New South Wales Fishing Monthly April 2020 by Fishing Monthly

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CATCHING AN EASTER HOLIDAY FEAST

What’s the right yak for you? T he lowdown on lifejackets

Features Catch more crabs G oulburn Weir secrets D oes lure colour matter?

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Tried & Tested Stacer 519 Crossfire model comparison H urricane Lures Sprat 65 and 75 soft plastics

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April 2020, Vol. 25 No. 9

Contents BYRON COAST

The Tweed 24 Ballina 26 Yamba 28 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour South West Rocks MACQUARIE COAST

30 32

The Hastings 34 Forster 35 Harrington-Taree 37 HUNTER COAST Swansea 38 Port Stephens 39 Hunter Coast 41 Erina 41 SYDNEY Botany Bay 16 Sydney South 18 The Hawkesbury 19 Sydney Rock and Beach 20 Sydney North 22 Pittwater 23 ILLAWARRA COAST Nowra 42 Illawarra 43 BATEMANS COAST Bermagui 44 Batemans Bay 45 Merimbula 46 Moruya 47 EDEN COAST

From the Editor’s Desk... FISHING EXCITING, WORLD A WORRY It seems as though this world is changing daily and the challenge is to be able to mentally get over the noise and focus on what’s important. And with everyone wanting an opinion, sometimes it’s better to just think and act locally. At Fishing Monthly, we’re no different from everyone else. We’re a small group of people collecting and distributing information. We don’t know whether we’ll be the same shape after the current epidemic, but you can rest assured we’ll give it a go.

What you can be assured of is that we’ll stay on point. We’ll talk nearly always about fishing and fish. God knows we could all use a break from the sensationalists and panic-spreaders. With a dearth of sport, you might be interested in this. The Tasmanian ABT BREAM Tour has just wrapped up with a flotilla of boats travelling across to the Apple Isle and joining the keen locals to enjoy the amazing bream fishing that the state offers. We saw our first international angler take an ABT title with Singapore’s Mike

Sutcliffe taking the win on the second event of the Tassie Tour at St Helens. Of course, all of this positive activity sits under the impending cloud of tighter shutdowns and disruption from COVID19. We assume that this editorial will be out-ofdate by the time it hits the shelves. L e t ’s look broadly, however. Fishing may be one of the best things you can do. When the footy and cricket are shut down because of cancellation of mass gatherings, we will still be able to wet a line at our local. Also remember to spare a thought for your

local tackle and boating businesses. These guys are members of your local community and it’s probably a great time to spend a few dollars and help these guys out in a time of uncertainty. Looking for a way to avoid all of the negativity and the rest of the media talking you into depression? Grab your copy of Fishing Monthly and lay down on the couch; we’ll talk about what’s biting and what’s coming into season where you are. Sometimes you just need to shut off the TV, log out of social media and enjoy the basics. We’ll be here for you.

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crabs

Get your gear and let’s do some crabbing! BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

In Australia our many inland waterways offer anglers almost endless fishing opportunities, along with a wide variety of tasty crustaceans. These include

essential to be aware of local regulations, including size, bag and possession limits, no-take species, taking of females, females with eggs (berried), seasonal restrictions and also rules and regulations surrounding the apparatus used to target and catch these species. The NSW DPI Fisheries website (www.dpi.

This is prime mud crab country.

Richard was pretty happy with this solid, dark crab. freshwater yabbies and shrimp; prawns; crayfish; blue swimmer, mud and spanner crabs; Balmain bugs and more. Let’s take a look at two popular NSW target species in more detail: the powerful, mangrove-loving mud crab and the sweet tasting sand crab or blue swimmer. When chasing any species of crustacean, it is

nsw.gov.au) is a great source of information, and there are also Recreational Fishing Guide books available from your local tackle store. There is an old saying in my area that you should ‘crab in the months with an ‘R’ in them’, which excludes May, June, July and August, with the summer months being the most productive. As you move further north, mud crabs

TIPS FOR CATCHING MUD CRABS 1. Focus on crabbing the high tide. 2. L eaving traps for overnight high tides will produce best results. 3. Tides around the new and full moon are preferable. 4. Target drains and dense mangrove edges. 5. Rain will get the crabs moving.

become more plentiful and readily available throughout the year. And if you head south and over to the west of Australia, the sand crab or blue swimmer becomes more plentiful. MUD CRAB (MANGROVE CRAB) The mud crab is the larger and more heavily built of the two crab species, with claws that are capable of breaking bones, so safety first when handling them. You can use a piece of timber or a fish donger (fish bat) to pin the crab down, using pressure on the top of their shell, then use your thumb on the outside of one flipper (rear leg) and your middle finger on the outside of the other flipper to apply pressure, lift and handle the crab. Watch those claws! Some crabbers will use twine to tie the mud crab, pulling both claws close to the body and securing them around the flippers, with a knot tied in the tag lines to create a handle for carrying them. There are plenty of videos on YouTube demonstrating how to tie a mud crab. Mud crabs are brown, green and black in colour on their smooth carapace (shell), with a lighter underside. They are found in tropical

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APRIL 2020

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and warm temperate waters, from northern WA, around Exmouth Gulf, right around the top of the country and south on the east coast to around the Bega River in NSW. They

Placing traps and hoop nets in close proximity to these holes can increase your success rates. Hoop nets are generally checked more regularly, while pots, being more enclosed with funnels, are generally left unchecked for longer periods and overnight. The high tide section of the tide cycle is prime time to target mud crabs because the rising water offers them cover to leave their holes, hunt and feed. Depending on the region that you are crabbing, you will soon find the tides that are most effective. The large night high tides around the full and new moon are the prime times for crabbing in my local waters. If there has been no rain for a while, look to get your traps right up in the upper reaches of

from their traps. It is important to clip the bait into the centre bottom of your trap. If the bait is clipped near the edge or in the top of the trap, crabs may be able to access it without entering the trap. Popular baits include mullet frames, whole mullet, fish frames and, in some regions where it is legal, chicken frames and meaty bones. In southern waters our traps are mostly covered by water, even at low tide, while in northern Australian waters, with their large variances in tide heights, traps are often out of the water, close to mangroves and in drains on low tide, being covered by plenty of water on the higher stages of the tide. Due to this crabbers will often throw their crab trap floats and

A few crabbing accessories including float, tags and permanent marker for labelling, along with bait clips and measures. favour a soft muddy bottom, preferring shallow estuaries, tidal flats and rivers lined with mangroves. They are described as large crabs, with a wide and broad carapace, robust claws, hind legs flattened for swimming and nine similar sized spines on each side of its eyes. Mud crabs can reach a maximum carapace size of around 24cm and can weigh up to 3.5kg, but the average size is around 15-20cm and 0.5-1kg. Crab traps, hoop nets or witches hats are generally set along mangrove edges, with special attention paid to the mouths of drains (which crabs may use to venture in and out of larger systems) and dense mangroves. You can even keep an eye out on the lower stages of the tide for mud crab holes, which resemble burrows in the mud with entries that are slightly larger than the size of the crab. Some of these holes will show activity around the entry, such as fresh mud, crab tracks and shell grit, which can signal that there is a crab actively using the hole.

creeks and drains. After rain, the crabs get flushed out, and are often caught in more open waters, even by those chasing blue swimmer crabs in sandy, estuarine areas.

ropes up into the mangrove trees, to avoid the float being washed under mangrove prop roots and trapped by rising waters, which would make the traps difficult to find on

Learning to safely handle crabs is important, especially if you’re crabbing from the kayak. Bait clips allow you to quickly and easily refresh the baits in your traps – simply clip out the old bait and clip in a fresh one. Crabbers will often drop their used baits into a bucket for disposal far away from the area being crabbed to avoid drawing crabs away

the higher stages of the tide. Remember to again check local regulations in terms of floats, tags and labelling. BLUE SWIMMER CRABS (SAND CRABS) Blue swimmer crabs are smaller and less bulky than mud crabs, often considered

crabs sweeter eating and feature a dark blue, brown, black and white carapace, with a white underside and blue colouration in the claws, legs and flippers of males and often a mottled brown colouration in females. Males have longer claws in relation to their body

during the day, from where they ambush food, while moving and hunting more actively at night. Leaving traps overnight, especially during a high tide, is an effective way of catching numbers of crabs. In saying that, blue swimmer crabs can

My family has targeted blue swimmer crabs for generations and there are definitely some tips that I have picked up over the years that increase catch rates. Like with mud crabs, we tend to get more crabs on the higher stages of the tide

Crabs are much easier to handle when tied up with twine. size, tending to make the female crabs look stockier. In terms of size they can reach approximately 25cm across the carapace, with a claw span of up to around 80cm. They are prey for birds and fish, while feeding on fish,

still be effectively targeted during the day, again often becoming more mobile during the higher stages of the tide. Here they are targeted with crab traps, hoop nets and also raked from the shallow weed flats

and leaving traps out for an overnight high tide produces the best numbers. The tides around the new and full moon often produce an influx of crabs into the river and estuary systems that we crab, however these larger tides

Check out the dense mangrove roots that this crab came from. worms, molluscs and at times algae and seagrass. Inhabiting estuarine systems and bays, blue swimmer crabs favour sandy and broken weed bottom, burying beneath the sand

in southern Australia. Their distribution in Australia ranges from around Nickol Bay in northern WA, around the bottom of the country and up the east coast to around southern Queensland.

TIPS FOR CATCHING BLUE SWIMMERS 1. Higher stages of the tide often produce better results. 2. Multiple traps allow you to cover some water. 3. Move your traps to find the crabs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; depth, bottom, location. 4. Hoop nets need to be checked more regularly than crab traps. 5. If crabbing the larger tides ensure your traps are heavy enough and ropes long enough.

can also cause traps to drift, so ensure you have enough weight in the trap (some cheaper quality traps are very light), enough rope for the tide and if necessary maybe avoid the deeper channels with heavy flow. Popular baits include mullet frames and whole mullet, with flathead and whiting frames also extremely effective. Plenty of blue swimmer crabs can be caught throughout the tide cycle and during daylight hours though, with many crabbers opting to check their traps or hoop nets every half an hour to an hour, while To page 10

APRIL 2020

crabs From page 9

casting a few baits or lures for fish in between checks. When caravanning from Queensland into South Australia my folks will often run drop nets from

and caught plenty. Identifying that the crabs are holding in a particular depth, near the mouth or further up a system, around the weed, on sandy bottom and so forth,

The male sand crab has blue highlights, while the female is a more mottled brown colour. the kayak and while checking the nets they will have a squid jig out the back, producing a tasty entrée of salt and pepper squid, followed by a crab dish. In NSW you are allowed up to two crab traps per person and up to four hoop nets or witches hats, so if

can increase your catch rate. Many times the crabs have been running on one side of the estuary system that we crab and not on the other. Again, remember to check local regulations, including closures and no crabbing zones in some areas.

be returned to the water immediately, along with undersize crabs. If you go on holiday in Queensland, remember that all females must be released. MEASURING CRABS Plastic crab measures are available for blue swimmer and mud crabs, making it easier to accurately measure them. Both mud and blue swimmer crabs are measured along the body from the notch between the two most protruding frontal teeth to the centre of the posterior margin of the carapace or shell, so from the front to the rear of their carapace. Mud crabs must measure a minimum of 8.5cm, while blue swimmer crabs must measure a minimum of 6cm. For blue swimmer crabs there is a daily bag limit of 10 (20 in possession) and for mud crabs and a daily bag limit of five. Again, it is essential to check local regulations and closures. APPARATUS Not more than four hoop nets or witches hats are to be used (or in possession) by any one person at any one time. You cannot carry spare or

A tasty feed of sand crabs from a holiday to SA where they are raked around the shallow weed flats. you have multiple apparatus it may be worth dropping them in different locations. Try to cover various water depths, rather than running all apparatus in the deep or shallow water. This can assist in locating where the crabs are running and we have often caught crabs in one area, shifted the other traps to a similar water depth

IDENTIFYING MALES AND FEMALES The simplest way to identify male and female crabs is to look at the abdominal flap on their underside. The male abdominal flap is V-shaped, pointed and narrower, while the female abdominal flap is wider and more rounded. Female crabs with eggs must

A sand crab hunting in amongst the weed. 10

APRIL 2020

additional traps with you on the water. These can have no more than two hoops per net (no rigid frame), with hoop diameters no greater than 1.25m. The mesh size cannot be less than 13mm measured on the diagonal, with a drop (length of net) that cannot exceed 1m. A float of at least 100mm in diameter must be attached, labelled clearly with letters at least 15mm high and include the letters HN, initial and surname, year of birth and postcode of who sets, uses or lifts the gear. Not more than two traps (and four hoop nets or witches hats) are to be used (or in possession) by any person at any one time. Traps can have maximum dimensions of 1.2m length x 1m width x 0.5m depth, or have a diameter not exceeding 1.6m at the top or bottom. The minimum mesh

Ron checking a drop net. Drop nets are open at the top and are checked more regularly. size is 50mm, with no more than four entrances (none of which are on the top of the trap) and be clearly marked with a float with a minimum 100mm diameter, with clearly visible and minimum 15mm height letters that include CT, initial and surname, year of birth and the postcode of the person who sets, uses or lifts the apparatus. A more comprehensive overview of regulations can be found on the NSW DPI Fisheries website. COOKING CRABS I like to place my crabs in the fridge for half an hour prior to cooking to put them to sleep. There’s a stack of recipes out there for cooking both blue swimmer and mud crabs, or you can simply boil them and use the cooked meat for sandwiches or other recipes. Bringing a bucket of clean saltwater home with you is ideal, as cooking them in saltwater makes the meat firmer and more flavoursome. If you are unable to bring saltwater home, you can mix table salt into freshwater (about 4tbsp of salt per 5L of water) for a similar taste. You will need a large pot to boil water in, and gas heat is ideal as it will bring the water to the boil faster and then return it to boil quicker once the crabs are added to the water. Gas ring burners and jet cookers are popular and can be purchased from your local camping or fishing store. The pot will need to be large enough to keep the crabs covered with water throughout the cooking period. If it is going to take too long to get the water back to the boil, you may wish to do more cook

ups with fewer crabs – say, eight blue swimmer crabs at a time instead of 20 all at once. Bring the water to the boil, drop the crabs in and then bring the water back to the boil. Once the water is back to the boil with the crabs in it, this is when you set your timer. We cook our blue

out all of the mustard and brown coloured muck and break away the mouth area of the crab. Then you can simply break the body in half down the centre, leaving half the crab body and a claw for each of the two pieces. Half a mud cab or a whole blue swimmer crab will generally make a sandwich.

Floats, tags and ropes, and whole mullet cut in half for bait. swimmer crabs for seven minutes and mud crabs for 12 minutes. Once the time is up we use tongs to transfer the crabs to a bucket of cool saltwater, so they don’t continue cooking and turn mushy. Allow them to cool and then remove them from the water. When cleaning the crabs, flip up the abdominal flap on the crab’s underside, and use your hand on the back of the crab and thumb under the abdominal flap to peel the shell back off the crab. You then need to remove the ‘feathers’ that will be attached to the top of the body, rinse

There are plenty of tools for breaking claws and picking the meat out of crab shells, however if you find yourself stuck, the top section of the crab claw can be broken off to make a good crab picker, especially for blue swimmer crabs. Crabbing can be an inexpensive, simple and fun way to get outside, adventure and spend time with family and friends, whether dropping a few crab traps off the bank in your local creek, or launching the kayak or boat in search of a tasty feed of crabs, fresh from the bay. See you on the water!

Left: A feed of sand crabs measured and in the bucket. Right: A fresh feed of sand crabs, cooked in clean saltwater collected while crabbing.

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Does colour matter? NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

It’s the perennial question on the minds and lips of so many lure and fly anglers: does the colour of your offering really make any difference to your overall fishing results?

the part of the colour spectrum visible to them is often a little different to what we see. For example, some fish can detect reflected ultraviolet light, which is invisible to us, while differences in tones from the red end of the spectrum that are obvious to us may be much less discernible to our fishy friends.

of the spectrum), perceived colours are rapidly altered with increasing depth or horizontal distance through the water. The exact rate at which this loss of colour occurs varies with the strength of the sunlight (directly overhead or low on the horizon, cloudy or sunny conditions and so on), the clarity and colour of

Shallow water predators such as Spanish mackerel have eyes that are just as sharp as their teeth!

The size, shape and action of this Shimano Baku Tiger jig most likely played a much greater role in enticing this snapper to bite than any perception of its colour at a depth of 45m. There are all sorts of theories about what fish can and can’t see. Some folks insist that fish view their underwater world in black and white, while others claim their vision is poor. Fortunately, there’s

However, there’s another vital consideration we need to factor into the great colour debate: water (even very clear water) progressively absorbs light of different wavelengths. This means that colours effectively

the water, and the presence of any suspended matter such as weed or plankton. Even in very clear ocean currents far from shore, less than 25% of available sunlight hitting the water’s surface will penetrate much further than 10-15m of water. By the time we get down to around 100m, the remaining light may be as little as 0.5% of what’s available on the surface. It’s pretty gloomy down there! As already mentioned, red is the first part of the spectrum to disappear, and this colour is typically gone

within 5-6m (less in dirty water). Orange disappears next, then yellow, followed by green and then purple. Blues (both the tones of blue visible to our human eyes and also the shorter, ultra-violet wavelengths that many fish can see) penetrate deepest of all the colours. This scientific phenomenon has a profound impact on the way things look underwater to us and also to fish. White or silver objects will typically appear bluish underwater, with the darkness of that blue increasing with depth. Red objects will begin to look dark grey or even black within a few metres of the surface. Down at 15-20m, even in clear water, the world appears to be composed entirely of shades of grey, blue and black; to both our eyes and those of the fish. It’s worth stressing that this loss or alteration of visible colours occurs in both the vertical and the horizontal plane. So, 10m of vertical depth has roughly the same impact on light waves and the visibility of reflected colours as 10m

of horizontal separation between an object and its observer. In other words, a red lure may look dark grey or black when viewed at a depth of 10-15m, but it’s also likely to look black or at the least very dark grey when viewed from the side at a

Natural colours that mimic food items often work well on bream but a little bit of glitter doesn’t hurt either. distance of 10-15m, even if it’s up in the surface layer. At face value, this phenomena of spectrum loss at depth would appear

Light levels and colour intensity fade rapidly with depth and lateral distance in the water. Lures often look very different from when they are in your hand to when they’re even a metre or two under the surface. been some solid science to investigate this over the years and these days we actually have quite a few solid answers. According to scientists, most of the popular fish targeted by anglers — and especially predators living in relatively shallow, clear water — have very good eyesight. Also, the majority of these fish can definitely perceive colours, although 12

APRIL 2020

‘vanish’ one after another as ‘white’ sunlight travels through the water column. With increasing depth (and with increasing horizontal distance through the water), the colour in sunlight is absorbed and the amount of visible light also diminishes. Because absorption is greater for longer wavelengths (the red end of the spectrum) than it is for shorter wavelengths (the blue end

to make a mockery of the importance of colour in lures anywhere beyond shallow, ultra-clear flats fishing. However, most experienced anglers know that lure colour can sometimes make a difference, even in

What was more of an attraction for this cheeky little Murray cod: the flash and vibration of the Hell Yeah chatterbait’s metal blade, the pulsing action of its skirt, the silhouette of that soft plastic trailer, or the proven freshwater combination of black and purple? You be the judge!

deepwater jigging scenarios. Maybe we’ll never understand exactly why this is so, although it’s certainly an interesting subject to ponder! Similarly curious is how many deepwater species are red themselves — a colour that effectively doesn’t even ‘exist’ down where they live. While I accept that colour can be a critical component in lure and fly choice on its day, I generally rate colour down the list of key selection criteria when choosing a lure or fly; well below things like size, shape, action and running depth. In my opinion, far too many fishers get completely hung up on the colour question, often at the expense of other factors that are at least as important to their chances of success. By all means, consider colour when selecting lures and flies, but don’t let it dominate your thinking!

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BLACK MAGIC

MASTER CLASS

W I T H PA U L L E N N O N

Boosting your catch rates There are a lot of arguments about what rigs and techniques work best, but when it comes to bottom fishing in waters deeper than 30m there’s really only one choice: the paternoster rig, also known in New Zealand as the ledger rig.

last decade that have made this way of targeting fish even more lethal. Black Magic Tackle revolutionised the traditional paternoster rig with their now iconic Snapper Snatcher range. This has continued to grow and branch off into more innovative products covering

when you are retrieving the Snapper Snatcher, you’ll often pick up pelagic fish like kings, salmon, tailor, bonito as the rig flashes through the water column, with or without bait. SNAPPER SNATCHERS This is the range that started it all. I remember my first introduction to these rigs was when I was getting severely out-fished by my friend while I was using a standard paternoster. He was catching five snapper to my one before I was converted and raided his tackle bag for a Snapper Snatcher to put on my rod. Snapper Snatchers come in a big range of UV flash material colours, hook sizes from 4/0-8/0, and recurve/ circle or suicide/octopus style hooks. I prefer the suicide style hooks and natural colour patterns in waters less then 50m, and the circle hooks

when fishing deeper. The lumo beads also help to attract fish in those deeper waters. When using the circle hook version remember not to strike. Instead, gently lift the rod until you have the fish’s weight before you start to wind. SNAPPER SNACKS The Snapper Snack is quickly proving itself as one of the most deadly bottom fishing rigs there is. Rather than the traditional flasher material, the Snacks use a range of small, colourful skirts that waft around like a wounded baitfish. They are rigged on Japanese-made Black Magic KLT circle hooks from 3/0-7/0 and come in six colours. I’ve been putting them to the test, and the banana smash colour has been outstanding for snapper, flathead and morwong in 40m of water,

The Snapper Snack in lumo is great for deeper water species like this longfin sea perch, which is one of the tastiest fish in the sea. This rig is simple but extremely effective for all manner of bottomdwelling fish. It can be used for catching sand flathead and snapper in 30m on relatively light gear, or on the largest electric reel spooled with 100lb braid, fishing 400m+ of water for bass grouper, blue-eye cod and hapuka. While the actual rig has not changed for a very long time, there have been some innovations over the

every possible scenario for this type of fishing. The main difference between self-tied rigs and Black Magic’s pre-made ones is the fish-attracting material used on the hooks. This acts as a major attractant, to the point where it will catch plenty of fish, even with no bait. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use bait on them, but when you miss a bite and the bait has gone, you’re still in the game, because a lot of the time the fish will come back for another crack. And

Snapper love these rigs!

A double hook-up of snapper on the Black Magic Snapper Snack in banana smash. while the super lumo has been dynamite for the deeper stuff. I’ve also had good results on these fishing for mulloway in the deeper estuary holes, with live squid gently pinned through the end of the mantle on the 7/0 in super lumo. GOING DEEP Black Magic also have you covered when it comes to fishing for larger deepwater bottom species such as blue-eye cod, bass groper, and hapuka. The Groper Grabber rig is ideal for these as it comes pre-rigged on 300lb trace and has large 8/0 circle hooks. There are three colours, all of which incorporate lumo to make them stand out, even in 400m of water. SET UP Braid is really important for this style of fishing, and becomes exponentially more

so the deeper you fish. I like to use multi colour-coded braid, and have found the Black Magic Rainbow Braid Elite to be the best of these. This allows you to know exactly how deep you are by counting the 10m colour changes and is very handy if you mark fish on your sounder mid-water and want to put your bait in their zone. I find 300m of 30-50lb on a spin or overhead reel paired with a short 5-6ft rod to be ideal. If you’re fishing in water deeper than 200m you’ll need an electric reel and matching rod. While expensive, these outfits are a great way to catch some seriously large tasty fish. I also recommend that you take at least 800m of 80lb braid.

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Recreational Fishing Update 9000 Kingies Stocked In Do Your Bit For Botany Bay & Lake Mac! Mackerel Research!

Easing The Squeeze At Sydney’s FADs!

IMAGE: Al McGlashan DPI has successfully stocked 9000 juvenile yellowtail kingfish into Botany Bay and Lake Macquarie. The stockings took place in mid-February and back up similar kingy stocking events in the same systems last year. A total of 6500 juvenile kings were stocked into Botany Bay with 2500 released into Lake Macquarie. Bred at the DPI marine hatchery at the Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, the fish measured about 10cm on release and are expected to grow very quickly and have a good survival rate. Kingfish are already commonly targeted by anglers in Botany Bay and Lake Macquarie. These latest stockings will boost existing populations of kingfish in these popular recreational fishing havens. Apart from boosting stocks and providing additional recreational fishing opportunities, the kingie stocking will allow DPI researchers to assess the effects of releasing kingfish into these waterways as well as to monitor how long the fish stay in the systems and quantify their movements. The kingfish stocking project is another great example of your fishing fees at work!

Bin Your Used Line & Hooks!

If you fish around Sawmillers Reserve on the foreshores of Sydney Harbour, take advantage of two new fishing line and hook bins supplied and installed by North Sydney Council and DPI. We’re currently working with other councils in Sydney and around NSW to roll out more of these 100% recycled plastic hook/line bins. Stay tuned for updates. These bins are another great example of your fishing fees at work!

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

As the East Australian Current continues pushing south, many NSW North Coast anglers are focused on targeting pelagic speedsters in the form of Spanish and spotted mackerel. This season, the Research Angler Program (RAP) wants your mackerel frames. From each frame donated, we will be able to determine the sex and age of your fish. As well as helping us maintain a great mackerel fishery, you’ll receive all your fish’s information on a certificate plus go into our monthly draw for fishing tackle vouchers. Search “Research Angler Program” at dpi.nsw.gov.au to find out more info. The RAP is a great example of your fishing licence at work.

In order to “ease the squeeze” at heavily utilised FADs off Sydney, DPI recently installed three new buoys close to the buoys already deployed at Sydney East (The Peak), Botany Bay Wide and Sydney South (east of Port Hacking). These additional buoys will reduce congestion and provide even better fishing at these highly popular FAD locations. Search “FADs” at dpi.nsw.gov.au for more info and GPS co-ordinates. The FADs program is a fantastic example of your fishing fees at work!

Tagged Marlin Recaptured At Interclub!

The NSWGFA’s 2020 Interclub tournament featured some spectacular gamefishing action, including the recapture and release of a tagged black marlin! More than 130 boats competed in Interclub this year, tagging over 430 billfish during the three days of competition. One of these fish was a black marlin originally tagged and released on 10 March 2019 off Ballina by Max McLennan aboard On Strike. The fish was estimated at 30kg on release. The marlin was then recaptured 349 days

later during Interclub by small fry angler Coby Rogers aboard Kiama GFC boat Nirvana. The fish was recaptured off Port Stephens, some 254 nautical miles (~470km) from its original tagging location. Upon recapture the fish was estimated to be 50kg. The tag was removed and the fish was re-tagged and re-released in excellent condition. Well done NSWGFA on yet another great Interclub! The Game Fish Tagging Program is another example of your fishing fee at work. Search dpi.nsw. gov.au for info.

Good Easter holiday fishing BOTANY BAY

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

As the water starts to cool down and Easter approaches, the fishing in the bay and its surrounds will continue to fire.

Luderick, trevally and bream will be caught in the estuaries and off the rocks, while salmon, tailor and bonito will be feeding on schools of baitfish. Kingfish will still be taking live and dead baits while either slow trolling, fishing the bottom or suspending the bait under a bobby cork.

The beaches will have bream, whiting and dart this month, while the estuaries will also have leatherjackets, garfish and mullet. So why stay at home and mow the lawn or do the housework? Get out there and give it a go!

This salmon took a Squidgies Pro Flickbait in pilly. These plastics also work well for tailor and kingfish.

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEEN BITING Maroubra and Coogee beaches have been producing a few whiting, bream and dart during the daylight hours on beachworms and live pink nippers. I have also had a few reports of salmon and tailor being caught on either whole ganged garfish or pilchards at sunrise and sunset. Those anglers fishing at night can also hook into a couple of rays and sharks. The odd mulloway or two has been caught either side of the full moon. At the rocks on the northern end of Bondi Beach you can catch bream, trevally, drummer and luderick on the last hour of the rising tide and the first couple of hours of the falling tide. Remember to berley with stale bread. Peeled prawns are the best bait by far. Little Bay is another great spot to target bream, trevally, drummer, luderick and squid. This spot produces well when there has been a bit of a sea running, especially up in the back of the bay near the boat ramp. Fish as light as possible or suspend your bait under a small bobby cork.

Scotty Lyons with an average size luderick off the stones at Kurnell. Botany Bay is still producing good bags of trevally, flathead and bream at the end of the runways, Trevally Alley,

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a boat, Watts Reef, the oil wharf on a run-out tide and The Sticks. The Patches off Towra and out wider in 4-5m of water are worth a shot for bream, whiting, trevally and flathead on baits, hardbodied lures and soft plastics. You will also find pike, salmon, tailor and kingfish here. The end of the break wall at the entrance to the Cooks River is producing trevally, kingfish, bream and tailor. Just inside it’s worth a shot for luderick on a run-out tide. If you’re a land-based angler you can try fishing off Silver Beach at Kurnell or the stretch of sand that runs from Brighton to Dolls Point for bream, whiting and flathead. There are still plenty of blue swimmer crabs about in the bay, and I find that I tend to get mine in 2.5-3.5m of water. I use mullet, salmon or tailor as bait. Remember that you can only have four witches’ hats or two crab pots per person. To see all the crabbing regulations, go to www.dpi. nsw.gov.au and search for ‘saltwater fishing methods’. Luderick and mullet have been schooling up at either end of the Captain Cook Bridge. The run-out tide seems to produce the

better catches. Len Pascoe scored a few bream and flathead while fishing near Kangaroo Point. Bream, whiting, mullet and flathead are being caught at the entrance to the Woronora River on a

run-out tide. Try using tube worms (they’re available from Macs Bait Bar), mullet strips, half pilchards, pink nippers or peeled prawns. As you travel up the Woronora River you will have a rock wall on your

right and sand flat on the left. Fish for mullet, whiting and bream over the flats on the run-up tide and the rock wall on the run-out tide. The walkway at the old ferry crossing at Lugarno has been producing bream, flathead and mulloway on live poddy mullet. The mullet can sometimes be berleyed up at the end of the old crossing, but watch out as it can be slippery. With the fires that we have been experiencing, the upper Georges River had a few fish kills up above the Liverpool weir. I hope

this hasn’t caused harm to the fishing just below the weir, as some good bass and estuary perch can be caught there at times.

Don’t forget if you have a photo of two that you would like to see in the mag, feel free to send it to me at gbrown1@iprimus.com.au.

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APRIL 2020

Berley brings the bites SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Even though we are powering through the year and are now in

fish can be caught on a wide variety of baits, but some baits are much more consistent in catching kingfish in the southern areas of Sydney. Squid, yellowtail, slimy mackerel and what I call the Port Hacking pilchards have

butterfly them. The main thing is that they have to be in good condition, preferably freshly caught on the same day. If you don’t catch them on the day though, that’s OK – you can catch them on another trip,

Matthew Lumb and his daughter Alley berleyed up a nice catch while fishing the main channel in the Port Hacking River.

Chris Brown hooked up to a solid kingfish while using the author’s Okuma Azores outfit. April, the kingfish are still on the chew in the Port Hacking River. To get amongst a few kings you will need to get a good supply of bait. These

all produced good results for me. Even better, they don’t have to be always be used live to catch kingfish. You can rig these dead baits whole, or strip and

take them home and seal them with a vacuum sealer, write the date on the packet, and then stick them in the freezer. This will keep them in top condition.

Something a lot of anglers don’t realise is that kingfish love to sit under moored boats, waiting for an unsuspecting morsel to come swimming by. Not all boat hulls will hold kingfish though, so you have to prospect until you find them. This can be done by casting lures or whole pilchards and garfish at the boat. Try to get the lure or bait to work parallel along the side of the boat. For those of you who have a boat that can go offshore, you should try the Merries Reef for snapper,

berleyed up off the rocks from the Kurnell lighthouse and around to Boat Harbour. The best berley by far is stale bread. Peeled prawns, cunje and bread are good baits to try. Whiting, bream, dart, salmon and tailor are feeding where the sand meets the rocks at Boat Harbour. It’s a good place to fish after a southerly has been blowing for a few days, but no good to fish in a southerly. The north-eastern corner of Jibbon Bombora has kingfish, yellowtail, slimy mackerel, trevally and the

around with your polarised sunglass on, locating the fish, anchoring up, start berleying and watch that float to start go down. It’s a great way to spend a few hours fishing. If you are going to fish the weed beds in Gunnamatta and Burraneer bays or the ones at the entrance to Southwest Arm, I would use 1/40oz to 1/28oz HWS, 1/20oz TT Headlock jigheads and 2.5” paddletail or curl-tail soft plastics. Both the run-in and run-out tides will produce fish. My preferred lures are ZMan

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trevally, tarwhine, bream, tailor and slimy mackerel. Shark Island is work a shot for squid to the north and south of it. While out on the eastern side you can fish for snapper, bream, leatherjackets and morwong. Make sure that you keep an eye on the swell. The flatty grounds in Bate Bay and off Kurnell and Jibbon Point will have plenty of sand flathead in that 25-35m depth. While out further you can get a few tiger flathead. I have been getting them on half pillies, strips of mullet and salted slimy mackerel that I have caught. Drummer, luderick, bream and trevally can be

odd snapper or two on the falling tide. It’s also worth trolling a couple of skirted lures out the back as you come out of the Port Hacking and head south to the Balconies, Marley Headland and the Sea Cliff bridge. For those of you who like to get a bit of sand between your toes you could try fishing off Wattamolla, Garie, Era and Stanwell Park beaches for bream, tarwhine, whiting and dart. Worms, nippers, half pillies and strips of mullet are the go. The luderick have started to show up in numbers in the Port. It’s just a matter of finding some good weed or cabbage, driving

GrubZ and Slim SwimZ in greasy prawn, motor oil, blood worm, calico candy and opening night. Lilly Pilly and Gymea Bay baths have been producing trevally, bream, flathead, kingfish and tailor on a rising tide. These can be easily accessed by parking your car nearby and taking a short walk down (bear in mind that these spots can get a bit crowded at times). You can also get leatherjackets on a paternoster rig baited with small pieces of peeled prawns in close to the pool netting. Don’t forget to keep sending in the fish photos to me at gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au.

Fish firing in post-flood buffet THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

We finally received some much-needed rain in early February, which to many

was quite a large amount that remained in the river. Huge rafts of debris were moving around in the lower reaches, and these are easily spotted, but there is still semi-submerged logs throughout the tidal

Kingfish have been a good size this season, with most sessions producing legal-sized fish like this 85cm fish from Barrenjoey Head. peoples’ surprise sent a significant flood down the entire catchment after only two and half days solid rain. Unfortunately, because of the rapid rise in the river level most

reaches. A couple of blokes found out the hard way recently around Wisemans Ferry when their ski boat hit a log at speed, putting both occupants in hospital. Please be careful, keep a

estuary perch and especially mulloway revelling in the now food rich waters. The upper reaches cleared up first and the bass and EPs were on the hunt, taking a liking to surface cicada lures, poppers and 2-3” soft plastic grubs cast close into the rock walls and snags from Cattai to lower Portland. Cowan fished well after the flooding, being a deeper body of still water and having closer proximity to the ocean, which meant that the salt pushed back in there quite quickly. Lots of bait was holding in the sheltered bays, with flathead, bream, trevally and the odd snapper taking soft vibes and soft plastic grubs and minnows hopped up and down off the bottom. Bonito and mac tuna moved inshore and some good bust ups have been encountered in Pittwater and Broken Bay. They are feeding on 3” long baitfish, so most metal slices, soft plastics and surface lures from 50-100mm will work best most days. Sink your lures deeper or cast out a live yakka or slimy around these schools to temp larger kingfish, snapper, shark or even a mulloway. Mulloway have been biting well for the live bait anglers around Broken Bay, with lure fishing just starting to fire up as the water temps begin to cool. I was straight into the big mulloway, with the first session on the river post flood producing a

a few, but the baits have been a standout in the dirtier conditions. Prawns, whitebait and bottle squid have all been getting good results, but using light leaders of 12lb or less is the key to getting more bites no matter which bait you use. Soft vibes and 100mm jerkshads have been the standout lures worked down drop offs to around 5m, making sure to reconnect with the bottom after each lift. The addition of scent has also been beneficial. Bream have been ravenous, with bait fishers reporting good numbers and sizes from around The Vines and Bar Point and up towards Spencer. A steady berley trail of bread and tuna oil or soaked wheat help to get down through the current. Lightly-weighted on a 1/0-2/0 bait keeper hook, a variety of baits like chook gut, chicken, prawns and pilchards have all been taking fish. Small vibes around 45mm and soft plastic grubs and creature baits are getting good results for those

Estuary perch are a great target for anyone learning soft plastic fishing techniques. are welcome by-catches in autumn, especially when fishing with yakkas. I wish you all a wonderful fish-

filled Easter with friends and family, but please be safe on our roads and waterways.

This autumn will see some stunning bream fishing for those using lures and baits.

The author with his personal best mulloway taken on a live yakka and 30lb tackle. The fish measured 140cm and was released in good health after a five-minute revival swim. people weren’t able to remove loose items from the flood zone and a huge amount of foreign items were washed downstream. Most of these items went into the ocean, but there

close eye on the water and go slow at night for the next few months. The fishing has been exceptional since the recent injection of nutrients, with bream, flathead, bass,

140cm mulloway on a live yakka, which was quickly photographed and released. Flathead have started to move back upstream with the increasing salinity. Lure anglers have been getting

interested in casting at structure and fooling their quarry on an artificial presentation. The kingfish were a little quiet, but have returned with gusto and have been taking live baits and micro jigs along the headlands and into Pittwater. Live yakka and squid on the downrigger is a successful way to find active concentrations, then you can either keep live baiting them on the drift or switch over to the micro jigs to keep the school excited. Tailor, salmon, bonito and the odd cobia

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Stud whiting are on the chew SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

We are so fortunate to be in the largest city in Australia, and still have some great fishing from the beach, the rocks, the calmer bays, harbour, rivers and offshore. There’s so much to choose from! Sure, it gets tough compared to the south or north coast, but there are still some cracker days that you will remember for a long time. April is a peak month for virtually all species off the land in this part of the world. Here’s a report of what my clients have been catching from the rocks, beach and estuary. OCEAN BEACH FISHING The great run of whiting is continuing with fish to

45cm sliding up on the sand. The average size on some days is 34-36cm, with a handful of fish around 40cm+. There are also some bream and dart in the mix, and some beaches are producing far more bream than whiting. You can even be on one section of the beach and catch fewer whiting than you did on the other end of the beach. Live beach worms are a prime whiting bait, but lately there has been a shortage in tackle stores. Hopefully the supply will be back to normal this month, but if not you can use pink nippers, which are a great alternative. If you have the opportunity to go out and pump some nippers before the trip, you will have to be at a nipper bank by about 1-2 hours of the run-in max. Any later and you might miss out on

the opportunity to pump enough bait for an outing. You only need a few dozen per person, which can take as little as 10-20 minutes to pump. Then you just walk/ drive out to your beach with your live bait.

a close look at the prawns before you buy them. If they have too much pink and black in the head section, that means they weren’t fresh when they were packed down. When using prawns, peel them

A nice mulloway caught by the author. It took several outings to catch this, with lots of whaler sharks in between.

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There has been a run of dusky flathead in Narrabeen Lagoon. Warren Anderson and his son caught some stud whiting on this outing as well. Some tackle shops also stock live nippers, and it’s good to call them beforehand and place an order. Worms may be available as well, so don’t forget to place an order as you don’t want to get there and find they have sold out. Another good alternative is small river prawns, which you can purchase from virtually all fishing tackle shops. Have

and your results can be quite good. Mulloway catches have been sporadic but I expect them to be available during the full moon period between 7-13 March, and the new moon period between 21-29 March. The dusky and bronze whaler sharks have been quite thick, so take several spare rigs and be prepared to lose a few to these grey coats.

Good baits for mulloway include live yellowtail, live mullet, fillets of yellowtail, mullet or tailor, butterflied yellowtail or mullet and of course squid whole or strips. Fresh is best because these predators generally eat live food as opposed to scavenging. Food grade sashimi is not as fresh as what the mulloway eat! Yes, anglers do sometimes catch mulloway on bait that’s not fresh, but if you want to maximise your catch rates, fresh is the way to go. These fish are hard enough to find as it is. Anglers are catching tailor before sunset and after dark, with salmon thrown in. Normally salmon are regarded as a winter time option, but you

will still get some resident fish in this balmy water. Some beaches to have a go for whiting and bream are Manly, Mid to North Narrabeen, Bungan, and Palm beaches. For mulloway, sharks, tailor and salmon, try Manly, Curl Curl, Dee Why, Narrabeen, Bungan, Newport and Palm beaches. OCEAN ROCK FISHING This time of the year is good for many species, and one interesting bycatch while wash fishing for bream and snapper is the samsonfish. Samsonfish are regarded as a sub-tropical species caught well north of Port Stephens, but they can be caught in good numbers off Sydney rocks

at times. We don’t get the XOS models that they catch further north though; our samsons generally range from around 0.7-2kg, with the occasional 4-5kg specimen. These tough fish pull as hard as any king for their size, and will attempt to cut you off like

bait. If you’re using lures, good choices include the Rapala Skitter Pop and soft plastic Silstar Slapstix 9”, which have been catching a handful of 65-72cm fish. Some bonito, frigate mackerel and mac tuna have been taking metal lures. I like 40g SureCatch

Exceptional whiting to 45cm are coming off the beaches in Sydney. This fish, caught by Rob Marich, was close to a kilo, and was one of a number of big whiting caught on this outing.

around. This is a unleashed dog area, so your buckets should have a firm clip seal lid to hide your bait, and you need to keep baited hooks well above shoulder height if they’re left unattended. Chinamans Beach is a quieter option with a lot less traffic. Narrabeen Lagoon has been producing good bags of whiting to 40cm, and some sizeable flathead to near 60cm as well. Fish from the entrance to Narrabeen lagoon facing westward. Try to avoid the entrance as it is very rocky and you may lose lures and rigs because of the exposed rocks. Further in the estuary there are less exposed rocks, and you can try around the beach bridge area to approximately 100m west of the end of the Lagoon Street sand bank. You can wade around for whiting, bream, mullet and flathead there. Pink nippers and squirt worms are the top baits. If you’re using lures, the Daiwa Double Clutch is great for flathead, and the Zerek Flash Minnow Wriggly is getting smashed by the odd bream. Finally, when you go for a coastal fish for a rock or beach outing and find the conditions are not as favourable as the forecast predicted, you should have your back-up estuary outfit on standby with a handful of lures, your yabby pump handy or some store-bought prawns, worms or nippers. At least you don’t have to go home without going fishing! • For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www.bellissimocharters. com.au, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com.au or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

a king as well, swimming Knights because you can over submerged ledges and cast them out a long way on around rocks, damaging 6-8kg spin gear. or cutting your line on ESTUARY FISHING sharp ledges. Whiting fishing in the Samsonfish are superb estuary has been great of late. on the plate as well. I find It seems that virtually any them to have a slightly sand flat in Sydney Harbour gamey flavour, and they that has a relatively clean are particularly good bottom with ribbon weed as sashimi. patches is producing. The snapper fishing In Middle Harbour try has been good lately, with Clontarf’s Sandy Bay and fish to 62cm or around Chinamans Beach. The only 3.5kg, which is a ripper downside to Sandy Bay is the of a snapper in anyone’s dozen or more dogs running books off the rocks. We have been getting quite a few from 35-45cm, which is a good eating size. Good baits include squid strips, 1/2 and 3/4 pilchards, tailor fillets, and slimy mackerel fillet (you should salt down your slimies as they have very soft, flaky flesh). Distance casting out to the sand/gravel area, NEW RELEASE generally 50-110m out, is producing snapper as well. For distance casting, try off Mona Vale pool off the front ledge. You can also fish the wash for platesize reddies. Long Reef’s Snapper Ledge, approximately 400m east of the old cleaning table, North Curl Curl is good for distance casting. There’s a bad bottom there, but if you can exceed 90m+ you will be fishing the cleaner VELOCITY SPORTS CRUSADER bottom. Kings have been some what patchy this season compared to last season. Archer Huang having a great time with bonito The evergreen bait to use to 3.5kg. On this day some of the bonito were is ganged sea gars, and if down deep, so letting the 45g metal sink for the kings are there you will 10-15 seconds before spinning worked best. find a few using this superb

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Great autumn luderick fishing SYDNEY NORTH

Jay Kim

As we say goodbye to summer it opens up one of our favourite times of year for fishing in and off Sydney. April is generally bait ball season in Pittwater and Harbour, with scores of whitebait and anchovies schooling up, attracting a

range of predators come in to feast on them. Anything from bonito (including the Watson leaping bonito), frigate mackerel, mac tuna, tailor and kingfish can be found feeding on the same bait, and it can make for some absolutely chaotic sessions. We have found that the humble old metal (e.g. a 5-10g Halco Twisty or 10g

Samaki Torpedo) is the go, especially when an accurate cast is crucial. These lures are also very easy to work, making them ideal for beginners who want to just hear their reel scream. Another thing to try is letting a plastic sink down. It’s amazing how often this will snare some great estuarine species under bait balls; we have been getting

Hayden and Juyong with another prime specimen off the stones.

anything from trevally, big bream and flathead to the occasional mulloway following these huge selfberleying bait balls. I still like to match the hatch with this style of fishing, so a 3-4” plastic minnow with a 1/4oz jighead is my favourite. I’ve also done well with my beloved small Samaki Vibelicious soft vibe. MARLIN April usually means big blue marlin. Some of our best blue marlin captures have come in April and May, typically in the back end of the season. Traditionally trolling a 9-12” lure has been our proven method, and a couple of tried and tested skirts include the Marlin Magic Ruckus and Baby Ruckus, Coggin Barrell, Tantrum Large Kaboom, Bandits and Medium Bullets. Having said that, we have seen an increase in anglers trying their luck switch baiting for these awesome creatures. With switch baiting, you still get your spectacular bite but with the added bonus of a circle hook pinned in the corner of their mouth. Just remember that the crew needs to be on the ball for this style of gamefishing.

Matthew Miller with a prime blackfish taken on a weed fly in the lake. LUDERICK Another fantastic autumn recreation is luderick fishing, and we have been having some great success on the local ledges here. It’s such an easy style of fishing, and it’s made even easier when you catch them on weed flies! You can buy ready-made flies in-store, or tie some yourself using weed dub. Any ledge can produce blackfish – just look for the tell-tale signs of chewed up cabbage and green weed along an edge at low tide. Despite what you may have heard, berley is not

essential. We have had some of our best sessions with no berley! • For all the latest info on what’s biting and where, drop in and chat to the expert staff at Fishing Station, located on 50 Darley St, Mona Vale. They stock an excellent range of tackle and bait, and are open every day except for Christmas Day and New Years Day. You can contact the team on (02) 8094 9197, or see regular news and product updates at www.facebook.com/ fishingstationaustralia.

Where do my fishing licence fees go? Funds raised from the NSW recreational fishing licence are placed into special trusts, and spent on projects to improve recreational fishing. Committees of anglers provide recommendations on expenditure from the trusts: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Fish stocking Artificial reefs Fish aggregating devices (FADs) Recreational fishing havens Fishing facilities e.g. fishing platforms and fish cleaning tables Kids fishing workshops Fishcare Volunteers Gamefish tagging Get Hooked...it’s fun to fish, primary schools education Fish habitat restoration

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au 22

APRIL 2020

Get stuck into some fantastic fishing in April PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Another month of great fishing is behind us and I’m looking forward to yet another good month fishing Pittwater and along the coast.

including slimy mackerel, yellowtail and garfish as well as squid. Put away your 20lb braid outfits and bring out the heavy gear; 50-60lb is the norm. This heavier gear will give you a chance to stop the bigger kings from busting you up on the moorings and other

customers drop over baited jigs and catch baitfish pretty quickly. Remember that you don’t need 20 or 30 yellowtail – 5-10 should see be enough for a morning’s fish. Garfish and slimy mackerel can also be caught in the same grounds, and when targeting garfish you should use pencil floats

This brilliant young fisherman will be one to watch in the future. Pittwater suffered at the start of last month after all those big storms. There were large logs, sticks and other debris, as well as water that you would associate with run-off on the Daly River in the NT. The only thing missing was crocodiles and barramundi. However, we still found kingfish amongst the dirty brown water and were quite surprised at how many times they were feeding on the surface in the freshwater in the muddy conditions. This month we should still see kingfish being caught along Pittwater and Broken Bay, and should also see mulloway, tailor, bonito and salmon showing up. The usual scenario of catching squid and then downrigging along Pittwater and Broken Bay should still see quite a few kingfish being caught. April is normally the month when we start seeing big kingies showing up to test anglers’ skills and patience. These larger fish will normally be towards the mouth of the river but they do tend to move around quite a bit and will be encountered around Scotland Island, Long Nose Point and even as far upstream as Newport wharf. To tangle with one of the bigger kingies you need to grab a variety of baits,

structure on the bottom. When catching yellowtail the better grounds are at West Head, as these grounds will also see garfish and slimy mackerel being caught if they are around. You do not have to anchor in these grounds if you know what you’re looking for on your sounder. I will sound out these grounds and find the schools of baitfish and have

or light line, small hooks and no weight to have a chance at catching them. Squid have been easy to catch in recent weeks, with Barrenjoey Head, West Head, Mackerel Beach and the Palm Beach weed beds all showing activity with squid. The better size jigs to use at the moment still seem to be the smaller 2g jigs. Colour doesn’t seem

to matter that much; what’s more important is a solid technique. While you are targeting squid, cast your lines in different directions while drifting to cover ground, and make sure that before you pull your lure out of the water there are no squid that have followed your lure back. If a squid has followed your lure back, don’t pull your jig out of the water. They won’t jump into your boat after it! Instead, allow your lure to sink and quite often these aggressive creatures will come in for the attack. If they still don’t attack your jig, get it up on the surface and start skipping it and hopping it like a prawn that is fleeing an attack, away from the squid. Once you have done this three or four times you will generally find the squid changing colour and becoming aggressive and pouncing on your jig. When downrigging with live squid, it is very important to go less than 2 knots so you don’t drown your hard-earned live bait. If your boat won’t troll at these low speeds I suggest using squid strips alongside of slimy mackerel or yellowtail, as both of these can be used at quicker speeds. Another tip is to use glow bait on yellowtail or slimy mackerel. This product will make your single baits stand out when fishing around schools of baitfish, and this can be the difference between going home with a smile on your face or going home frustrated. The last couple of weeks we have been seeing good numbers of mulloway

Catching kingies on Broken Bay can be stunning at times.

starting to show up as well. Each April we seem to find mulloway in different areas of Pittwater, and strangely enough we seem to catch more while drifting than what we do at anchor. One problem that Pittwater has is a lack of current, and I believe this allows mulloway and baitfish to move around a lot more freely than they would in a current-ravaged system such as the Hawkesbury River. If you want to target mulloway my suggestion is to try the change of the tides, use fresh bait and target structure along the river with your baits bouncing on the bottom.

chance at a large flathead, but you might be also lucky enough to find a mulloway or two as well. Offshore, blue-spot flathead are still being caught in decent numbers while drifting the sand. The reefs in water depths of around 60m are seeing snapper, trevally, morwong and some tiger flathead also being caught. All these fish are responding well to a variety of baits. Remember when targeting the reef species, try to find the edge of the reef with balls of bait towards the bottom. If you’re able to do this, species such as snapper

Catching kingies at West Head can test your skills, with rough ground everywhere. At the moment we are also seeing quite a few decent flathead being caught as well. Flint and Steel, the drift from Patonga to Lion Island, Juno Point and the mouth of Pittwater are all areas where 80cm+ flathead are being caught. Please remember the bags and size limits for flathead, and remember if you are going to take a photo before releasing, put your hand on their belly to support their weight. If you do this it will protect their internal organs, and they will swim off uninjured and have a better rate of survival because you have taken the time and care before release. Some of the better baits for the flatties have been the humble pilly and fresh fish fillets such as yellowtail. If you are lucky enough to find a working school of tailor, use a legal sized fish for fillet baits. Not only will you have a

will be a lot easier to catch. So as you can see, even though summer has ended some of the summer species are still hanging around and begging to be caught. Grab a mate or some family members and join us for a wonderful day on the water so we can sharpen your techniques and give you lots of information to improve your fishing when you go out by yourself on your own vessel. We are selling our vessel and license, so if you are serious about getting into the chartering industry give us a call on 0410 633 351. We hope to see you on the water in the coming weeks, or better still on our boat to show you around this wonderful part of the world. • Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www.estuaryfishing charters.com.au. APRIL 2020

Storms dictate where to fish THE TWEED

Anthony Coughran

The summer storms have been shaking things up over the past month in the Tweed, injecting a lot of fresh into the systems. There are fish kills from

the mixed reefies, mackerel, mahimahi, wahoo, kingies and billfish. The bait moving in the rivers has the soapy mulloway and trevally on the chew. The run-off has fired up the beaches and headlands, with a few big mulloway caught off the beach in recent weeks. Bass

Leon McClymont has been catching big mulloway off the rocks. run-off, there’s bait being pushed around, and changes in water temperature. All of these factors determine where and what to fish for. The floating debris and river/creek influence on offshore waters has fired up

are also taking advantage of the run-off and flooding creeks and rivers. OFFSHORE We have had an awesome pelagic season so far, with lots of blacks, wahoo and mahimahi being caught off Tweed reefs over the past

month. The floating debris, FADs, buoys and markers have been fishing best for mahimahi. Trolling skirts past and pegging and ripping 20-60g metals past these structures will normally result in a hook-up from small to medium mahimahi. For bigger specimens, try trolling the 24s, 36s and the 50s. There are lots of black marlin from the 24s out to 200m lines, and blues on the 100-400m lines. Purple 6-9” skirts are still fishing the best. Once you have located the fish, live baits are the best way to achieve success on the blacks and blues. There’s the odd wahoo on the 24s and 36s, and on the backside of 9 Mile and South Reef. They are being taken on hardbodies, highspeed bibless trolling lures and 100-200mm vibes. Spanish mackerel have been around their usual haunts – 9 Mile, 5 Mile, South Reef, close reefs, Kingy and Windarra Banks – and they are mainly hitting trolled baits, especially bonnies and slimies. The bite windows don’t last long though, and the fishing can be hit-and-miss. It’s a similar story with spotty mackerel; there’s only

the odd one around the close reefs at the moment. If you want to try your luck, you can float out a pilly or other bait while drifting. You can also have success by ripping metals past schools or trolling pillies. Try Fidos, the Cook Island yellow marker, Kingy and Hastings bommie. Close reefs that are copping the fallout from the storms and run-off are fishing well for mixed reefies. A few packs of snapper, kingfish, tuskfish, spangled emperor, pearl perch and sea perch are patrolling these reefs, capitalising on the floodwaters flowing over them. Fishing dusk and dawn with plastics and baits will definitely score you a

A solid Tweed snapper caught by Nathan Hardy. feed, and if you’re lucky you may score a larger model. Unfortunately there are lots of sharks, as is usual in summer, and it can be hard getting your catches past these taxmen. Some great spanner crabs are being caught this month

Kane Blenkinsop with a toothy Spanish mackerel.

between the 24s and 36s, and it’s well worth soaking a trap. There’s also lots of bait around, and good places to try include Point Reef, Kirra, the yellow marker and 10 Minute Reef. ESTUARY We’ve had a great jack season this year, with massive numbers being caught in the Tweed and Tweed Coast. The bigger models are being caught at night on live baits around heavy structure by anglers using heavy gear. Very large live baits are the go, such as 20-30cm mullet, 20cm bony bream, 30cm whiting, 15-20cm herring. You can also have success using whole fillets and heads. There are still heaps of smaller to medium size jacks being caught on lures, and

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the most consistent option seems to be 3-5” paddletail plastics rigged weedless. Other good artificials include 90mm prawn plastics, 90-150mm hardbodies, 20g vibes, 70-150mm surface lures and swimbaits. Working these lures with the current and allowing them to get as close as they can to the structure will get the best action out of your lures. This will entice these reds to

them up to 1m. Bullies up to 1m can be quite tasty if they are dispatched and prepared properly, and soaking the fillets in milk can help with this process. All sharks over 1.5m are protected and must be released quickly and unharmed. BEACHES The rains and storms have shaken the beaches and headlands up. Some big mulloway have been taken

Anglers in the know have been cleaning up on big jacks in the Tweed. come out from their cover and smash your lures. Some great black-spot cod are being caught as jack by-catch this month, and have most anglers thinking they are onto a good jack. The whiting are still up in the skinny water, taking yabby, beachworms and bloodworms drifted along the skinny water banks. Most catches have been coming at night, but you can still score a feed during the day. If you’re after a big elbowslapper whiting, surface lures are the best option. Anglers fishing live herring around the bridges at night are scoring big trevally around the lights. The run-in tide has been fishing the best. Some big crabs are moving around with the run-off, and the deeper holes and river/creek junctions have been holding the better numbers and sizes. Just watch out for bull sharks ripping holes in your pots. If you want to do battle with a bull shark, you need large baits on medium to heavy gear and a bit of patience. Eel, whole fish, fish heads, large live baits, stingray flaps or guts are your best baits for these sharks, but even bullock’s heart, liver, lungs or even some old meat will do the job. Wire is necessary for the bigger ones, but 80-150lb leader will stop

off the beaches and around the headlands in recent weeks, and the best way to catch them has been with live baits, dead baits and whole fillets. There have also been great catches of dart, whiting, bream, flathead and odd tailor coming from the

Once the sun is established you can switch to jig spins, spinnerbaits, hardbodies, swimbaits, plastics, vibes or blades. Bait fishers have been catching some good bass, mullet, carp, tilapia and catties on worms, grubs, maggots and flavoured dough. You can also try soaking a pilly wrapped in wool for eels. Their teeth gets stuck in the wool and you just pull them up on the bank, and then they will usually drop off. It’s lots of fun for the kids, and a great way to score eels for a feed or for shark baits. For the more adventurous freshwater fisho, try the upper Clarence. The cod and big bass have been on fire lately. FISHING FORECAST The storms will continue to work their magic and fill the waterways, dams and systems this month. This will dictate where to fish in the river and creek for jacks. Finding where the bait is holding up will be the key to finding the red dogs. Soapy mulloway will be taking advantage of these conditions this month, and will be found in the various holes and around the mouth.

Mark Anthony Coleman is good at finding structure that produces red dogs. beaches. Small baits like strip baits, whitebait, half pillies, fillet strips, worms and pipis are fishing best in the gutters. SWEETWATER The rains and storms have really shaken up the fresh systems and have filled up all those dried-up or shrunken pools. Fishing rapids, drains, overflows, spillways, waterfalls, weirs and upper systems has been very productive of late. Surface lures at first and last light are fishing very well.

Kristain Frey caught a big Brunswick Heads tailor by spinning metals from the rock wall.

We can expect the whiting to push up into the cleaner, skinny water, so find the banks with clean water to score a feed of these tasty fish. Flathead will be sitting in the holes under the fresh, eating the whiting seeking shelter from the fresh. Trevally will sit around the bridges eating all the bait getting flushed past, and you can catch them on various artificials and live herring. Mud crabs will be working in most systems throughout the Tweed Coast this month. Mackerel, kings, billfish, mahimahi and wahoo will continue their dominance of offshore reefs, and will only get hungrier and more numerous. Finding bait schools will help you in your search for these predators. If the weather is no good for heading offshore, bass will be a great option. The back creeks will still hold fish in bad conditions, and you should focus your efforts around drains and overflows. Caution is advised during heavy rain. APRIL 2020

Flushing away all our worries BALLINA

Joe Allan

Reports from the freshwater stretches of the Richmond and Wilsons rivers have been patchy. Reports of people catching 60 fish one day and then going back the next and getting between 5-10 have been common.

The whole system has had a flush and will be better for it. The best lures are spinnerbaits with silver blades and lipless crankbaits with bright colours and loud rattles. The noise and flash is what’s attracting these fish in this dirty water. The creeks around Bangalow and Corndale are worth a cast now that they’ve cleaned up a little. Just down size

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 throw. The surface fishing is still going really well too, and hopefully continues for a while. If you’re after a feed of flathead, try the stretches

between Pimlico Island and Broadwater. Whitebait and 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 of tasty fish. The best hooks for these are number 1/0-2/0 Gamakatsu Long Shanks. The longer shank in the hook keeps the line away from their teeth, which while only small can cut through some pretty tough line. If you’re into using lures, try tolling some hardbodies that will get down past 3.5m easily in the holes around the Wardell Bridge and areas close by. Bright colours are

Aaron Swanson found a couple of nice bream from dirty water in Emigrant Creek. go at this stage, with yakkas and slimies being the best options. Close in reefs are like Black Head, Flat Rock

Ben Rampling with a stonking mulloway caught from a local beach on a Croaker Lures Jewie Jewel. 6 Sat – 7 Sun JUNE (NSW Long Weekend) A project of the Lions Club Cabarita and Pottsville Beach

Noah Rampling caught this solid flatty off Shelly Beach.

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best. Once you’ve found the drop-offs, it’s always good idea to have a 3-4” soft plastic with a 1/4oz jighead and 3/0 hook ready to go. The mackerel are showing up in good numbers between Brunswick and Evans. Livies are still the

and Snapper Rock down at Evans Head are firing. The beaches around Ballina and Lennox Head have been fishing 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 good catches recorded of tarwhine and flathead on soft plastics and blades. With plastics and blades, try 1/4oz weights, however if it’s too windy this might be a struggle. There are still good numbers of pipis around and these little morsels are great fresh bait for most bread and butter species. Just remember you’re not allowed to take these from the beach they were found on. The rock walls have produced some good size mangrove jack and while they’re not in good numbers like they were in summer, the better size specimens have come out to play in recent times. They will become less active now that the water is cooling down. The breakwalls have been seeing some good mulloway towards the bottom end of the tide. This dirty water has certainly stirred them up, with some really good size fish being caught. Live mullet seems to be producing the best catches upriver in the holes, however down on the walls try big deep diving crankbaits. Until next month, tight lines!

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APRIL 2020

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Hit the water early in the holiday season YAMBA

Dave Gaden

April in this part of the world usually means great mackerel fishing offshore. With the very welcome heavy rains we experienced in February, the late summer run of these fish got pushed wide as they tried to find some clean,

warm water and baitfish. April and May will see them starting their journey north and they won’t be in a hurry. The most common mackerel species we get here is the spotted mackerel, or ‘spotties’ as we call them. We get better than average size spotties, with many fish going well over a metre in length and over 8kg in

weight. They get so thick some days that you can literally sight cast to the fish at the side of the boat with pillies, targeting the bigger fish in the shoal. For some reason the spotties seem to lose all their fear and just swim alongside the boat, waiting for you to feed them. It really is the sport of kings! Along with the spotties there will be a nice spattering

of Spanish mackerel and wahoo this month. You can get a bit complacent on a hot mackerel bite, lowering your guard, and then one of the lines will go a lot harder and faster and all of a sudden you’re tight to a big Spaniard. Light drags are a must, as is a very sharp gaff with a wrist strap. I can’t count the amount of fish I have seen swim away with a gaff in their side because the gaffer didn’t have a wrist strap. There will still be good mahimahi on the FAD and wider grounds around the trap buoys this month, and quite often the later run will have much bigger fish. Live baiting them is great but there are plenty of days when they will only take half a pilly or a strip of fresh mullet flesh. As always, throwing a handful of chopped pilly

Brett Sawyer caught this Maori cod from the southern reef. at the FAD or buoy each time you approach it will get them in the mood for a feed, and keep the fish coming to you. If mackerel are not for

ba Prawn Blade s” “Yam Andrew Symons with a good wahoo. We can expect more of these this month.

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you and you’d prefer a feed of snapper, my advice this month is to head wide to between 40 and 50 fathoms. The grounds northeast and southeast of Yamba at this depth will be alive with good plate-size snapper between 40-50cm. They seem to like the kind of ground you would usually look for when targeting pearl perch: a fairly flat, hard bottom with wire weed. The snapper will be very easy to see, as there will be a mountain of small baitfish above them in this depth. I recommend short drifts with paternoster rigs and big sinkers. I use 3 x 6/0 Mustad Demon hooks out here with fairly small bait (about the size of your thumb) of pilly, squid and mullet on each line, and a triple hook-up is very common. You will also find plenty of other fish out here when those big shoals of snapper are about. Most days will produce pearl perch, blue morwong, pigfish, kingfish, samsonfish, amberjack and more. The southern reef off of Brooms Head will have

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some quality fish around the 40m mark. The nice exotic species like Venus tuskfish, Maori cod and Moses perch will be there, along with the snapper, pearl perch and flathead. Up north around South Evans there will still be quite a few of these fish but the trag should dominate your catch here. The ground just outside South Evans bommie in around 30m of water is where I would fish. You get a really good, long drift in this area, usually going parallel to the coast covering all the good ground, and just when you think it’s time to motor back and have another drift, you’re tight to more fish. Before you know it you’ve drifted 2nm. ESTUARY FISHING In the estuary this month things should be looking pretty good. With the good fresh we received in February cleaning out the river after the long dry spell, the fish should be a bit easier to find. Flathead

Don Causley was happy with this quality snapper. think you’d have to go far anywhere from the lower reaches of the river to find a feed of the delicious dusky.

Harry (10yo) with a good pearl perch. should be in good numbers around the entrance to the lake and further upstream at the Broadwater. With the river looking so good I don’t

Blackfish or luderick came downstream in big numbers with that fresh, and we can expect them to hold in the lower reaches

as the food will be there for them. The best spots should be Learners Corner on Freeburn Island, the Old Ferry launch at Iluka and the Peninsula near the Tavern. Gathering weed shouldn’t be a problem as the wet fills the drains and it becomes readily available. Crabs have been great this year, and my dad would have said “This is your last chance” because he always said you catch crabs in months with an ‘R’ in them. I am sure there are still crabs to be caught in May but it’s a great old saying and I’m not one to argue, so get out there and have your last big feed before September. CROWDED RAMPS April brings with it the school holidays, making places like Yamba and Iluka very busy. With this being one of the best times to fish both offshore and in the estuary, you can imagine that the limited launching facilities might get a little full. When you’re at the ramp, try to be patient with those boaters who are less experienced than yourself, and lend a hand if you can, knowing full well that the mackerel will like you to be out on the water early.

Trevor Beetson with one of the quality spotties anglers can catch this month. APRIL 2020

Lots of cool options in the cooling conditions COFFS HARBOUR

Dayne Taylor

April usually sees the start of some cooler air in the mornings while blasting out offshore or cruising up the local estuary in the boat. Don’t expect it to get any warmer over the next

few months. Some more great fishing is sure to be had this month, and here on the Coffs Coast we are seriously spoilt for choice as to where we can go and the species we can target. OFFSHORE The Spanish and spotted mackerel are in full swing and great numbers are

being found. As I write this, the dirty water from rains over the past weeks is still lingering around in close, but it hasn’t really deterred the pelagics. If anything, it has encouraged great amounts of bait to swarm. Small jellybean-sized bonito are in mass proportions and a simple drive off Moonee

Michael Goodwin with an example of the bass getting around after the recent rain.

Macca McEwan did well to find, hook and land this solid 20kg Spanish mackerel.

Shane Holding wrangled this jack upstream in a local estuary system. back into Coffs Harbour saw us pass over five schools of bonito the size of football fields busting up on the surface, chasing pilchards and the like. As the age-old saying goes, rain on the land means rain in the ocean, and I think our ocean is grateful for the influx and a little stir up. Trolling a live slimy mackerel or yakka, or chin weighted dead baits such as bonito around the bait grounds is the most successful method for catching yourself a mackerel. If you are out earlier, why not try for a snapper in close as the sun rises? Some great reds have been brought undone on plastics in the shallows. A little wider and deeper, plenty of good reef species such as snapper, pearl perch, tuskfish and teraglin are still available out in 40-80m of water. The 30

APRIL 2020

current can be testing at times, but any break in the weather and you should give them a crack. A simple paternoster rig with a mix of squid and pilchard baits with an 8oz lead on the bottom seems to do the trick. Any fresh slab baits and even live baits dropped to fish marked on the sounder in these depths will work well. The FAD and fish trap floats are holding smaller model mahimahi. They can be great fun on light gear and love chasing small stickbaits, soft plastics and live baits. ESTUARIES AND BEACHES In the estuaries and on the beaches, whiting are in numbers in the gutters and To page 31

That’s a proper flathead! Chris Thomas was stoked to land this absolute croc from the Coffs region.

From page 30

throughout the sand flats of the lower reaches of the rivers. You can’t beat a well-presented unweighted pink nipper yabby or fresh beachworm drifted along a beach gutter or sand flat on a red worm hook. You will pick up a heap of welcome by-catch such as flathead and bream as well while doing this. An unweighted pilchard

on a set of gangs can produce a whole range of species off the beach. Bream and tailor are the most common, but don’t be surprised to encounter a mulloway. With the rivers running a bit of colour still, there is no better time to target a big estuarine mulloway. The lower parts closer to ocean bars make for tough fishing conditions when the tide is ripping in and out,

but it is also a great place for these big river monsters to ambush and feed on mullet and other bait being flushed out of the systems. Live poddy mullet and large 6” paddle-tail soft plastics both work exceptionally well. Target areas with a deep hole where a sand flat runs into, or areas with ‘white water’ or ‘wash’, as the mulloway lay under it for protection and ambush

prey. Any current eddies are worth checking out too. Trevally and mangrove jack are still tormenting anglers in the estuaries, and you can spend hours upon hours targeting both of these hard-fighting fish. Soft plastics replicating a herring or mullet are a great lure choice, and you will also get plenty on topwater stickbaits. Simply search the middle reaches of the

estuary and target rocky reefs, fallen trees and any other structure. A quality sounder also makes it easier to seek out structure in deeper water. The recent rain was welcomed by all here on the Coffs Coast. The crabs were pushed down a little, but are still easiest to catch in pots left to soak overnight at intersections or around small drains and feeder

creeks. A collection of your filleted fish frames, or a whole mullet or bonito cut into halves makes great bait. These same rains helped the bass and other freshwater species upstream move around between pools and continue their journey up or down. Until next month, cast like there is no tomorrow and retrieve like you have all the time in the world.

READER STORY

Pre-wedding fishing trip February is the worst month of the year to do anything on the North Coast of NSW, because rain, wind and floods are the norm. So, when Mark and Donna approached us for a charter the day before their wedding, I thought they were nuts! The annual deluge began the week before the due date, and I knew that the record rains and small flood were going to make things interesting. Mark came to see me at the boat the day before, and wanted to know if we were still going the next morning. I thought he was kidding, but he was deadly serious and wanted to go! We went out to the break wall for a look at the bar on the run-out tide, which included leftover

floodwater from the week before. It wasn’t a good sight, with breaking waves and lots of white water. In past years we have been able to go out on the high tide but unable to come home until the next high tide, and I told Mark this was probably the only way we could have a go. He said, “Yep, let’s go.” We planned to go to Byron Bay for the day, 16 miles up the coast, because there is some outstanding fishing on the 32-fathom line. At 7:30 on Friday morning, the crew assembled at the boat. Most of them were going to be in the bridal party the next day, making the trip an unofficial buck’s party. After going through the safety briefing and outlining our plan of attack, we were on our way. The bar was good on the

high tide and the crossing was safe. The first stop was the 32-fathom FAD to see whether the mahimahi were home. They weren’t, so we deployed the marlin gear and headed towards Byron. On the way a marlin popped up beside us but it wasn’t hungry. Upon arrival at the Byron Bay FAD, the small mahimahi were thick. We hooked two, and tagged and released a small fish of 49cm. They weren’t hungry, so it was time to switch to bottom fishing. The snapper were steady, with the best fish measuring 57cm caught by Mark. Unfortunately, the East Coast current brought warm, blue water (27°C), taking the fish off the bite. We headed back down the coast, stopping each time we found the green water which was 1°C cooler, and got back into the fish. Snapper,

Jason Herold, Mark Herold, Jake Herold, John Stephens, Chris Watkins and Brodie Murray with some of their catch for the day. teraglin, Venus tuskfish, small pearl perch and blue-spot flathead were steadily putting a nice feed into the esky. Some of the guys on board were from New Zealand and didn’t have much experience on flathead, so I headed to the flatty grounds off Lennox Head and put them onto a big patch of these tasty fish.

It was on for all, with double hook-ups the norm for the last hour of our day. With a good feed in the esky, most fish were released to fight another day. After a long day, 17:30pm rolled around and it was time to head home. The rising tide had the bar in a good mood, and another good crossing had us heading up the river, taking

photos of the day’s fish. During the day I filmed the fishing on my GoPro, and you can check out all the action on YouTube by searching for ‘Fozies Fishing Monthly’. It was definitely a memorable trip for the wedding party, and I congratulate Mark and Donna on their wedding! – Fozie

A switch from bluewater fishing to bottom bashing produced snapper, trag, tuskfish, pearl perch and blue-spot flathead. The crew enjoyed the unofficial buck’s party.

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got from a few weeks of heavy rain. BLUEWATER Most of the dirty water has gone now, with areas like Grassy and Scotts Head producing another run of quality spotted and Spanish mackerel. Water temperatures are now around 25°C and with the warm currents continuing to come down, these fish should hang around here until the end of May. Out of the same locations, snapper up to 6kg have been caught and if you can find the marks, quality pearl perch have been lifted up from the bottom. Small black marlin are still in good numbers off the jail, while reports of larger black and striped marlin have come fromin the deeper water off the shelf. The FAD is still holding mahimahi in about 100m, but strong currents can make it tough to fish if there are heaps of boats there. If you can get the weather right, some very nice bar cod and other deep water species have been caught through the month. Bonito are in good numbers at the moment along with mac tuna, and you should get these all

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showing up along the many land-based ledges as well. Cobia have started to bite around Fish Rock, with the odd snapper caught showing up in this area as well. Hat Head down to Point Plomer continues to be a hot spot for Spanish mackerel. THE RIVER If you haven’t caught a whiting in the river, there is something wrong. It has been the best season by far, probably caused by the fresh last month sending them down river to the mouth and out to the beaches. Quality whiting were caught, with 40cm fish not uncommon on nippers and live worms.

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There are a few mulloway coming out of the Macleay, but surprisingly not the numbers we would expect during a normal dirty water event. Flathead numbers are improving as we get back to

tailor coming in while Gap Beach has also been producing quality whiting and bream. On Main Beach from around the boulders to the wreck, whiting and bream are on the

This 5kg snapper was caught off Grassy Head on a live slimy by local Dan Brockhill.

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along the coastline. Bluefin tuna are starting to make an appearance in front of the jail. Around Green Island there are plenty of kingfish, and these guys are also

normal, with Clybucca Creek producing some nice fish on the start of the run-out tide. The oyster racks are fishing well for bream, with surface lures working a treat over the racks. Stuarts Point has good whiting and flathead being caught, with chunky resident luderick taking weed and weed flies. The water is not fantastic around Kinchella and Smithtown, but quality whiting, bream and flathead are coming out of it. THE BEACHES After the flush, the beaches are fishing really well. Smoky Beach has bream, great numbers of whiting and a few 1kg+

bite and taking live worms. If you are fishing Back Beach, head up to the breakwall for nice bream and the odd school mulloway. OFF THE LEDGES Fishing off the rocks is just starting to fire up, with plenty of kingfish and bonito coming in close and some nice tailor in the mix. Bream and tarwhine are plentiful in front of the jail, while the ledges off the lighthouse have been producing a few mulloway and the odd drummer. Hat Head has seen a few tuna coming in for the land-based anglers, with a Spanish mackerel or two down towards Plomer.

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Fishing has been hot after the fires and flooding THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

After a prolonged and harsh drought that saw the worst fire season in

flooding in the Macleay River and minor flooding in the Hastings and Camden Haven rivers. At the time of writing we still had brown running rivers, but by now we should be back to normal, providing

good fresh producing some excellent fishing opportunities. HASTINGS RIVER After flooding rain, the Hastings invariably fishes well towards the mouth and up to Blackmans Point, and

Ben landed this mulloway on an Atomic Shiner hardbody lure.

Banjo with a great surprise, an upriver cobia caught while fishing for mulloway! my lifetime, the heavens opened up in February and sent down some much-needed rain, causing

no heavy dumps have occurred in the meantime. Rivers, creeks and dams will all benefit, with a

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want to catch a mixed bag of bream, flatties and whiting, try using the smaller metal vibration blades, as the fish really do respond to these after a fresh flush. The rock walls should produce some good bream and luderick action, with the coal wall and Settlement Point Road also worth a try. Pelican Island and the shallow back channel near the main boat ramp will hold a few flathead, and for

whiting are still an option this month. Bass fishing is in its final month of the season, and it has been a torrid time for our native fish this summer, with a severe lack of water

mackerel, both Spanish and spotties. Boaties travel from far and wide to the Mid North Coast and fish from Coffs Harbour down to Taree. Plomer Bay is the local hotspot and trolling live

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Bream and bridge pylons go hand-inhand, as Banjo recently found out. This nice flathead came from the rock wall in the background and put a smile on Jason’s face. your sounder. Birds are also an excellent indication of fish nearby. Another factor is the clean and dirty water line, and this can be the main difference to your catch when fishing this area with vibes, plastics or the very freshest of baits. In this situation, larger soft vibes for mulloway are an excellent choice, but if you

those who like throwing a soft plastic or hardbodied lure, the shallow nature and scattered weedbeds make it a prime area to fish. Surface lures in these locations will also be worth trying, as

upriver. However, with this recent rain we will see the difference. Hopefully these last few weeks will see good fishing, and if it doesn’t, at least we should see a better start to our bass season in September. OFFSHORE April in previous seasons has been the time to chase

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Jared landed this flathead, his biggest to date, up behind Rawdon Island.

baits is a prime way to get some action. Live bait can be usually found in the bay itself and also on the bait ground off Port, but do not despair if you don’t get livies. Trolled lures will get you fish as well, just check out the latest offerings on the market to find out which to use. Snapper could be good this month given the sea stir up, and the close-in grounds will be worth trying. You can then work your way out wider as the day progresses. Fresh squid, pilchards and live bait is the go, but having a soft plastic setup in the rod holder is still a good each way bet and will help you find out what is working on the day. BEACHES Although reports have been a bit quiet due to conditions, the local beaches, if settled, will definitely be worth fishing and this month can be a good time to get into bream, tailor and mulloway. As I have mentioned before, do a drive around and check out beach formations, find a spot and then fish it with fresh baits. This will put you in with the best chance of success.

Overload of options on offer FORSTER

Luke Austin

Autumn is by far the best time of the year to fish on the East Coast of NSW. The days are cool and calm, yet the water is warm and full of all sorts of aquatic life. The fishing in April can be unbelievably good and it’s

shallow reefs are holding some really nice snapper as well as spotted mackerel. If you find your snapper baits and plastics are getting snipped off constantly, it might be worth throwing an unweighted pilchard or slimy out on a bit of wire, because there’s a good chance that there’s a school of mackerel not far away!

trolling live baits about likely looking reef complexes or you can anchor and berley them up before tossing strip baits or pilchards at them. Both techniques work really well but they both won’t always work, so if trolling isn’t getting much action you should have a go at anchoring up for them instead. The wider grounds are also fishing well. The FAD is still covered in mahimahi and while most are only small, there are definitely some bigger fish about. There’s always a chance of hooking a wahoo, marlin, cobia, yellowfin tuna or

nice tailor lately, with most fish going 40-50cm. Under the tailor have been some cracking bream, and their numbers should only increase this month as we edge closer and closer to their spawning. Most beaches are still fishing well for whiting, however finding the bigger fish is a bit of a challenge. Wallis Lake has fished exceptionally well over the past few months, and in a lot of ways the fishing quality goes up a notch this month. Flathead remain very good throughout the lower reaches of the system, and while they may not be about in

Walter Scifleet was very pleased with this cracking flathead taken in the estuary.

Anthony Chapman with a nice pair of April mackerel. nothing at the moment for someone to say that they are heading out early to chase some snapper right on dawn, before cruising to Snapper Rock to look for a spotted or Spanish

These toothy speedsters will become more and more prominent as the month wears on, and with a bit of luck they should hang about well into May if the bait and good water stays put. The

There are some cracking mulloway about during autumn, like this beauty caught by Cooper Black.

Calm autumn days are perfect for chasing a few squid. mackerel and then calling in to the breakwall on the way home to catch some mulloway or kingfish! The offshore scene has been really good lately and this month will only get better and better. The

most important bit of tackle that is required to target these fish is some single strand wire. The lighter you can fish the better, with most anglers choosing to use wire between 27-44lb. Once you have the wire, you can catch them by

sailfish out there at this time of year. The deeper reefs are producing plenty of snapper, teraglin and pearl perch. For those wanting a work out, the more prominent pinnacles (not the Pinnacle itself) have had some nice deep water kingfish on offer, but the hardest part is finding them. Our coastline is a hive of activity throughout April, as anglers flock from far and wide to take advantage of some of the best land-based game action the country has to offer. Longtail tuna, cobia, mackerel and even marlin are about in good numbers throughout autumn, and catching a big fish off the stones is, for a lot of anglers, the epitome of fishing glory. The beaches have been fishing fairly well. Seven Mile and Nine Mile have both been holding some

the numbers that they were over the summer months, the fish that are there are of a good size and in good nick. Sand whiting are also still very active and can be caught fairly easily off just about any sand flat in the system. The patchy sand and weed beds up around Lanis and Wallis Island have been very productive for those wishing to throw surface lures about, and there has been some very nice bream in the mix as well. The main reason April can be one of the best months of the year for estuary fishing is that we have now entered into a transitional period, which will see a lot of species moving up or down the system as they prepare to spawn or retreat for the winter. Rock walls, bridge pylons and oyster leases

throughout the bottom end of the lake (towards the mouth) have already started to be occupied by big bream and schools of luderick. These fish will ‘stage’ down around the mouth over the next couple of months as they wait to ‘run’ to sea, where they will spawn and head north before returning to an estuary (generally the next estuary up the coast). • Luke is the owner of Great Lakes Tackle – your local bait and tackle store. We only sell the best brands and offer sound, friendly advice on where you can go to land your next trophy fish while visiting the wonderful Great Lakes region! We’re open seven days in the main street of Tuncurry. Call us on (02) 6554 9541 or find us on Facebook to see what we have been up to!

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The river wall will be holding good numbers of luderick, and green weed baits should account for good numbers. but the heavier falls did not extend very far inland. Further up the Manning River system there was far less rainfall. There was enough rain in the catchment areas of the creeks that flow into the Manning near Wingham to put a small fresh in the river, but there wasn’t a huge amount that came down the river and the water has cleared with each run-in tide. Some excellent fishing has been had following the fresh. Flathead, bream, whiting and luderick have been on the bite in the estuary. The mouth of the estuary has changed slightly following the fresh, and the Manning Point wall is exposed nearly to its end. Some good flathead have been caught on plastics and yabbies along the wall and one fish of 1.12m was caught there last weekend. Some of the whiting have been a very good size, with the spit at Harrington producing the best catches. It will take some time for the river to clear all the way up to Wingham, as the flow is not great. On the run-in tide, the salty seawater pushes upriver underneath the freshwater. The bream, flathead and whiting follow the salty water upriver and can be caught even though the water looks very dirty. On the beaches, fish are being caught everywhere. It’s mostly been whiting and bream, but not all fish are of legal length on Crowdy Beach. I have seen many groups of anglers catching

Creek, Second Creek and the creek at Diamond Head. The tailor should come back with the bait schools when they move in on the beaches. Outside angling has shown much improvement since the rough southerly

weather, and good catches of snapper and trag have been made from the northern grounds in close. Bonito have been taken on the troll. Flathead are still plentiful and of a good size for those fishing on the drift. During April, the mullet will be congregating in the lower reaches of the Manning prior to going on their spawning run to the north. While these fish are schooling up, mulloway and sharks gather in the estuary to grab a feed. Now is the time to float out a slab of mullet or tailor somewhere near the mullet school, as no doubt there will be a mulloway or shark prowling around. If you’re fishing from a boat, lines of 15kg are okay, but if you’re fishing from the rocks or sand then use 24kg gear. Mulloway are not the only fish to target in April, as luderick can be caught from the river wall on green weed during the day and on yabbies at night. Bream take mullet pieces and yabbies and tailor can be caught on lures and pilchards. Drummer, groper and tailor can be caught from the rocks if the conditions are right. The best times to fish are slack water and an hour either side in the river and either dawn or dusk from the beaches and rocks.

Jack caught this 72cm flatty while fishing with his mate Cohen. The lizard was handled gently and released to fight another day. APRIL 2020

It’s a prime time for pelagics SWANSEA

Jason Scerri coloratolures@hotmail.com

We have had the good flush that our waterways needed. Finally some much-needed rain has fallen with some follow-up falls as well, which has been fantastic not only for filling the dams but for also giving Lake Mac a good flush. The lake itself only ever gets a very small percentage of its water changed over each tide due to the layout of the lake, so it is critical for the health of the system to get rain to flush the system every now and then, and it had been some time since the last one. With the majority of the hot weather now behind us for another year, we start to look forward to the cooler weather species that we’ll target in coming months. Before we get to that stage, there is still some warm water action to be had. The gamefishing season is coming to an end but hopefully there is still a little sting in its tail, as it’s been a pretty good season so far with some red-hot marlin action off our little part of the coast. The past month or so has seen some fantastic marlin fishing, with a good mix of both striped and black marlin. The fish have been right along the coast, but the pick of the spots has been up north off Seal Rocks. Boat fishers have been scoring 5-10 fish a day, with some crews opting to pull skip baits initially but making the switch to livies once they locate the bait balls or feeding marlin. At this stage of the season we will expect to see the run of inshore marlin come to

an end. However, it’s not all done and dusted, as we turn our attention to the wider grounds and hopefully there will be some blue marlin action from the Norah Head Canyons region. It is a long run to these grounds, but it can often be worth the trip. It’s one of those ones where effort can equal reward, and along with the blue marlin you can also expect some

must take safety seriously. Obviously you should always consider your safety, but the point I make is that you’re a long way from home and a long way from help. Make sure all your safety gear is up to scratch, have plenty of food and water on board and have ample fuel for the trip. Also ensure you log on/ off with the marine rescue. As for the fishing side of

There’s still loads of kingfish around the entrance and lures are proving very successful on them. YFT, as they often call these canyons home throughout the year. For anglers wanting to head out that may not be experienced out that wide, I will say that this is one of those times that you

things, it’s no place for a spread of 10kg outfits, as 24kg outfits are preferred for these grounds. Also, upscale your lures. Generally I like a pair of skirts around 12-14” off the corners and a pair of 10” lures off the riggers,

with an 8 or 9” in the SG position if you’re running a five-lure spread. A little closer to home, the lake is producing some really good catches and we hope that this continues. I really look forward to this time of year, as it’s when I start to target the deep waters throughout the lake in search of those big flathead that the lake can produce. It’s also when I start getting good mulloway on lures fishing in these same deep locations. When I say deep, I’m looking at working the 8-10m depths, and it’s critical that bait is showing. If there is no sign of bait such as chopper tailor, then I won’t even bother dropping a lure. I have a few key areas I like to target, so I basically work my way around them until I find the bait balls I’m looking for, then work hard from there. The lake certainly has very good numbers of small to mid-size mulloway, but don’t be mistaken into thinking that’s all it offers. The next 20kg mulloway from the lake won’t be the last. Bream anglers will start to find the action going a little quiet on the flats, as the bulk of the bream gradually move into the deeper waters in the coming months. This doesn’t happen overnight, so it’s still very much worth a look over the flats every now and then, even during the cooler months at times. With the right conditions they will certainly still be there, however as they retreat you will find the numbers start to increase in locations such as Chain Valley Bay, Bonnels Bay and other similar areas throughout the lake. I generally opt for soft plastics if I’m chasing bream in the next few months. I

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Local angler Kai has been scoring some great fish of late and he didn’t miss out on the kingfish. like to hop the plastic slowly along the bottom or close to it and find this is a very productive method as the water temperatures cool. I don’t like to use plastics that are too large, so 2.5-3” plastics are ideal. Pelagics have been firing on all cylinders lately, with kingfish, salmon and bonito on the chew. Fishing the washes around Moon Island and rocky outcrops down as far south as Bird Island is a good way to find some action. There are a few methods that work well, so mix it up a little. If you’re having problems locating the fish, I suggest trolling a pair of hardbody lures. I like a shallow diving lure and a deeper running option. Mix the colours up and work the edge of the frothy

water from Moon Island and further south. Another method is to throw lures or flies around the birds that should be working off Moon Island. There is generally a good mix of species to be found, and they all fight hard, provide ample entertainment and many are equally good on the dinner plate. I will say, keep your lures as small as possible, but obviously not too small that you can’t cast them effectively. The amount of times I see anglers trying to throw a whole pilchard around on gang hooks and rarely hooking up is ridiculous. These fish are generally feeding on very small baitfish and they will rarely go for large pilchard type offerings, so match the hatch!

The best month to fish PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

April is without a doubt the best month of the year to be fishing the beautiful waterways of Port Stephens. There are so many options at this time of year that it’s sometimes hard to know what to target, with beach, estuary, inshore and offshore all firing. Inside the bay small pelagics like frigate mackerel, tailor and bonito are all hammering small baitfish, and don’t be surprised to see

the back of the bay right down to the entrance around Shoal Bay and the Boulders. Trying your luck for a mulloway in the deeper waters as well as wrecks and breakwalls is definitely worth a shot. The best bait for them will be live or fresh squid and you should have no problem getting these around the weed beds at Shoal Bay or Barnes Rocks. BEACHES It’s a really good time of year to catch yourself a feast from the beach, with good numbers of bream starting to

There’s also lots of fun to be had spinning lures for smaller pelagics such as mac tuna, bonito and tailor. Luderick will start to appear on the ocean rocks with Boulder Bay and Fingal proven producers. Squid have been thick in the calm protected bays and coves from Fingal through to Boat Harbour. OFFSHORE It’s a fantastic time to be live baiting the inshore reefs headlands and islands. Longtail tuna, cobia, big kingfish and the odd black

Dean with a solid bluefin tuna caught on a live yellowtail.

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Sean with a nice Port Stephens lizard caught from 30cm of water. longtail tuna in the mix either. For this reason I never travel anywhere without a metal or casting lure rigged up ready for any suddenly arising opportunities. The water is still warm, so there are plenty of whiting in the shallows around Nelson Bay to Jimmies Beach. Live worms will do the trick on these, especially on high tide. Quality bream will be lurking throughout the oyster racks, rocky islands and shoreline around the Soldiers Point area. They can be caught using small hardbodied lures or 2-3” plastics rigged on 1/12-1/24oz jigheads. Alternatively you can anchor up and cast lightlyweighted prawns or nippers down a berley trail for similar results. Dusky flathead have been fantastic this year and continue to be caught right through the system from Oyster Cove at

move and whiting still on the chew. Live worms will be by far the best bait to use for this. Just like in the estuary, mulloway are worth a red-hot go this month, with fresh squid or a live whiting or tailor the best chance of connecting to one. Tailor have been in good numbers from Fingal, Box and Stockton, especially during dawn and dusk periods. ROCKS If you’re a land-based game angler in Port Stephens, this is the time you wait all year for. Longtail tuna will be cruising the edges of the coastal rock ledges, terrorizing slimy mackerel, garfish and yellowtail schools, and the odd trophy cobia should be around. Casting large stickbaits and metals will catch them, but the most effective way is to catch yourself a live bait and suspend it a couple of metres under a float.

marlin make it a real lucky dip. Focus on any shallow reef that’s holding bait and you’ll be in with a huge chance of hooking any of the above. Snapper fishing really starts this month as they move into the shallows feeding on the large schools of bait. Early morning or late afternoon is by far the best chance of getting stuck into a few. If you’re using lures, drift over the reefs in less than 20m of water using 5-7” jerk shads on1/4-3/8oz jigheads. For bait fishing, anchor up where bait is concentrated and cast unweighted pilchards or mackerel fillets down a berley trail. Offshore, the FAD has been producing a few small but legal mahimahi and the epic marlin fishing we’ve had this year continues on the shelf.

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Anglers capitalise on good fresh in system HUNTER COAST

Joel Edwards

Since we last spoke a lot has changed in and around the Hunter Coast. After a long and hard fought dry spell, we have received a massive and

THE BEACH With the fresh running out between the walls it’s flushed some great fish onto nearby Stockton Beach. Bream and mulloway have been taken on fresh baits all along Novocastrians’ favourite beach fishing stretch. Live mullet,

Scratchie Thompson with a beautiful soft plastic caught snapper. much needed fresh dump through our systems. The large amount of rain has definitely put some colour in the Hunter, but not all is lost, as it’s brought with it some new opportunities.

yellowtail and dead slimy mackerel have been the undoing of some great quality mulloway. Choosing your areas carefully with the tides in mind will be crucial in putting yourself in the

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running for a run or two. If bream are your preference, fishing lightlyweighted cut baits and beachworms will ensure a red-hot chance of tangling with some bruiser bream, and possibly a few whiting and soapie mulloway. Birubi through to the Signa has been the stretch to do this. In the early mornings and late afternoons you will be an outside chance of a few chopper tailor and the odd Australian salmon from the foam. THE HUNTER With most of our warmer months being dry, our rivers were running super clear and we were lucky enough to experience great fishing in the upper reaches due to the salty stuff reaching as far upriver as it has in recent years. In a heartbeat our drought was broken in a big way with weeks of solid rain, flushing the Hunter with the best fresh we’ve had in a while. While this is great for the river and its surrounds, it can change the fishing dramatically. Anglers were forced to the lower reaches to chase the concentrated baitfish the rain flushed out. Some great reports of school mulloway

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The author and his pal Kit with the results of a double hookup on solid reds. Both were fooled with soft plastics. were coming from the end of both walls from those using a variety of soft plastics and hardbodies. There was the odd bigger model encountered too. During a run of fresh can be a great time to target mulloway, as the mullet often congregate in the dirty water at the mouth of the river and in turn the

the knobbies are still firing. Broughton Island to the north has been a standout, with some great fish taken on soft plastics and cut baits. I was lucky enough to experience a top shallow water session recently with good mate Kit Borton, with some bruiser snapper taken on light line. Jeff ‘Scratchie’

Thomas Menzies with a perfect example of the reward that comes with creeping while most others are sleeping. mulloway follow. Bream are another great target when the weather’s rough. Horseshoe Beach is a great spot to fish a lightly-weighted or even unweighted mullet strip over the shallow sand and rocks in search of a blue-nosed bruiser. A small suicide hook and the lightest line you dare to use is the best way to bring a few undone. With our seasons changing and the weather improving, the river will clean up and all will be back to normal in no time. We are approaching a great time of year around the Hunter Coast, with the mullet now on the move. OFFSHORE The currents have been favourable inshore lately, with many small black marlin being taken on live bait in quite close, giving the small boat crews a shot at a beaky. Drifting or slowly motoring live slimy mackerel while closely watching your sounder is the ticket to tangle with an inshore black. I’ve even heard of a few being hooked while snapper fishing. Speaking of snapper,

Thompson has been braining the snapper on Gulp 7” jerkshads in yakka colour, and reported that the bite has really been on fire. There’s also been a great run of bonito around

year. The Surecatch Knight and Bishop in a variety of sizes are my go-to metals for spinning the rocks for bonito, tailor and salmon. AUSSIE BASS The recent rains have really fired up our local freshwater impoundments, with both Lake St Clair and Lostock fishing well after the rise in water levels. With the edges of the dams flooded and a whole manner of bugs, shrimp and small baitfish on the move in the grass and weed, the bass are feeding hard before their decent into the depths for the cooler months. Surface luring in the low light conditions has been a hit, with some great fish taken on poppers and walkthe-dog type baits. Once the sun’s up, the reaction type baits have been the juice to fool some bronzed battlers. Lipless crankbaits, suspending jerkbaits and soft plastics have been the standout. Local young gun Will Kleinshafer of Well Played Fishing on Youtube has been braining the Lostock bass on a variety of techniques and

The author took this big greenback tailor under the cover of darkness. These thugs won’t be far away from the washes and beach gutters. our headlands and inshore bommies. Firing metal slugs from the rocks is a great way to fill your bag with these speedsters. Whether you’re after them to eat or for bait, the humble bonito is a great target at this time of

says that the rain has them fired up. All in all, April will be a month of mixed bags, but switched on anglers will still experience great results, with hard work and thinking being the ticket to success.

Post-flood action in local waters ERINA

Aaron Donaldson

We asked for it and we certainly got it! The rains came in a big way and that certainly didn’t do the fishing much good in the short term, as the floodwaters filled our estuaries with chocolate brown water, and it’s only just beginning to clear. Brisbane Waters has been super tough with so much freshwater at once, and your only hope has been moving into deeper water and trying to target the fish that can be concentrated down in the salt layer near the bottom. Vibes are the go-to in cloudier water for me, as the vibration can help the fish find your lure in the deeper water. It’s not all doom and gloom though, because as the waters clear, the fishing should really turn on as the

water temperatures start to cool. This is also one of the best times to target the estuary mulloway, as the mullet will begin to school. With this, it’s time to throw

around some larger lures at night, and particularly around some form of illumination on the water. Following the mullet as well will be the larger bream,

A recent estuary perch by-catch taken on fly while chasing bream.

which can provide a lot of fun on the lighter gear. Rock fishing has been a similar story, and the start to the spinning season was a total fizzer, with pea soup water for weeks out the front of Terrigal. Now, however, there should be some awesome pelagic action at all the usual ledges, with frigate mackerel, various bonito and mac tuna around in numbers. This action should continue for a few weeks yet. The beaches have been quiet, except for a few nice mulloway being captured up around the entrance. They have been mostly caught on large soft plastic shads. Gamefishing has been red-hot, with an awesome bite of black and striped marlin – the only problem has been that the fish have stayed well north of us. A lot of local boats have been making the drive up to Port Stephens, but I’d say the fishing should improve out the front as April progresses.

Bonito action has been red-hot off the rocks.

Offshore options in overdrive HUNTER COAST

Shannon Malone

With all the devastating bushfires that swept across the nation, we need to stop and think about those that have

have regenerated into lush green growth but it will take some time, and in some cases years, for everything to return to normal. If you come across any signs of contaminated waterways or dead and dying marine life, be sure to notify NSW DPI or

Joel Nancarrow with a solid mahimahi caught off Newcastle. been affected directly by all of this, including the wildlife. Although us humans tend to regroup and rebuild communities after a disaster, it’s going to take some time to repopulate a lot of our native wildlife in those heavily affected areas. It’s not just those creatures on dry land that are affected. Inland rivers, creeks, dams and streams also feel the brunt, especially after rain, which fell in a lot of the fire-affected areas. What the rain did was wash in all of the ash and debris left behind from the fires including large quantities of agricultural chemicals, pesticides, and fertilisers from properties. By now most of the blackened landscape would

the local council so clean up measures can be put in place. With the mullet yet again making their annual migration up the coast, it will bring out the big predators of all shapes and sizes, including mulloway, kingfish and cobia to name a few, as well as plenty of sharks. The fishing continues to deliver quality catches nevertheless, with some great bream, whiting, mulloway and flathead bags seen over the last few weeks. The harbour is producing as per usual, and with some heavy rain throughout late January and February in the northern region of NSW, it should have pushed a lot of bait and prawns into the main rivers. This run of bait brings the predators, and there aren’t too many species that won’t eat a

prawn, and because of this they are a very reliable bait for all forms of bait fishing. Locally-caught prawns will often do the damage over the pre-packaged varieties, but a prawn is a prawn to a fish that is hungry enough. Pilchards are another go-to bait, and there are so many options for presenting a pilly. You can use them whole or halved, filleted or in cubes, and again almost everything will have a crack at it. So if you’re undecided about what bait to use, you can always rely on prawns and pillies. Mulloway of all sizes are being caught along from Tourle St bridge just up from the coal and wheat terminals. Other hot spots like Hexham and Stockton bridges, the main basin of the harbour and along Stockton and Nobbys Head certainly will produce fish, especially with the mullet schooling up. On the beaches tailor, whiting, bream, mulloway and salmon reports are still solid. Early morning or late afternoon are the best times, especially if it’s around a tide change. For the rock anglers there’s drummer, luderick, snapper, tailor, mac tuna and bonito, with the big one to target being longtail tuna. Longtails really test anglers’ abilities. You need to get them in before the taxman does! Live baiting slimies under a balloon or float is the preferred method, but often finding a good platform that’s not already crowded is the main challenge, and fishing with others that show zero courtesy when you hook up is the other obstacle. Most

rock anglers will be only too happy to keep their gear clear of yours while you’re fighting a fish or even assist you. The room for error is minimal at the best of times, but having unaccommodating anglers around you sometimes makes it impossible to land a fish. Offshore has been fishing well, with mahimahi and marlin putting on a show for the tournament season. The East Coast game fishing clubs have been battling it out for cash and prizes, with the main event being the Newcastle Port Stephens Game Fishing Club Billfish Shootout. This competition had around 160 or so boats entered saw plenty of stripes and blues tagged and released, and only nine blacks. All up over 150 billfish were tagged in total in the two-day event Conditions

Daniel Fitzgerald with the remains of a decent tuna caught recently. Some days you have to get them in quick to beat the sharks! and the waves were washing the life raft and other objects overboard in the mayhem. Most of the action was a little north of the ‘carpark’, which is renowned for holding bait and plenty of pelagics. Although the billfish turned up later than expected, the good numbers late in the season are keeping anglers amused, with rigger poles

Not to be outdone, the same day Joel’s wife Kristy hooked up to this solid model. on the Saturday morning were not the greatest, with the local marine rescue crew deployed to assist one of the larger vessels that had taken a couple of big waves at the heads. Their engines failed

lined with flags and some of the main contenders putting in the time to rack up club points for the season. A few nice yellowfin and bigeye tuna are also getting caught, and most have been

out wide, but there were reports of them inside the shelf line. These guys are always a welcome by-catch for most game fishers, and it’s hard to beat the eating qualities of yellowfin tuna from the deep. They put up an intense battle too, especially on the lighter line classes. The snapper fishing has been satisfying on the inshore reefs, especially in places like Dudley, Merewether, Catherine Hill Bay, Bird Island to the south and the back of the Sygna further to the north. Drifting with unweighted pillies or plastics and up around Anna Bay, Fingal and of course Broughton Island has produced plenty of fish in the 1-3kg range, and some quality kings up to 10kg in similar locations. The odd perch, bonito and mulloway is also on offer. Some decent flathead are coming off the gravel patches for those chasing a feed, and often the best method is drifting with a paternoster type rig. I normally run a bait on the bottom hook and either a bait or a soft plastic off the top about a metre or so up. APRIL 2020

Great autumn to make up for lost summer NOWRA

Johnny Nolan straydog1974@gmail.com

I sort of feel that we were robbed of our South Coast summer, with the fires and floods and all that was going on. However, I am quite partial to autumn, and I do think it really is the best time of year for stability in the weather, opening up some great fishing opportunities.

Versatility is the key to being a successful fisho in most places, and our area is no exception, with so many different waters to fish. There is almost always somewhere you can go in most conditions, whether it be out on the blue chasing species like yellowtail kingfish and marlin, or in the tranquil setting of a little bush creek chasing our little bronze battler the Australian bass.

OFFSHORE As the water offshore begins to cool a little, the large schools of smaller rat kings of summer start to disappear and some better quality fish are starting to show their heads around both the rocks and the offshore reefs. Once upon a time these larger fish were targeted almost exclusively by the live baiters, but not anymore. The popper and stickbait fishos have really

taken kingy fishing into the 21st century. Techniques and tackle really have been a big part of this and our area lends itself to the activity. The local tackle shops in our

just so resilient, and after fires and then floods it’s amazing that they are doing so well. All the creeks in our area are full and flowing well and are full of bass,

ST GEORGES BASIN I’ve chatted to a few different fishers over the past month about the basin, and there are some very mixed reports. There were

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town now hold a good range of stickbaits and tackle to target these big kings, so if you’re wanting to give it a go, go in and have a chat with them and they can set you up with the gear to suit your budget. Don’t get me wrong, bait will always

which are now accessing pools they hadn’t been able to for a few years. The dams too are now full, and the tributaries that run into them have some good fish movement in them. A lot of the bass were landlocked in our waterways before the

a few fishers doing really well, describing their sessions as ‘almost a fish a cast’. They have been using blades for mixed species from snapper to flounder. Other anglers were really struggling to even get a flatty. I guess it

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Simon with a cracking South Coast creek bass taken on an Owner Flashy Swimmer in just one of the many creeks in the area. have its place for kingy fishing, but if you start watching all the stuff on YouTube about stickbaiting for kings you will surely get hooked on this explosive and adrenalin-pumping type of fishing. CREEKS ARE ALIVE! After a pretty tough summer the good old Aussie bass are making a good comeback. These fish are

floods, but these fish are now free to roam these waters, making them more active in their hunt for food, and in turn making for some better fishing! I like my surface lure fishing for bass, but as the water cools a little and they are less tuned into the surface, there are other lures like weedless soft plastics, hardbodies and spinnerbaits that come into their own.

really is a case of covering the water in the basin and moving on to the next spot if nothing’s going. This is especially true when the air and water temperature is transitioning. That’s it from me for this month! Enjoy your Easter break and remember to keep cool as the crowds arrive. Remember, fishing is meant to be fun!

Don’t have to go far for a feed! ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

April has the Easter break, and with Easter comes the full moon and with the full moon in April come the snapper right into the shallows around the headlands and bommies! Evenings are the best times to target them, as they feed from late afternoon into the night, and conditions at this time of the year are usually very calm. Pick a spot around any of the inshore bommies and shallow inshore reefs, put down the anchor and start a berley trail. Fish unweighted baits of

If you want better bait, then there are plenty of bonito, small mac tuna and even a few late frigate mackerel slashing about in the schools of baitfish along the coast. Fresh tuna for bait is even better for the snapper and the frames are the best berley. With few of these under your belt you almost can’t miss! Out around the islands and the deeper drop-offs and peaks there are plenty of nice kingfish getting about. Live baits are the best way to chase them, with downrigged squid and large slimy mackerel being the pick. Small mackerel and yellowtail will be quickly nailed by the hordes of

for mahimahi, with some better fish around of late, as the little schoolies seem to have moved on. If you chase marlin, now is the time to fish wide of the shelf for the big blues that April has always been renowned for, but there is the chance of blacks and a better chance of stripes, so a grand slam is always on the cards this month. The water is always warmer out wide at this time of the year, so the wahoo might be around as well, so there is still plenty to chase on the gamefishing scene. Back in close the flathead are doing their thing over all the sand patches along the coast,

Left: There are still a few flatties on the beach for anglers to catch before it gets too cold. Right: Some solid bonito hang about the reefs during April. mackerel and yellowtail fillets or half pilchards. If there are any about they will find you. The plastic tossers will score a few during the day, but the fish are mostly in shallow water, so you can’t set half a dozen rods and drift along in shallow water, you have to cast and work your offerings. Most of the snapper caught will have a belly full of crushed shells and mussels, so that is probably what they come into the shallows to feed on. There is a great plus side to this type of fishing, and that is the by-catch, with plenty of bream, tailor, salmon, bonito, trevally and mulloway all loving the berley. There is a negative, and that is all the small whaler sharks, and some big ones get around just on dark in the shallows, but they go alright on the BBQ too, so it’s not that bad.

bonito that are about at the moment, and some of them will be whoppers. These fish can be worth targeting when they are 4-5kg and on light line they go like the clappers. Trolling stickbaits and saltwater flies around where the kings are holding is a good method. Alternatively on the reefs like Bandit and Wollongong, put down a trail of pilchard cubes for best results. A few reds are always on the cards when fishing this way too. Around 20 years ago you would be chasing yellowfin tuna when cubing with the pilchards and the bonnies would be a nuisance by-catch, but now we chase the bonnies. It’s a bit sad really. Further out there is still a chance of a few yellowfin tuna, as they still come through around the shelf at this time of year, but nothing like they used to be. The water is still warm, so the FADs are worth a look

with good catches for all those who chase them. The pigfish, mowies, Samson and trevally are about, and even a few pearl perch and emperor have been hanging about after coming down on the warm water over summer. So the bottom bouncers are having some really good results. The beaches are still firing, with some nice mulloway about and looking good for the full moon, and you may even get a snapper off the beach or stones over Easter if you are lucky. There are plenty of tailor after dark taking ganged pilchards, and bream and salmon are grabbing pilchard pieces in the deeper gutters. Flathead are worth targeting with plastics and bait, but they will slow down next month as the water starts to cool. This doesn’t seem to affect the whiting too much, as they get fewer in numbers but much bigger in size, and

if you throw in a few dart, getting some worms and fishing the falling tide is worth a shot. On the rocks there is plenty of fun to be had on the deeper ledges, with schools of bonito, mac tuna, salmon, tailor and trevally grabbing lures, but make sure you keep a live yellowtail, garfish or mackerel out at all times, as this month the longtails will have moved down the coast. They can swim past at any time of the day, but dawn and dusk are the best times. Nothing beats that first run of a solid longtail, and they get big in this neck of the woods, with 20kg fish and better the norm. Throw in a few decent kingfish and there is plenty of solid gamefish action on the stones! In the washes there are some solid drummer starting to bite, and a bit of bread will get them going and bring in the bream and trevally that are in the washes as well. It’s worth collecting some weed, as the big bronze blackfish will be moving along the coast this month. There is just something addictive about watching that float disappear when a blackfish takes the bait before you strike. They will be on most headlands with a bit of wash, and in the harbours if we get a bit of foul weather. The estuaries have slowed a little, but there are good numbers of solid flathead coming out of the lake and Minnamurra. Bream are in the deeper holes around the bridges and in the feeder streams of the lake as well. Chopper tailor are still all over the lake, while Minnamurra has a few trevally around the entrance at night, along with some nice bream. Get stuck into it this month, as next month the light southwesters will start to turn into fully blown westerlies and it gets cold and dark early. Good luck!

Snapper will be in close this month on the full moon, munching on shellfish.

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Anglers return after the fires BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Life is starting to settle a little for residents along the South Coast since the devastation from the fires, and people are starting to return to the area, especially those who are looking to catch fish. Bermagui is recovering quickly, and some of the first

visitors to return to the area are the game fishers – and haven’t they been having a ball with the marlin! All three species are out there at present, with striped marlin being the most prevalent. The blacks and blues are of a better size, and April is a month where most of the bigger blues are caught. This season has also seen a lot of mahimahi caught, with some surprisingly large captures. Most of these have been taken from around the

floats off the lobster traps out on the continental shelf east of Montague Island. Speaking of the island, the kingfish have been very active up there. Although they’re not big fish, they are a lot of fun on light gear. Bonito are mixing in with the kings just to add a bit of spice. Another popular species, the mako shark, has made its presence felt up and down the coast this season. Out wide down deep with

Tailor can be found in many locations around Bermi, and a prime area is the breakwall at the entrance to the harbour.

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the aid of electric reels and the calm autumn weather, species such as hapuka, blue-eye trevalla, ling and cods are all on the short list. For those who don’t want to venture as far, the close to shore grounds have plenty to offer in the form of flathead, gummy shark, and gurnard over the flatter areas, while the reefy structure is now starting to produce snapper. There are also lots of morwong, both jackass and blue, along with some nice ocean perch, pigfish and those ever-present (and often annoying) leatherjackets. Back on shore along the beaches, sand whiting are in good numbers and only too willing to take a well-presented beachworm or nipper. Nippers are sometimes easier to acquire than worms, and they will work quite nicely off the beach. Salmon are plentiful at present along the coast, and they can be caught from the beach, rocks and boat or in the estuaries that are open to the ocean. Sadly the rain event that followed the fires didn’t fall heavily enough in the coastal catchment to open lakes like Wallaga, Cuttagee

Bermagui River has a very healthy population of luderick. or Barragoot to the ocean, which means these areas are fishing tough. However, Bermagui River and Wapengo Lake, which are open to the ocean, are thriving with some interesting fish species. In the Bermagui River you can expect the usual array of species like bream, whiting, luderick or flathead, of which there have been some very large specimens encountered.

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Coming together for fire-ravaged community BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

It’s time for some relief, whether it be fishing, fund raising or just taking some time out. Things are slowly getting back to normal after the fires. We are starting to see people coming back and supporting the area, and some of our fishing community are coming together to support muchneeded fishing events. The fishing should be good this month. We have had a lot of rain lately that has stirred things up, and by

depends what you want to chase. After the rain the systems shut down and there wasn’t much on, so heading offshore chasing marlin was where the water remained blue and full of life. There has been a good run of mahimahi this season, and they have easily been found at the FADs and have quite readily taken lures on the troll. We expect this to continue right through April. The marlin have had quite a solid run, with a couple of quieter weeks and some very good weeks. It’s been a little up and down, but overall it’s

Kye Forrest has mastered the art of catching mulloway on lures. April we should see some stability in the weather and in the fishing. It has been a strange summer, with thick smoke covering the skies and unseasonable temperatures followed by floods, so some stability would be a good change. Through it all though, the fishing has remained very consistent, it just

been a great season that should also continue well into April. Jervis Bay has been the standout location this year, with Ulladulla and Batemans Bay also having some consistency. Bermagui to Eden has seen some good days, and in the last few years the further south you go, the better. However, it seems the

action was mainly between Batemans and Jervis this year. After the rain and the dirty water began to settle down, the snapper were into it! There has been a bit of swell activity and rain, so things are dirty and stirred up and this fires the snapper up. They have been found in good numbers and sizes from 5-15m. You can get them out deeper, but there has been some good fishing in the shallows and even land-based. This will stay good or get even better as the squid start spawning during April. Squid will be in full swing this month, and there is no greater bait for snapper, kingies and mulloway – except for maybe slimies. This month is a good time to go to your favourite ledge late in the arvo and catch some squid for dinner and then use them immediately for mulloway, or freeze them and use them within the next few days for snapper. The bream didn’t seem to mind the dirty water and were reacting to really smelly baits like mullet gut. Now the water has cleared, the flatties are back on the chew and everything seems to be getting back to normal, with whiting, trevally and luderick all coming back out. The beaches have been good lately, with good numbers of salmon, big trevally and tailor getting around. Moruya breakwall was one of the first places to fire up since the big rain and it even had schools of kingies poking around. It will be good if that continues in April. Last year the water remained warmish offshore throughout winter, which is particularly good for Montague, and this saw the kingies bite all year long. Upstream and inland, the rain has been very welcomed and has given

Georgia Poyner got on top of the kings recently. the bass fishers a reason to check out their haunts with some success. It seems everything throughout the region is quite resilient and is trying to bounce back after the worst bushfire season in history. SOUTH COAST BONANZA One major event is the South Coast Bonanza, which is supporting the local SES this year. This event will be held at Batemans Bay on 18-19 April. There are a lot of sponsors this year all doing their bit to help out for a great cause, including The Daily Telegraph, Compleat Angler, Shimano, Garmin, Rapala, Samaki, Mad Dog Boats, and many more. This is a great family-friendly fishing event for everyone from the novice to the advanced. Everyone’s a winner, with plenty of gift bags and prizes given out. There will be a big night out on the Saturday night of the event, where fishing celebrities come and support the area to help us raise

funds for the SES. This will be a great get-together and fun night for all.

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Snapper, salmon and squid MERIMBULA

Craig Gilligan

In recent weeks, there have been plenty of snapper caught along Haycock Point out off Lennards Island and Long Point. A good place to try is off Long Point from 32-41m on the northern side of the reef. A lot of the snapper have been going really well on micro jigs. Even pros are targeting snapper using micro jigs, particularly the Catch NZ Double Trouble 60g in orange assassin and Nomad Streakers in 60g gold and pink. If you’re using soft plastics or micro jigs, keep your leader size to around 16lb. Anglers are picking up quite a few flathead in depths of 34-42m around the area. There are still plenty of squid at Merimbula Wharf, and the best times are early in the morning, late in the evening and at night. The standout squid jig at the

A couple of cracking squid from Merimbula Wharf. Glow jigs at night seem to be the go. Adam Bamford caught this snapper off Merimbula on a Catch Double Trouble jig. Image courtesy of Micro Jigging NSW.

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moment is the Yamashita Egi Sutte-R in black/silver when fishing at night. Go as light as you can with the jig, wind permitting (you don’t want belly in the line). You should also bring a UV torch to activate the UV in your jig. Anglers have been picking up some gummies on Horseshoe Reef, with specimens up to 4ft. You can catch them on a paternoster, or anchor up and drop down a running sinker rig baited with sinker trevally or squid. There are also a lot of bronzies being caught by surf anglers at Tura Beach and Haycock. In the bay we’re seeing a lot of flathead coming

from 16-32m of water, taking pilchards and squid. Kingfish are chasing bait around the wharf, and are being trolled up on squid imitations such as 100g Catch Squidwings in white warrior. A couple of bigger kings to 13kg have been speared off the wharf as well. There are also schools of kings busting up off Long Point. If you can get live squid, slow trolling them is a very effective way to catch them, followed by slimy mackerel. The lakes are also fishing pretty well, with lots of whiting schooling up down towards the entrance during the last couple of hours of the run-out tide. The best baits are live beachworms and nippers, but if you

can’t get your own bait you can always use frozen worms or pipis. A bit of red tubing or red bead on your rig can help to attract the whiting, especially if you’re using pipis. In the channel there are a lot of trevally and tailor being taken at the bridge at night. You can see them in the current under the light from the bridge, and cast to them with a soft plastic, twitching it in front of their noses. The Powerbait 3” Minnow in pearl watermelon has been very effective on these fish. Up in the lake the duskies are biting pretty well, particularly around the edges of the lake on the drop-offs. Most are undersize, but they are To page 47

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Big flush out for Tuross area a welcome relief MORUYA

Nick Toozoff

The Moruya River is still running a little dirty on the run-out tide, but it’s more tannin-stained than turbid. The mud and ash has been washed out, and the storm debris such as burnt logs and branches are either on the beach or floating around in the ocean. The river is fishing quite From page 46

still good fun and there’s always the chance of a keeper amongst them.

well. Plenty of flathead and bream are being caught, particularly in the lower half of the river where you get more saline water. As the weeks pass the river will continue to clear up, provided we don’t get more significant rain events. There’s a lot of bait in the form of slimy mackerel on the inshore reefs and around the headlands, and they’re quite large at around 25-35cm. This has attracted kingfish, a few

of which have come up the river mouth chasing bait. The kingies are being caught on livebait, trolled hardbodies and jigged. These fish like a bit of run in the tide, so mid-tide is the best time to target them. Tuross had a really good flush out, so the main channel is running deep and strong at the moment. It was suffering from diminished flows before the fresh, but plenty of water is coming in and out of the system now.

Two of the best soft baits at the moment are the 3” Powerbait Gotam Shad in natural and the 3” ZMan

StreakZ in bloodworm. The tailor schools in the lake have been providing anglers with some fun sessions, and there are some good size greenbacks amongst them, with specimens up to 55cm. Using deeper divers (down to 2.5m) is a good way to catch them, with good options including the Strike Pro Galaxia Minnow and Atomic Hardz Shiner 60 Deep. You can also spin 15g metals for both tailor and salmon around the bridge at night. A few of our staff members have been walking the beach spinning metals and getting salmon to 3kg. There aren’t too many freshwater reports at the moment, but that should change in the coming month. • Merimbula Compleat Angler & Camping World has two levels of camping, fishing and kayaking equipment, and the knowledgeable staff are dedicated to providing you with an enjoyable shopping experience, as well as saving you time and money. Drop in and see the friendly team at 3 Market St, Merimbula, or visit their online store at www.campfishkayak. com.au. You can also see the latest catches, fishing news, special promotions and product releases on their Facebook page.

Geoff Fallon with a nice dusky flathead.

It’s running fairly tannin stained on an outgoing tide but is clearing up as the tide comes in. There are plenty of flathead being caught down the front, taking live baits such as poddy mullet, 3-7” soft plastics, or hardbodies either cast or trolled. Good numbers of bream and whiting are also being caught. The main beaches are fishing really well. Since the flush-out, a lot of bream and whiting have moved out of the rivers onto the beaches and are being taken on beachworms or pipis. All the good gutters are holding lots of fish. A lot of salmon turned up, with all the headlands and beaches producing good numbers of fish around the 4kg mark. They are taking ganged pillies, metal slices and poppers, or you can try 4-5” soft plastics if you want to try something different. You should retrieve the plastic a bit slower than you would a metal, with a slow to medium roll to get the tail working. Mix up the retrieve and find out what the fish want on the

day. Any baitfish pattern is generally good, or if the water is dirty you can try a brighter colour. Offshore, plenty of flathead and snapper have been caught in recent weeks. If you want to try artificials, you can get good results on 4-6” soft plastics such as 6” Berkley Jiggin Grubs in nuclear chicken, white or pink shine. Early mornings and late evenings are better for snapper, while the flathead can bite throughout the day. Out at the shelf the current is still running fairly strong from the north, which is bringing a lot of marlin down. There are still a lot of billfish being caught by those game crews eager enough to get out and chase them, and this should continue. There are still a few kingfish around too, particularly down around Montague. Bear in mind that the floods have created a few navigation hazards in the form of logs floating around, so keep an eye out for the next couple of months. The good news is that the logs

attract marine growth and baitfish, making them a drive-through takeaway for mahimahi. If the water is warm enough this month, these fish are a definite possibility. In the freshwater, the bass must be very happy to have increased flows back again. Unfortunately there was a bit of a fish kill as a result of the ash in the upper sections of the Clyde, Moruya and Tuross rivers, so they’ll take a little while to recover. From April, most of those bass fisheries will be closed for spawning and the increased water flows will help the spawn run. It is recommend to let the bass spawn undisturbed, to help the populations to recover. • The team at Tackle World Moruya are all passionate local anglers who strive to provide the best service and advice on where to fish, what gear to use and the techniques best suited to different species. Drop in and see them on the corner of Ford and Queen Streets, give them a call on (02) 4474 4381 or visit www. gonefishinmoruya.com.au.

Staff member David Parker landed some nice salmon jigging off the beach.

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Visitors start to return MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The good news is there has been enough rain to put out all the bushfires

in the area. The roads are finally open and visitors are starting to return, with fishing in the lake being the main drawcard. The caravan parks are open, with plenty of holiday rentals available.

Mikey with an 84cm flathead caught on a soft plastic.

Mallacoota is taking part in the Victorian Fisheries promotion to get people back to East Gippsland after the devastation caused by the bushfires over the holiday season. A number of fish have been tagged and released, and the first 10 anglers to catch one of these tagged fish will win $10,000 each. Tagged fish caught after that will earn the angler $2,000. To find out more details, including all of the eligible species, go to the Victoria Fisheries website at www.vfa.vic.gov.au and search for ‘Golden Tag’. It is no secret that the ongoing problem for the East Gippsland Shire is the Bastion Point boat ramp. Whatever the reason – location, design etc. – it just hasn’t worked, with dredging taking place eight days a week and sand piling up alongside, then returning to where it lives overnight. This is all at the expense of the ratepayers of Mallacoota, and explains why there is little left for other infrastructure projects within the town. Those anglers heading to Mallacoota to go offshore fishing are taking a gamble, as there’s every chance you

At the boat ramp at Bastion Point, the sand is moving in faster than it can be dredged. won’t get to go due to sand build up (which is affected by such factors as swell, tide and dredging). If this problem persists, it’s going to make things tough when the local abalone divers start their season. With no offshore fishing taking place out of Mallacoota over the past month, the only fishing to report has been further to the north out of Eden, where there have been good size mahimahi being caught.

There will be more to report over the coming months. At the time of writing the water temperature on the local beaches is around 20°C, which is ideal for swimming. The old harbour at Mallacoota is a particularly good spot for a swim. The Bottom Lake is still fishing well, with plenty of flathead being caught. Soft plastics are catching plenty of fish, and the best bait has been fresh local

prawns. The prawning has been excellent, with good size prawns being caught around the front of the lake. It takes no time at all to catch a good feed. If you’re chasing bream, the Top Lake has been the best area to fish, with bream being caught as far upstream as Gypsy Point. The coming months will see more catches to report as more visitors will come to the area get amongst the fish.

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River floods bring back tourists TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

It has been a couple of months since the devastation of the fires along the South Coast, and how things have changed. Not long after the fires, revitalising rains came to the Bega catchment, taking Brogo Dam from 10% to 112% overnight. This rain event caused flooding at the Brogo and the Bega rivers, and then downstream to Tathra, forcing the opening of the Bega River to the ocean. This could not have come at a better time, allowing fresh fish stocks to re-enter the river system, and with so much food being abundant, the fish are all fired up and only too willing to feed. So what fish would you expect to find now the river has opened? Yellowfin bream are one of the first species to move into the river. These

nomadic migrating fish look for opportunities to enter lakes or rivers open to the ocean, especially those that have been land locked for

the system reopens to the ocean, these organisms go out of whack, thus creating a free-for-all feeding frenzy for the many fish species

Bream are one of the first species to enter the Bega River now that it is reopened to the ocean. a while. When a system is closed to the ocean, lots of the food sources these fish feed on like worms, nippers, prawns, shellfish and others have time to replenish. When

moving into the river before these creatures re-adapt to tidal movement. Along with the bream, there are plenty of dusky flathead, whiting, tailor,

trevally, mullet and some mulloway looking to cash in on the feast. It’s also time to think about fishing the adjacent beach to the entrance, as you are likely to encounter some of the same species, especially whiting through the day, salmon on the higher tides and of a night, mulloway, tailor or maybe a gummy shark or two. April also has the school holidays, so where better to spend it than at the Tathra Wharf? Here a host of different species will pass by or take up residence. Kids will have a ball with slimy mackerel schools that frequent the area. These fish will turn up briefly at times, where multiple hook-ups can produce mayhem. Salmon, bonito, frigate mackerel or the odd kingfish are some larger species often encountered, while trevally, yellowtail or sand flathead are also common. Offshore for the boaties there are flathead in abundance, both sand and tigers, with a few gummy

Brogo Dam was spilling after the dam went from 10% to 112% in less than 24 hours. sharks thrown in for good measure. The reefs are also starting to fire, with some nice captures of snapper, morwong, perch and pigfish. Gamefish are also out wider, with marlin being the targeted species at present out towards the edge of the continental shelf. There are some tuna starting to show, with the odd small yellowfin or albacore, and this season has seen more mako sharks lurking around than in previous years. Back to Brogo Dam, now that it has filled, what does it mean for the bass

fishery there? Thankfully I haven’t heard of any fish kills coming from the dam before or after the rains, and these events have occurred at times over the last 24 years of stocking bass into the dam. In the past it has seemingly had no repercussions on the fish stocks, so hopefully there will be none this time either but only time will tell. The good news is the stocking program is still progressing as usual, so even if the fish stocks have been affected, given time it should be back to its full fishing potential.

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NAGAMBIE

Goulburn Weir: a jewel in the Nagambie system FMG Caltex Wahring

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April is a busy time for the Nagambie area. The second ever GoFish Nagambie will hopefully happen this year (it has been postponed), bringing a multitude of anglers from far and wide. The Goulburn Weir is a particular highlight of the river, and after spending a couple of days with our Nagambie report writer, Sunny Martins, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the diversity of fishing options. ACCESS TO THE WATERWAY This is probably the biggest challenge of fishing the weir section of the Goulburn River. It is predominantly flanked by private property so there is limited shore-based angling. However, there is a section adjacent to Goulburn Weir Road that has good shore access and is known for holding good numbers of golden perch.

pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

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and users need to take care when using it. It would only take one person doing the wrong thing to make the ramp unusable. Once on the water, please be aware that shallow water and structure are never too far away. FISHING THE WEIR The Nagambie section of the Goulburn has been heavily stocked by VFA for quite some time. The hard work put in by the local angling club in conjunction

The author loves fishing with spinnerbaits and got this decent golden perch rolling his Obsession Spinnerbait down the rocky bank in the background. scrubworm or cheese fished vertically when tied up to a willow or any of the abundant timber in slightly deeper water has a big chance of success. Getting quality baits can sometimes be an issue but Nagambie Outdoors sells

Cod tend to push out of the deeper creek and river channels to feed along the numerous reed beds and muds flats. Set yourself up to drift along a drop-off and cast towards the reed edges or if you have ventured out

It definitely pays to have a few hardbody lures on board when you are fishing the Goulburn Weir. Australian-made Kuttafurra lures are popular amongst the locals. If you have a boat, life is a little easier. There are a number of boat ramps upstream of the weir that provide water access and

then it is just a matter of navigating your way down to the weir. Care should be taken, as there is plenty of timber in the water you’ll

hit if you are a little off course. The only public boat ramp at the weir itself is a dirt ramp at Cozens Lane. It is a small boat ramp only

Sunrise is a great time to be on the water throwing surface lures.

The boat ramp at Cozens Lane is only suitable for small boats. 50

APRIL 2020

with Fisheries is really starting to bear fruit, as the area, particularly the Goulburn Weir section, is starting to produce some serious Murray cod and golden perch. What is even more impressive is the array

fresh baits locally and Boats and More in Shepparton always has good fresh baits available. Surface lures and swimbaits I am not sure if there is a more exciting way to

during the night, drift and cast the timbered flats. Don’t be afraid to use big lures, as it doesn’t seem to deter smaller fish from biting and it may well be the catalyst to hooking that fish of a lifetime. Popular lure options

NAGAMBIE are the Barambah Baby Bidjiwong and Bidjiwong, the Kuttafurra Creepers and

Rats, and the Zerek Stalker and Live Swimbaits. All will catch their fair share of fish.

Take the time to fish each piece of structure thoroughly. Native fishing is not always about getting a fish on the first cast.

Hardbodied lures In many cases, once the sun has made its way over the horizon it is time to look at other lure options. The key is still to target structure and shade pockets, and to use a lure that dives to the correct depth relating to the water you are fishing. Sunny Martins had two rods set up, one with a 2-3m diver and the other with a 4-5m diver. He basically cast under every willow and every laydown we came across. There were quite a few lilypad stands that he also peppered when we came across them. Whenever you are doing this type of fishing, make sure you hit each piece of structure from every angle. It is not always the first cast that catches the fish. Some good lures to have in your arsenal are the Gidgee Fatty Jnr, the Kuttafurra Mudhoney, the ever-reliable StumpJumper and the Goulburn Lures Codger. All are proven lures in the Nagambie system. Lipless crankbaits More and more anglers are using lipless crankbaits to target native fish and they are very effective in the Goulburn Weir. The key is finding either deeper water along an edge or structure in close proximity to a change in depth. Fish your crankbait deep with slow hops. This

There are plenty of redfin in the system. Get a few this size and you have a great feed. is a particularly effective method when the fishing is tough. It seems to annoy the fish enough to get a reaction from them. The Jackall Doozer is the most popular crankbait amongst anglers, but I am sure there are other options.

Spinnerbaits Fishing with spinnerbaits is very close to my heart and they are a fantastic option throughout the weir section of the river. The versatility a spinnerbait provides means that there are not many areas that canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

be fished with one. They can be bumped through timber, run along laydowns and dropped to the depths and slow rolled relatively snag-free. Fish love hitting them as you pull them out of weed or through lilypads. To page 52

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NAGAMBIE From page 51

You can also adjust the speed you fish them by using a different blade configuration. Double Colorado blades offer more resistance in the water so they naturally need to be fished slower, whereas a double willow configuration has less resistance so is fished faster. Either option

fishing, two other introduced species are ever present in the system and provide excellent sport fishing. European carp and English perch (redfin) are present in big numbers. It is not unusual to see schools of redfin working the shallows. Small plastics and small hardbody lures are perfect to target these fish. Get them excited and

Sunny Martins enjoys targeting carp in the weir on fly. Have fun catching them and then remove them from the system.

Don’t be afraid to use larger surface lures. Smaller fish are still happy to eat them and they can entice a more impressive fish. provides maximum vibration and flash in the water to get that reaction strike you want. There are a lot of spinnerbait brands out there, but my favourites are 1/2oz and 5/8oz Obsession and Bassman spinnerbaits. Both are quality Australian made lures. There are plenty of other methods and lures that also have a place. Soft plastics, soft vibes, mumblers, flies and trolled lures will account for fish. The Goulburn Weir is the type of waterway with areas suited to a wide variety of lures and styles of fishing. MORE THAN COD AND GOLDEN PERCH Although most of the focus is placed on the native

it can many of the small,

be a fish a cast. In waterways, the size redfin are relatively but there are some

better models and they are not afraid to take a bigger lure. Three or four that size and you have one of the best fish meals you can get out of freshwater. Carp on the other hand may not be the ideal fish for the table, but they do offer a bit of sport for anglers. Baits like garden worms or corn are generally used, however they are fantastic sport for fly anglers. Sunny often ignores the lure of the natives and breaks out the wand. While he was showing me around, there were a number of areas where carp could be clearly seen tailing in the shallows. Even if you didn’t see their

my poor contribution when fishing with Sunny! When this occurs, it can help to slow everything down. Keep that lure in front of the fish for a little bit longer, as it can make a big difference in cooler water. PLAN YOUR VISIT The Goulburn Weir section of the Goulburn River is a beautiful place to visit and fish. Many people who fish it remark on how similar it looks and feels to Lake Mulwala. Mulwala is certainly a premier fishery and I think this area is well on the way to being recognised in a similar manner. There are a number of caravan parks and other accommodation in nearby Nagambie and as mentioned previously, Nagambie Outdoors is well worth a visit to top up on a bit of

The game has changed… T FourStroke battery-free EF will about portable ou The area adjacent to the Goulburn Weir is athink prime fishing location, as it has good structure and flow.

A beautiful golden perch caught on a Gidgee Fatty Jnr lure.

tails, you certainly saw the clouds of mud they created. Sunny uses two types of flies depending on how the fish are feeding. If they have their nose down mooching in the mud, he uses a worm fly dropped close to the fish in the hope they suck it in. If they are more horizontal in the water, he prefers to use a Woolly Bugger cast to lead the fish, worked slowly past its nose. The fight can be sensational and removing any of these fish from the system is a positive.

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TIMING tackle and get the lowdown As a fishery of the on what may be working at Goulburn River, it is affected the moment. Shepparton is by the water releases that also not far away and the occur via Lake Eildon. It can Compleat Angler at Boats help to be aware of when and More offers a great range water releases occur. These of tackle and bait. releases send cooler water If you haven’t been down the system and at times to Nagambie before, you can shut the fishery down can get an overview from nowMonthly’s from: 2019 for a few days. This canAvailable be a Fishing blessing in disguise during the April issue with the feature warmer months, as it gives the covering the majority of the fish some respite from overly Nagambie Lakes section warm water, but it can be of the Goulburn River. If an angler’s nightmare when you’re in the area, go out and the water is already cool. I discover the Goulburn Weir think I will use that to excuse for yourself!

The diversity of structure in the Goulburn Weir offers something for every angler and every technique. One thing’s for sure – they can all hold fish. 52

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Countryside recovering slowly BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

Unfortunately I still haven’t had much of a chance to fish anywhere near as much as I normally do, as I’m still super busy with helping what is left

of the struggling wildlife, but thanks to some good regular rain after the fires we have seen the bush starting to recover in some areas. GOLDEN PERCH At Blowering Dam and Jounama Pondage the golden perch will be well worth targeting this

month, especially up in the shallows. Golden perch in these lakes love to bask in the warmer water and lie in thick pockets of grass or weed, waiting to ambush any easy meal that swims or crawls by. I like to target these fish with small compact spinnerbaits, as for starters

Grasshopper pattern flies have accounted for many good fish in the Tumut River and the smaller trout streams this season.

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these lures ride through the weed better than most other lures and secondly because of their small size and single blade set up. Slow rolling small lipless crankbaits or small suspending hardbodies around the shallow margins of the lakes, particularly late in the day, is another great way of hooking into a few big goldens. TUMUT RIVER The Tumut River has been a very popular spot, as the fishing has been sensational all season and this month will be no different. Fly fishers have been having a ball with dry flies, especially grasshopper patterns. It seems the local trout just can’t get enough of these tasty morsels. As is always the case with trout in running water, the good old deep drifting nymph technique has accounted for crazy numbers of fish as well. When the river has been too high and challenging for fly fishers, the lure chuckers came out in force and have been doing really well while the river is flowing hard. The best lures have been the larger-sized

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To page 55

A month to try out some different techniques HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Phelps

It’s amazing what a bit of rain can do to the dry land. It’s nice to see some green grass around and the rivers flowing again. The local lakes have had a little top up with the recent storms and low pressure systems over the end of summer. As I sit here pondering what the future weather patterns will bring, I am always hopeful this rain will hang around all autumn and into winter. We are still a long way off turning this drought around in the Hunter Valley, but it’s been the pleasant change we have all been waiting years for. April is one of my favourite times to fish in the Hunter. The nights are cool and the days are more than comfortable. The water is cooling and the fish will be starting their transition towards their winter patterns. This can spread fish throughout a waterway as they start to split between holding depths and what they are feeding on. GLENBAWN Out of all the lakes, Glenbawn fish go through the biggest transition. I believe it’s the geographical make-up of From page 54

fishing is as good as it gets when it comes to bait fishing, and is often referred to as poor man’s fly fishing. So as you can see, even though the fires have caused major havoc above the water, they haven’t affected the fishing and there is still plenty of options for anglers in the greater Batlow area. WILDLIFE UPDATE A bit of green grass is

Ryland Sainsbury got stuck into some shallow water action on a recent overcast day. the lake that causes this. The deep rocky banks, the clear water and lack of weed in the lake has the fish very mobile over April, as there’s no weed to hold in to escape the sun or hunt bait and the clear water has the light penetrating further into the water. As the water cools, the fish spread out, still hanging out deeper from the summer heat in schools all the way to the shallows. For lure anglers, this is one of the best times to chase big fish on topwater. Generally, you don’t catch as many bass as you would during the warmer months, but the big

models love autumn to eat off the top. A bit of patience is needed to fish topwater, but you can be rewarded with some serious fish if you do. I like a fast-moving surface bait this month to cover water, looking for a reaction strike from those bass. A prop bait, paddler or walk-the-dog styles are perfect for this. Early morning and late evening are always going to be your prime times for fooling these fish. Mix it up, cover shallow water to deep, even throw over the tops of sunken trees in deep water. You will be surprised how many fish sit in these

coming back, particularly on the flatter western side of Batlow. Sadly, the same can’t be said about the eastern and southern sides of Batlow, including the mountain ranges either side of Blowering Dam, Jounama Pondage and Talbingo Dam. These mountains copped the brunt of the unprecedented fires that swept through the region and it is in these areas that I have focused much of my wildlife saving efforts on

the wildlife that survived the fires. Unfortunately no government organisations, national parks, state forests or wildlife charity groups did anything to help the survivors out and without my help in those areas, just like so many other areas, the surviving wildlife would’ve starved to death as there was zero food left for them to eat. The fire was so intense it literally burnt everything to dust and there is still very little naturally available food in these mountainous areas and the wildlife are going to need ongoing support for a while to come yet. If you are visiting that area and come across some wildlife there’s a good chance I helped it survive and be there for you and your family to enjoy, so please be respectful of these remaining animals, as there aren’t many left and they need all the support and care we can muster. This includes being extra vigilant on the roads while travelling to and from the area. The majority of what green grass is around is along the major roads and these desperate animals have to run the gauntlet each day to try and survive. Your extra care now will be rewarded in the future with lots of wildlife for you, your children and your grandchildren to enjoy. Until next month good fishing, good luck and tight lines.

Blowering Dam in all its former glory before the Dunns Road bushfire tore across the landscape, destroying most flora and fauna in its path. The landscape may have changed around the lake, but the fishing is still as good as ever and is well worth a visit.

trees. A constant retrieve is what usually works for me, but throw in pauses if you are not getting bites on the straight retrieve. When it comes to sub-surface offerings, this time of year can be a mixed bag. It’s a bit of a case of ‘throw what you like!’ From finesse to reaction baits, they all get eaten at the right times. Picking those times is the hard part. When chasing shallow water fish once the sun is up, the weather can dictate when they will eat. There is no real formula for this month on the shallow water fish on subsurface lures. I’ve been burnt many times over autumn by smashing them one day then donuting the next. The only advice I could possibly give is fish hard. I recall one day last year where we fished shallow for four hours for a couple of fish, before abandoning the shallow water and catching fish on the bottom in 50ft quite quickly. Then 20 minutes later, we tried fishing shallow again and the fish were going off! If I were to choose a couple of shallow water baits they would be a deep diving jerkbait, a paddle-tail plastic, a skirted jig and a bladed jig. If you stick to one of these, you should come across some fish. For the deep water fish, you really can’t beat a curl-tail grub or a heavy skirted jig dragged through fish tight on the bottom. ST CLAIR Lake St Clair fish can be a little easier to catch than Glenbawn’s this month. The weed holds the fish all year round, so you know exactly where you need to be to catch fish. Like Glenbawn, topwater lures are definitely worth a try this month. Pick your favourite style, as they will all get eaten when fished over the top of the weed beds. Sub-surface offerings around the weed range from finesse to reaction. St Clair is a special place where if you throw a lure long enough, it will get eaten. All the weed

pockets provide perfect ambush spots for fish looking for a meal. On the finesse side, a shallow diving suspending jerkbait is a solid producer at St Clair. Small paddle-tails or grubs fished on 1/8oz heads are also irresistible for the weed dwellers. As far as reaction goes, you really can’t beat a bladed jig. Often called the crankbait for weed, the single upright hook doesn’t get bogged down or caught in the weed, the crazy vibrating action draws ferocious strikes and a simple rip frees the bait from weed and gets it swimming again. Being autumn, the shallow water fish don’t want to play ball. There will be plenty of fish sitting just wide of the weed beds in 10-30ft of

letting it fall back under a semi-tight line will see it get eaten on the drop. Having a rod rigged with a skirted jig is always handy at St Clair. Throw this around any hard cover you can find in amongst the weed beds. High percentage areas like rock and timber concentrate fish and a skirted jig is a killer technique for catching them. RIVERS The rivers and streams will have a lot of the bass moving down towards the brackish tidal areas this month. In the upper reaches there will be a few smaller resident fish that hang around over the cooler months. Again, April is a time of big girls on topwater in the rivers. Big paddlers bring a lot of fish unstuck, and they

Toby Smith worked the shallows for a bunch of decent bass like this model. water and these fish can be a little easier to catch when the shallower fish don’t bite. A slow-rolled grub has worked well for a long time on deep fish. Focus on fishing them close to the bottom. Use a long cast, let it sink to the bottom and slow roll for 5-10 winds before letting it fall or swim back to the bottom. Hopping a 1/4oz blade is another solid tactic on these deeper fish. Small double hops off the bottom before

FISHING CAMPING

seem to love that constant plopping sound as they track across the top. Once the sun is up, fishing sub-surface should keep you catching. I like to keep things pretty basic when it comes to river fishing. A crankbait for open banks with hard cover like rock and some timber, a bladed jig or spinnerbait skipped tight around over hanging trees, and a skirted jig fished in the trees if the reaction baits don’t get eaten.

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Make the most of Murrumbidgee WAGGA WAGGA

Rhys Creed

We’ve arrived at my favourite time to be out on the water and fishing in the region. Not only do we have the best weather during this month, we also have some of the best fishing conditions – especially along the Murrumbidgee River. MURRUMBIDGEE RIVER During this month, the river will start to drop due to less demand for irrigation flows. This will expose more snags, the water will slow down and overall the fishing will improve. We were lucky enough to receive some good rain in February and early March, which helped our starving waterways after a

Plenty of by-catch trout cod are caught around Wagga Wagga at this time of year. TUMUT RIVER With the drop in flows, April is a cracker of a time to walk the banks of the Tumut and spin for trout.

Bailey caught a solid Murrumbidgee River cod on a Strike Force 80mm Cod Stalker.

Big logs will start to become exposed as the water levels drop during April. long period of little rainfall. Some of this rainfall came from heavy storm downpours, which caused the river to run extremely dirty for the past few months. If we do continue to receive this kind of rain into April it could make lure fishing a little tough, so be sure to plan your trips for two weeks after any heavy rain in the area. It doesn’t hurt for the water to have a little colour in the Murrumbidgee, as this helps give fish confidence, but the general rule of thumb is the clearer the better, especially at this time of year. The go-to technique is to cast both spinnerbaits and hardbodies at the exposed timber. If you’re chasing good quality fish, target the larger logs and big structure in deep holes. I love using a standard 5/8oz spinnerbait and sometimes upgrade to a bigger plastic with a stinger hook. All colours will work, but anything natural is always a winner and I also like running purple 56

APRIL 2020

and chartreuse when the fish are active. The river will fish well right from below Burrinjuck through to Hay and even further. Bait fishing is also a top

technique and will catch you plenty of fish. This is the time of year to be out there, spending time with family and even camping along the river over Easter.

Quality rainbow trout are common during a session on the Tumut River.

Tallis Cotterill took this little cod on a 90mm AC Invader early in the morning along the Murrumbidgee River.

Walking anywhere in the township of Tumut, out at Brungle Bridge or even up towards the dam wall is a great option. The fish will feed all day and all lures will work. If you’re targeting larger fish, use 5-6cm paddle-tail soft plastics. The Berkley Powerbait T-Tail on a 1/8oz head with a #2 hook is my go-to. Fish this down into the deeper holes once the sun gets up, as this is where the larger browns will lie in wait. Cast it up into the flowing water and wind it back in with a medium paced retrieve. Other great options are small minor hardbodies like the Rapala CD5 or the Ecogear Minnow. Spinners work really well, especially over the shallow sections. It’s also worth having some

metals in your box. OLD MAN CREEK Old Man Creek is not as popular at this time of year but it’s still worth considering. The fish will be active in the creek and will take a wide range of lures at this time of year, including topwater lures. The creek usually fishes really well over the next few months, especially larger cod. There is a strong population of 80cm+ cod in the creek and now is the best time to try and fool one. Casting any paddler surface lure in low light periods, spinnerbaits tight to the cover and hardbodies across the creek will be the best options. Smaller lures will give you a chance of hooking good numbers in a session. To page 57

Local lakes benefit from big rains CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

Heavy rain finally hit the ACT in early March and this has dramatically changed the angling landscape. The

to seek out waterways and try out new techniques that can then be transferred to a river context. One such waterway that has been fishing particularly well since the rain is Yerrabi Pond, located in the heart

becomes incredibly active during rain events due to water run-off after a downpour at the top of the pond. It is here that anglers test out new techniques, from pitching jigs to twitching punch rigs. One really effective technique that

Yerrabi has been fishing consistently well throughout the heavy rain and run-off period, with quality golden perch available for lure anglers. Murrumbidgee River is in flood and a lot of the black sludge that had rolled through this system has been cleared out, which is great news. The river will need time to settle, but this has given local anglers a chance

of Gungahlin. This small urban waterway contains big numbers of golden perch and a decent population of large Murray cod, along with big redfin and carp. Local fishos have flocked to Yerrabi of late, as the golden perch population

several young guns have been honing at the pond is taking a jig and floating craw plastic and fishing it slow through the run-off. Several large golden perch have been landed using this method, and this technique will certainly account for good

numbers of fish at the ’Bidgee once the water clears. LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin continues to fish well. The golden perch population has been very active of late, with good numbers of fish sitting along the flats a few metres out from the concrete walls at Lennox Gardens. These fish are within easy casting range from the bank, especially if you’re using a lipless crankbait and fishing it slowly along the bottom. Plastics are also a good choice when fishing Lennox, with paddle-tail plastics in natural colours often accounting for the bigger golden perch. The overhanging willows behind the museum are worth a look if you’re after a big redfin, and there are also stacks of big reds hanging around in schools along the rowing lanes near Lady Denman Drive. These fish can be caught jigging blades next to the school. There have been a few large cod caught lately by anglers using big soft plastics and fishing the area

Michael Wilson landed this nice red at Yerrabi Pond. often hitting the spinnerbait on the drop. Lake Ginninderra is a kayak fishers’ paradise at present. There are plenty of redfin striking at anything that moves along the reed-lined banks that run from Bimbi Beach up to the jetty. Small divers work best, and an angler is always in with a chance of a golden when fishing parallel to the reeds and implementing lots of pauses in the retrieve. Land-based anglers have found it tougher going due to the weed, which has been an

on a beetlespin fished slowly works well in the shallower areas, but make sure to choose something with a bit of orange in it, as golden perch hunt the goldfish that reside in Yerrabi. Jigs are also a great choice, especially when paired to a bouyant, yabby style plastic and bounced along the bottom. SURROUNDS Googong Dam is open again (the dam was closed through the majority of summer due to fire risk) and already some cracking fish

From page 56

BLOWERING DAM Blowering Dam will be in its transition from warm weather tactics to big winter fish. Late April and into May is when you should start planning your trips to Blowering to chase trophy fish. Big cod most likely won’t be on the flats through most of April, but they will be starting to move around and feed up before the first cold snap. The smaller fish will be feeding really well before their ‘winter hibernation’. BEST SPOT You really can’t go past the Murrumbidgee River this month. It’s the best time of year as the fish are hungry and at their most active, the water is low and the big fish are coming out to play. Get out there and enjoy the incredible fishing.

The river will be shut down for a while, but in time Murray cod like this should come back on the bite.

Releasing a Murray cod carefully.

Hardbodies will be very productive in the Murrumbidgee River this month.

a few metres off the Governor General’s boat pontoon. Lake Tuggeranong is producing some good-sized fish, but the action in general has been hit-and-miss. Tuggeranong has always been a temperamental waterway, but recently the action has either been red-hot or dead. This could have something to do with the recent rain that has moved a great deal of debris around within the lake, and a large amount of rubbish has also washed in. That said, kayak anglers have been the one group of fishers to regularly crack the Tuggers code by fishing the banks of the islands at Green Way with small spinnerbaits in bright colours. Golden perch and cod tend to move up into this area when the water level is high and sit in between the overhanging branches along the edges of the island. Letting a spinnerbait sink into these hotspots is the best way to land a native on Tuggeranong, with fish

issue for some time. Fishing a jig or paddle-tail plastic rigged weedless near the bridge pylons is a good way to avoid the snags. There are also some monster golden perch in this area, along with a few big resident green fish. Yerrabi Pond has been the pick of the local fisheries of late thanks to the rain. The golden perch have moved out from cover and are actively patrolling the shallower areas in search of baitfish. A small paddle-tail soft plastic rigged

have been landed. I know of one metre cod caught a few days after the dam opened and anglers walking the banks have also landed large numbers of golden perch. Many anglers have been using vibes and plastics while a few have had success fishing medium-sized spinnerbaits. The action at Googong should only get better and better as the water starts to cool down, but the boat ramp could be closed for some time due to the water level.

Redfin are in plague proportions in the urban lakes across the ACT. APRIL 2020

Precious run-off keeps good fishing going NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

As we head into the middle of autumn, the cooler weather patterns

fish on the move as they start bulking up for the cooler months. Even better, with a lot of rain falling throughout February, the local rivers finally got a much-needed

cod caught from the inlets where water has been flowing the heaviest. The Copes Creek inlet and the top end of the dam have been the most productive for numbers, however with all the grass on the edges around the dam, there are plenty of places for the baitfish to hide and that means the XL Copeton cod

PINDARI Pindari Dam has also been fishing well, with the dam on the rise. There has been plenty of dirty water come down from the Severn River, so looking for the dirty water line or clearer water is your best bet for finding actively feeding fish. The bait anglers seem to be having more success

Jackson Haussler nailed this solid Murray cod on a Vatalion 190. Liam Crespo caught a chunky Copeton cod by casting a swimbait along the grassy edges. have already started settling across the New England Tablelands, and this usually creates plenty of good fishing opportunities. Not only is it easier and more comfortable for anglers to fish in these cooler conditions, this time of year also sees the big

flush in the past few weeks. Copeton and Pindari dams received good amounts of water too, greatly increasing the water levels in both dams, which is awesome to see. COPETON With Copeton Dam on the rise, there have been plenty of perch and big

This healthy floodwater river fish ate a Megabass swimbait. are never too far away. Slowly working lures like swimbaits to ‘match the hatch’ will be perfect in these situations.

than those casting lures around, but usually if you persist long enough with a certain technique, no matter what it is, there is

usually a fish somewhere in Pindari that is ready to eat a bait or lure. RIVERS Both the Severn and Beardy rivers received a good flush of rain, but unfortunately the rains did not all come quick enough, which saw a lot of fish die from the lower oxygen levels as the run-off first started washing into the rivers. It is not all bad news though, as not every fish

died, so fingers crossed both systems can recover back to where they once were before the drought first hit. This time of year is a good time to be trying surface lures along the Severn River, as most of the weed has had a good flush. This technique should be particularly effective this month. Good luck to all getting out on the water in April and tight lines.

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www.wp.fishingmonthly.com.au 58

APRIL 2020

It should be a damn good time to hit the dams LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

The recovery continues, especially for our local creeks and rivers. Most if not all ceased to flow in late 2019, early 2020. Even waters such as the Fish, Duckmaloi and Campbells

In fact, if planned with some overnight stays, all three can be fished over a 3-4 day break, and what better time to plan such a trip, with Easter just around the corner. Thompsons Creek Dam does have some time access and boating restrictions, but with that said it really does offer some great fishing for trout on its day.

attracts and triggers bites on the most quiet of days. COOLER WATERS Autumn is definitely a time when the native fish such as cod and yellowbelly stir. I think the cooler water temperatures trigger a mechanism upstairs that says times not too far away are going to be tough. Shrimp and yabbies that were a

us given some time and good company. Maybe it’s time we revisited some old haunts, that place down by the river

or lake, or even west of the mountains – any spot that still resonates in your soul. Country and coastal communities could really do

with a leg up this Easter, so why not make a break for it! Hope to see you all on the water soon, until then tight lines!

The local streams and rivers may be off the radar for a little while as far as trout go, but the local dams well and truly make up for it. Cooling water temperatures in autumn can bring about a shift or transition of Murray cod from deeper summer haunts to shallower waters, especially in lower altitude lakes, such as Wyangala and Burrendong. rivers dried back to pools – a rare event that had even long-term locals including myself scratching their heads. Even the most hardy of trout will have struggled, and good continuous stocking rates will be needed along with ongoing falls of rain to return things to a state of normality. Absence, as they say, does make the heart grow fonder, and that first walk, that first cast, that first trout will indeed be one to cherish.

All three dams fish better for trout during the early morning, late afternoon or cloudy overcast days with a little chop on the water. Oberon kayak and canoe anglers need to be very careful when planning trips, as the weather can change very quickly up there. What you set out in might very well be nightmarish on the way back. A light 2-3kg spin rod 7ft in length matched up with a 1500-sized reel is about as good as it gets for

Aggression levels can sky rocket in autumn when food starts to become a little scarce. Competition for food overrides all thinking! Luckily the large impoundments up at higher altitudes such as Oberon Dam still offer a good refuge for trout. Recent years have seen an increase in capture rates, due mainly (I think) to kayak and canoe access to the lake. An absolute masterstroke by all involved! Lake Lyell and Thompsons Creek Dam are also trout options in the area.

all three dams, with maybe a 3-4kg rod the same length on a 2000 size reel to cast some heavier spoons. Speaking of spoons, they are one of my favourite lures to fish all three dams. It’s a little bit old school, but they are just so versatile! They cast like a dream, can be fished at most depths, and the variation in action even on a steady retrieve

dime a dozen on and under rocks just a few weeks ago have started to thin out, and smaller baitfish are few and far between. Moving fish are hungry fish, and that’s what you get more of in autumn. Water temperature also plays a major part in accessibility to cod and golden perch in the lakes. Warm summer water temperatures drive the cod and golden perch deeper, making them a little harder to catch. As water temperatures cool off, they tend to spend more time in shallower water, making them easier to target, especially on the cast. Wyangala and Burrendong are two lakes that fit into this autumn transition most years. Lakes such as Windamere a little higher up in the catchment fit in less so. While on the subject of Windamere, I’m hoping no water releases are needed, with the inflows into Burrendong slowly topping it up just recently. EASTER EGGS ON THE MENU Who doesn’t like chocolate? It’s even better in my books when shared around a campfire at Easter time. Just a square or three for me while listening to the many conversations that a campfire just seems to encourage is great. That warm inner glow starts at your toes then slowly makes its way up into your body. Whatever it is, it’s innate in all of

DAM LEVELS Dam............................... % Full

Dam............................... % Full

Dam Jan Feb Mar Blowering 39 37 40 Brogo 12 48 101 Burrendong 2 2 7 Burrinjuck 31 30 38 Carcoar 13 12 12 Chaffey 13 13 14 Clarrie Hall 69 100 100 Copeton 6 7 11 Dartmouth 50 47 46 Eucumbene 30 28 26 Glenbawn 40 39 40 Glenlyon 3 3 14

Dam Jan Feb Mar Glennies Creek 38 37 37 Hume 22 18 16 Jindabyne 77 71 66 Keepit 1 3 13 Lostock 47 56 101 Oberon 28 27 26 Pindari 4 4 10 Split Rock 1 1 4 Tantangara 8 9 11 Toonumbar 18 28 69 Windamere 27 26 26 Wyangala 11 9 13

(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.)

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13 12 69 APRIL 2020

You win some, you lose some at Mulwala YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett

lures through to casting surface and sub-surface lures. Whether using

confident with, as you will tend to fish better and results will come. There is no right

While it may sound like it has been all tough fishing, there have been

codclassic@bigpond.com

Mulwala, Mulwala, Mulwala! The place that can bring you so much joy one day, but leaves you scratching your head the next, wondering where you went wrong. If we only had a talking fish to tell us when, where and why they were going to bite, it would be so much easier! This season has been hit-and-miss; some anglers have been producing fish on a consistent basis while other good fishers are struggling to turn a scale. To put an exact finger on what could be switching them on and off would only be guessing, as it could be a myriad of things. Still, the lake has been offering up some mighty rewards to those who are putting in the time and effort. As usual, all methods have been producing fish, from trolling deep diving

Craig Stephen caught an 116.7cm monster during the Humminbird Da$h 4 Ca$h. spinnerbaits, hardbodies, surface lures or swimbaits, stick to what you are

or wrong technique and that is proven by the many and various reports we get.

some monsters caught recently that any other cod fisher would be jealous of.

Jordy Harmon landed an amazing 126cm cod while casting a Bassman Aussie Crawler surface lure. Not far behind was Anthony Nativo, who pulled a 120cm off the bank while fishing with cheese. The next biggun was probably the most unlucky cod of all, as it was caught by yours truly on a cast Bassman Mumbler! Measuring a superb 118.5cm, it was enough to help take out the prestigious Gary Marsh Challenge Challenge Invitational. Isaac McDonald’s cod was only a whisker smaller at 117cm, and was taken off the surface on an Aussie Crawler. Renowned gun fisho Craig Stephen has been at it again, boating a 116.7cm cod while competing in the Humminbird Da$h 4 Ca$h. Peter Szitas, another angler with plenty of big cod to his name, added a 113cm specimen while fishing off the bank out near Kyffins. Many other impressive Murray cod catches have

been reported, like Nick ‘Gambie’ Gamble with a 101cm model. All in all, this shows that if you’re fishing Mulwala, you are in with a chance of tangling with an iconic Aussie legend. Quality cod have also been taken downstream in the river between Ya r r a w o n g a and Cobrawonga. Kevin and Wendy Brooks reported cod well over the metre mark. If you can find where they are fishing, you will certainly be close to the action. The recent Humminbird Da$h 4 Ca$h Super Series proved to be a hit, with 81 teams competing and 60 legalsized cod captured, photographed and released over the weekend. Kyle Dalrymple and Paul Healy were the winners of session one, Ian and Matt Rogers took out session two, and Mathew Trafford and Brett Collins took out the big cash on the Sunday morning.

Time to catch cod ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

April is my favourite month of the year to target our iconic Murray cod. With the leaves soon dropping, and the days starting to get a little bit cooler, April to the end of autumn is generally our last chance to target the numbers for the season. Over the past few years, April has been an absolute

too hot, nor too cold and the water temperatures are usually pretty good. In the past few years, the majority of the fishing I have done has been on foot, and still I have seen awesome numbers of fish. At times I’ve had sessions where I’ve reached double digits, which is awesome for some areas when you’re targeting cod. I have been using different lure sizes and types, which can make the world of difference to your catch rates

will help you improve your fishing experiences, and understand where and when to use certain lures. Some lures have a better profile compared to others, or they will get to the correct depth to be in the fish’s face rather than just out of reach. An example of this can be seen in flowing water. Sometimes a floating lure such as a diving lure won’t always get into the zone as effectively as, say, a spinnerbait will – depending

A confidence lure can be good to use during a tough bite.

This fish was found holding tight to structure so a spinnerbait was the ammunition needed to catch it. standout month for me when it comes to catching numbers of cod, and in various areas. It’s not 60

APRIL 2020

if it’s approached correctly. Giving different lures a crack builds your confidence in other styles of lures, which

on how you work your lures and the weight of the sinking lure. Yes, both will absolutely work, but

sometimes you really need to put your lure as close as possible to the fish’s face to force that strike. Often the closer you can work the structure, the better. Snagging up will happen, but it’s part of the game. Sometimes if there’s a snag that looks like it holds fish, but appears to be very hard to work correctly, I’ll throw a sub-surface or surface lure on to work over the whole structure. It’s dangerous to do as the fish will most likely snag you up in the structure, but you need to get the bite first before you can worry about landing a fish! These sort of snags

are the perfect cod habitat, and the cod love them. Yes, you will definitely lose fish doing this, and sometimes lures, which is why most anglers avoid it. However, if you are brave and work the hairy stuff, you’ll find that it usually fishes the best. In last month’s article I touched on recent bushfires and ash run-off into the water systems. The great news is that these fires are no longer live, and regrowth has begun. Affected communities have pulled together and have remained strong, and slowly things are going back to normal. It’s been amazing to see the tremendous amount of help

from so many people to support the affected areas, and the support has been very appreciated. And as for the ash run-off being dumped into waterways from recent rains, some decent amounts of fish have been killed but it hasn’t been too severe. Fellow fishos have told me that fish are still in these areas, which is absolutely fantastic news. Yes, a fish kill is always a very sad thing to happen, but at least whole fisheries haven’t been wiped out. It’s still very much worth giving a crack, and at the end of the To page 61

Fantastic end to river trout fishing season SNOWY MOUNTAINS

Anthony Bentley

Autumn is my favourite time of the year to fish. With so many options available at this time of year, it’s hard to know where to start. We have had plenty of rainfall over the past few weeks, so it’s set to be a fantastic end to river trout fishing season. The Thredbo River has really started to fire up in the past month. With solid rainfalls, the river has had a good flush and is in very good condition. There’s still plenty of dry fly fishing to be had. Mayflies and caddis flies are the dominate insect life, with the last of the hoppers still making an appearance, although they will dwindle off quite quickly as the month progresses. The go-to patterns will include Parachute Adams, Klinkhammers, Elk Hair Caddis, and most Hairwing mayfly imitations around the 14-16 sizes. Fishing below the surface with Woolly Buggers thrown up into the whitewater and slowly drifted back and across the current has been working From page 60

day you don’t know until you try, so give it a go! I know I’ll be making the most of every chance I get to fish over this month,

quite well, especially on those frisky rainbow trout keen to pounce on anything that get in their zone. Brighter colours will work better as we get in to the later part of the month and the brown trout start their annual pilgrimage to their spawning beds. In the meantime, river fishing during the day should be the most productive it has been in many months. Nymphing the higher river flows and deeper water is something that should be considered, as the days become cooler and there is less surface activity. A double nymph rig with the heavier fly tied above a smaller weighted nymph is the best way of searching out those sub-surface feeders. Hare and Copper, Pheasant Tail Nymphs and Tungsten Death Metals will work well in natural colours for clear flow and brighter colours for those higher water days. Lake Jindabyne is fishing a little better than last month, even though the lake levels have fluctuated quite a bit over the last month or so. Shore-based fishing is still best done in the early mornings or later

in the afternoon, although there will be some good sight fishing during the cooler, sunnier days when the larger brown trout come in close looking for an easy meal. Searching patterns below the surface like Woolly Bugger and Killer patterns are always worth pulling through the deeper water around structure and log jams. When sight fishing at this time of year, I like to use a small Damselfly Nymph around size 12-14 in either dark green or black. As the weather becomes a little cooler towards the later part of the month, we should start seeing schools of crucian carp coming in close to the edge in quite large schools and the big brown trout just love them. A larger Killer pattern such as a Hamills Killer or Mrs Simpson in sizes 4-6 is a great imitation for these baitfish. Night is the best time for baitfish patterns around the edges. Lake Eucumbene is fishing reasonably well. The levels of the lake have been low albeit stable, allowing some good vegetation to establish around the richer soiled areas, which has

as it is my favourite time of year to fish, both on foot and by boat. I’ll be trying a few new approaches to increase my understanding of these fish, but I’ll also use proven

techniques that continue to work time and time again. I wish everyone the best of luck, and I hope to see you on the water. Tight lines!

in turn promoted some good insect life. There are still some fire-affected areas surrounding Lake Eucumbene, so please exercise some caution if going off the beaten track. The higher streams around Perisher are still

of water have been fishing great all season long and have not been affected by the heat of summer or the fires. They also offer some very family-friendly fishing and camping options. The Mowamba River is fishing okay from the bridge

be more insect life to entice the fish to the surface. • We are always happy to give advice on what gear to use and where to go. High Country Outfitters has the best range of flyfishing gear in the Snowy Mountains, and with over 30 years

The end of the river trout fishing is set to be excellent. worth having a look at. Although the dry fishing is becoming a little slower, the prospects of surface fishing are still very good. A couple of noteworthy places to have a look at are Rainbow Lake and Island Bend Pondage, as well as Guthega Pondage. These higher alpine bodies

on the Barry Way right up to Big Yard Road and beyond. The summer drought and heat really hasn’t been very kind to the Mowamba, but if you are patient and careful you can still find some good quality fish tucked up under the bank. The warmer, more humid days will be the ones to fish this river, as there will

under our belts, we know our trout fishing! For all the latest information on what’s biting and where, drop into the store at Nuggets Crossing Shopping Centre, Jindabyne. You can also call on (02) 6456 2989, like us on Facebook or check out the website at highfly.com.au.

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Anglers are striking warm weather gold ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

Golden perch, also known as yellowbelly or callop in South Australia, are a favourite catch for anglers during the warmer months of the year. Over recent weeks these fish have been

biting quite well in many of our local waters on a variety of different baits and lures. There is a lot to like about golden perch. Other than the fact they look quite good, they are a first rate eating fish that can be cooked whole or filleted, depending on your tastes. They also fight well and at times are relatively easy to catch.

In the Lakes and channels around Swan Hill anglers using both bait and lures have pried a few perch from the water, and among them have been some solid little nuggets. Most of the perch captured of late are up around 45cm+, with a few 50cm+ models stretching the mat and are in great condition. The Murray River at Swan

Robinvale angler Dane Geran with a solid golden perch caught casting a small minnow-styled lure.

Jamie Stewart with a good sized perch on a StumpJumper lure taken on the troll.

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APRIL 2020

Hill has also been fishing well for perch, with just the odd cod muscling in on the action. Golden perch can be caught either land-based or from a boat, and are generally found close to structure such as timber or rock, and along the edge

instead, wait for the rod tip to dip down under even weight. This signals that the perch has grabbed the bait and is not just picking at it. Remember you are amongst the snags, so good pressure is required to persuade the fish to leave the structure.

that present plenty of fishattracting odour in the current. Once again, do not strike at the fish when they are simply picking the bait. Be patient and wait for full, even weight as the rod tip slowly bends over. The perch bite has been good most of the way

Jamie caught this nice-sized Murray cod on the same lure on the very next pass. The No 1 StumpJumper is a great lure for native fish. of current lines and back eddies. These fish will often hold in good numbers so where there is one there are generally more. If you are fishing from a boat, bobbing amongst the snags is one of the best techniques used to target these fish. It’s a great way to fish for perch and is very hands-on as you slowly work the bait along the logs, searching out a bite. Just pin a single shrimp or small yabby on the hook, lower it to the bottom and slowly lift it up and down amongst the logs until a perch takes the bait. Don’t be in a hurry to strike;

Of course, other species will also be caught in this manner. Sometimes a carp will take the bait, and then there are those explosive takes from large Murray cod that usually result in the need to re-rig a new hook and sinker. If you don’t have a boat and are confined to the bank, there are still plenty of opportunities to catch these fish. Look for areas of backwater that contain snags, and cast your baits close to the timber or along the edge of the eddy line. For stationary bait fishing I like to use cocktailed baits of shrimp and worm

along the Murray through Robinvale, Wemen and on to Mildura. Local fishing identity Kym Sykes says anglers trolling lures along the Murray, both above and below the loch at Mildura, are catching good numbers of perch up to 50cm. A few large Murray cod have also been amongst the catch, with the biggest measuring 103cm. As we roll towards the cooler weather the Murray cod should start to come back on the chew, and we will no doubt be hearing some great reports from back up this way over the coming months.

Considering camouflage for fly visibility CANBERRA

Richard Barnsley

Back in my university days, I spent a few years with an Army Reserve unit in northern New South Wales. One of our Assault Trooper training courses spent a lot of time on personal camouflage and using it to the infantry soldier’s advantage. There were a number of consistent principles in the art of concealment, which involved Shine, Spacing, Silhouette, Shape and Speed. The underlying theory was that by keeping these elements as natural as possible, detection was minimised. By thinking of these factors, the soldier could to the best of their ability remain undetected. While walking the hound recently, it struck me that as fly anglers we try to reverse these principles when selecting something to

tie to the end of the tippet. Generally, we want our imitation to look as natural as possible but we definitely want the fish to detect it – the opposite of good camouflage. SHINE Shine is an interesting concept in fly design and selection. The old adage of ‘bright fly, bright days and dull fly, dull days’ is a pretty good rule of thumb. In hard-fished waters, you generally want to refrain from any unnatural imitation. Bright, flashy flies are often refused where fish see plenty of imitations and become quite selective for more natural offerings. However, some naturals do have an element of shine. The outer casing of nymphs and the ‘air bubble’ often associated imparts an element of brightness, which you can imitate by the addition of glass beads or flashback tapes. SPACING I tend to think of spacing in the fly angling sense as

leader length. Selecting the correct leader length is critical and the nuances required result from many years of experience. As a rule of thumb, a rod length is the minimum standard. Clear waters and selective fish often call for much longer, finesse leader and the inherent casting adjustments to lay out long lines neatly. Czech nymphing and heavy flies will call for leader lengths often shorter than traditionally selected. In difficult, windy or tight water conditions, much shorter leader will greatly assist casting. When I used to guide, the rule for my clients was that one accurate, well placed cast will always beat half a dozen errant deliveries. If need be, forgo long leader for easier to handle lengths and make a good shot when conditions demand. SILHOUETTE AND SHAPE For fly silhouettes, you’re generally attempting

Dark, bulky flies are an excellent option to increase detection in low light conditions.

to imitate the natural option as closely as possible. However, you can enhance the silhouette by tying the patterns in darker colours and weighting them so that they ride higher in the water column. The choice of fly colour for subsurface patterns is interesting. Generally the deeper in the water column, the less light there is and this impacts the detection of a pattern. Reds, greens and yellows are the first colours to disappear from increased water depth. Black and purple colourations are the boldest outline in deeper water. Consider fly colouration in particularly deep conditions. In some situations, this may be no deeper than 2-3m for colouration shifts. However, in certain circumstances bulkier ties or extensions to the natural shape can improve this. Borger’s ‘High Rider’ dun patterns are an interesting example. Naturally tied mayfly duns are given an elongated wing post which under water refraction allow fish, in this instance clear water trout, to spot the fly at increased distances. In dirty or dark water, exaggerating the form of the natural within the fly pattern can often increase detection by fish. Bulky patterns such as the Montana and Bitch Creek nymphs aren’t the always go-to imitations, but they will often turn around an unproductive day. SPEED Speed is also important to consider. Natural drifts are the first consideration and the use of various casts to impart slack line and reduce drag can be critical. Tweaking the natural drift

Even bead colouration is important when selecting a fly. Bright beads can enhance strikes but can also put fish down, especially in hard-fished waters. can often induce a strike. Mike Spry’s ‘upstream flutter’ is a classic example. On heavy caddis days, the naturals dip and hop to lay their eggs and a natural drift of the adult dry imitation only gets occasional takes. Spry developed the tactic of using a tight line, essentially bobbing the dry imitation on the water surface during the downstream drift and his strike rates increased. Similarly, we can manipulate fly speed during the drift with subsurface presentations. In midstream pocket water, trout will often lie adjacent to boulders and use either pressure waves or the rear slack water to hold position. These are often not feeding lies and it can be hard to induce a take.

Weighted flies and short line techniques allow you to ‘hold’ a fly in these positions and target such fish. In essence, you ‘slow’ the drift rate through line control. Alternatively you can cast across stream so that the imitation swings across the leading edge of the fish’s holding position. In this instance, you don’t slow the drift rate but instead angle it across rather than through the trout lie. The principles of camouflage were designed to reduce a soldier’s detection, but you can enhance them to highlight the detection of your fly patterns. It’s not hard to cast a fly but it is harder to fish it. Consider it the next time you’re on the bank!

FISHING NEWS

OzFish re-snagging the lower Murray River Native fish will soon have more areas to rest, shelter, breed and feed thanks to a re-snagging project in the Murray River by recreational fishing conservation group, OzFish Unlimited. Dozens of snags of various shapes have been placed into the Red Cliffs reach of the lower Murray, restoring a stretch of habitat more than 1.5km long. The location was determined based on mapping work done by the local OzFish members, which highlighted areas of the river lacking snags and in need of restoration. CEO and Founder of OzFish, Craig Copeland was excited about the completion of the project but said more work needs to be done. “Snags play such a

major role in our native fish life cycle,” Craig explained. “Fish use snags to stop and rest from fast flows and as a place to breed and shelter. They also provide a great source of food. With hundreds of thousands of snags removed in years gone by, re-snagging will prove to be a winner for fish and fishing.” A long-term study by scientists from the Arthur Rylah Institute found that re-snagging provided a threefold increase in native fish when a reach of the Murray River was re-snagged. The OzFish Project Manager for the MurrayDarling Basin, Braeden Lampard, has been heavily involved in the project. He was recently awarded the Most Successful Future Leader Graduate by the Recreational Fishing Foundation in Hobart,

but his true passion lies in community education. “By engaging the public, we hope that the communities can learn the benefits of re-snagging and fish habitat, and that is why projects like this are extremely important for our native fishery,” Mr Lampard said. The restored fish habitat will be regularly monitored by the Sunraysia OzFish members to observe fish life around the structure, and to ensure that the snags have settled into place correctly. The project has been funded by the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust Western Local Land Services and OzFish corporate partner BCF. For more information or to make a donation visit www.ozfish. org.au. - OzFish APRIL 2020

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

PRODUCT GUIDE

DELUXE ZMAN BAIT 1 BINDERS

ZEREK INFINITY BLADE

ZMan soft plastics are best stored in their original packets, and the new TT Deluxe ZMan Bait Binders feature extra heavy-duty rings designed to fit the pre-punched, reinforced holes located in the bottom corners of ZMan packets. Other features include larger, heavy duty zips, carry handle, water resistant, durable material and an internal pocket for storing a jighead tray, leader and snips. Deluxe Bait Binders are available in a Small (single) version that holds approximately 10 packets of ZMan 3” MinnowZ (more packets in less bulky models), and a Large (double) version that is designed to hold around 20 packets of ZMan 3” MinnowZ (more packets in less bulky models). By clipping your ZMan packets straight into the binder, there is no need for clear plastic sleeves to hold the packets and take up space in the binder. It’s also quicker and easier to access plastics and there is no need to remove the plastics from the binder, where they can then be misplaced or blown into the water. Price: SRP $19.95-$39.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

The Zerek Infinity Blade spinnerbait redefines spinnerbait design by providing an extra blade under the chin of the head weight. This addition gives the lure extra attraction through the water, while maintaining the standard spinnerbait benefits of snag resistance, excellent fish appeal and ease of use. Weighing an easy-to-cast 28g and available in 10 fish-catching colours and two blade configurations, the Infinity Blade features silicone skirts, durable hardware and strong hooks. Smart anglers have been adding trailer plastics and stinger hooks, making these lures deadly weapons in the water. During testing, Australian bass and Murray cod found this spinnerbait to be very appealing, and with an affordable price tag, this lure will be a great addition to your tackle trays. www.wilsonfishing.com

NEW EUREKA OCTANE JIG SIZE

In response to angler demand, Eureka Lures Australia has released a new 100g size in its popular range of Octane Jigs. The Eureka Octane Jigs are a realistic squid/octopus imitation designed for slowpitch jigging that have exceptional realism and a tantalising action. Each lure features a solid ring with quality Dacron running to twin assist hooks that feature ultrasharp points that have the fish hooking themselves. Most of the jigs also feature a highly luminous body for added attraction. Eureka Octane Jigs are available in six realistic colours. To find out more on the Eureka lure range, visit the Juro Fishing website. www.jurofishing.com

DAIWA 20 LUVIAS

Made in Japan and featuring Daiwa’s LT Concept, Infinite Anti-Reverse, Silent Oscillation, Air Rotor and CRBB bearings, the 20 Luvias is the lightest, strongest, and most refined Luvias that Daiwa has ever produced. The single-piece Zaion Monocoque (MQ) body not only makes the 20 Luvias lighter, but also improves the strength and size of the drive gear. The new larger main gear is forged and meticulously machined using the Tough Digigear concept, which improves strength and creates an effortless rotation. The MQ screw-in engine plate applies 360° pressure to the main gear to achieve perfect gear alignment and meshing. The result is flawless smoothness, today, tomorrow and long into the future. Finesse perfection continues with Air Rotor providing ultimate rotational balance and rigidity, while a new Longcast-ABS spool increases casting distance and line performance on and off the spool. The 20 Luvias finesse drag is the greatest that Luvias has ever had to offer, with Daiwa’s ATD providing flawless, silky smooth drag control even with the lightest of lines. www.daiwafishing.com.au 64

APRIL 2020

SHIMANO SALTIE

The new Shimano Saltie rod series has been designed and developed for Australia’s northern species. Built tough, the Saltie range includes two spin and four baitcast models with varying actions to suit a range of lure fishing styles. Traditional 5’8” and 6’ baitcast rods popular for barramundi are complemented by longer 6’4” and 7’ models, designed for casting large soft plastics and swimbaits. Saltie blanks are made with Shimano’s TC4 layered graphite construction, which is highly durable and enables great lure action and control. The TC4 construction also reduces rod twist, increases sensitivity and feel, and offers impressive power and fighting performance in a lightweight package. The Saltie range features a durable matte green finish, custom shaped premium grade cork grips and Fuji K guides with Alconite inserts. A larger diameter guide train has also been used to accommodate the use of thick leader, which is often required to wrestle big fish out of structure. Price: SRP $329.95 www.shimanofish.com.au

SAMAKI PACEMAKER

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5 6

The Samaki Pacemaker range has been boosted with three new colour concepts and a wicked upgrade. The sleek design has been tweaked and fine tuned to allow you to troll faster with a wider trolling spectrum to attract a variety of species. The new yakka, redbait and coral trout colours let you target new species and matching the hatch with precision, and the slimey mackerel colour has had a valuable upgrade with enhanced detail and chartreuse hints on the underbelly. Each colour has UV attributes to aid in enticing the bite. Pacemaker has an ideal trolling speed of 6 knots for you to target most pelagics, but can be trolled at up to 15 knots. It comes in 140mm and 180mm sizes, with a deep and double deep diving depth allowing you to target species from 2-10m. Other features include a 1-piece stainless welded wire, heavy-duty split rings and VMC 3X Perma steel hooks, realistic fish eye and prism tape inserts. www.samaki.com.au

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING

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SHIMANO BEASTMASTER 9000 7 The new Beastmaster 9000A electric reel possesses superior power, speed and durability. The Beastmaster utilises the upgraded brushless Giga-Max Motor that offers 10% more deadweight winding power than the previous model, taking it to 19kg from 17kg, and has 25kg of Cross Carbon Drag output. Regardless of the load applied to the reel, the Constant Speed Mode maintains a consistent retrieve speed without loss of cranking power during the fight. Meanwhile, the Heat-Free system allows for heat to be released from vents in the side plate, ensuring reliable performance. To reach the significant depth required, the reel can be spooled with up to 900m of PE8 braid. The new Beastmaster also features an aluminium cold-forged clutch lever and a sharp LCD screen with an easy to operate English menu. The Beastmaster is backed by Shimano’s 10-year warranty and is ready to lift monsters from the deep. Price: SRP $2269.95 www.shimanofish.com.au

NEW 3” DEUS COLOURS

The BIWAA Deus 3” paddle-tail now comes in four new colours. These soft finesse swimbaits are tailored for a wide range of techniques at any retrieval speed, and are ideal for trailers on skirted jigs, or rigged on a jighead for bream and bass. The Deus is injection-moulded using two different densities of plastic. The bottom half contains a denser, heavier salt formulation which allows the Deus to keep a balanced keel, even while rigged weightless. The ventral and dorsal hook slots create a perfect weedless presentation, and a prepositioned hole lets you add nail weights, while not compromising the action. A shrimp based, water-soluble scent is infused into the body and on the outside. It creates a strong scent trail, activating aggressive feeding behaviour. Meticulous attention to detail provides a big advantage in clear water, with a lifelike scale pattern. The tapered speartail design works at any speed, imitating a distressed fish. www.ejtodd.com.au

WILSON LURE WALLETS

Wilson’s upgraded Lure Wallets are available in two sizes, large and small. Featuring a clear swatch to allow you to see what’s inside, these lure wallets are exceptionally functional, allowing anglers to store plastics and spinnerbaits in a convenient and easy to manage way. The Large Lure Wallet is ideal for larger spinnerbaits and 7-9” soft plastics. It features eight zip-lock sleeves that are held in place by three stainless steel rings. The Small Lure Wallet is perfect for 5” and smaller plastics, as well as spinnerbaits up to about 1oz in weight. This wallet features 10 sleeves and a two stainless steel rings. Both wallets are double zippered with easy-pull zipper tabs, and feature a sturdy carry handle to make them easy to transport from home to the boat. www.wilsonfishing.com

CHASEBAITS RIPPLE 10 CICADA

The Chasebaits Ripple Cicada has been designed for Australian Freshwater natives like bass, saratoga, jungle perch and sooty grunter. Whether you are fishing in creeks, dams or lakes, the Ripple Cicada is a great option, especially in cicada season. The 43mm, 6g Ripple Cicada has a soft hollow body that feels lifelike to the fish. It sounds just like a cicada hitting the water, and the fast-acting crawling wings kick into gear almost instantly. Other features include ultra-sharp BKK trebles, robust wing structure, flexible wings and seven colours that will suit all conditions. The best way to use the Ripple Cicada is to let it land and sit for roughly 20 seconds, allowing the ripples to spread out, and then begin a steady slow wind or short, sharp twitches. For more information on the Ripple Cicada or other lures in the Chasebaits range, visit the Chasebaits Australia website. www.chasebaits.com.au

SAMAKI C-12 V3

NOMAD MADMACS

The new Samaki C-12 V3 is the lightest C-12 range of rods ever! The new 40-tonne prepreg blanks deliver the ultimate in strength, casting distance and power. The cork grips are perfectly tapered, and the ultra-light Fuji K and LKW silicon guides enhance the lightweight sensation. This premium rod series includes both spin and baitcast models. The 7’, 3-8lb model has a fast, crisp tip for casting small hardbodies, with a softer belly section to maximize hook-up rates and land big fish on small trebles. The 7’ light 4-8lb is perfect in the estuary for throwing plastics and vibes, with plenty of grunt to land juvenile mulloway. The 7’ medium 6-12lb is a crossover model targeting heavier estuary applications using large vibes, or light inshore snapper fishing. You can use the 7’ medium heavy 10-17lb for jacks and barra on soft plastics, or the 7’ heavy 10-20lb for dam barra, large snapper or chucking slugs at pelagics . In the baitcast range there’s a 6’8” 6-12lb rod for throwing spinnerbaits and hardbodies for freshwater species, a 6’8” medium model designed for football jigs or light barra, a 6’ traditional barra baitcaster, a 7’ medium for chucking vibes at barra, and a 6’8” heavy brute stick for dam barra. www.samaki.com.au

The new Nomad Madmacs range of super high speed trolling lures comes in 3 sizes – 6”, 8” and 10”. Developed specifically for trolling at high speeds, the 6” and 8” are capable of a max speed of 20 knots with the 10” rated at 15 knots. The Madmacs can also be trolled as slow as 5 knots and has an enticing vibrating action even at very low speeds due to the Nomad Autotune system. This feature allows the Madmac to always troll straight and to run perfectly and with an amazing action at a huge range of speeds. The Madmacs run at a depth of around 8-15ft when trolled at slower speeds, and around 3-4ft when trolled super fast. Featuring a machine-stamped stainless steel plate and full body foam core construction, this is one of the toughest lures available. Fitted with super strong BKK hooks and heavy-duty split rings, the Madmacs is ready for battle. Nomad recommends trolling it in the spread with a DTX Minnow to cover the whole water column. www.nomadtackle.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au APRIL 2020

WHAT’S NEW FISHING RAPALA X-RAP HAKU

PLATYPUS HARD 13 ARMOUR LEADER

The all-new Rapala X-Rap Haku features Rapala’s 3R System Titanium Release Rig with VMC Coastal Black hooks. The 3R System, when clipped into place under the belly of the Haku, rests snugly in the lure’s belly groove out of the way and protected from weeds and other obstacles. At hook-set, the hook rig will partially release from the body, allowing a direct contact to the fish, from line to hook, removing the lure from the fish’s mouth which helps to reduce leverage that could allow the fish to break free. The 3R System also makes it easier to unhook the fish, as the body of the lure no longer gets in the way. Varied actions can be achieved by either twitching the rod or by imparting a stopand-go retrieve with your reel. Twitching the rod will create a faster turning side-to-side action, while a stop-and-go retrieve allows for a longer, gliding presentation. A fast burn in between the stops will send the Haku fleeing from predators, mimicking a frantic baitfish trying to escape. The durable rig is built with 100lb titanium wire and features a solid connector ring, heavy-duty split rings and premium VMC Coastal Black round bend trebles. www.rapala.com

SKITTER POP AND SKITTER V

With its unique loud popping, cupped plastic lip and balsa wood body, the Rapala Skitter Pop can be popped, blooped, walked and skittered across any aquatic surface with ease. Rapala has now expanded the colour range with the addition of two new patterns (TGS and THB), bringing the total number of colours to 9. Rapala has also released a new size in the Skitter V stickbait – a 13cm version, which joins the popular 10cm model. This topwater lure features an exclusive design that radically alters its action. V-Rap Technology combined with tail-weighed balance allows the lure to turn sharply with a snap of the rod, ending with a soft, long glide on slack line. Boasting excellent attention to detail, the Rapala Skitter V features a translucent body, 3-D holographic eyes, and a premium finish. The 13cm model is available in six colours, and the 10cm version comes in seven colours. www.rapala.com

LUMICA CHAP ON FLOATS

APRIL 2020

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Platypus Hard Armour mono leader is Australian made, has increased knot strength and up to 20% more strength and abrasion resistance than its competitors. It’s all thanks to intensive product development and testing to create a product that is worthy of Australia’s only fishing line manufacturer, which has been producing line for over 120 years. Manufactured from premium Japanese copolymers, Hard Armour has superior levels of clarity, controlled stretch for shock absorption and outstanding knot and crimp strength. It is available in both Tough (the ultimate abrasion resistance when extracting fish from cover), and Supple (increased sensitivity and action while still maintaining extreme abrasion resistance). To avoid frustration with spool management and locating the tag end, there’s a Line Tamer for leader control, spool management and simple leader dispensing. Supple leader is available in breaking strains from 20-100lb, and Tough comes in 20-15-lb breaking strains. Price: SRP: $19.90 www.fishplatypus.com.au

DAIWA 20 SALTIGA

Made in Japan and featuring Daiwa’s most advanced technologies, the 20 Saltiga is the ultimate saltwater spinning reel. The new single-piece Monocoque body is machined from high-strength aluminium to provide superior strength and improved sealing. A new G1 Drive Gear is thicker and larger with a newly designed Tough Digigear concept of larger and deeper cut teeth, providing increased strength. Drag pressures have been increased to an impressive 25/30kg, with 10 times the drag durability compared to the 15 Saltiga. All that pressure generates heat, and a newly designed aluminium Radiation Drag Knob delivers improved cooling and heat dissipation. The new ABS Longcast lip design offers improved casting performance and enhanced line management, while a brand-new aluminium Air Rotor delivers more than double the rigidity of its predecessor. Protection from the elements has been elevated with a new screwless rear cover, a reduction in spool porting and a unique underside lip in the spool design, all combining to reduce water intrusion. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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TIEMCO LONESOME 18 15 SWEEPER

Lumica Japan, inventors of the chemical light stick, have now developed a high quality range of LED floats for anglers targeting fish at night and in low light conditions. Lumica Chap On Floats are running floats that are available in both green and red and are visible for 100m. They measure 37.5mm x 29mm and weigh 12.5g. Chap On Floats are water activated and come with 2 x LR41 batteries. These floats are ideal for anglers fishing for trout and garfish at night time. To see more information and videos of the Lumica range of LEDs, chemical lights, deep sea lights and soft plastic squid, visit the Juro Fishing website. www.jurofishing.com 66

PRODUCT GUIDE

EJ Todd, the Australian distributor of Tiemco, has expanded the colour range of the popular Lonesome Sweeper surface lure, bringing the total number of colours to six. The 75mm Lonesome Sweeper is a popular topwater lure for tournament bream anglers. It is rigged with feather trebles, has a neon fibre tail and a jointed body to produce a tantalising yet subtle commotion on the surface that bream, whiting and bass find attractive. This subtle little lure is ideal for targeting spooky fish that are feeding just below the surface. Fished on a twitch and long pause retrieve, the Lonesome Sweeper is very effective for a range of species in both fresh and saltwater. www.ejtodd.com.au

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING

Newly released Hurricane Lures Sprat 65 and 75 Hurricane Lures is the brainchild of Peter Nord, a super keen angler from East Gippsland in Victoria. Peter has been producing lures since 2006, releasing his newest offerings in late 2019, the Sprat 65 and Sprat 75. Both are small profile plastics, with the 65 being a paddle-tail format and the 75 a jerkbait-style plastic.

aware of with plastics made of this type of material is that they do not play well with others. Mix these plastics with other plastics and you’ll end up with a tackle tray full of unusable mess. The manufacturer recommends keeping the plastics in their original packets and in the plastic sleeves they come in, to ensure they will keep their shape and stay in pristine condition.

The Hurricane Sprat 65 and 75 are classic paddle-tail and jerkshad profiles. WHAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON Both models are made of a FlexiTech 8X tough material. This material makes the plastics very durable, super stretchy and very supple. The advantages this has for the angler are that multiple fish can be caught with just one plastic; you may not even have to change your plastic in a day’s fishing.

The Sprat 65 was perfect to fish the shallow sand pockets and depth changes of the sand flats in Yamba. I was impressed by the suppleness and softness of these plastics. They are very soft to touch, which equates to a natural feel for any predator eating it. Even better, the suppleness maximises the lure’s action, and this is particularly evident in the Sprat 65. The paddletail really rocks and rolls with minimal movement, and it even gets some body roll as well. Both plastics also have a hook penetration guide along the top of them. This helps you keep the hook nice and straight when you’re rigging them, while giving an indicator of where the hook needs to protrude from the lure. Something else you need to be

COLOURS From the moment I opened the parcel of plastics in the office, I loved the colour range that’s available in both the Sprat 65 and 75. Each model comes in six colours, with three colours standard in each and three unique colours to each shape. I had no doubt that all of them would catch fish. The colours are heavily baitfish orientated, and I like the fact that a number of the colours are two-tone and some are also UV enhanced. If you are looking to match the hatch, there is bound to be a colour that is suitable. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The shapes are not unique, but are a clever twist on these styles of plastics. The key is the profiles, which lend themselves to targeting multiple species in our estuary systems. They are subtle enough to finesse fish with if you are targeting bream or estuary perch, while also having a presence if flathead or other reaction type feeders are your preferred targets. Rigging the plastics is also easy. The guide helps you rig them straight, and the relative softness of the FlexiTech material makes getting a hook through it easy. IN THE FIELD My first opportunity to test the two Hurricane Sprat lures was in Yamba, NSW. Yamba is an amazing fishery at the mouth of the Clarence River. It offers all sorts of fishing opportunities for all of our estuary favourites, and that certainly proved to be the case over the Christmas period. My first challenge was fishing the middle wall, in hopes of picking up a mulloway or one of the big flathead that the area is known for. I chose the Sprat 75 because it was slightly larger. I wasn’t sure whether the mulloway or flathead were there because the tailor were in huge numbers right along the wall and nabbed the Sprat pretty much every time one hit the water. It may not have been the test for the lure that I envisaged, but it did show the value of an 8X Strong FlexiTech soft plastic. Tailor are savage on terminal tackle, so any time you land multiple fish on one lure and it doesn’t get destroyed it is a bonus. I left the fish biting because there are only so many 25cm tailor that you want to catch. Once the wall experiment was over it was back to the areas and type of fishing that I love: large sand flats and undulations, which Yamba has an abundance of. It is very visual fishing (you are focusing on fish in 2-3ft of water) and the profile and size of the Hurricane Sprat lures lends itself to this.

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

The Hurricane Sprat 65 and 75 are a great baitfish profile, which means the species you can target with them is only limited by your imagination. Once I started fishing these areas I was met with instant and consistent success. I was targeting sand patches in weed and subtle depth changes – areas where bream and flathead love to ambush their prey – and the Sprats matched the hatch beautifully. The small tailor were quickly forgotten as predominantly flathead consistently found their way into the net. I caught fish on every colour in both sizes, which is a great testament for the colours that are available. FINAL OBSERVATIONS Four months down the track and my initial thoughts still stand true: the colours,

The Sprat 75 is available in six colours, all of which have plenty of fish-catching potential.

profile and the suppleness of the plastics makes the Hurricane Sprat soft plastics very effective lures. However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind to get the most out of your Hurricane Sprat purchase. First of all, due to how supple these plastics are, your choice of jighead is very important. Although the Sprats can be rigged on a standard jighead, it doesn’t take long before the plastic will consistently slip off the grub keeper. Hurricane produces a jighead range that has a wire keeper that is very effective in this scenario, but there are a number of other products to choose from that will do the job just as well. My solution was a dab of quality super glue on the grub keeper (not on the head) of my jighead, and it was sorted. You should also definitely take heed of keeping these FlexiTech plastics separate from other types of soft plastic, and I have also taken to unrigging my Sprats after using them and putting them back into the sleeves provided. It maintains their shape and lets me use them multiple times. You can check out the full range of Hurricane Lures at www.hurricanelures. com, and the site also has some helpful tips and stockist locations. These lures are well worth a look. - Peter Jung

Plenty of flathead hit the net while the author was testing the Hurricane Sprat 65 and 75 in the Clarence River. APRIL 2020

Get to Mallacoota for the Bream Challenge REEL IT IN regularly runs flathead challenges at Mallacoota, Narooma and Lake Tyers, as well an Australian-wide online flathead challenge. To support Mallacoota in its time of need, they’re branching out into bream and running a special Mallacoota Bream Challenge on 6-7 June. It will be run the same way the flathead challenges work: every angler will

get a bragmat and the bream caught need to be photographed with a key tag. Live wells aren’t required as it’s all catch and release. It’s a team event, with a

minimum of two anglers per team and a maximum of four. If you’re a rookie bream angler, never fear! With two divisions, you can pick your competition level depending on your experience. Division 1 is for confident bream anglers with a bag limit of 10 bream (per team) over the two days, and Division 2 is for newbie bream anglers with a bag limit of 6 bream per team. Prizes will include:

the top five teams in each division, Big Bream award of $1000 cash plus $500 lure pack from Pro Lure Australia, and other categories such as Funniest Photo, Best

Junior, Best Female, Best By-catch and many more as well as some random draws and auctions. The cost to enter is $150 per person, which includes a competition hoodie and other goodies in a showbag worth over $150. Anglers will receive their showbag on entry. To support the town and other venues, we will have the briefing on Friday night at the Mallacoota Golf Club,

will arrange local buses to get anglers to and from the Golf Club on Friday night. The event should hopefully be a massive boost to an incredible town, so please come along and support the community. Enter as soon as possible so the locals know how many anglers to expect. Check out www.reelitin. com.au and click on the Bream Challenge for all the rules and information. You can enter online at the website and keep up-todate via the REEL IT IN Facebook and Instagram. – REEL IT IN

then Saturday night viewing photos and random draws will be at the Lions Club with a big BBQ, and finally the presentation will be at the Mallacoota Hotel. The town

FISHING NEWS

Fish have been showing up in strange places

Have you caught or seen any the move in Australia, and ‘out of the ordinary’ fish? researchers are hoping to Marine organisms are on track them with your help!

www.fishin.com.au TOURNAMENT TACKLE STORE

ZX BLADES ZMAN GRUBZ CRANKA CRABS

BENT MINNOWS

JACKALL CHUBBY

FREE EXPRESS SHIPPING

0425 230 964 – info@fishin.com.au SHOP 18, 29 KIORA RD MIRANDA NSW 2228

APRIL 2020

REDMAP is a website and smartphone app that invites you to share sightings of marine life that you don’t normally see along your part of the coastline. Over time, REDMAP will use your ‘citizen science’ data and photos to sketch a map of where Australian fishes and marine species may be extending their distribution in response to changes in the marine environment, such as warming seas, habitat loss, and introduced species. REDMAP allows Australians to collect their own marine data, share photos and stories of unusual sightings, easily view the results from other citizen scientists, and see what conclusions REDMAP are making with those findings. Changes to where marine organisms are living will have unpredictable effects on marine ecosystems and fisheries. We are not sure why some species are on the move while others remain within their historic

ranges. By working together, scientists and coastal communities can begin to understand why marine

the people, for the people. Collecting the data for such a huge project along the entire Australian coast

org.au or download our smartphone app and join the ranks of Australia’s citizen scientists!

organisms are moving house and predict the effects that the shifts of these functional groups might have. REDMAP is science by

can only be done with your help! Please send in photos of any sightings of ‘out of the ordinary’ marine organisms to redmap.

We look forward to working together to better understand our changing oceans. Happy fishing! Blake Spady, JCU

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2020

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

4-5 Apr

ABT BREAM Round 5 Mandurah

abt.org.au

5 Apr

ABT BASS Electric Round 2 Coldstream River

abt.org.au

18-19 Apr

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 12 Round 3 Mallacoota

hobiefishing.com.au

19 Apr

East Coast Bream Series Round 2 St Georges Basin

wsbb.com.au 0403 085 696

25-26 Apr

ABT BASS Pro Round 2 Clarence River

abt.org.au

29 Apr-1 May

ABT BREAM Australian Open Sydney

abt.org.au

2-3 May

ABT BASS Electric Round 3 Lostock Dam

abt.org.au

2-3 May

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 12 Round 4 Blackwood River

hobiefishing.com.au

16-17 May

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 12 Round 5 Woy Woy

hobiefishing.com.au

17 May

East Coast Bream Series Round 3 Botany Bay

wsbb.com.au 0403 085 696

23-24 May

ABT BASS Pro Round 3 Glenbawn Dam

abt.org.au

30-31 May

ABT BREAM Round 6 Forster

abt.org.au

6-7 Jun

Lions Greenback Fishing Competition Pottsville Beach

lionsgreenback.com

7 Jun

ABT BASS Electric Round 4 Moogerah Dam

abt.org.au

20-21 Jun

ABT BASS Pro Round 4 Cania Dam

abt.org.au

20-21 Jun

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 12 Round 6 Gold Coast

hobiefishing.com.au

12 Jul

ABT BASS Electric Round 5 Hinze Dam

abt.org.au

18-19 Jul

ABT BASS Pro Round 5 Wivenhoe Dam

abt.org.au

25-26 Jul

ABT BREAM Round 7 Bribie Island

abt.org.au

8-9 Aug

ABT BASS Pro Round 6 Somerset Dam

abt.org.au

9 Aug

East Coast Bream Series Round 4 Hawkesbury River

wsbb.com.au 0403 085 696

23 Aug

ABT BASS Electric Round 6 Clarrie Hall Dam

abt.org.au

29-30 Aug

ABT BREAM Round 8 Richmond River

abt.org.au

12-13 Sep

ABT BASS Australian Open Glenbawn Dam

abt.org.au

15 Sep

East Coast Bream Series Round 5 Lake Macquarie

wsbb.com.au 0403 085 696

19-20 Sep

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 12 Round 7 Forster

hobiefishing.com.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 2020

Hayes bashes Tambo Bridge for 2nd ABT title Melbourne’s Mark Hayes found a mother lode of big bream on the Tambo River highway bridge and milked the pattern for two consecutive days to take the first event of the 2020 Costa BREAM Series. In doing so, he became one of a select group of anglers to win events on more than one Victorian BREAM arena. Boxing a huge 5.60kg on the first day to tie for the lead and following up with a solid 4.64kg on the second day of competition, Hayes outdistanced a red-hot Kristoffer Hickson by nearly a kilogram and was the only angler to break the 10kg mark. His 10/10 bag went 10.24kg; an average of over a kilogram per fish! Running a camera on the second day, Hayes showed his bridge crankbaiting style, running a variety of slowly floating crank and jerkbaits along the pylons to tempt the black bream to duck out a foot from cover and nip at the offerings. Once the fish bit, it was by no means over, with a furious battle ensuing to

when the bream would hit. Hayes prefers slow floating lures with upgraded hooks, like the Ecogear SX43 and Gladiator Mutant. He fished the lures on a Smith Dancing Bream rod matched with a Daiwa Caldia reel (that he won as a non-boater about a decade ago), 4lb Berkley braid and a surprisingly light 4lb leader. “Some people reckon

Melbourne’s Mark Hayes milked the Tambo River Bridge for all its worth to register his second ever ABT win as a boater. A devoted hardbody angler, he rode the pattern to the only 10-fish limit over 10kg. extract the fish from the abundant structure. Some he won, some he didn’t. Scan the QR Code hereby to see him in action – there are wins and losses recorded! “On the first day I had

12 bites and landed five fish. The others made it home into the pylons,” Hayes said, “so who knows what I could have brought in. I tried going hard on them and freespooling them … sometimes that just

made it worse.” Hayes’ technique for cranking bridges is pretty simple: cast parallel and as close as you can to the pylon, slow roll it back with twitches and add plenty of pauses. It’s on the pause

BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Mark Hayes 2 Kris Hickson 3 Brad Hodges 4 Jamie McKeown 5 Charlie Saykao 6 Andrew Moore 7 Steve Pryke 8 Steve Morgan 9 Peter Nord 10 Stephen Wheeler

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 10.24 $3,000 + $250 Mercury bonus 10/10 9.32 $1,250 + $125 Mercury bonus 10/10 9.23 $1,000 + $75 Mercury bonus 10/10 8.60 $900 10/10 7.91 $800 10/10 7.71 $700 10/10 6.99 $600 6/10 6.76 $500 9/10 6.13 8/10 5.78

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 70

APRIL 2020

that the 4lb is a bit light, but I use that leader everywhere I go,” Hayes explained. The Tambo River bridge is around one hour and 40 minutes away from the start line, but there’s a lot of 5-knot idling to get there. Hayes left the bridge at 11am on the first day and fished it for the full session on the second. You can see his full winner’s interview on the QR Code hereby!

Hayes didn’t win all of the battles. With bream like this hitting inches from heavy cover, the toll was significant on his dwindling supplies of Ecogear SX43s.

Scan the QR code to see Mark Hayes’ winning interview.

Scan the QR code to see Kobi Rothall’s winning interview.

BREAM AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Hickson scrambles to second place It was a pretty big effort for Kris Hickson to even make it to the opening event of the 2020 Costa BREAM Series. Racing from a relocated Hobie Australian Championships (13 hours away rather than two hours from Gippsland), he drove most of the night to make the practice day and then scrambled to find fish. In case you didn’t know, he won the Hobie AC. According to Kris, he didn’t stop scrambling all weekend. “I started the first day in Paynesville, rotating through some docks and boats that I have done well on in the past. I lost a few early fish and bagged 1.1 and 1.2kg models on a ZMan GrubZ and a jerkbait, but as the session went on the fish dried up,” he said. Hickson then found fish with his Humminbird Mega 360 while traversing a flat near one of his go-to spots. “I spooked a couple of fish and then started seeing them on the 360. It was overcast and rough and I

dried up, leaving him no option but to expand on his flats pattern. He found more fish on flats in the Paynesville area and refined his crankbaiting flats technique. “It was all about bouncing between flats with fish on them and resting them in turn,” he said. Rolling the SX40 with small pauses and upwards twitches of the rod, he chipped away at a decent limit and ultimately, was

BREAM SERIES

abt

only bettered by Hayes. You can see Kris in action and the 360 screen in the highlights video for day two.

DAIWA J BRAID BIG BREAM

Hickson caught a handful of fish on a variety of lures before settling into a flats pattern with his new Humminbird Mega 360 unit. couldn’t see them well on the flat, but they stood out on the new unit,” he said. After that, he went to work with a Ecogear SX40 (colour 390) on his

Daiwa Infeet 722 ULFS rod and Caldia reel spooled with 3lb Sunline Small Game FC. “If I saw a school of bream, I’d put down the

Talon and start working them over. Those two pieces of technology in tandem were deadly,” he concluded. On day two, all of his structure spots had

Rothall wins from back of boat Kobi Rothall also did some travelling to make it to the Gippsland event. Based in Nelson, Western Victoria, he attended the Hobie AC and then travelled back to Gippsland with Steve Pryke to make the tight connection. For the first-time ABT competitor it was well worth the effort, with the Victorian winning his first ever attempt at an ABT event as a non-boater. “I had two awesome boaters, Jamie McKeown and Daniel Kent,” Rothall said. “On the first day, Jamie and I fished the Nicholson River bridge with Cranka Crabs. It didn’t really matter what colour we threw, just as long as they were heavy and we fished them slow,” he continued. “The second day I fished with Daniel Kent and the presentation was totally different. We used ZMan

BREAM abtSeries presented by

GrubZ in 2.5” (gudgeon) rigged on a Gamahatsu Round 25 jighead (1/16oz) and cast right to the edges. If you weren’t right on the edge, you wouldn’t get a bite,” he said. Rothall fished both offerings on a Millerods Grub Freak and Daiwa 2004 Luvias spooled with Yamatoyo Resin Sheller braid and a 5lb Sniper FC leader. Indeed, the first day of this event saw a swathe of ABT newcomers in the top places. Rothall, Nikki Bryant, Leo Yu and Rhys Harris made up the top four after their first day of ABT tournament. This is encouraging news for those sitting on the sidelines wondering whether they should take the leap! You fish with a different boater each day and your learning curve accelerates out of sight. Visit www. for more abt. org.au information.

ABT first-timer Leo Yu burst onto the tournament scene with a bang, dropping a 1.67kg black bream on the scales in his first ever appearance at the weigh in. Fishing with Cam Whittam, he caught the fish on a Daiwa Steez Skybolt 701LFS rod and TD SOL III 2500S reel with 4lb FC straight through and a Cranka Crab (olive, heavy). “I normally don’t fish crabs, but found fish eating the crabs on pre-fish, so I thought that’s the lure I’m going to use in the comp. On day one, we went to Hollands Landing and fished the edges. We would just cast the lure at the right place and not do anything. I think the key was to try not to work it too much and wait for the biggest fish to eat your lure,” Yu said.

Scan the QR code to see the day one highlights.

Scan the QR code to see the day two highlights.

How could Kobi Rothall not like ABT Tournament angling after dropping fish like this on the scales in his first ever event?

NON-BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Kobi Rothall 2 Nikki Bryant 3 Grayson Fong 4 Nick Penprase 5 Lindsay Pryke 6 Mickael Hodges 7 Leo Yu 8 Rhys Harris 9 Wayne Mauger 10 Colin Wilson

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 7.87 Pro Lure pack 9/10 6.79 Daiwa pack 5/10 4.41 Costa sunglasses 4/10 3.17 Atomic pack + rod 4/10 3.09 EJ Todd pack 4/10 2.94 Samaki pack + rod 2/10 2.27 Tackle Tactics pack + $500 Big Bream + Daiwa J-Braid pack 3/10 2.24 Cranka pack 4/10 2.06 Ecogear pack 2/10 1.60 VMC pack

Nikki Bryant with a bream that nearly delivered her the top non-boater spot. APRIL 2020

Morgan is crowned the master of Metung Steve Morgan has managed to turn the Gippsland Lakes arena from a triple-donut result into a place he loves fishing, mainly through a specialty in a section of the waterway near Metung. Having never landed a 5kg limit on the mainland, Morgan did exactly that on the first day of the first event and followed it up with a pair of 5kg+ bags in the ZMan round. Dropping 5.43kg and then 5.95kg on the scales, he easily out-distanced a fastfinishing Scott Towner and registered an average weight of 1.13kg per fish. Learning his lesson from the first event, where he failed to capitalise on a Lakes Entrance yellowfin bream bite on the second day, Morgan nearly solely targeted black bream in the Metung area after the rest of the field charged out to greener paddocks. With strong wind warnings for both of the tournament days, boaters were allowed to tow their rigs to sheltered ramps across the arena and not face unsafe conditions on the lakes proper. “I was amazed when the entire field chose to

said, “mainly olive heavy, but in areas with no current I used some light models on the second day.” Each time Morgan visits Metung, there’s different docks and banks that fish well. “The hot docks from previous events always seem to change, so every year you need to find where the fish are stacked up,” he explained. “This year, we only found three areas at Metung that produced more than one fish, so on the final day, it was a case of rotating through these areas and picking up a fish here and there,” “When you’re getting less than 10 bites a day, you need to convert them.

After choking with a dying yellowfin bream pattern in the first round, Morgan focussed on black bream in round two and reaped the rewards. All his bream were caught within a kilometre of the start line. leave the checkout point at Metung on the first day,” Morgan said. The only other boat to share the area was Brett Penprase after his boat was too long to launch at the Tambo River ramp.

With the arena also windblown on Sunday, they all headed off as well, leaving Morgan and leading non-boater Grayson Fong the productive area to share with only one other boat. “Usually Metung gets

plenty of attention from anglers at the beginning and the end of the session, so I really think that the rough weather played into our hands for this event,” Morgan said. “I fished Cranka Crabs the whole event,” Morgan

BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Steve Morgan 2 Scott Towner 3 Andrew Moore 4 Mario Vukic 5 Steve Pryke 6 Alex Franchuk 7 Geoff Borg 8 Brad Hodges 9 Peter Nord 10 Declan Betts

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 11.38 $3,000 + $250 Mercury bonus 10/10 10.73 $1,250 10/10 8.98 $1,000 + $125 Mercury bonus 8/10 8.88 $900 10/10 8.17 $800 + $75 Mercury bonus 8/10 8.00 $700 10/10 7.68 $600 8/10 7.26 $500 10/10 6.02 6/10 5.96

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 72

APRIL 2020

During the event, I upped the line from 4lb Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon to 6lb Nanobraid and 7lb Yamatoyo Chinu Harris leader after losing a few fish in structure.” Morgan started with a 7’8” Daiwa Crab Rod/Sol III 2004 combo and finished with a Legit Designs Wild Side rod and a 2019 Certate 2500S LT reel. “The main thing I learned this event? Fish the crabs slow. The slower the better,” Morgan said. He donated the prize money to the Mallacoota Fishing Club to help with bushfire relief. All up, anglers donated just under $15,000 in ABT’s Bushfire Fundraiser.

What were the odds on a pair of Queenslanders taking home the trophies from the Victorian ZMan round of the Costa BREAM Series? Morgan and Fong both reside in Brisbane.

Scan the QR code to see the pre show.

Scan the QR code to see the day one highlights.

BREAM AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Towner takes second in smallest boat With the arena opened to trailer boats in sheltered launch areas, AFC legend Scott Towner got to fish Hollands Landing for the first time in an ABT event. Usually a 40km boat ride, plenty of anglers took the hour drive by road to take advantage of the fishing. Boxing 5.03kg on the Saturday and a massive 5.70kg on the Sunday, he was over 1.5kg clear of all other anglers bar Morgan. “I found good fish on the flats at the mouth of Hollands on the calm pre-fish day, but come tournament day, the rough dirty water had pushed the fish back into the channel proper,” Towner said. “I found ‘em within 500m of the boat ramp and went to work with a deep Jackall Chubby in brown suji.” “On the first day, the water stayed clear enough to fish effectively for a couple of hours, but on day two, I got five hours and clean water and landed at least 30 legal fish to help

After slow rolling and twitching the Chubby, Towner switched to fishing a Cranka Crab on a Daiwa Crab rod outfit that he borrowed from Wally Fahey. “After the event I found out why they liked the crabs so much – my livewell was full of crab shells and legs. They obviously form a major part of a bream’s diet at Hollands,” he concluded. Towner’s next stop is Tasmania, where he has

BREAM SERIES

abt

logged multiple 6.5kg+ bags in the past. It’ll be interesting to see if the bream have gotten wiser in the meantime.

DAIWA J BRAID BIG BREAM

Yarrawonga’s Scott Towner has the tournament fishing bug again. He landed second place in the ZMan event from the smallest boat in the field. me upgrade my bag,” he continued. Towner’s tackle was definitely not cutting edge, using the rods he last

wielded in ABT and AFC events over a decade ago. “The Abu Garcia Soron reels still work fine, even if a few are a little

grindy,” Scott said, “but I did replace the line with new Berkley X8 braid and with new leaders I was good to go.”

Fong flogs fellow non-boaters Queensland acupuncturist Grayson Fong is always a threat whenever he graces the back of the boat. The ZMan event allowed him to put a real smackdown on the rest of the non-boating field and drop the two heaviest non-boater limits on the scales to cruise to victory by nearly 3kg. Fishing with Brett Crowe on day one and Steve Morgan on day two, Fong used two different techniques to get the job done. Up the Nicholson River Fong deep cranked Daiwa Spike hardbodies along deep river bends. “Brett and I targeted laydown timber that went out to about 6 or 7 feet of water,” Fong said. The key was to roll the lure frustratingly slowly with small twitches and pauses. The bream would eat the lure gently and hook up on the retrofitted Decoy

BREAM abtSeries presented by

YS25 trebles. He fished the lure on a Daiwa TD Hyper rod (the new grey model), a 2019 Certate and 8lb Daiwa braid with 4lb leader. Grayson hooked seven fish and landed five on the first day to finish the session in first place. As such, he was paired with Steve Morgan as the first placed boater. At Metung with Morgan, Fong threw heavy olive Cranka Crabs to edges of hard structure. As one of only two boats choosing to not trail his boat to a distant ramp, the pair rotated between productive docks and filled their limits one fish at a time. “There was only about four places that we caught fish and it was a matter of fishing them slowly and methodically,” Fong said. It took both anglers until around midday to fill their limits, with Fong eventually dropping 4.8kg on the scales to emphatically take the win.

Mario Vukic anchored the biggest bag of the week (5/5, 6.29kg) with an enormous, misshapen 1.59kg Hollands Landing brute. With a bent back and a tiny tail, it was an ideal tournament fish. It ate a ZMan GrubZ 2.5” in motor oil rigged on a Decoy Nail Bomb weedless jighead. He fished it on a Daiwa Beowulf rod, 2500 Daiwa Certate reel, 12lb Sunline Castaway braid and 4lb Sunline V-Hard leader. “I was fishing 10lb leaders all day until I busted them all off, so I grabbed the 4lb and the big girl bit,” Vukic said. We’ll bet he was glad it wasn’t in prime condition!

Grayson Fong was the only non-boater to bag a perfect 10/10 for the event. His limits of 3.70 and 4.80kg topped the best-of-the-rest by nearly 3kg.

NON-BOATER RESULTS Place Name

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10/10 7/10 3/10 4/10 3/10 5/10 4/10 5/10 2/10 4/10

Grayson Fong Michael Alexander Nick Penprase Michael Hodges Nikki Bryant Blair Bryant Allan Morrison Wayne Mauger Arthur Amies Jordan Armstrong

8.50 5.69 3.55 3.29 3.11 2.97 2.64 2.41 2.20 2.11

Pro Lure pack Daiwa pack Costa sunnies Atomic pack + rod EJ Todd pack Samaki pack + rod Tackle Tactics pack Cranka pack Ecogear pack VMC Pack

Scan the QR code to see the day two highlights.

Scan the QR code to see Scott Towner’s winning interview. APRIL 2020

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS WATER ACTIVITIES

SCUBADIVE SNORKEL KAYAKING PADDLE BOARD JET SKI KITE SURFING RAFTING FISHING BOATING

SURFING SAILING CANOEING SWIMMING CAGE DIVING CLIFF DIVING PARASAILING ROWING WINDSURFING

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack. SEND ENTRIES TO: NSW Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

NSW APRIL 2020

Phone (day):

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

Complete the Find the Word and go in the draw to win a Fishing Monthly Prize Pack containing a limited edition neck scarf and a Fishing Monthly environmentally-friendly tote bag.

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to Pete Dubbelde, who was last month’s winner of the Find-aWord Competition! Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – NSWFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for February is N Evenden of Cundletown, who won a EJ Todd Subscriber prize pack. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

Cooper of Boorowa, R La Scala of Concord, T Hodges of Ballina, G Tasker of Belfield, O Swain of West Pennant Hills, S Cook of Seven Hills, C Wilson of Lake Albert, A Smith of Woombah, S Beaton of Plumpton, M Smith of Figtree, W Forbes of Nambucca Heads, R Kinkade of Forster, A Frawley of Catalina, M Muldoon of Caves Beach, J Gowan of Werombi, J Butcher of Basin View, R Jones of Toronto, J Coates of

Gwandalan, G Waugh of Greystanes, R Martin of Nowra, G Wade of Empire Bay, L Bennett of Marrangaroo, J Cross of Mondrook, D Harvey of Bangalow, A Morrison of Forbes, D Nisbet of Tuncurry, S Chapple of Nambucca Heads, M Beckett of Woollamra, K Peterkin of Taylors Arm, B Anschau of Skennars Head, M Cory of Aberdeen. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE ZMAN LOGO

APRIL 2020

GUESS THE FISH?

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Red Emperor

The answers to Find the ZMan Logo for February were: 9, 14, 19, 26, 33, 38, 41, 43, 78, 83, 93, 98, 104, 110, 114. – NSWFM The Find the ZMan Logo prize winners for February were: I Dando of Tuggerawong, L Wicks of Forbes, Z Mosessen of Wanniassa, M Blake of Walcha, N Evenden of Cundletown, P Bak of Denman Prospect, B Mannering of Blue Haven, B Laurenson of The Bight, T Kennedy of Karuah, C

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Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au APRIL 2020

Biosonics surveys go prime time

SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

February was a huge month for Infofish survey wise, with Lake Somerset, Lake Jindabyne and the Maroochy River on the list for surveys. All up, that’s over 200km of transects, 40km2 of area surveyed, and if you like really big numbers, 451 million cubic metres of water sampled. This month the objective was to take two years of preparation and development and put it all into practice on the water. There were a lot of changes from the addition of a new rig on the water, to new views on the data and a

a long while ago, so pretty much every survey we have done in the past 12 months can be re-run with the latest processing to answer more questions for the client. A QUICK INTRO TO THE BIOSONICS SURVEY Our Biosonics unit is a scientific echosounder – 200kHz, the same frequency that most downscan echosounders operate at. The unit is a split beam unit that produces a cone of sound with an array of receivers that provide pinpointing of objects in the beam. Biosonics transducers come in a range of frequencies 38kHz, 70kHz, 120kHz, 200kHz and 420kHz and up to four transducers can be attached to a single survey unit. We are aiming to add 120kHz and 420kHz

Scientific echosounders have a greater range. The 38kHz unit for example can punch up to 4km in freshwater and over 1km in salt. Our 200kHz unit can hit over 200m+ in freshwater and 200m in salt. Biosonics units can operate at an angle from vertical to horizontal, which allows us to survey the water column from the side and cover much larger areas. Scientific echosounders can detect the size of the fish in the beam. All up, that makes scientific echosounders an ideal tool for surveying very large areas of water for fish. All the same, even with all those advantages there have been serious challenges to overcome in order to get the results.

Aaron Dunlop (front) and Jimmy Reid (left back) taking Brisbane Valley Anglers member Steve Gaudron out on the water to see the biosonics survey in action. technologies are giving fishers an edge and there is quite a lively debate among fishers on whether they are a good thing or not. Unfortunately while both technologies are good at finding fish in a small area, they don’t scale well for larger surveys. As things stand, nets, electrofishers, divers and cameras in good conditions remain the main survey techniques. With the exception of cameras, each

of these techniques has issues when it comes to impact on fish or risks to humans. Biosonics surveys are for the most part relatively low risk, as no fish are sampled and nobody has to enter the water. The equipment can be set up before entering the water and removed off the water. In our case, the survey lines are parallel and start at the same end, so when we finish off a transect we have to shoot on back to

water column from the side is that there is no bottom – which has been one of the certainties of echosounders since their earliest design. This leads to the second challenge – while there is no bottom, there are sides where the beam hits the bottom. In our earliest surveys this presented real problems, as when the beam hits the bottom side-on it makes a mess of the echogram and it’s often impossible to see fish.

Aaron’s latest bracket makes working with the transducer easier and safer on the water. new way to deliver data direct to the client and even the survey team on the water. For the past 18 months, most of our Biosonics technology has been a work in progress; not so much on finding fish but almost every time we were out on survey, clients would ask bigger questions once they saw the data, which increased the amount of processing we needed to do. More than once I had to scrap our processing system and start again, as we either ran into performance issues or new requests that went past the design capabilities of the processing engine. Finally though, we have a good baseline that keeps the team on the water and allows the back room team to make improvements. The good part about our processing system is that by and large we worked out the baseline dataset we needed 76

APRIL 2020

A SAFER APPROACH TO LOOKING FOR FISH Hardly a day goes by at fishing events we attend, particularly inland, where the conversation doesn’t turn to technologies like the Humminbird 360 and Garmin Livescope. There is no doubt that these

Reviewing sidescan images.

Individual fish mapped out at Lake Jindabyne.

the beginning. That requires taking the transducer out of the water and doing that 30 times a day is harder than you might imagine. Our transducer is around 15kg in weight, add to that the mounting and you have an awkward time lifting then replacing the transducer. Aaron has recently added an additional innovation: a pivot so the transducer can be easily stowed for travel between transects or to get out of windy conditions. ACCOUNTING FOR HABITAT The big challenge that comes with surveying the

transducers in the next year to add a mix of greater range and resolution to allow more flexibility in how we survey. There are three key differences between Biosonics Scientific Transducers and the consumer transducers on most vessels – besides costs.

Our early solution to this problem was to create a false bottom by drawing a line on the echogram before the bottom noise kicks in and only keeping the echos in clear water, but that often left us with a tiny amount of data. Our current solution is to take a second set of data, bathymetry recorded on a conventional echosounder. While this often extends the time required to complete a survey, it gave us a map of the bottom to refer to in processing. As a second measure we started recording sidescan, giving a view of the

environment and allowing us to identify things like wood elements. We are targeting 10,000 pieces of wood this year so that we can train new machine learning models to improve our ability to pick out wood directly from the biosonics data. SEDIMENT TYPING One of the advantages of adding the bathymetry survey is we can sample the

Taking that process one step further, if we have a higher sampling rate we can pick up unexpected variations on the bottom, such as fish that live on the bottom, crabs or shellfish where we go specifically looking for difference to the background. This technique has been used widely with a vertical beam, but we are the first globally to be using an angled beam

processed and it can typically cover depths to a few metres. We can cover around 25km per day, and at 200m range we can reach depths of 20-25m with the full width of the beam. That coverage has allowed us to develop an optimal survey pattern of parallel lines spaced 200m apart in depths >10m and 100m apart for <10m. That kind of pattern

Example echogram with lots of bottom noise.

Sediment typing at Lake Burrendong. Brown = clay, yellow = sand, red = gravel, black = rock, and green = wood. bottom deliberately if we need to. All that noisy data that causes problems in the echogram actually turns out to be quite useful. There are good reasons to go looking at the bottom: the biosonics unit is very efficient at covering a wide territory and sediment type is a key piece of information when it comes to assessing the environment fish live in. For example, in a survey in Burrendong Dam we found carp were more often detected around hard gravelly/rocky bottoms than soft clay bottom, which was counterintuitive to what I had expected.

to cover a larger area. REDUCING SURVEY COSTS One of the key objectives of the biosonics survey process is to reduce the costs of collecting high resolution fish data and that was the focus of new survey patterns developed for the month on the water. In this case we had two big impoundments, Lake Somerset followed by Lake Jindabyne, and anyone who has done social mapping will tell you that is a crazy area to do. The typical alternative – electrofishing can cover 10-15km per day depending on how many fish have to be

Fish, direction of movement lines and sidescan.

allows us to cover large areas, in the case of Lake Somerset 17.7 square kilometres in four days, and Jindabyne 24 square kilometres in a bit over five days. That is a significantly larger sample that can be achieved with any conventional means and constitutes the two largest samples generated anywhere in the world to date. In fact, over the past six months we have reset the record for the largest area surveyed in the world five times. LOOKING FOR SHARKS Sharks are an interesting critter to go looking for, with their lack of the hard skeletons of fish, but typically they have rough

skin and a large surface area. There are good reasons to want to be able to detect sharks via echosounder – from early warning to scientific study. There are shark and ray species that live on the bottom and in the next round of surveys we will be looking closely at free swimming and bottom dwelling sharks. We have reviewed work on tracking sharks via echosounder and we know it’s been done, but as with many things, sharks have been looked at in a ‘can we see them’ sense, not in a larger scale data capture sense. So at this point we will be starting from scratch, and Aaron is in his element

Sample survey pattern. when it comes to solving on the water fish survey issues. As we go, we regularly take time to assess new ways of using the biosonics to solve real world data capture problems. Sharks are just the latest, but I am heading to the US in June to meet with the manufacturer and I expect a lot more challenges to come in the next two years. NEW AND FASTER DELIVERY Crunching the biosonics data has always been a challenge, and the reality is that there are a lot of steps to the processing, from: • Generating the bathymetry • Cleaning up sidescan • Generating the actual datasets which include processing all signals, separating the fish, size

grading, calculating where they are (latitude, longitude, depth), and generating their movements • Generating all the sediment types • Assessing wood habitat In general we try to have data to the client within 24 hours of survey – which is a first draft that provides a snapshot in mapping form. Over time, we have narrowed it down to two key maps that are easy to assess and determine if anything needs to be adjusted in the survey: one that combines bathymetry, survey tracks, fish sizes and locations, and one that combines sidescan, fish locations and depth of the fish. Now that is a lot to do, so we have to be really efficient in sending data from the field as well as in minimising the handling. The other thing that we need to do is then get that to the client and here Mapbox has been a godsend. Mapbox is an online mapping delivery system that accepts a range of mapping data including raster data (important for sidescan). With Mapbox, we can upload the finished datasets and provide maps that are usable on desktop and mobile by the client and survey team. We still have work to do to automate that process, but all the feedback has been really positive – not least because it provides a map of where the fish are within 24 hours. THE FUTURE In the near future we will be able to deliver those rich datasets via apps. While we are still working out the best way/context to do that, it’s pretty exciting to pull together such a complex data collection process and make it simple to use and access. The bonus is once we have the delivery options streamlined, we can start to look at the next generation of technologies that will provide even more insights into what is happening under the water. Next month, I will do a data dive from a survey and highlight some of the questions we are answering and new questions raised by our survey teams. APRIL 2020

2020 2020 Local Time

SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – LONG NEW SOUTH WALES LAT 33° 51’ S 151° 14’ E

Time

1 1 0119 0648 WE 1307

WE 1307 1955

2 2

0207 0741 TH TH 1352 2039

3 3

0300 0842 FR FR 1445 2128

4 4

0356 0951 SA SA 1547 2217

5 5

0450 1103 SU SU 1654 2306

6 6

0541 1209 MO MO 1756 2353

7 7

0628 1304 TU TU 1851

LAT 33° 51’ S LONG 151° 14’ E Times and Heights of High and Low Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY JANUARY MARCH FEBRUARY JANUARY Time m Time m Time Time m Time m Time m m 0119 1.27 0648 0.70 1307 1.54 1955 0.52 0207 1.27 0741 0.74 1352 1.45 2039 0.55 0300 1.30 0842 0.77 1445 1.37 2128 0.57 0356 1.34 0951 0.77 1547 1.30 2217 0.58 0450 1.41 1103 0.74 1654 1.26 2306 0.58 0541 1.49 1209 0.67 1756 1.26 2353 0.56 0628 1.58 1304 0.58 1851 1.28

1.27 0.70 1.54 TH 0.52

Time

16 16 0129 0716 TH 1331 1.27 0.74 1.45 FR 0.55

1331 2007

17 17 1.30 0.77 1.37 SA 0.57

0226 0821 FR 1430 2100

18 18 1.34 0.77 1.30 SU 0.58

0327 0934 SA 1535 2155

19 19 1.41 0.74 1.26 MO 0.58

0430 1053 SU 1647 2252

20 20 1.49 0.67 1.26 TU 0.56

0530 1209 MO 1800 2348

21 21 1.58 0.58 1.28 WE

0628 1315 TU 1903

0043 0.53 22 22 0721 1.75 1409 0.41 0043 0721 WE 1409 1959

0038 0.54 0.54 1.68 0132 23 8 8 0712 1.68 23 1353 0.48 0809 TH 0.48 1454

0038 0712 WE WE 1353 1941

9 9 0122 0755 TH 1438

TH 1438 2029

10 10 0206 0840 FR 1522 FR 1522 2115

11 11 0252 0925 SA 1606 SA 1606 2203

12 12 0340 1011 SU 1652 SU 1652 2252

13 13 0430 1059 MO 1739 MO 1739 2342

14 14 0522 1147 TU 1827 TU 1827

0.48 1941 1.31 0122 0.51 0755 1.78 1438 0.38 2029 1.34 0206 0.47 0840 1.87 1522 0.30 2115 1.38 0252 0.44 0925 1.94 1606 0.24 2203 1.41 0340 0.42 1011 1.98 1652 0.20 2252 1.43 0430 0.42 1059 1.98 1739 0.20 2342 1.44 0522 0.43 1147 1.93 1827 0.23

m 0129 1.46 0716 0.52 1331 1.70 2007 0.35 0226 1.48 0821 0.56 1430 1.56 2100 0.41 0327 1.51 0934 0.59 1535 1.43 2155 0.47 0430 1.56 1053 0.59 1647 1.33 2252 0.51 0530 1.63 1209 0.54 1800 1.29 2348 0.53 0628 1.69 1315 0.47 1903 1.28

TH 1454 1.31 2045 0.51 1.78 0218 0.38 0853 FR FR 1535 1.34 2128 0.47 1.87 0300 0.30 0933 SA SA 1613 1.38 2207 0.44 1.94 0340 0.24 1011 SU SU 1647 1.41 2244 0.42 1.98 0418 0.20 1046 MO MO 1721 1.43 2320 0.42 1.98 0456 0.20 1121 TU TU 1754 1.44 2356 0.43 1.93 0535 0.23 1156 WE WE 1827

24 24 25 25 26 26

27 27 28 28 29 29

1.46 0.52 1.70 SA 0.35

Time

1 1 0202 0758 SA 1357

1.48 0.56 1.56 SU 0.41

1357 2023

2 2

1.51 0.59 1.43 MO 0.47

0255 0901 SU 1454 2113

3 3

1.56 0.59 1.33 TU 0.51

0352 1015 MO 1603 2209

4 4

1.63 0.54 1.29 WE 0.53

0451 1130 TU 1718 2309

5 5

1.69 0.47 1.28 TH

0548 1235 WE 1825

0005 0641 TH 1329 1921

7 7

0059 0731 FR 1416 2011

8 8 0148 0819 SA 1501 1501 2059

9 9 0238 0908 SU 1546 1546 2145

10 10 0328 0956 MO 1631 1631 2232

11 11 0419 1044 TU 1715 1715 2321

12 12 0512 1132 WE 1800 1800

Time

16 16 0256 0924 SU 1519 1.38 0.74 1.26 MO 0.63

1519 2121

17 17 1.41 0.74 1.20 TU 0.65

0401 1045 MO 1638 2225

18 18 1.47 0.68 1.19 WE 0.64

0509 1202 TU 1756 2330

19 19 0612 1306 WE 1900

0.48 1921 1.28 0059 0.54 0731 1.78 1416 0.36 2011 1.35 0148 0.46 0819 1.89 1501 0.26 2059 1.43 0238 0.39 0908 1.97 1546 0.18 2145 1.49 0328 0.34 0956 2.02 1631 0.14 2232 1.55 0419 0.31 1044 2.00 1715 0.15 2321 1.58 0512 0.32 1132 1.92 1800 0.20

1223 1846 1.79 1846 0.28 0101 0101 0706 1.60 0706 0.43 FR 1315 1315 1933 1.63 1933 0.39 1.36 0157 1.59 0.62 0157 0811 0.51 1.54 0811 SA 1413 1.45 SA 1413 2024 0.50 2024 0.49 1.36 0.67 1.44 0.54

14 14

m 0256 1.58 0924 0.57 1519 1.31 2121 0.58 0401 1.58 1045 0.58 1638 1.22 2225 0.64 0509 1.60 1202 0.56 1756 1.20 2330 0.65 0612 1.63 1306 0.50 1900 1.24

0031 0.62 20 20 0707 1.67 1356 0.45 1.55 0.59 1.22 TH

0031 0707 TH 1356 1950

FR 1436 1.28 2031 0.54 1.78 0208 0.36 0836 SA SA 1512 1.35 2108 0.46 1.89 0247 0.26 0914 SU SU 1545 1.43 2142 0.39 1.97 0324 0.18 0948 MO MO 1615 1.49 2215 0.34 2.02 0400 0.14 1021 TU TU 1645 1.55 2247 0.31 2.00 0435 0.15 1054 WE WE 1715 1.58 2320 0.32 1.92 0513 0.20 1127 TH TH 1744 2354 1.60 0.36 0553 1.79 1202 FR FR 1815 0.28

22 22 23 23 24 24

25 25 26 26 27 27

0010 1.60 13 28 0607 13 0010 0607 0.36 28 TH 1223 1223 1.79

0033 1.45 0034 1.45 0.47 0034 1.36 15 30 15 0617 0616 15 0033 30 0617 0.47 1.83 0616 0.62 15 WE 1238 TH 1231 1238 1.83 1231 1.54

31 31

1.36 0.71 1.35 SU 0.59

0005 0.60 0.60 1.66 0123 21 6 6 0641 1.66 21 1329 0.48 0755 FR 1436 0.48

0.53 1.75 0.41 0.41 1.30 FR 1959 1.30 0132 0.52 0.52 1.80 0809 1.80 0.36 1454 0.36 1.32 SA 2045 1.32 0218 0.51 0.51 1.82 0853 1.82 0.34 1535 0.34 1.34 SU 2128 1.34 0300 0.51 0.51 1.82 0933 1.82 0.33 1613 0.33 1.36 MO 2207 1.36 0340 0.51 0.51 1.80 1011 1.80 0.35 1647 0.35 1.36 TU 2244 1.36 0418 0.52 0.52 1.76 1046 1.76 0.38 1721 0.38 1.36 WE 2320 1.36 0456 0.54 0.54 1.70 1121 1.70 0.41 1754 0.41 1.36 TH 2356 1.36 0535 0.58 0.58 1.63 1156 1.63 0.45 1827 0.45 FR

1.83 0.28 1.54 WE 1238 1916 TH 1231 1901 1901 0.50 1916 0.28 0115 0115 0703 1.36 0703 0.67 FR 1311 1.44 FR 1311 1940 1940 0.54

m 0202 1.36 0758 0.71 1357 1.35 2023 0.59 0255 1.38 0901 0.74 1454 1.26 2113 0.63 0352 1.41 1015 0.74 1603 1.20 2209 0.65 0451 1.47 1130 0.68 1718 1.19 2309 0.64 0548 1.55 1235 0.59 1825 1.22

1.58 0.57 1.31 SU 0.58

Time

1 1 0113 0726 SU 1323

1.58 0.58 1.22 MO 0.64

1323 1927

2 2

1.60 0.56 1.20 TU 0.65

0200 0824 MO 1416 2015

3 3

1.63 0.50 1.24 WE

0257 0935 TU 1526 2116

4 4

0.62 1.67 0.45 0.45 1.29 TH 1950 1.29 0123 0.58 0.58 1.71 0755 1.71 0.41 1436 0.41 1.34 FR 2031 1.34 0208 0.54 0.54 1.73 0836 1.73 0.38 1512 0.38 1.39 SA 2108 1.39 0247 0.51 0.51 1.74 0914 1.74 0.37 1545 0.37 1.42 SU 2142 1.42 0324 0.49 0.49 1.73 0948 1.73 0.38 1615 0.38 1.44 MO 2215 1.44 0400 0.49 0.49 1.70 1021 1.70 0.39 1645 0.39 1.46 TU 2247 1.46 0435 0.50 0.50 1.65 1054 1.65 0.42 1715 0.42 1.47 WE 2320 1.47 0513 0.52 0.52 1.59 1127 1.59 0.46 1744 0.46 1.48 TH 2354 1.48 0553 0.56 0.56 1.51 1202 1.51 0.51 1815 0.51 FR

0401 1054 WE 1649 2230

5 5

0510 1203 TH 1803 2339

6 6

0612 1300 FR 1901

m 0113 1.47 0726 0.65 1323 1.32 1927 0.63 0200 1.45 0824 0.69 1416 1.23 2015 0.69 0257 1.45 0935 0.70 1526 1.17 2116 0.72 0401 1.48 1054 0.66 1649 1.17 2230 0.72 0510 1.55 1203 0.57 1803 1.22 2339 0.66 0612 1.66 1300 0.45 1901 1.32

1.47 0.65 1.32 MO 0.63

Time

16 16 0225 0915 MO 1510 1.45 0.69 1.23 TU 0.69

1510 2049

17 17 1.45 0.70 1.17 WE 0.72

0332 1031 TU 1631 2200

18 18 1.48 0.66 1.17 TH 0.72

0444 1144 WE 1748 2315

19 19 0551 1243 TH 1846

8 8 0133 0758 SU 1436 1436 2038

9 9 0225 0847 MO 1520 1520 2124

10 10 0316 0937 TU 1603 1603 2210

11 11 0408 1026 WE 1647 1647 2257

12 12 0501 1116 TH 1730 1730 2345

13 13 0558 1207 FR 1815 1815

0.33 1951 1.43 0133 0.45 0758 1.90 1436 0.23 2038 1.53 0225 0.35 0847 1.97 1520 0.16 2124 1.63 0316 0.28 0937 1.99 1603 0.14 2210 1.71 0408 0.25 1026 1.95 1647 0.17 2257 1.76 0501 0.26 1116 1.84 1730 0.25 2345 1.77 0558 0.31 1207 1.69 1815 0.36

1300 1900 1.52 1900 0.48 0127 0127 0801 1.71 0801 0.47 SU 1400 1400 1949 1.36 1949 0.60

15 15

Time

1 1 0215 0909 WE 1506

1.59 0.58 1.19 TH 0.75

1506 2040

2 2

1.57 0.57 1.21 FR 0.75

0322 1023 TH 1628 2200

3 3

1.58 0.54 1.27 SA

0435 1130 FR 1740 2315

4 4

1.54 0.66 1.19 TH 0.78

Time

16 16 0310 1009 TH 1622 1.54 0.62 1.21 FR 0.77

1622 2148

17 17 1.59 0.54 1.29 SA 0.70

0416 1102 FR 1715 2253

18 18 1.69 0.43 1.41 SU

0512 1146 SA 1759 2346

19 19 0557 1223 SU 1835

m 0310 1.55 1009 0.60 1622 1.26 2148 0.82 0416 1.54 1102 0.59 1715 1.32 2253 0.77 0512 1.55 1146 0.56 1759 1.40 2346 0.71 0557 1.56 1223 0.53 1835 1.48

1.66 0.45 1.32 SA

6 6 0016 0634 MO 1304

21 21 0110 0731 SA 1406 1406 2008

SU 1439 1.43 2042 0.45 1.90 0231 0.23 0846 MO MO 1509 1.53 2114 0.35 1.97 0306 0.16 0920 TU TU 1538 1.63 2144 0.28 1.99 0342 0.14 0953 WE WE 1606 1.71 2215 0.25 1.95 0417 0.17 1027 TH TH 1634 1.76 2246 0.26 1.84 0454 0.25 1101 FR FR 1702 1.77 2319 0.31 1.69 0533 0.36 1138 SA SA 1733 2354 1.75 0.38 0616 1.52 1217 SU SU 1806 0.48

23 23 24 24

25 25

26 26

27 27 28 28

0.70 1.61 0.50 0.50 1.34 SU 1930 1.34 0110 0.64 0.64 1.63 0731 1.63 0.47 1406 0.47 1.41 MO 2008 1.41 0153 0.58 0.58 1.66 0811 1.66 0.44 1439 0.44 1.47 TU 2042 1.47 0231 0.54 0.54 1.66 0846 1.66 0.43 1509 0.43 1.51 WE 2114 1.51 0306 0.50 0.50 1.66 0920 1.66 0.42 1538 0.42 1.56 TH 2144 1.56 0342 0.49 0.49 1.63 0953 1.63 0.44 1606 0.44 1.59 FR 2215 1.59 0417 0.48 0.48 1.59 1027 1.59 0.46 1634 0.46 1.61 SA 2246 1.61 0454 0.50 0.50 1.53 1101 1.53 0.51 1702 0.51 1.62 SU 2319 1.62 0533 0.52 0.52 1.45 1138 1.45 0.56 1733 0.56 1.62 MO 2354 1.62 0616 0.56 0.56 1.37 1217 1.37 0.62 1806 0.62 TU

0543 1228 SA 1837

m 0215 1.54 0909 0.66 1506 1.19 2040 0.78 0322 1.54 1023 0.62 1628 1.21 2200 0.77 0435 1.59 1130 0.54 1740 1.29 2315 0.70 0543 1.69 1228 0.43 1837 1.41

0019 0.58 0030 0.58 1.79 0030 0.64 20 5 0541 0637 5 1217 1.79 20 1.58 0.33 0637 MO 1257 0.33 1257 0.50

0018 0645 FR 1329 1930

1.60 0031 1.48 0034 1.48 0.60 0034 1.75 29 29 14 0.43 0031 0636 0657 14 29 0.60 1.41 0657 0.38 29 1.63 0636 SA 1240 SA 1300 1240 1.41 1300 1.52 1.41 0.57 SA 1240 1848 SA 0.39 1848 0.57 1.59 0.51 1.45 SU 0.49

m 1.65 0.54 1.24 WE 0.70

0018 0.70 20 20 0645 1.61 1329 0.50 1.55 0.57 1.22 FR 0.66

0039 0.56 0.56 1.78 0153 22 7 7 0707 1.78 22 1350 0.33 0811 SU 1439 0.33 0039 0707 SA 1350 1951

m 0225 1.65 0915 0.54 1510 1.24 2049 0.70 0332 1.59 1031 0.58 1631 1.19 2200 0.75 0444 1.57 1144 0.57 1748 1.21 2315 0.75 0551 1.58 1243 0.54 1846 1.27

Local Time APRIL APRIL Time Time m

0019 0541 SU 1217 1827

1304 1914

7 7 0111 0725 TU 1348 1348 2000

8 8 0203 0816 WE 1431 1431 2045

9 9 0257 0907 TH 1515 1515 2132

10 10 0352 1000 FR 1559 1559 2219

11 11 0448 1053 SA 1643 1643 2308

12 12 0547 1148 SU 1729 1729

31 31

MO 1257 1.54 1909 0.46 1.87 0110 0.25 0714 TU TU 1327 1.67 1941 0.35 1.91 0146 0.21 0749 WE WE 1356 1.79 2012 0.27 1.89 0222 0.22 0824 TH TH 1425 1.87 2043 0.24 1.82 0300 0.27 0900 FR FR 1454 1.92 2115 0.25 1.70 0338 0.36 0938 SA SA 1526 1.92 2149 0.30 1.56 0418 0.47 1017 SU SU 1559 1.87 2226 0.38 1.42 0501 0.60 1100 MO MO 1636 2306 1.80 0.47 0550 1.31 1149 TU TU 1719 0.71 2353 1.70 0.54 0646 1.23 1246 WE WE 1813 0.79

21 21

22 22 23 23 24 24

25 25

26 26

27 27

0000 1.80 13 28 0650 13 0000 0650 0.47 28 MO 1248 1248 1.31

1248 1819 1.31 1819 0.71 0056 0056 0758 1.70 0758 0.54 TU 1357 1357 1920 1.23 1920 0.79 1.59 0200 1.61 0.61 0200 0906 0.59 1.29 0906 WE 1513 1.22 WE 1513 2033 0.69 2033 0.83 1.56 0.65 1.23 0.75

14 14

0033 1.71 1.59 30 15 0704 0.47 0033 30 0.61 15 1.36 0704 MO 1302 1302 1.29 1.29 MO 1302 1845 0.60 1845 0.69 0119 0119 0800 1.56 0800 0.65 TU 1357 1.23 TU 1357 1933 1933 0.75

0.33 1827 1.54 0016 0.46 0634 1.87 1304 0.25 1914 1.67 0111 0.35 0725 1.91 1348 0.21 2000 1.79 0203 0.27 0816 1.89 1431 0.22 2045 1.87 0257 0.24 0907 1.82 1515 0.27 2132 1.92 0352 0.25 1000 1.70 1559 0.36 2219 1.92 0448 0.30 1053 1.56 1643 0.47 2308 1.87 0547 0.38 1148 1.42 1729 0.60

29 29

m 1.55 0.60 1.26 0.82 1.54 0.59 1.32 0.77 1.55 0.56 1.40 0.71 1.56 0.53 1.48

0.64 1.58 0.50 0.50 1.55 1909 1.55 0110 0.59 0.59 1.58 0714 1.58 0.49 1327 0.49 1.61 1941 1.61 0146 0.54 0.54 1.57 0749 1.57 0.49 1356 0.49 1.67 2012 1.67 0222 0.51 0.51 1.55 0824 1.55 0.50 1425 0.50 1.71 2043 1.71 0300 0.49 0.49 1.51 0900 1.51 0.53 1454 0.53 1.74 2115 1.74 0338 0.49 0.49 1.46 0938 1.46 0.57 1526 0.57 1.76 2149 1.76 0418 0.51 0.51 1.41 1017 1.41 0.62 1559 0.62 1.74 2226 1.74 0501 0.54 0.54 1.35 1100 1.35 0.67 1636 0.67 1.72 2306 1.72 0550 0.57 0.57 1.29 1149 1.29 0.73 1719 0.73 1.68 2353 1.68 0646 0.60 0.60 1.26 1246 1.26 0.78 1813 0.78

0048 1.64 0.60 1.25 1.25 0.80 TH 1354 1920 0.83 1920 0.80 1.61

1.64 30 0750 0.59 0048 30 0.60 1.22 0750 TH 1354 1354 1.25

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide 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 Times are in local Symbols standard time (UTC time (UTC +11:00) when in effect New+10:00) Moon or daylight savings First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Full Moon Moon Phase Symbols New Moon First Quarter 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. 78

APRIL 2020

boats & kayaks

In the skipper’s seat

Inside story...

Stacer have been making boats for over 40 years, and in that time have gained a reputation for building tough boats to suit Australian conditions. With over 70 models in the range, whether you are after a serious fishing rig, a family fun machine or a budget-friendly tinny, Stacer has you covered.

Made for...

Stacer boats are designed to dominate all sorts of waterways. There are boats to suit offshore, in the bay and in freshwater fishing locations.

This month...

Editor Steve Morgan takes a ride in two Stacer 519 Crossfire models. Check it out on page 84!

80 Choosing the right kayak for you Justin Willmer explains the differences in certain kayak models, and how to choose the best one for your needs.

82 Are you up to date with PFDs?

Wayne Kampe discusses PFD laws and the importance of having these life-saving devices aboard.

87 What’s new in the world of boating

Want to know what’s been going on in the industry? Get the latest news and product information from the boating world!

APRIL 2020

Choosing the perfect kayak for your needs BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Kayak fishing has only grown in popularity! It’s inexpensive, allows you to launch almost anywhere and access new locations, can be relaxing or adrenaline filled, provides the advantage of stealth, has a low carbon

may be a little extreme, but I know many anglers that have two different kayaks in the garage for different applications. If 95% of your fishing is skinny water creek bashing, then purchase a kayak to suit that application. Similarly, if it’s offshore or estuary fishing, this will require different kayaks. Once you decide on your type of fishing, you can

getting into kayak fishing. SIT INSIDE OR SIT ON TOP For many, the first decision is between a sit-on-top or sit-inside. A sit on top is by far the most popular kayak style for fishing as there are many options available, they are inexpensive, easy to get in and out of, feature selfdraining scupper holes so as not to hold water like

A sit-inside kayak is still a good option for smoother waters and skinny water adventures.

This sit-inside kayak was excellent for targeting barra in a small impoundment, as you’re lower to the water so you catch less wind. footprint and offers a level of exercise, often without even realising it. Probably the most common question that I get asked from anglers both new and old to kayak fishing is ‘what is the best kayak for fishing?’ The short answer is the one that best suits your needs, so I’m going to explore the features and benefits, pros and cons, and applications for different kayak types. APPLICATION The first consideration when selecting a kayak for fishing is the application that you have in mind for the kayak. One single kayak will not be the best solution for offshore fishing, bush bashing the creeks, estuary fishing and the many other applications that anglers may have in mind, so it’s important to decide what type of fishing you want to focus on. My passion for kayak fishing has seen up to half a dozen different kayaks in the shed at times, which

APRIL 2020

kayak to keep water out. CAPACITY Most adult kayaks will have a capacity rating from around 80kg up to hundreds of kilograms. It’s

estuary fishing. If I wanted to carry more gear for kayak camping or extended fishing adventures, then I would be looking for a kayak with increased

If you’re fishing colder conditions further south, sit-inside kayaks will protect you from the elements better than a sit-on-top kayak.

Grey nomads geared up with their compact 280x85cm by 85cm kayaks that are rated to 147kg capacity. start comparing models. Keep an eye out for kayak store demo days, borrow a kayak or even look at hiring a couple of kayaks to get a feel for what is out there and what you need. Kayak forums, magazines and the internet can also assist with your research. It is important to consider the limitations of you and your vessel when

A simple set-up is all you need to get started, however you need to consider the physical size and weight of the kayak, its capacity and your fishing applications. 80

Sit-inside kayaks are therefore preferred for backwater creek fishing where the kayak is often dragged, carried and frequently contacts vegetation and other structure, as well as in colder southern environments. However, you need to be conscious of the open cockpit that can take on

a sit-inside, and landing and handling fish can also often be easier as you can drop your legs over either side to slow the kayak and increase stability, and even turn completely sideways on the kayak to access iceboxes and other items in the rear well. On the other hand, sit-inside kayaks allow you to keep gear stowed securely inside the kayak where branches cannot drag items into the water, while also protecting you from these overhanging branches along with the elements, such as the wind and cold. The hull on sit-inside kayaks generally has less drag than comparable length sit-on-top kayaks, so it glides more efficiently, making it popular for covering further distances when fishing. Longer sit-inside kayaks (sea kayaks) are the choice for long-range sea kayaking adventures/touring.

important to keep in mind your weight plus the weight of the gear that you wish to carry on board with you. I have a small, inexpensive kayak that I load with a 20L

capacity, which would likely also increase the space available for stowing gear, fitting additional rod holders and increase the length of the kayak. For this option, I have

From left to right: the wider, slower sit-inside; a grey nomad’s 147kg rated all-rounder; the author’s all-rounder; and Sheri’s speed machine. water, so for anglers and sea kayakers who are venturing into rougher water a skirt is often attached around the waist of the paddler and around the cockpit of the

icebox, a couple of rods and a dry bag of lures, tackle and accessories. This kayak is 9’ (2.7m) and has a rating of 130kg, which is enough to cover basic creek and

a 12’ 6” (3.8m) kayak that has a weight capacity of 180kg. WEIGHT As kayaks get longer, wider and their capacities increase, generally so does

their weight. It’s important to consider how you will be transporting and storing your kayak, such as whether you will be lifting your kayak onto a vehicle, trailer or storage racks. You need to be able to handle the kayak without injuring yourself or

good to paddle, with its multipiece paddles packing into the compact kit. However, for most anglers the inflation, deflation, drying time and pack up take away from the simplicity of kayak fishing, meaning that inflatable kayaks are usually only chosen by

will often opt for something in the middle, giving them a balance of speed and stability. Remember if the kayak becomes too wide, it can also be difficult for smaller paddlers to paddle the kayak comfortably and effectively.

Sit-inside kayaks are good for skinny water adventures that require some portaging. damaging the kayak. Kayak loading devices can assist in loading and unloading your kayak if you wish to purchase one that you cannot physically load and unload without assistance, but this is an additional expense. It is worth investigating further to ensure you can manage the loading device prior to purchasing both it and the kayak. Otherwise, you could use a kayak trailer. There are high-tec, lightweight kayaks, but the current selection is limited and they generally carry a higher price tag than rotomoulded polyethylene kayaks. Inflatable kayaks are another option and the quality and rigidity of these have improved over time thanks to advancements in materials and drop stitched flooring. Sheri and I have a double inflatable kayak that packs into a suitcase to take with us on adventures and it is stable, durable and pretty

adventurers and anglers with extreme space restrictions. LENGTH The length of the kayak can impact its speed, tracking and handling in choppy conditions. Longer kayaks will generally track better, paddle faster and ride through chop better, while shorter kayaks will bob like a cork amongst chop, take more effort to paddle straight and control in wind and chop, and won’t be capable of the speed achieved in longer kayaks. On the flipside though, shorter kayaks are often more manoeuvrable and lighter, so they are preferred by many for smooth water, skinny water and short paddles to more sheltered fishing spots. WIDTH The width of the kayak can influence stability, speed, handling and capacity. Thinner kayaks generally track straighter and paddle faster, while wider kayaks are slower but more stable and with larger capacities. Anglers

An inexpensive, 2.7-3m kayak is all you need to target bread and butter species. Do your research and stick with a reputable brand.

the kayak and attempting to swing the bow. You can also use the rudder when wind drifting and fishing, controlling drift direction and maintaining your position a cast distance from the edge or structure as you drift, should the wind be blowing in the right direction. PADDLE VS PEDAL Pedal kayaks allow for hands-free fishing, additional distance to be covered and less fatigue, as you are powering your vessel using larger muscle groups. They also provide increased control when fishing as you can hold your position in wind or current. Pedal kayaks often dominate kayak tournaments these days, due to these distinct advantages for anglers. You don’t need a pedal kayak to catch fish, but they do make fishing easier. There are a few downsides to pedal kayaks. The obvious one is the additional cost, but

You don’t need a big kayak to catch big fish. Smaller kayaks can even have the advantage in accessing some areas. My wife is a smaller paddler than myself, so she has a kayak that is narrower, slightly longer and has less capacity than mine, while I require additional capacity to handle my weight along with additional width for stability due to my larger frame. I would be unstable and uncomfortable in her kayak, while she would find my kayak more difficult and heavier to paddle. RUDDER A rudder adds cost to your kayak price but it makes paddling more efficient and steering much simpler. It is often foot-powered, allowing you to focus on a steady paddle stroke and adjust the tracking with a small movement of your feet. Many kayaks come fitted with rudders, while others have the option of retrofitting a rudder. Most rudders are designed to kick up if they come into contact with structure when moving forward, with a simple cord system to flip the rudder up into a stowed position or into the water for use. A rudder allows you to focus on paddling and makes control easier, even in a side wind or when waves are crashing against one side of

if your application involves covering distance or battling wind and tide then it may be worth it. Another downside of pedal kayaks is the space lost in the cockpit area due to the pedal units taking up space; however, over time pedal kayak manufacturers have come up with some creative storage options to ensure that rods and gear are secured safely, so this is less of an issue. Finally, pedal kayaks have the disadvantage of the pedal unit protruding from the bottom of the kayak, which rules them out for many skinny water adventures where the system is riddled with snags and structure. Other than that, if you love kayak fishing, saving your pennies for a pedal kayak may

This is the perfect environment for a sit-inside kayak: cruising through lilies and timber as you’re protected from the elements and everything is stowed securely. be a good choice if you haven’t already made the leap. I have heard a few negative stories about the cheaper ‘copycat’ pedal kayaks that are popping up around the place, so I would stick with the tried and true Hobie or Native Watercraft pedal kayaks until the others have proven themselves. Likewise with paddle kayaks, do your research and stick with the more well-known and reputable brands that have a history of quality, performance, quality fit out and proven accessories. POWER A less common option but one that is available to kayak anglers is to power up your kayak with a small electric motor. Powered kayaks have allowed anglers with injuries and conditions that would otherwise prevent them from kayak fishing to get out there

when selecting a kayak that will be powered include options for mounting the motor, along with the kayak’s capacity for carrying the motor and battery. MAKING YOUR CHOICE Once you have narrowed your kayak search down to a couple of options, it should just be the little things that separate them. This can be as simple as available colours, such as a stealthy colour for skinny water bass or a hi-vis colour for paddling offshore. It may also come down to available storage and its configuration, seating, mounting and attachment points, available accessories and so forth. I hope I have touched on some points that will assist you when selecting your first or your next kayak. Remember that the best fishing kayak is the one that best suits you, so

An important consideration when selecting a kayak is handling and transport, as well as storage at home. and into a few fish. These power options have also been taken on board by those who love the serenity, stealth and overall vibe of kayak fishing, and are looking to cover more water, troll and make the most of short windows of time. Important considerations

take the time to think about the types of fishing and adventures you wish to undertake and what requirements you have for your craft. Try and get out there and paddle or pedal as many options as you can to get a better understanding of what’s available.

Offshore kayaks are generally longer, with a bow designed to ride over and through waves and a rudder for control. APRIL 2020

Do you know the different PFD regulations? conditions, and should be able to turn a fully clothed wearer into a safe breathing position even if incapacitated, and that’s a pretty big call. Most are inflatable, and they are particularly popular with kayakers and rock fishers. Level 275 inflatable PFDs are designed for the roughest conditions, typically for people working on commercial vessels.

BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

I saw an ad on TV with an interesting and accurate message: ‘Wearing a lifejacket has never spoiled a day’s fishing!’ Reflecting on this pearl of wisdom turned my thoughts towards lifejackets (PFDs), the different styles on offer, and whether regulations might vary from state to state. We anglers like to fish in lots of different places; I have run into Victorian anglers while fishing in Queensland barra dams, and Victorian anglers have met Queenslanders fishing in Port Phillip Bay during the snapper run. It’s not hard to hook up the boat and head interstate, so maybe we should think about those PFDs a bit more

open deck of a boat up to 8m long that’s underway, children must wear a Level 50S (or greater) lifejacket. If you’re in open waters, the child’s jacket must be at least a Level 100. On all boats less than 4.8m, everyone on board has to wear at least a Level 50S PFD if: you’re boating between sunset and sunrise; in alpine waters; or boating alone without an accompanying person over 12

Youngsters need their lifejackets on when in a boat less than 4.8m. so brightly coloured. Level 100 As we move out into open waters – bays, estuaries and offshore – there are Levels

two styles of inflatables – one that is manually activated by pulling on a toggle, and the other self-inflating on contact with water. The latter option is

Our Porta Bote is over 25 years old, so even when enjoying smoko on Wyaralong Dam the PFD stays on.

In a good marine store it’s easy to find the right lifejacket for any boating situation. seriously. It makes sense to consider local requirements and different regulations if you’re in another state. AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS Australian Standards demand that lifejackets comply with set criteria regarding manufacture and performance. The current standard throughout Australia is AS 4758, and it outlines the best practice for the design and manufacture of various types of lifejackets. Just like spinning reels come in a thousand increments, the number increasing with size, lifejackets have numbered levels as a standard. These different numbers tell you what level of protection the lifejacket provides, and what conditions it is suited to. Level 50 The first option is the brightly-coloured Level 50 PFD which, although it will keep you afloat, has no collar to keep your head out of the water. Basically, this is a PFD for short-term use where you don’t expect to be in the water for long. Water skiers use them frequently. The 50S pretty much identical, but not 82

APRIL 2020

100, 150 and 275. Level 100 lifejackets have a neck support to keep the wearer’s face out of the water. These PFDs are suitable for most excursions into open water and have a high level of floatation. However, they are not quite as good for use in seas with larger waves as the type 150 and 275 PFDs are. Level 100 PFDs are either inflatable or non-inflatable, and both will save lives. The inflatable 100s rely on a CO2 cartridge to inflate bladders within the jacket. There are

more pricey, but many anglers still prefer inflatable PFDs because of their slim fit and freedom of movement. As a fly angler waving arms about like a windmill while fishing, I favour an inflatable lifejacket hands down. Next is the non-inflatable Level 100, which has foam incorporated within a vest-like shape. It is always ready for use, if a little more bulky than an inflatable jacket. Level 150 and 275 Level 150 jackets are a good choice in rough

QUEENSLAND In Queensland you are legally obliged to have lifejackets in your boat, one per occupant, and they must comply with the AS 4758 standard. You also need to have prominent signs pointing out exactly where those lifejackets are stored (more information on signage is available at www.msq.qld.gov.au). If your vessel is under 4.8m there are two extra regulations. First of all, if you are crossing a designated coastal bar, those aboard have to wear a lifejacket. Also, persons under 12 years of age must wear a lifejacket in any sub-4.8m open boat that’s underway. There is no specification as to which level of lifejacket should be worn. NEW SOUTH WALES New South Wales skippers are required to carry an AS 4758-compliant PFD for everyone aboard, and have their location in the boat clearly marked with an appropriate sign. Children under 12 must have their lifejackets on. When on enclosed waters in a craft less than 4.8m long, or on the

years of age on board. A Level 100 or greater standard must be worn at all times while boating in open waters or crossing a coastal bar. VICTORIA Going boating in Victoria? Down in that neck of the woods waters are significantly cooler, and the lifejacket regulations reflect that. Generally, there’s no boating without AS 4758-compliant lifejacket being worn.

On inland waters you can choose between types 1, 2, or 3. If the boat is over 4.8m and up to 12m in length, occupants must wear Type 1 lifejackets at times of ‘heightened risk’. This applies in the following scenarios: crossing a bar; boating by yourself; between dusk and dawn; boating in reduced visibility; and after a BOM weather warning has been issued. Children under 10 must wear appropriate lifejackets at all times. It is a legal requirement to carry an appropriate size and type of PFDs for each person on board. Lifejackets must be easy to access. TASMANIA The big issue in Tasmania is the water temperatures, and in the popular inland trout lakes it can be as cold as 15°C, even in summer. Any prolonged immersion is a huge life-threatening issue. Imagine trying to put a lifejacket on when you are gasping to say alive! Not a good scenario. For this reason, if you are in a craft under 6m long and underway, a Coast Guard prescribed AS 4758 PFD must be worn. Children under 13 must wear a jacket when a larger craft is underway, unless below decks. Vessels must always carry a compliant lifejacket for each person on board. WESTERN AUSTRALIA In WA, vessels operating out of unprotected waters must carry AS 4758-compliant Type 1

With the water temperature hovering around 15°C in summer, it makes sense to wear a lifejacket in Tassie lakes.

Angler David Falconer on Tasmania’s Little Pine Lagoon. David’s PFD is a 150 model.

In Victoria (and WA), the lifejacket levels are referred to as types 1, 2 and 3. Type 1 denotes level 100 or higher, Type 2 is Level 50, and Type 3 is 50S. In general, those aboard powerboats up to and including 4.8m long must be wearing a Type 1 lifejacket or greater while underway (which includes drifting). This applies in both enclosed waters (i.e. within a port) and coastal waters.

lifejackets. In protected waters, the lifejackets can be Type 1, 2 or 3. They must be stored in easily accessible places and be the appropriate size for each passenger. There does not appear to be any laws dictating when you must wear a lifejacket. Instead, there are recommendations, which include wearing one during times of poor visibility, bad weather,

Type 50 when boating alone, and for children under 10. SOUTH AUSTRALIA In vessels not more than 4.8m, all persons must wear a lifejacket, with the PFD Level appropriate to the conditions

Type 100

(i.e. protected, semi-protected or unprotected waters). In 4.8-12m vessels, the same applies to persons on an open deck or during times of heightened risk. Children under 12 or

weighing less than 40kg must not wear an inflatable lifejacket. ACT AND NT In the NT, all pleasure craft must carry lifejackets, one for each passenger. In the ACT

Type 150

this rule applies to all craft under 4.8m long. In both territories it is suggested that lifejackets be worn, but there does not appear to be any mandatory requirement.

THE NEXT LEVEL In next month’s issue I will discuss which lifejacket best suits different situations, and what the various styles of PFDs offer. Also, because of the popularity of inflatable-

style jackets for a lot of boating situations, it’s timely to have a look at servicing, to ensure they will work when you need them to. Until next month, happy boating.

STACER CROSSFIRE

Have the best of both worlds with the Stacer Crossfire range! There is a Crossfire to suit anyone from beginners to experienced fisherman. With plenty of storage space and fantastic features this range is sure to become a fast favourite.

Contact your local dealer for more information.

CENTRAL COAST

COFFS HARBOUR

GRAFTON

SYDNEY WEST

425 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty Ph (02) 4333 3444 stacerboats1@aol.com

30 Industrial Drive, Coffs Harbour Ph (02) 6651 7810 shop@thwaitesmarine.com.au

160 North St, Grafton Ph (02) 6643 1199 sales@discomarine.com.au

1 Railway Rd North, Mulgrave Ph (02) 4577 6699 sales@blakesmarine.com.au

IN TUNE MARINE

www.intunemarine.com.au

THWAITES MARINE

www.thwaitesmarine.com.au

SYDNEY SOUTH

PORT MACQUARIE

1-13 Mangrove Lne, Taren Point Ph (02) 9524 0044 sales@marinabayside.com.au

185 Hastings River Dr, Port Macquarie Ph (02) 6583 5511 sales@hastingsmarine.com.au

MARINA BAYSIDE

www.marinabayside.com.au

DISCO MARINE

www.discomarine.com.au

BLAKES MARINE

www.blakesmarine.com.au

HASTINGS MARINE

www.hastingsmarine.com.au

APRIL 2020

A tale of two Stacers: 519 Crossfire models - SC

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Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Coffs Harbour’s Thwaites Marine is a new and proud Stacer/Evinrude dealer. With a history in big boat and inboard servicing, the team have combined their indoor showroom with a range of Evinrude-powered Stacers that are set up for boating in their local area. Ben Thwaites had a great idea for their boat test: he organised their shop boat (a centre console Crossfire 519 fitted with a 115hp Evinrude HO outboard) and a customer boat that they’d recently

for ducking out before or after work for a quick fish or dive, and it’s an ideal configuration for this part of the world. They have added an aftermarket T-top to provide some shade, and there’s very little in the way of accessories. It’s just a big, open work space with a standard elevated front casting deck. In fact, I think that this boat would benefit from a lean seat or some other form of support. The 115 is a powerful engine and it would be nice to be able to brace yourself for the inevitable acceleration. Talking about the power plant, the Evinrude 115HO G2 E-Tec has the same amazing low and mid range torque that

Top: Here are the two test boats – both Stacer Crossfire 519s with 115hp Evinrude G2 E-Tecs. One is Thwaites Marine’s staff boat that they use for fishing offshore. The other belongs to a customer, Luke Strange, who set his side console version up for calmer water activities, from snorkelling and fishing through to tubing. Above: From the gunwales down, these hulls are identical. They both feature Stacer’s Revolution hull, which is a remarkably soft riding and open water capable base upon which to design a build to suit your needs.

On the single axle Stacer-built trailers these hulls will tow identically, and you don’t need a tank to tow them, either. Both are capably pulled by family cars. finished fitting out. This was the same hull and motor but with a side console layout. One is a dedicated offshore fishing and diving boat while the other has fishing, tubing, diving and family good times in mind. Let’s see which one would suit your type of boating best. CENTRE CONSOLE Thwaites Marine set up the centre console rig for owner and staff use. The team use it

we have come to expect from the remaining 2-stroke player in the market. Also fitted with power steering and auto trimming, this boat takes ‘ease of use’ to a whole new level. “For us, this is a great sea boat,” said Rob Thwaites. “We are able to launch it at some pretty ordinary ramps and the rig is light enough to manoeuvre the single axle trailer to where it needs to be.” Cavorting around the

harbour on a lumpy day allowed us to experience just how soft riding these hulls are. “This hull rides really well with a flared bow and moderate deadrise,” Rob said.

And we wholeheartedly agree. Hitting the first few lumps I was bracing for a rough ride, but as the test wore on, I found myself more and more impressed with the ability of the Crossfire hull to take the edge of the rough water. It’s one of the smoothest riding aluminium hulls that I’ve been in. Period! By the end of the test day, I found myself trying to land this hull rough. It is possible, but you need to travel at speeds you usually wouldn’t in any sort of a sea, and you had to get the hull landing flat on one of the hull sheets. It takes some doing. The take-home message is that, driven sensibly, you’ll have the softest ride you can in an aluminium hull – and

SPECIFICATIONS Length.(max) .... 5.37m Beam................. 2.24m Top.Sheet............ 3mm Bottom.Sheet ..... 4mm Max.hp ................... 115 Capacity ......5 persons Hull.Weight ........535kg I daresay better than many larger aluminium boats, regardless of the brand. “When you buy a Stacer boat/motor and Evinrude package, you get a full 5-year warranty on all of these components,” Rob said. This adds to the peace of mind when buying a matching package from one dealer.

SIDE CONSOLE The Stacer Crossfire side console is a new boat to Luke Strange, a Coffs roofer who spent months deliberating whether to go for a tinnie or the bigger Crossfire. Ultimately, he went the bigger boat and doesn’t regret the decision at all. Luke’s fit-out is fairly standard for a Crossfire. His has a side console, and the front casting deck is built in the shape of a standard bowrider. You can sit several people up there to enjoy the day on the water, or you can drop in an infill to use it as a fully functional casting deck for some serious fishing. “It’s been a great experience putting this boat

PERFORMANCE RPM........................ km/h.......................... km/L 650 ................................5.............................. 7.1 1000 ..............................7..............................4.9 2000 ............................ 11..............................1.6 3000 ............................37..............................3.1 3300 ............................41..............................3.4 4000 ............................50..............................2.8 84

APRIL 2020

The main difference in driving is that you’re standing upright in the centre console and seated in the side console. The centre console needs a lean seat to take your weight in the nasty stuff but otherwise is a pleasure to ride in.

together,” Luke said. “It took me three or four months to finally work out what was the best way to go. I wanted an all rounder – something to fish, dive, snorkel and use for tow sports, and I particularly liked the fact that the hull and trailer are built just up the road.” Stacer makes its own trailers, and the single-axle aluminium I-Beam that Luke’s rig is cradled on is made in the same complex as the hull. However, it seems as though Luke’s real passion is for the E-Tec on the back of this boat. “The hole shot is amazing,” he said. “It’s less thirsty than 2-strokes of the past but it’s just as economical as slower

The author braced for the first impact and was surprised at the quality of the ride inside a lumpy Coffs Harbour. The best way to experience it for yourself is to go out on a test ride.

Left: The side console version compacts all of the driving and traveling seating positions down at the stern, leaving a massive front deck for leisure activities. This rig will eventually be fitted with a bow-mounted trolling motor. Middle: With Evinrude now having a major stake in Telwater (manufacturers of Stacer boats), it was a given that there would be some kick-ass boat/motor/trailer deals in the Stacer/Evinrude space. The 3-cylinder G2 E-Tec was launched in 2019 and suits lots of Australian boats. Right: Apart from a lack of places to hang onto, the ride of the Thwaites shop Stacer Crossfire was great. We can see why Coffs locals are keen to get into these boats. There’s plenty of space, along with the ability to traverse some sketchy water to get to where you need to go.

Here’s the centre console deck layout – a simple flat floor with a raised bow casting deck. The enclosed anchor well really keeps the ground gear hidden, and gives the owner a mountain of casting space all around the boat.

There are a couple of different seat mounting bases on the side console, allowing the skipper to balance weight if needed. The team found that the rear mounts offered a great compromise between hole shot and ride. Up front, that’s the standard Crossfire bow arrangement. Luke opted for an infill as well, to make the front casting deck full sized when he’s fishing. At other times, the default position is a front-lounge shape.

four-strokes. It really is the best of both worlds.” PERFORMANCE Not surprisingly, both rigs displayed near-identical performance numbers. Between 3,000-3,500rpm was the most economical range, with the Evinrude delivering a frugal 3.4km/L. It was a little lumpy to get wide open throttle figures. Apart from the ride, the speed out of the hole is the most impressive aspect of this rig. The power steering and automatic trim make the experience more like driving a car than an old, cable steer boat. We really did find ourselves with smiles on the dials when it came to running around in these boats and taking the video and photos we needed for the boat tests. To view the full boat test video, head to the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube Channel (or by scanning the QR code hereby). You can also find more information at www. thwaitesmarine.com.au, or to keep abreast of what they have in store you can follow them on Facebook (facebook.com/ thwaitesmarine) or Instagram (@thwaites_marine). Package prices as tested were just under $50,000 for the centre console and around $53,000 for the side console with the extras as tested. Get in one – you’ll be as surprised as we were! APRIL 2020

Lots of useable space is a feature of this great boat, so fitting in lots of gear shouldn’t be a problem. Stacer’s standard dash holds all of your electronics and digital gauges. There’s no doubt that this rig has turned plenty of heads at the local Coffs ramps.

There really are plenty of configurations for the side console rig. Like this, it’s easy for an angler up front and one down the back, but if you remove the infill, there’s a lot of lounging space and the seat can swivel around to add to the area.

Transom v transom: the centre console is more clean and open with a full transom, while Luke has optioned his transom up with a bait board and a transom door. 86

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Both rigs have long side pockets to make your fishing gear easily accessible.

You’ll love the efficiency and mid-range torque of the Evinrude G2. Both boats were fitted with the power steering models, which make the steering wheel as light as the one in your tow vehicle.

WHAT’S NEW BOATING HUMMINBIRD MEGA 1 360 IMAGING

RIVIERA 505 SUV

With Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging you’ll view fish and structure in a whole new way, with a scanning diameter of up to 250’ (76m) around your boat. The high-frequency beam of MEGA Imaging CHIRPs across the megahertz range reveals the world below in picturelike detail all the way around your boat. You can use it alongside multiple sonar and map technologies, and can also customize sweep speed, viewing area, display info, sonar zoom and colour palette. Range rings indicate the distance to the target, so you can cast directly to it, and mark the waypoint on your 360 Imaging screen. Humminbird MEGA Imaging is now built into select Minn Kota electric motors, for a crystal clear view with no cluttered wires or clamps, and a transducer that’s fully protected. Whether you’re trolling or using Spot-Lock, MEGA 360 Imaging is independently mounted, so your sonar picture remains unchanged as the trolling motor turns. To see underwater footage of structure vs how it appears on the MEGA 360 screen, look up ‘Fishing Monthly’ on YouTube. www.humminbird.com.au

When Riviera’s design team set out to create their newest addition to the SUV Collection, their objective was to make the best of both worlds even better. The result is the Riviera 505 SUV. The same pedigree of a single-level alfresco entertainer with bluewater ability but with the added dimension of the mezzanine: a dining and relaxing space offering privacy and protection from harsh sun and weather. The generous cockpit is low to the water to maximise action and adventure, whether you’re cruising or fishing on the reef. From bow to boarding platform, you’ll experience the handcrafted luxury and operational technology. There’s a full-beam master stateroom, private en suite and walk-in robe, and two guest staterooms with shared bathroom. Topping it off is the Volvo Penta Glass Cockpit navigation system and smooth and economical performance of twin Volvo Penta IPS turbo diesels with joystick control. www.rivieraaustralia.com

CHILL WITH BAR CRUSHER

The new Suzuki DF300B strikes the perfect balance between superior power and thrust, with excellent fuel-efficiency and reliability all in a lightweight design. It features Suzuki’s Dual Prop system – contra-rotating, 6-blade propeller design which provides blistering acceleration and extreme cornering grip. The proven 4.4L block gives tremendous torque, making it the largest displacement V6 on the market. It has been engineered to run on 91 RON fuel, features Suzuki’s Lean Burn technology and 10.5:1 compression ratio. The materials of the new DF300B gears are ultra-strong to withstand high loads, and provide additional strength and reliability. Not only does this configuration record high speeds under heavy loads, it also produces a strong reverse thrust, aiding in greater manoeuvrability. The Dual Louver System keeps the intake air free of moisture and close to ambient temperature for ultimate performance, and the dual injectors deliver both cooling and power. The new DF300B comes in either a 25” or 30” shaft length, can be paired with Suzuki’s Precision Control system, and is backed by a 3+3 year warranty. www.suzukimarine.com.au

Aussie boat builder Bar Crusher has expanded its range of seating options with a new side-mount bolster seat with integrated tackle storage and slide-out 90L icebox. The stylish matte black framework is constructed from heavy-duty 32mm alloy tubing and accommodates three easilyaccessible tackle trays, with hassle-free bungee cord retention (as per the standard tackle storage seat boxes). Along with offering cool storage for food, drinks, bait, fish, and general dry storage for all sorts of gear, the split-lid icebox also provides additional seating, similar to Bar Crusher’s larger king/queen seat boxes. The icebox can be slid forward (towards the bunk) to maximise cockpit fishing space, while a strap point helps secure the icebox when underway. Fitted as standard with a range of features many other boat brands charge as extras, this latest personalisation option is available on both skipper and passenger sides, and suits all cuddy cabin (C Series) and hard top (HT Series) models from the 575 through to the 780. Check out Bar Crusher’s online boat builder to personalise your fishing weapon. www.barcrusher.com.au

BOAT POWERED BY 3 SEAWATER Energy Observer is the first vessel in the world to both generate and be powered by hydrogen, and is designed to test the efficiency of combining different renewable energies. The boat produces and stores hydrogen using seawater, solar panels (21kW peak), wind turbines (2 x 1kW), a traction kite and electric motors (2 x 41kW) of hydrogenation, lithium battery (106kWh), desalinisator, electrolyser, compressor, fuel cell (22kW), and 62kg of hydrogen. Another innovative project under development is a ferry that uses both sun and wave energy to produce hydrogen for propulsion. As renewable technology becomes more efficient, and fuel prices continue to climb, who knows what the boating world might look like in the decades to come? www.energy-observer.org

SUZUKI LAUNCHES NEW DF300B

YANMAR 6LF SERIES

PRODUCT GUIDE

Yanmar has announced the release of the 6LF and 6LT series of diesel engines. This advanced six-model line-up extends Yanmar’s portfolio of common rail diesel engines to encompass an output range from 40hp to 630hp. Enabling Yanmar to supply more compact, high performance solutions, the 478hp to 630hp 6LF and 6LT engines are ideal for leisure boats. The two series, consisting of the 3000rpm 6LF485, 6LF530 and 6LF550 engines and 2530rpm 6LT500, 6LT580 and 6LT640 engines, feature Yanmar’s next generation VC20 vessel control system for enhanced onboard comfort and an easier overall boating experience. The global emission-certified diesel engines also offer leading fuel economy and are compatible with a wide range of fuel types. Available as a complete package including engine, ZF transmission and VC20 vessel control system, the 6LF and 6LT are supplied with a full range of options. The 6LF and 6LT series will be available from Q3 2020. www.yanmarmarine.com

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APRIL 2020

A POWERFUL PACKAGE 40-60HP FOURSTROKE PERFORMANCE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

• SmartCraft Technology – Keeps you informed about your engine’s performance • The Most Intuitive Tiller – Feature packed for unmatched comfort and usability • Troll Control – Dial in precise troll control speeds on all Tiller models in 10RPM increments

PROVEN RELIABILITY

• EFI Reliable Turnkey Starting – Starts first time and every time • 3 + 3 = 6 Year Warranty – For real peace of mind • 18 amp Alternator – Built to handle the demands of marine electronics

POWERFUL PERFORMANCE

• High Displacement – For power and efficiency • Command Thrust Gearcase – For improved acceleration and maneuverability The Mercury 40-60hp FourStroke range ticks all the boxes, so see your nearest Mercury dealer to find out more. www.mercurymarine.com.au