NSW Fishing Monthly July 2017

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July 2017, Vol. 22 No. 12

Contents 17

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From the Editor’s Desk...

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Managing Editor: Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas Sub-Editors: Bob Thornton Nicole Penfold Cordelia Adams Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall

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TO SUBSCRIBE SEE PAGE 109 FIND THE COASTAL BLACK LOGO COMPETITION PAGE 89 New South Wales Fishing Monthly magazine goes on sale the last week of each preceding month (latest sale date 31st of the month).

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Swimbait enthusiast Adam Townsend holds up a hefty Murray cod that he caught on a soft Westin swimbait.

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NEW SOUTH WALES FISHING MONTHLY

Well, that and the 30-hour trip back home after a couple of days in the outdoor office.

AFTA TRADE SHOW LIVE SHOWS Back on home soil, we’ll be broadcasting live TackleJunkie shows again this year from the AFTA Trade Show on the Gold Coast at the end of the month.

Incredibly popular in 2016, you’ll see Simon Goldsmith and I in front of the camera, backed by a big team behind the scenes to present what we think is the best-ofthe-best new tackle arriving for the coming season.

To watch, just Like the TackleJunkie page on Facebook, or sign-up to the email list on www.tacklejunkie. fish and we’ll let you know the broadcast schedule.

Of course, if you want it old-school, there’ll be mountains of pages in the subsequent issues of your favourite FM magazine.

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and parking tickets.

That spending sucks.

The ‘fun money’, however, is serious business and it’s our business to let you know what options you have there when it comes to spending it! After all, the fun money buys us the freedom to adventure further, more, safer or more efficiently.

The last trip I did to Florida I was waiting to get on a boat for testing. A 100lb Atlantic tarpon rolled beside me, gulping a little air and was gone moments later, leaving only a trail of bubbles.

To the locals it wasn’t worth a second glance. Maybe it was like a metre-barra chopping in your prop wash while retrieving your boat at the local barra lake?

I was kind of speechless.

Fish-of-a-lifetime, no rods close. No opportunity to hook it.

Probably 20 of his mates sitting under the dock…

The suffering is real.

And that’s the pain we put up with at Fishing Monthly to get you the story.

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fishing gear trying to catch a tarpon-of-a-lifetime – although I want to. And I’m not swanning around the pool drinking cocktails - although other people are.

I spent 30 hours travelling one way to a global launch as the guest of an outboard motor company to report on some sort of new product. You’ll see the editorial in these pages – although I don’t know what it is yet.

The big reveal is tomorrow.

Unfortunately, there is also an embargo on the release date, so readers will just have to wait...

As usual, Fishing Monthly will make videos, we will write stories and these will be published in print and online and form the basis of your research when it comes to serious purchases over the next four or five years.

I mean ‘serious purchases’, too. My opinion is that we’re allowed to bemoan the money we spend on rent, power bills

PRO

Location: Florida, USA. I’ve decided to start publishing the places I’m writing my monthly welcome to the magazine. This month it’s from Florida, USA. Last month it was from on the road from the BREAM Australian Open road trip and the month before it was from Port Phillip Bay in the pelting rain.

Yep, I seem to get around.

I know what you’re thinking as you’re reading this.

Possibly from the only place you get any peace and quiet at home - sitting on the toilet.

“You lucky bugger!”

But if you said that, you’re probably commenting without getting the full story.

Incidentally, plenty of readers say that’s exactly where their Fishing Monthly gets read – on the throne. Takes a month to get through it all there and yes, there is something wrong with using a phone or tablet in this sacred place.

I’m not clad in fancy fly

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BYRON COAST The Tweed 26 Tweed Inshore 28 Ballina 30 Yamba 32 Iluka 31 Wooli 34 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour 35 Coffs Game 36 South West Rocks 37 MACQUARIE COAST Port Macquarie 38 Forster 40 Harrington-Taree 42 HUNTER COAST Port Stephens 46 Hunter Coast 43 Swansea 44 Central Coast 47 SYDNEY The Hawkesbury 14 Sydney North 16 Pittwater 17 Sydney Harbour 18 Sydney Rock and Beach 19 Botany Bay 20 Sydney South 22 Western Sydney 24 ILLAWARRA COAST Illawarra 48 Nowra 49 BATEMANS COAST Merimbula 61 Narooma 60 Batemans Bay 62 EDEN COAST Bermagui 65 Tathra 64 Eden 64 Mallacoota 65 FRESHWATER Robinvale 76 Yarrawonga 77 Mildura 76 Canberra 68 Wagga Wagga 71 Jindabyne 69 Batlow 72 Lithgow-Oberon 70 Hunter Valley 74 Tamworth 73 Copeton Dam 75 New England 74 REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 13 Dam Levels 73 Fun Page 67 Tides 66 Track My Fish 54 Trade Directory 90 Tournaments 78 What’s New Fishing 50 What’s New Boating 88 SPECIAL FEATURES Guide to swimbaiting gear 8 Tested: Korr Bushmaster 4000 56 Sydney International Boat Show Guide 99

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“After mates see me catching trophy fish on your KL hooks, it doesn’t take long for most to give them a try... They’re truly great!”

“I was fishing light so it is always hard to get a good hook set, but, it was hooked perfectly. If I wasn’t using the DX Point hooks I question if I would have landed this fish.”

Black Magic hooks are point loaded during batch testing to ensure maximum strength and performance.

RELIABLE HOOK UPS. MAXIMUM STRENGTH. MADE IN JAPAN. “I have been using your C Point hooks for the past 2 years with a lot of success on Jewfish, with solid hookups in the jaw bone.”

“The DX Point hook does exactly what it was designed to do. With it’s four cutting edges, it penetrates straight through bony mouths.”

“The best hook for small live baits. It pins them perfect every time. I wouldn’t use anything else.”

“The Black Magic KL hooks are the only hook I’ll ever use.

They are lethal.”

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Swimbaits – the experts’ tools of the trade

BRISBANE

Simon Goldsmith

The emergence of the swimbait trends in Australia in the last 12-18 months has been an angling revolution in many ways. This bait and technique genre has bubbled away quietly under the sportfishing industry surface for many years, but its popularity has now exploded. The increased availability of overseas swimbaits, the proliferation of information via social media channels and the exponential uptake of the

technique by anglers has seen it emerge as one of the most exciting developments in lure fishing for quite some time.

The arrival of swimbaiting on such a large scale has opened people’s eyes to new possibilities, both in terms of the size of lures that fish will eat, but also the size of fish that are out there to be caught. The spike of XOS cod pictures across social media can be attributed to the increased number of swimbaits hanging from rod tips throughout the country.

These new baits and new frontiers have delivered a new

landscape in tackle design, with big baits delivering big demands of tackle and equipment. When it comes to swimbaiting, only the right tackle will do. Anything less just doesn’t cut it.

A man who has spent plenty of time with a swimbait in his hand is Australia’s bass export Carl Jocumsen. Carl understands the role having the right tools for the job plays in the swimbait game.

“Throwing swimbaits is like nothing else,” he said.

“The lure and technique is insanely hard on tackle, and to do it correctly requires a whole new tackle system.

I like to see my swimbait set-up as a complete system that includes the rod, reel, line, and of course the lure.

Each piece of the system is important, and they are all as important as each other.”

When Carl talks we should listen, and in this article we’ll break down each piece of the swimbait system and look at the options available for Aussie anglers when it comes to choosing the tools for the swimbait trade.

ROD RAGE When it comes to swimbaiting, not all rods are created equal. While one rod can cover many techniques

Main: The results of a hot swimbait session and the correct swimbait outfit.

Above: The Shimano Tranx are a workhorse reel for throwing XOS swimbaits.

The Tatula Swimbaits live up to the Tatula name offering looks and performance that’s second to none.

Australian designed rods like the Samaki Zing Extreme and Wilson Venom series more than hold their own against the overseas offerings.

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and lures if you’re throwing small to mid sized topwaters, crankbaits, or soft plastics, it’s a different story for swimbaits. Only a rod made purposely for the job will do.

Australia rod design guru Ian Miller knows this well.

“When it comes to swimbait rods it’s important to keep in mind that it’s all about the lure,” he said. “The main job of the rod is to cast a potentially big, heavy lure so it can be presented in the strike zone, and because

swimbaits come in many sizes and weights, the rod must match the lure weights you intend to use. Don’t get too confused by line breaking strains for the rod, just check rod specifications for recommended lure weights to make sure your swimbait rod is suitable for these lure weights (what you’ll likely be using). If you want to throw really ‘big baits’ then you’ll need a more powerful rod, and that will be a completely different animal... because

one rod won’t do it all.”

With Ian’s philosophy at the centre of rod selection, the next question is what rods are available for the Aussie swimbait. One angler who has been truly bitten by the swimbaiting bug is Daniel Clancy, and he has a duo of rods that he reaches for on a regular basis.

“Millerods are my weapon of choice,” he said, “And there are two that I use above anything else. For my lighter swimbaiting, lures between 170 and 230mm, I’ll use a BeastFreak. It’s 7’10” long and is designed

for throwing lures 30-150g in weight and is one of the most versatile rods going around.”

However, what really gets Clancy’s casting arm twitching is XOS swimbaits.

Those big, 250mm-plus baits demand a lot from both angler and tackle.

“Throwing big baits can be a real challenge, and you want a rod that will happily load up when you make a big cast and is able to control the lure in the water and through the air,” he explained. “The Millerods DreamFreak is made to do this with ease, and will handle baits up to

Left: A true power reel with a tonne of drag and line capacity, the 13 Fishing Concept A3.

Right: The Daiwa Tatula HD is setting the standard when it comes to power, performance and value for money.

The Dusk swimbait rods are tailor made for big baits and big cod.

225g in weight.”

Luke Parsons is another swimbait cod addict who favours Millerods, and Luke has three in his quiver of rods that cover his swimbait needs.

“I use a SwimFreak for the lighter stuff, a BeastFreak for the mid stuff and the DreamFreak for the big stuff,” Luke said. “Regardless of which one I’m using, they offer the same benefits and traits: the ability to throw a bait a long way, and do so without placing undue pressure and effort on the angler. Fatigue is a serious issue; it can be flat out exhausting launching a 6.5oz glidebait over and over for three days straight.

The long butt of the Millerod swimbait rods allows for good rod leverage, and a smooth,

natural two-handed casting action that greatly helps minimise angler fatigue.”

When it comes to swimbaiting in Australia, one name features more than many: Adam Townsend. A committed swimbait junkie and an angler who has muscled many swimbaiteating cod to the bank or boat, Adam favours the Dusk Custom Rods for his big bait work.

“My favourite rod is a 7’0” fast, medium/light Dusk rod,” he said. “It can throw lures up to 5oz, and it’s a rod that I use on both the lakes and in the rivers.”

Dusk offers two models in the Swimbait Range – a 7’10,” 3/4-3oz, moderate/ fast action, heavy power

model, and a 7’10,” 3/4-4oz, moderate/fast action, extra heavy power model. Built with the Australian angler in mind and with impressive styling and build quality, the Dusk Swimbait Range is certainly worthy of your attention.

When it comes to swimbaiting there are no hotter baits at the moment than those from the Jackall stable, and Jackall Australia’s Harry Watson is one guy that’s revelling in the swimbait trend at the moment. It’s no great surprise when it comes to selecting a rod for hurling his swimbaiting long and hard, he opts for G.Loomis branded rod. A user of G.Loomis products since he To page 10

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From page 9

was a boy, Harry favours the models in the G.Loomis Swimbait Series.

“Some anglers like a fast or ultra fast rod for throwing their swimbaits,” he said.

“However, I like to use a medium/fast action rod, and it’s the G.Loomis 904 that I use more often than not. It’s an awesome rod and I use it for throwing lures up to 70g in weight.”

Daiwa have a rich history of providing anglers with design and performanceleading products, and the swimbait rods available from the Daiwa Australia stable are true to that trend. The Tatula name has become famous since it was added to the Daiwa line-up a few years ago, and the Tatula rod range features two specific models for swimbaiting – the

swimbait needs catered for, with the 77H Swimbait Custom featuring cork grips, two-piece construction and Fuji SIC guides.

The famous Wilson name occupies an enviable position on the Australia tackle landscape, and are designed with the needs of the Australian angler in mind, along with attention to detail and performance. This focus is evident in Wilson’s Venom rod series, and in particular their 7’6” Venom Swimbait rod. Designed specifically for swimbaiting for Australian species, the Venom is a true workhorse.

“The rod was designed to cast lures, and not just to lob lures but to actually load hard and power cast lures a long way,” explained Wilson Fishing’s Troy Dixon. “It does that and it will throw

With an RRP of $149.95 the 13 Fishing Defy swimbait is outstanding value for money.

Another US brand with a rich and proven rod design history is 13 Fishing, and they have many swimbait options available for the Aussie angler.

“We have two ranges, the Defy Series and the Muse Black Series,” explained 13 Fishing Australia’s Andrew McKinstray. “They are ergonomically designed for optimum angler comfort and performance.”

Both series feature the 13 Fishing aesthetics and styling that have helped make the brand famous, with the Muse Black featuring six swimbait models, from the 7’9” heavy power model all the way up to the big dog of the range, the 8’6” extra/extra heavy model. The Defy series offers two models, and features an impressive recommended retail price of $149.99.

Dobyns Rods have a strong following in Australia, particularly with the tournament and high-end lure fishing fraternity. For those anglers who love their Dobyns, there are many swimbait models to choose from. The Fury and

Champion XP series both feature models ideal for the Australian swimbait fan.

The Champion XP Series features nine swimbait models which are built on ultra-sensitive, high-modulus graphite blanks with Fuji Alconite guides, Fuji graphite reel seats, and AA grade cork grips. The Fury Series is designed with budgetconscious angler in mind, and features two swimbait models, the 795SB and the 806SB. Samaki fans are also catered for when it comes to swimbait tackle, with the Zing Xtreme Series offering anglers two rod models to choose from. The lighter model in the range, the Zing Extreme SZX-792BSBH, is 7’9” in length, designed for 15-30lb line and lures 1-5oz in weight. The second and heaviest model in the range, the Zing Extreme SZX-802BSBXH, is 8’0” in length and will cast lures 2-8oz. Both models feature Fuji K guides, custom super-hard EVA camo grips, premium Toray carbon fibre blanks and AA cork grips.

REEL IT IN When it comes to selecting the reel to use, not just any reel will do.

Carl Jocumsen has his own preferences.

“The demands a swimbait places on a reel is like nothing else in light tackle lure fishing. If you use the same reel you use for throwing 1/2oz spinnerbaits or crankbaits you’re going to wear it out and eventually destroy it,” he explained.

“While low-profile baitcasters will do the job with small swimbaits, when you start throwing the big baits a barrel style baitcaster is the only way to go.”

Luke Parsons agrees.

“I use a 8.5:1 Shimano Metanium MLG for throwing lures up to about 140g, and once I go heavier than this I use a 5.6:1 Shimano Calcutta Conquest 400,” he said.

A slow down in reel retrieve ration is another thing that Luke does when he starts to go big.

“Big baits mean big fish, and a slower reel provides you with more cranking

Top: Storing swimbaits in kitchen storage is a great way to house plenty of baits with little fuss and cost. Above: Looking for top shelf storage for your swimbaits then look no further than the Versus range.

76H and the 76XH. Featuring a unique telescopic butt that allows the rod to collapse to a shorter length for improved storage capability, the Tatula Swimbait rods are both light and crisp in the hand, yet equally powerful and strong.

For those anglers looking for a more economical priced swimbait rod, the Tatula range is well worth a look.

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swimbaits up to 180g with ease. It also has the strength to muscle fish, which is something not every swimbait rod is designed can do.”

The US is famous for swimbaiting, and one brand that occupies a good footing in the swimbaiting market over there is Storm. Aussie distributor Rapala Australia has taken advantage of Storm’s proven performers to bring one of their newest releases

to the Australian market.

“The Storm Arashi Swimbait rod offers both excellent performance and value,” explained Rapala Australia’s Tom Slater.

“It features 30 ton blank construction, measures 7’6” in length and is capable of throwing lures up to 120g in weight. They’re also great value for money, with a recommended retail price of $150.”

A perfect combination, cod, a Shimano Tranx, and Jackall swimbaits.

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From page 10

torque and more pulling power when trying to winch out giant fish,” he explained.

Daniel Clancy follows a similar path when it comes to reel selection – low-profile for the lighter stuff and a barrel reel for when things get big.

“I use either a Shimano Core or Curado for the small stuff, and then swap it for a Calcutta Conquest 400 when throwing big baits,” he said. “I’ve recently added a new Shimano Tranx 300 to my big bait line-up and it’s absolutely awesome.”

Harry Watson is another angler who is a fan of the new Shimano Tranx.

“The Tranx is strong, smooth and holds a ton of line,” he said. “It also handles the rigors of throwing swimbaits all day long.”

Daiwa offer swimbait fans a host of reel options as well, with the famous Zillion name hard to go past.

It has outstanding casting performance that put its ahead of the pack, courtesy of the Zillion’s T-Wing System.

Additionally, its bulletproof construction and reliability make it the ideal choice for those looking for a low-profile swimbait baitcaster.

The Daiwa Tatula HD is the perfect accompaniment to the Tatula swimbait rod range.

The HD is available in two retrieve ratios (6.3 and 7.3:1) and features large neoprene handle knobs, making it one of the more ergonomic and comfortable reels to use.

Daiwa also have your large reel needs catered for, with the Ryoga Shrapnel big in looks, performance and power. The Shrapnel carries 13 bearings, a 6.2:1 retrieve ratio, 10kg of drag and will accommodate 195m of PE5 line. This is one stunning looking and performing swimbait reel.

The 13 Fishing Concept A3 baitcaster offers a host of different options for the swimbait angler, and is available in both left and right models. The A3 is available in four different retrieve ratios (5.3:1, 6.6:1, 7.3:1, and 8.1:1). It weighs in at under 200g, but although this reel a lightweight in body weight, it’s anything but a lightweight when it comes to performance.

“The A3 has 22lb of drag pressure, seven ball bearings and casts big baits all day long with absolute ease,” explained Andrew McKinstray. “It’s a low-profile baitcaster that punches well above its weight.”

Another reel that’s famous stateside is Lews, and Australian anglers have many to choose from at home. Lews Australia’s Craig Simmons is the man behind Lews in Australia.

“Lews are famous in the US for their ability to cast hard, cast long, and outlast the others,” he said. “When it comes to swimbaiting, it’s 12

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One of Carl Jocumsen’s favourite swimbait outfits a Millerods DreamFreak and Shimano baitcaster. hard to go past the Lews Super Duty Speed Spool. It’s perfecting for throwing big baits all day long.”

THE LINE UP Big baits require big line. In the US and Japan, most anglers throwing swimbaits opt for 20 or 30lb fluorocarbon, but on Australian soil our swimbait fans run PE and braid nine times out of ten.

Harry Watson has been a long time user of Platypus line and, as expected, it features heavily in his line-up when swimbaiting.

“Cod are not a line burner but there’s a lot of structure like granite rocks where I do most of my swimbaiting, so I like to go a heavy line,” Harry explained. “I run either 50lb Platypus Super Braid or P8 mainline and match it with 40-60lb Sunline FC100 fluorocarbon leader.”

Daniel Clancy also goes with a braid/fluoro leader setup.

“I fish 40lb Power Pro Super Slick Braid with a 40lb Sufix Super 21 fluorocarbon leader for my light set-up, then I bump it up to a 50lb mainline/50 leader set-up for my heavy outfit,” Daniel explained. “I favour the Power Pro because it’s smooth, strong, not too chunky and has proven itself trip after trip. I also like the Sufix Super 21 leader because it’s more supple than a lot of other fluoros, and has excellent shock resistance.”

Luke has a similar line set-up as Dan, with only a slight difference.

“Dan and I use the same lines but I use 30lb for my small swimbaits, then step it up to 50lb and 40lb leader on my mid sized swimbaits, then 50lb and 50lb on my big baits,” he said.

Adam Townsend is a Yamatoyo fan when it comes to line selection, and opts for 45lb Yamatoyo Super PE mainline and 40-45lb Yamatoyo fluorocarbon leader.

“The Yamatoyo is bulletproof,” Adam said.

“It’s super abrasion resistant,

wears incredibly well over time and is trouble free through the guides and when it comes to tying knots.”

STOWED AWAY When the lures you’re throwing are worth anything between $20 and $400, you want to make sure you keep them in top-notch condition.

However, when it comes to storing swimbaits up to 30cm in length, it can be no easy task finding a box or tray that will house them.

Some of our anglers opt for a makeshift (but effective) approach, but if you like a bit more structured order in your life there are some purposedesigned options available.

Harry Watson is one of the anglers who opts for the simple storage option.

“There’s nothing special about it,” he said, “I just use a cheap sandwich container from the supermarket.”

Adam has a similar approach and uses a container that I think all lure anglers have in the tackle storage set-up – a Sistema plastic tub from Coles.

“The Sistema container is perfect,” Adam said. “It fits perfectly in my Berkley

backpack and can hold lots of big baits, covering both the rivers and dams.”

Daniel Clancy is guy who’s often looking for a better way to do things, and his approach to swimbait storage is no different.

“When it comes to swimbait storage, I am yet to find a good solution in the fishing industry,” he said. “Instead, I use storage solutions available from Bunnings. They have a variety of storage options for tools and hardware that are similar to a tackle box, but they have way more options to fit big baits in a practical and organised way.”

For those anglers who are less inclined to look outside of the fishing market for storage options, proven brands such as Bass Mafia and Versus have options suited to housing swimbaits.

Jon Millard is Bass Marfia’s distributor.

“The 3700 DD Coffin is ideal for swimbaits,” Jon said.

“It has removable dividers, is fully waterproof, is deep so it can accommodate big lures, and is virtually bulletproof.”

Versus have two standout

models, with the VS-3070 an ideal briefcase-style storage option, while the VS-3043 is an ideal deep stowawaystyle storage case that will fit plenty of big baits.

Flambeau offer many options as well, with the Tufftainer and Ultimate Tufftainer two of the best.

Featuring Flambeau’s Zerust technology, which minimises corrosion, the Tufftainer’s rigid construction will keep your swimbaits safe and secure. The Ultimate Tufftainer is the standout of the two models, with its silicone gasket keeping your lures waterproof and dry.

THE TERMINAL Lure anglers love to tinker with their tackle, and it’s no different when it comes to swimbaits. For those looking to tune their stock standard baits, there are a few options available.

Many of the latest baits to hit the market, such those in the Jackall stable, have the facility to add extra weight, and it’s this addition of extra weight that is becoming very popular amongst many swimbaits fans. Jackall Australia’s Harry Watson is a big fan of this.

“I chin weight my lures a lot of the time, mostly with tungsten weights,” he said. “Doing this allows me to change the running depth of my lure.

“For example, at night when fishing shallow I might use a 1/4oz weight, while during the day I might use a 1/2oz weight and fish the lure 15-20ft down. I also make sure I split ring the weights on rather than clip them on. Barra and cod can have a tendency to throw the weights off if they’re just clipped on.”

For those anglers looking for a locally available, off-the-shelf option when it comes to chin weights, the Mustad Fastach X-Weight is hard to go past. Troy Dixon from Wilson Fishing understands the importance

Harry Watson loves his cod and swimbaits.

of adjusting weights.

“The Fastach connection makes it easy to clip and on and clip off the weight. With a 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2oz weights to choose from its easy to match the weight to the depth you want to fish,” Troy explained.

Daniel Clancy is another guy who likes to add some weight to his baits.

However, Dan prefers the stick-on variety.

“I carry a range of weights, mostly stick-on ones, that I put on the lure rather than clipping on hanging chin weights,” he said. “I see a lot of guys using chin weights, but I’m not a real fan. I prefer to use the stick-on ones.”

Dan doesn’t just carry sticky weights though – he has a trick bag of goodies that he always brings with him when fishing.

“I always carry various little bits and pieces for on-water alterations,” he explained. “I always upgrade the hooks and rings before using a bait, and swap the stock terminal for VMC components. Wire harnesses and multiple rigging harness options are always in the box pre-done, as well when soft swimbaits are been used.”

Luke Parsons also upgrades his hardware before he throws a lure.

“You’ll find that 99.9% of the swimbaits we have here in Australia are not designed for our fish, and the hooks will be below par 9/10 times,” Luke explained. “Owner STx3/ x4 series hooks are solid as a rock and have not let me down yet.”

THE WRAP So there you have it – a run-down on the tools of the trade on the market for those anglers looking to tie on a swimbait and get started in this highly addictive pursuit.

Rest assured we’re only going to see more swimbait tackle become available as the year rolls on, and the momentum of this trends gathers even more speed.

Don’t be a fool with fuel NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Too many people take the safety aspects involved with handling boat fuel for granted… potentially at their peril!

I don’t mind admitting that I’m quietly terrified of petrol, especially in and around boats. I think about the potential for catastrophe almost every time I turn the ignition key or refuel my vessel. Yet the explosive and highly flammable properties of volatile fuels and their invisible vapours pose a threat that I believe far too many boaties fail to consider. Some people may regard my extreme

truth in the old chestnut that you can actually extinguish a burning match in a cup of diesel, at least at room temperature. It’d be a very brave (or stupid) person who’d try the same trick with a cup of petrol!

Petrol-powered boats with built-in, below-floor fuel storage, or even portable tote tanks placed in holds, bilges or partially sealed compartments, present particular risks. Spillages, overflow and fumes vented from these concealed tanks, but constrained within the hull or superstructure of the vessel, can create what is effectively a powerful time bomb just waiting for a spark in order to ignite.

The right (or wrong) mix of air and petrol vapour

compounded the issue by limiting natural ventilation.

As we stowed the bow-mounted electric motor and made ready to move to another spot, I casually reached across and turned the ignition key. The resounding bang that resulted from the instantaneous combustion of a small cloud of fuel vapour launched the heavy fiberglass cowling and its canvas cover at least 25m into the sky and had waterside residents rushing onto their balconies in alarm.

A small blaze was also ignited on the exposed powerhead of the outboard, but a quick squirt with the chemical fire extinguisher took care of this. My mate and I were shaken but Boats with built-in, under floor fuel tanks present special challenges and dangers. lip of the filler throughout the fuelling procedure. Of course, you should also avoid using mobile phones and other electronic devices while fuelling. It goes without saying (or should!) that smoking anywhere within a 20m+ radius is a complete no-no!

You’ll find plenty of

great advice about all of this stuff online. Maritime Safety Victoria have a very handy video on the subject.

You can track it down via their website at www. transportsafety.vic.gov.au or by using the QR code.

The fuel that drives our boats is something we all tend to take for granted,

but there are so many things that can go wrong in this department, from contaminated fuel that can stop or even damage motors, to the very real risks of fire and explosions on board. Think about the juice in your tanks, and don’t become a fuel fool… or a statistic.

Filling up in remote locations not only hurts the hip pocket, it can also present an increased risk of fuel contamination. Fitting a quality in-line fuel filter with good water separating capabilities to your vessel makes very good sense. wariness in this regard as something close to paranoia, but the fact remains that you rarely get a second chance if something goes badly wrong in this critical department.

I firmly believe that the dangerous properties of boat fuel represent a subject area we all need to take more seriously, particularly when dealing with a petrolpowered craft. Diesel fuel is, by nature, considerably safer and less volatile than petrol, and there’s some QR CODE

Scanning this QR code will take you to a great video on handling boat fuel, produced by Maritime Safety Victoria.

is an extremely explosive cocktail, even more dangerous and unstable than the liquid form of the fuel.

The fact that these same areas below decks or inside closed compartments also typically house batteries, wiring and other electronic components compounds the issue.

I’ve witnessed a relatively minor demonstration of this explosive phenomenon and it’s something I won’t easily forget. Some years ago, a mate and I were competing in an ABT BREAM tournament on Sydney Harbour. Unknown to us, there was a small fuel leak under the cowling of his 90hp outboard. This tiny leak would likely have gone unnoticed and not caused any problems, were it not for the intense heat of the summer day and the fact that we fished in one particularly still and sheltered bay for well over an hour. The fact that the motor was fitted with a heavy cover may have

unhurt. Had the vapour build-up been larger, or occurred in a closed compartment below decks, the outcome may have been very different indeed.

These days, if my boat hasn’t been used for a while, I always lift the hatches, smell for fuel and allow some airflow before switching over the battery isolator and cranking the motor for the first time. It’s a good habit to get into.

There are other wellestablished protocols for dealing with fuel in and around boats, including strong advice about not filling tote tanks or other portable containers while they remain within the vessel. Always lift them out and place them on the ground to earth these containers, greatly reducing the risk of tiny sparks that might be caused by static electricity.

For the same reason, make sure the nozzle of the fuel hose or funnel remains in constant contact with the

The safest way to top up a tote tank out on the water is to go ashore, move a short distance away from the boat, place the tank firmly on the ground and make sure that the pouring nozzle is in constant contact with the lip of the tank throughout the process.

JULY 2017

13

Stonker lure-munching mulloway and more THE HAWKESBURY

Dan Selby dan@sydneysportfishing.com.au

Water temperatures remained quite stable over the last two months, but will drop right off this month with a good frost or two, reaching lows of 14°C around Broken Bay and as low as 10°C up at Windsor and Penrith.

The fish are still willing and the overall quality certainly makes up for the lack of numbers. Big bream, 1m+ mulloway and decent flathead will call the lower reaches home over the next few months. Lures are my go-to in winter as live bait gets harder to source. For those willing to put the effort in, try West Head and Barrenjoey Headland.

You will find success

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by either anchoring and berleying up or locating schools on the sounder and dropping a bait jig into them.

Yellowtail are the most common baitfish. Sweep and bullseye can interfere with proceedings; these also make good live baits and most large predators can’t refuse a struggling, wellplaced livey.

Southern calamari also make exceptional live and dead baits and can be found in the same areas. Larger sized jigs from 2.5-3.5 in orange, pink and natural colours have been working well. A squid spike rigged with fresh bait is a handy asset and can be left in a rod

The author recently captured his PB mulloway on a lure. This impressive fish measured 134cm and was caught on 10lb tackle.

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For soft plastic users, 2-3” grubs are a great lure for targeting winter bream that are holding deep on the rock walls. holder, a couple of turns up from the bottom with the drag set to around a kilo.

Some stud bream are calling the washes home lately and are best targeted using a bread berley and lightly weighted baits of peeled prawn or bread on 8-10lb fluorocarbon and small, strong hooks. Other species like drummer and silver trevally can get in on the action and the odd

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bust-off will occur on the light line suggested.

You can lure fish in the same areas, but lure losses are a common occurrence.

Floating crankbaits can be cast and cranked down through the strike zone and paused to float over any obstructions. Alternately a very lightly weighted soft plastic can be wafted around in the white water with the odd twitch to entice a bite.

Back in the river proper, resident bream will be holding deep on the rock walls in 6-10m. Make parallel casts with small vibes and curl-tail grub soft plastics once fish have been located to keep in the zone.

The bites can seem timid at times and a smear of your favourite scent can be beneficial.

Estuary perch are a common by-catch when looking for bream and mulloway around reefs and rock walls at this time of year. Be mindful as it is the closed season and they should be returned to the water immediately.

Mulloway are still about, and lure fishing will be productive. Fishing the tide changes with soft plastics, soft vibes and deep diving crankbaits will account for some great school mulloway. Live baiting will still take fish, but the effort

required to initially source bait is time-consuming and sometimes unproductive.

The hairtail have been making regular appearances in anglers’ catches while fishing in Cowan, Smiths, and Coal and Candle creeks.

Set your baits at different depths, add a bit of berley and wait for the action to start. Casting a 100mm shallow running hardbody around the adjacent area can also turn these fish on, especially when they are being fussy with taking baits. A slow roll with the odd pause and jerk should see you in the action.

When seeking a likely spot, I always sound around and make sure there is bait in the general area. If you find none, move to another likely point or bay and repeat the process until good concentrations are found.

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There was a good run of tailor in Broken Bay through autumn. They should still be hunting baitfish in the washes this month too.

A lot of anglers are choosing to release their mulloway now. This would make a great trend similar to the way we protect our big breeding flathead.

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Prime time to target bigger fish SYDNEY NORTH

Darren Thomas

The bluewater scene is picking up out off Sydney, with reports of tuna on the rise. Trolling small skirts and cubing pilchards is proving successful out wide. Providing we get

the right weather and seas over the next month, a flotilla of anglers will be in the thick of it offshore.

Reports are coming in of mainly yellowfin captures to 45kg with a few striped marlin still lurking in the cold waters. The bluefin have been quiet as yet, but it’s only early in the season. The inshore

reef scene is alive with snapper and solid kingfish captures. Vic Levett reports ample numbers of snapper are on the chew around most of the shallow water reefs while some solid 1m+ kings are being confronted on just about every trip.

Most of the charter companies have been

Jonathon Ross was happy with this cracker flathead.

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getting amongst the kings and reds. As per every winter, the seas will flatten out a bit, enabling boating crews to fish the local spots.

It’s prime time to target the bigger fish so be prepared with appropriate tackle to do the job. A 30lb kit will do the reds, and you should use at least 50lb for the kings.

Our estuarine waterways continue to provide successful results on a number of species in all depths. Pelagic species like tailor, salmon and bonito are prolific on the surface, while bream, flathead and mulloway are in good numbers on the bottom. Squid and yakkas are showing themselves at most local haunts in the

harbour and are making great live and fresh baits for anglers willing to put in the time.

Middle Harbour has been a pretty hot area lately.

Camm Sutherland landed a 1m+ king using a big squid head for bait. Armen Kouch and Rob Haslam both had success on mulloway while kayaking around Roseville.

Plastic vibes bounced on the bottom are proving very successful on this species. A few rat kings have also been taken up the back of the harbour. The kings have been roaming well upstream and it’s not uncommon to hear king reports from as far back as Roseville Bridge on a weekly basis.

Rock fishers have been into kingfish, salmon, bonito and tailor. Spinning lures is the preferred method.

Small metal lures through to surface stickbaits have been successful. Luderick are feeding on the weed offerings and some solid bream have been picked off with unweighted pilchards in the wash.

The peninsula beaches are well worth fishing at the moment. With a variety of species available, there is something for everyone. Big tailor are roaming the suds at night and some fish up to 65cm have been landed using ganged hooks with salted pilchards for bait.

Whaler sharks are still in the vicinity, so take some wire trace – it may be required if you want to tangle with the Noahs.

The winter whiting run has started with this bread and butter species being caught from most beaches.

Be prepared to move along the beach as some of the bigger fish are on the move with the tide changes. A tub of king beachworms is an excellent choice of bait for these guys if you can’t find the time to get live worms.

Armen Kouch with a harbour mulloway.

Rob Haslam with a soapy mulloway.

They are great value and are accounting for some good bags of fish.

Manly, Curl Curl and Dee Why beaches are excellent locations to target the

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A great 1m+ harbour king caught by Camm Sutherland.

whiting, with dawn and dusk being successful times.

For the metal casting brigade the long cast over the back of the suds with your favourite metal slug and casting outfit will put you in the tailor and salmon zone. Fish up to 68cm have been recorded and provide a great battle on 20lb gear.

Narrabeen Lake has been flowing consistently after the recent works, allowing good numbers of fish to come and go. The lake is proving its worth this season with plenty of flathead still on the chew.

Johnathon Ross fished the back of the lake landing a couple of large flathead on soft plastics recently, with one fish providing a terrific fight on light gear. The lake whiting are also keen on a feed and the early morning session using poppers and topwater lures around the edges and weed beds has been a proven winner, to say the least.

Rug up and get out there PITTWATER

Peter Le Blang plfishfingers@bigpond.com

This last month has seen great weather once again, although a little cold in the morning. The cold hasn’t been stopping a lot of people and there has been some great fishing for those that are willing to rug up and brave the chilly conditions.

It is actually warmer in the water than it is above it, with the water temperature in Pittwater still hovering around the 18°C mark.

This warmer water has allowed for large kingfish to stay along the river. As well as the kingfish, we are still having a great time catching mulloway.

The kingies have been feeding sporadically. With fresh baits, a good sounder and a bit of patience the fish can be found and caught.

These larger fish are eating more than just squid.

In some areas there are a lot of batfish hanging around structure and these nasty little critters are stripping hard-earned squid in a matter of seconds, leaving you with a squid that is hard to recognise. These areas are better fished with yellowtail. There are a lot of small yellowtail in the same areas. If you want your bait to stand out, try using a splash of Glow Bait. This product will make your bait fluorescent green, so your bait has a better chance of becoming the target when presented near a school that is under attack.

Larger kingfish are not holding in any particular area at the moment and they seem to be cruising the river. I have found that when kingfish are cruising the river they are hungry, which is a good thing for us anglers.

Areas to try are around

There are some cracking squid to be caught.

Scotland Island and both sides of Pittwater. My pick is the eastern side of Pittwater amongst the moorings.

Small squid are hard to find at the moment. For those willing and able to travel on the ocean side of Barrenjoey Head, there are some smaller ones in amongst the kelp.

Along Pittwater the usual areas are producing squid, with the better areas once again being the weed beds between Palm Beach Ferry Wharf and Barrenjoey Head. The natural colour squid jigs are working well. Surprisingly orange is catching quite a few squid, even though it tends to be more of a summer colour.

For those that are after fish that live on the bottom I have some great news for you: flathead, bream and mulloway are still making their presence known.

Not a lot of people try for mulloway when fishing on Pittwater, because we have such a great fishery nearby on the Hawkesbury River.

Both of these river systems at the moment are producing quite a few mulloway.

On Pittwater we have been catching mulloway on fish fillets, squid and lures. Some large fish have been lost to moorings and rough ground. There are two ways to fish for mulloway on Pittwater and the first is to anchor up, set out your live baits, and berley up the baitfish while using lures. This method is more effective towards the mouth of the river in the deeper holes and points where there is some current that will spread your berley to attract the baitfish and, in turn, the predators.

The other method is to drift through areas with live baits deployed on the bottom as well as a variety of baits on micro-jigs. I have found when using micro-jigs with mulloway about, these lures

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Kings like this 87cm model are still about and feeding. seem to drive the mulloway mad. I’m sure these lures are picked up by their lateral line, which spurs them into action. Either method used in the right areas along Pittwater will produce mulloway.

The areas to catch mulloway along Pittwater are Stokes Point, the Supermarket, Bothams Reef at Scotland Island and if you are going to drift, try the steep drop-offs that come out of shallower water.

When fishing the Hawkesbury River, the problem that most people face is that they do not have enough time to try all the areas, baits and techniques they would like in a single outing. When fishing the Hawkesbury River it is important to use the tide change and use the freshest bait possible.

Offshore we have been tangling with a variety of species with snapper, morwong and flathead being the main captures. There is the odd kingfish being caught when fishing the reefs as well. As always make sure that you find baitfish before deploying lines, especially fishing in water depths of 70-80m. It’s a long wind up if you get it wrong. The better baits to use have been pilchards with squid coming in a close second.

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trying are East Reef, the Container, the Ordinance grounds, Long Reef and if you don’t want to venture out too far, Newport Reef.

On a recent charter we picked up a group of anglers off a Luxury Afloat Houseboat from Brooklyn and showed them how to catch mulloway, as well as where and what baits to use.

We caught mulloway, great bream and flathead. After the charter the guys came back to the same areas and had a ball catching more mulloway.

We were lucky enough to organise with Luxury Afloat Houseboats a package deal where yourself and four mates can stay on the

houseboat from Monday to Thursday with two fishing charters with us thrown in for a great price of $480 each.

The two flat water fishing charters can be used to fish areas that you wouldn’t cover with the houseboat or you can use it to explore areas that you want to come back to and fish more effectively.

The houseboats are set up for anglers with a live bait tank, wash down area, rod holders in appropriate areas as well as an icebox and a great colour sounder.

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Another 78cm Hawkesbury mulloway – there are plenty out there.

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The year of the mulloway SYDNEY HARBOUR

Craig McGill craig@fishabouttours.com.au

This year has been the year of the mulloway. I can’t ever remember a run of school-sized mulloway (4-15kg) this good. There have been a few seasons that have produced better runs of big fish,

the tide is when they come out to feed. The turn of the high and the first hour and a half is the prime time. The turn of the low and the first hour and a half of the run-in is your next best bet. This is the time of least tidal flow and reflects the lazy nature of the mulloway.

Mulloway have two areas where you might find them: their holding grounds

day if the conditions are right.

Divers tell me mulloway hang in wrecks, caves, ledges, pylons and under marinas. Sometimes they can be found under coastal shelves in very shallow sudsy water. They are different from kings who hang around structure for food and shade.

Mulloway actually like to get inside the structure for security. This doesn’t mean

School mulloway are commonly found around structure. but never in the numbers we are experiencing at the moment.

Mulloway have adapted very well to the type of artificial structures found along our coast and in bays and rivers. They love shade and a break in the current while they aren’t feeding, so the likes of deep water

and their feeding grounds. As an example of this, imagine a wreck sitting on barren sand or mud bottom in the harbour, where mulloway hold. On the turn of the tides they will come out of cover and make their way to food-rich kelp beds or a breakwall to feed. The wreck is the holding ground and the

that they ambush feed from here though. Their feeding is done when they move out and onto richer grounds.

Don’t always assume that the structure needs to be deep either. I know of at least one patch of washy, gnarly bommies within casting distance from the shore that produces mulloway up to

of artificial structure in an environment where there would otherwise be none.

These are prime spots in the upper reaches, especially for lure chuckers at night.

Don’t be scared to fish shallow water, particularly if it’s dark or the water is dirty. This can include sudsy, sandy, turbulent water in close to surf breaks or shallow coastal rocks.

Mulloway love dirty water and they can detect things in it that we couldn’t. Clearly sight is not their primary sense in this situation.

The worst week of the month to target mulloway is the week after and including the night of the full moon.

The best weeks are the lead up to the full and new moon.

It’s no coincidence that the perfect tides during these periods fall in the early morning and late afternoon in low light conditions.

Your best bites will occur, at this time of year, when the wind is blowing NW and then swings SW or S. In other words, just before a front. It’s a narrow window of opportunity. It doesn’t seem to matter too much whether it’s overcast or bright and sunny. Of course, this is not the only time they feed, it’s just the best.

There are a number of baits you can use for mulloway, but the most important factor for all of them is freshness.

Don’t be scared to put out really big baits if you are after big mulloway. They have a huge mouth, so they can eat big prey.

If you want to catch quality mulloway consistently, you are going to have to master squid fishing.

Squid are the number one bait and all the really good mulloway fishos that I know are also gun squid fishos.

Don’t make the mistake of trying to find a way around this. Sashimi-quality squid go for about $40/kg and they are the closest you will get to an alternative. My formula is that the squid has to be back in the water as bait at most

This is shaping up to be the best mulloway season ever. six hours after it was caught – not bought.

Even on the beach, where you wouldn’t expect to find squid, they still rate as the top bait. Other good baits include large live baits like tailor and mullet, but you will need to come up with a good method of controlling them or you can end up in an awful tangle, especially at night.

Big fillets of the above mentioned fish (leave the head on one side and the tail on the other) are also good.

When the fish takes the bait hit it immediately. A lot of people reckon you should let them run before striking, but in my experience this loses more fish than it catches. If a big fish swims off with your bait, there is only one place he can be holding it and that is in his mouth. If your hook is in the bait then it too is in the fish’s mouth. If the hook is in the fish’s mouth then I can’t imagine why you would want to do anything other than strike.

BIG TAILOR We get a good run of big tailor in the harbour at this time of year with fish up to 3kg.

They are found in the deep water in places like Clarke Island and the Centurion wreck off Quarantine. They take a variety of baits, but you can’t go past a live yakka or slimy mackerel.

Big winter tailor are suckers for live baits. jetties, marinas, wrecks and bridges provide ideal holding grounds for them.

The downside is that they are more sensitive to noise and commotion than some of our other common big predators, so keep your approach as quiet as possible.

They are probably the hardest of all fish to crack the code for consistent success.

Here are a few tips that should make it a bit easier.

As with any fish, you’ll fluke one on any tide if they are hungry enough and you drop the right bait on their nose. However, the turn of 18

JULY 2017

kelp bed or breakwall is the feeding ground.

Being in the vicinity of holding structure gives you your best shot at these fish. They will pass by your offerings as they make their way out to the feeding grounds and again as they make their way back. Obviously they will be hungrier on their way out than when they return after a feed, so right on the turn of the high or low when they first make their move out is the ultimate time to be near holding cover. You will catch good mulloway during the

40lb and sits in less than 15ft of water.

What about when they move well upstream into the mangrove estuaries where there is very little structure?

This makes things a bit easier in regards to all tide access. They will be found sitting in the bottom of the deepest holes, generally in open water. This means you can reach them with a bait or lure through any stage of the tide. Of course, you will still do better during those tide changes when they are actively feeding.

Bridges are a major source

Winter kings tend to be bigger.

I use 40lb mono trace and get bitten off occasionally.

Ultimately I land more fish than I would using wire trace, which attracts fewer bites. Winter tailor tend to be better eating than summer fish, as they are generally larger and have a higher fat content. They need to be bled and iced and eaten within a few days to get the best out of them.

KINGS The lingering warm water this season has meant that our harbour kingfish season has been considerably extended.

If last year is anything to go by then we should still be getting kings into August, maybe even later. The winter fish are generally bigger, running 80-100cm with very few rats present. They still love squid in winter and are generally found upstream on the main harbour and Middle Harbour.

Like the abovementioned tailor, winter kings tend to be very good eating due to higher fat contents.

If you want to experience primo sashimi, try some of the belly section of a large winter king.

• If you are interested in doing a guided fishing trip on Sydney harbour with Craig McGill please call 0412 918 127 or email craig@fishabout.com.au.

Pushing the boundaries of what you can catch to 37cm and trevally of similar size while distance casting off South Curl Curl/ Freshwater near the ramp casting to the northeast. I used salted slimy mackerel and squid strips. You require a decent cast of about 90m.

Other spots that have been producing are North Curl Curl near the swimming pool, and Warriewood high cliff, approximately 50m west of the Blow Hole.

The rock blackfish (aka pigs or black drummer) have been biting at Little Bluey in Manly, and Long Reef near Snapper Rock. You can also fish the boulders on the south side near the ‘Island’ (it’s preferably an island at high tide), and the front of the Island – preferably during a

SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

We’re in the coldest month of the year now, and while it appears uninviting to the average fisher, for many anglers that fish throughout the winter months it’s time to take advantage of some of the great results that can be had.

It’s getting towards the very end of the mulloway and whiting season, but snapper fishing off the rocks is quite good. Winter species off the rocks and beaches are going to dominate catches over the coming weeks.

Here are my predictions for this month.

MULLOWAY I have caught mulloway on Sydney beaches every month of the year. I have been a die-hard angler for decades, trying to push the limits of where and when you can catch certain species.

The results are often worth the effort. For example, fishing for beach mulloway in July/August can get you good results. July can be a good month, providing the traditional westerly winds do not dominate, as they push out the warmer, nutrient-rich current and replace it with colder water and flat seas.

These conditions discourage the baitfish and whiting that would otherwise draw in the mulloway to haunt the beaches.

However, if you have a slight to moderate swell of between 0.8-1.5m from the south, it will generally keep the sea temperature up to

and far fewer small kings.

Most winter bags consist of trevally, some snapper, salmon and even some pigs if you’re fishing the right washes for mixed species.

For most of the species mentioned I prefer to fish the run-in tide, from the half tide in to the high.

It is definitely worth noting that at this time of the year the winds can dominate from the west/southwest, or from the south/southeast. The westerly winds generally reduce the swell size significantly, but a slight wind direction change from westerly to southwesterly can increase the swell size exponentially.

It can go from being almost completely flat to being un-fishable in just a few

Andy Barry with his first mulloway, caught on a whole squid bait.

Changing your baits from fish to squid pays dividends. about 19°C. That’s when I hit the beaches in search of a silver slab.

TAILOR The run of big tailor will continue this month. They generally run from 1kg to as large as 3kg, and on some Julys even larger.

You’ll often get tailor as a by-catch when fishing for mulloway; the tailor

Skev Stefadauros and Will Jorgen with an exceptional bag of luderick from an estuary rock spot, caught on hair weed and cabbage weed. It’s a good idea to have both on the outing, as well as a sand/ weed berley mix to keep the fish enthusiastic.

will smash large live baits with relish, along with your carefully presented squid baits. With slightly flatter conditions most days you can fish a large pilchard on a set of 4/0 gang hooks and a light sinker. Bait spinning with pilchards is almost a lost art off our beaches, and is a very effective way of nailing tailor. Don’t be overly concerned about casting distance. You will be able to cast out a 170mm+ pilly with some distance on 6-8kg mono or braid. Big tailor are great fun on this gear, and you can add the salmon as well.

WHITING Many people assume that the whiting fishing has shut down by mid-June, but I continue fishing for them in July. Fewer beaches hold whiting at this time of year, but the fish are still around in good numbers – providing you concentrate your efforts on some of the late season ‘whiting holding areas’. Try the South Steyne section from the southern storm water pipe to nearly up to the South Steyne Surf Club – it’s a great area out of a moderate or slightly larger south swell.

Dee Why’s southern corner of the beach up to Dee Why Parade is also good, and there’s the chance of picking up a few bream as well.

If you decide that you want to catch some whiting, try to find a shop that has live worms in stock.

Unfortunately, the shops that

supply live blood or beach worms at other times of the year probably won’t have them now, but you might be lucky. An alternative option is to pump some pink nippers or catch your own worms.

MIXED BAG For mulloway, salmon and tailor, the southern pipe of Manly to Queenscliff can be a good option depending on the quality of the gutter structure. Dee Why, Bungan, and North Palm Beach (when the swell is not up from the south) are worth trying too.

The most popular baits are fresh tailor fillets, live baits like yellowtail, mullet (either fillets or butterflied) and of course fresh squid baits.

OFF THE ROCKS Off the ocean rocks, species that you will encounter are rock blackfish, luderick, trevally, tailor, salmon, bream and snapper.

The snapper are generally caught with a long cast of up to 100m and as little as 30m at some locations where the sand meets the reef in close.

Try salted slimy mackerel, salted striped tuna, squid strips, or fresh fish fillets like tailor. Yellowtail are great as well. You will catch your snapper on flat days but I prefer a swell size of about 1m. It encourages the reddies to come in closer, due to the agitation of the inshore sea floor stirring up some food.

You can expect some trevally mixed in with the snapper. Recently I caught some nice plate-size snapper

A first mulloway is awesome in anyone’s books but a 16kg fish is even better! This one was caught on a live yellowtail in a moderately deep beach gutter. Lube Mitrevski the proud angler. swell size of less than 1m.

Luderick can be caught from Snapper Rock and in front of the Island. At Little Bluey, head to the first main ledge that looks like a big rectangle, and fish for luderick there. Trevally are also being caught, with a mix of pilly/bread mush with half pillies and peeled prawns.

Wash fishing for mixed species at this time of the year is quite different from doing it in summer. There are generally no bonito

hours. If you notice the swell size increase, understand that it will probably continue to increase with the wind change. Either hightail it out of there and call it a day, or go to your plan B, which is a safer location out of the swell.

• 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.

JULY 2017

19

Land-based winter fishing is looking good BOTANY BAY

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

I don’t know what the ratio is of land-based anglers to boating anglers. What I do know is that just recently I went for a walk from the Captain Cook Bridge to Brighton-Le-Sands and back and I counted over 50 anglers fishing from the shore. After talking to many of them I found that they were catching dusky flathead, whiting, bream, trevally, tailor, shovelnose rays, stingrays and the odd blue swimmer crab.

In this month’s report, I’m going to list eight places that the land-based angler can try with a good chance of taking home a couple of fish for a feed. The main bait in use

was the bloodworm followed by pink nippers, then small prawns, pudding baits and half pilchards. Bloodworms can get very expensive, but they’re a great bait.

Fishermans Beach is on the northern side of Botany Bay and is a great place to get out of the northerly winds. You will find a small groyne in the middle that can be easily fished from. This is a good place to try out those soft plastics for flathead, whiting and bream.

The breakwall near the boat ramp at Port Botany has fairly deep water on the southeastern side.

Don’t forget to take a few metals with you, as tailor and salmon will school up here at times.

Just about anywhere along the western foreshore of Botany Bay has plenty of parking space and is just a

short walk to the beach.

The Kurnell groynes along Silver Beach are worth a shot for bream, flathead, whiting, leatherjackets and luderick. Care needs to be taken when walking out to the end, as some of the rocks may be loose.

Bald Face Point is a deep-water spot and is located just upstream of Tom Uglys Bridge. It’s well worth the effort on a run-in tide for bream, flathead, mullet, mulloway, whiting and tailor.

Pilly tails and chicken breast work well here. Parking is not the best.

The Georges River State Recreational Area is located at the end of River Road, Picnic Point. You will need to enter the area by turning off onto Burrawang Reach Road (an entry fee applies).

Here you can fish for bream, flathead, whiting, mulloway,

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Pink nippers and the odd squirt worm can be pumped on this set of flats just downstream from the Captain Cook Bridge. luderick and mullet. There have been some reports of bull sharks here as well.

This area is on the southern side of the river where the old Lugarno ferry used to cross. Once here you will find a number of spots where you can set yourself up for a fish. A short distance downstream you will find a small park that also has a number of deep-water spots that you can fish from.

Around the old Woronora Bridge you could try for bream, flathead and whiting about an hour or two either side of the top of the tide. The best baits are bloodworms, pink nippers and small pieces of chicken breast.

Currently I am working on a land-based fishing book for Australian Fishing Network (AFN) that will have 60 land-based fishing spots with advice on when and what to fish for in Botany Bay, Georges, Woronora and Port Hacking rivers. Keep an eye out for it later this year.

Scotty Lyons told me snapper, morwong, pigfish, sand flathead and the odd kingfish have been on the chew in 50m off Wedding Cake Island off Coogee.

Scotty also suggests trolling close into the washes north and south of the entrance to Botany Bay for bonito, salmon and tailor.

Bream and trevally are on

the chew off the southeastern side of the bommie at Bare Island in about 20m. Anchor

Scotty Lyons caught this great kingy trolling the washes north of Botany Bay with a Bumpa-Bar lure.

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has luderick feeding along the wall in close, and bream and trevally out about 20m from the wall.

The drums off the Kurnell Oil Wharf have plenty of trevally, cowanyoung and leatherjackets. Peeled prawns and strips of fresh squid have

been the best baits by far.

You could also try floating out a whole pilchard or a live bait for salmon, tailor and the odd kingfish.

The Sticks has been producing trevally and bream with a lot of small snapper and Port Jackson sharks

Bill McGuire has had success berleying when at anchor and using bait.

mixed in. Work the same area with blades and large soft plastics for mulloway and dusky flathead.

Whiting have shown up at the cockle beds off Dolls Point, the entrance to Woolooware Bay, Kangaroo Point, the entrance to the Woronora River, Picnic Point, Cattle Duffers, Kelso Park and the bridge at the M5. Bloodworms and pink nippers are the go.

Luderick are in big numbers at the Moons just up from Lugarno. You could also try for luderick along the rock wall on the upstream side of Alfords Point Bridge.

Finding the fresh green weed will be the key to getting the results. Some anglers I know are having to go as far as Wollongong in the south and Newcastle in the north to get good weed.

Even though it is the middle of winter, the beaches have been producing good results. Maroubra has whiting, dart and bream, Coogee has luderick and drummer in the corners, salmon can be caught off the northern end of Bondi and Mackenzies has a few whiting and bream. The best bait by far has been the beach worm, followed by bloodworms and pink nippers. You could also try using half pillies and garfish.

When the seas are too

If you have never fished off the beach on the western side of Botany Bay, give it a go. Not a lot of fish are caught here, but the size makes up for the numbers. big to fish these beaches, you could try fishing the back of Long Bay. A ball sinker down onto the hook would be the best rig. Squid can be found here as well.

• If you have been out lately and you would like to see yourself in the magazine, drop me an email to g b ro w n 1 @ i p r i m u s . c o m . au with a picture and short explanation of how and where and I will endeavour to get it into my column.

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Try something new during the winter months SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Are you at a loss as to where to go to chuck a line in? Have you gone to all your usual spots and turned up nothing?

Maybe you now need to think out of the square and try something different from what you have always done. Ever thought about chasing luderick? No? Maybe you should think about it!

Many anglers think that chasing luderick is for

older people, but anyone can enjoy it. I have been chasing luderick in the estuaries off the shore and out of a boat, off the rocks and even out of a boat fishing back into the washes off the coast.

Luderick are a yearround proposition, but tend to be around in bigger numbers and sizes during the cooler months of the year.

In last month’s Botany Bay report I stated that the luderick had started to move about in the Cooks, Georges and Woronora rivers.

Over the past month,

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the Port Hacking has started to fire up on the luderick side of things.

Try the western side of Salmon Haul Bay, Kitcheners Reef, the Lilli Pilli Baths, Yowie Bay Wharf, Gunnamatta Bay Baths, southern Jibbon Point, Bundeena Ferry Wharf and the Warumbul picnic area in the RNP for land-based fishing.

For those who have a boat you could try the old Fisheries Point, the Ballast Heap, Costens Point and the diversion wall just upstream from Grays Point.

When fishing for

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luderick, the two most important things are fresh green weed or cabbage, and make sure that you berley.

Leatherjackets are the scourge of the soft plastic angler and anyone who fishes with whole prawns as bait.

Even though these fish devour the plastic or suck out the flesh from the shell of the prawn without you knowing it, there are plenty of places that you can go to get yourself a feed of leatherjackets.

What’s good about chasing leatherjackets is that you don’t need any high-tech fishing gear. You can just use a handline if you wish. I prefer to use my Shakespeare Ugly Stik 3-6 rod, a paternoster rig and a number 12 long shank hook.

The bait is either a small piece of prawn or squid. The main thing to remember is that you need to have tension on the line so that you can feel the bite.

Squid are also around in the southern areas, both inshore and offshore close to the coast. You will also start to see plenty of cuttlefish backbones about as the snapper and other fish species start to feed on them.

Places that are worth a look are inside Jibbon Bommie (when it’s calm), Shark Island, Salmon Haul Bay and the Balconies.

I usually fish with two rods when squid fishing

out of my boat. I rig one up with a paternoster rig and substitute the hook for a squid jig and put it in the rod holder. This is set so that the sinker is just off the bottom, and you know when you have a squid on when the rod doubles over. The other outfit I work around the boat, allowing it to sink towards the bottom. Then I work it back towards the boat.

Tailor and salmon have been caught off the beach in Bate Bay, Wattamolla, Garie and Stanwell Park. Bryce from the Sutherland Shire managed to get amongst a few tailor using strips of squid for bait.

He was actually targeting mulloway off the beach from Wanda to Greenhills. Peter Wade had a good session on the whiting using blood worms that he bought from Mac’s Bait Bar at Blakehurst.

Snapper are being caught off the close reefs south of the entrance to the Port Hacking River.

Offshore the kingfish are about. Try slow trolling either dead or live squid. This was one taken by one of Scotty Lyon’s clients.

If you have the time, you should take the trip down to the Humps when the seas

are calm and there are no predicted winds from the north. Whole pilchards,

pilly tails, fresh squid, banana prawns and strips of tuna are the go-to baits.

There is an eddy formed behind this marker pole. Fish love to sit here, so anchor upcurrent and fish back to the pole.

You could also try working lures like ZMan 5 and 7” Jerk ShadZ on 1/2 to 1oz TT HeadlockZ jigheads.

Sometimes I will add the Pro Cure Bloody Tuna Super Gel Scent to the plastics if the snapper are playing with the plastic.

There are still whiting being caught off Wattamolla, Garie and Stanwell Park beaches.

The best bait by far has been bloodworms.

If you don’t have any though, you can try using small strips of fresh squid.

Mixed in with the whiting are bream and dart, plus salmon and tailor.

The last hour of the tide and the first two hours of the run-out are producing the best catches.

Anglers who have been fishing into the night for mulloway have been getting smashed by sharks.

When targeting bream during the cooler months of the year I find that early morning when the tide is high is the best time to concentrate on the edges with hardbodied lures and lighted weighted soft plastics.

Later, when the sun is higher the bream will tend to feed in the deeper areas of the Port Hacking when the sun is higher in the sky.

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You will be surprised how many times bream will just pick it up and take off with it. My theory is that they smell the scent and come over for a look then see the blade twitch and think it’s

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23

A spot of sportfishing WESTERN SYDNEY

Peter Jacovides

The fine winter weather has meant plenty of anglers have got out to enjoy a spot of fishing, and most haven’t been disappointed with plethora of great sportfish landed.

Blue mountains trout have been high on the agenda.

There have been some great catches from Thompsons Creek Dam, with fish over 7lb not uncommon and much bigger ones witnessed – but ‘dam’ hard to catch! A lot of these fish are caught on the old Tassie Devil or small soft plastics, but some of the more memorable catches are by guys experimenting with large swim baits. I think we will hear a lot more about these in the coming months and years.

And don’t discount the old standby impoundments like Lake Lyell, Oberon and Wallace because they’ve produced some great fish lately. These impoundments are also easier to get to and fish, especially Lake Wallace. It’s literally like a walk in the park.

While still on trout, if you are young and fit enough

(fit being the important one here), and you’re up to nice long walk and camp out in the freezing mountain air, a hike into the Coxs River can be very rewarding. There have been reports of good spawning fish coming from in there. I’m a bit sad that I’m past that effort these days.

Us old fellas can still

enjoy closer, warmer fishing on the saltwater estuaries though. The last couple of months have seen some fantastic catches of bream and mulloway (jewfish), and I really believe the lure fishers are catching way more fish than the baiters.

Still, if you’re after the really big fish then large live mullet

Troy Fotheringham with a beautiful mulloway.

Mark Lock caught his PB mulloway on a ZMan Slim SwimZ in mood ring and a TT HeadlockZ jighead.

or squid are the way to go!

School mulloway and the occasional bigger fish are falling to well-presented lures, with soft vibes like the Samakis and Jackall Transams our first choice.

Work these lures close to the bottom around drop-offs and structures that break the tidal flow, such as bridge pylons and the corners of bays and jutting reefs. I usually use the old lift-and-drop soft plastic method, but sometimes a ripping action with pauses works a treat.

When all’s said and done though, the most important thing is to stick with it and try

different spots and retrieves.

Your persistence will be rewarded with some great fish. Plenty of PB mulloway catches have occurred this year, with our young Ethan Hennessy landing his best recently, and he’s happy to tell anyone and everyone that comes into the store all about it.

The bream this winter have been the mainstay of many anglers, and why not? They’re plentiful, fun to catch and can make a great feed. Just remember that we live in a city of 5 million people, many of whom are anglers, and if all

of them were selfish and kept all their fish, we couldn’t enjoy this great pastime for very long. By all means keep a fish or two, but please let the majority go to catch next time.

The salmon have made their way into the harbours and rivers as well, and if you’re after some pelagic speedsters keep your eyes peeled as they will pop up occasionally. Once they have breached the surface, patiently make your way to the school and cast small metals, flies, surface lures or plastics. Burn them back and hold on!

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No run means no fun THE TWEED

Anthony Coughran

As the currents slow up even more this month to 0.5-2 knots, they dictate the terms of your offshore fishing and can hinder your fishing on the close reefs.

If there is no current and no wind, there is no real point in fishing these reefs. You

high speed jigging and octo jigs are really fun, productive ways to fish deeper water and normally trigger a great reaction bite.

Bottom bashing with two-hook paternoster rigs still catches good fish in deep water. I like to mix my baits up on these particular rigs. A combination of pilchards, strip baits and squid always seems to

weed on the 24s, 36s and on the backside of the close reef bommies.

Good snapper and Venus tuskfish have been caught on plastics around the Fidos, Five-Mile, Nine-Mile, South, and Kingscliff reefs. Microjigs, octa jigs and bottom bashing work better on wider reefs like the 24, 36 and 50 fathom reefs. Kingfish have been caught on the NineMile and Windarra banks.

High speed jigs, stickbaits and live baits are all working well. There are still a few cobia coming through with the whales and they’re being caught on live baits on a downrigger on the 24s, 36s and some closer reefs.

There have been a few squid hanging around on the close reefs like Fidos and

The author with an 84cm snapper caught on a plastic on a close reef off Tweed. gear fun. Small plastics, bladed lures, hardbodied lures and small crab lures can be dynamite and lots of fun on these little silver brutes, especially when they head for structure.

tailor, bream, flathead and the odd dart caught recently. At night the top of the tide and the start of the run out tide are fishing much better than the day tide. Whole beach worms,

Nick Dillion with a Venus tuskfish caught on a 90g Pirate Jig on a close reef off Tweed. don’t cover any real ground with drifting. Your berley falls straight down and there is no current to bring bait to waiting predators, so the predators move to areas of the reef where there is more current. You really need to find wind or current to have some fun, which can mean heading wider.

There is normally more wind and swell out wider, and this can really help a struggling fishing trip.

Fishing wider also opens up more fishing avenues like jigging. Slow pitch jigging,

tempt the fussiest of eaters into a bite.

OFFSHORE It’s all about the snapper, pearl perch and tuskfish this month, with good numbers of sizeable fish being caught right through the Tweed region. Plastics and drift baits are doing all the damage this month on close reefs. Slow pitch micro-jigs and bottom bashing paternoster rigs work better out wide. Good numbers of pearl perch and Venus tuskfish have been caught on 80-200g slow pitch jigs out around the wire

Sommo caught this super pearly on a half pilchard on the 24s.

26

JULY 2017

Nick Dillion with a solid cobia caught on a slimy mackerel.

Kingscliff. There are a few tailor at the back of the beach breaks, the desalination outlet, Kingscliff, Cabarita headland, Hastings bommie and Black Rock. Metal lures, small hardbodied lures and poppers are working best. Heaps of baitfish are hanging around Point Reef, Snapper Reef, Kirra Reef and Kingscliff Reef if you need troll baits or strip baits.

ESTUARY Lots of school mulloway are around the estuary at the moment and they are fun to target on light gear, with 3-7” plastics, 1/4oz bladed lures and large hardbodied lures working best. The hole at the Piggery, the hole at Terranora, Boyds Bay Bridge, Barneys Point Bridge, Tumbulgum Bridge and the Brunswick rock walls will all produce fish this month.

All the bigger mulloway are being caught around the rock walls and river mouths on live pike and 7” plastics.

The bream are schooling up in good numbers, with most rock walls, bridges and holes holding plenty of bream.

Drift baiting in a good berley line is still proving best for a good feed and some light

Big flathead have been caught on 2.5-7” plastics, and lightweight jigheads work best for catching the bigger females. It’s always worth having a few more casts around the area where you caught a big girl; there are normally a few decent males sitting around the females at this time of year.

GTs and bigeye are around Jack Evans Anchorage during the day, but they seem to go to the bridges on the run-in tide at night to feed up on the herring.

Live herring, small plastics and bladed lures worked well on the run-in tide are irresistible for these species. Boyds Bay, Cobaki, Barneys Point, the Highway, Kingscliff and Hastings Point bridges all hold fish. Chopper tailor are also frequent visitors to these bridges. A 10-30g metal worked at high speed around the bridges, current lines and in the river mouth should put you onto one of these toothy critters.

BEACH The beach gutters have been fishing well, with good numbers of solid mulloway,

live pike and butterflied pike have been catching the bigger mulloway in these gutters. Ganged up whole pilchards are catching the bigger greenback tailor.

The big silver sea bream have mainly been smashing strip baits, half pilchards, beach worms and pipis in these gutters.

Having a good combination of baits is the key to beach fishing, and increases your chances for a feed. Running a berley bag helps a great deal and keeps the fish in the gutter in front of you.

A few tailor have been caught from Kingscliff breakwalls, Cabarita headland, Hastings Point and Black Rock. These areas will continue producing fish over the next month.

FRESHWATER The dams, weirs and areas where the fresh meets the salt are all still producing good bass at the moment.

Diving hardbodied lures and jig spins are best. Remember it is strictly no-take on bass at the moment as they are all trying to breed up, so please take care handling this species.

Next month we will see more great weather with nice, calm days. The wind should die off over the coming month, which will make it easier for all offshore fishing.

This can also make for some very cold mornings on the rivers. We will see more whales, snapper, pearlies, tuskies, cobia, tailor and mulloway working their way along our reefs, beaches and estuaries. July is such a great time of year to rug up and get amongst all the winter species.

Chris Butler with a fantastic flathead caught around the Piggery.

Tips to target Tweed trevally THE TWEED INSHORE

Tim Latter

The cooler months on the Tweed can be an exceptional time to target trevally species in the river. Not only are they a fantastic sportfish, they are also sensational in beer batter and make even better sashimi.

It’s always possible to find trevors throughout the

Tweed system, but I find the cooler months in particular to be the most rewarding. The river is generally clearer and the baitfish are in abundance, so there is no better time to rig up and go chase some line-burners.

The most productive areas to fish at this time of year can be the two main bridges in the lower reaches, Boyds Bay and Barneys Point. Both bridges are main

structure points and current breaks in the Tweed. They hold a heap of bait and are accessible by boat and land, so regardless of your situation it’s possible to tangle with arguably the hardest pulling fish in the river.

There is a wide variety of methods to target trevally, and my favourite way to target them is on lures. A light spin combo capable of throwing 10-12lb line is all

Brock Perry with a beautifully marked golden that gave him the runaround on a run-in tide at Boyds.

Fish of this size are generally not lure-shy, meaning you can have a lot of hook-ups in no time flat.

that is required. You won’t stop all the fish around structure on this tackle, mind you, but it keeps it sporting and keeps the tackle shops busy.

Pin tail jerkbait style soft plastics are the go-to here. Opt for a heavier jighead to allow you to cover more ground.

Keep your lure working fast and erratically to get the fish fired up. I have found the prime time for fishing the bridges is around the tide changes, as fish will hold up here gorging on any bait that takes refuge as the tide slackens.

It can be really productive to fan cast metal lures as the tide slows to locate the fish before they hold up on the pylons. That’s when it’s time to rig up a plastic and start jigging. Micro-jigs and small blades can work just as well too, so it pays to have a variety of lures in your bag, depending on what gets the fish going on the day.

The north wall at the river mouth also holds big numbers of fish that patrol up and down in loose schools throughout the tide.

Early morning and late afternoon are great times to target them on surface lures while land-based fishing.

Patience is key. You can go without a bite for some time, but the trevally are never too far away.

Long casts up tide and parallel to the groyne are your best bet. Stickbaits and poppers in the 75-110mm range are ideal.

It’s common to get belted by tailor as a by-catch, and when bled straight away these make an awesome breakfast.

The bigger tides around the moons will see the fish pushing up into the Terranora Arm, which can produce some awesome fishing. On more than one occasion I have been fishing the drop-offs chasing flathead and have been smoked by trevally in the 3-5kg size class. I choose to let fish of this size go and generally keep ones around 1kg.

So Rug up early and hit the bridges or the flats for some light tackle lure fishing fun this month. Be kind and courteous on the water, and remember it’s lovely just being out there.

A better class of fish jigged up on a plastic and released after a short and spirited fight.

Cohan Northwood from Port Stephens got his first lure caught GT on a recent family holiday to the Gold Coast.

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The bigger fish are biting better BALLINA

Joe Allan

As the water temperature has gradually gotten cooler, snapper have been coming in more consistently and getting bigger. The best areas are the close in reefs in approximately 10-15m of water. Floating cut baits (such as squid and blue

clean, this will happen quicker. Try trolling any shallow diving lures over 100mm. If you’re into cast and retrieve, you can cast 30g lures an absolute mile.

The tailor are really biting well now and catches have been more consistent over the last month. The gutters along Seven-Mile Beach are worth a throw. The best thing about this beach in July is the

stretch, while the bream will really start to fire in the deeper drop-offs. The top of the tide is the pick to chase the big sea run

The size of the mulloway being pulled out of the river lately is nothing short of amazing. There are some beasts caught at night,

This bream was caught off the break wall on an Atomic Crank 38 in muddy prawn colour.

Nige Skyring with a solid bream from the upper reaches of the river. pilchards) with the current is very productive if you want to soak some bait.

If you’re into throwing lures and plastics try 60-80mm lipless crankbaits around 1/2oz in weight. This weight up to a 4/0 hook should do the trick. If the currents are running harder, you might need to go heavier.

Spotty mackerel are starting to drop off the bite and the Spanish are really starting to come on. If the water clarity stays pretty

stud bream that you can come across. They’re beautiful in condition and taste amazing.

Remember, a big bream is a very old fish – only keep what you’re going to eat that day.

The cooler westerlies can bring on the blackfish or luderick, so if this cold snap keeps up for a while, don’t be afraid to try for these guys a little earlier then you normally would.

The flathead will become patchy in the river along the Ballina town

Ben Frost with a nice mackerel. specimens that come in to spawn. Try throwing blades and plastics off the end of the south wall, as well as hardbody lures over the Porpoise Wall.

The winter whiting will be kicking off over the next few weeks. Try the bigger tides over the sand flats along the town stretch, the area out the front of the Oyster Farm in North Creek and possibly up as far as Pimlico Island if the water stays clear.

mostly on live mullet in the deeper holes or shallow diving 200mm crankbaits off the walls. Hold on, because

these things are beasts.

The Evans Head Fishing Classic is being held from 7-14 July. There will be a food alley, displays from sponsors and a live fish tank to display some of the catches from the event.

This year the fishable area has been increased in size considerably to now include Byron and Yamba.

There really is something in this competition for everyone in the family, including a cadet category that runs over the weekend of 8-9 July. If you’d like more information, please email ehfc@fishingcomps. com.au or head to www. fishingcomps.com.au/ ehfc/. Until next month, tight lines.

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Aidan Kane with a cracker snapper from a close-in reef.

Clear and crisp days of casting ILUKA

Ross Deakin

Isn’t this time of year awesome? Clear, crisp days and plenty of fish biting. We have had some great fish coming through the shop over the last few weeks, especially tailor.

The largest weighed in at 2.7kg and was caught by Cliff ‘Bear’ Andreassen.

He caught this fish off the bluff using pilchards, and

he caught plenty of smaller fish as well.

The headlands have also been seeing nice GTs up to around 5kg, mostly taken on lures and whole pilchards.

However, the catch of the month goes to Stuart Monahan from the Gold Coast who landed an 18kg Spanish mackerel off the Woody Head rocks. There have only been a few mackerel and tuna around.

With the water temperature

near 21.5°C and dropping, this won’t be for much longer.

Chris Berkley weighed in a 12kg longtail caught on slimy mack down south around the Angourie grounds.

cracker caught around Browns Rocks on soft plastics. We are starting to see great luderick coming through with a 1.4kg fish caught by local Dan Pianta

Plenty of tailor have been caught like this one, a 2.7kg model caught by Cliff ‘Bear’ Andreassen on pilchards.

There have been nice snapper numbers around Woody Head and the Black Rocks grounds.

There will be a few mackerel and tuna around, but not for much longer.

There have been some awesome flathead seen on the open beaches and river with many weighed in over the last few weeks, like Mitch Cristini’s 2.6kg

on black weed around the main wall recently.

Bream sessions have been good with decently sized fish caught, but it’s still a little early. Ron Finlayson

caught a whopper off Iluka Beach at 1.4kg using beach worms recently. There have been reports of mulloway chasing the schooling mullet and big fish are being caught in all the usual spots.

There have also been nice snapper numbers around Woody Head and the Black Rocks grounds.

• For all your fishing needs and up-to-date information and tips for spots and fish, drop into the shop for a chat. Iluka Bait and Tackle is located at 3 Owen Street, Iluka NSW 2466. Give us a call on (02) 6646 5217 or 0402 997 572.

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Fishing is better when it’s colder YAMBA

Dave Gaden

With winter truly underway most fishers in this part of the world are excited about the prospects of good fish in good numbers. As nice as it is to be out on a summer’s day in the boat, off the beach or the stones, you just know the fishing is better when it’s colder.

the slack tide with as little weight as you can get away with. The obvious bait is the local school prawn or mullet fillets, and live yabbies are hard to beat.

If you can brave the cold, night fishing out here is far more productive. I berley heavily at night but never during the day, as it just brings all the small nuisance fish around. Berley can be as simple as plain wheat or

with huge schools running up the coast to join the fish already in our system, we are looking at a red-hot bite.

For those chasing these tasty, hard-fighting fish from the shore, the main breakwall on the river side is always worth a try. This is a real challenge, as you are well above the water. You might want to consider using a heavier outfit. I use a Wilson 4144 with a 15lb leader here

Middle Wall, Turkeys Nest and Collis Wall on Iluka side will all be fishing well.

Offshore the water should have dropped below 20°C. This means fish are in real close early. For those wanting to bag a nice snapper on lure or plastics, this is one of the best times. Fish seem to like the water around 18-20°C. The area from the kelp beds at Freeburn Rock (the Bommie) to the south of Woody Head Reef makes an easy target for those even in the smallest of boats.

Drifting in 8-10m of water and casting ahead of the boat with the lure and working it back to the boat with a hard, sharp jerking action will bring the big pink fish unstuck. I like white and pink plastics while the light is poor, then brown and dark green as the sun gets higher.

This really is an early in the day fish; you can catch a few later, but I don’t persist much after 8am.

Drifting in 8-10m of water and casting ahead of the boat with the lure and working it back to the boat with a hard, sharp jerking action will bring the big pink fish unstuck.

If lure fishing isn’t for you then the same ground anchored up and float baiting with a good berley trail will

produce dinner in no time.

Leave the reel unengaged and let the fish run before gently setting the hook on a light

For those wanting to bag a nice snapper on lure or plastics, July is one of the best times.

In the estuary and off the beach the bream are here in huge numbers. Yamba’s famous Middle Wall is always one of the mainstays for chasing a bag limit of these better-than-averagesize fish. Many will top the 1kg mark. I find the Iluka side of the eastern section of the Middle Wall to be the best. Anchor as close as possible to the wall on

chicken pellets. Just toss a teaspoon of it over the side with every new bait.

It might surprise you how many mulloway can be taken on your bream gear on these winter nights.

The luderick (blackfish) look like they will be full-on again this winter, as they have been on the chew all year.

They also spawn around the same time as the bream and

so I can lift the fish from the water, rather than trying to use a 4m long net.

There will be fish spread throughout the system in easier spots like the corner of the bay near Calypso Caravan Park, the stones at the bottom of Shores Drive and under Oyster Channel Bridge. If you’re fishing from a boat, the tide mark on the last section of the

On the southern reef from Red Cliff to Sandon the pearl perch have been in really good numbers. There is a fair spattering of undersize fish mixed with them and the odd 3kg+ fish as well.

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drag. You will have some big fish run through the kelp and you will think they are lost. If this happens, release the line and let the fish free.

Nine times out of ten the fish will swim up out of the kelp and bring the slack line up with it. Trying to bully the fish out of the kelp is an

almost certain bust-off and with that an almost certain temper tantrum.

On the southern reef from Red Cliff to Sandon the pearl perch have been in really good numbers. There is a fair spattering of undersize fish mixed with them and the odd 3kg+ fish as well. I

Mulloway have been around in good numbers.

like to drift in around 40m for these fish after leaving the shallows. They really are a good mid-morning feeder and the company they keep like Venus tuskfish, Moses perch and Maori cod are welcome in my boat.

I don’t look for major structure when chasing these fish. They don’t seem to need a pinnacle or a deep gutter; they seem happy on the flat bottom on broken rock and gravel. This also has the benefit of less snags and lost gear.

For those venturing north of the bar, the bommies close in near Black Rock south of Evans Reef will be great for early morning snapper. Some of the year’s biggest fish are caught here.

Then east of there into the Italian Grounds in 30-40m of water should be trag city. This area of reef is the most productive place for trag and mulloway I have found. On a calm day you won’t need to find them. Just go for a drift and you will stumble over fish everywhere. If you can target them and anchor over them, you’ll have no trouble bagging out. Trag show really well on your sounder, as they have enormous swim bladders like the mulloway, giving a good hard show.

I look for high bait shoals with dark shadows under

ba Prawn Blade s” “Yam Snapper are a good fish to target in July. them. These shadows are quite often larger mulloway with trag closer to the bait.

Always have at least one live bait on the bottom when at anchor.

• My new charter boats are up and running giving us the capacity to handle group bookings of up to 30, if needed. I have a full time whale watching boat running twice a day this season, if you’re looking for a refreshing change. Call into my shop Marina Boat & Tackle when you arrive and we will, as always, let you know what’s happening and where.

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Winter species really going crazy right now WOOLI

Stan Young

Snapper, kingfish, bream and luderick are going crazy at the moment.

Anglers are catching good numbers of fish at sea and in the river.

The snapper have shown up in large numbers with great-size fish being caught from 5-9kg on plastics. Many anglers like to use a 1/2oz jighead on a 5/0 hook if the water is dirty with a 7” Gulp

Jerk Shad. In clear water, I use a 7” Jerk Shad in anchovy, drop it to the bottom and work it to about halfway back up. A lot of the time they will hit it halfway up or on the drop back down, so you have to be prepared for the big hit.

It’s a great feeling when a big red hits your plastic and well worth the time spent working the plastics.

Kingfish are abundant at the moment at the island and can be caught on knife jigs and plastics or stickbaits.

Before you venture out,

make sure you get a marine park brochure so you don’t end up fishing in the wrong place. We have them at our tackle shop, so call in and pick one up – it’s better than a big fine.

When fishing North Solitary Island, be careful on the northeast corner; you can only fish with plastics, jigs or artificial baits for about 200m on the northeast corner as it is a grey nurse shark habitat zone.

The kings have been a good size, but have been

The kings have been a good size lately, up to 10-20kg.

This big kingy was caught at North Solitary Island.

A top samsonfish caught on a knife jig.

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hard to land. They have been up to 10-20kg and put up a good fight. We had a customer who was pulled over the side of the boat fighting a big king – he was lucky I grabbed his shirt as he was going. We managed to get him back on the boat to finish the fight. The kingfish was 17kg when landed.

The fishing in the river, the breakwall and the beach has been great. A lot of big bream are being caught at the slowing down of the tides and plenty are over the 1kg mark. Many bream have been caught on salted pilchards and it seems to be the favourite bait to use at the moment.

Luderick have been going well on artificial weed in the fluoro green colour. When making your flies, have the weed about a quarter of an inch below the gape of the hook. You can tie them with light braid or mono; I use a green braid, as you can’t see where it’s tied. A bit of super glue can help as well.

Try using two flies about 2ft apart; this works well and you can sometimes

hook two at a time. It’s important with luderick to have your hooks at the correct level in the water and you must be where the fish are, otherwise you’ll find it hard to catch them.

The luderick have been schooling up at the breakwall in big numbers.

You’ll sometimes see them take your fly or weed.

The water is mostly clear

enough to see them without much problem and this makes targeting them a lot easier. If you have a boat, you’ll find them around the weed beds in the river and the same thing applies – you can see them in the weeds or just outside on the mud or sand.

When in Wooli, call in and say hello. I may be able to help with fishing problems.

Mr Pixie with a nice pearl perch.

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JULY 2017

A happy Rod Ford with a kingfish caught at North Solitary Island.

Middle of winter, produces middle of the road COFFS HARBOUR

Stephen Worley info@tdsimages.com.au

For the most part the fishing in our area hasn’t been particularly hot or cold. All the usual winter suspects have been active, but not going ballistic. It’s the middle of the year, the middle of winter and the middle of the road.

In the estuaries the bream and bass are doing their mid-year mingle. Most of our local river systems are quite small so bream anglers don’t have to be too far upstream to run into the brackish water and schools

fishing is the key for winter bream. Slow and subtle has been the winning technique.

Prawn and crab imitations and small 2” grubs have been the standouts over the last month. Very slow or static presentations have done the damage, as the large bream require a full inspection of any offering before committing to the bite.

The estuaries also offer the inshore angler the chance of some big fish at this time of year. Mulloway have been quite active throughout the estuaries with the average fish around school-size.

Night time is always best for the estuarine mulloway and fishing the top of the tide is

This fella was netted by Martin Tucker right up in the skinny stuff, just before the end of season. of competitive bass. It’s quite a common occurrence to have a bream lure pinched by a bass at this time of year if you’re fishing the upper estuary stretches. If you do end up with a bass on your line this month, the no-take season runs from May until August, inclusive, and so all bass must be returned to the water unharmed.

The water temperatures in the estuaries slowly decrease as we get further into winter and the bream have become more focused on the estuary floor than the surface. Slower, finesse

the favoured option.

With the bass and trout seasons closed for the winter, there aren’t any real freshwater options in our region this month. That doesn’t stop your average sweetwater angler. This time of year sees a steady flow of anglers over the mountains and into cod country.

Copeton Dam is the most popular destination for a shot at some monster cod, to go with the icicles, frozen hands and numb face. As usual these trips out west can be either life inspiring or soul shattering. You see these

two results displayed well on social media. One angler will post multiple pictures of giant 1m+ cod, while the other posts a single sunset image about the weekend that could have been, along with some wise words trying to make sense of a world where not a single cod showed the slightest interest in any of his offerings.

One of the common traits of those more successful trips is that the group had at least one local or experienced Copeton angler. If you want success at Copeton, hook up with someone who knows the waterway well.

Those sticking to the warmer waters off the Coffs Coast have had access to all the standard winter offerings.

Snapper are again the most popular target now that the mackerel have mostly moved on. Over the last month the snapper have begun to congregate around the shallow reefs, headlands and gravel beds. This is the best time of year for anyone and everyone to access a nice red for supper, or just for catch and release.

The best snapper fishing this month will be around the shallow reefs and headlands adjacent to large areas of gravel. Muttonbird Island, Sawtell and Boambee headlands all offer the possibility of a decent land-based snapper. These locations are also offering regular tailor, mulloway and the odd kingfish.

In the beach gutters, mulloway have been responding well to squid strips, in particular the Californian squid, although you can’t go past fresh squid if you can get it. The squid have been quite active around the inshore reefs, headlands and breakwalls, so the option for fresh squid baits is there, if you can resist just having a feed of squid instead. The mulloway

Sam Gilchrist gets the big cod and sunrise pic covered in one image. will certainly respond well, as will the local kingfish.

The best snapper fishing will be further inshore this month. The islands and deeper reefs are still offering quality reds and are the best option for decent kingfish.

Fishing near the shore, or far from it, bottom baits or drifting around with a live bait could net you snapper, kingfish or pearl perch. There aren’t many anglers that wouldn’t be happy with one of these

species, if just for a fight, or for dinner. It’s one of the reasons I love fishing offshore at this time of year.

Whether you’re fishing for a feed or just to get out there, I hope you can stay warm and have fun.

Jason O’Brien was happy to brave this wintery night in the yak for fish like this estuary mulloway.

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35

Magnificent monster mackerel COFFS GAME

Glen Booth

So the icy depths of winter are upon us, and game fishing becomes a very

low priority on the list of fun activities. Sensible late starts and inshore reef fishing for snapper, trag, pearl perch and tuskies is now the focus for most of us.

Both local game fishing

clubs could barely raise a fish in the dying weeks of their respective seasons, despite a fairly strong presence out there due to some favourable weather windows. A couple of blue marlin were lost,

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but as has been the case all season, there was a substantial amount of water between them.

The Spanish hung on in there though. The bite slowed somewhat after all the rain, so fish were few and far between, but some quality late season specimens were boated once the clarity improved a bit.

Nambucca Heads was quite consistent, and my mate Liam Williams scored the fish of several lifetimes in close a couple of months back. It pulled the electronic scales down to 37.9kg, which is an absolute beast of a Spanish for far north Queensland, let alone this far south.

Having blitzed the mackerel the day before, for a change of pace a soft plastics snapper session was deemed in order. A live slimy mackerel was left to do its

thing out the back as they floated along, working their soft plastics forward of the boat as they drifted.

Surprisingly, the big mack only took 15 minutes to land, possibly because it was full of baby mackerel tuna that were schooling along the coast at the time.

However, its stomach contents revealed just a couple of yakkas and the jawbone of a small snapper.

Asking around, there has been the odd fish larger than this boated over the decades, with a couple topping 40kg in years gone by, but Liam’s Spaniard is still one of the largest ever weighed in NSW waters.

Unfortunately it was caught on braid, so un-claimable as any sort of state game fishing record, but it’s still an impressive capture.

Obviously with a fish of this size you’re asking for a severe dose of ciguatera poisoning if you try to eat it, so its final destination is the lounge room wall, with Scott Ward doing the cast.

The otoliths are going to be examined by DPI Fisheries to get an idea of the fish’s age, so I’ll report back on what that reveals in due course.

They don’t come much bigger than this — anywhere. Liam Williams and his monster mack from down Nambucca way.

This stonker wahoo was caught halfway around the world – from the Aliwal Shoal in South Africa. It fell to a Halco Laser Pro 140 in chrome tiger.

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Mix it up with offshore fishing in winter SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Brent Kirk kempsey@compleatangler.com.au

Winter has finally decided to show its face on the Mid North Coast of NSW after a mild autumn that brought reasonably settled conditions. The fishing has been fairly good with the transition of species providing the possibility of some quality mixed bags, especially when fishing offshore.

pieces of reef will quickly obtain results if these fish are present.

The early season shallow reef fishery has been fairly strong this year. Light jigging and soft plastic fishing or anchoring up and setting a berley trail to drift baits down is good. Surprisingly, after a fairly slow mackerel season there have still been a few spotties hanging around the inshore reefs.

Rock hoppers are currently getting amongst some good tailor and

are directly after periods of larger swell when the waves loosen up all the food from the rocks.

There have still been a few tuna kicking around offshore, with mac tuna being the most common.

There have been a few more desirable yellowfin as well as the odd longtail.

Kingfish have been around the headlands as well as out around Fish Rock and Black Rock. These fish have been seen on occasions absolutely destroying baitfish on the surface.

Winter sees a lot more activity on the beaches as the annual spawning runs take place. With mild days and moderate seas, the scene is set for some enjoyable sessions off the sand. Bream have been in great numbers and in very good condition of late.

Tailor have been caught around the low light periods of dawn and dusk. Good flathead have been picking up the scraps left behind by the feeding tailor schools.

Mulloway are in good

It’s not every day you see hoodies and mackerel in the same shot, but there are still a few stragglers around.

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There are plenty of good pearl perch out on the reefs.

Bottom fishing has been at its most productive out in 60-80m. Pearl perch, trag, tuskfish and snapper will all be found when fishing this depth.

Larger species like kingfish and mulloway are always on the cards out on these reefs at this time of year, especially if bait is holding on a pinnacle or reef edge. Dropping a live bait down around any likely bait schools or good looking

mulloway. Winter is a great time to target bigger mulloway, and fishing light is not an option for anyone serious about catching a big fish off the rocks. Big fresh baits and soft plastics of 6” or larger fished on 50lb gear will do the job nicely.

Bream, luderick, drummer and groper are just a few of many other species that can be targeted off the headlands. The best times to chase these species

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37

Fishing in July is really worth the effort THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

It’s easy to turn off the alarm and pull the doona up on a fresh July morning, but be warned – you could be missing out on some top fishing this month if you don’t get out of bed and switch the kettle on!

The fishing has been very good lately, with the local rivers producing good bags of bream, luderick and school mulloway. Beach fishos can target tailor, salmon, bream and mulloway while the rock fishos can catch these as well as the drummer that have come out to play with the cooler water temperatures. Offshore crews will be looking at snapper, teraglin, pearl perch and other reef fish to get their winter fishing fix. Let’s have a look at where and how we can get into some of this winter action.

BEACHES Every time I look at my beach rods hanging in the shed it takes me back to a time when the beach was a much bigger factor in my fishing life. To be successful on the beach it really helps to know your tides and formations and what species you are likely to encounter at

Dave Marler with a rock wall bream caught on a plastic.

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JULY 2017

differing times of year.

Bream will be around in reasonable numbers on North Beach, Lighthouse Beach and Dunbogan.

Don’t dismiss some of the smaller beaches closer to Port. Remember to check the formations and call in to the local tackle store for up to the minute information on

which location is firing and what bait is best. At this time of year I like mullet strips for bream.

Tailor and salmon can be caught on these beaches and the old faithful pilchard on ganged hooks is as deadly as any method to catch them.

Look for a high tide on the beach around daylight or in the evening from dark to a couple of hours after for a good chance of encountering them.

This leads me to most beach fishos’ favourite – the mulloway. This month is as good as any to tangle with them. I prefer to fish around the full moon, and the reason for this is the high tides fall at dark and a few hours after on these phases, which means you can fish the light and tide change and still get home before midnight. You will catch them at other times, but let’s make it easier.

Taking a couple of rods is practical. Take one for catching fresh tailor and one for your mulloway rod. The fresher the bait, the better. If there are mulloway present or travelling through your gutter, it will be hard for them to resist. For those anglers who put in the time to check the beaches it won’t be long until the rewards come.

RIVERS The Hastings has been fishing very well, with bream and luderick the main species being encountered.

School mulloway have been up river and some bigger models down the front have kept the mulloway guys happy. The south wall of a night has been producing bream. Mullet strips and nippers are the preferred bait.

If you have the time, it pays

to pump your nippers. This way bream, luderick and flatties will become part of your night time catch.

Through the daylight hours the luderick fishos are easy to spot, with the town jetty and the bend in the wall being top spots to try using the more traditional float rig. Winter can see you getting some great bags of these top table and sportfish.

On the lure front, bream have been taking plastics and vibes. Rock walls have been heavily targeted, as it’s well known at this time of year that bream gather in the deep.

I like to find deeper holes away from these main locations. Often bream will be in these and they are not as pressured. Many anglers would be surprised at some of the locations away from the usual spots that hold good quantities of bream.

Use your sounder; you may find one of the many honey holes that are in the Hastings and have it to yourself.

Eathan Watts caught this nice school mulloway on a 5” Fish Arrow Flash J Shad.

Sometimes sounding out deeper holes away from the usual will get you onto some good bream.

John Kelly found that using bigger lures for mulloway will often get better than average flathead.

Industry Profile

Australian Lure Expo back again for 2017 Whack the dates in the diary, on your phone or up on the wall in the shed – you’ll want to make sure you’re at Queensland’s Ipswich Showgrounds on the 8-9 July for the 2017 Australian

Lure, Fly and Outdoors Expo (or as we all fondly call it – The Lure Show!).

What started six years ago as a celebration of Australian lures and luremaking has rapidly grown to

an event which satisfies all anglers whether they be fresh or salt water focused.

Unlike every boat show you’ve ever been to that leaves you wondering, “Where’s the tackle?” The Lure Show will completely satisfy your need to add to your tackle collection.

tackle store around. You are guaranteed to find things that you don’t yet know you can’t live without You won’t want to miss the lure demonstrations at the casting tank. Here you will find the lure makers themselves giving guidance on how their lures have been

DETAILS What: 2017 Lure Expo When: Saturday 8th and

Sunday 9th July 2017 Where: Ipswich Showgrounds, Ipswich Time: 9am – 4pm each day Web: www.lureshow.com.au Tickets: Adults $10, Kids Under 16 FREE (when accompanied by an adult).

Pre-purchase tickets online to avoid the lines.

It’s two days of non-stop fishing focused action. With Australia’s biggest collection of lure makers under one roof, the expertise on offer is unparalleled. Carving, painting and lure swimming demonstrations and general lure making advice is as thick on the ground as the tackle bargains.

Everyone is selling.

The Lure Show turns the Ipswich Showgrounds into the biggest, most diverse

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designed to swim and how to get the most out of them.

The presenters hub is where you’ll be able to pick the brains of some of Queensland’s most knowledgeable anglers.

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Tickets are available online now. Group discounts available for fishing clubs, get in touch at www. lureshow.com.au.

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Australian lures lying in the garage that need a new home? Bring these to the show as you won’t find a hungrier pack of collectors any where in this wide brown land. These guys are also keen to help you sort your own collection out and are more than happy to help with identifying any lures you’re not quite sure about.

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39

. ..Winter surprises abound

nr h?

during winter – that’s just to name a few.

I guess it shouldn’t really surprise anyone that the pristine water of the lake system invites these visitors in. It happens every year and for the limited time the fish stay, we should exploit the sport they offer.

I happily watched a big school of silver trevally and bigeye trevally mill around a few trays of oyster racks the other day. They were shadowed by a large school of bully mullet, reminiscent of the boiling schools of mullet before the Easter run.

The silvers were all around

FORSTER

David Seaman

nhe.n..

dseamo@bigpond.com

The waters of the Wallis Lake system and surrounding areas never cease to amaze me. The seasonal visitation of transient species reads like a bucket list of angling achievements throughout the year: small hammerheads in November, giant herring in summer, kingfish in autumn, bonito and small tuna until winter and big slabs of silver trevally

wor bnot.h.?.

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the 2kg mark while the bigeye were closer to a kilo.

Either species is worth their weight in fight when hooked up to bream gear. The occasional flash of silver in the water breathes hope into anglers with growing doubt.

The trevally generally stay close to the entrance of the lake, though the odd school will venture further around to areas like the Step. Your best chance to tangle with them is to fish the Paddock racks and washboards as you would for bream, with small soft plastics or hardbodied lures and, of course, baits are also readily scoffed.

FLATHEAD There has been a significant thinning of the flathead since the light fresh that flushed through a few

Two big silver trevally and a blanket of mullet in the water is typical of the leases in the lower section of the lake.

As the water gets cooler the fish will move further up the estuaries and hang out in shoals. If you find one or

the best time to target a trophy bream. Most of the small males up to 27cm are off the coast doing their

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two fish, chances are there will be plenty more in the area. Big whiting are also a winter river inhabitant. A bucket of live yabbies is a great way to cover your odds with the flathead, bream and whiting.

While the winter months seem slower with less action in the lake, the truth is it’s

business, so you have far fewer distractions. Believe it or not, too many small fish can spook the larger ones from biting.

The racks and the flats are two favoured locations for targeting big bream and both can be a raffle as to what you’ll catch. The leases behind Regatta Island

hold good fish during July as do the nearby weed flats down toward Coomba Park.

Further south, toward the Palms, you could even pick up snapper up to 2kg from the flats.

ROCKS Tailor have been prevalent along the rocks, as have the migrating bream and luderick. It’s easy to put a mixed bag together with an early morning spin session combined with a bit of berley and bait. Pigs are becoming more common and have upped the ante over the last month or so.

To get the best from the pigs we need a good three day southerly to pump the coast. Any of the coastal headlands will produce fish at the moment and Janies Corner has been surrendering a few school mulloway too.

The offshore anglers have been enjoying relatively calm to glassed out conditions and the inshore reefs have produced plenty of pan-sized to 3kg snapper with the odd pearl perch thrown into the mix. I saw a good box of flathead at the Forster tables the other day and the two anglers told me they just target the flatties.

It’s nice to know there are plenty around.

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It’s bream time at Harrington HARRINGTON-TAREE

Ian Pereira ianpereira@aapt.net.au

The past month has had many changes in weather and fish movement. The mullet have run and the overall catch by the netters was not up to usual standards. The weather was not consistent with nice sunny days mixed up with rain, wind and southerly seas.

The conditions were hard for the outside anglers as well as the beach and rock fishers. The saltwater part of the estuary has cleared and the saltwater has moved right up to the falls, where it should be. There is plenty of water in the freshwater part of the Manning and everything looks great for the spring.

ESTUARY The estuary is fishing really well for bream and luderick. The bream are schooling along the wall on the Harrington side as well as along the spur wall at Manning Point. Mullet strips, yabbies and small plastic crabs will all get fish.

The first of the run in and the period around high tide are the best times to float a bait.

The luderick are taking green weed and cabbage baits during the day and fresh yabbies at night. The flathead have moved up river and are still being

caught in good numbers by boat anglers. Those who fish from the bank have a more difficult task, but the good anglers are still getting a feed. Bait and soft

Small flatties are a good sign for the future of our fishery.

Photo courtesy of Rob Kneeshaw.t

plastics are the way to go.

BEACH AND ROCKS Sea conditions together with the eroded state of the beaches have made it hard for anglers to fish all parts of the beach, especially on high water. Tailor and salmon have been caught on Crowdy Beach on pilchards and lures. The tailor aren’t large.

The average fish would be 35-38cm while the best of the salmon would make 2kg.

Some tailor of 2-2.5kg have been caught at night from the northern end of Crowdy Beach. Kylies Beach has produced mulloway to 5kg on worms at night around high tide. The southern end of Crowdy Beach just up from the surf club has fished well for whiting at night on worm baits.

OFFSHORE Snapper are the most sought-after fish at present and good catches have been made from both the northern and southern grounds. The best fish have been taken from off Old Bar with some fish in the 5-6kg range. Bar cod have been boated in 150m of water and mahimahi taken on live baits and lures around the FAD. Mac tuna are taking trolled lures along the tide lines.

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JULY 2017

Bream are almost always on the cards in the Manning estuary.

Photo courtesy of James Howarth.

July is the month when we see a changeover of fish species in the Manning area. The tailor head north at the end of the month and then the black drummer start spawning. After the drummer have spawned they really go on the bite.

They will take most baits and a bit of berley works wonders with these fish.

In the estuary bream and luderick can be caught from the river wall on bait. Mullet strips or yabbies work for the bream and green weed for the luderick.

Mid winter smorgasbord HUNTER COAST

Gary Earl earlybird13@optusnet.com.au

The amount of fish in this area lately has been astounding. Huge bream, tailor, luderick and flathead are in and it’s winter – you tell me what’s going on. I don’t think it’s the water temperature, but the masses of bait that are passing through the Hunter Region. There are a lot of predators following them, so hopefully the fishing will still be red-hot.

The wharfs and rocky outcrops in Newcastle Harbour have been pretty packed with anglers that are in the know. It only takes a few people to start talking fishing and the word spreads pretty fast, and the best spots are hard to get a line in due to the number of anglers taking the prime positions.

Bream have been flooding out of the harbour since March and I expect they will still be coming out.

We have had little rain, so the fish are high up in the river system and it will take a while for them to reach the river mouth to keep moving on their spawning run.

A friend told me he was out luring for bream in a channel in dead darkness and he heard a few splashes.

Thinking he heard salmon, he threw a lure in that direction and hooked up to two massive tailor that were chomping on bait. Now I don’t know if there was any reflection from shoreline lights or a bit of moon out, but they were feeding in the pitch-black water, he told me.

That’s pretty unusual. I have been told there were also a lot of great tailor catches offshore on the close reefs.

I got out with a friend and hit my usual spots and they were covered in kingfish; the problem was they were all

half an inch under size. They were great fun on light gear and floating pilchards in 15ft of water, but very frustrating.

We couldn’t get one oversize out of about twenty. We were nearly pulling our hair out – there was so many under the boat and with a sounder that was black with the school of them we stuck around thinking surely something bigger would turn up. We weren’t lucky. We should have moved around the reefs more and looked for bigger fish.

Sand flathead are out just beyond the shore breaks and there have been some big ones taken. The best method is to drift with strips

The kingfish have been around in droves taking jigged lures, baits and nearly anything you offer them. They are all just undersize, some by only half an inch, so do the right thing and release them. They’re our future big king hoodlums.

of mullet and make sure you are safely out far enough from where the waves are breaking. Flounder have been the by-catch over the sand, along with the stray whiting that might be gone by now, but you never know.

Further offshore juvenile snapper are patchy, but with a little work on a berley trail you should be able to coax them in close enough to hook them. They have been very scarce on the inner reefs over the past month and are preferring to stay out in deep water over reefs.

Use a berley bomb to get the berley down to where they are. Morwong, mostly blue, have been schooling with them in the deep water with nannygai and teraglin. I haven’t heard many reports of gamefish lately, but the water is cooling so they’re probably up north bathing in the sunny warmer areas.

For those who chase luderick, there have been a lot taken along both breakwalls and they have been of good size as well.

I go cross-eyed watching that float for ages, but lately it hasn’t taken long for it to be pulled under. They’re nice, clean fish as they are moving in from offshore and

Lovely bream have been moving around, mostly from Hexham down to the river mouth. Don’t be surprised if you get onto some higher in the river while the salinity levels are high, as we haven’t had a lot of rain recently. entering the river. The fish that have been in the river for a while haven’t been tasting that good lately, so fish up close to the harbour mouth. Try Nobbys Wall or Stockton; both have been fishing well for them.

This month I would be carrying chrome lures

for the tailor, fresh prawns or strips of mullet for the bream, live baits for sharks and mulloway off the walls (a few have been there), and take some luderick gear as they are in mass proportions.

I’m guessing as it cools down there will be even more luderick.

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No need to rough it this winter SWANSEA

Jason Scerri coloratolures@hotmail.com

Winter is a lovely time of year here on Lake Macquarie. All you need to do is dress to the conditions, and then get out there and make the most of it. These days there are so many fantastic clothing options available that there’s really no excuse for not fishing, even during the dead of winter. Things like a set of thermals, neck warmers, head socks and so on can all make a big difference, and really do change how you think about fishing in winter. If you really want luxury, there are even pie warmers, Makita batterypowered coffee makers and other nifty gadgets so you don’t even have to rough it during these cooler months.

The reason I keep suggesting that anglers get out there during winter is very simple: the fishing is fantastic! The lake is fishing particularly well at the moment, and as long as there is no major weather event I don’t see

why the fishing action shouldn’t continue.

The flathead action has again moved to deeper waters within the lake now that the temperatures have dropped right off.

Many anglers still think that flathead fishing is something you only do in those warmer months, but that is certainly not the case. There are good numbers of flathead about in the 8-10m areas throughout the lake. They do move around a little so it pays to have a few spots up your sleeve, and simply try and try until you find where they are hanging. At the moment I am finding the 3-4” plastics proving the undoing of many good flathead. I prefer a fishprofile type plastic with a paddle-tail. Use whatever jighead weight is needed on the day to effectively fish the bottom, and a hook size of 2/0 or thereabouts.

It shouldn’t take long for you to get a few for dinner, plus a few more that can be released for another day.

Mulloway continue to be caught throughout the lake. They are certainly in better numbers up the northern end at the

moment, with Belmont up through to Bolton Point a few of the more productive locations. Live squid is the number one bait, with lure anglers also scoring a few. I generally opt for more natural plastics when lure fishing for mulloway.

I like whites and silvers as a general rule, although I have had days when nothing was working until I tried a bright orange or some other bright colour.

It certainly pays to keep an open mind and have a range of options at your disposal.

Salmon have started to move into the lake, with a few schools starting to bust up around Salts Bay at the Lakes Entrance.

There is also no shortage of pelagic fish out and around Moon Island. Mid week is certainly your best bet if that’s possible, as the fish are often boat shy. Without the weekend traffic the odds certainly swing in your favour.

Flies and small lures are the best offerings, and you should mix up the colours until you find what’s working on the day. Be prepared as there are also often a few solid kingfish mixed in with other pelagic

fish such as salmon, tailor and so on.

Anglers should also be willing to try a few of these pelagic fish on the dinner plate. I’m sure you will be surprised. I recently started playing around with smoking my fish, and the results have been sensational. As we know, tailor do not freeze well at all, however if they are bled and iced at time of capture they are a lovely eating fish and come up a treat on the smoker.

Bream are still about, and mixing up your fishing styles will soon see a few fish landed. Again, work the deeper sections. For this style of fishing, and this time of year, I really like switching to soft plastics and metal blades. For the plastics I like the 2-3” size range, and for my blades I generally go for small ones around 30-35mm.

OFFSHORE Offshore fishing is far from on fire, but hope is still running high. Anglers are keen to see if this

The author’s daughter Bella with her PB bream, caught on a Damiki DTSCO hardbody. She was over the moon with this 38cm fish. year will result in a run of either southern bluefin or yellowfin tuna – or both would be nice. Every year we see a few caught, but what anglers are really hoping for is a hot bite, like

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David Kennedy displays a hefty 84cm flathead that fell for a soft plastic in 8m of water.

many in the southern states get to enjoy each year. If we are fortunate enough to get a run of tuna, you can nearly be certain that these fish will be wide offshore – generally the place for the experienced offshore crews with suitable and capable vessels. You will generally expect any run of tuna to be out wide of the shelf and out over the Norah Head canyons.

Trolling skirted lures in a variety of sizes and colours will be your best bet. Don’t overdo it with the size of your lures, as even a 6” lure will nail 100kg tuna. If you’re running 10” lures, you may miss out on shots if there are only school fish about.

I suggest a spread of four lures. At this time of year I’d look to run a pair of 8” lures off the corner positions and then a pair of 6” lures off the riggers.

Blues, green, purples and pinks are generally productive colours.

One style of fishing that is gaining in popularity off many ports around the country is deep dropping for solid tablefish such as blue-eye, gemfish and others. With the technology available today, and the quality of the tackle on offer, this style of fishing is really getting a big following. Electric reels are now getting much more affordable, and with the quality sounders now available, it is opening up a whole new range of offshore fishing options.

Most crews are deep dropping with squid baits, with some opting for lumo squid skirts as attractants while others leave their offerings more natural.

Either way, mix it up and have a go as you just never know what you might bring up on that next drop.

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Great assortment of fishing from the stones along the Nelson Bay Rockwall, is arguably the best you’ll find anywhere in Australia. The prime time to fish for them is around one hour before the tide change through to about two hours after.

While weed has been a bit scarce locally, you should have no trouble getting yourself a bucket full of cabbage from the ocean rocks. Make sure, however, you do this on a calm day and on low tide.

It’s not hard to catch bream in Port Stephens right now. All you need to

PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

Despite July being smack bang in the middle of winter, it’s always a good month for fishing in Port Stephens. If you can put up with the cold, there’s some great fishing to be had with bream, luderick, drummer, tailor, salmon and snapper all on the chew.

ESTUARY The luderick fishing out of Port Stephens at this time of year, particularly

do is fish around high tide with an unweighted prawn or nipper and you will rack up big numbers of them.

A few good areas to do this are off the rock walls, inside Nelson Bay Marina and off the jetties at Shoal Bay and Little Beach.

If you have access to a boat, most of the rocky islands and oyster leases around Solders Point through to Pindimar are also fantastic areas to extract bream from this time of year.

There will be plenty of squid around this month

The author with his hands full of quality Port Stephens snapper.

Tailor will be in numbers from the rocks and beach this month. with Shoal Bay, Jimmys and Little Beach the best places to target them in the estuary.

There’s good mulloway to be caught on lures in the port with Oyster Cove, Karuah Bridges, and the Salamander Wreck all worth a shot.

OFF THE ROCKS Luderick are plentiful off the rocks at this time of year, especially around

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calm bays and gutters that have lots of sea lettuce growing adjacent the edges of the waterline.

Drummer, the bigger meaner cousins of luderick, are also peaking in numbers around the wash zones and will readily take a cunjevoi or peeled prawn. They also respond well to a bread mix berley.

Tailor and Australian salmon are another good option from the stones at the moment in the early morning and late afternoon

around the points and headlands.

OFF THE BEACH The beaches at this time of year often produce good numbers of mulloway, with school-sized fish to about 10kg common. The best areas to try for a couple will be Stockton and Hawks Nest, Samurai and One Mile beaches. Keep an eye out this month for schools of salmon in the surf, which make for fantastic fun to throw small metals or stickbaits, at especially

on light gear.

Fingal Spit will be worth the walk if you’re casting a few pilchards or garfish around for tailor, with quality green backs to 2kg a real chance.

OUTSIDE Whether you’re bait or lure fishing, there will be good numbers of snapper around this month from Fishermans Bay all the way to Seal Rocks. The secret is going to be concentrating your efforts during those prime dawn and dusk times.

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Drummer fishing is a great way to escape the strong westerly winds.

Blackfish starting to fire up ERINA

Aaron Donaldson

I’d like to start this month’s column by introducing myself. I’m Aaron Donaldson, and some readers would already know me from working in tackle shops for the last few years. I have been fishing the Central Coast all my life, and I enjoy all aspects of the sport from gamefishing to flyfishing and lurecasting.

June-September is when we typically get the yellowfin.

Bottom fishers should be able to tangle with some kingfish this month, as they traditionally start biting in around 100m of water around this time of year.

Jigging and live baiting are the most popular methods.

A few snapper are starting to be caught now. A lot of them are being taken in shallow water in close, in around 10-40m of water, try flicking 5 inch soft plastics on 1/4oz jigheads and you

kingfish in the estuary lately, which is very unusual.

However, it’s one thing to spot a giant kingy, and quite another thing to actually land one. Some nasty bust-offs have occurred.

The blue swimmer crabs are starting to taper off at the moment. Over the coming month they’ll start to hibernate, and won’t come back on until around October or November. We’ve had a ripper season on the blue swimmers, with plenty of them caught, and hopefully

Bream like this one will head for deeper waters this month, where some great action can be found.

My aim with these reports is to provide up-todate information that beginners and experts will find of interest. Here’s what’s been happening in recent weeks.

When it comes to offshore game fishing, things have been very quiet lately. We haven’t really seen the arrival of yellowfin tuna up this way at all, and the marlin have tapered off as well. Still, we’re hoping to see the start of the tuna run up this way this month.

will see some action. There have also been a few big pearl perch mixed in with the snapper, with solid specimens weighing around the 2-3kg mark.

ESTUARY Things are cooling down in the estuary at the moment, with water temperatures dipping below 20°C at the time of writing. The winter species are starting to kick off, so we are starting to see some big winter bream around. Anglers have also been spotting some big

the next season will be just as good.

Usually around now we start to see a lot of schoolsize mulloway get caught, and good areas to try are around any of the road bridges in Brisbane Waters.

Generally with the colder weather they start to come on the bite a bit better on lures, mostly on soft plastics but also on some shallow diving hardbodies around 4-6”.

Popular mulloway plastics at the moment include the Samaki Boom Bait Bomb

Shad and ZMan Jerk ShadZ. From now onwards we’ll start to see a lot of estuary perch in the estuaries.

They are a really fun target around road bridges and moored boats. Normally you’ll catch them on any little lightly weighted soft plastics, particularly shrimp imitations. Just remember that it’s the closed season, so all estuary perch have to be handled with care and returned to the water immediately.

Anglers are starting to catch a lot of bream on blades and vibes, especially the Samaki Vibelicious and Ecogear VX blades. Most guys are spinning those in open water in depths of around 2-4m, as a lot of those fish are dropping down into the deeper water where the cockle beds are.

Targeting these areas is a particularly good option at this time of year, not just because you can catch plenty of bream but because of the varied by-catch. You can encounter a wide range of species on blades in these locations, including whiting, flathead, silver trevally and even a big mulloway if you’re lucky. You can have a fight on your hands when fishing light leaders!

The freshwater has been very quiet. It hasn’t been a good year in the fresh; with all the rain we’ve had, the rivers have been dirty for a long time. They’re pretty much clear now, but once the bass are down below the weirs they’re very hard to target and find. Still, hopefully this all means the bass would have had a good spawn this year.

THE MONTH AHEAD When it comes to fishing in July, there’s not a whole lot of variety to choose from when compared to other

You know the blackfish are hot to trot when you hook two at once! months of the year. Still, you can certainly catch a feed and have some fun.

One of the most reliable options is to chase blackfish, which are going to start to fire up both in the estuaries and on the rocks. The entrance is always a good place to catch a blackfish; it does get a bit crowded but there are always blackfish there to be caught. Wherever you choose to target these fish, try to use the bait that you find in the local area. For example, if you’re on the rocks you should use the bait that’s on those rocks. In the estuary, use the local estuary weed and you’ll always do better. Some anglers have also had great success on weed imitation flies, particularly off the ocean rocks.

Last year a few big schools of Australian salmon pushed in, providing a lot of fun on light tackle. They

are in the Broken Bay area, which is a reliable location for big salmon schools in winter. These fish can get very fussy, fixating on very small baitfish, so you have to use small, clear soft plastics (from 2-4”) or 5-20g metal lures.

There are a lot of people hanging around here waiting for the bluefin and yellowfin tuna to show up offshore.

The best two methods are to troll early in the morning, and to get a cube trail going in the afternoon and into the dark. A lot of fish are caught just on dark. Bluefin are very hard to target here because you might only see them for a couple of days before they move on. For that reason, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye out for reports, and to strike while the iron’s hot.

Good luck out there guys – I hope everyone enjoys their fishing.

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Snapper are top of anglers’ list ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke clarkey1@westnet.com.au

There will be pretty much only one thing on most anglers’ minds this month and that is snapper. The cuttlefish will be in full spawning mode and many will die and float to the surface after their big effort, and many more will be predated on by other species and eventually find their way to the top.

This means there will be tonnes of food for all and sundry, and the snapper will be here in numbers to take full advantage of

this feeding opportunity, gorging themselves until they can eat no more. Then eating more anyway.

Most mornings will see a west or southwest wind blow at up to 20 knots early before dropping back to between 5-10 knots by mid morning. This makes the close inshore waters very calm, even if there is a little swell about. There are perfect conditions for hunting reds on the surface.

On good mornings you will see them from over a kilometre away thrashing on the surface, throwing spray into the air as they use that massive tail to drive down after grabbing a mouthful of floating

cuttlefish.

Being school fish there will usually be a few on the one cuttlie, often taking turns to rip the flesh off in large chunks, and on rare occasions, the ocean under the cuttlefish will be orange with a whole school up under the floater picking up the bits as each one smashes the surface a takes a bite. These times are rare but a sight that will be burnt into your memory if you are lucky enough to see it.

For the most part, these days you will work your way from floater to floater, casting your bait into the wind to land it as close to the spent cuttlie as

The bluefin should be around this month like this one from last season.

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JULY 2017

possible, then drifting away with the bail arm open to allow the bait to sink down as naturally as possible.

From my observations, over the past few years most anglers fishing this method will be lucky to get a bite as the one ingredient needed in this method of fishing is stealth, something that seems to be missing in fishing these days.

The anglers who get consistent good results on big fish move as quietly as possible even between floaters as most fishing is done in less than 10m of water, so the fish are always on edge and take flight at any hint of danger and high revving motors.

Even revs slightly above idle mean danger.

Racing from floater to floater pretty much puts all the fish in the area on alert and down on the bottom in a very short time, you may as well go home after that.

Using light line if using mono, or leaders if using braid will also enhance your bites. Around 6kg is the maximum for best results, and as you go higher the bites get less and are halved

or even worse once you get to 10kg line. Let’s face it, not many reds will bust a competent angler no matter how big on 6kg tackle with a smooth drag.

The other alternative is to pick your reef, put the anchor down and hit the berley and bring them to you. There are plenty of smaller fish about, and you will pick up the big ones as well as they move about the reef system looking for pieces of cuttlefish.

There is always a constant berley stream over many of the breeding reefs as the albatross make short work of most of the floaters as soon as they hit the surface.

Half a dozen albatross fighting over a big cuttlie leaves a lot of pieces drifting down the water column to be picked up by all manner of fish living on the reef.

Snapper are not the only fish nailing the cuttlefish, as just about everything with fins will be looking for bits this month, and it will be the only bait to use, even on the beaches, over the coming weeks.

Kings, groper, Samson fish, big bream, trevally, mulloway and lots and lots of sergeant baker will all be around in numbers mixing it with the snapper on the floaters. Even the odd flathead will get in on the madness if your bait gets too deep near some sandy patches.

You can use plastics for a bit of fun, but when there is so much bait and the fish are tuned in to the cuttlefish, this can get a bit challenging. This is also made hard when the leatherjacket are so thick they destroy most plastics the moment they get close to the bottom.

Leatherjackets will be a nuisance if anchored and make short work of your bait if there are a few in the area. Small long shank hooks and a small sinker will catch heaps if you like them, but for the rest of the time, no weight will be required to keep your bait drifting down through the water column and looking as natural as possible.

The other species that will be on sport and game anglers’ mind will be southern bluefin tuna.

They are generally very wide when they hit our area of the coast, but many anglers will be heading east looking for them. With all the technology about these days and social media, the schools are virtually tracked every step of the way as they head up the coast.

Unlike most other fishing, which is all

This is the result of a morning stealth session casting at floaters. All fish came from less than 8m of water. secrets, the first boat to find them on the day calls in every one else as more berley and cubes in the water keep the big schools up and grabbing everything that moves, sometimes all day making for some hectic fishing.

The other tuna, the yellowfin tuna, have been quiet this year with unfavourable water keeping them elsewhere.

Mako sharks, a few blue sharks and the odd albacore has added a little extra on some days.

Back inshore, there are plenty of good salmon about grabbing pillies in the washes and it has been an excellent year for tailor all along the coast, particularly during the evenings around the bommies and islands.

If the snapper don’t find your berley, there are plenty of trevally to keep you busy and bream in the very shallow bays and harbours.

The bottom bouncers are scoring plenty of snapper too, with mowies, pigfish and the odd Samson fish in the mix. The flathead have gone quiet, with a few for those who are really keen to put in the effort.

On the rocks, there are snapper snooping around the deeper ledges and again, cuttlefish is the go-to bait. A few kings have been about on the dawn patrol, but as soon as the sun comes up they are gone.

Salmon are about on most ledges, grabbing pilchards and strip baits, while there are plenty of drummer and a few blackfish in the suds on every rocky outcrop with some good fish to 3kg coming in. Cunjevoi, cabbage weed and royal red prawns fished under a small float will score plenty,

or just fish the cunjevoi and prawns unweighted in the wash.

If it gets calm, there will be some groper around the deeper ledges too. They like the cooler water and are a real challenge off the stones. Grab a few crabs and take the chance of hooking one, getting it out will be a different matter.

On the beaches there are still good numbers of solid tailor in the deeper gutters, particularly just after it gets dark. Pilchards, fresh slabs of mackerel or yellowtail are good baits to get them going. There are more salmon than tailor and you will pick them up from just before sundown and from the early hours of the morning until sunrise.

There are some big ones to over 4kg about and they go pretty hard on the right tackle.

Mulloway are about as well, with some good fish in the mix with fair numbers of schoolies to keep you interested between big bites. Most beaches with deeper gutters and a few tailor in them are attracting the mulloway.

Bream are still an option, but they are not as thick as they were last month, and five fish for the morning would be a good result, but there are the other species thrown in so there is some reasonable fishing to be had on the beaches.

If you are looking at fishing the lake or Minnamurra, you will do it tough with just a few bream around the weed beds around Primbee, and they will make you work hard. The best option would be feeding peeled prawns into the snags in the feeder streams to tempt a few resident bream.

Getting cold feet or cold fish?

NOWRA

Johnny Nolan straydog1974@gmail.com

We’re in the thick of winter on the NSW South Coast.

You just got to love it, don’t you? If you can get through the first few hours of cold, the days can be quite glorious.

It’s perfect fishing weather, whether you’re on the beach chasing those big silver ghosts, out in the boat in search of those elusive bluefin and yellowfin tuna, or throwing a line in your favourite little creek for big winter bream. There are plenty of options for winter fishers in our neck of the woods. Don the beanie and gloves, do your research on the weather and tides and enjoy a bit of winter solitude in our amazing area and on our numerous waterways.

The Shoalhaven/ Crookhaven River system just seems to get better the more we get into the colder months. There are still plenty of mulloway being taken throughout the river even as far as the animal park and beyond. The Nowra bridge pylons and showground rocks have had fish in the 8-10kg class. They have been chasing tailor and other baitfish and probably also feeding on the numerous estuary perch that inhabit these waters at this time of the year.

Down through the canal the numbers are good, but it has had a fair bit of fishing pressure. With social media being what it is these days, people are reading about the fish being caught just before they hit the deck of the boat.

As long as we all do the right thing, take only what we need to for a feed and give others

a fair go at a spot when we have enough, it’s quite a sustainable fishery. Many anglers have commented on the numbers of fish and are saying they’re the best they’ve seen it in years.

Along with the mulloway, bream numbers have really come back in the river and there are some big

Offshore the tuna have been scarce to say the least.

Deep droppers are having a ball with a little current making conditions perfect for this form of fishing.

Now a lot of people don’t understand or realize that deep dropping with electric reels isn’t just dropping a bait to the bottom in 1km of

and a few tips from those in the know will go a long way in helping you to be successful. As far as exact deep dropping spots go, good luck! They are fairly protected by those who have them and are usually more guarded than Fort Knox itself! You may have to find your own, bribe one of the

Deep drop masters Cookie and Herbie with a pair of ling from a recent deep dropping night session. ‘chosen ones,’ or go down to the pub when a suspected deep dropper is there and buy him a few drinks, then a few more drinks and hope he spills the beans! As I said, good luck with that!

Squid in Jervis Bay are in their usual good numbers and so are those rotten leatherjackets that frustrate anglers and attack $20 jigs.

There is no real way to

Chris Neville with a decent bream from the lower Crookhaven River caught on live nippers. fish amongst them. Fish to 40cm+ have been common around the river mouth and Greenwell Point with freshly pumped live nippers high on the menu for these guys.

Fish these on a no. 2 long baitholder hook or with the newer technique – a lightly weighted jighead with the nipper threaded on. Both are working well, as are soft plastics presented with a bit of the good old S-Factor or other various scents and attractants available on today’s market.

water and hoping for the best.

There actually is a lot of science and thought that goes into putting your bait in the right spot for the fish you’re targeting, whether it be blue-eye, ling, bass groper, gemfish or ocean perch. Anglers who do this consistently are always on the money with the best bait, boat position and current and tide timing. These are the anglers who bring home the fish time and time again.

Like any sort of fishing, time on the water, research

avoid the jackets apart from the obvious, not going. It’s just a matter of replacing lost jigs and hopefully avoiding the jackets the next time you go. It really is a ‘suck it up and see’ situation in this case, so happy squidding, or sad, depending on the outcome.

Enjoy the cold while it lasts. Spring and summer are just around the corner!

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING SAMAKI EGI INKED

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The length of any egi rod must be right on the money. You want a perfectly balanced rod for casting those enticing jigs, and it must have power for distance casting, finesse for lure retrieval and sensitivity for the angler to feel the strike.

Samaki Egi Inked stretches 8’6” in length which is absolutely perfect for long lifts or wacky whips – the type of squid fishing you could encounter anywhere around the world.

Egi Inked also indulges the angler cosmetically with a custom painted VSS reel seat, gold trim detail, carbon cross weave wrap and a Samaki foiled logo. On the functionality side of things, it features low rider silicon guides, split butt design and hardened EVA grips.

Samaki Egi Inked has line weight of PE 0.5-1.2 with a cast weight of 2.0-3.5, allowing you to throw a variety of squid jigs in all conditions.

For more information, including the location of your nearest stockist, visit the Samaki website. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram. www.samaki.com.au

STORM RIP SEEKER JERK

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The big bait trend is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Anglers chasing XOS Murray cod and barramundi for the past few seasons have been living the ‘bigger is better’ lifestyle to the extreme. This year, international lure brand Storm will unveil two new big baits aimed at Murray cod and barramundi in Australia.

The new RIP Seeker Jerk has unique hybrid construction in more ways than one.

This 20cm (200mm) jointed jerk bait is a combination of hardbody and soft plastic. It’s a big profile bait that you can fish shallow or deep, and fast or slow to entice a big predator to bite. Its hard, hollow head section controls the vertical descent of the lure, allowing it to be fished more like a suspending hardbody.

Then the soft plastic outer ‘skin’ makes this bait more realistic than any other. Designed to be fished like a traditional bibbed jerkbait, this lure responds remarkably well to erratic twitches, darting from side to side and gliding on the pause.

Keep an eye out for the RIP Seeker Jerk from August 2017. www.stormfishing.com.au

DAIWA D’MAGNET

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You’ll never get caught short looking for nets, pliers or tools with the Daiwa D’Magnet 1.5kg and D’Magnet 3.5kg.

The D’Magnets feature a highly powerful magnetic release that is rated up to 1.5kg or 3.5kg, and an alloy carabiner. The magnet holds the item firmly in place and with a stern pull it comes apart. To put back in place simply place the magnets near each other and they automatically stick together.

The D’Magnet 1.5kg and D’agnet 3.5kg are ideal for items that are constantly needed or easily misplaced. They’re ideal for nets, pliers, line snips, keys and more. www.daiwafishing.com.au 50

JULY 2017

GEECRACK SUGURI 60

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Looking for the ideal small shad bait?

Check out the Geecrack Suguri 60, which is now available in Australia through Dogtooth Distribution.

Designed and manufactured in Japan by leading tackle company Geecrack, this little guy packs a massive punch and features all the quality and attention to detail we have come to expect from this prestigious brand.

For its relative size (60mm and 4.7g) the Suguri is a fine example of precision lure design. With an excellent centre of gravity, the Suguri 60 is able to hit some of the harder to reach casting areas where many other lures fear to tread. When slowly retrieved, it sdives quickly to a depth of approximately 2m, making it an excellent lure for chasing those Australian fresh and salt water predators.

With eight realistic colour combinations, and two deadly and durable treble hooks, there’s a Suguri to suit every angling situation.

Price: SRP $19.95 www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

ARDENT DIGITAL SCALES

PRODUCT GUIDE 1

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Whether you’re a tournament angler working out how to get the biggest bag possible, or just a weekend warrior wanting to brag to your mates, it’s worth having a set of Ardent Digital Scales in your kit.

These highly accurate scales will measure up to 25kg, and the Mode button will change the scale from pounds, to kilograms and to ounces. This button also controls the temperature modes, and the unit has an automatic shut-off to help save the battery.

This scale is compact so it doesn’t take up a lot of space in your tackle box.

Ardent Digital Scales are distributed by Tempt Industries, who are most famous for distributing Tempt Powder Paints for DIY anglers to colour their own jigheads.

Tempt also distribute products specifically for tournament anglers, such as the Smart Cull System and the Tempt Balance Beam. For more information on the range, visit the Tempt website.

Price: SRP $49 www.temptindustries.com.au

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BERKLEY POWERBAIT 6 GOTAM SHAD

Berkley has expanded its lifelike Powerbait stable of soft plastics with the introduction of new Powerbait Gotam Shad.

The Gotam Shad’s translucency, married with the inner Mylar foil, give it the appearance of a real live baitfish. The flash of the foil looks very lifelike, and is a trigger to draw predators in for a closer look. The lure’s firmness has been carefully studied to get the best vibration from the paddle tail, and a set of 3D eyes and micro sparkles complete this effective shad.

Available in 3” and 4” sizes and eight killer colours, the Gotam Shad is perfect for a large variety of situations. For more information, and to view the full range of colours, visit the Berkley website. There’s also a lot to see on the Berkley Facebook page – just search for Berkley Fishing Australia.

Price: SRP $8.95 www.berkley-fishing.com.au

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING INSANITY SPRING SPINS

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The team at Insanity Tackle has made another exciting lure development, with the release of the Spring Spins.

These weedless hooks have a gold or silver willow blade attached to the bottom which spins, reflecting light and throwing out extra vibration on the drop and on the retrieve.

Spring Spins are great for fishing those weedy margins or fishing the thickest of timber that you just know holds the biggest fish in the system. There is no such thing as too snaggy or too weedy when it comes to Spring Spins.

Target fish species include but are not limited to Australian bass, barramundi, golden perch and Murray cod. These are also are dynamite hooks for targeting estuary and reef species in the salt.

Spring Spins are available in 1/0, 3/0 and 5/0 hook sizes are sold in packs of three, and are exclusively sold via the Insanity Tackle website.

Price: SRP $11-$13 www.insanitytackle.bigcartel.com

MUSTAD KAIJU ALUMINIUM PLIERS 8

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The Mustad Kaiju Pliers are a 7.5” heavyduty plier built to work in the harshest and toughest environments found in fishing.

Featuring a heavy-duty split ring opener that is designed for use on large saltwater lures used for GTs, mackerel and wahoo, these pliers will also enable freshwater anglers to handle the larger split rings found on the recently released mega surface lures and swimbaits for barra and cod.

The pliers also feature interchangeable tungsten carbide cutters to ensure the cutters can always be relied upon. This is a great feature as it allows you to keep your pliers when these cutters become blunt, unlike other pliers that need to be replaced.

Striking in appearance, form fitting to your hand and coming with a corduroy sheath, lanyard and carabiner, the Mustad Kaiju Pliers are ultralight and ultra tough. www.wilsonfishing.com.au

JACKALL GIGANTAREL 11

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The Jackall Gigantarel is the biggest in the Gantarel line-up. In recent years, big Murray cod have been caught on lures 8” or more, so the making of a bigger Gantarel was inevitable. The Gigantarel truly is gigantic!

The natural movement created by the Gigantarel’s three joints triggers a monster cod’s predatory instincts. Its pectoral fins allow this lure to dive to around 1m with a smooth, S-shaped action. Just like his smaller brothers – the Gantarel (160mm) and Chibitarel (130mm) – this lure also can be jerked on slack line to turn this bait 180 degrees to mimic a wounded bait fish, and trigger a reaction bite.

This new floating swimbait is a huge 8” (200mm) long and weighs and 5.4oz (153g), making it one of Jackall’s biggest lures to date. Check it out in the video below (from 1:40 to 3:14).

Price: approx. $85 www.jackall.com.au

EUREKA ENFORCER

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Eureka Enforcer lures are built and rigged super tough for all saltwater sportfish!

Enforcer lures are made from a high strength polycarbonate body and feature a wire-through body construction for added strength and durability. These lures are a great choice for southern bluefin anglers down south, and also for anglers targeting all manner of pelagic species up north!

The Eureka Enforcers also feature heavyduty rings and come rigged with Mustad 10121NP-DT inline single hooks, which deliver more solid hook-ups than trebles do.

These lures can be trolled at speeds up to 10 knots and dive to depths of 25ft or more.

Enforcer lures measure 18cm long, weigh 90g and are available in six natural baitfish colours. They are deadly on tuna, mackerel, wahoo and other fast-moving pelagic predators. www.jurofishing.com

ROD ARMOUR

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Transporting fishing rods can be a challenging task. Modern high-quality graphite rods are susceptible to scratches, nicks and bumps which can cause the rod to break under load without warning.

Rod Armour tackles this issue with an affordable and effective solution: rod sleeves.

These sleeves give customers peace of mind, secure in the knowledge that their quality fishing rods are protected. With the high prices of quality fishing rods these days it makes sense to protect your investment when travelling in the car, boat, or even just in your storage racks at home. They’re also useful for tournament anglers, allowing them to colour code their different set-ups.

Rod Armour sleeves slip on and off easily, and they’re available in an assortment of colours and patterns. Rod Armour also has plans to expand the range even further.

For more information visit the Rod Armour website, or check them out on Instagram at @ rodarmour.

Price: RRP $14.95 www.rodarmour.net

ATC VALIANT CF

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At last, a super lightweight threadline that has all the features that ATC technology provides has landed in Australia.

The Valiant CF is a full carbon fibre reel that is ultra-light and has a host of features. Three models are in the range, each coming with its own neoprene travel bag. The 800, which weighs just 165g, holds 100m of PE 1 line. The 2000 weighs 183g and holds 200m of PE 1 line, and the 3000 comes in at 217g and swallows up 140m of PE 2 line.

The two smallest reels in the range have tournament grade carbon drags that can handle up to 4kg of drag pressure, while the 3000 has been ultra-tuned to handle 7kg of drag pressure.

The reels all feature 10+1 stainless steel ball bearings to ensure the ultimate in smoothness and performance, and each reel features a high grade aluminium and carbon reel handle. www.wilsonfishing.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au JULY 2017

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING ATOMIC HARDZ VIB 50

STORM RIP 13 ROACH

The updated Atomic Vib is smaller than its 60mm cousin, making it the perfect new lure for freshwater and estuary fishing.

The 50mm Vib is carefully balanced to move at all speeds for anglers who want the versatility to work in slow or fast waters. Inactive feeders such as yellowbelly and bass will go for it naturally. Even at slow speed, it has a vibrating action and a seductive, lifelike drop. It also works at high speed for fast flowing rivers, so it’s ideal for bream and flathead. At high speeds, this lure has the same vibration – it moves straight, displaying a tight wobble, and doesn’t dart and curve.

The 50mm Atomic Vib is available in 17 colours. Black beauty creates a silhouette on an overcast day, and has orange UV stripes. Gold wolf has a gold shine and splash of an orange belly. Muddy prawn is translucent with purple stripes and a muddy tinge that fish are naturally attracted to. www.atomiclures.com.au

NEW MEGASTRIKE FLAVOURS

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Megastrike is adding three new flavours to its popular line of scientificallydeveloped fish attractants: Squid, Shrimp and Crawfish. The Squid and Shrimp scents are infused with a UV glow that draws fish on an extra sensory level.

Unlike most catch scents, which are oil based, Megastrike creates fish attractants based on the daily diets of all types of fish. Over 25 years of research and development, Megastrike Inc. has performed many tests to understand what fish will search for and eat and what will quickly send them away. Fish have highly specialized chemo and olfactory senses, and Megastrike’s sophisticated formulas act as a bite trigger by mimicking the nutritional make-up of all the goodness that fish are feeding on anyway. And the potent pastes smell and taste like he real thing.

Megastrike Squid, Shrimp and Crawfish formulas are long lasting gels that don’t need to be reapplied to the lure every cast. www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

STUMPJUMPER MEGA

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StumpJumpers have been around since 1986, and this lure has proven its worth time and time again on Aussie natives. The latest addition to the StumpJumper series of lures is the new Mega StumpJumper – a plus sized version of its smaller brothers.

This specialty lure is a serious piece of kit for those chasing fish at specific depths.

With the quality of fish finding technology evolving and features like side scan and almost TV quality pictures in sounders, this lure allows anglers to hit specific depths with ease and slow troll in the strike zone for longer and for better results.

A patented removable bib system gives anglers every advantage, rather than relying on the fish to be over active and chase a lure at a depth that they aren’t.

For those serious about locking horns with big natives, make sure you add the StumpJumper Mega to your arsenal. www.jmgillies.com.au 52

JULY 2017

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Over the last few years, anglers chasing oversized Murray cod and barramundi have been increasingly favouring oversized lures. This year, international lure brand Storm is unveiling new big baits aimed at cod and barra in Australia.

One of these new offerings from Storm is the RIP Roach, which is a real behemoth.

This whopping 21cm (210mm), 127g soft plastic is designed to be used with Storm’s range of Multi Depth Screw System rigging harnesses. However, it can be fished with a standard jighead as well.

The RIP Roach’s broad, V-shaped tail exhibits a strong kicking action which tremors through the entire length of the body, to give the head section an enticing shimmy as the angler reels it back through the water.

Perfect for the growing Murray cod swimbait scene, this soft bait is available in a number of fantastic colour patterns.

Both of these baits will be available in August 2017. www.stormfishing.com.au

SAMAKI TORPEDO V2 SPINNERS

PRODUCT GUIDE

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The all-new Samaki V2 Spinner has some serious attitude. With sizes now ranging from 10g to 85g, these spinners hit the bullseye with each cast.

You can throw them into a school of baitfish and attract every predator swimming around in anticipation, or alternatively you can re-rig them with an assist hook and drop them into the depths to attract the more aggressive species.

The Samaki V2 Spinner has an elongated bullet design, which allows you to cast further. Other features include lifelike colour combinations, a 6X strong treble hook, natural eye, and an extra hard external coating. There’s also the added bonus of UV colours and glow properties.

For more information on the range, or to locate your nearest stockist, visit the Samaki website. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.

Price: from SRP $4.95 www.samaki.com.au

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STRIKE PRO CYBER 18 CRANK DD The Strike Pro Cyber Crank DD is a double deep version of the popular Cyber Crank Deep.

The DD version dives to approximately 8ft, and it suspends in saltwater, which allows the lure to stay in the strike zone for longer. While it suspends, you can impart small twitches and give long pauses to entice strikes.

The DD version is the same size as the original Cyber Crank (3.7cm), but it is heavier at 5.2g so it casts like a bullet. This lure is a great choice on windy days when you want to cover more ground – or in calm conditions when you want to cast some distance from your boat to those spooky fish.

The Cyber Crank DD is very effective on bream, bass, yellowbelly, trout and redfin.

This versatile lure comes in eight proven colours, and comes fitted with either Owner or Decoy trebles. www.jurofishing.com

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING

Rapala Floating Aerator keeps your catch happy Keeping fish alive in your boat can be a costly and fiddly exercise, but it doesn’t have to be!

Whether you’re keeping bait alive, hoping to upgrade a fish destined for the dinner table or doing your best to weigh in a big bag of fish in a tournament, the guys at Rapala have you covered with this very handy and very affordable floating aerator.

With a reputation for quality that is renowned the world over, Rapala has been making just about every fishing product imaginable for almost a century, and with each year they add some impressive lines to their catalogue. The 2016 Australian Fishing Trade Association show on the sunny Gold Coast saw Rapala unveil this aerator among a host of other products, and it was no surprise when it was announced as the winner of the best Fishing/Boating Accessory category by the tackle retailers attending the

AFTA Show.

The clever folks at Rapala have put plenty of time and effort into the design of this device. It floats easily across the top of the water, and penetrates deep enough to distribute the air thoroughly and evenly, but not so deep that it becomes obstructive to the fish you’re trying to preserve. It’s compact as well, measuring approximately 10cm wide by 18cm long, and has stainless steel fittings for saltwater use.

Inside the watertight housing you’ll find a fairly simple mechanism and one switch.

You can set it to continuous flow or on a 15-minute interval setting where it will run for five minutes every 15 minutes. This is the mode I went for.

The on/off switch itself is triggered by immersion in water, which completes the circuit between two nodes on the outer casing. It’s clever technology, but also

Above: After Cyclone Debbie left Hinze Dam looking like a giant muddy puddle, this bass seemed happier in the livewell with the Rapala Floating Aerator bubbling away.

Top right: This aerator is tough, lightweight, compact and easy to operate – everything you want to help make your time on the water a rewarding experience.

kept alive a multitude of species.

Retailing at under $60, this little ripper is a fantastic investment for any angler looking to keep their fish healthy, whether that’s a live mullet for your jewie bait or a donkey bream or bass in an ABT tournament. We all know that keeping your catch happy either leads to a successful release or, if you intend to keep them for a feed, better quality flesh when it hits the table. If you’d like to get your hands on a Rapala Floating Aerator, visit www.rapala.com.au to find your local Rapala stockist. - Rupe

incredibly simple to use and hard to get wrong. I make enough complications for myself without my gear making it harder for me.

The unit’s sleek, modern design is only enhanced by its actual performance. It’s able to run for up to 36 hours on three ‘C’ sized batteries blowing 1.5L of air per minute, and it’s much quieter than I had expected. That’s not something you can say about some of its competition in the market.

As soon as these units became available, a few of us here at the Fishing Monthly office put orders in and eagerly awaited their arrival.

In the six weeks or so since the aerators arrived on our doorstep, we’ve put them through their paces on a mixture of fresh and saltwater situations, and have successfully

That’s the result you want – a healthy fish.

US brand Cinnetic gives plenty of bang for your buck Until recently, the brand Cinnetic wasn’t one that I was familiar with.

When the guys at Dogtooth Distribution approached me to try out some Cinnetic gear, I jumped at the chance to try something entirely new.

A nice surprise when chasing flathead. It was a solid test for the Cinnetic Crafty outfit.

I was given a Cinnetic Crafty Lagos Light game 2.10m rod and a Crafty CRB4 FD Hybrid 3500 reel – a combo that retails for a touch over $300. My plan was to target, bass, bream, flathead and other estuary species with it.

ON THE WATER After spooling the reel with 8lb braid, it was time to hit the water and get a feel for what the Cinnetic outfit had to offer. It is clever to match the Crafty Hybrid reel with

this rod. Weighing in at a meagre 197g, the lightness of the reel compensates for the rod being a little heavier in the hand than you would expect for a full graphite rod, and provided for a nicely balanced outfit. This is a must if you intend to cast lures for hours at a time. I knew it wasn’t going to be an issue with this Crafty combo.

CRAFTY LAGOS LIGHT GAME I find it amusing that people put so much emphasis on the ‘wiggle test’ when they pick up a fishing rod. How often have you heard the words “that feels good” being uttered after a quick wiggle of a fishing rod? Other than feeling the weight of the rod, it really doesn’t tell you anything. Get somebody to load the rod up for you, as it would if you had a fish on, and you’ll learn a lot more about what’s in your hand.

In the case of the Crafty Lagos Light Game rod, you have a medium to fast tapered rod that’s surprisingly powerful.

There is no variation in the taper resulting from its two-piece construction, and because of the taper it has the ability to cast quite light lures through to heavier ones that weigh almost an ounce.

CRAFTY CRB4 FD HYBRID REEL I’ve always been wary of reels that are super teched up without a matching price tag. Some claim to have all the right things, but don’t deliver.

On paper, the Crafty CRB4 has plenty to it: nine stainless steel bearings, ultralight carbon CRB4 alloy body, high-tensile HSG graphite rotor, 10kg multi-disc drag system, 6.1:1 retrieve ratio and much

TESTED

more. It is beautifully smooth and the drag adjustment offers you plenty. At full lock I couldn’t pull any line from it.

However, I knew the only true way to see whether it could go the distance was to fish with it.

SIX MONTHS ON After six months of using the Cinnetic Crafty outfit I am pleased to say that I am impressed. The surprise packet has been the Lagos rod. Although I wouldn’t generally use a rod with this taper, it has some serious sting in the bottom third of the rod, and dealt with everything I could throw at it. Although not all the fish have been big, a few memorable fish have hit the deck – plus a rather large stingray that tested the Lagos out to the nth degree. Its

also has a hook keeper, which automatically gets big tick from me.

The Crafty Hybrid reel has also done the job. It remains as it came out of the box – beautifully smooth to wind, with good castability. The stand-out on the reel is the drag; it is silky smooth and has impressed me when fighting the bigger fish. I don’t think mister stingray liked it much though.

TESTED

It was given the full drag treatment of ‘break the line or come here’, and it made it to the net.

Bear in mind that some care is required when hopping plastics for long periods, just to ensure that you minimize those loose loops of line to avoid wind knots.

But with a little angler care this isn’t an issue.

As a combination, this rod and reel are well suited, and I’m now keen to explore more of what’s on offer from Cinnetic.

To find stockists and learn more about the range you can go to w w w . dogtoothdistribution. c o m . a u .

– Peter Jung

The combination of the Cinnetic Crafty Lagos Light Game rod and the CRB4 FD Hybrid reel is a nicely balanced outfit.

JULY 2017

53

How to win in the ABT BREAM Series SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

In this article I want to bring a little sports science discussion to the ABT BREAM Series. As part of that I am going to try to give some hard goals you need to aim for if you want to move higher on the leader board.

I was going to compile data from the ABT BREAM Series this month, but something happened that was so mind bending to me that I ended up discovering a new way to look at the ABT data that forces me to go back to scratch. I want to focus on the thing that forced me to scrap everything and start again; that revelation has important implications for anyone that wants to win big in the ABT events.

Steve Morgan zero bagged recently and it freaked me out – zero is a very important number.

Apologies to Steve, I’m not dissing his ability. Trying to understand the significance of this event, I ended up

mathematics helps us understand the world.

Pareto is a beautiful contradiction when it comes to being a mathematician in that he first developed a mathematical explanation of a phenomenon, then set about trying to invalidate it through social sciences.

There is truth to the adage of looking too long into the abyss.

Pareto was born in 1848 in Paris and died in 1923.

He graduated from the University of Turin in 1869 then became an engineer and director of the Italian railway. He was a student of economics, philosophy and social sciences. His most famous work revolved around income distribution and why it concentrates in the hands of the few, which he believed was not random, but something that was in fact quite predictable.

He then set about working out how to change that predictable outcome through social engineering of a sort. Did he fish?

Once again, historians fail us, as they seem to always skip over such important details in favour of boring lists of achievements and controversies.

FIG. 1 SUNTAG DROPOUT No fish Count 1 4107 2 1554 3 953 4 554 5 455 6 351 7 285 8 266 9 185 10 200 discovering a 19th century Italian Engineer – Vilfredo Pareto. This article is my attempt to explain how he broke my understanding of ABT stats and why you need to pay attention to him if you want to win at anything.

Pareto is famous for his economics work and is responsible for what is known as the 80-20 rule, which was based on the observation that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by just 20% of the population.

The 80-20 rule has been quoted many, many times without any understanding of it. I think this is because it’s a close approximate of things we observe in life and nobody really likes detail anyway. However, the devil is always in the detail and it’s in the detail that we unlock certain truths about fishing.

Who was Vilfredo Pareto? I know that nobody else finds mathematicians sexy, but I do because 54

JULY 2017

Steve Morgan recording a bream using the Track My Fish app. randomisation gets around just how unfair it all is.

Life is not as fair as Monopoly and we don’t

RATE FOR 10 FISH Cumulative % of all Suntag fishers 4107 32% 5661 45% 6614 52% 7168 57% 7623 60% 7974 63% 8259 65% 8525 67% 8710 69% 8910 70%

WHY PARETO IS IMPORTANT TO FISHING Have you ever played Monopoly? Monopoly is a

get to play the game over.

In life, there is a force multiplier in being good at gathering a resource that gives you a big advantage.

followed by the second and third. Once you have caught ten fish, it’s easier to catch the eleventh. If you hang in there until you have caught a hundred, then it’s starting to get very easy.

Whether you make it to 100 depends largely on how much you enjoy catching fish and how much grit (staying power) you have.

Note that there is a big difference between enjoying fishing and enjoying catching fish.

Only one of these two things will make you a better fisher.

I will use Suntag data (Fig. 1) to illustrate the force magnification of being good at something, as it has a sample of 12,000 fishers over 30 years. The

FIG.2 BARRA BOUNTY PARETO DISTRIBUTION Category All barra No. of fish to qualify for top 10% of fishers 29 No. of fish to qualify for top 20% of fishers 12 Percentage of fishers that make it beyond 3 fish 45% Percentage of all fish tagged by top 1% 14.5% Percentage of all fish tagged by top 10% 41.1% Percentage of all fish tagged by top 20% 73.6% great example of how the Pareto distribution works because no matter what you do the wealth always ends up in one player’s hand. Now the thing that makes Monopoly fun (depending on how much you like the people you play with) is that it’s sufficiently randomised that if four people play the game non-stop for a week, everyone will win around the same number of times. In other words, the

What most people fail to appreciate is how they can become good at gathering resources.

To use a fishing example, the first fish is always the hardest, closely

Legal barra 7 4 19% 21.3% 59.4% 79.0%

most anyone has tagged in Suntag is around 25,000 fish, give or take a few.

To put that in perspective, one person is 25,000 times better than the anglers that bring in one fish. That’s

like bringing a tank to a knife fight.

How this works out in the case of Suntag is 32% of people make it to one fish, a further 12% make it to two fish and a further 7% make it to three. That means 52% of people make it as far as three fish and stop. Extrapolating out, 70% of people have given up by 10 fish and 80% by 20. What that says is it’s unbelievably hard to make it to 20 fish for most people.

That is a staggering fail rate if 9966 people out of 12681 give up at 20 fish.

What it means, though, is if you can stick it out to just 75 fish, which is not a large number (hell, even I have managed that) then you end up in the top 10% of all fishers in Suntag.

I am in the top 10% of Suntag fishers!

I mentioned above that tagging is involved and I’m sure there will be some people going ‘Aha – that changes everything.’

It turns out the opposite is true. If tagging changed things then we would not see a Pareto distribution.

If you look, for example, at the number of papers published by researchers across the globe, you get a Pareto distribution. If you look at the number of runs scored by test

cricketers, you get a Pareto distribution.

While the Pareto distribution has been used in a range of applications, in humans it is effectively a measure of productivity; that is, the top 1% of people are ridiculously more productive than everyone else. In our Suntag example, the top 1% of fishers have tagged a staggering 59% of all fish tagged. The top 10% have tagged 89% and if you expand to the top 20, you end up with 95% of all fish tagged.

What I will say about adding the tagging element in is that tagging (clearly) is not for everyone and that is okay. For Suntag, focusing on people who can pass 20 fish means they have 95% of all tagged fish covered. From a workforce point of view that means they can focus their support on those that pass the 20-tag mark, as they are more likely to be larger contributors. To put that another way, if you have tagged more than 20 fish, you’re something special.

LOOKING AT A COMPETITION The next question I asked was ‘do competitions have a Pareto distribution?’ and anyone who has been around sport will know that answer is yes. Before

FIG. 3 DISTRIBUTION BARRA BOUNTY VS. ABT BASS Categories Legal barra (Barra Bounty) Based on no. of fish Based on total weight ABT Bass

% of fish by top 1% 21.3% 21.2% 22.3% 16.0%

% of fish by top 10% 59.4% 61.8% 63.6% 55.5%

% of fish by top 20% 79.0% 78.5% 80.1% 75.1%

I jump into the ABT BREAM Series I will stay with tagging for a little longer to provide a frame of reference to compare when looking at the ABT BREAM data.

The Rocky Barra Bounty is held every year around October and is a tag and release event focusing, unsurprisingly, on barramundi. While there has been changes in the field over time, the last 10 years have been relatively stable and the river fishes well enough that people have a real chance to get fish.

When I generated the Pareto distribution for the event (Fig. 2), I got some surprising answers. Keep in mind we are talking a 10 year spread that is around 30 days of fishing.

It’s at the top end that things get even more interesting. The Barra Bounty uses a points system that rewards longer fish, so every legal fish is a bonus.

You would expect the top guys to make catching legal barra a priority and they do. The one big difference is in the 1%: the top 1% of the Barra Bounty are less dominant than in Suntag overall. File that one away for the moment.

Now we get to the thin end of the wedge. If the Pareto Distribution is not complete rubbish then the prediction is that the Barra Bounty and ABT stats should look similar. I had to compare apples with apples, as ABT only has legal fish (see Fig. 3).

Just to confirm, I compared the Pareto Distribution based on total

FIG. 4 DISTRIBUTION ABT BREAM VS. ABT BASS Categories Percentage of fish by top 1% Percentage of fish by top 10% Percentage of fish by top 20% of numbers. There are less people in the 1% than the 10%. Just to hammer home the force multiplier of being a good resource gatherer, though, let’s compare four bands – the 1%, the next 9% (the rest of the top 10%), the next 10% and the bottom 80% (see Fig. 5).

Here is something very interesting: you double your chances of making the top 10 just by jumping between bands. I have a long reading list of scientists and psychologists who have looked at the attributes of exceptional people. Talent plays a part, but chances are if you are in the bottom 80%, you could in fact be the most talented person in the field, but just not want to exploit that talent.

There is something even more important than talent exposed by Pareto and again, I will get to that.

THE DIFFERENCE Why is the ABT distribution different to Suntag? Hint: it’s not.

Coming back to the lower end of the ABT field, based on number of fish caught it looks like there is a difference at the low end.

That is, ABT fishers get past one and two fish much more often than Suntag.

This is misleading. There is something else with Suntag – tagging a fish.

The biggest barrier to

that I generally suck when I start out at something. I’ve also learned that if I persist then I improve.

Humans have a superpower in giving up. In my research, 1480 competitors ‘gave up’ or decided that the ABT was not for them by 10 events.

I looked at the success of resource gathers and the number of events they entered and these line up very well, which makes sense if you think about it.

success in Suntag is not if you catch fish, so much as the act of tagging a fish. It’s easy to understand why – not everyone wants to stick a needle in a fish.

The ABT stats are no different, but in this case the new element isn’t catching fish but competing to catch fish. Here is where Pareto exposes an important (if uncomfortable) truth about human nature. If you build a Pareto distribution for the number of tournaments fishers attend, you’ll find that 61% of fishers are done by three events and 80% are done by 10.

PERSISTENCE IS YOUR SUPERPOWER Let’s say you have never played soccer before, would you expect to star in your first game? Your second, or third? I have done enough new things in my life to admit to myself

BREAM top 10 33.5% 67.6% 85.4%

BASS 1st place 41.9% 75.8% 90.3%

Almost everyone below that mark has won tournaments and those that haven’t have high numbers of top 10 finishes.

THE HARD NUMBERS What should you aim for if you want to get better? This was not as simple a question as I thought it might be. Weight, for example, is not a great measure. Fish differ in size depending on where you are fishing in the country. Also, ranking based on resource

BASS top ten 27.3% 73.7% 87.1%

ahead in their ability. That is not to say you should ignore them or not try to replicate them, but instead focus on doing what the next level is doing and do it better. This will get you ahead of the game faster.

Money and how the ability to learn affects performance are huge topics in sports science. The sports scientist in me, and I have spent a lot of time working with sports scientists over the past 10 years, says that

FIG. 5 COMPARING PERFORMANCE BETWEEN BANDS ABT BREAM Band No. of fishers Wins: events entered How often band member makes top 10: doesn’t Top 1% Next 9% Next 10% Next 80%

28 164 174 1434

1:22 1:65 1:114 1:319

1:3 1:7 1:8 1:19

ABT BASS Band

No. of fishers

Wins: events entered

How often band member makes top 10: doesn’t

Top 1% Next 9% Next 10% Bottom 80%

14 93 98 793

1:22 1:99 1:125 1:333

1:3 1:7 1:13 1:26

If you only attend 11 events, your chances of success double by the 11th event. If you stay in for 15 events, your chances of success double again.

That is borne out by the outliers that sit somewhere in that boundary.

Steve Morgan getting a zero bag freaked me out. This is partly because

FIG. 6 MINIMUM GOALS TO IMPROVE Goal No. top 10 placings Zero bags Top 20% 1 <=30% of the time Top 10% 2-12 <=25% of the time Top 1% 13-30 <=15% of the time Elite 30+ <=8% of the time number of fish and total weight, just in case weight made a big difference.

The ABT BASS Circuit is a little different, but that is because of the two bass limit, which limits the efficiency of the top fishers. It is still a Pareto Distribution.

THE LINK BETWEEN PARETO AND PERFORMANCE I want to return to the core principle that the Pareto distribution is a measure of productivity.

Does that mean there is a link between productivity and success? To look at success I mapped the results of fishers based on their position in the Pareto Distribution (Fig. 4).

The top 1% of resource gatherers win more than 40% of the time. They have less top 10 placings, but that is simply the weight

BREAM 1st place 42.2% 78.9% 91.3%

oversimplification of what Pareto observed. Here is my revised 80-20 rule that I think is a more useful way of looking at the Pareto distribution.

• 80% of people only have a social interest in the activity, give up, or accept their level and don’t progress. In fishing terms, they have low impact and larger numbers.

• 19% of people push on and learn how to do things better. In fishing terms, this group has a big enough impact to create change or detect change in the fishery.

• 1% of people work out how the fishery works and win big. These anglers probably don’t impact

Five bags >=25% of the time >=30% of the time >=50% of the time >=60% of the time

he was catching fish, so I didn’t expect it, and because he was very cool about it. Steve was talking during a livestream and commented that he hadn’t done anything different.

When I asked later in the week, he indicated that he felt it was a function of the weather on the day.

I asked the most logical question, “How often does this happen?”

As it turns out, it happens at a ridiculously low frequency. In 207 fishing days, he has managed only 13 zero bags (6.3% of days fished).

This statistic more than any other defines the elite anglers – even on the bad days they manage to find fish. If you can get your zero bags on less than 8% of your fishing days, keep doing it, because you’ll be a very successful fisher.

ability is also not quite useful, as you want to get places, right?

I noticed another element of the Pareto distribution that is somewhat paradoxical: there are Pareto distributions within each of the bands, so the top 1% is not uniform.

There are super achievers amongst the top achievers Avg. no. of fish/day 2.3 2.6 3.5 4 and that is true for all bands. In other bands that just leads into the transition between bands.

There are minimum goals you should aim for in order to improve (see Fig. 6), depending on where you believe you are now. Every tiny bit of improvement above each goal improves your chances of success a lot.

HOW MUCH DOES MONEY MATTER? At some point, I will do an article on the finer details of the practical, on-water elements that separate fishers in each of these bands. I’m starting to put together a lot more data on that, but I can’t say anything definitive right now.

What I can say is if you are in the 80%, you won’t learn much from the 1%, because they are too far

to the top 9% money papers over the weaknesses.

Better equipment can boost performance, but if that comes at the cost of improving skills and resource usage then at best you will only ever make the ranks of ‘could have been a contender.’ Lures do matter, so having a wide array of lures helps, but it’s more important to learn how to use them and when to use them than to have a thousand-dollar rod.

If you perform out of your skin with crap equipment then better equipment will make a difference. The same isn’t true if you rely on your equipment for performance.

In my view, if you make it to the 9%, set yourself tighter and tighter time constraints during practice and practice for the different phases of the day. Practise how you approach the start, the key bite period and the last hour. That will force your brain into problem solving mode, which is where you need to be to get to the top.

Tr y different environments, as there is no good being a one-trick master if you want to make it to the top. If you track yourself and find improvements in results in those periods, you are well on your way to putting yourself on the podium. If not, think about what you can do different.

A REVISED 80-20 RULE FOR FISHING The 80-20 rule is an

the fishery (unless they are commercial fishers), because they are few in number. On the other hand they are the ones you actually want to talk to if you want to know what is really happening on the water.

• There is also a super elite subset of the 1% that, at this point, I really don’t understand. They seem to have a natural inclination for fishing that goes beyond mere effort. They are ‘natural talents’ and while I’m confident that talent is mostly mental, not physical, there is some serious voodoo to these anglers. They are people that inspire awe in others, as well they should.

This is important if you want to know what is going on in a fishery, because the experience of the 1% is so different from the 80% that you may as well be fishing on another planet. That is why I need to redo my analysis of the ABT results, to see what that difference looks like in the real world.

What does this mean for you as a fisher? The Pareto distribution tells us is the world is unfair. Unless you are willing to stay in the game in the face of that unfairness, the chances of you achieving anything are near enough to zero as to make no difference. Pareto predicts you won’t turn up (physically or mentally), but rewards you if you do.

Suck it up, stay focused and stay on the water.

JULY 2017

55

Bushmaster 4000: real value for money BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Korr has an enviable reputation for gear that’s spot on in its application, and reliable as tomorrow’s sunrise. Interestingly, the company started with lighting and electronics, but as a result of their love for outdoor life, it was a pretty natural progression when they also branched into top end camper trailers.

this one, it has ‘take me to the Cape’ written all over it.

The tare weight is 850kg, the unit is braked, naturally, and it rides on 235/75/15 wheels and tyres to provide ample ground clearance for both bush and beach work.

The dimensions (in its packed up travelling state) are 4000mm long, 1800mm wide and 1900 high with the folded tent compartment sitting atop. The attractively coated and painted steel body has many very useful features and compartments.

or team members on their camping trips.

Even a cursory glance reveals that this camper trailer has the storage capacity to neatly package virtually everything that would make it a home away from home. It’s a dust-free environment, thanks to the terrific automotive rubber standard seals on each compartment’s doors.

A CLOSER LOOK Fixed onto the massive galvanised draw bar of the Bushmaster is a mesh

The massive dimensions of the drawbar speak of this unit’s ability to be taken well off the beaten track. for a fuel container while the left is a dedicated 9kg gas bottle storage space, as the bottle services the two burner stove in the kitchen compartment. There is also a hand operated water pump here (note there’s a pressure pump in the kitchen slide out compartment) handy for

quick wash ups after cleaning a feed of fish or gathering some fire wood to put into the dedicated mesh floor storage box atop this area.

Looking at each side of the Bushmaster’s main body there are three under-bed paired storage compartments on the left side and on the

right. They differ in use depending where they are situated. Note that all of these compartments are rubber sealed and equipped with dual lock up handles for the best weather and dust proofing.

The hinges are particularly robust and in keeping with the solid feel of the doors.

Sturdy, compact and ready to go anywhere – that’s the HKC 4000 Bushmaster camper.

NEW BUSHMASTER HAS THE LOT Their new HKC 4000 Bushmaster is the current showpiece. It’s an attractively eye catching and well-built camper trailer with capacity for a whole family to enjoy. It’s also compact enough to be towed by an SUV or a family wagon in lieu of a big 4x4. And it’s strong. No lightweight bitumen-only camper trailer

A Foxwing style awning sat neatly furled within a sock on the left side ready for deployment and it was good to see that the awning actually extended out and around the entire unit as far as the bed area. Should more weather-protected space be required, walls are provided to attach to the awning on all sides as well. I could see a lot of couples putting beds in there for extra family

stone guard to protect the investment. Immediately behind is a large tri-compartmented storage space. The central section has a hatch that’s strut equipped (same as all the other top opening compartments on this unit) and would be ideal for items that need to be kept handy like tackle boxes or a fish smoker.

The right hand compartment would be ideal

Strong slides allow items such as a Weber and generator to be easily accessed from this big compartment. Note the shelf up top for poles and other items.

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JULY 2017

Three compartments sit behind the stone shield with the central enclosed section – ideal for general storage duties.

On display, some the Bushmaster’s slide out components.

A look at the food prep area, even the kitchen sink is here!

Outside the camper, the space from the front to the rear on the left side would be the main work area, being well protected by the Foxwing. This space has the first of four wide under-bed compartments; this one is accessed from either side in fact, set up to show its storage capability with an optional Weber Cube on the

The next storage compartment was resplendent with the Bushmaster’s camp kitchen components: a stainless sink with a 12V pressure pump (linked to a 65L bash plate protected water tank), a Smev 2 burner gas stove and a work bench. These were all on a very strong slide arrangement for ease

A large elevated drawer at the back of the camper was ideal for swallowing up a table and chairs. left and a Honda generator on the right.

For ease of use, the Weber was on a roller slide extension bed. Making the best use of the space, a dedicated holding area was above the Weber for poles and other kit to brace the Foxwing when it was to be deployed.

of access. I noted plenty of areas to prepare tucker and clean up afterwards in the drain-equipped sink. All items were at a convenient height.

The third row of compartments on this side was virtually all cupboard space with a dedicated

cutlery area. It was large enough to be very useful and was, once again, well protected by good dust seals.

Right at the rear of the Bushmaster was a massive upper storage drawer capable of swallowing up a big collapsible table and several chairs. Lower down there was provision for the Bushmaster’s refrigeration.

In this case it was a 12V Waeco fridge displayed on it’s own independent roller slide system. All fridges can be attached via an Anderson plug to link to paired 12V batteries in series; these are easily charged by Korr’s brilliant new 200 watt lightweight (4kg) solar panels.

MORE STORAGE AND A BED The right side of the unit was virtually a mirror reverse of the left with storage space taking the place of the BBQ and kitchen areas. One thing of note was the compartment housing the unit’s electronics. This was located just below the paired deep cycle batteries that powered the fridge and water pump.

Easily accessed fuses for the HKC 4000’s various electrical components such as an optional Waeco or other fridge, solar system and water pump were visible along with displays

A Waeco fridge, as shown here, would be set up on a very strong slide assembly for ease of use.

The Bushmaster’s electronic control panel was well protected from weather, yet easily accessed by an owner to see how things were going. to reassure users as to electrical health.

Looking aloft, the unit’s tent-covered double bed was set up by simply undoing strap restraints and then the cover. The bed, in it’s folded away state, has dimensions of 1400x1200x450mm, but extended for use it’s 2500x1450x1300mm – it’s obviously large enough for a couple to enjoy comfortable sleeping.

To set the bed up, the cover’s removed to allow access to a light and very strong ladder which is pulled down to extend the bed into it’s full double size. Then, with the ladder simply locked into place as a rigid support, the bedroom’s ready for use, the mattress remaining in situ at all times.

There’s a tropical weather-proof over fly which is fitted into position over the main bedding area to keep out foul weather if required.

When things are balmy, the fly can be extended out wide on simple props. With the bedroom tent’s windows opened (but well protected by midge proof screening) that lovely night breeze can be allowed to do its soothing thing, which is so very important if camping up the Cape or virtually anywhere in the tropics for that matter.

Of definite interest, there is also a tent section that attaches under the bedroom section to provide a sleeping area for more of the crew.

All side wall sections are of quality ripstop cotton canvas material which should give years of trouble-free use.

Setting up the camper as we see in this article

facilities would then be required, or, just put down a table and chairs and enjoy the ambience.

To have the Weber in action, or perhaps other sections of the camp kitchen, would only take moments for them to be accessed and slid out for use. As a very efficient and easy to

Bed coming out! It’s as easy as undoing the fastenings and cover and pulling down on the ladder. (including the bed, of course) would take around five minutes. Putting on extra walls on the awning would naturally take a little longer.

Once the awning is in place, users can select exactly which of the Bushmaster’s

use camper trailer, the HKC 4000 Bushmaster would be hard to beat.

Like to own one? Who wouldn’t at a price of around $17,990? Contact tony@ hardkorrcampers.com.au for more information.

Set up and ready for enjoyment. The HKC 4000 Bushmaster also has walls that can be attached to the Foxwing’s outer edge.

JULY 2017

57

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Fishing Fill-its

Snaggy city for cod and perch New habitat snags for native fish have just been rolled into the water at the junction of the Tuena Creek and the Abercrombie River west of Crookwell.

The 20 snags, recycled from large trees removed from the Junction Point road works, have been installed in the Abercrombie River

by Central Tablelands Local Land Services.

habitat by NSW Fisheries in 2009 and a more recent sonar survey in February 2016 have confirmed a low density of large woody debris or snags in this area.

Willow, blackberry, and other significant weeds will be removed from the project site and replaced with new plantings of native species, predominantly casuarinas and red gums, to improve bank

The Roads & Maritime Services, the Upper Lachlan Shire Council, Fisheries NSW, the Central Acclimatisation Society, and local fishing clubs have all collaborated in the ‘Teaming up to target Tuena’s Threatened Species’ project.

“This is a great news story for fish, for people who enjoy fishing, and for anyone with an interest in cooperative, collaborative efforts to improve the natural environment,” said Senior Land Services Officer, Casey Proctor from Central Tablelands Local Land Services.

“Thanks to a Fisheries NSW Habitat Action Grant, we have created a partnership between a State agency, Local Government, and fishing groups to deliver long term outcomes and ownership of the project.

The trees we have used for this project could have ended up as waste wood chip, but instead they will now become valuable habitat for native fish, including endangered species such as Macquarie perch, silver perch, catfish and Murray cod.”

The site is a critical drought refuge and biodiversity hotspot in the headwaters of the Lachlan River system. Woody debris or ‘snags’ are part of the natural in-channel habitat of several large-bodied native fish species including Murray cod, and golden perch.

However a survey of in stream

stability and sediment and erosion control.

“This program is another example of how recreational fishing fees are helping to support a productive fishery in inland NSW,” said Scott Nichols, Fisheries Manager, Fisheries NSW. Since the formation of the Central Tablelands Local Land Services, their natural

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resource management teams have continued to focus on improving aquatic habitat by delivering incentives and targeted projects across the region. Activities have included community education, re-snagging, and riparian restoration following willow removal.

Focusing on riparian zones has multiple benefits: rehabilitating waterways and associated vegetation, and helping to protect populations and habitat of threatened species such as the Purple spotted gudgeon, Silver perch and the Booroolong frog.

One of the LLS’s most notable successes was the Fish River Project, a three-year investment funded through the Australian Government’s Biodiversity Fund, completed in June 2015. The Fish River is a large freshwater sub-catchment located south-east of Bathurst, with tributaries running west from the Great Dividing Range down to the confluence with the Campbells River, which is the start of the Macquarie River system. This project focused on improving riparian (riverbank) condition, water quality and aquatic habitat, as well as increasing landscape connectivity across the catchment.

Private landholders were offered financial incentives and technical support, to protect and enhance ecologically sensitive areas, and to control invasive species.

Revegetation activities were undertaken to build landscape resilience and establish wildlife corridors.

Workshops on riparian management issues were also held to educate land managers and local groups.

The first year of the project focussed on the removal and management of willows along 20.3km

of stream, mainly on key reaches of the Fish River.

Subsequent years focused on preparing and restoring the riparian zone through stock exclusion, installing alternate watering points (dams and troughs), fencing, weed and pest animal control and, finally, revegetating with native species.

The project achieved excellent results, with 30 landholders undertaking activities on their properties, and over 38.6km of aquatic habitat being improved.

The Central Tablelands Local Land Services is currently undertaking and planning a number of other projects to improve the region’s waterways. For more information, visit their website at www.centraltablelands.lls. nsw.gov.au. For more specific information regarding the Abercrombie River re-snagging project, contact Casey Proctor on phone (02) 6341 9318 or email casey. proctor@lls.nsw.gov.au. – Central Tablelands Local Land Services JULY 2017

59

Great offshore options NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

Offshore anglers, particularly those fishing the bottom, have done extremely well with snapper, morwong and flathead making up most bags. The fish have been moving around a bit, so trying a number of locations until you find them has been the key to success. The reds have been close to shore with the cuttlefish run, with water depths of 15-20m being ideal.

I’d be concentrating north of Narooma with the close-in reef at Brou Beach holding a lot of snapper.

The tide and current will determine whether you anchor or drift. Anchoring here seems to be best.

Using a little berley with fresh pilchards or squid will work, as will soft plastics

on occasion.

You can expect some solid models with fish to 5kg on the cards. Most will be pannies around 1.5-2kg – a great size for the plate. If the conditions are calm, you may have to go deeper. If this is the case, head a little further north and concentrate around Potato Point in 35-40m. This water depth always holds fish in winter and drifting is certainly the go.

If you’re after a feed of flatties, the 35-40m line straight off Dalmeny has been excellent, with some of the sandies pushing 60cm.

That’s huge for this species.

You don’t need many for a great feed. At Montague Island the kings have been up and down like a yo-yo – one day you get them and the next two, no joy. If you’re there on the good day, expect some awesome fishing.

Some of the kings are big with models pushing 16-18kg on the cards. These fish are usually an early

morning proposition when they’re up on top smacking bait. The inside edge of the Fowl House Reef has been consistent. Slow trolling slimies or bigger deep divers will get the desired results.

If you get close enough to them when they’re on top, bigger style soft plastics or jigs will catch their fair share too. You won’t get heaps, but they will be big and awesome fun. If all that sounds too hard then jigging in 30 fathoms on the northern end of the island may get you a few fish. Whether they eat or not will depend a bit on tide and current. If the conditions suit, they will chew.

Further offshore, ‘tuna’ is the word. There’s a few of them. There has been a mixture of yellowfin and bluefin with the latter species being a long way offshore. I know of a few local boats that have travelled 60-70km to find the bluefin. The rewards justify the long distances travelled.

Dazza with some of the estuary dwellers that can be expected over coming weeks.

Your first mulloway on a plastic is always a challenge, but it’s even more rewarding when it nearly hits the metre mark.

Trolling has certainly been the method of choice, as you cover the miles to find the fish.

A mix of bibbless minnows and skirted pushers have worked. Every day is a little different. We should see the berley/bait brigade getting amongst it once the fish are found, especially fish in the 40-60kg bracket.

We had a pretty short season last year on the tuna, so let’s hope this season is a little better.

In the estuaries, Wagonga Inlet has slowed up with the cool 15°C water. There are fish there, but you have to work for them. Anglers that are doing okay are fishing smaller soft plastics and blades in the deeper water (6-10m) and fishing them very slow. It can be like pulling teeth when this happens. When it’s cool, slow everything down, fish lighter leaders and gelspun and you will catch fish.

I’d be looking around

the weeded margins while fishing artificials. The southern side of the inlet from Ringlands Point to the power lines upstream just before the four knot area is the place to fish. If this isn’t for you, then the lower sections in the channel should be good for trevally, bream and luderick. Both bait and lure casters will catch fish.

The last three hours of the draining tide is best.

On the beaches the salmon numbers have certainly increased with the colder water. These supercharged bruisers are great fun in the suds on paternoster rigs fished with a bait/popper combination, or casting metal slugs on lighter gelspun outfits. It really doesn’t matter how you target them, you will catch them.

Most beaches are fishing well with Narooma main and Brou the standouts. If the salmon aren’t for you, then bream and winter whiting

are on the cards. Both these species bite freely through winter and few anglers target them. You’ll find you don’t get huge numbers, but the quality of fish definitely increases. Look at beaches that have some sort of rocky formation nearby and fish quite shallow, just past the shore dump. Use with either live beach worms or pipis as bait.

Off the stones, it’s bread and butter time with drummer, luderick, bream and the odd groper all succumbing to fresh baits like cabbage, crabs or cunjevoi. Look for ledges that have a fair bit of whitewater present and use a little berley. Don’t use too much, or the pickers will drive you nuts.

The better places to try include the golf course rocks, the southern breakwall on the incoming tide or Dalmeny Headland about 5km north. All these areas fish well during winter.

Winter brings a bustling black bream bonanza MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

It’s tuna time along the far South Coast of NSW with anglers fishing offshore from Merimbula getting amongst them. Recently

we have seen favourable weather with flat seas making the journey to the tuna grounds that much more comfortable!

Most crews heading wide have had success, with southern bluefin tuna up to 80kg being taken. There have been yellowfin tuna to 40kg

and bigger fish lost. A handful of solid albacore have been making up the remainder of the bag. The talk is not only about the size, but the sheer quantity of SBT that are being seen and caught. The average fish seems to be around 50kg, but some boats are getting upwards of 10 fish per day,

which is quality angling in anyone’s books.

Most of these fish are being tagged and released or simply cut off beside the boat. Only a few are kept for eating purposes. The fish are responding to almost all methods with a lot of crews trolling first then reverting

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to a cube trail once they are hooked up. This is a great method that works particularly well, though you do need an organised crew to get the best out of it.

If the weather stays good and the water doesn’t turn over, this action could continue for a few months

yet. Let’s hope so. Closer inshore the snapper are in full swing with Long Point, White Cliffs and Horseshoe reefs all holding fish at times. The average size is a kilo – a good eating size. There are plenty of them and there is To page 61

From page 60

the odd model to 4kg being caught too.

Anglers drifting have done well with fresh squid, cuttlefish and tuna strips.

Mixed in with the reds are morwong and the odd

and bream fanging for those targeting them with fresh weed and tuna cubes. Use a little berley for both these species and you shouldn’t have too many worries getting a feed. The channels are the place to fish.

to 1kg. Smoke these up and they are great on the plate.

The better beaches include Tura Main and North Tura.

Both these beaches have great gutters that are deep.

Winter off the rocks fishes very well with

CREATE YOUR ADVENTURES

A great bag of bream from the top lake in Merimbula. It’s not known as a bream fishery, but when you find them it can be fantastic fishing. kingfish. Those trolling close to the rocks are catching plenty of bonito and big salmon. These are good fun on lighter outfits and with the flat seas a few locals in small boats are having a ball.

It’s well worth the effort.

In the estuaries July can be the quietest month of the year with the water a chilly 14-16°C. Those that are having a go are getting good trevally and salmon in the top lake with the channels below the main wharf in town producing some nice fish too.

Anglers using smaller soft plastics are faring best and the flooding tide is definitely better. There should be a few luderick

On the beaches salmon are everywhere and any beach with a half decent gutter is producing. All methods are working; paternoster rigs with bait/ popper combination, casting chromed slices and even soft plastics on larger jigheads have been effective. If you’re after a bit more sport, try using a bream outfit with 4-6lb gelspun and a 20g shiner. You can cast these things a mile.

You lose a lot of fish with the trebles, so try changing them to a single hook. You will certainly get a better hook-up to landed ratio with this method.

Mixed in with the sambos are some reasonable tailor

blackfish, drummer, groper and bream all possible targets. There’s the chance of good snapper especially after a blow, and they will come in close after a feed with Tura Head the ideal place to fish. This platform is deep and many a good snapper has come from here.

If after the pelagic species, salmon, tailor and bonito are all catchable with whole pilchards on ganged hooks a great way to target them. With the bread and butter species cunjevoi, cut crab, cabbage and fresh prawns should suffice with Short Point and the rocks on the northern side of Merimbula bay well worth a look.

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A cracking black bream from the top lake in Merimbula with another hook-up in the background – awesome stuff.

JULY 2017

61

Be prepared for anything when targeting snapper BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

Right now we’re all hoping the bluefin are parked off our coastline, and that we’ll have a season blessed with big fish and good weather.

The month of May was a little disappointing in regards to yellowfin, and the Canberra Game Fishing Tournament held at Bermagui didn’t see one caught.

June is usually the more reliable month for tuna though, and it was 24 June last year when the bluefin came to town.

We are starting to see the bluefin becoming the main event for winter these days, with the yellowfin taking the back seat. Let’s hope this lack of showing is not an indication the numbers are dropping too low.

What has been fishing very well lately, and is in great numbers, is the luderick or blackfish. It’s a great winter species and has been getting a lot of attention lately. Luderick are very easy to catch as they tend to congregate in large numbers. They

62

JULY 2017

school in shallow rocky areas around wash zones, headlands, reefs and along snags and rock walls.

The best approach to improving your catch is to berley every so often.

Yes, there are times you can pick areas loaded with fish and jsut throw in an imitation weed fly and pull fish out. However, if you want to secure a feed it’s best to mix some moist bread with some sand, and throw a handful out.

When it comes to rods, the most popular one here is the Live Fibre 10’6” medium mount model, as we are seeing a lot of people opting for spin reels now. We are selling more 2-piece rods than 1-piece, due to it being harder to transport.

I recommend using 6-20lb braid or 6-12lb mono with a 4-10lb fluorocarbon leader. Tie the leader to a small hook, around size 8-12 depending on the brand. Around 3cm above the hook secure a split shot sinker, and then another one 3cm above and another 3cm above that, until you have three split shots evenly spaced away from the hook. About

Alec Byrne had a nice surprise when snapper fishing.

3cm from the highest split shot, tie on a small swivel.

Then above the swivel put a bead below a quill or

blackfish float and a bead above it, and above that a float stopper. This is the universal rig for blackfish and will work every time.

The most important thing after that is the bait.

Green weed or cabbage weed is what you want, but if that’s hard to come by then nippers, prawns, blood worms, cunje or bread will also work.

What has been very popular also is artificial weed, which is available in a range of colours including green, olive and chartreuse.

In the coming months we can also expect the granddaddy of blackfish, the drummer, being a popular target. The set-up and approach is much the same except you’ll have to beef up the gear a bit more.

What is also consistent through the winter months is snapper, and anglers have been getting into them from both boats and the stones.

There have still been a few good kings getting around too, and some fishos have hooked and lost, or hooked and landed the odd metre king while snapper fishing.

You should definitely expect other fishy visitors this month, especially if you are anchored and have a berley trail.

The beaches have been going strong with good numbers of salmon and tailor – and amongst the tailor have been some monsters. There are actually quite a lot of reports of big tailor, and I saw a picture of one Nick Reay caught in the basin measuring 80cm. It could

have bitten his arm off!

Sharks are still on the bite, and plenty have been getting caught off the beaches at night. Night time sees the shark hunters

come out, and they tell me that gummies, bronzies and schoolies have been in good numbers. Mulloway are sometimes a bycatch for these guys, and they have been showing up lately as well.

Autumn saw a great little run of mulloway in the estuary, and if you put in the hard yards and brave the cold nights you will find some success.

The estuary is definitely losing its appeal over the colder period though, and it’s the hard-core bream lads and the old flattie flickers that never say die who will still manage a few fish.

Some anglers out there actually crack some of their best fish in winter, because they never gave up on the estuary and have learnt how to fish it through the colder months. If you’re up for the challenge, be sure to buy some thermals so you can go the distance.

• For more up-to-theminute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff.

They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).

Justin Westbury was determined to be in the mag, so here he is with a fish he bought at the shop.

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Mallacoota is slowing down in the cold climate MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

After a long, busy tourist season the town is once again quiet and the big caravan park is nearly empty. There has been very little rain recently. This winter the cold weather is showing its head.

The fishing is starting to slow down with the water

temperature in the lake already down to around 15°C. Along the beach the temperature is around 16°C with warm water still moving out wide. Looking out from Bastion Point, it’s common to see whales moving up the coast letting us know the real cold water is not far away.

Fishing from the local beaches has seen anglers catching salmon. Good gutters on the main beach

Plenty of whitebait are in the lake, so the Squidgy Flick Bait has been working well.

and around at Tip Beach are holding fish. Yellowfin bream are still being caught around the lake entrance along with a few sand whiting. Beach worms are the best bait.

The entrance is nearly closed and with the way it’s going, I wouldn’t be surprised if it closes over the next few weeks. It’s going to take good rain to create a good entrance. The lake shutting is nothing new. It being closed off to the ocean for a few years at a time is not uncommon. Unfortunately, there are not big numbers of yellowfin bream in the lake at present. Luckily there are plenty of small snapper that will grow to a good size if trapped in the lake for any length of time.

Out wide, broadbill are still around with a number of fish caught each month.

Closer to shore, out around the Star Banks, there has been some good fishing for yellowtail kingfish. One group of anglers had a ball catching a number of fish to 90cm. Sand flathead have been caught, but with the water cooling the fishing is slowing right down. It has been tough to catch a feed with no tiger flathead caught over the past month.

The dusky flathead in the lake are still being caught. It’s a lot tougher to catch a feed now than it was a month ago. Slowly worked blades and soft plastics have worked well with plenty of moving around needed to find fish. Fish have been caught as far upstream

as Gypsy Point, in the bottom lake and out around the entrance.

Silver trevally are also right through the system with fish being caught in the rivers above Gypsy Point and throughout the top and bottom lake. Those fishing for bream with fresh baits, nippers and beach worms have been catching good bags of bigger-than-average fish with good numbers of smaller fish caught by anglers using lures, blades and soft plastics. Once again, fish are being caught in both the top and bottom lake and upstream towards Gypsy Point.

This mullet ate a blade and put on a great fight.

The entrance to Mallacoota Lake is almost closed and is only a stone’s throw wide.

Wandering the beaches TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

You may have noticed I will regularly write about wandering the beaches with a spin stick and a handful of lures, and why? Well it is a lot of fun and on these beautiful sunny days in mid-winter. You can often

find yourself alone on some of these beaches that surround Tathra.

To the south you have Bournda Beach south of Wallagoot Lake. Here you can walk the beach casting to schools of passing salmon, often providing hours of entertainment. At the south end of the beach you will find Bournda Island, and fishing adjacent or on the island try using some of

Salmon are a popular winter fun fish.

64

JULY 2017

the salmon you caught for both bait and berley. You are likely to encounter some sizeable bream, trevally, garfish and mullet while if you are berleying from the stones.

North of Tathra you have Gillards, Cowdroys and Nelsons beaches on offer, and here you’re likely to encounter more of the same fishing with the added bonus of more rock platforms on offer for targeting other species like drummer, luderick or those hard-pulling blue groper.

Speaking of platforms, Tathra Wharf is a very popular place in the winter that’s easily accessed where there’s an array of species available. The everpresent yellow tail or slimy mackerel is usually a sure bet with some very solid silver trevally. Long casts with heavy sinkers may put some juicy sand flathead in the bag too.

Closer to the rocks, schools of luderick may be

Wrasse are another species that turn up for those berleying the rock beach areas. sighted as the- roll, grazing on the weed and clinging to the stones, where anglers can float a piece of cabbage weed out to gain a hook up.

With one of my favourite fish to chase here being the humble garfish, which will respond to a good berley trail. Another added bonus at this time of year is the amount of squid around the

wharf that provide plenty of entertainment as well as a great meal.

Out at sea, expect some early good flathead fishing with both sand and tigers on offer. Mixing with them are gummy sharks, gurnard and the occasional large flounder. On the reefs, snapper are definitely on the chew, with some excellent

morwong both jackass and blues.

Speaking of blues, for the game fishos take advantage of the good weather head wide over the Continental Shelf and you may find yourself attached to one of the many southern bluefin tuna which can often be in abundance at this time of year.

Southern winter blues are on BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

July is proving to be the month for chasing those famous and often very large southern bluefin tuna. Winter blues now takes on a completely different meaning.

water temperatures staying up, yellowfin, albacore and mako sharks are definitely be on the short list. Long liners have encountered numbers of broadbill this season, so for those that wish to stay out at night, you may find yourselves attached to one of these elusive fish.

Winter is a great time

for bottom bouncing. You need not go out early; let the sun warm things up. As it does, usually the fish warm up too. You will be able to have the pick of the days to do so, as calm weather is a regular occurrence. Most reef species for this area are available with nearly all the well-known areas producing. Snapper have

Morwong make for a tasty meal and are easy to come by in the winter.

When, if or how close these fish may come to shore is never really known until it happens. You’ve just got to be ready to go.

Heading out wide over the 1000 fathom line you are likely to encounter fish ranging from 30-200kg+ with most fish averaging in the 90s. They are likely to be taken on a wide range of lures. More often than not, every lure in the pattern can be eaten with explosive strikes resulting in multiple hook-ups. Whether or not we see this action again this July remains to be seen.

All indications are there for another great season and hopefully more records will be broken.

There are other gamefish that are also likely to be around. With

been particularly good this season with plenty around.

While the sizes haven’t been extreme, they are still very tasty.

With the calm conditions try anchoring and berleying to bring up the bigger fish. Even using those soft plastics over the shallow close-in reefs will produce. These calm conditions will also allow you to fish very wide with the aid of electronic reels.

The very deep water over the Continental Shelf will produce some of the best table fish our waters have to offer in the form of blue-eye trevalla, ling, hapuka, perch, cod and many others.

Back closer to shore there are plenty of flathead to be found for those with smaller boats. Out from most beaches the sand flatties will dominate while the tigers will be found wider.

Cold, wet sand doesn’t appeal to most people in winter, so beaches often don’t get the attention they deserve. There are ways to make them more appealing that will also produce fish.

Most of our winds are offshore at this time of year This was the first of a few winter bluefin to hit the deck.

Luderick provide good fun while cool-weather angling.

and there is very little break to contend with. These calm conditions allow anglers to sight fish schools of salmon that patrol the beaches.

A handful of lures and a light spin rod are all that is required to provide any seasoned fisho with hours of entertainment. Another method is to bring the fish to you with berley. Striped tuna are the best for this.

Australian salmon also works well and if you find a deep gutter close to adjacent rocks, many varied species will appear. Even in the middle of the day, these fish will feed, especially when daylight hours are short.

Rocks are another popular place to fish when conditions are calm. Those

hard-pulling drummer are top of the list. There are some nice groper, quite a few bream and trevally. You can also use lures for tailor and salmon.

In the estuaries, luderick and bream are the main species available with the luderick hanging around the rock walls, the river boat ramp or the bridge pylons. Most are taking green or cabbage weed, while nippers may produce over the sand. Bream react well to berley whether in an estuary or on a beach.

The yellowfin bream are still here in numbers and will enjoy a well-laid berley trail in the lower parts of the estuaries, providing great winter angling.

Eden fishing set to improve in cool conditions EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

As with the rest of the South Coast, the Eden area has quietened right down. With winter happening, it’s a long time until summer when the visitors will be back once again. The area has just received its first drop of rainfall over the last few months and it’s much-needed. This will

be good for the fishing over the coming months.

Fishing-wise there has been plenty to report.

Offshore the water temperature is starting to drop, but at the moment it is still warm enough to have the sand flathead and tiger flathead biting. Good numbers of quality fish have been caught. Good sand flathead are also being caught throughout Twofold Bay, which is great, as it means you don’t have to go far to get a feed.

Kingfish have been caught along South Head and around North Head. As long as the big schools of baitfish are around, the fish will be here. Cold water moving up the coast will shut the fishing down. This year has seen some good catches of bonito. Bonito show up some years and not others. Snapper and morwong have also been caught on the inshore reefs and the fishing should only improve over the coming months.

Out wide on the shelf there has been little to report. Fingers crossed the yellowfin tuna make an appearance followed by the southern bluefin tuna.

Big schools of salmon have been moving along the beaches in the Eden area with some of the fish up around the 3kg mark.

Walking the beaches tossing a lure into likely gutters is the way to find the fish, as they are constantly on the move.

The recent rains dirtied

the water in the estuaries for a short time. This cleared up quickly with the water temperature dropping. As it’s winter, the fishing is starting to slow down.

Before the rain, good fish were being caught like the sand whiting and yellowfin bream caught towards the entrance of the rivers.

Dusky flathead are still being caught, however, it’s not as easy as it was in the months past. In cooler water this is one fish that slows right down. Silver

trevally are about in good numbers and good size fish to 1.5kg have been caught. Over the past month, there have been decent tailor caught. You can expect some big fish to put in an appearance.

Black bream have been caught by anglers fishing upstream with fish along the rocky edges and around structure.

This fishing should only improve, as the fish will be working there way upstream to spawn.

JULY 2017

65

2017 2017 Local Time

SYDNEY SYDNEY (FORT (FORT DENISON) DENISON) – – NEW NEW SOUTH SOUTH WALES WALES

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Time Time Time 0432 0432 0627 1101 1101 1232 1738 1738 1811 2339 2339 0516 0516 0038 1142 1142 0732 1819 1819 1340 1916 0025 0025 0143 0603 0603 0839 1225 1225 1451 1902 1902 2030 0114 0114 0252 0656 0656 0940 1312 1312 1558 1950 1950 2143 0207 0207 0359 0755 0755 1035 1406 1406 1655 2042 2042 2249 0306 0306 0457 0902 0902 1123 1509 1509 1744 2138 2138 2347 0407 0407 0548 1017 1017 1204 1620 1620 1826 2237 2237 0509 0509 0036 1134 1134 0632 1732 1732 1242 2336 2336 1904 0609 0609 0119 1244 1244 0714 1841 1841 1315 1939 0033 0033 0159 0705 0705 0753 1345 1345 1347 1942 1942 2013 0129 0129 0235 0800 0800 0830 1441 1441 1418 2038 2038 2045 0221 0221 0313 0852 0852 0909 1531 1531 1450 2130 2130 2118 0313 0313 0350 0942 0942 0947 1620 1620 1524 2220 2220 2153 0402 0402 0430 1030 1030 1027 1706 1706 1600 2309 2309 2230 0452 0452 0511 1115 1115 1110 1749 1749 1640 2355 2355 2309

JANUARY JANUARY MAY m m m 0.50 0.50 0.37 1.78 1.78 1.41 0.34 0.34 0.62 1.37 1.37 0.52 0.52 1.80 1.74 1.74 0.43 0.35 0.35 1.36 0.70 1.37 1.37 1.71 0.55 0.55 0.48 1.69 1.69 1.36 0.37 0.37 0.73 1.38 1.38 1.64 0.58 0.58 0.50 1.62 1.62 1.40 0.39 0.39 0.73 1.41 1.41 1.60 0.61 0.61 0.51 1.53 1.53 1.46 0.42 0.42 0.69 1.45 1.45 1.57 0.62 0.62 0.50 1.46 1.46 1.54 0.43 0.43 0.63 1.52 1.52 1.56 0.59 0.59 0.50 1.40 1.40 1.61 0.43 0.43 1.62 1.62 0.58 0.52 0.52 1.54 1.39 1.39 0.50 0.41 0.41 1.67 1.73 1.73 0.54 0.41 0.41 1.52 1.40 1.40 0.51 1.71 0.39 0.39 0.51 1.84 1.84 1.50 0.30 0.30 0.52 1.43 1.43 1.75 0.36 0.36 0.49 1.93 1.93 1.47 0.22 0.22 0.55 1.46 1.46 1.76 0.35 0.35 0.48 1.98 1.98 1.44 0.16 0.16 0.58 1.47 1.47 1.77 0.34 0.34 0.49 1.99 1.99 1.41 0.16 0.16 0.61 1.48 1.48 1.76 0.36 0.36 0.51 1.96 1.96 1.37 0.19 0.19 0.65 1.47 1.47 1.73 0.41 0.41 0.54 1.87 1.87 1.33 0.25 0.25 0.70 1.44 1.44 1.68

LAT 33° 52’ LONG 151° 13’ LAT LONG LAT 33° 33° 52’ 52’ LONG 151° 151° 13’ 13’ Times and Heights of High and Low Waters Times Times and and Heights Heights of of High High and and Low Low Waters Waters MARCH FEBRUARY MARCH FEBRUARY JUNE JULY

Time Time Time 0540 0540 0556 1159 1159 1156 1831 1831 1724 2352 0041 0041 0645 0628 0628 1247 1241 1241 1815 1912 1912 0127 0127 0043 0717 0717 0740 1323 1323 1345 1952 1952 1915 0215 0215 0141 0811 0811 0836 1409 1409 1448 2035 2035 2026 0307 0307 0245 0913 0913 0930 1503 1503 1548 2123 2123 2136 0402 0402 0348 1022 1022 1020 1608 1608 1642 2217 2217 2241 0500 0500 0447 1133 1133 1108 1716 1716 1730 2313 2313 2340 0555 0555 0543 1235 1235 1155 1820 1820 1819

m m m 0.47 0.47 0.57 1.76 1.76 1.30 0.33 0.33 0.75 1.63 1.42 1.42 0.60 0.55 0.55 1.28 1.63 1.63 0.79 0.42 0.42 1.39 1.39 1.58 0.62 0.62 0.61 1.49 1.49 1.29 0.50 0.50 0.81 1.37 1.37 1.55 0.69 0.69 0.59 1.37 1.37 1.33 0.56 0.56 0.80 1.37 1.37 1.54 0.73 0.73 0.55 1.27 1.27 1.42 0.60 0.60 0.75 1.39 1.39 1.56 0.73 0.73 0.49 1.21 1.21 1.53 0.62 0.62 0.66 1.43 1.43 1.60 0.70 0.70 0.43 1.19 1.19 1.66 0.62 0.62 0.54 1.49 1.49 1.64 0.63 0.63 0.38 1.21 1.21 1.80

0005 0005 0036 24 0644 0644 24 0637 1326 TU TU 1326

0.60 0.60 0.42 1.56 1.56 1.66 0.55 0.55 0.35 1.25 1.25 1.93 0.57 0.57 0.32 1.63 1.63 1.66 0.47 0.47 0.34 1.29 1.29 2.02 0.53 0.53 0.24 1.69 1.69 1.63 0.40 0.40 0.36 1.34 1.34 2.08 0.49 0.49 0.21 1.75 1.75 1.59 0.35 0.35 0.41 1.38 1.38 2.08 0.45 0.45 0.22 1.80 1.80 1.54 0.30 0.30 0.47 1.42 1.42 2.04 0.43 0.43 0.27 1.82 1.82 1.48 0.28 0.28 0.55 1.45 1.45 1.95 0.42 0.42 0.33 1.82 1.82 1.43 0.27 0.27 0.62 1.48 1.48 0.42 0.42 1.83 1.78 1.78 0.41 0.28 0.28 1.41 0.69

16 16 MO MO TU

17 17 TU TU WE

18 18 WE WE TH

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21 21 SA SA SU

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23 23 MO MO TU

1242 WE 1913 1913 1907 0052 0052 0130 0728 0728 0731 1409 WE WE 1330 TH 1409 1958 1958 1956 0135 0135 0225 0808 0808 0828 1446 TH TH 1418 FR 1446 2038 2038 2045 0215 0215 0320 0846 0846 0924 1523 FR FR 1510 SA 1523 2116 2116 2137 0255 0255 0415 0925 0925 1021 1559 SA SA 1559 1602 SU 2155 2155 2230 0335 0335 0514 1003 1003 1119 1635 SU SU 1635 1658 MO 2234 2234 2323 0417 0417 0612 1043 1043 1219 1714 MO MO 1756 TU 1714 2316 2316 0502 0502 0019 1125 1125 0712 1753 TU TU 1753 1321 WE 1859

25 25 26 26

27 27 28 28 29 29

30 30 31 31

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77

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88

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10 10 FR FR SA

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13 13 MO MO TU

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Time Time Time 0000 0000 0118 0551 0551 0810 1208 1208 1424 1834 1834 2006 0047 0047 0221 0643 0643 0904 1256 1256 1525 1919 1919 2116 0140 0140 0323 0741 0741 0954 1349 1349 1620 2009 2009 2224 0237 0237 0422 0848 0848 1040 1451 1451 1710 2107 2107 2324 0340 0340 0515 1006 1006 1121 1606 1606 1753 2212 2212 0447 0447 0015 1126 1126 0601 1725 1725 1200 2318 2318 1832 0553 0553 0100 1237 1237 0645 1836 1836 1236 1909 0021 0021 0139 0654 0654 0727 1338 1338 1311 1936 1936 1944 0119 0119 0216 0748 0748 0806 1430 1430 1345 2029 2029 2018 0212 0212 0253 0839 0839 0845 1516 1516 1420 2115 2115 2053 0301 0301 0330 0926 0926 0925 1559 1559 1458 2200 2200 2129 0348 0348 0408 1010 1010 1004 1639 1639 1535 2243 2243 2206 0432 0432 0447 1052 1052 1046 1715 1715 1616 2323 2323 2245 0516 0516 0530 1131 1131 1131 1751 1751 1700 2327 0002 0002 0615 0600 0600 1220 1209 1209 1750 1825 1825

m m m 1.50 1.50 1.71 0.45 0.45 0.47 1.71 1.71 1.41 0.32 0.32 0.74 1.51 1.51 1.60 0.49 0.49 0.52 1.61 1.61 1.44 0.37 0.37 0.75 1.52 1.52 1.52 0.53 0.53 0.55 1.50 1.50 1.49 0.43 0.43 0.73 1.53 1.53 1.46 0.56 0.56 0.56 1.39 1.39 1.55 0.48 0.48 0.69 1.56 1.56 1.43 0.56 0.56 0.56 1.32 1.32 1.62 0.51 0.51 1.62 1.62 0.64 0.51 0.51 1.42 1.30 1.30 0.56 0.50 0.50 1.67 1.70 1.70 0.58 0.42 0.42 1.41 1.33 1.33 0.56 1.72 0.47 0.47 0.54 1.78 1.78 1.40 0.33 0.33 0.57 1.38 1.38 1.76 0.42 0.42 0.50 1.86 1.86 1.40 0.26 0.26 0.57 1.44 1.44 1.79 0.38 0.38 0.47 1.90 1.90 1.39 0.22 0.22 0.59 1.49 1.49 1.80 0.36 0.36 0.47 1.90 1.90 1.38 0.22 0.22 0.61 1.51 1.51 1.80 0.36 0.36 0.47 1.86 1.86 1.36 0.25 0.25 0.63 1.52 1.52 1.77 0.39 0.39 0.49 1.78 1.78 1.35 0.30 0.30 0.66 1.51 1.51 1.74 0.44 0.44 0.51 1.68 1.68 1.33 0.37 0.37 0.70 1.69 1.49 1.49 0.52 0.51 0.51 1.33 1.57 1.57 0.73 0.45 0.45

16 16 TH TH FR

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20 20 MO MO TU

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27 27 MO MO TU

28 28 TU TU WE

Time Time Time 0042 0042 0013 0644 0644 0702 1246 1246 1313 1859 1859 1846 0123 0123 0105 0731 0731 0753 1328 1328 1410 1937 1937 1952 0209 0209 0205 0828 0828 0845 1417 1417 1508 2023 2023 2103 0303 0303 0310 0933 0933 0938 1520 1520 1605 2120 2120 2215 0405 0405 0415 1048 1048 1030 1636 1636 1700 2227 2227 2320 0509 0509 0518 1157 1157 1122 1749 1749 1753 2330 2330 0607 0607 0022 1252 1252 0618 1846 1846 1214 1845 0025 0025 0119 0656 0656 0716 1337 1337 1306 1932 1932 1937 0112 0112 0215 0740 0740 0814 1416 1416 1359 2013 2013 2030 0155 0155 0309 0820 0820 0910 1453 1453 1452 2051 2051 2121 0236 0236 0402 0900 0900 1005 1530 1530 1545 2130 2130 2213 0319 0319 0455 0941 0941 1100 1606 1606 1640 2210 2210 2303 0403 0403 0547 1024 1024 1155 1645 1645 1735 2252 2252 2355

m m m 1.47 1.47 1.63 0.57 0.57 0.53 1.45 1.45 1.35 0.52 0.52 0.75 1.44 1.44 1.58 0.64 0.64 0.52 1.34 1.34 1.40 0.58 0.58 0.75 1.42 1.42 1.54 0.69 0.69 0.50 1.25 1.25 1.48 0.64 0.64 0.71 1.40 1.40 1.52 0.71 0.71 0.47 1.18 1.18 1.58 0.68 0.68 0.63 1.41 1.41 1.52 0.70 0.70 0.43 1.16 1.16 1.71 0.70 0.70 0.52 1.44 1.44 1.53 0.65 0.65 0.40 1.18 1.18 1.84 0.67 0.67 1.51 1.51 0.40 0.57 0.57 1.54 1.24 1.24 0.38 1.96 0.62 0.62 0.29 1.58 1.58 1.55 0.49 0.49 0.37 1.31 1.31 2.05 0.56 0.56 0.22 1.66 1.66 1.54 0.41 0.41 0.37 1.38 1.38 2.09 0.49 0.49 0.18 1.74 1.74 1.53 0.33 0.33 0.40 1.46 1.46 2.09 0.42 0.42 0.19 1.80 1.80 1.51 0.28 0.28 0.44 1.53 1.53 2.03 0.37 0.37 0.24 1.83 1.83 1.48 0.24 0.24 0.50 1.59 1.59 1.93 0.34 0.34 0.31 1.82 1.82 1.45 0.24 0.24 0.58 1.64 1.64 1.79

29 0639 1250

0.39 1.43 TH 1833 0.65

30 0047 0729

1.65 0.47 FR 1345 1.42 1935 0.71

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Time Time Time 0451 0451 0142 1108 1108 0817 1725 1725 1442 2337 2337 2042 0541 0541 0239 1154 1154 0905 1807 1807 1537 2150 0024 0024 0339 0635 0635 0952 1245 1245 1630 1853 1853 2255 0115 0115 0437 0735 0735 1037 1340 1340 1717 1944 1944 2350 0213 0213 0531 0845 0845 1121 1445 1445 1800 2044 2044 0319 0319 0037 1002 1002 0619 1604 1604 1202 2155 2155 1841 0430 0430 0118 1119 1119 0703 1725 1725 1242 2309 2309 1918 0541 0541 0156 1227 1227 0744 1832 1832 1320 1955 0015 0015 0232 0642 0642 0823 1324 1324 1358 1928 1928 2030 0113 0113 0308 0735 0735 0902 1411 1411 1436 2015 2015 2107 0203 0203 0345 0823 0823 0941 1453 1453 1515 2057 2057 2145 0250 0250 0422 0907 0907 1022 1530 1530 1557 2136 2136 2223 0333 0333 0501 0947 0947 1105 1605 1605 1642 2214 2214 2303 0414 0414 0543 1026 1026 1151 1638 1638 1730 2249 2249 2347 0454 0454 0626 1102 1102 1241 1709 1709 1826 2324 2324

m m m 0.33 0.33 1.51 1.77 1.77 0.53 0.26 0.26 1.44 1.66 1.66 0.75 0.35 0.35 1.40 1.68 1.68 0.57 0.32 0.32 1.47 0.75 1.67 1.67 1.33 0.40 0.40 0.59 1.57 1.57 1.52 0.40 0.40 0.71 1.65 1.65 1.30 0.46 0.46 0.60 1.44 1.44 1.57 0.49 0.49 0.65 1.62 1.62 1.30 0.51 0.51 0.59 1.33 1.33 1.63 0.56 0.56 1.61 1.61 0.58 0.52 0.52 1.31 1.27 1.27 0.58 0.60 0.60 1.69 1.62 1.62 0.52 0.50 0.50 1.33 1.28 1.28 0.57 0.60 0.60 1.73 1.66 1.66 0.47 0.44 0.44 1.34 1.34 1.34 0.55 1.77 0.55 0.55 0.43 1.72 1.72 1.36 0.37 0.37 0.55 1.41 1.41 1.79 0.48 0.48 0.41 1.77 1.77 1.36 0.32 0.32 0.54 1.49 1.49 1.80 0.43 0.43 0.40 1.79 1.79 1.37 0.30 0.30 0.55 1.54 1.54 1.79 0.40 0.40 0.40 1.78 1.78 1.38 0.31 0.31 0.57 1.58 1.58 1.76 0.39 0.39 0.41 1.73 1.73 1.38 0.33 0.33 0.59 1.60 1.60 1.70 0.41 0.41 0.42 1.67 1.67 1.40 0.38 0.38 0.62 1.60 1.60 1.64 0.44 0.44 0.44 1.59 1.59 1.42 0.44 0.44 0.65 1.59 1.59

16 16 TH TH SU

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Time Time Time 0533 0533 0038 1139 1139 0714 1739 1739 1335 2359 2359 1929 0615 0615 0136 1216 1216 0805 1812 1812 1433 2041 0036 0036 0243 0700 0700 0901 1257 1257 1534 1847 1847 2157 0118 0118 0354 0751 0751 1000 1345 1345 1635 1931 1931 2308 0208 0208 0503 0852 0852 1059 1445 1445 1733 2029 2029 0309 0309 0013 1001 1001 0608 1558 1558 1156 2139 2139 1830 0417 0417 0110 1111 1111 0707 1713 1713 1251 2251 2251 1923 0522 0522 0203 1208 1208 0801 1813 1813 1345 2353 2353 2015 0617 0617 0254 1256 1256 0855 1900 1900 1437 2104 0045 0045 0342 0704 0704 0945 1337 1337 1529 1942 1942 2153 0131 0131 0429 0748 0748 1034 1415 1415 1620 2021 2021 2240 0216 0216 0514 0832 0832 1123 1454 1454 1711 2102 2102 2326 0302 0302 0558 0916 0916 1212 1533 1533 1803 2144 2144 0350 0350 0012 1003 1003 0640 1615 1615 1300 2228 2228 1859 0440 0440 0059 1052 1052 0723 1657 1657 1352 2315 2315 2001 0533 0533 0152 1143 1143 0809 1742 1742 1446 2110

m m m 0.49 0.49 1.56 1.50 1.50 0.45 0.50 0.50 1.46 1.57 1.57 0.66 0.54 0.54 1.48 1.41 1.41 0.46 0.56 0.56 1.52 0.64 1.54 1.54 1.42 0.59 0.59 0.47 1.33 1.33 1.60 0.63 0.63 0.58 1.50 1.50 1.39 0.64 0.64 0.45 1.25 1.25 1.71 0.69 0.69 0.48 1.46 1.46 1.40 0.68 0.68 0.43 1.19 1.19 1.82 0.75 0.75 1.43 1.43 0.36 0.68 0.68 1.42 1.17 1.17 0.39 0.77 0.77 1.93 1.44 1.44 0.26 0.65 0.65 1.46 1.20 1.20 0.36 0.75 0.75 2.00 1.49 1.49 0.18 0.58 0.58 1.49 1.27 1.27 0.35 0.69 0.69 2.04 1.56 1.56 0.15 0.50 0.50 1.50 1.36 1.36 0.35 2.02 0.60 0.60 0.17 1.65 1.65 1.50 0.41 0.41 0.38 1.47 1.47 1.95 0.50 0.50 0.22 1.72 1.72 1.49 0.34 0.34 0.43 1.57 1.57 1.84 0.41 0.41 0.29 1.78 1.78 1.47 0.28 0.28 0.51 1.67 1.67 1.70 0.33 0.33 0.38 1.80 1.80 1.45 0.25 0.25 0.59 1.76 1.76 0.28 0.28 1.55 1.78 1.78 0.46 0.26 0.26 1.43 1.82 1.82 0.66 0.27 0.27 1.41 1.73 1.73 0.54 0.30 0.30 1.42 1.84 1.84 0.71 0.29 0.29 1.29 1.63 1.63 0.59 0.37 0.37 1.43 0.72

11

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10 10 MO MO

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Time Time Time 0003 0003 0254 0630 0630 0900 1237 1237 1543 1830 1830 2219 0056 0056 0400 0632 0632 0954 1237 1237 1638 1825 1825 2320 0055 0055 0502 0742 0742 1046 1345 1345 1728 1930 1930 0201 0201 0011 0855 0855 0556 1503 1503 1134 2045 2045 1813 0315 0315 0054 1005 1005 0642 1618 1618 1218 2200 2200 1853 0424 0424 0131 1107 1107 0722 1719 1719 1259 2306 2306 1930 0524 0524 0207 1159 1159 0800 1810 1810 1338 2008 0003 0003 0242 0615 0615 0838 1242 1242 1417 1853 1853 2045 0052 0052 0316 0700 0700 0915 1321 1321 1458 1932 1932 2122 0136 0136 0353 0742 0742 0956 1355 1355 1541 2009 2009 2201 0216 0216 0430 0821 0821 1038 1427 1427 1626 2043 2043 2243 0255 0255 0510 0858 0858 1123 1458 1458 1715 2116 2116 2328 0332 0332 0552 0934 0934 1212 1528 1528 1811 2148 2148 0411 0411 0019 1012 1012 0640 1559 1559 1305 2222 2222 1915 0451 0451 0118 1050 1050 0733 1631 1631 1405 2259 2259 2030

Local Local Time Time APRIL APRIL AUGUST

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2015, Bureau of Meteorology   Copyright Copyright Commonwealth Commonwealth of of Australia Australia 2015, 2015, Bureau Bureau of of Meteorology Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum Datum of of Predictions Predictions is is Lowest Lowest Astronomical Astronomical Tide Tide Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect Times Times are are in in local local standard standard time time (UTC (UTC +10:00) +10:00) or or daylight daylight savings savings time time (UTC (UTC +11:00) +11:00) when when in in effect effect New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon

m m m 1.83 1.83 1.22 0.34 0.34 0.62 1.52 1.52 1.46 0.47 0.47 0.69 1.79 1.79 1.19 0.40 0.40 0.62 1.41 1.41 1.50 0.57 0.57 0.63 1.72 1.72 1.20 0.46 0.46 0.61 1.32 1.32 1.56 0.65 0.65 1.66 1.66 0.56 0.49 0.49 1.24 1.29 1.29 0.58 0.69 0.69 1.62 1.63 1.63 0.49 0.49 0.49 1.28 1.33 1.33 0.55 0.67 0.67 1.68 1.64 1.64 0.42 0.46 0.46 1.32 1.40 1.40 0.51 0.62 0.62 1.73 1.66 1.66 0.37 0.43 0.43 1.35 1.48 1.48 0.48 1.77 0.55 0.55 0.33 1.67 1.67 1.39 0.41 0.41 0.45 1.56 1.56 1.78 0.50 0.50 0.31 1.67 1.67 1.42 0.40 0.40 0.44 1.62 1.62 1.78 0.46 0.46 0.30 1.65 1.65 1.45 0.41 0.41 0.44 1.66 1.66 1.74 0.45 0.45 0.31 1.61 1.61 1.47 0.44 0.44 0.46 1.68 1.68 1.68 0.45 0.45 0.33 1.56 1.56 1.49 0.47 0.47 0.49 1.70 1.70 1.59 0.46 0.46 0.37 1.51 1.51 1.50 0.51 0.51 0.53 1.69 1.69 0.49 0.49 1.49 1.45 1.45 0.42 0.56 0.56 1.52 1.68 1.68 0.56 0.52 0.52 1.39 1.39 1.39 0.46 0.62 0.62 1.55 1.64 1.64 0.56

16 16 SU SU WE

17 17 MO MO TH

18 18 TU TU FR

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21 21 FR FR

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22 22 SA SA TU

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29 29 SA SA TU

30 30 SU SU WE

Time Time Time 0533 0533 0228 1132 1132 0834 1709 1709 1511 2338 2338 2149 0622 0622 0345 1219 1219 0941 1752 1752 1617 2301 0025 0025 0500 0717 0717 1045 1315 1315 1720 1846 1846 0120 0120 0004 0819 0819 0602 1421 1421 1145 1953 1953 1817 0225 0225 0059 0922 0922 0658 1531 1531 1242 2107 2107 1910 0332 0332 0147 1018 1018 0748 1631 1631 1334 2215 2215 2000 0432 0432 0233 1107 1107 0835 1722 1722 1424 2313 2313 2046 0526 0526 0315 1152 1152 0920 1806 1806 1512 2130 0005 0005 0356 0615 0615 1004 1234 1234 1559 1850 1850 2214 0055 0055 0434 0703 0703 1046 1316 1316 1645 1933 1933 2255 0145 0145 0511 0753 0753 1129 1400 1400 1732 2018 2018 2336 0237 0237 0547 0844 0844 1212 1445 1445 1823 2105 2105 0330 0330 0019 0937 0937 0626 1531 1531 1258 2154 2154 1919 0426 0426 0109 1032 1032 0711 1621 1621 1350 2245 2245 2026 0524 0524 0211 1130 1130 0806 1714 1714 1450 2340 2340 2138

m m m 0.57 0.57 1.31 1.33 1.33 0.49 0.68 0.68 1.59 1.60 1.60 0.51 0.61 0.61 1.28 1.27 1.27 0.49 0.74 0.74 1.67 0.42 1.55 1.55 1.30 0.65 0.65 0.46 1.23 1.23 1.76 0.79 0.79 1.50 1.50 0.32 0.66 0.66 1.36 1.22 1.22 0.41 0.82 0.82 1.85 1.49 1.49 0.23 0.63 0.63 1.42 1.26 1.26 0.35 0.80 0.80 1.91 1.51 1.51 0.17 0.58 0.58 1.48 1.34 1.34 0.32 0.74 0.74 1.93 1.56 1.56 0.15 0.50 0.50 1.52 1.45 1.45 0.30 0.64 0.64 1.89 1.63 1.63 0.18 0.42 0.42 1.53 1.57 1.57 0.33 1.82 0.53 0.53 0.23 1.70 1.70 1.53 0.36 0.36 0.37 1.70 1.70 1.70 0.42 0.42 0.31 1.74 1.74 1.51 0.31 0.31 0.44 1.82 1.82 1.57 0.32 0.32 0.39 1.75 1.75 1.49 0.29 0.29 0.52 1.92 1.92 1.44 0.26 0.26 0.47 1.72 1.72 1.45 0.31 0.31 0.59 1.98 1.98 0.24 0.24 1.32 1.66 1.66 0.55 0.36 0.36 1.42 2.00 2.00 0.65 0.25 0.25 1.22 1.58 1.58 0.61 0.44 0.44 1.40 1.96 1.96 0.67 0.30 0.30 1.15 1.49 1.49 0.65 0.53 0.53 1.40 1.89 1.89 0.66

31 0324 0911

1.13 0.66 TH 1554 1.43 2244 0.61

Last Quarter Last Last Quarter Quarter

Tide predictions for Sydney (Fort Denison) have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions.

66

JULY 2017

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS FISHING SONG NAMES

LONG RAY TO THE TOP ALBRIGHT EYES BACK IN BLACKFISH CAST SAID THE BOY DART SHAPED BOX FISH YOU WELL GO YOUR PRAWN WAY MR BO JIGGING NOVEMBER DRAIN

OVER THE RAINBOW RAYLA SHORE THE VOICE SOLID ROCK COD STAIRWAY TO REDFIN WORKING BASS MAN DART BREAK HOTEL SMOOTH BREAMINAL I WILL SURVIBE

Loaded For Bass Sudden In-Pact Baits are jig/ spinnerbait trailers that soak up a huge amount of catch scent and continually release it. These supple trailers are very durable, won’t tear off, dry out or become distorted, and their absorbency prevents your catch scent from washing away after a few casts. There are nine models, ranging in size from 2.25” to 5.25”, and colours include red, green, yellow, blue and white.

To place an order visit www.loadedforbass.com.

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack.

SEND ENTRIES TO: NSW Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

NSW JULY 2017

Phone (day):

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

ORIGINAL

NIKON KEY MISSION

Congratulations to K Morrison of Moama, who was Nikon’s I AM ON A MISSION competition winner. Lucky winners received a KeyMission 170 camera valued at $549RRP. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – NSWFM

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to L Ralston from Batemans Bay, 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

B Newham of Penrith, G Waugh of Greystanes, R Uassalli of Singleton, B Bell of Wodonga, I Necic of Glenfield, B Mannering of Leumeah, T Jones of Woonona, S Roweth of Millthorpe, K Martin of Nowra, B Bailey of Ullaldulla, P Muldoon of Balcolyn, B Gorham of Toronto, M Claydon of Karuah, R Crossman of Echuca, N West of Barmedman, D Chandler of Theodore, B Cannon of Fairfield, G West of Dapto, A Muoio of Beacon Hill, Z Mosessen of Wanniassa, M Ryall of Singleton, C DeBoer of Valentine, R Grace of Nambucca Heads, M Mguire

of Albion Park, F Seal of Junee, P Bak of Monash, K Carter of Shepparton, M Thompson of Hillvue, T Maroney of Gunnedah, G Smith of Weston, G Trinder of Emerald Beach, J Grace of Mount Keira.

The DX Point Major prize winners are: 1st J Lowik of Churchill who won a prize pack worth $1000; 2nd M Markham of Singleton who won a prize pack worth $500; and, D Benson who won a prize pack worth $300.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFMry takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for May is P O’Malley of Tamworth, who won a So-Run Soft Baits prize pack worth $300RRP. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

GUESS THE FISH?

FIND THE DX POINT LOGO

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: King George Whiting

The answers to Find the DX Hook Logo for May were: 9, 15, 24, 26, 32, 38, 45, 54, 69, 73, 75, 77, 88, 91, 101. – NSWFM The Find the DX Point logo prize winners for May were: R Wicks of Forbes, C Cooper of Boorowa, J Grey of Bangor, B Mitchell of Nords Wharf, R Bochdal of Shoalhaven Heads, S Cook of Seven Hills, M MacMurray of Eglinton, R Cooper of Forster,

Answer:

Season ends in a flurry CANBERRA

Bryan Pratt

As always, the stream trout season in NSW and the ACT finished in a flurry of activity, for two main reasons. One, we had rain, which pepped up the streams and gave the fish a great late-season boost.

Secondly we had the annual pre-spawn run of browns in the big rivers attached to the mountain lakes like the Eucumbene, Thredbo and Murrumbidgee.

The Eucumbene River was the major centre of activity, attracting fly and lure anglers from all over Australia seeking a trophy fish. The prespawning run is

the one time of the year when the brown trout, especially the big ones that normally reside deep in the lakes and are considered mostly uncatchable, come within casting range of shore-based anglers and are in a mood to take flies and lures, in an otherwise uncharacteristic fashion. It is the one time of the year when anglers get a

Small Murray cod are still active in Canberra’s urban lakes.

The larger specimens seem to have retired early for winter.

Huge brown trout on the prespawning runs in the Thredbo and Eucumbene rivers offer anglers the best chance for the entire year to get a trophy fish or a trophy photograph.

realistic chance at a trophy fish, or, as in most cases, a trophy photograph.

It was a nervous wait for the spawning run to start this year. Fish won’t move from the lakes to the rivers until there is a decent flow of water. This year the rivers were low right up to the last couple of weeks before the season closed on the Queen’s Birthday weekend.

The fish were tantalising, building up in large numbers near the river mouths for weeks on end, but not actually moving into the rivers. Some were catchable in the lake, especially at night with big dark flies such as Woolly Buggers, but it was not the stream experience anglers were looking for. Then the rain came and enough fish moved into the rivers to make the spawning run a realistic experience.

There was another difference this year. In previous years there was open vehicular access to the Eucumbene River at Denison, the most popular part of the river. Unfortunately, this

opportunity was abused by some anglers and the outcome was a landscape churned up by 4WD vehicles, ill-maintained and obstructive camps along the river frontage, improper fireplaces and poorly-located bush toilets.

To overcome this, vehicular access is now prohibited and all vehicles are expected to park in a newly constructed car park.

That means that anglers now have a walk of at least 600m to get to the river, which is not considered particularly demanding.

Special arrangements can be made for disabled anglers.

Once the run got underway there were some nice fish taken. Most anglers opted for the traditional Glo Bug and trailing nymph rig, which can be steered downstream to a fish waiting in the current. The crowds were reasonably orderly and there was enough camaraderie, as long as you were happy to have another angler fishing over your shoulder. The bag limit of one

fish over 50cm per person per day was reasonably well-observed and the vast majority of anglers preferred to return their fish to the water after the ritual photographs were taken.

TANTANGARA SURPRISE Although the Eucumbene River was the main centre of attention prior to the season closure the fish sprang a real surprise in the Murrumbidgee River upstream from Tantangara Reservoir. Anglers exploring the river and the small feeder creeks were delighted to find numerous browns and a few rainbows actively rising to dry flies over several days and had some exciting and rewarding fishing with Red Tag, Royal Wulff, Hairwing Coachman and Elk Hair Caddis. One group estimated that they caught and released nearly 50 fish in a two day session and double fish captures by other anglers were common.

SEVEN GATES Some other streams in

This is an angler’s beaming smile after catching his first-ever trout, a lovely brown that took PowerBait on the drop at Lake Eucumbene.

It was the best of four fish caught in the one session.

68

JULY 2017

To page 69

Snowy Jindabyne delivers JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson steve@swtroutfishing.com.au

Welcome to July and a very wintery Jindabyne.

By now snow on the top of the mountains is attracting plenty of people to come to the Snowy Mountains area and this makes getting accommodation in town difficult. There is plenty of accommodation nearby in Cooma if you want to come up for a trout fish.

Winter is the very best time to fish for trout from the shore of the lake.

Already this winter season we have seen some huge fish caught on both lures and bait. Winter fishing is always good, as there is less terrestrial food about for the trout and so the fish are more likely to be cruising all day looking for something to eat.

There are also those very big ex-brood Gaden Trout Hatchery Atlantic salmon and brook trout that were released late last May still to be caught. With lots of winter fishing still ahead, grab a good pair of boots and a warm jacket and come down for a winter trout fishing experience.

Spinning from the shore of the lake is a method that works well during winter.

Try lures in the middle of the day in pink, yellow and brown with a slow retrieve.

This is also the time of year that big minnow lures will attract big trout, as winter spawning trout are very aggressive towards each other and the bigger lures are better.

A variety of soft plastics also work well. It’s best to use natural or gold colours

when fishing plastics around the inlets and weedy bays.

Orange or pink colours are better for open water.

Bait fishing is a very productive method of fishing in winter and simple rigs work best. Worms and artificial baits have always been favourites for winter fishing and they always brings results. When worm fishing, use plenty of tiger worms or a single scrubworm and fish them off the bottom using a running sinker. You can also suspend a bait under a float. If you want to use artificial bait, try a little split shot on the hook to keep the bait down.

As the fish move about the lake so much over winter, there is no particular spot that stands out. A hint is to fish shallow water early and late, and slightly deeper water in the bright sunny parts of the days. Don’t go too deep; a few metres of water is as much as you want!

Trolling is one of my favourite ways to catch trout in winter. Sit back, relax and wait for the fish to bite. It’s a bit like marlin fishing; some days it’s fantastic in winter and some days it can be slow.

If you’re out in a boat on the lake over winter, trolling lures a lot slower than you would in summer is the way to increase the number of trout you catch. The best lures to use when trolling the lake for big trout in winter are the big minnow lures, even as big as 13cm.

July is also the time when we get most of our snow on the mountains and the weather can change very quickly, so always check for any major changes before heading out in a boat. It only takes minutes for the lake to go from mirror flat

to 1m+ high waves and 100km,/h winds.

Just remember that when you’re on a boat all rugged up, sometimes with waders on, you’ve got a death wish if you aren’t wearing a life vest. If you were to fall into the water, which is getting colder by the day, once you get wet there is a very good chance that you will die.

If not by drowning when

all your wet clothes drag you to the bottom, or your waders fill with water, you won’t last long before hyperthermia gets you.

Trolling flies off fly lines (harling) is also very productive in winter and trolling flies on lead core lines during the middle of the day produces some big browns, if you stay just over the weed beds.

Matt Peterson with a rainbow trout caught trolling.

Gabriel Baker, nine years of age, with an awesome brown trout and a rainbow trout caught trolling a yellow wing Tasmanian Devil from his dad’s kayak.

JULY ROUND UP – THE BEST OF THE BEST! Best method Best lake trolling lure Best lake spinning lures Best lake area Best fly method

From page 68

the high country also fished well after the rain. As the season finished, anglers were reasonably happy to take a break or perhaps transfer to some winter lake fishing. The lakes have been fishing well, especially with lures. There were a few surprise captures.

One angler at Seven Gates tossed a Wonder Spoon around and landed 16 browns in a session, keeping just enough for the table. Another angler caught his first-ever trout, a 2kg brown, just seconds after he tossed in some PowerBait, also at Seven Gates.

Bait fishing with local scrubworms or artificial baits.

Tasmanian Devil in pink 55 or big minnow lures up to 13cm.

Orange and pink soft plastics or big minnow lures up to 13cm.

Waste Point and Creel Bay. Use a fly that represents the food the fish are feeding on. *The rivers are all closed to fishing until October.

NATIVES QUIETENING Native fish have settled down again, having fed up well for the coming cold winter.

Yabby-drowners have caught a few golden perch in Lake Burley Griffin and although most captures were limited to one or two fish, one angler fishing near the National Museum landed seven prime fish in a session.

A few small Murray cod in the 48-55cm range have been caught in the urban lakes, all on yabbies.

Nothing has been reported on a lure.

GOOGONG BRIGHT SPOT Googong Reservoir, part

of Canberra’s drinking water supply, continues to be the local hotspot for redfin and a few natives. The redfin are all sizes but the prized quarry are the big ones in the 40-48cm range that are schooled up in the deep water offshore. They take lures, scrubworms and yabby baits quite well. When the school gets excited it’s a fish every drop. Spoons and bibless minnows have been the most effective and hooking two fish at the same time on the one lure has been a common occurrence. Most fish have been taken by boat anglers, but the occasional decent specimen has been caught by

shore-based anglers making a long cast into deep water.

REGIONAL RESERVOIRS There have been a few reports of natives and redfin in regional waterways. At Burrinjuck golden perch have been taken amongst flooded trees on shrimps, yabbies and soft plastics. Cod have come from more open water, on trolled wakebaits, surface lures and spinnerbaits.

Redfin have been active around the shoreline, especially in the main basin.

At Wyangala golden perch have been taken on yabbies and scrubworms, mostly in the Abercrombie Arm.

We have some flies in my shop that are designed for trolling and can be dynamite over the weed beds on the lake. The good areas for trolling this month are Creel Bay at Waste Point, the Snowy Arm, East Jindabyne Islands and Hayshed Bay. Flyfishing has been very good and you will see fish cruising if you have your polaroid glasses on.

Polaroiding trout is best done on the sunnier days.

That’s when I like to flyfish the lake anyway. I’ve never done much on flyfishing when it’s snowing or during the cold winter nights.

A well-presented fly, something like a brown nymph, a Mrs Simpson or a well-presented shrimp pattern will get good results

during the winter months.

The best areas for winter polaroiding in Jindabyne are Creel Bay, Hatchery Bay, Sids Bay and the Kalkite end of the lake.

Good areas to try at this time of the year after rain are also the Snowy Arm, Creel Bay and Wollondibby Inlet.

• Best of luck with your winter fishing and if you’re coming down to Jindabyne over the next few months, why not call in and get the latest fishing information at Steve Williamson’s Trout Fishing? It’s shop 1 at the Snowline Centre, Kosciuszko Road (next to the Shell Servo). My shop is also open seven days a week during winter with extended hours over July and August.

Gaden Trout Hatchery Come see the new displays at our visitors centre!

about the Snowy’s most important trout hatchery.

• Learn See how four species of trout and salmon are bred.

• Find out where and how Gaden’s juvenile fish are released.

• Learn how trout stocking benefits recreational fishing and • local economies.

• Find out about kids fishing workshops.

• Enjoy the beautiful picnic-BBQ area.

Guided tours at 10 am and 2 pm. Feed the large fish.

Open 10–4 daily. Gaden Rd (off Kosciuszko Rd) Jindabyne P 02 6451 3400 CLOSED DAYS: ANZAC, CHRISTMAS, BOXING. SMALL ENTRY FEE. dpi.nsw.gov.au/ fisheries/info/ gaden JULY 2017

69

Lots of opportunities at wintery Windamere LITHGOW/OBERON

Glen Stewart stewie72@bigpond.com

Opportunities knock for those brave souls that venture out fishing in freshwater on the central Tablelands at this time of year. Extremes in weather create opportunities on both ends of the spectrum, in summer and winter.

the same area and work it very slow. Bait would be number one at this time of year. Try a bunch of scrub worms, a crushed yabby or something that will produce a trail and get them coming over for a look.

When it comes to lures, a small skirted jig is very hard to beat. I usually tip the jig with a trailer of some sort and really load it up with scent on a regular

THOMPSONS CREEK DAM TCD as it is affectionately known is a very popular fishing destination at this time of year. Big rainbow trout that spend most of their year well offshore, down deep on thermoclines, are drawn into the shallow windswept margins to spawn. This is quite a unique fishery with many challenges, the least of

this you are targeting the aggressive pre-spawn bucks of both species. The hits are very hard, to say the least.

SWIMBAIT REVOLUTION It’s great to see the industry and anglers embracing the swimbait revolution. It’s a Murray cod deal for the most part, but I’m already seeing and hearing about anglers taking the thought process to other species. When it comes to big fish, it’s same-same.

They have different habits and different needs; by recognising this and making the adjustments needed for your tackle, and more importantly mindset, all of a sudden you’re in the game.

The game may take a little longer to play out, but when that monster fish hits the deck of the boat or the bank at your feet the last thing that will cross your mind is all the little weaners your mates have been catching.

The more I target bigger fish, no matter the species, the more I realise how different they are from

When fishing Thompsons Creek Dam with lures, wave action and lower light levels are just a few factors that can tip the balance in your favour. the run-of-the-mill average specimen. For starters, those run-of-the-mill average specimens might just be food, so they are not going to hang out together.

If you think more along the lines of loners with attitude, bullys hanging on the fringe and resting in the

best place possible, you’ll be closer to the mark. When it’s time to feed, it’s game on. They know their quarry well and will move to take advantage of any given situation.

Hope to see you on the water soon. Until then, tight lines.

The depths of winter at Windamere are not for the faint-hearted, but by adjusting your techniques you can still catch fish. The skirted jig is a standout lure in winter.

Native fish generally have a preference for warmer water, so less extreme weather can have them grouped up in likely areas. Northern facing bays and inlets in Windamere that have some protection from cold winds can be real hotspots.

Often you will see golden perch 2-3ft down in shallow open water sunning themselves in these bays, turned side on to the sun like a big solar panel. Catching them when they are like this is nigh impossible (for me anyway), but at least you’re in an area with fish.

When faced with this scenario it’s better to drop something to the bottom in

basis. Bottom contact is very important with these skirted jigs. Retrieves at this time of year should have lots of pauses and try shaking the jig on the pause or dragging the jig on the bottom; mix it up, but always keep close to the bottom.

A good alternative is a jighead rigged soft plastic; craws and creature baits that are 50-60mm long are the go. Once again, dose them up with your favourite catch scent and work them very slow on the bottom.

Pulling the boat up on the bank or anchoring on a spot is good at this time of year. This slows you down and makes you fish the one area for longer.

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which is that fish are more intent on other urges than actually eating anything.

They will usually eat a small glow bug or trailing nymph presented on fly. It’s very visual and frustrating, as is often the case when targeting these fish.

Thankfully there is a mixture of fish in different stages of spawn and it’s better to leave the ones going hard at it and target the fringes for trout in a pre-spawn mode.

Those of us who choose lures to fish with should not feel totally left out. Casting larger hardbodied minnows or softer plastics of 7-8cm on cloudy, windy days during lower light periods can be quiet productive. By doing

Swimbaits and cod go hand in hand. The adjustments required to fish them more efficiently don’t just relate to the gear you use – mindset is critical.

THIS SPIRIT 1 electric outboard is powered by a built in 1KWH Lithium-ion Battery. Giving 1.5hrs of MAX power running or if your leisurely using this motor the battery can last up to 5 hrs of use.

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JULY 2017

10HP OF POWER This is the most powerful electric motor in the ePropulsion range. Pumping out a massive 6KW of power which is equivalent to a 10hp petrol outboard. This motor is available in either tiller control or forward control. Forward control uses a wireless throttle and gear shifting control box. Silent, zero emissions and maintenance free makes this motor a pleasure to own.

Only the keenest anglers will catch keg cod WAGGA WAGGA

Rhys Creed

The heart of winter means lots of casts with big lures for the chance at a monster cod. The buzzing activity that is associated with autumn slows right down with the almost freezing temperatures, but the one

tell you now it is far from enjoyable until you hook into a fish. The reason we do it is for the chance of catching the ginormous cod that exceed the 100cm mark, with some going bigger than 120cm!

It’s tough fishing at this time of year, but some days the action can be brilliant, as the big fish need to feed throughout winter, and with

soft plastics as they have an extremely life-like action and represent the carp, redfin and trout that the Murray cod feed on. Spinnerbaits and chatterbaits are another great option. Both the grassy and rocky banks fish well, but we prefer to fish the flatter grassy banks early in the morning. Just as first light breaks, the fish will be

The author with a solid Blowering Dam cod that took the rainbow trout pattern FX Fury.

A super-charged Murray cod that detonated the Gobsmacked 175mm Leviathan for Tallis Cotterill. thing that stays on the prowl is the mighty Murray cod!

BLOWERING DAM Only the keenest of anglers venture out during July and usually they are crazy! With the minus temperatures in the morning, chilly wind and rain, it’s almost not worth it. I can

little food around, they’re actively chasing big lures. You may go on a few fishless trips, but the more trips you do, the more chance you have of landing that fish of a lifetime.

The best technique for this time of year is to cast large lures in against the banks. We like to cast large

sitting close in against the banks looking for a feed.

Keep your distance from the bank, and cast your lures as far as you can. Let them sink to the bottom before giving them a big hop and slow roll them back to the boat.

Some of our favourite lures are the FX Fury soft

Looking after big Murray cod is very important, even if this means getting in the water with them.

plastic, Mud Guts Big Guts spinnerbait, Gotcha Shad, Berkley Swim Shads, Westin Shad Teez and any other large soft plastic.

Trolling is another brilliant technique, especially right on sunrise or sunset.

The largest of lures work the best, like the 150mm AC Invader and the 190mm White Crow Warthog. Troll shallow in around 3-5m at low light periods, and as the sun comes up, push deeper and troll depths around 6-8m.

This also applies to casting.

MURRUMBIDGEE RIVER The river flows this year have been very different to last year. We were in the middle of a flood during July last year and the Murrumbidgee River was almost unfishable. This year due to less rainfall, the river is lower and is a great location close to town to try your luck. The fishing is similar to the dam in that its hard work, with lots of casting for little action, but the rewards can be big!

Winter is most commonly the time to head out and target the larger fish because they are active.

To increase your chances of hooking a big river cod, target the deeper stretches in the river with the largest logs. Big fish need large homes and deep water, so try to concentrate your efforts in these areas. Usually, the

outside bends are home to these features and during summer the water flow is too fast around the outside bends, that’s why we fish them during winter.

If the water is flowing nice and slow, try to use large spinnerbaits with a big soft plastic tail and large Colorado blades. These will emit a large amount of vibration and flash, which will attract the bigger fish.

Copper and gold blades are my preferred colour in the

Casting on first light with big lures and big rods is what winter is all about.

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Murrumbidgee River, with darker coloured skirts being the pick, but in saying that, don’t be afraid to tie on a white one from time to time.

You cannot go past the standard Mud Guts 5/8oz spinnerbaits with a bulked up tail and blade, and while you’re at it, you can also check out the Mud Guts Big Quaddie, which is specifically made for fishing for big cod in shallower running rivers, just like the Murrumbidgee River.

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JULY 2017

71

You can have winter angling all to yourself BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

If you are like me and go fishing to get out into the great outdoors and away from everyone then July is definitely a great time of the year.

Due to the often extremely cold weather associated with July, most people don’t fish. On some of our lakes and along most of the Murrumbidgee River you will get the entire place to yourself. Add to this the chance of hooking into an extra big Murray cod or trout and it’s easy to see why it pays to rug up and go get amongst it.

This month when targeting natives you won’t get as many fish as you do during the warmer months, but the fish you do get are

generally of a much bigger size. This makes braving the elements all worth it.

On the trout side of things, July can be a great month for big fish and lots of them.

RIVERS The Murrumbidgee and Upper Murray rivers often fish really well in July depending on flows.

If either is flowing below 2000ML, I strongly recommend making the effort to get there.

For techniques on the rivers it’s hard to beat repeat casting to the plentiful snags and rock bars along these rivers. Recently I am more of an advocate of chatterbaits and Angel Baits for this type of fishing, as they catch far more fish on highly pressured waters.

Spinnerbaits will still catch their fair share of fish and are a worthy addition to every cod angler’s

tackle box.

In saying this, be careful of the advice you are given about what spinnerbaits are best for a given river or lake. If someone just recommends a brand as the spinnerbait for the job and doesn’t tell you what sort of blade setup or weight to use, they clearly have no idea and I would take their advice with a grain a salt. The reason I say this is there are many blade configurations to consider when using a spinnerbait and there is no one all-rounder.

If you are fishing a river, for example, it’s no good telling someone to use a whatever-brand 5/8oz spinnerbait if you don’t tell them what blade setup to use. A double Colorado setup will perform and fish totally different to a single willow blade setup.

A big creek cod caught on one of the new Mega Cod Angel Baits. This month should see many of the bigger fish in most systems being caught.

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There has been a massive resurgence of redfin around most of the southern half of the country this year and Blowering Dam is no exception with some of the best redfin fishing to be had in several years.

When fishing a fast flowing river like the Murrumbidgee or Upper Murray rivers, the best option is almost always a single bladed option and most often a willow blade, as this setup allows you to still have a good sink rate and not get swept downstream while sinking like a double Colorado blade setup does. The willow blade allows you to fish a lighter weight spinnerbait around 1/2-5/8oz. That will get you to the bottom without being swept downstream first.

If you had to use a double Colorado setup, say, because the water was super dirty, then in the same water flow conditions to get the same sink rate and ability to hold deep on the retrieve like the 1/2oz single blade setup you would have to use a 1 and 1/2oz weighted or more double Colorado setup spinnerbait. It pays to consider your blade and weight setup when choosing

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Weight and blade setup are the two most important things to consider when using spinnerbaits in any scenario. Using a single blade setup will allow you to use a lighter lure than using a double Colorado setup. Get these right and you will catch fish like this much more regularly.

which spinnerbait is best, rather than a particular brand that someone is trying to plug.

It seems it wouldn’t be a cod report without mentioning swimbaits and wakebaits. The fishing industry goes in cycles and has trends that come and go; swimbaits and wakebaits are that trend at the moment. These big baits certainly catch fish and have been doing so for many years, but they are nothing new, that’s for sure.

Like all trends though this craze will pass. If you haven’t followed the rest of the crowd already and gone out and mortgaged your house to buy some of these monster creations and a rod and reel able to cast them, I would suggest holding off.

It won’t be long and there will be some other new must-have creation.

Fishing goes in trend cycles all the time and at the moment we are going through a wake and swimbait craze. They work great at times and in certain scenarios at certain times of the year (and that time of year is now), but they’re not the be-all and end-all as some anglers are getting into their heads.

TROUT LAKES Now that the trout season is closed in the creeks and rivers, it’s time to focus on our lake trout.

Jounama Dam is the pick of them for me as it is closest and the fishing can be to die for during winter. Giant trout mixed in with some giant redfin can make for a great day on the water. On top of this the lake has land-based fishing only, so if it gets too cold or windy, just jump back in your vehicle and warm To page 73

Have fish? Must travel TAMWORTH

Adam Mears adam.mears@hotmail.com

The mornings spent getting the boat out of the shed have been bitterly cold, but the fishing surprisingly sweet if you’re prepared to travel.

The local dams Lake Keepit, Split Rock and Chaffey have been inconsistent to say the least, but if you have some live shrimp at your disposal then this may change your fortune and bring some lovely natives boat side.

If you are willing to travel, then Glenbawn down near Scone has been on fire.

Trolling hardbody lures in around 20ft of water around the weed beds is almost a sure thing.

Copeton Dam has also been a Mecca for anglers chasing XXL Murray cod.

It’s a 2.5 hour drive from

Tamworth, but winter time is the best time to chase trophy fish at Copeton, so if trophy fish is on your bucket list then this is the place to do it.

Although fishing for trout in the rivers is now closed until October. But it’s not all doom and gloom, if you’re a diehard trout angler there are a few stocked dams within an hour’s drive that can keep you content until the season reopens. Sheba, Malpas and Dumaresq dams are all viable options, and in the latter two you also have the by-catch of redfin perch to pull some string, and these can be targeted on everything from spinners, plastics, blades and hardbodies.

SHEBA DAM The Sheba Dams up near Hanging Rock north of Nundle is a beautiful place to take the family for a fishing or camping experience they will thoroughly enjoy. They have nice sheltered areas,

barbeques, and plenty of walking tracks to take a stroll on. It is also home to an abundance of wild life including ducks, lizards, kangaroos and the occasional wombat, but it is also stocked with rainbow trout a few times a year.

Being a dam, the closed season does not apply, so if you need your trout fix before October, this is one place you can scratch that itch and get a bent rod. Baits of worms, small yabbies and PowerBait work well, as do spinners and small flies like egg patterns and nymphs.

SPLIT ROCK DAM Split Rock Dam has been hit and miss this year.

Generally the winter months will see the big cod come out from hiding, but so far the goodoo have been few and far between. Split Rock was once renowned for its abundance of big cod, but has been dormant for a few seasons. If you’re

Hayley McDonald holds up a stocky Murray cod.

From page 72

yourself up before you go for another raid. It beats being blown around in a boat all day.

BLOWERING DAM As I mentioned earlier there will be a lot of anglers out trying for that monster Murray cod this month and Blowering Dam will be a popular spot for this. If natives aren’t your thing, the redfin fishing could be sensational if the fishing for them earlier in the year is anything to go by.

Fish deep this month around the 40ft mark for your best chances at hooking heaps of succulent redfin. Actively bait fishing with a slow lift and drop action with worms or yabbies on

a paternoster rig can be great. It’s hard to beat ice jigging at this time of year.

If ice jigs aren’t working

regularly, give the blades, plastics and rubber vibes a roll and you should soon start catching fish.

Midday goodoo are becoming a more regular occurrence for the author. going to find cod, hit the edges early in the mornings until mid morning and from late afternoon and into night with big spinnerbaits and diving lures. Purple and

black or blue and black has always been a proven colour combos in the dam, so don’t leave home without a few variations of these.

Make sure you return

these big breeders to the water as soon as possible so that they can produce more cod for future generations.

Until then, good luck and tight lines.

Australian bass are a great sportfish and where you find one you will normally find more.

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The creeks and rivers are closed, but trout anglers can still get their fix in our lakes this month.

Jounama Dam is one of the author’s favourite winter fisheries and is worth a visit when in the area.

JULY 2017

73

Still catching plenty of cod on surface lures NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

The colder months are well and truly here now and with temperatures getting down to -5°C in the first couple of days of winter last month, bigger Murray cod are on the move.

Local rivers have been fishing well lately. After

reopen around the October long weekend.

If fishing this area, the Severn River would be the place to be with some nice fish being caught at the moment. Surface lures of any type are always productive in this waterway.

Using spinnerbaits around the lead up to the full moon has produced more quality fish recently.

This time of year is well

fishing the rivers or local impoundments.

Pindari Dam has also had time to settle after little rainfalls and is just starting to make its way down again after sitting around the 100% mark and even higher over the past few months. The dam was recently around the mid 90s mark and still falling.

The fishing action seemed to slow down

Micheal Geary with a great Copeton cod that also ate a Percy the Perch Swimbait.

Dean Thomson caught this epic Copeton cod he caught on a Westin Percy the Perch Swimbait. receiving little bits of rain in previous weeks, both the Beardy and Severn rivers have had time to settle.

They’ve cleared up with a nice flow. Remember that the Beardy River remains closed for the trout breeding season and will

known for producing fish of good quality, however it can also mean extra casts and longer times between bites. Having a range of big lures and slowing down your retrieves will definitely increase your chances whether you’re

over the last month. As water temperatures start to stabilise it should pick up again pretty quickly. There have still been some nice cod up to the 70cm mark and even the odd bigger one being caught off the surface. There haven’t been

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 April May June Blowering 65 65 71 Brogo 101 101 100 Burrendong 90 87 87 Burrinjuck 66 64 62 Carcoar 91 91 90 Chaffey 99 98 99 Clarrie Hall n/a n/a n/a Copeton 46 47 47 Dartmouth 77 78 78 Eucumbene 41 41 36 Glenbawn 90 90 88 Glenlyon 76 77 75

Dam April May June Glennies Creek 83 83 87 Hume 61 60 65 Jindabyne 58 60 55 Keepit 62 62 64 Lostock 102 100 100 Oberon 91 90 89 Pindari 100 100 100 Split Rock 30 29 30 Tantangara 16 17 19 Toonumbar 101 100 101 Windamere 50 50 49 Wyangala 88 88 88

(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.)

74

JULY 2017

The author nailed this 101cm Severn cod on a Westin MonsterVibe Spinnerbait. too many golden perch or silver perch catches lately.

The winter cod craze has started at Copeton Dam with fishers travelling from all over the country to get their hands on the prized giant Murray cod. There have been plenty of reports of

big Murray cod being taken on the surface during early mornings on a mixture of wakebait and paddler type lures. A lot of nice cod have been taken on swimbaits throughout the day.

Unfortunately, there have also been reports of

plenty of boats getting around with no navigation lights, which is dangerous for other boaters as well.

Please be responsible and do the right thing on the water.

Tight lines and frozen guides.

The author with another Severn River cod, this time on the Mimix Water Dragon.

Copeton is drawing in all the keen cod fishos COPETON DAM

David Allen manager@copeton.com.au

Copeton continues to draw cod fishers from around Australia for the winter big

fish season. Over the last month, we have had many of the country’s top cod fishers at Copeton and if they haven’t been here yet then they’re on their way.

The big fish continue to be the drawcard for most

The writer gets a little fish now and then.

Copeton fishers at this time of year. The more people involved in the fishery, the faster the techniques have been developing. The big move this year has been to swimbaits. These ultrarealistic lures have taken over from the big surface wakebaits that were so popular last year. The big fish are still on the flats in all areas around the dam.

The technique with the swimbaits has been to cast into the shallows and then just slow roll the bait back out into deeper water. These baits can be worked ultraslow, as the fish will convince themselves that the piece of plastic or wood looks just too good not to eat.

It seems that often the cod that have been hunting the flats under the cover of darkness until sunrise may not retreat as far or deep as we thought. Once the sun hits the water, start to look for areas of cover in water that is 10-20ft deep adjacent to the flats. Areas of rock or heavy timber on a point would warrant some prospecting with a deeper running swimbait or chatterbait.

So far this winter has proved to be one of the best ever for the actual numbers of cod being caught and also

Frosty morning wins HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Phelps

July can be a very cold time to be out on the water in the Hunter Valley. If you’re brave enough to put up with it, you can be rewarded with some great fishing and near cricket scores of fish caught. The frosty mornings can make for glassed out beautiful days on the water.

There isn’t much fishing pressure in winter and the fish aren’t shy. You can have some days when you’re the only one out there. The local lakes are into their winter patterns by now and the fish are in a full feeding frenzy.

This month is going to fish very similarly to June in both St Clair and Glenbawn.

Fishing in low light I

like to throw a jerkbait around shallow cover like weedbeds.

Using different types will allow you to reach different depths. Use the smaller shallower bibbed jerkbaits for getting over the top of weeds and into holes.

The bigger deeper diving bibs are best used along the weed edges and over suspended fish sitting out of deeper cover. When fishing deeper water allow a longer pause between jerks for the fish to come up to your lure.

It’s not unlikely for a fish to swim up 10ft for a jerkbait slowly worked over the top of them.

A jighead rigged paddletail plastic works really well once the sun is up. Natural colours on a 1/4oz jighead are good place to start. A nice small hook on the jighead like a no. 1 or 2 is better for

SEASON

5

cutting plastics down in size.

Most of the baitfish in the lakes are under 3” in size, so keeping your plastic nice and small will catch you more fish.

Taking your time to make sure the plastic 100% straight will make sure the plastic swims true. Fish these plastics deeper along the weed edges, rock walls and around timber.

There will be fish on the sounder suspended out in deeper water off points in 20ft down to 60ft this month.

Sinking your plastic down to these fish and slow rolling through them will catch you fish. An ice jig is another good option for these deeper fish. The Rapala Jigging Rap in size 3 or 5 is my favourite. Short, sharp and aggressive hops in front of the fish’s face will work at this time of year.

IS HERE!

Every Saturday 4.30pm on

Wade Scott with a beautiful 124cm cod. for the average size. In one week I know six fish were caught over 120cm and maybe another 20 over the metre.

There is absolutely no doubt that Copeton has secured its claim to be the cod capital of Australia The Copeton Cod Classic filled its quota of competitors within a couple of weeks of opening for registrations.

For those who want to book accommodation for this event, contact the office as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.

The competition will be held over the weekend of 15-17 September. The pre-fish ban is in place from Monday 11 until midnight Thursday 14.

The briefing will be held Friday night up at the Copeton Waters Function Centre at 7.00pm. Fishing will start after dinner and a briefing.

Fishing is permitted over the entire weekend until 8.00am Sunday morning and breakfast will also be available on Sunday morning.

The Copeton Yella Challenge has been announced for the end of October and entries are now open. Copeton’s yellowbelly are often overshadowed by the hype around our Murray cod, but it must be acknowledged that Copeton is also one of the best yellowbelly fisheries in the country. This competition will also be capped to a limited number of teams, so jump onto the AYC Fishing Tournament

website for more details and entry information.

• Copeton Dam is one of the best lakes in NSW to catch a trophy Murray cod. Dave runs the Copeton Waters

Holiday Park and is a great source of up to date, local information on what’s biting.

Contact the park on (02) 6723 6269 for information and accommodation bookings.

Aberdeen Fishing & Outdoors LOOK FOR THE BOAT ABOVE THE VET CENTRE

“Drop in and ask our friendly staff what they’re biting on!”

LAKE GLENBAWN

LAKE ST CLAIR

ABERDEEN Phone 69 New England Hwy, [02] 6543 7111 Aberdeen NSW 2336

www.aberdeenfishingandoutdoors.com.au

OUTDOOR & FISHING SHOW

Listen on 5am-6am Every Saturday JULY 2017

75

It is now the right time for winter casting ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

As the crisp chill of winter bites at the skin it seems time to don the scarf and beanie and hit the water in hopes of a bite.

Along the Murray, irrigation demands have ceased and the river’s high

the timber in order to tempt the strike.

An easy meal is now lost to these fish as smaller crustaceans like yabbies and shrimp are now hidden in the mud. In our local waters the bite continues along the Murray River upstream of the road bridge at Swan Hill.

This past month has seen excellent fishing with most lure fishos catching a cod or

a squillion carp, the river remains very quiet. It’s a similar story right through Wemen, Hattah and into Mildura and beyond with hardly a whisper of a cod other than the occasional small fish. Not all is lost; I have it on good authority that several cod between 85-95cm and a single metre fish have come up through the loch at Wentworth.

Mustad field tester Ng Yam Pin and the monster cod he landed on a surface lure in the pre-dawn light.

Winter is the season of clear water where the giant snags can be easily made out as they jut headlong into the river. turbid flows have fallen away leaving a picture of jutting snags that spear headlong into the clearing water. While many have packed the gear away in wait for the warmth of spring, those who love the crunch of green fish jaws are out and active in the cool of winter.

Winter is the season for casting and from past experience it’s also when many of the biggest cod are landed. Holding fast in the shallow flows these larger fish are eager to feed, especially when the pressure rides high.

Good water clarity betrays the angle of the snags making it easier for anglers to position and retrieve their lures along

two on each and every outing.

While there are a lot of cod in the 55-75cm range, it’s the larger models that are starting to draw interest from anglers keen to travel.

Several fish over a metre have been taken in this area over the past month with many others in the mid to high 90cm range. These are good fish by anyone’s standards and it’s great to see this stretch of the Murray River fishing so well. Golden perch have been a regular catch too, but the bite has slowed a little in the cooler water conditions.

Downstream along the Murray to Robinvale, other than a few golden perch and

It has been almost five months since the black water came through this area – enough time for these fish to have swum up in the high flows from some of the lower lochs that did not cop the full brunt. While it’s only a drop in an ocean, it does provide some chances of perhaps catching a decent cod in this area soon. Until then there are still good numbers of perch being caught on bait and lures.

My cod fishing this season has led me a merry dance into unfamiliar waters where the catch rate is indicative of a healthy, vibrant waterway. Untouched by the black water, every snag holds

a chance and the expectations ride high with every cast. My cod fishing has come down to one simple fact: in order to catch good-sized fish I need to travel.

On the subject of travel, I recently had the opportunity to fish the Murray River with a couple of notable Singaporean anglers. While their journey was a little further than mine we found ourselves on the Murray River trying to tempt a giant cod to the surface.

Isaac Tang is the Market Manager for Mustad hooks, the biggest manufacturer of fish hooks in the world, and

from Titanic played on a much smaller scale.

I had picked a bank the previous evening that hung heavy with old snags and looked for all it’s worth a prime location for big fish.

The plan was to be in position at first light and work the area with large surface lures – a ploy that has worked well recently.

Neither of these anglers had caught a big Murray cod before and the excitement was only overshadowed by the sound of chattering teeth in the morning chill. Used to the tropics, the icy cold predawn

boat Pin’s lure was engulfed.

The waters churned as the unseen giant rolled beneath the surface and the rod loaded tight. This is high-octane fishing where an explosive take instantly takes your mind from other distractions like the numbing effects of the morning chill. Heart in your mouth, the fight is on and you know it’s a big fish simply by the take and the water the fish moves.

Pin handled the large fish with the skill of a seasoned angler. Within minutes he was holding his first-ever giant Murray cod. A field

The Murray River at Swan Hill has fished well for Murray cod this season on lures. The StumpJumper still remains a favourite for cod and anglers alike.

Mustad Market Manager Isaac Tang also scored a metre plus cod off the surface – not a bad effort for your first time cod fishing.

76

JULY 2017

his fishing mate Ng Yam Pin is notable in his own right and recognised as Malaysia’s most famous angler. Together they were on a mission to land a monster Murray cod.

It was still dark as we boated our way down the Murray River to catch the early bite. A thick fog hung like an impenetrable curtain cutting visibility to mere metres as the torchlight reflected off a wall of white.

Our speed was almost idle but fast enough in the current rich waters as numerous giant snags passed within feet of the gunnel. Out of the darkness another would appear, not unlike a scene

temperatures were somewhat of a shock to the boys who were slightly underdressed in light clothes and crocs.

We arrived at our chosen spot right on cue. With just enough light to make out the snags, the big lures were cast into the semi darkness landing with a heavy splash.

The lures paddling sound amplified in the early morning still was broken by the bird song that signals the start of dawn. Time and again the popping tune of the lures would return to the boat unscathed only to be recast to the next likelylooking hold.

Midway back to the

tester for Mustad hooks, Pin has travelled the world catching all manner of big fish and loves the thrill of the unexpected. A lot was learnt from this catch, he said.

Later that day as the sun slipped below the horizon, Isaac too hooked and landed a monster cod from the surface. Both have promised to return as they are now hooked on our most iconic native fish and would like to catch an even bigger one.

Perhaps one day we can wet a line closer to my local haunts, but until then, just like these visiting anglers we will continue to travel in order to catch good fish.

Expect more of the same great fishing in July YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

With regular reporter Tony Bennett on holidays, this report has been supplied by Kyle Dalrymple, Mat Rogers and Mal Stone.

KYLE DALRYMPLE Lately I have been fishing the river between Bundalong and Cobram, and have had plenty of action on the yellowbelly.

A lot of them have been between 50-55cm, and most fell to the 100mm Kuttafurra Mud Honey.

The cod are playing the game as well. On a trip with my mate Jamie Beer recently, he managed a 94cm cod, and then 10-15

minutes later a 1.25m fish! In the clear water we actually saw it eat the lure. We also got a couple of yellas and dropped a few others.

Lately most of my cod have come on Gangsta Outcast spinnerbaits. The majority of fish are have been 60-70cm, and there have been plenty of them.

In July we can expect more of the same. The river is nice and clear now, with plenty of visibility. It’s just a matter of chipping away and waiting for those big ones to come out to play.

MAT ROGERS Despite the cold weather setting in, the cod bite continues to be hot around Mulwala. There have been some really good catches in recent weeks. Jeremy

Bryce from Jerilderie has also been getting in on the action, recently catching two cod over a metre (one measured 1.18m) casting large surface lures on cold nights.

Dale O’Meara had a couple of good days out as well, picking up multiple cod and some oversize yellowbelly casting spinnerbaits towards the banks around the Bundalong area.

Lake Mulwala itself has continued to fish extremely well, with hardbodies cast in the shallows the way to go. Recently Ron Crossman landed a 120cm cod in the middle part of the lake.

Around Albury there have been a few quality cod caught in the Murray River.

There have also been some

There are plenty of yellowbelly around.

Jamie Beer with a solid cod taken on a 100mm Kuttafurra Mud Honey. Image courtesy of Kyle Dalrymple.

good reports of solid trout and redfin being landed spinning from the banks.

In July there will be plenty of frosts that should see the bigger fish start to become a little more active.

Again, your best option is to cast large surface lures in the lake and in the rivers, or use extra large hardbodies.

My picks are the Kuttafurra Mud Honey and Therapy, the Jackall Gantarel and any of the big wakebaits. We can also expect good cray catches – just make sure you know the regulations before heading out on the water.

MAL STONE The fishing has been pretty good in recent weeks, with quite a few metre fish taken in the lake and the river

down below. Trolling dark native colours around the lake at the moment is the best approach, with the favoured lures being Koolabung Wake Snakes, 100mm Oar-Gees, No 1 size StumpJumpers and 85mm Codgers. On the surface, try Mudeye Snakes, Jackall Pompadours, Gidgee lures and buzz baits.

1 June marked the start of the Murray cray season, and the best baits are chicken carcasses, ox liver and pumpkin.

Check your local NSW rules and regulations on Murray crays.

Down below the weir wall, the river is running at winter levels so it’s quite low, so be careful navigating the river. In the

Bundalong area, anglers have been picking up a few yellowbelly around the willow trees on worms and shrimp bobbed up and down.

In July the lake levels will be lower, and the cooler water temps will start to put some fish off the bite. Still, determined anglers who put in the time and effort are often rewarded.

If you’re looking to experience the fishing on Lake Mulwala, Mal’s Boat Hire Yarrawonga can set you up with one of their 4.55m poly boats, including safety gear. Local fishing knowledge is supplied free of charge! You can contact Mal on 0422 820 372 or visit www.malsboathire.com.au.

Natives still lurking throughout the cold MILDURA

Darcy Scherger

The ice-cold mornings and chilly days are forcing anglers to stay inside huddled around the wood fire heater at this time of year. We all know the struggles of waking up and getting your body into gear at this time of year is hard, though with those monster green fish out there to be caught, you just have to knock yourself into first and get out there amongst it.

You need to push those thoughts to the side, brush off the dust from the rods and reels and rip into one of the most iconic freshwater fish, the mighty Murray cod.

This time of the year is different to any other time for fishing along the Murray

and around the Mildura region.

The winter months require a different approach and strategy for catching a monster Murray cod. This approach includes working the open shallow water of the river channel with your standard diving lures.

This might seem weird and unusual to do, but metre plus Murray cod will be on the hunt within these areas chasing a feed of bony bream.

Standard diving lures that dive to around 6m will be the go-to lures throughout the winter months. Instead of working your lures hard on structure, crank them up and hold on. Murray cod will be on the move and chasing a feed at the moment, with little food on the menu due to the cold-water temperatures.

I recommend trying a natural coloured lure, such as a white or silver that represents a bony bream. This will put

Gareth Collinson with a golden perch on 100mm JD Python. you in the game. The next step is putting your lure in the right spot, and that can either be done on the troll or on the cast, and putting it in the right area will entice a monster Murray

cod to absolutely destroy your lure within seconds.

Casting at this time of year can produce good results, and by putting your lure hard up against the bank

and fluttering or cranking it down to an appropriate depth, you’ll be in the game. Koolabung Codzilla 6m, Koolabung Cod Baits, JD Python 140mm standard

diver, 24ft diving ACs and Bassman Spinerbaits have been working in recent weeks when chasing the metre plus Murray cod. Large surface lures will also be a go-to over the winter months, with big surface presentations starting to prove themselves recently with good reports.

The cod have been much quieter recently around the Mildura region, taking time and repeated casts to entice.

Mildura anglers have been doing the miles to get the smiles, with recent reports of local anglers getting smoked by several metre plus Murray cod within a session. Golden perch have still been caught, with many reports of very reasonable size specimens caught. Don’t let the cold weather keep you off the water this winter, there’s still plenty of fish to be caught.

JULY 2017

77

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2017

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

5-6 Jul

Lake St Clair BASS Pro Qualifier #4 Lake St Clair

www.abt.org.au

7-14 Jul

Evans Head Fishing Classic Evans Head

www.fishingcomps.com.au/ehfc/

8-9 Jul

Glenbawn BASS Pro Qualifier #5 Glenbawn Dam

www.abt.org.au

15-16 Jul

Richmond River BREAM Qualifier #6 Richmond River

www.abt.org.au

22-23 Jul

Round 9 Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 Gold Coast

www.hobiefishing.com.au

30-Jul

BASS Electric #5 St Clair

www.abt.org.au

13 Aug

Round 10 Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 Mooloolaba

www.hobiefishing.com.au

13 Aug

BASS Electric Major #2 Moogerah

www.abt.org.au

19-20 Aug

Gold Coast BREAM Qualifier #7 Gold Coast

www.abt.org.au

25-27 Aug

Grabine Freshwater Fishing Tournament Grabine Lakeside

www.grabinefishing.com.au

26-27 Aug

Round 11 Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 Swan River

www.hobiefishing.com.au

2-3 Sep

Clarence River BASS Pro Qualifier #6 Clarence River

www.abt.org.au

16-17 Sep

BASS Electric Convention TBA

www.abt.org.au

16-17 Sep

Round 12 Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 Forster

www.hobiefishing.com.au

29 Sep-1 Oct

South Coast Might Bonanza Fishing competition Tomakin Fishing Club, Tomakin

Adam Martin 0418 570 131 www.scmb.com.au

30 Sep-1 Oct

St Georges Basin BREAM Qualifier #8 St Georges Basin

www.abt.org.au

14-15 Oct

BASS Pro Grand Final Richmond River

www.abt.org.au

30 Oct

BARRA Tour Round #1 (Evening Event) Teemburra

www.abt.org.au

31 Oct

BARRA Tour Round #2 (Evening Event) Kinchant Dam

www.abt.org.au

3-4 Nov

BARRA Tour Round #3 (Evening Event) Peter Faust

www.abt.org.au

6-7 Nov

BARRA Tour Round #4 (Night Championship) Peter Faust

www.abt.org.au

16-19 Nov

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 Championship Western Australia

www.hobiefishing.com.au

1-3 Dec

Lake Macquarie BREAM Grand Final Lake Macquarie

www.abt.org.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours.

Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name.

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JULY 2017

Revamped 2017 Evans Head Fishing Classic The Evans Head Fishing Classic has been transformed, with Australian Fishing Tournaments (AFT) bringing the traditional event into the 21st century.

Australian Fishing Tournaments has taken over management of the Evans Head Fishing Classic, adding extra competitions, champion categories and a new weigh-in process called catch ‘n snap.

Weigh-ins are now based on fish-friendly photographs.

Anglers will photograph their competitive catch on brag mats, and they then have the option to keep the fish or release it back into waters as

desired, keeping those larger breeding fish in population – all while anglers compete for the big fish prize.

The new process might sound daunting but it’s all pretty simple, and Australian

Fishing Tournaments has all angler anxieties covered. Full briefings and an education process will be offered, so nobody will be caught out wondering what to do.

The all-new 2017 Evans Head Fishing Classic will run from 7 July to 14 July. Australian Fishing Tournaments has introduced a slew of random prizes and a whole new schedule, and its new competition

guidelines will improve this beloved annual week of serious fishing and serious socializing. These days, there is a lot of movement towards more sustainable practices and being fish friendly, all while allowing anglers to take home a feed, and this is reflected in the Evans Head Fishing Classic.

Australian Fishing Tournaments has also broadened competition fishing zones; you can launch this year from Byron to Yamba and fish both estuary and offshore. This lends flexibility for unfavourable weather conditions, and opens up more fishing opportunities for competitors. It also takes the pressure off the local stock of fish.

This year, adults will

compete in a variety of fish categories, including snapper, pearl perch, mulloway, tailor, king/cobia, amberjack/ samsonfish, whiting, bream, blackfish and flathead. For cadets, there are the usual estuary suspects of flathead, whiting and bream.

Australian Fishing Tournaments has also

introduced new overall champion categories. Winners will be announced for the Overall Champion Male, Overall Champion Women and Overall Fishing Team.

While adult competitors will dominate the weekdays, the weekend invites the little ones in for the new Cadet Competition on Saturday

and Sunday. This two-day junior competition has prize pools which are open to all buddling anglers under the age of 16.

Champions, competitors and all attendees will be in the running for a total prize pool of over $80,000.

All seven-day competitors have the chance to win a boat motor trailer package sponsored by Evinrude ETEC, Lowrance sounders, Hobie Kayak and a host of other respected brands.

The Evans Head Classic will be held on the river banks outside the Woodburn Evans Head RSL Club. If you would like more information, or want to book a place in the competition line-up, visit www.fishingcomps.com. au/ehfc or phone 0459 401 612. - AFT

JULY 2017

79

Cannizzaro conquers the Manning

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

STORM

Ross Cannizzaro can do no wrong it seems as the Sydney-based angler took out consecutive ABT Qualifiers across two different species in the space of three weeks.

Wind back the clock to the end of April and Cannizzaro sealed the deal on the upper Hawkesbury River at the BassCat BASS Pro Qualifier. Now just three weeks later and a few hundred kilometres north, he’s proven to be one of the sport’s greatest with a convincing win at the Mercury Manning River BREAM Qualifier.

The Mercury Manning River BREAM Qualifier was the first time the Costa BREAM Series had been to the central coast estuary in six years. In the lead up to the event, much speculation surrounded the state of the fishery, but Cannizzaro smashed those thoughts out of the water with a breakthrough 4.56kg bag on Saturday’s first session.

During his interview with ABT Tournament Director Simon Goldsmith, Cannizzaro said, “I knew the fish of that calibre lived in this river, but you don’t expect to get a bag of them in one day.”

Saturday set it up for Cannizzaro but it all started

His go-to technique for the day was to slow roll a crankbait in the form of a Berkley 3B Fat Dog deep along the walls, paralleling the rocks so that his lure was always in the strike zone.

“That bait was definitely key in getting me the bites I got during this tournament.

It dives quick and deflects brilliantly off cover and that’s quite often when I’d hook up, just as the bait hit a rock and deflected to the side.”

Once hooked, Cannizzaro was up to the challenge of extracting the powerful fish from the wall. “These fish are absolute athletes; they fight so hard in the clean running water of the seaway mouths.

I relied upon a slightly faster retrieve ratio spinning reel to get line back quickly.

Cranking with the current means you need to work hard to keep up with your lure, and the new Abu Garcia ALX spinning reel was definitely a game changer for me in that department.”

Bringing 4.56kg to the scale was always going to stand Cannizzaro in good stead of leading after Saturday’s first session. With almost 500g separating him from second place angler Ross Lamonte after day one, Cannizzaro put the pressure on himself to back

Ross’ victory was anchored by his 4.56kg bag on day one. up his performance from the previous day. “I think today I backed it up, no one really expected someone to pull 4kg out of this river and for two people to do it shows how strong this river actually is.”

There was never any doubt with Cannizzaro again bringing one of the biggest bags of the day to the scales and smashing the field by over 2kg. “I think weighing over 3.5kg

on Sunday showed that this was by far the dominating pattern over the weekend,” said Cannizzaro.

The outfit of choice was, as typical for Cannizzaro, a complement of Abu Garcia and Berkley products. He used the Abu Salty Fighter Origin combined with the new Abu Revo ALX spinning reel. Cannizzaro spooled the outfit with Berkley Exceed Braid and Sensei fluorocarbon leader.

R

BIG BREAM Mike Nelson secured the Big Bream prize at the Manning and the $500 payday with his 1.48kg day one kicker fish. Caught at Bohnock Bridge the prize winning fish fell to a spotted crab coloured Cranka Crab fished on 13 Fishing Envy rod.

WINNING TACKLE Rod – Abu Salty Fighter Reel – Abu Revo ALX Line – 4.4lb Berkley Exceed Braid Leader – 4lb Berkley Sensei Flurocarbon Lure – Deep Berkley 3B Fat Dog (red eye express colour), 3lb Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub (camo colour) rigged on 1/8th Berkley Dam Deep jighead (camo colour).

Mike Nelson’s 1.48kg bream was the standout fish, and the Big Bream at the event.

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

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during Friday’s all-important pre-fish day where he located better than average sized fish on the seaway walls at the mouth of the river.

“I actually bumped into Warren Carter on the pre-fish day and he was fishing the walls and I asked if I could jump in and have a look.

“He obliged and immediately I caught a solid fish, then I boated another two 800g fish within a few hundred metres and I knew then that this was the area I was going to focus on.”

Having identified his primary location, Cannizzaro looked to work it thoroughly to extract the big bream from the rock walls lining the mouth of the Manning River.

RESULTS – BOATERS Place

Angler

TF

TW (kg)

Payout

1

2

3 4 5

6

7 8 9 10

Ross CANNIZZARO

Russell BABEKUHL

Mark HEALEY Peter MACOR Ross LAMOTTE

Todd RICHES

Kristoffer HICKSON Craig SIMMONS Jamie MCKEOWN Neil CHEGWIDDEN

10/10

10/10

10/10 10/10 8/10

10/10

10/10 10/10 10/10 8/10

8.23

6.18

5.94 5.86 5.72

5.69

5.64 5.02 4.94 4.85

$3300 + Duffrods Big Bag (4.56kg) $1800 + 1st Mercury Bonus ($250) $1,300 $1,100 $850 + 2nd Mercury Bonus ($150) $850+ 3rd Mercury Bonus ($100) $650 $650 $500 $500

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

Babekuhl back in the racks Taree local and pre-tournament favourite Russell Babekuhl again proved why he’s one of the best at structure fishing as he rode an oyster rack pattern to runner-up position with a 10/10 tournament limit weighing 6.18kg.

For Babekuhl, it all revolved around one set of floating oyster leases he found on Thursday night on a late night Google Earth reconnaissance. “I found one set of floaters that I thought may get overlooked in such a big field of 51 boats. They’re tucked away in a little backwater that is 4 knots to get into and I thought not many would put the effort into actually going back there to check it

out,” said Babekuhl.

It was the right call, with the Taree breamer catching two solid fish along with three upgrades late in Saturday’s first session when he finally entered the area.

“Sunday I went straight back in and caught fish almost at will as the tide drained out of the leases. I would target the individual poles of each lease and try to get my lure tight to the structure on the down current side of the pole where the fish would be sitting in the eddy.”

Babekuhl employed his tried and trusted structure fishing bait to tempt the bream. His go-to bait was the Berkley Gulp Crabby, in camo colour. “I worked out quite quickly these fish

were pretty leader shy. The water was clear and we had fairly calm conditions at times, so I dropped back to 4lb Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon leader and that definitely made a difference to the bites I was getting.”

As any remnants of Saturday’s blustery conditions vanished halfway through Sunday’s session, Babekuhl swallowed his pride and went down the front of the system, to target fish in the deeper water around the mouth of the river.

Changing to a Berkley Gulp 3” Nemesis soft plastic, Babekuhl targeted the fish on the deeper rock walls and managed a few critical upgrades to end his tournament and complete a

climb up the leader board to the runner-up position.

Like tournament champion Cannizzaro, Babekuhl relied on the new Abu Garcia REVO ALX spinning reel on a number of different matching Abu Garcia Salty Stage light rods. Like Cannizzaro, these were also spooled with Berkley Exceed Braid and matching Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon Leader. As always, Babekuhl rigged his plastics with the latest and greatest jigheads from Nitro.

For his efforts, Babekuhl walked away with the $1800 runner-up cheque and an automatic qualification into this year’s Costa BREAM Grand Final on Lake Macquarie in December.

Russell Babekuhl claimed a podium finish taking out second place.

DUFFRODS BIG BAG Event winner Ross Cannizzaro added value to his event winnings by claiming the Duffrods Big Bag for the tournament. Ross took the prize for the heaviest limit for the event with his 4.56kg limit caught on day one.

Current

3lb Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub camo, rigged on 1/8oz Berkley Dam Deep jighead

Berkley 3B Fat Dog Deep red eye express

Wilson comeback one of the best!

After weighing only one fish on Saturday’s first session, Simon Wilson conjured a comeback of epic proportions after bringing a 5/5, 3.2kg bag to Sunday’s final weigh-in to be crowned champion by almost a kilo to cap off one of the most comprehensive comebacks in ABT non-boater history.

Sunday’s stars aligned

for Wilson, starting his session towards the mouth of the river fishing heavy Cranka Crabs on the deeper rock walls and submerged reefs that scatter the system. After catching three solid fish for the morning. Wilson and his boating partner moved up slightly. While his boating partner was re-rigging some rods, Wilson took full

advantage and filled his bag with two quick fish to have him happily on a 5/5 limit on day two.

“After I got five I felt a lot better, but I knew I had one fish in the bag that was just barely big enough and I really wanted to upgrade it.

Late in the session I hooked a fish and actually thought it was a mulloway, but as it came up it was the right

RESULTS – NON-BOATERS Place

Angler

TF

TW (kg)

Payout

1

2

3

4 5

6 7 8 9 10

Simon WILSON

Glen STURROCK

Michael THOMPSON

Jeff BRUNSDON Jonathan THOMPSON

Jason MARTIN Mark KING James HICKSON Stuart WALKER Tanya KONSUL

6/10

5/10

5/10

5/10 4/10

3/10 4/10 4/10 4/10 4/10

3.7

2.73

2.55

2.49 2.46

2.39 2.37 2.3 2.19 2.18

Costa Sunglasses & Prize Pack, 1st Hobie Bonus ($100) Costa Sunglasses & Prize Pack, 1st Pro ($400) JML Alliance Rod & Prize Pack, 2nd Hobie Bonus ($50) Prize Pack Prize Pack, 3rd Hobie Bonus ($35) Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

shape and turned out to be my kicker fish, a 34cm fork bream that really gave me the leg up in what was a brutally tough weekend of tournament fishing for most of the non-boaters.”

Wilson relied on one of the new JML Perfection Series of high-performance graphite rods and couldn’t sing anymore praise for his new favourite rods. “I’m just in love with these rods, the model I used mainly was the cranking and twitching model. I like the softer action for the treble hooks of the Cranka Crabs; it helps to avoid pulling hooks and the sensitivity is fantastic.”

Wilson secured his place in the Costa BREAM Grand Final on Lake Macquarie later in the year along with a host of prizes from ABT’s amazing list of premier sponsors.

Now all attention turns to Ballina and the Richmond River for the next round of the Costa BREAM Series in mid July.

For more information on the series, head to www. abt.org.au.

Grafton breamer Simon Wilson secured the nonboater title in the Mercury sponsored event.

Ross was a happy man with his Manning River win.

JULY 2017

81

Hickson hammers Cania bass THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

STORM

R

Kris Hickson has done it again! The man can do no wrong it seems as he convincingly slammed home the victory by almost 2kg from his nearest competitor. The Lews Reels presented round of the BassCat BASS Pro Series returned to Cania Dam near Monto in Queensland for the first time since the 2012 BASS Pro Grand Final.

With the dam at full capacity and the bass biting, almost fifty of the country’s keenest bass anglers descended on the picturesque lake to try and hoist the trophy.

In the end, it was Hickson who undoubtedly showed his class as one of the most adaptable and diverse anglers we’ve ever seen on the ABT circuit. Currently ranked number one in both the BREAM and BASS rankings, we see no sign of anyone catching the Tareebased angler anytime soon.

For Hickson, the triumph on Sunday afternoon didn’t come easily. His trip was hampered by more than one hiccup on the long drive from Taree to Cania. “All sorts of things went wrong on this trip, but in the end the fishing made it more than worthwhile and I’m thrilled to get another win under the belt,” said Hickson after Sunday’s final weigh-in.

To catch his betterthan-a-kilo average 12/12 bag for 12.52kg, Hickson relied on a tried and true QLD bass fishing staple – a metal vibration blade.

This particular model was a Yamba Prawn Blade in a golden olive colour, which he fished tight to the bottom in 6-10ft of water to draw bites of schooling fish.

“I found a spot in pre-fish about 3km up into the timbered section of the lake. It was a hump out away from the main cluster of trees in 6-10ft of water and the bass were schooling pretty thick on the spot. I wasn’t sure if they were going to last the three sessions, but as it turned out we had our four fish on Sunday morning within thirty minutes, before the bite started slowing down and the day got very tough after that.”

Cania champion boater Kris Hickson with one of his standout fish from the Lews sponsored event.

BIG BASS Jonathon Bale claimed the Big Bass Prize at the Cania event with the Queensland BASSer securing the $500 cash prize for his 1.82kg kicker fish caught on day two.

Preferring to fish away from the majority of the field, Hickson’s plan worked out perfectly.

“I didn’t think that main school of fish that most of the field were working on would last and as it turned

out the guys found it pretty tough on Sunday. I think the key to my consistency was finding something a little further away from everyone else.

Steve Kanowski was my nearest competitor both on the

Jonno Bale claimed the Big Bass Prize for his 1.82kg fish caught in the final session.

TOP 10 BOATERS Place Angler

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

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fish

Kristoffer Hickson 12/12 Stephen Kanowski 10/12 Terry Allwood 12/12 Graham Ford 12/12 David Hedges 9/12 Luke Draper 10/12 Mark Lennox 9/12 Jonathan Bale 9/12 Matt Johnson 8/12 Peter Jenkins 9/12

Weight (kg)

Payout

12.52 10.75 10.73 10.15 9.69 9.13 9.04 8.62 8.61 8.4

$2,100 $1300 + Duffrods Big Bag $900 $550

$500 Big Bass (1.82kg)

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

scoreboard and on the lake, so clearly the move away from the bigger schools was important to finding those consistent bites.”

The key ingredient in the victorious pattern was using a blade much heavier than you’d typically use in such shallow water. “It was key to puff up the silt on the bottom when your lure touched down. I think that’s what was triggering the fish to bite and the blade touching down then vibrating out of a cloud of silt was just the surprise to get the bass to commit.”

As always, Hickson relied on quality Daiwa equipment to get the job done with his long time sponsor delivering the goods in the form of a Black Label V2 spinning rod and Luvias 2004 spinning reel. His line of choice was Daiwa’s Evo 8 braided line, which he topped with a rod-length of fluorocarbon leader. A key aspect of his winning bait was the use of freeswinging stinger hooks, which can be found on many blades from various manufacturers, or bought separately to retrofit onto standard lures.

“The assist hooks seem to hook up much better and more securely. Because they’re attached by cord, there is no leverage for the fish to work against like there is with trebles, so you very rarely drop a fish after hooking up initially.”

Hickson took home $2100 in prize money and extends his lead as the number one ranked BASS angler and also takes the lead in the Costa BASS Angler of the Year race after a successful start to the year at the Hawkesbury River event in April.

Kanowski can’t erase bass demons!

Steve ‘Killer’ Kanowski finished second last time the ABT BASS Pro Series hit the waters of Cania Dam and unfortunately for him, the feat was to be repeated as Kris Hickson bumped him to second with the last bag to hit the scales on Sunday.

Like Hickson, Kanowski travelled up into the timbered sections of Cania Dam to catch his 10.75kg 10/12 bag fishing a similar presentation to capture most of his bass over the weekend.

“We knew the morning bite up in the timber was

going to be the time to get them. They seemed to shut down once the sun got high in the shallower water we were fishing. I think my first six casts had five fish on Saturday morning and we upgraded a few times to get to the tournament big bag of 5.15kg in the first session.”

After Saturday’s perfect start, Kanowski was begging for a few more spots to search for a full limit. “It was a tournament of what could have been for me. The average fish up here is a good size and had I caught

WINNING TACKLE Rod: Daiwa Black Label V2 Reel: Daiwa Luvias 2004 Line: Daiwa Evo 8 PE Leader: Fluorocarbon Lure: Yamba Prawn Blade in a golden olive colour

a full limit I would have been right there with Kris at the end. As it was, I just didn’t have enough spots to catch fish and I wore out the one spot I had for all it was worth.”

Normally a man to stick with one lure or technique, Kanowski was uncharacteristically swapping and changing lures throughout every session. He alternated between a white coloured Smak lures Smako, a Smak Spoon, a Jackall Mask Vib and a Next Gen Blade, which put most of the fish into the boat over the weekend.

Kanowski is pro staff for event sponsor Lews and applauded their equipment on the stage. “I’ve been fishing for a very long time and I’ve been fortunate to try a lot of different outfits over the years. I’m in love with my Lews outfits and couldn’t recommend their products any higher!”

BASSCA BASS PR T PRESEN O TED BY

Steve Kanowski (right) finished second at Cania, a podium finish that was anchored by his Duffrods Big Bag from session one.

Warren wails for bass win

Warren Howe, a long time ABT non-boater, has notched his first victory at the Lews Cania Dam BASS Pro, winning convincingly with almost 1.5kg more than his nearest rival Peter Morgan.

Fishing with local angler Jordan Stoddart in session one, Howe and Stoddart began their morning on the popular ‘cattleyard’ flats and quickly put a fish in the livewell using an ice jig. From there, the pair switched paces to metal vibration blades in the form of Ecogear ZXs which they fished with small hops and slow rolling close to the bottom.

After returning to weigh in their first limit, the pair returned to attempt to fill another limit. This time, it was the reverse. With one fish falling to a blade for the middle part of the day, it wasn’t until the final hour when the pair sat above a school of fish and began to use ice jigs to fill their limit, upgrading numerous times.

Sunday’s session saw Howe paired with event champion Kris Hickson. They both sat in second position

Above: Kris Hickson and the rewards of his BASS Pro win at Cania.

Below: A Yamba Prawn Blade was Hickson’s money bait at Cania.

overnight, then thanks to a brilliant morning bite fishing blades up in the timbered section of Cania, both finished the event well in front of their nearest rival.

Howe now qualifies for the BassCat BASS Pro

Grand Final, which will be contested in a river for the first time since the tour’s inception in 1999. The Richmond River will host the country’s best bass anglers and upon completion will crown a champion who will

walk away with a BassCat boat/motor/trailer package worth more than $55,000.

For more information on the BassCat BASS Pro Series or any other of ABT’s tournament series, head to www.abt.org.au.

Warren Howe secured the non-boater title at Cania on the back of two solid days on the water.

Yamba Prawn Blade

TOP 10 NON BOATERS Place Angler

Fish

Weight (kg)

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12/12 12/12 12/12 9/12 9/12 11/12 10/12 9/12 10/12 9/12

11.96 10.5 10.38 10.16 9.75 9.72 9.43 8.8 8.58 8.36

Westin Rod and Prize Pack Bassman Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack Prize Pack

Warren Howe Peter Morgan James Hickson Paul Aldous Jason Martin Dylan Byron Leone Walker Don Johnston Simon Johnson Tom Deer

6–10 feet

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au JULY 2017

83

Get ready for the annual Grabine Classic The 17th annual Grabine Classic will be held at the beautiful Grabine

Lakeside State Park on 25-27 August this year.

Registrations will be at

Prizes will be given out for the longest Murray cod, golden perch, silver perch, catfish, carp and biggest bag of carp caught over the weekend.

the park from 8am Friday 25 August.

There is over $20,000 in prizes to be won, including an unbelievable Brooker/ Mercury boat, motor and trailer package from our friends at H2O Marine, which will be custom wrapped by another sponsor – Studio 4 Signs & Designs.

The major prize will be drawn as a raffle on Sunday 27 August from all the entry forms. All you have to do to win is enter and be there for the draw! Prizes will be given out for the longest

17 T

Murray cod, Golden perch, silver perch, catfish, carp and biggest bag of carp caught over the weekend with both junior and senior divisions for all fish.

This tournament is a 100% catch and release tournament with photographic entries, so make sure you (or someone you’re fishing with) bring a digital camera or a phone that can take a nice, clear photo of your fish. All rules for how to enter fish will be explained upon registration.

The cost is $25 per person with $5 from each entry donated to the Crookwell Community Trust, which is a charity that provides immediate financial assistance to people of the Upper Lachlan Shire who are struck

by tragedy and financial crisis.

Bring your family or some mates and have a great weekend at the 17th Annual Grabine Classic! For more information, head to www. grabinefishing.com.au. – Grabine Classic

H A NN UA L

g u u st A h t 7 PRIZES

2 0 IN 0 0 2 5 t h R $20,

There are junior and senior divisions for all the fish, so the little anglers in the family can go home with a trophy and a smile too.

OVE

There are tonnes of prizes to be won, including a boat/trailer package.

Registration from Friday 25th August, 8am at the Park For further information contact Grabine Lakeside State Park The Grabine Classic is proudly supported by:

(02) 4835 2345

grabinefishing@gmail.com find us on facebook/ Grabine Freshwater Fishing Tournament The Grabine Classic is a fishing event for the whole family.

84

JULY 2017

Somerton scores big at St Georges Basin A St Georges Basin round record of 64 anglers competed in the Pro Lure Round 7 of the Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 over the May 20-21 weekend.

Anglers travelled from all over Australia to the Shoalhaven region of the NSW South Coast, despite predictions of horrendous weather over the weekend.

While the pre-fish was thwarted by inclement weather conditions, there was a dramatic improvement from the moment anglers left the Power-Pole Starting Line on day one with the clearing skies developing into a perfect weekend, with an excellent bite to match.

Somerton from Mount Martha in Victoria continued his stellar form and took out the tournament with a convincing win, 1.26kg ahead of his nearest rival. Somerton bagged four fish for 3.21kg on day one and another four for 3.39kg on the final day of competition, with a total two day accumulated eight fish bag of 6.6kg. His victory won him a hefty sponsor prize pack and $1750 for his effort, and rocketed him to an almost certain place on the team for the next Hobie Fishing World Championship.

Somerton gave a brief rundown of his weekend.

“After pre-fish I found a couple of banks that had

Somerton honed in on the trees that had a lot of shags in them. This seemed to be the key technique for weekend.

It was a fantastic weekend of camaraderie and just plain fun, being out in a magnificent environment doing what anglers love to do most – fishing! Competitors were chasing Angler of the Year Points (AOY), excellent cash payouts, superb sponsor prize packs and looking to build up points to qualify to represent Australia at Hobie Fishing Worlds 7.

At registration on day one all anglers were hugely impressed to receive an unexpected gift from Pro Lure, an S36 Pro Lure Crank in matt black. In the end, for one angler, it turned out to be the lure that caught the largest fish of the tournament.

Three teams were competing in Hobie Pro Angler 17Ts, which made their first appearance in a Hobie Kayak Bream Series event. Three first timers joined the ranks of the seasoned competitors and the Women’s, Youth and Masters Divisions were once again extremely competitive.

Congratulations to all competitors on a superb tournament and to those who topped their divisions, but the major accolades go to the top three in the Open Division: Richard Somerton in first place, Byron Hill second and Scott Marcinkowski in third place.

SOMERTON REIGNS SUPREME After holding the lead at the close of day one, Richard

fish on them, so on day one I headed up to Kangaroo Point and fished some structure all along there. I was honing in on the trees that had a lot of shags in them, which seemed to be a bit of a key this weekend.

“I also found fish in general structure as well throwing a Cranka Crab, first in cockle and then I changed to an olive that I customised with a black marker pen and that seemed to be a bit better this weekend. From there I moved around to a couple of other banks throughout the day, just rotating between them. I came in early on the day because I had a pretty good bag, but I went back out just for a bit of a look around for day two.”

“On the second day of the event I headed straight back to ‘Kangaroo’, I stopped briefly on a bit of a hummock, then I left Jack Gammie there and headed back inshore. I had my bag by about 8am

and my first upgrade came about 10-15 minutes later.

Once I finished there I started to roam around picking up a few legals here and there.”

“Then late in the day, just around from One Tree, I got a nice kilo upgrade and that really pulled my bag along. That was my day in a nutshell. I was using the same techniques as day one, although I did throw a Gulp Shrimp which got me that 1kg fish late this afternoon.”

Somerton’s winning tackle was a 7ft 1-4kg Duffrods Hystix matched with a Daiwa Freams 2000 reel, Daiwa TD Sensor 8lb line and FC Rock 8lb leader. His go-to lures was a Cranka Crab in olive with a customised black touch up.

HILL ONE SHORT OF THE SUMMIT The second placed finisher was Byron Hill, from Newcastle in New South Wales. After a solid day one sitting in 14th position, the RAAF pilot jumped 12 places to make it onto the podium and his best-ever tournament result. Hill bagged a day one total of four fish for 2.4kg and followed it up with four for 2.94kg on day two. His eight fish came in at 5.34kg and won him a prize purse of $910 and an excellent sponsor prize pack and substantial AOY points.

Hill had the following to say about his tournament.

“I had no prior benefit from the pre-fish, so I spent the first part of the morning observing a number of other anglers hitting a shallow bank.

I then hit it myself, but there weren’t any fish there and I decided it wasn’t going to work for me on the weekend, so I made the decision quite quickly to move into the deep. I went there and I had my bag by 8am, just vibing somewhere between 4-6m.

“I upgraded the bag a couple of times getting up to the 2.40kg that I ended up weighing in. I wanted to save the spot I had been working for day two, so I ventured out and started working other places looking for fish. I didn’t really find many other spots – maybe another two that ended up not producing anything for me on day two.

But to be quite honest, day

The winners of the tournament lined up and looking proud.

one was really fun for me with back to basics fishing.

“On day two I went to the spot that produced the fish for me the day before. It’s on the western side of those two islands in St Georges Basin.

Again, it was the same depth of water, I was vibing again and that produced 12 or so odd fish that ended up giving me a 2.5kg bag. I really had to push hard for those extra few hundred grams. After 11 o’clock I didn’t really get much. I started to move around and the spot I had been working had become quite busy, so I had to leave it to relieve some pressure and I did so a few times during the day.

“Finally, I really couldn’t do any of this without the endless support of my beautiful wife Maddie.”

Hill used a Daiwa TD Commander 1-3kg rod paired with a Daiwa Silver Wolf 2506 reel, Daiwa TD Sensor 4lb line and FC Rock 4lb leader. His lure of choice was the Samaki Vibelicious in chartreuse pink head.

In third place, Scott Marcinkowski from Cordeaux Heights in NSW bagged out on day one with 2.23kg. On day two he had a 2.98kg bag giving him a total of eight bream weighing in at 5.21kg. Scott picked up a major sponsor prize pack, a $590 cash payout and 98 AOY points.

ATOMIC BIG BREAM The Atomic Big Bream was won by the 8th placegetter in the Open Division, Tony Pettie from Traralgon in Victoria. Pettie landed a massive 1.41kg bream aboard his Hobie kayak.

The impressive fish was the largest caught in a tournament with plenty of bream caught over 1kg. Pettie caught the monster on the Pro Lure S36 Crank in matt black that he received at registration.

Pettie used a Hurricane 69R Light Series rod, a Daiwa Freams 2500 reel, Sunline 8lb line and FC Rock 5lb leader. His lure of choice was the Pro Lure S36 Crank in Matt Black.

DIVISION WINNERS For the Youth Division, Steven Pryke from Lakes Entrance in Victoria had a day one bag of four for 2.64kg and on day two he brought back four fish for 2.21kg, totalling 4.85kg over the two days. Steven finished in 6th place in the Open Division.

The winner of the Women’s Division was Tameika Purnell from Sanctuary Point in New South Wales, with a day one bag of four fish for 2.46kg and day two bag of four for 2.15kg, totalling 4.61kg. Tameika had her best tournament performance finishing in 12th position overall.

In the Masters Division, Lex Court from Davistown,

TOURNAMENT STATS Day one fish caught.......................................... 177 Day one anglers with fish..............................59/64 Day two fish caught ......................................... 195 Day two anglers with fish..............................57/64 Total fish caught................................................ 372 Total weight................................................ 197.44kg Total cash payout.......................................... $4640 New South Wales, was the best performing Master with a day one bag of four for 2.24kg and a day two bag of four for 1.75kg, totalling 4.85kg.

Darryl Head and Kobin Rasker from Basin View, New South Wales, took out the Pro Angler 17T Division.

They had eight fish over the weekend for 4.33kg to bring back to the weigh-in the largest team bag for the 17T tandem kayaks.

Connor Barratt from New South Wales took out the First Timers Division on the weekend with three bream for 1.68kg. The First Timers Division is an initiative by Hobie where by an angler can attend and fish in a Hobie Kayak Bream Series tournament for free to get a feel for the tournament scene without the pressure of fullblown competition.

MORTGAGE CORP MONSTER MOVER Warren Forbes from NSW took home the Mortgage Corp power pack, jumping up from no fish on day one to pick up four fish for 2.09kg on the second day of the tournament.

SPECIAL THANKS Well done to the team from Totally Immersed Watersports in South Nowra for their dealer support and for the delicious curry and rice on Saturday and the exceptional burgers on Sunday.

Thank you to our sponsors Daiwa, Berkley, Atomic, Lowrance, RhinoRack, Strike Pro, TT Lures, Pro Lure, JML Anglers Alliance, Mortgage Corp, Power-Pole and Hobie Polarized for their endless support. – Hobie Cat

www.fishin.com.au ONLINE TOURNAMENT TACKLE STORE

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85

Urquhart heads east for victory

THE FUTURE IS HERE Self-contained Electric Outboards

STORM

Joseph Urquhart has taken the victory at the third round of the 2017 ePropulsion BASS Electric series at Hinze Dam with 2/2 fish for 2.18kg with Bass Electric regular Christian Manolea hot on his heels in second place with 2/2, 2kg limit.

With a large field assembled for the tournament, Urquhart opted to take the long drive up the Eastern Arm in search of less pressured fish with his focus on the bigger bass holding in the shallow banks near the water pumping tower.

“With most anglers heading towards the main basin, I took the risk,” explained Urquhart. With a 45 minute drive ahead of him, Urquhart knew his decision was going to be bust or boom.

Once in location Urquhart started targeting these shallow fish with a Valley Hill Ja-Do LV150.

Urquhart would make short casts to the edge before starting a high tempo rolling retrieve back to the boat.

“I wouldn’t have said I was burning the lure back to the boat. I would have called it a fast roll; the idea was to keep the lure in the

top 2ft of the water column and the bass would see the lure passing overhead,” said Urquhart. For this to work Urquhart used a Daiwa Commander Wildcat rod matched with a Daiwa Zillion HLC reel spooled with 10lb Sea Bass braid and 10lb Toray Upgrade leader.

With two quality fish in his livewell early, Urquhart decided to switch up lures opting for Geecrack Orenta 50 rigged on a beetle spin.

He would again cast tight to cover before imparting an up tempo roll back to the boat. With the lighter lure Urquhart used a Valley Hill Blackscale 6’2 light spin rod matched with a Daiwa Gen Black 2000 reel spooled with 10lb Toray Seabass and 8lb Toray Upgrade leader. “I found that the better quality fish were holding on the edge leading to the point and not the point itself,” said Urquhart.

With the victory under his belt Urquhart was quick to thank his support team, “It is always great to come away with a win, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my family and the team at Dogtooth Distribution that supplied

R

THE F Self-co U ntaineTURE IS H d Elec tric OuERE tboard s

BASS EL ECTR SERIES IC

Joey Urquhart with his brace of Hinze winning bass. me with all the products I used today.”

MANOLEA MANOEUVRES INTO SECOND PLACE Another strong show on the ABT BASS Electric tour came from Christian Manolea. On a day with lots of small fish he was the only other angler to reach the 2kg mark with his tournament limit. Like most of the field, Manolea started his tournament targeting schooled fish in the main basin.

“I was getting numbers of small fish out of the schools, but I just could not get any keepers in the boat,” said Manolea.

With the bigger fish not showing up, Manolea knew he needed to make a move in search of better fish. Having confidence that the fish wouldn’t be too far away, he moved to target fish holding on the points leading into the main basin. Manoela would position his boat in 30ft of water and cast up into the shallows and then allow his 53mm Impact Tackle Bladez in brown dog colour to work down the drop-off.

For this work Manolea used a Megabass Destroyer

X7 rod matched with a Daiwa Steez reel spooled with a 10lb Sunline Castaway and 10lb Rockfish leader. “I knew the better fish would still be in the area. Once I moved they started to show up in quick succession. I caught all my good fish in a half an hour period,” explained Manolea.

WEST BAGS ANOTHER BIG BASS Charles West has had another standout tournament taking his second big bass in as many tournaments with a 1.86kg Hinze Dam monster and in the process took 4th place. West’s fish came off the edge near the old quarry.

“It was the first cast of the day. I cast my GeeCrack Daisy Spin (003 colour) tight to the edge and started to slow roll the lure off the edge,” said West.

To land this fish West used a 13 Fishing Fate Chrome ML rod matched with a Daiwa Steez 2508 reel spooled with 12lb Sunline Castaway and 12lb Gamma FC. For all the details on the next event or another event near you, head to www.abt. org.au. – ABT

Christian Manolea finished second at a tough Hinze Dam event.

RESULTS

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

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JULY 2017

Place Angler

Bag

Total Weight (kg)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2/2 2/2 2/2 1/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2 2/2

2.13 2.00 1.92 1.86 1.82 1.74 1.69 1.61 1.55 1.53

Joe Urquhart Christian Manolea Shaun Falkenhagen Charles West Scott Bryant Darren Little Graham Dodds Mark Palazzi Trent Blake Adrian Wilson

Charles West claimed the Big Bass Prize with his 1.86kg fish.

Crompton crushes it at the Clyde River Round Anglers from Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT headed to Batemans Bay and the Clyde River system on the South Coast of NSW to compete in the JML Anglers Alliance Round 6 of the Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 – a one-day event on April 30.

The pre-fish day saw anglers hit the water in search of a plan for Sunday’s competition. Many anglers were reporting good-size bream in good numbers, even though conditions were testing at times.

Anglers were chasing a bag limit of four bream with a minimum length of 26cm to the tip. A quarter of the field returned to the scales with full bags and 32 of the 40 anglers returned fish to the weigh-master. In total, 81 bream were caught during the one-day session weighing a total of just over 41kg.

It was Mark Crompton from NSW who took the day with four bream for 2.49kg.

He picked up a $590 cheque and a sponsor prize pack.

Crompton was followed by

less, I found fish and started putting together a game plan for Sunday.

“Right off the start I headed for the bridge pylons which were less than 100m from the start line. I took off slow to see what everyone was doing and most of the anglers passed them by. I threw some Cranka Crabs at the pylons and managed to get my bag before the tide started to turn. Crabs are a perfect bait for that system as they’re the staple diet for probably 90% of the fish there.

The winners of the JML Anglers Alliance Round 6 of the Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9. where everybody else isn’t fishing.”

ANDREW DEATH TAKES SECOND “I have fished the river system a few times and I really like what the Clyde system has on offer.

However, the system was fishing tough and I only had one bream – 26.5cm to the tip – by 12pm. As the tide pushed in with water over the racks, I managed get my bag of four bream by 1pm then I picked up a couple of upgrades by 1:30

before heading back.”

Death used an Edge rod matched with a Daiwa Luvias reel, Gosen 14lb casting line and a Gladiator Bingo lure.

ATOMIC BIG BREAM Paul Davidson from Bairnsdale, Victoria, took out the Atomic Big Bream $100 cash prize. It was his first time using a Cranka Crab.

MORTGAGE CORP MONSTER MOVER Andrew Maloney from the ACT picked up the

Mortgage Corp Monster Mover Prize and took home a Mortgage Corp battery pack for his efforts.

SPECIAL THANKS JML Anglers Alliance Round 6 of Hobie Kayak Bream Series 9 could not have gone ahead without our generous sponsors, Daiwa Australia, Berkley, Atomic, Lowrance, Rhino-Rack, Strike Pro, TT Lures, JML Anglers Alliance, PowerPole, Mortgage Corp, Pro Lure, Hobie Polarized and ABT. – Hobie Cat

The conditions were testing at times, but 32 of the 40 anglers returned fish to the weigh-master.

The Power Pole start was held just to the east of the Batemans Bay Bridge in idyllic conditions with a slight run-out tide. The wind forecast was spot on with a light westerly before the light northeast sea breeze filled in just after midday. Anglers enjoyed the incoming tide which assisted in getting to the back of the waterway before the outgoing tide later in the day helped with the trip back for weigh-in. For autumn fishing, you could not have had a better day!

Andrew Death (NSW) with four bream for 2.45kg and Richard Somerton (VIC) with four for 2.42kg.

CROMPTON FIRST SEASON WIN Mark Crompton took out his first tournament win in the Hobie Kayak Series for 2017 after a less than ideal start to the weekend. He pulled together a plan that would see him to victory.

“The pre-fish day on Saturday was so-so after leaving some essential gear at home – namely the seat for the kayak! Never the

“The rest of the day, I fished the oyster racks as well as a few deep holes that have hard rocky bottom. I didn’t have a big bag, but I felt I could at least finish in the top 10.”

Crompton used a Zentetsu Silver Wolf rod, Daiwa Freams Z 2500 reel, Daiwa Tournament EVO 8 6lb braid and Cranka Crabs in brown and olive.

He fished out of a 2017 Hobie Pro Anger 12 in camo colour.

“I just followed my golden rule: fish

It was an early morning start for the 40 anglers participating in the one-day event.

Anglers were chasing a bag limit of four bream with a minimum length of 26cm to the tip.

For autumn fishing, you could not have had a better day!

JULY 2017

87

WHAT’S NEW BOATING WHITE LIFE CELL

1

BLADE MASTER PFD

4

The Life Cell is designed to reduce the amount of lives lost at sea by keeping all safety equipment in one place when abandonment is the only option.

Now available in white, Life Cell is made from closed cell PU foam and constructed from UV-resistant, flame-retardant polyethylene (PE), and is supplied with a PE mount bracket. The Life Cell is designed to automatically float from the bracket in the event of being submerged.

Unlike grab bags, Life Cells float, acting as a secure hand hold to keep all crew together.

They also act as stable platforms to assist in the deployment of flares and other safety equipment.

The EPIRB is mounted externally on the side of the Life Cell, and the internal compartment will fit all mandatory safety equipment (not included). There are three models: the Trailer Boat (assists 2-4 people), the Yachtsman (4 people) and the Crewman (8 people).

Price: SRP $365-$646 www.lifecellmarine.com.au

Blade Master PFDs are designed for canoeing, kayaking and watersports activities where manoeuvrability and comfort are essential, and the women’s range has now been expanded to include a hi-vis fuchsia version.

These PFDs feature fully-adjustable side closure and adjustable padded webbing shoulder straps, plus retro tape for safety.

Features include two front pockets (one mesh, the other zippered nylon), both with pocket inserts; two ‘D’ ring attachments; and back hydro pack pocket. Blade Masters are constructed from layered foam, providing flexibility and body comfort. The compact design provides excellent freedom of arm and shoulder movement when seated, and they are approved to AS4758-50.

Available sizes are women’s 8-16. To view the full Blade Master range, which covers men’s and children’s sizes, visit the BLA website.

Price: SRP $95.30 www.bla.com.au

CASHBACK FOR HDS GEN3

AFFORDABLE FUSION 5 EL SPEAKERS

2

Lowrance has announced a cashback promotion across its HDS Gen 3 range of multi-function displays, with $100, $150 and $200 cashbacks on offer for 7”, 9” and 12” displays respectively. The offer is available for HDS Gen3 units purchased from 1 May to 7 August, and can be redeemed at www.lowrance.com.

HDS Gen3 combines a fast processor with enhanced built in fishfinder and chartplotter technologies. Superior target separation is achieved through CHIRP, StructureScan HD and StructureScan 3D sonar imaging.

A multi-touch display and full keypad operation offers fingertip access to all features, with easy to learn, icon-driven commands. The user-friendly features extend to scrolling menus, cursor assist, snap-to setting markers and preview panes with quick touch side bars, with operation similar to a smartphone or tablet.

HDS Gen3 displays network together, so multiple units may be employed. The system also offers full boat integration, with electric motor, outboard, and electronics control achievable through one networked HDS Gen3 system. www.lowrance.com/en-au

SIMRAD RS20 VHF RADIO

3

Simrad’s new RS20 VHF radio is Class D DSC Approved and NMEA 2000 compatible. It’s ideal for a wide variety of boats, and is designed to match the low-profile style of modern Simrad Glass Bridge displays and accessories.

The RS20 features a dot white matrix LCD screen with inverted night mode, four backlit mic buttons and an easier frontmount installation with snap-on edge bezels.

A replacement for the RS12 VHF Radio, the RS20 has a new Startup Wizard for easier radio set-up, improved scanning features, a favourites shortcut for customizing your favourite settings and a My Channels list, enabling users to only scan desired channels.

The layout of RS20 controls are designed for left-hand operation, allowing for right-hand control of the helm.

Other features include: intuitive rotary and keypad controls; four-button fist microphone, dedicated channel 16 keys, tri-channel watch function, multiple scan modes, easy bracket or flush-mount installation, IPX7 waterproof, and a 2-year warranty.

Price: SRP $379 www.simrad-yachting.com/en-au/ 88

JULY 2017

PRODUCT GUIDE 1

2

Fusion has expanded its award-winning line of marine audio entertainment systems with the release of the new Fusion EL Series speakers.

Designed to offer quality audio reproduction, combined with the aesthetic functionality of the full spectrum of red, green and blue LED lighting, the EL Series speakers allow boat owners to customise the look and feel of their vessel to fit any boating style. Suitable for both internal and external installations, the new speakers are available in a choice of Classic and Sports grille configurations, with LED lighting available on the Sports grilles. The lighting can be controlled with an RGB controller that is sold separately, for easy adjustment.

Offered in 150W 6” or 180W 6.5” sized speakers, the powerful EL Series houses a polypropylene cone and PEI flush-profile tweeter in a water-resistant chassis for maximum performance and durability. With a compact basket assembly, these speakers have a mounting depth of only 41mm for simple and versatile installation. www.fusionentertainment.com

GARMIN QUATIX 5

3 4

6

Paired with onboard Garmin marine electronics, the rugged Garmin quatix 5 can stream NMEA 2000 data such as speed, depth, temperature, wind information and more. Further, when paired with a GHC 20 autopilot control unit, it can be used to control the autopilot to change heading, engage heading hold, steer to an active GPS route and initiate patterns.

The quatix 5 also makes it easier than ever to mark and save a waypoint from anywhere on the boat, transmitting it to your chartplotter. You can also use it to control compatible onboard entertainment systems.

The quatix 5 gives boaters up-to-date tide data downloaded through a smartphone, and provides access to that data for seven days.

It also has an anchor alarm and an anchoring calculator. For tournament fishing, there’s a competition timer and fish catch log.

Other features include: sunlight-readable colour display with LED backlight; water resistant to 100m; and directional stainless steel EXO antenna and high-sensitivity GPS with GLONASS support.

Price: SRP $799-$949 www.garmin.com/en-AU

5

6

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

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Find the Logo and page number, fill in the entry form and go in the draw to win!

The first 40 correct entries drawn at the end of the month will win a PACKET OF PREMIUM VMC HOOKS. All entries will go into the major prize draw (NOVEMBER 30, 2017). *Prize may vary month to month depending on availability

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Trades, Services, Charter Discover the land of many waters on the unspoilt South Coast of NSW

HOLIDAY RENTAL MACLEAY VALLEY COAST

CRESCENT HEAD HOLIDAY RENTALS

CHARTER BOATS CLARENCE COAST Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters, 0428 828 835 Reel Time Fishing Charters Yamba 0428 231 962

Dave Gaden’s Yamba • Deep Sea

For all your accommodation needs, house, units & townhouses for every budget. Contact the friendly team at Crescent Head Real Estate for your free holiday brochure.

REEL TIME FISHING CHARTERS

www.crescentheadholidayrentals.com.au

Email: holiday@crescentheadrealestate.com.au 6 MAIN ST, CRESCENT HEAD NSW 2440

Phone: 02 6566 0500

Crescent Head Holiday Rentals (02) 6566 0500 Macleay Valley Coastal Holiday Parks 1300 262 782 Hat Head Holiday Park (02) 6567 7501 Horse Shoe Bay Holiday Park (02) 6566 6370 Stuarts Point Holiday Park (02) 6563 0616 Grassy Head Holiday Park (02) 6569 0742

HUNTER COAST

• 6am to 2pm $150pp • 2 boats – holds up to 18 people • All fishing gear and bait is supplied • No fishing licence req.

• Pickup from Yamba Marina or Iluka ferry wharf

Phone Dave today: www.fishingyamba.com.au 0428 231 962 OPEN 7 DAYS

EASY PARKING

Wangi Point Lakeside Holiday Park (02) 4975 1889 Blacksmiths Holiday Park (02) 4971 2858

CENTRAL COAST Central Coast Holiday Parks 1800 241 342

ILLAWARRA COAST Currarong Beachside Tourist Park 1300 555 515 Sussex Inlet (LJ Hooker) (02) 4441 2135 Riviera Caravan Park, St George’s Basin (02) 4441 2112 Killalea State Park, Shell Cove (02) 4237 8589 Holiday With Us, Sussex Inlet (02) 4441 2135 Surf Beach Holiday Park (02) 4232 1791 Kendalls on the Beach (02) 4232 1790 Werri Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1285 Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park (02) 4234 1340 Kiama Harbour Cabins (02) 4232 2707 Ulladulla Headland Tourist Park 1300 733 021

t

MARINA BOAT & TACKLE, YAMBA MARINA

YAMBA’S LARGEST TACKLE STORE • Chandlery • Boat Sales • Ice & Gas • Bait & Tackle • Trailers Sales & Parts • Charter Bookings Ph: 6646 1994 or 0428 231 962 Email: dave@gaden.com.au Now Agents For Wooli Deep Sea Tours (02) 6649 7100

WOOLI FISHING CHARTERS

Advertise here - $195 + GST for 6 months Email: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au “EREBUS”

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Burrinjuck Waters State Park (02) 6227 8114 Winter Keep (Snowy Mountains) www.winterkeep.com.au Grabine Lakeside State Park (02) 4835 2345 Alpine Tourist Park (02) 6454 2438 www.alpinetouristpark.com.au Lake Glenbawn State Park (02) 6543 7193 Milani Trout Cottages (02) 6775 5735 www.milanitroutcottages.com WOOLI BAIT & TACKLE

Wyangala Waters State Park (02) 6345 0877

• Top Accommodation • Tweed Bait • Ice • Terminal Tackle • Lures & Soft Plastics • Fishing the North Solitary Islands

Chifley Dam Cabins 1800 68 1000 Copeton Waters (02) 6723 6269

FISH TAXIDERMY Fish Taxidermist 0428 544 841

BOAT IMPORTS Import USA Boat 0435 476 177

BOAT HIRE Boab Boat Hire (NSW) 1300 002 6221

CHANDLERY & ACCESSORIES

1/2 day or full day charters. All bait & tackle provided.

We are only a one hour drive north of Coffs Harbour or one hour drive south of Yamba.

Contact Stan or Claire Young

02 6649 7100

43 RIVERSIDE DRIVE, WOOLI

www.woolifishingcharters.com.au fish@woolifishingcharters.com.au

COFFS COAST Coffs Coast Sport Fishing 0434 517 683 Oceanic Sea Urchin II Charters (02) 6566 6623 or 0428 650 321 The Rocks Fishing Charters 0412 074 147

Anchor Right (03) 5968 5014

Trial Bay Fishing Charters, 0427 256 556

Korr Lighting www.korrlighting.com.au

South West Rocks Fishing Adventures 0411 096 717

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.

90

JULY 2017

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory COFFS COAST

MARINE MECHANICS SYDNEY Penrith Marine (02) 4731 6250

www.southwestrocksfishingadventures.com.au

PORT & REEF SFISHING GAME RS

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Moby Marine (02) 9153 6506 or www.mobymarine.com.au Cohoe Marine Products (Sydney) (02) 9519 3575 Blakes Marine (02) 4577 6699

u Mid week packages from $420 p/p* u Weekend packages from $320 p/p*

*Minimum 6 people

On board our fully equiped 38ft Randell TRIFECTA Contact: David Hayman (Stumpee) Mobile: 0411 096 717 info@swrcharters.com.au

MACQUARIE COAST Castaway Estuary Charters 0427 239 650 Ocean Star Fishing Charters 0416 240 877

SYDNEY Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters (02) 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351 Sydney Sportfishing Adventures 0405 196 253 Ocean Hunter Sports Fishing 0414 906 569

ILLAWARRA COAST Sea Lady Charters 0411 024 402 Shell Harbour Fishing Charters 0425 216 370

EDEN COAST Esprit Fishing Charters 0418 634 524

QUEENSLAND MV Capricorn Star 0408 755 201 or www.amytiadventure.com.au Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters Swains & Coral Sea 0427 125 727

FISHING EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME! • Reef, Deep Sea and Sport Fishing • Swains, Samurez, Cap Bunker Group • Dories available • LUXURY 20m Cat. New V8 Scanias. Large comfortable and stable.

• Air conditioned and fast (cruise up to 16 knots) • Professional crew (over 22 years experience) • Cater for groups up to 12 people from 3 to 10 days • BYO or fully licenced bar • Desalinate unit • Trips designed to suit your requirements

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$

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echoMAP CHIRP 75sv SideVüTM ClearVu/SideVu GPS Map Combo Double Wire Stainless 25mm Rail Mount Rod Holder OR 2 FOR $35

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Gunwale Mounted Storage Bin with Integrated Cutting Board

$

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CANBERRA/ACT Phone: 0427 125 727 I Fax: (07) 4972 1759 michael@mikat.com.au

www.mikat.com.au FISHING GUIDES ILLAWARRA COAST Bay & Basin Sportsfishing 0413 610 832

EDEN COAST Captain Kev’s Wilderness Fishing Tours (02) 4474 3345 or 0424 625 160

KAYAK DEALERS The Life Aquatic - Mona Vale – (02) 9979 1590 Australian Bass Angler - Penrith – (02) 4721 0455 Hunts Marine - Yallah – (02) 4284 0444 Bunyips Great Outdoors - Lismore – (02) 6622 1137 Maclean Outdoors - MacLean – (02) 6645 1120 Wetspot Watersports -Fyshwick – (02) 6239 1323 Graham Barclay Marine – Forster – (02) 6554 5866 Hunter Water Sports - Belmont – (02) 4947 7899 Totally Immersed Watersports - Nowra (02) 4421 5936 Hunts Marine - Batemans Bay – (02) 4472 2612 Compleat Angler – Merimbula – (02) 6495 3985

H2O Marine (02) 6280 0555 Aussie Boat Sales ACT & NSW 0433 531 226

SIZES 7-12!

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Lightweight Waterproof Deck Boots Non-Marking Soles

$

Tweed Coast Marine (07) 5524 8877 Ballina Marineland (02) 6686 2669

COFFS COAST

29 90

North Coast Boating Centre (02) 6655 7700 Jetty Boating (02) 6651 4002 www.jettyboating.com.au

MACQUARIE COAST Graham Barclay Marine (02) 6554 5866 Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333

MODIFICATIONS & REPAIRS // BOAT & TRAILER Bonanza Trailers 0408 299 129 www.bonanzatrailers.com.au

STORES

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www.bargainboatbits.com.au

Salt Away 1800 091 172 www.salt-away.com.au

SYDNEY The Boat Pimpers (Sydney) (02) 9792 7799

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au JULY 2017

91

Trades, Services, Charter ba Prawn Blade s “Yam BAIT ”& TACKLE

BOATS FOR SALE

CLARENCE

A U S T R A L I A

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Margay 2017

on

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Drop in to see Mick & Kelly

Marina Boat and Tackle (02) 6646 1994 Yamba Bait & Tackle (02) 6646 1514 Wooli Bait & Tackle (02) 6649 7100

4.3M PRIDE Location: QLD

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Compleat Angler Kempsey (02) 6562 5307 Fishing Tackle Australia (02) 6652 4611 Rocks Marine Bait & Tackle South West Rocks (02) 6566 6726

MACQUARIE COAST Ned Kelly Bait n Tackle Port Macquarie (02) 6583 8318 Graham Barclay Marine (02) 6554 5866 Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333

$13,000

HUNTER COAST Port Stephens Tackle World (02) 4984 2144 • • • •

$74,990

19’1” • Single axle Basscat trailer 200 hp Mercury Optimax 24v electric motor (Minn Kota or Motor Guide) 2 x sounders (Humminbird 698cxi HD Si or Lowrance HDS 7 GEN2)

SYDNEY Gabes Boating & Fishing Centre Narellan (02) 4647 8755 Australian Bass Angler www.abafishing.com.au

520 MAKO ESTUARY Location: NSW

FRESHWATER Aberdeen Fishing & Outdoors (02) 6543 7111 Dubbo Marine and Watersports (02) 6882 2853 Loomzys Fish and Fix (Forbes) (02) 6851 1425

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A U S T R A L I A

Phone: 0410 173 060 basscataustralia@gmail.com

$30,000 SKEETER SX180 Location: QLD

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

www.fishin.com.au 0425 230 964 Blue Bottle Fishing 0409 333 380 or www.bluebottlefishing.com Mo Tackle (02) 6652 4611 or www.motackle.com.au Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au Anglers Warehouse www.anglerswarehouse.com.au Jayro Tackle www.jayrotackle.com.au

$32,500 Like us on facebook for automatic updates

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.

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JULY 2017

The Sydney International Boat Show 3 – 7 August 2017

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE – SYDNEY AND COCKLE BAY MARINA, DARLING HARBOUR

Immerse yourself into boating... It’s where the

magic happens

Darling Harbour & International Convention Centre 3 – 7 August 2017

along to celebrate the 50th edition.

along to celebrate the 50th edition.

The show is the best place to see and buy boats and all the gear The show is the best place to see and buy boats and all the gear

Incorporating the Partner in Safety

SydneyBoatShow.com.au

SydneyBoatShow.com.au

Follow us

Follow us

The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

3rd to 7th August, 2017

The 2017 Sydney International Boat Show This year looks to be a momentous year for the Boating Industry Association, with the Sydney International Boat Show celebrating its 50th Anniversary! The yearly event first started in 1968, and is the premier event for the boating industry in Australia.

The BIA is marking this special occasion by returning fully to Darling Harbour in 2017, after moving from its temporary home on

Glebe Island. The Sydney International Boat Show, owned and operated by the BIA, will take place from the 3rd to the 7th August, the perfect time of year for prospective buyers to scout out some selections before heading into the summer season.

Some quality recreational fishing boats from leading Australian and overseas manufacturers will be on display.

Around 60,000 visitors are expected explore the

TICKET PRICING Adult................................................................. $22 Children (6-17)..................................................$13 Children (under 5)...........................................Free Family (2 adults + 3 children)......................... $49 Pensioner.........................................................$16 Senior...............................................................$19 2-Day VIP Guest Pass..................................... $30 ........................................ (Any 2 days of the show) 3-Day VIP Guest Pass..................................... $40 ........................................ (Any 3 days of the show) 5-Day VIP Guest Pass..................................... $59 ........................................................(All show days) 94

JULY 2017

marinas and halls of the boat show in 2017. This is excellent news as the BIA looks to fully establish Darling Harbour once again as the home of the Sydney International Boat Show. This is coinciding with the completion of the new, purpose-built International Conference Centre Sydney facility. The ICC has been completely rebuilt, with three levels, 14m high ceilings and an outside deck. It will have two levels of exhibitions, with all floor space at the exhibition centre dedicated to the show.

One of the biggest features of the new International Conference Centre is the spacious 5,000 square metre outdoor activities deck. This is a unique feature of the boat show, a relaxing atmosphere that captures the Australian vibe. The deck will be home to the Power Boats exhibit, and will show

off some recognisable Australian brands. There will even be three aboveground pools put on the activities deck. They have

been specially installed for people to try out the latest recreational equipment. The pools will also play host to safety demonstrations,

as well as SUP Yoga and bumper boats for the kids running all day.

There will also be a custom marina display in

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

The Sydney International Boat Show 3rd to 7th August, 2017

Cockle Bay, within walking distance from the exhibition centre, that will be home to some of the most prized boats in the industry, including iconic brands like Maritimo, Beneteau and the ever-popular Riveria marina display, which has hosted some great functions in recent years.

The Sydney International Boat Show has grown year on year to become the largest boat

embracing the boating and fishing lifestyle.

For the first time, The Sydney International Boat Show have welcomed the Australia International Diving Expo to be a part of the show. Interest in diving and water sports has grown significantly over the years, and this is a great step to incorporate the public’s interest.

There will be an exhibition area for the Diving

EVENT INFORMATION Dates: ��������� Thursday 3 August to Monday 7 August Show Hours: ������������������������� Halls open 10am-5pm Marina open 10am-7pm Location: ���������� Hall Display at the new ICC Sydney Facility in Darling Harbour Marina Display in Cockle Bay Darling Harbour show in the Southern Hemisphere. The Sydney International Boat Show is the best opportunity for the industry to buy and sell boats, and meet with the public to share knowledge and expertise.

There will also be a full array of leading fishing gear and accessories for a wide range of boating needs and lifestyles, including popular fishing tackle and electronics.

Any outdoor lover will enjoy the festivities, with the boat show displaying products from a diverse selection of water sports, including fishing, sailing, water-skiing, wakeboarding, scuba diving, personal watercraft, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and family cruising.

Incorporating an assorted range of watercraft encourages people to get out on the water and

Expo at the show, where industry experts can reach out to the public to provide information and advice to those interested in the diving world. This is a boon for the Diving Expo, who will have the ability to reach a greater number of established divers, but also those outdoors enthusiasts who are keen to learn more about it.

The Sydney International Boat Show have partnered with Transport for NSW, through the offices of Roads and Maritime Services and the Maritime Management Centre to bring you the Boating Safety Zone.

Information about how to make your boating experiences better will be found at this educational and interactive area.

The boat show has some great guests attending, hosting teaching clinics and giving informative

talks about a wide variety of boating and fishing topics. Tim Simpson, editor of BlueWater Boats and Sportsfishing magazine, is an accomplished fisherman in his own right, and will be on deck to share his expert knowledge with visitors.

He will present a Fishing Masterclass over the week for the avid fisherman that will be appreciated from the professionals all the way to the weekend warriors.

Visitors from all walks of life are invited to attend, with an excellent array of activities planned to educate and entertain, with plenty of fun for the kids included over the five days. Live music, food and pop-up bars will be scattered throughout the venue to create a fun festival atmosphere. With world-renowned restaurant and dining options in Darling Harbour, and a 15-minute walk from major transport links, the Sydney International Boat Show is on the doorstep to one of Sydney’s major hubs.

Anyone who is interested in experiencing a world class event in a world class location should not miss this spectacular event. Halls will open from 10am-8pm, while the specially installed Marinas will stay open later, from 10am-7pm. Tickets start at $22 for adults and $13 for kids, children 5 and under get in free.

Visitors wanting more information should visit the Sydney International Boat Show website at www. sydneyboatshow.com.au, or alternatively you can call the recorded SIBS hotline on 1300 7 BOATS (26887). – BIA JULY 2017

95

The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

3rd to 7th August, 2017

Penrith Marine

Penrith Marine will be out in force at the Sydney International Boat Show this year, with a great display of Brooker Marine boats and Mercury engines.

Best of all, Penrith Marine will be unveiling something totally unique and new to Australia, with its official launch at the Sydney International Boat Show, so it’s well worth

visiting them at stand 702A, level 4 ICC. Penrith Marine is a certified premium dealer and service centre for Mercury outboard motors, MerCruiser inboard motors, Bluefin, Brooker Boats and trailers. They service all late model outboards at competitive prices, and their service manager is one of the top Mercury mechanics in the industry.

Penrith Marine also has a wide selection of chandlery, and have been dealing for over 30 years.

Additionally, if you’ve been thinking about getting a boat licence for a friend or family member, Penrith Marine have you covered. They have qualified trainers and are an accredited Western Sydney based

trainer for Maritime & Safety Training NSW RTO # 90440.

Call in and see the friendly team at 4/133 Coreen Avenue, Penrith to see what they can do for you. Alternatively, you can phone them on (02) 4731 6250, email sales@penrithmarine.com.au or visit their website at www.penrithmarine.com.au.

Ausmarine

The Ausmarine team say there’ll be lot to be excited about at the Ausmarine stand this year. On display will be a range of affordable and value-for-money boating products, from car toppers to forward control boats.

Two of the latest releases from Ausmarine are the Party and Worker pontoon boats. The Party 580 pontoon boat seats 10 adults, has front and rear boarding platforms, four opening doors 96

JULY 2017

each side, front entry ladder, twin bimini roofs, a luxury new curved design lounge layout and a sports captain chair.

The Worker 490 pontoon boat is basically a bare, flat pontoon with a console and driver’s seat. This blank slate allows you to design your own layout. For example, you can use it as a moveable floating dock at the rear of your waterfront house, or even a large work boat/work ute for the tradesman who

needs water access and transport.

The Ausmarine Seatrail trailer range is continuing to grow, with a large range of trailers suitable from 2m hulls right through to 7.8m hulls, from folding small tinny trailers up to large 8m boat trailers.

Ausmarine also has a range of box trailers and car trailers.

Three of the latest trailer releases are new electric brake trailer models, with ATM from 2800kg to 3500kg for 6.4m to

7.8m boats. So whether it’s a hot dipped galvanised trailer frame or an aluminium trailer with alloy wheels you’re after, you can rest assured the Ausmarine Seatrail trailer and Seacraft boat range will have what you need – not to mention the great boat show specials! The team have promised that their prices will shake up the competition. In the meantime, you can see the range of Ausmarine boats and trailers at www.ausmarine.biz.

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

See Us At Sydney The Sydney International Boat ShowInternational Boat 3rd to 7th August, 2017

Show 3rd To 7th Aug

HALL 1 – STAND 107

Quintrex

Check out www.ausmarine.biz for your nearest dealer PH: (02) 9792 6000 F: (02) 9772 4858 E: sales@ausmarine.biz

Alloy Boats

Trailers TRAILERS

BOAT PACKAGES

$1099

From

• Folds away • Suits up to 3.7m hulls • Web Strap winch • Suits caravans, campervans, small garage spaces

$1498 BOAT PACK

AGE

Boat & 2.5hp 4 stroke

TINNY 12

RANGER 330

• Suits up to 4m hulls • Roller version available •Ford Bearings & hubs • Web strap winch • Submersible LED lights

3.3m car topper, 3 adults, max 6hp

From

$2718 BOAT PACK

AGE

Boat & 5hp, 2 stroke

PWC13

ADVENTURE 360 3.6m open tinny, 4 adults, max 15hp

• Suits Jet Skis • Tinnys up to 3.9m

From

• Ford Bearings

$5296

& hubs • Web strap winch

BOAT PACK

AGE

• Submersible LED lights

Boat & trailer & 9.9 2 stroke

AL4.2M13

NAVIGATOR 400 4m flatwater V-nose tinny, 4 adults, max 30hp

• Suits up to 4.4m • Roller version available

From

• Ford Bearings

$5997

& hubs • Web strap winch

AG BOAT PACK E

The Haines Group

• Submersible LED lights

Boat & trailer & 15hp 2 stroke

SNAPPER 425

AL5.2M13 4.2m open water deep vee wide-sided fishing boat. 5 adults, max 40hp

• Suits up to 5.4m • Roller version available •Ford Bearings & hubs • Web strap winch •Submersible LED lights

From

$8397 BOAT PACK

AGE

Boat & trailer & 15hp 2 stroke

BAYRUNNER 430

FINANCE AVAILABLE

FIB5M14 4.3m deep vee windscreen boat,wide sides,splashback transom,5 adults,max 40hp

• Suits Fiberglass boats up to 5.3m • Painted options available •Ford Bearings & hubs • Web strap winch •Submersible LED lights

From

$14,499 BOAT PACK

AGE

Boat trailer & 30hp 2 stroke fwd control electric start

FISHER 490

The Haines Group will again be at the Sydney Boat Show with a fantastic range of their quality, award-winning products to get you and your family on the water this summer.

With the recent launch of its 2017 range and off the back of the release of new outboard models in 2016, Suzuki Marine will be on display with an array of new products and plenty of Suzuki on Sale across our four dealer stands – Blakes Marine, Hunts Marine, Johnson Bros Marine, Northern Beaches Marine.

Come along to catch a glimpse of the new range featuring updated decals and graphics and a new finish in Pearl Nebular Black.

Suzuki will also be launching something big at the show – on display for the first time in Australia and not to be missed!

This will also be your chance to see the latest Haines Signature Boats models at the Good Times Marine stand. Backed by over 55 years of innovation, research and development, Signature Boats are the perfect choice for the NSW bays and waterways, with Signature’s Variable Deadrise Hull offering an unprecedented ride and stability at rest. Nothing rides like a Signature!

Good Times Marine will also have a great range of Seafarer Boats on display. Seafarers are built tough and are perfectly suited to the harshest of Australian conditions, so check out our range at the Good Times stand.

Whether it be Suzuki power for your boat, a complete boat package to get your family out on the water or you’re a serious angler set to brave all conditions, The Haines Group has a product for you at the show.

3m to 6.5m From

2.1m car topper, 2 adults, max 4hp, only weighs 22kg

holders and aluminium live bait tank with viewing window these are some serious fishing machines. If you fancy doing some watersports as well as your fishing the Frontier offers an optional ski pole/bait board combination to keep everyone happy.

Quintrex’s new release Freestyler range allows you to reach full boating potential offering unsurpassed versatility and performance. The Freestyler range is built on the ground-breaking Apex Hull using a wider, sweeping chine design to improve rough water performance. The lines of the Apex Hull combined with the forked bow, raised side deck, and sleek windscreen profile provide a much more modern look.

from

FOLDING 8

MINI TINNY 210 CAR TOPPER

Be one of the first people in the world to view the revolutionary Quintrex Apex Hull at the Sydney Boat Show. True to its name, the Apex Hull offers the pinnacle of boating, with years of research and development leading to superior performance on the water. Quintrex dealers Hunts Marine, TR Marine, and Insinc Marine will have a range of new Apex models on display and we guarantee once you see them you’ll be amazed. Displays will include Freestylers, Frontiers, Stealth Hornets and new size Fishabouts.

Built on Quintrex’s new Apex Hull, the Frontier features an increased flared bottom sheet for greater water contact and a smoother ride. With four stainless steel rod

SPECIAL DEALS DONE AT THE SHOW

FINANCE AVAILABLE

AL5.4M13T • Dual Axles

4.9m, deep v side console, transom door, 5 adults, max 115hp

• Suits Aluminium

From

hulls up to 5.6m

$25,999

•Ford Bearings

AG BOAT PACK E

• Web strap winch

& hubs •Submersible LED

Boat trailer & 75hp 2 stroke fwd control electric start

lights FINANCE AVAILABLE

ALLOY TRAILERS RANGE FROM 4M TO 6.5M PWC13A

FIB5.7M14TA • Alloy Frame • Alloy Wheels • Painted options available • Ford bearings + hubs • Web strap winch • Submersible LED Lights

• Dual Axles •Alloy Wheels • Skid Version Available • Ford bearings + hubs • Web strap winch • Submersible LED Lights

FINANCE AVAILABLE

FINANCE AVAILABLE

ALL PRICES GST INCLUSIVE, EXCLUSIVE FREIGHT, REGISTRATION & DEALER DELIVERY CHARGES.

JULY 2017

97

The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

3rd to 7th August, 2017

Blakes Marine

there’s a wide variety of colours and stripes to choose from.

Chaparral Boats, one of the world’s leading manufacturers, will also be represented on the stand. Chaparral has an extensive range of bowriders and cabin cruisers, and one of the standouts on the Blakes Marine stand will be the H2O Ski

ED

•A MA

D

If purchased on a Stessco Factory Trailer

TRALI

•

5 YEAR STRUCTURAL WARRANTY

US

and Fish. Whether you want to fish, ski, tube or wakeboard, you can do it all in the same boat on the same weekend.

To see all this and more, come and see the friendly staff at the Blakes Marine stand at the Show, located inside the new Sydney International Convention Centre on Level 1, stands 103 and 105.

AN

*

with models including hard tops, cuddy cabins, walkaround, side and centre consoles.

Show visitors can also check out a selection of Stacer boats at the Blakes Marine stand. Stacer makes over 70 models within eight ranges, so there’s a model for everyone.

You can customise your Stacer with either a Suzuki engine or Evinrude E-Tec, and

E

N

Blakes Marine carries an extensive range of boats and motors to suit a wide variety of boating requirements. From the hardcore angler to the family weekender, Blakes Marine can tailor packages to suit every need.

Blakes Marine are the NSW distributor of the award-winning Bar Crusher Boats, the plate aluminium boats that cater to all anglers

AND OW

PREMIUM BOATING AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE

Breezaway 480

SCAN QR CODE TO VIEW BOAT TEST

The Stessco Breezaway runabout series of boats are at home crusing on the waterways with the great storage and generous space of the open deck area it is perfect for fishing and family boating while the 3 piece wrap around windscreen keeps out the weather. * 3 Year structural warranty on any other brand of trailer.

For more information or to find your nearest Stessco dealer visit www.stessco.com.au 98

JULY 2017

The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

3rd to 7th August, 2017

580

Evinrude

SEAHAWK

WITH

“

HALF CABIN SPECIFICATIONS BEAM – 2.50m DEPTH – 1.45m WEIGHT – 840KG BOTTOM – 4.0mm SIDES – 4.0mm PEOPLE – 6 MAX HP – 150 SHAFT – X LONG

BIGGER & BETTER! The Stessl 580 Seahawk builds on it’s predecessor’s proven pedigree by providing even more cabin and deck space in a boat that’s been engineered to take you further – safer! With an improved Platetrix hull design, more deadrise and massive fuel capacity, the Seahawk provides a softer, more comfortable ride to get you to where the fish are.

Late last year BRP released the next generation of Evinrude E-TEC G2 models with horsepower ranging from 150 to 200, the E-TEC G2 150, 150 H.O., 175 and 200. Hunts Marine, Blakes Marine and Huetts Marine will be displaying a range of Evinrude models as well as Quintrex or Stacer BMT (boat, motor, trailer) packages.

The new Evinrude E-TEC G2 models deliver up to 30% more torque, up to 15% better fuel efficiency, and up to 75% fewer total regulated emissions compared to leading four- stroke outboard engines.

Evinrude offers the cleanest outboard engine combustion technology available and not only complies with but exceeds the new Australian Non-Road Spark Ignition Engine Emissions legislation.

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Whether you enjoy fishing, power sports or just cruising you will be impressed with the power and efficiency of the new range of G2s. True to Evinrude’s style the new models will also feature a distinctive, customisable look that allows consumers to perfectly match their boat.

Available with integrated Dynamic Power Steering and i-Trim, Evinrude’s intelligent trim system and standard with Digital Shift and Throttle, the new G2 models deliver confident handling and optimal performance at any speed or in any sea conditions.

Boaters can rejoice as the release of the mid–range models opens up the power of Evinrude Outboards to a wider range of budgets and transoms.

Fishing Monthly Deal

“

CALL YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY Inverell Boating Centre

10 Swanbrook Road Inverell, New South Wales, 2360 Phone: 0427 078 739 botts28@hotmail.com

A & J Outboard & Boating Services

734-738 Woodville Road Fairfield East , NSW, 2165 Phone: (02) 9728 9311 Fax: 02 9728 9322 sales@ajoutboards.com.au

Coffs Harbour Marine

3/11B Pacific Highway Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, 2450 Phone: (02) 6652 4722 info@coffsharbourmarine.com.au

J & M Marine

1/4 Fernvalley Parade Port Macquarie, NSW, 2444 Phone: (02) 6581 0272 admin@jmmarine.com.au

North Coast Yamaha

4 Luckly Lane Billinudgel, NSW, 2483 Phone: (02) 6680 3322 marine@northcoastyamaha.com.au

Merimbula Outboard Service

382 Sapphire Coast Drive, Tura Merimbula, New South Wales, 2548 Phone: (02) 6495 9634 Fax: 02 6495 9345 info@merimbulaoutboard.com.au

For more information visit www.stessl.com.au 100

JULY 2017

To reward our new and renewing subscribers at the show, NSWFM will have plenty of free gifts to make your decision to subscribe an easy one – Okuma Duo rods, which is a one butt two rod blank

interchangeable system.

This incredible gift will be up for grabs with any two-year subscription, so make sure you sign up at the show.

If you’re already a subscriber, we’ll give you the same gift if you do a renewal at the show!

Don’t miss out, come and visit us at our stand and say hello to the crew.

For more information, visit www. fishingmonthly.com.au.

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

The Sydney International Boat Show 3rd to 7th August, 2017

Furuno Australia

JN Taylor trading as Furuno Australia will be releasing a range of new equipment to the boating community at the 2017 Sydney International Boat Show.

The most significant release on show is the all new technology of the Furuno DFF-3D multi beam sonar. If you are into fishing you will be aware of various down scanning, 3D capable fish finders now on the market. The DFF-3D is essentially that style of product however the game changer is it is based on Furuno’s commercial level multi beam technology and is therefore designed for true bluewater application where it can provide highly detailed images

of fish location and the seabed profile down to 200m.

The DFF-3D in real time takes a continuous 120º port to starboard view of what is under your boat. With a builtin motion sensor in the compact system transducer the images are stabilised to reduce effect of boat wave movement to provide true bottom detail and clear water column detail on your NavNet TZT or TZT2 display.

The DFF-3D is like having five different fish finders in one product with the following operating modes: • Cross section displays in real-time sea

column echo in 120º port and starboard.

This mode aids in instantly understanding the distribution of baitfish and the water column condition.

• 3D sounder display provides an intuitive and easy to understand 3D image of the seafloor, along with fish school icons. This mode is useful at selecting good-looking fish-holding structure.

• Triple and single beam sounder display provides either a single (directly under boat) or triple beam (middle, left and right) fish finder image displayed simultaneously. The triple beam display helps to understand the depth and position

of fish targets under the vessel and the seabed condition in each direction, as well as the direction the target fish are moving. Each beam angle and beam width are selectable.

• Side scan display provides details of the shape of structure in a high definition image in simultaneous port and starboard direction. It is suitable for searching the seabed and understanding the sea floor structure.

The Furuno team invite you to come and take a look at the future of fish finders!

For more information visit www. jntaylor.com.au.

THE NEXT DIMENSION IN FISH FINDERS Model

• • • •

5 Display Modes.

120 Degree Swath - Beam Angle.

200m Deep Water Performance.

Compact Transducer with built in motion sensor.

C O N TA C T Y O U R N E A R E S T A U T H O R I S E D D E A L E R T O D AY www.furuno.com.au (07) 3900 2100 | sales@furuno.com.au

J O I N T H E C O N V E R S AT I O N . . .

S TAY U P D AT E D

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The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

3rd to 7th August, 2017

Aussie Boat Sales

At Aussie Boat Sales ACT/NSW, Jason and Johanna Graham and the team are proud to bring the best possible customised service to the Australian Market. Having offices in Canberra, Batemans Bay marina, Freshwater – North Shore Sydney, and Carrinbah – Southern Sydney, this dynamic company is able to cater to customers all over Australia.

Aussie Boat Sales ACT/NSW has partnered with Formosa, and is the largest distributor of Formosa’s Tomahawk and Sea-Rod plate alloy boats. They also distribute the full range of Redco trailers Australia-wide. Acting also as one of Honda Marine’s biggest dealers in NSW, they are able to offer Australia-wide servicing to all of their customers, backed with Honda’s industry-leading, 7-year full warranty.

As the largest dealer of Formosa in Australia, Jason and the team launched a number of new products at last year’s Sydney International Boat Show, and since then the Formosa range has continued to grow. Last year the 660 and 700 Series boats were launched, and this year will see another new model released at the Show – the fully enclosed cab 740. It boasts twin engines, a cabin size larger than any other boat in its class, and a host of other features to fulfil the needs of anglers and their families.

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JULY 2017

The last 12 months has seen the development of the X Series, which was launched by Jason last year at the Sydney Boat Show. Designed in consultation with Jason, this has been the most popular model to date. Working together, Aussie Boat Sales ACT/NSW and Formosa have managed to sell every size in the X range, from the 580 through to the 740. With the large array of models across the Formosa range, there’s a model to suit every angler’s needs and budget. To get the lowdown on the new model Formosas get down to stand number 725b and speak to Jason.

After becoming a Caribbean dealer in 2017, Jason has worked with the team from Caribbean to revamp the Caribbean 6.2m Tiara bowrider. The new changes include a wake board tower and sexy new looks, blending seamlessly with the timeless Caribbean build quality.

“You will have to see it to believe it,” Jason said. “With the new black wrap and other changes, it looks totally different – not at all like the other Caribbeans. And because it’s powered by Honda marine, the performance of this boat is second to none.

It is also extremely affordable compared to its competition.”

Aussie Boat Sales ACT/NSW has an extra surprise up their sleeve at this year’s Show – a boat nobody has ever seen before.

“It’s called the Sidewinder 495, and it’s built by Microcat boats,” Jason revealed.

“We are the Australian sole distributor of Micro Cat boats, and this new model is going to blow everybody away. This model Sidewinder 495 has never been seen. There aren’t even any photos of it yet, so to see this great new Micro Cat you will need to come to see us at stand 725b.”

This unique boat is wheelchair friendly, with a full loading ramp, and can be fully customised to make life as easy as possible for disabled boaters. It’s also ideal for accommodating dirt bikes and quad bikes, and has a full hard top.

Sidewinders are priced from around $35,000 for the 4.4m model to $45,000 for the new 4.95, and they’re fully customisable.

There aren’t just boats at the Aussie Boat Sales ACT/NSW stand though – the team will also have the complete range of Spotters polarised sunglasses on display for visitors to purchase. The Spotters brand is famous for delivering superior clarity, glare reduction and distortion-free vision from all angles. There’s also a lens for every situation, from glaringly bright summer days fishing the bluewater, right through to spotting fish in skinny streams in dappled shade.

“We’ll have a full retail Spotters

display on our stand, selling every model and all the accessories,” Jason said. “To get the best possible Australian-made fishing sunglasses, come and see us at stand number 725b and try some on.”

All up, there’s a lot on offer at the Aussie Boat Sales ACT/NSW stand at this year’s Sydney International Boat Show.

Jason will be offering great package deals on Formosa, Caribbean, Micro Cat, Honda and more, so be sure to stop by stand 725b and chat to the friendly team.

“We are a custom boat builder selling nothing but the best brands in Australia, backed by the power of Honda,” Jason said. “Our goal is to customise packages to suit not just anglers, but to the needs and wants of the whole family, so everybody can enjoy being out on the water.”

Aussie Boat Sales ACT/NSW is also one of Australia’s largest Honda Marine dealers, and they are also a dealer for Regal Sports Boats, Redco-Tinka galvanised and aluminium boat trailers, Spotters Sunglasses, Fusion Electronics, Minn Kota, Raymarine, Savwinch, Karnic Fibreglass Boats, Garmin, Raymarine, Horizon and Pro Craft Aluminium boats. All will be on display at the stand. In the meantime, if you want to talk to Jason you can ring him on 0433 531 226 or visit www. aussieboatsalesactnsw.com.au.

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The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

3rd to 7th August, 2017

Lowrance Lowrance will be featuring a host of new innovative products at the Sydney International Boat Show, including the latest generation of Lowrance multi function displays: HDS Carbon. A visit to the Lowrance stand could give you your first look at the largest/ fishfinder chartplotter Lowrance has ever produced.

The new Lowrance HDS Carbon adds a high-performance dual core processor, multi-touch SolarMAX™ HD screen, dual channel CHIRP and Network Dual Sounder to the proven features that have made HDS the benchmark in multifunction displays. The HDS Carbon series includes 7, 9, 12 and an all-new ground breaking 16” model.

The massive 16” high-definition screen on HDS Carbon 16 displays provides an even bigger stage to showcase the clarity, 1920x1080 HD resolution and superior target separation of SolarMAX™ HD technology, exclusive to the HDS Carbon series. Setting up a four-panel split on the HDS Carbon 16 gives anglers the equivalent of four 7” screens on a single display.

Anglers in the market for a want-itall integrated system need a processor that can smoothly drive the hightech capabilities of HDS Carbon like StructureScan® 3D with SideScan and DownScan Imaging™, dual channel CHIRP sonar, StructureMap™, Broadband Radar™ and SiriusXM® Weather Chart Overlay. HDS Carbon takes processing power to an unprecedented level with a dual core processor that allows anglers to

switch between applications and simultaneously view independent sonar feeds with ease.

Lowrance SolarMAX HD display technology features high-definition views and clear visibility in all conditions, along with the widest available range of viewing angles. In addition, the new displays are engineered to withstand higher temperatures than conventional units, offering enhanced reliability in warmer climates. The secret behind the new SolarMAX HD displays comes from the implementation of the most advanced in-plane switching (IPS) screens in fishing electronics. With superior colour accuracy and boosted high-definition reproduction, IPS screens are perfectly designed for viewing picture-like sonar images. Whether you are viewing menu panels or onscreen fish targets, the improved clarity and sharpness of SolarMAX HD displays are clearly evident from any angle.

In addition to integrated wireless connectivity that enables anglers to download software updates and map purchases directly to the unit, HDS Carbon features Bluetooth® control of

multiple Power-Pole shallow water anchors and Bluetooth audio streaming from the SonicHub®2 marine entertainment system.

Anglers can navigate with ease with HDS Carbon using proven Lowrance navigation technology, built-in C-MAP Insight mapping with enhanced coverage of coastal and inland waters, a 10Hz internal GPS antenna, and a multitude of mapping options accessible

from the unit’s dual microSD card slots or via wireless download. HDS Carbon is compatible with the most expansive selection of optional cartography on the market, including Insight Genesis™ custom mapping, C-MAP MAX-N+, Navionics® and more.

For more information visit www. lowrance.com.

Tohatsu Outboards

In recent years Tohatsu’s engineering arms have been concentrating on the development of their four-stroke range.

Already seeing significant success in their broad range of lightweight portable units and the first batteryless EFI 25/30hp, the next step has been to produce a model fitting into the growing mid-range boating market. It is clear that there is a growing trend of vessels in the 3.5-4.75m range requiring outboards that are lightweight, fuel efficient and reliable while still having the performance to get the job done.

This has resulted in the production of the four-stroke MFS25/30C and the MFS40/50A. Both models are very compact 104

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in appearance with the 40/50A actually being the lightest in its class. With exceptional fuel economy, amazing torque and the added bonuses of Variable Idle Control for Trolling and TOCS technology (Tohatsu On-board Communication System) these units meet the market head-on in both results and price. Available in Forward Control or with Tohatsu’s patented Multi-Function Tiller Handle there is a model and configuration to suit most boats.

Not stopping to rest, in 2017 the engineers at Tohatsu set out to complete their next project: the Propane Four Stroke Outboard. Not the first to venture into this technology, Tohatsu feel there is a

market for small LPG units that meet the demands of today. After market study they have decided a 5hp fits well within the existing tender, yacht and travel sector.

These operators generally have an existing LPG source on board, be it Yacht or Caravan Traveller, and don’t have to carry secondary fuel. The other benefits of the MFS5C Propane outboard include reduced emissions, fuel economy, reduced fuel maintenance issues, portability and performance. This unit retains most of the existing benefits of its petrol variant, through propeller exhaust, steering/ throttle friction control and Shallow Water Drive, to name a few.

As with any outboard, safety has been considered with a Shut-off valve fuel regulator and start in gear protection. In addition, dressed in the new Beluga white and available in 15, 20 and 25” transom the latter also comes in the popular Sail Drive model with High Thrust Propeller and Battery Charge system.

At Tohatsu development is the key, with the above being just the beginning. Many new models are also in the wind for 2017 as well as subsequent years.

For more information please visit www. tohatsu.com.au or visit our Tohatsu dealer TRE Motorsport at the 2017 Sydney International Boat Show.

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The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

3rd to 7th August, 2017

Yamaha Outboards

Yamaha Motor Australia, in conjunction with their New South Wales dealership network, are excited to exhibit the latest in outboard technology; including the all-new F90, and F25, new rigging technology, alongside some exclusive offers at the 2017 Sydney Boat Show. Yamaha’s complete range of fourstroke engines from the F350 V8 down to the light-weight and portable F2.5 covers all types of Australian boating from high powered offshore rigs down to small inflatables and car toppers. And with all Yamaha engines, legendary reliability and unmatched quality comes standard.

Debuting for the first time at the show is Yamaha’s all-new, light-weight F90C four-stroke, the second-generation 90hp four-stroke, which is proving to be exceptionally popular with savvy boaters looking to extract the maximum performance from their 90hp rated boat.

The F90’s unique single cam design actuates four-valves per cylinder, delivering superb smooth operation and efficiency while also reducing overall weight.

An all-new F25 also joins Yamaha’s range, shaving 20kg off the previous generation four-stroke outboard. This compact and efficient 25hp engine features batteryless EFI, NMEA2000 compatibility for third party systems, and presents itself as the new category leader with its light-weight design; making it the perfect upgrade from aging two-stroke models. An incredible array of features and options is now available on the new F25, taking small boat power to the next level.

Complementing the complete Yamaha Outboard range, is the all-new CL-7 (Command-Link 7”) Digital Gauge, an all-inclusive 7”, high-definition, digital colour gauge, featuring NMEA2000

compatibility, and monitoring of up to four outboards and critical boat systems.

With the addition of optional components, the CL-7 Command-Link Plus gauge can also be used as a chart plotter and depth sounder and also has the ability to connect to radar, video input, and stereo control. This display has an integrated gateway built in to allow external connectivity to other multi-function displays and is compatible with all of Yamaha’s Digital Electronic Control engines.

Exhibiting Yamaha Dealerships are also offering exclusive purchase opportunities at the show, including; up to $900 off eligible 30-90hp outboards, free gearbag and PFDs with F2.5 to F25 outboards, and free premium rigging worth up to $3200 on eligible F115 to F350 models.

Ya m a h a Motor Finance are making ownership easy, with a low 4.99% p.a. comparison rate* on eligible repower options over 24-36 months. Completing the suite of offers is Yamaha Marine Insurance, who are offering a $30 pay-by-themonth insurance premium for the first 12-months on eligible boat packages.

For more information, visit www.yamaha-motor.com.au/outboard, or visit Yamaha at their stand.

Waverunners

Yamaha WaveRunners are thrilled to showcase the latest in personal watercraft technology with three new models, along with exclusive offers at this year’s Sydney Boat Show.

For 2017, Yamaha has reinvigorated the line-up with an all-new, race-ready GP1800, which has already proved its pace by winning numerous races domestically and overseas. The new GP1800 delivers the winning-edge by combining the industry’s largest capacity 1.8L supercharged engine with a precision designed lightweight hull.

In addition to the GP1800, Yamaha has introduced the all-new, recreationallite EX and EX deluxe, two compact, light 106

JULY 2017

and affordable models that are putting the personal back into personal watercraft. Shoehorned within the light and fun fibreglass hull is Yamaha’s award-winning 1-litre, TR-1 marine engine; a perfect lightweight match for a thrilling ride.

Yamaha’s JetFish brand concept will return to the show once again, showcasing the versatility and flexibility of WaveRunners geared up for fishing. Over the past year, the Jetfish brand concept has headlined across the country, giving savvy angler a new lease in WaveRunner fishing ideas and choices.

Yamaha’s WaveRunner range has something for everyone. At one end is the

legendary Superjet, a raw and engaging stand-up machine that has thrilled for decades. While the introduction of the lightweight EX and EX Deluxe has shaken up the affordable recreational-lite segment.

In the middle of the range is Yamaha’s VX and FX models, combining family-friendly fun, versatility and features in an affordable package. Whilst at the pointy-end is Yamaha’s high-performance SVHO powered models, featuring championship-winning, supercharged powertrains and lightenedhulls for unrivalled excitement. All models, bar the SuperJet and EX feature Yamaha’sexclusive RiDE dual throttle control system; an innovative electronic throttle control

system that makes manoeuvring watercraft safer and easier than ever before.

Exhibiting Yamaha Dealerships are also offering exclusive purchase opportunities at the boat show, with free lifejackets and gear bags with all WaveRunners purchased.

Yamaha Motor Finance is making ownership easy, offering an ultra-low 2.99% p.a. comparison rate* across the complete range, over 24-36 months. Completing the suite of offers is Yamaha Marine Insurance, who are offering a $30 pay-by-the-month insurance premium for the first 12-months on eligible boat packages.

For more information, visit www.yamaha-motor.com.

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The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

3rd to 7th August, 2017

Mercury Marine

Mercury Marine, the world’s leading marine propulsion brand, is excited to exhibit at the 2017 Sydney International Boat Show. On display will be a large range of industry leading outboards, petrol sterndrives and inboards, plus the ultraeconomical Mercury Diesel range. Come and visit their stand and check out the latest innovations on the water including: VESSELVIEW® MOBILE From the world leaders in marine propulsion and marine technology comes VesselView Mobile. Available for iOS and Android smartphones and tablet devices, the app instantly provides users access to their boats SmartCraft® digital data in the palm of their hand.

The VesselView Mobile module, which is needed to fully utilise the app, is available for purchase at participating Mercury Marine dealers. The product is compatible with all Mercury SmartCraftcapable engines built since 2003. One module supports single through quad engine applications.

ACTIVE TRIM Mercury Marine’s new Active Trim system is now available for boat lovers.

The new technology has already gained fans around the world for the way it automatically and effortlessly trims an engine or engines. Active Trim doesn’t just 108

JULY 2017

make boating easier and more fun, it also improves engine performance and cuts fuel costs – while delivering a better overall driving experience. Visit the stand for a demonstration and to find out how Active Trim will make boating easier for you and your family.

MERCURY JOYSTICK PILOTING All boaters will appreciate the ease of docking and more intuitive boat control thanks to Mercury’s Joystick Piloting systems. They’re available on 250-400hp Verado dual, triple and quad outboard installations, dual MerCruiser or Diesel Sterndrives and the recently launched inboard system. You’ll get the chance to get hands on with the Joystick Piloting Simulator for Outboards and talk to us about Joystick piloting for your boat at the show.

MERCURY RACING Mercury Racing is proud to display the 400R Carbon Edition at the show – an exotic, high performance Verado outboard, featuring contemporary layered surfacing sculpted out of lightweight carbon fibre composite. Carbon Edition 400Rs share all of the industry-leading performance characteristics and creature comforts of its Phantom Black and Cold Fusion White 400R siblings, while providing an even higher level of luxury with this bold, aggressive visual treatment.

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The Sydney International Boat Show

COCKLE BAY MARINA IN DARLING HARBOUR & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

3rd to 7th August, 2017

Honda Outboards

This year marked the global debut for a selection of Honda Marine Outboards with a fresh new look, and some updated features. If you’re curious to see these upgrades up close, make sure you pay a visit to the Honda Marine Corporate stand!

Honda will also have the newly refreshed BF40 and BF50 marine engines on display.

These updated models made their first appearance to the world at the Miami International Boat Show in February earlier this year.

The BF40 and BF50 sport the new Honda signature ‘crouching form’ design. The refreshed Honda Marine engines deliver consumers upgrades they will appreciate every time they take out their boat. The new BF40 and BF50 models have added a new freshwater water flushing hose for ease of maintenance, and have reduced engine vibration at idle, compared with the previous models and achieved Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) certification.

Honda pioneered 4-stroke outboard technology, with the release of the GB30 in 1964.

Honda was convinced that 4-stroke outboard technology

Stacer

Whether you’re into the extreme or just want to relax with the family, there is a Stacer boat for you. Stacer Dealerships Blakes Marine, Huetts Marine and Belmont Affordable Boats will be displaying a range of Stacer models at this year’s Melbourne Boat Show.

Each Stacer boat is created from marine grade aluminum to create a durable long lasting boat. Stacer’s innovative manufacturing practices including plasma cutters and a 750 ton press provide customers with a product that will last for generations. On top of this, Stacer boats now offer a 3 + 2 warranty providing you with a total of 5 years factory backed warranty on new boat purchases.

If you’re a serious fisho be sure to 110

JULY 2017

check out the Proline Angler Striker Series.

The Proline Anglers offer the versatility anglers are after as they are designed for rivers, estuaries, creeks, dams and lakes.

With more storage than previous models, a roto anchorwell and an optional live well, the Proline Anglers really are the ultimate fishing machines.

Stacer’s Runabout range has proven to be a favourite amongst boaties and anglers, with the 429 Seaway being Stacer’s number one selling boat in Australia. The Runabout range includes Baymaster and Seaway models which are perfect for fun-filled days out on the water. There is a model to suit every need ranging from affordable entry level models to larger models to fit the whole family and enjoy a little luxury.

was the way of the future, and have only continued to grow and develop 4-stroke technology over the last 53 years!

In 2015, Honda continued to shape the marine industry by introducing Australia’s industry leading 7-year domestic warranty on all outboard models, further cementing Honda’s renowned reliability.

So what does the 7-year domestic warranty actually mean for Aussie boaters? It means that you never need to look back, never worry about what is behind you, letting you live for the moment and seek out new adventures; all the while knowing that your Honda will get you safely there and back.

A Honda Marine engine on the back of your boat is more than an outboard.

It’s the world’s largest and most trusted engine manufacturer. It’s an unrivalled team of R&D professionals re-defining the limits. It’s a legendary Formula 1 and motor racing pedigree enhancing your performance. It’s more 4-stroke experience than anyone else on the water.

It’s a dedicated nationwide dealer network supporting you with an unmatched 7-year warranty. On the back of your boat, a Honda is the best behind you.

For more info, visit marine.honda.com.au.

Hunts Marine

Hunts Marine will again have a huge display of Quintrex aluminium, Glastron and Whittley fibreglass boats on display at the Sydney International Boat show.

New to the Quintrex range are the revolutionary APEX hulls. Come and check them out on the Frontier fishing boats and Freestyler bowriders. Along with the proven Quintrex Trident models they will also have on display one of the

new Yellowfin Southerner plate boats.

Visitors can also check out the new release Whittley Cruiser and Sealegend models, along with an impressive range of Glastron fibreglass American bowriders.

In the meantime you can view the full Hunts Marine range of Quintrex, Glastron, Whittley and Smartwave boats packaged up with your choice of Suzuki and E-Tec motors at www.huntsmarine.com.au.

Advertorial

What happens when 2-strokes are gone?

BRISBANE

Gary Fooks

When I’m looking for an outboard for a small tinnie or a tender, I think of convenience first and reliability is a close second.

But I don’t usually spend a lot of time thinking about it.

When small engine emissions standards commence mid-2018, the carby 2-stroke imports will

we have now will be about it.

I’ve listed hereby the 3hp options available now, including the eight options we soon loose – leaving just nine models.

The story is not so dramatic when it comes to larger engine sizes, as the market has already turned to cleaner engines, not just to be green, but the fuel savings, less smell and less smoke … you know the advertising blurb. They have a point!

When looking at clean 2-strokes; the Direct Injection 2-strokes are too top heavy with technology and just don’t make it down to the smallest size range. The smallest E-Tec, TLDI or Optimax we see is about 25hp. Even the direct injection leader, Evinrude, fills the small lend of their catalogue with 4-strokes.

The first complaint I hear about 4-strokes is “they are twice the weight!” But the

By mid 2018, the carby 2-stroke imports will cease and dealers will have a year to clear stocks. facts often spoil a good story.

Have a look at the table hereby. Not only do we have the dry weights written, but I have added a column with a realistic weight, adding a standard 1.4L of fuel to the transom.

The first thing I noticed is that the 4-stroke offerings from Tohatsu and Suzuki are in the same weight class as the 2-strokes they replace.

The Tohatsu, an older proven

product, and the Suzuki, a newer technology, make the choice tough.

To put the weight difference in context, the difference between the lightest 2-stroke and the heaviest 4-stroke is 6kg.

That’s less than the weight of two six packs of beer, and less than the weight I promised to lose before my next birthday.

The Torqeedo electric

are hard to beat, and that’s why I predict that they will become a common sight on the waterways.

Everyone is accustomed to charging a mobile phone, so charging an electric outboard is easy.

By comparison, think about buying a fuel can, taking it to BP, filling the 5L, spilling a little, the fumes filling the boot and car, taking it to the boat, filling the 1.4L fuel

When emissions standards commence in mid-2018, setups like this should become more common.

ENGINE COMPARISONS Make hp Model Mercury 2.5 M Mercury 2.5 M Parsun 2.5 T2.5BMS 2C Parsun 2.6 F2.6MBS 4C Suzuki 2.5 DF2.5S Tohatsu 2.5 MFS2.5AS Tohatsu 2.5 M2.5A2 S Yamaha 2.5 F2.5AMHS Torqeedo 3 Travel 1003 s Yamaha - premix 3 3AMHS Mercury 3.3 M Evinrude 3.5 E3R4 Mercury 3.5 M Tohatsu 3.5 MFS3.5A S Tohatsu 3.5 M3.5A2 S Tohatsu 3.5 M3.5B2 S Parsun 3.6 T3.6BMS 2C cease and dealers will have a year to clear stocks. With an 8hp pre-mix 2-stroke pushing out more measured emissions than a 150hp 4-stroke, it’s no wonder they won’t pass the new standards.

Some will scramble to buy the last carby 2-strokes on the shelf, but frankly I would be concerned about how hard parts will be to find, and I can forget about resale value. So, what options will there be?

The world’s biggest outboard markets, the USA, Canada and Europe have had small engine emissions standards for up to 20 years, so the engines for a regulated market have already been developed. In fact, they are already in Australian dealerships. Australia is only 4% of the world market, so don’t expect there to be a rush of new models – what

Technology 4c 2c 2c 4c 4c 4c 2c 4c E 2c 2c 4c 4c 4c 2c 2c 2c

Kg (dry) 19 13 16 18 14 13 12.5 17 13.4 16.5 13 18.4 19 19 12.5 13 16

Kg + 1.4L of fuel 20 14 17 19 15 14 13.5 18 13.4 17.5 14 19.4 20 20 13.5 14 17

As an angler himself, the author understands that convenience and reliability are the two major considerations before any outboard purchase.

Electric powered alternatives like Torqeedo are becoming more and more popular.

outboard, even with its heavy, built-in battery, is the lightest in its class and a clear winner when we do a fair comparison, and add just 1.4L of fuel to the petrol outboards.

The low weight will win some loyalty, but I suspect that electric outboards are going to become a common sight. Not that I think for a minute that we are all turning green, but we do love convenience.

I also predict we are going to see more. I was in my local mower store yesterday and saw that STIHL, the German chainsaw manufacturer, has just released a wide range of battery powered garden tools. Clearly electric power products are for serious users. The German Torqeedo is designed and built as an electric outboard. For most tender applications, they

tank, spilling a little more, the smell on your hands spoiling the bait and losing a bite. It’s a smelly, messy process, even without trying to work out how to mix in 2-stroke oil and calculating a 1:50 ratio.

Just like battery power is making huge inroads into the power tool and garden tool sectors, so too will purpose-built electric outboards. And I don’t mean a petrol outboard with its hefty leg, converted with an electric powerhead.

Small engine emissions standards won’t bring the end of the world as we know it. Nothing you own now will be banned, and there are plenty of quality 4-strokes and clever electric options to fill the space left when two strokes leave the scene.

JULY 2017

111

Kitting up for cracker kayak fishing sessions BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

This issue I thought I would walk you through one of my kayak setups from tail to tip, outlining the kit that I carry on my kayak, what I use it for and any tips associated with that piece of equipment. Your kit may vary depending on your kayak and the fishing adventure that you’re undertaking, so I have opted to describe my larger

C-Tug trolley. Its features include a kickstand that keeps the trolley in position while you load up, materials that won’t corrode (even when used in salt water) and a simple strap system to secure the kayak on the trolley. The C-Tug also dismantles so that it can be stored in larger hatches.

B: ICEBOX An icebox allows you to take a feed out or bring a feed home, while keeping your catch in optimum condition for the table. The size of your rear well will dictate the size

reels can get wet. I’ve also seen too many end up in the drink after being lifted out of the rod holder accidently with a paddle.

Rod holder extenders are a simple addition and these pieces of pipe slot into your existing flush mount rod holders to position your

kayak I carry a double-sided tackle tray loaded with my favourite fishing tackle, along with a soft plastic wallet loaded with my go-to plastics. At times I carry additional tackle and leader items for longer sessions or new environments and these are stored in a dry bag that is

A trolley (A) makes it easy to transport your kayak to and from the water, especially when the kayak is rigged with gear. rods and reels further from the water.

I prefer adjustable rod holders, like those from Railblaza, as I can have additional mounts on the kayak and move the rod holders around as required to suit trolling, storage behind the seat or horizontal storage if I’m paddling under low bridges or overhanging vegetation.

I have invested in a Railblaza TracPort Dash that attaches to the kayak using two StarPort mounts and allows me to then attach four Railblaza Rod Holder II adjustable rod holders.

A camera mount (S) will allow you to capture much better images of you holding fish, with less chance of lost cameras or phones. pedal kayak kit, allowing you to trim back the gear to suit your requirements.

Winter is a time when being kitted out and prepared makes your adventures safer, more comfortable and more productive. For those that have the kayak off the water during the cooler months, it’s a great time to fit out your kayak and prepare your gear for when the weather warms.

A: KAYAK TROLLEY A trolley makes it easy to transport your kayak to and from the water, especially when the kayak is rigged with gear. Some kayaks, including Hobie and Native Watercraft, have specific trolley options designed to suit their hull shape, while for many kayaks a more generic trolley option is suitable.

Some kayak trolleys are designed to insert into scupper holes, while others have the kayak simply sit on top, strapped securely in place. Once I have launched I simply secure the trolley to the rear of the kayak with a couple of octopus straps.

One of the best options I have seen and used is the 112

JULY 2017

of the icebox you can carry, with 20-26L a popular choice.

Iceboxes generally feature better quality insulation than cheaper coolers, including insulation in the lid, and they are also often more robust.

I generally use a few ice bricks, stored in a large ziplock bag to keep them clean, while other anglers prefer ice or frozen bottles

kept behind my seat.

I have found that the dry bag allows quick and easy access, keeps the gear in top condition and floats if anything goes wrong.

E: CAMERA CASE I carry a waterproof camera in my pocket that is ideal for taking photos on the fly, especially if you come across some wildlife or a brief photo opportunity.

A digital SLR allows you to take some amazing photos though, so I opt to carry mine in a waterproof camera case behind the seat and I will take it out to capture sunrises and sunsets, scenery,

The author’s whole kayak fishing kit.

The author stores scents (J) in the centre console’s drink holder, applying scent every 20-30 casts.

of water that they can then drink as they thaw. I set up my icebox with the lid opening facing my back so I can reach around and access it. I also leave it unlatched so I can swing a fish around on the lip grips, lift the lid and unclip the fish into the box. Being insulated in the lid, the icebox lid has more weight and will close itself, resisting any escape attempts of a lively fish.

C: ROD HOLDERS Most kayaks come fitted with a few flush mount rod holders and these are ideal for storing landing nets, lip grips and other tools. I prefer not to store my rods in these holders as they are too close to the water, where the

Iceboxes (B) generally feature better quality insulation than cheaper coolers, including insulation in the lid, and they are also often more robust. Rod holders (C) are ideal for storing landing nets, lip grips and other tools.

This means I can securely lock in four rod and reel combos behind my seat for easy access and switch out a rod holder for a Railblaza Extenda Pole and light for night fishing, or remove the whole unit when transporting the kayak.

D: DRY BAG – FISHING TACKLE In the cockpit of the

wildlife, other kayak anglers and fish photos when there is an opportunity available to get quality images. It’s important to regularly check the seal on the camera case to ensure it’s free from dirt and objects that may cause a leakage point. I leash my camera case to the kayak using a T-Reign retractable gear tether.

F: COOPER ANCHOR I use a Cooper poly anchor. It’s lightweight, extremely effective and inexpensive. I attach it via a thin rope to the front

as I can tuck it beside my seat or store it in a rear flush mount rod holder without it acting as a sail.

You will quickly learn to leave enough line outside

and flathead. I store these in the centre console’s drink holder, applying scent every 20-30 casts.

K: BOOMERANG TOOL It’s a good idea to keep

Lip grips (H) are ideal for safely and securely handling many species of fish. If your kayak doesn’t come fitted with a kayak paddle holder (L), there are solid clip and bungy models available that can be retrofitted at a later date.

Don’t forget to take a ruler (I). There are foldable compact options that you may like for storing on your kayak. connection point on the anchor, with the rope running back along the anchor shaft and zip-tied to the attachment point at the end of the anchor shaft and from there to the floating, timber winding spool. This setup allows the zip tie to be broken and the anchor retrieved in reverse, should it snag on the bottom.

If you loop the zip tie through twice before zipping it up, it should remain in the attachment point for disposal in the bin. On my anchor rope I have two stainless steel rings tied into the rope, one at a common rope length for shallow water anchoring and one at a common rope length for deep water anchoring. This allows me to quickly and easily let out enough rope and then attach the stainless steel ring to the tag line on the anchor running rig.

G: LANDING NET A short handled landing net with a large enough opening to handle your target species makes landing fish simpler, safer and less stressful, although you’ll still lose a few yakside. I prefer a short handled net,

the rod tip to guide the fish into the net.

H: LIP GRIPS Lip grips are ideal for safely and securely handling many species of fish. I generally net my fish then attach the Boga Grips for handling and releasing fish.

The grips also make it easy to transfer fish from the cockpit area to the icebox if you’re keeping a couple for a feed. As with all accessories, leash it or lose it.

I: RULER I keep my ruler in the cockpit area, attached to a T-Reign retractable gear tether and tucked under my seat, out of the way. It’s hard to go past an Alvey ruler or their longer folding ruler for a ruler that is compact, durable and easy to use in the kayak.

J: SCENT I’m a believer when it comes to adding scent to my lures and it has proven itself time and again, whether switching on a bite or turning tentative taps into more aggressive strikes. I generally carry a couple of flavours. Mullet and pilchard flavour are my favourites on the bream

paddle out of the way when fishing. Remember to leash your paddle onto the kayak.

M: ANCHOR RUNNING RIG I have written about anchor running rigs (anchor

The author prefers a short handled net (G) that he can tuck beside his seat or store in a rear flush mount rod holder without it acting as a sail. some line snips handy for rigging and I will either attach my Boomerang Tool Snips to my shirt or to the mesh pocket on my kayak, using their retractable leash when rigging. I always know where they are and it’s not on the bottom of the ocean!

L) PADDLE / PADDLE HOLDER If your kayak doesn’t come fitted with a kayak paddle holder, there are solid clip and bungy models available that can be retrofitted at a later date, allowing you to stow your

trolleys) before and there are plenty of videos and articles on how to set one up, so I won’t go into great detail. If you are going to anchor, an

running rig between kayaks.

On the longer kayak I use Fasty Straps from the pulleys to mounting points on the kayak to pull the anchor running rig tight, so it operates effectively.

N: TACKLE TRAY A double-sided tackle tray slid under my seat holds all of the lures and terminal tackle that I use regularly. If you don’t have access under your seat, this can be stored under your legs, in a side pocket that can be fitted if not included on your kayak, or even behind your seat.

O: SOFT PLASTICS WALLET I also keep a range of soft plastics handy in a wallet under my seat. Again, this can be stored under your legs or in a side pocket if you don’t have under-seat access.

A leash can be added to assist in retrieval from your rear well.

P: WATER BOTTLE Drink plenty of water.

I like to keep a smaller

R: SOUNDER / GPS Although not essential, a sounder and GPS has many applications for anglers, including locating and marking fish and fish holding structure. I run Railblaza mounts for my sounder and transducer, as it makes it quick and easy to remove the unit when transporting the kayak, store the unit or switch it from one kayak to another. A small 7 or 18amp battery stored behind the seat provides me with plenty of power for a session on the water.

S: CAMERA MOUNT A camera mount attached within reach and a waterproof camera will allow you to capture much better images of you holding fish, with less chance of lost cameras or phones while attempting to hold them upside down at arm’s length taking selfies.

T: DRY BAG – CLOTHES / FIRST AID A dry bag containing additional clothing and your safety kit can be inserted in

A sounder and GPS (R) has many applications for anglers, including locating and marking fish and fish holding structure.

A double-sided tackle tray (N) slid under the seat can hold all the lures and terminal tackle that you use regularly. You can also keep a range of soft plastics handy in a wallet (O) under the seat.

anchor running rig is a loop of rope attached to a pulley toward the front and a pulley toward the rear of the kayak, with a tag of rope coming off the loop where you attach your anchor line.

It allows you to move the anchor from the front to the rear of the kayak and retrieve your anchor easily and safely. I transfer my

water bottle under my seat or under my legs out of the sun, and refill it from a larger bottle stowed in my icebox.

Q: SUNSCREEN Take a tube of sunscreen with you and re-apply when you change locations or stop for lunch. I keep it handy in a side pocket, so it’s visible and not forgotten.

your front hatch or attached with bungy cord to the front of your kayak.

This is a quick overview of my kayak kit and how I have everything laid out for a fishing adventure. I hope it helps you set up your first kayak, gives you a few ideas for your current setup or just fires you up to get out on the water and onto a few fish.

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Have a go at Canberra’s Murrumbidgee River CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

I haven’t written a lot about my hometown of Canberra and the fishing options right in the heart of the city until now. This column has, for the most part, centred on kayak locations in NSW, which are difficult to get to and sometimes hard to fish, but worth a visit.

Having a beacon means that if you do get into trouble, you will be able to contact emergency services.

Pack plenty of food and lots of water. I would even recommend bringing sports drinks or Hydralyte.

A big day on the river can be very draining if you aren’t properly hydrated.

SPECIES The Murrumbidgee is chock-full of carp and redfin.

It also contains healthy

If targeting cod, I slow roll swimbaits through and around heavy structure. I mention ‘through,’ because sometimes I will cast a swimbait right into the overhanging willows that line the banks then retrieve.

Inserting the occasional pause into the slow roll can trigger a bite, as can steadily lifting the rod tip during the retrieve to make it look like a fish fleeing towards the surface.

Overhanging foliage contains plenty of cod.

Battling a large specimen in the middle of a wide pool.

The fishery that best represents this idea of tough but rewarding angling from a yak in the ACT has to be the Murrumbidgee. It can be dangerous, puzzling and heart breaking, but the rewards easily outstrip the negatives.

populations of Murray cod and golden perch. Most yak anglers stick to the cod and goldens with a few local guns consistently producing amazing results. Michael Wilson is perhaps Canberra’s best known ‘Bidgee kayak fisho with his largest capture

Casting parallel to the bank will yield quality fish.

FACILITIES The Murrumbidgee runs through the outskirts of Canberra, so the facilities available to visiting anglers are the same as any mediumsized city around Australia.

There are several tackle shops where you can stock up on supplies with the standout being Otto’s Tackleworld.

The brains trust of the Canberra angling scene work at the shop and will give you sound, honest advice which can be of significant help to a novice kayak angler visiting for the first time.

Don’t forget to bring a life jacket and beacon – there is no mobile reception along parts of the river. These two items are a necessity when fishing the river, as there are dangerous rapids and other issues to contend with like snakes. I have even heard stories of snakes swimming alongside kayaks and trying to get aboard for a rest.

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to date being a 116cm beast.

TECHNIQUES It’s very important to keep it simple when fishing the river from a kayak.

You’ll be contending with rapids, overhanging trees, submerged timber and large boulders, so the last thing you want to be thinking about is trying to dead stick a large vibe or punch rig a big plastic.

A slow roll retrieve also works well for surface lures cast near exposed rocks in the river. These lures do most of the work for the angler and some of the actions on these lures are incredible. I always attach a second split ring to the rear treble of all my surface lures to ensure a better hook-up rate.

When targeting goldens, I use vibes and plastics while employing a burn and kill retrieve. Cast the lure at a snag, allow the lure to sink for a few seconds then wind the lure back to your position quickly.

When the lure is close to the yak, stop winding and allow the lure to sink again.

This mimics a fleeing and then stunned baitfish, which drives the local yellowbelly population crazy.

THE KAYAK The ‘Bidgee is no place for a cheap kayak. The rapids are nasty and the submerged rocks and timber can tear the bottom of a yak to pieces.

I use my Native Slayer Propel and it handles the conditions well. The only issue is the propel drive which has to be lifted from the water when heading up the shallower sections of the river.

The ‘Bidgee yellas respond well to a burn and kill retrieve.

Paddle yaks are more suited to fishing this river. I have witnessed my friends in Wilderness kayaks moving up the river with ease leaving me to contend with the pedal drive issue. These kayaks are also designed for standing and casting, which is perfect when you find the bigger pools and can drift and cast along the willows.

to plot where I have caught fish and there is a distinctive pattern that becomes so much clearer with the help of a good quality sounder.

LOCATIONS It’s very important to launch your kayak in a public area and not on private land.

Much of the river runs right through private property, which means that launching

with a low profile baitcaster.

This is a powerful, long rod designed for throwing big baits. Casting giant lures all day with a regular rod can be exhausting. With the proper rod it’s much easier. I run 25lb braid and 30lb leader on my reel.

For throwing plastics, vibes and small spinnerbaits, I use a 6’10 (med/light)

Local gun Michael Wilson face to face with a big ‘Bidgee green machine.

THE SOUNDER I use a Lowrance Series 7 Ti and though I have only been using this unit for a short time, it has dramatically improved my catch rate. Being able to read the temperature of the river as well as watch the snags below the kayak with both side scan and down scan has given me a far better understanding of how dynamic the Murrumbidgee River is and how to fish it successfully.

For instance, some pools in the middle of winter can be significantly warmer than others. Without a sounder, they can be hard to find.

Likewise, the amount of snags under the surface has to be seen to be believed with many large fish holding right in the centre of the river with no visible structure on top in sight. I have also been able

in these areas is illegal.

Respecting the farmers which work the land around the river is integral to the ‘Bidgee experience.

Remember, you can stop at any of the islands located in the middle of the river but pulling up to the sides and onto private land is not advisable.

TIMING The Murrumbidgee fishes well from December 1 right through until August 31. I don’t know anyone who fishes the river during cod close, because no one wants to accidently catch a cod while targeting other species. The locals turn their attention to the lakes around Canberra during this time.

TACKLE For casting swimbaits and surface lures, I use a 7’6 swimbait rod (heavy) matched

baitcaster rod matched to a Daiwa Pixy Type R. This rod has plenty of finesse about it, but has a lot of power in the base of the rod making it perfect for tying up with big yellas. I’m also always in with a chance of landing a large cod using this combo, which is a big plus – large fish sometimes take small lures.

CONCLUSION The Murrumbidgee River is an interesting proposition from a kayak. It’s dangerous, exciting, frustrating and rewarding. Finding a launch site is the first hurdle and then it’s learning to navigate the rapids. Once these issues are resolved and you spot a large cod on the sounder, the fun will begin. You’ll forget all about your wet feet and the long paddle back to your car.

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A smaller, more versatile fibreglass fishing rig BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

In the last few articles I have emphasized the need for potential boat owners to have a very close look at their fishing needs prior to making a decision on a new boat. As part of the last article, I discussed the pros and cons of owning both alloy and glass craft and, in fact, I was actually drawing upon my own fishing life.

Unable to decide exactly which boat would suit us best, we had two – glass and alloy!

A typical week might mean a Monday morning bay run for some pelagic or sub surface action in the 5.5m Galeforce centre console followed by a fast Friday foray to a favoured bass or barra dam for some fun with the fly rod, where the 4.3m TABS tiller steer would be in a starring role.

Owning two boats, naturally, is not very practical. It was fun at the time, so long as the money tree remained in fresh foliage. And even though I tried to overlap their usage, it was as fanciful as it was impractical.

The smooth riding glass Galey with it’s 90hp E-Tec was a bullish boat for impoundments – less is more in small waters – yet the centre console setup was a top treat when travelling for hours on the bay or moving out through the seaway for a sunny morning’s billfish trolling. On the other hand, the tiller steer alloy TABS Bullshark punt with it’s 40hp E-Tec was top dollar for dams and creeks, but hardly the best boat for a run to Tangalooma’s beacons at daylight.

Still, the impracticality of owning two boats saw me frequently speculating how good it would be to have

The author’s former 5.5 Galeforce centre console. Watch this space for a photo of the newby in another issue. just one boat for our fishing.

These thought processes always accelerated when it was time to pay dual boat/ trailer registrations and insurance policies.

ONE BOAT FOR BAY AND IMPOUNDMENT One boat for both scenarios would see fishing needs best satisfied with a craft somewhat around the size of the punt – fibreglass if possible – with enough freeboard and sea keeping ability for work in the bay and even the largest impoundment, and with enough fishing room for my wife Denise and I to enjoy things without being in each other’s way. This latter requirement can also be translated as ‘not hitting each other with big barra flies!’

Those criteria needed to be enhanced by ease of launching and a size small enough to see us sneaking

into subtle sections of dams or corners of creeks for our beloved barra. All boats involve compromises, but there was no disputing that ride quality and sea keeping were high on the list, along with some storage room and a practical layout.

THE 4.5 GALEFORCE A conversation with Kev Youngberry of Galeforce Boats, Maryborough, on an entirely different matter, rekindled my interest in a smaller glass rig. Kev and I spoke of perhaps adding a 4.5m Galey to his line up.

For the record, I have owned three Galeforce craft – a 4.8m and two 5.5s – and with over two decades of boating reviews for this and various other magazines in my wake, I figured I knew a good thing when I was aboard it.

I regarded the Galeforce ride as top shelf. The handling was spot on and

stability at rest from the deep vee hull was never an issue, as large reversed outer chines and a central planing plank imparted excellent degrees of stability at all times to the 21° vee hull. The plank also enhanced low speed

homes in due course and during the construction time some solid liaison between Galeforce and myself sorted out all those things that can make a good boat even better. I couldn’t have chosen a more agreeable

hull of the 5.5 Galey with its sky blue bottom. You just don’t get closer to feeding fish than that!

Moving on to more of our requirements, a moulded bracket and associated wiring for the Mercury Xi5 electric motor would cater for our stealthy dam work, a double console (with screen and rails) provided handy storage plus some slipstream protection underway.

Add an 80L under-floor fuel tank, thanks. I wanted it set up for hydraulic steering with paired floor seat spigots and a 20” transom to accommodate a 75hp Evinrude E-Tec. A Keel Shield on the bow will protect the bow’s gel coat on boat ramps and gravel dam verges.

When I later turned up with a stainless steel leaning post for the forward casting platform, Kev immediately discussed where he could source spigots to take the two upright lower sections.

No argy bargy – let’s do it!

ONLY A COUPLE OF COMPROMISES One item for major consideration was whether we would have a self draining floor or opt for a big sump at the transom and a 600 GPH bilge pump to take care of any rain water.

The new craft’s 80L fuel tank is firmly within its capsule to ensure it cannot rub or chafe throughout the boat’s life.

Settling onto the Dunbier multi roller trailer. The sky blue toning is just the ticket for a stealth approach to pelagic fish.

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travel as well.

A usually dry ride, courtesy of plenty of above water flare in the bow area and 800mm high sides, was par for the course in all three of my centre console rigs.

A 4.5M CENTRE CONSOLE Can the 4.5 be a centre console? Why not? From the dimensions Kev gave me, I considered the 4.5 Galeforce to be small enough for dam work, yet big enough for the bay. And, best of all, it wasn’t going to ring-bark the money tree to get it home.

Our boats left for new

or accommodating boat building team. Kev and Meth were right on the ball during our initial discussions, which covered a lot of ground, mainly sorting out what I wanted to use the boat for and how we could best accommodate those plans.

SUCCESS IS IN THE DETAILS A white hull with blue bottom was mandatory as I firmly believe that matching the sky’s colour under the hull had allowed us to sneak very close to feeding pelagics in the past. At times I actually had macks hit the

We decided on the sump/ pump combo as the way to go. Raising the interior floor level so that a self-draining system would be viable did not appeal to me. I opted for an interior freeboard of 500mm instead.

One item removed from the list was the seat (containing a storage compartment) in front of the centre console. It would be nice to have it, but for a two person fishing team, it would be superfluous. Its removal would allow the console to be moved forward to better balance the craft.

FISHING NEWS

Chloe ‘She Fishes’ Laurence switches to Mercury

Massive box sections under the Galey’s floor ensure hill rigidity at all times.

THE CERTAINTIES

The front deck, incidentally, escaped compromises. It sported an anchor well up front and two opposing storage compartments with watertight hatches. Further back at the rear of the deck was a full width foam-lined ice box large enough for mackerel and tuna with a floor tilted skilfully to the drainage bung to facilitate cleaning out after the catch was removed. A little thing

like that can sure make a good boat better!

The screen and shelf equipped centre console would house the Lowrance Carbon 12 sounder. Forward controls for the 75 E-Tec were side-mounted on the console. All Denise and I needed to enjoy travel time would be a couple of swivelling pedestal seats.

And some windcheaters too!

As I saw it, we would have a near-perfect rig for our main fishing requirements:

launching at a bayside ramp at sparrow chirp and mooching around Moreton Bay to look for some surface action would be as easy as snugging the Dunbier trailer to the tow bar and towing the rig to a barra or bass dam for a few days of freshwater action. There is a lot to like about this boat and further down the track we’ll have a closer look at just what makes our smaller fibreglass fishing rig fun to own and fish from.

Chloe Laurence is having a great time – breaking down stereotypes while doing what she loves.

A talented fisher with numerous tournament wins to her name, Chloe is helping to eliminate the myth that fishing’s just ‘a bloke’s sport’ while encouraging everyone to try throwing in a line.

“It started out fishing occasionally on the weekend but I got bitten by the bug and now it’s developed into a full-time passion,” said Chloe, who also works as a fishing journalist and photographer, and has her own website “She Fishes”.

With a focus on inshore sports fishing as well as game fishing for marlin and tuna, Chloe spends as much time as she can out on the water – propelled by a brand new Mercury 150 FourStroke.

“My husband Tom and I have had two stroke engines on our Seydelcraft 520R for the last five years and have done nearly 3,000 hours

in that time, but decided to upgrade after fishing with friends with four strokes.

“The boat is very sensitive to weight, so the Mercury 150 was an obvious choice being the lightest engine in its class.

“I admit I was a little concerned about losing that two stroke ‘grunt’ that really helps with some of the river bar crossings that we have here on the East Coast.

“But our initial test runs put those concerns to rest instantly. The power, that instant acceleration of the 150 Mercury FourStroke is just incredible.”

Chloe, like so many others, has also been amazed at how quite the engine is.

“It’s often hard to tell whether or not it’s actually running when it’s in idle, and you can comfortably have a conversation even when running at high revs.

“I also really like the troll control option and being able to increase our RPM in small increments below 1,000 rpm with the push of a button.

“It’s a great feature when live-baiting for marlin and just makes life that bit easier out on the water.” – Mercury

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www.fishingandleisureboats.com.au JULY 2017

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Bar Crusher 730HT with Suzuki 225hp 4-Stroke

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The cockpit is all business. Non-slip on the broad gunwales, plumbed bait station, transom door and live bait tank.

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DE FOR EX

Victorian built Bar Crusher boats have definitely carved themselves out a solid niche amongst discerning plate aluminium boat buyers nationwide.

You can get tied up as much as you like in the registered and trademarked features on the website and catalogue, but the long and the short of it is that they have a reputation for making quality boats from quality materials and the self-draining hull combined with the water ballast system ensures that the compromise between ride and stability at rest is bridged as

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s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

well as possible given current materials and technology.

The fact that you’ll break before a Bar Crusher does is just a bonus.

So with that in mind, let’s state first-up that there’s absolutely nothing different between the previous iterations of the 730 hull and this model.

As they say, ‘if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it,’ but there’s a suite of changes above the waterline and 20º transom deadrise that will enhance your boating experience in this, the Hard Top (HT) model.

Warren Cleland took the time on a recent boat test to take Fishing Monthly through the changes.

Most of the noticeable alterations are in the hard top itself. It’s been redesigned to

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drain better (and not dump sheets of water on your head), look better and to accommodate your marine radios and stereo systems in the space above the windscreen.

The dash is more upright and this lends itself to better visibility of your electronics – both from the helm and from the cockpit where all of the fishing action happens.

SPECIFICATIONS Length................... 7.30m Beam.....................2.45m Internal Freeboard..............72cm Bottom....................5mm Sides........................4mm Transom.................... 25” Fuel..........................330L Dry Tow Weight................2,250kg Min hp.................. 200hp Max hp..................250hp LOA on Trailer.......8.90m WOA on Trailer......2.45m HOA on Trailer......3.40m Also, there’s three versions of the hard top that can be ordered – from open cabin, through to a rollerdoor lockable cabin and right through to a fully enclosed pilothouse.

Smaller changes, like a graduated folding on the inside of the gunwales to eliminate harsh angles and make the edge more comfortable to lean against, will be incorporated into more and more models without much fuss, but all the time adding to the angler experience.

Although the test day on Port Phillip Bay was

Main Pics: The boys from Bar Crusher love showing off the undersides of their boat hulls. Warren Cleland demonstrates just how this is done in this sequence of shots. Above: Don’t be fooled by how calm the water looks in this pic. She was a wild and woolly day on Port Phillip Bay. awesome for confirming the rough water chops of this boat, it didn’t allow us to gauge any of the performance statistics from the 730.

With that in mind, the factory claims low 70km/h top speeds with the Suzuki 225. Guiding the rig through the washing machine seas, the motor definitely felt powerful enough while spinning a 16” three-bladed propeller.

Warren navigated the nasty conditions with ease and offered some tips on driving boats in rough seas.

“It’s best to keep the boat just above or just below planing speed and with your engine trimmed out as far as possible,” he said, “but remember that if your propeller starts ventilating then you need to trim back down a little.”

This keeps the bow up as high as possible and lets the hull do the work.

Supplied on Easytow twin-axled trailer with an I-beam frame, the 730 used Bar Crusher’s superlative Bar

Catch system to truly make this boat able to be launched and retrieved by one person.

With a dry weight of around 2,200kg, it’s able to be towed by most twin-cab 4WDs, although a larger tow vehicle will make life easier on the dodgier ramps around town.

With packages starting from low $100Ks, the test model weighed in at around $125,000.

To check out the 730HT for yourself, along with a

range of other Bar Crusher boats, visit Blakes Marine at 1 Railway Rd, North Mulgrave, phone them on (02) 4577 6699 or go to www. blakesmarine.com.au.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual boat/motor/trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

You can see the steep bow angle doing its job on the way back into the Patterson River.

The trim tabs are neatly tucked away under the duckboard and you can see where the water enters the ballast system as the bottom of the transom.

The boys from Bar Crusher are in love with the Suzuki 225 for this hull and on the test day, it performed faultlessly.

The test model was built with the lockable roller-door cabin. An Open Cabin and Full Pilot House models are also available.

If you’re paying $125K for a boat, there’s no way you’re pulling up that anchor by hand.

Bar Catch truly makes the Bar Crusher/ Easytow combination a one person deal.

Amongst changes in the dash include a more vertical attitude, which aids visibility from both the helm and the cockpit.

The transom bench seas folds away to make 270o fishing access possible.

Self-draining decks are made for plumbed deck washes. This one will help keep the deck slime-free, no matter how many snapper you’re catching.

If you’re a marine radio junkie, try filling up these slots!

We’ll give Bar Crusher the benefit of the doubt and call the can holders here ‘scent can holders’, not ‘beer can holders’.

Although towable by a twin-can 4WD, the bigger the better in the tow vehicle department.

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Extreme 645 Game King with Mercury 150hp

THE HASTINGS

Mark Saxon castawayestuarycharters@bigpond.com

I couldn’t help but feel a little bit excited when I first laid eyes on the Extreme 645 Game King.

It happened when I was standing on the main ramp in Port Macquarie, about to get a firsthand look and test run on the boat with Jason Herbert from Hastings Marine.

The first thing that caught my eye as it reversed down the ramp was how good it looked with the black sides and white hard top. Its SPECIFICATIONS Overall length ���������������6450mm Beam ��������������� 2500mm Hull thickness......5mm Side and deck thickness..............4mm Deadrise................. 20° Recommended hp..................... 115-150 Length on trailer.............. 7400mm Width on trailer..............2440mm BMT weight...... 1550kg tread plate deck looked very impressive, and when it was eased off the Tinka Classic trailer and put alongside the jetty I realised how spacious the deck area was. It was clear that this boat had some serious fishing potential.

The test day was a perfect Port Macquarie day, with only light winds – not that great for a boat test. Still, with a little swell still hanging around from previous days, Jason believed we could give it a good hit out on the back of North 120

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Beach and its prevailing swell. The test boat’s power plant was a 150 Mercury EFI 4-stroke, which is the recommended maximum horsepower, so I knew we were in for some fun.

HISTORY Extreme Boats is based at Whakatane, in the Bay Of Plenty in New Zealand’s North Island. The Owners are Glenn and Dianne Shaw. The Shaws began manufacturing boats in 1998 and have gone from strength to strength, and now have a staff of 40-plus.

They produce more than 200 boats each year, and all the hulls are designed in-house.

Extreme has a large share of the aluminium boat market in New Zealand, and have won many awards. They also have a range of dealerships in Australia.

HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE The Game King’s deep vee hull (20.5° at the transom) performed sweetly going through the beach swells, and no doubt would be good in sloppy conditions.

We pushed the boat down the swells, across them and then straight back into them without once feeling concerned. Turning on a swell was brilliant. Jason pushed it to the extreme (pun intended) throughout the entire test period, and not once did he back off the throttle.

Another thing that impressed me was that when running across the sea, the Lectro Trim tabs enabled quick and easy ride adjustment while underway.

This would be very handy into a decent cross wind and side-on swell.

Underneath the tread plate deck there are four welded buoyancy chambers, and with the flooded keel

this makes the Extreme very stable at rest. This is a cleverly designed hull, and I’m sure this boat will get you out there to the fishing grounds and back again with comfort and reliability.

PERFORMANCE Speed

RPM (knots) Fuel (L) 1000 5.2

3.1

2000 7.8

9.6

3000 17.2

16.8

4000 27

29

5000 32.5

35

5800 36

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CABIN LAYOUT AND HELM When you enter the wheel house you will notice all the instruments are flush mounted, with the Raymarine ES 98 with CPT-100dvs sitting above the hydraulic steering, and the Mercury VesselView

directly above the sounder/ GPS unit. The trim tab control is within reach so you don’t have to leave your comfy deluxe swivel seat, and there are neatly positioned grab rails for those sloppier conditions.

Sitting above the fishing electronics are a neatly fitted Fusion stereo and Raymarine VHF radio.

Visibility is excellent from the helm. It has sliding side window panels, and the main view has a wiper. The fore cabin could sleep two adults and has two side shelves for storage. The fore cabin also provides access to the drum anchor winch. When you are not in the fore cabin, an aluminium rolling door can be pulled down. Back in the wheelhouse you will also notice side pockets which will keep cabin uncluttered.

DECK LAYOUT AND FISHABILITY The deck gives you a feeling of room to play when

It’s easy to walk on at the stern with the walk-through transom door.

the fish are on. There are two under deck storage units, with one between the seats.

Both rocket launchers are out of the way (one across the hard top and another above the bait table), and there are four aluminium throughgunwale rod holders on the sides.

At the stern there is a removable three quarter bench seat, along with two transom lockers for batteries, oil reservoir and the wash-down pump. There is a livebait well and a walkthrough transom which is very effective. To the side of the cabin is a freshwater bladder and a pump tap, which is great for washing your hands before lunch.

ANCHORING Anchoring was a breeze on the test run.

We anchored in the river using the Stressfree Mini NG drum, which can lower or retrieve at 80-90ft (24-27m) per minute.

The Stressfree is super responsive; it can free fall at 600ft (183m) per minute, but once the anchor hits the bottom the revolution speed slows down and stops, thanks to the engineered braking system.

TRAILERING The Extreme 645 was quite easy to put on the Tinka Alloy fully rollered trailer.

It has a 12V Stressfree Trailer winch, but was an easy drive-on to the tandem axle trailer. With a weight of 1550kg, the rig was towed behind Hastings Marine’s dual cab Navara with ease.

VERDICT The Extreme is an eye catching, well designed and top-of-the-line offshore fishing vessel which is very comfortable and dry. The Extreme has plenty of room for serious anglers to ply

FITTED OPTIONS • FACTORY FITTED Bait board Boarding ladder Cabin roller door Deck wash Upgraded fuel tank Fusion stereo MD-UD650 Choice of black or white Rear pop-out bimini Hard top to transom cover Wiper • HASTINGS MARINE FITTED Raymarine ES98with CPT-100DVS Freshwater bladder with pump Stressfree Mini NG with SARCA anchor Stressfree 12V trailer winch DLX Seat upgrade Price as tested: $107,000 drive away*

*Price includes NSW registrations, offshore safety equipment, Tinka alloy trailer TA640 T MO with spare wheel, and Mercury 150hp 4-stroke with VesselView 4

their trade, secure in the knowledge that the boat can handle the rough stuff!

If you’d like to find out more about the Extreme 645 Game King you can contact John Morton or Jason Herbert at Hastings Marine on (02) 6583 5511, drop into the premises at 185 Hastings River Drive, Port Macquarie, or visit the website at www. hastingsmarine.com.au.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

Looking from the rear you can see the Lectro Tabs, the walkthrough with grab rail and fold down boarding ladder.

The power plant: Mercury’s 150 EFI 4-stroke.

Whenever you schedule a boat test the wind drops out!

Viewing is not going to be a problem with widows like this.

The live well is under the deck in between the walkthrough.

The helm is fitted with all the equipment needed for great fishing and safe boating.

As any boat reviewer will know, the weather is always perfect when you need to do a test, so we checked out the Extreme Game King on some North Beach surf.

The anchor drum is Stressfree by name and by nature. It’s excellent to use.

The bait board with rod holders is located over the hatches that are home to the batteries and deck wash.

There’s miles of fishing room in the Extreme 645 Game King.

The optional alloy roller door to the fore cabin.

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Brooker 420R Discovery 2017 with Mercury 30hp

SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Are you looking for a boat to take the family out for a fish in the freshwater chasing a few trout, bass, estuary and golden perch, or in the saltwater targeting bream, flathead and whiting? The Brooker 420R Discovery 2017 with a 30hp 2-stroke Mercury outboard is definitely a

rig to have a look at.

It may not be the flashiest boat on the water with all the trimmings, but who cares? It’s a good boat and it will get you outdoors fishing. It’s also a great option for people who aren’t that into fishing and just like getting out on the water; it would be an ideal rig for taking the family out for a picnic. This particular boat doesn’t have an access ladder on the rear pod, but you could certainly get one

The transom step with grab rail is a great place to enter the water. Why not add a folding ladder to make it easier to get out of the water?

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added to make it easier for everyone to get out of the water.

Up front there are two removable, padded, folddown pedestal seats that will make driving the 420R Discovery a breeze, while the rest of the family can sit back on the padded rear bench seat.

With two people on board, the 30hp, 2-stroke Mercury outboard pulled the boat up onto the plane very easily and only half throttle was used. Once up on the plane, the boat cruised along at around 21 knots, and when put through its paces going over the wake of other boats it cut through them with ease.

While at rest I tried walking around the boat from side to side to see if the boat lurched over.

Surprisingly there was not a lot of movement, even with two people on board. If you prefer to drift rather than anchor when fishing, you would find that you don’t have that feeling of falling out of the boat when netting that fish of a lifetime.

When standing up against the gunwale, the height of 55cm was about a third the way up my thighs. This made it very comfortable to lean against, and the extra-wide gunnels gave the sides of the boat plenty of support. If at a later date, you were to install a sounder/GPS, radio

and other electrical items, you would have plenty of room to run the cables up under the wide gunnels, keeping them away from the outside elements.

On the test boat there were no rod holders, but as an angler who owns a boat you would have to have at least two. These could easily be put into the gunwales and used for storing your rods when travelling or waiting for that big fish to jump on.

Even though there was not a lot of storage up front (enough room for four life jackets), the bench seat at the rear made up for that.

On either side of the boat you have a narrow side pocket that is about a metre in length where you could also store a few items.

The reinforced, walkthrough, aluminium-framed windscreen made dropping and retrieving the anchor easy. The walk-through windscreen would also make using the boat by yourself less complicated, as you could lean over the front of the boat and hook up the strap before getting out.

Driving the boat onto the trailer is very simple: you just line up the bottom roller and slowly power forward and let the skids and rollers do their job. To make it a bit easier I would install a centring roller.

Even though the 30hp, 2-stroke Mercury outboard was very quiet when in use,

upgrading to a 40hp 4-stroke ELPT EFI for an extra $3605 may be an option for you. This would give you that bit more power when getting onto the plane, and it would be slightly quieter and more fuel efficient.

SPECIFICATIONS Length................ 4.28m Width.................. 1.89m Weight (boat only).......... 235kg Interior height... 0.55m Side thickness..... 2mm Bottom thickness............. 3mm Recommended hp ........................30-40 Shaft length......... Long Maximum people...... 4 Recommended trailer................... 134S Height on trailer.1.92m Length on trailer... 5.1m FEATURES The Brooker 420R Discovery Runabout with a Mercury 30hp 2-stroke outboard and Brooker trailer comes with the following: two pedestal seats and positions, rear and front grab rails, carpeted floor, a transom step, bollards, bow eye and roller, rear pod with a grab rail, anchor well, two side pockets, cable steering, wrap around and walk-through windscreen, padded rear storage bench seat, lockable glove box, bilge pump, battery and fuel tank tray, 25L fuel

tank, and a three-blade aluminium propeller. It is painted white and has a 3-year warranty.

The drive away package is $12,999, and includes the Brooker 420R Discovery 2017 with a 30hp 2-stroke Mercury outboard with a 3+2-year warranty on a Brooker trailer. The boat and trailer are also registered for 12 months.

If you like you could upgrade this package and include other options, like a larger motor with power tilt and trim, a bimini, navigation lights, bilge pump and a safety kit. All you need to do is ask when you come into Penrith Marine.

And if you want to get a boat licence for a family member, Penrith Marine runs accredited training courses (Maritime & Safety Training NSW RTO #90440).

Call in a see them at 4/133 Coreen Avenue, Penrith, email sales@ penrithmarine.com.au or visit their website at www. penrithmarine.com.au.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

Just attach the strap and wind away. It’s as easy as one, two, three to get your boat onto the trailer.

You could fix a preparation/cleaning board to the deep well at the front of the outboard.

There is also a bracket for a sounder/GPS.

The Brooker 420R Discovery Runabout comes complete with forward and rear grab rails, two padded pedestal seats, a rear padded bench seat, a Brooker 134S trailer, boat and trailer rego. You could upgrade to a Mercury 4-stroke 30hp EL plus cable outboard for an extra $2775.

The chines sit well clear of the top of the mud guards when on the trailer. When winding in the winch remember to keep the strap flat as it goes onto the drum.

The rear bench seat has plenty of space in it to store things out of the elements, especially your safety gear and tackle. The gunwales are extra wide so you can run any extra cable you may need in the future.

The Brooker trailer comes with all the rollers and skids you need. If it was me I would change the back roller to a centring one and keep the other one as a spare.

The Brooker 420R Discovery Runabout with a Mercury 30hp 2-stroke outboard and Brooker trailer is $12,999. It’s an ideal rig for someone who’s looking for their first boat to take the family out boating. All you need to do is buy safety gear and you’re away.

The removable, fold-down padded pedestal seats make driving and being a passenger much more comfortable. The driver’s seat is adjustable, and both seats have a webbed storage pouch.

The console is very basic and comes with a lockable glove box. Once you’ve had the rig for a while you might want to think about fitting a sounder/GPS. There’s plenty of room.

On either side of the boat there is a small, narrow compartment for storing a few items. A good place for your folding net and paddles.

There is more storage up front for those life jackets.

Maybe that extra anchor and rope could go here.

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Micro Cat 4.4m Sidewinder with Honda 40hp

SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

The unique 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat is an extremely versatile boat that will have you going over a bar and getting into very shallow water with ease – and this boat has been designed with the not just the angler in mind. It could be used by motor and quad bike users, hunters, campers, divers and for BBQs. Or you could stand and cast lures along the edge of mangroves, wash boards of oyster leases, FEATURES • 2 x Highback Skipper spring, cushioned, fold-down swivel seats • 1 x battery for motor and electrics • 60L fuel cell • Honda 40hp 4-stroke outboard • Hummingbird 197 DI sounder • Trim and tilt gauge • RPM gauge • Fuel gauge • 4 toggle switches • 4 fixed rod holders • 4 swivel rod holders • Navigation lights • Fold down bimini Price as tested: $32,900

A large range of accessories are made for the Micro Cat so you can customise it to your own needs.

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wharves, mud and sand flats and weed beds. The list is endless.

Craig Jones from Blue Water Fabrications has a background in marine engineering and has spent 10 years coming up with the design of the Micro Cat, and has built it and the trailer from the ground up. When I first laid eyes on the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat I thought of a BBQ boat. How wrong was I! This boat is much more than that.

The Honda 40hp 4-stroke outboard had the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat powering at around 50 knots on calm water with two people on board. This would be less if you had a full capacity of five adults on board or any other major equipment like a couple of motor or quad bikes. Once onboard you will realize how much floor space there is for passengers or vehicles.

Even though the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat sits high in the water it doesn’t have much draft. This enables you to put on a short shaft outboard, which in turn allows you to travel over very shallow water. Craig took me for a spin over extremely shallow water to show me how shallow you could get – I would say we were in around 30cm of water.

By contrast, we also crossed out through the bar (not rough, but a few waves) and the boat came up to and

down off the swells with ease. The spray rail chines that run about one third the length of the boat did their job by keeping any spray away. I don’t know how it would go if there was a wind coming from the side, but looking over the side I would SPECIFICATIONS Length................ 4.28m Boat length.......... 4.4m Boat width........... 2.1m Length on trailer (motor down)....... 6.5m.

Width on trailer... 2.4m Height on trailer.. 2.4m Weight.................740kg Capacity......... 5 adults Maximum hp........... 50 Hull thickness..... 4mm Side thickness..... 3mm Floor thickness... 4mm say that it would keep the spray going downwards.

As we were scooting along I took the chance to sit up front on one of the bench seats, and was amazed that was very little (a couple of drops) water came in over the front. This would be due to the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat sitting slightly higher in the water at the front.

The launching and retrieving of the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat was a breeze. It was just a matter of taking off the trailer lights, backing the trailer down (keeping the bearing out of the water), undoing the safety chain and slowly

unwinding the strap with the winch handle.

Once it’s about to clear the rear skids, you engage the ratchet and climb through the centre of the trailer. Once on the boat, you start the motor and put it into gear, and you can then unhitch the hook and reverse off and tie up at the wharf. What I would get installed on the base of the trailer is a grated walkway, which would make traversing the trailer to get to the boat much easier.

The internal design of the webbing and struts of the boat make the sponsons extremely strong and less prone to vibration and flexing when travelling.

The sponsons have been nitro filled to stop any water coming in, and this also stops any corrosion.

If you enjoy camping, this craft would be ideal for family and friends to take their camping gear and pull in right at the water’s edge and set up camp for the night. You could also set up a couple of swags onboard and sleep under the stars for the night.

All in all, after testing the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat, I found that the options for its use is endless. The hull is designed for both rough and smooth water applications, and can go into 30cm of water at high or slow speed. The boats represent the cutting edge of technology and fishing

ability. Nothing looks like a Micro Cat, and nothing goes like a Micro Cat. For the full Sidewinder Series range, from the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat tested here to the Sidewinder 495 and the smaller configurations of the 360 and 320 tiller versions, head to www. aussieboatsales.com.au.

They are based in Canberra, Batemans Bay, North Sydney and Caringbah,

and you can contact Jason Graham from Aussie Boat Sales on 0433 531 226 or email aussieboatsales@ gmail.com.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

As you will see the front of the boat is completely open. You would need to rug up during the cooler months of the year if you were sitting up front.

There is so much floor space to play with.

Both driver and passenger have their own cushioned, fold down swivel seats set up behind a console. Both consoles have a grab rail, covered storage, windscreen and small dash area.

You may find it a bit of a hassle at times taking off and putting the trailer lights.

Just remember to tie them on each time and loop the wire through the rails.

The unique 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat is an extremely versatile boat that will have you going over a bar and getting into very shallow water. Craig Jones from Blue Water Fabrications came up with this design from the ground floor.

The preparation table has 4 of the 8 rod holders onboard.

Notice how the pod has directed the bulk of the water to either side of the motor.

Then on either side of this it is clear flat water making the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat skim across the top of the water.

To the rear of the boat you will find a buoyant deflection pod that enables the outboard motor to be mid mounted. This pod deflected the water either side of the motor allowing the outboard to have a short shaft leg for that shallow travelling.

The rear panels have been left open so the air can pass through them to stop extra resistance. At the rear, there is a built-in preparation table with 4 rod holders. Great place to cut up those baits and deploy the berley.

The boat slides off and onto the trailer so easily you will need to use the strap when launching.

Craig also has a secondary rope for when you have unclipped the strap. You can climb along the trailer to get onto the boat, but I would have a walking platform installed on the bottom rails to make it easier to walk along.

Craig Jones also designed the trailer to take the 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat demo boat. The spray rail chimes only run about a third of the length of the boat, but this easily deflects any spray coming in from the sides of the boat.

The drivers console has storage for the battery and cables. Maybe you could put in an extra shelf and a small hatch.

The 60L fuel cell is situated behind the passengerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chair. If you required a larger one you could ask Craig how much one would cost.

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GO TO THE END OF THE EARTH...

AND BACK AGAIN.

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Learn more at mercurymarine.com.au