NSW Fishing Monthly December 2018

FESTIVE FISHING FRENZY • CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Tried & Tested

589 Stacer Ocean Ranger with F115hp Yamaha Stessl 520 Bluewater with F115hp Yamaha

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NEW FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION

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Boating & Kayaking

Features

Solutions for that stormy summer weather

Kayaking the wondrous Clarrie Hall

Persisting through those doughnut days

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Conquering the cod open season • The ultimate anglers gift guide How to score in the surf this summer •

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December, 2018 Fishing Monthly G R O U P

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STORM

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December 2018, Vol. 24 No. 5

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From the Editor’s Desk... boating tests, topical features and the latest tackle seems to hit the spot for plenty of our readers.

So the answer to the question is ‘yes’. We’re still printing and we’ll be doing it until y’all stop buying it.

Thank you for your business.

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE It’s the perennial question - what do you buy an angler who has everything? The

m o r f s a m t s i r h C y r Mer g n i h s i F t a s u f o l l a Monthly Magazine

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NEW SOUTH WALES FISHING MONTHLY

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Distribution: Gordon & Gotch Pty Ltd Subscriptions: Kym Rowbotham Office Manager: Marie Dykstra

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A Greg Hogan image.

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Advertising: Ph: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Copy and materials should be sent direct to: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Glen Stewart with the sort of cod now available to anglers fishing western watersheds. This one was caught on an Imakatsu Aventa Crawler.

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be burdened with the $29.95 Aldi Fishing Set and you’ll need to have more kids to get someone to use it.

CHRISTMAS SUBSCRIPTIONS Finally, we love that December is by far the biggest month of the year for people buying gift subscriptions. We do offer a service where we can send you a Subscription Gift Card with all gift subscriptions, but we do need these by the 10 December to guarantee that we can get the cards printed and to you (or the gift recipient) on time.

Missed that deadline?

You can get a digital gift card and Fishing Monthly subscription by visiting our page on www.isubscribe. com.au right up until Christmas Day. From the FM staff, we wish you a great month and a well-earned break at the end of it.

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answer, of course, is ‘more fishing gear’.

We’re here to help.

Fishing Monthly staff have put together a comprehensive guide of what’s hot under the Christmas tree for anglers in the fresh and salt.

How do you use the guide?

You get a Sharpie, circle the bits you need, and leave it in a prominent place.

Please stick to these instructions, otherwise you’ll

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WE ARE STILL PRINTING It was around 2000 when the first person asked me whether we’d be printing in the near future, because of the impending take over of the Internet. Eighteen years later and we’re not only printing, but we print more state titles than we did back in 2000. Western Australia Fishing Monthly kicked off in September this year and is going from strength to strength.

Still more people ask me the question today. With several titles closing their doors in recent months and years – Fish Life and Modern Fishing come to mind – there’s the assumption that it’d make us weaker.

I think the opposite.

Each magazine that comes and goes reinforces that we are doing the right thing. That mix of up-to-date local area reports, quality

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REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 77 Cooking 84 Dam Levels 74 Fun Page 92 Tides 90 Trade Directory 88 Tournament News 80 What’s New Fishing 62 What’s New Boating 93 Track My Fish 86 SPECIAL FEATURES Top Christmas gift ideas 8 The Murray cod learning curve 12 Surf fishing basics 61

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BYRON COAST The Tweed 32 Ballina 34 Yamba 36 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour 38 Nambucca 40 South West Rocks 41 MACQUARIE COAST The Hastings 42 Harrington-Taree 45 Forster 46 HUNTER COAST Swansea 47 Port Stephens 48 Erina 49 Hunter Coast 50 SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 16 Sydney Harbour 18 Sydney South 20 Pittwater 22 Botany Bay 24 Sydney North 26 Sydney Rock and Beach 28 Western Sydney 30 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 52 Nowra 53 BATEMANS COAST Merimbula 54 Narooma 55 Batemans Bay 58 EDEN COAST Bermagui 56 Tathra 56 Mallacoota 60 FRESHWATER Robinvale 66 Yarrawonga 66 Albury-Wodonga 67 Canberra 68 Lithgow-Oberon 70 Batlow 71 Hunter Valley 72 Orange 72 Snowy Mountains 74 New England 75 Wagga Wagga 76 BOATING AND KAYAK 91

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ING TRADE

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QUALITY TACKLE, QUALITY FISH! NEW

Paul Lennon, C Point® 6/0 hooks & 30lb Tough Fluorocarbon, “the only hook I’ve ever used that consistently penetrates the super hard top jaw molars”.

The NEW Snapper Snack® is a twin skirt paternoster, rigged with NEW KLT® hooks.

Jeremy Troup, NEW Snapper Snack® 5/0 ‘Super Lumo’, “the ultimate combination of lure and rig”.

Lee Rayner, DX Point® 5/0 hook, 40lb Tough Trace & 20lb Rainbow Braid Elite.

NEW

Nick Clark, NEW KLT® 6/0 hook and 80lb Tough Fluorocarbon, livebaiting with fresh yellowtails.

NEW

Slavko Leholat, C Point® 5/0 hooks.

35kg / 120cm murray cod (caught and released last season).

Steve Newland, NEW KLT® 7/0 hooks & NEW 40lb Pink Shock leader, 14lb+ snapper, caught floatlining a pilchard.

Follow @blackmagictackle on Facebook and Instagram to see the latest catches and enter in our competitions.

James Bulte, KL 1/0 hook, “the Black Magic KL is the only hook I use for whiting”

the best by test...

www.blackmagictackle.com

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The best Christmas gifts ideas for 2018 FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Christmas is a time for family, friends and fun.

There tends to be a fair bit of cheer involved, and way too much good food. People flock to their favourite holiday destination with unwrapped gifts packed, ready to be used for the first time.

When it comes to fishing tackle, there are plenty of gift options for any level of angler. The hard part is deciding whether the gift should be practical, outside the box or the start of someone’s fishing journey.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

COMBOS

••••••••••••••••••••• Combos fit into the

‘practical gift’ category.

There are fishing combos available for almost all aspects of fishing, from colourful kids’ outfits to heavy rods and overhead reels to target larger pelagic species.

Most combos include appropriate line, and may even come with a few lures or hooks and sinkers.

They also come in many price points (just remember that you tend to get what you pay for).

Combos aren’t for everybody. However, if you’re buying for someone who either doesn’t fish often, is a fishing novice, or who wants to try a new style of fishing, a combo is a great choice.

Entry level Prices for entry level combos range from around $40-$100, and it doesn’t really matter what brand you

choose. These outfits will get you fishing, and with minimal maintenance they should last a couple of years.

Style specific There are so many different ways to catch fish these days that fishing style specific or species appropriate outfits are very popular. Combos to fish with lures or entrylevel bluewater options tend to range from $100$300. There is some real value in these outfits, as manufacturers push the boundaries of product quality. The quality of fishing products, like any other sporting equipment, continues to move forward.

Older technology then filters down into the inexpensive ranges, which is a win for everybody.

In this category, those brands that put a lot of effort into research and

development also offer the best quality for the price.

Daiwa has shown this for many years, and the 2018 TD Black combo is no different. The reel features Daiwa’s latest LT (Light Tough) technology, and the rods are built on their Nanoplus HVF blanks.

They’re super lightweight outfits and are great value for money.

Shimano is the other major brand that makes good combos during these seasonal periods. They ensure that each outfit is balanced, and only the current reel and rod models are used.

SPIN REELS

••••••••••••••••••••• There are a few key things to look for when purchasing spin reels. Reel size relates to line capacity, line strength and castability.

The smaller the reel, the less of each you get. So if the fishing you are doing is finesse-related, where casting distance is not required, you would look at 1000-1500 size reel. As the casting distance, water depth and size of species increases, the reel size increases as well.

When it comes to ball bearings and drag, many people think that more equals better. However, that’s not necessarily the case. With ball bearings it’s important that they are stainless steel, to resist rust. Three good bearings are better than 10 mediocre ones.

Reel drag systems have become much stronger in recent years. There are some very small reels with 4-5kg of drag out there, but a smooth drag is the key.

Unfortunately, price point

tends to dictate this more than anything else.

Entry level Having said all of that, there are some fantastic reels available under $200. The Okuma brand has always offered quality affordable reels, and the new Helios SX range is no exception.

They come in three sizes and are well worth a look.

Another brand I have tested a number of time for the magazines is ATC. I have a number of the ATC Valour reels in my arsenal of outfits, and I cannot fault them 18 months down the track.

Another reel to look out for are the Rapala X-Spin reels. They are solidly built and well priced.

Medium level If I can save a little on a rod, I will spend a little more on a reel. It is this $200 to $350 price

DAI TD B WA LA COM CK BO DAIWA TD SOL III

A UM S K O LIO HE

ATC VALOUR

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DECEMBER 2018

SHIMANO STRADIC FK

SHIMANO CURADO DC

Guide point I am talking about.

Most brands include their top line technology in these medium level reels, and you can expect to get some longevity from them with minimal maintenance.

The standouts for me from the 2018 offerings are the Rapala R-Type reels. These reels are great quality for the price; they’re designed to deal with bigger fish and not break the bank.

Shimano’s Stradic reels continue to impress as well, and the Stradic FK is no exception. I have Stradics that are over 10 years old and still going, and the latest version seems to be even more robust and angler friendly.

Finally, I feel that I have to include the Daiwa TD Sol III LT reels, even though they’re a fraction over this price bracket.

LT means Light Tough, and they certainly are. It’s amazing that a reel that feels light as a feather can be so strong. Additionally, like all the Daiwa reels at

SAMAKI ZING GEN II

this level and above, it’s packed with features.

BAITCAST REELS

••••••••••••••••••••• Baitcast reels have never been everybody’s cup of tea. Bird nests due to uneducated thumbs have deterred many anglers from using them, but that all changed this year with the introduction of the Shimano Curado DC reel. The DC stands for Digital Control, and without getting too technical, you basically cannot get a bird nest while casting. There is a plenty of other tech in the reel as well. This would be a very special gift for any larger lure casting enthusiast.

RODS

••••••••••••••••••••• Most rods these days are made to preform a specific task within a type of fishing. There is a reason that many anglers have a nest of rods in the house: each has its own task and is

a must-have.

Spin rods I will focus on graphite based rods, as they form a big part of the market these days. Yes, composite rods still have their place, as they can cope with knocks and abuse far better than a graphite rod. However, the power to weight ratio of graphite just can’t be beaten when you’re fishing for extended periods.

When it comes to spin rods, there is fantastic value for money and a broad range of fishing options available.

It is ABSOLUTELY amazing how much bang for your buck you can get.

Here are a few examples: • Samaki Zing Gen II – this series of rods has 18 models ranging from 5’4” to 9’0”.

They look fantastic, have quality components and are very well priced.

• Okuma Helios rods – the ideal match for the Helios spin reels, which I mentioned earlier. Helios rods are built using Toray CT40 blanks with Fuji components, and

would be a great present for that special angler in your life.

• Daiwa TD Hyper rods – these rods showcase what ‘light and tough’ is all about.

I tested the 701LXS earlier in the year and I am still amazed at the technology Daiwa has put into a $130 rod.

• Okuma Pressure Point rods – tailored more towards the heavier end of town. This new range of rods focuses on anglers looking to cast poppers, stickbaits and larger plastics for big bluewater beasties. Highly affordable rods for this type of fishing.

• Rapala Maxwell rods – these caught my eye at this year’s Australian Tackle Trade Show. This solid range of rods looks fantastic, and any angler would be happy to unwrap one on Christmas Day. Baitcast rods Most of the above ranges also have baitcast options, which are well worth looking at, but there are also a couple of others that I would like to mention.

• Dobyns Sierra rods are a new series available in 2018. They complement the Fury, Champion Extreme and Champion XP ranges already available. If you are looking at baitcast rods, you need to check these out.

• Bone rods – A range made up of 21 options, with the majority of them being baitcast. There are several series within the range, including the Voyage series of travel rods. They are some of the best travel rods I have seen.

• Live Fibre Venom – these rods are now well established amongst Murray cod and barramundi anglers. Speak to any angler casting big swimbaits and lures for these species, and they will know and recommend these rods.

Bluewater rods The Australian-made Wilson Live Fibre Game Series is one of the best new game rod ranges for 2018 – and the RLF46FRD model took out the Game Fishing category at the this year’s AFTA Tackle Trade Show.

It’s fully rollered, features premium components, and comes with an interchangeable bent butt.

Another new release worth checking out is the Shimano Tiagra Ultra series. These rods feature braid-friendly guides, and selected models have interchangeable butts.

Jigging rods Jigging, in particular micro-jigging, has really taken off in Australia.

Rapala Australia with their Storm Gomoku range set the standard, and they are now raising the bar even higher with the new 2018 release of the Gomoku Gen 2. The Belize, Azzura and Vanuatu rods come in light, medium and heavy sizes, with overhead and spin options.

LURES

••••••••••••••••••••• The lure styles and brands that anglers’ use are often just personal preference, or simply what people have read about in To page 14

ANO SHIM A TIAGR ULTRA

OKU M HELI A OS

E IBR F E LIV AME G F RL

GOMOKU GEN 2

OKUMA PRESSURE POINT

DECEMBER 2018

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The From page 13

magazines like this one.

Rupe Gaden and I have both written comprehensive reviews of species-specific lures, and these articles can also help you choose the right Christmas present.

You can read them at wp.fishingmonthly.com.au, and they cover bass, Murray cod, barramundi and trout.

If you’re looking at other species, there are plenty of lures hitting the shelves that will make great additions to anglers’ collections. Here are a few that have caught my eye.

Soft plastics The Halco Madeyes soft plastics are not a new offering, but are hugely popular along the West Coast of Australia. I tested a few of the range earlier in the year, and have since added them to my collection. An increasing number of East Coast anglers are now seeing the quality of the Paddle Prawn, Flick Stick and Flutter Shrimp ranges, and are adding them too.

The ZMan range of

plastics is far too massive for me to cover here. There is a reason why so many people love these plastics: they catch fish! The addition of the midnight oil colour provides an Australian flavour that I am sure will be on many shopping lists over the Christmas period.

Atomic soft plastics have been around for many years.

The name may have changed (they’re now called Plazos) but the lures sizes, shapes and options are up there with the best. You tend to get a few more packets of plastics for your hard earned as well.

Hardbodies – small Strike Pro lures are one of the original finesse baits to hit the lure fishing scene.

Anglers targeting bream, trout, redfin and the like swear by them. The Bass-X, Flatz Minnow and Slinky Minnow are favourites, and the options don’t stop there.

Rapala has released a couple of models this year just in time for Christmas.

The Jack Deep, Shadow Rap 07 and the Rip Stop have

already proven themselves on trout in our alpine lakes, and the Jack Deep in particular has kicked plenty of goals on Australian bass.

Zerek lures have become must-have in many anglers’ tackle boxes. There is a model and style to suit many types of fishing, with the Tango Shad being a standout.

Atomic Cranks, like the Atomic soft plastics range, is full of proven lures at great price points.

Many tournament anglers swear by the lures in the Cranks ranges.

Hardbodies – medium/large Halco is a brand synonymous with producing quality lures designed for Australian species.

There ranges cover the full spectrum of species, from bluewater to barramundi and our iconic native freshwater fish.

Rapala has always produced quality lures, and this was further enhanced a few years ago when they added Australian colours

and fitted terminal tackle suited to our fish. Rapala lures are always worth checking out.

Samaki is another brand that has taken the industry by storm in recent years.

Lures like the Pacemaker are standard fare for anglers targeting our bluewater species.

Home-grown lures Australian lure makers are an amazing group of very talented people. Just go to the Australian Lure Expo each year and you will be amazed at what is available. A number of these lure makers now have products available through select tackle stores.

Matt Fraser launched his Barambah Lures into the commercial sector recently.

His Manic Budgie and Bidjiwong 200 would make epic presents for any avid Murray cod angler.

Aaron Young, the designer of Kuttafurra Lures, is recognised as one of the best of the new wave of Australian lure makers.

Perfect

From surface crawlers to deep divers, his lures are first class and would look great hanging on your Christmas tree.

Spinnerbaits have a big place in the Australian fishing scene, and Raymond Parry from Obsession Spinnerbaits has strived to produce the best spinnerbaits and their variants for native fish.

Look out for them in your local tackle store.

LINE

••••••••••••••••••••• I hadn’t planned to write anything about the various lines available, and but then I realised that 2018 has seen the release of a number of high quality lines that would be a great present for an avid angler.

One of the new releases was Daiwa’s J-Braid Grand.

This Japanese-made, 8-strand PE line is superstrong and has excellent abrasion resistance. It’s set to be very popular amongst the followers of

Daiwa products.

Sufix has also released two new braids that have tongues wagging. The first is Sufix 131 braid, which is a little bit different. A single GORE performance fibre is surrounded 12-carrier braided line, producing an incredibly abrasion resistant yet fine line. The second offering is the Sufix X8.

The X8 is a slightly lower price point than the 131 and is well positioned in the 8-carrier braid market.

Finally, I would like to add an Australian flavour to the line market. Platypus has been producing line since the late 1800s, and this company has always been at the forefront of innovation.

Their offering in the 8-carrier market is P8, and it’s accounting for a wide range of Aussie species.

TACKLE STORAGE

••••••••••••••••••••• Looking after your tackle, both on and off the water, is a big part of

RAPALA JACK DEEP

HALCO MADEYES

CO HAL D HAR ES I BOD

STRIKEPRO BASS-X ZEREK TANGO SHAD

ZMAN MIDNIGHT OIL

BARAMBAH BIDJIWONG 200

BARAMBAH MANIC BUDGIE 10

DECEMBER 2018

SAMAKI PACEMAKER

fishing. Being organised means you have more time to actually fish.

Tackle bags have come a long way from the canvas backpack I owned as a kid.

Most tackle bags have multiple pockets, come with tackle trays and have holders for your pliers and other items. Many weigh next to nothing, and are designed to dry quickly. If only they were available when I was fishing the Murrumbidgee River!

Wilson Fishing won the Best Tackle Management category at this year’s AFTA show with their Platinum Tournament Bag. When it comes to complete tackle storage systems, it doesn’t get any better than this. The Tournament Bag has multiple pockets, eight waterproof tackle trays, a couple of handle options and a base designed to reduce water getting into your gear from below.

There is also a backpack option in the same series.

The Plano brand is

Guide

regarded as having some of the best tackle storage solutions available. The bags and other items come in a magnitude of sizes and configurations to suit every angling situation, so there’s something for everyone.

SUNGLASSES

••••••••••••••••••••• Quality eyewear is essential for every angler, and the options available have increased dramatically in recent years. The biggest mover and shaker has been the brand Costa, and this is a big win for Australian anglers. Costa spends a huge amount of time and effort in developing their lenses and giving back to the aquatic environment.

Their Untangled range frames are made from discarded fishing nets that otherwise would be drifting in the ocean and creating a hazard for marine life.

This is just one of many positives that the Costa brand offers.

Australia also has

some quality producers of sunglasses, with one of the best being Tonic Eyewear is one of these. Tonic introduced the Tango frame at this year’s Tackle Trade Show, providing anglers with a superior quality lens in a great looking frame.

WATERCRAFT

••••••••••••••••••••• I was going to call this section ‘kayaks’, but the introduction of SUPs (stand up paddleboards) into the fishing market means that a kayak isn’t the only option anymore.

Hobie kayaks and SUPs are some of the most soughtitems at every boat show I go to. Hobie does a great job of showcasing what they offer.

The last couple of years have seen them introduce a SUP with their Mirage Drive pedal system, and this year they released a new kayak, the Mirage Compass.

A lower price point offering, with all of Hobie’s quality components, the Compass has been a hit at the shows

and is sure to be high up on people’s Christmas lists.

I also want to mention Australian made and manufactured kayak brand: Aquayak Kayaks. Based in Melbourne, they produce a great range of recreational and fishing kayaks. I have tested a number of them for the magazines and I’d be stoked if one of the kayaks found its way under my Christmas tree!

ESKIES AND COOLERS

••••••••••••••••••••• Is there anything more Australian than giving somebody an esky for Christmas? Even better if it is one that has every bell and whistle you could ask for.

This summer, I recommend looking out for Otterbox eskies and coolers in stores. We had a number of them delivered to our office and took them out and about with us. We had a chuckle when we read that they were ‘bear-proof’, but we certainly appreciated

how tough and durable they were, and how well they kept our drinks and food cold.

STOCKING FILLERS

••••••••••••••••••••• There is no shortage of smaller items that are practical for any angler. Here are a just few of the options out there.

The ultimate stocking filler is something that I haven’t seen before here in Australia. It’s called the Tackle Club. You just pay X amount per month and get a box of tackle delivered to your door. Pricing starts at $49.99 per month, and you get a minimum of $80 worth of tackle each month. You just tick the box related to which species you chase. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Other ideal stocking fillers are sun protection items, such as head socks and sun gloves, which make a perfect summer gift.

Fishing pliers, split ring pliers and scissors are other items that you just can’t have

enough of. It’s amazing how many of these find their way to the bottom of your local waterway! Something that really caught my eye this year is Samaki’s ceramic braid scissors. They may be a bit more expensive than others, but they stay sharp longer than any other offerings I have seen, and they won’t rust.

Something a little left of centre is packets of pre-rigs.

Species-specific rigs are available, you just tie them on and you are ready to fish.

There are plenty of brands out there that will do the job, but Black Magic and Mustad rigs are at the better end of what is available.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOOD SHOPPING TO YOU ALL I hope that these pages give a bit of an insight into what is available out there and what that special angler in your life may want for Christmas.

Don’t forget to support your local tackle store, and have a safe and Merry Christmas!

HOBIE COMPASS

OTTERBOX ICE BOX

DIAWA J-BRAID GRAND SAMAKI CERAMIC SCISSORS TONIC TANGO

IX SUFF 131 BRAID

COSTA UNTANGLED

WILSON TOURNAMENT BAG

TACKLE CLUB DECEMBER 2018

11

Cod Feature

The Murray cod learning curve TAMWORTH

Sean Bekkers

Up until recently, I assumed that the mighty Murray cod was an elusive fish to catch.

Apart from chasing the odd bass on a hot summer arvo, I had never really fished freshwater – especially the dams.

Over the past few years, however, I’ve been working in Tamworth, NSW, which is in the heart of cod country. Before my contract ended, I decided I’d better take the opportunity to catch one of these green machines.

The only problem was that I had no idea where to start! When you sit down and think about it, you can’t just set out with your 2-4kg outfit and have a crack like you’re chasing bream. These fish can grow to a massive size, and easily reach over a metre in length.

I turned my attention to fishing articles, YouTube videos and of course, local knowledge. When it comes to chasing a new species (or even a familiar species in a different location), local knowledge is key.

Fortunately, my work colleagues were born and bred Murray cod fishermen and they gave me heaps of pointers and years worth of knowledge to better my chances of achieving my

goal. This a proved to be a definite edge.

Dean from Tamworth Fishing Tackle & Great Outdoors is a wealth of knowledge when it comes

With the river being low we basically floated around in the deeper holes and dragged the kayaks over the rocks between the pools.

Dean encouraged me to

banks into the water. The stand out tip I learnt from that trip was that when you think you’ve thrown at a snag 20 times and you’re about to move on, throw another 20 times because the fish may well hit on the 40th cast. If I hadn’t been told this, I probably would have moved on from a snag after the 5th or 6th cast.

So where to from here?

Tamworth, like a lot of the country, is in drought.

Accessing good stretches of river that aren’t fished heavily can be a little tricky, but seemed like the best place to start. I started by covering some likely stretches of river during the daylight hours, and returned at night to have a more serious attempt.

Temperatures were an inviting 2°C some mornings, which has got to give me points for dedication, right?

Over 10-odd attempts

The author with a 55cm Murray cod caught on an AusSpin 3/8oz spinnerbait. cod came out, lashed at the lure and didn’t connect.

Walking the river isn’t as easy as it sounds. With

without trespassing through someone’s property. There were sign posts everywhere saying trespassers would be

A steep bank and glassed out bay at Lake Keepit. to cod fishing. I have been fortunate enough to head out kayak fishing with Dean in the local river system.

target the deeper looking water that had cover like overhanging branches or logs coming down from the

TIPS FOR LAND-BASED DAM SPINNING • Target structure where the fish are likely to hold (in this case, the steeper banks and rock ledges) • Where possible, try to get wind-assisted casts • If you don’t have a castable fishfinder, send out some prospecting lures, such as spinnerbaits • Don’t be scared to think outside the box • Use tough terminal tackle, as these fish will destroy inferior gear • Seek local knowledge; if you can get some tips, stories or hints you’ll be halfway to your goal

Some of these lures were purchased, and others were found. The author purchased the AusSpin Cod Botherer and Chatterbait with ZMan trailer, and found the Taylormade, Jitterbug, Marz VooDoo, Feral Catt and two randoms. down the river at all hours of the night, all I had to show for it was a few heart-inmouth moments when a big

the water level so low, I regularly encountered vertical banks that you couldn’t get around

shot on sight, so I decided I had better turn back.

Following my attempts down the local river system,

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You don’t need a boat to catch Murray cod.

Cod Feature the lads from work threw me an invite to jump in the boat and head out to Lake Keepit, which is located 40 minutes from Tamworth. This lake was quite low at around 13%,

but don’t be fooled – even at 13% there is still plenty of water for cod to hide in. The lake is lined with steep rocky drop-offs, logs, tall standing timber, huge shallow bays and more.

Heading out from the boat ramp, my anticipation of catching such an iconic Australian fish was growing

StumpJumpers, Oar Gee, Feral Catt, Mud Eyes – they just kept coming. All of them were big profile lures

This Bagley deep diving shad in colour 07 (grape tiger) matches the bait washed up against the bank.

The remains of an old spinnerbait found on the bank. by the second. On the way one of the lads whipped out his bag of lures to give me an idea of what cod A steep, wind-blown shore bank at Lake Keepit, like to smash. It was like STA 16123 Revo 519half FM_Layout 1 1/10/2018 4:13 PM Page 1 with a deep stretch of water to work lures.

Santa’s sack! Lures like

that got down to around the 4-10m mark, which gives you an idea of water depth you need to look for in the dam.

By the end of our trip,

the lads had trolled up a number of cod and I also had success flicking a 3/4oz AusSpin spinnerbait off the front of the boat as we trolled around the headlands. It was great to finally tick this species off the list, but it’s one thing to catch them when you’re with experts, and another to do it by yourself. I was keen

to set out on my own and catch more.

The trip had given me a valuable insight into cod and their habits, but more importantly it got me thinking. The fish had come from within casting distance from the bank, so maybe I didn’t have to fish the dam from a boat.

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Cod Feature From page 13

LAND-BASED EXPERIMENTING I decided to leave the river alone and focus on

time to scope out an area.

Previous anglers had helpfully left behind lots of clues on the ground. As the water in a dam recedes,

hooks, spinnerbaits, soft plastics and hardbodies scattered along my walk, and I inspected all the structure where everybody

This 60cm cod was caught on a Feral Catt lure that the author found near the water’s edge. walking the dam, flicking lures from the edge.

Walking along the edge and casting gives you a lot of

it reveals all sorts of lures and other gear that was previously submerged.

There were lost sinkers,

seemed to fish. It was very interesting to see how other people had gone about catching cod.

Over a few days I came across lots of people bait fishing from the bank, but I didn’t see anyone throwing lures. Although I was using the right types of lures – the ones that my friends had recommended to me – I couldn’t win a trick. I needed to figure out what I was doing wrong.

While back at work I wondered how I could better my chances. I thought back to what sort of depth we were in when trolling in the boat, which was around the 10-20m mark. I also put a lot of thought into my outfit.

I decided to shelf the baitcaster and rip out an 8ft spin stick matched up with a 4000 reel loaded with 20lb braid. This is probably on the lighter side and a little unconventional for dam fishing, but I needed the extra distance on every cast, as it would allow me to cover more ground.

My next consideration was the structure. Instead of just trying every little point or just randomly throwing a lure, I decided to concentrate on the really steep banks and rock ledges. They are harder to walk, but they provide excellent access to the deeper water.

While you’re walking along the water’s edge, I

recommend looking up the banks of a dam, as it can provide a really good idea of what the structure in the water will be like. For example, if the shore has a shallow gradient and is barren of structure, it will probably be the same below the waterline.

Conversely, if the bank is steep and gnarly, the structure below the waterline will probably be similar.

Following some good hits and a couple of near misses on a the spinnerbait, I decided to tie on a Feral Catt that I had found on the ground earlier. A nice long cast and a few quick cranks got it down in the water column. My retrieve was slow with a pause, and on the third pause my lure got smashed! My drag spewed line out and I got a little nervous as I thought the cod

THE AUTHOR’S COD GEAR • 6-10kg rod • Okuma 4000 Azores spin reel • 20lb braid • 30-40lb leader, depending on structure • Spinnerbaits • Big profile lures My next consideration was to send out prospecting lures first – something like a spinnerbait that would allow me to not only fish the entire water column, but act like a poor man’s fish finder.

SUCCESS FROM THE SHORE It was time to put my game plan into action, and I didn’t waste any time getting back to the dam.

I spent most of the time working the bays with steeper banks where I could easily hit the deeper depths, and using my spin outfit ensured that I was covering as much ground as possible.

may have had a log to run back to. After a few minutes and three solid runs I had finally chalked up my first cod off the bank. So stoked!

It had been a long journey with disappointing results along the way, but to get one on the board with some out-of-the-box techniques was a great feeling. And since then, things only got better.

Unfortunately, just as I was hitting my stride, the cod season closed, and it won’t open until December.

Still, I figure this just gives me more time to think of some more unconventional fishing techniques!

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Half a million reasons why GoFish Nagambie is the talk of the Aussie fishing scene

Entries On Sale 30th November Gather the troops because this is your chance to secure one of the highly sought-after entries into GoFish Nagambie’s half a million-dollar tournament. Entries are now open for anglers of all abilities to have a crack at winning BIG come April 2019.

With entries capped and a further limit of 1000 boats, there’s no time to dawdle. You’ll need to be quick off the mark to secure your spot to compete for some of the biggest and best prizes and cheques seen in Australian fishing industry history.

Local fishing legend and GoFish Nagambie stalwart Wally Cubbin is excited to see his backyard come alive with passionate anglers all vying to be crowned the inaugural champion of GoFish Nagambie.

“I’m equally as excited to hang out and relax with friends and unwind over the long weekend,” Wally said.

“The festival hub is something we’ve never seen before at a comp like this. Live music, a chance to hear other anglers’ stories, and to hang out with non-fishing families – it’s definitely going to be a highlight.”

Wally reckons a local has a good chance at taking out the $80,000 cheque for the biggest Murray cod.

However, to even the playing field, here is an overview of the tournament zone and some of the best spots to target and beat the locals at their own game.

THE TOURNAMENT ZONE The tournament zone spans over 11.11km2 (2746 acres) of waterways. With access to boat ramps and bank fishing hotspots normally inaccessible to the general punter, there are some very special areas to fish.

The tournament area reaches from the Goulburn Weir and includes everything upstream to the junction with Hughes Creek, a 30km upstream. All backwaters, billabongs, lagoons and creeks in this area are included in the competition zone. These areas include Majors Creek system and Sandy Creek.

Rods at the ready for a cracking cod weekend!

This waterway is an angler’s paradise with plenty of heavy timber, standing trees, overhanging structure, willow trees, thick weed beds and a river channel that provides the lake system with depths varying from 0.5m down to 11m deep in some locations.

Minimal water flow allows for a range of different fishing styles, including bait, lure and even fly.

Here are some hot tips on four of the key areas to fish.

GOULBURN WEIR Goulburn Weir is the largest expanse of water on the

Nagambie Lakes system and it’s loaded with standing timber… which means cod!

The main river channel snakes its way through to the weir wall, with shallow flats stretching out either side of the channel. The big fish will reside in the river bed and move out onto the flats to feed during low light periods.

The best way to fish this area is to stay in the river channel and cast past the drop-off and onto the shallows.

Retrieve your lure over the edge and into the deeper water. Hardbodies are the best lures for this technique.

KIRWANS BRIDGE This area is loaded with so much structure and great fishing opportunities. Fishing around and underneath the old timber bridge is dynamite; it’s one of the best structures to fish in the entire lake. Golden perch school up around the pylons and can be caught by trolling alongside and underneath the bridge. Casting lures at the bridge is also successful, and big cod sit under the bridge in the river bed.

There is plenty of standing timber in the area with plenty of shallow edges, willows, deep sections of river, standing tress and reeds.

DELLA ISLAND Some of the best fishing is right on the edges of these channels. The water on the flats is less than 1m deep, and then it drops off into deep water. Small baitfish and prey move onto the flats and then make their way back into the river channel. This is where the larger predatory fish like Murray cod and golden perch will be sitting ready to ambush!

Put your lure in this zone and you will find fish!

MAJORS CREEK Majors Creek is a hidden gem. It’s loaded with great structure including standing trees, backwaters, weed beds, reedy edges, large fallen logs, overhanging trees and lily pads.

Golden perch love all this structure and will hang out close to the standing trees (especially the thinner, twiggier trees), reedy edges and the spindly ends of fallen trees in this area. Throw out some smaller lures such as 1/2oz spinnerbaits, 50-70mm diving hardbodies and 60mm lipless crankbaits.

Get in quick as entries are open now. To secure yours, visit www.gofishnagambie.com.au and be sure to check out the GoFish Nagambie Facebook to stay up to date with the latest news and give us a ‘like’ to join the community.

Getting festive on the Hawkesbury River THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

Mud crabs and blue swimmer crabs have been abundant throughout spring, which is good news for those looking to put a few traps out over the summer festive season.

The muddies are well upstream in the main river and it’s the same deal in the tributaries like Mooney Mooney, Mangrove Creek, Berowra Creek, Macdonald River and Webbs Creek.

Fresh fish frames from your previous successful trip secured in the middle of your trap will see you with a good chance of catching a few. Blue swimmer crabs are spread throughout Broken Bay, Cowan and up to Berowra, and even Spencer on some of the bigger tides. Chunks of fresh fish frames seem to be the standout, and checking your traps every 20-30 minutes and moving them to a different reach to find where the concentrations of crabs are on the day is a good tactic.

Flathead have been biting well for bait and lure anglers. The standout bait in the upper brackish reaches is the ever-reliable

Hawkesbury River or Sydney Harbour Specialised Charters!

Some great flathead have been encountered well upstream this season, with bait and lures working well. school prawn. Either live or fresh frozen prawns seem to work when you find active concentrations of hungry flatties. The key is to use light line and just enough lead to get your bait to the bottom for the given tidal conditions. I like a 2/0 suicide or a 1/0 wide gape hook for rigging my live and dead prawns, just make

sure you leave plenty of hook exposure to increase your hook up potential.

Soft vibes and plastics have been taking plenty of quality flatties in the smaller creeks and on the sand bars in the main river from Wisemans Ferry to Ebenezer.

The run-out tide seems to be the pick for producing the most bites.

Bass have been smashing surface lures and spinnerbaits in the upper tidal water from Windsor to lower Portland.

Casting your lure tight to the shady pockets along the rock walls is the best technique to elicit a strike from bass and the odd estuary perch.

Small soft plastic minnows and grubs rigged on 1/8oz jigheads also work well in these same areas and can be the key to getting bites when the fish seem reluctant to hit a surface presentation.

Bream will be sitting higher in the water column too and can be a whole host of fun when flicking small diving minnows, soft plastic grubs and other assorted creature baits along the rock walls and around structures like boat hulls, pontoons and poles. When fishing plastics or unweighted baits in these scenarios, accurate casting is a prerequisite along with preparedness for a bite on the drop, shortly after your offering has landed.

Kingfish have moved into Pittwater, Broken Bay and Cowan and are up to their usual trick of being fussy one day and near suicidal the next! Diving birds are a dead give-away of actively feeding fish. Most are undersized, but there is the odd better one surprising anglers fishing light spin

tackle. The best method for connecting with legalsized kings is live baiting with yakka, slimies or squid.

Downrigging and flat lining are both very successful

Bream are awesome fun when you catch them casting accurately to structure with lightweight lures. techniques, as is drifting or anchoring with your baits set at different depths.

Cowan Creek has been producing good bags of arrow squid with size 2 and

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Check out this 110cm mulloway taken on a soft plastic lure by Louis on a recent trip with the author. A guided fishing trip can help you learn the necessary techniques and tips to target and capture large inshore predatory species like this.

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2.5 jigs in colours of green, blue and gold working best.

The sand flats in Cowan are also producing some nicesized whiting and bream on small surface poppers

and walk-the-dog style stickbaits. Add a little bit of scent and make super long casts to help these sometimes spooky fish commit to your offering.

Keep your eyes out for tailor and kings busting up early and late in the day, and have an outfit rigged up in preparation for these super quick feeding explosions.

Mulloway have been biting well on lures and live baits and are well spread throughout the brackish reaches. The bigger fish of 20kg and better will be closer to the ocean, so if you’re after the fish of your dreams, stick to the wellknown spots around Broken Bay and up to the road bridges. Plenty of schoolies are taking baits of yakka, mullet, squid, herring and prawns up to Wisemans Ferry and beyond. Fishing the tide changes is crucial to success.

I hope this report sees you heading out to explore this amazing fishery over the festive season. Be safe on the roads and water, and I’ll catch you in the New Year!

Baby, it’s hot outside SYDNEY HARBOUR

Craig McGill craig@fishabouttours.com.au

The warm water has come in very early this summer season, but it can still be unpredictable right up to Christmas. When the first of the East Australian

Cold-blooded animals like fish and reptiles operate very differently.

They have no cooling or heating mechanism and as a result are usually the same temperature as their surroundings. That’s why lizards and snakes lie on a warm rock in the sun, to warm their bodies. It is also

Squid are prevalent right now, and on top of making excellent kingy baits they are fantastic on the plate!

Current pushes down the coast it mixes with the cold water to the south and can be patchy.

The water can be very warm on the coast, but the eddy only has to shift a little bit and it can be replaced with cold water very quickly. I’ve seen water at Christmas go from 22°C down to 16°C within a couple of days. This can have a very big impact on resident fish.

Warm-blooded animals, like us humans for example, maintain a constant body temperature. When the air temperature is cold our body creates heat and when it’s hot we sweat in an attempt to cool ourselves. As a result of that constant body temperature we require a constant and regular food supply.

one of the reasons why fish like bream and flatties are found in very shallow water in summer.

Pelagic fish like kingies and bonito combat this

problem by simply following the warm water. Bream and flatties on the other hand choose to stay put when the estuaries cool down.

We know that lizards and snakes slow right down in winter and we’ve all heard how a crocodile can go a whole dry season (winter) on a good feed of just one wallaby. Some cold-blooded critters even go into a complete hibernation through the coldest months where they will sleep for weeks on end. Their metabolism slows down the colder it gets so their food intake varies from ravenous in the middle of summer to a bare minimum in the middle of winter. Fish are just the same.

Sydney Harbour has a tiny catchment when compared to a big river like the Hawkesbury. Sydney heads are deep and wide and much of the lower reaches consist of short still bays.

This adds up to minimal water flow when compared to the big rivers. The water, particularly around the shores of these bays, gets very warm and with minimal current to take the warm water away these bays end up a few degrees warmer than the main body of water.

Fish love it.

Still, warm water is a particular favourite of the huge schools of baitfish like pilchards and whitebait that are spawned along our coastline every year. They find the Sydney Harbour environment very favourable.

During November when

Kingfish are around in good numbers out off the ledges. the water temperature around the shores is still down, the depth sounder blacks out with baitfish up the main shipping channel. The predatory fish are found in open water at this time. They will often attack all day, feeling reasonably comfortable in the deep.

Later in the year when the bays warm up you can physically see the black swarms of bait crowded up in the shallows, along the shore. The predatory fish attack them early in the morning and late in the afternoon, but get a bit shy in the shallows around midday, except when it is overcast.

I used to think that the bait went into the shallows to escape the predatory fish.

However, if this were the case then why do they stay in the deep earlier in the season regardless of the fact that they are under attack?

The shallows are too cold for comfort.

Whether they are in the deep or the shallows the predators will get them, you can be sure of that. At least in

Kingies of this size will really give younger anglers a workout.

summer they die in comfort.

The shallows of the bays that I refer to are often a sand bottom, and flathead and flounder lie in huge numbers underneath these bait schools.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are easy to catch. Their tastebuds are tuned to one thing, whitebait.

can be very fussy about lure size.

If you are after the bigger fish, then there are two main considerations.

Firstly, you must have good bait, and fresh squid is the ultimate. Squid are abundant throughout the harbour all year round. We get southern

Fun-sized kingies like this are common during summer.

North Harbour is a classic bait holding ground for all the above-mentioned reasons.

So, the dormant resident fish wake up and the bait schools move in. The predatory pelagic fish head back in, partly because the water has warmed up, but mostly because the harbour is full of baitfish. When it hits its peak, the fishing is as good as any I have encountered in the whole of Australia.

Kingfish should be on fire now and the lower harbour and middle harbour are the places to find them.

The smaller fish, up to 70cm, are commonly encountered on the surface feeding on the above-mentioned bait schools. They can usually be tempted with small suspending stickbaits and flies but, like salmon, they

calamari, common squid and mourning cuttlefish and they are all exceptionally good bait, either dead or alive, for kingfish. The other main ingredient for big kings is deep water with structure and a bit of water movement.

Sydney Harbour doesn’t get a lot of flow when compared to the Hawkesbury, so you need to go looking for current hot spots. These will occur where waterways converge, around headlands, narrows and channels.

Sydney Harbour kings have been increasing in size over the last decade to the point where 1m fish are quite common. Your gear will need to be top quality and in top order. Pay special attention to your drag maintenance and settings. Your rigs and knots will need to be in top order.

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Plenty of options offshore SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Whiting, bream, tarwhine and dart will be starting to show up in numbers off the beach from Boat

worms, followed by live pink nippers. You could also try using strips of mullet and tuna or half pilchards and whitebait.

If targeting mulloway, try using either a paternoster rig or a running sinker down onto the swivel with a leader

for those tailor and salmon schools that come past.

Try trolling for kingfish, salmon, tailor, bonito and the odd striped tuna or two with soft plastics, plastic skirted lures, metal slugs and deep divers close to the headlands from Boat Harbour to

at Kurnell, North Garie and Coalcliff Point. Peeled prawns, cunje and bread are the go and you will need to berley for the best results.

The flats in most of the bays in the Port Hacking River will start to fire up with whiting, flathead and bream coming up onto them with the rising tide. Try casting unweighted pink nippers and peeled prawns up onto the flats and then free spool your reels. As the fish takes off allow it to swim away with it and then engage, strike and hook up to the fish.

Shallow divers and surface poppers worked over the same areas will produce whiting, bream and flathead.

If targeting fish over the weed beds with baits I would suggest that you suspend the

A nice kingfish that was caught while trolling a skirted lure in the Port Hacking.

Photo courtesy of All at Sea Charters.

the bank and berley with the shell and smashed up heads of the prawns that you are using for bait. It won’t take long for the leatherjackets to find your bait.

An assortment of deep-water fish that were caught while fishing out at Browns Mountain.

Photo courtesy of All at Sea Charters.

Harbour north of Wanda and right down to Stanwell Park Beach.

The best baits by far will be will be beach and tube

of no longer than 50cm. This will eliminate all of the line twists when the seas are up at bit. Don’t forget to put in a couple of metal slices

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Snapper can be targeted while fishing the close offshore reefs out off the Port Hacking.

Half pilchards for bait are a great idea.

Photo courtesy of All at Sea Charters.

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Coalcliff in the south.

There have been a number of reports come in of luderick and drummer being caught off the rocks

bait under a float, so that the bait is just above the weeds. You could also try targeting garfish and mullet the same way.

Even though the weather is warmer the luderick will still be feeding along the edges of the main channel that runs from Lilly Pilly and down to the entrance to Gunnamatta Bay. Green weed or cabbage will get the better results. You could also try for them while using artificial weed flies.

Leatherjackets can be a pest at times, as they can keep stealing your baits without you knowing it. I find that if I have the leader loop on a paternoster rig only about 10cm in length and a long-shanked hook size 10 or 12 with just enough prawn to cover the bend of the hook the leatherjackets will start coming into your boat.

Places that are worth a shot are the deep-water edges of Gymea, Yowie and Burraneer Bays, plus South and North-West arms are great places to try. Anchor up so that you are at 90° to

Wattamolla, North Era and Burning Palms beaches seem to produce more fish at either the southern or northern ends when there

has been a deep gutter form there. All of the species of fish that are listed above will hang out for a feed in these gutters. You could try fishing off the rocks and casting back into these gutters. Try to time your fishing to about an hour and a half before high tide and to about three hours of the run-out tide.

There is a 45-60 minute walk to get into Little Marley and Marley, but it sure can be worth it. At various times of the day and night you are in with a great chance of catching any of the fish species that have been listed early in this article. You will need to take all your bait in.

So, I would suggest a block of pilchards, a couple of fillets of tuna, pink nippers and either a few blood or beach worms. You could also take in a few metal slicers as well for the salmon and tailor. I would also take in at least a couple of outfits – one with 6kg and one with 8kg. This should cover everything.

Don’t forget to keep those reports and photos coming in! If you have anything to report or have a picture of you latest catch just email it to me at gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

If you are going offshore, don’t forget to cast either live baits or lures at the FADs for a feed of mahimahi.

Photo courtesy of All at Sea Charters.

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Surface activity ramping up PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

We are at the time of year when we all look forward to having a few days off to enjoy with the family.

One of the great family pastimes is fishing.

reason we normally downrig yellowtail around these schools to save our hardearned squid for some bigger fish along the river.

The bigger fish along the river are cruising and not staying in one area. Some of the larger kings are showing up when you least expect it, such as while trying to catch

rigged just in case they are too far away from your boat to be tempted by the livey.

Another area to tangle with some of these bigger fish has been along the western side of Pittwater, from Mackerel Beach all the way down to Scotland Island.

Watch on your sounder for balled up baitfish and if you

A great capture of squid that all showed up at once.

Over the last month we have seen a lot more surface activity and hopefully this will continue. On those calm mornings we are seeing kingfish busting up on the surface and the easiest way to spot the activity is by watching for seagulls and other seabirds. On most occasions, the kingies have responded well to 6” Slug-Go soft plastics in white as well as 15g metal slices.

Amongst the schools there are also some salmon and the odd tailor to chop your bait up when you least expect it. For this very

squid in areas like Palm Beach weed beds.

A suggestion if you are going to fish this area for squid, put your first one back in the water with some hooks in it, in case some of these big bruisers cruise by for an easy feed. I have found over the years that when these fish are cruising the weed beds they are normally hunting squid and cuttlefish, but will often have silver bellies in their stomach, so anything that moves will quite often be attacked.

It is a good idea to have your lure rod ready and

find some, stay in the area for a few passes to try and tempt their predator.

Careel Bay has been another area to run into some kingfish while downrigging.

Once again, watch for baitfish that may be visible on the surface or seagulls and seabirds working the water. If the surface is dead, run your live baits along the channel and amongst the moorings while casting surface lures.

Areas to catch squid at the moment seem to be numerous, but the best area by far has been around

Barrenjoey Head and the weed beds off Palm Beach.

Mackerel Beach, the Basin and Careel Bay are also areas worth trying.

Squid jigs in size 2 and 2.5 seem to be working the best, with the fluoro colours or a jig with orange on it seeming to be their favourites.

Quite often I will see other anglers trying for squid but having no success, and this is quite often because of poor quality squid jigs.

The cheapo squid jigs will quite often see the spikes rust before getting a second chance to use them, and worse still they will quite often plummet to the bottom nose first.

A good quality jig, especially in the smaller sizes, will sink horizontally, allowing you to twitch the lures to pulse the water, which will attract squid from further away, especially if it has a rattle in it.

The bottom fishing along Pittwater and Broken Bay has also picked up quite dramatically with good captures of flathead, bream, mulloway and other pelagic species.

Around the corner at the entrance of the Hawkesbury, the reefs around Broken Bay and headlands there are mulloway that can be tempted if you are lucky enough to dangle the right bait on the change of the tide. The Broken Bay area

The fish are already wet, so don’t let the rain stop a fishing adventure! should still have a squid head or live squid out, as their ink squirting when a predator approaches will usually see its downfall.

Along our coast we’re finding some decent patches of big kings, but once again, they don’t seem to be staying in one area for too long.

When targeting big kings along our coast, use large yellowtail, slimy mackerel, small salmon or small bonito to avoid the smaller undersized fish.

Whale Headland, Newport Reef, Avalon and Long Reef have all been

to be where there is a lot of activity. There have been blue spot flathead, tiger flathead, snapper, morwong and the odd surprise fish as well.

Out wider on the Ordinance Grounds there are some bar cod that can be caught and there have had reports of the odd pearl perch coming from the same area. As you can see from this report, there is no reason for you not to get out on the water or at least get the feet wet while dangling a line over the Christmas break.

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is a great area to target mulloway in the first part of the season. Quite often when fishing on Broken Bay big squid heads will see some mulloway caught, but the big problem is always keeping them away from the little pickers. To combat this, gather some yellowtail, slimy mackerel, pike or legal tailor and try fishing the edge of the points or reefs such as Juno Point or Flint and Steel reefs. You

areas where some big fish are being encountered.

Remember to find baitfish before deploying your fishing gear and lower the downrigger to the top of the baitfish ball. Kingfish love to hit bait on the rise, but will quite often shy away from the bait that is downrigged below them.

Reef fishing along the coast has improved, and the warmer water and water depths of around 60m seem

run childrens’ charters that are all about kids having fun with their families and enjoying the outdoors.

I hope this report sees you grabbing some fishing gear and heading down to our wonderful part of the coast to enjoy a day or two of fishing.

• Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, or visit www. estuaryfishingcharters.com.au.

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Catch a holy, jolly flathead or two this summer BOTANY BAY

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Hasn’t that year gone quickly. Things have really started to fire up in the bay, its tributaries, off the beaches, from the rocks and offshore, making it hard for me and many others to decide where we are next going to fish.

It’s great to have so many choices at this time of year.

Whiting, bream, tarwhine and dart will be starting to show up in numbers off the beach at Bondi, Maroubra and Coogee during the day and the best baits will be beach and tube worms, followed by live pink nippers. You could

also try using strips of mullet and tuna or half pilchards and whitebait.

For those of you that like to fish at night there will also be a few mulloway, rays and sharks about. Whole dead or live yellowtail and squid would be my first choice, closely followed by whole slimy mackerel and pilchards. You could also try fillets of yellowfin pike.

Offshore the Peak will start to fire with kingfish on jigs and live baits. The drift from the back of Wedding Cake Island off Coogee to the 50m mark will be worth a shot for snapper, morwong, the odd pearl perch, leatherjackets and sand and tiger flathead.

You could also try trolling in close to the

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The author took out Andrew Ruhle on Gone Fishing Day for a memorable day on the Georges River. Andrew caught his PB 59cm dusky flathead on a deep diving black Atomic hardbodied lure. headlands and shoreline for bonito, Australian salmon, amberjacks and kingfish.

There may be some striped tuna about, so don’t forget to take those small Christmas tree skirted lures.

Inside Botany Bay the kingfish are starting to school up at Trevally Alley, the Fisheries marks in Yarra Bay, the Bare Island bombora, Henry Head, the oil wharf and at the end of the third

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runway. Live yellowtail and squid are the prime baits, but you could also try them dead or take off some strips.

If you are into using lures you could try casting stickbaits and 5” soft plastics at the channel markers. Vary your retrieves from slow sinking to skipping them across the surface. One bait that has been used for some time by many anglers is the garfish on a set of ganged hooks with a pink plastic squid skirt over the top. Try it, you will be pleasantly surprized at how good it is.

If you prefer using live bait, soft plastics and stickbaits you could also try slow trolling them around.

Maybe put on a deep diver or two.

For the bait and lure anglers, bream, trevally, pan-sized snapper and flathead will be schooling up at Trevally Alley, the oil wharf, the drums, Towra shallows and wide, plus the end of the third runway.

Drifting along the shoreline from Dolls Point

to the entrance to the Cooks River is always good at this time of year for bream, flathead and whiting. Keep an eye out for the schools

north and south Captain Cooks Bridge. Those of you on the southern side could try for whiting, bream, flathead, garfish and mullet off Silver Beach. Especially when a southerly wind is blowing.

Whiting, bream, flathead, trevally, flounder, mulloway, mullet and mud crabs can be targeted at the entrance to the Woronora River, Oatley and Oyster bays, Salt Pan Creek and the Moons. There are also a few luderick about in numbers. Fresh green weed will do the trick.

Upstream from Alfords Point Bridge you could try the Georges River State National Park, Picnic Point, Kelso Beach and the Milperra Bridge.

Downstream from the Liverpool Weir you could chuck a few lures about for bass and estuary perch in the early hours of the morning or an hour or so before sunset.

Not a bad haul of bream and flathead from the Moons, just up from Lugarno. All were caught on ZMan 2.5” grubs. of tailor and salmon that will be feeding along this stretch of water.

For those of you fishing from shore you could try Frenchmans Bay, BrightonLe-Sands, Dolls Point,

Don’t forget to keep those reports and photos coming in! If you have anything to report or have a picture of your latest catch just email it to me at gbrown1@iprimus.com.au.

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Warm seas bring hot bites SYDNEY NORTH

Paul O’Hagan

Another month has passed and the fishing is starting to improve as the water temperature starts to rise.

downrigger along our rocky shores and headlands.

After a more than average rainfall the squid had gone quiet, with a lot of fresh water run-off making it hard to get some quality bait or even a feed, but with

picking up good snapper on bait, while others are having a lot of success using a range of plastics.

Teraglin have moved onto the reefs and are in good numbers, along with the dreaded barracouta that are

Snapper are still on the go for those willing to put in the effort.

Salmon have been a very dominant species over the last few weeks as they gorge themselves on all of the bait that is available. While these fish are in very big numbers there are days when they will take anything that is thrown at them and other days they will only take what they are feeding on. Casting small metals will take a fish or two most of the time, even trolling small diving lures can be very successful.

It is a great time of year for the saltwater fly anglers, as they can deliver very small epoxy whitebait imitations and match the bait that the fish are feeding on.

Along with salmon there are big numbers of tailor and bonito looking to pick up a feed and they are being taken on a range of lures and baits.

Kingfish have started to fill the harbour in good numbers and for some the size of the fish is exceptional, with some fish going over the metre mark. Most of these fish have been taken on live squid and yellowtail while trolled around on a

the conditions settling squid are on the rise again and are available in all the usual spots, with Spit Bridge being one of the favourites.

snapping off lines and being a pest destroying top baits set down for better quality fish.

At this time of year trolling a range of diving

DECEMBER 2018

Jett and Luciano each holding up their kings. stips to small plastics and hardbodied lures.

Most of the larger flathead have been taken in the evening, with small diving lures and a range of soft and hard vibes in around the weed beds.

Estuary perch are starting to show, and over the next

but this should improve dramatically as we head towards the cicada season, where the fish will start to get very active as they chase these winged wonders around the dam.

Queenscliff Lagoon is still fishing well, with lots of kids fishing with

A mako on a soft plastics isn’t something you see every day!

Outside the harbour reef fishing is going well, with a variety of species on offer from snapper to mako sharks.

Most anglers drifting and laying down some berley are

lures along the reefs can be very successful in picking up a kingfish or two as they gather in numbers.

With all of the action about it doesn’t take long

Dan San Roman nailed this chunky snapper recently.

26

for the predators to turn up, and with mako and bronze whaler sharks on the prowl no bait is safe.

Out wider towards the shelf and beyond there have not been a lot of reports, with sea conditions allowing only the very large game boats to get out.

With the FADs being deployed up and down the coast it shouldn’t be long before we see a range of gamefish turning up, giving the army of trailer boats the opportunity to head out to chase the mahimahi and marlin. Any time spent out wide trolling a range of skirted lures around the FADs and on the current lines is always a chance of of picking up some of these great sportsfish.

While travelling out wide it is always a good idea to pick up some good live bait before the journey, as some days fish will not take lures and will only accept something that is still alive and kicking.

Beach fishing has improved a little, but with high seas and weed being washed up it is making things

very difficult for anglers to get a line in without loading up with weed. On the good days there have been some good whiting taken in the early morning using worms.

In the evening there have been a few mulloway picked up, along with tailor and salmon, and as always a large quantity of small sharks and stingrays are patrolling the beaches looking for a feed.

Narrabeen Lake has been up and down, with the lake open one day and closed the next while they dredge the mouth.

For the days that it has been open and the lake has got a good run of water, the lake has come alive, with whiting taking small surface lures on the run-in tide in the early morning. Bream and flathead have been taken on a range of presentations from pilchards and fish

John Maveric was super pumped with this beautiful marlin, which was tagged and released. lot of weeks we should see prawns running, and perch love nothing better than a live prawn on very light gear.

Manly Dam is slowly coming to life, with the warmer water and a few good bass have been taken with surface lures,

worms and prawns and having a good time with small bream, flathead and whiting. For others, small plastics and vibes are scoring anything from flathead to estuary perch.

As always stay safe and enjoy the fishing.

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Good tides we bring SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

Not enough hours to fish, and flat out this month.

That’s December! You really should try your best to get out for a cheeky fish, as it is one of the best months of the year for all species.

Off the ocean beaches there are a few more mulloway reports coming in. Fish to 12.4kg were reported by some anglers,

up at the same time.

It’s easy to go through a lot of rigs because of the sharks’ very sharp teeth, so you may want to use plastic-coated wire. Crimp your hook onto the wire and you’ll get fewer bite-offs.

Around 60cm is sufficient.

Most mulloway anglers prefer not to use wire as it is perceived as being a deterrent, but there’s no denying that sharks in the summer months are the norm when fishing Sydney beaches, so sometimes wire may be necessary.

Long time client Rob Marich caught this great bag of snapper, ranging from 41-51cm. They were caught distance casting out to the sand/gravel areas. and my clients have been catching a few smaller school-size fish.

The dusky whaler sharks are on in some areas. If there are too many of them in the gutter you’re fishing, I recommend moving to another as the sharks are often in groups or small schools. It’s not uncommon for two anglers to be hooked

28

DECEMBER 2018

Some years the dusk and bronze whaler sharks are so thick you will be getting bites every cast. It’s not all bad though, because they are great sport. Hooking on to a bronze or dusky whaler shark is a lot of fun. They vary from 0.8m to 1.5m at times, weighing between 5-15kg. There are times you will hook

some massive ones that can take a run of 50-100m or more, and occasionally some unstoppable sharks are hooked! Some of these sharks are hooked while there are still several surfers catching waves as the light fades. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it because because I know what’s out there around this time. I choose the bright light period for a body surf.

Some beaches to try for sharks and mulloway are Curl Curl, Dee Why, Collaroy-South Narrabeen, Bungan, Newport and Avalon. There are other beaches that also produce sharks and mulloway, but the beaches I’ve mentioned here have been producing results for me and my clients lately.

Bream numbers in the evening are quite good.

When I am breaming off the beach I like to fish light, with a carry bag, scissors, some ready made rigs on a rig spool, 12-15lb leader, and a handful of sinkers ranging from 1/4oz to 4oz when the swell is up to 1.3m or slightly larger. Hook sizes from 1/0 to 2/0 will suffice.

You’ll want a light rod of around 3.4-4m that will suit 6-8kg braid or mono.

You should also bring a bait container, belt and rod bucket that goes around your waist, and a regular bucket with a lid. The lid is important while fishing off the beach, as it safely secures any bait or fish that you want to keep. People like to walk their dogs on the beach at night, and their pet may want to investigate what’s in the bucket. Some anglers have had all of their bait eaten or even had fish stolen by someone’s pet. Sounds funny until it happens to you!

Moving from gutter to gutter may be necessary.

I recommend moving 2-4 times on the night to maximise your success.

Sometimes you’ll get enough bites in one gutter that you don’t have to move, but if not, be proactive and go searching for those bream.

For the bream, whiting, tailor and late season salmon try Manly, Queenscliff, Curl Curl, Dee Why, North Narrabeen, Warriewood, Mona Vale, and Palm Beach. The best baits are beach, tube and bloodworms if you can get them, and pink nippers for the whiting and bream. Great bream baits are fillets of fish like slimy mackerel, pilchard halves and mullet. And if you catch a chopper tailor, fillet it up as this also makes good bream bait.

For all of the species I have mentioned, the half

Myles Lever with a silver drummer on the left and a rock blackfish on the right. The only ‘true’ drummer is the silver drummer. The rock blackfish is mostly called ‘black drummer’ or ‘pig’. tide in to a couple of hours out is the right stage of the tide. Fish prefer the low light periods, such as well before sunrise to approximately two hours after, and a couple of hours before dark to well into the night. For whiting you can get away with fishing for them well into the morning but, like the other species, low light periods are preferred.

SNAPPER The snapper are on! You can catch them either by wash fishing or distance casting. Wash fishing means fishing in closer in the white water zone with lighter sinkers, or using a float.

Distance casting means fishing out wide, 40-110m out (if you can get further,

last couple of years has improved; I am seeing and catching more fish over the 50cm mark more frequently in the Sydney area. Every year we are catching snapper up to 70cm+. The old days of catching 6-8kg fish are virtually non-existent in Sydney, but it’s better than what it used to be a few years back. Snapper are like the majority of other species – some years are better than others.

When you’re fishing for snapper, please only keep what you need for a feed, and release the rest as quickly as possible. If you’re on a platform that’s a few metres up off the water, try to release the fish head first, gently spearing it

Happy angler Ben Grauer with his first beach mulloway.

You should make the time to fish for them this month. good on you!) You are casting out to the gravelly/ sand bottom just past the reef edge. Sinker weights are normally between 3-5oz.

Snapper caught are up to 51cm so far. I am expecting larger fish this month.

The snapper fishing in the

into the water. That reduces the impact onto the fish, creating less trauma. And of course, make sure the fish doesn’t get hammered on the rocks when you release it.

Now to bait and locations for the snapper.

Starting from north to south, locations to try include North Whale, South Whale, the Ovens, North Avalon, Warriewood, North Curl Curl and of course Bluefish. The best baits are half pillies, squid strips, cuttlefish strips and peeled medium king prawns. Use a berley trail of chopped up pieces of squid, pilly or cuttlefish if you have it, and use bread as fill.

For distance casting I like a fairly robust bait that can handle a powerful cast. Salted slimy mackerel, salted striped tuna, squid, and cuttlefish strips are all good choices.

PELAGICS We’re seeing catches of kings and a showing of bonito, and tailor are on the chew as well. Some of the kings are up to 1m+. When you are fishing for a king you can opt to fish light, but the onus is on you. You may hook a small fish one cast and then a whopper on the next. I’ve found that 15kg tackle can handle fish quite well up to 75-80cm, but you can still get annihilated by fish this size if you’re fishing an unforgiving reefy area. If you stick to 24kg braid or hard mono you will have a better chance. There are a lot of anglers fishing with 37kg or even heavier!

If you’re fishing this heavy, make sure that your rod/reel set up can handle this line class otherwise you’ll end up with a busted rod.

For the pelagics try North and South Whale, North Curl Curl, South Curl Curl, Bluefish and The Hat, which is just in the Harbour.

• 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.

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Big bass are looking up for their next meal WESTERN SYDNEY

Cameron McDonald

Summer is finally here, and with the arrival of December, cod season is back! We’ve been frothing at the mouth for this. Copeton and Blowering should see a lot less pressure now, as all the rivers and other dams are back open for business!

MURRAY COD The best technique will vary for the location you are fishing, but some approaches should work no matter where you are. Surface fishing for the iconic Murray cod has to be the epitome of heart-in-mouth fishing. The hypnotic ‘bloop-bloop’ of a surface lure is shattered by the sudden explosion, with the rod being near ripped from your hands, bringing a rush of adrenalin that is dangerously addictive.

While surface walkers and paddlers have been around for ages, in recent years the quality of some of these lures has jumped considerably. Anglers are switching onto big paddlers originally designed in Japan or the US for large mouth bass and repurposing them for cod, as well as barra, saratoga, big bass and the like. Everything

s fishing. aven’t seen. our Ultra Lift gh plate sides ng. At a price t Savage.

from frogs, mice, dying fish, birds and ducks, lizards and snakes are now being imitated by big surface lures. While old school paddlers like the Jitterbug still work, some of the new Japanese and American stuff must be seen to be believed. The level of realism and attention to detail is staggering. Some of the terminals can be a bit light for the Australian market, but this is easy to fix. ABS plastic and high-impact resin has made it possible for the realism boundaries to really be tested.

For the serious angler, it pays to visit a good tackle store and check out what the latest and greatest is. Don’t forget your wallet though, as these gorgeous toys aren’t cheap!

BASSIN’ The Bass should be well spread out all along the Nepean and upper Hawkesbury, and they will be on the chew.

While bass at this time of year are pretty easy to catch, those searching for larger fish should focus on the harder to reach areas, and places where less traffic will venture.

These bigger fish are smart, and have been seeing lures for three months now.

It’s basically peak season, and combined with daylight savings and the school

holidays, this is probably the most pressured the fish will get all year.

This time of year is also prime cicada season,

For those new to bass fishing or wishing to start, this is the time of year to do it! Cast small surface lures into the shadows, let the lure

Alyce Azzopardi was all smiles with this topwater bass. and we often find ourselves throwing small bug and cicada imitations in and under the deep overhangs and structurelined banks.

sit and the ripples disperse, and hold on, as a hungry bass isn’t far away. If you want to introduce someone to the drug of bass fishing, this is the way to

do it – the surface hit is easily the most addictive way to fish.

The smile you get after the first fish takes years to fade.

SURROUNDS For those willing to travel further afield, Lake Lyell is the place to be. Large bass, redfin and trout are being caught in amongst the timber, although a delicate balance is needed if you are to target all. You’ll want line not too heavy to spook the wily trout, but not too light if a bass comes along.

Because of this it does pay to attempt to target particular species, and these typical bass reaction lures work particularly well this time of year. Blades, lipless crankbaits, cicada imitations and jerkbaits would be my choices through the gnarly timber, and for this work, I’d be upping my leader to around 15lb.

If trout are your target, casting classic trout lures like inline spinners, Rapala CD5s and 2-3” paddle-tail soft plastics on light line should see some catches.

For those chasing some holiday fun with the family, Lyell is fantastic. Setting everyone up with some PowerBait nuggets or live worms gives the family a shot at all three species in the lake and if the redfin are in the area

you’re fishing, it can result in high catch days!

For the lure fishers, bright colours are the go-to, and dipping your soft plastic in a yellow or red dye can really make a difference. Redfin are prolific in the lake and are one of the tastiest freshwater fish there is.

Windamere has been on fire lately, with several recent competitions showcasing various techniques, from ripping Jackall TN60s out of the weed, to using dark coloured blades around the rocky points or in the trees.

The ever-reliable Ecogear ZX40 or the new Flash Union have been standout performers. Fish of 50cm are becoming commonplace, with some true footballs in there.

Don’t forget, Windamere has cod too, with one of our staff members reporting a duckling being taken off the surface in the early morning.

• The expert staff at Australian Bass Angler in Penrith specialise in all fields of fresh and saltwater fishing. If you want to know about the latest tackle or techniques, kayak fishing, or tournament bass boats, drop into the store at 105 Batt Street, Penrith or phone (02) 4721 0455.

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Summer heat has anglers frothing THE TWEED

Anthony Coughran

Warm humid nights and sweltering days have revved up the summer species. Jacks, trevally, whiting and flathead are dominating the estuaries this month. Anglers are looking forward to having their arms stretched by big Tweed red dogs this month.

purple 150-300mm skirts has been catching a few billfish, mahimahi and wahoo, but the wahoo and mackerel are preferring 300mm hardbodies trolled around the bommies.

Downrigged live baits around Nine Mile, Five Mile and South reefs and Windara banks are also catching some solid kingfish, the odd mackerel and a few wahoo.

But it’s a catch 22. The kings are only hitting baits rigged on

swimbait so it gets a nice swimming action. A properly rigged bait will swim upright and won’t spin. It will have a nice tail wobble and track straight. Rigging these baits about 10ft off the bottom will see line peeling off your reels in no time.

The schools of yellowfin have shown up. Out wide, look for that magical 25°C water for best results. There is still the odd mixed reefy

A cracking marlin that put up a big fight.

Good numbers of summer pelagics are starting to show themselves around the Tweed. Billfish, mahimahi, kings, mackerel, yellowfin and wahoo are keeping anglers’ arms busy and lines tight. The odd snapper, pearly and spango are being

fluorocarbon leaders, whereas the wahoo and mackerel are hitting wire and fluoro, but are marking short work of the fluoro leaders. So I like to troll two troll baits at this time of year: one fluoro and one wire. This covers both sides.

Then, once you start getting

James Walker with a big female mahimahi. caught on close reefs around dusk and dawn.

Bass are really starting to fire up too. The abundance of insects and recent showers and storms have really turned the wild bass and impoundment bass on.

OFFSHORE Currents are now cranking offshore, which has most anglers heading out to chase summer pelagics, which are here in good numbers.

Current lines on the 24s, 36s, 50s and even off the back side of Nine Mile, Five Mile and South reefs have seen pelagic species hanging in these currents. Trolling black and 32

DECEMBER 2018

bites and catching fish, you’ll know which rig to use.

For bigger kings out wider try reefs and rocks in 100m with 300g jigs for an arm stretch. Mahimahi have been on the FAD off of Tweed this month. Bigger ones are out wider on the 36s and the 50s. Look for current lines.

There is the odd mackerel on the back side of the bommies, trolling hardbodies, floating ganged pilchard and garfish has been working well, along with slow trolled swim baits. You only want to troll swimbaits at about 2 knots and always remember to break the backbone of your

around, as well as snapper, pearlies and spangled emperor on the close reefs. Fish dusk and dawn with drift baits and plastics for best results.

ESTUARY At this time of year most estuary anglers only have one thing on their minds and that is big red dogs (mangrove jack). Some real crackers have been caught over the last month. Live baits soaked of a night around heavy structure have been producing the bigger models. Taking the time to catch quality baits and keeping them alive with aerators and pump, then rigging them properly, is crucial to getting a big jack.

Using a fluorocarbon leader with stinger rig or double snelled rigs is a must with live baits, because jacks hit really hard and head straight back to their heavy structured home. Plastics, hardbodies, surface lures, vibes and blades have all been producing this month.

Slow rolling plastics along the rock walls and bridge

pillars, trolling rock walls with 90-200mm hardbodies, and vibes and blades worked along the rock walls and bridge pillars have been the methods to catch a nice red dog. Try rock walls around Fingal and Chinny, and Barneys, Cobaki and Boyds Bay bridges.

There are plenty of trevally in the systems this month. Fishing live or dead herring around the bridges of a night and working artificial lures around the bridges and rock walls of a day will get your line screaming.

Whiting have arrived and are in good numbers. Yabbies, blood and beach worms have been fishing really well, but surface lures are catching the bigger ones. Fishing topwater is one of the most fun ways to catch whiting, and all you need is a 4-6lb main line with 6-12lb leader on a 2-4kg rod with a 1000-2500 reel. I like to run a slightly softer rod when working surface lures, as it makes it slightly easier to keep the lure wobble when using walk-the-dog lures and poppers. You want a quick retrieve for the most action. Sometimes you think you’re going too quick until

Kingfish are ruling the seas this summer. flathead around, and working plastics and blades around the skinny water has been working very well. Trolling 50-150mm hardbodies between sand banks has been catching some bigger models, and blades worked in the deep water on the last of the run-out have also been successful. Flathead always love the last of the run-out tide, and lie in wait for the bait to move off the sand and weed banks, which have nowhere to go other than

Kane Rowsell with a big fat Uki bass. that first pack attacks your lure. You want loose drag as most hook-ups are only in the lip and the fish can pull hooks easily. Stingers or single hooks off the back hook mount can also help in more hook-ups and better penetration into the mouth.

There are still some good

A handful of mahimahi and pearl perch. These species are abundant at this time of year.

to the deeper water. Since the opening of the Mooball Creek mouth at Pottsville in late October, the big lizards and the odd mulloway will be sitting around the mouth eating all the bait washing out. It will be worth working it around the run-out tides.

There are lots of crabs around now that the water temps have risen and the storms are here, and soaking a pot is always worth it while working your favourite fishing spots. I like a full 24 hours. However, you never know how they will be moving around this month.

There are also plenty of bullies up around Murwillumbah.

BEACHES The beaches are still fishing well when the wind and swell permits.

Fishing the gutter along the beaches south of Tweed to Byron Bay has been fishing well. Dart, whiting, bream, trevally, flathead and the odd mulloway and tailor are

all being caught this month on beach and blood worms, yabbies, whitebait, pilchards, pipis and various artificials.

Working the gutters at low tide has been very productive on light gear.

FRESHWATER Bass have woken up this month and are on fire, and it’s thanks to the storms and insect bloom. Fishing surface lures at dusk and dawn is really addictive at this time of year. Hearing that big ‘boof’ gets me every time! Surface lures such as winged cicadas, bibbed cicadas, bugs, frogs, walk-the-dogs and poppers have been fishing really well in the wild systems and the dams. Getting those surface lures right under the overhangs is the key. I like to slow twitch my cicadas out, with 1-3 second pauses in between my twitches.

This is just too irresistible to most bass. Try the creeks around Tyalgum, below the dam wall, around the weir, Uki and Terragon and even out in the pools in Piggabeen and upper Cobaki. Jig spins, spinnerbaits and hardbodies are the go once the sun is up.

THE MONTH AHEAD We will see more mackerel, billfish, wahoo and mahimahi coming through this month. Trolling current lines and finding bait will see you onto good pelagics. The FAD will produce some nice small mahimahi, but look for floating objects for the better fish. We can expect the Spotted and Spanish mackerel to move onto the close reefs and sit off the backside of bommies.

Jacks will really feed up this month as they start to fatten up for their spawning season. Get those lures and baits out around the structure for an arm bending.

The whiting will start to get thick and get really hungry as they go into their spawning season. Those surface lures will be the go.

Bass will also keep smashing surface lures over the next month. Get those insect lures out and start honing your position casting.

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Hark the herald anglers fish BALLINA

Joe Allan

The whiting have shown interest in surface lures in recent weeks and that’s not surprising as the water temperatures are up and perfect for these guys to get active, especially in some of the shallow areas such as North Creek and Mobbs Bay.

and live baits.

As the warm current starts rolling down the hill we will see some mahimahi hanging around the FAD and may even get a few early season mackerel showing up around Christmas.

From all reports, fishos are having a cracking mackerel run to the north, so it should be another good mackerel season here. And with reports of mahimahi

between 60-90cm, but the odd larger fish has also shown up. A few snapper and small amberjack have also been mixed in among the kingfish, so it has been a bit of a lottery at times to see what you are going to pull up next.

While the odd gutter is visible on South Ballina and Angels beaches, the numbers of fish they are producing has been fairly low. Some of the better action has come

Ken Fitzgibbon with a beautiful snapper caught on a 4” soft plastic.

Each day has been different, with the level of aggression towards the lures changing constantly. There could be a few reasons for this, such as the aforementioned water temp, sunlight, water clarity and probably the biggest one would be the wind strength and direction.

Offshore fishing has been in that transition from winter to summer and only recently have we seen the latter really come through. A few snapper, big jew and trag have been haunting the close ground such as Lennox and Riordans reefs, and they have happily taken soft plastics, micro-jigs

from Tweed Heads to Byron Bay, they can’t be too far away from hitting our reefs around Ballina and Evans Head.

The odd pearl perch is still hanging around the 42 and 48-fathom lines. Live baits have accounted for several of the larger models but some of the heavier micro-jigs and brightcoloured plastics have also tempted plenty of the smaller fish.

Good numbers of small kingfish have been hammering live baits and knife jigs on the wider grounds. Most of the fish are

from Boulders and Seven Mile beaches, with quality dart and bream taking pipis and beachworms during the run-up tide.

At this time of year we usually see a few of the straggling tailor make their way up the coast. Late in the afternoon it will be worth throwing a pilchard, mullet fillet or bonito strip out in a likely looking gutter. You may not see any large numbers of these razor-toothed eating machines, but the ones that do come into the gutters at night are generally quality fish, so be ready and have wire traces handy because these larger

fish can do serious damage to your rigs.

Some of the better-quality whiting have been coming from the beaches rather than the Richmond River of late. As with dart, pipis and beachworms have been the gun baits for these tasty little critters, but if you can’t get your hands on either of those baits, then you could try strips of squid or peeled prawns. Just remember that when fishing the beach for whiting they do not need a lot of water, so don’t be obsessed with finding the deepest gutter you can because quite often they are right at your feet in some of the skinniest water imaginable, particularly at night.

We have still seen quality flathead from Pimlico Island to the mouth of the Richmond.

Most of the larger fish have taken live herring and the smaller fish have fallen to dark-coloured soft plastics, prawns and white pilchards.

One fish species that has been surprisingly prominent this season is mangrove jack.

Some good reports have been coming in of quality fish caught on hardbody lures and live baits. The Atomic Shiner

An Aussie bass caught on a black and blue Bassman jig with an Atomic Prong trailer.

75, Lucky Craft Pointer in 100mm or 78mm size and ZMan 4” SwimmerZ have been good options. Most of the rock walls from Wardell Bridge to the mouth of the river have produced at least a couple of fish in the past month, especially on the run-out tide in the afternoons.

I’m not sure if more of these awesome fighting fish

Andrew Patterson with a snapper off Evans Head caught on an Atomic 7” Jerk Minnow.

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are around this year or more people are targeting them, but either way it’s great to see them in our river system. The best part about most of the mangrove jack reports I am getting is that the majority of fish are being released to fight another day.

Bass are on the chew and are spread out all over the system. With the balmy evenings the surface bite will really hot up towards Christmas and all the way through until the end of January. If you haven’t tried this style of fishing for our aggressive freshwater natives, get some poppers and have a crack. You might be surprised how much fun and how addictive it can be. Look for any over-hanging trees that have cicadas making an awful racket. You don’t even need to be accurate with your casting as when the cicadas fall, they’re generally out from the bank, not right up the back in the shadows like you need to get to with spinnerbaits or crankbaits.

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Rudolph the red-eyed reefie YAMBA

Dave Gaden

Summer has arrived and with it comes some of the best fishing days of the year. Not only are a lot of you about to head off on the annual Christmas holidays, but with the long days most of us can get a couple of hours of good fishing in after work.

As most would know I spend the best part of my time out at sea running deep-sea charters, but in my spare time I try and fish as much as I can. This time of year I love chasing sand whiting.

From the end of October to the end of January these tasty little fish fill in a fair bit of my spare time. Although I like the challenge of chasing them on small stickbaits and poppers, you just can’t go past live yabbies.

My rig for these is very simple, 10lb fluorocarbon leader, size 0 ball sinker running down to a number four long shank bait holder hook. Your best bet is fishing

A good morning session on the whiting. on the channel edge on the last three hours of a flood tide, just casting downstream and letting it run past the boat. Watch the line for any sign of a bite and then just gently lift the rod and feel the great head shakes of the fish as they try to dive into the depths. It becomes a pretty full day if you can get a low tide early, drop the crab dillies out, pump yabbies, catch whiting, pull dillies, clean fish and crabs.

What more could you want?

Flathead will be around in really good numbers this December, as the rain earlier had pushed them back around the lower reaches of the river. Some better spots to try will be around the old cane barges at the entrance to Serpentine Channel, just upstream from Brown Rocks, also the back channel behind Goodwood Island around the entrance to the Esk and Nihill islands. If the

plastics are not producing set out a couple of lures and have a troll on the edge of the drop-off. My favourite is still the Zerek Tango shad in either pink or white.

As I mentioned earlier, this is crab time! So, make sure you get the pots or dillies out early and collect the catch on the way home.

I’ve been getting quality blue swimmers since early October and they just get bigger as the water warms.

Good muddies are around as well and an overnight soak in a deep hole near the mangroves will have you cracking shells for lunch the next day.

Offshore this is the month to chase the mahimahi you’ve always wanted to catch. The FAD is about 12NM SSE of the bar and will be covered with these guys. Last season we caught fish to 1.2m long in December, mind you some days they were all just 1cm

The author’s sister Helen with a colourful tuskfish.

Jack, 8yo, with a sweetlip and a pearly. undersized, but most days they were good fish. If you find the surface is covered with small fish drop a bait jig over near the FAD and catch some of the millions of livies

there and swim a big one under the small mahimahi.

There is almost always a bigger fish sitting way down and sometimes around 100m from the FAD.

Pete Jaimeson with a decent pearly.

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Mackerel will show up this month as well, first should be spotties in and around Woody Head and Shark Bay. They are a day to day thing at the start of the season, with the bay full one day and barren the next.

Spanish will be on the scene as well, and my best tip is to troll a good live bait at dead idle around the bommies.

Freeburn Rock just south of Angourie can be a very

productive hunting ground for Spaniards.

For those who like to head out wide this month can be a real lottery, it’s impossible to know what the current is doing accurately until you get there and it can change dramatically while you are there. I’ve been out in the 50 fathom line drifting at less than 1 knot and had a current hit the boat so hard it swung it around, taking us

south at over 3 knots.

If it is fishable the chance of a bag limit of good snapper and pearl perch is almost guaranteed.

Paternoster rigs with a 16oz minimum sinker and good circle hooks are a must, and for the smart ones an electric reel won’t ruin your day.

Southern grounds from one-man to Brooms Head will be a good fish, and drifting through this ground in around 40m of water is very productive. We get some great Venus tuskfish, pearlies mba Prawn Blades and snapper all through this“Ya ” reef in December. Keep an Lloyd with a beautiful snapper eye on the wind forecast as December predominately has a strong northeast wind come in around lunchtime.

For this reason, I spend a lot of time fishing up around South Evans Reef, using the “Yamba’s Leading Tackle Shop” afternoon breeze to blow me “IN THE MAIN STREET” 8 Yamba St, Yamba home rather than punching into it. Fortunately, this area is • full of lovely trag and jewfish as well as other reef fish. It’s a bit of a hike up there, 12NM north of the bar, but it is a beautiful big reef to fish.

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The summer patterns have arrived early!

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Stephen Worley info@tdsimages.com.au

Summer has rolled around again. The rivers have been in summer mode for a while now, but it should be time for the offshore to catch up this month.

As the current has drifted in and out over spring, we’ve seen the mahimahi and tuna show their face in the warmth.

The mackerel usually lag behind the offshore pelagics, but if the last few years are anything to go by,

we can expect to see some pre-Christmas mackerel again this December.

At the moment the nearshore reefs have continued to produce plenty of snapper.

Kingfish have also been active in the offshore washes and around the islands. Stickbaits have been producing many fish, but well-placed live baits have accounted for a lot of the larger models.

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There have been great kingfish around the islands, like this 23kg model caught by Luke Tinson on a live yakka. and the odd mackerel, although sharks will also be a common by-catch.

The offshore snapper fishing will soon be abandoned and forgotten by many anglers in favour of the summer mackerel.

Until mackerel turn up in numbers though, there will still be plenty of snapper around the inshore to mid-depth reefs, and they will remain there for the summer.

Closer in on the beaches and headlands, we’ve had good numbers of mulloway reported. All the major

headlands and breakwalls have been producing fish, especially those near the river mouths after the rain we’ve had in spring. Large hardbodies are catching more and more mulloway.

There hasn’t been a lot of really big fish, but 3-10kg fish have been common.

Mulloway have also

been very active throughout our local estuaries. The bigger systems like the Bellinger and Nambucca rivers have offered the best mulloway fishing.

As always, the best opportunities have occurred at the top of the bigger tides when they fall a little after dark. The upper estuary

structures, like bridges and deep holes, have been the best locations during these tides. Lower down in the estuaries, the rock walls, seagrass beds and dropoffs have been the most productive locations, but the opportunities are more limited during tidal cycle, as the tidal flows are much stronger there. These same areas are the most likely places to find some big summer flathead.

All of our local estuaries have begun to see much more mangrove jack and trevally fishing opportunities. Jacks have been captured from the lower estuaries up into the brackish stretches, but the trevally have tended more on the upper estuary end.

Plenty of water in spring has meant the bass have had every opportunity to get up into their skinny water haunts. There’s never a time

Fish like this should make it harder for Bill Patterson to neglect the snapper fishing completely this summer.

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that bass aren’t interested in surface lures in some way, but as more cicadas join the chorus and the summer storms roll through, we can expect to see the surface bass action heat up in the far upstream portions of our local systems. Surface

crawlers and wakebaits have been the most successful throughout spring, even without much of a cicada population emerging as yet.

The spring rains have also put the plateau trout streams in a good situation for the summer so far.

With a hot and dry summer predicted, the better the condition of the creeks now, the better the trout will survive the summer.

For the moment the plateau has been fishing well, and even the smaller creeks have been turning up good fish.

During drier periods, the trout in smaller creeks will gather together in these larger pools. It makes them easier to find, as well as easier to catch with so much competition.

Dave Moppet with a nice rainbow in the dirty water after some rain.

Unfortunately, after a few hard summers there are far more smaller fish than really big fish in most of the creeks.

The higher creeks above 1000m have remained in the best condition and retained the best populations of the larger fish.

The key to the best fishing is to find your own bit of river that is seldom

fished. Google Earth and other online digital maps are the easiest way to find some viable creeks that are away from the main thoroughfares. Everyone fishes the creeks along Waterfall Way. If you can get away on the side roads you’ll find streams with far less disturbed trout. Remember to ask

permission if fishing on or crossing any private land.

There’s nothing better than fishing a creek knowing nobody else has just gone through and spooked every pool before you.

Whether you’re in the fresh or the salt this month, I hope you can carve out a little bit of fishing for yourself and friends!

BOWRIDER

DECEMBER 2018

39

Get yourself a feed for Christmas!

NAMBUCCA

Riley Wilson

Summer is here and it is a prime time to fish. Here on the Nambucca everyone loves to fish the summer, it’s not only beautiful, but productive too! Whether

you fish from a boat or the shoreline, you can get amongst the action.

Walking the banks of the lower Nambucca River has been made pretty easy in most areas thanks to boardwalks that line the river edge, giving you access beyond the mangrove line.

In some cases the shoreline is a muddy, impenetrable wall of trees. Depending on the area, these fishing spots can produce some monster flathead, whiting and countless numbers of bream.

Some of these spots are great bait gathering spots, giving you access to schools of passing herring and pike, which make great livebaits for flathead, jacks and mulloway. Small Sabiki rigs are good for herring, while a small bibbed minnow or soft plastic has been the undoing of many pike.

Bellwood Park is another great spot to wade the sand

holes. It can be only a short stop to gather your whiting bait, then an even shorter trip to set up a drift into Warrell Creek on a run-in tide.

Recently I was talking to a bloke who had encountered (what he thought) was the same flathead that he missed twice over four days while chasing whiting on surface lures. Like most anglers he held his hands wide apart describing the fish’s length – seems like a bit of scouting is in order!

So if you’ve already got a feed from the saltwater, it’s time for some freshwater fun. Bass are where it’s at Flathead are a great target during the summer, and will provide some tasty fillets for Christmas!

Lately the offshore crews have been picking the good days and making the most of them with snapper on plastics and jigs along with some very nice pearl perch dominating reports. Getting out a little wider, kingfish and samson have been hitting bigger knife jigs, and as always

Bass in the fresh are a summer specialty.

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Kingies are the talk of the offshore community at the moment. flats in search of a flathead or whiting, with its weed patches, current flow and easy access. It’s a great spot to start your surface lure foray, or just flick a 3-4” soft plastic in the deeper channel.

Getting in a boat, while not a necessity, can open up a plethora of extra fishing spots, as you would expect.

The first place many people go is the mouth of Warrell Creek. This area is nipper central, with shallow tidal sand flats littered with nipper

right now. With some decent rain in October the rivers have been flowing really well and the bass are in great condition. All the arms of the river have been fishing well and have cleaned up considerably. Spinnerbaits, beetle spins and surface crawlers are my picks for the month, but everyone has their own preference.

Spending summer nights drifting your favourite pool with a surface lure is what big bass dreams are made of.

Snapper will be eating soft plastics off Nambucca in December.

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This offset circle design is the perfect deepwater bottom fishing hook with paternoster ‘dropper-style’ rigs or normal boat fishing with cut baits.

When using this hook, anglers do not strike on the bite, rather the fish is allowed to run with the bait and as the line comes tight, the hook will roll into the corner of the fish’s mouth. This is a great hook to use for ‘lazy’ rigs fished from a rod holder as fish simply hook themselves.

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Summer lovin’, gonna have me some bass SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Brent Kirk kempsey@compleatangler.com.au

While early December may not provide the best fishing for the Mid North Coast, it definitely provides a sign of what is to come to the region over the next few months, as the water temperature starts to rise and the East Australia Current really starts trucking south.

Bigger mahimahi are the first pelagic species to be found off South West Rocks this season. While smaller mahimahi will be found

start to gather up on the northern reefs off Grassy and Scotts heads, as the influx of holiday makers start to roll into town. Spotted mackerel numbers are usually fairly sporadic during December, but it is safe to say that if any are around this will be the place to find them.

Anchoring up with a good berley trail will help draw them in as well as attract any snapper and mulloway that might be lurking in the area, so remember to fish the bottom as well. Hopefully, sharks don’t provide too many dramas early in the season this year as they have

out in force and the bass are reacting explosively to their presence. Summer bass fishing is all about surface luring, and it is awesome when the sound of bass taking bugs from the surface

Fish like this will be getting active in the Macleay this summer.

ROCKS

When the conditions are right, the Samaki Vibelicious is very effective on a range of species off the beach.

When planning ahead for the mackerel season, the author likes to have a selection of rigs to suit a variety of baits. around the FAD and can be targeted with smaller live baits, plastics and pilchards, the bigger models are usually taken on the troll while running big lures along current lines and temperature breaks in search of marlin.

As the month progresses, the inshore fishery will start to heat up as the small black marlin rock up in numbers on the grounds off of the gaol. Soon we’ll also see the first runs of Spanish and spotted mackerel. The first Spanish are usually some of the better fish seen for a few months, and trolling bigger lures and baits like whole bonito is a good way to pick one up. Crowds will

been for the past few seasons.

For land-based anglers the headlands and rock ledges are holding goodsized school mulloway.

These fish have been readily available as long as there is a good supply of baitfish present. Fishing larger paddle-tail soft plastics and keeping mobile by working the many gutters, holes and cracks around any given headland has always been a more productive method for me. This is made easier with the longer days, as there is still plenty of time to go after work and cover a reasonable area in one session. If you have not picked up a fish within

can be heard in every hole.

The season so far has been all about big cicadas, they are the most popular lures by far. The brighter colours seeming to come out on top most of the time.

ten throws during daylight hours, it is highly unlikely that things will change, so it is better to move on, as one may be lying in the very next gutter.

Bonito are around now and will be an awesome food source for the visiting pelagic species that are soon to hit our shores. Bream and the odd bigger tailor are coming out of the headland washes as well.

School-sized mulloway are being found in the river up to Smithtown. Following a tide change up the river, whether in a boat or by simply stopping along the road where there is access on either side of the river depending which holes you would like to fish, helps in locating the section of the river where bait is holding.

Once you locate the bait, spinning hardbodies or throwing soft plastics to match the bait size will let you know if mulloway are around. These predators will generally be found moving up and down through this region with the tide for a fair while.

The beaches will start to fire as we move towards Christmas, with whiting, bream, flathead and dart all in good numbers in the gutters. Beachworms have been plentiful lately and provide arguably the best bait for most species found off the sand. Fishing tide changes, as with most forms of fishing, dramatically helps increase your catch rate.

Low tide provides the easiest access, especially by 4WD, however, we find the high tide to be the more productive tide change, so make sure the area that you want to fish is safely accessible.

December is the beginning of prime bass season on the Macleay, and the heavy rain and rise in the river that we had back in late October has set us up for an absolute cracker.

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Summer patterns in motion THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

Summer has rolled in and we now have longer daylight hours and hopefully more opportunity to get on the water. With Christmas fast approaching, we need to plan for the holiday crowds and fishing pressure, which will increase dramatically from Boxing Day until the end of January.

a shallow flat that boats seldom get to. This is an ideal scenario, with flathead, bream and whiting all up on the flats at this time of year, and it’s so easy! A handful of lures including surface, divers and a few different plastics plus jigheads and it’s game on. Again, you can be back having breakfast when all the daytime fishos are arriving!

Fishing from the rocks or beach is the same deal – get out on the water early and you can have some

pearl perch, teraglin, mulloway are some of the glamorous bottom species, and then there will be the more easily-acquired sand flatties. Bottom bouncing for these fish can be a real

a real opportunity for better quality fish.

There are plenty of great patches off Port Mac and down to Laurieton, so do some homework online or call in to the local tackle

Jason Hicks with another cracking Hastings River flatty.

Pippa landed this 80cm flatty on her first trip lure fishing.

Paul and Ryan O’Shea with a Hastings mulloway.

Early starts are always a good idea, and by getting out early we can be in with a chance of some great sport with less boat disturbance and still be getting back to the ramp early enough to avoid the midday madness.

Land-based anglers fishing the local rivers can also get out early and find

fishing time before the northeasters kick in.

OFFSHORE Fishing in December will hopefully see stable morning conditions before the afternoon wind kicks in. With the right water temperatures and current, a whole range of species can be encountered. Snapper,

blast, with the occasional mystery of what you will catch next!

This type of angling can be done with a simple paternoster rig and a snapper lead to suit the required depth and current you are fishing. I do prefer braided line over monofilament for mainline, as it handles current and breeze a lot better while drifting. When bottom fishing, a good range of baits can be handy, such as prawns, squid and fish baits, but as always, if you can source your own livies then you give yourself

store for an update on where they are biting.

RIVERS Surface fishing for whiting, bream and flatties is now in full swing.

Great areas to do this in the Hastings River will be Pelican Island, the back channel, out the front of Limeburners Creek as well as Blackmans Point. There are plenty more smaller sections you come across in your boat worthy of casting to, so always have one rod set up with a popper or small stickbait for when the opportunity arises. Also

keep an eye out for bait getting belted, as trevally really fire up this month and can be great fun.

Lake Cathie and the Camden Haven are also worthy of trying, as both have vast flats that hold good fish.

and a handful of lures, such as cicada imitations for surface work as well as some divers and a few spinnerbaits for deeper stuff, should see you have some great fun on these hard-fighting fish.

Mud crabs have been throughout the rivers and

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HARRINGTON-TAREE

Ian Pereira ianpereira@aapt.net.au

At last the freshwater part of the Manning has received some useful showers of rain that have put a bit of a run in the river. It is not enough to flush out all the weed and slime that is filling up the holes in the river, but it is much better than it was.

The Manning is very dirty in the upriver parts, but the muddy water has not made its way down to the mouth of the river.

ESTUARY At the present time the lower parts of the Manning are fishing quite well. There are still bream to be caught from the wall around the slack waters, and luderick to be taken on weed and fresh yabbies.

Flathead are turning up in more numbers and are taking baits, soft plastics and hardbodied lures. A fish over 6kg was caught in the lagoon a couple of weeks ago.

In the early mornings kingfish have been patrolling the river wall and several small fish around 4kg have been caught. Most of the larger fish have been lost, but one specimen of 13kg was landed. Small shiny lures and bait have been taking fish.

Some mulloway to 8kg have been taken on deep diving hardbodied lures.

BEACH AND ROCKS The consistent southerly

Aaron Billingsley with a big land-based kingfish from Harrington Breakwall.

Photo courtesy of Harrington Bait & Tackle.

winds coupled with a big swell have limited fishing from the beaches and rocks.

Crowdy Beach at present has one long gutter going right up to the rocks at the southern end of Kileys

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Beach. The only good water is on the southern end of the beach where there is a good bream gutter going up to the Blue Hut area.

On the rocks some drummer and small groper have been taken from the north and south sides of the headland and a few small snapper were bagged from the north side when the seas were big.

OFFSHORE The weather conditions coupled with the low water temperature have restricted outside angling.

However, when able to get out wide there have been good catches of small to medium snapper and blue spot flathead.

Around the second week of December the big female flathead are schooled up in the mouth of the estuary. They gather in different spots depending on the formation of the sand flats in the mouth of the river. At this time they are easy to catch with live bait fished on a bobby cork rig.

It is important to release these big fish, as they can have over a million eggs to lay. Most anglers in our area release these fish after carefully handling them for a picture.

There is a predicted 4000-5000 holidaymakers coming to Harrington over the Christmas and New Year period, so please take care during this busy period.

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Simone Westren with a nice Manning River flathead.

Photo courtesy of Harrington Bait & Tackle.

Yamaha DealerDECEMBER 2018

45

Welcome rain replenishes the land and sea FORSTER

David Seaman dseamo@bigpond.com

There is little doubt that Mother Nature takes things into her own hands and, sooner or later, corrects the balance of all things on land and at sea.

Months of lamenting the dry period and forecasting a stressful summer for the bass if we didn’t get rain,have been dispelled, for a while

land some great-conditioned bass over a weekend.

With luck there is more of that to come.

With the rain comes the flow-on effect in the estuaries and it helps to stir up the likes of the crabs and prawns in the systems.

Setting a couple of crab pots while you are fishing Wallis Lake for a day is a great way to diversify your take-home catch. Setting in areas like The Step, around the edges of the vast weed beds, or

fished on the run-out tide.

There are a few big flathead in the lower entrance around the leases and Breckenridge Channel, and more will appear over the next month or so. I urge anglers to release the big girls, as usual, to maintain the breeders for the future.

The lake seems to be teeming with blackfish and it has made for some very anxious moments while bream fishing. Spotting large fish that are initially mistaken for bream gets the

decent and consistent catch.

Bream, I would say, are the trip savers of late with a few pigs around, although there are some sizeable silver trevally in the mix.

I fished one spot recently and didn’t even catch a kelpie, and topped it off with a nice blue groper that was released. The highlight was the sighting of two minke whales that swam within casting distance of the platform I was fishing.

It was amazing to see these two creatures and their

Childhood done right! Archer Thoms enjoyed a bass trip with his dad Dan.

Stephen Hawkins with a couple of his blackfish from the waters of Wallis Lake. anyway. The rain in October not only hammered the coastal fringe, but fell across a lot of western NSW and dribbled in the hills to create enough run-off to recharge the local rivers. It gave Dan Thoms a chance to take his 8yo son Archer fishing and

along the northern edge of Regatta Island will produce blue swimmers. Tucking a pot around backwaters like Bandicoot Island or up into the Wallamba and Coolongolook rivers you will have a better chance at mud crabs. If you want to

avoid the holiday share-pot, where they get raided by unethical people, I would suggest you set your pots of a late afternoon and check them early the next morning.

This gives the crabs a full cycle of tides to find your bait and little opportunity for the poachers to discover your gear. The pots need to be marked legally and as such are easily spotted and lifted by others, even though a maximum fine of $5,500 can apply. If you want to just go crabbing for the day

you can employ two pots and four hoop or witches’ hats so, with two in the boat, you can cycle through 12 baited traps every hour or so.

Checking and moving them until you start seeing results is the way to go.

With the estuary water temperature starting to rise, so is the activity of fish in the lake and estuary mouth. Sand whiting are still hunting surface lures, yabby and worm baits along the edges of the sand spits and channels. For shore-

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based anglers, the stretch of channel and weed down Little Street, between the open pool and boat sheds, is a productive area for bream, whiting, flathead and even leatherjackets. You may have to wade out a little to get a cast to the sand, but at this time of the year that is a refreshing thought. The best of the whiting will come as the current slows a little either side of the tide, and even at slack water at the top of the tide where you can target the submerged yabby flats.

Legal flathead seem to be everywhere, but if you want to escape the crowds of boats and other crafts, try flicking soft plastic shrimp imitations around the edges of the islands and sand spits back up the lake. Around the mouth of McClymonts Creek has always paid off in the past, especially when

heart pumping, and then seeing just how many fish are in the school would melt the heart of any blackfish angler. Fish over the 1kg mark are a great sight and disappointing for the bream anglers at the same time.

Steve Hawkins had a great session on blackfish recently and managed a great feed.

When you leave them biting it is a good sign.

The rock fishing scene has fallen in and out of the doldrums and it will take a bit of searching to find a

massive form, 40m off the wash, in clear water.

Offshore there should be some bonito kicking around and a few big predators, but for the most part a good mix of reef fish and the reliable flathead are making up the take-home bags. We should see a few bigger mahimahi on the FADs over this month, with more fish showing up through January.

I hope everyone has a fishy Christmas and a relaxing break if you’re lucky enough to get one.

Archer Thoms with a bass from the freshwater. It’s great to see a young angler enjoying his time on the river.

The Christmas season will be a cracker SWANSEA

Jason Scerri coloratolures@hotmail.com

It’s flown around once again. The last month of the year and its set to be a cracker for local anglers and visitors alike!

The weather is really heating up now, warm currents are flowing and the first marlin of the season has been landed.

The fisheries FADs are in place and they are starting to see a little growth and action, so it’s all shaping up to be another cracker of a season here on Lake Macquarie. The next 1-2 months are a testing time for us locals. The weather is generally fantastic, and the fishing begins to heat up, but the population will grow massively over the holiday period and that is something we just all need to deal with and work around. It certainly makes fishing 20 miles offshore a lot more appealing at this time of year.

The lake itself is fishing sensationally at the moment, and should continue to do so. The bream are about in numbers and size and lure anglers are making the most of it. On calm days it’s more important than any other month of the year to fish outside of peak boat traffic times. The boat traffic from holidaymakers is relentless

of tasty squid is a brightlycoloured small squid. I usually run a paternoster rig with one or two small squid jigs drifting about. Also ensure you keep a spare rod in the boat already rigged with a jig, because you will often find multiple squid coming up around the already hooked squid, and then it’s a simple matter of dropping that spare jig in and capitalising on those extras.

The really good news for anglers is that the best fish (in my opinion) available in our lake is also one that responds well to anglers’ offerings after dark. The mighty mulloway is available all year round these days, and they are certainly there to be caught during the daylight hours, but during these heavy traffic periods they are one fish you should target after the sun sets and the crowds go home. A good ploy is flicking around a 4-6” soft plastic lures rigged on a 3/8-1/2oz jighead. Look at the deeper sections of the lake, and hopefully a location that has a good showing of bait in the form of chopper tailor should hold mulloway. As for the lure selections, I’d just suggest a white plastic, abutit’s certainly a matter of each to their own, but I prefer a large paddle-tail style plastic.

A few yellowtail kingfish have also started to appear in the lake. I may be wrong, but they seem to be a little

As for locations, I suggest working the numerous channel markers throughout the lake and particularly those that are in or near deeper sections. It is also worth throwing a few lures around these markers too, as this will often entice them out from their hidey hole.

Another option for anglers looking to avoid the crowds is to head offshore, and what better time of year to do that than now! Those warm east coast currents are getting into full swing and the fish are starting to fire. Marlin are about and although not yet in big numbers, the signs are promising. Mahimahi are making an appearance, slimy mackerel schools should be about, and the marlin should start balling these baits up.

There has also been a few YFT about out wide, and they are a prime snack for the mighty marlin. I believe the best method at the moment is to run a good spread of skirted lures in a variety of sizes and colours. I know many have their own views on the best way to rig their marlin lures, but for what it’s worth, I suggest a single hook rig, as this will give you a great chance at a solid hook up.

A spread of lures will allow you to cover plenty of ground while searching for the bait balls and any potential marlin bite. It always pays to have a tank full of livies as well, as

Local angler Robert Gill with a lovely example of a Lake Mac mulloway.

There’s plenty around at the moment, which is great to see. a spread of smaller lures.

You can certainly keep it simple and still have a good successful trip. A small trailer boat can happily run just three skirted lures in their spread and score a few good fish. If you’re

short on crew or just new to gamefishing, then don’t be afraid to run a three-lure spread! A pair of 8” lures with a small 6-7” skirt out the back a little deeper and you’re in with a shot. I’m always happy to help steer

anglers in the right direction or give some advice if I can be of any help regarding their gamefishing, so feel free to drop me an email if you’re after some advice leading into the upcoming gamefishing season!

raft Polyc you s e h wis rry a Me as m t is r Ch

Another very solid bag of Lake Macquarie bream from Mick Pavlic. All were caught on lure and fly offerings! over the Christmas school holidays, and on windy days you will find the fish less spooked by the boat traffic, but on those calm days the boat traffic will severely effect your fishing results and you need to be fishing very early or late in the day to see the best results.

For anglers chasing a delicious seafood feed, you’re in luck. Squid are about in good numbers and there is not much better on the plate than a fresh feed of salt and pepper calamari. It is critical to use small squid jigs in the lake.

I’m sure the big jigs get a few, but I can assure you, as the lake squid are generally not huge, the best bet to secure a number

later than normal, but so long as they show that’s all that matters. A technique that is very productive on kingfish, not only in our lake but on kingfish in general, is a live squid slow trolled on a downrigger. I prefer to have two baits out at different depths. If you find they are continually hitting the same bait, then run both at that depth, but if they are hitting both at different times, then keep them apart and that ensures you cover more of the water column. Your tackle needs to be up to the task as well, as some of these kings are very solid fish, near the 1m mark.

you might come across some floating debris that could quite possibly have a few resident mahimahi hanging off it, and they always love a fresh live bait. There is not much better marlin by-catch than a solid mahimahi!

For those new to gamefishing or those not confident yet to run wide offshore, these next few months are ideal to find your offshore feet. Many marlin are caught in close every season and I’m sure this one will be no different. Even as close in as the ships, you are in with a shot at a marlin. If you want to fish the closer grounds then I would run

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Now is a great time to be out on the water PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

Summer’s here and Port Stephens is a pretty good place to be, especially when you love fishing!

ESTUARY In the estuary system, you will find good numbers

of dusky flathead moving downstream to spawn over the summer months. This means most of the shallow shoreline from Soldiers Point to Jimmys Beach will fish well for lizards, especially for those using soft plastics around 100mm.

Focus your efforts around the early morning and late

afternoon high tides for best results.

Some big girls have also been getting around, with some lizards pushing the 1m mark. At this size they are an awesome specimen and also very important breeding stock, so it is highly recommended that they are handled with care and

Fresh squid or live baits are your best bet for finding mulloway this month.

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Whiting are actively smashing surface lures in the top half of the bay over the flats, with areas like Taylors Beach, Pindimar and Tahlee all producing solid elbowslappers to 40cm.

Bream are also hitting topwater lures, with shallow rock bars the best places to target them on the high tide The deeper waters around Soldiers Point should be holding stonker mulloway, with fresh squid or live baits your best bet to catch a trophy.

BEACHES The beaches really start to fish well at this time of year as whiting start to stack up, especially in the gutters along Fingal, Samurai, Stockton and Hawksnest.

The biggest key to success is using good baits such as pipis or live worms. The good thing about fishing in this manner is the by-catch, and you will catch bream, dart, salmon and even the odd mulloway on occasion.

Speaking of beach mulloway, there should be a few crackers taken from the surf this month, with the start of summer traditionally a great time for beach mulloway. Stick around after dark for an hour or so and lob out some large fresh baits, or if you can get one, a live whiting or tailor.

ROCKS Bonito should start to show up, creating some great fun for land-based rock anglers using 20-40g metals or stickbaits.

Plenty of other small pelagics are also a chance spinning the rocks at this time of year, with tailor, kingfish and salmon all possibilities.

The best places to do this are areas of coastline that

December is a great time to throw small topwaters for whiting in the estuary. jut out into deeper water, with Sunny Corner, Fingal Head and Tommaree all good examples of this.

OFFSHORE There are still some good reds on the shallow reefs around the Islands, with bait sessions during dawn and dusk, as well as sessions throwing plastics, all producing.

Kingfish have been around the Islands too, with some stonkers well over 20kg terrorizing schools of slimy mackerel and yellowtail.

Slow trolling with a live bait around any concentrated bait balls is a great way to get connected to one of these big

hoodlums, however, stopping them is the hard part.

Stickbaiting on first light around the same areas is another way to hook up to these brutes, and they are a real trophy catch if you manage to land one.

Try topwater lures around 140-160mm.

Marlin should really fire up this month on the shelf, and trolling skip or live baits is the most effective technique to catching them.

If you come across any tight bait schools deeper in the water column, an elastic band to a 16oz sinker is a good idea to drop down to try get a bite.

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DECEMBER 2018

Shallow rock bars are the best place to find bream at the moment.

River systems are finally coming back to life ERINA

Aaron Donaldson

December is an awesome time of year for fishing on the coast. It’s the time when just about everything starts to really come to life.

Brisbane Waters has been going off lately, and there have been some really

Flathead will be really starting to fire about now, so look for them on the falling tides where any shallow flats are draining into deeper water. Areas like Paddys Channel, Saratoga and Half Tide Rocks should fish well for big flathead this month. You can use live poddy mullet on a drift, or try a few soft plastics in the

Mulloway will usually start to taper off as the boat traffic increases through this month, although there are usually plenty of schoolies about to keep you entertained. Try fishing late at night with some fresh or

fun can be had spinning with some smaller chrome lures.

Usually it’s best to start spinning nice and early in the morning for the bonito.

In the freshwater things are looking good. The rivers have received the flush out

Another solid bass taken from the freshwater.

Some beautiful bass are already biting in the upstream areas of the rivers. big kingfish lurking around.

These fish seem to be in the 15-20kg size, and some nice ones have been landed on live baits and stickbait type lures.

65-100mm size, with 1/4oz about enough weight for most areas.

Bream will be really starting to tune in feeding on prawns, so it’s a great

Another victim of the deadly Bassday Sugapen. Whiting just can’t resist them! time to pull out a few surface lures. As the tide rises, cast them up into the shallows and try and imitate

a fleeing prawn. When you get a few fish competing for your lure it can be a lot of fun.

live bait around any road bridges and you would be in with a good chance.

As the waters start to warm, some really good rock fishing can be experienced from Terrigal and Avoca rocks. Bonito can show up at this time and if the currents arrive and the bait builds up, some awesome

they so desperately needed, and the bass have been able to migrate freely up our local creeks, so let’s hope we get a bumper cicada season like the last one and there should be some great surface action.

Have a great and safe Christmas, and I’ll see you next year.

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49

A Christmas feast of fish HUNTER COAST

Shannon Malone

With the festive season nearly upon us, now is the time to get out on the water and enjoy the peaceful surroundings before all the holidaymakers get into town. When that happens, your favourite quiet spot won’t be quiet anymore.

Summer would have to be my favourite time of year. There are so many options to choose from that

it’s hard to decide where to start. The estuaries are firing, with everything from prawns and crabs right through to bream, flathead and whiting around in good numbers. The beaches are another prime fishing location to enjoy the sun and surroundings, but my favourite would have to be offshore chasing billfish, mahimahi and various other pelagics.

Some great reports have been coming in of flathead from areas such as Stockton and Tourle Street bridges,

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Hexham, Raymond Terrace and the harbour with plenty of 40-50cm sizes on offer. The best baits at the moment are fresh prawns, live poddies and pilchards.

If you’re using prawns, it’s best to use green Australian prawns and steer clear of imported green or cooked prawns, as we don’t want a disease outbreak like the one that happened in Queensland.

White spot disease has cost the Queensland fishing industry millions, not to mention pushing the retail prices up.

Imported products may be safe for human consumption but you never know what’s lurking that could devastate our aquatic environment and seafood industry. Please spend an extra couple of bucks on Aussie bait and support the local industry. As they say, ‘support it don’t import it’.

Back to flathead fishing.

The best plastics are 5” jerk shads, 3” prawns and 4” paddle-tails, and be sure to have a couple of colour options depending on the water clarity and where you’re fishing. My go-to lure at the moment is still the Samaki Vibelicious in 70mm and 100mm. If you haven’t gotten one of these lures in the water yet, you’re missing out.

We’re seeing some excellent catches of bream and whiting, with whiting being the highlight for a lot of anglers. There are so many methods and techniques to catch them, but I find surface fishing to be the most exciting. Small stickbaits and poppers are a very visual way to target whiting as they hit like freight trains, so be sure your drag is set right.

Baits like prawns, pipis and tube or beachworms are best, preferably live but frozen will often suffice. Ideally you want to spend an hour or two the night before scooping a few prawns from the weed beds. The shorelines around Lake Macquarie are easily accessible, and it doesn’t take long to get enough for a decent bait session.

I recommend some good footwear while wading these areas to avoid nasties like the blue-ringed octopus and razor fish.

Luke Clements with a beast of a mulloway caught land-based.

Areas such as Kooragang sand flats or the mud flats near Stocko bridge are popular areas to target bream and whiting. Many of the beaches are holding good numbers of fish in the gutters, often pretty much right at your feet.

The beaches are also holding loads of tailor and a few salmon. A lot of the tailor are only choppers, but if you’re patient there are some stonking greenbacks amongst them.

There have been some nice mulloway caught in the area from anglers fishing the Stockton break wall, the bridge and the beach as well as within the harbour.

The majority of these fish are schoolies, but some monsters have been landed in recent

weeks. Local mulloway mauler Luke Clements landed a behemoth upriver using a rod he borrowed off his mate, putting it to the test and ending with a solid fish.

In the fresh the bass have been on the chew, with Lake St Clair producing some quality fish. The upper reaches of the rivers will also hold fish, most of which are usually smaller specimens compared to impoundment fish. Still, they’re good fun and there’s always a chance of a lunker lurking in the structure or cruising the banks for an easy feed. Surface lures like cicadas, frogs, stickbaits, poppers and buzzbaits are working well, especially early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Smaller soft plastics

Matt Davey spun up this monster 34kg mulloway recently, his first on a lure. The fish was gill grabbed by Dan Selby some 40 minutes later as they didn’t have a gaff!

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and suspending hardbodied jerk minnows rolled off the banks are also a good way to target bass.

Moving offshore, the outer reefs have been producing, with the current being the main issue. Bonito, trag, kings and small jew are about, along with striped tuna.

For those chasing a much larger prize, there’s nothing better than trolling skirts for marlin and mahimahi.

Alternatively, if trolling isn’t your thing, pull up and grab some livies such as slimy mackerel or yellowtail scad.

A good sounder is important so you can pinpoint the bait and fish, and once you drop a livey down it’s often not long before the reel is screaming off.

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The warm and cold water species are mixing ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

This is the mad month where all the chores around the house have to be done before Christmas, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a bit of time to wet a line!

For a quick fix it is easy to grab the beach rod and a bit of smelly fish, catch a few beachworms and chase some whiting. They are really starting to hit their straps this month and are on most of the beaches, but they are not a ‘walk up and catch’ proposition. Like with all fish, you will still have to put in a little effort to find a good school. But then again, you just may nail them in the first spot you fish.

As always, beachworms are by far and away the best bait for consistent results and collecting them can be as much fun as catching the whiting.

I usually fish the last hour or so of the falling tide and the first hour of the rising tide, as there is way less water on the beaches and all the sand banks will be very shallow, forcing all the fish into the gutters.

Fish the edges of the gutters where the water is tumbling in and turbulent, rather than the calm middle area, as they will still be looking for a feed in the water running of the shallow banks. You can even cast onto the edge of the banks with a light sinker and let the water take your

Put down a berley trail if the current isn’t running too hard and they will come. bait into the gutter to the waiting whiting.

The best beaches are always around the lake entrance at Warilla and Windang, but any other beach is worth a throw and you usually score a few when you get that first bite, as they are in schools and hunting along the beaches at this time of year.

The best thing about the beaches now is there is a whole lot more variety than just a couple of months ago, as a few dart generally show up with the first of the warm

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water, while there are heaps more flathead moving onto the beaches as well. Some good bream have been about in the deeper gutters during the evenings and mornings, along with salmon and tailor and a good scattering of school mulloway during the evenings. Look for the deepest gutters you can find, with a high tide just on dark the premium time to fish.

Towards the end of the month is traditionally when we see the big fish of 20kg+ move onto the beaches. So if you are catching a few tailor and they suddenly stop biting, up your tackle size and put on a fresh slab of chopper and it could pay dividends, because nothing shuts down a tailor bite like a big mulloway moving into the gutter.

The lake and Minnamurra are firing as well, with more whiting on the move over the shallow flats on the falling tide. Squirt worms or bloodworms are the best bait if you can get them, but alternatively you could spend a bit of time during the evening catching some prawns and fish them live on a very light sinker. Whiting can’t resist them either, and they will pick up any flathead or bream in the area as well.

Boat traffic will be increasing every day until the school holidays when it becomes madness on the water, so now in the early mornings would be the best time to flick poppers for whiting over the shallows when it is a bit quieter.

Most anglers will be concentrating on the flathead in the channel and past the drop-off into the main part of the lake using plastics and live poddy mullet, and there

will be plenty of flathead about. Minnamurra will have some nice fish in the deeper holes and up right in the mangroves on the high tides. Be sure to fish along the edges of the mangroves as the tide drops, forcing them out of the tangle of roots and branches and into positions in the shallows where you can cast to them.

If you are in a boat on the lake, keep a good eye on the water as you travel about, as it will be a minefield of crab trap markers and it’s impossible to travel in a straight line without getting one tangled around the prop.

They are not all 2-litre milk containers and some of the markers are very small.

There are plenty of blue swimmers in the lake, with most who are making the effort getting a few.

A few school mulloway will be about in the main channel if you know where to look, and a few salmon should be down around the entrance on the bigger tides, the terns feeding will give their presence away.

Offshore things are starting to get interesting, with that December mix of hot and cold water meaning it is a bit of a lottery, but by using modern technology you can generally keep away from the cooler stuff and chase those bigger predators we have been waiting for.

A few striped marlin and the odd blue are on the cards out wide, but they have been a bit slow so far, but the good water can come through any time with even the chance of a few early blacks marlin around Christmas. Late January is usually the time when the blacks really hit their straps.

more consistent when the hot water flows hard from the north, but it is always worth a look at the FADs, as they can come and go any day.

A few striped tuna have been skipping around making great snapper bait, but they too are not in the numbers that used to show up at this time of year.

As for snapper, they seem to be moving in a bit closer and onto the shallow reefs under 40m, so if the current isn’t going too hard it will be worth putting the pick down and a bit of berley to bring them on the bite.

If the current is ripping through, it is happy days for the kingfish as they love a

If the current is running hard, chase kings with live baits and jigs down deep over the reefs. bit of current. All the usual spots like Wollongong Reef, the islands, Bandit and Bass points are worth a look with knife jigs, and live baits slow trolled down deep at the depth you see them on the sounder. They seem to be there, but only turn on when the current gets going. Some days when the current is backed off they may even get right on the

It’s not always kings that grab jigs, sometimes little samsons get in on the act too!

A few yellowfin have shown up out wide, and a few big fish may still visit the close reefs like Bandit, Wollongong and the Banks in early December, so always have that live bait out even when chasing snapper.

Some early mahimahi have been captured, but they are a bit too hit and miss this month to be a viable target. They will become

always do, so get a few now then fish somewhere else after Christmas.

Throw in a few flounder, gurnard and trevally, and the sand is looking good, but if you venture onto the gravel and reef there are plenty of mowies still about with pigfish, snapper, samsonfish, a few barracouta, the everpresent leatherjackets and pearl perch.

The pearlies seemed to be in 60m+ but when one is caught a few others usually followed on the same drift.

The only down side to this month is that the little hammerhead and whaler sharks start to show in numbers and grab baits

top, so poppers are worth a shot when you find them like this.

For the bottom bashers, things are on the up and up, with the flatties really on the chew on all the sand patches all along the coast, and they are good fish too.

The patches up north around Stanwell Park will cop a hammering from the trawlers just before Christmas as they

meant for other species.

They usually bite you off, but if you get them in the corner of the mouth you can get your rigs back, but they use up a bit of fishing time getting them in. They’re still good on the BBQ! On the rocks the action is hotting up, with a few pelagics starting to show.

Bonito and kings seem to be the main targets, with frigate mackerel not too far away and while they make great bream and snapper baits cut up, they make extraordinary baits put straight back out live on heavy tackle from the deeper ledges for big kingfish, and at the end of the month, even a marlin!

If they don’t get eaten fairly quickly, it usually results in a hammerhead shark.

The washes around the deeper ledges are producing some good salmon and a few tailor on ganged pilchards and even a few small snapper, while the shallower spots are producing bream, trevally and drummer and a few blackfish on weed in the quieter bays. Don’t forget, if you are using prawns for bait never use the ones from the seafood outlets meant for human consumption, only use the packaged prawns from tackle shops to prevent the spread of white spot disease.

Have a happy and safe Christmas, and I’ll see you in the New Year!

This year will be ‘wrapping’ up on a high note NOWRA

Johnny Nolan straydog1974@gmail.com

Finally we’ve seen some rain. It’s not been nearly enough, but it’s a start, and it did spark some good fishing in our local South Coast rivers and estuaries.

From Burill Lake just south of Ulladulla up to the Shoalhaven River, most systems are fishing reasonably well. The flathead have well and truly started now and there are some big girls being caught, especially in St Georges Basin. This is fast becoming the number one estuary on the coast for catching big flatties. The vast sand flats that border most of The Basin are where a lot of the big girls hang out during summer. There’s plenty of food and cover in the way of weed beds and dropoffs nearby where they can ambush their prey. Shallow running minnows around 70-100mm long and running at around 1m in depth are a good and fun way to catch these big flatties. When put in the right spot, most will work if they have any sort of action.

Mulloway are still being caught in the deeper parts

of the basin, with some real quality fish being taken.

The Samaki Vibelicious is accounting for a lot of mulloway captures, and not only in the basin. These lures have become the most popular mulloway soft bait on the market in recent times.

In Jervis Bay, apart from the bread and butter species of bream, blackfish and flathead, there are good numbers of mulloway being taken in Currambene Creek.

Most are smaller fish around 60-70cm, and are great fun on the appropriate tackle, but some better fish have been caught in a couple of the deeper holes. Even the wharf area at Wollamia is worth

a throw for mulloway; they have been spotted from the shore sitting under a few of the moored boats, waiting for the current to bring them a feed.

Out in the bay around The Tubes there have been some nice kings hanging in closer to the rocks, giving the land-based anglers a bit of fun and frustration when the kings won’t take a lure or bait.

Squid seem to have turned up just in time for the Christmas school holidays in JB, and are being caught in good numbers. You don’t need a boat to get stuck into some tasty JB squid, as there are plenty of land-based

Keen stickbait fisher Bec with a king caught recently from The Tubes inside Jervis Bay.

options, especially on the south side. Murrays Beach and boat ramp, Scottish Rocks, Bristol Point, Creswell if you can access it, Plantation Point, the rocks at Hayms Beach and Monna Monna Creek are just some popular land-based squid spots. I recommend 3.0-3.5 jigs in these areas, mainly for casting distance. With longer casts you can cover more ground and spend more time with a jig in the water.

The Shoalhaven River is a busy place at this time of year, especially upstream with skiers, wake boarders and jet skiers making the most of the flat water conditions.

It’s a shame, because there is some really good fishing to be had in these areas.

An early morning session is your best bet, with some good perch and bass fishing around Crams Rock and Longreach and through to Saltwater (Calymea) Creek.

Surface lures fished tight to cover on the top of the tide outfish most other forms early morning, but when the sun becomes higher as the day goes on, soft plastics and spinnerbaits are the go.

East of the Nowra Bridge right through to the river entrance, the flathead

Richard Vitiello caught and released this mulloway at Curranbene Creek. have been thick. The size has been good too, with some quality table fish around the 40-50cm mark – perfect eating size.

Another year is almost done and dusted, so bring on

2019! May it be full of good times, and plenty of fish! Be good and stay safe over the festive season, and please be patient with each other on the roads, at the ramps and on the water.

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www.frogleysoffshore.com.au DECEMBER 2018

53

We’ll be dreaming of a whiting Christmas MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson

It’s a busy time of year around the Merimbula region with the holiday

The local beaches will continue to produce the goods this month, with bream, whiting, tailor, salmon, mullet and the odd mulloway all hitting baits with gusto. The best baits for

the pelagic species.

The mulloway are a lot harder to target than the other beach species, but if you are patient and put in enough time, you should be rewarded for your efforts. I

although any beach with a decent gutter is worth a look.

Anglers fishing the stones are in for a treat as the pelagic action is in full song! Kingfish, big salmon, bonito and striped tuna have been caught from Tura Head.

It’s a decent walk in but it’s certainly worth it. Both lures and bait have produced, but personally I’d be sticking to the chrome lures or even bigger stickbaits. Casting these bigger presentations to the horizon isn’t for everyone, but when it all

continue to shine. Both systems are fishing well for flathead, bream, whiting and blackfish. The flatties have really fired up with the warmer water, with a good feed available on most outings. The fish are solid models around the 50cm mark, with the odd bigger female making her presence felt. Most flatties are falling to soft plastics, with live poddy mullet and blades catching their fair share too.

With the water now starting to warm, the

trevally around the boat moorings, with the flooding tide the best time.

Offshore the action has been steady, with snapper, morwong, kingfish and striped tuna keeping most anglers happy. The flatties have been excellent of late, with both sand and tigers playing the game. The area off Pambula River mouth will produce, as will the 40m line straight off Tura Head. Both have been good of late and should continue to produce.

Matt with a summer whiting taken on a popper. These speedsters are great sport and are even better on the plate. period upon us, but don’t let this deter you – the fishing has really picked up and will continue to fire over the coming weeks.

the bread and butter species include live beach worms, prawns, pipis and striped tuna cubes. Both pilchards and bluebait will suffice for

like using fresh squid, tailor fillets and big bunches of live beach worms for mulloway.

The better beaches to try include Tura and North Tura,

Big trevally are still abundant in the channels below the main bridge in Merimbula town. comes together it doesn’t get much better than that.

Some solid kings have been hooked from this ledge in recent weeks, so I’d be upping the ante on gear selection with 10kg an absolute minimum. At least then you’ll have some sort of chance landing one. Don’t be surprised to see a few big sharks too; I know of several 7-8ft whalers getting hooked by those targeting kings. Most have been lost due to the mono leader, but if you use wire you might be in business.

In the estuaries both Pambula and Merimbula

Rex with a couple of nice bream taken on blades and released.

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surface fishing has been excellent for bream and whiting, and Merimbula’s back lake is a good place to start. I know of a few bream upwards of 43cm being caught lately around the racks, with whiting to 42cm also. At these sizes on light gelspun in hard country they are great fish to land, with hours of endless fun to be had. If artificials aren’t for you, I’d be concentrating in the channels below the bridge with fresh tuna cubes or bass yabbies the preferred baits. You will catch some nice bream, whiting and

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Some decent reds have been encountered in the deeper water off Lennards Island (30-40 fathoms), with kingfish to 4kg at both Long Point and Horseshoe Reef.

All this action will continue over the holiday period.

If one reef isn’t firing, move to another until you find the fish.

Further offshore there have been a few reports of albacore and smaller yellowfin, but certainly nothing to get to excited about at present. Hopefully the really good water pushes further south and the larger pelagic action really picks up.

Dashing to the fish NAROOMA

580

Stuart Hindson

With the Christmas rush just about upon us the fishing has really picked up just in time for the visitors to make our local waters home.

Wagonga Inlet is firing at present, with a smorgasbord of species available. The fish are widespread with the main basin, channels, sand flats and oyster racks all holding fish at certain times during the tidal cycle.

A lot of anglers are having great success fishing the faster water in the channels with bream, trevally, flathead, whiting and blackfish all succumbing to well-presented slowly-twitched soft plastics.

Catches of a dozen or more fish has been possible, with the draining tide seeming best when the water is slightly discoloured. The channel areas east of the main highway bridge has been the go. Look for the hollows amongst the sand depressions and concentrate your efforts there.

On the western side of the bridge the sand flats to the south are full of whiting, with squirt worms and nippers the best baits. Get the bait at low tide from the flats near the Fisheries office and go back there on the flood tide.

Fish lightly-weighted baits on the sand and weed edge and you’re almost guaranteed a feed of quality whiting. You will get a few smaller fish, but persistence will see you get some better class fish too.

Further upstream bream have been prolific up the back of the system, especially around the oyster racks. Nearly every set of racks is holding fish; it’s just a matter of finding the bream that want to feed.

Fish the last two hours of the flood tide for best results, with a mixture of soft plastics and surface stickbaits doing the trick.

Dusky flathead are in full swing, with some decent-sized crocodiles getting around.

The best I’ve heard of lately went 91cm and just over 6kg.

There are plenty of duskies between the 40-55cm range as well, with smaller softies working well for the smaller fish. If you’re after a trophy fish, fish large lures and fish

SEAHAWK

Quality flathead like this nice eater are really starting to fire up in both Tuross and Narooma. them slow, keep persisting you will soon get one. You’ve also got a chance of a mulloway, especially if fishing the edges of tailor schools.

Salmon are still plentiful on most local beaches and headlands with Narooma Main, 1080 and Tilba as the best beaches to the south. If fishing north of Narooma, Dalmeny Headland and Brou Beach are the pick. All methods are working for the salmon, with anglers casting chrome lures having a ball on fish to 2kg.

Expect some good whiting and bream to turn up this month too, with live beachworms, pipi and mussels working best.

Fishing the flooding tide in the late afternoon is best. The mouth of Brou Lake has been a standout for bream. It takes a bit to get there, but you will be duly rewarded.

The rocks have slowed considerably due to the calmer seas. When the swell increases the blackfish and drummer should play the game again.

Kingies are a real possibility this month, especially at the Golf Course rocks and Mystery Bay. Livebait, lures and whole ganged pilchards are the best ways to tempt one.

Expect some cracking bonito to turn up too. There have already been some solid speedsters to 4kg, and they are great fun on lighter tackle and not bad on the plate if looked after. There have been a few salmon about, but they’re not thick, you just have to be there when they’re coming through.

Offshore sportfishers should be happy with a myriad of species to target. Kingfish have been popular, with

There are still plenty of pelagics to be caught in Wagonga’s waters.

anglers having a ball on them.

These hard-fighting brutes are around and in numbers, which is great to see as they have been a little sporadic recently. Montague Island has been excellent, with kings to 8kg common. Live bait and jigs have worked, although different days means different techniques are working.

It pays to stop at the bait grounds below the Golf Course rocks. The day you don’t will be the day that livies work and not jigs, which can certainly be frustrating when it happens to you. There have been kings off Potato Point and Moruya, so if the island is a little slower there are other options.

A little wider albacore and school yellowfin tuna to 30kg have been captured, mainly trolling skirted pushers and larger bibbed minnows. The fish have primarily been along the shelf line, although a lot depends on water conditions and temperature as to where they are any given day. They certainly haven’t been thick, so expect to put the hours in for the results to come.

It won’t be long before marlin turn up too. There has already been a handful of fish hooked north of us, with a report of a 90kg fish landed, which is great to see so early in the season.

If the game species aren’t for you then the bottom eating fish will keep you happy.

Down south the snapper have been good, with fish to 2kg common on most inshore reefs.

The SW corner of Montague has fired as well and expect some sizable morwong and tiger flathead. Off Kianga and Dalmeny in 35-40m of water has seen excellent captures of sand flathead. They have been patchy, but once you find a patch, bags can be reached pretty easily. The added bonus here is that the stinking leather jackets are gone for the time being, meaning less gear lost and more fish in the boat.

I expect this action to continue right through December and onwards, hopefully the weather will be on our side and let the local and visiting anglers get amongst them.

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Bermi River is the place to be this summer BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

With many of the lakes or estuaries closed to the ocean, the ones that are open are receiving more

the river is firing up with a mixture of fish species.

Luderick is an early season cool water fish that can be captured a few different ways. The traditional method of float fishing with weed along the many rock walls or the rock bar upstream from

over the many flats, so you know where the fish will be on the high tides. Mixed bags of bream, flathead, trevally, whiting and those luderick all feed across these flats, often providing some excellent sight fishing.

Matching the hatch with fresh

Laurie Mallia was happy with a Bermagui River bream.

Dave Proust, Bruce Gow and Laurie Mallia from the program What’s Up Downunder had a great day up the Bermagui River filming for the show and promoting Find a Cure for Brain Cancer. than their fair share of migrating fish stocks, and the Bermagui River is one of the places to be this summer.

Even very early this season with coolish water

the boat ramp at the bridge will produce on a falling tide, although further up the river there are other methods.

This river system has one of the healthiest populations of nippers around spread

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bait is best. Lures also work well, whether they are soft plastics or hardbodied lures.

There is always flyfishing

for those after more of a challenge. Some locals are really starting to specialize in capturing these fish on fly.

Warm currents have pushed in and down along the East Coast bringing a host of different game species.

Tuna are the most prolific, with striped, yellowfin and albacore making up the bulk,

with the occasional big eye or stray southern bluefin.

These are mostly being encountered out wide from the Twelve Mile Reef, along the Continental Shelf through to the Kink and out wide over 1000 fathoms where The Canyons are. They are mainly being taken on trolled bibbed, bibless or skirted lures.

Wherever you find tuna you are bound to find sharks and this season is no exception. Those anglers who have laid down berley trails of tuna have captured some very large blue and mako sharks. This is mainly happening out wide over the Continental Shelf. With the introduction of electronic

Take a look around to score TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

If you are visiting the Tathra area this season try stepping out of the square and take a look around at different areas using varied methods of angling to find some exciting new fishing options. There are plenty of areas to explore north, south or in Tathra itself, so go take a look!

The Bega River is quite a large system that has its many nooks and crannies.

Here in this system most of the angling will be done in the obvious places, however for anglers wishing to push further up the system to where the salt meets sweet, or explore all the little back waters and inlets, they may be surprised with some exciting shallow water angling.

Black bream will be the main target as they mooch around gravel beds, rocky outcrops, or suspend around sunken logs under the overhanging she-oak trees. This is where a well-placed, preferably hardbodied suspending lure will often produce the goods, not only for bream but also those hard-hitting

Left: Not everything over the flats is what you expect, but Marion was stoked with her biggest ever fish.

Right: Young Augusta Harrison beat sister, mum and dad to the rod to catch this beautiful 86cm flathead. bass, which the system now is holding large numbers of.

For the solitude an early morning start may be essential, where you can cash in on the fish that have been feeding on the many prawns in the system.

Estuary perch, bream,

flathead, whiting and luderick are just some of the species that like to prey on this tasty food source, and there are also plenty of prawns to be found of a night for us humans as well.

To the south, Wallagoot Lake is a saltwater lake that

can be landlocked and hosts good populations of snapper. These fish have grown from juveniles to sizes that may exceed 3kg.

Those wishing to work soft plastics while drifting the lake will produce some nice To page 57

reels, fishing the deep for all those ooglies is well within the reach of anglers as they wait for the sharks to appear in the trail.

Closer to shore along the coast, out to Montague Island there is plenty of movement with lighter tackle sport fishing being prolific. Already it looks like it’ll be one of the best seasons for kingfish in many years, not only out at the island but also along the rocky coastline.

Mixing with the kings are schools of bonito, salmon, striped tuna and frigate mackerel. They are being taken using a variety of angling methods from casting, trolling, jigging and on baits.

Not to be out done the offshore reef and bottom fishing is also excellent, with tiger flathead chewing their heads off. These fish are providing excellent bags for anglers where they are coming out of water depths from 30m and beyond. There are quite a lot of sand flatties as well and they are in the same depths or shallower, plus there are some excellent gummy sharks adding to the bag.

Out on the deep Four, Six and Twelve Mile reefs morwong are most prolific, with ocean perch, nannygai or pigfish making up the bulk of the catch while the snapper are hanging on nicely to add some colour. So to all I wish you good fishing, tight lines and a very merry Christmas.

From page 56

fish, while those fishing bait will also have some success. You will encounter other species like bream, flathead and garfish, and there is also some megasized tailor in there.

To the north of Tathra, you have Middle Lake and Nelsons Lagoon, which also have their hidden secrets. Middle Lake, which is again closed to the ocean since recent flooding, contains some very nice flathead that seem to congregate towards where the entrance would normally be. These fish are feeding early morning or late afternoon on some of the prawn stocks the lake holds. There is also plenty of bream in there, both black and yellowfin, and some nice schools of luderick, which are partial to a worm or a wellpresented nipper. For the kayak enthusiasts there is plenty of structure to explore with some wellplaced casts.

Nelsons Lagoon, although small, is a very popular family swimming area that never closes to the ocean. It also boasts some of the best oysters the South Coast has to offer, and for the angler, a prime area to do some shallow wading, however, the best times

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Dave Proust got a surprise when he landed this unusual ‘fish’. will be early morning or late afternoon when the crowds are less. This area also hosts some excellent beaches to the north, accessible by the Gillards Beach Road. One that offers some very good fishing is Cowdroys Beach south of Gillards, and here you also have the adjacent rocky headland at the entrance to Nelsons Lagoon, which can provide some excellent shore-based rock fishing.

Off the beaches, expect to encounter your usual bream, whiting, mullet, salmon and tailor, while off the stones expect more of the same, as well as some drummer, groper or some larger pelagics in the form of kingfish or tuna.

For some different fishing in the area, try some beach fishing, as there is plenty of bream, whiting and salmon around, which are generally accessible through daylight hours. Of an evening or into the dark, expect some other species in the form of tailor, gummy or small whaler sharks, and there seems to be increasing captures of mulloway along this part of the coast.

The other obvious area always worth a look is the ever popular Tathra Wharf, which is producing its usual array of species like silver trevally, slimy mackerel, yellowtail or garfish on the smaller scale, while

larger species like salmon, kingfish, or bonito pass on a regular basis, providing a little more action.

Out to sea things have hotted up for the reef and bottom anglers, with flathead being the prime target at present. Out at a depth of around 40-60m, tiger flathead are the main species, where the deeper you go often the larger they get. There will be some sand flathead mixed in with them, however if it is those you wish to target, try the shallower waters north and south of Tathra in a depth of around 28m.

For those chasing reef fish, heading north is the better option at this time of year before the usual northeast winds blow up mid morning. Up off Arragunnui, these reefs are producing some reasonable numbers of snapper, however both jackass and blue morwong are the main species presently being encountered.

There is also the odd kingfish showing up in the bags.

For the bluewater game action, there is plenty of striped tuna to keep the reels ticking over while waiting for the more sought-after yellowfin or albacore tuna. It is still early in the season and the marlin have not shown in sufficient numbers yet, however there has been the odd encounter just to keep anglers on edge.

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57

Month of mega mulloway BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

Flatties firing, mulloway on the chew, and kings moving in! It’s summer and it’s all happening!

After some much-needed rain, the fish responded immediately. Spring heading into summer is a known time for big flathead to be hungry, and as soon as the rain came it was like a flick of the switch.

Everyone was coming into the shop bragging with the photos on their phones, and plenty of big crocs were being caught. It’s good to see in this day and age that most were being released to breed, and a few of the smaller ones were taken home for the table. This recent hype has got fishers and families outdoors, and many others have travelled here for the experience.

What got social media activity spiking coming into summer has been the

of fish, but because of its beauty and the surrounds.

Batemans Bay is experiencing some growth

biting from spring until the end of autumn in our estuary and beaches like in previous years, and then

Layton Brant has been hitting the nighttime mulloway lately. and changes, including a new bridge that will change the landscape completely.

Batemans Bay has been changing slowly over the years and we are starting to see some good restaurants

the beaches can be a good option throughout winter.

The mulloway is known as the ghost of the estuary, and the thousand cast fish.

They’re like a unicorn in that they are very elusive. This

best keeping it simple and applying some basic steps and repeating that over and over again. In saying that, time is obviously a major factor, and putting in the time produces results.

A good time to fish for mulloway is nighttime on a tide change during a favourable moon. This doesn’t mean you can’t catch them during the day on a tide change, because you can, and this doesn’t mean the full moon is better than a new moon, but a lot of records will show that a full moon is very favourable and the week leading up to it and the week after is worth trying.

If you want to keep things simple then put your time into the high tide change around the full moon.

The next and possibly the most important factor is the bait. The bait must be fresh and it can vary from place to place, but when fishing the Clyde in Batemans Bay, using freshly-caught squid is the go. If you can’t get freshly-caught squid, then frozen squid from a bait and tackle store of good quality will work. Live bait such as live mullet can be as good as fresh squid, but it can be harder to collect.

Jem Abbott with a cracking mulloway caught off the beach. most important aspect of it all, you must be fishing in a place where there is mulloway! You aren’t going to catch one parked at Mackay Park! So if you want to catch a mulloway, go to where they actually are and fish leading up to or just past a full moon. I know there are other variables outside of this, but if you stick to this simple plan you’ll catch that mulloway in no time.

So with flathead

success on these big brutes.

They get to see what the boats don’t at times, and they confirm that there is another world under there and that these monster kings do actually exist! So far there seems to be a sense that we could get some good numbers this summer. Where to find them is the tricky bit.

You may have to do some searching.

By the end of December we should have the marlin

Jamo nailed this beautiful 42cm estuary perch, which was a PB for him. illusive mulloway, and they did not disappoint. The Clyde River is becoming known as one of the best mulloway destinations, not only because of the numbers

and shops to go with our natural beauty and amazing beaches. This combined with the great fishing brings a lot of people to the area.

We should see mulloway

fish is a challenge for most and is sometimes looked at as being complicated or a mystery to catch, with secrets surrounding the methods of catching one, when really it’s

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Georgia Poyner with one of her upstream pets.

The next factor, which is often debated, is the hook.

I don’t think there is one perfect mulloway hook. The Eagle Claw Live Bait hook, which is light, short shank, wide gap and very prickly is a good J hook that is very good when snelled in a pair.

Circle hooks are also good. I don’t think the hook matters too much, as long as it’s sharp and of good quality.

The next important thing would be 20-50lb leader attached to your main line, and a rod and reel outfit that is capable enough to do the job.

Lastly, and probably the

committing suicide on your hooks and mulloway available for anglers, what else is summer bringing?

Bass! This is the time of year when there’ll be looking up and smashing the surface. Be sure to make time to get out for a bass session this month.

Summer also means marlin and kingies. Kings have been showing up recently with the waters warming and there have been schools of hundreds of rats and smaller schools of big hoodlums pushing the 20-30kg mark. Our eyes under the water, the spearos, have already had some great

moving around off Batemans and going by the marlin fishing up north and the currents so far, they are not too far away. Keep in mind we have The Tollgate Island Classic on 18-20 January.

Last year was a cracker, so lock it in this year!

So now the headliners have been covered, don’t dismiss the other options such as snapper off the stones, spinning metals at salmon and tailor and of course a summer favourite, the whiting or bream off the surface.

Until next month, get out there and enjoy the heat!

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With a range of exclusive packages including accommodation, transfers and your fishing charter/s, you can spend your time focussing on snagging the winning fish! If you are after a more personalised fishing experience, there are also packages that include just your accommodation, as well as singular fishing charter packages suited for different lengths of time hunting the moneygiving fish.

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Terms & Conditions: Fares are per person in AUD based on twin share. Inclusive of all discounts, taxes, fees & port expenses if applicable which are subject to change. Prices correct as at 29.10.18. Subject to availability. Airfares, hotels & transfers are additional unless otherwise stated. Cancellation charges apply. *Only the first Million Dollar tagged Barramundi caught and verified by Tourism NT earns $1M. ** Terms & conditions apply. Visit milliondollarfish.com.au for more information. For full terms & conditions contact Holidays of Australia and the World. E&OE - HA0808.

Early angler catches the fish MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

With winter behind us and water temperatures rising the fishing is really starting to pick up in the Mallacoota Eden area.

With summer here and little rain we still need a

The offshore fishing in Mallacoota has had little to report, with windy and rough conditions making it hard for anyone to get out there and see what’s biting.

This time of year will see things liven up, pick the right day an early start and you should be home by lunch (before the wind is too strong) with a feed

The beach at Bastion Point has seen anglers catching some yellowfin bream and sand whiting on fresh baits of nippers or beach worm. The water temperature is around 17°C and with the rising water temperature things will only improve. The lake has been fishing well for black bream, with fish moving into the shallower water.

Fish are being caught on a variety of soft plastic and hardbody lures, with bait fishers catching fish on fresh local prawn. Fish are being caught in all the normal bream haunts in Top and Bottom lakes. Tailor are being caught throughout the

system. Find the bait and the tailor and mulloway won’t be far away, and there have been quite a few reports of mulloway been caught.

The water across the border in Eden is a little warmer than in Mallacoota and with it the offshore fishing is starting to fire up.

At present there has been little to report out wide, with the coming months seeing the gamefish turn up with the warm currents.

Snapper and morwong have been on the bite on the inshore reefs with some good fish landed. Mark Gray from Mornington in Victoria had a great few hours of fishing at Lennards Island, Good numbers of black bream are being caught in both the Top and Bottom lakes.

Morwong also featured in some catches at Lennards Island. decent fall to get all the rivers flowing. As the weather heats up the area will liven up, with visitors enjoying the area and the fishing on offer.

of flathead. Fishing on the local beaches for salmon and tailor has been good, with the gutters along Tip Beach fishing well on the top of the tide.

A great snapper caught at Eden.

with a catch of morwong, snapper and gummy shark.

The biggest snapper was over 5.5kg, and anyone would be happy with that.

Fishing the local beaches for salmon has been good, with bream and whiting also being caught, the warmer water will see a variety of species on the beaches and they will only become more active as the water warms.

The estuaries are coming to life with the warmer water flathead taking soft plastic lures, and after being asleep over the winter months this is the time for them to come on the chew. Rain is much needed to allow the bass to move to their summer haunts.

With the warm afternoons there has been some good surface fishing, with fish biting into the dark.

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DECEMBER 2018

BLACK MAGIC

/

MASTER CLASS

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

Achieving success in the surf Catching fish from the surf beaches is one of the most basic and relaxing styles of fishing there is. While it can be an extremely productive way to fish, it also requires quite a bit of knowledge of what to look for, and how best to approach your target species.

Without a doubt the most important element to catching fish from the surf beaches is knowing how to read the beach.

Many anglers think beach fishing is a lucky dip, and that it doesn’t really matter where along a beach you choose to fish. The truth is though that 90% of fish you catch from the surf will be caught from the deeper gutters and

Whiting are one of the easiest species to target from the beach. adjacent banks, which take the full brunt of the waves.

Fish like bream, whiting, dart, flathead and rays take full advantage of this, and they in turn start attracting

This whiting fell victim to a live worm on sunset. troughs. Sometimes these high percentage zones can be quite large and spaced closely together, while at other times they can be as little as 30m wide and kilometres apart.

Fish are attracted and concentrated into gutters for a few reasons. First of all, the deeper water provides refuge from the turbulent surf zones, and it’s also where food like pipis, worms and crabs will wash into after being dislodged from the

other smaller predators like tailor and salmon. The food chain continues all the way up to apex predators like sharks. And then there’s the ultimate beach prize, mulloway, which are also drawn to these areas, especially after dark.

When you break it down like this you start to get an idea of how important it is to chose the right area to fish. Your decision will usually be the difference between catching something or nothing.

Identifying these areas is not that difficult, and the best way to look for them is from a high vantage point on low tide. You can spot a gutter between two banks, with darker coloured water funnelling out to sea, and where the waves roll through rather then breaking. A trough is a deeper stretch of water running parallel to the beach with a shallow bank behind it. Sometimes you can have a series of troughs behind each other, which require large casts to make it into the zone.

Once you can identify where you should be fishing, the next thing is to employ the right methods for your target species. This is another factor that many anglers get wrong when fishing from the beaches, especially when it comes to bait selection. Fish on the beaches can be quite fussy and switched onto their present food sources, which is why baits like squid, prawns and chicken gut will often perform poorly.

For bread-and-butter species like bream and whiting on the ocean beaches you just can’t beat live worms or pipis for bait. You will also get plenty of welcome by-catch using either of these baits; the likes of salmon, dart, flathead and mulloway all find them hard to resist.

Setting up for this style of fishing is super simple, especially using some of the Black Magic pre-made rigs. The Whiting Whacker, Whiting Snatcher and Sandy Snatcher are perfect for this style of fishing. The Whiting Whacker and Snatcher run small KL circle hooks, which are better suited to pipi baits.

The Sandy Snatcher uses long-shank hooks, ideally sized for live worms. Both are a double paternoster rig ready to go out the packet.

Black Magic also make what they call a Longreach rig which, as the name suggests, gives you significantly extra distance when casting. These are best suited to using half pilchard baits to target the likes of salmon, tailor or even mulloway. While the rig looks a bit complicated, once you tie it to the rod you’ll see that it’s very simple and great for reaching that

far-out trough that is out of reach of standard rigs.

Longreach rigs use larger hooks, with a 3/0 suicide and 5/0KL combination with a float on

Black Magic Sandy Snatchers are the perfect beach rig for bread-and-butter species.

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Beach fishing is great for kids. the arms of the dropper to keep your bait slightly off the bottom, away from the likes of crabs and rays. To cast it, the bottom hook clips into a plastic shield near the sinker to give a aerodynamic, super long cast, and once it hits the water the hook disengages from the plastic shield.

OUTFITS The good thing about beach fishing is that unless you’re targeting mulloway with large baits, you can have one rod that virtually covers everything else.

Something around 10-12ft with a softish tip that quickly locks up two thirds of the way down the rod is a really good compromise.

Spin reels in the 40006000 size, or smaller Alveys, are perfect for this style of fishing, and I always spool them with monofilament line. While I probably use braid for 90% of my fishing, mono is far superior from the surf beaches. Mono seems to resist tangles when rigs get thrown around in the surf, whereas braid will catch on just about anything.

A good 6kg mono such as Black Magic Velocity Surf will handle just about anything from the beaches.

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING DAIWA TD BLACK RODS

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An evolution of the popular Generation Black rod series (HVF blanks), the new TD Black series has taken a leap forward in blank design and now features HVF (High Volume Fibre) Nanoplus blanks.

With higher graphite density able to be achieved through Nanoplus technology, the result is a lighter, crisper, more powerful rod, while the addition of Braiding X technology further enhances rod performance by increasing wall strength and reducing blank twist.

Optimum casting and fighting performance is elevated courtesy of the TD Black’s Fuji Alconite K guides, with their lightweight construction and tangle-free design made for braided line, while the TD Black’s neoprene grips and ergonomically designed reel seats ensure ultimate angler comfort and in hand balance and control.

The new TD Black series is available in single and multi-piece offerings, with a multitude of lengths, weights, and powers. Whether it’s finesse fishing for trout in Tassie, or muscling XOS thugs from the reefs and mangroves in the tropics, the new TD Black series has you covered. www.daiwafishing.com.au

NEW ATOMIC METALZ SIZES

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Atomic Metalz were launched many years ago in a 35 and 40mm size. They immediately became a hit with bream and bass anglers, and were used effectively by some teams to win events where the fish were holding deep.

The lure’s effectiveness is down to the careful design and the speed at which the blade works, sending out a vibration that attracts nearby fish.

The designers have also worked hard to ensure action at slow speeds. Across the entire range, all sizes swim confidently and perform with that fish-attracting vibration.

With feedback from ambassadors, Atomic have added new larger sizes – 55mm, 80mm and 110mm – to cover the full breadth of inshore and offshore fishing as well as impoundments.

Team ambassadors have caught bass, bream and threadfin salmon on the 55mm versions during testing, and coral trout and sweetlip have been caught while being fished deep off the reefs.

The models are 35mm (1/8oz), 40mm (1/4oz), 55mm (1/2oz), 80mm (1oz), 110mm (1.5oz), and they’re available in a slew of natural and striking colours.

Price: from RRP $15.95 www.atomiclures.com.au

NEW LASER PRO 190XDD BIB

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Do you want to troll fast and deep but on line classes that still allow you to enjoy the fight, rather than drag it in on heavy gear? Halco have the answer: the new Laser Pro 190XDD Crazy Deep bib, which trolls faster and is far more stable than its predecessor, while reducing the amount of drag required to hold the lure in place.

The new 6m+ diver has been trolled to 13kt in calm conditions but it’s the rough, choppy stuff that can get most lures into trouble. Troll at anything like normal bibbed trolling lure speeds in these conditions and the new Laser Pro 190XDD will eat it up. It has already racked up some impressive captures including XOS tuna, wahoo and mackerel.

“We had the bib regularly hitting bottom in 6.5m of water during testing on a 50lb outfit with 80lb leader,” said Halco MD Ben Patrick.

“You can run it on 10kg line at 6-8kt in just about any conditions that you are likely to fish, and have very few issues.” www.halcotackle.com 62

DECEMBER 2018

PRODUCT GUIDE

OTTERBOX TROOPER 4 COOLERS Equipped with innovative mounting systems, Duraflex tie-downs, 2” wide padded shoulder straps, and unique backpack conversion for Trooper LT 30, Trooper soft coolers are perfect for fishing and camping.

The Troopers’ wide openings allow for easy loading and quick access to cold food and drinks. Exterior pockets with water-resistant zippers provide added storage.

The coated nylon exterior is water, puncture, UV and chemical resistant, and the heavy-duty base protects the bottom from abrasion. IT’s rated IP-65 to protect against rushing rapids and pounding waves, and is backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Features include: 19L or 28L capacity with food-grade liner; quickly convert from shoulder carry to backpack; leakproof seal; accessory mounting system; waterresistant exterior pockets, and premium grade insulation (keeps ice up to 3+ days).

Price: from SRP $369.99 www.otterbox.com.au

OKUMA EPIXOR XT SPINNING REEL

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The award-winning Okuma Epixor XT offers a quality build and a load of features at a very affordable price.

The build includes Okuma’s C-40X long strand carbon fibre technology, which is substantially stronger than standard graphite.

At 25% lighter, 50% stronger and 100% anticorrosive, the Epixor’s body, frame and side plate are extremely lightweight and durable.

Other features include rigid metal handle design, machined aluminium, 2-tone anodized spool with LCS lip, heavy-duty solid aluminium bail wire and TCA (Torsion Control Armor), a C-40X double arm design that encases the body of the reel, offering higher torsion and flex resistance under heavy pressure.

Smooth performance is based on 7BB+1RB stainless steel bearings, quickset anti-reverse bearing, RESII: Computer Balanced Rotor Equalizing System, CFR: Cyclonic Flow Rotor and slow oscillation for improved line lay.

With models to suit everything from bream and bass to barra, mackerel and snapper, the Epixor XT is backed by Okuma’s 10 Year Warranty.

Price: SRP $99.90-$119.90 www.okuma.com.au

BLACK MAGIC MAGGOT

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The Black Magic Maggot has been off the market for a couple of seasons, but due to high consumer demand it’s back and better than ever.

Now with 10 exciting colour choices and the same weighted head used in the original range, these lures are going to be an excellent choice in most sea conditions.

They are available unrigged or you can have them pre-rigged and ready to troll on 200lb Black Magic Tough Trace and an 8/0 closed gape game hook.

These lures are length 7.9” (200mm) in length, and available colours are: Dr Evil; Flaming Squid; Flying Fish; Fruity; Hot Rocker; Jack Mack; Lumo; Psycho Kriller; Skippy and UV Squid.

For more information on these and other lures in Black Magic’s range of skirted pushers, visit the Black Magic Tackle website. For all the latest news and catch photos, follow them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/blackmagictackle) or Instagram (@blackmagictackle). www.blackmagictackle.com

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING EAGLE CREEK CARGO HAULER

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The Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler duffel is tough, lightweight and functional. Crafted from an extra durable, water-repellent coated Bi-Tech Armor Lite fabric, it has a fusion of technologies that merge optimum abrasion resistance with ultralight carry technology.

With a custom bartack reinforcement on all high stress points for efficient schlepping, one can simply lift and carry it by the unit’s removable backpack straps, padded lop haul handles, or convenient side-grab handles.

The foam padded bottom helps keep your gear intact while on the road.

Access your gear easily via the u-shaped lid and sizeable, zippered end pockets, which are easy to open even if you’re wearing gloves. The unit has 10 lockable zippers and the ability to be packed down into its own front-end zippered compartment.

To cap it all off, the Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler duffel features six heavy-duty lash points for attachment to a roof rack. It has a storm-flap shield zipper, made to protect your cargo from the rain.

Price: SRP $139.99-$179.99 www.escape2.com.au

OCEAN BORN FLYING SERIES 9 10

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Renowned tackle innovator Patrick Sébile has created a new company called A Band of Anglers, and the range includes some truly unique topwater lures.

The Ocean Born Flying Series of Poppers and Pencills dramatically increase casting distance without sacrificing action or fish catching ability.

Each model features side wings and low air friction ribs that allow them to seemingly ‘fly’ through the air, even under windy conditions.

Roughly 85% of air flow passes underneath the belly of any lure when casting, and the Flying Series lures’ ribs significantly disrupt this air flow and cause less resistance/turbulence.

Both lures come in Floating (FL), Sinking (SK) and Super Long Distance (SLD) versions, as well as a range of colours. These lures are versatile and easy to master; all you have to do is change or alternate the retrieve speed and rod action to make the lures pop, spit, walk or create a bubble trail. The FL and SK models come with 4X trebles, and the SLD model comes with 6X trebles. www.blackmagictackle.com

EUREKA 3D BAITFISH 9 AND OCTANE

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Two of the latest releases from Juro Oz Pro Tackle are the Eureka 3D Baitfish and Eureka Octane Jig. The Eureka 3D Baitfish has an extraordinarily realistic baitfish finish. These lures can be used as a micro-jig or as a casting/trolling lure, and have a superb action. The 3D Baitfish comes with a wire through the entire body, and is rigged with a quality in-line single hook, making it harder for fish to throw the lure. It weighs 40g and comes in six fish-catching colours.

The Eureka Octane Jig is an ultra-realistic squid/octopus imitations designed for slow pitch jigging. They have exceptional realism and a tantalizing action.

Each Octane Jig features a solid ring with quality Dacron running to twin assist hooks that feature ultra-sharp points that have the fish hooking themselves.

Octane Jigs weigh 50g and come in six proven colours that imitate a squid perfectly.

Five of those colours also feature a highly luminous underbody for maximum attraction. www.jurofishing.com

WILSON GRAPHWRAP RODS 10 The Wilson Graphwrap is a new series of rods designed to be durable and go the distance.

Designed on a graphite composite core with a solid glass tip, the Graphwrap series leaps beyond normal expectations with its custom designed, power-giving graphite outer spiral wrap. This unique spiral wrap gives these rods incredible strength, which adds to the durability of these tough, ocean thug busting rods.

Designed in Australia to meet the demands of our harsh fishing environment, the Wilson Graphwrap series brings toughness, durability and user-friendliness together in the one package.

For more information on this and other new releases from Wilson Fishing, head to their website. For the latest news, helpful tips and catch photos you can follow Wilsons on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ LWilsonAndCo, or Instagram (@wilson_ fishing). www.wilsonfishing.com

SHIMANO LURE STORAGE

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Shimano have expanded their successful tackle storage range to include five new releases, with two of them are targeted squarely at lure anglers: the Game Lure Wrap and Soft Plastic Wallet.

Large lures are often the hardest to organise, and any seasoned angler knows that proper tackle storage saves precious time when on the water. Six large Velcro-sealed sleeves ensure your lures don’t tangle, and the breathable, fast drying, heavy-duty mesh makes the Shimano Game lure wrap battle-ready and designed to hold all manner of lures. Whether you’re trolling your biggest skirts for XL black marlin, stickbaiting monster GTs or throwing swimbaits at Murray cod, the Game Lure Wrap has all bases covered for your XL lure storage needs.

For any prepared angler, soft plastics are often the most difficult lures to organize.

Featuring 10 Velcro removable sleeves and internal zippered mesh pockets, the Shimano Soft Plastic wallet is the perfect storage solution for all soft plastic lures, scent, tools and leader.

Price: SRP $39.95 (Game Lure Wrap), $39.95 (Soft Plastic Wallet) www.shimanofish.com.au

SQUIDGY BIO TOUGH CRAWLER

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Since their launch in 2017, the Squidgies Bio Tough range of durable, stretchy and more environmentally-friendly bioplastics have made a big impact. From the sweet waters of the high country to our estuaries, bays and offshore, Bio Toughs are the goto choice of many tournament and social fishers.

This season, three new families of tails join the growing Squidgies Bio Tough lineup, expanding its appeal to finesse fishers targeting finicky adversaries: from trout, redfin and bass to bream, flatties, whiting and more.

One of the new models is the Crawler, which is available in 40mm and 45mm lengths. The Crawlers perfectly imitate bottom-dwelling critters including yabbies, crabs, nippers and shrimp, as well as all manner of other fresh- and saltwater creepy crawlies. Designed to be fished with standard jigheads, the Bio Tough Crawlers have already been accounting for a range of species, including bream, trevally, flathead, whiting, bass, and more. www.shimanofish.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au DECEMBER 2018

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING NEW MUSTAD RELEASES

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Two of the latest releases from Mustad are the 10881 Jigging Single and Mustad TG77 3x Treble.

The Jigging Single is a super strong, super sharp hook designed for jig fishers. Featuring a large eye for ease of connection, it has a short shank and a wickedly sharp UltraPoint hook point that is up to 30% stronger than traditional chemically sharpened hooks.

Available in sizes from 1/0-11/0, the Jigging Single can be used to make assist rigs, or you can use them back-to-back on large lures like poppers and stickbaits, tied together with cable ties.

The TG77 3x Jawlock Triple Grip Treble features an opti-angle, chemically sharpened needle point for ultimate hook-ups and connections that never let you down.

Designed with a standard shaft length and a three extra strong build, these trebles are perfect for retrofitting lures. The build is Nor-tempered for 30% more strength, and the specialised wide bend means that when the hook point bites in, the fish stays hooked. www.wilsonfishing.com

ABU GARCIA ROXANI

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Following its release in the Japanese domestic market, Roxani spinning reels exemplify sleek reel design and performance in a compact package.

Based on high quality components and a lightweight design, the Roxani incorporates new technology including a one-piece Durametal body that houses an AMGearing system with Computer Optimised (COG) gear design and Salt Shield bearing technology for smoothness and durability.

SSC (Salt Shield Concept) bearing employs newly-developed ball bearings that are coated with a water-repelling shield which greatly reduces rotation noise caused by salt adhesion.

The AMGearing System combines a precision-machined aluminium gear with Abu’s COG (Computer Optimized Gear) gear design, resulting in a gear system that delivers the ultimate in smoothness and durability.

The Rocket Line Management System – a combination of bail angle, spool lip design and slow oscillation – lets you cast further and manage line more effectively.

Dedicated to light to medium lure fishing, the Roxani is available in 2000, 2500, 3000 and 4000 sizes.

Price: SRP $249 www.abugarcia-fishing.com.au

NORMAN LURES SPEED CLIP

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Great for saving time and hassle, the Norman Lures Speed Clip is the quickest and easiest way for you to attach a lure to your line.

You can basically think of Speed Clips as split rings that open. Equipped with a circular design that gives lures the freedom to run true, these Speed Clips are stronger than other snaps and work well with braided lines. In addition to this, it takes only one hand to attach these Speed Clips to your lure. Just tie it to the end of your leader and you won’t have to worry about retying your lure again. Just squeeze both sides of the clip together to open the jaw, slip one arm completely through the eyelet of your lure until the jaw can freely close, and you are ready to go.

Made of stainless steel, Norman Lures Speed Clips can be used in both fresh and saltwater. They are available in two versions 64

DECEMBER 2018

PRODUCT GUIDE

– 25mm/23kg (pack of five) and 15mm/10kg (pack of 10). www.jmgillies.com.au

DAIWA SALTIST X

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Rigorously designed and tested, and loaded with the pedigree and features that have made the Saltist name famous, the new Saltist X series has it all.

Featuring HVF graphite and Braiding X technology, the result is a blank with maximum graphite density and a high resistance to twisting and distorting when under load. Saltist X blanks are slim, lightweight and sensitive, yet immensely powerful and strong, making sure you’re prepared for when that fish of a lifetime comes along.

Fuji’s new Fazlite Anti-Tangle K-Series guides ensure trouble and tangle free time on the water, while EVA Grips, and Fuji reel seats and butt caps make sure the comfort and control boxes are ticked.

There are 12 models in the range, so whether you’re jigging for snapper on the reefs, popping for GTs on the bommies, or casting for tuna and mackerel on the rocky headlands, the Saltist X range has you covered. www.daiwafishig.com.au

EUREKA GLIDE BLADE KNIVES

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Eureka Glide Blade knives offer an exceptional range of knives with outstanding features at affordable pricing.

The Eureka Glide Blades currently are available in a Straight Fillet 6” and 8” model.

Each knife features a 3CR13 stainless steel Satin blade that is strong, flexible and holds great edge retention. The textured soft grip handles are comprised of nylon and rubber, enabling the handle to fit comfortably in your hand while also reducing the chance of slippage and injury. Each handle also features a finger guard for added safety.

The Eureka Glide Blades come complete with a leather sheath with a belt clip to protect the knife and keep it within reach if required.

For more information on this and other products in the Eureka range, visit the Juro OzPro Tackle website. You can also check out the latest catch photos, tips and videos on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ JuroOzProTackle), and YouTube (www.youtube. com/user/JuroOzPro). www.jurofishing.com

SAMAKI ARCHER ROD SERIES

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The Samaki Archer series of rods hits the nail on the head with design and componentry. They are built on crisp matte black blanks which transmit the slightest of bites, and features include carbon locking rings with gold trim detail, composite AA Cork and Ultra Hard EVA grips plus the new Fuji Fazlite guides. The soft yet firm cork is chiselled perfectly for your grip, and turns the rod into an extension of your body.

The first model is the extra light 6’9 2-6lb spin, designed for finesse anglers targeting the likes of bream and trout. Then there’s the light 6’11 4-8lb spin model – the ultimate all-round estuary rod for bream and flathead, as well as freshwater species like bass and yellowbelly.

The medium, heavy and extra heavy 7’0” spin models are designed for inshore plastics or throwing slugs at pelagics, with a model to suit your lure choice.

Casting options range from the new 7’0” medium-heavy 10-17lb suited to big rubbers and vibes, to the 6’0” medium-heavy and heavy models designed for Murray cod, barra and jacks. www.samaki.com.au

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Cod fanatics paused to strike ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

It’s cod season and our lakes and rivers are primed for the open as are an army of green fish fanatics.

perfection in preparation for that first green fish strike. In the run-up to the open, incidental captures of Murray cod in some of our local waters give promise of a good season to come.

The Murray River at Swan Hill is one such

Besides good numbers of golden perch, anglers were treated to some excellent redfin fishing in the run-up to the Murray cod open.

Three months downtime has seen hooks, lures, rods and reels tinkered to

location with numerous cod showing favour to small lures and bait aimed at perch.

Some of these fish have been up around and over the metre mark and all were lovingly returned to the river to await the opening. Once you get below Boundary Bend on the Murray River cod captures have been relatively quiet, so we will wait and see what the new season brings. While most anglers are keyed in for the open, it’s refreshing to see the good run of perch that kept lines bent throughout spring. The good fishing was not just refined to our local rivers, but a few lakes as well.

In the lead up to the cod open the Kerang Lake produced a great spring bite.

The shallow inland waters that make up part of the Kerang wetlands system effectively conducts the warmth of spring and the water temperatures climb quite quickly. This in turn brings the golden perch and redfin that inhabit these lakes on the bite a few weeks earlier than some of the deeper impoundments and rivers. As with any new location, a little local info can be the difference between catching and not.

If you leave Swan Hill on the Murray Valley Highway towards Kerang you will find

the first of three lakes, Lake Boga. Approximately 906ha of water it is situated next to the Lake Boga Township.

Irrigation holding water, it is the lifeblood of the local farming sector and aquatic playground for water skiers and anglers alike. Redfin make up the majority of captures in the lake, but golden perch and Murray cod have also been stocked over the years. There are a couple of concrete boat ramps at the lake providing good access for larger watercraft.

Drifting the lake bobbing baits just above the bottom is an effective way to locate the large schools of redfin. Once found drop an anchor and try your luck. If the redfin are on the chew you will have no problem procuring a feed. Golden perch can be caught using these same methods. During the open season Murray cod can also be taken on a slow drift with a variety of baits including grubs, yabbies and cheese.

A little further up the road towards Kerang, Lake Kangaroo is quite shallow and around 980ha in size.

The lake supports good numbers of redfin, carp, Murray cod and golden perch. A turbid fishery that is easily stirred by wind, it is best fished during calm weather. Good boat ramps are available and for those anglers without a boat there are plenty of land-based opportunities. The regulator at the Swan Hill end of the

This good-sized Murray cod was unable to say no to a Bassman spinnerbait. lake prove very productive at times, especially when it’s flowing hard. Good-sized perch and the odd Murray cod have been landed above and below the regulator in the channel at this location.

The third of the productive lakes is Lake Charm. Smaller than the other two lakes, Charm still holds good numbers of fish.

All three of these lakes are feed by irrigation channels at times effecting water clarity.

When the water is dirty, large river shrimp small yabbies and local whitebait bobbed above the bottom is a killer

technique. The bottom of Lake Charm is made up of very fine silt that will hide heavily-weighted baits, so when possible, fish without lead. When the water clarity is good, soft plastics are very effective on the redfin that are frequently caught up to 1kg+. Minnow styled lures and spinners are also effective under these conditions.

If you are looking for a new spot to wet a line this season then perhaps the Kerang Lakes might be worth a trip. Good luck for the Murray cod open, may it be a ripper all round.

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Footy grand finals, Bathurst, the Melbourne Cup and any other event held from September-November have been like a ‘stocking filler’ for cod fishos who’ve had to down tools for the last few months and wait for the new season to open.

The anticipation and build up cod fishos are feeling this time of year is on par with a kid at Christmas. Sure, there have been other waterways open where you can target cod, but nothing beats being at the home of the Murray cod come opening weekend – Lake Mulwala. With cod opening, rods, reels and rigs should be ready.

The iconic Cod Classic will help anglers bring in the new season with an expected 2500+ participants descending on Lake Mulwala. Following on from the past couple of seasons the lake should continue to fish unbelievably well, especially in and around the weed beds. There should

Lachie McDonald with a nice 50cm yella taken in the backwaters around Bundalong. be a fair bit less weed due to the recent draw down.

For those fishing the lake’s early season, seeking out

slightly quieter waters that don’t get excessively noisy boat traffic will be most To page 67

You better not shout, just yell for yellas ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

Water temperatures have risen, the days have gotten longer and the fish have started to bite. Locally in

of sessions on yellowbelly, others have been targeting trout and redfin, but with the warmer weather the yellowbelly have started to become more active and some fairly good numbers have started to pop up for

strikes, but there have also been days where you work for just the one fish, but as they say, a fish beats catching nothing at all.

The common size of late has been the 40-45cm bracket. This isn’t very big for yellowbelly, but they are still so fun to catch and

that’s what it’s all about.

The lures that have been doing the damage of late for me have been small Kuttafurra Mudhoneys, and vibes with a good rattle.

Lake Hume has been full of mixed results.

I haven’t heard of many trout still being caught,

A monster Murray cod caught while land-based fishing. the Albury/Wodonga area there have been mixed results for myself and other fishos.

I’ve been having a lot

the fishos that have been out on the water. I’ve been having afternoons where I can catch three or four with plenty of follows and

Yellowbelly are around in numbers at the moment.

Some decent sized yellowbelly have been coming out of Lake Hume.

This month we can finally target Murray cod again, and give these guys a break.

From page 66

productive. Sneaking out into the timber via the use of an electric motor should put you amongst the fish. Lure choice is always interesting, if you have confidence in something that has worked before, stick to it. All things surface and sub-surface have been the rage over the past couple of years and I’m sure these trends will continue. In saying this, don’t discount any of your traditional methods of casting or trolling either hardbodied lures or spinnerbaits, as these will be as productive as ever.

For those who prefer the use of bait, options are endless. Bardi grubs, scrub worms (moon bait) yabbies, shrimp and cheese are safe bets, with chicken chips and

dim sims also becoming a favourite for some.

Looking back, the yellas turned up in their usual haunts with most from the ‘kill and grill’ brigade getting a few for the pan. The Golden Dollar$ had a whopping 57 competitors who took part in late October, with 26 yellas being returned for measuring that day. Team Bald Peckas, Peter and Brendan Pejkovic, took the cash with their four fish bag. Jake Hill and Hunter Brown came in a close second while Jarrod and Ivan Sirca took third with a bag that also contained the biggest yella for the event, measuring in at 531mm.

Organisation is well underway for the 2018 Yamaha Cod Classic. The Cod Classic promises to be huge

with something for everybody.

Prizes include seven boating packages plus plenty more.

Entries will be taken up until 9am Saturday 1 December.

For more information call in and see us at Lake Mulwala Fish Camp and Ski, the official Cod Classic shop (opposite post office) in Mulwala, or find us at our Yarrawonga store located between Rivers and One Zach.

• If you are visiting town, I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish, Camp & Ski (opposite the post office) in Mulwala and say G’day. We are your largest Murray cod-specific shop in Yarrawonga/Mulwala and specialise in all things ‘green’! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports, give us a hoy on (03) 5744 3133.

but some respectable sized yellowbelly and redfin have been coming out of there.

There has also been plenty of cod by-catch about in the last month, and this bodes well as the closed season lifts this month. It’s good to see that the cod are popping up in decent numbers in Lake Hume, and this month it could be worth running some bigger cod sized lures to try and snag onto a few.

Most people I’ve talked to have said that trolling is how they have been catching their fish, but there have been a few that have been picking fish up casting blades, vibes and plastics around.

The Kuttafurra Challenge took place at the end of September at Lake Eildon. What a

cracking time. I was lucky enough to be on the net for my good friend Kyle, who hooked onto a 99cm Lake Eildon pig. Funny enough, this beast of a fish was caught before the competition started in the first 10 minutes of the session. I was truly amazed at how fat this fish was, an

absolute tank of a cod.

So, with the warmer weather here to stay, I’ll continue to target the yellas until the reopening of cod season this month.

Fishing opportunities have really started to fire up, and hopefully the fish keep playing the game. As usual, I’m super keen.

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Canberra’s Christmas delights CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

Cod season is here and I know a lot of anglers around the ACT who will be on the river at 12:01am on 1 December chasing the mighty green. Last

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year, a number of young anglers seemed to appear almost out of nowhere with new ideas, endless energy and a knack for catching large fish. These anglers I’m sure will lead the way once again this season, along with legendary stalwarts like

Sam Hancox and the Osman brothers.

I have been thinking a lot about my approach this season. I like to get a few on the board early

to build confidence and this often means reverting to something that has delivered for me time and again, and that’s the humble spinnerbait. I went through

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a period a few years ago where I completely ignored spinnerbaits and focused on swimbaits and surface lures. Last year though, when the going got tough, I cracked out a Bassman and always caught fish.

What really excites me about spinnerbait fishing is

It is also a lure that is particularly effective if there is a bit of chop on the water. I suppose my point is that I’ll always throw the ‘latest and greatest’ surface offering and I’ll cast a lot of swimbaits and plastics too, but there will always be a handful of spinnerbaits in my tacklebox this season and they will see a lot of use. Sometimes the most exciting results come from refining an old practise and developing new approaches around old methods.

LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin is fishing incredibly well and has done so since the middle

line Lady Denman Drive are also producing fish, and there is a neat rock wall at the end of this area that has provided a number of anglers with big fish.

The golden perch, despite the water warming dramatically, can still be targeted along the deeper margins of the lake and are responding to plastics slowrolled around overhanging willows, and blades hopped along points.

Cod have always proved difficult to catch in LBG, but for those chasing a big green tank, try the drop off just out from the Governor Generals wharf.

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the arm-jarring hit and the fact that these lures can be fished at any depth and cast into some of the worst snags imaginable and still come out the other side.

of October. The reddies are well and truly fired up and can be seen patrolling the margins along the Molonglo and under the two main bridges. The willows that

There are often big fish holding in this area.

Lake Ginninderra is producing. The lake still has a weed problem, but for those fishing from a

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kayak or boat, the action has been superb. Matt Cools is one angler who has well and truly cracked the code, landing several larger yellowbelly and a metre cod in the same session.

The big fish are sitting just off the weed beds in 5m of water, with the rocky point just near Diddams

November, however, the redfin fishing is improving, with surface lures producing some reasonable fish along the walkway towards the dam wall.

There have also been some solid yellowbelly caught by those using naturalcoloured plastics.

The better yellas have

November. Googong is a summer fishery and seems to fish best on hot, overcast, humid days when other local dams are shut down.

There have been plenty of enormous yellowbelly caught recently, with several boats returning to the ramp with big bags of over 10 fish. A number of anglers

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The surface action should really start to heat

come from the reed-lined banks towards Greenway, but a few other good fish have come from the area just before the spillway. The flats towards Greenway are

have also reported double hook ups while fishing from the bank. Lipless crankbaits slow rolled around the edges of sunken timber have produced the

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A new cod season is born LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

I quite often get asked about my thoughts on a set and regular cod season in the backed-up waters of stocked dams and impoundments in NSW, especially in light of the recent opening of Blowering Dam for cod fishing for 12 months of the year. I sat on the fence for quite some time, swaying from one end of the spectrum to the other until just recently.

My thoughts are a bit odd and have nothing really to do with spawning behaviour of Murray Cod in impoundments, or the fact that it rarely if ever is successful for the cod.

My thoughts possibly stem from an upbringing whereby waiting on an annual NSW duck season bought about heightened feelings of anticipation, of reflection and of renewal, that only forced time off can bring about.

When set seasons are no more, I think we as anglers lose a collective gathered momentum. We

just become a blur, a mix that for me is watered down way too much.

I also enjoy the break.

I guess the time off gives me a chance to recharge and reset. What lies ahead is a Murray cod

active in the skinny waters.

They generally win the race to lures, while the bigger ones tend to be a little more wary.

Bite windows for the bigger ones are short and brief, although having said

Chances are if you think that a particular piece of tangled mess and shade in the river is home to a Murray cod, it will be. season that I think will be memorable for many.

RIVER MONSTERS December generally starts well for the cod in rivers and creeks, especially in the upper reaches of systems, away from cold water irrigation releases further downstream.

The cod, especially the smaller ones, are very

that they are also very opportunistic. Opportunites that present themselves usually involve something a little bigger that is struggling to swim, or which just shouldn’t be there.

The best real-estate will hold genuine river monsters, the kind of fish that just don’t look like they should even be in there.

Rest assured, if you have a feeling deep in your bones that a big one lives in that tangled, shaded mess, you would almost certainly be correct.

TROLLING UP A STORM Lakes such as Wyangala really fire up for cod in December, and for the most part, trolling intelligently is by far and away the best way to target them.

It quite literally comes down to numbers or percentages. Fish scattered over large areas at a depth of 20ft+ during daylight hours just cannot be targeted as well when casting.

By trolling intelligently and quietly, the lure spends the maximum amount of time in the strike zone, which is the depth where most of the cod and bait are.

Your depth sounder is an important tool for this style of fishing, it’s your eyes underwater.

The closed-in environments (relatively speaking) of rivers and streams in the upper reaches of cod water are great places to start a season opener, as the smaller fish can be very aggressive. off wind lanes and bubble lines, sipping at will on the previous night’s hatches.

These hatches are made up of beetles mostly, but it can quite literally be a smorgasbord of all manner

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Your adjustments to suit what you are seeing on the screen to what your lure is doing should be timed to perfection.

Knowledge is power in this game, and knowing how deep an individual lure dives on what line, leader and drop back is just the start. Other factors include but are not limited to: buoyancy levels, harmonics, lure shape, hook selection and lure deflection capabilities.

If you’re getting the idea that there is a whole lot more to trolling lures for cod than just towing some lures around, you would be 100% right. By the same token, sometimes it’s great just throwing one out the back and seeing what may come, while taking in what surrounds you.

SURFACE ACTION APLENTY You could throw a few different freshwater species and locations into this headline at this time of year, especially at low light times.

Trout in Lake Lyell and Oberon will cruise

and description, so it’s best to tie on a non-descript but highly visible fly that is easily seen amongst the bubbles and froth from a distance. A dropper nymph is a good addition if the rises are few and far between.

Bass will smash a well-presented surface lure in Lake Lyell when

all the planets align, and predicting it is tense with danger. It usually happens when you least expect it – one minute you’re halfway into a retrieve, taking in the stillness that only a warm summer evening or morning with no ski boats on the water can bring, and next minute you’re a babbling mess of profanity while your mate down back is laughing their head off… bass are brutal.

What’s not to like about getting your lure eaten off the top by our biggest freshwater fish, the Murray cod? When it comes to rivers and streams, you don’t necessarily have to wait until light levels drop, as in this closed-in environment (relatively speaking) they are super tuned to things that happen on the surface. In fact, I think a lot of their food is taken this way.

Experimentation is crucial, so don’t be disheartened with a nonresponse, as five minutes later a different surface lure could bring a totally different response.

I hope to see you on the water soon. Until then, tight lines!

Wind lane feeding trout for the most part are best targeted with fly out of a boat on the drift. If you don’t have a boat, just tie on a jighead-rigged soft plastic and cast into them where they are close to shore.

The back end of the gold rush is still hot!

BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

We just arrived back from a few days at Windamere Dam as I write this article and what a trip it was. We experienced some of the best golden perch fishing to be had on the planet with almost 100 footballsized golden perch being boated for the three days we had on the water.

in a hurry. The key to our success was hopping vibes, blades and lipless crankbaits in 10-25ft of water. This strategy will still be the gun technique this month, as Windamere Dam starts to be drawn down to below 20%.

If you have never been to Windamere before, I strongly suggest a visit this month, as after the big draw down the fishing may change. It may change for the better but it may make the lake much harder to

you will need to get that bait moving naturally with the flow of the creek or river for consistent results.

Use just enough sinker weight to get your bait to the bottom, but also keep drifting naturally. Get that right and you will continue to catch fish on bait for the rest of the season.

Lure fishos will have to switch over to natural lures

won’t see too many crazy numbers sessions. Some lucky anglers got amongst some very big rainbow trout just after trout opening.

These trout must have escaped or got released from the trout farm below the dam wall, as they were much bigger than the resident fish and had the tell-tale signs of farm fish. Most of these fish have been caught and

There are some silly superstitions when it comes to fishing, like bananas being bad luck. As you can see, having bananas on board didn’t stop the author from landing fish after fish on this trip! and the lakes that shut down for the closed season like Burrinjuck Dam. Blowering Dam didn’t disappoint over what used to be the closed season, and many anglers took advantage of the no closed season on the lake and caught heaps of giant Murray cod. Due to anglers predominantly targeting

fishing in the lake continues this month.

TROUT STREAMS The smaller trout streams in the area have fished exceptionally well since the start of the season, with most anglers catching their fair share of fish, from bait soakers to fly fishos and especially the lure fishos. No matter

This is the result of a double hook up on the Slap Walkers. You’ve got to love a good mixed fishery with results like this!

I managed to have my personal best sessions ever with over 30 fish being boated one day alone and over 20 each on the other two days. Some giants well into the 60cm plus bracket were encountered, making it a trip I won’t be forgetting

fish, which is why I suggest a visit to this golden perch Mecca this month.

BLOWERING DAM Back to our local waters, and with the Murray cod season officially back open this month a lot of anglers will be hitting the rivers

Due to angling pressure, lure anglers will need to use natural lures like the rainbow trout coloured Sso Minos for consistent success this month. with no flash and not too much vibration.

Due to angling pressure, this is the time of year when the fly fishos start to catch more trout than everyone else, and it is very hard to beat indicator nymphing when the fish are not rising for insects.

The Tumut River has been mostly in high flow since the start of the season and a lot of good fish have been caught, but until it drops into low flow you

killed already, but there is a spattering of them still in the system for some lucky anglers to catch.

As you can see there are plenty of options in the area this month, and those planning on a trip to the area should do quite well no matter what their chosen target fish are.

I wish you all a safe holiday period filled with lots of fishy rewards. Good luck, good fishing, and tight lines for another year!

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Topwater bite hitting its straps HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Phelps

The Hunter Valley was lucky enough to receive some nice rain over spring.

Unfortunately, the two larger lake levels have not increased yet. I am always hopeful that some serious

early or late in the day while the sun is low and less people are on the water.

December is usually the transition month for the fish in the lakes. If it has been consistently hot weather leading up to this month, the fish can start retreating towards the deep.

December is probably

Tom Slater caught this Glenbawn fish dragging a skirted jig down a steep rock wall. rain is just around the corner to top the water levels up before we set in for a hot summer. The daily temperatures will be really ramping up this month and the water should be hitting 25°C+. The fishing can a little up and down, and how you target fish and adjust for the conditions will dictate your results.

All the Hunter impoundments will become very busy over the summer months. The warm weather gets everyone out enjoying water activities and some camping. For the best fishing results, try and get out very

the best month to throw a topwater lure for bass in the low light conditions. With the lack of water flowing into the lakes, and weed beds dying off, the fish will be looking above the water for their next meal. The insect life should be in full bloom and the fish will have all eyes looking up.

Don’t be afraid to throw a big topwater lure, as the fish will not be shy. Lures up to 100mm like big paddlers, walkers, poppers, prop baits and even weedless frogs and buzz baits (if you find some matted out weed or thick cover) are all good choices.

Reaction style lures will still play a big role this month. Lipless crankbaits, bladed jigs, spinnerbaits or even a crankbait will work. Cast these towards shallow cover around low light periods and any fish up in the water column moving around and feeding should take some interest in these lures.

As the sun gets higher and the reaction bite slows down, try working a skirted jig and craw trailer along the bottom. Work the jig slowly with your rod, then wind up your slack by dragging and slow hopping it along the bottom down into around 20ft of water. Target the areas tight to timber, or rocks and gaps in the weed.

As I mentioned before, the fish will start to transition this month and once you see the surface water temperatures getting above 26°C, most of the fish will move deep to escape this heat. In these conditions, some edge fish can still be caught, but they can be temperamental and very tough to catch. Early topwater is generally the only reliable lure that works in these situations.

All your typical deep fishing techniques will work when the water heats up. I find if it’s hot with clears skies and glassed out,

The author took this river bass on a buzzbait. During December, the topwater bite will be in full swing! to release these fish straight away after a quick photo, so you don’t unintentionally kill them. If you plan on keeping a few, kill them straight away and put them onto ice.

The upper reaches of the rivers and creeks should be

While the sun is high on hot summer days bass can still be caught by fishing deeper, as Dom Jordan found out.

exceptional this month. Big bass will have migrated all the way up by now. Some giant bass will be caught on topwater presentations this month out of the rivers.

Fishing into the dark sees the big girls come out from their haunts and move around more freely. Big topwater paddlers are the easiest to fish in the dark and will catch bass up to that magic 50cm mark.

During daylight hours, all your typical river bass lures will work. A spinnerbait, beetle spin or crankbait cast tight to the structure and bounced over snags down into the deep holes will work. Weedless rigged frogs, soft plastics and skirted jigs thrown into the heavy cover will catch the ones you miss on moving style baits.

Crack a fat yella for Chrissy ORANGE

Michael Collison thegurusgear@gmail.com

Windamere Dam will be fishing well during December, as the water temperatures will be rising.

Aberdeen Fishing & Outdoors

a vertical soft plastic grub works well. If you are faced with some windy or overcast conditions, something that creates some vibration or flash like 3/8-1/2oz blade, tail spinner or even a deep spinnerbait will produce some fish.

If you are chasing golden perch, drop soft plastics down beside trees and slow roll them up.

The bass will school up off most points, flats, and trees. Slowly moving around and fishing will draw fish in under your boat and hopefully they will start to bite. Remember, catching these deeper fish and bringing them up can cause barotrauma, especially in golden perch. If you are not keeping fish, remember

is the warmer water, which is where you will find the feeding fish.

The dam always fishes well all year round, but knowing the where, how, and when is the hard part. I have fished the dam for about 10 years now, and have only

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You will need a 7ft spin rod in around the 2-4kg or a 3-6kg class to work the lures effectively. A 2500 size reel with 10-15lb main line and 6-10lb leader is perfect.

I always say to people spend as much as you can afford on your rod and reel, as it a big part of the fish capture and you don’t want a cheap rod and reel to let you down on the fish of a lifetime. I use a Black Widow Edge Rod with Daiwa Certate.

My go-to lure would have to be the Zerek Fish Trap in the 95mm size, as it a bigger baitfish profile and the bigger fish tend to eat them. Ecogear ZX40 blades are another good option, as they are the best lure

to represent a yabby. 60mm Jackall Mask Vibes, TN60s and 95mm Transams can also work. I like all of these lures in dark colours at this time of the year.

Hopefully this is enough information to get you into some trophy yellas at Windamere over December.

Good luck, Merry Christmas, and enjoy the fishing!

• For all your tackle needs, as well as caravans, camper trailers and marine and outdoor equipment, drop into Canobolas Caravan & Marine Centre. You can find them on 166-172 Bathurst Road, Orange, call them on 02 6361 3014 or visit www. canobolasmarine.com.au.

Any banks with rock are worth prospecting for gold.

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ABERDEEN Phone 69 New England Hwy, [02] 6543 7111 Aberdeen NSW 2336

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DECEMBER 2018

With the warmer weather and longer days, the big fish will be a little harder to catch, as the small fish will start to mix in with them. Some banks of the dam will hold more fish than others as the fish start to spawn, and if you find one fish there well be more in the same area, or similar looking banks all over the dam. The best place to look for schooled fish

just started to really work the yellas out.

The best way to target the yellas at this time of the year is to put your boat in about 15-20ft of water and cast your lure parallel to the bank. I find the best banks for this time of the year are rock walls, but any banks will hold fish. It seems the banks with rocks on them hold active fish that are feeding on yabbies, so if you target rock you can’t go wrong.

Golden perch will still be active at Windamere during December.

STYLE

WITH

EASE

www.daiwafishing.com.au

Let it Snowy, let it Snowy, let it Snowy...

The iconic Snowy River above Jindabyne has always been a fantastic trout river, boasting great sight fishing and reliable hatch fishing, and now that the Snowy below Jindabyne has had consistent flows due to scheduled environmental releases, Dalgety and Ironmungy are now back on anglers’ agendas. Large browns are on offer and encounters with

SNOWY MOUNTAINS

Rod Allen

Lovely late spring weather has drawn plenty of anglers to the Snowy Mountains, and with a smorgasbord of locations to choose from and all fishing very well, its no wonder.

Lake Eucumbene is still rising and its wild resident browns are loving it! Big well-conditioned trout are on the hunt and eagerly taking trolled or spin-fished lures. Bait fishing with scrubworms, grubs and mudeyes is also accounting for many fine trout, particularly around dawn and dusk.

Flyfishing large wets around structure on the days where there is a bit of chop on the surface or overcast skies is consistently producing great results, and a more conservative approach of polaroiding edges is working on the still days.

Finally with delight I can say Eucumbene’s midge have been making an appearance

There are some amazing shore-based opportunities in the Snowies.

Pheasant Tail nymph with a greased leader are the most reliable for me on these mysterious feeders. A #18 or 16 buzzer in a Bloodworm pattern can be dropped below your dry if needed.

The biggest tip I can give when fishing to these constantly sipping fish is do not get sucked into replacing your fly to each new rise,

Trout are about in numbers this season. again in enough numbers to warrant attention after a few lean years. Early mornings and late afternoons the lake can ‘glass off’ and anglers who notice the subtle things will see the tiny dimples and vortex left behind as the trout gently sip the hatching midge. Small dry flies such as Griffith Gnat, Midge Ball, Midge Emerger and a #18

just put it out in the general area and leave it be. At the most, a very small twitch may be implied if you see the fish rising its way towards your fly, but turns around just before it.

Jindabyne is also rising, and its huge resident trout are a major drawcard as it continues to fish well.

Trollers and spin enthusiasts

are enjoying excellent captures of Atlantic salmon, as well as brook, brown and rainbow trout. The standout lures are bullets, Strike Pro Flatz minnows and the #4 Celta.

Searching with wet fly has been reliable as ever, and there’s great polaroiding around Hatchery Bay, Waste Point and the Snowy arm with nymphs. Those who like the relaxed method of bait fishing have also done very well on scrubworms, grubs, PowerBait and mudeye.

Tantangara is the odd one out this month with a receding shoreline due to a release via the portal to providence at Eucumbene, but nonetheless is still a great place to bag a trout or two.

Flatline trolling or lochstyle nymphing from boats has been the most productive, while shore-based bait, lure or fly is best left to low light periods of dawn and dusk.

Three Mile Dam has set the tone nicely for anglers who don’t mind early starts or late finishes with some lovely rainbow trout taking Royal Wulff And Beetle patterns before the sun gets too strong or as it dies off each night.

Celtas are a popular spinner in the little lake, and can out fish the fly at times, especially if there is

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abundant in aquatic insect life. The huge browns fatten up on the newly hatched elvers and leeches and also indulge in the prolific mayfly and caddis life. Having a good spread of flies to mimic these food sources will help get you onto a Snowy brown. Zonker, Egg Sucking Leeches, Buggers and nymphs will be required and also an array of Caddis

no obvious hatch occurring.

Three Mile Creek and upper Bullocks Head Creek is also producing nice rainbows and is a good option throughout the day on little generalist dry flies.

The main rivers have been challenging, but very worthy as the start of the season so often is. Various wet fly and lure have been necessary as we wait impatiently for the terrestrial bug life to hit full swing.

Buggers, nymphs and Emergers fished patiently in the slower, deeper sections where dry flies or shallow lures don’t get into the strike zone has been getting results.

It’s paramount that your offer is ticking along the very bottom amongst the nooks, crannies and into deep rock clutches. The gorge areas of Eucumbene and Thredbo River hold some amazing fish and using a thorough tactic, tempting these fish is a great challenge but very rewarding.

The Jindabyne has always been an amazing trout fishery. these brutes leaves most in awe and coming back for the chance to tussle with another.

Spinning with bullets, Rapalas and Black Magic BMax minnows certainly works, as does searching the slow deep holes with large wet fly.

The lower Snowy has an annual eel spawning migration and is also

and Mayfly patterns, from nymphal stage through to adult, for when the fish lock into the bugs.

Tight lines and smooth loops!

• For more info, tips or queries, drop into The Alpine Angler at 647 Snowy

Mountains Hwy, Pine Valley, call us on (02) 6452 5538 or find us on Facebook.

DAM LEVELS brought to you by w w w. b a r g a i n b o a t b i t s. c o m . a u

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

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

Dam Sept Oct Nov Blowering 73 61 53 Brogo 66 60 62 Burrendong 29 24 21 Burrinjuck 42 42 42 Carcoar 55 52 47 Chaffey 52 49 46 Clarrie Hall 99 98 98 Copeton 23 21 20 Dartmouth 88 83 78 Eucumbene 20 23 25 Glenbawn 64 63 62 Glenlyon 46 44 43

Dam Sept Oct Nov Glennies Creek 67 66 65 Hume 52 49 46 Jindabyne 65 73 76 Keepit 11 11 7 Lostock 97 100 100 Oberon 54 53 51 Pindari 55 47 45 Split Rock 14 13 8 Tantangara 55 41 39 Toonumbar 91 98 100 Windamere 40 40 39 Wyangala 56 52 49

(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.)

Solid build-up to cod season NEW ENGLAND

Adam Townsend

The New England area has finally seen some muchneeded rain in recent weeks, which is just in time for the opening of the new Murray cod season.

Some areas of the tablelands received big rainfalls throughout October, filling local rivers back up to water levels that have not

been seen for many seasons now. Local impoundments have also had some water running back into them, after several months of little rain and continuously dropping water levels, which has seemed to bring them back to life.

The Severn River has had a good flow to it lately, and if the fishing is going to be anything like it has been in past seasons, we should be in for another

cracker. This time of year as the weather gets warmer and the Christmas beetles, lizards and other insects start becoming active, it is the perfect time to be out making the most of the active predatory fish feeding up after their annual spawning period.

This does not just apply to the rivers, as Murray cod in the impoundments feed aggressively in the same way.

The Beardy River should offer up some decent redfin this December.

PINDARI DAM Pindari Dam will be open for targeting Murray cod this month, although there were a lot of fish lost after the big fish kills that happened back in July. The dam is looking in pretty good shape considering the circumstances.

The yellowbelly and silver perch have been biting fairly consistently out there on recent trips, whether it be on bait or on lures.

There has been the odd average size Murray cod being caught as by-catch while targeting perch, but with the right lure in the right place there is always the chance of coming across a bigger one this season. Surface lures, chatterbaits, swimbaits and small vibes are all perfect lures for looking for active fish in this waterway.

COPETON DAM Copeton Dam has been fishing extremely well recently, with lots of very healthy fish being caught.

Both big yellowbelly and monster cod that Copeton is known for have been hitting the decks.

Although the dam has been open for targeting Murray cod during spawn season while other waterways

A solid Copeton Dam golden perch, which was found using the Lowrance Hook2 Sounder. have remained closed, it is not to be looked past. Recent AYC fishing competitions have proved that there are a lot of fish in there to be caught and it is worth a look, even if XL Murray cod are not on the target list.

Usually around this time of year, as the bait species become more active in the warmer temperatures, the predatory fish are not far behind. Several bites in a single session can be a pretty regular occurrence, and if you find yourself in the right place and even better, at the right time, you can have yourself a great session.

LOCAL RIVERS The Beardy River has seen a lot of rainwater wash

down through the valleys from further upstream, which had stirred up the clarity of the water, although this did not seem to shut down the fish afterwards.

There have been some nice redfin caught on both reaction baits and finesse baits, although the noisy lures like lipless crankbaits seem to be attracting most of the attention, and also getting the bigger bites more consistently.

The New England waterways are looking better than they have for a while now, so good luck to everyone getting out this month. It’s so exciting to be pulling the big baits out of the tackleboxes again.

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75

Cram in a cod fish before 2019 WAGGA WAGGA

Rhys Creed

Following on with the same topic as other freshwater reports – cod opening is here! Three months does go quickly with all other fishing options, but it definitely comes around at a good time. We can now hit the rivers and creeks in search of summer time action!

is almost a must. With the increased temperatures the fish will push deeper and into the cooler water.

If you are trolling try to stay between 9-6m in depth, this will be the most comfortable depth for the fish at this time of year.

If you’re just after having a bit of fun, catching numbers of smaller sized fish (up to 70cm) your best bet is to troll lures up to 80mm in length on the

Trolling with big 120-150mm divers works great on the larger fish when trolling the steeper rocky banks and also the flatter muddy/grassy banks.

The best tip I have for you is to find the schools of carp and redfin and fish around them. Chances are there will be big cod lurking close by!

TUMUT RIVER The report for the Tumut will be much the same

then move out and come back and do the same path as before.

So whether you’re fly or lure fishing, stand in these backwaters and wait for a moment and look for cruising fish. Once you spot them make sure you cast your offering past the fish to ensure you don’t spook them, then bring it back about a foot in front of them so they see it. This is a really successful technique to use over summer.

MURRUMBIDGEE RIVER AND OLD MAN CREEK This time of year on the river can yield some really consistent fishing for numbers of small to medium-sized fish. Both native species will be feeding aggressively in the warmer water as they need to ensure they eat plenty of food. Even though they are active, you

Mitch with a beautiful Tumut River brown trout caught on a soft plastic. hour at some stage in the day. Sometimes it’s in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon, but it usually dies off during the middle of the day.

Always fish the shade in summer, as the fish will

some surface paddlers in the low light periods, because it’s common to get some cracking surface bites at this time of year.

If you’re keen to bait fish, using anything like yabbies, shrimp, cheese,

There are plenty of active fish along the Murrumbidgee River at this time of year, with spinnerbaits and surface lures being the best option.

BLOWERING DAM Even though it is cod opening, it’s the first year Blowering isn’t included in this list (as it is open year round now for targeting Murray cod). With the breeding process over and done with the cod will

rocky banks between Log Bridge boat ramp and the dam wall, plus the rocky and clay banks on the western side near the wall.

Simple 70mm bibbed lures that dive to 30ft are perfect for the job.

If you’re keen on

between now and March.

As I mentioned in the last report, the river will be high, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good to fish. With the summer heat comes plenty of bug activity, which the trout love!

The number one tip I Tallis with a metre cod from Blowering caught fishing a Bassman Mumbler along a rocky bank in 4m of water. still need to ensure you fish the morning and afternoon sessions as the middle of the day can be very slow fishing.

Usually in summer you’ll see an aggressive bite window of about an

be 10x more confident to feed in the shaded areas of the river. Casting 5/8oz spinnerbaits and 70-100mm hardbodies are the best option. Additionally, make sure you throw around

bardi grubs or worms will see you onto plenty of fish.

It’s a great time of year to head out with kids and family, and why not?

There’s warm weather and plenty of fish!

Hot summer afternoons can yield good catches of yellowbelly and cod in Blowering. go back to their normal behaviours and won’t be feeding as aggressively as they have been over the past few months.

By now the summer heat is well and truly here, with the water temperature on the rise, and this means fishing at first and last light and throughout the night 76

DECEMBER 2018

targeting the bigger fish, both casting and trolling will work. I like to cast plastics, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits at the rocky banks and fish them down into that deeper water as mentioned earlier. Make sure you keep your lure in contact with the bottom as much as possible.

have for you is to find the still edges and the slack water. The biggest trout in the river will move into these eddies and feed periodically throughout the day. As anglers we call it ‘a beat’, and the trout will do its ‘beat’, which means it’ll swim into a backwater, pass through looking for food,

Trolling down in the cooler water in Blowering is key to success as Megan shows with this pretty cod.

Sight-fishing thrills NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

In the opinion of many anglers (your columnist included), ‘sight-fishing’ is the most exciting form

delicious anticipation as that target fish closes in on the trap you’ve just set. It matters little whether it’s a golden trevally tailing on a tropical flat, a fat whiting cruising over a sandbar, a mahimahi circling a bluewater FAD, or even a stinky old carp snuffling

for successful sight-fishing are a keen set of eyes, the ability to use them, and (in most scenarios) a pair of quality sunglasses with lightpolarising lenses. These so-called ‘polaroids’ greatly enhance your ability to spot fish by dramatically reducing reflected glare bouncing back from the surface of the water, allowing you to see what lies beneath much more easily.

Trust me, it’s worth spending as much on your sunnies as you would on a new rod or reel, as they’re at least as important to the sight-fishing process as that shiny piece

The author with a gorgeous brown trout he sight-cast a fly to under cloudy skies.

Keep the sun at your back for optimum sight-fishing results. of angling ever devised.

Seeing your prey before you even make a cast and then watching its reactions to your bait, lure or fly lifts fishing to another level altogether, and really ratchets up the ‘hunting’

along the muddy margins of an outback dam. Time seems to slow and stretch as the seconds tick agonisingly by.

Will the fish eat, or will it spook away in alarm at the last moment?

The three key ingredients

Don’t expect fish to always stand out clearly. Can you see the large trout in this image?

A big trout cruises in clear water. What will be the best way to catch it? aspects of our wonderful pastime.

It’s highly addictive!

Whether you prefer to use natural baits, lures or artificial flies there’s simply no bigger thrill in the whole wide world of fishing than sneakily stalking your visible prey, carefully placing your offering in front of it and watching what happens next.

I defy anyone not to hold their breath and tense every muscle in their body with

of tackle. They’ll also protect your eyes from damaging UV rays, not to mention twigs, rod tips and fast moving lures.

I’ve worn Mako Eyewear glasses for many years now and I absolutely swear by them, but there are plenty of other good brands on the market, too. Pick a highprofile maker and steer clear of service station cheapies and the chemist shop bargain bins.

Expect to fork out at least a couple of hundred bucks for a decent set of fishing eyewear and then look after your glasses. (With Christmas fast approaching, quality sunnies also make the perfect gift for keen fishers, so why not start

dropping a few hints?)

Many anglers believe that bright sunlight and clear, blue skies are essential for effective sight-fishing. However, while these conditions are ideal, they don’t occur consistently.

It’s still possible to sight-fish under heavy cloud cover and in low light, you just need to work a little harder at it, move more slowly and look intently for hints like movement and subtle flashes of colour from cruising fish. It can also help to vary your lens selection on duller days by choosing tints from the yellow, rose and brown ends of the spectrum, as well as opting for lenses that allow a higher level of

Don’t be afraid to get into the really skinny stuff when sight-fishing. Your prey will sometimes swim in water barely deep enough to cover their backs.

SEASON

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IS HERE!

Every Saturday 4.30pm on

light transmission.

Don’t expect to always clearly see your target fish swimming about, either.

Wild fish living in natural environments can be extremely hard to spot at first.

Experienced sight fishers become adept at identifying the tiniest clues that often signpost the presence of fish. Subtle movements, suspicious shapes or patterns, dull flashes, ripples and fin tips momentarily breaking the surface are all key indicators of the presence of fish. Often you’ll home in on just a part of the fish rather than the entire animal. This might be the light-coloured mouth of a trout, or a dark V-shape on the trailing edge of a bream’s tail.

Finally, remember that some of the finest sight-fishing opportunities encountered in both fresh and saltwater environments occur at extremely shallow depths, often hard up against the shoreline. Many anglers are surprised to learn that even large fish will swim in water barely deep enough to cover their backs, especially early and late in the day. Don’t be too quick to wade in! Always start by visually scanning the very shallowest margins before gradually turning your attentions to deeper water.

Get out there this summer and give sight-fishing a crack.

I guarantee you’ll be hooked!

Starlo’s website portal www.fishotopia.com offers access to lots of nitty-gritty, how-to information like this, including detailed features on sight-fishing. Jump on, have a look around and consider signing up for the free monthly newsletter.

OUTDOOR & FISHING SHOW

Listen on 5am-6am Every Saturday DECEMBER 2018

77

Moose mounts SWR comeback

STORM

Forster local Grant ‘Moose’ Manusu blitzed the field on day 2 of the final Costa BREAM qualifier at South West Rocks to take the win in convincing fashion.

Manusu said he pre-fished the river some two months prior, and found good numbers of fish well upriver around Frederickton.

Unable to fish on the official practice day, Manusu relied on his vast knowledge and experience of the area and the previous pre-fish.

Based on this knowledge, Day 1 saw Manusu start well upriver, pitching ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ in motor oil and Cranka Crabs to structure that he has previously done well on over the years fishing teams comps. This resulted in only a few fish for Manusu early, and he decided to make the big run downriver to try and secure a few kickers in big fish spots. This plan did not pan out well, and he soon saw himself back upriver filling out his bag where he started his day.

Manusu said it was easy to make the decisions to run from one end of the system to the other knowing his boat is capable of travelling at

Grant ‘Moose’ Manusu was elated to collect the first place cheque and an invite to the 2018 Costa BREAM Grand Final. around 145km/h. Manusu weighed a respectable day 1 bag of 2.36kg that saw him sitting in 7th place overnight.

Day 2 saw Manusu head back to the Frederickton

area. He knew the system would struggle from pressure as it always does on day 2.

He knew if he was able to get a bag similar or better to his day 1 bag he would move up the leader board.

Manusu didn’t change much, and used the same techniques and lures as day 1. With four fish in his bag early, one of which was a 1.05kg kicker, he knew he only needed one more decent fish to be in contention of

winning. Manusu initially filled his bag with a 25 forker, which is a just-legal fish, and soon after he upgraded it with a 26.5cm fish.

Not feeling completely comfortable with his bag, Manusu went back to the spot where he caught the 1.05kg fish. This move saw him capture a 850g fish which rounded out his bag to 3.53kg and was enough to leapfrog him into the winner’s seat.

DUFFRODS BIG BAG The Duffrods Big Bag prize went to event winner Grant Manusu on Day 2. The bag weighed 3.53kg.

Grant Manusu with his day two kicker fish. Both bream were caught on ZMan Slim SwimZ in motor oil.

Scan the QR code to watch the day one highlights.

Scan the QR code to watch the day two highlights.

TOP 10 BOATERS

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

78

DECEMBER 2018

Scan the QR code to watch an interview with the winner.

Place Angler

Fish

Weight(kg) Payout

1 2

Grant Manusu Steve Morgan

10/10 10/10

5.89 5.13

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Cam Whittam 8/10 4.58 Craig Simmons 8/10 4.55 Jamie Mckeown 8/10 4.46 Richard Potter 10/10 4.09 Denis Metzdorf 9/10 3.91 Grant Kime 8/10 3.85 Charlie Saykao 7/10 3.62 Ross Cannizzaro 9/10 3.52 For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

$2800 + Duffrods Big Bag $1500 + $250 Mercury Bonus + $200 Pro Up $1000 + $150 Mercury Bonus $800 $700 + $100 Mercury Bonus $600 $500

Morgan takes second Mr Consistent Steve Morgan secured the prestigious crown of BREAM Angler of the Year with his 2nd place on South West Rocks. Cam Whittam needed to finish 3rd or better to beat Morgan for AOY, but he also needed Morgan to finish two places behind him.

Half of the plan worked for Whittam as he was able to secure 3rd place, but in true Queenslander style Morgan fought hard and pipped the Victorian by just over 500g to secure his 1st AOY title since the format was adjusted to the current national system.

Morgan being in his brand new Basscat Pantera powered by a 200hp Mercury V8 used the power and travelled about 30km up river to the Kempsey Bypass Bridge.

Morgan started on the

bridge by pitching heavy Cranka Crabs on the Daiwa Mebaru 8’6” teamed up with an old Daiwa 2500 Luvias spooled with 8lb Sufix fluorocarbon. Morgan was able to nab a few decent fish here before moving to the steep edges and broken weed flats. He switched to his confidence presentation, topwater, throwing Imakatsu Dilemma poppers. Morgan filled out his bag using this presentation, but interestingly he was catching two bass to every bream. An important lesson Morgan learnt was that he had to move the lure slowly and as quietly as possible to avoid the hungry bass beating the bream to the lure.

Day 2 saw Morgan head for the same spots. To his surprise he didn’t get a bite on the Kempsey Bypass Bridge, so he didn’t waste much time

there knowing that the bream had not replenished.

Morgan then moved to the broken weed edges and flats and used the topwater presentation again. The bass bycatch was again fun but a problem, and Morgan had to switch to the more quiet presentation of a Tiemco Red Pepper Micro rigged with assist hooks. He used the lure slowly and quietly to avoid the bass, and was able to produce three bream before he ran out of goodlooking edges.

Morgan then moved to the opposite side of the river, which had a nice looking weed edge that dropped to a sand bottom. He used a deep crank presentation to fill out his bag of 2.30kg, which was enough to secure 2nd place overall and 2018 Angler of the Year.

BREAM SERIES

Steve Morgan looking chuffed with his South West Rocks effort of securing second place overall and being crowned 2018 Costa BREAM Series Angler of the Year.

Johnson bags limits both days

WINNING TACKLE Rod: 13 Fishing Envy Black Reel: Shimano Twin Power Line: Sunline 4lb Lure: 2.5” ZMan Slim SwimZ in motor oil Jighead: TT 1/8oz and 1/12oz

Shoalhaven local Craig Johnson was the only non-boater to fill day 1 and day 2 limits to secure the

2.5” Slim SwimZ in motor oil

non-boater 1st place trophy by a whopping 1.54kg.

Johnson drew Stu Robinson as his 1st day boater, and the pair headed to a stretch of rock wall just past the Jerseyville Bridge.

Johnson said he slowly chipped away at a small bag of 2.15kg throughout the day by throwing heavy Cranka Crabs in olive to the rock wall where he was targeting cruising fish. Johnson said patience was the key on day 1. He knew the fish were there, but finding the actively feeding fish was a different story.

Day 2 saw him in the boat with Wayne Robinson and sitting only 190g in front of 2nd place. Johnson knew if he kept his cool and used the same technique he would be able to patiently pick off a limit.

Luckily for Johnson, his boater for the day decided to fish a similar area to where Johnson had secured his day 1 limit. He fished this area exactly the same, pitching the Cranka Crab to the rock wall hoping for active fish to pick it up.

Johnson was skilful enough to return a limit of 1.99kg and secure his 2nd

non-boater win in 10 years.

He was really pleased as it also pushed him into 5th place in the non-boater AOY standings.

Johnson was throwing olive Cranka Crabs on his Millerods 7’0” XF with a

Shimano C2000S reel spooled with 6lb Sunline braid and 4lb Sunline FC Rock leader, he said it was important to use relatively light leader in the heavy structure as the water was very clear.

TOP 10 NON BOATERS Place Angler

Fish

Weight(kg) Payout

1

10/10

4.14

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Craig Johnson

$200 Hobie + Costa + Prize Pack Matt Vaccaro 6/10 2.60 Prize Pack Louie Wardini 4/10 2.33 Prize Pack Michael Thompson 5/10 2.27 Prize Pack Russel Winters 5/10 2.11 Prize Pack Chris Micallef 5/10 2.06 Prize Pack Daniel Hayes 3/10 1.35 $100 Hobie + Prize Pack Christian Wardini 3/10 1.27 Prize Pack + Pro Up Brendan McNamara 2/10 1.23 Prize Pack Grant Oliver 3/10 1.17 Prize Pack For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Craig Johnson secured his second Non-Boater win in 10 years by filling full limits on both days.

DAIWA J-BRAID BIG BREAM

Scan the QR code to watch an interview with the non-boater winner.

Jason Martin only managed one bream for the two days of fishing at South West Rocks, but it was the fish that secured him $500 and the Daiwa J-Braid pack. The 1.14kg beast fell to a heavy Cranka Crab, which is a consistent big bream lure. Martin was fishing Jerseyville Rock Wall deep with his boater early on day one when he nabbed the tournament’s big bream.

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Phelps flushes away opposition

STORM

The ‘Prince of Glenbawn’ Peter Phelps has claimed the $10,000 victory in the 2018 Storm Bass Australian Open with a bumper 10 from 10 limit of 11.52kg.

Phelps also claimed the event big bass prize with a solid Glenbawn bass of 1.48kg. Phelps narrowly snatched the Australian Open Crown from Tim Oakley who finished 2nd, weighing 11.02kg and Steve Muldoon who finished 3rd with 10.71kg.

The 2018 Storm Bass Australian Open was held on the Glenbawn Dam for the first time in ABT history the anglers were to weigh 5 fish limits on this popular NSW impoundment, under strict conditions with a NSW Fisheries permit.

When chatting to ABT one of the first things he mentioned was how lucky he was to get the opportunity to pre-fish it a few weeks earlier.

Phelps said the first day in pre fish was really windy and raining and then the second day was hot and glassed out.

Phelps said this really helped him dial into a pattern on each day and knew he would be able to use that knowledge no matter what the tournament threw at him weather wise.

Phelps’ official pre-fish day couldn’t have gone any better, he said he found fish early and was ready to get off the water by 8am feeling confident with what

The Prince of Glenbawn, Peter Phelps showing off the cheque and trophy from the Storm Australian Bass Open. he had found weeks prior and on the official pre fish day. Phelps knew it was his tournament to win.

Peter started day one in an area he calls the ‘8 knot zone’.

He said it was strange that only he and 2nd place getter Tim Oakley were fishing the area.

Phelps said he thought there should have been more boats there as it is a well known big bass spot. Phelps only stayed in this area a very short time before moving with only three small bass in his well.

Phelps then started targeting rocky points and bays back down the lake

and secured the event’s Big Bass on a 3/8oz chatterbait.

He said he soon worked out that the big fish were shallow and he then concentrated his efforts in around 6 foot of water depth.

By around 8:30am he said the chatterbait bite would stop, he then switched to a Pros Factory Equip Emotion jig with a yabby style creature bait plastic as a trailer, he was able to locate a few weed patches that was holding concentrated fish and he cashed in.

Day two was similar to his day one, slowly winding

his chatterbait from the shallows to deep. This again shut down by around 8:30am, he then again switched to the jig and targeted the same areas he did the previous day.

Phelps said he really started to struggle when the wind died and the sun was high, but by this time he had his day two limit which was enough to secure him the win.

Phelps stated he had one of those weekends where every move he made was the right one. He said at times he felt like he was the only boat on the lake and the fishing was just insane.

Scan the QR code to see the winners interview.

Phelps shows off just how big the bass are in Glenbawn Dam. The big bass was 1.48kg.

Scan the QR code to see Day One highlights.

RESULTS Place Angler

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

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DECEMBER 2018

Scan the QR code to see Day Two highlights.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fish

Weight (kg)

Payout

Peter Phelps 10/10 11.52kg $10,000 Tim Oakley 10/10 11.02kg $4,000 Steve Muldoon 10/10 10.71kg $2,500 Rob Tilley 10/10 10.68kg $1500 Glen Hayter 10/10 10.54kg $1,400 Luke Draper 10/10 10.53kg $1,300 Tom Slater 10/10 10.43kg $1200 Kris Hickson 10/10 10.26kg $1,100 Graham Ford 10/10 10.15kg $1,000 David Welfare 10/10 10.12kg For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

STOR

M

Oakley a close second Tim Oakley narrowly missed 1st place by 500g but was chuffed with $4000 and 2nd place with a total weight of 11.02kg.

Oakley told ABT that he started day one with reaction baits with a jerkbait being the go-to. He said he got

dusted up by a few really big fish early but still managed to fill a decent limit with a few kickers mixed in.

On day two Oakley changed to a chatterbait, but this only worked early before he (as he puts it) “fished head down bum up” with a jig.

BASS AU STRALIA N OPEN

He started targeting trees and laydowns in 4-5ft of water. Oakley said the key to his second place was maximising his time and fishing everything in front of him to keep his lure in the water for as much time he possibly could.

Tim Oakley came home strong on day two but narrowly missed out on first place by 500g.

Tim Oakley with the kicker bass from his day two bag.

Pro’s Factory 3/8oz Equip Motion

Steve Muldoon all smiles with his 3rd place cheque.

Muldoon finishes third Steve Muldoon collected $2500 and 3rd place. It was a similar story from Muldoon. Muldoon said he was at the arena before the pre-fish ban came in. He said he put a lot of work into fishing different areas to where he had previously done well. Muldoon said he found good bass in and around the 8-knot zone.

On the official pre-fish Muldoon used his time to rule out areas. He utilised that

tactic so he didn’t catch fish he knew he would want during the tournament. Something important he did realise during the pre-fish was the bass seemed to have moved into the middle reaches of the lake.

Muldoon told ABT he used 1/2oz Bassman Carls Compact Spinnerbait in black early on day one before switching to Pros Factory Hybrid 3/8oz Jig with a generic creature style plastic trailer. He caught good fish

WINNING TACKLE

Steve Muldoon at the bump tub with one of the kickers from his 5 from 5 bass limit.

Heavy Timber Outfit: Rod: Daiwa 7’3 medium heavy action Reel: Daiwa HRF 9:1 spooled with Fluorocarbon All round Outfit: Rod: Daiwa 7’2 medium action Reel: Daiwa Steez ATW Line: 15lb J-Braid 12lb Daiwa Leader Lure: Pro’s Factory Equip Emotion Jig with a yabby style creature trailer.

on both techniques and switched up to the jig when the conditions changed slightly. It was then he seemed to think the bite improved and the bass were reacting better to the jig than the spinnerbait.

Based on the better jig bite Muldoon commenced day twi fishing with the jig and it didn’t leave his hand for the rest of the day.

He continued to target fish in the middle section of the lake on both edges, he was fishing any structure he could see, whether it was rocky points, trees or laydowns he just knew he had to put his lure in the right places for the big fish to bite.

Muldoon uses a Daiwa Gen Black rod coupled with a Daiwa Exist reel spooled with Sunline 8lb braid and Sunline Shooter leader also in 8lb.

DECEMBER 2018

81

Grand Final was grand success The Grand Final for East Coast bream series (sponsored by The Australian Bass Angler) was held on Sydney Harbour, with many of the top 30 teams pre-fishing the area to see what options they would have come Sunday.

The grand final was run out of Bayview Park with a 7am start and a weigh-in time of 2pm.

The morning of the grand final the teams were presented with overcast conditions and a breeze building toward 25-30km/h by lunch.

The 7am start saw competitors stream out, filtering off into various directions, all having their own preferred spots in the harbour to fish and their plan for the day, hoping to take

out the inaugural East Coast Bream Series championship.

Sydney Harbour is quite large, and there were only 30 boats, so finding them on the water during the day was not the easiest of tasks. But, we did manage to track down one third of the fleet, and by 9am all teams we found had already managed to get some fish in the livewell.

With this being the

ZMan GrubZ in motor oil.

Their biggest fish for the day came from a ZMan Finesse ShadZ, which is predominantly a New Zealand trout lure but performed well on the day.

In 2nd place was team Cranka/Compleat Angler Nowra, Liam Carruthers and Arthur Amies. The guys did pre-fish the event and their plan was to fish the Lane Cove area and fish boat hulls and pontoons most of the day, only leaving the area to fish more boat hulls in Hen and Chicken Bay. Liam said the secret to the day was using 3lb fluoro and Cranka crabs (olive) all day.

In 3rd place was team Couple of Old Guys, Greg Silva and John Picton. They also pre-fished the harbour before the competition, but with changing conditions on the day they had to adjust their game plan. They

Team Cranka/Compleat Angler Nowra took out 2nd place. predominately worked boat hulls opposite the start area, and doing this saw Greg and John land their first fish on

the second cast of the day.

By 7:30 they had three fish on board with a cracking 1kg bream in the livewell.

The five fish that made up the winning bag.

Grand Final there were no early weigh-ins, and with five minutes to go we could see a fleet of boats all heading back to weigh-in.

In 1st place was team Brimn/Compleat Angler Nowra, Grant Kime and Stuart Walker.

The guys said that the wind went in their favour with the southerly building thoughout the day. They knew the added chop on the water would provide additional coverage to entice the bite. They mentioned there were a few lures of choice including

Team Couple of Old Guys took out third, and even managed to score a 1kg bream on the day.

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DECEMBER 2018

Liam Carruthers and Arthur Amies were stoked with their second place finish.

Coming in fourth was team Still Stalkin’, Aaron Clifton, David Waddell and Mark Crompton with a total weight of 3.36kg, missing out on top three by 41g.

RESULTS Place Team Name Team Members # Fish Weight (kg) Prize 1st Brimn/Compleat

Angler Nowra Grant Kime & Stuart Walker 5 4.34 $3000 2nd Cranka/Compleat

Angler Nowra Liam Carruthers & Arthur Amies 5 4.09 $2000 3rd Couple of Old Guys Greg Silva & John Picton 5 3.77 $1000 *Full results can be found on the Western Sydney Bream & Bass website www.wsbb.com.au.

Flatout catching flatties in Urunga The small seaside town of Urunga on the Mid-North Coast was flooded with eager anglers over the 2nd

Almost 400 fishos of all ages (and talents) entered the tournament and were rewarded with a sponsors’ gift

Bellinger system from land, boat or kayak using lure or fly only. All captures were recorded by photo on top of the Softgaff Accumat supplied by organisers, and then set free to grow and be caught again next year.

Such is the reputation of this tournament that people travelled from as far as Melbourne in the south and the Sunshine Coast in the north to take part.

The perpetual Longest Flathead trophy was awarded to Toby Woodward of Inverell, whose giant dusky

years and under’ categories.

It was Holy Brown from Newcastle who took home the Champion Junior Lady trophy, and Kieran Wray from Coffs Harbour who was crowned the Junior Male Champion.

In the adult divisions it came down to the wire and only a few points separated both the ladies’ and men’s champions. Bellingen local Alana McBaron came out on top and took out the Champion Lady division, whilst Ashley Holdsworth from Sawtell was crowned the Overall/Adult Male Champion.

Champion Male Angler Ashley Holdsworth with his biggest fish for the tournament. weekend of November for the 5th running of the annual Berkley Urunga Sport Fishing Flathead Tournament.

pack worth three times the entry fee without them even wetting a line. What a start!

Competitors were allowed to fish either the Kalang or

The organiser’s wife, Sally, was pumped when everything was finally over and she got her husband back (for now).

Young Toby Woodward from Inverell proudly displaying his Largest Flathead trophy. flathead measured in at a whopping 86cm, equalling the all time club record! There were several other large flathead caught but none that could knock off Toby’s catch.

It was all the more impressive considering he had buried the points of a treble in his hand not long before landing the monster.

The junior divisions were hotly contested, with over 70 anglers participating in the ‘15

While everyone was there to fish there’s always a strong emphasis on the social side of fishing, and also encouraging juniors to either take up the sport or keep improving their skills. I don’t know how many times I heard people saying ‘kids are the future of the sport’.

By Sunday afternoon all the scorecards were in, winners announced and trophies collected, but the

The proud owner of a new Clark/Suzuki BMT package won just for entering the comp. real fun was just starting. The anticipation in the large crowd that had gathered around the sailing club was palpable.

You see, catching plenty of fish and winning your category was great, but people had hung around in the hope that they’d be taking home some of the major prizes on offer just for being a competitor. These prizes included MOTackle vouchers, rod and reel combos, bags of lures and of course the shiny new Clark/

Suzuki boat/motor/trailer package from North Coast Boating Centre.

The Urunga Anglers Club are extremely grateful for all the support from both the community and all the business that help make this event happen.

Planning for the 6th running of this tournament is already underway, so make sure you pop the weekend of the 8th, 9th and 10th of November 2019 on your fishing calendar. - UAC

By-catch category winners were all smiles when they were given their trophies.

JUNIOR MALE

SENIOR MALE

2-PERSON TEAMS

Position Angler Points 1.................. Kieran Wray................. 257 2.................. Wade McBaron........... 212 3.................. Phoenix Smith............. 181 4.................. Anton Lupinski............ 180 5.................. Max Hicks................... 162

Position Angler Points 1.................. Ashley Holdsworth...... 894 2.................. Daran Ryan................. 635 3.................. John Goodwin............. 615 4.................. Craig Simpson............ 552 5.................. Shane Holding............ 542

Position Team Name Points 1.................. Team Blacknuts........... 1529 2.................. Lizard Poachers.......... 1157 3.................. Two Mortons............... 841 4.................. Team Stonka............... 817 5.................. Freshest Fishing.......... 625

JUNIOR FEMALE

SENIOR FEMALE

3-PERSON TEAMS

Position Angler Points 1.................. Holly Brown................. 200 2.................. Kiara George............... 174 3.................. Makaira Mood............. 58 4.................. Indy Mood................... 25 5.................. Tekaya Tinson.............. 15

Position Angler Points 1.................. Alana McBaron........... 184 2.................. Sarah Blundell............. 142 3.................. Lea Woodward............ 135 4.................. Heather Osborne........ 121 5.................. Zoe Pryor.................... 106

Position Team Name Points 1.................. Berkley Power Bait...... 977 2.................. Nulook Floors.............. 811 3.................. Wreckn’ Tins................ 721 4.................. Just Chips................... 719 5.................. Hairy Hookers............. 503

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR

Brought to you by

2018

DECEMBER

1-2 Dec

Cod Classic and Wilson Junior Cod Classic Lake Mulwala and Murray River

FEBRUARY

20-21 Feb

ABT BREAM Round 1 Marlo/Bemm River

abt.org.au

23-24 Feb

ABT BREAM Round 2 Gippsland Lakes

abt.org.au

www.codclassic.com.au

2019

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.

DECEMBER 2018

83

Cooking

Get silly with chilli prawn linguini this season SYDNEY

Andrew Humphries

Marinate prawns with garlic, a pinch of chilli and

basil. You can marinate these up to 24 hours in advance, otherwise one hour will suffice.

Chop and prepare the vegetables and set aside. Place a pot of water with a teaspoon

of salt to cook the pasta in and let it come to the boil.

Once boiling add linguini and cook for 10-11 mins stirring regularly. When the pasta is cooked to your liking drain

and set aside.

While the linguini is cooking sauté prawns in a hot frying pan till coloured on both sides. Take out and set aside.

In the same pan add the vegetables and sauté for 3-4 mins. Add the tomato passata and turn down the heat to low and let simmer. Add in the prawns and simmer for

3-4 mins. Season with salt and pepper.

Finally, toss together the pasta and the sauce and serve with some shaved parmesan over the top.

INGREDIENTS Chilli prawn linguini ½ red onion diced ½ capsicum diced ½ zucchini diced ½ punnet cherry tomatoes cut in half 1 chilli chopped (seeds out if you don’t like it too hot)

1

4

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All the ingredients, from top left: tomato passata, zucchini, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and linguini.

From bottom left: green olives, capsicum, red chilli and the basil.

Sautéing the marinated prawns.

Linguini cooking in the salted water.

DECEMBER 2018

2

5

8

¼ bunch basil chopped 50g green olives halved 1 and ½ cups tomato passata 250g prawns peeled and deveined 2 cloves garlic finely chopped 200g uncooked linguini

The peeled prawns, garlic chilli and basil ready to marinate.

Sautéing all the vegetables.

The sauce simmering away after adding the prawns.

3

6

9

The prawns after being marinated in the chilli, garlic and basil.

Sauce simmering away after adding the passata.

The finished dish, chilli prawn linguini.

MAJOR PRIZES

FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION

1st PLACE

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Find the logo and page number, fill in the entry form and go in the draw to win!

RRP worth of Frogley’s Offshore products

2nd PLACE

The first 40 correct entries drawn at the end of each month will win a packet of the world’s finest hooks from

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All entries will go into the major prize draw (APRIL 30 , 2019).

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MAIL ENTRIES TO: NSWFM Find the Gamakatsu Logo Competition, PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by 31ST DECEMBER 2018 Original entries only. No photocopies.

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Top 5 events in 2018 As we close out the year, I thought it was time to reflect upon the events that we have been involved in.

Track My Fish just crossed 50 events and monitoring projects since October 2016, and as I write this, I am about to head to New Zealand for trial events.

Things started off slowly, now I only have December off for maintenance and updates before launching into 2019 where our first event starts over in WA on 16 January. Having said that, I can’t wait to get out on the ABT Barra Tour – we have two members of the Infofish team going this year, so the bug is catching.

One of the things that often surprises event organisers is we make every effort we can to get around to the event to be there in

do all the work helping people get across the app, we take scorecards, run the live scoreboards, get stuff for social media – basically anything we can do to help we do. That makes life a lot easier for event organisers as they can just focus on other things – like fishing.

We don’t charge anything extra for that service, many events help us out with accommodation – I am setting up my XTrail for sleeping on site to make that easier. While we are onsite, we are there to work.

Or at least, I am told that it’s work because being a sports tragic at heart my dream job is being the stats man/commentator at ESPN Cricinfo, so for me it does not work so much as living the dream.

I have loved every event I have been involved with, but just to set the bar for everyone – I have selected

EVENT SUMMARY: THE REEL WIVENHOE CLASSIC Total Hours 15 Total Fishers 92 Total Teams 62 Total Fish 167 No. Teams Caught Fish 46 No. Fishers Didn’t Catch Fish 16 % Teams Caught Fish 74.2 Best Team Big Delemma (11 fish) Mins/Fish 5.4 Overall Catch Rate (Fish/Fisher/Day) 0.91 Average No. Fish/Fisher 1.82 Total Species 5 Total Trophy Fish 24 Total Legal Fish 127 Total Undersize Fish 0 person. Sometimes, that presents challenges – In September we had events on the Sunshine Coast, Rockhampton and Atherton Tablelands, so I couldn’t be in three places at once.

That weekend required the whole Infofish team to go separate ways, and even the development team got in on the action as each of the events had their own custom app.

The thing I love the most about getting to the events is we make life easier for the event organisers. Like an extra pair of hands, we

my personal top 5 events of 2018. I haven’t picked them on anything other than these were the events that caught my attention with x-factor or bravery.

We have started to put together an overall stats block for each event we go to so that fishers can evaluate the different events and have a sense of the differences between them. The measure I look at the most is the minutes between fish, this is the ‘excitement factor’ for an event. The lower this value, the higher the potential live audience for real-time

social media, scoring and commentary because there is action aplenty. Not every event looks to the excitement factor, but events that harness a strong excitement factor with audience interaction will have a significant advantage in attracting an audience, younger fishers and sponsors. I have other measures for excitement factor in development, but that will come in 2019.

On that point – we all know that mobile coverage sucks in remote areas, that is, many places we fish. This is the single biggest bottleneck in audience development long term, but that is a discussion for another day.

Onto the top 5.

5: SWANFISH (SWAN RIVER) Swanfish is an annual event over in Perth hosted

by Recfish West. This was the second event we put together with a branded app and the very first we have run where there was no briefing session for fishers using the app. Swanfish was also the first land-based event we have been involved with, the centre of a capital city no less.

I have reported on the Swanfish event in an earlier edition of Fishing Monthly but the thing that makes this my first choice is the way Recfish West took the bold decision to go from a traditional weigh-in event to an app-based catch and release event sending a clear signal to the community even at the risk of losing entrants. All the evidence I have seen so far where we have been involved in that transition says you do lose participants in the short term mostly older but gain younger fishers once they realise that there is an option that suits them.

Swanfish is the slowest of the events in the top 5 with 8.7 minutes per fish but that is far from shabby, and I expect that will get even better next year. 34% of the fishers caught fish, which reflects the number of families involved, and there

2018 saw some exciting fishing events all around the country, but 2019 is set to be bigger and better!

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DECEMBER 2018

EVENT SUMMARY: SWANFISH

were two trophy fish.

Swanfish has the foundations for growth with some marketing. I am looking forward to getting over for Swanfish 2019.

4: THE REEL WIVENHOE CLASSIC (LAKE WIVENHOE) Anyone who has met Matthew Mott knows he is a force of nature, that unique combination of fishing talent and larger than life personality. Half of what he says is true, so is the other half. Matt needs a straight man to make the act work, and when you add in Andrew Mitchell, you have a dynamic duo. It has to be said that while Andrew is the quieter of the two, he has his own evil streak if you

Total Hours 24 Total Fishers 221 Total Fish 166 No. Fishers Caught Fish 76 No. Fishers Didn’t Catch Fish 145 % Fishers Caught Fish 34.4 Most Fish Joseph Gardner (6), Danny Robbins (6) Mins/Fish 8.7 Overall Catch Rate (Fish/Fisher/Day) 0.38 Average No. Fish/Fisher 0.75 Total Species 14 2 Total Trophy Fish Total Legal Fish 43 Total Undersize Fish 54 fish with 24 of the 167 fish being trophy size.

3: BARRA NATIONALS (DALY RIVER) If you are a serious fisho, you should aim to do the Barra Nationals at least once in your life – just make sure you practice your drinking skills, because the boys in the Territory will leave a

seems highly unlikely that the locals will give him an easy time so he will want to be top of his game. Knowing Griffo – he will be, so expect fireworks.

Griffo made this year’s Nationals a fun experience for me, as while Griffo was an unknown for most of the field, I have been analysing

The 4lb Club at Hinchinbrook is a hard comp to top in terms of the excitement factor. happen to get caught making a goose of yourself. Andrew is the glue that makes the events run and deserves a lot of credit for the hours he puts in. The fishing freshwater series has become the most anticipated event on my calendar because the folks out west know how to have a good time. Things happen out there that just don’t happen in the sanitised city life anymore.

I cannot recommend more highly to go to one of the fishing freshwater events, leave behind the stresses of daily life and remember that in the end – the good times are what you live for. Everyone needs to see Matt the MC once in their lives, late-night TV talk shows are a pale shadow of the real thing.

Lake Wivenhoe has a reputation for big fish, not high catch rates but the rate of 5.39 minutes per fish was far from slow action. This is a teams event with a larger number of family teams, so we focused on results by team. 74.2% of teams found

slew of unsuspecting eastern coasters in their wake. The nationals is the biggest event on the fishing calendar in my estimation, the fishing equivalent of Test Cricket as much a test of endurance as

his performances since 2012, so I saw the ominous signs on the first day. Having said that the remote location for the nationals made the first day of the event a technical nightmare for us, though

EVENT SUMMARY: BARRA NATIONALS Total Hours 47 Total Fishers 210 Total Fish 1185 No. Fishers Caught Fish 197 No. Fishers Didn’t Catch Fish 13 % Fishers Caught Fish 93.8 Most Fish Craig Griffiths (30), Wally Wilton (30) Mins/Fish 2.4 Overall Catch Rate (Fish/Fisher/Day) 2.7 Average No. Fish/Fisher 5.36 2 Total Species Total Trophy Fish 4 Total Legal Fish 492 Total Undersize Fish 640 fishing ability. It’s a cutthroat business on the water but one huge party off.

This year Craig Griffiths snuck into town as an unknown quantity and snuck out equally fast having just raided one of the biggest trophies in the land. He has plans for 2019, but it

we managed to bring things together by the final day.

Forewarned is forearmed and we added new features to the app that will make running events with no mobile signal (and lots of competitors) a much smoother process.

The lack of signal makes the nationals less appealing

as a real-time event, but the endurance factor provides a lot of compensation with the last two days being full blackout there mouthwatering anticipation when it comes to announcing the winner. The nationals turned out a fish every 2.4 minutes, with 93.8% of the field catching at least one barra with four trophy fish. Expect a few more trophy fish next year and a few less small fish, which will amount to better scores.

2: 4LB CLUB (HINCHINBROOK) If you are after the excitement factor in an event, the 4lb Club is the number one event on our calendar. The first day was murder for me, trying to get

The Barra Nationals on the Daly River is a competition every serious angler should try at least once.

EVENT SUMMARY: 4LB CLUB Total Hours 17 Total Fishers 113 Total Fish 1118 No. Fishers Caught Fish 97 No. Fishers Didn’t Catch Fish 16 % Fishers Caught Fish 85.8 Most Fish Michael Raisbeck (38) Mins/Fish 0.9 Overall Catch Rate (Fish/Fisher/Day) 4.95 Average No. Fish/Fisher 9.89 Total Species 44 Total Trophy Fish 12 Total Legal Fish 338 Total Undersize Fish 660 all the teams sorted (with competitors registered by nickname) and processing 550 fish in a day. The second day was much smoother up until 3:30pm when a flood of catches came in from the remote areas. I was in a groove by then, so the scores were all completed on time

Then there are the anglers pulling coral trout, sweetlip and other reef species.

Respect! Producing those sorts of numbers takes some serious fishing skill. As much as I love the anglers on the bream, bass and barra circuits, I think that this was one of the most complete

in the mood to see a good fishing comp!

1: SCF RESEARCH & SUSTAINABILITY EVENT (SUNSHINE COAST) It’s going to take an unbelievable event in 2019 to top the SCF Research & Sustainability Event for me.

My first involvement with the event dates back 12 months and much of the past year has been spent running back and forth from the Sunshine Coast. To be fair, when Dean Jackson first contacted me, he put up all the right numbers that suggested he knew what he was in for, but no new event is easy to get off the ground. Anything named ‘Research & Sustainability’ is going to be hard to market to a region that has been dominated by traditional weigh-in events for decades.

I knew that there was a kind of underground movement of younger guys who love catch and release fishing, what I didn’t realize was how large that group was or that they would turn out in such numbers. What really took the event next

care and released into the waters safely lest the green movement come down on the event. We also allowed rays, I actually openly advocated for it on a hunch, and we discussed handling so that both fish and humans exited the encounter uninjured.

Rays proved an unbelievably popular category, and it was evident on the final day from the exhausted, emotional, ecstatic winners that we made the right call.

All credit to Dean, getting any event off the ground is hard but to deliver a concept that should be unmarketable and pull together the community to achieve something special will be really hard to top.

He put up his own money, and I felt we had to do the same – I stand by my core beliefs that fishing will be around forever if fishers help ensure there are more fish in the future. The good news is Dean isn’t done, he is already working on events in other locations. He has definitely found the right

balance for an extraordinary weekend. I was part of the start of something that was good in the old-fashioned sense of quality and morality, and I am so grateful to the community for making this work.

So how did the event do?

The objective was to spread the effort across species – the event managed 70 species in total. We measured handling issues for the first time in any event with only 3.9% of fish having problems, none severe but we will be going back to competitors next year and making some recommendations to get even better results next year. All up 756 fish were caught at 2.9 minutes per fish.

BRING ON 2019 We still have events to run, but I am already looking forward to the coming year.

Every time we get involved in a new event there is a chance to meet new people, learn new things about the fish we all love.

Thank you to everyone who shared their events with

The teams at the 2018 Barra Nationals had a great time both on and off the water.

Anything named ‘Research & Sustainability’ is going to be hard to market to a region that has been dominated by traditional weigh-in events for decades, but the stats proved otherwise, with 166 fishers taking part in this exciting event. with one person on a job that took several to do before.

The other thing that makes this event so special is the results are all achieved with 4lb line, a gobsmacking 1118 fish at that.

Hinchinbrook is not the gentlest of environments either. Two of the most common species, blackspotted and goldspotted rockcod (156 and 118 fish respectively) indicate a lot of time fishing structure.

fields of skilled fishers I have ever seen.

The numbers back me up on that. A fish every 0.9 minutes with 12 trophy fish and 85.8% of the field coming back with fish is impressive stuff.

Add in 4lb line and that’s something special!

Think you have something better? You’re always welcome to get in touch with me and show me how it’s done. I am always

level was the appearance of spearfishers, free divers, families, land-based, boat based, inshore, offshore, pelagics, bait, lures – basically every type of fisher you could imagine. This was a community wanting to make a statement, and as the local member popped in to see Dean at his café, I think that message was heard loud and clear.

On the briefing night I had the job of presenting the rules, and as there were sharks included on the list, I laid down the law.

Including sharks was about gathering data, all sharks had to be handled with

balance of fun, excitement for the followers, a format that is aimed at doing good things for the fish and fishers. My sports heart and stewardship mind found a

us… I hope we deliver even bigger things in the next 12 months.

Have a safe Christmas and get out the fishing rods! See you all in 2019!

EVENT SUMMARY: SCF RESEARCH & SUSTAINABILITY EVENT Total Hours 36 Total Fishers 166 Total Fish 756 No. Fishers Caught Fish 123 No. Fishers Didn’t Catch Fish 43 % Fishers Caught Fish 74.0% Most Fish Trent Kiehne (30) Mins/Fish 2.9 Overall Catch Rate (Fish/Fisher/Day) 2.3 Average No. Fish/Fisher 4.55 Total Species 70 Total Trophy Fish 19 Total Legal Fish 442 Total Undersize Fish 295

Fishing freshwater events such as The Reel Wivenhoe Classic is a great way to unwind and enjoy your time on the water.

DECEMBER 2018

87

Trades, Services, Charter COFFS COAST

HOLIDAY RENTAL MACLEAY VALLEY COAST

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This section in NSW Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching.

88

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89

2018 2018 2018 Local Time

SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY(FORT (FORT DENISON) NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY DENISON) – –NEW WALES LAT 33° 52’ LONG 151°SOUTH 13’ JANUARY SEPTEMBER JANUARY Time Time m

LAT 33° LONG 151° LAT 33° 52’52’ of LONG 151° 13’13’ Times and Heights High and Low Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY OCTOBER NOVEMBER MARCH FEBRUARY m Time Time m Time m Time m

Time m m Time m m Time Time 0213 0.53 0141 0.34 0812 1.96 0846 1.72 0045 1.23 0540 0.43 0213 0.53 0141 0.34 1451 0.19 1525 0.39 0636 0.59 1203 1.49 0812 1.96 0846 1.72 TU MO 2116 1.33 2049 1.48 TUSU 1312 1.47 1813 0.54 1451 0.19 1525 0.39 MOSA 19551.33 0.59 2116 2049 1.48 0233 0.32 0250 0.51 0904 2.04 0922 1.75 0145 1.14 0015 1.36 0233 0.32 0250 0.51 1544 0.12 WE 1559 0.37 0729 0.66 0625 0.49 0904 2.04 0922 1.75 TU 2144 1.50WE 2152 1.35 1410 1.43 1255 1.50 1544 0.12 1559 0.37 MO TUSU 21041.35 0.61 19151.50 0.56 2144 2152 0326 0.32 0327 0.50 0956 2.07 0958 1.76 0256 1.10 0115 1.27 0326 0.32 0327 0.50 1636 0.09 1633 0.35 0718 0.54 0831 0.70 0956 2.07 0958 1.76 WE TH 2238 1.50 THTU 2229 1.36 1355 1.51 1515 1.41 1636 0.09 1633 0.35 MO WE 22111.36 0.59 20301.50 0.56 2238 2229 0419 0.34 0404 0.50 1047 2.05 1033 1.75 0408 1.12 0228 1.21 0419 0.34 0404 0.50 1728 0.12 1708 0.36 0940 0.69 0823 0.56 1047 2.05 1033 1.75 TH FR 2331 1.48 FR 2305 1.36 1618 1.44 1502 1.56 1728 0.12 1708 0.36 WE THTU 23081.36 0.54 21501.48 0.50 2331 2305 0514 0.38 0444 0.51 1139 1.97 1109 1.72 0508 1.18 0348 1.22 0514 0.38 0444 0.51 1818 0.18 1743 0.37 1043 0.65 0935 0.54 1139 1.97 1109 1.72 FR SA 2345 1.37 1713 1.48 16120.18 1.64 SATH 1818 1743 0.37 WE FR 23541.37 0.48 2300 0.39 2345 0025 1.46 0524 0.53 0609 0.45 1146 1.68 0555 1.25 0501 1.28 0025 1.46 0524 0.53 1230 1.84 SU 1819 0.39 1134 0.59 1044 0.48 0609 0.45 1146 1.68 SA 1909 0.27SUFR 17590.39 1.54 1715 1.75 1230 1.84 1819 SATH 1909 0.27 0120 1.44 0026 1.38 0706 0.52 0608 0.56 0000 0.28 0034 0.42 0120 1.44 0026 1.38 1321 1.69 MO 1226 1.61 0634 1.32 0601 1.37 0706 0.52 0608 0.56 SU 1858 0.42 2000 0.36MOSA 1219 0.52 1145 0.39 1321 1.69 1226 1.61 SUFR 18390.42 1.59 18140.36 1.85 1858 2000 0215 1.42 0111 1.39 0806 0.60 0658 0.60 0052 0.18 0108 0.37 0215 1.42 0111 1.39 1415 1.53 1310 1.53 0655 1.46 0710 1.39 0806 0.60 0658 0.60 MO TU 2049 0.45 TUSU 1941 0.45 1241 0.31 1259 0.46 1415 1.53 1310 1.53 MOSA 19060.45 1.92 19150.45 1.63 2049 1941 0201 1.41 0313 1.42 0141 0.11 0141 0.33 0754 0.63 0913 0.66 0201 1.41 0313 1.42 1400 1.45 1513 1.39 WE 0744 1.55 0744 1.45 0754 0.63 0913 0.66 TU 1334 0.25 1336 0.41 2029 0.48 2140 0.52WE 1400 1.45 1513 1.39 MO TUSU 19570.52 1.94 19510.48 1.65 2029 2140 0411 1.43 0257 1.44 0226 0.10 0212 0.30 1023 0.68 0900 0.64 0411 1.43 0257 1.44 1615 1.29 1501 1.37 0831 1.61 0817 1.51 1023 0.68 0900 0.64 WE TH 1427 0.22 1414 0.37 2124 0.50 2230 0.56 THTU 1615 1.29 1501 1.37 MO WE 20450.56 1.90 20270.50 1.64 2124 2230 0508 1.47 0358 1.51 0309 0.12 0243 0.30 1133 0.67 1016 0.61 0508 1.47 0358 1.51 0918 1.64 0851 1.56 1720 1.23 1615 1.32 1133 0.67 1016 0.61 TH FR 1517 0.23 1452 0.35 2320 0.58 FR 2225 0.50 1720 1.23 1615 1.32 WE THTU 21330.58 1.80 21040.50 1.61 2320 2225 0600 1.52 0501 1.60 0351 0.19 0315 0.31 1237 0.62 1133 0.53 0600 1.52 0501 1.60 1003 1.65 0928 1.60 1820 1.22 1731 1.32 1237 0.62 1133 0.53 FR SA 16081.22 0.28 SATH 1534 0.35 2329 0.47 1820 1731 1.32 WE FR 2220 1.67 21430.47 1.56 2329 0009 0.58 0603 1.71 0432 0.28 0350 0.34 0647 1.57 1244 0.42 0009 0.58 0603 1.71 1049 1.62 1007 1.62 1329 0.56 SU 1841 1.35 0647 1.57 1244 0.42 SA 1700 0.36 16181.35 0.36 1913 1.24SUFR 1329 0.56 1841 SATH 23061.24 1.51 2225 1.49 1913 0053 0.56 0029 0.43 0512 0.39 0427 0.39 0730 1.63 0702 1.83 0053 0.56 0029 0.43 1134 1.58 1048 1.63 1411 0.49 MO 1345 0.29 0730 1.63 0702 1.83 SU 1754 0.45 1707 0.40 1958 1.27MOSA 1943 1.41 1411 0.49 1345 0.29 SUFR 23541.27 1.36 23121.41 1.40 1958 1943 0134 0.55 0127 0.38 0552 0.50 0509 0.45 0810 1.68 0758 1.94 0134 0.55 0127 0.38 1221 1.53 1135 1.61 1449 0.44 1440 0.19 0810 1.68 0758 1.94 MO TU 1851 0.53 1802 0.44 2038 1.30 TUSU 2038 1.47 1449 0.44 1440 0.19 MOSA 2038 1.30 2038 1.47 0221 0.33 0851 2.01 0221 0.33 1530 0.12 0851 2.01 WE 2130 1.52 0.12 WE 1530 2130 1.52

Time m m Time m m Time Time 0311 0.46 0315 0.30 0943 2.04 0936 1.75 0211 1.14 0005 1.30 0311 0.46 0315 0.30 1618 0.11 FR 1605 0.34 0740 0.71 0558 0.52 0943 2.04 0936 1.75 TH 2203 1.44 2220 1.54FRTU 1415 1.44 1229 1.59 1618 0.11 1605 0.34 MO TH 21171.44 0.59 19071.54 0.47 2203 2220 0348 0.44 0407 0.30 1032 2.00 1012 1.75 0110 1.23 0318 1.12 0348 0.44 0407 0.30 1705 0.14 SA 1638 0.33 0656 0.58 0845 0.75 1032 2.00 1012 1.75 FR 2310 1.55SAWE 2239 1.47 1330 1.57 1518 1.40 1705 0.14 1638 0.33 FRTU 20221.55 0.47 22211.47 0.58 2310 2239 0427 0.44 0459 0.33 1047 1.72 1120 1.91 0226 1.20 0429 1.15 0427 0.44 0459 0.33 1712 0.34 1750 0.21 SU 0808 0.61 0959 0.75 1047 1.72 1120 1.91 SA 2316 1.50 2358 1.54SUTH 1443 1.57 1628 1.40 1712 0.34 1750 0.21 WE SA 21381.54 0.43 23191.50 0.55 2316 2358 0508 0.45 0550 0.39 1126 1.67 1207 1.77 0346 1.23 0530 1.21 0508 0.45 0550 0.39 1746 0.36 1833 0.30 MO 0925 0.58 1107 0.71 1126 1.67 1207 1.77 SU 2357 1.51 15560.30 1.62MOFR 1730 1.43 1746 0.36 1833 SUTH 2244 0.35 2357 1.51 0553 0.48 0045 1.51 1206 1.60 0643 0.48 0453 1.32 0008 0.49 0553 0.48 0045 1.51 1824 0.40 1254 1.61 TU 1036 0.51 0618 1.29 1206 1.60 0643 0.48 MO 1916 0.41TUSA 1700 1.70 12040.40 0.64 1824 1254 1.61 MOFR 23400.41 0.27 1820 1.47 1916 0040 1.52 0134 1.48 0642 0.51 0738 0.57 0548 1.43 0049 0.44 0040 1.52 0134 1.48 1250 1.51 1341 1.45 WE 1138 0.41 0700 1.38 0642 0.51 0738 0.57 TU 1905 0.45 1959 0.50WESU 1758 1.76 1253 0.56 1250 1.51 1341 1.45 TUSA 19030.45 1.52 1905 1959 0.50 0128 1.53 0226 1.45 0838 0.64 0738 0.55 0126 0.39 0030 0.20 0128 1.53 0226 1.45 1431 1.31 TH 1342 1.41 0738 1.54 0736 1.47 0838 0.64 0738 0.55 WE 2045 0.58THMO 1952 0.51 1333 0.32 1335 0.48 1431 1.31 1342 1.41 WESU 19490.58 1.80 19430.51 1.55 2045 1952 0320 1.43 0223 1.53 0945 0.69 0845 0.58 0159 0.35 0215 0.17 0320 1.43 0223 1.53 1531 1.21 FR 1445 1.32 0811 1.55 0824 1.63 0945 0.69 0845 0.58 TH 2136 0.64FRTU 2050 0.56 1415 0.41 1426 0.25 1531 1.21 1445 1.32 MO TH 20210.56 1.57 20380.64 1.78 2136 2050 0419 1.44 0327 1.55 0231 0.32 0257 0.18 1057 0.69 1002 0.57 0419 1.44 0327 1.55 1643 1.16 SA 1602 1.26 0845 1.63 0908 1.69 1057 0.69 1002 0.57 FR 1455 0.35 1515 0.23 2235 0.67SAWE 2200 0.58 1643 1.16 1602 1.26 FRTU 21000.58 1.57 21260.67 1.72 2235 2200 0519 1.46 0437 1.61 0336 0.22 0305 0.32 1205 0.65 1122 0.51 0519 1.46 0437 1.61 1752 1.17 SU 1724 1.28 0951 1.73 0922 1.70 1205 0.65 1122 0.51 SA 1603 0.24 1537 0.30 2334 0.66SUTH 2312 0.56 1752 1.17 1724 1.28 WE SA 22110.66 1.63 21410.56 1.55 2334 2312 0615 1.51 0546 1.70 0415 0.29 0341 0.33 1300 0.59 1232 0.41 0615 1.51 0546 1.70 1033 1.73 1000 1.76 1851 1.21 MO 1835 1.34 1300 0.59 1232 0.41 SU 16521.21 0.28MOFR 16211.34 0.28 1851 1835 SUTH 2256 1.51 2225 1.50 0028 0.63 0018 0.49 0452 0.38 0418 0.36 0702 1.57 0648 1.80 0028 0.63 0018 0.49 1115 1.70 1042 1.78 1346 0.52 TU 1331 0.30 0702 1.57 0648 1.80 MO 1739 0.34 1708 0.28 1938 1.26TUSA 1933 1.43 1346 0.52 1331 0.30 MOFR 23411.26 1.40 23131.43 1.44 1938 1933 0114 0.59 0118 0.42 0530 0.47 0500 0.42 0745 1.63 0745 1.89 0114 0.59 0118 0.42 1156 1.65 1127 1.78 1425 0.45 WE 1424 0.22 0745 1.63 0745 1.89 TU 1828 0.42 1800 0.31 2018 1.32WESU 2026 1.51 1425 0.45 1424 0.22 TUSA 2018 1.32 2026 1.51 0155 0.54 0027 1.29 0004 1.37 0824 1.68 0155 0.54 0607 0.56 0547 0.49 1500 0.40 0824 1.68 WE 1237 1.58 2054 1.36 MO 1216 1.74 1500 0.40 WESU 19181.36 0.50 1857 0.35 2054 0233 0.50 0115 1.20 0102 1.30 0900 1.72 0233 0.50 0649 0.65 0642 0.56 1533 0.36 0900 1.72 TH 1322 1.50 2129 1.40 TU 1311 1.69 1533 0.36 MO TH 20151.40 0.56 2001 0.39 2129

m Time m m Time m m Time Time 0214 0.51 0213 0.34 0837 1.94 0832 1.69 0340 1.19 0323 1.25 0214 0.51 0213 0.34 1511 0.17 FR 1459 0.37 0908 0.78 0859 0.64 0837 1.94 0832 1.69 TH 2100 1.50 2114 1.58FRFR 1528 1.40 1525 1.61 1511 0.17 1459 0.37 THTH 2223 0.55 22201.58 0.39 2100 1.50 2114 0304 0.30 0251 0.45 0926 1.94 0909 1.72 0441 1.25 0435 1.31 0304 0.30 0251 0.45 1555 0.17 SA 1531 0.34 1019 0.75 1015 0.61 0926 1.94 0909 1.72 FR 2200 1.62SASA 2135 1.57 1633 1.39 1637 1.61 1555 0.17 1531 0.34 FRFR 2314 0.52 23211.62 0.35 2200 2135 1.57 0354 0.29 0330 0.41 1014 1.89 0946 1.72 0533 1.33 0537 1.40 0354 0.29 0330 0.41 1636 0.21 SU 1604 0.33 1126 0.54 1124 0.70 1014 1.89 0946 1.72 SA 2244 1.64SUSU 2211 1.62 1743 1.63 1731 1.41 1636 0.21 1604 0.33 SASA 2358 0.47 2244 1.64 2211 1.62 0443 0.32 0411 0.39 1059 1.79 1026 1.70 0617 1.42 0014 0.31 0443 0.32 0411 0.39 1716 0.29 MO 1638 0.34 1219 0.62 0630 1.51 1059 1.79 1026 1.70 SU 2327 1.63MOMO 2249 1.66 1821 1.44 1230 0.45 1716 0.29 1638 0.34 SUSU 18391.63 1.64 2327 2249 1.66 0531 0.38 0455 0.39 1143 1.66 1107 1.64 0037 0.43 0101 0.28 0531 0.38 0455 0.39 1754 0.38 TU 1715 0.37 0658 1.53 0717 1.61 1143 1.66 1107 1.64 MO 2330 1.69 1308 0.52 13260.38 0.37 TUTU 1754 1715 0.37 MOMO 1907 1.47 1931 1.63 2330 1.69 0009 1.60 0542 0.41 0619 0.46 1151 1.57 0115 0.39 0145 0.28 0009 1.60 0542 0.41 1225 1.52 WE 1754 0.43 0735 1.63 0802 1.70 0619 0.46 1151 1.57 TU 1830 0.48WEWE 1353 0.43 1417 0.31 1225 1.52 1754 0.43 TUTU 1950 1.49 20190.48 1.60 1830 0052 1.56 0015 1.69 0709 0.55 0634 0.44 0151 0.36 0224 0.30 0052 1.56 0015 1.69 1308 1.38 TH 1240 1.47 0814 1.74 0845 1.76 0709 0.55 0634 0.44 WE 1837 0.50 1907 0.57THTH 1437 0.34 1505 0.28 1308 1.38 1240 1.47 WEWE 2035 1.50 21050.57 1.54 1837 0.50 1907 0136 1.51 0103 1.67 0803 0.62 0732 0.49 0302 0.34 0230 0.35 0136 1.51 0103 1.67 1356 1.27 FR 1335 1.37 0926 1.79 0855 1.83 0803 0.62 0732 0.49 TH 1948 0.66FRFR 1928 0.58 1551 0.28 1522 0.27 1356 1.27 1335 1.37 THTH 21500.66 1.47 2121 1.49 1948 1928 0.58 0200 1.64 0226 1.46 0339 0.40 0310 0.36 0841 0.52 0904 0.67 0200 1.64 0226 1.46 1443 1.29 1453 1.18 SA 1005 1.79 0938 1.89 0841 0.52 0904 0.67 FR 1635 0.31 1610 0.23 2030 0.64 2040 0.72SASA 1443 1.29 1453 1.18 FRFR 22340.72 1.40 2211 1.46 2030 0.64 2040 0324 1.43 0306 1.62 0415 0.47 0355 0.38 1014 0.69 0958 0.52 0324 1.43 0306 1.62 1604 1.15 SU 1602 1.27 1044 1.76 1023 1.92 1014 0.69 0958 0.52 SA 1718 0.35 1700 0.21 2146 0.67 2146 0.75SUSU 1604 1.15 1602 1.27 SASA 23160.75 1.33 2302 1.43 2146 0.67 2146 0430 1.43 0420 1.64 0451 0.54 0443 0.43 1123 0.66 1112 0.48 0430 1.43 0420 1.64 1121 1.71 1112 1.91 1721 1.17 MO 1722 1.31 1123 0.66 1112 0.48 SU 1801 0.41 1753 0.23 2257 0.75MOMO 2303 0.63 1721 1.17 1722 1.31 SUSU 2358 1.38 2257 0.75 2303 0.63 0533 1.47 0531 1.69 0000 1.26 0534 0.49 1222 0.61 1217 0.41 0533 1.47 0531 1.69 0529 0.61 1203 1.87 1824 1.22 TU 1827 1.40 1222 0.61 1217 0.41 MO 12001.22 1.64 TUTU 1850 0.27 1824 1827 1.40 MOMO 1846 0.47 0000 0.70 0011 0.55 0057 1.34 0045 1.21 0628 1.52 0634 1.76 0000 0.70 0011 0.55 0632 0.55 0610 0.67 1311 0.54 WE 1313 0.34 0628 1.52 0634 1.76 TU 1259 1.79 1241 1.57 1912 1.29WEWE 1921 1.50 1311 0.54 1313 0.34 TUTU 1950 0.31 19341.29 0.52 1912 1921 1.50 0051 0.64 0111 0.47 0200 1.32 0136 1.18 0715 1.59 0729 1.81 0051 0.64 0111 0.47 0736 0.60 0659 0.73 1351 0.48 TH 1400 0.29 0715 1.59 0729 1.81 WE 1400 1.71 1328 1.50 1951 1.37THTH 2009 1.59 1351 0.48 1400 0.29 WEWE 2053 0.35 20281.37 0.55 1951 2009 1.59 0134 0.57 0204 0.39 0235 1.17 0308 1.34 0755 1.65 0819 1.83 0134 0.57 0204 0.39 0759 0.77 0846 0.63 1426 0.42 FR 1445 0.27 0755 1.65 0819 1.83 TH 1423 1.44 FRFR 1505 1.62 2027 2053 1.66 1426 0.42 1445 0.27 THTH 21261.44 0.57 2155 0.37 2027 2053 1.66 0254 0.35 0906 1.80 0254 0.35 1525 0.28 0906 1.80 SA 2135 1.71 0.28 SA 1525 2135 1.71

1 11

16 1616

2 22

17 1717

3 33

18 1818

4 44

19 1919

5 55

20 2020

6 66

21 2121

7 77

22 2222

8 88

23 2323

9 99

24 2424

25 2525

10 1010

11 1111

26 2626

27 2727

12 1212

13 13 13

28 2828

14 14 14 15 15 15

1 11

16 1616

2 22

17 1717

3 33

18 1818

4 44

19 1919

5 55

20 2020

6 66

21 2121

7 77

22 2222

8 88

23 2323

9 99

24 2424

10 10 10

1 11

16 1616

2 22

17 1717

3 33

18 1818

4 44

19 1919

5 55

20 2020

6 66

21 2121

7 77

22 2222

8 88

23 2323

9 99

24 2424

25 2525

10 1010

11 11 11

26 2626

12 12 12

Local Time Local Time APRIL DECEMBER Time TimeAPRIL m

m Timem m Timem m Time Time 0212 0.40 0241 0.34 0819 1.68 0851 1.74 0345 1.28 0414 1.39 0212 0.40 0241 0.34 1428 0.36 1502 0.33 0925 0.76 1000 0.62 MO 0819 1.68 0851 1.74 SU 2043 1.79 2115 1.73 1531 1.38 1615 1.56MO SU 1428 0.36 1502 0.33 SU SA 2214 2251 0.38 2043 1.790.53 2115 1.73 0327 0.36 0256 0.36 0934 1.65 0903 1.65 0514 1.47 0440 1.35 0327 0.36 0256 0.36 1538 0.40 1505 0.38 1113 0.58 TU 1034 0.73 0934 1.65 0903 1.65 MO 2155 1.73 2124 1.84 1720 1.52TUMO 1635 1.35 1538 0.40 1505 0.38 MOSU 2343 0.38 2302 2155 1.73 2124 1.840.51 0412 0.41 0344 0.34 1016 1.54 0950 1.60 0607 1.56 0530 1.45 0412 0.41 0344 0.34 1613 0.48 1545 0.42 1219 0.52 WE 1140 0.66 1016 1.54 0950 1.60 TU 2233 1.70 2208 1.86 1819 1.48WE TU 1735 1.35 1613 0.48 1545 0.42 TUMO 2347 2233 1.70 2208 1.860.47 0456 0.47 0434 0.35 1058 1.44 1041 1.53 0030 0.39 0616 1.56 0456 0.47 0434 0.35 1645 0.56 1630 0.48 0656 1.65 TH 1237 0.56 1058 1.44 1041 1.53 WE 2311 1.65 2255 1.85 1318 0.45THWE 1830 1.37 1645 0.56 1630 0.48 WE TU 1913 1.45 2311 1.65 2255 1.85 0542 0.54 0530 0.39 1135 1.44 1140 1.34 0113 0.40 0031 0.44 0542 0.54 0530 0.39 1718 0.56 1720 0.65 0741 1.72 FR 0700 1.68 1135 1.44 1140 1.34 TH 2346 1.80 2350 1.59 1410 0.39FR TH 1330 0.45 1718 0.56 1720 0.65 THWE 2002 1.42 1923 2346 1.801.40 2350 1.59 0631 0.60 0630 0.43 1226 1.26 1235 1.37 0153 0.42 0115 0.41 0631 0.60 0630 0.43 1800 0.72 1815 0.64 0823 1.77 SA 0745 1.80 1226 1.26 1235 1.37 FR 1456 0.36SA FR 1420 1800 0.72 1815 0.640.34 FR TH 2048 1.39 2015 1.43 0035 1.53 0045 1.75 0726 0.65 0739 0.47 0200 0.38 0231 0.45 0035 1.53 0045 1.75 1320 1.21 1345 1.32 0902 1.79 SU 0832 1.90 0726 0.65 0739 0.47 SA 1851 0.78 1921 0.70 1538 0.34SU SA 1509 0.24 1320 1.21 1345 1.32 SA FR 2131 1.36 2106 1851 0.78 1921 0.701.44 0130 1.48 0152 1.70 0829 0.67 0850 0.48 0308 0.48 0248 0.37 0130 1.48 0152 1.70 1428 1.18 1501 1.33 0941 1.80 MO 0920 1.98 0829 0.67 0850 0.48 SU 1958 0.82 2038 0.71 1618 0.34MO SU 1559 0.17 1428 1.18 1501 1.33 SU SA 2213 1.33 2158 1958 0.82 2038 0.711.45 0235 1.45 0305 1.67 0345 0.52 0338 0.37 0934 0.66 0956 0.46 0235 1.45 0305 1.67 1542 1.21 1612 1.39 1017 1.78 TU 1009 2.02 0934 0.66 0956 0.46 MO 1657 0.36TUMO 1649 0.15 2114 0.82 2154 0.68 1542 1.21 1612 1.39 MOSU 2253 1.30 2251 2114 0.82 2154 0.681.45 0345 1.46 0415 1.68 0421 0.56 0430 0.39 1034 0.62 1055 0.43 0345 1.46 0415 1.68 1645 1.27 1711 1.48 1054 1.74 WE 1100 2.01 1034 0.62 1055 0.43 TU 1735 0.39WE TU 1742 0.15 2222 0.78 2301 0.61 1645 1.27 1711 1.48 TUMO 2333 1.28 2345 2222 0.78 2301 0.611.43 0445 1.50 0515 1.70 0500 0.60 0525 0.42 1124 0.57 1145 0.40 0445 1.50 0515 1.70 1130 1.69 TH 1152 1.95 1735 1.35 1801 1.58 1124 0.57 1145 0.40 WE 1815 0.43THWE 1835 2319 0.70 1735 1.35 1801 1.580.20 WE TU 2319 0.70 0534 1.56 0001 0.53 0015 1.25 0043 1.42 1205 0.51 0609 1.70 0534 1.56 0001 0.53 0540 0.65 FR 0622 0.47 1815 1.44 1230 0.38 1205 0.51 0609 1.70 TH 1209 1.63FR TH 1245 1.85 1847 1.67 1815 1.44 1230 0.38 THWE 1857 0.47 1930 1847 1.670.26 0006 0.62 0054 0.47 0100 1.23 0141 1.41 0617 1.61 0658 1.68 0006 0.62 0054 0.47 0626 0.69 SA 0723 0.53 1243 0.45 1312 0.39 0617 1.61 0658 1.68 FR 1250 1.56SA FR 1342 1.73 1852 1.53 1930 1.74 1243 0.45 1312 0.39 FR TH 1942 0.51 2026 1852 1.53 1930 1.740.33 0048 0.54 0142 0.43 0150 1.23 0242 1.42 0658 1.65 0744 1.64 0048 0.54 0142 0.43 0717 0.73 SU 0830 0.58 1317 0.40 1349 0.41 0658 1.65 0744 1.64 SA 1337 1.49SU SA 1442 1.59 1928 1.62 2009 1.78 1317 0.40 1349 0.41 SA FR 2031 0.53 2121 1928 1.62 2009 1.780.39 0130 0.46 0227 0.41 0245 1.24 0344 1.45 0738 1.68 0827 1.58 0130 0.46 0227 0.41 0817 0.76 MO 0942 0.61 1351 0.37 1425 0.46 0738 1.68 0827 1.58 SU 1430 1.42MO SU 1547 1.47 2004 1.71 2047 1.80 1351 0.37 1425 0.46 SU SA 2123 0.54 2215 2004 1.71 2047 1.800.44

1 11

16 1616

2 22

17 1717

3 33

18 1818

4 44

19 1919

5 55

20 2020

6 66

21 2121

7 77

22 2222

8 88

23 2323

9 99

24 2424

25 2525

10 1010

25 2525

11 1111

26 2626

11 1111

26 2626

27 2727

12 1212

27 2727

12 1212

27 2727

13 1313

28 2828

13 1313

28 2828

13 1313

28 2828

29 2929

14 1414

29

14 1414

29 2929

14 1414

29 2929

30 3030

15 1515

30

15 1515

30 3030

15 1515

30 3030

31 31

31 0209 0745

1.25 0.62 WE 1414 1.64 2112 0.40

31 31

31 0445 1056

1.50 0.61 MO 1654 1.38 2308 0.47

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2016, Bureau of Meteorology Copyright Commonwealth Australia 2016, Bureau Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of of Australia 2016, Bureau of of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of are Predictions is Lowesttime Astronomical Tideor daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect Times in local standard (UTC +10:00) Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon Tide predictions for Sydney (Fort Denison) have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions.

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DECEMBER 2018

boats & kayaks

In the skipper’s seat 95 Kayak Clarrie Hall 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...

Gary Brown tests out the 589 Stacer Ocean Ranger, powered by a 115hp Yamaha.

Check it out on page 100!

Dayne Taylor visits this incredibly beautiful waterway in search of its hard-fighting bass!

96 Be weather wise

Wayne Kampe details some ways to avoid disaster on the water this stormy season!

98 One of those days in the kayak Justin Willmer highlights the importance of having a laugh on ‘one of those days’.

102 Stessl Bluewater 520

Steve Morgan takes this serious fishing rig, powered by Yamaha’s F115hp, off Tweed for a real test!

DECEMBER 2018

91

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS FISHY CHRISTMAS CAROLS

AWAY IN A TINNY DECK THE LURES JIGGING BELLS DRUMMER FISH JOY TO THE PERCH O FISHY NIGHT DAYS OF CARPMAS SANTA COD LAST CODMAS

DTD - REAL FISH OITA

LET EM CHEW SNAPPER BABY SALMON TELL ME FLATTY THE SNOWMAN WAHOO WONDERLAND BOAT RIDE FELIZ NANNYGAI ANGLERS SING SHALLOWLUJAH

Name: Address:

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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 DECEMBER 2018

Phone (day):

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

The ‘Real Fish Oita’ is an incredible, award winning squid jig manufactured in Europe by leading Croatian company - DTD. Taking out the coveted ‘best new product’ in its class at the EFTTEX 2015 Expo in Warsaw, this wonderful range is now available in Australia through Dogtooth Distribution.

The product imitates real fish species. This coupled with DTD’s use of only the highest grade materials available, ensures great balance and results in superior catching ability. With the unique ‘fish parasite’ feature, aimed at luring predators in for an ‘easy kill’, these truly unique jigs are set to explode into the Australian market.

FEATURES - Double weight system with inner weight designed to produce sound while squid jig is in action.

COLOURS - 7 different designs representing popular fish species.

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SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to Maurice C Beney from Harrington, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive a sponsor prize.

Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – NSWFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for October is A Dawes of Dorrigo, who won a Wilson Fishing Pack valued at $300.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

of Werombi, B Newham of Penrith, D Burgess of Elermore Vale, S Woods of Canton Beach, W Cumming of Bass Hill, N Webster of Bilpin, B Jordan of Botany, K Thompson of Erington, D Allen of Gorokan, W Short of Hamlyn Terrace, L French of Charlestown, J Drummond of Moe, B Mitchell of Nords Wharf, R Durie of Holt, M Low of Yowie Bay, G Sanson of Melrose Park, R Todd of Wahroonga, P Lyneham of Fern Bay. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

MAJOR FIND THE PRIZE

The Daiwa Major prize winners were: 1st J Laseczyk of Newborough who won $1000 Daiwa products, 2nd D Spinks of Scone who won $500 Daiwa products, 3rd R Taskis of Ashmore who won $200 Daiwa products Well done to all our prize winners.

Prize delivery can take up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE DAIWA LOGO

The answers to Find the Daiwa Logo for October were: 14, 20, 22, 28, 30, 34, 40, 42, 46, 51, 54, 90, 97, 98, 103. – NSWFM

92

DECEMBER 2018

GUESS THE FISH?

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Snapper

The Find the Daiwa Logo prize winners for October were: R Jones of Werris Creek, D Miller of Cobar, G Waugh of Greystanes, B Corse of Glanmire, F Seal of Junee, E Howarth of Cowra, I Errey of Leeton, J Smith of Kelso, W Forbes of Nambucca Heads, C Hall of Grenfell, R Morrison of Forbes, D Petterson of Goulburn, J Paul of Inverell, M Beckett of Waverley, R Kroll of Minnie Water, P Stever of Austinmer, C Cooper of Boorowa, K Burge of Salamanda Bay, R Gill of Lake Munmorah, J Nicolson of Burraga , B Wright of Lake Cathie, L Cupitt of Goulburn, J Gowan

© A Cordelia Adams original artwork.

Answer:

WHAT’S NEW BOATING STEFAN LAUNCHES NEW REFLEX RANGE 1

SAVAGE RAPTOR EXTREME

Stefan Boating World has launched a new range of Reflex Boats, delivering affordable family boating.

The Reflex Marine Division has been designing and building Reflex fibreglass boats since the 1970s, and their Chianti models exceed International CE requirements and are certified for stability and floatation compliance.

They have outstanding build quality and fit-out, with zero timber.

There are six models available: the Chianti 485, 530, 585, 635, 655 Hard Top, 705 Hard Top, powered by Yamaha. The 485-635 models are small enough to launch and retrieve on your own, yet big enough to handle the rough stuff and carry four to seven people in comfort.

The 655 and 705 models are aimed squarely at anglers. They have uniquely designed cockpits, a large uncluttered working area, easy walkaround access to the bow, and ample seating for long trips offshore. www.stefanboatingworld.com.au

The Savage Raptor Extreme is a v-nose punt dinghy with increased internal freeboard thanks to the higher sides and greater beam. Suited for river, creek and estuary fishing, boaties of all ages will find enjoyment out of this boat.

Available in two models, 355 and 375 with 15hp and 20hp ratings respectively, the Raptor Extreme is a great choice for off-road and camping adventures. Trailerable or a cartopper, this dinghy is designed to add excitement in the most remote areas.

This boat comes standard with grab rails for loading, anchor storage and a deep floor for comfort while on the water. There are also large front and rear bench seats with plenty of room in the centre for fishing and crabbing.

The Raptor family consists of the Savage Raptor, Raptor Extreme and Raptor Pro, ranging from 3.5m to 4.4m. They have been created to take anglers on adventures all over the country, from the rainforests in Northern Queensland, to the lakes across Western Australia. www.savageboats.com.au

CLUB MARINE’S SUMMER REWARDS 2 Club Marine is giving away $25,000 worth of prizes in its ‘Summer of Rewards’ promotion.

All participants need to do to be in the running is to have a Club Marine Pleasure Craft Insurance policy and a Club Marine Magazine subscription in either Australia or New Zealand at the time of each draw between November 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019.

Each month during the promotion period, five Club Marine members will each win $1000 to spend at Club Marine Member Rewards partners (listed on the Club Marine website).

Club Marine members enjoy a wide variety of exclusive benefits from a ever-growing group of prominent marine businesses. With Summer of Rewards, 25 winning members will each receive $1000 to spend with up to three Member Rewards partners, including Henri Lloyd, Hamilton Island, Musto, Big4 Holiday Parks, Australian Marine Wholesale, Barz Optics, Boat Shoes Online and JSW Powersports, among others.

Prize winners will be contacted and announced on the Club Marine website after each monthly draw. www.clubmarine.com.au/ SummerOfRewards

NEW LOWRANCE ELITE TI2

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The Lowrance Elite Ti2 gives anglers access to features previously reserved for Lowrance’s premium HDS family of displays.

One of the main features is Active Imaging Sonar, which combines Lowrance CHIRP sonar, with Side and DownScan Imaging to allow anglers to quickly search fish-holding structure, and enhances FishReveal with higherlevel clarity and target separation. Simple to use, without the need to change frequencies while fishing in most conditions, the Active Imaging 800kHz setting provides crystal-clear detail with uncompromised range. For anglers needing to see farther than 120ft (36m), Active Imaging can also operate at the 455kHz frequency.

Elite Ti2 also lets you wirelessly share sonar and charting between two displays, as well as sync waypoint data. Additionally, it provides Bluetooth notifications so you can keep their phone stored in a safe location while still receiving incoming call and text notifications.

Lowrance Elite Ti2 is available in 7”, 9”, and 12” display sizes, and various charting and transducer bundles.

Price: SRP $1299-$3599 www.lowrance.com

C-MAP EMBARK APP

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1

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C-Map Embark is a navigation app that simplifies planning, cruising and fishing.

It shows you the most important info at any given time, so you can discover new places safely and confidently — just like a local. There is helpful info about local marinas, harbours, beaches, shops and more, and you can also share exciting new places and routes with friends.

Embark is powered by map data from official hydrographic offices, and it’s continuously updated and augmented to help fill gaps in coastal and inland water bodies. Updated monthly, the maps ensure users always have the most current charts on smartphone, tablet or PC. The charts show all the info needed to navigate safely, and Contour Mode offers a hires bathymetry view, helping you target the best fishing spots.

Users travelling to an area without internet or cellular data coverage can upgrade to Premium and download off-line maps and weather.

C-Map Embark is now offering users a free twoweek trial on Google Play and the App Store. lightmarine.c-map.com/mobile/cmap-embark-app

C-MAP GENESIS SOCIAL MAP

PRODUCT GUIDE

2 3

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C-Map Genesis subscribers can now select and follow Favourite Waterbodies in Social Map and get weekly updates about increased acres mapped on them.

Selecting a Favourite Waterbody will provide both free account and Genesis Edge subscribers with: an up-to-date accounting of how much of the waterbody’s total acreage has been publicly mapped by the C-Map Genesis community, and quicklinks to view and/or download for use on a compatible Lowrance, Simrad or B&G sonar/GPS unit updated charts for your Favourite Waterbodies.

After selecting one or more Favourite Waterbody, you will receive a weekly email that announces how many acres of new mapping was added in the previous week to the chart of your Favourite Waterbodies (provided the waterbodies were updated that past week).

Social Map is a free online collection of inland and coastal charts generated by fishing, cruising, and sailing enthusiasts. Anyone with a C-Map Genesis account can download Social Map charts to an SD card for use in a compatible chartplotter. insightgenesis.wordpress.com

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

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Keep calm and kayak Clarrie Hall Dam URUNGA

Dayne Taylor

For this month’s kayak hotspot, I ventured into the foothills of the Northern

Australian bass I have come across, and in more recent years, a small population of mangrove jack.

Clarrie Hall Dam is set among the most picturesque of forests. With a perfect

of the two public access locations, which isn’t a big deal considering the ample amount of accommodation options available really close by.

The dam is only a short

Ken Gerke with an average Clarrie Hall Dam bass.

The author with another typical sized bass extracted from the thick lilypads.

Rivers region of New South Wales to an extremely special location called Clarrie Hall Dam.

view of the iconic Mt Warning shadowing.

Being a water supply dam, there is a number

The lily-lined lake, with Mt.Warning overlooking in the background.

The dam is built across Doon Doon Creek, a tributary of the Tweed River.

It has a catchment area of

of rules that needed to be followed. Firstly, there is strictly no combustible power engines allowed on the dam,

5-minute drive from the small country town of Uki, which boasts a fantastic family-friendly bar and bistro, perfect for a counter lunch or a bit of pub grub for dinner after your day’s fishing. The options for accommodation in Uki are plentiful, with numerous bed and breakfasts, luxury resorts, and powered camp sites and cabins readily available at the Mt Warning Rainforest Park.

The next two closest larger towns are Murwillumbah 20 minutes’ drive to the northeast and Casino roughly one hour to the southwest. The latter has a great little fishing tackle store called Casino Outdoors and Disposals, and if you

The public access point closest to Uki near the dam wall has great facilities, including toilets, picnic areas and electric barbecues.

The Crams Farm Reserve access point located along Commissioners Creek Road has an extensive area for recreation, also including toilets, wood fire barbeques and two large sheltered areas all for the general public to use. Crams Farm is my personal pick, due to the pontoon and access to

from 12lb line and leader to 6lb and paid the price, losing a couple of fish and the $30 lures they crunched into the thick lilypad-lined edge they live in. These fish feed predominantly on small fire tail gudgeons, insects and frogs, so targeting these bass with small jerkbaits, crankbaits, plastics, surface lures and frog imitations along the lilypads and weed edges reaps the best rewards.

The surface action is usually year round at Clarrie Hall,

In March 2015 Clarrie Hall Dam begun to be stocked with good numbers of mangrove jack fingerlings as part of the NSW DPI Mangrove Jack Breeding and Stocking Program.

I definitely didn’t come across any of these fish, but if you were to encounter one of these notoriously hard-fighting fish, make sure you grab some footage or a photo, measure it or weigh it, and get in contact with the Mangrove Jack

Dave, Ken and the author were the only three people on Clarie Hall Dam on this particular weekend.

The recreation area at Crams Farm is always wellmaintained, with ample space to launch. only 60 square kilometres, and the primary function of the dam is to store drinking water for the Tweed Shire, but it is also stocked with some of the feistiest

only pedal, paddle or electric propulsion crafts, making for some extremely pleasant days spent on the water.

Secondly, there is no camping allowed at either

are passing through on route to Clarrie Hall Dam, it’s definitely worth stopping in and having a chat to the crew there about what’s working on the fishing front.

the water via the all-weather concrete ramp.

Regular stocking by the Tweed council and the ABA (Australian Bass Association), have ensured this waterway has a healthy population of bass. They are some of the healthiest impoundment fish I have come across, and put up a great account for themselves on typical bass tackle. A 6-7ft rod in the 6-12lb range is sufficient, however I did make the mistake of downsizing

but over summer with the cicadas out and about, you can expect all day long topwater action up in the bays with steeper banks casting plenty of shadows over the water.

If you have the luxury of a sounder, you will also find great schools of fish sitting off points and on deeper drop off edges wide from the weed willing to eat vibes, heavier weighted plastics, and even flies such as Bass Vampire.

Breeding and Stocking Program. These fish have been known to reach some staggering size proportions when stocked in freshwater dams, so it would be very interesting to know if many survived!

I hope this article inspires a weekend away to the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales. It sure is a beautiful part of the country and the scenery at Clarrie Hall Dam needs to be seen to be believed.

DECEMBER 2018

95

Don’t let bad weather spoil your summer BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

How good is this summer boating! You don’t need to rug up on those early

variables sorted out, you need to look at the weather forecast and consider what effect that might have. A forecast of showers via a prevailing wind is not a great deterrent if you’re

BEWARE THE WEATHER ALERT You know the sort of thing I’m talking about. At the end of a hot day there’s a weather alert on TV that warns viewers to remove

This boat test was carried out in less than ideal conditions.

As long as it’s safe to set out, the show must go on! morning starts, and with daylight around 4:00am it’s a matter of smug satisfaction to be pushing off from the pontoon when lots of less fortunate people are still burrowing under the bedding.

fishing in an estuary or some other place where there’s lee shore shelter, and the wind is unlikely to be excessive.

Most skippers carry reserve wet weather gear in their boats and besides, we all know how easy it is to fish

anything outside that could be shifted by strong winds, to get the car under cover, and also beware of large hailstones. There are similar warnings on the news websites.

But let’s suppose you

at the BOM or similar site could well confirm there’s a storm looming. Shortly, the sound of thunder will reinforce the folly of being on the water in deteriorating conditions.

You now need to cooly consider your next move.

If the ramp is too far away, there is no option but to take it head on and ride the beast out.

cause a surprising amount of water to accumulate on the floor of any open boat, so stand by with the small bucket. Move anything off the floor that should not sit in an expanding puddle.

I have been caught out a few storms over the years.

These trips were certainly memorable, for all the wrong reasons.

One of the times we

10-15 knot northeaster mid morning on the next day. No worries, we’d be heading back to Urangan harbour by then!

It was dead calm when we climbed into the tent to sleep, but it all turned feral when we woke to casuarina trees sighing to a building northwest blow. Unfortunately, we needed to wait for some water to float the boat which was

In estuaries and creeks, protection from strong wind isn’t far away.

SEEKING SHELTER In an impoundment you should head straight for a lee shore and anchor in the shallows under the lee of some trees or a bank. This is as good as it might get under those circumstances.

Don’t ever be tempted to tie to long dead standing timber as the boat will pull

got walloped was at Lake Monduran. We were well up one of the main arms when a hailstorm struck late in the afternoon, and we were lucky that the hail wasn’t large.

Another bad experience came when we decided to stay overnight at Wathumba Creek on Fraser Island. Big

hard on the sand at daybreak.

The trip south to Urangan was a nightmare of white water on the beam and salty slaps in the face, but we made it back eventually. It was just one of those unlucky times when a favourable forecast proved incorrect.

Another time we got caught out in a storm was on

Maroon Dam on a rainy morning. Break out the rain gear and go catch those bass!

A successful fishing trip always involves combining a series of variables. Smart anglers consider the tides, time of day, and available time on the water. And of course, the photos they’ve seen on social media. Where would we be without those images to spur us on?

Once you have those 96

DECEMBER 2018

in light rain – and the fishing is often better on those days.

That said, fishing well away from base or out in one of the larger impoundments is a far different matter, especially if we adjourn the occasional showers and rain gear scenario, and instead think about a big fat thunderstorm.

are not at home. Your boat is in the water and it’s a fair run to the ramp, so it’s a bit late to be wondering if those big dark clouds approaching fast from the west might be storm clouds. It’s a fair bet they will be.

If there’s phone coverage (remember that this is never a given), a look

Some fairly heavy clouds gather at Lake Moogerah. Fortunately, in an impoundment of this size it’s easy to head back to base when you spot a storm looming. hard during squalls, and if that spar succumbs to the pressure and falls into the boat there could be very serious consequences.

You should also remember that heavy rain, even for a short time, will

mistake. Our target was small black marlin on fly, and the blacks were on the inside of Fraser, within reach of a run north in the 5.5 Galey centre console.

The forecast was for light winds and a possible

Moreton Bay. The boat was a half cabin so we simply drove slowly forward to keep it directly head-on into the majority of the wind and horizontal rain.

The visibility was close to zero, but we were far more

concerned about the amount of water gathering aft in the cockpit floor. Although the bilge pump was giving its best, it looked to be losing the battle so we had to get bailing with a bucket. At the end of the hour-long episode we were soaking wet, as was everything else in the boat, but hey – we were still afloat and underway.

BE WEATHER AWARE The lesson here is to check all of the weather forecasts before you set up the gear. And

don’t make a habit of pushing yourself and your boat to the limits, because sooner or later you will bite off more than you can chew.

It’s never been easier to assess weather forecasts and likely conditions as long as there’s internet connection available. The Bureau of Meteorology covers the whole of Australia, and many websites incorporate BOM information into their forecasts. If you take Brisbane’s Moreton Bay

as an example, there’s Baywind Moreton Bay, Coastwatch Moreton Bay, Moreton Island Weather Watch Forecast 14 day, Willy Weather Moreton Bay, Moreton Bay Weather Seabreeze, Moreton Bay wind forecast, and BOM Moreton Bay Radar. Other waterways near cities and towns also have similar data available. There’s no reason to not to be well informed.

Moving from forecasts to current conditions,

The author’s boat high and dry in Wathumba Creek right when increasing wind from the northwest made them eager to return to base.

This spot looks like a great place to score a fish, and it’s also a good place to shelter from strong breeze.

prevailing wind/wave scenarios are also available via the Observations and other similar pages within weather sites. These can provide wind strength plus wave heights for a huge number of localities in real time data configuration.

Local Observations are great to check before you leave home. After all, why drive to the ramp when the conditions are hostile?

If you’re planning a trip to a location where the phone coverage is poor, it’s particularly important

to closely examine the forecasts and to be super alert for signs that things will turn bad. At the first hint that things might turn pear shaped, start the engine and get going. Once you hear the thunder you have lost control of the situation!

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www.blakesmarine.com.au DECEMBER 2018

97

Just one of those days…

BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

I caught up with my mate Baz recently and we ended up talking fishing and it wasn’t long before a plan was hatched to kayak fish

first casts for the day. I let Baz drift ahead of me to get first shot at the fish.

Three casts in and my little 2.5” paddle-tail soft plastic was nailed by what felt like a solid flathead. A few spirited runs and I had a mid 50s flatty beside the kayak and slid the net under

back of Baz’s kayak, as there was no need for a second icebox to keep our lunch separate from the catch. A couple of ice bricks in a large zip lock bag would ensure the catch was kept in good condition, for a feed of fresh flathead fillets and salad.

So often when you catch

What a cracking morning.

A fun size trevally in the net after a spirited fight on light gear. early the next morning.

The water wasn’t a great colour after some recent rain, the moon wasn’t ideal and the breeze was supposed to blow from a direction that isn’t favourable… but you know what, we had the time and the morning was supposed to be fine and calm.

A 5am arrival and we were pushing the yaks off not long after, making our

Just as the tide was starting to turn to take us back toward our launch point Baz cast to the edge of a nice drop off, the plastic sank to the bottom and he started a slow hop and wind retrieve that resulted in a solid hit!

Unfortunately, that’s where the strike ended, resulting in a few muttered words.

Baz was suffering from ‘one of those days’, including no bites, catching loads of weed and other random structure and even scoring a nice loose loop of line that took some sorting.

Just when we thought it couldn’t get worse I looked over to see Baz stretching

Even small flathead are good fun. This one ate a midnight oil coloured ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ.

it for easy handling. Once on the lip grips Baz snapped a couple of pictures and I decided to keep this one for a meal after releasing the bulk of the fish landed of late.

The lip grips make it easy to transfer the fish securely to the icebox, minimizing the chance of ‘the one that got away’ stories.

As we were only doing a short session we just had the one icebox, stowed in the

A solid flathead to start the day, landed on a ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ.

Ready to launch and get stuck into a few fish.

98

DECEMBER 2018

a fish straight up you get pumped for a hot bite and then that’s it… and this was one of those days. We made plenty of casts to good water for hardly a rattle. All of the usual structure failed to produce until finally I hooked another smaller flathead. This was followed by a couple of rattles and then another flathead in my net that was soon released.

We were enjoying the cracker morning on the water, drifting close enough to have a chat, but I could sense that Baz was getting a bit frustrated that he hadn’t hooked up. The last couple of times we had fished were in my boat and Baz had landed some nice bream, flathead and trevally.

his back a bit and then he was in the drink! He leant too far to one side, the yak had tipped and he ended up taking a dip. Fortunately, the kayak had remained upright so no gear was lost… well, almost no gear. Baz noticed the rod and reel I had let him borrow were nowhere to be seen and as we were drifting quite quickly, so it was long gone.

I blame myself for this incident as my pedal kayak needs the broken rudder cable replaced and my seat inside is leaking, so I took my small kayak and he used my wife Sheri’s kayak.

This kayak is specifically designed for female paddlers and is light, tracks well and is easy to handle – but it

does have a reduced payload and is slightly narrower and less stable. I jokingly said to Baz before we launched that I was lending him an inexpensive rod and reel combo so that when he falls out of the yak and loses the combo it won’t be a big deal.

Good thing I carried a spare combo for him in my kayak.

Being a surfer Baz had no problem getting back onto the kayak and I struggled not to take a photo of him laying flat with his face in the seat and his feet hanging over the nose. I opted instead to take one when he was safely back in the seat. There were no smiles, well other than mine, when I paddles over

A mouth built to terrorise baitfish.

and passed him the spare combo I was carrying with me. I assured him that losing the rod and reel was worth every cent after witnessing the priceless display of acrobatics, but I couldn’t get much of a laugh out of him.

and Baz had still not landed a fish, only the one bite.

The three hour session had produced only four flathead and one trevally, not terrible, but definitely not a hot bite. I was ready to head for home, however, Baz was looking

with a long paddle back to our launch point against the tide, we instead pulled into the bank, loaded our kayaks onto the trolleys and rolled them back to our launch point with just one quick stop on the way to pick up a

however, I find leashes often get in the way and make fishing more difficult.

Instead I now opt to run entry-level rods and reels on the SUP and in the kayak, leaving the high-end gear for boat adventures. You can pick up a reasonable combo from $80-$200 that will handle bream, whiting, flathead, trevally and so on, and it’s less of a worry in terms of it getting splashed or potentially lost. We have only lost a couple of combos over the years, however, if you want to be safe leash it. Also, the number one rule for me is don’t put the combo in the flush mounted rod holders on the sides of the kayak behind your seat as I have heard of at least half a dozen being lifted out with the paddle stroke and lost.

In hindsight, when faced with the tough bite, we could have paddled back to the launch site and moved spots, changed up lures more often or tried

Baz gearing up for an early morning session.

This day turned into a hot session after catching a fish on the third cast.

To follow this up I landed another small flathead and then hooked onto something that ran hard and the head shakes told me that it wasn’t a flathead. A couple of solid runs and then I saw silver, confirming my belief that I had hooked a trevally. Trevally are great fun on light gear, but this

for redemption and I was happy to tag along.

We paddled a few hundred metres and drifted a long flat that normally produces a few fish. The problem was we were now well into a big run-in tide and it wasn’t feeling very fishy, with a breeze from the north, strong current and

feed of hot chips.

Baz was angry with himself for falling in, losing the rod and reel and not catching any fish… but you know what, that’s fishing and I’m sure it won’t be long until we are both sharing a laugh about the that time we had a bit of a shocker and he went for a swim. Some

Baz working a plastic down a weed edge. something completely out of the box. At the end of the day these tougher days on the water make the good ones even better and at some point we are all going to have ‘one of those

days’. The best thing you can do is get back on the horse and now that Baz has had a couple of days to lick his wounds we are already planning our next adventure. How sweet

the feeling will be when his rod loads up on the next fish that he hooks and who knows, we might even share a laugh about this not so perfect day out.

See you on the water.

Rather than fight the current back, the guys paddled to the bank and loaded the yaks onto the C-Tug trolleys for an easy roll back. little bloke had punched well above his weight and it was nice to get a few pictures and then send him on his way.

There have been quite a few trevally caught of late and these fish are too good to catch just once, so I always return them to the water.

By this time we had reached our launch point

not much bait around. I had one bream rattle on the flats, with no hook up.

It was then onto a weedy drain that has produced in the past and again Baz was landing plenty of weed but neither of us hooked a fish.

We persisted for an hour or so, flogging the water to foam for nothing and

days you catch them and some days you don’t, but guarantee you won’t catch them sitting at home. It was good to catch up, go on an adventure, see some turtles and dolphins, and still end up with one in the icebox for a feed.

If the rod was leashed on we would still have it,

The author with a fun size trevally landed on a soft plastic.

DECEMBER 2018

99

589 Stacer Ocean Ranger with 115 Yamaha

SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

The 589 Stacer Ocean Ranger Centre Cab Hard Top is not only impressive on the trailer or sitting in the water, it’s also a weapon when underway. The F115LB 4-stroke Yamaha outboard pulls the 589 Ocean Ranger out of the hole with so much ease it’s ridiculous. If you were to decide to go the extra mile and put on the maximum of a 135hp outboard, you would have plenty of extra power if you needed it.

However, in my opinion the F115LB 4-stroke Yamaha outboard is enough.

Main: In less than 50m the 115hp 4-stroke Yamaha had the Ocean Ranger up on the plane with ease. Whether you are sitting or standing, you still have clear vision over the console.

Above: The Ocean Ranger punched through the waves with ease, while pushing the spray aside.

700rpm as it was so quiet.

Travelling at 8 knots it was approximately 2900rpm,

SPECIFICATIONS Beam:.......................................................... 2.40m Bottom sides: .......................................... 5.00mm Depth: ......................................................... 1.17m Height on trailer: ........................................ 3.10m Max length:................................................. 5.98m Length on trailer: ........................................7.23m Main motor weight: ................................... 206kg Max. hp: ...................................................... 135hp Number of people (basic): ................................ 5 Topsides: ...................................................... 4mm Transom material: ........................................ 5mm Transom shaft length: ....................................L/S Weight (boat only): ..................................... 990kg While testing the boat there were a couple of times when I forgot that the motor was still revving at 100

DECEMBER 2018

and at near top speed it was travelling at 45 knots while pulling 5500rpm.

The 589 Ocean Ranger

Centre Cab Hardtop was released at the 2018 Boat Show in Melbourne, and the EVO Advanced hull elicited an enthusiastic response from show-goers. Many of them told the exhibitor staff that they couldn’t wait to take one for a test drive.

On the test day there was a stiff southeast wind blowing across Woolooware and Botany Bay, and as I put the Ocean Ranger through its paces, I found the sharp entry point and the 20° deadrise gave a smooth ride.

The reverse chine deflected the spray, giving us a ride that was both comfortable and dry as we crossed over the chop.

The 589 Ocean Ranger Centre Cab Hardtop has a milk crate rib structure of

8 x 6mm vertical stringers, 5mm horizontal ribs, a double wielded solid

T chine and keel, a box section floor frame for added strength, super wide gunnels, roto-moulded anchor well for reduced vibration up front, a selfdraining checker plate floor (the one tested had a carpeted floor) and a super sump drainage system.

This drive-away package included the F115LB 4-Stroke Yamaha outboard, Yamaha Rigging kit of a 704 top mount binnacle control, 6YC digital Screen LAN gauge, a Yamaha Alloy SDS K-Series 131/2” x 15k 7U18 prop, Yamaha fuel/water separator, control cables, trim limit switch, a Stacer TP alloy tandem axle trailer with rollers and mechanical brakes, a Garmin GPSmap

1222xsv chartplotter/ sonar combo, an Airmar B175M 1kW bronze thruhull transducer, 2 x Century NS70M marine batteries, 12-month NSW trailer and vessel registration, safety kit, sand anchor with rope and chain, factory electric toilet, seat cabin cushions, bait and fishing station, and trailer tie-down straps.

All for a cool price of $76,055.

If you would like to see more of the 589 Ocean Ranger Centre Cab Hardtop, drop into Marina Bayside at 1-13 Mangrove Lane, Taren Point or call them on (02) 9524 0044.

You can also find more information at www. marinabayside.com.au.

While travelling at 8 knots the 589 Ocean Ranger Centre Cab Hardtop doesn’t seem to push out too much wake.

The 589 Ocean Ranger Centre Cab Hardtop is supplied on a Stacer TP alloy Tandem axle trailer with rollers and mechanical brakes.

This rig would look great being towed behind any vehicle.

Here you can see the sleek lines of the sharp entry point, 20° deadrise, reverse chine and smooth rolled sides.

The fold-down aluminium ladder and the rear transom door will give you easy access into the boat, whether from the shore or on the water.

Even with the controls, 6YC digital Screen LAN gauge, the Garmin GPSmap 1222xsv chart plotter/ sonar combo and the locked glove box you still have plenty of room to put a few more gadgets.

This rig came with its own toilet up front. The single bed also had plenty of storage room underneath.

The combination of the sharp entry point, 20° deadrise, reverse chine and smooth rolled sides give you a smooth and dry ride.

This rig would be very comfortable when fishing offshore, or when taking out family or friends for a day in the estuaries or lakes. The package comes with enough standard features and a few extras – all you need is some bait and your rods.

The rear bait board had a lockable tackle storage compartment, and four rod holders which could be easily washed down after a day’s fishing.

At the rear of the boat there was plenty of storage for two batteries, and the live well had a see-through front so you can keep an eye on your live baits.

A couple of steps make it easy to get around the boat.

DECEMBER 2018

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Stessl Bluewater 520 with Yamaha F115hp

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Glenn Gibson from Yamaha tagged along on the test to see how the rig performed.

Glenn gave the modern technology some historical perspective.

SPECIFICATIONS Length.Overall............................. 5.5m Length.bow.to.transom.............. 5.3m Length.on.trailer ......................... 6.7m Height.on.trailer .......................... 2.4m Beam............................................ 2.4m Depth ........................................... 1.35m Bottom.sheet .............................. 4mm Side.Sheet ................................... 4mm Hull.weight .................................. 550kg Rec.HP ......................................... 90 Max.HP ........................................ 115 Capacity ...................................... 6 persons

Main: The Stessl 520 Bluewater was plenty of fun to hang around out of the Tweed River. The Stessl factory is a short trip from the Tweed and the Bluewater was designed for exactly these waters.

Above: There’s no shortage of places to hold a fishing rod – either when in use or being stored.

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We’ve tested a couple of Stessl Platetrix boats since new owner of Stessl, Scotty James (who also makes Horizon Boats), has taken the helm. And the first thing I asked Scott when we did the first of these tests is “What’s Platetrix”?

The answer was pretty simple. Platetrix is a design philosophy that’s based around over-engineering the heck out of the hull so that it’ll outlast any owner.

They do this with extra

pedestal seats and some bars to help gear from sliding back from the front of the runabout.

Powered by Yamaha’s second generation F115,

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s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

longitudinal and latitudinal stringers welded below the deck, and the backbone of the hull is a keel extrusion that’s a backbone to the whole construction process.

“You’ll break yourself before you break the boat,” Scott confidently answered when asked if it was breakable.

With an overall length of 5.5m, the 520 Bluewater is a boat designed to be a versatile inshore and offshore rig in SE Queensland and beyond.

It has a unique design internally, which sees a full floor run from transom to bow, punctuated only by the

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“We all came from a background as kids when we all went boating with the old 2-stroke V4s – oil in one container and fuel in the other. Look at it today – we have a 4-stroke motor where you turn the key and it runs quietly and smoke free.

Doesn’t matter if it’s cold, hot, rainy or sunny – they just work and it makes for a great boating experience,” Glenn said.

With the 115 at the top end of the allowable power on this hull, the rig made for a great day on the water for the test crew. At dawn, we ventured offshore from the Tweed and later on we retreated to the river for some estuary work.

The economy was great – delivering around 2.4km/L at 3,500rpm. Drop the throttle and you can reach 65km/h,

Back in the river, the Bluewater was equally capable. but each litre gets you 800m less. With a 150L fuel tank underfloor, the practical range is well over 300km on a tank.

Other features that will interest the angler are the bait station on the transom, which holds all you need to get rigged while on the water, and the huge underfloor kill tank that will store a bag limit of mackerel with ease.

Add a targa top rocket launcher and your storage problems are solved.

At the helm, the seats are well positioned and there’s a small ledge to cradle your

forearm as you’re making throttle adjustments. There’s room for bracket mounted electronics and the LCD Yamaha gauge was flushmounted into the aluminium.

Supplied on a singleaxle trailer and weighing in at around 1.5t, this rig is towable by most family cars and would make an excellent transition into a ‘real’ fishing boat from your smaller tinnie.

For more information, see your local Stessl dealer, visit www.stessl.com. au or like Stessl Boats on Facebook.

PERFORMANCE RPM......Speed.(km/h). Economy.(km/L) 1000 .........................7 ....................... 3.7 2000....................... 11 ....................... 5.3 3000....................... 20 ....................... 2.0 4000....................... 39 ....................... 2.2 5000....................... 50 ....................... 1.9 5900 ....................... 65 ....................... 1.6 • Tested with 16” SST SDS propeller

A steep entry tapers back to a moderate lee at the transom to offer a comfortable ride in choppy conditions.

The fold-up ladder and walk-through transom door facilitate easy boarding.

The unique floor design of the Bluewater sees the flat internal floor running from bow to transom at the same level.

The bait station at the transom holds rods, drinks, bait and knives.

The fold-away rear lounge gives your passengers somewhere to sit and tucks out of the way when the fishing begins.

Some simple bars for’ard keep your important gear dry and up the front.

This Bluewater sported a good-looking vinyl wrap that will turn heads at the ramp.

I don’t mind a bit of a sill to rest the arm on while driving. The test boat was fitted with a sounder combo and Yamaha’s LCD screen digital gauges.

Overhead fishing rod storage is virtually mandatory in this kind of boat. It keeps your tackle out of the way and out of danger. Unless you forget about that low hanging branch at the ramp….

The Yamaha F115 delivered great economy – getting you 2.4km/L at 3,500rpm.

Standard side pockets hold your gear that needs to be readily accessible.

Now THAT’s an underfloor kill tank.

Made for and in a part of the world where you can fill it with mackerel.

DECEMBER 2018

103

UNBEATABLE 150hp FourStroke

The Mercury 150hp FourStroke is the largest displacement and lowest weight outboard in its class. The perfect partner for powering trailer boats.

UNEXPECTEDLY COMPACT MERCURY

HONDA

YAMAHA

DISPLACEMENT COMPARISON SUZUKI

3000

2500

3000cc

206kg 217kg

2867cc

2000

223kg

2670cc 2354cc

232kg MERCURY

THE MERCURY 150HP FOURSTROKE COMES IN AT AN INCREDIBLY LIGHT 206KG* MAKING IT THE LIGHTEST IN ITS HORSEPOWER CLASS.

YAMAHA

HONDA

THE MERCURY 150HP FOURSTROKE IS THE LARGEST DISPLACEMENT, HELPING OUT GUN OTHER 4-STROKES IN THE CATEGORY.

*Based on Mercury’s 150hp (L) model. Information based on all manufacturers’ claimed horsepower and weight figures.

mercurymarine.com.au

SUZUKI