followed by bloodworms and pink nippers. You can get bloodworms from bait shops, but if you want to source your own bait you’ll need to

pump nippers or catch your own beachworms. If you are looking for someone to teach you how to get beachworms, I recommend a session with Alex Bellissimo, who runs Rock and Beach Charters and Tuition. There’s more information at www. bellissimocharters.com.au.

He is brilliant!

In other news, I was going to hold a Lure Only class at Windybanks Bait and Tackle in March, but it has now been moved to Saturday, 21 May. If you are interested in coming along send me an email and I will send you the details.

Flathead fillets and Thai salad. Yum!

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All sorts of species hitting hard on The Tweed THE TWEED

David Solano

Around seven weeks ago, Pete Kyvetos (a mate of mine), bought a sea going boat and hasn’t been able to take it outside as every weekend it’s been blowing a gale. I can tell it’s getting to him as he is dying to get out

with me and get into some awesome Tweed fishing.

Now we wait patiently for the weather to play the game!

The only good thing to come out of this is that we ended up testing the new boat in the river. Anchoring up and throwing livies and baits over the side is not exactly my style of fishing. We dropped anchor under Boyds Bay Bridge

around midnight and I can’t remember the rest because, being on a big cosy boat, I was asleep within five minutes!

To combat this, Pete’s been towing my yak to our fishing spots, where I’m free to roam around the place.

Anthony Solano with a nice feed caught in the Tweed.

The author with a nice little whiting caught on the sand banks.

Which brings me to the bite. I mentioned last month that a couple of guys lost a massive mulloway off the end of Fingal Wall – well the fish are still here and in numbers.

I know this because a mate of mine (Craig) is the captain of one of the local dive boats that regularly goes out to Cook Island to take tourists for awesome experiences on

Craig Costigan with a fantastic flathead.

the reef. When it’s too rough out there they enter the water at Jack Evans Boat Harbour at high tide and float down the wall past the hospital. This particular time Craig couldn’t believe what he was looking at, he was right off the hospital staring at over 50m long mulloway all sitting on top of one another, not moving much, To page 25

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Get out there and get jacked!

With a cyclone around the East Coast of Australia at the start of March, the swell bashing the coast has been nothing short of impressive. In turn, the fishing has certainly been stirred up in the wake. The beaches around Ballina and Lennox Head have fished really well and should continue to get better.

Look for gutters on Patches Beach and back to South Ballina as well as the beaches along Seven Mile Beach north of Lennox Head.

There have been reports of good catches of tarwhine and flathead on soft plastics and blades – try in 1/4oz size for both types of lure. If it’s too windy this might be a struggle. There are still good numbers of pipis around, and these little blokes are great fresh bait for most bread and butter species. Just remember you’re not allowed to take these from the beach as per NSW DPI rules.

The rock walls have produced some good size mangrove jacks. While not

in good numbers, the bettersized specimens have come out to play in recent times.

The break walls have been a little quiet for mulloway though the town stretch of the

consistent bream producers.

If you’re into soaking bait, nippers are one of the best and good fun to catch with the kids around. If you’re into throwing lures, small

fresh prawns are the go, if you can get them. The prawns are on the move at the moment so if you can find them, you’ll find great numbers. If you like to

Aiden Kane with a beautiful jack caught on an Atomic Fat Grub.

Skinny water, in the upper reaches of the Wilsons River is worth exploring. river has fished well for these beauties. Live mullet seem to produce the best catches. Mud crabs have shown up in North Arm and Immigrant Creek thanks to the dirtier water.

Dans Lane and Pimlico Island flats have been

Matt Gibson with a cracking jack caught on a Lucky Craft Pointer.

From page 24

just enough to stay steady.

I have been told they are a lazy fish! To catch one, try behind the hospital, however the bridges put up a good bite as well. Beach fishing at night is effective, if you’re up for it, and the beaches from Tweed to Pottsville are mulloway heaven.

The rough conditions outside have made the river a little crowded, and I’ve

noticed a lot of folks in big boats in the river fishing with way too heavy gear but at least having fun. The Tweed jack hunters are also enjoying themselves; one mate caught his first jack on the surface from a yak at the oyster lease to the left of Seagulls. I’ve been stung by them there, I kept losing my lure to what I thought were bream, until I upgraded my leader to 15lb and skull dragged a red

bream in. You’ll find them in there; it’s a challenging but fun place to fish. The trawlers, Chinderah Wall, and Boyds Bay Bridge have all accounted for some nice fish in the last month.

Flathead are still avoiding me, but they’re around. Cobaki and Terranora Broadwaters are good hunting grounds for lizards. If you’re out there take a popper with you as there are some awesome spots

throw hardbody lures, try trolling some Atomic Shiner 75s down to 3.5m in the holes around the Wardell Bridge and areas close by.

Bright colours are best. Once you’ve found the drop-offs, it’s always a good idea to have a 3-4” soft plastic with a 1/4oz jighead with a 3/0 hook ready to go. to cast a surface lure on the high tide, particularly off a yak as you can go where boats can’t to some of the sweetest whiting hot spots you’ll come across. Check out behind the airport – with all the little rocks and crannies, it’s a great place to explore.

The tailor are off the walls, but are out there with the swell. Just remember that rockfishing is the world’s most dangerous sport.

attracts these fish in this dirty water. The creeks around Bangalow and Corndale are worth a cast now that they’ve cleaned up a little. Downsize everything that you’d normally throw in the main river. You’d be surprised how big the fish that live in these small creeks can get.

Small 2” plastics and bream or trout size crankbaits are what you should look for.

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crankbaits and small top water poppers are always my go-to. You’ll pick up a few whiting although the dirty water has decreased the numbers of these fish being caught.

If you are after a feed of flathead, try the stretches between Pimlico Island and Broadwater. Whitebait and

The freshwater stretches of the Richmond and Wilsons rivers have been patchy.

Reports have commonly been of people catching 15-20 fish one day and then going back the next and getting only a couple at best.

The most effective lures are spinnerbaits; big gold blades and lipless crankbaits with bright colours are the best.

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Get a massive crab in your pot! in the maximum amount of effort.

The best way to get among them is to slow troll lives. Slimy mackerel is the pick of the bunch, but if you can’t get hold of any slimies others will work such as tailor or yellowtail.

A 30lb outfit is the best way to get among the action. A double hook rig on single strand wire in the 40-60lb range is best when dealing

ILUKA

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April and May is our pelagic season, where better quality fish come out to play and rip line off our reels. If you want to tick a big Spanish a PrawnorBlalongtail b m d es a “Y mackerel tuna off the bucket ” list now is the time to put

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with pelagics like Spanish mackerel that like to slash at tails when attacking.

Those same pelagics will be caught off the stones as well. The wall will be the most popular spot with the crowds, but if you don’t mind a bit of adventure there are spots to the north and south that produce just as many fish and the chances of seeing anyone else is slim to none.

The same technique mentioned before will work off the rocks except you should have your livie out under a float on the edge of the wash line.

On the flathead side of things the action will be starting to move upriver.

Bright coloured plastics and blades are your best

bet and chartreuse is my favourite colour to tie on when chasing a feed of flatties.

There are still muddies around if you’re up for a feed of crabs. Remember to keep an eye on your pots as there are plenty of light fingered people getting around that are not happy with just taking all your crabs but who will also steal your pots.

Upriver the bass fishing has been a little tough of late. The highlight has been the night surface bites. Larger lures in the 70-90mm range attract better quality fish. My favourite has been the Bills Bugs Fizzers, closely followed by Croaker Lure’s Paddlers; both lures have

Ben Rampling with a monster mud crab.

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The Rampling grommets Noah and Riley have learnt a thing or two about crab handling while out checking the pots with dad.

worked well in these night sessions. Slow rolling 4” plastics rigged weedless out of snags, as well as the ever-faithful spinnerbait have worked a treat as the sun gets overhead in the sky. Getting deep in the cover of the snag has been the key to maximising catch rates of late.

Upping the leader size is a must when fishing this close to structure where it is just a matter of time until you get snagged! It is also time to start stocking up on some mulloway lures in preparation for the mullet run.

We are all hoping we will have a bit better one than last season, which unfortunately turned out to be a bit of a fizzer!

Southern déjà blue A blue marlin recaptured off Tuross, NSW, by Bermagui BGAC boat Hardaraddit on the February 28, 2016 has been logged as the furthest southern blue marlin recapture reported to the NSW DPI Game Fish Tagging Program.

The blue was first released by Gold Coast GFC boat Addixion on 6 June, 2014. On release the fish was estimated 230cm lower jaw fork length (LJFL) and 120kg. After 632 days at liberty the lean blue marlin was estimated at 240cm LJFL and 130kg.

(Based on this relatively slow growth, it’s likely that the fish was a male, as their growth is known to slow considerably at the onset of maturity.

Males are known to reach a maximum size of about 180kg whilst females can reach over 750kg.)

The blue marlin travelled a straight line distance of about 532 nautical miles

(985km) in a southsouthwesterly direction; although it is likely the fish covered vast distances prior to recapture.

The blue was actually the second fish recaptured

by Hardaraddit for the day, incredibly the other fish was a tagged black marlin of around 60kg, caught a few hours earlier! Details of this release are still being followed up.

It is interesting to note that the blue marlin had a longline hook in the corner of its jaw and it wasn’t until it was rolled over to remove the hook that the tag was noticed.

This means that the fish has in fact been caught at least three times: once

by Addixion, once by a longline vessel and once by Hardaraddit and it’s now been re-released once again!

This recapture is also a good reminder to check your fish carefully prior to release for an already existing tag.

The blue marlin at first release with Addixion crew.

For more information on the NSW DPI Game Fish Tagging Program: www.dpi.

nsw.gov.au/…/recreational/ saltwater/gamefish-tagging - NSW DPI Fisheries

Monster mangrove jack off the rocks in March ILUKA

Ross Deakin

There have been some great fish caught in the Iluka area of late but wind and swell conditions have made fishing a challenge, especially offshore. Spotty mackerel are the flavour of the month and have taken a liking to pink squid skirts.

The odd Spanish mack has

turned up along with a few reports of big fish taken on the Iluka break wall.

When conditions have allowed there have been some nice tailor picked up on lures and pilchard off the Bluff, Wall, marine rescue and beaches. Nice tarwhine, bream and dart have also been taken on the open beaches, especially in Shark Bay, which is more sheltered from prevailing winds and swell.

There have been some nice black tip sharks and cobia caught in this area also.

Ray Simpson weighed in a cracking 15.5kg cobia recently. There are definitely more fish like this one hanging about! Mulloway action has been steady and Chris Berkley recently weighed in a nice 11kg fish. Most mulloway have been caught in the river this month with two fish taken around midday at Browns

Mathew Hayden with an enormous mangrove jack.

Ian Johns and Ray Simpson had some fun with this cobia.

Rocks on live bait. Whiting have been around in good numbers, but many are just undersize. Look for good fish around Freeburn Island with nippers and worms.

On the crab front, blue swimmers have been in good numbers and improving, with muddy numbers still doing better further up the river.

The catch of the month goes to Mathew Hayden and Bruno for their mangrove jack catches (3kg and 2.5kg respectively), taken at Browns Rocks on Wednesday on live bait. Hopefully we can start to enjoy the long tails running and get outside with calmer days forecasted.

Don’t forget to check

out the Iluka wall, which has finally been sealed and finished after months of restoration work.

There are some fantastic spots to fish with the family that don’t involve long treks or rock walls such as Moriarty Beach down the Marine Rescue turn-off.

Happy fishing everyone!

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Come and tangle with a big toothy mackerel COFFS HARBOUR

Stephen Worley worleybirdfilms@hotmail.com

Normally in this issue of NSWFM we’d be talking about the Easter weekend of fishing and the local Easter Classic, but this year it’s all over and done with by the start of April! The holidays are still on their way though, so many of you reading this may be from out of town looking for the inside info on what’s likely to be swimming around the Coffs Coast at the moment.

Those visiting from further south will surely be looking to tangle with a toothy mackerel, which are normally missing from more southern waters at this time. The good news is that mackerel season is still in the swing of things, although the mackerel have become a little more patchy than they were the start of

the year. This is possibly due to the super warm water of the East Australian Current flowing all the way down to Sydney, so the mackerel are likely to be spread further south than normal.

For the second year in a row we have seen mackerel showing up in Sydney, well beyond their normal range.

There has been patchy water along the coast with quite green water in close, but this is not the determining factor of where you’ll find the mackerel.

The most important thing is to find the bait. Dirty water or cobalt blue, the mackerel will be there if the bait is there. Out wide the current has been running at a great rate of knots, so to hold bait an area needs to have some serious underwater topography to provide adequate protection from the current for fish to hold their ground.

Over the last month there have been days the

Jason O’Brien has been fully committed to the stickbaits recently, even when his boat mate has stuck to the livies.

current has seemed to almost strip some reefs of any sign of bait. In this situation if you look for the eddies behind drop-offs on the southern sides of reef systems you should find the fish. Mackerel, marlin and longtail tuna are all going to be somewhere in the vicinity if the bait is there. Throwing stickbaits, both floating and sinking, is fast becoming a favourite technique for targeting mackerel. It’s a hard technique to commit to if you don’t know the fish are there, but once you get that first, often airborne, strike it has to be one of the most exciting forms of fishing there is. Think GT popping but with the strikes happening at 100km/h and continuing several metres into the air, sometimes followed by the blistering run of a mackerel. The hook-up rate is well below 100%, but that just means more strikes you get to witness. Trolling hardbodies is still a staple for the mackerel, but slow trolling live baits has been more effective recently.

In the estuaries the surface bite is likely to slow down a little as the cooler season progresses.

It hasn’t been a massive cicada year but the bream

Stickbaits don’t have the best hook-up rate and, even when they stick, you never know where they’ll be. have responded well to the surface walkers and poppers all year. This month sub-surface lures are likely to produce better results. Cranka Crabs and Ecogear Bream Prawns have been producing many fish around the oyster leases and snags.

At the other end of the rivers in the freshwater, anglers are making the most

of the last month of the bass season. After the end of April the bass will start heading to their spawning grounds in the brackish reaches of our rivers and creeks. Officially it is a ‘no take’ season rather than a full closed season so the regulations do not prevent you fishing for bass.

However, most anglers decide to leave them alone

Not a bad fish for Shane O’Brien’s first ever bass. It was sucked in by the jingle jangle racket of a Jackall Pompadour Jr.

for the winter months to ensure the bass are able to go about their ‘business’ in freedom.

COFFS COAST FLY FISHING CLUB IS BORN On an aspect that covers our entire area, a new club was formed in February that aims to provide a meeting place for all fly anglers, or anyone else interested in fly fishing, in our region. Whether you like flying for trout up on the tablelands, bass in the coastal creeks, waving the wand in the estuaries, or flogging the brine for mackerel and marlin offshore, if you’re chasing fish on fly then Coffs Coast Fly Fishing Club aims to provide a fun, friendly and non-competitive place to share knowledge, skills and of course the odd story.

The group will be meeting on the third Monday each month (except December) and will be organising regular fly tying nights and group outings. There will be chances to improve your casting, as well as other skills involved in the sport.

For more info you can email ccffc@tpg.com.au or jump onto their Facebook page at www.facebook. com/coffscoastflyfishing to see what they’re up to next.

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Did somebody say wahoo?

COFFS GAME

Glen Booth

This column usually has an unapologetic marlin bias, but we can’t start this month without talking about the razor gang — not just the mackerel

Doctor ’Hoo are certainly not unheard of in these waters, but you wouldn’t describe them as consistent — until this year. With the water topping 29°C in late February, I guess that’s to be expected.

Marlin lure trollers snag the occasional wahoo out in the middle of nowhere.

happen across a pod lurking beneath a log or some other sort of floating rubbish.

They’re not monsters, but honest performers between 8-15kg, and often more than one a day.

For some though, the novelty of chopped skirts and missing lures is starting to wear off. Bibbed and bibless minnows rigged on wire are proving a better bet.

Wahoo are excellent eating, but avoid overcooking as the flesh tends to dry out. They all have a wiggly little collection of fingersized stomach parasites (Hirudinella ventricose) in their gut, which look pretty unattractive, although they don’t affect their table qualities in any way.

Spotted and Spanish mackerel continue to rule the roost on the inshore reefs,

rigged for, they’re good fun and terrific eating.

Interestingly, the slimy mackerel haven’t done their disappearing act (yet) and have remained available on most of the bait reefs. It’s amazing how you can be on-site before dawn and not see even a sniff of a baitfish on the sounder, but when the sun pops up over the horizon they’re marking everywhere.

More of those mongrel barracudas have pushed down into NSW also, with pickhandles to a whopping 30kg being recorded south of Coffs.

Jellybean yellowfin tuna are still bobbing up periodically inshore, mostly on trolled minnows aimed at mackerel. You’d love to stumble across a patch out in deeper water though; slap a big circle hook on one, take

Yep, dead set giving the mackerel away again this year.

The author with his token Spaniard for the season.

Bill Livingston and Chad Hastings with a wahoo that munched its last on a BFP Swimbait. (which have been about in spectacular numbers), but wahoo. Wahoo, wahoo and more wahoo.

Asking around amongst the cognoscenti who have lived here longer than I, this run is unprecedented unless you

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There’s been the occasional tailor lurking with the mackerel.

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him for a walk, and what blue marlin could resist?

Black marlin are still about. Local charter boat Black N Blue had an interesting recapture, with a fish tagged by Zorro Hutchby travelling 370nm in just 18 days before being recaptured off Wollongong. It exhibited a remarkable growth rate too

— doubling its weight in that short time to 50kg!

The blues have remained well spaced this past month, but again the distraction of baby blacks, wahoo, mackerel, and some indifferent weather has kept a lot of boats inshore or waiting for an opportunity to go wide. Foreign Exchange, Black N Blue and Better

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Than Vegas ran into a patch of them at the start of March, and it was interesting to observe how everyone’s attention suddenly switched to heavier tackle and water deeper than 80 fathoms once word got around!

SOLITARY ISLANDS’ HEAVY TACKLE TOURNAMENT The Solitary Islands Game Fishing Club will again be conducting its Heavy Tackle Challenge out of Coffs Harbour on April 2-3, which is the weekend after Easter.

Specifically targeting the autumn run of blue marlin on line classes 24kg and up, last year saw 34 blues and a couple of cheeky blacks tagged in a crazy two days of fishing.

Organisers are confident that the fish will fire up again this year and there’s over $10,500 in cash and prizes up for grabs.

Open to all ANSA, GFAA and IGFA members, tournament details are available on the club’s website at www.solitaryislandsgame fishingclub.com. You can also email tournament director James McGinty at James.

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Escaping the dreaded shark tax SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Brent Kirk kempsey@compleatangler.com.au

April is the pinnacle of pelagic fishing in the Macleay region. This month may not result in huge numbers of fish however the diversity of pelagic species that the strong southerly currents bring to our area at this time each year is incredible. The water rarely drops below 25°C in April and the ocean is alive with action.

Longtail and yellowfin tuna are absolutely everywhere at present and they hit everything put in front of them from live bait to trolled lures and even cast stickbaits and metals.

Wahoo are being commonly caught while trolling out a bit wider. Locate a school of tuna in around 50m to find these fish, I guarantee they are not too far away.

Spanish and spotted mackerel have hit our inshore reefs in a big way this season with some huge spotties boated regularly.

Fish over the 10kg mark have been captured on a couple of occasions. All the usual haunts are producing mackerel from Scotts Head in the north right through to Point Plomer in the south. Unfortunately with

all this pelagic activity the presence of sharks is huge.

Too many prize fish to count have been devoured once hooked, usually boat side when the battle is almost over. Fishing at anchor, especially using a berley trail becomes

almost a pointless exercise when there are this many predators around. You make an easy feed for them when fights are drawn out and the fish become tired. Slow trolling baits away from the main reefs and fishing heavier will

The spotties have been of a good class this year.

Marshall was happy with this awesome catch.

This slow trolled slimy was slashed twice by a large spotted mackerel before being swallowed whole.

increase your chance of landing fish however some days it is hopeless. Bull sharks, black tip whalers and hammerheads are the main culprits, although the odd tiger and even great white have been around.

The Macleay River bar is very shallow at present and is extremely dangerous in all but perfect conditions.

This area should be avoided on a run-out tide and times of low water no matter how calm it looks.

Recently there have been several near misses and a couple of incidents that resulted in boats capsizing, and unfortunately a life has been lost. Visitors to the area and locals alike really need to weigh up their options and be 100% confident if they are going to cross this bar. Any doubt in a skipper’s mind should result in finding another place to access the ocean or better still not go out at all.

Big kingfish and Spanish mackerel have been around Fish Rock. Both species have been hitting trolled bibbed lures and jigs alike in this area.

Land-based fishing has started to heat up now with anglers getting in on plenty of cobia, mackerel and bluefin action regularly, not to mention the ever reliable mulloway and even some good tailor. The beaches are fishing fairly well and this fishery will only improve as the first runs of spawning bream, mullet and blackfish occur along the beaches as we progress towards winter.

Big bream are starting to show up in the river now with the rock walls in the lower reaches of the system holding some solid specimens.

With shorter, cooler days approaching, big river mulloway will become a priority for a lot of anglers in the area. The river is alive with baitfish so it is safe to say that mimicking these fish with

The author with a nice Spanish that escaped the sharks on light spinning gear. soft plastics and hardbody lures or capturing baitfish and using them live will provide the most success on this species over dead baits, which attract way to much attention from other picking species that are present in the river.

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Don’t let a little bit of bad weather deter you!

THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

Everyone loves the sound of the ratchet screaming as line races off the reel, and this is the sound we are hearing now after a great start to the season for anglers chasing mackerel!

This action should continue to impress with Spanish and spotties in the spotlight at least for the next month.

The biggest issue is finding a stretch of water

in Plomer Bay that hasn’t got a boat on it! If you do find some room then slow trolled live bait such as slimy mackerel should see you into some line burning fun. Troll your livies right near the bait schools, which have been present in the bay.

For the offshore anglers who want to avoid the crowded bay, some nice reds have come in from south of the Lighthouse. Jason Issacs landed a nice fish on plastics and several other reports of good reds have come in from Cathie grounds.

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I am looking forward to seeing the results over the next months and year.

HASTINGS RIVER Hopefully the red weed has gone by now. It may not have been as bad as it has been in the past, but it was still painful, with a fair bit coming into the Settlement

Jason Issacs with a 7.5kg snapper taken on a plastic.

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Point area making lure fishing problematic at best! On the bright side, the Pelican Island sand flats have turned it on with surface action on whiting, bream and flatties. When fishing this area look for the bigger high tides to find the fish action. As the tide recedes, the action can continue a little wider and you can definitely put in a good session here.

As we get closer to the bass and bream spawning seasons be aware that bass season closes as of 1 May, which enforces a no-take period up to 1 September – so take advantage this month and get your bass on.

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got two 49cm in consecutive casts, and seeing a few of my clients land the holy grail was starting to play on my mind! The main lesson is that eventually if you put the effort in the rewards will come – sometimes it just takes a while.

The bream fishing has been good and with the deepwater bream season about to start we’ve had great warm up over the last couple of months as the water clarity at the back of the river hasn’t been inspirational for surface fishing. The bait had pushed down due to the rain so using vibes and plastics has seen great bream landed. I also know the boys fishing bait off the walls at night have achieved good results.

On the river, the mulloway scene has heated up with a few fish landed.

Recently my son Gavin managed to catch one, which to his merriment, was after I refused to go out in the weather. The mulloway took a liking to a 6” plastic and again showed that if you set goals and focus on a specific target species you will be rewarded – oh, and by the way; don’t stay home because it’s wet outside!

LAKE CATHIE The lake has been great since it opened, and the whiting fishing on surface lures and bait has proved the effort is well worth it.

Fishing at night with nippers and worms has been the go, and there have been plenty of flatties on the chew throughout the system.

Martin Denlow with one of many whiting he caught on the Pelican Island flats.

Plastics have accounted for most fish, however there hasn’t been any specific pattern, but a well worked

prawn imitation is the go for me in this productive piece of water. Until next month I hope you get your rod bent!

My long awaited 50cm bass caught on my birthday – such relief!

It’s pelagic paradise in Forster this autumn FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

For anglers that enjoy the wide blue yonder, April is a real gem in the calendar. The last of the warm, northern current trickles down the coast close to shore and carries

attract a big snapper to the hook. I don’t think this year will see the same amount of Spanish mackerel off Forster late in the season but the spotties certainly are a real possibility.

Gathering bait in a berley trail at Haydens Reef seems to be the common ground, and don’t be surprised to pick up a few bonito at the

Boaz Flower caught this small black trolling a live slimy in about 80m of water off Forster. The fish was released after a quick pic, and it swam away happily. large numbers of bait and predators. Spotted mackerel, cobia, mac tuna, small black marlin as well as a variety of mixed reef fish all contribute to a great day wide of Forster. Slow trolled slimies or lures are the best way to attract the bigger pelagic fish, while live baiting close to the headlands is a relaxed way to mix it up and possibly

same time. The bonito are a good troll or cut bait so a light rod with a small metal slice is worth having on hand when gathering bait.

The weather should provide ample opportunity to get offshore, with morning calm perhaps the best opportunity before the wind chases you home. There have been some good catches of kingfish, mahimahi, and plenty of

small marlin getting around the shallow inshore areas.

The big bait schools the pelagics are hunting are understandably nervous and will seek shelter around the rock washes, so there is no better time to throw metal slices and poppers from the rocks. The bluefin have been cruising, with a few hook-ups reported. There have been plenty of sharks taxing the catch too so get the fish in as quickly as possible.

From Easter through to May, Seagull Point or Charlottes Head gets a fair bit of foot traffic from the live bait brigade with a few dirty grubs making a bad name for all who use the rocks for fishing. It’s a great spot but there is only so much rubbish that the National Parks will tolerate before they deny access to anglers.

Bennetts Head, Flat Rock and Charlottes are the pick of the live bait spots but spinning for mack tuna, bonito and chopper tailor can be done from any of the rocky headlands at either end of the beaches that run down the coast.

The lake and river bream are still going crazy for surface lures, with fish pushing back up the rivers after the trickles of freshwater we had over the summer. The advantage was that the rack fishing was great, with more fish in the lower section of the lake than usual. Up the rivers the buzz of cicadas is still with us and lure selection there is easy – any cicada pattern. There have been some good bream

taken around the Palms end of the lake, with fish over 1kg quite common.

As autumn gets into full swing the bream will start gathering in the lower estuary.

Some will swim through the break wall with the first of the mullet run, while spawning fish will take their time and leave the calm water of the lake by winter. It presents a raft of opportunities if you are hunting bream over the next few months. The racks around the paddocks and the ones leading down the channels will have transient fish keen to take a bait or a lure. As they travel further toward the coast, a drifted prawn or yabby bait will pick up fish on the break wall, especially of an evening and slack high water to the start of the run-out. Autumn is also a great time to target blackfish on the break walls and mulloway that are gathered to take advantage of the mullet and blackfish fleeing the estuary.

The poor old flathead are still hugging the bottom and watching all the overhead traffic moving out of the lake, but most of them will be returning to the rivers through winter so autumn is a good time to target the fish at the junctions and mouth of the rivers and creeks that enter and make up the estuary system of Wallis Lake. It is surprising the amount of flathead by-catch you get while fishing for bream at this time of year fishing the ends of leases or even

Spotties like these should be down Forster way by now. Tom Bolton didn’t want to miss out so he shot up the coast a little way to get amongst them. between the shallower stick leases. Targeting flathead over the flats near Ohms Bay or the island fringes will almost certainly bring rewards, as will fishing Breckenridge Channel while the prawn run is still underway.

The blue swimmers and mud crabs have been good this year and no one is complaining. Prawning has been hampered with dirty water but I’m hoping for a great finish to the channel prawns that come out of the lake. Setting crab traps around

the western end of Mosquito Point has been well worth it though I have had a lot of octopus and porcupine puffers either in the traps or leaving their call sign. The muddies are a different story, and can handle themselves in an eightlegged fight. All the crabs I’ve taken this year have been full and delicious.

With Easter done and dusted it’s time for healthy seafood meals, so get out and get into the crabs and prawns on offer before the winter kicks in.

The Manning region fires up HARRINGTON-TAREE

Ian Pereira ianpereira@aapt.net.au

The last month has been a great time for anglers in the Manning area. The river has cleared of the muddy water brought down from the upper reaches by the couple of heavy downpours that we experienced, and the fish have moved back up the river.

The sand spit in the mouth of the Manning has moved south towards Manning Point, and Manning Point has moved back almost to the trees.

There are now two deep streams of water pushing out to sea with a sand spit between them. This sand spit is submerged at high tide. The northern outlet to the ocean would be the best to use but care must be taken if the sea is up.

ESTUARY The bream have come on very early this year and good bags of fish have been caught either side of 34

APRIL 2016

Dal Currie caught and released this 1m Manning River flathead near Farquhar Park. Photo courtesy of Bohnock Bait & Tackle

high tide. Mullet strips and fresh yabbies are the best baits, with fish to 1.2kg being landed. Flathead are still on the bite from all parts of the river. Soft plastics and yabbies are taking the most fish. Whiting are taking worms and yabbies fished from the sand spit in the mouth of the river, as well as the lagoon on the north side of the sea wall.

Luderick have also turned up along the river wall and are being caught on green weed around the gantry.

BEACH AND ROCK Finally the chopper tailor have turned up a couple of months late. Some fish only go 28cm while the best are 38cm. These fish are schools of males only or females only at the present time. The females are roed up and would only be a month off spawning. This early roeing up tells me that the stocks of tailor are under siege and we should be watching catches and movement of tailor for the next couple of years.

Mulloway turned up on the beaches in the lead-up to

Mulloway turned up in the lead-up to the full moon. Photo courtesy of Bohnock Bait & Tackle the full moon and while they were only small (5-6kg) it was good to see them back on the beaches.

OFFSHORE The water temperature has been excellent with 27°C on most days and up to 30°C on one day. The northern grounds have produced snapper to 3kg, teraglin to 4kg and a few pearl perch of 3.5kg. Out wider small black marlin from 30-50kg have been taken on the troll while mahimahi to 20kg have been landed. There are schools of bonito chasing the baitfish

and they are easy to troll with small silver lures.

April should be a ripper time to fish the Manning as the bream will be schooling up along the wall and the mullet will be ready to run.

Usually we get the mullet run by ANZAC Day when we get a westerly wind to set them off. With all the mullet in the river and around the headlands it’s a good time to float a livebait or a fresh slab for a big mulloway. For those who like to fish the wall there will be plenty of bream and luderick to catch as well.

The beach fishing is dynamite HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

After the dismal report last month I can promise you this month is going to be red hot, especially on the beaches. The big whiting have moved in and the tailor schools are following them into the gutters also.

bait for whiting (remember pipis can only be used on site and not taken from the beach). Gulp Sandworms can also fool the whiting pretty well when they’re thick – if the tailor don’t get to them first that is.

When it comes to tailor the best bait is a pilchard, and the fresher the better.

You can get good results using live herring as well; these baitfish are around in

them off to replace with a another one, which isn’t too bad. I love Berkley Gulp Jerkshads in watermelon pearl in the longest model going for tailor, and Gulp Naturals for whiting. Both are dynamite in the surf.

TESTING SCHNEIDER PINK BRAID An angler asked me the other day why I was using Pink Braid as he hadn’t seen it before. I

bait. As I watched the line nearly disappear in the water as it sank, I speculated that maybe the fish couldn’t see it either; they certainly snatch the lures with gusto. Once you let your leader down the Pink Braid sinks like magic.

I have been casting it to tailor off the rocks as well as squid, and it’s gotten both species.

It’s pretty tough also and can handle a bit of wear and tear when rubbed up against the rocks. I wish all gear was so robust.

FISHING IN APRIL This month I recommend grabbing a mate with a 4WD and searching the beaches for holes and gutters.

Whether you prefer to cast lures or use bait, I think the odds will be in your favour.

The amount of fish I have heard of lately that have been caught is amazing, especially the tailor, whiting, bonito, mahimahi and marlin, so stop reading and go get ‘em!

They are definitely there and should stick around

Kids love catching tailor. These fish fight like demons, leap out of the water and pull hard.

This one was caught off the beach. this month as our water temperature is great for so many species. Offshore

you can expect morwong, teraglin and bonito – plus there are squire everywhere!

When the whiting are as big as the flathead you’re catching, you know you’re in the right place.

You can always tell when big sand whiting are around; blokes bending over with a bucket next to them while trying to pull out beach worms is a sure sign something’s going on.

Additionally, if you see anglers shuffling around in the sand looking silly, they’re doing what we anglers call the ‘pipi shuffle’. Both worms and pipis are great

the estuaries at the moment.

Of course, you can always cast chrome lures into a gutter for tailor, and if you’re a millionaire you can toss in blue and silver soft plastics. You will probably get only half of them back but damn, they work well! I cut a new tail with scissors if there is enough tail left.

Sometimes I cut them five times before I have to take

have been playing around with this new Schneider line for a while now and have found it to be excellent for offshore work. Once you are out wide in the really blue water currents, or over the shelf, this line just about disappears. I recently trolled it for mahimahi but ended up with a tub full of bonito – not that I’m complaining as that’s my winter bream

A father and his kid hooked up. Note the stream – it injects water of a different temperature, and hunting fish love these areas.

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35

Fishing Fill-its

Introducing Lecky Leg Any angler with an electric bow mount motor will tell you just how valuable a fishing tool they are. With the ability to counter act current, stealthily manoeuvre the boat to provide perfect positioning and silently fix the position without the need for a noisy anchor, the bow mount electric is the unseen deck hand that makes wetting a line so much easier.

If you have ever found yourself in rough weather or faced with a very short savage chop, you will understand the pounding your electric bow mount motor can take. Being right at the bow of the boat, they take the worst of the punishment from wave impact, which can not only jar the motor but also cause the head unit to bounce with extreme force. When you add to the equation a composite shaft which is designed to bend and flex, the fact that there is no support can be worrying.

This is further heightened with the development of spot locking and integrated GPS locking technology, which are embedded in the heads of these units and can be very costly to fix.

From this situation the idea for the ‘Lecky Leg’ arose after Townsville angler Peter Agapiou imported his first flats boat in 2005, which came with a bow mounted hand control motor. He found the constant pounding and vibration would shake the motor so much that the screws would fall out and sometimes even vibrate loose from the mount.

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The brilliance of the Lecky Leg is the simple yet highly effective design, and most importantly the necessity to protecting such a valuable fishing tool. boaties all know are some of the harshest conditions out there.

The ‘Lecky Leg’ is effectively designed to support the head and shaft of your bow mount electric motor without the need to fix a stabiliser to your boat.

Fixing a bracket to the side of your boat to support your electric can be a real pain and can really get in the way.

The Lecky Leg, in contrast, is fitted to the shaft of your

Peter has been perfecting the Lecky Leg design from 2005 to not only make it easy to use, but also to suit all boats no matter what the make, model or type. the Lecky Leg design from 2005 to not only make it easy to use, but also to suit all boats no matter what the make, model or type. Peter has spent countless hours on the water ensuring that the design is streamline, easy to use, simple to install and most importantly will stand the test of time in what we

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electric motor through a clamp construction.

From this clamp comes an adjustable custom fitted leg, which with the help of a few simple turns of an ergo dynamic screw knob can be released to sit flush with the side of your boat or floor to support the motor travel. When you want to

deploy your motor, all you need to do is unscrew the adjustable leg until it slides up adjacent to the shaft and out of the way and you are ready to fish. There is no need for bolts or screws and the whole process takes less than a few seconds.

Made from marine grade plastic, which is UV stable, all the components are tough as nails and the plastic mouldings are thick set so there will be no danger of cracking or splitting. All the metal components are stainless steel, including the setting grub screws and Allen key clamp screws. This will ensure your Lecky Leg doesn’t move once placed in perfect position.

To ensure that your Lecky Leg has the perfect height to match your boat, Peter cuts all Lecky Legs to custom length, based on the measurements you provide to him on order. This way the Lecky Leg can be fitted to almost any boat, as the leg can be cut to any length required and is simply screwed onto the end of the adjustable bracket.

As anglers we all spend plenty of our hard earned cash protecting our rods, reels, tackle and boats – so why not one of our most expensive pieces of fishing gear?

If you are interested in looking at a Lecky leg to support your electric bow mount then check them out on the Lecky Leg Australia Facebook page. They retail for $65 for a custom hand made Lecky Leg.

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Mulloway dreams become a reality in April PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

If you can’t catch a fish in Port Stephens in April than it’s time to take up golf.

The fishing is as good as it gets and the hardest part is often the decision on what to target.

Inside the estuary Soldiers Point has produced some absolute stonker bream around the oyster leases and

HUNTER · P O R T

Your local

rocky islands. Young gun Kailah Muxlow showed her dad how it’s done on a recent session casting a lightly weighted 2.5’’ Zman Grub into some gnarly country and wrestling out a 1.6kg monster. Surface lures have been an effective weapon on the bream lately and should continue to be for at least another month with any bit of shallow structure between Pindimar and Tahlee worth a cast at.

S T E P H E N S

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Luderick will start to come on the chew from the ocean rocks especially from Boulder Bay south to Burubi.

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Dusky flathead are very active right now in the shallows through the lower end of the system from Soldiers Point back to the Heads, and anglers who throw soft plastics or hardbodied lures have reaped the most reward.

There’s been good numbers of mulloway coming from the deeper water around Middle Island, however you

a larger model mulloway you will have more of a chance fishing either the Corlette Wreck, or along the Nelson Bay and Anchorage Rockwalls around the tide changes with live baits or fresh squid.

Garfish have taken up residency in among the moorings at Shoal Bay as well as over the other side of the port around Barnes Rock.

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Whiting will be in good numbers on the beach this month. Photo courtesy of fishportstephens.com

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will probably have to weed through a few to find the legal ones as most fish are ranging from 50-80cm. If you’re after

The trick to catch them is plenty of bread for berley and to fish with a small piece of prawn on a short shank #10

April is always a great month for mulloway in the bay. the lights at Little Beach with small quality jigs in the 2.0-2.5 sizes working best.

Longtail tuna are regularly sighted busting up through the Bay, especially in the early morning, so it may pay off to have that spin rod rigged up ready to cast if they happen to pop up within range.

The surf beaches at this time of year should still be holding excellent numbers of whiting in the gutters as well as a few bream. Live worms or pipis are the key to success.

Off the rocks, pelagics are in good numbers with tailor, salmon, kings, bonito and longtail tuna all a chance on spin gear from the headlands.

Livebaiting under a float will also catch all of the above species as well as a chance of a prized Port Stephens cobia.

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Offshore it’s as good as it gets. If you’re livebaiting around the Islands and inshore reefs this month anything could happen with kings, cobia, black marlin, and longtail tuna all a possibility. The bumper trag season looks set to continue on for at least another month, with all the usual haunts such as the Gibber, Vee, 21 and Uralla reefs holding fish. Snapper fishing will improve with reds to 8kg hunting baitfish around the shallow reefs off Fingal and Broughton Island as well as up around Seal Rocks.

Out wide the current on the shelf has been relentless for most of the season which has made for a below average year on striped marlin – however, it should start to slow up this month and if it does expect to see a bit of late season stripes come through.

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More marlin on the prowl closer to the coast offshore. This will mean bigger lures, bigger tackle and bigger days traveling to wide grounds, and although fewer fish will be encountered, they will certainly make up for it in size and stamina.

As the game fishing ‘season’ comes to a close for another year, it is

usually this time of year when the bigger mahimahi are caught, so it is certainly still worth being out on the big blue putting in the hours as a feed a fresh mahimahi is about as good as it gets.

For offshore anglers chasing a feed there have been some very nice fish

about. Both kingfish and cool, I work the deeper picky on colours. Some snapper have been about waters and concentrate days I catch them on bait in reasonable numbers. my efforts in the 8-10m colours such as silvers, With summer behind us the mark and chase the baitfish white and blues but then jayro@hotmail.com.au inshore grounds will start schools. If there are no bait other days bright greens, “Hooley Dooley” is really to go quiet and these fish balls, you can almost be pinks or orange may be the all I can say in regards will move to offshore reef guaranteed that there will go to lure. I like to use a to the marlin fishing systems, so this is where be very little, if anything jighead around 1/2-5/8oz over summer. The fishing I’d be concentrating my else worthy of chasing. and usually a 3/0-4/0 hook offshore for anglers efforts. Deep set live baits Deeper locations such will do the job nicely for chasing marlin has been or working lures deep will as those around Bolton the style of plastics I use. all be effective at different Point, Toronto and Wangi For bait anglers the times. Mix it up until you will certainly be worthy same locations are still very find what’s working on the locations to try, so long as effective. Just ensure your day. For lure anglers I’d the bait is there. Generally bait rig has enough lead be looking towards large the bait will be small to get you on the bottom.

6-8” soft plastics on heavy chopper tailor, but if you Live squid are deadly bait jigheads with heavy gauge find the salmon are around for mulloway anglers. For hooks, but another great then it is certainly still anglers just looking for a option is deep jigging. worth putting in the hard few nice flathead for the Again, mix it up until you yards as this is often when dinner table, I suggest a find what they are going you will come across some half pilchard worked along for on the day and then solid mulloway. the bottom and you should stick to that.

As for lures, I really have no problems securing INSHORE like soft plastics in that a nice feed for the family The fishing has been 4-6” range. I’m not overly and friends. great for locals and not just for the offshore brigade.

Lake Macquarie has been firing on all cylinders and really turning it on. The bream fishing has been very good with plenty about.

Most bream that I have encountered have been in that 30-40cm bracket and SERVICING THE HUNTER & CENTRAL COAST REGION these are great fish and really put up a spirited fight in shallow waters.

Shallow diving For general hardbodied lures are 1 year working very well. I like a le chandlery & retrieve that involves a few Birthday Sa ! winds of the handle, then N boating supplies on SOO Brad Knight with a great Lake Mac bream, one of many he has I pause for a few seconds caught recently on his favourite Austackle Ranger in black. and repeat. It will generally be on the pause of the nothing short of mindretrieve that the bream will 638 PACIFIC HWY BELMONT blowing with anglers all smash your offerings, so be up and down the coast prepared.

PH: (02) 4945 2133 www.unclerays.com.au getting great numbers of The fishing on the flats quality fish and the best will generally go a little part is that the weather quiet now as we go through has also been kind on autumn and head towards most days. the cooler months. If they OFFSHORE read the rulebooks, the The other great thing bream should now start to was the proximity to the make their way to deeper coast that these fish have waters, so concentrate on been found in. Many first working blades and plastics time marlin fishers caught around deeper locations and their first this year, and you should be rewarded. some plenty of great solo Whiting were in efforts were achieved reasonable numbers over this year, which was summer, but by no means fantastic to see. would I say they have been Along with the great 24 Paley Crescent 30 Gommera Street 15 Wallarah Street Watkins Road thick and certainly not marlin fishing, we have one of the better years we Swansea Belmont South Blacksmiths Wangi Wangi Crescent Street 30 Gommera Street Street 15 Wallarah StreetRoad F3 also seen plenty of very have had. They have been 24 Paley Crescent 24 Paley 30 Gommera 15 Wallarah Watkins Blacksmiths Belmont South Swansea Located on a peninsular Just a short stroll from A spacious tree filled park Nestled between the shores Belmont South Blacksmiths Swansea Wangi Wangi Located on a peninsular Juststroll a shortfrom stroll from quiet and A spacious tree filled park good mahimahi captured about more recently, but Located onLocated a peninsular surrounded a short on a peninsular Just a shortJust stroll from A spaciousthe tree filled park Nestled between the sh surrounded the Lake, with the quiet andand patrolled on the shores of the Lake. surrounded by the Lake, with the quiet and patrolled on the shores of the Lake. ofthebyLake Macquarie surrounded the Lake, with quiet and patrolled on the shores beach. of the Lake. of Lake Macquarie a by the Lake, by with waterfront Blacksmiths waterfront accommodationpatrolled Blacksmiths beach. Stylish A range of accommodation and the shark fishing hasn’t it’s not been easy workAfor waterfront accommodation Blacksmiths beach. Stylish A range of accommodation National Park land. Lo accommodation and campsites and and campsites andStylish modern accommodation or options and family friendly accommodation or waterfront accommodation Blacksmiths beach. Stylish range of accommodation National Parkormodern land.

Lovely and campsites and modern accommodation options and family friendly quiet settings for camp convenient location. large campsites available. facilities. convenient large campsites available. convenient location. location. large campsites available. facilities. and accommodatio been too bad either, with most and the or prime method and campsites and modern accommodation options and family friendly quiet settings for campsites a local boat skippered by has been fishing lightly 24 Paley Crescent 30 Gommera Street 15 Wallarah Street Watkins Road convenient location. large campsites available. facilities. and accommodation.

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Have a pleasant month right across the board CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

If pressed to nominate my favourite month of the year for fishing and anything else for that matter, April is definitely in the top spot. We’ve still got all the warm water angling options, without those persistent onshore northeasterly winds, heat or humidity of recent weeks. Sure, you’ll have to start rugging up of a morning from this point on, but the days tend to be quite pleasant and the fishing can be red-hot.

Mullet and garfish are normally in good supply along the beaches,

headlands, protected bays and bommies this month.

So it’s no wonder that April is normally quite productive for kingfish and mulloway. Although the techniques may vary, both species respond well to freshly caught calamari squid and if it’s alive, with a couple of carefully placed hooks then no kingfish will refuse the offering.

In the past, I used to fish the rocks for kings quite a lot around the local ledges at this time of year and always found a live garfish to be irresistible kingfish bait. While a live yakka will work, a garfish is much more of a sure bet. Having said that, if catching livies is proving difficult, don’t throw back

The author with a solid lake flathead caught by slowly bouncing a soft plastic close to the bottom. Plenty of flathead should be around this month.

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any small sweep or mados you catch. Kings will go for them as well, especially the brightly striped mados!

As mentioned last month, mulloway become quite active along the

beaches at this time of year. The formula is simple; a high tide that

peaks within a few hours after sunset, a good gutter close to shore, with plenty

of foam around it, with a clear channel running out to sea and then it’s only a matter of having a good bait in the water, cast close to the edge of the foamy water, rather than out in the middle of the more settled looking, deeper water in the middle of the gutter.

The most likely times a mulloway will pick up the bait is about 30 minutes after the sun sets, as well as right on the tide change. So be sure to have your best baits in the water at those peak times.

Tailor really pick up along the beaches and around the headlands this month and some solid specimens a possibility, as they too are attracted to the mullet and other baitfish that are abundant at this time of year. Although they’ll bite right through the night, tailor use that low light period just after sunset or prior to sunrise to feed up heavily.

Of course, a few salmon should also be expected among the tailor.

While it’s not peak sambo season for another couple

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Bream and luderick are very reliable rock fishing targets at this time of year. Present baits close in under some foamy water on a rising tide, but always remember that safety comes first when rock fishing.

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of months yet, they do start to increase in numbers from this point onwards.

With all this action going on, bream, flathead and others are likely to move in looking for scraps. So consider a tailor or sambo feeding frenzy as berley for bream and you should score a few this month.

Lure casting from the rocks will not only result in tailor or salmon, but quite a few bonito should still be around, with the chance of a kingfish or mac tuna.

Smaller frigate mackerel are normally at their best this month and into May and they’ve provided plenty of fun for those using lighter

tackle at Terrigal Haven for decades. They do however, move into other similar bays along the coast and I’ve caught them from the beach at North Entrance, Pelican Point and Hargraves Beach over the years.

I often take a spinning outfit and a blackfish outfit to the rocks at this time

April is the last month to expect good surface luring action for bream, but regardless of the lure or bait used, they shouldn’t be hard to find over the coming weeks.

of year. The first hour is spent casting lures and then depending on the degree of action, the next couple of hours are spent drifting green cabbage or bread baits under a float. Blackfish are the main species encountered, but sometimes bream can dominate the catch when using bread baits. Drummer, trevally and mullet may also snatch a few baits. So this strategy can result in plenty of action, with a variety of species.

With so much action along the rocks, beaches and inshore reefs this month, let’s not forget that bream are also in full swing in the lakes and Brisbane Waters as well. Most of the bigger fish will be found in the lower reaches, towards the mouth, so that means from Woy Woy, across to St Huberts Island, down past the Rip Bridge and towards Wagstaffe and of course The Entrance.

Flathead, whiting, blackfish and mulloway are other species well worth considering if bream aren’t one of your favourites.

Now, let’s just hope we don’t experience a repeat of the intense weather system that wiped us out last April.

Fingers crossed for the more stable weather that is more the norm at this time of year.

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Build a great bream tacklebox!

CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley jrobley@iprimus.com.au

Lure casting for bream sits right at the top of the Aussieangling list. This branch of the sport has grown from humble and experimental beginnings four decades ago into a multimillion-dollar growing industry.

Consequently, the volume of bream lures available to us seems limitless, with newer and advanced types constantly hitting the market. They range from intricately crafted works of art through to bizarre oddities that you’d think would scare the fish away! Some come and go, while others go on to become classics that earn a reputation of excellence among serious bream anglers.

With such an enormous array of lures on the market, does it make sense to own as many as possible? Aside from verging on the impossible and draining the bank balance, it’s probably not practical to spend a lot of time and money buying up and then giving each lure a run to see how it goes.

That’s where feedback from different anglers helps determine which types do well and are worth a try. Angling publications, websites, forums, TV shows and DVDs all spread knowledge and it doesn’t take long before a hot performer becomes well known. Of course, some lures that are probably very good can easily fly under the radar

and do the rest purely by experimentation, seeing what works for you on your home turf. Even around my local waterways on the Central Coast, some lures will work fantastically in one spot and be almost useless at another spot. Time on the water, and trying different techniques is the only way to see what’s hot or not.

Small hardbody lures, with a bib that makes them dive and swim with a wobbling action soon became the standard bream lure around the country.

Most of the early favourites were American types, but a few local manufacturers came up with some excellent lures as well.

As the style of fishing advanced, it became quite

South Coast bream anglers, made an entrance into the market. The softy boom ended up taking anglers by storm, and within the space of a few years hardbody luring for bream had faded substantially. Perhaps the biggest hit among these newer softies was Berkley’s 3” Powerbait Minnow, in the incredibly effective pearl/ watermelon colour.

This fish snatched a small sinking vibe worked down deep in winter. As a rough guideline, try sinking lure types through the cooler months and shallower or surface types when things heat up again.

With such an enormous variety of small lures on the market these days, it’s not always easy to make the best choice. The simple tips outlined in this article should set a few things straight though.

LURE CATEGORIES During the late 1980s this style of fishing was starting to become more popular largely due to smaller hardbody lures

obvious that bream also hit lures on the surface, particularly through the warmer months. While any of those diving hardbodies could effectively catch bream by

Things keep evolving and despite the popularity of soft plastics, the earlier style hardbodies have had resurgence, this time with a distinctly Japanese flavour.

Around 2007 anglers started to use little metal lures, commonly called blades or vibs. This form of lure ended up being one of the deadliest of all.

Now the bream luring world is filled with all forms of lure, soft, hard, deep, surface and everything in between. Each type has a time and place when it will probably outfish the rest of the pack. Overall it’s a good idea to have at least a few different styles, sizes and colours in the kit.

Bream are a widespread and adaptable species, so it makes sense that they’ll take interest in an array of different lure types. While most lures work, some are simply a lot better than others.

TRADITIONAL DIVING HARDBODIES The fatter models are generally referred to as crankbaits or simply ‘cranks’ these days, whereas the narrower profile designs are sometimes called minnows or jerkbaits. Some of these are

The author picked up this solid Lake Macquarie fish just before sunrise.

Choosing the right lure is a large part of success, but other factors such as getting out of bed super early are equally important. and fade into obscurity, while others end up more popular due to hype and marketing over real world performance.

Perhaps the best approach to buying lures with the aim of using them on bream is to partly take in the gospel from fishing media and big name tournament anglers 42

APRIL 2016

arriving on our shores. I still remember Steve and Tim Morgan enthusiastically casting the new translucent Rebel Crawfish around Brunswick Heads during that period, which is a classic example of the type of lure that heralded the bream angling boom.

leaving them sitting motionless on the surface, small bass style poppers and even flies tied to resemble insects proved more successful and so surface lure breaming was born.

Eventually a new type of lure changed everything. Soft plastics, often referred to as ‘squidgies’ by a couple of

This fish smashed a surface lure right in the guts of winter. It goes against the trend, but we should always remember that regardless of how much we think we know, fish don’t read the rulebooks!

specifically designed to dive down and then suspend at that depth in the water column – they’re called ‘suspenders.’

Just like back in the early days, diving hardbodies can be used in a very wide range of places, at different times of year and they work equally well on southern black bream or warmer water yellowfin bream.

Some good examples of places to use such lures are among fallen timber in creeks, along oyster racks, around moored boats and pontoons as well as along rockwalls and bridge or jetty pylons.

They don’t go so well in very strong currents or when trying to get down towards the bottom in deep water. A lot of experienced bream anglers prefer the fat or rounded body models, although I like the thin profile jerkbait or minnow types a lot more.

SOFT PLASTICS A softy can be adaptable, depending on the size or weight of the jighead that it’s matched with. So one plastic

could be cast over shallow flats with an ultra-light HWS type of jighead or be worked down on the bottom in 5m of water when threaded onto an 8g jighead.

are particularly good for hesitant bream in very clear or cold water.

TOPWATER It’s possible to catch both black and yellowfin bream on a

approach, but sometimes they’ll entice bream over much deeper water.

There’s no real right or wrong way to use surface lures for bream and each day is

or where the current has a bit of push to it. Middle or lightweight plastic versions are reasonably adaptable, but tend to work well in average depths, with minimal current flow, such as lakes or bays. A later variation of these is the soft vibe, which is similar with a soft plastic tail section.

An important aspect of vibes, particularly the metal blades are that they are probably the most likely form of lure to get snagged on the bottom or among bankside structure. Fitting them with single or upwards facing W hooks may improve this,

but they still snag up more than floating hardbodies or soft plastics.

They’ll catch bream at any time of year, in a variety of places, but are particularly

successful during winter and are possibly more popular in the southern states for black bream. From my experience though, warm water yellowfin bream really love them too!

ROBLEY’S FAVOURITE BREAM LURES • Daiwa Tournament Baby Vib 47s • Ecogear ZX30 or ZX35 • Berkley Gulp 3” Minnows (pumpkinseed, camo or watermelon) • Berkley Gulp 2” worms (camo or motor oil) • Squidgy Wrigglers 80mm (wasabi) • Ecogear PX45 or PX55 • Daiwa Silver Wolf Slippery Dog 65mm • Viking Lures Pop’n’Crank • Maria Jerkbait 50mm

Most coastal creeks house plenty of bream, but not all lures are ideal for this sort of environment. The author favours surface lures most of the time, as they attract the fish’s attention and are the least likely types to snag up on bank-side timber.

As a general rule, soft plastics need to be fished slowly and more precisely than most other styles of lure, so if you’re unsure of exactly where the bream are, it could be better to use a hardbody as a searching lure and then swap over to a softy if numbers of fish are located. Smaller, scented or heavily flavoured softies like Berkley Gulps

surface lure during any month of the year, including the very depths of winter. However, these lures are at their best through the warmer months, when bream look for a meal in the form of prawns, shrimp or insects ranging from moths and cicadas, through to flying termites. Casting surface lures over shallow flats, adjacent to rocky points or similar shallow structure is normally the best

different, so it can take some experimentation to see what’s working or not. Generally these lures are better cast earlier or late in the day, when light levels are low.

VIBES There are basically three types of vibe or ‘vib’ on the market and they all work very well. The smaller metal blades sink quickly and are normally the best choice for deep water

It’s always good when you hook a solid fish on the very first cast.

This fish snaffled up a hardbody diving lure just after it landed.

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Sneaky bonito bites!

ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

Easter came early this year in March so the snapper didn’t show in the numbers that they generally do over the very close reefs and bommies during the Easter full moon.

The full moon towards the end of this month may consequently see a better showing of quality fish in the shallows. These fish may not travel all that far as they return in mid to late June for the winter, so they may hang around rather than move off and come back. The only way to

find out is to get out there and have a look!

The shallow bommies and headlands will produce fish in the mornings and afternoons if you use bait and berley, while the plastics will pick them up during the day as they move to slightly deeper water, up to 10m. There will always be a few that hold out over the deeper reefs as well.

There should be a chance of a red wherever you fish. It’s always more fun and a little harder in the shallows.

All the shallow reefs in close all the way up the coast from Bellambi are worth a look, so is the little reef just out from WIN stadium – and you’ll be close enough to hear the crowd if the footy is on.

There is Puckeys, but this spot is notorious for swells breaking at any time.

The reefs south of Port Kembla’s Hill 60 always hold fish, as does the area around Bass Point and Rangoon Island. The evenings usually fish better than the mornings with the full moon, and there are often lots of by-catch.

Small whaler sharks can be a nuisance at this time of the year and can swarm over the reefs. Salmon, bream and some extra big tailor are an evening special. The odd mulloway can also get involved, but don’t get too excited too early when you get a big run as there are some monster stingrays in the shallows too.

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There are still a few nice flathead about, particularly if we have a bit of rain but they are starting to slow down. The lake produced some better fish than usual this season.

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there are still a few mahimahi showing up around the FADs, depending on the water temperatures they may not stay much longer. We still caught them in June last year, so they may be here for a while yet.

A few yellowfin tuna have been picked up out around the shelf with some spotted in a bit closer – there may be a bit of action over the coming weeks if the currents are in our favour.

Out on the shelf a few striped marlin and the odd black have been reported but nothing like the past few months. With that in mind, April is always a good month for big blue marlin wide of the shelf so there is plenty of action for the big boats to play with.

Closer, the bait-stealing bonito are on the prowl and as usual they are monsters at this time of the year. Regular fish are up to 4kg, with the big models up to 7kg. They are great fun on light tackle and go alright on the BBQ as well. My how our tastes have changed!

Not so long ago bonnies were only classed as bait.

Small live yellowtail or mackerel will bring them undone as will a trail of pilchard cubes, but there are a lot of other species that

It has been quiet on the kingy front but a few around this size are about this month. Try the islands for a shot at them. respond to this method so don’t fish too light until you know there are mostly bonnies in the berley.

Kings have been quiet over the summer and early autumn but a few seem to be showing now. Although not big (up to 8kg), they are better than nothing, and they like small live yellowtail and mackerel as well so you could find yourself with a mixed bag when chasing kings and bonito. The islands are always good in April as is the front of Bass Point and Rangoon.

There are a few schools of pelagics blowing up here and there on the surface, mostly salmon and bonito, but a few mackerel tuna and even a few frigates are in the mix along with an escort of kings.

When you see the splashes on the surface throw in live bait before tossing the lures.

For the bottom bouncers there have been plenty of flathead over the sand and all manner of species over the reefs on the currents. Samson fish, mowies, trevally, pig fish and even the odd stray sweetlip, pearl perch and a few teraglin have shown up in the mix, but they won’t last much longer as the cooler water starts to work its way up the coast.

On the rocks there are a few kings about on the deeper ledges down around Kiama way, but you have to be early.

Live squid seem to be the go-to bait, but don’t leave the live yellowtail behind as there is a better than even chance of a solid longtail or mackerel tuna off the deeper ledges this month. Always keep live bait out, no matter what you are doing! Snapper will be around all the rock ledges and points with the deeper ledges looking good if a bit of berley is trickled out in the evenings.

As usual, at this time of the year there will be plenty of salmon and bonito showing up on the north side of Bass Point. Windang Island is always good after a few late northeasters. The northern breakwall at Port and Hill 60 will also have a few, and metal slugs and flies behind bobby

corks have been the weapons of choice. With all the surface carnage going on there will be plenty of bream and a few trevally getting around under the predators on top.

On the beaches the whiting have slowed a little but there are still plenty to go around and there are some real elbow-slappers among them, not to mention a few dart thrown into the mix as well. As usual, beach worms are the top bait. Salmon are in most of the deeper gutters along the coast, and a few nice flathead are about.

Bream gather in the corners of the beaches next to rocks, particularly if there is a nice gutter running out along the rocks. The same spots are worth a look for school

have been hanging around.

The deep gutters and those running out beside the rocks are worth a throw with big plastics, while a nice fresh slab of tailor or mackerel is always good in any gutter.

Some larger fish should show over the coming weeks as the mullet run gets into full swing and the southwesters start to blow.

In the estuaries, the flatties are starting to taper off but are still worth a look, particularly if we get a bit of rain to flush the streams out.

The bream have picked up in numbers and size around the bridges and deeper parts of the lake and Minnamurra. A few whiting are over the flats near the entrances but they are pretty much bait only,

It’s April, so the bonito will be big and stealing your kingie baits! mulloway, but they seem to pop up on any beach – you just have to be in the right spot at the right time.

Some of them are a bit bigger than schoolies too, and a few fish better than 10kg

while the odd mulloway has been spotted around the bridge at Windang and along the breakwalls. Salmon have been moving in and out of the entrance on the tides but they are not a sure thing.

April makes for a perfect fishing Shoalhaven NOWRA

Johnny Nolan straydog1974@gmail.com

April – I love it! It’s got to be the best month of the year for fishing, hands down!

Mulloway on the beaches, big black bream in our estuaries, drummer off the rocks and the hint of winter in the air to indicate that the trout spawning season is about to kick off down Eucumbene and Jindabyne.

the saltwater scene we are accustomed to. Give it some thought – I guarantee you won’t be disappointed! But for now let’s head back to the coast!

COASTAL DREAMING St Georges Basin is one fishery you really want to concentrate on. In recent years there has been a notable increase in catches of better than average snapper during the months leading up to winter. Fish up to around 6kg have been caught over the

It might even be time for me to dust of the old ABU 7000, coupled with my trusty FSU4120 Snyder – maybe even a new spool of mono.

I prefer mono for mulloway fishing as it gives you that extra peace of mind when getting a large fish into the shore break, a little bit of stretch can mean all the

difference between getting a fish or not. When I’m kitted up I’ll head to my favourite location and ponder the night away while I wait for that fish of a lifetime!

I’ll catch up with you all again next month and hopefully have a tale to tell of a big mulloway. Stay safe and be good

Allan Shackleton with a stunning flatty that measured 94cm caught on a hardbody lure in the shallows of Lake Conjola.

Chris Neville with a quality Shoalhaven River bream that fell victim to a live nipper.

WHAT TROUT? You may think the latter option I’ve mentioned is way out left field for a south coast of NSW fishing report, but the fact is many anglers from the Nowra area travel each year to the Snowy region in search of these trophy trout. It really is an achievable option for a weekend trip with about a 3-4 hour drive to good waters. It’s just another option for keen fishers looking for something outside the normality of

past seasons. This season is shaping up to be a good one with some nice fish caught in recent weeks. Apart from these snapper, tailor are still on the chew, with some in excess of 90cm giving anglers one hell of a thrill peeling line and changing direction as quick as a flash! Both these species take the occasional lure meant for a bream or flathead, but if you really want to target them use whole pilchard floated back in a berley trail under the cover

of darkness. Apart from the tailor and snapper, autumn is a great time for big black bream in the Basin. Not counting where Sussex Inlet runs into the Basin, there are two major creeks and several smaller ones that feed the Basin and all hold good numbers of these bream. The mouths of these creeks are also worth a cast or two before heading upstream, as most of the entrances are shallow. If you look hard enough you can often see big fish cruising the shallows, sometimes even tailing in the nearby weed beds searching for a feed. In this situation, long casts are the order of the day as calm conditions and shallow clear water can make the bream extra cautious when out and about away from their normal cover.

SHOALHAVEN/ CROOKHAVEN Since that good dump of rain several weeks ago the river has really come to life. Bream are through

the majority of the system from the entrance down to Greenwell Point, through the Canal and right up to Nowra Bridge and there is plenty of size about them with good numbers in the 35-40cm mark. Chris Neville stands by one of his favourite and most successful techniques – using live nippers on either a 3g No.1 jighead, or a 5g No.1 jighead depending on the current anchored up and then fished back into the school. The occasional small mulloway also chimes in on the action putting the bream gear well and truly through its paces.

If you’re after a bigger mulloway in the month of April, it’s time to start spending those long lonely nights on the beaches. Last season was a very lean one for mulloway off the beaches, with very few big fish caught but this season looks promising with a couple of decent fish taken recently.

Bronson Saward can certainly catch the big ones! He caught this monstrous flatty (and a few others!) from the Riviera Caravan Park Jetty at Sussex Inlet.

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Jason Mayberry with a solid Basin bream caught casting into the shallows.

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APRIL 2016

45

Mahimahi are still showing off BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

The striped marlin bite may have slowed down but there is hope that an improvement in water and more bait may spark up a bit of a late bite coming into the tail end of the season as fish move back up the coast.

PELAGIC PLAYGROUND There are still a few black marlin getting around and there will be some big blue marlin swimming out over the shelf. The mahimahi continue their great run. To think you

would consider yourself lucky to spot one three summers ago. This summer season it seems any floating device at sea holds fish – and good ones.

With the water temperatures reaching heights of 23-26°C, you can expect some tropical species moving down the coast. While Paul and Russell were diving one morning before work, they managed to plug a nice little wahoo at one of their favourite summer locations. Wahoo is definitely a species you can run into right now, and if you aren’t trolling with wire trace or get a corner of the mouth hook

up you will be winding in a cleanly cut leader!

Another species that visits us at this time of the year is the odd Spanish mackerel, so if the marlin are difficult to find keep your sights on buoys and floating debris for the ever present mahimahi and keep in mind there could be some Spanish macks and wahoo around as well. If you do get a strike and come back missing a lure, then run some lures with wire trace and you may have a chance at a rare species for this area and very good fish on the table. These tropical pelagic fish aren’t

A gorgeous example of a Batemans Bay wahoo.

just for the larger boats out wide. Quite often the Spanish mackerel in previous years has been caught in snapper grounds. Russel’s pictured wahoo was also caught out on the snapper grounds.

SNEAKY SNAPPER Speaking of snapper, we’ve had quite a good sneaky run of snapper over the past summer and into autumn. I find there are good models swimming around in the shallower depths during the warm months. A lot of people think they are only around in the shallows in the winter months as they chase cuttlefish coming in to spawn. However, I think the snapper are always there as I have had great catches in 10m depths over the summer and autumn months. I think the summer gone by has seen quite a few anglers catching some good ones themselves proving it can be done. As we come out of summer and into a cooler change the reef fishing in general does seem to improve.

AUTUMN SPECIES Coming into autumn the reef generally performs better as the bigger kingfish show up and things start to cool down after reaching peak water temperatures in March.

The weather settles, and the fishing can be exceptional.

Inshore and along our beaches have turned up great results.

Another fish that tends to be targeted in the cooler months is drummer off the rocks

Ming with a nice south coast mahimahi – you’ve got to be happy with that! the lures, rods and reels they have bought from the shop.

Got to love the action of a good lure to take your mind off not catching any fish – but I do believe a better quality lure can produce the goods. That is not to say that the cheaper ones won’t catch as many, I just think you fish with more confidence and that a more

Andrew Turner caught this lovely autumn kingie. and these fish have made an appearance in a big way. The boys up around Bawley Point have wrestled some monsters!

Paul Ward weighed a nice 1.8kg one in the other day for his fishing club and for dinner.

Harry, Dylan, Steve and the boys have been spinning pretty hard off Pretty Point for their first kingy off the rocks and they deserve one after the hours they have put in and all 46

APRIL 2016

lifelike look and action could be the edge you need. So far that edge hasn’t paid off for the boys at this stage as they picked up monster salmon and some good bonito, which has been a bit of fun for them.

After a couple of broken rods and many lost expensive lures they are settling now for the cheaper Halco Twisty – I hope they get their kingy before the end of season.

The beaches have had a good run of salmon and the odd tailor. Whiting have been caught in small numbers.

Some big schools along beaches but only a couple caught out of them. Even with fresh beach worms and nippers they have been very fussy lately. There have been reports of very large ones into the 40cm+ range.

The estuary has had a good run over the summer and into autumn; although it did get a fair amount of fresh and stayed muddy for some time.

The rain was quite heavy on two occasions throughout summer to the point of floods.

So much for the predicted long hot dry summer! We definitely got the hot, but the heat was accompanied by more rain than we bargained for. The fish were still willing to bite and there was a consistent enough run of flathead and bream. Mulloway don’t mind a bit of dirty water and have been a regular fixture over the last few months. Stingrays and shovelnose sharks are obviously the same. There has been less whiting caught in the estuary this year and less blue swimmer crabs due to the murky water. However, the mud crabs have been on the menu. Prawns are still on the go into autumn also.

You just never know what you’re going to get. You just have to get out and have a go. Fish on!

• For more up-to-the-minute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff. They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).

Go get ready to rumble with a big mulloway NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The offshore scene continues to fire for game fishers, with marlin, marlin, and more marlin on everyone’s agendas. It’s been a cracking month, with almost all crews getting fish. If the bait and water conditions remain the same, I can’t see this changing any time soon.

You know it’s red-hot when switched on game crews, recreational and charter boat operators are getting five or six shots a day.

It’s great to hear radio skegs of 7-6-6 (raised, hooked and landed) and sometimes more a day. This happens on a daily basis, not on every boat but the beaks are there and in numbers.

The key to good results is to find the bait, mainly slimy mackerel and concentrate your efforts around it. If

trying to get a marlin for years, his wish came true last week when he broke his duck with 3 marlin in one day, his best a black of 110kg. It’s awesome to see hard working anglers persist with their dreams and get a great result. Well done to Benny Bolton from Charterfish Narooma for getting him among them.

If marlin isn’t for you, then there are good numbers of mahimahi to be caught, and a few bulls upwards of 22kg have been captured. I know Dasher from Compleat Angler in town got a thumping bull this week. It was a beast of a fish that had him still smiling a week later. I expect to see a few more tuna turn up in April, especially yellowfin. There have been sporadic captures of fish to 20-25kg, though not in any numbers, but this may change over the coming weeks. We usually see the odd barrel between 60-80kg in mid-autumn,

around the western side of the Island, the Fowl-house Reef is a good place to start.

In the estuaries it is all systems go after the floods with just about everything chewing at some time.

Wagonga Inlet’s flathead population has come out of hibernation with some cracking fish caught lately.

I know of several 90cm+ fish caught recently, mainly by anglers using larger soft plastics fished slow in the deeper sections of the main basin. These are serious crocs!

Up at Tuross, the recent flush has spurred on some fantastic fish, and mulloway, flathead, bream and whiting are all playing the game. The entrance is deep with tidal movement of 60cm and more throughout the system, which is great to see. The fish love it too, and salmon and tailor have entered the system in numbers to harass whitebait schools. These pelagic species have been caught

The sort of bream that can be targeted around the Narooma region. on whiting. Most beaches hold fish with Brou Beach a standout. This beach is around 7km long and runs from Dalmeny up to Potato Point, and the fish can be anywhere. Look for slightly deeper channels just past the shore dump, which this beach has plenty of. For

bait, use either live beach worms or pipi but remember to fish as light as possible to get the best results. Don’t use any berley either as the stingrays and banjo sharks will drive you nuts.

On the stones, the pelagic species are in full swing, and bonito, kingfish,

salmon and tailor are all possible targets. Use a variety of shiners to 50g plus whole pilchards on ganged hooks. The golf course rocks, Dalmeny headland or Mystery Bays High Rock to the south of Narooma are the pick of the places to fish.

Andy Kolber releasing another 1m+ fish, this lad is on fire this season, and so are the mulloway! you’re lucky enough to find a surface baitball, then it’s possible to catch multiple fish from the one school.

Some crews are seeing 4 and 5 marlin captures on these bait-balls at any one time, which keeps the adrenalin pimping!

The beaks can be found almost anywhere, from the 70-fathom line to the shelf, but quite a few crews are working the traps in 60-70 fathoms off Tuross.

These lobster traps are a holding station for bait, and are a great place to start your day. Most of the beaks are stripes in the 70-100kg bracket, though there has been a few solid black marlin encountered as well. My good friend Paul O’Brien has been

mainly caught by the trolling brigade so keep an ear out on the radio for any reports.

At Montague Island the kings have disappointed anglers to say the least.

They’re certainly not thick at present, but if you persist you will get fish – you just have to work for them.

The kings that have been caught average 70-75cm with the odd better fish to 90cm. Anglers who fish live baits have fared best, with crews slow trolling live slimy mackerel achieving the bigger fish. This is a dynamite way to get fish, especially early in the morning – but expect the seals to cause you grief at sometime or another.

Concentrate your efforts

as far up as the road bridge, which is about 5km, so the water must be good. Most anglers are concentrating their efforts in the lower sections from 4-ways to the entrance. This area has fired for mulloway and flathead.

I know of several crocs to 97cm and mulloway to 75cm caught on a regular basis, so the fishing is pretty good.

Both bait and lure anglers have achieved great results.

Fresh squid has done the damage on mulloway.

On the beaches, it’s business as usual with bread and butter species like bream and whiting to keep anglers happy.

These fine eating fish have been thick at times, with anglers bagging out in a few short hours, especially APRIL 2016

47

Rock and troll game success a surface bait-ball with several marlin around it. In any case, whatever method you use should get you results, it’s just a matter of what you want to do. With the shelf off Merimbula a fair hike away; a lot of anglers start fishing the 60-fathom area. It’s a great place to start, with slimy mackerel schools usually abundant around this depth.

Work these schools to see a marlin or two, mahimahi and possible smaller yellowfin tuna encounters.

This month we should see a few bigger yellowfin turn up, especially later in the month. Every April we see the odd 60kg+ barrel caught, mainly by crews trolling skirts for marlin, let’s hope this season is the same.

Closer to shore the bait brigade have the knife at the ready with bottom dwelling flathead in great numbers.

These fine eating fish are thick at present with the 30-35m line the place to catch the big models. The southern areas off Pambula seem to be the best with both sand and tigers playing the game. Those anglers after snapper have done alright, however the

MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

What a cracking game fish season we are having around the Merimbula region! It’s all systems go as game crews get among the marlin action, which has been nothing short of sensational. In fact, I’d say the last two seasons are the best I’ve seen for over a decade. This red-hot action should continue for another month at least, as long as the bait stays there and the water conditions remains the same.

Most of the marlin are striped and in the 80-100kg bracket with the odd better black upwards of 120kg caught. The beaks have responded to a number of methods, with some crews trolling skirted pushers, and others slow trolling bridled slimy mackerel – a dynamite way to turn bites into landed fish. The only downfall with this method is that you don’t cover as much ground as you would trolling skirts. The upside is you can get multiple fish, especially if you find

snapper have slowed a bit and you will have to move around a bit to get results.

Try to concentrate your efforts around the edges of the hard rock where the gravel meets, as this seems to be the key to getting some solid reds for the pan.

You can expect the odd gummy shark, kingfish and morwong to show up when chasing the reds – fresh squid are a standout bait.

In the estuaries the fishing did slow down after last month’s wet stuff – but things have really picked up now. The top lake in Merimbula is firing on all cylinders with flathead, legal snapper, bream, tailor and whiting all charging at times. The weed-fringed edges in 4-6m of water are the places to fish with smaller soft plastics up to 80mm. Those using blades around 3.5g have fared well too, especially on whiting.

I know that sounds weird, whiting on bits of metal, but trust me, it works a treat. Try and fish in areas that have sand between weed patches. The top lake is full of areas like this, but you do need a good quality sounder and know how to read it to get the desired

results. The lower sections of the channels have been excellent. Whiting, bream and trevally are chewing well, with bait anglers anchoring up on the draining tide proving success. Fresh prawns are the preferred bait.

Some decent kingfish has been smoking the rock hoppers who fish Tura Head. A few of the kings are 10kg models, which is nothing to sneeze at.

You will require the right tackle to land one, and live bait, poppers and chromed lures have all worked on these beauties. A visiting angler got a cracking 16kg king off Merimbula wharf recently; local bream expert Slick Wright helped him to land the fish. According to Chris, it was an epic battle!

The next six weeks should see the rocks really turn it on and I for one can’t wait.

On the beaches, both bream and whiting continue to do the right thing.

Smaller presentations like beach worms and pipi fished on light outfits is the key to success. Better beaches to try include North Tura, Tura Main and Haycock to the south of Pambula.

The typical size of the striped marlin caught at the moment – around 80kg.

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Follow the rising tide BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

As winter approaches, estuarine fish will look to condition and fatten for the cooler months ahead.

This is a time for anglers to cash in on these feeding events here. Often it’s easy to catch lots of fish in a short period of time.

Wallaga Lake and the Bermagui River have many tidal flats, and are home to molluscs, crustaceans and other invertebrates. This is where fish like bream, whiting, luderick, flathead, mullet and even garfish like to feed. Fishing the rising tide with baits like nippers, squirt worms or fresh prawns can be very productive. For the lure fishers, soft plastics and surface lures may be a rewarding way to target these species.

A good hint in these areas is to walk the flats at low tide and look for evidence that fish have been feeding there.

It may be as simple as the indent of a flathead or small craters left in the sand and even broken shells crushed by bream. Another way is just to polaroid over these

flats, either from a boat or wading, and then cast to the fish you have sighted.

MARLIN April has always been notorious for big blue marlin. They are usually here to feed on the migrating schools of tuna that are starting to move into the waters surrounding Bermagui, and this heralds the last chance of the season for anglers to capture a big billfish.

Generally most of the big blues have been found out over the Canyons, however when baitfish congregate in certain areas like the 12 Mile Reef, the predators will also converge on these spots, where feeding is easier. Anglers in pursuit of these large blues may spend many hours before encountering one, or may never will! However, in this period many striped marlin or sizeable tuna may keep anglers occupied with some interesting fishing.

TUNA It is also that time of year when the tuna arrive, and the action is increasing. This season is already shaping up to be good for tuna and may well

be one of the best for many years. Striped and albacore tuna are in good numbers out over the shelf, with the occasional large yellowfin starting to show. Most fish at present are being taken on the troll with a variety of lures. Some may be enticed using berley, which will also attract sharks. Those seasoned anglers who fish Bermagui regularly know when tuna, are around makos are not far behind.

INSHORE Not only is the gamefishing good, there are plenty of light sportfish around on the inshore grounds. Kingfish have been consistent around Montague Island this season, and catches are the best they have been for years along the coastline and inshore reefs. Sizes are on the smallish side although they still provide plenty of entertainment on light tackle.

Smaller tuna like stripes, bonito and frigate mackerel make up the bulk of the rest of the small sportfish. These fish are terrific fun on light spin gear, and can spend many an hour keeping anglers entertained.

Blackfish and bream can be caught side by side over the flats on nippers and worms.

Generally when one form of fishing is good so is another, and this is the case with bottom fishing.

Flathead have never been in better numbers than now, with both tiger and sandies in plentiful supply.

Closer to shore will provide mostly sandies, while further to sea in the

deeper water will account for large tigers. Very wide around the 12 Mile Reef some of the tigers caught have been over 80cm, and there is always the added advantage of Tassie trumpeter, large nannygai, ocean perch or morwong. You should also keep your eye open for a

gamefish or two.

Meanwhile back at the inshore reefs, snapper are increasing in numbers, and many anglers are taking advantage of them on bait or light tackle jigging with lures. The best areas are south out from Bunga or closer to home east of the Brothers.

APRIL 2016

49

The beaches of Tathra TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

The title sounds a bit like that movie the Witches of Eastwick, however the only ‘witches’ here are which beach to fish as the areas has so many on offer!

Starting north, Middle Lake Beach is well worth a look and from there if you move south you have Gillards Beach and then Cowdroys Beach. Both are worth investigating, and the latter is one of my favourites.

Next in line is Tathra Beach itself.

Fishing

around the entrance here is very productive with species like whiting, bream, salmon, tailor and flathead all on offer.

South of Tathra you have Wallagoot and Bournda beaches to explore, and often the salmon schools are so thick there that anglers can tire themselves very quickly.

You may need to keep an eye on your catch while beach fishing.

Every beach angler’s goal: a hooked salmon in the shore break...

… and here is the end result.

If you are into beach angling I highly recommend that you explore these beaches.

Not only are they very productive, they are also scenically spectacular.

The Wharf has been fishing very well lately, with a variety of species hanging around. This spot is great for families on holidays as the kids get stuck into the many baitfish schools that are here. Yellowtail and trevally are regular catches with the visitors and, along with the ever-popular slimy mackerel, make up the bulk of the captures.

REEF AND OFFSHORE Out to sea the offshore fishing has also fired up, with both the gamefish and bottom-dwellers on the chew. Marlin are still around for the gamefishers, with all three species now in the area. If it’s a big blue marlin you’re looking for, now is the time to target one. Tathra Canyons out over the Continental Shelf has, in the past, seen many an epic battle carried out on these great fish, and probably the best way to encounter one is with a spread of large skirted lures because it lets you cover more water to find where the fish are. Once you have raised a fish or two in

a certain area you then can switch to using live baits in the form of slimy mackerel or small striped tuna.

You can expect to encounter other species while chasing the billfish – anything from subtropical mahimahi and spearfish through to a variety of tunas including albacore, and definitely a mixture of different sharks.

Calm conditions are allowing the bottom and reef fishos plenty of scope to work different areas in a range of depths. The wider reefs out in 70 fathoms – and there are some good ones out from Tathra – are producing some very nice snapper, mowies, tiger flathead and very big trumpeter. Berleying while out in this deeper water setting baits for sharks, tuna or marlin may produce while fishing down deep.

INSHORE AND ESTUARY Closer to shore, fishing for flathead has always been popular out from Tathra.

Most of the grounds, whether south of Bournda or north to Wapengo, have good schools of both sand and tiger flatties with the odd red gurnard or gummy shark to add to the catch. The inshore reefs are also hosting a variety

of species, and the most popular targeted fish has been snapper. Bait fishing is still the most reliable way to catch snapper off the reefs, however the use of soft plastics in shallower water is becoming more popular. This is now being practised in a range of water depths, and as long as you can get your lure to the bottom you’re in with a shot.

The Bega River is open to the ocean, allowing fresh stocks of fish to enter the system. Schools of bream, blackfish, trevally and possibly some mulloway have moved into the river, and anglers have a chance to target them.

Fishing up around Blackfellas Lake and the rock walls in the Thompson area has been very productive for bream and estuary perch on lures. The drop-offs and main channel down towards the entrance have seen a lot of flathead and tailor taken on both lures and live bait, with the odd mulloway getting into the act.

Down around the flats, anglers using nippers and fresh prawns have enjoyed some exciting fishing, especially around the weed beds for some very nice whiting, blackfish and bream.

Productive luring in estuaries EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Eden is still a hive of activity with plenty of visitors about enjoying the good weather. For the game fishers that big pool of warm water is here, and with it are the fish. Plenty of striped marlin are about, along with striped tuna, sharks and mahimahi. The water temperature will stay warm for a few months so the fishing should only get better.

With good launching facilities, Eden is an 50

APRIL 2016

excellent destination for those towing their own boat, and with the yellowfin tuna season around the corner Eden will be sure of visitors over the coming months.

Plenty of fish have been caught from the local beaches, with yellowfin bream and sand whiting along with a few nice size sand flathead. The best catches have come from using fresh bait (beachworms) when the tide is high around dawn or dusk. Those tossing metal lures have caught a few good size tailor and salmon.

Good fish are still caught from the local headlands, with plenty of big yellowfin bream around and drummer

as well. Using berley in a washy gutter will draw the fish in. And with the warm current here, land-based anglers will be trying their luck down at Green Cape where there is always the chance of hooking a marlin.

Those chasing a feed on the inshore reefs have caught a few nice snapper and morwong. There have also been good catches of flathead, both tigers and sandies, with Disaster Bay fishing particularly well for these fish.

The fishing in the estuaries has been good, with anglers have been getting plenty of sand whiting.

Fishing the front section

around the entrance area on a run-out tide is the go, and fresh bait (nippers, prawns and so on) is the best choice of bait. Good fish have also been caught on lures, with a variety of poppers doing the damage.

Dusky flathead are still being caught and, now that the water has cleared up after the recent rains, anglers are also catching trevally, yellowfin bream and black bream.

The rivers are all flowing well, with good bass fishing in the upper reaches. Tossing surface lures around dusk and into the dark has accounted for some good fish.

Silver trevally have been hitting a variety of lures in the estuaries.

Beautiful warm water for excellent fishing Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The past month has seen more visitors arriving, and the fishing has been excellent in the lake, offshore and on the

beaches. The town will be busy right through until after Easter, and the fishing just keeps getting better with some of the best fishing in the lakes and rivers over the winter months.

The past month has seen some excellent fishing

from the local beaches.

Good salmon to about 3kg have been caught from the main beach around the entrance area, and a few fish from the bottom lake.

Anglers have been getting into silver bream and sand whiting from the good gutters on the local beaches.

The harbour area at Bastion Point has fished well, and you can expect sand whiting, yellowfin bream and some good sand flathead. There’s also the added attraction of goodsized King George whiting, with the odd fish coming from the bottom lake.

Those heading offshore have had a hard time launching and retrieving their boats at the Bastion Point ramp. The sand that had been building up in the harbour has now been dredged out, making things a bit easier. It won’t be long and it will be back.

The fishing has been great, with beautiful warm water at our doorstep.

Striped marlin have been caught but it’s a small IN

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Good catches of tiger flathead and sand flathead have been had, along with some good gummy sharks.

The best areas have been out around Gabo Island and around the Ariels.

Those fishing in the lakes have had a ball, with the bottom lake really firing. There has been no need to head through the Narrows into the top lake unless you are trying to get away from the wind in the bottom lake. The variety of fish that is constantly available in the bottom lake has been amazing – trevally, whiting, flounder, black bream and yellowfin

bream, salmon, tailor and the old dusky flathead. If you’re chasing a feed of flathead in the lake you will notice a lot of small fish around the 32cm size.

These are the ones to keep, not the 40cm+ fish. We want to help at least a few fish reach the slot size of 55cm.

With the amount of flathead coming out of the lake it doesn’t hurt to give them a helping hand, as those big breeders of yesteryear are becoming a memory.

The rivers are still running well after recent good rains and the fishing over the next few months should keep firing. If you want to get out there, give Wilderness Fishing Tours a buzz and we will get you amongst the action.

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51

Brain spiking – ike jime PART 3 FORSTER

Blake Hudson

So far in this series, we have looked at a couple of easy ways to look after fish for the table or for release. One way is to use a simple piece of saturated sponge as a landing surface, to support and calm the fish. To further eliminate the uncontrolled flipping of fish, equipment such as a cotton glove worn on your bait hand will give you more effective control of your catch.

Welcome to the third installment of this series, where we’ll discuss a brilliant fish-killing technique that has been used for centuries.

There’s no doubt that most anglers have heard of it, although comparatively few have ever tried it – and even fewer can do it correctly and easily.

Ike jime, often called I.J., is quite simply the technique of lethal brain spiking. Brain spiking has many benefits, and these include but are not limited to: • It is an extremely fast way to deal with kept catch; • It is humane – death being immediate without prolonged cruelty to the animal; • It results in a far superior eating product at the table; and • It provides for a superior shelf life and freshness of the product.

Performed correctly, the results from this method are immediate. Just seconds after you perform the final blow, you will see a change in the appearance of the fish. For example, a snapper’s skin will turn bright crimson while their blue spots almost illuminate (see photo).

Bream and whiting turn a brilliant pewter colour with pronounced yellow, while reef fish like coral trout or red emperor turn magically scarlet. The transformation is immediate and amazing.

Pelagic species also produce the same outstanding results, although the

technique is slightly different and requires a little more attention and care. I won’t discuss the pelagic killing technique, other than to mention an interesting factor.

If you brain spike a pelagic and then ice brine it, but don’t handle it with cotton gloves, the fish will emerge from the brine with obvious hand prints on its skin where the heat from your hands has burnt the animal. This illustrates the high sensitivity of a fish’s scales and skin, which is why you should wear a damp cotton glove.

The art of ike jime can be performed on any fish, be it freshwater, an estuarine species or a pelagic or bottom fish.

There are many ways to kill a fish for the table, some better than others. These include but are not limited to: • Slitting the throat; • Repeated blow to the head with a blunt instrument; • Putting fish into an ice slurry while live; and • Leaving the fish die in an

One alternative that avoids this problem is to completely remove the head while live. However, this practice creates a different problem: it exposes the flesh to gut and gill contaminants during rigor mortis, once again resulting in an inferior tablefish.

Finally, contrary to popular belief, allowing a fish to survive temporarily in a live well greatly increases stress and thus increased cortisol levels (Pankhurst and Sharples 1992), and ultimately produces an inferior eating product.

Most anglers would have seen pale bands appear along the sides of a fish as it awaits its fate.

These stripes mean the fish is distressed, which means poorer eating qualities, and a reduced chance of survival if it’s returned to the water.

This stress and suffering is unnecessary. That’s why responsible anglers use the brain spike method.

While becoming proficient

APRIL 2016

start with the basics.

When it comes to the spike itself, the authentic Japanese version is called a hukka, but comparatively few tackle stores stock them. That’s OK though because a small Phillips head screwdriver

very firmly with your glove hand, hold your spike with your opposing hand with the tip of the spike resting on the fish’s temple. Follow the line from the false gill plate and the true gill plate so the two lines meet in a

IKE-JIME Insert tool here Brain

Insert tool here

Enter

Brain

exposed dry bucket, which is particularly barbaric.

As well as being inhumane, all of the above methods have a common flaw: the fish keeps firing electrical impulses from the brain, which pumps lactate and cortisol (stress chemicals) into the flesh.

These chemicals are actually poisonous and result in contamination of the flesh, which results in an inferior eating product.

at brain spiking requires commitment, concentration and practice, it’s certainly not rocket science. Practice makes perfect, and I’ve been able to teach many anglers the technique – including my 10-year-old daughter, who is now proficient. Once you have the fundamentals sorted, and have some practice under your belt, you’ll find you can hit the mark quickly and easily.

For now though, let’s

After some practice, it should take a little over 10 seconds to efficiently kill and bleed your catch.

52

You will know you have located the brain because the fish will make a shuddering movement.

is all that’s required for recreational fishing.

Once you have your spike or screwdriver, it’s time to look at the technique. If you follow the wet sponge landing technique from Part II of this series, the fish will be lying quite still, making it easy to handle. This simplifies the process significantly.

Now you need to locate the brain cavity. On a just legal size reef fish, the size of the brain cavity may be as small as a frozen pea.

This might sound bad, but it’s still relatively easy to locate. That’s because nearly all fish have a similar anatomy, making locating the direction of the brain cavity relatively easy. Let’s look at the steps to find it.

1. For right-handed anglers, brain spiking is always performed on the right side – that is, the fish is left side down on the foam. With your gloved hand, lay the fish on the foam (preferably as soon as the fish is landed) so its right side is facing up. Also, have the fish in front of you lengthways so that the tail is furthest away from your body.

2. Holding the fish around its belly (palm facing up)

point. There will be a soft muscular indentation on the fish’s head. This is the entry point for the spike.

3. Imagine the point of your spike is the center of a clock face. The spike is the small hand and the tail of the fish is the big hand. You want the big hand, the tail, to be at 12 o’clock. The small hand, the spike, should be held at 4 o’clock. Angle the spike at downward at 45°.

4. Now confidently and with good pressure, thrust the spike, continuing on this same angle and direction.

You will feel it penetrate the skull and you have to push firmly until you ‘crunch’ through the top of the brain bone. Be careful not to push straight through the other side. You also want to avoid spiking directly from the side because the bone is thicker there and you’re less likely to kill the fish in one go.

5. You will know you have located the brain because the fish will make a shuddering movement.

With the spike now in the brain cavity, wiggle the spike gently from side to side in a scraping motion

(the animal may contort a couple more times as you do this). This will ensure the fish is dead and that no further electrical stress impulses can be fired from the brain, contaminating the flesh.

6. Without further delay, lash under the gills near the spine and bleed the fish out. You can use the spike for this.

After some practice, it should take a little over 10 seconds to efficiently kill and bleed your catch. While you’re learning, however, it will obviously take a bit longer.

If the procedure has been performed incorrectly (which is likely while you’re learning the technique), the obvious change in colour will not have occurred and the fish may still flip about in the ice box. If this happens, go through the process again until you’re sure the fish is dead.

Now remember, the whole time you’ve been doing this you have actually gained time from not fumbling, struggling and attempting to cleanly wrangle your catch from your hook to then deal with it. As soon as you’ve landed the fish you’ve calmed it by laying it on a supportive, wet sponge, carefully avoiding contact with anything hard, dry or hot, which would stress the fish. Then you have handled it with a gloved hand for sizing and positioning right side up, and dispatched the fish swiftly and humanely using the brain spike technique. That’s the long and the short of it.

Swift, smart and safe. Once you begin doing it, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start years ago.

Be sure to tune in next month for the fourth and final part of this series, where you’ll find out the chilling details of how to guarantee you’ll be taking the absolute best possible eating product home to your dinner table – every time.

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Solid le APRIL 2016 53 t Tack Impac

Massive cod in the Googong CANBERRA

Bryan Pratt

February to March is traditionally the wettest time of the year in the Canberra-Monaro district. Normally we get some brief showers, but often even more prolonged rain periods. Flooding is not uncommon. The extra

water usually creates good fishing as conditions settle down, but more importantly it provides an opportunity for fish to migrate. A chance to move to better food supplies, to deeper water to provide shade and added protection, or a chance to meet a mate and breed are all factors that improve the fishing. All of our

local fish are migratory to some extent and the added water simply facilitates their annual behaviour.

It is particularly important to understand these migratory movements and know how, when and where to fish for a particular species. Trout, for example, move from the lakes to rivers to spawn from May-September. Murray

Sam Hancox had Googong Reservoir to himself in bad weather when he hooked this monster Murray cod but still managed to land it and get a trophy photo before releasing it to grow even larger.

cod and golden perch move upstream in lakes and rivers to spawn in spring. They mostly return to the larger and deeper waterways in autumn – through March and April. Redfin are the odd one out as they tend to remain in the one habitat throughout the year but there are some minor movement as they shift from deeper to shallow water in hot weather.

TROUT WELL SPREAD Trout are spread nicely through the lakes and streams, providing a highly diversified fishery.

In the streams they tend to follow a predictable daily pattern, with a pronounced morning and evening rise.

They feed on a wide variety of insects but often focus on one particular species – when this is the case you have to match the prey to catch the fish. You may be able to do that with lures but flyfishing, with such a massive array of patterns available, offers better opportunity. If you are fishing the streams this month you could most usefully try a range of nymphs and adult versions of moths, beetles, ants, cicadas, flies and grasshoppers and be fairly

Josh Carman also tried his luck in Googong Reservoir and was rewarded with this massive cod, which took a large spinnerbait trolled behind his canoe. It’s further proof of the value of using a terminal water supply reservoir for recreational fishing as well as for drinking water. confident of getting a strike.

In the lakes the same patterns may do the job but you are more likely to attract a fish with larger, more bulky patterns such as Mrs Simpson, Craigs Night-Time, Hamills Killer, Woolly Worm or Woolly Bugger. You might catch

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Part of the reason why so many Murray cod attain a large size these days is the abundance of food such as carp and redfin, which clearly shows in the distended stomach of this fine specimen.

fish at any time during the day but the prime times are first thing in the morning, late afternoon and evening.

Larger fish tend to be shy and stay deep during the day but commonly move into the shallows to feed on mudeyes and other insects washed ashore by the wind.

COD FISHING GOES OFF Murray cod are also well distributed in lakes and rivers at the moment and feed actively on fish such as redfin and carp, yabbies, shrimps and other creatures.

There have been some great captures locally in recent weeks, including a 128cm fish from Googong on a spinnerbait for Sam Hancox, another of the same size for Josh Carmanan, an 80cm fish for Chris Skillin on a yabby in the Murrumbidgee River, fish of 114cm in Lake Ginndinerra, 119cm from Burrendong and 109cm and 124cm in Burrinjuck. It is indeed becoming the year of the cod. The larger fish are likely the result of good catch and release practise – the more often they are released, the bigger they are for the next angler.

If you want to maximise your chances of a cod you should try large deep divers and spinnerbaits. Learn to fish at night as well as during the day with these lures and try fishing with surface lures.

GOLDENS ALL OVER Golden perch feed heavily on yabbies, shrimps, small carp and redfin and take flies, lures and baits with gusto. As with cod, try a variety of small to medium deep divers, large bulky flies and soft plastics and concentrate on snags in both lake and stream. Day fishing is better than night To page 55

Splash about some orange for spawning trout JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

Welcome to April, cooler weather and maybe the start of the brown trout spawning season. The trout are just waiting for a little rain to start to run up the bigger rivers and streams. This also means a start to lure and flyfishing for some of the much larger aggressive spawning trout.

is heaps of fun, especially if you are just getting into the art of flyfishing. Try a small hopper pattern, Royal Wulff or Royal Humpy or a caddis moth fly, but if you like, a small dropper nymph under the dry fly may increase you catch significantly.

For the lure anglers, the Thredbo River will only improve as the month goes by. The best lures to have in your tackle box will be jointed minnows as the brown trout start to become really

like to use the glow in the dark spinners and some of the small soft plastics like the Strike Tiger spotted brew colour or pink. Bays like Rushes, Hatchery and Creel Bay all fish well. The best areas have been down at the South Arm or near Banjo Patterson Park, but as the month progresses, Waste Point and the Snowy Arm will start to fire.

Flyfishing on the lake has gotten better as the water cools around the edges. Try any of the streamer patterns such as

Vicki Schwab caught a typical alpine stream trout - there are plenty of them about.

Vicki with her little trout capture.

Remember that from 1 May, the rules change in the Thredbo to only one fish over 50cm per angler per day.

While we wait for the spawn run to start, there is a little dry flyfishing on offer on the Thredbo some days but we will be swinging into the nymphing season very soon. If we get heavy rain and a rise in the river we might see a start to glowbugs and nymphs.

On the smaller alpine streams, the flyfishing has been very good and the streams still produce lots of small trout on dry fly. This

aggressive and territorial.

Other lures like the Gillies Spinas, Vibrax spinners or Celtas are certainly a must.

You should try to use these lures in the smaller alpine as once again these little fish can be a lot of fun! I always crimp the barbs for easy release.

LAKE FISHING Lure spinning on the lake will also improve this month as the water edges cool down but you may find the best spinning to be early and late in the day. Fish steep drop-offs with plenty of rocks to get the best results. In shallow bays I

Craig’s Night Time or a black Woolly Bugger. Olive green nymphs and shrimp patterns are also worth a try. The South Arm, Creel Bay and Hayshed Bay area are all productive.

Boat trolling on the lake over recent months has continued to be excellent and now that the lake water temperature is cooling into the trout comfort zone they are happier to move close to the surface, which makes the fishing a little better for those anglers that do not have deep trolling gear like downriggers.

We will start to use

pink and orange Tassies this month as the fish also move into spawning and aggression mode, but for now, green and gold Tassies like the Willys Special and maybe the Canberra Killer Tassie will be good. Most of the minnow lures I use at this time of year all have a little orange on them as well. The best way to attack the fish is to start off the morning by surface trolling lures and maybe a lead line with two colours out so the lure is about 3m deep. Later in the morning you can still target browns by fishing close to the bottom in deeper water with the aid of downriggers. I find about 20ft of water is a good place to start.

The Tasmanian Devil number Y48, the yellow wing Brown Bomber, and the holographic Tasmanian Devil are the best overall lures to use on the lakes, however this

is the time of the year that we sometimes start to move into pink or orange colours.

It is also well worth running the Brown Trout or Spotted Dog type minnows as the trout become more aggressive. Of course if you are targeting the really big brown trout then you are best off using really big lures like 9-13cm minnows. I find jointed minnows best as you can troll them a bit slower and still have good action on the lure.

Some of the better trolling areas this month will be Sids Bay through to Rushes Bay, but this is a tricky area to fish with the lower lake levels and you need to be diligent as there are trees and shallow spots that can pop up out of nowhere.

Also try Waste Point or Creel Bay for downrigging as there may be a few early spawning brown trout about but they will mostly be deeper at 2ft or so.

If you want to know more about the latest in fishing conditions just give me a call on (02) 6456 1551 or check out my website at www. swtroutfishing.com.au. I have started to build my new website – www.fishingcourses.com.au, so have a look at it and I would be grateful for your feedback.

Until next month, hope you catch the big one.

• If you would like some personal guiding, I will be available over the coming months for fly-fishing tuition and lake trolling trips. Lessons can be booked from 2 hours’ duration, and trolling trips from 3 hours to a full day. If you want to know more about the latest in fishing conditions, just give me a call on (0264) 561 551 or check out my website at www.swtroutfishing.com.au.

You can also see our daily Facebook updates at https:// www.facebook.com/LJTFA.

APRIL ROUNDUP: THE BEST OF THE BEST! Best method: S urface trolling early and then using lead core lines at 30m out Best depth: Trolling 5m of water early then 35ft middle of the day when sunny Best lake lure: Tasmanian Devil number 111 or Y82 Best lake area: Hayshed Bay and Waste Point Best fly method: D ry fly – Parachute Adams or black cricket Wet fly – black weighted nymph Best river: Thredbo River above The Diggings

From page 54

but sometimes the ultralarge fish come on the bite after dark.

REDFIN GALORE Redfin are peaking with activity.

They have formed into large schools, and if you start by catching just one you can stir the school up and land cricket scores. Redfin are prolific breeders and need to be fished hard to keep the population in check. Try any lure that is noisy, bright and shiny for best results but worms can also be successful baits. Keep an eye open for a stray golden perch or Murray cod while fishing a school of redfin as they often hang around looking for a free feed of juicy fish flesh.

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Partially digested carp and redfin retrieved from the stomach of a Murray cod. This food exists in abundance in many Australian waterways, but the carp may be at risk if the koi herpes virus suggested for release as a biological control agent is successful in wiping them out.

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55

The surrounding areas are producing the scales MILDURA

Darcy Scherger

Since the season opened for Murray cod the angling has been quite productive, with many happy anglers.

The fishing should stay steady and consistent during April.

The Mildura region has remained reasonably productive for bait and

lure fishers. There have been numerous reports of substantial golden perch caught (mostly on live shrimp or yabbies) and there have also been many encounters with the elusive Murray cod. Mildura itself has been reasonably quiet for fishing; the regions neighbouring Mildura are the places to chase fish this month.

Upstream of Mildura around Red Cliffs and

Anglers have been putting the time in, filtering through the smaller cod to score a few larger ones.

Nangiloc we’ve seen solid numbers of cod, however the majority of fish have been in the 30-55cm size range with only the odd larger specimen in the mix. Small fish aren’t always a negative though – it’s an excellent sign for future fishing on that section of the Murray, and proves the larger Murray cod breeding season has worked a treat over the past two to three years. The Murray cod closed season, from 1 September to 1 December, gives the larger specimens time to breed and produce more cod for anglers to enjoy.

Local anglers have reported trips upstream within this area where they have caught up to ten cod in the one session on lures. Anglers have put the time in, filtered through the smaller fish and slowly upgraded to the larger green fish that we all love to catch.

Below Wentworth, we’re getting numerous reports of good sized golden perch on yabbies, as well as sinking rattling lures such as Jackall TN60s, Sébile Flat Shads and River2Sea Tungsten Vibes. Spinnerbaits have worked well too. Bassman Carls Compacts, Shorty’s as well as small Mudguts

Spinnerbaits and Micro Mumblers have really produced the goods.

Cranked slowly back into

caught up there with the odd Murray cod thrown in within the day’s fishing.

Casting lures into the snags,

Mainly anglers try their luck at surface luring, chasing that breathtaking hit! Jackall Pompadors, Koolabung

The region has remained reasonably productive for both bait and lure fishers. the bank, or cast into the bank and cranked back to the boat works well.

The Darling River above Wentworth (Lock 10), has still been putting smiles on many anglers’ faces, with large numbers of golden perch caught on lures as well as Murray cod. Good numbers of yellas have been

rocky ledges and deep bends has produced the goods within the Darling River.

The lures of choice up there have consisted of the faithful No.1 StumpJumper, shallow diving Koolabung Codzilla and 4x4 Fluoro Bassman spinnerbaits. All have been dangerous in the Darling water.

Cod Walkers, 170mm Koolabung Cod Crackers, Thirsty surface lures and Halco Night Walkers are all lures of choice when chasing cod off the top. The truly adventurous anglers have even been having a crack at fly – the pinnacle of cod fishing – with results showing it is possible.

You autumn be out cod fishing in Yarrawonga!

YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

Without wanting to give the impression there’s only one lake in the land to chase cod, you’d have to have a screw loose to pencil in any other destination when it comes to targeting cod than Lake Mulwala. The reason we’ve heard so many reports recently is a result of numerous factors including great weather, super water quality, new refined techniques and switched-on anglers but the most overwhelming factor I believe these days is social media.

In days gone by it was only hearsay that ‘an old mate’s cousin’s friend’ got a good fish, and the only place you would be lucky enough to see a photo would either be in the pub or local tackle shop. Nowadays Facebook, Instagram and Twitter go into meltdown when anything decent gets caught, but that’s a good thing. Those anglers who have limited time and resources only need to do a 56

APRIL 2016

bit of searching and they are onto the fish in an instant... and isn’t Lake Mulwala benefiting from it!

Since December 1 we’ve seen a record number of 1m fish reported, with in excess of 50+ brought to our attention. In line with the great reports received, the most common theme has been the amount of fish taken on either surface or sub-surface lures. On any given evening or early morning in Lake Mulwala, there will be some pockets that will be sheltered from the wind and offer prime fishing opportunities. If you are not that familiar with Mulwala, your best bet is get out and do a bit of reconnaissance work during the day in relation to where the wind (if any) will come from in relation to where the shallower timber is located. If we are getting a southerly wind it’s better to fish the south side of the lake, and vice versa. It’s also important to have all your night gear up to speed and also know where you are heading if you need to get off the lake in a hurry.

Numerous times I have seen the lake dead flat one minute and 1m high waves the next. The prime times of

late have been 7.30-9.30pm and 5-7.30am.

Other fishing methods are still accounting for plenty of cod. The lure fishers have been getting better results in the 1-3m depth range while the baitfishers have been faring better in the 4m+ water.

Looking back, this report would go on forever if I gave everybody a mention who has supplied us with valuable info.

A few special mentions go out to the following anglers: George Jovanovic for his 125cm on a trolled Stumpjumper, ‘Mitzi’ from Corowa with a 120cm+ beast, the Cobram boys who have been smashing them off the top with a 117cm and 100cm along with other quality cod, Ant Grant who had a night out hooking into a 111, 93, 72 and 61cm (wowee!), Wally Cjepa with a 120cm bruiser off the top and the list goes on.

I got to witness a memorable evening when I took out young French angler, Matthew Turner (that’s his Aussie name!) with a fishing passion second to none and dreams that were BIG. We set off in search of something special. He was happy with

a 55cm fish that took his spinnerbait virtually off the tip of his rod, but happiness turned to excitement when his Koolabung Cod

numbers of legals were landed with 90 cod captured, photographed and released for the weekend. To round out the comp season is the Cod

the Post Office) in Mulwala or check out our new store located between Rivers and One Zac in the main street, Yarrawonga and say

Matthew Turner with his 98.5cm cod from off the top.

Cracker surface lure was belted by a 75cm specimen.

Unbelievably, two casts later to the same snag, he was hooked up to a 98.5cm prize.

High fives and happy snaps spoke all languages. To see his face was something I’ll never forget.

The recent Lowrance Da$h 4 Ca$h Super Series again proved a hit with 78 teams competing. Record

Nationals, April 17-22, five days of serious tournament fishing for the dedicated green fish angler. It’s guaranteed that once you have fished a Cod Nationals you will never miss it again. Places are still available but close soon.

• If you’re visiting town I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski, the shop with the big green cod out the front (opposite

G’day. We’re Yarrawonga/ Mulwala’s fishing specialists and specialize in all things green! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports give us a hoy on (03) 5744 3133.

For the most up to date report on Lake Mulwala check out the Lake Mulwala Fish Camp Ski Facebook page every Thursday or find it on You Tube.

Autumn cod beginning to fire ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

The season has been very good so far in our local waters, with numerous big cod landed on bait and lures. Word spreads fast where fishing is concerned, and a hot bite will often draw anglers from far and wide.

A few years back I had the pleasure of fishing the Murray River near Wentworth with one of the Top End’s most celebrated anglers, Alex Julius. Alex has spent a lifetime fishing for all manner of catch, but he is best known for his barramundi exploits. He is a regular on the NT News and owns the widely read NAFA magazine.

Now you might wonder why someone with so much red hot fishing in his home

catch. He had been watching with interest numerous big fish reports through social media, and decided to head on down and try his luck.

The method used was trolling lures deep amongst the twisted snags where these giant fish so often hold. Julius

The humble No1 StumpJumper continues to pull plenty of cod along the Murray River.

Alex Julius travelled all the way from Darwin to smash out this mega cod and he still reckons the long drive was well worth it. waters would travel south to catch fish. The answer to this is the iconic Murray cod.

Julius admits since landing a 1m+ model on his last visit he has been keen to return and see if he might better his

as not 20 minutes into the trip his StumpJumper lure was hit hard by what had to be a sizable fish.

The unseen cod refused to surface, instead holding deep and searching out the snags. Julius applied a little thumb pressure to the

reckons he has always been lucky when it comes to big fish, and a string of oversized river barramundi to his name is proof enough of his boast.

It seemed his record of big fish was destined to continue

drag and stopped a run that might otherwise have ended in the timber. Then, slowly, the unseen fish was worked towards the boat before it popped to the surface in a swirl of water, kicked by a tail of oar-like proportions.

We had trouble fitting the huge cod into the landing net and almost as much trouble lifting it aboard. A couple of quick photos and the cod was quickly returned to the river. Julius admits there is something very special about these fish and to land a monster of such proportions is something he has always dreamed of. Guestimated at about 40kg, he says it is the biggest freshwater fish he has ever seen.

We were lucky enough to catch two more sizable cod on our trip and a few smaller ones as well. Julius reckons the diverse size range from small to ginormous is a good sign of a healthy fishery.

We also landed several solid golden perch, and all fish were caught on lures.

And so it has been along the Murray River this past month. Some days have been great, others have been quiet but those anglers trolling large lures have caught some very nice cod – it just comes down to time on the water and persistence. Make no mistake, barometric pressure has a huge influence on the bite. When the pressure has been high, the bite has been at its best.

When the pressure has been low, the fish have been all but shut down. Timing is the key, and planning your trips to coincide with incoming high pressure systems will definitely increase your chances of coming up solid on a good fish.

With the irrigation season all but done, river stability will return to its normal pool level and the clarity will no doubt improve, as it has done in past seasons. As the water begins to cool the Murray cod bite will increase dramatically, with some of the season’s best fishing expected during the autumn months. It’s the same every year – as the willow leaves turn to gold and fall, the big cod seem to kick up a gear

Tim Polis landed this solid cod on the troll using a giant Cod Dog lure. and feed up in preparation for the cool winter months.

The hot run of golden perch is continuing in most areas of the Murray River, from Swan Hill through Robinvale all the way to Mildura and beyond. Bait anglers have revelled in the excellent

fishing opportunities, with many saying it’s as good a season as they can remember.

All up, the fishing has been great in our local waters this past month and it should only get better as we cruise through the expected autumn bite.

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Teaser a trout in April BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

In the greater Batlow area it’s a cracking time of the year with great weather, great scenery and good fishing to boot. One of my absolute favourite places to fish at this time of the year is the Tumut River. Mostly because it is normally in low flow, but the giant poplar trees shedding their stunning autumn leaves makes for a spectacular backdrop to you fishing and for the pictures when you land a good fish.

TROUT When the Tumut River is

low, fish can be easy to catch as they stack into holes. If you aren’t getting results, try moving upstream into another hole and continue to do this until you catch fish.

Sometime there will be very few fish in some holes while other holes are piled high with fish! It’s up to you to do the hard yards and find these fish pockets.

All techniques will catch fish but when it is low it is hard to beat indicator nymphing. Either used with an indicator dry fly or a double nymph dropper, this technique is a consistent fish taker all year round but especially when the river is low. Towards the end of the month a Glo Bug on your

dropper will account for plenty of fish.

If lure fishing, try to use ultra-small and natural coloured lures like rainbow and brown trout coloured Rapala CD3s. Spinners are also great reaction lures for trout and in low flows a 1/8th oz. Spinners in a natural colour will catch plenty of fish. Try to stick to one of the spinners that have a rear teaser as this will help to catch more fish than you scare. Conventional spinners that have no rear teaser look like a piece of metal in the water when they are not spinning. Due to the turbulence in some areas, your spinner can sometimes stop spinning for a second

Stick to natural colours in clear water when targeting trout this month. It is very hard to beat a rainbow or brown trout coloured lure to bring a good trout undone.

A beautiful Tumut River brown trout fooled by one of the new Insanity Tackle Bling Spins. Stick to spinners with a rear teaser for best results in running water. or two and if a fish were following, all of a sudden the lure looks very foreign and the fish will spook. If you have the teaser, even if the blade isn’t spinning the teaser will still be dancing in the current and will entice fish. Great lures with the rear teaser are the ever-reliable Rooster Tails as well as Cock Tails, Bang Tails and the exciting new Insanity Tackle Bling spins.

The trout streams have fished well all season and resident fish have been more than happy to rise to dry flies for the last couple of months.

This is more than likely going to continue this month, but if they aren’t in the mood to stick their noses out, add a nymph dropper and you will start to get some action.

Spinning with these lures has caught plenty of stream trout this season and this is sure to continue this month.

The only exception is if the stream you are fishing is quite dirty due to a recent rain event – if this is the case; try the brighter flashy colours in the same style of lure.

MANNUS LAKE I still haven’t had a chance to go and see for myself but I have heard a few reports of just undersized golden perch caught lately. The trout have gone gangbusters since their

stocking and are now able to be caught, along with the resident redfin. Some of the redfin are of massive size (well over 40cm), so I suggest you target them if you are heading up that way.

The Mannus Classic fishing competition will be run on 2-3 April. The Classic is open to all ages. It will be very interesting to see the catch results from this comp to give us all a better idea of how the initial stockings have both survived and how well they grow on average.

One last thing to ponder about the lake is that there

were a few Murray cod squeezed into the initial golden perch stocking. On top of this, it is well known that there are still plenty of the original resident fish that managed to stay in the creek after the lake wall broke.

Some of these golden perch and Murray cod were of trophy size, so there is still a chance that the next fish you hook in the lake could just be that fish of a life time. Either way it won’t take too long until the lake returns to its former glory, just a few more years and it could be as good as it ever was.

A true Mannus Lake 65cm trophy yellowbelly.

With the stocking schedule that fisheries have planned for the lake it won’t be too long until we see fish of this size on a regular basis.

DAM LEVELS

Jack Hammond with a quality dusky flathead caught on a 5” Berkley Gulp Shad in BBQ chicken. The fish was caught in shallow water in Tillegery Creek, Port Stephens, at dawn.

58

APRIL 2016

Dam............................... % Full

Dam............................... % Full

Blowering............................. 30

Glennies Creek....................... 88

Brogo................................ 101

Hume.................................. 32

Burrendong........................... 14

Jindabyne............................. 54

Burrinjuck............................. 44

Keepit.................................. 11

Carcoar................................ 11

Lostock.............................. 100

Chaffey................................ 45

Oberon................................. 58

Clarrie Hall......................... 100

Pindari................................. 39

Copeton............................... 17

Split Rock.............................. 6

Dartmouth............................. 43

Tantangara............................ 20

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

Toonumbar.......................... 100

Glenbawn............................. 87

Windamere........................... 40

Glenlyon............................... 29

Wyangala............................. 44

(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.)

Swimbait victory most sweet!

BOATS FOR SALE on

LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

If you get up early enough you can feel the frost coming down. The frost reaches into exposed areas high up in the mountains, you feel it first on rosy red cheeks and exposed ears as you throw the frozen hard flap of the swag back, a quick glimpse over at the fire for any sign of warmth before venturing out and waiting impatiently for the jug to boil and the coffee to brew.

I have always been an early bird, and take great pleasure in seeing and feeling the first rays of a warm sun as it hits high up in the hills, the crunch of frosty grass under your feet as you make your way to water, the hidden fishy secrets yet to be revealed are laid out before you, it’s just great to be alive!

SURFACE WATER COLDER With the continual drop in overnight air temperatures, surface water temperatures will drop fast, in some cases this can end the life cycles of many underwater critters and force others into hibernation.

I guess for the fish it’s a bit like your favourite meal being removed from the restaurant menu – they are forced to change habits, move and adjust.

Flyfishers can get away with a sleep-in at this time of year, especially by the river or creek. The penetrating rays of the sun into the water will

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$75,000 QUINTREX 420 HORNET TROPHY Swimbaits are a new wave that I reckon is well worth getting on. See what turns up further south in Wyangala, Blowering, Burrinjuck, and Mulwala. hatches, and any trout in close proximity will take advantage of them. This is usually a brief burst of activity with one or two fish cashing in on the meal. It’s a case of covering ground and keeping your eyes peeled for opportunities that present, whether it’s a sighted fish in close or a rising fish out a little wider.

TO SWIMBAIT OR NOT TO SWIMBAIT? I am looking forward to seeing what might turn up in cod waters such as Wyangala, Burrinjuck, Blowering, Mulwala and even Windamere this coming autumn and winter.

We are at the tip of a very big swimbait iceberg,

Swimbaits aren’t for every anglers’ style of fishing - it won’t be about getting big numbers! trigger any lingering hatches of insects, and the trout can be super aggressive moving many meters to a well presented dry.

The local trout lakes and dams are a little bit tougher when it comes to a hatch driven bite, but definitely not out of the question. The weedy margins in Thompsons Creek Dam and Lake Wallace can and do produce insect

but this style of fishing won’t be for everyone, it won’t be a fish numbers game that’s for sure! To start, it’s very physical, and throwing 3-6oz swimbaits on big gear continually for hours, takes some effort. Anglers may also stall at the expense of some lures, upwards of $70 in some cases. Add to that the rods and reels required to heave such large offerings will be a

major turnoff for some. Me, well I haven’t been able to get to the shops quick enough – although supply and supply lines are very limited at the moment, savvy shop owners with their fingers on the pulse will do a roaring trade in the right areas. All I can say is if your local shop is a bit reluctant, keep on the case.

A WIN OF SORTS For regular readers of my column you will have been well aware of my battle with impoundment bass in the timber the last couple of months, very brief encounters with junkyard bass that give no quarter. I rarely look back in this column, preferring to look into my crystal ball for future happenings. So please excuse me while I drop back into reverse gear In late February I was able to get some revenge, with a 51cm fork length bass in prime condition. It will go down as one of those angling moments that you carry with you until moving onto the big lake in the sky, it wasn’t just the size of the fish but the circumstance and tackle it was caught on.

I’d had three tough sessions with very little reward, so I moved the boat into tiger country, and used 17lb braid and a 20lb leader fished on a baitcaster. This setup is minimal for this water, and some guys use 20lb braid and 25lb leader – I kid you not. A small stretch of water maybe 20m long came into view that was just slightly more open. It was make or break time! I picked up the finesse spin gear 4lb braid 5lb Toray LEX leader, and threw out my lure, chastising myself all the while as the lure in use was one of three limited edition samples and this was the first time I’d fished it.

The crunch was unmistakable, three turns of the handle away from a watery timber home, no doubt

stacked to the rafters with expensive Japanese offerings from past encounters – as usual I was in trouble straight away. The bass turned and surged straight back home, straight back through the front door, down the hallway and out the back door!

I dropped an index finger down onto the spool of the little 1500 Stella, I was half stooped over, it probably would have been easier if I had just dropped to my knees (god knows I needed a little divine intervention) when the bass stopped, turned and came straight back at me.

I could feel and see black wattle sticks moving on his return journey, at the same time I knew what was coming. The counter attack was brutal, a fast furious run that just didn’t want to stop. Gingerly I dropped an index finger back down onto the spool, the whole time knowing full well where and what he was headed to – drowned black wattle 20m from the boat. I am not sure if it was index finger pressure on the side of the spinning spool or the fact that he didn’t quite make it to his outhouse stash of timber and didn’t know what to do next but I had managed to do the impossible, keeping a low rod angle with short pumps upwards I began to get some line back, the adrenalin was surging through me, I had totally forgotten about my fishing partner, but could now see that he had the net out. Despite a few short runs to the bottom I could finally breathe a little easier, with the fish in the net and on the deck I let out a war cry to the heavens.

The score is still very much in the bass’ favour, but for a short moment in time I was able to get on top and win. Hope to see you all on the water soon, until then tight lines.

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Hit the schools deep!

HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Fogarty bakerods@hotkey.net.au

Summer has come late this year, with temperatures still in the 39-42°C in mid-March keeping the water temperature unusually high for this time of year. Fish seem to react to this, as we didn’t get the usual deep bite in February, which came through in March.

Deep jigging is therefore still an option this month, alongside surface fishing in the early morning or late afternoon and well into the night. In general the fish on surface seem to be smaller and more active fish. In a recent competition at Glenbawn, fishers got them on top water early but upgraded them by deep jigging through the middle of the day. Deep jigging with Gulp Minnow Grubs or ZMan Grubz around the 40ft mark has been the way to get a few bites. One thing is for sure, it is the opposite

at Lake St Clair right now, where good quality fish are found on the top water.

In April the water is usually a bit cooler and there should be a bit of a reaction bite towards the end of the month when you should try casting silent Jackalls or suspending jerk baits, beetle spins and blades. Another technique is to cast your grub out and wait till it hits the bottom then slow roll back.

Or, go for a heavier jighead and slowly drag it along the bottom – remember this is the same as vertical jigging, and the fish will usually take a few bites before it loads up.

If you are getting taps all the way and no load up, stop and pause or push your rod back to the fish. If that doesn’t work you may not be using the right rod. If the fish feels resistance and drops the lure I like to use a slow/medium action rod. Casting blades and slowly rolling them back is another method, just roll your blade back with no hops or twisting. At Glenbawn, try near the rock wall at the spillway near the last

buoy at the northern end of the Tower Apex Park and Mayfair Point. In the early morning test out the top water bite at Cemetery Point, Black Boy Bay and up to the clay slip.

At the end of the month as the water temperature starts to drop I like to fish suspending jerk baits on both sides of the Narrows and the northern side of Big House Bay leading up and into the right hand corner.

Pay special attention to the Little Rock walls, and try to fish parallel. Cast your lure giving 3-4 rips to get it down and pause with a little twitch every now and then with your rod tip pointed down to increase your hook-up rate. It is easier to lift and set the hook rather then hold and let the fish set itself. Impoundments are full of structure, so lift and turn the fish’s head straightaway.

You can use all sorts of techniques at Lake St Clair this month, from top water jerk baits, beetle spins as well as a blade attached to

Luke Draper from Singelton holds up a great catch!

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Tim Gooley of Aberdeen looking happy with two chunky Glenbawn bass.

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Troy and Vanessa Dane got stuck into them at Glenbawn.

a beetle spin or even casting chatterbaits. Try using chatterbaits in the Fallbrook Arm on both sides and concentrate on the points, or go to the wind blown side as sometimes, the fish will sit on the edge of dirty water.

Throw blades in the first three bays on the right hand side of the Fallbrook Arm past the 8 knot sign, these bays are generally shallow.

Follow the buoy line across the bay in the Calbrook Arm and use jerk baits around the weed edge. Move to your right and position your boat on top of the weed and cast to the inside edge as well as the outside edge of the weed and if a fish darts out of the weed, hits your lure and buries you back in there don’t try to drag them out.

Instead, use your electric to position the boat over the fish and lift vertically. Try vertical jigging off the fence line at Walaroo Point at around 60ft, and the inside of Richards Point near the shortcut – there is a single tree about 40ft. Sometimes the fish are not deep enough to jig so drop down to them and when they start to follow your lure up and down tap your electric and move out a metre or so and the fish will generally follow you out until you reach a more suitable depth.

• Peter Fogarty runs the popular Lake Glenbawn Kiosk - offering fuel, tackle, ice and the best food on the lake. Make sure you drop in when you visit the lake for the latest reports. You can also visit them on www. lakeglenbawnkiosk.com.au or call on (02) 6543 8355.

Spinnerbait success in The Peel TAMWORTH

Adam Mears adam.mears@hotmail.com

With summer past us and the shadows of winter approaching, it is now the time of year when anglers are torn between fishing for the smaller run of natives and hoping for big numbers, or thinking big and probing the older snags in the river to look for some size.

Big trophy fish represent what we do as anglers, and to target these fish there’s really only one way – fishing big lures in the 100mm+ bracket to switch on the big old fish.

Anglers have used lures in excess of 160-250mm, so gearing up tackle to suit these oversized cod snacks is always imperative to your success. Generally I fish a lighter rod in the

4-7kg bracket but upsize to an 8-10kg stick and 50lb braid for bigger winter fish.

Get out there and put in the hours and you too could join the meter club.

PEEL RIVER The Peel River has been quiet lately; the lack of rain and the abundance of weed have made the fishing difficult, especially in the lower reaches from Tamworth and downstream towards Gunnedah. Heading north toward the township of Dungowan and Piallamore has been a little better, and if you have a kayak or canoe then connecting to one of our hard fighting natives shouldn’t be too hard. Fish spinnerbaits and sinking rattling lures around submerged timber and rock piles on dawn and dusk. You could also find a deeper bend in the river and try a lightly weighted

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The author with some midday green taken on a Jackall TN70.

Murray cod tend to have very raspy teeth – Hayley MacDonald shows how to combat this using a sturdy glove while supporting the fish correctly.

Dawn and dusk are prime times for Murray cod. This one grabbed a LureStrike spinnerbait around the weed.

yabby or bardi grub – if a hungry cod or golden perch is home, it won’t be long before you know about it.

With the cooler weather approaching, the European carp that were in plague numbers will still be around but catching them will involve a different process.

Fish deeper sloping banks with good weed and muddy bottom with a bit of berley to find them. I don’t think freshwater anglers use berley in our rivers and dams as much as our saltwater counterparts. A mixture of bread, worms and corn mixed in with water and aniseed oil is a fantastic starting point to draw more bites from even the most dormant of fish.

LAKE KEEPIT There have been multiple similar reports from the locals, in regards to golden perch and catfish caught around in the main basin of the dam with worms and shrimp the most effective baits. There are still a few golden perch grabbing lipless crankbaits as they flutter precariously close to the scattered timber through the dam. The big ticket this month will be Murray cod in the dam, and those willing to fish late and long hours are in with a serious chance to land a big cod. Fish the shallows at night around the weed beds with large hardbodies and chatter baits. Everyone has their own methods to fish for cod; some follow barometer readings while others follow certain moon cycles but I believe if you’re not on the water you will never know. Keep a fishing journal and you’ll be surprised at how often you catch fish dependent on particular conditions.

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61

Black yabbies unlock native bite COPETON DAM

David Allan manager@copeton.com.au

As predicted, Water NSW finally turned off the tap to the irrigators out west, and now the water level has stabilised at just under 17%. Unfortunately the rain has stayed away but the fish are definitely on the bite.

Both Murray cod and yellowbelly have been on the chew over the last couple of weeks, and the bottom end of the Dam is the best fishing spot at the moment. Barefoot Alley, as well as Kirks and Stockyard creeks have been consistent areas that produce numbers of fish. At this time of year, trolling and baitfishing produce results. Yabbies are still the number one bait at the moment, and the bigger baits tend to attract the bigger fish. Copeton’s

yabbies are interestingly jet black, even the little ones. This is why black is a popular lure colour in Copeton, with the black Gulp minnow grub a go-to soft bait for yellowbelly.

Most lure producers have a black option in their line-up.

If you intend to collect bait in Copeton Dam, remember that NSW Fisheries rules state that opera house traps cannot be used in waterways east of the Newell Highway.

The square shrimp traps can be used, and will catch yabbies as well as shrimp.

Cod have been caught on surface lures, and fish have fallen for large paddlers and Mudeye snakes fished from late afternoon to early morning. This activity happens mainly around the new moon, although at the moment we have a waning moon and the fish are going off. So just goes to show

that you should get out and fish whenever you can, as there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to fishing.

Large deep divers trolled at a slow walking pace caught a lot of cod and yellowbelly. Lures that have performed effectively include No. 1 Stumpjumpers, AC Invaders in 120mm/150mm and Mudeye 130mm Mohawks. These lures have a running depth of between 5-10m and a wide swaying action. Copeton currently has strong weed beds around most of the shallower edges, and the outside edges of these weed beds are definitely worth trolling or casting along.

Points are another favoured ambush area for Copeton’s cod and yellas – a rocky point on a major bay will nearly always hold fish. These points can be trolled but can be more

thoroughly worked by sitting off the point and casting. This is a situation where spinnerbaits shine, as they can be cast in towards the shore and worked out and down the slope by pausing the retrieve and allowing the lure to sink for a few seconds then restarting the retrieve. It is surprising how often you will be hit on the drop – particularly by Murray cod.

Another way to approach fishing points is to position the boat right in close and cast out into deep water, then work your lures back up the slope towards you. This is probably a more natural presentation as well, as it resembles prey attempting to get back to safety in shallow water. If you intend to use spinnerbaits, allow the lure to sink on a slack line, do not engage the reel, and do not take your eye off the line as

This yabby is bigger than the average size used for bait, but demonstrates just how black they are in Copeton. strikes on a spinnerbait moving towards the bottom can happen anytime after the lure lands. With deep diving hardbodies, crank them down to start, then use a slow retrieve with plenty of pauses to entice native fish.

• Copeton Dam is one of

the best lakes in NSW to catch a trophy Murray cod.

Dave runs the Copeton Waters Holiday Park and is a great source of up to date, local information on what’s biting. Contact the park on (02) 6723 6269 for information and accommodation bookings.

Best way at Burrendong in April ORANGE

Michael Collison

Fishing is a game of luck, and freshwater fish like goldens and Murray cod are one of those fish that can turn on and off like a light bulb. Trying to understand how they work can take a long time.

Sometimes you think you know what they want and where they are in the dam, but you just can’t get them to feed.

Burrendong Dam is fishing well at the moment.

The best way to catch the goldens is by throwing plastics in the trees. Jackalls also work well just as that

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sun is going down and about two hours after it goes down.

This is a prime time to get one of the hungry goldens to hit your lure hard and nearly pull your rod out of your hand.

TECHNIQUE AT BURRENDONG Casting lures right into the tops of submerged trees in deepwater will ring the dinner bell for goldens. When trolling, run your lures as close as possible to the steep rocky banks or as close as you can to the bottom.

The weedy edges and timbered sections are well suited to casting or slow rolling plastics. Work your lure as close to the structure as possible to improve your strike rate.

NOW OPEN!

We sell everything for your fishing + hunting needs.

Unit 1,66 Peisley Street, Orange OPEN Ph: (02) 6361 8924 7 DAYS www.facebook.com/ Tackleworld Orange NSW 62

APRIL 2016

BEST LURES FOR BURRENDONG The best lures are lipless crankbaits (Jackall TN60, TN50 and Mask; Big Yella Time Mazzy; and Daiwa Woofer), plastics and hardbodies on the troll. We’ve found that light, natural colours work best in the Jackalls, and in the hardbodies the best colours lately have been green, yellow, gold/black, pink and purple.

Still, it can change from day to day. My dad always said, “Bright day bright lures, dark day dark lures, clear water dark lures, muddy water bright lures” and I’ve found this to be true. If you stick to this you can’t go wrong.

As a starting point, try casting a Mask Vib or ZX40 to structure, and make a small hop with a few twitches in it.

A long hop can also work well.

Most of your hits will come on the drop or as your lure is falling lifeless back to the bottom. The Mask Vib is best around the edges of the dams.

Look for trees, weed and rocks. Jackalls will also work well around gentle tapering banks and prominent points.

Wyangala Dam is fishing well for cricket scores of goldens as well as some 1m+ cod on trees. If you find one golden you will find a lot, as they are clustered in schools of 20+ fish. However, most of the goldens are only 400mm to 450mm and the cod are not too far away from them. Most of the cod sit in 20-40ft of water in the middle of the day, but at dawn and dusk they come in to the banks to feed in around 15-20ft of water.

BEST LURES FOR WYANGALA Most of the bigger cod

caught over the last few weeks have been taken on the troll.

The best lures have been 100mm Oargee Plows, big 90-150mm AC Invaders and big 2oz Bassman and Gangster spinnerbaits. Purple, gold/ black, red/black and green have all worked for me, and early morning is the best time.

Throw your lure as close as you can to the bank or trees and let it fall to the bottom.

When it hits the bottom give it a good pull so you get the blades working, then slow it right down with a few twitches all the way back to the boat.

CHANGING IT UP I find that one day you can go really well on one lure, but when you try it the next day you catch nothing. When that happens, it’s time to change things up. You can cycle through your lures to find what works best on the day, or you can just change your retrieve.

It might just be an extra hop or twitch that will entice the fish. Every time I go out I vary my retrieve or lure type to see what works. This usually does the trick.

DOWNSIZING TO GET THE BITE Over the last few years I have downsized my line and leader from 15lb braid down to 6lb, and leader from 12lb down to 4lb or 6lb. This has resulted in more bites, and more bites equals more fish in the boat. I don’t keep any of my fish; I really like being able to catch a fish and go back in a year or two and catch it again.

For the cod I go 20lb braid and 20lb leader. That is more than a enough to pull a big fish in the river, but in the dam you may want to use 30lb leader for those bigger cod.

The author with a 98cm Burrendong cod caught on a purple Oar-Gee. CENTRAL WEST TACKLE WORLD MASTER The Central West Tackle World Master is a fishing competition that’s suited to both hard core anglers and once-a-year fishos. Everyone is welcome, young and old, and there are rounds at Burrendong Dam, Wyangala Dam and Windamere Dam. We had the first catchand-release Murray cod comp on the weekend of 27-28 February at Wyangala. We had a good turnout of teams, and the weather was sunny and calm. Lots of cod were caught

by trolling spinnerbaits and hardbody lures in about 25ft of water. Most of the cod caught were undersize, around 450-500mm, but there were some lucky anglers who got some big specimens. There were two at 900mm, one at 970mm and I was lucky enough to get a 1060mm fish. The winning team was Team Risky (three cod at 1880mm), followed by Team Trouble (three cod at 1830mm) and Team Tripod (two cod at 1490mm). All in all, it was a great weekend and I can’t wait for the rest of the comp.

What’s New FISHING

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PFLUEGER ILLUSION TACKLE BAG

The Pflueger Illusion Camo Tackle Bag features a heavy-duty nylon material with urban camo styling.

This bag is packed with cool features including corrosion-resistant zippers, so they won’t jam up at the first hint of salt.

It also has zipper-free front access, so you can quickly and easily change your lures or grab another jighead. For easy transport the Illusion Camo Bag has ergonomic carry handles and an adjustable, padded shoulder strap.

Need more storage? The Camo Tackle Bag also has two external pockets with side pockets, and includes five tackle boxes to store all the tackle you could possibly want for a day out.

The bag measures 34 x 20 x 20cm, and weighs 1.85kg. It contains four large tackle trays (27 x 17.8 x 4cm) and one small tackle tray (19 x 13.5 x 4cm). It matches the Pflueger Illusion rod series, so it’s a great gift idea for someone who owns an Illusion rod.

Price: SRP $79.95 www.pflueger.com.au

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SILVER WOLF SLIPPERY DOG 65F

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KIDS HASSLE FREE COMBOS

At only 65mm long, the Slippery Dog is the perfect choice for topwater bream, flats whiting, smelting trout or ultra spooky bass. Representing an irresistible, darting baitfish or prawn, it can be fished with a walk-the-dog action or ripped across the surface, and features a small face that spits water on the retrieve.

At rest the Slippery Dog sits at a 70° angle, and with the slightest twitch it walks-the-dog like a well trained pooch.

This finesse topwater lure has a slimline, slanted body and features Daiwa’s ultra sharp DTreble Saq Sas trebles that allow for easy hook-ups from even the wariest of fish.

Bringing together the best of both worlds, the new Silver Wolf blends a popper with a walking stickbait to deliver anglers a truly hybrid multi-purpose surface lure. www.daiwafishing.com.au

Wilson Fishing has released six new Hassle Free combos for the kids.

There’s one pink Hassle Free and one blue Hassle Free combo to get you and the kids on the water and catching fish.

These combos were designed simply to be the easiest of outfits to use. The reels feature less moving parts to ensure there are fewer hassles with the reel. In fact, these reels can take a fair amount of abuse and still keep fishing. The rods, which come in 5’6” length, are constructed from lightweight E-glass composite materials that are tough and durable – just what you need for the punishment our kids dish out to fishing tackle.

With a retail price under $30, the Hassle Free combos in pink and red are great value for money and allow you to have fun on the water without breaking the bank. Check them out at your nearest tackle store today. www.wilsonfishing.com Price: under $30

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

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STRIKE PRO HOT DOG 65

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The Strike Pro Hot Dog 65 has been designed by the Strike Pro Australia Pro Tournament team in conjunction with Strike Pro. The Hot Dog 65 is a walk-the-dog style topwater lure that has a superb action and sits perfectly at rest. This lure is smaller in size and is thinner in diameter than its contemporaries so it imitates a prawn perfectly. Also, because it’s a smaller bite-size lure it improves the strike and hook-up rate on popular species like bream and Australian bass.

The Hot Dog 65 is 6.5cm long, weighs 4g and is currently available in six natural colours.

As well as being deadly on bream and bass, it has also proven its effectiveness on species such as estuary perch, saratoga and trout.

These lures are a must have when the prawns are running.

Price: SRP $16.99 www.jurofishing.com

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MEGABASS DYING FISH

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LIVE SEARCH 490 GLOW

Dying Fish is a topwater lure designed to imitate a dying baitfish on the surface.

Unlike traditional lures, the Dying Fish is able to swim sideways, allowing for the angler to target new, nearly impossible structure where those trophy fish may be hiding.

Equipped with three tow points, Dying Fish has a few tricks up its sleeve. You can tie to the centre eye for shaking roll-action, or the left/right location for side-sliding action towards the left or right side. Can’t reach the back of an overhanging branch? Tie to the right, cast, and slowly work your Dying Fish underneath the structure.

The fact that Dying Fish can travel sideways also makes it easier to target productive rock walls without your boat getting in the way. Advanced castability allows long approaches from tight shoreline quarters, or long casts from the boat without spooking fish.

This floating lure measures 76mm and weighs 5.3g. Distributor Frogleys Offshore has released six specifically chosen colours to suit Australian waterways. www.megabass.com.au

The popular Live Search 490 Glow series is now available in deep and shallow models in size 3.5. The deep jigs sink at 1.8-2.2 seconds per metre which allows you to target squid in deeper water much more efficiently. They are also ideal when you have a fast drift or strong current.

The Shallow jigs sink at 5.5-6 seconds per metre yet maintain an excellent casting distance. The shallow jigs are ideal for use in shallow water or when the squid are very sensitive, as the slower sink rate is often more appealing in these circumstances.

Yamashita’s R&D team have discovered that the best sound for squid to detect is 600Hz and the best light for the squid’s eye to detect is 490nm. The LIVE Search 490 Glow series are equipped with both, making them the most attractive jig for the squid to detect.

Price: approx. $20-24 www.ejtodd.com.au

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

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What’s New FISHING

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

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SAMAKI CHROMED BARRA SHIRT

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BOMBER FLOATING EYEWEAR BI-FOCALS

RIVER2SEA BABY BELL POPPER

The Samaki Chromed Barra shirt reflects what we each see and dream of in a barramundi. Beautiful lines, enhanced features and stunning chrome colour, a signature of these iconic fish.

Set amongst the dense dark mangroves, the chromed barra lurches out from the structure to engulf the Samaki Vibelicious Thumper Tail. Here is the start of the fight to win the ultimate trophy fish, entice the barra from the structure of the mangroves and watch it lurch from the depths.

Samaki long sleeve fishing shirts offer superior UV50+ protection, keeping you protected from harsh ultra violet rays and cool whilst out on the water.

Samaki shirts are available from a size 2 toddlers to a 3XL adults. For more information and stockists visit the Samaki website or like them on Instagram and Facebook.

Price: SRP $59.95 (adults), $49.95 (kids) www.samaki.com.au

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Founded in 1997, by World Champion Jet Ski Racer Tommy ‘The Bomber’ Bonacci, Bomber Eyewear has created a new segment/category in the eyewear industry through its patented foam lining technology.

For years Tommy was frustrated with his old, traditional sunglasses bouncing around, slipping off, or disappearing into the watery depths. This led Tommy to develop an eyewear line with a solution to these problems: a patented foam lining that provides both floatation and a snug, ‘Soft Fit’. All glasses in the range are polarized, perfect for cutting out the glare during on-water activities.

New to the range are the new Bi-Focal sunglasses which come in two models and three types of magnification (1.5x, 2.0x and 2.5x magnification). These sunnies are a great asset to have in the boat, especially when you’re tying knots! You can check out these and other models at the Bomber Eyewear website.

Price: SRP $99.95 bombereyewear.com.au

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SCAN THE QR CODE!

BOOMERANG MID SIZE ZINGER

Zingers are a great way to keep tools handy, but sometimes the small Zingers aren’t enough and this is where the Mid Size Zinger with carabiner from the Boomerang Tool stable will excel.

This new tool is ideal for keeping fishing tools handy, securing keys and other important items, and attaching gear to your boat or kayak. The Mid Size Zinger’s lightweight zinc carabiner means it can quickly, easily and securely be attached to almost anything.

This Zinger is built to survive the elements, featuring a polycarbonate case and a 24” heavy-duty Kevlar cord. It has been manufactured in the USA to a high standard, and it has been proven to last over 1 million pulls! If you are looking to secure items to yourself, your vessel or your vehicle, check out the range of Boomerang Tool and T-Reign products at the Tackle Tactics website.

Price: SRP: $24.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

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THE COMPLETE CAST DVD

The Complete Cast (Applying Principles to Fresh & Saltwater Fly Casting), is a new DVD presented by legendary fishermen Lefty Kreh and Ed Jaworowski.

The tackle used and the manner of delivering an artificial lure to gamefish separates flyfishing from every other fishing method. In this DVD, Lefty and Ed will demonstrate, explain, and teach the elements common to all casts with a singlehanded rod.

Features of this comprehensive DVD include: more than 25 casts and techniques; more than three hours of in-depth instruction of principles-based casting fundamentals; helpful tips and techniques that are simple and easy to apply; practice tutorials and exercises that improve your casting; and analysis of the tailing loop and how to remedy. Anglers of all skill levels will derive useful tips from The Complete Cast.

Price: SRP approx. $70 www.ejtodd.com.au

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The dumbell shape is famous in Australian popping.

Previously available only in big sizes for big fish, River2Sea has released two Baby Bell models in 75mm and 50mm sizes – perfect for targeting fish living in estuaries, dams and canals.

The greatest benefit is the ability to cast these little lures a mile, and they always cast tail-first to eliminate the hooks fouling on the line while in the air. Also, the distinctive cup face gives off a great noise and water push without skipping out of the water.

The 75mm Baby Bell is perfect for chasing the likes of trevally, Australian bass, tailor, tarpon, mangrove jacks and small GTs in the estuaries. The 50mm model is great for bass, bream, whiting, flathead or any of your smaller species. A great colour range is provided to fulfil the needs of both fresh and saltwater fishing. These new Baby Bells are definitely the lures you need in your tackle box for your next trip.

Price: SRP $17.99 (50mm), $19.99 (75mm) www.river2sea.com.au

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DAIWA TATULA BAITCASTER

Daiwa’s Tatula rods incorporate the latest, cutting edge rod technology to take full advantage of the advanced performance standards set by Tatula reels.

With state-of-the art materials and pimped out with Daiwa’s latest technology, these rods deliver ultimate casting performance with ultimate value.

For the Tatula a new blank was designed, featuring Daiwa’s highest quality carbon, SVF, the most sensitive carbon ever manufactured.

SVF (Super Volume Fibre) results in a blank that is hyper sensitive, delivering incredible connectivity between angler and fish, with feather light precision.

Sensitivity is transferred into the reel via Daiwa’s ergonomically-designed skeleton reel seat, and the entire range features ultra-light Fuji Alconite guides that are highly sensitive, super strong and designed to maximise rod performance and sensitivity. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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

What’s New FISHING TESTED: Bassman Spinnerbaits are now an integral part of an Australian native fish angler’s arsenal, and it’s not hard to see why. For starters, there’s the sheer versatility of how they can be fished – shallow, deep, fast and slow. The other main advantage spinnerbaits have is their tendency not to snag up. In fact, you can cast them into some gnarly places and have them bump, vibrate and flash their way out, the whole time letting the fish know they’re there.

Compact versions of spinnerbaits are not new, but what the Bassman Shorty range has

TW4 was the first colour I chose, and this beautiful bass was the first fish of the trip.

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Shorty – taking compact to a new level

My favourite spinnerbait colour is purple, and colour #55 has quickly become my go-to colour. in its favour is Glen and Sue Casey’s insistence on quality – as well as a pretty good angler in Carl Jocumsen to help develop them.

My first look at Shorty Spinnerbaits was at the 2015 AFTA Tackle Trade Show, and they were quite a change from any Bassmans I had seen before. They had a smaller and finer wire configuration, smaller blades with a head shape change, a larger quantity of skirt material and a finish that was second to none.

Glen explained that the objective was to create maximum flash and vibration in a compact format, to not only catch fish in Australia, but to also give Carl an edge in the US Bassmaster Elite series. I would have loved to have bought some right then and there, but I had to wait like everybody else!

It was early November when I ventured to one of our western district rivers to give the Shortys a try. The waterway I found was not the usual pristine piece of water I had come to expect, because storms the previous

weekend had not only knocked down plenty of trees and turned the river into a less than ideal shade of brown. I knew it would be a true test of my newly acquired Shortys.

I had purchased eight of the available 16 colours, and chose colour TW4 as the first to try out. My theory was that this darker colour would provide a strong silhouette in the discoloured water and, coupled with the flash and vibration Glen had spoken about, would get me a few fish.

The first thing I noticed was that although the blades were quite small, I could really feel them rotate and thump through the water. I had removed the supplied stinger hooks, as I find this further reduces the chances of the lure hooking up on something under the water I can’t see, and after a little bit of exploring a bass took a liking to my spinnerbait. This is always a great feeling on a trip away, and the feeling was even better on this occasion because it was my first fish on a new lure.

Colour TW4 didn’t last much longer than that, as my knot tying skills had slipped that morning and the next fish hit me like a freight train and parted my leader from my braid.

Colour #55 had to be next (purple is my favourite spinnerbait colour) and it proved to be an inspired, if not lucky change. The next two hours provided plenty of entertainment as I managed to extract bass out of the rapids and deep pools of the river.

My success wasn’t mirrored by all of my fellow anglers; my mate Brett did the hard yards but managed only one fish. I exchanged the spinnerbait he was using for a Shorty (colour #51) and it took very little time for his luck to change. He now is a firm believer

that it’s worth spending a little more and purchasing a quality spinnerbait.

By the end of the weekend the Bassman Shortys had proven themselves. The lighter wires had gotten knocked around and the skirts were thinner than they were at the start, but not to the point that that you couldn’t use them. I have enjoyed plenty of success since then in our local Queensland impoundments, with plenty of golden perch also taking a liking to them. I have topped up my stocks since my initial purchase and have added a number of the other colours to my collection.

With a RRP of $14.50 the Bassman Shorty is a quality, Australian-made and affordable spinnerbait that showcases the skills and knowledge that Glen, Sue and Carl bring to the table. The range is well worth a look.

To find out more about the Bassman Shorty or the other spinnerbaits in the Bassman range, go to www.bassmanspinnerbaits. com.au. – Peter Jung

Look for these in your local tackle store.

TESTED: Chiller Fish Bags When you’re out fishing or boating, space can sometimes become an issue when you’re carrying all your gear from one place to another. For me one of my biggest gripes is packing a esky on my already space-limited boat. I have a larger esky, which is great for fish such as mackerel, but it’s large and takes up a huge amount of room – especially on my little 4.3 Bluefin. It limits the amount of space for rods and seems to get in the road when travelling.

I have a smaller esky as well, but it’s too small for taking home a feed of fish and is only really good for taking a feed for the trip. I could spend the money and build in an esky under the casting deck, but this would cost me a fair bit of coin.

It’s for this reason I was attracted to the Chiller Fish Bags, which are designed, manufactured and imported

by Spiro from Bluebottle Fishing (Demop Holdings). These bags are very durable,

practical and convenient, and I found them to be perfect for my needs.

Chiller Fish Bags come in five different sizes, from the Micro through to the Maxi.

They are insulated with 0.5” dense foam, are mould- and mildew-resistant, have a UV protective outer, are easy to clean and wash down, and have drainage and filler spouts on four of the five sizes. The carry handles

Great storage for your feed of flatties.

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APRIL 2016

The soft flared bottom means the bags can sit on many surfaces. These bags store on the boat easily and out of the way. The drainage port, perfect for cleaning out the Chiller Bags. on the bags make it easy to move them around with a full load, and they can be easily stored in different parts of your boat without getting in the way. The bottom of each bag is also flared to make sure it’s always stored in an upright position. And finally, at the end of the day once you have cleaned out your Fish Bag you can easily fold it up and store it away.

As with any esky, you can create a nice ice slurry and bleed your fish in the bags with no concern about it leaking through your boat – and you can transfer your catch/feed. It’s obvious these bags are designed to store your catch in a hygienic environment while keeping the fish in good condition ready for the table, fridge or freezer.

Now that I have a young family, I like products that crossover and can be used in other aspects of my life besides fishing. I’ve

DIMENSIONS • Micro - 75(L) x 40(H) x 25 (base) (no bung) • Mini - 100(L) x 40(H) x 25 (base) • Midi - 150(L) x 40(H) x 25 (base) • Midi+ - 150(L) x 55(H) x 30 (base) • Maxi - 200(L) x 60(H) x 40 (base) found that the Chiller Fish Bags are great for camping as they can store ice for two to three days. They’re also great for family days out at the beach or heading to the park for a picnic.

I’m also a keen hunter, and these bags are perfect for storing fresh game. Spiro has even introduced a new range for the hunting fraternity, with the Chiller Bag also available in camouflage.

Prices for the bags start at $129 plus postage. For more information and to view the full range of Chiller Bags head to www. bluebottlefishing.com or call Spiro on 02 9651 3380.

– Ryan Limpus

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What’s New FISHING

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TESTED: Strike Pro Enticers soft plastics Strike Pro is a brand highly regarded for producing quality and innovative products for many years. Juro Fishing Australia is the company behind bringing the brand into the country. They work very closely with the Strike Pro team to produce lures that are suited to our Australian species, both big and small.

This year has seen the addition of the Enticers soft plastic range. Stuart McLaughlin and Rick Massie from Juro have spent many hours perfecting actions, plastic densities

small tick on the line or the line taking off. My first experience using the Crab was fishing the bridge pylons of the Pine River, and when a fish wanted one, they didn’t mess about.

The Enticer Crab is available in six colours.

Enticer 2” and 3” Finesse Grub Curly-tail grubs are nothing new. Many have been produced over the years, with manufacturers making something that should be very simple, overly complicated. The Enticer Grubs do not fall into this category.

They are a classic design, with a set of ribs

I have always had one pet hate when fishing this style of plastic for them: when using a fast hopping retrieve the tail of the plastic tends to pick up the hook of the jighead. Considering the tail of the Enticer Grubs, I expected this to happen more often, but that wasn’t the case and the flathead loved them too.

The 2” and 3” Enticer Grubs are available in eight colours.

Enticer Finesse Bug Creature baits or plastics that represent a crustacean or insect are an important component of any soft plastic fishing arsenal.

They can represent a yabby or crab in saltwater situations, and cicadas or insect larvae in the fresh.

The Enticer Finesse Bug has all the subtleties you would want from this style of plastic – a tail that pulsates with any movement of the lure and legs that wave around and have small nodules on the end to further enhance their movement as the plastic drops through the water column.

Because it is quite a bulky plastic I fished it using a 1/8oz jighead with a 1/0 hook. It had the hook point coming out just before the tail of the plastic, which gave a good hook-up rate. I alternated my retrieve when using the Finesse Bug from nothing at all to small hops and bloops. The bream I targeted seemed to like the larger offering and hit it with no subtly at all.

The Enticer Finesse Bug is 55mm in length and is available in eight colours.

I first tried the Enticer Crab fishing the bridge pylons of the Pine River, and when a fish wanted one, they didn’t mess about.

around with jighead weights and hook sizes depending on the Enticer plastic you use and the fish you target. When fishing the Crab, a dab of super glue on the grub keeper to keep the hook in an upright position is a must, as it very quickly twists if you don’t.

The Enticer Grub has a fine tail that looks fantastic, and it takes nothing to get it moving. and colours, leaving no stone unturned.

Unashamedly targeted towards our estuary, smaller freshwater species and the Australian tournament scene, the Enticers range consists of four styles: a Finesse Bug, a Finesse 2” Grub, a Finesse 3” Grub and a Crab. After meeting with the Juro team and being taken through the range, I was very keen to try out these lures myself.

Enticer Crab There aren’t too many fish in our estuarine systems that won’t eat a crab given the opportunity. This has lead to many manufacturers trying to produce crab imitations over the years, with varying degrees of success. The shape of a crab in itself is tricky to replicate, let alone the action of one (how it sinks and sits on the bottom).

My first test of the Enticer Crab was to throw it into some shallow water to see how it sank. I used a 1/8oz jighead with a size 1 hook (with the hook coming out between the nippers). I wouldn’t say that it looked 100% natural, but it did sink without spinning and sat on the bottom the correct way up with the nippers upright. This was already an improvement on some of the soft plastic crabs I had used in the past.

I chose that hook size because I wanted the hook to sit between the nippers, and I chose that particular weight because I wanted to get the Crab to the bottom in a reasonably natural fashion (the Crab has neutral buoyancy). However, Rick says that size 2 and size 4 hooks may be the best options.

Fishing the Enticer Crab is pretty simple.

Just cast it near the structure you want to fish, let it get to the bottom, let it sit there and if a fish doesn’t pick it up, slowly drag it or move it a foot or so and then let it sit again. The sign that a fish has picked it up is SCAN THE QR CODE!

and an ultra-fine curly tail.

For me the most important thing about a curly-tail grub is that it needs to work for you as soon as it hits the water. The tail needs to move and vibrate, to let predators know it’s there. This also allows your retrieve to be as simple or as complicated as you like, from sitting on the bottom with the tail waving or being hopped violently around.

This isn’t an issue with the Enticer Grubs; the fine tail looks fantastic, and it takes nothing to get it moving. I am a keen flathead angler and

Conclusion There are a number of things I liked about the Enticer range of soft plastics. They are an uncomplicated design; Stuart and Rick have ensured the actions are what you want from these types of lures. They are simple to rig; each plastic has a small indentation where the hook has to enter plastic and there is a distinct centre line or channel to bring it back out to ensure it is rigged straight. They also have a shellfish-infused scent. For an angler like myself who firmly believes scent can make a difference, this inbuilt scent is a real bonus – and the ribbing on the plastics provides an area to hold additional scent if you want to use it.

This lure range features proven fishcatching colours, and the use of contrasting top/bottoms and fleck to guarantee extra attraction from the fish.

On the other side of the ledger, there was nothing major. You will need to play

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

With a RRP of $11.99, the Enticer range of plastics is well worth checking out, and I look forward to continuing to use them. For more information on the Enticer range log onto www.jurofishing.com/index.php/products/ strike-pro-enticers. To see videos of these lures in action, go to youtube.com and search for ‘Strike Pro Enticer’. – Peter Jung

VIDEO

Scan this QR code to see the Enticers in action.

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au APRIL 2016

67

Team Starlo and Jo win Freshwater Masters The third and final round of the hard-fought Australian Freshwater Masters tournament series was staged in mid-February this year on the waters of Lake Mulwala, a picturesque impoundment straddling the NSW/ Victorian border, an hour or so west of Albury.

This unique, three-stage

the NSW regional town of Mudgee, and was devoted to the pursuit of golden perch or yellowbelly. A few days later, round two was staged on Glenbawn Dam, in the Hunter Valley, with Australian bass as the nominated target species.

Finally, almost three months later, competitors gathered at Lake Mulwala to hunt the

photograph and release up to 10 legal specimens of each target species at each arena over the course of two days’ of intensive fishing.

Cumulative point scores (one point per millimeter) carry forward from round to round, ultimately deciding the outcome of the event.

This year, the eventual winners were Team Starlo’s Squidgies, consisting of high profile fishing communicator, Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling, and his wife Jo. Consistent performances in rounds two and three allowed Starlo and Jo to hold onto the significant lead they’d amassed on Windamere’s

goldens in round one (where Jo was also the individual champion angler), finally giving them an 800 point break over the secondplaced Jigheads Team of Mitchell Skeers and Brad Gardiner. A further 1,300 points behind in third place was Team Windybanks, made up of Simon McAlpine and David Dobson.

Overall Champion Angler for the Masters was Mitchell Skeers, nearly 1,000 points ahead of Starlo in second, with Simon McAlpine finishing third and Jo Starling fourth.

This series also saw the biggest fish ever recorded in the event, with Scott

In the opening round of The Australian Freshwater Masters, competitors targeted the aptly-named golden perch or yellowbelly of Lake Windamere.

One-way traffic: the cavernous maw of Scott Hartley’s monster Mulwala cod. challenge targets a trio of iconic Australian native species at three very different venues. The first round of the latest Freshwater Masters took place last November on Lake Windamere, near

elusive Murray cod.

A catch-and-release series devoted entirely to lure and fly fishing, The Australian Freshwater Masters challenges its field of two-person teams to measure,

Jo Starling with one of the hefty Windamere golden perch that clinched her the champion angler title in round one and helped elevate Starlo’s Squidgies to a lead that ultimately proved to be unassailable.

Starlo with a Glenbawn bass from the second round of The Australian Freshwater Masters.

Scott Hartley broke all previous Freshwater Masters records by catching and releasing this massive 110cm Murray cod on a Gangster Lures Mother Frogger spinnerbait during the Mulwala round of the event.

Winners are grinners! The three top scoring teams in this year’s Australian Freshwater Masters collect their awards.

Aussie cricketing legend and keen Freshwater Masters’ competitor, Merv Hughes, leads some of the field in his trademark warm-up exercises before the Lake Glenbawn bass round.

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Hartley releasing a stunning 110cm cod during the Mulwala round.

First conceived almost two decades ago by luremaking legend, Wayne Lennon and later run by Dave Silva and then Dave Shelton, The Australian Freshwater Masters is today a well sponsored and superbly organised invitational series with a field strictly capped at 40 teams. Anglers wishing to lodge an expression of interest to be considered for an invitation to the next Masters should send an email to the current chief organiser, Matt Cunneen of Gangster Lures, at mcunneen@dodo.com.au, or give him a call on 0418 653 822. – The Australian Freshwater Masters

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2016 APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

Apr 9-10

ABT BREAM Qualifier #3 Mandurah

www.abt.org.au

Apr 9-10

BASS Pro Qualifier #3 Richmond River

www.abt.org.au

Apr 17

BASS Electric #2 Isis Balancing Storage

Les Barber 0428 726 857

Apr 9-10

Central West TackleWorld Fishing Masters Rnd 2 Lake Windamere

Ian McLean 0478083066

Apr 22-23

Rnd 5 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Scamander River

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Apr 25-26

ABT BREAM Qualifier #4 St Helens

www.abt.org.au

Apr 27-28

Rnd 6 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Swan River

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Apr 30-May 1

ABT BREAM Qualifier #5 Derwent River

www.abt.org.au

Apr 30-May 1

Bayford Volkswagon Bream Classic Mallacoota

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

May 7

Central Coast Mini Bucks Hawkesbury River

Michael Shaw 0431344656

May 7-8

BASS Electric #3 Toonumbar Dam

Adrian Melchior 0415 587 900

May 14-15

Central West TackleWorld Fishing Masters Rnd 3 Wyangala State Park

Ian McLean 0478083066

May 15

Rnd 7 Hobie Kayak BREAM series St Georges Basin

www.hobiefishing.com.au

May 21-11

SCFCA Rock Berry

southcoastfca@yahoo.com.au

June TBA

Kings of the Lake Classic Lake St Clair

Michael Shaw 0431344656

Jun 5

Rnd 8 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Gold Coast

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jun 11-12

ABT BREAM Qualifier #6 Forster

www.abt.org.au

Jun 16-17

BASS Pro Qualifier #4 Boondooma

www.abt.org.au

Jun 18-19

Club Marine Bream Classic Metung

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au

Jun 26

Rnd 9 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Port Macquarie

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jul 2-3

Rnd 10 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Mandurah

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Jul 8-15

Evans Head Fishing Classic Evans Head

www.evansheadfishingclassic.com.au

Jul 10

BASS Electric #4 Hinze Dam

Justin Thompson 0421 476 392

Jul 23-24

Rnd 11 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Lake Macquarie

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Aug 6-7

Central West TackleWorld Fishing Masters Rnd 4 Lake Windamere

Ian McLean 0478083066

Aug 20-21

ABT BREAM Qualifier #7 Clarence River

www.abt.org.au

Aug 24-25

ABT BREAM Qualifier #8 Gold Coast

www.abt.org.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours.

Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name.

APRIL 2016

69

Whittam takes top honours CE 1ST PLA Cameron Whittam has taken out the Costa Mallacoota BREAM Qualifier with a 10/10 fish limit weighing 8.56kg. The Victorian stalwart of the BREAM series took home $3,400, plus a new pair of Costa sunglasses and the $250 Yamaha owner’s bonus.

Whittam started day two in 7th place and made a strong move throughout the session, weighing in the biggest limit of the second session by a considerable margin. Whittam targeted the shallow flats of Mallacoota where he looked for rock or weed.

“Mallacoota has changed a lot over the past few years, a lot of the weed has died off and subsequently the areas the fish hang out have changed.

You need to find a rocky or weedy substrate where the bait has somewhere to live, and once there’s bait in an area the bream won’t be far behind.”

Whittam was on the fish all weekend, and caught 30 legal-sized fish on day one where he predominantly spothopped and ‘junk fished’ his way to 3.85kg.

“If I was in America I would have said I was junk fishing,” said Whittam.

“Essentially, I had a large milk run of spots on day one and I fished what was in front of me. If I came to a spot that I thought looked promising I would give it six casts and then continue to move.”

Whittam narrowed down

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

his productive areas on the second day, and locked in to produce a hefty 5/5 limit at 4.71kg, enough to take the win by 190g.

“The first day I predominantly caught yellowfin bream,” said Whittam.

Whitam’s day two bag almost entirely consisted of black bream, which contributed to the heavier

Whittam relied on his old trout fishing days to identify his key location, noting the wind was hitting the bank on an angle and swirling down and along. Whittam and his non-boater combined to catch ten legal fish off that one stretch of bank.

Every fish of Whittam’s 10/10 limit was caught from the bottom lake of Mallacoota Inlet, on a variety of baits.

thinner line,” said Whittam.

Whittam fished with 20ft of 4lb leader when throwing the Mira Shad or Jackall Chubby (Brown Suji). He would shorten that leader length to 10ft when throwing blades or plastics.

This marks Whittam’s fourth win in the ABT BREAM Qualifiers, a feat that only a select few can match.

“I think some people

Cam Whittam was all smiles after claiming victory at the Costa Mallacoota BREAM Qualifier. weight of his bag. Whittam noted that a tip off from his non-boater catching two fish behind him keyed him into an early lure change to guarantee success.

“My non-boater actually caught two fish in my dirty water on a Luckycraft Tango, so I threw on the Cultiva Mira Shad and caught a bag quickly, one of those remained in my final 5/5 limit.”

“I fished everything from blades, plastics and all sorts of hardbodied lures.

The ever-popular OSP Dunk 48 produced fish early for Whittam, who used a long 20ft, 3lb leader purely to get his lure as deep as possible.

“I don’t think I really needed the 3lb to get bites in a sense of the fish being line shy, it was purely to get the lure running deeper with

think that when you win a tournament it was with some secret tactic or lure, realistically though you don’t need to re-write the book on how to catch bream. Winning one of these events is about doing what you know works and what you’re comfortable with, and making the right decisions. For me this weekend, I made the right decisions and it paid off.”

Jackall Chubby Smith Panish R

Wind

Cultiva Mira Shad

Current

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888.

70

APRIL 2016

McKeown stays consistent for runner-up the way to the surface, then recommence the retrieve just before the lure broke the surface.

The fish reacted and

CE 2ND PLA Runner-up Jamie McKeown travelled all the way from Queensland to experience the fishing that only Mallacoota can offer. He managed a 10/10 tournament limit that weighed in at 8.37kg.

McKeown quickly found the pattern during pre-fish day catching key fish on a topwater pattern and throwing a small diving crankbait. McKeown started day one fishing a flat around Cape Horn. The day started about as good as he could have hoped upgrading above 30cm forkers by cast number 12. The pattern McKeown filled his bag with was a slight tweak on a regular BREAM tour favourite, fishing topwater with the OSP Bent Minnow.

McKeown quickly found the fish responded to a subsurface lure technique, and twitched the lure between the surface and 12” underwater. After working the lure, McKeown allowed the lure to float almost all

used here was typical flats fishing – he threw the new Mimix Jelly Prawn crankbait on 2lb Famell spinning fluoro. His first

around Cape Horn, however a recreational fisher was parked right on the top of the flat he’d been fishing.

With only two fish in the

was not there so he returned to the Goodwin Sands area but couldn’t put that last upgrade in the live well.

He returned to the stage with 3.69kg.

McKeown’s preferred rod for both topwater and crankbaits was the new JML Perfection rod paired with a Shimano reel. He spooled his topwater setup with 11lb Yamatoyo Resin Sheller PE and topped it with a short 2ft section of

Blake O’Grady took home top honours in the non-boater division of the Costa Mallacoota BREAM Qualifier.

Fishing with Steve Morgan on day one, Blake used Bassday Sugar Deeps and OSP Dunk 48s to catch 15 legal-sized fish on the first day. The pair fished shallow early, and Blake capitalised with a couple of nice fish in the well early in the session. When the sun rose the pair moved deeper

Costa

Yamatoyo Monofilament leader. McKeown prefers a st r ai ght - t hr ough fluorocarbon to fish crankbaits, and his choice for the Mimix Jelly Prawn was 2lb Yamatoyo Famell spinning fluorocarbon.

McKeown took home $1,600 for his efforts and will be one to look out for when the BREAM tour heads north later in the year.

Jamie McKeown travelled all the way from the Gold Coast to claim second in the boater division.

McKeown quickly had a competitive limit in the well.

Not wanting to pressure the fish for day two, McKeown chose to leave the area and look for upgrades at a location in the bottom lake known as Goodwin Sands. The technique he

drift over the area produced five fish but no upgrades, however the first cast of the second drift produced a nice upgrade and a 4.69kg bag saw McKeown sit in second position overnight.

Day two saw McKeown return to his productive flat

well by 10am, McKeown moved around slowly and filled his limit fishing rocky banks. The wind picked up and McKeown retuned to his productive flat and the fish responded with a number of small upgrades.

McKeown knew the size

Craig Coughlan cashed in at Coota picking up $500 for the Austackle Big Bream for the event.

O’Grady kneels’n’reels to victory -BOATER 1ST NON

BREAM Presente SERIES d by

and Blake used a technique popular in Mallcoota.

“I’d stick my rod tip into the water, sometimes almost up to the reel to gain maximum depth, I also slowed my retrieve down so it was dredging the bottom on the slowest of slow rolls,” said Blake.

His efforts achieved 3.89kg on the scale and saw Blake sitting in third position overnight. Blake was paired with Darren Evans on day two, and he again turned to a deep cranking pattern to weigh 3.36kg and take out the title.

O’Grady relied on Samurai Reaction 201 and 101 rods, paired with Shimano 1000s, spooled with 10lb Unitika braid.

Austackle Big Bream

Craig Coughlan captured the $500 Austackle Big Bream Prize, securing the award on day two with a 1.54kg fish caught in the lower lake on the edge on a BR74 coloured Nories Laydown Minnow.

Winning Tackle

Rod: G Loomis TSR 862 Line: 10 and 12lb Sunline Castaway Braid Leader: 3 and 4lb Sunline FC Rock Bream Special fluorocarbon leader Lure: ZMan Grubz in bloodworm colour, OSP Dunk 48 in Z-37 brown craw, Jackall Chubby in brown suji and the Cultiva Mira Shad 50SP in ghost pearl ayu.

Winning Ways

Whittam identified the best bream holding locations as the areas with wind, weed, and structure, and he focused on these locations throughout the tournament.

Blake O’Grady shone in the nonboater division to secure victory.

TOP 10 BOATERS

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

8.56 8.37 7.91 7.81 7.73 7.70 7.59 7.56 7.29 7.13

Cameron WHITTAM Jamie McKeown Declan BETTS Brad HODGES Charlie SAYKAO Chris SEETO Warren CARTER Paul CONN Jason HARLOCK Brad ROBERTS

WINNING NOTES

Payout

$3400 + Costa Sunglasses $1,600 $1,200 $1,100 $950 $800 + $200 1st Pro $650 $650 $475 $450

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

7.25 7.15 6.99 6.93 6.82 6.77 6.72 6.70 6.65 6.63

Blake O’GRADY Grayson FONG Ben SHUEY Clint NORTHCOTT Trent WEST Matt CUMMINS Kevin TORMEY Justin CONN Michael HODGES Alex FRANCHUK

Payout

Costa Sunglasses Samurai Reaction Rod Berkley Pack Austackle Featherlight Rod Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au APRIL 2016

71

Hodges hammers home victory CE 1ST PLA Gippsland Lakes North Arm specialist Brad Hodges has taken out the Mercury Marine

the shallow banks inside the North Arm on both day one and two.

His technique was highsticking a Berkley Puppy Dog minnow. “I’d throw it into really skinny water and high-stick my rod to keep it up, then as the lure went over that first little drop-off, I’d lower the rod tip and allow it to dive a little,” Hodges commented.

This technique produced plenty of bites both days with Hodges landing a couple of key bites on day one that saw him weigh 4.06kg to sit in

eighth position overnight.

Day two was when everything came together for Hodges to weigh his largest ever limit in an ABT tournament.

WINNING NOTES

Austackle Big Bream

Shaun Clancy claimed the Austackle Big Bream at Gippsland Lakes, catching the prize-winning fish on a Jackall Chubby in amongst the snags at Hollands Landing on day one.

Winning Tackle

Rod: ABU Garcia Salty Stage KR-X Light Casting SSKRSXLC 6101XL Reel: ABU Revo MGX 20 Line: 6lb Berkley Nanofil Leader: 4lb Berkley Sensei flurocarbon Lure: Berkley Puppy Dog, Cultiva Selection 55 Minnow

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

Winning Ways

Hodges went against the pack and fish the less pressured, less known North Arm at Lakes Entrance to catch his fish.

Event winner Brad Hodges cashed in at Gippsland courtesy of Mercury. presented BREAM Qualifier, relegating WA native Charlie Saykao to runner-up.

With overnight leader Shaun Clancy failing to catch a full limit on day two, the door was open and Hodges made sure he was the first in line to take advantage. Storming home with the biggest bag of the tournament to pile on an impressive 10/10 limit weighing 9.46kg.

This isn’t Hodges’ first taste of success at Gippsland Lakes, he also won the event back in 2010.

Just like he does almost every time the tour visits Gippsland, Hodge ventures to the North Arm of Lakes Entrance, the opposite way to the majority of the field.

Hodges chose to fish

Brad Hodges found the biggest at Lake Entrance to claim another Gippsland Lakes win.

Berkley Puppy Dog

R

Wind

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888.

72

APRIL 2016

Cultiva Minnow

“It all just came together for me on that second day,” said Hodges, who by 9am had a limit to rival his overnight weight. A couple of late upgrades pushed Hodges over the magic 5kg mark and onto the top position on the podium.

Hodges chose to target shallow sandy banks, but

keyed in on those featuring scattered weed and timber.

“There wasn’t a lot of timber, no full trees or large laydowns. It was more the scattered logs lying on the bottom that would provide a bit of cover for the fish in shallow water,” said Hodges.

His lures of choice were predominantly the

Berkley Puppy Dog, which accounted for most of his tournament limit. Hodges also caught fish on a Cultiva Selection 55 minnow.

The retrieve was textbook black bream fishing, twitching and pausing the lure with the fish predominantly eating it on the pause.

Hodges turned to the

new ABU Garcia Salty Stage KR-X Light Casting SSKRSXLC 6101XL. “They are the perfect rod for bream twitching, they have a fast recovery but still have a forgiving mid-section, which stops me from pulling hooks.”

He paired the rod to another new product from ABU Garcia, the MGX 20

spinning reel. “The MGX is just the perfect reel for what I do, it’s light enough to use and cast all day. It balances perfectly with the rods and the drags are just insanely smooth.”

Hodges thanked his long-time sponsors Pure Fishing Australia, which under them have the household brands like

BREAM

Presente SERIES d by Me rcury

Berkley and ABU Garcia.

He credited Lowrance for their continued support and Savage Trailers for the newly built cradle for his beloved Savage.

Saykao snag bashes for second CE 2ND PLA The WA native that now calls Victoria home, Charlie Saykao showed he is definitely one to watch for the future. After a brilliant fifth place finish at Mallacoota, Saykao backed it up finishing second to the fast finishing Hodge.

Saykao found his fish on the pre-fish day not by actually fishing for them, but by simply driving through the area and visually looking for the fish. “I drove through

the area known as ‘The Cut,’ which is the second entrance to the Mitchell River,” said Saykao.

The first day started and Saykao actually missed his preferred two areas, as other boats had beaten him to them.

So he returned to the cut and started fishing through the snags that litter the entrance to the river.

Saykao targeted the snags with a popular lure on the ABT BREAM Tour, a 2.5” ZMan GrubZ rigged on a Decoy Nailbomb 1/32oz jighead. The light, weedless jighead allowed Saykao to fish the lure slowly through the snags, keeping the lure in the strike zone for the longest time possible.

His catches came steadily and it was a case of slowly upgrading as the day wore on. Finishing the day with 5/5 for 4.35kg would put him in fourth position overnight.

Returning to the same area on day two, Saykao again fished the snags around The Cut with the same successful technique from day one.

Fortunately for Saykao, it all went to plan on day two. His third and fourth fish in his 5/5 limit both came off the same snag and both pushed over the 1kg mark.

Saykao had the area to himself, which he said was key to his success. “I think the reason I did so well was because I was the only boat in the area, occasionally a boat

would come into the inside of the cut and fish some snags but they luckily wouldn’t stray too far into where I was seeing the fish.”

The hard and fast ‘white knuckle’ fishing style Saykao employed required some hefty tackle, and his equipment choice reflected that.

Saykao relied on a Millerods Bream Buster Brawler rods to get the fish out of the snag, and to also present the plastic accurately and quietly. He paired the short powerful stick with a Daiwa Luvias 2004 reel, spooled with 6lb braid and 6lb Yamatoyo leader. “There is no better leader out there than Yamatoyo as far as I’m concerned,” said Saykao.

Charlie Saykao fished the snags light to secure a podium finish.

With the second place finish Saykao secures himself a start in the Costa BREAM Grand Final to be held on St Georges Basin in early

December of this year. Here the winner will take home a brand new BassCat/Mercury package valued at well over $50,000.

Walker backs up AOY with qualifier win -BOATER 1ST NON 2015 non-boater AOY champion Stuart Walker won the Mercury presented round of the Costa BREAM series with a 9/10 limit weighing 5.45kg.

Starting day one fishing with Chris Gates, Walker found himself at the mouth of the Tambo River to start the morning. With only one fish in the well after two hours the pair decided to move around and try some flats, but that move proved fruitless and the pair eventually returned to the wharfs and jetties around Metung. Walker turned to the ever-reliable Cranka Crab to catch three extra keepers to compile his 4/5 day-one limit.

Day two Walker fished with Grant Kime, and found him-self fishing the mouth of the Mitchell River for the entirety of the tournament session.

“We motored in probably 200m from the mouth and deployed the electric, Grant spot-locked

us there and we didn’t really move all day,” said Walker.

The fish turned on from 10am until 11am where it was almost a fish every cast for the pair. It was a process of slowly upgrading in small increments until eventually he had amassed a 5/5 2.81kg limit.

Champion non-boater Stuart Walker received the Costa treatment for his win.

Walker relied on fishing a 2.5” ZMan GrubZ in motor oil colour rigged on a 1/12oz jighead that he slowly hopped off the bottom to produce his bites.

After sitting in 7th position overnight, a kilo behind leader Nathan Leicht, Walker assumed he was out of the running to take the win, but was surprised at the challenging day a lot of the overnight leaders seemed to have.

Walker relied on the new Daiwa Silver Wolf rods and reels to bring his fish into the net over the weekend.

Noting the sensitivity of the rods allowed him to feel every little bump and bite.

He spooled the reels with 6lb braid and 4lb or 5lb leader.

After the heartbreak of losing good fish on day one around the wharfs and jetties of Metung, Walker upped his leader to 5lb for day two and landed every fish he hooked.

TOP 10 BOATERS Place Angler 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fish

Brad HODGES 10/10 Charlie SAYKAO 10/10 Steve GILL 10/10 Braddley YOUNG 10/10 Daniel MACKRELL 10/10 Chris GATES 10/10 Warren CARTER 10/10 Daryl BAIRD 10/10 Kristoffer HICKSON 10/10 Mario VUKIC 10/10

Walker now is in the hot seat to defend his PowerPole Angler of the Year title

and go back-to-back in 2016 as he sits in 11th place after the first two rounds.

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS

Weight (kg) 9.46 8.73 8.57 7.96 7.55 7.35 7.11 6.96 6.90 6.85

2015 Power-Pole BREAM AOY Stuart Walker picked up where he left off last year by claiming victory at Gippsland Lakes.

Payout

$2270 + $250 Mercury Bonus $1520 + $ 150 Mercury Bonus $970 $870 + OSP Toray rookie $750 + Yamaha bonus $650 $550 +$100 Mercury Bonus

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9/10 9/10 9/10 7/10 7/10 8/10 6/10 8/10 4/10 5/10

5.45 5.24 4.72 4.66 4.17 4.15 3.86 3.84 3.54 3.39

Stuart WALKER Clint VOSS Jesse ROTIN Nathan LEICHT Jim BARRIE Ben DODMAN Michael HODGES Clint NORTHCOTT Mick THOMPSON Tomas MCINTOSH

Payout

Prize Pack + $35 Hobie bonus Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack + $25 Hobie bonus Prize Pack + $15 Hobie bonus Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au APRIL 2016

73

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Bemm River Varty stays in second

yak Hobie Ka ries Se BREAteMd by Daiwa Presen

In an epic start to the 2016 Hobie Fishing calendar, and the first of 5 qualifying tournaments for the 6th Hobie Fishing World Championships, 105 anglers descended on the tiny bream fishing Mecca of Bemm River in East Gippsland, Victoria.

A favourite on the Hobie Fishing circuit, Bemm River always delivers the goods and once again did not disappoint.

The tournament fell on the right moon with the mouth of the inlet, which had been

open for the past 7 months, finally closed just days prior to the competition. With the inlet mouth closed and water levels up, scattered cloud cover and reasonable wind conditions through most of the round, Bemm showed little sign of pressuring up under the weight of 105 anglers.

Full bags were commonplace with 85% of the field returning to the weigh-in with three bream on both days of the tournament. Weights were impressive with the top 20 all weighing in 5kg and

above over the two days.

A consistent performance from Chris Lyons from Rosanna in Victoria took him to the top of the leader board on the final day, moving up from third place and adding 2.6kg to his day one result for a total of 6 bream weighing in at 5.8kg.

Chris was followed Kevin Varty from Nowra in New South Wales, who held on to his day one 2nd position with 6 for 5.25kg. Paul Malov from Bentleigh Victoria rounded out the podium placings with 6 for 5.16kg.

2014 Hobie Fishing World’s 3rd place getter, Kevin Varty from Nowra in New South Wales came into the round with low expectations not having fished Bemm River before.

“I normally like to fish deep and it was just really shallow. I headed up to the entrance and started throwing plastics in about 10-12 foot of water. When

they started biting and I started landing them my first impressions changed”.

When asked if he was going to make run at qualifying for the Worlds Varty replied, “I’m just going to try and fish as many Worlds qualifying rounds as possible this year and see what happens.”

Varty took home a $1,560 cheque and over $300 in sponsor prizes.

Varty’s Tackle Rod: Daiwa Drunknmonkey and Daiwa Itchy Twitchy Reel: Shimano Stradic 1000 Lure: ZMan GrubZ in various Colours

Lyons third time lucky

Chris Lyons from Rosanna in Victoria soared to the top of the leader board on day two to take out the first round of the series and grab the lion’s share of points in the chase for a place on the team to represent Australia in the 2016 Hobie Fishing World Championship.

Strategies Day One “I pre-fished Bemm on Friday to find spots that were holding fish and ended up at Mahoganies.

“I headed straight back up to the entrance where I had located all of the fish the day before. I found the fish still there, and I worked a 100m stretch of bank and by 8am I had a 42cm and

a 40cm. I kept working the edge and the flats in the same 100m area where there were plenty of fish in the low 30cm range. Everyone else who had been in the same location seemed to have left the area and moved down to the inlet opens in the estuary and were working the centre of the channel with vibes.

There were plenty of boats in the area watching what we were doing. I kept working the edges and pulled in a 37cm on a Deep Diver Spike prawn pattern. I had my bag for the first session.

Strategies Day Two “I went straight back to the front from the starting line to find 3 tinnies, who had been watching me catch the fish the day before, already

Chris Lyons from Rosanna soared to the top of the leader board.

sitting there lined up in the spot I had worked the day before. I went around them and on my second cast I hooked a 41cm Black Bream. Then the boats

Lyons’ Tackle Lure: Lucky Craft Flash Minnow Chartreuse Shad Leader: 3lb Sunline Sniper FC Rod: Daiwa Infeet Reel: Daiwa Steez 2004 moved off the bank to follow another competitor when they saw him catching fish on vibes in the centre. I then moved back into my favoured spot but found nothing, so I moved right up to the front where the water washes over the bank (it wasn’t at the time) there were ‘yellows’ and ‘blacks’ up there and I got a 35 and a 38 and that was my bag for the day”.

Winning Ways “Probably working that 100m stretch of bank and throwing into the edges and flats and not into the middle of the channel”.

Lyons took home a huge prize payout of $2,990 and over $400 in sponsor prizes.

RESULTS Place

Angler

Fish

Weight(kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Chris Lyons Kevin Varty Paul Malov Mark Cribbes Nick Mace James Rogan Stewart Dunn Jason Meech Dylan Henness Joel Crosbie

6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6

5.48 5.25 5.16 5.15 5.12 5.10 4.98 4.95 4.86 4.86

5/6 6/6 6/6 6/6

3.75kg 4.35kg 4.30kg 4.52kg

Grand Masters: Alan Osborne Masters: Tony Curwen Women: Michelle Carmody Youth: Nathan Prezioso 74

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Payout $2990 $1560 $1010 $470 $390 $350 $310 $270 $230 $190

Kevin Varty took out a surprizing second place as a new-comer to the Bemm.

New divisions open up Hobie has introduced divisions as an exciting way to encourage new anglers to try their hand at tournament kayak fishing. All anglers compete in the general category but there are also Youth (16-21), Women’s, Masters (60-64) and Grand Masters (65+) divisions thst provide another layer of incentive to anglers.

Nathan Prezioso from Victoria took out the Youth Division with 6 for 4.52kg fighting off a strong performance from fellow Victorian Steven Pryke on 4.35kg. Prezioso went into day two trailing Pryke by 180g but his solid bag on day two allowed him to come from behind to give him a 170g lead and take home the inaugural Youth Division competition.

Michelle Carmody from New South Wales picked up the Women’s category with 6 for 4.3kg in an encouraging field of seven female competitors.

Tracey Wright from NSW was leading the Womens Division on day one with a 2.44kg bag, that had her in 17 position overall in the 105 angler field. Carmody sitting in 59th overall and 3rd in the Womens Division started strongly on the second day with early catches and bagged out on the way home to snatch the top female prize

from Wright in the last half hour of competition.

In the tightest finish of the weekend Masters Division winner Tony Curwen from Victoria scooped the top spot with 6 for 4.35 nudging out Gary Hanson by just 10g. Curwen was leading on day one with 2.81kg to Hanson’s 2.21kg but just managed to hold out the strong 2.13kg day two bag of Hanson with his 1.54kg prize winning bag.

The Grand Masters Division was tight across the

board with Allan Osborne from Victoria taking the top place in the category with 5 for 3.75 as well as picking up the Mortgage Corp Monster Mover for the most improved over the two days. 540g separated top to bottom over two days of tight competition. Osborne brought home a small bag of .83kg on day one and sat at the bottom of the division but he smashed it on the second day with 2.92kg and took home over $500 in prizes.

HOG’S BREATH BOSS HOG BIG BREAM AWARD There was an amazing finish to the Hog’s Breath Café Boss Hog Big Bream competition with Aaron Williams (Vic), Michelle Gamble (Vic) and Paul Malov (Vic) all bagging TOP 10 NON-BOATERS bream weighing in at 1.24kg.

Williams hooked his on a Flash J Grub 3.1” on a Decoy Violence 31F Jighead, Gamble caught hers BASS ELECTRIC SERIES on a ZMan GrubZ in motor oil on a Jig Pro jighead and Malov also enticed his big bream on a ZMan GrubZ in motor oil.

Full results can be seen online at: http:// www.hobiefishing.com.au/round-1-bemm-rivervictoria-2016/ HOGS BREATH BOSS HOG PAY TO:

Hogs Breath Boss Hog

FOR THE SUM OF:

One Hundred Dollars Fishing Tournaments bass • bream • barra

DATE:

/

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$ 100

Engel Round 2 of the Hobie Kayak Bream Series Engel Round 2 of the 2016 Hobie Kayak Bream Series was located on the mighty Blackwood River and kicked off in near perfect conditions for the 44 competing anglers. Come

Finding himself at the top of the leader board on day one was Massimo Salomone with a great bag of 3 bream for 2.090kg; Massimo targeted the deep snags that line the river around the ski area to compile

crowd in attendance and all his fellow anglers still on the water, Greg brought up to the weigh master the biggest bag of the weekend with 3 bream for 2.720kg, his bag also included a contender for Big

the 10am start and anglers were greeted with plenty of sunshine and a rising tide, the only obstacle was going to be the possibility of an increasing wind throughout each day’s session.

Most of the anglers had made the trek down to the Blackwood River the day before to take advantage of the navigation only day. This allowed anglers to get out on the water and have a look at the conditions in the areas they were hoping to fish and make a plan if they had not already done so.

Come 5pm and, whilst a fantastic crowd watched the completion of day one, most of the stories had a common theme amongst the returning anglers, and this was of big bust offs and ‘what ifs’, which is certainly not uncommon for the Blackwood River.

his bag of keepers, although not getting big numbers of fish, he had one 39cm bream that held the overnight lead for big bream coming in at 905g.

Sitting in second place overnight was Barry Brownrigg who compiled a nice bag of 3 bream for 1.925kg; Barry went with a different plan and chased a surface bite on some of the numerous flats that surround Molloy Island.

Holding down third spot and putting himself in pretty good position for day two was Brett Ozanne with 3 bream for 1.730kg; Brett also targeted the flats and snags around Molloy Island and the lower reaches of the river.

Presenting himself to the weigh station at least three hours early at 11am was Greg Cooper, who was experiencing a few issues with his live well and also his kayak filling with water. So with a small

Bream with his biggest bream weighing in at 960g.

Sitting in 10th spot overnight with 3 bream for 1.225kg, Greg’s day two bag of 2.720kg gave him a combined total of 6 bream for 3.945kg, and put him right in the thick of things for top honours. He just had to wait three hours before watching every angler fall short of the mark he had set (at 11am).

And fall short they did, Greg stormed from 10th spot on day one, to win by over a kilo. When asked how his weekend had gone and whether he had followed a plan, Greg replied, “I did a pre fish a while ago out of my tinny, so I got to have a good look at a lot of the ground, which certainly helped me plan my weekend. On the first day I headed upriver and fished around the ski area, I pulled

my first keeper at 11am on an OSP Dunk in gold, I was just working the deep snags with a constant slow roll trying to stay near the bottom. But to have a 32cm in the well after an hour I was pretty happy

“Day two I had a bit of a different plan, because I was fishing out of a Malibu Kayak.

It meant I was restricted to paddle power but also meant I could get up on the flats and fish a fair bit shallower than the Hobie kayaks. I wanted to target the flats around the back of Molloy Island as it would also have been out of the wind (which gave me plenty of grief on day one). It was pretty early, roughly about 7.30am when I pinned my first keeper on and OSP Bent Minnow in the G76 colour.

“I was retrieving it with some slow twitches and plenty of pauses but I was happy to have one the boat early and just moved around targeting the sand patches amongst the shallow weed. I filled my bag with two more quite early and added four or five upgrades

try to make a mad dash back to the weigh in, which I only just managed without sinking.

“So to come in at 11am while leaving them biting I didn’t think I had much of a chance, especially sitting in 10th, but after weighing in 2.720kg I would have been very happy just to make it into the top 3 or 5, but to take the win and qualify for the Hobie Kayak Bream Series Australian Championships I’m very happy.”

Greg used a Protactic Copper Head 5kg Rod and an Edge ISR 703 Rod, each of these were matched to a Daiwa Certate 2500 that was loaded with Varivas 14lb Egging braid. At the business end was 8lb Bream special leader. Greg also used an FG and loop knot as his go to knots for the weekend.

RESULTS Place

Angler

Fish

Weight(kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Greg Cooper Robert Sgambelluri Barry Brownrigg Alex Greisdorf Brett Ozanne Steve Owens Andy Mitchell Massimo Salomone Jake Gill Mitch Vane

6/6 6/6 5/6 6/6 5/6 6/6 6/6 4/6 6/6 6/6

3.945 2.925 2.915 2.915 2.795 2.775 2.650 2.465 2.240 2.155

1/6 4/6 6/6

0.240kg 1.895kg 2.775kg

Womens Division winner: Michelle Pardini Junior Division winner:Mirek Soucek Grand Master winner:Steve Owens

with my start to the day. After that it was slim pickings for me, but I managed to boat two small keepers to give me a bag. To be sitting in 10th place after day onw, I was pretty happy with that.”

before 10.30 when I noticed I was having dramas with my live well. When I was monitoring that I noticed my yak had also filled with plenty of water. So the decision was made to leave them biting and

When asked if he had anyone to thank, besides the organisers he made special mention of his superannuation which has given him the most freedom to chase bream.

Newcomer takes out second In second place and becoming a regular at the Hobie Kayak Bream Series Australian Championships was Rob Sgambelluri weighing in 6 bream for 2.925kg. One of the very few anglers who had never fished the river before he really didn’t come down with much of a plan, he was quite wary of the angry bream after stories he had heard, but didn’t suffer the same problems as many of the other anglers.

Rob found himself sitting just outside the top 10 after day one and when asked how his day had gone he replied “I pulled my first keeper about 30 minutes into the session, I’d only ventured up river to just before the ski area and was throwing an OSP Dunk. I was just working it deep with a real slow twitch before hooking what

ended up being a 28cm, I was expecting a better fight after some of the stories but I didn’t have any issues boating my keepers”.

“Within 30 minutes I picked up another two keepers in the same area all around the same size, it was pretty slow for the rest of the day before I got my only upgrade in the late afternoon, this came on a darker colour OSP Dunk. I was happy to have 3 in the well when I headed back, and quite content to be around the top 10 for a river I had never seen before.”

When asked how day two went, Rob replied “I thought I would just head back to the same area I had fished the day before, hitting a few likely spot on the way.

Probably about 7.30am and about 300m from the start I hooked my first keeper on the first cast of the day, I was

surprised to get one so early and it certainly helped with the confidence.

“It was probably another hour before I pinned my next keeper, this was on an Ecogear SX 48 whilst I was casting parallel to a reed bank, I was working the lure back a lot faster than I had been and a nice bream couldn’t resist it. It was probably another 30 minutes before I secured my third keeper, which was back on the OSP Dunk, it was a good fight and I really thought he would be bigger than what he actually was”.

Robert used a 4kg Catana rod, matched to a Shimano Stradic 2500, this was loaded 10lb Daiwa braid and finished off with 7lb Fluorocarbon leader attached with a FG knot. Rob thanked Getaway Camping for sponsoring the event as well as the organisers for

their efforts.

The Getaway $250 Big Bream was taken out by the eventual winner Greg Cooper with a very nice bream of 960g, this was part of his day two bag and fell victim to the OSP Bent Minnow.

Taking out the Womens division and making it two on the trot was Michelle Pardini, whilst the Junior division was taken out by Mirek Soucek and last but not least was the Senior division that was taken out by Steve Owens, who actually missed the top 5 by 20g.

A big thanks goes to all the anglers for making the effort to head to the Blackwood River for this round, as well as the Sponsors for this round, Getaway Outdoors. Their support of the kayak events is very appreciated.

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888.

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75

The inflatable option BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

About fifteen years ago a few mates and I bought cheap inflatable boats so that we could dodge the crowds around the local jetty and surrounding riverbank, launch our simple craft and paddle to the opposite bank.

Although it was only twice the distance of a good cast away, we had the bank to

was something about the simplicity, portability and adventure element of our blow up craft, along with the ability to store it in a car boot in case the tides were right when we knocked off work – and so began my fascination with inflatable watercraft.

Since these early sessions I have followed the development of inflatable watercraft, from drift boats and float tubes, to an impressive new wave of inflatable kayaks that are making the most of

old inflatable boat from back in the day, except that there is no way I would take that $49.95 boat down the rapids that these guys ride!

A little while ago the subject of inflatable kayaks came up at the dinner table and a couple of weeks later our two-person Sportek KK2 kayak was being unpacked on the lounge room floor.

We have other kayaks, so why did we buy an inflatable kayak? Our original plans were to use this vessel when we travel as it can be stored

The inflatable is ideal for accessing fishy water. flatties of New South Wales and the coastline of WA. I just need to read up on the local regulations about cleaning fishing gear and watercraft, so as not to transfer any weed or pests from one waterway to another.

PROS AND CONS There are positives and negatives associated with anything, and inflatable watercraft are no exception.

In terms of negatives the inflatable option does come with the responsibility of

care in terms of handling, usage and storage that avoids puncture or damage to the material. They are not as durable as their solid cousins however developments in materials have made them more durable than the

A few minutes with the pump and we’re ready for action. in a large plastic crate in the back of our vehicle when we travel locally and is quickly and easily unpacked and inflated should we be greeted by good weather or fishable water. It also weighs under 20kg and fits in a standard large suitcase, allowing it to accompany us on interstate adventures via plane. This has me dreaming about big Tassie bream, trout in the southern waters, the monster

This tandem also paddles well as a solo option.

Under 20kg and fits neatly in a large suitcase for your fishing missions. ourselves and were fishing water that wasn’t anywhere near as pressured as the easily accessed side of the river. The result was a few fun and memorable trips, with plenty of nice flathead landed on soft plastics.

At the time I had a boat and a kayak, but there 76

APRIL 2016

developments in lightweight, durable and technical fibres and materials. There is a growing scene called pack rafting, combining hiking and exploration with inflatable craft that pack small enough to be added to your hiking pack and weigh as little as half a kilo! Kind of like my

Quality inflatable crafts are stable and comfortable.

simple pool toys of old.

Performance wise, inflatable craft are generally not as fast through the water and don’t track as well either, although quality inflatable models have greatly bridged this gap in terms of both speed and tracking.

Inflatable craft often have a reduced payload for their size, but this will encourage you to keep it simple and leave some of that excess baggage at home. Attaching accessories such as sounders and rod holders can also be a little trickier, with Railblaza offering a solution via their RIBPort mount, designed for mounting accessories on inflatable craft.

It’s not all negative though. If you have limited space for storage then an inflatable kayak could be ideal. All you need is an area to wash it down and

let it dry, and then it can be folded back into its bag and stored in a cupboard.

Some models can even pack small enough to fit in a backpack. Your inflatable kayak also fits in a car boot, allowing it to tag along on your adventures… just in case an opportunity arises to wet a line. You don’t need to worry about roof racks, tying the kayak down or leaving it unattended on your vehicle.

There’s also the opportunity to book an extra bag, load it in a suitcase and take it further afield.

Inflatable kayaks are generally lighter, with one-person models often weighing around 11kg,

making them easy to throw on the shoulder and carry from pool to pool when exploring rivers and gorge country that can be difficult or even impossible to explore on foot or in larger craft, which makes them ideal if there is rugged terrain between you and your proposed launch site.

I was also impressed with how quickly and easily inflatable craft set up and pack up. Our KK2 set up in ten minutes, with forty or so pumps of the dual action hand pump per side chamber, a few more for the floor chamber and we were away.

When it came to packing up, we simply opened the three

valves and within seconds the kayak was deflated and ready to be folded up, loaded in the plastic crate and loaded back into the car. We were packed up and on our way home in minutes.

GEARING UP It’s a good idea to inflate your kayak at home first, giving you the opportunity to decide where you will be storing and attaching the gear you want to carry with you. Take the time to think about landing and handling fish also. Will you release them beside the kayak, bring them in with a net or lip grips, does the kayak have a skirt or front work area to rest them on or do you need

The inflatable option is an awesome one!

Not the ideal way to christen the KK2, a yellowtail pike, but better than no bites!

a towel or container to put them in, and finally where will you store them if taking home a feed.

Along with your usual kit and safety gear, it is worth taking your repair kit with you just in case, along with a few zip ties, cloth tape and a couple of occy straps, items that I carry with me in any yak that I am travelling in.

WHICH KAYAK? Kayak selection is a personal choice and only you can decide which kayak best suits your needs.

Many kayak anglers have found that they need a few kayaks in their fleet to cover different applications and environments, such as small creek work, estuary

fishing and long distance offshore missions, or perhaps even camping and touring adventures. If you decide that an inflatable kayak might suit your needs, make sure you do your research as there are a wide range of models available to suit many different applications, from white water to touring, designed for solo and tandem paddlers. Paddle a friends if you have the opportunity or keep an eye out for demo days, and stick with a quality, reputable brand such as Hobie, Sportek, Bic, Sevylor, Sea Eagle and AdvancedFrame, to name a few.

Our Sportek KK2 is perfect for flat-water

paddling and was quick and easy to set up and pack up, stable, tracked and paddled well, and comfortable. Over time I will customise our storage and fit out to further suit our requirements. With a little co-ordination we had our tandem paddling down pat, but the KK2 also handled well when paddled solo from the rear seat with additional gear and an Evakool 20L icebox stored in the front seating area. I look forward to future inflatable adventures and am now thinking that I need to keep an eye out for the next Hobie demo day to give their new pedal inflatable options a test drive…

See you on the water!

FISHING FILL-ITS

Latest gear from Rhino-Rack To give you the best chance of protecting your valuable equipment from thieves, Rhino-Rack have redefined the traditional tie-down strap, and have designed a new, safer solution, that’s just as simple to use. It’s called the Locking Tie Down Strap (LTDS).

Unlike its competitors, there is a security stop which snaps into place when the cap is tampered with. This makes it extremely difficult for thieves to utilise anything to ‘jimmy’ it open, like a screwdriver. The LTDS

locking cap can also be completely removed. This is uniquely beneficial when compared to other cap locks, which only slide out partially, restricting access to the cam buckle.

The steel wire begins 250mm from the end; this allows for easy installation of the webbing via the cam lock, a stronger grip, and the ease to pull it through the housing.

The LTDS can handle loads up to 225kg, and it is also corrosion and cut resistant. Rhino-Rack have also made sure that the tongue

and housing won’t make contact with the car. Strong, safe and highly functional, the Locking Tie Down Strap is the tethering tech you’ve been waiting for. It is available in four lengths, and the pricing is as follows: 2.5m - $89; 3.5m - $99; 4.5m - $109; and 5.5m - $119.

VORTEX STEALTHBAR Rhino-Rack’s Vortex StealthBar (SRP $379 per pair) is a unique roof rack system that is designed for use in conjunction with factory raised rails. This low profile (35mm) roof rack system

Rhino-Rack’s Dome 1300 awning easily mounts to the front, side or rear of your vehicle.

comes preassembled for easy, stress-free installation. It can accommodate up to 80kg of luggage, fishing rods, camping gear and whatever else you need carried safely and efficiently.

A unique set of adjustable legs give you the option to fine-tune the racks by up to 100mm, making for the perfect fit. The co-moulded stainless steel/rubber locking straps are designed to suit all size rails, and the low noise, VGS rubber reduces wind vibrations. Available in black and silver, the StealthBar comes in seven lengths (725, 785, 845, 905, 965, 1025 and 1075mm) so it fits almost every vehicle imaginable, and it’s covered by Rhino-Rack’s lifetime warranty.

DOME 1300 AWNING Rhino-Rack’s Dome 1300 awning (SRP $379) easily mounts to the front, side or rear of your vehicle to provide protection from the rain or sun.

The amount of shade it provides isn’t affected by a vehicle’s (lack of) height, because it can stand well over 2m depending on the vehicle you mount it to. The roof domes up to offer the extra

Top: The Locking Tie Down Strap has a security stop which snaps into place when the cap is tampered with. Above: The low profile Vortex roof rack system comes preassembled for easy, stress-free installation. headroom underneath. Made from a heavy-duty rip-stop polycotton, it is tough, weather/water proof, mould resistant and UV50+ protected.

The Dome 1300 also serves for superior runoff in wet and windy conditions.

The coverage area is a generous 2.5m x 2.4m. It’s quick to set up and easy to use – all you’ll need is a tape

measure and 13mm spanner.

The Rhino-Rack Dome 1300 awning is compatible with most vehicle roof rack channels, links up with a number of Rhino-Rack extension products and is backed by a 1-year warranty.

For more information on these and other RhinoRack products visit www. rhinorack.com.au. - FM APRIL 2016

77

Tips for the novice boater BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

So, you have finally landed the big one: a boat of your own! The first move is to get to know the new boat, whether it’s a small tinny towed behind a four-cylinder family sedan or a larger vessel that sits sedately behind a big 4x4. Either way, that boat is going to be a part of your life, and take up a surprising amount of time out of the water. It will reward TLC handsomely, and pay back any neglect just as thoroughly!

obviously brand new there’s a fair amount of useful life in it so long as it’s washed around the tow hook after each trip to the ramp. If it’s somewhat aged or rusted and there are tiny breaks in it, causing small bits to dig into your hands or fingers, it would pay to replace it with a Dyneema cable. Dyneema winch cables are brilliant. They cannot rust, pack down onto themselves or develop those nasty ‘bities’ from the tiny breaks as do metal ones. Straps on winches work OK but can bind down on themselves or possibly work loose when travelling (I have seen this) even after being tightened up quite firmly at the ramp.

three of my boats, and they’re very effective and easy to use.

The Dura Hub system sees the bearings revolving in an oil bath while the hub is effectively sealed both front and rear against grime or water intrusion. There’s also a polycarbonate window on each Dura Hub that lets you check the oil level and see that the oil is not contaminated with saltwater.

Dura Hubs are most easily fitted to a new hub, but with professional expertise during installation they can also be fitted to older hubs once any corrosion is removed to ensure correct alignment of the rear seal.

An experienced skipper driving his boat onto the trailer. He is standing to help himself visually line up the boat’s trajectory. on the hubs after about 20 minutes travel time and see if they are any more than slightly warm. If they are actually hot, those bearings need some slackening in adjustment or they will be damaged.

Note that if the trailer is a braked model it’s best to have bearings professionally checked, adjusted and the brake system serviced at the same time. The more frequently the whole lot goes into saltwater, the more frequent the need for a serious look at things.

AT HOME WITH THE ENGINE Outboard engines are in the vast majority these days and don’t need much more than a good flush after use and a wash-down to keep them in good nick. A bit of water repellent spray under the cowl is wise, and most manufacturers have their own brands of spray for this purpose.

Flushing boat engines is vital because even freshwater can have stuff in it that’s not good to leave in the engine for

flow is somehow disrupted, that engine will cook very rapidly. If you have to leave the area, stop the engine and turn off the hose.

These days many electric start outboards have a ropestart system as a fallback against loss of power – perish the thought – to crank the engine into life, but to use the rope to turn the engine’s fly wheel there’s usually a couple of bits of pieces to be removed.

Have a look at the engine manual and assess what’s required to remove these items

A craft has just left the trailer at a busy ramp. Getting right out of the way ensures others aren’t inconvenienced by the boat that’s just launched.

AT HOME: THE TRAILER First things first: most boats are on a trailer and it’s a pretty smart idea to make sure all nuts and bolts are properly tightened from the outset. This is especially important if the unit has seen some prior use.

Remember, that galvanised bolts can strip their thread if over-tightened, so nipped up is tight enough. A 30cm ring spanner swinging hard on a galvanised nut is going to see the thread stripped in short order. While you are checking things, duck in behind the trailer wheels and ensure the nuts on the U-bolts holding the spring sets in place aren’t loose.

Why not treat the springs with a corrosion inhibitor spray while you’re at it?

While you’re there, it’s also a good idea to wriggle right under the trailer and ensure all rollers are actually in contact with the hull. Try to turn them by hand. Any loose ones certainly need re-alignment but do ensure they’re not loose as the result of another roller nearby being too high. With alloy boats it’s vital to keep all rollers in correct touch with the hull to avoid damaging it. Remember, a roller that’s too high will actually dent the keel or hull over time.

Next, take a look at the winch cable. If it’s metal and 78

APRIL 2016

Wheel bearings on a boat trailer are out of sight but should never be out of mind as they work hard, cop abuse from saltwater and need to be adjusted correctly and protected from that briny stuff.

A lot of boat owners rely on the protection of Bearing Buddys which are good so long as you don’t go overboard with the grease gun and pump the grease in until it pours out the back seal (thus rendering the seal useless).

A useful alternative to Bearing Buddys are Dura Hubs. I’ve used them under

Assessing correct bearing adjustment is easy with an unbraked trailer; it only involves jacking a wheel up and giving it a spin to see if it makes any sound other than a very faint whirring noise as the wheel revolves. Grumbles, rumbles or squeals mean you have a failed bearing, which requires a close look inside that hub. This should never be an issue in a new trailer but sometimes even new trailers can have bearings adjusted too tightly, and while the wheel spins it does not do so as freely as it should. The idea is to check

A pontoon is handy after launching but always makes sure the boat is held right at the end of it while waiting for the rest of the team.

For an expert it’s almost easy but for the beginner this cuddy cab will take a bit of practice to drive onto its trailer. It might be best to use the winch a few times until all proportions and alignments become familiar.

an extended period. Most boat owners use earmuffs to flush their smaller outboards, but unless the muffs are properly fitting onto the lower unit a lot of water can bypass the inlet grille, leading to possible engine overheating. It’s a good idea to assess how strongly the water flow is from the engine when being flushed in comparison to the normal on-water flow. If the flushing outflow looks weak it would be best to replace the muffs, or try using a bungy cord to hold the muffs in closer contact while flushing the engine.

Never, ever, set up muffs to flush a running engine and move out of sight of proceedings. If a hose connection pops or the water

and then store the appropriate tools somewhere in the boat.

Those are the easy, ‘at home’ hints covered, so now let’s take a look at actual use.

AT THE RAMP With the boat properly secured it’s off to the ramp – and this is where a lot of first time boaters come to grief.

Boat ramps can be a source of stress, and things that compound that stress are the owner’s inexperience, adverse tide or weather conditions plus other boat owners making things difficult by jumping a queue, blocking access to the ramp or being rude.

While we have no control over others, we do make our own choices. For the new boater, things to consider

are the state of the tide at the chosen ramp, how likely it is that the prevailing wind will affect it, and how busy it’s likely to be. You can help ease the tension by taking a pre-launch look at the ramp, its parking, and general access prior to the big event. You’ll want to have a game plan, taking into account things that

and with both the shackle up front and the trailer hook free to be removed, the boat is ready to come off the trailer.

A hint: when you have a rope attached to a heavier boat to release it into the water, never allow the boat to whizz off the trailer at full speed at a ramp as this is a sure way of dropping the transducer

at things. It might mean you have to move the boat a bit, but that’s no big deal.

ON THE WATER When it comes to water travel, remember the old rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. You’ll need to get the feel of the new boat, but confidence builds rapidly in boating. Remember,

your craft approaches the ramp at a reduced speed. You don’t want to cause wash issues for people attempting to get a boat onto a trailer against current or wind.

Where there’s a pontoon or jetty beside the ramp there’s plenty of wriggle room to move or relocate, but a boat sitting just beside a ramp poses a question: is it going out or being retrieved? A gap between the craft and the ramp can indicate the team is departing, but the only way to be sure is to either hover nearby or gently approach shore on the side away from the previous craft and the ramp, and with the bow pulled

up on the sand wait and see what develops. Moving in turn makes sense, and while common sense is not common it does go a long way around boat ramps.

Once your trailer is in position, one option is to get the boat aligned and drive it onto the trailer. This takes practice. Approach things carefully and stand up to assess the correct alignment on the trailer. The alternative option is to hold the craft onto the lead roller and in place while it’s winched up onto the trailer.

Again, get that boat well away from the main launch/retrieve area prior to stowing gear and preparing for the drive home.

If another party is in difficulties ahead of you, consider offering to help them.

As well as being the decent thing to do, it’s also practical – because the sooner they are on their way, the sooner you can get your craft out!

I hope these hints help to make your boating more enjoyable. They have definitely made my boating life easier. And for those anonymous folk who have helped me retrieve the 5.5m Galey in somewhat dodgy conditions over the years at that mongrel ramp at Cabbage Tree Point, many thanks mates! I hope to return the favour.

Out she comes: the Galey’s loaded and about to move off to make room for another boat to use the ramp. might go bit pear-shaped and how to best avoid them.

Prior to launch you’ll need to stop at the area next to the ramp to get things ready. If you attempt to perform this task on the ramp itself, rather than next to it, you will be very unpopular! Other ramp users may dish up some colourful language telling you what they think of you. Other users want to launch, too, and holding them up is a no-no.

With the engine lifted up, all gear loaded, bungs in, rear tie-downs removed

onto something hard and damaging it.

Backing a trailer requires practice and there’s nothing wrong with having someone walk along beside the driver to provide a situation report on how things are going. Once the boat’s off the trailer it should be moved to the side of the ramp or onto the outer section of any adjacent pontoon while waiting for the car crew to return. At this time always be conscious of other boat owners wanting to launch or retrieve.

Make sure they get a fair go

if you must pass close by another craft, slow down and pass off the plane so your wash doesn’t knock them about.

Also, if someone seems to be catching more fish than you are, don’t immediately assume that you should move right to that spot, or head over to seek advice. You’ll get advice all right but it won’t be what you wanted to hear!

THE RETRIEVAL So your adventure is over and it’s time to retrieve the boat. At this point it’s wise to assess what others are doing as

Launching is always a lot easier as a team effort. The crew here have things well under control.

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NSW APRIL 2016

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Monthly winners receive a Surf Lifesaving prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – NSWFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

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The subscriber prize winner for February was B Fitzgerald of Killarney, who won an Ultimate Sportfishing pack from Tackle Tactics valued at $300.

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February locations: 10, 13, 22, 24, 26, 38, 42, 49, 83, 86, 89, 91, 94, 109, 116. – NSWFM The Find the Zerek logo prize winners for February were: I Necic of Glenfield, M Fielder of Goolgowi, L Gorham of Toronto, B Schnitzer of Cooma, P Kennedy of Raymond Terrace, J Cupitt of Sanctuary Point, P Fielding of Maitland, R Crowhurst of Budgewoi, M Dunford of Young, D Chandler of Theodore, L Chandler of Theodore, P Evans of Unanderra, A Bird of Wattle Flat, A Morrison of Forbes, R Chown of Glendenning, A Brayshaw of Tumut, J Gill of Laurieton, A Rombo of Banora Point, C Burton of Lower MacDonald, R Cooper of Forster, C West of Dapto, P Bak of Monash, M Sutton of Bonny Hills, D Nisbet of Tuncurry, R Small of Richmond, B Stokes of Morwell, B Hall of Balgownie, J Stranner of Rose Bay, D Dillon of Green Point, S Cook of Seven Hills , G Auld of Quirindi, L Robinson of Fishermans Paradise, S McPherson of Thurgoona, A O’Keefe of Grafton, D Appleby of Macquarie Hills, R Clayton • New of Mallanganee, D products Nacinovec of Narrabeen, K Thompson of Ermington, • Videos S Davis of Emu Plains, N Watt of Frogmore.

• Indepth Prize delivery takes up toReviews 8 weeks. – NSWFM

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80

APRIL 2016

Quintrex relaunches fabulous Yellowfin range FMG

underneath with roto tub storage. A hardened glass cabin hatch finishes the cabin off nicely and ensures a dry and secure cabin.

At the helm you will find Simrad electronics as standard and hydraulic steering to make the

Will Lee wlee@fishingmonthly.com.au

Telwater are recognised as the leading boat manufacturer in Australia and have just relaunched their Yellowfin brand through the Quintrex dealer network. The Yellowfin offshore plate boats have had a revamp, and at a recent media day held on the Sunshine Coast I had the opportunity to step aboard and run my eyes over the entire range to see what Yellowfin has to offer.

There are four sizes across the Yellowfin range that include the 5800, 6200, 6700 and 7400 sizes; both models come in either hard or soft top versions.

The boats are built stronger than ever with the 6200, 6700 and 7400

The new hull design makes these Yellowfin boats super stable at rest. bottom sheet and the selfdraining deck you will find Yellowfin’s ‘Marine Core’ construction – a sub frame

a smoother and softer ride.

The freeboard has been lifted to 730mm making you feel more secure while out on the

The self draining deck features a unique no return scupper drainage system in partnership with a rear catchment area that guides the water out to a lower chamber and out through the scuppers.

Yellowfin plate boats have undergone a face-lift with a new modern look featuring a cool new logo, decals and stripe design.

All of the range is available in metallic grey, navy blue, burgundy, and black and white.

With anglers in the research and development team’s mind, you will find

The solid grab rail on the new hard top design will be a deckie’s best friend.

The 6200 hard top was put through the paces at the media day. featuring 6mm plate bottom sheets (5mm for the 5800), 5mm transom material and 4mm sides. Adding to the strength is a fully welded checker plate self-draining deck with a box section floor frame. Between the

skipper’s job easier. The new concealed control box design gives more room and presents neatly.

Launch and retrieval of the new Yellowfin boats is a breeze with the Catch N Release mechanism.

The new hardtop cabin

rib structure of longitudinal and latitudinal ribs made of 6mm vertical stringers and 5mm horizontal ribs.

With a complete overhaul to the hull design you will now find a variable deadrise to 19° at the transom for

big blue. Another noticeable change is the full transom that extends to the waterline giving the boat more lift, stability and buoyancy. The transom has also been beefed up to allow for more horsepower and weight on the back.

The 7400 is an absolute offshore fishing machine.

The new Yellowfin range will protect you from the elements – rain, hail or shine!

sixteen rod holders, a berley bucket, 110L kill tank and a live bait tank design that incorporates a viewing window and external pick up. All of these features make the offshore fishing experience even better.

Other smart features in the new Yellowfin range include water deflectors on the side deck, a fully welded anchor well and a discreet deck wash system.

The new comfortable cabin layout features bunks from 1.7-2m in length and makes smart use of the space

design features a hardened 6mm glass windscreen, a sliding side window to keep you cool and pantograph windscreen wipers as standard. Specifically built for offshore boating, the new hard top has a solid grab rail on the roof for safety and a smart dash layout with drink holders and a fiddle rail to stop things sliding away.

All the models can be personalised and optioned up with extras like a drum winch, LED lights, an icebox, storage seat options and bunk infill.

This impressive line up of Yellowfin plate boats will be found at all the major boat shows this year and will no doubt make waves as they start rolling into Quintrex boat yards across the country.

The new transom design is a lot stronger and caters for heavier and more powerful engines.

APRIL 2016

81

Yellowfin 6700 kicks goals in rough conditions

FMG

Will Lee wlee@fishingmonthly.com.au

What do you do on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast when the forecast is 20 knots of southeasterlies and seas of 2.5m+? Most of the time you’d swap the fishing rods out for the golf clubs or rack up some brownie points with your better half, however if the opportunity presents itself to step on board one of the newly released Yellowfin Plate boats and put it through its paces you grab the bull by the horns and hang on!

With the choice of five Yellowfin boats to test I went for the middle of the size range in the form of the 6700.

Powered by an Evinrude Etec Gen 2 engine, at first glance this was a serious offshore fishing vessel but moments QR CODE

Scan the QR code to see the Yellowfin in action and hear from Nathan Shaw about the new range and how they perform with the new G2 Evinrude 82

APRIL 2016

before we hit the entrance of the Mooloolah River I felt a few butterflies given the sloppy conditions I knew we were about to encounter.

I had the pleasure of being joined by Telwater’s Damien Duncan (Director of Sales and Marketing) and his first mate, Jenna Cue (Marketing and Social Media Co-ordinator) and their reassurance that the boat was designed to tackle rough water helped to ease my nerves.

At first glance the layout looked somewhat industrial with the fully welded checker plate floor but as I made my way toward the cabin to stow my equipment, the strength of the construction of this fishing rig became apparent.

The new 6700 hull design is truly different to any of the previous Yellowfin models.

The variable deadrise to 19° at the transom gave a great cushioning effect as we launched the boat between waves. The bottom sheets are constructed using 6mm sheet while the sides are 4mm. I was particularly impressed with the higher free board which measures 730mm. Underneath the welded checker plate floor you will find a sub-frame rib structure of longitude and latitude ribs made of 6mm vertical stringers and 5mm horizontal ribs that really beef this boat up.

With lumpy seas and 20 knots of breeze, it was inevitable that at some point during the test we would cop a little bit of spray. While we didn’t get much, the water that

did enter the cockpit drained toward the back of the boat across the welded checker plate floor and into the cleverly designed rear catchment area which steps down from the floor level and through the non-return scuppers. This design would also come into its own when using the deck wash to clean up.

While access to the bow is made easy by the wide gunwales, non-slip pads and a solid handrail incorporated into the hardtop, this 6700 was fitted with a drum winch that makes anchoring nice and easy for the crew. The anchor well is a solid welded plate construction and the rear plate does not require any additional strength to install a drum winch at a later date. Access to the anchor well is also available through the large cabin hatch that is constructed using hardened glass.

Powered by an Evinrude Etec Gen 2 225HO, the boat had more than adequate horsepower. While idling out from the harbour at Mooloolaba, the V6 direct injection engine was whisper quiet but there was no doubting the serious torque of this machine as we were met by some serious swell at the entrance of the river.

Complete with Evinrude’s Remote Dynamic Power Steering system, turning the wheel was feather light and made negotiating the rough stuff a breeze. Damian explained, “The difference between the Gen 1 and Gen

2 engine is 17% better fuel efficiency with up to 40% more torque.”

During our test we travelled some distance north of our starting point in search of schools of tuna to no avail, but the boat comfortably cruised nicely at around 25 knots through the middle rev ranges in a side on sea.

With no luck in close we

or simply set on auto, which takes all of the work out of having to level the boat. It is refreshing to see that they are a standard feature and I’m sure future Yellowfin owners will reap the benefits.

Launching and retrieving the Yellowfin 6700 was made easy with the ‘Catch N Release’ system that comes standard on all Yellowfin

SPECIFICATIONS Length overall................................................7.05m Length bow-transom.................................... 6.75m Beam................................................................ 2.4m Depth............................................................. 1.25m Length on trailer........................................... 8.23m Height on trailer............................................ 2.47m Bottomsides.................................................... 6mm Topsides.......................................................... 4mm Transom material............................................ 5mm Weight (boat only)....................................... 1050kg Recommended HP...................................... 150HP Maximum HP................................................ 225HP Number of people................................................. 7 pointed the bow to the east to focus our attention a little wider, being mindful of the conditions, we easily went up and over the head on seas (2.5m +) at around 8-10 knots.

After searching for birds and surface activity for a while it was time to head back to the Marina. This time we took a south westerly direction and the Yellowfin ate up the sea and felt very solid coming down the waves.

Adding to the ride and performance of the hull is the Volvo BTS trim tab system that can be used manually

boats and Yellowfin aluminum trailers.

Fishing from this boat is great with plenty of room to move around, and after testing it out I could personally see myself heading offshore for the day with three mates and nobody missing out on the action. There are 16 rod holders including the rocket launcher, a serious bait and rigging station, a large live bait tank with a viewing window to keep an eye on those precious livies and a transom door for bringing on board those larger fish.

The 6700 that we tested was navy blue and looked super sharp on the water, but is also available in four other colour options – metallic grey, burgundy, and black and white.

Although we were not lucky enough to sink the hooks into any fish while out testing this boat, my mind is made up that this is a serious offshore fishing rig that is designed to take anglers a considerable distance. The layout is smart with both comfort and practicality in mind. There is adequate space in the cabin and shade provided under the hardtop, while the transom door and boarding ladder would make it easy for activities like swimming and snorkelling.

This sees this rig double up as a family boat.

Given the opportunity to fish offshore aboard a Yellowfin 6700 in sub-average weather, would I go? Absolutely – the folks at Quintrex have definitely got this one right!

If you would like to get a quote on a Yellowfin 6700 package, contact Graham Barclay Marine on (02) 6554 5866, or drop into their premises at 129 The Lakes Way, Foster.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual boat/motor/trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

The Evinrude Icon Touch digital gauge gave super clear readings and with different page options gives the skipper the ability to quickly and easily view detailed readings of fuel/fluid levels, trip logs, engine data and more.

The Evinrude GEN 2 performed flawlessly with plenty of torque at the ready for the big sets of waves that we encountered.

Every Yellowfin 6700 comes with a standard nononsense bait and rigging station. The station has a handy shelf below for tackle storage, five rod holders, two drink holders, a solid cutting board and a nice large drain for cleaning up.

While a clumsy deckhand may stub his or her toe on the spray deflectors on the side decks, they certainly do a great job of redirecting water over the side instead of into the cockpit.

The hardtop gives great protection from the elements when things turn nasty but on a hot sunny day the forward sliding side windows let a beautiful cool breeze in.

The rod holders on the gunwales are welded in including a solid gimbal at the base to give you plenty of confidence that your expensive rod and reel is going nowhere!

The last thing a lot of large fish are likely to see is a 110L kill tank on a Yellowfin 6700!

APRIL 2016

83

What’s New BOATING

1

GME GX750 BLACK BOX VHF

4

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

GARMIN ECHOMAP CHIRP COMBOS

The GX750 Black Box VHF Marine Radio is an entirely new design concept from GME. This unit provides all the functionality of a conventional fixed-mount VHF marine radio in the palm of your hand with the supplied full-function LCD Controller Microphone.

This allows the compact Black Box radio unit to be mounted almost anywhere in the vessel, making it the perfect choice for installations where dash space is at a premium.

The GX750 has been designed with the same stylish white/grey colour scheme as the recently launched GR300 Marine Entertainment product. The unified design and colour scheme ensures these products blend seamlessly into the dash.

The GX750 will also be available with a Black LCD Controller Microphone to suit contemporary vessel interiors.

Built to withstand the harsh marine environment, the GX750 chassis is waterproof to the IPX7 standard and the unit is UV stabilised.

Price: SRP $329 www.gme.net.au

Garmin’s echoMAP CHIRP series features built-in CHIRP traditional sonar, CHIRP DownVü and CHIRP SideVü scanning sonar, is preloaded with BlueChart g2 Australia coastal charts, and has Quickdraw Contours as standard. Selected models also support Panoptix LiveVü all-seeing sonar and are NMEA compatible.

The echoMAP CHIRP series comes in sunlight readable 4”, 5”, 7” and 9” colour displays with an intuitive, keyed interface. A high-sensitivity 5Hz GPS antenna is built in.

High-wide CHIRP sonar creates crisp fish arches with incredible target separation. If you want to see objects and structure below the boat, CHIRP DownVü provides a near photographic view, while the 75sv and 95sv also incorporate CHIRP SideVü scanning sonar.

With an optional Panoptix transducer (75sv and 95sv models), you can see real-time sonar imagery at video-like speed of fish swimming toward or away from the boat, as well as lures and baits. This lets you adjust your technique according to fish behaviour.

Price: SRP $599-$1999 www.garmin.com

WATER COLLECTION SMART BOWL

MERCURY 115 PRO XS FOURSTROKE

2

The Smart Bowl utilises a sophisticated, built-in electronic circuit and sensors for diagnosis of water contamination in fuel in petrol-operated engines.

As soon as the water trap reaches approximately 70%, the sensors will cause the beeper to activate. As soon as the sensor buzzes, simply turn off both the engine and fuel sensor, and extract the trapped water via the bung. Then firmly tighten it again and you are ready to go.

The Smart Bowl is designed to work in synergy with fuel filters. It is the perfect choice for users who wish to take their existing fuel filtration to a whole new level of protection.

The Kit comes with everything needed for a hassle-free simple installation.

Included in the kit is: Aluminium Water Collecting Smart Bowl with a built-in electronic sensor device; connecting cable 4.30m (14ft) with beeper; and a manual. www.samallen.com.au

3

HUMMINBIRD HELIX 9, 10 AND 12

Humminbird AutoChart Live is now built in to the new Helix 9, 10 and 12 Series units. AutoChart Live enables you to create richly detailed maps of your favourite fishing spots in real time live on the unit. Map the water as you drive the boat, with eight hours of built-in recording time.

Once your map is live, layer it with Side Imaging detail—or use it with i-Pilot Link’s Follow the Contour and other Humminbird Autochart Live features. There are no added fees. There’s no need to upload your data for the world to see.

The units have eight hours of recording memory built in. For years of recording memory, switch to an AutoChart ZeroLine SD Card (BLA Code 103645), which also lets you export and share your secret fishing spots with a buddy.

Prices start from SRP $1559 (Helix 9 Series), and you can receive up to $200 cash back until 30 April, 2016. Terms and conditions apply and more information available at blapromotions.com.au Price: from SRP $1599 www.bla.com.au

5

1

2

3

With the design based on the Mercury 115 FourStroke, the 115 Pro XS is 4% lighter than its nearest competitor, and has been tested mercilessly to ensure reliability. The engine’s 2.1L displacement is also one of the highest in its class.

Exclusive options include: Charging System; 25” shaft available in addition to the standard 20” shaft; and Command Thrust gearcase (makes the 115 Pro XS compatible with Mercury’s larger-diameter props).

The 115 Pro XS is up to 4.8km/h faster than its nearest competitor. Its higher rpm range delivers improved performance out of an already powerful engine, and it also has the quickest acceleration. Idle Charge provides up to 48% more battery charging at idle speed, and the engine rpm has been increased from 6000 to 6300. The 115 Pro XS delivers easy maintenance, has superior corrosion protection and is backed by Mercury’s 3+2=5 warranty. www.mercurymarine.com.au

6

4

DRAGONFLY 7 PRO

Dragonfly’s superior wide spectrum CHIRP DownVision and wireless mobile device integration is now available with a super bright 7” display.

The new Dragonfly 7 PRO is Raymarine’s most feature-rich sonar/GPS combo yet.

Offering the same features as the awardwinning Dragonfly 5 PRO, it’s equipped with a 7” display for maximum visibility. The display is optically-bonded for all-weather performance, and is guaranteed to never fog up.

Unlike conventional imaging sonars, Dragonfly 7 PRO’s DownVision sonar uses wide spectrum CHIRP technology to transmit across multiple sonar frequencies simultaneously. The result is higher resolution, photo-like images.

This unit has great deepwater performance to 180m and reliable high-speed bottom tracking. It also has conventional highfrequency CHIRP sonar channel for targeting fish and bottom tracking down to 277m.

There’s fast acquisition 10Hz GPS sensor and mapping, while the Wi-Fish mobile app lets you stream CHIRP DownVision to your smartphone or tablet. The built-in Wi-Fi also syncs with the Navionics Boating app.

Price: RRP from $1065 www.raymarine.com.au

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

5

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SCAN THE QR CODE!

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

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CENTRAL COAST INSINC MARINE 278 Manns Road GOSFORD WEST 2250 Phone: (02) 4324 4300 Email: troy@insincmarine.com.au Website: www.insincmarine.com.au

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160 North Street GRAFTON 2460 Phone: (02) 6643 1199 Email: sales@discomarine.com.au Website: www.discomarine.com.au

HORNSBY SHANNON OUTBOARD SERVICE 3/41 Leighton Place HORNSBY 2077 Phone: (02) 9482 2638 Email: sales@shannonoutboards.com.au Website: www.shannonoutboards.com.au

1 Nanda Street MARMONG POINT 2284 Phone: (02) 4958 4588 Email: sales@endeavourmarine.com.au Website: www.endeavourmarine.com.au

185 Hastings River Drive PORT MACQUARIE 2444 Phone: (02) 6583 5511 Email: sales@hastingsmarine.com.au Website: www.hastingsmarine.com.au

Atomix 560 Targa – 115hp 4-stroke Mercury SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

If you’re after a boat that allows you to take family and friends out for a day on the water either fishing in the estuary or offshore, skiing behind or just cruising about taking in the sights, then the

The 115hp 4-stroke Mercury outboard had no problems pushing the boat out of the water, and in three seconds the boat was up on the plane. Even though there wasn’t much of a swell, the Atomix 560 Targa rode over the swell with ease. What I did find was that as the boat came down off the peak of the swell it settled quite

through the swell and chop.

Even though there wasn’t much swell and chop on the day of testing I found that whether standing or sitting I felt very comfortable and safe while driving in a straight line or turning the boat sharply.

The adjustable premium soft gas ride seats cushioned my spine as I came down off a swell,

The Atomix 560 Targa hull has a 0.2mm/m tolerance, less resistance through the water, greater speed and improved handling, which all leads to improved fuel economy. And it looks awesome on the water.

As an angler you can never have enough rod holders.

Atomix 560 Targa with a 115hp 4-stroke Mercury outboard would definitely be worth having a look at. With its CAD designed CNC machined hull, the 560 has less resistance through the water, which gives you greater speed, improved handling and improved fuel economy.

On the day I took the boat out to put it through its paces there was a slight 1m swell coming in from the north with about a half metre chop on top. After leaving the safe haven of the small harbour at Shellharbour on the south coast of NSW I gave the throttle a bit of stick to see what it was capable of.

comfortable back down into the water, while not losing any forward speed.

On the day I also used the Targa as a camera boat to test and film another boat from Hi Tech Marine.

I found that even though there was a bit of chop on the water, and with me moving about all over the place to get the best shots of the other craft there was very little movement from side to side.

SAFETY Depending on the style of boat I mostly prefer to stand up while driving the boat. This is mainly so that I can see what I am doing and am then able to brace myself when cutting

and the wrap around side of the seats gave extra support when turning the boat. Even though there are two removable rear seats, I would prefer to stand behind either the driver or passenger at the front and hold onto the back of the seat for support.

The large bimini provide the driver and the front passenger with enough protection from the midday sun.

ERGONOMICS Atomix 560 Targa comes complete with a sizeable cabin that can sleep two adults and area where you can install a port-a-potty. At the helm there is a Simrad

The Atomix 560 Targa with a 115hp 4-stroke Mercury outboard is impressive in and out of the water.

86

APRIL 2016

The wide helm provides everything at you fingertips and with enough room for those extra items.

SPECIFICATIONS Designer........................ Bakewell White Hull Design Builder................................................. Atomix Boats Hull construction...................... GRP (resin-infused) Deck construction............................................ GRP Length................................................................5.6m Length on trailer with motor down.................8.5m Beam..................................................................2.3m Draft..................................................................30cm Deadrise................................................................23 Batteries..................................................................2 Outboard............................115hp, 4-stroke Mercury Max persons...........................................................6 Features • Automatic bilge pump • LED navigation lights • Sleeps two in cabin • Electric anchor winch with concealed recess and hatch cover • Electrics: LED navigation/anchor/cabin lights, VHF radio and antenna, AM/FM stereo radio, Simrad chart plotter and sounder • Ground tackle: self launching bow roller, anchor/ chain/rope/swivel • Self draining deck/100L drainable under floor storage • Level/positive flotation • Trailer: 560 Boeing – ATM 1430 single axle, 16 rollers, braked, heavy duty, axles and bearings, 14 x 185LT tyres and a launch and retrieve boat latch

sounder/chart plotter, a VHF radio, a stereo radio, toggle switches for your bilge pump, live bait tank, navigation and cabin lights, plus a separate switch to lower and raise your anchor.

On either side of the inside of the boat you will find the open storage areas have been carpeted to reduce the sound as you are travelling. There are also a number of drink holders.

Launching and retrieving the boat was a breeze – I found that the boat glided off the single axle roller trailer with ease.

Retrieving the boat was just as easy as you could drive the boat up onto the trailer and the boat catch on the trailer would do its job, allowing your offsider to drive off the ramp.

If you didn’t get one of these boat catches installed, all you would need to do is open the forward hatch and climb out onto the front area while hanging onto the

stainless steel bow rail and hook up the strap.

With a boat of this size it would be a good idea to talk to the crew at Hi Tech Marine and get an anchor winch installed, as it would save the strain on your back required to pull up a 7kg anchor, chain and rope.

FISHABILITY Not all boats are made with fishing at the forefront of design. The designers of the Atomix 560 Targa have not only thought about it – they’ve put a number of

features into this boat to make it pleasurable to fish out of, whether you are offshore or in an estuary.

If you were into trolling for tuna or marlin you could quite easily fit a couple of outriggers on, and with the four built-in stainless steel rod holders, you could troll a couple of skirted lures in close to the wash and two out wide.

For those that prefer to fish offshore or in an area like Port Phillip Bay for snapper, gummy sharks and

As you will see from this shot there is not a lot of draft on this boat.

Meaning that you will get less drag on the water at speed.

There is plenty of floor room on this boat for family and friends!

CUSTOMISED BOAT A customer recently purchased one for $51,369, which included the following: • Resin infused fiberglass hull • NZ Naval Architect Brakewell White design • Zero timer construction • Sliding lockable cabin door • Self-draining deck with built in floor guttering • Walk around non-slip side • Soft gas ride fully adjustable helm seat pedestal • Premium grade bolster style seats • 100L storage/kill tank • 120L under floor fuel tank • Removable rear seats • Concealed swim ladder and anchor winch access • Self-launching bow roller • Side mounted split bow and transom rails • Extra-large dash • Built-in toilet recess with cushion cover • Flat foredeck • Easy clean twin skin fibreglass cabin liner • 90hp 4-Stroke CT/XL Smartcraft/premium hydraulic steering/battery switch • 560 Boeing – ATM 1430 single axle, 16 rollers, braked, heavy duty, axles and bearings, 14 x 185LT tyres and a launch and retrieve boat latch • Boat and trailer rego • Premium canopy SS with Targa bar and rod holders/Sunbrella Top • Fusion RA50-AM/FM USB compatible head and 6” speakers • 6 PFDs • Flares • VHF and antenna • Elite-5 CHIRP Combo83/200 Navionics AUS NZ NAV + card • 90hp 4-stroke Mercury outboard

the like you would be able to fish four anglers with a rod each and a couple spare with ease.

At the rear of the boat you could get yourself a bait board for rigging up your lines and of course cutting up those baits for the snapper and other reef species. The bimini cover has six extra rod holders in the rocket launcher to keep a few outfits at the ready.

It would be a wise move to have clip on straps attached to each outfit.

It also comes with an under floor self-draining storage or kill tank, or livewell for those yellowtail or squid. I like to have a lot of storage for extra tackle, and this was where the Atomix 560 Targa came up a little bit short, but I am sure if you talk with the crew at Hi Tech Marine they will be able to sort you out.

NOISE Not only is the Atomix 560 Targa extremely quiet when travelling at speed, the 115hp 4-stoke motor is so quiet that a couple of times I didn’t realize that the motor was still going. The carpeted floor of the deck area reduces noise, so as not to scare away the fish. The carpet also gives you that slightly soft feeling when walking around the boat barefoot.

The outfit tested on the day also comes with a water safety kit, boat and trailer registration, a fold down ladder and a non-slip pad, plus all the required navigation lights.

WARRANTY The Atomix 560 Targa comes with a 10-year structural hull limited warranty; 1-year limited warranty on components manufactured or installed

by Atomix Boats and a 1-year limited warranty on upholstered items, canvas, teak, and powder coating.

Approximate RRP of $51,000.00

If you are interested in looking at one of these rigs give either Amir or Pauline a call on (02) 4256 6135or drop into their shop and have a look at one. Hi Tech Marine

is located at 40 Princes Highway Yallah NSW. • Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual

boat/motor/trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

The storage area for the two batteries and a wash down hose.

You could install a port-a-potty, sleep a couple of adult’s head to toe or just get out of the elements for a while.

APRIL 2016

87

2016

SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES LAT 33° 52’ LONG 151° 13’ Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY

JANUARY Time

m

Time

1 0200 0744

16 0152 0749

2 0250 0842

17 0252 0858

3 0345 0950

18 0355 1015

4 0442 1101

19 0500 1132

5 0536 1206

20 0601 1243

6 0624 1301

21 0025 0658

7 0032 0709

22 0118 0750

8 0116 0750

23 0208 0838

9 0159 0831

24 0254 0922

10 0241 0914

m

1.51 0.52 SA 1400 1.56 2027 0.38

Time

m

Time

1 0246 0900

16 0331 1007

2 0345 1012

17 0440 1125

3 0446 1125

18 0546 1234

4 0544 1227

19 0015 0645

5 0000 0635

20 0110 0737

6 0050 0723

21 0158 0822

7 0137 0808

22 0241 0902

8 0224 0852

23 0320 0939

9 0311 0937

24 0358 1015

25 0337 1002

10 0400 1024

11 0325 0956

26 0417 1040

12 0412 1040

m

m

Time

1 0153 0819

16 0307 0957

2 0248 0927

17 0418 1109

3 0353 1040

18 0527 1214

4 0500 1146

19 0002 0626

5 0600 1242

20 0058 0715

6 0025 0652

21 0145 0759

7 0116 0741

22 0226 0837

8 0207 0829

23 0303 0913

9 0257 0916

24 0339 0947

25 0435 1048

10 0347 1005

11 0450 1111

26 0513 1123

27 0458 1116

12 0543 1200

13 0500 1126

28 0537 1152

14 0006 0552

15 0058 0648

1.32 0.71 FR 1347 1.43 2024 0.53 1.33 0.74 SA 1439 1.34 2111 0.56 1.36 0.75 SU 1541 1.27 2203 0.58 1.40 0.72 MO 1647 1.24 2256 0.58 1.47 0.66 TU 1751 1.24 2346 0.56 1.55 0.58 WE 1846 1.26 0.54 1.63 TH 1348 0.49 1934 1.30 0.50 1.71 FR 1430 0.40 2019 1.34 0.46 1.79 SA 1510 0.33 2102 1.38 0.43 1.86 SU 1550 0.26 2145 1.42

0.40 1.89 MO 1631 0.22 2230 1.45 0.39 1.90 TU 1715 0.21 2317 1.48

0.40 1.87 WE 1759 0.22 1.49 0.43 TH 1213 1.79 1845 0.26 1.50 0.47 FR 1303 1.68 1934 0.32

m

Time

m

16 0357 1038

2 0415 1105

17 0455 1127

3 0421 1101

18 0545 1207

4 0519 1152

19 0025 0627

5 0613 1239

20 0106 0706

6 0049 0704

21 0144 0743

7 0142 0755

22 0219 0819

8 0235 0846

23 0256 0855

9 0329 0939

24 0332 0932

25 0415 1021

10 0425 1033

25 0412 1011

11 0440 1055

26 0452 1057

11 0522 1129

26 0453 1052

27 0552 1158

12 0534 1146

27 0530 1133

12 0624 1229

27 0538 1137

13 0034 0639

28 0025 0634

13 0012 0631

28 0612 1213

13 0039 0730

28 0628 1229

29 0029 0619

14 0128 0740

29 0106 0723

14 0105 0733

29 0027 0658

14 0142 0837

29 0031 0725

30 0109 0704

15 0227 0849

15 0202 0842

30 0111 0750

15 0250 0941

30 0131 0826

1.52 0.56 SU 1502 1.44 2124 0.43

1.56 0.56 MO 1615 1.35 2225 0.47 1.61 0.52 TU 1730 1.31 2326 0.48

1.68 0.45 WE 1837 1.32 0.47 1.75 TH 1342 0.38 1936 1.35 0.45 1.81 FR 1432 0.32 2028 1.38

0.43 1.84 SA 1516 0.28 2114 1.41

0.42 1.84 SU 1557 0.28 2156 1.42

0.43 1.82 MO 1634 0.29 2235 1.42 0.45 1.77 TU 1709 0.33 2314 1.42

0.49 1.70 WE 1743 0.38 2350 1.41 0.53 1.61 TH 1815 0.42 1.40 0.59 FR 1228 1.52 1850 0.48

1.39 0.64 SA 1307 1.42 1928 0.53

31 0154 0757

1.38 0.69 SU 1353 1.33 2011 0.58

1.39 0.72 TU 1557 1.19 2202 0.64 1.43 0.68 WE 1711 1.18 2303 0.63 1.50 0.60 TH 1815 1.22 0.59 1.59 FR 1318 0.50 1909 1.28 0.53 1.69 SA 1403 0.39 1956 1.35 0.46 1.79 SU 1445 0.30 2041 1.43 0.38 1.87 MO 1527 0.22 2125 1.51 0.33 1.92 TU 1608 0.17 2210 1.57 0.30 1.93 WE 1651 0.15 2256 1.61 0.29 1.88 TH 1735 0.18 2345 1.63 0.32 1.78 FR 1820 0.24

1.64 0.38 SA 1251 1.65 1908 0.33

1.62 0.45 SU 1346 1.50 2000 0.42

1.60 0.51 MO 1450 1.36 2058 0.51

1.59 0.53 WE 1725 1.25 2312 0.57 1.63 0.48 TH 1833 1.28 0.55 1.68 FR 1330 0.42 1929 1.33

0.51 1.72 SA 1415 0.38 2015 1.39

0.47 1.74 SU 1455 0.35 2055 1.43

0.45 1.74 MO 1530 0.34 2132 1.47 0.43 1.73 TU 1603 0.35 2207 1.49

0.44 1.69 WE 1634 0.37 2241 1.50 0.46 1.63 TH 1704 0.40 2314 1.51 0.49 1.57 FR 1734 0.44 2348 1.50

0.53 1.49 SA 1805 0.49

1.49 0.58 SU 1236 1.41 1840 0.54

1.46 0.63 MO 1319 1.32 1920 0.60

1.44 0.67 TU 1412 1.24 2009 0.66 1.42 0.69 WE 1516 1.19 2110 0.70 1.43 0.66 TH 1632 1.18 2220 0.69 1.49 0.59 FR 1745 1.23 2327 0.64 1.57 0.49 SA 1842 1.31 0.56 1.68 SU 1330 0.38 1930 1.42 0.46 1.79 MO 1415 0.28 2016 1.53 0.36 1.87 TU 1458 0.20 2101 1.63 0.28 1.91 WE 1540 0.16 2147 1.72 0.23 1.89 TH 1624 0.16 2233 1.78 0.22 1.83 FR 1708 0.20 2322 1.80

0.25 1.72 SA 1754 0.29

1.78 0.32 SU 1240 1.58 1842 0.39

1.74 0.40 MO 1338 1.43 1934 0.51 1.67 0.48 TU 1444 1.31 2034 0.60

1.61 0.53 WE 1600 1.25 2145 0.66

Time

1 0306 1000

1.38 0.72 MO 1448 1.25 2102 0.62

1.58 0.54 TU 1605 1.27 2203 0.56

Time

Local Time APRIL

1.58 0.53 TH 1716 1.25 2258 0.67 1.58 0.51 FR 1821 1.30

0.63 1.60 SA 1305 0.48 1912 1.37

0.58 1.63 SU 1347 0.44 1954 1.44

0.53 1.64 MO 1424 0.42 2030 1.50 0.49 1.64 TU 1457 0.41 2104 1.55

0.47 1.63 WE 1527 0.41 2137 1.58 0.45 1.60 TH 1556 0.43 2208 1.61 0.45 1.57 FR 1625 0.45 2240 1.62

0.47 1.51 SA 1655 0.49 2313 1.62

0.50 1.45 SU 1727 0.54 2348 1.60

0.54 1.38 MO 1801 0.59 1.57 0.58 TU 1256 1.31 1840 0.65

1.53 0.63 WE 1346 1.25 1928 0.71

1.49 0.63 FR 1600 1.23 2142 0.74 1.52 0.57 SA 1712 1.29 2255 0.69 1.59 0.47 SU 1712 1.40 2300 0.59 1.68 0.37 MO 1802 1.53 2356 0.47 1.77 0.29 TU 1849 1.66 0.36 1.83 WE 1324 0.23 1936 1.78 0.27 1.84 TH 1409 0.21 2023 1.88 0.21 1.81 FR 1455 0.23 2111 1.93 0.20 1.74 SA 1541 0.29 2200 1.94 0.23 1.63 SU 1629 0.38 2250 1.91

0.30 1.51 MO 1718 0.49 2343 1.84 0.38 1.40 TU 1812 0.59

1.74 0.46 WE 1333 1.32 1913 0.69 1.65 0.52 TH 1445 1.29 2023 0.74 1.58 0.55 FR 1556 1.30 2135 0.75

m

1.54 0.55 SA 1655 1.36 2242 0.71

1.54 0.54 SU 1743 1.43 2338 0.66

1.54 0.52 MO 1824 1.50 0.60 1.55 TU 1244 0.50 1900 1.57

0.55 1.55 WE 1315 0.49 1933 1.63 0.51 1.54 TH 1346 0.49 2005 1.67

0.49 1.53 FR 1416 0.50 2037 1.71

0.47 1.50 SA 1447 0.52 2110 1.73

0.47 1.47 SU 1519 0.55 2144 1.73

0.49 1.42 MO 1553 0.59 2219 1.71 0.51 1.37 TU 1630 0.64 2258 1.68

0.55 1.33 WE 1712 0.69 2342 1.64 0.58 1.29 TH 1800 0.73 1.60 0.59 FR 1327 1.28 1900 0.76

1.57 0.57 SA 1433 1.31 2012 0.76

31 0203 0852

1.50 0.65 TH 1448 1.22 2029 0.75

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2014, Bureau of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon

Last Quarter

Tide predictions for Sydney (Fort Denison) have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions.

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484 Pro Sniper Anglapro with 60hp Mercury SYDNEY SOUTH

WHAT MAKES THIS A GREAT BOAT TO OWN?

Gary Brown

• Easy to use by yourself • Plenty of room to move about • Adequate storage • Very comfortable ride • Strong design with less noise for an aluminium boat • Less flex in the hull • Extremely stable • Corners very well while still holding in the water • The 60hp 4 stroke Mercury lifted the boat out of the hole with ease. I could just only imagine what a 90hp outboard would do • Carpeted throughout •C omfortable upholstered pedestal seats with four positions • Gussets (bulkheads) are then welded to the ribs to establish a solid structure for the floor to be fixed to and for improved hull integrity

gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

There are a number of factors that make the 484 Pro Sniper Anglapro stand out above the pack. You’d think that as an aluminium boat extra noise, extra vibration (whether at rest or when travelling) and that extra flex in the sides of the boat would be standard – this is not the case when it comes to the 484 Pro Sniper Anglapro.

Anglapro have highly refined the construction, design, shape and finish of the Sniper to suit an avid angler who enjoys fishing in the estuaries, and maybe poking their nose offshore to troll for kingfish and work

The Sniper is fully equipped to target fish in both fresh and saltwater. The 3mm bottom and sides, aggressive ribbing support and extra wide gunwales gives you

boats. This is where the deep V dead rise and internal keel system comes into play.

ERGONOMICS I like to be able to move about a boat with ease. For a boat of its size, the 484 Pro Sniper had so much room that when the tailor came on the chew, my mate Derek and I didn’t have to keep looking around to see where the other was – even when I invited him to come up to the front casting deck as the school moved around.

The Anglapro 484 Pro Sniper looks very impressive in or out of the water.

I’ve put many boats through their paces and I have come to prefer a boat with a raised platform at the rear of the boat that can be used as a casting platform. You can still stand at the rear of the boat, but there are times when you need to work the rod tip down near the water. The raised platform at the rear was big enough for someone to quite

comfortable stand while not having to brace themselves.

With plenty of room at the rear and front of the boat you would be able to have a third and maybe even a fourth angler casting lures at a feeding school of fish.

I am an angler who needs plenty of places to store items, and when you look around the 484 Sniper there are quite

As you can see there is so much room in this outfit. soft plastics for snapper over the close inshore reefs. This boat is also totally suitable and comfortable to take the family out for a bit of fun!

The deep V side console is the perfect blend of stability and capability in enclosed waters and is tough and comfortable in the rough stuff.

total confidence in the boat whether trolling for kingfish, barramundi or Murray cod, drifting for flathead and offshore reef species or at anchor berleying for bream, trevally and whiting.

On the test run I found that I didn’t have to slow down when crossing over chop or the wake of other

Tight turns are easy for the 484 Sniper Pro. 90

APRIL 2016

The seat at the helm and the passenger’s seat are very comfortable and can be re-positioned closer to the rear of the boat or up front.

a few places where you can store your gear and supplies.

The rear-casting platform has two closed in compartments, one for the battery and one to store your tackle. As you move forward there is a built-in open aluminium tray on the port side and a smaller one on the starboard side underneath the controls. Both of these could store a number of items that would put them within an arm’s length of the passenger and skipper.

At the front there is a 100L built-in plastic kill tank that could be used either for storing the day’s catch, plumbed to keep your fish alive or just as a big storage compartment. At the pointy end of the boat there is a deep built-in anchor well and another storage compartment for extra life jackets, extra anchor and rope, wet weather gear and much more.

The side console had a fuel gauge, five toggle switch panel with a 12-volt adapter, and RPM gauge. There was also room to display the voltage, motor hours, troll mode and trim.

The side console also had an open storage area on the floor, plus a small tray for those incidentals. I would put a fold down cover on the tray to keep things dry. As

The 60hp, 4-stroke Mercury outboard pushed the 484 Sniper Pro along with ease. Don’t forget you could always up size to a 90hp.

we were travelling along the high windscreen did enough to keep the spray off the Elite-4x sounder. I would have preferred the screen to wrap around the console for a bit more protection from the elements.

Having the extra wide gunwales would enable you to

centre rollers centred the boat with ease so all I had to do was walk up the front, attach the boat clip, climb out and drive off the ramp. This is definitely one of those boats that a single angler would be able to use with ease.

Climbing in or getting out of the boat while it was on

the trailer was a bit harder for me. The wheels of the trailer are back under the boat and I am short and don’t have long legs – for me this would be overcome by installing a fold up stainless steel ladder on one of the rear steps. This step would then also be used if you want to jump in for a

The port side storage would have a number of uses, and above it you could store your stern light or another couple of rods.

Two people can easily fit on the front casting deck. be able to run the extra cabling needed for deck lights, electric motor up front and even a stereo if you wanted!

FISHABILITY On the fishabilty side of things, the 484 Pro Sniper Anglapro has the ‘WOW’ factor. With all the movement between Derek and I while casting at schools of feeding tailor, and blading for flathead and flounder, the stability of the boat never faulted – even when both of us were on the same side of the boat and either the front or the rear.

Whether lure or baitfishing I prefer to have a number of rods rigged, ready to be able to grab if I need to change tactics. As you will see, there were six stand-up positions to have pre-rigged outfits. With two anglers onboard this setup gives you three each, rigged and ready.

On the starboard side of the boat the horizontal storage could serve as another couple of rod racks, giving you four rigged rods per angler.

The live-well at the rear is big enough to hold your pink nippers, poddy mullet and yellowtail. The kill tank is large enough to store that large dusky flathead before you release it or if you are fishing in a bream tournament with a non-boater there is a plastic divider to keep the fish separate.

SAFETY The high gunwales gave me a sense of stability when leaning up against them, even when there was a bit of wash hitting the side of the boat. The wide beam of the boat gives plenty of extra stability when moving about in the boat and even when there was only the skipper in the boat there was very little tilt sideways.

I did find that when I drove the boat onto the trailer at the ramp the skids and

swim or get back into the bait after being towed behind on a kneeboard.

I put the 484 Sniper into fairly sharp turns with very little roll off the horizontal

The Sniper Pro was extremely easy to launch and retrieve.

The side console with windscreen will provide some protection from the wind and spray. You could even get the crew to make you a wraparound screen.

plane, which gives you that extra stability.

THE DETAILS If you are looking for an outfit that is ready to go and all you need to do is put yourself and some fishing gear in it then you need to contact the crew at Good Times Marine and they will hook you up with the 484 Pro Anglapro Sniper. The RRP for the setup tested is $28,800.

If you are looking to customize one to suit your needs you won’t need to go anywhere else as they can create the outfit you are after.

The Sniper package will give you the confidence to step your fishing up to the next level. It’s an aluminium fishing boat that performs like a sports boat. It’s great for an avid angler who has a family or friends that like fishing, getting towed around on a float tube or kneeboard or simply cruising about.

Find your dream boat at Good Times Marine, 2 Toorak Ave, Taren Point, NSW 2229. Give them a call on (02) 9524 6999, or visit the website at http://www.

goodtimesmarine.com.au/ collections/anglapro-1.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual

boat/motor/trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

SPECIFICATIONS Overall boat length............................................4.840m Length on trailer with motor down................ 6.200m Beam width....................................................... 2.200m Outboard minimum...............................................60hp Outboard maximum..............................................90hp Payload................................................................ 450kg Freeboard.......................................................... 630mm Sides and bottom..................................................3mm Warranty............................................................. 5 years • Trailer: Dunbier braked trailer with folding jockey wheel, LED lights, skids and centred rollers • Anchor well with drain and bollard • Side decks • Side console with grab rail • Console windscreen • Non-feedback steering • Bow sprit and roller • Front casting deck • Side pockets • Rear casting deck with splash tray • Rear step port side • Rear step starboard side • Side rails • Bow rails • Chine height cockpit • Bow keeper tank (not plumbed) painted inside and out • Bow battery shelf • Plumbed bait tank • Two upholstered pedestal seat • Driver seat slide • Deluxe pedestal seats • Underfloor fuel tank (minimum 60L) • Electronic package (Navigation lights, bilge pump, accessories, bait tank and a 12v socket) • Colour sounder Additional options: • Coloured sides • Bimini • Full boat cover • Plumbed keeper tank • Bow mount plate • Plastic rod holders • Aluminium rod holders • Hydraulic steering • Courtesy lights • Keeper tank plumbed • Rocket launchers mounted off bimini • Cup holders • Dual batteries • VHF radio • Lowrance sounder GPS upgrade APRIL 2016

91

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FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH

CORROSION CONTROL SALT REMOVING TREATMENT

WARNING!

9 out 10 engines fail from salt corrosion ACT NOW AND PROTECT YOUR VALUABLE BOAT, ENGINE, TRAILER, FISHING AND DIVE GEAR. SALT-AWAY IS A MUST FOR:

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ILLAWARRA COAST Jan’s Retreat (02) 4441 7000 Currarong Beachside Tourist Park 1300 555 515 Sussex Inlet (LJ Hooker) (02) 4441 2135 Riviera Caravan Park, St George’s Basin (02) 4441 2112 Killalea State Park, Shell Cove (02) 4237 8589 Holiday With Us, Sussex Inlet (02) 4441 2135 Surf Beach Holiday Park (02) 4232 1791 Kendalls on the Beach (02) 4232 1790 Werri Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1285 Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1340 Kiama Harbour Cabins (02) 4232 2707

Ulladulla Headland Tourist Park

Discounts for Fishing and Boating Club Members

44 Barry Ave, Mortdale, NSW

www.mobymarine.com.au

Boab Boat Hire (NSW) 1300 002 6221

For all your accommodation needs, house, units & townhouses for every budget. Contact the friendly team at Crescent Head Real Estate for your free holiday brochure.

Phone: 02 6566 0500

SYDNEY

BOAT IMPORTS

CRESCENT HEAD HOLIDAY RENTALS

6 MAIN ST, CRESCENT HEAD NSW 2440

MARINE MECHANICS

Loomzys Fish and Fix (Forbes) (02) 6851 1425

Macleay Valley Coastal Holiday Parks 1300 262 782 Crescent Head Holiday Park (02) 6566 0261

Email: holiday@crescentheadrealestate.com.au

Anchor Right (03) 5968 5014 Korr Lighting www.korrlighting.com.au

FRESHWATER

MACLEAY VALLEY COAST

BREAKDOWN RESPONSE

CHANDLERY & ACCESSORIES

Bermagui Bait and Tackle (02) 6493 5444

Brooms Head Caravan Park (02) 6646 7144 Calypso Yamba Holiday Park (02) 6646 8847 Iluka Riverside Tourist Park (02) 6646 6060 Wooli Camping & Caravan Park (02) 6649 7671

Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841

Boat Assist 24 (02) 9746 6224 or www.boatassist24.com.au

EDENS COAST

NORTH COAST

BOOKINGS: 1300 733 021 14 Did-Dell St, Ulladulla, NSW 2539

• close to boat ramp and Harbour • boat parking for park guests • accommodation for fishing groups • large outdoor areas and BBQs • 27 cabins and 140 powered/ • short walk from Ulladulla town unpowered sites centre

www.holidayhaven.com.au/ Ulladulla

SOUTH COAST NSW

www.holidayhaven.com.au

Ulladulla Headland Tourist Park 1300 733 021

FRESHWATER Burrinjuck Waters State Park (02) 6227 8114 Providence Lodge (Eucumbene) (02) 6454 2200 Winter Keep (Snowy Mountains) www.winterkeep.com.au Grabine Lakeside State Park (02) 4835 2345 Lake Glenbawn State Park (02) 6543 7193 Wyangala Waters State Park (02) 6345 0877 Bass Lodge Macleay River NSW 0433 482 325 Chifley Dam Cabins 1800 68 1000

This section in NSW Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching.

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory CHIFLEY DAM

Cabins

COFFS COAST Oceanic Sea Urchin II Charters (02) 6566 6623 or 0428 650 321

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME

South West Rocks Fishing Charters (02) 6566 5298 or 0429 995 390

This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size.

The Rocks Fishing Charters 0412 074 147 Wooli Deep Sea Tours (02) 6649 7100 Trial Bay Fishing Charters, 0427 256 556 South West Rocks Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717

Email : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au www.southwestrocksfishingadventures.com.au

Right on the peaceful shores of Chifley Dam Comfortable affordable accommodation Close to Bathurst and all its facilities Talk to Bathurst Visitor Information Centre for details

Freecall 1800 68 1000 Book online at visitbathurst.com.au

CHART

MV CAPRICORN STAR u Mid week packages from $420 p/p* u Weekend packages from $320 p/p*

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ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

www.fishin.com.au

*Minimum 6 people

Contact: David Hayman (Stumpee) Mobile: 0411 096 717 info@swrcharters.com.au

Castaway Estuary Charters 0427 239 650

W capricornstar.com.au • E info@capricornstar.com.au

HUNTER COAST MV Capricorn Star 0408 755 201 or www.amytiadventure.com.au Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters Swains & Coral Sea 0427 125 727

Tailermade Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717

DEEP SEA & GAMEFISHING

TRIPS INCLUDE

SHOP 18, 29 KIORA RD MIRANDA NSW 2228

Swains Reef • Bunker Group • Coral Sea • Shoal Waters and Beyond

Ocean Star Fishing Charters 0416 240 877

BOOK NOW FOR MARLIN, MAHI-MAHI AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

Specialising in “Tournament Quality Lures” 0425 230 964

All Bait, Fishing Rods and Reels Sunscreen and Morning Tea

MONTIQUE

40ft RANDELL. Fishing capacity 12 persons.

PHONE: 0411 096 717 www.tailermadefishn.com.au DEPARTS STOCKTON BOAT DOCK...

www.fishin.com.au 0425 230 964

Blue Bottle Fishing www.bluebottlefishing.com info@bluebottlefishing.com Ph: 0409 333 380 Mo Tackle (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au Specialty Fishing Products www.specialtyfishing.com.au

SYDNEY Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters (02) 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351

Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au

Silver Star Fishing Charters (02) 4421 7462 or 0412 977 000

Techni Ice www.techniice.com

Shell Harbour Fishing Charters 0425 216 370

J Roc Tackle www.jroctackle.com.au

TRADES AND SERVICES ADVERTISING This is where your copy will appear.

You will have approximately 30 words within a 5x2 ad size.

Email : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

BYRON COAST Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters, 0428 828 835 Sea Master Fishing Charters, (07) 5524 8849 or 0415 593 901

• Reef, Deep Sea and Sport Fishing • Swains, Samurez, Cap Bunker Group • Dories available • LUXURY 20m Cat. New V8 Scanias. Large comfortable and stable.

• Air conditioned and fast (cruise up to 16 knots) • Professional crew (over 22 years experience) • Cater for groups up to 12 people from 3 to 10 days • BYO or fully licenced bar • Desalinate unit • Trips designed to suit your requirements

SATELLITE TV INSTALLED

ILLAWARRA COAST Sea Lady Charters 0411 024 402

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME

FISHING EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME!

Sydney Sportfishing Adventures 0405 196 253

U-Make-Em Soft Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

Jayro Tackle www.jayrotackle.com.au

INDIVIDUAL ENQUIRIES WELCOME

MACQUARIE COAST

ONLINE BREAM TACKLE STORE

CHARTER BOATS

EXTENDED FISHING CHARTERS

On board our fully equiped 38ft Randell TRIFECTA

po ts

ea Gr

PORT & REEF SFISHING GAME ERS

QUEENSLAND

Line listing from $90 + gst 6 months* 2cm x 2 from $195 + gst 6 months* 4cm x 2 from $320 + gst 6 months* 8cm x 2 from $590 + gst 6 months* Rates exclusive to Trades and Services Directory *Conditions apply Call (07) 3387 0833 or email rlimpus@fishingmonthly.com.au

If you have any other trades or services that you would like to see in this section please don’t hesitate to give us a call Email: rlimpus@fishingmonthly.com.au

EDEN COAST

Reel Time Fishing Charters 0428 231 962

Esprit Fishing Charters 1300 556 658

Coffs Coast Sport Fishing 0434 517 683

Freedom Charters Eden (02) 6496 1209 or www.freedomcharters.com.au

Phone: 0427 125 727 I Fax: (07) 4972 1759 michael@mikat.com.au

www.mikat.com.au SWAINS

EXTENDED QLD REEF TRIPS FOR UP TO 10 PEOPLE •Swains Reef •Port Clinton •Stanage Bay •Island Head Creek •Shoalwater Bay •Pearl Bay P: 0419 789 921 www.inyadreamscharters.com

FISHING GUIDES ILLAWARRA COAST Bay & Basin Sportsfishing 0413 610 832

BATEMANS COAST Aussie Fish Estuary Adventures (02) 6495 9902 or 0400 062 504

EDEN COAST Captain Kev’s Wilderness Fishing Tours (02) 4474 3345 or 0424 625 160

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION There are 15

MAJOR PRIZES

MONTHLY PRIZES

Logos hidden throughout the pages of Fishing Monthly.

1

PLACE

Logo and page number, fill in the entry form and go in the draw to win!

The first 40 correct entries drawn at the end of the month will win a Shrimp Hook Pack.

All entries will go into the major prize draw.

(Drawn MAY 31, 2016)

2

3

4

5

VALUE OF WILSON PRODUCTS

400

$ ND

2 6

7

8

9

PLACE

VALUE OF WILSON PRODUCTS

200

$ RD

3

• Zerek 2” Live Shrimp Hook Pack • 1gm and 3 gm weighted worm hook/jig head • Value RRP: $11.95 each

www.wilsonfishing.com PAGE NO: 1

600

$ ST

Find the

PLACE

10

11

12

VALUE OF WILSON PRODUCTS

13

14

15

NAME ............................................................................................................

ADDRESS .......................................................................................................

Original entries only. No photocopies.

Images for illustration purposes only.

SUBURB .................................................................P/CODE ...........................

PHONE ..................................................................MOB ...............................

EMAIL ............................................................................................................

NSW APRIL 2016

MAIL ENTRIES TO:

NSWFM Find the Zerek Logo Competition, PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by 30TH APRIL 2016

Pro XS FourStroke Pro XS FourStroke Pro XS FourStroke Performance Redefined Performance Redefined Performance Redefined

BuiltBuilt on the Pro XS reputation for superior hole shot, endtop speed onlegendary the legendary Pro XS reputation for superior holetop shot, end and speed and durability.

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Built on theMercury’s legendary Pro115HP XS reputation for superior hole shot, top end performance. speed and durability. new Pro XS FourStroke redefines outboard durability. Mercury’s new 115HP Pro XS FourStroke redefines outboard performance.

See your authorised Mercury Marine Dealer today.

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40 Princes Hwy Albion Park 4/133 Coreen Ave Penrith Phone: See (02) 4256 6135 | E:pauline@hitechmarine.com.au (02) 4731 6250 | E:sales@penrithmarine.com.au your authorised MercuryPhone: Marine Dealer today.

Website: www.hitechmarine.com.au

Website: www.penrithmarine.com.au

Dubbo Dubbo Marine & Watersports 36 Bourke St, Dubbo Ph: 02·6882 2853 | E:bbeandel@bigpond.net.au Website: www.dubbomarine.com.au

Cowra Cowra Marine Centre 29 Grenfell St Cowra Phone: (02) 6342 2904 | E:info@cowramarine.com.au Website: www.cowramarine.com.au

Sydney North Shore Shannon Outboards 3/41 Leighton Pl Hornsby Phone: (02) 9482 2638 | E:sales@shannonoutboards.com.au Website: www.shannonoutboards.com.au

Mid North Coast Disco Marine 160 North St Grafton Ph: (02) 6643 1199 | E:sales@discomarine.com.au Website: www.discomarine.com.au

Port Macquarie Hastings Marine 185 Hastings River Dr Port Macquarie Phone: (02) 6583 5511 | E:sales@hastingsmarine.com.au Website: www.hastingsmarine.com.au

Sydney North West TR Marine World 44 Curtis Rd McGraths Hill Phone: (02) 4577 3522 | E:sales@trmarine.com.au Website: www.trmarine.com.au

Batemans Bay Batemans Bay Marine 6/37 Gregory St Batemans Bay Ph: (02) 4472 7133 E: batemansbaymarine@hotmail.com

Hunter Valley Maitland Power and Marine 23 Melbourne St, East Maitland Phone: (02) 4933 3284 | E:sales@mpm.net.au Website: www.mpm.net.au

Sydney North West Watersports Marine 11 Binney Rd Kingspark Phone: (02) 9676 1400 | E:info@watersportmarine.com.au Website: www.watersportsmarine.com.au

Canberra Canberra Marine Centre Shop 1/5 Wiluna Street, Fyshwick Phone: (02) 6280 6738 E: canberramarinecentre@outlook.com Website: www.canberramarinecentre.com.au

Central Coast Insinc Marine 278 Manns Road, Gosford West Ph: (02) 4324 4300 | E:troy@insincmarine.com.au Website: www.insincmarine.com.au

Far South Coast Merimbula Outboards 382 Sapphire Coast Dr Tura Merimbula Phone: (02) 6495 9634 | E:info@merimbulaoutboard.com.au Website: www.merimbulaoutboard.com.au

Northern NSW / Gold Coast Tweed Coast Marine 32 Machinery Drive, Tweed Heads South Ph: (07) 5524 8877 | E:admin@tweedcoastmarine.com.au Website: www.tweedcoastmarine.com.au

MERCURY

DEALER SALE SAVE UP TO $750 ON THE 40-75HP FOURSTROKE RANGE *

LOW 3.99%

**

COMPARISON RATE

NO DEPOSIT

PLUS FREE STAINLESS PROP UPGRADE ^

Visit mercurymarine.com.au to find your local participating dealer HURRY OFFER ENDS 23RD MAY, 2016. *Terms & conditions apply. Savings are based on RRP including recommended Accessories Kit and subject to change without notice. Prices exclude local freight charges, fit up and local statutory charges. Offer available on selected new consumer FourStroke outboards from 40 to 75hp FourStroke purchased from participating dealers from 21st March to 23rd May 2016. Ask your participating dealer for full list of models in the program. Offer is subject to availability and engines must be 2014 build onwards and installed and registered by no later than July 29, 2016. Offer not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or rebates. **Terms, conditions and credit criteria apply, offer available over a maximum 36 month term on Motor and Repower only.

The comparison rate is based on a secured loan of $30,000 for a term of 5 years at an annual percentage rate of 3.22%.

WARNING: The comparison rate only applies to the example given. Different amounts and terms will result in a different comparison rate. Finance is provided by Mercury Finance Pty Ltd ABN 28 156 248 092. Australian Credit Licence Number 421347. ^Terms & conditions apply 40-60hp Standard gearcase models upgrade to Vengeance 3 blade or Trophy Plus 4 blade. 40-60hp Command Thrust models upgrade to Vengeance 3 blade or a Trophy Plus or a Spitfire X7 4 blade. The 75hp Standard gearcase upgrades to a Trophy Plus or a Spitfire X7 4 blade and the 75hp Command Thrust model upgrades to an Enertia 3 blade or a Trophy Plus 4 blade.